Monday, December 13, 2021

Review (haircare): HairReve Hair Rescue Thickening Serum

Hello to everyone, but most especially a huge hello to those with thinning hair like me! Today is a great day for you because I have great news - I have found a serum that will address our hair situation. Yes, I'm sharing with you my new find: HairReve Hair Rescue Thickening Serum. Here's my happy review:


But first, this is me with my long hair. I haven't cut my hair for one year na. Usually, I keep my hair short, shoulder-length, collarbone-length max kasi manipis lang hair ko. As in my baby hair never grew up. It's as thin and fine as the day I was born.

(Read: The story of my short hair) 

So here I am - no makeup, no blowdry, no hair dye. Actually, no suklay din yan haha I don't think I've ever been this natural-looking since I was in my teens. Hindi ako ma-makeup talaga but as soon as I turned 18, I colored my hair and I've colored it since. Then the pandemic happened and here I am - with graying, thinning hair. 

It's middle age. It could be me approaching menopause. It's the natural events unfolding (a.k.a. AGING haha). I took biotin and that helped. I found tiny baby hairs growing on my hairline. However, I saw the effects on my nails more (stronger, no more peeling), which is good so I continued taking the supplement. And then last July, I discovered HairReve!


HaiReve Serum moisturizes scalp so it's healthy. Effect sa akin: No more itchy, flaky scalp.

It strengthens hair follicles. This is true kasi I was using it, diba, and then I noticed less hair fall nga. But around mid-August or September, I stopped kasi I was super busy. Aba, my hair was falling out again! I started using HairReve asap! Hindi na ulit OA my hair fall.


So what's making all those nice changes to my hair? HairReve is infused with plant-based extracts from Rosemary, Green Tea Leaves, Larch Tree, and Zinc. How do those help? Here, I did my research:

Rosemary - "It works by stimulating scalp circulation and can be used to grow longer hair, prevent baldness or stimulate new hair growth in balding areas. Rosemary oil also slows the graying of hair, promotes shininess and prevents and reduces dandruff, making it a great tonic for overall hair health and beauty." - source

Green Tea - "The epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in green tea may prevent hair loss by inhibiting the activity of hormones that induce hair loss and promoting hair regrowth by stimulating hair follicles." - source

Larch Tree - "The larch extract: conditions hair to improve manageability and combing, reduces hair frizz in humid conditions, reduces static and fly-away hair, protects hair from heat damage and reduces breakage. It is suitable for all hair types, including ethnic hair." - source

Zinc - "...plays an important role in hair tissue growth and repair. It also helps keep the oil glands around the follicles working properly." - source

Spray, spray lang for great hair!

I really like HairReve! Here are more reasons:

1. It's so easy to use. Just spray on! No applicators, no vials, no need to measure anything. Just spray away! 

2. It's a standalone product. Other hair-thickening systems demand that you use their shampoo and conditioner. Ang mahal ng three products, ha! HairReve is Php 1,399 a bottle. Not cheap but it lasts a loooong time so cost per use, okay na. And yun nga, mag-isa lang siya na product effective na.  

3. It smells good! I remember this famous hair thickening product we had to review for a magazine. Hindi ko ma-take yung amoy! So I asked a guy friend to try it. Sabi niya, "Effective naman pero ang kapal nga ng buhok mo, type daw ng mga girls, pero wala ka namang sex life kasi ang baho ng ulo mo." Hahahahaha!

4. It's not yucky. Yes! Aside from the pleasant smell, it's also just a liquid. Not oily or creamy so your hair doesn't look greasy. And it's so easily absorbed. Spray, massage, done! Ilang minutes lang, tapos ka na. 

5. It's clear. I don't need gloves. I don't need to protect my clothes. It doesn't stain anything!

But is it effective in thickening hair???

Okay, I will admit that I don't use HairReve every day. Once or twice a day ang advised but I wash my hair twice, thrice a week lang. Nasa bahay lang kasi ako. So I really didn't think it was going to work. But look at my hair before:

My hair part is wide.
The top of my head is nakakalbo na.

But look at my hair part now! 


Hindi na kita scalp ko, diba? Wala na rin yung bald spot ko. Also, ang dami kong baby hair! And I guess HairReve is also the reason my hair now is so long. I can grow it kasi before, basta mahaba na hair ko, nalalagas. Mabigat kasi, hindi kaya ng roots. But lately, my hair stays put so napahaba ko siya.

Now, I've been using HairReve since July, stopped for a few weeks, then started again. Also, I haven't been using it daily as recommended. And yet the positive effects are still there. Visible effects!

So I really should use it every day. Maybe the effects would've been sooner and more dramatic! Still, I'm very happy. I highly recommend HairReve!


HairReve Hair Rescue Thickening Serum is available at select Mercury Drug stores and at Lazada. Visit www.hairreve.com.ph for more information.
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Monday, December 06, 2021

Family fun at the Mountain House at Antipolo


We went on our first vacation in years! Yes, it was just a quick one, an overnight stay at The Mountain House in Antipolo, just a drive of an hour-and-a-half from our home in the middle of the city. But since halos dalawang taon na kaming nakakulong sa bahay, that drive felt much looooonger! But malapit lang talaga pala siya.

Inulan kami during our stay so I don't have review-type photos, and so I wasn't planning to blog about our trip anymore. But sayang naman our happy weekend! And if you found this post because you Googled for a review of the Mountain House, let me tell you about our experience. 

The Mountain House is a one-hectare property right by the side of Calawis Road. May malaking bahay na bato right at the entrance. You can't miss it kahit na maliit lang yung sign. Basically, i-Waze mo yung Mount Purro Nature Reserve - nasa kanan yung Mount Purro, nasa kaliwa ang Mountain House. You won't get lost, promise.

Pero ginagawa pa yung roads getting there so medyo stressful because our car hasn't really gone for long distances for 20 months so medyo scared kami na may mabali or ma-flat kami sa lubak-lubak na road.

From Marcos Highway, turn left when you see this.
We're driving on the wrong side of the road because half of it isn't done yet. 

Anyway, the parking is right inside, by the gate. Then the property slopes down into a moderately sized garden bounded by a bubbly creek. The garden has a small playground (just a swing set really), space for camping and a bonfire, and two glamping pods sitting almost on top of the creek. Also in the garden is an outhouse with a sink, toilets and showers. Plus an outdoor kitchen where you can cook, get water, and wash dishes. Yes, there's plumbing and running water naman.

This is the garden and camping area. At least I think that's what those circular platforms are for.
Secret pathways!
The two glamping pods

The big house has 5 bedrooms and looked beautiful but it was booked for that weekend. Sayang. The photos of the main house look great. Plus, my friend who stayed there with her family said there's hot water. And that's why my review will look different from other reviews you'll find online because theirs feature the gorgeous house, while mine will be the, uh, affordable version haha 

Since there were just 5 of us, I had planned to book the glamping pods but I was told the pods can accommodate only 2 people, 3 max. So they told me they had a Standard Room for 4 people. I booked that. When we got there, well, it's more of a room for 2 people soooo buti na lang payat kami! No aircon but grabe ang ginaw sa gabi!

The Standard Room was P4500 a night. Maliit lang yung room. Para siyang gardener's shed actually so nagulat ako dun kasi ang standard room sa hotel is at least 30sqm and this room was smaller. Lima kami, remember. But it was comfy enough for us. Malaki naman kasi yung kama. King-size siya, plus may two-seater sofa where our youngest boy slept. May electric fan. That was enough kasi maginaw nga. I wanted to turn it off nung mga 2 a.m. sa sobrang ginaw but if walang fan, the noise from the road isn't muffled. Yes, diba sabi ko sa tabi mismo ng road yung The Mountain House? It's a busy road, even in the middle of the night! You'd never think you were in a mountain. You can hear the trucks, tricycles, etc etc. 

That's where we stayed - the room to the right. The main house is behind it.

I know my pictures make it look less than stellar but it super rained while we were there so it looks damp and gloomy. But it's really a beautiful place! And it's great it can only accommodate a few people. I was really looking for a place na walang ibang tao because, hello, may COVID pa. And we hardly saw anyone, except during the bonfire, which we shared with another super nice and generous family. No checkpoints, no need for rapid antigen tests, no vax cards to present. So hindi siya complicated na trip. 

Oh, this is the best surprise for me! The food. Okay, you can bring your own food. No corkage fees so that's fantastic! But I highly recommend you get your food from the Mountain House. Ang sarap ng food nila! Pinoy food lang ang nasa menu - sinigang, pritong isda, adobo, laing, inihaw na liempo, tocino, longganisa, plus may fresh fruit, and drinks. Simple lang but I don't know if it was the fresh mountain air or they really cook well (I think both!) but the food was soooo good. 

And ang dami! You have to order in advance (all payments are done in advance, too). I ordered only for 3 people (P1,100 per head for 3 meals plus snack) kasi hindi naman kami malakas kumain pero hindi rin namin naubos. Daming food! Sarap! Napakain talaga kami.

Breakfast! Sarap kumain sa labas - chilly morning air tapos mainit yung food!
Lunch namin was in the kitchen ng main house kasi umulan nang pagkalakas-lakas.
 
Okay, what to do at The Mountain House. Well, there's not much to do, which is the whole point. If you just want to be surrounded by nature and get your kids away from the gadgets and the internet, go there (meron wifi but I didn't tell my boys that hehe). 

Read more »
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Thursday, November 11, 2021

Review (book): "Seeds of Hope" by Tiny Buds


I got a Tiny Buds press kit last week. Inside the box, I found three baby-care products, a growing kit (pot, soil, seeds), and a book to read to the kiddos. Honestly, when I saw the cover, I didn't think much of the book. "Oh, just another baby book, not for my school-aged kids." But my youngest boy wanted to read it anyway, and he read it aloud, and we LOVED it! That's why today, I'm going to do a book review of Seeds of Hope by Tiny Buds.


Seeds of Hope tells the story of three tiny seeds that are happy and cozy in the soft, warm earth. After my son read the book, he instantly grasped the metaphor. "Mama, the three seeds are just like me and my brothers. And the earth is our home!"


Now if you think it's all happy-happy-joy-joy, nope. In fact, the seeds experienced many hardships. To the point that two of them said that it's better to just stay deep in the earth, safe and warm forever. But one of them insisted that they should have hope and still go out and learn to face their challenges. The world may be a harsh place but this little seed needs to grow and eventually adapt to or overcome the difficulties.

After he read the story, my boy said, "Mama, that's like you saying you're teaching us many things now because we need to be ready for life later!"
 

I'm telling you this Seeds of Hope book by Tiny Buds is really good! It's short, easy to read and understand, and teaches important lessons on resilience, courage, determination, and - of course - hope. I highly recommend it for you to get for your kids!


How to get? It's FREE! Together with the Tiny Grow Kit Set, the Seeds of Hope book is a FREE GIFT from Tiny Buds when you buy a minimum order of P1,111 on 11.11 (Nov. 11). That's today! This promotion is happening on the Tiny Buds official Lazada, Shopee, and Edamama stores.


If you still have babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, I'm sure it's easy for you to rack up P1,111 worth of Tiny Buds products hehe They have soooo many great quality products for your kid and for mommy, too.

To be honest, since my kids are big na, I don't buy Tiny Buds anymore. But I will say that until now, I buy the After Bites Natural Soothing Gel and the Natural Baby Fabric Softener. After Bites is my favorite. It really works! Kawawa my kids when they get bug bites and I've tried a ton of creams, oils, and whatever. Tiny Buds After Bites is the one that made the itch and the swelling go away fast. Best! 

As for the fabric softener, actually, Downy user ako forever but last year, I tried the Tiny Buds Natural Baby Fabric Softener for our undies. I love it. I love it super. Gentle and hindi matapang ang amoy (lakas ng amoy ng Downy kasi). So this is my recommended fabcon not just for baby clothes but also for the delicates of the whole family.

Okay, that's my book review and product recommendation for today! Do get the Seeds of Hope book by Tiny Buds, mommies. It's super nice. We really loved it as a family. You will, too!

Follow @tinybudsbaby on Instagram, @tinybuds on Facebook, and through its official flagship stores on Lazada and Shopee. You may also join the “Tiny Buds Family” Facebook Community to learn more.
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