aficionada

MOVED!

2011-06-27T15:11:00.014+08:00

My new site will be officially published on July 1, 2011. Though it's already up and running.

I really thought that aficionada was going to last. But I did not feel so attached to it anymore. The new Blogger also features a lot of new additions which I cannot customize with HTML alone. I would not be exporting old posts to the new blog too. I'm going to start fresh! After all this site has been with me for more than two years. It's time to let go .

PLEASE FOLLOW MY NEW SITE. THANK YOU!

Purederm Refreshing Foot Deodorizer review

2011-06-24T23:42:00.001+08:00

I really hate my feet. They are big (my size is 9.5). I don't want them to get any uglier so I care for them as much as possible. I just don't do a lot of foot massage because they are very tingly and I tend to laugh when they get massaged .

I finally got to use the Purederm Refreshing Foot Deodorizer after buying it a few weeks ago. As you might know, flood entered my shoes and that is never a good thing . Flood water is full of bacteria which could make your feet smell. Since I don't want that, I finally found a use for this Purederm thing that I bought! Hahaha

INGREDIENTS LIST:
Water is mostly what this deodorizer contains
Menthol, for the peppermint smell though it also contains Fragrance, though not as significant as the menthol
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, which can also be seen at other deodorants, is a cleansing agent (source)
Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil is an antifungal ingredient

Green translucent liquidWHAT TO DO:
1. Rinse your hands and feet (for hygenic purposes of course)
2. Apply an amount (half the size of your palm) to one foot and repeat on the other foot (including your toes and in-betweens).
3. Massage your feet and your toes.
4. Let it dry. No need to rinse.

It dried up in 10 mins. Best used at night when you are about to sleep so you don't have to fuss about it.

LOVES
It really smells like peppermint!
It's only PHP69.00
You can split it into two uses and it will still give you a generous serving three at most)
It stayed cool and refreshing for about 30 minutes (and I swear it's not because of the weather!)
Non-sticky feel but feels like lotion when you put it on.

LOATHE
I was not aware that this was not a one time use package. And it's definitely not a good idea to use it all in one go because there is a lot of liquid in there. I wish they divide it into two separate packs or in smaller packages since it would get messy when you store the mask again.

*I'm not sure as far as the deodorizing thing goes since I did not wear closed shoes today and it was raining so no sweaty feet. But I think that this might work because of the strong peppermint smell and the cool feeling that it gives for your feet.

RATING (out of 5 stars):
and a half

WILL REPURCHASE AGAIN?
Only when needed. It's not really a necessity for me.

Superthypoon Falcon madness!

2011-06-24T10:29:00.000+08:00

I never experienced Ondoy. Ondoy was one of the worst typhoons to hit the Philippines in the recent years. The flood was everywhere in Metro Manila ! People were stuck at traffic, nice subdivisions were getting flooded and a lot of people were seen on their roof (even as the rain continued). Falcon comes pretty close to Ondoy. And I got to experience what probably be one of the worst things that happened in my life .

At 4:20pm, I came from the Fort for an interview and was heading to Manila to pick up my sister and my mom. It was so traffic going to DLSU (at the St. Benilde Hotel part) that we arrived there at about 6:00pm. And the flood was already ankle-high. We weren't able to pass Rizal anymore since our car is only a light vehicle and we were forced to park our car at Torre Lorenzo.

Fortunately our neighbor (which is my mom's officemate) offered us a ride but we have to cross Rizal to be able to get onto his car. So I thought that everything would be fine. The worst has yet to come!

We had to use a pedicab (for PHP50 per head!) and it did help but we still got wet. A car ran past us and created waves making our butt wet. More so, the flood was almost up to the chairs of the pedicab. Our feet (my sister and I) were already placed on the seat in front of the pedicab but it still got wet ! I was close to crying because I was wearing my new shoes. I took them off and squatted on my seat instead of sitting. I don't want my PHP700 bucks to be spent for only a week .

We got at our neighbor's car at about 8pm (I think). Soaking wet but thankful that we finally arrived.

We got moving by then until we got stuck in this street that was bound to SLEX. It was also the street next to the entrance of the skyway from Manila. We got stuck there for about 2 hours ! Two hours on that street. Just because the person (or people?) at the end, won't move because their car can't handle the flood.

By 11:00, we finally got out of that street (we were only two blocks away from the end yet it took us two hours to exit that street because of unforgiving drivers ). And we saw how deep the flood was at SLEX. We took the skyway though. The entrance of the skyway was also jammed as the middle lane was the only available one. Cars were parked on both ends. I don't know why they park their cars their instead on the higher road.

Skyway was a blessing. No traffic going to Bicutan! Just a few minutes of waiting at the toll gate. No traffic at Bicutan exit too. My sister joked that it was because all were stuck at SLEX. Well, it was a fact actually. And by 11:30 we FINALLY got home, eager to recount our story to my dad and my older sister (who got home early).

What happened to our other car? Our driver stayed their overnight and went home early. Fortunately, the flood subsided this morning and the driver got home safe too. Another good thing is that it's Manila Day so there would be no classes today (it's still raining here in Paranaque though not as hard as yesterday and not as windy).

What I was thankful for that night :
* Our neighbor for being so generous!
* My mom for buying the suman (we weren't able to eat dinner you see)
* Food when we got home
* Boys Night Out for keeping us company! I love the segment where they prank call.
* My sister using her phone to get updated with the current tennis updates (congrats to Soderling aka Bullpup for getting thru Lleyton Hewitt)
* SKYWAY (savior!!)
* It wasn't flooded here in Paranaque (I've experienced house flooding too...multiple times!)

I hope that there's a rainbow after the rain

*Too bad I was not able to take photos. I was too scared to use my phone with the flood and all.

Last Etude House haul...for the month!

2011-06-22T11:12:00.002+08:00

Seriously, gotta stop myself from buying from Etude House . My site is being invaded by the pink of it all. I don't even like pink that much. But somehow, everything that I bought yesterday is related to pink.

Here's what I bought yesterday. Not all were mine though (but the freebie is!).

What I did was buy the Aloha Two Two Kiss #3 for my sister and bought four other lippies. And then when I got home, my sister would pick one from the lot while the rest will be mine.
The Fantastic Rouge has an ugly cheap packaging with the brown lines. It seriously reminds me of a cockroach . But I do love the pink bow at the bottom (check out the picture on the bottom right part).

I also got these VIP Girl Dear Darling lips (a pink one and a red one). The pink lipstick reminds me of Marian Rivera's lips in her Preview cover years ago. They were inspired by Barbie and I believe that this really was a Barbie Girl kind of color.

These are Lara's:

I just decided to add them because I love the Look at my Lips line from Etude House. She already got three in two days! The Look at my Lips #13 is similar to my VIP Girl Dear Darling PK008. The #13 is more pink though. Great for the Barbie girl lips.

Banning myself from Etude House. Well...maybe 'til the end of the month!

P.S.

Etude House Thailand features Mario Maurer and Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul at their Grand Opening. Amazing! See pics here.

Another Etude House haul!

2011-06-21T11:43:00.004+08:00

Resisting a visit from Etude House is hard for me. There's something about the sale on every item that makes me wanna buy more than what I really want, more than what I really need and more than what I really can afford (credit cards are evil!). The 20% sale on all items (which happened because they reached 50,000 likes on facebook before June 14) is tempting to say the least. So I visited yesterday and bought this lot:

Kidding . Those were not all mine (but if it were, I'd be really really happy!). My twin sister Lara also got crazy with Etude House yesterday. I don't remember that happening before considering she's not as obsessed with make-up as I am. She used to get annoyed when we shop for make-up. It's the magic of Etude House (and their sale of course!).

Here's what I really only got for myself:

I got the Aloha Two Two Kiss after seeing Sandara in this ad (from the Pink Membership online Newsletter):

It's in #03 but when I saw the actual product, it had the yellow tint on it. I'm really not sure how the tint works so for safety reasons, I chose #04 instead, which had a red tint.

I was really amazed at this cream blusher because it blended well on my hand. I originally said that I would not buy a blusher from Etude House since the cookie blusher I bought was a bit disappointing (still have to do a review on that one).

I would not do swatches for now since I'm breaking out, which I suspect came from The Body Shop Lightening Touch . How ironic that I bought new make up when I could not even wear it?

I love the freebie ! I thought that it was just going to be a mirror but it's an eyebrow shaver with a comb on the other side.

We actually got to avail the 2NE1 CD (free with every purchase worth PHP2000). My sister and I are not big fans of kpop (though we enjoy watching SNSD's music videos) we asked for another freebie instead. The sales ladies of the SM Bicutan branch (Miss Chu, Miss Jasmin and Miss Angel) were really accommodating. They split the bill into two so that we could have two shavers instead (free for a purchase worth PHP1000).

It's kind of funny that they know who I am at the store already because of my constant visits. I don't think I have ever walked out of that store not buying something at the end of the day. Though my sister said it's because of my pimple. They remember the pimple that I had in my T-zone when they were trying this brown coloring thing on my eyebrows.

But seriously, the people there are friendly! Lara said that she could not say no to them because they are very accommodating. From my experience, Etude House SAs are friendly (except the SM Makati department store girl). Skinfood SAs make you feel awkward. Or maybe it's just me?

Anyhoo, Also got to try their new matte nail polish.

And now, I'm starting to think twice about this matte nail polish. I'm liking it because it looks like clay rather than pentel pen (from what I thought before). I just need to be careful when it's applied. I can get very clumsy as you can see from the picture.

The grand sale ends today and I'm still not sure if I will be visiting again. There are still lots of things that I want to buy. But at the same time, I can't wear make-up just yet. And I still have Singapore to think about. I'm going bankrupt in a couple of days if I continue my shopping spree.

Despite that, I'm really really happy with what I bought of the late.

New corporate shoes from Janylin

2011-06-17T10:50:00.032+08:00

I bought new 'flats' from Janylin last Wednesday from their sale. Okay, these are not really flats . The shoes comes with 1.5-2 inch heels. But they are so comfy that they might as well be flats. In fact, I find them to be better than my other Cotton On flats (which I threw away as the soles are close to being nearly torn). These are also the only corporate shoes I own that has the lowest heel. So it can be worn for casual days as well as work days!

Don't they look like the Vara flats?

I was really supposed to buy the black ones but they ran out of stock of my size in their Glorietta 5 branch. I also went to SM Makati but they were not selling those shoes anymore. My sister said that one was enough and that I should buy in Singapore (for our trip next month) in Charles and Keith and Cotton On.

Anyways, Janylin sale ends on July 31 so I still got more than month to think it through. I just hope that the stocks are still available by then.

Etude House Mini Haul

2011-06-16T14:28:00.002+08:00

I'm calling this Etude House haul a mini haul cause I really did buy a few make up compared to what I thought I'd be buying . I thought that I'd end up more than PHP2500 but ended only spending PHP700. My mind is really not on Etude House right now as I already paid earlier for Urban Decay Naked Palette (talking about it in another post). And maybe it's also because the branch that I visited only sells a few products compared to what I saw online.

Here are the five things that I bought:

I am really happy with what I bought especially with the brown glossy nail polish. I was contemplating on buying the glossy one (originally PHP48) or the matte one (originally PHP98) cause I prefer matte over glossy. But after seeing the effect (the saleslady tried it on her), I bought the glossy one. The finish on the matte looks like the nail was painted with brown pentel pens. And the brownish grey color reminds me of Chanel Particulière, one of my fave colors!

Freebie!

I'm not done with shopping with Etude House just yet. I still am thinking of buying the BB Cream (though I really am happy with Missha), their eye palette, more lippies, other Miss Tangerine stuff and more nail polish colors.

P.S.
It's my dad's 58th birthday today. We are going to celebrate later. I asked him if he wants anything for his birthday. He said: Kahit ano (anything). So I said: Make-up? He just laughed hehe. So that's a yes? After all, he used to pose for us (me with my twin) for make-up. Happy 58th daddy!

Etude House Grand Sale!

2011-06-14T13:19:00.002+08:00

I am beyond psyched that Etude House will be having its sale! And all items are going to be on sale, which is what I like the most because I am really gunning for a lot of products. So tomorrow, I am going to wake up early and dash off to the mall just for my haul. I really hope that I do not get to spend beyond PHP2500.

Just don't expect me to buy splendid shimmery shining stuff because I don't like glitter. Or glossy stuff. I'm very simple compared to the girly girl. I go for the matte.

The Best Burger in Manila

2011-06-12T10:57:00.004+08:00

(image from sogoodblog.com)

Come midnight, I always get hungry. But of course, I cannot eat because: 1) it's bad for your health cause you are going to sleep in a while; and 2) there is no food that is good enough to eat at our house. All I can do is read food blogs and imagine.

What I am currently savoring now is burgers! I know they are bad for your health if you eat lots of it but I cannot help but remember the past burgers that I have been eating so far (aka Charlie's and CBD). I even crave for cheesesteaks even though I haven't tried them yet.

(image from theharbourgrill.com)

After reading Anton's (Our Awesome Planet) blog about burgers, I could not help but want to weigh the best burger in the metro!
That's because I could not find the article the verdict in Juice.PH.
Even now in the morning, I am craving for a burger (be it Mcdo or Jollibee).

What constitutes a good burger:
The meat (with the right amount of pepper)
The hot bun
The sauce

I'm not too picky that there should be cheese and tomato and lettuce in it. But I prefer if they add more in the burger.

Oh by the way, I'm allergic to BEEF and TOMATO. But I don't care, I get a few redness on my skin when I eat beef or tomato. As long as I'm stuffed (and the redness does not go to my face), I'll live to tell about my burger experience (awesome or super awesome).

Here's the list of burger joints!
Army Navy (never tried their burgers)
Ben's Burjer
Big Better Burger
Bite Club
Brother's Burger
Burger Boy
Burger Avenue
Burger King
Charlie's
Chili's
Crave
Good Burger
Jollibee
Lusso
Malcolm's
McDonald's
Mr. Jones
Myron's Burger
Regrub
Sango
Stackers
TGI Friday's
The Burger Project
Wendy's
Wham Burger
Wingman

*Had to eliminate two, The Tropical Hut's - because I don't like the restaurant, and the Adrian Cuenca one because it's so pricey!!

I'm looking forward to this challenge!

New Layout! Change the name!

2011-06-09T22:20:00.012+08:00

I'm too bored as I found out today. I already created a layout and downloaded a lot of emoticons in less than a day.

The layout is very much the same like the previous version (v.14) although this one's using a lot of tricks that I have recently understood with my free time (using opacity with the pictures).

This is version 15.01 that you are looking at and I say with the decimal since there are still a lot of problems with my new layout. For instance, only the most recent post is being shown. But when you click older posts, then it will normalize to the usual five posts shown. (UPDATE: I think that this has something to do with the smiley index post as it contains a lot of pictures. I will still try to resolve this one though.)

The design is also a problem to me. I find it...too simple? I would have love to add a few frills here and there but I can't seem to get any inspiration right now.

I'm happy that I just finished the background though. And the color combinations. It's what I find really hard for layouts. I'm happy with what I made today but I'm going to still do some finishing touches on the look.

I also change the name from My Life in the Progress to Aficionada. My Life in the Progress felt a little emo for me. And very serious. Aficionada is the title that I used for a while before shifting to My Life in the Progress. My sentiments are geared towards the fun and frivolous things when it comes to this blog. Hence, the change.

smiley index

2011-06-09T19:36:00.018+08:00

Here's a post of the smileys that I will use. I DO NOT OWN THEM. These lovely smileys are from Babydoll.nu. This page is simply a help for me in my future posts :)

EXPRESSIONS

TALK BUBBLE

GIRLS

BOYS

ANIMALS & INSECTS

FRUITS

FOOD

DRINK

TREE

HEARTS

RIBBONS

STARS

FLOWERS

SPARKLES

MUSIC

BEAUTY

FASHION

ACCESSORIES

VEHICLES & HOUSES

OCCASSION

ARROWS

MAIL/EMAIL/PHONE/LAPTOP

OTHER

HELLO KITTY

Revamping the site

2011-06-09T12:54:00.000+08:00

I'm going to make another layout for this site. I'm getting tired of the simple layout I have. I'm going to make another simple one but it's going to be cuter. I feel that my current site is just so blah. Nothing nice to look at, I think.

Some major changes that I am considering:
*picture size
*font size
*emoticons
*colors!

That's it for now. Hopefully, this gets finished by next week.

Mini Watson's Haul

2011-06-07T13:41:00.004+08:00

Went grocery shopping with dad yesterday and here's what I bought:

Retails for PHP25.25. I love this alcohol because it's not sticky and nice alcohol smell.

Retails for PHP49.00.

Retails for PHP69.00

I haven't read any reviews for the things I bought (though I'm a fan of the hand sanitizer) so you can consider this impulsive buying. I'm eager to try everything though!

New Korean show I like: My Princess

2011-06-05T10:51:00.001+08:00

I'm currently watching a My Princess, a Koreanovela which my friend told me is nice. I was really doubtful of her taste in Korean shows because she does not know any of my favorites! But then she's a really good friend of mine. Now that I'm a bit bored, I decided to watch it.

I already love this show after the first episode! It's pure like at the first scene too, which is definitely saying something. And what's kind of interesting is that it does not lean towards the drama even if I'm already in the fifth episode. It's the funny kind of show that I look for in dramas. So it's a love already.

The leads are pretty and hot. Kim Tae Hee (who plays the Princess) is so funny and looks young for her age. She's around 30 when the show was filmed when she looks like 26. And Song Seung Hun (the guy) is sooo hot. You need to watch to understand. And he's cute but not intimidating. I'm adding him to one of my boy Korean crushes (wink wink).

The relationship of the foursome is cute too. It's complicated but it works. The other guy is Ryu Soo Young, who plays a professor of the princess (whom the princess also is super duper in love with). And his first love is played by Park Ye Jin, whom he is still in love with. Coincidentally, Park Ye Jin is set to marry Song Seung Hun's character. They like each other but it's not a passionate one, although I can sense some more love from the girl's character.

But things are about to turn around when the two guys give their attention to the princess.

Let's see how things work out :)

A list of things to do in Singapore

2011-06-01T18:12:00.021+08:00

I'm going to Singapore for the first time in July just to shop. I'm not gonna do a lot of sightseeing. Just a lot of shopping. And here's a list of things I want to do during my visit:

STORES TO VISIT
1. Cotton On
2. Sephora (for Too Faced and Urban Decay)
3. Charles & Keith
4. Forever 21 (the three floor branch)

5. Any iTouch store (to check out the price)
6. Orchard Road
7. Mulberry (hehe)

LANDMARKS TO SEE
1. The Merlion
2. Marina Bay Sands

FOOD TO EAT
1. Wee Nam Kee

MUST TRY
1. Using their train
2. The Singapore Flyer

Kung Fu Panda

2011-05-29T14:40:00.001+08:00

Just recently watched Kung Fu Panda 2 last Thursday and it was awesome! I love the first sequel and the second one was just as great, if not better.

Kung Fu Panda's humor is like Shrek's. It caters to both the young and the old. It has a lot of simple kiddie jokes but it would very much be enjoyed the adult.

Other few things that made this movie great was that you could really imagine how fluffy the characters were. The CGI of the film was very detailed. And me, who enjoys cute and fluffy stuff, was sold on that part alone.

But the best (and obviously, the cutest) thing about this movie was Baby Po.

Sizzling Pepper Steak

2011-05-29T14:32:00.003+08:00

So this, Sizzlin' Pepper Steak, is the restaurant that chuvaness is talking about. The one that is like Pepper Lunch (which her husband owns). I did not know about this restaurant until yesterday when my friends decided to eat here (at Mall of Asia). I have eaten at Pepper Lunch before so I had a benchmark upon eating at this restaurant.

use this to get the server's attention

Pork Curry with Pepper Rice (PHP185)

I mixed it instead of flipping just the rice

And it turned out like this. May look gross but I love mixing rice and viand!

The serving is just right for me as I was not overstuffed by the end of lunch. I even finished everything on my plate. I love the sauce that comes with the pork curry, but I prefer the sauce at pepper lunch. At Sizzlin' Pepper Steak, you can choose to change the sauce but I did not, and maybe that was my only mistake.

I still have no idea which one I like because I don't go to Pepper Lunch that often and I only tried Sizzlin' Pepper Steak once. Maybe it's a tie for now.

CBD by Tender Bob's at Ayala Triangle

2011-05-29T14:14:00.002+08:00

On my last friday for working at this company, my co-temps decided to splurge on lunch. We were supposed to eat at Kanin Club (at Ayala Triangle Gardens) but come 11:30 am, the restaurant was already full. Actually, all of the restaurants nearby are full, except for CBD which is just next to Kanin Club.

CBD, which stands for Cheesesteaks, Burger and Drinks, is like Charlie's, mainly focusing on burgers and cheesesteaks. Though this restaurant is newer and only has a small number of burgers to serve. And it was a bit pricey too.

Fries at PHP40.00

Frankfurt Trio Cheese at PHP260

The burger is smaller but it's enough for a full lunch. I chose Frankfurt Trio Cheese because I love cheese and it contains three kinds of cheese. Yum! But if I had the money, I'd get the cheesesteak though. It looks better than the burger. I have never tried cheesesteak before so I'm kind of curious what's the hype all about.

I'm looking forward to my next CBD lunch. I still prefer Charlie's but this one is a good substitute.

Eggs in a basket & Blueberry Pancakes for Sunday

2011-05-22T10:24:00.002+08:00

My mom has been bugging us ever since to cook. I know that I'm not a cooking expert from my high school cooking class days so I don't try. Though today, I tried making Eggs In a Basket (eggs cooked in a bread). My officemate once brought it at work and it looked so simple and tasted delicious that I had to try it for myself. Well, simple it wasn't.

Here's what happened to my Eggs in a Basket:

EGGS IN A BASKET
Ingredients: Eggs, Bread (I used Wheat Bread), Salt, Butter

What I did:
1. Put the butter in the pan and dissolve
2. Place bread with a hole in the middle
3. Place the egg in the hole and cook!

What I should have done is use the egg separator. Mom did not tell me we had one so it came out ugly.

THE VERDICT:

Mom: Wag mo i-post sa facebook, di ako nakamake-up.

Dad: Yum!
Mom: Laki ng kinuha mong part. Kala ko share tayo.

And then there was the Blueberry Pancakes which Lara did. Actually it was our househelp who did the mixing and the cooking. My sister just instructed her what to do. Hehe

The Blueberry Pancakes turned green. Ate H said something about how Pancake House did theirs to make the pancake still look normal. She's going to help on the next time we make pancakes.

THE VERDICT:

Dad: What's in my buko juice?
Mom: Busog na ko!

It was green but I thought that it was supper yummy!

Okay, all of the conversations were just made up haha. Except the make-up and facebook thing. That was real. Lara said that it's what I inherited from my mom. Haha!

Til our next cooking adventure!

Music Videos

2011-05-21T17:57:00.001+08:00

I love soundtrack songs because I associate them with the great parts (err...romantic parts) in the movie. Here's two of my current faves:

Breathe In, Breathe Out by Mat Kearney for the movie Beastly

Little Too Much by Natasha Bedingfield for the movie Something Borrowed

I want: iTouch and Cambridge Satchel

2011-05-19T14:24:00.001+08:00

I really hope that I get to work some more at this company I'm working in because I'm wanting pricey things. And obviously, I could only afford them if I get to keep my job. And I want them now!

iPod Touch 4th generation

I did not use to be a gadget fan. But after being familiar with the 4th gen of iTouch (and my siblings owning touch phones), I'm finding myself to want this one! I need this for the music, movies and the games. They are a total buster for boring days. And it comes with a front and back cam too!

Cambridge Satchels

I've been a fan of briefcase bags so this one is a given. But it's really the colors that got me. I love green and mustard yellow (the brown is a must-have). And it's cheap for an it bag. It would cost you only PHP8000 at the most (though it's cheaper abroad). This is much better than a Longchamp bag in my opinion!

Charlie's Grind and Grills

2011-05-16T13:35:00.002+08:00

Last week, we decided to try Charlie's Grind and Grills for lunch. Charlie's is a famous burger joint that is located in Pasay, somewhere near the village of one of my officemates, and bordering Ortigas (if I'm mistaken, please correct me as I have no clue about places in the metro even if I was born and raised in Metro Manila). This is a pretty big thing since we work at Makati, which means that it would take almost an hour to get to that place and an hour is only what is given to us for lunch.

But everyone was game. Sixteen people and three cars later, we arrived at Charlie's. The first thing I noticed about the place was that it was packed. It was located inside a village too but it was packed as if people really go there just to eat their food. The next thing was that it was next to a car wash. Unappetizing, but then who cares?

Three orders of their best selling Angus Burger (PHP220)

We decided to try their best seller which was the Angus Burger. We also tried their iced tea (PHP60). The serving is fast based on the volume of customers they were handling. It only took about 10 minutes for our orders to arrive (though the iced tea required 5 more minutes to be served, I don't know why).

The burger was BIG. It was really really huge for me. I almost couldn't finish it (probably because I ate the fries first). I did not use a knife and a fork anymore. I use flattened the burger and ate it with my hands. And it was yummy. And worth the long drive (since we did not take the EDSA way getting there). And the PHP220 too. I also love the fries! It's not too salty and not too sweet. Perfect. The iced tea has a taste of honey. It's kind of pricey but then it's a large kind. And it's something that you would partner with the burger (though I was not able to finish my drink because I was really really full).

I'm looking forward to going back but I hope that they put up another restaurant in Makati. The place is really secluded and I'm not familiar with the place.

Something Borrowed: Unexpected twist in chick flick

2011-05-15T11:44:00.002+08:00

After eating at Cafe Mediterranean yesterday, my sister and I watched one of the most anticipated movies this year for me, Something Borrowed (starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, Colin Egglesfield and John Krasinki). Note: Don't read any further if you are planning to watch this movie!

You have been warned!

Even though the ending was unexpected, I love the movie. I'm a sucker for romantic comedies (romcom as what my brother calls it). And though this was not the best one, it was a nice movie to watch once. And a great date movie (although I was with my sister).

Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) has been in love with Dex (Colin Egglesfield) since she met him. But being shy and all, she let true love pass by letting her bestfriend, Darcy (Kate Hudson), have him. And now that they are getting married and she's 30. At the same time, Rachel reveals her feelings for Dex, which Dex never knew but he reciprocated ever since. So there comes a love triangle. Unfortunately, Dex's father wants for him to marry Darcy so Dex is torn. In relation to that, Ethan (John Kransinski), who has been friends with Rachel and Darcy ever since they were little, has been in love with Rachel ever since they were kids.

Darcy eventually cheats also on Dex with his friend, Marcus (who was set up originally with Rachel). And she's pregnant. But soon, she finds out that Dex and Rachel are in a relationship and she gets angry. After two months, Rachel and Darcy see each other again with Rachel picking up some dry cleaning stuff for a guy. Darcy is still angry saying that she bought the shirt for him (not sure who the guy still is, of course) though she says that she's really happy where she is now (showing her real-life bump).

It is then shown that Rachel ends up with Dex where they finally get their happy ending.

I really thought that it was going to be Rachel and Ethan. It's always like that in the chick flicks and chick lits, the one who loves you the most romcoms, right? I find Ethan cuter with his personality (he reminds me of Zachary Levi as Chuck). But Dex is perfect for Rachel because they have the chemistry.

I also kind of figured out that it was not going to be Ethan because of the lack of romance between them. And John Kransinski's face time was less compared to the three main characters.

During the credits, it is shown that Darcy sees Ethan at London, where he is now based. And after the scene, the words To be continued appeared. I know that there is a sequel to be book about Darcy, so maybe, it's Kate Hudson's movie that they would be filming next?

Foodie week: Cafe Mediterranean

2011-05-14T22:15:00.051+08:00

One of my favorite food is kebab. I love the meat, how they are served without bones. And of course their flavor. When we went to Boracay last year, I tried out this little restaurant that serves kebab. Last week, when I ate at GT Tower, I tried Kebabers, which was a stall that also includes two kinds of sauce with the kebabs.

So when I went out with my sister today, it was also set for us to eat at Cafe Mediterranean. I've never heard of this store (partly because I'm very ignorant). But my sister has been here twice so she suggested that we eat here. But before really going to the restaurant, we already had an idea of what we would be eating today.

Sampler plate of three: (from top) Kofta, Hummus, Baba Ghanoush, served with pita bread (PHP220)

We wanted to try a lot from the appetizers (aka Little Plates). Hummus and Baba Ghanoush was a given to try because they were very familiar but we haven't tasted them yet (Baba Ghanoush from the movie Wedding Crashes). My fave from the three is the Kofta. It's really really delicious. The Hummus and Baba Ghanoush almost taste the same. These two are best served with the pita bread.

My sister's dish: Pollo al Rosmarino with Buttered Rice (PHP235)

The chicken (breast part) for this dish was really big. My sister eats a lot but this was more than enough for her. The chicken is covered with rosemary. For me, it tastes like curry (which is also one of my favorite dishes) though it's not spicy. I was not able to try the buttered rice but my sister said it was good.

Mine: Grilled Chicken Kebabs with Basmati Rice (PHP225)

And for me, kebabs of course. And chicken too, since I love chicken. The sauce was like curry too though it was not spicy. Almost like the taste of my sister's chicken actually. But mine is more full of flavor. Combine that with chicken meat, and you've got a great meal right here. The serving was big! Unfortunately I was not able to finish the whole meal.

The bill for the two of us, was more than a thousand bucks. But no regrets. I'm looking forward to trying their other food.

Foodie week: Conti's

2011-05-14T21:34:00.004+08:00

I know that this week was going to be another expensive week for me (as it is the sale week). I did not expect that most of my money would go to eating good food. I ate at four restaurants this week. That's a huge deal for me since I always bring food for lunch.

On May 7, we celebrated mother's day at Conti's in Greenbelt 2. On May 11, we had a lunch out at Tokyo Tokyo at their branch in People's Support. On May 12, I ate at Conti's this time with my officemates. On May 13, we first ate at Pancake House (at Greenbelt 1) then proceeded to Conti's (again!) just to eat their Mango Bravo. And earlier today, my sister and I ate at Cafe Mediterranean at Greenbelt 1.

For this post, I'd be talking about Conti's. The next post would be about Cafe Mediterrenean. And I'll also post about Charlie's Grind and Grills at Pasig.

from flickr.com

I am loving Conti's now. I never tried anything on their menu except for their famous Mango Bravo until last week. On my first visit, I tried their best selling Baked Salmon, which was served with paella rice (P350). I found the serving small for P350 (though I was not able to finish everything). My money was still worth it. Definitely worth it. The salmon was yummy. I don't know how to rate salmons but for me, it was so yummy. The paella rice was only two scoops of rice but it was enough for a skinny girl like me to finish it. And it was pretty heavy too.

image from Opinionated Banana

On my second time at Conti's I tried Seafood Au Gratin (I couldn't pronounce it so I just pointed it to the waiter). This was one of the best foods that I have ever tried. I love seafood. I love cheese. Put them together, and place it on top of rice is what this food is all about. Serve it to me and I am happy! My favorite was the cheese because it was thick and um...very cheesy. I love the flavor. The serving is enough for me but one guy friend told me it was not enough for him (though by just looking at it). The meal was served with apple potato salad, it's basically potato salad in pink!

image from levelupgames.ph

The third time was the best time I had. It was a chill moment with my officemates and we were eating Mango Bravo! Yum, yum, yum. I love Mango Bravo. If you don't know what it is, it's a cake that includes mango, whip cream, nuts and chocolate. And it's one of the best cakes in the world. The mango that they use for the cake is so sweet. And balance it with the not so sweet whip cream to make it less sweet.

What I don't like about Conti's is the interior. It feels soooo old! The green is not so enticing. And partner it with a brown, it feels homey though it wouldn't make you think of eating or comfort.

But then you wouldn't think of that when you've tasted their food. Yum, yum, yum!

Thor: A surprisingly awesome movie

2011-05-08T00:58:00.001+08:00

I had doubts watching this movie. I did not know who Thor was, the first few trailers sounded really average, and Chris Hemsworth was not good-looking at first glance (at least as Thor). I did not originally inted to watch this movie this 2011. But word of mouth is that the movie was amazing. And new trailers promised it to be funny. This was enough to get my attention to watch it along with my family as a pre-mother's day special.

And I was quite surprised to actually loving the movie and everything about Chris Hemsworth. I mean, he's not my type at all but he's just so hot. There's this scene where you would really get to see him half naked and you would know what I am talking about. He's sexy with a v-top. That kind of guy.

Going back to the movie though, it was pretty awesome. The story is very light, as in like Iron Man (the first movie) light. Nothing too complicated. But it's very clear and perfect. I love the transition of the stories. And I love the comedy of this movie. It was not slapstick like a lot of American movies. It was well-thought of. Very witty, which is perfect for the light story of the movie.

The cast was pretty awesome too. As I said, Chris Hemsworth proved to be a great protagonist by being charming and hot (proven in the film). And he's a good actor. It did not feel like he was being fake. I love the fact that he can be funny in ways that you could not even imagine. I thought that Natalie Portman would be overrated but she looked really adorable, especially having a girlish crush on Thor. Kat Dennings was the funny girl and she also looked like a real girl. She was natural in real role and it suited her. And the guy who played Loki, looked every bit of a villain. At first, I thought that he was the good guy but then he was scheming. The story keeps you wondering which side he was on (in the end, he is only doing things for his own good).

The only thing that I did not like was the love story. I mean it wasn't a bad ending but it kept me hanging. Unfortunately, Thor cut the bridge that leads his world to Earth. And unfortunately, that means that he can't go back to his girl. Damn it! So I'm really wishing that there would be a sequel, where Natalie would reprise her role as Jane Foster, and they would finally get together. No long distance relationships please.

Movies to watch out for this 2011!

2011-05-07T13:00:00.001+08:00

1. Thor (Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman)

2. Prom (Aimee Teegarden, Nicholas Braun)

3. Something Borrowed (Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson)

4. X-Men: First Class (James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender)

5. Kung Fu Panda 2 (Jack Black)

6. One Day (Jim Sturgess, Anne Hathaway): Reminds me of Love and Other Drugs

7. Captain America: First Avenger (Chris Evans)

8. Winnie the Pooh

9. Crazy, Stupid, Love. (Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone)

10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint)

Thai Movie: Crazy Little Thing Called Love

2011-05-06T20:50:00.002+08:00

Crazy Little Thing Called Love is a Thai Movie that I happened to just stumble upon in Facebook. And I thank the social networking site for introducing me to this movie. As in super duper thanks because I fell in love with the movie (including Mario Maurer, the lead).

Nam, the dark-skinned clumsy girl, and Shone, the resident hottie

The story is about first love. Nam (the girl) is your typical protagonist. Clumsy but with a lot of potential kind of girl, who falls for the guy that every girl in school likes, Shone. Shone is the ideal kind of boyfriend (for me, at least). He's nice, funny, athletic, sensitive and cute. Shone is part-footballer, part-photographer.

The movie is such a cliche and Nam portrays the average girl who is in love. And she does a lot of things to make Shone notice her. Including using methods from a book that would make a guy fall for you.

Nam has been crushing on him ever since but they never got to really know each other until Nam catches the eye of Shone's best friend, Top. Take note that the first part of this movie goes for three years, and it was only until the last year that Nam got close to Shone.

Top is also one of the cutest guys in school and falls hard for Nam. When Nam finds out that Shone and Top could not fall in love with the same girl, she tells Top to leave her alone. Top then told Shone not to hit on Nam as he couldn't bear the thought of his bestfriend and his crush being together and Shone kept his promise.

So for a year, Shone's and Nam's friendship were disconnected. By the end of the year, Nam finally got to reveal her feelings, unfortunately Shone is already with someone else.

BUT HERE'S THE GOOD PART:
When Shone went home, he was very very happy. Apparently, he also is in love with Nam ever since! He keeps a notebook that shows how he likes Nam. Included are pieces of pictures that he took without her knowing. And it includes a lot of memories that involves him observing her.

I only realized that he reciprocated the feelings of Nam when the story shifted from his point of view.

Unfortunately, they did not get together since he promised his bestfriend that he would never betray him.

Though after 9 years, they finally get together!!! I don't want to go into the particulars. It's best if you just watch the movie. It's like a shortened drama. The quality is not good because the story keeps me hanging but I love the concept.

My favorite part was definitely the time when Shone was reminiscing back the times he spent with Nam. Especially the part when he gave the rose to her on Valentine's day. When he gave the white rose, he said to Nam that it was from a friend (I thought it was from Top). But secretly, it was from him and he even planted it and cared for it. You can see his regret when he told her it was from a friend. And his disappointment when he witnessed the scene when Top asked Nam to be his girlfriend.

Another reminisced scene was when she played Snow White. Just when she thought that Shone was not watching, when in fact he did though secretly. And he even gave her a souvenir of him eating an apple (I thought that this was from Top again).

Watch the trailer here:

Forever 21 cover ups

2011-04-30T23:53:00.001+08:00

Jackets, cardigans, trench coats...I love them all. I think that a great jacket completes the look, even on a hot day! And Forever 21 has a range of lovely jackets that are available online. I'm not sure if they are available in the Philippines. I wouldn't count on it especially with the volume of people who are going to the only two branches of Forever 21 in the Philippines!

Here are my faves from their online store though:

Your Forever 21 Summer

2011-04-26T21:07:00.006+08:00

Breaking my rule: Shopped at SM Makati's Forever 21 branch

2011-04-24T19:29:00.001+08:00

Since I was with my sisters yesterday, it wasn't a question whether we would be visiting Forever 21. It was a fact. We were definitely going to visit it. A few times I've passed the store which opened in April 8 and I've said to myself that I was not going to shop there until I have paid all my debts! But no, no matter how hard I strain myself, shopping will always find a way to get to me.

So okay, we shopped.

I was pretty disappointed with the Makati branch though. It was small with high ceilings. I wished they made mezzanines so that the space wouldn't be of waste. For a Forever 21 branch, it was really lacking in a lot of things. And there were only a few stocks there. But even with a few, I still bought a lot!

Then we also dropped by The Ramp. I'm finding less and less things to buy at this store that I thought was nice. A lot of things looked really cheap in quality yet they were priced expensively. Fortunately, I did get to find a pair of skort that I could wear to the office during Saturdays.

This came from Eight.One. It's such a lovely lovely skort!

What if you were Limitless?

2011-04-23T21:15:00.002+08:00

After almost a month of being shown at the theaters, we (my sisters and I) were finally able to watch Limitless starring Bradley Cooper. Ever since I've heard about this movie, I have been eager to seeing it. I don't find Bradley Cooper cute, so it must mean that the plot really captured my attention. It did, and I'm happy that the movie was even better than the trailer!

I don't really want to get into the details of the movie. If you're interested in that, click here and it will direct you to wikipedia, which has a pretty good summary of the movie.

My opinions would only be relevant to those who watched the movie or read the plot. I'd recommend that you watch the movie first! It's worth your money and your time.

I really had high hopes for this movie based on the trailer itself. I find the plot of having a powerful drug to make you limitless interesting. But the movie really went beyond the drug and dealing drugs. For example, they also went into the protagonist's (Eddie Morra) career and how it was connected with the drug. And they did not just stop in the middle of it all. They even included the positive effects of the drug after all the bad things that happened to Eddie.

I kind of want that drug. You can almost compare it to the Intersection in Chuck, only this one, Eddie gets to enhance his abilities with the help of his subconscious, not by encrypting a bunch of government secrets in your super power mind.

This movie also showed how relevant the antagonist (the guy in the tan coat) was. It was very well-thought of (kudos to the person who thought of it!). I thought that he was the one who was addicted to the pill but apparently it was his boss, who was also the guy who was supposed to have a merger with Robert De Niro's character.

Robert De Niro turned out to be an antagonist in the end too. I thought that he was supposed to be the bad guy throughout the movie as hinted from the trailer. But Eddie's main enemies were the guy in the tan coat and the guy who loaned him $100k.

The cinematography was very modern too, which is a thing that I really loved. Especially the star billing part. I was trying to concentrate if the videos they zoomed were right as they connected the dots but the editors were too good. I lost track of it. Haha...

The ending was great. I thought that Eddie was out of the drug but he is not and he seemed to have learned his lesson, though still on the drug. If there was such a drug, I want to own it and be addicted to it. And of course, I would never share it. I'm kind of possessive. And I want to be on top. Just like Eddie who likes to move forward. The drug would be a real help.

Best commercial ever!

2011-04-17T21:03:00.001+08:00

I always cry when I watch this video. I'm not kidding. It's better than dramas!

Beauty Haul!

2011-04-10T21:15:00.005+08:00

After months of saving, I'm happy to have a beauty haul again! I went out today since it's The Body Shop's last day of the buy one, get one sale. Also decided to pass Etude House. Here's what I bought:

Bought this pink blush on because of the color. I love the puff but I probably won't use it. I don't think that it will be able to give my cheeks some highlight on the right places.

My second bottle of Etude House's Primer. I never thought that I'd get addicted to this one as my face is so dry in the morning.

And I got an Etude House freebie for spending too much :p

*Sorry for the ugly pics. I'm so busy right now to edit the pics. The tag is a bit ugly too, I'm changing it into a cuter one.

Office attire at Forever21

2011-04-10T10:45:00.001+08:00

Being chic in office is so hard for starters because college is so laid-back. And with a tight budget, it's hard to even impress. Thank God for Forever21! Here are some of my picks to looking amazing on a budget.

Fab Simple Woven Skirt in Khaki ($12.50)

Mock Two Piece Dress ($14.50)

Cotton Button-up Shirt ($15.80)

Flying Butterflies Top ($15.80)

Soft Multi Knit Cardigan ($15.80)

Suedette Panel Moto Leggings ($15.80)

Woven 3/4s Sleeve Shirt ($15.80)

Cowl Neck Jersey Dress ($17.80)

Acrylic Blended Cardigan ($19.80)

Love 21 Geometric Woven Button Up Shirt ($19.80)

Love 21 Life in Progress Textured Button-up ($19.80)

Office Woven Top ($19.80)

Poet Chiffon Blouse ($19.80)

Belted Twill Pants in Camel ($22.80)

Embellished Sweater Cardigan ($22.80)

Extended Hem Dot Top ($22.80)

Slub Knit Striped Cardigan ($22.90)

Chic Patent Bag ($23.80)

Career Day Trousers ($24.80)

Life in Progress Denim Blazer ($24.80)

Silk Panel Knit Jacket ($24.80)

Double Breasted Cardigan ($28.00)

Tailored Velvet Blazer ($28.90)

Knit Lapel Blazer ($29.00)

Faux fur waistcoat ($29.80)

Love 21 Brushed Satin Dress with Leatherette Belt ($29.80)

Shoe shopping at a Department store

2011-03-26T11:15:00.002+08:00

If you're on top, it's hard to go down. That saying, I realized, applies to your standards too. And what I'm talking about right now is shoes.

When I was young, it was easy for me to buy shoes at department stores (I remember having a pair from Shubizz and Marie Nichols) but nowadays, I find myself only shopping at certain select stores (Aldo, CMG, Janylin to name a few). In this hard times (yes, I am also a bit hard on cash these days even when I'm working), I again opened up in buying shoes at the department store (Landmark at SM yesterday). And compared to when I was young, I was so stressed in finding the right shoe.

Why was I shoe shopping anyways?

I am going to attend a debut later and I still lack the perfect shoes for my almost perfect dress. And if you must know me, I hate buying formal shoes. I hate strappy formal shoes that show a lot of feet skin. I have a really big pair of feet so as much as possible, I try to buy covered up shoes.

And buying in the department stores did not help. I only found cheap, ugly shoes that could only be worn by old people with nice feet. So poor me, I resorted to Janylin.

Actually, don't feel sorry because I did find a great pair for my dress and it was within my budget of PHP1500. It was actually at PHP1495! I went to Janylin the other week and I swear I did not see this pair:

Its heels are at 4"! It's a bit high for my long gown but it's the pair that really blew me away.

And my sister saw these pair of corporate shoes that are to die for:

I love thick heels for corporate attire because that is where they work best. But I don't find the heels too sexy unlike my other corporate shoes. It's good enough and I bought it at PHP1695. It's a bit pricey yes but for me, it's worth more than PHP1695 (as what my eco prof would say, you buy a thing because it's worth more for you).

But I still prefer the Calvin Klein shoes in this post!

So back to department stores, lesson learned?
It's still good to shop at department stores because it gives you options. And it's only that time where the good ones will really stand out.

And my dress is here...

2011-03-26T09:48:00.001+08:00

my dress vs Marc Jacobs

My dress turned out better than I expected. I had my dress made at this old lady and I did not expect that she would able to create such a nice dress! She modified it a bit (by making it an empire cut look) which I love more since I don't have the body like Snejana's anyways. The layering is not even close but I love how it turned out anyways.

I just wished that I bought the glittery chiffon fabric so that it would not look super plain. My mom and sister noted that the satin inside is a bit creased. I'm not sure how it will turn out in the picture as its visible (there is only one layer of chiffon on the bust part). But other than that, I am in love with my dress! Cannot wait to wear it later.

How much is the dress?
Fabric: PHP1000 + (PHP45/yard for the chiffon and PHP55/yard for the satin inside)
From Tutuban Center. We bought 10 yards of chiffon fabric, when only a few were used! Sayang ang fabric.
Labor: PHP1300
Sheerings from Carolina's: PHP200
TOTAL: about PHP2500 only

Rob Place Ermita: still my favorite place to shop

2011-03-20T12:10:00.002+08:00

Ever since I was young, I have been shopping at Robinson's Place Ermita. I don't know why we go there often when we don't even live anywhere near the mall (probably because of the crowd). Even if we are now living farther from Rob Place, I still go there to shop. Less often though. I went there yesterday and I cannot help but fall in love with Rob again!

Ever since the introduction of Midtown, it has regained its status as a mall that caters to the upper middle class. And with the addition of new stores like Call It Spring, Apple & Eve and Promod, it has won me over and over as I visited each new store I saw yesterday.

And since most of the stores were on sale, I did not go home empty-handed.

From Call It Spring, I bought leggings. It's truly like Aldo (especially more that it was Bench that brought them here). I heard it from Chuvaness but I never really thought of shopping in there until I saw it finally. And there were a lot of nice shoes there (I was looking for shoes for my cousin's debut)! But the shoes were very casual. And they were expensive, though I was really giving it much thought.

And then I saw these leggings which I have been wanting since last year! Bought them.

Now I can fulfill looking like Dakota Fanning!

I also bought two tops from Espada, which has been in Rob for quite some time. I love this store because they sell quality corporate attire. But quality comes with a hefty price. I bought at this store because they were on sale!

And I also bought this black top. My friend bought another one for her self. And we bought another one for my friend who celebrated her birthday yesterday.

Looking forward to my next visit to Rob Place!

Who's your music fashion icon?

2011-03-13T13:02:00.001+08:00

There's Lady Gaga, a chameleon in her own right, whose fashion can only be described in two words: ever changing;

Katy Perry, who has that '50s sexy pin-up girl vibe;

Ke$ha who loves the glow in the dark look if she's not rocking that trashy look;

Taylor Swift, conquering the girl next door look;

And Rihanna, MY FAVORITE, whose focus is placed on her hair and dresses from that point.

I just love Rihanna! She's the girly yet edgy and fashionable at the same time. Not boring or safe. Not wild or eccentric. I love her, her music and her fashion sense.

WOW Forever 21 dresses

2011-03-06T11:04:00.000+08:00

I WANT BOTH COLORS!

Zippered mini dress priced at $24.80 (about PHP1125 only!) at Forever21.

My fight against dry skin

2011-03-05T19:36:00.001+08:00

Dry skin is a big problem on my part. It's been my default skin nowadays because of my skin asthma. And compared to having oily skin (which is my skin type during summer), it's worse! Dry skin shows up on your arms and legs, not just on your face. And for a simple person like me (simple meaning hates putting things on my body), dry skin is a hassle. A really really big hassle. Combine that with skin asthma, I got the worst skin possible.

That's why I went to the Allergologist today, my doctor since I was in sixth grade. And the doctor which I haven't seen for almost two years!

Her instructions were very simple, besides drinking a few pills, use moisturizer. Haha. Here is what she recommended:

Cetaphil antibacterial soap (PHP390.50) and Cetaphil Lotion/Cream (PHP699.75)

I hope that I get my baby skin back in one week.

Prom dress

2011-02-27T08:58:00.001+08:00

I hated prom. I was fat, pony-tailed girl who was boob-less and wearing a gown that is too ugly for my taste. I thought that the gown was nice but then I realized that I was too stuffy. It really looked like I was a kid during prom.

I hated the dress. I really hated the dress. I really really hated the dress.

Good thing that I would get to redo my prom dress all over. My cousin is having her debut in less than a month. I have already picked my dress and this is definitely going to be it.

Marc Jacobs SS 2006

I first saw the dress on Elle Girl (Gwen Stefani's first cover) and I immediately fell in love with this dress. It should have been my prom dress!

I hope that mom would talk me about this one and make this dress instead of the Dianna Agron dress that I told her before.

The Marc Jacobs one is much prettier!

Blake Griffin wins 2011 dunk contest

2011-02-20T15:28:00.002+08:00

I only recently became familiar of Blake Griffin and now I'm a big fan of his! He's so young yet he seems to already accomplish a lot of things as a basketball player. Today, he adds another milestone winning the 2011 dunk contest by leaping over the hood of a car.

Though I still think it's not as good as Dwight Howard's Superman almost-dunk

P.S.
I also loved Serge Ibaka's skit with his dunk but he was unable to dunk it on the first time so the momentum was gone.

Only Girl (in the World) by Rihanna

2011-02-19T09:36:00.003+08:00

I love the song.

I love the style.

I love Rihanna and her red hair.

Things that I badly need

2011-02-13T12:22:00.001+08:00

I've been buying things of the late that I don't really need just to realize how a big waste they are. I need to organize. Here's a list of things that I need to prioritize!

1. A nice set of underwear
Seriously, I don't have enough nice underwear and I know that confidence starts within (haha).
WHERE TO BUY: Triumph and Soggi at SM Department Store, Bench

2. White Musk gift set from The Body Shop
It's for me though. I need moisturizer because of my super dry skin (from eczema). It includes moisturizer, body shower, moisturizer, spritz and loofah.

3. A new pair of eyeglasses
My eyeglasses is attractive for the wrong reasons. I got to buy something that would make me look less like a nene, as what my sister have been telling me. Something more professional and pretty. The problem is I don't know what I like. I always pick something out of my budget. This is a sign to start wearing contact lens!!!
WHERE TO BUY: SM Ideal

4. Crest whitestrips
I really really need this so I can start wearing lipstick without having to care if it makes my teeth yellow.
WHERE TO BUY: Ebay

5. Simple three-fourth polo shirts
It's a go to top that every woman should have. I want to buy every color but white is the one that I prioritize the most.
WHERE TO BUY: Top Picks

6. Corporate skirts
I won't be wearing shirt and jeans when I'm working forever. I might as well start wearing more decent business clothes. Thus, I need to buy them too.
WHERE TO BUY: Tiangge, Top Picks

7. A decent black corporate shoes
I would emphasize decent because I want to note that this corporate shoes would just be for business. I like a thick heeled corporate shoes so it would still be fashionable.
WHERE TO BUY: Department stores (there's really some fashionable stuff in the department store I swear!)

8. Eyeshadow
I don't even need to explain this.
WHERE TO BUY: L'oreal

9. Denim shorts
I never owned one. I need to own one!
WHERE TO BUY: Pink Manila, Forever 21

I'll never fall in love again

2011-02-11T20:19:00.003+08:00

And here's a current theme song of mine, in times like these.

I'll Never Fall in Love Again by Elvis Costello

I prefer Mary Chapin Carpenter's version. It's more emo and on a girl's point of view. Walang version sa YouTube e.

UPDATE (02/12/11 9:08 AM): Found a copy of Mary Chapin Carpenter's version from 4shared

Love the way you lie Part 2 by Rihanna

2011-02-11T20:10:00.005+08:00

And for some reason I associate this song (Love the Way You Lie Part 2 by Rihanna featuring Eminem) with myself rightnow. Hahahaha...weird

Cutest Azkal

2011-02-10T20:46:00.001+08:00

Since the Philippines is currently joining the football craze, I'm joining the bandwagon. How can you not, even if you hate sports?? The national team is practically swarming with cute half-bloods.

So who's the cutest Azkal? (Clue: No Younghusbands here!)

Anton del Rosario for me! He's so cute even with the sweat dripping (tee hee).

Neil Etheridge for my sister who likes fit men. I think he looks like Shia La Beouf in some angles.

A week in review

2011-02-05T19:50:00.001+08:00

I'm not yet busy with work but I have been going home late. Especially last week when most of my officemates don't want to go home just yet. I finally understood how hard it was to budget as I spent my whole bi-monthly salary in one week! Here's where all my money went:

MONDAY: Watched Love and Other Drugs

Watched at Greenbelt and bought food from Mcdo. Worth spending P80 (less P100 from Citibank) as I really really loved the movie! I'd even spend P200 to watch this.

TUESDAY: Ate at Bed Space (free drinks from Cosmo mag) and I bought Mudshake at the Landmark Supermarket because I was craving for one.

WEDNESDAY: Sushi for pre-dinner

Only bought at SM so this was not so pricey.

THURSDAY: Buffalo Wings n Things. It was so expensive with service charge. I like the food but I prefer buying at Flaming Wings!

FRIDAY: Dinner (or double date...haha) at Sizzling Plate, SM Foodcourt.

SATURDAY (Today): Forever21 shopping. It's safe to say, it's where the bulk salary went. But I'm happy with my purchase since they were cheap but definitely cute!

I definitely don't want to finish my temp term in this company without any savings. I must limit myself to a thousand bucks a week, that includes my ride home which is P500 per week hahahaha.

P100/day budget. Challenge accepted!

If you've ever been in love...

2011-01-30T09:40:00.002+08:00

Rafa may be out of AU Open but...

2011-01-29T10:21:00.001+08:00

...he's got a new Armani ad. You won't get rid of him that easily. Hihihihihihi...

Tangled!

2011-01-27T21:38:00.001+08:00

I watched my first movie for 2011 last Monday. It was Tangled starring Zachary Levi (aka Chuck) and Mandy Moore. I love the movie but probably not as much as the other Disney Princess movies that I watched when I was a kid. Tangled is a movie that young kids would definitely enjoy but now that I am 20, I am leaning towards animated series that are like Shrek or Enchanted.

Tangled is not available in local cinemas anymore. It will again be available next week February 2. We watched the Sneak Preview (which was last Monday and Tuesday) in 3D. It was more expensive than the usual movie price but I find that it's still worth watching. Besides, Zachary and Mandy sang nice songs!

Shopping Sunday

2011-01-19T19:29:00.001+08:00

A long overdue post as I bought these stuff last Sunday, January 16, 2011. But they must be posted as I am clearly proud of what I bought.

Background story first. I got a job already, thus, I need to take my family out to dinner. And I brought them in KKK in SM Mall of Asia (in front of the Bowling alley) since my brother said that it tasted yummy there. I loved the food but I would not be talking about that in this post.

After KKK, my older sister then treated us with bowling! I don't like family stuff but I admit that bowling with my family is great. I am such a competitive person and I find that I am happiest when I compete.

And then we did some shopping after (the part that was most fun because all the stores were on sale).

I did not buy at Topshop even if I wanted too. Instead, I bought at Warehouse, which is like Topshop. I love their clothes but it's very expensive. Good thing their products were on sale and the sale stuff were amazing. It's still a bit pricey but more on my range.

And I bought a white lacey top that I can use for work and for semi-formal events. I just really really love it! It only was on a 30% sale, but still on sale. That's the important thing.

And then I just bought things for my hair which I really need because of how dry my hair has been.

1. Pantene Pro-V Total Care

2. Vitress Hair Solutions

I did not read any reviews before buying these products but I am familiar with their functions. Vitress is popular that people at work use it as a common noun when it's a proper noun. It's just like saying Colgate when you are referring to toothpaste.

New stuff for 2011

2011-01-16T15:16:00.004+08:00

My first shopping spree for 2011 happened yesterday at Robinson's Place where every store was on sale! It was an unplanned event since I thought that I'd only go to school, see my friends and eat lunch with them. But when my twin sister suggested that we go to Rob Place to meet with my other sister, I guess it was a sign of what would happen next: shopping.

We entered a lot of stores but it was only in Accessorize and Aldo where I got to buy stuff. I am now more picky when it comes to clothes because I have to think if the clothes that I am buying would be appropriate for work. And in Topshop, Mango and Dorothy Perkins, the clothes on sale were mostly party dresses. Others would be clothes that I would not wear in the near future.

I bought a wallet from Accessorize which already broke when I was about to put stuff on it. Though I am not so angry about it as I only bought it for half the price. I'm just going to ask my dad to fix it.

NO REGRETS. broken but then it's a cheap find

And I bought a briefcase bag from Aldo. It's in a military green color. I really wanted the brown one but it was only in this color that was on sale. And I already have a lot of tan colored bags. No need to add one more.

I've been wanting a briefcase bag for so long (because of the Mulberry Alexa bag of course) so I'm really really happy with this purchase.

The only thing that worries me is that it is too small for work.

I guess I need to make it work since I bring a lot of things. I never thought that I bring a lot of things. I find that each of the things I bring essential. And this is even the compact part of my bag. I'd still be adding my baon and a water jug so the picture above is incomplete.

I love that there is a zipper so that it would look compact.

I also got an Aldo catalog with Jessica Stam and a cute guy in the cover. I don't like the pictures though. It's really all over the place. As if it does not have a theme. I find Jessica's feet not the kind that would model shoes.

Mahal Kita Kasi

2011-01-13T20:08:00.000+08:00

I heard this song early in the morning and thought of this video:

Gosh! I really love it as it is a pretty ingenious idea yet so catchy. If you know how to speak Filipino, you would realize that the lyrics are just purely based on pick up lines. I just don't like the part where the singer inserts Piolo (ugh).

2011 List: Wear earrings everyday

2011-01-09T09:30:00.001+08:00

I bought these earrings yesterday from Accessorize, a store that I really really love because they sell the cutest things. It's Buy 2 take 1 so I got one for free!

Ignorance is Boring

2011-01-02T13:06:00.002+08:00

My first post for 2011 will include one of the things that I would like to banish from my life: Ignorance. I like to keep that promise by making a statement, like these National Geographic Channel x Regatta shirts. I just saw this ad and I want one too!

This is part of the Live Curious Campaign, which I know nothing about. But I am going to buy one if not all since I love the statement very much. I gotta visit Regatta soon, I've been hearing netizens complaining of stocks running out with these shirts!

*Shirts are priced at PHP495.00

2011 List

2010-12-31T23:29:00.015+08:00

Now that 2010 is ending, here are the things that I
want to
must happen in 2011:

Watch a movie every month or at least 12 movies for the year.

Tangled (January), Love and other Drugs (January), Limitless (April), Beastly (May), Thor (May), Something Borrowed (May), Kung Fu Panda 2 (May), X-men: First Class (June)

Become a regular at a job
Create a 3-month emergency account
Invest in stocks
4a. Download files at citiseconline
4b. Apply at citiseconline
4c. Improve wealth by PHP50,000 by the end of the year
Visit Singapore and Malaysia
Take up driving lessons
6a. Learn how to drive
6b. Acquire a driver's license
Wear contact lens!
Read one book per month or 12 books in a year
Donate blood
Own 6 new pairs of shoes (3 2 1 corporate shoes, 1 Converse, 1 flats, ~~1 gimmick shoes~~)
Own a shiny jacket

Thankful list for 2010

2010-12-30T14:38:00.005+08:00

This has by far the best year of my life and there is a lot of things to be thankful for. I made a list to sum up my awesome year.

My first job :)
Graduation
Boracay & Hong Kong trips
Make-up
My discovery of BB cream (I forgot how I stumbled upon this thing but I love it)
Forever 21 in the Philippines
My growing wardrobe and my increasing knowledge of fashion
And my growing shoe collection (I have more than 15 shoes that I actively wear. When I started the year, it was more of like 5)
My goal list (It really helped me attract what I needed and wanted)
Green Archers placing 4th this year and winning one game against Ateneo.
Twitter and Facebook
Alexa Chung fashion
Rafael Nadal dominating the year
My family and friends
And most of all my blog who helped me get thru the boring days when I was unemployed. And actually paying attention to keep it alive!

P.S.
2011 will be a better year for me :) I'll make sure of it!

Shopping journey to Forever 21

2010-12-30T08:59:00.002+08:00

I did some shopping yesterday at Forever 21. Before getting into the details of what I bought, let me tell you what a journey getting to Forever 21 has been for me.

The only Forever 21 in the Philippines is located at SM Megamall, which is a traffic away from where I live. I hate commuting but since my dad is going to use the driver, it's my only choice. He actually told me that I could do it today but I could not sleep skipping F21 (after a lot of delayed outings already). I also have the option to take a taxi but I'm too shy to really take one. So of the MRT for me.

Before going to the MRT though, I took a jeep. I used to be lost when it comes to going down at jeeps. But since I've done this a few times already, I know the way. I then bought a ticket to the Ortigas station (as I have read online). When I got down from the Ortigas station, the directions online said to walk and the walk would not be less than ten minutes.

I saw a big mall (which was really SM North Edsa) and I thought how far it was. Thank god I was following some school kids in front of me on a gimmick and found out that it was the mall next to the station! Haha...I even contemplated on taking the taxi to get to Megamall. How stupid would have I looked.

It was such a big deal for me since I did not go with anyone. I also did not ask anyone for directions instead I relied with the online information. Success!

Anyhoo, what I bought from Forever 21 yesterday:

I actually bought two pieces of #1 because I'm a sucker for basics. I have the same one from Mango but I need more than one. So now I have three.

My favorite piece is #6. It's the priciest as it's from Love 21. It's size is small but it's oversized for me so I must only use skinny jeans with it. But I love it because it's corporate-y and very formal.

I bought three cardigans too (from the five that I tried on) because I love jackets. I realize that cardigans are best for Philippine weather which is hot and humid in the morning but super cool at night. Cardis in Forever 21 are way cheaper compared to Zara, TopShop, Mango and some local stores.

Cardis in Forever 21 are hard to find because they are not in just one specific place. And the ones in their online store are not available here in the Philippines or they just ran out of stocks.

My favorite cardi is #5. I saw it on a model and I immediately asked the saleslady where it is in the H81 section. After looking around, she told me it's either moved from the section (to the section with logos) or it was sold out. Thank God I did see it from the logos section. It was the last piece and in the medium size. Here's a close up of the webbed effect:

I actually saw other colors, blue and white. I did not like the blue color. The white one was very pretty but it was in large! I'm a XS on Forever 21 so large looks bad on me. Like I was an insecure person.

Til my next Forever 21 adventure.

My daily make-up routine

2010-12-28T10:55:00.002+08:00

Yes, everyone I know noticed that I've been using make-up recently. It's a big change from my normal self even if my ultimate goal is to look natural. In my opinion my skin looks healthy and fresh whenever I wear make up. And I'm proud of wearing make-up because I know that it's been improving my baby image. People now take me more seriously. Hehe...

(clockwise/spiral) Etude House Collagen Moistfull Essence-in-Primer, Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream, The Body Shop Vitamin C Energising Face Spritz, The Body Shop Lipstick in #69, Etude House Lip Perfume in Peach, Maybelline Eye Studio in GD-2 Gold Nuggets, Maybelline Clear Smooth Extra Face Powder in Natural and Maybelline Blush in Coral Orange

I use eight different kind of things related to make-up and here's how I do it:

1. ETUDE HOUSE COLLAGEN MOISTFULL ESSENCE-IN-PRIMER

Vol. 100ml (3.38 fl. oz.)

The first thing that I use is a primer. I don't really go through the toner and the moisturizer before applying make-up. I go straight with primer after I take a bath and dry my hair. A primer is something that would make make-up last longer but the use of this primer to me is more than just that.

I have a combination skin where my t-zone is oily (mostly it's the forehead that's oily). So whenever I use BB cream or face powder, I end up having flaky skin and it shows. So prior to putting on base make-up, I use this primer to get my face prepped and dewy. And I can say it really works!

I just bought this stuff after reading the review from Musings of a Muse and I'm really happy I did. I haven't observed if it does make make-up last longer though.

DETAILS FROM THE BOX:
Essence infused primer spritz moistens complexion for improved foundation coverage and longevity. Formulated with collagen to strengthen derma integrity and improved look.

Directions: Shake well before use. Hold bottle 15-20cm distance from face when spraying. Before foundation makeup application, spray mist over facial surface to improve makeup effect and durability.

I wait after a minute to put on the BB cream or the face powder. Never after than three minutes though.

2. MISSHA PERFECT COVER BB CREAM

Dermatologist Tested, SPF42 PA+++, No.21 (Light Beige), 50ml

The next is the most essential, the BB Cream. I love BB Cream because you can just apply it and you are ready to go. Sometimes, it's the only thing that I use when I don't want to wear make-up. Though I do have constant problems with this one because it tends to make my skin white. The #21 is perfect for my skin but if I put too much of this stuff, I get an unnaturally white effect.

Maybe it's just what I have been reading about BB cream that I do notice how dewy they make my skin. And how it perfect it looks. Haha...

I said that I loved the smell and then I became bothered with it. But now that I am a regular, I became indifferent with the smell.

DETAILS FROM THE BOX:
This M Perfect Cover BB Cream makes your skin tone clean and natural by concealing blemishes with excellent skin coverage. It is a multi functional makeup cream with blocking UV rays, whitening and wrinkle care effects and simplifies makeup formalities. Its moisturized application with W/S texture makes sleek skin tone while supplying moisture and nutrition at the same time.

Directions: After basic skin care, apply an appropriate amount along the skin texture and finish with powder. Do not need to apply Sun cream in addition.

To be able to match it with my skin, I squirt two mini dots the size of a bead. And I apply them after spritzing the primer so that they would multiply yet it would not have that undesirable white effect. If I use three dots or a big pool, it would immediately have that whitish effect. The right measure is the key in to a successful make-up application.

3. MAYBELLINE CLEAR SMOOTH EXTRA IN NATURAL

Shine-Free, Long lasting oil contro, high coverage-no pore clogging, SPF20, 7.5g/0.6oz

The third thing I use is the face powder. And whenever I don't use the BB cream and still want to wear make-up, I use this face powder. I love this face powder although it really clashes with the BB cream because it makes my skin white. So at times when I know that I put too much BB cream, I skip the powder and just use it in the middle of the day for touch ups.

I would not use this Maybelline blue face powder anymore though. It's a high-coverage kind of face powder when I only need a low one because my face is not that bad. And since I love putting too much of anything, I end up looking like a ghost with this. Even at times when I put blush, I wear this (according to Bobbi Brown, when you find one part of your cheek has more blush, you must put face powder instead of even-ing your blush). So you could just imagine how scary I look. I'd be using the green one instead.

4. MAYBELLINE BLUSH IN CORAL ORANGE

Dermatologist tested

After the face powder is the blush. I used to hate blush but now, I love them so much that I cannot live without it. I currently own one blush but it's all that I need. It's make my cheeks look orange naturally. The Maybelline blush that I am using is amazing though it's got a strong appeal to it as it immediately makes your cheeks orange. You must be really careful when applying it so you would not put too much.

I really really love strong colors though which is why I got to orange one. I find orange to be natural too instead of a redder one or a pinker one.

FROM THE PACKAGING:
Luminous cheek blush that naturally brightens up and sculpts your face.
-Radiant pearls and pure color pigments that diffuse light and highlight naturally complexion with luminous color.
-Ultra-blendable refined powders which fit perfectly to your skin.
-Expert brush that enables quick and easy application.

As usual, the best way to apply blush is somewhere with a natural light. I used to put it in my room where light only comes from the bulb. Bad idea as it turned to be really orange. Always use natural light to see its effects.

5. MAYBELLINE EYE STUDIO in GD-2 GOLD NUGGETS

4g/0.14oz

I love eye shadow but I don't use it that often. Eye shadows are not as essential as blush. And the one that I have is more of a party kind of blush as compared to a day-to-day because of the shimmer. I also hate shimmer at day time. It looks so worked up. But I do use this at times, using the light brown because it's plainer than the others. But still shimmery. I got to find a nice palette for the office.

6. THE BODY SHOP LIPSTICK IN #69

4g/0.14oz

Lipsticks are my current obsession as I recently bought three. And what I use the most is the pink one that I bought from The Body Shop (which I just chipped after taking this picture). I am loving pink lips right now because it makes me look sweet for some reason. The orange that I own has a full effect on the lips. And I love this pink shade of The Body Shop because it has that natural effect on me.

What I don't like is the taste of the lipstick though. It smells like cherry with a hint of crayons on it.

BTW, I love the detail picture. I just used a normal digicam with very low lighting (as the blinds are not even up in our room and it's 9am in the morning when I took it).

7. ETUDE HOUSE LIP PERFUME IN PEACH

7g/0.24oz$

After applying the lipstick, I usually put lip gloss after (as learned from Bobbi Brown's manual). I love Etude House lip gloss because it gives the shine but not that gross super wet lips. A shine is enough for me as it gives that dewy effect. And I'm scared of watershine kind of lipsticks.

This lip perfume is a must try because of the peach flavor. I use to hate the flavor but whenever I drink coke, it has a yummy effect to it.

FROM THE BOX:
Give those lips a fruit scented kiss. Fruit fragrant balm creates smooth, kissable lips.

Directions: Use fingertip or lip brush to apply balm to lips.

8. THE BODY SHOP VITAMIN C ENERGISING FACE SPRITZ

100ml/3.3 US fl. oz.

This eight step is more of an optional for me. I use this face spritz when I need to redo my make up or lessen the whiteness in my face. I use like two to three sprays because it really removes the whiteness. But it's kind of gross when used on the face because it makes it sticky so I also use wet wipes (hehe) after using this one.

I would never buy this product as I don't see what effect of benefit it has on me. This came from my twin sister who bought this but never got to use it much.

And it's not really yellow. It's just the bottle that's yellow. The real thing looks like soap bubble liquid stuff and it smells like a car refreshener.

THE RESULT

Not the most flattering picture of me but whatevs. I love my make-up here. I overdid it in the white as you see. My face and neck is just really tan compared to my body. Damn wearing only shirts in college!

Watched Tron Legacy

2010-12-20T23:40:00.001+08:00

Earlier, I watched Tron Legacy at Glorietta today with my officemates. It's my first official outing with them other than lunch. We were supposed to watch it tomorrow but they decided to watch it today.

It's not the kind of movie that I would really watch but then it stars my big time crush Garrett Hedlund. Here's a picture of him in the suit.

I started to have a crush on him after seeing him in the movie Four Brothers. He played the youngest brother of Mark Wahlberg. And you must watch it in order to find out how cute he is playing an immature role.

But I still did not like the movie. Garrett helped but he's not that of a good actor.

My friend liked it because he understands it. He's a computer science graduate so he understood it. But for someone who knows only the basics of computer, I never got what Isotopes were. And I don't want to explain it even if the movie has a very simple plot. And it's kind of bothersome that Jeff Bridges's character never got back to Earth.

There were some cool points though. The first is the action and animation. They really amped it up like Matrix. And the second was Clue, Jeff Bridges's enemy (who was his creation in the first movie). It showed a younger Jeff Bridges. I already spotted a difference when Garrett's character got inside the game because of the lips. But I only figured it out throughout the movie as there was something weird about him. There was never enough light when they showed Clue.

The only good thing about this movie is watching it with my new friends.

Early Xmas gift from my twin!

2010-12-19T10:04:00.001+08:00

Since Lara's gonna get hospitalized today (for four days), I subconsciously led her to buy this cute pink pillow from Tickles in Glorietta as a Christmas gift for me. And she did (well, she paid for half of it). I won't let her use this though because she's going to have her radiation. Mehehehe...maybe she can use this in January.

On a funny note regarding Tickles, why are the people at the cashier old people. Like those who are in their retirement age? I guess they must be the owners but if they are doing this to save money, they should discontinue it (at least this Christmas season). It's so inefficient! Hahahaha....

Etude House Dear Darling Tint

2010-12-13T22:45:00.018+08:00

Currently using Etude House Dear Darling Tint #02 (Real Red) sampler. This was the freebie that I got from spending a thousand bucks from Etude House. I was planning to throw it since I don't like lip gloss. But then that would be a waste. I don't want to sell it at ebay because of the hassle. So I finally decided to use it.

I've been using for two days now and it's good that it's just a sampler because if I did buy this one, I'd be really disappointed.

When I first used it, I was actually amazed because of how it makes your lips pink instead of the red that I thought it would be. It definitely has color. But then it goes pinker on the lines of your lips. Much like the after effect of eating a red-colored ice cream.

And the brush (maybe it's the sampler's brush) gave me a hard time putting the lip gloss on my upper lip. And even when I smack my lips, it does not stain the upper lip.

Oddly enough though, I really love the smell even if reminds me of a medicine that I used when I was younger. I was kind a medicine-addict when I was young. My mother once caught me and my twin sister feeding medicine to each other!

Here are the details of the sampler:

Verdict: The sampler is not a good teaser for me to buy the real Dear Darling Tint. I've heard a lot of good things about it but from my experience, it does not do enough to persuade me to go and get this product.

Starting my lipstick collection

2010-12-13T21:44:00.001+08:00

Today, I decided that I would start my lipstick collection. Well, actually, it was more of my eyes who did the decision. How can you say no to lipstick at this age?

With that said, I bought three.

(L to R) The Body Shop #50, Maybelline Color Sensational Coral Pink, The Body Shop #69

I was really just supposed to buy the Maybelline lipstick cause it's my sister's gift for me (and it was 30% off!). But when I visited The Body Shop to check out their Christmas collection, I was amazed with how many their selections were when it comes to lipsticks. The Body Shop has their lipsticks on sale too at 40%.

I love orange so I bought two colors today. The Body Shop has some shimmer on it. I don't normally like shimmer but I decided to try this out. The Maybelline has full coverage and I love how it is on your lips. My sister who's giving me the lipstick as a gift also has a coral Maybelline lipstick. I wonder if this is the one that she has.

And I bought one that is very pink just because. I like red but my teeth are not agreeing yet. So pink for now.

I'm looking forward to wearing each one for the next weeks. And I hope that I do get to use them very much. I hate spending money as much as I love shopping.

And the ARA Season 4 winners are...

2010-12-11T14:33:00.004+08:00

The Richards (aka the Philippine male team) won the fourth season of the Amazing Race. I'm quite surprised they won (even if I was rooting for them). I really doubted the strength and strategy they had compared with the other teams. They are very passive racers and not that exciting to watch as compared to the other teams. It's also because they don't react much and there was never a drama between these two guys. But I'm glad a Philippine team finally won! And the Richards nonetheless.

I thought that Natasha & Hussein would win because they have become the underdogs that shone in the leg before the final episode. I find that they have a competitive spirit compared to the Riches. Michelle & Claire were the most competitive but I really doubted them just because.

The thought that the Richards were a strong team never occurred to me. If these two guys were against Marc & Rovilson (from the second season of TARA), M&R would win. I find the Richards the least competitive team though they showed that they wanted to win in the leg where they almost came in last place. I did not watch the premiere of the show because I really thought the Richards would lose. And I found out who won when my sister woke me up at 10pm that day.

Anyways, even though the Richards won, they way that they won were not very exciting. There was basically no competition all through out the final elimination (and it's kind of Hussein's mistake too). Michelle & Claire were way behind the other two teams. When they caught up with Natasha & Hussein, they were already in the middle of their penalty, giving the Riches a huge lead.

Another anti-climax was the Marina Bay Sands. The last three remaining activities were done there (at the top part of the hotel). This just means that there was no confusion as to where they need to go. Hindi sila nataranta. This might be as well like just any other race.

What bothers me the most is the finish line. In the US version, the finish line consist of teams running a field. And I find it a symbol of winning, just like a real race. And if you are overwhelmed with an idea (like winning), you celebrate by running or doing some big action like running. The finish line of TARA4 was just on the roofdeck so obviously, no running. Boo! There was even no view.

-----------------

With an ugly episode, I'm still glad that I watched it just because of Richard Herrera (the model and the cuter one).

He's so funny during the magic show. But most of all pretty cute. He's now my new Filipino crush because he's adorable but does not have that aura of being a celebrity. He looks like a kind person and this facade of him really dominates his looks when you watch the show.

CONGRATS AGAIN! Let the party begin!

Topshop Bags!

2010-12-05T16:28:00.000+08:00

I am addicted to window shopping for TopShop bags. I have yet to see most of them in the Philippines.

A tan version of this TopShop bag was my original choice for a corporate bag but now that I have seen it twice, I'm thinking twice. It wasn't as boxy as I remembered it to be.

Australian Brand: Cotton On

2010-12-03T14:12:00.004+08:00

I love Aussie fashion. Next to British and Korean fashion, I love Australian style. I love reading their magazines because there seems to be a lot of things going on with a page but everything is just right. The layout, the color schemes and fashion are perfect. Whenever I read Preview magazine, I always get overwhelmed by how much things are placed in each page. They are copying Elle in a way that they use small fonts but does the images need to be tiny too?

My twin sister, Lara, picked a few Girlfriend magazine (an Aussie mag) yesterday as there was no new Teen Vogue back issue. And it's such a really really nice magazine. Of course, the big picture of Ian Somerhalder was a big plus.

Anyhoo, I finally got to buy Cotton On products for myself. Before, I had Rubi Shoes (which is also by Cotton On) which are from Singapore bought by my older sister and my aunt. Fortunately, I was able to find out that they also have about a dozen stores in Hong Kong. I only went to one store though (the one at the opposite of Langham Mall, near the Mongkok station) as time was very limited but no worries as this store has two floors and have a big sale section part.

Cotton On sells stuff like Forever 21 with the same price range. But I find Cotton On better even when their range is smaller than F21 as they cater to young adults with their styles a bit more mature than Forever 21. It's very easy to navigate the store too so you'd get to shop for each section without being overwhelmed.

WHAT I BOUGHT FROM COTTON ON:

1. 5 pairs of shoes (TOTAL: HKD324 or PHP1863 or US$41.4)

The price of the Rubi shoes was much cheaper here than in Singapore as the Hong Kong Dollar was pegged to the US Dollar (PHP1=HKD5.75, PHP1=SGD30). I was so happy that I bought five pairs of shoes!

The red and black mary janes are actually wedges that were on sale (HKD50 each, so about PHP300 each or US$6.67). The white espadrille with a floral print (right most on the front row) was HKD50 as well. It looks like Toms actually.

The blue floral print in the middle of the front row was originally HKD99 but if you buy two it's HKD150. I only bought one but I still got it from HKD75 since it's a fifth pair as Lara bought four pairs of flats, including the floral one for a smaller size.

I bought the grey plimsoles because I've been wanting that same one in TopShop. This only cost me HKD99 (but if you buy two plimsoles it's just HKD150) while a TopShop pair would cost me twice the price (and more).

2. Brown skinny pants (HKD199 or PHP1144.25 or US$25.43)

It's a bit pricey for a pair of pants but if you compare the price to Zara, it's half the price with almost the same quality. Lara bought a green one (which I can wear too as we have the same size).

3. Army Green Molly Anorak (HKD249 or PHP1431.75 or US$31.82)

Before you say it's expensive, the price tag says HKD349 but the sales lady said that the tag was wrong. I was already okay at buying it for 100 bucks more. But then if you compare to other stores, it's already cheap. I love the army green color but I wanted to buy the light blue color too.

It's a coat that is not perfect for the Philippine weather so this might have to stay at the closet for a long time. But since it's December, I'm still going to use it!

4. Grey see through cover up on sale (HKD99 or PHP568.25 or US$12.65)

I love formal jackets or jackets that could change your outfits such as this one. I can wear jeans and this jacket and I'd be ready to go to a semi-formal party. This reminds me of the Poisonberry blouse that I bought and did not use as it was too big. It made me look like a pumpkin. Even at a small size, this is already big for me. But it's fine as it is a jacket.

5. 2 Finley racer back tops (HKD129/ea or PHP741.75/ea or US$16.49/ea)

These tops definitely reminds me of Forever 21 Love 21 tops (the pricier line of F21). I love how formal these tops are. I'd be wearing these for the Xmas parties I'm attending and for work too!

One visit to Cotton On is not enough. That is why my older sister, Hazel, asked her friend who is in Hong Kong today to buy more clothes. I ordered one more grey skinny jeans. I hope that she'd be able to get one.

Cotton On is my new favorite store. I don't think that I'd buy this much when they open a store in the Philippines (okay maybe I will on my first purchase like what happened in F21). But then I'd back down eventually. I hate it when people recognize the brand of clothing your wearing. And I'd dread the fact that I might encounter one person who is wearing the same style. After all, their stocks are limited (unlike F21) and their prices are low. It's bound to happen if they get to open a store in Philippines.

National Bookstore shopping

2010-12-03T00:25:00.002+08:00

I went to the mall today to buy some things that I need for my room but once I got there, my attention was shifted to cards, books and planners. Yes, I went to National Bookstore, one of the stores that I love to visit. There are a lot of reasons why I love National Bookstore.

First of all, it's a bookstore and I love bookstores. I enjoy searching for books and learning about them. It's level of enjoyment can almost be compared to how much I love to shop. Maybe even more.

Second, other than books, it sells crafts stuff. I hate crafts (and just about anything that needs my hands to be used with) but I do love to hoard them. And they sell the cutest high quality scrapbook stuff. The gift wrapping section is amazing with a lot of ribbons and cute wraps.

Lastly, there is an extensive rack of shelves filled with books for a very low price. Whenever I go to NB, books always seems to be on sale. And it can take me more than an hour to check out books that I love and that are fascinating. I usually go to the business section part because I want to read those kind of books. But I visit the travel section too and seldomly, the fashion and beauty section.

And as always, I went home with some NB stuff. Hehe...this pack would have been a lot more if I have enough money. Unfortunately, my credit card was denied as it reached its limit (take note: more than half of it is accounted from my twin's shopping from Forever 21). Here is what I bought:

- 2 pieces of Money Magnet (PHP150 or US$3.33)

I believe in The Law of Attraction and a Money Magnet is a nice way to attract money in my opinion. I bought two (one for me, one for Lara, the big spender twin of mine) but I'm planning to buy 4 more for my family. I actually want to buy a lot so that we can paste it everywhere in the house but it's pricey (PHP150 or about $3.33 for a magnet).

- The Daily Carrot Principle by Adrian Gostick & Chester Elton (PHP845 or US$18.78)
- The Carrot Principle by Adrian Gostick & Chester Elton (PHP453 or US$10.07)

Even if the date of my first job is nearing, I plan to continue reading. The Carrot Principle was one of the first books on my wishlist as I thought that it was an economics kind of books. But it's more about leadership in business which is kind of what I want to read too. The Carrot Principle was on sale as it was published in 2007.

The Daily Carrot Principle is new (published in April 2010) and a book that gives an everyday advice regarding management. The December 2 says that in Christmas presents, buy something thoughtful for your co-workers. It is a tip is that is quite obvious but then again, a lot of people make a mistake on it.

- All Yeah Red Planner (PHP150 or US$3.33)

I did not really buy this on NB but I saw it first on NB. The one available in the store is a large kind which is a hundred bucks more. I bought this in SM by the way.

This diary is like a rip off of Moleskine as what my older sister said. But it's got a great quality for something quite cheap. I initially wanted to buy a Korean diary but after realizing that I would not need a big kind of planner, I shifted to Moleskine. But this red planner has just a nice quality for a lot lesser price.

It is a diary without any dates so it is up to you to fill them in. It has a yearly, monthly, weekly schedule. The planner also contains a cash planner, notes page (two different paper designs) and an envelope at the end.

There are still a few things that I would have picked up if I had more money:
*Tim Hartford's The Logic of Life for PHP650 (his whole collection of books actually but they are only available in Powerbooks)
12/03/10 UPDATE: I might just wait for the newest edition as he just tweeted that he's starting the new edition of The Undercover Economist.

*Explorer Hong Kong Guide for PHP287 (2007 edition but what the heck? It's still helpful compared to my father's 1999 guide book :| )

Oh well.

'Til my next NB trip,

Etude House vs. Bench Black head remover

2010-12-01T11:48:00.002+08:00

Before going to our trip in Hong Kong, I decided to clean my face and use my new Etude House Black Head Remover Dual Sheet. I've been a follower of Bench Cleansing Strip after my sister introduced it to me. And it's very very effective. I love the feeling when you take the strip off because you would immediately see the results.

With Etude House,I kind of just got curious of what it was because of the cute packaging. One set contains a Black Head Romver Shet and Tightening Gel.

What you do is that you put the Black Head Remover first to remove the black heads and then you put the gel sheet to keep your pores tight (duh!).

After doing this, I realized that it was just a waste of money compared to Bench. Etude House was not very effective in removing the black heads especially with a cleansing pad that only seemed to wet your nose. After using the set, I even tried the Bench and I found that Bench was able to remove more particles compared to Etude house. I'm not sure how effective the tightening gel is because I don't know how to measure it. But I could live without it too.

The only good thing I found with the Etude House Black Head Remover was that the pads smell really good. The first pad is very soapy while the second has this minty medicine smell which I like.

The Etude House Black Head Remover retails for PHP398 (US$9.00) while the Bench Cleansing Strip only retails for PHP22 (US$0.5).

P.S.

I would not post any pictures since I find it unhygienic to post after results of cleansing products.

Bench Cleansing Strip

2010-11-26T14:05:00.002+08:00

I forgot to mention that I bought Bench Cleansing Strips yesterday while I was out with my dad. I've been using these strips because they are so easy to place on your nose. And you'd get immediate results when you use this (as seen from the strip). They are so cheap too. It's a tried and tested black head strip that is a must for every girl wanting to remove black heads on their nose!

I'm going to use one before leaving Manila. And after two weeks, I'd try the Etude House that I bought.

Shopping Friday at SM Megamall

2010-11-26T13:29:00.001+08:00

Yay! I went to Megamall again to do last minute shopping for our Hong Kong trip tomorrow. And this time, I went with my twin sister Lara and it's her first time in SM Megamall. Of course, we went to Forever 21. My sister is a bigger fan of the brand but it seemed that I was more excited for her to finally visit their Philippine branch (well, it was my goal to bring her to F21 before the year ends).

Thank god that I was able to strain myself from buying a lot of things. I don't want to spend a lot with Forever 21 since we are going to H&M tomorrow anyways. I want to spend more on H&M since I would have to dread less about seeing people wear the same thing in the Philippines. Anyways, I only bought two pieces from F21.

I wanted to spend less than PHP2000 so I was contemplating on buying only two pieces. I originally had a grey cat sweater (about PHP800), a basic black dress (about PHP800) and a plain dark pink skirt (about PHP1000). I decided to let go of the sweater since my sister reasoned that it was too thin for a sweater. And I don't like cats anyways.

And to my delight, the dress was 50% off. I bought it for PHP410. I wished I bought more dresses like that since it was buy one take one. But no regrets. I don't fall for incentives.

I saw their Minnie Muse collection but I was not impressed. I did not like them in the pictures of the site and the facebook page anyways. And I don't like jerseys at all. I feel like jerseys are already out of fashion. They only were great when I was in 4th grade. I did like the Japanese character Minnie Muse hoodie. But it was expensive PHP1500. I'd buy it though if we would not be going to Hong Kong. It's a good value for PHP1500 since it's thick and looked durable.

After Forever 21, I just got to visit Etude House. I cannot help but just love the products that they are selling. I want to try every product that they had so I made a list of the things that I would be buying. I finally got to hear the guard greet "Hello Princesses!" Too bad Lara did not hear it since the guard was pretty demure. I think that she was shy to greet that to her customers.

I bought a Black Head Final Kit, Moistfull Collagen Essence-in-Primer, Blackhead Remover Dual Sheet, Emery Board (Lara's) and Ginko Lip Patch. For spending over a 1000 bucks, I got a free Dear Darling mini lip gloss that I can strap to my cellphone. The sales lady was telling me if I wanted to add more to reach PHP2000 and get a free diary. I don't like Lee Min Ho (the diary's cover picture) and I don't fall for incentives. I declined the offer. I don't want to shell out more than I want to.

I was really looking forward to buying Peach Cheek Blush but they only had the #03 shade. I prefer the #02 and #05. But now, I'm kind of turned off with the Blush. The tester that Etude House had looked old making me wonder if that might ever happen if I would buy their blushes.

Over all, I am very happy with my Megamall trip. This would never happen again as I am going to work in a few days. I won't get to shop when people are few.

Fave Disney songs

2010-11-24T20:57:00.004+08:00

I love Disney cartoon movies because they always include original songs that eventually become classics. And they always bring back memories of my childhood like me and my twin singing A Whole New World. I've been downloading Disney songs again since I accidentally deleted them a few months ago. And now I'm hooked to listening to the songs again! Here are some of my favorite songs. These are songs from the movie itself because I prefer that version over the popularized. Well, except for Beauty and the Beast.

The best Disney song is A Whole New World by Brad Kane and Lea Salonga

I love I Won't Say (I'm in Love) by Susan Egan

Beauty and the Beast by Celine Dion & Peabo Bryson

Go the Distance not by Michael Bolton but I like both versions

Part of Your World by Jodi Benson

Can You Feel the Love Tonight

Colors of the Wind

Kiss The Girl by Samuel E. Wright

*Two thumbs up for Alan Menken who is behind the success of the Disney music!

What I could buy with PHP1500

2010-11-23T09:28:00.004+08:00

I don't normally buy show paraphernalia as I do not get even attached to shows. But now, I am contemplating on buying this cute pig rabbit stuffed toy I saw in the Korean show You're Beautiful. I love the show but I want the toy more for myself as it is one of the most adorable toys I have seen. They added two cute animals into one! I recently started collecting stuffed toys (since I was not allowed as a kid) and now I've got three: one from my friend as a gift, one from my brother which was a freebie from his capsule speakers and one from my sister which was a gift from a guy who had a crush on her. And I want to add this one to my collection! But it's about PHP1500 (P1350 + shipping). It would have been okay if it was PHP500. Still, I cannot help but think of buying this stuffed toy.

So to discourage me from buying an overpriced stuffed toy from Korea, I decided to make a list of things I could buy with PHP1500. Here is what I came up with:

* 25% balance of (hopefully) Mulberry for Target stuff (black patent + pebble crossbody)

* 50% balance of TopShop bag

* Crest Whitestrips

* Etude House Fresh Peach Blusher Duo + 2 Etude House Peach Cheek Blushers

* Etude House Precious Mineral BB Compact + Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream

* Forever 21 skinny cargo pants

* MAC Powder Blush (Philippine Price)

* Paul & Joe Lipstick C in #066

* Smashbox Creamy Cheek Color & Blush

* A new haircut!

* Suesh 7 piece Brush set

* TopShop/Zara/Mango top

* Clogs from a tiangge

* And most of all, I would get to pay 50% of what I owe my sister!

I think that the last reason would be the strongest point to discouraging me to buy this cute stuffed toy.

What I have been up to

2010-11-22T16:15:00.002+08:00

I'm not starting my work until December so I'm currently stuck at home as I am penniless right now. But unlike the past few months where I would watch shows on the internet, I'm actually doing something productive: using my make-up. Well, I say productive for me as it is really only me who benefits from it. I've been trying out make up so that I would know more or less what I would use when I finally get to work (and Hong Kong this weekend).

I tried the BB creams again and the make up I bought from Maybelline over the weekend. And I realized how white they make my skin. I tried the Etude House LUCIDarling Sponge BB Cake on Saturday. And I still came up with the same results as I had before. I bought it because I thought that I had oily skin but now I know I have combination skin, I would never use this again. It is flaky on my skin and too obvious even when I try to put little on my face.

The next day, I again wore Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream #21. I know that it was my fault as why I came up with another white face. Missha has a medium to light coverage but it does whiten the face even if you just pump a few (like the size of a 10 centavo coin) and put them on your face. Next time, I'm really just going to pump the size of the 5 centavo coin hole (or double it). I'd better try #23 just to find out if #21 is the right shade for me.

Today, I tried the Maybelline Clear Smooth Extra in Natural as my base. When I put the BB cream, I don't put the face powder any more as I find it redundant to put face powder The face powder I bought is not for me as the coverage is full but it still works great on my skin. As a person who tends to go overboard, I think that putting on face powder is my safest bet. Even when I overdo it, the whiteness is not extreme as the BB creams that I put.

For me, BB creams are great but the LUCIDarling is really not for my skin type. I substitute BB creams with my base as it already does the job of what face powders do. But it really requires patience and artistry (hehe) as it may be overdone. And if I did overdo it, the effect is really bad. The Maybelline face powder is a nice and safe but I still prefer the Missha BB cream as it really gives a dewy kind of look when you put it on. And even when I'm like an espasol (as my ate would describe), I love how clean it looks on my face. I just need to keep in mind how much BB cream I put on my face.

As for the Maybelline make up that I bought, I love it! The application of the eyeshadow had been rough on me with poor lighting on my room. That is why I tend to over do it. After this, I am just going to put make up in the bathroom. Anyhoo, the Maybelline Eye Studio GD2 - Gold Nuggets is a nice start for me to take up eyeshadow. It's in a shade that would work with my skin tone.

I love the Maybelline Angel Fit Powder Blush in Coral Orange as it is a very strong color. I did not know that it would give a rich shade of coral on my face. And honestly, I am enjoying how strong it is. It looks natural if put on lightly but it makes you radiant when you double the blush.

It is good that I did not break out as I have never done this kind of make up on my face before. And it's good to know that I am not allergic to the make up I bought. My face is itchy on some parts though but then maybe it's because I ate tacos yesterday when I am allergic to beef and tomato.

*I would not be posting my picture anytime soon as I am too busy to upload them. And I'm kind of shy.

The Substitute on Glee! A fave episode

2010-11-19T13:33:00.001+08:00

I stopped watching Glee as a whole for a while because I was finding the show too much. It was over the top and the plots were just bad. It started with the Britney episode with Heather Morris's bad singing voice and the recurring scenes of daydreaming of Britney. I still listened to their new songs but it was really just the plot that was lacking.

But I watched The Substitute starring Gwyneth Paltrow and I absolutely loved it! I felt that it was funny again and the songs were much better. I give credit to Gwyneth. I am not a fan of her and I do not hate her so she's not really what I was anticipating for when I watched this show. But I love the songs that she sang here! Especially Conjunction Juncion. She's also very pretty for a 40 year old mom.

The best song was obviously Umbrella/Singing' in the Rain which is a mash up with Gwyneth and Matthew Morrison. But I also like the Cee Lo song they did "Forget You." I am not familiar with who Cee Lo is but I love the song that Gwyneth covered!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 review

2010-11-18T18:55:00.005+08:00

*MAJOR MARJOR SPOILERS!
Even if you read the book, this would still be a spoiler.
Read at your own risk! It also contains spoiler of the book itself.

And prepare for a very long post as I truly am passionate when it comes to Harry Potter*

I got to watch the first installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows earlier today with my high school friend. She have been raving about this movie for quite some time and since we are big fans of the book, we were excited to watch this, which we finally did earlier at Mall of Asia. I don't like watching movies at MOA but I chose to watch the movie there because of the available times. And there would be less traffic there compared to Robinson's Place Manila.

I am not a fan of the Harry Potter movies because they always are lacking when it comes to interpretation of the book. As a BIG Harry Potter book fan, every scene that was written in the book is important and must be shown in the movie. And Harry Potter always fails on that aspect as they only include scenes that would be enough to give non-readers a easy understanding of the series (like other movies based on books do anyways). I completely understand the feeling of Neil Gaiman fans with the Stardust film.

Though I do not like watching Harry Potter movies (the last one that I watched was the fourth, which ironically I liked), I was still pretty excited to watch this movie especially as they have divided the movie into two parts. This first installment ends at chapter 23 (out of thirty six chapters) where Dobby dies. It runs for 2 hours and 30 minutes. The mood is a serious one in the sense that you would easily get the feeling that this movie has matured throughout the ages. It's so mysterious and dark that this should have a rating of R13.

The movie heavily focused on explaining the Deathly Hallows which was a huge plus for non-readers as it was easy to understand. They even created an animation for people who lean towards visual explanations. The kind of animation used was that of a sophisticated kind in the sense that they put art to it as the cartoon was not literal. It's not like Disney illustrations which is pleasing to kid's eyes. They used shadows that substituted humans to recreate the story. It was a brilliant thing to do. This shows how mature the movie is. It would please those who have an eye for arts, most definitely. Rhys Ifans gets to have his moment in this scene as Xenophilius Lovegood.

But with that, I still believed that this movie failed to interpret the book fully as it lacked a lot of important scenes. It's hard getting 23 chapters into one movie but they really rushed through everything (except the Deathly Hallows part). What irks me the most is that I did not even feel the absence of Ron, which was a pretty big part of the book and one of my favorite scenes. So when Ron finally came back (in the film), it was not as grand compared to the book version. And the feeling was not as big as what I have felt in the book.

Though thumbs up to the Silver Doe scenes. There was a scene (that was also in the book) were Harry and Hermione were kissing intensely. I wonder if the actors really did that part since they look like CGI in the film.

Though Harry Potter 7 part 1 was still a fun movie to watch. One of the scenes that I was mostly looking forward to was the seven Potters. Daniel Radcliffe really deserves an award for his portrayal of the seven Potters. He was able to copy the actors' stance and ways in the movie. He seems to be so spot on with Hermione with crossing the arms and softening the shoulders. I'm really really impressed.

Tom Felton who played Draco Malfoy was only seen for a couple of minutes but his presence is felt. And he looks old. Like a 35-year-old dude (when he's only 23). I like his portrayal though because he seems to be that coward Draco written in the books.

One touching moment was the death of Dobby. Dobby is not cute. But he's adorable. And even though I already know that he was going to die, I still am sad to see it happen in the movie.
------------------------------

SUMMARY OF PROS:
* The explanation of Deathly Hallows. It was so easy to understand and the animation was amazing. They did not go for something for the kids. This was definitely for the arts. It was outstanding!
* Ron and Hermione moments. I hate to admit that I'm liking the little lovey-dovey things that happened in the movie about the relationship of these two characters.
* The mood. I love the mysterious and dark theme. It's just like the book. It has this feeling of not knowing what would happen next even though I have read the book.
* Funny scenes included. Even if this was a totally dark movie, they still included the humor of JK Rowling.
* Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy. He only appears in minutes in the movie but I like the way he interprets Draco. He looks like a bad ass who lost his confidence. I love the fact that he looks pale and gaunt in the movie.
* Bathilda Bagshot chapter scenes. I hate that part in the book but the execution in the movie was impeccable. It was scary too.
* The special effects. Since I haven't watched most of the Harry Potter movies, I don't know about the special effects. But this is definitely an upgrade from the first movie. The effects felt almost real. I love the shadowy barriers that they created to show the magic effects of Hermione's protection spells.
* Old actors come back to reprise their roles! It's nice to see Clemence Poesy as Fleur again. The part that put her in the map.
* Harry & Hagrid vs. The Death Eaters action sequence. It was a realistic interpretation of the book. It's definitely an alteration but it was good and entertaining.

SUMMARY OF CONS:
* The Ron vs. Harry scene was quick. It was one of the best parts of the book and the length was rushed.
* Harry and Emma dance. Not needed and frankly quite weird. It's as if Harry has feelings for Hermione too.
* Explaining the Elder Wand. Though the Deathly Hallows was detailed on explanation, it may be difficult for readers to understand why Voldemort wants the Elder Wand. Or maybe who Grindelwald is. It sucks that Jamie Campbell Bower barely shows his face in the movie as he only appears in dreams.
* No Charlie Weasley or Percy Weasley. Even though they are not important, they still art part of the Weasley family. I think that they would be written out in the second installment as well.
* Voldemort as a taboo name. This part was not also established in the film. It was shown in the scene of Xenophilius Lovegood but nothing was said about it being taboo.
* Staying at the 12 Grimmauld Place was short. I felt that this was a big part of the book too but it was cut short. The reason is that the portrait of former Hogwarts Headmaster, Phineas Nigellus Black, acts as a spy to Snape in order for him to help Harry while keeping his identity hidden.
* Dursleys Departing chapter scene. It only showed the Dursleys leaving the house in the movie. My friend pointed out what a bad cut this was since Dudley actually liked Harry. He never thought Harry was bad. Oh well, the extras don't need a minutes in the movie anyways.

As a huge enthusiast of the book, I find that this movie failed miserably as it did cut important scenes. But as a moveigoer, this was fun to watch compared to the other Harry Potter movies. It had a good ending as it left a cliffhanger for me with Voldemort now containing the Elder wand. That part of Voldemort was in the very late parts of the book but it is a nice ending to include in the movie. It's kind of like a preview of what's to happen in the second movie.

I just hope that that part would not be the beginning of the second installment. Cause then I'd be really disappointed. They skipped a lot of chapters with showing that part.

Would I watch it again? If someone pays me to, I would. It's not a bad movie. It's just a lacking interpretation. And if I do watch it again, hopefully, it would be in IMAX or 3D this time because of the special effects. I really want to see the part where they get chased by Azkaban guards.

I'm very excited for the second installment since the best chapters in the book are included in that part. What I want is for the second installment to be so grand. And that they would definitely focus on Severus Snape in the end. He is my favorite character and they better make him look great in the end!

Green & White yearbook

2010-11-18T17:26:00.001+08:00

After watching Harry Potter Part 1 earlier, I went to school to finally get my yearbook! It's definitely better than my high school yearbook because it looks so professional. The high school yearbook I had had glitters on them with obviously people who do not understand layouts (FAIL!). That is why I am loving this yearbook.

The yearbook is included in the tuition fee but the photo package is going to be paid by us. And it was really expensive. At first, I did not like my photo but I'm loving now.

The DVD version will come out in January 2011.

TopShop or Mulberry for Target?

2010-11-16T15:18:00.003+08:00

I am going to buy a new bag in December or maybe January and I've got my eye on two bags. The first is TopShop boxy tan bag. It's a boxy bag that I saw in Robinson's Place last Friday. It's expensive (about PHP2500) for an ordinary Filipino so I know that this won't run out of bags immediately. I don't have any picture of the bag so I'm just gonna describe it:

The TopShop bag is kind of like a boxy briefcase shoulder bag in tan. There are two pockets in front. And it reminds me very much of Mulberry. Kind of looks like this but boxier and with pockets:

This brings me to another bag, Mulberry for Target. I'm planning to own a Mulberry Alexa bag in the near future. But the future may be nearer than I thought as Mulberry collaborates with Target. Unfortunately, the items are out of stock but there are a lot of ebay sellers in the US that are selling theirs. And I want one. The price would most likely be less than PHP4000 when I get it shipped to the Philippines (for one bag only though).

I basically want a lot from this collection that I don't know what to pick first. I'd probably get the Patent Satchel Black because it's the Bayswater kind that they have. I also want the Large Cerise Leopard Satchel in (though hopefully in another color). And maybe the Denim Mini Crossbody in Blue.

I already asked my sister about Johnny Air shipping and I am finding it convenient to bid on ebay US. She said that the payment will come from paypal and we are just going to pay Johnny Air PHP1000 for the shipping. Ebay stores are selling the bags at at least PHP1500 so this might be the cheaper one to buy.

I'll just have to see what comes in the future. But I want both!

Manny Pacquiao wins!

2010-11-14T15:46:00.002+08:00

Another division, another victory.

Manny Pacquiao standing 5'6 was able to dominate his 5'11 opponent Antonio Margarito today. As if that would never happen. I did not watch the whole fight since it's still going on here in the Philippines (for those who opted not to PPV). But from what I have read Margarito was badly beaten that Pacquiao was looking to stop the fight. The only reason that the referee is continuing the fight is that Margarito has never been down throughout the fight. And I don't think Pacquiao would've knocked him down as he was big and heavier.

Congrats Manny for breaking another record. He's now won 8 titles at 8 different divisions. Bryanboy tweeted that it was another new Birkin for Jinkee. On a side note: Manny's mother, Aling Dionisa, was unconscious after the fight.

Anyways, I just want to share a funny clip about the Pacquiao-Hatton duel last year. Filipino families have been posting their reactions online and I found one that was particularly funny.

New Layout! 14th version

2010-11-12T21:08:00.001+08:00

My Life in the Process II has a new layout! This is my 14th layout which will be left untitled as this may be the permanent layout that I'd be using. I want to have a more blog feel so I decided to go with just that by creating a patterned kind of layout, which is the same as the blogger layouts of the people that I am following.

9:30 UPDATE: Also finally added the LinkWithin gadget! I hope that it works in all of my entries. So far, I can only see the change in this entry.

Maybelline make up

2010-11-12T19:17:00.007+08:00

My agenda for today was to buy an affordable make-up line that I could wear for office or for a formal kind of event. I really wanted to own L'Oreal as they have been featured in Preview. I find the Open Eyes eye shadow colors nice as well as the blush that they are selling. Unfortunately, they were way out of my budget.

I chose Maybelline instead because it's cheaper but they sell nice stuff too. And since I'm a beginner, I want to try and try first starting with the inexpensive lines like Maybelline. And Maybelline is a good start. I own a Maybelline face powder and I'm quite satisfied with it. So I bought two products to expand my make-up collection as well as my Maybelline collection.

I really wanted to haul but right now, I want to keep my budget tight so I just bought two products. The first is the Maybelline Angel Fit Powder Blush in Coral Orange and the other is the Maybelline Eye Studio in GD-2 Gold Nuggets. I find the packaging cheap but the colors are not so I decided to try these. What's best about it is that the Maybelline products they are selling are marketed for Asians. I'm not sure which specific group they were focusing when they say Asians.

Left pic: with the wrapper / Right pic: without the wrapper

Left pic: Blush on back information / Right pic: Eyeshadow back information

This is what the two look like when I finally opened them!

I also got another membership! This is the second time that I got a membership from a beauty store (the other one was Etude House Pink Membership).Though I don't normally give in to incentives, I'm pretty happy that I get to be a member from another beauty brand. And this might be very useful for me since I still want to buy some Maybelline stuff, like the Maybelline Volum'Express Hypercurl Cat Eyes Mascara. I want the Hello Kitty one but it's more expensive (by about PHP70). When Lara asked the difference, the saleslady from Robinson's told us that it is only the packaging that's different. I definitely want to buy a Color Sensational Lipstick too. I'm going for the Coral lines because I really love the color but I also want to try the other ones.

For now, I'm going to stick to these two Maybelline stuff and wear them for tomorrow's stock exchange seminar that Metrobank is hosting.

P.S.
Laneige has a branch in Robinson's Place! But it's expensive so I won't be buying anytime soon (or ever).

recently watched Easy A

2010-11-12T18:45:00.003+08:00

Easy A was one of the movies that I was really looking forward to after seeing the trailer. It's a teenybopper but it looks quite different from the usual teenybopper. And I really liked it after watching the movie. It's not about a love story instead it's about a girl's life. And it stars Emma Stone, who is now one of my favorite actresses.

Emma plays Olive, a nobody who became somebody after pretending to lose her virginity to a college dude. And then helps a gay friend pretend to sleep with her at a school party. Olive then gets labeled as a tramp but she prefers it as she is now being noticed. She starts dressing into a whore with lingerie tops for school and goes around pretending to sleep with losers. But things got out of hand and she wants out of it. Penn plays Todd, Olive's crush since the 8th grade, who helps her clear her name. And he gets very sweet at the end of the movie.

Emma Stone is the new it girl. She's great at acting and I love her fashion choices whenever she's on the red carpet. Emma is the girl to watch out for. And I'm glad that she's been cast in Spiderman. Though I want her to be Mary Jane Watson because I prefer her red hair more.

It also has Penn Bagdley as Emma's crush and one of the reasons that I watched this movie. He's so cute! And he waxed for this role.

Emma and Penn make a good couple. If they started dating in the future, I'd be happy for them. Anyways, among the other a-list celebrities of this show is Amanda Bynes, who looks fatter than her usual self.

I love this movie simply because its different. And it's fresh. I think that people looking for romance would be disappointed by the lack of it. But if you have expected nothing like me, then you would be enjoying this show very much. The funniest scene was when Olive and Brandon were faking their sex.

P.S.
Just started using the new blogger editor and it's so much better than the old blogger! It's easy to manipulate the images as you can choose what size you want them to be. Hooray!

Darren Criss sings Teenage Dream on Glee

2010-11-11T08:55:00.007+08:00

I watched Glee yesterday after so many weeks of waiting. At first, I did not want to finish it but then I realized that it was going to be the debut of YouTube celebrity, Darren Criss who is also half-Pinoy. I'm so amazed with him singing Teenage Dream.

Check it out:

The episode Never Been Kissed is pretty shocking and interesting. I already know that Kurt is going to have his first kiss but I never thought it was going to be from that bully! Haha...I thought that it was going to be from Blaine (Darren Criss). I'd vote for Blaine and Kurt though!

Look what came in the mail

2010-11-09T14:39:00.009+08:00

I just received a package. What could it be?

It's my Missha Prefect Cover BB Cream in #21 which I bought from All Organics Online.

I got this on sale (originally P890, which I bought for P720 + P40 for shipping).

She even added a freebie: Dr. Jart Silver BB Cream. Unfortunately, this is for oily skin. Might give this one to Lara.

I already opened it and it took a while to pump it (a sign that it's new). I cannot smell the scent though. The scent has gotten raves online so I was eager to smell it but so far, there was none that I sensed.

*The picture quality is bad because it's just taken from my Nokia phone

I got the Missha since every girl who loves BB Cream in YouTube seems to love Missha. And its said to have a light to medium coverage, which I prefer since I don't have scars to hide anyways. My bangs do that for me.

Preview November 2010

2010-11-09T13:37:00.008+08:00

I rarely buy fashion magazines because I see no use in them anymore. I used to buy Cosmopolitan magazine but they only end up being cut. I even sold them to the junk shop recently. But I had to buy the November issue of Preview magazine. It's their annual beauty issue and I only started collecting when my sister showed them to me in Booksale (they were selling old copies of Preview) this year.

It's really a helpful issue being a recent beauty junkie. I got to find where to buy the stuff that I need, like eyeliner and lipstick. Though in Preview, they do tend to focus more on high-end products. Unlike in Cosmo (which I have yet to find where to buy the August beauty ish), where they get to feature products that are mostly in mid-range price (or what I can afford).

Nevertheless, I did find a lot of make-up I want to buy. I recently modified my shopping list to include my new finds and the stuff I want to try.

2011 Planners

2010-11-08T20:58:00.004+08:00

Yes, it's that time of the year where you plan to buy your planner for the next year. The planner that I used for this year was useful for half of the year since I graduated and basically I don't have any homework to scribble it with. With that, I am also thinking of buying a planner that is just small. I use the calendar in my phone too so I don't need a big space. I also want a planner to bring me wherever.

I don't want to buy Starbucks Planner since I do not drink at Starbucks or any other coffee shop. I don't want to be a hypocrite and buy online. It's pretty big too. I don't want to buy Belle De Jour because its bulky. It's also full of articles and tips that I would never read.

I'm going to buy from Dance Princess Vanya again (if not from Moleskine). And she's already posted a new album for the 2011 planners. Here are some of the ones I'm thinking of buying:

Most practical is the 365 Days PHP1100

Dokidoki PHP1250

Tokyo (to remind me that going to Japan is my ultimate goal) PHP1150

Mstory PHP1100

Cute Moleskine-like Geek PHP1100

More serious Moleskine-like Iconic PHP1150

Playwork (with envelope?) PHP1175

Fashionary PHP1650

VROOM P875

I like this one because it comes with stickers. Mayme PHP1200

I find the planners a bit pricey though. But I'm really going to think about it.

Buy your planners HERE.

My Etude House LUCIDarling BB Cake review

2010-11-07T18:37:00.007+08:00

The Etude House LUCIDarling BB Cake was not meant for me. That is what I realized after putting it on. I thought that I had oily skin so I bought this one but my sister said that my skin type is a combination one (where the T-zone is oily and the cheeks are dry). Knowing that just after my purchase, I feel kind of sad that I bought something not for my face. So it was my mistake as I found out how flaky my cheeks were when I used it.

Still, I found a way to make it work. I decided to wet the brush so that the cake would be in liquid form instead of a pasty kind. I'm pretty happy with that that I overdid applying make-up. When we went out, my sister said that I look like a Cullen because my face was soooo white. So I now must note that I also need to apply make-up inside the bathroom, not in my room because my room has poor lighting.

What I am probably going to do is to buy another Etude House BB Cream, the real one with the liquid in sheer glowing (for dry skin). I lean towards dry skin more so this would definitely be the better BB Cream for me. And maybe I can use the BB Cake for my T-zone.

Though I am also dying to try the Missha Perfect Cover in 21. It's another Korean product that has been getting raves from YouTube girls. It's available in ebay in 2 colors, 21 and 23. I chose 21 because I've got a yellowish undertone. And it is going to work for any skin type. It's kinda pricey on ebay.ph so I thought of buying one in Hong Kong. ~~I don't think they have a store here in the Philippines.~~ Missha Philippines is located in SM North Edsa. It's sooo far from my house and they only have one branch :( I hope that they get to open one in the south portion of Metro Manila. Or just somewhere near our house.

Click here for a nice blog entry on choosing the right BB Cream.

Why I hate big Filipino movies

2010-11-07T00:01:00.004+08:00

Earlier I got to watch Till My Heartaches End starring Pinoy superstars Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson. And it did nothing but remind me why I do not enjoy watching big Filipino movies. Before that, let me introduce you to the story:

Introvert Agnes and ladies man Paolo meet two times and Paolo thinks its destiny and they become boyfriend-girlfriend. But when Paolo starts making big money, Agnes becomes so frustrated that she becomes the nagging girlfriend. They fight and during that time Paolo sleeps with Lea (his co-worker) but he eventually gets back with Agnes. But when they fight again because of rumors of Paolo and Lea, Paolo admits that he slept with Lea. Agnes gets angry but forgives him but Paolo feeling sorry decides to break up with her. After three years, they meet again at the coffee shop where they first met. And Paolo kisses her on the forehead before saying their goodbyes.

I don't want to give a lot of effort in rating this movie so I am just going to list what I like and did not like about this movie.

The Positive Points:
-Kim Chiu is wearing Forever 21 in almost every scene. I noticed it first when she was wearing a military cardigan (a passing scene) but then I realized that her clothes are mostly from F21. Other characters also wear F21.
-I like how the story was created in a order that is not chronological. It's what good about the script.
-The girl who played Gemma and her boyfriend provides laughter
-Kim Chiu is really pretty and she's got a smooth skin that I want :(

The Negative Points:
-Agnes is such a stupid person. I understand that Paolo is her only world (especially since her parents are abroad) but could she really forgive Paolo from what he has done.
-Agnes is such an emotional person that I don't want to ever meet an Agnes. Uggghhhh! I hate crying scenes. I swear there must be an average of two minutes per scene before Agnes cries.
-Bad script
-Bad acting. Kim's character is hard to interpret and she did poorly on that part
-Gerald Anderson is not hot. I just see a fat kid in him. He reminds me of the Eigenmann guy from Marimar
-No artistry whatsoever. I thought that they would have to put at least a nice shot in at least one of the scenes. But cameras were always directed to the face of the people speaking.

My verdict: predictable sappy Filipino movie

And my verdict is not really affected by the fact I watch in Glorietta, a jeje-infested mall where people are not courteous and civilized.