From the bottom of Bikini Bottom

Once there was an ugly barnacle. He was so ugly that everyone died. The end.

- “The Ugly Barnacle,” a very short story told by Patrick Star on the Spongebob Squarepants episode titled “Something Smells”

Yes, I still watch cartoons but I have no love for Spongebob. I find it much too hysterical. I only put up with it because my nephew forces me to watch it with him and I cannot say no to him.

The episode I quoted above, though? It is beyond awesome. In fact, “The Ugly Barnacle” was the first thing I thought of when I got these in the mail:

I am a recent convert to Rescue Beauty Lounge and its selection of extremely chic nail polish colors. I didn’t get immediately excited over the Spongebob-inspired shades, though. I wanted loud colors and vampy goodness. But Starfish Patrick was so pretty and perfect for the kind of perpetual not-quite-summer-but-not-really-anything-else climate we have in my corner of the cosmos. When RBL owner Ji Baek announced on Facebook that stocks of Starfish Patrick were running low, I just had to get it for myself. And Bikini Bottom, too. Because I’m a sucker for blue.

Starfish Patrick is described as a sheer, peachy coral — not pink like its namesake. It looks like an extremely flattering shade for most people with warm skin tones.

Isn’t it pretty? I used four coats here and it still looks pretty sheer. (Why am I rhyming? ) Not that I’m complaining.

I took these pictures two days after applying the polish and my manicure still looked fresh.

The brush was a bit stiff, though. I couldn’t get it to curve around the sides of my nails. I tried bending the bristles against the mouth of the bottle to make them more pliable and it worked. Application was better by the second coat.

Brush issue aside, I lucked out with this shade. Barely a week after I ordered it, it was sold out. And I have a feeling I’ll be using it up before long, it’s that wearable.

Here’s its sister, Bikini Bottom.

Bikini Bottom is described as a “pale, watery blue.” I say it’s the perfect pastel. And I love that it’s almost the same color as the box it came in.

I took this photo under a desk lamp I unearthed in my brother’s room, so the quality is much better than the photos from my previous posts. Bikini Bottom shows much brighter, though. In real life, it’s muted and kind of cloudy and milky.

Here’s a photo I took in plain indoor light. This is closer to what Bikini Bottom really looks like.

Oddly, this is the kind of shade I reach for when I need a pick-me-up. Other people cheer themselves up with pink, orange or yellow. I go for blue. Go figure.

Bikini Bottom applied smoothly, but there was some bubbling because my coats were thick. I really need to work on that. Thing is, unlike other polish brands and formulas that tend to bubble and mess up your manicure when you do thick coats, Bikini Bottom’s surface remained smooth and glossy. The bubbles stayed below the surface.

How cool is that? It makes me want to fly off to some remote island and go swimming in the ocean.

The only shade I didn’t get from the Spongebob-inspired set is Square Pants, a sheer yellow. I cannot wear yellow nail polish. It makes me look sickly.

And now, this post has made me want to take off my full Bikini Bottom manicure and swatch my other RBL shades so I can show them off.

Post edited on 24 July 2011 to add new pictures.

Rescue Beauty Lounge nail polish is sold exclusively on the company’s website for USD18 each. No barnacles were harmed in  the writing of this post.

Super splurge, or Why superheroes are more awesome than you

I have a love-hate relationship with bazaars. On the one hand, they’re great places to buy clothes, accessories and even food that you normally won’t find in the malls. On the other hand, and depending on where you go, the merchandise isn’t all that cheap. There’s very little room to breathe and you have to squeeze through tight knots of people. And because most stocks are limited, you end up impulse-buying.

That said, I’m glad I went to the SuperSale Bazaar at Rockwell yesterday. (My wallet isn’t.) Since I started buying nail polish from sellers on Multiply, I’ve been on the lookout for physical stores so can see the merchandise for myself. I’ve also been looking for cute, affordable clothes and accessories that don’t look like what everyone else is wearing. And I figured, if I’m going to the bazaar anyway to buy swimsuits for Mumu, I might as well make the most of the trip and pick up a few items for myself.

The SuperSale Bazaar had a good mix of stores selling clothes, accessories, shoes, make-up and other beauty stuff. Unlike most bazaars I’ve been to, the store/business owners themselves were manning the stalls. The I ones I spoke with were extremely nice, gave me tips on pairing clothing pieces and accessories, and let me know where I can find them online. The Rockwell tent is tiny, though. Next time, I really should go in the morning so I can leave before the afternoon crowd arrives.

I wasn’t able to visit every stall. I avoided the ones selling dresses and swimsuits (except Soak Swimwear for Mumu’s swimsuits) so as not to get frustrated because the scars on my legs haven’t faded yet. There was one stall that looked like it had a lot of nice clothes but the store owners were chatting at a tea table right in the middle of the stall and there was no room to browse. Tip: If you want to sell clothes, don’t block the merchandise.

In any case, I left the bazaar with a much lighter wallet, aching feet and pretty awesome loot.

First up, these T-shirts from H.P.E.

Generic grey tee can go with almost anything.

How cute are those elephants?

I love these vintage-style tops from Sunday’s Best.

I almost passed on this lace-trimmed tank top because the tag said it was a large. (I’m a small-to-medium.) I’m glad I didn’t because it’s so pretty and fits me perfectly.

This blouse looks like something my grandaunts would have worn when they were teenagers. It’s the priciest of the clothes I bought. Not that I’m complaining. It’s gorgeous.

This tiered blouse is my favorite. Goes well with jeans or tailored pants.

I would have bought more pieces from this store but there were a lot of people in the stall by the time I got there and browsing was a bitch. I forgot to ask the sellers if they’re always at the SuperSale Bazaar. I’m going to the next one just to visit them.

I intend to wear these three tops to work. The tank top needs a jacket or cardigan so I bought this, from Pirouette:

Yay for styling skills! I don’t think this top is designed to lie flat.

Of course, my shopping experience would not be complete without nail polish. I bought Nyx Girls Mermaid Green and Zoya Lana from Digital Traincase:

I’ve purchased nail polish from them before, from their Multiply site and at the last SuperSale Bazaar. They don’t have as many Nyx shades as they used to, but I’m glad they stocked Zoya. Shades are limited, though — mostly pinks and reds. I hope they stock more blues, greens and greys (they sold those on Facebook and stocks ran out before I could order).

Now, my shopping trip should have ended there. After all, I had new clothes , two new bottles of polish, Mumu’s swimsuits and a pair of banana yellow flats that I forgot to photograph. But of course it didn’t. Because earlier in the day, I passed by a stall selling imported make-up and perfume and saw two small boxes sitting innocently on a shelf beside a row of perfumes. And I figured I could live without them. After all, what use is a limited edition, no-longer-available nail polish if you own similar shades, right?

But no.

I couldn’t pass on them.

Because Wonder Woman?

She is more awesome than you and me.

And while I have lots of blues and a few reds in my stash, I don’t own these shades.

These are Obey Me (a vivid candy red) and Spirit of Truth (a deep navy blue creme) from MAC’s limited edition Wonder Woman collection. I bought them from Belleza, which sells Benefit, Too Faced, Urban Decay, Victoria’s Secret and MAC make-up. I would have picked up an eyeshadow palette but I couldn’t make up my mind which one to get. So I passed.

I’m quite satisfied with Wonder Woman. And the candies, which were free with my purchase.

I shall swatch these very soon. In the meantime, I leave you with this:

Harry: "Accio Wonder Woman!"

Verisimilitude*

*With thanks to Maan, who can throw such big words in regular conversation with panache.

There are few things more beautiful than freshly baked molten chocolate lava cakes coming out of the oven.

Or reconnecting with friends you haven’t seen in years. And realizing, with relief and gratitude, that nothing much besides waistlines and dress sizes have changed, and these are still the same people you became friends with all those years ago.

I’m getting ahead of myself.

Three weeks ago, Maan celebrated her birthday and Ginny decided to invite our English Lit college block — the birthday girl, Perly, Techie Quirino and myself — to lunch at her house.  I can’t even remember the last time I was at Ginny’s house. I think it was when we had to cram one of many papers for Post-Colonial Lit. We went out for lunch or dinner a few times after graduating. The last time was back in 2008. A lifetime for some people.

It was a rainy  Saturday when our little group took a cab to Ginny’s place. While it would have been nice to dine outside and enjoy a view of the herb garden, the smells of hearty soup and roasted meat were quite enough to chase away the gloom.

As were company and conversation. I forgot to take a picture of the roasted pumpkin soup before digging in because my friends and I were too busy catching up on each other’s lives.

Talk of careers (could use a bit more focus but I’m getting there), boyfriends (why, hello, how’s the weather over there?) and quarter-life crises (I was 19 until I turned 30; now, I’m 21. We will never be old.) was inevitable. But mostly we gushed about the food.

The food was excellent.

Ginny had sent us a menu in advance, and I already knew how elaborate her lunches can be from the photos she posts on Facebook. So I came in buffet mode — meaning I wore a dress so I wouldn’t have to worry about a denim waistband tightening around my stomach with every serving. And I refrained from inhaling everything on my plate in a matter of minutes.

There were two appetizers, two main courses and two desserts. No rice, so I didn’t feel bloated even after eating two meat dishes with potatoes and pasta.

The highlight of the meal was the freshly baked molten chocolate lava cake.

We made the cakes together. I was in charge of melting the chocolate and butter on a double boiler until it was smooth, thick and glossy.

The cake was served with vanilla ice cream and brewed coffee. I must buy a new oven so I can make these for family lunches. I don’t think my dinky oven can handle this much awesomeness.

After all that food, we were all quite ready to be rolled into bed. A cup of hot tarragon tea with a teaspoon of honey woke our senses just enough so we could get home.

Thank you, Ginny, for getting everyone together and preparing a glorious lunch. Hope to see you all again very soon.

Dear President Noynoy…

Nearly a third of my performance bonus went to the government. I expect all of you to perform to my satisfaction.

Sincerely,

Your boss