Holiest of Holies

Posted on April 2, 2015 by issaplease

I know most of you won’t even have the time to read this blog entry since you’re most likely lounging on the beach and getting an awesome tan but since I am doing neither of those things, I’ve decided to grace you all with yet another set of photos that I shot with Jing Pascual. 🙂

These are the last set of photos from this shoot that I will be sharing with you guys but I look forward to the next shoot that we are currently planning. My creative/ bored side has recently re-emerged and I’ve got a lot more artsy concepts that I will soon be showing you all on the blog so watch out for that but in the mean time, help yourselves to these wonderful photos.

I hope you all have an amazing Holy Week, one spent with family/ friends while keeping the true essence of the season in mind. As for me, I’m going to spend the long weekend planning shoots, working and spending it with my family. I really wouldn’t have it any other way ❤

xx,

Issa

It’s Never Too Hot For Leather

Posted on March 25, 2015 by issaplease

Fine, I lied… it’s always too hot for leather! But you gotta admit Cebu weather aside, if you don’t already own one, it is your life’s goal to actually own a leather jacket. Luckily for me, I was able to score one that isn’t too impossible to wear in this hot, hot city.

Here’s another set of photos I did with photographer Jade Caballo at the Temple of Leah. The trick with shooting at spots that may tend to get a little overrated is to try to find different angles or backdrops that others may not have thought of before. A wall, windows, even a pile of scrap metal is interesting if you just use your imagination!

Crop top: Forever 21| Jacket: @cebuthriftedpicks| Pants: Sister’s pants| Shoes: Addidas

xx,

Issa

Coke & Kimonos

Posted on March 23, 2015 by issaplease

There are so many things I love about Summer like how the sun is always out, glaring cats in the background of my photos and that I get to wear pretty pieces of clothing like this full length kimono from Let’s Stylize. But almost always, it’s definitely got to be the summery trends that always give a new meaning to my very existence.

I feel like the world is working hand in hand to make all my boho dreams a reality. Kimonos, fringe (or are they tassels?), hats of all styles and braided sandals are all the trend and even if it’s going to cause a massive whole on my wallet I still couldn’t be happier!

What trends are you looking forward to this sunny season? Let me know in the comments! ❤

P.S. Decided to carry around a bottle of Coke to this shoot because it was impossible to stand under the heat of the sun without any refreshments. If you’re wondering where my straw hat went, I offered it to my yaya who was taking my outfit shots. She’s currently 5 months pregnant and I didn’t want to stress her out by making her stand under the heat of the sun with me. But it was perfect timing since Coke is always my go to drink during hot days and yummy meals! [P.S.S. This is not a Coke sponsored post!]

[Full length kimono: Let’s Stylize| Romper: Department store find| Sandals: Francesca Collection

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 ❤

Flawed But Still Flawless

Posted on March 15, 2015 by issaplease

Photos by Jean

Quick post of what I wore to the Flawless event I attended last week. I’m actually wearing my sisters’ prom dress because I’m trying to abstain from shopping for a year. I made it to a month now so I think I’m going to award myself by buying a nice pretty top that I’ve been eyeing for a while now. hahaha!

Lace is always a safe and elegant design when it comes to white themed parties but of course, the possibilities are simply endless.

Will blog again soon when my brain isn’t dead.

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

Little Miss Sassy Pants

Posted on March 3, 2015 by issaplease

There are certain secrets when it comes to dressing such as:

1. You don’t always need to spend a fortune on nice clothes

2. The persevere shall prevail

3. Satin is always a good choice until it begins to look like pajamas

4. Somewhere, out there, the perfect pair of denim pants is waiting for you. Unless you’re 100% sure that you’ve found them- don’t stop looking.

5. Nobody cares if your dress is white & gold or black & blue but both actually do make a good color combination.

6. Always have more than 1 pair of nipple patches to spare. You will be grateful you have them.

7. There is no harm in lazy dressing.

So I guess this is what a typical working day for me would look like if I had more pants in my life. I love these babies to death but don’t count on me wearing them every single day- Cebu just isn’t the right place for that.

Silk Top: Let’s Stylize| Ripped Jeans: Let’s Stylize| Sandals: Happy Heels

Photos by Val Gabutan

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.

Nuts, Bolts, Screws, Locks, Lights

Posted on February 17, 2015 by issaplease

Quick shoot without any regard of my background, whatsoever. But I do appreciate how these small pieces add a little bit of texture to my background.

Thought I’d show everyone what I’m wearing to the office today since it’s simple, cute and fuss free. Perfect for anyone who’s looking for something quick and chic to wear with very little time to spare. That’s how I’ve been dressing lately.

Not to mention, I always make sure that my garments are light weight since the summer heat has already started to kick in.

I highly doubt that rompers will ever go out of style but just in case they do, I’m opting for solid, basic colors so I can easily revive them in my wardrobe when they are long gone from the fashion scene.

Also, choosing to mix navy blue and gold wasn’t a shabby choice either. It’s the perfect mixture of youthfulness, sophistication and professionalism- just the right mix of what I need today.

I’m definitely ready for an afternoon full of meetings and client visits. So… fun…

Hope your day is as productive as mine!

xx,

Issa

Dressing Up For The Not So Grown Up

Posted on February 3, 2015 by issaplease

Style My Bump! Just kidding, I’m not pregnant, my belly is just bigger than it usually is and I thought I’d call it out before any of you skinny b*tches did it first. (Channeling my inner Fat Amy) 😉

Peace and love to everyone in the world! tralalalalaaaaa

I have such a hard time dressing up especially when it’s for formal occasions and especially when it comes to work! My days working in Accenture were probably the worst fashion-wise, because I was still having a hard time deciphering whether I wanted to dress like a kid or an adult. Hence, a bunch of weird throwback photos of me in what I liked to believe was “office wear”.

But now, at the refined age of 2_, I’m slowly beginning to learn that you can mix style and youth with business! So here are a few tips of when trying to dress up without looking too grown up:

1: White out. White is always my go to color when I want to add a bit of formality and sophistication to my look. I usually prefer chiffon white tops because it also adds a light touch of daintiness while letting my clients know that I mean business but I’m still a woman so treat me like one!

2. Meet halfway. This is particularly meant for the length of skirts. I love a micro mini as much as the next girl but in business, you want to leave enough for the imagination and let your mouth do the talking for you (especially if you’re trying to close a good deal!). I prefer my skirts either full length or mid length either an inch above my knees or below it.

3. Bling ENOUGH. I for one am not a huge accessory girl which I find very convenient since sometimes when meeting clients, too much accessories can be such an eye sore. Stick to the essentials: a pair of earrings, a nice necklace (chunky is OK) and a watch. Leave your piles of bangles and necklaces for a night out with girls. We need you to look classy.

4. Comb Your Hair. Take my word for it (although I can never remember to comb mine!). Professionals should look kept so pull your look together not just through your clothes but with your overall look.

5. Be subtle with your color pops. It’s important that your look seems put together and well thought of without looking like you tried too hard. With color pops, it’s best to pick something that pops but isn’t too distracting for the eye. Also, please do not let your color pop be your color or underwear! In this look, I chose to wear these lemon colored boat shoes because they look classy but the colors is bright and youthful without being too much of an eye sore.

6. Have An Alternative. I’m a whopping 4’11” and I look absolutely horrible in denim jeans and flats. So unless you’re willing to lug yourself in jeans and heels the whole day then you might want to think of an alternative for that. Mine are black colored leggings (but please remember the leggings rule: it should cover your crotch!) or loose drawstring pants that kind of look like pajama’s. Fine, the second choice probably isn’t so efficient but it’s definitely better than the whole world noticing how short and chunky your legs are!

Take a shopping day off, even if you don’t intend to buy anything. Just try on a bunch of clothes so you get a better idea of what suits you or not. You’ll be so happy that you got to know your body more and it is always useful for future reference plus shopping is so much fun! 🙂

Top & Bottom: Local Department Store find| Shoes: People Footwear

xx,

Issa

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