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[hinumdom]

(top photos - right side cheek and bottom photos - left side cheek)

acne journal entry #3

i'm on my 2nd month of isotretinoin.

my skin has significantly improved over the past month. there are fewer acne marks and minimal to no pimples. i'm still using the skincare products that were prescribed to me during the start of my acne journey (except i dropped my toner because i no longer have pustules, just a few red bumps remain which goes away overnight).

i've really come a long way. i never imagined that i'd be able to treat my acne, which i've been curing by myself for more than a year, within a span of four months. some products are quite expensive but it's really worth the purchase considering how much it helped me clear not just the active pimples, but the stubborn dark spots as well.

i'll probably continue taking isotretinoin until my skin clears but i'll ask my derma if i can switch my skincare to something that i can use as maintenance.

[hinumdom]

august 24, 2024

i watched the follow again movie.

i wasn’t really planning to watch but my older sister (who’s a casual fan) insisted ‘cause she wanna watch it too. the movie is basically the follow again concert in seoul. i’ve watched the full livestream for that already during the actual concert but i guess watching it on a cinema is totally different than just watching it on a laptop. every sound, every echo, every moment of that concert felt 4D if you know what i mean. also, they gave these complementary photocard. we got jun and seungkwan in our pull. then, i brought my lightstick to fully immerse myself.

the whole experience was so much fun. seeing svt on a big screen in 4K was just so wonderful. i love how their close up would literally take my breath away ‘cause they’re just that beautiful. and of course the songs. i sang to almost every song. i can’t wait for them to come here in the philippines for their asia leg of the follow again tour. although they won’t be complete ‘cause jeonghan will be enlisting this year and jun will focus on his acting career in china, i’m still looking forward to the concert. i still have eleven men to dazzle me after all *wink wink*.

[hinumdom]

life update

went to have a lab test again for my monthly check-up with my derma. we'll be closely monitoring my cholesterol since it spiked after my first month on isotretinoin.

after four years, i finally got to eat again the mango supreme from lovelight. albeit the price increased by almost a hundred percent, the taste was exactly the same. gave me a lot of nostalgia.

first time discovering that muji has a cafe already. i tried their iced ichigo cafe mocha. it tasted like the meiji chocolate strawberry. it's good and it was like around ₱125 only for the medium and ₱150 for large. i always order the smallest size when i'm trying out drinks. i don't know what brand of chocolate syrup they used but it goes so well with the drink.

since i've been transitioning to eating more healthy food, we ate at pho hoa. i just recently learned how to eat vegetables (lmao) so i got the vermicelli bowl and a small pho brisket and flank. i really like the taste. it's refreshing. it didn't make me gag like the usual thing that vegetables do to me (lol). i also tried their mango sticky rice with vanilla and mango ice cream on the side. their mango was so sour and their coconut milk tasted bland. the ice creams were good except i wasn't a fan with the combination with the sticky rice. i was disappointed tbh since i've been looking forward to trying out that dessert.

finally found my favorite zu's coffee beverage - it's iced shaken double espresso with oat milk, boss coffee beans, and less sugar. the coffee is strong but the oat milk balances it out without overpowering the coffee. it's a good mix. 10/10 would recommend.

for the first time in a while, i went thrifting clothes. the ukay-ukay i went to was inside the mall so their prices were around ₱180-₱220 for the tops only. sometimes, when you're thrifting clothes, you can't help but hoard a lot since you're gonna buy them for an affordable price anyway. personally, i see this as a double-edged sword. yes, you can buy them at an affordable price but their shelf life wouldn't be for long. that's why i always make sure to choose the clothes based on its price and quality. since the price is around ₱180, i only looked for branded clothes. these may be secondhand but at least i'm assured that the quality is still high. if the price is around ₱50, i'd be more open to buying non-branded clothes as long as the quality is as if it's new. this is because i don't know how long the clothes will last before it fade and degrade. i also don't want to make a mistake of buying too many clothes and just have them collect dust in the closet 'cause they faded fast or there's not much of an appropriate occasion to wear them.

[hinumdom]

(top photos - right side cheek and bottom photos - left side cheek)

acne journal entry #2

here's a three-month progress of my acne.

just by looking at these pictures, i can totally see how much my skin has improved which i'm grateful for honestly.

before my derma prescribed me with isotretinoin, i was required to submit blood test results to determine the appropriate dosage. that's how i found out i have borderline high cholesterol which means i'm still in the normal range but on the higher spectrum and that i have a fatty liver. i was advised to manage my diet for my cholesterol and was prescribed with a supplement for my liver.

it's been a month since i started using isotretinoin. during the first two weeks, there were no significant changes yet. but, on the 3rd week, i felt the dryness on my skin due to the medication. i do still feel like my face gets oily but when i use a blotting paper, it's completely dry. interesting, isn't it? anyway, now i'm dealing with so much dryness all over my body. i would wake up with super dry lips that if i try to just move it a little, it would tear and bleed. i'm also experiencing micro peeling that's why i switched my moisturizer from gel to cream which did the trick (at least for now). my back pain worsened albeit just a little bit. my doctor told me before that it's possible to experience muscle and joint pains when taking isotretinoin. i would still get pimples but not as often and as big as before. now what essentially remain are the dark spots.

i had a follow up consultation just this monday with new blood test results since my derma needs to closely monitor my cholesterol and ensure my liver is still in a good condition. fortunately, results for my liver came back normal. however, my cholesterol slightly increased. i was prescribed isotretinoin for another month and in my follow up consultation, which is a month after, i'll have to provide blood test results again.

[hinumdom]

august 4, 2024

it's my nephew's birthday!

we went to wildflour to celebrate. i wasn't able to take pictures of everything but we ordered A LOT. my personal favorites would be the squid ink pasta, kimchi fried rice, steak fried rice, matcha raspberry bundt cake (less the raspberry fruit, it tasted horrible), and banana coffee caramel smoothie. then we went to festival mall after to burn the food we ate. i also got iced burnt vanilla latte from dot coffee for clout—just kidding! i can't seem to go about my day without coffee and also, drinking coffee after a meal makes me forget the feeling of being too full from eating too much.

[hinumdom]

instant serotonin boost. the way she leaned towards my hand was so adorable.

[hinumdom]

(top photos - right side cheek and bottom photos - left side cheek)

acne journal entry #1

when i said this is the worst acne breakout i ever had, this is what i meant. i didn't want to take off my mask and i hated looking at the mirror. my confidence was at rock bottom to be honest. i've always been acne-prone since i was in high school but i always found consumer products that helped me achieve clear skin. this time, unfortunately, nothing seems to be working, even my "holy grail" gave no improvement to my skin.

i started breaking out around may last year and just this year, around february or march, it flared up. the left photos were taken around may this year (so my break out has stretched to a year). i had red bumps all over my face (papules), recurring pimples with white pus (pustules), painful cysts that were concentrated at the lower part of my face, my pores were more evident than usual, rough and oily skin - the overall condition of my face was just unbearable to even look at.

that's why i decided to consult professional help. i had never felt the need to seek one since i was able to resolve it on my own, but even i know when i'm facing a losing and hopeless battle. initially, i consulted with a doctor at skinstation (heard good reviews from acquaintances) but i had a not-so-good experience. when i entered the room, the doctor just glanced at me once and started writing down on her prescription pad. she asked me the products i was using at that time and when she was done writing (which took her less than a minute), she explained to me what she wrote and intended to call it a day. she prescribed me with an antibiotic, told me to change all of my skin care products with skinstation product line, and recommended me to take their acne treatments. all of these took less than five minutes. just so what i paid won't go to waste, i asked some more questions. i honestly didn't feel like she was there to help me as a doctor, but only to squeeze money out of me.

anyway, i only bought the antibiotic which she prescribed me to take for two weeks. i also gained information that she wasn't a board-certified dermatologist. by the end of the two-week period, i looked for a board-certified dermatologist and immediately booked for an online consultation. that's how i met my dermatologist now. on the first consultation, she gave me a background on the different types of acne, then she made her diagnosis based on the pictures i sent to her. she gave me a go signal to keep taking the antibiotic for another two weeks since she told me that for an acne breakout like mine, treatment would involve a combination of oral and topical remedies. then, she told me to change all of my skin care products. she prescribed me with products that can be bought at the drugstore (fortunately!). i also told her the treatments that was recommended to me when i consulted at skinstation, if it's okay to get them. by the name of the treatment, she opposed it, especially the acne facial with 20% glycolic peel. she said it'll be too harsh on the skin especially with my skin condition as my skin barrier was pretty much damaged already.

after two weeks, i had a follow up online consultation with her. my antibiotic was extended to another two weeks as the effects of the medication was taking slow. at six weeks of taking antibiotic and changing my skin care products, i saw improvement on my skin as seen on the right photos (taken around june this year). the red bumps had been greatly reduced and some of my acne spots had also lightened. i'd still get pimples but not as many as before and they dry up fast. my skin was a lot smoother, too, which is due to my skin barrier finally healing.

apart from what i was taking, my dermatologist also mentioned isotretinoin. she told me i was a candidate to take it. she doesn't recommend this to her patients outright and she urges her patients to research on it before deciding to take it since it's a pretty strong medication to treat severe acne. anyway, i have decided to take it and that'll be my next acne journal entry.

[hinumdom]

working from home today. it’s flooding everywhere, some people are stranded along the streets and even in their own houses, and looks like the rain ain’t stopping any time soon. stay safe, everyone!

[hinumdom]

life update

been taking a lot of random pictures lately, which i stopped doing years ago. that gave me something to post about here, at least, and something i can look back to.

went to the haikyu!! pop-up store at sm north. took a lot of pictures here and there. i didn't buy any merch 'cause i didn't like the quality and how it was overpriced.

update on my acne journey: i stopped taking antibiotics 'cause i already finished my prescription. i just did my lab tests so i'm gonna wait for the results before i go back to my derma. i'm actually excited about taking isotretinion 'cause i've seen the beautiful wonders it did to other people.

tried out tons of new food from cyma, egg house, bb.q chicken, and out of nowhere kitchen (disclaimer: i'm not a foodie but i like trying out new things):

cyma - it's a greek resto and we went there for a birthday celebration. for sharing, we had kalamata hummus and caesar salad. then, i ordered a solo acropolis, a cream-based penne pasta with roasted chicken and spinach. love the pasta btw. it had a creamy but light taste to it. the penne was bigger than i expected, plus it was wider, but it wasn't heavy at all. i'm sure my parents would love the food here.

egg house - saw this on tiktok when i searched for dessert shops while we were at sm north. finally got to try their souffle pancake. so what i ordered was one of their bestsellers which is the fluffy clouds. it's kinda like their signature pancake topped with whipped cream and maple syrup. surprisingly, it wasn't that sweet, and the flavors complement each other so well. for drinks, i tried their uji matcha latte (simply because uji sounds like woozi hehe). their drinks are great, too. it has a great balance to it and doesn't overpower the rest of the food. 10/10 would go back again.

bb.q chicken - there's a newly opened store at megamall so we went there to try their food. it's a korean resto and pretty much similar with 24chicken. they offer flavored chicken and side dish such as tteokbokki, kimbap, cheese sticks, japchae, etc. i tried their secret sauce, which tasted like a watered down yangnyeom with super duper extra sweetness, and japchae. i wasn't happy about the japchae 'cause it lacked the sesame oil flavor to it, which is like the heart of korean food. their chicken is okay but i won't probably eat there any time soon.

out of nowhere kitchen - i think this is a new resto at sm manila. it has a pretty chic and cool vibe to it despite being inside the mall. they offer a variety of food at an affordable price. so, i ordered beef quesadilla. apart from being too oily, it was rather good. it had light flavors, the beef was soft, and their dressing goes well with it. then, i had apple lychee iced tea for drinks, which honestly tasted like the bottled nestea apple (no exaggeration). personally, i'd like to go back there for the ambience and i'm curious how the other food would taste like.

[hinumdom]

life update

happy father's day to all the biological and non-biological dads out there

uniqlo had a sale recently and i kinda splurged on clothes a little bit (oops)

finally found a super duper nice and soft cotton mask; it's reusable/washable, breathable, and adjustable! since synthetic or surgical mask tends to give my face micro abrasion which further irritates my acne, i really took my time finding the best face mask

discovered zus coffee and tried their velvet cream latte; what's pretty interesting about their drinks is that you can choose your beans between boss (the chocolatey type) and lydia (the nutty type); also, their straw is edible! it's plant-based (rice) and turtle-friendly!

tried nanyang's traditional honey toast for the first time and wow, it tastes like heaven; it's lightweight on your tastebuds but fulfilling

been reducing my sugar and dairy intake not just to aid on my goal to lose some weight but also to make my skin look better (especially my acne); sugar and dairy are not directly related to acne but studies show that on observation, people who eats a lot of sugary and dairy food tend to have the most acne or get acne breakouts frequently

update on my acne journey: my oral antibiotics got extended to another two weeks; i'm also planning to start on isotretinoin but i have to undergo some lab tests first and finish on my antibiotics

SEVENTEEN is gonna perform on weverse concert today! fortunately, there's an online streaming so i can watch it at home

[hinumdom]

life update

work is pretty chill lately but i prefer to call it the calm before the storm ‘cause i know what work lies ahead

my nephew had his junior high graduation bagging with high honors (proud tita over here!)

drinks i’ve been into the past few weeks are 7-11’s iced french vanilla and 19 degrees charcoal series, and on top of these drinks i also tried cinnabon’s cinammon latte and a strawberry sorbet gin and tonic

had karaoke with workmates for the first time in forever (don’t remember when was the last time we went) then we went to BGC right after to meet up with more friends

update on my acne journey: already consulted with a board-certified dermatologist and i’m currently on oral antibiotics + i was prescribed to change my entire skincare regimen so i’m on tretinoin, topical antibiotic, and mild products (all i’m using needs prescription and yes, my acne breakout is THAT bad)

also, i was recommended to undergo facial at least once a month (i’ve never done this before) so i’ll schedule an appointment in the coming days since my dermatologist suggested me a clinic and what treatment to get

splurge on shoes a bit hehe i bought new balance and addidas (also, they had their midyear sale so i was able to save up a bit) i’m not really into shoes but the current ones i have are really in need of replacement

been listening to too sweet by hozier and gods by new jeans (the cover version from girls on fire show)

jeonghan x wonwoo unit was the duo i never knew i needed, their debut date and album release is on june 17, i can't wait!!

[hinumdom]

life update

belated happy mother's day to all the super moms out there!

so much happened last week and it went by so fast at the same time - work is endless as usual and sometimes, i find myself lazing around and staring into space lol

my manager celebrated her birthday so we gave her a bouquet of flowers and a tres leches cake (tastes so good) then she treated us to ippudo at lunch and coffee after (go-to order at ippudo is kizami tantanmen)

finally got to try aperol spritz - i heard it while watching svt when they went to italy for nana tour, it's a refreshing cocktail drink so it's no wonder svt loved it (and now i love it too)

also tried berry lychee and seasalt latte from brew and co cafe - love the taste of their drinks, it's pretty rich and when you order, it comes in a mason jar! if you order again and reuses the mason jar, you'll get a discount on your next drink

LALALI MV from SEVENTEEN'S Hip Hop Unit just came out!

[hinumdom]

life update

hello. just passing by to say that i’m still alive. i’m surprisingly active irl that i don’t have much energy to go online (and here i thought i’d be able to document everything). anyway, here’s what i’ve been up to:

i turned 26 last february 14 - went to the fiesta carnival to play bowling and arcade then had dinner at nono’s

went to binondo with the fam - food trip, yum!

been doing diy waxing by myself - i use hot wax so i bought a portable waxing machine, wax beads, and wooden sticks to help apply the melted wax; very convenient and easy to use

started working out - i availed a trial version of a fitness app but forgot i connected it with my gcash account so it charged me with 1-year subscription; had no choice but to use it

bought work out clothes ‘cause aside from the dance class every tuesday, wednesday, and friday, i also do workout at home

celebrated my sister’s birthday last april 20 - had lunch at teppanya, roamed around MOA, and then played bowling

currently experiencing the worse acne breakout i’ve ever had - the usual acne topical products don’t work on me so i’m having a hard time looking for products that would help (planning to consult with a dermatologist but as an independent girlie, i tend to explore skincare products by myself; old habits die hard)

STREAM SEVENTEEN’S MAESTRO!!

that’s it for now. i have something (or someone) to rant about at work, but that’s gonna be on a separate post.

[hinumdom]

ma-totouch na sana ako kasi may nag abot ng ayuda pero nakita ko “gg lods” lmao, made my day!

[hinumdom]

january 27, 2024

it’s my niece’s 6th birthday so the family went out and had dinner at tablō kitchen & cafe to celebrate. don’t let the photos fool you, we ordered way more food. it’s surprisingly affordable and the food tastes great (read: ferrero cake and white chocolate biscoff latte). the overall ambiance of the resto is nice but it gets rowdier at night especially with big groups of people coming in to have dinner. it’s like i’m in an open market but that’s okay tho!! the resto is quite popular, too. there’s literally a queue outside. the servers were nice and they sang happy birthday to my niece when they served the cake. my niece was so happy (she likes to be the center of attention). 10/10 would recommend.

[hinumdom]

not to be vain but this is my hair right now. i’m just so happy it faded to this kind of green (this is nearer to what i actually envisioned but darker). it was blue-green before but i washed it down with shampoo to scrape off the vibrancy. best decision ever.

[hinumdom]

january 13, 2024

what a core memory to start off this year.

overall experience at the standing pit near barricade is 50/50. definitely, it was incredible seeing svt up close. every single one of them is just so majestic (especially vernon!! hello!?!?! i got bias wrecked during the concert, so sorry jeonghan). i honestly can't NOT mention vernon because he was literally glowing. the moment my naked eyes met his figure, i was stunned at how beautiful he is, more beautiful than any human being. he looks like an angel who descended from the heavens and that's not even an exaggeration. i saw all of them up close and majority of the time, i just thought how can such stunning people exist, form a group, have crazy talents, and be goofy at the same time. when i say the svt members have it all, i mean it. they're the total package (and did i mention how diverse their discography is?? their b-sides are just as good as their title tracks fr fr). the downside of my section is that it gets too stuffy and crowded as the concert progresses with the fans pushing towards the front. i couldn't even jump during encore 'cause everyone was too busy taking videos and guarding their positions. could you just imagine, i couldn't jump when aju nice came in??? like that's never ending aju nice, the highlight of the show, and i couldn't even get to enjoy it, i'm heartbroken </3. if the next concert will be held for 2 days as well, i'll buy VIP for day 1 and bleachers for day 2 to maximize my concert experience.

here's a little bit of a story time of what happened to our tickets: my friend and i initially had day 2 VIP tickets, however, following the news of jeonghan's injury and the decision for him to sit out in the remaining follow tour stops (joining s.coups), i decided to let go my VIP ticket, and opted for day 1 standing (still in the same section). ideally, we wanted bleachers because we want to sit rather than stand, but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack, especially since we wanted the bleachers premium 1, near the stage. so, that's how we went from day 2 VIP holders to day 1 standing.

also, let me just rant: lnph is one of the worst event organizers. i had to argue with the staff in two occasions. first one was in the the ticket verification. we waited for 2hrs+ not knowing that they've forgotten about us. i was arguing with this one staff who apparently is like the team leader or something and i told her to do something--cut the line if they have to because we lined up first!! the other occasion was in the actual queue. so, we have this queue number that follows the timestamp of when you bought the ticket. we were at 100+ but when we got at the queue, the line was already long and they told us to line at the end like what the actual fuck, that's not how it works. i explained to them as calmly as possible that there's no way there would be duplicate of the queue number because it's a unique number per ticket. i sincerely have minimal patience with stupid people, it's a miracle that i was still able to hold back. the weather was hot, we had no water, we couldn't get answers from the assigned ushers for our line, and we have lnph people testing everyone else's patience. ugh.