Big Bang, thank you (and you)!

Twelve countries, fifteen cities, and millions and millions of screaming fans. This is the tale of the Big Bang Alive Galaxy Tour, and the story came to an end yesterday, with Day 3 of 'The Final in Seoul'. Thinking about it leaves a bittersweet feeling, which I'm sure most VIPs can empathize with.

Photo credit: Big Bang Official Facebook Page

And because I still have a hangover from the Manila leg some three months back, I'd like to share with you this interview of G-Dragon which appeared in his Star Column. He talks about his Dara noona so fondly (that's Dara of 2ne1 aka Sandara Park), which I find really endearing. Read on:

-------------------

The first thing that comes to my memory was hanging out with Dara-noona in the Philippines. 2NE1′s Dara-noona went to the Philippines by herself to watch the Philippine concert. ^^ (Noona~Thank you!!^^)

Dara in Manila!

Because noona was active in the Philippines in the past, we knew that she’d be the person to know the Philippines best, so the members and I all started to ask her, in an insistent and constant manner, to take us out to a nice place. Finally, Dara-noona said that she knows a great restaurant  and suggested that we go out to eat there. So for the first time in a foreign country, all 5 members decided to eat together! Out! So that’s what we did. Not just the members, but other members of the staff as well, managers and security!! As it was the first time for all of us to eat out in a foreign country, all of us were really excited as we all got ready, and finally left with Dara-noona. ^^

At first, we were talking each other and getting more and more excited, and at the same time, we were enjoying the scenery from our window, with the thought of having a picnic in mind. Dara-noona has said that the place we were going to was a bit far, quite outside of town, but still we wanted to go~ go~ go, and so we went.

Then people were starting to get tired and fall asleep, as the sun was setting and  it started to get dark. (I only knew of this later, but they said that at this time, Dara-noona was getting worried. I didn’t know because I was in a different car.. ㅠㅠ)

After two hours, we finally arrived at this great outdoor restaurant, it was a really cool restaurant because you can eat while having a terrific view, specially if you come in the afternoon and can enjoy the sunset. B.U.T. Since we left late, we arrived late in the evening when it was already dark… It became a situation when we had to eat in the dark. Pparabam~! (Dara-noona version ^^) However, it was still a famous restaurant, so we ate the food that Dara-noona had suggested, we had a meaningful time together as we all talked with each other. (This is where I took this photo ~ With this long beer bottle~ You know this, right??)

GD + SMB :)

One more fact that is absolutely shocking, which we found out almost while we were done eating! This same restaurant was, in fact, also found just 5 minutes away from the hotel where we were staying… Pparabam…..ㅋㅋ

But I didn’t regret anything; we all had a great time, eating delicious food and talking with great people.
If only… We could take out the part where we had to go through the entire 2-hour ride.. ^^

Dara-noona!! I’m very grateful for the good memories! Thank you~!!! ^^

-------------------

Ah, Jiyong! What I wouldn't give to see you and Seunghyun again. :)

Source: Naver
As seen on: DKPopNews

Remembering Big Bang’s epic win at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards.

Exactly a year ago today, Korean boy group Big Bang bagged the Best Worldwide Act at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards.

With 58 million votes to their name, Big Bang scored an upset and won the award over US pop star Britney Spears and European singer Lena. The awards night also saw the quintet’s reunion after Daesung and G-Dragon, who had been involved in separate scandals, went in hiatus and shied away from the public eye. 

Filipino VIPs are commemorating this momentous occasion via Twitter, with the #BIGBANGEMAnniversary hashtag.

Also posted on Korea.com.

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!

Spazz Saturday #1 | Jin Yi Han.

Logging into my Instagram this morning, the first thing that greeted me was Marge's (Kikay Trekkie) photo of Eli, Kevin, and Kiseop. She knows Kiseop is my UKiss bias, and her caption actually read: 

@rebelsweethrt 's kiseop has his usual perfect smile while my kids are they're usual goofballs :-P 

#eli #kevin #kiseop #ukiss

Take note of the possessive noun. Kiseop is mine, haha! She went on to post a few more photos - Eli (again!), then TOP, and finally Jaejoong.

Likewise, I was doing some fangirling of my own. My Big Bang Greatest Hits DVD was playing as I cleaned the house, and I was posting photos of TOP, Yoochun, and Jin YiHan in between chores.

Currently spazzing on Jin Yi Han!
I almost gave up watching #thisstupiddrama Time Slip Dr. Jin if not for him.
I'm now halfway through his 2012 drama 'Happiness in the Wind', which has 173 episodes.
I repeat, 173 episodes!!!

Inspiration struck me in the midst of this spazzing, hence, the birth of this new meme. I've been wanting to start a meme in this blog for the longest time, I just had no clue as to what the meme should be about. Thanks to Marge and these pretty Korean boys, I give you Spazz Saturday!

<center> <a href="http://www.therebelsweetheart.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g445/RebelSweetHrt/SpazzSaturdayBadge.jpg"/></a></center>
spazz - (1). A reaction to something crazy or weird. (2). Another word for "freak out".
(Source: Urban Dictionary)

What's making you spazz this week? Share your blog posts/photos in the linky below!

Just to make it clear, Spazz Saturday is not limited to Kpop/Kdrama/Korean actors. Your post could be about Hollywood actors, a British boyband, a movie, a restaurant, a pair of shoes... heck, it could even be about Chuck Norris! Whatever it is that's making you giggly and giddy right now, that's it!

Please don't forget to link back to my blog by grabbing the Spazz Saturday badge or linking to this post. And remember to leave me a comment, too! :)

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