Of Bags

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">As I grow up, I've realized some things have changed while others do stay the same.<br /><br />When it comes to bags, I have evolved a great deal over the past few years. Maybe the exposure to the fashion industry has given me a different perspective. Or maybe it's because of my upbringing, really. I do have great influence from my grandmother.<br /><br />The things that have changed are major. They feel like the ah-ha moments that forces everything to make sense all of the sudden. I can count a few of them and here they are:<br /><br />1.  I no longer buy bags after bags after bags just to use them for one season.<br /><br />The problem did not come from the bags, it came from me. I loved (and still love) deals. You get a hundred-dollar Nine West down to 20 bucks and I'm in, baby! And I did. I had many, many bags from Nine West and this brand and that brand which all cost less than $30 a pop. They were great. They were sturdy. In fact, the Nine Wests that I had did last for a very long time.<br /><br />But for some reasons, they became clusters in my closet. I lost interest after such a short period of time. Some of them lost the shine pretty quickly, too. By the time I moved back to Vietnam, I did have a row of bags to donate to Goodwill. There was a suede bag from a reputable leather company that I bought for $10 which ended up in the donation pile, too. I realize now that while I wanted them, I didn't love them.<br /><br /> 2. I no longer stick to "fun" purses and bags, either.<br /><br />They may be snazzy at the moment but for the long run, I'd like something that I can carry around until I'm old and grey and then I'll pass it on to the next few generations. I have this fantasy that one day I will bequeath my makeup (mostly mineral and MAC pigments), bags, shoes and Chanel jackets to my gay grandson and he would be very happy.<br /><br />But I digress. Classic bags tend to be in style a lot longer. The Chanel 2.55 was designed in 1955 and it's still one of the most coveted handbags in this world of ours. The Louis Vuitton Speedy was carried around in the arms of Katharine Hepburn and it's still hot as hell today. And by the way, the Céline Luggage Tote is bout to become a classic pretty soon (and right now, I'm lovin' its shape!)<br /><br /> 3. Quality matters<br /><br />This is where things gets all psychotic to me. As I mentioned in point 1, I do love deals. But since I no longer seek cheap thrills (as I'm more of a quantity-over-quality girl these days), I do allow myself to spend as much money as I can manage without sweating myself all out for better-quality bags that I can afford.<br /><br />Which aren't many, really.<br /><br />Which also leads to the things that stay the same:<br /><br />A. I have never bought a counterfeit bag and I don't intend to do so at all<br /><br />You could have thought the lil' cheap ole me could have had some fake Gucci or LV stashed around my house but no, I have never owned a fake bag ever in my life so far. All my bags, although cheap and all, fall under some major mass-market brands like Nine West or Target or some sort of Target collaborations with some semi-famous designers before they got to Missoni.<br /><br />The thought of carrying a counterfeit bag is repulsive to me. For some reasons, I understood the importance of supporting a brand at a very early age. I know Gucci is expensive, and so is Louis, and so is Chanel and Balenciaga and Hermes and Tom Ford and Thakoon and the like but the thought of wearing a knock-off of someone's hard-working design really creeps me out.<br /><br />B. When it comes to bags, I am anal<br /><br />I remember shopping for my $20 bags alone many times over because none of my friends would dare to tag along. It was not simply me making a purchase, it was an excursion to a point of almost being a mind game. I would circle around the store many times over, picking up and putting down every single black bag available for at least 5 times, then circle around the store again while doing some sort of mental calculus-slash-statistics on the top contenders. It happened all the time to a point that one friend had to yell out, "Come on, Dao, it's just a bag! Buy it already!"<br /><br />To which I replied, "No, you don't understand! It's not just <i>a</i> bag, it's <i>the</i> bag!"<br /><br />See how mental it is? Over a bag?<br /><br />But again, I am glad to have friends who understand the importance of having <b><i>the</i></b> bag. It's a bag that makes you feel all flutter on the inside while manage to stay current for many years to come. It's also a bag that fits your every needs and whimsies while making all of your friends jealous of how lucky you are to own it. It's also a bag that you can buy with the comfort that it won't send you to the poor house.<br /><br />A bag like that, while sounds elusive, does exist somewhere in Zara. If I have to choose between Mango and Zara, I would go with the later.  It's fashionable but not forgettable. And most importantly, a Zara bag does not feel cheap.<br /><br />Of course, I still hold out for a Louis, a Chanel, a Gucci et al but one of these days, and I hope soon, I am looking forward to own my first piece of designer hand bag. I really do.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

Of Bags

As I grow up, I've realized some things have changed while others do stay the same. When it comes to bags, I have evolved a great deal o...

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Must-Love Bags

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everybody, <br /><br />When it comes to bags, you are going to see my anal-retentive self. I have to say I love bags but to go out and shop for one is a pain and a half for me. I remember going from one store to another and spending hours after hours just to look for an underarm bag to carry all my stuff. It got to a point that I would go by myself because going with friends means torturing them with my endless hours of trying on bags after bags after bags.<br /><br />I'm this kind of person who has an idea of what I want when it comes to bags. But because fashion comes and goes, sometimes I can't get a bag that I suits my taste. For example, when those slouchy Balenciaga was popular a couple of years ago, all I wanted was something that looks like Tod's D-Styling Lavoro Shopper (#2 in the collage) but more affordable, of course! Needless to say, it didn't happen. And now, I'm kind of in the same boat when I need something roomy and nice but all I've seen so far are boxy bags.<br /><br />Bags can be good investments, that's what I realized after spending money on cheap fashionable bags that go out of style after a short while. If you buy something classic and with good quality, not only can you use it for a long time, you can pass it on to your daughters and in turn, they can pass it on to theirs. Moreover, if you want to sell a vintage bag, chances are you'll get a good price for it, too.<br /><br />These are my must-love bags. They are the ones I'm dreaming about once in a while. Granted, they are expensive but from my own experience, quality trumps all when it comes to bags.<br /><br /><div style="margin: 0 auto; width: 600px;"><div style="position: relative;"><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/must-love_bags/set?.embedder=4234087&.svc=copypaste&id=63462098" target="_blank"><img alt="Must-Love Bags" border="0" height="600" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/NRvHnP4HAvlj9hK5WPlvQ/cid/63462098/id/qls7bQnVSUG7KVgtDh2pqQ/size/c600x600.jpg" title="Must-Love Bags" width="600" /></a></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>1. Louis Vuitton Neverfull</b>: as far as I've concerned, LV has become a cliche a long time ago. So many people wearing it makes it not so exclusive anymore. However, when it comes to a tote that you can carry to the grocery store and all, Neverfull trumps all as a luxury-branded bag. The Damier Ebene shading seems to be a popular choice than the monogram and believe me, this bag lives to its name. You can carry anything in it and look like a million bucks. It's an effortless chic kind of bag and after seeing Angelina Jolie wearing it, I know I need it in my life!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>2. Tod's D-Style Lavoro Shopper</b>: I have a thing for white bags, especially ones that is big enough to carry my paper stuff while looking classy. I know there are rules about wearing a white bag after a certain time of the year but honestly, I don't care. A white leather bag is high-maintenance, I know that part. But it does look tres chic and classy as well. On top of that, I've heard the quality of Tod's bags is amazing and I'm looking forward to the day when I look all classy and corporate and important with my white tote bag.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>3. Alexander McQueen Black Envelope Clutch</b>: one thing I've learned when it comes to party is you need to have a clutch. I've studied clutches like mad and one conclusion I've drawn is envelope clutches never go out of style. It can be retro, it can be modern, it can be modern while you do retro and vice versa. The envelope clutch is pretty and versatile and I need to have mine.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>4. Chanel 2.55:</b> this needs no introductions. It's the it bag and believe me, you'll look all class with this on your shoulders. Of course, it's expensive, very, very expensive. But for the life of me, I would buy one and treasure for the rest of my life. And with Chanel, you can be 25 or 75 to wear this bag. It doesn't matter. The 2.55 is in its own class, that's it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>5. Louis Vuitton Speedy 25 in monogram</b>: the LV monogram canvas is as tacky as hell. However, the combination of monogram and Speedy in size 25 cm is a classic as it was requested by Audrey Hepburn. Being the smallest size in the Speedy category, it maintains the shape well and you don't see much of that annoying sag bigger sizes have. Like Chanel 2.55, Speedy 25 is a classic bag and it does go with everything. From jeans to suits to dress, you name it. Also, it does class up your outfit as well. The only time you can't use the Speedy with an outfit is when you wear a gown. But then, you'll have the Chanel for that :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I've come to realized that when I wore my old bags, I liked them but I didn't love them. But with these guys, I have deep respect. They are made with high quality and they can last for a very long time. On top of that, brands like Chanel and LV do have good customer care to their products. If a handle breaks or a hinge goes loose, I know I can come to them and they'll fix it for me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Another advantage of owning classic bags is they never go out of style. Bags like Chanel 2.55, LV Speedy and Hermes Birkin have been around for a while now and they are still very popular. I guess since I am such a pain when it comes to buying a new bag, owning classic ones is my own solution. That way, I can buy a bag and love them without thinking of what's next. That's kind of refreshing to me!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That's all for today, y'all. I do feel a lot better now and next week, I'm having something exciting in store. So stay tuned, alright?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">With love,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Dao xoxo</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

Must-Love Bags

Hi everybody, When it comes to bags, you are going to see my anal-retentive self. I have to say I love bags but to go out and shop for one i...

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She Loves Black

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone, <br /><br />Since I discovered the world of Polyvore, I came to realize two things:<br /><br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Playing with Polyvore is like playing Fantasy Football but with clothes and makeup</li><li>I don't even need to try on the clothes to know if they work as a set</li></ol><div>While the first thing is nice, the second thing is very important to me. You see, I'm somewhat of a klutz when it comes to coordinating my own clothes. If it's clean, I'll wear it. Which leads to some mayjah embarrassments sometimes: I would get severely overdressed at a casual gathering or extremely under-dressed (think faded t-shirt and jeans with drops of bleach) at some uber formal events. Either way is not good and since I realized my weakness, I'm doing my best to learn how to dress myself better.</div><div><br /></div><div>One thing I do know for sure when it comes to clothes: I love black. Very much.</div><br /><br /><div style="margin: 0 auto; width: 600px;"><div style="position: relative;"><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/she_loves_black/set?.embedder=4234087&.svc=copypaste&id=60196685"><img alt="She Loves Black" border="0" height="416" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/mMj6XaFZf3UkR8tsUmrpAw/cid/60196685/id/V13cOy1gQPO7i_sMvU8JVg/size/c600x416.jpg" title="She Loves Black" width="600" /></a></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div style="margin: 0 auto; width: 600px;"><div style="position: relative;">In college, I had enough black t-shirts and sweaters to last me 2 full weeks. They were made of cotton, lace, and velvet. Later on in grad school, I got a suede coat and I discovered cashmere and hand knit t-shirts. And let me tell you, the combinations of black on black on black are endless. Who said black is boring?<br /><br />Lately, I've been thinking of simplifying my wardrobe to black and wear the black items to work everyday. But then, this is Saigon, not Baltimore in the deep of winter. Here, black is associate with funerals and it's hard to see people wearing top-to-bottom black. But as a rebellious person, I occasionally wear black on black on black and it's kind of my secret. Those who are close to me know it's my personal style, which I don't tell that often.<br /><br />For this winter, here are a few basic black items I would like to have. I want the blazers and the dress is to die for! Seriously, when you put everything black together, it's actually quite glamorous. That's why I'm attracted to this color so much and I'm proud to wear black since 2002 :)<br /><br /></div></div><div style="margin: 0 auto; width: 600px;"><div style="position: relative;"><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/black_on/set?.embedder=4234087&.svc=copypaste&id=60197030"><img alt="Black on Black on Black" border="0" height="449" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/p4QxXBUBoRdXULQ9CdGzfw/cid/60197030/id/eSUTEMTkQJO6l_gksRrrZA/size/c600x449.jpg" title="Black on Black on Black" width="600" /></a></div></div><br /><br />How about you? Do you love black as well? Since this is my first (and probably only!) fashion post, I'd appreciate your feedback.<br /><br />Love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: Please follow my blog!<br />P.P.S: wardrobe info and photo credits after the jump!<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><br /><div style="padding-top: 16px;"><div style="clear: both; margin: 0em; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=copypaste&id=60218070" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="left" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/60218070.jpg" style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0px 8px 8px 0px; padding: 2px;" width="50" /></a></div><small></small></div><div style="margin-bottom: 8px;"><small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=copypaste&id=60218070" rel="nofollow">Coco</a></small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=copypaste&id=60218070" rel="nofollow">s Fortune sleeveless dress</a><br />topshop.com</div></div><br /><div style="margin: 0 auto; width: 600px;"><div style="padding-top: 16px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><small><br style="display: none;" /></small></div><br /><div style="clear: both; margin: 0em; padding: 0px;"><small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=copypaste&id=66117273" rel="nofollow"><img align="left" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak2.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/66117273.jpg" style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid #cccccc; margin: 0 8px 8px 0; padding: 2px;" width="50" /></a></small></div><div style="margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=copypaste&id=66117273" rel="nofollow">AllSaints sequin t shirt</a></small><br /><small>allsaints.com</small><br /><small><br style="display: none;" /></small></div><br /><div style="clear: both; margin: 0em; padding: 0px;"><small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=copypaste&id=65727590" rel="nofollow"><img align="left" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak2.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/65727590.jpg" style="background-color: white; 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margin: 0em; padding: 0px;"><small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=copypaste&id=65009911" rel="nofollow"><img align="left" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak2.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/65009911.jpg" style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid #cccccc; margin: 0 8px 8px 0; padding: 2px;" width="50" /></a></small></div><div style="margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=copypaste&id=65009911" rel="nofollow">Bardot hair accessory</a></small><br /><small>bardot.com.au</small><br /><small><br style="display: none;" /></small></div></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pictorial Credits</span></div><div style="margin: 0 auto; width: 600px;"><div style="padding-top: 16px;"><div style="clear: both; margin: 0em; padding: 0px;"><small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=blogger&id=58935019" rel="nofollow"><img align="left" force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/58935019.jpg" style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid #cccccc; margin: 0 8px 8px 0; padding: 2px;" width="50" /></a></small></div><div style="margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=blogger&id=58935019" rel="nofollow">Lula Editorial Black Mirror, Issue 7 Shot #2</a></small><br /><small>myfdb.com</small><br /><small><br style="display: none;" /></small></div><br /><div style="clear: both; margin: 0em; padding: 0px;"><small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=blogger&id=63263122" rel="nofollow"><img align="left" force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak2.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/63263122.jpg" style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid #cccccc; margin: 0 8px 8px 0; padding: 2px;" width="50" /></a></small></div><div style="margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=blogger&id=63263122" rel="nofollow">Allure Editorial A Beautiful Mind, September 2011 Shot #2</a></small><br /><small>myfdb.com</small><br /><small><br style="display: none;" /></small></div><br /><div style="clear: both; margin: 0em; padding: 0px;"><small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=blogger&id=65375239" rel="nofollow"><img align="left" force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/65375239.jpg" style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid #cccccc; margin: 0 8px 8px 0; padding: 2px;" width="50" /></a></small></div><div style="margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=blogger&id=65375239" rel="nofollow">Madison Headrick Dons All Black for Vision China September 2012,...</a></small><br /><small>fashiongonerogue.com</small><br /><small><br style="display: none;" /></small></div><br /><div style="clear: both; margin: 0em; padding: 0px;"><small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=4234087&.svc=blogger&id=62795610" rel="nofollow"><img align="left" force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/62795610.jpg" style="background-color: white; 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She Loves Black

Hi everyone, Since I discovered the world of Polyvore, I came to realize two things: Playing with Polyvore is like playing Fantasy Football ...

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P90X Again!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi y'all!<br /><br />After the success of my first round of P90X, I decided to do it again. This time, I up the challenge by doing the Classic workout program instead of the Lean one I did last time (<a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-p90x-progress-report.html">result here</a>.) First day into it and I realized this ain't easy, yo! I know I did it again but P90X is something that doesn't get easier regardless of how many times you do it.<br /><br />As usual, I feel the need to announce to the world of what I am doing because I know this will keep me accountable. This method has worked so well with me since I started exercising again last year. I am looking forward to finishing this round with some glorious results.<br /><br />Despite the fact that I was sick last month, I ended up losing about 5 lbs, pushing my weight down to 155-156lb range. However, since I didn't exercise for the most part of the month, I also lost some of my strength :( My goal for this round is to finally see myself at 145lbs with some muscle definitions on my arms. I love me some Michelle Obama arms!<br /><br />This year, I am going to dedicate myself and let's pray that I am going to end the year at 135lb range. Why 135lbs? My doctor did some calculations and told me 135lbs is my healthy weight where I can set myself free from the trifecta of bad lifestyle diseases. Right now, I got myself off high blood pressure and my glucose level is lowering down significantly. I suspect my cholesterol is lower as well. I'm determined to get to the point where I don't have to worry about these diseases anymore and that's why I'm busting myself up with P90X and other workouts.<br /><br />How about you? Do you have any plans to work out during this summer?<br /><br />Love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

P90X Again!

Hi y'all! After the success of my first round of P90X, I decided to do it again. This time, I up the challenge by doing the Classic work...

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Arm Candies

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br />I get the arm swag trend that's been so popular lately. I get it. Yet, I can't bring myself to execute it. I'm more of a one bracelet at a time girl. While having an arm full of bracelets is cool and all, things can get heavy sometimes. But things has changed. I now can wear two chunky bracelets at the same time and feel good about them.<br /><br />Perhaps the greatest finds are the ones you discovered without having any expectations. This is the case for my last bracelet that I got during my Buddhist pagoda tour I took last Sunday. We barely had time to do anything but temple hopping (it's like club hopping but without the dancing and music. You get to bow and pray a lot, though.) But during this stop at one temple, we had about 5 minutes before heading to the bus and there it was, a souvenir shop ran by monks!<br /><br />I did some digging and found this treasure:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsCEcjbf1nzfmrec2AYI-OzDmgdYvFjNLWXizBopG7V-MA15xInxBfUbw0-3eKXhyWeF4q8dJIR-iBRxmnZ0VPMhEYq5vp3xWb8VA3FcS58ul12GnP2m-q4omAa9VgiAgph_RgeBBKg4J/s1600/IMG_6585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsCEcjbf1nzfmrec2AYI-OzDmgdYvFjNLWXizBopG7V-MA15xInxBfUbw0-3eKXhyWeF4q8dJIR-iBRxmnZ0VPMhEYq5vp3xWb8VA3FcS58ul12GnP2m-q4omAa9VgiAgph_RgeBBKg4J/s640/IMG_6585.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />I was in need of a prayer bracelet and this one looked cool with all the carvings. On top of that, it was utterly cheap and since I already donated most of my money I brought that I earned from writing articles, I could only afford something like this.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61Z0nbDMR7AG7TQsxXKG4YlVPO0C2OMl7jkn-WtoM1-RR-FOltD8-MWb4R5inlisxildBXXisSzO8GyRnMORvSsvrG6CQNMT5cZZn9swAHMxYvSETToHczNeNS-f9iNUy0g2FXzLu6455/s1600/IMG_6587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61Z0nbDMR7AG7TQsxXKG4YlVPO0C2OMl7jkn-WtoM1-RR-FOltD8-MWb4R5inlisxildBXXisSzO8GyRnMORvSsvrG6CQNMT5cZZn9swAHMxYvSETToHczNeNS-f9iNUy0g2FXzLu6455/s640/IMG_6587.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />Look at the intricate carvings! So lovely! They were supposed to be tiny pictures of the Buddha but to me, they look like little angels :)<br /><br />Now, going back to the arm swag trend: I coupled it with the bracelet <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/feliz-navidad-para-mi.html">I bought at a church</a> during the Christmastime. I think my luck of finding good bracelets happens when I am at religious places :)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvXLlNjI39K0qh36YvnWIXVh3ksYh9W9PznobjIixFg82PgkfiWPTBteAE1rVhulCOXJrki9hpMkuCcPKXrU61okAeSjeYi13ItX_0L4s_eeV-wHGSgAI7Hg1DTtbRp4YNUIiMPXIfFaz/s1600/IMG_6584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvXLlNjI39K0qh36YvnWIXVh3ksYh9W9PznobjIixFg82PgkfiWPTBteAE1rVhulCOXJrki9hpMkuCcPKXrU61okAeSjeYi13ItX_0L4s_eeV-wHGSgAI7Hg1DTtbRp4YNUIiMPXIfFaz/s640/IMG_6584.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />I love this combination, especially because the bracelets look tribal chic when I wear them together. Also, they are not too heavy and weigh my arm down.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcrtRuC8FATQq3ikugwHqEiAsEMIen9WoWPwlLVdB3jyu5jtbVVhj2EhAAxaDVD9Vv85vagpMHr52MQHeua7U8OqiOrMF5b6FFjrMlSa5LzNBd8fOeGFWvPB_iYP8wIBkOccn15IvmDD9/s1600/IMG_6581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcrtRuC8FATQq3ikugwHqEiAsEMIen9WoWPwlLVdB3jyu5jtbVVhj2EhAAxaDVD9Vv85vagpMHr52MQHeua7U8OqiOrMF5b6FFjrMlSa5LzNBd8fOeGFWvPB_iYP8wIBkOccn15IvmDD9/s640/IMG_6581.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />I tried to combine them with my watch but it doesn't look so good. I do have tiny wrists and these two bracelets do not leave a lot of space left for my watch. Besides with three, this looks like arm armor rather than arm swag. A little bit too para-military to me.<br /><br />Right now, I'm oh-so-slowly inching toward accessorizing myself. I've always had a penchant for necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets but I have no idea how to put them together. I'd buy them if they look nice and believe it or not, I feel very relaxed at the craft stores. Now that I don't have too many accessories, it's refreshing that I can find new uses and ways to combine them together.<br /><br />How about you? Do you enjoy the arm swag trend? How do you wear all them cute bracelets at the same time? Just tell me your secret, I need to learn!<br /><br />Love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

Arm Candies

Hi everyone, I get the arm swag trend that's been so popular lately. I get it. Yet, I can't bring myself to execute it. I'm more...

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My Weird Behavior

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br />Today's post is personal. For a while, I did not realize my using pattern when it comes to clothes, makeup, and many other things. If you dig deep enough, you would probably realize where I am getting at.<br /><br />I reviews and use makeup products that do not cost a lot of money to buy. However, I do have quite a few mid and high end makeup items. Yet, when it comes to buying and using makeup, I barely touch the expensive products but go for the inexpensive ones.<br /><br />The same thing happens to clothes and shoes: I would wear the cheap ones to dead while treating the expensive items with reverence. Same thing with stationery: I have stacks and stacks of expensive notebooks left untouched, expensive pens left unused, and expensive sticky notes in shrink wraps just because they are too darn pretty and too darn expensive that I don't want to use them.<br /><br />Sick, I know. What's sicker is this has been going on ever since I can remember. I save the pretties until I outgrow them (or they outgrow me). I would use that expensive palette maybe once or twice before putting it in a high shelf just to look. And then, one day when I needed it the most, I found out it became dust already. Perfumes faded, lipsticks melt, eye shadows dried, gel liner caked. The story of my life. I know that, yet I can't bring myself to use the pretties.<br /><br />I guess this has to do with my upbringing. I was born in a communist country back when things were rationed. Once a year, I got a new dress and a new pair of shoes. They were my special occasion dress and shoes. If the dress got ripped or the shoes got scratched, tough titties. I would not get new ones. Therefore, I went a long way to preserve them (and by preserving, I mean not losing them.)<br /><br />By the time I was 10, things began to look up and I got two new dresses a year: one for new year and one for my birthday. Yes, this was big for me. Can you imagine 100% increment in the number of dresses per year? Yet, I still took the pain not to ruin my dresses. I only wore old ones to school and left new ones for weddings and parties. By the time I was in 8th grade, I had a wardrobe full of dresses that I wore only two or three times. My mom gave them away to poor kids and I felt like crying. Those were really pretty dresses.<br /><br />Then, I went through a phase of buying stuff on sale because they were cheap. For a couple of years pre-undergrad graduation to mid-grad school, I had a closet full of ill-fitted clothes. I really had a hard time dressing myself in formal events as I had nothing good enough to wear during those occasions. Then, some time after I graduated grad school, a light bulb went off. I tossed those ill-fitted clothes away and kept only the items I like.<br /><br />Now, I am about to do the same with my current wardrobe. While I don't have a full closet anymore, I am not happy with my clothing selection, mainly because they no longer fit me. I'm very close to that 20lb weight loss mark and clothes that used to fit me no longer do anymore. Also, I am stepping into the professional work force and I need clothes that make me look like a respectable adult. Clothes cost money but this time around, I am not going to cut corners anymore.<br /><br />This time, I need to feel like I own the clothes. I am going to wear the heck out of them tops, pants, shoes, perfumes, makeup, and jewelries. Just watch me.<br /><br />Love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: I just switched to a new version of Disqus and I haven't seen any comments lately. Can someone post something, even just to say hi? I want to make sure if the new Disqus works. If it doesn't, I will revert back to the old one.<br /><br />P.P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

My Weird Behavior

Hi everyone, Today's post is personal. For a while, I did not realize my using pattern when it comes to clothes, makeup, and many other ...

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My P90X Progress Report

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br />I finished P90X last Saturday. It was a bittersweet experience: while I love every single minute of it, I was sad that it was over. Well, at least this round because I want to repeat P90X again after a month. It has been a wonderful experience to me and I would like to write a little bit about it with hope to entice some of you to join me in the future.<br /><br />First off, here's a video that I compiled. I didn't intend to start P90X back in March and it was until day 3 that I realized I could do it. Hence, the first clip started from there. Then, I recorded my progresses at days 30,60, and 90 like normal people would do.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JaTPajqh6Eg" width="480"></iframe><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><u><b>Phase 1</b>: The first 4 weeks</u><br /><br />As I mentioned earlier, I had no intentions to start P90X in March. But after having repeating knee injuries from doing Hip Hop Abs level 2, which is a dance workout, I decided it was time to switch. I did X-Stretch, Yoga-X, and Cardio-X before and while they were difficult, I could do them. That gave me confidence to start at the first place.<br /><br />I chose the Lean program as I have fat to lose. Also, since I already had knee injuries, I did not want to do any vertical plyometrics (jump training.) The lean program replaces Plyo-X with Cardio-X and has 1 less weight lifting workout. I thought I was fine. And then I did the first workout, which was Core Synergistic.<br /><br />The first week of P90X was <i>tough</i>! Every night, I went to bed with soreness at different body parts. There were nights that I applied Deep Heat and cried, wondering why I pushed myself into this. But then, the next day came and I found myself looking forward to working out again.<br /><br />When I started P90X, I could only do 2 knee push-ups and I planked for 2 minutes at a time (I think!) Lucky me, the people at Fitocracy cheered me on along the way and I recorded my progress there. That helped tremendously!<br /><br /><u><b>Phase 2</b>: weeks 5-8</u><br /><br />While phase 1 happened really fast, phase 2 felt like a drag. The only difference between these two phases was 1 workout: they replaced Back and Biceps with Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps. The rest were the same. I started developing some deep hatred toward Cardio-X and Core Synergistic and came very close to nixing Yoga-X a couple of times.<br /><br />Luckily, <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/RRBTX">Coach John Prause</a> tweeted something interesting that made me realize my boredom had to do more with the lack of diversity in this phase. I took a couple of days off during the second week of this phase and finished the whole thing in stride.<br /><br /><u><b>Phase 3</b>: the last 5 weeks</u><br /><br />Of all the phases, phase 3 was the toughest. However, I had the most fun here. The workouts were switched every week and the weight-lifting ones concentrated on the upper body. If you watched the video clip closely, you probably noticed how much better-looking my arms and shoulders looked at day 90.<br /><br />This phase is the one where I've heard a lot of complaints about injuries. By the end, I felt it in my knees, too. But thankfully, throughout the 90 days I did P90X, I didn't have any injuries except for a week that my shoulders hurt like mad.<br /><br />While I was really happy during phase 3, I could not bring myself to work out more than 4 times a week. It was really tough and I felt like I was burning on empty sometimes. That usually happened after cardio days as I felt fine after lift days. I guess at this point, my preference of cardio exercises finally switched to weight lifting for good.<br /><br />While I didn't lose a ton of weight and went from size 10 to size 2, I did gain a lot of muscles. Since I don't have access to the InBody measurer anymore, I really can't tell how high my fat percentage is. However, from pictures, my gauge is I'm in the 25 percentile. On top of that, I can do a lot more things than I could. One of them is plough. I saw this pose before but could never imagine myself doing it. Now, I can.<br /><br /><b><i>A few things I would like to point out:</i></b><br /><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I didn't use the pull-up bar, although I wanted to: we live in a new house and I work out in the guess bedroom. Installing a pull-up bar there may look tacky. I used the band as a replacement for the pull-up bar and it worked just fine.</li><li>The next time I do P90X, I am going to get me a pair of cross-training shoes: the pair I am wearing is running shoes from New Balance. While it has lots of cushions, its lateral movements were not that good and my feet tend to curl inward. Cross-training shoes are designed for a variety of gym activities from running to walking to weight lifting and cardio exercises. Therefore, you can move anywhere you want with great stability.</li><li>Although you don't need to know how to do push-ups, at least try to do a couple of them on your knees before you begin P90X. This work out program consists of so many types of push-ups that after I finish, I do not wish to know any new variety of this exercise at all!</li><li>Yes, you need to know some yoga basics. Tony Horton and gang will not hold your hands and guide you through the ABCs of yoga.</li><li>Yes, you need to know some basics about weight lifting, too, although this is easier to catch up than yoga.</li><li>Kempo is fun! In fact, this is the best DVD in the set in my opinion.</li></ul><div><b><i>About Tony Horton as an instructor:</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>He is great but he's annoying sometimes. Tony talks a lot and except for Yoga-X, he doesn't do full workouts with the students. This kinda gives me a deeper level of respect to Shaun-T, who sweats with you during his workouts.</div><br /><br />I guess that's all I have to say for P90X. Starting at the beginning of July, I am going to do it again but with the Classic program. If you have any questions about P90X, please let me know. I will do my best to answer them. Also, if you want an invitation to Fitocracy, I have a few. Just email me and I'll send it to you.<br /><br />Take care and bring it,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

My P90X Progress Report

Hi everyone, I finished P90X last Saturday. It was a bittersweet experience: while I love every single minute of it, I was sad that it was o...

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P90X Mike Check

Hi everyone,<br /><br />I started P90X last month, wrote about it here and there and then went completely quiet about it. And you thought I quit, didn't you? Well, for once I didn't, although there were some moments that came very close. But then, I snapped out of it and told myself, "Dao, you're going this far, why do you want to stop now?"<br /><br />The truth is, I'm on week 8 of P90X, which means there are only 5 weeks left after this and I'm done with this round. While phase 1 (aka the first 4 weeks) was a delight, phase 2 has been a drag. Out of 6 workouts a week, only 1 is new. The other 5 I remember like they are the back of my hand now. On top of that, I find Cardio-X to be easy now. I can do it for the whole time and feel underwhelm. I can't believe I just said it. A P90X workout is not enough for me. On top of that, Yoga-X is just waaaay too long. And the weather has been hot and Aunt Flo was bothering me. Since I had a whole list of complaints, I skipped a few workouts here and there.<br /><br />This makes me realize why I did not stick to other workout schedules before: the monotony kills me. I guess I am one of those who needs to have a new workout routine every month. Since I consider doing another round of P90X after this, I am going to do a different module instead of Lean. I need the switch-up ;)<br /><br />Weight-wise, I did lose about 2lbs. Not a lot for 3 weeks but I take it. Surprisingly, during the whole time, I was bloating. The bloat was terrible and I had a hard time contracting my stomach. Then, my period arrived and brought me some relief. Immediately after Aunt Flo left, I weighed myself and I was delighted to find myself 2lbs lighter! Therefore, weighing myself everyday or even every week is not an option anymore since I know how much I can bloat. There was a 5lb difference before and after those days. From now on, I am going to weigh myself right after it stops and then compare it to the next event.<br /><br />From the beginning of P90X until now, I think I lost about 6 lbs. It's not a huge number but I do gain quite a bit of muscles. Therefore, the fat loss may be even higher (probably 10 lbs.) A shirt that I wasn't able to button in is now loose and right now, the only pair of jeans that I can wear properly is my dark wash skinny jeans. By the end of this round, I aim for a 10lb net loss and that is going to make my day.<br /><br />That's all for now, folks! Thanks for reading my ramblings.<br /><br />Love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: Please support my blog by following and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!

P90X Mike Check

Hi everyone, I started P90X last month, wrote about it here and there and then went completely quiet about it. And you thought I quit, didn...

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I Get a Break from P90X. Well, Kinda, Sorta

Hi everyone,<br /><br />Guess what? I'm at week 4 of P90X already. Time really flies. It felt like yesterday when I put my first shy step toward this program by putting the play button on the DVD to start Core Synergistic. An hour later, I was alive and well. It made me believe that I could survive the first week of P90X and I did, with the help of Twitter and Fitocracy.<br /><br />Week 1 brought me a lot of pain. I have done a lot of painful things in my life and so far, nothing beat the afterburn of Yoga-X. That was a vicious workout that left my biceps too sore for me to sleep. Lucky me, I have my new best friends Deep Heat and Icy Cold to ease the pain just enough for me to get some sleep. Week 2 was a little bit easier and so was week 3. Now, recovery week is enjoyable since I don't have to lift any weights.<br /><br />So far, here are a few things I've learned from P90X:<br /><br /><b>1. You can't spot reduce your fat:</b><br />When I started exercising, I was wearing 36C bras. Now, my bras are 34B. Yes, my boobs shrank. And so is my butt. And my thigh. And my arms. And my tummy. Really, I'm losing fat all over. Even my shoes are looser and I don't wear them as often. It's crazy!<br /><br />I did some research and Davey Wavey explains it best (warning: he's shirtless!)<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/etPTFvpHxoY" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><b>2. The scale is stupid:</b><br />Say it with me, everyone: "The scale is stupid!"<br /><br />Why?<br />Because it doesn't tell you everything. On the scale, a pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle. During the first two weeks of P90X, I was not losing weight. However, I noticed everything fit better, especially my pants. But the scale just refused to budge. So frustrating!<br /><br />But then, I read a blog of one of my Fitocracy buddies and he linked to <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/nue8c/6_month_progress_weightlifting_female">a Reddit post</a>. I read it and all of the sudden, things began to make sense: the number on the scale does not determine how slim or fit you are. The lady in that post did not do any cardiovascular exercises. She only lifted heavy weights. Her start and end weight was the same (137 lbs) but her "after" body looked amazing!<br /><br />I was losing a lot of weight during Hip-Hop Abs and during my month-long teeth extraction diet. However, I was not as toned as I am now. The weigh-lifting exercises in P90X make a difference and they are the testament to muscles burn fat.<br /><br /><b>3. You may gain some before you lose some:</b><br />Shocking, isn't it? It happened when I started exercising back in last August. I worked my pretty butt off and I gained 2 lbs within a week. My cousin, who was my gym buddy at the time, laughed at me. It happened again after week 1 of P90X. I shot up to 165lbs after weeks of being at 163. However, since I knew it would happen, I did not let it get me down.<br /><br />Turns out, there was an explanation for it and I would let Chalene Johnson (she of Turbo Jam and ChaLEAN Extreme) <a href="http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=why_the_scale_goes_up_when_you_start_a_new_workout_plan">explain it to you</a>. It makes perfect sense to me and as I allow my body to adapt, it eventually yielded. After weeks of being at the same place, finally I am down to 162 lbs.<br /><br /><b>4. It might take longer than you think:</b><br />When I was younger, like in 2004 younger, I was able to lose 15 lbs over a summer. It was almost effortless: I cut out junk food, soda, and fast food. I lifted weight and did a lot of cardio exercises (think 1 hour sweating over the treadmill.)<br /><br />Now, it doesn't happen that way. If I am lucky, I may lose a pound a week. My metabolism is not as fast but again, I don't let numbers ruining my day. I keep on pushing and eventually, good things are bound to happen.<br /><br />One of the wonderful things about P90X is the testimonial videos on YouTube. Since I was frustrated at my lack of weight loss during the first two weeks, I did some look-see. I targeted at videos of women who had my starting weight and are as tall as I am and watched their progress videos. To my surprise, most of them did not have dramatic results during the first phase. Even after the second phase, they looked slightly better than the beginning. However, at the end of the 90 days, their bodies looked amazing!<br /><br />I guess phase 1 is more of a muscle-fat restructure. Phase 2 would bring that even further but phase 3 brings everything home. Also, the women in those videos lift heavier weights by the end, which further pushes their metabolism higher to burn off those fat.<br /><br />Right now, I am really sleepy. P90X and staying up late do not mesh. Also, P90X and eating badly do not go well together, either. If I don't treat my body right, I would feel it during my workouts. Therefore, my life is like that of old people now. Boring but the trade off is a hotter body. Um, I'll take that!<br /><br />That's all for now. Thank you for reading (really, thank you. I know this is a long post and I was rambling a lot because I need to sleep.)<br /><br />I hope my frequent fitness updates here and on Twitter will inspire you to exercise. It's not an expensive hobby and the trade off is really amazing! Please, treat your body right!<br /><br />Love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br /><br />P.S: Please support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!

I Get a Break from P90X. Well, Kinda, Sorta

Hi everyone, Guess what? I'm at week 4 of P90X already. Time really flies. It felt like yesterday when I put my first shy step toward th...

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Upping the Ante

Hi everyone,<br /><br />First of all, I would like to thank everyone for the encouraging words during my fitness journey. They mean a lot to me. If you guys are following me <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/MyMakeupBlog">via Twitter</a> (and you should!), you probably notice that I have tweeted a lot about fitness recently. I was surprised that not only my Twitter people are still following me but my tweets inspire them to start exercising (well, at least one person that I know for sure!) And guess what, that makes me happy! I know to start exercising is not easy. I tried so many times in the past but I failed. This time around, I have the people and the tools to make it happen and only time can tell how far I can go.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_vXOoG_7JLzhCS-z83washDglkZ9MksgSmzWORrDUuAsI-mjsxe9R7cIQ0FTCYyeE9Bzs43hmFzyt2ZEkQtyWdWgX3RylaTvK3Vi-hvgO4JcgcTvK8acS2YqmUSRipZneqIIGP8zq9qD/s1600/IMG_6233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_vXOoG_7JLzhCS-z83washDglkZ9MksgSmzWORrDUuAsI-mjsxe9R7cIQ0FTCYyeE9Bzs43hmFzyt2ZEkQtyWdWgX3RylaTvK3Vi-hvgO4JcgcTvK8acS2YqmUSRipZneqIIGP8zq9qD/s640/IMG_6233.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dumbbells, my shoes, plus a mat for my knees</td></tr></tbody></table>During the weekend, I decided to get some extra weights. The usual 2kg hand weights (the red ones) are too easy for me. I can barely feel anything and I want my arms to burn, yo! So, I went out and bought 2 extra pairs of dumbbells: a pair of 3kgs and another pair of 4kgs. They look bulky because they are filled with sand instead of made out of iron. The iron weights are muy muy muy expensivo. I could not afford them at all!<br /><br />Also, exercising did pay off. Here is a picture of moi after 2 weeks of P90X:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwA0zdbEgm5dzhiEE9Ts97fuLOssYQ7c2g0OPRytBYWN8STUtxTOzNtiwPFFZZyNeN9_qlheTCW_fnHXyfPiDWZ4Qwyq8hqulKVc1VmknegQnqF26wMETI5r2EOGrY3ipyY-XMw97XFlw/s1600/IMG_6206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwA0zdbEgm5dzhiEE9Ts97fuLOssYQ7c2g0OPRytBYWN8STUtxTOzNtiwPFFZZyNeN9_qlheTCW_fnHXyfPiDWZ4Qwyq8hqulKVc1VmknegQnqF26wMETI5r2EOGrY3ipyY-XMw97XFlw/s400/IMG_6206.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />Can you see my cheekbones? I was surprised of how prominent they are. This picture was taken after a party so my lipstick was gone. I was full and tired but look at them cheeks! This is something I used to try at various angles back in the days. But now they're here! Just for vanity reasons, P90X works and it works so well that I don't regret all the sweats I've been shedding at all!<br /><br />Also, an extra bonus: look at my skin. This is the closest to bare skin I can give you. I only used a thin layer of powder foundation, that's all.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQiMELKlIl9geWUHsqMQuO2qcX_QihZKRdSGmi6LhXHCF9fA2ZKpYae1bUJ7AUOri0g31Ah-PQEaVIl9QxYBnkMZ675KTQfVf2jbK3X232PB0Cc67Al5qupTjwSM-HLUNKQz5wtlMlNk-q/s1600/IMG_6231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQiMELKlIl9geWUHsqMQuO2qcX_QihZKRdSGmi6LhXHCF9fA2ZKpYae1bUJ7AUOri0g31Ah-PQEaVIl9QxYBnkMZ675KTQfVf2jbK3X232PB0Cc67Al5qupTjwSM-HLUNKQz5wtlMlNk-q/s400/IMG_6231.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I found this online today. It's a workout sheet for P90X and Insanity straight from the Beach Body website. I have an ambition to do Insanity by the end of this year and let's pray that things are going well because I really want to do this hybrid workout after that. This time next year, I'm going to finish this hybrid workout for real =)<br /><br />That's all for today, folks! I'm upping my ante. How about you?<br /><br />With lots of fitness love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br /> P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!

Upping the Ante

Hi everyone, First of all, I would like to thank everyone for the encouraging words during my fitness journey. They mean a lot to me. If you...

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I Have Been Good

Hi everyone,<br /><br />Today is the beginning of a new month and I need to turn to another page on my calendar. On top of using it to track the day, I also use my calendar to take notes of the days I work out. Every day I do a full exercise deserves an x mark. A day that I only do half an exercise has half an x. A day that I don't do anything is left blank. So far, here is how my calendar looks during the last two months:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJm2SEfWCknQSCOcVspO_JxmEEJIBXol-H9kT8voZEmW-aDlLaAX90oeMl1usCxDWq0cIfoH5oW-g0g3_eyb3AHhPj4bBzyzmjS0LpTe0MgeG6mkfavGJdKcm3dd3G43a1MaUbgVMmhTO/s1600/IMG_6042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJm2SEfWCknQSCOcVspO_JxmEEJIBXol-H9kT8voZEmW-aDlLaAX90oeMl1usCxDWq0cIfoH5oW-g0g3_eyb3AHhPj4bBzyzmjS0LpTe0MgeG6mkfavGJdKcm3dd3G43a1MaUbgVMmhTO/s640/IMG_6042.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />More x marks than blank spaces! Yay me!<br /><br />I copied this method from a friend and it works for me. Seeing more x marks filling up further into the week makes me happy. There were days when I had all the excuses in the world not to exercise but I managed to work out. On Tuesday, I had one at 9pm and went to bed later. It was fulfilling as I knew I did not skip a workout. One day at a time, folks!<br /><br />Also, meet my new best friends: Mr. Hot and Mr. Cold (cue Katy Perry song!)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXW3oXB-FQK0x-XUaVep9lJ25AKZtElu_jqut2LESBTUZgX8gjoUFnGUQT6npg20yLtLm-UAtL1wC_Eu47EPks5cMd3-FGJ_RCviC3QAKRpWW1tWUF-FNuPZn1n_YWIHdtXuqVigPfKde/s1600/IMG_6043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXW3oXB-FQK0x-XUaVep9lJ25AKZtElu_jqut2LESBTUZgX8gjoUFnGUQT6npg20yLtLm-UAtL1wC_Eu47EPks5cMd3-FGJ_RCviC3QAKRpWW1tWUF-FNuPZn1n_YWIHdtXuqVigPfKde/s400/IMG_6043.JPG" width="318" /></a></div><br />Both of them are in extra strength but I like Icy Hot better since the tingling effect is longer. Deep Heat, on the other hand, is as hot as Hades. If you have sore muscle, rub a tiny bit of it on and feel the pain melt away immediately. Both of them do not have strong scents like Ben Gay, which I cannot stand. I used to have Ben Gay before and although it is quite hot, the smell is just horrendous. Mix Ben Gay with your own B.O and ewww! I don't really want to go there!<br /><br />Finally, my yoga mat matches my sneakers:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-NfeBu02lAoh4UNLri0ctc0KiGVaAkb5BGRVEAz6NzCt1UJVyKzGtJcAj_z3JkAk6VR6Ju9AWVOhR_WUPhJqaOBCjj-eOP5gLYCQqLyhAnNw79Kj3XOkii2EzAOTebcGf7GYMxaTFG9p/s1600/IMG_6045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-NfeBu02lAoh4UNLri0ctc0KiGVaAkb5BGRVEAz6NzCt1UJVyKzGtJcAj_z3JkAk6VR6Ju9AWVOhR_WUPhJqaOBCjj-eOP5gLYCQqLyhAnNw79Kj3XOkii2EzAOTebcGf7GYMxaTFG9p/s400/IMG_6045.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Yup, yours truly has a hot pink yoga mat. So what? Actually, I think this was the best thing I bought last year. It was cheap and the color always makes me smile. People say hot pink (or fuchsia) is cheesy but I'd say do whatever makes you happy.<br /><br />That's all for today's post. I feel good about exercising lately and it takes a lot for me not to talk too much about it here. Seriously, since I started working out again, I feel more vitality in my life. My outlook is more positive, too! It does not cost much to start exercising. All you need are a good pair of sneakers, a yoga mat to stretch, a few workout DVDs, a water bottle, a towel, a few hand weights and you're good to go.<br /><br />I hope you work out, my beauties. Life is a lot better when you are healthy.<br /><br />With love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br /><br /> P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!

I Have Been Good

Hi everyone, Today is the beginning of a new month and I need to turn to another page on my calendar. On top of using it to track the day, I...

Read more »

Bling-ah-Bling-ah-Bling

Hi everyone,<br /><br />Recently, I've come to a big fashion realization: having a nice outfit is not enough, you need to have cool accessories, too! I used to buy lots and lots of earrings, necklaces, and rings only to realize I had no outfits to wear them with. Also, I was working in a lab and it was not easy to wear jewelries as they can get in the way. Now that I am older, I am also more selective with my jewelry purchases. In order for me to bring them home, they have to be cool and unique.<br /><br />Here are a couple of rings I have. Most of them are silver, by the way. Gold looks too gaudy on me but silver goes better with my skin as I have cool undertone. See, knowing your skin tone is advantageous in jewelry purchase as well!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRKc3GDMzu01AlXpKuR-rKMXMGZDSddD0cvz9GiE8BbE8A4J716JXT_Xia353KuOGm3ODbOJPAJft3vq8uvKuQrCsx-Vy-VotP_l7jHV_WmrqFJlDmykITbnSXan6Iy74Mcc6DFg7yHmm/s1600/IMG_6028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRKc3GDMzu01AlXpKuR-rKMXMGZDSddD0cvz9GiE8BbE8A4J716JXT_Xia353KuOGm3ODbOJPAJft3vq8uvKuQrCsx-Vy-VotP_l7jHV_WmrqFJlDmykITbnSXan6Iy74Mcc6DFg7yHmm/s640/IMG_6028.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My precious!</td></tr></tbody></table> Now, I don't usually rock them out like that. I would pick one ring to wear and that's it. Each ring comes with a memory and I love them all the way they are.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYjnavb1NQAfllQNDaM0SQtr0L4_81ZvLxLoEsMwxEPZGYTwaDbH2ia3-rAyESvCAMoHA5iIC14BrN7_Un2rwF9JGMeT6_QX4oj10g62lBSxkYJaAxgQUU2ekUAudhu6eg_-LIG3GdeLw/s1600/IMG_6029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYjnavb1NQAfllQNDaM0SQtr0L4_81ZvLxLoEsMwxEPZGYTwaDbH2ia3-rAyESvCAMoHA5iIC14BrN7_Un2rwF9JGMeT6_QX4oj10g62lBSxkYJaAxgQUU2ekUAudhu6eg_-LIG3GdeLw/s640/IMG_6029.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(L-R): Flower ring was purchase in VN, puma ring: Tallahassee, citrine ring: a gift from Cambodia; pearl ring: from NYC, big leafy ring: my reward for writing 35K words in the 2010 NaNoWriMo</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5QKQ_5RSD09BiLL_-vuWrThooZIaGCcQvARZ9QPN3kTMg_o039l2h2T5El6SXIvqG8n5Qa-uRmO4r6TY2Fr0m0m3AbZ2i3hDuId3ZNm93fhkV4rV7bAm_6kxYN76y1pvFQ6TPDhhLo7K/s1600/IMG_6030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5QKQ_5RSD09BiLL_-vuWrThooZIaGCcQvARZ9QPN3kTMg_o039l2h2T5El6SXIvqG8n5Qa-uRmO4r6TY2Fr0m0m3AbZ2i3hDuId3ZNm93fhkV4rV7bAm_6kxYN76y1pvFQ6TPDhhLo7K/s640/IMG_6030.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same stuff, better clarity, I guess :)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnsqXltMfuxu1Sy_Eyo4fMVn5SVm1blw2jQtsnhguDdFRJNehStYa_yIZe_grM_M0H_W8-j7g5pxgGG42b-4LhGEA2dhuwiBdDek9xtLSMIKcLQtokC8yEnfujVWVEPOCAlCL_R3FwF2i/s1600/IMG_6035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnsqXltMfuxu1Sy_Eyo4fMVn5SVm1blw2jQtsnhguDdFRJNehStYa_yIZe_grM_M0H_W8-j7g5pxgGG42b-4LhGEA2dhuwiBdDek9xtLSMIKcLQtokC8yEnfujVWVEPOCAlCL_R3FwF2i/s640/IMG_6035.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The puma ring is my best purchase. It is made of silver with encrusted rubies for eyes and real diamonds for the body. I got a really good deal on it and every time I wear it, I think Belly would approve.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSLJJ5_P-l176J8z7GNGFIRDrELCGSzizPEFpKhdapRu41s99KmpF1hTwFunpw_DvN9rpip8UlcLMV6eqvzdM-ZOiNmnD2MVpPIJQ981RERITjQH92I_3tykvH90GDgnfHMhAaKy7rzvz/s1600/IMG_6036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSLJJ5_P-l176J8z7GNGFIRDrELCGSzizPEFpKhdapRu41s99KmpF1hTwFunpw_DvN9rpip8UlcLMV6eqvzdM-ZOiNmnD2MVpPIJQ981RERITjQH92I_3tykvH90GDgnfHMhAaKy7rzvz/s640/IMG_6036.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The diamonds! They are so tiny, can you see them?<br />I bought this and wore a few times before realizing a big couture house has a leopard/puma theme for their Spring/Summer collection. Apparently, I was ahead of the curve as this ring was purchased about a year before that!</td></tr></tbody></table>By the way, I forgot to mention about the jade ring in the first picture. My mom got it ages ago and I don't think she has ever worn it. It was laying around the house collecting dust until we moved last year. She was about to throw it away. In the trash. The horror!<br /><br />I stopped her and salvaged it at the last minute. It's a totally fine ring and I am sure they don't make jade rings like it anymore. Which makes it cool and unique. I can see myself dressing it down with jeans and t-shirt or dressing it up with a LBD. Either ways, it is still one cool jade ring that I got for free!<br /><br />How about you? Do you like to accessorize yourself? Please let me know in the comment section, ok?<br /><br />With love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br /> P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!

Bling-ah-Bling-ah-Bling

Hi everyone, Recently, I've come to a big fashion realization: having a nice outfit is not enough, you need to have cool accessories, to...

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The Ghosts of Christmas Abs

Hi everyone,<br /><br />Last week, I took the whole week off because I was super busy. On top of that, I managed to lift enough weight to feel the pain in my arms. It was painful enough to steer me away from typing but I'm doing fine now.<br /><br />Lately, all I can talk about is fitness, fitness, fitness. Since the beginning of the year, I have been doing <a href="http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/hip_hop_abs.do">Hip Hop Abs</a> and well, I finished part 1 last week and just come to part 2 yesterday. Two weeks ago, I took some pictures just for fun after I worked out. To moonlight Dickens, I call them the Ghosts of Christmas Abs :)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7RV2nmv1pV0pPFsuicDRE1WpHAdTLJOeWEn866bwD0mQ03dDpZ3vP10gYieRa-7jjDvd3ZA62_Sd_ka1AonDJclaVe3jA6XBOJoz6uSF1XgFt6VOZhVoXR_a_3DzwGOG9El0ddT8IEzj/s1600/IMG_5950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7RV2nmv1pV0pPFsuicDRE1WpHAdTLJOeWEn866bwD0mQ03dDpZ3vP10gYieRa-7jjDvd3ZA62_Sd_ka1AonDJclaVe3jA6XBOJoz6uSF1XgFt6VOZhVoXR_a_3DzwGOG9El0ddT8IEzj/s400/IMG_5950.JPG" width="206" /></a></div><br />A picture of yours truly after a nice workout from 2 weeks ago. Can you see the post-workout glow? Top by Ryka (<333 it although I could barely fit in it at the beginning of the year. Now, it fits quite nicely!) Pants by Express. It's a really really old pair of capri pants but since it's so comfortable, I'm keeping it. However, it is getting loose by the waist and I'm afraid I'll accidentally moon some people in the future.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsBxFcVyA2ND0hm22O2nXreIlvQKfxSkGNSbgRZ-MkVtK-mxqAFQpYmfmtle2M3ezYny8URgdiPsKmYsqpf7VBgFs-y-5md238WTHQbnHZpcdh514Ty8OInF0dBNBqB3ExCivuAdzZafy/s1600/abs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsBxFcVyA2ND0hm22O2nXreIlvQKfxSkGNSbgRZ-MkVtK-mxqAFQpYmfmtle2M3ezYny8URgdiPsKmYsqpf7VBgFs-y-5md238WTHQbnHZpcdh514Ty8OInF0dBNBqB3ExCivuAdzZafy/s640/abs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The first picture on the left was clearly a dramatization. However, it closely depicted my state of abs <i>before</i> I started Hip Hop Abs, which was a keg! The picture in the middle was my abs from two weeks ago and the last picture from the right is my future abs.<br /><br />But wait...the future is now. My abs look like that in the morning, before I had any food in my body. Also, did you notice my caboose? Before, I barely got anything to show back there but now, I can see my own booties and they are beautiful and firm, too!<br /><br />I'm not kidding, y'all. Hip Hop Abs really works. Weight-wise, I lost 4 lbs without feeling like I was trying. Abs wise, I can see a huge difference. For the first time in 5 years, I fit in a pair of shorts that I bought back in 2007, wore once, and never could fit in it again until now. And guess what? It was even loose when I tried it on three weeks ago! All but a pair of jeans are loose on me now and the tops that used to be too tight fit me like gloves. But that's not it, my flexibility improves as well, which is a nice bonus.<br /><br />Hip Hop Abs is a nice program and if you follow the schedule, you will see results. Shaun T is funny and friendly in the workouts and his personality is one of the things that keeps me coming back again and again. Also, his crew are fun and flexible. If you are not experienced enough, you can follow Tania who demonstrates an easier version of the workouts. The first few times, I followed her but after week 2, I pretty much followed Shaun.<br /><br />The other thing that I love about Hip Hop Abs is Shaun T's ability to instruct throughout each workout without sounding winded at all. I could barely breathe the first time I did Total Body Burn as my sweat were dripping all over my body and into the mat bun Shaun T was working out, talking, and smiling at the same time. Unlike other fitness instructors in various workout programs I did before, Shaun T actually feels human. As I exercised along the way with him, I felt as if he was in the same room working out with me as well. He was sweating like a human being and sometimes, puffing for air at the same time. I guess these are the reasons I like him so much that I am sticking with Hip Hop Abs Ultimate Result and eventually working my way up to Insanity.<br /><br />Last but not least, I have been motivated by <a href="http://fitocracy.com/">Fitocracy</a>, an online fitness community that makes working out fun. With each workout you log in, even the most insignificant one, you earn points. Gathering enough points will give you a level up. Right now I am in level 8 and it seems endless to me. Trisha from <a href="http://makeupfiles.com/">Makeup Files</a> was the one who hooked me up and I'm glad to do the same to those who are interested in joining. Please <a href="mailto:makeupblog@gmail.com">email me</a> and I'll send you an invitation as it is invitation-base for now.<br /><br />That's all for now. And oh, by the way, Happy Valentine's Day! May you have all the love and more!<br /><br />With love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br /><br /> P.S: Please show me some V-Day love by subscribing and following. Thanks a lot!

The Ghosts of Christmas Abs

Hi everyone, Last week, I took the whole week off because I was super busy. On top of that, I managed to lift enough weight to feel the pain...

Read more »