Being a smattering of randoms, because the combo of lingering death lurgy flu (srsly, body, it's been two weeks, do you even know how much I need to use my voice to squeal over k-dramas impart valuable information and discourse upon weighty matters and suchlike...) and the intense blanket of perma-smog covering NE China have left me unable to get up proper posts recently, and possibly for the next month, until I finally head home. :(
1. The k-drama in question: My Love From Another Star
To which I've succumbed, like, oh, the rest of East Asia (can't go to a counter these days without overhearing another customer asking for one of the lead's -- inevitably already sold out and with a waiting list -- lip colours, usually reading off this kind of list), despite the fact that this show is full of the tropes and tricks that annoy me in k-dramas, totally unlike Miss Korea's deconstruction/side-stepping of them. I mean here's dooooomed love and much attendant noble self-sacrificial bs. Reincarnation of the spirit of the beloved. Much melodrama mined from the fact that characters are idiots and can't just have a conversation that would resolve the idiotic misunderstanding in 5 seconds flat. Cartoonishly EBIL antagonists. A flashback every five frames. MOAR drama generated by the flimisiest handwavey 'because doooooooom' storytelling -- this is NOT how I like my spec-fic, people!And yet, it's also bloody addictive and involving and fun and I've squealed and shrieked and swore and legit wept+tore my hair in highly undignified manner, that would've had the neighbours complaining if my voice wasn't such a phlegmy croak. Mostly due to the charisma of its super hot lead, Jun Ji Hyun, who is ever willing to make a total fool of herself in the interests of making me fall 1. off the bed laughing and 2. head over heels in love with her.
Fun meta like this helps:
Then, in front of the cameras...
And both the clothes and makeup in this show are so on-point. Or do I mean FIERCE?
dat red = IOPE Colour Fit Lipstick 18 |
source ; lip here is YSL Rouge Pur Couture 52 Rosy Coral |
While JJH's lip colours are getting all the buzz, I'm also drawn to the petally shades and textures often seen on the male characters, especially this dewy youthful pout on our leading lady's younger brother:
Ahn Jae-Hyeon as Yoon-Jae |
Our villain often can be found in ironically pretty pink shades, esp. while he's playing innocent victim:
Shin Sung-Rok as Lee Jae-Kyung |
And, testament to the makeup artist's work, I'm SURE (based on far too much pic-googling) that our second male lead is wearing something more than balm on the centre of his lips here, subtly corrective of his darker mauve lip tone, but it's almost texturally invisible:
Great makeup is also to be found on the other female characters (though I have a problem with the lead woman exceptionalism in this show, so unlike Miss Korea's surprising twists of sister/motherhood and greater sophistication in dealing with even female rivals' relationships with each other, but anyway):
Yoo In-Na as Se-Mi (amusingly, this is the third time I've see YIN play a meta actress role in a drama) |
And another example of fab wings on an older lady:
Lee Il-Hwa as Han Sun-Young -- some more milk in your saucer, ma'am? ME-OW. |
2. Other ingestibles
I find thoughtful slice-of-life manga very comforting when recovering from illness -- Chica Umino's latest series March Comes In Like a Lion is a quieter work than her previous Honey&Clover, but also explores her favoured themes of child prodigies and art vs life, the families you make and those you lose, the redemption of ordinariness, all in her inimitable style, a mix of luminous/numinous, quirky and quietly realistic.
The Feminine Middlebrow Novel and Quicksilver are old favourites of mine, reread while brain was at its lowest ebb -- I recommend the first for fans of Persephone/Virago presses and the second to anyone who perks up at the idea of a spec-fic Foucault's Pendulum.
The bottom three came in the most thoughtful package sent by a friend who I met through blogging -- which basically makes all this worth it. Wait, I have some dust in my eye. It's those damn k-dramas opening up the floodgates I tells ya. <3
3. Yet MOAR ingestibles
Along with my books came some wonderful chocolates -- TCHO Milk Chocolate Cacao (a rich, dense, 'dark milk' bar) and Recchiuti Sesame Nougatine (take some sticky Chinese sesame candy squares, smother in bittersweet chocolate *_*) which are supplementing my predominantly matcha ice cream diet. Ice cream is good for sore throats! And chocolate is good for morale. So there :P
4. Wait, what kind of consumption is this blog about, again?
Ah yes, makeup hauling. It has occurred. To whet your appetites until forthcoming posts proper:
Burberry Lip Glow in 19 Mallow Pink, nail polish in 420 Sage Green, Complete Eye Palette (also in) Sage Green:
Terribly-lit flash pics:
In other I-can-never-resist news, Chanel releases a new Illusion D'Ombre (Rose des Vents, limited edition and part of the Jardin de Caméllias collection) and I throw my money at them.
It is so pink and sparkly I don't even. See Silverkis for more. Atrociously lit flash pics:
Rose des Vents all over lid and under the eye. The purple satin from Suqqu Mizuaoi quad over it on the lower lashline. Rose de Versailles black liquid liner, Kiko white eye kohl and plenty of L'Oreal FLT WP mascara. On lips: Innisfree Colour Glow Lipstick 06 Maple Burgundy Pink.
Speaking of which, I think I only posted my epic Lunar-New-Year-Gift-Card Innisfree haul on makeupalley? Here goes: Creamy Tint Lipstick in 15 Apple Red, and matched pairs of Colour Glow Lipstick and Glossy Lip Lacquer in 05 Deep Plum Burgundy, 06 Maple Burgundy Pink and 10 Daisy Coral [worn layered here].
Further Korean explorations have led me to 3 Concept Eyes -- lip pigments in Wild Yellow and Issue (which I also like to use as and mix into cream blushes) and creamy waterproof eye liners in 11 Orancia and 9 Wow Pink -- both pigmented neon mattes I'm wearing frequently as accent wings<3 Incidentally, 3CE has the best makeup website EVAR, with inspiring looks, excellent swatches and slick organisation -- do take a look if you have the time and willpower.
Have a lovely weekend, everyone!