Hello everyone! It's been a while (a really long while) since my last post, but I'm back with a short nail art set review!

Aside from it being a long time since I last did a review, it has also been ages since I last put on nail polish, let alone nail art. So when my older brother brought me this as pasalubong  from his trip to Malaysia, I got really excited and couldn't wait to try it out.


This is the Bling It On Neon Set from Nails Inc. London. I have honestly never heard of this brand before, so I have no expectations for it other than yes, sparkly. I like. 


The set comes with two bottles of glitter, a small bottle of base lacquer, a small bottle of top coat, a tray to catch glitter with, and a brush to sweep away excess glitter. I first attempted following the instructions on the back of the box, but it didn't really work out for me. The instructions said to pour an amount of glitter onto the tray, and then to press a nail with wet lacquer on it so that the glitter will adhere to the nail. I tried this method but I've found that the angle was simply too awkward and the method too tedious. The base lacquer was also disappointing. Application was terrible and streaky at best, and the glitter did not adhere to it at all! However, I was determined to use the glitters so I ended up using a different base and a different topcoat altogether.

Seche Vite Top Coat, OPI Teal the Cows Come Home, Nails Inc. Bling It On

For the base lacquer, I used Teal the Cows Come Home from OPI. The color is really close to the color of the glitter so it provides a more solid appearance to the glitter as compared to using a white base. I also chose to pour the glitter over the wet base and let the tray catch the excess– much more efficient. The tiny tray that came with the set was really useful though! It has a tiny notch on the side that made it easy to pour back the excess glitter into the bottle. The brush was also really handy for sweeping away excess glitter so that the nail art won't look too chunky.


No topcoat.

With a proper base coat, the glitter looks FANTASTIC. It really does live up to it's name as "bling"! It's bright, it's vibrant, and it's eye-catching. Without topcoat, it's already really sparkly and has a sandy texture to it, which I personally love. I had to sacrifice the texture though, and added two layers of top coat to make the nail art last longer. Without top coat, I doubt this nail art would last more than a day. 

With Seche Vite Top Coat


I've mentioned before that I really love sparkly, and brightly colored things, but I've usually opted out of using glitter lacquer as it takes forever to wait for each individual layer to dry properly. (I may or may not have patience issues.) However, with this nail set, it's just a matter of applying glitter on top of a wet base, and then pouring glitter on it separately. It may seem like it's more work, but it has a more solid finish from the get-go compared to glitter lacquer, which needs some building up before you get a solid, glitter, finish. 

Aside from the base lacquer (and the top coat that I didn't even bother opening), this is a pretty good nail art set. Simple, straight-forward, yet still so, so pretty! I'm looking forward to try the Bling It On Feathers I also got from my kuya!


Until next time!
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Happy New Year, everyone!

The last few weeks of 2014 have been crazy, and I couldn't help but get swept up in the excitement for the festivities. It's been quite a while since I spent Christmas in the Philippines, you see. Even more than that, I got too excited about going to Seoul once again!


Needless to say, a huge chunk of that excitement was because I really, really wanted to experience snow! The first few days in Seoul had me stopping at whatever soft enough pile of snow I could find– not minding the fact that I most probably looked like an overgrown child. On our fourth day, I woke up early enough to catch a snow flurry. It was surreal: seeing tiny bits of ice fall and gently blanketing everything in soft, fluffy, powdery snow. It felt like magic. Despite it being quite an ungodly hour (four in the morning!), I felt that enduring the biting, frigid weather was all worth it.





Of course, I didn't go to Seoul just to see snow (or did I?). It is a must, must, must to go sight-seeing! Seoul has many sights to offer and it really is impressive how much of their history and culture they managed to preserve. In fact, my favorite thing about Seoul is how in the midst of all the modern high-rise buildings, palaces, gardens, and shrines are nestled peacefully.


During our family vacation in Seoul last June, we visited a couple of palaces, but there was so much more that we haven't been to. This time, we managed to visit all five of the Grand Palaces but my favorite has to be the Changdeok Palace.



Despite the freezing, below zero weather we had to brave through during our visit, there was something truly magical about strolling through the courtyards and feeling the ice crunch underneath my shoes. That and the cool crisp air with the too-gentle winter sun made the visit relaxing, yet invigorating. Truly conducive for an artistic soul! I can only imagine what it would be like to spend a day there and just write, write, write.





Located East of the Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Changdeokgung Palace houses what many have dubbed as the "Secret Garden." Also known as the "Rear Garden", sits behind the main buildings of the Changdeokgung Palace and takes up two-thirds of the palace grounds! There's an extra fee to get in, but thanks to the voucher that came along with the Combo tickets we got for all the five palaces, we got in no problem! Everyone has to join a fixed tour, which I personally found enjoyable. The guides gave explanations as to what the smaller buildings inside the garden were for, and why the layout and architecture were the way the were.


There were five different "sites" within the garden itself, and getting from one site to another was a bit of a walk. There was plenty of going uphill and downhill because the garden itself was designed to be one with the natural configuration of the environment. They did give us time to just appreciate the surroundings and take photos.


And appreciate my surroundings I did. Even in the middle of winter when nearly all the trees have shed their leaves and plants are pretty much dead, the Secret Garden was nothing short of breath-taking. If I had the chance, I would like to go back during the spring just to see it with all its greenery!


We also went to visit N Tower. I'm quite happy that this time, we took the cable car up. It was a bit unnerving for me considering I have somewhat of a fear of heights but it was still way better than my last visit wherein my dad insisted that we take the stairs all the way up. 

Locks of love! To anyone who has watched a Korean Drama before, going to Namsan Tower and seeing all the locks of love is a non-negotiable part of the itinerary. I am no different. 


I left a lock of my own back in June, and I'm happy that I managed to find it again! (YOU SEE THAT, SEOUL? I TOLD YOU I'LL BE BACK!)  The lock itself has gotten a bit rusty, but it's still there, holding on. I can only hope that these won't collapse like the bridge in Paris.



I travelled with my younger cousins, so it's pretty much a no-brainer to go to Lotte World! That and the temperature was around -11 degrees centigrade. What better way to spend a freezing cold day than in an indoor amusement park? 


The indoor part of Lotte World would suit younger kids better, but it was still really enjoyable! All the rides, characters, colors, and energy really brings out the kid in me! It wasn't really as crowded as I thought it would be, but the lines were still pretty darn long. It's a good thing they had a Magic Pass system (similar to Tokyo DisneySea's Fast Pass) or else my younger brother and I wouldn't have been able to ride anything without queuing up for an hour. 


What would an amusement park be without the amusement park food? In Lotte World, I had my first ever funnel cake! Dios mio. Why have I never tried it before? It was really delicious, especially with the chocolate glaze. And it was really fun to watch it being made!


Shopping in Seoul in really fun, too! It's quite fun walking around and trying to pick out souvenirs and pasalubong. It's even more fun when shopkeepers give you discounts. :D 


We went to Namdaemun although I feel like I did more eating there than actual shopping. Street food is really hard to resist! Then again, what better way to immerse yourself in a culture than to partake in their food? Hotteok has to be my favorite Korean street food. It's like a pancake with a sweet, sticky filling. During winter, it's best to eat it when it's still hot off the griddle.


I did most (if not all) of my pasalubong shopping in Insadong. Though the weather was really chilly, there was still quite a number of people and tourists milling about! There were so many shops and stalls that it's hard to keep your head from turning! Though some of the stores had similar wares, it was still worth it to try and go into each and every one of them for the best bargain! We also went back to Insadong on our last day in Seoul for some last-minute shopping because it was a walking distance from the hostel we stayed at! So convenient!


It was really fun to end 2014 and begin 2015 in Seoul. My only regret is that I didn't get to try that famous Honey Butter Chips thing because it was always sold out. Then again, it does give me a reason to go back to Seoul!

Looking forward to 2015! Happy New Year, everyone!


Wednesday, January 07, 2015

Here is another review for another one of the items I picked up in my Taipei haul: Dolly 3-Step Eyes by Etude House. I walked into Etude House that day planning to buy eyeliner and lip tint, but when I saw this palette, I knew I wouldn't be able to leave the store without it.


Most of my eyeshadows are of nude shades, and I've been wanting to bring more variety into my collection. When I saw this palette, I knew it would be perfect. I personally love bright and bold colors, so it's no wonder that this managed to catch my eye! From L-R: a subtle peach shadow with a satin finish, a shimmery hot pink, and a deep burgundy with a matte finish.


The color-payout is amazing! How you see it in the palette is how it shows up on your skin! I've had my fair share of eyeshadows that look pretty in the palette but does not look good when applied. I was pretty skeptic about the pink shade, at first. I honestly didn't think it would even show properly once applied but whoa. Was I proven wrong. Even without a base shadow or primer, the pigmentation is still solid. Unlike with most other coloured eyeshadows I've tried, there wasn't much need to build it up.

 That being said, the fallout is pretty bad, especially from the middle shadow. I've taken to applying eyeshadow before I apply my base whenever I use this particular palette. Still, the shadow is pretty resilient and when paired with primer, lasts through the day with minimal fading! 

I am very happy with this palette and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to try something bright and bold for a change!





Saturday, December 20, 2014
The first time I heard of Taiyou no Tomato was during my time as an exchange student in Tokyo. One of my professors recommended the place as it was near the university, and that it was the one place to try Tomato Cheese Ramen. I was pretty skeptical at first, because psh, Tomato Cheese Ramen? The tomato part, I can still comprehend, but the cheese? Not so much. Still, I ended up trying it out and when I did, I knew it was going to be one of those things I would surely miss once I left Tokyo.



As luck would have it, a branch recently opened in Taipei, right beside Taipei Main Station. I was ecstatic when I came across the place and dragged my dad along with me. There are quite a lot of other choices in the menu, but of course we ended up getting the signature Tomato Cheese Ramen. Though it may seem like buying an extremely soupy bowl of spaghetti, all it takes is one sip of the broth to find that it is anything but. The broth is rich, hearty, and wonderfully flavored. The savory, yet slightly tart flavor of tomatoes is brought out to its best, and complemented well by the generous helping of cheese. The grilled chicken also works really well with the broth, and I thought, made a much better choice than if they added pork.


They don't skimp on the servings too, and I rarely ever manage to finish one entire bowl by myself. In fact, whenever I know that I'm going to end up eating at Taiyou no Tomato, I make sure to work up an appetite. But on the off-chance I end up finishing all the noodles and am still a bit hungry, I order a bowl of risotto to which I add the leftover broth.  Trust me, you wouldn't want to let a single drop of that soup go to waste.


There are some side dishes available, but I often end up opting for the chicken karaage and the kimchi. Karaage for the simple reason that it is just impossible to pass up the chance to have really good fried chicken. The Karaage from Taiyou no Tomato is always perfectly seasoned and cooked. Nice and juicy – none of that overcooked, dry chicken. And Kimchi because ever since I've acquired the taste for it, it seems to round out a meal well.


More than just an amazing foodie experience, trying this out again brought a hint of nostalgia and fond memories from one of the best experiences in my life.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Hello everyone! I'm back with another make-up post! My Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream was running out, so I bought the UV White CC Essence by 1028 Visual therapy during my stay in Taipei. The Moisture Surge CC Cream was really pricey, so I thought to buy a cheaper alternative.


I ended up choosing the UV White CC Essence from 1028 Visual Therapy. Not only is it reasonably priced (usually at 420NTD), but it was on sale, too! Also, I own two other 1028 products: the Macaron Eyes Palette  and the Ultimate Oil Control Powder and neither have disappointed me so far. 


The CC Cream comes in only two shades: Light Beige and Natural Beige. I bought the Natural Beige one, though the difference in the shades aren't much. The Light Beige shade still matches my skin tone pretty well.


For a CC Cream, it certainly does its job. I've only used it twice so far, and though the coverage is light, it does well at concealing redness on the face– almost as good as my Clinique one. The consistency of the cream is pretty light, a tad bit more runny and smoother than my Clinique one. Which is probably the secret to my favorite thing about this CC Cream: I can't feel it. I usually opt out of using a base because I can literally feel it sitting on my face, no matter how light I apply it. However, after applying this CC Cream, it doesn't feel like anything at all. Even when I touch my face, I can only feel my skin getting a bit more smoother. Just like how it feels when its freshly washed. The only downside to this is that because I feel like I've applied nothing to my face, I end up using more of the CC cream because I feel like I haven't put on enough. 

It is also important to say that though I am used to applying my base with a sponge or a brush for an even finish, I found that the 1028 Visual Therapy UV CC Essence applies flawlessly even with just my fingers! 

All in all, I am looking forward to incorporating this into my usual make-up routine. :)

Until next time! 

Monday, December 08, 2014

If there's one thing that I know the Taiwanese do right, it's the food. Taipei has been dubbed by CNN as the "Gluttony City" and it's no wonder why: everywhere you go, there is always something good to eat. From street food to high-end restaurants – Taipei is a foodie's heaven. One of the foods that I always end up looking for during my visits is the beef noodles.

Of course, no visit to Taipei will be complete without trying Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. Taiwan is well-known for beef noodles. In fact, there is even an annual Beef Noodle Festival held in Taipei. That being said, it isn't difficult at all to find a good noodle place in Taipei. After my favorite noodle house practically disappeared around two years ago, I think I've finally found a new favorite: Mazendo.




My dad and I tried out this restaurant at a whim, and both of us ordered their Red Roaster Beef Brisket Noodle Soup. I was intrigued by the chunks of tomato in the broth because it's not a usual ingredient in the beef noodle soup I've had before but a quick taste of the broth had me hooked. It's everything one would expect from Taiwanese beef noodle soup– savory, hearty. But this particular broth had an unexpectedly refreshing flavor to it, one I think I could attribute to the tomato. The noodles themselves were pretty standard– soft and not too chewy and the beef brisket was as tender and flavorful as one would expect from a good beef noodle soup!


We also had side-dishes, one of which was stir-friend cabbage. It was okay, a tad bit salty but at 70NTD it costs more than what it's worth. (That's only 20NTD less than my favorite biàndang!)


We also had an order of potstickers which I was really happy about! I'm not a big fan of potstickers because the texture doesn't really sit well with me, but this one was more than alright. Though the wrapper was a tad bit too thick for me, it had just the right chewiness. The filling was also delicious, juicy, tender, and not at all dry like most of the potstickers I've had before!

It's still a wonder why we ended up eating at this place– as it is located quite near my favorite American-style restaurant in Taipei, but it just goes to show that one should give new things a chance!

Until next time!
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
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