I am currently reading the prequel to the Hunger Games, entitled A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, by Suzanne Collins.
As such, I regret to inform you that 14-year old me has taken over this blog – which means absolutely no blog writing will be done this week.
Thanks for understanding, and godspeed.
We’ve been stuck indoors for so long that I’ve begun to miss my makeup.
I’m honestly not that big of a makeup fan, but when I was in Seoul during their Summer Sale season in Myeongdong, I hoarded tubes of Etude’s Matte Chic Lip Lacquer line.
Say that with me: Matte Chic Lip Lacquer. Matte Chic Lip Lacquer. Matte Chic Lip Lacquer. I say this a lot to annoy friends and family.
Anyways, in April 2018, Korean makeup brand Etude House launched an array of liquid lipsticks, which they claim are “long-lasting lip lacquers [which] keep the lips matte and less smudged or smeared as rich colors fixed fast upon application.” As explained on the Etude House website, they used a special kind of technology where oil is added to the formula to help “lock in” the colors on the lips.
The line carries fourteen shades, the first nine being Peach Beige, Rose Pink, Wink Pink, Too Much Orange, Ready for Red, Very Berry Plum, Romance Rose, Vita Energy and the fancifully named Super Tomato.
The other five shades were named after members of K-Pop girl group Red Velvet, who were endorsing the product (and who I adore). As Red Velvet has grown very popular these days, the lip lacquers in Irene Red, Seulgi Burgundy, Wendy Brown, Joy Grapefruit, and Yeri Pink sold out a lot until the partnership ended.
(I think that some of the colors from the Red Velvet line were eventually renamed, like Curious Pink might actually be Yeri Pink.)
I was able to buy myself one of the Red Velvet colors, which cost me Php 748.00 for a tube. I can’t remember exactly how much I spent in Myeongdong, but I believe it was Buy 1 Take 1 so two tubes cost around Php 400-500.
The only one Red Velvet one I got was the Irene Red (RD303), which is a very bright, bold red. It would suit wearers who have really fair skin the best, and that’s why I think I still managed to buy one.
The packaging is simple but elegant. I like that it is a long, opaque tube. When you unscrew the cap, you will be greeted by a long applicator wand with a slightly bent tip. The applicator wand was designed this way in case a gradient effect was desired by the wearer.
When you take out the wand from the tube, a lot of liquid comes up with it. For me, it makes application tricky and so much of the formula comes off that once you blot it, it kind of feels wasteful.
Upon application, the lacquer looks really glossy until it sets, then the color darkens and turns matte after. The shades are really pigmented, and I find that the color of the Irene one looked different from what she wore in the advertisements. Maybe it’s because I’m not Irene. And I don’t look like her. Haha. *clown shoes squeaking*
The lip lacquer doesn’t feel drying compared to other matte lipsticks. Initially, the texture is creamy and a little sticky on the lips but then becomes powdery once it dries. I am not overly fond of the smell of this lip lacquer though. It smells liks Play Dough.
And the claim of long-lastingness that the Matte Chic Lip Lacquer boasts about? It always has varying results for me, so I was initially disappointed with it because it claimed to be “transfer-proof, waterproof and kiss-proof.”
Overall, I don’t think everyone can wear the Matte Chic Lip Lacquer. It’s not the easiest to apply for someone who is a novice at putting on makeup, which is a shame since most products should be easy enough for even beginners to use.
Overall, the product itself is quite good for a matte lipstick and worth its price, but only if the wearer knows how to maximize it. It also really depends on what color will suit you best (and not whichever Red Velvet member is your favorite). My advice to potential wearers of the Etude House x Red Velvet Matte Chic Lip Lacquer line? Don’t be a “Rookie” and play “Russian Roulette” with the colors – swatch before your decide.
Product Ingredients: Isododecane, cyclopentasiloxane, trimethylsiloxysilicate, silica, polyisobutene, barium sulfate, disteardimonium hectorite, methyl hydrogenated rosinate, synthetic fluorphlogopite, polyethylene, acrylates/dimethicone copolymer, 1,2-hexanediol, lauryl peg-9 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone, polyhydroxystearic acid, cetyl peg/ppg-10/1 dimethicone, propylene carbonate, methicone, rosin, triethoxycaprylylsilane, dehydroacetic acid, tocopherol, Fragrance [+/- (May contain) titanium dioxide (CI 77891), yellow 5 lake (CI 19140), yellow 10 lake (CI 47005), iron oxides (CI 77491), red 22 lake (CI 45380), red 6 (CI 15850), red 28 lake (CI 45410), red 7 (CI 15850), red 33 lake (CI 17200), iron oxides (CI 77499), blue 1 lake (CI 42090).
Today, I can finally say that I have finished all of Jane Austen’s major works. Sense and Sensibility has long been a sore point for me as a self-proclaimed Austen fan, but at long last it is now finished.
I’m not gonna go too much into all of S&S. The basics: it’s the first Austen novel published, and originally it was going to be an episotlary style novel called Elinor & Marianne. Elinor is the Sense and Marianne has a lot of Sensibility (or sensitivity, in modern language).
Together, they have to move with their family after the death of their father, because women weren’t really allowed to inherit so their brother got selfish with the inheritance. I guess this was one of Austen’s personal problems against the patriarchy, and how women should have rights to inherit property, and not just be someone else’s property.
Anyways, there is a lot of courtship and scandal in this one – more than what is usual in Austen.
My book rant today, though, is about the women in S&S. I think they are the bitchiest Austen has ever produced. For sure, mega-bitches abound in Persuasion and Mansfield Park. Of course, who can forget Caroline Bingley in Pride and Prejudice? (Arguably, Emma is the head bitch in charge in Emma.)
But S&S really takes the cake because there are so many female characters who are insipid, selfish, cruel, grovelling, and altogether despicable. Fanny Dashwood, the sister-in-law is awful and so is her mother. I really hate Lucy Steele. Anne Steele is also terrible, and Sophia Gray is frightening in her cruelty, despite having zero speaking parts. Even Lady Middleton, who barely says anything, is a bitch.
I felt lots of strong emotions about them, because they were all just awful to the sisters, especially Elinor. And Elinor deserves so much better and she is so strong. If I were Elinor Dashwood, I would have shot them all.
That is the genius Austen carries. She inspires me to hate the characters she created in the 1800s. And I’m glad that Austen never thought that the study of bitchy women was above her. In my youth, I really loved Gossip Girl (the TV series) and The Clique (novels) because as a woman, you will always encounter women who are awful so it is useful to understand their motives and their machinations.
I think awful women are rarer compared to awful men, which is why they are a little more fascinating. They do exist and generally learn the art of meanness as they grow up, and they’re the sort of girls that make you think twice about what they say to you.
Usually, I find that these women come from privilege. Rich bitches can afford to take other people down a few pegs. I think that is why Lucy Steele was extra hard to swallow because she doesn’t come from the same privilege as Fanny Dashwood or Sophia Grey.
I think that’s also why I especially love Elinor because she could see through Lucy Steele’s attempts at hurting her, and she doesn’t allow Lucy the satisfaction of seeing her upset. Elinor Dashwood wears her grown-up lady pants with integrity, and I admire and respect her for it.
On the subject of Marianne, I don’t have much to say. I’m glad she learned her lesson? She had like, three near-death experiences? Why did she end up with a 37-year old husband at the age of 19? I have so many questions, Jane.
I’ve had “Spinning Silver” by Naomi Novik downloaded on my iBooks for a year or two now, but I only read it last week.
I regret so much for putting it off that long.
Naomi Novik, I think, is a master at characters and pacing. She manages to write stuff in a way that you’re like “Give me what I want!” and she’s like “Nah, bro. Work for it. Read all 400-something pages. Then we’ll talk.”
I read her debut “Uprooted” and I’m just a big fan of Agnieszka and The Dragon. And then one day, I guess I ran out of things to do and decided to read Spinning Silver already. I finished it within the day, and I was on the edge because I was reading in bed, so I couldn’t even sleep immediately after reading. (Side-note: I finished it later than my bedtime and I could barely breathe during the last few chapters.)
The Goodreads intro reads:
“Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father’s inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty–until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold.
When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk–grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh–Miryem’s fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar.
But Tsar Mirnatius is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power, and love.”
And what I really like about Naomi Novik is that she gives us a premise that is this long, because it really just barely grazes the rest of the story that she will unfold for us. Like, all of ^ that ^ is the tip of the iceberg, the surface of an epic fantasy.
Even getting through the 400-something pages, you’re still left reeling and wanting more. Compared to Uprooted, I think Spinning Silver could have done a better job at fleshing out the romantic relationships, and overall the tone and themes were definitely more mature.
Of the three characters, I like Irina (the lord’s daughter) the best. She’s kind of the Sansa Stark, minus the dumb girl-pawn arc. I mean, Irina is a pawn but she isn’t dumb. And I just appreciate that she is never really distracted from her duty, to the point of ruthlessness.
Miryem is the main character and she’s smart in a different way. Her motivations are clear, and by God, she tries her best. She really does. Wanda is also amazing in her own way, and she’s a very strong character that grows into a nurturing one. I also really enjoyed Miryem and Wanda’s partnership: sisters be doing it for themselves.
The character with the clearest voice was Tsar Mirnatius. When I say clearest voice, I mean the POV alternates between seven different people and it’s not labelled so you’re not sure who is speaking until you read through the context. But once it’s Tsar Mirnatius’ turn, you can immediately tell because he’s just this sarcastic, venomous and funny narrator.
My favorite thing about Spinning Silver is that you can identify so many fairy tale and lore elements that Novik honored. Of course, everyone mentions the Rumpelstiltskin part, but you can see bits of Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, The Snow Queen/East of the Sun, West of the Moon, the Persephone Greek myth, a Jewish fairytale about a Golden Mountain, even Howl’s Moving Castle. It combines a lot of the things I definitely appreciated as a reader (because of who I am as a reader) and it feels good to pick-up those hints.
Definitely, Spinning Silver is more attuned to worldbuilding using stories and real cultures compared to Uprooted, and overall I highly recommend it. It’s a great read and it’s good for getting the mind to work.
Running Time: 124 minutes
This blog entry is a little overdue, but it deserves to be written anyways.
The latest adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma was much awaited by Janeites the world over, and I think it served Austen’s longest (and possibly best structured) book justice.
It follows the story closely: Emma Woodhouse – handsome, clever, and rich but also compassionate, snobbish, and complex – was played well by Anya Taylor-Joy. Emma’s one-time governess and all-time family friend Miss Taylor married, and in her loneliness, Emma adopts into their circle a Harriet Smith, who she tries to set up with various eligible men but all this meddling backfires spectacularly.
Y’know what, I probably shouldn’t dwell too much over the plot right? It’s a novel that is almost 200 years old, and anyone who has ever watched Clueless (arguably the most perfect adaptation, still) can follow the film.
There are enough Johnny Flynn fangirls on Austen Twitter these days, so I’ll talk more about the rest of the eye-candy in the film: the costumes! I’m mad for these. They are so colorful and theatrical, and they worked well with the set. It reminded me of Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette (2006) with its vivid pastel colors and period-correct silhouettes.
I took three of the movie poster costumes because I think they illustrate my point, and I don’t want to spoil the other costumes. Also, I really love these three in particular anyway.
The costume below is Emma in this pink scalloped spencer that is to die for. They really copied a lot of extant garments to recreate the 1810s, and I read somewhere that this particular garment was one of them. It’s girly, elegant, and a little elaborate – which I think lends to our imagination of Emma Woodhouse really well.
I also really love this lemon-yellow outfit she has, because I’m very fond of the shade. It’s bright and loud, and reminiscent of Cher Horowitz’s iconic yellow plaid outfit in Clueless.
I know this gown is over-the-top, but it’s very Mrs. Elton, who is fashionable, attention-seeking, and extravagant. I love the design on the hem, the shoes, and that hairdo that’s a little ahead for the period. It’s so crazy but it works really well.
Overall, this adaptation helped kick my early quarantine blues. I was really looking forward to catching it in the cinemas, so I was bummed when it turned out no one will be going to the cinemas for quite a while. Luckily, they released the movie and I think a fair number of people (including myself) got to enjoy it.
P.S. If I do have lovely readers out there, I hope you don’t miss this article that was posted on Pinned.ph. It’s something I worked on and I hope more people can read up on Moalboal, Cebu!
writing space for now 