The New Me

When I was going through my old Photo folders, I had a really tough time deciding on whether or not to expose these photos to the world. On the one hand, I knew that my message would be more powerful if I showed these pictures, but on the other hand... they're just SO embarrassing.

PART 1: BEFORE
Back when I was in college, I was a huge sports person. I was the captain of the UP Archery team for a year, then after that I switched sports and joined the Arnis team. We trained for hours everyday, and on top of my huge workload (I was a Fine Arts major), I just didn't have time to primp, dress up, or take care of my appearance.

This is what I looked like on most days:

(Click to enlarge... *shudder*)

For those of you who don't know much about arnis, I will say that it is as tough as any other martial art out there. It's a stick-based sport, which pretty much means that the types of injuries you get from it are no joke. I trained for 5 years and earned the rank of fifth degree black belt!

After getting bruises like this, I didn't feel very pretty.
(Click to enlarge)

My entire college life was pretty much spent like this. My boyfriend at the time was also a sportsman who was a horrible dresser, and if there was an award for "Most Horribly Dressed Couple Of the Year", I think we would have won it!

PART 2: Transforming
Then came the year that I got a scholarship to study in Chuo Daigaku in Tokyo. UP had a 1-year exchange student program that I signed up for on a whim, and no one was more surprised than me when I got in. Little did I know that my whole life would change when I arrived there, as Tokyo is one of the most fashionable cities on the planet.

Transforming little by little through experiencing
a whole new culture! (Click to enlarge)

Unlike the very relaxed atmosphere of UP, walking into Chuo university was like walking onto the set of a Korean soap. Everyone is completely dressed up-- the women are all perfectly made up, the men tweeze their eyebrows, and everyone has their own style. It was like fashion was an artform, and everyone was a painter.

This was when I realized that clothing was every bit a venue for self-expression as art, music, and even sports were. I learned as much as I could about styling, makeup, and fashion, and I became more confident in myself and what I could be.

While there, I met many dear friends, had a small art exhibit at the Tokyo Design Festa, and learned that taking care of one's outward appearance is just as important as taking care of your inward self.

(Click to enlarge)

PART 3: The New Me

When I got back home to the Philippines, I felt like a whole new person! I finished my second degree from UP, got a great job as a designer/illustrator, and met my lovely boyfriend (who lets me dress him up, heehee). All my beauty rituals are now part of my daily life, and even though I still go to the gym to work out, I'm careful not to let sports overrule my life. :D

"The New Me!"

(click to enlarge)

I use Glutamax skin whiteners for blemishes and to keep my skintone even, and it helps me maintain a naturally lighter version of my color even throughout the summer. This ritual goes hand-in-hand with my passion for fashion, my love for makeup, and my affection for all things stylish!

Thanks to my inner confidence boost, I was able to transform my outward appearance into something I could be proud of. It's been years since my time in Japan, but I'm proud to say that "the new me" is here to stay!

GlutaMAX, See the Results.