#like legit i don’t like my natural hair compared to my Better Options

[transmechanicus]

Don’t usually show my natural hair so be grateful and sweet to me, m’kay?

[emeraldtawny]

Why I Love The 7 of Hearts

...I said I would do it. And now that it has officially been one month since his route release, the official banner for spoilers is now lifted! That being said, I’ll put a disclaimer now: I will be talking about key aspects and spoilers from Kyle’s route. Be warned.

Alright, now onto my thesis. Title: Why Kyle Ash Is My Favourite Otome Husband To Date - An Incredibly Biased Review, by Tawny ^w^

Part 1: Before his route

Before we talk about the actual route itself, let me explain to you guys why this man already had my heart before even getting to date him. I’ll be honest; when the game first came out, he was already in my top 3 but he was not the best boi (that went to Fenrir and stayed like that for a bit). That is, until I played through Lancelot’s route. Being able to get more interactions with Kyle gave me more insight into the kind of person he is, and I honestly liked what I saw. He condemned Lancelot for throwing his life away needlessly without concern for his safety (important note to come back to) and made it clear that his affiliation with the Red Army didn’t mean anything when there are lives on the line (another impotant point to revisit). I honestly respected that about him and sure enough, he snuck his way into top spot and has stayed there since. And if I’m being real, his route has completely solidified that. He ain’t moving. Ever.

Personal Rambling #1

Okay, now comes the fun part hehehe >:3

With the question “did you enjoy Kyle’s route?”, is there an option for “everything” and also “yes yes yes, holy shit yes”? Because, Kyle’s route is a big fat YES out of 10 for me, and I say that as unbiasedly as possible. I noticed that there didn’t seem to be any dev notes released before Kyle’s route dropped (my poor boi getting shafted :c), so allow me to give you my own variation:

Kyle

Recommended if you like: Yukimura (brusque yet sweet, kind of an idiot but means well) and Mitsunari (oblivious genius)

Sexy…7

Drama…7

Romance…9

Dev Notes: For a man so smart, he’s awfully clueless when it comes to you. This weirdly approachable doctor may lack tact, but that doesn’t stop the blood pressures rising and the hearts racing - both yours and his. Get ready for an angst road bump at part 20 (as well as his Dramatic Ending), but rest assured that the doctor is here to see you now.

When I say he’s a combo of Yuki and Mitsunari, I’m not kidding. He’s basically Yuki without the full-on tsun tendencies (he has a few, but you could call it more embarrassment and awkwardness compared to being a tsundere) and then a touch of Mitsunari’s infuriating obliviousness and bam, you got Kyle!

I won’t give a synopsis of the route, since you’ve all likely read it or know most of the story (why on earth are you reading this far in otherwise?) so allow me to share with you, my personal favourite chapters/parts of his route!

Chapter 7 - the first (and definitely not last) instance of a blushing Kyle in his natural habitat. Bonus for glasses uwu

Chapter 14 - the introduction of Goo, the new best pet in Cradle (sorry Chutney). Legit, I recorded that entire section where Kyle and MC are naming Goo and I was just squeeing like a deranged lunatic because I loved it so much like bdjxbgdkfnxfkd

Chapter 24 (His POV) - DRUNK KYLE POV. Of course, he’s still cognitive to have proper thoughts, it wasn’t Masamune levels of drunkenness. But...jealous Kyle. That right there is a rarity but WOW, it’s a treat ;3

Towards the end of the route when MC finds Kyle’s confession written on his freaking hand (Kyle you doof) and just...him burying his amused smile into the crook of his elbow when she says she likes someone…..HNNNNNGGGGGGG yes

Part 2: Character Development

This man has such strong convictions to his profession that it’s honestly admirable. He may only have one pillar to stand on, but that pillar is strong and immovable. I’m of course talking about this line: “I absolutely despise people who are ready to throw away their lives”. Sound familiar at all? Remind you of...a certain Red King? Honestly though, this commitment to his work as a doctor when he seems to do nothing else except drink himself into a stupor most nights (if not every night) is awe-inspiring, and I’m not the only one who thinks so.

The MC in Kyle’s route is my new favourite. I love how the romance she develops for Kyle starts off as simple admiration, just her wanting to follow in his footsteps and prove useful to people without provoking the war occurring around her. She’s grounded and has a clear purpose, which is refreshing compared to other iterations of her being more meek and more better categorised as a “damsel in distress”. Don’t get me wrong, I”m not criticising those types of MCs. It’s just nice to see a driven MC with a clear goal and a motive for why she wants to do the things she does, enough for her to stay longer than the allotted month (something NONE OF THE OTHER ROUTES DO, HELL YEAH KYLE!). She actively chose to stay in Cradle - even when her ticket home was right in front of her - because she wanted to help Kyle save lives. It’s refreshing. And it makes for some great interactions between her and Kyle, especially later in the route when they’re more comfortable with each other. Which leads me onto my next point…

It felt like a real relationship. The slow growth and blooming of feelings, the cute interactions they’d share (every time Kyle stroked her hair or bopped her on the head, my heart exploded into confetti), and how awkward they both were with each other. God, if you guys could have seen me reading his route with my dumb dopey grin and squeaking like a lovesick children’s toy every 10 seconds...I was a mess gielkdsnglkd.

I love how they let us see into Kyle’s world. It may be a simple outlook on life, but you can’t fault the man. His strong conviction to save as many lives as he can because he feels it’s what he was made to do, and his importance on smiling and presenting a calm, friendly image of himself as he treats his patients (remember the line “People are like mirrors.”. It’s important.). He’s a very “my pace” kind of person, and it was fun to just kind of...relax a bit. Sure, war preparations were happening but wait one moment, please. I need to educate Jonah on what is needed for a balanced nutritious breakfast. It was refreshing to see a route that was surprisingly chill for most of it until the ending crescendo, and I welcomed it.

Alright….angst time. All of the little hints we were getting, like his role of the 7 of Hearts not being “set in stone��, had me squinting at the screen like “boi, what you hiding?”. When we got to drinking with Kyle, Oliver and Blanc and the conversation of Kyle having a brother came up, I was like “....oh. This is gonna be baaad.”. And this wasn’t even including Colin (because when a character gets named, you know they’re important.). But…..Chapter 20. It actually came out of left field, sucker-punched me in the kidney, cracked my heart and left me crying as I’m just reading this whole thing unfolding. Colin’s heartbroken cries, Kyle’s unmoving unresponsive form as he lets Colin punch him, the symbolism and connection of both Kyle and Colin having lost an older brother because of the war. I’m….. ;~; aaaaaa. And then in the Avatar Challenge following the angst, MC throws the “people are like mirrors” line back at him to get him to break down a bit, to let some emotion out, and I was just a blubbering mess at this point. The route is generous enough to give you a floof and mild spice break, but then if you choose the Dramatic Ending…..you…..you visit...his brother’s grave...and the waterworks begin again.

Continuing on from the point above, this means Kyle also has connections with The Day That Went Dark, along with Fenrir and more importantly, Ray. From the way it was described in Kyle’s route, he himself doesn’t know for certain if Ray used magic or not. He only knows that Ray was there when shit went down. So even after his brother passed from the tragedy, Kyle held no animosity or desire for revenge against Ray; very fitting for his character. This route made me realise just how similar Kyle and Ray are: they’re both very determined in their ways to keep the peace and they both hold strong to their views of freedom and honesty (Ray and Kyle respectively). And you can tell that Kyle doesn’t hold it against Ray for whatever happened on The Day That Went Dark.

I would honestly love to see a scenario of the two of them sitting down together in a room and just awkwardly yet honestly expressing all of their pent-up emotions about that whole ordeal (angst writers, if you’re reading this...only if you want to ofc ^w^).

Personal Rambling #2: Gushing Edition

So those were my structured notes, but now let me indulge you on my messy bullet points that I made throughout reading his route. A lot of these are pointless to character building and things I just thought were cute and needed attention drawn to sooo….ye ^w^

Like the rest of the Red Army, Kyle was born into a family that carries the mantle of 7 of hearts. All of them doctors.

Cute theme of beds??? (his bday story and them sleeping in the same room)

“When he wasn’t talking, he’s actually quite attractive.” (wow, r00d)

His palm notes are work and other things related (and he doesn’t always remember why he wrote it down bgrkdgn)

Not a sweet tooth (dammit Kyle, that’s your only downfall :c)

Easily embarrassed despite his earnest and straightforward mannerisms

Doesn’t dote on MC and teaches her what he can

His importance on smiling and presenting a calm, friendly image of himself as he treats his patients (“People are like mirrors.” - ch 8)

Head pats. Lots of head pats

Awkward sweet love (kill me it’s too adorable)

Edgar’s silent envy yet sweet support of their romance (this boi istg…)

Super proactive MC (she’s my new fave, seriously I love her)

Lots of touching (head pats, forehead bonks), he doesn’t know what personal space is (and I love it)

His pig is the cutest thing in the entire world, I need 20

Really good with kids…...yes.

“I absolutely despise people who are ready to throw away their lives” (incredibly strong convictions - doesn’t have many, but the ones he does have he is incredibly dedicated to)

Stays longer than the allotted month (FUCK YES)

His brother’s death strengthened his convictions to be able to handle being an army doctor (direct and honest, no bs about sacrificing your life etc etc)

The “People are like mirrors” line is tearing my fucking heart apart (makes sense in chapter 20 avatar challenge)

The angst…..his brother...and Colin….I’m rdfkgndkjfnxclk ;-;

His realisation of love….and his confession….lord, IM DROWNING IN UWUS

Saving Amon despite him murdering many innocent people, a big decision that could have changed the tide for the future, but he stuck with his beliefs

MC’s insistence that Kyle doesn’t like her that way, and Kyle’s inability to realise it’s love (help me it’s so fucking cute I’m dying)

Whether intentional or not, he’s good at diverting the attention away from him when he wants it off him (maybe MC just assumes he’s an idiot?? lmao)

So his glasses are for sentimental reasons (but does he need them???) and his alcohol drinking habits are from his father (not a coping mechanism)

Incredibly kind...but not good at showing it (helping MC distract herself by giving her work(?))

MC’s obsession with Kyle’s eyes and collarbone (same sis, SAME) and Kyle’s obsession with her hair (fsekfbksfnjweksdgn kd,nAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA)

Conclusion

Overall, Kyle’s route is very solid. It may not add much to the overarching lore of Cradle (aside from another victim in The Day That Went Dark), but the route was still adorable, enjoyable and incredibly sweet. I had no moments where I felt bored throughout his route (then again, that’s likely the bias talking) and the balance between cute floof, tear-jerking angst and then hot hot spice (that he FULLY deserves, mind you) came together into a wonderful experience that left my heart full and sad when it all ended.

My final message to you all: Kyle Ash is the sweetest, most adorkable nerd that has ever graced my presence and I hope that even a tiny portion of my love for him rubs off on you, just so you can see how amazing this boi is. Thank you for your time and for listening to my ramblings gesgnsk ^^;;

Bonus: my two favourite screenshots from his route

[cloudbatcave]

One Boy’s Quest to Find People He Doesn’t Hate: A Journey

“I don’t want to do a favor for someone who isn’t stronger than me”

do you challenge everyone who so much as asks you to hold the door, dancer man? that seems like an inefficient way to live your life. though I admit that being randomly asked to join a dance team by a stranger is weird. not sure how a battle proves I’m legit, though.

I beat him and he is duly impressed, and then I walk into an alleyway where a strange man wearing sunglasses gives me the TM Flash, because I guess the censors were on holiday or something.

I also rediscovered one of the dumber aspects of this game nobody liked: the surveys you could give to other people. I wander around the office where the statisticians work and one says that he’s lonely and wants me to come visit sometimes.

Can I use the xtransceiver to call my mom? The nonexistence police? Anyone? STRANGER DANGER. Also, this guy has a whole office full of people to talk to, unless they all find him creepy and avoid him, which would be valid.

I also fought a guy who said “battle me, I won’t take no for an answer” and then “aren’t you being too hard on me?” when he lost. 

Again with the unfortunate phrasing but also I’m very sorry this fight you initiated backfired. It’s almost like challenging random people is a stupid system, but what do I know.

“I am better at pokemon battles than I am at work” says an office worker, sadly. That’s rough, buddy. Have you considered not sucking?

My pidove evolved and I’ve always found the gen 5 evolution animation weird because the pokemon...breaks into little pieces, whirls up in a funnel cloud, and then reassembles. I know pokemon generally makes as much sense as a chocolate oven, but still.

I like making the street people in castelia dodge around me as I obey no laws or god.

“It’s difficult to watch tv from here. it’s not your concern though.”

sure isn’t!

oh no, the plot

“Team plasma, they took this young lady’s pokemon”

Good for them! Moving up in the world from stealing useless skulls.

“Chirae, is there anything we can do?”

That sounds like a question for anyone who’s not me.

“I heard this lady’s scream and ran after the thief as fast as I could”

Oh, Iris, you’re so well-intentioned. Wait, if you did that then why the hell am I here.

“But this city is so big and so crowded…I’m afraid I lost them.”

Iris, you have dragons. Can’t you just, I don’t know, FLY AFTER THEM?

“Iris…you did everything you could.”

I beg to differ, Burgh.

“But that’s so bad! Taking people’s pokemon is really bad!”

you know what else is bad? wasting my fucking time

“Cause it’s really nice when people and pokemon are together!”

why we haven’t we already started hunting down plasma instead of standing here spouting platitudes. time’s a-wastin’

“No fear! We will get that pokemon back. Right, Chirae?”

I mean, yeah, but that doesn’t mean I want to.

Burgh says finding someone in Castelia is comparable to finding a needle in a haystack. He must not have noticed that the streets don’t actually have that many buildings, because this is still gen 5 and Nintendo hasn’t yet developed Lumiose “Overcompensation” City.

Then a Plasma grunt conveniently walks up, before running away because OH NO A GYM LEADER as if Burgh isn’t roughly as intimidating as a pile of tapioca with hair. It’s Iris he should be afraid of.

At least Iris gets put on Bianca babysitting duty while I go star in an episode of CSI: Castelia. Small mercies.

Naturally, with this urgent mission in mind, I go battle another dancer dude.

I get rewarded for helping the dance team form with an amulet coin, which is handy.

I faff about on the part of the next route I can access, but eventually hit the block that will be there until I complete CSI: Castelia. I return and eventually wander back into the plot.

“No one’s here! Not a soul!”

Says the Team Plasma grunt as he stands in front of a hotel accompanied by two buddies, hoping to roll a nat 20 on stealth while forgetting he has -5 to that because of his stupid fucking outfit.

“No other team plasma members, nor any of the seven sages, are inside.”

Sounds legit. Can I go now?

“…If you think I’m lying, why don’t we have a little battle and find out?”

Your funeral.

The game gives me the option of saying yes or no, which is hilarious as it’s never given me a choice in the past. Let’s see what happens if I say no.

“Don’t scare me like that. Come on!”

What.

Now I’m getting guilt tripped by Burgh. Why don’t you just battle them yourself, Mr. Gym Leader? Isn’t that all you’re good for? Or do you rely on children as meat shields? Very brave of you.

I vine whip the sandiles into submission and the grunt whines that all he ever did was steal.

All I ever did was breathe and I got press-ganged into the police force, we all have our problems.

He then whines about how this is bad for team plasma. “Plasbad, for short.”

That hurts. That hurts me deeply. That is a greater crime than anything else they’ve done and now I actively want to destroy them. It has become personal.

“It’s in my best interest to go report to the Seven Sages right now!”

Really? That’s your instinct, not bailing? You were at the back of the line the day common sense was handed out, I guess.

Iris and Bianca pop up and Iris says she got lost. How I don’t know, given all I did was stroll straight down the main street and I bumped into Burgh and Cosplay Co.

Oh boy, it’s Ghetsis, worst dad of the year winner. Plus his two backup dancers and the grunts.

One of the seven sages says he thought it’d be funny to have a hideout in front of a gym, but that they were detected more quickly than he imagined.

God’s born fools, every one of them.

Ghetsis just says “Indeed” like that isn’t the stupidest shit he’s ever heard. How do these people get anything done.

“No matter. We already have an exceptional base of operations.”

What is it, a treehouse with your names spray-painted on?

“Is everyone familiar with the legend of the founding of the Unova region?”

On a scale of yes to no, I don’t care.

Iris answers him like we didn’t come here for the express purpose of kicking these people into the ground and getting Bianca’s pokemon back. Hello?? Why are we being distracted by this.

blah blah legend blah blah dragon

“We shall bring the hero and that Pokemon back to Unova once again!”

I hate LARPers who take it all too seriously, don’t you?

“If we can win people’s hearts and minds, we can easily create the world that I - I mean, Team Plasma - desires!”

Current winner of most ironic line in the game so far.

Burgh does his spiel about diversity and loving pokemon. Ghetsis thinks this is cute and gives Bianca’s pokemon back, for some reason.

Iris gives me a berry because I guess that’s how the press-ganged children are paid around here. Better than nothing.

[tumblunni]

What do you guys think about the names Dustin and Darcy for my protagonists in Let's Go?

Cos i really wanted to play the co op mode thing by myself, just so i can pretend this role in the plot is filled by two siblings and have a bit of fun roleplaying that. But i dunno yet how the co-op works and whether you'd be able to customize the avatar of the second player or if its just the default trainer? Or can you only play co-op if you have two separate games? Im planning to buy the other version anyway once i get more money, so it could be fun to play my first version with sibling one and then the second playthru is sibling two's turn to shine!

Oh and the whole reason i wanted to do this is cos i wanna try out the customization features to make some ocs now that there's no competitive online stuff unless you pay a subscription fee (LOL NO THANKS). Like..i always felt like i HAD to make my character me in xy/sumo/usum, otherwise its like lying online? But of course i cant actually make me because theres no nonbinary option or even remotely ambiguous outfits for either gender. And you cant have wild hair colours while i dye my hair 24/7 irl lol. Its silly cos like 95% of the gym leaders and other characters ingame have anime hair colours yet the player has to be normal? So yeah i cpuldnt really enjoy making this innacurate defanged version of myself yet i didnt feel like i was allowed to just make up a new character either. Closest i could do was give myself white hair like my old trainersona when i was 12, lol. I mean i guess thats my 'real hair colour' underneath the dye right now, if you think about it that way?

OH GOD PIKACHU CAN HAVE A LITTLE TUXEDO AND BOWLER HAT HOLY FUCK IM SORRY TO INTERRUPT THIS BUT I WAS WATCHING THE IGN REVIEW AND THEY SHOWED PIKA BOWLER HAT PLEASE GO GOOGLE THAT VIDEO JUST FOR THAT 1 SECOND OF NEW FOOTAGE OF MY BEAUTIFUL CLASSY BOYE

okay where was i

Yeah! I think sibling trainers could be a good and unique way to handle a rival! Like having them be your sibling already establishes that rivalry. But it can be a soft and nice rivalry! I wanna go with that fun version rather than the full on angry exaggerated sibling rivalries you often see in kids media. Like i know that some people legit dont get on with their siblings and some people can even have a very gary esque full on rivalry thats sorta 'love to hate' or like..tsundere pretending you hate them. But personally i never had experience with that, i can never relate to those 'tfw u hate ur sibling and theyre always an asshole but lolll u love them anyway' posts. I only got to live with my little sister for a little while due to the catastrophe of abusive parenthood that was my childhood, and i lost contact with her forever when she was very young so i doubt she'd even remember me. *sigh* But like i don't think i only love her so much because i miss her! People say newborns and toddlers are the most bratty so like you'd think if i was gonna ever find her 'annoying' i would have done it back then. I was always just mega proud of her and whenever she'd be 'bratty' i'd be cheering her on and trying to protect her from mom. And when she'd try and pull pranks on me or practise play-fighting or whatever i was just like 'lol thats legit funny' and taking play-falls so she felt better about herself. Like we didnt have much power in that household so i felt like encouraging her pretending to be a wrestler would help her feel like she had some sort of control in some part of her life i guess? And just i wished i was allowed to roughhouse and run around and be all 'unladylike' and just enjoy BEING A KID when i was a kid, yknow? I always had legit fun being with her and legit enjoyed it and was legit proud and legit never annoyed. I just dont understand 'yeah she's annoying but i love her anyway'. I was only ever her rival as a play-rival to help encourage her to like.. Enjoy the things she enjoyed. Feel like someone else cared. I only ever acted like 'ha ha baby stuff yeah sure i hate hanging out with my sister" cos i thought i was SUPPOSED TO. I always felt so guilty doing it and so dissappointed cos id rather hang out with her than be a boring stereotypical teen tbh. I dunno, maybe this isnt typical for siblings and its just a sign of how badly we were raised? I was just real fuckin lonely and absolutely loved having a family member who loved me for the first time since my grandma died. Same reason i always used to act all 'i am too cool i totally am not soft for my lil sister' around my lil sister's dad. I really wanted him to love me too! I used to say swear words at him cos i thougjt he would thibk i was Cool And Adult?? I have soooo many cringe moments from that phase of my childhood. Man it hurts to think that i never actually did get to become that positive influence that protected my sister from my mum and let her know she was loved. Cos i was sent to live with my dad when she was like 5ish? And never saw her again and now im too scared to try and reach out to her again because 1: she probably doesnt even remember me, 2: theres a chance she believes my mum saying i was some horrible asshole who abandoned the family, 3: even bigger chance that contacting her could mean my mum finding me again and big fuckin risk of further abuse. Plus the awkwardness of introducing my trans self when she'd remember me as her sister and all. Sigh! All i can do is hope that her cool dad eventually got custody of her, and that he didnt turn out to be a secret bastard like when i met my own dad. He seemed good, but then again i was just a lil kid and my dad seemed good at first. Sighhhhhh...

SO UMM YEAH WOW I MADE MYSELF SAD

Anyway the point is that whenever i write siblings i'd rather write 100% unapologetic super loving love cos its wish fullfillment for me. This is also why in/cest shipping is a massive beserk button for me, good wholesome family relationships are REAL FUCKIN IMPORTANT and how DARE you corrupt that shit! Some people would fuckin KILL to have that wholesome family!!

Anyway lol thats why i'd like a Wholesome Rivalry for these sibling ocs! Like they challenge each other to contests along the way just for fun, and they react all 'wow my sis is the BEST' when you beat them, so hard feelings at all. And you dont JUST do rival stuff but also sometimes just hang out and have fun cos you missed each other. And if anyone threatens your sibling then THAT is the only time you see the Serious Sibling Power! Rival moments: ha ha lol bet ya cant beat me ooo im a scary villain LOL I CANT KEEP A STRAIGHT FACE HAHA! Giovanni punches your brother: *stony cold death glare from hell as tricksy prank sis turns into an unstoppable vengeance engine* Oh, but also the only other time they'd be serious is in their final battle together! Like most of the 'rivalry' is just competing to make the adventure fun and to help each other get stronger. But if sis/bro ever actually legit said they really want to fight to find out who's the best, and its like..important to help their self confidence, then i think bro/sis would respect that and go all out. Taking a fall and letting them win would be the most disrespectful thing of all! Oh, but i do think there would be one kind of battle like that during the story? Like in one of the more low stakes faux-rival fights the sibling actually does try and let you win, and the challenge is to try and lose against all odds. High stakes super failure battle!!! Imagine the evil team in the background like 'wtf' as these two run the most aggressively slow race of all time! XD

Oh and i kinda thought about different personalities for the two of them based on who you pick? Like i did like that aspect about brendan/may in RSE compared to other 'unpicked option becomes rival' characters in later games that didnt even have one personality let alone two. It just sucks that the personalities they decided to give them were 'female rival is super self concious and thinks youre better than her because youre a boy' and 'male rival is super ego and thinks he's better than you because he's a boy'. Boooo!

So instead of that the personalities i was thinking for these two would be less sexist lol. Male sibling Dustin is basically Wally so far? I need to develop him a bit more to make him a bit distinct, i mean its not like every single shy dude is identical. I'm thinking maybe mix him with all the wasted potential in Brendan? Like in the game they slightly hint at him having the ONE non stereotypical trait of liking cute teddy bears, and that made me think about how much better his whole plot would have been if it actually criticized his sexism and said that he only behaves that way cos he's overcompensating for being bullied for being 'feminine', yknow? And then in the manga they actually DO write him as super feminine, and even as a contest star who loves fashion and dressing up his pokemon! But then GAHHH they present it as some sort of fuckin 'character flaw', like he's shown to be selfish and superficial because of it. And the backstory is that him and the female protagonist used to be 'normal' until a traumatic event. Brendan was a Natural Fighting Prodigy until he saved his female friend from a wild pokemon and was so traumatized that he never wanted to fight again, while she wanted to learn to fight so she'd never need to be protected again. But this is not only presented as Wrong Ways To Be Gender but also like.. Fighting their natural instinct which still comes through?? Like male protag hasnt fought in YEARS yet whenever he's forced to fight he's just magically better at it than female protag who's been practising all these years to become his equal. Ha ha silly girl you can never achieve that! All you get is this patronizing 'well if you just tryyyyy girly things im sure you'll like it' plot and then you get rescued by him in the end because OF COURSE you do. Sigh! I cant believe they made me hate that pairing even more than the games did! So yeah i dont really wanna write Dustin as a jerkass who's secretly got synpathetic motives of internalized homophobia/sexism, cos i feel thats a plot very specific to my perceptuons of Brendan and id basically just have to make Dustin a clone of him and he wouldnt be able to shine on his own merits. Instead i'm just thinking of writing him as a 100% sensitive soul, and he still faces predjudice for not being that bigoted idea of an 'ideal man' but really the fact he doesnt bow down to their demands proves that he's the bravest person here.

And then I'm thinking maybe the female sibling Darcy is the older one and is a bit "gary ish"? Like eitjer way you still have a friendly and loving siblingness, but she's a bit more of a sass who is tsundere about admitting she loves her bro. But i dont think she's the cold or grumpy sort of tsundere, more like a trickstery tomboy? Bombastic loki jock sis! She can only be a bit abrasive with her bro cos she wants to teach him to be tough even when she's not there to protect him. But sometimes she can mess it up and make him feel like he has to change his personality in order to be tough, rather than letting him know she supports him in being "unmasculine" and just wants to help him find the confidence to stand up to people who bully him for it. Like she feels like she is 'weaker' than him in the sense that she worries too much about what people will think if she expresses her real emotions, yknow? Like theyre both suffering from toxic masculinity! He's suffering from the standard form where men who are too 'soft' are beaten down into that mould. Ans she's suffering from the problem where 'masculine' girls feel like they have to be '100% masculine' in order to be allowed to be themselves at all. Like back when i was a kid and before i came out as trans i always used to try and pretend to like sports ans like..cliche macho shit where you Cant Admit You Care About Your Friends and also i wasnt allowed to like ANY feminine things at all. I had to either follow the stereotype of femininity entirely or follow the opposite stereotype, i wasnt allowed to just reject stereotypes and like what i actually like. So yeah me realizing i wasnt really a girl has led to me embracing more 'girly' things than back when i thought i was one! So i think Darcy would have a similar arc but like..the cis equivelant? Just finds people who arent such judgmental pricks and stops having to conform to either of those stereotypes in order to keep fake friends who dont really give a shit about her. She can have a plot about both forced feminine and masculine stereotypes being equally limiting, rather than that shitty 'being masculine is a prison uwu every woman will be happier embracing her love of makeup' shit. That dominant narrative just made me feel like i was somehow wrong about myself whenever i didnt like 100% Of Sports All The Time, i must be somehow girly if i liked even ONE girly thing yet i needed hundreds of proofs if i wanted to be masculine. And like i wasnt just allowed to be neither! I wasnt allowed to like parts of both! I wasnt allowed to BE GODDAMN TRANS!!! So yeah i dunno if i'd go whole hog and make this character a trans man or a nonbinary person tho? I think she's just actually a cis girl who happens to be sporty and brash and likes a lot of 'masculine' fashion and hobbies. And she's just been made to feel self concious about it, as if she cant possibly REALLY be that unless she likes Every Single Boy Thing and wins at Every Single Challenge. Does anyone else remember that shit too? The girls have to win Every sports game against the boys in order to be 'one of the boys' but if you lose even one of them it somehow proves that you're inferior. Even though the boys lost 50 billion games to you and that doesnt prove theyre inferior! Like man she has sooooo many 'gary rivals' in her school life, thats why she loves going on this adventure with a kind brother rival who actually respects her! So her resolution would just be her staying the same but being more confident about it and saying fuk u to those fake friends. Same as her brother's plot, just they both face different specifics to the way this sexism affects them, yknow?

Oh but yeah when i did finally learn about LGBT stuff and realize i was trans it was Big Amazing cos even in the rare stories about Its Okay To Be Yourself it still left me feeling weirdly empty when the girl decides that yes she does wanna be a girl in the end. So i get that these plots might come off as queerbaiting if i write them badly? I need to make sure to make it clear that these characters 100% want to be seen as this gender and its just other people being fuckfaces and trying to define what their gender has to mean. I think maybe i'll try and mitigate this potential misunderstanding by adding different sorts of lgbt content. And, well, also cos i just want lgbt content in all of my stories because i am lgbt, of course! I'm 100% sure that Darcy is gay, and i think also maybe possibly Dustin is trans? Like, his plot is about being mocked for being a 'feminine' boy, but its also even more personal for him because he's a trans boy and he feels like he needs to change his personality in order to pass/he isnt really real because his personality doesnt fit the stereotypical image of a man. Like if you'd looked at the two of them back when they were identical twins, you probably would have expected Darcy to end up being trans if you were the sort of person who believes those basic ass stereotypes about 'boys who play with barbies and girls who play with trucks'. Or i mean maybe its the other way around and Darcy is a trans girl who still has a 'masculine' personality according to stereotypes? Or even both of them are trans and both face being told that they arent real because they dont fit the perfect stereotype of a trans person according to cis perceptions? Or maybe i'm overcomplicating things with all of this and it'd just muddy the message i guess. I might just keep it to them both being cis but also both of them like girls. And i can always apply my trans and other LGBT headcanons to other characters along their adventure.

Anyway LOL im rambling too much!

[chyneashlytoo]

MAKEUP 101: 10-STEP BROW TUTORIAL (w/ gifs) using BROW GEL/POMADE [PART 2] - to be updated

Posted: 8 September 2018 (Wordpress blog) | 3 October 2018 (YouTube)

Part one is for using a brow pencil, check it our here! I’m still thinking of doing a part 3 which will be focusing more on brow powders. 

**DISCLAIMER: I am in no way shape or form an expert, but I’ve had practiced enough that others would consider how I do their eyebrows are legit good. BUT! Again, I am still a working progress, I’d like to even take up classes on hair and makeup just so my hobby can be turned into business in the beauty department.**

*this is not beta-ed and I am still bare-faced here

~~~

This time around, we will be using a brow gel/pomade where they are the ones used for that bold I-can-see-it-from-afar brow look. Some of the steps I will be mentioning are already stated in the previous post before this because we are still following the same procedure only with a different brow product.

Check out this short clip I made here on how I did the brows.

The products I used are: 

1. BROW GEL/POMADE I used BYS in the SHADE:BRUNETTE, will have to update this one though. *IMPORTANT: pick a shade that is almost the same color as your hair, or you know, you do you, I guess

2. BROW BRUSH I used FASHION21’s duo ended brush w/ spoolie

3. BROW BRUSH I used FEATURES & SHADES (FS)’s slanting eyebrow brush *I have two brow brushes because I use one as my product applicator and one for my concealer 

4. SPOOLIE I used an unbranded spoolie. 

5. CONCEALER  I used MAYBELLINE FITME in the SHADE: 20 SAND

6. FOUNDATION  I used MAYBELLINE FITME in the SHADE: 125 NUDE BEIGE *this is optional, you can still use your concealer 

7. BROW GEL  I used BYS in the shade: CLEAR *this is optional

LET’S GET STARTED!

~~~

STEP 1 ALWAYS DO BROW MAPPING IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER  This way, you will be able to know where your brows are supposed to start, where the arch is and where your brows will end. Anastasia Soare, founder of the Anastasia Beverly Hills makeup line, is known as the Eyebrow Queen (that’s a goal right there LOL). She has this technique wherein it follows this golden ratio when it comes to doing your brows. You can read more here but this photo will summarize how to do the brow mapping.

STEP 2: BRUSH YOUR HAIR UPWARDS WITH YOUR SPOOLIE This is a technique I learned from watching tutorials as well as practicing it on myself and on other people’s brows. With brushing it upwards, you will be able to see the bottom line of the growth of your brows. This will then serve as your guide as to where you should start filling them in, specifically the sparse or kalbong area of your brows.

STEP 3 FILL IN: ALWAYS START IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BROWS GOING TO THE END Like I mentioned before, the brows we are trying to achieve is the faded-from-the-start type of brows. Basically, the end of the brows would be much darker than the start -a ‘gradient’ finish. Dip your thin-tipped eyebrow brush in the pomade and proceed application.

Once the sparse areas are filled in, lightly use hair-like strokes at the start of the brows. This is why I mentioned having thin-tipped brushes is because we able to achieve those faux hairs and still be able to be precise on where we are putting our brow product.

*Notice how I don’t put any products at the very start of the brows because once we brush it again with the spoolie, it will eventually get spread around. Plus we are still going to use the concealer that will eventually help in defining the shape of the eyebrows (continue reading to find out how).

STEP 4 BRUSH YOUR BROW HAIRS DOWNWARD This will also help in giving us a guideline of where the hairs grow and where you will be drawing on your brows.

*remember your brow mapping so you know where your arch is as well as your end*

STEP 5 REPEAT STEP 3! FILL IN: ALWAYS START IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BROWS GOING TO THE END But this time on the top of the brows. Start by filling in the sparse area and darkening the tail end of the brows rather than the middle-to-the-start side of the eyebrows so it wouldn’t look too harsh or matapang. No need to put any product at the start because to achieve that faded-from-the-start type of brows, the concealer is there to help.

STEP 6 BRUSH AGAIN! Using the spoolie, brush your brows again to evenly spread and blend the product and to remove any harsh lines that was created. This also helps in giving our brows more of that ‘natural’ look before we define them with the concealers.

WAIT! You can already stop here if you want that more natural look. But if you want a more defined pair, we continue to step 7!

STEP 7 CONCEALER TIME! Using a thin-tipped eyebrow brush, get a little amount of concealer and trace the line at the bottom of your brows from the start to the end and blend away! With putting concealer at the start, this will create the illusion of having a clean brow bottom.

Blending is the key! Don’t worry if at the start it looks like a white line is drawn at the bottom of your brows, this will eventually fade/oxidize and will leave clean and defined brows. If you don’t want to wait for the concealer to match your skin, simply pick a concealer that already matches your own so you will be able to see the results immediately. I actually use my concealer not only to conceal but to brighten that’s why it turns out lighter than what it is supposed to be.

STEP 8 FOUNDATION! (This is optional, you can also use concealer) Simply repeat step 7 to create that clean look at the top of your brows. I found it better to use foundation because it matches with my skin and won’t leave that lighter tone line that I have to wait for it to fade after a few minutes or hours (depends how much you put).

~ OPTIONAL ~

 STEP 9: SET THE BROWS WITH BROW GEL! Having long untrimmed/not-always-groomed brows, this is my go-to product because it keeps them in place. If I am in a real rush, I’ll just pop this on and I’m good to go. The product also doesn’t feel too stiff when compared to the other brow setter products I’ve used.

STEP 10 LET ‘EM DRY AND POSE FOR THE CAMERA You’re done! Just let the brow gel settle and dry and you’re good to go ❤

~~~

Hope you guys liked this and found it fun and informative!

[review-duck]

Life is Strange : Before the Storm Episode 1 : Awake

Repost from previous blog. Warning, Life is Strange and Life is Strange Before the Storm spoilers (not huuuuge spoilers but still, so you do you.)

Last night I was fixating on my ps4, watching the countdown, waiting for midnight croissant-time (Paris GMT) to be able to play Life is Strange : Before the Storm that I pre-ordered (Deluxe version that allows you to have bonus outfits, mixtape mode and a bonus episode at the end with Max). So the clock stroke midnight and I played until 3.30am.

You have to know that when I play, I go everywhere, I talk to everybody, so if you don’t, I guess you can finish it in 2h30.

I was really nervous as I hit « New Game » as I was really expecting it, to learn more about Chloe and Rachel, but knowing it was from a totally different studio and that the Chloe I fell in love with in Life is Strange wouldn’t be the same as her voice actress, Ashly Burch (a.k.a the best voice actress ever, sorry not sorry but a 71hrs platinum of Horizon Zero Dawn and a platinum in the first Life is Strange will do that to you. And Borderlands. And I mean I saved her grandpa and fought Baba Yaga for her in Rise of the Tomb Raider so…) wasn’t able to come back as Chloe. I didn't know that when I pre-ordered it, and knowing the reasons why I kind of regretted giving them money. Link if you want to know more.

So in a mix of fear and excitement I started to play and didn’t stop for almost 4hrs (except for some screenshots and pitiful tweets)

Story

No mosh pit for you shaka brah.

The story begins with Chloe wanting to go to a concert, kind of a playground intro as it shows you the ropes. You make your first graffiti (Chloe’s version of Max’s pictures), you talk to some people, you ponder in front of the fire to think about your shitty teenager life and when you try to enter, you have your first « Backtalk Challenge » which is a list of insults/arguments to help you talk your way into what you want.

So you enter the concert and then you meet your angel, Rachel Amber. And it goes really fast from there.

Basically it’s love at first sight for Chloe, and the next day you ditch school to spend it with Rachel, flirting with her like crazy (if that’s your choice -even if I feel that no matter your choice you end up making a fool of yourself) and that’s basically it. The core of the episode -minus some weird dreams about your dead father and some family drama- was Chloe trying to please Rachel Amber and Chloe falling in love with her and Rachel kind of returning those feelings but when you’re 16, nothing is simple.

Although I liked it, it felt really fast for me. I do believe in love at first sight but this story happening 3 years before the OG Life is Strange, I’m wondering how long the girls are going to spend together before Rachel goes missing. The short life expectancy of the game, being a 3 episodes game, is probably the reason why it’s all happening so fast. I’m kind of wondering if it’s not just a « let’s give the gays what they want right away » as we already know Chloe had a special bond with Rachel. Maybe I would have preferred a slower burn. Even William is on it.

The ending of this episode was kind of predictable, with a question that I read a few times « Did Rachel have powers? »

I stayed away as much as possible from trailers, theories and all but I think it was a legit question to have about DeckNine implementing a supernatural element into Before the Storm or not.

Dialogs

Ugh. Okay.

First of all, the writing.

I know we are playing a 16yo who lost her dad, but some of Chloe’s lines were so cringy it made my heart ache. In the first Life is Strange Max had some « loser-Max » lines that I thought were really funny but in Before the Storm, it looks like they are trying too hard for her to be emo. We know, Chloe is a rebel. But shit.

And in another hand, some lines made me burst into laughter. The scene with Rachel where they invent people’s life was really funny, Chloe’s « flirting » skills felt real and spoke to the 16yo me, and that tabletop game session was one of the best thing I’ve seen in a while (I suspect someone with A.B initials helped write that but I obviously don’t have any proof of that.) written by Christopher Means.

…

Some prime Chloe Price as « People can eat a dick », her love of booty and of course her first mention of « hella » were mandatory but the delivery of those lines. Man.

I’m not going to compare the actors with the previous ones (not only Chloe’s voice actor changed but basically all of them -although I have doubts about Chloe’s mom but she doesn’t have the same Southern accent so…) because it wouldn’t be fair. But in my opinion Chloe’s voice actress, even though I’m sure she did the best she could, was flat. Her delivery was pretty monotone and even if sometimes I was hearing the old Chloe in the musicality of her voice, it wasn’t it a lot of the time. Rachel’s voice was a lot better than I expected for the few images I saw before, but in the end it was really a shame that seeing the characters you once knew and loved/hated meant you wouldn’t be able to hear the characters you once knew and loved/hated.

There was also another problem in the rhythm of the dialogs that were in « cutscenes » (meaning you don’t have a say in them) as there was some latence at some points, like a silence before the second part of a sentence or when someone answers to someone else. I guess it could be fixed to make it a bit snappier and more real.

Characters

Chloe Price

As I said before we meet a younger natural haired colored Chloe, and the roles are kind of reversed with the OG Lis. In Before the Storm, Chloe is the one trying to follow Rachel’s idea, trying to please Rachel, to be cool with the most popular girl in Blackwell. She’s not the alpha to Max’s beta anymore. She lacks confidence, she doesn’t have friends and it pains her.

Rachel Amber

Aaaah Rachel. Rachel Rachel Rachel. We heard so much about you. Blackwell’s most popular girl. You didn’t disappoint. Witty and sassy and sexy. Just like Chloe. It’s kind of difficult to trust her, knowing what we know from the OG Life is Strange, so I’m not giving her my heart just yet (you know, the pics in Frank’s trailer and stuff). Even though the choices were pretty easy to do as we know Chloe loves her (asshole).

Old Faces

Funny to see Nathan being bullied, Victoria being Rachel’s kiss ass, the science teacher and the skater we knew Chloe was familiar with in Lis. And Frank I hope you’ll have some beans.

New Faces

I decided that Eliot is the new Warren. Except he may be Chloe’s bf ? Ex-bf ? He left a note about a two month anniversary and Chloe said her v-card had been punched (that was hilarious btw).

I really liked Stephanie, she was really something. Can I please date her instead? Even if she crushes on Rachel.

We got a new bully, a guy named Drew who bullied Nathan (whom we learned bought his way into the team) and we have a new security guy who makes really good music.

Choices

Before the Storm works on the same mechanics as Life is Strange, meaning you have choices to make. The ones you faced in episode one seemed pretty inconsequential, but I guess the game being a prequel doesn’t give you much options to change the story. Unlike Max, it’s really nice that they don’t torture us after every choice, knowing you can’t undo them. (I’m thinking about the paint on Victoria’s face, whether you chose to take a pic or be nice to her, once you did what you did Max automatically say she should have chosen the other option.) Although you have a very easy way to go back with the « Load last save » option which is an easy way to explore other dialog options or other choices.

But it’s kind of hard when you know what you know. I chose to help Nathan, but it won’t change what will happen in Life is Strange. And I was kind of nice to David even though you can’t betray LiS Chloe as it wouldn’t make sense to have her being super nice to him and then angry in the sequel.

But honestly, the best option of the game was probably being able to pet the dog.

Life is Strange legacy

There were a lots of elements reminding me of Life is Strange (as it should) with a lot of mentions of Max that freaking broke my heart. You are able to see Chloe’s texts and Max not answering (freaking bitch) and you had some nods to the LiS plot as Rachel saying she could just leave at any given moment without telling anybody.

The soundtrack is in the line of the first one but a little bit more rock to fit Chloe’s taste, and the bonus outfit with the design we knew as Max’s was a sweet idea. Some line as a guy wanting Rachel to pose for his portfolio. (I’m obviously not going to list everything)

Chloe is also keeping a journal that she dedicated to Max because she doesn’t want to risk her not answering and damn, my heaaaart. There are a lot of little things screaming « Chloe is gaaaaay » and I honestly wish it was a little more subtle (but nice Blade Runner dream Chloe.)

It’s also difficult as a Pricefield shipper to be totally into it, because in my heart Chloe belongs with Max, someone that truly appreciates her, never used her and because we were Max. So we wanted her to be happy. Even if we knew Chloe loved Rachel. But without Rachel there wouldn’t be a blue haired Chloe Price so I have to put her needs and her young love before my own agenda.

Next episodes From the pictures presenting the two next chapter, we can assume that the girls will go on a roadtrip, probably to try to leave Arcadia Bay. And in the last pic, Chloe is wearing a flannel we all know as the “ready for the mosh pit shaka-brah” shirt and her legendary tri-bullet necklace.

So yeah, it’s a prequel to Life is Strange, from another studio, with new actors, but overall it was pretty decent and I’m looking forward to the next chapter (even though they lose points for using Comic Sans a few times.) I really got the feels at some point, I laughed, I got really emotional during the junkyard scene with the car, and even though it wasn’t perfect, I still want to protect Chloe Price at all costs. So that’s a win. Not a huge win. But it’s one. Quack - Monotony of Chloe’s voice Lots of loading points Things moving too fast between Rachel and Chloe Dialogs lacking rhythm Lines that make you want to stab yourself The graffiti are really easy to find You can’t skip forward in collector mode Too much gay (not subtle enough) Most of the small choices you make just change one line of the other choice Use of Comic Sans The time I had to pause the game because my cat was playing with the biggest spider I’ve ever seen.

Quack + Legacy of the first LiS respected (ost, graphics, nods in the storyline) Better graphics than first game but still in that same line Some hilarious lines The tabletop game You can pet the dog All the gay

[shsummertimefest-blog]

Love's far away, but we're moving closer

Enjoy, @mariadelvca​!

Special message to your giftee (optional): Hey there! I hope you are having a good summer. When you said you you liked the cheesiest fics, I couldn't help choosing one of me favorite aus. I hope you enjoy the fic! Summary: Clary and Jace as they fall in love without knowing they are soulmates.

[Read on AO3]

This time is permanent they tell him. It’s kind of hard to believe, he has spent the last six years of his life with the Lightwoods, he had never seen so many different cities and states in his life. They finally found a laboratory they want to settle down in, they want to finally give them a place to call home.

They go through their whole new kids routine on Monday, at this point it feels like second nature, just like going through classes even if he already knows what the teachers are talking about, having researchers for parents has its perks.

When it’s lunch time he goes to find Izzy, being the most sociable of the four of them, she’s sitting with a redhead girl. He goes to their table and just sits beside her, the girl eyes him but says nothing; Alec joins them a few minutes later. The girl seems legit weirded out now, and it finally hits Jace that now that they are not leaving anymore, he will probably need his own friends instead of just hanging out with the ones Izzy makes. He and Alec probably seem two weirdos that spend their lunches with their sister instead of making friends.

“Hey, I finally found you,” A guy with glasses says touching the girl’s shoulder.

“This is Simon, my best friend,” she says to the three of them, “Simon this is Izzy, she’s new here, met her at biology class and she’s a genius at it”

“I’m glad you’re not failing it now that I’m in another class” he laughs and sits on the space she has left for him. “And who are they?” he questions pointing at Alec and him.

“These are my brothers, Alec and Jace. They are not very friendly” she says as a way of explaining their presence.

They stay silent for a while, the awkward kind of silence filling the table.

“I’m sorry if this is too personal, but doesn’t it feel weird?” the redhead, that he still doesn’t know the name asks Izzy.

“With what?” she questions confused.

“With your name” she clarifies, pointing at the brunet shoulder where her soulmate’s name is written in a pretty cursive letter.

“Is there something to feel weird about? Almost everybody has them” Izzy responds, shrugging.

“I don’t know, I just think they are something personal, something special between you and your soulmate” she tries to explain while biting her lower lip. Like touching the subject evokes some kind of magic, she starts rubbing her ribs, Alec starts pulling at his long sleeved t-shirt and the boy, Simon, stares at his lap.

“I belong to someone, I want everybody to know that,” Izzy says smiling, “But I understand what you’re saying. Knowing someone it’s your soulmate it’s probably a feeling you want to share only with that person”

There’s a silence that hangs in the table, is not necessarily awkward, but it’s not a good silence either.

“I think you’re very brave for putting yourself out there like this,” The redhead says smiling softly at Izzy, he can tell they are going to be very good friends.

“Hey,” he calls and everyone looks at him “I still don’t know your name”

“I’m Clary” she responds.

                                                    XXX

As much as soulmates are almost a part of every person in existence, it’s also pretty much nonexistent in conversations. People don’t talk about the name attached to their skin, he has never seen Alec’s soulmate’s name, even though he knows where it is written. People don’t talk about the wait, or the anxiety, he can see how Izzy craves for finding her soulmate, and how she hides that by baring her name to everyone to see. People don’t talk about the longing, about the somewhat emptiness that exists around them, but he found Clary absentminded rubbing her ribs, just like in that first day, with a distant look on her face. It’s something incredibly present, but lacking at the same time.

And apparently it’s not always something desirable, Simon teaches him that. They are at their house, Izzy is way too excited about her quinceñera, so she’s already making the list of friends she wants to invite.

“Any of you need extra invitations?” Izzy asks with the guest's list in her hands.

“My parents are already invited, so not really,” Clary says, and Jace is once again jealous of how she says it so easily, he still calls Maryse and Robert by their names. There’s only silence after that, but Jace can see Clary pointedly staring at Simon like she wants him to admit a crime or something. He just shakes his head and she sighs.

“What was that?” Izzy questions.

“Nothing,” Clary says, but she’s clearly torn about it.

“It didn’t seem like nothing” the brunet insists.

“Clary wants me to invite my soulmate to your party” at his statement even Alec that was busy with his college applications stops to look at Simon.

“Your what?” Izzy asks clearly shocked.

“My soulmate” He repeats avoiding everybody eyes, Clary grabs one of his hands.

“We have known each other for four months and you didn’t think of mentioning that?”

“It’s kind of complicated,” he says “We met and the beginning of the year, they were back at school, to get a document or something. I was there because they got my middle name written wrong.”

“They are a college student?” Jace asks.

“Yeah, they entered last year”

“Why you don’t want to invite them?”

“I didn’t expect to meet them so soon. I wanted to know who I was before I had a soulmate, I don’t want my entire personality to be based on the fact that I have this other person by my side, and they are supposed to be there forever.”

“ It doesn't have to be,” Alec says, and they turn to him, Alec as the oldest of them usually keeps to himself, he also doesn’t seem to like Simon that much, so they are all surprised “Soulmates don’t have to be the people you fall in love with. They are just people who are meant to be in your life, people you need to meet, whether, for a few moments or the rest of your life, whether platonic or romantic, it doesn’t matter. It’s just someone that needs to touch your life for some reason.”

“Thanks, Alec,” Simon says a small smile on.

“I hope it turns out fine,” Izzy says joining Clary and Simon on the floor, she grabs his other hand and they just stand there hand in hand for a long time.

                                                         XXX

Clary is doing the rib thing again, they are all studying for the upcoming tests, but he has given up on studying like half an hour ago. So he finally makes the question that’s been bothering him.

“Does it itch?”

“What?” she says taking her attention from her books to look at him.

“Does it itch?” he asks “Your soul mark, you touch it a lot.”

“I don’t know?” she laughs at herself “It’s been feeling weird for a while now, it’s not an itchy exactly, it just feels kind of warm. I don’t really know how to explain.”

“Maybe that means you going to meet your soulmate soon,” Izzy says excitedly.

“Maybe” Clary agrees, and he feels uncomfortable for some reason, like the fact that Clary may find her soulmate upsets him.

                                                          XXX

Maybe it’s the hair. Jace tells himself as he keeps finding Clary in every single crowded space he’s in. It’s like he can’t keep his eyes away from her. Jace has made some friends from his year, but he feels like he just can’t let Clary go. It’s clearly a problem, he’s just not sure why.

                                                           XXX

Izzy’s party is finally upon them and Jace has this nervous energy buzzing just under the surface, he has no idea why and it makes him even more nervous.

“Are you okay?” a voice asks interrupting his pacing; he turns to find Clary by the stairs.

“Wow” is all he can say, she’s wearing a short dark blue dress, that he vaguely remembers belonging to Izzy, but right now he couldn’t care less.

“I tried leaving the room with more clothing on, but Izzy wouldn’t let me”

“I should thank her later then,” He says before he can think better of it, he just stands there and watches as Clary’s eyes go wide with surprise. They just stay there staring at each other and frozen in place until they hear a noise at the top of the stairs, it’s Alec that eye their blushing cheeks suspiciously.

The car ride to where the party is being held is slightly uncomfortable for both of them, they can’t look at each other without blushing. But nobody seems to notice because Izzy’s talking a mile a minute in her excitement.

He might cry at Maryse and Robert speeches. Alec refused to make a speech, so his only line is ‘I love you and I’m very proud of you’. He might cry when is his turn to talk too, but nobody needs to know. He just loves this family very very much.

When everything is said and done, he notices Clary is gone, because of course, he does. It doesn’t have to mean anything. He finds her in the small garden just outside the place where the party is happening. There are a few other people here, but they are older than them, probably looking for a quieter place.

“Everything okay?” He asks when he’s close enough to the bench she sited on, she raises her head whipping at the corner of her eyes, being mindful of her make up.

“It was all very pretty,” she says as an answer, but he knows there is more than that.

“Yeah?”  he sits beside her.

“It just occurred to me that if I ever decide to make a party, Dad wouldn’t be here to make a speech”

Jace doesn’t know the whole story because they are still growing comfortable with each other. What he does know is that Clary’s dad died a few years ago, he was Luke and her mom’s soulmates and was called Valentine, they have his tattoo just peeking out from their t-shirt collars.

“You still have your mom and Luke” he reminds her.

“I’m sorry, this all probably sounds very childish compared to what you had to get through, I did get to have 3 parents at the end”

“You’re the only one that can feel your pain Clary, it’s not a competition if it hurts, it hurts. You don’t have to compare to me, you’re allowed to be sad, you’re allowed to miss him” He says, because he had this conversation before, Izzy and Alec had felt the same at some point in their life together, like they didn’t get to feel sadness or pain, because close to Jace’s historic it was nothing. He finally looks back at her and almost regrets saying anything because her eyes are teary again. But she leans her head against his shoulder and he gets to put his arm around her.

They stay there for long and quiet minutes, it feels amazing and it’s the closest he probably has ever been of her. He never wants to let go.

                                                          XXX

“Hey Jace” she calls him on a Monday right before lunch, he lets the boys go before him, and follow her to more calm place.

“What happened?”

“Nothing, I promise, I just wanted to thank you, for what you said at Izzy’s party”

“It was nothing, I like being useful,” he says, only half joking. Clary bites her lips and nervously looks around, she put both hands on his shoulder to push him down, they lips meet in between. It’s sweet and only long enough for Jace to register it, but not enough for him to react.

“Thanks, Jace,” she says before turning around with red cheeks, he is left behind dumbfounded.

                                                         XXX

After the kiss, Jace kind of feels consumed by Clary. He’s always looking for her, always wants to be close to her, and is always thinking about her. And it seems like the same goes to Clary since they always seem to end up tangled together these days.

Alec eyes them suspiciously at movie night when Clary is cuddled at his side like is second nature. Luke barely blinks when he finds him in his living room braiding Clary’s hair. Max is disgusted to discover they holding hands under the table while doing homework. Simon just raises an eyebrow at them when he finds them sharing the same chair. Izzy is unsurprised on finding them cuddling on his bed when Clary was supposed to be sleeping in her room.

“Just date her already,” she tells him after that particular incident.

                                                         XXX

It’s a fight that ends up making things happen. Boys can be fairly stupid, he would know, he is one of them, and this particular one had a very colorful choice of words about his sister. He deserved to be punched; it was not Jace’s fault. Thank God he had a witness.

Clary is sitting by his side holding the ice pack to his now bruising eye.

“Jonathan!” Maryse calls by the end of the of the hall and Jace flinches, she was probably in the middle of something important when the school called, he’s getting in so much trouble. He turns to thank Clary but she’s not looking at him, she is looking all worried to the floor

                                                           XXX

Jace is officially grounded in his room for four hours when it happens. His door is slammed open and Clary is standing there a kind of furious look on her face. She takes her time to close the door and then marches to end of his bed, standing by it.

“You are such an idiot,” she says, he thinks she talking about earlier “I have a fault on this too. But you? You were raised by geniuses, my nick name is Clary, Luke pet name for me is fairy, you probably have seen him shirtless when went swimming, and you just couldn’t figure it out”

“Clary?” he asks worriedly because she’s screaming at him, but she’s also unbuttoning her shirt, and he’s not quite sure where to look at. Her face he decides since she stopped screaming.

“Jace,” she says in the most serious tone he ever heard her use, he thinks he’s screwed.

“What?” he asks

“I want you to be honest with me, how do you feel about me?” he stares at her, he doesn’t know what is bringing this on.

“I like you” he confesses.

“I’m going to need more than that Jace,” she says getting closer to him.

“I- I don’t know Clary, it’s just consuming,” he says, “I want to be around you all the time and is like I can’t get enough of you. It’s like I’m drawn to you like I couldn’t get away even if I wanted to”

She sights and let her shirt slide from her body, there’s a lot of skin, he knows he’s blushing, there’s way too much inside of him. But It covers her entire rib cage, his name, in his bad cursive writing.

“Jonathan Christopher Wayland” she whispers, and he has the urge to touch her, so he does it, touches the name that bonds them to each other. He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t think he can.

“Kiss me” she demands, and he does it, doesn’t know how to resist the tug in his chest that brings him to her.

Their lips meet and he feels like every vein in his body is filled with electricity, like each one of this currents leads to her, like she’s the battery he needs to keep on living. And suddenly he understands why after years and years, Robert still looks at Maryse like she’s the best thing that ever happened to him, he understands why Luke and Jocelyn still grieve for the third part they lost, he understands why Simon was so nervous.

This girl right in front of him, with closed eyes and uneven breathing, messed hair and half naked, it’s his forever. He went through sixteen years of his life to find this one person, the one person that will stick to him; that will be there every moment of the rest of the way. It’s a thought both comforting and terrifying.

“I love you” she whispers and opens her eyes.

“I love you” he whispers back. He pulls her until they lay down on the bed and he can cover them both, he’s not going to let her go, not so soon.

                                                          XXX

They are both awake but neither of them wants to move, so they just stay there entwined with one another.

“Hey” she calls him, he hums in response “Where do you keep me?”

“Close to the heart”, he says smiling.

“I’m serious,” she says

“So am I,” He says detangling himself from her. He sits up while she keeps staring at him lying down, he takes his shirt off and there it is, on the left side of his chest, right above his heart is her name, in a way better cursive letter than his.

“Clarissa Fairchild” he murmurs to her.

“We are both idiots,” she says pulling him back to bed “We’ve known each other this whole time, how could we not know?”

“I think we’ve felt it” he murmurs into her hair.

“Yeah, maybe we did”

[danielmaney-blog]

TAKING AN UBER IN SACRAMENTO VS A TAXI! EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW.

It was a pivotal moment. Decision time. Call a cab or take an early morning uber in Sacramento? Okay…I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up to a few minutes earlier in this story.

“Natural Mystic” on my smartphone startled me awake on the eve of Thanksgiving. I reached for my cell phone and as I turned the alarm off I yelled, “F#$@!” so loud that my neighbors must have woken up. I sprung out of bed, ran into the bathroom, took a two-minute shower. Ran a comb through my hair, brushed my teeth and jumped into my clothes…all while cursing myself for hitting the snooze button a second time.

It was 6:10 a.m, I overslept an hour and ten minutes. My flight out of Sacramento International Airport was set to leave at 8:45 a.m and I was scampering around my apartment in Vacaville. a good 30 minutes (without traffic) away.

I got hit with a 3X surge price, but I didn’t really care, I just needed a ride to get to the airport fast.

Wild thoughts of running through the airport like a madman only to be denied entrance at the gate because I was a minute late raced through my head. I picked up my cell phone and hit the Uber App and ordered an Uber to Sacramento Airport.

Uber Rates Sacramento VS Taxi Rates!

Most of us would never think to compare Uber rates VS taxi fares in Sacramento. Even though taxis have been available for much longer than Uber in and around Sacramento we tend to just go with Uber because it’s what’s trending.

In the past, If you needed a cab in a hurry you had to call and wait or run out into the street and hail one. Uber’s technology and convenience have disrupted and revolutionized the way we get around, that’s without a doubt.

However…is taking an Uber really a better choice than taking a taxi in Sacramento?

Recently, Uber has been making headlines! and getting a lot of negative press coverage across the globe for issues related to safety. Service quality and owners’ political affiliations. The wave of media attention started after several alarming incidents. reported by both Uber passengers and drivers were made public. Just type ‘uber driver’ or ‘uber passenger’ on Google and you’ll find a host of articles! with titles including assault, lawsuit, inappropriate behavior, attack and other negative words.

All this media attention accounted for a dramatic spike in the organic search keywords “delete uber account”!! And the emergence of the #deleteuber tag in social media.

Here in Sacramento Uber has had reports of drivers harassing female passengers! which I will go over in detail later in this article.

After an extensive investigation into a variety of factors like service quality, safety, and cost. Of both taxi service near me and Uber in Sacramento. I have put together this comparison piece that every user should consider to mull over.

Uber Costs VS Taxi Rates In Sacramento

I started my research on the internet by first looking into the average cab cost in Sacramento and surrounding areas. After asking my trusted friend Google a series of question. It gave me a site that calculates taxi fares anywhere in the United States. And it turns out that It costs roughly $63.00 plus tip. For a 15-mile taxi ride from Davis (where I live) to Sacramento International Airport. And noted that Sacramento Taxi Yellow Cab has discounts for airport shuttles trips!

I compared the sixty-three dollar Sacramento taxi rate to Sacramento Uber’s rate budget car (Uber X) in Sacramento and found that the budget option gives a maximum estimate of $30.00. So the Uber X service offers significant saving opportunities. When compared to the average taxi in Sacramento. However, before we write taxis off, it is important to note that the premium Uber service, Uber Black, can rack up charges of up to $118.00 for the same trip. That is nearly double the cost of the Sacramento taxi service. All that low rates for Uber X ride will make you think twice before taking a ride! as I might lose some part of service compare to a legit taxi service..

On the surface, it would appear that Uber is better! from a cost perspective than taxis in Sacramento. However, much like the price difference between Uber X and Uber Black, users must be aware that Uber In Sacramento has a feature known as “surge pricing”!  Basically, surge pricing is activated during times of high demand!! And is supposed to benefit both drivers and passengers by assigning cars to those who need them most.

Basically, if you’ve got the money to shell out when prices surge, the car is yours. If you don’t have the dough, well…you just have to sit and wait until prices go back down! or like most people doing, Call a cab! Surge pricing increases the cost of an Uber by a percentage of the regular cost. and sometimes users can expect to pay as high as two and three times the normal prices.

Surge pricing is the number one complaint of Uber users in Sacramento and worldwide. Outrage over surge pricing in times of crisis such as the London Bridge terror attack in the UK! caused controversy across social media. when Uber was criticized for insensitivity and price gouging!! by taking advantage of users during an emergency situation.

So my conclusion on the uber vs taxi cost in Sacramento? Uber can be cheaper than a taxi, but not in all situations. There are times when Uber can save you some money and other times it can gouge a big, unexpected hole in your wallet. It’s the passenger’s responsibility to be diligent enough to compare prices.

Taxi and Uber Safety Issues Concerns In Sacramento

Passenger Safety

“When you make transportation as reliable as running water, everyone benefits. Especially when it’s snowing outside.” – Uber, Our Story

When Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick founded Uber in 2009 their mission was to improve access to transportation! and challenge the status quo of the traditional taxi industry. They wanted to offer comfort and luxury transport. that was affordable and accessible to everyone.

Uber’s convenient Smartphone app gives you the option of hailing a car in minutes (even seconds). wherever you are instead of having to pre-book a taxi or get one on the street. Uber drivers in Sacramento go through background checks. but not fulfill some requirements before being accepted as a driver. like getting fingerprinted! before getting accepted! But when you hail a car you can see your driver’s photo, profile, and information.

The convenience is one thing, but Uber has been in the media spotlight for safety concerns in Sacramento. Just last year there was a sexual harassment case of a young woman! reporting that her Uber driver made sexual advances and took her on a detour off their planned route.

She claimed that she was scared and feared for her life! especially when the driver pulled onto a residential street! and into a random driveway. She thought that she was being kidnapped.

Fortunately, she was able to call home and report the Uber Lyft driver. Fortunately, she was able to send a text message to her dad who called her back immediately! after reading that the driver was making her uncomfortable. Her story was backed up by the safety feature in the app! that tracks passenger routes confirming the young woman’s story! The driver in question was immediately removed and is being dealt with by the police.

while the background checks to the Uber Sacramento driver go through without fingerprinting! The applicants for the taxi drivers job in Sacramento. To go through the department of justice background checks with fingerprinting them at the city hall! And even have to complete behind the wheel driving course. Plus the Sacramento City acknowledge test! Which includes the knowledge of city codes! customer service, running your business as a taxi driver! Additionally, a thorough vehicle safety inspections! must be carried out every two years to ensure the taxicab meets minimum safety standards!

Whether you choose to take a taxi or an Uber in Sacramento your personal safety is of the utmost important part! Always be aware of safety risks and take the correct precautions to ensure your safety, just in case.

At Augest 2018 Uber driver in Sacramento lost his mind and were trying to kidnap 3 women at the weekend!

At June 2018 at NYC Uber driver discriminate kick out the Uber girls passengers for kissing each other!

The safety of passengers for any personal transportation company is paramount, but something that doesn’t always get the emphasis it deserves is the safety of the drivers.

A story from earlier last year of a driver Uber In Sacramento! proves that safety is not only an issue for passengers. A female driver was attacked in Sacramento after refusing to take 8 people in her 6-seat car.

The passengers poured water on her and began attacking her. The driver suffered injuries and was shaken up by the experience. She warned other ride-hailing of Sacramento Uber drivers to be vigilant and take extra safety precautions.

Taxi drivers have also had experiences with aggressive passengers and have been victims of planned robbery and hate crimes. In 2010, 56 year old Harbhajan Singh, a Sacramento taxi driver was brutally attacked by his passengers in what police believe to be a hate crime.

Taxi companies and ride-hailing services are doing all they can to make the safety of their passengers and drivers their number one priority.

Road Accidents and Prevention

As they say “accidents can happen”, and whenever you get into any mode of transport accidents are always a risk. When it comes to taxis and Uber in Sacramento both parties take road safety very seriously.

As mentioned previously taxis must undergo regular safety inspections to make sure vehicles are up to city code. The drivers of Uber Sacramento Airport use their own personal cars but must present an SSC (Standard Safety Certificate) before beginning working, which is valid for a year.  

These measures are put in place to ensure that vehicles are roadworthy and to prevent accidents related to vehicular malfunction.

Although these measures do help to improve safety, the highest accident risks of taxi cabs and Uber arise from human error rather than vehicular malfunction. Speeding, fatigue, a distracting passenger, a lane change without signaling etc. are all factors that are quite unpredictable and difficult to prevent.

So what precautions do taxi and Uber drivers in Sacramento provide for accident prevention?

A 2012 study on health and safety precautions for taxi drivers in the San Francisco area discussed the main factors that could increase the risk of accidents and safety issues for drivers. These include stress, long working hours and negative passenger interaction.

Furthermore, strategies were implemented by both drivers and taxi companies such as diffusion/decompression stress management and practicing pro-active self-care, which proved to improve the health and safety of the drivers.

On the flip side, in 2016, Uber launched a pilot program to monitor their drivers’ behavior. A leader in Smartphone application technologies, Uber used GPS and Gyrometer technology to measure drivers’ movements and speed.

This means that they can monitor if drivers are maintaining the speed limit and also how many times they stop and start, as well as the routes they take. If any of their drivers are found to be speeding or driving recklessly, this behavior gets logged and tracked to take action against that driver.

The Pros and Cons of Becoming A Taxi or Uber Driver In Sacramento

As a driver working for a taxi company or as a driver for Uber in Sacramento, there are several differences in the job benefits, financial rewards and pitfalls. How many times has someone told you that you can earn a lot of money in one day working for Uber? Maybe you can, but are there hidden costs you’re expected to pay?

Do you get to keep all the money you make? What about hours?

These are a few of top questions people want answered when considering becoming a driver for Uber or a taxi company in Sacramento. Let’s take a look at each individually and weigh the pros and cons of becoming a driver for both sides.

The Pros of Being a Driver for Uber in Sacramento

100% control over your time. Hours are flexible and you can work as much or as little as you want

You can use your own vehicle, so you feel more comfortable working and you don’t have to pay for parking your car somewhere while you work.

According to a recent survey the “average driver” working 30 hours a week makes an annual salary of approx $35,318

You can see the person you are going to pick up via their app profile and if they have a bad rating you can refuse the pickup

The application let’s you see how much the fare will be so you can have an idea of how much you can make

Payment is made electronically so you don’t need to carry cash on the job or worry about the passenger not paying when they get to their destination

Uber Cons

Tips are not mandatory for riders, so extra cash is not commonplace for drivers of Uber in Sacramento

When you add up the costs you need to pay for vehicle maintenance, fuel and other repairs you, car payments might not actually make as much profit as anticipated

Uber takes a 25% commission and a rider fee from any money you make

Although there’s a rider rating, you’re not 100% safe. There’s still risk involved.

You have to wait for someone to e-hail your Uber, you can’t pick up random passengers on the street at its illegal.

You need to make sure you have your own insurance, Uber doesn’t accept responsibility for that.

Taxi Pro’s

You rent the taxi cab from a company which pays the insurance and maintenance costs

You can become certified in specialist driving courses and receive an official license

Flexible hours

Multiple ways of acquiring passengers. You can pick them up from the taxi company’s app, dispatch or on the street

Tips are common for taxi drivers in Sacramento. It’s customary to tip 10% of the total fare

An average cab driver makes between $37-$43,000 a year not including bonuses and tips

You keep 100% of your fares (but there’s a catch)

Taxi Cons

Sacramento Taxi drivers usually accept and carry cash which leaves them more vulnerable to theft or loss

Long shifts and high stress due to the daily heavy traffic can make you prone to accidents

Although the payout is great, holiday shifts and busy peak hours can be exhausting

You have to pay weekly cab lease to the company for the cab (that’s the catch)

The Final Verdict – Taxis vs. Uber Sacramento

Even though 2017 has been a challenging year for ride-hailing companies, Uber is still growing and expanding with over 700 operational cities worldwide and remains the leading player in the globalization of e-hail services. They’re definitely making great strides to achieving their goal of “creating possibilities for riders, drivers, and cities”.

Traditional taxi companies in Sacramento have held a monopoly over the personal transportation industry for a long time. However, things are changing. We now have more choice and access – the fundamental idea behind Uber’s creation.

2017 has also been a challenging year for the traditional taxi cabs in Sacramento. However, they have far from been replaced by Uber in Sacramento. Rather, e-hailing apps have forced existing taxi companies to rethink their position and service offerings.

Uber Sacramento and similar services have given the industry a well-needed shake-up and caused Sacramento taxi companies to focus on offering competitive prices especially the shuttle service to Sacramento airport, quality service, and safety levels. This is evident by the fact that they have started to create their own mobile applications that offer the same wireless convenience offered by the alternative transportation services.

Like Uber drivers, some taxi drivers now offer passengers bottles of water, candies and the option to choose their preferred radio station. Drivers are now being forced to focus on the entire customer experience, not just on pushing the pedal and moving the car from point A to B.

I am all about sticking it to the system and changing the order of things. Like most, I was very excited about the change that would occur from the operation of Uber in Sacramento. The unexpected but very welcomed change is that Uber in Sacramento has raised the bar for the entire industry. After carefully comparing the pros and cons, I will definitely consider pre-booking a traditional cab before a flight instead of ordering a last-minute Uber – just because it’s the fashionable thing to do.

Which do you prefer to use in Sacramento? Taxi or Uber? I’d love to know your opinion, feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in a comment below.

[chyneashlytoo]

MAKEUP 101: 10-STEP BROW TUTORIAL (w/ gifs) using A BROW PENCIL [PART 1] - to be updated

Posted: 7 September 2018 (Wordpress blog) | 17 September 2018 (YouTube)

*remember your brow mapping so you know where your arch is as well as your end*PART 2 will be using a brow gel/pomade, and I’m thinking on doing a part 3 for using a brow powder… 

*This is not beta-ed.

~~~

“If the eyes are the windows, then the brows are the frames!”\These hairy caterpillars above our eyes are what helps us express the emotions we feel by means of it moving towards the center or up in surprise, I can definitely say that my eyebrows are very expressive at how much they move.

**DISCLAIMER: I am in no way shape or form an expert, but I’ve had practiced enough that others would consider how I do their eyebrows are legit good. BUT! Again, I am still a working progress, I’d like to even take up classes on hair and makeup just so my hobby can be turned into business in the beauty department of things.**

This tutorial will be mostly for those who want what is considered an ‘on-fleek’ or ‘Instagram eyebrows’ that is seen mostly on Instagram and on other beauty gurus who are doing tutorials about it on YouTube. This kind of brows would be a faded look at the start and to a pointed sharp end and is mostly a filled-in type of look.

Check out this short clip I made here on how I did the brows.

The products I used are: 1. BROW PENCIL (in the gifs, I used the MINISO brow pencil in the SHADE:01 GREY) * IMPORTANT: pick a shade that is almost the same color as your hair 2. BROW BRUSH (I used my FASHION21’s duo ended brush w/ spoolie) 3. SPOOLIE (unbranded but I always use an extra one) 4. CONCEALER (MAYBELLINE FITME in the SHADE: 20 SAND) 5. FOUNDATION (MAYBELLINE FITME in the SHADE: 125 NUDE BEIGE) *this is optional, you can still use your concealer 6. BROW GEL (BYS SHADE: CLEAR) *this is optional

LET’S GET STARTED!

~~~

STEP 1: ALWAYS DO BROW MAPPING IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER

This is a technique I learned from watching tutorials as well as practicing it on myself and on other people’s brows. With brushing it upwards, you will be able to see the bottom line of the growth of your brows. This will then serve as your guide as to where you should start filling them in, specifically the sparse or kalbong area of your brows.

STEP 3 FILL IN: ALWAYS START IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BROWS GOING TO THE END

Like I mentioned before, the brows we are trying to achieve are the faded-from-the-start type of brows. Basically, the end of the brows would be much darker than the start – a ‘gradient’ finish.

Also, there are cases where with the eyebrow pencil, you will have to swatch it on your hand first to warm it up before applying on the brows so the pigment will show through.

Once the sparse areas are filled in, lightly use hair-like strokes at the start of the brows. Notice how I don’t put any products at the very start of the brows because once we brush it again with the spoolie, it will eventually get spread around. Plus we are still going to use the concealer that will eventually help in defining the shape of the eyebrows (continue reading to find out how).

STEP 4: BRUSH YOUR BROW HAIRS DOWNWARD 

This will also help in giving us a guideline of where the hairs grow and where you will be drawing on your brows.

*remember your brow mapping so you know where your arch is as well as your end*

STEP 5: REPEAT STEP 3! FILL IN: ALWAYS START IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BROWS GOING TO THE END 

But this time on the top of the brows. Start by filling in sparse areas and darkening the tail end of the brows rather than the middle-to-the-start side of the eyebrows so it wouldn’t look too harsh or matapang. No need to put any product at the start because to achieve that faded-from-the-start type of brows, the concealer is there to help.

STEP 6: BRUSH AGAIN

Using the spoolie, brush your brows again to evenly spread and blend the product and to remove any harsh lines that was created. This also helps in giving our brows more of that ‘natural’ look before we define them with the concealers.

WAIT! You can already stop here if you want that more natural look. But if you want a more defined pair, we continue to step 7!

STEP 7: CONCEALER TIME! 

Using a thin-tipped eyebrow brush, get a little amount of concealer and trace the line at the bottom of your brows from the start to the end and blend away! With putting concealer at the start, this will create the illusion of having a clean brow bottom.

Blending is the key! Don’t worry if at the start it looks like a white line is drawn at the bottom of your brows, this will eventually fade/oxidize and will leave clean and defined brows.

If you don’t want to wait for the concealer to match your skin, simply pick a concealer that already matches your own so you will be able to see the results immediately. I actually use my concealer not only to conceal but to brighten that’s why it turns out lighter than what it is supposed to be.

STEP 8 FOUNDATION! (This is optional, you can sitll use concealer) 

Simply repeat step 7 to create that clean look at the top of your brows. I found it better to use foundation because it matches with my skin and won’t leave that lighter tone line of a concealer that I have to wait for it to fade after a few minutes or hours (depends how much you put).

~ OPTIONAL ~

STEP 9 SET THE BROWS WITH BROW GEL! 

Having long untrimmed/not-always-groomed brows, this is my go-to product because it keeps them in place. If I am in a real rush, I’ll just pop this on and I’m good to go. The product also doesn’t feel too stiff when compared to the other brow setter products I’ve used.

STEP 10 LET ‘EM DRY AND POSE FOR THE CAMERA 

You’re done! Just let the brow gel settle and dry and you’re good to go ❤

~~~

Hope you guys liked this and found it fun and informative!