Beauty for a Living

Back from outer space!

2013-03-10T00:00:00.000+08:00

I am the worst beauty blogger in the world. I hardly update this! It's so much easier to update my personal blog and my mommy blog, even my work blog. Beauty blogging is hard!

That's Kate on far right.

I'm only sneaking back here because Kate Alvarez of the beauty site BDJ Box just cited this blog as one of the beauty blogs to bookmark. Don't believe it? I didn't either until I clicked here. PANIC! There's not much here, Kate!

So now I will update this blog. I'll start on... Monday haha.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Street fashion in Paris at Winter

2012-12-29T16:35:00.001+08:00

Okaaaay, this being the Philippines, winter fashion is non-existent. We only buy the winter stuff for when we travel. Yep, that's the only time I bring out my coats and leathers and muffs and gloves. So I'm not really interested in winter clothes but since I'm subscribed to Refinery29 and this story on winter street style came up, I browsed through it and totally got floored at the Parisian girls.

Seriously, if that's what Parisian girls wear, then I need some seriously fab clothes when I visit Paris.

*all images from Refinery29

Dry body brushing

2012-12-05T13:41:00.000+08:00

Okay, after my feature on Divasoria's Glossy, many people are asking about dry body brushing. Since Twitter's 140 characters can't contain all the wonders of this regimen, I decided to blog about it!

I'm really skinny. My friends always tell me, "Why are you always covering up? If I were skinny like you, I'd be in shorts and tank tops every day!' Well, the reason is one ugly word: cellulite.

When I turned 30, dimples appeared on my butt and thighs. Not a lot but they were spreading. After I gave birth at 33, I was suffering from post-pregnancy cellulite like you can't imagine. Cellulite on thighs, arms, butt, stomach. Nothing got rid of it. Then I got pregnant again and after I gave birth, cellulite quadrupled. I've tried all the creams and exercises. Nada. I could live with the stretchmarks but cellulite was just damn ugly.

Then I read on her website, Kora, that Miranda Kerr—only my peg on looking absolutely fabulous!—uses dry body brushing on her beautiful mommy body. And so I have done the same.

Dry body brushing is brushing your entire body with a brush. Ya, it really is as simple as that. Your skin and brush have to be dry so it's a bit painful at first. You also have to be naked so you can brush every inch of skin. So do this in the shower. Here's a long video on it. It's very home video so be patient but it's the most comprehensive one I found.

I find it so interesting how her mouth hardly opens when she talks!

Anyway, I started dry body brushing last September. I use a long-handle brush I bought from MUJI for about P700. I think Body Shop has nice ones, too.

I count 10 strokes per side. So it's like 10 strokes on the top of my foot, 10 strokes on the sole, 10 strokes on my shin, 10 strokes on my calf, front thigh, back thigh, butt cheeks. And so on and so forth. Ten strokes on every exposed part of me! The brushing exfoliates your skin so you get softer and smoother. I brush towards my heart, towards my lymph nodes. This stimulates blood circulation, which facilitates distribution of oxygen and vitamins and minerals all over your body and to your skin, and flushes out toxins.

That was the first thing I noticed actually—the flushing out. As the woman in the video mentioned, and I hope you don't get disgusted by this paragraph, you'll really notice your bowel movements change. I've always been constipated. In the first week of dry body brushing, I noticed that my toilet appointments have become more regular and much easier. But my cellulite was still there. I figured, "Okay, my skin still looks awful but at least I'm no longer constipated!" So I continued with the brushing.

After a month (yes, just one month!), I noticed that my skin was less dimply. Much smoother. Bowel movements still regular. After almost three months, I have no more cellulite on my limbs. No more cellulite! I look so frikkin' good!

I still have some bumps and dimples on my tummy, though. Really still ugly. So no bikinis for me. Yet!

Try dry body brushing! I highly recommend it!!!

Unboxing my first beauty box, the super sulit BDJBox!

2012-11-05T00:11:00.000+08:00

Oh hello! I disappeared again! But I came back because I just had to tell you the coolest thing ever, beauty-wise: beauty boxes!

I've never heard of such a thing but it's the hottest thing these days. What you do is you subscribe to a beauty box service and every month you get a box of goodies, in sample sizes mostly, usually about 5 products. This allows you to test a few products every month and find out which works for you, without fully committing to a big bottle or tube. It's such a clever idea, I wonder why I didn't come up with it! I guess that's because I'm not clever enough!

My very first beauty box is fantabulous. BDJBox!!! I'll let the photos tell you why I'm so excited about BDJBox:

Meet the pretty box. You just know it's filled with goodies!

Oooh, tissue paper just heightens the anticipation, don't you think?

The theme of the October box is Parisian beauty.

Oh wow, so many goodies!

And all that for a mere P480! Yep, that's all you have to shell out. Subscription fee starts at an incredibly low price of P480 and you get a box na super siksik with amazing beauty products!

There are many subscription packages to choose from. You can try it monthly, for three months, six months and even one year!

Creating an account with BDJBox also gives you access to beauty tips and tricks from some of the best beauty experts in this country. I'm talking about my friends!

Erica and Nicole were beauty editors of the country's two top women's magazines, Kat was the fashion editor of the Philippine edition of the world's biggest women's magazine, Kate used to be the fashion and beauty editor of OK! (yes, my magazine!), Tara is a popular beauty blogger, and Barbi is one of the hottest makeup artists ever! The former editors have left their magazines for bigger and better careers and BDJBox was able to get them all as a team!

Now, who wants a BDJBox? You do? Well, BDJBox is feeling generous! You can win your own box and here's all you need to do:

1. Tweet your answer to this simple question: "What's your best beauty discovery?"

2. Follow @FrancesASales and @BDJBuzz.

3. Tag @FrancesASales and @BDJBuzz when you Tweet your answer.

4. Use the hashtag #BDJBox in your Tweet.

So for example, I would Tweet this: "@FrancesASales @BDJBuzz My best beauty discovery is SK-II Facial Treatment Essence and Souq Organics Moroccan Argan Oil! #BDJBox"

Tweet contest ends on Wednesday, November 7, which happens to be my birthday. So yup, this is my birthday gift to one reader! I'll announce the winner at 6pm via Twitter and my Facebook page.

For more on BDJBox, click here.

shu uemura + Karl Lagerfeld = FAB!

2012-10-16T00:30:00.000+08:00

I love the new collection of shu uemura! It's a collaboration with famed designer Karl Lagerfeld. Yes, of Chanel fame. Which makes me wonder why he didn't work with Chanel's makeup instead! Well, Lagerfeld answered that question at the launch (via video, haha, he wasn't there personally!). He said that no other makeup brand has the amazing colors that shu uemura has.

That is true. My job as a magazine editor has exposed me to a lot of makeup but, yup, nothing beats the pigments of shu uemura. When it comes to color, get shu uemura. My eye shadows and blushes are shu uemura.

Anyway! Lagerfeld's line for shu is called the Mon Shu Uemura. It's French for My shu uemura. Lagerfeld's signature black tie and white shirt is worn by the Mon Shu Girl he sketched himself. It's so cute and quirky!

For a better idea on what the products look like (and their correct colors), here are the official product shots:

Two beauty icons! Karl Lagerfeld and shu uemura's premium cleansing oil!

Must have before makeup! UV underbase.

Makeup palette

One of the shadow palettes.

The bestselling lash curler with the rubber pad in blazing red.

Need more lashes? Try these!

Red lipstick. It's all you really need actually.

That is the most flattering shade of red polish!

Add nail art stickers for instant designer nails!

Fab fab fab! Okay, I turned the next photos black and white. A little tip to events organizers: Never ever use lights that are blue and pink and other colors. Never! It messes with people's skin tones. Everyone looked either 100% cyan or 100% magenta. Sorry, had to use print publishing terms.

And if it's a product launch—whether it's makeup or clothes—the colored lights mess up the products' real colors, too. That is not a good thing. For example, the makeup above. The eyeshadows look muddy.

So always mimic sunlight. Take my photo above, for example. I posed near a window. So I look normal. No blue tones on my skin. Blue tones give people a deathly pallor. Hence, the B&W pictures below. Everyone either looked like zombies (blue) or lobsters (red). Such a shame because everyone from shu uemura looked amazing!

This is the always chic Nina Solano. Happy birthday!

Super cute and stylish Karen Crisostomo. You met her here.

My friend, shu uemura makeup artist John Pagaduan, weaving his magic using the shu x Karl makeup.
John always makes me so beautiful (see proof here)!

Beauty bloggers cluster around John to learn his secrets.

The finished makeup on the models. Sorry, no colors! Really such a shame. The makeup was gorgeous.
But the cameras couldn't capture it because the lights washed out the colors.

The shu uemura Philippines team!

I super love shu uemura's new collection! Actually, I love anything shu. And so will you! The special shu uemura x Karl Lagerfeld Collection is available at shu uemura boutiques at Power Plant Mall, Shangri-la Plaza, Rustan's Makati, Alabang Town Center and Trinoma.

Kiehl's Power Plant now open for business!

2012-10-15T08:00:00.000+08:00

Kiehl's just opened a new branch at Power Plant Mall. Hooray! My family has always loved Kiehl's. My husband Vince is the real fan—nearly all his grooming products are Kiehl's. I use the hair thickener and sunscreen. My babies use the foaming baby wash. Yup, we're fans!

But with their boutiques at Greenbelt 5 and Mall of Asia, I haven't really been able to buy the products my family loves. But now that there's a Kiehl's shop 5 minutes from my home, my new problem's going to be I ahve to stop myself from shopping too much!

I was at the opening event last week. It was an all-day affair and beautiful women and well groomed men were dropping by throughout the day. I passed by after lunch. If I had known there was going to be a buffet, I'd have eaten lunch there instead!

Here are photos of the event, plus the luscious products I brought home to try.

Kiehl's originated from New York City in 1851.

The decor is very NYC.

The pasta bar and other edibles.

Munchies and dessert station

With MEGA's beauty team, Kim Reyes-Palanca and Max Ignacio

This is the new Aromatic Blends Collection. It includes body cleansers, lotions and fragrances.
The scents are sourced from around the world in sustainable ways.

Here are the fragrances! I liked the bottle of Nashi Blossom & Pink Grapefruit best.

My husband's order. He super loves this facial foam.

This is my hair essential since I have the thinnest, finest, flattest hair in the world.

The Kiehl's team recommended I try this. I'll give a review soon! I hope it works!

I love argan oil. It rid me of pimples! So I'll try it on my body, too, with these.

Truly excited that Kiehl's is so near us now! I urge you to drop by the new boutique at Power Plant. It's on the second level, near the center of the mall. You can't miss it. Now, if unlike me, you live noweher near Power Plant, other Kiehl's boutiques are at Greenbelt 5, Trinoma, Mall of Asia and Alabang Town Center.

Daphne Oseña Paez sent me Vaseline lotions

2012-10-14T13:25:00.004+08:00

I love that the new endorser of Vaseline Healthy White Perfect 10 is Daphne Oseña Paez. She's such a gracious woman. When she sent out gift packs to her friends, she put the lotions in a sturdy cream box and enclosed a personal note in each.

Perfect 10. She says I'm a Perfect 10. I think only my husband thinks that of me. So it's really sweet that another person—an amazing woman at that!—thinks I'm a Perfect 10, too.

A lot of times, wives and mommies and career women forget to take care of themselves. There's always something to do, something more important, more urgent. And then when we end up looking old and ugly, we console ourselves with the thought that we sacrificed ourselves for the more important things in life. Well, that's nice. Very noble. But unnecessary! It's totally possible to love ourselves and love our families and careers!

Vaseline's lotions make that easy. They're multi-tasking (whitening, nourishing, moisturizing, protecting and anti-aging!). They're fast absorbing. And they're affordable. Perfect for busy women everywhere!

I haven't tried the Healthy White line yet, to be honest. I'm still using the Total Moisture line. I am currently finishing my bottle of Aloe Fresh. I super love it. It's light, smells fresh, absorbs fast and I am really truly smooth and moist (but not greasy) all over.

Best of all, my husband likes massaging the lotion on me! And this is a man who hates greasy, thick, perfumed lotions. Vaseline's lotions passed his test. And mine! Definitely recommending these! You can buy Vaseline from any supermarket and drugstore. Be a Perfect 10... just like me (according to Daphne)!

*Daphne photo from Philippine Star

Loving shu uemura's new Supreme Matte Lipstick collection!

2012-09-22T12:00:00.000+08:00

My friends will tell you that I've been on the hunt for a hot pink lipstick. Not a pretty pink, pale pink, sweet pink, bridal pink, virgin pink. I've been looking for a pink so hot, your eyes will melt with one look. Yup, hottest pink! And I finally found it in shu uemura's latest Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte Lipsticks!!!

The new matte collection has a ton of shades but what's currently available in Manila are just 6 shades: (from left) brown, nude, hot pink, hot red, light pink, pink.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to do a proper color correction of my photos. The shades above are super saturated. They don't look like that at all. Sorry!

Here I am at shu uemura Power Plant to test the hot pink shade (MPK 376):

That pink is much brighter in person. It makes my lips scream. It's super hot! The lipstick is matte but it goes on smooth and creamy. My lips didn't feel dry at all. Its super ingredient is ceramide. I looked it up in Wikipedia and I didn't understand a lot about ceramide. But I did see that it's a fatty acid. Our skin naturally has ceramides—it's what holds our skin cells together. Somehow, shu uemura was able to add this to its lipsticks.

I'm super in love with my new hot pink lipstick. But when I saw shu uemura's Karen wearing the hot red, I wavered. I've been looking for a vibrant red lippie, too!

Each tube of the Rouge Unlimited Matte Supreme Lipstick is just P1,195. Now before you complain that that's too much for a little tube, consider that it's so deeply pigmented, just a few swipes will do! Your little tube will last a long long time.

I also got a super cute limited edition shu uemura tote. Hmm. Looking at the illustration... Maybe I should get bangs, too. My post-partum hair loss is freaking me out. I'm getting balder by the day!

But at least my lips look great!

Make sure you drop by shu uemura this weekend. The Matte Supreme shades are in limited quantities so get your coveted color now!

I Do Nails (plus, a giveaway!)

2012-09-07T13:38:00.000+08:00

I know I should be happy to announce this news but I'm actually sad. The good news is I Do Nails just opened its first ever nail salon at Eastwood Mall. Hooray! The bad news for lazy me is they don't do home service anymore.

I'm the laziest girl in the world when it comes to beauty rituals. My husband even has to put lotion on me (which I thoroughly enjoy tee hee!) because I just can't be bothered to do it myself. So I have loved loved loved I Do Nails because they go to my house and do my nails for me. I love I Do Nails but now I won't see them anymore ever because they will never ever go to my house and I go to Eastwood Mall maybe once every two years, and only because there's an occasion, like a family dinner or something.

Oh well.

So since I Do Nails gave me gift certificates worth P1,000 (and that can get one lucky reader lots of services!), I'm giving them away!!!

Just Tweet this:
I want to go to I Do Nails Salon! @FrancesASales is giving away GCs! http://www.beautyforaliving.com/2012/09/i-do-nails-plus-giveaway.html

Or put this on your Facebook status (but you'll have to like my blog page first!):
I want to go to I Do Nails Salon! @TopazHorizon is giving away GCs! http://www.beautyforaliving.com/2012/09/i-do-nails-plus-giveaway.html

The GCs expire on September 30. Yes, that's why we need to do this quick! So I'll pick a winner on Sunday and send the prize on Monday. Good luck!

UPDATE:
Congratulations!

OK!'s Most Beautiful Stars in September issue

2012-09-01T10:15:00.000+08:00

The September issue of the most amazing Hollywood celebrity and royalty magazine in the Philippines is OUT!

I super love this issue! It's so siksik with all things fabulous! Let's start with my editor's letter (haha). Here I talk about the happy news of Jen and Justin's engagement. And also the sad news of Kristen's cheating scandal.

My first favorite part of the Big Beauty Issue is the Top 10 Beauty Trends. I am oh so ready to try full blunt bangs! Actually, I want to try out bangs because my hair is suffering post-partum fallout so my forehead looks huge.

Then here's our annual list! The Duchess of Cambridge rules the roster. With her thick waves, natural makeup, bright smile, fit and slender figure, and a to-die-for wardrobe, of course she's our No. 1 choice! Don't agree? No worries. There are dozens of stunning stars that we also featured!

Here's OK! Glam, the special monthly insert on shopping! We scoured the malls and online shops to bring you the most fabulous beauty and style buys!

So there you have it! My magazine is out! Grab a copy!

Books before boys! Love these nerdy chic Kate Spade bags!

2012-08-31T23:35:00.001+08:00

This here used to be my uniform: romantic blouses or soft tees, skinny jeans, heels and a book. I always used to walk around with a book!

But now that I'm a magazine editor and a mommy, I scurry about everywhere with a large carryall filled with magazines, press kits, date book, phones, diapers, wet wipes, milk and toys. I do, however, always stash a small purse inside my big tote. This purse I bring to meetings and events so that I won't look like I brought my entire house with me.

After seeing these clever clutches from Kate Spade, I think I'm going to ditch the purse and grab me some book clutches! They are so nerdy, adorable and so cool!

Other designs are just as fabulous.

Much as I love the "covers" of the Austen clutches, I've never read her. I'm not her market. I like Dickens, Fitzgerald and Shakespeare, of course, so everything else in Kate Spade's library of clutches, I have read and loved... and want to own!

Each clutch is US$325. That's P13,600++. Whew. That's a lot for a small bag! Just imagine how many real books I can buy with that money. Kate Spade, I hope you go on sale soon!

*images grabbed from Kate Spade online shop

Get Trench'd!

2012-08-21T06:00:00.000+08:00

Well, this is crazy weather we're having. I hope everyone's okay now. And in case you're wondering how to be stylish in this insane rain, check out Ready For Rain's latest offering: Trench'd coats!

Gorgeous! Loving the colors and the style. I almost want to get out and start singing, "What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again! I'm laughing at clouds so dark up above, the sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love!"

And it's just P1,950. What a steal! Buy yourself a coat (or two!) now at Ready For Rain!

*photos courtesy of Ready For Rain

My secret to healthy nails: Oro Gold

2012-08-18T06:00:00.000+08:00

I've always had nice nails. I used to wear them long but when I became a magazine editor, long nails and tapping away on keyboards incessantly just don't mix. So I kept them short but always colored with nail polish.

Around 4 years ago, which was the most unbelievably stressful year of my life, my nails began to crack and split. I've tried lotions and nail treatments to help ease the brittleness but nothing worked. I stopped putting on nail polish. I used gloves when washing dishes and doing the laundry. Nothing helped.

Then a few weeks ago, I was accosted (yes, that's the right word. More on that later!) by sales people at the Oro Gold standee boutique at Shangri-la Plaza. This woman told me that they have a kit that will miraculously make my nails healthy. I waved her off but she asked for just one minute and my thumb nail. She worked on that nail with a buffer and when she was done, my nail was free from the grooves and bumps it's been plagued with since 2008! So I bought that kit!

Here's my nail grooming secret:

Because I'm a mommy now, I have to keep my nails short. The nail set has a nail buffer, an oil and a hand-and-feet lotion. The nail buffer is really good. I actually already have one that I bought from Watsons but the Oro Gold buffer is much better!

Step 1: Use the rough side to file away the ridges and bumps. Call it exfoliation. I like how the rough side is still so fine so I don't feel like my nail is getting damaged.

Step 2: Use this pad to buff away and smoothen.

Step 3: The final pad is used to polish the nails. It's so good that my nails actually squeak! That's how smooth and clean they become!

Tada! Smooth and shiny nails!

Step 4: The tea tree oil makes nails healthy by sealing in moisture. Plus, tea tree oil is antibacterial. It's good for nails and cuticles since it protects them from infections.

Love that golden green color! Just one drop is all I need. I put one drop each on my thumbs then spread the oil all over the other nails. This small bottle goes a loooong way!

No more brittle nails after this! It is truly amazing. Like I said, the kit comes with a hand-and-feet lotion, which is Step 5. I just forgot to take a photo. So the nail buffer, nail oil and lotion is P2,000. Not bad!

I do have one complaint with Oro Gold. They are very aggressive with their sales pitch. Here you are, walking along happily and they will really block your way. And they will keep following you! It's a good thing I was in a good mood and was willing to listen to that woman. I also didn't like her spiel. While it's true that the treatment does its job, I didn't need to hear superlatives and stuff like, "Try not to kiss me because after this, you will be so happy you will jump for joy and try to kiss me." Something like that. I mean, really.

Other than that, I'm pretty happy with Oro Gold. A high school classmate said the face creams and other products are really nice. She loves them. And since she looks so good, I believe her!

The Oro Gold I bought is from the kiosk in Shangri-la Plaza, near the escalators on that floor with Bench. I think I saw another kiosk at Power Plant Mall, near the arcade. I don't know where else Oro Gold is available. If you do, kindly leave a comment below!

How I whitened my underarms with Pond's Flawless White and Dove Whitening Deo

2012-08-14T21:59:00.000+08:00

I have finally found the best whitening products for my underarms! Pond's Flawless White and Dove Whitening Deodorant!

But first, a little history. I got pregnant twice in the last 2 years. Okay, maybe 3, if you count 2009. But since I got pregnant December of 2009, I guess it doesn't count! Anyway, the pregnancies have resulted to discoloration of my underarms. Yes, they've become really, really dark. By my second pregnancy, I was deeply dismayed because my armpits were almost nearly black. Black, dammit!

I've tried this and that (I won't say what failed!) and then I remembered that I have Pond's Flawless White creams from the event I attended last February. The Flawless White line is for the face—it's for lightening acne scars, fading sun spots and evening out skin. It promises to whiten from the cellular level so that your skin whitens naturally. Since my face is already fair, I didn't use my free jars (the Pond's Gold line is what I already use). But when I realized there are parts of me that desperately needed whitening, I remembered I had Pond's Flawless White!

It's the Day Cream. I love the soft texture. It almost feels like whipped cream. I did hear that the Night Cream is far more potent. Oooh! I'll use that when I finish this jar!

I used the Flawless White Day Cream on my armpits every morning and night and after a week (yes, a week!), I noticed a change. I got really excited! My only problem with my new find is that when I use it in the morning and I get sweaty during the day (and of course, I'm a mommy with a toddler and a newborn!), my underarms get really slippery. Yes, cream and sweat combined!

So I stopped using the cream in the morning and just slathered it on at bedtime. It still worked. My underarms lightened and softened week after week.

Then I found a fab solution to the morning ritual: I was watching TV one time and I saw the Dove Whitening Deodorant Spray TVC. It promised to whiten underarms in just 7 days. Well! It did! Yes, I got two canisters, Original and Silk Dry. That's how much I believed in the promise of Dove!

I'm currently using the Original variant and I love the scent, the quick spray action and the whitening power, of course! My one suggestion to those who'll use Dove is don't spray too much and really aim at your underarm. If you aimed at your face (yes, it happened), you can get overwhelmed by the spray and cough cough cough.

My armpits really did whiten faster with Pond's Flawless White and Dove Whitening Deo. My underarms are not just whiter, they're softer and smoother, too! Happiness!

Tod's presents its Autumn/Winter 2012 collection

2012-08-12T06:00:00.000+08:00

Well, you all know how I'm dying to own a Tod's D Bag, right? So when Tod's invited me to their intimate soiree to launch their A/W 2012 collection a couple of weeks ago, I threw on a Missoni knit dress, lifted my then 2-month-old baby boy (he turned 3 months old yesterday!) in my arms and went to the Manila Peninsula Suite to view Tod's latest!

Here I am with Good Housekeeping's fashion and beauty editor, Pia Rojas. I am loving the blue of her nails! And we are both loving Tod's Signature Collection!

The Signature Collection features the distinctive Gommino pattern that is found on the soles of the driving shoes of Tod's. I like the texture. I am particularly liking that texture on the soft leather of these totes.

Here's another view. Can't decide which is prettier--the purple or the pink.

Here is the Medium Tote and the Clutch. That blue looks much better in person. But I'm not a blue bag person. So I'm still thinking about the purple and pink!

Woah! And then you have these wild girls! Not only are they in loud colors and trimmed in luxe fur, they're also in sumptuous suede. Yum yum. These babies should star in their own ad campaign.

Signature Collection still, but accessories, like this iPad 2 case. I love that orange!

Well, hello there, D Bag! I see you've got a makeover, too. Is that fur trim? In orange, no less! Hmmm. I should've taken a photo of the bag beside it! It looks pink and trimmed in white. Very sweet and sexy!

These are big bags. Perfect for travel or as carry-on luggage. But the leather is so luxurious, I wouldn't put it in the overhead compartment. Ya, I'm not that rich yet that I can throw my bags just anywhere! Anyway, these beauties can fit enough stuff for a weekend or, if you're not a light packer, for an overnight stay.

Ooh, small D bags in teal and fuchsia! This is the zippered-pockets kind. Very nice handbag but I'm really gunning for the D-Styling Medium one. Although I love that pink!

And they have matching suede booties, too!

As you can see, teal and fuchsia, together with orange, are the colors of the A/W collection. Those shoulder bags also feature a signature Tod's element--the key lock.

More accessories in yummy soft leather and colors. There's actually a lot more in the A/W collection but I had a baby with me so I wasn't able to take a lot of photos. But I'll definitely browse the line at the Greenbelt 4 boutique as soon as I can!

Help the flood victims with donations

2012-08-09T00:33:00.002+08:00

I have a slew of beauty and fashion posts all scheduled in the next week but I'm pushing them back a bit in light of what's happening to our country. The monsoon rains have been truly unforgiving, resulting to massive floods and homeless people.

There are many ways to help. Since this is a beauty blog, let me share the fashion and beauty brands who are facilitating the distribution of donations:

Friends of Kiehl's, let's help out! Please pass the message on to your friends. Our boutiques, which will serve as drop-off points for donations, can be found in Greenbelt 5 (Level 1, Fashion Walk), Mall of Asia (Level 1, Main Mall), Trinoma (Level 3, Mindanao Wing), Alabang Town Center (Level 1, Garden Wing).

To support the relief operations of the Ayala Malls, our Lancome Boutique in Greenbelt 5 will be accepting any form of donations that could be of great help to the flood victims.

Please drop off your donations at any of our Boutiques:
- Level 2, Powerplant Mall, Rockwell Center

- Level 2, Garden Wing, Alabang Town Center
- Level 3, TriNoma Mall (Beside Kiehls, Near Team Manila, Topshop)
We will be accepting any form of donations that could be of great help to the flood victims. This is a tie-up with Ayala Malls and Power Plant Mall relief operations.

For other ways to help, go to the government site and to Frannywanny's blog for a list. Be safe everyone. God bless us all.

I have committed a serious blogging sin

2012-08-07T21:39:00.003+08:00

I haven't updated this blog since February!!!

Well, as you can tell from my last post, I was pregnant. I had the baby (it's a boy!) and even though I was on maternity leave, I was still busy--working on the celebrity magazine, accepting writing assignments, blogging on Topaz Horizon and Topaz Mommy.

But now I'm back! And I have so much beauty and fashion chika to share! See you around here soon!

Event: Pond's launches new and improved Age Miracle and Flawless White skincare lines

2012-02-23T21:20:00.004+08:00

I knoooooow. I've been gone forever! And what's a great post to come back with than a super fabulous glamorous and sumptuously romantic event hosted by Pond's?

The mega beauty brand invited select media to a "stay-cation" at the Midas Hotel along Roxas Blvd. After we freshened up in our individual rooms, we had high tea with scrumptious hors d'oeuvres (I ate a LOT) as the Pond's team outlined what to expect in our two-day stay. With the help of this iPad!

Each guest had an iPad, which was to announce what will happen next. That's Jacqe Yuengtian of Unilever. She was the host of the affair and so appeared on the iPads every so often to tell us what to do. Well, we were told to dress up in red and proceed to the special Pond's bus.

This TwitPic was taken by Style Bible's Isha Andaya-Valles. From left, that's Divine Lee, Preview's Pauline Juan, me, Pond's Age Miracle spokesperson Rissa Mananquil Trillo and Tim Yap.

As we were driven to the mysterious location, everyone seated at the back Tweeted. Well, everyone except Pauline and me.

There was videoke on the bus so Isha, Phil. Star columnist Zo Aguila (pictured) and Saga Events' Robby Carmona entertained everyone on the bus with the cheesiest songs ever. After winding about Manila and Makati, we found ourselves in Top Shelf at Fully Booked, which was decorated in the color of the season--red (the event was held just before Valentine's Day).

That's former model now Unilever's Global PR Manager for Pond's Apples Aberin. She told us all about the new and very much improved Age Miracle because now it's called Cell ReGEN. As in, this new formulation is called the Intelligent Pro-Cell Complex which promises to regenerate your cells!

I've actually tried Age Miracle but the old formulation, which said my skin would be changed in 7 days. Y'all remember that campaign? Well, on the fourth day of use, my husband stared at me and then said, "You look really good. Like you're well rested." O, diba?! That's just the fourth day!

Anyway, after our skincare seminar, we were treated to a delicious dinner. I think it was catered by Cibo but I'll have to confirm. Even though I was still full from all the canapes and mini desserts from the afternoon tea, I forced myself to eat because the spread was just so good!

Oh, this is me. Yes, look at my big tummy. BURP! Joke, joke. That's my almost-7-months-pregnant tummy! I tell ya, my baby Wiggle was super happy that night from all the rich food Pond's served us!

After dinner, I went home because I wanted to be with my husband and baby boy. But the rest of the media invited went back to Midas and continued the party there.

The next morning, my darling husband braved the traffic to drive me all the way to Pasay for the second launch--the new Pond's Flawless White with GenActiv Formula.

Now this one is really exciting, folks. I didn't get to take photos of the skincare seminar (which everyone attended clothed in various shades of pink) but I was very impressed. Pond's announced that after 10 years of research, they found a way to manipulate the gene that caused skin color so that you lighten and brighten naturally.

I especially like that the new formula does NOT mess with our melanin. Melanin is the skin's primary protection against the sun's harmful rays. Basically, it's why we darken when we're exposed to the sun. Melanin increases its production of pigment much like little umbrellas that open to shield our skin. Of course that means you darken. Most whitening products lighten our skin by destroying melanin. The problem with that is, sure, you look white but your skin's defense against the sun's rays is gone.

The new Flawless White line whitens safely and naturally and your melanin stays put. Basically, it undoes years and years of skin damage so that your skin becomes as fair as it once was when it never felt the sun (yep, the day you were born!).

Anyway, after the very informative talk, we all had a lovely lunch at Midas.

Below is very pregnant me with Good Housekeeping's Tisha Alvarez Angluben and Inquirer's Cit-Cit Sioson.

I'll talk more about Pond's Age Miracle Cell ReGEN with Intelligent Pro-Cell Complex and Pond's Flawless White with GenActiv Formula after I tested them. For now, I hope you enjoyed this beauty event!

New thing to try this year: Haircuts at home!

2012-01-03T22:46:00.001+08:00

Happy New Year, my dear beauty lovers!

Here's an idea for my Manila readers: Why don't you avoid the horrendous traffic jams and have your hairdresser come to you? That's what Vince and I do!

Vince used to get haircuts twice a year because he can't stand the traffic-and-parking stress. So his hair gets loooong and unruly. And then when I gave birth in 2010 and found absolutely no time to go to the salon, I started looking raggedy myself.

My friend Nikki of The Picky Dresser said I have no excuse to look unkempt just because I'm a mommy since there are so many at-home services available these days. She gave me a list and I was surprised to see "Hairstyling - Michael Morano" on her list.

Michael does everything for your hair--cut, color, blowdry, style for events. He saved our looks! We get regular trims in the comfort of our own home. It's so convenient! Try it this year, beauties!

To set an appointment with Michael, here's his number: 0929.428-0430.

Unarosa's Top 10 fab and fashionable gift suggestions (plus, party dresses, too!)

2011-12-19T01:19:00.000+08:00

We feature fashion boutique Unarosa in OK! magazine all the time. It's not just a Proudly Pinoy brand, the dresses are really actually amazing. The designs are definitely gorgeous, well made, and come in limited stock so you can be sure your pretty party dress won't be on 999 other girls in town!

For their holiday collection, the brand pays homage to film noir femme fatales. Lush textures, dramatic details, sexy silhouettes, rich hues--definitely something you might want to consider for the parties you'll attend!

Here's a peek at the making-of-the-ad-campaign for the Neo Noir Collection:

Unarosa Holiday 2011 from Unarosa on Vimeo.

Now if you're not done with your gift shopping, drop by any of the Unarosa boutiques and grab one or more of their gift suggestions for the stylish people in your life (including yourself!):

Black chain-print scarf, P635

Red handbag with contrast stitching, P1760

Faux croc-skin with gold buckles, P1760

Vintage chain necklace with tribal design pendant, P535

Bib necklace with chains and feathers, P795

Silver-plated earrings, P325

Gold-plated shell earrings, P325

Silver stud ring, P445

Gold snake wrap ring, P445

Brown tribal-print scarf, P635

Trivia: Celebrities like Miriam Quiambao and Empress Shuck love Unarosa.

Unarosa is located at 5/L Shangri-La Plaza, 4/L The Block, SM North Edsa, 2/L Annex II, SM Fairview, 2/L Bldg. A, SM Megamall, G/F Shoppesville, Greenhills, and L/1 Marquee Mall, Pampanga. For more information on Unarosa, log on to www.una-rosa.com. For more updates, like Unarosa on Facebook, www.facebook.com/unarosafashion or follow Unarosa on Twitter, www.twitter.com/UNAROSA_tweets.

I'm baaaaaack!

2011-12-16T23:31:00.000+08:00

Wow. I have been gone from the fashion and beauty blogging world for months!

Will make up for that soon. In fact, I'll give a sneak peek at my makeup kit--something I've never done because I didn't want to give away my tried-and-tested beauty arsenal!

What you see above is my absolute no-fail makeup products. Benefit Benetint, Bobbi Brown bronzer, NARS blush, Body Shop makeup brushes, Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skin Tone Illuminator, Model Co. eyebrow kit, La Mer lip balm, La Mer powder and La Mer concealer.

I have bad skin--years of acne have led to scars and spots. But no one ever notices because of my ever reliable makeup. And I don't even pile them on. So even if the products I use are expensive, because a little goes a long way, they last forever. They end up not costing a lot at all. Try them!

Crazy colorful shades from Emporio Armani

2011-09-13T15:33:00.000+08:00

These are totally insane!

Emporio Armani is celebrating 30 years in the fashion industry with this psychedelic capsule eyewear collection. They are love! So much fun to look at and, I confess, to collect! The oversize round ones are for women and the aviato-style ones are for men. Both are absolutely transparent and come in delicious colors!

These frames will feature "30 Emporio Armani" on the lens. Lest we forget how old the fashion house is. Well, 30 never looked so fun and fashionable! I want this! I want them all!

Emporio Armani is at Greenbelt 4.

Loving Stila's eye defining pens

2011-09-11T15:27:00.003+08:00

Like the new duchess, I like eye liner. I don't have lush lashes, you see, so I rely on eyeliner to define my eyes.

image source

Unlike Catherine, I don't go overboard! Better to keep the eye liner soft since this defines the eyes without making it look smaller, which tons of eye liner tend to do. But don't get me wrong--I love Catherine! She's my hair and style idol!

Anyway, I use Stila liquid eye liner. I love it! It's so easy to use. I never make a mistake when lining my eyes and it stays put all day, despite the heat and humidity. So I got really excited when Stila announced they have new eye liners for their 2011 Fall Collection.

Here's the new Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner, P745. It glides on lids and can be applied thinly or boldly!

I love liquid eye liner because it's easy to apply. A lot of girls won't agree with me, though. Liquid means you have to be very precise, with hands that do not shake at all. But I love my Stila liquid liner because the brush point is so thin, I can draw a skinny line first then just build on it. I can do cat's eye easily!

But if you prefer gentler and mistake-proof application but just as impressive results, the Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liners, 895, are fabulous for the job. They're much more fun with lots of shimmery colors to choose from: triggerfish, lionfish, moray, bluefin, stingray, silver dollar, blue ribbon, peacock, purple tang. Personally, I like moray, which is green. Green brings out the brown of my eyes!

Stila is available at Rustan's Essenses.

Check out my gorgeous new hair! My many kinds of hair! (Thanks, Tokyo P.O.S.H.!)

2011-09-08T22:28:00.003+08:00

Having very thin, fine and flat hair, I have never really grown my hair long. Well, maybe once or twice it's grown as far down as my bra strap but by then it looked like a sad skinny sheet. Because of that, I usually keep my hair's length to as short as a bob to as long as just past my shoulders.

A few weeks ago, The Picky Dresser told me, "I think you'll look so much better with long hair." I told her my dilemma. She laughed, "Do hair extensions! Go to Tokyo P.O.S.H.!" And so I Tweeted about it and the owner of the hair boutique, Denise Aquino, just happened to see my Tweet and we arranged to meet.

But first! This is what my hair looks like. This is my hair when it's unstyled--it's messy, wavy and very fine and soft. Like baby hair. I usually pull it up in a bun or pony. For events I have to work in hair thickener, blow dry then put in curlers for about 10-15 minutes, then blast on hairspray for hold. But because of the humidity, my hair still falls flat within an hour or so.

So when I walked into the Tokyo P.O.S.H. salon, I really was open to anything and yet I was also a bit leery. Hair extensions are so... Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears and J.Lo and... Oh, hair extensions are so Hollywood! And as the editor-in-chief of OK! magazine, I really ought to give this a try.

Then I saw this:

I got a bit creeped out. It looks like someone's scalp! But the hair is so soft and silky that I had to ask, "Is this human hair?" Denise Aquino, the super stylish owner of Tokyo P.O.S.H., giggled, "No! It's high quality fiber from Japan!" Then Denise showed off her own gorgeous mane of hair, "This is hair extensions! Semi-permanent so I have them on, wash them with shampoo, style. But for you, let's try clip-on extensions. It's for girls who can't commit!"

Here's what it looks like underneath. Clips! You tie back half of your hair and clip the extensions under your lifted hair. Release your real hair and voila!

Instant long hair that's already curled and styled! Definitely saves you a lot of time in front of the mirror! The great thing about the Tokyo P.O.S.H. (that's Put On Styled Hair) is their extensions aren't woven, braided or sewn into your hair. So if you feel like wavy today, straight tomorrow, shoulder-length for lunch, then cascading mane for dinner, you can! Just snap on, twist in or tie up! Easy! So perfect for lazy me!

Anyway, the next extension I tried was a twisty. I'll confirm the names later on but for now I do remember this is a twisty. It's like a foot-long wire of short waves. Most of us, when we put our hair in a bun, don't have huge masses of tresses to make an impressive bun. Well, the twisty solves that--you twist it around your little bun and... presto!

The next thing I tried on was the wrappy. It's basically a sheet of hair that you wrap around your ponytail. Yes, so that instead of your scraggly pony, you have a fountain of lustrous thick locks. See below? That's my real ponytail. It's pathetic.

But with the wrappy, my pony can look this amazing!

There's sleek and straight.

There's sexy and wavy.

I liked the sleek one. Just look at that tail!!! It's amazing! In fact, this was the extension I loved best and took home (thanks, Denise!). I walked around Power Plant and, I swear to you, people treated me better! So that's what having long, thick hair feels like! And when I got home, my husband was just bowled over. It was a ponytail! I think it's the sexiest ponytail ever!

Anyway, I did get to try out one last look--the super long waves-tumbling-down-your-back extensions. I kinda felt weird with such long hair and so much of it, too.

But after staring and staring at myself in the mirror and then later at these photos, I think this is the next style I'm getting. Just look at how much younger I look!

This is me with the utterly fab Denise. She got the idea of hair extensions from her days as a fashion student at Tokyo's premier fashion school Bunka Fashion College. She said that in Japan, fashion isn't just clothes and accessories--the Japanese really literally plan their look from hair and makeup down to their nail polish and shoes. And hair is just a fashion accessory, too. They don't get limited by what they were born with; they just collect hair in all sorts of lengths, textures and colors!

Denise figured that we fashionable Pinays can benefit from this trick. I certainly did! I can't wait for the Kate Middleton waves coming this November. I'm definitely getting myself that. I also want blunt bangs, a twisty and that looooong wavy mass of gorgeousness above. Tokyo P.O.S.H., you just changed my life!

Tokyo P.O.S.H. has a salon at Power Plant Mall, right beside Kabisera. There's also Extensions by Tokyo P.O.S.H. at the third floor of SM North EDSA's main mall. For more info, here's their Facebook page. Girls, go get hair extensions now!

How I care for my leather bags. Thanks, Apple Brand!

2011-08-31T22:34:00.001+08:00

I sell these fabulous bags. They're bespoke leather satchels. The whole story is here--yes, go and read it because it's quite romantic! And if you want to get yourself your own bag, click here!

Anyway, this post is for all of you who love their leather bags but are now lamenting the rainy weather. What is up with this weather?! I love the rain, the gloom, the gray. But even this more than a week-long storminess has gotten to me... and my bags and shoes! So how do I protect my precious leather loves? With the Apple Brand Purse Priming Set!

First thing I do is wipe my bags with a dry soft cloth, like an old sock. I use a slightly damp cloth for areas like the bottom part and the handles. I wait to dry. Then I lovingly apply leather conditioner all over the bag. Just enough to keep the leather supple but not so much that the leather gets wet.

Then I buff away with the dry soft cloth. When the leather is nice and shiny, I spray it with protectant. This seals in the conditioner and seals out moisture!

My bags are now safe from the humidity and rain! Also from the sweat and oils of my hands, my lotions and perfume. Now, don't they look nice and pretty?

I got my leather care set from Purse Prime. An 8oz bottle of Apple Leather Conditioner costs P1,399. It's not wax so your leather can breathe. It can clean, condition and protect your skins--cow, pig, snake, ostrich, faux! I like that even when I use it on my untanned satchel (that's the pinkish one above), it doesn't stain or darken the leather. Plus, it makes the leather sooooft and smooth.

The can of Apple Garde Rain & Stain Repellent is P1,199. This one you can spray on anything--not just leather but suede, nubuck, satin, fabric as well. It's wax-free, too, so your leather stuff can breathe. And it also doesn't stain light-colored skins. So perfect!

So now you know how I keep my bags safe and pretty. I highly recommend Purse Prime's products! The people behind it are super nice, too!