I've become such a shopaholic, especially when it comes to makeup. I recently did a little damage to my wallet at KollectionK.com, a Korean makeup (and KPOP memorabilia!) website that provides affordable options to customers from around the world. They also offer free gifts with every purchase. My co-worker and I placed an order here together and received a grand total of seven little free gifts (all from Etude House). They do not tell you ahead of time what freebies they toss in -- and we're guessing it's based on what you purchase (we purchased a lot of Etude, and got all Etude samples) and quantity of freebies is also price threshold based.
If you're interested in KollectionK, I suggest signing up for their e-mail list as they constantly have flash sales (often brand-associated) so you can save a lot (or buy more!).
Since I heard such great feedback when I blogged about previous visits to The Face Shop here in NYC, I figured why not talk a little bit about the makeup I purchased (advertised by f(x), SHINee and SNSD! Yes, I continue to be SM-biased.). The majority of the items are from Etude House, a popular makeup chain based in South Korea (fun fact -- they are owned by the Amore Pacific Skincare group -- a luxury brand that is sold in Sephora), but I also purchased from Holika Holika and Innisfree (an Etude sub-company). Sorry to those who aren't interested but this is my blog after all...
It goes without saying that if you have any questions, feel free to comment or get me on the Twitters (@melismaticdiva) and I'll do my best to answer them. ;)
Here's a quick snapshot of all the things I bought:
TOP LEFT:Holika Holika Heart Ful Moisture Lipstick in RD808 Kissing Red. TOP RIGHT: Etude House Sweet Recipe Cupcake All Over Color in OR202 Peach Sugar Cake and PK001 Blueberry Cheese Cake; Etude House SHINI STAR Lip Balm in #2 Jonghyun; Innisfree Skinny Microcara in Black.
BOTTOM LEFT: Etude House Milk Talk Body Wash in Strawberry and Banana; Etude House Collagen Moistfull Collection Face Cream; Etude Collagen Moistfull First Essence. (Please note all of these items are actually samples.)
BOTTOM RIGHT: Etude House Mint Cooling Eye's Cream; Etude House Golden Ratio Face Glam in #2 Pink; Etude House Black Charcoal Chin Pack Mask; Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream Bright Fit in Light Beige N02.
Click the cut for more on my thoughts of the products along with links on where to buy them yourself. Get ready to swoon.
My girl Manika has grown up a lot since I first stumbled upon her exactly two years ago this month. She's released her third single in the guitar-driven jam "My Way" (my fave of her set that night two years ago, if you recall) and is gearing up for her long overdue album release.
Because we've been waiting for so long, the album will actually be a double album, seeing as homegirl has been recording nonstop for a long time. And get ready, everyone! I've gotten an insider's peek at the album(s) and I'm so excited to tell you all more about it -- that review will be coming along the pike this weekend (so stay tuned!).
In addition to all that goodness, Manika has been nice enough to answer a few questions for us for her second interview with Melismatic and this time, I'm letting you in on the excitement. If you have a question for Ms. Manika, whether it's about her career, her upcoming album or her favorite color, send it in to MANIKA@melismaticblog.com, along with your first name and your state/country. I might just include it in my interview with Manika!
Deadline for question submissions will be Saturday, June 8th, so make sure you get your questions in as early as possible!
You all are well aware I'm a Broadway nerd, right? (It helps that I now live in the City That Never Sleeps, doesn't it -- but my obsession began as a kid in Upstate New York, long before I ever moved to the Big City.) Last Thursday, I went and saw 'Kinky Boots', a new musical based on the 2005 British comedy film of the same name (which was in fact inspired by a true story). I was so over the moon happy with this musical, I had to give it some props here.
The plot follows a young shoemaker in England who is facing financial ruin. After a chance run-in with a drag queen named Lola, he gets the idea to begin manufacturing new styles of boots that are sexy but built to hold the weight of men for drag queen performers. The music is written by Cyndi Lauper, and the book/story was developed by Broadway veteran Harvey Fierstein. The show itself stars Stark Sands and the phenomenal Billy Porter (as Lola), and has officially become the most Tony-nominated show of this Broadway season.
The songs are catchy and flashy, the jokes are constant, the sets are functional and snappy and the queens -- oh my, the queens -- were working that stage like you wouldn't believe. The crowd reaction was strong and intense and Billy Porter is a Broadway star in the making (he's already won a Drama Desk Award and is poised to win a Tony).
Basically, if you love bold, loud, sassy musicals like Hairspray, you will love this. The take-away was so positive and strong with such fantastic anti-bullying, anti-hate messages. As the show itself says, "You can change the world when you change your mind." My suggestion is go now while Billy is there. You will not be disappointed. Take a look at the sneak peek video below featuring my fave song from the production, "Everybody Say Yeah".
Happy June, everybody! I hope you're all staying cool wherever you are -- its hot as Hades here in NYC. I've bought a hefty supply of ice cream and lemonade so I don't swiftly perish in the heat (it's my diet - don't ask questions). June is the month of a lot of exciting things -- one of them being my 26th birthday (ouch) on the 17th. It's also the month of a lot of comebacks of my faves in KPOP (EunHae, 2NE1, Henry, blah blah we'll get to that shortly). But May was pretty good to me too, and brought me a semi-unexpected comeback by one of my very favorites...
I've spoken about my girl T. Lopez plenty of times on this blog over the years since she was the youngest member of the girl group Soluna, a group I supported for a long time back in my early teenage years of yore (seriously - me and T go wayyyyy back). Homegirl is the ultimate of hustlers and has been working on her solo music project for what feels like ages -- appearing in films, television shows, and MC-ing for talk shows. So last week, when she announced on her Facebook she was dropping a single on iTunes that day, I was a little sideswept in the best possible way.
The song is called "Vivelo" (or "Live It!" roughly translated in English) is more of a traditional-rooted Spanish-language jam that is an homage to T's Mexican heritage. She has a long-standing history with Mexican music and singing mariachi tunes since she was a kid back in California. The song is catchy as all get out whether you speak Spanish or not and is certain to get you up and swiveling your hips with the best of 'em.
In addition to the song being available for purchase, T also dropped this video you can view below of her looking predictably flawless in black and white singing with a mic stand contrasted with footage of Latino people from many different backgrounds -- according to T herself, to show "what our parents and grandparents have gone through to give us the lives we lead today". Todo mi gente, vivelo -- indeed. Que bella.
You can purchase "Vivelo" on iTunes right now, and it's also available for perusal via Spotify. For more on T, you can follow her on the Twitters via @OfficialTLopezor on Facebook.
To read more about my longstanding history with T, check out my Soluna tag here.
Last Thursday I caught up with my Live KPOP Event partner in crime drowningn00b (a frequent contributor to our mutual bud McRoth over at McRoth's Residence) when I acted as his +1 to a "Countdown to KTU-Phoria" radio gig hosted by local station WKTU. Funnily enough, the event was co-hosted by DJ Paul "Cubby" Byrant, who I partied with at the 98 Degrees in-store event with the week before. The radio gig featured live DJ-ing by Disco Fries, and an incredible dance lineup that included Nikki Williams, Sweden's own Icona Pop(!!!!) and EDM ravers Krewella and was held at Stage 48 -- a deceivingly awesome two-floor club venue in Hell's Kitchen that looks like a industrial warehouse from the outside.
After finding ourselves flush against the staging as we waited for the festivities to start, Cubby walked on stage and began handing out Meet & Greet passes to anyone lucky enough to grab them. This is where it pays to have a tall concert buddy, seeing as I'm forever vertically challenged -- we scored two passes to meet Icona Pop prior to the concert's start! I now forever have this epic photograph to keep for my scrapbook. Try and tell me you aren't jealous. I dare you. (Guess what? I. Don't. Care.)
Dreams Come True! Aino, Melismatic & Caroline. Can I be their third member now?
After hanging with Aino (left) and Caroline (right) (BTW - Aino told me she loved my dress and I geeked the hell out. I love it!), we raced back to get a good position for the rest of the show, only to find the club packed to the gills. KTU-phoria is clearly a gig for the raving masses -- there were so many people dressed in neon and general day-glo attire to match the glowsticks that were being passed around. We managed to find spots on the top floor, basically above the stage itself, after deciding it wouldn't be worth it to try for our previous standing positions at center stage.
South African Nikki Williams, who is currently promoting her dance single "Glowing" but is best known for co-penning Demi Lovato's current hit "Heart Attack", took the stage first alongside an epic electric violinist and a troupe of very expressive dancers in black wet-look legging with a white stripe on the sides and a t-shirt that read "I (Heart) The DJ". Midway through her set, she ditched her heels and rocked it barefoot. She performed four songs, including her hype single "Kill, F*ck, Marry" (complete with bouquets for all of her dancers) and the gorgeous ballad "Run Run Run" before closing with "Glowing". (But not before she randomly busted out the "Harlem Shake" with her dancers.) Her voice is incredibly striking and will inevitably be compared to Ms. Lovato herself.
"Glowing", while a fun little dance ditty, certainly doesn't do Ms. Williams and her big pipes justice. It's no audio trick -- this girl can reallysang. I can't wait to hear a studio version of "Run Run Run".
Shortly thereafter, two large tables with heaps of synthesizers, keyboards, laptops and microphones were set up for my new BFFs in
Icona Pop. They jumped on stage in their trademark shades of black and
gray to their hype tune "Manners". Much of their American Iconic EP was played live, including "Good For You" and "Ready For The Weekend", along with Swede single "We Got The World".
They warmed the crowd up considerably, constantly interacting with the audience. As "I Love It" was cued up (and drowningn00b and I started to lose our minds), a light-up robot with a fog gun in each hand sauntered on to stage, bathing each Icona Pop and the crowd with smoke.
After a brief intermission with the dudes from Disco Fries, EDM trio Krewella came on stage to a raucous and crazy reception. We may have been there for Icona Pop but we left as fans of Krewella -- it was hard not too. The excitement was palpable. I'm not the biggest connoisseur of this EDM trend, so if you're not either, trust me when I say -- this type of music is best experienced live. Krewella's set was loud, balls to the wall and the bass drops out it's hard not to dance.
Krewella (pronounced like Cruella, get it?) is from Chicago and made up of three DJs -- sisters Jahan and Yasmine, and Rain Man -- and their style of flow is similar to the rise of Skrillex with elements of dupsteppy and lots of fuzzy synth with the sisters alternating lead vocal. In fact, the group has remixed Skrillex's "Summit" with Ellie Goulding and performed it live that night, along with nods to a handful of dance music classics like Alice DeeJay's "Better Off Alone" (everyone was singing along -- what's up early 00's high school grads like moi!). Singles "Killin' It" and "Come & Get It" were supreme highlights and the crowd was literally high of their energy. At one point, their entire sound system blew out, surprising everyone including Krewella themselves. (They were back to business in a few short minutes.)
Their biggest hit, "Alive", is a bonafide smash at local station KTU, hence their crazed crowd reaction -- it's already one of the most spun songs of 2013 for the dance-focused station. Krewella have released two EPs on Columbia, with a full set due for "summer" 2013. Like Icona Pop, they catered to the crowd really well, constantly interacting with fans. At one point, a guy jumped up on stage with them and Jahan (aka the sister with the blonde ombre) slung her arm around him and kept dancing/singing with him until security hastily gave him the ol' Apollo heave-ho.
Overall, I had an utter blast. Not only did I get to meet my fave Swedish group of the moment, I danced my ass off (my feet hurt for the following two days) and screamed/sung myself hoarse (again, for the next two days). Word to the wise to anyone going to an EDM-flavored party: wear comfortable (flat) shoes. My poor toes speak to experience. (Even still, I. Don't Care. I Love It!) My many thanks once again and as always to my love, Xtian, for the invite! Can't wait for the next party, hun!
For more on Nikki Williams, Icona Pop and Krewella, you can follow them on the Twitters via: @NikkiWilliams, @IconaPop, and @Krewella, respectively.
I have always been and always will be a fan of the underdog. Stories of Pop Potential never fail to get me all a-twitter -- and Myra Sky fits that bill to a T. Remember the name, as a "hurricane" is already starting to brew around this budding pop princess.
Myra was raised in Tennessee, balancing her Egyptian family's cultural values with the musical sensibility that runs through the Volunteer State. She credits her journey into the pop world in a pretty relatable way for young women -- to Ms. Mariah Carey. She signed a record deal with indie company Payeback Music Group in 2011, and last year was a competitor on the third season of The Voice. She's already amassed a pretty incredible social media following, boasting over 78,000 Twitter followers (#MyraNation, baby!).
Shortly after the show, she began recording her debut EP in License II Love, a six-track set perfect for the pop market. The EP is available for purchase tomorrow, May 21st, on iTunes -- however, I got a little sneaky peek at the set and am happy to share the good news you all...
The set officially opens with "Crash Your Party," a solid midtempo that cranks up the energy in the chorus, telling off the boy who takes advantage of her kindness. "House of Cards" is next and is one of my favorites as it really shows off both the strength and control in her vocals. It's undoubtedly Myra's "Since U Been Gone" climactic moment.
"Knock Knock" sounds a bit like a Bridgit Mendler teen-pop friendly summer jam and reads like a call-out to your girls to go party. Current single "Question Mark" has a slightly electro twinge to it and come complete with sing-along "ooh oh oh oooh yeah yeah" bits. "Into Your Love" starts off as a piano ballad before the beat drops in and the chorus shimmers. With a slightly more frenetic remix, this could be a great dark cut for the clubs. Her vocal is slightly Rihanna-reminiscent in delivery.
The set closes with my personal favorite in "Hurricane" -- the sole proper power ballad. It's the type of jam that wouldn't have been totally out of place on Jordin Sparks' Battlefield record (which is still criminally underrated, by the way). "All the walls we made just blow away/Every time we crash down, baby, it's pouring rain/Build it all back up just to shatter to pieces/Feels like a storm is carrying up every little part of me/It's like a hurricane," she warbles. Epitome of a perfect pop power simile.
Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how tight the set is! My thanks to Myra & her team for the advance listen to her fab EP -- can't wait to see what's next for you, girl!
For more on Myra, you can follow her on the Twitter via @Myra_Sky. Make sure you check out License II Love, available for purchase tomorrow on iTunes -- or you can download "Question Mark" now for free via her SoundCloud here.
Check me out as a Permanent Panelist at the brand new KPOP PANEL. Stop by each week to see musings on KPOP music, and see who wins each week's Blogger Competition!
.JPG)
.jpg)
.JPG)
