Current Obsessions #1

Cover photo's background photo by Gabriele Tozzi Collage & crappy handwriting by yours truly.

My favoritism game with my wardrobe is strong. The cycle goes like this, I purchase something, I fall deeply in love with it, I use it almost everyday until it gets really worn out (sometimes beyond recognition), and that certain piece (may be a pair of shoes or a bag, etc), only gets away from my clingy clutches when I acquire a new piece that I am even more crazy about. Only then will my former favorite finally gets its well deserved rest.

I want to share with you guys what I'm currently hyped about. Nope, this is more than your "monthly favorites", these are stuff I think I'll be into for more than a month, and these are stuff I'll constantly be hunting for.

My first set has one thing in common — they're both majestically shimmery :P After being engulfed by everything matte, it's refreshing to have some new texture (or finish) around.

Satin Bomber Jackets

I've always been a fan of bomber jackets. There's just something very comforting about poofy outerwear that feels like a pillow against your skin... plus they instantly dress up a rather plain looking outfit. My two new additions in my bomber collection are something way different from my old favorites, yep you guessed it, they're satin and they're full of embellishments. I acquired my first from Zara, in a neutral khaki color patched with loads of quirky icons and badges. My next purchase, this luxurious midnight blue and cream combo with floral embellishments from H&M. I fell in love with it the moment I laid eyes on it. I didn't purchase it right away though, had to think long and hard if it was worth its hefty price. Here's my first outfit wearing it:

A photo posted by ida anduyan (@idaandu) on May 28, 2016 at 8:08am PDT

Definitely worth it <3

I do expect that brands are going to release more of these satin jackets soon. I've already seen a couple of people wearing them and man, they do look gewd. I believe this'll be the next big(-ish) thing.

Highlighters

If you follow me on Twitter or Snapchat (idaandu), you probably know by now how crazy I am over highlighting lately. I didn't really join in the contouring bandwagon. I'm super bad at it, I feel like I look like a member of the Addams family every time I attempt to do it. So yeah.... never mind contouring. Hello, highlighting! I don't remember how I've come to like that dewy, glowy look. What I do remember is how much I preferred the matte face before mainly because I have such oily skin but hey, people get tired of doing the same old thing and I've grown tired of a plain 'ol matte face. Highlighting definitely adds a whole new depth to your face.

As of now I have three highlighters which I love and cherish (I mean it, I keep them all in their boxes inside another special box lol). My first one is the Mary-Lou Manizer from The Balm. Their Sexy Mama translucent powder has been my holy grail setting powder for so long now. So I figured why not buy my first highlighter from a brand I super trust? This one did not disappoint me at all. It has the most intense shimmer, perfect for those who want everyone to know that they're indeed wearing highlighter hahahaha and for those night outs, too. My second is the Ilia Illuminator in Polka Dots & Moonbeams. It's an organic highlighter packed with skin goodies that comes in a stick form. It gives a lot more subtle glow compared to the Mary-Lou Manizer, well, unless you pile it on, which I don't recommend 'cause its finish lies more on the creamy-borderline-greasy side. Finally my third jem, the Nars Illuminator in Copacabana. There's a stick version of this too, but since I already have my Ilia Illuminator, I got the liquid version. This gives off an ethereal, white-ish glow and I find that it works best when you blend it with a beauty blender as it seems to set immediately when you apply it on your skin. So work quickly if you plan to get this!

My rational self is pretty happy with the current highlighters that I have but my obsessed self lusts for more! Haha. I'm thinking about getting the Marc Jacobs Glow Stick Glistening Illuminator and/or the ever famous Becca Pressed Shimmering Skin Perfector... but yeah I can also wait 'til I use up all my existing highlighters before I purchase anything else. That would be wiser, right?

These are pretty much the (material) things that I'm currently obsessing over. I'd like to know what you guys are going gaga over though, mind to tell me in the comments? ;)

Visual Diary: Anvaya Adventure

Sometimes there are just no words (and okay I admit sometimes I'm lazy too... kidding) so I'm doing this series, "Visual Diary" where I can share to you guys an experience, an event, my mundane day, or even my thoughts, visually through photographs. I'm gonna be babbling sometimes in between photos but yes... not so much. Last Friday was a dream. A great break from my daily life in the urban jungle. I woke up extra early than usual, around 6am, and yes, that is extra early for a night owl like myself, and rushed to get ready for the trip. Miguel and his blockmates planned a trip to Anvaya and I came along with them.

Road trip. Food trip. Warm sun-kissed skin. Sparkling pool water. Laughter. Friends. Puto bumbong by the sunset drenched beach. Read more to see our calming adventure.

I mentioned earlier that I woke up super early and rushed to get ready right? Well, I wasn't able to prepare my stuff the night before so the time for eating breakfast was spent on packing quickly instead. We stopped over real quick along NLEX instead and ate quickly at KFC. Grabbed some funshots on the go, too.

Are we there yet?

Touchdown, Anvaya! My superman carrying all our bags. He wouldn't let me carry mine.

The boys' mini reunion.

What welcomed us upon entering deeper into the clubhouse. What a lovely view... and the water looks so welcoming given that it was so hot that day.

Raging sunrays calls for lots and lots of sunblock!

The company <3

In all honesty, I've never seen a beach so clean and calm. I haven't explored a lot of beaches yet though, the best one I've been to was Hundred Islands. Also clean and calm, but quite scary probably because each island feels so isolated from civilization.

Loving my view from here.

Little oopsie my bikini tag is showing moment right here. Haha.

Does this look majesticcasual looking enough? Featuring the clear sparkly water?

After swimming in the pool, we decided to eat some lunch while waiting for the sun to calm down so we can swim in the beach. The smoked salmon carbonara was so delish!

We shot some hoops by the shore before indulging in the beach. You can actually do a lot of other stuff, there was a space where you could play football, volleyball, and there were also kayaks you could rent!

Darkness came, we showered, and went home. That was basically how my Friday went down. It'd be nice to have more days like this!

How about you guys? How did you spend your Friday just a few days ago? Tell me in comments below!

Lust List #1 - Adidas Sneakers

Photo by Sweat the Style | Edit by me

Lately Adidas has been hogging the spotlight, dropping revamped classics and genius, out of the box designs. I present to you four sneakers from the brand who has done an exceptionally good job this year. Sneakers that I am completely and hopelessly in love with, finding every way possible to cop them all.

Stan Smith

“I’m a tennis player, but a lot of people think I’m a shoe.” – Stan Smith

You may or may not know this but Adidas' Stan Smith has been around for a very long time. It's named after Stanley Roger "Stan" Smith, a former world No. 1 American tennis player and two-time Grand Slam singles champion. At the peak of his game, Adidas approached him offering him to wear the sport's first ever leather shoe, and so history was made.

From a sport shoe to an iconic fashion phenomenon, the Stan Smith shoes have gone through several revisions, revamps, and versions and up until now, it's still a classic through and through.

This right here is on top of my list for that reason. It's simple and subtly screams classy. I can imagine it going with just about any kind of outfit. Dressed up in a sleek body-con dress, hair tied in a pony with big wayfarers or dressed down to your distressed jeans and favorite white shirt. This is why it's been a favorite all this time, the design goes beyond the trends and flashy styles but stays iconic all the same.

Superstar

Like the Stan Smith, The Superstar is also older than the people who are wearing it. The shoes were released back in 1969 and blew up because of sports, but instead of tennis like the Stan Smith, it blew up in the field of basketball. New, more advanced basketball shoes came out and the hype of the Superstar faded. It was thanks to street culture and music that it came back and really became truly iconic this time.

If the Stan Smith's claim to fame was its timeless and classic design and simplicity, the same goes with the Superstar but with a more badass vibe. It was worn by rappers and renowned skateboarders and speaks individuality and creativity... especially in it's newest release in collaboration with Pharell Williams where you'll be sure to find the perfect one for you 'cause it practically has all colors imaginable (exaggerating but you get my point).

Lusting over this for the same reason I have for the Stan Smith shoes. Lately, I've been craving for more simpler outfits. Clean, classic shapes, and neutral colours that complement each other instead of clashing pieces that crown me the queen of migraine town.

Yeezy Boost 350

The hype on this one is real. The shoe was recently released last June 27 and people worldwide have prepared, mentally, physically, and financially for it. The already rich Kanye is definitely much richer now what with his shoe being almost sold out on the first day of its release (not 100% sure about this but I am sure it's sold out here in the Philippines). Sure, you may find some people selling it but the mark up is just ridiculous. I definitely regret not lining up for this baby.

Props to Kanye for coming up with kind of weird but definitely out of the box and unconventional designs. Yes, it does look like Nike's Roshe black sail speckle, but I don't know, this shoe definitely speaks more. Although I must admit, part of its beauty definitely comes from all the hype about it.

Tubulars

Another sneaker that has a striking resemblance to Nike's Roshe Run or for the more knowledgeable sneaker heads, the Y-3 Qasa High. This shoe originated from Adidas' 90's archives of prototype designs which back then, were way too advanced to be made into actual sneakers. It is also the brand's contribution to the contemporary collection of high street sneakers fashion enthusiasts are lusting over today.

What I love about this shoe is that in spite of all the intricately designed cuts and details, overall, the shoe still looks put together, streamlined, and I don't know... futuristic-ally-sexy-simple-classy-spinkled-with-a-bit-of-athletic-vibes kind of beautiful. I bet they'd look pretty on my feet.

Frankly, I've been leaning on to Nike for a long time now but Adidas definitely stole my heart from them. Props to the Three Stripes brand for all their awesome releases lately and for keeping up with the generation's changing aesthetic. I really love a brand who keeps up with the fast paced change in the industry and Adidas really did a good job at it.

What about you guys? What sneakers have you been lusting on lately? Tell me in the comments below!

My favorite iPhone Apps

These days apps play an essential role in the everyday lives of some people. I'm one of those people. As of writing, my iPhone has 126 apps right now. Quite a lot, I must say. Some people have around 3 to 10 apps for photo editing, not me though! I have around 40+ but wait up! This post really isn't about photo editing apps. This post is about the essential apps in my everyday grind, notable apps that I simply cannot do my everyday errands without, and apps that allow me to recharge when I'm drought of creative juices.

1. Wunderlist

I don't know how long I've been in the "app or actual planner to plan my life" dilemma. Right now I've decided to go with the app. Trust me when I say that I've tried tons of productivity and to-do apps. There's a reason why this app stays on top of the productivity apps category. I use this app to keep track of the things I need to do in my personal life, projects and postings for my social media accounts and blog for brands, and even the movies I need to download.

2. Dropbox

Blessed is that day I discovered Dropbox. This app has helped me for the longest time, in school most especially. This is like an invisible USB, a back up in case you forget your flash drive for that super important presentation (so long as there's an internet connection). This is also how I transfer my photos from phone to desktop and vice versa. Really handy if you need to access your files across multiple devices.

3. Pickle

Words can't express how in love I am with this app. I'm one of those people who like to collect cute photos for pegs and screenshots for reminders. The problem with an iPhone is that all of your photos get thrown in the camera roll, no legit folders. I'm also one of those OC people who likes to keep their camera roll free of junk. Contradicting... what a dilemma. But hey, Pickle comes to my rescue, I transfer all my pegs and screenshots in this app (by copying them) and it has folders to keep everything organized and easy to navigate through! That's not all, you also have the option to put a password on each folder for those sketchy photos of yours (mmm-hmm). I actually got this app for free, right now it's priced at USD 2.99 but trust me, it's worth it.

4. Telegram

Okay so honestly, I'd really like to keep this app a secret 'cause I'm enjoying the serenity of it but hey... I love you guys. This is a chat app. I don't like chat apps. Most of them are complicated and clunky, they have all these stickers, you can post status messages... but those features aren't really the reason why you downloaded the app right? This app is a straightforward messenger app, clean, minimal, and most importantly, fast. Ever since me and my friends made our group chat here, we've honestly never discussed anything as a group outside of this app. From just talking to each other whenever we need something to talking just cause for fun or just to share some really random itsy bitsy kwento.

5. Feedly

I don't exactly know how to call this app. An RSS reader? Basically, it's an all in one app where you can read articles from your favorite sites like Thought Catalog or posts from your favorite blogs. That's how I use it, you can utilize it whichever way you want. News, NBA updates, or just for some light reading in your down time? It's all up to you!

6. Buffer

As an online influencer, this app is a must-have. It can automatically post scheduled content for you, and keep track of the engagement and reach of that post. I mainly use this app for twitter. A lot of quote accounts use apps like these to stay active especially during the times when a lot of people are online. Try this app and watch your social media accounts run on their own.

7. VSCO Cam

Well... duh. Who doesn't like this app. I know people have different preferences but I'm pretty sure most would prefer this app when it comes to editing their photos. What I love about VSCO Cam is the subtleness in their filters and how each preset gives off a certain feel and vibe. I must admit that the original app did the subtle game better, but hey you can always adjust the how intense the preset is.

8. Waze

As a driver I am terrible when it comes to memorizing routes I don't go through everyday. I can't imagine not having this app whenever I need to go somewhere I'm not familiar. Not only that, Waze leads you through routes where there's less traffic (just be ready to sometimes go through small and kind of sketchy streets though) and remembers which routes you prefer going through. Say bye to asking strangers for directions, getting lost or stuck in a standstill traffic. Everyone should definitely have this app, especially drivers.

9. Pinterest

If cars have gasoline stations to fuel app, this is my creativity station when I'm tired and uninspired. Bedroom inspirations, graphic design ideas, and quirky outfit ideas, it's all in here, it just depends on what boards you follow!

So there! The apps that has helped me through my daily life making it more convenient and bearable. What about you guys? What apps can't you absolutely go through the day without? Tell me in the comments, I'd really love to hear it!

Confessions of a Phone Case Addict

I’ve been wanting to write a post about phone cases for a while now… ‘cause you know, phone cases are a big part of my life (haha). Okay, kidding aside, I really do love dressing up my phone the same way I love to dress myself up. I can’t handle it when I use my phone without a case, I feel like I’m holding a naked body or something. I remember when my iPhone 5s was just a week old and I already had 3 cases for it.

So yeah, I just wanted to share to you guys some of my favorite phone cases and where you can get them. Nothing big, just small chit chat.

My phone is less than a year old and this isn’t even all of the phone cases I have right now. Told you guys I was an addict.

My iPhone’s black so I’m constantly on a look-out for unique-looking all black cases that cover up the sides of the phone too. It makes it look clean and seamless. I do emphasize that I only like “unique” black cases though. Black is already a serious and straightforward color as is, combining it with a simple and also straightforward design would look bland, boring, and too masculine for my taste.

• (1) Givenchy case - Black Bakery (They don’t sell cases anymore though)
• (2) Silicon studded case - Forever 21
• (3) Silicon cat case - Forever 21

Yes, I’m telling you now, Forever 21 has awesome phone cases.

I really don’t like hard, snap-on cases. I feel like I’m doing more damage than actually protecting my phone but….. these are just so cute. Three of these cases are custom made, so plus love for personalization!

• (4-6) Personalized hard case all from Black Bakery
• (7) Cat face case - Aldo

When I want a no-nonsense, uncomplicated case, I just choose between these cases above. I especially love #11 it’s mint and it really protects my phone. #12 is my latest purchase, it’s so minimal and clean (you can barely see it here). I’m actually using this one right now and I stuck some holographic sticker on the backside of my phone. It looks awesome.

• (8-9) Bumper cases with clear backs - You can find this case everywhere. I got mine just along Taft, that little stall in front Tokyo Tokyo.
• (11) Mint TPU case - Case me
• (12) Clear TPU case - Market! Market!

Finally, this is the case I go to when I want to be I-G-G-Y fancy. Do I really need to explain why? It’s the cutest and most kikay thing ever ♥

• (13) Chanel case - I got mine from a bazaar but this thing is everywhere too! It’s “uso”right now. Check out Greenhills. There’s a black version of this too.

How about you guys? Are you as phone-case-obsessive as I am? How many do you have? Tell me in the comments below!

Pre-school Mini Haul

(Pre-school as in before school, not as in little kid school, okay?) Christmas break ended too soon and I really didn’t see it coming. I was lying on my bed and realised, what the heck, it’s the last weekend before school starts again!

I know people have mixed feelings about school starting again. Some are actually excited but nah, not me. I like to relax and bum around some more, please. Nevertheless, I should be thankful that I’m even attending school hihi (Weh lol).

Before my blabbering becomes extra long, let’s get to the point of this post! Someone from ask.fm requested that I post what I bought from Muji when I posted this photo on my Instagram. School supplies shopping is actually one of my favorite things to do. I don’t know, it just cheers me up when I have neat stuff to use while slaving over my school works.

Things I bought:

• 2014 Planner - Muji
• Small, thick (lineless) notebook - Muji
• Thin notebooks (set of 5) - Muji
• Black and purple gel pens - Muji
• G-tech - Powerbooks
• Color pencils - Powerbooks

Here’s the planner. I originally planned to use the Slate planner but then I realised I didn’t really want distractions while I plan. It stresses me out. The Muji planner is a no fuss, straightforward planner. It’s beautifully minimal, and has a lot of space for what matters.

Believe me, I really had a freaking hard time deciding between the two planners. I’m not even kidding, it bothered me 24/7 HAHA. Did I want something more simple and less fussy or something more creative-ish, hardbound, and hipster-y looking planner? In the end I realised that the Muji planner was the more creative one ‘cause with so much white space, I could fill it up with anything I want, and everything is from me, unlike with the Slate planner that has all these built in illustrations that, yes, looks very artsy and creative but these pretty parts weren’t exactly made by me right? It’s sort of there by default.

This is how the month view looks like. Like I said, plenty of space to write and paste anything you want! This part is really useful too since you can see an overview of your month at a glance.

So on the right side is where the week view goes. No lines so you can go crazy on how you write your little reminders.

On the right side, is a full page that has a grid. I really like this part. This is where I put reminders that apply to the whole week. Like here in the photo, I put which books are required for my subjects for the term so that by the weekend, I’ll have a list of which books I should look for! You can practically put anything here. Although not seen here, I actually taped the receipts from the purchases which I want my mom to reimburse so I won’t ever forget (LOL).

Finally on the last few pages, are spreads of gridded pages. Go crazy.

All in all I really like this planner. Very simple, very minimal, super customisable (I plan to plaster lots of stickers on the cover soon). Although it was hard for me to not choose the Slate planner because it was really a neat planner. I especially liked the wood-like cover and the logo upfront, but I sort of outgrew the style it has inside. Maybe next year!

Next up is the thin notebooks. It wasn’t my plan to buy these. I was supposed to buy the refill pages for my clear Muji binder notebook but it was out of stock when I dropped by the store and I needed notebooks asap so I just got these. The price was reasonable anyway (195 for 5 pieces) and the paper inside is just perfect.

What’s a Muji trip without getting one of their super cute pens? I just got two since I already have other colors. These pens last super long! I think I’ve had my mint colored pen for more than a year now anddd of course, the ever essential G-tech pen. I’ve been using these since High School and I’ve no plans so use other pens for school (loyal). Haha.

I don’t know why I got this notebook. I just have so much love for pretty notebooks especially if they have dreamy paper quality. I figured this could be my handy dandy doodling notebook.

Finally, these colored pencils. I planned to get something with more colors but Powerbooks really had limited art supplies and I was too tired to walk all the way to Glorietta (I just commuted all the way from Taft) and go to National Bookstore. I got this because, one time, I was surfing the net and saw these pretty drawings made using only colored pens. I want to practice and practice until my drawings are that pretty too. Heh hehe.

I hope the anon that requested this liked this post and I hope you guys liked it too! I’m really a school supplies freak so I had fun writing this. Stay in school, and goodluck, dearies ♥