5 Things about the Samsung Galaxy Note 9

We're always on the lookout for a new phone but the one phone that I have always wanted to have was the Samsung Galaxy Note series. I could never get it because I am a single Mom who needs to be practical but for those who can afford it, here are some of the things that I actually love about the Galaxy Note 9 which is the latest model from this powerhouse brand.

1. It's lavander. I know this may be flimsy but lavander is a favorite color of mine and since I hold my phone all the time, having it in a color that actually brings me joy would be such a plus.

2. This phone allows to connect passion with creativity.  One of the ambassadors of the new Galaxy Note 9 is Heart Evangelista and she is all about her passion and creativity. I stalk her on her IG stories and love when she shows off her outfit for the day using her lavander Samsung phone.

Heart is eager to unlock the power of creativity to inspire meaningful change. “Throughout my travels and ventures, I have witnessed the power of art, ideas, and passion to move people and make them do wonderful things. Through my Galaxy Note9, I wish to showcase that ability and share my enthusiasm for life with others.”

With the Connected Bluetooth S Pen, it becomes easier for the actress not only to create works of art when she is on-the-go, but also control her phone and capture inspiration. Aside from doing sketches and jotting down ideas, she can use the S Pen as a clicker to take better photos, browse through her phone’s gallery and design pegs, and even activate various applications. Lasting for around 200 clicks or 30 minutes of continued use, the S Pen only needs 40 seconds inside the Galaxy Note9 to charge back to full power, allowing Heart to use it anytime, anywhere with ease.

3. Ultimate Performance. Since I am always on my phone working and sending out emails, proposals, and basically doing research, the 4000 mAh battery life is really helpful to me. I hate charging my phone over and over again throughout the day so if I can cut it down to one charging, I am all for it. 

4. Big Screen. This one is a definite must for me since I binge watch a lot of series. The big screen gives me the feeling of watching it on a mini TV which heightens my experience and the sound that the Galaxy Note 9 emits is a big plus. 

5. Camera. As with anything, I use my phone to take photos nowadays. The camera functions of the Galaxy Note 9 is more than enough to satisfy the shutterbug in me. 

 The Galaxy Note9 will be available on August 24 at a suggested retail price of PHP 55,990 (128GB). The 512GB variant, priced at Php 75,990, is exclusively for pre-order only. For more information, visit the Samsung Facebook page or log on to samsung.com/ph . 

Review: Herbal Precious Pillow

We've all heard about how herbal precious pillows are meant to soothe your aches if you have body pain or severe menopause. In fact, when you look up herbal pillows, it's almost the only thing that you will see posted about it. It seems that herbal pillow = aching pain.

For me though, I found other uses for the Herbal Pillow. You see, I made the mistake of taking it out of it's container one time and leaving it on my desk. When I came back to the room after an hour, the room was filled with a wonderful relaxing aroma.

Apparently, it also makes for a wonderful and effective room freshener.

I've also found that if you place it beside your pillow when you have a hard time sleeping, the scent will lull you to sleep. Yes, it's also something that you can use to ease your sleeping problems.

What's also good about this herbal pillow is the fact that it helps with blood circulation and relieves stress. I use it when I put up my feet against the wall. It holds because of the velcro belt and it really eases the blood stimulation and circulation which in turn eases my stress.

I love that this product is multi-purpose. It's not simply meant for aching joints and pains but it alo helps ease things for me mentally, spiritually, and physically. Definitely worth every peso spent if you ask me.

You can buy this at Lazada.

To see my first impressions, see below.

PALMOLIVE EXPERTIQUE and Salon Beautiful Hair

They say your hair is supposed to be your crowning glory so if your hair is in constant disarray, then glory is not within your reach. With the heat from the sun, dirt from pollution, and constant humidity, maintaining salon beautiful hair is almost impossible in Manila.

Most of the time, I opt to put my hair in a bun just to keep my unruly hair in place. A month ago, I was able to try the Palmolive Expertique set.

I personally love the fruity scent that it leaves on my hair. It makes me feel like my hair is fresh smelling all the time. I just don't like that it doesn't lather up as much as I would like my shampoo to do so. For me, there's just something about a really good lather when I am shampooing.

Palmolive EXPERTIQUE^TM puts to fore their latest in hair care technology. The products in this new line that are infused with activated Kera-Ceramide Serum (KCS), contain technology that offers the powerful combination of Keratin and Ceramides, nourishing hair from the inside out.

The new Palmolive EXPERTIQUE^TM product line consists of three variants of shampoo and conditioner: REVITALISTE which is infused with activated KCS, Biotin and Hyaluronic for normal to dry hair to enhance hair vitality and natural movement; SMOOTHIQUE with activated KCS and Rare Oil Complex for frizzy, flyaway hair to align, tame, and add control to hair strands; and RESILIENTE, which has activated KCS and Arginine for damaged or over-treated hair to reconstruct and fortify hair against damage.

Complementing the shampoo and conditioner to complete the regimen are three hair treatments: the Intensive Hair Mask that hydrates and helps restore strength and elasticity of dry, damaged hair; the Beautifying Hair Oil which provides intense nutrition for enhanced shine and silkiness of hair; and the Anti-Frizz Serum that protects hair against frizz and flyaways.

Palmolive EXPERTIQUE^TM makes it possible for Filipino women to step out of their homes with salon-beautiful on a daily basis, giving them that added boost of confidence and making them more empowered to take charge of their goals, their achievements, and their beauty. Brand endorser and top model Maureen Wroblewitz shares, “Just like the majority of women out there, I too desire to have salon-beautiful hair everyday, and not just when I’m coming from a shoot or a runway show. With Palmolive EXPERTIQUE^TM, I am my own hair expert. I am able to take charge of not only my beauty, but my everyday too. With Palmolive EXPERTIQUE^TM, I can OWN IT.”

I have started owning it as well and you can see that from my photos below. 

You too can own a salon beautiful hair with Palmolive Expertique. 

4 Great Places to Listen to Music Online

Trying to find places online that will let you kick back and listen to some great music?

To be honest nowadays there are tons of websites and platforms that serve up

free music in different shapes and sizes, and it can be a bit daunting to choose from

among them.

Still if you’d like to start to listen to music online right here and right now, there are

4 great options that you should consider:

Spotify

Arguably one of the most popular platforms out there, Spotify has millions upon

millions of songs by most popular artists, and can be played through a web browser,

mobile device, or desktop software.

One of its standout features is the ability to browse playlists that others create and

discover new music in the process.

Although Spotify makes it free to listen to music, if you want the ad-free experience

you’ll need a monthly subscription that will also let you skip songs, stream high

quality music, and download any songs you want to.

Pandora

One of the most unique places to listen to music online has got to be Pandora.

Essentially you can enter an artist, composer, or music and the website’s algorithm

will come up with an online radio station based on what it thinks you’d like to listen to.

More often than not Pandora is spot on with its recommendations, making it a great way to discover

new music from artists you may have never even heard of. It is free, but there is a

monthly subscription to access its other features such as better audio quality,

desktop program, no ads or offline listening.

SoundCloud

Anyone can upload music to SoundCloud, and anyone can listen to it – that’s part

of its beauty. It boasts a large collection of music from amateurs, enthusiasts,

and up and coming artists and you can either browse by genre or listen to what’s

trending.

There is a subscription available for an ad-free experience that will let you to listen

to tracks offline and gives you access to premium tracks from artists.

iHeartRadio

Imagine a website that lets you listen to radio stations online, and build your own

radio station as well. That is exactly what iHeartRadio does, and you can browse

its stations by city or genre, or build a custom radio station based on the type of

music that you’d like to listen to.

Some of the features are locked behind a paywall, and you’ll need the subscription if

you want to play specific songs skip songs, build unlimited playlists, listen offline, or

replay music on the radio.

It should be noted that these websites won’t really let you download music, but do

provide offline listening via their service. If you want to actually save a track you need

a way to rip music from SoundCloud, Spotify, Pandora or iHeartRadio – such as with

Movavi Screen Recorder.

Just remember that there are copyright concerns when it comes to downloading music

in this fashion. However if you just listen to it on these online platforms or use the

offline listening services – you needn’t worry about them.

Eslite and Gluthathione

Let's all be clear. Gluthathione is actually not meant for whitening your skin. The whitening effect is a simple side effect. Gluthathione is so much more than that.

Glutathione is a tripeptide found in every cell of the body. It is critical to preserving cellular integrity, and essential for optimal health. Glutathione is often called the "master antioxidant" and is essential for healthy immune function, the bodies detoxification processes, and more.

Glutathione not only neutralizes free radicals by itself. This antioxidant also has the ability to reactivate other antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E.* After antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E neutralize free radicals, they become unstable radicals themselves. Glutathione helps recycle these unstable molecules, returning them to active duty and extending their abilities to scavenge for and neutralize oxidants.

The problem with Gluthathione is that it's quite expensive to get. If you aim for the IV drip, it'll cost you back at least 4k per session. A little bit steep on the budget if you ask me. Thankfully, I was introduced to Eslite and their claim is that they are THE GAME CHANGER.

I've been drinking it for 2 weeks now and I can honestly say that even without enough sleep, I have not gotten sick, my skin looks brighter, and I feel energized. This photo was taken yesterday and I only did my brows and a little lipstick. As you can see, my skin looks like it's glowing.

Eslite is made with two ingredients. The first is S-Acetyl Glutathione, which acts as a protective layer once it gets into your digestive system. It only releases the glutathione once it’s in the body’s cells.

The second ingredient is superoxide dismutase or SOD is a top primary antioxidant that comes from a special breed of cantaloupe melons that only grow in the South of France.

You only have to take it once a day as is, and you won’t need to take any vitamins with it since it fully absorbs in itself. You get 250mg of product from each pill, the right amount your body needs to digest for it to be effective. It’s affordable, too! One bottle with 30 capsules retails for Php1,950.

Ready to try a new form of glutathione? Visit their Facebook page to order. Éslite glutathione will be available in Mercury Drug Store and Watsons by September 2018.

Finally ready to give this #supplement a try because a good friend recommended it. Hoping for really good results with this one so that I can stay healthy and fresh all the time. #esliteitup #fresh #lesliteirup

A post shared by Kathy Kenny (宝云) (@mskathykenny) on Aug 10, 2018 at 7:25am PDT

10 Things you need to try at NIU by Vikings Podium

We all have our go to food pieces when we go eat at a buffet. Sometimes though, the ones that you look for are not available and that sucks big time. When you go to a buffet, there is an expectation that you will be filled and almost anything that you want will be there.

NIU by Vikings understands this and has made sure that it has one of the widest variety of dishes available to it's dining patrons. Here is a list of my personal favorites that I recommend you try when you dine at NIU by Vikings.

1. Tempura

2. Chawan Mushi

3. Sushi and Maki

5. Seafood

6. Cheese.

7. Baked Oyster

8. Chinese roasted goodies.

9. Steak. Lots of steak.

10. SIP. This water comes from volcano so it is infused with a lot of minerals that is good for your body.

M and I had our tummies filled with so much food. You can have the same experience when you visit NIU by Vikings at Podium Ortigas.

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Chocolicious goodnessfrom Tim Hortons

August has been a bit of a cray cray when it comes to the weather. One day it's blistering heat and the next day, you find yourself gearing for a flash flood and really heavy rains. It's enough to make anyone go bonkers and sometimes, it really affects the mood.

Thankfully, Tim Hortons has something to help you chase the blues away just in time for Chocolate Month. Yes, August is actually chocolate month and  Canadian coffee shop Tim Hortons honors this by introducing their new limited edition Chocolicious Donut and White Hot Chocolate which would definitely satisfy the sweet tooth in everyone!

What I loved about this Chocoliscious donut is the fact that when you bite it, there's actually another surprise for you. It's also not too much of an overload because you can keep eating one donut after the other. The sweetness is present but not overwhelming.

The Chocolicious donut has white fondant filled with sinfully good chocolate brownie filling, topped with bittersweet dark chocolate flakes. This pastry goes well with White Hot Chocolate, a rich beverage with milky notes and whipped cream.

As for the White Hot Chocolate, this is caffeine free so it's safe to be consumed by kids and those who do not want any caffeine. As for me, I got the Red Velvet Latte among others because it had espresso in it.

If you can't get enough still, then go for Tim Hortons' other chocolicious treats like the Double Chocolate Fudge Donut, Triple Chocolate Muffin, Choco-Chip Muffin, and Choco-Glazed Timbits. Lastly, wash it all down with Tim Hortons® Hot Chocolate or their signature cool down, Frozen Hot Chocolate.

I also tried the Steak Panini which is now a favorite and the Chicken Panini which is good for those who want to have a light lunch. As you can see on the photo, I also got my favorite Boston Cream from Tim Hortons. I just can't pass up the chance.

What's your favorite Tim Horton's drink or pastry?

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on breakfast and baon

For the first few years of B's school life, I have delegated his breakfast and baon to the house help. I know I know. I'm not a "good" Mom but this was because I worked a lot outside the house.

Now that I am home based and with flexible hours too, I've started cooking and preparing breakfast for B as well as K and even M when possible. It's been a struggle at times coz I need to make sure that there is a variety of items that I serve B so he doesn't get "sawa."

So far, here are some of the stuff that he loved.

Eggs, hashbrown, tuna sandwich seems to be a favorite.

Lily's Peanut Butter is another favorite.

Tim Horton's Hot Chocolate in hot and cold versions are another winner.

This one is a recommendation from M. Bear Brand's Strawberry Milk is definitely a favorite. Tang Juice Drink is my recommendation because I grew up with it.

Champorado will always be a classic.

The ensaymada from Family Mart has become a favorite in my house.

Lady's Choice Sandwich Spread and Nescafe is perfect together. Don't worry, the coffee is for me.

M loves this one.

I've also been using my Philips Fruit Shaker to make sure B gets his daily dose of fruits.

I'm still very new to this but I think I have happy customers. Do you have more ideas? Let me know!

Are Ripped Jeans Still in Fashion?

We will always have the distressed fashion trend from the 70s to thank for merging edginess with an easy laid back style. If the fashionistas out there are aiming for a cool and casual look, ripped jeans are a definite no-brainer—we have the Kardashians to thank for that! The style icons have proved that the shredded fashion staple can be worn for various occasions, from casual afternoons to nights out on the town (we see you Kanye during the MET Gala!).

But how wearable are ripped jeans exactly in Manila? And just how long is this trend here to stay? As the years pass, more distressing seems to be added to denim and pantlegs. While these are a definite head-turner, the pants lose their main functions of covering our lower extremities, leaving us a little cold down there (Yikes!). With the Philippines’ erratic weather, overly distressed jeans may not be the best bet especially during the rainy season.

The undeniable upside with getting a pair of pre-distressed jeans is that they can compliment just about any outfit, no matter what the occasion. They look fresh and chic with loose tees, tank tops, and even your boyfriend’s college jersey! They balance a basic ensemble with enough personality and flair so you won’t look too plain and boring. The distressed trend is also popular among celebrities and notable personalities, too. Local celebrities such as BNY endorser Gab Lagman love wearing ripped jeans because of their effortless edginess when worn with your basic OOTDs.

An obvious fashion statement, ripped jeans are a classic staple for Saturday nights. Ideal for nights out when you’d like to toughen up your ensemble, ripped jeans are a signature choice. Match a classic pair of dark ripped jeans with a slinky dress top, and heels. Take the look further with a leather jacket for that little bit more attitude.

While more brands are coming out with more daring versions of ripped jeans, barely-there denim trousers leave us scratching our heads more than anything. Both the wearability and functionality are compromised, leaving us posing the question whether they are in fact pre-distressed jeans at all. Although this doesn’t remove distressed jeans from our fashion radar. Straight and wide-leg cuts are making a comeback for the season with more subtle rips and patches thrown into the mix. Fashionable girls appreciate a good pair of ripped jeans that don’t make them look costumey. Local celebrity Martine Cajucom considers ripped jeans as a wardrobe essential for days when she wants go for a little androgyny. And its because of celebrities like her and Gab Lagman that the trend continues to thrive.

Whether ripped jeans will still be fashionable next year, it is hard to tell. After all, fashion doesn’t have a rule book that it adheres to. Trends are there to introduce new ways to incorporate pieces into everyday outfits. However, the great thing about fashion is its openness for all ways of dressing, ripped jeans included. So, if we were to bet whether ripped jeans will still be prevalent next year, the chances are they will be popular as they are right now.

For more fashion tips check out Life Is Kulayful’s previous posts.

How I deal with Stress

Stress is one of the biggest killer of our time. It gives you headache, stomach ache, and even makes your body feel sore. It makes your blood pressure rise which could lead to a heart attack.

In short, stress is bad. VERY BAD.

I've gotten sick from stress before so I have learned how to deal with my stress in a better manner. Here are a few ways of how I handle my stress.

1. Binge watching

One of the fastest ways for me to relax is by watching something. It could be a movie, a series marathon, Running Man, or a Kdrama. My brain is almost always on overdrive so when I watch, my mind is able to relax.

2. Humidifier and scents

Smell relaxes you. This has been proven time and time again. There's something soothing about inhaling eucalyptus scents as well as lavander. It really is relaxing. When I inhale these scents, my mind just automatically relaxes.

3. Massage

When things get really tough, then I go for a massage. Previously, I didn't do too well with this as I would always think of things to do, tasks to finish while being massaged but now, I have finally learned to quiet down my mind when I get a massage and it really feels great.

4. Coloring

It's therapeutic. The repetitive motion calms the mind and has a soothing effect.

5. Diamond Painting

This is also another activity that I do when I want to relax. Seeing the final results always makes me feel good and like I achieved something great.

6. Music

Music can block out all the negativity of your own thoughts and the negativity of the world. Sometimes, we just need to drown in music to relax us.

For some people, exercise helps. For some, it's stress-eating. For others, vacation works. No matter what it is, if it relaxes you and does not harm you or others, then go ahead and do it.