Sunset Makeup

Getting a Tattoo!!

I've been planning on getting my first tattoo for a very very VERY long time, and I finally did so yesterday at a lovely place called River City Tattoo in Richmond, VA!

I did a walk-in, and I was basing my tattoo to be about 300-350. Robin (the tattoo artist) said it was 450. Guh. And I only had 420. But he heard me - and my lovely friend Krystle, who was accompanying me- came from about an hour and a half away, so he pitied me. And it was an Audrey Kawasaki tattoo - he said he's been wanting to do one since forever. I lucked out on that one, didn't I?

I was so freaking nervous! I thought it was gonna hurt like a b****, but Robin and Krystle calmed me down. Put the Hangover 2 on, and got started. Did you know your hands sweat when you get it done? I think it's adrenaline or something. A way to cope with the pain. But it's generally very tolerable. On the thigh, at least.

He was even so kind as to give me free color and ointment Q_Q And he didn't even want a tip. What the hell man. I'm going to send him a Christmas present, though. I've just got to figure out what!

By the way, Robin is a very very interesting person. He has a lot of stories to tell! Which I'm not going to disclose, because if you're in the area and planning to get a tattoo, I'd want you to go to him and hear them for yourself:)

Anyways. Since my tattoo is large, he said it has a different protocol than a regular one:

Take the bandage off after an hour

Soak for 15 minutes in the hottest water you can stand (I skipped that. Shh!!)

Wash with non-scented soap (I'm using Ivory) until the slimy feeling goes away 2-3 times a day, then put a VERY thin layer of Aquaphor right after each time. He said if I fuck it up and put too much, wash it and start all over again. It has to be perfectly thin. Just enough to do the trick.

For the first three nights, wrap it in saran wrap. Usually saran wrap is bad, but I think it protects the integrity of bigger pieces. I was oozing ink last night, even before I went to bed. Some of the saran wrap slipped off a corner, so now I have black ink on my bed *sigh*

Then it'll get dry and flaky and you need to stop using aquaphor and start using an unscented lotion

Yeah. I mean. I can't say much. It was an amazing experience. I had an amazing friend by my side and an amazing tattoo artist. And my tattoo is freaking amazing, too!

Pictures

After he did the outlining. He colored in the black leaves with an outlining needle.

Giving me purple and pink flowers <3 free! So I let him choose the purple.

Finished product! It's not healed yet. I took that this morning, so it's already scabby and blehh.

That's all for today! I'll edit this when it's healed!

Byeeee!

3 Sites You've Probably Never Heard About

So, I'm one of those snooty people obsessed with getting things that no one else has in my area. I am, I admit it. But I think that's a little unfair to the companies that I love so much. How can they make money if their customers try and keep them for themselves?! Well. I'm sure these companies actually have an ample-sized audience. But not where I live. So, let me gab a little for the girls out there that love cute things.

Mind you, I have money to blow. So if you're looking for something unique on a very tight budget, this may or may not be the type of post you're looking for.

First site, in order of when I found them, is Sweet&Co. I actually found them on Yesstyle.com, but they stopped selling their stuff and I try and be really careful with that site because there are some things that are ridiculously overpriced (like GOOGIMS sweaters - I want one so badly Q_Q). Anyways. I got the Sweet&Co ring from Yesstyle as a gift from my cousin (I would not stop nagging her about it). It was THIRTY FIVE DOLLARS on Yesstyle, and looking at the actual website, it's TWENTY FIVE. So yeah. I'm never going to tell her that (just make up for it with a really nice Christmas present this year). Shipping is free right now from the site, versus Yesstyle, where you have to spend $150 in order to get free shipping. I'm not downing Yesstyle (I shop from there all the time), but just make sure you check the real site, because Yesstyle can be shady as hell. Anyways. The ring was absolutely adorable (until I melted the roses off of it in the washing machine - be careful, folks), and it came in a little baby pink baggie and came accompanied with free post cards from the company. Very cute.

Second site that my eyes feasted upon was Jewels By Nature. I don't know what I typed in to find it, but I know it was when I wasn't doing my work in school, haha. I'm pretty sure it's an at-home business based in Wisconsin or some other state around there. Anyways, she (the artist) makes steampunk jewelry that I happen to adore. I bought the sparrow locket for myself and the Hello Kitty necklace for my sister. Then I eventually ended up taking the Hello Kitty one back because my sister moved out and forgot it. Forget her. I paid a pretty penny for that thing. Hmph. The price is kind of expensive, ranging from $20-80, I think. But the great thing about the artist is that she is very time-efficient. She'll make your request very quickly. I think I waited maybe a week or two for my sister's necklace? Right before Christmas. She puts the jewelry in a box with tissue paper and writes you a note. Just be careful, though. The jewelry is stinky for awhile! I can't tell if it's from all that burnt metal or what. Mine don't smell bad anymore, though. So it's not permanent! Perfect for gifts, whether it be a gift for yourself or for others. I get compliments on mine all the time, by the way:) So I'm pretty sure it's not just me that finds them to be gorgeous.

HTRRAUDHAOHHAHAIHPGLP! I loveee my case, which I received custom made by Luxaddiction . It took them exactly two weeks (as promised for custom orders) for it to arrive in my mailbox. Not to ship it out, but to actually be IN the mailbox. Making requests are free, so it's at no cost to you. Hell. The cases are expensive enough as it is. What I had asked for was a place to be able to hook charms up with. They went above and beyond the call of duty and actually MADE my charm for me. It compliments my case perfectly and it's cute. They're handmade, so that means some poor woman (or man) sits at a desk all day and glues each little crystal to your case. One by one. I'm pretty sure they sped up the process by coating the outer case in glue, though. Anyways. I get compliments on it all the time. It makes your phone heavier, but it's an okay weight. And the design in the back actually makes the phone easier to hold. It's not just for iphones, by the way. They make cases for ALL smart phones. I haven't had the case for long, admittedly. But I'm going to be honest about it thus far. If you look and examine your case closely, aside from the various strings of glue that you'll be pulling out for a few days, there ARE mistakes. It's handmade, what can you do? Be careful as to where those mistakes are, though. Mine was conveniently blocking the bottom of my front camera, so I had to spend hours trying to rip off the two crystals and placing them farther down. That glue is strong. The crystals on the edges tend to fall off easily, so be careful with that. Even if they do fall off, though, they give you a baggie of replacement crystals for you to super glue on at your convenience. Unfortunately, they don't give you every size/color of Swarovski crystal that they used. I had to make due with a small white crystal and use it on my phone. I have no small white crystals on my phone. Shame. But I'm not really picky about it because it's hardly noticeable. AND if you run out of crystals, they do give you more. They told me themselves. I really am in love with my phone case, though. I'm not a stickler for perfection because I know by the end of the day, I wouldn't put that much time and effort into my case. I just wouldn't. The point is, it's pretty, it's sparkly, people get jealous, and it's great. Definitely my favorite site. But I'm pretty sure I got my absolute favorite case from them, first try. I might buy another case from them. Who knows. Oh! Also, they are very very polite. So, service is great:)

That's all:) I mentioned a surprise in the previous post, but the phone case was going to be it. I decided to sprinkle in a little more unknown treasures, though!

That's all for now. Byee!

Review: Geo Waffle Gray

Okay. I'm seriously getting lazy with these reviews hahaha. SO BORING. But I'm trying to be helpful. So let's get this over with!

Specs:

Diameter: 15mm

Water Content: 42%

Here's how they look in normal lighting:

Enlargement

I give it a 10/10. I've gotten numerous comments from people that think I'm twelve years old (turning back the clock, one lens at a time, haha). The size doesn't play into it as much as the design does, which I'll be getting into in the next section. In a lot of pictures I really do look twelve.

^Taken with my iphone. Sorry for the quality >_<

Design

I give it a 4/10. The color change is very subtle, almost unnoticeable. Even in natural lighting, my eyes look more glossed over than they do gray, which makes them look bigger. However, they DO show up in flash. I took pictures of it, but I looked like a crackhead, so I'll put some up later. You can't even see the brown on the lens unless you're staring at my eyes really closely, so it's pretty much a waste. But my eyes are a very dark brown, almost jet black. If you have light-colored eyes, you might have better luck.

Comfort

I give it a 7.5/10. They're pretty good, actually. But they're not nearly as comfortable as my Honoo Greens and they don't fold over or anything when I set them on my fingers. That disturbs me. And if you haven't read my previous posts (welcome!), I'm a Water Content Nazi. I was very very unsure of purchasing these in the first place because it was only 42%. Also, sometimes I can feel my lenses sliding down after I blink, because they get swept upwards by my eyelids. THAT IS DISTURBING. So yeah. It could use a little improvement. On top of that, when I first wore them, I could see the color in my peripheral vision. I don't really notice it now, though.

All in All, I give it a 9. Confusing, right? Despite the low marks for design and comfort, I do like how they make me look. You can easily solve the drying problem with eyedrops. Basically, I was hoping for a brighter gray, but I didn't get that. But I'm still pleased with the results even though it did not exceed my initial expectations. If you want a more noticeable gray, these aren't for you. Actually, if you wanted a soft black, I think these would be suitable (unless you're using flash in your photos). I guess you can say I'm not too picky with how they look, haha.

That's all I've got for now!! I do have a surprise for the future, though:) Stay tuned, my loves~

But by "stay tuned," I mean check in a month, haha. Please don't expect me to spend my whole life ranting and raving over things every week! I might post a few random things in between now and the unveiling of my "surprise," though. Bye bye for now!!

(mmm. Don't you love working? -_-)

Honoo Green Lens Review

Okay, I totally said I was going to put a review on this a few days ago, but I lied. Yay for procrastination!! These are my first green lenses, so overall quite a pleasant experience. Here are the specs:

Diameter: 15mm

Water content: 55%

The circle lenses have by far the best water content I have seen out of the rest of the lot, so that's why I decided to give these ones in particular a go. I'm definitely happy that I did :)

Here's what they look like on me:

I decided to skip the enlargement/what it looks like in the case, because I figured my eyes won't give an accurate showing of just how big they can make your eyes, plus, how they look in the case is irrelevant unless there's a design on them that disappears or something. I might just edit this post and put it in there at some point, just to be thorough. HOWEVER, I am lazy today.

Design

I give it an 8/10. It definitely shows up in all lighting (it's just shy of glowing in the dark - joke). The color is a hunter green. So it's deeeeeep, really pretty actually. No, it doesn't look natural, but it's still nice to wear. My boyfriend likes them (yay). They make your overall skin tone look lighter, too. At least it did with me. Maybe that happens with all lighter-colored lenses. Hmm. Anyways, I don't give it a perfect score because they look a tad bit unnatural. It might throw some people off. But it's opacity definitely makes it suitable for those with very dark eyes like mine.

Enlargement

7/10. It makes my eyes larger, yeah. But I think the stark contrast between the iris and the green actually makes them look a bit smaller than 15mm. They do the job, but they give me a more piercing look than a soft, mellowed-out doll. (I'll put up a comparison photo later. I'm lazy okay)

Comfort

10/10:) I can wear these all day without problems. I can't feel them at all, and my eyes don't get very irritated when I'm driving (which happens when I wear any kind of contacts). I can't see the color in the edge of my vision, and they move very easily. Definitely the most comfortable pair of lenses out of the ones I own!

Overall, I give them an 8/10. Great visibility, great comfort, but it lacks that natural dolly look that I really love.

In case you've never read my previous posts, I get all of my lenses from Candylens.com! Nice people, nice service, and really cute packaging. Just don't use the USPS for shipping. It takes them forever to pass through customs. Here's what they sent me:

Cute, right?! They even sent me a handwritten "thank you" card, all bear themed. So nice:) And if you've noticed, I received two pairs of lenses! A review on the other one is coming up next! Very soon. I need to wear the other ones for one more day to get a good feel for them. Thanks for reading! Bye :)

Birthday Haul (Random)

Hey guys! My birthday was the other day (18 woohoo), so what better way to celebrate legally becoming an adult than to haul your ass to the mall with a friend and spoil yourselves?! Okay, I could've probably done better, but hey, it was tax-free weekend and this girl had money to blow on Victoria's Secret :)

So this is my stash from Sunday:

A total of 2 bras, 6 pairs of undies, a bathing suit, sandals, and some makeup. A little less than $300 spent.

Sadly, the majority was spent on Victoria's Secret. Some people find it to be a total waste of money, but I beg to differ! Victoria's Secret employees are very helpful when it comes to body issues, and the quality of the underwear is top notch. I don't have to worry about an awkward fit or anything of the sort. Plus, it makes me feel pretty. When you have an Ugly Day, gorgeous underwear makes it all the better - even if you're the only one that knows what you've got underneath your clothes. You're like a sexy surprise, and that's an automatic confidence booster. Maybe. It is for me, at least.

My only problem is that I just horde underwear. I hardly want to wear it if it's pretty. My own little shrine of sexy panties. *sigh* So I buy more to make up for me not wanting to wear what I already have.

Aside from my panty obsession, I bought those cute pair of sandals for only $20 at Off Broadway Shoes!! Everything's on clearance for the upcoming fall season, so if you've got one near you, I suggest you take advantage of the sales! Up to 60% off, so it's a really great deal.

For the makeup, I really just wanted to buy some red lipstick, because I had lost my only lip gloss. I went to Sephora and just pretty much melted with all of the options I had. I ended up getting Nars Cosmetic's Semi-Matte lipstick ($24) in Heat Wave, because it had a slight (very very slight) tinge of orange to it that me and Izzy (my shopping partner-in-crime) really really liked.

Here's a picture:

I love the lipstick because it goes on easily, and it doesn't dry out your lips. Of course, always use lip balm or exfoliate your lips before it, or it'll go on cracked-looking no matter what you do!

To add to that (because Izzy is too persuasive), I ended up getting Too Faced Natural Face Palette ($36). I've never really bought expensive eyeshadow until now because I hardly wear it, and I'm not the type to get pissed off if it fades a little. But this eyeshadow palette is definitely suitable for long wear, because I had it on all day until I cried it off (haha). I absolutely love the palette, and like Izzy said (with her winning words), it's perfect for your everyday look! The colors are soft and pretty, too, and you can wear it with every outfit.

In the picture, I had chosen the "Classic" look. I'd have one with my eyes open but I accidentally deleted it. Woopsie! But yeah, it's really nice. I recommend it:)

I might buy some more Too Faced products in the future, but not anytime soon. Their eyebrow kit had piqued my interest for quite a while now, but because I'm cheap (really - I am), I can do my eyebrows with other items and it works just the same, if not better. I might do a mini-tutorial on that later.

Anyways. That was how I spent my birthday! Thanks for reading, and I'll post more interesting stuff up soon (I'm currently awaiting the arrival of two new pairs of circle lenses). Remember ladies, it's always good to spoil yourself every now and then! For all that you go through every month and throughout life, why the hell not?! Have fun:) Byeee!

Clear Skin

Hey guys! I was actually a little apprehensive on talking about this, simply because I was worried my method might be frowned upon, which is completely understandable. However, I feel like if you have troubled skin, it'd be good to know all of your options. So! Let's get on with the story!

When I was in 8th and 9th grade, I was troubled by acne, and it made me sooo freaking self-conscious that I always had bangs to cover up my problem areas. I wouldn't even run for too long because I'd stop if my bangs blew back. At the same time, I guess I was having an identity crisis, and I wanted really pretty pale skin like all the Asians on the Filipino channel (like WoWoWee, haha). Anyways. It wasn't until the very end of 9th grade when I started using whitening soap (Likas Papaya soap) and my acne coincidentally started going away. From then on, my face really cleared up and I became a lot more confident about myself.

HOWEVER, looking back on it now, I was really stupid for even wanting to be different. It's a freaking skin tone, for goodness sake. You've got to try and own what you were born with. That applies to my nose, too. Even though I hate it!

Also, let me tell you something: IT DOESN'T WORK. You will not turn white, or yellow, or whatever the fuck have you, so if you're looking into it for that matter, then just stop right now and move on with your life. It's only going to get rid of the tan you've accumulated throughout the summer, and even that will take a long time. If you were born pale (like my cousins in the Philippines) and you're dark brown right now, then go ahead. After about 6 years, you'll get there. But generally, whitening products will not defy nature and take you from Black to Caucasian.

Okay, so now that we've got all that (Product reliability and my stance on skin whitening) established, now I will explain why I still use it. For those people that have known me for a long time, you know that I have not gotten any lighter than I was when we first met (unless I was tan from sports). The only reason I could possibly be lighter is because I freaking hate the sunlight. I know people that love tanning. You wouldn't even be able to guess their age. Premature aging is just not on my to-do list. Sorry. Also, skin poisoning sucks, so I avoid it at all costs. ANYWAYS. So why do I still use it? Well, it keeps my skin soft and my face clear. Think about it; the main function of the soap is to exfoliate your skin, getting rid of dead cells. So of course you're going to get less acne, lighter scars, and baby soft skin, because you don't have all that crud lying there on the surface.

This is me. Obviously. I didn't retouch any blemishes or anything, just a bit of noise reduction and contrast. And a stray chunk of hair if you can find it. My editing skills suck, so it's really obvious. No makeup except the highlights I used on my cheeks and nose.

So yeah. Because of the soap, I don't really get acne anymore. And if I do, it's only a small one. I have to sleep in my makeup for like a week for me to spur one on, though. It even says on the box that it takes care of your skin and makes it smoother:

I used to use Likas Papaya (the original whitening soap), but I freaking hated it. So stinky. And it dries up your skin a lot more than all the other ones (even though they all dry up your skin to a degree). I also used to use Belo soap, but it left soap scum and it grossed me out. And yes, I do stand under a black light just to check it. I really like the Silka brand because they smell nice and right after I take a shower, I can feel the difference. I just make sure I use moisturizer as soon as I get out. I've used SkinWhite, too, but I don't really remember if I liked it. I just use whatever my mom hauls back from her trips:

Well. That's my clear skin story. This is how I get a face that is baby-butt smooth. Of course, you can judge me and say I'm not happy with who I am, yada yada yada, even though I'm generally quite pleased with who I am/what I look like now. Or you can just take this as a possible solution to your problem, or even information for later use. And to all my friends: NO. I WILL NOT SELL OR GIVE YOU A BAR. Love you, but it's my stash. Just go ebay some.

I hope this helped!!! What works for me may not work for you, though. And if you have sensitive skin, please be wary, because Likas Papaya is known to cause skin irritation for some. I'm not, however, very sure on other brands. Ciao!