November Birthdays, Part 1: The Scribe

Today marks the birth anniversary of one of my great friends and favorite people on this God-given earth, about whom I can say nothing that couldn't be said better. Hard to believe that it's actually been a year since she last came to visit us here in Hawaii, and less than six months since my own turn to visit her and Mr. Scribe in Ohio - but here we are, looking forward to the future with open hands and hearts.

While I can't really speak of Scribey without getting too wistful or teary-eyed, I will admit that it was our mutual love of style and shopping that brought us together in the first place. While she continues to be befuddled by makeup, I will admit to being more than envious of her insanely unedited wardrobe, which not only includes clothes and shoes from her "costume dramas of one" but also various items that have carried her through various fluctuations in dress size and mood. (It also helps that we share the same shoe size.) And while I may never get to fit myself into the same vintage-quality tunics and maxidresses that she has been wearing lately, I will admit that I've borrowed elements of her personal style to match my own, to wit:

- Taking risks with fashion. Yes, those leather boots looked ridiculous on both of us in the middle of the tropics - and my pair didn't survive the Great Wardrobe Weed-Out of the last two years - but if that's what it takes to up the fearlessness factor, then so be it.

- Shopping inside your closet. "Fashion is cyclical," she always says - which explains how her mother's blouses and suede Ferragamo boots from the '70s have ended up with her in Cleveland. (Though it probably does not explain why her cat seems to have developed an attraction to those boots.) True, it may sound ridiculous and selfish to keep weeding out... but when times get tough - as they often do - it always helps to have those investment pieces at the ready.

- When everything else is in doubt, dress bright. Believe me, this was a hard lesson to learn for both of us - and especially in my case, since I've always thought that we were always going to be the creative/emo types who were destined to roam the world clad in all-black Prada, with the occasional Happy Bunny tee thrown in for extra snarky flavor. Lately, however, she has opened my mind to embracing swirly prints, dreamy fabrics, and bright colors to convey a never-ending sense of hope - not to mention a conscious celebration of our shared Filipino heritage. Yeah, you can go ahead and blame all of that on living in Cleveland's answer to Haight-Asbury, but I think it's the kind of wisdom that comes with age. Speaking of which...

- It really is all about the eye of the beholder. We may be imperfect, but we never realize how much our imperfections can be the very things that people admire about us. Scribe took a long time before she could truly embrace the very Eurasian features and cultural traits that many people have admired about her, which in turn has given her a newfound sense of purpose and advocacy. I, in turn, have learned from her to acknowledge my own feelings about my body - especially the fleshy parts that I have kept covered up for years - which has led to my ongoing path towards building a better sense of self-acceptance. Not to mention it has also led me to choose cuter dresses and take better pictures while wearing them.

So then: Cheers to another great year of life, dear friend. :)

Stay tuned for Part 2: A Salute to the Women of Hacienda de Meimei.

The Floating World

A shot of my Charlotte Russe leather flats - and muscular calves - at Yours Truly in Shaker Square.

Back again in Hawaii - still recovering from jet lag, and the sadness of having to leave Cleveland. To paraphrase what Walter Cronkite once said about San Francisco (and, as much as I love San Fran, the domestic terminal at SFO Airport is another story) leaving Cleveland - for me - was like saying goodbye to an old sweetheart. If Honolulu was the reliable boyfriend who looked good on paper and had everything going for him, Cleveland was the guy I knew I've always wanted but didn't have the strength in me to elope with... until now.

So even though it will take a long, long time before I return to Cleveland - again, I don't think this particular story is over yet, not by a long shot - I will be here in Hawaii to continue the Cleveland Chronicles while I figure out everything else. Watch this space for more postings about food, fashion, traveling lessons, and a few more meditations on beauty.

The Cleveland Chronicles, Part 4: A Makeup Post, for A Change

Besides the fact that I'm a naturally vain person who has finally gotten over posting JPEGs of myself on Blogger: Why do I love this picture?

1) I'm actually at one of my favorite places in Cleveland, if not the entire planet - the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum at Western Reserve Historical Society - and the smile on my face shows how geeked out I totally am at museums like these;

2) I think it's cute that the jalopy I'm posing with, Lowrider Magazine-style, is called a "Cleveland"; and

3) It also helps that I'm wearing fantastic makeup in this photo.

Okay, so it's not much in the way of makeup, but I can tell you that the foundation I have on my face is L'Oreal Bare Naturale Gentle Mineral Makeup in Sun Beige - the closest I will ever get to a drugstore product matching my complexion. I honestly believe that the hype on this product is justified - it doesn't make my face itchy the way other mineral powders do (hello, BareMinerals), and neither does it look caked-on. In fact, if there's any discernible "glow" to be had on my face, the effect is more akin to a slight air-brushing or (at worst) a subtle glaze - rather than a full-on disco ball effect - and also to the point where putting on blush is practically redundant.

(Forgive me, Cleveland and Frank Gehry, for I have geeked out so much.)

Going back to the makeup: Really, this L'Oreal stuff isn't too bad. It has actually seen me through all the crazy Ohio weather of late, from last week's downpours to yesterday's insane heat wave. It doesn't fall apart when I sweat, doesn't get temperamental if I put it on while my skin isn't at its best... and is surprisingly cooperative with my face wash, in fact. It also helps that normal amateur photography actually enhances the effect, to the point where it does shave a good 7 to 10 years off my face. (Not that I won't wear it when, say, Mr. Scribe takes my picture with his professional camera.)

Also: It's one of the rare products on Earth where the accompanying brush actually works with the product. Too bad about the jar, though (I weep for all that excess powder that goes to waste when I do the swirl/tap/buff routine - it always helps to have a paper towel underneath) but here's hoping that the folks at L'Oreal will consider a redesign.

The Cleveland Chronicles, Part 3: Domesticity's Retail Roundup

At least THIS didn't put a giant dent in my pocket. :)

Another week, another $100 or so lost from my bank account. Am I upset? No. For one thing, a good chunk of that money went to some highly respectable retailers here in Cuyahoga County - the better for me to bring out a proper Retail Roundup!

Target: Scribe may have given me a certain Target-related grad gift (ie. a gift card for an undisclosed amount of money) but that didn't stop me from going crazy all over Le SuperTarjay at University Circle. How else would I have been able to score two Mossimo tops, a Merona blouse, a pair of shorts, and a brown linen empire dress for roughly $80 en toto? I also got a great deal on the watch (ProSpirit, $6.98) and got both a foundation brush and a new foundation (L'Oreal Bare Naturale), AND a nice bathrobe. That's a lot to be happy about.

That said, I do have a complaint about my Favorite Big-Box Retailer of All Time: What the heck is going on with the whole Isaac Mizrahi line? I swear, I've tried on two dresses, and no matter how far I go up or down the sizing chart, NOTHING fit right. At all. I'm beginning to suspect that Isaac should consider firing whoever does his fitting, because I don't think I'm the only one with this problem.

TJ Maxx: I admit that I should've saved my energy for this, after maxing out my debit card at the SuperTarjay. That said, Blogdorf Goodman was right - you can get some insane deals on makeup and fragrance over here. Scribe and I may have snickered at the inevitable appearance of the Kimora Lee Simmons line in the Clearance bin, but even we'll admit that $7.99 for a Lancome lipstick was a killer deal. There were some Gap fragrances in the bins, too; I managed to snag a hand lotion in Nightfall for $1.99, which was a saving grace for the hands that got caught up in last week's Ohio chill.

My best TJ steal, however, goes to the Clarins Lip Sparkle palette (Sparkling Neutrals, I believe) that I snagged for the low, low price of $2.99. Six lovely see-through neutrals with a non-sticky formula. Gotta love that.

Tower City Center: On one hand, I can't help but be disappointed that there are a lot of major retailers that have since vacated their spaces here -although Mr. Scribe was right to point out that some of those retailers did price themselves out of the market in this economy. (Yes, Gap, I'm looking at you - and for shame!) On the other hand, I can't say I didn't get any great finds here, either.

Take, for example, this dress from Lane Bryant. $60 may have seemed kind of steep for me - and I did have some problems manipulating this at first - but I love the detailing on this, with the blue breaking up the monochrome and the built-in slip underneath. The fit on this one was also perfect - no boob issues (take note, Isaac), no belly pooch, no problem at all. Every single person in the store was unanimous about this dress: it was definitely a keeper.

And then there was Charlotte Russe, which I had written off for years as another Wet Seal/Arden B/Forever 21 wannabe... until Scribe steered me towards the flats, which were supremely comfortable and wearable. I was as good as addicted, and in fact I ended up buying two pairs to take advantage of their sale. I was also tempted to snag their jewelry and sunglasses, as well... but that'll have to wait. :)

Lest you think that I was the only one who got the epic deals (cue my parents gasping in shock) it wasn't like Scribe came up empty, either... not when Tower City has a MAC store, where she finally found the dream foundation/ powder combo that did not turn pink on her at all. I was so proud of her - and was floored even more when 1) the makeup artist that she worked with was super cool and friendly without pushing too many products on her, and 2) her entire MAC bill for the makeup she just purchased came down to $65, as opposed to the $120 she had spent at the [name withheld] counter for the incompatible base. She also snagged a killer black leather bag at Charlotte Russe, too - the better to carry around whenever she goes out at night with Mr. Scribe.

Also: If you must burn your hard-earned dollars at the Bath & Body Works clearance sale, I definitely recommend going to the Tower City B&BW - where I got stuff for myself and my Dad, at the low price of $10.48 and no tax. Best. Sale. EVER.

The Cleveland Chronicles, Part 2: One Round of Glamour Shots

You know, I might as well just let the pictures speak for themselves, because I think they're all breathtakingly beautiful. (All photos taken by Scribe's husband.)

Location: Balcony at Chez Scribe (aka "Hampshire Bistro and Tavern") - right before we went out for the night

Credits: Passport to Peru blouse; necklace, Scribe's own; bracelet and earrings, my own (both gifts from friends of mine - the earrings, I believe, are abalone shell, and the bracelet is made from seed pearls); hair and makeup, my own

Location: Rockefeller Cultural Gardens
Credits: Ginger Snap dress (from Ross Dress for Less in HNL); City Buddha silk scarf; earrings, my own (gift from Mom); shoes purchased at Festival Supermall in Alabang; my own hair and makeup. The book is French Lessons by Peter Mayle.

Location: War Memorial/ The Fountain of Eternal Life, by Marshall Fredericks

Credits: Mossimo for Target top; City Buddha scarf; Gap jeans, ProSpirit watch; Reebok running shoes.

Makeup used for all photos: Sephora Professionel foundation and primer; Revlon concealer; Rimmel stick eyeshadow (base/liner); Maybelline Expert Eyes shadow quad (powder/contrast); Maybelline Lash Expansion mascara; BareMinerals Face Color Powder in Warmth. The only variation is the lip color, which varied between Revlon's Super Lustrous gloss in Raisin Glaze and a lip gloss palette from Clarins, which I will go into in more detail in the next entry - along with the now-famous "jump" shot next to the Free Stamp.

The Cleveland Chronicles, Part 1: The Epic Saga of My Hair

Tonight marks the end of my fourth day in Cleveland, and the end of a very long week. I believe that my honeymoon phase is almost over - the gawking-tourist routine is gone, replaced by a cautious pensiveness that comes from somebody who has just realized that I have only three weeks to spend in such an amazing place.

(Yes, I know what you're thinking, dear Mainland readers, and I wouldn't blame you for thinking that I'd be crazy to sacrifice three weeks of a gorgeous Hawaiian summer for a place of inconsistent "springtime" weather. You have to understand, though: all this Midwestern lakeside splendor is as exotic to me as our tropical beaches are to you, so bear with me.)

Anyway, since this is Domesticity, I figured I should share a few words (and JPEGs) about one thing that has changed about me thanks to this trip... and it all began with me arriving in Cleveland with THIS hair:

To be fair: It's not ugly. (The return of my fuzzy upper lip, maybe, but not my overall look.) It's just that my hair is flat as heck - look at how the layers are plastered over my head, and the ends have that weird tendency to make me look like Steve Perry. I won't even get started on the fact that it's dull and the last time I got it cut was at the Neighborhood Chain. That's why Scribe and I planned on going to her neighborhood salon so we can have our girly spa day.

But then... this happened. I'm not even going to repeat the story here, but suffice it to say that I've already reviewed a fellow brand-mate affiliate of this salon on this blog - I don't want to paint everyone with a broad brush just because of one incompetent employee who made sure her workplace got none of my business. I do hope, however, that if the people in charge of the the salon's mothership (read: global HQ) gets to read this, they should just take this complaint for what it is and deal with it in the best possible manner, as befitting of the company's fine reputation.

[/rant over]

Anyway. Long story short, Scribe found out that the barbershop where her husband got his regular grooming also did women's haircuts for less of the price of the other place. (Her quote: "Of all the salons here in Cleveland, why didn't I think of the place where all the cool musicians get their hair done?") Thanks to the fabulous staff and stylists at Fast Eddy's, who are always up for working with just about anyone - from goth kids to proper grandmas - I finally got my flat Asian hair to cooperate in a swingy, sexy layered cut that brought the best out of my natural color and texture.

Behold:

No need for false modesty here. I really did look smokin' hot that night. Thanks, Fast Eddy's!