Why I Shouldn’t Go to Bazaars…

…I end up splurging.

Moonlit Bazaar Loot
Loot from Moonlit Bazaar, PowerPlant Mall

It’s that time of year when bazaars make a killing out of people buying presents for their loved ones, but I made my way to PowerPlant Mall today to shop for myself.

It started when I wanted to check out a pair of shoes from Summersault: I’d seen them on Tricia and wanted to try them on, at least. They had a stall at The Moonlit Bazaar (from November 27 to 29) and I was in the area anyway for a friend’s birthday party. My inner shopaholic could not resist, even when presented with a P100 door charge (sigh).

The thing with door charges is that once I get into a bazaar, I feel like I have to purchase something to make it worth my while. I ended up getting a bag holder from Style and Carry Bags (P250), liquid leggings from Coeur (P650), and a multi-way cardigan from Decadence&Affluence; (P550). Adding my purchase of Empire macarons (P280 for a box of 9) from the Baker’s Dozen exhibit to the total amount, I spent way more than I should have for one weekend. In fact, it’s the biggest amount I’ve ever spent in the Rockwell area. (On the plus side, I didn’t get lost exiting Rockwell like I always do. Rockwell must be pleased with me.)

But this week I realized that a lot of the interesting things in my wardrobe have all been impulse buys anyway. I guess I should think of what I bought as an investment. (This is stating to sound like Confessions of a Shopaholic. Gaaah. Will stop buying clothes for now.)

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This Month in Action&Fitness Magazine

Hey everyone, before the month ends I really think you should pick up a copy of Action&Fitness; Magazine. Not just because Roxanne Guinoo is on the cover, but that could be a valid reason.

Action&Fitness November issue
Action&Fitness; November issue

But if you do check it out for the cover, I wrote not just one, nor two, but four articles featured on the cover, plus one more inside. Here’s a sneak peek:

  • COVER STORY: Sweating in Style (p. 44) Keep fit while staying in style with the proper and recommended sportswear.
  • Six Workout Myths vs. Facts (p. 62) Fitness myths demystified.
  • Yogurt or No-gurt? (p. 32) It’s the latest craze in town — but read this first before you ride the fro-yo bandwagon.
  • Boost Your Booty (p. 70) Give your booty a natural boost with these butt-busting moves.
  • Tricep Toning (p. 72) Get rid of those “batwing” arms with these easy steps. (BONUS! listen to an excerpt from this article)

A&F;‘s November issue is on all major magazine stands now, so go get it!

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This Month in Action&Fitness Magazine

Hey everyone, before the month ends I really think you should pick up a copy of Action&Fitness; Magazine. Not just because Roxanne Guinoo is on the cover, but that could be a valid reason.

Action&Fitness November issue
Action&Fitness; November issue

But if you do check it out for the cover, I wrote not just one, nor two, but four articles featured on the cover, plus one more inside. Here’s a sneak peek:

  • COVER STORY: Sweating in Style (p. 44) Keep fit while staying in style with the proper and recommended sportswear.
  • Six Workout Myths vs. Facts (p. 62) Fitness myths demystified.
  • Yogurt or No-gurt? (p. 32) It’s the latest craze in town — but read this first before you ride the fro-yo bandwagon.
  • Boost Your Booty (p. 70) Give your booty a natural boost with these butt-busting moves.
  • Tricep Toning (p. 72) Get rid of those “batwing” arms with these easy steps. (BONUS! listen to an excerpt from this article)

A&F;‘s November issue is on all major magazine stands now, so go get it!

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Action&Fitness Magazine November 2009

Action&Fitness November issue
Action&Fitness November issue

I wrote not just one, nor two, but four articles featured on the cover, plus one more inside. Here’s a sneak peek:

  • COVER STORY: Sweating in Style (p. 44) Keep fit while staying in style with the proper and recommended sportswear.
  • Six Workout Myths vs. Facts (p. 62) Fitness myths demystified.
  • Yogurt or No-gurt? (p. 32) It’s the latest craze in town — but read this first before you ride the fro-yo bandwagon.
  • Boost Your Booty (p. 70) Give your booty a natural boost with these butt-busting moves.
  • Tricep Toning (p. 72) Get rid of those “batwing” arms with these easy steps. (BONUS! listen to an excerpt from this article)

Action&Fitness Magazine November 2009

Action&Fitness November issue
Action&Fitness November issue

I wrote not just one, nor two, but four articles featured on the cover, plus one more inside. Here’s a sneak peek:

  • COVER STORY: Sweating in Style (p. 44) Keep fit while staying in style with the proper and recommended sportswear.
  • Six Workout Myths vs. Facts (p. 62) Fitness myths demystified.
  • Yogurt or No-gurt? (p. 32) It’s the latest craze in town — but read this first before you ride the fro-yo bandwagon.
  • Boost Your Booty (p. 70) Give your booty a natural boost with these butt-busting moves.
  • Tricep Toning (p. 72) Get rid of those “batwing” arms with these easy steps. (BONUS! listen to an excerpt from this article)

The November Fashion & Beauty Mega-Post

With apologies to the men who are following this blog, I’m writing another mega-post for fashion and beauty this month. There were just too many kikay developments for me not to notice. Ü

Bootie Luv

If you’re following me on Tumblr, you might have seen me reblogging posts from fashion tumblr ShoeLust, or posting photos of shoes I want to have from Virtual Mae. I was under the impression that stylish gladiator pumps and booties could only be bought from online stores and boutiques like People Are People or Janylin.

Then I dropped by SM Department Store the other day.

Booties by Parisian

SM. We’ve really got it all.

I could not believe my eyes. Ankle-high booties with the correct chunkiness of heel! Studded heels! Etcetera! All that I had been dreaming of and drooling about were right there in-store. The best part was the most expensive pair were priced at P1,299. Not bad at all!

Of course, two weeks ago I told Dhon of Runway2Reality that I’d already made my last shoe purchase of the year. I’m still trying to resist the retail urge! Maybe I’ll reward myself with some awesome shoes in 2010.

DIY Event Make-up

I’ve always done my own make-up when I go out, but seeing other women have perfectly finished faces made me go research how to apply make-up for clubbing. There’s a different color palette for smoky gunmetal eyes, and I wanted to get the blending right for them.

November Fashion Mega-Post: New Loot!
new loot!

The make-up palette from Ever Bilena I bought a few months back is good for everyday use, but it tends to wash out when camera flashes are involved. So I picked up some e.l.f. eyeshadows (P129.75 each) because the colors are intense and don’t wear off easily even with my oily skin (bane of make-up artists). I got the Drama shades for gunmetal club eyes, and Butternut for when I want to achieve an old Hollywood bombshell look.

I’ve been using brown pencil liners to define my brows lately, reserving the black liner for rimming my eyes. Ever Bilena Color Pencils are cheap (P88), rich, don’t run, and won’t smear if set with powder. The white eyeliner in the photo is from Nichido; Tyra Banks and other celebrities tout its use on lower eyelid rims as a way to make eyes appear bigger.

For the SLIMS Retrospective, I picked up a copy of Cosmopolitan Magazine and copied a look from one of its pages.

November Fashion Mega-Post: Made-upAfter applying Clinique Superfit foundation (Rose Beige) with a foundation brush and patting it smooth with a make-up sponge, I used an Elianto cream concealer (Medium shade) to cover up dark circles. Then I applied the nude color from the Butternut palette all over my eyelid up to the brow. I swiped the lightest shade onto my brow bone as highlight, then used the two darkest colors to contour my lid and give it a deep-set look. Since it wasn’t dark enough not to wash out when I took test photos, I took my Drama palette and lightly brushed some black shadow to finish off the contour.

After filling in and extending my eyebrows with brown pencil, I went all around my eye with my black liner. I applied a line of white pencil beneath the black liner on my waterline, which lit up my eye area and finished the look. Blush powder from Nichido (Cool Rum and Passionate Red) and lip color from Clinique (Color Surge in Extreme Pink) added some warmth to the lower half of my face. I later attached very long false eyelashes from e.l.f. (not in photo).

I felt really confident about how I looked, and as the evening progressed, the make-up did not wear off or migrate. In the photos, the make-up was just right, not too heavy or too light. Success!

Tags: , , ,

The November Fashion & Beauty Mega-Post

With apologies to the men who are following this blog, I’m writing another mega-post for fashion and beauty this month. There were just too many kikay developments for me not to notice. Ü

Bootie Luv

If you’re following me on Tumblr, you might have seen me reblogging posts from fashion tumblr ShoeLust, or posting photos of shoes I want to have from Virtual Mae. I was under the impression that stylish gladiator pumps and booties could only be bought from online stores and boutiques like People Are People or Janylin.

Then I dropped by SM Department Store the other day.

Booties by Parisian

SM. We’ve really got it all.

I could not believe my eyes. Ankle-high booties with the correct chunkiness of heel! Studded heels! Etcetera! All that I had been dreaming of and drooling about were right there in-store. The best part was the most expensive pair were priced at P1,299. Not bad at all!

Of course, two weeks ago I told Dhon of Runway2Reality that I’d already made my last shoe purchase of the year. I’m still trying to resist the retail urge! Maybe I’ll reward myself with some awesome shoes in 2010.

DIY Event Make-up

I’ve always done my own make-up when I go out, but seeing other women have perfectly finished faces made me go research how to apply make-up for clubbing. There’s a different color palette for smoky gunmetal eyes, and I wanted to get the blending right for them.

November Fashion Mega-Post: New Loot!
new loot!

The make-up palette from Ever Bilena I bought a few months back is good for everyday use, but it tends to wash out when camera flashes are involved. So I picked up some e.l.f. eyeshadows (P129.75 each) because the colors are intense and don’t wear off easily even with my oily skin (bane of make-up artists). I got the Drama shades for gunmetal club eyes, and Butternut for when I want to achieve an old Hollywood bombshell look.

I’ve been using brown pencil liners to define my brows lately, reserving the black liner for rimming my eyes. Ever Bilena Color Pencils are cheap (P88), rich, don’t run, and won’t smear if set with powder. The white eyeliner in the photo is from Nichido; Tyra Banks and other celebrities tout its use on lower eyelid rims as a way to make eyes appear bigger.

For the SLIMS Retrospective, I picked up a copy of Cosmopolitan Magazine and copied a look from one of its pages.

November Fashion Mega-Post: Made-upAfter applying Clinique Superfit foundation (Rose Beige) with a foundation brush and patting it smooth with a make-up sponge, I used an Elianto cream concealer (Medium shade) to cover up dark circles. Then I applied the nude color from the Butternut palette all over my eyelid up to the brow. I swiped the lightest shade onto my brow bone as highlight, then used the two darkest colors to contour my lid and give it a deep-set look. Since it wasn’t dark enough not to wash out when I took test photos, I took my Drama palette and lightly brushed some black shadow to finish off the contour.

After filling in and extending my eyebrows with brown pencil, I went all around my eye with my black liner. I applied a line of white pencil beneath the black liner on my waterline, which lit up my eye area and finished the look. Blush powder from Nichido (Cool Rum and Passionate Red) and lip color from Clinique (Color Surge in Extreme Pink) added some warmth to the lower half of my face. I later attached very long false eyelashes from e.l.f. (not in photo).

I felt really confident about how I looked, and as the evening progressed, the make-up did not wear off or migrate. In the photos, the make-up was just right, not too heavy or too light. Success!

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A Night at the Museum: SLIM Retrospective

While I’ve attended fashion events in the past, this is the first time I’ve infiltrated been invited to a society event. The SLIM Retrospective opened yesterday at the National Museum for the Filipino People, and I was blessed enough to have friends who asked me to view it with them on its first night. (The exhibit will remain until March 2010, so there’s still enough time to go see it!)

SLIM stands for Salvacion Lim Higgins, a Filipina haute couture designer. Designing from 1947 until shortly before her death in 1990, she is best remembered for dramatic silhouettes, intricate embroidery and beadwork, and reinventing the Maria Clara and terno for Manila’s high society. She also started a fashion and art school that still operates in Makati.

Her legacy was on display last night, presented by Preview and Town&Country; magazines with the support of Citibank, Nokia, and the Peninsula Manila. The museum facade was aglow with washes of colored light and decked out with a red carpet for honored guests to walk on.

SLIM Retrospective launch: Night at the Museum

Red Carpet!

Preview Magazine’s November issue features Anne Curtis on the cover and inside in a fashion editorial that pays tribute to SLIM. A number of the dresses on display in the museum were also worn by Anne in the pictorial.

SLIM Retrospective launch: Morocco meets space-age

what was old is new again

I saw the Project Runway Philippines regular cast, UNO Magazine’s creative director Juan Caguicla, dignitaries from foreign embassies, actors and actresses, and perhaps I failed to recognize some of Manila’s movers and shakers because I’d never seen them before (or paid attention). Gosh, I’m so middle-class — not that there’s anything wrong with that.

I fully enjoyed myself with the wines from Titania, canapes, cold cuts, and cheeses from Peninsula Manila, and was able to move around pretty well in my gown by Ryan Madamba, who had invited me to come with him to the retrospective. You don’t see it in the picture below, but that gown had a train measuring about eighteen inches. The only other woman in the place with a train was Preview editor-in-chief Pauline Juan. Not bad for an interloper like me. Ü

SLIM Retrospective launch: interloper

fashion with friends can’t go wrong

Check out my Multiply album for more photos from the SLIM Retrospective launch, or go to Stylebible.ph’s photo gallery.

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Parvati Dessert Soiree

I’m not a dessert person, but I won’t refuse a free meal (hehe). So when I got an invitation to attend a taste-testing event, I didn’t say no.

Parvati Dessert Soiree

Parvati Dessert Soiree at 55 Events Place

Parvati is an upcoming shop concept; their tagline is “where home bakers and dessert lovers meet”. While there will be a physical mortar-and-bricks shop, home bakers will be able to offer their made-to-order dessets through Parvati. Through this taste test, the collected comments and ratings on each dessert will help determine whether or not it will be offered at a Parvati shop in the future.

Parvati Dessert Soiree: the spread

Got a sweet tooth?

It turns out that 500 people registered for the event, which was dubbed a “dessert soiree”. At the entrance, I registered and was given a comment sheet to review four desserts of my choice. (You can only get four desserts at a time.) I chose a slice of chocolate decadent cake, some kind of muffin, a slice of banana loaf, and a lemon square. I had some friends with me, so I probably tasted twelve desserts just by nibbling off their plates.

Parvati Dessert Soiree: my thinking cap

I’ve got my thinking cap on.

The wide array of choices overwhelmed my palate and my belly, so I ended up rating just the four desserts I had taken. The decadent cake was the best, with its moist chocolate crumb and gooey caramel sauce just melting onto the tongue. The muffin was the worst — I could only describe it as feeling and tasting like bits of cardboard. The banana loaf could have used a bit more sugar, and the lemon square a bit more moisture.

Overall, I’m excited for the day when a Parvati shop opens near me. More of that decadent cake please!

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Finding My [Clinique] Perfect Match

“Hello, Miss. This is for you.”

Clinique Perfect Match event: white rose

a rose for me? how thoughtful!

And with that gentle welcome still ringing in my ear, I breezed into the penthouse suite of Fairways Tower yesterday for the Clinique Perfect Match Foundation event.

Because I’d covered a Clinique skincare event for Kikay Exchange in May, I was invited to this sneak peek at the upcoming foundation line Clinique is releasing, formulated for Asian skin. Check out Project Vanity for Liz’s review, coming soon! The other foundations were also still available for testing.

Clinique Perfect Match event: Makeup!

I, like other women, love make-up

They had a computer set up with a questionnaire that would lead me to find the right kind of foundation for me. Based on my consultation at the counter, I received a whole bottle of Clinique Superfit Makeup in Rose Beige. Superfit matches skin types 2 (combination dry), 3 (combination oily, my skin type), and 4 (oily). It’s oil-free so it won’t clog pores, and it’s long-wearing so it won’t melt off my face.

Clinique Perfect Match event: foundation

Superfit Makeup in Rose Beige, SRP: P1,750

My last pot of liquid foundation from Clinique was the Perfectly Real Makeup in True Beige, which was rather thick and needed a light hand when applied. The Superfit Makeup felt lighter and spread very evenly on my face.

Clinique Perfect Match event: applied

foundation on left side, bare skin on right side

I’m acidic, but this foundation blended very well into my natural skin color. I really like how it dried to a matte finish and covered up light splotches, redness, and dark circles. I didn’t even need to use concealer when I finished applying foundation to my whole face.

I use powder mineral foundation on most days, but when I need more coverage, I’m glad I have Clinique to turn to.

(Check out my Tumblr for photos I took at the event: slideshow 1, slideshow 2.)

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