White + Rose

I never feel adequately rejuvenated from a mid-semester break. This year, I've only ever felt profound fatigue -- far from the bright-eyed-bushy-tailed first year I used to be. Caffeine intake might have something to do with it too but I think I'm just feel uninspired with the things I'm doing. I tried to make the best of my break but I honestly didn't get much done. I feel like I'm fizzling out but it's almost the end -- I've gone through nearly 3/4 of the semester. Other than going to see a friend, lending her my manga, giving her some posters for her new room and some Buldak Bokkeum Myun  (seriously hot Korean instant noodles), I didn't meet up with any of my other friends. I did, however, had a nice dinner out in the city with my younger sister after a long day of studying (for her) and a day at the lab (for me). I treated her to one of N2's ice cream flavours: Ferrero Reveal  (Ferrero Rocher). I think the syringe of chocolate ganache is a nice...

For those of my readers who read manga and want to venture off into the world of comics, I've come across a series that I think is a wonderful transition: Wayward. Issue #1 Standard Cover (the one I have) Issue #1 Variant (love this cover) Issue #2 Standard Cover I loved the first issue and I loved the second just as much. This comic had a gathering of fans before the release but it was after the first issue release that I came across it. I love how it features certain aspects of manga I'm familiar with - school and Japanese mythology. Definitely not straying too far from manga but still distinct enough to call it a comic. I would not recommend this to younger readers - it is rated M for Mature and this rating is actually on the back cover. Initially I had no clue why it was rated mature except for the amount of violence featured in the first issue but the second issue raises self-harm and mutilation. Because of the sensitive nature of this theme, I now understa...

Sydney's now in spring. The other day, I took a stroll around the neighbourhood with my sister and found some trees still blossoming.  Pink blossoms! White blossoms! Honestly, I'm not spring-ready, even though a whole month has almost passed. Spring and summer are my least favourite seasons, even if they have the most holidays (Christmas and New Year's) and also my birthday's in Spring. The pastels, the bright colours, the hay fever and the stinking hot weather - I've never really enjoyed it. I just hope that these flowers can help inspire me. I'm feeling up for a bohemian vibe.

Most people are familiar with IMATS if they follow beauty gurus from Youtube or other beauty bloggers because many of them attend this event. It's a trade show/ expo for makeup artists where vendors will offer their products, sometimes at a discount, and there's shows and competitions. I wouldn't consider myself a makeup enthusiast but I'm keen on picking up a few tips and I really wanted to get a few things. I bought a general admission ticket for Saturday and it costed me AUD$40 (including the booking fee). I figured that most of the popular items would be sold out on the first day, so I chose to go on a Saturday (if you want to haggle prices, Sunday's probably better but I haven't mastered the art of negotiation). The plan was to go alone because I'd be able to get around faster and a lot of that time would be waiting in queues. The venue was the Royal Hall of Industries in Moore Park, which isn't very far from the CBD but it makes going to the sh...

I purchased a ticket back in July for the final Australian Anberlin tour. This was before the release of their final album. I have been a fan of Anberlin for a while (back in high school, just before Cities had been released) and with further encouragement from my sister, I decided to buy a ticket. After all, they're probably not going perform together again. Along with Anberlin, The Getaway Plan and Breakaway were performing. While I've listened to The Getaway Plan before, I had never heard of Breakaway and they were actually pretty good. A lot of people were probably just there for Anberlin and for me, getting to see The Getaway Plan was a bonus (because I really like them too). My ticket It was held at the UNSW Roundhouse last week. Luckily I know my way around campus so I got in pretty early and left pretty quick. Before the performances, I managed to grab a T-shirt. It's probably the most expensive T-shirt I've ever bought but it's goddamn worth it for ...

There's something alluring about vintage compacts. Not everyone gets it. These compacts were used to keep powders in and that was precisely what I intended to do with it. If I was purely in it for the sake of collecting, I'd probably buy them in mint condition, with box and original sifter and puff. I'd imagine someone like Dita Von Teese would carry her powder around in one of these ornate compacts. She probably does. I think it really does add that touch of glamour that makes touching up on powder a little more enjoyable. Particularly when some cheaper high-street makeup doesn't come in sturdy packaging. Of course, compacts aren't limited to Stratton. Kigu and Estee Lauder are just some other brands. There are various guides online that help you date the compact and how to reuse a compact. There are websites out there that offer replacement puffs and sifters too, if using another brand of puff doesn't feel authentic enough. The two compacts I have s...

Yesterday, I attended SMASH - Sydney Manga and Anime Show. The last time I attend SMASH, it was in 2012 and it was held in the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. Since it has closed for renovations, this year it was held in Rosehill Gardens. I think SMASH has grown larger with more events spanning two days but in terms of the number that had showed up, I didn't notice a huge difference compared to 2012 but that might be because everyone was sprawled out instead of being cramped into one building. I was only able to attend Saturday's convention and everything was last minute so I ended up having to pay more for a ticket. For the full prices, it was $35 for Saturday, $30 for Sunday and $55 for both days. Sailor Moon plushes! Arpakasso! (I didn't buy any but I had my eyes on the one with the pink and blue scarf) Can you spot No-Face? I was left to explore the convention alone as soon as I entered the gates. My sister had organised to meet up with he...