Dueba MX21

Here with a circle lens review! :)

 

Enlargement: 8/10

I don't have very big eyes...as you can tell from the picture with one lens in and one out. So these lenses are quite enlarging for me. But they're not as big as other lenses out there.

Design: 9/10

I love the design! Something very subtle...and very natural. I've read other reviews on this lens and other users have commented how it has this yellowish tint to it? Maybe it's because my eyes are dark...but I don't see any yellow at all. It's very natural and blends in well with my eye color.

Comfort: 10/10

I can barely feel it when I'm wearing them! These are a lot more comfortable than my GEO lenses. :)

Overall: 9/10

If you want a natural look, this one does the trick for ya. Or at least it does for me. Out of all the lenses I have or have gone through, these are my favorite. ^_^

Much love,

baoseng

Nails, nails, nails!

I'm totally and utterly obsessed with my nails. :)

Here's a simple french manicure I did on Monday:

And here's a design I started yesterday...and finished today. I don't know exactly what to call it though...because it's a pretty random design. Haha.

And...something very random...but I was messing around with my extensions today and I wondered if I could possibly put my hair up in a ponytail with my extensions on. So I gave it a go...and voila! It sort of worked. Haha. I like this picture because of how my auburn hair blends into the dark brown of my extensions. I thought it was a cool effect. ;)

I'll do a full blog on my extensions another day. :)




Much love,
baoseng

Red Leopard Nails.

A design I did a couple of days ago. Only one nail has the leopard print though, partially because I got lazy...and partially because too much leopard doesn't look too nice, in my opinion of course.

Here ya go:

Much love,
baoseng


p.s. major thank you to Calia for promoting my blog! :D

Fix 'em brows!

One day, I was browsing youtube...and I watched a random make-up tutorial (can't remember whose it was). In this tutorial, the make-up artist had said, "Your eyebrows are what define your face." Hmm...that had me thinking. For years, I've never really paid much attention to my eyebrows. Yes, I plucked them and tried to shape them when I was about 15...but really, I didn't care much. After watching that video however, I started paying more attention to my eyebrows. (Funny how I remember this comment on eyebrows, yet I can't remember the video or who said it...)

My brother's girlfriend is really into make-up. Whenever we go out on special occasions, she's usually the one who does my make-up for it. So about a month ago, we went to Ulta together to look at make-up stuff. And I came across a product that has saved me from my eyebrows dilemma.

Anastasia's Brow Express Kit

I really needed something to help me shape my eyebrows because they're a total mess. So I was looking around for some eyebrow stencils. The Anastasia section was the only one who had it. I really only needed the stencils...and they do sell it separately, but sadly, all of them were taken. So I decided to just get the whole kit. I bought mine in blonde because that was the only one left. Haha. But my brother's girlfriend said that the blonde kit is actually pretty universal so yay! :)

The kit comes with brow wax cream (top left), highlighter cream (top right), eyebrow powders (bottom two), five stencils, and a brow brush. It also has this plastic covering for added protection.

Here's a close up on the stencils and the brush:

I've bee using this nearly every day since I've gotten it. And it's perfect for someone who, like me, has oddly shaped eyebrows. Although the stencils are mainly to help you shape so you know where to pluck, I use it to fill in my eyebrows because my eyebrows don't really fit into any of the stencils (I've plucked too much in some areas so there's no hair growing there).

Here are some before & after pics:

I love this brow kit! Now my eyebrows don't look so dull. Hehe. And I totally agree...the eyebrows do define one's face. This product is kind of pricey...around $35. But I love it...and I'm glad I bought it. :)

Much love,

baoseng

BEAST's 4th Mini-album "Lights go on again"

That's right...this blog will also feature my many Korean entertainment obsessions!

And first up under this category...is Beast! ^_^

Beast (비스트) is a 6-member boy group under Cube Entertainment. They debuted last year on October 16th, 2009 with their title track, Bad Girl from their first mini-album, BEAST is the Best. When promotions for Bad Girl ended, the guys followed up with Mystery, another track from their first mini-album. On March 1st, 2010, Beast released their second mini-album, Shock of the New Era, and began their promotions for their title track, Shock. Like with their first mini-album, they followed up Shock promotions with Special from their mini-album. The guys then took about a two month break from the music scene before coming back on September 28th with the release of their third mini-album, Mastermind. Their title track, Soom (or Breath), quickly raised in popularity and after just a week of promotions, BEAST managed to snag an award on KBS Music Bank. On November 9th, Beast released their fourth mini-album, Lights go on again and will be starting promotions for their title track, Beautiful, very soon! (I'm not sure when exactly...)

Just a very brief bio on the group. So, if you don't know me, I'm a HUGE Beast fan. I haven't been so into a group since my Shinhwa days. But I really love this group of talented young men. They've been through a lot of hardships, especially during their trainee days, but they all have managed to pick themselves back up and start again. Ever since their debut, they've been producing amazing music! They're all vocally talented and each of them bring a bit of their own flair into the group so it's easy to distinguish whose who. They also have pretty amazing dance skills. Major props go to their choreographer, Prepix's Hawoosin, who came up with the choreo for Shock, Special, and Soom. Aside from their musical talents, these guys also have very fun and interesting personalities. It's funny because with each mini-album release, I've come to like one or two of the members a lot more because of their personality off the stage. It's weird to explain, really. Haha. But these guys have never let me down, music-wise and personality-wise.

SO...why am I blogging about them? Well, as you can see from the title...and from the short bio I typed up, the guys just released their 4th mini-album! Technically, it was released today...but release times go according to Korea time, which is about a day ahead of us here in the US, so actually...the mini-album dropped yesterday! And wow...am I in love or what?! The music style in this mini-album strays a bit from what they had going on in the 2nd and 3rd mini-album...but it's definitely still very good. I feel that with this mini-album, they wanted to go back to their debut style...because this mini-album definitely has that Bad Girl feel to it, a happy & fun-loving kind of feel.

I thought maybe I'd write a review of the mini-album and it's songs...so here goes!

01. Lights go on again (Intro track)

It's a very nice and mellow song...beautiful guitar strings playing in the background, setting the mood for the song perfectly. The song is basically saying how they're able to do all that they can because of this light that shines on them. I don't think it means like...they want all the spotlight or anything. But simply that if you support them and love them, it's like you're shining a light on them. And with that light, they're able to continue doing what they're doing. (I'm a fan, so I like to think that this song...and some of the others...are geared toward us, their fans). The beginning rap is simply perfect. I am a bit biased toward Beast's rapper, Yong Junhyung, though...hehe. I just think he's a very good rapper...has his own little flair and all. He's not like a lot of the other rappers in kpop. Anyway, back to the song, the guys also did very good with their vocals in this song. Beautiful music and beautiful singing makes for a very beautiful song. The only downside is that it's only 1:47 long...since it is only an intro track. Cube seems to do that a lot...they make amazing intro tracks, that sometimes are better than the actual title track.

02. Beautiful (Title track)

Beautiful, my girl~ they're definitely singing it to me! Haha. This song does have a different feel than their intro track. It's very fun...and happy. Listening to it makes me want to jump around my room! Haha. And upon hearing this song, I automatically smile. It seriously has that effect on you! It has a fun and upbeat rhythm to it...that sort of makes it sound like a summer song. Hehe. Great vocals by the guys again! The song talks about their unchanging love toward this beautiful girl. And it's basically a song reassuring this girl that they'll always be there no matter what. Cute, right? I can't wait to see the music video for this song...and I can't wait until they start promoting it! I'm a major sucker for happy songs. Ask me what song I like best from whatever kpop group and it'll usually be one of their happier and bouncy songs. Hehe. This is definitely a good song...one of my faves from the album (though I do love every song on this album).

03. 니가 제일 좋아 (I Like You The Best)

This is the song B2UTYs have been waiting for! The guys actually gave us a sneak peek of this song during their pre-debut days...in an episode of MTV B2ST Documentary, which was aired before the guys' debut. I was wondering what happened to that song because it didn't come out on their first mini-album, like I had thought it would. But alas! It's out! And it's such a cute song! (This is also one of my faves). The song is basically saying, "I like you the way you are" and "I'm totally crazy about you." As women, we feel insecure a lot of times because of the way we look. But in this song, they guys talk about how you're just perfect the way you are and how you shouldn't worry about the way you look so much. The first verse is total LOVE! An amazingly cute song that also makes me smile. And, as expected, the guys' vocals are perfect. :)

04. Lightless

The last two songs on the mini-album, this one and I'm Sorry, definitely have a different feel than the second and third track. Because these last two songs are post-breakup songs. Lightless talks about how the girl left and now there's no light shining on him anymore...thus, it's lightless. Hehe. It also talks about how he needs her...but he won't be able to see her anymore. A quite depressing song...but the guys don't really make it seem that depressing. Amazing vocals, yet again. And...I don't know...it's just a very nice song. Like I said earlier, I do prefer happy songs...so this one doesn't place too high on my favorite list. But it's still a good song that I do listen to quite a lot. I know a lot of people have been commenting on how they say "lightless" and I do find it kind of funny. But when you've been listening to kpop for as long as I have, it's sort of expected that they won't get the pronunciation spot-on. I actually think it's kinda cute..."lah lah lah lah lahless" ^^

05. I'm Sorry

I'm Sorry has the same feel as Lightless...except this time, it's he who pushed her away. In Lightless, she left him. In I'm Sorry, he left her. And now he's regretting what he did. I know what you're thinking...why the heck did he leave her in the first place, right?! -sigh- guys...lol. Another quite depressing song, but again, it doesn't really sound depressing. It's not like a 2AM song where you want to cry your eyes out. But still a great song. Great vocals. And a perfect song to end the album with. :)


Overall Album Rating: 5 out of 5

Of course...that could be my bias to the guys speaking. Hehe. But this really is a good album. All the songs are very likable and of course, the guys sound amazing in every song. Beast is a very strong group because none of their members is lacking anything. They're all very good at what they do. One thing I would like to say is Yang Yoseob & Yong Junhyung really play a big role in this group, according to my own opinion. I feel like the factors that really define a group is their lead vocalist...and their rapper. Yoseob has an amazing voice! When he hits those high notes and does those adlibs, I seriously get chills. And Junhyung's a great rapper, as I said earlier. I think one of the main reasons why Junhyung's able to bring his own flair to the songs is because he writes his own raps. I think it's easier to get a feel for the song and how the rap should go if you write it yourself. Of course, he didn't write the rap for Beautiful but I think he's experienced enough that the rap just smoothly leaves his lips now. Perfect, I tell ya! BUT that doesn't mean that I think the other members aren't important. Each of them are vital to the group because without them, there would be no diversity in the group. Like I said earlier, each of them bring their own flavor to the group and to the songs. :)

I can talk about Beast for hours...days even. But I'll stop here. ;)


Much love,
baoseng


p.s. I had the chance to see Beast at the Korean Music Festival this year! Totally flawless on youtube and in real life! To read my fan account on my KMF weekend, check out this detailed post on my tumblr! :D

BB Creams Galore!

It's the make-up sensation that's sweeping the nation! ;D

So I've decided to give this make-up product a go this year. I've been hearing about BB cream (Blemish Balm Cream) for years now...but never thought to really try it out. So three months ago, I bought and tried my first BB cream. But like all experiments, we go through trial and errors. In the past three months, I've gone through three BB creams. So I thought I'd give a quick review on each of the products I bought and used. :)

Etude House Pearl Mineral BB Cream: Sheer Silky Skin

My first BB cream! I was so excited when it came in. If you don't know Etude House, they have extremely CUTE packaging! So this BB cream came in this pretty little box and all...hehe. Anyway, back to the product! Although the packaging is cute and makes you want to buy all that Etude has, I think you should think twice before purchasing this. Don't get me wrong...this BB cream's nice...but it really has to fit your skin tone. Because this cream will make you PALE. I thought I was pale before getting this BB cream...but boy, was I wrong! So if you have pale skin, then go ahead and try this one out. It has pretty good coverage so you don't need to use a lot on your face. I don't particularly have bad skin...just some redness on my cheeks and around my nose...so this BB cream did help cover that. But like I said, it didn't match my skin tone at all. The finishing look is more matte than dewy as well.

Oh...one other thing: it does have a pretty strong scent. I don't know how to explain exactly what it smells like...but it isn't a very pleasant one. I've heard from other BB cream users that scents usually fade...but for this one, it doesn't. You'll smell it the whole day. Just a heads up.

Skin79 Dream Girls BB Cream

When I couldn't stand the smell from the Etude BB cream anymore, I decided to look for another one to replace it. And I chose this one. Like I said earlier, I don't really have that bad of skin...I just needed something to help even out my skin tone and correct the redness in it. So I read a review that said that this product did just that. So I bought it. Although this one does have a scent too, it's a lot more pleasant and not as strong as the Etude one...and it does fade over time. The only down-side to this product...is that the coverage isn't that good. I mean, I wasn't expecting extreme coverage or anything...but honestly, it looked as if the cream did nothing to my skin. I was pretty disappointed in that. So I had to mix a foundation with the cream to get good coverage. Overall, not a bad product...but not one I would recommend if you need coverage.

Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream

After two failed attempts, I was kind of hesitant to buy another one. But I came across this site called prettyandcute.com (thanks to Jen from frmheadtotoe.com!) and I heard a lot of good reviews on this BB cream. So I thought...heck, I'll just give it a try then. And I'm glad I did! Like the Etude BB cream, this one was also packaged in a cute pink box (Lioele products are packaged nicely too). And it totally does what I need it to do! Good coverage, a pleasant scent that fades in time...it's perfect! Granted that I don't need a whole lot of coverage (other reviews have expressed how this product doesn't have that good of coverage), this BB cream pretty much does everything for me. Although I've heard from other people who have used this product that it makes your face a bit lighter/paler, that's not how it is with me. I actually think that it blends into my skin tone pretty well. My face is lighter than my arms & hands...and I tried a little of it out on my hand first, and it blended quite nicely into my skin. The finishing look is more dewy than matte as well. :)

Here are some pics: (sorry the lighting's not that good...and excuse my unkempt eyebrows)

In the close-up, you can see the redness by my nose...and after I applied the BB cream, it's gone! It's like magic! Hehe. ;)

I'm quite satisfied with this BB cream. And I'm totally dreading the time when I run out of it.



Much love,
baoseng

News On Nails.

Alrighty! So, to kick-off this blog, I'll share a recent nails look I did! I've seen this design a lot on soompi (a forum I visit frequently) and I've been itching to try it out. So yesterday, I gave it a go! I call it "News on nails." ^_^

Here's the final look:

Please excuse the messiness of the polish. But for a first try, I think it looks pretty decent, wouldn't you agree? ;) It took a couple of tries before I got it right. For instance, you have to REALLY press down the newspaper onto the nail...and I found that counting to 15 worked the best. I know...the thumb is messed up in the right bottom corner...but after doing it 3 times, I wasn't in the mood to do it again.

I really like this design...even though it's kind of random to have words on your nails. And definitely because you can't even read the words! Yes, I did...idiotically...try to read the words on my nails. Then I realized that I couldn't. My brothers kept telling me to put certain words on my nails...and I had to explain to them that you couldn't read it anyway because of how the printing is transferred to the nail.

But it's still a great design that you should all try out! One thing I would recommend: use a lighter colored base. This grey color turned out a lot darker than I had wanted. So I'm definitely going for a paler base color next time. ^^


Much love,
baoseng