Beauty: Forever 21 | SM Aura Taguig

Hi Ladies! Another beauty post on fashion. Well a newly opened Forever 21 branch was on our first list to visit at the new SM Aura. The plan first was to take a stroll around the mall. However, forever 21 caught our eyes since it is located upon the entrance of the mall. So we gave in and shop!


 

Forever21 at SM Aura has 2 floors, the second floor is where all the accessories, for plus size clothes, for men clothes, bags, shoes and belts are located while the first floor has lingerie, dresses, for kids etc.

With no plans of shopping, I admittedly can't enough of must haves so I bought some clothes! The clothes were so trendy that's why some of the Philippine local celebrities had already shopped in here. When Kris Aquino (for foreign readers: she's like Oprah of the Philippines and sister of our President) was asked what's the cheapest brand of clothing is in her closet? She answered, "Forever 21". Well she's rich and for me, Forever 21 is pricey in some ways. This Forever 21 branch was only opened days ago, May 17 I suppose and so the clothes are all new and candy to the eyes!

Come and visit Forever21 SM Aura!

How to get here?

Coming from Ayala Station MRT or ayala, find the Fort Bus Station (now temporarily located at shell station near forbes park). You can ride fort bus going to the East Route with a fare of 12 pesos. Get off at the the terminal of the east route (near market market Taguig). From there, you can see SM Aura and all you need is to walk across the street!

Enjoy shopping Ladies!

Tia!


CLICK HERE to see FULL POST...

TRAVELS: Surfing in Bagasbas Beach

Bagasbas Beach located at Daet, Camarines Norte is one of the top surfing destination in the Philippines. The Long Stretch of waves makes it more ideal for surfing especially for beginners. The sand is gray and powdery. La Union and Baler are also the top spots for surfers. Bagasbas Beach waves is like automatic as if there's a machine underneath that creates waves every second.

Surfing is part of our tour package in Calaguas Island. A10 minute-15 minute drive from the port is what you need to reach this place. For the beginners, there are trainors who are ready to assist you and orient you on the basics of surfing. Don't know how to swim? Well this beach is not that deep, it might be just below your waist. So if you're frightened that you might get drown, well think again! Yours truly is not a swimmer, but I tried surfing!

It will you cost you Php400 for an hour of surfing with one-on-one trainor plus free use of the surf board. This is affordable especially for beginners like me!

Nothing to worry because before surfing, you will have a one-on-one briefing with the trainor on the basics of surfing. In this picture, I was getting my one-on-one session with my trainor.

The beach waves might be overwhelming at first, but when you started to finally stand up on the board and feel the adrenaline rush, it was really fun! That's me! Although my stand was improper. One foot should be facing the front of the board while the other foot is perpendicular.

We dine and checked-in in this place,which is just facing the bagasbas beach. The food for me is not that great especially the laing that they served, because I have tasted the best laing in town "my nanay tita's laing" who is a True Blood Bicolana. But the people who serves are friendly and accomodating. We just stayed here for the purpose of having a place to take a shower, had our lunch/dinner and to have our things secured.

With my surf trainor

Goodbye for now Bagasbas!. Definitely another unforgettable experience I had after I have tried wakeboarding in Laguna. Surfing makes you feel like a champion, you can conquer the waves and the fear once you get the flow.

Come and visit Bagasbas Beach! It's really more fun in the Philippines!


CLICK HERE to see FULL POST...

TRAVELS: Calaguas Island, Camarines Norte

Calaguas Island, Camarines Norte

Calaguas Island located at Camarines Norte, which is at the Bicol region part of Luzon Philippines was our planned target destination this summer. This long beach, with its turquoise to clear blue water and fine white sands was said can rival the famous Boracay beach in Malay, Aklan. However, having been in Boracay twice, my first observation is that Calaguas island has its surreal feeling. The solemnity of the place made it uncomparable to the highly commercialized Boracay.

Our travel to Calaguas by land is 8 long hours of sitting on a bus. We did not book an air flight since we are on a budget trip so we decided to join a travel tour. A friend of mine suggested Kuya Melvic of Calaguasislandtour.weebly.com who caters packaged travel tours inclusive of food and transportation. I will enumerate the details on this post later.

Well going back to the beauty of Calaguas Island, the water is serene and no large waves can be seen so you can enjoy just dipping into the sea and enjoy swimming. The sand is fine and white and you will be not worried of the rocks that might injure your feet. What will be shocking to most of the luxury-seekers vacationers in Calaguas is that, there is no hotel in the island which made it more like you were one of the castaways in a Survivor Reality TV Show.

For those who might want to go to this Happy beach here's the details of our Package tour:

Package tour: 

1. We availed the 2d/1n Tour which includes:
 1.1 Round Trip Bus Fare
 1.2 Free food (lunch+dinner on the 1st day, breakfast+lunch on the 2nd day)
 1.3 Free use of Frisbee, Skimboard, Volleyball
 1.4 Free boat Transfers
 1.5 Free Use of Tents
or you can visit this link: http://calaguasislandtour.weebly.com/package-rate.html

How to Get there: 

Via Bus, We left DLTB Pasay going to Daet, Camarines Norte at 8pm and arrived at the port going to Calaguas at 6am inclusive of 20mins jeepney ride. Unfortunately, it's low-tide and boat might sink if we will still proceed to ride the boat, so we waited until lunch to finally go to Calaguas Island. A 2-3 hours boat ride is what awaits you before you can finally arrive to the beautiful Calaguas Island.

My friends cam-whoring at the port, the boats behind them are the actual boats we rode going to Calagauas

Finally we arrived! As soon as I stepped into the Island and dipped my foot on its clear water, all I said was "It is really worth it" with all the long travel hours, fatigue body, food deprivation(hahaha..well we had our lunch at 2pm!) and all the dizziness...The beauty of the island is breath-taking. Though I have read other blogs about Calaguas, to experience it first hand and be there is surreal.

 Our campsite. I have noticed that every Travel Tour have their own designated part in the Island.

 As soon as we finished our lunch, buffet lunch it is, we headed fast to play Frisbee!

See how long the shoreline is? Well even you are in Island, you will not feel that you were the only human being exists in this place. There were also locals who have resided on this place.

Well, since this is not yet commercially developed which I hope will not happen soon (for the sake of camping and solemnity of the place), there's no electricity. Glad that our package tour has their own generator who operates from 6pm-12midnight. So you can still charge your gadgets and the lights are still up till 12midnight!

Lucky us! Our Package Tour also includes unlimited drinks (mobile bar) which we enjoyed till 12 midnight. Who would have thought that there's a Boracay vibe in this Island via this mobile bar! But as soon as 12midnight strikes, all lights will be off so that we all could have a quiet sleep.

 My friends and I, drinking and stargazing all in one! Believe me, it was fun! Bonding while drinking, talking, sharing stories, are the best!

Oh, the morning has arrived and after breakfast, we enjoyed swimming and finally has to bid goodbye to this Happy Beach. We're going to Bagasbas, Daet to surf which I will post soon. I will forever cherish our experience this summer getaway. Our first time to join any package tour which is highly recommended by yours truly..

Well, another note, phone signals in the Island is not possible. Haha! So better text your loved ones or call them while you're still at the port, informing them that you can't response or receive their calls or texts while in this Island.

Come and Visit Calaguas! My Happy Beach! Its really MORE FUN in the Philippines!


CLICK HERE to see FULL POST...

Beauty: Do-It-Yourself Olive Oil for Hair Care

Olive Oil is obtained from the Olive trees. Olive Oil is widely known being used in cooking since it is healthy and cholesterol-free. However, the vain spirit in me live up again, so I researched on the other uses of olive oil.

Applying olive oil on hair has many benefits. One is deep conditioning which is a must in hair care. Its lightweight formula is great to not weigh down the hair after use. Emollients can penetrate in  the hair better than the others and Olive oil is one of the top emollients. Also if you are experiencing dry scalp, olive oil is highly recommended since it has this anti-inflammatory properties to achieve healthy scalp. So, olive oil is not only for dry hair, it is also for dry scalp that causes dandruff. Vitamin E content of the Olive oil is also good for hair growth.

With so many types of Olive oil in the market, I chose the extra virgin one. Extra virgin Olive oil means oil is being extracted from the original fruit without applying synthetic treatment. Extra Virgin Oil has also been categorized as best/highest quality of Olive Oil in the market. So why not get the best one right?

So back to the DIY (Do-It-Yourself), using Olive Oil as hair conditioner is as easy as 1, 2, 3.  And who would ever think that the solution for your hair dilemma can be found at your own kitchen?

How do I apply this? Well this will vary on your own preference but for me, I just leave it in my hair overnight. Yes overnight! Simply put an ample amount on your palm, rub it and massage it on your hair and on the hair strands.Use comb to scatter the oil evenly on your hair strands. Leave it overnight and wash your hair in the morning with shampoo and conditioner. You will notice how your hair has become more manageable, soft and shiny. I do this twice to thrice a week depending on your preference. But since my hair is kinda dry caused by hair rebonding and hair coloring, I prefer using olive oil twice to thrice a week.

The bottle in the picture only costs me Php 100-130. Affordable it is. Splurging yourself in a salon is not bad though but saving some bucks is good right? So I am recommending Olive Oil as part of your hair care ladies. Try this out!

That would be all ladies till next DIY and natural beauty discoveries :-)


CLICK HERE to see FULL POST...

FOOD: Marriot Hotel Buffet

Here's a quick post on food. A Christmas Party event held at Marriot Hotel, near the Resort World Manila last December. And a food blogger in me had to get the shot!

Marriot Hotel, being a five-star hotel offers a wide range of food, mouthwatering and really good food.

 Dessert Galore!

 Strawberry Tart, Brownies, Chocolate Mousse etc.

 Yumyum! Seafood Galore

Shrimp, Salmon, Dory all cooked with different twist!

  A Tasteful Plate! Yum!

 Mashed Potato, Beef .

 Drooling..

Dessert again!

Forgot to include the mobile bar in the event. Unlimited drink. Hooray to that! One of which is my favorite is the white wine. Overall, with the food I can give Marriot buffet 8 out of 10. Kudos to the food, the appetizers ad the unlimited drinks. 

Till next food post my readers! Happy tummy :-)

CLICK HERE to see FULL POST...

Beauty: Do-It-Yourself Whitening Extract/Solution

Living in the Philippines has its own perks, you can enjoy the beach all year long since we are composed of 7,107 islands. We are bestowed with the blessings of natural resources one of which are our trees that bear fruits that is highly world class. That's why we make the most out of the fruit, may it be in the kitchen, as a medicine,and as part of the beauty routine.

Calamansi is a citrus fruit which is associated with Mandarin orange or sweet orange. Its alkalinity properties can be used for whitening or bleaching purposes. Thus some of the bleaching soap or beauty soap being sold in the market has "calamansi extract" added on its content. Even there is such a thing as calamansi soap now in the market.

Enough of a very long introduction about the calamansi fruit.:-) Well, here's the thing. I usually post about makeups, drugstore products that are available in the market. However, I realized that maybe I should post about using natural products? Why not right ?  So I have come out with this very first post on using Calamansi extract for vain ladies out there!

Oh my dilemma was, I used this super commercially endorsed deodorant for a couple of weeks and I started to notice how it changes the color of my armpit. So my very kikay (vain) mother recommended calamansi extract which she used in her teenage years. All i need was to cut the calamansi fruit into half, get the extract and put it evenly on my armpit.
I do this drastically everyday before I take a bath. I let is stay for 5 minutes then I bathe after.

Note: No intention of creating negative feed backs on the whitening products in the market since I haven't use them (those for armpit.

So for recap. Here is the step by step procedure on how to use calamansi solution for whitening.

1. Cut the calamansi fruit into half.
2. Get the extract.
3. Put evenly on your darkened areas.
4. Let is stay for 5 minutes before you rinse that off.
5. Do this everyday before you bathe.


That would all for now ladies! More natural/organic beauty discoveries soon!







CLICK HERE to see FULL POST...

Beauty: Urban Decay Naked Palette 2 | Neutral Eyeshadow Palette

Urban Decay Naked Palette 2

The most coveted neutral palette that was raved by beauty bloggers, makeup enthusiasts and vain at heart.

Naked Palette 2, is the next line up after the Naked Palette 1.This eyeshadow consists of neutral colors which are easy to play with your eyes. Perfect for those who love natural looking makeup, not over the top colors. It comes with a gloss, which I was not able to post in here. I had once an eye on this during its first release, however the price was too steep and I rethink about buying it. Fortunately there was a beauty bazaar and I bought this half the price! 

The palette consists of 12 shades which are in the shade of brown, black and gray. Great for that soft smokey eye looks that actress Mila Kunis is sporting a lot these days. You can have a brown smokey eye look at work or create that sultry seductive smokey eyes on special occasions. You can never go wrong with just a swipe of a brown eyeshadow on your eyelids for that natural looking eye look.

 (From Urban Decay site)

The most anticipated sequel of the decade! Our new palette is meticulously packed with 12 Taupe + Greige Neutrals.

The most anticipated sequel of the decade. Naked2 has 12 pigment-rich, taupe and greige neutral eyeshadows. Our palette proves once again, neutral is anything but boring, (and is downright sexy when worn Naked). Feast your eyes on our shades ranging from pale to deep, matte to sparkly. This collection lets you achieve lots of neutral looks, smoky dramatic eyes, and everything in between. Let's just say there's a whole new way to get Naked!

The case has an art-school inspired look with hinged lid – taupe metal with embossed chocolate brown artwork. It's smooth, modern and cool to the touch – a real tactile experience. Plus, our palette also features a travel-size Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked, AND a double-ended, cruelty-free Good Karma Shadow/Crease Brush (available only in this palette). Any self-respecting makeup lover will have to have both palettes to get their complete neutral fix!

Fill Weight: Eyeshadow: 12 x 1.3g e 12 x 0.05 US oz, Lip Junkie: 3.23ml e 0.11 US fl oz

 Top View of Naked 2

 Side View of Naked 2

 Metallic Casing

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT NAKED 2 PALETTE?

• it has shades that is suitable for everyday wear
• the colors are pigmented
• very versatile

WHAT I HATE ABOUT NAKED 2 PALETTE?

• kinda bulky on your makeup bag
• pricey
• some of the matte shades are almost the same with one another
• doesn't stay long on my eye lids so better use an eye primer

For me, you can check out other neutral palettes in the market such as those from Bobbi Brown, Maybelline and Laura Mercier which are nice too! This palette has only been used once when I had a wedding to attend. Other than that, I always use my MAC Faux Gold on my eye lids which I had reviewed on this link: 
 http://lovingvanity.blogspot.com/2012/07/beauty-mac-semi-precious-collection.html
Thanks for dropping by ladies! Till our next beauty session!

CLICK HERE to see FULL POST...