Friday, April 18, 2014

What I wore 7 years ago today

Seven years married today, folks! Fifteen years madly in love. I was looking through all my previous wedding anniversary posts and blushed at how I completely adored my husband (I still do!), so I was wondering what to do this year on the blog that wouldn't make me sound like an infatuated teenage girl (to my husband's disappointment because he says he loves it when I gush over him haha).

Well, since it's Fashion Friday, I decided to do an OOTD hehe. Seven years ago, this was what I wore:

It's a Kate Torralba design, back when she was still making clothes. Now she's making music. I didn't want something bridal, since at my age (I was 30), I wanted to look sophisticated and elegant, not virginal and sweet. Vince just wanted me to look sexy. He even wanted me to expose my back.

Kate came up with this super tight mermaid dress. In the course of the making of that gown, I had it loosened twice because I kept insisting I wanted to be able to move around. A week before the wedding, however, I had the flu, and the stress just made me unable to eat! So on the eve of the wedding, the seamstress came over to the house to tighten the gown because by then it had become very loose!

My earrings are borrowed from Kate, too. Makeup by my high school friend, Jigs Mayuga. He gave me his services for free, as his wedding gift. Yey!

At the church entrance with my parents! Well, I guess that even if I hadn't wanted to look like a bride, the veil just gave me away. Vince said his favorite part of the wedding was when I ran down the aisle to him. Ya, I couldn't contain myself. I left my parents and threw myself into Vince's waiting arms. I was that excited!

And this is us. I love our wedding clothes. I loved our simple but stylish wedding. I love that we laughed all day that day. We're still laughing today, fifteen years down the road, seven of which as married people, and with two-going-on-three kids, the love we share just gets better and sweeter and deeper. Happy anniversary, Vince!

* * * * * * *
P.S.
Like me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
Love me on Bloglovin'

Tuesday, April 01, 2014

My new fabulous clutch: the Ni-QUA Paper Bag!

Many moms (well, many women for that matter) can't fathom how I absolutely love clutches. "How do you fit anything in that small bag?!" Well, I actually just need four things: my asthma medicine, my wallet, my phone and my house keys. That makes me almost like a man, I guess! I do have a long wallet so I can't stuff it in the back pocket of my jeans so I still need a purse, and in my case, a clutch is my favorite.

I have a new addition to my growing clutch collection: the Red Paper Bag clutch from Ni-QUA. It's so fabulous!

Here are the reasons I love my Red Paper Bag clutch:
Ni-QUA is a homegrown brand so I'm loving that my new clutch is Proudly Pinoy.

It's pure leather. It's soft and buttery. The heady aroma makes me happy.

The simple design is based on the brown paper bag so it's so roomy! I can fit a TON of stuff in it—my camera, the kids' toys, diapers, my small vanity kit. One time, I even brought a manuscript! Of course, I couldn't seal the bag anymore but that's ok. I just carried the bag like a paper bag!

I'll be sporting a few more Ni-QUA things soon but for now, I'm super loving my Paper Bag clutch!

Show this Pinoy brand some love!
Like their Facebook page.
Follow them on Twitter (@niquashop) and Instagram (@NIQUAshop).
Shop at their website!

* * * * * * *
P.S.
Like me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
Love me on Bloglovin'

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Topaz Beauty: GLAMGLOW facial mask review

It's Sunday! Lemme tell you about my new Sunday beauty ritual. I super duper love it! It's my GLAMGLOW face mask!!! I was so excited when I found out that GLAMGLOW, Hollywood's ultimate favorite facial mask, is finally here in the Philippines!
There are two variants—Supermud Clearing Treatment and Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment. I got the Youthmud because I like the word tingle!

I got a small jar to try out because you never know if a product's going to agree with you. GLAMGLOW is an all-natural product, paraben-free, and vegan. Still, dermatologists warn that sometimes it's the products with natural ingredients that cause allergies most so always test a small area of your skin before using it on your face.

Thankfully, my face didn't react adversely. In fact, my face loved GLAMGLOW!

That star! It means it's Hollywood! GLAMGLOW is the favorite face mask of stars like Jennifer Lopez, Miley Cyrus, Nina Dobrev, Ceelo Green, Beyoncé, Keannu Reeves. There's a lot of them but I'm lazy to Google haha. It's also gotten positive reviews and features from celebrity and fashion magazines like Vogue, InStyle, Glamour, ELLE, CosmopolitanGrazia, Hello!, Marie Claire... just about every major title! And you know me—as long as Hollywood loves it, I love it, too!

The mud mask was invented specifically for actors. While the advent of high-def technology is great for us viewers, that's not so good news for actors who now have to deal with the fact that every pore, every line and every spot on their pretty faces can now be seen. So some unnamed actors asked their friends Glenn and Shannon Dellimore, the inventors of this miracle mud, to make them a skincare solution that will instantly make their skin look camera-ready. Yes, "instantly" is the magic word. Glenn and Shannon accepted the challenge and exceeded all expectations! 

Here's what it looks like. It's a greenish gray slush that's grainy and speckled with leafy bits. That's a concoction of green tea, crushed pumice and other minerals, and French sea clay. You have to stir it to mix all the ingredients. Remember to use a spatula or a coffee stirrer (like the ones you get at cafés) to avoid contamination. Don't use your finger!

All you need is a thin layer! So this tiny jar should last me about three to four uses. That means this jar is a month's worth of masks.

The mask smells fresh and minty and like astringent. The smell is strong but it doesn't assault the nose. The sensation is cold and it also stings a bit. But that's expected of a product that's called Tinglexfoliate, right?

After 10 minutes, the mask dries up. You really can't move your face! Anyway, time to rinse! Don't go beyond the prescribed time. What I do is I wet my hands with a bit of water then I rub the re-moistened mask into my skin in small circular motions to exfoliate. Then I rinse off everything thoroughly.

Okay, I won't show you the after because I had a big pimple on my left cheek when I took these photos haha but please believe me when I say that my skin looked absolutely fine. And by fine, I mean my skin looked polished and super clean! Like all my pores shrunk!

Sorry, no photos! I get queasy when I see macro pics of noses and wrinkles. It grosses me out haha so I'm not going to show you my nose! But trust me when I say my skin looked amazing after using this mask. That's just from two uses (last Sunday and today). If I actually use GLAMGLOW twice a week, I think I'm going to start looking like a Hollywood star haha! Oh, and that big pimple on my left cheek? It calmed down and dried up the very next day!

Summary

I LIKE... 
  • My skin is softer, smoother, finer, better. It's so touchable! The first time I used this mask, I kept touching my face that whole day because it was so nice!
  • I can use it with my regular skincare products. 
  • My skin really did glow! It's crazy! The glow lasted for about three days. You can use GLAMGLOW twice a week, but I'm being very frugal with it because...
I DON'T LIKE...
  • It's not cheap! A regular jar costs Php 3,750! 

MY TAKEAWAY: While I think it's pricey, it's also effective. Extremely so. I'm buying myself a big jar! Facials at the derma or at a beauty spa usually costs about Php 1,500 to Php 3,500. This is Php 3,750 for a lot of uses and you can do it at home, too. So it comes out as totally worth it.

WHO'S IT FOR: Just about everybody! This mask is for both men and women. The scent isn't feminine or masculine. The mask targets all sorts of blemishes—enlarged pores, pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, and ingrown hair for the guys (or girls!) who shave/wax/thread their mustaches and beards.

You can buy GLAMGLOW at the Beauty Section in SM Makati, SM Mega Mall, SM Aura Premier; at Fresh Fragrance Bar in Eastwood, Alabang Town Center, Century Mall and Glorietta 5; and Art of Scent in Shangri-La Plaza Mall and Resorts World Manila. More info at GLAMGLOWMud.com.

* * * * * * *
P.S.
Like me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
Love me on Bloglovin'