What’s so special with April 24^th? Could it be your mom’s birthday or your wedding anniversary? We might have different reasons why April 24^th is special for us, but to make it even more special, let’s join women across the states in celebrating the National Lingerie Day! Haven’t heard about it? Well, there are actually a lot of us that do not know that National Lingerie Day existed. It’s not as popular as Thanksgiving or Christmas but if you are a certified lingerie addict, then you should definitely mark April 24^th as a special occasion on your calendar.

National Lingerie Day started in April 1989; it is a brainchild of the Intimate Apparel Council. The Intimate Apparel Council or IAC is an industry group which is made up of U.S designers, brands, and retailers. They started the concept of celebrating National Lingerie Week in 1989 to “reaffirm the message that intimate apparel is fashion, by having a week-long celebration of in-store promotions, unique prices and fit clinics.” The idea was a success but a few years later it was totally forgotten. However in 2000, the National Lingerie Day gained attention again after a short skit was featured in Saturday Night Live with gift items intended for viewers in celebration of the National Lingerie Week.

A national day is usually staged by commercial organizations such as the Intimate Apparel Council to promote their products and even services. Anyone can actually apply either to the United Nations or their government to have their chosen National day be formalized and it can be approved as long as it is not sexist, racist, or spiteful. The idea of celebrating National Lingerie Day or Week was to make women aware that the intimate industry is still thriving and that lingerie designers and brands are exerting efforts to provide elegant and comfortable lingerie.

The National Lingerie Day might have petered out a few years ago but it is now starting to gain popularity again. We have social sites like Facebook and Twitter to thank for that; solid lingerie addicts who have never forgotten NLD are also one the reasons why it is becoming quite famous again. Retailers who know about the National Lingerie Day have also made April 24^th a special day for lingerie lovers by throwing sales and giving out gift items; some even make nice greeting cards to celebrate the occasion. Lingerie addicts also organized National Lingerie Day-related parties such as all-undies party and other bizarre ideas.

The National Lingerie Day might be intended to promote an industry, but to make it more personal in your part, try to remember a few things that your lingerie had made to make an ordinary day become special. Lingerie is a powerful piece of garment, we all knew that. It can transform a woman to a femme fatale and enable her to conquer the world by her charm and confidence. Isn’t it enough for us women to celebrate National Lingerie Day? So ladies, let’s now mark April 24^th in our calendar and celebrate NLD!

When it comes to anime and manga, one of the genres that stand out from the others would definitely be mahou shoujo or the magical girl genre. This particular genre features girls as protagonists that fight evil and defend what really means a lot to them. Usually the target market for these series is one made up of girls but it gained a lot of attention from other demographics not only in Japan but also in other countries.

Due to its great mainstream popularity since the 90s, this has motivated a lot of young and dedicated cosplayers to portray these characters. Below is a list of a handful of these well-known women with their character descriptions to help you out in picking the right magical girl for you.

Akemi Homura – Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Homura is a character in the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica. In the series, she is both portrayed as an antagonist and a protagonist. She has the ability to travel and stop time and can keep non-magical weapons (guns, rifles, bombs, etc) in her shield. She is about fourteen years of age (though it was said that she had looped through the same month in the series for nearly 100 times) and bears mostly a cold, emotionless expression. She has beautiful long hair and violet or purple eyes.

In the anime, she is mostly seen wearing either her school uniform of the same design as the other main and supporting characters or her magical girl outfit. The latter is drastically less elaborate and colorful compared to those of the series’ other characters. Her shield is small and complex with clockwork gears in its interior. Her personality towards almost everyone is cold and blunt but she bears a very soft side especially to the protagonist, Kaname Madoka.

Chacha – Akazukin Chacha

Chacha is the main protagonist of the magical girl series Akazukin Chacha. Her human form is portrayed as a little girl wearing a red hood similar to Little Red Riding Hood. As the series progresses, she learns how to cast magic under the tutelage of her mentor Seravy. She gains special items along with her friends Riiya and Shiine, which transforms her into her magical princess alter-ego who plays a very important role in the first half of the anime series.

While transformed, Chacha fights with weapons like her bow, Phoenix Sword, and a shield. She does not cast magic the same way she does in her child form.

Sailor Chibi Moon – Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

Sailor Chibi Moon is considered to be the ninth senshi from the franchise Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon. She is the daughter of the series’ main protagonist Sailor Moon (Princess Serenity in her future form) and Mamoru Chiba (King Endymion in future form). Unlike her mother that has blonde hair, she has pink hair and wears a small pink female sailor uniform. Her weapons change and upgrades as the series progress. She portrayed as a nine-year old but she is actually nine hundred years of age.

One of a cosplayer’s more important items would be the wig. Regardless of the length and color, wigs require a lot of attention and care especially if you plan to use them again on the next event or photoshoot. Here is a simple guide to help you take care of your wig without the hassle.

Makes Sure It Is Kept Well

The key to quick and easy wig maintenance is to keep them well after an event. Don’t just take them off and stuff them immediately into your bag. Make sure they are kept in a small separate bag (cosplayers use large hair nets or Ziploc bags). This is to prevent your wigs from getting all tangled up with other items.

Wig Sanitation Tips

As much as possible, don’t just let anyone use your wigs. Why? For sanitary reasons. Sometimes wigs pick up dandruff, oils, and other things that are present in the human head. So if someone borrows your wig and it wasn’t washed properly, chances are, you’ll pick up unsanitary elements that were present in that person’s head. If the wig is still very new, don’t let anyone borrow it. Do so when you rarely use it already or when you plan to open up rentals of your cosplay items.

Use Special Shampoo and/or Detergent

Remember that wigs are not like human hair that you can apply any type of shampoo and conditioner to. There are actually special shampoos intended for wigs that are sold in your local supermarket. If there are none available, you can use mild shampoos or detergents. Remember, it’s not really a necessity that your cleaning solution should have strong ingredients present. With the wigs being what they are, it’s enough for a solution to make your wig clean for your next use.

(WARNING:  Usage of strong bleaching agents is not appropriate for cleaning your wig.)

Detangling Your Wig

This is a common problem that cosplayers face especially after events. Wigs tend to tangle especially when you move about too much during the festivities or due to the way they are being kept after each event. Carefully brush the tangles using combs with think or large teeth. Be careful in pulling your wig for it might slowly wear away the individual strands.

Usage of Hair Irons

Some cosplayers use curling irons to help them curl or straighten their wigs for the next event. Remember to be careful in using these devices. There are some wigs that cannot stand being heated; these get easily damaged. If you really want curling irons on your wigs, research first the limits of the wig that you bought. This is also the reason why it is recommended that you use high quality, heat-resistant wigs rather than the ordinary ones.

Storing

Using wig stands or head dummies can help you keep your wigs in place ready for the next use. Keeping them in bags might muss them up again.

The trend is alarming but more and more cosplay posers have been seen during big conventions and cosplay events taking a lot of selfies and pretending to be someone they are not. As the cosplay hobby continues to flourish among young people, a lot of people just join in for the heck of it. Posers continue to grow as the cosplay community in a certain area flourishes. Though this is somewhat a sensitive topic, it is better that cosplayers know this reality—that there are people taking advantage of what they love because they think it’s one highway for them to get instant fame. Listed below are some things to help you separate the wheat from the chaff.

They Pretend That They Are Otakus, Geeks, or Gamers

Yes, these people exist! There are some “cosplayers” that you might encounter who pretend to have watched or read a certain series, read this certain comic book, or played a certain game just so that people can get their attention while they are dressed up as a particular character. Of course, people will only be disappointed when they find out that this certain person doesn’t have a clue what he or she is cosplaying.

They Look Awkward to Look At

From their wigs, outfit, contacts, and makeup alone, if they look awkward in appearance then they definitely don’t know their character at all. The harsh reality of some self-proclaimed cosplayers is that they only pick a certain character because they look cute, they are mainstream, and probably because it would get a lot of people’s attention. This is just a reminder that cosplay is about portraying a certain character inside and outside. It’s not only about the costume, the detailed props, colorful wigs, and beautiful accessories; it’s also about knowing the character by heart.

They Don’t Know the Poses

This is a big slap to the face especially if the person is cosplaying your favorite character from a certain series. Based from a lot experience from both cosplayers and con-goers, these certain individuals only know the “peace sign” pose and nothing else. Just because a certain character is cute and bubbly, doesn’t mean that they do the peace sign all the time. A true cosplayer knows his/her character’s poses. It doesn’t really take too long to really know the character. It just takes a modicum of effort and dedication to do it.

They Claim They Made Their Costume and Props

For those who sew their own costumes and make their own props, this is another slap to the face. It is expected that some of these individuals ask help from other cosplayers in making their cosplay plans into a reality. But claiming that they made everything is a sign of disrespect to the ones who made them. At least try to give a bit of effort in acknowledging the person who made your costume and weapons because taking all the credit does not give you any additional points in cosplay anyway.

Tekken has been one of the most popular fighting games released in the Playstation and other gaming platforms. Ever since it launched, many gamers have been eager to cosplay the franchise’s characters in cosplay events and gaming conventions.

Here are just some of the popular characters in the series that are worth cosplaying. Included are detailed character and outfit descriptions to help you out in portraying them. Good luck and have fun cosplaying!

About The Game

The Tekken (Iron Fist) is a series of fighting games published and developed by the company Namco. The game was originally developed for arcades but the developers then later created the game for the Playstation, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360, Will U, and the Game Boy Advance.

Characters and Description Guide

Alisa Bosconovitch – She is an android created by Doctor Bosconovitch and was introduced in the Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion series.  Her primary outfit is a light and dark slanted split down purple dress. It splits down in the front. She bears a white belt with chains and three blue roses on the side of it. Her legs are covered with uneven black high stockings in which one is has a black garter connecting to her black shorts. She bears white boots with black cuffs as footwear. Her upper top is covered in a halter-like top with crisscrossed strings connecting to her white collar, which has a blue rose on the left side. She wears white gloves with uneven purple sleeves on her arms.

Jin Kazama – He is one of the main characters of the entire Tekken series, being one of the characters being featured on the packaging of the console games since Tekken 3. He is the son of Jun Kazama and Kazuya Mishima. He has black hair with spikes at the back of his hair similar to his father. He sports quite a lot of outfits in the entire game series but is well known for his flame-stylized pants and bears either red gloves or gauntlets except in Tekken 6. He has alternative clothing like his CEO outfits and bears another one in Tekken 6, which is black in color.

Heihachi Mishima (Heihachi) – is also a main character in the Tekken series. He debuted in the first game then later returned in the other later releases for the consoles. Though some consider him as a protagonist in the second series, he is actually an anti-hero and one of the main antagonists, being mostly responsible for the events that unfold in the Tekken storyline. His latest appearance in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is as follows: he has black hair with two sharp spikes as his hairstyle. He wears a dark purple or dark grey karate suit with a red belt. His upper clothing bears a picture of a tiger at the back. He has long white armbands almost covering half of his lower arm. He fights with his bare feet.

Scuba diving is not always for teenagers and adults alone. Due to its increase in popularity as a sport and as a hobby, some manufacturers of assorted scuba diving gear are also venturing in creating scuba equipment for kids. However, don’t let them pick their own scuba equipment; as older individuals, it is always our duty to be responsible in picking the right gear for them.

The Right Age

There is a great variety of scuba equipment out there to the point that the array of options might give you a hard time selecting the appropriate gear for the kids. Some manufacturers even create scuba gear strictly for a specific age (e.g. for 8 years only, 7 years old, et cetera). If a person wishes to let their kids enjoy scuba diving, experts recommend that they should be at least eight years old before dabble in scuba diving.

Reminder: Seek advice from professional scuba divers or your local dive shop for recommended equipment for kids. This ensures that your kid will be exposed to fewer underwater risks.

If in Doubt, Seek Professional Medical Help

Deep waters are inherently dangerous and life-threatening to scuba divers. They are even more so for a child. That is why if you still have doubts about the safety of your child then consider seeking advice from medical professionals regarding the matter. That way they can personally evaluate the child if he/she is physically and mentally fit enough to try out the hobby.

Reminder: Though some recommend that a child should be around the age of eight or so before trying out scuba diving, there are still some medical professionals who oppose the idea especially if they deem a child to be physically and/or mentally unfit to go diving in deep waters. Take the doctor’s advice by heart and let your child try scuba diving when he/she is at an older age.

Picking the Right Scuba Equipment

It is oftentimes a challenge to select and find scuba equipment for children. Chances are, most scuba equipment won’t fit them. To make matters worse, because child scuba divers are rare, items that fit them are too. To surmount this challenge, you can start by listing down all the necessary scuba equipment that the child needs (e.g. wetsuit, dive computer, dive mask, et cetera) then visit your local dive shop and inquire about the items’ availability. If the items are not available from any brick-and-mortar dive establishment, you can try purchasing the items online from a reliable and credible scuba diving online shop.

If you notice your air conditioning system making some strange noises or not delivering the level of coolness you’ve come to expect from it, or if it has completely stopped running, it is definitely time to seek help from a technician. But you can’t just hire the first Summerlin AC repair team you come across, unless you want to risk wasting your money on haphazard work that might even cause more damage to your AC. You have to make sure the technician you hire applies the right solution to your air conditioning woes.

One thing you have to remember about professional AC technicians is that they never get right down to the “repair” part of the process without giving you air conditioner a thorough check. Professionals know they need to diagnose the system’s problem first so they can apply the right solution as quickly as humanly possible. They are committed to getting things done correctly the first time and the key to doing so is to know exactly what they’re up against.

By hiring the right people for the job, you ensure it gets done right the first time. As a result, you are saved from the hassle of always having to call for help because your AC won’t keep breaking down, as it probably would if an unqualified technician did poor repair work on it. In the process of looking for an AC service provider, be sure to check the number of years a company has been in business. Longevity is often a good measure of reliability.

When someone has had years of experience in air conditioning repair, it’s probably safe to say they have all the necessary tools and knowledge to effectively get your AC back in excellent working condition. And you can probably count on them to do so without wasting any of your precious time. In most cases, as you may have noticed when your air conditioning system broke down in the past, a broken AC can be a major inconvenience. With the right Summerlin repair team on your side, however, you can start treating a broken AC simply as a minor issue.

There’s no question about it. Your air conditioning system is an important part of maintaining a high level of comfort in your home. That is why only reliable technicians should be allowed to lay their hands on it. You can’t let your family suffer discomfort in your own home for days just because you hired the wrong repair team, right?

In the Sword Art Online anime franchise, one of the characters that immediately stand from the ranks of the IP’s dramatis personae is Kirigaya Kazuto, aka “Kirito.”  His intelligence, massive gaming experience, and unending determination make this character one of the most well-known protagonists in the anime and otaku universe. To those who want to cosplay him, this guide is geared up to help you portray this awesome character.

Getting Kirito’s Eyes Accurately

Aside from getting Kirito’s outfit and weapons accurately for that cosplay or convention that you plan to attend to, you should get his eye color right as doing this would give additional impact to your entire ensemble. Adding black Halloween contact lenses to your getupwould help bring out the fierceness of your character as you waltz into the cosplay event or convention that you are going to attend.

Contact Lens Purchase

Remember that you must make sure that you are purchasing your contact lenses from a reliable contact lens shop in your area. If it’s an online purchase, consider reviewing or evaluating the website first before filling up the online form. It is discouraged that you coordinate with online shops that sell Halloween contact lenses at incredibly cheaper prices. It can either be the shop is selling fake or substandard quality lenses. Things like these can cause eye damage. Consider visiting your eye doctor immediately whenever this happens to you.

Contact Lens Reminders

• Cosplayers recommend that you apply your makeup first before putting on your contact lenses.
• Always handle your lens with clean hands.
• Always bring along an eyedropper or contact lens solution upon the duration of the event.
• Remember to always change the contact lens solution in the lens containers regularly. DO NOT RECYCLE OR REUSE SOLUTIONS.

Character Portrayal

Once you have all the necessary things for your Kirito cosplay, it doesn’t really end there. It is important that you know the character’s personality and background as well. You wouldn’t want to disappoint the fans and convention attendees whenever they approach and ask you about Kirito now would you?

The following are guidelines in not only perfecting cosplaying Kirito, but other characters as well:

1. Watch, follow, or read the series where the character is originated in (e.g. anime, manga, novel, etc.)
2. Be sure to fully imitate the character’s personality accurately.
3. Remember the character’s signature poses or moves.
4. Remember the character’s favorite catchphrases or quotes.

Scuba diving is not always for teenagers and adults alone. Due to its increase in popularity as a sport and as a hobby, some manufacturers of assorted kids scuba gear are also venturing in creating scuba equipment for kids. However, don’t let them pick their own scuba equipment; as older individuals, it is always our duty to be responsible in picking the right gear for them.

The Right Age

There is a great variety of scuba equipment out there to the point that the array of options might give you a hard time selecting the appropriate gear for the kids. Some manufacturers even create scuba gear strictly for a specific age (e.g. for 8 years only, 7 years old, et cetera). If a person wishes to let their kids enjoy scuba diving, experts recommend that they should be at least eight years old before dabble in scuba diving.

Reminder: Seek advice from professional scuba divers or your local dive shop for recommended equipment for kids. This ensures that your kid will be exposed to fewer underwater risks.

If in Doubt, Seek Professional Medical Help

Deep waters are inherently dangerous and life-threatening to scuba divers. They are even more so for a child. That is why if you still have doubts about the safety of your child then consider seeking advice from medical professionals regarding the matter. That way they can personally evaluate the child if he/she is physically and mentally fit enough to try out the hobby.

Reminder: Though some recommend that a child should be around the age of eight or so before trying out scuba diving, there are still some medical professionals who oppose the idea especially if they deem a child to be physically and/or mentally unfit to go diving in deep waters. Take the doctor’s advice by heart and let your child try scuba diving when he/she is at an older age.

Picking the Right Scuba Equipment

It is oftentimes a challenge to select and find scuba equipment for children. Chances are, most scuba equipment won’t fit them. To make matters worse, because child scuba divers are rare, items that fit them are too. To surmount this challenge, you can start by listing down all the necessary scuba equipment that the child needs (e.g. wetsuit, dive computer, dive mask, et cetera) then visit your local dive shop and inquire about the items’ availability. If the items are not available from any brick-and-mortar dive establishment, you can try purchasing the items online from a reliable and credible scuba diving online shop.