MONGABONG

The Loreal Hydrafresh cleanser A really light and refreshing gel cleanser for everyday use

Clearskin Oil Balancing Exfoliating Wash by Simple This is one of the most gentle exfoliating washes I've come across over the years

Toner by Simple

Light Moisturizer by Simple Really lightweight and it's fragrance free! (my skin cant take too much of those)

Moisturizer from Dior's Hydralife series

Eye Cream by Dior

Facial masks from My Beauty Diary Been using them since a young age and I love how they are good and cheap! I would recommend the Strawberry/ aloe/ Apricot ones:)

Pore Putty Face Powder in Tanslucent This powder gives the look of smaller pores and it does not have any colour

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder Highly recommend this! It keeps my face SUPER MATTE

Loreal Open Eyes Pro Quad I am currently using the one in the old packaging. Affordable and pigmented. Been using it for almost 2 years!

Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette Im sure this needs no description as well right? It's a staple that can create a thousand different looks

Babylips by maybelline I think this needs no description right? Everyone knows how good and moisturizing this is. Currently using the one in Anti-Oxidant Berry flavour :) YUM

Maybelline's Master Liner in Black / Brown This liner has the consistency of somewhere in between a pencil and a gel liner A little water and smudge proof, with the effect a eyeliner pencil would bring. Major love. Im into my 3rd one already!

Revlon Photoready cream blush in Flsuhed Super smooth and blendable. Don't be fooled by the crazy bright colors! They are really sheer when applied on the cheeks

Powdered blush in the colour Apricot Sheen 02 by Sephora I love the little gold glitter in there! Acts as a highlighting blush, IMO

Mocha by MAC A deep, plum/brown colour Highly-pigmented

Brow pencil by Maybelline in Grey

Maybelline Mineral Concealor in the shade 02 Super smooth and blendable Gives middle coverage

Elianto's Liquid foundation

Loreal True Match Liquid Foundation in G3 Medium-Full coverage Highly blendable and buildable

Hello guys!!!!

Guess who's back?!?! Tadaaaaa~~
For those of you who didn't know, I was away over the past 3 weeks for an OCSP trip, to the Philippines. First 14 days was real work, where we went to a small town in Iloilo, called Batad.
We were there to teach elementary english, as well as to build a library for the people residing in Batad.
I was a little apprehensive about this trip (as many of you have already noticed from how reluctant I was to go). I initially thought that I wouldn't be enjoying the trip because we'd be going to a faraway place, with no internet connection, no Facebook, no instagram or twitter! That thought scared me enough, really.
Besides that, it also meant less time to enjoy after finals, because I had to fly off 2 days after my last paper :( and less time with my family, friends and Matt. The thought about having to travel all the way there to do "saikang", build libraries, saw wooden planks into shelves etc. It was a pretty scary thought for a girl like me who's got absolutely no experience in building things, FROM SCRATCH.
The idea of being a mosquito bait didn't help either, just saying. haha!

However, I'd like to proudly say that after everything, I was all wrong! Sparkle IV have certainly made me see how lucky I am, or rather, we singaporeans are. And how the people in Batad can be so happy, despite having so little. Looking at how tightly-knitted the entire town was, and their hospitality... I took my hats of them, and have since looked at the country in a different light.
Everyone there gave us the best they could offer. We were housed within the Nipsy College Campus in a house that had one room, a kitchen and a toilet. Yes, one toilet and one room.
However, this was already the best this tiny town could offer. The municipality used all forms of transport they had to ferry us to our different schools and destination points because they knew we singaporeans wouldn't get used to walking such long distances everyday, to and fro.
We had Police cars driving us to the lakeside to sight-see, ambulances fetching us to and fro from the elementary schools, and even rubbish trucks (YESSSS..... I KNOW, I KNOW).

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining anymore. At first, everyone laughed at how we had to go to school in ambulances and rubbish trucks. But after realizing how much this municipality have gone through to arrange any form of transport for us so that we'd be able to escape the crazy weather, we started to appreciate things more.
They don't have buses, nor trains. Most people walk under the 38-40 degree Celsius to the market/school. And they do that, everyday.

What puzzled me most was how everyone in the country was so happy, and contented. They wore dirty and stained clothing, they walked barefooted, and they go hungry. Yet, they face every single day with a smile. Singing at the top of their voices every morning, chasing chickens and chicks around the house, attending church on weekends and meeting up with friends to do absolutely nothing. Life was absolutely carefree, and simple.
Staying in a place like that allowed me to throw the urges of checking my social media apps at the back of my mind and enjoy simple things like cooking, star gazing, or even doing absolutely nothing.

All these photos are not in order, so sorry! Please pardon all the messy hair, bare face and ugly clothes you're about to see. I couldnt care less bout dressing up and looking good! Haha

Project Sparkle IV

Mangrove planting in progress

With Gen and becca, my home-stay buddies

Sight-seeing at some randoom beach. Look at the sky! No filter needed

MICHHHYYYY

With Joey and Mich

Riding in the rubbish truck

The police car I mentioned!

On our last night, there was a Cultural Night, where the students from Batad and singapore would perform the unique cultures of each country on stage. I played the role of the Tour guide in our Skit, and performed Chinese dance too. HAHA
Dont. Judge

Chinese Dance

After leaving batad, we had a few stop overs before heading to Boracay for our R&R on the 15th day! We stopped over at another mangrove plantation and we were made to try fresh, and raw wood worms.

The staff would use his parang to chop off a part of tree trunk/branch that has been submerged in the water. He split the tree trunk open with his parang and all the gooeeeeeyyyy wood worms started sliding out. As gross as it looked, we were made to try it. And surprisingly, it did not taste too bad!

I guess most of the time, it'll be the works of our minds.

Trying the wood worm

I met so many awesome people there in Batad, especially the kids who we hung out most with. Having these kids come to you, telling you that you're their inspiration is a feeling one can never describe. I feel so happy, that i've made an impact in someone else's life.