Anonymous: I love your hair! By the way, when you have your hair colored, do you also have you eyebrows colored too???
Thank you! Yes, I do!
Thank you! Yes, I do!
Thank you! Yes, I have my eyebrows colored with the same dye my colorist uses on my hair. :)
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but when I like something, I tend to hoard and get very similar looking stuff. Fine example — peach/coral lipstick. When I’m obsessed with a color, I don’t notice that I buy everything (makeup and clothes) all in one color gradient until I start using them and realize they all look alike! I have to make a conscious effort to literally note what I want to buy when shopping so I don’t end up with ten of almost identical stuff.
I almost never shop when I’m in Manila so during our latest trip to Vietnam, at the top of my list was THE RED LIPSTICK. I’ve found that the best place to buy cosmetics is at airports. (a bit of a segue: did you know that the MAC store in the Singapore airport has the lowest prices in the world?) Everything is tax free and 99% of the time, it’s the only place where you can find a YSL counter (There’s none in Singapore malls and Vietnam malls). YSL is always my first choice. I will not look at any other counter unless there is no YSL. Up to now, I haven’t found anything that can dethrone their Rouge Pur Coutures.
Naturally, my first choice for the ultimate red lipstick was YSL. I was set on getting myself the Rouge Pur Couture in 1 Le Rouge, it being one of Allure’s Best of Beauty awardees and all. If you’ve read the title, I’m sure you know that I didn’t get it. It was pretty but wasn’t the red I was looking for. So mom told me, “Why don’t you try Chanel? For sure Chanel, of all, should have THE red lipstick.” And she was right.
Meet Gabrielle. How fitting, right? To be named after Coco Chanel herself (if you don’t know, her real name is Gabrielle), then it must be the most iconic of them all. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the actual red lipstick she wore with her chic bob and her signature strand of pearls.
Gabrielle is a true red — no blue or pink undertones. Just straightforward, glamorous, classic red.
The casing, as always, exudes understated elegance. It does not boast. It is what it is. It’s Chanel.
The red is bold but definitely not out there. It makes a statement without overpowering the whole face.
I also think it’s a very wearable red. A clear, even face and mascara are all you need to go with this look. It would be best to keep your outfit simple if you plan on wearing it on a casual day.
I like how it brings out the brown in my hair. I feel like I get an instant makeover! I kind of get the sexy, vampy Angelina Jolie feel! The texture is wonderful too — not at all dry and with just the right amount of moisture. It goes on evenly and stays. Another thing I’m picky about is staying power. Other lipstick are too wet and are (please forgive me for saying this) GONE IN 60 SECONDS…or too dry, making them look really chapped. I love how this merely wears off as a stain after a good four hours. It doesn’t bleed even without a lip liner and it doesn’t make my teeth look yellow the way other shades of red do. This is my second Rouge Coco and counting! (I haven’t done a review on Peregrina yet because as I said earlier, you might get tired of seeing peach!)
To quote Coco Chanel, “The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good on you!”
I think Gabrielle looks fabulous on me! I’d also like to think it’s what the real Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel actually wore. :)
You can get your Rouge Cocos in any Chanel counter —- all of which are in Rustan’s Department Stores nationwide. These retail for USD$34 but at the Vietnam airport, it’s only USD$28! In Manila, I’m not so sure but it’s most likely more than a thousand pesos. If you get a chance to go to Duty Free, don’t go home without a tube!
Oh, it was just for an extra stock shot for a magazine. :) I don’t think it was even used. :)
Hi! Sorry, I just saw this! :-o I also just posted my skin care regimen! Hope it helps!
For breakouts, I recommend using a cleanser that has salicylic acid. Then a cream or gel with benzoyl peroxide (I recommend Benzac) for spot treatments. :)
I’ve been wanting to write about this for quite some time because I actually get asked a lot about it (kilig? Haha!) but besides the fact that I’m not so busy anymore, the reason why I haven’t is because my skin has gone haywire since July. I didn’t feel comfortable at all writing about how I take care of my skin when it wasn’t in any good condition at all.
All my life I’ve had generally clear skin. It’s far from perfect (read: OILY) but I breezed through my teenage years not worrying about it because I would only get pimples (just one big zit) when I’d have my period. So you can only imagine how I felt when this July I started getting HUMONGOUS ones on my cheeks (and I would never get them there). My dermatologist told me that she was alarmed because I’ve visited her more these past few months than I ever did in the last nine years that she’s been my doctor. Apparently, I had a case of adult acne with CYSTIC PIMPLES sprouting right next to each other on my cheeks. They are deep, become really red, and are bruise-like. They don’t have the usual zit “eye” and could (and should) only be removed by a licensed dermatologist. If not treated properly, they could leave permanent scars all over the face. They hurt when touched and worse, they hurt my supposedly clean and clear reputation! Hahaha!
Three months have passed and they have gotten better with prescribed medication. Although the scars are still there, I’m hopeful they’ll disappear and I can have back the clean and clear skin I’ve taken for granted!
Let’s begin with the Holy Trinity of skincare — CLEANSE, TONE, MOISTURIZE.
CLEANSE.
Old reliable Cetaphil. The label says it all — Every Age. Every Stage. Every Day. The most gentle cleanser of them all. This is what I use everyday.
I have to be honest. After I got those cystic pimples, I am terrified of using just anything on my face. I have a lot of different Clean & Clear products but I’m afraid that mixing them up and using all of them all at the same time would damage my skin more. BUT this Clean & Clear Active Clear Acne Clearing Cleanser, I just couldn’t give up. When I feel like a zit is about to pop up, this is what I use. I love the thick consistency of the gel and the fact that it has salicylic acid in it. Plus it gives my skin that cool refreshing feeling afterwards.
Another pimple fighter — Acne Aid. Strong but gentle and lasts for months! Does the trick. I guarantee.
TONE.
Most Filipinas are not toner users. People are just clueless about what it’s for. I admit that I’ve only started using a toner around May of this year and I have to tell you that it absolutely one of those “Why did I never do that before?” type of thing. Once I started using it, the first thought that came to my mind was “OMIGOD MY FACE HAS BEEN SO FILTHY FOR THE PAST 22 YEARS!” Toner removes ALL excess dirt you can never imagine your cleanser hasn’t been able to slough off. It’s horrifying, really. I went on a toner frenzy when I was in Hong Kong and got myself one Clinique toner and two Kiehl’s toners. As of the moment, my favorite is Clinique’s Clarifying Lotion because it’s specifically for my oily-combination skin type. I believe it has a certain percentage of alcohol my type of skin needs. (WARNING: drug store astringents are different from toners and may have more alcohol content which can cause extreme dryness. Best to consult with a dermatologist still.)
Available at all Rustan’s Department Stores and Clinique stalls.
MOISTURIZE.
You can ask my best friend, Sab, what I always say about skincare and she’ll tell you that I’m Miss “Moisturize moisturize moisturize!” I especially bug her about it because she has dry skin. However, I have recently been BANNED from using it because according to my dermatologist, my skin is just too “active” meaning that it produces more oil than my skin needs so slathering on moisturizer would be like…re-frying a french fry. Does that make sense? So I’m skipping this.
PRESCRIPTION CREAMS
Get ready because you’ll soon find out that skincare isn’t as glamorous as you think it would be. A lot of what you actually need will come in these tiny white tubes with scientific names on them.
Adapalene is a third-generation topical retinoid primarily used in the treatment of mild-moderate acne (from Wikipedia). Benzoyl peroxide is used as an acne treatment, for improving flour, for bleaching hair and teeth, for polymerising polyester and many other uses. (Wikipedia)
I use Epiduo this twice a day, morning and night as advised by my dermatologist. It is both a preventive and active clearing gel.
Available at all Mercury Drug outlets.
Tretinoin is the acid form of vitamin A and is also known as all-trans retinoic acid or ATRA. It is a drug commonly used to treat acne vulgaris and keratosis pilaris (Wikipedia)
I use Retacnyl, also prescribed by my dermatologist, once a day, and ONLY AT NIGHT. It’s a very strong cream which is used for exfoliation and therefore does not go well with the sun. Using this for the first time can make your skin really sting because of its peeling properties. Never go without sunscreen when using this.
Mometasone furoate (also referred to as mometasone) is a glucocorticosteroid used topically to reduce inflammation of the skin or in the airways. (Wikipedia)
Elica is my savior. It’s the ultimate superhero for dry skin and pimples. I use it on my whole face about once a month or once every other month and I swear it’s like a magic potion. Perfect skin the next day! However, the cliche “with great power comes great responsibility” perfectly applies to this. It is a steroidal cream and should not be used everyday. Again, your derma will know best.
Available at all Mercury Drug outlets
OTHER CREAMS
If you’re like me who uses eye makeup on a daily basis (even just mascara) or also like me who has a bad habit of rubbing your eyes, eye cream is a must. Laugh lines, wrinkles, saggy skin and crows feet almost always appear on the eyes first. If you’ve got dry skin, I even suggest you start using eye cream at 18 or in your late teenage years! I use L’Oreal Plenitude Revitalift Eye with Elastin at night, before I go to bed.
Lancome claims that 2 out of 3 women who think about getting cosmetic procedures delay them because of Lancome. I haven’t seen any actual proof on paper but I believe it 100%. Lancome is too expensive for me but after getting a bunch of samples, I BELIEVE. If there’s any brand that I would say has instant effects, it would be Lancome. Their Blanc Expert line, although I only had like 1 packet of each product, gave me visible results overnight. I couldn’t believe it myself. A big plus is that everything smells divine and you know how I am about scent. The sales lady at the Rustan’s Makati branch was nice enough to give me a tube of Lancome’s Blanc Expert Melanolyser Whiteness Activating Spot Eraser which I think is the best solution to my scarring. Of course this doesn’t give overnight results but I know it works because my scars are fading much faster than previous ones that lasted for months because I didn’t look for a solution.
I think I’ve praised this enough already. haha! Read about this in my past post HERE.
SUN PROTECTION
As much as I don’t want that sticky feeling, sun block is NECESSARY not only for cosmetic reasons such as not wanting sun spots and wrinkles to appear as early as your 20s but more importantly, for the skin’s health. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock does the trick for me. I don’t want to go on about the ozone layer and global warming anymore but yeah, sun block will keep your skin safe from harm. Just trust me on this.
(I don’t know where you can get it here because we buy in bulk from Costco but they probably have it in PCX or S&R.)
So there you have it. That’s how I keep my skin as clean and clear as I can!
Legally Blonde.
L’Oreal Majirel Ash Blonde 8.0
by Ms. Jessica of Aura Salon
Read up on my one-on-one interview with this British-Filipina superstar!!
What makes you BLUSH?“I blush when people tell me I’m pretty or whenever I get so much attention, whenever people talk about me or when the attention is all on me in a big room!”
WHO makes you BLUSH?
“There IS someone who makes me Blush but I can’t say who right now!”
What do you…
I have this obsession… I actually might even call it a vice, but then that would mean it’d be something I do everyday or once a week maybe. So let’s just stick to calling it an obsession. Hmmm.. or maybe an ambition? a BLONDE ambition! Okay, enough. Corny na.
This is maybe like two weeks old and I always say newly colored hair settles perfectly around this time. I got this during the hell-est of hell weeks and it was an instant pick-me-up! You can call me weird, strange, shallow.. whatever you want — even DUMB (and I wouldn’t care) but going and being blonde just makes me inexplicably giddy and happy. This is the blondest I have ever been (L’Oreal Majirel Ash Blonde 8.0 with the blondest of blonde highlights colored by none other than Ms. Jessica of Aura Salon) although I think it’s true what they say that when you start coloring your hair light, it can never EVER be blonde enough.
PLEASE excuse the photo. Taking a mirror photo was definitely my last option. Believe me, I had no choice. I didn’t want to just crop myself out from a group picture or something like that. I just really thought it was the perfect setting to catch the color.
I’M ALIVE! Yes, I have survived another semester of archi-torture and now I can thankfully go back to enjoying the simple things in life — feeding myself, “lotion-ing” on my own, combing my hair, and SLEEPING! (That is, until school starts in another week or so.)
I have an ultra-long pending list of things to blog about and just thinking about it excites me! One hand literally needs to pull my other hand from the keyboard to keep me from spilling everything in just one post!
I know my blog is mostly about beauty and makeup, but I make exceptions once in a while for stuff I find really worth sharing about. This blog post is one of them.
CHOCOLATE. — I could really just leave it at that… but I’m not going to. Besides makeup, THIS I always find hard to resist. I have always been the “chocolates over flowers” type of girl. Give me KitKat, Toblerone, or Maltesers and I’m on cloud nine (no, not the brand of chocolate). It’s my mom’s secret to keep me from being too cranky! Once in a while, I also like to indulge in more decadent (hint:expensive) chocolate. Those Belgian ones by Guylian and Leonidas just hit the spot every time.
Just recently, I have discovered another type of European chocolate. It was the first time I’ve come across ITALIAN chocolate so I couldn’t not try it!
Villa del Conte Cioccolato Sublime Padova, Italy
Doesn’t it just sound so sexy when you say it?? These Cioccolato Artigianale (artisan chocolate, to all ye commoners), every single one of them, are made from premium hand-picked cacao beans also handcrafted by Villa del Conte’s artisans in their factory in Italy.
I got a box of their Praline Balls with seven different fillings (milk chocolate with cacao cream, milk chocolate with caramel cream, dark chocolate with coffee cream, dark chocolate with macadamia cream, dark chocolate with hazelnut cream, milk chocolate with hazelnut cream and cereal, and dark chocolate with hazelnut cream and cereal) My favorites are the dark chocolate with macadamia and hazelnut cream. Serious melt-in-your-mouth-if-not-in-your-fingertips-first goodness!
Villa del Conte has apparently been around for 75 years now and it has finally reached the shores of Manila…and then the 3rd floor of Shangri-La EDSA Plaza Mall! You can’t deny that they’re absolute experts in what I couldn’t define better as “the very art of chocolate”!
If you’re interested in trying these, you can call them at 8932575 or 6216101 or you can email them at info@villadelcontecioccolato.com.
They’re also on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/villa-del-conte/) and they have a website (www.villadelcontecioccolato.com)!
Ciao!
Indulge in a huge serving of bold, mouth-watering candy-like colors that leave those lips luscious — good enough to eat!
Pumpkin Pie
A combination of yellow and red, orange signifies vibrancy. As a warm color, it is known to increase one’s appetite.
Junior Mints
With a balance of…
Today my sister told me, “You don’t have muscles anymore. All that stayed up just went down,” referring to my ex-biceps and ex-triceps. and my arms are always the last to go fat. :| All thanks to arki life. Depressing. I haven’t been to the gym in MONTHS and I miss lifting and the happy hormones!
Come October 20, I aim to start getting back into shape, to my glorious 103lb self, and becoming not just leaner but stronger. I can’t wait to try out CROSSFIT MNL. It’s a class so I know I won’t be able to complain like I do on one-on-one personal training!
Learn more about CROSSFIT here and find out what their newest coach has to say about it! ;) Actually, let me just post this particular CONFESSIONS OF A CROSSFITTER here. :)
Name: Aaron Alfred T. Dela Cruz
Fitness Background:
Listing everything would take a while. Mainly, I am a powerlifter. I love that sport; I love feeling the load on my back as I squat and bench weights that other people think would fall on my head. I was a weightlifter for a while and I love snatching (although I have to work on my technique more). I was also a former amateur boxer whose ass was handed to him when I competed in the national team qualifiers. I used to play football and futsal (Pre-azkal days) in college and up to now I am a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu practitioner (although, I’m not really good at it I guess just like hugging guys on the floor. Just kidding!)
To introduce yourself to the members, give us two truths and lie and let’s see what the members guess.
Hmm let see:
1. I am an Entrepreneur outside of being a coach at Crossfit Manila. I have an equipment distribution company distributing broadcasting (radio and television networks) equipment.
2. I used to be a breakdancer and was a former member of the dance group Philippine all stars.
3. I competed in the 105lbs division or the minimum weight class in amateur boxing.
You’re taking up your Master in Human Movement Science Major in Sports Science at UP. Why are you doing that? Did you always want to be in the fitness?
I’ve always been a sports minded guy, I’ve done a lot of sports and have tested myself time and time again in the field of competition; I still do up to now. I don’t have any illusions of what I can do in the field, I know I cannot compete in the Olympics or be world class in most of the sports I’ve participated in. Pro sportsmen are in that position not by luck but because they are already pre-determined to be at that level.
So instead of crying why the Lord did not give me better set of genes, I set out for the next best thing: I decided to pursue the career path of becoming a sports and conditioning coach because I want to help athletes in the grassroots level, amateur, national or even professional level to bring out the best in them. Help them use their God given talents to be among the best in the world through strength and conditioning. I enjoy doing this so much, I like studying the science behind it and I like applying what I learn from books at the gym, with the smell of chalk and steel hovering around me.
You are a power lifter. Some purists don’t like mixing their stuff with Crossfit. What do you think?
I have to admit that I used to have my own criticisms and biases regarding crossfit. Things like periodization, progression, adaptation etc. and other scientific specifics that critics have thrown crossfit’s way which I think will not go anywhere, anytime soon. But let’s go to the facts here:
Fact 1. Not everyone wants to be or will be an athlete, bodybuilder, weightlifter or even become a powerlifter (I doubt if an ordinary person even knows the difference).
Fact 2.Crossfit has done more for the general population in achieving great levels of fitness compared to any commercial gym here in the country.
Fact 3.Crossfit is not for everyone. But everyone from the general public or even athletes can benefit from it more than one can imagine.
What I’m trying to say is this: There is no cookie cutter program! there is not one program in this planet that’ll make you the best at everything and give you all the physical endeavors you’d want to achieve. What Crossfit Manila can offer beyond the gym and the workouts, beyond the equipment is the environment. The places breed people that’ll push you to be better and just being around that kind of community will do nothing but bring you closer to your goals.
As for all the critics, naysayers and haters, if there is one thing I believe in wholeheartedly, it’s that “Loyalty to a petrified opinion never broke a chain or freed a human soul”. No one can ever be too knowledgeable and no one can ever say that they know everything
As a powerlifter, have you ever competed? Did you win? Impress us with your 1 RM. Clean and Jerk? Snatch? Deadlift?
I have competed in a couple of regional and national powerlifting competitions here in the country and I dream of competing in the Asian and World championships. I won gold and silver medals in the 66kg and 74kg weight classes.
My best lifts in competition are: Back Squat: 180kgs Bench Press: 115kgs Deadlift: 170kgs (puny). I’m far from being the strongest here in the country but I have huge goals that I really intend to reach in a few years.
As for weightlifting the heaviest I’ve hoisted are: Powerclean: 95kgs, Clean and Jerk: 90kgs Snatch: 60kgs. Will try to get higher numbers this time around J
In your opinion, what’s the Powerlifting/Weightlifting landscape like in the Philippines? Why isn’t it getting the same attention as other sports?
I could talk about this all day but in a word: Politics. Athletes and coaches in both sports love to compete, love to share their knowledge but the endless red tape and crap in all of sports here in the country has dampened the chances of our athletes to compete at their best and share the knowledge to a majority of people. I thank Crossfit Manila for promoting Olympic Weightlifting and Powerlifting as the movement in these sports are the physical foundations anyone can benefit so much from.
How did you find out about Crossfit? What were your first impressions?
I’ve been aware of Crossfit for years but my own petrified biases have stopped me from testing it. I guess I was too scared to fail that’s why I held on to my stupidity far too long. Eventually, I tried it out, liked it so much! Sad to say one workout kicked my ass so bad. (Yes, I’m talking to you Fight Gone Bad! I’m coming to get you!) Since I don’t like getting my ass kicked, I’m staying for good!
Any advice or warning you’d want to give to members that don’t listen to you?
I would like to remind members that either you put up or shut up. Don’t test my patience because. Knocking you out or choking you will always be a viable option. That being said, I am approachable, patient and easy to talk to. You can trust me to teach and push you to be the very best that you can be.
Itching to lift some iron too! See you soon Crossfit!
Champagne colored shadows NEVER get old. They’re classy, subtle, but can be dangerously sexy. Think Marylin Monroe. Victoria’s Secret Angels. Bombshells with the perfectly defined smokey gold and honey lids.
Two of my absolute favorites are…
Tha Balm’s Shady Lady in Mischievous Marissa (P675 at Beauty Bar; a gift from A)
The Balm’s Overshadow - The Sexpot Series in No Money, No Honey (P575 at Beauty Bar, also from A)
I have a TON of golds, bronzes, and champagne eyeshadows in different shades and brands. I don’t think I’ll ever have enough. They’re just every girl’s staple.
Two things I always look for when I buy eye shadows are COLOR PAYOFF and TEXTURE. For me, nothing still beats Urban Decay’s color payoff but The Balm’s Shady Lady wins when it comes to texture. It is extremely velvety and it goes on like a dream. It’s just too bad that they have such a limited range of colors.
This one, I love for its multi-functionality. I sometimes wear it alone on my lids for that sheer sparkle, sometimes OVER another color to make it more shimmery (it IS, afterall, called overshadow), and as a highlighter on my cheekbones. I am in love with how it’s semi-sheer but can also be buildable. It’s very finely milled so I never have a problem with it clumping together.
Mischievous Marissa appears as this butterscotch bronze on my skin and No Money No Honey is a light cool gold. :)
