December is probably the favorite month of the year for many of us because the air is filled with Christmas spirit – glitzy lightings that dot the streets of Orchard Road, catchy jingles playing from every shop that make a bad day seem that much better, shops that put out gift sets for people who have no idea what to get for random people for the office gift exchange…
And it gives reason for people to get together, to put work and other commitments aside, and just meet up and have a good time. Gift-giving adds another layer to the joys of Christmas. We all love to receive, but there is great comfort in giving too.
When Diana from adorebeauty blogged about a Christmas get-together, I was elated! I was soooo looking forward to meet like-minded girls who share the same interest as I – makeup and beauty.
I mean, my friends seek my advice on all things makeup and I love to share with them, but they’re not crrrrrrazy about makeup, you know what I mean? So it was definitely an event I was looking forwad to – an event where no one will judge me based on my love for makeup.
We all have 'that kind' of friends who sorta give us ‘that kind’ of look when we say we love makeup, right? Well, I certainly have.
The theme for the party came rather late (3 days before, to be exact!) and I was like “Gold?? I have no gold clothing!”. *mentally goes through wardrobe
I LOVE costume and themed parties and do my best to adhere to themes, be it color, fabric, mood, season, etc. For Halloween this year, I dressed as a Geisha with a torn left cheek, and had a smashingly awesome Halloween weekend. I have another Native American inspired look here which I did for Makeup Geek's weekly challenge.
Every time I put on makeup, I feel like I just got a ‘LEVEL UP’ – you just get better each time. =)
Suddenly I remembered a gold and black dress that I wore for CNY in 2009. YES!!! I wasn’t sure to wear it though coz it makes me look fat. Hmph. I did, in the end, coz I had no other options.
My eye makeup was mitchy-matchy with my outfit for the day – gold and black!
When I was getting ready and also during the bus ride, I was both excited and worried.
LOL.
Then I told myself "Juli, you are going to have a fabulous afternoon and....
And so I did. =)
When I arrived at Fika, Diana exclaimed "BUN BUN!!!" (LOL!) and embraced me with a warm welcome hug. You know how some people hug with their arms instead of their body? Diana hugged with her heart, like I could feel the extension of her warmth travel right through my body. That hug helped me shed some inhibitions and I heaved a small sigh of relief.
We were each given a candy can with a colored sticker.
For each color, the owner would have to introduce herself and answer a question. Mine was ‘What inspires you?’. I was like @_@ WOAH SO VAGUE!
So I told my story about the first makeup product I owned when I was 14. It was a shimmery blue lipstick which I proudly wore all over my eyes and lips and felt like a princess. Come to think of it, Cinderella’s blue gown might have inspired me. LOL. Anyway, I shared that from then I grew a fondness for makeup tutorials and poured over magazines that had pages that taught makeup. I had no idea how to wear makeup then, despite reading all those. I just thought that the ladies looked fabulous.
Now that I think back, I didn’t answer the question at all. What! I was nervous! HAHA! Actually, I take inspiration from anything at all, shoes, sunset, anything!
It was comforting to know how the girls got started on blogging and that a full face of makeup makes them feel the most confident. Spot on, sister! High 5!
Our food came and we fed our growling stomachs well before proceeding to the next game.
The game split us into 2 groups of 3 girls each. Wynn, Iffah, and myself made a team while Yvonne, Zee and Camelia made the other. Michelle, Rusty and Diana judged.
An opposing member arranged the play cards for the player to say out what’s ‘not exactly’ on the card and the team that completes in the fastest time wins. Lol. Why ‘not exactly’? Coz if the card shows a nail polish, you have to say what’s not nail polish, and if it shows B-L-A-C-K in green color, you have to say green, not black.
There was no room for post-meal tiredness! Everyone was alert and focused and we had tremendous fun!
Our team won! Wootz!
Then it was time for gift exchange!
Gosh, buying a beauty product for someone who loves makeup is so easy yet tricky at the same time. I could get an eyeliner, or mascara, or eyeshadow, or eyebrow pencil, or lip gloss, or blush… but what if the receiver does not like that color, or it doesn’t go with her hair color, or doesn’t like the texture… GAH! I worry about these because these are what I look out for when I make cosmetics purchases, and it pisses me off when my purchase becomes a white elephant.
In the end I got a very practical gift - DUO eyelash glue in black. Every girl needs some false eyelashes in her life and DUO makes the BEST eyelash adhesive out there. I have both the white (dries clear) and black (dries black), but I prefer the black one.
Pixiwoo said in one of her videos “I don’t understand why people would buy the black one, when the white one dries clear”. Well, I do. If you keep the white one around for too long, it dries slightly yellow. Clearly, Pixiwoo wears false eyelashes more often than I do to not let the glue turn yellowish.
So…………………… I hope you like it, Kim! =D So sorry the paper bag’s price tag is still intact, haha, I just recalled.
I look like an old cow beside the very young Kim. =(
From my Santarina, Yvonne.
The gift giving didn’t stop! There was a lucky draw and 4 girls won.
Oh I LOVE this picture of Diana. So happy!
And I won Best Dressed! Yays for themed parties and double yays for winning! Heh heh.
Got this picture off Diana's blog.
We ordered waffles with ice-cream and sat for a long time chatting – from occupations, to how to evade insurance agents, to motivational books.
The beautiful thing about getting together with girls who adore makeup is that they all understand how important makeup is to a woman, how it empowers us, how it makes us feel more confident to take on the world…
Being in a passionate relationship with makeup does not make one superficial, in fact, it makes an already beautiful woman even more beautiful because she knows that she not only glows from within, but that that glow metamorphoses into an enigmatic state of art and allure that transforms her into a fearless, sexy warrior.
Even though not all the girls blog, and to my readers, even though we haven’t met, I'm glad we all believe in the magic of makeup. And that’s all that matters to warm my heart and soul.
By the way, I'm totally loving my newly dyed-highlighted hair.
Gosh! Christmas is 5 days away!
How are you spending Christmas this year?
Are you getting beauty products for your girlfriends?
