Looking back, it has been roughly 15 years since I graduated from High School but it doesn't feel that long because I still keep in touch with my classmates considering we were only 42 in our class. I don't have any siblings and basically these are the people I grew up with having spent 10 months in a year for all of the 13 years in primary and secondary school (playgroup until senior year in HS). Yup, we were a tight bunch and we still are... especially when some of them who have gone to seek greener pastures come home to the Motherland. Tee hee. We do mini reunions all the time. And you know how it goes... you talk about the past, you laugh at your silliness, the crazy adventures and misadventures, but in spite of all that fun trip down memory lane, I can still remember how it felt as a teenager. Adolescence was definitely a time where I questioned my being A LOT, as to where I'm headed, what my purpose is, and why I exist. Without the right coping mechanisms, it can be a disaster for some kids. I grew up pretty insecure, awkward, and quite the odd one. Though I never tried to fit in because we were never much into stereotyping then, still there were "labels" you can't get away from.


If there was a definitive guide to growing up, it would have made things so much easier. Most of my inspirations in puberty came from MTV and fiction books, and though some people thought it wasn't such a good idea, it gave me a whole new perspective at life... and even death. Not to be morbid or anything, but it can be a struggle growing up and that's why you need to surround yourself with positivity and optimistic people. A good support system needs to be in place and I'm thankful for my teachers who challenged me, my friends who dared me, and my family who stood by me and let me be ME. Even though sometimes (or should I say a lot of times!) I felt inadequate and ugly before, sooner or later I learned how to take care of myself, to love myself, and to change how I perceived myself. Yes, it can be done.

1/30 better late than never to start the #letteritapril spreading positivity challenge by @jennymaiedae #calligraphy #calligraphyph #lettering #brush #pen #cocoiro #zig #kuretake #bordeaux #handwriting #penmanship #cursive #type #writing

A photo posted by ✨✨✨✨💖💜MyMaria💜💖✨✨✨✨ (@bastaigat_sikat) on Apr 3, 2015 at 8:35am PDT

Over the years, my readers send heart-warming comments and more recently, I received a very touching message. More than ever, I want to be an inspiration. Though I'm not perfect and I have flaws, I never stop fighting for my goals and for what I believe in.


1. LOVE YOURSELF. I can't stress this enough. Everything starts within you. I mean, how can you expect people to love you if you don't even think you deserve to be loved? I know it's easy to say and that's what I thought at first. Then I realized, who's going to love me if I don't love myself? And that made all the difference. I started paying attention to how I looked, how I carried myself, aiming for perfection in what I do, and overall, just BECOMING A BETTER VERSION OF MYSELF.

And don't let nobody tell you otherwise. ✒️ 22/30 #letteritapril spreading positivity challenge by @jennymaiedae #calligraphyph #calligraphy #bastaigatsikat #script #handwriting #penmanship #cursive #dippen #nib #zebraG #irongall #ink #oblique #pen #arts #crafts #hobby #writing #journal #moderncalligraphy

A photo posted by ✨✨✨✨💖💜MyMaria💜💖✨✨✨✨ (@bastaigat_sikat) on Apr 23, 2015 at 8:29am PDT

"And most of all I will love myself. For when I do I will zealously inspect all things which enter my body, my mind, my soul, and my heart." - Og Mandino

2. BE KIND TO OTHERS. People from all walks of life need to be treated with respect. Try not to invade other people's space and don't overstep your boundaries. The maxim, "Say nothing when you have nothing good to say," is very true. Do this. Also the poem I love most and memorized by heart is Max Ehrmann's Desiderata. If you read it, you'll know it's all you need to do to live a full life and be a better person overall. Whenever I feel anger brewing in me, I close my eyes, count to 10, and reason with myself whether anything can actually come from being mad. I know this is challenging but try it. "Remember what peace there may be in silence."

A video posted by ✨✨✨✨💖💜MyMaria💜💖✨✨✨✨ (@bastaigat_sikat) on Apr 1, 2015 at 7:54pm PDT

3. GIVE THANKS. In everything you do, a little gratitude comes a long way. The universe rewards people who give back and in all of the 32 years of my existence, I have seen time and again that what goes around comes around. You may not believe in the laws of Karma, but you can learn to appreciate things, people, and just about everything. One of the secrets of happiness is a grateful heart. A thankful person is easy to be with and of course, it leads to acceptance that whatever happens, it does for a reason, leading to contentment and ultimately, happiness. It is important to be happy and in order to be happy, you have to give thanks.

A photo posted by ✨✨✨✨💖💜MyMaria💜💖✨✨✨✨ (@bastaigat_sikat) on Mar 28, 2015 at 10:01pm PDT

A photo posted by ✨✨✨✨💖💜MyMaria💜💖✨✨✨✨ (@bastaigat_sikat) on Feb 21, 2015 at 11:41pm PST

When you have those 3 things nailed down, you will shine brighter than ever... Inside and out! Now all you need is a little makeup and an awesome skincare regimen that will do wonders. Let's not be hypocrital and pretend like we're all naturally born beautiful and we don't need to take care of our skin. In fact, do you know even oily skin still needs to be moisturized? There's a thin line between wanting to look pretty and becoming narcissistic. The bottom line is when we treat ourselves to some pampering and skincare, even just for basic hygienic purposes, we are simply nourishing our physical and emotional state which leads to better mental well-being. There's nothing wrong with wanting redder lips or pinker cheeks or putting on full-on makeup, as long as it's the right time and place. When I was a student, I opted for powder and lip/cheek tints. It helped me look less anemic and more presentable especially when it's my time to do class reports or presentations in front of an audience.

When you feel good about yourself and actually look pretty (even just for trying), then you can become confident enough to accomplish everything with flying colors. The sad truth about insecurity especially from my experience is that society plays a huge factor. I grew up in a time where people read magazines like Bibles and compared themselves to models. In order to get over it, I had to push myself to excel academically. I simply couldn't compete with models (even dare dream of it) because I didn't have fair skin nor long legs. It was a set standard while I was growing up.

But I do admit using whitening lotions like SkinWhite to boost my self-esteem. I was also glad that I had an IQ above average, I aced my exams, I was a dynamic group leader, and I received a lot of awards. Nevertheless, I also had my rebellious streak with hair colors (yes, I started coloring my hair when I was 9!) and that got me in a lot of trouble. I believe all those experiences helped shape my colorful personality and I became the person that I am today. Art is a form of self-expression and I encourage everyone to turn to it when you feel like life is throwing lemons at you. So what if I colored my hair or drew Henna tattoos on my skin? It's not like I did drugs and tried to jeopardize my future. That's why I'm all for experimenting on your looks, exploring fashion, and every avenue that you can use as a coping mechanism. Being a teenager is tough especially when you're always misunderstood. Trust me, I've been there, too.

Then I discovered taking care of myself truly helped me, however, vain it may seem. That's why I try to convince people to focus on their skincare and beauty routines. Having bad genes (acne galore!) also prompted me to do so. Here's hoping my reviews and sharing my personal experiences will persuade you in one way or another.

A photo posted by ✨✨✨✨💖💜MyMaria💜💖✨✨✨✨ (@bastaigat_sikat) on Jul 13, 2015 at 7:55pm PDT

Your Secret To Scoring Insta-White, Beautiful Skin

Review: The Skinwhite Advanced Power Whitening Soap is actually moisturizing. I mean, I'm very wary of using bar soaps because they can be on the drying side, but this one on top of actually being fragrant, it doesn't strip away your skin's moisture and it leaves skin feeling soft after a bath or a shower. As for the whitening effect, well, there aren't perfect bath soaps that make you instantly white, but over time, it definitely lightens the skin as well as keep it nourished.


Review: The SkinWhite Advanced Whitening Facial Cleanser is one of first cleansers I used while growing up. It's much more gentle than the other ones in the market. Because I have oily skin, I feel I have to clean my face twice. So it has been a long-time habit of mine to use a cleanser before washing my face. And when I'm feeling OC, I even use the cleanser once more before I apply moisturizer. The best thing about SkinWhite is it has Witch Hazel Extract and that's really good for acne-prone skin! Woot! However, if you have any open areas on your skin (ahem, that pimple you couldn't resist to prick!), well, it's gonna sting! But it's not so bad and it goes away in just a few seconds.


Review: The SkinWhite Advanced PowerWhitening Lotion is really one of the lotions I keep coming back to. I love how it feels light in spite of the SPF20 factor. I find that with most lotions the higher the sun protection, the more uncomfortable and heavier the lotion is. That's not the case with SkinWhite and that's why I love it! The whitening effect is pretty evident and it brightens skin almost instantly. I don't consider myself fair at all, just medium-fair probably, with a lot of golden tones. This lotion does the job and the price can't be beat. And not just me... even my high school friend who is now in Europe finds this lotion irreplaceable and brought some with her! We, millennials, can definitely attest to SkinWhite's effectiveness after having used it for a long time.



Review: My experience with SkinWhite PowerWhitening Face Cream Powder is rather unique. I found out about this via NoodleBoy! Can you believe that? Okay, when we started going out some 6 or so years ago, he whipped out a tube of Skin White PowerWhitening Face Cream Powder! I made fun of him but actually he explained that even his parents use it and it is effective at eliminating shine on your face. It was just a white variant then and that didn't really work for me. Good for him because he's fair-skinned so it just worked. When I tried the Light Beige version just last year, oh man, I finally understood what Le Husband was trying to tell me before. It quickly eliminated shine on the face and basically, it acts like a powder without making your face look too made up! So yeah, I agree that boys can really use it, too. It brightens the face almost instantly, too! So if you just wanna look naturally matte and fresh, this is it!