Wait, I'm not done with my "Avengers" obsession phase yet, even if the hype has died down and dwindled as people make way for other summer blockbusters. xD Such periods of dire fondness for a fandom is something a geek isn't a stranger to; in fact, in a geek's life, it happens nearly everyday (for better and for worse, believe you me).

So when I saw photos shared by friends linked to the Hot Toys' Facebook fan page, and with the full glory of the Loki 1/6 scale figurine adorning their timeline, I immediately had to know more details about that particular figurine (hey, it's LOKI! #Loki'sArmy xD) and others in "The Avengers" line.

I checked out more photos from http://youbentmywookie.com (and I'd like to stress that the photos I'd be posting here will all be from their web site, so the photo credits go to them. :) ).

And boy, was I BLOWN AWAY.

Even as the photos only showed the prototypes, and the official releases may still slightly differ, I can't help but ADMIRE the painstaking detail lavished unto each figurine, especially the paint details of the face. Each pose, each angle of the collectible showed a masterpiece waiting to be displayed proudly in a toy collector's haven/shelf/home museum. Even at first glance, the lifelike details can't be missed, and their likeness to the actors that played them in the films were uncannily very identical.

Well, then, let's look at the photos, starting with Loki, God of Mischief, in the likeness of  (spellbinding) actor Tom Hiddleston:

one word: CHEEKBONES. hell yeah cheekbones.

I was never really a fan of Loki's costume (it's the helmet, making him look goat-ish sometimes!! D:) UNTIL there were enough photos on the web which showcased Tom Hiddleston in costume (read: ridiculously photogenic Loki meme) and I slowly found myself appreciating the blend of fabrics and textures. The collectible is no different. Textures, fabric, how they photograph very nicely--it's all in the package.

These collectibles were made not only to be displayed but, perhaps, to be photographed in different poses using different accessories that come with the figurine. LOKI HAS A LOT. Just look. LOOK. They even included that freaky muzzle and shackles which he wore towards the end of the film.

The collectible itself is highly pose-able. It's like a tiny human being in itself and it's almost scary. Here are more photos:

The Loki collectible figurine stands at about 32 cm tall with over 30 points of articulation (meaning those joint things you can move to achieve real-life body poses). I was dazed to realize that the collectible is a LIMITED EDITION one, so I'm pretty sure by the time it's released to the market on December 2012, stocks will fly off shelves in no time..... and I'm close enough in becoming one of them (even with a HEFTY SRP of $219.99!! *mini heart attack*)

More photos and details on the figurine itself can be found HERE.

So, that's for the God of Mischief. Now moving on to his brother: Thor, God of Thunder, played by the smexy Chris Hemsworth:

Hammer time!

Just like the Loki figurine, the Thor one spares no detail. The fabrics used, the textures, the sculpt of the hair, beard, and facial features, with Mjolnir (the hammer has a name, yes) at his side... Odin himself would be quite intrigued ("My son, the mortals hath forged sculptures in thy likeness. Interesting realm, this Midgard.").

Not a lot of accessories come with Thor (though the Tesseract container and its crafted detail is something to consider), but I forgot to mention that the this and the Loki figurine come with stands bearing the film logo. These beauties are indeed for display. The actors who played Loki and Thor are about the same height, so their collectible versions are also about the same height: 32 cm, and Thor's also has more than 30 points of articulation.

AND OH YES, THE FACE DETAILS~~~

BY ASGARD!!! DO YOU NOT SEE THE PORES???

And then you thought that Asgardians would be flawless and immortal and as splendid as the gods of lore... yes there are pores, and traces of wrinkles, redness, and the facial hair--so much like what Chris Hemsworth may look like had you watched the film (or "Thor") in HDTV. xD


And just to compare the two side by side (sort of), here is Loki's marvelous mugshot:

"I stole my brother's skincare regimen and got the best from it"

Pores are still there, but finer. AND THE EYES BY ODIN'S BEARD THE EYES. Kudos to the artists (shown in the figurines' respective pages in Youbentmywookie (the site hath a peculiar name, doth it not?) who really captured the characters'/actors' perfections and imperfections. The Thor collectible figurine retails at $199.99. Perhaps it is due to less loose parts and accessories as compared to the Loki figurine.

Both figurines are still for pre-order and will be released to the market in the 4th quarter of this year. More details on the Thor collectible figurine can be found HERE. He is also LIMITED EDITION (aaccckkkk).

The other characters whose prototypes have been released are: Captain America, Nick Fury, and Hawkeye.

Just a little note: I have not been paid or compensated by Hot Toys to make some oggling observations of Thor and Loki from their 1:6 scale line. ^^; I just wanted to share the good stuff to you guys, and who knows, any of you may be falling in line soon to receive the collectibles when they come out, most likely, on December 2012.

So... purchased any action figures lately? ^^ I do know some girls who do. They unleash their inner boy-geek and toy stores instantly become what makeup stores are during their girly days. xD

Hey, girls have the right to collect and display toys of favorite superheroes and action figures as anyone! ^_^


LURVE,

Okay, so I have a confession to make.

Ever since watching Marvel's The Avengers, I duly came to realize that I've been missing out on a large chunk of geekdom in my life, which is: the geekdom of comic books. "The Avengers" opened a world to me which I knew would be vast, interesting, complicated, and perhaps more endearing than I have imagined. In all those years, I've seen fellow geek friends succumb to the power of the comic book. While I do own a couple, such as "V for Vendetta" and "Watchmen," I have never really considered myself an enthusiast... until I felt the tingle of slowly becoming one eventually.

I think it's both a good thing and a bad thing. xD

You see, I've entered this phase when I stop spending on make-up, clothes, and shoes--which is good--only to bring my attention to something else--which is, well, entirely geek stuff.

I've foregone some skin care purchases because of this:

"The Ultimates," written by Mark Millar

I've sworn that I'd be in a spending ban after that motherfudger, and so far so good: no major purchases since then, and I believe that the effort is worth it, since I enjoyed my new paperback immensely.

And that is when I knew that I wanted MOARRR.

So I decided to attend Fully Book's Free Comic Book Day on May 19, 2012 at their Bonifacio High Street branch (yes, the one with the four--well, five with the basement--floors of awesome). Of course, I also made sure to attend with friends who were more adept in this new field that I am dabbling into. Nick or Pinoyavenger was there, and so was Mark, and the Justice PH, who came in full costume--pure coolness.

The 9:30AM line

When the line started to move in front of Fully Booked.

I was told that people start falling in line a couple of hours before the shop opens during Free Comic Book Day, and Fully Booked was no exception. Nick and I were there at around 9AM and there already was a line outside the doors about three shops long. In less than an hour, the line grew long enough to span nearly a mile (I may be exaggerating but hey! It's my first Free Comic Book Day ever and these novel things bring wonder to my eyes). The little kid inside me grew giddy. I was thinking: what people would do for free comics; what people would do to celebrate something they love, however small it was. 

The poster

Nick and I (and the line behind us)

As our turn came, I went about consulting Nick and Mark repeatedly on recommendations of comics, both from the free comic book pile, and from those on sale. I eyed a couple of comic book compilations on The Hulk (I have The Hulk/Dr. Bruce Banner FEELS, you see. :P) from the sale (50% off!!!!!) and toted them around for a while, making up my mind, until I decided to save up instead for more geek things I had in mind (also comic book related... somewhat ^^;). The force of comic books in me isn't that strong yet, but the interest surely remained. Mark offered to lend me "Planet Hulk," and of course I accepted; before investing myself thoroughly into this geekdom, I must do more than dip my toes and dive in, with the help of friends, of course. ^_^;;;

The Justice PH :D

Pickin' out some comics at the comics desk

By brunch time, Nick and I decided to have some waffles and pancakes, and soon, Mark joined in after retrieving a free donut from Krispy Kreme. And then a slew of comic-book (and "Avengers" film)-related conversations began. The names and timelines they dropped were both foreign and candy to my ears. They didn't leave me out of the conversation as they enlightened me as they went, while I asked a question or two. It dawned upon me again that I HAVE BEEN MISSING OUT. Dang, girl! You could've had some grand times with past Free Comic Book Days. Oh well, better late then never ever, I suppose!

What I got (behind are prints illustrated by comic book artist Andrew Villar :) )

I haven't had a kikay post in a long time, but I've initially planned for my blog to cater to various audiences and be about various topics and shenanigans, and since I've been in a geeking mood as of late, WELL HERE IT IS.

And besides...

(I just needed an excuse to include a tantrum-y Loki here.)

So... any of you guys have been on Free Comic Book Days for this year and the past years since its inception? :D


LURVE,

So what are these "anime and hobby conventions," and why do people go to such events?

Well, people have their own, various reasons, but one thing's for sure: we go there to dress up and just plain have fun. :P

And what do we mean by "dress up?"

YES, it's called "cosplay." The term "cosplay" has definitions which people debate on and have evolved overtime, but simply put, it's short for "costume play:" wherein a person dresses up as a fictional character from television, films, books, and comic books and ACTS OUT the character. YOU ARE THE CHARACTER. It sounds pretty freaky to the layman, but as we keep on saying amongst ourselves: one may never know the joys of cosplay until he or she tries it... because it's worth trying at least once in your life. ~.^

BUT this entry isn't solely about cosplay. It's about an event called "The Philippine Cosplay Convention," running in its fifth year and was held on March 3, 2012 in Robinson's Place Manila Midtown Atrium. Yes, I know this is a super late post. xD

So we've been teased with this poster weeks before the event:

The event teaser poster taken from Cosplay.ph.

What's cool about PCC is that their IS NO ENTRANCE FEE. This was actually the first time I've attended PCC, but my chaps here seem to have attended for a while now:

Yes, that's 2 girls dressing up as 2 guys... with a hawt schoolgirl teehee

A couple of friends decided to dress up as characters from Kuroshitsuji, also known as "Black Butler" in its English dub. Ayn was Ciel Phantomhive, while Stacy was Grell Sutcliff. Caroline was simply dressed up as a hot schoolgirl (she will deny the "hot" part, but don't believe her xD). I... well, you will see. :P

Since entrance was free, the place was simply packed. However, since the mall was basically open to costumed people especially when they needed refreshment and had to go on food and bathroom breaks, the crowd remained manageable and there was still enough space to breathe. Another plus for this event and the venue. :D

Taken from the 4th floor ^^

Now... let's take a look at some of the cool cosplays we've encountered at the convention:

A ZOIDS MECHA! One complicated costume

Marky, one adorable, talented cosplayer, dressed up as Bon Clay from One Piece

This is also the place where your childhood comes to life.

SHAIDER! Galaxy police

Also, we meet more cosplay friends and acquaintances, like these guys from the famous Tuxedo Team:

The girls were joining the festivities at the venue

I also think that one of the fun parts of being in costume is when you go out and eat and do some of the stuff you do normally... but as the character you're cosplaying. xD Here, Grell is picking on Ciel in the absence of Ciel's butler, Sebastian :P :

Grell!!! BEhAVE! :P

And as for me, well... the usual. :P I'm still on my way of reaching my ideal weight since I gained a LOT, so in the meantime, I've been dressing up as a pirate lass. ^^; For this event, I specifically went as a gypsy pirate princess. Because every little girl wants to be a princess

Who goes there??? >:3

The venue also had booths that sold toys and other cosplay-related goodies. :D It is, after all, a cosplay compendium event. ^^ Of course, I HAD TO take a photo of THIS:

ThunderCats, HOOOOO!!!

At the end of the day, we had tired feet, but were all smiles. :) 10,000,000 photos later (well not really, but all of us were trigger happy as much as we can with our cameras while distracted by so many stuff), we remembered to take a group shot photo of ourselves. xD

With Celeste who came as an ordinary h00man hehe

People who are keen to judge may be inclined to think that we'ere too old for such things, and should just stick to what one calls "reality." We try not to let those kinds of people bust our bubble, since we still try our best to live our lives and all other responsibilities that come with it. :) Cosplay events add more rays of sunshine into our lives, and we relish every minute of it, in spite of what other people may think. ^^;;;

As I said, being in costume and attending such events is worth a try... even at least once in your lifetime.

LURVE,

Well, April is almost done and I haven't really been actively attending to my blog since my first April post on April first (geddit? Ahahaha... b'awww nevermind. ^^;)

I had this plan of reviewing products that are against animal cruelty for this month... and of course, the philosophy is better to start late than never placing the idea at the backburner to simmer till next summer altogether (so many "-er's" thar). So I'll be doing this instead for the entire summer, from here on until June. :)

Why for the summer when I can do reviews on cruelty-free stuff for the entire year? Of course I can do that, and I do plan to remain doing so among a variety of topics after June, but I'd just want my post to be timely. xD April has been dubbed Prevention of Cruelty To Animals Month by OrangeRibbonForAnimals.org; a cause has been circulating around Facebook to spread such awareness all throughout the month of April. I signed up, of course. :) And so sign up if you're all for the cause so they reach their targeted numbers. ^_^

Now, on to the product review!

Photo from their web site

The sun's more potent in this here tropical country in the summer (and while the bit that says that it's because the sun is closest to the earth during the summertime is false, let's leave the science to the scientists haha), so the sunblock and sunscreen craze in local supermarkets, drugstores and department stores has erupted. There are a whole lot of choices out there with different levels of SPF, so pick your poison, put on your hat, and walk down that sunny road.

Whilst I--well, I picked mine own poison through DeVita's Solar Protective Moisturizer with SPF 30+. It's mainly for the face, and it can be use for both day time AND nighttime. While there's already a photo provided above, I'll pitch in some photos of mine (just click on them to enlarge):

The box and the tube

The ingredients list

The cruelty-free label, and all the other good stuff

And this is what it looks like on the back of me hand:

Forgive teh spottled hobbit hand. ERK.

...And all blended out. It leaves a bit of a sheen which disappears after about a minute:

It's quite an understatement if I simply say, "hey, this is a pretty good moisturizer." It's more of: "I can't believe it's sunblock!!!" Because IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE SUNBLOCK. That's a big plus for this product. Whilst I will list the pros and cons of the product later, I can say right now that it's non-greasy (for real), it absorbs quickly, and it doesn't leave a ghastly white cast on your FACE as most sunblock face creams and lotions do. It's exactly what it says and more: it's a light moisturizer with sunblock properties that really do wonders to your skin.

SO YEA. This stuff helped with the tone and texture of mah skin.

Anya, my kitty's and my mugshot ahehehe

There I am, no makeup, nearly just woken up, but I don't look as horrible as I thought I would without makeup. Of course I still have a bit of marks from acne scars, but THEY ARE FADING as I use this product regularly. At least, they fade faster than they usually do if I just go with my usual skincare routine.

YOSH!!! I think it's Holy Grail-worthy for me!

Now, on with:

LIKES: 

• Non-greasy and easily absorbed
• No discernible scent
• Has relatively high SPF for a moisturizer
• Has natural ingredients. No parabens and all that icky stuff
• Cruelty-free
• Visible improvement on skin tone and texture (I used this day and night for 2 weeks now)
• Can be used as your normal moisturizer (for both day and night)

DISLIKES:

• Like sunscreen, it must be applied liberally, so this isn't a "little goes a long way" product
• Not available locally (as far as I know)
• Can be quite expensive. It retails for $25.95; that's about Php1,000 more or less for a 2.5oz tube
• If you're allergic to zinc, this product is a no-no for you; it's active ingredient is ZINC OXIDE

I got mine from Vitacost, where it's being sold for a percent cheaper than its retail price, via my mom who visited from the States some time ago. BUT!! Vitacost and DeVita SkinCare ships internationally, so if you'd like to give this a try, I say, go for it. :D

Rating: 5/5 (despite the dislikes)

Will I repurchase: YEP! I actually have a spare tube of this goodness. haha.

Do I recommend: INDEED. :3

This summer, the wisest words are: HYDRATE REGULARLY AND DON'T FORGET TO PUT ON SUNSCREEN. Yes, even when you're bloody INDOORS. At least something with Spf15 for indoors. 

Have a grrreeaaat summer, ya'll! :D And don't forget to sign up for the orange ribbon cause. 

LURVE,

Why hello there, luvs. ^_^

I do think we've reached this day and age when most people are starting to turn to organic stuff for health and humanitarian reasons. Of course, the matter of animal testing for products we h00mans would normally use is definitely more than just being "on trend." Conscientious consumption is making its way to the forefront, to the relief and delight of animal welfare-ists, and to the immense joy of beauty junkies who would rather not have innocent bunnies suffer on their behalf. In fact, most cosmetics web sites have FAQ or mission/vision sections that specifically address the "animal testing" concern.

Also, labels on the products themselves are now being more prominent enough (albeit in fonts or pictures as tiny as the ingredients and instructions print :P) that sooner or later, they'd be hard to miss. This brings me to show you some examples of brands and their products that I own and have been using that bear the "cruelty-free" emblem. Note that I'll first show the product, and beside it would be how their respective "cruelty-free" labels look like. :) (Click on the photos to enlarge them.)

**FTC: I don't get paid or sponsored to feature these products. I'm just supporting these brands for the awareness they bring to their consumers. ^^**

E.L.F. (Blush and Bronzer Duo)

The Body Shop (Macadamia Straightening Balm)

Mario Badescu (Drying Cream)

Mineral Flowers (Rose & Geranium Facial Wash)

Some proudly Pinoy-made/local products:

Cyleina (Black Pearl soap)

Beach Hut (Hair and Scalp sunblock spf 20)

And here are some brands available from one of my favorite go-to stores for various cruelty-free skincare and haircare stuff: Healthy Options. :)

Alba Botanica (leave-in conditioner for color-treated hair)

Alba Botanica Acnedote (oil control lotion)

Tints of Nature (Seal & Shine leave-in conditioner)

Stuff I got online/abroad:

One With Nature Dead Sea Salt Soap

Manic Panic (in Vampire Red) and Special Effects (in Candy Apple Red) semi-permanent hair dyes

Best With Blueberries (Body Spray)

The "cruelty-free" or "against animal testing" label comes in different forms and shapes, but in basically the same size, so look for it as best as you can around the packaging. :P You can't miss it! :)

However, not all products that are against animal testing are free from animal-derived products. Some known ingredients such as beeswax still pervade in some products as emolients. On the other hand, there are products that are considered "vegan" and contain all vegetable-derived ingredients. The "vegan" label isn't as permeable yet as the "cruelty-free" one, so it's best to check the ingredients list first. ^_^ To give you more than a peak, here's a page from PETA.org that lists down animal derivatives in all their names and definitions .

I love animals, and I love makeup, and I know that I'm not the only one. ^^ We gotta settle for something no less as much as possible, right? :)

These kitties very much approve:

Look how they uh... sleep like babes (Chunyi, ya can't peek, yer supposed t' be asleep xD).

Stay tuned for another entry on cruelty-free beauty in time for Prevention of Cruelty To Animals Month. 

Lurve,