Tricia Will Go Places | Tricia Gosingtian

Photography by Tricia Gosingtian. Make-up and hair by Lindsay Co-Alog. Styling by Tricia Gosingtian and Marita Galvez (credits go to Robinsons Department Store, Tinitch Accessories, Gold Dot and Accessorize). Shot at Cubao X (again!)

Posting some additional photos for their newest album. Click here for more pictures.

Twelve: Fifty-One is available in local CD stores, as well as in other countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Good job, girls! Can’t wait for your new music video to come out!

It takes quite a process for me to look like this.

Sometimes I would get comments like, “You’re a natural beauty!”, and flattered I may be with these types of comments, I’d always reply so honestly with something along the lines of “Oh no! I owe it all to make-up! My eyeliner and circle lenses can be seen from a mile away.” I never fail to admit I look absolutely different without make-up on, but even if it doesn’t bother me much to go out without all this (i.e. if I’m exercising or going out for a late night snack), I still like playing with make-up purely out of love for dollying myself up, more than just looking presentable to other people. <3

Make-up is my favorite complement to my outfits. I love how it makes me feel complete, even if I’m not curling my hair, piling on any accessories or wearing sky-high heels. Changing the color of my eyeshadow, the direction of my eyeliner wing, my lip color etc. can already create so much difference on my face. This is why I look different when I do my own make-up and when other people do it for events and publications. Make-up does wonders, I tell you!

I never want to pretend and say I’m not wearing any make-up in my photos and then fish for compliments about my “natural beauty”… unless I’m really not wearing any make-up. In this case, I must pat myself on the back for probably doing something good to my skin/body to fool people into thinking I’ve layers of make-up on. While I’ll never resort to anything drastic like plastic surgery, I really do make an effort to enhance my features by using a lot of products. If I wake-up and my double eyelids have temporarily disappeared, I’ll even use double eyelid tape. 

Here are my favorite products as of this writing. 

P.S. People react differently to products. While these might work perfectly on me, your skin might be more suited to something better!

Base: Lovefille Nude Face Veil, CANMAKE Milky Moist Base, Candy Doll Makeup Base

Nude Face Veil has the same kind of transparency and consistency as Smashbox’s primer, which I used to really initially like until I broke out like crazy some time 2-3 years ago. I use this when I feel like I won’t have time to touch up my make-up the whole day. 

The Milky Moise Base is something I use on days when I just feel like going out with minimal amounts of make-up. I always pair this with my Ettusais BB Cream (picture below) because both of them are very light and perfect for that no make-up look.

Candy Doll’s Makeup Base is my default base. My foundation glides on so well after.

Foundation: Candy Doll loose powder, Ettusais BB mineral cream, Revlon PhotoReady 005 Natural Beige liquid foundation and 020 Light/Medium powder

On light make-up days, I pair the BB cream and the Candy Doll loose powder. On heavy make-up days, I pair the Revlon PhotoReady liquid foundation and the powder.

On very confused days, I use 1 layer of Revlon PhotoReady under 1 layer of Ettusais BB cream, and 1 layer of Revlon PhotoReady powder with hints of Candy Doll loose powder.

I’m actually an in-between PhotoReady 004 and 005 but it would be such a waste to have to buy two all the time so I just settled for the 005 since I get darker March-June anyway. I’m on my 3rd bottle now and I super swear by this foundation! Of course, this is all because I have dry skin. A lot of make-up artists I know and some make-up gurus on YouTube prefer the coverage of Revlon’s ColorStay line, which is more suitable for oily skin.

I used to be a faithful BB cream user until I realized how most of them made me look a little gray…? And then I discovered Ettusais BB Cream which does not have a white/gray cast at all. Plus points since it’s also available in 3 different shades compared to the usual one-color-fits-all type of thing.

Eyelids: CANMAKE Perfect Brown Eyes Palette, Majolica Majorca GD886 Jeweling Eyes Palette, tokidoki x Sephora Sandy in the City palette, Urban Decay eyeshadow primer potion, Topshop gold eyeshadow, Dolly Wink gold cream eyeshadow

All very neutral colors since I fail at applying eyeshadow. Normally I would just use one color for my lids and one color to highlight my brow bone. 

And yes, everything is glittery so it won’t look too obvious if I make a mistake. :)

Eyes: Garnier Light BB Eye Roll-on, Heavy Rotation blonde eyebrow mascara, Dolly Wink (otona) blonde eyebrow pencil, Dolly Wink black liquid eyeliner, Palty Glitter pencil eyeliner in black and silver, Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel Glamour Neo mascara, Dolly Wink volume mascara

Most of these products I’ve already shown in my past make-up tutorials.

I AM ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH FALSIES! I was born with typical Asian lashes that are straight and long but very sparse. Sometimes mascara alone won’t cut it so I always turn to false eyelashes to make my eyes bigger and look less sleepy.

Most of the falsies I use are Asian brands because they come in these very affordable 5-in-1 packs so I don’t have to stock individually. I also prefer ones that fan out at the ends or those with small spaces in between, something that most Japanese brands like Dolly Wink, Diamond Lash and Luminous Change all carry.

Cheeks: Candy Doll Carrot Orange blush, NARS Orgasm, Revlon matte powder blush, Candy Doll Strawberry Pink blush

Orgasm was my default blush until I outgrew my peach blush phase. Now I’m more into deep, dolly pink shades. 

The Candy Doll Carrot Orange blush is my go-to summer blush. Looks great with a tan!

Lips: Lime Crime Cosmo Pop and Coquette, Revlon Color Burst Soft Nude, Revlon Super Lustrous Primrose, MAC Angel, Pink Nouveau, Freckletone, Shy Girl, Lavushca lipstick, Candy Doll Ramune Pink and Apricot Beige

I forgot to include my red lippies here, but I figured I don’t really use them often anyway! Most of my favorite lipsticks are nude, orange and pink. MAC Freckletone and Candy Doll Ramune Pink are usually my lip colors in my blog entries.

Since it would be impractical to bring all my make-up along when I go out, I normally just bring the essentials, which go into this Marc by Marc Jacobs x Sweet pouch that serves as my make-up bag.

Inside you can find: face powder + brush, liquid eyeliner, mascara, eyelash curler, 2 lipsticks, blush + brush, and eyelash glue if I know I’ll be wearing falsies for a long time. You’ll never what might happen to your lashes! I like using Candy Doll lash glue but a good alternative would be the one The Face Shop sells.

Cleansing/skincare: Shu Uemura cleansing oil, Aquamoist Collagen Moisture lotion (toner) and cream (moisturizer), Leyende Face Canvas Mango Butter moisturizer

I’m on my 3rd giant Shu Uemura cleansing oil bottle! This is the bottle I just use when I travel. I can never use anything else to remove my make-up. One giant bottle lasts me more than half a year so it’s all worth it.

If I’m not too lazy, I’d tone and moisturize after cleansing. I know I should do it everyday though. Make-up can only do so much (I am not as poreless as I seem to be, but it helps to always have a large aperture and good lighting when having your photos taken), so I take care of my skin in more natural ways since I tend to skip toning and moisturizing when I’m tired. Getting lots of sleep and drinking lots of water will always save your skin from pimples and blemishes. I’m quite lucky to have non acne-prone skin, thanks to my parents’ genes, but I still get a few little blemishes here and there whenever I forget to take care of myself.

Recently I’ve been exercising twice a week (for strength), and I’ve noticed how much better my no make-up face looks now compared to before. Sweat all the dirt out, wash your face properly, and be surprised that you actually have a natural glow.

Hair: Fuwarie hairstyling mist, Schwarzkopf Bonacure Color Save conditioner spray, Lucido-L designing whip, TRESemme hairspray, argan oil, Lucido-L designing lotion

Hair products for the hair vain. Most of these products I just use before or after I style my hair, for damage protection and for my curls to stay longer. I get OC when it comes to buying hairstyling products because I dislike the smell of most hairsprays. Good thing ProStyle and Lucido all have fruity scents!

After I went blonde, argan oil saved my hair. This bottle was just given to me by my hairstylist, but I plan to research more on where to get the best argan oil for cheap after I finish this.

Looking for haircare products specifically for blonde hair. Hit me up if you know anything!

Scents: Harajuku Lovers Baby, Clean Sweet Layer, Clean, Clean Shower Fresh, Clean Outdoor Shower Fresh

I’ve been a huge fan of CLEAN fragrances for a long time and even if I try so hard to find alternatives, I can’t. These are the only scents I can stand smelling on myself for long periods of time. Anything that’s floral, musky or fruity on my skin just tends to annoy me. It’s rather hard to find stocks of CLEAN but if you’re lucky, you can find them locally in Rustan’s. They’re also usually available in department stores abroad.

Harajuku Lovers’ Limited Edition (not the normal one) Baby perfume is the only other perfume variant I can stand. It comes with a super cute doll (which matches the rest of my pink room), serving another purpose as decoration.

I’m partial to very fresh soap-y scents that make me smell like a baby or like I just got out of the shower. What kind of perfume do you like?

So many beauty products, and I’m still not bankrupt yet? My BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard lets me budget properly since I can load whatever amount I like and I’d be forced to stop impulse buying when it runs out, especially when I’m abroad. This card works just fine in these other countries as well, just as long as they accept MasterCard.

You won’t get billed for your purchases like a credit card and you won’t have to link your card to an existing savings account like a debit card. So ideal for shopaholics who don’t like carrying lots of cash with them since you can treat your My ePrepaid MasterCard as a wallet of sorts.

Not only are the products I use only found in stores abroad like Sasa and Sephora, but they’re also sold in a lot of online stores that specialize in Asian beauty products. If online shopping was as easy as applying for a card, loading it, using it to pay, reloading it and using it over and over again, then I’m sure more people will be able to experience these products that aren’t available locally. This card also supports PayPal so just imagine all the online shopping you can do.

Interested? Click on the banner on my sidebar for more information and for application. I’ve already used mine a number of times! My recent purchase was a pair of cat eye sunglasses in time for summer. :)

Sponsored post.

I was very lucky to be able to sit front row and take all these detailed photos, especially after being told a number of times that the highlight of Malaysia International Fashion Week is usually Bernard Chandran’s show. 

Bernard Chandran is Malaysia’s “King of Fashion”. His creations sashay down not only his own country’s runway but also London’s and Jakarta’s. People might recognize him as the chief designer of Project Runway Malaysia as well.

This show was a tribute to his mother and the 1950s, back when he says “people took every effort to be fashionable.” What I like about this collection is the combination of retro chic and very modern geometric cuts and proportions - perfect for those who want to achieve that cliche 50s sophistication without going overboard and costume-y. Who would’ve thought metallics and cutouts could look this good with retro influences?

My personal favorite from this set is that glittery babydoll dress that reminds me of outer space for some reason. <3

(Photos by RG, editing by me; Just G top, Just G skirt, One Spo collar necklace, Cotton On socks, Asian Vogue heels) You can hype this look on Lookbook here if you like!

Sweater weather will end soon, and fashion boutiques have started selling summer essentials as early as now. It’s never too early to prepare for the next season, especially if the clothes I see in stores now look like this.

As usual, special thanks Japanese Candy for my circle lenses and false bottom lashes. One of these days I think I’ll blog about all the gunk I use on my face.

Collar necklace I’ve been abusing lately. Instantly makes you feel like a little princess.

What’s more cliche than wearing stripes for summer? Dare to try colors other than the usual nautical blue, red and white.

The most adorable socks from Cotton On! I regret not buying all the colors, but I heard Cotton On is coming to Manila soon so I hope these socks will still be available by then. They totally remind me of the socks I used to wear when I was a kid!

Bright blue belt that comes with the skirt. Matches the blue of my top completely!

I bought the same exact shirt and skirt in blue and green. Again I am guilty of buying the same styles in different colors - oops!

Sometimes I think it’s good that we’re living in a tropical country where it’s warm most of the time. School might end in March in time for summer, but it can be pretty much summer all year round if you want to make it so. Happy, colorful clothes from January to December!

Sponsored post.

Today I can don romantic lace and ribbons from head to toe. Tomorrow I can wear combat boots with crisp, preppy shirts. Such a bipolar personal style calls for versatile clothes, like this pair of studded high-waist shorts that I wear a lot nowadays. It has just the right balance between femininity and masculinity, shorts looking like a skirt but with studs to keep it kickass and all. 

Yesterday I challenged myself to wear the same shorts on two different occasions. During the day, I opted for my usual retro-girly look:

(Bayo sheer loose top, Bayo high-waist shorts, Romwe detachable collar, Poise heels) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Like these pictures? I have to thank my boyfriend for helping me take my pictures outdoors this time. He takes wonderful pictures of everyday life and writes interesting stuff about them, and we always joke about collaborating for my blog.

And it finally happened. It was fun to teach him how to take portraits like this since he hasn’t really tried it before. One of my most favorite outdoor outfit shoots to date, this turned out to be. You’re such a natural! 

Anyhow, this is so blinged out and sparkly that I decided to keep my wrists and fingers free from any other accessories.

Circle lenses and bottom lashes from Japanese Candy.

My hair is fading back to bright blonde again. Itching to touch-up the ash I got earlier this month.

Very unique-looking shoes an online store sent me last Christmas!

When evening arrived, I opted to wear something more polished and preppy:

(Bayo loose polo top, Bayo high-waist shorts, Five by Five “Olsen” boots, m)phosis accessories, from Japan glasses) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Managed to somehow pull it off without being too explicit with the shorts. I actually cheated by showing the studs on the shorts in my girly outfit, while hiding them in my boyish outfit. Ironic, eh? These small details make all the difference in the world. :)

So which of the two do you like better? Are you only inclined to either girly or boyish outfits, or are you bipolar like me?

Sponsored post.

(Olive des Olive mustard sweater, Clothes for the Goddess shorts, Paris Dreams heels, from HK thigh-high socks, from Japan geeky glasses) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Decided to retire my current penchant for deep red temporarily for this mustard sweater with the cutest lace cutout collar on earth.

Or not. Because I also have the exact same thing in deep red.

I don’t really mind buying the same style in different colors. It makes perfect sense to do so. I think I even have the same shorts in brown!

About 2 hours away from Fukuoka is another famous tourist destination. Nagasaki was very famous as a port city in the past, but most people would recognize the name as that second city after Hiroshima to be destroyed by an atomic bomb during the 2nd World War.

My family and I took the Express Train from Hakata Station in Fukuoka straight to Nagasaki Station. Had a free day so instead of just shopping we spontaneously decided to check this place out.

Best decision ever.

If you take a bus to Nagasaki from the Hakata Bus Terminal in Fukuoka, it will take you around 2 and half hours. Great alternative if you’re a bus person.

Near the Nagasaki station. Purdy clouds.

L from Death Note (lol)

Took a bus to go nearer the Atomic Bomb Museum.

Passed by a building with tokusatsu sentai mascot Daiwaman X by the window.

My family and I had lunch at some revolving sushi restaurant near the museum.

And every single plate looked like this. How are the Japanese able to maintain their weight when all the food available in the country is so good?

The Peace Memorial Park outside the museum. After the bridge is a giant space where the hypocenter monument lies.

Folding a thousand cranes can grant you a wish, according to Japanese legend. These cranes donated by the locals expressed their desire for peace after the tragedy that happened to them.

By the entrance of the Atomic Bomb Museum.

Going to save everyone from very graphic war photographs, but in a nutshell, most of the contents of the museum were remnants that were saved after the atomic bomb hit Nagasaki, as well as detailed timelines of World War II so people can understand the events that led to this very specific and traumatic moment in history.

And here I started tearing up. One part of the museum presented different accounts of atomic bomb survivors.

At this stage I was bawling. Not only did civilians suffer from losing their family members, but they were also exposed to the “atomic bomb disease” caused by heat rays and radiation.

“The Boy Standing by the Crematory in Nagasaki” by Joe O’Donnell. Very “Grave of the Fireflies”, don’t you think?

One of the most tragic, most heartbreaking war photographs I have ever seen in my entire life. The story behind it is so powerful and moving as well.

The photographer was interviewed by a certain Seiko Ueda - “I came in from Sasebo to Nagasaki and looked around from a hill. Men walking with white masks caught my attention. The men were working besides a big hole of about 60cm deep.  They were putting the corpses piled up on a wagon into the hole with burning lime
. Then I saw a boy of around ten years old walking toward them. 

He had his little brother baby strapped on his back. In those days, it was quite common in Japan to see young boys carrying their little brother or sister on their back while playing in the field.
 But this boy wasn’t here to play. He had a very important duty to come to this crematory. 
You could see it on his face. And he was barefoot. 

The boy came to the edge of the crematory. His face was stiff and his eyes were bracing for an ordeal. The baby on his back looked deep asleep and the head was bent backward.  The boy stood there for five or ten minutes. Then the men with the white masks came towards him and started to untie the straps. At this moment, I realized that this baby brother he was carrying was dead. 
The men gently held the baby’s arms and legs and slowly put him into the hole where the hot stones are laid. I could hear the steaming sound of the baby’s flesh burning. Then a gleaming red flare danced up in the air. The bright red color like the sunset was reflecting on the yet tender boy’s cheek as he stood there straight and still.  That moment, I realized that the boy was biting his lip and it was bleeding. He was biting hard as he gazed his little brother in flames. 
When the flames had calmed down, the boy turned on his heels and left the place silently.”

Left the museum with bloodshot eyes, but our tour guide Hiro-san managed to sum it all up in a good way. She mentioned that this museum wasn’t made to make the Japanese purely appear as victims of the World War since they admit that they also had their own share of violence back then. It was made so that everyone can learn from this traumatic experience, having just been reminded of that time when human beings actually resorted to these very grave measures.

A monument of Sadako, of “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes” fame.

Not Sadako of Ringu fame.

Walked past the bridge from the museum to get to…

…the monument that marks the hypocenter of the atomic bomb.

They were able to estimate its exact location because all the trees around this point were still standing, which could only happen since the initial impact of the bomb was vertical.

A piece of rock that was exposed to atomic bomb radiation, preserved behind a protective container.

Suddenly, a photograph of my brothers to lighten this entry up! No more depressing stuff after this, I promise!

A few blocks from the museum is this very large space they call the Nagasaki Peace Park.

Lots of installations and monuments to help promote world peace were donated by artists from all over the world and were displayed here.

And I finally got to take a picture of the canned coffee I mentioned in one of my older Fukuoka posts. My brothers always had to get their daily caffeine fix, but it would never be satisfied by any other kind of coffee except for this one.

While we were in Japan, at least.

Random view of the pathway to Oura Catholic Church.

And of course we had to try some meat buns while we were there.

Bumped into this cat while walking and…

…soon after realized that it just might be the artist of these portraits (lol)

What would a manga writer think about this situation?

Oura Catholic Church is Japan’s oldest standing church, and is the only Western building to be designated as a national treasure. Can’t believe this has been preserved since 1863.

Nagasaki has a very large population of Catholics, which only explains the very famous line “Hiroshima in anger, Nagasaki in prayer.”

Behind the Oura Catholic Church is Glover Garden, an exhibit of mansions of Nagasaki’s former Western residents. Failed to take pictures of the actual recreated houses for some reason I can’t remember! To compensate, I shall just post a cute picture of some koi fish fighting for food.

From the houses you can enjoy a nice view of the port city of Nagasaki.

Our tour guide Hiro-san showing us a photo of one of Japan’s most loved heroes, Ryoma Sakamoto. Prior to this introduction, I already had an idea who he was… thanks to JIN, that genius Japanese drama about a doctor time traveling to the past and saving people with brain surgery even if it wasn’t even invented yet. He traveled to Ryoma Sakamoto’s time!

He continues to be a very relevant figure in Nagasaki, as he established the Kameyama Shachu in this place. The Kameyama Shachu or the Kaientai is only Japan’s first trading company!

Ryoma Sakamoto also had a secret meeting place inside one of Glover’s houses. I saw it. I just failed to take a proper picture of it (again).

Used my ninja photography skills once more because the branches were framing this girl perfectly and I just had to take a picture.

Found out she was trying to take a picture of the sunset so I took a picture of it too.

What better way to end the tour than to see cherry blossoms! They’re not supposed to bloom until spring but our tour guide says that the tree must’ve gotten confused with the very erratic weather conditions they’ve been having.

2 years ago, I missed the cherry blossoms in Tokyo by a few weeks! /cry

Took the bus back to somewhere nearer the Nagasaki Station since it was getting late. Snapped a photo of this couple that we saw earlier at Glover Garden. They were also so excited about the cherry blossoms so I guess it really is very rare to see them bloom in winter.

After dinner, we walked around this place called S TOBI. It was already rather late in the evening and the stores were closing but our tour guide made it a point to drop by a certain dessert store to get a slice of cake for her daughter. Too bad I can’t remember the name of the store but they supposedly have the most glorious treats!

Perfect hair and perfect coats! Managed to do zero shopping in Nagasaki but it was all good because I can be such a geek sometimes! This place has such a rich history that no amount of shopping can ever compare to the things I was able to see here.

Long, educational day at Nagasaki ended as soon as we boarded the train back to Hakata Station in Fukuoka. Spent the first hour in the train sleeping, and the next hour just fooling around with my brothers Juju and Calel. Managed to re-enact parts of Inception while pretending to sleep/dream. Aptly called the whole thing Trainception afterwards.

Psyched to go to Hiroshima some time in the future. Heard the place is just as wonderful! I hope more people can go visit Japan this year. Why this place is my favorite cannot be fully explained by these pictures or words. I can only try.

Here’s something I did for the latest Wedding Essentials issue. Posting some professional photography work while I’m still sorting out my pending travel entries. It was only recently when I noticed I’ve been overlooking posting my actual photography work in here - oops.

Photography by Tricia Gosingtian. Hair by Jerry Javier and Vianney Guese. Make-up by Jigs Mayuga and Omar Ermita. Shot on location at Dusit Thani Hotel Manila. Special thanks to Crae!

“Transformation Gowns” by Gretchen Pichay, Pepsi Herrera and Dexter Alazas.

(Zara top, Romwe shorts, Lololook vest, Gold Dot wedges, Louis Vuitton bag, from Japan bolo tie and geeky glasses) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Button-down shirts have a kind of versatility that I look for whenever I’m buying clothes or figuring out what to wear on a normal day. Sophisticated collars never fail to give that impression that you actually made an effort to dress up even if you didn’t, and the fact that you can pair button-down shirts with everything but produce different results every time makes them all the more deserving of being called a closet staple.

Here is something I produced out of sheer confusion from things happening in my life recently - heavy and covered top with bare legs to balance it all out!

(Topshop top, Romwe skirt, Snupped laptop bag, Patch Avenue heels, one spo detachable collar) You can hype this look on Lookbook here.

Orange and purple are two colors that together, I never thought I’d wear. But I did, all because I created an outfit based on a laptop bag that I’ve been using for the past 3 months or so, thanks to Snupped. Having gone through multiple airport scanners and the strangest corners and surfaces that you can find, it’s surprising how it’s still in mint condition and how I’ve never really worried about it dying in the middle of an overseas trip.

Snupped is a Singaporean company specializing in creating customized bags and cases for your most favorite gadgets. They say, “All Snupped cases are hand made and each Snupped case that leaves our hands is never the same as its older siblings. Instead of being mass manufactured by a machine in an offshore factory, our cases are handmade by real people, custom tailored to fit your laptop perfectly.”

And they really do fit perfectly. I chose a extra-handle zipper sleeve for my 15” Unibody MacBook Pro with a Love de Cru exterior design and a lavender polkadot interior design. As much as possible I’d want all my gadget cases to look as chic as they are functional, and I’m very happy my laptop is dressed in this particular one that I customized myself.

Tenjin is the downtown area of Fukuoka where all the shopping centers are. Because the previous day was very hectic, we decided to relax, do some shopping, and take a break from doing all sorts tourist-y things this time.

I did most of my shopping in a mall called Tenjin Core, which also houses some very familiar brands if you avidly follow Japanese fashion magazines. Practiced my ninja skills and quickly took a few pictures of the stores and the mannequins when I was done shopping and had no money left, hahaha.

Deep red and old rose (or smoky pink, as they call it) were two of the most prevalent color trends consistent in every store I went to! Sooo pretty!

Pinky Girls

Moussy

Accessories heaven. They’re all into giant bows, shiny hair ties and bolo ties/necklaces at the moment.

One Spo

One of my girl crushes Rumi Neely for the brand OZOC

One of my all-time favorite brands, Liz Lisa

SLY

Only a part of the complete assortment of false eyelashes that you will ever need in your entire life.

dazzlin

INGNI

A blonde Yamamoto Yusuke appears!

After shopping for winter clothes that we can probably wear in a tropical place such as Manila, we walked around the city to look for a place to eat.

Nothing like burger omurice to give that much-needed boost for a busy shop-til-you-drop afternoon.

Why can’t we have these glorious Starbucks marshmallow dark chocolate and white chocolate macadamia cookies here?

Somehow, we all managed to consume our frozen drinks even if it was freezing outside. Some things in life are just strange that way. Like bare legs in winter.

While my brothers were checking out the Tower Records in Solaria Stage, I practiced my ninja skills again to take some street snaps of people in the area.

Reminds me of my friend Cheesie, mermaid hair, tan skin and all!

His coat - I covet! Easily the most perfect shade of green/teal I’ve ever seen.

Went back to Hakata Station for dinner. Tried their KFC out, and it was so good (see what I did there) I finally understood why the Japanese are all KFC-crazy.

After a long day, in our hotel room, it was good to be greeted back by Matsujun and Hyde on Music Station.

Me with James Jean, after asking him to sign my copy of XOXO: Hugs and Kisses, a collection of 30 wonderful postcards that I dare not taint with my imperfect human handwriting.

Not only did I finally get my hands on XOXO, but I also got the number one slot for book signing after his artist talk in Ateneo last Friday. All thanks to Fully Booked! I’ve always been a silently fan of his art - he instantly had me at his Fables comic covers, but most especially at Prada’s Spring/Summer 2008 collection… which I think marked one of the best moments in history when art and fashion came together and so successfully produced something this wonderful and ethereal.

This will never get old.

Wishing for all the goodies in his webstore, OVM. He presented some pictures of  scarves with his art on them. James Jean’s art is good, but the fact that you can wear it makes it so much better.

P.S. I still can’t get over how he 1) replied to my tweet 2) retweeted me

(Zara top, Romwe shorts, Dorothy Perkins tights and clutch, from Japan necklace turned tie, Feet for a Queen wedges) You can hype this look on Lookbook here.

(Romwe denim + leather top, Topshop shorts, Seventh Street crop top, Esperanza boots) You can hype this look on Lookbook here.

My obsession with this color is getting out of hand, I think. I’ve been wearing all my dark red/purple/burgundy/maroon colored clothes almost everyday since the year started, and I don’t think it’s going away any time soon.

The biggest challenge for me now is how to make it look different every time, given the type of color combinations I’m currently into. Albeit not deliberately, I wore the color in three ways (except I have yet to take a proper picture of my Sunday outfit that I uploaded on instagram - username: tgosingtian) from preppy to retro to grunge for my so-called wine colored weekend.

I wonder how long this will keep up.

(Cecil McBee sweater, Topshop pants, Esperanza boots, from Japan necklace, LV bag) If you like this, you can hype it on Lookbook here.

Wore this yesterday to meet with people for some exciting 2012 collabs, and to the Rockwell sale with my mom. First Lookbook entry of the year.

Recently, I’ve been buying everything in this lovely wine color. Before I got rid of the blonde, I made a conscious effort not to wear too much red so as not to appear too cartoonish - Ronald McDonald, anyone? My recent Fukuoka trip, however, made me realize that this kind of dark wine red slash maroon is something I (and my hair) very much approve of. It’s not too bold or shocking (not my personality at all) but still makes a pretty good impact when paired with most of the neutral colors in my closet.

I wish I could’ve taken a photo of a random Japanese guy rocking similar pants at Hakata Station a week ago. He made me want to try out the color scheme he was wearing, and at the same time made everyone around him want to check him out because he was working it like such a pro.

Chikako from ViVi also inspired me to go back to my more neutral Fall looks, temporarily. Spring is just a few months away…

After arriving in Fukuoka on Christmas day, our super hectic 9 AM to 9 PM tour around the city finally commenced on the 26th of December. Fukuoka is a very small and simple place compared to other places in Japan I’ve been to (Tokyo, Nara, Kyoto and Osaka specifically) but it has its own charm, I believe. It used to be a merchant town with a very rich history, being the gateway to Japan a long time ago. I definitely wouldn’t mind visiting this place every so often - such a quaint place perfect for a much-needed peaceful vacation.

Photo-heavy entry ahead:

Early morning at some random street. I love how everywhere you go in Japan, it’s always so clean and orderly.

Couple holding hands before crossing the street.

Hakata-bei at the Rakusui-en Garden. The locals didn’t want the ruins of original Hakata buildings to go to waste after the war so they made these patterns and used the materials to create these famous Hakata walls. Recycling at its finest.

Lovely Japanese garden. Here also lies a reconstructed Meiji period tea house where I was able to try out their maccha tea along with some complementary Japanese sweets.

Authentic green tea that was rather bitter but meshed so perfectly with the sweets served with it.

Took a photo of this vending machine because my brothers ended up getting addicted to Suntory Boss Coffee Rainbow Mountain Blend.

Passed by Canal City for about 5 minutes on the way to Kushida Shrine. Canal City had a grand sale the day before I left Fukuoka so I ended up going here the second time during my stay.

In Kushida shrine, there was this magnificently decorated float dedicated to the gods Ohatanushi-no-mikoto, Amaterasu-omikami and Susanowo-no-mikoto.

Our tour guide Hiro-san showed us an artwork of how men would look like during the Yamakasa festival. She said her previous tourist clients would always giggle after seeing this. I could only imagine.

She also mentioned something about this rock in the shrine that locals use to determine whether or not someone is fit for sumo wrestling. And of course my 100-105-pound brother Juju accepted the challenge.

Heard a story about the wind of god or kamikaze.

After Kushida Shrine, we went to Tochoji Temple, a family temple of the Kuroda family, lord of Fukuoka province.

The sight to see here was this Fukuoka Daibutsu or the Great Buddhist statue, one of the largest wooden figures of the seated Buddha. Used my ninja skills to take this picture.

Behind the statue is a small museum in a dark tunnel of sorts that shows a collection of paintings of hell, etc. However, at the end of the narrow tunnel, where the light eventually goes out, you can find a thick ring if you’re lucky. They say you can go to heaven if you find this ring. I did!

Giant five-story pagoda.

Failed at showing the epicness of it for the sake of taking an artsy fartsy shot with a tree in front of it.

One of the regular temple visitors asked me out of the blue where I was from, and gave me a really interesting gift. He gave me a Delta airplane figurine, which I guess he carries around with him everywhere. And now it’s with me! I hope this means more travel opportunities in 2012. Thanks, Delta-san.

If Ultraman transformed into a car, this would be it.

A few blocks from Tochoji Temple was a quiet Zen garden in the middle of the neighborhood.

Suddenly, my collar.

Managed to snap a photo of Family Mart while on the way to Tenjin. Everyone here is crazy about KARA! Gekidan Hitori is pleased.

Picture of a girl in the bus mirror. Quite eerie, yes? My brothers were joking how much creepier it would be if I opened this photo in my laptop and found the girl looking at me all of a sudden. Ahh, chills.

Snaps of people on the way to Tenjin…

…where people look like aliens!

Had lunch at one of the most popular sushi restaurants in the area. I wasn’t able to ask what the restaurant was called but I still vividly remember their gourd logo.

Stockings at 0-4°C. All that fur on her ankles just might’ve been her savior.

Obligatory Arashi photo.

Two girls looking like they’re having a very fun conversation. Snidel paper bag, I see you!

My brother Chase. It’s all bokeh behind him but after lunch we headed straight to Dazaifu City via subway. Dazaifu may be a very popular tourist destination, but a lot of locals also go here to pray for success in their examinations.

And for the strangest reason my siblings and I were all so coordinated.

Had a ¥700 cafe au lait at one of the coffee shops there. I don’t want to think that I just paid for the immensely dainty cup and saucer lol

Some local treats like Umegae-mochi (sweet rice cake with bean jam) and Onigawara Monaka (sweet bean jam sandwiched in mochi wafers) were being sold on the way to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine.

This shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, also known as the god of learning.

Found a street performer in the area who was able to make this monkey stand on a pole.

The girls on the right were brisk walking because they were in such a hurry to get to a place with a heater. Brr.

Girl at the Dazaifu station.

It was freezing like crazy when we decided to go to our last stop of the day…

Fukuoka Tower stands at 234 meters, making it the highest seaside tower in Japan. Fun fact: They change the lighting and decorations around the building depending on the season. They would have, of course, the standard lighting on an ordinary month, but they would have a “Milky Way decoration” in July and August, a “St. Valentines Day decoration” in February and March and a “Blue Christmas light decoration” in November and December.

Just after sunset, this was how the wonderful city of Fukuoka looked like when I was there. <3

Back at Amu Plaza in Hakata Station, we had a late dinner. We were already so hungry but we decided to brave the waiting line for this much-hyped restaurant.

The verdict? BEST RAMEN I’VE EVER TASTED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. All the ramen that I’ve tried now fails in comparison.

Where can I find authentic barikata Hakata noodles in Manila?!

Got rid of my strawberry blonde hair. Bleaching my hair the first time a few months ago was worth it, after seeing the results today. My hairstylist gave me a gray dye swatch earlier, and I wanted to get rid of the blonde so passionately that I didn’t even bother asking him about specifics. “I just want ash.”, and ash I really got.

What do you think?

There’s always something about dyeing hair that makes me feel like a brand new person again.