OPI LIQUID SAND 'THE IMPOSSIBLE' (LIMITED EDITION MARIAH CAREY) REVIEW

Whenever I think about Mariah Carey, the first thing that comes into my mind is DIVA. So its really no surprise that OPI gives her a line that's called "Liquid Sand". This is a new variant from OPI which I believe would be coming out more in their collections.

PROSTYLE FUWARIE END CURLING MIST REVIEW

I've been looking for an inexpensive heat protectant product, and luckily I stumbled upon the Prostyle Fuwarie End Curling Mist while strolling around Beauty Bar!

Korea Post #3: (Must-See Places!) Nami Island

ll be sharing about our trip to Nami Island, which is located outside of Seoul. We had to take a train (different from the subway system, sorry but I forgot the place where we took this, but its the nearest train station from Myeongdong).

MAJOLICA MAJORCA LASH and BROW COLORIST REVIEW

Having dark brows and light hair has always been a problem for me. I have always tried to put a little hair dye on my brows (which I do NOT recommend for anyone to do because this may cause severe skin irritation OR burn your skin) to lighten them up, but it hasn't worked.

ETUDE HOUSE BUBBLE HAIR COLORING IN SWEET ORANGE REVIEW

I finally tried the Sweet Orange shade of the Etude House Bubble Hair Coloring! Its a brighter shade compared to the Natural Brown, and makes your hair tons lighter.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Maybelline Pulse Perfection Waterproof Vibrating Mascara review

So I got a new toy a few days ago because Maybelline is having a sale. I was extremely fascinated with this one because its definitely different from the usual make-up products offered.

What is the one thing that you never thought a mascara should be doing? For me, it has to be...VIBRATING! 
Here's the new Maybelline Pulse Perfection Waterproof Vibrating Mascara. The saleslady told me the reason it was made to vibrate is to prevent clumping. What's my verdict? Let's go to the details first:


What Maybelline says:
It’s our first vibrating mascara. Transforms your lashes to perfection.
Patent-pending elastomer brush vibrates 7,000 times per stroke
Provides clump-free definition, intense color, and shine
Waterproof; also available in washable formula
Builds lash volume, length, and adds curl
Buildable formula
Ideal for All Skin Types
Contact lens safe

Instructions are in Japanese! But here's the translated version:

How to use:
Step 1: On the mascara cap, pull plastic tab to remove it completely, then discard.
Step 2: Press the button to activate pulsation. Release the button to stop.
Step 3: While pressing the button, place brush at base of lashes and move slowly towards lash tip. Continue applying coats to achieve preferred lash look.
Step 4: Repeat for lower lashes
The brush is made up of tiny, tiny bristles:
The tiny button makes the wand vibrate--A LOT. But surprisingly, you don't feel the vibration when you apply it to your lashes.

After applying, how it looks like on me (get ready for some scary eye shots!):


The main question is, DOES IT PREVENT CLUMPS? I have to admit that it does NOT. See how my lashes are still a bit clumped up? I had to wave the wand a bit more even while it was vibrating to remove them. I honestly don't see the need for the vibrating wand, because you can achieve the non-clump look by not making it vibrate and just applying it as you do with other mascaras.

But still, who can resist buying a different mascara?^^
Good points about this mascara is that it does last the whole day, does not smudge and really elongates my super short lashes.


The Maybelline Pulse Perfection Waterproof Vibrating Mascara is available at any Maybelline kiosk for P699.00 (got mine with a 30% discount, so hurry and buy while their sale is still on!).

SNSD's Hoot 3rd Mini-Album: A Look Inside!

This might be the last of my "look inside" entries for awhile, because I have officially banned myself from buying any more Korean-related goodies because I'm becoming so addicted!
Anyway this album isn't even mine, I borrowed it from a friend and wanted to show those who are interested:

Here is So Nyuh Shi Dae's (or Girls' Generation) 3rd mini-album, Hoot! Its packaged in a paper cover--about as thick as a cardboard which you just flip open.

Tracklist:
1. 훗 (Hoot)
2. Wake up
3. 단짝 (My Best Friend)
4. 내 잘못이죠 (Mistake)
5. 첫눈에…(Snowy Wish)

Contents of the album:
There's a discount coupon for WeSing (SM Entertainment's Karaoke Place in Korea), a trading card (Taeyeon) and a pack of stickers!

How the CD looks like:

And the album leaflet which features all the members:
 Tiffany in a short blonde wig
 L: Tiffany;; R: Jessica, who looks really hot in this photoshoot and her newly darkened hair
 L: Jessica; R: Seohyun
 L: Seohyun; R: Sunny who has this gorgeous purple outfit on!!!
 R: Sunny; L: Hyoyeon, who I think got overly edited by Photoshop because her face looks way weird here
 R: Hyoyeon (see how different her real face is from the one above!?); L: Taeyeon who looks oddly like Katrina Halili
 L: Taeyeon; R: Yoona
 L: Yoona; R: Yuri, hottest SNSD member in my opinion
 L: Yuri; R: Sooyoung wearing a wig
 L: Sooyoung; R: Taeyeon, Jessica, Sunny and Yuri

I had second thoughts about buying this album because it only had 5 songs, I thought I'd wait it out first to see if they will repackage it (which they usually do which I think is totally CHEATING).
Songs all in all were great, "Hoot", their title track is very catchy and bouncy. I like "Mistake" the best, which is a ballad and was written by Yuri!

SNSD's Hoot is available at Yesasia at $14.99.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

2AM's Saint O'Clock Limited Edition: A Look Inside!

Ahhhh 2AM, where do I begin? I have been totally in love with this boyband for every album they release, and their latest did NOT disappoint me at all.

As I've previously mentioned before, I won in the GMarket Bloggers' Event and this was the first item I pre-ordered as a prize for myself. I tell you even though I didn't get this for free, I would've still spent for this limited edition.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

MBLAQ's Y 2nd Single Album: A Look Inside!

Even though this album has been released for quite some time, I still received an e-mail or 2 from some A+'s requesting to see the contents of MBLAQ's Y album.

Before I start, here's a short background of the k-pop boy group:
MBLAQ (stands for Music Boys Live in Absolute Quality) is a boy band discovered by Korean world superstar Rain, and is composed of Seungho, G.O, Joon, Cheondung, and Mir. Cheondung is actually Dara's little bro who also lived here in the Philippines when he was younger! And yes he does speak in Filipino as well! I like them because they have a different sound, they're all very energetic and work hard at what they do. Plus the fact that they're good-looking is also a plus!
Now that you know the band, on to the insides!
Thought this was pretty clever!


Tracklist:
1. 4 Ya’ Stereo – Intro (feat Taewan aka C.Luv)
2. Y – [title track]
3. One Better Day
4. What U Want
5. Last Luv
6. Y (instrumental)
7. One Better Day (instrumental)

As with other k-pop CDs, also has a photobook attached to the album containing gorgeous photos of the boys as well as their solo shots:
 
I really liked this biker concept for them! 
But this photo of the black and blue--I have to say this really brought out their handsomeness!!!^^
 Yang Seungho
 Jung Byung Hee (G.O)
 Lee Chang Sun (Joon)
 Park Sang Hyun (Cheondung)
Bang Cheolyeong (Mir)

I honestly loved their single "Y" as well as "One Better Day", thought this was definitely better than their first single "Oh Yeah" (which I also have). Compared to the first single album, this one contains more songs. I honestly thought they should've made this into a mini-album instead.

Got this from YesAsia at $10.99 as a gift from my guy! He also got me the poster that comes along with this.
If you're still planning on buying this album at the said site, I suggest you just get the Taiwan version, which comes with a DVD of all their music videos that they previously released (imagine my exasperation when this came out a few weeks after mine was delivered).

But I also heard that they're releasing this album in the Philippines after Rain's Back to the Basic album, so maybe you can check out our local record stores to see if its already there!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

2NE1's To Anyone Album: A Look Inside!

I received a few emails awhile back asking me if I could do posts on the k-pop albums I buy, and of course, I am more than happy to oblige! I hope these posts will encourage you to get a copy of their album as a sign of support for the artist.

For those who don't know, the Korean music industry puts a lot of effort into creating their albums--especially for the packaging! I don't have any Korean album that isn't elaborate and makes me go "wooooow so worth it!" just on the packaging alone.

So, without further ado, here's 2NE1's To Anyone album:
For Filipinos, 2NE1 is the girl group which Sandara Park is a part of.
2NE1 was the first Korean girl group I ever liked (first k-pop artists I liked? HAS TO BE RAAAAIN!), which is why I make it a point to always buy their albums. On to the contents!
Doesn't that CD design make you go ooooh and aaaaah? 

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Clio Waterproof Liner KILL BLACK Review: My HG of all pen liners!

How gorgeous is this woman? VERY VERY GORGEOUS, I say! I would love to look like Lee Hyori by the time I turn her age (a dream far from happening), so what's the next best way of trying to emulate her?

USING THE EYELINER SHE USES! YEAHHH!

I first heard of the Clio Kill Black pen liner when I saw her CF:

I was all, I WANT THIS! Of course I turned to my ever-reliable source of all Korean goodies, GMarket and successfully purchased one for myself. I mentioned where I got this in THIS post.
I know a lot you have been waiting for this review, so here it is!

First of all, I would like to say I THOUGHT I found my HG of all eyeliners when I got my hands on the Tony Moly Gel Liner. But I was dead wrong. Not until I met my Kill Black. I was wary of pen liners because they have a tendency to fade even if they're not supposed to. They also have a tendency to not mix well with shadows, hence I had to wear them alone if I wanted to use them.

Those days are OVER.
What CLIO says:
Pen liner helps you to draw clear eye lines with deep black (included in Carbon Black) color. Beginner can use it easily by just one touch without breaking line. 
It is waterproof and no smudge formula so you can enjoy clear lines for a long time. 
The box is totally correct when it says that beginners can easily use this. If you're thinking twice of using a pen liner because you haven't had much practice handling it, worry no more! Its really easy to control the pen even if you're not an avid eyeliner user.

I also like the fact that you can easily create thick or thin lines using the pen. Although you have to wait for the liner to dry for a few seconds before you see its lasting effect, it makes up for it for being long-lasting. I use this everyday and I haven't turned back to my Tony Moly ever since.

Plus this pen liner isn't expensive at all. I got it for 10,000won (roughly around P450) which is a great price for an equally great product.

NOTE: I wore this to a party where a lot of pool-throwing was involved and it held up! No ugly smudges under the eyes whatsoever. I'll be hoarding this one on the next GMarket buy.

An Everyday Gray Smokey Eye Tutorial Under Five Minutes

Hey guys! I come to bring you a look I wear, believe it or not, to school everyday. The look actually works because the eyeliner is intense--but its only present on the upper lid.  Ready? Here we go!

First things first: prepare your tools! Here's everything I used:
(from left: Etude House Henna Fix Mascara in Black; Clio Waterproof Liner Kill Black; Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer; The Body Shop Eyeshadow in Slate; Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow & Liner, Smoky Collection; and a Shu Uemura eyelash curler.) 

Start with priming your eyes. Grab your 2 eyeshadows, using a light cream shade that's close to your skin tone and apply it from your inner lid and midway to the outer.
Next, get a charcoal gray shadow, I use this one from The Body Shop. It has a hint of blue shimmers and is actually a bit lighter than its color on its pot when applied.
 Apply both like this:
Remember to blend, blend, blend your dark gray to your cream shade. Make sure to emphasize your crease by applying more of the dark gray under your brow bone.

Using a liquid liner (you can also use a gel liner if you want; a pencil liner doesn't create the exact same result though), start lining your eyes. Start drawing a line from your outer upper lid downwards, creating a small wing. Bring back the end of the wing down then proceed to follow the arrows around your eye shape. Fill in the lines.
Curl your lashes and apply mascara. You're finally done!

The final look:

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Yummy Yummy Chicken BonChon at Ayala Triangle!

Chicken BonChon is actually from South Korea! Coolness!^^
Place was packed--but since this is a fast food, you have to get your own table using your own devious ways! We came into the restaurant for take-out and the line, although it was long--advanced pretty fast. Considering their POS was broken and they were doing everything manually (plus only 1 girl was manning the counter AND following up the orders), we got our order in about 20 minutes.
My only complaint was that they had NOTHING available on the menu except the chicken, rice and a few drinks. Everything else wasn't available for ordering. I was looking forward to trying the Kimchi Coleslaw too!

  Bang for your buck: get the meals or if you're a group get a box of chicken plus rice!
  
We ordered a box of Chicken combo. consisting of both wings and drumsticks with Soy Garlic sauce (P365). BonChon doesn't allow you to mix the flavors in 1 box (I wish they did though) so you have to stick to one kind.
 Smells absolutely heavenly!!!
 Chicken is all ready to be eaten, hurray!!!

I really want to say that I truly enjoyed my BonChon experience, but they were completely lacking in beverages or their side orders that I can't say I've tried it all. But the chicken is yummy, even if its not warm anymore. The skin tastes wonderful and I wish I could've tried it with a hot cup of rice. Ohwell, there's a next time anyway!

Bon Chon Chicken is found at Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City.

Experincing Wee Nam Kee @ Ayala Triangle Gardens

How was my Wee Nam Kee Manila experience? Read on to find out!
My friends and I arrived at Wee Nam Kee at around 11:50am. Sure enough, there was a line outside the restaurant and we immediately signed up our names and were told that we would have to wait for around 30-45 minutes before we could get a table. We asked if we could already order, but she said we couldn't and they took no reservations.

10 minutes passed. I went back to talk with the girl manning the reception outside and she said we haven't budged in the line and still had to wait another 30 minutes. After 10 minutes more, we come back--there was already pandemonium. Apparently the girl said we were already called and we weren't around so we were bumped down the list. Several other guests were exasperatingly trying to get their name back on the list because they had the same experience as we did. Also, there was a group outside who said they had reserved for 17 people, but they girl replied that someone else had already arrived so they gave their table away! Their orders hadn't even been prepared as well.

All bad things aside, we were finally given a table but it was outside. Since we were rushing, we chose to give in. It was pretty hot because this was already around 1PM!

Anyway we took it all in stride since we were already pretty hungry and not in the mood to argue with anyone and ordered the Roasted Chicken and Steamed Chicken Personal sets, the Cereal Prawns and the Fried Squid. Each table had these condiments for the chicken:
 Chili, soy sauce and garlic

The personal sets:
 Steamed Chicken (found this to be more in quantity than the Roasted Chicken (P168)
 Hainanese rice that goes with it

 Roasted Chicken Personal Set -- I didn't find anything extraordinary with this (P168)

Our verdict was: STEADY. Nothing was extra spectacular about these two, it tasted quite ordinary. I mean I'm no food critic but it just didn't make me go, "Oohhhhh this is so good, I have to come back and eat here again!" Or maybe it was just the heat that didn't make me enjoy much, or the fact that we weren't served the soup that came with the personal sets?

 Cereal Prawns -- was surprised this still has its shell over its coating! The cereal flakes were pretty good, I couldn't stop eating it on its own. (P375 for 4 pcs)
 Honey Crispy Squid  -- tastes like what it looks like. (P230)
 Lime Juice (P50)

I haven't been to Singapore so I haven't experienced the original Wee Nam Kee. I have to say I was a bit disappointed with my experience here but well I have to give props to the price and to consider that they're still a few days into their opening. Hopefully they do something about the service because some of the staff were pretty rude (and confused).

The best Hainanese chicken for me still remains to be found in Tao Yuan Restaurant over at Malate. It is pricier but you get delicious goodness for your money. Am I coming back to eat? Probably not anytime soon.

Wee Nam Kee is found at Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City; Tel. No. 846-8924. Open from 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. daily.