HUGE Collective Haul! -- U.S. Makeup Swap + Beauty Bar + Korea Haul + New Vanity Setup

Hey guys! I really haven't been able to post much, so as you can imagine, a lot of stuff has been backed up that I really want to blog about!

In addition to my huge Etude House Pink Artiste haul from a while back, I've accumulated a whole lot of other stuff from makeup swaps, general shopping trips and my Korea Trip.

I can't possibly review them all so I guess I'd just share what I got with you and let you do the picking as to what you'd like me to review :) If you see anything you'd like me to review feel free to drop a comment! :)

So first up is a huge haul from my makeup swap with the wonderful Amanda from RiceySupreme (youtube: ahyedizzy). 

This haul is singularly responsible for my recent addiction to lipsticks. I've never been a lipstick junkie before, but I've been more open to exploring different colors after this haul. I'm particularly in love with the Wet n' Wild Lipsticks she sent me, especially the one in Bare it All. It's my favorite nude lipstick thus far!

I've also discovered one of my HG BB Creams from this haul. I never thought I'd fall in love with a U.S.-made BB Cream, but here I am totally in love with my Flower BB Cream in BB2. It's a perfectly yellow-toned BB Cream that's completely matte and ridiculously long lasting! It's perfect for the humid climate here in the Philippines and definitely works wonders on oily skin :)

Another favorite from this haul is the L'oreal HiP High Intensity Pigments Matte Shadow Duo in 807 Poppy. The colors are ridiculously pigmented without being powdery and they remind me of Banana and Nutella! It's my go-to neutral eyeshadow duo and I wear it almost everyday haha.

Needless to say, everything from the swap was extra extra special, but these were the ones that totally caught my eye :)

Next up, one of my smaller hauls. I had to stock up on my essentials before my Korea Trip so I got two of my fave products in the world. The K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner was on sale so I just had to get it. It's my HG eyeliner and literally lasts the entire day (even longer). How do I know this? Let's just say a day-trip to Myeongdong and an overnight stay at the Airport put this eyeliner to the ultimate test ahaha. The same goes with the FairyDrops Platinum Mascara Water Proof Type.

And now, probably the largest haul is from my trip to Korea. I probably would've bought more, but baggage and time constraints really limited what I could get. It's a shame really, since practically all the cosmetic shops were on sale when I went there.

The amount of samples the shops in Korea give out is ridiculous. I actually have more samples than photographed above but I set them aside for giveaway purposes *wink wink*.

I don't have a lot of individual pictures of each thing I bought becuase I haven't had the time to schedule a product shoot yet, but the things that I'm totally in love with as of now are the Precious Mineral Any Cushion, the Drawing Show Creamy Pencil in BE103, the Dear Girls Tint and Lip Balm in RD301, Rosy Tint Lips in #7 and the TheFaceShop Daily Beauty Tools Eye Lashes.

Feel free to request reviews as you feel necessary! :)

Korea is also definitely a fashion haven. I couldn't NOT come home with a few things. Plus they were surprisingly cheap! I love the fact that South Korea takes pride in their clothing being made in authentically in Korea! The make is amazing, and because they make clothes primarily for the domestic market (not for export) the price is very very reasonable, especially around college areas!

I couldn't resist getting some cute socks! Just 1000 Won each pair (~1$).

Not to mention these ridiculously adorable Big Bang socks >_<

There were also an abundance of affordable skater skirts of extremely good quality for 5000 Won each!

I was a bit of a cheapskate when I was in Korea because I wouldn't dare buy anything more than 10,000 Won (~10$). All these tops, tights and skirts are 10,000 Won or less (most are 5000 Won), with a few exceptions. I'm such a bargain shopper ahaha.

One thing I did splurge on is a new bag and a pair of cute sneaker wedges. Can you believe the bag is only 15,000 Won??? It's extremely durable, really good quality and the leather trimmings are legit. The shoes were a bit pricey but I wasn't in the mood to bargain, so meh ahaha.

And last but not least, I have new makeup organizers c/o the wonderful Miss Bella PH. I totally love their new Bella Box and Bella Tray. They are invaluable additions to my growing vanity area ahaha.

You Jelly?

Feel free to drop me any questions and requests! I have more exciting posts to come!

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: 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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June 2013 Wishlist: Shoes, Cosmetics, Lenses, etc

Whew! It's been ages since I've been able to make a wishlist post like this haha. There hasn't really been much that I've been wanting for the past few months because of all the blessings I've been fortunate enough to receive from my wonderful sponsors, friends and family.

I'm very appreciative of everything I've received, and even a few of the things from my past wishlists have happily been crossed off :) Remember a while back when I wished for more readers/blog friends? Now I've been blessed with 400+ of you guys :P I honestly don't know what I've done to deserve this but thinking about it just brings tears to my eyes :P

I know wishlists aren't exactly always met, but hey, I thought I needed an extra boost of wishful thinking in my posts so I'm bringing this segment back :P Hopefully I'll be able to maintain it :P Also, my usual wishlists aren't this long. It's just that I haven't done one in so long that they've sort of piled up x_x

Shoes
First up is mostly shoes. I wasn't able to blog about this last time, but our house was recently robbed, and along with the thief went some of my more expensive shoes, jewelry, perfumes and some of my electronics. *Sadface* These are a few of the pairs that I've been eye-ing lately.

#1 Nature Breeze Amani Studded Two Tone Lace-Up HI-Top Sneakers in CORAL or SEA GREEN. These babies just look gorgeous. I was planning on getting some wedge sneakers but I thought that in the long run, some flat shoes would do more for me in terms of everyday use. I saw these shoes available on Amazon, Make Me Chic and locally available at Luxury Mall. I'm leaning towards CORAL and then SEA GREEN but if I'm not mistaken, these are also available in colors Tan and Grey.

#2 Nature Breeze Gwen-01 Hi-Top Sea Green Vintage Lace-Up Military Ankle Boots. Perfect for the impending rainy season to come IMO. I know that since they're lace-up, technically they're not waterproof  but galoshes are just way too stuffy to wear throughout an entire day. I'm loving the Doc Marten's style it's going for and in Sea Green, it's the perfect balance of sport and girly chic. Available at Make Me Chic and locally at Luxury Mall.

#3 Nature Breeze Halston-01 High-Top Fashion Ankle Lace-Up Boot Sneakers in TAN or RED. These have been on my wishlist for ages. I first saw them on the Luxury Mall page but they've since been unavailable. Now I've been stalking everywhere for them because they are my ALL-TIME FAVORITE style of shoes. I've found these lovelies for sale at Ebay. Please do tell me if you guys find anywhere else that it's available for cheaper.

And lastly for shoes, surprise surprise, another set of shoes from Nature Breeze.

#4 Nature Breeze Gwen-02 Hi-TopBoots RED Floral Multi. These are pretty similar to #2 but come in this girly floral pattern and instead of Patent, are apparently made of leatherette/fabric. They're less severe-looking so they're more pairable with girly outfits that I tend to wear. These are available at Amazon, Make Me Chic (in other colors as well) and locally at Luxury Mall.

Cosmetics
I haven't really been wanting much in the realm of cosmetics, but I'm almost out of my favorite BB Cream from FairyDrops, which I use as an alternative to foundation on special occasions only. I'm planning on repurchasing, for use on a daily basis now, so I've been on the scout for a replacement "special occasion" foundation haha. Aside from that, a few things on this list are whimsical wants lol.

#1 ARTDECO Refillable Double Finish Foundation in #8 Medium Cashmere or #4 Late Summer Beige. The ARTDECO display at my local BeautyBar totally caught my eye. They have a pretty legit selection and IMO, from swatching, their base makeup and foundations are pretty exceptional. This Double Finish compact in particular caught my attention because the texture is pretty creammy but on your skin it settles with a matte powdery finish that doesn't cake at all. In other words, MAGIC lol. From first impression it also has some pretty decent coverage so I'm really looking forward to trying this out some day.
http://www.artdeco.de/en/makeup/face/foundation/double-finish.html

#2 ARTDECO Long-Lasting Foundation Oil-Free SPF20. The name really says it all. They actually have a huge selection of other types of foundation, but this one seemed to settle best on my skin and the lady at the counter said it was perfect for the Philippine heat. It's also available in a decent amount of shades so I'm pretty sure anyone can find a color match with this one. My tone in particular is leaning toward #18 Sweet Honey, but I find that when I'm on one of my more anemic days (yes, I have mild anemia TT_TT), #25 Light Cognac suits me better.
http://www.artdeco.de/en/makeup/face/foundation/long-lasting-foundation-oil-free-spf-20.html

#3 The FACE Shop CC Cream Smart Capsule. After trying out my first CC Cream, I think I'm ready to try out some other variants. I swatched this one at my nearest local FACE Shop and this looked absolutely lovely on my skin with less of a dewy finish than that of Tony Moly's Luminuous Pure Aura CC Cream. It also smelled absolutely lovely and was a lot less heavy. I might actually get this in the future, but for now it shall remain on my wishlist.

#4 FairyDrops Platinum Mascara Water Proof. I'm a huge fan of FairyDrops' Volume Burst Mascara so when I heard that the Platinum variant would be available in the Phil I was totally ecstatic. I'm just waiting for my original tube of mascara to finish and I'm grabbing this one. But I'm gonna need to burst a huge hole in my wallet for this since the Philippine markup is pretty sad D: Anyone know where I can get it cheaper? D:

Next up is Circle Lenses
I've been pretty into trying out circle lenses lately and a few of my favorite ones are expiring in a few months so I'm on the hunt for some new ones. Most of the ones that I've been trying have been brown. And while they all look pretty natural, I found that brown lenses tend to wash my skintone out, especially when I'm on my bouts of low blood pressure x_x

So now I'm thinking some grey lenses might do the trick. At the same time, I've been looking for some low-diameter lenses that I could probably use for daily wear because the larger diameter lenses require much heavier eye makeup and I just don't have the time for that every day D: So these are a few grey, low-diameter lenses that I've been eyeing.

Forgive me if the names are wrong (and feel free to correct me in the comments if I am!). Contact Lens nomenclature confuses me haha.

#1  Barbie Crystal Grey. This one, out of the four, stands out with its design and is the one I'm most inclined to. It's print is pretty vivid without being too detailed to make it look unnatural. And it apparently looks really natural on the model and still hides/blends well into darker brown eyes.

#2 GEO Nudy Grey. These ones aren't as vivid (or maybe it's just the picture that I've found). It's not completely grey on the inside and apparently it lets some of your natural color shine through. I'm pretty curious how my dark brown eyes will look blending into pale grey LOL

#3 Puffy 3-Tones Grey. I have the Brown Variant of this lens and I'm totally in love with it! It's the most natural looking of all my lenses but still manages to make my eyes look special LOL. Only problem is, like I said, when my skin tends to be more yellow it highlights it way too much. So I'm really curious how the grey version will look on me.

#4 GEO Angel Grey. This one has the largest black circle around it compared to the three, and from past experience, this tends to make the eyes look more dilated. BUT from reviews, it says that this one isn't very opaque, so the large circle balances off with your natural eye color to make it seem more natural. I'm not entirely sure if that's true, but hey, it's worth a try :P

Next up is Clothes
All of these clothes can be found from the ToFebruary website. They always have the cutest stuff but they're always so expensive TT_TT Most of you might be wondering why they're all jumpers/long sleeved when it's so damn hot in the Philippines. Well, it's because while it may be hot outside, during my long hours of labwork I'm subject to inhumanely cold air conditioning TT_TT. So my rationale is, when it's hot, I can always just take these off. But I'll definitely need something warmer under my labcoat to keep me warm. Plus, I want to be the first molecular biologist to wear a panda on their head while they work LOL.

#1 Panda Head Jacket. Self explanatory. I MEAN LOOK AT IT. IT'S ADORABLE. Plus the hood goes all the way over your head if you want it too. So you can be a legit panda!

#2 Hello Panda Long Sleeves. This just looks so cozy and warm. Plus, if you haven't noticed by now, I totally adore pandas. I prefer the grey one but I wouldn't mind having both haha. I'm pretty sure a guy could get away with wearing this as well, but he'd have to be pretty secure about his sexuality LOL.

#3 Angel Wing Jacket. There's another variant of this where the wings are on the hood, but this one looks way cuter. Plus. It's the one Yunho wore so double the incentive :P

Miscellaneous Wishes
I've been wanting a clipless curling iron (preferrably one with a larger diameter barrel) for more natural looking curls. I can usually curl my hair with my flat iron but it's just such a hassle and the Amika Clipless Curling Irons just make curling hair so much easier.

And since school's back next week (wait, did it even end? Stupid summer class). I'm in need of a new bag X_x My other bags just can't withstand the beating I usually give them. I really need to be more gentle with my belongings. This bag from Jatalo is pretty sturdy and in the color Sarape Classic, it just looks perfectly hipster/hippy/vintage, doesn't it? Not to mention that Jatalo donates a years' worth of schoolbooks to sponsored children for every purchase on one bag. So you're not only making my wish come true if you get me this, you're making another kid's wish come true as well :) YAY FOR GOOD DEEDS!

And that's pretty much it.

Well, actually there is one more thing. If you've been reading this blog for long, most of you would know, because DAMN, I keep incessantly plugging it, but I'm in the running to be Etude House Philippines' Pink Artiste for the year of 2013. It's probably one of my biggest wishes to be able to win because not only do I love the brand, I also honestly think that I'd be good at it. So if you have time, it would really really mean a lot to me if you could check out and like my facebook entry by clicking the linked picture below and hitting 'like'. 1 Like=1 Vote for me, so every like counts. Most of you might be sick of my plugging by now, but it would really mean a lot to me :)

Please and Thank You!

I hope you enjoyed this post. Tell me if there's anything up in the list that you too have been wanting, or if you've tried anything from the list, or any of your other whimsical wishes. Let's all be wishful together! Haha.

Ada, signing out.
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Year End Review: Hits and Misses

Ah, so it has come to this. Half a year of work and here I am, still alive and kicking. I booted up this blog back in June and since then I've had quite a few hits and misses with my posts. One good thing that came out of this is that I've finally developed a fine-tuned blogging tempo, so I've managed to maintain some measure of regularity. That being said, not all of my posts are a hit, and many of them are misses.

So to honor the failures, as well as the glory this year has brought me as a blogger, here are this blog's top 5 Hits and Misses for the year of 2012~ Enjoy!

The Hits

1.  Earworm: 2NE1 - I love You
Posted on July 7 || 11210 page views

By far my most popular post of the year, my review (or rather incomprehensible fangirl flailing) over the music video, music and fashion of 2NE1's I Love You somehow came up on top of the list with a staggering amount of views. I'm pretty sure recurring searches of 'Dara's new hair' or 'Dara's shaved head' were what made this post as popular as it was but there were also a few searches on the extravagant nail art and styling that the girls are so well known for. With this video being one of the most stylish this year, it's no wonder it has thousands of pageviews ahead of the rest of my posts. Read more about it here...

2. Art Post: The World Ends With You
Posted on August 29 || 2692 pageviews

One rather unexpected post to hit the top with search occurrences was my art post on one of my favorite DS games ever, The World Ends With You. In this post I present the above picture of my fanart (along with the uncolored version) of Neku and Shiki, two of my favorite characters in the game. I'm not the best artist in the world, but I'm really happy this post is out there grabbing some attention :) Read more about it here...

3. Wishlist: Avengers Inspired Fashion
Posted on June 24 || 1966 pageviews

With the awesomeness that is The Avengers hitting the screens early this year, it's no wonder one of my more popular posts comes with the words 'Avengers-inspired'. Most of this post's popularity however is attributed to the wonderful styling found at character-inspired-fashion.tumblr.com so if you guys are looking for similar posts, why not check them out? Read more about it here...

4. Jdramas, Sprout and Grouplove
Posted on July 10 || 1540 pageviews

Haha, one of my more shameful obsessions last year was with this Japanese Drama, Sprout, and the awesome soundtrack that came with it. The combination of Chinen Yuri, Jesse Lewis, a whole slew of Johnny's talents and the awesome backtracks from Grouplove probably brought most of the audience to this post. Ah, the power of music and hot Japanese boys running topless on a beach lol. Read more about it here...

5. Review: Etude House Goodbye Pore Ever
Posted on November 23 || 1075 Pageviews

And one of my prouder achievements as a beauty blogger, especially with this review just being posted a month ago is my review on Etude House's Goodbye Pore Ever Pore Primer Stick, and for good reason! It's an awesome product which still serves me well up to now. Read more about it here...

Of course not all my posts were as popular, or as well received as these. At the same time, I'll admit, I post some of the weirdest crap sometimes, and a lot of times I go a little bit overboard. Here are the top 5 Misses, not necessarily because they have low view counts, but for one reason or another haha.

The Misses (but not really)

1. OMGWTFBBQ
Posted on June 2; For the first post

Need I say more?

Yeah this marks my return to the blogosphere with what I consider to be my first real post in my formal blogging career hahaha. It leaves a lot to be desired IMO, and I think I was partially on crack while writing this haha. Not to mention I post a few videos of my horrible singing where I'm about ten pounds heavier than I am now. OH GOD WHY. Don't Read more about it here...

2. Discussion: Japan and Copyright Law
Posted on June 23; For the threat that wasn't really a threat

One of the things I'm most passionate about in life is the circulation of free information. So when something threatens that, especially if Japanese media is involved, I get all bat-crap-crazy. Unfortunately for me though, while I was making such a huge fuss over this, nothing really changed and the world moved on, because apparently the law didn't exactly make streaming pirated videos illegal, just the permanent downloading of them into your PC hahaha. What a dud. Don't Read more about it here...

3. I WON A SIGNED CD.
Posted June 12; For the most overwhelming achievement with a rather underwhelming response

This was honestly probably my greatest achievement last year, aside from the time when I was able to stay in the same hotel on the same floor as one of my favorite Japanese boybands ever and greet them every night when they came back and every morning when they left hahaha.

This CD I got from a giveaway/contest by some of my favorite youtubers, Simon and Martina. I wasn't expecting to win at all when I joined this giveaway, but lo and behold, MY SIGNED CD FROM SISTAR! Unfortunately, not very many were as excited as I was haha. It's like that awkward moment when you're bouncing around the room in a giddy fit and the people around you are just staring blankly into space haha. Well, that's life. Don't Read more about it here...

4. Experimenting
Posted July 15; For Noobish Photoshop and Makeup Skills

At the start of my transition into incorporating makeup and beauty posts into this blog, let's just say I was quite awkward with the camera and abused a few photoshop filters here and there hahaha. Just looking at this picture makes me cringe. Don't Read more about it here...

5. Sembreak Goal #2 Getting My Licence 
Posted October 22; For a thing that never happened

And one of my biggest fails this year ever. Saying that I'd get my driver's licence by sembreak and not actually doing it haha. I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON LOL. I've known how to drive this baby for ages and I can't even do it becaue I'm too lazy to go to the LTO (our version of the DMV). Damnit. By next year I should be driving and completely mobile! *resolute* Don't Read more about it here...

Haha. So that wraps up my blog's hits and misses for this year. Coming up will be a year end review of all the awesome fashion, food and music this blog has come to offer, as well as a special mention to one of the little guys who's made this blog a little more fun to read.

See you soon!
Ada, Signing out.

December Wishlist

I feel like it's been such a long time since I've made a wishlist, and though I don't celebrate Christmas, merely because I haven't done one of these posts in so long, I feel entitled to make one, so bah humbug, here I go. (yay, run-on sentence!)

1. Antique Owl Necklace - First up on my list is something I've been wanting, and actually have the capability of getting, but in all honesty, I'm just too lazy to go out and get one :P

I've actually seen loads of these in bazaars, boutiques, street stalls -- just EVERYWHERE. I never got around to ever buying one because I always told myself "Meh, I'm sure I could find someplace else that sells it for cheaper." Of course, I'm always right but in so doing, I never get around to buying one. One of the two paradoxes of saving: You're too concerned about saving that you don't buy anything at all. The other one?  You're too concerned about saving that you end up spending more than you actually want to. LOL owell.

2. Accessory organizers - I've started collecting accessories lately. Mostly because I have so many clothes but nothing to accessorize them with, and partially because they're easier to hide and thus lessening the chance of being judged by my peers as a shopaholic. (I think I am slowly on the path to doom).

Anything simple will do. I've actually been eyeing a few of the organizers from Miss Bella PH and might actually visit their booth over at the World Trade Center to check out their goods once I have the moolah to spend haha.

3. Scented Candle Jars - I love scented candles. I'm just not a fan of dripping wax and the stereotypical vanilla vomit-worthy scent. I've been hunting for some scented candle jars here in the Philippines and sadly they don't have much of a selection.

I like the concept of different candles for different days and switching them around. And having them all up in cute jars makes them decorative as well as festive. I'm more of a fan of food or fruit type scents than flower type scents, but honestly, when you've been in a search for this long, you can't be very picky.

4. Vintage Flip-up sunglasses - I've seen a few of these going around on lookbooks recently and I may seem like I'm jumping on the bandwagon but aren't they just so awesome?

Of course I'm pretty sure I won't be going for this pair - it's way off my budget haha. Maybe a trip to the local thrift market will do me some good lol.

And lastly, a little message from our little guy who seems to feel neglected lately because of my busy schedule. He's been feeling lonely lately and has been bugging me about pimping him out more. In particular, I think he's searching for a new little "friend", so hear him out a bit, eh?

This isn't E-Harmony Thor.

Yehp, seems like the little guy's gone off the deep end with his loneliness. Let's just humor him for this wishlist eh? Who knows? His wish just might come true pretty soon.

Sorry for this post's lack of festiveness. I know everybody's getting into the Christmas Spirit, but I'm just not one of those people haha. But hey, doesn't mean I don't care about you guys? What are your wishes this december? Feel free to link me to one of your wishlists. Maybe we can help each other out haha.

Ada, signing out.

August 2012 Wishlist

Another month, another post dedicated to hopeless dreaming haha. And here I present my wishlist for this month :) This post was a bit late considering all the setbacks with the rain. It's no big news then that a lot of my wishes for this month will be somewhat weather related x_x

#1 Lens Coffee Mug: It's August, and it officially rains every day (a sad testimony of that we've seen through the recent floods). Sometimes, all I really want is to keep warm, damnit! I need me some coffee, and to deter anyone from stealing my coffee, I shall keep it in an expensive and fragile looking lens. Pretty smart eh?

Nikon Lens Coffee Mug

#2 Cute Bunny Hoodie (or any hoodie with animal ears for that matter): August is probably the only month I can get away with wearing a dress/hoodie as cozy looking as this. I mean look at it - IT HAS BUNNY EARS. How could you NOT want to wear bunny ears in the cold sopping rain!?!?

Bunny Hoodie Dress

#3 Weather appropriate footwaear: Speaking of rain, you know what else I desperately need? Rain boots. I find it annoying that the only rain boots I find are those ugly red or yellow ones that make you feel like you're emulating Ronal McDonald or something. I need something that doesn't scream fast food chain. Preferably one in every design below hahaha.

Graffiti Knee High Rain Boot MULTI

And just for the heck of it,

#4 A new BB Cream: I've been wanting this BB cream for forever but it's so expensive and I'm not even sure if it'll suit my skintone TT_TT I guess I will never know.

Fairydrops Candy Bar BB Cream

#5 Safety, no more suspensions, no more floods. This probably isn't something that can happen over night, and unlike all the rest of the items in my list, it can't exactly be purchased. My heart goes out to all the people out there still displaced, especially considering we have a new storm coming called Helen. Everyone keep safe!

Ah, wishful thinking. It's as far as I'll get. What are your August wants and wishes? Please tell me I'm not the only one obsessed with stocking up on rain gear haha.

Maybe I should just wish for the rain to stop, or to never come again? But that might bring on some unprecedented consequences of its own, so maybe not.

Ada, signing out.