Long-lasting Eyebrow Liner for Newbies

Over the holidays, I tried signing up on this new review site, Try and Review. So it's a site where you sign up to review products. Package will be delivered to you and you just have to try and submit a review. Easy-peasy. 

I signed up to review the Define and Blend brow pencil of Maybelline. Yes, I am going to review a beauty product. I still don't associate myself as kikay, however I do believe #kilayislife. So anyway, I got the product on the first week of 2019, albeit signing up around mid-December. 

Another great product from Maybelline! 

Upon receiving the package, I immediately noticed it was light. Literal na magaan, mga mumsh. That's a good sign for me since I can control the pressure when I apply it on myself. 

Maybelline Define and Blend brow pencil

But wait, there's more.

I did try applying it on. It was soooooo easy. However, I had to repeat some strokes since I found it too light on my skin. Baka sumobra lang ang moisturizer ko at naging oily na ako kaya ayaw kumapit. Will get back on that again next week.

The application was so easy. It was one of its product features anyway. Newbies and people who are scared of doing their brows will find this product perfect. It doesn't smudge easily, so when you overdo it, easy clean-up pa rin.

Trying the Define and Blend brow pencil

Price was okay for me. Eyebrow liners/pencils are something I don't usually splurge on. So I usually look for stuff that's below Php300. This product in particular is very pasok sa banga at Php249. How long it's going to last in my kit will be another post perhaps. 

This product is something I'd recommend. Easy to apply, keeps your brow natural-looking and affordable. With that I'd give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Shameless selfie.

In case you're wondering, here's the review I posted in the site. Look for it and rate it useful. (Please, pretty please with cherry on top.)

A lightweight brow liner that's so easy to apply! Perfect for newbies and women on the go, the application took me less than five minutes. There's nothing to be scared of, if you're not used to brow liners, this one's really easy to use. I mentioned it's lightweight - very easy to control the pressure of your hand when applying the product. The price is just right and totally worth it.

What Would My Titas Say: Kita Kita Movie Review

Finally got to watch Kita Kita last week a few weeks ago.

Wasn't really planning on seeing this film as I was preparing myself for a movie marathon during the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino week. I realized I have missed a few good movies on the big screen lately so when a friend said she wanted to watch, I say why the hell not.

Traffic was so bad going to Town that we decided at the last minute to make a U-turn and watch in Festival Mall instead. Apparently, the cinemas there are almost a hundred pesos cheaper. (I have been watching movies lately in random Ayala Malls so I was surprised with the price difference. Turns out, Festival Mall was way cheaper because seats were really old, the floor for the cinemas was almost empty, and it's as if it was from a different mall, compared with the new wing.)

I like how the movie started with a light, clear storyline. The narrative of Lea's (Alessandra de Rossi) character was easy to digest in the first ten minutes. If they had made that longer, it would be borderline boring.



Cue lead actor. The introduction of Tonyo (Empoy Marquez) in the movie was written with lots of wit in mind. It seemed as if Empoy was just being himself.

Sigrid Andrea Bernado couldn't have pulled this movie off better as a writer and director. I loved how each angle and shot was well chosen for each scene. And all that happening in Japan! Sulit yung binayad namin sa sinehan!

Yes, this is me, giving this movie a thumbs up. On the other hand, I have way too many thoughts during and after the movie that I just have to let out here.

As a blind Filipina living alone in Japan, I couldn't imagine how will get through the day. Nakakakilig at nakakain love, sabi nila. But it all got too unreal for me when Tonyo narrated how he fit in Lea's life. At some level, it is stalker-ish. For me, it really knocked me back to reality upon learning Tonyo just broke up with his girlfriend, was trashy, followed Lea around and was instantly smitten with her kindness. If I were Lea, "Kuya, hindi ako rebound girl." I couldn't blame Lea though. She's a tourist guide for crying out loud, she's naturally a people person. But she broke up with that cheating boyfriend of hers, and loneliness was creeping its way up. The tita in me is screaming, just because you got cheated on, you shouldn't go for the next guy who's showing kindness to you. If she found out sooner she was stalked, I don't think she'd still like him that much.

Setting aside these comments, would I settle for a Tonyo? Probably not at this point. Maybe when loneliness eats me alive.

I recommend people watch this movie. Sulit. Then tell me watcha think. ;)

Ps. Masarap sya panoorin with Potato Corner fries. :D

Add a little sparkle.

With days and nights reaching almost-intolerable degrees of warmth, it is always nice to have something refreshing just about anywhere in this country. The Labor Day weekend gave a lot of urban peeps a chance to unwind and head to the beach to cool down, lucky for them. But if you're like me who'd rather stay in the metro and chill at the mall, there are other options.

*enter stage left*

Starbucks is yet introducing another "limited edition" drink for the summer, the sparkling lemonade drinks. I tried it out last Sunday and here are some thoughts of mine that you may or may not find amusing.

1. You can get it in green tea aka matcha or coffee. Coffee and lemonade, hello acidity. So yep, I chose the former.
2. In select stores (four, actually), they're having a buy 1 take 1 promo. I happen to live nearby in one of those stores, so I got two matcha lemonades.

3. I regret adding honey. It was too sweet after the honey addition. The honey was supposed to make my son like it. He didn't drink it at all because "Iced tea isn't green!"
3. Green tea sparkling lemonade looked like murky water. Or was it because of the honey?

4. Marketing for this new product was done almost 100% right. Creating a hype for a new product by saying it is limited edition will certainly get people to want to try it now and because we live in a likeable world, the need to share it on social media will definitely increase the chances of it being talked about. At least for the availability of the drink.
5. I assumed the drink has a short life span so I asked the barista if it will be available again. She thinks it's available til May 8th. But the B1T1 promo was for one day only.

I'm not sure if I outgrew green tea now. No, honestly, I like jasmine tea better. Or just plain black. Anyhow, it's a beautiful Tuesday morning and I'm considering giving the coffee lemonade a try.

Anyone else tried the Sparkling Lemonade drinks?

Rating: 3/5 stars. 

Oreo Cheescake Cookies

Christmas is just around the corner! WOOOOOT!

That means I get to spend more time in the kitchen. LOL. Nothing beats baking and making money out of it. 

One of my best sellers are Oreo Cheesecake Cookies. I've found a good recipe on the internet but I've tweaked it a bit to suit my taste and my market. What I'll be sharing is the original recipe I found. Feel free to adjust/change according to your preference.


Oreo Cheesecake Cookies (yields 12-15 cookies)

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3.5 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
10 pieces Oreo cookies, crushed

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat.
2. Crush Oreo cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor. 
3. In a bowl of a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese until combined.
4. Add sugar and vanilla extract and mix until well incorporated.
5. Gradually mix in the flour. Stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Using a medium sized cookie scoop, scoop dough and form a ball with your hands.Roll on crushed
Oreo cookies.
7. Place on cookie sheet, 1 inch apart.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes. When you see the edges starting to brown, it's time to take them out.
9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack.
10. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.


There. It takes about 35 minutes to get a batch done. I suggest you make double or even triple of the batch. One batch usually doesn't last long. Enjoy! :)

Outside is Free.

Goofing around before church on Sunday. I thought he'd never let go of the tablet but to my surprise, his enthusiasm and joy is bigger than digital.

Keep playing outside, anak. Especially now while most plants are still bigger than you. LOL












































On Javier: shirt and polo from Robinson's Department Store, shorts and sneakers from H & M.

posted from Bloggeroid

When You See It.

From one mother to another mother:


"Mabait ang anak mo. Madali alagaan. Mabuti kang ina."






Life ironically brings you the best things in life when you least expect it.

posted from Bloggeroid

Commercialize It.

In response to the Say It with Toblerone campaign, Hershey's (finally) joined in on the personalized bandwagon and launched their own campaign: Hershey's Happygram!

While Toblerone has been doing well with it's personalized chocolate bar marketing gimmick, Hershey's is gaining points for making it social. Unlike Toblerone, Hershey's is crowd sourcing-ish the words to print on their chocolate bars. Deviating from standard greetings like "Happy birthday!" and "Good job!", Hershey's turned to social media to ask consumers to share happy thoughts. All it takes to participate is taking a selfie and uploading it with the hashtag #Happygram. Hershey's will then make chocolate bars with wrappers that have your words on it. I have yet to find out how Hershey's decides which ones to produce - they're picking out the top five so make sure you upload your best selfie. I read somewhere in the comments that people have until the end of September to submit their entries.

I only saw the announcement on my Facebook News Feed. So yeah, I'm not being paid to write about this. LOL.

This seems like a better idea than Toblerone's, as far as social media is concerned. Getting your fans involved in your products is a great way to show appreciation for their loyalty to your brand. Hershey's lack of transparency over the mechanics and rules of this campaign is a different sad story, however. Oh well. You can't have everything. Meanwhile, here's a video of Hershey's instructions how to join the Happygram Maker promo:

Do you want to see your message on a Hershey's Chocolate bar? Now's your chance!Simply watch this video and learn how simple it is to do so!
Posted by HERSHEY'S on Monday, August 3, 2015

Follow Hershey's on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram now! 

posted from Bloggeroid

Patricia Eats: The Burger Lab

Never play with your food.

It was always a rule at the dining table. I've lost count how many times parents and elders remind the young ones, or how strangers and fellow diners frown upon little children toying with the food on their plates. But at The Burger Lab, I think it is well encouraged to have a little fun with your meal.

Our office recently relocated to Five E-com in MOA Complex. Not that it's a big deal, but we're at the gastronomically-friendly side of the area. With half of the mall being renovated and lunch staples are closed, it's either we bring baon to work or look for new places to eat in.

I was on a quest to find good burgers. Lo and behold, there's a new burger place in the Prism Plaza (Two E-com). I've only heard of its name, but after checking out social media and of course Looloo and Zomato, I was convinced I should try it. A few days ago, I was able to convince Eunice and Efren too. Yay!

The Burger Lab is actually a bar. But there's more on the menu beyond alcohol. I carefully reviewed the menu on Zomato. There are several ways you can get a burger, from a plain "Sad Burger" to the most adventurous one like the "The Cardiac Burger". The menu is easy to look at - the name of the burger, the ingredients and of course the price. Price ranges from Php170 to Php360.

Eunice's Cheese-Stuffed Burger (Php230); effin' oozing with cheese!

Efren got a Pizza Burger. With extra bacon. The love affair of meat and guys. Lol. Medyo nainggit ako sa mozzarella cheese. Costs Php225 before the bacon. He then asked for ketchup, and whoa. It came in a syringe. 

I got this Smoked Gun Burger (Php270), because between a spicy chicken burger (Buffalo Soldier Burger) and one with barbecue sauce, barbecue wins for me. The coolness factor with this one was it came in a glass cover, smoking, then revealed my burger. It was a good burger, the patty was really juicy and the coleslaw was just the right amount of tang. Although I'd prefer to order this next time with the barbecue sauce in a separate container. It was too much for me - but it was still good that I want to order it again next time.

We also had milkshakes (Php120) - what burger meal would be complete without milkshakes? I got a classic vanilla milkshake, which is usually my test for good or bad milkshakes. The others got chocolate milkshakes. I personally liked the creamy vanilla flavor, but the fact that their blend still had chunks of ice in it doesn't make me want to recommend this to anyone. It's pretty good though, an insect dove in my drink and enjoyed it.

Efren also ordered chicken wings (Php195). Weird as it is, it was supposed to be an appetizer but was served after we were finished with our burgers and almost done with our milkshakes. One order's about 6 pieces, so it was enough for the three of us. It was not that spicy as I was expecting it to be, and it the ranch dip really complemented the wings.

I'd give this restaurant 4 stars (out of 5). If it weren't for the milkshake-stealing insect and the late chicken wings, I'd give the Burger Lab a perfect 5 stars. But, things happen. And I'd try to remember to ask the server to separate the sauces next time. 

The Burger Lab is located at 4/F Prism Plaza, Two E-com Building, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

Contact Number: 832-5838

Open 2pm - 10pm (Monday - Friday); 2pm - 2am (Saturday)

OOTD: Kumpares Order Of The Day.

It's one of those days of craving. Random, weird cravings. In between juggling out of town trips, work and watching Star Cinema's You're My Boss over and over again, my tummy demanded pares. Warm, tender beef pares.

Too bad I don't live in Retiro. Retiro, pares heaven. Ugh. So, Google search. Wooooot! Kumpares has a branch in Muntinlupa!

Kumpares is not a huge fast food chain player. It is not your typical air conditioned, comfy seating, easy to find fast food place. I could say it is a notch higher than your neighborhood carinderia, but hey, that's what makes pares, pares. The best ones are served in the places that looks like they blend in with your neighborhood. And Kumpares is homey enough to give you that lutong bahay ambiance.

The menu is made of classic pares dishes like beef pares and mami as well as adventurous ones like chicken nuggets and bagnet. It's really a bang for your buck, meals start at Php55 depending on what pares you'll order. Each meal comes with unlimited garlic rice, which by the way tastes good.

One #pataygutomweekend with Nix, JR and Darwin led us to eating at Kumpares at 1 in the morning. (Thanks, Darwin!) Service was quite fast, prolly because we're the only customers there. I ordered a classic beef pares. It was okay. I didn't expect it to be the likes of Jonas' and Pares Mami House, but for Php55, it was worth it. I had 1.5 servings of rice. Lol.




Darwin got the beef-chicken-pork pares, Nix got beef pares and JR was adventurous with chicken nuggest pares. Masaya naman kami sa inorder namin.



Would I go back to Kumpares? Yes. I'd like to try the other pares combos. Especially if I get another post-midnight craving. And I would definitely want to try their barbecue. :)

What's your order of the day?




Kumpares is open 24/7 (except Holidays) and has branches all over Metro Manila and in nearby provinces. Click here to view a branch near you.

Colors and Festivity: Pahiyas 2015

I didn’t really sign up for an adventure. I just wanted to go out with my friends and buy langgonisang lucban. Then I realized I wanted to see why people are talking about the Pahiyas Festival. I was raised to embrace my Tagalog heritage (Quezon and Laguna) but never in my life have I witnessed Lucban’s Pahiyas Festival.

The original plan was to climb up the steps of Kamay niHesus. After that? Bahala na.

My friend Nix and I did a little research – people offering tours and packages during the Pahiyas Festival goes from Php1,000 to a little over Php2,000. It seemed a pretty good idea but the meeting point was somewhere in Pasay or Cubao, places far from where we are. You see, living in Alabang and a stone’s throw away from Laguna and SLEX has its advantages. This should be one of them.

We asked around the rate of renting our own van. Assuming this plan will be cheaper since we’re already in the south. Van rentals ranged from Php3,000 to Php6,500. We figured we’d just get more people to join us to split the costs. (Thank you JR and Darwin for joining the adventure!)

Having our own transportation also gave us the liberty to plan an itinerary that we want. We included going to the underground cemetery in Nagcarlan, take a dip in Taytay Falls in Majayjay and even stop at Liliw to buy footwear. It seemed like it was all well planned.

We agreed to leave Alabang at 5AM, but we really left past 6. We wanted to leave early to catch the morning mass at Lucban. Running late, we proceeded with the plan to go straight to Kamay ni Hesus. We took the Calamba-Los Banos-Victoria-Bay-Nagcarlan-Majayjay-Lucban route. We should have taken the detour to Luisiana after Majayjay to get straight to Kamay ni Hesus but the route is too far to go back so we decided to explore on our own. (Traveler tip: Going to Kamay ni Hesus is easy but during the Pahiyas Festival, do not take the Sto. Tomas route as traffic will be heavy in most of Quezon’s towns going to Lucban.)

photo by Jei Torres of BBPM Coverage

A few kilometers into the town of Lucban, traffic enforcers and marshals blocked the road to the town proper. This made us decide to park the van somewhere and take a tricycle to town (Php10/person). We would have walked but it started to rain. The tricycle driver was kind enough to tell us how to go to the Grotto (Locals’ term for Kamay ni Hesus) after dropping us off at the San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Parish Church. We just lit a few candles, offered prayers and went our way.

Langgonisang Lucban Pizza (Php150) photo by @jesmille

Following the tricycle driver’s instructions, we started walking to the other side of town (landmark: Southern Luzon State University or SLSU to locals), where we could get another tricycle which will take us to the Grotto. It was 11am, it was humid and the smell of langgonisang Lucban is not helping. While walking, we spotted a vendor of langgonisa rice meals but we didn’t buy that. We bought the Langgonisang Lucban Pizza - which is not bad, I must say. The store didn’t look festive to me – there was no decors whatsoever. I asked. Every year, the route of the parade is changed – and only those included in the route are tasked to decorate their houses with crops, fruits, vegetables and kiping. Kiping is a brightly colored leaf-shaped wafer made of rice paste. (I actually thought kiping is a suman.) No colorful kipings = not the parade route.

photo by Jei Torres of BBPM Coverage

The tricycle ride from SLSU to Grotto was about 5-10minutes. Entrance to the Grotto is free. There were a lot of people inside the park. I’m not sure if that’s the usual crowd or because of the festival.

Depending on your stamina and determination, climbing up the steps could take from 15 minutes to an hour (?). But. It’s. Worth. It. (Traveler tip: bring a bottle of water on your way up, especially if you’re climbing mid-day, like we did. There are no vendors on top of the hill, except for an ice cream vendor, so you’ll really feel thirsty when you’re up there.)

We decided to head back to town and figure out where we’ll eat lunch. Luckily, Nix’s lolo has a house in town. We were treated to lunch in their house. Quezon staples: pancit habhab and hardinera. Then the usual Pinoy food. We decided to forget the original itinerary and waited for the parade. JAVIER AND I WANNA SEE CARABAOS!

photo by Jei Torres of BBPM Coverage

Going around town was nice - the colorful kiping-decorated houses indeed made this festival the most colorful I've ever seen. After the parade, it was time to buy pasalubongs before heading home. #WhenInQuezon,  don't forget to buy a couple dozens of langgonisang Lucban, as well as noodles for pancit habhab and broas (lady fingers). Although not originally from Lucban, you'll see stores selling the well-known Rodillas Yema Cake. While it is still relatively cheap (compared to online sellers' prices), I must warn you that carrying a box or two of this delicate dessert is a bit worrisome during a festival - it's crowded and hot. If you must, go ahead and buy puto flan/leche puto as well.
Will I go through all the hassle again of walking for a day in Lucban for Pahiyas? HELL YES I WILL. Photos below will tell you about the awesome time we had. (All photos are mine unless where credited.)

photo by Jei Torres of BBPM Coverage

photo by Jei Torres of BBPM Coverage

photo by Jei Torres of BBPM Coverage

photo by Jei Torres of BBPM Coverage

photo by Jei Torres of BBPM Coverage

photo by Jei Torres of BBPM Coverage

photo by Jei Torres of BBPM Coverage

photo by Jei Torres of BBPM Coverage

photo by Jei Torres of BBPM Coverage

photo by Jei Torres of BBPM Coverage

photo by Jei Torres of BBPM Coverage

Instant Coffee, Prepaid Coffee.

Back then, the "in" thing was instant coffee, since well, people have been too busy to even make a cup of decent coffee. I don't know. I hated instant coffee for the lack of "authenticity". But of course, I did succumb to it when I badly need coffee and when I'm kinda broke to get a good cup of joe.

And then came Starbucks and all those hip and cool coffee shops where half of the customers aren't really coffee drinkers. (I once ordered a hot cup of macchiato and my friends raised their eyebrows at me upon seeing I wasn't the only one walking with a cold Frappucino.) Okay, that thought made me feel old. LOL

So while everything Starbucks is in and hot, I kinda fell for the Starbucks Philippines card. LOL. Don't judge me. I got a Starbucks ecard for Christmas and I was hoping I could load it on the card. Unfortunately, we're one of the countries that lack that Starbucks card feature. :(

A couple of weeks back I went out with my friends and we hung out a Starbucks ATC to catch up after a dimsum dinner.

 

 

I bought my Starbucks card here. It's Php300, which by the way you can use outright at the counter. It's both a prepaid and loyalty card. It's like the Shopwise card that earns you "stars" for every purchase which you can exchange for a free drink or coffee beans. Reloads can be made in Php100s. I'm thinking of reloading enough amount equivalent to a Starbucks planner. LOL

 

 

 

It's a nice card but I don't like the fact that you don't get stars for food and merchandise purchases. (Not sure, but it seems to me they only count beverage/coffee beans/VIA purchases.) Not cool. :(

 

You can register the card online and get a Grande drink of your choice. They'll also take note of your birthday and give you a slice of cake. Perks. They're just nice. Anything free is nice. :)

 

I'm not sure about the status of the Starbucks card registration but it was really ugly and gruesome during the first week since it launched. Not sure about their servers but I heard on their Facebook page that some stores were not actually crediting the stars. Haven't used my card again so I have yet to find out. I'm hoping it's okay by now.

 

Oh well. At least I now have a sosy prepaid card for sudden high-end coffee cravings. LOL

 

 

August Beauty Stash

So this is how my poor Maybelline face powder ended up a couple of weeks back...

I have no choice but to go out and buy a new one. And this time I decided I want to try something else. Hence the hoarding episode I had yesterday. Even if I was coughing like crazy and the weather was unpredictable (why if you've been living in Manila for more than a decade, you'd say it's just normal weather LOL), I still went to the mall. In my defense, I went to see a doctor first for my stubborn cough. Turns out it's a really, really bad case of ugh, phlegm, and on the bright side, I don't need an x-ray since I still have clear lungs.

So maybe, just maybe, I should have skipped that ice cold milk tea. :p

I've been meaning to fill up my make up kit again for weeks but I haven't gotten around to doing it til yesterday (finally!). Here are some of the stuff that I bought:

I think I bought my staples.

1. Face moisturizer (Clear Fairness, Clean & Clear)
2. BB Cream (Shawill)
3. Lip and Cheek Stain (Nature Republic)
4. Blush on (Geeky Glow - or is that Cheeky? - Maybelline)
5. Secret Pore (Some Korean Brand I can't read)
6. Face sponge (Faceshop)
7. Random shades of Nail Polish that I went crazy on (Nature Republic, Color Trends, Janesce?)
8. Tiny Buds Toothbrush for Javier

I sort of want to go back to Nature Republic and buy that Aloe Vera Soothing Gel. Feeling ko sulit siya with 9 benefits for only P245. And I think, I think, I need a new mascara.

This beauty stash hoarding is out of my frustration to visit PureBeauty's new shop in Alabang Town Center. They have LA Colors and Wet n Wild brands in their store. And I'm dying to get my hands on LA Colors' mineral makeup. Cheap, but trustworthy.

There. I finally got my kikayness out. I'm usually just a powder girl but I think it's time I really fix my look. Lol. Ayoko mag mukhang losyang na nanay no! :)