Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Lancome Saves The Day

I know so many brides-to-be that are at a lost when it comes to choosing (and trusting) someone to do their hair and make up. A lot of them have called and asked for my recommendations and contacts, since I work with a lot of them. But how about those who don't have a clue at all? Or don't have the right connections? Now, there is a quick solution, thanks to Lancome Weddings. It's a bridal service that offers packages, not only for the actual wedding day, but includes pre-wedding pampering treatments as well!


Held last month at Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila, a private launch for the media group included Lancome Colour Experts (that include Sabs Hernandez, Tatin Yang, Stacey Tan Gana-Bravo, and Maris delos Reyes) who gave consultations and trials. The brand's Chief Make Up Artist Gela Laurel-Stehmeier did a talk on essential skin care and make up tips for the brides, with brides-to-be Isabel Roces and Kelly Misa as the special guests of honor for that day—they were gifted with their very own Lancome Weddings packages, how lucky!

Brides-to-be Isabel Roces and Kelly Misa with Lancome's Chief Make Up Artist, Gela Laurel-Stehmeier

Check out these fabulous options:

(1) NOCES D' OR Service Menu
Professional bridal hair and makeup by the Lancome Make Up Artists/Colour Experts for 3.
Complimentary Lancome skin diagnosis
Personalized Lancome skin care regimen
Pre-wedding pampering with Lancome Facial Treatments for 2.
Complimentary Lancome bridal make up touch up kit.
Supplementary Rose reward points for MyLancome card holders.
Package Rate/s:
P22,500 (valued at P25,695) if you pick their Chief Make Up Artist
P16,000 (valued at P19,195) if you get any of their Colour Experts

(2) NOCES deDiamant Service Menu
Same as (1) just that you get extra 2 facial treatments for a total of 4.
Package Rate/s:
P26,000 (valued at P31,290) if you pick their Chief Make Up Artist
P19,000 (valued at P24,290) if you get any of their Colour Experts

(3) NOCES dePlatine Service Menu
Same as (1) except that you get a total of 7 facial treatments.
Package Rate/s:
P30,000 (valued at P38,985) if you pick their Chief Make Up Artist
P23,000 (valued at P31,985) if you get any of their Colour Experts

I like the facial treatments that come with the packages. You can either use all of them, or give a few to your mom and future mother-in-law. Great way to suck up hehe... Now, why didn't they think of these before? :)

Meet the Lancome's Colour Experts with their Chief Make Up Guru.
Left to right: Maris delos Reyes, Stacey Tan Gana-Bravo, Tatin Yang, Gela Laurel-Stehmeier, and Sabs Hernandez

*To know more about these packages, visit Lancome at Greenbelt 5 or call 729-9394.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Enchanted Pieces in Dreamy Florals are now on Sale!

Despite the confusing dry-and wet weather, one thing's for sure—most of the retail stores are going on sale. My pick for this week? Tomato's affordable collection of pretty florals in feminine subdued hues and watercolor designs. Their unique take on these blossom pieces are also quite fresh. The brand's creative stylist team ingeniously paired them with monochromatic tints of tartan prints, citrus chiffon cover-ups, and denims like a ruffled sweetheart bustier—love it! Here's how Tomato reinvented the florals for a modern look, as seen here in their latest ad campaign.
A denim piece toughens up this floral tiered skirt.
Bustier, P550; skirt, P600.

This bright neon cover-up is perfect for lounging by the pool.
Woven top, P550; halter boyleg, P500; cover-up, P450.

Mix and match different prints is easy. Just remember to stick to one color family.
Woven top, P550; shorts and clutch, price available upon request.

Get playful by pairing a uber-feminine dress with this neon cover-up.
Dress, P650; cover-up, P450.

Pretty pleats abound. Loving the bows and ruffled sleeves of the chiffon blouse,
and the pleats on the sides of this tartan skirt! Prices available upon request.

Do take note that Tomato is currently on sale. Some of the pieces might not be available anymore, so better hit the malls as soon as you can ;) Tomato is located at SM Mall of Asia, Glorietta, SM City Manila, Robinson’s Place Manila, SM Megamall, SM City Sta. Mesa, SM City San Lazaro, Robinsons Metro East and TriNoma.

*Photography by Mark Nicdao; styled by Pam Quinones; makeup by Robbie Pinera; hair styled by Raymond Santiago; model: Mariana Bisoli.


Here's something to look forward to as well. How interesting—wonder what their free gift is? :)

Sunday, June 28, 2009

VNC

One more shoe brand joins the sale rush. VNC is having their mid-year sale, with prices slashed off up to 70% off. Check out VNC at Robinsons Galleria, Glorietta III, Robinsons Place Manila, TriNoma, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, Alabang Town Center, Shangri-La Plaza Mall and SM North Edsa Annex.

New Men's Retail Store Opens

Another new brand joins the bench family. Pedro, a store that sells men's accessories and footwear, is now open and is located at Bonifacio High Street right beside Aldo Accessories. They also have an ongoing promotion until JUNE 30 only. A free Pedro necktie is given to every customer, for a minimum purchase of P5000 net.

Friday, June 26, 2009

More Sales!


Power Plant Mall: Get the biggest discounts from your favorite brands as we bring you the Midyear Mall-wide Sale, with up to 70%off on selected items. The Midyear Mall-wide Sale is on from June 25 to June 30.

Tomato goes on sale, too! :) Up to 70% off!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

ENJOYing my first voucher

I used my first Enjoy voucher at Restaurant Cicou (Hotel Celeste, Pasay Road beside San Lorenzo Village gate) with my mom for lunch yesterday before visiting my Ninang Liz of New Yorker (will post that visit for another day).

Choices: Free breakfast for the 6th person, free special dessert for every appetizer and entree ordered for lunch or buy one get one free on wine-based aperitifs for dinner OR you can just use the membership card to get 5% off on your total bill. We chose to use the voucher.

I ordered their special iced tea (bottomless at P100). It has a zesty orange taste to it—yummy to my taste buds. They also served us bread (wasn't able to take a photo); the olive version smells and taste good. Literally, with olive bits and herbs in it.

For our appetizer, we got their Scallops roasted and marinated with beans sprout risotto, parsley juice, ham shaving at P620. It might be a bit steep on the pricing, but it's one of the best appetizers I've ever had. Actually, this one (along with a small bun which I had earlier) made me almost full already :o

Mom loves soup, so she ordered Squash (a thick creamy soup with duck liver flan—see photo) that's priced around P230. We asked them to split the soup into two, and it was served in a cute coffee/tea cup. I am not a fan of duck liver/foie gras but this one won me over. Restaurant Cicou is actually known for their foie gras; I noticed it's included in a lot of their dishes.

Mom had Codfish that was roasted with garlic confit and mashed white beans, mushroom and tomatoes. She wasn't too happy with her entree as the fish was a bit on the dry, flaky side.

But I loved mine! I had Beef USA Steak marinated and sauteed, with potatoes gnocchi, parmesan, and tomatoes confites. A winner at only P580, and I wasn't even able to finish it. Sweet and salty, the beef was cooked just right for my palate. I'm looking forward to having the leftover for my lunch later ;)

And finally, our free special dessert. I was disappointed to see this 2" x 3" (wallet-sized photo) creme caramel flan with mandarin oranges and whipped cream. I was expecting something bigger as my mom and I finished it in two bites each. In all honesty, it tasted good. Bitin lang nga.

Overall, I would still come back and recommend the place. Just be sure to be in good company, as the service is quite slow. As for the menu, I requested for more choices as they only have seafood, one pork dish, and about four beef entrees. No chicken and vegetarian dishes :( Parking is also quite hard as well, but valet service is available.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Hot or Cold?

This is just too good to pass up. Folded and Hung has a buy-1-take-1 sale on swim wear, cover-ups, board shorts, hoodies and vests. How cool is that? Very!

Rainy days or sunny days ahead? We're still not sure. But one thing's for certain, the FnH sale will end August 2 or until supplies last. So, do head out to the nearest FnH branch and get your choice of the best pieces ASAP!

*Promo applicable on same item purchase
*Pay the item with the higher price
*Visayas-Mindanao stores not included

On your Mark, Get Set, Go!

It's the sale we've all been waiting for—and it starts TOMORROW! I got this text from super nice colleague and Store Specialist's PR Assistant Eliza Drilon-Luna recently:

Store Specialists, Inc/International Store Conecepts, Inc. invites you to the END of SEASON SALE of ZARA starting June 25, Thursday. Enjoy up to 70% off discount. Visit ZARA at Rockwell, Greenbelt 5, Glorietta, Mall of Asia, Shangri-la Plaza Mall & TriNoma. So, ladies, gents, gheys and kiddies, enjoy and shop (for me since I'm preggy and won't be able to enjoy the fabulous finds)! ;)

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Going Luca

It is no surprise that a lot of stylish mavens have opened virtual shops online, thanks to training from fashion schools such as School of Fashion and Arts (SoFA), Fashion Institute of the Philippines (FIP), and La Salle College international. But only a few brave souls have gathered up their strengths and resources to put up an actual store.

Luca is one of the local fashion retail brands that have withstood the scrutiny of local fashionistas, and has garnered quite a lot of praises from customers who have become fans of the trendy shop. What I like about its merchandise is that it offers versatility by giving us ladies more choices in terms of mixing and matching clothes. This way, you get more value from each item by coming up with different looks—all it takes is a little imagination and you’ll be able to extend the life span of each Luca piece.

What’s even more amazing is that it’s a one-stop shop for all your fashion needs. So whether you’re looking for something fierce for a corporate meeting, a sexy lounge outfit for a beach party, or an elegant cocktail dress for a fun night out, Luca surely has just the piece that you are looking for.

With the trio's good taste in clothes, and Milan's background in editorial and high-fashion work, it's no wonder I zoomed in on their advertising campaign photographs—love Milan's vision! You'll know what I mean with these photos posted below:

Your little black dress just got sexier.

Blue jersey dresses in flattering necklines.

Not-so-innocent whites.

Fierce colors! I love the red jumpsuit.

Black is power!

My fave, obviously, since they're all in pretty feminine shades :)

Here, we find out what the stylish trio behind Luca—Supreme's David Milan (and wing man of another schoolmate of mine, Tim Yap), model and real estate executive Divine Lee, merchandiser Fayinna Zaragoza—have in store for us:

Style Scout: Why the name Luca?
Fayinna Zaragoza: Divine met an adorable and charming kid named Luca when she went to Italy a few years back. She became so fond of him that she decided that if ever she would have a kid someday she would name it after him. It just so happens that her firstborn would be a retail store.

Style Scout: Who is the Luca girl?
Divine Lee: Someone who works hard and parties hard as well. The Luca girl is someone who’s sophisticated, classy and trendy at the same time.

Style Scout: How many pieces per design are made?
David Milan: We want to make sure that our customers will feel that what they buy from us is exclusive. So, with that, we produce limited pieces per design. Usually per design, we only carry two pieces per size for each store. Our sizes for women range from extra-small to extra large, while our men’s line ranges from small to extra-large.

Style Scout: What is your price range?
Luca: The store focuses on mixes of high-quality, locally-produced, broad assortment of relaxed career or polished casual looks or elegant, dressy merchandise at comparatively moderate price ranges from P1,800 to P5,000.

MB: Do you sell accessories too?
Luca: As of now, no, but we will later on expand our business and carry accessories and other goods for our product line.

* Luca is located at the Archaeology Area of Powerplant mall in Rockwell and the second floor of Eastwood Mall in Eastwood City. You can also visit their newly-opened branch (just this week!) at Shangri-la Plaza mall.

Monday, June 22, 2009

More to ENJOY

I missed a great event last Thursday, June 18. The launch of Enjoy card was held that day at Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street branch. Here are some pics though, as sent to me by the ever-sexy and pretty PR and events lady, Carmina Sanchez :)

The Enjoy teams from both Manila and Shanghai jumped for Enjoy!

Enjoy Manila partners Glecy Lopez-Go and Alfonso Sy show off bigger versions of the Enjoy card.

Karen Pamintuan and Sam YG gamely pose with the cards, as well.

Enjoy Live and Learn display exhibits by participating establishments were there to celebrate the launch. Yummy confections from Sweet Life by Ange were enjoyed by guests that night. How I wish I was there...

Complimentary back massages were also provided to those who want one, courtesy of Terra Wellness Spa.

Shopper's delight—Puey Quinones and Jun Escario pieces are offered at discounted prices. Just present your Enjoy privilege card.
*Photos by Arney Nucum

Here's a quick list of the participating establishments, but for more details, please visit their website at
http://www.enjoythebest.com.ph

MANILA Restaurants
Abe TriNoma
Balducci, Bistro Remedios, Bizu Patisserie and Cafe, Blackbeard's Seafood Island, Blu Fish
Cafe Adriatico, Cafe d'Asie, Cafe Havana Malate, Cav, Cesca Wine Cafe
Chateau 1771, Chef Laudico Bistro Filipino, Chef Laudico Culinary Services, Chelsea Market and Cafe
Chili's Chocolat, Claw Daddy, Cold Rock Ice Creamery, Crustasia, Cyma
Fish & Co., Fish Out of Water, Flapjacks, Fruit Majic
Gasthof, Guilly's
H & E Rockstar, Haagen Dazs, Harbor View, Hexagon Lounge
Italianni's, John and Yoko, Kabisera ng Dencio's
L'Opera, Larry's Cafe and Bar, Le Souffle, Lili, LIttle Asia, Lutong Macau
Machiavelli Chocolatier, Madison Grill, Marciano's Market Cafe, Max Brenner
Mr. Kurosawa, Museum Cafe, Myron's Place
New Orleans, NU.VO, Oliver's Super Sandwich
Padrino, Peri-Peri Grill House, Pho Hoa
Red Crab, Restaurant Cicou
Sentro 1771, Serye Cafe Filipino, Sizzlin' Pepper Steak, Sumo Sam, Super Bowl
Tea and Therapy, Ten Titas, Teriyaki Boy, T.G.I. Fridays, Thai Patio, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
The Fireplace, The Flying Pig, The Sweet Life by Ange, The White Hat
Tokyo Cafe, Tony Roma's, Trattoria Gourmet, UCC, Zing Juice Bar

MANILA Nightlife
Barcino, Embassy Superclub, Manor Superclub
Red Box Karaoke, The Mezzanine, The Music Bar

MANILA Shopping
300 Dive Bar, All Flip Flops, Arts of Asia
Bench, Chocolate Clothing Co., Crumpler
DIgital Hub, Digital Walker, Fully Booked
Golf King, Human, Ideal Vision
Janina, Jun Escario, No Curfew
Penshoppe, Puey Quinones and Sumdex

MANILA Health & Beauty
Belo Medical Group, Bikram Yoga Manila, Lay Bare Waxing Salon
Movement Dance Studio, Neo Spa, Red Corner Boxing
Terra Wellness Spa and Suriya Spa

MANILA Live & Learn
A.S.A.P, Instituto Cervantes, ME Nihongo

MANILA Travel
Abe's Farm, Adventure Bound, Crown Regency, Mayumi Resort
Microtel, Bellevue Manila, Ultimate Phil. Tours, Walk This Way Tour

CEBU and BORACAY
Abaca Hotel Cebu, Abaca Restaurant, Amuma Spa, anzani
Bellini, Big Mao, Blu Bar in Marco Polo, Chick-an, Crown Regency
Echo Electrical, Eye Center-Chong Hua Hospital, Executive Panel-Chong Hua Hospital
Fairways and Blue Water, Hola Espana and La Taverna
Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort, Microtel Inn, Nonki
Park Lane Hotel, Patio Pacific, Pino, Plantation Bay, Prana Medispa
Sky Experience, Tajimaya, The Gustavian, The Spa (Cebu), Tides Boracay and Wang Shan Lo

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