From the Owldrobe: Ylla Shoes

Yes, another shoe review! I may love shoes, but almost all of my shoe purchases are done in-store. Sizing is a big issue for me when looking at shoes online, because if it doesn't fit, it'll be a huge hassle to have it replaced. Unless I love it enough... like the love I felt for the Laura ballerina flats in aqua, from Ylla Shoes.

From the Owldrobe: Anthology Shoes

I think this blog might have started out as a shoe blog if I didn't like makeup so much, because I have a bigger love affair with shoes than I care to admit! Today's entry on Anthology shoes is a bit of a backlog, since I already mentioned them before in my best of 2011 post but never really got around to writing sole-ly about them. ;)

The Antho website, recently revamped,
but still with that minimalist style to maintain the focus on the shoes

From the Owldrobe: Work and Play

It's been quite a week! Had a special project for work, which I might do a ninja shots post on if the pictures are good enough for that. Before I show you my work and play outfits, though, let me share a little something that also happened this week. Early on my work took me to the far reaches of Makati for a workshop, where I decided to take advantage of the opportunity presented to me:

Goodbye hair!

From the Owldrobe: Walking Tall

I've no voice for a couple of days now; the Internet, my phones, and a notepad are my sole channels of expression. My family and friends are having a field day about "asserting my right to silence" and saying things like, "ask Ursula for your voice back". I really hope it happens soon, because I can't wait to sing again!

My current predicament. I need to kiss my true love before tomorrow at sundown, quick!

At work, we have masses on Wednesdays and Fridays where I join the choir. On one of those days I looked to my left and right and realized I was shorter than everyone in my row. This happens all the time, of course, but I felt to small because everyone was wearing heels! I immediately worked out a shoe schedule for myself where mass days are heels days, while I can rest in between. My skintone Ferretti heels are my staple, but I've picked up a few pairs to rotate it with in the last few months.

From the Owldrobe: The School of Satchel

Today is the day: my birthday! Yay! Another year older, and another number to defend when people claim I'm still in highschool. :P I do plan to be productive by showing up at work, but I also anticipate pizza in the afternoon and Chili's for dinner. Hmm, my tummy might be more productive than I will be today, I hope not! Haha.

One thing's for sure though: this bag will bear witness to any and all of today's events! 

A One-Hour Entry

I have exactly an hour between lunch and heading out once again for some errands, so I figured I'd challenge myself to come up with an entry in that time and let y'all know that I'm not dead. :p The past month or so has been challenging, with my mom's hospital trip, recovery period, work and jobhunting coming one after the other. I do update quite often on Twitter, though!

So, one hour. What can I tell you in one hour?

I've been trying to finish up the stuff from my skincare routine, and then some. From left: Pure Beauty Super Brightening toner, Mary Kay Velocity facial cleanser, my HG Neutrogena Ultra Sheer, the top half of my Etude House Happy Teatime cleansing foam, and Asian Secrets lulur scrub. I've reviewed most of these except for the last two, but both are decent in their own right. I'm still trying to scrape out the bottom half of the Etude cleansing foam--I could not believe the amount left after I squeezed it almost flat. Plus I don't think I can let go of that milk tea scent just yet.

I've also been blessed, beauty and fashion-wise, lately. I took these blessings as a sign that I should probably start blogging again, haha.

First, an e.l.f. palette from Lady E's recent giveaway--can't wait to play with it! (Yes, it's upside down. A downside to my one-hour timeframe.) I was able to meet her at the recent SuperSale bazaar which I will write about soon, in the meantime see her entry about it here. I forgot to add the NYX Fig lipstick she gave me then in the picture. Also, my lovely friend The Stepford Witch sent me samples! I've been wanting to try out the Shu Uemura cleansing oils for the longest time and she was sweet enough to send these along with a few others, thank you so much :) You might notice the yellow one is already open, hee. I transferred it to another container so I could make the most out of it. Thank you, dear! :) 

I was a good girl for the most part during the SuperSale bazaar, and I went around the tent three times before deciding to purchase this satchel. Isn't she just gorgeous? I fell in love with her color, and her secrets--she has not one, but two main pockets hiding under that flap. I'm the type of person who carries her house in her bag, and this baby is serving me quite well. We've been inseparable, except for the times when I had to leave her home since I'd be taking a laptop.

I was also a good girl when I met up with Kira in Trinoma, and as luck would have had it, Accessorize was on sale! Normally I would look at the jewelry but then the scarves and shawls caught my eye, and I almost never left the display before purchasing something. I ended up taking home this oriental-themed scarf for only Php 270. It has been my constant companion while jobhunting this week. I usually wear it around my neck, and when it's too humid I tie it around the old rose satchel as a pretty bag accessory.

This is exactly how I look while making this entry. Featuring my new scarf love and MAC Speed Dial lipstick.

 

Last but definitely not the least, a sneak peek from my upcoming off-topic posts--that is, something not wholly related to either beauty or fashion. These Off-Topic posts will be about stuff that I just want to share, and they can be about anything--food, issues, and pretty things. Lots and lots of pretty things.

So, hello. I'm back. :D Your turn to share! Any new hauls? Did you recently hit pan or are about to hit pan on something? Let me know!

From the Owldrobe and FOTD: Ode To Summer

That was a pretty short summer. The heat was definitely no fun, but not much sunlight meant not enough time for those fun summer activities. Plus, summer also spelled near-lazy dressing inasmuch as it spelled near-zero makeup. I made an effort in the makeup department on this particular day, though, because I was meeting a friend.

White lace dress: thrifted
Silver quilted flats: Anthology Shoes

I took to dresses a lot this summer, because it was just too hot for jeans. (It was too hot to do anything.) This dress... is hard to belt. Not sure what kind of belt will go with it, too. It's very pretty but it's a tent dress by nature, and the lace at the bottom belies its true length. I still really like it, though! My mom & I had a favorite seller who would sell her items on a buy-one-take-one basis and for a time we regularly visited her stall on payday weekends. This was one of the many beautiful things I was able to get from her. I haven't paid a visit this year, but that's probably a good thing because I need to downsize my closet.

As for the shoes... barring those times when I had nailpolish and therefore license to wear open-toed shoes, I lived in these all summer. They had enough room for movement but they didn't fly off my feet like most flats do, and they're sensible-looking but not too mommy-like. Aaand I just noticed the quilted pattern of the shoes mirrors the pattern on the dress. Awesome.

  

Action shots, haha.

And my FOTD then:

• Skin Food Red Bean BB Cream SPF20 PA+
• NYX Concealer in a Jar
• IN2IT brow powder
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Sephora Color Play 5-in-1 II Fashion Edition eyeshadows and blush
• Maybelline gel liner
• Maybelline Volum' Express Hypercurl Cat Eyes mascara
• Mentholatum LipIce Fruity
• NYX Tea Rose

I like my cool weather and I look forward to layering again, but yeah, I miss the sun sometimes.

Nice Finds at Parfois

Parfois. When I first read about it I couldn't pronounce the word. I resorted to typing it out in my phone and showing it to the guard with a meek "Kuya, san po 'to?" ("Where is this?"), only to be gestured to a store around twenty feet away. I swallowed my pride, thanked him, and made my way to the entrance.

Photo from their Facebook page. Yeah, I forgot to take an outside pic :(

The Second Project Vanity Clinique Party

When I first read about the Clinique party on Project Vanity, I wanted to sign up right away but couldn't because I had things to do that March. Good thing there was a take two, and I was so excited I immediately sent an email without giving my name and contact details! I really wanted a chance to get to know the brand especially after I decided to pay more attention to (a.k.a. invest in, hehe) my skincare routine.

This is a picture-heavy post, so if you and your internet connection are ready, click on the jump!

From the Owldrobe: Skintone Heels with Ferretti

I stand at a very petite 4'11", with a very petite shoe size to match. Now that I'm semi-working, I have to let go of my college wedges and replace them with a pair of sensible heels. It's already annoying to try to look for good-fitting pair of flats, but more so with heels! Insole measurements for heels seem to wear bigger than that of flats despite having the same size label, so I am constantly on a quest for a snugger fit. I also look at the arch of the shoe, the heel (stilettos for work, no), and the quality. I don't mind spending a little more for a good pair, but it's also because of that willingness that I'm particular with my choices.

I heard from Kira and Liz that Ferretti made shoes fitted for small & narrow Pinay feet, so I dropped by their spot in Landmark Trinoma last Sunday. Liz had mentioned that Ferretti specializes in flats and wedges, so my only purpose there was to check out the range of designs, styles, and prices. Behind their standalone shelves, however, were these:

I read from petite fashion blogs (Extra Petite is my favorite) that skintone pumps elongate the legs and give height, but I had given up hope of finding a good pair that wouldn't involve pre-ordering online--and for petite sizing, that's a huge gamble. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw these, and in a size 4.5 no less!

I tried them on and was amazed at the fit. It was pretty darn snug! I quickly ran off the rest of the checklist in my head: Arch? Relatively low but still height-inducing. Heel? Thick but sleek, relatively stable, three inches. Quality? Not bad at all! Needless to say, I brought these home.

The style is a classy pointy pump, perfect for the office. Strictly speaking the color doesn't blend completely with the skin even though it's "skintone", but they're not too shabby for my first pair, no? These are part of the new arrivals as of last Sunday, but Landmark was having a sale and I got these at 10% off. Sweet.

I'm glad I found Ferretti, because I tend to stick to certain brands for shoes due to the sizing and fit. It doesn't hurt that they have a good variety of shoes and sizes (4.5-9) to choose from. The summer sandals were going for Php599-799, and I don't think I saw a style over Php2000--expect change with your purchase. Petite- and budget-approved!

I also can't wait to try dressing up the pumps despite the lower heel. 

(Photo credit: P.S. I Made This)

Ferretti in Trinoma is located inside Landmark, level M2. Just walk past BreadTalk and stay on the left side, it's easier to spot since their place is by a wall and not just on standalone shelves. A list of their other locations is on their Facebook page. They're also running a contest where you can win a pair of shoes just by guessing the price. You can even visit their stores for an exact guess! Well worth the research, methinks. :)

P.S. I tweaked my layout a bit, please do tell me if anything's out of place!

From the Owldrobe: Commence(ment)!

It's wonderful how you can play with words, yes? This first (and hopefully not last) outfit/fashion post is from the day I attended my youngest brother's graduation, hence the title. He's off to college now and I can't believe it. They grow up so fast!

Our family went to the ceremonies in full force, but what do you wear to a graduation anyway, especially if you're a guest? I was bent on wearing a dress but then I changed my mind when I recalled how windy and cold it was during the baccalaureate mass that same morning.

Grey cape blouse: tiangge

Invisible pinstripe slacks: Landmark

Grape double bow "Grant" shoes: Debenhams

I found the blouse during a bazaar back in college and was struck by its uniqueness, and how cheap it was (Php200!) for the style. The generous-looking sleeves are actually part of a cape made in the same thick & comfy material as the bodice, offering an extra layer of warmth. Perfect for the weather.

Wind! Haha. Note the pretty pattern on the bodice.

The heels are my new favorites. The insole is padded (comfy!), they are extra cute, and are very much my style. Also they made me as tall as most of my highschool girlfriends, which rarely happens, I can tell you. My slacks were hiding their detail in the outfit post, so here they are:

♥

What about makeup? I actually went low-key that day because of some "unwanted visitors". :) Apart from the usual powder + lipstick, I only used concealer, mascara, and gel eyeliner to help wake up my tired eyes. Lipstick is seriously the best weapon a makeup-wearing lady can have. It gives you a polished look even if you don't have anything else on.

Aaaand that's it for my first outfit post! Please do bear with me, my experience in these matters consist only of the many hours spent reading fashion-related posts on the Internets. ;P

P.S. I'm going to have to explain why I use "owl" a lot pretty soon, but the first picture should give you an idea. :)