The bride to be's vanity post** Part 1**the usual long read from me

this is the first part of the post that will end all my kikay entries (for this quarter).

Admittedly, I have been paying too much attention to my looks these days, well, not really the looks, but my hair and skin care. I'm not really what you'd call a high-maintenance girl, my hair's still basically wash and wear most of the time and I'm a big advocate of natural beauty. But I guess at one point, being low-maintenance and au naturelle became neglect. It all started when I was on an outing with my YFC Barkada and during the morning when us girls were done taking a bath and fixing ourselves, after combing my hair and putting on lotion, I found myself staring at the other girls in the room who were all still busy applying makeup and other stuff on their faces and hair. And then, one of my girlfriends asked me, "ikaw Cams, wala ka bang kakikayan sa katawan?" I was speechless. I had thrown out most of the items in my makeup kits because they have expired. All that's left were my lip balms(no color whatsoever), eyelash curler and face powder. I haven't updated my beauty loot in ages!

That was such a wake-up call for me. I used to be Cosmogirl Cams. I was updated with most beauty and fashion trends, and friends would come to me for makeup and fashion tips. And then for some reason, the Cosmogirl part of me just left and I didn't even notice it. At first, being my usual righteous self, I put the blame on several people and circumstances. 1)my Babe, for loving the simple side of me too much, sans makeup that I just became too much of the less is more kinda girl, and for being away, hence I didn't feel the need to always look good for someone 2)my sister, who was my partner in all things kikay. She pretty much gave up too when she entered film school. I mean, she was wearing my brothers' clothes to class most of the time! And so, when she neglected her looks, I did too, 3) the strict dress code in the office which pretty much left me with no choice but wear dull slacks and collared polos and ballet flats to work, 4)my officemates in their uniforms and kind of plain lifestyle here at work that I didn't feel the need to look pretty in work compared to my media job before where I always had to dress up and be made up to level with the celebrities, 5)lack of bonding time with my girlfriends therefore no chance to play dress up or talk about kikay stuff 6)spending too much time in the boys room. We had several relatives and family friends use our room for the last quarter of 2008 and most of 2009 (they just left last week) and so we were bunking in the boys room for a while, playing wii and the like on our free time. We were getting clothes from their closet, getting rid of most of our kikay stuff to lessen the junk in their room thus, no kikay time for a long, long time. See, I got six reasons, and I really haven't began to really think just yet.

But I realized, those reasons were merely excuses. That most of the blame was really should be mine. I mean, it was I who neglected my physical appearance, who got contented in wearing those kinds of clothes to work. So it was all me. But there's no room for pointing fingers (biglang ganun samantalang kanina ang dami mong sinisi =P) Thanks to my dear friend, Cosmogirl has awaken from a long and deep slumber and is now making her way back to Cams. Especially now that she's about to become a bride. So now, I'm dead set on prettifying myself again, most specially that I'm now preparing myself for my wedding that's almost a year to go na lang.


So with my approval, my friend appointed herself as beauty consultant slash makeup artist for my wedding. Well, she won't do my makeup on the day itself, but she's doing my makeup for my prenup. She's really good and although she didn't have a formal education on it, I wouldn't call her novice for she works in a global cosmetics company and she trains the ladies in the beauty counters on how to apply makeup. So I guess she just skipped the school part, but she's just the ultimate kikay girl, I trust her completely when it comes to this aspect. There were a lot of sensible advice that I got from her, and I'm pretty much convinced that I'm buying all the products she told me to try.

My trial makeup with Ms. Lorie Abraham (which I posted here before) also had a part in my so-called reawakening. While she was working her magic on me, she was giving me tips on things that I should try for my wedding. If my friend was subtle in the products she advised me to try, Ms. Lorie was more forward. You know, she told me to try out several beauty trends that I wouldn't really think of going for, but when she explained it to me, I realized they were practical beauty tips and I need to give them a try. While she was working, she kept on admiring my assets and gave me tips on how to highlight them and several things to try out before the wedding, so I would know if they work on me or I would develop an allergic reaction to them since I have sensitive skin. When she was done with my makeup, she told me that since I was blessed with good features, I just need a few makeup to look put together and I'm all set. That was such a boost. I felt so confident and so eager to resume my beauty regimen after that.

And not for anything, I'm thankful that I got sick and was hospitalized for a few weeks because I was able to assess certain things that I do to abuse my body, like eating and drinking certain foods, lack of exercise, etc. And now that I sort of lost weight and was able to find love on fruits again, I feel more radiant and energized to go on with feeling healthy and beautiful.

The gloomy weather's being a wee bit unhelpful, but I'm fighting every urge to be tamad to get up from bed and start neglecting my looks once again. It's even nicer now because my sister has also started to become conscious of her looks again. I guess its because we got our pink, girly room back :)

So hello world! CosmogirlCams is so back! :))

**if I can't get enough of blogging about all things kikay and vain, they will be at http://cosmogirlcams.blogspot.com

on part 2 (juday-ryan) - more on friendship and striking similarities

as you might have guessed...

Anyway, the two-part wedding special was already aired in ABS-CBN, and I loved it, obvi. This was really the celebrity wedding that I really, really liked, maybe because, like a close girlfriend of mine, I see a lot of myself in the superstar bride. Naks naman, Juday, ikaw ba yan? :P

nah, its just that I share the same doting qualities with her. The type that is strong and can live on her own but chooses to be loving and submissive to her partner, the type who just loves laughing with her friends and her fiancee. A little frilly, but who's all about love and romance and friendship and humor.

I just see a lot of me in her, a lot of my babe in Ryan (the private, funny guy type), a lot of my friends in their friends. I guess, bottomline is, they behaved like real people, which is why many real people identified with them.

And where would Juday be without her longtime guy/gay bestfriend? The one who told their story in part 2 of the wedding special. Its the person who has been there from the start. The one guy who has been the bride's chaperone during the times when the groom hasn't showed up in her doorstep just yet. The patient listening end of the bride's rants about her fiancee or her endless stories about how the love of her life swept her off her feet again...

Why do I know this guy so well? Its because if Juday has Direk Nico, I also have my guy bestfriend. He's not gay though like Juday's. He my go-to person when I'm bored and I need someone to talk to or who comes with me when I need to go somewhere. Next to my Babe, he's the one guy who never fails to make me laugh. He can make a joke at me, or at my babe without having to fear we're gonna get mad because he knows that we won't. When Babe was still here and he needs to go to the basketball court to practice, he'll leave me with this friend's house where we'll chat endlessly and Babe just picks me up after playing. He has been there for us since Day 1. And I mean that literally, because we were with him when I gave my most precious yes to Babe. I mean, he was the one who planted the whole thing. When babe was still courting me, he talked to me and made it known to me that Babe was wondering if I would ever say Yes. So I told him that Babe wasn't even asking me that question, so how can I answer? He relayed that piece of info to Babe, and that might have given him the guts to ask me the question. And that's how Day 1 began.

He's the guy who was first to ask us all the awkward questions upfront, and first to defend our relationship from those nosy people who wouldn't mind their own business. Its because he knew that I made a choice, and made a big step, and he knew that I'm serious about this guy, and he's serious about me, so he's just there to support us. He never crosses his boundaries, never taking a side, but just being there for us, for me.

So there, I just thought of him today, while watching the second part of the wedding special. I think every girl should have that kind of guy bestfriend - non-romantic, frank, loyal, funny and supportive. Aren't Juday and I so lucky? He might think that he's not so important in this whole wedding, but the truth is, he's very special for me and Babe. Especially for me. I never would have gone this far in a relationship if he hadn't been there to support me and defend me and encourage me and listen to me during my desperate times. And he's ever willing to be a friend to Babe as well. He's gonna be one of those standing beside us to become witness to our union. He's going to be one of our secondary sponsors.

Anyway, I'm sure you all have your share of great friendships which you also celebrate in the wedding preps.

Another nice part about the juday-ryan wedding was the bond babe and I form through it. I remember having that conversation wtih him when I told him that Ryan Agoncillo cried during their wedding dance. So it got him to thinking if he'll also cry on our wedding day. I teased him about being a crybaby and told him we should have a bet on it. I don't remember how that conversation ended, but I knew I was very happy we had that talk. We were bonding because of this wedding.

This may be the last of my post about the so-called wedding of the year, but, seriously, it tops my list of all the celebrity weddings in the entire history. idol!

A first.... (trial makeup with Lorie Abraham)

Admittedly, this is one of the things I like about bridal fairs. Trial makeup! Although I really am not seriously looking for an HMUA for my wedding since I have a relative who has done it for all the brides and debs in the family and who's really good so I'm all set with him to do my hair and makeup on my wedding day. But, since my sister really loved her makeup trial on the last wedding fair we went to, I braved my fears of talking with a different makeup artist and have my own trial makeup on the wedding fair.

I tried going to several exhibitors, but it just ends up not working out because I just wanted a hassle-free day and they just aren't making it happen for me. And so, I passed by Lorie Abraham's booth and although she was too busy doing wonders for another girl, her AE gave me a pleasant smile and chatted me up as well. I was at ease dealing with her so I was convinced to do the trial makeup.

When it was my turn, the fist thing I noticed was that she really used high-end quality brands for her makeup and tools. No wonder the price was also kind of high-end. Next thing, Ms. Lorie was really nice. Unlike other HMUAs I've worked with, she really took the time to ask me what concept I like for my makeup. I told her that I wanted a bronzy look, but my babe wanted it natural and without makeup. After that she knew exactly what to do and she even gave me tips on how my wedding gown would compliment my morena complexion, and what beauty trends to try before my wedding day. All of her advices made sense and I really enjoyed listening to her give me tips while she was working her magic on me. Once in a while, I'd take a really good look in the mirror and smile at the progress. Hehehe. She was really good. And she really achieved the natural blooming look that I wanted. I was really pleased. The makeup wasn't overly done and I really recognized myself in my reflection. Without any contest, she was great.

So, it may be one of the rare times that I'll be posting my pictures here, but I'm just so proud of it so I'm gonna let you see :)


the photos are kinda dark and mejo oily na because that was hours after the session, but I hope you got a nice glimpse of it naman.. Because that's basically how I look naman talaga. Only better because she has really defined by brows (groomed it 'cause they were starting to be unruly again), hid some blemishes, brightened up my aura with some blush-on, and painted my usually lip-balmed kissers. I just felt that I looked so chic and polished. I loved it, obvi.

The ultimate reason why I'm really so proud about it is because Babe loved it. Its actually the first time he complimented my makeup. Its because he always wants things to be simple, therefore, he always tells me that he likes me better without makeup. But when I sent the photos to him via email, he was so happy and really thought I looked beautiful. Here's the kilig part, he told me "nung nakita ko yung mga pictures mo, naisip ko sa sarili ko na ang sarap mo talagang mahalin." sooper smile na ko after that... I just wanted to look pretty for him on our wedding day. I'm glad he liked me with makeup :)Anyway, he really liked it kasi nga hindi makapal ang makeup. Even when I told him that the rates are kinda expensive, he said it was okay if I really like her.

Too bad I'm all set with my makeup artist slash relative. But don't get me wrong, he's good rin naman. So for those looking for a really good and reputable makeup artist, try Ms. Lorie. You'll really feel at ease with her. And judging from the service I got, I'll say she's worth every penny. If I didn't have good makeup artists as a relative and friend, I'll go for her in a heartbeat. :))

lets talk about the dress...

I am trying to be as discreet as I can about the details of my wedding and keep a low-profile on the themes and concepts, but I have always wanted to talk about what I'm gonna wear on the big day. It's one part I'm most excited about. So, here are some of my inspirations for my wedding gown... they're quite a lot, but I hope these will give you a glimpse of the kind of girl that I am - dreamy (or dreamer), chic, hopeless romantic, low-key and fuss-free.

I have always known that I wanted the most beautiful dress on my wedding day. . Growing up, my mom and aunts were fond of dressing me up especially on occasions that it kinda stayed with me. I'm a clothes/dress person as opposed to being a bag/shoe lady. I just feel so wonderful when I have on a nice dress. It just makes me feel like I'm on top of the world and everything is and will be perfect. Like I can do anything. And so, it's not very surprising that my wedding gown is one of the non-negotiables on our special day. It has to be THE ONE I picture when I close my eyes and daydream...

Its the one dress that will make me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world. It will be just like I dreamed of wearing when I was a little girl...something that makes me feel like a beautiful flower... like the picture below...


Although, I don't want to feel like a little girl on my wedding day. I want to feel chic and stylish. And not really over the top. This dress from Marchesa looked so stunning and sexy.

I also envisioned my dress to make me feel like an ethereal goddess, which makes a strong reference to why I'm partial to empire-cut dresses and flowy gowns as opposed to princess dresses and ballgowns... the flow in this Maggie Sottero number below is really captivating. The length is just perfect and the train...


Although flowers is the overall theme for my gown and my entourage's dresses, one of my fashionable friends commented that putting flowers upfront on my wedding gown might make me look like a flower girl. I don't want that. She suggested I try incorporating my flower theme without going overboard and having flower-ish accents on my gown.

In a cocktail event for work, I saw a popular designer wear this beige dress with petal bustier and it was then I realized that I should do that instead of putting flowers on my bustier. I was reminded of my childhood dreams to wear a dress I saw in this baduy tagalog movie where the leading lady was wearing a pink dress with a petal bustier. It was in the early nineties but I knew I always wanted to wear something like that. Luckily, I came across the finale of project runway season 5 and saw that Leanne's finale collection was kind of inspired by flowers.

I like the petal bustier in this dress below. It looks chic, edgy yet still romantic. I'm also using this picture to refer to the color that I want to use (the aqua for my entourage's dresses, the cream for mine).

I just liked the flowy overlay of the dress below.

Though I didn't think Leane would be up on the running on the contest, I actually ended up liking her final collection and making it a big reference to my wedding dress. This dress below is my favorite and might be the closest to how I like my wedding dress to look.

And to finalize the flowery romantic theme, here's the backview of Claudine Barreto's wedding gown. I know, I just can't pass up on flowers for my wedding dress. So I'll have them at the back na lang to also serve as accent to my panel train.

Yeah, as you might have guessed, I kinda know what I'm talking about. Its just that, like every girl, I have pictured my dream wedding dress a thousand times in my head. I have also done a lot of research on the terminologies in the world of fashion. Anyway, like I said, it has to be the dress I imagine. Kinda like the pictures above, but waaaay better.

I have yet to meet with my designer, who's a close friend of the family, and I have always been one of his muses. Everytime we bump into each other he keeps on telling me to meet with him about my dress already. I just think it might be too early for a June 2010 bride to have her wedding gown made. Considering I already know what I like and I know he can make it happen for me, I'm sure it'll be easy then.

So there... that was a glimpse of my inspirations, a glimpse of me. I pray that this dream comes true for me. That when the moment comes for me to see my wedding dress, all my princess, goddess dreams will be fulfilled and upon seeing me on that white dress, my prince will feel like the luckiest guy on earth.

juday-ryan wedding

well, well, well... you knew this was coming didn't you? :)

it's the wedding of the year! How the heck can I not blog about it?
Before anything else, I want to share that before, I kinda wished that their wedding would be this year. I kinda didn't want it to be on the same year or month that we were gonna have our wedding. I just don't want people to be making their wedding a reference for ours. And who doesn't want their wedding to be remembered instead of a big celebrity wedding? So when I learned that it was gonna be this year, I was surprised and relieved.

Okay... Thanks to W@W, I felt like an insider to this so-called secret wedding. But even though I kinda had a clue that it was gonna be the day, I can't help but be so excited with all the juicy detailms unveiling one by one. It was too intriguing that I found myself glued to the boob tube for days. More importantly, it was very, very impressing.

I mean, I'm no celebrity but there are times when I feel that too many people know and are asking about the wedding and I don't exactly know how to act or what too say, especially to those people who I have no plans of inviting. I don't wanna appear rude, but I also don't wanna share too much to spoil the excitement or make them assume they're invited. That part is really tricky. But Judy Ann is like only the biggest star of her generation, and Ryan is a hot item as well, how were they able to pull it off? Unbelievable. :)

Imagine having all that money to blow off on a really grand wedding and invite just about everyone, but they opted to keep it low-key, simple, elegant and intimate. Idol! :))

What's also cool about the whole thing is, they were not only able to get the attention and applause of girls, but they also made the men impressed with what they did. Maybe its the practicality part, and the simplicity and a lot of thinking. It's actually beyond impressive. Anyway, its not much of my fiancee to keep up with celebrities, more so with celebrity weddings, but for this one, he paid attention and opened the subject to me himself. I didn't have to feed it to him, he was updated.

Its because he always wanted a low-key wedding, and he's never too loud about all this. We already fought several times about me sharing too much information to people that I spoil the excitement for him. He wants to keep it special, to us, and people close to us. The wedding preps I mean. He's very humble that way, which I love about him.

So learning from them, I now make a vow to really take after Juday with the way she handled her 'big' day. C'mon, without admitting it, I believe that every girl wants to feel like a princess, even for a day, and if she can choose what day it would be, most girls would choose their wedding. So, its not easy for a girl to keep mum while she's getting the wedding of her dreams, especially if you have big suppliers like RN and Jason Magbanua. But she did it with such grace and tact, that you would respect her silence. And did I mention how absolutely stunning she was in her wedding dress? She just looks so happy and contented. And so did Ryan. Like it was the most natural feeling in the world, and there's no faking it. I hope I see that face a year from now, from my Babe.

So there. Its not an easy feat, but I will try my best. Like as much as I want to, I won't brag about my accomplishment with the wedding preps to random friends, if they ask me, I'll try to give as little and vague information as I can.

You may ask why I'm doing this. Am I gonna do it just because its the cool thing to do? And I want my wedding to be just like theirs? Of course not. It's because Babe was happy with how they did it, so I'm gonna try to be just as graceful, just as tactful, and just as low-key about everything. Besides, that's really the least I can do for him, who's being so giving and supportive of me on our wedding preps. And obviously, what they did made a lot of sense.

Hey, just between us, its also a great way to save :) hehehe. I'm sure you W@wies can figure out why. I can't keep the details though, from my dear W@wie sisters, whom I owe a lot to. But just in case the world is too small for us and you know a random family or friend of mine or my h2b's, I expect you too keep secret the details about my day :)

It also won't be easy to keep it from my family and babe's family, so I might make an exception to that. But even so, I'll try to be really, really quiet about it. I won't let out details that aren't relevant to their roles in the wedding.

Hahaha. Wish me luck! I'm gonna need a lot. :P

To the celebrity newlyweds, my hats off to you. You are an inspiration to us. Congrats and best wishes!

Reception venue: DONE! :)

Finally! After the long, long wait... :))

I told myself I should be done with booking the reception venue by March, but I didn't think it was that complicated. So it was a month and some weeks delayed, but at least its finally booked for our wedding day =)

Now that we have our church and reception, we can already make our save-the-date cards! :)) no, seriously, I know it comes with a sad memory for a person important to me, and that almost made me cross this place off my list, but its just really perfect for the wedding I envisioned for me and babe...

Not in a swanky hotel, where all our guest's move will be "de-numero," or an out-of-town venue which will bring our commuter guests such a hassle, instead its in a clubhouse with a homey feel, with an enormous swimming pool and classic almost Grecian architecture. Its enough for a semi-intimate semi-big wedding for 150 (fine, to 180) guests.

And the best part is, its sooo super duper affordable! I remember really having that big, big grin when I found out about the rates on W@W, but its even better when a friend told me how much we will be getting it for :)) thanks to my 'new' tita! :))

Anyway, I think I've decided not to make any announcements in this blog, since other people, aside from my W@W sisters read it. And really, I'm trying to keep a low profile in the wedding preps ala Juday-Ryan, but that's a different blog entry altogether.

So, I'll just leave you guys with the photos. Feel free to drop your jaws. It's beautiful isn't it? :))

**if you are a W@Wie and you wanna know where this is, just comment**

a thought....

'God determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let
walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.'*

I'm a bit bothered by the sentence construction, but its true :)

Here's me, not complaining at all :))