Change

After 4 years, it's finally time for Unconventional Bliss to get a little makeover. My blog finally has it's own domain and a totally new look! Continue to stay updated over at unconventionalbliss.com and thank you for your support! <3

Staring Back at the 90s

July 7, 2016

Photographer: Diem Le

Top, skirt: thrifted | Shoes: Birkenstock | Earrings: Charlotte Russe | Necklace: Forever 21 | Lipstick: Colourpop Tulle

This past summer I was able to collaborate quite a bit with a couple of fashion and photographer friends, so be on the lookout for those posts! This collab is the first of two with the beautiful Diem of Sharing My Ten Cents. We didn't have a particular theme to work on, but I ended up with a 90's grunge inspired look. How did I attain that, you ask? I wanted to wear my choker necklace for this shoot, and styled around that accessory. The rest of the outfit details is in the following photographs around downtown Sacramento. 

BrandBacker: Studio Gear Cosmetic's Mineral Foundation Product Review

This year has been a makeup experimentation year, where I have tested out different foundations, tried out a few eyeliner brands (and still searching for my holy grail), and played with a ridiculous amount of lipsticks (but I mean really, who can have too many lip products?) 

Bliss XO: Defy, Part 1

Project: “Defy”

#BlissXODefy

The Simple Definition:

• to refuse to obey (something or someone)
• to make (something) very difficult or impossible
• to resist or fight (something)

Photographer: Miguel Raphael B.

Top: PacSun | Flannel: thrifted | Cap: gift | Khakis: thrifted (Abercrombie & Fitch kids) | Shoes: Vans 

To see Miguel's outfit, explore The XO Series
Defy (as defined by Miguel) | Defy (as defined by Isabel)

During my photoshoot with Miguel, a train passes by twice. My eyes linger on the back of that locomotive and out towards the farthest ends of the train tracks, and my mind wanders for a moment. Wanders and thinks about the future.

When i was growing up i knew one thing was to be sure. If I studied really hard, worked even harder, answered only when asked, obliged if told to do so, head down, that I would make it. Standing at the railroad crossing, I realized that this time. I felt like I had the freedom to choose. That a driving force inside me was whispering.

To read the rest of our narrative, click to read more...

Marooned

January 26, 2016

Photographer: Julius P.

Sweater: Forever 21 | Jeans: Levis | Shoes: Dr. Martens | Cap: Adidas

Been promising a photoshoot together for almost two years, and we finally did it! Thanks husbro for giving me the honor of taking one of your most uber popular Facebook profile picture. And thanks for taking mine too, I guess. 

I am still thinking of what direction I want this blog to go and how I would incorporate my Youtube channel again, but in the meantime I'll be updating the blog with a couple more photoshoots from the year (maybe a detailed blog post recap of my last year of college?) Stay tuned~

Green Machine

October 26, 2015

Photographer: Sidney S.

Top: American Apparel | Jeans: Urban Outfitters | Shoes: Birkenstock | Watch: Fossil | Scrunchie: DIY

This is definitely quite delayed (as you can tell by how long my hair is and that I still have bangs), but better late than never, right? With the whirlwind of the end of my last year of college, graduation, and settling into summer vacation mode, I am now finally returning to my blog. As I type this out, I realize I do miss expressing this part of myself. Through this experience, I was able to experiment and explore different styles, trends, pieces, and push myself out of my comfort zone (usually leading me to unexpected pleasantries). Stay tuned for some photoshoots I've saved up (and enjoy how my hair has changed throughout the year). 

This fun impromptu little photoshoot was to help out a dear Design friend with her photography class, which ended up not being used but was a fun escapade that resulted in these photographs. Click to see the rest of the shoot!

Bliss, XO: Celebration

March 17, 2016

Photographer: Miguel Bagsit

Top: American Apparel || Skirt: thrifted || Shoes: TopShop || Necklace: flea market || Lipstick: Colourpop Lippy Stick + Lip pencil "Flawless"

"C E L E B R A T I O N"

Bright colors among the backdrop of the start of spring calls to mind rebirth, happiness, and celebration. At this point in my life, I'm stronger than ever in how I celebrate myself. I still have some ways to go, as self love is a process, but as my year of being twenty-one comes to a close (as well as my last year of college) I have learned and grown in what it means to celebrate myself: accepting my internalized flaws, not allowing others to define what "beautiful" is, appreciating the knowledge I've gained while working within my FilAm community, and being proud of the growth I've gained in self-confidence due to this self love (and a fun intro to drama class ^_^).

I celebrate you all for being your beautiful selves. Don't let other people tell you otherwise. Let the person you see in the mirror love you back, it's a liberating feeling. 

Read on to see more of this colorful look, which Miguel helped photograph ^_^

Three of Hearts

October 23, 2015

Photographer: E. P.

Tank top & cardigan: Urban Outfitters || Pants: PacSun || Cap: Adidas || Shoes: TopShop || Lipstick: NYX Liquid Suede "Vintage"

Sure it's fun and all to creatively produce something independently, but when you can share that passion with others, something unexpected and even greater results. I was graced with the photography talent of one of my beautiful friends (inside and out), E.P., and the creative direction of Miguel, my constant fashion fiend. 

It's been months since my last post, I apologize! Doing as much as I can during my last year ever in school, and when I am free, I am way too exhausted to tackle personal passion projects, such as this blog. But I'm back, and recently had another fun photoshoot with Miguel so stay tuned for that (hopefully it won't be another 5 months for my next blog post)!

Read on to see what this creative collaboration with two of my most passionate and beautiful friends created together!

Joyous Journeys: Mission District, San Francisco

August 7, 2015

Photo credits: A. B.

Way back at the beginning of my summer vacation, I was able to rejoin my childhood friends and freely explore San Francisco. Specifically the Mission District. We stumbled upon Clarion Alley and had ourselves a mini photoshoot along the beautiful and powerful visual messages. Art is not merely pretty. It is a way to visually share our emotions, voice, soul. The artists who contributed to this local public art gallery speak out on local current events that are affecting citizens in that area. Remember to not just admire the art, but engage and spread the message. Be critical. Be aware. Be a spark for change. 

Read on for more peeks at the beautiful and engaging artwork. 

Third Time's the Charm

Darn, I missed my blog's birthday by ONE day. 

OH WELL. 

As of September 14, 2015, Unconventional Bliss is officially 3 years old. That's right. T-H-R-E-E. 3. Tatlo (3 in Tagalog). 

It's surreal how this blog has grown and evolved from my first blog post when I thought this would be a piece of cake, but in fact, I had no idea what I was doing. However, within those three years, I realized this is not to please anyone in particular. This has grown into a very personal project for me, to share with others who may be interested in my own unconventional interests. This has allowed me to learn a little more about myself in terms of my style, my writing voice, and my passions. It also has given me a unique sort of confidence I never would have gained from public speaking classes. I also established incredible connections and gained new friends by being a part of this fashion blogging community. I've had the most growth and change for my blog and myself this past year. As I'm entering a momentous period in my school career, I have a notion that major growth will result. Whether that pertains to my blog, my job, or myself, we all will have to wait and see. Until next year. 

Joyous Journeys: Southern California

July 31-August 2, 2015

San Diego, Anaheim

Photos of me: credits to A. B.

Finally back to blogging, and I'm back with a recap of my mini vacation about a month ago in SoCal (Southern California), specifically in sunny San Diego and Anaheim. I hope you enjoy the beauty in these cities through my photos (and feel free to check out my vlog of this trip as well. The link is at the bottom of this post)!

Youtube

I'm back! With less than two weeks before school starts, I have major catching up to do with blogging. I've been preoccupied with experimenting with video for my Youtube channel (what, Youtube?)

Yes! I realized I never made a formal announcement on my blog, but I finally gained the courage to create fashion videos and share them to the Youtube community! It's been a learning  experience and am glad I just went for it. Sadly, with school coming up, videos will have to come to a pause until my next vacation (or most likely, next summer). But for now, enjoy what I've produced so far over at my channel, Unconventional Bliss (and don't forget to subscribe)!

Here is my latest video, where I shared some outfits in a Summer to Fall Lookbook to help you transition between the seasons. Make sure to like, comment, and subscribe over at Unconventional Bliss!

Click to head over to my channel for more videos
vvv
 UNCONVENTIONAL BLISS

Bliss, XO: Denim on Denim

July 28, 2015

Photography: Miguel Bagsit

Denim button up: thrifted || Jeans: BDG (Urban Outfitters) || Sandals: Birkenstock

Who would have ever thought I would break my one fashion rule - NEVER wear denim with denim. Geez Miguel, you broke me with your Denim on Denim concept photoshoot. Lucky for him, I found this great denim button up at the thrift store earlier that week. So when he brought this idea up as our next photoshoot, I instantly envisioned this top with my trusty high-waisted ripped skinny jeans, creating a balance between the looseness of the button up and the fitted shape of the bottoms. Kept it fun and casual with my trusty Birks and go-to braided pigtails. 

Just goes to show, NEVER say never. You never know when you'll go behind your own back to try a fashion rule you promised you'd never in a million years break. I'm always for experimenting and dressing in outfits that may be the worst decision ever, but at least I tried it out. Now that I matched these denim pieces together, I'm definitely open to putting together more denim pieces. (Maybe it was the fact that the top was a button up...I'm a sucker for button ups. Collars just make everything look a smidge classier, don't they?)

Make sure to CLICK TO READ MORE for more outfit details!

Bliss, XO: Calm, Cool, Neutral

July 28, 2015

Photo credits: Miguel Bagsit

 Be calm, be cool, be neutral

When I think of neutrals I think of two kinds: shades of black like blacks, grays, and whites vs. earth tones like khaki, browns, and grays. I've been exploring a lot of the darker palette, so I wanted to try my hand at a more light, warm neutral look. Neutrals are great to have in a wardrobe because they are so easy to mix and match with other pieces. A great outfit will almost always result. It seems safe, but it also allows for experimentation. Read on for more details about this outfit.

Ten Cents of Bliss

 July 25, 2015

Photo credits: Diem Le

Top: Ross || Skirt: Papaya || Shoes: Nine West

After a few weeks of messaging online, I finally met Diem Le of "My Ten Cents"! We both were new to meeting other fashion bloggers, and I thought what better way to get comfortable with each other than by good old talking. We just talked about how we got to this point with our blogs and why fashion is important to us, among other topics. Somehow, many of the things we discussed were scarily exact thoughts we both shared! It's as if I found my fashion twin! After that, the whole mini photoshoot afterwards wasn't as awkward as I had imagined! It was great learning about collaborating with another like-minded individual I have never met before, but share the same interests and goals as I do. Hopefully more collaborative projects will be coming your way! Click to read more to see what came out of the rest of the photoshoot! 

Bliss, XO: Lemons to Lemonade

July 24, 2015

Photo credits: Miguel Bagsit

This photoshoot was about "a pop of color", so I decided to grab the most basic and brightest piece in my limited closet in my apartment at that moment, and get inspired to add pieces to dress that up. A T-shirt is one of fashion's most basic necessities, so the options for outfits were limitless. I ended up dressing it up with lace, and by pairing it with black pants, the neon yellow still was the statement piece of the outfit. Throw on some sandals and my favorite sunglass silhouette, and I've got me a casual/bordering on dressy/I-put-some-effort-in-getting-dressed-today sort of vibe. 

Make sure to click that "Click to Read More" button to see more outfit detail shots and more details on what this photoshoot is about. You know you want to.

Bet on It

June 27, 2015

Photo credits: A.B.

Hey ya'll, it's finally summer vacation for me (yay, summer session is over!), and that means more time to dedicate to the blog! This is obviously not fashion focused, but definitely another feature of my life I enjoy sharing with you all. Immersing myself in nature and spending time with family is always refreshing and wonderful, to take a break from social media and all that jazz. I definitely recommend researching local nature paths and hiking trails and just explore. Take it all in, and just breathe. Live in the moment. It's incredibly meditative, calming, and de-stressing. Here are some snapshots of my summer stroll, but for a more interactive experience, check out a blog I created a few weeks ago on my Youtube channel, @unconventionalbliss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzC89SdXzWk

I'm still wondering what I could do with Youtube, so feel free to comment below or email me what you'd like to see! Make sure to click to view more of the photos ^_^

Bliss, XO: "Flanneling" my Inner Fashionista

July 14, 2015

Photo credits: Miguel Raphael Bagsit

Shirt: American Apparel (thrifted) || Flannel and shorts: thrifted || Sandals: Birkenstock

During a late afternoon, Miguel and I decided to try our hands at a casual look for this particular rooftop photoshoot. I typically dress like this during the summer (sans flannel) because let's face it, a basic T-shirt, some trusty jean shorts, and a good sturdy pair of sandals is the staple outfit for a casual summer day (especially when you just want to be comfortable during your summer classes). So in attempts at making my daily outfit look somewhat more presentable and worthy of a blog post, I dressed it up with some eyeliner, dark lipstick and a funky high ponytail, tied with my trusty velvet blue scrunchie of course. 

Because this photoshoot was casual, I saw this as an opportunity to really explore the space we had and how I could present the outfit as more than a bumming-it-because-i'm-lazy outfit. If you read on, you can see me attempt to "class it up", in hopes to show that a simple shirt and shorts combo can be just the outfit you need for a quick, no-brainer look.

Bliss, XO: Unapologetic

July 8, 2015

Photo credits: Miguel Bagsit

Be unapologetic and unashamed.

This summer I am excited for future collaborations. Recently, I've been working with a friend and fellow fashion enthusiast, Miguel of miguelraphael.com, who has a segment on his blog called the XO Series. We've collaborated a few times, but we finally nicknamed our collab series while planning our latest photoshoot, and our series name is...Bliss, XO. No doubt, you'll be seeing more of our photoshoots this summer! 

For past Bliss, XO collaborations, check out my past blog posts: 

Comfort Levels

Biggest Fear

New Beginnings

Find out what this photoshoot was about my clicking to read more!

E P I P H A N Y .

That's what I just had as I was browsing through my solo shots of my most recent photo shoot with a dear friend and fellow fashion blogger, Miguel of miguelraphael.com. 

Through our hangouts and discussions, we chat about what our goals and dreams are for our fashion blogs, but recently we've also constantly been going back to our intentions. Why? Why did we start this blog in the first place, and why continue it? What's the point? 

Miguel found a great method of using mind maps to help him figure out how fashion blogging fits into his life and its importance for him. However, I was still struggling on figuring out why I've continued to do this for almost three years now. Until just a few minutes ago, as I was going through images of me, from the last photo shoot I had with Miguel (which will be a blog post very soon)!

I have always had thoughts in the back of my mind, why blog, and why are you still doing this? what are you getting out of this activity that isn't related to your potential future career? And especially recently since I befriended Miguel, have I gone back to my intentions and thought more seriously of the why. And because of the several reasons that I've started with since the inception of Unconventional Bliss and some reasons that I've only realized were important and meaningful to me now: {warning: long post ahead; you've been warned}.