251.

ASOS is my go-to shop when it comes to fashionable, plus size clothing. In the scope of things it's very affordable compared to some brands here in Canada. As I was cleaning my closet (and preparing for a blog sale!) I realised I needed more basics in my wardrobe. The past few months I have just been re-thinking on what my style is, or what I want it to be, or should be. After I saw some new-arrivals from ASOS and some of their sales items in their mid-season sale I caved and bought a few things:






Here's some things I really want, but maybe I'll wait until they go on sale or when I come back from camping and when I come back from the states to go shopping, haha.

Item Breakdown

1. elbow patch cardigan

2. collar dress

3. jet black skinnies

4. indigo skinny jeans

5. scallop collar top

Are there any things you want from ASOS?

250. (Dizoneye Circle Lenses Review)

The circle lenses I have here today are the Dizoneye blue lenses from Lens Village.  Before I begin with the review, here are some disclaimers:


1. I have astigmatism but the lenses I use are non-toric because they are more inexpensive than the toric kinds. HOWEVER, I spoke to my optometrist before ordering spherical lenses and he said it was okay. ALWAYS consult your optometrist before getting contact lenses fitted. Usually, the diameters on the circle lenses are 8.6 base curve (that's the average, apparently, for a person) - but if you are unsure still, I'd arrange for a contact lens fitting.
2. I did not get paid to do these reviews. Some curious readers asked me about circle lenses and I did tons of research on Google as well before buying these.
3. For more information I recommend Soompi's circle lens faq. Super helpful and informative.
4. Another note, these are prescription lenses. Again, order the right prescription before you order. If you do not wear prescription most circle lenses come in "plano" (0.00 power, pretty much) if you just want for purely cosmetic reasons. All the lenses I buy have prescription. Most lenses go up to -10.00. For reference, mine were (Left eye: -5.50, Right Eye: -6.50).

Dizoneye Circle Lenses
From Lensvillage.com

Style: 7.5/10
Comfort: 6/10
Enlargement: 7/10
Total: 6.8/10
Other information: Diameter 14.5 mm, Base Curve 8.6, Water Content 38%

Comparison of enlargement. (I don't really have symmetrical eyes, haha, I also have a lazy eye.)


No flash, under indoor lighting.


With flash.


I've always wanted to try blue circle lens but I didn't know where to begin. I love the way the GEO Nudy series looks, but I wanted something different because I already had a pair of brown ones. I also wanted to try a different brand of circle lenses because I found that GEO and my eyes aren't a match made in heaven - GEO dries out my eyes quite a bit, which is a pity because they're one of the brands that has the most selection for circle lenses.

I also wanted to try a new shop. I've tried Korea Big Eyes and Honeycolor, but Lens Village seemed like a good choice too. Their shipping was very prompt and I got my circle lenses in about a week and a half, so kudos to them! They also give you a free animal-shaped case.

After going through many brands and pictures and doing some research of my own, I decided I would try something different and try Dizoneye circle lenses.

Pros: I was expecting something a bit darker after looking at internet pictures of people wearing Dizoneye - instead, they're a nice vibrant blue even without the flash. The enlargement isn't too shabby either. Aesthetic-wise, Dizoneye delivers.

Cons: Unfortunately, they're very uncomfortable. I could only last a few hours wearing these contact lenses. They dried up my eyes and I needed to use drops a lot. They have 38% water content (like GEOs) and to be honest I kind of expected the discomfort.






To be quite honest I do not think I'd get the Dizoneye brand again. As stated above, they're not very comfortable and there are better looking lenses out there, or about the same in appearance that have a higher water content. If your eyes aren't as sensitive and you want a deep dark blue like above, maybe it's good for cosplaying or if you just want a dramatic look.

249.

I both love and hate summer vacation. I love the spare time I get but at the same time it's too much spare time, too. I spend my days either reading journal articles (for my upcoming thesis) or play video games (my favourites right now are Diablo 3 and Roller Coaster tycoon 3). With most of my time spent at home I barely go out. To be honest lately I've just been so uninspired by summer in terms of outfits. After spending time in the Philippines in the scorching heat I don't want to do summer anymore! Haha. I miss going to school and spending time at the sociology department and I miss layering up.

 
 Top Thrifted (similar) | Shorts and Belt ASOS (similar short, similar belt) | Shoes Winners (similar) | Sunglasses Vintage (similar)




Ah, anyways, here's an outfit I wore to go out for dinner tonight with my brother and my fiance. Speaking of 'fiance', here's the ring he got me. Not the best picture, but it's cute and simple. I told him I didn't want something so complicated as an engagement ring, haha. I'm happy!

Tomorrow, I'm going out to Ontario - Kenora, to be exact. I'm going out camping for the long weekend.

248.

I love this time of year: the weather is great, no school, and I can wear whatever I please. The thing I love the most about the summer is the mid-season sales that go on, too! I was excited to find that some of my favourite pieces from Marisota have gone on sale and are up to 50% off. For those who don't know, Marisota is a plus size women's clothing retailer from the United Kingdom! Here are some of my favourites from Marisota's mid-season sale:








Notice a pattern yet? Ha! If you guessed white, flowy, and stripes - you have the right answer!

I can't seem to pull away from stripes - every time I'm at the store my eyes immediately go towards the striped top. My fiance always rolls his eyes at me and says, "You have too many of those!" But I can't help it. I mean, even online... the first thing I HAVE to click is a striped top! People say that stripes make them look wider - but for me, I don't mind: I'm wide anyways - might as well embrace it, as I always say.

I think the same goes with flowy tunics like the one above. People (and television shows) always say, "Never go for empire waist tops or tent-like tops! They make you bigger!" I'm not a fan of skin-tight things... and it's not because I'm self-conscious of my body but they make me feel uncomfortable physically. I don't really care about modesty to be quite honest, I show quite a lot of leg and I'm sure that's considered "immodest" in some cultures or religions. That's why I barely wear bodycon skirts or dresses. I like flowy tunics cause they're loose, comfortable, and I feel like I can breathe in them. Even if it makes me look pregnant. Funny thing is some people have the gall to ask me if I am pregnant... and I always say, "Ha, yeah. With a food baby!" The shock on their face is priceless because they pretty much just called me "fat", haha.

And white tops... I am OBSESSED with white and cream coloured items. I own a lot of them in my closet (and I lack many black stuff, oops). My mom always told me growing up that "white makes you look bigger" and I should "avoid white". She was so militant about this she wouldn't even let me wear white to my high school graduation! The prom dresses I wanted were all white - but she said it was too 'wedding like' and 'I don't need a dress to make me look bigger'. Pft. Anyways, this top from Marisota is great because you can dress it with a tunic and some flats and with the proper accessories you're good to go.

Are you currently shopping or looking around for great deals? What are some things that are considered "a taboo" in society when it comes to clothing but you love it anyways?

247.

With all my time spent at home now, I'm always online window shopping. I saw that Simply Be has really cute stuff for the summer right now and they are having their mid-season sale as well. I'm sure you all know this but Simply Be sells clothing for plus sized women. They're a retailer from the UK but have expanded to the US online. They carry brands such as Joe Browns!


So anyways, I find it really difficult to find cute bathing suits, especially for someone my size. To be honest I'm not much of a "fatkini" person, as I'm not the type of person to expose too much skin - it's just not in my comfort zone. I'm very selective on what type of bathing suits I like - a lot just aren't my cup of tea. When I walk into a store and look for bathing suits, I find the ones my size are adorned with tacky "Hawaiian" inspired print or something similar. Blah. Good thing we're not limited anymore - we have so many options online! (Still, we could use more options for swim wear, even online for us bigger ladies!)


Here's some of my favourites from Simply Be. They have a decent selection of swimsuits, and a lot of them are cute as well. As you can see in some of my previous blog entries, I'm a swimmer and I love to go in the water - which is perfect: enjoying your hobby and looking cute too.

 
           

I see a lot of hate when it comes swim dresses. I understand this "hatred". If you're going to go swimming a lot, swim dresses may not be appropriate because there's so much fabric (which bulks you up more in the water) and the fabric floats upwards, which exposes you a bit from underneath. Still, it's an option if you're going to lay on the beach and not swim as much.

The blouson-type swimsuits are popular too. They have extra fabric to "conceal the tummy". (But if you go in the water anyways, it'll get wet and ... do you see where I'm getting at?) I still think it's cute if you're going to lounge around instead of swim. 

What my favourite is right now is the sheath-style "retro pin up" style swimsuits. I love the floral ones above! It just seems so "feminine" and you feel like you're a vixen from the 1950s.

What are your must-haves for this summer? I need bathing suits, because as I said - I'm a total beach bum. I love to swim. I also like dresses because I can breathe easier without having fabric hugging my body in higher temperatures.

246. (Philippines - Part Two)

Thanks for the comments last post, everyone! The following pictures are from when I was in Zambales, Subic, and in Bohol. The Philippines looks so tiny on a map, but it's quite vast! Looking at these photographs makes me wish I never left! It really does help that I have my uncles who are willing to drive us around and fly us off to places, haha!










This is on our way to Iba, Zambales. First, we head off to Subic, Oolongapo. I believe the Subic region used to be a military area when the USA still occupied the Philippines. I see many white people in Subic, many of whom are tourists or people who have decided to live in the Philippines and establish businesses, or just live there.






Some street shots of Subic, Oolongapo.The trike things that you see are called "tricycles". It's a cheap mode of transport in the Philippines.



In the Western world, at least as I observed from the USA and Canada, McDonalds is the face of fast food. In Winnipeg, I always see a McDonalds when we drive places. In the Philippines, we see a Jollibee.




On our way to Zambales. This is a little bit outside of Subic. Behind the advertisements are graves. "Cemeteries" on a mountain if you will - I find it weird, albeit disrespectful that it's sprawled all over.


Finally in Iba, Zambales! This is the sand at our beach. I can't fully capture it's beauty - it glitters like someone put confetti in the sand. It's beautiful!


I spent most of my days in the water. The waves were AWESOME.






A view of our resort area and at the beach.



Me!



Food! There's better ways to enjoy squid/calamari without deep-frying it. This was stuffed grilled squid. The other is a plate of tuna sashimi. 100 Pesos for 0.5 kg. ($2!) What I liked about our resort was that food was cheap. Oh, and you can go to the local market and buy food there, then take it back to the resort and the chefs will prepare it however you want it. No cooking required for yourself, and it's great for tourists on a budget.





After coming back to Manila, we took a day's rest then headed off on a domestic flight to Bohol, Philippines. It's a province down south - an island, and it's gorgeous! Here's some pictures from the airplane. You can see hills, which is Bohol's famous "chocolate hills" (more pictures of that to come!)


We've arrived at Tagbilaran airport.



This is Bohol on the map!












View from my room at our resort. The beach is just a minute away!





Pictures of the said beach.








Next stop, Chocolate hills! Named after "Hershey's Kisses" because in autumn time I believe, the hills turn brown and they do look like chocolate.















Floating restaurant. With my fiance and my family. ♥



Petting a python and another snake. Was cool.







I lit up the green candle.





We went island hopping. Took a picture with this cool tree, haha!

















Sea urchin. They're delicious! 











Thanks for reading. One more (shorter) entry after this. Outfit posts to resume next week. :)