tricia will go places

(Bayo top, skirt and bag, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue wedges, Trendphile earrings, Forever 21 headband) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

If you’re wondering what MODE-kei/MODE-style is, it’s a sub-genre of Japanese fashion that focuses mainly on creating clean, mature, and “high-fashion” silhouettes with interesting lines and cuts. Well, I wouldn’t really say “high-fashion”, but for a sub-genre of gyaru fashion, this is definitely a step up from the usual cutesy material that we see. ViVi, JJ, Happie Nuts, SCawaii and Jelly are only some of the many Japanese magazines that are following this new style! As of this writing, some MODE elements consist of black, white, denim, metallics and tasteful floral prints in sophisticated colors like wine red and mustard. What I love the most about MODE is that it plays a lot with proportions, and it is very, very wearable compared to other styles like mori, hime, etc.

I personally think it takes a lot of its roots from high street Western fashion and Western bloggers (think Rumi Neely, Carolina Engman, Chiara Ferragni, etc.), except there are actual MODE brands that somehow dictate which exact styles are popular. Two of the most popular ones would be MURUA, produced by Momoko Ogihara, and EMODA, produced by Ena Matsumoto. Just click on the links if you’d like to see examples! I found out about them as I was researching on what gyarus evolve into when they’re not teenagers anymore. They can’t wear cutesy things forever, so they created a grown up style of their own. I’m not an expert on Japanese fashion, but I do try to follow recent styles if there are any that I like.

With this trend as an inspiration, I managed to come up with this kind of look without having to depend so much on getting pieces from the two MODE brands I mentioned earlier. As long as you get some key items right, you can achieve this sophisticated, work-safe style with only the use of items from local stores!

I didn’t have to fly to Japan to pull this off. Bayo has always been around to supply everyone with the nicest black and white basics that you can use if you find yourself wanting to try this style out. I’m super obsessed with this loose white top that has the most flattering silhouette ever. I’m totally heading to Bayo again soon so I can get it in other colors. <3

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It’s been 7 months since my last make-up tutorial, and my technique has changed so much since then! I can’t wait to show you guys how to do this kind of eye make-up because it’s really fun to do and it creates such a unique look.

Not quite sure if this is universally flattering as I don’t personally know anyone else who does this kind of make up, but I do think you have to have a certain eye shape to begin with so you can pull this kind of make-up off. If you have tapered eyelids or monolids, you have to invest in eyelid glue or eyelid tape for this to work. I already have somewhat parallel eyelids, as you can see below, but I still don’t think it’s enough for this style. Thus the eyelid tape in the first photo and the “after” photo right after this paragraph. I get mine from The Face Shop or Etude House, fyi. They’re really easy to use once you get the hang of it. 

Before and after. Haha, my left eyebrow in the bottom picture has a life of its own. Also the first time to show my no make-up eyes, I think. This is to show you the magic of make-up! Even false lashes make all the difference in the world. I’m also using Kumicky’s Girly Chip Soy Latte Brown lenses (thanks to Japanese Candy) to create an innocent look since my favorite light gray ones tend to create a more mature look.

Interested to try this style out? Here are the steps to achieve big, droopy, gyaru-inspired eyes:

Step 1: Apply eye primer! I ran out of Urban Decay Primer Potion recently so I got a dupe at Etude House. Primer prevents your eye make-up from creasing or smearing and makes your eyeshadow color appear brighter.

Step 2: Apply eyeshadow. I’m using the green one from my tokidoki x Sephora Sandy in the City palette. You can actually use any color since the magic of this make-up style doesn’t rely heavily on eyeshadow. 

Step 3: This is where the magic begins. I’m using Dolly Wink’s liquid eyeliner to create a thin, defined line. You have to wing your eyeliner DOWNWARDS. You can extend it even further if you want your eyes droopier.

I know it sounds silly to make your eyes appear droopier, but there’s something about it that makes you look more doll-like!

Step 4: Apply mascara on your top lashes. I’m using my favorite Dolly Wink volume mascara. This part is optional since you’ll be putting false lashes anyway. I just like to do this step because I feel better with mascara on (lol)

Step 5: This step is super important! After you’ve done your droopy wing and it’s finally time to apply falsies, you have to follow that downwards wing instead of your natural lash line. 

It might feel and look weird at first, but I swear it works like a charm! I’m using Decorative Eyelash falsies I got from Fukuoka last December.

Step 6: Time to apply lower lashes! I’m using Crayon lower lashes I got from Watsons (Eastwood) some time ago. YES, WE HAVE LOWER LASHES AVAILABLE LOCALLY! And they’re pretty affordable too, compared to Dolly Wink which is a little too overpriced. I can’t wait for a future where they decide to bring Diamond Lash and all the Japanese lash brands in here. /cry

Anyhow, this is the last of the 3 most important steps in this tutorial. Don’t follow your natural lower lash line. Instead, use the downwards wing as a point of reference and connect the top and lower lashes there. It’s hard to explain but I put a green line so it’s easier to understand. 

And that’s it! I put purple and green lines to illustrate the effect of doing your make-up this way. The purple line is the “before” while the green line is the “after”. I hope this proves to be useful to those who want to make their eyes bigger by just using eyeliner and false eyelashes. No complicated eyeshadow blending and yet it’s possible to create an illusion of a totally different eye shape.

If you have any questions and tutorial requests, feel free to comment on this entry. I can’t really do complicated ones with lots of colors and blending, but I’m all for ulzzang and gyaru-inspired ones. If anyone gets inspired by this, take a picture and let me see! Hope this tutorial helps. <3

P.S. I’m wearing extensions in the first photo to give my hair more volume. Thanks Cotton Candy Hair Extensions!

Pucci, YSL and all of Farah Khan’s labels were presented at the Medium Gala last November. Heard a lot of people liked this show the best during the Malaysia International Fashion Week. I wouldn’t be surprised! As I was taking pictures silently on my seat, I noticed a lot of girls spazzing about some of their runway favorites from the show! Talk about being super effective. 

The show opened with Emilio Pucci, with his signature prints all over the collection. Yves Saint Laurent followed after with some of the loveliest jewel tones I’ve ever seen in my life. The bags got a few “ooh”s and “ahh”s from the audience - definitely some of the nicest accessories to complement even the simplest of outfits.

Then Farah Khan debuted her jersey collection, FK. Love how they emphasized that you don’t have to iron them. Basically, this collection = most perfect travel companions! Convenient for women who want to be chic but at the same time practical.

Finally, it was Farah Khan’s main label turn under the spotlight. Suddenly, there were these glittery dresses with statements printed on them! I love all the messages that she chose to be printed in big, black, bold letters. You guys know I’m always for positivity! The collection made such a huge impact that you could actually hear the audience reading the statements out loud as the models came out from backstage.

My favorite would have to be the one that she wore herself. CELEBRATE LIFE! <3

I was reminded by all the Philippine Fashion Week tweets to post some of my pending Malaysia International Fashion Week photos. Here are some of my favorites from the early afternoon shows last November 25th. 

Met for the second time with my friend, Tongue in Chic Associate Editor Karen Wong, who introduced me to fashion writer Lydia Kwan from Female Magazine. The two of us ended up having dinner together before the Melium Gala, one of the highlights and most-awaited nights of the whole MIFW. More pictures soon! 

(Self-portraits; Just G button-down top, printed tee and skirt, Keds sneakers, 1721 hair extensions - love the extra volume and length that distracts people from my dark roots) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

One of the rare times I am seen wearing sneakers. I got the privilege of getting my free pair of Keds some time ago, so I got these really cute pointy ones in a sea of classic round toe sneakers. Apparently, this pointy Keds silhouette last came out in the 1960s, and they only decided to bring it back recently! I always knew I had an affinity with retro styles! This pair was available in another color, but I liked how the blue kinda reminded me of some of my light-colored denim clothes and a lot of the blues and greens in my closet.

Here’s another one of my cool-colored summer ensembles that is quite reminiscent of the kind of fashion I sported back in university. Plaid button-downs were my occasional alternative for cardigans, while printed tees layered underneath my button-downs were my quirky alternative to my collection of plain, loose tops in all the colors you can imagine. 

Oh, did you notice that my nails match my outfit too? 

(Clothes for the Goddess top, Chickflick shorts, Tonic platforms) Hype on Lookbook here.

You know it’s time to bring out the lightest colors in your closet when you feel extra girly and it also happens to be 34 degrees outside. Thin, light fabric never fails to keep me feeling fresh all day long - no buckets of sweat trickling down my back and making the ugliest marks on my clothes. But then again, I was never really the type to sweat a lot… which I think is a bad thing too!

(All The Rage “Rue” skirt thanks to Tin Iglesias, Freedom heels, Gold Dot clutch, Mauve necklace, 1721 hair extensions for that extra length and volume) Hype on Lookbook here.

Just when I was about to get tired of high-low, asymmetrical skirts… this one arrives on my doorstep, thanks to one of my good friends and favorite bloggers, Tin. These kinds of skirts are everywhere now, but this particular design is super special since it looks nothing like the usual chiffon ones that are sold commercially in different mall stores and online shops. Such a breath of fresh air to receive an original design from one of the people I’ve always found so much potential in. Thanks again, Tin!

Aztec print is something I never thought I could wear since my general style isn’t too bold, but who could resist this glorious (and classic!) combination of deep red, black and off white? I certainly couldn’t. 

(Topshop top, Clothes for the Goddess high-low skirt, Forever 21 bag, Comfit heels, Cheap Fashion Finds accessories, Elle Poupee flower headband) Hype on Lookbook here.

Finally posting the look that launched a thousand hair-related questions. First of all, this ombre isn’t real, okay? :) Secondly, I really wish I did have pink hair, or pink streaks at least. The most I can do now is cheat and Photoshop it in different colors since I still don’t know if there are any good local salons with pastel pink dye! Sponsor me please! (Obviously, there is no such thing as shame when it comes to my hair, lol)

What made me do it in the first place? Just check out my Comfit chunky color block heels! The bottom part has this really cute shade of pink that reminds me so much of cotton candy. I replicated the effect by just lasso-ing my curls in Photoshop and hue/color-ing a gradient over it.

One of my friends asked me on Instagram, “How do you wear mullet skirts? I have no idea what to pair it with!” Personally, I love wearing them with loose tops instead of going through the usual pair-it-with-a-corset route. I’m a super casual girl and loose tops make mullet skirts a little less dressy and a bit more relaxed!