Nicocosity: 2020

Yup, had no time to think of an awful trying-hard-to-be-witty caption, so this is it pancit!

A couple of weeks ago, one of my previous work colleagues and good friend, Chai, messaged me if I could do a commission work drawing her and her soon-to-be hubby!

To be honest I am still waaaaaaay insecure about my talent in drawing, hence my initial anxiety over joy hahahuhu 🙈 However, I figured I should face my fears and say yes ~~to the dress char wrong show.~~

The moment Chai sent me the photo I will be using as reference for, I immediately whipped out my tablet and started drawing! My rough first sketch features the outline of their bodies, then eventually I proceed with the details.

As seen above, I sent over the rough sketch to show that indeed I am working on it, and to clarify details such as the prints on their garments, and what is she holding in the photo ☝

After seeing my rough sketch, she confirmed that YES THOSE ARE FRICKIN' BIRDS HAHAHAHUHUHU!

After getting over the bird prints, I proceed in doing details. In drawing them, I have to keep on reminding myself that I should not do this as realistic as I could, but instead draw them in a style I am confident with- but heyyyy, at this point I am challenging myself in trying out different styles, so who knows hahaha 💁

My favorite thing to color, the hair! My usual tool in coloring are the fountain pen for the base, then the air brush for creating darker and lighter tones to create depth 😘

Beach glow needs some of that highlight ☝

Yup, still working on those patterns! Originally the pattern of Chai's kimono are paisleys in white and shades of blue, however I find it too difficult to draw, so I find other patterns with the same texture ☝😕🙆

The dreaded bird print! Hahahaha! Good thing I saw this camouflage-like brush tool that sort of imitates how the bird patterns in the fiancé's shirt looks like 😍

REFERENCE:

FINAL ARTWORK:

After sending out the final artwork, Chai asked me for the final price, but I really intend on giving this as an advance Wedding gift to them, so I joked that she could just give me a box of Chilimansi Instant Pancit Canton 😂

I really had so much fun creating the likeness of this wonderful couple! Hopefully I do get more commission works for 2021 for #iPadProFundzzz, hence I shall start on my commission pricelist 🤗 Will post that very soooon!

In the meantime, should you wish to request for a commission artwork of yourself, your crush, or even your dog, you can DM me at @nicjustwannadraw in Instagram 😚

Love Always,

Nicole♥♡♥

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Growing up, I legit thought Peaches are the same as Pears! HAHAHA! I don't know why I had that thinking, that's why during my first travel to Japan I don't get the hype about peaches, and why are they obsessed with it that they have peaches flavor of EVERYTHING! I kid you not, they even have those water that tasted like peaches - and no, I am not talking about juice, it really is peach water haha!

This is it pancit.

OKAAAY Anyway, once again we are veering away from what we are going to talk about today, and that is ...

Yes, another make-up review, and YES, another Korean brand!

Just a quick background, I actually got this along with other 5 beauty goodies from the online store, Charis' Mystery Lucky Bag promo, where if you buy a mystery bag worth Php 700 + Php 100 shipping (applicable if you live in Metro Manila, Philippines) you get to have around 3 items that are definitely worth more than Php 700! Not bad ehh?

Anyway, one of the brands that HiCharis.Net carries is Peach C, which is a Korean cosmetics brand that also carries eyeshadows, foundations, and other different formulations of lipsticks. To be honest, if it weren't for the Charis Mystery Lucky bag promo I wouldn't know a thing or two about this brand 🤷🏻‍♀️

And with that, come and join me know more about this Peach C Semi-Matte Lipstick in shade Pure C.

The box looks like the gradient color of how a peach fruit looks like. On the side, you can see the ingredients list written in Korean, which is pretty much a norm with every cosmetics item in the market.

At the bottom part, you'll see the shade name, as well as the color of the lipstick.

The lipstick itself is encased in a matte finish pale Pink tube that has the brand name on its bottom part. At the bottom of the lipstick, you'll once again see the shade name, as well as the expiration date of the product- which I strongly commend.

Usually, with cosmetic products that come with a box, the inscription of the expiry date is printed in the box. Unless you have a penchant for keeping boxes of your make-up, this won't be helpful in keeping tabs on how long you should be using your make-up.

With the help of Google Lens, I was able to check ingredients and other details about this Korean product. I am no chemist, but upon checking I did not see anything as odd as formaldehyde or arsenic in it, so we cool hahaha char.

Now, in terms of consistency and pigmentation, I definitely have my two cents on this matter. The product claims that it is a semi-matte lipstick, but tbh it definitely feels more satiny. Like most tube matte lipstick, where lipstick mattifies after several seconds of its application on the skin, but this one stays satiny. Although it isn't so glossy, for some reason it feels like a less saucy lipgloss, but definitely not a matte lipstick. On the bright side, with this consistency the lipstick feels really moisturizing to the lips that even after awhile your lips won't feel dry- that, I love!

As for pigmentation, with just one swipe you'll definitely see the color pay-off, much like how a satin lippie performs. On the tube, the color appears to be a bit dustier, but once applied it's actually bright. There's also a difference between the application on the forearm vs. the lips! Once it's on my lips, it looks very orange-y hahaha!

How many swipes do I need to get a full lip of lipstick, you ask? 2!

To cap off this review, the last and one of the most important factors for me in picking a make-up, let's talk about its staying power.

Being the lazy girl that I am who adores small bags, I hate bringing a lot of make-up with me, as well as re-applying! Wearing a mask has been a tiny 'yey' thing for me since I can get away not retouching my lippie after having a hearty lunch! Given these ramblings, it's a must for me to have a make-up product that stays longer ~~than all of my exes haha ayyy!~~

Told yah, it looks shiny!

Before leaving my house at around 7:30 A.M., I gave my lips 2 quick swipes of this lipstick, then proceed on putting on my mask. When I arrived at the office, around 30% of the lipstick had already transferred to my mask 👎 And this is just an hour after applying it! Estoy Triste 😕

While yes, I have proven that staying power in the lips is not one of its strength, I decided to be experimental and put one on my cheeks hahahaha! Make-up, for me, should be mult-functional to the point that you make sure every cent is worth it! When I like a color of a lippie I test out if it'll also be a good shade for my cheeks. Lo and behold, it actually turned out... good! Surprisingly though the color lasted longer on my cheeks, compared to my lips ☝

Now we proceed with our Classic Pros and Cons:

PROS

💓 The packaging is slick, and minimalist. I appreciate that you can see the expiration date on the lipstick instead, rather than on the box (which you'll end up throwing away).

💓 No irritating smell. Sure it does have a VERY FAINT smell of peaches, but you'll hardly notice it.

💓 Color pay-off is nice, despite it being brighter when applied compared to its dustier appearance in the tube.

💓 Easy to apply. Due to its creamy consistency, the product glides like silk on my lips, without leaving patches of uneven color. Makes a good make-shift blush too lol!

💓 Very moisturizing, your lips won't feel dry when you apply this on your pucker.

CONS

💔 While yes, I do love the simplicity of the packaging I also had a problem with it. Not sure if the one I got is faulty, but the one I received doesn't go down when I twist it! In the end I just push it back with my lips hahahaha!

💔 Semi-matte whut? This is not matte in any form whatsoever, Peach C are you drunk?

💔 It's not transfer-proof, and the staying power is mehhhhh! After an hour my lipstick had already migrated to my facemask 😕

💔 Very limited colors. Unlike my ultimate favorite: Peripera's Airy Ink Velvet, there are like only 6 shades available for this line of lipstick, and by the looks of it they are only complementary to Korean fair skin 😥

Overall, I did enjoy this lipstick, especially since it's just a freebie from a purchase of mine 👍 But would I actually buy one for myself? Maybe 🤷

BUT Hey, if you wanna try it you may get yours for a fraction of its price! Check out HiCharis' Expiry sale, and you may get 2 for the price of 1!

Yep! I checked it, and the expiration date is June 2021! Not bad really especially if you're feeling extra adventurous and wanna try a new make-up brand👀👄💋

Love Always,

Nicole ❤

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For the longest time, I've been meaning to create my very own "Meet The Artist" artwork! I was always so fascinated with the talented people from Twitter, Instagram, and Deviant Art who share their masterpieces for the world to enjoy... and so I did my very own haha! #BandwagonnerKaTeh?

Eto na nga oh!

First things first, the base...

Tadaaaah!

Like most Potterheads, we firmly believe that our acceptance letter was given to Errol, or a much shittier owl out there, and that our acceptance letter was probably sent to the wrong address or straight up to the trash can, hence here we are slaving away on our muggle jobs in our late 20's *faint ha ha ha because c'mon, I'm only spewing facts.* With all that said, I decided to draw myself as student from Hogwarts, summoning all the otters to come to the basement, Hufflepuff's common room that is full of plants (much to the delight of plantitos and plantitas) and is next to the kitchen.

Like majority of my digital artworks, I use the app Autodesk Sketchbook with my ancient but trusty Samsung Galaxy Tab A. Recently I have experimented with different art styles and techniques, but for this particular one I decided to stick to what I think I do best: Classic art lined with pencil.

Creating the base drawing sans the color took me quite a while to finish. Unlike how I draw when I was younger, an artwork like this took me several days to finish! Such a slow poke huhu.

After finishing the sketch, then polishing the lines, the next step is to color it. In coloring this, I did not use the paint bucket tool to automatically fill areas, and instead treated this as if I am doing a coloring book hahaha! I know, I could have easily just fill in the areas and move on to creating shades and shadows, but I really find coloring and erasing spilled over colors relaxing 💁

One of the challenging things for me in creating this is the fact that she's basically just wearing gray and black! I find it confusing as to how can I make black look darker with shadows, or how to make details pop out considering that the lines are in black! 😭 But somehow I think I was able to do a good job, I guess? HAHAHA!

I think it would have made more sense if she's wearing really rugged 1460's Dr. Marten's boots! However at this point I already got lazy, so I opt with a pair of less detailed booties.

After finishing the self-portrait, let's add in the details about the artist...

Unlike iPad's Procreate, it's quite hellish to create a really clean calligraphy with Autodesk Sketchbook! While there is a predictive stroke feature that you can use to have cleaner lines, it's still difficult to make use of it to ensure clean and visually appealing calligraphy. So yeah, I just wrote this one without any predictive strokes, just good ol' inking pen tool.

Another first for me is creating these items sans lines!- ok except for the phone! If I didn't put any lines there, people won't be able to comprehend that that is a photo of a book faced down. I made use of the Fountain Pen Tool for these items.

TADAH! That's it pancit! I shared a bit of how I did it hahaha! Though to be honest, a primary reason why I created a "Meet The Artist" artwork is, not just to improve my #skillzzz and talent in creating illustration, but as a form of promotion/ portfolio stuffer.

For 2021, I aim to be more proactive in getting side hustles in creating artworks, doing content writing, commission works for Class Act Ph, and even tutoring- all the while I work as a full-time brand manager! I wanted to do more, and earn more 💲💲💲 to buy myself an iPad Pro hahaha! Not kidding, I'm really aiming for an iPad Pro ~~Please hire me,.~~

You may check out my Instagram at @nicjustwannadraw for more artworks 😉

I still got A LOT of work-in-progress artworks, soooooooo... *screams internally*

Love Always,

Nicole ❤

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If you were to tell my 17-year-old self thalt using oil-based product to cleanse your oily face will make it less oily, I'll tell you to stop bullshitting me. At that tender age of mine, I truly believe that the best way to combat oily greasy skin is to CONSTANTLY wash your face with soap, use astringent, and cake your face with powder- and oh boy, how it only made my skin oilier.

Me. Me. Me

This product we'll be talking about today is an 'accidental', or serendipitous ~~Ay wow big word~~ find of mine during my very first trip to Japan 2 years ago. Ever since then, this baby has been a 'must-buy' for me every time I go visit the land of the rising sun.

Unlike my usual beauty review, I am going to be very upfront this time: YOU MUST BUY THIS ANY CHANCE YOU GET! Sure, it does have its share of Pros and Cons, but I'm telling you, its Pros trample the Cons any day.

So as I was saying, the first time I got this brand of cleansing oil was an accidental purchase. Originally my sister asked me to buy her a DHC cleansing oil, which she became addicted to after buying one during her trip to Tokyo before. IDK if I was dyslexic, blind, or plain lazy, that I got her a Kosé Softymo Cleansing Oil instead, and hey, she did not fuss because apparently, it works as good as the pricier DHC one.

For reference, this is how the DHC one looks like.

Basing on this post's banner, this second bottle of mine (yes, I have finished my first bottle with Ariel on the bottle hahaha!), is a limited edition. For a time, Kosé released a limited edition Disney collaboration bottles of their Speedy Cleansing Oil, and the bottles that they released have Ariel from The Little Mermaid, and Rapunzel from Tangled gracing it. What made the Rapunzel one a little bit special is its peach scent!

Oh if only we can smell the things we see off the internet, I swear you'll fall madly in love with this product. Now, let's get down to business...

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS?

Given that this is in Japanese (and yah gh0rl can't read in Japanese), I suggest you check this article for better reference : HERE or HERE

HOW DO I USE THIS?

Pretty much how you use your bubbly cleanser, apply some few pumps (a little goes a loooong way) to your dry face- TAKE NOTE, DRY FACE, then massage it to clean out grime, oil, dirt, and even make-up! Once it had emulsified, wash it with water. Et Voila, clean and soft skin!

WHEN CAN I USE THIS? IN WHAT ORDER OF MY SKINCARE ROUTINE SHOULD THIS FALL INTO?

Personally, this has been my daily go-to 1st step in removing make-up/ washing my face (then I use Micellar water afterward). I use this alternately with my Banilla Co. Zero Sebum balm, which I use for when I wear heavier make-up.

HOW MUCH AND WHERE CAN I BUY THIS?

From what I remember I got this 230 ml bottle for less than ¥ 400 - 500 or around ₱ 200+ in Don Quijote. But aside from various Don Quijote branches, you can also buy this in some groceries, department stores, and some Famima, or Family Mart actually has this.

But if you're not in Japan, you may check out Shopee, Lazada, and Amazon.

ANY LAST WORDS?

Ok, that sounds menacing hahaha! I suppose if you ever get your hands on a limited edition Kose cleansing oil that has a scent, like this peach one, you may want to skip it if you have REALLY sensitive skin, since scents in facial products may cause allergies or bad break-outs.

But if you have oily, not-so-sensitive skin, you'll be saying Arigato Gozaimasu to the Kose Gods for this hahaha!

Love Always,

Nicole ❤

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