From sunset to sunrise, history was made last April 27. Close Up Summer Solstice was branded as the biggest party event of the year! It is the first ever 12-hour nonstop electronic dance music (EDM) festival in Manila featuring international scenes injected with local flavors. The summer party started around 4pm but we were still in the cinemas that time watching Iron Man 3 and doing some shopping at the mall. We went inside the concert grounds around 10pm after having some dinner. Best choice of our lives! Since the heat was insane and there were limited choices of food there (unless you want to stuff yourself with rum coke).

I think it was Alex Guadino playing when we arrived. We managed to head to the mosh pit of the vip section to meet our friend Nicole inside. Hashtag ninja moves. Adi stayed behind because it was full house inside the area. We were so pumped up and it was so crazy inside!

Look at Ina and Noel sporting almost the same tank top they bought earlier! Plus they made a new astronaut friend haha

We didn’t know Dev and Cobra Starship (it was only Ryland Blackinton and Alex Suarez who performed) were going to spin early. Too bad we missed out on their sets! We also didn’t hear the mixes of Cedric Gervais and the JumpSmokers. But we were just in the nick of time because 10pm was dubbed as EDM superstar’s set from world-renowned DJs!

Headlining the Summer Solstice was the grammy-winning DJ Afrojack who played when the clock struck 12. He is best known for his collaborations with Guetta’s “Titanium”, Beyonce’s “Run The World”, Snoop Dogg, Ne-Yo & Pitbull’s “Give Me Everything” and Leona Lewis’ “Collide”. My friend said his famous single “Take You Over Control” sounds like “I want you to take a birth control”. Hahaha! But nonetheless, he really brought the house down! Hands down! I’m saying ‘down’ too much.

DJ Apster is a rising DJ from the prolific Dutch House Scene who came to the Philippines to showcase infectious mixes and danceable beats. His sheer talent got heads turning like Steve Aoki and Afrojack. They both gave the hippest and raddest beats to the crowd! The totally killed the night!

But in those span of three hours, it was so insanely exhausting! We were all sweaty & drained. My legs were dead and i felt a slight pang in my head. The crowd wasn’t thinning so the VIP area was jampacked and heavy. I almost felt like i was about to pass out (i’ve had too much Captain Morgan i think). Imagine a huge open Republiq with no ac and with a crowd that was insatiable and really wild! Fun (and can i say tiring) is an understatement! Everyone was hyped up especially when confettis started pouring in and fireworks were filling the night sky.

And i wouldn’t have imagined surviving it without my music-lovers-party-goers-and-adventure-seeking friends!

And of course my sister! I wouldn’t have enjoyed this without her

Here is the video i took from the Summer Sosltice Enjoy!

Sorry it took me ages before uploading a roll of my Instagram posts. Again. I have been having too much fun and i think this is the best summer ever! From our Boracay trip last March, spontaneous trips, occasional pigout and parties this April, it keeps on getting better and better! Enjoy!

1. My go-to nude lippie; 2. Dinner at Café Mediterranean with the ratchets; 3. Went to the outskirts of Makati for a friend’s vtr plus foodtrip; 4. At a gas station for some doughnuts; 5. Cupcake Lab’s sweets; 6. Peri-peri with my family; 7. Woke up to this! I’ll forever love streetfoods and carinderia; 8. Swam in a closed pool with my sister haha; 9. Of course what do you expect her to be doing while I was busy making rounds & laps in the pool; 10. Mondate with my loves; 11. That mini heart attack that you get before opening the envelope from the mail that holds your future; 12. Won as the semi-finalist of the Bobbi Brown contest; 13. Self-declared aquathlon (sunrise jog plus swimming); 14. Now blending; 15. Three layouts in an hour for my first fashion ed shoot

16. First layout with Tricia; 17. Embracing bohemian spirit; 18. Second attempt at Boracay’s famous calamansi muffins; 19. My view right now haha; 20. My mermaid hair buddy; 21. Foodtrip with Ina, Belle and Grash; 22. Dentist + Project making + Spa; 23. Finished a cryfest book in one seating; 24. Ina and I will never forget what happened in this place; 25. Core stabilization & glutes workout; 26. Mass at our favorite church; 27. Dinner at Sentro; 28. Party at Seventh High; 29. Cray cray night with the niggas; 30. Clingy sister is clingy

31. I will not hoard anymore on skincare or makeup, I said. This would be my last, I said; 32. Driving soon!; 33. Had so much fun doing face charts; 34.  Shoot with friends; 35. First time to use selfie and I’m already cheesed off at myself; 36. We treated our folks out for dinner; 37.  I was too stubborn to wake up in the morning so I was only able to catch up with their swim workout; 38. Bumped into my girl; 39. Shopping + Movies + Summer Solstice; 40. Fulfilling afternoon at the Spinelli orphanage with the little kiddos & my family; 41. We’ve been eating at this carinderia ever since we were little; Cookies & cream mochiko; 42. Indefinitely; 43. Someone’s jelly hihi

Watch out for the May Instagram post I promise i won’t upload it by the end of the year hahaha! Hope you had a wonderful summer as well!

It is human’s perpetual nature to judge other people or compare their lives to others. They prey on other people’s lives wasting every minute of their lives criticizing what people are doing and what people have done. They will bring others to the lowest of low so that they can feel good about themselves (and because you have something they can never have). They have ill intentions and motives, and they never want you to be happy. It makes them sick seeing that you have a good life and that you are blessed with family and friends. They are pretending to be your friends so that they can secretly bring you down like rivals. Little do you know, you’ll be having a toxic life already. But when do you know if your friends have been doing that same thing to you? I have come up with a list on how to spot frenemies.

1. The Two Faced – They fake a smile in front of you and the moment you have turned your back, they are saying nasty, mean things about you. They are like the plastics. They may seem honest, look concerned, be on your side and they call you “bestfriend”. They may have been a part of your life for a long time so they know all your weaknesses & fears and they can use it against you. Sometimes, there is a specific event that causes a major betrayal. Many times i have confronted what i believed to be my friends to be stabbing me at the back, they just either deny it or continue doing so. There is chance that they have crossed you once (you caught them badmouthing you) or they are doing it to other people. If so, they are most likely bashing you too.

2. The Needy – They only appear when they need something. They spring up and suddenly message you if they are in need of help. And when you, yourself need a friend to talk to about your problems, they are out of sight. They brush you off the moment you have mentioned you are working on a new project or plan. They bail and have this way of wriggling out just not to help you when you most need it. They are never reciprocally there for you.

3. The Alpha – They hate it to see you successful in your career. They are sour graping at your love and relationships with your family. They scorn seeing you have a good life. They pick at your failures and mistakes in the past. They backbite you and spoil your friendships with other people. They are annoyed with whatever you do. And when you feel like on top of the world, they say words that hurt like knives. In short, they don’t want to see you happy. They have this need to feel good about themselves if they think you are worse than them, so they resort to taking and tearing you down. Whenever you try to improve yourself, such as by losing weight, studying harder or aiming for a promotion, they do their best to sabotage your efforts. They are one-upper and everything they do is always one up better than you.

4. The Negative – They may or may not be your friends but these people will have zero self-control with their mouth. They blurt out all their negative attitude and thoughts, especially with your decisions and choices in life. It’s like you subscribed to their cynical judgment. They have this uncanny ability to have an opinion about everything and everyone, and most of the time it is pessimistic. They soak all their energy to drain your happiness and optimism in life. They are insensitive and insincere often that their offensive remarks are hurtful. Being with them always leaves you feeling unsupported and miserable.

5. The Green-eyed – They are secretly intimidated, jealous or threatened by you. Your true friends can see it (and tell you not to trust them anymore) but you give these bitches another chance, and another, until you have grown tired from understanding them and forgiving them. They tweet insinuating remarks and these are secretly about you. They have direct snide comment on your posts but still appear to be nice. They have unnecessary notions. They hate you for what you have got because they don’t have it or can’t have it. They condescend for your new things or experiences. They loath you because they can’t be like you. It is a recipe for a self-esteem disaster and a downward spiral of zero self confidence. They will always degrade you, compare their lives to you and compete with you.

6. The Fake – It is very similar to number five. They give you backhanded compliments like straight up “you look ugly today” or “i love your apartment! so little”. They make jokes at your expense. They have it smushed all over your face and these comments are the ones you expect to hear just from your mother. Sometimes we slip and say stupid things too but the difference between a true friend and a frenemy is intent. A real friend might hurt your feelings on accident, but a frenemy means to say something to bother you. They raise doubts about your self-worth and everything in between. They are here in this world to tell you that, no matter how well you’re doing, you could always be doing better (or, as is often the case, they are doing better themselves). They remind you of your place in this world.

7. The Manipulative Jerk – They are as manipulative as you can imagine. They weasel into your life and pretend everything is okay. They are passive-aggresive and can eventually turn tables when they are caught off guard. They have their ways of making themselves look nicer when in fact it is the contradictory. You may have unintentionally hurt them before but they are up for revenge (or at least hurt you the way you’ve done to them). If you piss this person off, they can be dangerous with the right kind of information. They will never stop.

8. The Naysayers – They are the nosy ones with the hidden agenda. They are lurking especially on social networking sites. Most likely, they are just acquaintances. They gossip and leech through your life as much juicy information as they can. Be careful not to share your private secrets or personal life with them as they are ready to unleash to the world about your personal struggles, pending decisions, financial woes, etc. They can spread rumors (true or not) to taint your name and reputation. People will suddenly have all the right in the world to their opinion and mock you. The naysayers denigrate and judge people until they feel good about themselves.

You want to know why i know all of these? Because i’ve had frenemies before (and probably i still have one now). They made me feel like a crap and a loser. I was once told i wasn’t good enough. I was once told i had ugly horse teeth and thunder thighs. I was once told i can’t do this, i can’t be like that. No matter what good i have done, they never fail to slap me in the face with regrets and fear. But you know what i did? I killed them with kindness and proved them all wrong. I used the bricks thrown at me to build an empire and keep me stronger and so much better. I have always known myself and i knew better so stooping down to their levels doesn’t even matter. God knows how many knives have hurt me and how much tears i have shed. But as long as i’ve got my family, God and a few real friends, i will always be okay. I didn’t give up even if everyone around me stings.

Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others. And once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you.

Frenemies damage trust and burn bridges. But if you know how to spot them, deal with them and not let them control your life, you’ll be fine. Come to think of it, sometimes you have haters because you stood up for something in your life. Never let anyone hurt you without your consent. Learn who are worth your trust and respect. Know and invest on genuine friends. Always live a good life that if anyone says badly of you, no one would believe it. Know when to phase them out and cut the rope because unhealthy relationships will wreak havoc mentally, emotionally and physically. Avoiding them or not hanging out with them anymore is not being mean because they were never your friends to begin with. And it is always better to have a few real friends than to have a bunch who are all fakes and frenemies. But be careful also because as much as you hate your frenemies, you might be turning one yourself.

Summer’s ending and i’m still having a Temper Trap hangover! <3 I’ll write about that in another blogpost but i really can’t get over meeting my favorite band in the whole wide world!!! Aaaaaaah! It was so surreal i almost cried! Anyway, I was wearing almost the same thing to the Wanderland music festival last week The aztec print scarf saved our lives because we sat on it while listening to the local and international bands and it was beyond useful as the weather changed from scorching heat to drizzling drops of rain. Can’t wait to blog about it! But for now, here are the last set of photos from my collaboration with Smitten Accessories

These editorial shots were taken a month ago. It was photographed by my sister, Bianca Magtoto and my friend Tricia Alcasid. I styled myself plus hair and makeup. Right now, Smitten Accessories just launched a new line of accessories! I’m digging their retro printed wired head wraps that look so neat! It is made of matte silk, cotton or stretchy material all in bright and pastel colors! You can use it with a bun tied up high or opt for laid back locks. Guess what? I have a treat for my readers! I know my first giveaway years ago didn’t go too well because i ended up losing the prize hahaha but this time, i have it all safely stored in my room I’ll be giving away these items to three lucky girls (or boys if you want to use it hahaha) Two girls will win the handmade purses each and one girl will grab home the headband and charms! All you have to do is follow the instructions below

The giveaway ends on June 2, 2013 It is open to Philippines residents only and winners (3) must be willing to pick up the prize or we can also do a meetup in the south. Goodluck! Enjoy the rest of the summer!

If there is one Mac collection that has caught my heart, it is the Archie’s Girls collection! It was launched internationally last March 2013 and hands down, it is my favorite because i have been an Archie fan ever since i was a kid! I am forever a Betty girl who is the sweet (i’m not sweet but i love sweets! haha), girl-next-door type and someone who loves to bake (just like me). Her pantone of sheer shades were mainly corals, sweet peaches, creams and browns. It is perfect for spring (though Philippines doesn’t have that season, you could wear the Betty collection when you opt to go for a nude and natural daytime look). Veronica’s rich colors were mostly royal purples and deep corvette reds. You can walk on your LBD and smolder some of these bold hues for a night out with friends! This collection with a story distinctly shows the two personalities of Betty and Veronica, who by the way if you don’t know have both been pining over Archiekins for ages.

I don’t normally splurge on brushes but i couldn’t resist this five-piece brush set housed in a white logo-embossed tin case. I could just imagine everything that i could put here! My brushes, lipsticks, perfumes, pens, notebooks, phone, iPad… Okay probably not too much. Haha! I added these to my collection of Sephora brush kit and Elizabeth Arden. The brushes are subpar with white handles covered with red hearts.

Mac Archie’s Girls Brush Kit (P3,800 or around $49.50)

Spring colour animated with a series of collectible, heart-inspired accessories in glossy white faux-patent, featuring the vibrant love-struck faces of Archie, Betty and Veronica. Chic, portable, and popping with a graphic impact so adorable you’ll be swooning over each piece.

This is the 167 Face Blender - I use this multi-purpose for dusting matte loose powder or foundation all over my face. The bristles have a softly dome-shaped brush head with densely packed bristles. I think it is made of white goat hair (just like its original Mac counterpart in its classic black handle). The brush is about an inch and a half long and deposits color really well. This is $34 if bought individually.

The 266 Small Angled Brush - It’s a flat, firm and obviously angled brush head that is used for application of eyeshadows, liquid liners and eyebrow products. It could be a go-to tool for lining your upper lash line (for that precise sharp lines) or for filling in sparse brows using gel creme based products or any brow filler powders. This is $19.50 if purchased separately.

The 242 Shader Brush - This brush has a rounded tip that can be used with creamy products such as paint pots and concealer. I think it is also good for packing in color if you want to tap some on your eyelids. This is $23 if purchased individually.

The 226 Small Tapered Blending Brush - I suppose this is designed for crease-work. You can use it to apply the base but this works more as a blender for all the colors on your eyes. I’ve wanted to purchase Mac 217 brush because it will be perfect to create that outer v on your lid! Maybe these two are the essential basic eye brushes. This is retailed for around $24.50 separately.

The 168 Large Angled Contour Brush - This is a rounded, angled and fluffy brush famous for contouring! It works wonders on the hollow of your cheeks, forehead and jawline. But since it’s big, do not use this for your nose line! Hahaha. It was said that this has minimal shedding. I also use this for blush powders on my cheeks. It is sold for $32 individually.

If you buy brushes individually, they could be a bit expensive especially for the high-end brands but they are expensive for a reason! Right brushes give you the flawless look, that perfect smokey eyes and that contoured cheekbones. If you know how to take care of these tools properly, they will last for a long, long time. I’m also eyeing on some Mac brushes, Real Techniques set and Sigma brushes to add to my growing collection.

I have also wanted the Betty Bright and Ronnie Red lippie but it was sold out all over the Philippines! So priorities first and i have decided i wanted this brush kit more than the other products from the collection. So I literally went hunting at all the MAC stores in Manila (I called all the branches), even in USA and Australia if this brush kit is still available and luckily i was able to get my hands on these! And since it’s limited edition, i know i would be regretting it in the future if i didn’t buy it (just trying to convince myself that my shell-out was worth it). Actually i wanted the tin can more than the brushes hahaha! I think i just bought this because there was it was Archie collection and there were hearts all over it!

Betty and Veronica – the names alone are a vivid four-colour flashback to an era of sweet, comic book innocence. Their eternal love triangle, with all-American freckle-faced Archie, is legendary in its teen tension, tight sweaters and two-toned saddle shoe charm. Girl-next-door blonde Betty vs. vivacious, spoiled rich-girl, brunette Veronica, an epic rivalry, now in two contrasting M•A•C colour collections, packaged in exclusively designed cases. All limited edition.

Here are the press release photos from Mac and Temptalia The Archie’s Girls collection also has pigments, nail polishes, eyeshadows, mascaras, powders, blushes, lip glosses, lipsticks and accessories (that sadly weren’t available locally).

I absolutely love my Archie’s Girls brush kit and though it was by far, the most expensive thing i bought for makeup (well it’s not really a makeup but a tool), i couldn’t help but be all giddy and ecstatic like i was reading my favorite Archie comics! I practiced a lot of techniques with these brushes (with my sister as my Guinea pig) and i have to say, these brushes do their jobs! I must remember not forget to wash it with brush cleaner solution or cleansing oil so that they’d really last a lifetime.

Happy Monday! <3