I have learned recently that microdermabrasion can now be done at home using a professional microdermabrasion machine. While it’s true that microdermabrasion machines are expensive, you can always get a good deal online, like from Genesisbiosystems.com. They’re one of the leading manufacturers of quality aestethic equipment and supplies.

Another good skin treatment worth trying out is microneedling. It’s a procedure that uses multiple small needles to pierce the skin and create tiny injuries that lead to new collagen formation through the normal skin repair mechanisms. I have yet to avail of this treatment, though, so I can’t affirm what the world is saying about it.

In the end, having a good skin care regimen is a must especially for women who are 30 years old and above. But still, it’s your call on how to have your own. You can start with the most simple (cleanser, toner and moisturizer) to the most complex which includes getting skin treatments on a regular basis.

When shipping something, may it be a small parcel or a big cargo, always compare prices and the length of shipment. Just because a certain company ships fast at a low cost doesn’t mean it’s good. You have to read reviews about their service from real people first. You know you don’t want your item to get in the wrong hands. If I were you, I’ll ask a friend also if they have recommendations or browse online for the best shipping options available for you.

Here in Manila, many shipping companies offer promos for their shipping services. I send money to my relatives on occasions and I only trust one company due to its good and reliable service. I’ve been a loyal customer since 2008. But I digress. I’m just trying to make a point here. In this age, shipping options are just aplenty. All you need to do is choose. And you better choose wisely.

Here are more pictures and information about them:

I use the shampoo every day (I’m more of a shampoo than a conditioner kind of girl) and the topical scalp lotion twice and sometimes thrice a week (depends on my mood). So far, so good. My naturally wavy hair is actually okay and I haven’t had a hair fall problem ever since so I can’t make a statement on its hair-fall correcting powers but I heard it’s a great product to help solve a person’s hair fall problem. Even Fanny Serrano, the famous make-up artist to the stars, raves about this product and is now its primary endorser.

Below is a photo of me with a shinier hair worn down. And another one with my hair tied-up (always the case especially when I’m at work).

Now, you might ask about the price. It sells for P3,980 or almost 4k in the market. Currently, it’s available at Watsons, Mercury Drug, Cory Quirino World of Wellness, Rose Pharmacy and South Star Drug outlets nationwide. If you have the means, I highly suggest you use it regularly. If, like me, you find this product a luxury, then perhaps you could buy it once or twice a year just so you could alter or correct any damage your hair has acquired from using chemical-laden hair care products through the years.

Hair problems? Visit Novuhair today. Or follow Novuhair on Facebook for the latest updates. Contact Nutramedica, Inc. (the maker of Novuhair) at (+632) 413-6570.

for Asians, waist lines of 31.5+ (women) and 35.5+ (men) are a clear indication of obesity

During the event, I learned a lot about overweight and obesity and its complications in our society. Did you know that too much fat can kill? Yes, too much fat can kill. That statement stuck with me. The fat-laden food we eat on a daily basis increases our risks to life-threatening diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and cancer. But worry not because there’s always a solution to life’s worst problems.

A change in lifestyle is all we need to have and it starts by getting fit and living healthy. If you can’t do both because of the busy life you lead or you just can’t get yourself to move your a$#, a pharmacological solution may be your best option. Like taking Xenical to aid in your weight loss efforts. It rocks the fat away. Like, seriously.

Before you doubt what I’ve just said, here’s what you need to know about the pill:

Xenical acts primarily in your gastrointestinal tract to inhibit lipases, enzymes that are crucial for the digestion of long-term triglycerides. The drug, in conjunction with a low calorie diet and exercise plan, is useful for the treatment of obesity.Clinical studies have shown that Xenical is proven effective in fighting obesity among adults.

Xenical® (orlistat 120 mg) has been used in as an anti-obesity drug for more than a decade now. It has been clinically proven effective. It’s been proven to be an effective adjunct to lifestyle modifications to achieve significant and sustained weight loss.

It is usually indicated at a dose of 120 mg three times daily, and in conjunction with US FDA has recently approved the over-the-counter a mild hypocaloric diet, for the treatment of obese patients (body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2), and overweight patients (BMI ≥28 kg/m2) with associated risk factors.

Here in Manila, Xenical sells for P35 per capsule. If you take it three times a day, that’s P105. Multiply it by 30 and you get P3,150. A bit expensive, yes, but if you can afford to eat fat-less meals on some days, then you could skip the pill during those days according to the Xenical people that we spoke with. Sounds fair, ayt?

If you’re looking for the exercise that’s easy and fun to do, may I suggest zumba? We had a short zumba session during the latter part of the event, and boy did it make me sweat like crazy! Actually, I do zumba twice a week after work (my officemates and I have gotten the service of this freelance zumba instructor and we divide the fees among ourselves every session) so I really looked forward to the zumba part of the event. Haha.

our group photo

Simultaneously, there was an interactive event organized by Xenical for the public at the activity center of Glorietta 2 that same day.

We caught up after the event and joined the throng of people doing the passport-style journey. We took the body, beauty, food, workout and Xenical tests to get our “passports” stamped and claim our prizes. Xenical gave away free shirts and Xenical trial packs, among others.

There was also a workout session conducted by Coach Joseph Pagulayan and later on, a program hosted by Marc Nelson and Mitzi Borromeo but I left already so I didn’t know what else happened.

Be a Club New You member today. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.

P.S. Thank you to Melody Co, Get Hooked 360 and Roche Philippines (the pharma company that markets Xenical) for inviting me to this event.

the ticket

To give you a brief background, No Way to Treat a Lady is a comedy-musical thriller based on the 1964 novel by William Goldman which was also made into a movie in 1968. It tells the story of a serial killer named Christopher Gill (played by Audie Gemora) and the relationships he has with his deceased mother (played by Pinky Marquez), the detective trying to solve his crimes (Morris Brummell, played by Joel Trinidad) and the detective’s girlfriend (Sarah Stone, played by Carla Guevara-Laforteza. The setting is New York in the 1970′s.

view of the stage

with the hubby

Since it has comedy as one of the themes, expect many hilarious scenes. I think Pinky Marquez, who played several characters (mother plus all victims of Mr. Gill) in the musical, was particularly funny. She acted exceptionally well and do watch out for her Carmela character because she was at her funniest in it.

Joel Trinidad and Carla Guevara-Laforteza, who played sweethearts here, looked good together and had chemistry. And there’s no doubt they also nailed their characters. I’m not familiar with the songs they sang but their voices were really good I enjoyed listening to them. The same goes for the singing of Ms. Marquez and Mr. Gemora, their vocal prowess really shone last night.

Superf N, my friend C, Carla Guevara-Laforteza and I

the cast of No Way to Treat a Lady with my brother D

It was my first time to watch a musical with Onstage as venue. The place is small and makes for a more intimate viewing experience. If I have a complaint to say, it’s the audio and music volume which went less audible than it should have been at times. But other than that, everything was perfect.

The good story aside, watch the musical if you want to be entertained by our local theater artists who are definitely at par with the best in the world.

No Way To Treat a Lady opens today, March 1 and will be on stage until March 24, 2013. For tickets, call 571-6926 and 571-4941. Or log on to www.repertory.ph. Prices start at P500 (balcony).

P.S. Special thanks go to my friend C and her friends for treating us to this awesome musical.

We reached the place tad early. We were with my mom and my SIL. It’s a small complex tucked between Honda Cars-Pasig and a Petron Station along C-5 Road. It’s quite easy to locate. The center has a main chapel, a novena place, a candle place, and other small rooms for praying and meditation.

view inside the air-conditioned main chapel

When we were there, we sat inside the novena place while hearing the mass. I think all rooms there can be used for that purpose because the room we were in has a big LCD tv showing the altar where the priest was officiating the mass.

I dunno with the rest of my companions but I felt like the mass at St. Pio was more solemn than the other masses I’ve attended. The priest who gave the homily was very good, too. His sermon revolved around the sign of the cross: the proper way to do it, its meaning and when we should make it. I really learned a lot.

with the hubby

We are definitely going back to this holy place. I suggest you visit there, too, especially if you have something to ask for from God, St. Pio might be able to help you. After all, he is known to be a miraculous saint.

To know the complete mass schedule at St. Pio of Pietrelcina Centre, click here.

Chapel of Saint Pio de Pietrelcina
RER Compound
188 E. Rodriguez Avenue (C5)
Bagumbayan, Quezon City 1110

Contact numbers:
+632 634-3668 (DL)
+632 634-3669 (TF)

Email: admin@saintpiocenter.com

I’m sure most of you know the plot already. If not, you can always read about it here.

I liked Jean Valjean’s story (the character was played by Jackman) because it clearly depicts our innate nature as a human being. That we are capable of doing good even if a lot of people around us aren’t. That we are capable of doing our roles in society to institute change. That we are capable of love and compassion. That even though sometimes, we are forced to do bad things at some points in our lives, we can always go back and lead the good life we’ve always wanted.

I enjoyed listening to the songs sang in the movie: I Dreamed a Dream, On My Own, Suddenly and Look Down, among others. But the girl who played Eponine (Samantha Barks) sang her songs like a pro. Her voice was the best. I would found out later that she’s indeed a pro, she was the one who played Eponine at the Les Miserables: 25th Anniversary Concert in 2010.

I liked how France was depicted in the film: the dark and filthy alleys, the dilapidated but grand buildings, the Parisians in their period costumes and all that. It really showed how France looked in one of the darkest periods of its history. The cinematography and effects were okay, too, in so far as an ordinary viewer like me is concerned.

Actually, I have yet to see the musical so I don’t have any comparison to make. Haha. But I guess everyone will agree when I say that Les Miserables is a must-watch movie. Two thumbs up!

P.S. Special thanks go to my sister J for treating me and our mom to this movie when it opened in cinemas here in Manila last Wednesday, January 16, 2013.

But of course, I know I have to put in a lot of work and effort to bring back the color and life into this blog. I have been busy updating my “more personal” blog Life in Manila and forgot about this blog for months. One of the reasons was that I got pregnant but as fate would have it, the pregnancy didn’t end well. We were devastated, but we had to move on. You can read all about it over on that blog. But I digress.

This year, I hope to make up for the neglect I showed this blog in 2012. Good luck to me!

Products online range from the simple to the complex ones. Personally for me, I have done quite a lot of shopping transactions online, from clothes and gadgets to accessories and office supplies. I have even tried getting Magazine Subscriptions online and it was the best decision ever. I got cheaper rates as compared to shopping offline.

Shopping online can be tricky and complicated for others, but in reality, it is one of the easiest things to get done. You just have to find the right sellers for you. But, beware of scams. Make sure to do a background check of the seller, company or website you are dealing with. Read reviews and listen to people who have already transacted with them so as not to be a victim.

The internet is your best friend when it comes to finding the best yet the cheapest products. This is especially true in this trying times when money is hard to earn and when getting value for our money is a must so we could still feel the strength of what little purchasing power we have.