Glosswatch 2011 Extra: Sweet and Sunny

You might remember this one from Wellington.

The gloss: Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Kissyfit

What Clinique says: Lip gloss juiced up with 8 hours of lasting shine. Spends every minute comforting lips. In 18 glistening shades from sheer to full intensity. Moisture makes each one even more mouth-watering. Protects lips, too.

First impressions: This was not exactly my favorite shade from the Clinique Glosswear set that I bought at Honolulu International Airport two years ago, precisely because of its bluish-pinkness. As I mentioned in my Wellington entry, however, this was the only non-lip balm product I wore throughout the entire trip, not just in New Zealand but also throughout my whole week in Sydney. What else was a girl to do?

Texture: Slightly tacky. Uh-oh.

Color saturation: A little chameleonic. The picture above is basically the closest it will ever be to looking like the actual product in the tube; otherwise it could range from completely nude to doll-like pink in person.

Minty fresh factor: None. It's not a plumping gloss.

Hydration capacity: Meh - but that's to be expected from a long-lasting product. (The wear time is excellent for this, BTW; it does last for at least two hours.) I did notice that the moisturizing properties get juiced up with a little lip balm, though.

This product will remind you of: Summer - though, considering that it's sheer and pink, wouldn't you want to wear this with a smoky eye for the fall? (See also: the Kristen Stewart makeup tutorial from Pixiwoo, seen in last Friday's entry.)

The person you may want to smooch while wearing this is... THIS GUY.



Or at least the nearest Chris Hemsworth clone in your vicinity, because I swear to Odin that the hotter guys in Auckland and Sydney looked almost exactly like him. Swoon!

My recommendations: Again, like many of the glosses I featured in Glosswatch, I would like to see how this gloss works in other colors. (I'm particularly interested in the peachy Guavagold, red-gold Fireberry, and punchy-red Juicy Apple.) I'm definitely purchasing a new tube of this to replace the one I have right now, though, just for the staying power and the SPF. And definitely, definitely wearing this with mascara and eyeliner. 

Today's Dispatch: A Conclusion in Sight

This post is brought to you by the good folks in charge of wrangling the hair, makeup, and wardrobe duties for Rihanna.



- This week will (hopefully) mark the end of the Long Rough Patch that I've faced in the last few weeks... and when I say rough, I mean rough: pressure at work, graduate school, and my mom getting sick and landing in the hospital for a few days due to dehydration and exhaustion. (No worries - she's actually doing OK now; just needed the rest.) The good news, however, is that I have a four-day weekend ahead of me before I head out to that big campus in Quezon City first thing Wednesday morning, to take my admissions test for the PhD program, so I'll be up to my ears with studying and keeping in touch with my students. Wish me luck.

- Okay, back to our usual blog content... and I hate to say this out loud, but did Barbra Streisand get a little "work" done on her face? Seriously, take a look at the cover art for her new album and tell me that there's something un-Barbra-ish about that face right now. I personally want to believe that it's a bad camera angle and/or a furious photo retoucher, but as long as nobody touches that profile - and that nose - it shouldn't be so bad after all. (And also on my wish list: an all-Streisand episode of Glee. You know you were thinking it!)

- Current favorite "thing" of the moment: bubble milk tea, which I have been craving since Nathan Fillion mentioned it in one of his tweets. (Just try to imagine him saying the words "boba tea" out loud, if you can.) Right now it's having a foodie renaissance of sorts here in the Philippines... which is weird, since I've been drinking the stuff for the last decade or so. Haven't tried the trendier versions of bubble tea in Manila, but I've been getting mine at the local Zagu outlet: not exactly made with real tea, mind, but their tapioca pearls strike the right balance between smooth and chewy - just the way I like it.

- And yes, there is a Glosswatch entry in the works! Stay tuned.

Today's Dispatch: Skin and Tones

This week's tutorial was brought to you by Pixiwoo.



- Since I already brought up my new dermatologist last time, I might as well share the rest of the regimen with you guys right now. I currently use proprietary prescription-strength products for my sensitive skin, but I think this can be easily replicated with OTC products as well.

• DAY: Gentle cleanser, followed by oil-free moisturizer mixed with refining cream, and BB cream blended on top. 
• NIGHT: Gentle cleanser, followed by creamy moisturizer mixed with refining cream (on a relatively moist face), and a little cortisone cream for red spots. 
• PRODUCT SUBS: The cleanser I have right now is basically a creamier version of Cetaphil, which is not too hard to find at your local stores. I already mentioned BB creams in my previous posts, but you can also use an oil-free tinted moisturizer with sunblock instead. (The cream I'm using is similar in consistency and coverage to Benefit's You Rebel.) 

And after the jump: Too much analysis to bear, just for one single picture.

Today's Dispatch: Updates on the Previous

Our first Dispatch starts with a few recurring players from the Domesticity archives.

- I have fallen in love again with the Levi's Mens 505 Slim Straight jeans that I wore in Queenstown this May. Yes, they're baggy enough to look like Walk of Shame jeans - and super comfortable, to boot - but not too baggy that they're practically dragging on the ground. Part of it has to do with the combination of the dark wash and the fade pattern on the front of the pants (sorry, not really up-to-date with denim terms), which still gives the impression that I have actual legs instead of tree stumps under them. I love them enough to wear them on days when I don't have to dress too formally, like non-teaching work days, casual trips to Manila, and girls' nights with my friends.

- On the other hand, I have fallen out of love with the dermatology situation on my face, partly because I got sick and tired of my post-cauterization skin care routine and partly because I could not go one more day without wearing makeup. Long story short, I broke down and got a second opinion with another dermatologist, who correctly diagnosed my skin as sensitive and dry and gave me a more suitable (and livable) solution for my face. One of the things he prescribed to me was a combination tinted sunblock and BB Cream, which - once again - has changed my life for the better. This one also has a high SPF and titanium oxide (last seen on my face at Bondi Beach), but it's tinted and covers smoothly (even under my eyes) without leaving a chalky finish. I try to put this on with my fingers as much as possible, and buff out any unblended spots with a sponge for good measure. My BB cream is a doctor's brand, but you can also get good ones from Missha, Dr. Jart, and Smashbox; there are also Asia-exclusive ones made by Maybelline, Estee Lauder, and MAC as well.

- Good news: Law and Order: UK is airing in the Philippines on Universal Channel Asia! Bad news: I'm only one episode in, and I'm already in full drool mode over Jamie Bamber. Odd, because I honestly did NOT get the big deal with him when Battlestar Galactica was still running... but put him in a suit, and have him keep it on for a good chunk of an entire season? Oh, hello, officer!

- Dear moviegoing public at large: Yes, that really is Rafe Spall hanging out with Anne Hathaway in One Day. Yes, he is a ginger. Yes, he really is that talented. (Did I mention that he's also turning up in Anonymous?) Yes, it looks like he's turning into the British version of Edward Norton. And yes, he is ten million times foxier without all that hair, plus he only looks like his Dad whenever he stops working out. Now will somebody please cast him in something more significant, for a change? (No, Domesticity: The Movie does not count. He's way too tall for the role of Potatoface McHotness.) 

Meet The New Domesticity

So: No blog entries for the longest time.

Reason being that I was having a bit of a crisis about what to do with Domesticity, now that I'm on the verge of getting other things done with work and family and my own writing projects and (possibly) graduate school. To be honest, it has been driving me crazy, too, because I see other Filipino bloggers getting more readers for the same things that I do, and it makes me wonder if I'm doing anything wrong by keeping up this blog as it is.

Let's be honest: Without direct access to the primary content for this blog - in this case, makeup and fashion - there really is nothing much left for me to write, especially now that I'm too tired to look up and scan pictures. And even I get sick and tired of writing about hot guys, too.

(Yes, guys on The List, I am fully aware that a few of you have gotten even more boink-worthy as of late... but sometimes a girl just needs to spend her quality time at Net-a-Porter, you know? Unless you really are that interested in buying those Miu Miu shoes for me.)

So what's left for a girl in her mid-30s to do with a blog like this?

Trendwatch 2011: The Robot T-Shirt

I don't know what's cooler here: the robots, or the homage to London Calling by The Clash.

Maybe it's more of a new-ish trend, what with the Transformers movies and all, but I've become quite obsessed with robot T-shirts lately. Not that I would want one for myself, but there's just something cute and ironic about grown adults over the age of 18 running around with clothing decorated with robots on them.

Call me crazy, but there's something very Custo Barcelona about this. 

When I was working on my Camp NaNoWriMo novel last month, I was looking for an outfit for my male protagonist - basically a cross-hybrid between The Hotness and one of my nicer ex-boyfriends - to make him look cool and nerdy at the same time. At first I thought that I could give him one robot shirt, but the concept was just so awesome that I ended up giving him an entire closet of robot T-shirts as a way of giving his character a little bit of irony.

Can't get enough robot T-shirts? This list from Hide Your Arms should get you started.

Can't get enough of robots in general? Here's a song from British-Malaysian pop artist Jamie Woon, which has a bit of a Jack Johnson/ Terence Trent D'Arby feel to it.

Going Blind

...Sorry, guys, but this one isn't about J. Lo. 

Up until recently, I have considered myself to be a mild gossip addict.

Sure, I've weaned myself away from the straight-up smutty items in favor of the less confrontational (and relatively more thoughtful) likes of Lainey and Crazy Days and Nights, and I still could not resist the pull of the Pinoy-centric blind items on Professional Heckler. Yet I was able to manage all that and still go to bed early.

But then... things happened.