Cosplay Summary 2012

So every 31st of December I'll be making a sort of "Cosplay Summary" until this blog dies. :)

Wig Review: CoserStyle

So this time I bought a red wig for my recent Morgiana cosplay :) Bought it from Mikuchan Goodies! Do check their awesome shop out :)

Photo from Taobao.

In the bag :)

Mikuchan Goodies gives one free wig cap and free (local) shipping in every wig purchase~ :D Cool ne?

Without flash.

With flash.

Not really very shiny but it's smooth and easy to style. Has a cute mini-clip on perfect for Mor's hairstyle. :D

At first they offered me a red wig which I can tie to one side like Mor's. But! I wanted a clip on because it looks cute :3 And saves me the hassle of tying up my wig. Plus, I can remove the clip on and use the base wig for other cosplays. :D

If you're asking, yes it has a tag.

The inside. 

The lace cap inside is tight! O.O It feels really tight around my head so I don't even need to use the adjustable hooks for it to hold. XD I guess.. that's a good thing? Haha :D

The cute mini-clip on! :D

Hahaha :D That clip on caught Ate Zhy's attention during the event. She said it was cute :3 It really is cute!!! Probably because most of the clip ons are used as pigtails so they're kinda huge.

Without the clip on.

Yea. XD

I bought it for Php1450 ($35.32) and I think I got exactly what I payed for. HQ and kick-ass. XD

I was expecting the base wig to be slightly thinner so that it really looks like I tied the wig up the side, but it's kinda like a normal short wig. So the good thing about that is I can wear it without the clip on without looking weird.

Quality: 5/5
Packaging: 4/5 (I think the clip on should be in a separate net bag because when I got it, the clip on was entangled in the base wig.)
Uniqueness: 4/5 (Most wigs for this character/style don't use clip ons so I think this is what's unique about it. I think there are only two or three wig brands use clip ons. And I like how this is a bright red instead of a desaturated or pinkish red.)
Price: 4/5 (Could have been cheaper, but okay.)
Overall: 5/5
It's easy to comb and style, it's length is really manageable but some wefts on the underside are kinda rough. Also, I spot some white strands. O.o
Will you be buying from Mikuchan Goodies again?
YES! Their shop owners are nice people who stay in touch always and update you when your orders are coming. Plus, I was short on money for this so they agreed that I pay half for one month and pay the other half for the next month. They understand cosplayers so well, and their shop has a variety of cosplay goodies to sell (like wigs, school bags and the like).
YES, I do recommend that you buy from them. Although their items are for pre-order, rest assured you'll go through smooth transaction and get the quality you payed for.

That's all, thanks for reading~

Ozine Fest (Day 2, December 29, 2012)

So this was what I was busy about this weekend..

Merry Christmas!

So, from the bottom of my kokoro, I wish you all:

Merry Christmas!

I hope all of your Christmas wishes come true~

 

Love love, 

 

Aki-chan

December ToyCon/7th Christmas Toy Fair (Day 3, December 16, 2012)

Sunday cosplay again! :D This time, the third day of the December ToyCon! ♥

Berry Lens: Dolly Red Review

So I received a new pair of lenses yesterday! :D

Cosplay Idols: Zeek Santos

Yay for male cosplayers! :D Hahaha~ So yeah the next cosplayer I'll feature is one awesome dude.

He is..

Heart-touching Photo

I saw this photo being passed around on Facebook the other day. I really can't help but smile at it, and the message it conveys.

If you don't understand the photo, the girl is cosplaying as Hatsune Miku.

And before you say "She doesn't have a proper wig" or "That's not Miku, she's all covered up" and all that, please do read on first.

From the photo I can assume that she's Islam/Muslim, or she's a member of such religious group. Some said the photo was taken at Jakarta.

I think it's awesome.

I think it's awesome that she stays true to her passion for this hobby, yet remain loyal to her religion. Not many people can do that.

I like most about this is her courage. She's not afraid to profess her love for both cosplay and religion. She likes doing it, so what?

I'm aware that there is such thing as 'discrimination', even in the cosplay world. I think there's much discrimination towards Muslim cosplayers, black cosplayers, chubby cosplayers and the like. I want this photo to remind people to let others do as they please.

So what if she's not pretty enough? Or sexy enough? Or fair-skinned?

As long as we keep doing what we love, we're bound to do what's right. ;)

According to some people, they say the cosplayer's name is Deanty? I'm not sure. Whoever she is, I LOVE YOUR COSPLAY! <3

Do inform me if you know her ^_^

UPDATE! I found her World Cosplay account: http://worldcosplay.net/member/71603/

That's all, thanks for reading~

Fan sign contest! :D

So.. Christmas is coming up and another cosplan of mine is soon to be accomplished! :)

I wanted to give out fan signs, but I'm afraid lots of people want one. So I decided to come up with a contest to narrow down some people ^_^

So this contest is simple. You simply need to PRIVATE MESSAGE me and tell who this character is. ;) Simple huh?

Who am I?

You may message me here at my blog, or message my Facebook. Please do not announce it publicly. :) I will respond to your message on whether or not you got the correct answer.


Contest ends December 13, 2012.
Thank you and good luck! :)

Updates!

So this is what I've been busy about for the past weeks.

1. School work. Self explanatory, yes?

2. Makeup trials

So here's a trial for my December cosplan with my friends ^_^ I look lame here, sorry.

3. Rubber sheets

Sorry for the crappy webcam photo XD But yesterday I bought rubber sheets for a fairly cheap price, and I'm taking my first step to learning all about props making. (^o^)/

I plan on making my own accessories for my December cosplan as practice. ^_^ Wish me luck!

4. The Glam Shoppe's Cosplay Photo Contest

That's pretty much it ^_^

So pardon me if I'm updating less~

Thanks for reading :D

Cosplay Photoshoot: Megurine Luka (Casual) in Tagaytay

So my brother and I was on vacation in Tagaytay, Philippines. Before we left, he told me to bring my wig and wig cap, because he wanted to do a photoshoot there. Since it was a good location for nature and forest-themed shoots, I agreed and brought along my Luka wig~

Location: Nature Discovery Camp, Tagaytay, Philippines
Photographer: Gabriel Felix (My bro)
Wig: Vogue Royal Cosplay
Minimal makeup and no contact lens.

First shot. My brother said, "look moe".

Cosplay Photoshoot: Megurine Luka (Matryoshka)

I know, it's a late post. -_-

But last Halloween, I dressed up as Megurine Luka of Vocaloid, Matryoshka version :D Had a photoshoot with Paulo-kun and Sai-tan around our Subdivision.


Jacket made by my uncle.
Wig from Vogue Royal Cosplay.
Make up was done by me. :D

My reference photo.

Me XD

We had encountered a few problems on the way..

1. Paulo-kun's camera malfunctioned, so most of his shots are blurry.
2. Lots of people and kids were around.
3. It was near-sunset and the lighting wasn't that good.
4. It was my first time to participate in a photoshoot. :P

So pardon the photos. (-/\-)

Boo! Haha :D Photo by Paulo.

When I first heard Matryoshka, especially Lon's version and Hashiyan's version, I fell in love with the song. It sounds crazy and all, but I found it awesome.

Hihi :3 Sorry for my eyebags =_= Paulo's photo again~

I originally wanted to go as Matryoshka Miku, but I saw that a lot of cosplayers already did Miku. >.< So I went for Gumi. But~ I don't have the guts to have my lip pierced (it's not allowed in school), so I said "oh what the hell. Go for Luka."

This is Ate Sai's bike >w< I don't know how to ride one, so I don't have one. XD

Lon's version of Matryoshka :D

By the tennis court.. Paulo took this shot.

Shot by Ate Sai :D

My (poor) edit.

People around were giving us dirty and confused looks, probably because of me cosplaying >.< But overall, I had a really fun shoot ^_^

Anyways, that's all..
Thanks for reading!~

Cosplay Idols: Ashy Kurai

Ok, so this cosplayer is someone whom I also know personally ^_^ She's awesome, she's hot, she's bishie..

Cosplayer Problems: Eyebrows

I'm hearing a constant complaint because of this eyebrows thing.

Trial: Geisha-inspired Makeup and Megurine Luka Makeup

So I did a makeup trial earlier. >w<  One, geisha-inspired and two, for Megurine Luka.

Sorry for the bad quality photos. T^T I did the trial in the bathroom, and I only used my phone's camera. So pardon for the bad photos! (-/\-)

My attempt at a geisha-inspired makeup. Eye shadow only, no eyeliner/mascara.

I used violet first to add a slight tint and then used brown to create a slight wing. Then, from the wing, I used purple and colored it to the inner corners to have a 'gradient' effect. Then I used midnight blue to darken the area near my lashes.

Megurine Luka trial.

Ok, I want to improve my Megurine Luka cosplay, especially because she's one of my favorite Vocaloids. Therefore, improvement of makeup. No eyeliner/mascara here too, eye shadow only.

I used beige for the base and then deepened my lids using pink. (Now I just realized the pink doesn't show much orz) I used white at the inner corners as highlight. (Works well if you're wearing contact lenses.)

So.. comments? Suggestions?
I'm quite new to makeup so pardon my nonexistent skills.. please do share your opinions so that I may improve~
Thanks for reading~

Contact Lens 101

A lot of people online have been asking me about contact lens, the terms, safety, specifications and all.. Honestly, I'm no expert, but I would like to share what I know and what I've gathered from my experience.

The Glam Shoppe's Cosplay Photo Contest

I had recently joined a contest hosted by The Glam Shoppe and I would like to ask for everyone's support. :)

The prize for the first-placer is Php500($12) and a pair of Crystal Lenses. Second-placer gets any lenses of their choice (except animation/crazy lens) and third-placer get Php100($2) worth of load.

According to their mechanics, voters must like the shop page first, and then the entry. If you didn't like their shop page, your vote is null.

My original entry. Dragon Slayer of Black Rock Shooter. Photo by Lawrence Fesalbon.

Please do like the page and my entry! T^T
If ever I win, I'll use the lenses (or money) for my cosplan this December. :D

Official photo by The Glam Shoppe.

Please do support me! It would matter a lot to me if you did.

(Voting ends November 17, 2012)

Thank you so much! <3

Thanks for reading~

Cosplay Community Sites

Ok, so some have been asking me, "Is there a social networking site for cosplayers?"

And here's the answer..

Cosplay Idols: Aiashi Faust

Ok, so the next cosplayer I'll feature is a person I find reaaally awesome. B-) She's an awesome crossplayer.. at such a young age! So cool. >w<

*I own none of the photos here, okay. None.

So my featured cosplayer is..

Wig Review: Vogue Royal Cosplay (Updated!)

My friend recommended to me this shop called Vogue Royal Cosplay, which sells high quality wigs. I decided to give it a try, and bought two wigs from them. :)

Making Your Own Costume

Ok, so Ms. Yuu Tachibana made a blog post about being a cospuritan.

I, in all honesty, don't make my own costumes. Yep, I don't.

One, because I'm a normal 45kg student. I'm busy! I don't have a lot of time on my hands.
Two, I don't know how! I failed home economics (not literally). Yeah, I can't even sew a proper pair of shorts. OTL.
Three, I don't see it as a necessity.

There are cosplay competitions like World Cosplay Submit and Tournament of Champions (Philippines only!) who require that you make your own costume and props. Most of AFA participants also make their own costumes, but it's not really required.

Me and my Great Sword (Dragon Slayer cosplay). Sword by Knieyaun Fonacier. Photo by Lawrence Fesalbon.

But, to be honest I want to learn how to sew my own costumes and make my own props. I think it's fun :D Plus, that gratifying feeling that everything you wear/hold were made by you.

BUT! There's nothing wrong with commissions and store-bought stuff because it's NORMAL! Not everyone is best friends with the sewing machine (like me orz).

A friend of mine recommended The Cosplay Chronicles for tutorials. There are lots of tutorials on deviantArt too! :)

*If you're asking what my Great Sword is made of, it's wood and rubber sheets. :)

Thanks for reading~

Sexy/Revealing Cosplay

Ok, so recently I had a talk with a new found friend from Facebook. She told me that she likes my cosplays and ask me if I was Chinese or Korean. Then it came to the topic where she told me she wanted to try cosplaying for herself.


Friend: Gusto ko rin sana magcosplay eh. (I want to try cosplaying too.)
Me: Why not?
Friend: Di naman ako sexy eh. (I would if I could, but I'm not sexy.)

My reaction was: WTF?!?!

I don't think being sexy is required in cosplaying. Maybe some people think so because that's how some famous cosplayers roll.

Akatsuki Tsukasa as Nami

But I honestly don't see it as a requirement. I mean, some cosplayers modify the clothes a bit to make it less revealing. And others don't really mind. It's up to a person what they want to show and what they don't want to show.

Ashley Gosiengfiao as Shiori Tsuzuki. Using skin tone to cover up essential parts.

I honestly don't mind those who use skin tone or modify their clothes a bit because I understand that they really don't like showing off their assets or aren't comfortable with them. I'm not really comfortable showing off my assets to others too.

I just want to make it a point that sexiness isn't required in cosplaying. There are a lot of cosplayers who aren't exactly slim and slender(man), but they're awesome.

Yeah, sexy cosplayers get a lot of attention, but is that really the point of cosplaying?
Do we cosplay to gain popularity?

For some, yes. For me, hell no! x(

In the end it really is up to you. It all boils down to what you want to create for yourself, and what you want others to think of you.

Thanks for reading~

Grand Pop Culture Fair (Day 2, October 14 2012)

So~ I spent my Sunday at the mall, cosplaying with my un-twin sister. My brother tagged along too >w<

*SOME PHOTOS ARE NOT MINE*

The event was Grand Pop Culture Fair, held at SM Megamall.

Event poster >w<

I only attended Day 2. But the cosplay competition was on Day 1. Even so, there still were a lot of cosplayers roaming around! Also, this is my first time in a K-Pop event.

Cosplayer Problems: Repeating Cosplays

I honestly don't think that this is a problem (for me, at least).

Cosplay Scammers: Generous Donors

Okay, I'll talk about scammers and people-to-avoid in cosplaying. This is merely a warning to other people, and I don't intend to offend anyone.

Harajuku in Manila Giveaway Contest :)

So I'm joining a giveaway contest by Harajuku in Manila. :)

My friend ordered from them once and she told me that its a great shop. You might want to check it out too. ^_^

Cosplay Idols: Yuu Tachibana

If there's something you should know about me, I'm Filipina. Therefore, I shall feature an amazing Filipina cosplayer. She's one of my die-hard favorites.

*Warning: I own none of the photos I post. Also, there might be too much fan girling in this blog post. Proceed with caution.

Featured cosplayer is... //drum roll

#RIPDandanGomez

Danica Marie Gomez
April 10, 1997 - October 2, 2012

Recently, I made a post about how we should pray for her.

But it's time to let go.

Just today, Dandan left. My deepest condolences to her family.

Right now, the seniors (including me) are mourning. We are graduating with one less. It's unacceptable, but it's the truth.

Maybe this is what God wanted from the start. He wanted us to unite for her, but she really had to go. I like to think it's better this way. It's better that she rests in God's arms rather than suffer here in her earthly life.

I'll miss her. We all will. We waited for days for her to open her eyes. She will open her eyes. In heaven.

Dandan and her girlfriend, Angelique.

Right now, Angelique is the strongest girl I know.

Dandan has already united us, more than the seniors. She united the whole school. She reached the top trending topics in Twitter several times. Now, she'll trend in our hearts again.




I have fought the good fight to the end. I have run the race to the finish. I have kept the faith. - 2 Timothy 4:17

Your will be done.

Rest in peace, Dan. You will be missed.

Amen.

CROSSplay, CROSSplaying and CROSSplayers

Okay, I'm about to enter a quite sensitive topic here. You've been warned.

#PrayforDandan

Hello, sorry if this isn't related to cosplay, or anime for that matter.

My friend needs your prayers.
Her name is Danica Gomez. We call her Dan or Dandan. She's my age, my schoolmate and a former classmate. We aren't very close, but we're good friends. She's struggling right now and she desperately needs your prayers.

She was rushed to the ICU a day ago. She's diagnosed with aneurysm. I just recently learned that she was declared brain dead. But there's still hope.

Dandan needs to wake up.

I'm appealing to you to please include her in your prayers. She's a very helpful person, and she deserves more in this life. I admire her friendly personality, and her devotion to the people she cares about. I salute her girlfriend, Angelique, who stays strong up to this moment. Nothing can match their love for each other.

Please pray for her. You may not know her as well as I do, I may not know her as God does, but as long as we all have faith I believe nothing is impossible.

That in all things, God may be glorified.

Amen.

Cosplay Idols: Rainer Tachibana

Hello! :D So I'll try to have a 'Cosplay Idol' post every now and then.. These are my idols in the art of cosplaying, and hope that you'll like them as much as I do!

So, let's start off with a bang. :) Featuring /drum roll

Cosplayer Problems: "Alodia" and "Myrtle"

Before anything else, I must say that I have nothing against the people who will be mentioned later in this blog entry.

Ice Lens: Spice Honey Review

So earlier this year, I entered a cosplay photo-liking contest hosted by Kawaii Shop Online and I placed third. :) Though it wasn't easy, it was fun! I've never participated in an online contest, and I'm lucky to win anything at all at my first try.

My photo entry :) LOL this is Tifa Lockhart of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, fail version.

Anyways, I won third with 1, 101 likes and the prize was a pair of Ice Lens in the color of my choice. I chose Spice Honey.

The photo of the lens, from Kawaii Shop Online :)

Hello!

Hello! :D

I'm Aki, an otaku from the Philippines. It's my first time handling a blog like this, so I'm still learning. Please treat me nicely!

I write about anything: event reports, fanfictions, video/song reviews, randomness. Everything.
Thank you for visiting my blog <3