Today's Look | Smokey Eyes ala T.O.P!

It's been awhile since my last 'face-of-the-day' post, so today I'll be sharing the look that I wore to the Big Bang concert. I originally thought of recreating G-Dragon's look from the 'Monster' MV, but I realized his eye makeup is a tad too bold for my taste.

So just to play safe, I went back to good ol' TOP's smoking hot look in the 'Fantastic Baby' MV. This time, instead of using the Smoke and Mirrors palette for the eyes, I made use of my Urban Decay Ammo Eyeshadow Palette.

On my eyes: Smog, Last Call, and Grifter.

I've become so attached to this palette - I love the transition of colors, and the versatility of the shades in general. You'll surely be able to create and recreate looks for different occasions as the pigments vary from light to dark, bold to nude.

Ammo is amazing! :)

It's actually the palette that made me forget my lust for Naked 2. Haha!

Keep calm and Boom shakalaka :)

Products used:

The Face Shop Velvet Skin Primer
Benefit Erase Paste in Medium
Missha Signature Wrinkle Filler BB Cream #21
Urban Decay Ammo Eyeshadow Palette
 Avon Ultra Luxury Brow Liner in Dark Brown
elf Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Missha Viewer 270 HD Curl Mascara in Black
Sleek Makeup Pomegranate Blush
Avon Ultra Luxury Liner in Baby Pink
Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Lipstick in Barely There

Where to shop for makeup?
Stuff in Style | Sleek MakeUp PH | Hip Style | elf Cosmetics

PS... I want pink and blue hair like G-Dragon's!

Spazz Saturday #9 | Big Bang Alive Galaxy Tour Manila!

More than a week has passed since this year's ultimate Kpop event took place, but the sound of Taeyang's "Manila, Baby! Manila, Baaaa-by!" still resonates in my ears. This my friends, is what we call the Beautiful Hangover. I'm pretty sure majority, if not all of those present during the Alive Galaxy Tour Manila, feel the same way as I do.

Samsung Galaxy Booth.

My girls and I arrived at the MOA Arena around 5:30 pm. It had been announced via Facebook and Twitter that gates will open at 6pm, and by the time we got there, a huge crowd was already piled up at ONE side of the MOA Arena. We were expecting a smaller crowd and shorter queue by the time we've finished dinner and done taking photos at the Samsung and Jeju Air booths (that was a little before 7pm), but NOOOOO - the crowd became even more ginormous and rambunctious because the gates didn't open as scheduled.

More photos after the jump!

#BBAliveTourPH | Wow, Fantastic Baby!

Have you been following me on Twitter? If yes, then chances are, you've seen the #BBAliveTourPH hashtag in most of my recent tweets.

That hashtag, my friends, actually stands for this.

The Big Bang Alive Tour 2012!
We're lucky that Big Bang included Manila in their world tour, even if it's for one day only.

After being heartbroken with Super Show 4 and the fact that there was no Manila leg of Super Junior's world tour, I made a promise to myself that if ever Big Bang will come to the Philippines for a concert, I must see them live. The gods of Joseon must have been listening when I said this, and here we have it - the Big Bang Alive Tour!

The concert isn't until October, but I'm preparing for the event this early. Seats will go on sale on the 22nd, and my friends and I are already mapping out our plan of action for Sunday. Tickets will be selling like hotcakes for sure, and they could be sold-out on the first day for all I know! You can never be too sure when it comes to Kpop fans. We're a crazy, uber-supportive bunch, especially when it comes to our biases.

In the meantime, I'm listening to Big Bang's Still Alive album, which actually arrived at my doorstep some three weeks ago.

Inside the box is the CD itself, and a whole lot more. Plus a poster, too.

The Hyundai x Big Bang Star Card, which might come in handy on concert day.

I'll be bringing all of these to the concert, just in case. 

And for sure I'll be bopping and dancing and going crazy over Fantastic Baby - which happens to be my son's most favorite Big Bang song to date.

I'll be ogling over TOP, too. Along with more or less 40,000 Filipino fans, lol.

Are you going to the #BBAliveTourPH? Lemme know where you're gonna be seated! See you on October 24! And don't forget to bring your lightstick!

Wow, Fantastic Baby! :)

Shared with Wednesday Whites, PhotoStory Friday, This or That Thursday.

Today's Look + Avon Smoke and Mirrors Limited Edition Collection.

I fell in love with Smoke and Mirrors the moment I saw it on the pages of Avon's 'Hello Tomorrow' March 1-15 issue. For those who are wondering, 'Hello Tomorrow' is a supplemental magazine to every Avon campaign. And like the regular brochure, it is also published bi-monthly.

Every issue of this magazine is filled with ideas, tips, and offers exclusive to Avon representatives. As you may know, I'm not just an Avon costumer, I'm an 'Avon lady' as well. Being one has its perks, with the Advanced Try Me Offer as my most favorite Avon lady privilege. This is the opportunity to purchase and try the newest items before they are made available to the public. Of course, when we're talking about new makeup releases, expect me to seize each and every opportunity I can get.

Smoke & Mirrors Limited Edition Collection.

And because Smoke & Mirrors (1) has a pretty purple packaging, (2) is intended for the smoky eye look, and (3) sounds very Neil Gaiman, I knew I had to get that eyeshadow palette. Plus the lipsticks and eyeliners that are also part of the Smoke & Mirrors collection.

As I've promised earlier, here are the swatches from the entire collection. First up, the eyeshadow which I got for Php 309.

Clockwise from top left: Island Breeze, Gray Illusion, Perplexed Purple, Nude and Infused.

The greens and the purples in this palette compliment each other beautifully. The autumn-toned colors are warm, rich, and very sophisticated. Highly-pigmented and guaranteed long-lasting, these shades can be worn  day or night, or even from day until night! For instance, you can create a subtle, office-appropriate, daytime look which you can tweak and retouch later on for that smouldering, nighttime, smoky eye look.

From L-R: Island Breeze, Gray Illusion, Nude and Infused, Perplexed Purple

And you know how much of a fan sucker I am when it comes to smoky eyes. Especially when there's purple / a touch of purple going on with the look.

Now these gel eyeliners (Php 189 each) are something new to me, as I am more familiar with the conventional eyeliner pencil and liquid eyeliner.

Golden Fawn.

Blackberry.

Blackberry (left), Golden Fawn (right).

These are actually my first gel eyeliners ever, and I'm amazed at how easy it was to work with this product. Unlike liquid eyeliners (which actually took me a long time to get the hang of it), the gel eyeliners glide smoothly and for someone with wobbly hands, these babies are quite easy to control. They don't smudge or flake, and are pretty long-lasting, too. 

Golden Fawn (left), Blackberry (right).

But it's the unique and intense colors of these Avon gel eyeliners that I love the most. Golden Fawn is a metallic pewter shade with gold undertones, while Blackberry has a brownish-slash-blackish plum vibe to it. The former is great for making your eyes appear brighter, while the latter is a gorgeous alternative to the usual black waterlines.

The lipsticks (also priced at Php 189 each) are just as stunning.

Apricot Mystery.

Apricot Mystery.

Apricot Mystery has a coral shade with orange undertones. It may look dark and intense from this point of view, but when worn it's actually light, creamy, and almost sheer.

Purple Hazed.

Purple Hazed.

Purple Hazed, as the name implies, is a purple lipstick with light pink undertones. It may look too pale or too frosted, but in actual, this product has a creamy yet glossy finish - characteristic of most Avon lipsticks from the Ultra Moisture Rich line.

Apricot Mystery (left), Purple Hazed (right).

I love it because it's purple, and its sheerness is just to my liking. It's the kind of icy plum shade that works best when you're sporting those dark, smoky eyes.

And speaking of which, here's the look I've created using the Smoke and Mirrors collection.

Gray Illusion on the lids, Nude and Infused on the creases.
Perplexed Purple on the outer V, Island Breeze on the brow bone / highlight. 

I love my cheekbones, lol. Pardon the narcissism. :)

I've been obsessing over Big Bang's Fantastic Baby these days, and I'm totally digging TOP's smoky eyes in the music video.

Fantastic Baby! :)

So yeah, this look was inspired by the best Korean rapper with the sexiest smoky eyes ever. (Sorry, Jun Ki! You come in second, though!) And yes, I was listening to Alive the entire time I was doing my makeup.

Smoke and Mirrors, success! :)

Capping off this post, here are the products I used for this look.

L'Oreal Base Magique Primer
Avon Healthy Makeup BB Cream in Light
Avon Ideal Luminous Dual Powder Foundation in Shell
Avon Ideal Luminous Concealer Stick in Almond
Fanny Serrano Eyebrow Liner in Dark Brown
Avon Smoke and Mirrors Eyeshadow Quad
Avon Gel Eyeliner in Blackberry
Avon Super Curlacious Waterproof Mascara in Black
Human Nature Love Minerals Blush in Pink Quartz
Jordana Lip Liner in Rose
Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Lipstick in Purple Hazed

The Smoke and Mirrors collection will be available to the public starting March 16, 2012. Better pre-order from your Avon reps now, as these goods will be out for a limited time only.

And now I'm off to remove all this gunk from my face and get me some sleep! :)

Sharing the purples with Color, Click, Capture and Artistic Tuesday.


A great euphonious in every box

Hallyu's Hottest | Lee Jun Ki, Choi Siwon, Big Bang!

If the sweltering heat of the summer isn't hot enough, then perhaps these flower boys would be more than sufficient to raise the temperature to a fever-pitch.

First off, the my quintessential kkonminam goes inside the studio to record his upcoming single album, 'Deucer'.

Photo credit: @JGshock

The album will be released first in Japan this month, while the Korean release is scheduled for April. Oh, and yes, I've already pre-ordered my copy. :)

Meanwhile, the bad boys are fizzling hot in their latest MV. Released yesterday (March 7), Fantastic Baby has caused a frenzy all over the worldwide web with its head-bopping beat and catchy lyrics (boomshakalaka is catchy enough, right?).

Photo credit: Korea.com

Big Bang's quirky and eclectic style doesn't go unnoticed in this video, either. I, for one, am totally drawn to TOP's smoky eyes and blue hair. They're totally, Fantastic Baby!

Finally, some homegrown news. And why homegrown?
Because these two are now endorsers of a Philippine-made, world-renowned brand!

It's official! Choi Siwon and Lee Donghae are the latest addition to the Bench family! And it won't be long 'til we see jaw-dropping, traffic-stopping billboards of SiHae plastered all over EDSA. Better yet, there is a huge chance of the boys coming to the Philippines for promotional activities. Expect ELFs all over the country to go ballistic all over again! Me included! :)