TOPAZ HORIZON

Let me see. I've been wearing prescription glasses for my nearsightedness since I was 13. My first pair was this monstrosity of pink frames that cradled thick glass lenses I was forever afraid would shatter.

Me at 14, with my baby siblings Theodore and Jacqui.

Later on, when I was in college, I asked for anti-reflecting, ultra-thin plastic lenses that have UV protection, too. These were expensive lenses but my parents allowed it because they didn't want me to look too nerdy. Papa said nerdy girls never attract any boys. His fears were unfounded. Boys do make passes at girls who wear glasses! The best boy turned out to be the guy who'd marry me! (Yes, my husband has a thing for girls with glasses.)

Now you all know I love online shopping. So naturally I loved FourEyes.com.ph! Here's my review:

THE ONLINE SHOP
The shopping site is very easy to navigate. It's simple. No bells and whistles. Just the way I like it. You get presented the frames available. You pick the ones you like and you get more product details. You even get to try the glasses on virtually.
Just upload a photo and that's it! I was worried pa nga that I'll need a photo na full frontal, parang passport ba. But even this semi-side, semi-looking down shot of me with my boys was okay because there's a tool that helped me position the frames perfectly. It allows me to make the glasses bigger or smaller and move them around on my face. So easy! So fun! So easy and fun that I virtually tried on dozens of frames! Look at some of them:

I ended up picking Vanilla Wafer, Cat Whisperer and Sing Me A Lullaby. The frames are just Php 1,495 each. Super affordable! Like, crazy affordable! If you pick regular lenses, too (yes, even prescription ones), the lenses are free! But since I'm maarte and my grade is pretty high (which means if I pick out regular lenses, they'd be super thick), I chose the ultra-thin lenses, which is an additional Php 2,000. Still, the whole pair of glasses will come out at just Php 3,495. Still waaaaay cheaper than buying from a shop! You can buy two or three!

Ordering the glasses was super easy. You just fill in the information needed, like if you want prescription lenses or just lenses without a grade. If you need prescription lenses, you'll need to know what your prescription is so you'll really have to see your eye doctor first. Since I have a prescription from last year, I already knew what my grade was, the distance between my irises, and the types of lenses that I like (ultra-thin, non-reflective, with UV protection).

After filling out the info, just tell them if you want a flat-out purchase or if you want to try out some frames at home first. I chose the Home Try-On service.

THE SERVICE
I placed my order on June 2, Monday. The box of glasses arrived on June 7, Saturday. So there's a bit of a wait there.

Inside were a sturdy blue box and the return envelope addressed to Four Eyes. You can keep the glasses for 5 days. I imagine that's enough time to try them out, and ask your friends and family which ones look best on you. After the five days, you're supposed to contact Four Eyes and tell them to pick up the glasses again.
Helpful instructions on the inside of the lid.

My glasses! Which one is really for me?

Let's start with Sing Me A Lullaby.
I picked it because I wanted colored frames. I already have a black one and a red one so I figured I'd try blue. While I liked it, I thought the blue brought out the shadows under my eyes and the blue-green veins on my cheeks. You don't notice it on the photo here because I increased exposure/brightness so that my flaws will disappear. Hehe, vain!

Just saw Jolibee's new ad for Independence Day called #SarapMagingPilipino, and it made me tear up a bit. You see, over at Facebook, a lot of the people I know are on trips abroad and they keep saying things like how horrible it is here in the Philippines. Look, I'm not blind to the ills of our country but if it's that bad, then don't come back, diba.

Whenever I see or hear people talk about how it's so much better in other countries, my first thought is always, "Then help make life better for us here."A lot of us always just talk about how everything is so bad here (and always over cups of designer coffee or something like that!). But it's the same all over the world. There are good things, there are bad things. Nothing is ever perfect.

When I go abroad, I think, "Oh wow, the public transportation system is so efficient. But, wow, the train is almost P80 a trip? So expensive!""Oh wow, the people here are so disciplined but, wow, they're so frikkin' rude, too!" "Oh wow, the streets are just as filthy as Manila's streets but at least here, it's cold so it doesn't stink." "Oh wow, no traffic at all but there's a rule you have to replace your car every 3 years? Kaya naman pala walang kotse nyek."

I'm not saying the systems of other countries are bad. I also believe that the ticket prices of the MRT should be raised way up, just like in other countries, so that the MRT can make money to buy more trains and therefore accommodate more passengers. That's called running a business. But that's also called anti-poor. A lot of what makes other cities in the world so nice and clean is because of their anti-poor policies. Parking in London for a month? USD 950 (almost P41,000 or P1,300 a day) vs around P120 here. To drive around London in your own car? You have to pay GBP 10 (P730) just to enter the city. Kung ganyan din dito sa Maynila, imagine spending P3,650 a week para lang pumasok sa office!

Krispy Kreme asked me (pretty please with candy sprinkles on it) if I'd like to treat my readers to something sweet. Of course I said yes! So if you're in the mood to treat yourself (or your family, friends, co-workers, etc) to a sweet treat with an even sweeter message on top, why don't you give them #JoyInABox from Topaz Horizon and Krispy Kreme?


Yes, my dear readers! I'm giving away 10 boxes of #MessageDoughnuts from my family's favorite doughnut shop, Krispy Kreme! But you get to pick the message you want on it. Here are a few samples:

So without further ado, let's get on with the giveaway!

The prize:
A whole box of doughnuts with the message you want to tell anyone. It can be a "Happy Dad's Day!" to your father, an "I love you!" to your boyfriend, an "I miss you!" to your friends, "Congrats!" to a new mom or a friend with a new job, or encouraging words to your staff at work. Kinda something like this:

The details:

1. 10 readers will win a box each of #MessageDoughnuts from Krispy Kreme. 
2. Contest is open to anyone near a Krispy Kreme shop! So this is a nationwide contest! (Philippines only!)
3. My contest runs from today till June 12, 12pm.
4. I'll pick the winners on June 12 and announce on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Winners must reply to my announcement by June 13, Friday 12 noon!!! If I get no feedback, I pick new winners!
5. Winners will then send me their name, the message they want on their #JoyInABox, and which Krispy Kreme store they'll claim the box from. Bring a valid ID to claim your box of #MessageDoughnuts!

How to win:

1. Like Krispy Kreme's Facebook page, and follow them on Instagram and Twitter. 
2. Like Topaz Horizon's Facebook page, and follow me on Instagram and Twitter. Ya, you kinda have to because that's where I'm going to announce the winners! 
3. On Instagram: Post a happy selfie and say this: "I want to get #joyinabox from @KrispyKremePH and @FrancesASales!"
4. On Twitter: Post a happy selfie and say this: "I want to get #joyinabox from @hotlightgirl and @FrancesASales!"
5. On Facebook: Say this: "I want to get #joyinabox from Krispy Kreme and Topaz Horizon!" Make sure Krispy Kreme and Topaz Horizon are tagged!

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I'm pregnant so I haven't been wearing heels for a long while now. It's not safe, I know, so don't worry about me! But I'm writing this post because I still remember how it feels to be on heels all day and then your feet start to swell up in pain and suffering, and all you want to do is wear comfy flats.

Yung tipong pumuputok na ang mga ugat sa paa mo na pain.

Here's a cute solution from proudly Pinoy brand Ni-QUA: the Ella Foldable Flats!

I love that it comes in a big nylon pouch. Kasi other foldable flats in the market come in these tiny pouches, which begs the question: Saan ko lalagay yung heels ko??? With the roomy polka-dot pouch, that's not an issue.

Kasya heels ko!

Of course, the best thing about the Ella Flats is it's very comfy. The sole is flexible but it's not super thin. Other foldable flats have soles that are super manipis so your feet have no protection from the ground. As in, nararamdaman mo lahat ng groove, crack, bato at basura when you walk around. So sure, you may not be in heels anymore but yung paa mo naman is in another kind of pain.

Look at how relaxed my feet are! Super comfy and really fun on my feet. I love it!

No more ugat!

The Ni-QUA Ella Flats come in neon pink, neon orange, neon blue, neon green and neon yellow. If you're not into blinding brights, the Ella Flats also come in brown and red, capped at the toe by animal prints. Really cute! Shop now!

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Our income may not be regular and it's not even near the same level as when we were employed, but God's provision comes from many places. We get free trips, free gas, free clothes, free diapers, free food, free toiletries, free almost everything! Sometimes, when I'm feeling stressed out with the kids, flowers from strangers just suddenly appear at the door and I'm cheered up. It's funny because sometimes I'll run out of mascara, for example, and I'll go, "Dear God, I need mascara but I don't want to buy because our money should go to the groceries and the bills." One week later, three tubes of mascara from Lancôme, Avon and L'Oreal Paris arrived! God is good and faithful (and generous!), as promised!
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It's Thursday so I am hoping every Game of Thrones fan has seen the mind-blowing episode that was the "Red Viper vs The Mountain." At our home, our reaction was similar to this:



I'm still in shock.

Someone on Facebook shrieked on her status, "Will there be more shocking deaths this season?! I can't take it anymore!" Well, I'll say this: Tywin and Cersei made a huge mistake going against Tyrion.

As Jesus said in Matthew 12:25, "Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and no town or house divided against itself will stand."

Believe it or not, I only learned to apply makeup a few years ago. Well, I needed to put something on my face because of my previous job as a magazine editor. I used to go barefaced to events and the brand managers just never recognized me because in the magazine, my photo showed a gorgeous girl. In real life, with no makeup, I'm, well, I'm not ugly, but let's just say the girl in the photos did not look anything like the girl at the events trying to convince the brand people that I'm kinda somebody hahaha.

Solution: Put on makeup!

I knew that cleansing the skin of all traces of makeup was essential so that skin won't get damaged. However, since I wore makeup maybe once or twice a week, I never invested in makeup removers. I figured a good scrubbing with facial cleanser was enough. I guess that's why I was still so pimply. I also read in InStyle that if you wear sunscreen, which I do, you'll still need makeup remover. So for today's Topaz Beauty, I'm going to talk about my makeup removers!
I had used Shu Uemura's cleansing oils before. They do an excellent job but I really didn't like massaging oil into my face. So I did a lot of research on makeup removers. I wanted the best!

Beauty review site Makeup Alley gave Lancôme's Eau Micellaire Douceur Express Cleansing Water for Face, Eyes and Lips 4.3 stars. The only reason why it's not 5 stars is because it's so expensive. It was only when I read an interview with Emma Watson that I was convinced. She said that Lancôme's makeup removers are the very best and that they remove every bit of makeup that's applied on her during movie shoots and photo shoots. Since I adore Emma, I got myself Lancôme's Eau Micellaire Douceur!
You know what? This Micellaire water really works. My skin is really clean. Not squeaky dry clean, but nice and soft and fresh clean. And I don't have pimples anymore!

That up there is my current bottle. There's just an inch of it left. I kinda don't want to buy a new bottle because it's not cheap (it's P1,795) and I'm a freelance writer now and my clients haven't paid me yet (hello, magbayad na kayo!). At the same time, because it works naman talaga, the cost isn't really that much. I guess I'm just being a cheapskate now because I'm about to give birth haha.

So thank goodness for Happy Skin!!!
Happy Skin Make A Clean Sweep Revitalizing Micellar Makeup Cleanser (Php 599) has the exact same powerful ingredient as Lancome's—the Micellar water! Plus, it has anti-inflammatory Japanese tea extract and anti-oxidant Lotus Seed extract. The cleanser really does remove every bit of makeup but it's so nice on the skin. You just swipe here and there and makeup melts away. No need for tugging or pressure. It smells nice, too, not overpowering or strong. You also just need one pump (well, I do since I don't apply a lot of makeup) so this will last a long time. Super sulit at just P599!

My only con with the Make A Clean Sweep cleanser is it stung my eyes. I know it's supposed to be a gentle cleanser that you can use even for eye makeup but when I pressed the soaked cotton pads onto my eyes, it stung. Hindi naman namula or na-irritate ang mata ko, nasaktan lang. When I read other reviews online, the bloggers didn't have the same reaction naman so maybe ako lang ito.

Anyway, to remove my eye makeup, I went back to Lancôme. I'm using the Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover now. I found it in my beauty products drawer. It's a freebie. Again, I did some research and this is a winner of many beauty awards. You have to shake the bottle to mix the two phases—the lipid phase removes makeup while the water phase refreshes and conditions skin. There's no stinging and no oily residue. It's opthalmologist-tested so it's safe for the sensitive skin around the eyes. Also safe for contact lens wearers like me. Best of all, it really does remove every bit of eye makeup, even liquid liners and waterproof mascara, in one swipe. I love it!

The only con with Bi-Facil? It's also pricey. I don't know how much it costs here in Manila, but according to the US website, it's $28. That's P1,141. So if I use this and Happy Skin, that's a total of P1,740. So it's basically the same price as the Lancôme Eau Micellaire Douceur!

Lancôme is available at Greenbelt 5, Essences Power Plant, and at Rustan's Dept. Stores in Makati, Shangri-la Plaza and Alabang.

Happy Skin is available at Rustan's Makati, Rustan's Shangri-la, Beauty Bar and select Plains & Prints boutiques. Visit www.happyskincosmetics.com to check out their other fun and skin-caring products.

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No one can quite believe me when I said my favorite bag these days is a clutch. "How do you fit all your kikay stuff in a clutch?!" Well, I don't really need a lot of kikay stuff kasi. It's not because I'm so gorgeous, okay, it's really because I never stay out for long, just four hours max, so I don't need to bring a ton of stuff to retouch my makeup.

So here's what's inside my kikay kit:

In the last 7 years, I often get asked by people from the past (ah, Facebook, where people you don't care about pop up often) if I've had anything done to my face. You know, nose job, Botox, face lift, I dunno. That means said people think I now look great. That also means said people think I used to look like crap haha. When I say that I didn't have anything done at all just my teeth, they still can't believe me.

Teeth, my friends, say a whole lot about you. If you have bad teeth, people assume you were poor and couldn't afford braces and the countless visits to the dentist. And you all know naman that I grew up poor. We only went to the dentist when we had a toothache and talagang kailangan ikamamatay na yung pain bago pa kami dalhin sa dentist. That was how much we scrimped on money. There's an episode in 30 Rock where Jack Donaghy sizes up Liz Lemon and tells her that she can act all smart but he knows she's insecure because she grew up poor. Flabbergasted Liz asks how he knew that and Jack says her bad teeth gave her away.

It's true. Straight, perfect, white teeth is all you need to look polished, sophisticated and rich. You can be toting a designer bag but if your teeth are crooked, your whole look is ruined. On the other hand, you can be in a simple tee and jeans but flash a bright and beautiful smile and you instantly look like a million bucks. Observe:

For more examples of celebs who look loads better with better teeth, click here!

My turn:

I was going through my Facebook photos showing my kids what I looked like BEFORE I had them. This photo made the boys sit up. "Mama, click it, click it!" So I did.

Vito: Wow, Mama. Is that you?

Me: (very pleased at the awe in his voice) Yes, this was after I married Papa.

Vito: Woah. You're bigger now! Big bigger now!

Kainis.


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Now that I'm a full-time blogger, people ask me all the time how to get featured on my blogs, Topaz Horizon and Topaz Mommy. I'm lucky to have regular sponsored posts coming my way. If it were not for them, I won't be able to enjoy my current status of earning while being with my kids 24/7. Anyway, I welcome sponsored posts and, though I'm not pa-importante, I do have some criteria:

I'm mapili with brands I work with. The brand must be something I use or believe in, for starters. I'm okay with posting announcements and press releases and doing event coverage for free as long as the brand is aligned with my blogs and who I am (and if I have no kwento haha kasi ngayon na nasa bahay na ako palagi, it's not like my life is SO EXCITING!).

Helping promote Pampers sound sleep campaign

But if hindi ko type ang tono ng email, I say no. If the email starts with "Dear blogger/mom blogger/webmaster" and "To whom it may concern," I say no. If demanding si brand/PR ("Tell your readers to like/follow us, use all these hashtags and keywords, we want X number of posts plus social media campaign") at ang daming pinapagawa tapos "Thanks!" lang ang kapalit, I say no. I write well and I do spend time and effort, plus blogging time means time away from my kids so I do expect to be compensated. But that doesn't mean mukhang pera ako. For example, I can't resist small businesses, especially if they're run by mommies of small kids. Kahit walang bayad ang Ni-QUA and Elin sa akin, because natuwa ako sa mommy at sa business nila, game ako. Yes, even if I don't even use the product just as long as I believe in it, I support mompreneurs! Well, not ALL mompreneurs but basta bottom line pa rin is if I don't use/like/believe in the brand, it's really a no.

Being makulit with fellow Sangobion brand ambassador Cheska Garcia-Kramer

You know, I wish I could say yes to every proposal sent my way. If I did, mayaman na siguro ako. Kung pera lang ang criterion talaga, go lang nang go! But sa lagay, hindi pa rin ganon kalaki ang kita ko from blogging dahil feel na feel ko yang integrity ko!

I've heard that my being mapili has been misconstrued. You know, I'd rather be called a snob than be accused of compromising my integrity. Kasi in the end, my blogs reflect who I am and if it comes out na snob ako, well, kung ganyan kayo mag-isip eh di ganyan kayo mag-isip. Okay lang, kasi may pagka-maarte naman talaga ako minsan haha. Pero hindi ako fake at hindi ako sinungaling. Itaga niyo sa bato yan.

A video I did for NIVEA Baby's CSR efforts to help Fabella Hospital

Blogs are so tricky. Nung nasa magazines ako, tanggap lang nang tanggap kasi pera yun para sa company. So kahit na hindi bagay ang toilet cleaner and fungus medication sa glamorous Hollywood magazine, okay lang, i-feature asap! But blogs are an extension of the blogger. I seriously believe no amount of money should buy a blogger's integrity.

But I also won't judge bloggers who do it for the money. Hindi ko ever ma-gets yung mga blogger diyan na kung maka-judge ng mga bloggers who earn from their blogs, akala mo they poop gold dahil hindi raw for sale ang opinions nila. Well, good for you. Some of us need to make money, you know. We have bills to pay, mouths to feed. My opinion is never for sale, either. Nakahanap lang ako ng paraan para kumita ng pera in a clean and decent way. So to each his own. I live and let live and enjoy blogging!

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I want to plug this only because someone asked me recently, "So you don't do any work now at all?"

She looked really disappointed in me, too. Heehee. So I said, "Yeah. I don't do any work at all. I'm living the donya life!"

That is kinda true. I don't see my blogs as work. The writing I do for my blogs' partners is just so easy, I can't believe it sometimes. It's like being paid to eat candy! I'm grateful this is my life. I can be with my husband and kids full time and not be afraid of the future. But once in a while, I say yes to real writing jobs and this one is my favorite. Why? Because I love Duchess Kate!


For more on Kate, other chi-chi mommies, and the luxe lifestyle, grab this month's issue of HOLA! magazine!

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One of the joys of mommyhood is finding ways to be entertained on lazy days, and being resourceful and creative. What's the joy there? The main joy, of course, is making my kids happy, but I'm going to be honest with y'all: If I weren't a mom, I'd just sleep all day and then I'd never realize how fun and creative I could be pala!

One such afternoon, Monde sent over their Monde Special Mamon and Cream Puffs. They've been doing this regularly for over a year now (thanks, Monde!), but this time the pastries came in a big box with decorating tools and toppings.

The kids and I were so excited! We love cupcakes but I just can't get over the astronomical prices those little confections come with. Tapos wala akong hilig mag-bake. It never occurred to me to use mamon! I love it because mamon pa is so big! More yummy bites and more space for decorating! Plus, Monde Special Mamon is really masarap because it's made of fresh and premium ingredients like real eggs, imported wheat flour, and milk.

So my little boys Vito and Iñigo decided to celebrate an afternoon of summer bonding and decorated our very own mamon! The first Mamon-It-Yourself recipe we made is Chocolate Mamon a la Mode!

First, we started with the chocolate mamon. Look how big it is!

Then I scooped a big dollop of strawberry ice cream on top and let the kids loose on it!

Everyone's saying my face looks thinner these days. Considering I'm packing on the pregnant weight, I can only surmise that my face isn't ballooning because of the facial sculpting massage I learned from Shiseido.

I've been doing this for about a month now. My steps are cleanse, soften, eye serum, eye cream, moisturizer then massage. Six steps. Add one step in the morning for sunscreen. Yep, my facial regimen is becoming more and more Japanese/Korean, which is 8-11 steps. I'll have to add toner and face serum soon. First time I heard about the many-steps regimen, I balked. I mean, seriously, who has the time? But since I've been adding more steps to my facial care system, the skin of my face has really improved. Vastly.

Here's the massage I learned from Shiseido:






This massage is the big reason why I think my skin is firmer. I have cheekbones now and my eyelids don't droop so much. Plus, the skin of my neck isn't so loose anymore. Yep, I finish the massage with six strokes upwards so my massage is actually seven steps. Try it!

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