May Favorites 2014 + Life + Music

I've been really complacent with blog posts lately, huh? Hahaha I guess I just really got into the rhythm of making videos :P I'm honestly not going to  go into the details of all the stuff I showed you in this May Favorites video because I feel like I'm just ridiculously talkative most of the time in my videos :P

So if you guy have any questions with the items above, feel free to ask them below -- I'll definitely get back to you! :3 BTW, if you're looking for where to find those What's Your Flavor Shirts you can find more info here (http://goo.gl/eyjPDr)

Now that I have an outlet for creativity in the form of videos and getting back into my art, I can actually use my blog more for talking about life and you know, what's really been going on haha.

So it's finally June and everybody's on their way back to school. It got me wondering whether or not I should try doing a Back to School Video. Although that'll probably come out pretty late considering I have yet to film it ahaha.

On the same note, I'm also on the way back to work. After a month or two-month-long break from labwork I feel rusty so I need get back into the rhythm. In case you guys I wondering, yes I've graduated, but I still have some labwork and research that I need to tie the ends on. Hopefully if I try hard enough all that research might actually pay off ;)

Meanwhile, this blog will finally become what it's supposed to be -- a stress reliever instead of a stress additive. I hope you guys don't mind me talking much about this stuff :P If not, you can always just skip these introspective and life-themed posts in favor of the ones you like.

ALSO! I've really been getting back into making playlists lately. Granted, they may not be as organized and themed as my previous Mixtape Mondays, but I'll definitely be sharing more with you guys soon so look forward to that!

And if you haven't already seen, I recently did an unboxing video of my recent Etude House package, so if you're interested go check that out!


I'll definitely have more cohesive and planned out blogposts soon guys, so look forward to that!

Ada, signing out!

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UPDATES: Where have I been!?!?!?!?!?

Whooo~! Hey guys! It's been ages, hasn't it? Almost a year if I'm not mistaken. I'm not even sure if most of you still remember me.

If yes, then booyah! Thanks for staying tuned. If not, then I'm just gonna have to regain your readership.

So the big question -- where have I been, and what have I been doing??? Well, it's a pretty long story. You can choose to hear about it in my shrill annoying voice or read more about it below.

This past year has been a huge year for me. I was on my senior year of college for my Bachelor of Science degree on Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. I had to maintain my grades to keep up my standing to graduate Magna Cum Laude, not to mention there was just a butt-load of thesis work to do. At least all that work was worth it -- I won Best Thesis :))

Oh, over-photoshop GradPics -- We all have them LOL

Setting aside my hobbies and blogging for a while was part of the sacrifices I had to make to get where I am now. I'm happy to say that I am now a contributing factor to our county's unemployed population! HOORAH! All kidding, aside,I plan on applying for an instructor position at my home institute before pursuing my Master's Degree abroad. I'm pretty much PhD-bound, but hey, a lot can change :P

In addition to that, one of the reasons I've been gone is because of moving. I can't say this was a really recent change, but it just took a pretty long time for me to get settled into my new home. I have this pretty new pad -- is that what kids these days call it? A pad? A hood? Whatever. New room practically = new life and new habits and a lot of getting used to.

You've probably seen some of my room from my old instagram photos and backdrops of hauls and other product shots. But I've really only gotten around to decorating and setting things in order recently. You can see most of my room in the video above, but just to show you what I mean, here's my current study-table setup.

Ugh, I know -- it's a work in progress. I have a lot of DIY things planned for my room and hopefully I can transform it into my dream room by the end of the summer. I'll be taking you guys along for the ride during this transformation and hopefully I'll have some tips and updates to share with you guys soon.

Something else that's new? I got myself a new laptop! A faster processor and more RAM means I can finally do more videos for you guys! I've really been meaning to do more videos but it was just such a hassle when processing time took 2-4 hours. Now it only takes me 5-20 minutes depending on the length and editing.

On that note, I also have a NEW YOUTUBE CHANNEL associated with my Google+ account. So if you can, please do SUBSCRIBE! I'll be posting a lot more often now that I'm able to ;)

I've also updated my twitter to @all_ada_love - just a heads up ;) go follow me if you wish. I don't post much, but I'll definitely try to :P

I'll also try to vary my posts more these days. I realized that I may have alienated a lot of my older audience because I wanted SEO or more views. I don't want to peg my blog as just a beauty blog so I'll try to bring back some of my old-school posts to regain my status as a blog that's about "ANYTHING UNDER THE SUN". Look forward to more music posts, ramblings, DIY, tutorials and personal posts.

That's pretty much it! I have a tutorial and review coming up, so keep tuned for that. I also have a giveaway planned so keep you ears peeled!

That's it for now!

Ada, signing out!

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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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In Retrospect: Etude Surpise Essence Concealer

Whoo~! Hey guys! Hope you're all having a wonderful week. For some people out there, it's that time of year that you get to spend time with your family and commemorate what some may call Holy Week. Some people might think about it as the time when chocolates start coming in funky bunny and egg shapes in time for Easter, and for some it's just any other day - enjoy it either way :P

For me on the other hand, I've been spending the past few days reviewing for seemingly never ending exams.  Oh the life of an Iskolar ng Bayan (trans: Scholar of the Nation). I had an ethics debate just this Monday, an exam for my Major yesterday and two exams just today x_x I have 3 more exams coming up next week plus a paper due next Friday. I'll be honest with you guys - I've been running on less than two hours of sleep for the past few days. Talk about exhausting. Lack of sleep does horrid things to your skin. Fortunately for me, I'm not one who breaks out due to stress, but one thing that really plagues me is DARK CIRCLES. Ugh.

*Insert Picture of horridly dark circles here.* On second thought - never mind. you might run away screaming.

You guys are probably just going to have to take my word for it haha.

When these kinds of stressful non-stop work days come however, there's always been this one thing I've been going to for backup - Etude House's Surprise Essence Concealer.

Frankly speaking, this isn't the best concealer out there. Nor does it have any real WOW factor to it. It's a basic concealer that works for me and that's it. But I use it almost everyday and it's my go-to concealer out of habit. I think my skin's adapted to it so well (not the other way around) that no other concealer seems to  sit as well as this does when it comes to my dark circles. I probably can't say the same for everybody out there but this just has a special place in my heart.

I think it started out when I had just ran fresh out of my L'oreal True Match Concealer and was looking for something cheaper to fall back on. I think this was my first ever purchase from Etude House here in the Philippines and that was almost a year ago. Prior to this, my only other Etude House purchase had been a lip gloss and their Baby Skin Foundation 2 or 3 years back from Thailand. Needless to say, at that time it was a last resort purchase, and just like its name suggests, I was surprised at how well it worked for me. I've been using it ever since!

It's undergone quite a few changes since then, most notably in packaging -

Haha, you can see my battered up old tube on the right. It was markedly less cute a year back than it is now. My old tube's even become somewhat misshapen. Funny story. I left it next to my laptop's exhaust outlet where all the heat lets out and the packaging bent out of shape. Remind me never to do that ever again x_x

The new packaging is highlighted by a cute baby pink but still contains the same amount of product for the same price. Glad to see that despite the bad economy the price of my go-to concealer hasn't budged :P Despite that, I can't help but miss the old brown packaging. I was less worried about getting it beat up and dirty when it wasn't quite as cute. Now I always make sure to take extra care when handling the new packaging because the pink is so easy to get dirty D:

Another change that I've noticed is in the wand --

It has a rather odd shape now if you ask me. With one little round top and a wide area under. Sort of reminds me of FairyDrop's Volume Burst Mascara wand haha. I guess the tip is for precise dotting and spot concealing and you can just tilt the angle of the brush for a wider coverage. I still don't see the need though. I could do that just fine with the old wand.

One thing that hasn't changed however is the product itself:

It looks a bit different swatched on my hand because my old tube dried out a bit, but it's essentially just the same concealer I've grown to know and love. You can leave it as is for a dewy finish or top it off with some powder to set it into a matte finish. No worries - it doesn't cake of settle. It's some of the thinnest consistency concealer without compromising good coverage I've used. It also has floral-citrus scent to it, which really wakes me up in the morning!

I choose under eye concealer that's one shade lighter than my skin tone so that it has a brightening effect on my dark eye circles x_x I use a different concealer/product for spot correction/concealing when I need it.

I can't count the times this concealer has saved me from that dead tired zombie look in cases of all-night studying, project cramming and procrastination brought about by distracting Korean Dramas (DARN YOU Queen InHyun's Man!!!)

This is a picture from a few days ago, when my dark eye circles were starting to resurface once again. You can't really tell because my my flash lighting washes my skin out in these shots but IRL, you'd cringe in horror.

There's a HUGE difference if you ask me. It brightens up my eyes quite well, doesn't dry out the skin under my eyes and also doesn't settle into fine lines.

NOTE: The skin around and under your eyes is very susceptible to wrinkling, and drying out. It's probably one of the more sensitive parts of the skin on your face so finding a good product for it is really important. I find this concealer is very gentle with my skin and it lasts pretty long as well.

Again, I'll say this - this isn't the best concealer out there, but I've grown to love it out of a sense of loyalty over the time I've used it. It's probably why, along with Etude House's Goodbye Pore Ever Primer Stick, it's earned its place as one of my Etude House Essentials.

Of course, there's no substitute for a good night's rest and proper sleeping habits. Children and ladies, don't follow my example TT_TT Instead, sleep early and rest those beautiful eyes x_x Unless of course you're up late at night reading my blog, then it's okay LOL I'M KIDDING. Go to sleep!

Ada, signing out!

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Friday Finds: Infinitea

Ho-hum. It's been a while since I've done one of these. Truthfully, this should have been posted a while back, but laziness, busy schedules and general lack of motivation were stumbling blocks in its progress. That aside, I feel rather down and under today, so I thought I'd skip my usual long reviews and go for a chill food post.

If I'm not mistaken, my last posts like this were on Crazy Katsu and Tea.ology, both of which are establishments easily accessible from my university. Along those lines, I found a pleasant surprise along the street of affordable cuisine, Maginhawa, Teachers' Village. When taking a trip to Katipunan for my favorite milk tea at Tea.ology, I usually settle for one at Moonleaf. 'Lo and behold, just a few buildings after their larger establishment, a new tea shop sprung out of the ground nearby. Seriously, the milk tea industry is overkill.

That being said, I was up for some adventure and said, 'why not?' and thus, I discovered Infinitea. *Cue endless puns with the word 'tea' in them*

Corny names aside, we managed to catch the Infinitea at its soft opening at Maginhawa as one of their first few customers. Needless to say, I'm a huge fan of tea shops that think a lot about their menu and interior and Infinitea does a good job of doing just that.

The counter is very open and bathed in the sunlight from the wide windows, making it a pretty refreshing place to sit around and do nothing - or work, whatever floats your boat.

The interior, while not as inspired and well-conceptualized as that of Tea.ology's still caters quite well to its audience with numerous seats, both indoors and outdoors (for those who still insist on smoking, despite how much it ruins the tea experience, ohwell). It was funny because the soft opening was fresh out of christmas and yet they still managed to sneak up a bit of Christmas spirit towards the dwindling of December (when this post was supposed to be up). That's the thing about the Philippines - we have the longest holiday season ever.

These drinks, for instance, are from what I know holiday specials, but I'm pretty sure you can still order them from their regular menu, which might I say is surprisingly extensive and inspired.

Click to enlarge for full menu

 There's definitely room for adventure at Infinitea with Milk Teas, Frappes, Iced Teas, Fruit Teas, Hot Drinks, Juices, Coolers and uniquely flavored Sodas to choose from. So really, the name of this place is quite appropriate - You have an infinite amount of choice (figuratively of course).

Despite that, I am a conservative tea-drinker at the most, and usually stick to what I know unless provoked. If you've read my last tea escapade post, you'll know how much I adore strawberry milk tea, especially from Tea.ology. I've tried other variants, such as that of Cha Dao's but I was surprised at how different it was, being more sour than sweet.

Infinitea reaches a compromise with such cases by offering both as choices (again, bravo). My order, Strawberry Milk Tea is basically, strawberry-flavored milk tea. Simple. But Infinitea also offers Strawberry Bliss Milk Tea, which is apparently Strawberry milk tea with fruit syrup, thus accounting for the sour, yogurt-y taste. They have this toss-up with a lot of their flavors, letting you pick what you want and how you want it.

My friend ordered a Blueberry Milk Tea, which felt more like a banana milk tea when the sweetness of the pearls dragged on your tongue haha.

Their tea isn't what I could call the best in the world, but it's definitely worth checking out if you're up for variety. The service is good and the kuya that served us was such a sweetheart for letting us take pictures.

If you have time, why not pay them a visit and like their page as well? A little change is welcome once in a while, and Infinitea is definitely one of those options.

Ada, signing out.

OOTD: Cozy Blue

Whoo~ I'm back with another outfit of the day. This was from quite a while back, mid-November when the weather was just starting to gain some semblance of coolness to it. And by coolness, I mean it's at most 24 degrees in the morning as opposed to the usual 30+. Thus I, being the eager beaver that I am, was excited to finally be able to wear this cute little blue knit sweater my aunt got me from XXI.

I know blue isn't the typical color for a sweater but it was just so eye-catchingly bright. I've always had a thing for brightly colored sweaters, I just never could get the chance to wear them with the weather here in the Philippines, but considering that the days are getting colder, plus the fact that almost all my classes are being held in frigidly air-conditioned rooms, I finally got to put this baby (and hopefully more of my warmer clothing) to use. Surprisingly, even when worn out in the sun, this sweater didn't feel too hot. Probably because of the aeration of the holes. But it did keep me quite cozy during class and in the cold mornings.

Sweaters are so incredibly easy to style with simple accessories. The necklace I have on is actually one I got free from a dress I got in Bangkok. The simple rustic feel does wonders with the brightly covered sweater. It also went pretty well with coral hair accessories and a belt contrasting the cool tones of the blue. Since I was so covered up on top, I decided to balance it out with some denim shorts, and my favorite boots. It makes for a pretty canvas of color, really :P

I've been doing my hair in braids quite often recently. I think I'm starting to get a hang of the technique. While it would usually take me thirty minutes to muster a decent looking french or dutch braid, I can actually do one in under 15 minutes now hahaha. It's far from the ideal, but hey, it's progress. Also, excuse the flatness of my bangs in these pictures. They sorta lost their volume throughout the day, plus I didn't actually do anything to them to make them look more bang-like lol.

Now that December's here, are there any fashion pieces you think are more appropriate this time of year? Feel free to share down in the comments. I love exchanging ideas with you guys haha.

BTW, just another reminder to go ahead and join Amanda's Giveaway! Check it out below by clicking on the pic below~!

Ada, signing out.

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.