I'm Back! Review: EOS Natural Series V304 3-Tone Grey Lenses from Dull to Doll

Wooh! Hey guys! It's been ages since I've posted. Did you miss me?

I'm on my graduating year in college so you can pretty much imagine how much I've had on my plate. I also had to prepare for my trip to Korea last week for a poster presentation of my thesis, so that was a hectic yet fun part of my hiatus as well.

But no worries! I'm back. This post is long overdue and I owe it to my wonderful sponsor from Dull to Doll to have this post up! Especially considering it's these lenses that I used almost everyday on my trip to Korea.

Yehp! These lenses from EOS have become one of my biggest faves. The Natural Series of EOS is one I've been eyeing for a while now (no pun intended). I think I've mentioned a while back that though I appreciate enlargement, I'm not entirely fond of it for lenses I like wearing on a day-to-day basis. So these lenses in V304 3-Tone Grey are absolutely perfect when you want to add that depth to your eyes without too much enlargement.

Miss Val from Dull to Doll was kind enough to send me these lenses for review and they were packaged so cutely and came safe to my doorstep :)

Enlargement
These lenses are 14.2 mm in diameter, which is still larger than the average iris, so while it's the best for dolly-eye enlargement, it's enough of an increase to make your eyes look more awake and lively :) So a small diameter isn't really a bad thing. It makes these lenses much easier to wear with even light makeup or no makeup at all :)

Color and Design
I'm totally in love with grey lenses lately and the 3-Tone design gives the eye a lot more depth. I wish tjat the brown in the center near the iris were a little daker so it would blend in more into my natural eye color, but other than that I love the color.

The design, however, like a lot of EOS lenses in general, is really pixel-y. So up close, the lenses look quite unnatural. From afar, however, the striated design looks very natural and people may even mistake you for being mixed-race because of the unique grey design ahaha. Because there is little to no limbal ring, it's also much less vampy and more wearable than most lenses.

Excuse my bushy brows in the above pic. I took these on different days and this was after my trip to Korea, not having been able to groom for awhile x_x

Comfort and Wear
These lenses are so-so when it comes to lenses. I don't have very sensitive eyes, so I was able to pull-off wearing these lenses for 8 hours (and even while enjoying some Korean BBQ), but I can definitely see these lenses being more drying and irritating for people with more sensitive eyes. I recommend a drop of Eye-Mo or two every other hour for better wear :)

So what do you guys think? Do you love these lenses?

If so, feel free to check out DULL TO DOLL and their awesome selection of lenses and other Korean Cosmetic products. Use the code "ADANONIKKI" by following the banner link on my sidebar for a special goodie with your order!

I have so many posts lined up now that I'm somewhat free! Expect a huge haul post from my trip to Korea, some much requested reviews from my previous Etude House Winnings and hopefully some new video uploads!

Ada, signing out!

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Review: GEO Angel Grey (CM 835) Contact Lenses from MapleLens.com

Hey guys! I'm back with another contact lens review! Don't worry, this will be the last in a while (unless I happen to get another pair hehe).

So I've been having this little love affair with grey lenses lately. I usually go for brown because of my natural eye color, but I find that grey lenses suit me just as well. These GEO Angel Grey (CM 835) lenses have been on my wishlist for quite a while now and the awesome people of MapleLens.com were kind enough to make one of my wishes come true haha. These are now currently one of my all-time faves at the moment

Design
They're not the most natural looking of lenses but their design is subtle enough to get away with wearing them without makeup that's too heavy. The design is actually quite pixelated and there are times when it just turns me off, but the pixelation of this design makes the lenses blend a lot better into my naturally dark brown eyes. The limbal ring on this one is also quite thick, so while they're only 14.2 mm they still have that very very subtle enlargement to them.

I wouldn't call these lenses "dolly" because they don't give you that dolly-doe eyed look, but they're perfect for that chic fashion statement when you just want a little bit of oomph in your makeup for the day.

I apologize for the lack of window/natural light shots for this review. The weather's been ridiculously bad these days and even in midday it feels like it's six o'clock in the evening. So I've had to deal with flash lighting for this entire post. I can definitely say, however, that the design on these ones are quite striking, even in natural light, without being too vampy or unnatural looking.

Enlargement
You can pretty much tell from the pics that these lenses don't really enlarge the eyes too much, but I actually really like that! Some people prefer their lenses to be a bit on the smaller diameter side and I am definitely one of those people.

The subtle enlargement makes it so that even with very simple makeup (as in the pic below), you can still pull off the look :)

Comfort and Wear
At 38% water content, these lenses are pretty comfy to wear! I didn't feel them all that much on my eyes and they didn't dry out! If you're wondering about the redness of my eyes, however, it's because I had just woken up in the pictures hahaha. I hope you guys don't mind.

I wore these lenses for 5 hours straight with no signs of blurry vision or drying :) Yay for comfy lenses!

I was actually feeling quite Japanese that day with my little odango bun and fluffy gradient Promod wool sweater. I bet this is how those Japanese Pop Magazine models feel hahaha.

So what do you guys think? You can check these lenses out at MapleLens.com.

Also, don't forget to join my ongoing Etude House Product Giveaway which runs until September 18! Click the image below for more details:


Ada, signing out!

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Review: EOS Starry Brown from Iszo Circle Lens

Hey guys! I'm back with another circle lens review! These lenses were sent to me by the lovely people at Iszo Circle Lens to review. I was originally interested in the Princess Nudy collection but because of availability, the Neko from Iszo recommended to me these EOS Starry Brown circle lenses as I was looking for some lenses that were natural looking but also noticeable at the same time.

The lenses only took twelve days to get here to my doorstep so I can pretty much say that the shipping and processing is speedy and efficient! Plus the lenses came in this cute little packaging.

It's not in a box, so I'm not sure how safe this will be for shipment to places farther away than Asia but the bubble wrap inside did a pretty good job of keeping the lens vials safe :) The lenses came with a nifty and convenient lens case which I've been using for my normal prescription lenses recently.

Specifications
I got my lenses graded (-1.25 for both eyes). The specifications on the site peg these lenses to be 14.8 mm in diameter with a base curve of 8.6 mm. But when I got the vial, I found that the base curve of the lenses was actually 8.8 mm, a whole 0.2mm more concave than my usual base curved lenses, which was a tad bit worrying.

Color

What can I say? It does look rather natural with its light hazel brown undertone and it blends quite well into my dark brown eyes. The outer rim is a slightly darker chestnut brown as it fades into its second tone of a more goldenrod-ish brown.

You can tell by the picture above that the lens itself is rather flimsy because of the wider base curve (meaning it's more round than usual. This affects lens wear DRASTICALLY as I'll discuss below.

Comfort
I'll just say that these lenses were not as comfortable to wear as other lenses that I've tried. The wider base curve made them extremely difficult to put on as they would not adhere to the surface of my eye due to lack of surface tension. It's sort of like trying to fit a b-cup into a c-cup if you know what I mean. Because it was more convex that the actual curve of my eye, only the outer part of the lenses would stick to my eye and there'd be this thin empty bubble of air between the lens and my eye, making it rather difficult to wear, and sometimes, it'd even pop out on its own D: In other words, the fit is very loose :(

I don't think I'd be able to wear this for a long time or outside the realm of photoshoots. And it's such a shame as well because I absolutely LOVE the color and the effect it has on my eyes.

Enlargement and Wear

It really is such a shame that these lenses don't wear as comfortably as others. They look absolutely stunning on my eyes and suit my skin quite well, don't you think? Also, the 14.8 mm diameter makes my eyes look more awake and dolly with a more natural flare to them because of the iris design.

So all in all these lenses are amazing for their cute design, but I won't be able to make the most of them because the base curve doesn't match the base curve of my eyes (8.5-8.6mm). It's such a pity.

That being said, if you still love the design and don't have much trouble with 8.8 mm base curve lenses, you can check out the Iszo's other designs here! This variant of lens is carried in four other colors on their site and there are a lot more to choose from as well! If you're interested, feel free to check out their selection by clicking the banner below!

That's pretty much it! If you have the time, please support me in the running for Etude House's Pink Artiste 2013 by LIKING and SHARING my picture entry in the picture linked on the sidebar on the left or below and by giving my video entry a thumbs up. 1 Like on facebook = 1 Vote for me so please support by telling your friends about it as well!


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Ada, signing out!
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FOTD: Gyaru/Dolly Girl Make

Hey guys! If you've been following me on instagram lately you've probably seen a few spoilers to this post and  you'd know that I've been experimenting with some new looks lately, particularly a look that I've totally admired on Tsubasa Masuwaka and japanese models on PopTeen. Granted, I don't exactly have the pouty lips and smooth porcelain bone structure for the job, but that doesn't really stop me from making a fool out of myself hahaha. I'm starting to get used to my new makeshift lens filter which makes blues duller and reds and yellows warmer. Tell me if you guys like the new look of my photos!

The look probably would've suited me more had I still had my straight bangs, but I still managed to rock it either way.

My nails go surprisingly well with the look :P Contact lenses from Dull to Doll

One of the key points of achieving the gyaru (from the word 'gal') or dolly look is opening up those eyes. The secret? The two L's: Lashes and Lenses. It's all about the illusion of large eyes using circle lenses and the right combination of lashes for the job. To prove my point of how much of an impact lashes and lenses can make on the perceived size of the eye, check out the picture below.

TonyMoly  Premium Eyelash IVI, Etude House Under Lash 11 and FairyDrops Volume Burst Waterproof Mascara; photos taken with lowlight flash

Ah, the wonders of makeup. It actually makes you think of how japanese models look under all that makeup. *shudders* I'm sure they're pretty either way x_x For this look in particular, I used a combination of TonyMoly Premium Eyelashes IVV and Etude House Under Lash 11 (cut in half). You want to pick a right balance between dramatic and natural and also make sure your lashes aren't too top-heavy by balancing it off with under lashes.

The trick to using underlashes is to not go overboard. I cut mine in half and filled in the rest of my lashes with FairyDrops Volume Burst Waterproof Mascara for long wear and a more natural look. Also, for the dolly look, instead of wearing top lashes exactly on your lashline, it tends to help to extend them past your eye to fake the impression of larger eyes. To connect the larger artificial lashline, some skill and practice is required to use the false lower lashes as a guide to your new wider lower lashline.

For most Japanese models, all the work is on the eyes, but with people with less desirable features like mine, if you can't make it, fake it with a little contouring. Below are a few points to achieve the look!

Click to enlarge

Lips are also quite a thing when it comes to dolly looks where nude or pastel colors are preferred. Milky gloss is really great for these looks and if you don't have the money to shell out losts for CandyDoll or DollyWink, you can actually find a good alternative in Human Nature's Mineral Lip Gloss in Pink Hibiscus. To amplify wear and stay power, it's good to wear it over an entire lipbase of lipliner. I used TonyMoly's Berry Lovely Girl Dual Lip Liner #3 (the nude tip). I might do a review on both of those products later on.

Because your eyes are already a spectacle in themselves, dolly looks tend to focus on more light-wear and light shimmer shadow, whereas gyaru looks tend to go all out with colors and depth in the eyes. It's really all up to preference when it boils down to it.

All in all, this isn't really a look I'd wear on a day-to-day basis, but it's perfect for cosplays, or if you're really into that kind of harajuku lifestyle. I'd wear this more often if I didn't get stared at all the time for wearing it. It's really quite fun finding out how you can push the limits of makeup.

So what do you guys think? Ever tried this type of look? What are your thoughts on it? I'm all eyes ears.

Ada, signing out.

Etude House Look at My Eyes Cafe Eyeshadows

Hey guys! Remember those single eye shadows I got from Etude House a while back from my mini haul? Yehp, I've finally had time to review them hahaha. I've been using them so they may seem a little passed over by a brush in the pictures, but thankfully the cute little heart details are still there.

These single eyeshadows are part of their Look at My Eyes Cafe collection, which have a matte finish and are sort of cafe drink inspired. It's actually pretty hard to find good matte eye shadows from Korean cosmetic shops. Most of what they carry are glittery or shimmery, so I was really happy to be able to get these three: Look at My Eyes Cafe in BR402 Cafe Mocha, BE101 Banana Latte and BE102 Honey Milk (from darkest to lightest). Don't they just sound absolutely delicious?

The packaging is pretty cute too and the shadows have these cute little hearts stamped into them, which sort of make you reluctant of diping your brush in hahaha. The plastic covering is a little flimsy, but one good thing about it is that these shadows are really easy to depot if you want to put them in a z-palette or any other magnetic palette.

For matte shadows, they're actually pretty good. Not as good as let's say MAC or UD, but they're workable and the colors come out pretty nicely on my skin. I'm not entirely sure if they'd show as well on fairer-skinned people, but they have testers at the boutique so you can actually try them :) Each individual shadow costs 198 PHP, approximately 5 USD give or take a little.

The color pay-off is pretty decent if you ask me, and the swatches above are without any primer whatsoever. The darker shade in Cafe Mocha could be a tad bit more opaque IMO, but the color is buildable.

This is how the shadows look worn on the eye over Urban Decay Primer Potion. The pictures of the product on the right are as true to color as I could get them with my camera. Excuse my bushy un-groomed brows. I'm not fond of harsh eyebrows, so I tend to keep mine natural and soft.

The shadows aren't chalky or powdery and there's very minimal fall-out. They don't crease and stay a lot longer on the eyes than Etude House's more shimmery shadows. All in all I think they're perfect for everyday wear, natural japanese-esque dolly look or even a matte smokey eye. I think the combination of these three shadows is versatile in itself, but if I had to choose one, I absolutely love Honey Milk for a natural highlight.

Have you guys tried Etude House single eyeshadows before? How was your experience with them? Have any questions about my experience with them? Feel free to share and comment below :)

I'm trying out a new lens attachment, so if you guys could tell me whether the pictures look better or just about the same as before that'd also be great :)

You can check out Etude House Philippines' lineup of single shadows here.

Ada, signing out.