Review: Diamond Lash (Princess Eye) + Princess Mimi (Sesame Grey)

This review came as an afterthought so I wouldn't be able to provide before photos for this one. But I guess it's not that difficult to imagine how small natural irises are. As for my lower lashes, they are nearly non-existent!

First up is Princess Mimi Sesame Grey, sometimes called the Bambi Series, from GEO Medical. I actually got two other colors in this style, one in brown and one in green. I've been wearing circle lens for years and I just could not wait to try on the bigger 15mm ones! Plus, I am close to blind without these graded lens. Talk about -3.25 myopia for both eyes.

Left is the wrong side.

I find this design special as it has these brown/yellowish specks towards the center. These specks make the lens look natural, almost blending in with your real iris. The limbal ring, the thick, black outline of the lens, contributes to the enlargement effect. If you're going for a natural look, this design might end up a bit too big. As for the color, I love how the grey shows on my dark irises. I used to own an entire Geo Angel and Nudy series and I remember how frustrated I got when I could not have the colors show, unless I'm under a sufficient amount of light. The Princess Mimi/ Bambi series are different and better in this aspect. I bought this pair and the others from Eyecandy Lens, as they carry these with prescription. 

What's left of my lower lashes tray!

Ah, lower lashes! They are gorgeous but at the same time, so time-consuming to put on. Or maybe that's just me, as it is my first time to wear them.  I got this set from Ebay and paid around 20$, free shipping. I never thought I could spend that much on something as tiny as these. I actually cringe more whenever I convert the cost to Philippine peso, that's around 800PHP! And I just spend that much on lower lashes, LOWER lashes! But oh, I've been eternally curious as to why these were so expensive and popular. I used to think wearing them didn't make much of a difference. That's until I got to put them on.

It was chaos but the quiet kind. I was so frustrated at how tiny they were. I am not really a careful person (that's why I only have a pair of them left) not to mention a patient one so the entire process of putting them on was an ordeal. But then, I think I could blame Dolly Wink eyelash glue for most of the difficulty I experienced. They just kept falling off, especially when I tried to bend them towards my eye curve. I eventually changed my eyelash glue to Revlon Precision Lash Adhesive and my life got significantly easier. I think I'll do a review on these two eyelash glue products next time. Moving along, I read some reviews on the different Diamond Lash lower styles and I ended up choosing Princess Eye as I were after a more dramatic, bold look. And yes, I wouldn't spend 20$ on something that wouldn't be that visible!

Of course they look so huge close up, you would say. But these babies, both the lower lashes and circle lens still register as huge and as bold in mid shots!

All in all, I think it's money well spent! Now if you got distracted by my bow (yes I find that a good thing), I think you'd be happy to know that I made it, together with the dress. If you want something like it, and maybe a dress, do visit my page as I accept commissions/custom orders. Then maybe I could buy myself another tray of Princess Eye, hehe!

The Wa Lolita Way

I've been meaning to write this entry hoping I could chase the loneliness away. I thought that if I gave myself time to reminisce and look back I would stop feeling so empty. My work is one of the things that have kept me sane. I've been trying not to mourn my move to California. I've been trying not to feel so detached. And yes, I've been trying to make myself believe that I had not been forgotten.

My dresses, they are the strings that lead me back to my clients, my friends, my life: my entire experience of being there. To an extent, they are my diaries. Written in them are the persons and places I have come to cherish. They remind me of the sleepless nights I spent sewing, my dog Popert staying up as late as I did, my boyfriend always a text a way. They remind me of my trips to the local malls, Market Market and SM Megamall, places where I bought my materials and sold the finished pieces to clients and friends. They remind me of the events I attended wearing them, from formal photoshoots which I and my friends organized, to simple self-captures using my camera phone.

I.

The first Wa Lolita ensemble I made.

Shoot in Little Tokyo, Makati, with Chai and Luisa.

Purchased and worn by Jannelle.

II.

The first and currently only one piece Wa Lolita I made. The fabric was from my Gramma.

Selfcapture in my brother's room, and my early experience of wearing wigs.

Purchased by Miaow, met her for the first time at Bubble Tea, SM Megamall.

Handed down to Neko, Miaow's sister in law, hehe. :)

III.

Wa Punk Lolita, commissioned by Miaow. 

This time when we met up we had a little meal at Bubble Tea. 

Upon leaving I received a text saying not being able to wait to get home, she tried on the dress set at the restroom and loved it. :D

Had a mini shoot with her friends,

wore it to Ozine Fest Day 3,

and had photos with Neko, who was also wearing the Peacock dress. 

 With the Wa Punk, I was finally able to realize my style which was mixing prints. Within a month before my departure to the US, I was able to finish two dress sets following the said design aesthetic. 

IV.

One was the Candy Color Set which also emphasized my extreme fondness of ruffles.

Of course it took more time to make them but it was always worth it.

I wore the dress to my Farewell/ Despedida Party held at UP Diliman. 

It was bittersweet. I wished I had spent more time with my friends, more time knowing other people.

It then became one of the first dresses I sold here in the US, along with the Golden Summer Set:

V. 

one of my favorites when it comes to pattern mixing.

It was the first dress I shot with my first dSLR,

and it was nothing short of life changing.

I still have those sleepless nights but they aren't for sewing anymore as I don't want to wake the apartments' other tenants. I still sew but finish slower. I think the night really is my inspiration as I could only do so little during the day. I get my fabrics and materials online now, as I haven't resumed my driving lessons and the stores are just so far away. I wish I could commute instead of waiting for days for my online purchases to arrive, instead of waiting for my Dad or brother to come home and drive me. If there is one thing though, one thing I am happy about moving, it has to be the money. I earn more than I ever did back in the Philippines. I get to buy not only what I needed and wanted but also what my mother needed and wanted! I could actually send her money to help pay the bills back home. And that is what I have always wanted - to be able to give what my family wants. I am glad I am able to do that now and I am glad Popert gets all the more spoiled. :)

Moreover, contrary to my little whines earlier, I've become more passionate in sewing as I have access to the prettiest (and priciest) fabrics and tools. I want to design more because of these materials, I want to make more, explore more, experiment more. 

VI.

One of the happiest things that has happened to me here is this: a commissioned wedding Wa Lolita Set. :)

VII.

And finally, the most recent Wa Lolita piece I made for a client, a dress for her birthday.

This is why I love my dresses, this is why I love making them. They give me this feeling that I exist, wherever in the world I may be, whoever are wearing them. 

I only included my Wa Lolita dresses for now. I have made several and you could see them in my site. I would be talking about them too, soon.