Friday, December 31, 2010

Asian Secrets Lulur Body Scrub Experience at the Qiwellness Spa


I was excited when I was invited by Liz to experience the Asian Secrets Lulur body scrub at the Qiwellness Spa in Makati last December 18. Since I had a wedding gig on the morning of that day, I figured a body scrub and massage would be so nice because I already expected my back to ache knowing that I'll be doing hair and makeup for 7 heads. :)


Qi Wellness Spa

Qiwellness Spa is located beside the Picasso Residences in Salcedo Village


Qi Wellness Spa

I wasn't able to take a lot of photos as my camera can't capture how soothing the appearance of the spa is because of the lighting. I had a whole body scrub and a 90-min tranquility massage. All the staff there are friendly. The experience was so nice and as usual I fell asleep during the massage. The aroma, sound and appearance of the place are soothing including the voice of the staff (I guess they were trained for it).


Qi Wellness Spa

Liz of ProjectVanity giving us an introduction of the Asian Secrets Lulur Body Scrub. Her booties from Charles and Keith is so pretty and edgy noh?


Asian Secrets Lulur

Lulur is an ancient Indonesian beauty ritual used mostly by women who are about to get married to soften and smoothen their skin and make it radiant. It is best used to smoothen and whiten the skin for dark prone areas like the armpits, knees, between the thighs, neck and elbows.

Asian Secrets Lulur

Asian Secrets Lulur

It is currently included in the menu of the famous spas worldwide. Isn't it a great news that you can have the benefits of lulur and enjoy a body scrub at your own home using the Asian Secrets Lulur Body Scrub? I like how affordable it is (Php130 for the big jar and Php80 for the smaller one)

Asian Secrets Lulur


Asian Secrets Lulur

Asian Secrets Lulur

I've been scrubbing all the areas I want to improve with Asian Secrets Lulur before I take a bath for over a week already. It's an effective exfoliant and moisturizer as my skin feels so smooth and clean after each use. I also feel that its whitening properties are working because I see some improvement especially with my pits haha. (will keep you guys posted about this). It's light flowery scent is also soothing. Makes me wanna stay in the bathroom for hours each day.

Have you tried this product? How was your experience
I

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Affordable Korean Fastfood: Little Korean


When you're strolling along the food court area of Greenhills Centermall, you'll surely won't miss a glimpse of this Korean fastfood named Little Korean.


This platter is mouth-watering and looks super worth of its price of P180. Comes with 2 cups of rice, free soup and of course kimchi.


It contains their four of their best-selling dishes: chap che, beef, pork, squid. Also comes with coles law and veggies. Koreans eat this by mixing up everything. But we opted to eat it the Filipino way because we want to distinguish the taste of each. My personal favorite is the chap che because of the nice texture of the noodles :) The beef is also good but the others are just too spicy for me.



Bi-Bim-Bop. Php 88

Contains egg, veggies and ground beef. I may have probably liked it without the hot sauce :). I've recently tried Bi-Bim-Bop from another Korean fast food and they have bigger strips of beef and the spiciness I could tolerate. What I like about this dish from Little Korean is that it has cucumber. For me, it gives a nice twist in the overall taste.

Most of the dishes comes in combo worth Php88. Serving is huge and I loved the taste too. Maybe next time I should ask the staff not to put hot sauce in my order so I could control it.

Litle Korean
Greenhills Shopping Complex
Ortigas Ave., Greenhills
San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Merry Christmas from The Beauty Addict

Nothing could be merrier than spending the most awaited event of the year with the family. Though it's another Christmas without my first family, I have my husband and his family and my cute little angel with me.



Yes! my Christmas 2010 is A LOT different. I can't thank God enough for giving me the best gift ever.


This photo was taken December 24 at the Christmas display of SM Megamall Atrium. We just bought 2 SM eco bags to have unlimited shots with Santa. Hope to see you again next year Santa!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you had fun too :)

Thursday, December 23, 2010

2010: My Christmas Wishlist

I can't believe that tomorrow we'll be busy preparing for our Noche Buena already. This month has been pretty crazy that I didn't even notice Christmas fast approaching. I still have some Christmas shopping to do tomorrow, gah! These days have been eventful for me and it's only now I've listed the things I want to have for next year.

Of course..the health and happiness of my family comes first on my wishlist. But when it comes to material things, I think I've matured a little when I checked my list. Well...I think I'll be needing all of these for my current career haha.


Hair Diffuser
. Unfortunately, my blowdryer didn't have a hair diffuser included in the set. It was too late when I found out I needed one for my hairstyling. I've searched every store in Manila for this but I really can't find one. Anybody has an idea where I could get one?



A Canon DSLR. Aside from makeup, I wanted to learn photography next year. Aiming for nicer photos of my baby. Workwise, I know this isn't essential for blogging but I want to post better pictures here as well as take quality pictures of my makeup and hairstyling works. I guess that'll make my portfolio more exciting haha.


Babyliss Barrel Curling Iron. I already have something similar to this but this one has higher heat settings. This'll make curling hair faster.


Samsung Galaxy. Now that I am a freelancer, I need to be able to surf and check my mails wherever I go. This is the cheapest phone I found with all the features I need.


Advance Merry Christmas everyone! What's on your list? I'd love to read :)

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Hairstyles with Teasing


One of my favorite basic hairstyling techniques I learned at HD Makeup Studio and Academy is teasing. As I told my Mr. Jeave Gabiana, my mentor, my favorite hairstyles are high-fashion. I am inspired by the crazy hairstyles in America's Next Top Model and luckily, it's also my mentor's forte.



To tease the hair, grab a strand or section of hair then hold firmly. Brush firmly closer to the scalp first to make the hair stand up. Repeat until you get your desired result.



To be able to tease up to the roots of the hair, I like using a teasing comb.



This pink Denman teasing brush makes teasing large areas faster and is great for smoothing out the hair for finishing.



Leave the last strand of hair unteased so you could cover up the teased part nicely for styling.


To finish up, you'll also need the following:


Hair pins. I love this box of hair grips I got from Landmark. It's cheap and doesn't easily loose its form after usage.



Hairspray


Here are some of the hairstyles I've done with lots of teasing involved. That explains my huge arms haha.




Teasing creates volume and it is used to correct some areas same concept in concealing with makeup. That's why it is very important to learn this technique.

Do you have your own hairstyles to share? I'd love to see :)

Friday, December 17, 2010

Hassle Free Holiday Take-Outs at Lola Maria's, Legend Villas Mandaluyong

My love for cooking began when I got married. I was seriously thinking of cooking something special for our Christmas reunion. However, I'm one of those who are in a Christmas rush right now. Gifts aren't complete yet and when they're complete I'd have to wrap them still. Then my baby boy's starting to be so "makulit" (I can't finish a thing when he's awake) haha. Since it's December makeup gigs are popping which I consider as blessings. And I also have a writing job on the side. I've said a lot, but my real point is...I don't have time to cook this Christmas.

For those like me, knowing there are holiday take-outs available is a blessing. I love the wide variety of yuletide dishes from Lola Maria's. Seeing these photos makes me wish it's Christmas already.



Home-baked ham


Chicken Relleno



Baked Fish


Other dishes and desserts available are canapes (crabstick, tuna or egg salad), tomato soup with tortellini, chicken relleno, beef morcon, cocido, beef salpicao, baked fish with garlic mayo, home-baked ham, and brazo de mercedes.

Hmmm...yumyum!


Stylishly packed and easy to carry too.

For those who are interested to order, you may call Lola Maria's Hotline: 702-2793 or visit www.legendvillas.com.ph. Their store is located at The Legend Villas located at #60 Pioneer corner Madison Streets, Mandaluyong City.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Rexona Shopping Challenge at Tiendesitas


Last week, I received an invite for a shopping challenge organized by Rexona along with their newest product the Clinical Protection Anti-Perspirant Deodorant which is formulated for excessive sweaters and offers up to 48 hours of protection against sweat and body oder. I was instructed to use the deo the night before the event and skip it when I shower the next morning. I was like "uh-oh" since the event is going to be held at Tiendesitas which I know is a very humid place and I was afraid for it not to work because I sweat a lot haha.




The new Rexona Clinical Protection Anti-Perspirant Deodorant for men and women.

Best applied during the night, after bathing or before going to sleep as they are formulated to build up a protective layer during the nap. It offers up to 3x more protection from sweat and body odors that can last up to 48 hours. It is also designed to protect the skin with its moisturizing properties.

Sounds like a wonder product right? Did it work for me during the challenge? Continue reading to find out ***wink wink***





Ms. Annie Ringor and Mr. Alexei Villaraza of Rexona Philippines giving us the mechanics of the challenge. Each of us were given P1500 which we need to spend in 30 minutes to buy gifts for friends and family. If you've been at Tiendesitas, you know how much walking you have to do to search all the stores. Yeah, Rexona people chose the right place for us to really sweat haha.



I chose to scout the Christmas Bazaar because it's where the cheaper stuff is and it's nearer Max's restaurant which is our meeting place. It seemed like people are not yet on a Christmas rush. I had fun shopping because there are only few people to think that it was already 7pm that time. Or maybe shoppers are just piling up at SM Megamall or Greenhills.


All of the things I shopped were clothes for my cousins, baby and nephews. I also got myself a cardigan *teehee*. Will show you on my upcoming posts. There are many good finds at Tiendesitas. If you're looking for cheap tops, accessories and toys for gifts, it's a perfect place to do your Christmas shopping rush.


Fellow bloggers Shen, Julia, Rowena, Jheng, Phoebe, Lace and Az also found very interesting stuff at the food, clothes, pets and antique area of Tiendesitas.

30 minutes is really NOT enough. I felt that some of the things I bought were worthless but I wrapped them anyway. I was the third one who arrived at our meeting place (not bad!). Congratulations to my fellow blogger, Julia, for winning the challenge.

After shopping, Rexona people treated us with a nice dinner at Max's restaurant. I was able to taste again some of my favorite dishes from this place.


Kare-kare


Crispy Liempo


Buko Pandan (Max's restaurant serves the best buko pandan =))



Now...did Rexona let me down? My answer is NO! I was amazed on how it worked. I perspired at my back, thighs, neck, head, arms but not my underarms. I've been using it every other day since the event and I can give nothing but good feedback so far. It really helps prevent sweating and it smells good. I'm still observing on how my skin would react with a month of continuous use. Will post a review soon. If the result remains consistent and nothing bad happens to my underarms, then I'll consider this product a heaven sent. :)

Rexona Clinical Protection Anti-Perspirant Deodorants are now available at Watsons and Mercury Drug for P330.


Thursday, December 9, 2010

Hair Loving with L'oreal Total Repair 5 Treatments

I was on beauty products hiatus when I was pregnant. Can you imagine my excitement when I finally allowed myself to use them already? haha. Above everything else, what I missed is giving my hair TLC (because I still get to apply makeup during special occasions that time).

A few months ago, I got a very nice haircut. Then I colored my hair lighter by myself.

kim rodriguez

(Sorry this is the only decent photo I could find that shows my new hair color)

My hair is kinda stubborn. I just discovered on my most recent haircut that I have a hair whorl near at the back of my neck that's why my hair flies away when I get lazy to dry it properly. It's hard to manage that way. Two hair treatments that I'm testing and I'm loving for the past month are the L'oreal Total Repair 5 Repairing Treatment and Night Essence.

l'oreal total repair

l'oreal total repair


Product Description:

Helps hair become nourished, stronger, shinier, smoother and with less split ends with day to day use. Its active ingredient called "Cement-ceramide" fills in hair cracks to seal hair scales. Thus, the result is stronger and more resilient hair.



What I like:
  • My hair became more manageable, shinier and smoother since I started using these two.
  • It weighs down the hair. (So I suggest that you don't use them if you're going to style your hair with curls or up-do's)
  • The scent is very pleasant.
  • The repairing treatment is very easy to use. Just leave on to the hair for 1 to 2 minutes after shampooing then you can rinse already.
  • I love the night essence to much. I apply it after shower before going to bed. Then, the next day my hair smells nice, no tangles and dry.
  • Very nice packaging. I especially like the pump of the nice essence.
What I don't like:
  • My scalp is a little bit sensitive so when I tried using them daily, I had flakes. I switched my usage to thrice a week instead and they worked the way they're supposed to.

Our hair gets easily damaged when it's exposed to the sun or other harsh chemicals that comes with hair styling products so hair treatment is very important. The L'oreal Total Repair products are quite affordable and effective. I love hair treatments that I can do at home by myself because it saves time and money than going to the salon regularly.

Have you tried these products? How's your experience?

L'oreal Total Repair 5 Night Treatment - SRP P355
L'oreal Total Repair 5 Repairing Treatment - SRP P265

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Magnolia Limited Edition Ice Creams

Christmas is indeed the most exciting season of the year for me. Sales all over the metro, parties, gifts, Christmas ham and holiday specials like the Magnolia Christmas Limited Edition Ice Cream flavors.


Magnolia Ice Cream


Last week, I together with the jolly mommy bloggers joined the Magnolia people as they introduce to us the flavors they are offering this Christmas season.


Magnolia Ice Cream

Magnolia Ice Cream

Magnolia Ice Cream


Magnolia Ice Cream


I'm sorry for making you salivate. After an ice cream overload last week, these new flavors are really worth trying I swear. I love all the three but I'll introduce the flavors in order of my favorites:

Magnolia Ice Cream

Caramel Cheesecake

Contains bits of cheesecake with streaks of caramel ripple in a Caramel Ice Cream Base. I'm a cheesecake lover so I was thrilled to know that I could enjoy two of my most favorite desserts at the same time. Oh no! Calories calories calories haha...But it's ok as long as it makes me happy (excuses!) as my husband would always say "Pasko naman eh!"

Magnolia Ice Cream

Apple Strudel

Contains apple cinnamon bits with crushed chocolate pretzels swirled with a combination of green and red apple ripple enhanced with a creamy vanilla flavor.

I don't usually like fruit flavored ice cream but this one was different. I love that there's something I could munch for every spoon. It smells and tastes so good.

Vanilla Praline (It's the first one in the photo with 3 scoops)

Contains cashew praline with streaks of caramel ripple in a Vanilla Ice Cream Base.

Magnolia Ice Cream


Every year, Magnolia organizes a contest for all student artists to encourage them to pursue and develop their talents even more. This year's winner is featured in every packaging of the Magnolia Limited Edition ice creams.

Now here are some trivia:

Did you know that the Magnolia ice cream containers are microwavable and freezer safe? I used to tell my mom that she shouldn't reuse those plastic containers as they could be toxic. Now I know that these are for keeps.

Did you know that Magnolia regained their name several years ago already? FYI people, Nestle and Magnolia are two different brands. So if you're looking for Nestle or Magnolia, be sure to check the name and not the color of the container ok? hehe


Magnolia Ice Cream

Magnolia Ice Cream

Magnolia Ice Cream

Magnolia Ice Cream

Magnolia Ice Cream

It was an afternoon full of fun, food, games and ice cream for all my fellow mommies who joined the event. The game was a really fun way to test our sense of taste haha.

Magnolia Ice Cream

Thanks to Magnolia for being wonderful to us! And of course to Jonel of Nomnom Club :)

These Magnolia Limited Edition Ice Creams will be available at supermarkets and groceries, Monterey outlets and selected Petron treats and shops only until February 2011.