Our Ayala Mall Mother’s Day experience started a few days before Mother’s Day. Ayala Malls were ever so nice to treat us to a day at the mall, and OC Mom Kris and I chose TriNoMa for our #MomsPerfectDay treat. We started the day with lunch at Wee Nam Kee.

photo from ocmominmanila’s instagram

My first time. Canyoubilibit. I really liked it. Basti did too! I’ve been dreaming of these cereal prawns since that day. Must go back soon! Thank you Wee Nam Kee Trinoma for the awesome food and wonderful service.

Full of white chicken and prawn, we searched TriNoMa for our Mother’s Day outfits. I found several outfits I liked, but decided on this one from Mango.

This is actually a dress, as proven by the Mango sales assistant in the store wearing what seemed like an XXXXXXXXS version of this. So I wore it as a top. Judge me.

I have been malevolently planning to ensnare Kris into my makeup madness. A trip to MAC did just that. I only bought two things, while Kris bought, like, twenty. Heehee!

My MAC loot. I got Pro Longwear Concealer which is an awesome product. You only need a tiny bit, it doesn’t crease and it lasts forever. I also bought a kohl pencil in Feline. This is a classic I’ve been wanting for lining my waterline.

Kris’ loot. I’m so proud of her, haha! She was only aiming to buy a concealer and setting powder but ended up with those PLUS primer, eyeshadow, foundation and my favorite MAC brush ever, the 217.

photo from ocmominmanila’s instagram

On Mother’s Day itself, I invited my mom to celebrate  with us at Greenbelt 5.

There was an awesome high tea spread by Bizu. It was nice to hang out there, eating yummy pastries, while listening to a keyboard and violin duo in the background. Shoppers were coming and going, enjoying a nice treat in between malling and shopping. Anyone who had a receipt from a purchase of at PhP2,000.00 at Ayala Malls was welcome to stop by and hangout. Moms were also treated to an express manipedi right at the site! We were all in very high spirits. Who wouldn’t be?

Clockwise, from top: Bizu’s Mother’s Day spread; Manila Mommy Neva and her beautiful family; gorgeous moms Go Jackie Go, and Manila Fashion Observer’s Tin.

Basti really enjoyed the butterfly garden that they set up in the mall itself. He was a bit scared to touch the butterflies, unlike these brave SoKids right here. Sorry Basti. My fault, I know. (I don’t like bugs)

We went for store visits at Lancôme Philippines and Kiehl’s. I was drooling over their skin care products.

Thank you so much for these wonderful Mother’s Day gifts! I lost my bottle of Miracle in a flood, and I’ve been wanting to try this cleanser. I love these!

Gingersnaps was the clothing sponsor of the SoKids. Just look at their cute outfits! I dressed up Basti’s checked shirt and jeans from Gingersnaps with a bowtie, his Feiyue hightops and his ever-present hat.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the future blogging scene.

It was really fun but it was really tiring. By the end of the day, Basti and I were weak from the heat and the excitement,  so we just took a long shower, jumped into bed, and cuddled the night away.

Sounds like the perfect Mother’s Day to me.

Thank you Ayala Malls!

The post My Mother’s Day at Ayala Malls appeared first on The Painter's Wife.

But the reality is, I only get ten minutes in the bathroom before a little creature comes sneaking in, his little shadow hovering silently and stealthily beyond the shower curtain. Basti is very Norman Bates, I tell you. I’m sure y’all can relate, whether your kid’s method is like Basti’s sneaky, creepy style, or a banging, screaming toddler demanding you get her a juice box at-this-very-freaking-moment-and-you’re-panicking-because-you-got-startled-and-soap-got-into-your-eyes. It’s a mother’s life.

Hence, anything that can make my ten minutes of peace just a little bit more pleasant is welcome to me. Don’t you wish your bathroom was more like a hotel or a spa? I can’t change the way my bathroom looks, or sounds (anyone who has stumbled into one too many squeaky bath toys KNOWS this), but I can certainly change the way it smells. Scent is very powerful to me. It’s changes my mood, makes my life just a tad more pleasant, and sometimes makes me forget I have a migraine.

I was very pleased to get this Glade Sensations gift pack. I like things that make spaces smell good.

It had the Glade Sensations Bathroom pack in Lavender. Lavender is my favorite, favorite scent of all time.

The refills look like this. The scents come in Lavender, Ocean Escape, Lemon, I Love You (so curious about that. I’ll open it next!), Jasmine, Morning Freshness, and Fruit Nectar.

You could also just buy the refill and use it as is. It stands up just like this. This refill pack is compatible with the other Glad Sensations holders. I think I’ll put one in the car.

The Glade Sensations bathroom holder can be stuck on a wall, or you don’t like doing that, it stands up on its own. That’s what I did.

It’s been in my bathroom for a week now, and I like it so far! The smell isn’t so overwhelming, at least for the Lavender. I’ll try the other scents and update on Twitter and Instagram. The scent is supposed to last for as long as 60 days, which is awesome. If I can’t go to a spa then at least my bathroom smells like one, yes?

Thank you Glade for letting me try out Glade Sensations! Watch out for this product in your favorite supermarkets and stores and try it out for yourself! Tell us what you think on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #GladeSensations.

The post Ten Minutes of Bliss with Glade Sensations appeared first on The Painter's Wife.

It was a huge success and the response to his work was overwhelming, encouraging and humbling. I was so proud of The Painter.

At the exhibit we met Fr. Matthew, an art enthusiast who has been trying to track Orley down in the last 4 years. They finally met.

We had a great conversation and he invited us to have dinner soon after the exhibit. He said, “Madam” might join us. I didn’t think anything of it and looked forward to a nice evening. Little did we know we were going to have dinner with an icon.

The quotable quote of the night: ”It’s very hard to be hated. But it’s even harder to be envied.”

She gave Orley this plate with a print of her portrait by Claudio Bravo.

Whatever your politics may be, it doesn’t change the fact that Mrs. Marcos is a compelling, charismatic, warm and gracious lady. I have respect for her and the way she values art. Support for the arts in this country has never been the same since her time. I will always admire her for that.

Thank you for the unforgettable evening, Madam. I do hope we meet again someday.

Catch the tail-end of “Into The Light” featuring paintings by Romulo Galicano and Orley Ypon at the Altro Mondo Gallery. The gallery is located in Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati. Exhibit runs till May 10, 2013.

The post Dinner With Madam appeared first on The Painter's Wife.

The competition is the same one I blogged about last year, which is the annual Art Renewal Center Salon International. Last year, he won first place in the Figurative Category for this painting:

“Resurrection”. Oil on canvas. Private collection.

This year, he entered this painting:

“Interregnum”, oil on canvas. Private collection.

Out of 850 artists and thousands of work submitted, “Interregnum” was awarded Best In Show. BEST IN SHOW. When I read the email I couldn’t stop squealing!!

This same painting was entered into the Borobodur Auction in Singapore earlier this year, and did very well considering it was Orley’s first time to participate. I think this win is so well-deserved as I saw first-hand what it took to create it. If I didn’t know any better, I would say it is my husband’s blood on that painting instead of paint.

I am so proud of you Orley!

To know more about the Art Renewal Center and this year’s winners, check it out on their website here: http://www.artrenewal.org/pages/salon_winners.php?contest=2012-2013%20Salon&page=Main

The post The Painter Wins “Best In Show” at the Art Renewal Center Salon 2013! appeared first on The Painter's Wife.

I attended the very first MYOH (sadly that pair is long gone), and was so overwhelmed at how HUGE and exciting MYOH has grown to be. This is the 8th year of Make Your Own Havaianas and the atmosphere was so electrified.

MYOH wouldn’t be complete with the flipflop wheel.

It was fun choosing our pairs while enjoying the event. I may be overly giddy about it, but it’s really been a while since I’ve been out on a real, certified, NIGHT out. Grab the vodka-laced jar!!!

I really wanted to come because I wanted a the Make Your Own Havaianas 2013 commemorative pair by designer Dan Matutina. I have been admiring his work for a while now, and was so excited to see some home-grown art on Havaianas.

The Havaianas assemblers are always so fun and chipper. I think 15 years ago, I would’ve loved to be part of this team. The pins this year are so cute! I got these. There’s also owl, alien, robot, starts, crystals, heart, wings, bows, bicycles – something to cater to anyone’s choice of bling.

I got a Dan Matutina pair for me, and a blue pair for The Painter. I put a little sun in there to make him smile.

New Havaianas always make me smile.

Make Your Own Havaianas 2013 opens to the public tomorrow, May 2, and will run through May 5 at the Rockwell Tent. Grab your pair!

See you again next year!

The post Make Your Own Havaianas 2013 appeared first on The Painter's Wife.

I can’t believe it’s been three years. Three seemingly long years that went by in a blink. Breastfeeding, babywearing, co-sleeping is turning into lots of talking, some tantrums, a looming first day of school, and *sigh* weaning. I wrote about it with much emotion a few posts back, and every time I read it, my eyes still well up.

This blog has been growing a lot with Basti, and is not only a chronicle of how he’s grown and changed, but how his presence in my life has also molded me into the mother that I am today. He is a wonderful child overflowing with so much personality, and I can’t believe I have the honor of being his mother.

Truth is, if you met me about 15 years ago, you wouldn’t leave a child alone with me for five seconds. No one would say, “Oh ask Eliza, she would know” if the topic would be about kids. I was a petulant 20-something person who thought way too much about petty little things. You think you know how to roll your eyes? I invented it. But that’s the thing about motherhood; it pushes your heart outside yourself and becomes this tiny little creature whose world is you. In motherhood I found a voice, and in it I also found my causes. Breastfeeding and babywearing were two things that changed my life, and I will fight, share and spread the word about these two advocacies till the day I die. That wouldn’t happen if Basti didn’t come into my life and taught me how to be the mother that I am. He teaches me everyday.

I was talking to a friend one time about how I feel so blessed that Basti is a smart, curious, quirky, interesting little boy who hardly gives anyone any trouble. Seriously, he is one of the most manageable kids I know, and I’m not just saying that as his mother. And my friend quizzically looked at me and said, “Why do you sound so bewildered? You are such a wonderful mother.” That moved me to tears. Somehow, even when we’re I’m trying my very best, I always have a feeling I’m failing. And to hear that from someone meant the world to me.

I am humbled when I get email from fellow mothers about how this blog has helped them at one point or the other. All I wanted in the beginning was to share. The thought that there are people out there who actually respect what I have to say makes me happy, giddy, scared, and freaked out all at the same time. I’m no Mother of the Year. I have my moments of desperation, of exasperation, and of total exhaustion. But here we are, three years and running, Basti is healthy and happy, and life is good. I must be doing something right.

_____________

Thank you Philips Avent for choosing PaintersWife.Com as a partner for the Philips Avent Trusted Mom campaign. Our relationship with Avent started with Basti starting solids, and we’ve been appreciating and using their products since. I am excited to share the honor with other moms (and dad!) and looking forward to all the things that they have in store for you guys.

To know more about Philips Avent and their upcoming releases, click on the image below!

The post Three Years and We’re Still Good (A Philips Avent Trusted Mom Post) appeared first on The Painter's Wife.

Note: this is not an “expert” opinion, but rather, just one woman giving a fellow woman some advice in the name of anti-losyang/anti-nene/prowfesyonal development/balik-alindog.

The Beauty Kit:

Face powder, BB cream, Cheek tint, eyeliner, mascara, blush, eyebrow powder and some lipsticks.

Neva’s Makeup Routine: Eyebrows and lipgloss.

Neva’s Goal: “Well I want to look my age, haha! Since im 35 na, I need to look polished maski papano. :p Minsan mukha akong temp sa office with my business casual attire and bagong gising fez haha! I actually like make-up! I just don’t know how to use it so I don’t invest in it but favorite ko ang lipstick. I feel it brightens up my face. Choz!”

The Edit:

Well, Neva and I agree on one thing – lipstick! It does so much to a person’s face. I also asked Neva about her skincare regimen and she has an A+ when it comes to this: cleansing, toning, mositurizing, and treatment. Remember gals, when you are coming at an age when you’re closer to the thermometer rather than the calendar, it’s time to up the ante and take care of your skin. It’s the best foundation you can ever have.

First level edit: makeup age and sanitation. Neva’s BB cream, powder, mascara, cheek tint, and lipsticks are all less than a year old. But her eyeshadow powder and blush are more than 2 years old! #FacundoAngTrashReceptacle

Makeup does have an expiration date. So please do the smell/feel test. If it smells off and feels weird, chuck it out! I am not particularly OC about powders, but I am really particular with mascara and liquid liner. The most I would go with those is 6 months. Most of the time, I change after 3-4 months.

Second level edit: usage. Neva wants to achieve a polished look with as few products as possible. #goodlucktome This was a challenge to me because I am a fan of the prep. I would rather spend 30 minutes doing my makeup before I leave and touch up maybe just once or twice throughout the day. Doing the shortcut usually means more fiddling with your face during the day, or if you don’t have the patience for that, look much like you did when you woke up at around 2pm.

To those wanting a “10-minute makeup routine” and still look very polished, here’s the real secret: PRACTICE. It seriously only takes 10 minutes because of the many hours that were spent for that one eyebrow-defining moment. < NAKS.

So with that here’s my reco for Neva:

Mascara vs. Eyeliner: Mascara wins!

If you want to delete some steps in your everyday look, I would choose mascara over eyeliner any day. Mascara opens up your eyes and lasts all day. Eyeliner can be tedious to apply and if you have oily lids like mine and not willing to take an extra step for eyelid primer, you’ll be smudging all day. But I would really take the extra 5 minutes to put on gel liner. A good one is smooth and easy to apply, and will last all day.

My current mascara stash: Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes; Eye of Horus; BYS Mascara Flex Effects

Coverage

If you make do with just powder, it will be wiped off in no time without anything to “cling” on to. Apply a base, whether it be tinted moisturizer, BB cream or foundation, and set it with a powder for a longer-lasting face. The key to it is finding the right shade. You really don’t need much to even out your skin tone.

My everyday foundations: BYS Complete Coverage Foundation; L’Oreal True Match; Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream

I love loose powder. Don’t judge. BYS Loose Powder; Skin Food Buckwheat Powder; Snoe Poudre Extraordinaire; Make Up Forever HD Finishing Powder; Nichido Loose Powder

Not a Cheektint Fan

I find cheektint to be too arbitrary to achieve a “polished” look. Powder blushes get my vote.

Blush for any occasion. Coastal Scents 1o-Blush Palette; Tarte Adventurous; BYS Blush Duo; Tarte Glisten

Tools

• Brushes. At the very least a powder brush and dual-ended brow brush (with a spoolie on one end).
• An eyelash curler. Invest in a good one. shu uemura is my favorite.

Charm Pro powder brush; Charm powder/blush brush; Charm angled brow brush; MAC 208 angled brow brush; Sigma E65 small angle brush; Charm spoolie brush; Sigma F30 large powder brush; shu uemura eyelash curler

So my proposed office beauty kit for Neva is:

1. Foundation/BB Cream
2. Loose/finishing powder
3. Eyebrow pencil/powder
4. Blush powder
5. Mascara
6. Lipstick
7. Eyelash curler
8. Powder/blush brush
9. Dual ended eyebrow brush

With this kit, it took me just a little over 5 minutes to go from Before to After. Promise. I timed it.

And this is why I do not leave home without makeup.

How’s your beauty kit?

The post A Beauty Kit Edit: Neva of ManilaMommy.Com appeared first on The Painter's Wife.

There’s something about being in a theater run together that bonds you for life. Even after the curtains closed and the time we spent together became less and less as we went on with our lives, we always remained very good friends.

Our common passion was makeup. We spent many times huddled together backstage, applying animal makeup, theater makeup, after-show-gimmik makeup, sharing stories, girl talk, and lots of secrets, as girls do. She is a fabulous, bubbly, fun person to be with and motherhood has not changed that about her at all.

Myrene has an amazing stage performance profile. She’s been in countless productions and has worked with Repertory Philippines, Atlantis Productions, Trumpets, Stages, among other theater groups and events production outfits all over the country. Among her performances are roles in The Wedding Singer, Legally Blonde, Fame, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Dreamgirls. She also worked as part of the entertainment cast of Hong Kong Disneyland for a number of years. She is a talented singer, actress, and dancer, a true musical theater artist at heart.

When Myrene got pregnant and couldn’t perform, she began to rethink her goals. She knew that having a child would change her world; long rehearsal hours, early call times and evening shows that run till late were not the ideal for the life she wanted for her family. It was during this period of introspection that her husband suggested that Myrene go into makeup professionally. When her little boy Zach was 8 months old, Myrene entered Maquillage Professional to study makeup artistry.

After a year of doing odd gigs, she found herself entering The Makeup Academy in Robinson’s Manila to apply for a position to teach Theater Makeup. She instead ended up teaching Makeup 101, a class she truly enjoyed. When Makeup Academy closed, she and a partner took over the space and opened The Makeup Secrets School. Now, aside from teaching, she is a guest artist for MAC, head of hair and makeup design for The King and I at Resorts World Manila, does hair and makeup for Piaf under MAC, does makeup for magazine shoots, editorials and website features, and is making a name for herself in the bridal and wedding circles.

Clockwise, from top: Sheila Valderrama in The King and I; Migs Ayesa for Rock of Ages; Michael Bolton. Makeup by Myrene.

She is enjoying herself immensely, being able to do what she loves and still gets to spend enough time with her adorable Zach.

I love Myrene’s story of rediscovery because this is my own journey too. Often when I say something like, “Oh I wish I could still do <insert something I used to do here>”, some people will say, “You still can,” with a look that reads total unawareness of what a mother goes through. It’s a fact of life – mothers make sacrifices, sometimes at the expense of their own ambitions and dreams.

Myrene gives me inspiration that even if there’s a part of ourselves that needs to take a backseat, there will always be another part that can shine through. We can reinvent ourselves, find new passions, or rekindle long-dormant interests or even the little “what-if-I” moments that you pushed at the back of your head. It’s never too late to have new dreams!

Thank you for being such an inspiration to me, Myrene! I look forward to growing in the world of makeup with you as my teacher.

Contact Myrene for your makeup inquiries here:

Myrene Santos
email: makeupymyrene@gmail.com
website: http://myrenesantos.lens.ph
0917-8714359
 
MAKEUP SECRETS SCHOOL
4th floor, Midtown Wing
Robinson’s Place, Ermita Manila
(02)5598481

The post Myrene Santos: Mom, Makeup Artist appeared first on The Painter's Wife.

I was soooo excited. It just wasn’t a day of makeup, it was a day of makeup with the SoMoms! Guaranteed fun.

I got there late, because this is my motto in life:

I’m kidding. I’m just really not a morning person.

I did not follow instructions and came with my makeup already in place, so I chose to just sit in, enjoy the BYS products and be usisera to the SoMoms and their Makeup 101 session.

They had these makeup stations with a bunch of BYS goodies to try.

So early in the morning, and already so eager to learn. #notamorningperson

Fleur and Jen were my seatmates. I loved the subtle bronze eye that Jen did on her monolids.

Daytime, everyday looks all around.

BYS stands for “Be Yourself”. It’s a brand that originates from Australia, where it gained popularity within a few years from its introduction and is making its way into the ranks in other countries as well. Japan is one of its biggest markets, which is highly encouraging, since it has one of the most stringent cosmetic quality control systems in the world. They are super affordable and cater to a wide market of beauty enthusiasts.

The one product that I am most curious about is their primer.

It’s got Vitamin E and Chamomile Extract, is supposed to moisturize and prime at the same time. Must get that.

I wasn’t able to take a picture of their brow pencil in Blonde, and their retractable lip liners in the nude colors that I liked. I was too excited. I must make my way to a BYS counter soon and get a couple of those.

Onsite, they also had a couple of their eyeshadow palettes, cream eyeshadows, eyeliners, mascara, lipgloss, lipsticks and some blushes for us to try. BYS has over a thousand products in their lineup, including a mineral makeup line, so what we had in our vanity was not even a fourth of what they had to offer.

Even Berry had so much fun.

It was also at the BYS event that I met these two ladies for the first time.

I’ve regularly checked Shen‘s blog for product updates. It was about time Patty and I met, considering the hours we spent chatting online about anything and everything!

We walked away with this awesome lootbag full of BYS beauty products.

Thank you BYS for a super fun morning of beauty!

Check out BYS Cosmetics at Watson’s and at SM Department Stores.

The post Makeup 101 by BYS Cosmetics appeared first on The Painter's Wife.

The first of the #SoMoms summer #sessions was a welcome escape from the urban heat. The wonderful marketing team of Breeze Philippines sponsored us for a day in Nuvali. It was a pleasant, early drive to Sta. Rosa, Laguna, where the #SoMoms and some invited bloggers were gathered for some fun activities for the kids, outdoor time, swimming and catching up with the others. It was a #SigeLangNgSige Day!

Teacher Anna and Teacher Kara of My Masterpiece Movement led a yoga session for the kids that didn’t stop the moms from joining too!

Basti got the be the bright, cheery and super enthusiastic Mr. Sun.

He was so very ecstatic. #hindihalata

The kids went totally nuts over the painting session. Teacher Kara laid out a plastic sheet, dribbled some paint over it and let the kids go crazy! Paint was everywhere! Kids were stained from head to toe, shirts, shorts, socks and everything in between!

We all helped to lay a sheet of paper over the painting afterwards and this was the result.

It became the base for our #SigeMoms and #SigeKids declarations! I think Basti and I will copy this at home. It’s going to be tons of fun making our own messy masterpiece.

Here we all are! (Yes, we have a SoDad!)

From L-r: Marc of The Fatherland, Me, Teacher Anna, Jackie of Go Jackie Go!, Belle of Cruisin’ Mommyhood, Janice of Mommy Mundo, Candy of The Corporate Housewife Mom, Patty of Non Stop Babble, Tin of Manila Fashion Observer, Christine of Mommy Journey, Jenny of My Mommyology, Kris of OC Mom In Manila, Cai of Apples and Dumplings, Teacher Kara.

We couldn’t leave without taking a dip in the pool. The water was irresistible!

The day was all about letting go and just letting the kids have fun. Breeze Philippines’ new campaign “Sige Lang Sa Mantsa” was the perfect collaborative theme for our day’s activities. Having fun can get messy and sometimes being messy is the fun itself!

We ended the day by declaring our Sige Sa Mantsa statements.

This is something I have to remind myself everyday. Even though I am pretty lax compared to others I’ve met when it comes to mess, I do sometimes wince when Basti turns his shirt into a paper towel. I don’t want to be that mom anymore!

We all walked away with a gift pack filled with goodies from Breeze.

The good news is, I’ve got two more of these Breeze gift packs to give away! Two of the blog’s readers will get to say #SigeSaMantsa too! Please join via Rafflecopter below. Entries will be accepted till next Monday, April 22, 11:59pm. The contest is open to all readers nationwide. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post The SoMoms Say “Sige Sa Mantsa!” (Plus a Giveaway from Breeze!) appeared first on The Painter's Wife.