#KaburAjaDulu: To My Indonesian Glow Girls Who Are Choosing Themselves First

 

This post is dedicated to my Indonesian Glow Girls who’ve been whispering #kaburajadulu to themselves lately. Who feel the pull to get away — even just for a moment — from the noise, pressure, and expectations. I see you. I hear you. And I want you to know: you're not alone.

Last week, my son and I watched a documentary about a viral hashtag in Indonesia - #KaburAjaDulu or #lemmeouttahere. It's about young Indonesians wanting to leave their country and most of them, not wanting to come back. Whereas the adults who have gone abroad are coming back. 

I haven't been to Indonesia, but the Philippines and Indonesia are both developing countries. So, in a way, I can relate to this mindset or this desire to go out of the country in search of a better life. 

Indonesia is my 10th all time top readers. Thank you, ladies, for your all time love and consistency in showing up daily to read my stories. 

I will not go into the details of #KaburAjaDulu. And I'm not here to preach or give advice. That documentary tugged at my heartstrings because it's something that I want to do also, but in a much deeper level. I'll tell you about that soon. 

Today, I'm going to write about beauty.

I remember when I was a young worker. My first salary was so low that it was hard to buy even small luxuries. As many in Asia can relate, most of my salary went to providing for the family. Mom lost her job that time, so I had to work to buy food and pay for the bills. 

Watsons was heaven-sent as they offered a lot of little luxuries that I could afford. I remember being so happy whenever I could afford a small bottle of nail polish, or a lip balm, or on days when I had a little extra,  a Maybelline lipstick or mascara! 

Fast forward to today, Watsons still offers different brands of makeup, beauty, wellness, and toiletries that are affordable. One of them is BYS, an Australian makeup company. 

I've been curious about this company because they are cruelty-free, vegan, and hypoallergenic.  They have also recently done an overhaul of their packaging to make them more sustainable and environment-friendly. 

Since developing painful cystic acne, healing that and now dealing with rosacea, I've been careful with the brands that I use. My old high-end brands are now making my skin react. So, I asked my friend who knows a lot about good makeup brands, and she recommended BYS. 

For my first product from BYS, I tried this 1 Day Tattoo Liquid Eyeliner Pen.

The Price

It's very affordable at Php399/ RP130,000 on the Watsons Indonesia website/$7 plus you don't really need a lot so this will last a long time. Divide that amount by the number of times you'll use this product and it's pretty affordable. And, BYS does regular sales promotions, too. I actually got mine at 30% off. 

I don't normally use liquid eyeliner because it's such a pain to fix if you make a mistake. I prefer Urban Decay's eyeliner or on most days, I just use a black eyeshadow to line my eyelids.  If I really need to use a liquid liner, K-Palette's 1 Day Tattoo is what I use..but in brown. This BYS liner may be my first black liquid eyeliner ever. Or maybe I just forgot because I haven't used eyeliner in the past 6 years, maybe. 

According to BYS

It says on the card that it's "easy application and waterproof." I was sold! It says on the back that the felt-tip applicator is flexible enough to create any look, whether thin or thick lines. The formula is not only waterproof, but smudgeproof. 

It's been a while since I used a liquid eyeliner. But thanks to this easy-to-use BYS eyeliner, I didn't make any mistakes

I tried it last Saturday for the first time. It was really easy to use. I can't tightline (allergy) so I just applied this on top of the lid. It's great to use for cat eyes. I always wear a cat eye to make my eyes look bigger. They get lost when I smile. 😁

Did it do what it's supposed to do?

I tried to remove it with a new makeup remover cleansing mousse that I got on the same day, but the liner stayed. So, yes, it's waterproof and smudgeproof!  I had to use my TFS Herb Day Cleansing Wipes to fully remove the product. It was easy to remove with the wipes, by the way. Then I just washed the rest of my face with the cleansing mousse, which I will talk about here real soon. 

The Verdict:

Do I recommend this? For that price and the very high quality, absolutely! I really loved how it made my eyes look. I will definitely purchase this again when it runs out. It's perfect for our climate now as the rainy season has begun. I don't have to worry about a runny liner when I get wet. 

Glow Girls, I know some days you don't have the words to explain why you're tired. Or why you’re not okay. But you still show up. Sometimes, all it takes is one bold line above your eyes to remind yourself: ‘I’m here. I’m me.’” I know, because I'm feeling the same way, too. I'm back to blogging because I'm trying to find Me again. 

I dedicate this post — and this eyeliner — to every girl who's putting herself first, even if she doesn’t have it all figured out yet. You'll eventually do. 

And while makeup isn't the solution to all of life's problems, it can be a small way to reclaim your day — to bring beauty into chaos, structure into the unknown. It’s one stroke of certainty in a world that’s constantly shifting.

If you're feeling down today, maybe you can get a quick pick-me-up. It can be a cup of coffee or tea, a red lipstick, or this eyeliner. One bold line to make you feel fierce, seen, and confident. You may be feeling lost inside, but you'd be looking like you've already arrived on the outside. 

To my Indonesian glow girls — I may be a stranger, but I’m writing this with love. Because even across oceans, we are all daughters, dreamers, and doers. And sometimes, all we need is one soft whisper that says: you matter.

Hang in there, ladies! The best is yet to come for all of us.