Hey folks! What's up? Sometimes I feel weird just talking about what I did, what I wore, and what I thought about all the time here. I know it's the nature of a blog, but I feel so self-absorbed I'm sick of myself. :P You have to help me out by talking about yourselves too, and suggesting topics I can work on! This blog isn't all about just me, you know, not anymore. It's a community of beauty enthusiasts and I always, always take your input into consideration. So let me know what you want to read about, okay?

Anyway I was scouring through my photo albums when I found a set of pics I took about two months ago. It's a Pinkbox ring that I absolutely adore! It reminds me of a film called the Curse of the Golden Flower, which I loved. I wrote a whole blog post about it and all. Haha. This ring makes me feel like a Chinese empress whenever I wear it (er, humor me).

I know you'll ask - is the ring uncomfortable?

I recently got this delightfully huge ring from Parfois. It makes me think of a monster toad. Mostly I think of it as an effective combat weapon, similar to brass knuckles. If i ever get in trouble, I can use my monster ring finger to deliver a punch with more satisfying results.

Kidding aside, I find the ring chich in a tough girl kind of way. It's also the sort of piece that no one will miss because of its size! I think it would look best with indie/boho/rocker type of clothes.

One of my top three favorite songs on The Phantom of the Opera is Masquerade. It carries a joyous tune but there's a strong undercurrent of malice and fear in between the lyrics, a contrast that I really appreciate. The whole sequence in the film draws heavily from Edgar Allan Poe's masterpiece, The Masque of the Red Death - even the Phantom himself comes as the Red Death to the party. I have always found this story chilling, up there with Annabel Lee and The Tell-Tale Heart.

Anyway! If you haven't watched the movie yet, I hope this clip of Masquerade will convince you.

The rambling is brought to you by this pretty ring I got from Ivy. She was the Commenter of the Month winner for July, and while I was perfectly fine with shipping her prize, she asked if we could meet up. Of course I said yes! I love meeting Project Vanity readers, they are almost always cool. And Ivy is cool. She just started her own beauty blog, you guys should encourage her. ;) There's nothing more inspiring than someone going out of her comfort zone to share the things she loves.

I was in SM Bacoor with my mom yesterday. I wasn't particularly intent on buying jewelry, until I saw these NACCARA Pearls in the department store!

These earrings were the first thing that caught my eye. I'm not particularly fond of earrings, but I really love how delicate this pair looked, with its tiny majorica pearls and inset stones.

There are a lot of beautiful finds inside Parfois. The best thing is, most of the items are not something you'll find just anywhere! There are cocktail rings, statement necklaces, and pretty bags in the store. Shoes, scarves, and wallets are also mainstays.

Indeed, Parfois is your all-around accessory store that's not too painful on the pocket. Rings are between P380 to P650, necklaces at P600-1200 (for the elaborate ones), and bags at P1,200 to 3,000 (for the big ones made for traveling).

Here's what I got!

This necklace is perfect for low-cut dresses and tops

These golden leaves hang beautifully on the neck. Can go with most outfits. Been wearing it nonstop!