Etude House Play House Princess Academy + Pink Artiste 2013

Hey guys! This post has been put off long enough! Today I'll be blogging about my fantasmical experience at Etude House Philippines' Play House Princess Academy 2013 held at SM North EDSA The Block last July 28!

Needless to say, this was undeniably the pink-est event I've ever been to, and I'll be honest -- I'm not usually the biggest fan of pink, but Etude really knows how to pull it off and the air of princess-y (and prince-y) cuteness was saturated all throughout the event!

The Play House Princess Academy is, I think, Etude's way of saying thank you to all its valued customers out there with two days of fun activities, makeup workshops and cute pink sweets. The event played host to a number of different attendees - little kids, teens, girls who will stay forever young ;) (*coughmecough*).

Etude House Philippines' President, Andrea Amado wasn't lying when she said that Etude aims to make every customer feel like royalty. So I tried my best to live up to the occasion and dressing in my best cutesy outfit.

Okay, so it's not exactly that cutesy. My makeup was pretty neutral with nude-pink accents on the eyes and lips and my hair was more of an intricate cheat than anything. And while I tried to look as cute and pink as possible to suit the occasion, my outfit turned into more of a pin-up crossover with a milkmaid than a princess haha. But really, I'm not one of those cutesy types of girls - I'd rather stay true to my style but also bring some of my own princess-y cuteness to the table :P

While engaging yourself with the various activities, you also have the opportunity of brushing up on your makeup and fashion know-how with all the workshops Etude House organized just for you!

Activities like Kiss the Prince were definitely a huge hit and there were free makeovers galore to make you feel like a true Etude House Princess. Not to mention you get a cute princess-y souvenir photo afterwards.

*Ninja Shot of my good friend, Amz from Punky Bunny http://amz88.blogspot.com/. Please don't kill me haha*

Unfortunately, I wasn't exactly in the position to enjoy all the activities of the event, having been asked to be on standby backstage. As a result, I didn't even get a chance to meet all the awesome blogger people I had hoped to see during the event itself D: *sadface*. I eventually just gave my ticket to my good friend and partner in girly-crime, Joanna haha. Full support all the way :P

While Joanna was out enjoying the activities, I was backstage, being utterly starstruck at the number of celebrities there. I'm not a huge follower of local media so I barely knew anybody, but good thing Kyala, one of my fellow Pink Artiste Finalists, and her sister were there to clue me in.

Backstage with the Pink Artiste 2013 Finalists, Shebby Liquete and Kyala Cristine Oplado

I was surprised as to how down to earth all the celebrities were, and while I didn't exactly have the guts to muster up the courage to actually talk to them, let alone ask for a picture with them, at least I can say I got to see them face to face haha.

The event kicked off with a few words from Etude House President Andrea Amado and the bulk of the event was hosted by the lovely Carla Humphries. There were guest workshops by Ryuji Shiomitsu and the lovely Bianca Valerio, not to mention appearances by Coleen Garcia, Brett Jackson, Miles Ocampo, Paul Salas, Niel Coleta, Ella Cruz, and Dominic Roque! Whew! I'm surprised I remember all of their names LOL. Not to mention, last year's Pink Artiste, Orange Tuazon was there as well!

Despite the star-studded ensemble of guests, we were all surprised to hear that the "main event" was actually our makeup showdown.

I am hardly an expert at applying makeup on other people. I can only reall vouch for makeup on myself. That being said, I tried my best to do justice to the products provided by Etude. We were all rather caught off guard actually. We were hanging on the basis of having 5 minutes to pick up and organize the products we were to use, but because of time constraints, that entire segment was cut and we had to just go straight on ahead to the actual application :P

Despite that, we all managed to finish a Glam Princess look within 15 minutes - albeit my model looked like a hot mess haha. I definitely don't do makeup well under pressure x_x

Not your best angle Andie -- blame the photographer haha.

A special thanks to the lovely Andie Reyes, one of my underclassmen in college, for allowing me to ravage her face with my lackluster professional makeup skills haha. Just goes to show you how she could probably pull of any look :P Seriously, you could probably paint her face brown and she'd still look high fashion.

In the end, Shebby bagged first, I got second and Kyala walked away with third! But by the end of it all, we all felt like winners. We also felt like ants, by the way, considering how tall Bianca and Carla are. We look like hobbits in comparison haha! But like I told Kyala - we're not short. We're FUN-sized. haha

Shebby's absolutely glowing, isn't she? Congrats and do us proud!

Despite not getting first, this truly had been a wonderful learning experience for me and has motivated me to try and pursue makeup to greater heights :) That way I can be the first Molecular Biologist / Makeup Artist / Fashion Model / Blogger to grace the covers of renowned magazines haha.

Also, I got to walk away with these awesome prizes. Tada~! Three mystery bags of Etude House products worth 20,000PHP!

There's still a lot more in store for me, and for my readers *wink wink*. I really would not have been able to come this far without you and your support, so I have a few things planned ahead!

Stay tuned for Part II of this series of Etude House posts, my Etude House Play House Princess Academy Haul! Stay tuned~!

Ada, signing out.

Photos courtesy of Brandon Sy.
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Review: ARTDECO Long-Lasting Oil-Free Foundation #18 Sweet Honey

Hey guys! I'm back with another review, and this time it's on my first foundation in ages. I've laid off foundation after the advent of BB Cream, but I've found that for occasions that require a more put-together look that isn't very reflective, it's easier to pull off the look with some good old foundation.

When I saw ARTDECO's impressive display at my local Beauty Bar I was enamored by their face products. And if you've been following my blog you'll probably have seen this foundation on my June 2013 Wishlist. Yep, ARTDECO's Long-Lasting Oil-Free Foundation in #18 Sweet Honey is definitely one of my faves right now.

Claims
So the product is pretty straightforward and basic. It's a "long-lasting oil-free foundation with naturally mattifying effect and protects against UV rays."

"The delicate formula with medium coverage allows an even application, refines pores and stays fresh for hours. Oil-absorbing agents control shine. Hyaluronic acid provides your skin with extra moisture and a balanced complexion. Additionally SPF 20 protects against UV rays. Enriched with vitamin E and suitable for all skin types".

 I like the fact that it's oil-free, mattifying and controls oil, as well as has SPF without the pesky reflectiveness to it. For the actual product write-up and ingredients you can click the images below to enlarge them :)

Packaging and Dispensing
The product comes in a chic squeeze bottle which makes dispensing the product straightforward and easy. It reminds me of my old MaxFactor foundation. Only thing is I can predict having difficulties getting all the product out once I start running out and it'll be difficult getting every last bit of product out. But that's a problem I'll deal with when I reach that point.

Consistency, Coverage and Color
So the consistency of this product is pretty much typical of any liquid foundation. It's not particularly runny and because it's oil free, it feels a little thicker and less greasy. It's somewhat of a challenge to blend, but nothing that isn't workable with a good foundation brush, sponge, or even your fingers.

It's medium coverage, as you can see from the above image, but it's definitely buildable. From the tube, #18 Sweet Honey it has a nice yellow undertone, which I thought would suit my skin quite well. But for some reason, the yellow undertone disappears when blended out. Which isn't actually a bad thing in my case, since it neutralizes the yellow tone on my face without being too light or too dark on my face. I think this shade is perfect for Filipina skin and a plus is that ARTDECO has a pretty decent range of color to choose from :)

It goes on pretty nicely and if you apply it moderately it barely feels like I have anything on. Which is good considering the coverage and mattifying effect it gives despite its light-weight consistency. But a word of caution, this foundation is very easy to over-apply. People who are used to BB Creams are particularly susceptible to this because BB Creams are usually more forgiving with heavy application, but for this foundation, less is more.

Wear and Longevity
This foundation doesn't kid when it says it keeps your face matte. The first picture below is with the foundation applied freshly (and yes, my bangs are back. I had my hair cut a month ago, I just wasn't able to make a post about it haha). Might I say I love the finish it has on my skin! Plus it suits my skintone perfectly and there's no white cast. I didn't even need to set it with powder. But for people with oilier skin, I'm sure wear would probably be better with a nice thin setting powder.

This is my face after six hours of wear. Practically no difference if you ask me. Just a little bit of wear under my eyes, around my nose and mouth area but that's it. My face is still pretty much matte (just a little bit of shine) but overall I'm pretty impressed with this foundation.

Of course, this doesn't have any supplementary claims like whitening or anti-aging, but it's pretty good for what it claims to do.

I don't use this foundation everyday of course. My face dailies are comprised of my Face Shop Aqua Tinted BB Cream or FairyDrops Candy Bar BB Cream applied on top of either Etude House Baby Choux Base or Tony Moly Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream.

But for special occasions this one is my new HG Foundation.

Price and Quantity
Despite how well this foundation functions however, I'm a bit miffed about the price. I'm fortunate to have received this foundation as a gift from my friend, but normally this would have cost a whopping 1,350 PHP (~31 USD) for only 30mL of product. I'd probably repurchase, but I'll definitely try to make this tube last before I do haha.

So to sum it all up:

Pros:
Matches my skin tone (also has a very wide color selection)
Doesn't oxidize on my skin
Doesn't break me out
Medium-to-full coverage
Not too heavy
Controls oil very well
Matte finish
Lasts six ours or more
Water-resistant
Oil-free
Doesn't smudge or rub off on clothing

Cons
Somewhat difficult to blend
Pricey
The squeeze bottle may be problematic in the future

So what do you guys think? I have more reviews coming up on a new mascara and a lot of new lenses, so watch out for those! See you soon!

Ada, signing out :)
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FOTD + OOTD = LOTD Casual Camo

I'm horrible with all this beauty blogger terminology. I don't even know if LOTD is a legit term. It reminds me  more of Land of the Dead than it does Look of the Day. *Shudder* what a horrid comparison. This post is an FOTD-OOTD combo so I guess it counts as a Look of the day? Hahaha, I'm hopeless.

click to enlarge

Ohemgee it's GREEN. Lol. I heard that this year's color was emerald green. To be quite honest, I cringed internally when I heard the news. I'm not a huge fan of green, despite my site layout being partially green :P In an effort to get into the hype, I started wracking my brain as to what I could do to pull green off in a makeup look. And while this isn't exactly emerald green, I feel like it's a hundred times better. BUTT-KICKING CAMO GREEN FTW.

Like a lot of my colored looks, the eye makeup is pretty subtle. Unless I'm playing around in my room, I don't tend to go crazy with makeup. I made this very wearable because, well, I was wearing it out that day :P My outfit wasn't exactly camo to be precise. It was more of a dull grey-olive military green so I thought why not try to incorporate it in my makeup? The result wasn't too bad.

There really isn't much out of the ordinary in this makeup look, just the pop of color from the green eyeshadow I used in my VS Palette. Other than that, it's almost exactly like my Everyday Peach FOTD. Surprisingly the color stands out a lot more IRL than it comes out on camera.

To make the colors stand out more IRL, I weant with a super nude lip by dabbing just a tiny bit of my Lip and Cheek Tint from The Body Shop and then subsequently concealing it with some liquid concealer. A secret step I like doing is applying a thin thin thin layer of petroleum jelly and dusting some of my  E.L.F. Peachy Keen blush on so the result is matte with a peach tint and the color from the lip tint popping out just a little bit. This way I have a subtle nude lip without making my lips look too dull.

Because this technique is quite drying, I made sure to moisturize my lips with some chapstick before applying all the product. I wouldn't recommend this technique for people with dry lips, you might just end up looking like you have gunk on your lips x_x When done correctly with practice though, the result looks a lot better.

If you'll notice in the above picture, my face is a few shades lighter than my neck. I tried to hide it with some matte bronzer, but all the blame goes to Lioele's Beyond the Solution BB Cream. Let's just say I tried it out, was disappointed with it, but didn't have enough time to remove it. So I tried my best to make do hahaha. I hope it isn't too obvious.

My actual outfit, however, has little to do with camo other than its color scheme :P Nothing I'm wearing is above 500 php (12USD), unless you count my shoes, but I wear them so often I'm sure their net value has dwindled down to a tiny little sum. LOL. Despite the cheapness of my outfit, I got a lot of compliments on it. BUDGET SHOPPING FTW!

Despite popular opinion, I think my pigtails look cute in this outfit. Who says pigtails have to be juvenile, eh?

Anyway, that's it for another FOTD and OOTD. What did you guys think? Are you all for emerald green this year? Or are you as averse to it as I am?

Ada, signing out.

Winter Ballerina Pt 2 - OOTD

Hey Guys! Yesterday I showed you a sneak peek of the outfit that came with my Winter Ballerina FOTD. Today I bring you my Winter Ballerina OOTD.

LOL I am so not used to wearing things like this. But heck, we survived the end of the world. I think it's time to live a little. Surprisingly, most of these clothes I found buried in my closet from disuse :P Yay for reinventing your wardrobe!

The shawl or outer piece or whatever you call it is something my mother bought for me four years ago on our trip to L.A. at a T.J. Maxx. No shame in admitting that I shopped at a T.J. Maxx. Half the clothes there are better than what I own here in the Philippines anyway, and at half the price LOL. I remember not really using it that much because it was Large when as you can probably tell, I am an extra small. But for this look it doesn't look oversized, it just looks cozy and cute haha.

The frilly top is another piece I rarely wear from Promod. I could never really pair it right with anything. That is until I got this skirt. Funny story - this skirt was actually for one of my underclassmen at college. She was our muse for a sporting event and needed something poofy to wear under the skirt we made her, so I went scouring Greenhills for it. This was one of the two I found which were supposed to be layered, but she ended up just using one. This skirt is finally being put to good use again today haha.

And by far my favorite part of this OOTD - the shoes. These are the same shoes I wore to my Senior Prom haha. When you buy things for events like prom you usually think they're a one-use type of thing. Apparently not. These shoes are semi-heel-less have these cute sparkly stones on them. The heels are works of art in themselves with shiny embosses and the straps just add to the cute dainty feel, don't you think?

One thing I really love about this look is how versatile it is. The first few pictures show you how you can wear it when it's a little warm out (which it is here in the Philippines. Damn you tropical climate!) and on the other hand it also makes itself pretty cozy and wrapped up if needed as you see above. So you go from sexy in one picture to cute, shy and innocent in another haha.

I'd also like to give a special mention, once again, to the hair. I've really become quite fond of the sock bun lately and here it is yet again. This time I did it a little off-center so as to lessen the formal and make it look more doable for casual occasions. The flower clips I used are from Forever21 and really give this look a feminine feel.

So how'd you guys like it? Ready to rummage through some of your old clothes and reinvent your wardrobe? Remember, even your oldest pieces can become part of a pretty new outfit. Why not share some of your closet rummaging experiences as well? Feel free to tell me in the comments if you've had any experience reusing some old clothing like me haha.

Speaking of bringing life to old things, the next few posts will be a Year-End Review just to recap the past six months that this blog has become active. I hope then you'll be looking forward to it just as much as I am. So join me in that little bout of nostalgia, mmkay?

For now enjoy the rest of the season as well as the rest of the year~ All up until new years, okay? Thanks for everything!

Ada, signing out.

Winter Ballerina Pt 1 - FOTD + Lash Review

Hey guys! As promised, I'm back with another FOTD and a matching OOTD to come with it.

Today I'm sharing you a look that's somewhat similar to my Everyday Peach FOTD but you can probably tell that this concentrated more on highlighting, shimmer and it definitely has a pinker feel to it as opposed to a flat neutral. I was inspired by some cute pink and girly Tokyo fashion and thought, hey why not add a little Tokyo to my repertoire of OOTDs? Granted, not all Tokyo fashion looks like this, but a lot of the ones being posted on Tumblr remind me of little winter ballerinas, thus the title of this series of posts.

I say series because I'm splitting this post into two - one to concentrate on the FOTD and one to concentrate on the OOTD, though I'll be posting a shot of the outfit on this post as well :)

click to enlarge

This look is almost the complete opposite of my last one. While the last was vivid, colorful and bold, this one is more subtle, gentle and girly.

Eyes
I think the highlight of the entire look is the softness of the tone of the eye contributed by the brown gel eyeliner, but the definition that the false eye lashes and thin line of liquid liner gives. You might understand what I mean better if you look at the closeup of the eye makeup in the picture below by enlarging it. The double layer of liner gives the eye a subtle hint of dimension and is definitely a trick I recommend you guys try out. Thick light-toned eyeliner under and thin dark black liner over. This is also one of those rare occasions that I sport falsies, but even still they're very natural looking. I used the Etude House Clear Line Natural Lash in 06 which are wishbone top lashes with a clear band for ultra natural looking enhancement.

Each little wishbone is tied into a knot which allows you to distribute the lashes any way you want. For this look I concentrated the individual lashes to the far end while leaving the inner parts sparse. I cut off a bit of the tip so it would fit into my eye. The set actually comes with some pretty legit lash glue that's hell to remove after. But one thing I actually like about it is that it has this iridescence to it when you apply it to the lash so you can tell exactly how much you're actually applying. At the same time, the glue comes with a wand so it's actually a lot easier to moderate how much lash glue you're using. The false lashes themselves are pretty sturdy and the band is quite flexible without being flimsy. A little caution though if you're going to curl these lashes. They tend to fold as opposed to curl when using a lash curler with a heavy hand so make sure to be gentle if ever.

The rest of the eye is straightforward - white shimmery eyeshadow on the inner corners and inner third of my eye, working toward a pink gradient that tapers off into a nice light brown, all from the E.L.F. 100-piece eye shadow palette. I highlighted my brows with a pink-toned highlighter and emphasized my inner corners with a white eyeliner from Prestige and then blended it out for a frosty effect. I also dusted some dark brown on the outer third of my lower lash line to make my eyes seem more almond shaped. The result was a very subtle Japanese magazine inspired look.

Lips
My lips will probably look familiar to you because I used the same lipstick as in my Everyday Peach FOTD. But to make the color stand out more, I defined the edges of my lips with some Etude House Surprise Essence Concealer so my lips had a more definite line of distinction between my skin. At the same time, to lessen the warm tone of the lipstick, I laid a very thin coat of my favorite Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in Pearl 267 for a pinker tone.

Face
I think the face is really what makes this look stand out. I really went all out highlighting my cheekbones and under eye to give my face a brighter look so as to echo shimmery snow when the light hits it. I also used a pinker plush and concentrated a lot on the apples of my cheeks. Contouring and highlighting was key in this look and I think the subtle highlight on my nose and Cupid's bow really makes a difference :)

Of course this look wouldn't really make sense if I don't show you the outfit I put together to go along with it.

Here's a sneak peek of Part 2 of this winter-inspired FOTD/OOTD combo. Stay tuned for more tomorrow!

Ada, signing out.

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OOTD: Old School Casual

Hey there guys! Miss me?

Things are finally starting to kick in where academics are concerned so get ready for the figurative juggling act that is my trying to keep on track with posts haha. So here I am with another LOTD set at my university's film center (University of the Philippines Film Center). I wasn't exactly sure what to call this look since it was rather normal IMO. I think my hair just upped the ambiance a bit and tipped it over to a more kawaii look.

The door behind me actually has some sentimental value since this is where I shot one of my very first photoshoots in my university for a contest haha. The door has a perfect balance between rustic and modern IMO, making it a simple yet aesthetically pleasing venue for a shoot.

The theme was Mafia. Do I look like a hitgirl to you? haha.

That being said, I'm back here more than two years later for a shoot with no significant purpose but to show off a look-of-the-day haha. Shallow vanity indeed.

My clothes are all quite cheap so it's not really worth mentioning where I got them (aka, bargain shopping ftw). I think the subtle navy blue lace of my shorts and floral print of my blouse look exceptional together, despite their price haha. Again, my favorite boots make a stunning appearance :P

I only realize now how large high-waist shorts make my thighs look haha. Sorry for the meat legs. I tried fixing them with shadowing but there's no hope haha.

My hair was done similar to how I did it in my Classic Demure look, except that the bun was set higher on my head for added poof haha. And the result was my failed attempt at looking cute.

So what do you guys think?

Ada, Signing out.

OOTD: Back to School Floral

So Thursday was the start of a new semester for me. The first few days of class aren't very hectic because most teachers are on break hangover just like we are so we end up only having numerous orientations and sometimes the teachers don't even show up. Needless to say, I apparently happen to have some rather responsible teachers because all of them showed up on the first day of class. Bleh, I was even late for my first class. What a way to start the sem.

That aside, I always get dismissed at 2:30 (pretty early IMO) on Thursdays so I managed to sneak in a few shots of my outfit that day :P A special look for a semi-special day I guess haha.

The dress is a cheap steal from JAG, so it's not really much to rave about. I'm a bit of a cheapskate when it comes to clothes - if the make is good and it looks pretty then why not? Although I am a sucker for brands sometimes. Probably the only most expensive things in this outfit are my shoes and my bag.

That bag is surprisingly thirteen years old from United Colors of Benetton. I've always been taught to take care of my belongings so I'm proud it's lasted long enough to be called semi-vintage haha. The shoes on the other hand are from Naturalizer (N5 Comfort) made with real leather and suede. My aunt got them for me on sale for 120 USD as a graduation present. They seem to do their job well as an everyday college-life pair of shoes.

It was a rather gloomy day that day and the sky was overcast so I had to cheat a little and up the saturation to make the blue really shine through. Why waste a beautiful setting with a gloomy sky, right?

The glory of the amphitheater speaks for itself.

These photos were taken at the new Science Complex in UP Diliman. My new home for the last few sems of my college life. It's become a famous photoshoot setting for a lot of people because of the greenery and landscape. A testimony to this is the fact that while we were shooting these photos, another group of people were shooting what I think to be blogshop photos as well haha. Our complex is famous!

Another thing I'm pretty proud of is my hair that day haha. Yeah, I actually exerted effor this time :P I think braids go beautifully with this outfit don't you think? The flower clip is one of a pair I got from F21 :P. Yeah, I'm cheap. Sue me.

I could post a tutorial on this braid if you guys want, so just tell me if you do :P It's actually very simple =_="""

I would have taken more photos but then it started drizzling. Poo you, rain D: It isn't very clear just how overcast the sky was here because of my awezome photoshop skills but yeah. Shortly after it started pouring D: So much for a nice bright day. At least my outfit's ambiance lasted for a short while haha.

I'd ask you guys to share your back to school outfits as well, but that ship has sailed and gone. I blame the Philippines for having an odd academic calendar. Owell.

So what do you guys think?

Ada, signing out.

LOTD: Classic Demure

Been pretty busy preparing for the resumption of class lately. Ohnoes. Hopefully I'll still be able to keep up a regular blogging routine, but since I have some time on my hands, I thought I'd cap my sembreak off with a simple LOTD.

I used the sock bun technique on my hair, which worked out pretty well considering the length and thickness of my hair. The bun could've been much poofier had I wanted it to be lol.

I was going for a more Audrey Hepburn type of look but realized that with my bangs I wouldn't be able to pull it off exactly. Close enough.

Sorry for the shoulder up shots. Until I get a better tripod and better lit room this'll all have to suffice haha. So what do you guys think?

Ada, signing out.