hernameistrina

The Heart Of The Matter

2020-10-09T21:24:00.002-07:00

I woke up from a nap after a long day at work, my feet were tired and heavy-- but my feet were not the main thing that keeps weighing me down. I was never the type to sleep completely naked and vulnerable, I like having complete control of myself. But lately, I just feel completely lost that I decided to take off all my clothes and feel the ground; like really feel my presence and everything that surrounds me. As I lay flat on my bed feeling every fiber of the covers and the duvet, it just hit me... I am not here. Sure I am physically present, but my mind, my soul, my heart, they are somewhere else. I am not here, at least not yet. I keep myself busy with work, I exhaust myself from working Mon-Sun to keep myself preoccupied and distracted from the fact that I am completely broken and lost. It's like I am so detached from reality... sometimes it feels like I am on a dream that I can't wake up from, that my mind and soul keep wandering around. It also doesn't help that we are currently changing seasons here in Canada, I always get seasonal depression, I have a love/hate relationship with winter, the night depresses me. I just don't know what is wrong with me anymore... I keep listening to my zodiac readings, hoping I could get some sense from the universe about what is out there for me. That maybe there is something else that I can look forward to. But the more I search for myself, the deeper I get trap and lost, the deeper my feet pull out the ground.

As I was laying down cold and naked, I felt my chest sinking deeper into the bed. Why is my heart so heavy? why can't it be lighter? I don't know what is wrong with me.. sure my biggest heartbreak that happened 10years ago might still be affecting me, but fuck it, I just want to stop giving my ex the credit why I am so broken-- why I still can't fix myself, why I keep having these talks with my husband that I want to separate, all because I am completely out of touch with my married life..

Sometimes I don't even feel like I belong to someone anymore, nor do I want to belong to someone. Through the years I felt so content with doing my own thing and enjoying my own company.. but now, I have to be a wife to someone-- which is weird saying it out loud even for me. It's like a huge task that gets so overwhelming. I don't trust myself with big tasks because I feel like I break everything that I touch. But my husband has always been so patient with me, he's perfect, so trusting, forgiving, and lenient to the point that I feel like I am married to a wall. lol careful what you wish for in a husband coz you just might get it. lmao

But in all seriousness, I just feel like I am probably having a mid-life crisis at the age of 30. Maybe I am feeling burnout that I am starting to lose my shit. But if all else fails, despite the heavy heart, I am still very much thankful to be alive today. I know some of you might be worried that I might have some suicidal thoughts, no I certainly do not. I love LIFE so much that for many years, I've thought about getting a tattoo that says "Lust for Life", and with my many years of dwelling into the world of watching true crimes and listening to cold cases and murder stories, I have come to realize that I might be a bit psychopath, and psychopaths do not kill themselves because they love themselves too much. lol I guess what I am really trying to say is that I am currently on a break, taking a hiatus for a while, until I am feeling myself again.

If there's anything good that comes out of this, it's that I am now back to blogging where it all started. x

My Secret to Glass Skin

2020-06-26T16:14:00.000-07:00

It should be no secret by now how much I love dewy Korean skin, I recently uploaded a video all about my current favorites and I talked about this amazing holy grail primer/highlighter that I have been using for years. It's the Klavuu Ideal Actress Backstage Cream that I got from Yesstyle.

This is a very good base primer or can be used alone or on top of makeup. Because of the consistency and formulation-- light and not sticky, this a very versatile product.

his has a slight pink undertone which is great as it can also act as a tone-up cream to cancel your redness or uneven skin tone plus it has an SPF of 30 Pa+++ to protect your skin from the sun.

Once you blend the product, you'd be left with the most amazing GLASS SKIN dewy effect skin. From the name itself, "Ideal Actress Backstage Cream", you would think this would be the same exact product being used by many Korean celebrities to get a really nice dewy skin effect. I love this and this is a must-have in my makeup collection. If are interested to buy, you can get this from Yesstyle.com and use my rewards code "TRINAYES10" for an additional 10% OFF on top of their existing promo codes. Buy here: Klavuu Ideal Actress Backstage Cream

Another highlighter / primer makeup base that I really like is the VDL Lumilayer Primer.

When my friend went to Hongkong, I had to ask her to buy me this because I couldn't find it anywhere else in the Philippines, or I would find it overly priced in some online shops. Good thing, Yesstyle carries this for a much cheaper price, and they are currently on sale. If you use my rewards code "TRINAYES10" you would even score this at a much cheaper price. Buy here: VDL Primer

This is very much alike the Klavuu but this is a tad bit watery which means very much lighter on the face. I also use this as my primer or highlighter.

This one also has a pink sheen to it, but doesn't give any glittery effect, this just gives the same wet look dewy skin. I know that this product has been hyped over the years and honestly, this is really a must-have especially if you are aiming for an effortless healthy glow. I use this alone most of the time if I didn't want to put any makeup on, this just gives the perfect amount of glow to the skin.

Although I have to say that this one leans towards the "makeup" category and has a more obvious sheen/glitter to it unlike with the klavuu, I feel like that one has a bit more skincare benefits and looks more "skin-like" than just being a highlighter. But in saying that, VDL has launched other formulation of this primer, they have the VDL FRESH which is more of a moisturizer that would give you an instant glass skin effect, or like an effortless glazed donut without any obvious glitters. lol The other one, which is the most expensive one is the VDL Booster which gives a blue pearly undertone which helps cover your imperfections such as blemishes or uneven skin tone. I haven't tried the two, but nonetheless, both sound promising. I am keener to try the VDL fresh because I like having an effortless glowy skin.

Again if you are interested on these products, Yesstyle.com is having a huge summer sale up to 80% OFF, plus an additional 12% OFF if you use the code : SUMMER2020 and on top of that, an extra extra discounts if you use my rewards code "TRINAYES10".

NEW beauty obsessions

2020-05-18T16:04:00.003-07:00

Not gunna lie, I have been shopping even more than I usually do ever since quarantine happens. My bank account had a bit of a workout, but in my defense, these are the products that I would usually use and get a lot of use of. I would often buy and invest in a pricier product rather than buy tons of it at a more affordable price, I am more of a quality over quantity type of girl. lol I had a very embarrassing experience with that saying in college when I joined a pageant. If you know, you know.

In saying that, this Chanel sheer healthy glow tinted moisturizer ($60) is the current base/foundation that I have been using. I was thinking of buying other foundations, but to be honest, I knew I would reach for this more than anything because I have sensitive skin, and the last time I visited my dermatologist during a crazy time when my skin was supersensitized, she advised me to stick to CHANEL or NARS and avoid using bb creams as it can clogged the pores. The only thing I'm kinda bummed about is the fact that it doesn't have any SPF, I'm not sure if that's because of the spf regulations here in Canada, or idk. But it's supposed to have spf 30, nonetheless, I still love the finish of it and not only it gives you a healthy-looking skin but it also has skin benefits, hence why I love chanel products because they also include some skincare benefits to their products.

Next o my list is this KLAVUU mild sunscreen with SPF 47+++ ($22.80) that I got from Yesstyle. I have a discount code that you can use for 10% off (TRINAYES10). I love this one because not only it protects the face but at the same time, this acts as a tone up cream, kinda like a CC cream. At first you would think this would leave a white cast but it's really not, it's just the "tone-up" effect that's doing it, you just have to really blend this all in. I love this, this makes my skin super soft and kind of poreless. I did a whole video about it and other products, which if you haven't seen my haul video, you can check it out here:

For the lips, since all of us are staying at home, all you really need is a lip balm, so I've been enjoying this Glow recipe lip pop ($29) although I find this kinda expensive for a lip balm, it does more than being just hydrating because this is also an exfoliant to the lips and it gives a hint of a pink tint-- making your lips super luscious and healthy.

although, I have to admit this could use some more hydrating and slide to the lips.

Last but not the least, Chanel Velvet Body Oil ($72), a very controversial addition in my collection, only because I have allergic rhinitis so whenever I use this, I find it hard for me to breathe, and it definitely irritates my throat and lungs, haha! that sounds insane, but this is way too pretty to pass, so I didn't want to return this. Don't get me wrong, I love the scent so much and the softness and glow that it gives to my skin, I just really have a very sensitive nose. But the packaging is really what gets me every time I look at it. The scent lingers up to the next day on your skin or clothes but unlike oil perfumes, this doesn't have a strong scent, you have to really put your nose to the skin to smell it. What I do is I would use this after I shower, and 2 to 4 sprits are all you really need to spread this on your arms, neck, and decollete.

there is so much beauty stuff I wanted to share with you but these would be it for now. Make sure to subscribe to my channel because I upload there regularly now.

my current vanity situation

London Ontario (downtown)

2020-05-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

There is something charismatic about London, Ontario. Although very laid back, it is very peaceful and I love it here. I remember the first time I saw London, I thought "what is this place? a ghost town?" it was a quiet afternoon on a Sunday when we visited the place we are currently renting. What a very small town I thought to myself, there is sadness in my heart knowing we will be 2 hours away from the city. The neighborhood was very quiet, I thought I'd die in depression if I stay here. We have no car, no money to shop, no family. it was scary.

but then as time went by, I get used to the scene and the simple life here, it was beautiful. I would spend my days walking in downtown after work, familiarizing the place, my community, and the more I stay here, the more I appreciate the place. Although we would only be here 2 years, still I love it here.

The buildings here are kinda reminiscent of Europe, especially if you go where the rich lives in the south. The Victorian houses are to die for, I couldn't even take photos of it because I always savor the moment in awe of such beautiful houses. And to be honest, the picture won't even give proper justice to the lovely houses.

One of my favorite places to see here is the Covent Garden, they sell fresh flowers, food, produce, and cheeses, you name it, they have it. I would love to experience the outdoor farmers market here when we could all go out after this pandemic.

The churches here are also very beautiful, they have a few ones in downtown, too many even. I'd like to think that people here are very religious, and they express all sorts of religion and fate everywhere, which I honestly really love about London. There are literally churches everywhere you go. My favorite out of the bunch is this church right here, the St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica. This church is massive and even more prettier in person.

There are so many things I would miss about London once we moved out, the amazing people I have met and my canadian colleagues that are so nice and friendly, the unlimited amount of supply chain in groceries, and the fact that the life here is very chill and laid-back. So I will make sure to make the best out of it and enjoy our stay here while we can.

In case you are wondering what the downtown looks like, here is a vlog that I made on my youtube channel where we explored downtown London for the first time when we moved here.

Toronto

2020-05-17T12:31:00.002-07:00

I love Toronto, although crowded and fast phased, I still like Toronto, I can envision myself living here, only if it was a tid bit quieter. But don't get me wrong, they have literally everything you need and could ever imagine buying. It was pretty convenient to go around, there are tons of places to eat and see, but there's also weeds everywhere, so if you don't like the scent of weed like I do, this may not be the place for you. But in all honestly, even in such a peaceful place like here in London Ontario, weeds may seem like a normal added scent to the air, all because weeds are legal here. But this is not a post about weeds, I just wanted to share some of my favorite photos from Toronto.

Beavertails, one of the most popular treats here in Canada.. agh can you imagine? it was right infront of me but I wasn't able to buy one. I hated myself.

I couldn't get a decent photo because people are eveywhere, it was such a nice scene nonetheless, there are real balsam trees on the sides, some crafty stores, and a christmas music playing in the background. Although we had more than 10,000 steps that day, I enjoyed every bit of it.

If you're interested to see what we did there, watch the video below.

This is where I begin

2020-05-17T11:26:00.001-07:00

Hello again, it's me. If you have been a silent reader from my old blog, sorry but the old blog is dead. I tried reviving it to bring it back to life but I figured this would be the best time to close such a chapter and start with a new one. New life, new country, foreign to everything. What better way to share my journey and write my musings but with a set of fresh eyes, right? So yes, I moved to CANADA, I know in my old blog, I said we were going to move to Sydney, but I guess things have changed, I mean isn't it life-- when you were so certain about everything, all of a sudden you'd be in a place you never least expect it. I can't complain though, because although Canada is such a quiet country, people here are very friendly... so yes, I love it here. I am thankful that God has a better plan for us, and I'm just letting Him be. There's a lot of things I would like to say but first, I would like to wish you were safe, in bed, or on your phone browsing thru my blog, but if you were not in such a good place right now, just know I am praying for you. It's been a crazy few weeks, turned into months, and who knows when will this ever end.

When we moved here in Canada I have nothing but hopes, I work 2 jobs, I get paid every week, then so suddenly, when I am just about to get used to the fast phased life, suddenly... everything went fussy, and I had to put a pause, still I am thankful, and I hope you are thankful as well because you were on a pause-- just on pause, because some of us had to put a stop, abruptly. I didn't mean for this to go super dark, but I just had to acknowledge the fact that this is our new normal.

It seems like it was only yesterday when I was just browsing videos about Canada, what it would be like to live in such a cold country, far from where I was used to, I wonder where to eat, places to take good selfies, I kept watching vlogs, everyday, and now it's already been 5 months since we moved here. The first few days of being here, I was happy, excited, sad, but mostly hopeful. I used to always bug my husband just to say how bizarre and crazy this is that we were actually here, like we live here now. That in 30 years of existing, we will get used to the new norm, breathing a new air, and slowly, ever so slowly, building our new life here. Now I can't promise you that there will be tons of blog updates because let's face it, I am a crappy blogger and I mostly shoot videos now for my youtube channel, so follow me there. But I will still try my best to get back to my first love--which is writing, so here's to the new blog and new life. Hope to be with you in this journey. Cheers! x

Style Nanda Pink Hotel in Myeongdong

2020-05-16T20:58:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! Merry Christmas! yes, I am writing this on the exact Christmas day. I know this has got to be a very long overdue post already about my recent trip to Korea but please bear with me I've got tons to blog about-- and if you didn't know I have been posting my travel vlogs on my YOUTUBE CHANNEL. Just click the link and watch our DAY 1 up to DAY 6. Anyways, Myeongdong.. I've always wanted to go to Korea and explore Myeongdong particularly because it's a shopping spree haven. I kept on imagining going from one store to another whilst bathing myself in endless of freebies. But I kid you not, it was way impossible for me to really visit each and every store because it would be a complete marathon.

But if there's one store I was really looking forward to visit, that would have to be the PINK HOTEL of Stylenanda, a flagship store in Myeongdong.

I didn't get to really take a nice picture because it was such a busy day in Myeongdong when we went there, so if you want to see an in depth view of the hotel, you may do so by watching my vlogs.

4th floor - LAUNDRY AREA. How cool is this aesthetic?

5th floor - the uber popular CAFE.

Plus the amazing roof top POOL CAFE.

If I may be honest, I was expecting this place to be a bit more spacious than it actually is. I was kind of surprised that it was pretty small in real life.

Despite the hectic crowd and very cold weather, it was still worth the visit.

EHWA Womens University (TOUR)

2020-05-16T20:56:00.003-07:00

One of the main highlights of this trip would have to be visiting the EHWA WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY. Not only it's Korea's first educational institute for women but it's also one of the most prestigious in the country.

EHWA (ihh-wa) is very easy to find via subway because it has it's own stop [station] from the subway line. We wen't there before we head out to the main tour of the day which was-- Everland.

I can honestly say that stepping inside the campus gave me this sense of vibe that I was actually not in Korea but somewhere in Europe. It was so beautiful and just breathtakingly huge.

EHWA station is also popular for their subway shopping center, and a lot of stores from this area are way cheaper compared to Seoul because of the students-- hence, making it a shopping haven.

If I were to visit South Korea again, I wanted to go when it's super Autumn, I could only imagine the nice foliage at it's full bloom inside this campus.

But I was so sad that I didn't get to see the popular wall of pear blossom engravings who is apparently known to give good fortunes once you take a photo with it. I'll make sure to come visit it particularly when I get back.

The campus has a lot to offer and places to see, I could literally spend my whole afternoon here exploring the place.

If you're wondering what's inside this famous building from EHWA, well I saw a library and a gym, but this building is so big, so they are also probably having classes here as well.

me and my three layers of clothing trying to look cool AF. lol

Petite France Tour in Gapyeong

2020-05-16T20:55:00.004-07:00

As much as I would want to blog about the cool spots, food, and experiences I've had in my recent travel to Korea-- life just keeps getting in the way, but in the good way of course (like marrying my bestfriend, duh.).

Apologies for the long hiatus, but I am back guys and I wanted to share with you the amazing Petite France in Gapyeong, around 20 mins from NAMI ISLAND.

How to get there: We took a train (ITX) going to Yongsan Station, upon arriving-- look for the KORAIL counter and purchase an ITX ticket going to Gapyeong Station, but remember to ride the ITX-Cheongchun, you could pretty much ask around if feeling lost, which we totally did. haha!

The ride is about an hour from Yongsan, and it costs around Php250. From Gapyeong, you could see a lot of buses offering a "City tour" ticket, grab it and keep the ticket, you'll need it for the rest of the ride. The city tour is about Php300 or 6,000 won, not bad considering you could practically ride their bus going to Nami Island, Petite France, or Garden of Morning Calm unlimited, you just have to show it to the driver upon stepping inside the bus, and remember the look of your bus, driver, and tour guide, at all times!

Upon arriving at the Petite France, you'd be greeted with this amazing huge Little Prince statue. Yes, we went here first eventhough Nami Island is pretty much the first stop of the tour.

ENTRANCE TICKET: 8,000 won or Php388.

The reason behind this amazing little French Village is that the owner apparently traveled to France and really fell in love with it and decided to create his little own village in Korea.
I honestly wasn't able to take so many pictures, mainly because I was vlogging the whole time. If you would like to see more and the insides of these cute little houses, then you may visit my youtube channel or watch the vlog below:

We went there on November 28, 2017, it was a Tuesday, and for some reason, there wasn't a lot of people/tourists there. Hence, I was able to really rome around and vlog comfortably.

It was super peaceful and quiet, and I did find myself stopping and just really trying to get the taste of the place.

You can definitely lurk around and if you are interested about the "Little Prince" well the place is pretty much bombarded with it, from the original pages and drawings, you name it, they have it.

The weather in Korea is somewhat bi-polar, we went inside and it was freezing cold but few moments later, the sun was really high and the weather was rather tolerable.

some of their buildings and rooms were meant for the guests who wanted to stay for a night or two so we weren't really allowed to go inside, but for rooms like "maison de marie" and "maison de jean", anyone can access it, the rooms were dressed up very medieval and European-style.

So whilst waiting for our bus to go to Nami Island, we went to this convenience store which was just right outside the Petite France and had a little munching.

That's about it guys, see you in NAMI ISLAND. x

PETITE FRANCE

Address: 1063, Hoban-ro, Cheongpyeong-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do

Contact No.: +82-31-584-8200

Everland Korea Tour (Yongin)

2020-05-16T20:53:00.002-07:00

To be totally honest, I am not much of a fan of theme parks, hence, I've never been to any Disneylands and only been to Enchanted a few times. You might say I have such a boring life, which I prolly have, but I just HAAATEE the nerve wrecking rides and heights. But if you're not like me and you think you are totally cool, then by all means -- you need to go to EVERLAND.

HOW TO GET THERE: To get there you can opt for a subway or bus, either way they are still cheap, about 2,500won for a bus ticket, which is what we did. We took off from JAMSIL station and waited to catch the bus 5700 which would take us to Everland in about an hour or so.

From Jamsil station you will find the LOTTE Department Store and this interesting bike rentals

TIP: Be sure to put your seatbelt on (yes their buses have seatbelts) because it would be one hell of a ride. More of like the Hongkong kind of drive/r, or the "patok" jeepneys here in Manila. Atleast with our experience. lol

From Yongin (Everland stop) you may take the free shuttle bus ride to Everland.

Don't fret it's just a 5 min ride 'till you see this beauty.

We could have gone earlier to Everland and witness the parade or Safari, but we went to see EHWA University that day so we arrived around lunch time there on a Monday, which was such a kill joy to visit theme parks, I tell ya. But nonetheless, we've managed to score a discounted EVERLAND ticket from a money changer outside EHWA, and since it's a UNI area, all of the stuff there are cheaper compared to other areas. So if you're planning to go to Everland, look for a ticket near universities. We got ours for like 30% off.

EVERLAND is such a huge theme park and it consists of 5 Areas (Global Fair, American Adventure, Magic Land, Zootopia, European Adventure).

I did a lot of sight seeing and if you would love to see more, you may watch my vlog here-- EVERLAND.

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GLOBAL FAIR AREA

The sky cruise was the very first ride we've tried, and it was such a nice way to get a view of the park.

When we went there, as you can see from the photos above, there wasn't a lot of people, and food stalls.

But you can atleast buy souvenirs here.

After our first ride, we went for the roller coaster ride, a wooden roller ride, it's called the T-express.

Please watch my vlog if you're interested to see how it went. haha Sure I was scared!

Chicken skewer for 4,800won, quite expensive but then again it's already expected in themed parks.

I think the most magical way to really experience the EVERLAND is during the night time.

I really looove the vibe at night and the weather wasn't that cold either. It's funny how I actually did score the COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser in Everland's Olive Young. I couldn't find it anywhere in Seoul and I was so glad I got the last piece there. HAHA

And though my first experience in Everland wasn't that all exciting, I can't wait to go back and hopefully experience the parade and get really close to the animals in the Zootopia.

Visiting the Namsan Tower in Seoul

2020-05-16T16:23:00.003-07:00

Relieving that time again when we visited the iconic and highest point in Seoul, the NAMSAN TOWER. Not only I am atleast a year late for posting this on the blog but whatever I just really wanted to share with you some snippets of our trip.

Going to Namsan tower is pretty easy, you can walk literally from Myeongdong.

You can take a cable car but we opted for a hiking, which we later regret in life. lol

But the view has made everything so worth it.

Just a tip though, it gets very chilly on top so you might as well bundle up.

From Namsan Tower, you can also walk your way to the famous house of Heo Joon Jae from the Legends of the Blue Sea. I will blog about it next time. x

Dongdaemun Design Plaza

2020-05-16T15:14:00.001-07:00

I remember it clearly, I was exhausted from visiting the EVERLAND, we got off dongdaemun station (EXIT 1) and was relived to see this art of a building.

The building is pretty sick and futuristic. I had way too many shots and managed to get a few that I like the most. Unfortunately, we didn't get to visit the LED Rose Garden, I'm not sure if they even have it installed when we visited.

From what I have researched, the malls here were open until the wee hours, if I may say so myself, this place is like the "new york" kind of vibe. City that never sleeps ang peg. And to bed honest, it was around midnight already when we went there but the streets were pretty busy still.

We were tarving and exhausted so we crossed the street to look for something to eat. Luckily, street foods are everywhere in korea.

This is the DOOTA shopping mall. Opens from 10:30AM - 5:00AM. So if you needed a bit of late shopping, this is the place to be.

You can check out my blog below to see what went down there: