Fan-girling Episode 1: September

Hi. Probably not the best title I've whipped up, but nothing just came to mind. And this entry does feel like I'm having a "fan girl" episode. I just wanted to share with you guys the top TV series and songs for me for the month of September before I put up the entry of my hit-makers in beauty for the same month. =)

1. Best American Series of the Month:

 FRINGE
- I've never been a huge fan of series that are, how'd you say, about the great unknown. But, my sister is such a huge fan of X-Files, the 90s series with the famed tandem of agents Mulder and Scully who investigated a series of "out-there" and "hard-to-take-in" phenomena for 9 seasons running. When Fringe was said to be taking the steps behind X-Files, my sister jumped on it, enjoyed it, and took me in as well. Fringe is recently airing its fifth and last season, and with its hard-core characters and twisted plot, I think it deserves to be dubbed as one of the best sci-fi series. All hail, Olivia Dunham.

2. Best Korean Series of the Month

To the Beautiful You / For You in Full Blossom
-Carrying the "Hana Kimi fame" onto their shoulders, this drama was under such careful watch. I like it but when it airs locally (rumored to be shown in ABS-CBN), you'd probably think otherwise. But, with its humor and gender-bender plot, I was sold just with the first episode. For me, the series lacked the "pow" factor, the plot needed a few tweaks, and a few of the actors needed to be more believable in terms of their character portrayal. Nonetheless, with its light feel, great characters, and humor, I think it's one of the best Korean rom-com dramas I've watched.

September Playlist:
I'm a big music lover, and my playlist changes its contents very often. I'm a sad song lover (I don't know why), but my songs vary from pop, ballad, indie rock to rock-rock. =) Most of my songs are also from soundtracks. Here are some of the songs that made it to my September list.

1. Beautiful Disaster - Jon McLaughlin took my breath when he sang So Close in the Disney movie Enchanted (the part where they were dancing in the ball). This song is about a girl who've made some bad choices but is vulnerable and ready to change inside.
2. Because to Me, It's You - SISTAR's Hyorin has vocals that's definitely playlist worthy. This song is from the soundtrack of the series Glory Jane/Man of Honor. It's first line, which translates to "how much do I have to hurt for you to see my heart" gets me every time.
3. Key to My Heart - Jessica Jarell had me with her duet with Bieber's Overboard, but this I-love-you-so-can-I-tell-you? song made me love her even more.
4. A Sad Love Song - This song by the girl-duo Davichi is pretty much self-explanatory. Their vocals just make me extra emotional.
5. How to Love - Nope, not the Lil Wayne one. I like YouTube sensation Christina Grimmie and Tyler Ward's version better. Check out theirs here
6. Heaven - Ailee may be dubbed as the Korean Beyonce but she made her own mark with this Korean debut single
7. Cinderella - I've been listening to Steven Curtis Chapman since I was a kid and this song just makes me cry every time. It's about a dad who's realizing that his little girl (Cinderella) is growing up, soon to fall in love and get married. And this dad says that he'd dance with his Cinderella in every song because unlike the prince, he knows that soon enough, Cinderella would have to go.
8. In Your Eyes - This song showed just how good SHINee's Onew's vocals are. The unique sound of this song had me listening to it almost every day. This is from To the Beautiful You's OST.
9. When I Pretend - Jordan Pruitt will always be one of my favorite singers. This Disney alum may have been taking a different path by joining The Voice, but this song will always remind me that she was a Disney kid first.
10. I Can't - I can't...believe that this song only lasted for a couple of seconds in the drama, Oh! My Lady. This 4men song is so sad that I just cry whenever I listen to it. Just listen to it and try not to cry even with the line that translates to "I can't even bear dying because you might come back"

Wait for my Top Ten Beauty Hit List tomorrow! Happy weekend. Cheerio!

Etude House Shine Up Stick in Rose Pink

Hi guys. I have no work today. =) That means more sleep for me. =) Anyway, I bought this Etude House Shine Up Stick mostly because it was on sale. Some of the branches of Etude House is having a sale until October 31 I think. So, if you are up for some shopping, swing by your nearest Etude House branch.

At first, I though this was a lipstick or balm of some sort. But, my sister said she thinks it isn't and the SA said it was for the eyes. There were only two left and they were both quite dirty and of the same shade. It was an old product, I guess. Their new one is called the Bling Bling Eye Stick which looks like this:

FROM GOOLE IMAGES. THE SHADE IS IN PINK SUPERNOVA

The SA was kind enough to show me the color of what I was about to buy because the items on sale had no testers. The new one retails for 198 Php. I bought mine for 89 Php and the shade is in Rose Pink.

Pros:
1. Creamy enough that I can use it for my lower waterline to brighten up the eyes
2. The shimmer is not too overwhelming
3. Easy to blend
4. Can be used as eye shadow base
5. It's more of white than pink which I like

Cons:
1. The packaging was a bit of an issue for me because it was a bit dirty. The new packaging is better though. If you look at the pictures, it looks like the packaging is off white but it's actually just white
2. Lasting power is so-so. 

Most of the white eyeliners I've encountered are not creamy enough to be used as an eye widener and this color stick is a savior for me. Plus, getting it on sale is an added point.

My mom likes it (she borrows it occasionally) and I like it, but I'm still looking for THE white eyeliner.

Have a great week guys. Cheerio!

Nature Republic Stain Girl's Tint

Hi. One of my favorite "make-up item" to collect are lip and cheek tints or stains. They're multipurpose and I'm not used to lugging around to many items on my kit, so we get along. =) I have a couple of stains and tints in my collection, and I recently bought another one.

I was looking for a tint with a pink shade since most of what I own are peach-ish and red shades. I had my eyes set on this Nature Republic Stain Girl's Tint for quite a while and decided to go on with the purchase.

(The name is puzzling to me though)

Priced at 220 but if you have their card, 198

Available in 3 shades. Mine is #2 which is pink. #1 is red and #3 is red orange

Pros:
1. It's slightly more watery that the other tints I've tried. It's a pro because it gives me more time to actually blend it out before it dries.
2. Lasts long
3. Works well as cheek tint. Gives off a natural color
4. Didn't sting or anything
5. No funny taste

Cons:
1. I don't like the smell. It actually reminded my sister (whose lips are above) of a cherry flavored cough syrup which I hate.
2. Although the container looks very stylish, it feels a bit brittle and fragile that I'm scared to drop it.
3. Tends to stain your fingers more than your lips or cheeks
4. A bit pricey
5. If you have dry lips, it has the tendency to sit on the lines of your lips

Despite the cons, I like this tint, except for the smell. It gives the lips a natural pink shade and you can actually build up the color if you want more of an intense pink color.

Any fave tints? Lemme know! Happy weekend. Cheerio!

Certified Movie Buff: Sydney White aka Sydney White and the Seven Dorks

Hi. I think I've told you how much I'm a sucker for "spin-off" movies of Disney fairy tales. Sydney White is also one of my favorite fairy tale-ish movies.

It's a 2007 film starring Nickelodeon alumnus Amanda Bynes.

FROM GOOGLE IMAGES

Amanda plays the dorky-ish tomboy-ish Sydney White, a college freshman, who in the midst of taking in college on a scholarship program, finds herself being good friends with the seven "outcasts or dorks" of Vortex, after being kicked out of her mother's college "house."

Not only is she determined to save Vortex from becoming non-existent, but she is also driven to put the entire Greek system into its proper place.

It's an interesting play on the typical Snow White story, with an amazing cast to boot. Sarah Paxton is the very teeth-gritting character Rachel Witchburn and Matt Long plays the "charming" Tyler Prince.

I think there really isn't a lot of modern movies that are made in such a way that they're not too patterned after the fairy tales. Cinderella, being the most common, mostly have spin-off movies that have become entirely predictable. I haven't seen a lot of Snow White inspired modern chick flicks, and I think Sydney White is a good version. Sydney isn't too feminine (being raised by mostly men), which made her such an interesting Snow White. The humor of the film sufficed for Sydney's lack of damsel-in-distress scenes, which is actually really good.

This is a must-watch for those who love chick flicks. I catch in on HBO sometimes, or you could always just rent it out. =)

Cheerio!

Just Sampling: Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint in Pink

Hi guys. Lately, I haven't been sampling a lot of products. I've been put into a couple of weeks of a bit of a skin therapy by my mom (so no much makeup) because I've developed some rashes from who-knows-where. So, Cetaphil is my best friend nowadays.

My sister gave me this to sample instead. She bought this from online seller Cheeky Posh who sells a lot of Korean cosmetic samples for those who, you know, just wanna try out some products first before buying the full size. I have this in peach (reviewed here).

This has actually two pieces for (my sister's not sure) 20 or 25 pesos. The other one was red, which was very red. A pack is bound to last for about 5 days.

 The Verdict:
It's not so different from my peach one. The milky consistency is the same. It's long lasting and easy to apply. You wouldn't have a hard time making sure it's evenly distributed because  it doesn't stick on your lips fast.

It gives off a light pink color when you put on a little but it can also give you a gorgeous deep rose shade if you put on about two layers. It can last the whole day, and that's against chips and drinks too.

The only thing I don't like about it is that it stings a little the first time you apply it. I still don't know why. And, I got to try the red sample and decided to transfer it on a container. It still had one good use which went to waste because it dried up. I don't know what happened but if you will buy this in sample packets, might as well keep it in the packet.

I love my peach one a lot but I'm willing to give this one in full size a whirl.

Happy weekend guys. Cheerio!

All Dolled Up: Look #1 Red

Hi guys. I know I've never posted "look of the day" entries. One because I don't and can't take pictures of myself. I think I'm incapable of doing selcas. Another reason is my makeup rarely screams picture-worthy.

Anyways, I finally got permission from my sister to "borrow" her picture. I put makeup on her when she asks me to, and that's usually when she decides to flood her Instagram account or resuscitate her blog, and a few events here and there.

MEET MY KOREAN SISTER. NAH. =) KOREAN AT HEART

I mentioned on my previous entry here that she was the first one who got to really use my new palette. When she requested for red lips and winged liner to go with her floral-dress-denim-jacket-my-rubber-shoes combo, I was like "Ei?" I was scared she'd end up looking too made up. But, I remembered the look we did for the "Like A Virgin" girls for our Glee Musical in college. Same concept, but I toned it down a bit more. Here's a list of items I used on my sister. =)

For the Face:

1. Lovely ME:EX BB Cream (reviewed here)

2. 4u2 dreamGirl Lovelight BB Powder (reviewed here)

3. Careline Concealer in Oriental (my sister's)

For the Eyes and Brows:

1. For the brows, I used the dark brown color from my Wet N' Wild Belgian Chocolates Trio (reviewed here)

2. The eye makeup are all from my ADS palette (reviewed here)

* Cream color all over the lids

* Light taupe color for the crease

* White for the inner corners of the eyes and brow bone

* Black for the "soft-winged liner" and lower lashline

3. E.L.F Eyelid Primer (reviewed here)

4. Careline Color Pencil in Black for tight lining (reviewed here)

For the Cheeks:

1. My sister already has very prominent? cheek bones but I still did a little contouring with my Wet N' Wild Bronzer (reviewed here). No cheek color. =)

For the Lips:

1. For her Taylor Swift-red lips, I mixed my Maybelline Summer Sunset Lipstick (reviewed here), which has a deep ruby red color, with my sister's Avon Simply Pretty Lipstick in Celebrity Red, which is a more vibrant crimson red color.

2. I then asked her to put her Fashion 21 Grapes Clear Lip gloss only on the center of her lips. =)

Should I do more of this or nah? Lemme know! Cheerio!

Versatile Blogger Award

Hi guys. A few weeks ago (or about a month), Mimikon of Under the Same Blue Sky informed me that she nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award. =) It was a little after Nicole of Axons and Dendrites tagged me on the I Got Bitten by the Blog Bug Award. (Thanks guys!)

It took me a while to do the post because I had a hard time picking out my fifteen nominees. =)

So, here are the rules:

Nominate 15 fellow bloggers who are relatively new to blogging.

Let the nominated know that they have been nominated for this award.

Share 7 random facts about yourself.

Thank the blogger who has nominated you.

Add the Versatile Blogger Award to your post

The Seven Random Facts:

1. I'm a big Potter fan and Hallyu Fan 
2.  I fall over when wearing heels, so I only have a pair. No, make that two.
3. I have a very cute beagle. (I'll share his picture soon)
4. I have a thing against pink (but in make-up, I'm totally fine with it)
5. My hair has undergone several colors (red, blond-ish, green, blue, light brown, and now dark brown)
6. I've been trying to complete my Sabrina the Teenage Witch book collection since I was in 5th grade
7. I can't eat raw, under-cooked, runny, almost-done egg

My nominees: (I don't know know how "relatively new" works so I chose the bloggers who have been blogging for about a year or less) =)

1. ValleyFASH
2. Dana Kimberly
3. Shebby-Chic
4. Chriissydollxo
5. Zai Fashion and Beauty Blog
6. aliceorionaaxelle
7. Living the Glamorous Life
8. Petit Poppy
9. Precious Pearl Makeup
10. Axons and Dendrites
11.We Love Swatches
12. White Choco
13. Not Your Ordinary Beauty Queen
14. Via's Blog
15. Live Your Dreams

Cheerio!