Five Lessons I Learned In November

Wait... It's December already?!

I can't believe we're almost at the end of the year again! I sometimes feel like a broken record when I'm in front of the screen typing away at the fact that we'll soon be bidding 2017 goodbye. It's quite scary though isn't it? How fast the time is moving, and so many has happened too. Just a side note, I did plan to update this post before I posted My Glossier Favourites but I thought I'd just get that one out of the way first.

I read Anna's blog (no surprise there - I am such a fan girl, she's such an inspiration!) and she wrote a Five Highlights From The Month of November so I thought why not write something similar? I have quite a number of things I'd like to share with you, hoping that you'll gain something from this post too as I have of the past month.

Speak up because not everyone works the same way as you do, and that's okay. What's not okay though is to let others take advantage of you especially when you've been nothing but kind and understanding to them. It's not wrong to voice out something that doesn't seem right; I mean how else are you going to solve it if you don't know what the problems are?

                                 

Being patient is key, especially when you're working with other people. Again, everyone works differently than we do; sometimes their pace is slower than us, sometimes it's faster. When these things happen, we have to be patient. What's important is communicating with the people around you and it will all work out in the end, you'll see. Good things come to those who wait, because trust me; I KNOW. *Pats myself at the back*

While this may be harder to do (at least for me but I'm trying!) but saving up from what you earn is such a satisfaction. Ever since I started working, I've been able to buy things *exhibit A: Glossier... makeup...  food... SKINCARE *face palms** for myself and also for my family - but putting all that unhealthy and unnecessary splurge aside, I do have my savings and it makes me feel pretty good about myself. I feel like I'm a secure and responsible adult. Ha!

Offer a helping hand or words of encouragement because you never know who is in need of it. I don't know about you, but my day instantly gets better after helping someone out and after I posted 5 Ways To Keep Moving Forward On A Bad Day, three friends of mine messaged me and told me that they needed to read, see or heard what I wrote (which by the way made me THE happiest person alive and  I cried *actual* tears.) It genuinely makes me happy every time someone tells me that they enjoy  and/or feel good reading the contents that I publish on this world wide web.

And of course I started actual blogging this time. I've been reading a lot of other blogs to get some inspiration and a very dear friend of mine, Martine - other than the lovely Anna - actually got me into wanting to blog, for real this time. Though I still wouldn't call myself an actual blogger but it's still fun and I've got to say, I'm really enjoying it. I still haven't got to that stage where I'd pay for a custom domain and a nicer template yet but I'll settle for what I have for now.

Photos by: Sarah Haque

My Glossier Favourites

It's basically your skin, but better..

As most of you can probably guess, I have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with Glossier. When I say unhealthy, I mean my bank account was on its deathbed because the products aren't exactly drugstore priced. But I will say this, it's not super super expensive so in a way I guess it's fairly priced? *can't you see I'm trying to justify my crazy obsession?!*

I am someone who loves the 'no-makeup makeup' look, I opt for very light coverage, something that looks very fresh, dewy and healthy. I have a combination oily-to-dry skin but I'd rather look like an oil slick than the Sahara desert. Glossier gives me just that - from their skincare to the makeup. I adore it, and I've been meaning to write a dedicated post about it so here I am. I have yet to try ALL of their products, but it's fair to say I have quite a few (and I already repurchased one item!)

The first thing I bought as soon as they started shipping to the UK was the Glossier Phase 1 Set and it includes their best selling products which are the Milky Jelly Cleanser, Balm Dot Com and Priming Moisturizer. I absolutely love the Milky Jelly Cleanser and the Balm Dot Com (I have in the Birthday flavour) though I'm not the biggest fan of the priming moisturizer. I feel like it doesn't really do much - it did feel moisturising at first but nothing tops my Chanel Hydra Beauty Gel Creme - I wrote about this in my Sunday Splurge post. And I find that sometimes when I use it, I get tiny white bumps on my face. I don't know what it is but that can't be a good thing, right? Or it could be just my skin. I still use it though but only for the sake of getting my money's worth.

The Milky Jelly Cleanser is one of the most gentle cleanser I've ever used. It has a jelly like consistency to it, a faint rose smell and my face always feels like a baby's bum after every wash. It also claims to be a make-up remover, but I haven't experimented with that so I can't really tell. However, a few beauty bloggers and YouTubers such as The Anna Edit, Allana Davison and Ingrid Nilsen said that it doesn't seem to work as one so I don't even bother. I already have a back up (bought it on Black Friday!) so at least I won't have to spend another £18 + shipping for just one item.

I think I've mentioned what the Balm Dot Com is in my My Ultimate Go To Products For A Minimal Look post but it's basically a lip balm, or a universal skin salve, as they call it - this means you can apply it to your cuticles, dry patches, everywhere - and it really does gives an extra moisture and it smells like a birthday cake! Since The Anna Edit and Allana Davison loves the Skin Tint and Cloud Paint so much, you know I just had to get it for myself. I have the Skin Tint in dark and the Cloud Paint in Dusk. Again, I wrote about this so I won't add too much to it but I will say this - I bought it when Glossier had a pop-up shop in London for a few days a couple of weeks ago and you know your girl had to go. A couple of friends and I went straight from uni. The dedication and love is real.

I actually told myself after my latter purchases I wasn't going to spend anymore - boy, was I wrong about that! I caved in when I saw they had a 20% off on Black Friday (you can use this code for 10% off on your first purchase!) and decided to get the Glossier Phase Set 2. I mean, it's only fair that I do - I already have the set 1, might as well get the second one! Am I right? Hehehe.

As you can probably already tell, set 2 is more on the makeup side. The set includes it's best selling Boy Brow (I got in the shade Clear), the Stretch Concealer in dark and the Generation G sheer matte lipstick in Zip. What's not included in the set is the Haloscope - mine is in the shade Topaz.

The Boy Brow is a tinted brow gel and that's not much to say about it really - I mean I personally don't really do anything to my brows since they're pretty thick naturally, I just fill in any sparse areas with my Eylure Shape and Shade Brow Pencil and Tamer and set it with the clear Boy Brow. I don't really know how to judge it but it's alright, it sets my eyebrows into place.

The concealer has very light coverage and is very hydrating, especially under the eyes. If you're not into the 'natural' or 'is she even wearing any makeup' type of look, then this concealer is not for you. It does cover dark circles fairly nicely if you ask me, but it's not going to make you look like a China doll.  I do have to powder it though since my under eyes crease easily.

The Gen G's lipsticks are very sheer, it's kind of like a tinted lip balm (I swatched them all at the showroom) but it's not bad. Zip definitely has a lot more pigment than the other shades but it's alright. Not a must have but it's alright. I do want to get the rest of the shades though, just for the sake of having it. *RIP bank account*

Of course I had to get the Haloscope. I tested it when I went to the showroom and I love how subtle yet dewy the effect that it gave on my skin. It gives like this nice sun-kissed glow to your skin and I bloody love it. I honestly cannot get enough of the glow, I sometimes pound layers of it on and it still looks natural. Mind you, Glossier is not for everyone but if you really want to try their brand, I say go for it because I am already contemplating on giving myself an early Christmas present. And I don't even celebrate Christmas! God damn it..

How To Get Into Reading Books

There is no friend as loyal as a book.

-Ernest Hemingway

I have a friend, who actually happens to my best friend and we have been friends for a fairly long time and I suddenly remembered of what he told me years ago. As most of you know, I do see myself as an aspiring writer. I love writing, especially fiction, ever since I was a child. I love creating my own world with characters that is from my subconscious mind. I love giving them a life, feelings, thoughts of their own. Unfortunately, this friend of mine is the complete opposite of myself - but we are very similar to each other in many ways, we even share the same birth date, it's quite creepy actually - and he bloody hates reading.

Don't get me wrong, of course when he needs to read something he has to - like a text message, or a safety sign, or a menu at the restaurant. But reading for fun, he's not about it at all. So I thought to myself, there must be others like him who doesn't fancy picking up a story book and read for fun. And just that alone, I feel like they're missing out on one of the greatest pleasures in life. So, I've decided that I'm going to share about my tips on how to get into reading books, for those who doesn't like to read.

But of course if you're already into reading novels and any sort fictional piece, you can skip today's post. Unless you want to keep reading, which I don't mind at all. I'd love it if you do. It makes me feel very appreciated. Anyways, unto the actual content.

Start with short stories because sometimes reading a novel with 2000 pages can seriously bore and suck the life out of you, especially if you're just starting to get into reading. Short stories are more straightforward, there's no unnecessary plot and characters which can either be really enticing, or really boring. Most of the time it's really intriguing, because of its short sentences and the pace of it is really fast. Like a staccato musical piece.

As ridiculous as this may seem, when I find myself lost in the bookstore, I actually go straight to the very last page and read the ending. I don't know why but I am one of those people who genuinely love spoilers. I like knowing what's bound to happen; I feel as if I won't feel as sad or shocked when it does. Now I know not everyone (almost no one) enjoys a spoiler so how about flipping through its pages randomly and stop to read a line or two? From there onwards, you might decide whether you'd want to continue reading it or not. It won't spoil the whole book for you, it'll be like a preview or a trailer; you only get to see pieces of it.

Of course, if you still feel like that's not enough to intrigue you, you can always start at the beginning. Sometimes a jump start is all we need, right? The next thing you know, you're already at the end and somehow you'll feel lost, as if you're longing for something - or someone. One that you've never even met. And that'll be the one of the saddest feeling you'll ever experience.

When I find myself lost in the words of another human soul, I feel everything all at once. I know then I found myself a 'good book'. But if you ask me, there's no such as a good or a bad book. It's all comes down to you because at the end of the day, you're the one who's going to experience it. If you feel like you found a piece of material that makes you feel everything all at once, you've found yourself a good book. Keep reading it.

Reading a book, whatever book it may be, can really help you in life. It was actually from reading that I decided I wanted to become a writer (duh, that's an understatement Haziqah *rolls eyes*). The first book I ever read that made me want to become a writer was, The Midnight Hand by Paul Stewart. This book genuinely made me feel so many emotions, I cried by the time I got to the end of it. And I can still recall the first day I picked it up in English class back in year 8, when our teacher told us each to grab a book and read for 10 minutes before starting our lesson. It was the best decision I ever made picking up this book.

I don't exactly have a copy of The Midnight Hand with me though, which is a shame. I should add that on my list of many things to purchase (at least I'll feel less guilty when it's not all just skincare products and makeup hehe) and take a walk down memory lane when I have it in hand with me. If you're wondering, the photos I used for today's post are just random books I have in my collection with me, most of my other books are sitting in a pool of dust back home in Malaysia.

There are many ways a book has affected me; as a writer and also as a person. I hope that you can find solace in books, when all else seems like it's crumbling apart. I hope that when you find a book that's worth every second of your time, you'll be able to find another and fill that void that is missing from your heart. I hope that one day, when I have a book of my own, I'll be able to inspire others, make others feel everything all at once with my words. There simply isn't a better feeling than that.

5 Reasons To Keep Moving Forward On A Bad Day

Because life isn't always a ray of sunshine...

Everyone has days where nothing seems right and you just can't help but think of the worst possible scenarios. As you grow older, life will certainly catch you off guard and whether you're ready for it or not, you're going to have to face the challenges. Before you sigh into oblivion, look at the world around you. You have so much, when there are others who have so little. Some have nothing at all. Though bad days are unavoidable, it doesn't mean that you can't find look for a silver lining from those days.

I thought I'd share some of the things that I usually do and the things that I hold on to whenever I feel like the entire world is against me.

Listen to your favourite songs. Sometimes music and the songs you love, communicates with your soul better than anyone can.

Look at where you are now, who would have thought that you had the ability to fight all the negativity and demons that is in your mind telling you to stop and give up? You certainly didn't think you could, but you did. You've walked for miles and miles from the beginning, you can damn well walk for another thousand of miles ahead.

Regardless of how little you have, there will be someone else who has nothing. Give something back, you'll actually feel better. It may not be much to you, but it could be literally change someone else's life. Personally, I don't think there's a better feeling than being able to provide and help those in need. Why does a  pack of sandwich comes in two pieces? Because it's meant to be shared. You won't lose anything, you'll actually end up receiving something in return.

It could be seconds after, it could be tomorrow, a year later; no matter when it happens, you will gain something. And I speak from personal experiences. Everything I'm writing about now is based on personal experiences.

Tell yourself it's okay, because it is. "I failed an exam," it's okay. "I didn't get to submit my work on time," it's okay. "I spilled coffee all over my new white jeans" it's okay. IT IS OKAY. You can relive the exact same moment a million times over and none of them could happen, and you'd still have a bad day. It's only a bad day, if you decide that it is. 

And of course the most important reason of it all is, you are alive. There is no better reason to keep moving forward other than the fact, that you are indeed, alive. Regardless of what it is you're going through, you are still alive. Pain is inevitable, but it is also temporary. I know some may have it worse than others, but as long as you still have a soul in your body, keep moving forward. After all, you have already travelled so far - why should you ever want to stop now?