July Favorites!

Wow!  Where did July go?

Time is flying by fast, so it's time for another monthly favorites post!

July also has a wide variety of products, so let's jump into it!

Fashion/Beauty:

Crop Tops and High Waist-ed Shorts

This combination is something I've been wearing a lot this month.  I took a trip to Savers and bought some cheap jeans and cut them off into shorts, and I've been wearing them non-stop with some cute crop tops that I had in my closet.  The above outfit is just one example.  I love that I can show just a peek of stomach and still pull off the crop top look.  There are days where I just don't want to show off my whole midriff, and high waist-ed shorts are perfect for the occasion.  I can make one pair of high waist-ed shorts look different by pairing it with a different top.  A tie top like the one shown here, a loose crop top, a tight one, tank top style, even my seifuku tops look adorable with them!  I was worried that because I have a thicker middle I wouldn't be able to wear them, but I've been pretty satisfied with how I look in them so far.  Thick girls, don't be afraid to try out this cute style!

Benetint

So I took a trip to Sephora this month, and I do believe it's been over a year since I last went, so I went around and played with different products to figure out which few I would buy (because money adds up at Sephora really fast)!  After trying this lip tint, it was an instant favorite!  I had been researching lip tints for a while since they seem to be trendy right now, and I was looking for a color that looked natural, but still made a noticeable difference if I layered it.  This color looks dark in the bottle, but it comes out as a nice pale rose shade on the first application.  My lips have a pink/red tint to them naturally, so just applying one coat of this plays up my natural color nicely.  Put on two or three coats and it looks like you had a red Popsicle, and I always liked that look.  Put on more, and you've got an in your face red lip that lasts for hours!  Another awesome point about this product is that you can put lip balm over it, and it won't mess up the color!  Dry lips are so annoying, but that's not a problem with this product since it stains your lips, so putting lip balm over it throughout the day is A-Okay!

Music:

"If You Do, Do"

Lately I've been on a Vocaloid binge, so I've had this song on repeat for a while:

This song is also called "Pomp and Circumstance" as well as "If You Do, Do" so you may know it as one of these two names if you're a Vocaloid fan.  This song is performed by Miku, Luka, Gumi, IA, and Rin.  To me, this song is different from any other Vocaloid song I've heard so far.  It has a dark, sexy feel to it and the chorus picks up to a dance tempo so you can really get down!  It's a bit strange to think that an automated voice program can sound sexy, but it definitely can!  I love how the range of this song goes from a smoky alto to a clear mezzo, then there's the rapping in the midsection that adds a fun twist.  Make sure you click the video and give this a listen!

Heyne's "Red Lie"

This is another song that I've had on repeat for a while.  It just came out on July 23rd, but I've been hooked ever since I saw this on tumblr!  I hadn't heard of Heyne before this, but she's very good and kind of quirky, which I like.  The song is super catchy and upbeat, but it's about a girl who's been lied to in her relationship and she's had enough!  The video is fun to watch, and the editing is done well.  There are points in the video where there are multiples of her onscreen but only one is moving, then that one moving figure will take the position of the frozen figures and move on.  Does that make sense?  I thought it was very clever, so make sure you watch the video so you understand what I'm blabbering on about!  Heyne is signed to Crescendo Music, and I do believe she's their only artist, so this particular company is in the clear for now.  I don't know much about the label, but if I find out more information I can make a post about it if you like.

Anime:

Princess Tutu



When I went into Savers to buy some old jeans to cut into shorts, I was by the check out line and noticed they had some DVDs for sale.  Immediately I saw that they had the complete collection of Princess Tutu, squealed, then picked it up and bought it.  It was only four dollars!!  Anyway, Princess Tutu was one of my favorite anime back in high school, and I hadn't watched it in a very long time.  Before I get to deep into my ramblings, let's look at the plot synopsis from Anime News Network, shall we?

"13-year-old ballet student Ahiru is clumsy, good-hearted and sweet... and has a big secret. The mysterious Drosselmayer morphed a young duck into a girl to give her a mission: help a Prince to get the parts of his heart back. With that in mind, she morphs into Princess Tutu, whose magical dances ease the pain and purifies the bad feelings."

This synopsis fleshes out the plot very nicely, but it leaves out one very exciting part:  the love triangle between Ahiru, the Prince, and Princess Tutu's enemy, Princess Kraehe!  The story line of this anime is dramatic, exciting, and gets you thinking about your own feelings as Princess Tutu returns the pieces of the Prince's heart.  

One of the things I love most about this anime is the ballet.  Ballet is obviously a pivotal part of this anime as you can tell from the title, and the animation of the dance scenes is executed beautifully.  Each episode is titled after a famous ballet, and uses music from that ballet in the episode, and the episode reflects the story of that ballet with the characters that the writers have created.  If you are a big fan of ballet like myself, you'll have a lot of fun pointing out the references in each episode and listening to the music you love.  If you don't know much about ballet at all, this anime can get you started and point you in the direction of some of the most famous ballets to go watch and listen to.  As a dancer, I appreciate all of the hard work that the production team put into this work to make it as accurate and emotionally raw as it could possibly be.  I cannot recommend this anime enough.

Books/Comics:

Turbulence

I bought this comic back at Texas Comicon, but didn't get around to reading it until last month.  It's seriously AMAZING.  Once I started reading this, I couldn't put it down!  Turbulence is about a boy named Jacob, and how he chooses to fight for the forces of good because of his unexplained super powers.  Unlike other super hero comics, Jacob isn't perfect from the start.  He makes a lot of mistakes, has to ask for help, gets into trouble, a lot like a normal teenager would.  He is spotted by a group of people with super powers who has joined together to fight, and he starts his training with them, trying to earn their trust and respect by fighting his hardest, even though it doesn't always work.  I do believe that this is the fastest I have ever read through a comic, and it left off at a cliff hanger so I actually groaned when I finished it because I was already wanting more!  I had a conversation with the author, Chris Garrett, and his wife at Texas Comicon when I bought it, and I could tell how passionate he was about his work.  His company, Overtime Comics is based out of Austin Texas, and I was so happy to find an awesome local company to support.  I'm definitely glad I bought this comic instead of the newest Captain America volume.  The action-packed story and relate-able, endearingly flawed characters make this a great read!  You can go to Overtime Comics's Website here and check it out!

Misc:

Belly Dance

As some of you may or may not know, I started taking Belly dance last October and joined the Eesabella Belly Dance dance company.  I performed in my first belly dance concert in April (where the above photo is from, I'm the farthest to the right with the sword), and I had an amazing time.  Since this Summer has been incredibly busy, I didn't have the time to take class like I wanted to.  Last month I started taking classes again and I was reminded of how much I love belly dance!  After my first class here in Austin, I was invited to take the advanced class offered by my instructor, and the dance studio I went to did a short interview with me about why I love belly dance!  Needless to say it was an amazing way to get back into belly dance, and I feel so confident and empowered after I leave each class session.  I miss my Eesabella sisters so much, and I can't wait to dance with them again once I'm back in Illinois later this month!

I hope you enjoyed this July favorites post!  It's a little later than I had hoped, but it's out!

Please look forward to some new, exciting things from me this month, and I'll keep you updated with my creative projects as they come.  I'm starting my senior year in University this month, so I'll be pretty busy, but my goal is to have one post a week for you!

Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you next time!

xoxo

Martha

My Exhaustion with Idols and a New Creative Start

I don't even know how I feel about idols anymore y'all.

I feel like the more I look into idols, whether Kpop or Jpop, I just find more problems.

Not only the unethical working conditions, but things like shadeism, racism, misogyny, sexism...the list goes on.

I just feel like recently liking idols has made me mentally exhausted.  I can't ignore the issues going on anymore, and when I try to just enjoy the music, there's still this heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can't shake.  

I know there are also Western artists with the issues mentioned above.  I don't support them.  I don't buy their music.  I don't look into them.  I'm beginning to think that's what I should do with idols now.  I may stop in every now and again to look at a new song or two, see what's going on with the fandom...but it's time for me to step back.  I think being a casual listener is the best option for me at this point.

This doesn't mean I'll stop listening to music from other countries, it just means I'll be on the lookout for music that isn't idol music.  More artists and bands instead of idols.  There will still be music reviews on this blog, but if you're looking for idols, I suggest you look somewhere else.

It's tough for me, because idols have been a huge part of my life for about six years now.  There's a part of me that feels like a piece of my identity is gone, because I completely immersed myself into idol culture.  I'm trying to keep a positive attitude about it, and it leaves space to fill with something new, something that's more suited to the current Martha.

As far as Kira Kira Entertainment goes, I'll have to brainstorm some new ideas.  Of course I can still use songs from popular anime series (including idol anime like Idolm@ster and Love Live, because those are characters and not real people), and other Jpop and Kpop music, but the other maids are still so immersed in idol culture that I can't take them out of it alone.  There will probably still be maid performances from KKE that involve idol songs, I just won't be dancing or singing in them personally after the Summer is over.

I'm trying to find the best creative mix for myself and for my Entertainment group, and that may involve me losing a few members...I already lost one this month.  It sucks, but different people have different creative outlets, and I'm not going to keep someone against their will.  I'm hoping I can continue to find new people who share my creative ideas and beliefs.

There's going to be a lot of change over the next few months for me and for Kira Kira Entertainment, and hopefully this new found freedom from my idol obsession will lead me to some great new adventures.

See you in my next post

xoxo

Martha

I'm Divorcing Kpop

Good Evening lovelies!

I apologize for the long absence, but I was off in Germany studying abroad!  It was amazing, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Now unless you've been living under a rock, you already know that EXO's Kris filed suit against SM Entertainment to have his contract be terminated with the company.  Fortunately, since I was in Germany for the past two weeks, I could stay away from the internet and from most of the crazy fan wars that were circulating.

Unfortunately, that left me to obsess in my own head.

And after thinking about this for a good long while, I had to ask myself something.

Is the escape really worth it?

Kpop, specifically EXO, has been my escape for the past year.  Whenever something would go wrong in my life, I'd turn to these pretty, shiny idols to make me feel better and push away the real world.  In doing so, I did something that I told myself I would never do.  I somehow forgot that idols are people too.  And I'm incredibly disappointed in myself for doing so.  These idols work so hard and in such terrible conditions to make their fans happy, and a lot of fans seem to think it's all sunshine and rainbows for them, or they just don't care either way and just want the shiny costumes and catchy music.

I was wary to get into Kpop for that very reason, but somehow when EXO came along, I got sucked in.  The logical part of my brain was screaming about the JYJ lawsuit, and being a conscious consumer, but the part of me that somehow needed an escape was much stronger than logic.  

I had gotten so sucked in that when the news of Kris's lawsuit broke out, it hit me like a bomb.  I actually cried.  And not just getting teary eyed like a Morning Musume graduation, I mean like the ugly cry.  It was bad.

But at the same time, it was the perfect wake up call.  Reading accounts of his poor health and other such things that I will not mention to give him some sort of privacy, set alarm bells going off in my head.

This is wrong.  This whole system--this machine.  That's the thing about Kpop.  It's a machine, and the idols are just cogs to work it so that their companies can profit from it.  After thinking about it and writing my thoughts down repeatedly, it made me sick to my stomach.  These companies take these young, passionate, talented people and turn them into puppets...

Some fans are calling Kris a traitor and other such things, but can you really blame him for leaving?  When you aren't respected as a human being, let alone an artist, something has to be done.  Humans aren't meant to be kept in cages, whether a literal cage with iron bars, or one shaped like an entertainment company.

Then I decided to look beyond Kris and SM.  I remembered articles I had read in the past and brushed off.  B.A.P's constant promotion cycles with no rest, Secret only allowed one meal a day, T-ara members only getting two to three hours of sleep a night, not to mention Hwayoung's ugly departure.  And so much more, too many horror stories to count.

I had let myself become a part of the machine, supporting the grind of its gears, and I couldn't let myself do that anymore.  The night before I left for Germany I deleted every single Kpop song I had off of my iPod.

Every. Single. Song.

Let me tell you, I have a good chunk of space available now...

It's bizarre really, seeing how this one thing took over my life.  Kpop affected how I thought about the world, about music, and about myself.  I was so obsessed and in so deep it was unhealthy.  I've only been away from it for two weeks and I already feel so much better.

I'm not constantly comparing my looks to girl groups, I'm not trying to make art conform to anyone else's standards but my own...it's like I've found my true self again.

Though as I'm writing this, I did add a few groups back on.  Namely JYJ and Block B.  Those two groups have made names for themselves with companies that treat them fairly (as far as we know), and have found a way around the most hideous parts of the Kpop machine.

It's tough though.  I'll find myself looking for a song and realize I deleted it, and the fact that a large majority of my friends still listen to it makes me a little uncomfortable.  I just don't want to talk about it anymore, and whenever I see someone post something about their favorite Kpop idol, I have to scroll past.

After all of the emotional ups and downs, what I have it down to is this:

I will not listen to Kpop music unless it's from a company that treats its artists well.  So far, that comes to JYJ, Block B, U-Kiss (though that may be debatable for some), and any independent musicians that I can find.  The groups that I loved for so long I now have to push away.

It's not like I don't want to support the idols.  I do.  I think they're all talented and wonderful.  I just can't support them because their companies profit off of them.  And the only way things are going to change is if those companies lose money.  That's the only language they know.

But this change can't start with me.  It can't start with international fans.  It has to start in South Korea, with South Korean fans, since those fans are the ones with the power, and the ones paying most of the money.  Unfortunately, those are the fans that are most loyal to the companies.

I have a feeling it will take a great many years before we see any change to the machine, but until then, I'll be hoping that these idols can survive.  That they can be okay, even though their careers are in the hands of greedy businessmen.  

I think about the members of EXO still.  I hear about their injuries from friends, and I hate to know that they let themselves be treated so terribly.

But then I think of Kris.  It's bittersweet, but I know he has a chance for a new beginning.  He has another chance to define himself as an artist, to pave his own path.  I'll be waiting to see what he does, and whatever it is, I'm sure it will be great.

Thank you, Kris.  Thank you for the wake up call that I so desperately needed.  Thank you for standing up for yourself.  

I hope that young Kpop fans who read this will have a few second thoughts before they choose which companies to support.  I hope that this decision I've made with Kpop can transfer to all music, to all companies.

This situation has helped me start on a path to being a conscious consumer, and a better person.  It's time for the idols in shiny costumes to go away, and to be replaced with something real.

MusiCute: Girls' Generation's Mr. Mr.

Hey there honey bears!

I wanted to start a fun segment on this blog called MusiCute!

In this segment, I'll review songs and music videos by artists that I like and discuss all aspects, including fashion and make up!  The blog I used to run was a music blog all about Jpop and Kpop idols.  I plan to cover more than just those two types of music of course, but that's where I started as a blogger so they will be included!

The categories for review are as follows:

1)  General MV Overview

2)  The Look

3)  Composition

4)  Lyrics

5)  Choreography

6)  Martha's Favorite Things!

So!  I'm starting this segment with Girls' Generation's newest release, Mr. Mr.

LET'S GO!

***WARNING.  This post is super image heavy!  Take in all of GG's pink, saturated glory after the jump***