Obsession!

Long time no see, WC!

I have finally returned from my 15-day trip back to my Motherland, the Philippines. We spent an entire week  vacationing at one of the most famous beaches in the world, known for its sand and sunsets, Boracay.  The beginning of May is also the beginning of summer over there (even though there are literally only two seasons, dry and wet), which meant the return of a fashion that is almost unbeknownst to me. As I have mentioned before, my closet only knows 2 shades: black and white. Not to mention, arm lengths that rarely expose any of my skin at all. Needless to say, having to pack for a beach getaway and still look a little bit stylish was quite challenging for me. All I can say is that there were a lot of black and white. LOL. Maybe some denim too. I meant to show those outfits, but I got excited about another thing and could not wait  to post about it. So, in my desperate need for an aesthetic change that is "appropriate" for the summertime, I happened upon this one dress at Mango. It was love at first sight. I snatched it and took it to the register STAT. I was never crazy about prints, but this really caught my eye! Now, I just want all the tropical prints in the world. Never should have side-eyed the guy in the Hawaiian print shirt.  Ah! Color me obsessed.

Revlon Colorstay nailpolish in Marmalade | Neiman Marcus bi-fold colorblock wallet

 Mango tropical print dress with belt | Old Navy booties | Charles & Keith bag | NYX B52 lipstick

Speaking of obsessed, during my recent trip, it became more apparent to me how obsessed we, Filipinos, are of having a very fair complexion.  When you tune in to the television, a majority of the commercials are of skin-whitening products: soaps, creams, lotions, and even anti-perspirants.  It feeds on the Filipino obsession that having white skin means that one is more attractive.  This obsession has gotten to unsafe levels with people getting intravenous administrations of glutathione to facial creams with corticosteroids.  The 300-year colonization of the Spaniards may have a significant influence over this.  With the mestizos and mestizas and their fair skin and round dark eyes, not to mention power and control over the natives, how can one not uphold them as an ideal?  This mindset has stayed with us, unfortunately.

In order for me to understand this better, I also have to look into my own experiences.  These experiences may not seem so profound to me at the time because it is so instilled in our culture that white is better.  My sister and I have fairer complexions than the rest of our family.  Our relatives would always label us as the "pretty" nieces, cousins, granddaughters, etc.  It was always followed by a remark of how fair we were.  Our prettiness didn't necessarily have anything to do with our almond eyes, or pouty mouths, or dentist-approved teeth; just that we were fairer than the rest of the clan.  What gets to me is that it doesn't stop there, we are then considered as the smart ones or the successful ones even though we have cousins who are of the same profession.  This might just be a personal observation, but I think it has a lot to do with the idea that if you are fair, you are more likely doing better in life because you do not have to toil outside under the sun.  This is truly bizarre because here in the States, the people who have the time to lay out under the sun for long periods of time are those who can afford to, and most of them are Caucasians. WoCs, what do you have to say about this topic?  Do the people of your ethnicity also have the same standards of beauty? This is a good read for more information on the skin-whitening in the Philippines. 

One more thing!  Before my trip, I finally graduated with my degree in Health Care Administration. Woo!  I don't have pictures of the ceremony or after, but this was me before leaving my house. :3 It's nice seeing you again, WC! :3

Bustier dress via Tobi | BCBGeneration ankle-strap sandals | NYX matte lipstick in Shocking Pink