One interesting morning, I woke up to the exciting news of a Daiso branch opening in Robinsons Place Lipa as I was scrolling through my Instagram feed. Being a cheapskate fan of Daiso since my office girl days in Makati, I decided to give the newly opened Lipa branch a try.

The best part about shopping in a physical store (Not that you can buy Daiso merchandise off their website. Wait. Can you??) is that you get to see what looks nice in person, test it out, and identify its color shade without disappointing yourself after your purchase.

After 2 hours of skimming, putting stuff on my basket, getting assistance for reaching items stacked way up high, and deciding on which items deserve to get checked out or not, I've reached the decision of taking these babies home with me:

Plastic organizer boxes and animal planter pots all at PHP 88 each

Here's how I organized them:

Blurred the important notes with stickers, sorry about that! This is also the reason why I'm not a graphic designer/artist

I figured these weren't enough, so I looked around a bit more.

A 12-piece cord belt set, false eyelashes glue, and a Mickey Mouse bag hook all at PHP 88 each

For the false eyelashes glue, I used my own pair of false eyelashes which I had purchased a month or two ago at Watson's. This is my first time applying false eyelashes, so please bear with me :)

My unused pair of false eyelashes from Shawill (A92)

Final Thoughts

NOTE: Again, this is not a sponsored post. If it were, I would be on 7th heaven right now *winks at potential sponsors*

Recently, my interest was piqued by a Korean product that looks immensely promising. 




If ever you're wondering where I purchased mine, it's from LAZADA. At the time of my purchase, it cost me about PHP 549 ($11). If you're having doubts about authenticity, you may want to purchase from big box shops like Amazon or directly from the April Skin website. I'm pretty sure mine is authentic. I haven't read anywhere about replicated April Skin products, so I think I'm good to go. Plus, I've seen replicated Korean beauty products before, and they give off that weird, cheap smell from lack of originality. The soap I purchased screams authentic all over. Did I forget to mention that the box smells heavily of the product inside? And it's heavenly, I'm telling you! If you're a person who likes tea and herb-smelling products like me, you're gonna have a fantastic time using this soap. 

If you have no idea about what I'm talking about, here's a brief overview of April Skin as a company: 

April Skin is a Korean company that was launched in October 2014. Their first products consisted of the Natural Magic Stone Soap (the gray one). They later released the black version of the Magic Stone Soap in April 2015. On September 2015 came April Skin's newfound glory after releasing the Magic Snow Cushion. This innovative product boasts of its ability to provide maximum coverage. It can cover up a huge majority of skin imperfections like acne (mild to severe), red spots, and blemishes. 

I found out about this product after watching a video from a sponsored post on my Facebook feed. I don't remember which video it was that I watched, but this video can give you an idea of what I'm talking about. 

After watching the video, you might have had the same reaction I had. 




I swear I heard a Gregorian choir sing after watching that video. There isn't any product in the market that conceal acne in seconds like theirs did. I was prepared to go through lengths just to get one. The wait was arduous. I remember checking every cosmetics deals website I know just to check if they're already keeping stock of April Skin's cushion product. Several Instagram shops posted about it, but I didn't mind them. They could be selling bootleg items for all I know. 

So when the time came and a legitimate dealer surfaced on Facebook, I was overjoyed. I heard she often conducted sales, reducing the usual amount of PHP 1,200 ($25) to PHP 1,000 ($20) for each cushion compact. How great is that? However tempting it was, I had recently purchased Maybelline's Dream Velvet Matte Foundation (Which I might review?) at the time. So I opted for the soap instead. I'm thinking of buying it when I run out of the Maybelline foundation. I don't go out too often nowadays so this is probably going to take months (Sorry!).

"Why didn't you buy it from that Facebook seller if you claim she's legitimate?"

I had to buy it from LAZADA because my shopping cart was full of stuff that had marked down prices. If a retail website showcased 10% off on all the items on your cart and free shipping to top it all off, wouldn't you check them out, too? I got my Magic Stone Soap for a few bills less than the other listings. Some listings sold them for PHP 700+ ($14+) a piece! But that doesn't mean the quality is diminished. Some retailers on LAZADA just have a higher markup than all others for many reasons I would like to explain in a long, separate blog post (This post will seem really long and boring if I had this here, so I need to make a separate blog post on how I do online shopping this month). 


Like any other person anxious to get rid of acne, I scanned through tens (or hundreds?) of articles and videos reviewing April Skin's Magic Stone Black. I have to tell you honestly that I tallied every interesting review I could find. 25 out of 30 reviews said this product worked wonders for their skin. Most of the reviews I took weren't from blogs (because they could be sponsored and that would be a shame), but from customer reviews on Amazon (US), Ulta, Walmart, April Skin's PH retailer page, Althea, and Memebox. 

Working in the customer service industry had shown me that the people on the review section of every website are the most honest in whatever industry. If your product is crap, they'll brutally say it is and give you stars little to none. But it your product is "The Bomb™", you'll have returning customers and thousands more from word of mouth. So since honesty can't be bought, the product reviews section is the perfect place to scout for what the masses are thinking. The reviews are stellar, I'm telling you! On Amazon, I couldn't find anyone rating it below 4 stars. That's how great this bar of soap is. One can tell that this product is hyped for the absolute reason that it's a major breakthrough in the world of skincare and not because Artists ABC and XYZ are endorsing it.

If ever you're wondering why I'm always including the word, "black" after Magic Stone, it's because they have 2 types of soaps. One is for night use (the one I bought) and the other is for day use (the gray one on the left):



Here's a better overview on their differences:




The differences are not too far from each other, but I've read somewhere that it's best to use both at their respective times for maximum effect. I might purchase the gray one anytime soon. I'll keep you in check. But for now, I have to hustle!

Here's some crappy pictures I took of this product with my crappy phone camera (I swear I'm buying a new one for the sole purpose of blogging early next year):










It was too late when I realized that I didn't take any photos of it whole or even beside a common product you can compare the size to. I was cutting into the bar of soap when I noticed. I'm so sorry. I'm so new at this. 

VERDICT:

• Value for Money

For PHP 549 ($11), this product is definitely worth the price. When it arrived, I had expected it to be smaller. But it wasn't! It's circumference is as big as a normal mug's and its thickness is as bulky as the box it came with! (almost 2 inches wide). How great of a deal is this? 

From the pictures above, you'll see that I've cut the bar into 4 equal sections (Because I'm not a #RichBitch and money doesn't grow on trees (It doesn't in ours. If it does in yours, can I pay you a visit?)). Being an avid freak of washing my face every couple of hours (#CarpalTunnelTendencies), 1 section may last me for about 3-4 weeks if my estimate is correct. Potentially, 1 bar cut into 4 sections can last for about 3-4 months if we share the same face washing addiction. But if we don't, it may probably last longer as long as you're keeping it as dry as possible after every use. I put mine in airtight containers like these to prevent it from getting soggy, infested with bacteria, and used by other people in the house. Never share a bar of soap and towels with anyone if you have sensitive skin. It's the only rule in the Book of Cheapskatery Acne Prevention. 

• Packaging

I'm not a big fan of fancy ass product packaging, but this one is simple yet impressive on its own. When you buy a bar of soap from the supermarket, doesn't it just come in a box? April Skin's does, too but is quite different from normal bars of soap in the market. It comes in a box and a soft plastic container. Possibly to lock in the moisture and to prevent product contamination. Whatever the reason is, props to April Skin for making this product look overly hygienic. People are going to rub this on their sensitively-skinned faces after all. 

• Where Can I Compare This To?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING SO FAR. But if I compare this to all the other facial cleansing soaps I've used to prevent acne, this is probably the best I've tried yet. Among those I've tried before were AcneCare's Anti-Acne bar soap, Safeguard's Derma Sense soap, Etude House's AC Clinic Daily Acne Kit, an experimental anti-acne cleansing regime I saw online (Dalacin C capsule + Eskinol toner (original), my Dermatologist's Skin Purifying bar soap, Human Nature's Tomato toner, Quick FX's Pimple Erase Cream, and so many more drugstore products that were hyped at the time I bought them (I should probably make a separate blog post about this).

• Effectivity

I can't say that this prevents acne as I've only been using this for three days or so. But what I can tell you is that it cleans facial skin pretty DEEP. 

"Don't all soaps do?"

Some soaps, yes. But this one took me by surprise. Because as I was massaging it onto my face for the first time, I could feel my skin getting cleaner by the second. Patting my face dry after the rinse was even more spectacular. Have you ever tried going on a facial and touching your face afterwards? (It's considered taboo, yes). Because that's exactly how it felt! Like a baby's smooth bum! Don't believe me? Try it for yourself!


It's also important to note that I have combination skin. Meaning, my skin can be dry or normal in some areas and oily in others, such as the T-zone (nose, forehead, and chin) (excerpt from WebMD). 

• Final Thoughts + Will I Repurchase This?

I am hands down impressed with this product. Will I repurchase this? FUCK YES. I will definitely repurchase this together with the gray Magic Stone soap even if it kills me (Of course, it won't).

NOTE: This is not a sponsored post. If it were, I would be on 7th heaven right now *winks at potential sponsors*

Do you remember the last time you hit rock bottom? How did it make you feel? Worthless? Insecure? Unloved? Unworthy of any affection?



We millennials have found a variety of ways to express ourselves when we experience downfall. Some of us seek physical affection, empathy, satisfaction from food, and most of all, instant gratification. We get everything we want with a flick of a finger nowadays because the technology permits us to do so. If we want to get over a bad breakup, we binge on RomComs, contact friends through social media, or turn to food for solace which we can have delivered at our doorstep. When we get laid back at work, we use the same social media platform to contact friends to invite them out for a drink. When we don't get what we want in general, we find ways to get it. We should stop making excuses for the things we want to achieve because there's always a way to try to make it happen. We have so many tools for instant gratification that we forget to take a quick breather to soliloquize. Talk to yourself.

No matter how much distractions and friends we talk to, when our subconscious is bothered, it will never work out the way we want it to. We tend to overthink and to forget the bright side of things. It turns us into the most miserable version of ourselves. But it shouldn't be that way for so long. We need to provide an escape for ourselves, a closure if needed; because this time we have to do it alone.

So for your bothered subconscious who's telling you to give up and forsake yourself, repeat after me:

1. I will love like it's my last but will save some for myself

When we fall in love, we become enamored with the idea of sharing part of our soul with another being. So when it's lost, we feel like a part of it becomes missing, misplaced, or worse, stolen. And there's a good chance it's never coming back.

I will love myself and those who deserve it as if my life depended on it. I will allow myself to become so badly enveloped with love and so badly burnt when the hurt arises. I will allow myself to feel the kind of emotions that I have been neglecting myself to feel. I will feel the pain not because it's there, but because I am capable of human emotion. I am not made of steel, plastic, or something inorganic. I am human.

I will cry until my tears form a sea; until I reach the bottom of the deepest ocean filled with the saddest thoughts and memories I will be buried with. When I resurface, the ocean will cease to exist after I perceive the light. When the cold breeze blows through the horizon and tickles my flesh, I will be filled with thoughts of myself and how the future is brighter than the sun. Because I will let it. I will finally let it.



2. I promise not to let my anger speak for myself

I will slay the demons who linger in my head. I will bar the doors and will not allow them to consume me with evil thoughts I never thought I harbored. My mouth will be soldered shut with all the amount of love I have in me. I shall not speak of the atrocities that my subconscious harbors. For once, I will let love win.



3.  I promise to accept admiration in the best possible way 

I promise to accept all types of admiration as long as they are not offensive. I used to be annoyed with the guard at my office's building who always greeted me with "Magandang umaga, Mahal na Soraya" (Good morning, your Highness, Soraya) after learning that my first name meant royalty in Persian. I've realized recently that this wasn't a bad thing. Sure he shouted it at the top of his lungs in front of a throng of other people, but this guy was giving me attention. Even if I got embarassed a little bit, people began to know me. Random people from the elevator knew my name and would oftentimes greet me, too. I had forgotten how happy it made me to be noticed.

I will personally thank you when I find you.



4. I promise to stop saying no to new things

I am a lazy person. Every weekend all I think about is hoarding US TV series episodes to binge watch. When people message me to do stuff outside, my answer is an audible no. Sure I need to rest for a few days after 5 days of working, but what I've realized is that the stress from work has made me shut off my social circle. I have become the grinch without knowing it. So this time, if anything comes up that requires going out and spending a few bucks, I'm all for it. I'll lift my ass off the princess chair in front of my computer and get myself some sunshine.

I will see the world and travel with or without a companion. I will let the adventurer in me breathe.



5. I promise to surround myself with beauty and to breathe out positivity

I will stop talking about the little things that don't matter especially ones that do not require mine nor anyone's attention. No ugly news or bad statement will ruin my day or others' for that matter. Everyone wins.



6. I promise to live boldly and be brave

I will not take shit from the fiercest of all lions (metaphor). I will say anything on my mind at the appropriate time and place.



7. I promise to give myself the love and respect I truly deserve

Among all the people I've hurt, I've given myself the hardest time. I constantly feel guilty and I forsake myself for telling people the harsh truth even if I know deep inside that they deserve it. I won't allow myself to feel miserable because I know deep in my heart that I have friends and family who love and support me. So now, I promise that I will treat myself better the way God had intended me to experience.



8. I promise to take and give chances
As long as they're honest, sincere, and from the heart. I will not shy away. Chances are always limited. If it's a chance that can make me grow better as an adult, I won't hesitate to take or give it.



9. I promise to forgive but not forget
They say forgiveness is the highest form of love and given that it is the most special, it deserves to be received only for those who sincerely ask for it. I will definitely forgive in time but I will not forget. I will learn from my past mistakes and shield myself when necessary. I will not allow myself to be used for selfish intentions.



10. I promise to relive the moment and try again. 
I will allow myself to be lonely for a while. I will look back through all the happiest and the saddest moments, but I will not let them be a reflection of my future. I will go forth with my life and find the ultimate happiness I deserve. I will not let scorned lovers, torn friendships, or crazy corporate mishaps become the reason for my unhappiness. I will not close doors, but open new ones.



I hope your subconscious stops giving you a hard time sleeping, eating, or breathing. You just need to reprogram yourself and realign the course that your new life will take you. As I am going through this journey of healing and fixing everything that's broken, I hope that every millennial in the world who is experiencing any type of problem, easy or hard, will get the chance to reunite with themselves and discover the path to recovery. I wish everyone the best of luck. You are all in my prayers.

Here's a bonus, say this mantra every time you wake up:

You are smart, beautiful, and worth it. Chin up, you marvelous being. The day awaits your glory.

This is the last one. I promise.

Let's be clear here, this post is not about my daddy issues or about any dramatic mishap in my life.




Hello Reader, if you're reading this (if anyone is reading my blog posts at all), I can only guess that you are a product of a broken home as well or you're just curious on what I've written for the week. If you belong to the first of my guesses, I'd like to thank you for taking your time to read this. I appreciate it. I hope that what I have to say will give you more courage to face the world than you already have.

Truth to be told, I've been mulling over what to write this past week. The topics of health, my out-of-college memories, my dilemmas in the office (which I doubt I'll ever get the chance to write about since it wouldn't be professional of me to do so), and health came to mind as I was brainstorming. I cannot stress more on my out-of-college experiences in Manila, and I'm sure as hell not writing about my relationship. It's close to ideal, why elaborate, right? Then, I stumbled on a particular topic that I was never comfortable writing about: my family (or what's left of it).

What you will be reading below is the content I've been working on for the past week in between shifts at work. I've been squeezing these bits of info as I go by my writing job at my regular 8-hour work shift:

It's funny how we learn to do the right things after experiencing something so messed up. When we've hit something on the road, that's when we learn to drive with caution. When we've been scammed pretty badly, we learn about the other types of people there are in the world: the ones who try their best not to hurt you and those who think only of themselves.

As you read through this post, I will not disclose as to why and how it ended. I can only elaborate the tiny little earthquakes it had caused afterwards and the lessons me and some of the people afflicted with the same reality have learned:



1. Relationships are hard work
We've all heard of this before.



2. We can't have two conflicting things in one lifetime
You can't put a mongoose and a king cobra inside a box and expect them to enjoy tea.

Yes, dear

3. We know that marriage can sometimes feel like a business agreement
I haven't been married before, but seeing may parents', the vicious cycle has been gaining friends, losing friends, and gaining enemies altogether.



4. We learn to think things through before we jump right into situations
YOLO is another term for "I make bad decisions and like to wallow in it".



5. We tend to be attracted to the people who resemble the characteristics of the parent who neglected us
Through the past years, I've discovered that I like men whom are chubby combined with a wicked sense of humor. Familiar? Very.



6. Distractions are golden
Bad day? Books.



7. Attention and adoration are the icings to our cake
The people in my family talk non-stop, especially my grandmother who gives me all the attention (even the unwanted ones) that I can possibly hope for. Maybe I should move back to grandma's?




8. Paranoia feels like the air we breathe
Paranoia feels like the snotty fictional roommate who acts like your mother and breathes down your neck more than your mother does, asking you where you've been, what you've eaten for the whole day, and who that boy with you was.



9. Our trust issues are handy at most times
You (I'm excluding myself off this) are one of the lucky pickpocket virgins. Score!

Maybe that one time

10. We know how to let go without having too much regrets
But it was on saaaaleeeee! Maybe this reflects on you?



11. We know which demographic is interested in hearing our dilemmas
Old people, in general.



12. You're probably at the top of the class
I'm not, but I know some people who were.



13. We know how to plan ahead
In high school, it was books before boys. Today, it's career before life-changing decisions.




14. We know that our expectations can break us
I'm mostly not overly romantic since that time I've stopped expecting anything from others. The plan was me not expecting anything and him doing the same, then I realized I didn't have the ability to control minds.




15. We know when to give and accept promises
We make it a point not to promise anything we doubt we'll be able to do. Or is that just me?



16. We know that some people can't let go of their childhood
Personality and toy collection-wise, I lose in this department.




17. We have mastered the art of not letting people's shit get to us
Your favorite blend wasn't available today and you want to let off steam on me? Not your lucky day, ma'am. I'm not taking requests.



18. We know how to channel anger properly
Please refer to #6.



19. We know how to raise parents 
Because we've basically put up with the constant whining of each party and we know by heart which medicine they're sick of.



20. You know how to accept rejection better
Guy: I'm sorry. We just don't seem good for each other.
Me: You're probably right. This can't be more worse than that time I asked for child support for myself. Wanna get ice cream?




21. We've learned to be grateful for the things that stay constant in our lives
A roof over my head, a nice paying job, money on my bank account that can sustain me and my quirks, relatives who actually care, this isn't so bad.



22. We learn to be more sensitive of others
We don't just cringe when people cry, we sympathize and try to solve their problems that don't sum up to a quarter of ours. See #20.



23. We have this bitterness over insanely-privileged classmates who act like they don't need the education.
So, this fictional guy in high school had a nice family, a charming home, plenty of cars, and what does he do? His grades went rotten and he got into fights. I don't know his life's story, but there definitely is no reason for anyone to go berserk when their lifestyle is posh AF.



24. We know how to control/slay our demons
I've once had to deal with anger issues. Books saved me. Please refer to #6.



25. We know who our true friends are.
It's like sorting laundry. The ones who call you only when they need something are in the colored pile, while the ones who call you up for no reason at all/check up on you go into the white, untarnished pile.



26. We've grown more mature faster than the people in our age bracket
While they were YOLO-ing, we were discovering our inner woman in Austen's prized works. Kudos to the classics!

On guard, cockroach!

27. We know how to take care of ourselves
Not only do we know how to cook, do laundry, and find clothes that suit us. We can also get into any company which we deem worthy for our skills and can provide us with the compensation enough for us to live independently.



28. We know how to guard ourselves emotionally
We know how to get out of awkward situations and how to turn down people the nicest way possible.
This is a skill not many people have.

Even Hawkeye is loving it.

29. We laugh at the littlest problems we have
Because why not?

I'll just leave this right here

30. The most important of all, we know that with the trustworthy connections and the right amount of effort, our future will be much better than our past
No explanation needed. And my fingers are sore already.


I hope my brainstorming has paid off. If you laughed, thank you! If you got disappointed about anything on the list, my apologies.

During the hardest moments of my experience, no one has ever told me that it will get this good once I'm done with college and living/paying for myself. So to anyone experiencing the hardships revolving around a family that's about to be broken, please love yourself and think things through. In a few years you'll be able to live by yourself (or with friends), spending the hard-earned money that you so deserve, and living every day without worrying about the stability of anything in your life.