Spotlight | Etude House x Angry Birds Tint My Brows Gel.

Halfway through my 29 days in Seoul, I made an accidental discovery while passing by the Etude House store at COEX Mall. Well, it was actually my son who discovered it by chance; he saw Angry Birds posters plastered on the store windows and he practically dragged me inside the store, thinking that they had Angry Birds toys for sale.

The poster that piqued my little man's curiosity.

There were no toys (of course), much to my son's chagrin. I, on the other hand, found an eyebrow product that may very well be the ultimate solution to my sparse eyebrows. I'm not considering eyebrow embroidery as an option (at least for now) because it's a tad expensive, and I don't want to deal with the pain that comes with the procedure.

Etude House x Angry Birds Tint My Brows Gel.

For now, this Tint My Brows Gel from Etude House is my best bet. Its packaging is designed after Red (as in the red bird), and the box bears the signature Angry Birds logo. This makeup collaboration between Etude House and Angry Birds was released mid-May, about the same time the Angry Birds Movie hit the cinemas in Korea.

Product description and directions for use on the side panel.

The Tint My Brows Gel functions like an eyebrow tattoo, sans the pain and perpetuity.
Here's how to use it:
1. After trimming the eyebrows without applying skincare product or makeup, apply a liberal amount according to the desired shape of the eyebrow. (The thicker you apply, the easier it would be to peel off the product afterwards.)
2. Dry for at least 2 hours. For stronger coloration, apply before going to bed at night and remove the next morning. (Believe me, the results are much better when you let the gel sit on your brows overnight.)

The other side contains the same, only in Hangul.

3. After drying completely, peel it off slowly starting from the tail of the eyebrow. (Do not tug at the dried tint forcibly since it may pull out the eyebrow, or what little strands that's left of it.)
4. Do not use a cleansing product (product with detergency) or apply force on the eyebrow area within 24 hours of using the product.

The tube.

The tint is housed in a 5-gram tube that comes with a brush applicator. Nothing special about the applicator. I found it quite tricky to use at first, since the brush isn't exactly angled or tapered.

Wand applicator, up close.

The tint has a relatively thick, gooey consistency and has a very faint chemical scent. Nothing to worry about as the scent fades away as soon as the tint comes in contact with your skin.

Swatches: Right-most, one coating; middle, two coatings; left-most, three coatings.

The Tint my Brows Gel comes in three different colors. Mine is 01 Brown, while the other shades are 02 Light Brown and 03 Gray Brown. Here's a photo to give you an idea how the other two shades look like.

Color reference, Etude House x Angry Birds Tint My Brows Gel.

Now let me show you how this product works.
As you can see, my eyebrows are extremely sparse - which is why I am always on the look-out for good eyebrow products. All the more if they're easy to use and can reduce my usual morning prep time (as in the time I spend 'drawing' my brows) by half.

Almost non-existent brows, lol!

Enter the Etude House x Angry Birds Tint My Brows Gel. which I applied about two or three hours before I hit the sack. Although it dries in as little as two hours (which I have proven from the first time I used this product), I want the color to be a bit stronger so that it would also last longer - and you can only achieve this if you wear the product overnight.

It looks like this when applied.

You sort of end up looking like an Angry Bird with the gel tint on.
Great marketing strategy, Etude House. Haha! :)

Yes, you can sleep with these funny-looking brows on. No need to worry about getting stains on your pillowcase. They won't rub off as you sleep.

I literally woke up like this.

The gel tint dries into a rubbery texture, which allows for easy removal. You peel it off gently, starting from the outer corner/tail of your eyebrows. No eyebrow hair was harmed during the peel-off process. Haha!

And you peel it off like this.

This is how my brows looked like right after 'peeling'. It looks crazy pigmented, but the color softens and looks more natural after I have washed my face.

Look, I've got eyebrows!!!

As per instructions, you should not apply force on the eyebrow area within 24 hours of using the product. Hence, I cleanse, tone, and moisturize my face with extreme care, careful not to come in contact with my precious eyebrows.

Tinted eyebrows, Day 2.

The sales attendant told me that the color will stay on for a few days. In my case, the color lightens a bit by the second day and starts to fade on the third day. By the fourth day, my eyebrows will look like its usual, non-existent state - but with a hint of brown to it.

Tinted Eyebrows, Day 4.

I may have mentioned before that I hardly leave the house without makeup on - or more specifically, without drawing my brows. Now I can dare go outside bare-faced, provided that my brows have been tinted the night before. I actually went Pokemon hunting with my siblings last weekend with no makeup on! Just my tinted brows, and the Alice in Glow Oil Tint on my lips!

Tinted eyebrows, outlined with my favorite Shiseido eyebrow pencil.

Weekdays, of course, are a totally different story. Wearing makeup is imperative, but at least I spend less time working on my brows. I simply outline the arch and edges, brush the color a bit, and I'm done! Back then, it would take me about ten minutes or so to get my eyebrows on fleek since I'm practically starting with a blank canvas. Haha!

Limited edition sets of Angry Birds makeup.

Some of you may find the two-hour drying period a bit taxing, especially for those who are always on the go and don't have much time to do their makeup. But for some of us who can spare a bit more time for their eyebrows' sake, this product is worth the investment.

Angry brows? :)

And it's not even costly, as I spent only 7500 won (around Php 320 or US$8) for this.  No regrets buying this product on a whim. :)

Isdaan Floating Resto & Fun Park.

After my sister got married last December, the odds that my siblings and I dine together went from seldom to rare. You see, the three of us have separate houses, have jobs (me being the work-at-home kind), have weekend schedules that don't jive with each other... well, you know the drill.

But now that Mum's at home, we see to it that we dine together more often. Everyday, during dinner, if possible. Last week, Mum scheduled a Sunday lunch for the entire family. But instead of the usual home-cooked meal or fastfood delivery, we hied off to Calauan (not Bay, Laguna as most people think) for a late lunch at Isdaan.

Big fish. Isdaan! :)

The moment you set foot on Isdaan, you will be greeted by a wide parking space, a pond teeming with crocodiles, and the sight of sumptuous lechon de leche.

Man-made lake, where you can go boating. 

Don't worry, they're fake.

These ones are real. Really good. :)

Oh, and there are chickens hanging out at the entrance, too.

Once inside, you wouldn't fail to notice these life-size wax figures scattered all over the place.

Former Pres. Joseph Estrada, more popularly known to Pinoys as 'Erap'.

This Erap wax-figure sits comfortably at the lounge of the souvenir shop / pasalubong area located right beside the resto's entrance.

My Mum is pretty, isn't she? She's only 49 years old, btw. :)

There's an array of goodies you can buy, including these bags of yema bites.

Yema bites, Php 100/bag.

To get to the dining area, you have to cross this hanging bridge. They're safe to tread on, and pretty sturdy so no need to worry.

The statues add the 'zen' feel to the place.

This is how the dining area looks like. Ours is actually a cottage, spacious enough to fit a family of ten.

The cottage where we were seated.

Singing cooks and waiters, to my grandmother's delight.

Hammin' it up for the camera.

They have a pretty vast menu comprised mostly of Filipino dishes. The menu is pretty much complete, too, as they have everything from soups, appetizers, meat, fish, and vegetable entrees, rice, and desserts.

Kids get complementary balloons and lootbags filled with candies.

And because it'll take about an eternity for the food to be served, the little man and I killed time by taking photos at the play area.

When we came back to our cottage, the food still wasn't there. My grandmother was already complaining of famine, haha. So yeah, more photos while waiting.

A good thirty minutes later, the soup came.

Crab & Corn Soup, Php 297 for one huge bowl.

Followed by the little man's 'kiddie meal'.

1-piece Crispy Chicken Fry + Spaghetti, Php 224.

Then the rice came, served in small pots like this.

Sinaing na Kanin, Php 99.

Afterwards, the entrees arrived one after another.

Kalderetang Baka, Php 342.

Kare-kareng Baka, Php 342.

Calamares, Php 180/half kilo.

Crispy Pata, Php 396/half kilo.

For sides, we had this platter of green mangoes, onions, tomatoes, and bagoong.

Tinadtad na mangga, Php 76.

We had buko juice and iced tea as refreshments, but I managed to take a photo of the latter only. The buko juice was at the far end of the table, and the elders were already busy eating.

Iced tea, Php 120/pitcher.

We didn't order desserts as our tummies were filled to the point of bulging. There was no longer room for sweets, haha!

The food at Isdaan was good, but the taste isn't as mind-blowing as I had expected it to be. I still say that Mum does a better job when it comes to kare-kare. The place itself is gorgeous, and the kids will find the play area and magic/puppet show enjoyable, but they really need to improve on the cleanliness. Hello, oily placemats! Hello, black ants marching on our table!

Also, if they could expedite the serving time, that would be great. We all know people could get pretty grumpy when they're waiting - especially when you make them wait for too long. Thankfully, my grandmother was entertained by the Singing Cooks and Waiters. I wouldn't know what could happen otherwise, haha!

Oh, and make sure you have cash ready. They don't accept credit cards.

Isdaan Floating Resto & Fun Park
National Highway, Calauan, Laguna