Pinkberry

Since I have been on a quest to eat healthy and be more fit, it has become a struggle for me to indulge in ice cream. After all, ice cream is among the top food that makes you fat. This is what made me finally try Pinkberry since it is yoghurt which makes it healthy and fat free.

I liked that their fruit is cut fresh daily since I hate frozen fruits. Since it was my first time to try their yoghurt, I asked for a recommendation and they suggested BLOOD ORANGE. At first I was like, "eh? You serious?" However I gave it a try (yes they let you sample it first) and I was convinced. Blood Orange was very refreshing and citrusy.

As toppings, I chose the mochi, pecan, and kiwi fruit. I should have opted for mango but kiwi was healthier. However, the taste was a little off but I took it all in.

I almost finished it. I just got the small one but I actually almost finished the entire thing and for someone who doesn't like yoghurt, I'd say that was pretty impressive. :) Pinkberry is located on the ground floor of Greenbelt 5 in Makati.

Etude Drawing Eyebrow

I recently bought this on an impulse shopping spree. I have been learning to draw my eyebrows but I am still looking for the perfect eyebrow maker ... one that is easy to apply and spread over without much effort. The others I had were very good but it took a lot of time. I wanted something that I can easily swipe and then just go.

It seems that my dreams have been answered with the Drawing Eyebrow of Etude. It has two parts, the brush and the actual pencil.

As you can see, it has a slanted tip which helps in forming the eyebrow. I loved this combination coz I can apply the slanted tips to my eyebrow and then use the brush to make it more even. With this pencil, it takes me less than 5 minutes to form my eyebrows.

Three different occasions and in all 3, my eyebrows are perfect. This is a dream come true for a makeup newbie like myself because it just makes things so much easier. Thank you Etude for coming up with this product. I shall now hoard at least 10 of these. Bdw, a pencil costs only Php149.

Game Night at Greenwich

I've never been really into game nights. Yes, I did geek fights in the past but I have never attended a game night. Truth be told, I never really got the idea of meeting at a friends house and then playing game night so when I was invited to a Game Night at the newly opened store in Greenwich Kanlaon, I was a little hesitant. However, I decided to give it a go and see what the fuss is about.

We played Resistance and it is a game where judgement, ability to lie and act is all a must. Initially, I did not get it but when I did, boy was I on game mode on. In fact, I am planning to buy this game and make my friends try it as well as my family because it was so much fun.

Now of course when you gather people around for a game, energies are spent and so we were lucky that Greenwich decided to provide us with pizza, pasta, fried chicken, and BEER. This is going to be available in the Kanlaon branch starting July 2015.

Game night at Greenwich was pure fun. I can't wait to organize my own and indulge in Greenwich Crispy Thins and Fried Chicken. Nomnomnom.

Clara Ole Potluck Party

One of the things that I used to dread were potluck parties. The need to cook something that would impress everyone and gather praise was just too overwhelming that I have learned to shy away from such invites. So when I received an invitation to a potluck party, my initial reaction was to say no. Thankfully, I gave this one a go and much to my surprise, I was able to have fun, gather tips on food photography, and even make a dish to share with everyone.

We were also asked to share a kitchen tip that we all swear by and this is mine.

These were some of the items that we used during the cook off.

Then they held a contest where we had to post a photo of our dish and the one with the most likes on Instagram wins. Guess who won?

This was the dish I made.

Thank you Clara Ole for inviting me and having me at your potluck party. It truly was a fun event.

stay with me ...

stay with me ...

If I had enough courage, I would say these three words to you. I would ask you to stay because you and I, we're good together. As you said, I am your happy moment. Time spent with me is time that you look forward to because I make you feel good and I make you laugh.

So stay with me ...

I know you can't. If I was gonna be unconditional, you shouldn't either. Something so much better is waiting out there for you. Someone much better will be there for you. It's not me. It can never be.

If I am going to be honest, I should run away from you as well. You're a mess. I can see that. I know that. However, the heart wants what it wants. My heart, it wants you. Unfortunately, your heart does not want me. I always manage to find someone who doesn't want me. I'm getting really good at that.

Stay with me ....

I can make you happy. I know that. You know that. But you won't ... I know that. You know that.

when a guy goes MIA ...

I have had my fair share of men telling me they were interested in me and then just dropping from the face of the Earth after a few weeks or sometimes, even days. I used to rack my brains and figure out what may have happened, if I had turned them off, or if I was boring. I used to wonder, "what did I do wrong?"

Then I realized ....

I deserve more than a smiley on Viber. I deserve a follow through to an "I really miss you." Hell, if the guy can't go out because he's having money issues or is really tied up on things, I deserve a phone call. Do not tell me you miss me and not make time to even drop by and visit.

If you have time to see your friends and hang out with them, you have time to see me. If you don't, then you're not that into me and I shouldn't waste my time on you. If you can't find it in your heart to make time to even call me, then I shouldn't waste my time on you either.

As the saying goes, "when you want something, you will move heaven and Earth to make it happen"  and "when you really don't want something, you will come up with a million excuses."

Maybe he did want me ... he just didn't TRULY want me. I was an entertainment ... someone fascinating because maybe he's never met someone like me and I amazed him but that was it. Nothing more; just that.

Yes he is a fool. I am an amazing girl and I have so much to offer which he will never know unless he actually gets his act together. He is a fool because I am most likely what he needed in a girl and he failed to see it. His loss, not mine. 

And now, I refuse to give a shit as well. Thank you.

Gellish Nail Polish

 I have never been a fan of nail polish, much less gel nail polish because it is very hard to take off and requires a fee to be removed. Since I'm not really into spending a lot of money for beauty and such, I thought it was a frivolous thing to do. I mean, who pays to remove nail polish?

However it seems that as with my relationship with make up,skin care, and hair care, things were about to change. I was about to embark and find myself falling in with the world of gel nail polish and discover why so many beauty enthusiasts were going gaga over it.

 This is the glow gel polish that I had last March 30. It has been through 2 beaches and 5 sessions of kickboxing and MMA nad it is still in perfect condition. Now I understand why girls go crazy over this. It really is long lasting and it doesn't chip. I mean, come on, I did kickboxing and punches with gloves and all and it still looked absolutely perfect. You gotta give that credit.

After it was taken off, I was very happy to see that my nails were still looking very fine and healthy even with the usage of gel polish. Afterwards, I chose an emerald green gel polish and for the first time, I am truly happy with the colors. I felt that it wasn't too green nor too over the top.

I can say that I am now a convert of gel polish and can't think of ever going back to regular gel polish.

One happy customer.

I am 1with Spotify

I have made it a point to avoid Spotify when it was first released. Having more than 23,000 songs on my iPOD, I didn't really see the need to have Spotify since I already had my own playlist based on my moods and what not. I thought to myself, why would I ever need to listen to Spotify?

This changed however when I went on vacation with a friend and they started playing music from their phones. It seems all of them had Spotify and they had really cool playlists that fit almost any "ambiance" or mood that we felt. When we were on the beach, they had a beach playlist and it was pretty chill.

At night when we went drinking, they also had those good vibes playlist and true to its name, it really was all good vibes. Spotify even has a "songs to sing in the shower" playlist and guess what? You really do sing these songs in the shower. AMAZING! I love it!

So when Spotify sent out invitations to their One Year Anniversary party, I was pretty excited to attend it. After all, as Spotify has stated:

" Spotify,the world’s most popular music streaming service, reveals that the Philippines is its second fastest-growing market globally as well as its biggest market in the Asia-Pacific region.

The music streaming service has struck a chord with music-loving Filipinos, celebrating a record-breaking 2.5 billion music streams from music fans across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao – the highest number of streams garnered from any Asian market a year from launch" 

Sunita Kaur, Managing Director of Spotify in Asia graced the event as well as Dan Horan, Senior Adviser for Consumer Business at Globe.They were both very happy because Spotify is not just another app that people use but something that most of them have already integrated in their life. 

"To celebrate its success in the Philippines and its continued support for OPM artists, Spotify is also set to launch the first-ever Spotify Sessions in the Philippines featuring alternative rock band Hale, who is staging their much-awaited comeback this year. Giving music fans more exclusive content and enabling local artists to showcase their talent on the global stage, Spotify Sessions is a series of intimate and exclusive performances by today’s most exciting artists, recorded and mixed to the highest professional standards." 

I got a premium account for 6 months and the music lover in me is very excited to discover what Spotify has to offer. At the very least, it will definitely give me ideas for my own playlist and so far, its been Day 2 and counting and I am loving all that Spotify has to offer. Now, I can say, I am #1withSpotify. 

with my Spotify headphones

 

Radiance Lift Facial

I have been going to and from events left and right and I have been lacking sleep. Eventhough it doesn't really show much on my face because Luminisce takes great care of my skin, I knew that I was in for a facial already. Long overdue to be honest so I went to Luminisce and scheduled myself for a Radian Lift Facial which was one of their latest offerings.

before the facial

So this facial had 3 steps to it and the first one is the OxyGlow. This is when oxygen is infused in the skin to give it more glow and refresh the skin.

They also did RF on my face to tighten the skin and lift it. It was very soothing and relaxing. I could actually feel the muscles on my face clam up and days later, I feel the tightness but its not an awkward kind of tight where you can't move your face anymore. It's just tighter, younger looking skin and this matters since I am already in my mid-30s.

As you can see, I had absolutely no make up when I attended my events after the facial but my skin looks radiant. People actually thought I had foundation on because it was glowing. Once again, I am impressed with the treatments made by Luminisce. You always manage to bring out the inner goddess hiding inside with your skin care treatments.

Juju Eats

One of the lifestyle changes that I have made since I decided to go on a road to fitness was my eating habit. From muching mindlessly on nachos and the like, I now choose salad, veggie sticks, whole wheat, and the like when I eat. So when I chanced upon Juju Eats, my curiosity got the better of me and I asked my friend if we could just eat there. Thankfully, he said yes.

When we got inside I started taking photos after we ordered. My friend was weirded out because it was apparently the first time he's seen a food blogger in action. I explained to him what we do and asked him to take this photo. He obliged.

I liked that you could see what was happening to your food and how they were prepping it. Everything was very sanitary and well prepared.  This was a major plus for me especially since it was my first time to actually eat in a place like that. Truth be told, I felt like a complete fake when I was seated there since I have never really been a fan of healthy eating but hey, things change.

Now they have an option for people who may be a little picky but for me, this was just confusing. I opted for the pesto pasta while my friend chose the tuna pasta.

The pesto pasta was very good. I loved that they had enough pesto in it but that it wasn't oily at all. It was like the pasta was rolled on the pesto and left to absorb then cooked. It was really good.

The tuna pasta my friend had was pretty good as well. I didn't eat a lot of it since he sprinkled chili on it but I liked that it had actual tuna flakes on it that you can actually bite and chew.

Since I was there, I had to try one of their drinks. I didn't go for the famous Atomic Bomb since I still had events to go to after. I opted for the Nutmilk Latte which was made of pure cashew. It was pretty okay. I wasn't overly impressed. This one would definitely be a one time thing for me.

Overall, Juju Eats would definitely be a place I can see myself going back to since they offer healthy options at pretty decent rates. This branch we visited is located along Pasong Tamo Extension.

YawyanxLuminisce

So the 2nd week of my quest to fitness has come and gone. Yawyan Alasan and Luminisce are both aiding me in this and I can definitely say that there have been major changes in my life because of this.

I used to love drinking 3in1 coffee and munching on junk foods. When I had food reviews, I would gorge on the food and when I attend events, I would eat or try everything on sight. I would give in to any cravings I have and tell myself it's okay. I had no exercise whatsoever.

Now, I choose what I drink and what I eat. I go for water now or fresh juice (not mango though.) I would choose brewed coffee over the creamier one. Instead of junk food, I would eat green vegetables. When I do food reviews, I would have a bite of each dish and savor it. I work out at least 4x a week and get treatments to aid in my weight loss journey.

Before, you couldn't make me wear shorts because my thighs were just too ugly. Now, I was able to take this shot. TADA!

No I still do not have the thigh gap nor do I want to get one but at least my thighs actually look pretty decent in this shot right? I am so happy because I am only on Day 8 of my Yawyan and Session 3 of RF treatments with Luminisce and I can already see progress. PROGRESS!!!

I'll keep you posted in the coming weeks and months. Do join me in my road to fitness and if you have tips, please feel free to drop a comment. Thank you. :)

Remington, UK Hair Care Brand, is here!

I have recently fallen in love with hair care products and the results on my hair have been really nice. It's shinier, softer, and easily manageable. I know I sound like a shampoo commercial product right there but it really is the truth and if you follow me on Instagram, you'd see photos of me showing off my hair because it really has become worthy of a selfie or rather, hairfie.

When I heard that Remington, a well known hair care product from the UK was launching in the Philippines, I was very excited. When I received the invitation, I was ecstatic. After all, this is something that I can definitely use and use it I shall.

The venue looked like it was straight out of a movie. The walls were illuminated so it looked like we were on top of a building looking out into the city. It was impressive so to speak.

“We are excited to bring to the Philippines the most trusted brand in hair care, grooming, depilation, and shaving. Remington is a brand that has been around for more than 70 years, in 85 countries. Remington products are not just about exceptional quality, it brings forth a transformation for its users – giving them the confidence that comes from looking their best and being ready for anything,” said Clarence Cu, president of Tocoms Philippines, the exclusive distributor of Remington.

Started in 1937, the Remington brand first rolled out shavers for women who wanted to keep their legs and underarms hair-free without having to pluck – an extremely tedious task to be done regularly. When it introduced plug-free shavers in 1960, Remington established itself as a pioneer in the hair grooming technology.

In the last decade, Remington launched the world’s first body hair trimmer, an Intense Pulse Light machine for home use, and a touch-control beard trimmer.

The product line of Remington for shaving is one of the most popular in the world. Developed in its research and development facilities in the United States and Europe, Remington shavers are known to be innovative and highly-efficient.

The Remington grooming line for men includes shavers and body hair trimmers that have been designed to deliver several options for shaving lengths – from smooth to a one-inch stubble. Designed with the latest innovations, the grooming line for men also caters to the peculiar needs of men’s body and facial hair, giving consumers the best grooming experience.

Female depilation need not be a horror story with the Remington product line that aims to give the smoothest result without the pain. Understanding the dynamics of hair care has enabled Remington depilation products to give the best experience for its consumers.

I have their Remington Pro-Spiral Curler and I am very excited to do a product review on it. I know that I look much better with  curly hair so I'm really looking forward to it.