Cut the pants so that it becomes a pair of shorts. Cut the middle part so that it will flow like a skirt.

The trimmed long pants should likewise be cut in order to use it as a strap.  Cut  only a thin portion like 2-4 inches.  You should be able to produce at least 4 strips as this will be used as the strap of the backpack.

sew the edge of the trimmed pants in order to make a balloon effect as this will be the main b

a preloved printed cloth maybe used as a design or an accent, choose where you want to place them:)

sew in order to connect the short strip of cloth from the trimmed long pants in order to make them lengthy and good as a strap

sew the edge of the strap in between the corner of the opening of the body of the bag while the other one on the edge of the bag in order to make a backpack strap. do it again for the other side.

THE FINISHED product.  there you go!  simple yet stylish and functional.  You can use a sewing machine or bring it to a tailor shop so they can  sew it professionally:)

promise it will look good and make it more sturdy!

Quezon City---Cosplayers have indeed found a second home in the jungle of Ninoy Aquino Wildlife as it comfortably provides a natural venue to satisfy the lens of many photographers as cosplayers pull off their costumes and internalize their character roles to altogether perform that brave act of “cosplaying.”

I say brave because, as a fan of anime, I admit that I haven’t got that confidence or probably explored on that skill of cosplaying. 

You may regard this blog then as my way of extending my appreciation to cosplayers’, anime lovers’, and even art lovers’ respect and passion to the realm of cosplay.

Cosplay 101

Cosplay or kosupre is short for costume play says Wiki, which refers to an “activity which participants wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea from a work of fiction.”

However based on my observation amongst cosplayers I’ve interviewed and I’ve seen, this definition of cosplay goes beyond just merely wearing it and projecting a character for another picture.

Cosplay is about the craft, the talent, that passion to justify a character from a fiction story, a world conceptualize from an imaginative mind, an art itself.

It was then a pleasure to attend a cosplay event of one of the most active and respected cosplay organizations in the Philippines, the Otaku Urule.  A non profit organization that opens opportunities for cosplayers (amateur, professional/ and interested ones) to gather and play.  Otaku Urule’s members meet on a regular basis to know each other, familiarize themselves with each other and learn from each others’ craft while growing in a productive and progressive family of cosplayers, photographers, anime lovers, followers and enthusiasts through a series of invitational photoshoots.

Last Sunday, (Sept 2, 2013), was their 8th Otaku Urule Invitational Photoshoot (IOP) special edition in which the twist was “animarriage.” I was told that before the day ends, there will be couple/s who will get married as they have mounted their animarriage booth.

According to Chairman and Co-founder of Otaku Urule, Rg  Gamurot II (kuyawajie), Otaku Urule has 200 participants who attended that day which is composed of cosplayers and photographers mainly. Otaku events however, are planned and implemented smoothly by the 30 core people working together to organize thebeneficiary is Red Cross particularly aiming to help the recent Habagat victims. 

In fact Otaku Urule has been doing chartable works since 2003 with which amongst institution they have helped include Child House Foundation Ricky Reyes, Philippine General Hospital, Red Cross and Asociacion de Damas de Filipinas.”

Another purpose of cosplaying is to create a venue for the youth to express themselves through this art and use their energy to something worth their while. 

Based on research, the term otaku in fact has a rather negative meaning as it pertains to a person who stays at home all the time and doesn’t have a “life” ---“no social life, no love life, no dreams, no plans”---somebody who is kind of boring in a sense.  However, they are likewise described to be as individuals who consume too much of their time by watching anime, playing video games or surfing the net as according to urban dictionary, otaku is likewise used top refer to a nerd, a hacker, or a programmer.

This is personally find very interesting, well you see, a nerd or a hacker or programmer for that matter actually has got themselves really bright ideas right? (haha) I meant, programming and hacking needs a lot of thinking so I don’t think an otaku person is indeed boring. 

Anyway, otaku, the term, is given a new and more positive definition by this community of cosplayers through Otaku Urule.  Chairman Rg shared that Urule literally tells their audience that “Otakus* actually Rule” and in the positive sense, they are individuals that are leaders themselves, masters of their own crafts, and visionaries of their goals that are actually one with our society’s.

Allow me to introduce you then to three lovely Otaku Urule participants I have interviewedJ

Carla Conejar, 29, senior technician by profession

Carla is cosplaying a Japanese fashion known as Lolita. She is one of the 30 core officers/ event organizers of Otaku Urule. According to her, Otaku Urule community provides a sense of belongingness or a family to its members that is why many participants have been really active in attending the organization’s events.  Through the events, first timers or newbies get to mingle and be grouped with professional ones (both cosplayers and photographers) in which they fill in the gaps in their respective fields.  For instance, new cosplayers are able to interact with older ones whom they can get tips on where to buy cheaper materials for their costumes, how to choose 2nd hand quality costumes and the like; meanwhile photographers share their skills in capturing photos especially when you are doing it outdoor and using natural light. 

Being a mom to a six year-old, Ms. Carla impressed me with her youthful and vibrant attitude.  I guess her love for this craft brings out the natural youthfulness in her.  

Leilanie Miranda, 24

Ms.leilanie is cosplaying a casual Mikuhatsune game character.  According to her she started with this craft in 2005.  Leilani mentioned that part of the obstacles in cosplay would be the budget for the costumes especially when the person intends to cosplay a character that would need too many resources.  Her tip?  Study your chosen character, look for a couple of them so you can choose which one is practically appealing to your budget.  Cosplay doesn’t have to be expensive. There are ways and there are a number of diskarte you can apply.  Cosplay is for everyone.  

CK Soguilon, 19, ICCT Colleges programming student

Ck is cosplaying Nidalee of League of Legends.  According to her, the love for cosplay craft started when she was younger--- actually, when she saw SailorMoon TV show and wanted to be like “Sailor Mars” at some point back in 1998.  But only 10 years after, in 2008 when she saw a cosplay event in Megamall that even reinforced her childhood dream.  since then, she has established herself as one of the professional cosplayers as she have earned a number of experience participating in cosplay events, competition and the like. 

I was surprised as this girl is really talented, she knows how to paint, sew and literally make the costumes for herself and for other cosplayers as well.  She disclosed that she and her boyfriend were able to make costumes for other cosplayers (real talent I must say!)

Rubber sheets and EVA foam are cosplayers’ favorite material for making costumes according to her.  For those who are not aware, you can get more supplies of these in Marikina, after all, this is where durable shoes are made right?:)

Reycelle Garido, 15, UST HS student

One of the youngest I have interviewed and probably considered a not-so-newbie in the cosplay realm, Reycelle gave justice to Akazukin Cha cha! (a favorite of mine too!) This gal admits that she thinks her costume isn’t the best version yet but I can say that the way she projects herself wearing the costume actually gave that “akazukin-impression” real good. I admire her truthfulness and her being humble about her experience as a cosplayer especially when she shared that yeah of course considering her age and resources it would be quite hard for her to come up with more quality and detailed costumes to wear.  After all, her cosplay journey just turned 1, since she started it just last year.  Reycelle hopes to do more cosplay gigs and probably join competitions.  I asked her whether she will sell the costume after using it, she said she plans to keep it, when she gets more resources she might probably sell it and replace it with a better version of Akazukin Cha Cha costume. 

Shaira Villagarcia

Shaira is cosplaying sakura Miku, she started cosplaying 2011 of April.  According to her, she chose the character since she had traded her wig for it and so she plans to wear it for that event’s shoot.  Shaira and Reycelle were of the same group when I found them.  At first I thought they were long time friends but actually they just met there!

I didn't expect that this lipstick can be as dry as an old pastel crayon stuck in a drawer for years.  

This was really the initial reaction i had when i first applied Mac Ruby Woo on my lips.  The first aplication didn't even seem to cover heavily on my lower lip as the dryness refuses to color my lips fast and solid-strong.  

And yet, I still find Ruby Woo as one of the sexiest red red red lipsticks there is:)

My recent purchase of Mac lipstick has got to be Ruby Woo, I said to myself months ago after purchasing Mac candy yum yum (click on link for my write up on lipsticks and some tints _) which has neon pink shade.  

Though I met Ruby Woo during my first Mac purchase, I still chose Mac Russian Red as it was very well-recommended by the Mac booth attendants.  Perhaps as a first time user of the brand Mac, they knew that Ruby Woo would quite surprise me (and perhaps turn me off!) But it didn't. 

After reading few reviews about Mac Ruby Woo, I decided to give it a try and see what they really meant by Ruby Woo causing the lips "dry."

Ruby Woo: How was it then?

My verdict: well. It-is-dry. Mac Ruby Woo has a matte-finish just like Russian Red except that Ruby Woo is seriously FLAT and DRY.  Russian Red, though matte and likewise dries my lips a lot, has a shinier finish and thus smoother effect (like by 2%) compared to Ruby Woo. 

Mac Ruby Woo costs 1000php in Mac Trinoma.  You can check it out and apply it on your lips to see if it fits "your kind of lipstick." 

I can say that I'm a little "sadista" when it comes to my lips as i do not have the habit of putting on lip balm and/or lip gloss to smoothen it.

I like my lips dry and chapped.  I don't feel comfortable with sticky, shiny lips (don't ask me why, I really do not know why I have that kind of preference).  
 i supposed this is the very reason why I fell in love with the brand Mac, especially their matte lipsticks as it is the only brand that makes my lips real dry compared to other brands that have matte-labels but produce satin-finish on the lips. 

Shown here in the picture are MAC russian red, retro and ruby woo swatches:
 top pictures shows  ruby woo (first application).
left picture: 
first line is russian red
second line is retro
third line is ruby woo
on a pale/ fairer skin (white complexion).

Meanwhile, the right side of the picture shows the same order of lipstick swatches only applied on a medium-skin complexion.

So far, Ruby Woo completed my most coveted Mac top finalists!  

(1) Russian Red though is still my favorite. Classy and lovely. first application, you get the red red red that you want!
(2) Creme Puff (not on the picture) is the least of my favorite because it has a pale pink almost nude effect that makes me look sick when i apply it.
(3) Candy Yumyum is the most girly and fashionable barbie pink lipstick that I have so I carry it with me whenever my mood suddenly swings.... :)
(4) Retro is perfect for laid back style as it is simple and offers a sub-fashion statement that gives lovely look in a photo. It is not daring so i love wearing it in an ordinary day. (it was given to me by my loving auntie, Tita Ann).
(5) Ruby Woo is now my second favorite Red lipstick. i love the way it creates smudge, it gives me a rockstar bold red attitude.  

"it's red, and hell i care if it smudges!

Mac Ruby Woo is flat and hence it is perfect even worn in a bright broad daylight.  It doesn't look off yet it still gives that classy smeared or stained-look.  If you are planning to purchase Ruby Woo, i hope you are warned about it.  As for me, really, am enjoying it:) 

Tell me what you prefer: dry lips or shiny/glossy one and why? I'm not closing doors to that glossy pout:) C'mon share! :)

comment below!:) xoxo

caroleenish:)

caroleen wearing Mac Ruby Woo.

Bright, bold and delicious. 

These are three adjectives I can totally relate with how this creative babe Viracel “Cel/Vicel” Enriquez plays with color on bare faces.

A graduate of Mass Communication in an exclusive for girls school in Manila, Vicel has an eye for beauty bursting with creativity from a touch of imagination.

Simply put: This girl can kick ass with just her eye shadow on.

How about that? 

Trained by Lani Arcedillo of Make-Up Design Academy in November 2010, Vicel felt much confident with how she delivers professional make up services being part of the said institution.  It is no wonder also that Vicel was considered a top student, even “Valedictorian” of their batch because of her skills in make up application. 

While it is true that Vicel did not have to worry too much on how colors should blend as her personality is so game with it, Vicel admits that handling clients is still the challenge of the profession as the personality of each client differs and the purpose of the event  as well as the requests of clients should appropriately be reflected in her work.

When asked how she handles challenging clients, “you still have to be polite (and professional)” she shared.  

As one of Vicel's college friends, I am just so glad to know that she is making it! The industry of make up design may be called "elite" as not all artist actually have the REAL talent and not all are able to get proper training to deliver the discipline of this fine art. I admire Vicel so much for having been able to put up Kiss N Make Up in which she has serviced a number of make up gigs mostly through referrals of satisfied clients!

Vicel is the type of person that does not sit through long idle time.  Hence, when bored or when she has nothing to do, she naturally feels the instinct of "creating" something or just be productive.  This is how this babe keeps up with her passion for art (constant updating, constant exploring).  Yep, it's not just make up she plays with, include pastels, watercolors, and so much more. Vicel is gifted with a talent of expressing herself through fine arts. 

oh yeah and singing:) 

Amongst the popular individuals Vicel has given service together with her mentor Ms. Lani, include Dingdong Dantes. To date, Vicel has a number of clients for her make up gigs ranging from individual modeling shoots to large wedding ensemble and the like.  

As a student and as a professional  make up artist Vicel has been popular amongst her friends because of her friendly and perky attitude.  Most of the time, you’d find Vicel along with an excited crowd as she get to share her talent in nail art application amongst her friends in college.  Throughout the years, her interest in eye make up gave her a blessing of a freelance career as a professional make up artist since early 2000.

According to her Beauty and Fashion Photographic Make Up is her forte. No wonder she can pull off different looks, from sweet naturale and boho and bright gysy to bold and avante garde  Check out this bridal make up look she tried on me and other fashionable looks she tried on her models:)

Natural Bridal Make Up

what i like about her:
 Aside from her make up skill, 
Vicel owns a complete professional make up collection. She maintains and ensures proper sanitation of her make up brushes and sponges, you can just sit back and relax,..and  of course, ultimately, just feel beautiful;)  Vicel takes care of everything nicely.

https://www.facebook.com/vicel.enriquez
https://www.facebook.com/pages/kiss-n-makeup-by-Vicel/364616393631801

*credits to the photographers (Vicel, Bryan Monsod et.al.)
photos were sourced from Vicel's site and Kiss N Make up Page

Humorous. Fun. Exciting. These are just some of the adjectives you'd probably associate with Benefit when you get to discover the looks and the tricks their products can give you!

I'm talking about the no-boring make up brand, Benefit Cosmetics!  A wonderful invention from San Francisco,  USA. Benefit Cosmetics totally changed the way I shop for cosmetics! As the original Bene-gals, the Ford twins would always say " Laughter is the best cosmetic.." so true that you'll find yourself buying their products not just because it totally works but because you find yourself smiling at the gift you give yourself.

Perhaps, what makes Benefit Cosmetics popular is the way they style the packaging of their cosmetics.  Creative, lovely, daring and brilliant, Benefit has got me obsessed with their products that honesty, I would really want to try everything! (Warning: you really have to save a lot since Benefit is not just a typical make up brand). ^_^. Then think of it as an investment! A gift to yourself, a piece of collection:)

My first purchase of benefit products started just last month when I finally gave it a try.  Since I don't really look for complete make up, I mean with all that concealers, foundation, etc. I never gave it a chance until I passed by its newly opened pop-up store in Trinoma and was invited by their bene-babe assistants to try on POREfessional.  

Velvety and amazing. I was like, "really?" There is a product like this??? LOL. As funny as it was, I have realized that yeah, I have not really given it a try.

Let me guide you through this kit.  If you haven't tried on any benefit products or if you are new to this brand, I advise that you buy the Primping With The Stars Kit as a good starter!
It is easy to use and really BENEficial at 1700 php:)

What's IN it?
Let me give you a basic product decription based on what I have researched and what I have experienced:) All photos were taken at the same area, same day, and under the same incandescent light:)  TOTALLY, NO FILTER or any effects to let you see how it is really when applied:)


Let's start with this clean, bare and NO make up face:) this is me, without any thing on:)

Now let's start!

a. Stay Don't Stray is an eye shadow primer.  A primer is the base that holds your eye make up/eyeshadow and makes it stay/last longer.  It likewise brightens the eye area.  How to apply it: Using the brush, make three dots around the eye area and then gently spread it using your finger outwards.

b. POREfessional: this product puts Benefit on top of the game together with Benetint as POREfessional is a beauty invention that minimizes appearance of your facial pores as it gives it a velvety feeling and acts as a primer as well.  The product gives you an INSTANT result, NO Kid!

c. Some-kind-a-gorgeous!  is a foundation faker. You apply it all over the face using your fingers. Apply it after POREfessional:)  The packaging is cute and the quality of the foundation is excellent. You should try this!

d. benetint is a lip and cheek stain that has a rosy smell and tints naturally on the skin. Benefit Cosmetics actually started with this product back in 1977 when "an exotic dancer ordered nipple stain to Ford sisters."
Using your fingers moving circular in motion to your cheeks, you create a wonderful blush stain that is gorgeously natural.

e. girl meets pearl is a liquid highlighter you dab with your fingers on the cheeks to give a luminous rosy pear effect on the stain you previously created.  I love the smell of this product! Try this and complete that glowing look:)

f. They're real.  Last in this kit is they're real mascara.  This one is highly recommended especially if you are the type that doesn't like smudges, bludgeoned-looking-eyes after wearing a mascara for an hour or so!
I swear, amongst the mascaras I have tried, this is the only one that does not fail you in terms of its water-proof and volumizing/lengthening effect.  Max factor, Revlon, Estee Lauder and other mascara brands have failed me a number of times:( But with They're Real, I found hope! HAhaha. Imagine I trained kickboxing and got sweat all over my face but it was still there with no mess!  Imagine the sweat--really dripping and even as i wiped my face with a towel, the towel got mascara stains but not on my face/eye area.  Cool huh! My sister gave it a try (as I was making "kulit") and she got herself convinced! Now she owns her own Primping with the Stars kit, initially, because of they're real! hehe

There! I'm ready to go:) Bye girls! thanks for reading. More posts to come:) If you have a product/service/event that you want me to blog about, just email me:) Go to Connect with Caroleen page and send me message:)

Let's celebrate being us--girls:) everything lovely is about beauty that is shared. 

Muah! 

A lipstick person is one that holds certain fondness for lipsticks---whether she is actually applying it on her lips, or just merely collecting lipsticks by color, texture, or brand, a lipstick person has a quite significant impulsive behavior on buying lipsticks as spotted on a make up stall or in an online make up shop.  As trivial as it may sound, there are a number of girls that hold certain fondness on this powerful tube.

In fact, lipsticks are popular even during girls' early childhood.  For instance, i can remember how i played with my Barbie doll and just stare at her lips and adore its color.  Growing up, I see my Tita applying ONLY lipstick whenever she goes out.  In a way, i grew up with an understanding that a face make up will never be complete without that stain on the lips. 
Stain on the lips brightens your face and gives you a kind of personality or character or attitude.  It can be soft and subtle, lovely as pink or bright and witty, hot as red; simple and bare as beige or nude or vibrant and eye-catching as neon orange.

There are a roster of lipstick colors you can choose from depending on your skin color, occasion to attend to, depending on your mood or probably the way you just want people to notice you (or your lips!).

Based on research, lipstick invention started during the ancient times when Mesopotamian women crushed gemstones and apply it on their lips (wikipedia.com)!

I wonder how gemstones feel on the lips. haha!  Nowadays, lipstick variety includes those that have matte-finish, glossy, or semi-matte. Matte-finish is my favorite!  Perhaps amongst the brand that has good matte-finish, MAC lipsticks stand out.  My personal choice is MAC candy Yum yum and Russian Red.  It gives you the full lip pigmentation you want to achieve as it stains and stays long without the oily/shiny effect.  However, during my high school days, I would always wear Revlon gloss, as it makes my lips soft and look pouty! (Perfect for a teen!)  Semi-matte however gives just the right color and protection for the lips.  I must admit, my lips are chapped and always dry because this is the side effect of Matte lipsticks---they make lips really dry.  Anyway, if this happens to you just take care of your lips by using a balm or petroleum jelly applied overnight or whenever you take a break from your matte lipstick.

MAC Creme Puff on my lips in this photo.  The color is pale pink, subtle and simple.  However, I think this color is quite sensitive with skin color matching, morena or tanned girls may find this more appealing.  hahah. For those who have whiter/fairer complexions, you may look a little pale when you wear this.  i guess, deep smoky eyeshadow paired with this lip color will give it an elegant or should i say, vampirish-twist:)

Lip Tricks:

Before i buy lipsticks, i make it a habit to read reviews first and look at images of women wearing the lipstick i plan to purchase.  Blogs, reviews from the official website of the brand, random images---they all help so you may execute a "wise buy" and be not sorry about your purchase.

Consider visiting the physical store and try on the lipstick/ tint first.

If you want something bold--something that makes your lips noticeable/ full or if simply you want to emphasize your lips, try Mac matte lipsticks.  Look for Russian Red, Ruby Woo, lady Danger, Saint Germaine or Candy YumYum. 

If you want something natural, more like just a stain on the lips, try lip tints!  Benefit Cosmetics' Bene-tint has a nice rosy smell, however it does not stain much especially on first application. Face Shop's My Lips eat Cherries stains perfectly and instantly and it is much economical compared to Bene-tint, if you are considering the budget:)  

With my sister Athenna!  I tried Bene-tint on her cheeks and lips. See how natural it appears, for everyday make up:)

There! I hope i have helped you guys on your next lip tube purchase:)

What's your favorite lipstick, by the way?