everything is a self-portrait.

One of my many small missions while in Paris was to experience and sample the three macaroni brands that I had always been hearing about: Ladurée, Pierre Hermé, and Angelina. It's hard to make a macaron taste repulsive, yet it still all comes down to a matter of preference. I think everyone has a different idea of what constitutes a great macaron. 

Arguably, Ladurée is the most well known of all. They may not have invented the macaron itself (more of its history can be read here, if you wish), but they were the ones who innovated putting in filling and introduced it to France. Ladurée carries traditional flavors, such as mint, chocolate, vanilla, coffee, rose petal, and raspberry, with the occasional less-usual ones such as chocolate with passion fruit, and salted caramel. And gosh, seriously everything about the entire store is just so lovely. It was all the Marie-Antoinette prettiness I imagined it to be. The macarons themselves were quite good as well, with the texture I'm used to. On the other hand, Pierre Hermé without a doubt was more creative and experimental with theirs, with flavors as jasmine flower and tea, hazelnut and white truffle, olive oil and vanilla, peach and apricot with saffron, milk chocolate and passion fruit, pure origin Venezuela porcelana dark chocolate... it goes on and on. Definitely modern and experimental. The crazy flavors were at times indecipherable but always succulently went together with one another. Although, I wasn't too pleased with the consistency; maybe it was the flavors I chose, but sometimes it felt too icing-y for me. Nonetheless, they were delectable enough to produce a hearty mmmmm with your last mouthful.

Angelina was the said preference of Coco Chanel and Audrey Hepburn, and it was quite evident why. Their macaroni flavors were classic as well: raspberry, blackcurrant, lemon, coconut, chestnut, dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, apricot, and pistachio, and these were the flavors I got when I purchased a box in one of the rooms in Versailles. And personally, Angelina just takes the freakin' cake. To start of, the "cookies" were airy and almost meringue-like; the crust was smooth, thin, eggshell-like, and when bitten into, made way to a soft, chewy interior. The filling was a thick, firm, smooth, moist ganache. The sugar nor the almond-ness were subtle and not at all over-powering. All in all, basically melt-in-your mouth perfection. I literally kept putting off eating another piece to make it last longer. I'd definitely come back in the future to actually sit in their tea room, and then try their African hot chocolate as well, which they're actually most famous for!

It's a tired-but-happy type, don't worry. Thanks for the concern! Have a wonderful day :)

Anonymous said: Hi Isobel, hope you're well. I just found out Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is going to be a movie and Tim Burton is directing it. I'm still in shock so I don't know what to think of it. In a way it could be interesting to see the characters come to life but I'm not sure if it could ever live up to how I've imagined them while reading the book. Burton's a great director so we'll just have to wait and see. What do you think?? :)

I agree with your last statement; I have a lot of faith in Burton! I actually think the theme fits his style (and vice versa), and I can't wait for it to come out :)

Anonymous said: Hi. I've been missing you so badly hope you're doing great. God bless.

Hello! I'm so sorry; work just really takes up a lot of my time. But I'll make sure to check in here every now and then!

Anonymous said: Hi Isobel! Have you heard about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Osaka? :D:D:D

Yes!! I've had a couple of friends visit it during the holidays and I'm jelazzzz. :p

Anonymous said: Have you seen the Rejoice commercial? The girl's your look alike :P By the way can you tour us around your house by pictures maybe :)

No, I haven't, but I'll check it out haha. And yeah, sure! 

itskiaramarzan said: Your blog! I'm stuck :( It's so pretty!

Gosh, thank you so much :) have an amazing day!

Anonymous said: Sorry for asking and i hope you're not offended. How do you describe your spiritual level?

It's alright :) well, I myself am a Catholic and believe in a Higher Being (aka God, obvs haha). And while I adhere to this religion and its statutes, I feel that this is the more corporeal (for lack of a better word) part of it, a means that aids my spirituality, which is a more personal relationship with Him.

jomil-a said: Wow. I just found your blog and now I'm inlove with your photos and works! 

Oh, thank you so much! You are too kind :)

iamjeantherese said: I love your pictures!

Much, much thanks!<3

Anonymous said: hello pooo! check blogs, ate?

Sure! I'll try to find the time haha.

paolorazon said: Hi Isobel, I'm a fan! followed you on instagram and facebook. I hope you don't mind. I hope that I can meet you in person to shoot and talk about photography. Awesome dude!

Thanks so much for doing so! And yeah, that would be really cool. All the best :)

Anonymous said: hi isobel i'm torn between getting a 50mm lens or an 18-200mm lens. Which one do you think is better? thanks a lot!

Both are great lenses, so it really depends on what kind of photos you want to take. The 18-200mm of course is more flexible and handy pretty much anywhere (landscapes, group shots, etcetera), while the 50mm provides more "prettiness" in terms of depth, detail (and yay cool bokeh ;) ) which is good for portraits and such. It's really up to you and your necessities. Good luck!

Hello! Well, first you'll have to decide what medium you want to get into.  For watercolor-- I myself use and am very satisfied with ShinHan and Winsor & Newton, but as a beginner Prang would be good for a student brand. Or, go for watercolor pencils :) I don't know much about acrylic and oil because they aren't really my specialities, but I'm sure it would be easy enough to Google the best brands. And then of course, the suitable surface to paint on would be the next purchase, whether it be a stretched canvas or a 300 gsm cold-pressed watercolor paper. Good luck and have fun!

Anonymous said: What do you usually use to take photos? Do you use dslr too when taking photos of food when you're eating at a restaurant?

Honestly, I haven't been taking out my DSLR much, just because an iPhone 5s is easier to lug around and it takes good photos as well. So yeah, lately I've just been using the latter.

Anonymous said: Your view on copycats?

I've had my share of them, and as annoying as they can be, they're also tiring to run after. 

So this is my basic philosophy on the matter: there's a distinction in downright replicating another's work without consent and passing it of as your own, and being influenced by a person's work and making something yourself, in your own way. “Your job is to collect good ideas. The more good ideas you collect, the more you can choose from to be influenced by.” ― Austin Kleon, Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

Anonymous said: What company are you working with and what's the hours like? Also what's the pay like for artists like you in the Philippines? What is your job scope? I'm struggling artist here. Thank you v much for help.

I work as a graphic artist at a research, communications and strategy company. It might sound serious haha, but they're actually quite progressive and innovative, as the environment is as well. The hours are alright; most of the time we start in the afternoon and end at night. The pay is satisfactory as of now. I still partly do freelance (where I actually get to make art, which I love), but I think working for/with a company is also beneficial. An obvious factor is job security, but there's also a lot of development on a personal level. You get to go out of your comfort zone, socialize more, learn and grow more from different challenges and experiences, learn to prioritize and organize, to be patient, to know your worth...

That's just my personal experience. It's really up to you, what you want to do in your life, how and where you want to apply your art. You can freelance or "sell-out," or do both. As long as it satisfies you :) All the best!

Anonymous asked: You seem like a smart lass, why do you believe that there is a God?

It is a personal faith attested to by my 26 years of existence, which I don't think being smart has anything to do with.

Anonymous said: Happy Belated Birthday. How was your birthday party? Were there cakes, macaroons and fragrant tea galore? I wish I can pluck my courage to tell you personally how inspiring you are. Good day. Just another shy stalker.

therikkadiaries said: Once you get this you must share five random facts about yourself. Then pass this on to your ten favorite followers. <3</b>

Hey thanks! :)

1. I'm trilingual and a Europhile. 2. I have an irrational fear of holes (which I just recently discovered is called Trypophobia), and a fear of rats/mice. 3. I am currently quite addicted to Great Taste - White instant coffee. 4. I'm not the biggest fan of rice; I'd rather eat pasta, bread, or vegetables with my meat. 5. I like to marathon movies or series on the side while I work.

Anonymous said: how do you fund your travels? do you have a job or does your mom pay for it?

Mostly my parents pay for the flight, and I shoulder my own expenses while I'm there.

Anonymous said: Hi there! Steven here. Me and my girldfriend naomi really loves your pictures. We spend time together looking at your photos all the time. It makes us feel warm and cuddly every time\

Aw, I'm glad. Thank you both! All the best to you too<3</p>

Anonymous said: Hi Isobel, My name is Deswyn from Malaysia. I really like your photos, they are really interesting and captures my attention. Your photos have the power to brighten my day every time i feel down. I find comfort in your tumblr and really look foward to meeting you in real life. You are a life changer! Keep inspiring others with your photos. I love you form an anonymous fan. <3</b>

Thank you so much, I'm incredibly touched. Messages like yours brighten up my day! Big hug from over here<3 </p>

Anonymous said: Please post music on sound cloud :'(

1. I'm a shy performer, haha; 2. I don't even have soundcloud. Sorry!

Anonymous said: Hi Isobel! Just noticed that you look like Michelle Rodriguez :)

Haha yeah, I get that every now and then. I don't see it though :p

Anonymous said: how did you learn to take such great photos?