Flutter and Frame with L'Oreal False Lash Butterfly Mascara

For lazy daisies with eye makeup, a lash curler and mascara is probably like manna from above.  On days when eye makeup seems so much of an effort, mascara can create that wide-awake difference.  I admit that there are days, even for me, where  setting up primer, eyeshadow palette, brushes, etc etc.  can be just too much, like on weekends. Even on shoots, I try limiting my makeup on myself and focus on getting to the trick. I do know that behind-the-scenes photos would be appearing so to look just at least more awake on my eyes, I just groom my brows and curl my lashes and apply mascara.

The newest mascara from L’Oreal Paris, the False Lash Butterfly Mascara gives vavoom lashes by defining and enhancing our lashes to really make our eyes pop even without any eyeshadow. Even if your eye makeup is heavy that day, (I.e. very heavy smoky eyes), this mascara will make lashes still stand out and not look lost in strong eye makeup even without falsies.  Thanks to the lovely people of L’Oreal Paris who sent this over for me to try.

If you look at the brush, it’s not the usual teardrop-shaped mascara wand we’re used to seeing. The brush has actually an asymmetric  shape (the left side is different from the right).

 This is the key to making the lashes pop out more. The application is more precise, with product getting into the hard-to-reach lashes at the corner of the eyes.  As the product is deposited on the lashes.  The lashes stretch out (like the wings of a butterfly!) for a spread-out, wide-eye look with lashes that frame the eye.

Take note of the before and after photos.

my bare eye, just lashes curled

with False Lash Butterfly Mascara 

The False Lash Butterfly Mascara is also waterproof. I tried it, went to pole class and there are no mascara runs or flakes  on my face from sweat. I really needed very potent eye makeup remover to get this all out. Conditioning power is awesome and bridal makeup artists should have this in their kit, especially if the bride opts not to wear false eyelashes.

There are numerous ways of wearing the False Lash Butterfly Mascara. One of course, I have mentioned is on a bare eye, if you want to give your eyes oomph at minimal effort. You can wear this too with bridal makeup and your classic smokey eye, as shown here in the video. Check out the video on how to get the Le Papillon Eye Look and see how easy it is to do with L'Oreal products:

 

My own take too to this smokey eye is slightly darker and I used a coral lip.

I like how my lashes, even at a distance and not like a Tom Hooper-like close headshot, can still be seen. You can take this on a night out, party, or what the heck, even at a pole performance. Right I told you that these lashes can withstand intense pole class I had? Well yes, I model these looks on the pole.

Top: Brown Belly Yoga

Shorts: Landmark

Makeup Artist Karim Rahman created the Butterfly Looks – bold eye makeup designs where you can wear with your mascara. The looks are really edgy and pretty and I decided to do my interpretation of these looks.

A wearable look, the Flying Fluttery Look channels 60s sirens with exaggerated winged eyeliner. Think Amy Winehouse’s iconic eyeliner with lots of lashes framing it.  It’s a great party and performance look to do.

An edgier, bolder look that reminded me of Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, is the Bold Nympha, which looks really cool in photos and would be a really cool makeup peg in a pole competition.

With lashes that defy gravity, I decided to  defy gravity as well. Like butterflies that take flight, I also take flight on the pole, because what better way to showcase these looks than to fly as well right? 

The Flying Fluttery on a Hummingbird

Sport Top: Zobha

Swimsuit Shorts: Sabre by Lizanne Cua

When I saw the Bold Nympha, I got my pole competition costume that I wore to Vie and Vault two years ago. As I said earlier, the defined strong eyes would really pop out onstage in fashion shows, performances.

Pole Costume by Dennis Celestial

If you want lashes that defy gravity,  L’Oreal Paris False Lash Butterfly Mascara is available for Php 695 at all L’Oreal Paris makeup counters. Get your lashes some #butterflyeffect and start posting your own #butterflyeffect, in air, land or water, since it’s waterproof. J 

This is It! Yin Yoga Teacher Training in September!

( I was inspired by my fellow yogi, Jane, who posted her announcement that I shall post mine too)

Before yoga became popular mainstream, I was following online yoga gurus like Tara Stiles in YouTube and doing quick yoga exercises from what I read in magazines. It was more of a 10-15 minute workout really then,  just to get my body started.

My real  first formal yoga class taught me a different style of yoga from what I experienced in the online videos - which is Yin Yoga. Unlike the yoga we all know from what we seem this type of yoga is a passive, quiet, and relaxing yoga. The flow of asanasgoes deeper than muscle and strength and target connective tissues and fascia. Energy channels and meridians are also targeted to recharge and detox the body. After that class,  I can say that I got hooked. I even memorized the sequence even to do at home and followed the asanas in the presskit given to me. After that class, I bought my first yoga mat thinking that if I can't go to the studio, might as well do some sequences at home.

One of my favorite hip-openers, the swan. I attended my first yin yoga class in this studio. 

Yin yoga was a great compliment in my pole fitness regimen it helped me get my splits and backbends safer. It was through yin yoga that I learned that I need to elongate before I do my backbend instead of crunching in order to protect my spine. In a deeper sense, yin yoga brings balance to an otherwise active fitness routine and daily grind to quiet the mind and let the body rest and recover. Even the monthly cycle has been calmed through yin yoga. With that too, my body became ready to practice more active styles of yoga like Vinyasa and Hatha yoga. Yoga for me was the alternative for my cross-training in pole because it is a safe way to develop my strength and flexibility.

During my earlier months practicing yoga, some of the people I meet ask me, "Do you teach yoga?" I was like, "No, I just practice." And then, the follow-up question, "Why don't you start teaching? You're really flexible and strong. Extra money pa" There's more to being a teacher than just being very skilled, strong, and flexible. There's also the proper intention, and not just solely to make extra money. And the proper time.

Earlier this year, I was contemplating on taking up yin yoga teacher training. I wanted to share how the practice affected me physically. Besides, with today's active lifestyle and Facebook feeds underestimating the value of sleep and rest (I have seen too many "coffee-powered with 2 hours of sleep" statuses  turn to "on antibioitcs and fluids" ), it would be great to share yin to others. For people who want to get started doing yoga, yin yoga is a good practice before going to a more dynamic practice.  For example, if I started with a very strong, active practice, I would be  too overwhelmed to come back to the mat.

Yin yoga has helped me not just in my dynamic fitness activities but also in my overall help. I decided to level up and take a formal teacher training program to share this experience with others. 

Yin Yoga teacher training would usually be abroad, and a yoga teacher training program is very expensive. Aside from the module, you would need to spend for your flight, accommodations, meals, etc. The schedule would also be in December.  Since December is usually peak season for makeup artists.  I thought that yin yoga teacher training would just remain to be a dream. There however, was something in me that says that, it will happen. I just didn't know how. Maybe all my bookings would move to the months prior and after, making the teacher training dates magically be free for me to fly to Singapore. Maybe my cat is actually a magical cat that can teleport me to Singapore and back and poops money as an added bonus.

Or maybe teacher training would come to Manila. And that happened

Months back, it was announced that there would be another Yin Yoga teacher training to be conducted here in Manila in September of this year. It would be a 50-hour basic teacher training given by Victor Chng (I attended a couple of his workshops before when he was here in Manila). I was like, "This could be a sign!" . Also, it's going to be here in Manila, so no need to fly out or continue wishing my cat is magical. Also, it would occur on weekdays at an off-peak month. I immediately attended the orientation and expressed my intention to attend the teacher training to Dona (who was my first yin yoga teacher). Just this week,  the reservation has been sealed and confirmed.  No turning back kitty, no turning back. Maybe the stars are saying, this is your time kitty.

Leading to September, I am deepening my yin practice by attending the workshops and classes I could attend. I also attended a teacher's top up class on my birthday in order to further prepare myself by learning from present yin yoga teachers. Self-practice also helps, and I do my own sequences at home and try to practice them or list down the sequence I learn in class or shared by my mentors and practice them at home.

A surprise too, my regular practice and knowledge gained from workshops and asking my mentors was put to test when I taught my first yin yoga class with Yoga For Life. How did it feel? I admit I was nervous in the first few asanas, and I really have to learn how to make that bell chime. It felt more at home as the class progressed, just like easing myself into a yoga pose.

 My makeup career will still continue, and this will even be a good compliment that I can share with my colleagues. It's an exciting experience and I'm looking forward to this new career opportunity while going deeper in my practice. In the future, I look forward to sharing with others my knowledge and yin experience. I look forward to learning from my teachers Dona, Victor, Kit, and Lek and my fellow classmates who have different stories why they decided to take the teacher training too.

I remember a photo posted by my pole teacher Natasha Wang in her Instagram;

I guess it called out to me in one way to not let this opportunity pass, to take a teacher training program here locally.  Otherwise, I would still be in that sea of "what if's?"


This is it!!! Looking forward to September.

Everyone, Meet Burt!

If you follow my Instagram account or are friends with me in Facebook, aside from my work, or me twisting into knots, or inverted on a pole, I post my little critter friends, particularly cats and most especially, the cat we adopted two years ago, Candy (who turned out to be a boy, so he's actually a he) and from that skinny poor cat he became this fat squishable fluffy huge giant cat:

We've been considering getting another kitten so Candy won't be too lonely when we're out and also to give him a playmate so he can have a bit of exercise. A kitten would be good so he won't get intimidated and knowing he's a gentle giant, he won't physically be brutal to the kitten. I believe though that the perfect opportunity will come up, just like what Candy did, how he turned to be the perfect and low-maintenance well-behaved cat he is now.

A few months earlier, one of our usual stray friends, Princess (we theorized to be Candy's little sister) passed away and left behind her newborn kittens. We originally wanted an orange female kitten as our next one and among the five kittens in her litter, adopted one and named her Nutmeg. They were probably about a week old. However, a sad twist of fate happened. Nutmeg passed away a few days after we adopted her. Apparently, she had an anatomical condition that made her unable to poop. It was a very sad day for us when we buried our little girl. We were offered to adopt her other sister instead but we thought we'd wait out for a stronger kitten. Nutmeg's sister eventually got adopted though by another family.

We miss you Nutmeg, run free to the Rainbow Bridge.

The weeks following Nutmeg's passing was difficult and although I had lots of engagements that time, it was hard to accept that our little Nutmeg was gone. A lot told me, even cat experts and vets said that orphaned kittens barely 2 months old have very low risk of survival, since they have not been weaned properly and some may even be born with anatomical defects. Deep in me, I knew that there will be a kitten that would be perfect for adoption, just don't know when. I even went to a phase where I would have the urge to pluck a cute orange kitten off the streets. Of course, that would be like doing a rebound, so I had to restrain myself. Maybe a kitten would just walk our way.

Quite amusingly, that's exactly how it happened a month later. I was buying food at the neighborhood store when I saw a kitten pass by. It wasn't orange though but when I went near the kitten and reached out my hand, it didn't hesitate and allowed me to pet him (yep, it's a boy). I had some food in my bag, which he ate although he wasn't much of a fan of kibble. He liked tuna though when I ran to the house to get some. Since that day was the eve of my birthday, I named the kitten Burt. Burt wasn't a female orange cat but he's a really sweet kitten who loves people and would really play with you. We bonded instantly. Every day, I'd meet him in his spot where I would have some food for him then we'd play. He allows me to carry and hug him.

At the back of my head, I was considering adopting Burt, but I wasn't so sure. Friends were telling me that he might be a good match for Candy since he's an older kitten plus he can put up a fight and won't easily be intimidated by Candy. I thought I'd keep him on probation first and see what happens. If I start falling in love with this cat, then it's a sign to go on. Well, I did. And one time, after our usual playtime, Burt followed me home, all the way inside our apartment. 

Of course Candy, being the cat who's been here longer, fought for dominance. It was funny because he would just try to be bigger and then whack Burt and then run away. There was no bleeding, just whacking, Burt hissing and peeing on himself. I thought of the first few days of Burt entering the house was bringing a regular playmate for Candy. I'd clean him up first and then I'd notice their interaction, then when it was time for me to go to work or somewhere, I'd let Burt out of the house and then when I would come home, I'd pick him up and bring him back home and clean him up. Whenever he's out, that would be the time that he would get to poop and pee. Candy also mellowed down on his attacks and from the looks of it, he just wanted to play.

There were no more Candy's tail fluffing up. He was actually becoming more playful. Burt would hide at the bottom of the couch though. It's still a week though but now the two boys can be in the same place without trying to whack each other's butts. We would still let Burt out during the day when we're out but when I get home he's right by the place where I meet him and I'd carry him back home. Since the past few nights have been raining, we let Burt sleep in our house, where it's dry and warm. Burt was still on probationary status but we were enjoying his cuddles and hugs. If he would go out though, we would have to clean and wash him up thoroughly. 

Cat catchers would mysteriously show up in our condo complex (they're really not into TNR and me and my cat-friendly neighbors have gotten memos re feeding cats) as I've noticed that some of our kitty stray friends have been disappearing. Fearful that the same fate would happen to Burt, we had Burt stay 100% indoors to keep him safe. Then, as we all fell in love with Burt, we decided to adopt him as our own. 

Candy still tries to catch Burt's attention though, even while Burt is doing his business. They're sharing litterbox though, since we have a huge one. We're hopeful that from being civil and Candy trying to be clingy and play, They would end up hugging and loving. They are both eating normal and fine, Burt with KMR and kibble and Candy has his special Urinary s/o diet. 

As a milestone, Burt already had his first bath and also his first visit to the vet. The doctors and handlers at VIP Mandaluyong found him super adorable. Burt is very healthy, just a bit thin since he's newly-rescued. He had his ears cleaned already and dewormed. He will be scheduled for shots soon by Dr. Richard, VIP's house call vet and would be neutered when he turns 6 months (currently, he's 3 months old) 

So officially, Burt is now our cat, and Candy's new little brother. He may not be the initial peg next cat for us being a gray and white cat but this little boy won our hearts. It may be because he followed me home, or he snuggled up to me as I was reading. It may be that both cats still function normally eating and drinking the same. Or my anxiety when I'd let him out that finally made Burt our third cat. Nutmeg will still be his big sister, now an angel watching over her pet parents, big brother, and little brother. 

Expect a lot more fun and furbabies in my future posts, and a kitteh or two sneaking in my photos.