Beauty Creations | Plump & Pout Plumping Lip Liner 💋

Love me a lip plumping product! Plumping glosses have been a part of my everyday makeup for a while now and, I always have fun trying new ones. This is my first time trying a plumping lip liner tho.

Earlier this month, my mom gave me this Beauty Creations Plump & Pout Plumping Lip Liner in the shade So Flirty 02 (love the name), which is a dusty rose,"my lips but better" kinda shade.

I don't really own too many lip liners but, I've been loving this one cuz it's very long lasting, smudge-proof and super easy to work with. It's true that lip liners last longer than lipsticks. I like to use it to fill my lips instead of just outlining them and I sometimes I apply some lip gloss on top to keep my lips hydrated.

It is defo smudge proof and long lasting, two things I really appreciate in a lip product.

It has shea butter and jojoba oil so it glides smoothly, the tip is very thin so it's easy to outline the lips and, like every plumping product, it gives you a slight tingling sensation that lasts for like a minute, hehe. It has a creamy texture and it doesn't feel thick or heavy on the lips.

I don't really know how much plumping it really does but, I really like the color. It has become one of my go-to, everyday lippies.

My lips with and without the lip liner.

I think that's it for this short makeup post. Not Halloweeny, I know but, It's a product I've been loving lately so, I had to share.

Let me know if you know any good plumping lip products, I'd love to try! Hehe.

See you next time~!💋

| Spookifying The Month | October So Far~ 🧙

Half of the month has already gone and I feel like it has flown by so fast! Since it's my favorite month, I wanted to have a short midmonth recap just to catch up and share a bit of what I've doing so far. 

Honestly, the month has been busy with work so I haven't been out a lot but, I'm still incorporating seasonal things to my everyday to make it more whimsy.

Starting with my decor. As you might already know, I love to decorate for Halloween. Sometimes I do it weeks before October starts. I have to have everything ready by Oct. 01st. This year wasn't the exception, but, I didn't go all the way out with it, dunno why. And, I have to say I haven't bought many new things, I'm using what I already had from other years. 

There's something cozy about having Halloween decor in the apartment. I also did some decoration at work but, I don't have pics of that.

Now, I'm someone who watches horror all year round so, this year I wanted to focus on watching more Helloweeny, fun things throughout the month. And yeah, I've watched some horror (especially Japanese horror) but, I'll share just the cutesy seasonal stuff for now.

First, I finally watched It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown I wanted to watch it last year but, for whatever reason, I never did. It was my choice to welcome the month and, it was soooo worth it! It was cute, fun and perfect to add a little Fall/Halloween something to my day. It was also my first time paying attention to a Charlie Brown cartoon, I really enjoyed it.

Moving on, my sister and I started this tradition of going to the movies as soon as Fall or October stars, and get seasonal Krispy Kremes on that same day. This year instead of horror, we went with my mom and watched Practical Magic 2. I was really looking forward to it and, it took us a while to go watch it. Idk what others think of it, really. I haven't paid much attention to the reviews but, I love the 1st movie and I really enjoyed this one too. It made me so emotional I even cried.

In my head, I was going to watch so many shows and movies but, sometimes I am super tired at the end of the day and I don't wanna focus on anything so, my list of shows isn't long at all. I was SO excited when I found out Haunted Hotel released a second season. I loved season 1 last year and this year was not the exception. If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it, it's so fun and cozy to watch.

Lastly, we have Is it cake? Halloween 2026. I watch this shows every year, only the Halloween specials, haha. It's just so entertaining, not scary at all but, still keeping the seasonal magic.

And, I think that's it for shows & movies. There are still shows I want to finish watching this month so, we'll see how that goes. Let's move on to what I've been reading so far...

I'm going to mention 2 books even tho maybe it's officially just one, haha. But, at the beginning of the month, I read Baby Monsters Dracula as a fun, little way to start the month on a working day. My mom gave me the book as part of my Halloween gifts last year because I love vamps and, I never really read it. It was honestly really cute.

The other one is Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu, a vampire book I really wanted to read after listening to so many people recommending it, especially if you liked Dracula. It was a short read, but I really liked it. I'm hoping to read another book before the month is over, I just haven't decided on one yet.

When it comes to going out, I've been in the hunt for seasonal drinks and food and, even tho I've been out & about, not everything has been completely seasonal. Of course part of that has been buying Halloween gifts, lots of window shopping and visiting a few places that are or have seasonal stuff. Not too many tho~

Seeing things like these even at the supermarket makes me SO happy! 

Every year I go to the Alfeñique Fair, which starts earlier each year, OMG. This was supposed to start at the end of the month cuz it is to celebrate the Day of the Dead, I mean, I don't mind going earlier but, yeah. I've gone twice so far, the first time was with my sister. We went there early cuz we didn't want it to be super crowded as it usually is, we did find some people but, we were able to walk around, check the stalls and decoration. Surprisingly, we didn't buy anything but, it was a nice Alfeñique date. Hehe.

I love how colorful everything is.

Another annual tradition for me is going with my friends to Macadamia Gourmet and have their seasonal menu. So, we had a witchy date, caught up and enjoyed some seasonal drinks. We had to take a pic with the skelly they always have, he's our friend now, haha. After delish drinks, we decided to walk around the fair, this time at night to see everything illuminated. It was SUPER crowded as expected but it was defo a different vibe. Plus, we saw a lot of great costumes, people taking pics and eating street food. 

I have to share some of the other seasonal yummsies I've had so far...

From left to right: Krispy Kreme Pumpkin Cheesecake Donut, that was soooo good, I liked it more than last year's pumpkin spice donut, Pumpkin Spice from The Coffee, you know I had to. Plus, they gave us some stickers with our drinks. And, the Chicken Frankie sub, Subway's Halloween special. It may not look that good but, it's delicious.

Since not everything in my life can be going out and all that fun stuff, I've also tried to keep the whimsy in my everyday activities at home, a super easy and free way to spookify my normal and not so exciting adult days.

One thing I love to do is to use my Halloween mugs, glasses, plates, napkins. Everything that can turn a normal meal into a fun one.

Other simple things are adding witchy touches like, magical looking eye patches, putting a fun outfit together (this one was Gillian Owens inspired), paying attention to those small messages that can make my day better. I don't have pics of this but, I also changed my bag charm to a bat one, I'm taking a bats tote to work and we can't forget about my Halloween tees and accesories. 

I can't finish this post without including some Halloween pressies I have recieved so far. To me, Halloween season is like my Christmas and I love it when people think of me during the season. So, I really appreciate and love these things. I recieved some of these at the end of September but, yeah, I'm still including them here.

I'll share a bit more about the pressies in another post later in the month. ❤ 

And, that's it for now, I didn't think this midmonth recap will be this long! It's been fun so far even tho I still don't know what I'm going to do on actual Halloween, I'm just enyojing whatever comes. 

Hope you're having an amazing and magical month. 

See you next time~!💋

🔖 Recent Reads: Carmilla 🧛🏻‍♀️

I wanted to read this book for a while now. You know I love vamps and, I’ve seen people recommending it if you liked Dracula since it was written 25 years earlier and inspired the vampire archetype we know.

Carmilla is a gothic horror novella by Joseph Thomas Le Franu, it was published in 1872. The story is about a 19 year old young woman named Laura who becomes the target of a female vampire, Carmilla. It is set in the 19th century in Austria. 

                                          

It is a very short story, you can easily read it in a day if you dedicate the time to it. Even tho the story is not the same, it did feel pretty similar to Dracula. I loved the way it was narrated and the complex relationship between Laura and Carmilla; it was dangerous and intense, sometimes romantic and others friendly. Kind of addictive in a way. You know, vampires~

I have to say tho, I didn't like the edition I bought. Cuz look, I don't really know much about publishing houses, editions and all that fun stuff, I'm still learning a lot about books and the reading journey so, I chose the cover I thought was the prettiest. And I don't mind the fact that it is a paperback book and it was independently published but, the way it was printed was just ugly. The text is not properly laid out on the pages and that's annoying but, that's my fault for not reading the reviews when I bought it. Oh well~ But, all in all, I think this is a perfect story if you want something dark and mysterious but, beautiful at the same time.

SO annoyed with this~

And well, connected to Dracula, I decided to read this kids book my mom put in my Halloween gift last year, it's really cute. It was a very quick read (took me like less than 10 minutes) but a fun way to start the month. And, since I was not going to make a full post dedicated to it, I'm including it here, hehe.

It is called Baby Monsters Dracula and it's basically Dracula's story in a cute version. Instead of killing him, they throw garlic into his mouth and he becomes human again. Sweet.

It only has 24 pages and comes with some activities at the end of the story, some stcikers and a paper mask. I didn't do the activities but, they look fun. 

And, that's it for this short book post, I want to read more vampire stories but, I also feel like reading something darker and scarier next. We'll see. If you have any recommendation, please feel free to tell me!

See you next time~!💋

Spooky Halloweeny Haul

It's time for a spooky haul cuz yeah, I've been collecting a few things and I'm so excited to share them with you, you know I am, hehe. I know, I said I've been trying to be more intentional with my seasonal shopping but, that doesn't mean I won't buy anything at all, that's just impossible! Haha.

Not everything is Halloween tho but, I just wanted to add some horror related stuff too just so I don't have to share them on a separate post. 

And, I think I'm going to start with some things I bought earlier this year but never shared so, let's jump right into it!

Last year Walmart had some Universal Monsters goodies and, I remember getting this one on clearance back in January this year. It's slightly cropped and loose. I love how vibrant the colors on the pics are in contrast with the grey. Of course this is a all year round tee.

This coffin ring is from Temu. I believe they have it in red too. It's so pretty

 and honestly, a subtle way to include something spooky to your everyday, hehe.

I don't remember exactly when I got these socks but I know it was at the beginning of the year. They are from Cuidado con el Perro and I'm sure they were part of what they had left from the season. I couldn't resist to mummy cats, they are way too cute.

Those were the things I bought earlier in the year, now I'll move to the few things I've got this year. It hasn't been much now that I think about it. I'm not including the pressies cuz I don't want to spoil the surprise.

This black cat soap dispenser was from Prichos, the dollar store part at Walmart. I think it's a thing I can perfectly have all year round and, it's glass. The one I bought before was plastic so, this one is defo an upgrade, haha. 

I've seen these glasses online for a couple of years now and I really wanted to get one. I believe it started with the Anthropologie Halloween glasses that became super popular and then, other stores started releasing their own version. This year, I finally found Walmart's version and I had to get one. Honestly I just wanted the back cat and I was so lucky cuz I got the last one that was left in the store. It has this kind of bubble glass finish (I think that's how it's called) and it absolutely cute! It's defo my favorite thing from this haul. Love, love, love it.

Azus Hello Kitty Halloween lipbalm. I got some to include in my boo baskets this year and had to get one for myself too. Lipbalms are things I usually carry around with me so, I know I will be using it. They had 2 other designs, a mummy and a zombie. All of them are fun and smell like my childhood, hehe.

So, this year I've been having fun with some blind bags, it's kinda fun not knowing what you're gonnaa get, haha. I found this tiny Magic Academy crystal witch hats I think are meant to be charms but I want it for decor. They had lots of diferent crystals, I didn't have one in mind that I really wanted and, I got an aventurine witch hat.   

Here are all the tiny hats they have.

This might not be halloweeny but somehow, these eye patches felt witchy to me because of the glitter and stars on them. It makes them look magical and perfect for the season. I'm a sucker for eye patches so, it's another way to romanticize my October.

I almost forgot about this one but, lastly we have my bats tote bag. Honestly, quality is ok but, I can't complain since it was suuuuuper cheap. It's still pretty cute tho. It's made of muslin fabric, which makes it easy to wash. The only thing I don't love, is the fact that it only has the bat print on one side of the bag, the other is just plain. 

And, that is everything for this first haul of the season, I'm sure I'll end up sharing another one later in the month cuz, it's difficult to resist!

Would you like to see what I'm including in the Halloween pressies this year? Let me know!

See you next time~!💋

October/Fall Chit Chat: Living & Breathing My Fav Season Without Stress 🎃🍂

October and Fall are here, and that makes me really happy! It’s true when I say I want lo live and breathe Fall (and especially spooky season) as much as possible but, that also made me realize I used to put too much pressure on myself to pack as many seasonal activities as possible in one month or I’d feel like I was missing out.

I was thinking about that days so, I thought that I could have a little chitchat with you about it and also share some of the things I want to do this month to enjoy the season without stress, haha. This might be a little all over the place tho~ (I bet no one is surprised at this point).

When I was younger, had more free time and less responsibilities, I loved to plan my Halloween costume even months before actual October, plan lots of activities and places to go with friends and family and of course, buy a ton of new stuff every year. And don’t get me wrong, I still love all that but, we’re all adults with some not-so-fun responsibilities and priorities and sometimes it’s just hard to have a fun, big plan every week or weekend with everyone.

And, for the past few years, that idea made me feel like I wasn’t enjoying the season as I should. Of course there is no right or wrong way to enjoy a season but, it took me a while to understand it. It’s especially hard when you see people online doing all these fun, themed stuff “all the time” but you just have to deal with your everyday job and wait until the weekend to have some fun.

Last year I made a list of things I wanted to do throughout October, not as a to-do list, more as a reminder and to give me ideas of some things I could plan whenever I had the time. And it went pretty well, I didn’t do everything I wrote in there, but I can say I did at least half of it. And It wasn’t even all about going to places or events.

This year, I also made one, but I tried to focus on realistic things I know I can do and would actually enjoy. I'm not attending to a random Halloween party this year because last year I tried that and, it was a big fail. Dressing up for it was fun tho~

This time I want to stretch those things into November too cuz, even tho spooky season ends with October, November it’s still Fall, and it’s still perfect for cozy activities. Among the things I want to do this Fall are some of the things I didn’t get to do last year like taking a cementery stroll with a seasonal drink, baking cookies (I know I can do this anytime but Fall feels just perfect for that), and cook something comforting and seasonal. Continue with the traditions I have with friends and family, like getting the first pumpkin spice latte of the year with my mom, visit Macadamia Gourmet with my friends and try the seasonal menu, make boo baskets and prepare some gifts and go to the Alfeñique Fair. And, of course, a few new things such as going on a solo date and look for a spooky book, making time for some cozy hobbies like coloring and go back to the Inquisition Museum cuz I haven't been there in ages. Add to that, eating and drinkin as many seasonal yummies as possible.

As for my shopping, I've been trying to be more intentional with the Halloween things I buy, I already have too much decor so, I'm trying to get only pieces I love and know will have a place in my house. But, I still can't resist to get some random trinkets, haha. The rule this year was not to get anything for myself so people could have more options when putting my gifts together. (I might have broken that rule just a little).

I've also been looking for ways to romanticize the season even when I'm at home or working. Part of that is on the small things like having my coffee using my seasonal mugs, taking out the Halloween plates for whenever I eat something, watching some Halloweeny shows and movies and even sharing some seasonal stuff with my students. Haha. 

We're already a few days into the month so, of course I already started with some of these and, it feels great! I guess I'll share more of what I've done in a few weeks cuz you know, sharing is caring. LOL.

That's it for now, random, I know but, I've been feeling yappy lately~!

See you next time~!💋

Let the best part of the year begin! | September Recap |

September is a bittersweet month for me. On the one hand, it is the beginning of Fall, my favorite season that comes with so many fun things including my beloved spooky season but, on the other hand, it's the month we found out my dad was sick and the month we lost him. I don't think I've shared much about that in here. It's been 4 years now and it's still difficult. A part of me thought that I was not going to be the person who would remember the bad and would only remember the happy moments with him but, I realised I have no control over that and, at some point, all those memories just come back. So, this year I decided to accept I'm gonna feel emotional througout the month but, I'm also going to find the good in everyday and make it a better one. 

Part of those things were: paying attention to the little things that could make day a little magical, decorating for Fall, looking forward to a new episode of one of my favorite anime, etc. And, I also decided to take on a few small projects in the house. Plus, I've been fully back to work and, keeping my mind busy has helped a lot too.

An exciting thing was the fact that we finally have a Tim Hortons where I live! And by that I mean, really close to my place, which is a weird thing. My friend (aka Taichou) Aiden made me like Tim Hortons cuz he'd bring some cappuccino boxes everytime he visitied and, I really wanted to try more from their menu. Since it recently opened, it's always busy but we were lucky when we went for the first time cuz it wasn't as crowded. And even tho it's a small drive thru, it made me SO happy.

And, of course, Fall is here! And it always comes with some seasonal yummies. I usually buy some of the same things every year but, I love to find new ones to try. So far I've tried the Holanda Pumpkin Spice ice cream that, is pretty good but I wish was a little bit bigger, I also found an Olé Pan de Muerto cappuccino, it's a limited edition flavor. I thought was so fun and, it is delish. I need to get more next time I go to the supermarket. I've also gotten some Halloween cookies, regular cookies with Halloweeny designs. Last year I started trying pumpkin spice coffee from other places that are not just Starbucks, the first I had this year was a dalgona pumpkin from Miamoru Café, which is a Korean restaurant. I still love the Starbucks one but, there's something fun about trying new places too. 

Of course, there are so many more things I want to try cuz, you know, it's part of making the most out of the season.

I'm a little late with this but I want to make a Fall to-do list, last year I made one and I realized I was able to do most of the activites I wrote down. It's just a good way for me to remember the things I wanna plan and do througout the season (not just during October). And I was pretty flexible with it really, I remember I couldn't do a few things but, it was just fine.

I also started buying a few Halloween goodies for my boo baskets and Halloween pressies. It just makes me so happy.

And, I think that's everything when it comes to life updates, now let's move on to shows, books and some other favorites~

Starting with TV, I should've finished Bleach this month but, for some reason, they decided to delay the last 2 episodes so, we'll be watching them next month. I'm ok with it tho, I'm not ready for it to be over yet. I finally finished Manpuku which was a bit of a long show with 151 episodes but, I enjoyed every bit of it. There was something very comforting about watching it. Plus, it always made me hungry since there's a lot of ramen involved. Hehe. I finished Badly In Love season 2, loved it as much as I loved the first season. It's addictive! I hope they release another season soon. 

As for movies I recently (and finally) watched Obsession, really good, defo worth the hype and Gretel and Hansel, it was an interesting watch. I think I'll share more about those in a movie & shows post in the future.

The book I read this month was the Full Metal Panic! Collector's Edition 1, there's a separate post dedicated to it but, I loved it so, so much. It's fun, emotional and packed with action. It just reminded me of how much I love this story and the anime. I'm defo going to buy the other volumes. I need them all! Hehe.

And, I'm gonna finish this recap with a product I've been loving lately, the COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream I started using this month. It's the small size that came in the COSRX All About Snail Kit 4 In One. I've noticed a slight difference in my fine lines around my eyes, especially when I smile. It's not like they are completely gone but, they are not as harsh, if that makes any sense. And that's a big deal for me because I hate those fine lines and crow's feet.

 That's pretty much it for this post, guys. It's been busy but good, can't complain. I'm excited for the most wonderful time of the year (October) and what it'll bring, hehe. I really hope you had a good month. Feel free to share some of your plans for next month with me. I'd really love to know!

See you next time~!💋

🔖 Recent Reads: Full Metal Panic! | Collector's Edition 1 |

 My read this month was the Full Metal Panic! Collector's Edition 1 that I recieved as a birthday pressie back in June. Earlier this year, I read the FMP! Collector's Edition 3 that I'll link here cuz there I gave a little summary of what the story is about in case you wanna check it out. And yeah, I know jumping from the 3rd edition to the 1st is so out of order but, I've rewatched the anime so many times that, it doesn't really matter. 

In case I haven't mentioned it enough around here (hehe), Full Metal Panic! is one of my all-time favorite anime. It has a little bit of drama, action, comedy and... I love a guy in a uniform so, yeah.

The novel by Shoji Gatoh and illustrated by Shikidouji covers volumes 1 - 3 of the light novels and the first animated season of the anime, which I have to say, was not the one that introduced me to this show. Basically is the story of how the two main characters meet, how their relationship starts developing and all the military adventures they have to go through.

The cover is very similar to my previous book. Dark blue with silver deets and a pic if the Arbalest. I love how all the covers of these novels perfectly match. 

I'm including a pic of the back cover so you can see what the chapters are about.

I absolutely love the art in this book, and I feel like they incuded more color illustrations at the beginning of this one than in the other I have. 

I'm only including the covers of the novels but, there were other cool pics too.

I was fangirling all over again as I read it, so many memories and all the feels. Sousuke is a character I love so much but he can easily drive me crazy or make me angry, haha. Everytime there was something I started fangirling about, I knew he'd do something to ruin it and, I was right. I know my military freak~ 

Even tho I'm very familiar with the story, there were some things and characters I didn't remember much and I came to like and notice them more this time. There were some emotional moments and this super cute scene at the end but, nothing to make me cry this time. Surprise, surprise!

A part of me couldn't put it down but at the same time the idea of finishing it was a little bittersweet which is so silly cuz I can rewatch the anime anytime~ And I think I will at some point, hehe.

And that's that. Random book post. The idea is to continue collecting these babies, I think I need 2 or 3 more to have them all. I've been lucky to have them gifted but, I'll buy some of them too if I have to.

Please let me know if you've read or watched FMP! and, if you haven't, defo give it a chance. It's the best. Hehe.

See you next time~!💋🫡