Cakdel

Teased Hair / Visual Kei Inspired

2011-12-31T21:51:00.003-05:00

Hihi~

So since I stopped making videos (and started putting the old videos on private) I've been getting a lot of questions asking to view them or start making them again.

I don't know if I will be making any new tutorial videos anytime soon, but here is one of the old ones :).
I still love the way my hair looks here~ totally miss it!

I'll probably put some more up here since you guys like it so much :).
-Cakdel

Goodbye 2011!

2011-12-31T20:20:00.006-05:00

Hey!

Happy New Years~! Just finished gaining like, oh, 20 or so pounds for lunch and dinner today XD. Too much food~!

2011 has been an amazing year. So much happened, and I grew a lot from it. I met so many different and amazing people. My heart skips a beat sometimes when I stop to think about it. Its so weird thinking how much they end up meaning to you after only a year of knowing them-- I honestly have to say that the people I met this year can easily make me fly or fall. My only regret is that I can't duplicate myself and spend time with them all. But the few that I do, are ones that I hope will stay with me forever.

2011 Recap:

Best moments/memories in 2011

1. End of the year Boston trip

2. Piercings (most closed, but great when it lasted)

3. Meeting 5 of the most amazing people

4. Clubbing (2011 was definitely the clubbing year)

5. One special person

6. Afrojack & Tiesto experience

7. Blackout during Halloween

New Years Resolutions:

1. eat better/take care of myself

2. be more honest with myself/other people

3. indulge in my studies

4. tame my temper

5. spend less

6. stop trying so hard. relax more

7. be happy; have fun; smile

8. grow my hair out

9. be more confident

10. challenge myself

11. get a job/internship

12. be more spontaneous

13. stop being so scared

14. fine more control

15. think less, do more

I have 15. They are more self-improvements than anything else. One thing that I realize this year is that I need to be more comfortable with myself and be more comfortable with other people. I worry too much, and not about the right stuff. I worry about the wrong things-- I'm too self conscious. I need to enjoy my self more. Laugh. College doesn't last forever, and its one of the only times we can really just have fun and not have to care about much. Live more :). So those are my New Years Resolutions. What are yours?

Oh. One last thing--

Haiirrr~ (October - December)

Halloween Afrojack Concert.

Was a East German Coastal Guard
(I had 2 costumes-- the one above and a leopard)

Day after Halloween. Decide to rock a costume anyways.

Early/Mid November.

Autumn colors~! cheyah!

Mid-Late November. Brown.

-Cakdel

Bird Tattoos

2011-08-24T22:41:00.006-04:00

I really want to get a tattoo, but I am so scared that I might not like it months, or years from now. I don't want to end up regretting getting one... They're not like piercings... If you don't like a piercing, you can simply remove it and it'll heal. Tattoos are permanent.

I'm an indecisive person; I get into and out of things too easily. Heck, I can't even decide on a hair colour! It changes like 100x a year! And I know what people are going to say: if you want a tattoo, you better be damn sure you' love it and are going to love it years from now. But how am I suppose to know how I am to feel about my tattoo years from now if I haven't even gotten it? All I know is that right now, I already have an idea, and I really, really want one!!

I want a bird tattoo on the back of my right shoulder. Nothing big, just maybe 5 or so small birds. Something like these:

I have already thought of the perfect design and have drawn it over and over again for months. :/

BIRDS! =O

I don't know why, but I have an infatuation with birds. For me, they aren't just something pretty, they symbolize freedom. Ever heard of the word "wanderlust"? Its a German word meaning "a strong desire to travel." Since forever, I've felt wanderlust. I always want to be somewhere new, do something I've never done before, travel, see new things... meet new people. Who wants to live their lives chained down? I want to fly. I like change. And birds are a symbol to all of that.

But I don't think permanent and me work very much. When it comes to things like these, I'm a perfectionist. I see fault in everything, so I know that if I get a tattoo... I might like it the first week but end up finding fault in it a week later. "Its not dark enough, the spacing between these too birds are too close"... etc. I mean, I found a fault in every piercing, hair cut, hair-dye job, etc, that I ever got/done.
So I probably won't get a tattoo in the end, even though I really want to. Alas... If only tattoos can be easily removed.

By the way, here are two other pictures of birds that I absolutely love =]

-Cakdel

Piercings and Stuff

2011-08-24T12:17:00.006-04:00

So... my eyebrow piercing closed T_T.
In July, I went to visit some family and my parents wanted me to take my eyebrow piercing out, so I did. I only had it out for a day... I really didn't expect the hole to close so fast! When I got back home, I tried to re-insert the jewelry, but it just wouldn't fit... and I became nauseous after poking and prying the hole for like an hour so I just stopped. Yeah... disappointing, but I don't think I would get them re-pierced. I thought about it-- getting my eyebrow and lip re-pierced, but I think in the end, they would end up closing anyways. My parents aren't exactly thrilled of them either, so sooner or later, it would have eventually happened.

BUT-- I got a new piercing yesterday, lol. And honestly its not to make up for the two lost ones. I got a naval piercing =].

It cost $40 for both the piercing and the jewelry. The fault that I found with it was that it was pierced a bit off center... and sometimes it gets a bit crooked. I went to a different place to get it done this time. Maybe I should have stuck to the one that I been going to, but whats done is done.

-Cakdel

Blog, Boston

2011-07-24T14:12:00.008-04:00

Hihi~!

The picture above was taken in Boston last month :3. I really like it there-- very different from New York. I was actually surprised when I first got there because I was expecting a city scene-- like New York City style, you know? But Boston was more like a mini city to me... or city-town. It actually reminded me of a town next to where I live, which I always considered to be like a mini city... just a little bit more people. But it is really peaceful, everyone is more relaxed, and everything is closer so it's easy to walk everywhere. Like for example, I walked from South Station to North Station easily and I also walked from Harvard Sq. to the Boston Commons. It might look like a long, tedious walk from the map, but its actually not that bad!! Now try walking from Grand Central to SoHo! Thats tedious~!

Surprisingly, there is more hobos/homeless people per number of non-homeless people in Boston than there is in NY. When I think about it, if I were homeless, I think I would also rather live in Boston than NY haha. The environment is more friendly.

You know how in NY there are a lot of Starbucks and RiteAids/Duane Reades?? Like one on every street corner! Sometimes I even encounter two Starbucks on the same street!! Well in Boston, its like Dunkin Dounuts and CVS. No joke-- I was downtown (like Park St. area) and there are like... 5+ CVS nearby... and just as many Dunkin Dounuts. It blew my mind O_O. I love CVS but its just so uncommon to see so much of it clustered within a close proximity.

Another thing that surprised me about Boston is the way people dressed. I couldn't help noticing when I arrived there... everyone dress so... plainly :/. I mean there are some people who dressed nice, but the majority is... eh... I never expect it to be like NY street fashion, but I thought people like dress a bit more nicely.. or looks somewhat well put.

I love the Boston Gardens and the Town Commons-- such a nice place to relax. Kinda like the Central Park of Boston, but can I tell you something? Although I lived in New York for like almost all my life, I never had ventured Central Park completely-- its just too big! So I can't exactly compare how the Gardens and Commons are like compared to Central Park, but I can say that the Gardens is beautiful <3. Such a nice place to relax and be during the summer.

I miss Boston, but the one thing I miss the most is seeing people. Its hard to hang out with college friends during the summer when like 90% of them live in Massachusetts. I stayed there for five days, by the way. By the end of the 3rd day I was pretty tired of roaming the city. By the 4th, I got a bit frustrated. What really sustained me was meeting up with people. Its horrible wandering the city hours on end alone and without a place to go back to.

I would like to go back-- there are so many area that I haven't gone to or seen, but its expensive and the people I want to meet up with are either not there anymore, or have their own very busy schedules.

I'm just a little bit love sick. Just lack a little bit of freedom. And just a little wanderlust.

-Cakdel

Side Buzz/Undercut =D

2011-06-28T00:09:00.012-04:00

Buzzed it myself today =D. Nao need to come up with a design ^_^

-Cakdel

Review: Ardell DuraLash Starter Kit

2011-06-23T23:34:00.012-04:00

I'm pretty sure every girl would love to wake up with long, beautiful, thick lashes. Professional eyelash extensions is probably the best option to get for this, but it is expensive. Roughly $200+ for a full set. The lashes last for a few months, but typically needs to be refilled every 2-5 weeks. So if you have the money, and are willing to go into the salon for maintenance every few weeks ago, then this is something you can look into.

BUT, for most people who don't have that kind of money, people like me, we have to look into other options. Two two most common alternatives are: Mascara and False Lashes.

False lashes are good, but they are a hassle to put on every morning and remove at night. Sometimes they become loose throughout the day and might need some adjusting, but overall its a pretty good alternative. Just be careful not to remove any of your real lashes when taking them off!! The price ranges from $3 up and will probably last about a week (considering daily use). I don't exactly have a preferred brand of falsies, but look for ones that isn't too synthetic. The most important thing for false lashes is... the eyelash GLUE. I like DUO and LashGrip.

Mascara is something that most people use for longer and thicker lashes. It is probably the simplest solution as well, however, it is not always the best. Yes, it will make your lashes look longer and thicker, however, it cannot mimic what false lashes and lash extensions do! There are a large varieties of mascara out in the market today, and they can only come CLOSE to what falsies can do (like the mascaras with synthetic fiber). The price range is anywhere around $7+ and will probably last about 5 months. Mascara is, however, less of a hassle to apply than false lashes. Yes you might have to reapply/fix it throughout the day, and wash it off at night, but it take less time to apply than falsies. BUT, like the falsies, you can't just simply wake up in the morning and already have gorgeous lashes.

There is one other option: Semi-permanent Eyelash Extensions.

Specifically, I will be reviewing Ardell DuraLash Eyelash Extensions.

Above is the starter kit. It comes with one strop of short lashes, two medium, one long, one tweaser, one eyelash glue, and one eyelash glue remover. I brought two of these. They cost roughly $11 and supposedly should last weeks.

The application process (for a full set) is about... eh... an hour? Depending on how skilled you are, I guess. It took me an hour, and I'm pretty much a beginner (and I messed up a lot starting off). I used the short and medium lashes, but more of the short ones. If you think false lashes are hard to apply, these are even harder! I messed up several times and had to throw some of the lashes away (got too messy-- too much glue). But you'll eventually get used to it. Be careful though! The glue stings the eyes~!

After applying the lashes, I let them sit for about 2 hours (just to make sure the glue has dried sufficiently). It kinds feels heavy... and a little bit uncomfortable at first, but you'll eventually get used to it. The one thing you wont get use to is rubbing your eyes-- don't do it! It does itch sometimes. Also taking a shower with them on (the eyelashes tend to retain the water) and washing your eye makeup off can be a little bit tricky. Sleeping with them on is...well not the most comfortable thing. I mean, you aren't bothered by it TOO much, but its there nonetheless. Whenever I sleep with them, I worry about messing up the lashes. But the next day they aren't messed up too much.

As far as how long they last, unfortunately they don't last very long. Maybe I applied them wrong or something, but the lashes starts falling out after a day or two and taking with it, some of my natural lashes :/. They fall off more easily around the inner and outer corners of the eye. I had to reapply some lashes. I think the application really matters a lot.

If you go to a salon to get them done (the semi-perms) it will last a bit longer. I got mine done once, and only the inner corners of one eye (about maybe 2 strands or so) fell off after 3 days. But the others are pretty much still attached. I think they should last about a week or two. Maybe two. It isn't that expensive either-- maybe around $20+. The salon that I went to use Ardell lashes BUT they used a different glue, so that might be the reason why it last longer... they (the lashes) are still uncomfortable tho. Whether its done by your own hands or at a salon, you can still feel them.

The one thing I REALLY dislike about these semi-permanent lash extensions is the removal process. Its really hard to remove... and if you do eventually get them to come off, they usually take some of your natural lashes with it =/.

Overall Rating: 2/5

Price: 4/5

Length of Wear: 2.5/5

Comfort: 2/5

Application: 2.5/5

Removal: 0/5

Overall, the semi-permanent eyelash extensions aren't a bad substitute for real eyelash extensions, but I think I will stick to my false lashes and mascara.

SUMMERRZZ

2011-05-19T02:14:00.006-04:00

O hai ther~

My friends and I were playing hide and seek in one of my friend's dorm building (I know, childish rite? =P) and I end up hiding in the ice-box/freezer section of the fridge for the longest time... so I got bored and started taking pictures lol. (the picture abovee)

So my school semester officially ended... and I hate it. lol. I miss everyone so much =(

So boring at homee... and so little freedom. Need to find a job too.

I know this sounds stupid, but anyone know a place that is hiring in New York? One that accepts applicants that can only work for three months? Or any job openings in general? Believe it or not, it's hard to find a job!! I want an internship soooo bad T_T. But that didn't happen *sigh*...

Speaking of work, I closed down Cakdel's GiftBox. I became wayyy too busy last semester... and as a result, I just haven't been paying much attention to my site. I don't want to keep it open and provide below average/bad service... so I closed it down. Any questions or queries, e-mail me at cakdel[at]gmail.com.

Oh, since a few days ago, my lip piercing closed... T_T. I took it out for the first time last Friday (just so I know I am able to take it out, and can, in some way, hide it from my parents) and I didn't try to put it back in until Sunday, and what do you know? It closed T_T. I miss it so much! I want to get it pierced again, but I don't know if it is worth it... Plus my parents are nagging about the eyebrow piercing (which I pretended to take out). Oh and a lip piercing is so much harder to hide than an eyebrow~ (they still don't know about the lip by the way, and I'm not planning to tell them XD). They treat me like such a middle schooler grr! so uptight and traditional. Can't wait to go back on campus...

And oh. I dyed my hair brown. My hair was red for the longest time, then a strawberry blondish color... but my roots started to grow out, and it just looks horrible. So yeah... brown (its a warm-tone brown), but I don't like it. lol. I'll probably dye it to black sometime soon~ or well... a cooler tone brown color.

Erm... I have nothing else to say right now. Umm.. here is a cute picture:

Haha I miss this~. My dorm room btw.

Buh Bai~

Oh btw, I have a tumblr: http://cakdel.tumblr.com/

I update that more often.... just so you knot I'm not dead/didn't disappear.

New Piercings =D

2011-03-22T23:53:00.007-04:00

Got two more piercing! =D Wacha think?

Now I have seven holes~ lol. Actually I let one of my ear piercing close up during break... why? The jewelry was becoming embedded into the ear :/. I don't really know how that happened, but one day when I reached over to touch my right ear lobe piercing, I felt skin and then indented skin, and then skin. Apparently my jewelry was sunken into the ear... and I tried pushing it back out (it bled =O), but after two hours or so, it would become sunken in again... And it started bleeding... so I freaked out and took the earring out and cleaned my hole. I tried putting the piercing in again, but apparently the back end of the hole closed up during the five minutes... I mean really?? Five minutes? And I didn't want to re-pierce the hole with the earring since I was already getting dizzy from losing so much blood (or maybe the sight of so much blood made me light headed). So I just let the hole close.... =( I'll probably get it redone once it heals though.

PEACE~

-Cakdel

Its a record

2011-03-19T22:16:00.006-04:00

Processes my hair five times today. FIVE.

Bleached it, dyed it, bleached it, dyed it red, dyed it brown.

Why? After bleaching it the second time it was really blonde... and i loved it... BUT my mom flipped the shit. So I dyed it red. She became hysterical... lol... so I was forced to dye it brown.

Whatever. I'll just end up bleaching it again when I get back on campus!~

-Cakdel

Btw, here is a pic before my mom found out

EDIT:
Heres another pic~ just to show off how well I did my roots. lol~

AND here is how it looks like now... ( kinda red since the brown was layered on top of the red. lol~. I like it though =])

Time to catch up!!

2011-03-18T23:56:00.006-04:00

Wow~! I haven't posted in such a long time!!

Sowwie for neglecting the blog~ Been soo busy!!

First of all, SECOND SEMESTER SUCKKS!! Somehow all my classes seems to be 10x harder >_<. I had my midterms for all my classes about 2 weeks ago and omg... am I'm ashamed of my grades..! RAWRR!! I WILL DO BETTER! I swear!!

Some pic updates~

Ermm... January/Februaryish. A group of people made a pretty epic igloo outside my dorm building. Above ish me crawling out of the igloo. lol~ yeahh my hair changed alawt =].

Floor-mate, roommate and I.

I bought Doc Martens!!! Just want to show them off =D

I've went through SOO many shoes since September that by February I was in desperate need of sturdy shoes that are somewhat water resistant. These Doc Martens aren't waterproof, but they are SO much more water resistant than my other boots (probably because of the thick sole). And I love the vintage print =D. It was $130 by the way. You can find it at: http://www.drmartens.com/

WARNING: Takes FOREVER to break in!! T_T.

For privacy reasons, you know?

I have too many looks XD.

By the way, I'm planning to dye my hair again. lol~

CYA~

-Cakdel

Hai Ther

2010-12-24T20:05:00.005-05:00

I dyed my hair black.

And now, with makeup, I look like a little emo boy. seriously.

Having my hair so dark is kinda a shock... my hair hasn't been legit black in a while... and my natural "black" hair is actually DARK BROWN... so it was kinda strange shaving solid black hair. Even when I style it, it still looks so weird!! Like my hair just look like a solid block of black... you can't really see the hair pieces at all.

But one thing good about having my hair in one solid shade is that I can wear extensions now... I seriously haven't worn extensions since two or three years ago (my hair grew longer than my extensions). And I probably won't plan to wear it often because I honestly don't like wearing them :/. Also, the black extensions I have is texturally very different from my hair. The extensions I have are 100% premium ASIAN, HUMAN hair. So it is like the traditional very straight, very silky hair. That is NOT my hair type. Although I am asian, my hair is naturally wavy... and more coarse than silky (especially after bleaching and dying my hair so often). I think I might end dying some of my blonde extensions black (although the last time I did that it turned green.. o_O) so it matches my hair better. Not sure yet...

Anyhow, Merry Christmas!

Oh and my tumblr (I've been "blogging" on that a lot recently =]) follow?

http://cakdel.tumblr.com/

a pic I took in midtown

Gingerbread Houses

2010-12-18T23:19:00.006-05:00

...are so fucking hard to make!!!
I don't understand how little children are able to make them!

Last Friday (Dec. 18th) my friend and I attempted to construct one. We are both pretty artsy so we were expecting to make something nice lol.

My friend and I
isn't he adorable?

Anyhow, we went to a mall near us and brought a gingerbread house kit.
And later that night, we started making it while watching Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (lol, i think that is what it was called?)

The problem with the gingerbread house making started out in the beginning... I think. I think it started when we were trying to make the icing. The instruction said that we should mix 2-3 tablespoon of warm water into the sugary, powdery icing mix (there was A LOT of the mix) ... we didn't have a tablespoon so we guesstimated... well.. at least he did haha. And I think we might have put in TOO much water. XD I mean.. it isn't as thick as the icing you buy in convenient stores... its more fluid... Like a little thicker than the consistency of honey.

After that, we started putting the walls of the house together by gluing it with the "icing." And guess what? It didn't work! XD The walls kept on slipping and we spent most of our time just holding up the walls and blowing at the icing to make it solidify lol. Our hands were so crusted with icing afterwards haha. To make it worse, we were trying to put the icing on the gingerbread (cookies?) with chopsticks. XD
But eventually the icing solidified and the house kinda held itself up. But by then the house looked REALLY bad XD. But to make ourselves feel better, we tried to at LEAST make one side look pretty (the side I worked on). Actually at first he tried to kill my side, but it save it. Haha. And to lift our pride as artists (or well.. creative, art-liking people) we have to take a picture of it, but only on the good side!! That way people would just assume the other side is just as nice XD.

It deff doesn't look like the picture on the box! XD Very messy, but not too bad right??

And we tried to take a picture of it with us...

But then... while we were taking pictures, or trying to take a good picture of the gingerbread house and US in it.. the walls and roofs of the house started to slip.... and...

It died! In my defense, I tried to save it! But Duoc just sat there and laughed at me >_<.
All well, it was fun while it lasted =D.
We ended up throwing it all away (well I ate a little bit... but it was just too much ehh...).

So yeah. That's my attempt at making a gingerbread house. Next time, I think I should start with something smaller... haha
A gingerbread man? XD

PEACE
~Cakdel

hihi =D

2010-12-07T21:52:00.004-05:00

hihi =D
So I surrendered and made a tumblr!! XD
Linkie: http://cakdel.tumblr.com/

Oh and I noticed that I haven't exactly "blogged" in a while, like legit blog. So, I'll procrastinate from my calculus homework to give you guys an update (lol).

Its finals weeks for me (which is why I'll probably be doing all nighters very often this week...), so last weekend was technically my last "free" weekend. So... I basically wanted to have some fun nights before finals week starts =].

Friday:
Nothing special. I was really sick, but hung out with some of my friends anyways. Played with makeup, met some people, talked to a random drunk dude that lives 2 floors above us (haha).

Saturday: <3 Awesome night!! At first I wasn't going to go out or anything (because I was really sick and wasn't feeling well at all), but at the last minute I changed my mind XD. I ended up going to a Pirate themed party (I was a pirate for Halloween by the way, but I brought my costume back home... which kinda sucked, but I ended up pulling a costume together from my regular clothes in my wardrobe) at a college near mine. I went with one of my best guy friends <3. The night ended up being really, really fun! I met tons of amazing people <3. Picc:
=]. I was going to put more pics up, but I didn't want to invade anyone's privacy XD.

A blurb of the night: So I basically pregammed and chilled at my friend's dorm from 8:30PM till 9ish, and arrived at the party at 10ish. Danced the night away and met some awesome people till 2AM and then spent a good hour at another person's dorm... just talking and doing... stuff lol. I came back at my dorm at around 3:30AM... and ended up going to bed at around 5:30ish. LOL. But yeah... very bad blogging, but there you go.
Now I have to go back to do my calculus homework~

-Cakdel

Half Shaved Head

2010-11-27T00:54:00.006-05:00

Remember I told you guys that I have been really loving the side braided hair style? I've been in love with side-braided hair since last year.

Anyways, I think that is what got me into the half shaved head hair style. Not shaved as in bald shaved! But shaved as in short hair. You might not like it, but I really do!
Here are some additional pictures!

I know that the half shaved head hairstyle only looks good on certain people with a certain face shape, and would probably not look good on me, but I want to get it anyways!
Worse yet, I'm dying my hair blonde this week :/. I think this hair style looks better with darker hair so... yeah XD.

New! GEO Xtra Series 2!

2010-11-17T15:43:00.006-05:00

YAY GEO! Once again, GEO has come up with several new model of lenses!! 6, in fact! (shown below).
We currently have a batch order open (Its our Christmas Batch!), so if you would like to order them, you can do so now ^_^.

-Cakdel

Hacked =O!

2010-11-08T16:11:00.005-05:00

*Update2: Okay, so fixing the login problem is harder than I thought. It SHOULD be easy, but I can't seem to find anything wrong with the coding... or any of the files X_x. And I just found out that I kinda really do need to login to the system to update pages and order statuses.... so contradictory to my last statement, yeah the login in problem is a pretty big deal. I have already re-enforce the cart system to prevent future hackings of this kind, so the cart system should be secure and DOES function perfectly fine. The only thing that is the problem is that I can't log on XD. So for now, I am going to ask you guys to just use the Order Form so I can do some tweaking on the system.

*Updated: YeeaaahhH!! I got it fixed!! Now what hackers???!!
Okay, so everything should be working perfectly fine now (for you guys). The only problem is that I reset my admin password XD. So I can't log into the system, BUT that's not a big deal since the system automatically updates itself. I can pretty much get that fixed later. It just basically means that I wont be able to put the new lenses (the xtra series) but for sale anytime soon (since I can't log on to add it). But yeah, other than that, there is no more problems =D

Oh, and I made sure to back the heck out of my database just in-case.
I'm watching you, hackers.

RAWWRR!

>_<

Bad news!
I am sure some of you realize that Cakdel.com was not working since this morning (around noon). Why? Embarrassingly, our MySQL database got hacked!! I have no idea how this happened, but somehow, someone hacked into our MySQL database and deleted several files, and then infected the database as a whole. o_O
I am so embarrassed! Due to the whole incident, the cart, member login, reward point, and product display system is down (or rather, has been corrupted). So, basically, NOTHING WORKS on the site!! GRR!

But no worries, if you have placed an order before noon today, your transactions DID come through and has already been/is being processed. But meanwhile, for this week, and probably next week (and maybe the next, depending on how long it takes me to fix the problem or if I have to re-code everything T_T), please place your order using the Order Form. I will put up a page later tonight displaying our stocks so you can order off that list...

Sincerest Apologies!
Cakdel

November Circle Lens Giveaway~

2010-11-05T15:30:00.009-04:00

Hihi =D
As you know this year has been a GREAT year for GEO (with the exception of the FDA drama thing). GEO released TONS of new lenses (as you probably know from my last few posts).
I am so tempted to try them all (even though the new lenses are only available in PLANO right now), as I know many other people are. SO for the November Circle Lens Giveaway, I am giving away the 2010 new lenses by GEO!
The new lenses include all the lenses in my previous post AND Olive Green (also know as CTS Green). Here is a video that shows you all the new lenses GEO came out this year (its towards the end. Skip to 0.30 s):

Remember, contest closes on December 8th. Winner will be announce around December 15th.
Good luck and have fun~ =D

-Cakdel

P.S. By the way, my pirate costume:

kbye~

New! GEO Xtra Series

2010-10-16T03:50:00.005-04:00

GEO released tons of new lenses! They are 15mm lenses, and are categorized as the "Xtra" Series. Currently they are only available in PLANO (-0.00).

The Xtra Series lenses will be available for Cakdel.com late October/early November.

Have a good day~
Cakdel

Review: La Glace Vite Acne Solutions

2010-09-26T19:54:00.011-04:00

I have very troubled skin. Its oily and sensitive... so my skin breaks out easily and, it takes a lot of effort to keep it blemish free. So it is hard to find the right product for my skin.

Several months ago, I brought a product called "La Glace Vite Acne Solutions" from sasa.com (Its now on sale for $11.50! =D) and I haven't actually used it until several weeks ago and so far, I am loving it =].

The product contains both natural and chemical ingredients. About half of the ingredients are natural (you can probably point them out).

Ingredients:
Tea Tree Essential Oil (natural), Sage Extract (natural), Witch Hazel, Rosemary Extract (natural), Salicylic Acid.

Salicylic acid dries out the skin to kill acne causing bacteria (this ingredient can be found in almost all anti-acne products).
Tea Tree Oil is a natural ingredient that also kills acne causing bacteria. It works just as well as benzoyl peroxide (which is another common ingredient in products treating acne). Tea tree oil can also be used to prevent acne (and many other things. Wiki it if you are interested) and since it is an oil, it helps prevent the skin from drying out too much.
Witch Hazel works as a "cleanser" and a toner. It is an anti-inflammatory ingredient that can help treat acne.
Rosemary Extract is a natural anti-inflammatory ingredient (like tea tree), It reduces redness/ swelling and contains antioxidants.
Sage Extract is an astringent and is a potent antioxidant. Be careful with this one though, because it might cause irritation on some people.

Since most of the ingredients are natural, the product does have a pretty strong herbal smell. But I don't think it is that bad.

Effects:
A Quick and effective dual action- professional acne treatment, using a unique blend of botanical extracts, essential oil and natural marine algae to penetrate the skin deep down to eliminate acne-causing bacteria, it penetrates deep into pores and to stop pimples where they start. The solution is quickly absorbed and smoothes invisibly into your skin.

This product has a roll on application, so it is easy to use. The product can be applied at night or during the day, and can be applied several times a day. However, if you skin is not clean and you use the roller to apply this serum, then there might be some hygienic problems... So I would advise you to apply the product to a Q-Tip or on your hands and then apply it to your affected areas.

My Opinion:
I was surprise at how effective the product is. I apply the serum to my trouble spots at night and by the next day, I can definitely tell that my pimples got smaller or is less red. After using the product for two to three nights, my acne is pretty much gone. The price for the product is pretty high for the size (10ml), but its a good investment =].

My Ratings:
Price (for its size): 3.8/5
Effects: 4.5/5
Smell: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Bye~

-Cakdel

New Series by GEO

2010-09-19T22:06:00.010-04:00

Hey guys. Long time no blog.
Honestly, I have been trying to put up a post... but the thing is, I can't seem to finish this one post that I have started 2 weeks ago...

Anyways, I decided to blog/notification blog about the three new series that GEO Medical came out with.

One
The first of the new series came out three months ago. It is known as the "Hurricane Series"
$18 per pair at Cakdel's GiftBox

The Hurricane Series is now available in all prescriptions up to -8.00 =D.

Two
The second of the three new series is known as the "Bonita Series"
$16 per pair at Cakdel's GiftBox

This series is kinda similar to the Nudy series in respect to the crystallized effect it gives the eyes. I have yet to try these lenses though, but I have already ordered them from GEO (they are coming in for CGBX (Cakdel's GiftBox) this Tuesday!!). It is currently only available in PLANO =(

Three
The newest of all series is the "Sweet Temptation" series. This one came out about a few weeks ago. Originally, the series was just BS-202 (the blue lenses), but since BS-202 was so popular, GEO made it into a whole new series. Like all new series, the lenses are currently only available in PLANO.
$18 per pair at Cakdel's GiftBox

I have also ordered this from GEO =D. It, like the Bonita Series, will be coming in this Tuseday to CGBX.

For your reference, here are the links to the series' pages.
Hurricane Series
Bonita Series
Sweet Temptation Series

Way back when

2010-09-02T16:09:00.034-04:00

"Hey! You're hair is AWESOME!! I want to get my hair like that. Can you send me some pics?"

I have been getting that question A LOT. But unfortunately, I can't send pictures of my hair like that anymore, because I don't have that hair style anymore =(.

Also people have been asking to see pictures of me in my extreme Visual Kei days (lol). Don't get me wrong, because I still LOVE visual/oshare kei/jrock... its just that I have become too lazy to put time in my looks these days. *sigh*
But if I weren't lazy, I would totally take on that style again =D

Anyways, as requested, here are some pictures.

Winter 2007. Just me and my plain ol' virgin black hair.

This was in... 2007 late Summer... I think *_* ...
Got my hair permanently straightened. Terrible mistake. Teasing = utterly impossible.

Ermm... this was probably late Fall 2007 That's when I started to dye my hair. I doubt I had any big plans for it... it just look like it was all over the place.

Spring 2008. I just pretty much concentrated the hair bleach on my fringe... and I am sure I fixed some of the random bleach parts too.

And this was also Spring 2008. But I just have to put this picture here because I totally love that penguin stuffed animal. I still have it too! His name is Hamilton! XD

Summer 2008. Got tired of my multi-colored hair... so I dyed it all black again.

Fall 2008. Got tired of my plain black hair... so I bleached my fringe and the hair near my ears... and I dyed it red (but it turned out orange XD). Kinda love this color.

Winter 2009. I think I was obsessed over Death Note then (XD randomness). Anyways I bleached the front half of my hair white blonde and dye the other half back to black.

Late Winter 2009. The bottom one was from Valentine's Day 2009 =D. I did away with the half white blonde hair by dying the top layers dark brown.

Spring 2009. I got tired of my multi-colored hair, so I dyed my hair back to all black.
I actually do that very often... no matter what color I dyed my hair, I always eventually go back to black (like now)

Late Spring 2009.
Bleached a long strip of my hair on the side of my head.
This was also one of my better hair days... and my first time wearing circle lenses in pictures.

Summer 2009. BLONDE.
No hair dye, just several bleach sessions. Very damaged hair

Early Fall 2009. DREADS.
Yes, that's right. I only had blonde hair for 3 months. Early June - Late August.
Then I dyed my hair with a mix of burgundy and black. The end result is a really nice dark hair with bronzy highlights (I don't even know how I did it). I left a thin layer of my hair at the back blonde, which I later dyed pink (in the picture, the darker pink hair color is my real hair. The light pink is not). Then I put dreads in XD. But don't worry, that fad didn't last long. Maybe for only 1 month.

Fall 2009 (November).
My ABSOLUTE favorite hair style/color that I EVER had. (And it totally matches the season: Autumn)
And just to show you how much I love it, I posted 2 more pictures below =D.

LOVE. And did I mention LOVE???
And the funny thing is, this hair color was totally accidental. Remember when I said that I dyed my hair burgundy, then black? Well the hair color started to fade, (I used to have blonde hair, remember?) so my hair lighted up. And I got this amazing color *loves*.
Ahhh! I would do anything to have that hair color & cut again! (I cut my own hair, so it is virtually impossible to get the same hair cut). I believe I had that hair color for about 3 and a half months.

Late Winter 2010 (Mid February).
I dyed my hair with Palty Hair Dye in Sparkling Blonde (Which was one of my first blog entries <-- linked). Yay, so we came full circle. This hair color wasn't bad. I actually like going light for the summer. Late Spring 2010.
Ultra Bleach session. I had... platinum blonde hair.

And if you read my other blog entries, you probably already know about the 6 failed hair dye sessions after that. If you don't know, CLICK HERE!! and AND HERE!!

So.. where is Summer 2010 you ask?
Well, right now I just have plain black hair... but that is just a work in progress!! I'm thinking of doing something like Spring 2008 or Fall 2009. *shrugs* Something not too crazy or my parents will shoot me.
BUT! I am definitely not going back to school with all black hair.

*EDIT: Whoops. I just noticed that I had the comment section disable the whole time XD. Just enabled it =D

My Skin Care Routine

2010-08-30T22:31:00.023-04:00

In a previous video, I asked people "What videos do you think I should do/make more of?" And surprisingly, a lot of people ask me to do a skin care video x_X.

It's not like I dislike doing skin care videos, its just that my skin isn't very good, so I don't really have confidence in telling people how I take care of my skin.
If you seen some of my pictures or my YouTube videos, you can probably tell that I do have skin troubles.

Although I do have problematic skin, the good thing is: lately my skin hasn't been acting up too much. You probably don't know this, but a year and a half ago, my skin suddenly acted up and became REALLY BAD. So since then, I have kinda been quite OCD about my face and what I put on my face. But that is another story (maybe I'll make a blog just about that someday haha).
But yeah, my skin has definitely gone a long way since then. =D

My Current Skin Care Routine

Morning:
In the morning, I wash my face with warm water for.. er.. about 30 seconds. Then, I splash my face with cold water (to close my pores) for about another 30 seconds.
On days when I wake up feeling really nasty and oily (usually during the summer), I would wash my face with a gentle cleanser, then I would do the whole water washing routine (first warm, then cold). My favorite gentle cleansers are: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and Philosophy's Purity Cleanser.

After washing my face I would apply an SPF moisturizer, if I am going out, or a non-SPF simple moisturizer, if I am not. Currently I am using Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Protective Moisturizer (as my SPF moisturizer). I have also tried the Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer (SPF 15), which I also like. For my non SPF moisturizer, I use the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion (for all skin types) or the Nieva Creme Cream. Other times, when I need more SPF than the Shiseido or the Neutrogena can provide, I would apply sunscreen on top of my moisturizer (I would usually do with with non SPF moisturizer).

Night:
During the summer, I really dislike wearing makeup. So, when I don't wear makeup, I would simply just wash my face with my Philosophy Purity Cleanser or my Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash (I usually use these two in patterns). If I DO wear makeup throughout the day, I would first wash my face with an Aveeno Foaming Makeup Remover Cleanser, and THEN wash my face again with either the Purity Cleanser OR the Exfoliating Wash. After washing my face, I splash my face with cold water.

Unlike during the morning, at night, I would moisturize my face depending on the condition of my face. In the summer, I would usually use a simple moisturizer because my face doesn't need too much moisture. My currently choices of simple moisturizers are: Cetaphil's Moisturizing Lotion and Nieva Creme. If my face is dry, I would usually use my Egyptian Magic Creme, but recently, I have been using a new moisturizer that I brought called: Yanwaili Cream. It is less greasy, so I would use that instead of Egyptian Magic if my skin needs moisture but isn't too dry.

Products in Order (from Video):

Cetaphil Gentle Facial Wash

Philosophy's Purity Cleanser

Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Protective Moisturizer

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion (for all skin types)

Philosophy's Microdelivery Exfolidating Wash

Aveeno Positively Radiant Makeup Remover Cleanser

Nieva Creme

Yanwaili Cream

Egyptain Magic

Review: Innisfree Touble Care BB Cream

2010-08-25T20:21:00.012-04:00

I am constantly on the look out for good BB Cream. I mean, we all would love to have perfect skin-- and foundation makeup help us come pretty close. But foundation provide no benefits, only aesthetics, for our skin. Actually, one might say it is not good for the skin. That's where BB cream comes in play. BB Cream is the "better" version of a foundation. It doesn't just provide coverage, it also provide the skin with benefits like anti-aging, and whitening. But of course, like all makeup, it isn't exactly good for your skin, just better.

Anyhow, I first heard of his BB Cream on Sasa.com. It had a good rating, and was on sale ($14 oppose to $24), so I decided to try it.

Here is the description of the product from Sasa.com:

Innisfree extracts botanical nutrients and essence from organic plants to correct various problematic skin types. By pure, natural, professional and effective therapy, Innisfree creates healthy and energetic skin and pleasant mood. All products are dermatologically tested.
Innisfree BB Trouble Care BB Cream simultaneously provides concealment and care for problematic skin. Skin looks smooth and clear. Diversified beauty ingredients:
Herbal essences hydrate skin.
Tea Tree extracts disinfect and soothe skin.
American Mint helps soothe pressured skin. It also calms skin. Skin feels cool and comfortable.
Vitamin A and Moneywort protect skin from external aggressions.

When it comes to cosmetics, especially face (skin) make up, I am VERY OCD.
So I love the fact that this BB cream has a pump. SKIN79 Hot Pink Super Plus Beblesh Balm (Which I reviewed last month. Click on the link for the review). The product doesn't get stuck in the pump hole like it did in the Skin79 one.

Like most BB Creams, the Innisfree Trouble Care BB Cream has a slight grey undertone. Whys this? Mostly because Asian people have a yellower skin tone, so the grey "balances" the yellowness out and makes the skin look more pale. Its kinda like when Asian people dye their hair blonde-- it turns yellow instead. To get it blonder, they have to use a toner, usually blue toned, to get the reddish, yellow color out. After that, the hair should be quite blonde. Makeup works the same way. The good thing is that the greyness of the product eventually goes away. I guess this is what we called "smart makeup" when the product oxidizes to match the wearer's skin tone. But since there IS a grey undertone, the grey does neutralize the yellow and make the skin appear fairer.

The product is thicker than foundation (most BB creams are) and blends okay... Just don't try to apply this product with a brush, because it just doesn't work. A makeup sponge, or simply applying the makeup with your fingers work so much better (though I still find it a tad bit difficult). I read a lot of reviews saying that this product feels light on the skin, but I honestly think it feels thick. It feels like I am wearing makeup. And it feels all sticky and yucky.... So I would recommend going over the cream with some powder.

The coverage is light-medium. It is a build-able coverage, which is good if you need more coverage. And since it is thick, you can also use it as a concealer. It works as a primer too, since makes a good base for makeup to adhere to.
The wear for this BB cream is quite long. On average, I can wear this BB cream for about 10 hours before I need to retouch (but by then I would probably be going to bed XD). The oil/sebum control is okay.
And oh, the smell isn't bad. I don't mind it. I prefer my face stuff to be odorless, but this odor is faint, so it doesn't really bother me.

Coverage: 3.4/5
Texture/Comfort: 3/5
Smell: 5/5
Duration: 4.5/5
Oil Control: 3/5
Price: 3/5

Overall Rating: 4/5

Review: Pixi Bittersweet Cacao Palette

2010-08-24T12:25:00.023-04:00

Every time I shop at Target, I ALWAYS visit the beauty section. I love how Target have both common drug store cosmetics and some "higher end" cosmetics (such as sonia kashuk).
Pixi (by petra) is one of the "higher end" cosmetics (which range somewhere between drug store cosmetics and cosmetics is department stores) held by Target. I was always intrigued by the smallness of the palette packagings (very travel friendly), as well as the quality, so I decided to pick one up. It was $28 (yikes!)

I purchased the No. 14 Bittersweet Cacao Palette.

Please excuse the horrible camera quality.
Here is what the back of the packaging says:

pixi
Eye Beauty Kit
palette yeur lumiere
No. 14 Bittersweet Cacao
Eight of our favourite beautifying eye colors. Siky and sheer in texture, you can use wet for a party
perfect look or dry for daytime dream eyes. Infused with soothing Aloe Vera & anti-aging VItamin E.
Included is a mini version of our "can't live without" eye brush - one end for easy lining and one for
application and blending. All you need to enhance and energize your eyes!

[picture of palette]

[picture of woman

The most common question I get is: how do i do my eyes to make them stand out? My
reply is always the same, use glowing shades in colours you are naturally drawn to.
I do love a great all-in-one palette of coordinated colours to line, shade, and highlight
the eyes. Pick your favourite palette for endless options of eye-enhancing hues

Love Petra
xxx
Mum &
Makeup Artist

Above is a picture of the palette out of its packaging. See? Its super thin!! *loves*

And the back of the palette

The eye shadows!

Lately, I haven't been using colorful eye shadows. I kinda feel that I have "grown" out of them... not saying that colorful eye shadows is immature, mind you! I love colorful eye shadows, and I think they expresses personality, style, and enhances a person's look beautifully! However, lately, I find it a hassle to fuss over how to wear it, and wondering if it matches my outfit or not.
Neutrals match with almost everything, and it takes a lot of work out of makeup application (XD). Applying makeup IS fun, and when I want to apply makeup for fun, I would definitely use colorful eyeshadows, BUT if I am getting ready for school, I don't really want to spend so much time on how I look (especially if your room mate is still asleep. Don't want to disturb her!).

So anyhow, that is why I have been really into neutrals (and probably will be for a long time XD).

The colors in the palette is quite nice, but I personally would like it better if more of the colors were matte.
Not sure if you can tell from the picture, but column 1 (from the left of the picture) is matte, and the upper most eyeshadow in column 3 is matte. Everything else is shimmery.
I would LOVE it if the darkest most color (column 4, top shadow) were matte. (I prefer my darks to be matte, and my lights to be shimmery XD)

Also the browns were a little bit TOO brown for me. I wish there was a more mutted brown (like brown with hints of grey). Something similar to MAC's omega.

Here are some swatches:

I swatched it from horizontal top row to bottom row
(left to right from the top to the bottom)

Here is the swatches again in a darker lighting

From the picture, it seems like the column 1 bottom shadow blends and the column 2 top shadow seem to blend into my skin, however, in reality it doesn't! The nude color, believe it or not, is actually LIGHTER than my skin tone. The peach shade comes out the same color as you see in the picture of the palette. (again, sorry for the horrible camera quality)

The shadows are very pigmented (the camera didn't do the colors justice) and the texture is silky smooth. The shadows also blend very easily together. As for longevitiy of wear (alone), I can't really say since I have oily lids (and oily lids hate makeup), BUT the colors do last quite long when I wear the shadows with primer. =D

The brush that comes with the palette isn't bad. I do like the liner brush, but I am not a huge fan of the blending/eyeshadow brush. The fluffier brush (which I call the blending/eyeshadow brush) doesn't apply the shadows very well. The $1 ELF brushes works better! (But then again, I really love the ELF brushes, great quality for the price!

Ratings:
Pigmentation: 5/5
Packaging: 5/5
Length of Wear: 4/5
Texture: 5/5
Price: 3.4/5 (its like $3.5 per shadow)
Colors: 3.5/5

Overall Rating: 4/5

I have to say that this palette is very comparable to some products you'll find in Sephora! And I simply love the compact design. <3