Review - Violet Circle Lens (WTA61)

My official first post for the year. hahaha. Actually, I just did this because it is now 4.08 in the morning and I have nothing better to do and I am feeling hyper, so I decided to do this post. :}

The case is dirty 'cause I took this photo when I wasn't using it anymore ('cause the other pair disappeared never to be seen again)

This is the 2nd pair of lens that I bought. I was supposed to use this for my cosplay, but I didn't push through with it. These lenses became my favorite though. At first I thought it was going to be weird because the brown in my eyes is going to show and it'll look weird with the violet, but it turned out to be one of my most favorite EVER. Because my eyes are a but amber-y and the violet in this lens is somehow very vibrant, it complimented my eyes really well. Let me show you:

Click on the photos to enlarge them :)

It doesn't really show the complements in these photos 'cause these were all taken indoors, but under sun light, my eyes become amber-y and it really compliments the violet in the lens more. Of course it's very obvious that I'm wearing contact lenses, but it's not repulsive-weird. It's fascinating-weird (if that makes any sense). That's why this became my favorite pair of lenses. Sadly, the left pair got lost because I was in a hurry that day and it fell into my things and somehow I never found them again no matter how hard I looked (and they were big so they were easier to find than normal-sized lenses). So I ended up having to replace them with my newest pair of lenses (brown this time) which I have reviewed(ish) earlier. And the sad thing is that it happened months before their expiry date, so I kind of felt like I lost a bit of money there. But it's a really good investment and it's been a wonderful few months. I will never forget you, my first WTA61 (and my second pair of lenses). The times we spent together will always be in my heart and in my memories. /no

In conclusion, these lenses are really rave-worthy. It's great for cosplayers because it's highly-pigmented without it being creepy, it's HUGE so you get that anime-eyes effect, and it's also great for ulzzangs/gyarus because they really get that dolly-eye effect. 

The verdict?

Comfort: 3/5 (still makes ME sleepy)

Color: a whopping 5/5!

Enlarging effect: 5/5

There you have it. I hope this review was helpful for those who want to try these babies out. Time to hit the sack, lovelies. Good night!! <3

Everyday Makeup Tutorial :)

Hi! If you were wondering how I do my everyday makeup, here is a small tutorial for it. :) (might do a video blog on this. We'll see. hee hee)

Basically, these are the products I use for my every day make-up with the exemption of the false lashes. I use the full lashes for special occasions and when I'm wearing big-sized lenses. I can use the half-lashes everyday, though. I just don't because the added time consumption of drying the glue and trying to place it correctly just isn't for me with school and all. I like getting my extra 5 minutes of sleep. hee

But FIRST, the face should be moisturized before putting any cosmetics on it. I use a Japanese brand I got from my mom called DHC. It is the best moisturizer I've used! (well, that's really not saying much since I haven't tried that many moisturizers yet. lol. But it's a Jap brand, so it's really good :)

Oh, Tootsie, you like it too?

Second step is to let the skin absorb the product for a few minutes. Now usually I'm running late for class so I can't really wait for that, can I? So second step for me is actually putting eyeliner on first. Now usually I just use Maybelline's gel liner. But since it's been months since I bought it and it has now dried considerably, I have a hard time with it. So what I do now is I apply the ELF pen liner first so it glides on easily and it gets the shape I want without stray, messy lines everywhere, then I top it off with the gel liner so it stays in place. :)

Step three is to apply eyeshadow. Now you're probably thinking it should be the other way around because it can obscure the eyeliner. That may be true, but for me that's exactly what I like. Well first, the eyeshadow doesn't completely obscure the liner. Rather, it thins it out. So instead of having heavily defined eyeliner (which, by the way, can make you look a bit more severe/hard), you have a soft look, especially paired with neutral colors of the eyeshadow. What I use it Avon's shadow quad in, I think, Coffee? Actually, as you can see in the photo, the 2 shadows in the middle have completely disappeared. lol. Well, I accidentally dropped it, and it shattered. :( But the good news is that the ones that didn't shatter were really the ones that I frequently use. I don't really use the other two. So that was good. haha :P

Something like this, but the color I used here is gray-black, not brown, so try to imagine that it's brown. hehehe. And also, not that dark. A bit lighter than that since it's for everyday use. (I'm also using ELF's false lashes here. This is just an example)

Step four is to apply the BB Cream. The BB cream I use is Etude House's Precious Minerals All Day Strong with SPF 30/PA ++ in Sheer Silky Skin. Actually, I liked Elianto's BB cream way better because this is a little  too pale for me (and they only come in two shades. The other shade is too dark :|) and this is a little denser so  it's a tad heavier than Elianto. But Elianto has been phased out of Makati malls. D: So I just bought this instead. And since it's a bit too heavy for my liking (it's a preference), I mix it with a little Avon Ideal Shade tinted makeup base in Pink Pearl. I mix it together and apply it all over my face. Then, I use Avon Simply Pretty Lip and Cheek Tint (forgot to include this in the photo >.<). 

Step five: Apply mascara. What I use is the Maybelline Volum Express "Cat Eyes" and it is my ABSOLUTE favorite out of all the mascaras I've tried. I know it doesn't work for some because I've read some reviews about it, but it really works for me and for my friend. It really holds up your lashes with or WITHOUT using a curler, and it stays held up for a long, long time. It also gives your lashes considerable length and volume, which is such a plus for me since I love playing up my eyes. Oh, I forgot to mention. I also apply my lip balm after my moisturizer so my lips absorb the moisture of the balm. Then, after applying the mascara, I dab just a little bit of lip balm (I use Nivea) then use Ever Bilena lip liner to stain my lips. What I do is, I glide it across my lips a few times, then I smudge it with my fingers and dab the excess on some tissue. Then I apply a bit of my Nichido red lip gloss. I dab a little bit on my lips, then smudge it again. What it does is it gives you a more natural and healthy looking sheen on your lips as opposed to glassy, oily, lipgloss lips which I hate (again, it's all about preference)

For step six, I put on my ELF concealer in Honey under my eyes and on either side of my nose (because they tend to get so red), then set everything with The Face Shop's two way powder foundation in 23 to set everything. I love this powder foundation because it can look very natural and polished in daylight and it isn't heavy at all. But since I've just run out of that, what I'm using for the meantime is just good old baby powder. It smells great, and it's inexpensive for everyday use. Actually, even when I had my powder foundation, I still sprinkle a little bit of baby powder on top of it so it controls oil and for my face to smell great. hihi

For days, when I use my circle lenses, of course I use false eyelashes. I use either the full ones or the half ones (depends on my mood or where I"m going or who I'm with). Then I just put eyeliner below my water line (just half though, not the whole way. Too much for me)

Last step is to pencil the eyebrows lightly for a clean look. I'm not a huge fan of the thick eyebrows nor am I a fan of the too-defined ones, but I do like clean, defined brows on me. I use Nichido eye brow pencil in dark brown. After everything, here is what it'll look like (more or less):

without contact lens. I just used a bit of white with a little  blue eyeshadow underneath my eyes here.

With contact lens. And sleepy. And bored. lol

So there you have it, my usual make up. Hope it made sense and I hope it's helpful. I'll list the products below. :)

• DHC moisturizer (I have no idea how much this is)
• Etude House's Precious Minerals All Day Strong with SPF 30/PA ++ in Sheer Silky Skin (P700+/P800+ sorry I forgot. >.<)
• Avon Ideal Shade tinted makeup base in Pink Pearl (around P600)
• Maybelline Volum Express "Cat Eyes" (around P300+/P400+)
• Nivea Fruity Shine Lip Balm in Cherry
• Nichido Starlight Lip Color in Scarlet (P100+)
• ELF Waterproof Eyeliner Pen (P129)
• ELF All Over Cover Stick in Honey (P129)
• Maybelline Gel Liner (around P400+)
• Avon Simply Pretty Lip & Cheek Tint
• The Face Shop False Eyelashes (half) (P115)/ELF false lashes (full) (P129)
• Ever Bilena Lip Shaper in Multiberry (P75)
• WTA45 "Kira Kira" brown lens

Derailed

Gosh, I am so sorry for the long hiatus. Been busy with school and, well, procrastination. Mostly school. hehe. Anyhoo, I've got tons of review in line, but school starts in two days' time so I'm not sure if I'm going to get them all done by then, but I will try since I am a fan of bloggers' helpful reviews. So, without further ado, here is my post before we welcome the incoming year. :)

The WTA45 (Kira Kira) brown lenses. 

So here they are when I put them on

And this is my natural eye color (using Elf's false lashes)

As you can see, it blends really well with my natural eye color. You can only see the difference when you look really, really, REALLY close (which is too close for comfort for people, including me, so I don't think anyone but my boyfriend really gets that close to my face. lol). I thought that it was obvious that I was wearing circle lenses because they are SO BIG, but actually there were a few people who were mad confused if I was wearing lenses or not because it really looks like my natural eye color. haha! 

I do have to say, that as pretty as they are, they are not recommended for everyday use. I don't know if this holds true for others, but with me, I get sooooo sleepy when I put this on after about an hour or so. Maybe because it puts extra effort on my eyes? I get like that too with false eyelashes (even with half ones). But you have to remember, if you put these babies on, you have to wear a bit more makeup and play up your eyes and skin than usual because if you use this without the proper amount of make-up, you will look like an alien, especially if you don't have naturally large eyes (like Alison Harvard from ANTM). So I usually pair this with false lashes, so it's double the sleepy-ness for me. 

The thing is, makeup gives the illusion of larger eyes (like using eyeliner and/or the right application of eyeshadow). So, if you're going to use this, I suggest using more makeup than usual. Because if you're eyes do not accommodate the size of these lenses, you're going to look ridiculous. Case in point: 

Looking incredibly ridiculous

In this photo, I'm only wearing contact lens and minimal make up (because I was feeling especially lazy and tired that day. Guess it shows in the photo?). It doesn't look too horrible there because I'm only using webcam photos, but I did look ridiculous then. lol. Then, compare to this photo where I'm using the correct amount of make up for lenses this size.....

(I'm wearing shorts here, btw)

Better, right? So, for aspiring ulzzangs/starting gyarus or even for those who want to purchase these lenses, this is actually the more proper way to wear it if you don't want to look like an alien/lady gaga if you don't have naturally large eyes. I actually have small eyes (not too small, but they're pretty average). For example:

So really, I don't have very large eyes. But when I put make-up on (with lens).....

OOPS, I mean "FALSE" lashes, not falshe. hehehe

Tadaaaaa! Eyes look bigger. /please Magic. hehehe. I've read about those posts about make-up transforming other people and then people making fun of it, but in my view, anyone has the right to look good if they wanted to no matter what they use to achieve it as long as they never hurt anyone in the process. Everyone has the right to feel good, and one way you can feel good is to look good. So it's all right to wear make up. I actually enjoy putting on make up. It's just like painting; like art -- and the canvas is yourself. It is so enjoyable and I hope everyone knows of its joys. :) 

DISCLAIMER: There really is no right or wrong on how to wear lenses. This just serves as a sort of reference. This is what I think looks good and there is no right or wrong. At the end of the day, go for what makes you feel more comfy because feeling comfortable is also a main factor in feeling and looking good! :)

Oh wait, this was supposed to be a review about my brown circle lens, right? o.O Oh no, I got derailed. LOL. Wait, I'll post another blog devoted to my newest pair of lenses. /blur

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Blagh

I kind of don't want to sleep even though I'm already sleepy because I know sleep seems so short and when I wake up tomorrow (later) it's already the start of second semester, and I am both excited and nervous about it at the same time.

Excited because I could be more productive and I've chosen to do well in my studies so I can graduate already and nervous because of the same thing -- I'm a bit frightened that I won't do well and that I won't meet my own expectations. I want to prove other people wrong and show them I can do it; if I put my mind to it, I can be great as well. But I'm scared I won't live up to that anymore. Looks like I haven't gotten my self-confidence back fully. *sigh*

We're also putting up this org for animal welfare and the environment in our college, so the first hurdle is to get it approved. And since I'm going to be the president, juggling that with the added responsibilities is a bit terrifying. I could do all the preparations hands down, but I'm not a very charismatic person and I'm socially awkward, so that's going to be my main problem.

Then I realized, the word "fear" (and its synonyms) can be found in this post almost everywhere you look. Isn't fear supposed to be a great motivation?

So, I decided to think of my future and how bleak it'll look if I don't pull myself together -- where I'll end up, where my friends will be while I'm struggling to make ends meet, the shame and the financial burden it'll place on my family and me. Those things are more frightening than all my earlier fears, so I've decided to just suck it up and get my act together! C'mon, Nicole. YOU CAN DO THIS.

AJA!!

Now the very first hurdle is to get up at 6 in the morning for my 9 am class.

... -_-;

OMURAISU BANZAI!!!

Okay my title was too loud.

But I'm proud of this!! See, I was browsing the net for recipes for making onigiri, tamagoyaki, and omelet rice. It was already around 3 in the morning and I was completely obsessed with making one for some reason. Around 5 am, I went to bed and tried to sleep -- unsuccessfully. So I decided to try making an omuraisu. But to my dismay, there weren't any eggs in the refrigerator. But I was itching to cook (and I was kind of hungry, as well) so I decided to make pirafu (the rice on the omuraisu. Just a kind of fried rice). Since there was no chicken as well and squid balls were present, I decided to use that instead of chicken. So here is the recipe I used:

Ingredients for the pirafu:
1 1/2 - 2 cups of rice
half an onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon butter/margarine
half a teaspoon vegetable oil (or olive oil)
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

First, melt the butter/margarine, then sautee the minced onion and garlic. Toss in the squid balls (or chicken) and cook until the garlic has browned and the onions have become transparent. Put the rice in the pan and pour the ketchup and the soy sauce. Mix together until the condiments have coated the rice entirely. Add in salt and pepper to taste and you will end up with something like this:

Now, as I was on to my third spoon of this, our househelp came downstairs and I realized it was already 6 in the morning. So that means there is the small sari-sari store open already, which means... I CAN BUY EGGS! I decided to buy for eggs and do the omuraisu! I was a bit nervous on how to go about it since I've read from some articles on the net that it was very hard to do, but I got a lot of help from this guy right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx8YzNfTn7w I swear you HAVE to watch him! He is so funny and cute and I learned a lot from this (so haters, please don't hate. You can't touch this). So, here's what I did:

Ingredients for the egg:
previously made pirafu
4 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
half a teaspoon of sugar

Procedure:
Beat the eggs, add salt, pepper, and sugar (it is recommended to put in milk as well. But we ran out of milk, so it was out of the option for me) until sugar is dissolved. You can choose to sift the eggs in the sifter for a more presentable look for the egg. I didn't sift mine because the sifter was in the pile of dirty dishes and I was too lazy to clean it. he he. So, put a teaspoon of cooking oil into the pan and spread it around. You have the make sure the pan is properly heated so the egg doesn't stick to it. Once the pan is heated, cook the eggs. Wait until it's almost cooked with just a little raw egg on top, then put the pirafu on top, then fold (this is whar I did, it's not the recommended way though.) Now, transferring it to the plate is the tricky part. You have to be very careful with this 'cause the eggs are very fragile and it can tear at the slightest pressure. So get a wide spatula and very quickly but carefully transfer to the plate. And here is the final product:

Okay, so it's not the cleanest omuraisu, but this was my first time. So, be careful in transferring the omuraise onto the plate lest this happens

On this side it looks bad....

But on this side it looks decent! haha!

Omelet Rice :]

You can put either chicken, strips of meat or turkey, shrimp, or even bits of cheeses into the rice. I just used squid balls 'cause it was the only thing available aside from hotdogs. Also, the soy sauce in the pirafu is not in the usual recipes; it's a personal touch of mine. It tastes pretty good, so you can try it for yourself if you want. You can also refer to this video for further reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTf5EgVY5uU&feature=related  :)

It's now 7 in the morning and the omuraisu is now in my stomach and I am sleepy. I've accomplished what was bugging me to no end, so now, at last, sleep can finally claim me. So, goodnight world and hello dream land. <3

Easy-Peasy Curly Hair

I just actually learned how to do this while watching Miss Universe(?) and thought I'd try it out for myself. The results weren't too fantastic, but it's acceptable, so I have no complaints.

So, here's how ya do it:

First, apply some extra hold mousse on your hair (I used Garnier extra hold mousse). Divide into four sections, pin up the upper half, and start at the bottom.

Second, twirl your hair into spirals and form it into a bun. You can either pin it or put sanrio rubber bands to hold it in place (I used the latter since I didn't have any pins on hand and this was tried on a whim).

No, it is not a wig; I had to put the flash on so you guys can see. And yes, it looks like antlers because I have extremely long hair (almost to my butt crack. Yes, I said it. Butt crack.)

And third, do it on all four sections and wait for at least an hour and a half (I did mine overnight for the first try) and you will have something like this:

It's a little looser here than when I first tried it because I waited  for only less than an hour. hihi

It's not the clearest photo but this is what it kind of looks like. It looks decent in real life (just a tad messy. Maybe it's because of my hair and I slept on it). Kind of like Taylor Swift's curly locks

Yes, I know. Not my best angle. But the curls show, so..

It doesn't beat the look or curling irons or rollers, but hey, if you want something easy (I also call this the Lazy Curls) or if you don't have rollers or curling irons and you want to have a new hairdo for the day, then you might want to try this. With a different mouse, though. Garnier sucks (did NOT last longer than 2 hours).

Crepe à la Pizza

I was hungry, so I was rummaging through the refrigerator and the pantry to look for ingredients I can use for something. Since the basic ingredients were present, I decided to make crepes with Nutella. Long story short, it didn't turn out good (the crepe was too.... eggy, I guess) so I decided to scrap it. But then, my conscience got to me and I thought it would be kind of a waste to just throw it away, so I sniffed through the kitchen again for what I can use for maybe a savory crepe. There was tomato sauce, garlic, onion, cheese, no ground beef or pork but there was hotdog, so I decided to make a sort of pizza crepe. It was an experiment, so I didn't really know how it'll turn out. But, to save you the expense, it turned out pretty good, fortunately. So for those of you who are willing to try this crazy food experiment with minimal ingredients, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 pack tomato sauce
half a small onion, minced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3 hotdogs, diced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic powder to taste

For the sauce:
In a sauce pan, fry the minced onion and garlic with a bit of vegetable oil (or extra virgin olive oil if you have) till you can really smell the aroma wafting through the air. Then add the hotdogs and fry till cooked. After about a minute, add the tomato sauce with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder and stir. Add a bit of sugar to thin out the sharp taste of the tomato sauce. Simmer for a bit and it's ready!



Crepe a la pizza:
Spread the sauce onto the crepe, add some cheese, (you can add some pineapple tidbits but this is optional), wrap the crepe around, and put it in the microwave or oven toaster to melt the cheese (poke some holes in the wrap). Take it out, and enjoy!

tried to put in a little bit of presentation. FAIL.

FYI, I also call this the "Evil Genius" crepes since I wasted nothing and invented something very, very edible all on my own with a food-scrap and very few ingredients. mwa ha ha ha! (yes, I'm exaggerating)

Also, you can add or substitute some ingredients in this recipe. I don't think you can substitute the tomato sauce, though. But you can add certain ingredients like mushrooms, parmesan, mozarrella, pepperoni, green pepper -- basically anything you would normally put on a pizza. Or just about anything you can think of. You can be inventive with this, go ahead! The ingredients I used in this recipe just calls for a hungry stomach and good old recession. ;)

Baby

Everyone, please let me introduce one of the creatures that dominate my heart -- my dog, Tootsie. <3

Tootsie is a 6 kg, one year old female Shih Tzu with a bit of Maltese blood; her father is a pure breed while her mother has Maltese blood. So far she exhibits both character traits but her physical appearance and energy is more on the Maltese side (she's a bit bigger than your average shih tzu). She has boundless energy (sometimes she's on *Pinball mode) but she has a small appetite unless stimulated by savory, NEW flavors. She follows me everywhere I go, even in the bathroom. Well, she doesn't go inside. She stays guard outside though. She cries when I go home and knock on the door and it isn't open quick enough. In turn I smother her  with hugs, kisses, cuddles, and playtimes whenever I have the time. She is really such a huge part of my life. 

Other things about Tootsie:

- likes cheese, boiled egg yolks, and ice as treat

- eats anything she can get her mouth on (then again, don't all dogs do that?)

- hates Yakult and garlic

- loves playing tag 

- the absolute baby of the house

- doesn't like it when someone touches her during her sleep (which I always do. tee hee)

- loves belly rubs (sometimes she'll run towards you then slide into an upside down position. That'd be your cue to rub her belly as much as she likes)

- *runs in circles in lightning speed around the house when energized ("Pinball" mode)

- likes cats more than dogs; intimidated by her own kind. She thinks she's a cat.

Motto: "When it's on the floor, it's mine."

Pretty baby

The Fast and the FURious: Makati Drift

Just like a rug

Model potential, baby

Me eats you!!! Rawrrr!!

Unkempt and sprawled on her bed. lol

My pretty baby's newly groomed

Under her favorite refuge

Recent summer haircut (even though it's already November)

Sup?

She is my love, my best friend, my partner, my baby sister, and my child. She brings such joy and love not only into my life but in my family's as well. I will NEVER give her up for any material possession in this world. I love love love this little girl. We are a tag team and we always, always will be. :)