zestylife-baya

Saizen Haul

2014-04-13T04:52:00.001-07:00

Hi! Today I decided to go to the nearest Saizen from my place. For those who do not about this store, it's a store selling Japanese products which costs 85 pesos each items. Initially, I just wanted to buy some storage for my spices for my kitchen. I saw these skin care products in the store which some bloggers are giving some good reviews (at least here in the Philippines). As I am always in the quest to find good products to control my oily skin, I wanted to give it a try.

Here they are: Charcoal Cleansing Cream, Charcoal Cleansinh Foam & the Nose Pack which I purchased for my teenager son. Since I am very excited I tried it immediately when I got home. I used the Cleansing Cream to remove my make up, and so far I like its scent and ot does its purpose on cleaning my face. It also removed my waterproof mascara and waterproof eyeliner! Wow! I am still crossing my fingers that these products won't break my skin. :)

The tubes are sealed with a foil.

This is the Cleansing Cream.

Here is the product up close! It's as a grayish color and pleasant light scent. It says in the instructions: Squeeze proper amount of the cleansing on hand and wipe out with tissue. *We recommend a charcoal cleansing foam after using it.

This is the Cleansing Foam. I don't like the scent... But I like the feel of my skin after rinsing. My skin feels matte after patting my face with a towel. I hope this works for my oily skin after a few use. :)Thanks again for reading my blog and please comment down below. -Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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Sukiyaki (first attempt)

2012-09-03T05:47:00.001-07:00

I am so inspired lately to cook. Since the weather here in Manila is somewhat gloomy I have been craving for hot soup. Everytime we eat at Japanese restaurants I always order Sukiyaki. So here is my version for this dish. Yum yum yum! (Borrowed from Chef Boy Logro's expression hehehe...)
***for the sauce you can also buy and use the ready made sukiyaki sauce from your suking tindahan (favorite grocery store).
*Sukiyaki*
Ingredients:
Sukiyaki cut of beef
Japanese tofu
Shitake mushrooms (stems removed. sliced thinly and soaked in water)
Carrots thinly sliced
Onion leaves chopped
Vermiccili noodles (sotanghon), soaked in water
Chinese cabbage (washed and cut into 2 inches)
Egg
Sauce:
1/3 c. Kikoman soy suace
3 tbsp. sake
5 tbdp. sugar
3/4 c. Water
Procedure:
♥ saute the beef with a little amount of canola oil.
♥add the shitake mushrooms & carrots
♥pour in the sauce and let it simmer.
♥add the sotanghon
♥let it boil until the noodles are cooked
♥taste and add water or sauce.
♥add the japanese tofu & chinese cabbage on top while simmer fir a minute & you're done!
♥before serving add the raw egg on top of the soup and sprinkle the chopped onion leaves. Best served hot!
♡cook it with love and enjoy.

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NOTD: 754 Naturale by Color Club

2012-08-23T23:10:00.001-07:00

The star of my post for today are Naturale by Color Club nail polish and Glosser by Orly. Recently I'm into nail polishes that are light in shade especially for my finger nails. It just looks sleek and clean.

Here are three photos side by side. I couldnt get the right angle and lighting to give justice to this pretty color. I applied 3 coats on my fingernails. The first coat is so light ang streaky. Of course for most light shades it is more likely that way. I used the Glosser by Orly on top of it. It gives nsils lasting protection abd super-slick shine.

Here is the swatch. It is a peachy-pink shade that would compliment any skintone. It really looks nice on me. It would also be nice for a base color for french manicure. I bought it for 310 php at Watsons. :) Hope you like this post guys! Its Friday once again and it'll be a long weekend for us here for it will be a holiday on Monday. Peace everyone! Keep your circle positive.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My Haul from GIGA ("God Is Good Always")

2012-08-14T00:22:00.001-07:00

Recently I have been obssessed in finding and trying organic and natural products for my skin, for my hair and even the supplements I am taking. This is all part of my endeavor in conquering my PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). That would be anoher story.
This post will tackle my recent skincare purchase from the GIGA store. I stumbled upon this store at MOA last summer in which I bought their Tea Tree Oil which is only 160 pesos for a 10 ml bottle, which is way cheaper from The Body Shop. I mixed it with the virgin coconut oil which I use as my lotion at night and I also mixed a few drops with my shampoo for my dandruff.

This month I went to their smaller stall at Megamall branch which is located at the 2nd flr.,Mega B in front of the GUESS store. Below are all the photos and infos of the products I purchased myself. Before I went to the store I read from female network that they have a branch at SM North EDSA which would be nearest to me, I surfed over their website www.giga.com.ph and saw a contact no. of the owner and I sent sms asking the specific location of the store and I got a reply after few minutes that they closed the store there last January. The owner gave me the location in Megamall instead which is stated above. Since I also emailed her about my inquiry she emailes me the pricelists of all of their products which is good so I know right away what to get when I get to the store.

Seaweed Soap, Skin Lightening Soap, Scalp Treatment, Lavander Room and Linen Spray,
Seaweed Oil, Shea Butter and Massage Rub

Seaweed Soap (100gms/3.5 oz.) 75 pesos
Ingredients: Virgin Coconut Oil, Aqua, Sodium Hydroxide, Olive Oil,
Honey, Seaweed Extract, Peppermeint Oil, Apricot Seed, Sodium Silicate,
Oatmeal, TEDTA and BHT

The Seaweed soap isn't really in my list but since I got the Seaweed Oil I thought I'd give it a try. The seaweed oil I primarily bought since I love putting on oil every night on my body before I sleep and I laready run out of my VCO. In the box of Seaweed Soap it claims: Made from a deep-water seaweed that has fat emulsifying properties. It contains many trace elements, minerals and vitamins derived from the sea which reduce the accumulation of fluid by penetrating your skin and encouraging the loss of subcutaneous body fat through osmosis. My point of view: It has a cool and tingling sensation this is because of the peppermint oil. I find it refreshing and after using it for 4 days now I find that my skin tightened. The slimming effect of course I dont expect that much from it since we need to eat right and accompany cardio exercises to attain our goal.

From Seaweed Oil Bottle: This easy to use oil has seaweed extract for metabolic stimulation and nutrient rich algae to hydrate and detoxify. No shower needed! The active moisturizing base includes essential oils of lavender and peppermint and virgin coconut oil to provide excellent results with our seaweed soap. Use with a body wrap for super firming and slimming.

My point of view: Just like the soap it has cooling effect and then after a few seconds its has a hot feeling. I havent tried using a body wrap after applying it on my tummy but from the female network one comment there says its effective. I mainly use it on my tummy, upper legs and arms. I also have a therapist used it on my body as body massage oil at the spa this weekend. I find that it does'nt spread quickly because the consistency is much thicker than the oil the spa usually use but I like it because when the therapist was rubbing her hands on my back causing heat and friction it glides on smoothly plus I like the ralaxing smell of it.I'd definitely purchase this again when I run out. I just wish it also comes in 500 ml bottle instead of 1Liter cause its so expensive. I think the 1 Liter is around 2200-2300 pesos. I also like that my skin feels smoother after using it for sometime.

Massage Rub Cream (10 gms) 95 pesos
Ingredients: VCO, Beeswax, Peppermint oil, Mentha Arvensis, Ginger Oil and BHT

The Massage Rub Cream is also good. My mom likes it too because it smells good and its hotter than the "vicks" vaporising rub. This has good reviews too ate female network thats why I bought it.

Lavander Room and Linen Spray (100 ml) 165 pesos
Ingredients: Fruit Extract Distillate, Water, Lavander oil and PPG

This Lavander scent Room and Linen Spray smells good! Though my son finds it smells like a man. I like it personally my room smells like a SPA, heaven... When I was buying this a man was also going to purchase a few bottles and he says he works in a hotel. So it must be good! I want to try next time the Chamomile scent or the Eucalyptus scent.

Pure Shea Butter (10gms) 180 pesos
Ingredients: Shea Butter (African Karite Nut)

The Pure Shea Butter was just recommended to me by the saleslady she said after using it on my face I'll see improvements on my pores but I dont use it on my face since I have oily face. I put this on my underarms at night. I find it doesnt spread easily and I dont really see any improvement on my skin.

GIGA's claim: It is a skin moisturizer and helps protect against the weather and sun. Apply it to compliment healing of swelling and bruising. It helps dry skin, chapped lips, sunburn, and other skin problems like wrinkles around the eyes and peeling and cracking between toes. Shea butter is a great additive to skin care products because of its high Vitamin A and E content.

Scalp Treatment (100gms) 180 pesos
Ingredients: VCO, Beeswax, Tea Tree Oil, Lemongrass oil, Peppermint oil, Ginger oil

I have used this product twice already. I love the feeling on my scalp, I use this before I shampoo my hair. For me its effective for my dundruff. A little goes a long way, so use sparingly since its also oily and it will be hard to rinse off the oil.

GIGA's claim: Specifically formulated to calm, balance, and gently cleanse and moisturize irritated scalp. It nourishes and soothes and helps maintain the scalp’s natural moisture balance.

Skin Lightening Soap (100gms) 75 pesos
Ingredients: VCO, Aqua, Sodium Hydrixide, Olive oil, Sodium Silicate,
Licorice Root Extract, Vanilla oil, Oatmeal, TEDTA and BHT.

I use Skin Lightening soap on my face and underarms. I divided the soap bar into 2, 1 for my face and the other half on my underarms. On my face, I like that its not a dry compared to other whitening soaps. I havent noticed any visible effect yet since I have only been using this for 4 days. I have acne scars on my face.

GIGA's Claim on the box: This specially formulated soap contains glabridin from LICORICE root extract. It is known to inhibit the production of melanin, the substance that causes darkening of the skin and age spots. Licorice is the most effective, natural ingredient for skin lightening.

There you go, this is a long post! I hope I gave enough informations about some of the products. They also sell products for babies and pets so check their website. They didnt pay me for this post but I really most of their products so I wanted to share it with you guys. A little trivia about the name of the store. GIGA stands for "God Is Good Always". I hope you could also post some comments below and share to me some of your favorite products from the store or any similar products that you find effective. Have a good day and positive vibes always!

No More Excuses!

2012-04-27T05:42:00.001-07:00

I said to myself "no more excuses!", for the longest time my lifestyle has been unhealthy. Unhealthy in the sense that I don't regularly work out just like before when i was in my early 20's. I wasn't watching the food I'm getting into my body. I do eat vegies and fruits and I dont really eat too much in every meal but the most of my food intake are junkies. Most of all, I am not that physically active to even burn small amount of calories. The end result? I gained too much weight plus I am suffering hormonal imbalance. A few months from now I'll be celebrating my birthday, I told myself its now or never! I made a list for the goals I want to accomplish for the next 5 years. Most of them are simple and realistic goals, under each goal I also wrote how will I be able to attain my objective. I'm sure a lot of you are doing this already, for those who haven't done this yet it is never too late. We can only live once! Let us all try to make the most of it! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Laura Mercier Haul

2012-03-28T03:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I am back! I wanted to share my recent haul from the Laura Mercier at Rustan's Essences in Robinson's Place. They have a less 10% off sale on all their products which started last March 26, 2012 and will end until the end of this month so better hurry up!

As you all know I am a big fan of M.A.C. products but late last year I had to change the foundation I am using since I am breaking out so much. I am using the Silk creme foundation of LM in the shade of Cashew biege. I will do a full review on that for my next post.

Yesterday, I was only planning to buy a powder foundation and a brown eyeliner but I ended up buying their Custom Artist Portfolio for home and away, a Stickgloss in Rosewater (a lipstick with a glossy effect) & a foundation powder in the shade of no. 04. I have been wanting a good storage for my make ups for travelling. Floe (make-up artist in Rustan's Essences), told me to grab the Custom Artist Portfolio since its included in their sale and she'll give me a freebie of 1 eyeshadow. Of course! I couldn't resist it! I am happy with my recent purchase and thanks to my "H" for the approving.

Custom Artist Portfolio, Stickgloss in Rosewater, Foundation Powder, Sequin Eye Colour in Ice black

Custom Artist Portfolio retails at 4250 php (but I got mine less 10% off)

Custom Artist Porfolio For Home & Away
Dimension: 11.5" X 9.5" X 3
Includes:
- Portfolio Organizer
- 4 Removable mesh bags
- Removable pocketed brush page
- 6- well costum compacts
- 3-well costum compacts

these are the Well custom compacts in 3's and 6's

mesh bags ( i love that its a magnetic one)

Foundation Powder in No.4
Laura Mercier Foundation Powder is a wet/dry powder formulation
that contains oil control ingredients to hinder shine.

Stickgloss Lip Colour
Shade: ROSEWATER (soft-sheer-pink)
Laura Mercier Stickgloss cares for your lips
while delivering colour in a sheer and sophisticated finish.

Sequin Eye Colour
Shade: Black Ice (black gunmetal with fleck)
Laura Mercier Sequin Eye Colour has soft-sparkle effects that glisten and captivates.
The deep-impact shades can be swept over eyes softly for a stunning day look,
or applied with more intensity for evening glamour.

That is it! They're all my essential haul. I will do a full review on each item soon! Please comment below for any questions. I am so glad to have the time to write again.

M.A.C. Nocturnelle

2011-11-11T01:30:00.000-08:00

My previous post was my first lipstick from M.A.C., so today I am going to share with you gals my very first eye shadow from M.A.C. which is "Nocturnelle". It is a frost finish and it is described as pinked-up chrome purple from their site. I think it is a limited edition, at the time I purchased this one I just asked the make-up artist any shade of eye shadow she could suggest to me and she picked this color for me. For the longest time I have been wearing this shade during special occasions together with a light pink shimmery shade of e/s from body shop.

The color is so gorgeous right from the pan and also true to its color when applied on. It is really a beautiful plum color for my skin tone, great for smokey eyes whether it is used as the base color for all over the eyelids or it can be used to contour the crease part of the eyes. It is by far my favorite even though I have already accumulated other shades of eye shadows for my vanity kit.

I asked Ish Sison ( my favorite make up artist of all time from M.A.C. Trinoma) if it is available in the store she told me she isn't familiar with it and that maybe it is a limited edition. So for those interested with this particular shade so sorry.

It is TGIF now and I think I'll ask "H" for a dinner tonight and for sure I'll glam up with my Nocturnelle. Have a nice weekend everyone and oh! don't forget to vote for the 7 New Wonders of Nature it is the last day today. Love love love...

Hug Me (My First Ever Lipstick from M.A.C.)

2011-11-09T23:34:00.000-08:00

Good day gals! It's November already, time flies so quickly! I have been a busy bee for a while and I really missed writing here. Today, I wanna share with you my first ever purchase from M.A.C. =) I do not know when exactly I bought these and as you can see on the photo below my 'Hug Me" lipstick will run out soon and I will definitely repurchase this particular shade again.

(Sorry for the typo error: Its LUSTRE not Lustering)

"Hug Me" is a lustre finish and described as flesh pink in the M.A.C website. It is the perfect nude lipstick for me and as for reference I am NC35 in M.A.C. Don't you just love its name? When I feel down just one tight HUG will comfort ME. I did say it's perfect nude lipstick since I have warm & medium skintone, it didn't washed me out. It is like the color of my lips but prettier. I also loved that it is in lustre finish, it is lightweight and semisheer. It doesnt dry my lips also. If you wanna have a "no make-up look" look I would suggest this lipstick, but of course what works for me won't work for you. You can definitely go to the nearest M.A.C. store and ask the make up artist for you try it first. It retails for 1000 php here in the Philippines.

Work Of Art

2011-09-05T07:04:00.001-07:00

The picture above has been edited already. Anyhow, I have been thinking for a while what to do with my bare wall in our small living room. My family rents this studio type place since our house is in a village very far from work. Its a small place so its really very challenging how to use wisely the small space we have. As mentioned it is a rented place and the my original plan was that I would paint some art on the wall but I opted to just buy a wall decal and assemble it on.

I bought it for 200 pesos at a "Daiso" store. Not bad ei!

Shown above is a closer look of the design. All you have to do is to prepare your canvass which is your wall. Clean it very well and make sure its not greasy and wet. Plan ahead how you would assemble the stickers on the wall.

Voila!!! The finished product. So easy and affordable. What do you think? Please do share your thoughts and ideas below and also if you have any good ideas on how to store and where to buy storage for shoes pls do share. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My Asian Salad

2011-08-04T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I posted another blog. I have to do some things very very important and I will disclose it here someday but for now I am still crossing my fingers and have been praying hard for a positive result.

Anyway, I'd like to share my version of Asian Salad. I have been trying to lose weight lately and trying to eat healthy foods. I must say it is a struggle! You know, its very hard to cut off some habits that we are used to. I am trying minimize drinking sods also but this one is so so hard for me... I guess this is the only vice I have LOL. I am addicted to it!

A friend of mine suggested this ready made vinaigrette from our local groceries here in the Philippines which is "MANGO VINAIGRETTE". I immediately head on the supermarket to grab a bottle of this since I am a huge lover of mango. It is my super favorite fruit and I remember whenever I get sick during my childhood days I'd request my parents to buy me mangoes. I don't know, I really feel good when I eat this fruit.

Mango Vinaigrette from Dizon Farms

Here are the other ingredients for my Asian Salad:

chicken breast fillet Teriyaki (cut into cubes)

Arugula & Mixed Greens

a dash of Japanese Rice toppings (seaweeds & sesame seeds)

Basically these are all the ingredients for my Asian Salad. I also added some croutons to add a crunchy texture. The Japanese rice toppings are last minute additional ingredient I added. It balances the tangy flavor of the salad dressing but if you're staying away with salt then this isn't an option. I promise you this is so yuuuuummmmy! Hope you'll try this soon! Goodnight peeps!

Lovestruck

2011-06-18T01:49:00.000-07:00

Lovestruck by Vera Wang

Lovestruck! I love the name of the perfume great timing for the month of June since its the wedding month. Leighton Meester, who plays one of the main character at the hit TV series "Gossip Girl", is the brand endorser of this new fragrance line of Vera Wang and I just came across the ad at you tube. Don't you love the gown of Leighton here? That would be a nice wedding gown huh?! That is if you're game for untraditional wedding theme. The guy is also one of the top male models is Tommy Dunn. Picture perfect, prince charming! ;)

"Lovestruck ... the name of my brand new fragrance…All about being overwhelmed, inexplicably, hopelessly in love. Allowing yourself to feel passion inspite of yourself, the situation, the repercussions. A new definition of Romeo and Juliet! Sexy, sensual, and unstoppable!" Vera Wang.

Lovestruck is described as a sparkling, addictive floral, young in spirit yet classic.
It was inspired by a modern day version of the story of Romeo and Juliet.
(Opens with notes of exotic and juicy pink guava and soothing angelica blossom. The middle notes “bloom” with tones of intoxicating and sensual tuberose
with aquatic lotus flower. Precious woody notes and sheer musk form a solid perfume base.)

Vera Wang & Leighton Mees

I love Leighton Meesteer's outfit!

Wedding Galore!

2011-06-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

hair & make up done by yours truly

(Most of the brand I used for my make up is from M.A.C. for those who were asking
the l/s is in the shade of PINK NOUVEAU- been asked several times what I'm wearing)

L-R: Jane, Aracelli, Chiqui and me

(dress:Tango, clutch bag: forever21, wooden bangles:mango. I also added a belt
to accessorize the dress to give it a twist cause I'm afraid that I could run into another
person with the same dress! which I have experienced before, It was a shame... and disaster...)

Just to share my look for the day during Owen & Litz's wedding day (click here). Stay fab and pretty! Have a nice long weekend everybody. ;)

Owen & Litz's Wedding

2011-06-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I have not been writing very often as before since for the past 4 months I have been busy plus I dont have a house help and I am sooo exhausted already to write. 24 hours in a day seems not enough to do all my house chores and all the other responsibilities and tasks I need to do in a day.

So anyway, its June and its the month of weddings! During this month of the year many choose to have their weddings and to become a "June Bride". In fact, for this month I was invited for 3 weddings! For us females it is such a dilemma! What dress to wear in accordance to the theme of the wedding, what shoes goes with the outfit, hair and make up, accessories to wear... etc. etc. etc. Being a fashionista myself, I love dressing up! but attending 3 wedding events in a month?! phew being effortless is impossible!

Last weekend I attended a wedding of my high school batchmate from La Salle Academy, Iligan City (the City where I spent almost half of my life I guess). Owen and Litz's Wedding, the groom is my friend btw. I recieved a sms from Owen last year telling me to please save the date June 12, 2011 for him because he was getting married. I am truly happy for my dear friend when I got the news!

I love the invitation it is so cutey!

I was not really surprised that they would end up together. Owen did put a lot of effort in the relationship, imagine Owen always travel to "the land down under" which is Australia, just to be with Litz. I could still remember that whenever we have a get together with the other high school batch mates, Owen has to excuse himself because Litz is calling or he would be in hurry because they have to talk over the skype. Thanks to the technologies! Long distance relationships works! hehehe...

Owen looks a dashing groom. I also congratulate him for making sure to look great on the most important day of his life. He lost weight, 60 lbs in all! Good job! The bride is so lovely as well! I love the wedding dress and the details at the back of her dress. I love that it is simple and elegant.

From L-R: Jane, Aracelli, Chiqui and Me

My dress was a last minute buy, I know I got the invite last year... I wasn"t really planning on buying a new dress but I realized I have all of my formal dresses in black and I asked Owen if I could wear black but I know in my mind that most likely it can't be since the the bride is Chinese and for us Filipinos we have this superstitious belief that wearing black in a wedding is bad luck. I still asked since nowadays it is ok to some. So ladies, ask permission if you're not sure.

It was a fun filled event! Everybody thinks that the couple were a match made in heaven. Congratulations to the newly wed! Cheers to the both of you and may God bless your marriage always.

*** To get my look during the wedding please click here.

(Please feel free to comment below. I would love to hear from you.)

Time Balm's Face Primer

2011-06-13T09:23:00.001-07:00

This is my very first face primer, Time Balm's Face Primer. I wont have any basis as to comparison wise. I am posting a review for this product because it works for me but I wouldnt say this is a HG product for me. For reference, my facial skin type is oily skin and acne prone. I say this one worked for me for the mere fact that it didn't break my skin and it didn't aggravate the oiliness of my face.

I have been using this face primer for 3 weeks now and so far I am satisfied with it. Usually when I dont use this face primer I would constantly blot and retouch my foundation every 2-3 hours but when I do use this I'd only retouch once during the entire day and my face feels smoother. I noticed also that my acne scars were slightly lighter. I can say that it may be due to using this face primer since I am not using any ptoduct that will lighten my skin. This is probably because this has vit. C in it plus it also has vit. A & E.

Available at Beauty Bar for 1350 php (30 ml/1FL. Oz.) INGREDIENTS: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Ethylhexylglycerin,PPG-26-Buteth-26, Polysorbate 80, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hedera Helix (Ivy) Leaf/Stem Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Bioflavonoids, Ascorbyl Parmitate Tin Oxide. May contain/Peut Contenir [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491] SHELF LIFE: 6 months - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Nail Art Tutorial: Hello Kitty

2011-05-28T10:44:00.001-07:00

Thank God for this wonderful day! I am so blessed with very good friends. I only got few friends but I make sure that every friendship I have, they are very special. One of my most treasured friend is "Aper" (Jennifer Tan-Ching) in fact her daughter is my God-daughter and her son is my dear "H's" God-son. Since Shawn will be with his Lola Vie, we decided to visit the Ching's Crib plus I wanted to do a hello kitty nail art for my God-daughter AJ (Aper's daughter) as I promised her. AJ will be turning 5 y/o this coming June, time really flies children grows so fast and boy oh boy!!! I can really run out of answers and giving reasons to her! As a matter of fact she even asked me lots of questions while I was doing her nails. The question that got me speechless was when she asked me "ninang why does Hello Kitty doesn't have a mouth?" ;) Smart and very curious kid huh?! Then her mom was scolding her because her nails were so small because she has this habit of biting them, she told her mom- "Mommy, if my nails were bigger it won't be called "Hello Kitty " anymore. It will be "Hello Cat" already". Hahaha... Kids does say the darnest things!

So here is how I did her nails.

(Since AJ's nails were so small I used mine for the demo).

Materials needed: Nail polishes- white, black, red, yellow and clear for the top coat Nail dotter or you can just use a toothpick Fine bristled brush

1. Use white nail polish for the base color.

2. Dab the nail dotter to a yellow nail polish as shown above for the nose.

Show in this photo is where the nose of Hello Kitty would be. Dotted almost at the center.

3. Using a black nail polish, dot it on the nail for Hello Kitty's eyes.

4. For the ribbon, I made 3 red dots. The center dot smaller than the dots on the sides as shown above.

5. Using the fine brush, draw 3 whiskers on each side.

6. Using the fine brush again, outline the nose & the ribbon.

7. Lastly, apply a clear top coat to seal it make it glossy but make sure to let it dry to avoid smearing the details.

Jaran!!! AJ's cute little nails!

One happy client! Hehehe... Very good atchie!!! She behaved very well while I was doing her nails.

Check out for the my other Nail Art Tutorials (Pls. click the links below)
Cute Flower
Summer Bloom
Burberry

Have a happy weekend!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wishes Do Come True!

2011-05-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

Love my RED Cambridge Satchel Bag.
(What I wore in this pic: Blouse: ZARA, Skirt: TRF-ZARA,
Necklace: Jo-GB3, Bangles: Mango)
(M.U.: all from M.A.C e/s: espresso & ricepaper, l/s: pink nouveau)

I blogged about My Wishlist last month and what do we know???!!! I already got what I wished for. :) If there's such a thing as my personnal fairy godmother then SCHU could be IT! I have been wanting The Cambridge Satchel way before it got here in our country and way before some bloggers were raving about it.

I got an email from Chocolate SCHUBAR Manila that they featured me on their blogsite. 2 weeks ago I got a surprise tweet from Schubar Manila that I might get my wish soon! Whoa! that was really the highlight of my week. Schubar was so thoughtful enough to make sure that I could have my wish come true.

Waiting for me at the Trinoma branch Chocolate Schubar counter.

My very own 13" RED Cambridge Satchel

Yes! This is mine! =)

You can also have your very own Cambridge Satchel. Its available at Chocolate Schubar.

-Glorietta 3, Mobile No. +63917 592 8801 +63917 592 8801,

- G/F, SM Mall of Asia, Mobile No. +63917 592 8804 +63917 592 8804,

- M3, Ayala TriNoma, Mobile No. +63917 592 8802 +63917 592 8802,

-Chocolate schu Bar, R2, Power Plant, Tel. No. 899 6997; Mobile No. 0917 592 8809

Make Your Own Havaianas 2011

2011-05-13T09:57:00.001-07:00

Its summer time here in the Philippines and one of the most awaited annual event during this time of the year especially if you are a Havaianas fanatic is the Make your Havaianas slippers. The event started last May 12, 2011 and will be ending on May 16, 2011 at the Rockwell Tent, Makati City.

You can mix and match colored soles and straps then embelish them with pins.

The pins are limited edition ones and if you purchase one MYOH pair with Harajuku Doll pin (100 php each) will be donated to the earthquake survivors of Japan through The Philippine Red Cross.

Shawn got the MYOH estampas (945 php) and got the blue/grey top mix for the strap (895 php) plus 2 pins the limited edition and robot pin.

For every purchase you get a complimentary Havaianas flip-flops bag & a bag tag. If you love flip flops better head there and they also give 10% discounts for CITIBANK holders.

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Fast Five

2011-05-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

Finally! Me, "H" and my son-Shawn had a movie date last Saturday @ GB3. It's been a while since we watched a movie. My son is a huge huge fan of "Fast and The Furious". I cannot tell anymore how many time he has watched every single sequel. Shawn just loves car so much and in fact when he was a little boy if you ask him what will he be when he grows up he'll tell you he wants to be a "car racer" the one that the police men will chase me Mama. LOL. Kids say the darnest things, don't they?! He even knows all the models of the cars plus all the other accessories a car have. This enticed him to have ample collections of hot wheels also.

"Fast and the Furious" 5 aka "Fast Five" starring Vin Diesel as Dominic Torreto and Paul Walker as Brian O' Conner (btw, I think Paul looks way much better in this part). Directed by Justin Lin and written by Chris Morgan. Being a 5th part of the installment of Fast and the Furious, it still amazes me to watch it. I tell you I have a short attention span in watching movies! I get bored easily but this one nah! Eventhough it's a 3 hrs movie, I enjoyed every single minute of it. I love the chasing part of the movie where Vin Diesel and Paul walker were dragging a big vault all over the busy streets of Rio. Plus the fact that I have a huge crush on Paul Walker... sigh... ; ) Not to mention that Dwayne Johnson as Hobbs is part of the new cast, Great! All the other main characters from the other parts were united. This means action packed movie!!!

Shawn enjoyed it also and my son's laugh is so contagious but I have to warn him to tone it down because the person sitted in front him kept on looking back at him. I think a tadbit of downside about it is that I still want more action and more car racing scenes. Just a tip for those who still haven't watched it, stay put on your sits until the credits ends because there's a bonus part there. Oh! I can't wait for another installment of Fast and the Furious! There will be more twists to the story for sure and more drama. I won't say more cause I might spoil the fun of watching it. It's Monday tommorow back to work again. Enjoy the rest of the week guys! Happy Mother's Day again to all the hotmommas out there!

Unforgettable Lines:

If you're gonna survive, stop thinking like a cop. You're in my world now.

--Dominic Torreto

The men we're after are professional runners. We find them; we take them as a team and we bring them back. And above all else, we never ever let them get into cars.

--Hobbs

We just went from the middle of the "most wanted" list to the very top.
--Brian O'Conner

Happy Hotmomma's Day

2011-05-08T09:29:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! I wanna greet all the hotmommas out there a Happy Mother's Day! Along with this occasion is Manny Pacqiuaos fight with Mosley and thw whole Philippines is very triumphant about Manny's win! And oh! Plus the storm "Bebeng" hits our country. Despite of the bad weather we still decided to celebrate it by dining out. I am so glad to be with my family, too bad my sister can't be with us though...

Mama with her 2 grandchildren ( Shawn and Hyder)

My brother with his family (Jr, Kat and Boink as we fondly call him) Boink is 7 mos. old now, I made Cakepops for his Christening give-aways! =)

Mama with Han my youngest bro! Hope you guys did have a good time also. Let's honor our mother eventhough it's not mother's day for they we're always there for us through thick and thin. Love you Ma!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Soothing Lip Balm

2011-05-06T20:24:00.001-07:00

My previous post was about LUSH Vanilla and Chocolate lip scrub . I mentioned that I also recenly use a lip balm after exfoliating. I feel I just have to post this simply because it is working for me. I know its just a lip balm but my skin has been acting wierd lately blame it on my hormonal imbalance plus the weather here in our country. I am now using Avalon Organics Skin Nourishing Antioxidant Intense Vitamin C sun-aging defense Soothing Lip Balm. Previously I use the one from carmex, at first I was loving it especially the menthol effect but after using it for 3 days I noticed that my upper lip felt thick and scaly, maybe because I am reacting to some of its ingredients. I stopped using it for a while then used it again because I have to make sure if its the culprit and my guess is right.

Going back to the soothing lip balm from Avalon Organics which I bought from Healthy Options, my lips didnt react negatively after using it for almost 2 weeks now. I love that it doesnt feel sticky or heavy when applied and my lips feel better now. What I also love about it is the anti-oxidant and anti-aging effect the cons is just that it doesnt have SPF. I forgot the exact price but its budget friendly around 100+ php for 7g/.25 oz. Of product. I'll definetely purchase this again.

100% Vegetarian Ingredients. Not tested on animals. Its shelf life is for 12 mos. I have been lemming towarsd organic and products that have anti-aging effect lately. Talk about aging huh!? I am so conscious lately with regards to my skin since I am on my early 30's! Though I have been always told that I just look like I'm on my early 20's most of the time :) I dont have a secret skin regimen since I just use Acne Aid soap and sometimes a serum for my face that is if I remember to apply. I dont use moisturizer because I have oily and cne prone skin.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My Sweet Lips

2011-05-06T11:12:00.001-07:00

This will be the first time for me to review on a certain product. The reason why is that I didnt wanna have a say on a certain product which I dont believe into and if I dont have any positive say on something, I'd better shut my mouth. :)

My lips has been somewhat dry lately not only my lips but my eyelids also... Recently my skin has been in a crazy mode. For my lips, I recently purchased a lip balm and exfoliator. I bought SWEET LIPS from Lush for my lip scrub. It comes in various variants but I choosed Vanilla and chocolate sugar lip scrub.

It costs me 495 php for a 25 g of lip scrub that comes in a jar.

On the lid, as you can see its where you can find the date it was made and its expiration date.

For its directions: Rub a little gently into your lips to scrub them smooth and soft. Ingredients: Castor Sugar, Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinesis), Vanilla Extract (Vanilla planifolia), Cocoa Absolute (Theobroma cacao), Tagetes Oil (Tagetes minuta),

Flavour My Say: A little goes a long way, you just need a small amount of this to exfoliate the lips. After rubbing it gently my lips feel soft, smooth and my lips is pinkier in color. I love the flavor, I almost wanna lick my lips while I was scrubbing it on my lips. I wiped my lips with a wet tissue after the sugar melted then followed by applying a Soothing Lip Balm which I'll be reviewing soon. I'll rate it 4/5, if the sugar was a little bit finer I'll give it a 5/5 and if it would be nice if has a moisturizing effect. I'm still contemplating if I'll repurchase it (if I dont find other alternative I will).

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Let’s NAIL The Problem!

2011-04-28T23:02:00.000-07:00

I will be posting soon this Nail Art Tutorial
for the meantime try a couple of my Nail Art demos
Burberry Nail Art
Summer Bloom Nail Art

Most of my blog entries are about Nail Art Tutorials. I just feel naked without nail polish on my fingernails that’s why even if I’m on duty in hospitals I still have a sheer nail polish on. I owe it to you my lovely readers on how to take care of your fingernails properly. Applying cutesy nail lacquers on your nails are just superficial, whats more important is that we take care properly of the nails itself.

Tips for having healthy nails:

1. Always keep nails clean and dry.

2. Stop nail biting! It just promotes chipping of nails.

3. Apply moisturizers onto the cuticles (there are specialized cuticle moisturizers sold everywhere). Look for phospholipids, urea and lactic acid in the ingredients, these will prevent chipping and brittleness of the nails.

4. Use nail polish removers that have moisturizers or avoid using those that have acetone or formaldehyde for these will promote dryness.

5. File the nails in just only one direction.

6. Lastly, eat well balanced diet especially protein rich foods. Take vitamins, particularly containing BIOTIN in it  essential for having a good skin, healthy hairs and nails.

***Fingernails can also help us detect some signs of systemic damage or gives us clues on some disorders.

      It Looks Like                               It Could Mean
Persistent nail-biting or picking                              Obsessive-compulsive disorder

White nails                                                           Liver diseases such as hepatitis

Yellowish, thickened, slow-growing nails               Lung diseases such as emphysema

Yellowish nails with a slight blush at the base         Diabetes

Half-white, half-pink nails                                      Kidney disease

Red nail beds                                                        Heart disease

Pale or white nail beds                                           Anemia, Malnutirition
Pitting or rippling of the nail surface                       Psoriasis or inflammatory arthritis

"Clubbing," a painless increase in tissue                 Lung diseases

around the ends of the fingers,
or inversion of the nail
Irregular red lines at the base of the nail fold          Lupus or connective tissue disease

Thin and concave nail and have raised ridges         Iron deficiency

Here's a link showing a slideshow

What your nails say about your health
XOXO

Very Affordable Fabfinds

2011-04-25T23:41:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Basically this post will be lots of photos, I just wanna share with you that looking fabulous doesn't necessarily mean to splurge your hard earned money for it. Last week me and my son went to 168 Mall located at Divisoria. Its a place here in the Philippines where you can buy cheap stuffs and if you buy in bulk you can ask the saleslady for a wholesale price. It's like a Night Market in HK in Temple St. and I can see lots of foreigners shopping there nowadays. If you're planning to go there, it would be wise to go on weekdays and go there very early. 168 Mall opens from 7 am - 6 pm and the aircondition inside the Mall is good plus they also have restrooms that are well maintained and surprisingly way much cleaner compared to some restrooms at other leading Malls here in Manila. One thing more, wear your comfortable shoes and clothes especially if you plan to explore shopping spree outside the said Mall in Divisoria.

The recent trip in Divisoria I found some earrings and necklaces for a very cheap price. Bought in bulk.... I can't resist the cuteness of the items especially the earrings. My son even commented "Ma, can you wear all that stuff at the same time???" hehehe... True! but never mind cause I bought the earrings for 25 pesos/ 0.58 $ each if you buy at least 6 (they sell it for 50 pesos/ 1.15$ if you only buy 1) while the necklaces are for 45 / 1$ for the wholesale price vs the 80 pesos /1.80$ when you only buy 1.

Let me show you what I'm chit chatting about.

earrings for 80 php each but if you buy 6 or more it'll be for 40 php each

earrings for 25 pesos/ 0.58 $ each if you buy at least 6
(they sell it for 50 pesos/ 1.15$ if you only buy 1)

necklaces are for 45 / 1$ for the wholesale price
vs
the 80 pesos /1.80$ when you only buy 1

Nail Art Tutorial: Cute Flower

2011-04-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

This is another nail art tutorial in time for "Flores de Mayo". I remember when I was a kid way back in Iligan City when my father was assigned there and we live just at the back of the Church there. During the month of May, we will join a summer class during the month of May and we have a mini parade of different flowers. It inspires me to do this nail art. This can be done by beginners too, so easy to do.

Material needed:
basecoat
nail polish (any color) for the base canvass
dotter tool
topcoat polish

for this nail art I choose a dark lavander shade for the base
as you can see I put on a yellow shade of polish dotted just on the side

next step: dip the dotter tool onto a fuschia shade nail polish
and just dot around 5 dots encircling the yellow dot

ta-da!!! now you've got a cute flower. =)
I choose to have 1 flower on the side of each nail to make it simple.

heres the finish look

Try this other nail tutorial of mine Summer Bloom
Happy Easter everyone!

Follow my blog with bloglovin

XOXO

Bisita Iglesia Pinoy Style

2011-04-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

It's Holy Week once more and for this year we just decided to stay at home since "H" just got well and I have tons to do at home as well. "Bisita Iglesia" means Church Visit, this is a tradition for us Filipinos being dominantly a Catholic country. My sister has been doing this for 3 years now, together with her friends they just walk and visit 14 different Churches in Manila. She even told me that some of her friends walk barefoot. I asked her if I could join her but since our Mother insisted to come with us my sister suggested that we bring the car and go to different Churches in Quezon City area instead. Sister told me to visit 7 Churches and have 2 Stations Of The Cross per Church visit. I tagged along "H", Shawn (my son), Mama & Grace our "house angel". "H" helped with organizing with the sequencing of the Churches we shall visit and googled for the maps and directions while I prepared some "merienda" (snack).

Started the journey at around 4 pm, our first destination is the nearest to our place which is only a few blocks away ---

National Shrine Of Our Lady Of Lourdes


Kanlaon cor. N.S. Amoranto Street, Sta. Mesa Heights, La Loma,, 1114 Quezon City, Philippines The Shrine is under the care of the Order of the Friars Minor Capuchin of the Philippine Province

Parish of the Holy Sacrife (2nd Church @ 4:49 pm)


The Parish of the Holy Sacrifice is the landmark Catholic chapel in the University of the Philippines, Diliman. Known for its architectural design, the church is recognized as a National Historical Landmark and a Cultural Treasure by the National Historical Institute and the National Museum respectively.

Church of the Gesù (3rd Church @ 5:15pm)
Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City

Landmark church of the Ateneo de Manila University campus in the Philippines. Designed by Jose Pedro Recio and Carmelo Casas, the edifice’s massive triangular structure symbolizes the Holy Trinity, as well as the three-fold mission and vision of the school. Its shape and design is also meant to suggest the outstretched arms of the Sacred Heart, and the traditional Filipino bahay kubo.

St. Pio Chapel (4th Church @ 5:50 pm)


188 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave. (C-5) Bagumbayan, Quezon City, Metro Manila 1110 Philippines


For the Bisita Iglesia at St. Pio Chapel, they have designated area for the Stations of the Cross & we have the option to carry a cross and they come in different sizes. It's quite an experience =)

St. Joseph Convent of Perpetual Adoration (5th Church @ 7:07 pm)
Pink Sisters' Convent (New Manila)
One of the more interesting Convent in New Manila, Part of the Diocese of Cubao ST. JOSEPH’S CONVENT OF PERPETUAL ADORATION, 71 M. Hemady Avenue, cor. 11th St., New Manila, 1112 Quezon City Tel.: (02) 722-8828

Mt. Carmel Shrine of the Cross (6th Church @ 7:31 pm)

Doña Juana Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, Broadway, New Manila, Quezon City
Tel. 727-0814, 724-5938

This is the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel under the Discalced Carmelite Fathers. The cornerstone of the present beautiful Shrine Church was laid on Dec. 30, 1954. Ten years after the laying of the cornerstone, on July 16, 1964, Mary's Shrine was finally inaugurated.MOUNT CARMEL SHRINE PARISH

Sto. Domingo Church (last but certainly not the least Church visited @ 8:05 pm)
Quezon Avenue, Quezon City 1113

For almost four centuries Santo Domingo de Manila, the church and motherhouse of the Dominican Order, stood within the walls of Intramuros . Moved to this site after the destruction of original structure in World War II, Santo Domingo is best known as the home of a beautiful and richly robed image of the Virgin Mary called 'Nuestra Senora de La Naval' (Our Lady of La Naval). The centuries-old image is credited for having saved the city from an invasion by a Dutch armada in 1646. The yearly procession dedicated to the image is one of Manila's biggest religious festivals.

I must say it's quite an experience for my family. I hope my son will pass on this Filipino tradition to his own family someday. How about you guys, how did you spend the entire Holy Week? I know some went out of town to go to the beach since it's summer time and it's one of the long holidays we have in the Philippines. There's nothing wrong with it as long as we still observe the essence of how and why Jesus died for us. This is the time to reflect and assess ourselves if we are still in the right track.

XOXO