R.I.P. Michael Jackson

The King of Pop has died, leaving us with memories of his chart-topping hits, fantastic style, and a legendary life filled with intrigue and music. He died last Thursday, June 25th of 2009 from a cardiac arrest.

Never mind the controversies that surrounded him before his death. Wow he was pretty young. I will forever remember him for the good that he gave to our generations, and this was pop music that has evolved artists all over the world.

If there was no Michael Jackson, there would be no Justin Timberlake, Rain, Usher, Chris Brown, or other pop starts that have been inspired to perform by him.

There can be no other King of Pop. Rest in peace, M.J.

I leave you guys with a tribute by someone in YouTube using my favorite ballad of his, "You Are Not Alone".

My favorite pop star of all time, Britney Spears, posted this message on her official website in honor of his memory:

"I was so excited to see his show in London. We were going to be on tour in Europe at the same time and I was going to fly in to see him. He has been an inspiration throughout my entire life and I'm devastated he's gone!"

Here's a performance from them both, way back in the day when Britters was still so toned. Enjoy!:)

Read More

Saving Skills 101: Nails

Most have asked me where I get my nails done, and my usual answer is, "I did it myself!"This definitely surprises most, as my friend said, "Ba't ang linis!?" The answer? A cotton bud and a nail polish remover always within my reach.

While assessing my expenses devoted to aesthetic purposes (i.e. beautifying myself), I found that the most frequent purchase was a trip to a nail salon to get my nails done. Blame it on the lush interiors of Dashing Diva's Powerplant branch. I always found it extremely comforting to just sit back and let the ladies do their work after a tiring day in school. Unfortunately each one of those sessions cost more than 500 bucks, since my feet need to have their time being comforted as well.

I took it upon myself to start saving up on the little things, such as this expense.I don't know if its just me who feels absolutely comforted when she sees her nails a nice pearly pink or a brilliant bright blue. Nail colors nowadays are so cute and they give you that extra piece of happiness when you need it.

What am I suggesting? Learn to do your own nails! You'll be surprised to see how quickly you'll be coloring inside your nails and not beyond them. Just think, you spend around Php400 just on your hands, when you can buy a bottle of your favorite color around that price. And this bottle will last you for a really long time. I usually share my nail polish with the members of my household so its bound to be fully used.

I fully recommend getting the Caronia Princess French Tip set which retails for less than Php100. It already has 3 shades inside and it gives the classic french tip a sparkly touch. For those who want to invest, there's the usual O.P.I. shades (get the Pretty and Privileged shade from the 90210 set!) and the always brilliant China Glaze. The latter smells a bit funny though, don't  say I didn't warn you.

Read More

Give in to Sweet Surrender :)

First of all, Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful dads, papas, and tatays out there! I would personally like to give a shout-out to the greatest man I have ever known in my entire life, who has supported and loved me for the whole 21 years I've been alive. Thanks dad.:D

Anyway back to the entries. My father's day gift to my beloved father is his favorite ice cream cake, what The Sweet Life by Ange calls as 'Sweet Surrender'. This is actually brazo de mercedes but layered with graham crackers, ice cream (oh wow who doesn't love ice cream?), custard and meringue. It comes in 4 flavors, strawberry, vanilla, mango or cheese.

I chanced upon this product while going around the Baker's Dozen fair at Powerplant Mall. My blockmates and I love weaving around and about the booths because most offered free tasting! The Sweet Life always has a booth during weekends when the fair was still there and we would occasionally pop around just to get a small scoop of this heavenly concoction.

What I love about this brazo de mercedes is that its not too puffy. I know that the idea of eating the brazo is basically like eating sweet air but that's really not my thing. The Sweet Life's brazo is subtly flavored, its not nakakasuya nor is it too crusty. Unfortunately when you buy this product you have to take it home and store it in your freezer because it IS ice cream, therefore it will definitely melt.

You can also try The Sweet Life's other products, they have cute-looking cupcakes with adorable names such as Marie Antoinette, which I've tried as well because my friends gave me one for my birthday.:)

Want to check out The Sweet Life by Ange? You can look over their menu at their website: http://thesweetlife.multiply.com

Photos of the products are from the website.

Read More

MNG FASHIONTASTIC SALE!

I opened up my e-mail last night just in time to see the lovely Penelope Cruz, and the words, FASHIONTASTIC SALE for Mango caught my eye.

Talk about something to look forward to at the end of the day! I love how the Ateneo Law School is located right next to Powerplant, where students who feel worthless can head over to the nice shops and shop their worries away.

Just as planned, I went there (the 2nd day!) with my 2 blockmates. I found a really great patterned dress but I'm still mulling it over if I should buy it or not...

See you there, shop-a-holics!:D

Read More

Vitamin EEEEE!!!

Being a law school student, I am typically confronted with late-night studying sessions which is naturally equal to having haggard and tired-looking skin. Don't get me wrong, I don't get acne-fied or anything as bad as that. Through the past year, my skin has lost its glow (I think this started way back in college when I started taking studying seriously).

So I turned to my trusty friend and found out that she's drinking Vitamin E capsules everyday. My friend has incredibly healthy skin and it never shows that she's been up late cramming the readings. Then and there I decided to take these vitamins because as a non-health buff, I only get a daily dose of Vitamin C because my dad prods me to take it.

The product of choice this time is MYRA 300-E, which gets constantly advertised by the ethereally beautiful Dawn Zulueta. I've read in reviews that other women have tried this and it gave them good results. I'll be recording my results per month to see if it will give me any benefits at all. Hopefully it will, because vitamins are pricey these days!

Read More

Keeping Hair Healthy Part 1

A lot of Filipinas have a constant problem of frizz in their hair, due to the outpouring of humidity we experience everyday.There are also so many women who have yet to reach the prime of their lives, but have thinning hair at the top of their heads. The solution? Its just using your shampoo and conditioner the right way and finding the right products for what your hair needs.
I love coloring my hair using a home coloring kit (this is usually Revlon Colorsilk because its the cheapest foreign brand available here but more on that for future posts), therefore the color doesn't last as long as salon color does. Give it around 4 weeks and the strands start becoming dull. To brighten and get as much as I can from my color, I use a shampoo and conditioner especially made for colored hair, specifically Redken Color Extend. I got these 2 babies in a trip to the US and they have certainly extended my color as the bottle promised.
What's the lesson here? Get the proper hair product according to your type! Yes, sometimes it may take a bit out of your pocket but the thing is, healthy hair is a great investment as opposed to taking constant trips to the salon having your hair rebonded or chemically
manipulated which may damage it more. Remember, invest in a good, go-to product that you trust in times of rescession!
Frizzy? Go for a hydrating solution. Try Sebastian Drench (love the name!) which not only tames your frizzes, but is also color-safe. If you want something more practical, go for Herbal Essences' Hydralicious. It has a specific shampoo that hydrates specific areas of your hair OR for those with thin hair, comes as non-heavy, OR, reconditions. Talk about real customization! It also smells heavenly and is so cute to look at as opposed to the beauty salon products. These Herbal Essences products also have little trivias at the back which makes it a little more entertaining than your ordinary shampoo and conditioner.
I'll be writing soon about other recommended hair products for those with thin hair, and for those who have curly thick hair. Stay posted!

Read More

Love Being a Student with Topshop!

We consistently moan and groan about still staying in school and how looooong it has been taking before we finally end the dreary days of studying, but fear not, TOPSHOP has found a way to make everything brighter for those of us fighting off the doldrums.

If you make me choose between Zara, Topshop and Mango (the usual go-tos of us financially deprived for designer labels but can still afford gorgeous things), without hesitating, I will say, "GIMME MY TOPSHOP!", because the store basically has everything that I alude my funky style to. One of the most important things a girl has to keep in mind is to define what her style is. I am definitely not a preppy girl, which Zara and Mango specializes in. I have to admit that everytime Topshop has a sale my credit card gets overused because there are just so many good things to get! (Okay I have to admit that it doesn't only happen during sales.) Also, it has a Petite line which many short Filipinas love.

One of my best buys during those sales is this skirt featured here on your right, called a Colour Block Prom skirt (mine came in pink, white and gray though, yes I'm more whimsical that way). I remember that I got it on sale, exactly 50% off! It was the last skirt on the rack and I just had to have it. The zipper was actually broken, because some inane person somehow managed to zip up the cloth along with it. But I had every person in the store do their best efforts to fix it (with me constantly nagging them, "How the hell are you going to sell that skirt if it's broken!?"), and eventually the zipper was mended and I was able to buy it. Best efforts are best rewarded, and this skirt has been my favorite item in my closet.

Some have been asking me where the best selections can be found in their many different branches. I haven't been to ALL of the branches, but I always end up buying either in the Trinoma or the Greenbelt branch so I guess those are the best for me.

Now, Topshop is offering ALL STUDENTS 10% off all year long! The bad news is, this is only for Topshop UK. Here in Manila, its only from June 1-30 (craaaapness) just in time for going back to school. I know its annoying, but all good things come to an end and this is one of those. What are you waiting for? Go out and get the best that you can because before you know it, the end of the month's already here!

Read More

Songs In My Head Right Now...

Lady GaGa has to be my favorite guilty pleasure (next to Britney Spears of course) because her songs are waaay addicting. Not only that is she immensely talented, her lyrics are smarter than most songs out in the market. She knows how to play up herself with her insane outfits, headdresses, and make-up.

Her latest single, Paparazzi, has not been released here but in the UK. The video has her as a celebrity who falls off the balcony resulting in her decline in fame. Lady GaGa goes as far as dancing around in crutches, wearing a gold metallic suit. The story continues as to how she got it back by doing something unexpected. I won't tell you what it is because that will spoil the ending for you!

 

Paparazzi - Lady Gaga

Another song that has been consistently playing in my iPOD is Good Girls Go Bad by Cobra Starship featuring  Leighton Meester. Yes, that's Blair from Gossip Girl,who has announced plans of releasing her first album later on this year. I swear this girl can do nothing wrong for me. She was intensely perfect as Blair, her trend of headbands was as strong as the shoulder pads of the 80's, and now she can sing. 

The song is produced by American Idol judge, Kara DioGuardi. How did Leighton end up being featured in the song? The band's lead singer is an avid Gossip Girl fan and upon hearing that she was working on her own album, invited her to sing the vocals with them. Then the rest, as they say, is history.

Good Girls Go Bad has been playing consistently in my iPOD and it has made me look forward to what Leighton has to offer as a musical artist. I'm guessing bigger and brighter things? I hope so!

Good Girls Go Bad [feat. Leighton Meester] (Album Version) - Cobra Starship

Read More

Fashionistas By Heart

Finally, a show with Heart Evangelista in it that does NOT make me cringe!

QTV made a smart move in giving Heart a show that encourages to bring the best out of her--fashion. Let's face it, she's one of the most kikay personalities in showbiz and its about time that Philippine television got youthful hosts who look like they actually know what they're talking about.

Together with Jocas de Leon (daughter of Joey Leon) and Schinina Juban, the show has several segments entitled as Style Therapy, where makeovers or fashion advice are usually given, Personal Shopper, where the best shops are visited for what we really need, and Up Close, where a famous personality is interviewed by the host herself.

Two words to describe the show? Informative and personal. The show is also a fresh new look in showcasing Pinays' fashion personalities, and does not unecessarily focus on big brand names.

The producers have to do something about the theme song though. It sounds like a totally ripped-off version of the Sex and the City theme (which it probably is). Listen to the music in the background on the ad featured here:

Fashionistas By Heart can be seen every Saturdays, 7pm on QTV Channel 11. 

Read More