So we are currently counting down the days until it is 2018 (whoop whoop!), and to round up the year let me give you a list of my favourite products.

Vittoria Ceretti for Chanel Cruise 2017





Images courtesy of: pinterest

If you guys follow my Instagram, you probably know how often do I change my hair.

It's red, it's pink, it's blue, it's blonde, and it's brown.

So to say the least my hair's been through hell and back just to get my desired hair color, but of course with every problem comes a solution. Let me introduce you to my saviors...

I turned to Kérastase when it comes to haircare, because during my virginal state of hair (red: pre-color) I used the oleo serum and it was magic to my hair. My hair stylist suggested these to help treat my dry, damaged, and over-processed hair because of the bleaching I did to achieve my blonde colored hair. It's been several months since I use these babies and honestly my hair is feeling much much better than before that and a frequent visit to my salon to keep them fresh. I also trim the edges once a month to help my hair re-grow. Anyway, let me describe them in details..

1. Kérastase Soin Premier Thérapiste

Soin Premier Thérapiste is a deep repair conditioner for very damaged and over processed hair. Most effective when used prior to shampoo, it protects the fiber, while repairing the hair for a soft and lightweight finish.  

2. Kérastase Bain Thérapiste

Bain Thérapiste is a shampoo designed for very-damaged, over-processed hair. It coats the fiber during the washing for a deep revitalization, shine, and smoothness.  

3. Kérastase Ciment Anti-Usure

Ciment Anti-Usure is a conditioner conceived for weakened and damaged hair. Its anti-breakage effect helps the fiber to be reconstructed, for hair that is stronger and more resistance.  

4. Kérastase Masque Therapiste

Masque Therapiste is a deep conditioning treatment mask for very-damaged and over-processed hair. Its action deeply repairs the fiber at its core, allowing it to regain strength and elasticity. Hair is toned and revitalized.

I use the Masque Therapiste twice a week sometimes to replace the conditioner if my hair is too dry for its own good. You can rock whatever hair color you want but never forget to take a good care of it.

"I work in a cold patriarchal driven world where the idea of beauty is based solemnly on how men perceive it."

Entah sudah berapa kali saya menjumpai gadis-gadis usia remaja yang mengungkapkan keinginan mereka untuk menjadi model sekelas Adriana Lima dan Gisele Bundchen hari ini. Jangan salah, saya sangat menghormati pekerjaan tersebut karena tanpa mereka saya juga tidak akan ada pekerjaan, tetapi saya sempat miris ketika mereka mengatakan akan dengan senang hati meninggalkan segala urusan akademis mereka untuk menjadi supermodel papan atas. Jadi, apa yang saya katakan? "Finish your school then," dan mereka bilang saya jahat karena lebih menyarankan mereka meyelesaikan sekolah.

This is where you are wrong, dear. Saya bekerja di dunia yang penuh dengan barang-barang mewah dan gemerlap cahaya lampu sorot setiap waktu, jika kalian bertanya apakah saya cinta pekerjaan saya, jawaban yang akan kalian dengar adalah "Yes". Lalu kenapa saya malah terkesan menjauhkan gadis-gadis tadi dari dunia saya? Because all that glitters is not gold. Dunia ini tidak segemerlap yang kalian kira. Bisa saya bilang dunia kerja saya itu palsu dan merusak. Why? Palsu karena dunia tersebut berpusat pada image yang dihasilkan oleh suatu standar yang boleh saya bilang, mustahil, untuk selalu dicapai perempuan kebanyakan dan bersifat merusak karena masih terekam di memori saya bagaimana gadis-gadis berusia 15 hingga 18 tahun terobsesi dengan berat badan mereka di belakang panggung sampai mereka mengidap anoreksia atau bulimia. Belum lagi ketika popularitas adalah segalanya hingga berbagai jalan pintas pun digunakan agar mereka cepat terkenal. From plastic surgery to being "more" than just a model.

I do not know how many times I have watched these girls destroy each other like animals.  Singkat cerita, gadis-gadis tadi bertanya kepada saya, "If you can choose only one, brains or beauty?" dengan santai saya jawab, "Brains". Terlontarlah pertanyaan kenapa dari mulut mereka. My mother once told me that beauty tends to be temporary and her advice to me is that rather than beauty I should rely on my brain. Apa yang beliau katakan makes sense menurut saya, berikan edukasi yang baik kepada wanita maka dia akan bertahan dan mandiri.

"Because like style, your brain is eternal. You can still be a model and have a brain, darling. You can still be fashionable and smart at the same time. That's why I told you to finish your school. A beautiful shell will be worthless compared to the pearl inside of it."

Moral dari cerita yang saya sampaikan sebenarnya hanya satu.. aim higher. Saya tak akan melarang siapapun untuk bermimpi karena dari mimpi kita mempunyai dorongan untuk selalu berusaha sekuat tenaga, tapi saya menyarankan untuk tidak meninggalkan edukasi. Sama seperti mimpi, edukasi juga penting untuk kehidupan. Apalagi sebagai seorang wanita yang kelak akan menjadi panutan bagi anak-anak mereka, bukan karir yang menentukan seberapa sukses seorang wanita menjadi ibu, cara mereka mendidik lah yang menentukan hal itu. So girls, dream as high as the sky. But never put anything above your education.

"Perfume is the most intense form of memory" - Jean Paul Gaultier

Scent is a very personal thing to me, always have and always will. I could stick with one scent for so long that even when people compliments it I would not notice. When I was five, my aunt sprayed me with her favorite perfume of all time, Chanel No.5 and since that day I always associate the scent with her. My mom on the other hand once gave me a whiff of her favorite perfume up until today, Christian Dior Poison, the red bottle reminds me of the poison apple that evil queen used to poison Snow White. 

I gave perfumes as presents for the ones I love and the feedbacks until now are good, they love the perfumes. I cannot explain how I could get the perfume right, in my mind I'm just picking out what I think they would like but in truth there is a major science about that. Each perfume felt personal to me, because one or maybe a few of the notes within the perfume reminds me of a certain situation where this person and I were involved in. Such as lounging around one summer afternoon in July with my best friend since middle school which resulted in me buying her Eau de Iceberg Pour Femme for her birthday present.

I am a huge hoarder of perfumes trust me, from classics to slightly unconventional, if I like the dry down of the perfume I would not think twice about purchasing it. In the sea of so many scents, how could I pick which ones are my go to? Here's my pick for 2017 perfume favorites, some I bought, some are gifts.

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1. Tom Ford, Tobacco Vanille

Reminds me of an Englishman Club and the sillage is amazing, fell in love with it since the first time I sniffed the sample.

2. Tom Ford, Black Orchid

This is my third bottle so far, the very first bottle was a gift from my (then) boyfriend and became a favorite ever since.

3. Giorgio Armani, Si Intense

I owned the regular Si but switched to this after I ran out of it, the smell is divine for a night out with friends and it lasts throughout the entire night.

4. Yves Saint Laurent, Parisienne A L'Extreme

I wanted to cry when my (then) boyfriend managed to get his hands on this, this is by far my signature scent, but since it is super hard to get it here in Indonesia, I use this occasionally now.

5. Yves Saint Laurent, Black Opium

My mom used to own the Opium and when I tried this on me, the sillage blew my mind. It lasts until I took a shower in the morning.

6. Yves Saint Laurent, Mon Paris

This one was a gift from my boyfriend even before the perfume is officially sold here, I managed to wear this to my classes and get plenty of compliments in the process.

7. Valentino, Valentina

I bought this because it is a good everyday scent, nothing to special, yet the sillage lasts pretty long.

8. Dolce & Gabbana, La Lune

I used to love the L'Imperatrice but switched to this because over the years, after parting with L'Imperatrice for so long and I caught a whiff it made my head dizzy, so this is a suitable replacement for it. Even though this is an EDT it lasts pretty good on my skin.

9. Balmain, Ivoire

Again a day to day scent for me to wear without the hassle.

10. Fragonard, Fleur d'Oranger

I bought this because it reminds me of the spring, and it is one of my favorite spring scent.

11. Estee Lauder, Modern Muse Le Rouge

I was given a sample at first this and the Modern Muse one, but my heart was set to buy this because it is so unlike Estee Lauder to come up with a scent like this.

12. Hermes, L'Ambre des Merveilles

A gift from my boyfriend after we resolved an issue together, I wear this on date night mostly.

So there you have it, 12 of my favorite scents.

If you ask me what I usually do on weekends, I would say something like reading books or lounging around in my PJs all day. But apparently this weekend is super productive. Instead of lounging around all day in my lounge wear I am out and about. I decided to have brunch with a dear friend of mine whom you might know from my last outfit of the day post. We went to Caturra Espresso for brunch and just to catch up on things and discuss what kind of collaboration we could do in the near future.

We both ate pastas since obviously we skip breakfast for brunch with cappuccino and mochaccino as drinks. The pastas were great guys seriously. Anyway, over coffee we discussed out next collaboration, aspirations, and life in general. And of course I always wear black for brunch.

Dress: Balenciaga

Watch: Pierre Cardin

Shoes: Saint Laurent

As you guys probably figured out by now, I have a vast collection of makeup that will probably grow even more soon and of course with all those layers of makeup comes the excess: break outs.

I suffered from massive breakout due to my brushes, it was so bad that I finally went back to my old dermatologist (Thank you Google for linking up my contacts) and when I told her about my condition she told me to practice two things at once.

One:

To wash my makeup brushes at least once in every two weeks.

Two:

Practice double cleansing.

I was lost at first, then she explained to me that my makeup remover is not enough to remove all of the makeup that I put on hence I need another cleanser to make sure there is no trace of makeup or sunscreen left on my skin. I gave her the list of my current skin care and it took her two days to get back to me and conjure up a list that works well with my skin, without adding or buying other products. Here's my skin care that I am still constantly using up until now:

It's a lot I know, but I do not use them all year round. My skin type is combination and it is pretty sensitive when it comes to skin care so I tend to stick with what I know best, but the tricky part of my skin is that as the weather changes, it changes as well. So as for now, my skin is leaning towards the drier side rather than oily. So I opt to use something a little bit more hydrating than usual, like the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask at night or the Sunday Riley Artemis before I go to bed. Anyhow, these amazing products won't work unless I have a clean skin away from the grimes, I have to say that double cleansing is key to a healthy skin. Exercise and a balanced diet also helps maintain a healthy skin. Which means you have to tone down the champagne and margaritas. It is true that stress contributes to your skin condition but you can conquer that easily by meditating and thinking positive.

Remember that when you lead a positive life it will affect your body as well. It took me years of constant struggles to accept my skin with all its imperfectness and to love them as it is, I do not strive for perfection, because I believe everyone is beautiful as they are.

I'm not a dermatologist or beautician so what works for me might not work for you, however we all know cleansing our skin is the basic step we do everyday.

"Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick and pull yourself together."

-Elizabeth Taylor

Well if you guys know me, there is one thing I cannot live without (besides air of course).

I have my fair share playing with matte lipsticks from famous brand to local ones, I've sung my praises for Rollover Reaction (see my Instagram) and now I have come across another local brand.. one that I am excited since before it is officially released. VAL by Valerie Thomas serves us with gorgeous colors to choose, from dark to nude ones. I have four shades at the moment.

The packaging is very chic! Reminds me of MAC Viva Glam for some reason, but all in good terms guys don't worry.

So as I told you before, I have four shades to play with. From L-R: Emma, Resme, Dulce Maria, Louisa. It looks slightly brighter due to the lighting of my room.

From top to bottom: Resme, Emma, Dulce Maria, Louisa.

Out of the four my favorite to go to color has to be Resme and Emma, I think Resme would be appropriate for daytime while Emma can transfer my look to vampy in a second. These rad babies retails at IDR 99,000 each.

I used this earlier to eat and drink, I was eating some fried dumplings as lunch and ice tea after that. The color stays on pretty well despite it fades a little because of the grease from my food but for its price and the pigmentation of the color? I'd say this is worth to buy. Watch out ladies, there's another lipstick that you need to buy.

Overall Ratings: ★★★★☆

Would I buy it again? Yes, for sure.

Someone once said to me the key to a life full of positivity is to be grateful for whatever it is that life has given you and just accept what it is. I have to learn the hard way to be this grateful about life first hand through so many bitter experiences, but in the end I am grateful that my decisions whether it is right or wrong, led me to be who I am today.

The prettiest thing I notice from someone now is not just the outer, not just how much their clothes are worth, or what brand of shoes they are wearing. NO. I notice what lays beneath all of that. I once met this gorgeous young woman, whom I met through a friend, she is beautiful physically but deep down inside she is so ugly. I am no saint, I have done so many things in my life that I regret but I do believe through experience, whether it is good or bad, people will learn and change.

So my dearest reader, gratitude will get you so far from where you are today.

Don't forget to be grateful today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life.

My daily makeup is forever changing as time goes by. Here's a few items that I have been using for almost a week now.

Catrice Sun Glow Matt Bronzing Powder in Deep Bronze

Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer in Medium-Tan

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bahama

NARS Audacious Mascara in Black Moon

Balmain Ivoire Perfume