Etude House: Eye's Cream in Vanilla Moist Review

Eye's Cream in Vanilla Moist

You guys may notice how dark and puffy my eye bags are. It's the result of stress and staying up late. I'm not sure if I have insomnia or whatever, but ever since I was a child, I already have these dark circles. I just don't know how to get rid of them.
So I bought this Eye's Cream in Vanilla Moist. It's in a stick form, making it easier to apply. Just pop out the cap and sweep it under your eyes. You can also apply it on your lids. I use this after I cleaned my face with Skin Malgeum. After a few minutes of applying it, it feels a little warm around the area where I put it but then it gets better. 
The Eye's Cream in Vanilla Moist only works your puffy eye bags, according to the sales ladies in Etude. It lessens the puffiness, they said. Looking at the mirror now, I don't see changes in my eye bags yet, but of course, I've been using it for two weeks and I should not expect instant result. 
Also, there's another one of Eye's Cream, and it's Peppermint I think? It lightens your dark circles. I was going to buy it, but then I realized I have allergies for mints. Using that might kill me. Haha.

Etude House: OH MY GOD!! Dry Shampoo Review

OH MY GOD!! Dry Shampoo

You know the days when you're just too lazy to take a shower because of the cold weather? Or you're running late to work or school and you don't have the time to at least take a shower? This is the best product for us, then!

I admit, I am super lazy when it comes to taking a shower during cold days. And when I discovered about Etude's new dry shampoo, I started wanting it at that instant. I don't know about you guys, but that would be my first time hearing about dry shampoo. I've never heard of it in my entire life, until now.

Basically, the dry shampoo gets rid of all the unnecessary oils in your hair and leaves a floral fragrance that can also work as a perfume. Haha. I love the scent. The bottle is not that big and fits my kit.

Just spray it onto your hair, and massage it for a while, so the product will be able to absorb all the oils to the deepest of your hair jungle. Why I call it a hair jungle, I have no idea.

I've used this for at least once and I can say that it felt like I just finished blow drying my hair after a hot shower. Not really refreshing to the scalp but the result of the smoothness of the hair without the oils is amazing. I will definitely repurchase this after I finish the bottle.

Etude House: Skin Malgeum in Smoother Review

Skin Malgeum in Smoother

Ever since I saw that commercial of Dara having fun in her bedroom, spraying stuff on her face, I was always curious about what exactly was she spraying all over her face? So I watched the full version of the commercial on YouTube and I found out it was Skin Malgeum. Whenever I went to Etude House, I always saw these cute fragile-looking bottles displayed on one shelf. I would buy this soon, I always said.

It's basically a cleanser/toner, a mist and it can also be a face mask! You just have to buy that cotton thingy from Etude, immerse it in Skin Malgeum and voila! DIY Face Mask! Although, I didn't purchase that cotton thingy (sorry I don't know what it's called).

I bought the Smoother one because my skin tends to have pimple break outs, so the objective of this Skin Malgeum in Smoother is to basically smooth the skin and cleanse it deeply. The Smoother also has this sweet fruity smell that I love so much I'm fighting the urge to drink it. There are also other types of Skin Malgeum that will suit your skin, so don't be afraid to ask the pretty sales ladies!

The good thing about this is that it can also be used as a mist. I've been using Etude's Magic Mist for a long time now and I found out they were out of stock, so I bought a little spray bottle instead. All I did was I transferred a little amount of Skin Malgeum to the little spray bottle, and I bring it wherever I go. When I feel hot, I just spray it to my face. Instant freshener! (Just don't pat it though. Let it just air dry on your face.)

The cute little spray bottle made especially for Skin Malgeum!

tvN KPop Starhunt 2 Philippine Auditions

Sup guys!

I know this is a little late but I haven't blogged in almost 3 months and that pretty much sucks like no other. I am feeling a bit hyper right now and I wanna blog about something but I just couldn't find anything new to talk about so I decided to just let you know how my KPop Starhunt audition went.




KPop Starhunt is a reality talent search on TV that looks for fresh KPop talents all around Asia. It is hosted by MNET and produced by Cube Entertainment, one of the most successful talent companies in South Korea, which manages 4minute, BEAST, and G.Na. They will pick two winners from each country and bring them to Korea for intensive training. Luckily, my country was one of the participating countries in the said competition and I was able to audition for it.
The online auditions in my country ended on September 4th and I was able to send them at least three videos and an audio file because I was just that paranoid that they wouldn't get it. But two days after the deadline, I received an e-mail from them and informed me that I was shortlisted.
Basically, they had online auditions and chose the top 150 people from thousands to get to the shortlist and advance to the 1st Round of the auditions. People who didn't get in the top 150 were still able to showcase themselves via walk-in audition at the ABS-CBN in Quezon City. Still, the feed backs from the walk-ins were pretty bad because their judges were tougher. There were almost 300 walk-ins, and only two made it to the Top 17.
Since I was shortlisted, it was easier for me to showcase myself because we were allowed to use audio materials for our dance routines, unlike the walk-ins. However, it was really nerve-wrecking to sing, rap and dance in front of the judges: Ms. Hapee Sy, Mr. Park Jae Hyun from Cube Entertainment Rookie Department, Mr. Kim Jong Min from MNET, and Mr. Eddy Tan from tvN. It felt like the whole world was on top of me.



The photo above is the setting in the studio where the 1st round took place. The judges sat there.
They called in auditioners by 3 people per batch. When we got in, we were asked to introduce ourselves and get on with our performance. I told them I was going to sing, dance and rap. I was only able to sing the chorus part of my piece, rap the first verse of my rap song, and dance the first verse of my routine. I was satisfied. After our performance, they immediately announced who got in and who didn't. The two of my batch mates didn't make it, and I was jumping with joy when Mr. Eddy Tan told me, "You, we will see you tomorrow in the 2nd round."
He sticked a "KPop Starhunt 2" sticker on my back and gave me a t-shirt.



Apparently, 17 people were picked to advance to the 2nd round of auditions, which was held in Glorietta Activity Center the next day. Two of them are from the walk-in audition, and the rest were shortlisted. My friend, kuya Val Libea, also made it. He is the Jay Park of the Philippines, as we name him.



Last season, Rince Cajucom from the Philippines bagged the 1st place in the KPop Starhunt. I was able to meet him last April 1st at the Kfest in Meralco Ave. because we were both guest performers and judges. We met again at the audition venue. He also watched the whole audition process. It was nice of him to come because he actually showed support for the new hopefuls.

After the auditions, the top 17, with me included, were called to the studio for a brief interview. The Korean crews were kind of fond of me because I answer their questions in Korean as much as I could. I also took a picture with the two of the staff and Ms. Hapee Sy.

Unfortunately, the next day, I wasn't able to get to the Top 2, who will be going to Korea to train. But I am definitely happy for Sheila Ona and Liah Flores for making it to the Top 2! Make the Philippines proud!
It was heart-breaking at first, since this was my only wish on my 18th birthday last September 5th, but I eventually understood that they were looking for something that I don't have and maybe a criteria that they actually need for the show. I made new friends and that is one of the reasons why joining contests is good. Not only you get to increase your experiences in stuff like that, you also get to expand your network by knowing new people. I even made friends with peeps from Pampanga! Shout out to Pearl, Star and Hideki!
I am happy that I tried it out. I would have regret it if I didn't. It was a great experience and I will definitely try out again next season.
Oh and by the way, the show airs in October 2012! For more information, visit their website here.
That's all for now, guys! I hope I come across blog-worthy events in the near future because I really enjoy talking about stuff.
If you want me to talk about something, please feel free to leave a comment below!
Sincerely,
Karla Maye Carreon

Etude House Shopping

It's June 1st!

I met up with my High School friends today at SM The Block and Trinoma. I haven't seen them in a while. I missed them so much.

Anyway, I've been to Etude House at SM The Block again and bought a few items that I have been longing to have. I even joined Etude House's latest contest, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours: Back to School Edition" hoping that I would win. Unfortunately, I didn't. But I will not deprive myself from getting what I want from Etude House. Haha.

So here's everything I bought.

I bought Precious Mineral Sun BB Cream (978Php), BB Magic Mist (348Php), and Oh~ m'Eye Line (198Php).


This is the BB Magic Mist. I don't actually know how you use this stuff but according to the Etude House ladies, you use this prior to and/or after make up application. It moisturizes the face and also gives it a lively glow. I tried this a while ago after removing my make up and it was so refreshing.


This is the Oh~ m'Eye Line, or liquid eye liner. Since I'm running out of liquid eye liner because of my abusive usage (hey, I'm a KPop fan; KPop idols abuse eye liners too), I decided to buy one. I love how the brush makes it so easy to apply the liquid. It has this stable grip unlike my old eye liners from Rimmel London and Wet and Wild. Also, it is so easy to remove and doesn't smudge a lot.


Now, this is my favorite. The Precious Mineral Sun BB Cream. Classes start on June 13 and I'm worried that my everyday travel from home to school will burn and darken my face. So this is the perfect BB Cream to use. Unlike the old phased out BB Creams, this one comes with a sponge applicator, making it easier to apply. No more mess. It's also matte, perfect for school.


This is the free Wanna Be Sweet? SHINee Clearfile that I got after purchasing at least 1,500Php from Etude House. I love their freebies. I am so gonna use this when classes start.


This is my collection of Etude House products for the past 3 months. I love everything I bought from Etude House and I can say that every cent was worth it. I'm surely going to visit Etude House again. It's the only cosmetic brand that makes me feel like a real princess.
I love Etude House! <3
Karla Maye Carreon

An INFINITE Photo Set from my sweetest friend

So, a few weeks ago, a Korean shop named C. N. A. just opened but I wasn't able to come. But my friend blogger, ate Zeti, was able to and I asked her if she could buy me some INFINITE stuff if ever they were available. She found a photo set and bought it for me.

Then, I wasn't able to get it from her because our schedule was a bit hectic. She had review classes for the board exam and I was busy getting my stuff ready since we're moving houses. 

She then had this crazy idea to just ship the photo set to me. And she wasn't asking for any payment anymore. I was insisting that I should pay at first, but she said I should consider it as a gift for all of the occasions in my whole lifetime. Talk about how sweet she is.

She even wrote a letter for me. It was a heart-shaped folded index card. To be honest, it totally reminded me of her because she taught me how to do it during our Korean Language Classes at the Korean Cultural Center. 

May 30 

Karla,

Do you like INFINITE Photos? Here they are!

Jeti

She said she even scanned our Korean Language Book just to compose this message! I'm so touched.
Here is the INFINITE Photo Set. <3


I love it so much!
Thank you so much to ate Zeti Cuenca for putting a lot of effort in sending me this. I will never forget this!
Also, follow her blog too!http://zeticuenca.blogspot.com
I love INFINITE and ate Zeti. Hahaha.
Karla Maye Carreon

INFINITIZE Album

Today, I met up with ate Rina, one of INFINITE PH's staff and also shop owner of Oppa Chincha Daebak, and got my INFINITIZE album. I can't help but spazz, okay. I love INFINITE to death and I really have to blog about this.

Here are some photos of my own copy.

I also got two button pins: the group pin from INFINITE PH, and the Sungyeol pin from Seoul Searching Store.







I also want to share with you the photos in the booklet, but it would be such a spoiler. So I decided to just post a few of my favorite photos. Here they are.

The album comes with a poster. I posted it on my wall as soon as I got home. Talk about how excited I am.

  

Oh and yea, this album doesn't come with a photo card, which is pretty lame, but it comes with hidden track messages of random members. I got Nam Woohyun's message. I'm Sungyeol biased, but Nam's message wasn't that bad. It was greasy. I haven't read the translations but the effect of just listening to his speaking voice is so daebak, I can't even explain how my ears felt. 

 I already listened to all of the tracks in the album and I agree that every track can already be a title track. I love how INFINITE members got to showcase their vocal capabilities through every song and unlike their past albums, where Woohyun and Sunggyu pretty much dominated every song, every member got the chance to get a pretty good amount of lines. Even Sungyeol got at least two lines in a song. 

 Overall, I think I will support INFINITE as long as there is music. It's worth it.

Sparkling Magazine Spring 2012 Issue

Yesterday, while I was killing time before going to my Korean Language Class at the Korean Cultural Center, I decided to hang out at 7/11 with two of my class mates, kuya Christian and kuya Rommel. The convenience store was only a few meters away from KCC.

While I was browsing the magazines section, I saw Sparkling Mag's latest issue. It's a back to back cover with IU and ZE:A.




The contents were really juicy and interesting so I thought spending a few pesos for the mag wouldn't be that bad. The funny thing is that, while I was flipping through the pages, scanning a few pictures now and then, I saw myself on page 52.


"Karla Carreon shows us why she bagged the grand prize at the 2011 K-Pop World Festival."

I was wearing a purple top, shorts, a sweater (which was really idiotic of me because it was so hot), and boots.

The page was full of photos taken from the K-Pop Convention held at the Megatent in Meralco Ave. last December. I was a guest performer. I realized Sparkling mag was one of the sponsors of the event, so it's just normal that they publish at least one page for it.

INFINITE, my favorite boy group of all time, was also featured in the magazine.

The magazine also featured a lot of things about cosmetics and other girly stuff. It's a must have for every fan girl.

My Kanta Pilipinas Audition Experience

So today was the Kanta Pilipinas Audition at SM North Edsa. Unfortunately, considering my credentials, I was turned down.

Let me tell you guys something about me. Last July 2011, I joined the World Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles, California, and was awarded with four Silver Medals, making me a Multi-Silver Medalist. Recording companies in LA also showed interest in me, but due to my brief stay in California, we had to turn it down.

My dream didn't end there. That same year, I went back to the Philippines to join Pinoy KPop Star, held at the Korean Cultural Center, and got the grand prize. By winning the contest, I became the Representative of the Philippines at the KPop World Festival that was held in Changwon, South Korea, organized by one of the biggest TV Stations in Korea, KBS. Giving everything I've got, I bested 21 teams from 16 different countries and brought pride to my country.

Just today, my self-confidence suddenly plummeted to earth when I got rejected at the Pre-Screening of Kanta Pilipinas. See, I've been preparing for this audition ever since I saw the TV Ad, which was aired, like, two months ago. I've put in a lot of effort in preparing for this audition. I've always wanted to make it here in my country. And it shocks me more than anything to think that I flunked already at the first phase. Come to think of it, I am a Multi-Silver Medalist at the World Championships of Performing Arts, and a KPop World Festival Grand Champion in the Vocal Category, not bragging or anything, and I got rejected at a NATIONAL COMPETITION. Can you imagine how I feel? It feels like they just spitted on my trophies and medals.

The pre-screening was held at the "parking lot", which means no one would be able to hear your voice clear with the blowing horns of jeepneys surrounding the area. I've been auditioning for contests since forever and this was the first time I ever experienced this kind of system. I don't think it's fair. Plus, they didn't even take a look at my application form, which I think is pretty necessary when it comes to auditions like these. To add to that, I don't even have any idea who the judges were. I mean, who are they to reject me and the others?

Look at Charice. She wasn't appreciated that much when she was here. Now that she made it to the international spotlight, everyone is proud of her. I'm not saying that we shouldn't be. My point is that Filipinos in the Music Industry should LEARN how to appreciate REAL TALENT and not as a last resort. Hindi niyo papansinin sa Pilipinas, pero pag sumikat sa ibang bansa, todo angkin. Wag ganun.

Just to let everyone know, everything is fine with me. If they didn't like me, then okay. I'm not gonna push myself. But Kanta Pilipinas failed at the audition. What more if it's the actual show? The show hasn't even started yet, but it gained a lot of haters because of the pathetic audition system.

Today, I lost my faith and all my hopes for the Philippine Music Industry.

Shopping at Etude House

For days, I've been planning on buying stuffs from Etude House in SM North Edsa The Block. And just this afternoon, I was able to shop a few items that I will be needing sooner or later. I figured I would need BB Cream more than any other cosmetics.

Before I even decided on buying one, I did a whole lot of research about the product. I've read some reviews that said it's not appropriate for morenas like me. But the reviews written by my fellow Filipinas had more pros than cons, so I made a fixed decision that I will certainly buy one.

This is everything I bought.


This photo above is the BB Cream Precious Mineral SPF 30, Sheer Shiny Skin. The box is pretty cute with Korean instructions at the back, which really sucks because I can only read Korean and understand a few words.


This one is the Precious Mineral BB Compact in Light Beige. I'm a morena, and it fits my skin well. Again, the instructions at the back are in Korean.
I also bought an Eye brow pencil with brush, Kissful Lip Care Cherry, and Surprise Essence Concealer.
Now let me show you the magic.
Here's me without any make-up.

And then here's me BB Cream alone.


Now, here's me with everything. BB Cream, concealer, BB Powder, and liners.


See, I'm a morena, and the BB Cream and compact fits me so well. You just need to do the right techniques of blending and layering. And I'm just 17, and haven't been to any cosmetic classes. So if you're planning on buying one, JUST DO IT! It's totally worth it.

Anyway, I also got my Pink Membership Card!


And not only that! I also got a free cake from TOUS les JOURS from purchasing Etude House products worth 2,000Php! I am loving Etude House more and more.

I am definitely going back to Etude House some time again. And I can't wait to use the products I bought.