To share, or not to share?

I was listening to the radio in the campus parking lot today, and this is they morning topic the radio DJs Jack and Yoon were discussing:

男人是不是应该跟他的另一半诉苦？

A man should share his problems with his partner?

There were many callers who called in to share their opinions, all who are guys. Even Jack himself thought that men shouldn't, because their partners won't be able to solve the problem, and two worrying is worse than one. And a touch related to ego, but that wasn't much revealed in the conversations.


I can speak for a certain group of ladies, as well as men. No generalization intended, but this is a topic that has come up a few times long before this, and many people have many different opinions. I'm gonna write about my opinion, as with all my other blog posts. =D

***

From a guy's perspective (again, in my opinion), I think they will be more likely to either a) share it with his guy friends, or b) keep it to himself. I've come across various guys: those who prefer to keep it to themselves, those who would only share it with family or his partner, and those who will share with a select handful of friends.


Somehow, this topic links to ego. It's not stereotyping, it's just pretty much automatic. Maybe some guys think, "if I share my problems with her, she'll think I'm so weak that I can't even take care of my own problems".


And I've also known guys who were really calculative with their partners - "I don't share my problems with you so that you don't have to burden, and you should do the same". Then where's the communication? The key to a relationship is communication, and if your partner can't even take a teeny bit of your burden, then you should find someone else.


Some guys, including one who called in, however, thought that sharing problems would be alright - as long as you don't do it every single day for every single little thing.


Now for the girls' perspective - I believe many girls are resenting the fact that their partners would prefer to take up the "big man" role and refuse to let their partner know of any hint of their problems. To these kind of guys, I would think: "then why am I your partner?"


I realize that sometimes, girls really can't help solve the problem, and might potentially add more oil to the flames. Sometimes, we all need some comfort before facing our problems - pretty much the same concept here: you share the problem with your partner, she does what she can (maybe she can help you solve you problem?), and everyone's happy~


Well, that's one way to look at it. I personally would prefer if my partner would share some, if not all, of his thoughts with me. I do know that it's impossible for him to reveal EVERYTHING, but I would appreciate the fact that he trusts me enough with his problems, and will turn to me for comfort.


That's how I perceive it. Everything in moderation - sharing of problems included. People who share their problems to the world on a daily basis (that includes me, by the way) get really annoying, and especially if a guy were to do that ... well, I'd basically think he was an attention seeker, or something. I think we can rephrase it as a lack of masculine charm.


I guess it also has to do with method of delivery: some guys whine, while some of them just talk. I mean, complaining isn't bad, but too much of it (referring to myself, problem identified, finding solution) just is annoying, and it kinda shows that the guy is too much of a sissy to know when to shut up and stop whining.


On the other hand, though, I do appreciate sharing. I would be the kind who would want to share every moment with everyone, especially my partner. I guess it wouldn't be too ridiculous that I would expect him to do the same for me. With boundaries, of course - even I have things that I would prefer to keep private.


In conclusion, I think a balance is what we need (inner Libra kicking in). The guys should be a little more trusting, relaxed, less egoist, what have you, and share a little more with their partners.


Girls? Try to understand that guys and girls have completely different sets of logic and thus, priorities would inevitably vary. If your guy prefers not to share, then let him be, but be there for him, just in case. =D


***


By the way, I'm just ranting. I'm half asleep right now - my mind isn't really working, but my body refuses to rest. Bear with me~

Event: Celebrities with a Cause Closing Ceremony

*Ugh, I'm so sorry. This was supposed to be up a week ago. And I seriously apologize for the bad photo quality*

Official event poster.

Winnie invited me to the event, and since there was volunteering involved (I've kinda fell in love with it, but I've still yet to experience it thoroughly), I went to the Celebrities with a Cause Closing Ceremony. I was initially contemplating whether to go, 'cause I only slept for a couple of hours the previous night, and had been at campus for most of the day doing video editing.


The event was organized by Taylor's Business School and Do Something Good. DSG is an organization which helps provide chances to volunteer for any cause of your choice via an online platform. Various other organizations (NGOs) were present, i.e. SOLS 24/7, Rockcorps Malaysia, WWF Malaysia, and Epic Homes.


The event was supposed to start at 5pm, but it didn't really start until 6pm. Brian registered me, then I sat about a row behind the celebrities' seats. At first I was alone, then before the event I had a can of Nescafe latte while having a conversation with Jason, then during the majority of the event, I was accompanied by Crystal.


The front few rows of seats were reserved for the V.I.Ps, namely all the personnel from the related NGOs, as well as the celebrities who were supposed to attend. The celebrity line-up included Sarimah Ibrahim, JFK, Altimet, Ben Ibrahim, and Amber Chia to name some.

TWO ROWS BACK!

Where I sat was very far in front, because I was one of the earlier ones to get there. Little did I know that I would be sitting TWO SEATS BACK from Sarimah Ibrahim. I mean I'm not a hardcore fan of local celebrities, but they're celebrities nonetheless, some I get a little starstruck around them (like I do with Mr Lady Gaga every time I see him on campus @_@)

Sarimah performing.

The event started with a bit of speeches, as well as a performance by Sarimah - Thank You by Alanis Morisette. I typically tune in to OneFM, or Hitz.fm or RedFM occasionally, if not just switching to my forever-there L'Arc~en~Ciel Awake album. I didn't know Sarimah's voice was so... versatile? I don't know how to describe her performance, but it was an eye opener.

V.I.P shot

The dean of Taylor's Business School and the Deputy Minister of Education, while the founder of DSG looks on.

The V.I.Ps, plus the entire team who made the event happen.

Then there were a few more speeches, as well as ceremonies where tokens of appreciations were given to the V.I.Ps. Amber Chia couldn't make it, Sarimah left early, and so did the Deputy Minister of Education (I'm really sorry, but I was too drowsy).

Team JFK doing Charades.

It was after they left that the games started. JFK, Altimet, and emcee Ben Ibrahim were called upon to pick three members each for a game of charades, which was exceedingly hilarious, as the things that they were supposed to act out were, well, nearly impossible to act out.

The limbo volunteers~ JFK's team was on the other side of the stage.

First up: Team Ben!

Altimet was awesome!

JFK nailing it!

After charades was a battle of limbo. To be honest, except for the celebrities themselves, as well as a few petite girls, a lot of them cheated. =P No, you are now allowed to duck under the bar. It's limbo - you're supposed to limbo through it! XD


Throughout the games, there was much taunting, joking, and laughter, which made it a really fun night for a lot of people. Oh, yeah. And I have not included the performances yet.

Oppa Sabah Style~

First there was an Oppa Sabah Style dance performance by students from the SOLS 24/7, which is an NGO that provides training and boarding through Unique Education Program for Youths. The lead dancer's poker face was amazingly funny~

The blur is his yoyo.

DSG's home rap crew.

The two "hosts" from an R&B organization.

Justin in da haus!

Rap performance.

Group rap performance.

Then was a rap performance by DSG's own crew, followed by a freestyle yoyo performance. The rest of the night was filled with R&B performances - B-boy, rapping, etc.

Da beatboxer. I regret not remembering his name...

The highlight of the night was still the beatboxing. I've only ever seen beatboxing on the internet, as well as Koujee's performance at Miyavi's KL Live, so I only had those to compare to. I was almost literally blown away - even with the crappy sound system, the sounds were so unique.


UPDATE: Beatboxer's name is A Beat C. Courtesy of Mahirah~ XD


By the end of the event, most of the people were gone. In conclusion is was a good night - fun~ It was 8pm, and the highway would still be congested with tired traffic, so I headed to the gym to do my 5km on the treadmill.

I Am Not For Sale @ Offline Blogshop, Berjaya Times Square

I should prolly blog about the Celebrities for a Cause Closing Ceremony first, but I'm still trying to sort out the photos @_@ Bear with me~

I volunteered with Change Your World for their I Am Not For Sale campaign at Sunway Pyramid last week as a Change Advocate. This week, the I Am Not For Sale campaign was, and will be held tomorrow (25th November) at Offline Blogshop, 1st Avenue, Berjaya Times Square~

Couldn't find a mirror, so had to use the window pane =x

This time I volunteered as a Live Mannequin, portraying the role of a prostitute. =P My breakfast was instant noodles with an egg, then I took a 20-minute walk to the Bukit Jalil LRT station, a 20-minute train ride, then another 10 minutes to walk from the station to the mall, then to the destination.

Getting made up. So many MaxFactor and Make Up For Ever products @_@

1pm was the assigned arrival time, and I got there 5 minutes early. =D I changed out of my T-shirt into a tank top, and put on the *wait for it* fishnet stockings. I borrowed some short shorts from Jasmine, and the fishnets from Joyce, and the tank top from my mum. The only part of my wardrobe that was mine were my heels. @_@

Final result~ Dark, tired eyes, blushed up cheeks, and sparkly glossed lips~ And uber-sexy curled hair~

Waited for a while for the make-up artists to get back from lunch to transform me from Plain Jane to a wasted hooker. I almost went around squealing when I saw their train cases... *make-up junkie almost surfaced* I was secretly so excited when I saw that she used my favorite eyeliner and my favorite mascara on me. XD

CYW merchandise on sale~ T-shirts, badges, and RELENT CDs~

I talked with Cuzario and the rest of the people for a bit, and almost 3pm on-the-dot, I was given a very wrinkled Pall Mall cigarette as my prop. The first half hour was alright - gawking people; girlfriends, wives, and mothers throwing me dirty looks. =P


For the next half hour, I took up a role as a Change Advocate, then back to Live Mannequin for the next. It alternated like this, somewhat; the second Change Advocate duty being to distribute flyers at the crossing bridge near Bread Story and ROMP.


Just that half hour of distributing flyers, I came to see how many ignorant, naive "pimps" there are out there. They said things like "how much per night?", "Woman for sale!", "So when you gonna take that off?". I so wanted to start shouting profanities at them and their ignorance.


Attention is something that I bask in, but this is the kind of attention I'm seriously uncomfortable with. Sideways glances, pointing, I'm fine with that. Degrading my morality? You messed with the wrong hooker, dude.

RELENT performing. Neil on vocals, Jude on guitar, Daniel on bass, and Cuzario on drums.

Anyways, just as my shift ended, RELENT (Facebook / Twitter) was up to perform. Their songs have been playing over and over the entire day, but they never seem to get boring~ *devising plan to get mum to get their CDs* Right after the band performance, and some chocolate wafer cubes, I walked to the outside of Melia Hotel to wait for my mum to pick me up.

On the way home, stuck in heavy traffic... I SO LOVE THESE CURLS!

Her first reaction was: "wear a jacket or something. Do you really wanna be picked up here?" I guess I could've changed back to my blue T-shirt, but it was so hot T_T Alright, alright, I was basking in my temporary "right" to dress up like a slut. =P


Traffic was almost horrendous, though. Offline Blogshop was located basically right at the corner of the building. Those who passed by were mostly the ignorant majority of people, or large families with a gazillion kids in tow. Traffic was definitely better at Sunway Pyramid...


But hey, I got to dress up and raise awareness at the same time! XD Here are some extra photos from today:

Eunice~

Sophia, the sweet, sweet mail-order bride~

With Neil~

Half shot with Cuzario (photobomber, I see you XD cute little dude)

With Cuzario #2~ My heels made me too tall XD

My first day as a volunteer: Change Your World

Volunteering has always been something quite distant to me - it kinda gives me the impression that if you don't volunteer, you're not as good as those who do. Which obviously isn't true.

Photo credit: Adeline. Nope, I'm not for sale! Make-up for the day was just eyelid tape, liquid eyeliner and mascara.

Since the Rescue event, I signed up to volunteer for their exhibition at Sunway Pyramid as a Change Advocate. I kinda regret not taking the Human Mannequin role, though. This weekend, Change Your World had a human trafficking exhibit at Offline Blogshop, Asian Avenue at Sunway Pyramid. If you missed it, don't worry - they'll be doing another exhibit at Berjaya Times Square next week!


We had one short briefing on Thursday by Kelvin Lim, the co-founder of Change Your World; and another short briefing by Neil, the frontman and vocalist of local band RELENT, who is an active part of Change Your World. Here's CYW's Facebook page and website.


Two roles of the Change Advocate: distribute flyers, and explain in detail what we're doing, and what Change Your World is about, as well as encouraging them to help us out by purchasing awesome stuff~ In a way, it's all about presentation and communication.

RELENT performing. Photo taken from CYW Facebook.

I was almost late to the briefing, so I completely forgot where I parked my car (which became a problem later that day). When I got to Offline Blogshop, RELENT was playing through the windows. Seriously, I've never really liked local bands before, but RELENT is somehow different~

Photo credit: Adeline.

Our (Vincent, Jun Yi and moi) little group started 15 minutes before our stated shift. Jun Yi and I were stationed at the escalators right outside Asian Avenue. For most of the day I had on what I like to call my 'waitress face' - that stiff, sweet smile.

The only photo I got that day - Adeline was a Live Mannequin, hence the pale lips~

Half an hour of that, we went back to Offline Blogshop and switched duties - we were to hold a clipboard, and start talking a lot. Apart from occasionally being blatantly ignored by people, it was actually fun, which was something I didn't expect.


Volunteering has now a new meaning for me, even if it's just my first time. You get to meet new people, who are also doing things to help others; you get to talk to people from all walks of life, explaining your cause. It's hard to explain, but I think it has to do with internal satisfaction~


It took me a while to get myself to approach and talk to strangers, and actually talk fluently without awkward silences, but seriously, I never really felt so ... human in my life. Half my life I've been sitting around, waiting for things to happen, hearing about all these disasters happening, and wanting to help, but just didn't get round to it.


Perhaps I'll sign up for next week's gig at Berjaya Times Square - I thoroughly enjoy doing this, and the people I work with are JUST SO FRIENDLY! Kelvin even got us some Krispy Kreme donuts that day~ LOVES!

Photo credit: Adeline. Clockwise from left: me, Vincent, Brian & Adeline~

I met Adeline, Dennis, Dorin, and Brian there, who are just AWESOME PEOPLE! At 6pm, when our shifts ended, we went for dinner together. Initially were completely lost - Jun Yi couldn't have seafood and chicken due to an injury, but in the end, somehow we ended up at Popeye's.


I enjoyed my chicken, biscuit, and mashed potatoes; while the others had rices and sandwiches~ After that we took a walk to Watson's - Brian wanted to get the RnB concert tickets (RM60 in a single receipt), and so we kinda helped him shop around for stuff~ Shopping with a guy who wants to shop is a new experience. XD


While they went up to Popular for books, I took another trip to DiGi, and finally found out the payment scheme for the Galaxy S3. Right now I don't know whether to get it or not, anymore. Upfront payment for the device, but for the duration of your contract, monthly payments are to be made for the internet service only... Decisions, decisions~

*click to enlarge* Chobits!

And at Popular, I did a super impulse purchase... I walked in, saw the guys, but went in the opposite direction towards the anime DVDs and VCDs. I wasn't thoroughly sure what I wanted, but I saw Chobits, for RM19.90, plus the OVA. I had to. Even if it drained my wallet.

Photo credit: Adeline. Group photo session with Vincent's iPad while waiting for Brian~

Next stop - Uniqlo for Brian and Adeline, New Zealand Natural for the rest of us~ Listening to two guys talk about culinology assignments is dizzying, somewhat. We sat there for a really long time, talking about relationships, girls, underwear, shopping and preferences. Basically, anything and everything that came up was talked about.


We took a short break when Jun Yi went kinda lost returning the wheelchair - Vincent and I went to look for him, but apparently he already returned it and was back at NZN. Epic fail. NZN was closing up, so the decision was made to find an alternative place to sit down and talk.

Photo credit: Adeline. Dark pic at Overtime~ For practically the whole day, Vincent's iPad was our camera @_@

A lot of walking around until Vincent met some friends at Overtime, so we settled there. I would've loved a nice beer, but I was gonna drive (not a good idea), and my wallet didn't allow it. Overpriced camomile tea was what I had that night. I did have a couple of sips of Adeline's Starker, though... Love it~

Photo credit: Adeline @ Instagram. An impromptu shot with ... I dunno his name, just know that he's one of the London Boys members =D

Oh, yeah. And coincidentally, the London Boys were having their drinks at Overtime as well. We had a few pictures with them. =D More accurately, Adeline had a few pictures with them, I was a photobomber. XD


We talked until around 12am, which was when my mum called to tell me to go home. =P We went in search of my car, and I drove everyone home. Seriously, a hatchback isn't meant for ferrying people, because 3 people were squished at the back. =P


On the way back home... I seriously do not understand how some drivers can just suddenly swerve onto the next lane WITH A CAR FLYING AT 100KM/H and not notice until I honked. Please. I really don't want to die yet. You wanna get into a traffic accident? Crash into a pillar or something, don't crash into me. My car hasn't been with me for even a year yet.


I got it when I got home - my mum and uncle weren't asleep. My mum showered me with her fury and burned me into ashes. Well, alright, it wasn't so dramatic. I just got a scolding for being insensitive.


Disclaimer: only photos with the "deathangelswake.blogspot.com" watermark are taken by me. All other photos are credited accordingly.

Tutorial: Daytime gyaru-inspired look

 I've been wanting to do another video for a really long time, but procrastination and many other factors just made me ... well, procrastinate. Anyway, I'm on my semester break now, so I have ample time on my hands, and hence I made the video!


Gyaru is a Japanese term for "girl" or "gal", and this form of make-up and/or culture is usually portrayed as innocent, cute, and sometimes teary eyed, or sexy, depending on the type of gyaru. The key components of going mainstream gyaru? Iris-enlarging circle lenses, liquid eyeliner, false lashes (both top and bottom), contoured face, pouty lips, usually light brown hair, and feminine attire and accessories.


Like visual kei, gyaru has different types - like visual kei has oshare kei, gyaru has himegyaru, agejo and Amura. Here's an article on the types of gyaru.


Wendy a.k.a Xiaxue's style is somewhat gyaru; and those girls you usually see on Popteen or Cawaii magazine? Yes, those are usually gyaru styles. Oh, yeah, and Xiaxue did an interview for NHK a while back on a show just for gyaru fashion - read it up here (pic-loaded).

Close up~

Originally I wanted to do a multi-in-one make-up tips video, but I got a little carried away, found my false lashes, and started drawing on fake bottom lashes. @_@ It turned out quite pretty, and here I'm gonna share with you how I did it!!!


I'm currently in the process of regrowing my eyebrows to reshape them, because their shape just went wonky. In a way, it helped the look - notice how gyarus always have that innocent, slightly droopy-eyed look? The thick brows help emphasize that innocence. ANYWAYS. Here is the video~

Eye make~

Products used:
EYES

• shu uemura Creme Eyeshadow in Beige (primer)
• Artistry shadows in Sand, Basic Beige & Ash Black
• Daiso Cosmetic 165 (eyelid tape, trimmed)
• Za Liquid Eyeliner in Real Black
• MaxFactor False Lash Effect mascara in Black
• generic brand natural crossed lashes (cut in half)
• The Face Shop Lovely ME:EX Automatic Eyeliner in White

FACE

• Kate Concealer for Pores
• Maybelline Clear Smooth Aqua Gel Foundation in Natural
• Pigeon Compact Baby Powder in Beige
• Artistry shadow in Basic Beige & Sand (nose contour & highlight)
•  Bobbi Brown blusher in Blushed (face contour)

LIPS

• Kiehl's Tinted Lip Balm SPF35 in Hue No. 30G

I did absolutely nothing to my eyebrows except brush them through with a spoolie; and for the lips I opted for balm instead of gloss because my lips were so dry. I could've done a cupid lip, though. Here a few camwhore shots~

My sister's bear

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this look!

Happiness

I wrote an essay in an exam once in high school, called "Happy Life", and it was selected as a piece to be in the school magazine. I'm now rewriting this essay, hopefully capturing the essence of my thoughts right now.

***


Happiness is a word used in many contexts. You could be feeling happy with someone or something. You could be happy with the outcome of something. You could be just happy. The definition of the word happiness varies from person to person - everyone walked a different path, everyone has their own story to tell, and everyone has different points of views and priorities.


The only image I can think about right now when I think of happiness is Michelle Phan. Don't ask me why, but she just projects the image of happiness to me. She does what she loves, and she helps millions of girls stay pretty and confident everyday by doing that. She's beautiful inside out - she has so many friends, close family, a beautiful relationship; practically everything that a person would want in a happy life.


For most people, happiness means achieving. Be it work, dreams, or third-party expectations - as long as something is achieved, they're happy. This is a criteria I do not fall in - my sense of pride in my achievements are often short-lived, as modern day life has pushed me to expect more from myself, yet I almost always fail to deliver.


Sometimes you come across some people who have almost nothing material in life, but are perfectly happy the way they are. Sometimes, I can't comprehend these people - don't they have to worry about living expenses, government policy changes that might affect them? But apparently, it's because worrying just isn't in some of them. I've read a quote somewhere on the internet once, "worrying is a waste of great creativity". Despite agreeing with the quote, I find myself, and many around me, still worrying about things that we cannot change. As the old saying goes, "old habits die hard" - this habit is going to take quite a while to die.


For people like me, who have often been alone - physically, mentally and emotionally - for most of their lives, would view company as happiness, I think. All the time, I crave company, warmth, and understanding. My friends, and those who have been close to me in the past years, were and are my treasure. Losing a friend scares me, as with losing someone I love. I see this as my biggest weakness - being needy, and always afraid to initiate contact, just because she's afraid she might get on someone's nerves. My shyness, my lack of self confidence most of the time, and my reluctance to risk things have always put me in a bad situation.


Relationships, somehow, play a large role in my mental health. Perhaps it supplies me with the warmth that I need. Perhaps it's because I actually have or had a genuine feeling for that person. Perhaps it's a mixture of both, plus a few external factors. My emotions came to an abrupt halt when my last relationship crumbled - I saw the world differently then.


All that surrounded me was bleak and gray, nothing interested me. Once in a while, something would come up - very briefly - and brighten up, adding color to my gray canvas. However, these were usually short-lived - very quickly, the color faded back to gray, and so did my emotions. With certain people, I would lay over my gray canvas a transparency of color. This tinted my world a little, but never really lasted. Once or twice, a blob of light and color would flash through my canvas, passing me by.


Slowly the gray faded, and color replaced it. Feeling was something I knew how to do again, but falling was suddenly a stranger to me. I forgot how to be warm, I forgot how it's like to be close - it was like I completely forgot how to make contact with others. I think it was more like, I became afraid of contact. I became afraid of becoming the annoying person that everyone hated. I was scared of everything.


Recently, among all my colors, came a blob of color - so bright that no one could miss it. It came in, coloring every little nook and cranny of everything around me. It added a warmth to the canvas, and yet, almost as quickly as it came, it disappeared. Not completely, but somehow, it just removed itself from the canvas, staying at the edges of it.


I know, the topic has strayed far, but that whirlwind of warm color has been on my mind quite a while now. I think for me, happiness would be to have a lot of people close to me - physically, mentally, and emotionally. Happiness would be talking to them for hours on end, sharing almost everything that could be shared, doing all sorts of things together, embedding our mutual memories in the waves of time.


Happiness, as frequently used as it is, isn't existent to everyone. Somewhat like religion, UFOs, and certain theories, some people don't believe it exists ... anymore. I don't know how true this is, or what criteria it covers, but these people are those who has gone through so much, without seeing any light, that they just lose hope. They would rather believe that there is no light at the end of the tunnel, than continue forging forward toward that belief.


In a way, I'm stuck between both. Sometimes, I actually see that bright light at the end of the tunnel. Other times, my tunnel is as dark as the virgin night sky. Though normally, those dark periods are short.


The Chinese word for happiness is kuai le. Kuai means quick, fast, or swift; le means joy. Swift joy. Happiness passes us by very quickly - as quickly as it comes, it goes... unless you know how to keep it with you. Time is also something that passes very quickly when happiness descends.


Cherish the moments while they last - happiness might not last long, but it does exist, and everyone should have happiness in their life. After all, what's life without it?

My 10 biggest make-up pet peeves

I am the kind of person who when she learns something one way, she would most likely get annoyed that something is done another way, and the results are not as satisfactory as her method. Get it? Nope, I don't either. But that's actually dependent on the situation.


I have a lot of make-up pet peeves, and even after watching so many different make-up gurus on Youtube who uses various techniques and have different styles of make-up, there are just some things I can't accept.


1. False lashes sans eyeliner

Unless you're using false lashes with transparent spines, 9 times out of 10, your false lashes will have a black spine. I mean, don't you feel weird that your "natural lashes" grow from your eyelid? Lashes grow from the lashline, not the eyelid itself.


Correct way: line your eyes with eyeliner of your choice (black, please, 'cause unless your lash-attaching skills are impeccable, chances are, the spine will show). Stick on your false lashes, allow the glue to dry completely, then go over the spine with black liquid liner to even out and blend the lash spine to the eyeliner.

Trust me, it looks much more natural this way, regardless of the type of lashes you use. If you really want to sans the eyeliner, stick your lashes below the lashes, not above. If not, you could opt to cut them into smaller segments for better control.


2. Stark-white inner eye corners

Make-up gurus often instruct us to "apply a shimmery/pearl/white/beige/light colored product" to the inner corners to highlight and bring light to the eyes. This theory holds true, unless you decide to whip out your poster paint and dot them at your inner corners.


Having too shimmery or light inner corners just look very unnatural, and in my opinion, somewhat creepy. Highlighting should be extremely subtle, so that when the light shines on your face, the product catches and reflects the light. It shouldn't be extremely obvious.

Correct way: less is more. Subtlety is the key to highlighting. Just enough to brighten your eyes should do, any more than that and I might scream at you in the streets if I see you. =x


3. Shimmer/glitter liner gone wrong

There was this one time I was on a mall trip with friends, and we met another one of our friends who was working at one of the boutiques. She had on false lashes sans eyeliner (refer to point number one), and also silver glitter eyeliner at her inner corners (point two) and all over her lower lashline. I almost strangled her.

Anyways, personally I find glitter/shimmer liner to be used as an accent over regular eyeliner, not on it's own, especially those that are light colored. And unless it's a dark glitter, having glitter liner on in broad daylight is WEIRD.

Correct way: layer it over another product, so that it looks more natural. If it's gonna be stark, you might as well skip it, especially for daytime. And avoid applying it anywhere under the eye - it's just weird.


4. One-color lids

Sure, using one eye shadow color on the eyes aren't bad, if they're blended well. But then there's the case of using that particular color of shadow, and treating it like beige shadow - some apply it (not blend) all the way up to the brow!


Firstly, it looks weird as hell. Secondly, if you're using shimmer shadows, it looks even weirder. I dunno, it just gets to me.


5. Stark lipstick with wonky edges

This applies especially to red lipstick. There was once I was in Singapore, and we were taking the shuttle from my aunt's condominium to the MRT station. My older sister and I sat beside each other, and as the shuttle picked up more people from the neighboring communities, and from there came a young lady, I would say not more than 30 years old.


My sister and I promptly squished together to make one space due to the crowd in the shuttle. She was quite pretty - her hair was pulled up into a top bun, I liked her clothes at that time, but I just couldn't take my eyes off her lips. She had this stark red lipstick on, and the edges of the lipstick didn't go with the edges of her lips.

It just looked so weird - it's like putting the wrong set of lips on Mr Potatohead's face. Using a brush would increase precision, or a method I use is apply the lipstick, then gently blur the edges so that it's not so harsh.


6. Top-heavy eyes

The entire world is about balance. Having super dark and dramatic lids, without applying anything to the lower lashline is just WEIRD. Especially to those girls who wear super dense lashes in broad daylight - some of them have so much going on the eyelids, that sometimes it looks as if their lids are swollen.


Some say, "day make-up can't be so dark!" You're right at that, but your lids are already so dark, it won't hurt to put a little dark shadow on the lower lashline to balance things out. And to avoid looking like a zombie or panda, either find a good concealer, apply the dark shadow really close to the lashes, or both.


7. Neglected brows

I find that beautifully blended shadows on lids, are sometimes ruined by untamed/undefined brows. Not so much those with thick/bushy brows, but more of those with sort of fuzzy, light brows. Like they're not really there, but they're just visible enough.

The eyes are the windows to the soul, and nice windows have nice frames. In this case, the frames are your brows. If you're not comfortable having the typical arched brows, just groom your brows to their natural shape, ridding it of stray hairs.

When it comes to make-up, just lightly fill according to the shape with a powder (easier) or pencil (remember to blend) that matches your hair color. For dark haired people, go for one or two shades lighter. For light haired, go one or two shades darker.

The brows should be darker at the arch, then fade out to the front and back.


8. Wrong placement of blusher

This especially applies for pink blusher. Blusher is a cosmetic tool to fake an appearance of blushing, which is when blood rushes to your face and colors your cheeks. Natural blushing usually occurs at the apples of the cheeks.

Where application of cosmetic blush is concerned, usually it would be on the apples of the cheeks, blending up toward the hairline. I have seen girls who took "apply blusher on the cheeks" literally. The blusher is applied liberally to the entire cheek, and especially for those with clogged pores like me, make them look like they have a skin allergy.

Blushers have different colors and undertones. There's pink, orange, coral, red, etc. Test each blusher to see if it suits your skin tone before purchasing it.



9. Unblended foundation & BB cream

Somehow this is a more common thing than you think - given the many methods of applying foundations, as well as modern day time restrictions, it's quite easy to just underblend the foundation/BB cream.

This is especially for those people with oily skin, or the BB cream consistency just stays liquid-y or creamy - the product will continue to be in the movable state, thus will move more easily. To fix this, a thin veil of fine powder will help set the product in place, and help it last much longer.

I think the bottom line is to just make sure that you take a little more time to blend out the product to avoid looking streaky, which is why I usually don't wear make-up unless I'm sure I have the time to do it.


10. Heavy eye make-up that accentuates uneven eyes

None of us are born with perfectly symmetrical eyes, let alone faces - at least I haven't seen any. One way or another, each eye will be slightly different from the other. Michelle Phan just recently evened out her eyelids using eyelid tape - wearing it for over 22 hours a day for 3 months.

Some, like me, live with it. One eyelid has always been more hooded than the other, but now I have to resort to using eyelid tape when doing make-up - my eye infection hasn't completely went away yet, so my right eye has now a "double eyelid", which basically just means a more pronounced crease.

In some cases, those with uneven lids wear extremely heavy make-up - lots of dark shadows, and a super heavy, thick set of false lashes, which further accentuates its unevenness. Why I say so? When your eyes are uneven, your lashes tend to point in different directions - false lashes always depend on the eyelid to define its shape. Sticking on super heavy ones is practically screaming "I HAVE UNEVEN EYES!!!"

***

Well, I guess that's all for this post. Just as a disclaimer: whatever is written up there, as well as anywhere else on this blog, are purely my own opinions. No one has directly influenced what I write (indirect influences coming from all directions, though).

I am, by no means, claiming that I am a professional at make-up, neither am I claiming that I know a lot. I just have a blog, I like make-up, and I like to share my thoughts.

The world of make-up is dynamic - products are now multifunctional, and there's no particular rule to what you should use for what part of your face anymore (sometimes). Like everything else, make-up styles and techniques change. Trends change. For now, this is how I feel about make-up, which is why I would almost never let anyone else do my make-up.

Event: Rescue by Change Your World

I'll first admit that the reason I attended the event was just to support a friend, but in the end I got much more than I expected. Rescue was held at lecture theater 20 at Taylor's Lakeside Campus on Friday (8th November), from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

Photo by Jun Yi @ Instagram. Xue Ren was surprised by the flash =P

I hadn't planned on blogging about the event, so I didn't take pictures. Hence, all the pictures in this post are by others. =P The official Facebook event page here.

Photo by Xue Ren. Mei Xuan, me, and Xue Ren with our glowsticks~

I met up with Xue Ren, Mei Xuan and Jun Yi just before the event and we sat together. We were later joined by Wei Hua, and we sort of huddles together sharing information about someone. =P We were handed some glow sticks, and camwhored while waiting for the event to start.


This event was to raise awareness about the human trafficking and modern-day slavery in Malaysia, as well as the abuse of domestic help locally. It was organized by Taylor's LEAD #6, and conducted by Change Your World.


The event started off with an awesome performance by Intan, whose voice was so beautiful and mesmerizing. Pandora then took the stage with beatboxing, but for me it was a bit too dragged out, and sorry to say I've seen better.


My favorite part was when Relent performed. The vocalist's voice was so familiar, yet so special. It's hard to describe, but I really liked his voice, as well as the few songs they performed - Use Somebody by Kings of Leon; as well as the two songs composed by themselves - Save Me & Looking for A Savior.


After all the awesome entertainment was the serious part of the event - Kelvin Lim, the co-founder of Change Your World, talked to us. He told us how many young people in Malaysia actually get abducted, and most of them are trafficked and sold as sex slaves.


Did you know that the sex trafficking industry is now bigger than the drug trafficking industry in Malaysia? According to a criminal who was arrested for sex trafficking, this is because when a bag of drugs is sold, it's gone. But a girl can be sold and used over and over and over before she goes crazy or dies.


It's a vicious cycle, which is why Change Your World exists. Kelvin also showed us a video about Sasa, a Cambodian girl who came to Malaysia, thinking she could earn money to send home. Instead, her employers tortured her - for nothing she was slapped repeatedly. She had sometimes no food to eat at all, and only slept for 3 hours everyday.


Every evening, Sasa would be called by her employer to "exercise". Her feet would be tied together, and she would be told to jump down from fourth step of the stairs. That "exercise" has now caused Sasa's legs to be permanently damaged - she cannot stand on her feet for too long, or do vigorous exercises.


This is why Indonesia and Cambodia has withdrawn all their domestic help - because many local employers know about a loophole in the law: foreign workers can only seek justice if they are not paid for their work, but not for being abused. Sadly, many local employers not only acknowledge this, but they also take advantage of this.


Sasa was one of the lucky ones who escaped. If you see anyone or anything that is suspicious, or you think that human trafficking and abuse is going on, you could call Tenaganita at 012-335 0512 or 012-339 5350 to help those people.

Banner taken from ChangeYourWorld.com.my

Tonight, Liber8 will be launching at Zouk Club, K.L to raise awareness on human trafficking. A campaign called I Am Not For Sale will also be held starting next week until December 24th at various locations, including Sunway Pyramid, Berjaya Times Square, IOI Mall, and Tropicana City Mall. Click on the link for more information.


I've already signed up to be a volunteer, but I'm now considering the option of being a live mannequin for the campaign. Finally, for once in my life, I'm doing something that isn't for myself only. =) Oh, yeah, and thanks Vincent for inviting me~


Check out Change Your World's website for more updates on how you can be a part of all this awesomeness, and keep up on their latest events!