Relevance Highlight Tip in Pink 1,260yen
In Japan and Korea, it's a popular technique to apply bright eyeshadow under eyes to emphasize eye-bags so that your eyes look bigger.
Here's an example. This girl is a member of AKB48 (which I don't understand why they even exist) and I guess she's one of those people who created this trend besides the Korean pop stars. You can see the eyeshadow under her eyes clearly, and it's easy to imagine that without this highlight effect, she would look completely different.
I wasn't interested in this trend because I have really bad dark circles under my eyes and blending it with eyeshadow didn't seem to be a good idea. But as I received this product as a PR sample, I thought to give it a try
The packaging looks cheap and boring. I don't care too much about packaging but this one didn't impress me at all.
Basically it has this eyeshadow inside of the lid. This sponge applicator is easy to apply and it's handy to carry around, much better than having a brush and eyeshadow separately in my purse.
It's sheer but has pretty visible glitters in it. I'm not a big fan of this glitter effect because it goes everywhere and makes my eye areas all glittery. I wish it was shimmery rather than glittery.
Can you see my eye bags? (Not the dark circles please!) I think it works well in terms of
emphasizing the eye bags. But it doesn't last long and as I mentioned, glitters go everywhere. I wish it was a bit more long lasting and less glittery. I use it almost every day when I wear makeup, but I don't think I would spend 1260yen (about $13.5) on it.
What's your thoughts about this product? Are you interested?
Recently I've been reading these books to improve my blog. I first got to know about this book called Blog INC. when Anna from Vivianna Does Makeup mentioned on Instagram. It looked interesting and just because I'm a book addict, I immediately checked it out on Amazon.co.jp. I ended up purchasing two books related to blogging, including Blog INC.
Blog INC. is written by Joy Deangdeelert Cho who is a graphic designer, blogger, food enthusiast, and the founder and editor of the blog called "Oh Joy". Her blog is full of beautiful photos which maintains a consistent theme and the sense of herself. This book was published in September 2012 so it's pretty new and I heard a lot of bloggers are actually raving about this book.
I've been reading this book for more than a month but haven't reached the part to actually start a blog yet. (Just because I'm slow...! There's been too much to do and I haven't been able to concentrate) It's written well and must be the perfect book for beginners as it directs you from the very beginning of starting up a blog.
Here are some contents. It has many interviews with popular bloggers who give you tips based on their own experiences. I have learnt a lot already because nothing is more convincing than reading true stories.
The font is really easy to read, the paper is in a very good quality, the design is nice...There's nothing bad about this book so far. If you're interested in starting up a blog or expanding and improving your blog, this book would be perfect for you.
Another book I purchased is Blogging for Creatives. I actually haven't started reading this book yet but I bought it because it looked nice. Simple. It has many photos in it directing how to create a blog with a sense of yourself.
Unlike Blog INC., it's full-colour and has loads of photos. It's more like a blogging guidebook. It's got photos of some popular blogs for reference, and it boosts your imagination.
Have you read any books about blogging? Which one is your favoruite? Let me know!
As I don't usually write about myself here, I thought it would be nice to have a post about me once in a while!
1. I'm a vegetarian who eats dairy and fish sometimes.
I eat fish only because it's hard to live as a vegetarian in Japan because restaurants don't have a vegetarian option. If you don't eat either meat and fish, it's really hard to survive in Japan.
2. I went abroad for the first time in 2012.
Last summer I went to London. It was my first time to go abroad, and I was so happy to be surrounded by English. I was like "Look, everything is written in English! It's heaven!"
3. I'm kind of a clean freak.
I'm pretty lazy to clean up my room and stuff, but I think I am a clean freak. I don't like touching anything in the train, I hate sharing a towel at the office, I don't like using cutlery at a restaurant, I don't like home-made food made by someone not close...and so on.
4. I hate novels.
It took me almost 20 years to find out that I hate novels. I'm not good at imagining something in my head I guess, so it's really hard for me to picture the scenes while reading. I like self-help, how-to, cooking and studying related books but I hate novels.
5. I'm a very "black or white" person.
I don't like being "gray" because it feels incomplete.
6. I've been colouring my hair for 10 years.
Not only colour but also perm, to be honest! I started colouring my hair when I was 18, and I've been colouring it every 3 months since then. It must be bad for my scalp and health even, but I cannot imagine myself with dark brown hair which is my natural colour. Also my hair doesn't have volume much so I've been getting perm once or twice a year. Not good, I know!
7. I don't wear skirt or shorts.
I don't feel comfortable showing off my legs so I always wear jeans or trousers. My legs especially the ankles are pretty thin and some people made mean comments about them in the past.
8. I wanted to be a makeup artist.
I wanted to study beauty in London to become a makeup artist. This dream kept me going and saved me from going down a wrong road in my teenage life. Although it didn't come true, I'm glad that I had this dream.
9. I have panic attack.
I don't panic about small things, it just happens to my body. I get sick wherever, it doesn't matter whom I'm with, it just happens. I'm not taking medication but sometimes it's hard to live with it.
10. I love TV series.
Friends, 90210, Gossip Girl, Medium, Grey's Anatomy, Made in Chelsea, America's Next Top Model, Britain's Next Top Model, Teen Mom, Ally McBeal, Desperate Housewives, Dog Whisperer etc etc...
11. I don't wear / own leather.
It's related to the fact No.1. I don't eat meat, and I don't own leather.
12. I'm very close to my mum.
I was born when she was 21. She didn't have friends in Tokyo and she was always at home with me. I was a pretty shy girl and was always hiding behind my mum's back. Since I was a kid, I tell her everything and we give each other advice. She is the coolest and most loving mum.
13. I hate cooking just for myself.
Although cooking is one of my biggest hobbies, I don't like cooking just for myself. I love cooking for my family on Sunday. I love it when my food makes my loved ones happy.
14. I used to be scared of men.
Until I was about 15, I was scared of men. I didn't like men. Even male teachers gave me goosebumps. I know it's rude, but I couldn't help it. Maybe just because my dad was always away being busy with work, but I had a fear of men.
15. I love aromatherapy.
I once studied aromatherapy. I love the scent of essential oils which is totally different from artificial perfume. I am very interested in psychology, and aromatherapy has a very strong connection with psychology. That's the part I love the most about it.
16. I loved Jack Black until he disappeared.
Where's he gone now? I loved him so much especially when The School of Rock came out, he was so cute in that movie. I know, I know. I know what you want to say about it.
17. The name "Nicole" came from Nicole Kidman.
It was a nickname between me and my client back in 2006. Nobody else calls me Nicole, and nobody around me except my family know that I'm blogging under the name of Nicole.
18. I love Spring and Summer.
That means I hate Winter. When it's warm and sunny outside, I become instantly a happy girl. I appreciate life and become really active.
19. I don't like going to bed.
Since I was a little girl, I've been loving staying awake until late. When I wasn't working because of my health issue, I stayed awake until 5-6am. Even now I sometimes stay awake until really late on weekends. The reason why I do that is very simple; I feel like it's a waste to sleep. Although I end up sleeping until 4pm and waste the whole day next day.
20. I'm not good at sports.
I cannot swim. I cannot ride a bike, which means of course I cannot drive. I cannot run fast. I'm not sure if I can run, even. I tried YOGA but it was too hard for my body which doesn't have enough muscles. I cannot throw a ball straight. In school, nobody wanted me in their team because I was useless. When someone passed me the ball, I would run away from it because I was scared. Recently I feel the need of exercise, but you know why I don't do any of it. I simply can't!
