Christmas in Iloilo (Part I)

Christmas is here and decor and Yulatide gigs are out! I'll be posting some sights around Iloilo City which somewhat brings out the Christmas Spirit in Ilonggos. First in the line-up is that jolly old man named Santa Claus!

Contact Lenses Review: Ice Dolly Nudy Grey

 Hey! It's been a while since I came up with any blogposts and so here I am with you guys with another contact lens review! This time my contact lenses are Ice Dolly Nudy Grey.

Usually I fear wearing dark colored contact lenses as they blend so well with my dark brown eyes however, Ice Dolly Nudy Grey is the exact opposite as it is actually very light colored. Just from the bottle alone you can see that it is light colored and with that it will pop out on dark eyes.

Ice Dolly Nudy Grey Contact Lens

The one thing that I don't really like about these lenses as they are very soft just like Sparkle and Berry. When wet they don't exactly form the C form well which gave me some time of putting them on. Plus they fold easily which is a bit frustrating as one move in trying to peel them apart may result into torn lenses. 

Torn lenses = useless.

But despite the difficulty on that, they are very comfortable to wear on! Plus as stated they pop out on dark colored eyes.

However they're a bit pricey comparing to Berry, Sparkle and Tiffany as it can come in the Php 400
 to Php 500. But it's a priced a bit less than GEO and EOS.

Me using the lenses at my Misya Arsellec Lune SINOBI trial

Hopefully this was helpful to you guys :)

<3 Phira

Contact Lenses Review: Crystal Lenses Violet 14.8 mm

Hey! How's everybody been doing? Hope you guys had a great weekend, I sure did since I enjoyed Cosplay Mania 2012 last weekend! :3 My experience will come at another blogpost since this one will be dedicated to one of my hauls (for myself) during the entire convention: 14.8 mm Violet Crystal Lenses!

14.8 mm Crystal Lenses

I bought these babies because I wanted to buy new lenses onsite for my Chitanda cosplay (Day 2 of Cosmania) however, I couldn't find the time to put them on :< Also I originally wanted to buy two lenses (EOS ones violet and red) but it was waaay out of budget so I settled for these (sadly they ran out of red for Crystal Lenses -sigh- oh well). I bought these babies from GWYshop (as I was claiming my Chitanda Sherlock hat from Ate Jayne of Hatah Hatah, they shared a booth by the way) and I absolutely LOVE them. Oh and if you're curious I got them for 300php complete with case and solution, great deal huh?

Closer look of Crystal Lenses

Why do I love them? One, they're more manageable and more vivid than my Berry Lenses. How vivid? Well, when wearing my Berry Lenses I had to make use of flash and lighting to make them visible in pictures (because my eyes are really dark brown so it's hard to make the colors pop with my eyes) but with Crystal Lenses I don't need to abuse flash that much and I can make use of simple lighting to make the color pop out. This is important for those with dark eyes and are desperate for a change in collor. Aside from that I could tell the inside from the outside as the inside seems to have an odd coloration from the fusion of colors near the rim (at the junction of the violet and the black) which is a plus since I sometimes cannot distinguish concaved lenses from convexed lenses.

What I don't like about them. The downside is that the lenses are a bit small (mind you it's 14.8 mm NOT 15mm) so it took me some time of getting used to, even irritating my eyes during first use (so I had to take them out again) but soon after my eyes just got used to it. I also had a bit of discomfort feeling the edges touching my lids but it was only during the first application. I also observed that it moved a lot than my Berry Lenses, making me a bit frightened that I might get another contact-sticking-to-eyelid experience again. So if you can't afford GEO or EOS lenses (which are still number one when it comes to lenses) try Crystal Lenses.

Simple make up and falsies for added omph but nonetheless the lenses were more dominant. Eru Chitanda trial

The review isn't much but hopefully its helpful :)

Amazing Cosplay Videos Caught on Tape Entry #5

Anigumi Joukai entered the Amazing Cosplay Videos Caught on Tape! Please help us by clicking the link and liking it! <3

Amazing Cosplay Videos Caught on Tape Entry #5

Product Review: Etude House Body Maker Hot Patch

It's a rare occasion that I would buy something from the infamous Etude House here in our place (aside  from oogling on how cute and pink the interior is) but I promised to try something out (and curiousity beckons at me)

According to the product (and the sales girl) Etude House Body Maker Hot Patch is an alternative from their oil massage version. Think of it as a Salonpas that can "slim" you down. Of course, out of curiosity's sake (and to see if its really effective) I purchased to serve as a trial.

The packet contains two adhesives that smells like peppermint, in which I liked. It is easily removed and is good for one use and its not itchy or irritating.

However, the"heat" that it claims only lasts up to 10 minutes or so and doesn't last up to the 4-hour minimum.

I'd say I'd give this product a 1.5 out of 3 stars.

Better buy those gym adhesive belts/corsets instead and lessen sweets or drink more water if you wanna lose a few pounds.

Online Shopping Etiquette: For the Customer

Online Shopping Etiquette for Buyers

As an online shopper for four years, and an online merchant for cosplay wigs, accessories and contact lenses (and a re-seller of Hatah Hatah hats) for almost a year now, I have seen the boom of the e-commerce community – and also the boom of a lot of scammers on both sides.

So you're a new online shopper and you've got your pretty eye on an item? So how do you go about the transaction?

As an online shopper, one has to know that online shops function almost like the shops we go to at malls and such except transactions are done online and there are waiting times such as processing and delivery.

  

1. Read the Terms and Conditions. One of the biggest faults an online buyer forgets is to read the terms and conditions of the shop. Online shops are also run by people, often by students, housewives or small time professionals looking for an extra source of income and often are comprised of one person. For their benefit, they write their terms and conditions on notes provided by their sites, for example Facebook, you can find most Terms and Conditions in their Notes or Albums. 



An example of a Terms and Conditions page

2. 2. Like Pages have Order Form Apps. With shops slowly drifting to the convenience of like pages (because they do not have friend limits or photo limits) they now come with form applications to, not only make transactions easier, but also to keep a steady and passive record of those who have "finalized" their orders. This is also a reason why us shop keepers can keep track of our clients especially bogus buyers.

   

   An example of the navigation buttons with the Order Form apps of a shop's Like Page

   

   How an Order Form looks like

3. Be courteous and patient. Some of us online shop keepers have our own jobs outside for the computer, for me I am also working as a journalist and a writer, so it may take us sometime to answer to your queries. Also be courteous as we also have feelings too and often conversations online can be mistaken especially when one is writing in CAPS.
4. Follow their instructions. Meet up points and dates are always set up by seller for the convenience of their buyers and themselves and are often set in public areas like SM. A good seller doesn't set up meet up points at night (where on is susceptible to trouble such as hold-ups and kidnapping) or at unfamiliar places for them. Take note that sellers are not super heroes and doesn't memorize every location in your area so please do not insist them to visit your area especially if you live far away.
5. Be sure with your transactions. What we hate the most are joy reservers and bogus buyers. This also takes a toll on the shop as it chases away potential buyers or delays a batch.
6. If in doubt always ask around. As a buyer, one cannot fathom the doubt lingering over a shop's legitimacy. It's best to ask around if you are in doubt of the proof albums.

If I missed out anything, please list down your suggestions and comments at the comment box! :) 

MSG-free food at Hong Kong Kitchen

Photo credits to Sir Ram.

This is a seriously delayed post as I have been so busy with work and all but I just need to share an awesome gourmet experience here in our city.

  
 Hong Kong Kitchen, a Chinese restaurant here in Iloilo invited me and a couple of my friends out to try their food at their reopening. And I have to say the food there is A.W.E.S.O.M.E. Sure, I have eaten so much Chinese in my life (given that my family is also a art Chinese) but this restaurant's gotten my taste buds intrigued.

Hong Kong Kitchen has been serving MSG-free meals for a couple of years now and if you were in my shoes you would appreciate MSG-free food. Why? Because the food doesn't taste the same! At each dish you would savor you would feel that the flavor explodes in your mouth in a natural way. 

Duck with Mashed Potato

As I would quote from an anime I would watch when I was young, "There's a spring in my mouth!"

Mark WTH are you doing with your food?!

Science Trivia: (Source MedicineNet.com)

MSG is monosodium glutamate which is an flavor enhancer and a key ingredient for cuisines in China and Japan. MSG is associated with the "Chinese restaurant syndrome" in which symptoms include ehadaches, dizziness, facial pressure, tightness of the jaw, tingling sensations, chest and back pain. High amounts of MSG may result into widening of the arteries. However, some do not believe this and often associate it as an allergic reaction.

Filler Post of the Day

Found this randomly while FaceBook-ing:

You can find the picture from this link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=263265263775066&set=a.172274696207457.26274.168594109908849&type=1

Random Photo Post: Akiko Shikata's Laylania

Look what came just the other day?! It's Akiko Shikata's Laylania Limited Edition! And to think CD Japan sold it for less than 1,500php. Cheaper than Playlist Asia's. Will really buy again from them =w= Expect a music review about it soon!

Anijou's Mascots!

Anijou mascots. Can you name them all?
Art by Sam Suansing

So, I heard you've attended this Anijou event, ne? You look around and see this peculiar artwork bearing not only the schedule but also the guild's logo. Is this some kind of mascot?

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the Anigumi Joukai mascots.

Apparently, before Anijou didn't have mascots during their events. They would usually come and go and make posters and such to promote the event. However, things took a different turn for the 2011 October event.

October has always been a special month for Anijou as not only it marked the month of Anijou's first main event, it was also one of the reasons why the guild was formed. But enough about history, let's talk about the first mascot: the Gamehouse Clash mascot/Gamehouse-chan; better known as Asobi-chan.

Asobi-chan, October 2011 Gamehouse Clash Mascot. Can you see the different consoles on her?
Conceptualized and drawn by Audrey San Juan 

I actually can't remember the exact date on when or how did the organizing team thought of creating a mascot for the event (although my gut feeling tells me it was Audrey's ingenious idea from the start). All I remember is that sketches began popping up in the organizing team's chat page and it stuck all the way to the end.

Old sketch of Asobi-chan by Audrey

If you are keen enough, you could see that her outfit sports hints of different gaming platforms such as XBox and Playstation. Her name, Asobi, is means play in Japanese and was coined by yours truly (what a shameless plug in there ^_^;;)

Unfortunately, I cannot find her chibi form. Yes she had a deformed form but somehow I cannot find it in the older posts of the group.

If you would notice that Asobi has a bit of a different look in her old sketch. Instead of wearing a one piece suit, the old sketch is a two piece outfit. The only ones that were carried over to the final design were the gaming console icons.






Next, are two very familiar faces if you guys have attended the cosplay cafes on February 2012 at Brew Burgers and May 2012 at Book Latte.

Love and Struck.
Conceptualiazed and drawn by Sam Suansing
Layout by Audrey San Juan
February 2012 Cosplay Cafe @ Brew Burgers

The first time these two lovebirds appeared was during the February 2012 Cosplay Cafe held at Brew Burgers. The name was thought up randomly by me (again). Why Love and Struck? Basically the cafe was on a February and that month is basically the month of love so Lovestruck. These two served as the meal tickets/bookmark souvenirs for the cafe customers. Apparently they were quite popular, most especially Struck (?) in which there wasn't enough bookmarks to go around. Added bonus, for the first time, Brew Burgers was completely full and sold out, as said by the owners Sir Richard and Sir Babak.

Love & Struck for the Book Latte Cosplay Cafe
Art and Layout by Sam Suansing

\The next time these two appeared was during the Book Latte Cosplay Cafe event. Now, if you guys can still remember it well, that cafe was solely focused on cosplays that involved characters from books and fairytails. Examples would be Death from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman and Snow White. However, there were some who chose to cosplay characters from their favorite anime series and manga. An example would be Inu x Boku.

Love Ticket/Bookmark souvenir 

Struck Ticket/ Bookmark souvenir

Once again, Love and Struck adorned not only the posters but also the ticket/bookmark souvenirs. As I, myself, wasn't completely present in the event, I'm not too sure on successful it was nor was the event sold out.

Ai-Expo's (Anijou Iloilo) Mascot: May-chan
Art by Audrey San Juan

Early sketch of May-chan by Audrey San Juan

The last in the line up is the very familiar May-chan. Not only does she adorn every single form laid out on the Anigumi Joukai table, she is also found on the promotional posters, Facebook page and the tarpaulins. She was conceived, designed and drawn by Audrey San Juan, the resident artist/advertising designer of Anijou. Audrey was the one who coined her name, probably because that Ai-Expo was held in the month of May.

May-chan looks like a kitsu-mimi (or rather a girl with fox ears and tail). I'm not too sure if this is the indirect effect of the Fate game for the PSP on her as it just dawned on me that she might be inspired indirectly from Caster (Tamamo-noMae). Nonetheless, May-chan's quite cute.

chibi!May-chan with the Ai-Expo logo
All by Audrey San Juan

And there you have it! Now you know who are the Anijou mascots. Hopefully, this was a bit helpful to you. Until next blog post! >_<

Contact lenses in a nutshell

Okay, now in cosplay some of us are really quite nuts about detail and all the jazz to the point that we also give our eyes “costumes”. Enter Photoshop where eye color can be changed in a second. But some people can still tell the difference between the Photoshopped eyes to the natural ones, which is why to make things more “natural” (for Lolitas, to make them more kawaii or doll-like or for those Naruto fans, sharigans) contact lenses have become our best friend.

Berry Lens Charm Blue 16 mm. SO BLUE - with flash that is.

So generally speaking, What are contact lenses?

Contact lenses are these small disks made from either plastic or silicone (think of those packets they put in shoe boxes or silicon breasts for cancer patients but small and for the eyes) which is used to correct eye problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. People who had surgery for cataracts also use them. You can say that they are the miniature and the handier version of prescription glasses.

Okay here’s the little scientific explanation of how contact lenses stick in your eye. If you don’t understand, you can skip this part. Contact lenses stick to the tear film, which covers the front of the eye. This is done so because whenever the eyelid blinks the movement causes the lens to move slightly therefore allowing fresh tears to flow under the lens providing ample lubrication and oxygen.

There are two types of contact lenses, the HARD and the SOFT lenses. These two categories are further divided into sub-categories. But we are more familiar with the soft lenses since these are usually the lenses used in cosplay.

Sparkle Anime Lenses

The most popular among these would be the fashion lenses or tinted soft lenses.

Like most accessories and gadgets, contact lenses also have a wear and tear or an expiration date, and will most likely come fast when used improperly. When that does happen one can damage their eyes.

Here are just some facts that a first timer should know. (prepare yourself for a long wall of text!)

• Always do a visual check on the lens.

Contact lenses are always packaged in a transparent container so before opening it run a visual check on the lens. This is to ensure that the right type of lens arrives at your doorstep or detect any defects on the lens so that you can get a replacement. If you don’t and insert those damaged lenses in your eye, you might seriously hurt them. Yikes!

• How would I know if my contact lenses are inside-out?

The trick is to place the lens on your finger so that a cup is formed. Then hold the lens up directly in front of your eyes so you're looking at the side of the cup. If the lens forms a "U" with the top edges flared out, it's inside out. If it forms just a "U," it's in the correct position. If you're wearing lenses with a handling tint, another way is to place the lens on your fingertip and then look down at it. The edge of a tinted lens should look very blue (or green, depending on the tint); that won't be the case if the lens is inverted.

Some contact lenses also have a laser marking, such as the brand name, on the edge to help you. If you can read it properly, the lens is not inside out. Don't worry if you place a contact lens in your eye inside out. The lens will feel uncomfortable, but it can't do any damage. But do take note that if there are any irregularities with the lens don’t apply them just yet because there must be something wrong with them and could potentially damage your eyes.

When I placed my lenses during the first time, I found out that my eye gets irritated when the lens is inside out. A bit itchy but it is an effective indicator.

• Never put on contact lenses if your nails are long

This one’s pretty self explanatory. Seriously, are you trying to hurt yourself?

• Wash your hands before placing and removing your contact lens

This is definitely a must, and a note for good hygiene, since dirty hands can contaminate your contact lens and would most likely lead to problems such as infection. Also, you might introduce debris, such as dust, to your eyes and will likely get caught in between. Also avoid scented or oily soaps, especially which contains lanolin and moisturizing lotion for it may adhere to the surface of the lens. Think of it as placing a dirty hand in your mouth. You wouldn’t want that don’t you?

Drugstores like Mercury and Watsons provide lens lubricants and a 360mL bottle doesn’t cost that much. It’s better to buy the big bottles as it will really be worth your money.

Another tidbit, never touch or let anything touch the opening of your bottles. The solutions are highly sterilized and sensitive to dirt and such and you’ll be a goner if those get dirty.

• Always keep your lenses lubricated and clean after use

Despite that the lenses are naturally lubricated by tears, would be best to apply eye lubricants from time to time to avoid redness and dry eyes. Also clean after use to prevent bacteria from forming on the lenses. Eye Mo’s a good lubricant for your eyes although it’s a bit expensive

• Do not wear your contacts overnight.

Even if the packaging would say that the lenses are good for a month or more than that however improper care would speed up the expiration. Wearing lenses overnight would place you in a higher risk of infection so it’s best to give your eyes their well-deserved rest.

• Wear your contacts first before putting on make-up.

This is because make up sticks to the lenses and is hard to flush out and would most likely lead to contamination and irritation when applied to the eye. Choose makeup that would less likely get into your eye.

However, this doesn’t really apply to everyone. If you’re good enough, placing make-up before putting on lenses is a good option as sometimes, while putting on makeup, the lens might stick up to your eyelids.

• If persistent discomfort persists, see an ophthalmologist.

Wearing contacts may make one look cool but if it’s your first time wearing them, there will be a discomfort that would most likely last for 10 minutes max. However, if the discomfort persists if would be highly recommended that one should see an ophthalmologist. This is because one may be allergic or have eye defects without knowing it or your eyes are not really suitable for contact lenses at all.

Aiyana AkaSakura as Sakura Kinimoto. She's wearing Berry Lens Charm Green

A few more notes for the first timer:

Carefully follow the cleaning instructions for your lenses. Keep your lenses and all supplies very clean and do not for get to clean you hands before inserting or even removing your contact lenses. 

Use the lens care system your eye specialist recommends. Do not mix products, because they may not be compatible. Never use homemade saline solutions. (They can be easily contaminated with bacteria.)

Never wet your lenses with saliva or place lenses in your mouth. The bacteria that are naturally present in your mouth may cause an eye infection.

Always rinse the lens storage case and let it air-dry to avoid contamination. Never use tap water to rinse or store your lenses.

Visit your eye doctor once a year to check the condition of your lenses and the health of your eyes.

Contact lenses, especially soft lenses, may absorb eye drops, which can cause problems. If you use eye medicines, leave your lenses out for about 30 minutes after using the eye drops.

Decorative color lenses can cause eye problems, such as damage to the cornea or eye infections, just as easily as contact lenses worn for vision correction. To avoid eye problems, be sure to follow the directions for cleaning and wearing these lenses.

Enjoy!

Sources:

http://www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/contact-lens-tips.htm

http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/346/main.html

http://fashioncontactlenses.blogspot.com/2009/03/side-effects-of-fashion-contact-lenses.html

http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/contact-lenses

Not just your average costumes

In the recent years, Iloilo City found itself swarming with odd kids (and kids-at-heart) on the streets and malls in eccentric costumes. Most of them even looking like they had just taken a head dive into their flatscreens and emerged in the characters' outfits. Apparently, Iloilo is finally catching up to the "phenomenon" called cosplay.

But wait, a minute! What is this cosplay that I am talking about?

Naruto! Stop bugging me when I'm about to talk to Sasuke-kun!

Cosplay or costume play is a Japanese subculture in which one dresses up in various types of outfits because in cosplay you are no longer yourself but rather, you are the character you are dressing up as. Usually people who cosplay are often seen as characters from various anime and manga hailing from Japan but generally, cosplay doesn’t limit itself to that. One can also cosplay various, games, movies, comic books, graphic novels, even to some extent, TV personalities like Manny Pacquiao.

What makes cosplay different from the costumes in Halloween events or themed parties for children?

"The white angel is actually a demon" - Sheryl Nome, Universal Bunny

That one’s simple.

Cosplay requires the player to think out of the box in terms of creativity because the main point of cosplay is bringing one’s character to life both in terms of costume, props and projection. This somewhat a very similar contrast on how an actor should portray his character on stage. It exercises the creativity and ability of a person to be resourceful in crafting their costumes and props. Many cosplayers often sew and build their costumes and props such as armor and swords from scratch. Also in cosplay one can exercise reaching out to others and gaining friends and earning trust and respect as equal hobbyists as well as knowing other techniques on crafting costumes from fellow cosplayers.

Cosplay, like theater arts, also involves the player to get to know his or her character to be able to act the character out. Just like in the theater, the cosplayer goes to an extent to act out the character for fellow otakus in gathers or events which is one of the key points in cosplaying.

Hmm... a showdown between Roy Mustang and Itachi

A sad drawback about cosplay is the time as well as money in crafting the costumes. Most cosplayers save up for their costumes since majority of them are still students while some find means, like setting up shops or part-time jobs, to find extra cash for their creations. Also time constraint and management is a huge chunk in this hobby.

Nonetheless, it helps the person manage as well as prioritize what is to be prioritized first in terms of hobbies. Cosplay is also more than just a hobby it is a way of expression and a way to gain respect and friends.

Jherben is so sexy