Etude House Play 101 Pencils: Review + Tutorials

Hey guys! As promised I'm back with another review, accompanied by two tutorials for two different looks you can create with the new Etude House Play 101 Pencils.

These little guys  were kindly given to me at the wonderful people from Etude House to try so here's the low-down how these hold up against the Philippine eat, how they wear and about all the colors sent to me!

Packaging
So one pretty awesome thing about these liners is that they're twist up! No need for any makeup pencil sharpeners and if you want a sharp point, it comes with an attachment at the bottom which is actually a tip-sharpener. Convenient!

One thing I'm not too fond of however is the fact that they're all black, mostly because it's so easy to get dirty. But other than that, this is some pretty good packaging, and for organization purposes it's really convenient as well, since the pencils are color-coded at their bottom, and have the number labels in big, bold, artsy-fartsy print.

Colors and Wear

Let's start off with the two lip colors, shall we?

#21 is a bright, warm-toned and straightforward red, perfect for you classic red lip. It has a glossy finish which unlike the other pencils that are meant to be used for eyeshadows, means that they're prone to movement the first few minutes you apply them. After that first five minutes though, this is great for lining the lips because the color stays put like crazy! Be careful about staining though. As with almost all reds, this leaves a significant stain, but nothing that can't be dealt with with makeup remover and warm water.

#25 is more of a bright fuchsia color that has a cooler tone to it. It's on the same vein of a lot of lip-stains out there and is perfect if you want to achieve that Korean gradient-lip look. 

On to the more glittery and shimmery colors

#35 is a glittery midnight blue that's perfect for that extra pop if you want to line eye your eyes. This is ridiculously smudge proof, so I wouldn't recommend it for a smokey eye, but for some extra lining art or some nice colorful sleek liner, this is definitely what you need.

#4 is that perfect tear-drop shimmer color that can be used as a highligher for on your cupid's bow, in the inner corner of your eyes and some cute looking aegyo-sals. It's also pretty forgiving  when it comes to blending so you can use it as a shimmery base or over some eyeshadow if you want to add some sparkle to your already applied eye shadow.

The next two colors are creamy ant matte and are perfect to use as eyeshadow bases, or even on their own.

#18 is a pale lavender that's very flattering on fairer skin tones. You could probably get away with this as a blush, but it looks best on the eyes where it gives a nice matte finish on its own or as eye shadow base.

#30 is a red-violet aubergine color It has a matte to creamy finish and can be used as a deep blush or mauve eye shadow for more subtle but daring looks.

Here are the swatches of each color. They're truly a diverse bunch with different finishes and uses! Aren't they ridiculously pretty?

Longevity
So I left out the lip colors from this test because, as I mentioned before, their texture and consistency make them really smudgy and they really aren't meant for the eyes anyway.

Here I tested (from left to right) #35, #30, #18 and #4 for water resistance and smudge resistance.

As you can see, #35 and #30 are virtually budge-proof, even after rubbing them with water. #35 exhibits some glittery displacement, but the color still stays intact. #18 loses some color when smudged, but since it's a light color, it's pretty forgiving. That also allows it to be more blendable for use as base eye shadow or as an eyeshadow on its own. #4  is a bit all over the place, but because it's usually only used as a highlight or to accentuate corners that catch light, that's not too much of a big deal.

All in all, these bad boys are pretty tough and wear all day (from experience) on my non-oily lids.

In action
So as promised, I created two looks  using these awesome versatile liners. One girly, classic look inspired by a vintage rose and one rocker party chic look inspired by a midnight mosh pit. Check out how good these eyeliners work in action in the videos below!




So, which look do you like better? do you have any ideas on how else to use these awesome Play 101 liners by Etude House? Leave me your thoughts in the comments below!

Have fun, and play Etude! Ada, signing out.
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MAYBELLINE: The Perfect First Impression Mission

Research shows that it only takes up to 8 seconds to make a first impression.

Believe me -- I know how nerve wracking it is on the first day. Be it for work, for class or just meeting someone new, first impressions aren't always spot on, but they matter. So to avoid those awkward misconceptions, it's always good to put your best foot forward.

There are a few simple things you can take into consideration to make sure you leave the best impression.

#1 The Look

They say that clothes make the person. The way you put yourself together and your entire demeanor is affected by the way you dress. So one simple rule to remember? Dress to impress. Be it for meeting new friends, the first day of school, the first date or your first day on the job -- the way you dress makes all the difference.

Another way to make an impression?

#2 The Eyes

It's amazing what a difference the eyes can make. After all, they have been said to be the windows to our soul. So change your look up, not just with your eye makeup, but with your eyebrows as well. Go for the natural look, the polished look, or the more recently popular Korean eyebrow look to go from playful to sultry to a natural beauty.

Eye makeup also does half the work for you, whether you want to appear like a sweetheart girl next door or go the extra mile with those mile-high lashes, your eyes tend to tell a lot about you.

So if one half is the eyes, what's the other?

#3 Instant Skin Perfection

Some people are fortunate enough to have that natural flawless finish. Lowly humans like us, however, have Maybelline.

Maybelline wants to help you make the perfect first impression with its new line of 8-in-1 BB Creams that are perfect for everybody.

The Maybelline Clear Smooth Shine Free Clear Stick the first BB Stick to offer 12 hour anti-shine matte finish perfect for people with oily skin. If you want that put-together matte look, this stick is perfect for you. Rest assured that your makeup will stay in place and shine free, and with SPF21 PA+++, this stick offers decent UV protection for hot days out.

Apply the stick in key areas of the face and blend outward, giving you a matte even finish. Top the look off with some modest matte contouring to achieve that put-together professional look.

If your skin lacks that radiant glow, Maybelline Clear Smooth 8-in-1 Skin Transformer BB Cream offers brightening, evening, smoothening, refining, clearing, concealing,and moistrurizing properties. So for that natural glow, and all-day wear, you don't need to look any further.

And for those of you recovering from that fresh summer tan, keep your skin in check from harmful UV rays with Maybelline Clear Smooth BB White with SPF50 PA+++ for ultimate sun protection.

Use both these products to achieve the perfect radiant glow. Choose a shade that matches your skin tone and apply in dots in key areas before blending outward for a smooth even finish. Highlight points of your face that catch light and blend liberally to achieve that radiant natural glow perfect for a day out or meeting your friends.

Change yourself up and make that perfect first impression.

Want to find out what first impression you make on others?

Take Maybelline's First Impressions Meter and find out. It is a fun, one-of-a-kind app that gives you 8 seconds to decide your first impression of other people, while they decide their first impression of you!

Because #firstimpressionsmatter

Wanna learn more? Visit Maybelline Phillippine's Facebook Page for more tips and tricks on how to make the perfect first impression.

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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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My Lab Life: I love NIMBB

Because this blog is primarily a personal blog above anything else, I thought I'd give a tad bit more emphasis on the goings on of my life. I'm taking this chance to let my readers get to know more about me, and maybe even get to know more about them in the process haha.

It may not be obvious by my quirky way of speaking and rather queer obsession with fashion and makeup, but I'm actually a Molecular Biology and Biotechnology student. SAY WHUTTTT? Basically most of my work and studies center around DNA, biomolecules, cell culture and all that nitty gritty labwork that most people would cringe away from in high school. Yes, Ada is a closet bio nerd.

Does this look like the face of a bio nerd to you!?!?!?!?!?

Regardless of my rather out of sync hobbies and interests, I'm actually pretty in love with my field. We're all a bunch of beautiful and handsome nerds with the passion for science haha. It's no wonder then that when the pictorial for the 25th year of the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology came  around, we were all for it like the true camwhores that we are hahaha.

We're just that photogenic, okay?

I think this just goes to prove that even science majors can dress themselves up if they want to, a testimony of which are the gorgeous girls above (yes, myself included hohoho).

In addition to 25 years of indisputable excellence, we're also celebrating the transfer to our brand new fancy-schmancy building. So what if you can barely see our faces? OUR WINDOWS ARE FLIPPIN' REFLECTIVE YO. 

But seriously, I'd be maimed if I didn't show off our awesome batch pictures haha. Say hello to the most awesome batch of promising young doctors/researchers/entrepreneurs/leaders-to-be.

HECK YEAH.

And the entire next week is a week dedicated to the 25th Anniversary of my institute and moving into the new building. YAY~ PARTYYYY!

All in all, I guess this post is here because this blog has been lacking a bit of me lately. And I really just wanted to say that I love my institute haha. Plus, I think these pictures of me came out pretty well LOL.

AND NOW FOR A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES!

And here's some for my awesomely hilarious batchmates. You guys always make me smile :3

Hope you guys will allow me a bit of this self-indulgent posting :P This is of course a personal blog above it being a movie/music/fashion/makeup blog. Don't worry. I'll get back to my regularly scheduled programming soon. Unless you want more of these posts. Just feel free to ask :)

Ada, signing out.

OOTD: Cartoon Casual

Taking a break from product reviews for awhile. I hope you guys don't mind :3 Just thought I'd share another OOTD. This one isn't as prim and proper as the past few ones. In fact it's pretty laid back haha.

If you guys have followed this blog for a while, you'll know that I'm a huge art junky. Actually, if I hadn't gone to a science high school I most likely would have wanted to enter an arts high school and I'd end up in the College of Fine Arts instead of the College of Science in my in university. That being said, I guess this look is a tribute to what could have been, haha. Thus, quite appropriately, I chose to shoot in one of the artsiest places on campus, the Fine Arts Wall.

Every year (or semester? I'm not quite sure). The students of Fine Arts repaint the wall with a different theme or concept. This year seems to draw inspiration from mainstream media, but then again, I'm not sure. Do you guys recognize any of the characters? Either way, it's always fun to come by here and see what's new. They do this so frequently that it seems that the wall gets thicker and thicker each year with each new painting. You can see how thick the paint is judging by the cracks near the bottom.

I thought my outfit matched the ambiance quite well, no? What with the cute moe anime girl on my shirt and the mustache statement necklace haha. Excuse my pose, it's a rather awkward position, but I tried, okay!?!? lol.

I spot Lumpy Space Princess, Darth Sidius/Palpatine, and No-Face/Kaonashi haha. How vibrant.

I'm actually very fond of this necklace. It makes me look like a sir. A rather uncouth and slightly crazy sir, but a sir nonetheless.

While we were shooting a random student whose identity I forget came up to us and asked if he could take a few shots. This was the result haha. It's a rather artsy shot and I guess you can attribute the picture's general lack of my face to creative freedom. I quite like it actually.

Well, that's pretty much it. Nothing very special about this look. I actually think the venue carried all of the merit of this shoot. Who knows, maybe next year I'll return and see what's up next for the University of the Philippines Fine Arts Wall.

Ada, signing out.

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.