White Dresses, Pale Lips… Until Alex Saw Me.

Posted on May 19, 2015 by issaplease

Life is always better with a pop of color, or in my case- lots of it, which explains why I cannot maintain a color schemed Instagram feed. Yep, I’m still pretty bummed out about that! HAHA. But in this case, I tried to mellow it out a bit by sporting an all white ensemble with neutral colors and little make up. Of course, I just had to ask my best friend to take my outfit shots and she would not let me leave until I put lipstick on. (Continue reading to fully understand what I’m talking about…)

On regular days, I’m always opting for clothes that are easy to wear and require very little maintenance. I only pull out the big guns when I have extra time on my hands or if I’m headed to an event. Cebu is a very laid back city so I try not to be as loud as possible when it comes to dressing up- just stylish enough to catch people’s attention but not make them question what I’m doing with my life. hahaha

On this particular day, I chose to wear this white neoprene dress matched with my favorite white heels. Neoprene, although it can get a bit warm, is a great material not only for bikinis but for apparel, as well. It’s great for keeping the structure of fabrics especially is you want something boxier or with more of a silhouette.

Now for the fun part!

I’m not a big fan of lipstick because I have extremely dry lips and I like to peel my skin off for fun so putting lipstick on just dries it out. Fortunately, my best friend sells amazing make up at the Dara Beauty Market and she’s always hooking me up with awesome products to help address my beauty needs. You can check out most of the products I use here.

I just started using the Peri’s Tint Marker and it’s easily become a favorite of mine. It’s easy to use, it sticks and it doesn’t dry out my lips convincing me that lip tint is the way to go for chappy girls like me.

Make sure to check out Dara Beauty Market for more make up!

Neoprene dress & necklace: @Voidonlineshop| Sandals: Zalora| Bag: Dooney & Bourke

xx,

Issa

Be Gentle

Posted on May 18, 2015 by issaplease

You never know how a photograph turns out. When Jing and I were shooting these set of photos, I initially went towards a laid back; easy breezy theme in my head and then BAM! I find myself looking like some risque bombshell waiting to jump on you or you to jump on me. (whichever works, really. HAHA) But you know, I’m not even mad. If anything, I’m impressed and also, completely dependent on Jing now. He really knows how to make a girl look good. :)))

Life lately has been really hectic with work, meetings, blogging and trying to maintain a personal life with all my weird hobbies and interests. As of today, I am now a proud owner of my very own top of the line camera and I can not wait to turn this blog up another notch.

So tonight, I leave you with this:

Always follow your dreams, no matter how big or small they are.

My dream was to write and make something out of myself in the world of fashion no matter how big or small and although I’m not quite there yet, I am still somewhere and that is definitely better than being nowhere. When you’re doing the things you love, there is no place for hatred; jealousy or resentment but only contentment and gratitude. It is easier to be happy for others and to share your happiness, as well. So there.

Crotchet top: Given| Camisole: Forever 21 Basics| Shorts: Abercrombie & Fitch

Sandals: Car Car

Photography: Jing Pascual

xx,

Issa

When Mom Shops

Posted on May 10, 2015 by issaplease

To be quite honest, I’m not even surprised at what my mom brings back for me from her trips anymore. When I’m not being specific about what I want, I can most often that not expect that she’ll have something striped or crotchet for me. Not that I’m complaining but when you’ve gained quite an amount of weight and you’re stuck with striped pieces, it can get quite depressing. HAHA But you know what they say, the show must go on!

My mom and I have always had a love hate relationship growing up but I always looked up to her as my earliest influences when it came to fashion. I remember when she would dress me up in frilly dresses for church and I would cut them up with my baby scissors as soon as we got home and when she realized that I liked Timberland boots and K Swiss sneakers in overalls above everything else, she just kept dressing me in those. She always taught me to invest in classic pieces and not to ride on trends too much and every once in a while, I raid her closet for a quick fashion fix. She doesn’t know this…. yet.

We might not always be on the same page when it comes to the decisions I make or the life I’ve chosen to live but one thing is for sure, she sits back and lets me do it anyways. If I come home with a broken heart or a hunched back, she is always there to let me know that things will be OK and when I’m ready to try again, she’ll be there to kick me out the door. :p

I wish I was with her this mother’s day so I could tell her these things myself but unfortunately, she’s travelling her heart out in the States right now and the rest of my crazy family so I guess this blog post will have to do. In memory of Mother’s day, I’m wearing all the pieces that my mom recently picked out for me the last time she was travelling abroad. Love you, mom! Please don’t forget to get my new laptop!

Happy Mother’s day to all the amazing mom’s out there. It takes balls to be a mother- I salute you!

Beanie: H&M| Dress: Old Navy| Sneakers: Adidas

xx,

Issa

Follow me on Instagram: @issaplease

50 Shades of Hey

Posted on May 4, 2015 by issaplease

I am definitely a lot of things to different people. To some I’m strong willed, driven, independent while to others I am sweet, timid and… I can’t think of anything else! HAHA. I’m a pretty neurotic person to be honest with all of you and I function on sheer instinct and most of the time unnecessary emotions. Most of the time, I am my own worst critic (but aren’t we all?!) and I have a bad habit of creating non-existent competitions when in fact there isn’t any need for it at all. I guess I’m just hard wired that way when I really wish that I was more logical, mentally stable and put together, to say the least.

I don’t wake up in the morning and look at myself in the mirror thinking I’m such a great catch or that I make a significant difference to the society, usually it’s just me laying in bed wishing that I could just stay there for another 5 minutes more. I look at other people who have more than I do and think, “what am I doing differently?” or “I work just as hard as they do so, what gives?” but then I realize that my time just hasn’t come yet but in God’s time it will. I cannot cook to save my life, I do not know how to iron clothes or how to pick out the perfect bag for any occasion and my most recent thoughts are about me not being a very competent human being.

Don’t feel bad for me, I’m very much aware of the situation.

All these things aside, I see the good and the bad in this splice of life and I think to myself that things could have been a lot more crappier for me. Foundation would have ceased to exist, everyone would’ve hated me cuz of my bi-polarism (I totally made that word up) and the internet never would’ve came to be and you all would never realize how awesome I really am. trololooool.

When I was pitching photo shoot pegs to Jing Pascual, I told him how much I wanted to do a series of head shots because 1. I wanted to show off my vaping skills (errr…) and 2. lately, I’ve been inspired by up close and personal photo shoots because of it’s rawness and vulnerability.

As you can see in these set of photos, it’s pretty clear that I’m a whole series of emotions and I guess that’s what makes me the most human. Despite all of my weird antics and personalities, at the end of the day, I am who I am and I can either love it, hate it or change it. And isn’t that the greatest thing about being human- Being able to correct our own wrongs?

I’ve practically laid down my entire self for everyone to knit and pick at which is the rawness and vulnerability that I had initially intended.

As hard as it is for me to talk about these things, I actually find myself enjoying this. Maybe this outpouring of emotions was what I needed to pick myself up again. Life.can.be.so.hard.sometimes.

So if you’re anything like me and life is being a b*tch to you too or you’re just paying your dues to the world, please know that you’re not alone. And if I, crazy sensitive; melodramatic; probably undergoing some sort of nicotine withdrawal Issa, can talk about all these things with a grain of salt then you can too. Sometimes life just gets like this!

Camisole: Forever 21 Basics| Cover up: Given| Shorts: Abercrombie & Fitch| Emotions: Homegrown

Keep your head up high,

Issa ❤

Photography by Jing Pascual

Daydreaming, Daydreaming All The Time

Posted on April 28, 2015 by issaplease

I’ve got so many things on my mind lately and it’s been driving me a bit over the edge but seeing pretty photos like this give me the bit of ease that I need when I feel like I can’t quite get anything right.

I’ve been realizing a lot of things lately particularly when it comes to life and it’s pacing- sometimes life can move so slow to the point of wanting to die from boredom and when things suddenly switch to the fast lane, I find myself having a hard time catching up. I know this sounds a bit crazy and awkward to talk about on a fashion blog but I think we’ve all come to a certain level of understanding that this is not your normal fashion blog. But going back to the topic, that’s pretty much how life has been for me lately… a lot of high speed car chases/ Driving Miss Daisy’s and occasionally an ugly car crash every now and then.

I entitled this blog entry “Daydreaming” after my favorite teenage angst band Paramore, mostly because when I find myself in an ugly situation, I like to daydream and think about the life that I really want and then it becomes easier for me to plan how to get there. Lately my dreams have mostly been of me with my family, traveling and being complete again (they all ditched me to be in the States, if you’re wondering) and keeping a healthy relationship with my boyfriend. In between that, there are also lots of images of shoes; clothes and an awesome bikini body. haha.

What are your daydreams about?

Bowler hat: H&M| Denim dress: Let’s Stylize| Sandals: Happy Heel

Photography by: Jing Pascual

Follow me on Instagram: @issaplease

xx,

Issa

#iFeelElated

Posted on April 24, 2015 by issaplease

e·late /iˈlāt/ make (someone) ecstatically happy.

When I was a little girl and grown ups would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would always tell them that I wanted to be happy. Typical I know, but this little girl eventually grew up learning that being happy or in this case, elated, is equivalent to a lot of things. Nowadays, my personal equivalent to feeling elated is a good days work, spending time with my boyfriend and family and beautiful pieces of clothing that speaks for itself like what Elated Industries has to offer.

Best known for their limited interchangeable pocket tee shirts and other great products such as polo’s and head gear, Elated Industries has definitely raised the bar when it comes to comfort dressing for men and women alike.

With their pop-up store currently open until May 15, 2015 at the 2nd floor or the Ayala Center Cebu New Wing (across F&F), there is more reason for you to jump for joy. You can now check out your favorite products, get a feel of their fabric and try on your products of choice from their website www.elated.co

So make sure to drop by their physical outlet or check out their awesome products online:

official website

Facebook

** Photos grabbed from Elated official pages

xx,

Issa

How I Do My Make Up feat. Dara Beauty Market

Posted on March 18, 2015 by issaplease

Make up and fashion are two things that always go hand in hand and never without the other. As much as I love a bare face, I have to admit that applying make up is something I do religiously before doing a shoot to put my whole look together.

Recently I was able to do an eyeliner tutorial, but for this post I’m going to go into full detail on how I do my whole face for photo shoots using Korean beauty products purchased from Caffe Dara Beauty Market.

Step 1:

Start with a bare face.

To properly remove my make up, I used Nature Republic’s Forest Garden Tea Tree Cleansing Oil [P 250.00]. Used as a face wash, this product removes any trace of make up or dirt on the face, saving me so much time and energy in removing my make up. I hate it when I have to use face wash and then tons of make up remover to remove everything. This product does all of that in one go!

Step 2:

Apply a base.

Innisfree’s Olive Real Essential Rich Oil [upon inquiry] is a base that has an overall effect on your make up by making your skin glow a lot brighter. Some make up tends to dry out your skin but this product helps lessen that problem. If you have naturally oily skin then you might want to skin this step.

Step 3:

Conceal!

There’s no denying it, I need all the concealer I can get with my dark eye bags and uneven skin tone (from years of tennis/ swimming and any sport I could get into). But at the same time, I also need something light enough to enable my skin to breathe while still doing its job. With Face Shop’s Dual Veil Radiance Concealer (P 460.00), the inconsistencies in my skin are cleared out giving the illusion (yes, illusion) of even and smooth skin.

I top it off with Tony Moly’s BCDation with SPF30 PA ++ (P850.00) and any loose powder to lock everything in place and to avoid looking blotchy. Others prefer to use foundation before concealer but I’ve always done my make up like this and I’ve always been satisfied with the end results.

STEP 4:

CONTOUR & BLUSH

I found a really convenient way to do my contouring and blush on at the same time! By using the Holika Holika Love Fantasy blusher (P300++), I can contour my face and add blush on without having to take out so much make up since it comes in one tiny and not to mention cute container.

When it comes to contouring, there are different ways to do it depending on your face and preference. I usually like to work around my cheek bones, below it, my hairline and my jawline. This is to make my face look skinnier and to give it more details especially during shoots.

STEP 5:

BROWS

This set is a lot harder and took a lot of time and practice to get right. I won’t say perfect since I still need a lot of practicing to do but decent enough to frame my face.

For my brows I use Holika Holika’s Wonder Drawing Eyebrow pencil (P150.00), Mamonde’s Natural Cake + Eyebrow kit (P480.00) and TwistUp (P650.00). If you want to see how I do my eyebrows then let me know, I’d gladly do a make up video for you guys! ^_^

STEP 6:

EYE & LIPS

For my eyes, I’m currently obsessing over Tony Moly’s Backstage Gel Liner (P400.00) and Tony Moly’s Delight Circle Lens Mascara (P150.00). I recently did a tutorial on how I do my eyeliner with Faceshop’s All About Simple Liquid Liner (P150.00) but I still use the same technique with my gel liner so I’ll just go ahead and post the link here for your convenience. 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIEQyMAS-Pg

As for my lips, I use Berrisom’s Oops My Lip Tint (P650.00) that comes in various colors. What I love about this lipstick is it works as a lip stain, so I don’t need to worry about constantly reapplying my lipstick. Honestly, I’m not a big lipstick fan so the faster I can get away with it, the better.

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And there you have it! A fully made up face, ready for a night out/ party or in this case, an outfit shoot.

For those who are on a tight budget, don’t worry, you don’t need to spend so much in one go to complete your set. I built mine over the span of a few months and I’m really happy that I chose to invest in quality make up. I used to use a lot of cheap stuff on my face which led to a lot of problems in the long run but these Korean brands are perfect for our Filipino skin and most of them are Paraben-free or mineralized which is great for those who have sensitive skin.

Here are more photos:

Dara Beauty Market (@darabeautymarket on Instagram and Caffe Dara on Facebook) sells authentic Korean cosmetics at cheaper prices. Make sure to follow them on their social media accounts to find out what products they have for grabs or you can drop by their store at Caffe Dara located at One Kenji Place, first street La Guardia, Salinas Drive, Lahug.

See you guys there!

xx,

Issa ❤

All I’ve Ever Been Was Candid feat. Jade Caballo Photography

Posted on March 9, 2015 by issaplease

Recently, my friends and I have been trying to figure out what kind of personalities we possess whether we’re controllers, feelers, entertainers, thinkers. Over the past few weeks, we’ve discussed the different sides of ourselves accompanied by many, many tests to determine which traits distinctly describe the type of people we are.

Paolo will tell you all that I am a feeler based on the many, many times I’ve cried over a run over cat or from losing at NBA 2k15. My friends will tell you that I’m an entertainer based on how I enjoy being the life of the party and love for pleasing people. While on the other hand, people I work and have worked with will tell you that I’m a complete controller and that if I could do everything on my own, I would.

We took the tests and all my results pointed towards the direction of me being a controller first, entertainer second, thinker third and SURPRISE! SURPRISE! a feeler last. Honestly, none of this really matters but I just thought it would be fun to talk about since I really enjoyed discovering that part of myself over the past two weeks.

But really why am I talking about this?

Waking up in the morning and choosing what to wear takes a lot personality. My controlling side will tell me to fix my hair; have my top altered or maybe even pre- plan an entire months worth of outfits, my thinking side will base my outfit decisions on the occasion or on the weather, my entertainer side will often consider an outfit’s audience impact while my feeler side (or perhaps, the lack of it) will just not give a fck about if I want to put make up or a decent outfit on or not. Having said this makes me believe more and more that no one can ever have just one distinct style.

Writing this blog, I feel like I really want to talk about one thing but I am finding myself talking about another because my thinker side is telling me that this might not be the right outlet for my emotions as of the moment.

So I will leave you all with this, be whoever you want to be whether it is someone who uses their heads too much (or hardly at all), someone who loves the company of others, someone who likes to take the lead or even someone who is compassionate even when others cannot see the need for your kindness.

And for the love of God, dress however you want to dress and don’t let trends dictate you!

Hope you’re loving this set and the silly sides of me that Jade Caballo has captured beautifully. I always love it when they let me be the goofball that I am and especially when they capture it in photos!

And if you haven’t yet, check out our first set of photos by Jing Pascual.

P.s. CONGRATULATIONS, JING! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and many children to take lots of photos of. They are lucky kids!! ❤ I’m so happy for you and your beautiful mermaid wife (whom I wish to meet soon!) Lots of love!

xx,

Issa

Walls and Spaces feat. Jing Pascual Photography

Posted on March 2, 2015 by issaplease

Jing Pascual and Jade Caballo (who I will be featuring next) have always been my favorite resident photographers. From the time we shot in the graffiti plastered streets of Cebu to when when we captured A Little Piece of Sky, these two have turned from strangers into trusted friends and I am always game when they invite me out to fun shoots.

This time around, we decided to scour the understated streets of downtown Cebu, where we found an abandoned building with amazing pieces of art that would be the background of our next shoot.

The best thing I ever learned when it comes to dressing in humid temperatures is to dress light and since I am a bit darker than your typical Chinese woman, I’ve come to realize that wearing white makes a great contrast for my sun loving skin tone. (Morena’s forever!) So when you come to think about it, it’s really like hitting two birds with one stone!

I hope everyone enjoys these first set of photos as much you enjoy the thought of getting butt faced drunk over cheap vodka on the sea shore. Oh wait, maybe that’s just me. :>

Next set coming soon! ❤

Top: Department store| Shorts: Abercrombie| Sneakers: Adidas

Power to fly: Many years of practice and concentration

xx,

Issa P.

Issatorial: How I Apply My Cat Eye

Posted on February 1, 2015 by issaplease

I’ve always wished that I had mesmerizing eyes that could entice anyone with just one look but unfortunately, all I’ve got are chinky bug eyes (even that even makes sense. I’m Chinese so good figure). Luckily, with the use of make up and many years of practice and precision, that sexy; tantalizing look can actually be achieved- making me look more like I’m 24 and not 12!

Many of you have made inquiries and complimented my eye liner technique over the past few years so I figured that it was about time to share my eyeliner routine with all of you even if it’s in the form of a bad quality video. #thiscanonlygetbetterfromhere

I hope you enjoy this video!<3

xx,
Issa

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Category Archives: Life

White Dresses, Pale Lips… Until Alex Saw Me.

Be Gentle

When Mom Shops

50 Shades of Hey

Daydreaming, Daydreaming All The Time

#iFeelElated

How I Do My Make Up feat. Dara Beauty Market

All I’ve Ever Been Was Candid feat. Jade Caballo Photography

Walls and Spaces feat. Jing Pascual Photography

Issatorial: How I Apply My Cat Eye