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photo credit: Amazon.com

If you like a good historical crime mystery, a strong leading lady with a touch of romance then you will enjoy this book!

Set in the late 19th Century during the rise of Jack the Ripper in Victorian London, our heroine, Audrey Rose Wadsworth, is a highborn 17 year old lady with a passion of studying... postmortem bodies! (specifically forensic medicine)

The book can be gruesome with the descriptions but personally, that’s what makes it all too real and I never minded that at all. The romance is adorable, very young love with that love hate relationship but is all too relatable. Her partner, Thomas Cresswell practices the art of deduction (very Sherlock Holmes!) and is witty and sarcastic but also has a deeper quality to him. He is caring and loyal which makes you all the more smitten with him. 

SPOILER ALERT: 

I at one point, felt annoyed at her accusations because maybe I’m denial that it could not be true even though her evidence points to a particular person but I was pleasantly surprised that my hunch is right. 

Ube and Milk Tea&Oreo with Nutella Taiyakis

Pretty good ice cream although by the second time, grew tired of it. Still a must try since I’m pretty sure they’ll switch out the flavors.

Ube - sweet and creamy

Milk tea - tasted exactly what you expect milk tea to taste like. Very light and fresh

Oreo - I mean... it’s oreo ice cream

photo credit: Publisher’s Weekly

Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood who has concealed her powers of heat and flame from the cruel Frostblood ruling class her entire life. But when her mother is killed trying to protect her, and rebel Frostbloods demand her help to overthrow their bloodthirsty king, she agrees to come out of hiding, desperate to have her revenge. Despite her unpredictable abilities, Ruby trains with the rebels and the infuriating - yet irresistible - Arcus, who seems to think of her as nothing more than a weapon. But before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to compete in the king’s tournaments that pit Fireblood prisoners against Frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her - and from the icy young man she has come to love.

Review: This reminds me of another book called Red Queen so if you like that one, you will probably enjoy this one too. Without spoiling too much, it is a slow build in the beginning although that didn’t stop me from finishing it. I secretly hoped for a love triangle (I know, so cliche!) but it didn’t which I didn’t mind at all. There’s a mythology aspect that I want explored even further which also separates it from other similar novels. There is a surprise that I enjoyed because I didn’t think the story would lead to that. 

The ending is predictable but kept you wanting to know more of what happens next. Overall, a pretty good read. 

It’s been a while! I’m back while I’m on break so hopefully I keep this up HAHA

Dickinson’s With Hazel toner (Pore perfecting and Hydrating) ($4-6)

I absolutely love this particular brand’s toner. Been using it for years and every time I stop and come back to it, I wonder why I ever stopped in the first place. This keeps my face clear and soft and I have no complaints. 

Coty Airspun loose face powder (Naturally neutral) ($6-8)

Another oldie but a goodie. These powders take forever to finish! so soft and lovely on the skin. Smells like a grandma but for the price and how it makes my skin look is soo worth it. When my face is on the oily side, I press this on my skin. When it’s on the drier side, a light dusting is all you need. 

Fourth Ray Beauty Rose face milk ($10)

This hydrates my skin like no other. Smells like fresh roses and the packaging is so cute! My only complaint is that it’s so small with only half a fluid ounce. If they sell this in a bigger size I’ll for sure repurchase. 

Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid toner ($18)

My first time using glycolic acid and I think I’m in love! This made my skin soft and faded my hyperpigmentation. Currently trying out another glycolic acid toner so I’ll see which one I like best.

Loreal Voluminous Lash Paradise waterproof ($8-10)

 I meant to get the regular version but I accidentally grabbed the waterproof one. Me and waterproof mascaras just don’t get along. This didn’t do much for my lashes. I’ll purchase the regular version once I run out of other mascaras. 

Wander Beauty Unlashed Volume and Curl mascara ($24)

This mascara is beautiful! definitely added volume to my lashes. Will purchase another one and use it in conjunction with a lengthening mascara and hopefully find my perfect combo of mascaras. 

Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume mascara ($26)

I think I found my holy grail mascara and it’s this one. It’s advertised as a volumizing mascara but it did wonders on my lashes. So perfectly defined and lengthened each lash. Absolutely beautiful *chef’s kiss* 

Mac Eyebrow pencil in Spiked 

Did they discontinue this eyebrow pencil?! Because I can’t find it anywhere! This is my holy grail eyebrow pencil. Made my eyebrows PERFECT.. and now it’s discontinued. great. 

Butter London Stroke of Wow! Roll on precision liner ($19)

How can I say this properly... THIS PRODUCT SUCKED. Too watery to get a decent line and too watered down that the pigment just isn’t there. Did it help with my eyeliner application? No! it made it even harder. I’ll stick to my gel liners. 

Pur X-Faux lips Plumping lip exfoliator

Exfoliated and plumped my lips just like advertised. Sad to see it gone. Slightly minty on the lips and made my lips soft and supple. 

Fruit of the Earth Vitamin E Skin Care Cream ($3-6)

My daily moisturizer! smells light and natural and soft on the skin. Might be a tad heavy for summer but I haven’t found a light enough yet still hydrating moisturizer for my skin. 

Nichido sheer lipstick w/ shea butter in Pink Ice

My go to lipstick for a time. Just the perfect hint of a pinky orange that’s perfect for summer. 

Revlon Colorburst in 012 Cherry Ice

Are they still selling these? Bought this to replace my Nichido Pink Ice but it just doesn’t compare. Color is close enough but I don’t like the shimmer or the rough feeling when I put it on my lips. 

Revlon Colorburst in Pink Truffle and Candy Apple

Pink Truffle is the perfect your lips but better for my lips. These were all the age few years ago and dare I say, the first of the lip butters? Candy Apple is a nice sheer Snow White red. 

Nursing school is no joke. I feel like I was so stressed throughout the semester that I've lost weight and got it all back during finals week 💀

With the diet changes and lack of sleep, it all took a toll on my skin. Having oily skin, it was a surprise for my skin to suddenly dry up and eventually my skin was all bumpy with acne which stressed me A LOT more. It wasn't pretty and it was depressing.

I knew what I had to do. I needed to fix my diet, get adequate sleep and limit the products that I'm using on my face. After two months, my skin improved and was left with a couple of marks here and there that concealer can fix, thankfully!

Here are my tried and true products that I use whenever my skin needs some love and care :)

1. There are two cleansers that I use depending on the amount of makeup I put on that day. For those high coverage days, I first use the Pond's Cold Cream and rub it all over my face to melt the makeup. I wipe it off with a damp sponge then proceed with two washes of the Garnier Micellar foaming cleanser for oily skin. During light coverage days, I only use the Garnier cleanser.

2. After washing my face, I let it AIR DRY with a patting motion. Avoid using towels and such because those can harbor bacteria that will only aggravate your skin!

3. When it is about 80% dry, I spray my whole face with the Mario Badescu facial spray with aloe, cucumber and green tea. I think this product did wonders for my skin. Not only it moisturized my face but its all-natural ingredients calmed my skin.

4. If my skin is particularly drier than usual that day, I use the Whamisa Organic Flowers skin toner in deep rich all over my face. Apply this by putting a drop on your hand, rub then with a patting motion, apply on your face. One drop goes a really long way! I do this about 7 times letting it dry in between applications. 

5. On a usual basis and if I "accidentally" popped a pimple (which is nooo accident to be honest 💀), I apply the Thayers Witch Hazel rose petal toner on a cotton pad and apply it directly on the pimple to sooth my skin.

6. Last step is apply a light layer of the Snow White cream by Secret Key all over my face. This product contains Niacinamide which is a brightening agent. Other benefits include improving the appearance of enlarged pores, uneven skin tone and aging skin.

7. Other products that are really helpful are exfoliating scrubs. When I feel like my skin feels rough and I need to remove dead skin cells, I use Skin Food's black sugar mask which smells like lemons 🍋. To use this, put some product on your hand, apply a little bit of water depending on your preference and apply it to the skin. Leave it for a few minutes then wash it off. This will immediately soften and brighten your skin. When that product isn't enough, peeling masks are a MUST. Currently, I am using the Vivo dead sea minerals facial peeling. When rubbing the skin in a circular motion with this product, you can actually the tiny balls of dead skin being rubbed off. Another alternative to this product that I will be trying next is the Dr. G Brightening Peeling gel which I heard good things about.</p>

Remember, everyone's skin has its ups and downs. Don't obsess over having perfect skin and embrace your flaws and imperfections :)

Products mentioned:

Pond’s Cold Cream cleanser

Garnier Micellar Foaming Cleanser for Oily Skin

Mario Badescu facial spray with aloe, cucumber and green tea

Whamisa Organic Flowers skin toner in deep rich

Thayers Witch Hazel rose petal toner

Secret Key Snow White cream

Skin Food's black sugar mask

Vivo Dead Sea Minerals Facial Peeling Gel

Last night, Bryce and I took a break from our busy work and school schedules to spend some much needed quality time together.

First Stop: Kura Revolving Sushi Bar

Salmon, Mini Eel Box, Ten-Jyu

Banana Tempura

Kura is not the first in Houston to start a revolving sushi bar BUT they definitely took the conveyor belt idea to another level!

As soon as you walk in, there’s a tablet by the side of the door for you to sign in and when your table is ready, you receive a text. When seated, the conveyor belt full of sushi is either by your side or in front of you. There’s also a little screen where you can order sushi and in minutes your sushi will be delivered to you by another conveyor belt. After 15 plates, you get a prize!

Second Stop: Watch Black Panther

Absolutely enjoyed this movie! The soundtrack is amazing, wonderful actors and the story line is so relevant to our time. It touches on politics that one can’t help but associate it to current political issues. I cannot wait for Avengers: Infinity War and see more of Black Panther. It is definitely a must watch!

Finally…

Is it a date if there were no pictures? I’m kidding!

Bryce wore an Oakland G-Eazy tee, blue ripped jeans and Off-White x Nike Zoom Fly

While I wore an NYC long sleeved tee with black ripped jeans and my Blue Tint Yeezys

Any thoughts regarding:

Cali vs NY?

Trying on that Glossier model makeup look

I've really been loving seeing such natural looks that I created my own version of it! The look is usually a flawless face, minimal makeup and glowy skin that is just BEAUTIFUL. So here's my take on this makeup trend :)

Products used:

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous in 842

Coty Airspun loose face powder in naturally neutral

Mac eyebrow pencil in Spiked

Elf eyeshadow pot in Cruisin Chic

Tarte Tarteist mascara <\p>

Pür cosmetics bronzer in Mineral Glow

Colourpop blush in Between the Sheets

Colourpop highlight in Wisp

Colourpop UGL in Moon Child

Pictures are from yesterday’s date with my boyfriend

Enjoy the photos and see how we style our yeezys!

Venice: burgundy hoodie, black bomber jacket, black leggings & blue tints

Bryce: black tee, olive flannel, gray ripped jeans & beluga 2.0s

Hi everyone! I’m Venice, a nursing student and a food enthusiast! This blog acts as a medium to express my creativity, as well as an outlet to give me some relief from the stresses of college. I love taking photos of everything, making videos, and I also dabble in bujo and anything art related. Other hobbies include drinking copious amounts of coffee and finishing TV shows in record time!

I figured this is the perfect opportunity to start a blog and hopefully be able to keep up with it throughout the year.

Join me in my journey through school, life and relationships and hopefully inspire you to be creative and passionate in your life.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is your nationality? I’m filipino!