Orly - It's Not Rocket Science

(Image Source)

I went to ULTA Saturday for their buy two polish get one free sale. I came across Orly's "It's Not Rocket Science" and instantly fell in love~ This polish is from the Orly Cosmic FX, Fall 2010 collection (iknowrite? I'm super late). 

*Picture below are shown with base coat, 3 coats of polish, and top coat.

Would you pick this polish up if you saw it?

Tera Open Beta: Levels 1-12

Emotes left to right: /taunt, /point(/there), /victory( or /cheer /win) and /love.

Meet Teh, my green haired Warrior Elin! The TERA open beta was last weekend and I finally got to try TERA out for the first time (no thanks to GameStop...). I'm fairly satisfied with how my character turned out. The Elin race is so adorable and sweet, that I may have diabetes now. BUT GOD I AM SO C-U-T-E!!

You log in as a level 20 class. Don't worry, It doesn't stay that way. It didn't make sense to me either at first. It's more so for demonstration. Gives you something to look forward to; to get a feel for what you're going to leveling into later. You're even taunted with gear you choose during character creation. (Mine is shown below)

After completing the first bit of story line, you're reduced back to level 1 and you enter a new area of the TERA universe. First thing I noticed was just how pretty this game is.

I can JUMP!

I got a feel of the battle system and the quest system pretty quickly. It's very easy to catch on. The game directs you very well. I've tried the battle system with keyboard+mouse combo and controller setup. I have to say that the controller setup feels more natural but the keyboard+mouse combo gives you more... precision? I can see keyboard and mouse being more helpful once you have more that 6 abilities. For now it's so much easier to use L1 and R1 to toggle through my abilities. Although, my game-pad reverses the buttons on the controller, don't know what the deal with that is...

The game is very straight forward. Like I said, it directs you very well but... it's nothing but quest grinding. Talk to this person, go kill that thing, get this, do that, talk to that person over there, rinse and repeat. Yeeeeah- you get it. Quests are your main way of obtaining EXP (experience points) and money. Once you level, you're able to buy new abilities from an NPC.

Accepting a quest.

Accepting another quest...

The * icon above the NPC head indicates that you have met the requirements to finish a quest.

I met up with an online friend that I've played past MMO's with.

*Now, please keep in mind I can only vouch for warrior. I have yet to play any of the other classes. 

Even though this game seems to be nothing but quest grinding at this time, why it is so much fun? Three words:

The battle system

It's really that AMAZING and FUN!! It's addicting. Even though I get multiple quests saying "kill this monster this many times to get this item", I don't mind!! I would kill 1,000 monsters and still not be bored. The battle system is action based. No, "wait 5 second to swing your weapon" sort of bull crap. You are in full control. If you SUCK, it's going to show. You have to dodge so you can evade attacks. You have to issue attacks, so you can do damage. Monsters can also do the same. You have to learn how to effectively use your job to survive. With warrior you have two main abilities - your main attack and back flip dodge ability. Using abilities takes mp. MP/HP recover over time when you're not engaged in battle. 

When your HP is dangerously low, the game warns you with a red haze on the screen. Very similar to many action-based games.

Dying for my first time. You are given the option to return to the last "Safe Haven" you entered.

Obtaining a level. I love the wings and crown!

The main island you begin on has you do several quest leading up to a boss fight. After the boss fight is completed you are granted access to the main city, Velika . I was able to beat the boss on my second try (I ran away on accident on my first try, lol). It was challenging for me as a warrior. I noticed I don't take damage well and for me to do damage to my opponent, I have to be very close. Sooooo, the fight consisted of:  hit > run > run > run > hit > run > run > run... you get the idea. You get an NPC to help you out in the fight but I swear my NPC sucked balls. For a being a priest he never cured me!!

The boss I of spoke above.

Yay, I beat the boss!

Once this boss is beaten you are given the opportunity to finally leave this island and go to Velika. Travel is via Pegasus. 

Flight to Velika via Pegasus.

The town was somewhat overwhelming at first because so many quests popped up. I didn't really complete much past this point. This is pretty much where my open beta adventure ends. I expanded my inventory. Obtained my first mount and I decided to call it a night. 

Space gets hard to come by.

I'm on a horse. #oldspice

In conclusion, the game is super super pretty. I am freaking cute. I enjoyed the open beta. I'm very much looking forward to early access on the 28th. The battle system is great; very addictive and changeling. Quest grinding might get boring in the future but so far I'm okay with it. I want to try out other classes and see how they operate. I would also want to level Teh further and possibly get to the "end game" of TERA. I've heard there are many dungeons to partake in, I would love to experience those. All and all, I'm happy I gave this game a chance.

P.S. Never per-order a computer game or any game with bonus content from GameStop; just trust me.


What games are you currently playing or are excited to play?

My make-up story + NAKED palette

I'm sure EVERYONE has this by now or knows of this but I FINALLY broke down and bought the NAKED eyeshadow palette by Urban Decay. This purchase is kinda a big deal for me and here's why:

I've slowly been introducing myself to make-up and I know that sounds silly coming from a 23 year old female but make-up never appealed to me. When I heard the words "make-up", automatically, images of Mini, from the Drew Carey or clowns popped into my head!! I thought make-up was an evil tool that made women look unnatural. I never saw the point. I think it's mostly because no one showed me how to properly use it. It may sounds crazy but YouTube has been the source of my recent interest in the make-up world.

YouTube "Make-up Guru's" such as Michelle Phan, AllThatGlitters21 (Elle), bubzbeauty, and  missglamorazzi (Ingrid) have really open my eyes to the beauty/make-up world. I just started out watching make-up tutorials from Michelle Phan. I was fixated on how she used make-up to create art and accent natural beauty. I gradually started watching more and more tutorials from one YouTuber to another YouTubers till finally, I decided I wanted make-up in my life. 

So, anyway! Like I said, this purchase is kinda a big deal for me! It's my first high-end make up product. I've heard so many good things but committing to that 50.00$ price tag was hard. I had no luck finding it online for any cheaper. I was recently introduced to the ULTA store located at the mall I work at and saw they sold Urban Decay. Last weekend they had a "get free samples if you spend over 30 dollars in Urban Decay products" special. Soooo... I went! I'm really glad I did, because the cashier was able to also give me a 20% off coupon! So, I spend 42 dollars and got my NAKED palette and my 2 free samples! Yipee!

All the eye shadow shades.

A close up of the shades.

There are 12 shades in this palette and it also comes with a nice eye shadow brush. I haven't tried everything yet but I did test the colors on my arm and I LOVE every shade with my skin tone. What I'm most fond of is the Half Baked shade.

What's your favorite shade(s) from Urban Decay's NAKED palette?

diagonal french tip

My cuticles are under going some extreme repairing, don't judge the uglies!!

I'm slowly learning new nail art techniques. It's very much trying my patience. I thought the "taping" techniques would be easier!!:(  My Easter nails definitely didn't take as long. I had to restart at least 3 times but I am learning alot. Practice makes prefect, right...?

Polish:
Base Coat - Seche Clear
China Glaze - Heart of Africa
China Glaze - Platinum Silver
Top Coat - Seche Vite 

P.S. I was inspired to try the "taping" technique by Nailside, go check her out (she's much better than me)!

TERA: character creation guide

TERA is a new action based MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) that will be launching May 1st, 2012 (April 28th, for all you per-orders out there). If you per-order the game, customers are able to reserve one character/name early which happened to be last weekend. I have no experience with this game other than the character creation, so bare with me on my TERA journey. In this post today I will to going through the character creation process for TERA.

Server
Your first choice is to pick the server you would like to join. There are 3 main types of servers:
PvE (Player vs. Environment)
PvP (Player v. Player)
and one server designated as "Role Play". 

Current status of the servers as of Sunday, April 15th at about 11PM EST.

Race
Your second choice is your race. Each race is unique and has different benefits, so choose carefully.

Human

Humans are optimistic, curious about the world, and highly valued as diplomats and leaders. Humans naturally build communities, a trait that helped keep their culture strong during 2000 years of forced exile.

• Resilience of Body - Humans continuously heal HP after being resurrected.
• Indomitable Spirit - Humans take less PvP damage when under 30% HP.  

Male Human.

Female Human.

Castanic 

Bold, brash, and independent, the castanics are willing to work together for the common good, but only so far as the common good doesn't take too long or come at too high a price.

• Dirty Fighting - Castanics have an increased critical hit chance on attacks from behind.
• Light Landing - Castanics take 50% less falling damage.  

Male Castanic.

Female Castanic.

Aman

The ancient amani were proud and strong, but a trick of fate deprived them of their god's protection and they were enslaved. After winning freedom, the amani vowed "Never Again!" If you like sharp teeth, horns, and fighting for honor, this is the race for you.

• No Stranger to Pain - When under 30% HP, all damage taken is reduced by 10%.
• Blood of Dragons - Resistance to DoT effects is increased by 10.

Male Aman.

Female Aman.

Popori

The popori kingdom is comprised of animals imbued with a spark of divine energy. When "awakened," they cease to be rabbits, cats, and dogs, becoming instead fearsome defenders of the natural order. Armies of poporis feature heavily in many ancient battles, and no other race can raise an effective fighting force as fast.

• Horizon Run - Once every 30 minutes, a popori can increase its non-combat speed by 20 for 3 minutes.
• Soothing Presence - Once an hour, a popori can reduce movement speed by 40% to move freely past aggressive monsters for 1 minute. 

Male only race.

Baraka

A peaceful and noble race, barakas are ferocious in defense of the weak. Their imposing presence conceals their true strength; baraka are giants in intellect as well as physicality.

• Gather No Moss - Innate baraka determination increases their resistance to immobility by 10.
• Indefatigable - Baraka stamina does not fall below 20% while adventuring.

Male only race.

Elin

Elins are the divine "children" of the goddess Elinu, but do not mistake their waif-like appearance for innocence. Elin generals are among the world's most fearsome.

• Friendly Current -An elin swims faster than other races. Certain dungeon and field maps have areas where swimming is the best way to get around.
• Botanist - An elin character gathers plants faster than other races.  

Female only race.

High Elf

Fewer than 100 years ago, the "Children of Karas" were actively at war with most of the world. However, their commitment to cooperation is a logical and necessary part of their culture, and they were among the first forces to stand against the Argon invasion.

• Core Infusion -Once every two hours, an elf can completely replenish their MP.
• Resilience of Mind -After resurrecting, an elf continually regenerates MP for a time. 

Male High Elf.

Female High Elf.

Classes
Now that you've pick your race, it time to pick your class! Currently there is no way to change classes, so choose wisely. Each class has a suggested skill level from 1-5 stars. There are 3 main types of classes:
DPS/Melee (Damage per second/ damage dealers)
Tanks
Healers

Warrior
Recommended skill level: ★★★★★
Characteristics: Evasive Tank OR Sustained DPS, Melee, Light Armor

Quick attacks and high mobility make a warrior essential to group play, but also very survivable while soloing. Tanking with this class is difficult, but possible. If you're choosing a warrior to be a tank, be prepared for a challenge.

Elin Warrior.

Lancer
Recommended skill level: ★★★★
Characteristics: Absorption Tank, Melee, Heavy Armor

A lancer is a heavily armored fighter focused on anchoring a battle. Generates maximum threat with shouts and special attacks, sacrificing movement and attack power for the best durability in the game.

Elin Lancer.

Slayer
Recommended skill level: ★★★
Characteristics: Burst DPS, Melee, Light Armor

A lightly armored, agile fighter with a devastating greatsword. High damage attacks combine with evasive maneuvers for a dynamic combat style.

Elin Slayer.

Berserker
Recommended skill level: ★★★
Characteristics: Burst DPS, Melee, Heavy Armor

Berserkers use charge-up attacks to deal massive damage. They can also block incoming frontal attacks, though they lose MP quickly when not attacking.

Elin Berserker.

Sorcerer
Recommended skill level: ★★
Characteristics: Burst DPS, Ranged, Robes

The sorcerer is a ranged damage class focused on annihilating the enemy with high-damage "nuke" attacks. The mobile artillery of TERA.

Elin Sorcerer.

Archer
Recommended skill level: ★★
Characteristics: Sustained DPS, Ranged, Light Armor

The archer is a highly mobile, ranged dps class. By channeling energy into the bow, the archer is capable of a wide range of attacks, dealing massive burst or rapid damage to foes.

Elin Archer.

Priest
Recommended skill level: ★★★
Characteristics: Primary Healer, Ranged, Robes

The priest is a robed magic user whose primary role is to restore health and vitality. However, a priest is not to be taken lightly—the same power that revives allies can also smite foes.

Elin Priest.

Mystic
Recommended skill level: ★★★★
Characteristics: Support Healer, Ranged, Robes

Mystics are a strong support class with skills to protect and enhance their party through buffs and auras. They also summon mighty thralls to assist, heal, and aid them in battle.
 

Elin Mystic.

Appearance
This is where the real fun begins. Creating and customize your personal character; I played with this for hours.

Presets
A set of characters already customized. Pretty much serves as a good base to start with when creating your character; or if you're really lazy you can just pick one and be done.

Features
This is where you choose your hair style and color.

Face
Self explanatory; this is where you choose your face and skin color.  

Adonments
This is where you choose special marking on the face, eyes, make-up, etc. It different for every race.

Fine Details
This is where the biggest portion of customizability comes from. The sliders on each menu allow you to control multiple points on your characters face including: bone structure, eyes, eyebrows, lips, mouth, nose, eyes, and cheeks.

Outfit
You have a choice of 1 of 4 outfits for your character; body armor options are specific to job choice.(Example: Priest = Robes)

Voice
You have the option of 4 voices. Difference is the pitch; deep to high.

Character Name
Last but not least, picking your name! You can actually name your character at any time by clicking the "Edit Name" button on the bottom of the screen.

The game will let you know if your name is or is not available on the server you choose. Once you've chosen hit "Finish" and you're DONE! Hurray!

What race/classes would you be, even if you don't plan on playing TERA? I know what I'll be, check back soon to see~ <3

All information/facts about TERA were pulled from the official TERA website. I take no credit for the information about each race and class.(http://tera.enmasse.com/?lang=en) Any other information was written by myself.