Christmas!!! *Tag*

Hey Everyone!!!

Happy Holidays are upon us more or less and I am beyond excited for 2014 to arrive! How about you? Any resolutions? Promises? Winter vacations? SHOPPING?! 

I just finished raiding Bath and Body Works for mini gifts for my co-workers, I hope they like it, that place is NOT budget friendly (unless you have a coupon o.~).

This year, I'm trying to give back to all my friends and family who have given to me all these years, so people I normally have sent a card to will actually be getting a token of my appreciation. It slams the budget, but it feels nice to have the money to do something I've never done before for all the special people in my life :') and I have all the packages on my floor to prove it lol

I digress.

As we approach this lovely holiday, I wanted to do as promised and make a Christmas Tag post, with a total of 12 questions in all. Naturally, this tag is open to ANYONE who wants to join in on the Christmas fun!! Now, onto the questions!! 

v How do you celebrate Christmas?

Ø Most of the time my family and I get together at my Uncle’s house for Christmas dinner, which I think will end up being the new tradition since my Aunt and Uncle have a bigger house now to fit everyone!

v What does Christmas mean to you?

Ø Being a Christian, it’s an important time to reflect on the world’s greatest gift of all, the birth of a Savior. Sorry to those who believe otherwise, I wish to not offend anyone J

v What's your favorite part about this time of year?

Ø THE FOOD!!! This time of year always gets to me just because it’s THE most perfect time to eat amazing home cooked meals!

v What's your favorite Christmas memory?

Ø I can’t remember how old I was, maybe around 10 or 11, my brother and uncle had put their money together to buy me a keyboard, I loved that keyboard and practiced often, too bad I lost the skills to prove it L

v What's your favorite Christmas movie?

Ø Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, every year, between October and December it’s all I wanna watch!

v What's your favorite Christmas song/carol?

Ø Anything, and I mean A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G. sung by Michael Buble` (this font doesn’t have an accented e). I love his voice to much, he could sing the dictionary to me and I’d still be happy!!!

v What's the best present you've ever received?

Ø My brother helped me pay for my first car, you can’t really beat the gift in independence lol

v What's the best present you've ever given?

Ø ME! Jkjkjkjk lol, hrrrrmmmm…. Giving my mom money for her little ‘senior trips’ is always the best, she’s so cute at the casinos with all the other little older folk |

v What's the worst present you've ever received?

Ø The infamous Grandma sweater… I kid you not, this sweater was hot pink, with lime, blue, and white accents plus a turtleneck with its suffocation mode turned on. Someone had taken a picture of me a long time ago with me wearing it, the look of misery in my eyes was obvious, and I hated that thing with a burning passion of a million suns!

v What's the worst present you've ever given?

Ø Nothing, I mean that there was a year that I didn’t give anyone anything, except maybe a few cards. I felt so guilty that year, especially since I was on a constant shopping spree.

v What's the one thing you absolutely must have this year?

Ø A Playstation 4! I would loooooove one, I wouldn’t get rid of my 360, but I wish to return to Sony, because all my friends have online accounts with Sony instead of Microsoft.

v Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions?

Ø Grow my hair out even more, February will be year 3 of having natural hair, I’m really excited that I’ve come so far. I definitely want to lighten it a few shades and go over it with purple still, or I may just buy this one wig I’ve been eying that was reviewed by a favorite YouTube channel of mine

That’s twelve questions I think J again, this is open to everyone! Message me or post in the bottom, I want to read your responses too! I've been so into the Christmas spirit, I've been practicing holiday themed makeup and here is my current result with what is supposed to be green eye shadow and red lipstick, sadly the green doesn't show to well but whatever, it's still pretty!

Happy Holidays Everyone!!! 

Kaida Hime |

Birthday Gets! + New Lenses :)

Hey guys!!!

Let me just say first how sorry I am for not making my Halloween post as promised (especially to Momo!!! I'm so sorry ;~; I intend on doing/creating a Christmas Tag post soon!!)... I spent my night completing an accounting exam instead (but I got a 92 so it cancels out lol). Aside from that, I didn't actually go anywhere or do anything on that day :( however, I DID go to a Halloween themed event a few days earlier with my coworkers :D 

Raven's Night was a belly dance ode to the villains from many different fairy tales and stories. The sponsor for Raven's Night is also a belly dancer, and was the opening act; she was the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. She was also Green Ivy from the Batman series. Her performances were stunning!! When the website uploads the 2013 videos and pictures, I'll try and remember to put some here or the next Halloween post (we couldn't take pictures/videos of the main performances). 

Now, onto the fun part...

I turned 24 on the 21st of last month!!! I don't feel any different just yet... my patients keep telling me the body goes downhill at 30 and up -_-; so I guess that makes me one year closer to who knows what. I got a lot of awesome stuff from my friends and family, as well as a few things I bought for myself.

1. Musical Box

My mom (grandmother) is always buying stuff like this, she had completely forgotten that she bought me a similar music box for Christmas!! It's still very cute though, but I always tell her to tell me what she's going to buy so that we don't have duplicate gifts coming in lol

2. Bungee Chair

I've ALWAYS wanted one of these since I first sat in one at Brookstone, I just never wanted to dish out the money for it ;~; but that day was my spoiling day so I bought it! Now I can sit comfortably while watching TV or playing video games!

3. Katy Perry Perfume

O.M.G.... Ever since I received a sampler of this fragrance I needed it in my life, but I never wanted to dish out the cash for it. It's moments like these that make me realize how attentive my boyfriend is to what I say, he makes me so happy ^O^ I was expecting something generic like flowers or a necklace, but he bought me this instead! I won't deny, I spazzed. A lot. Now I've been wearing it almost everyday- I should have said how much I loved Katy Perry's new fragrance Killer Queen as well XD

4. Sensationnel Synthetic Weaving Kanubia Easy 5 Elysee Wave

One of my least favorite birthday gifts to myself, was this hair I purchased and made into a wig. There was only review for it, stating that it tangled easily but I wanted it sooooo badly that I couldn't resist, that and it was only $19.99 (samsbeauty.com). Plus this was my first time making a wig so I didn't want to invest in something expensive. The hair does indeed tangle easily, it began to knot up within the first week of wearing it. It also can't curl very well, despite the fact that it's supposed to withstand temperatures of 350 to 410 degrees (I did break a few wig care rules though, so it's cooperating for now). I'll do a video review of it eventually with all the details.

5. Bulk Hair

IF I manage to get to last through the end of December or maybe even mid-January, I've been considering changing up my hair style to a very simple up-do that involves the use of bulk hair. I've been interested in this particular style for a while, and I've researched plenty of videos on YouTube for ideas, it's very simple and very versatile. :)

6. E.L.F. Kabuki Brush

The BEST $6 I've ever spent in my life! I've never felt a brush soooo luxurious as this one, and for such an amazing price too! I had heard a few good things through the grapevine about this brush and I was getting sick and tired of my old CVS kabuki leaving bristles on my face. This brush is just perfect :) MAC? MAC who? Lol

7. I.Fairy Dolly Eye Plus in Grey!!!!!!

I think I can safely say that no matter how hard I try, I always end up going back to this particular style of circle lenses, the two-toned ones that are designed to blend in with your eye color. I didn't even realize it until after purchasing these lenses. I guess this is just my personal preference from now on out :) I'll let my camwhoring do the talking for me, I love Love LOVE these lenses!!

Forgive me, as in some of the pictures I had my curtain pulled back, whilst in others it was closed, but I think all in all you get the idea of these lovely lenses. I can't wait to order more lashes and such to get back on track with practicing gyaru make up again, it's really been waaaaay to long and I feel so out of touch ;o; but I'll be back!! >=O

Bye Bye For Now ~ |||

Review: Fynale J01 Honoo Blue Circle Lenses

Did I say "end of the year soon"? I'm late as usual heh-heh.... ^^;

But as stated a few posts ago, I wanted to put up my review on my first pair of blue circle lenses!!

Let me tell you... these lenses are beautiful! I wanted to do something daring as well as bold, and these lenses provide a nice blend of both. The style is similar to my dreamy.i brown lenses, in the fact that you have the bold black outer ring, and just the one color for the inner ring, with dithering effects to help blend with your natural eye color. However, they also have a cute little heart ring that traces the inside of the blue, so in some cases, it looks a bit odd on some eye colors (in my opinion). Again, because these are blue lenses, they usually look STUNNING on people with naturally blue eyes, but I love these lenses a lot on myself too! 

Click to go to the website!!

This was my first time ordering from Love Shoppingholics, and based on my previous experiences, they're on par in both shipping time (about 2.5 weeks) and price (about $24.00 USD). I have no complaints, and I feel like I am able to find actual pictures of people wearing the lenses more than what I've come across on other circle lens sites (so it's a tie between here and Geo Lens House on Facebook).

SOOOOOO onto the mini  review and what few pictures I've remembered to take way back when!

Comfort: 4.0

These lenses are quite comfy, though once that 7th hour started to creep up on me, my eyes started to dry out, but nonetheless, almost 7 whole hours with minimal discomfort is freaking awesome!! 

Color: 4.5

This. Color. Is. So. Beautiful. It's clear and vibrant and so lovely! It was exactly what I had been looking for to put one foot outside of my usual comfort zone. I have few regrets with such a nice color. 

Style: 4.0

The inner heart ring is ridiculously cute, but sadly it's pointless if no one can see the ring :( because of my eye color, I never even knew the little ring of hearts existed!!

Enlargement: 3.5

These lenses are 15mm diameter lenses, the largest pair I've ever owned I think, but for what ever reason, they don't look all that big, but that could also be because the outer black ring isn't so prominent in the following pictures.

Price: 5.0 

Bright, comfy, good quality lenses for under $25.00? Yes please!!

Website: 5.0

Love Shoppingholics website is very cute, I'm not the biggest fan of pink, but I can put this on my exception list!!

And finally, the pictures!!! These aren't gyaru-styled photos at all, I only took a few pictures of me wearing them around the first few weeks or so of having them, then forgot every time after that ^^; But enjoy anyway!!! I think these are the first pictures of me playing with my new camera? So worth going broke for... but that's for another post! Be sure to click on the pictures to enlarge them to see the full detailing of the lenses too. ^^

That's all for now.... Bye bye!!!! 

Recovery...

I've abandoned taking care of my blog, and for that I must sincerely apologize...

There's been a lot going on in my life, aside from school being a bunch of crud muffins, my family and I recently laid a loved one to rest. I don't think I've fully recovered from it, it isn't until someone is gone that you start to notice all the little things missing in your life. I have many precious memories, and now, it's all I have left. My grandmother is taking this full force of all this and the toll it's taken on her has me worried, she's getting better, but it's still hard. We've all been overwhelmed by the love and support from family and friends, it's been nothing short of amazing.

Even so, I've strayed away so far from gyaru, I wouldn't be able to tell you left from right. I try and stay tuned in but I haven't worn full face makeup in months. In fact, I just usually put on some lip gloss and head out the door. Yeah, that's how bad things have been, I've just been way to depressed to even care about make up, let alone take the time out to put some on.

I do intend to recover, but I just need more time... I also intend to get those other posts up, of this I am sure. Be patient with me, it's not over yet. 

P.S. Read/Watch Fairy Tail, it's awesome :)

Bye Guys, I'll be back soon! Like, near-the-end-of-the-month soon!!

Retail Therapy

Retail therapy...

Best concept ever, am I right? I think I'm always making an excuse just to go out and buy something... it makes everything all better, if only for a little while ^^; but as of late, I have found sweet solace in hitting up some of my favorite places to shop. Sure, they're NOT gyaru brands, but they're figure-flattering and don't burn a hole in my wallet! I wanted to share my most recent gets from a few of my favorite stores... 

These clothes look better on me than the hangers I swear!! XD it's safe to assume (because I can't recall the prices) that all the items listed were no more than $20 each, which is cutoff point when it comes to shopping in my terms. I'm not paying $50 for a Gucci t-shirt!

Posts in Progress:

1) My first experience at Otakon 2013/ vacation time
2) Review! My first BLUE circle lenses!
3) Updated Foundation/ Concealer routine
4) Archive - Who I'm following on Youtube
5) Also, hopefully be the end of September, I'll be making an updated archive of whose blogs I follow as well!

Bai bai! :3

Preparing for Otakon '13!

You know what time it is..........

Yahoooo!!!!! Otakon is just around the corner!! I'm so excited since I've never been to this Anime Convention in particular, I just know it's the biggest one in the DMV area (they had a turnout of about 31,000 registrations last year!! O.O). They have a lot of great things coming up and I can't wait for the festivities to begin!! Here's a few that I'm determined to attend:

Yoko Kanno - by far my FAVORITE music composer when it comes to my love of anime. I became heavily interested in her music compositions when I began to watch Cowboy Bebop ( I have the soundtrack and then some, lol).
"At Otakon 20, Yoko Kanno will be making a rare live appearance by premiering her new project "Piano me" which will consist of her and one piano. She easily jumps over any music barriers and her cosmopolitan hyperactivity keeps going on and on. She will always be a true artist and craftsman and is definitely the crown ­jewel of the music world."

T.M. Revolution - Truth be told, I know very little about this artist >< but I heard him perform on J-Melo on morning and really liked him. Should I go, this will be the first time in a veeeeery long time since I last went to a concert (I think I was around 14 when my brother took me to a Jay-Z concert lol!). I'll have to do my best not to get squished by other people!!
"Takanori Nishikawa, born in 1970 in Shiga prefecture, made his debut as T.M.Revolution (T.M.R.) in May 1996, with the single "Dokusai -monopolize-". Since then, he has established a reputation as a singer with ear-catching tunes combined with intriguing and irresistible live performances. Many singles have been picked up as themes of major anime and games including Mobile Suit Gundam and Sengoku BASARA.

Since his debut, T.M.R. has built a global fan base and reputation mainly among anime fans. He has performed at major anime conventions in the US, such as OTAKON 2003 where local audiences were dazzled by his dynamic performance. These activities led to the release of his albums worldwide."

Maid Cafe - I've always wanted to work as a maid for a convention, or better yet, if permitted, as a cross-butler simply because I don't know how I'd look in frills and lace. It looks pretty and cute, but definitely NOT for everyone (though I was amused to see men dressed up as maids at Katsukon 2013 lol).
"Otakon's newest addition will be located in the Johnson Room of the Hilton Hotel. In the Maid Cafe, you'll have a chance to unwind and be entertained by our engaging staff of performers. Entrance requires a $10 minimum donation which goes to a game ticket, beverage, photo op, and a chance for at-door prizes. Desserts will be available for sale, à la carte, and range from cookies and brownies to a special premium dessert."

OOOOOOHHHH!! And the released the Fan-Picked Workshops!!! <3 The ones in purple reflect where I'll be at most likely ^0^

• Artist Alley 101
• Awkward Dance Moves!
• Blooming Crafts
• Book Binding 101
• Chin Hamaya Culture Center Presents Taiko Drumming
• Come Dance with DTP!
• Fight Choreography 101
• Creating Music and Audio for Video Games
• Crossplaying and Genderbending 101
• Prop Making - more than just kit bashing
• FANDOM FITNESS: Anime Aerobics
• Basic Fundamentals of Drawing
• Getting Real About Fantasy Writing
• Hardcore Yaoi! Yer Doin it WRONG! [18+]
• How to Kpop: Aegyo Edition
• How to Make Pocky From Scratch
• How to play the Pokemon Trading Card Game!
• Japanese Confectionery Corner 2.22: You Can (Not) Resist
• Japanese Language and Culture
• Jojo's Posing School
• Koi Koi! Fun and Games with Hanafuda
• Let's Enjoy Tea Ceremony!
• Libera Edge Presents: The Ultimate Dance Workshop
• Mangaka Dream: Comics Publishing in the USA
• Okinawan Karate Demo with Audience Participation
• Photoshop
• Role-Play Live the Improv (RP Live )
• The Art of Kimono Dressing
• The Perfect Brew: Japanese Tea
• Translating Anime, Cartoons, or Video Games as Traditional Art.
• Uber Extreme: How to Draw Chibis: Copic Coloring & Blending
• Who Wants to be a Voice Actor

I'll also be purchasing my new camera soon!! <3 I'm stuck between something from the pricey Sony Alpha lines or potentially a Samsung SMART Camera, which is in a more preferably price range (feel free to leave some opnions ^0^ I'm not looking for a DSLR).

I'm currently testing the poll features in Blogspot - don't mess with the poll in the sidebar as it will be deleted soon when I figure out to XD use the one below instead!! Sorry I had nothing truly interesting to post, but more good things are on the way!!

Will YOU be at Otakon '13?

Patience and Progress...

Long time no read!!!

There has been waaaay too much going on to fully explain, some great, some horrible, some that made me think "WTF?" But overall I've leveled out as good ^_^

I feel like a rush of energy has swept over me, and my craving for makeup had suddenly returned, so I went straight to work on my gyaru make. The end result was nothing short of unrecognizable:

When I started taking a few pictures with the webcam and looked at them, I'm pretty sure I had the biggest, dorkiest, overdone smile on my face EVER. I had finally accomplished something that was 'me', but wasn't 'me', I had changed my appearance to something so different, I couldn't believe it was my face I was looking at!! I'm pretty sure the addition of hair, and my amazing nails from Kawaii Claws on Etsy, aided in this transformation, but the rest was all the work I had put in listening to critiques, scouring blogs, and watching tutorials. Don't get me wrong, I'm not tooting my own horn, God  knows I'm kinda confused that it took almost a year just to get the look I wanted down pat, I'm just, crazy excited that I have a look all my own. But this is only the beginning... I'm not gyaru yet, but I've hit a milestone. 

I'm also crazy happy from all the comments from the Facebook group, I was nervous posting the picture because I felt like I had put so much effort into this, but all the comments were great!! I felt like I had partly established myself as more than just a member...

So what's next on the schedule? Hmmmm....

1. Weight Loss. Seriously. How many times am I going to repeat myself???
2. Hair. Since I don't want to focus on clothes just yet, I figure it's high time to think on hair. This may be a harder challenge since my actual hair is kinky and I have no intention on straightening it yet.
3. Reviews!!! <3 I'm currently working on the video for the lenses I'm wearing :) and a new pair is on the way!!!
4. Life. I've started dating someone new ^_^ I'm considering quitting my current job because no one seems to know (or care) what I do unless I do something wrong... and I've done something veeeeeeery wrong recently sooooo..... yeah ._____. the catch 22 is that because of that fact, I CAN'T just up and leave because NO ONE KNOWS WHAT I DO!!! I have to train 1 or 2 people  before I can actually leave, plus, I've switched my classes to a more IT preference >=)
5. Moving. I need to find an apartment soon lol, living with my overly protective grandmother is blowing my life, every darn complex in the area is over 1000k/month. WHO has that kind of money?!
6. Expanding. I very much want to meet other gals in the DMV area, they're around I know, and it doesn't help that task #5 is what's preventing of meeting up with them more. I also kinda want a tumblr now....

Picture Collage Spam <3 much better than posting the individuals!! A tiny look back at my misses and hits.... I'm so bored lol

Goodnight Loves <3 I'm doing this look again for church tomorrow to see everyone's reaction... muahahaha......

So Many and Not So Many Happy feels!

Hi Everyone!!

Figured while I'm sitting here washing laundry and grandad-sitting, I would at least give some life updates, so are great, some, not so great at all. *takes a deep breath* let's get the bad crap over with first shall we? You're more than welcome to scroll down the the green section if you don't wanna read my venting, I got a Christmas theme going on!!

• About that date...
• So yeah, the guy I had gone on the date with a few weeks ago has successfully managed to drop off the planet lol. He does say he's busy a lot but I would think it only takes a few seconds to send a text. It doesn't really bother me anymore surprisingly, I've learned to keep my guard up!
• Stress Weight Gain...
• I've managed to pack on a few pounds in about 2 weeks so now my clothes are more snug than ever! I've been really stressing out because I'm changing my college course from Business Admin to Information Tech, at quite literally the last moment. I was set to graduate next semester because I only had two more business core classes to take, but I had a change of heart and have been worried ever since. Fingers crossed guys!
• How embarrassing...
• So I went out to Annandale with my coworkers last night (aka little Korea, lol  :)) but I hadn't put on any makeup aside from gloss and foundation, I was really tired after work an d fell asleep without giving it another thought. I felt so... out of place! Granted, half of the girls had no makeup on either, but while everyone looked like they were still in their twenties, I felt like a 40 year old!! It didn't help that this super cute guys came to sit at our table and took with us, it was awful. I guess this also ties into the weight thing... I need to get my butt in gear, I really do.

• My J-mags arrived!!
• I literally wanted to explode into a puff of rainbow smoke! An American working in Japan who I spoke to agreed to post Soul Sister Magazines in his eBay shop!! I bought the only two he had posted, plus a couple more! I'll have more info on them once I read them, I'm really excited! I really need the motivation!
• A New Weight Loss Partners
• On one of my more depressing days I took a completely different route to my work place, then I saw a church friend of mine who works in another department at the hospital. I happily offered a ride and somehow we got on the topic of weight. I spilled how Muffin lives 45 minutes away and my coworker, Dee, always stood me up when we agreed to meet at the gym. This woman used to be much bigger than me, and now, after getting married, moving away, and having a baby, is much smaller than me! She said she would my support system, and is willing to help me try again ^^ coincidentally, another old church friend invited me to Zumba! So we'll see what happens, this may become a health blog too!
• Making Amends
• I think I've ranted a few times how my bestest friend, Muffin, has made some choices that I'll never agree with, nor understand. For the longest time, I prayed to God that she would turn her life around, or at least give her some rude awakening. Something strange happened, now I can deal with her... ahem, 'adventures' without getting annoyed or being judgmental. I wouldn't say it's how I wanted things to turn out, but I accept the fact that she's her own person, and there's really no one as understanding of me than she is, losing such a close friend just isn't worth it.
• New Tradition!!
• Muffin and I have agreed: Every Summer we're gonna prepare a Japanese themed lunch and head over to Wolf Trap for the Video Game Concert they hold. We're really excited >O< so far we've discussed packing tonkatsu (she makes AMAZING food), onigiri, soy sauce hard boiled eggs, and a few other yummy items. We'll be sitting on the lawn (because you can't eat under the roof), feeling like a pair of bosses. Plus since we don't see each other as much as we'd like, we think it's a great idea.
• Prepping for Otakon and Anime USA
• 'Nuff said, I'm going to Otakon on my own unless I find someone to meet up with, then I'm taking my little sister Kimmy to Anime USA! Now that she's been exposed, she can't wait for September to come around!!!
• Becoming Productive Again.
• I've made a pact with myself: do more aside from playing video games. My room is always such a mess because all my old crafting/sewing stuff is filling in where ever there is space. I want to start up origami again, and I have a few circle skirts that are unfinished, and the fabric is so pretty too! They're all light weight so I need to finish them in time for the summer!!
• Gyaru Motivation: The Lovely Ify
• I read Crystal's blog post for another giveaway contest!! The catch - a make/outfit tutorial...... I'm terrified and excited all at the same time, I mean, there are WAY more people in to world who are better at makeup than me, so I'm afraid. But, I really want that damn Domo bag!! *0* I think I had this problem before for her first giveaway with a Domo notebook >< This is tearing me apart!!! But I think I'll go for it, I don't have much to lose lol here's the link to the youtube promotion she made, check it out!!
• http://thelovelyify.blogspot.com/2013/04/j-fashion-contest-giveaway-news.html

Ummmmmmmmm..... here's the most recent pic of my playing with makeup:

Seriously, where was this chick when I needed her in Annandale?! Lol I'm waving because I thought it was a video, not a picture!! Ah well, whatever.

I think that's all for now!! I think all my posts are going to end this way now lol

Review! Dueba Dreamy.i Brown Lenses

What's up everyone? I'm am currently on a "Happy Day High", which has been much needed after wallowing at the bottom of the pit this past week, and probably will go back next week too x.x. I came back from my first blind date today and I'm really happy I didn't flake out! The guy was super nice, smart, and we had an all around good lunch date. We agreed we have to do this again sometime!! But that's for another post, I'm here with a lovely review for you guys!! Namely because I got new video software and idk wtf I'm doing sooooo I figured I just put everything here for now!! Onto my review!

These babies were purchased from www.lensvillage.com for $19.50 which isn't a bad price at all to me!!

Sadly, when I ordered from here the first time, one of the lenses had something stuck in them, and all the cleaning in the world would NOT get it out!! I was so mad but I had to remember that this was just a manufacturing issue, not the seller. I sent Lens Village an email which they responded to quickly stating all I needed to do was send a picture of the lenses cut in half, and they would send me a new pair. I was really sad to cut them, but I was happy again when my new pair arrived!! Needless to say, I was very happy and satisfied with both my order, and the friendly customer service!

Dia = 14.5 mm Base Curve = 8.6 mm

Here are the lenses sitting happily in their case, I had ordered it without thinking that a free one would automatically come with the vials lol. Now, onto the ratings: 

Firstly, Lens Village gets a 5 out of 5 for their quick customer service!

Style: This can vary based on the reason you're purchasing these lenses, for myself personally, I wanted something I can safely wear to work without scaring my poor patients silly, for their simplicity, I give them a 5 out of 5. If you want something more bold and noticeable, these aren't for you.

Color: Again for me, these lenses get a 5 out of 5 because they look natural, I have tricked a few people already into thinking this was my natural eye color until they get close up! They still complimented me on my eyes though :)

Comfort: I've been able to wear these lenses for at least 6 hours straight without the need for my eye drops! However when they do start to dry out, you reaaaally can feel it X.x so it may be best to set up a regimen to put in some drops every 2 to 3 hours, but they still deserve a 4.5 out of 5 in this category!

Enlargement: I'm giving the lenses a 3 out of 5 because there is some slight enlargement, and the black outer ring really helps in playing that up. But these lenses aren't very enlarging BECAUSE THEY ARE NATURAL LOOKING. Which is perfectly fine with me, I've come to discover that I can't really wear anything above the 14.5 mm diameter and 8.6 mm base curve anyway.... it's headace city! D:

Now the best part of all.... PICTURES!!!! :D I hope you guys enjoyed the review, I'll make sure to post the link for the video once I'm done editing it!

Thanks for reading!!

My Hair Staples

I want to provide a post of what I use to take care of my hair, both inside and out :) I try to use these products on a day-to-day basis (or as needed) to keep my hair looking and feeling healthy!! Now, I'm not telling you to go out and buy these products, my hair cannot possibly represent all the beautiful textures and patterns in the world, nor do I expect it. One common term I've heard is the LOC method or the Liquid, Oil, Cream system - this is what I use on a semi-regular basis, I decide based on how my hair feels in the morning. There are multiple other hair care regimens I'm sure of that much, don't be afraid to switch things up every now and then, it's better to test the waters than be left stuck with an unreliable regimen!!

1. Daily Moisturizers

As I Am Double Butter Cream













As the name suggests, this is a jar of pure heaven for my hair. It's thick and smells amazing but at $27 per 16 oz jar, you'd best be prepared to burn a tiny hole in your wallet! But it really does last a long time, I'm almost out of this jar but I'll be trying something else soon so my hair won't develop immunity against this yummy hair treat! And luckily it comes in an 8 oz jar for around $16 dollars at Sally's beauty supply, so if your hair is shorter or you can stretch your hair products, this is perfect for you!

Water!!!!!

You can never go wrong with a spray bottle of water! Your hair will thank you every time you refresh it :) On top of that, it's much easier to bring a tiny spray bottle of water with you wherever you go. It also acts as a wonderful base for adding a few extra items like essential oils for amazing smelling hair. As well as spritzing you hair, drinking water is one of the best things you can do for yourself. While I can't testify to drinking 8 oz of water everyday, I do what I can, when I can, but there is a trick I'm considering:

Found on Twisted Sifter

By marking water bottles with times that a section should be finished by, you can manage water intake easily! I admit that I don't really drink water as much as I should, this could really help! Man, now I'm thirsty!!

Oil and/or Oil in water
Currently, I use Taliah Waajid African Healing Oyl that I picked up from CVS a few weeks ago. It smells great and has a nice consistency, an added bonus is that it can be used on the skin, as expected with most natural oil blends. You honestly don't have to purchase this, even the stuff in your kitchen pantry would work. Olive oil, coconut oil, and almost any other natural oil in your grocery stores would work fine (no guys, Crisco does NOT count!). I also occasionally put about a 70/30 mix of water and oil respectively and put them in a spray bottle - not only am I getting some good hydration, my curls also get the benefit of all the good stuff found in the oil, be sure the shake the bottle first :) (a tip taken from naturallycurly.com!)


2. Shampoo and Conditioner

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Shampoo and Conditioner
Affectionately known in my book as "Crack in a Bottle", a friend of mine got me hooked on this stuff, and it's slowly starting to take over my hair care regimen (I just bought their Curl Enhancing Smoothie which will soon replace my Double Butter Cream). I LOVE the smell of this stuff, it's distinct but not overwhelming, and feels amazing every time I use them <3 Their conditioner doubles as a leave-in, which I used for the first time a few days ago for my two-strand twists (see my epic fail picture at the end of this post XD). I can't wait for the twist-out, I want to see how well I did considering this was my first time!! My hair just absorbs this stuff like crazy and feels super soft.

Organic Root Stimulator Packets

I use the Replenishing Pak as a deep conditioner on an irregular basis. I base whether or not to deep condition my hair depending on my activity - If I've done a lot of running around or working out, I like to use this to help freshen up my hair. I also just bought the HaiRepair conditioner, but I've never used it before - I assume based on the name, it does some major repairing to you hair. Apparently though my hair isn't as damaged as I thought it was, but I don't think there will be a problem in using it. My co-worker did my hair a few weeks ago, and was surprised how healthy my hair was! I was prepared for a trim and everything, but it wasn't necessary XD I was really happy. Her daughter had cut all her hair off about 4 months ahead of me, and now we're at about equal lengths! We couldn't help but laugh about it! But I really think she secretly wants to cut me .___.

3. Internal Care

Vitamins

Vitamins are 'vital' to your health - especially if you don't right like you should. You miss out on all the important things that can only be found in a healthy and well-rounded diet. I only say this because I am one of those people who will pick up the cookies before a carrot! While in the middle of my still-not-off-the-ground-but-will-soon-diet, I take vitamins, namely the One a Day Women's brand. I think any vitamins will do, just have something that's age and condition appropriate - don't grab the Flintstones! 

And finally! My week old twist out! It's holding up surprisingly well :D Everyone seems to like this look more than my afro, but by the time you read this post, it will back to a big 'ol cotton ball. <3 The second pic was out of boredom... BEHOLD THE POWER IF XIU XIU MEITU!! Scary and fake all at the same time, but that's because I purposely overdid it <3

Bye guys!! I leave you with Tobuscus.... because I simply love him <3 It's the gamer in me :)