My Sincerest Apologies

I'm a terrible blogger.

But I will say, it's less than a month since my last post and I think that's progress.

Anyway, I bought something.

It's something I've been hemming and hawing about for a long while. I've debated whether getting this particular product or it's higher end "dupe" (I'm not entirely sure they're dupes, but I think I've read it somewhere).

Revlon Colorstay Foundatoin - Golden Caramel
Retail: $9.98 (Walmart)

Yeeesssss. It was either this or MUFE Mat Velvet +. Which let's be honest, I'll probably buy that at some point.

Oh and before I move on, one of the biggest hangups I had about buying this particular foundation is shade. Because it's the drugstore there's no one to help you find your shade and there's no testers available it's really difficult to find what will match your skin. Especially if you're a new to makeup like I am and haven't yet mastered the shade finding skills or whatever.

And that was quickly rectified by an AMAZING website. And since I'm a new and practically unknown blogger, you know my opinion is real. My sister actually introduced it to me and let me tell you. I was a little skeptical. But I checked it out anyway. And am I glad I did.

It's called Findation.

So if you click that lovely little link above, then you'll be taken to the website and after you clicked the "Get Started" button, you'll be taken to another page.

So then there are three columns: brand, product and shade. And then you enter your favorite foundations and the respective shades in the boxes. The more, the better. Because it supposedly uses some type of formula that cross-references stuff and loads of other scientific and smart things to find you the perfect shade for you in other foundations.

So, for example...

I entered three foundations I know are in the right shade for me because I got them tested at Sephora.

MUFE Mat Velvet +   ~  No. 60 Honey Beige
Sephora Perfecting Cover  ~  Tan 35 Bronze
LM Mineral Powder SPF 15  ~  Pure Honey

Then after entering however many foundation and shades (remember, the more the better), click on the "Find my matches" button.

Then it brings you to a page where a bunch of foundation and respective shades are presented to you in grid form.

Now I mentioned earlier that I only entered three foundations. I do have a few more products I bought from Sephora that have shades. So I left out a few products as sort of a way to check the validity of this site.

MUFE Pro Finish Multi-Use Powder Foundation  ~  168 Golden Camel?

Yes.

MAC MSF Natural  ~  Give Me Sun!?

Spot on.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hr Full Coverage Foundation  ~  Deep?

Um... Yes.

Now that this website has proved to me that it knows what it's doing, I look at the other suggested foundations and put it down in my notepad for future reference.

Basically this is what I've been looking for my entire life. Now I can walk into Ulta or Sephora or wherever and confidently find my shade.

But back to my original point. My hangups about buying Revlon.

My next hangup was whether or not my skin would react to it. My skin is pretty temperamental when it comes to products. I think I mentioned the terrible "Cetaphil incident" in a previous post. So after that experience I'm doubly concerned about my skin's reactivity. But my sister had tried this foundation a few months prior because she needed it for her 8th grade play and because her skin is a lot more sensitive than mine, I generally use that as a gauge for whether I'll have a reaction. Because if she has a reaction, then chances are I'll have a reaction as well. And since she didn't have any sort of reaction (and the coverage was fabulous) I counted it as a contender.

Also only recently have I been concerned about breaking out because of it. I read and heard that it was hard to get off without a Clarisonic. That concerned me.

But then I realized that all the people who wrote about and talked about it in videos didn't use a makeup wipe prior to washing their face off. Which I think is just weird.

Since I've bought it, I've worn it twice and I like it. A lot.

Because recently my skin has been acting up. All the pimples I've been having are leaving the skin discolored. Now I'm riddled with hyper-pigmentation on my cheeks. Not only that but I've got active breakouts on my chin and between my eyebrows.

I mean... WHAT?!

I used to have one or two at a single time, now I have four. FOUR!

I think it's the cows milk. I read that cows milk can cause acne and I think that's the problem. Because during the summer I was drinking almond milk, it was a fascination and I do actually love the vanilla flavored one. But recently I went back to using cows milk because it was a hassle to have two different milk containers in the fridge (especially now since we have a water pitcher because our dispenser is broken). And now, probably two months after starting cows milk again I've gotten acne and in places I've never had then before.

Pimples were usually only on my chin and forehead, which made sense because that's where the most oil was produced. Now, I'm getting them under my eyebrows and on my cheeks. It saddens me that I've gone my entire adolescence with relatively decent skin (minus a few spots here and there) only to enter adulthood and be slapped in the face by adult acne. Or at least that's what I think this could be attributed to. Apart from the cows milk that is.

Anywho... my back hurts now, my fingers are starting to cramp and the video I was listening to just ended and there's no sound coming from these earphones. Blah.

I'm done now.

Bye.

Note: I haven't the energy or will power to re-read this post. So if anything is spelt wrong or could be worded better, but imagine it a different way. Be creative. I'm only human. 

Phew.

Another week bites the dust.

I, for one, am tired.

I believe my last post was on Tuesday, my longest day of the week and today is Thursday.

I feel like today is the shortest day of the week because I'm out of here by noon, but I'm here for a good 6 hours. But it doesn't feel like 6 hours because I only have two classes and their around two hours apart. My shortest days are definitely Monday and Wednesday. I guess it feels like a long day because my second class ends at four, but my day starts at one. So I'm really on campus for only three hours.

But I feel what I feel. And I feel like Thursdays are my shortest days. Plus this is my last of the week, the beginning of my weekend. So I'm feeling good today.

And now I don't know what to say.

I am hungry. But all I have are yogurt/granola bars that I'm sick of. And I don't want to buy anything because I'm eating out tomorrow. So I don't want to spend money. I'm trying to save money here. But I keep wanting/needing to buy things.

Woe is me. Life if hard.

Note: No time to edit. 

I'm not witty enough to articulate a title right now.

I'm currently between classes right now. I've got a half-an-hour break between my first two classes today followed by a two-and-a-half hour break between my last two classes. Today is my longest day.

From 8am to 4pm.

I realize that this is basically an eight-hour day. Most normal working people go to work for this long day in and day out.

But clearly I'm not normal. In fact, I'm spoiled. I only have five classes. And they're spread out pretty well. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I start late. My first class, Calculus III, is from 1:20-2:40 and that's followed closely by my Elements of Physics Class at 2:50-4:10. Yes I finish late on that day as well, but I start in the afternoon and I'm only really on campus for about 2-3 hours (depending on whether I have a test on that day or not). Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays (initially) I had Microeconomics at 8:00-9:20 (although we usually end a little after 9 but before 9:15 because of the professor's stamina. His words. Not mine). Then I have my first break, the break mentioned above, followed by Abnormal Psychology from 11:00-12:20.

Which by the way, I love. I love learning about all the different disorders: the symptoms, treatments, I even enjoy learning about the statistics. If I had the choice, and it either didn't matter if I got a job or not or I had a job lined up right after college, I'd want to major in psychology. I don't know what branch though, I was thinking about psychiatry but I'm not sure. And I'd also love to minor in photography. I definitely don't like being in front of the camera. Some people are just photogenic and I am just not one of those people. I can't quite figure out how to smile without making my eyes disappear. It's a work in progress. I much prefer being behind the camera and taking the perfect shot. Freezing a moment in time, keeping it forever, what's not to love about that?

But it's irrelevant at this point. I am attempting to become a civil engineering major. And I really want it. For me and my parents.

That's the one thing I really want. To make my parents proud. Above all things, I want to make them happy and proud of me.

Disappointing them would definitely fall under my fears category. Along with spiders and being generally unhappy with my life. I'm a deep person, I know.

And after that long tangent, let's get back on topic.

Note that I put "initially" in italics. That's because that's how my schedule was previously. It is no longer.

But to be honest, only Tuesday changed. I still go home after Psychology on Thursdays (which is perfect because I have Fridays off, so my weekend starts early).

But on Tuesday, I had to add Calc III Recitation.

Imagine my surprise when I went into that class I learned that recitation was required.

WHAT?! (dramatization)

I thought that if you were registered for the lecture, you were automatically registered for recitation. But of course, Rutgers likes to be different. And naturally I find this out after the add/drop date passed so I had to fill out a form and get it signed by multiple people and then have the Registrar register me for the class.

All I might add while I made the decision to break in my new boots on campus. I'm clearly a genius.

So now, on Tuesdays I have to stay after Psychology for another two-and-a-half hours for a recitation from 3:00-3:55. I know it's only 55 minutes long. But it's the longest 55 minutes, I'm certain. The teacher doesn't wait for people to raise their hands, no. He goes down each row and makes each person answer a question. If I knew all the answers and was actually studying for this class, then it wouldn't be an issue. But I don't study. I hate it and I hate that I sound like an idiot when I can't answer a simple question that everyone else in the class seems to know.

That's pretty much why I didn't go to class last Tuesday. I didn't want to deal with it and I'm just not happy with that class. If we didn't take quizzes in that class and it didn't count towards our final grade, I wouldn't go. That's how it was with Calculus I, the recitation wasn't mandatory, they only went over homework questions (I didn't have the book, ergo I didn't do the homework) and at the end of the semester, recitation only added a few extra credit points to your final grade. But they've caught on. Now they're making recitation part of your final grade. So I'm forced to go really.

I feel like such an idiot in that class. I feel like I'm the one stupid kid in a room full of students who know what they're doing.

Although, last Wednesday, we had our first exam and I thought everyone else knew what they were doing because they never had any questions in lecture and there were a lot of people who finished their exam quickly, so I thought I was screwed. I knew 5 out of 8 questions on that test (which I'm happy to report I got the 5 questions I knew right and the 3 questions I didn't know wrong. I'm calling that a win). I thought I was going to bring the average down.

But then to my surprise, when I got to class on Monday everyone was talking about not knowing what they were doing on that test and that they got such a bad/low grade on the test. I heard that one person got a 31! 31%!!

You have no idea the relief I felt at that point. I'm not the only one struggling.

Well. Struggling is a harsh word. It's not that I'm struggling. For the most part, I'm understanding what's happening in class right now. And the homework, except a few questions, I can answer pretty easily (although I do refer back to my notes). So I get what's going on in lecture, but then during the exam I just blank. I'm just not a good test taker. I'm human.

Oh and if you're wondering about my grade. I'm not telling. But let's just say that it's pretty much the same mark I got on my Calc II first exam. Clearly, I'm nothing if not consistent.

So today is Tuesday. And my longest day. *sigh*

I hate these long days. And having a long break before recitation is both good and terrible. It's good because I have the chance to go over my notes in hopes of not sounding like a complete airhead in class. But at the same time it's terrible because I have a whole two hours to mull over whether or not I should go to class.

I just don't like this class.

I don't.

What else can I talk about...

Oh, Sunday I went to Church, as per usual. And Father John was presiding. And while he's young, I feel like he's trying a little too hard to be funny (during the homily) and some of his jokes don't exactly hit it out of the park. But this Sunday was different. He started his homily with a joke which was funny, even I laughed. And then he kinda lost me, I'll admit that. But then towards the end of his homily, he says "on a completely unrelated topic" and I got a little concerned because I thought that he wasn't finished and was going to keep talking. But then he talks about the brain and how it reaches its peak at the age of 22 and starts its cognitive decline at the age of 27. Then he goes on to tell us that's he's 31, "four years into his cognitive decline" (his words, not mine) and that his memory isn't what it used to be or something like that. Then he starts to talk about how one of the altar servers filled up the baptismal font really well and then he mentions that he forgot to bring the "book." Now I'm sure there's a name for this book and I know he said it, but I can't remember. I haven't even reached my peak and already it's not looking good. Anyway, then he says that he needs to get the book because the altar server doesn't know where it is. And promptly leaves the altar to retrieve the book after our laughter.

I thought that was a BRILLIANT segue. Brilliant. I was very impressed.

Anyway, my hands are cramping from the typing. So I need to wrap this up.

It's been real. And it's be nice.

Until next time!

-- JoAnne

**Note: I'm lazy, so if there are any mistakes or something that could be worded better or something that doesn't flow as easily as it should, just deal with it, figure out how to say it better, say it in your head and then keep on reading. I'm only human. 

Well, hello there!

It's definitely been a while. 

Not intentionally, but I guess I just haven't been having any interesting thoughts/rants I could tell you about. 

But today, I do. 

So it's about 3 weeks into the fall semester and I just had my first exam today. A calculus exam to be specific. 

And I have to admit, it has me a little discouraged. 

I've never actually studied for math. Ever. In my life. 

Math usually comes pretty easily to me and so I never find it necessary to study for math. More often just doing the homework would suffice. 

But this is calculus III and I knew that I needed to study for it. But because I've never needed to study for it previously, I have no clue where to begin when it comes to study. 

All I really did was write down all the formulas and their corresponding purpose. 

I mean that does help. Seeing it in front of me, all in one area makes it easier for me to "study." 

There were 8 questions on the test. I'm pretty sure I knew 5 of them. The other three... I don't know. 

I can only hope and pray to God that I can redeem myself from that pathetic show of math skills. 

This is why I hate assessments. I just freeze and forget things. 

I mean, give me a paper or a quiz, anything! But put a test in front of me and I just can't do it. 

:( 

I want to cry. 

WHAT?!

I just found out that Dakota Fanning will be taking the female lead in Fifty Shades of Gray. 

WHAT?!!???!! 

I'm upset. 

A movie is all about the actors. Most of the time, a movie will appeal to an audience based on its cast. 

Especially for book adaptations. 

Now, I understand that everyone has their own opinions of how characters look, so therefore not everyone can be pleased. But this isn't just preference. 

Unless Miss Dakota Fanning has some sort of miraculous makeover, I cannot picture her as a submissive (yes I read the books, don't judge). She looks the same, I feel like she doesn't look old enough for this role. 

I mean, why? 

And the male lead. Charlie Hunnam, is it? 

Never heard of him. I had to look him up. 

He's apparently from Sons of Anarchy. 

I find myself greatly disappointed in the casting of this adaptation. Did the author really find these two as perfect for these roles?!

Was she high that day on set? 

I was excited to see how they were going to make the series into a movie, because their relationship revolved mainly around the BDSM concept and how it matures and evolves into a deep connection. I was initially interested in how they were going to explore the storyline. 

Now I'm not so excited. Not at all. 

I heard rumors of Matt Bomer and Alexis Bledel. Now that was a pairing I was interested in and I found myself crossing my fingers that that would be true and they'd be cast. 

I was wrong and oh so disappointed. 

*sigh* 

It's a sad day when a casting of a movie I look forward to is so disappointing. 

I can't even bring myself to properly end this post. 

Well, hello....

It's been a while since I've posted something. To be honest, at least months haven't passed before I realized I haven't written something.

But to be fair, I have wanted to write something on here. Initially, I've wanted to write something on here during my first day of school because on that particular day I had a two-hour break between my classes, so I knew I was going to bring my laptop with me.

I had decided before that day I was going to spend my break writing a post.

As you can see, that didn't happen.

I completely forgot. It wasn't on my mind and instead in just spent the break watching YouTube videos.

What a disappointment.

It has been pretty busy though, getting used to my classes, finding people to talk to in my classes, you know, the usual for the start of school.

I don't really feel like talking about classes. I don't want to jinx anything or start crying, so we'll just avoid the topic all together.

But in recent news, I am desperate to try the DevaCurl line. Particularly the 3-step process.

I watched practically all the videos pertaining to this subject and let me just say, I love Lorraine Massey. Her curls look amazing, SO defined and practically frizz-free.

I'm jealous.

And in all the clips I've seen from the DevaChan channel, I'm extremely jealous of all the curls. I want those perfect defined frizz-free practically glossy curls. *drool*

I want them.

I honestly want to buy the big bottles because I want to give it a solid month for my hair to get used to it and show results. Because for anything new, particularly skincare and haircare, I want to give it a solid 30 days for my skin and hair to get used to it.

I don't want to get the salon size, which I think is 32 ounces, because that'd be a bit too much. But there is a medium size, 12 ounces I think, is the one I want.

But it's $18.95. $18.95! For one bottle.

What? *sigh*

So I've resigned myself to buying the trial size because that's about $29.95 for a 3 oz bottle of No Poo, One Condition, AnGEL, and Set It Free. I think that'll work out. I am a little concerned that the little 3 oz bottle won't last me longer than one, maybe two showers. But if I really like it, maybe I'll buy the 12 oz if I really like it. Then I can buy bigger bottles of the rest when they run out. Which I think will be the best, in regards to my wallet.

I mean I just spent a good $50 on a pair of boots, so I'm trying to stay away from buying things that can wait. Recently, I've been buying things that I really need.

But I mean it's my hair. I don't know about you, but I can openly admit, I'm a smidgen vain. I like to look nice. It's imperative to my leaving the house.


For example, I'm fortunate enough to have relatively good skin. Don't get my wrong, I get blemishes like everybody else and the skin on my face is a little discolored, but it's nothing to cry over. But if I had pimples all over my face, my sister calls it pizza face (rude, I know), I honestly don't think I could go out without having some sort of mask on my face. Be it makeup or a ski mask. I don't want people to see that when they look at me. No thank you.

Like I said, vain.

I think without a doubt Filipinos as a culture are vain people. I mean all the ladies spend boatloads of money coloring their hair (hiding the grey) and buying the latest accessories (read: name brand).

Now, I'm not going deny the fact that I also love getting these "name brand" pieces. But a lot of these older Filipino ladies like getting the bags with the logo on it. Like the bags with the C's (Coach) or LV (Louis Vuitton), things like that. I like those brands as well, but I prefer the solid color leather bags, I like my bags simple and versatile, so that I can wear them with any outfit as well as last me for years to come. I mean if someone asks me what bag I'm carrying, I'll gladly tell them, but I don't want them to know exactly where my bag is from just by looking at it.

But that's just me.

Also, I don't understand why anyone would want sneakers from these "name brands." They're going to get dirty anyway, so why spend so much money on a sneaker.

I'll stick to my converse and Nike's, thanks.

I'm digressing. A lot.

But yes. Vanity.

I'm lusting after the DevaCurl Starter Kit, which has 12 oz bottles of No Poo and One Condition, a 3 oz bottle of I think Light Defining Gel, 4 or 6 DevaClips, and the DevaCurl microfiber towel.

Lusting after it.

I desperately want it in my life.

Well... that just about concludes this post.

Until next time!
     Joanne

Ahhh...

Don't you love that feeling when you finally finally find the fic you've been searching for? 

Such liberation. Such excitement. Such happiness!!! 

I read this fic a while ago, I remeber the premise, and the general storyline, but the specifics were fuzzy. 

The only thing I could not remember was the title. The one thing keeping me from finding this phantom story. 

And I found it! I wasn't even looking for it and there is was. Without even trying. 

Yeeessssss.