circle lenses

they make you look downright cute.

ever wonder how some japanese magazine models have babydoll eyes? not just due impart to faux eyelashes and strategically drawn liquid eyeliner, but also due to CIRCLE LENSES.

if you've walked into a Don Quijote or ドンキ in japan (perhaps even in hawaii), you'll have come across a section consisting only of colored contact lenses. and not just any of those ordinary acuvue-ish colored contact lenses but actual fashionable colored contact lenses in just about every color you could imagine. they're larger than normal too by the way.

purple.

blue.

green.
gray.

brown.

hazel.

black.

yes black.

and the bigger they make your irises look, the better.

the cuter.

most definitely.

i love them.

i'm a fan.

i got them in brown.

Geo Angel Color Brown Circle Lenses.

more daring women out there will opt for purple or blue.

i wouldn't mind other shades of brown or black to be quite honest.

i wouldn't encourage regular use of these type of colored contact lenses or dependency on them but they definitely add a je ne sais quoi... okay no that's a lie. i know exactly what. it calls attention to a certain allure in your eyes and face. 

unless you want to brighten up your eyes a bit, i wouldn't suggest purchasing a pair.

if you do enough research on Google or Bing, you'll find that you can order pairs online. but do remember to canvas for prices first and compare shipping fees appropriate for your delivery address.

i ordered my pair (and it won't be the last time) from mycirclelens.com. they seem to have some choice of colors and styles to choose from. 

most websites will provide before and after photos for reference. 

but it will really be a matter of your personal taste coming into play.

enjoy! happy purchasing!

eye on the prize.

is it bad that the one goal i have right now is to return to tokyo?

i want nothing more than to touch down at Narita with a student visa. can't express how much i regret botching the opportunity i had that winter and summer in 2007 but there really is no point in looking back.

my stepdad asked me earlier today what i was studying for and i really couldn't admit that i've been dead set on getting enough school done so i could transfer to a university in japan. 

i left my heart there.

i've only just realized that...

and i intend to reunite with it.

2011.

来年東京へ戻るよきっと。

上智大学

♫ Eargasms

couldn't keep it at a bare minimum:

we've all made time to appreciate Calvin Harris.

how about i give another reason to continue doing that:

Ready for The Weekend (David Spoon Remix)

i'm several months behind in discovering interest in the track but who the hell cares.

it's sunday afternoon btw.
Find the humor in that.

DAY 1

I'm back on the Proactiv Solution regimen.

If anyone has known me long enough, they will have discovered my lifelong battle with acne. And I've had to tolerate different dermatologists and stick to several kinds of treatments to keep acne breakouts at bay.

One of which I'd fallen prey to was Proactiv... After some time, I suppose my body grew immune to the medicine. 8 years later and I'm giving it another shot.

Acne is incurable, whether caused by genetic makeup or lifestyle. But it can be controlled.

My blemished skin has always been the main reason for my occasional bouts of low esteem. and usually encourages my dependency on makeup though i realize that actually clogs up my pores, adding on to the problem. Bad enough redness and inflammation really show on my skin tone and complexion.

Jumping back on the Proactiv train is an attempt to substitute the regular dermatologist appointments I would be making if I were home in Manila. Seeing as I can't afford to see a dermatologist here in the US, let alone LA, a trusted treatment will have to suffice -- even if it is solely advertised on cable television.

Received the package in the mail earlier this morning.

Ordered the 5-piece Total Plus Solution with Advance Blemish Treatment for $29.95. 

Thank the internet gods for Paypal.

Here's to hoping I get good results and avoid looking like an unhealthy wreck.

I'll be taking note of the progress (or God-forbid, the lack thereof) from now on.
Let's see how this goes down.

24kt gold to go

expect more info on The Emirates Palace, soon.

snazzy digs

is it a house?

is it a trailer?

is it an egg?
is it a pod?

just kidding.

makes for a rather interesting, if not bewildering, living situation.


captured by Belgian photographer Frederik Vercruysse.

BLOB
dmvA architects

dmvA,

young Belgian architects and their firm described as follows:

They achieve durability by respecting program, budget and context, and by displaying advanced ideas on the use of materials. dmvA is not focused on one particular style. They act like screenwriters, turn the program into a screenplay, spaces into sequences and so allow the building to each time tell another story.They don’t want to be profiled as mathematic theorists, but as designers whose motives are emotion, involvement, art and sex. Their work may be characterized as plastical, strongly detailed architecture in which maximalism has been accomplished in a minimalistic way.

awestruck, i honestly am reminded of the japanese capsule hotels and their utilization of every nook and cranny available. in that respect, the design really messes with your depth perception.

i've been looking at these photos for hours and i still can't gauge its size in proportion to an average adult.

photos from desire to inspire and frederikvercruysse.be

quoted text from world-architects.com

♫ Eargasms

click.

listen.

save.

vote.

Some Chords (LightsoverLA dubstep remix)

VOTE

Click on the heart.

Tweet the track.

Share on Facebook.

PIMPIN FO SHO

ch-ch-check 'em out.

Budding haafu model in Tokyo and a fellow ISM alumnus, Kelley McLaughlin:

check out her ameblo and please don't be intimidated by her use of Japanese.

also, someone you ought to be familiar with is my sassy older sister Xeng Zulueta. a renowned makeup artist in Manila having trained under Shu Uemura . she's even graced the cover of the PI's more racy magazine publications.

on her motherfusser blog, she offers tips and recommendations on how to look your best year-round and with what -- whether you're on a budget or not.

photos from Kelley's ameblo, and Xeng's facebook profile.

♫ Eargasms

Feel-good song of 2010.
Officially released in January of this year but first debuted last September 2009.


Pursuit of Happiness (feat. MGMT & Ratatat)


chorus lyrics are as follows:
I'm on the pursuit of happiness and I know 
everything that shine ain't always gonna be gold 
I'll be fine once I get it, I'll be good

manila is my home

diyos ko 'day.

how i miss seeing the fray on streets of manila through this window shade sitting in the backseat of a chauffeur-driven car.

for the meantime, i have to endure being my own driver..... not that i don't enjoy it but i do miss other such spoils of the philippines: our mini schnauzer Charlie, excellent beyond amazing home-cooked meals, and seeing my dad off to work then greeting him as he returns. not to mention, an affordable night out and doing away with designated anything. ha ha.

TOP GEAR LOVE

would have loved to be part of the convoy this Aston One-77 led.

read all about it and more photos here.

muito saboroso!

after Mothers Day lunch on sunday along Main St. in Santa Monica, we walked past this truck:

serving lime sorbet and advocating a movement to change the label of a Brazilian liquor from "rum" to sugarcane extract or simply just cachaça. a matter of semantics really but a big deal nonetheless. 

Leblon is an alcoholic beverage that will sneak up on you btw. 

have a go, join their movement and check out their website for drink recipes.