Friday, July 31, 2009

Sales to Check Out at The Fort

Status Magazine's Yard Sale at the Embassy tomorrow, 11am-7pm. Entrance fee: P100

Theodore's at Boni High Street is going to have a major moving out sale starting tomorrow, too!

For every Single Receipt purchase worth:

Php10,000++ you get an additional 10% off on top of your purchase.

Php20,000++ you get an additional 15% off on top of your purchase.

Php30,000++ you get an additional 20% off on top of your purchase.

*Mich Dulce SS09 is not included in this promo

A Special Shoe Celebration

After posting and proclaiming to the world my love for Melissa's Ashanti boots,

and seeing this cute ad campaign of theirs, I just had to have them! The ladies from Melissa were so kind enough to let me get first dibs on their Ashanti's, and take home my top two color picks for me to decide which to get at the comforts of my home. Teehee...

It was a toss up between blue (but I thought it was a bit bland/muted for my taste) and...

red, which I've been leaning towards to and finally gave in to :o *silent kilig scream* I've always been attracted to colors and this would go well with a hot pair of leggings/stir-ups/skinnies. I can't wait to show them off :D They also come in black, red velour, black velour and brown velour, FYI. But this post is not just about the newest member of my shoe closet, it's about Melissa's 30th anniversary. Can you believe it's been 30 years?

Get your fave Melissa shoes at special prices ONLY for this weekend—Saturday and Sunday—at the 5th floor, Rustan's Makati. As an added treat, you'll get a Melissa keychain (not for sale) with a minimum purchase of P5,000. You can also view the 2009 Fall/Winter and 2010 Spring/Summer collections, too! Something to drool over are their latest collaborated designs such as:

Zaha Hadid's space-age-inspired shoes. I've been dreaming of this one *sigh*

Zaha Hadid was born in Iraq and graduated with a degree in Mathematics (woah!), and pursued her dream of becominga famous architect. The above pic is one of her works. You can obviously see the resemblance of the shoe and this bar structure.


Designer Karim Rashid's textured wedges. He's a New York-based Egyptian designer that has worked with the greats
like Prada, Giorgio Armani, and Sony to name a few.


Vivienne Westwood Anglomania's latest style is this elevated 3-strap pair. Funky!

Do join in on the celebration and feast your eyes on these jelly babies this weekend at Rustan's Makati. Now is also a great time to purchase one (or more!) of them at special price offerings. I'm pretty sure they're too good to resist. See you all there. Congratulations and a very happy birthday to Melissa! ;)

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Beautifully Saving Earth

I did a story on mood-lifting beauty products just over a month ago, and Jurlique was so nice to give me their Rosewater Balancing Mist to try. To those who are not familiar with Jurlique, it's a 20-year-old Australian company that uses "biodynamic farming methods to create products that nourish each individual's emerging beauty by restoring and maintaining healthy-looking skin." Made of natural ingredients, they're just about perfect for all skin types.

A whiff of this mist already puts me in a better mood, with its mixed scent of delicious marshmallow and fragrant rose essences. Both contribute to restoring, toning and hydrating your skin as well. The people from Jurlique also recommended that I store this in the fridge for an extra cooling effect.

Use it as a toner, and all throughout the day, if you like. I recommend that you try it before you purchase one of these tonics. The Jurlique stores in Greenbelt and Power Plant Mall have available testers for you :) You can even spritz on a few, and walk around as you wait for the "results" and go back and buy it if you like.

If you love the mist and are willing to try the whole skincare range, they have an introductory set, P3,998. It consists of a foaming cleanser, daily exfoliating cream, balancing mist, recovery gel, and day care cream. Jurlique gets extra brownie points for their packaging, as all of the boxes and cartons are 100% recyclable, too!

So, if this post got you curious about the brand, tomorrow is a great day to check out the goods—there's a private sale at their Greenbelt branch. Up to 70% off, from 6-9pm only! Grab this chance to buy your fave skincare products; it's also a great opportunity to try a few new ones. Do take note that the store will be slightly covered, but that doesn't mean that the sale is open only to their loyal VIP clienteles. Everyone can go in. So, do try to head out right after work. Or you can always go later to "do your research" first ;)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Bright Brigade

I've been quite shy when it comes to putting bold lip colors, but I recently gathered up the courage to try on a few. And with this new-found liking to bright lippies, I proposed a beauty story to my boss in Manila Bulletin on these eye-popping lipsticks. I hope this photos below inspire you to try something new ;) Here they are below:

HOT PINK - Fuchsia pink lips shows that you have a playful sweet side. Blue undertones whitens your teeth as well. On model: Shu Uemura pink collection in PK369.
Try: M.A.C. Lip Gloss in Crazy Haute, Glorietta; Shu Uemura Pink collection in PK 369, Power Plant Mall; The Body Shop lipstick in 69, The Podium.


FIERY RED - Powerful confident women love having red-colored lips. A fire-engine red is your safest bet that matches all skin tones. On model: Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited in 128.

Try: Elianto Spa Lipstick in Royal Red, available in most SM malls; ModelCo lipstick in True Red, Beauty Bar, Power Plant Mall; Max Factor Silk Gloss in Cashmere Red, available in most SM department stores.


HAPPY ORANGE - Orange lips might be too much to handle, but do try going a notch lower with sexy coral shades. On model: Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited in 581.

Try: Max Factor lipstick in Pearl Orange, available in most SM department stores; Guerlain Rouge in Gina, Rustan’s Makati; Revlon Crème Gloss in Crush on Coral, available in most SM department stores.


URBAN PURPLE - Go for sexy goth in dark or acid purple tints—a refreshing fun option to your usual dark wine red lips. On model: Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited in Purple 050.

Try: M.A.C. lipstick in Purple Rite and M.A.C. lip gloss in Fierce & Fabulous, both available in Glorietta; The Face Shop Color Shimmer Lipstick in PP403, available in most Robinsons malls.

So, which lip color will you try? ;)

*Photography by DIX; Makeup by Ding Espinosa of Shu Uemura; Hairstyling by Elaine Ganuelas for L'Oreal Professionnel; Model: Sai Manzano of Victo Rio

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Art-Infused Beauty Bottles

I’ve always loved manga (Japanese comics) and anime. Many summer nights were spent watching series and reading illustrated books with my younger brothers. It’s no wonder that I’ve always been biased to anything that’s Japanese made, and I’ve never outgrown my love for anything cute.

It’s been a while since Shu Uemura came up with a delightful limited collection of cleansing oils—last time was a few years back with artist Ai Yamaguchi. I still have the bottles and the boxes to prove how much of a fan I am: they’re truly limited edition works-of-art. So you can imagine the look on my face when I found out about this new collaboration with manga artist Moyoco Anno. To those who don’t know her, she is quite famous for her comics and most of them were adapted into TV series: both popular among men and women in Japan.

July marks the arrival of this special collection, with five lovely adorable ladies named the Kamon Girls imprinted on each of the five cleansing oils. These Kamon Girls represent a kamon crest; a thousand-year-old design tradition that Anno successfully translated and preserved in these bottles with a cute twist!

There’s a story behind every bottle and Kamon girl to make things even more endearing and enticing! Read all about these ladies, and find out which cleansing oil suits you best below. The information below is taken from Shu Uemura's press release:


high performance balancing cleansing oil fresh (recommended for oily to combination skin)

The delicate chrysanthemum adorning the fresh cleansing oil is Japan’s most symbolic bloom—it is the motif used as the kamon of the emperor. While the flower is most common in shades of yellow and white, Moyoco Anno opted for a completely new look – a pink palette to give the image a youthful, blushing bouquet. Inspired by the Cherry Extract within the cleansing oil, she also created a cute cherry blossom kamon.

The pure and innocent Sakurako sits between these floral icons of Japan. She is a blossom of charm and purity. Sakurako is in Tokyo’s Ueno park on the way backc from a friend’s wedding, dressed in her best komono. She enjoys the stylish springtime tradition of viewing bursts of breathtaking cherry blossoms at night. She was conceived in Moyoco Anno’s mind as an icon of all that is cute.


high performance balancing cleansing oil enriched (recommended for dry skin conditions)

With a bold palette of orange and black, this unique package emphasizes a completely different dimension of Japanese design. Moyoco Anno’s background motif for this bottle is an eye-catching checkered pattern drawn from traditional kimono textiles. Inspired by the enriched cleansing oil’s orange tone, the kamon symbol is formed by leaves of the mandarin fruit.

Inside the kamon is the energetic and strong-willed Tamaki. Her straight, long hair and bangs hark back to traditional images of Japanese female beauty, while encapsulating the vividness of this cleansing oil. Tamaki lives in a luxurious mansion in one of Tokyo’s most exclusive residential areas, Den-en-Chofu and enjoys playing with her dog in her landscaped backyard.


high performance cleansing oil advanced formula—classic (excellent for all skin conditions)

Leaves and vines playfully intertwine in Moyoco Anno’s design for the classic cleansing oil, which also features heart-shaped flower petal icons shimmering in delicate pink. In one of the series’ most sophisticated visual themes, she says she wanted to communicate the idea of “brilliance”. Tsuruha, a serene girl with bobbed hair represents her happiness and fulfillment.

Tsuruha sparkles as she drifts through the streets of Tokyo, attending a performance fo the traditional Japanese theatrical art of Kabuki with her mother and enjoying an afterenoon of shopping in the posh Ginza district.


cleansing beauty oil premium a/o (for skin with signs fo aging or fatigued skin condition)

The A/O cleansing oil – her first creation for the range – was intended as the harmonizing image, and she took inspiration from her immediate surrounds. A magnificent Japanese pine, inspired by the A/O cleansing oil’s deep, austere green dominates the rest of the image in an eye-catching shade of red.

The reserved and elegant Matsuno represents the subtle power of this design, and a more mature Japanese woman. She adores nature, but her shyness contrasts with the pine’s dynamism. Here, Moyoco Anno depicts Matsuno lovingly manicuring her bonsai plants on her balcony ini Tokyo’s fashionable Azabu-Juban district.


white recovery EX+ brightening cleansing oil (for skin with concerns about dullness, UV damage, and spots)

Purple Wisteria, known for its longevity and fertility, is a frequent theme in ancient Japanese poetry and exuberant green brings to mind the youth and vitality of fresh leaves; a common color combination in traditional Japanese designs. For shu uemura’s brightening cleansing oil, Moyoco Anno united these shades as key design elements.

She created coquettish Katsura who, through side parted hair that nearly covers one eye she seems flirts away, intent on stealing hearts from inside the kamon. She is as mysterious and alluring, as the duality expressed in the purple and green combination. Katsura enjoys an exhibition of antique furniture from the early Showa period at Tokyo’s Teien Metropolitan Museum of Art in Shirokane.


Hmm... if I were to choose a Kamon girl, it would be the last one—Katsura hihi... She looks the most lady-like and polished. And I love the design of the bottle the most, next to the pink one for its floral theme ;) How about you?

*These cleansing oils are only available for a limited time, so do hurry and visit Shu Uemura kiosks in Rustan’s Makati and Shangri-la Malls or Rockwell Power Plant Mall. Another good reason to purchase them, other than the cuteness of the bottle, is that their cleansing oils are a cult favorite all over the world. Obviously, I am part of that cult. The pricing might be a bit steep, but a bottle can last you more than a year. Just a few pumps, mixed with water, and your face will be squeaky clean ;)

Monday, July 27, 2009

One-Up for this Onesie

I had to go out last Friday for a quick errand at Shangri-la Plaza Mall, and couldn't resist not dropping by Zara since it went on a further marked down sale. I didn't have much time to look around when I got there, so I asked a sales staff where theIR rompers/onesies were—it's one of the pieces I've been eyeing, and probably the only outfit that can fit my post-preggy body. Can you guess how much I got this for?

It's such a steal at only P995! I didn't know it went that LOW until I paid for it, since they were still fixing the price tags when I was there. From P2750, it went down to P1350; and I was only too happy to find out that I only had to pay for P995. Score!!! *pardon the background of the photo above, this was taken inside our bathroom :o*

Now, the real purpose of this post is not to show off my find, though it is a good one ;) I wanted to share with you the many ways you can wear this romper to give it more mileage.

First: the standard way

Second: The straps are quite wide, so I draped them down on my arms for a more demure look.

Third: halter. I just criss-crossed the straps :)

Fourth: Venus neckline. I pulled one of the straps to the other side, and twisted the two straps, for an asymmetrical look.
One-shoulders are very in trend now.

Fifth: Variation of the one-shoulder neckline. I pulled down one of the straps to drape my arms :)

This is how I'd wear it, because I have bigger arms now (still not back to my pre-preggy weight). I paired it with a striking hot pair of Melissa T-strap jelly wedges an extra boost of color (to liven up a washed-out gray outfit). The wedges lengthen your body as well, since rompers (most especially in jodhpur style that's loose and big) will make you look shorter. Flats would only work on slim and/or tall ladies.

I hope this post inspired you to play with your clothes. Don't just take the clothes as is OR how they're presented to you by the shops. There are so many ways to wear and pair them; nothing's set in stone. See where each piece/outfit takes you, that's the fun in dressing up. Enjoy!

Discounts from the Beauty Hub

The Body Shop has a new batch of products that are being sold at "promo" prices:

Buy 1 at 10% off; buy 2 or more at 20% off on ALL SKIN CARE ranges (except soap and lip care).
Save 40% on TEA TREE OIL, CONCEALER and BLEMISH GEL.
Save 40% on GRAPESEED GLOSSING SERUM
Save 20% on BROW & LINER-KIT and MASCARAS
Save 40% on FLAWLESS FOUNDATION
Save P300 on MINERAL BLUSH and MINERAL MAKEUP
Save 20% on COCOA BUTTER range
Buy any 2 at P495 on BATH SHOWER GELS
Save P100 on WELL-BEING range

Love Your Body Members get 15% off when you buy 1, or 25% off for 2 or more—on all skin care range.

Plus, a new look for their best seller Tea Tree Oil range. About the new and improved line:

"The range features tamanu oil which has traditionally been used to promote healthy-looking skin. It also has fantastic skin-moisturising properties. Lemon tree oil is also featured in these products, giving them an unbeatable zesty fragrance. Enjoy visible results with these clinically and dermatological tested products and get that confidence boost!"

"Tea Tree products feature Community Trade organic tea tree oil from Kenya, an ingredient renowned for its antibacterial benefits—an infusion perfect to help blemished skin! The Body Shop ® sources this ingredient through the unique Community Trade fair trade programme where it’s cultivated by expert farmers living and working at the foothills of Mount Kenya."

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