Because @joyjarumayan pumped up my Halloween Spirit!

Anyone close to me knows that I have this thing about Halloween. Halloween is like my personal holiday and through the years I’ve celebrated it in my own little way by playing dress up and attending Halloween parties. 

Halloween 2009 at Amber, The Fort

BTS Engagement Shoot at Sweet Harmony Gardens

I found a way to lessen my photo loaded entries because I most of the time let the pictures do the talking themselves. I have many events coming right up and I've got to find a way to segregate pictures so I asked my sister to teach me how to lay out pictures using photoshop. Excuse the photos, these are my first ever try at the program and the pictures are all raw. 

We had the opportunity to tag along at my friend and former colleague, Veeya's pre-nup photoshoot with Nice Print Photography. The last time I saw Veeya was during our good friend, Chubi's wedding and that's more than a year ago. She and her beau were already making plans of getting hitched and now we're a couple of months away from the big day.  (Plus: She's 5 months to family way as well!) 

Couple: Veeya Monteclaro & Louie Fadul

Official Photographer: Nice Print Photography

Hair: Aprille Araguas

Make up: Kristine Araguas

Photos by Aprille Araguas

Venue: Sweet Harmony Gardens, Taytay, Rizal 

The Venue and pictorial site

Stress-resistant Dipliner

I’m not really a huge fan of eyeliners but I’ve always liked how eye muk-up lightened Kim Kardashian’s already pretty face.

So since it’s too dyahe to wear make up to my current job, I decided to use eye-liner instead to make me look “awake”.

My former boss (and friend) Julie, introduced me to this really cheap dip liquid eye liner called Fashion 21 dip liner. It basically has the requirements that I want in an eye liner:

• Easy to use/apply.
• Water/Tears/Sweat Resistant.
• Long-wearing.
• Very handy.
• Very affordable.

I call it stress-resistant eyeliner! 

Combined googled pictures of Kim Kardashian

Maybelline's Unstoppable Mascara & Fashion 21 Black Dipliner

I have nothing but good things to say about this liquid eyeliner because I swear, I tried another Dip Liners (like the local brand, Ever Bilena) but it did not come close to Fashion 21.

Once applied it dries easily and when dry, it becomes what they call “rubberized” so it’ll be on your lids for the entire day. For easy removal you have to use baby oil and cotton buds to remove because water and alone, sometimes is not enough. Unless you really rub your lids hard enough to take them out.

For best results, after applying the mascara, use Maybelline’s mascara.

Engagement Shoot collaboration with @ellipra

When my sister invited me to do the styling and creative directing for her colleague's photo shoot to be held at Museo Pambata I immediately said "Gow!" for these reasons:

• I've never been to Museo Pambata
• I need a break from grad school 
• I need to do something that I looooove to do!

My sister, Aprille, introduced me to the couple. We were running against time so all the pleasantries happened during the preparation (read: hair and make-up).

The couple was very easy to work with, they were shy and not the PDA type of couple but they gamely posed when instructed to do so. We were done shooting after 2 hours!

I chose my personal favorite shots of the couple. The complete set is on my sister's blog.

Date: September 2011
Venue: Museo Pambata, Manila
Photos taken and processed by: Aprille Araguas
Creative Director: Kristine Araguas


When I found these typewriters sitting quietly at a corner, I immediately had an idea on what to do with it! 

We played with the typewriter concept

We had to make use of the stairs of the miniature old house exhibit...

There's a fake grass and even though there were kids running everywhere, the couple gamely posed and got the job done!

We saw this cute barbershop and thought of an on-the-spot shot:

This is such a cute church! I was inside the church while this photo was taken because I had to hold the door.

These candid shots were taken inside the replica of the human intestine. I was outside giving directions through the holes.

It's a good thing the fire station display provided costumes for kids.

We had the train shot by end of the day because we couldn't find the proper timing where no one is sitting on the train. 

Of course, what's a pre-nup shoot without the "silhouette of a kiss"...

Complete set of the pictures at: Aprille Araguas' Official Website.


All photos are processed and edited by Aprille Araguas.


It's very challenging to do an on-site concept shoot but I enjoyed it because the venue provided lots of inspiration. I've done and participated in pictorials before but this is the first time that I only met the couple on the day (actually on the set) of the pictorial so the concept and poses were all on the spot. There were no costume assignments or prior instructions or preparations. 


It's a good thing that the couple gamely posed for us and it's a good thing that their official photographer was also accommodating and friendly. I thought I would only instruct my sister who's taking the candid shots, but it turned out I directed and assisted two photographers (amateur and professional) at the same time.

UPLB's 93rd Loyalty Day

Loyalty Day is like the alumni homecoming of UPLB. When I was seven years old, I look forward to UPLB's Loyalty day because it's like a UPLB-wide festivitiy complete with floats, sky divers, family picnics, balloons and street dance/show.  



Last year it fell on a Sunday and I was able to enjoy a family picnic together with my good friends, the awesome and fabulous Jarumayan sisters who all came home to elbi all the way from Makati just for the loyalty day.


And last year was the first time after more than 10 years since I last watched the parade. This year, I was not expecting that I would be "joining" the parade and I'm not even in my "home court".

Assembly

Found my friend Franco covering for UPLB FI

Friendly CEAT Peeps

Look at the long line

Our Bosses getting ready with dressed balloons

I actually don't know what they're doing

Lines are arranged by color and by department

This is where each department/college will present

On our way to present our college cheer

We are CEAT

We are here to fight, 

Fight, for nature,

to make it green and bright!

(I learned the words 5 minutes before we went live and I hope the cameras didn't catch me laughing)

Then our bosses released the balloons and some Chinese lanterns

Up, up and away they go

While the guests and the big bosses looked on

Everything is going well and we're excited to go back to our college (naks! "our" na talaga) for the Centennial Luncheon when...

 

 

One of our Chinese Lanterns got caught up in a tree!

Anyway, we didn't burn the tree naman. I think  it died a natural death. I had a good time at the parade because it wasn't that hot though I was wearing a college shirt over my blouse.


Too bad I didn't get to see my friend Aya, we could have shared a 5 minute laugh-fest, before we hit the parade. We had to go first before her team.


Happy 93rd Loyalty day, UPLB! 

Fishtail braids

Saturday Morning at the Boutique.

My sister Apy: "Ate you know what fishtail braid is?"

Me: "No."

Apy: "Here, I'll show you...I've seen it on tumblr"

Then she whipped my hair up and created a "fishtail braid". 

Here are the fishtail braids, also known as Herringbone or Fishbone, as I've seen on tumblr.

1. View from the top:

Source

2. Wearing it laid-back  hippie-style:

Source

3. Long prepared fishtail braid.

Source

4.) Meant for demo fishtail braid:

Source

5.) Last but definitely not the least, my sister Aprille's impromptu fishtail braid!

It's wide and thin at the same time!

I googled how to make one. You can try it out by clicking here.

Museo Pambata

When I found out that my next project location would be in Museo Pambata for a pre-nup photo shoot, I immediately grabbed the opportunity even though it means getting up early and going home late on a Sunday.

I've never been to Museo Pambata, not even on a field trip. When I first found out that the couple that we'll be shooting wanted to have their pre nup pictorial taken at the museo pambata musuem, I wondered what the place will look like.

But more to that pre-nup in the coming days...

Anyway, since it's something new, so I asked my sister to take snap shots of the place as well.

Digital Perm: Solution to join the waves when you couldn't beat 'em

I used to have super straight hair when I was younger until I decided to curl it when I was in 6th grade, and after that, it  never went back.

So since I was seventeen, I've been getting hair treatments from hair relax, straight, then finally hair rebond. I've always been really careful when it comes to my hair because it takes forever to grow back so every haircut is very well thought of.

They said once you get your hair rebonded, you can not downgrade (meaning relax or straight). So half of my hair has already been growing it's natural waves that it's becoming impossible for me not to wear my hair up in a pony tail.

So last month, I decided, I'll screw the waves and have everything curled so that it'll look united. Since it's my first time to get digital perm, I took photos of the process.

 This is what the salon looks like. It's  a good thing that Tony and Jackey has a near branch and they have an ongoing promo. I paid Php4000.00 for the LOreal perm + Keratin Treatment+ haircut.