Pocahontas Look

I finally got around to doing my first makeup tutorial! I am not a beauty guru by any means, but I like having fun with makeup. As a result, I made my first tutorial on looking like Pocahontas. Just in time for Halloween!

There was so much more that I wanted to do with the look and video but I was pressed for time. However, I still had a great time with my friend Sammi for it! By the way, special thanks to her for doing lighting and recording for me!

I kept the look simple with some contouring, eyeliner, and lipstick to highlight her really big lips. I didn't realize it until I stared at some ten or so pictures of her. I tried to do her outfit too with what I had: a dress and necklace I borrowed from two of my friends. 

Something that you don't have to do but is suggested is to recreate Pocahontas' tattoo! I would use body paint if I had it, but in this case I just used a pinkish-reddish lipstick and used concealer to fix the lines.

Please watch, comment, like, subscribe, anything! I'd love some love on my video [: I'd love to make more like these in the future!

I Love My Church // On Coming Back to Faith

As I'd mentioned once over the summer, I started going to Family Church Signal Hill as courtesy of Darell. And after being there for a few months and being involved with the worship team for a few months as well, I must say that I am beyond blessed to be at this church. 

Source: FCSH's Facebook

Before I went to FCSH, I hadn't had a home church for a few months, and although I go to a Christian university, I still felt like something was missing. I tried getting involved with the church on my school's campus, and although I love it there, something just didn't fit right with me. 

Darell had found the church because it's not too far from his house and he knew someone who had gone there before. He decided to check it out back in February and he loved it. Because I was still in school, I couldn't really visit his church regularly except during Easter weekend when I went for the first time. I started going more in the summer and went to the young adult services and the community groups. Soon enough, when I wasn't on my mission trip or at camps, I was at church. 

It was a nice feeling to be involved with a church once again. I was still getting used to how it was run differently and the people, but I enjoyed it there. Although I didn't really know anyone just yet, there was a comfort and sense of community that I loved. 

This past year was the first time that I had jumped from a few churches before settling at one because I had always had a home church growing up. Going a few months without a home church left an empty feeling in my heart. Now I know that only God can fill the voids in your life, but I knew that there was something out there for me that he wanted for me. And as the extrovert that I am, I needed to have a Christian community outside of school to fellowship with other people. 

After spending more time with my church family than I have since coming back to school this past weekend, it has reminded me of how grateful I am that God uses every little situation in our lives to bring us to where we are today. 

I was talking to my friend, Hilary (who is also my pastor's wife), and we were both exchanging stories of examples that we've seen God use situations in our lives or others and how it has brought us to where we are and allowed us to get to where we are at today. It's a little hard to believe if you think enough about it. For example, the idea that I almost could've gone to one of my friends' churches instead of my old home church could've meant that I would've never met Darell and that I wouldn't have been at Family Church or even Vanguard (my old youth leader introduced me to my school). 

A lot of people say that college is the time where most people question and even leave their faith, but why not make it the opposite? College could just as well be a time for people to explore, even grow in faith. I know that some people have bad experiences with church and/or religion, but please don't think that every single church or person who has any belief in God is that way. Not everyone fits the mold of whatever kind of bad experience you may have had with your faith. 

I originally wanted to write this post just to show appreciation for my church, but now I feel like there could be more to why I wrote this post than that. Maybe someone needs to know or read that there is hope in Christianity. Not every Christian hates gay people (actually I don't think that most do to begin with), not every Christian is "holier than thou," but yes, all Christians are hypocrites to an extent. We all talk about not sinning, but because we are human we are going to do it, whether we know it or not. But, I will say that not every Christian is afraid to admit that they still do things wrong. 

I don't know how this will benefit you or if it will at all, but I still think it's important to write this. 

So, do you want to find/come back/grow in your faith? 

My first tip? Pray. Prayer doesn't have to be formal and you don't have to use big, fancy, "Christian" words. Just have a conversation with God. Want to close your eyes and bow your head? Go ahead. Want to talk to him like you talk to your friends? You can do that too. Do what feels comfortable. Personal prayer is between you and God. If you are coming back to God or want to just grow in your faith, pray to God exactly about that and to keep you on track towards Him. If you want to find Jesus for the first time, then pray a prayer asking him to forgive you and to invite him into your heart. It doesn't matter how you say it; as long as you're genuine with what you say then it will definitely mean something to God. 

What's next? Dive into God's Word. Start reading the Bible weekly, then eventually daily. If you don't own one, there are apps for your laptop, tablet, or smartphone for the Bible, or you can even go on a website like Bible Gateway. Some people say to start with Matthew or John to learn about Jesus and his ministries, but I personally would say to start reading Proverbs because it's my favorite book, and the advice given in the book is straightforward and encouraging. But no matter where you start, you'll end up learning and reading some good stuff [: If the Bible is too intimidating for you to just pick a place to start reading, try looking for a devotional, whether in your Bible or in a devotional book or a website. I really like Hillsong Young & Free's Devotional. 

My last tip for now? Talk with others. Fellowship with other people who are going through what you're going through and see things in a similar way in regards to faith helps so much on your faith journey. Talk to your Christian friends or family. Talk to people in your church. If you don't know anyone or don't feel comfortable enough talking to anyone in your life about this, there is a website called chataboutjesus.com. It sounds fake, but I actually tried it once after seeing a commercial for it because I wanted to see how it worked. The people volunteering for that website are good people. Or, you are free to email me at throughtheeyesofacaligirl@gmail.com. I would love to talk and help as much as possible. And no judgement here--I've done lots of things wrong so I can't judge on you. If you don't have a home church, this would also be the best time to start looking around for one until you find one that fits you and makes you feel comfortable and safe enough to grow and confide in the people there. 

So those are the ways to start getting on with your faith. Faith isn't a three-step process, but I wanted to divide it and simplify it as much as possible to make it easy to understand and manageable to do. I know that the post is long but I hope that this helps. Until then, God bless you all!

Chau for now♥

Let's Get Frankly

This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are completely my own. 

We live in a generation filled with people who don't want to or feel too uncomfortable to get to know each other on a deeper level. I definitely feel that way around some people as well. I just want to have closer friendships with people!

That is when I discovered the app, Frankly! If you have ever used SnapChat, it is similar to that, except you can have text conversations too. It is a lot more than that, but that is the gist of it. It is free at the app store for iPhones and Androids.

Here are some of its features:

• Disappearing Messages. When you send a message, it is blurred until the person presses on the message. Afterward you are given a few seconds to read it before it disappears. This gives an opportunity for complete honesty and you don't have to worry about people reading your messages!

• Delete Messages Sent on Accident. Have you ever sent that text that you immediately regretted after sending it? Well, Frankly offers the option of deleting your message before someone reads it. It's really convenient!

• Anonymous Group Messages. When in a group message, it is completely anonymous! It allows everyone to talk comfortably with each other because no one knows who said what. It's confusing but it's fun. 

The app is a lot nicer than what I expected, and I like it. My only trouble that I ran into with it was finding and adding friends. It allows the option to invite and add friends from your phone book, but you aren't allowed to search for friends' usernames. Other than that, I'd really love to see this app become a thing! 

Do you like what you're reading? Download it! Still not convinced? Still download it and see for yourself! DO IT. Download Frankly here. 

What are you waiting for? Invite your friends to be frank with you with Frankly. Your secret is safe with me [;

Happy chatting!

Chau for now♥

My Boyfriend is the Big 21!

If you've been reading my blog for a while now, you probably should notice that I have a boyfriend. Even if this is your first time at my blog, if you just look at my sidebar, you should notice how I mention him in my bio and one of my links are "Through the Eyes of a Girlfriend."

This is our first picture together - June 2010!

Dan Renielle Gabriel is my boyfriend's name, but everyone just calls him Darell. That's what he prefers. We've been together a little over 3 years, so when we started going out, I was only 15 while he was 17. With me being 19 and he is now 21, he and I can't believe how much we have "grown up" together--spiritually, emotionally, mentally, as a couple, even physically (haha). We met when I was a sophomore in high school, and I am now a sophomore in college. It's a little mindblowing, to say the least.

Basically, I just want to say Happy 21st Birthday to the amazing Darell! We're growing up and it's so weird. He helped make my birthday amazing and I want to be able to do that for him too! I'm praying for many more birthdays for you. I love you, Darell!

One of my favorite pictures with him!

He was trying to pose like me. This is a cute picture [:

Chau for now♥

New Video is Up: Hillsong Conference Recap

So I got around to putting together my Hillsong Conference Recap video! Six minutes doesn't do very much justice to how amazing the conference was, but I wanted to keep the video as short and simple as possible. I really hope to go again someday. Who knows, maybe I'll go to Australia again (I visited as a kid) someday [:

Some more pictures I never got to post up with my last post:

Being at the First Hillsong Conference in LA!

If you have been keeping up with my Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, then you would have an idea of why I haven't posted in the past couple days. If you haven't, that's okay too. But this past weekend was the Hillsong Conference LA, and I could not have been more excited or blessed to go!

As a way to end my birthday week/start Darell's birthday week, his parents bought him a ticket to the conference while he bought me one to go with him!

If you don't know what Hillsong is, they're one of the largest churches in the world. They're a church that originated in Sydney, Australia and now has churches in Ukraine, London, New York City, all over Australia, and soon enough Los Angeles. They are most known for their worship band, Hillsong UNITED.

So anyway, back to the conference...

It was really surreal, to be honest. Being in the same room as a band that I had listened to for the past six years of my life was a little hard to believe for me. These are people whose songs had touched so many people around the world on so many levels. Getting the chance to worship with them and over 7,000 other people was such a breathtaking experience.

The worship leaders are so anointed and the music live sounds just like their recordings, which makes the songs so much better live. I loved hearing Hillsong Young & Free's songs played live and in person, and it was definitely a party every time they played one. I fell in love with Taya Smith's voice--she is one of Hillsong UNITED's newest worship leaders and one of the members of Young & Free.

There were also a number of speakers, like Brian and Bobbie Houston, Robert Ferguson, Christine Caine, and Judah Smith. Judah Smith was personally my favorite because he was so funny and really put the topic he was preaching about into perspective through humor.

This conference was a great time of reflection for me. It was very humbling to see everyone around me, worshipping God with their everything and all gathering in one place for one reason: Jesus. Whether someone wanted to learn more about Jesus, learn from him to help their ministry grow, or just to worship him, everyone wanted Jesus. It almost made me feel unworthy for having such an amazing opportunity to worship among all those people, but God never fails to bring upon that spirit of peace when I need it. I was immensely blessed by the worship and the speakers and the atmosphere of the entire conference.

This weekend was also a great time for Darell and I to spend together. I think that we grew as individuals and as a couple. We really bonded over this experience, and I am happy that I got to share this with him. He truly is a blessing and my best friend.

So that is my experience in a nutshell. I didn't want to summarize everything I did because I will be making a YouTube video for that (keep an eye out for that! Subscribe so you can stay updated with my future vids :) I decided that a reflection on the adventure would be better for this post. Hope you liked something about this post [:

Chau for now ♥

What I've Been Wearing Lately

Hey everyone!

So quick update before I get on with the post: I had a great birthday! I got kidnapped and went to Denny's at midnight! After my classes later in the day, I got some free birthday Starbucks and was given some flowers and a card from my diversity team, which I loved so much--they're the best! Then my boyfriend visited and we got Korean BBQ and finally had a one-on-one date together! It was nice. Afterward we got some boba with my friends Sammi and Melissa. I ended the night watching The Breakfast Club by myself for my film class. All in all, it was a good birthday.

So onto the post:

I haven't posted an Outfit of the Day post in a while, but I've done a couple posts on Instagram so I thought I should post them up.

(Got this outfit idea from my friend, Selah!)

• Chambray Shirt: Gift from mom // Billabong // similar - Forever 21 
• Red Maxi Dress: $8// Goodwill // similar - Target

• Red Top: Gift // similar - Nordstrom
• Black High-Waisted shorts: on sale $7 // Forever 21 // similar - Forever 21
• Tribal Print Scarf: on sale $5 // Charlotte Russe
• Pointed-toe Flats with Gold Tip: $22.50 // Charlotte Russe
• Knotted Updo // Pinterest

• Lace-collared Yellow Top: Gift from roommate // similar - Forever 21
• Black Full Skirt: $14.95 // Cotton On 
• Pointed-toe Flats with Gold Tip: $22.50 // Charlotte Russe

• Floral Long Sleeve Button Up: $2 // Thrift Store // similar - Target
• Blue Jeans: Roommate // similar - PacSun
• Pointed-toe Flats with Gold Tip: $22.50 // Charlotte Russe

I wish I had a better camera to better showcase these outfits, but this will do for now. I promise I'll have more fashion posts up soon! I'm working on it. Until then, that's what I'm wearing. 

What's your favorite outfit out of these four? 

A Birthday to Remember

Today is my birthday! I'm probably just gonna go to Starbucks to get my free drink/food item and go out to dinner with my roommate and some friends tonight, but I already celebrated most of my birthday a few days ago!

If you know me, you know how much I've always wanted to have a debut. (Note: Debut - Celebration in the Filipino culture when a girl turns 18 to represent that she is a woman; similar to a quinceañera/Sweet 16) Anyway, I didn't have one when I turned 18 last year because of money and I was away at college, so I wouldn't have had enough time to have one. It's just something I'd always wanted since I was a kid. 

My wonderful roommate, Alissa, however, took the initiative to plan a modified version of one for me! Long story short, I got dressed up for the occasion and got blind-folded before being taken to Corona Del Mar State Beach. I didn't know where we were going, and although I'm usually not particularly a fan of the beach, for what Alissa did for me, I think it was perfect. 

When I got to our destination, I walked over with Alissa and a few other friends while blindfolded to where we were going to be for the evening. When the blindfold was taken off, there were all my Vanguard friends standing in a line, all screaming "Happy birthday!" to me. I was so touched. Afterwards, I was able to have a photoshoot with all of them as the sun was setting. 

Unfortunately at this time, there was still no Darell. About halfway through the shoot, however, I saw someone walking from a distance, and I recognized his walk. I realized it was Darell and our guy friends and I booked it over to them and nearly tackled Darell to the ground. I was so happy that he was there! We took more pictures before Tammy took me over to have my own photoshoot. 

After about half an hour of taking pictures of each other, Alissa finally called me over and I came over to a pathway lined with (fake, but still real-looking) candles! Most of my friends were standing on either side of the candles so I wasn't sure what was going to happen. With Darell at the end of it, I almost thought someone was going to marry us. 

But no, I walked down the aisle and stood at the end of it. Then, one by one, each of my friends came up with a rose to greet me. The whole setup was a mash-up of the debut's traditional candles and roses. And of course, when we got to the last rose, it was none other than Darell himself. He decided to be a little daring and put the rose in his mouth as if we were going to salsa or something, and everyone was shocked but in a good way. We all loved it and thought it was funny and cute of him to do so. 

We ended the ceremony with a dance to our song, A Thousand Years by Christina Perri, played by my friend Paul and sung by my friends Kaciny, Janelle, and May. It was a little awkward cause we were basically "going in circles on rhythm" according to Darell, but honestly, I didn't care. I loved it because Darell doesn't normally put himself out there like that, so I appreciated it so much. He was the only person I really paid attention too at that point. 

When the song ended, we took some more pictures as a group before heading to In-n-Out. We had dinner there and hung out with Darell, the guys, my friends Ben and Joel, and Alissa in our room before I left for home with the guys. 

Okay, so that post ended up being longer than I thought, but nonetheless, it was an amazing day. It was a night to remember, that's for sure. I did more things for my birthday with my parents and last night, but I'll write about that in another post. I'll just leave you with some great pictures that my friend Tammy took from Saturday to enjoy! They should speak for themselves [:

If you know Darell, then you would understand why this is my favorite picture from the night. ♥  

It was a magical night. And on an even brighter note, I'm finally 19!

Chau for now♥

I'm Tired of Small Talk

"Hey, how are you?" "Good! You?" "Good."

And so that is the way that most conversations go between most people at my school--that may also even be the case elsewhere.

Now I know that in college you get busy so many times you don't have time to have full-on conversations with people, but is there a way to get out of having the same old small talk with everyone?

Think about it. Out of all the people that you interact with on any given day, how many do you actually have a conversation with, one that consists of more than the impersonal "hey, how are yous" and the many "goods" that come right after. Better yet, how many times are you actually feeling "good" (or should I say--well) when you answer that question?

Maybe not all of those "how are yous" are completely impersonal because I try to mean it most of the time when I ask people the question. I just wish there was a more honest way to respond when people ask it back. Most days, I really am feeling "good" but I want to find another way to respond to break the typical answer.

Here's another good one. If you don't say "good," you say you're busy or tired. I know I do. And it is a valid response; being college students, we all know and realize that classes and jobs and homework take up most of our lives, therefore making us both busy and tired. But how do we get past these simple, one-worded answers? How do we have a more honest conversation with people as we pass by? Or when we do have a minute or two to talk to someone, how do we get past the small talk without going too deep right away? (Unless you consider that person a close friend of yours, I don't recommend going deep right after your "heys.")

If you're anything like me, you cherish and appreciate deep relationships with people. I have made it a goal for myself this school year to deepen the connections I have with the people I made friends with last year. It's much more difficult than I expected it to be--freshman year, all your friends were so accessible to you and events were created for you to be around and meet new people--but it is a challenge that I'm willing to work through. I'm willing to put in the effort to maintain friendships with the people I consider close to me as long as they're willing to meet me halfway. A mistake I made in high school was giving too much and not receiving enough back, and it put me under a lot of strain that was not necessary.

Is there ever truly a way to get out of small talk? How do we get past it and further our friendships? We don't need to get to the nitty gritty of our childhood stories with everyone, but it would be nice to know more about the people around me rather than how "good" they are feeling.

My First Beauty Haul!

Last week, I stopped by Sephora and decided to get some stuff as a result of being part of Sephora's Beauty Insider program. I was so excited! I initially went to receive my birthday gift, but I also decided to redeem some Beauty Insider points for a really nice red nail polish from Formala X for Sephora. I was given a few free samples as well, which I can never refuse if it's free. [:

This is the birthday gift that Sephora has been giving out for this year! In it: 

• Benefit They're Real! Mascara - 0.14 oz. bottle $10
• Benefit Watt's Up! Highlighter (The one featured in link is the regular-sized product.) - $30

As a result of some extra Beauty Insider points I had, I was able to receive this Formula X for Sephora nail polish. This is exclusive to Sephora.

• Formula X for Sephora New Classics in Pyrotechnic - Dynamite Red - $10.50

Everything I got, including the three free samples!

The samples aren't pictured individually, but: 

• Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Cream (next to birthday box) - full size $95
• Christian Dior Hydra Life BB Cream - full size $56
• Perricone MD Photo Plasma - full size $69

Along with this post, I also did my first haul video! It's literally (and figuratively) a mini haul, but I was so excited to get this stuff that I had to document it! I don't shop at Sephora very often due to its high prices so I always appreciate any opportunity to get something from there. 

I actually recorded this whole video from my iPhone's camera. I think I will start doing videos through there and editing on my computer until Darell or another friend of mine can help me. This was a great way to start off my birthday month! If you want to see more videos like this, subscribe to my channel [:

Everything is available in Sephora stores and on Sephora.com. This is not a sponsored post.

Jesus is Still Greater than Religion [Book Review]

Disclosure: I was given a copy of Jefferson Bethke's book, "Jesus > Religion" for review purposes. I was not financially compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links. 

Jefferson Bethke caught the attention of Christians and non-Christians alike when his spoken word, "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus," was posted on YouTube almost two years ago. Since then, he has challenged Christians and non-Christians to think twice about what they believe. He has opened the doors for many conversations between people from all different types of religious backgrounds.

The front cover to Bethke's book

Yesterday, he released his book, entitled Jesus > Religion, which expands more on some of the themes that Bethke mentioned in the poem. In the first chapter, he talks about his testimony, mostly through college. He talked about his struggle with pornography, parties, and girls, and how he had come to take Jesus seriously in regards to his own faith.

He reminds us that everything about Jesus' life wasn't safe. He actually went against many of the social norms of that time in order to minister to people. Bethke talks about how at some point, we all fall into the category as being one of those "Christians," where we are prideful and sometimes treat church as a chore rather than something we actually want to be at.

What I really appreciated about the book was how he stressed the importance of understanding the differences between Jesus and religion. Religion is a set of rules that you follow with fear of punishment. A relationship with Jesus is because you love Him and He loves you back. Well, that's the short version of the book, haha. If you don't understand that concept still, don't worry, because Bethke goes into many different examples to illustrate his point. A key concept is obligation versus genuine desire to know Jesus and follow Him. Your word versus your lifestyle plays a factor as well.

I recommend this book because whether you agree with everything Bethke says or not, this book will cause you to think twice about your beliefs and even the way you live your life. If you do read this book, however, I also highly recommend allotting a significant amount of time to read and understand what the book is talking about. The book talks about a lot of different concepts and it's important so set aside time between each chapter or every few sections to contemplate and process what you just read. Although I enjoyed reading it, I wish I could've balanced more time between school and the book to get the most out of it. I'll probably read through it again so that I can get the most that I can out of the book.

Interested in buying a copy? There are a few websites, but check it out on Amazon here. You can buy from Barnes & Noble, Family Christian, and other places as well, including the iBookstore if you want it for your iPhone or iPad.

I'd love to know your opinions on the book or what you expect the book to be down below in the comments!

Until then, chau for now ♥