the jaRouka Files

goodbye, seeyou....

2010-12-29T20:01:00.002+08:00

okay guys!

im moving!!!!

hehehehhe due to some problems with this account, im moving.

new blog posts will now be in:

the jaRouka parade

"dont rain on my parade and i'll try my best not to ruin yours"

please support, earthlings!~

see you and take care!!!

weeeeeeeeeee

blast off!!!

C.C. Cosplay

2010-11-26T19:55:00.006+08:00

^Code Geass is simply love.

Made me cry, honestly. hehehhhe

Anyway, the story of how I came to cosplay C.C. goes like this; my friend and soul sistah Wildquaker was gonna cosplay Zero. Any one who follows Code Geass would think that a Zero with out a C.C. is just lame. Well, at least I did. hehehehe Anyway, my biological sister Minami also wanted to cosplay a character from Code Geass, Anya Alstreim to be precise. I love Code Geass but I didn't think anyone suited me. But as a favor for this two, my C.C. cosplay came to be.

I chose the Black Knights version of C.C. because of the nice colors. And living in a tropical country, I thought this outfit was more appropriate for the climate XD heheheh

For those of you who do not know C.C., here is a little info about her (which I got from Wikipedia)

C.C. (シー・ツー Shī Tsū, pronounced C2 or C Two)
is a fictional character from the series Code Geass by Sunrise.

C.C. is an immortal girl who outwardly appears to be little more than 16 years old. She becomes Lelouch Lamperouge's accomplice when he makes a Geass contract with her. She is willful almost to a fault, usually doing whatever she wants regardless of whether or not it inconveniences others, particularly with Lelouch. She also likes to withhold information, usually telling people just enough to leave them wondering. C.C. has a strong penchant for pizza, especially Pizza Hut's.

She is actually a very deep character and if you want to know more about her, I suggest you watch all the seasons of Code Geass.

I've worn this costume about two times. In IaiAnime (2010) and Midori Sekai (2010).

But I feel that I have done an abysmal job of being C.C. Don't get me wrong, it does not have anything to do with the costume. In fact, I really like my C.C. Black Knights costume, the colors are great and the quality is more than I can ask for. I just think I am not suited for the character.

As a fan of Code Geass, I simply can not bear it. So, I am selling my C.C. Black Knights costume.

Price: 1, 800.00 PhP
(shipping fee not included)
C.C. COSTUME SET includes:
-1 black main dress
-1 maroon belt
-1 pair of maroon arm bands
-1 pair of black arm warmers
-1 white spandex top
-1 white spandex shorts

Costume when left alone

Measurements:
BLACK MAIN DRESS
Total Length: 49” inches
Bust: 30” inches
White spandex halter top and shorts are stretchable.
Fits small to medium size body type

I am glad I got the chance to properly document my C.C. cosplay
(even though I was not a very good C.C. heheheh >_<) So, I end my blog post with some of my C.C. cosplay photos.

photo by Alfred Jorrel Bayle

with my Zero hehehehe

C.C. Alpha Omega Version
just coz we were bored and the costume was so easy XD
This Costume is NOT included in the set

NOTE!!!!!
Shoes, wig and contact lens not included!!!!!
The wig can be bought separately for 850.00 Php

BUT! If you want to purchase the wig (850.00 PhP)
along with the costume (plus 1,800.00 PhP)
I can give it to you all for the price of 2,400.00 Php
That's 250 PhP LESS!

For more details or inquiries:
Txt or Pm me
Either through my Facebook or Multiply
^^

that's it for now!
thanks for reading!
anngatou nyoron!
jaa ne! ♥~

the hood twisted and become the ROTTEN HOOD

2010-11-24T19:23:00.006+08:00

^So after about and hour or so of shooting with the Red Riding Hood concept, we, rather I, decided to shake things up a bit.

Well, not really. hahahahah just wanted to try how this make up technique I had in mind, would look like in real life.

From Red Riding Hood it became Red RIDER Hood and eventually the RED ROTTEN HOOD hahahahhaha

doing the make up XD

This is a TRIAL for something I have in mind for the near future. There aren't a lot of photos since this was not really planned. I also realized, too late though, that I only put make up on my face and not on my body. I did make myself look a bit scraggly but I guess in order for the ROTTEN HOOD concept to be truly a convincing one, make up is not the only thing needed. I have to tear some parts of the costume and really dirty my self up. But since this is a trial, rest assured that I will keep note of these aspects and incorporate them to my zombie / undead plan of the future project. So please forgive me. ^^

Here are some of the photos of the rotten hood that I really like:

Photos are labeled with who took them.

ohhhhh, like a tossed out doll pose XD

yes, i lay down on the ground and it was itchy >_<

smiling for the camera

Obligatory photos with the Photographers hehheeheheh

And that is a wrap!

Okay, just a reminder.

THIS COSTUME IS FOR SALE!!!
If and When you purchase this costume. You will get:
-main red dress
-red velvet hood
-ribbon
-petticoat

Notes: Lolita fashion inspired Design by Yuu Shomura. has 5 kinds of lace and special buttons. it is adjustable at the back to fit bigger or smaller sizes. Red hood is made of Real velvet. Ribbon can be worn in 2 ways, can be placed on top of head as head bow or in front of hood as chest deco. The dress has 2 pockets that can fit a handkerchief, cellphone and compact mirror.

MEASUREMENTS
-DRESS: 34 inches in total length
36 inches- BUST

For more pics of details of the dress.
Visit my multiply

PROMO OFFER!!!
IF YOU BUY THIS COSTUME BEFORE 2010 ENDS,
I WILL SLASH 400PHP OFF OF THE PRICE!
SHIPPING FEE WILL STILL BE SHOULDERED BY THE BUYER, THOUGH.

well, thats it, thanks for reading!
jaa ne!
until next time!
anggatou nyoron!~ ♥

RED RIDING HOOD Project

2010-11-24T01:26:00.013+08:00

^Is this cosplay?

I am not entirely sure, but just to be safe, let us just say it isn't. Since there are so many variations and adaptations to the story of Little Red Riding Hood.

This concept shoot~ project, is based on the character Little Red Riding Hood, from the beloved children's tale of the same title.

I think almost everyone has heard of little red and the big bad wolf.
And their lines like

"Oh, grandma, what big eyes you have."

"The better to see you with."

Assuming you don't know the tale, I kindly suggest that you just go google it^^

Anyway, had this costume made for last year's OtakunEK. My sister and I just thought that the fairytale theme would look so good with Enchanted Kingdom as the background.
She was Alice of Alice in Wonderland and I was Red Riding Hood.

I am not little so I'll just refer to this as the Red Riding Hood Project.

Because we are in need of cash, since money does not grow on trees, this COSTUME IS FOR SALE. The Alice Costume was already sold.

This version is not exactly the same as when I wore it last year (the costume has been worn approximately 4 times. Twice by me and 2 times by friends).

Variations are as follows:

I am wearing the wig my sister used for her Alice in Wonderland.

I has on a headband given by someone worth remembering.
Used the new make up technique I learned.
Lost the ribbon on the basket

Still the same:

Contact lens
Undershirt
Socks
Shoes
Petticoat
Basket and things that hang from it
Hood
Dress

Photo by Jerome Santos, btw

So before this costume goes to a new home, decided to have a shoot with it for documentation and to practice my sister's photography. Hitting 2 birds with one stone.

Prepping.
Which now eats up about an hour. I wasn't always like this, you know.
Before, getting ready took just under 15 minutes, and now i'm all make up and stuff >_<

Character: Red Riding Hood by jaRoukaSama based on Little Red Riding Hood
Genre: Book / Literature
Taken on 21 November 2010 at La Mesa EcoPark

PREPARE FOR PHOTO OVERLOAD!!!!! hhehehehe

Here are some of my fave shots from my sister, hiMe-kAnoN. <--- click to see her DA

some of my fave shots from z3LL

Some of the most outrageous things that people called me were: POCAHONTAS, MULAN, and get this, LADY GAGA. that is seriously a LOL hheeheheheh

Some asked for even asked pictures. Flattering XD

Found a motorbike which was looking lonely, took some photos with it and I became the RED RIDER HOOD heheheheheh

My sister, on photographer mode hehehehhe

O MAI GAD!! I HAS 2 ICE CREAMS!!! O_O

Okay! so I didn't have the hood up most of the time BUT! the story is also known as the Little Red Cape and sometimes even cloak. so, don't go telling me that this isn't right hahahaahha heheheheh *evil laugh*

The Hood is made of velvet and was kinda hot, so we wrapped it.
Wanted to try KFC's Double Down Burger, but alas, they were sold out. tsk T_T

As I said, THIS COSTUME IS FOR SALE.
here are some photos of the dress and its details
the back

the buttonsthe laces on the hood
If and When you purchase this costume. You will get:
-main red dress
-red velvet hood
-ribbon
-petticoat

Notes: Lolita fashion inspired Design by Yuu Shomura. has 5 kinds of lace and special buttons. it is adjustable at the back to fit bigger or smaller sizes. Red hood is made of Real velvet. Ribbon can be worn in 2 ways, can be placed on top of head as head bow or in front of hood as chest deco. The dress has 2 pockets that can fit a handkerchief, cellphone and compact mirror.

MEASUREMENTS
-DRESS: 34 inches in total length
36 inches- BUST

For more pics of details of the dress.
Visit my multiply

PROMO OFFER!!!
IF YOU BUY THIS COSTUME BEFORE 2010 ENDS,
I WILL SLASH 400PHP OFF OF THE PRICE!
SHIPPING FEE WILL STILL BE SHOULDERED BY THE BUYER, THOUGH.

well, thats it, thanks for reading!
jaa ne!
until next time!
anggatou nyoron!~ ♥

the Protocol and Etiquette Guide of Cosplay Book I - The Comfort Room

2010-11-05T00:35:00.009+08:00

^In college, I had this class, that taught us about protocol and etiquette. I really liked it, it was taught by one of my favorite professors, retired Amb. Alfredo Almendrala Jr. In this class, we learned how to conduct ourselves properly so as not to embarrass the home country. It opened my eyes to the fact that if people respected each other more and had more manners, the world would be a better place. The basic principle is to NEVER FORGET YOUR MANNERS. Protocol and etiquette made for better and more harmonious relations. Why am I going on about something that I got in school? Because I think manners matter and it seems that people today, cosplayers in this case, seem to lack a good sense of it.

As Gloria Auth puts it

Etiquette is not for special occasions; it is for everyday use.
Etiquette is not snobbery; it is the art of not being a snob.
Etiquette is not phony; it puts people at ease.
Etiquette is not intimidating; it is user friendly.

In school we study it. What ever it is called, it is basically the same. GMRC - Good manners and right conduct, Values Education, Guide to Social Graces. We study them for a reason, they are important, don't let them go to waste.

Just to clear things up, I am not generalizing. (I cosplay, too, you know hehehheh) I am NOT saying that ALL COSPLAYERS are SLOBS. If some of you get hurt, I am sorry, I did not mean to offend. I simply wish to open your eyes to some reality and give you a wake up call, If you get offended it is probably because you are guilty of some of the things I mentioned. The things I mention here are based from my experiences, my thoughts, observations and the things I get on my lurking expeditions.

So, book one is about Cosplayers and the Comfort room. Comfort room, changing room, powder room, the john, donny, men's or ladies' room or the , lavatory, toilet, what ever you want to call it, I know you know what I mean >_< I chose to start with the C.R. because this is where most cosplayers head to first in attending cons. Before you get to cosplay, you need to wear your costume first and for that you need the bathroom ~ a place full of cubicles and mirrors where you can transform yourself. heheheheheh

With that, let us begin^^
*DO NOT HOG THE CUBICLE
Go in, change , go out. Often times, conventions in the Philippines are held inside malls or other public places. These venues are not exclusive for cosplayers, there are kids, office people, mall employees, old people and a lot more. Expect the long line of people. Expect that some will be in a bad mood, the call of nature maybe too strong that they are not thinking properly. Anyway, do not dally inside the cubicle if there are a lot of people outside, please understand that they really need to go. Here are some tips for faster changing time:

Wear some parts of the costume before going to the venue, those that are inconspicous or are not that too out of the ordinary.

Change with a friend, 2 people can fit in the cubicle. If you don't have any issues with your body then this may work and cut time even a little bit.

If you have a ride, then I suggest that you prep yourself or wear the whole costume at home.

Or change and fix yourself up at the car.

Or maybe you should just come early and change early to prevent the crowd.

Or have your own changing quarters.

Anyway, please DO NOT USE THE C.R. FOR DIFFERENTLY ABLED PEOPLE! Some of you may think it's ok because no one really uses it, I know changing for a coslay takes some time and there may be people viz. elderly, pregnant women, people with little kids or differently abled people that may need to use it. They need it, you on the other hand, is a different story.

*DO NOT HOG THE MIRRORS
Yes, of course you need to see yourself before heading out. Yes, I understand that you need to check if you look presentable. But please do not keep the mirrors to yourself, the mirrors always have sink under them and the cubicles in front, when there are a lot of people and you linger in front of the mirrors for too long, people would line up behind you to get a chance to use the mirrors or the sink and the lines get all confusing and more people get irritated. Everything snowballs.

So do what you have to do, then get out. Be considerate of other people. But what about make-up and wig and a bunch of other stuff? Feel free to linger IF and ONLY IF THERE IS NOT LIKE A GAZILLION PEOPLE in the C.R.

Here are some things you can do to cut time in front of the mirror:

Do your make up or some parts of it at home. That way, all you have to do is retouch when you get to the venue.

Wear your contact lens before leaving. I have noticed that a lot of first time cosplayers have not yet mastered the skill of putting on their contact lens and as such, they take a long time in the C.R. It's harder to put on if you're pressured, if you do it at home, you'd have a lot more breathing room, and you wont be so pressured, plus it's one thing off your to do list while you are transforming yourself for your cosplay.

Bring a mirror where you can see your whole face / head and find yourself an out of the way area where you can take your time to do your make up and put on your wig. That way, you won't be adding to the long line inside.

*STYLE YOUR WIGS AT HOME!
Do as much as you can at home. Styling in the C.R. eats up a lot of time and space. It is also can be bothersome to others.

DO NOT:

Wash your wigs! The fibers can clog the sink and it makes a mess. Plus when you wash it, you'd have to dry it, too.

Dry your wigs using the hand dryer! Hand dryers are for drying the hands! hence the name! It is NOT a wig dryer.

Blast hairspray or hair color with out notice, it can go to somebody's eyes or make some sick or deface other people's property.

Leave a mess. Just because there is sanitary worker (the one who cleans) doesn't mean you can just leave your trash and what not. Wig / hair fibers, empty canisters, rubber bands should be put properly in the waste basket.

Bring a mirror, find yourself a secluded place you can do your styling with out being a nuisance to others. And be sure to clean as you go.^^

*CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF
This is pretty much self explanatory. I hope you guys get what it means already

*THE COMFORT ROOM IS NOT A STUDIO!!!
A lot of people, not only cosplayers are guilty of this. I just can't understand why of all places, some people would prefer the lavatory as place for picture taking and camwhoring. People, please! Please do not treat the bathroom as a studio! Everything has its rightful place and taking pictures in the C.R. is simply a bad call. It's unbecoming. Ok, take pictures as long as you don't bother someone else, you take pictures of yourself and not other people minding their own business, and I do hope you do not upload your comfort room pictures.

well, that's about it for bathrooms, if any of you have other bathroom + cosplay related matter that you think should be addressed, just send me a note or something and i'll add it here. You can share stories and experiences, too^^

BTW, thanks so much to ms. Naoko. The issue of cosplay etiquette has been bothering me for some time and I've been itching to blog about it. Because of Ms. Naoko, I finally did this entry. So, thanks so much^^

thanks for reading!
till next time!
anggatou nyron!~♥
jaa ne!!! ^^V

SUNAKO NAKAHARA Cosplay

2010-10-27T15:49:00.009+08:00

^For the longest time I've wanted to portray Sunako.

Saw Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge in TV5, got fascinated by it so I read the Manga. Super fun.

I knew I just had to cosplay Sunako. aheheheheeheh

For those of you who do not know Sunako, here is a little info about her (which I got from Wikipedia)

Sunako Nakahara (中原スナコ, Nakahara Sunako)

Sunako always had an obsession with darkness and a morbid fascination with blood, horror movies, and similarly dark things but it wasn't until she was rejected by her first love that she openly expressed it and became even more isolated from the rest of the world. While she suffers from severely low self-esteem, she is actually quite beautiful (most of her physical imperfections are a result of her self-imposed isolation from the world) and a frighteningly tough fighter, being able to lift someone twice her size with one hand. Somewhat surprisingly, she is a very good cook, very athletic, intelligent, and a good pianist. She refers to beautiful people as "creatures of light" and "ugly" people, such as herself, as "creatures of darkness", in the translation in America. Whenever she sees a "creature of light", she gets nosebleeds.

Despite her negative attitude, once she is driven to do something, Sunako is quite capable of doing things that no one expects her to complete. There is also a possibility that she may have supernatural abilities i.e. plants wilting near her and windows shattering by an unseen force. She's also been possessed many times.

Now, ain't she cool? aheheheheheh

Same as with Sunako, I've always had a thing for blood and gore. Those Kind of movies give me a warm fuzzy feeling inside *evil grin* aheheheheh

Plus I already have L-o-n-g Black hair so I gave it a go hahahahah

I had the Sunako Seifuku made around the same time as my C.C. Black Knights costume, but some thing led to another so I didn't have a chance to cosplay Sunako.

Anyway, for this year's AFA, me and my friends decided to come and see Singapore. For that I NEED MONEY. This was one of the costumes I was willing to part with. Fortunately, Ms. Fiona said she wanted to buy the costume. So before I say good bye to this costume, I decided to have a shoot solely for Sunako.

Prepping for the shoot, doing some make up.
I realized after doing my make up that I did not need to do any eye make up as my eyes were gonna be covered by my bangs. Silly me hahahahahahha
I was actually kinda bummed coz while I was on the jeep going to the meet up point, I remembered that I forgot my false eyelashes hahahahaahahah but I didn't really need them, I was just so used my usually cosplays that I thought I needed them.

anyway, this is what my eyes looked like underneath my bangs, just wanted to show off my hard work ahhahaahahha I even have purple contacts lens ahahahahahha which were barely seen.

I IS A FAIL oTL

more prepping pics

and so after about an hour of prepping, I was ready hahahahahhaha

Here are some of my favorite shots of the day. Prepare for Image overloaaaaaaaaaaaaaddddd!!~ hahahhaah

Character: Nakahara Sunako - seifuku version
Cosplay by Yuu Shomura with Napoleon Hedoro as John
Series: Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge: The WallFlower / Perfect Girl Evolution

Genre: Anime/ Manga
Photos by: z3LL
Taken on 25 October 2010 at La Mesa EcoPark

Napoleon Hedoro as John
he's totally enjoying himself

emo shot by the stairs hahahhaah

the whole costume

a shot were you can see my face XD

after shooting my Sunako cosplay, z3LL took some photos of his Illidan Toy
then we headed to SM Fairview for dinner at Pho Hoa, a Thai Resto where we could not pronounce anything properly hahahahahahah food was great. Tried eating spicy foods as training for when we got to Singapore but SOME ONE *cough z3LL cough* did not eat a lot of spicy / hot food. Cheater. hahahahaah

had a fun productive day, when I got home, my nose was running hahahahaha

more Sunako Nakahara Cosplay photos in my Flikr and Photobucket

well, thats it, thanks for reading!
jaa ne!
until next time!
anggatou nyoron!~ ♥
sunako and john: we are a big train! chew chew! hahahah

P.S.:
thanks so much to z3LL for accompanying me that day, and thanks for the awesome pics^^ ♥~

to fiong: thanks for adopting my sunako costume, have fun with it^^ /hug

What is CHA-NE?

2010-10-21T18:54:00.002+08:00

NO CHANES, please!!!! (read as CHA-ne)

What is CHANE and what is a CHANERO?

Well CHANE is a verb, it is when someone makes "akbay" to a person, example a cosplayer, or when some one you do not know puts their hands or arms around your waist or shoulder or other body parts. CHANE can take a lot of forms but the ones mentioned before are the most common. Of course what makes this bad is that this is done without consent (of the cosplayer, in this case).

It is okay IF and only IF you actually know the person and she or he (yes, he, girls are not the only ones vulnerable to chane-ing, you know) agrees to you putting your arms around them and being touchy touchy, huggy huggy and all that.

me with the panas,
i mean, my friends mia and ashley^^
you can ask them, they're cool with this ahehehehe

Chane is not limited to arms on shoulders or hips. Some are as extreme as butt-grabbing, boob touching (inappropriate touching) or even picking up the other person and sweeping them off their feet. Other forms are hand holding, hair smelling, pervy looks, posing as if to show that the otehr person is you girl / boy friend or even just standing too close for one's personal comfort.

Some of YOU might be thinking, "okay lang naman sa kanila, eh, hindi naman sila nag rereact" ("its fine with them coz they dont react to it"). The thing is, it is either the cosplayer is too nice OR he/she is in character OR you did it so suddenly that he/she did not have time to react properly.

Some may even be thinking, "they have it coming, they wear seductive costumes, so Imma grab what I can". Honestly, what kind of thinking is that? Respect and manners should always be kept in mind. They wear those costumes to show their fandom, not as invitation to have their personal space invaded.

Of course when they are in character, say for example a character which is usually timid and quiet, they will not be able to resist much because they are in character, nga! So dont take advantage of them!

Bear in mind the people are not the only victims of a Chanero, props too can be victims. Some congoers are too amazed or just sometimes plain rude, they grab the props and play with them even. People worked hard for their props, some are very delicate and need to be handled properly so please dont treat them with contempt. ALWAYS ASK PERMISSION BEFORE YOU HOLD ON TO THE COSPLAYER / PERSON or the PROP.

I understand that sometimes, the case is that you really like the character and you tend to become excited but please do not forget your manners. Not all people like to be touched by complete strangers / people they barely know / even their friends. Conventions are still public gatherings and as such require some level of decency and respect towards other people.

Just put yourself in their shoes, you would not want strangers touching you now would you?

Oh and CHANERO is a noun, it is some one who makes CHANE. Be they a person you know or not know. The CHANERO is the person who makes touchy touchy with your consent.

example of good congoers,
no inappropriate touching to cosplayer or props^^

To sum it up, CHANE is when someone invades your personal space with out your consent, and CHANERO is the person doing the invading of personal space.

To those who have experienced this, be not afraid to speak up! If you are uncomfortable, use your mouth to say something! And if ever you are waering with a lot of skin showing, take precautionary measures like always having your friends around. When everything gets too extreme, report them to the authorities. The important thing is that IT MUST BE STOPPED.

To congoers and cosplayers alike, think about it, you may or may not be aware of it, are you a Chanero? hmmmmmmmm...

till next time!

thanks for reading!
anggatou nyron!~♥
jaa ne!!! ^^V

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
I do not know the origin of the word CHANE, it may have started out as something completely different. But the definition I gave is how it is used today / at present time.

Another this is that cosplayers are not the only victims of CHANE, ANY ONE CAN BE A VICTIM. Cosplaying or not. Con goers, ordinary people, anyone may be susceptible to it.

Con goers may be a victim of CHANE by a cosplayer and vice versa.
so everyone should be careful^^

the COSPLAY HEXAGON

2010-10-08T16:46:00.002+08:00

^What makes a good cosplay, good?

But what makes a good cosplay, great?

How can a person achieve a note worthy, epic and truly memorable cosplay?

What is it with Jesuke, the Tux Team, Alodia Gosiengfiao and other famous cosplayers, that make people admire their cosplays?

Some would say, "Cause they're pretty".

For me, being pretty does not cut it. There are other cosplayers that are pretty / good looking, too, but you do not see them judging cosplay competitions now, do you?

Some would say, "Cause they have awesome costumes".

But not all cosplayers with extravagant costumes win. Sometimes those that cost less beat those that cost thousands of pesos and sometimes even dollars.

So what is it really?

hmmmmm... *thinking*

Anyone here know about Porter's Diamond?

This is Porter's Diamond:

Michael Porter (of the Harvard Business School is generally recognized as the father of the modern strategy field, as has been identified in a variety of rankings and surveys as the world’s most influential thinker on management and competitiveness) theorizes that four broad attributes (see diagram above) of a nation shape the environment in which local firms compete and these attributes promote or impede the creation of competitive advantage.

Say what? ahehehehehehe

Talk of economics can be boring, I know (I've sat through countless hours of it in class XD) but we are not here to discuss International Trade. What Professor Porter is trying to say is that "there is not only one factor that makes something, in this case the economy of a nation, successful". There are a number of factors that need to be favorable to achieve success.

With this in mind, let us apply the principle to cosplay. And we come up with what I'd like to call the COSPLAY HEXAGON or the 6 of Cosplay.
I think that all of these must be favorable in order to achieve a "good cosplay''. Lack of one and you and up with something less than amazing. All of them are equal and none is greater than the other in my opinion.

Now let us break down the following determinants:

*COSTUME
Just to get it out of the way, I'd like to say that I do not care if you personally made the costume or you commissioned it. I am referring to the costume here itself and the quality.

Alodia Gosiengfiao as Amaha Masane
of Witch Blade
awesome costumes, that is one of the reasons
she is very famous in the local community scene
no wonder! just look at her costumes!

When it comes to costumes, choosing the right color and fabric really make a difference. Wrong shades lead to being mistaken as other characters sometimes and wrong fabric choices can lead to disastrous effects.

Anyway, paying close attention to details can do wonders. It shows the level of skill and effort and even love that has been put into its creation.

Lillyxandra as Princess Zelda
details!!! such great eye and patience to create wonderful works!!!
*clap clap clap*
she really knows her stuff!

I consider shoes or the foot gear as an important part of a cosplay. I personally LOVE boots. I just feel that having the right foot gear gives more of an impact and adds more flair to the over all outcome of the cosplay.

Yinneian as Kyoko from Skip Beat
booooooots!!!!!!! those boots are totally to die for!!!!
if they were my size, I'd totally steal em ahahahaha I kid! I kid! XD

*WIG / HAIR STYLING
Anime characters have the most unique and wild hairstyles ever! Just look at yugi-oh for example XD ahehehehe Anyway, not everyone has colored hair. So wigs are a definite must. having the perfect wig (styled of course) makes the greatest impact for a cosplay. I say this because characters are more recognized through their hair as it one of the first things that will be noticed when you look at someone. Plus, with the proper wig, you can dress up in a lot more ways for a specific character.

Dukesawolf
showcasing this wig she styled for a client

There is nothing wrong with using your real hair, but styling it the right way will make your cosplay much more accurate. That also goes for when you use wigs.

Ryoko-demon as Jesse
of Pokemon's Team Rocket
she styled that wig! looks just like the actual character right?

Some people may confuse you for other characters if you are not careful. An example of this is Ami Kawashima and the School President of ToraDora. They both wear the same uniform and have long blue hair.

Another example is Yakumo Tsukamoto and Mikoto Suoh. Yakumo has black hair and Mikoto 's has a blue-ish tinge to it. Anyway, most cosplayers opt to use black when cosplaying either one.
With out contact lens, you may have some difficulty telling them apart.

But you can easily tell them apart through the way their hair is styled. I'm just saying, if the hair or wig is styled properly, it can make you more accurate and recognizable^^

*MAKE UP and CONTACT LENS
I really think that make up is essential. I just feel that your face has to be at its best and should be "dressed up", too. You are wearing a costume, your body is clothed in something that is not your everyday wear, so I think your face should not be left out. It just completes the over all feel of the cosplay.

Dark Diety as Kamui Gakupo
(Sandplay of the Dragon version)
this girl, in my opinion is absolutely a wonder with make up,
she's pretty with out it but she looks even more awesome with it.
props to her make up skills, she can look all sweet and pretty
and all handsome and cunning, just with make up^^

Anyway, I am referring to good or proper application of make up here, most often than not proper make up can alter your appearance to some degree and make you look like the character being cosplayed and covers some imperfections.

Coloring of eye brows is also an essential part of make up for a cosplay.

Contact lens, well, most anime characters have colored eyes, using contact lenses will make the character you are portraying more recognizable. But if you really can't wear contact lenses for some reason then I'd advise that you don't force yourself.

Pino
another cosplayer I admire for her make up skills
(forgot what she's cosplaying here though, sorry >_<)

*PROPS and ACCESSORIES
So you've got the basics down viz. the costume, wig and make up. Let us not forget the props and accessories! yay!

For me, this is the best part of cosplay cause I enjoy making something out of nothing. I like it when my brain tries to figure out how I can make this with that and seeing them done.

As with costumes, I do not really care if you made your own props or you commissioned them. Then end product is what matters, as long as it looks fine and is satisfactory then you get a dollar from me^^ But if you did make 'em then wow! you deserve an extra pat on the back for that.

Cvy as Steam Punk White Rabbit
with her awesome clock XD steam punk is so cool! and that clock works!

Props and accessories for some people don't really mean that much, some even think that it s just for added flair. But who would not want that extra flair?

Props are fun! specially in photos, helps you make poses easily.

But yeah, they can be a bit of a hassle to tranport.

Lyron Decy Cueto Aquino
as Priss Asagiri of Bubble Gum Crisis
ahehehehehehe yep, that's a guy in there. a smexy guy XD
anyway, this isn't really props, but he makes them well so he falls here XD

Anyway, there are a lot of characters that look the same, i.e. have the same hair style, wear the same costume. But through the props/ accessories that they carry, you can tell them apart easily.

Yuuko and Enma Ai have the same hairstyle and same red eyes. Both also wear a kimono, in the anime you can easily identify who's who but in cosplay it's hard to distinguish which is which.
But through props, it can be easier, if you're cosplaying Yuuko then having a mokona or a pipe will make you more yuuko-ish, and if you are Enma Ai then having the straw doll will make you more hell girl-ish.

*COMPATIBILITY AND CHARACTERIZATION
Compatibility refers to how well one carries the cosplay. Does it suit him or her? What things does the cosplayer have in common with the character? Same hair? Same smile? Same build? or even same personality.

h-a-z-y as Zafina of Tekken
*fan girl screams* I'm big fan of this gal, she knows her body well
and really gets to know the character she portrays.
here she is being smexy and so kick ass

and here she is being so moe and adorable
h-a-z-y as Mio Akiyama of K-on!

Some seem to think that it is sort of "cheating" if you cosplay characters that kind of look like you. I see nothing wrong with it. No one wants to look bad in anything so why would it be cheating if it looks good on you?

tux team as Rurouni Kenshin Characters

Cosplay is for fun, so if you really want to cosplay a certain character, go for it. Even if it doesn't really suit you but if you feel that it will make you happy then go. At the end of the day, it's what you think. Don't mind them, heck, don't me! aheheheehhe I'm just saying, work with what you have and utilize them well^^

Characterization refers to how well one becomes in character. Stage performances, facial expressions and poses fall into this. How far will you go to bring a 2D character to life?

maritinesumaki as sir gai of naruto
he looks so like sir gai that it's creepy aheheheeheh XD
but in a good way^^

But I think that characterization should be limited to posing for photos, stages performances and simple activities that dont bother other people.

There are characters that are known for their bad behavior, but remember, you are in the real world with real people. To avoid any drama or trouble, it's best to mind your manners. Beacause not everyone understands what cosplay is, some dont really care, some think they are a cut above the rest and take pleasure in simply bad mouthing others. It's best to keep it clean and safe, that way, life would be more fun and hassle free.

*PERSONALITY/ THE COSPLAYER/ YOU
At the end of the day, a costume will be just a costume when no one is wearing it.
It won't be cosplay if all of the other components are just sitting in a bag or hanging on a mannequin.

I added this, the Person or the Cosplayer to the Cosplay Hexagon because I feel that no matter how awesome your costume is, when the person lacks that special something about themselves, they will not be remembered.

Jesuke as Squall of FF Dissidia
kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
she's really nice although she's very famous
she's the Joker on Cosplay Gen's 1st issue.
♥

I mean, there are a lot of Naruto Uzumaki cosplayers, dozens of L cosplayers, hords of Haruhi Suzumiya cosplayers in cons but there are some who really stand out. And you just cant help but flock over to them XD

Same costume, same wig, same accessories same everything but when a different person wears all of those, some how the cosplay itself changes.

The person is indeed a very important component of a cosplay^^.

Kunebitt as Yoko Littner of Gurren Lagann

and still her in boy form as Zero Kiryuu of Vampire knight
she has already worked with Alodia, the tux team and other famous personalities but she has still retained who she really is.
a fun and loud person that you cannot help but befriend^^

tux team
plus kune
as Naruto Shippuudden characters
epic. nuff said

apart from cosplay, the tux team is known for their love of photo bombing
epic photobombers are epic XD
I think it's nice that they cosplay in a group and always go to cons together
if the tux team has bombed you (photo bombed that is XD)
then consider yourself lucky aheheheheheh
they are so lovable and I'm so glad that
I had the pleasure of meeting and befriending them

yep, lucky one here o/
aheheheheh
photo by Niko "shinn" Cruz

hope this helps.
good luck with your cosplays!

till next time!
anggatou nyron!~♥
jaa ne!!! ^^V

Are you a Cospuritan?

2010-09-08T22:04:00.002+08:00

^Like I said in my previous blog post, I've been lurking in a lot of Cosplay forums lately.
In one of my lurking sprees, I came across the term COSPURITAN or COSPURIST.

Ever heard of it?
This definitely was something new to me so I read on.

From what I gathered. A Cospuritan is some one who believes that a Cosplayer should be the one who makes his or her own costume. A Cospuritan and a Cospurist is the same. It is the contraction of the words Cosplay and Puritan / Purist. And that everything should be exactly the same with the character being cosplayed, like no artistry or no heavy set cosplayers doing thin characters or dark skinned cosplayers doing fair skinned characters. Above all, the COSPLAYER MUST MAKE THIER OWN COSTUMES, too. Well you get the picture, a cospurist believes that every part of the cosplay must be PERFECT or MADE BY THE COSPLAYER THEMSELF.

Brother, me, Nikki and Minami doing the "LO FACE"

Here is my two cents on the matter.

There is no harm in adding that personal touch to a cosplay. If it looks good and makes you happy and still keeps the essence of the character being cosplayed then go for it!

If you want to cosplay a certain character but you think you dont look like the character then still go for it if you really want to and if you believe it will make you happy. Don't let your weight or the color of your skin stop you from having a good time, the trick is to find a way to make it all work and look for ways to make it flattering on you. After all, you don't want to be walking around in a "cosplay don't" now, would you? ahehehehehe

And lastly, so what if you did not make your own costume? I'd like to meet the person who has naturally green hair or can make their own wigs fiber by freakin' fiber.

There is nothing wrong with store bought costumes or having other people make your props and stuff. Some people are just better at some things. It's cosplay! Costume and role play, it did not specify that a cosplayer must make his or her own costume otherwise it would be called You-must-make-your-own-costumes-play.

Ian as Gakupo and Me as Meiko

But! It is indeed commendable when someone can sew and make their own costumes. It is very admirable seeing other people's skills but I don't think it is that necessary. That's their thing, they have the skills so they use it. It gives them a sense of self accomplishment and come on, who wouldn't want recognition from a job well done? So you can make beautiful costumes, that's great, good for you!

So you have other people help or do it for you, that's still great! At least you're helping others earn a living, but what's bad is if you take credit for other people's work. Now that's a no-no.

Here is where we get a little touchy.

Some people seem to think that you are not a Great Cosplayer if you cant make your own costumes. I personally can't sew (especially with a machine! The horror! The horror! aheheheeeh) but that has not stopped me from cosplaying. If you think I am a fail then that's your opinion but I don't think I am so that's that. I leave you alone and you leave me alone. No harm done. But if you think that I am doing a not so bad job then thank you very much^^

Me as Belldandy

I do believe that most Singaporean cosplayers are awesome! They make their own costumes and they seem to have a knack for choosing characters that really fit them. But probably not all Singaporean cosplayers can sew, that's why there are a lot of Cosplay Shops (shops that sell cosplay costumes and related stuff) in Singapore, (and in Japan, too) duh, they are there to meet the demand.

In the forums and blogs that I've been lurking in. A lot of people are saying that Japanese cosplayers are super awesome cause they make their own costumes and that if Alodia ever went to Japan, she would be mud compared to the Japanese cosplayers cause she can't sew and no one would take notice of her.

Alodia as Haruhi Suzumiya photo by z3LL

I'd just like to clarify that I am not an Alodia lover nor am I an Alodia hater. She did make cosplay popular in the Philippines and she does have high quality costumes after all. And I will admit that I was in super awe of her when I first entered the cosplay scene but now that I've heard about Jin Joson, the Tux team, Jesuke, Kaika, Yaya Han, Lilly Xandra and lots more, I have come to realize that there are also others worth admiring.

So don't go saying that Alodia is mud, if you do not know Alodia the person, not the cosplayer.
And if you know nothing about cosplay in other countries. Because although the Japanese like D-I-Ys (do it yourself), not all Japanese cosplayers make their own costumes cause there are a lot, and I mean A LOT of Cosplay shops and costume rental shops in Japan. I would know, I am half Japanese and I've been to Japan. And she would probably get a lot of attention there cause she's pretty and has nice bodily assets that Japanese photographers would love to take pictures of. aheheheheheheeh

Okay, here are some cosplayers that I really admire. Both in the local and international scene. Mind you, not all of them make their own costume, but they are all equally great. Visit their sites to know more about them. I wont specify if they do make their own costumes or not because in my opinion that does not make them lesser cosplayers^^

Their names link to their sites by the way^^

From Singapore
(which I so want to visit!!!)
Jesuke
as Kaito

as Sakata Gintoki

Cvy
as Killua

Astellecia
as Sheryl Nome

Kaika
as Shana

From Indonesia
orochi, pinky luxun and shinji x
from Lineage

From Japan
Arisa Mizuhara
as Shinnku

Pino
as Kagamine Rin

Westerners
(sorry about bunching them together, it is just cause I'm kinda sleepy now >_<) calssara
as Lacus Clyne

lillyxandra
as Gwendolyn

HezaChan
as I-no

the mirror melts
as Shiva Styria

From the Philippines, my home land^^
Jin Joson and the Tuxedo team
from Bleach

fron Rurouni Kenshin

lyron
as Kamen Rider Knight

markee
as Jang Geum

as Magical Princess Cha Cha

jm chua
(sorry, couldnt find a pic of his awesome Saito of Rutouni Kenshin T_T)

ayi
as Allen walker

krishinya
as Kamui Gakupo

They are my favorites, but there are also more out there worth admiring^^
whoa, I am not a feminist or anything, I just seem to like mostly female cosplayers ahehehehehe LOL

so, think about it. are you a cospuritan?

that's it for now!
thanks for reading!
until next time! anggatou nyoron! ♥~

jaRoukaSama on LOLITA FASHION

2010-09-05T22:50:00.001+08:00

^hi hi, minna-san!
yes!
I am alive! ahehehehehh

Well, I've been doing some lurking in a lot of Cosplay forums lately and "lolitas" keep popping up as cosplays. We see a lot of them in conventions, too. And frankly, this annoys me as Lolita is NOT a Cosplay but a fashion. But apparently a lot of girls in the Philippines like labeling themselves as lolitas when they don't know anything about it. I may sound like I am party pooper here but the thing is I really like Lolita Fashion and if given the opportunity, I would gladly exchange my clothes for a closet full of Lolita items.

Ok ok, forget about the niceties, I made this blog because I got irritated with people saying they love Lolita but don’t know anything about it. How can you love something you don’t know anything about? Tsk I really don’t get it, and if they really love it, why didn’t they do their homework? People, wearing a dress with bows, ribbons and lace doesn’t automatically make you Lolita! Lolita is more than a fashion you know. Effort is needed, too.

I am not saying Lolita is just for a select few, anyone can wear Lolita fashion, all Im saying is do it properly! Is that so much to ask? I’ve been to Japan, I’m half Japanese, I read and studied Lolita, I wear Lolita so I know what I’m saying. But, I am not a Lolita Master. I am just sharing what I know and how you guys out there can make your Lolita better.

Why am I so irritated anyway? Because, Lolita is a great fashion! And people out there are getting the wrong impression of what a Lolita truly is, and I don’t want that!

There are a lot of credible sites that talk about Lolita, so how come girls here have difficulty in putting together a Lolita ensemble?! Its not like Lolita is a new thing. Tsk

Here’s a site I really like:
http://www.lolitafashion.org
Visit it please! You can learn a lot!

So here are some things that you think you know about Lolita but really don't.

LOLITA FASHION MYTHS PART 1

Lolita and Make-Up
Some girls seem to think that if you're going for a lolita look, make up is a must. EEEEEEEEH!!!! (buzzer sound) WRONG! I have nothing against make up, make up is one of the best inventions of mankind, seriously. With make up, gumaganda and hindi maganda at ang maganda lalong gumaganda, with proper application of course.

The thing is, Lolita is a fashion inspired to imitate the innocence of a young girl from the Victorian or Rococo period. So if you put a lot of make up on i.e: heavy blush ons, lipstick, eye liner and eyeshadow, then you lost the point. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A CUTE INNOCENT YOUNG GIRL FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE! tas puno ka ng make up?! ano kaya yun...

Light Make up for Lolitas

Use make up to even out your skin and go for the natural look, don't slap on every bit of make up you have in your make up kit. Foundation, a bit of mascara to make the eyes pop, lip gloss and light blush will do. Don't over do it.

A Lolita is supposed to give off that cute and innocent vibe, not a "come pick me up later, stud muffin" air. In general, the natural look is the best but you also have to consider what style of Lolita you are going for as there are many styles. The point is, YOU MUST NOT LOOK LIKE A HOOKER. ok?

Lolita styles

I am a Lolita, see my Teddy Bear?
Teddy bears and stuff toys, yes they are cute and cuddly. I love teddies to death, I sleep with them and even have a collection of Teddy Bears (ghey, i know XD) having a teddy or stuff animal with you is fun and may make you more childish but to be lolita, it is not a necessity.

Plus, don't you think it's a bit tiring to carry one around, out of the house, in a hot crowded con? Having a stuff animal with you will not automatically make you lolita-ish, people. No matter how cute the stuff animal is, it will only be an added accessory but the thing that will truly make a Lolita outfit Lolita is the outfit itself!!!

Nana Kitade with good stuff toy for her Lolita Outfit

If ever you do bring a stuff toy, wag naman ung aso, or anime plushies, hindi lolita un! Stick to bunnies and teddies (white, brown ones and pastel colored ones look good with lolis but you also have to consider the color of your outfit)!

anime plushies = no no for lolitas

And please do make sure they are cute, clean and goes with your outfit! wag po ung marumoldumol kasi lalabas ka ng bahay! Filthy is not lolita, ok?!

Mary Janes, please. Not school shoes.
Some school shoes are indeed made in a mary jane style. If you are low on budget and your school shoes are mary janes then you can use them, what im referring to that you should not or should NEVER use are the black ones with shoelaces, those closed onse and top siders. You guys go to school so I know that you know what other types of school shoes there, but then I again, I maybe be wrong XD

usual Lolita shoes

acceptable school shoes for Lolita

anyway, we're selling our lolita shoe by the way XD and some more things, do check em out. sorry for the plug LOL XD
click for details!!! XD

Maid outfit equals NOT Lolita
Hold it right there! Maid is not equals to Lolita! Yes, a maid outfit may have ruffles, may have bows, may have laces BUT THEY ARE AND SHOULD NOT BE ASSOCIATED WITH LOLITAS. 'nough said. I hope you get it.

example of maid outfit, NOT a lolita outfit

Lolita only for Young people?
Wrong again! Age is not a factor to be lolita. Dont think that because a lolicon means some one who likes young girls, lolita is for young girls only. Nope, not true. the thing is, age is only a number and should not hinder you. It's all about how you carry yourself ^^ but if your about 60 and above, it maybe a good idea not to dress up as a loli XD

Lolita not Meant for Filipinas?
You think? *does a big X with her arms* That is not what I am saying. I dont have anything against Filipinas, Im half Filipina naman kasi and I think Pinays have that exoticness that most foreigners would kill for!

What irks me is that most (im not generalizing here) do it wrong! that's it. you guys should do your homework! hindi ung basta basta na lng kayo magsusuot ng damit tas sasabihin nyo "lolita toh!" wag ganon! wag kayo maglolita tas kayo lang pala nakakaalam na lolita pla kayo!

Lolita is a very visual fashion and is and should be easily recognized! and lolita nga is a great fashion and way of life na rin, by doing it wrong, people who see you will copy it and do it wrong, too and will have misconceptions on what a lolita really is. snow ball effect.

nakakahiya naman, Lolita is a big thing not only in Japan but in many countries, nakakahiya naman kung mapagsabhan ang Pilipinas na failure in Lolita! do you guys get what I mean?

more nxt time aheeheeeheheh feeling a bit better after this. XD
questions? comments? feel free, I think I can handle them. maybe XD aheheheeheh

Thanks for reading!
until next time!
anggatou nyoron!~♥
jaa ne! ^^V

The BASICS of a COSPLAY MAKE UP KIT

2010-07-29T21:41:00.001+08:00

^Make up is an essential part of any cosplay, it completes the whole costume.
Accentuates assets and hides ugly blemishes. And frankly, MAKE UP MAKES ALMOST EVERY BODY LOOK BETTER. ahehehehehe Please do not confuse photoshop with make up cause PHOTOSHOP IS THE ONE THAT MAKES EVERYONE LOOK BETTER. ahehehehe

So why use make up when you cosplay?
Because! Because my dear readers and (aspiring) cosplayers, you can rarely see anime charecters with ugly and not perfect skin. Make up just makes you look better ahehehehe
I don't mean that you should slap every kind of make up on your face, just enough to smooth out your skin and give you a more anime-ish look.

Lemme take the opportunity, too, to just clarify that this is NOT a MAKE UP TUTORIAL. BUT TELLS YOU WHAT YOUR COSPLAY MAKE UP KIT SHOULD ESSENTIALY HAVE.

Another thing, I am in no way an expert, but with the experience that I have, this is what I know.

Okay, with that out of the way, let's start! *rocket blast off!*

*BB CREAM

What is a BB cream? Well, BB stands for Blemish Balm or Blemish Base.

It was initially used by dermatologists to help laser surgery patients protect, soothe and refine highly sensitive skin while providing light coverage for post-laser scars, acne and other blemishes. Additionally, BB cream encourages skin regeneration and helps to maintain youthful skin. --->got this off wikipedia. LOL

So, as its name implies, it makes skin all smooth and prettiful.

You can find this in Malls. And Price ranges from 150Php upto around 1,000PhP

The Brand that I use is Maybeline cause it's:

-affordable, costs only 249Php in Watsons

-it's for all skin types and shades

-it's 8 in 1! 8! it's a moisturizer, sun block, concealer, foundation and lots more!

Anime don't have uneven skin nor do they have lots of blemishes (they have very few moles and very rarely have pimples, usually their acne just lasts for a day aheeheehehe) BB cream will help you achieve skin perfection! So you should have one in you bag! or kit, or what ever it is that you call the thing you put your make up in. LOL

Elianto's BB cream is also good but that one is around 700Php.

Another reason why i like BB creams is cause you don't need to re touch very much plus it doesn't blotch up or make buo-buo in some parts of your face when you get all sweaty and stuff.

jaRoukaSama's tip!:

I'd advise that you choose a BB cream that is most suited to your skin, try some our before sticking to a particular brand. In make up, just because it is expensive doent mean it will give the best results, and not all cheap ones are bad. it all depends whether your skin reacts to its (negatively, i mean) or not.

*GOOD FOUNDATION OR FACE POWDER

After the BB cream I put on foundation.

You need one, too. Get one that has a mirror and sponge so that you can put it in your pocket and you can check yourself and be able to re touch easily.

Foundations are for smoothening out your face so it is a must.

*EYELINERS

Eyeliners can greatly enhance you eyes. They come in lots of colors and kinds. Some are liquid, gel and in the traditional pencil type.

Get yourself the basic black, a non glittery white and other colors.

The black is for defining your eyes, they are for shaping the eyes. White is used to line the lower parts of the eyes to make them bigger, and the colored ones are for fun aheheeheheh no, but you can use them to add more drama to the eyes and color you eyebrows to match your wig.

I like Nichido's colored eyeliners cause they are cheap aheheehehe around 80php for one and I prefer fashion 21's white eyeliner cause its not glittery or in anyway silvery, it's just white like its supposed to be. aheheheheh

*EYESHADOW

Keep it basic, stick to the usual colors. Fleshy and white ones are most frequently used. Anime characters are not big on colorful make up. The flesh and silver would add to making your eyes brighter and when used correctly will add to the moe moe effect or the smexy/ bitchy look, depends on what look you'd like to achieve.

But it would not hurt to have variety, cause eyeshadow can also be used to color your eyebrows and the brown can be used for contouring^^

*MAKE UP BRUSHES

These are for applying lip color or eyeshadow or blush. Those little sponge wand thingies easily disintegrate and are easily lost. Unlike brushes that are handy ahehehehhehe You don't need an extravagant set, just ones that you know that are essential. There are some cheap ones too, dont worry^^

*MASCARA AND EYELASH CURLER

You want your eyes to stand out most so these are must haves, too. What kind of eyes don't have eye lashes? aheheeheehe

I personally use false eyelashes to make my eyes pop more cause I have not so big eyes but if you're a Filipino and you are already blessed with those fabulously big eyes then you have little need for them, mascara alone would be fine^^

But if you still want more poppage (is that even a word? aheehehehehe I mean if u want your eyes to pop more) then falsies would not hurt. =3

*LIP MAKE UP

Anime characters are not big on color as I said, and if you noticed their "dressed up with make up" is just with lip gloss and they magically seem to be more beautiful XD

Anyway, with the foundation and other stuff on your face, your lips will likely go blah. For moe, school girls and basically characters that are not dressed up a non glittery or glossy lip balm will do.

Nude lipstick is for crossplays, specifically girls wanting to portray boy characters and if you are a boy who wants to portray a girl character, go for the glossy lip gloss.

So those are the basic, colored lipstick ain't bad to have either cause you can also use them to color your eyebrows.

Some characters really like color and are wild on their choice.

Examples are:

Misa Amane (Death Note), a red glossy lipstick is a must.

Alexander Jagi III (Detroit Metal City), black lipstick.

Cornelia li Britania (Code Geass) has the signature purple lipstick.

Let us review:

-non glossy lip balm = general cosplay

-glossy lip gloss = dressed up characters or boys crossplaying as girls

-nude lipstick = girls crosplaying as boys

*OTHERS

By others I mean:

a sanitizer or alcohol - for cleaning your before you put on your make up.

Tissue and cotton buds or q-tips - for clean ups

Cologne - because you want to always smell good, no matter how pretty you are, people will run in the other direction if you smell bad.

P.S.

Wondering why I didn't include blush on? Cause I feel you don't need it and I rarely use it. Anime Characters blush only on special occasions. The important thing is for you to have smooth skin and big eyes. But if you want pink cheeks then go ahead. aheheehehe

This concludes my blog about what your Cosplay Make up Kit should have.

Here's mine by the way, with Lacus Clyne to model aheheheheheeh XD

Yeah, yeah. it IS a belt bag hahahahahahha

No one was using it so I made it my cosplay make up kit XD

oh and all photos are by me using z3LL's camera.

sorry, they ain't great XD

I don't have the "gift" ahehehee

thanks so much for lending z0mg to me! ~♥

thanks for reading! see you guys again soon!

Tenma Zero bids you farewell! Now be gone, cretins! *geass powers activate* Mwahahahahahaha

Book Review: TRESE: Murder on Balete Drive

2010-07-24T02:19:00.001+08:00

^First book review!!! Yay! Coz this site aint just for cosplay, its about anything and everything I find interesting^^

Graphic Novel
Title: TRESE: Murder in Balete Drive
Story by: Ferdinand-Benedict "Budjette" G. Tan
Art by: Jonathan "KaJo" A. Baldisimo

Book Cover
(photo by Me, trying to be artistic but i think i failed aheheheh)

Published Visual Print Enterprises
2810 Alcaver Street, Brgy. San Roque, Pasay City 1303
www.visprint.net

Available in most bookstores. In National bookstore it is 140PhP

Better view of the Cover
(yes, still by me, not trying hard to be artistic with this one though LOL)

Most of the stories take place in the city of Manila, but has greater emphasis on its other facade. The TRESE series revolves about Alexandra Trese, a very special kind of detective. Alexandra Trese, along with the Kambal solve cases that are not your ordinary everyday ones, those that are engkanto and maligno-like in nature. I dont want to give away too much though ahehehheheeh.

A book has 4 cases in it, TRESE: MURDER ON BALETE DRIVE contains the following:
-At the Intersection of Balete and 13the Street
-Rules of the Race
-The Tragic Case of Dr. Burgos
-Our Secret Constellation

I have always loved engkantos, anything that is supernatural in nature. I love how realistic the setting of TRESE is. in this day and age, people take stories about kapres, white ladies and tikbalangs with a grain of salt.

But some stories are just too weird to be solved by science and that is where Alexandra Trese comes in. The stories are superb and thrilling.

The book is in English but somehow I do not find it an insult to the Filipino. I also like how the art has its own personality. In no way is it anime-ish, manga-ish or comic-ish. Kudos to KaJo Baldisimo for the awesome art work!^^

Some part of Case 4: Our Secret Constellation
Art by KaJo Baldisimo
(photo still by me >_<"')

Kudos to Budjette Tan, too for using the Filipino folklore concept. We have awesome stories that are in no way inferior to folklore of other countries. it is great that he used these uniques stories that are grandparents used to scare us with to his advantage.

I really love the cases but the first one (At the Intersection of Balete and 13the Street) is my favorite. the bit about how the underworld seeks balance truly gave me the creeps. which is really cool. LOL

It is printed in black and white all through out in good quality and nice smelling paper, not perfume-y nice, just paper nice. (okay so i like smelling books and papers, its my thing ahehehehe mind your own business LOL)

TRESE was recommended by oniichan, my Mau-nii (Mau Duque). I got curious so I asked a friend of mine to get me a copy (arigatou so much ken-kun^^).

The only negative thing I have to say about the book is that it is too fragile. The pages tend to fall off easily. You have to be careful when holding the book, otherwise it will fall apart. But thats it. Other than that, TRESE is an excellent tribute to Filipino Folklore with a modern twist^^ I am eager to read more of Alexandra Trese and the Kambal's escapades^^

P.S. This Book is for ages 13 and up. And needs permission of guardians before little kiddies can enjoy it. Some of its contents may be too mature for their young minds to handle ^^

More of the Trese art
(photo again by me XD)

okay, thanks for reading!
till nest time!
anngatou nyoron! jaa!~♥

Your Friend: the WIG CAP

2010-07-23T21:27:00.000+08:00

^Before I teach you HOW to wear a wig, lemme introduce you first to the WIG CAP.

What is a Wig cap?
Well, a wig cap is the thing you use to keep your hair from scattering under you wig. It keeps your hair nice and secure so that you can put on your wig easily.

Who needs a wig cap?
Everyone with hair on their head. If you are bald or have a shaved head, you're good. No need for one since you dont have to worry about your hair scattering underneath your wig.
But be you a girl, a guy, a lesbi or gay, as long as you have hair and you intend to wear a wig, i strongly suggest that you have one.

Why you need a Wig cap?
As I said it keeps your hair from scattering.

And no, a wig cap is not the same with the net that comes with the wig.

NEVER EVER USE THE NET THAT COMES WITH THE WIG!
That net is NOT a wig cap. so DO NOT use it.
That net is for the wig, it keeps the wig nice when not in use.
think of it as the wig's cocoon, it keeps the wig safe. when you use it on your head, it becomes loose and loses its ability to properly protect your precious wig. SO DONT USE IT!!

Okay, there are two kinds of wig caps: The STOCKING TYPE and the FISHNET TYPE.

the STOCKING TYPE WIG CAP

this is what it looks like when left alone

This comes in the following colors: Skin tone (like the one above), Gray and Black.
Well at least those are the colors you can find here in the Philippines ahehehehh
They are just like stockings one puts on their legs except this one is for your head.

I'd say this kind of wig cap is good for blonde wigs, light brown, yellow, white and those that are generally light in color.

This costs about 40php in malls and 10php in Divisoria and the like.

it's cheap but it tends to slip from your head especially when you have long hair.
So I'd recommend this for people with short hair. Like not past your shoulders.

here is my Godchild, Dustin, to show you
what the stocking type wig cap looks when on a person's head

the FISHNET TYPE WIG CAP
this is what it looks like when left alone

I've never seen this type in another color before. So its black and it looks like those fishnet stocking for legs.
This one is really great for dark colored wigs and any kind of wig really.

This costs about 60php in malls and 20php in Divisoria and the like.

This type is really great especially when you have thick, or very long hair. Plus it doesnt slip off easily and it holds the hair way more securely. And it is easier to arrange your in it because of the holes.
I like this very much and i'd recommend that you get this type instead of the other one.

here is my Godchild, Dustin, to show you
what the fishnet type wig cap looks when on a person's head

okay, having your own wig cap is definitely a good investment. If you can, i'd advise that you get both kinds. so that you can put the skin toned one over the black fishnet one when the wig you are gonna use is a bright or light colored one. or get a bunch of skin toned colored ones and dye them in colors near your wigs, but that with be too much of a hassle. but maybe i'll make a tutorial about that if you are interested LOL

dont worry about sizes. wig caps are stretchable and can fit all head sizes (normal HUMAN head sizes I mean LOL)

all in all, get yourself a wig cap to make it easier for you to wear a wig.

that ends my blog about wig caps.

see you guys again soon! thanks for reading!
anggatou nyoron!~ ♥

My 2010 Birthday WISH LIST

2010-07-21T13:00:00.001+08:00

In a months time I will be 21 years old. (my birthday is on the 23rd of August. if you aint know, now you know. 2ne1 LOL)
And yes, even though I am considered as an adult, I still feel that presents are yummy. Dont you?
hahahahahha I actually had a hard time coming up with a wish list LOL can you believe that?
I'm actually the kind of person that likes lots of stuff but I (due to lack of funds) don't buy them immediately. I give myself time to think if I really want something and if I can use it frequently.
I rarely do impulse buying, which I think is good ahehehehheheh But books are a different story. aheheheheheh

enough yacking. so to save yourself the time to ask around what i need or want, here's my 2010 BIRTHDAY WISH LIST! ^^V

*RED KIMONO WITH GREEN OBI
I so wants a gorgeous Red Kimono, I can use it for a Yuuko Ichihara cosplay as well as a Tailor Shop in Enbizaka XD

Oh my God! I so love Luka! I even has a new Luka wig! hahahahaha will reshoot my default Luka costume aheheheheeh
anyway! I'd really like a RED KIMONO WITH GREEN OBI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! whahahahaahahha

Mother! please ask Oneesan Kazue to buy me one XD (kahit hnd ka complete set, ung main kimono na lang and obi! pretty please!!!!!!)

The Tailor Shop in Enbizaka

*SHERYL NOME WIG
Is it so wrong to be Sheryl? Sheryl is just so AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
that's why I wants to be Sheryl! please! let me please! (I seem to really like singers aheeheheh)

link to where to get a sheryl nome wig that is so fabulous XD

*SAILOR MOON WIG
So I am old school. I really love Sailor Moon, ever since I was a kid, she has been my idol. And Now that I am all grown up, I still want to be her XD

link to the awesome-est sailor moon wig XD

*THIS WIG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My hair is long and very dark, I use it a lot in cosplay. But sometimes, I get bored with how i look so I'd like this wig when I go out LOL aheheheeheh just to shake things up.

link to where you can get this wig ^^
P.S.!!!! I'd like this is in COLOR BROWN, OK?! BROWN! ahehehehee Demanding much?
it's my birthday, so just let it slip! ahehehehehhehe

*A COPY of COSPLAY GEN
Just because Jesuke is on the cover^^ i heart her so much ^^

*A FLASH DRIVE!
The larger the capacity, the better.

*A COPY of THE LITTLE PRINCE by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

*A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, BOOK 5: THE AUSTERE ACADEMY by Lemony Snicket
Cause for some reason I lost my copy. Shame, I have the whole set but this one got lost.

*ANY BOOK ABOUT HISTORY, TRADITION,OR CULTURE OF A PARTICULAR COUNTRY

*ANY BOOK ON WITCHCRAFT

*ANY BOOK ABOUT POLITICAL THINKERS
i.e. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli but I already have that aheeheheheeheh so The Republic by Machiavelli would be nice too^^

*ANY BOOK ON ABOUT MYTHOLOGY OF ANY COUNTRY.
Please do not get me Greek Mythology by Edith Hamilton, cause I already have that one ^^

so that's it ahehehehehehe
my 2010 birthday wish list!!!!
wooooohoooo ahehehehehehe
please coordinate with each other so I don't get two or more of the same thing LOL
demanding much? aheheheheheh
just kidding aheheheheheh
anyway, thanks for reading!

anggatou nyoron! jaa ne! ♥~

Cosplay 1st Aid Kit

2010-07-15T00:20:00.001+08:00

^It is good to always be prepared. In my post 10 Traits a Cosplayer Must Have, I said that a cosplayer must be a Girl / Boy Scout. You never know what will happen, it is definitely recommended that you have a COSPLAY FIRST AID KIT with you to fix or give initial remedy to a costume malfunction. ^^ this First aid kit is not only for girls but for guys as well and any other gender there is LOL these items will not only be useful to you but to your friends as well.

first off, lemme apologize for the bad photos. I am by nature NOT a photographer. I dont have the "gift", I just figured that I'd have photos for this post, just in case some of you may be too lazy to read everything here LOL

super thanks to z3LL for lending me his camera, z0mg XD

today's model will be Harmony Haruhi (a birthday gift from a good friend of mine, Mr. Melo) and petite nendoroid Miku (a gift from z3LL ♥). they are there to prettify the pictures I took and to decrease the lame-ness of said pictures XD

this is MY COSPLAY 1st AID KIT

what treasures does it hold?
let's open it!
ta-daaaaaaaaah! LOL

let us take a closer look to what a COSPLAY FIRST AID KIT must contain.

1. A SEWING KIT
a sewing kit would be very handy to have in tightening any loose costume, putting back a button and things like that. Handy sewing kits are available in your local convenience stores like 7-11, for a very affordable price. Some hotels even give out free sewing kits ^^ those are good enough to have too, not only for fixing up a costume but for daily purposes. These handy sewing kits come with a variety of thread, small scissors, needles, a couple of buttons and pins and sometimes even a thimble and a tape measure!

the most commonly used color of thread are white and black, always have these two in stock. it is also a good idea to have a spool of thread in the dominant color of your costume. just in case^^

2. SAFETY PINS
okay, not everyone can sew. or you might just be overwhelmed with nerves so you have clammy hands so you cant sew. Safety pins are the next best thing for fixing up garments of clothing. they do a lot of wonders for holding up costumes, believe me, so have them with you ALL the time. It also wouldn't be a bad idea to have them in different sizes^^

3. TAPES
yes, tapes. Scotch tape, Duck Tape, Crocodile tape, what ever works for you. Personally I like having double sided tape and my trusty yellow tape with me. Double sided tape is good for cloth to skin kind of emergencies (slapping double sided tape between your bra and skin for example lessens the possibility of any accidental boob exposure if you are wearing a costume that is kinda revealing). I like the yellow tape cause it's sticky enough to hold things in place yet when you pull it off it doesnt damage the surface or leave some sticky-ness on it. ^^

4. HAIR PINS
may you be a girl or a guy or something in between or something entirely different, hair pins are a must. specially if you are wearing a wig or needs some styling to your hair do. hairpins keep wigs in place and in cons some one will always be looking for one ahehehheeh

some people call them bobbie pins, FYI.

anyway, black colored hair pins pretty much work for almost any hairstyle and color. but personally i find it distracting to have a silver colored hair (wig, i mean wig) or a bright pink one then there's a black thing sticking out. XD you can get different colored hair pins in places like SM Department store, they sell em for around 50 pesos a pack (a pack has 6 colors, of 4 hair pins each) or in you local Daiso (daiso's are the stores that sell everything for 99php, or 88php or 66php, you get the picture aheheheheheh or they are those stores that sell things from Japan at the same price). There's this one store that sells colored hairpins, buy 1 take 1, a pack has 100pcs that come in a variety of colors so you get 200pcs of glorious multi colored hairpins! aheehehehe

***jaRoukaSama's tip!!!
if 88php is too much for you or your wig color is just so unique, here is an inexpensive tip for you. buy those cheap black hairpins, and paint them using nail polish in the color that is nearest the color of you wig^^ nail polish comes in lots and lots of colors so you are sure to find one that matches the color of you wig, plus, nail polish are very affordable and you can find them anywhere! ^^♥
more tips! the best kind of hair pins are those that have rounded ends and are straight. like the one in the photo
this kind is a bit more expensive but the good thing about it is you can use them again and again. the one with ridges easily get loose and are good for about once or twice. and the ones that dont have rounded ends get painful after some time and can damage your wig. wigs are expensive so you dont want them ruined now dont you?

5. HAIRSPARY and WAX

these are basically for styling hair and wig but you can also use the hair spray for skimpy outfits like bikinis. how? hohohoho spraying hair spray on bikinis keeps em from riding up ^^ ahheheheheh and did you know that spraying a cloth or hanky keeps ink from blotching it? so if ever you see your idol and you want their autograph on your hanky, spray it with some hair spary first to keep their signatures nice and readable^^

6. GRECO or SUPER GLUE
not recommended for fixing up clothes but great for props. Do i need to explain any further? aheheehehehe i know you know what these are for. Greco is the cheaper kind of mighty bond but if you dont have some of this, any kind of super glue will do. Just have em ready in case of emergency ^^

7. SCISSORS/ CUTTER or LIGHTERS

these are for cutting, of course! aheheheheeh dont use your teeth to cut thread or rubbersheet or cardboard! you might ruin the cloth or prop that way! aheeheeheheh scissors are vey useful when some of your natural hair are sticking out under the wig, instead of taking it off and putting it on again just cut the loose hair (if the hair is just a few strands but if it is a handful dont cut it! LOL) well you get the picture hahahahahah

so that's my cosplay first aid kit that i bring along in most cons and shoots.

but when i is too lazy or the costume is a simple one, this is the one i bring.

it contains a sewing kit, pins and some hairpin^^. this is my super mini cosplay first aid kit ^^

that's it! thanks for reading! till next time!
anggatou nyoron!!! ^^♥

La-La-La-La jaRoukaSama on the latest Surf Commercial

2010-06-25T01:34:00.001+08:00

so as I said before, this blog site will not be solely for Cosplay.
here's me blogging about my thoughts on this particular commercial.

yay for me thinking too much about stuff LOL!
This is the 1st commercial ad i will be talking about here.
hey Surf! this is an honor for you!
ahaahahahahahah pompous much? sorry about that. anyway, these are just MY thoughts on this commercial, i have nothing against the product itself, okay? are we clear on that? good.

before i begin, i suggest you watch the video first.

This is the commercial ad of Surf's Antibacterial Detergent with 5 Herbal Extracts.

BTW, the caption "Amoy sanhi ng germs" means "Stench caused by germs"

as i said, i have nothing against Surf. Im just repeating it in case you guys missed it LOL

Here are the things that I noticed about the commercial:

How come all the clothes are so clean, dry and seem to have been ironed already? And since they are already dry and ironed, why do they still have to be hung out to dry? im just wondering XD
I don't do laundry but I'm pretty sure that the proper laundry washing cycle goes a little something like this:

and you repeat the cycle until either the garment is too old or torn OR you decided that you dont want to wear the item ever again.
since the clothes are dry already, no need to hang them up, the woman with long hair should have put them away instead XD but hey maybe those are designer items so she wants to hang them out for all the world to see ahehehhehehe

another thing that perplexes me is that the woman saw that one of the shirts had a stain on it (that brown mark on the armpit) and apparently it smells bad (i wouldnt really know if it smells cause the T.V. does not cater to our olfactory senses XD). how come she ignored it?
if my mom saw that (and i think your moms will do it too) she would immediately wash the shirt again. wash it till the smell is totally out and that yucky brown stain is gone.
aheheheheheheh what kind of mother would let her kid wear something like that? XD the woman didn't take any course of action XD L-A-M-E aheeheheheh LOL

here's my teddy, Decimal
a little intermission for your tired eyes. Decimal loves pizza^^ ♥

and lastly. Lumeng (as you may or may not know, all the Surf commercials are related to Lumeng's life, Lumeng has been in the surf commercial since like forever. she loved surf before she and Lando~her then boyfriend and now husband, hooked up. I think surf is her BFF, surfs always been there for her and now Lumeng's daughters are all grwon up and still she's in it XD) just gave away a 1kg bag of laundry soap. seriously!? who does that? XD life is hard now a days, you don't just go give away that much laundry soap aheehhehehhe oh well, Lumeng probably has like a warehouse full of them so she can afford to give them way just like that.

oh wait! this is seriously the last one. i wonder, is Lumeng a super hero? did her "my-next-door-neighbor's-wife-just-did-her-laundry-and-is-now-hanging-them-out-but-she-didn't-use-surf-so-one-of-the-shirts-has-a-brown-stain-and-smells-bad" tingle? cause she turned around and instantly had a bag of 1kg surf antibacterial detergent with 5 herbal extracts in her hand! thats amazing, infairness! LOL

okay now im sleepy. so ill end it here.
thanks for reading!
till next time!
jaa! ^^V

10 Traits A Cosplayer MUST Have

2010-06-23T00:36:00.002+08:00

I narrowed the list down to 10 traits cause having more than 10 would probably be too much. Anyway, these are traits which I think are essential for cosplayers and those aspiring to be one. If you already have most of these then good for you and if not, you should really work on it. ^^ LOL

*School Rumble shameless promotion will also follow LOL >_<*
In no particular order,

♣A Cosplayer or an Aspiring Cosplayer must have MANNERS.
Protocol and Etiquette people, no matter where you are, you should never forget your manners. Say excuse me when passing a crowded place, never forget to say please and thank you. These are called magic words for a reason. These may seem petty things to some people but they really do work wonders. If you show people respect, they will respect you back. "I'm at a toy/anime convention, I'm here to have fun", that kind of thought is not an excuse to behave badly. there are other people around you, don't be selfish, think of others too. Protocol and Etiquette, Good Manners and right conduct, values education, we study them to make ourselves better people, don't waste them.

There will be times that you will carry big bulky props like weapons or be donned in armor, you may hit some one unexpectedly and hurt them or have difficulty moving because of the huge crowd, saying "excuse me" will help you move faster. if you accidentally hurt someone, apologize sincerely. Plus you have mouths, use them, it isn't that hard to say it.

When someone asks for a photo thank them, when you took some one's photo thank them, too. When you ask some one for their photo and they decline, still thank them. Thank you, it is a simple word but all languages in the world have something similar to it that they use everyday. believe it or not, just by using these words, just by behaving accordingly, you build good bridges.

♣A Cosplayer or an Aspiring Cosplayer must have PATIENCE
Mall guards can be extremely rude, be patient with them, they understand very little about this hobby. Still, I am really perplexed as to how come mall guards especially the ones in SM Megamall, are still not used to cosplayers and all the bedlam that goes on when there is a con, when like almost all conventions are held in SM Megamall. Cons have been held in SM Megamall for like since 2004 or probably even before that, they should be used to it by now *shakes head in wonder* anyway, I've wandered away from the topic, I'll make a separate post about mall guards to release all this rage LOL. Going back have patience when it comes to mall guards, to people asking why you are in costume, what cosplay is and things like that. Patience will also come in handy when you're combing out the tangles of a very long wig, when hunting for things needed for a certain costume or when waiting for your costume to be done. Remember, patience is a virtue^^

♣A Cosplayer or an Aspiring Cosplayer must be RESOURCEFUL
Resourceful is an adjective which means having the ability to act effectively or imaginatively, especially in difficult situations. In a tight pinch? one must think quickly and be able to use things around them to solve the problem. For example, you need to make a Skuld hammer but you have no rubber sheet left, use paper cups instead hahahahha not all cosplayers have money, so one should be resourceful and use all the available resources to fullest. Less money spent, the happier your pockets and wallets will be ^^

♣A Cosplayer or an Aspiring Cosplayer must be a BOY / GIRL SCOUT
This means, one must always be prepared for what ever may happen. Always have a compact powder with a mirror with you for touch ups. Have a sewing kit, double sided tape or greco for any costume malfunction. It's better to have these thing on hand cause you may not be able to buy them ASAP to solve the problem. Expect the unexpected. As the boy (and girl) scouts' motto goes, "Be prepared", you never what will happen next. ^^

♣A Cosplayer or an Aspiring Cosplayer must have FOCUS
You need focus to help you finish your props and things like that on time. Having focus also helps one to be in character. Cosplay is 50% costume and 50% role playing. Focus, along with passion and dedication binds the two together to make a successful cosplay. ^^

a little intermission for your tired eyes LOL
photo by z3LL
DA link

♣A Cosplayer or an Aspiring Cosplayer must have DEDICATION
When you are dedicated to your hobby, you'll find time for it no matter how busy you are, you'll find money for your costumes when you thought you were broke hahahahhhaah if you really want to cosplay, you'll find a way to make it work. ^^

♣A Cosplayer or an Aspiring Cosplayer must have PASSION
Passion means having love and feeling strongly for cosplay. Loving cosplay itself and not the fame you think it brings. Passion is what drives people to work better and harder. When you love what you are doing, a lot of things are possible. Passion gives one an eye for detail because of course you want everything to be perfect or nearly perfect when you become that character.

♣A Cosplayer or an Aspiring Cosplayer must be FRIENDLY
Friends are always a good thing to have and you can never have enough of them. Smile and be friendly. having a lot of friends can be tiring but it a nice way, cause you get to hang out with people who have the same interest as you do. Plus having friends always makes a bad situation seem a lot less bad. Another plus is that you can borrow stuff from them too! hahahahah LOL Or if you need help with your costumes or props, they can help you out^^

♣A Cosplayer or an Aspiring Cosplayer must have CONFIDENCE
If you're too shy to show the world your costume then cosplaying is probably not for you. It take a certain amount of confidence to walk around wearing the not usually accepted look. Yes, people will stare, they will point and they will laugh too. if your self confidence is kinda low then you're probably gonna get really affected with all the bad stuff. believe in yourself! be brave, if you don't believe in yourself then other people wont believe in you too. be proud and strut your stuff^^

♣A Cosplayer or an Aspiring Cosplayer must have the ABILITY TO SMILE THROUGH EVERYTHING
Even if you are tired, smile. even if you are hungry, smile. Even if you are thirsty, smile. And even if people are bashing you and just plain being a jerk, smile. Cosplaying is fun but some people just cant contain their envy or insecurity and the only way they make themselves feel better is by bad mouthing other people. they will say a lot of hurtful things. but just smile, even if it hurts you, don't give them the satisfaction of making you feel bad. don't let them see that you are affected otherwise they will never stop. let it all roll off your shoulder and smile for all the world to see. Plus smiling lessens wrinkles! ^^

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Now to some more birthday greetings!
It's the 23rd! so it's SESE's birthday! yaaaay! *jumps jumps*

Happy happy birthday to our favorite sexeh sese! our don miku!

huzzzzzzzaaaaaaaaaaah! huzzzzaaaaaaaaaah!!!

don't know sese?! shame shame! LOL
everybody! meet our lovely sese!

here she is as our don miku!
so bad-ass! yeah! photo by z3LL

sese as julia chang of tekkenphoto by hexlord

as yowanu haku, race queen version photo by hexlord

we had a pre birthday shoot for sese with the theme vocaloid mafia @ Manila Astral Towers last may 23, 2010
here's me as Mafia Luka with my sese dear

photo by z3LL

anyway!

happy happy happy birthday sese! i lurve you and yource fierce attitude! i love how you take care of us and how you help us with make up and stuff :hugs: you are so awesome!
you are such a caring person and im so luck yo have you as a friend!
you make sucha bad ass miku and an awesome tour guide^^
take care always! love love mwah mwah kis kis tsup tsup ah! ah!

eager to watch this fierce girl?
here is her Deviant art account----> suigeneres

thanks for readding! anggatou nyoron! jaa^^V

1st post: under the jarouka sun

2010-06-22T01:17:00.001+08:00

*w00t!* Hello Blog world!
Finally, yes, finally! I has a blog site of my very own! (grammar intentionally made wrong to sound cute LOL) aheheheheheheh I've been wanting to have one (a blog site, that is XD), for quite some time. Problem was our internet connection wasn't in the mood to cooperate and I really had no idea what to post first since a lot of ideas for a topic kept running through my mind. Anyway, let me just do my celebratory dance cause I finally have a blog site. This will only take a minute, I promise! after that, we'll go to the good stuff. *celebratory para para dancing samurai dance* Okay! Done! Let the awesomeness begin!!!!!

*awesome music playing in the background*

♣MINE! MINE! MINE!
Since this is MY blog site, I have the liberty to post what ever I want! (bow down to me cretins! mwahahahahaha sorry about the evilness, i kid i kid) This basically means I won't be posting just about cosplay stuff (although it is possible that I will focus on this filed), I plan to post my take on beauty, television commercials, a little about politics, some of my emo thoughts (LOL aheheheheheh hey, everyone gets to be emotional every once in a while aheheheh), reviews, experiences, travels, and maybe some about art (no, not my ninong art ryan! aheheeheh). Simply put, I plan to blab about everything under the sun aheheheheeheh

Also, no one and I mean NO ONE IS REQUIRED TO READ MY BLOGS. I am not forcing you to read my posts so if you dont like it then dont, it's not like you'll fail a class if you didn't read my posts ahehehehehhe I am not forcing my opinions on anyone, this are MY views, you don't have to accept them as yours, just respect it and we'll get along just fine. I am open to critique and to being corrected, just do it in such a way all human being deserves. This means with respect and nicely but please no sugar coating, I can take it.

its called the jarouka files for a reason... and i hope you know what the reason is XD

♣JAROUKASAMA DESUUUUUU!~
Lemme teach you guys how to read this ------> jaRoukaSama
It's NOT /ja-RUUU-ka-saMA. The right way is /ha-ru-ka-sa-ma. Read the "j" as an "h" and you'll be fine. It's really just Haruka spelled in a Spanishy and Frenchy way. I decided to spell it that way cause I wanted to incorporate my high school nickname (jaja from my name Jayce Alexis. see the J from Jayce and the A from Alexis?) to Haruka, a name for some reason I really really like. So, jarouka is read as haruka. Got it? Good.

♣COSPLAY RELATED POSTS: FEATURES, TUTORIALS, WIGS and MORE!
I plan to feature Cosplayers here, too. More on Filipino Cosplayers probably cause the International ones already have way to much exposure although I will admit they really are awesome ahehehhheeh (random: I wonder how many times i've said "awesome" already aheheheh awesome ahehehehehe)

Me and my sister have been cosplaying for a year and a half now, not very long I admit but in that span of time I'm pretty sure i've got some things I can share to help fellow cosplayers out there^^

♣REVIEWS: ANIME? MANGA? MOVIES? RESORTS? CONS?
If im not too lazy and it can be reviewed then i'll review it for ya! aheheheehh the word review pretty much says it all so no need to elaborate ^^.

♣QUESTIONS, RANTS, MUSINGS and the LIKE

♣SHAMELESS PLUGGING!
aheheheheheh will plug a lot of stuff too XD cause that's what i do best LOL well, not really aheehheeh just maximizing the use of my blog hahahah >_<

my Multiply account -----> megamija11
direct link to my cosplay closet sale -----> jaRoukaSama and hiMe kAnoN's Cosplay Closet Sale

some of the things we're selling:

Red Riding Hood Set

Alice Set

Kuro Loli Shoes

~~~ interesred in anything? just PM me^^

my Deviant Art account ------> jaRoukaSama

my Facebook slash Fan page LOL -----> Ms. Shomura

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Today is June 22, 2010. "So what?", you may be asking.

Today my good friend who is a very talented artist and promising photographer celebrates her birthday. who is she? she is RAISA DE PANO!!!! weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

My dearest Raisa, i gladly give you Dong Hae *hands Dong Hae wearing his cute smile and a big bow on his head*, i love you so much! You're such an awesome girl and i'm looking forward to more happy times with you! Happy birthday, Raisa! *mega bear hug* mwah wmah /kis /kis tsup tsup ah! ah!

lemme show you some of Raisa's works:
Traditional Art:
Asul

Veedran
Film Photography:
Colors in Monotony

Digital Photography:
The Wisteria Lady
Belldandy (see what I mean about shameless plugs? aheeheheh)
Fluid Skies
Azure No More

here is Raisa's Deviant Art ----> AdoboRamen
Watch this girl! She is AWESOME!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAISA!!! LOVE YOU!!!!!

Well, that's it for now! thanks for reading!!! Jaa ne! bye bye!! d^w^b