look what the cat hauled in

Weekend Rituals

How was your weekend? Mine could not have come sooner and couldn’t linger on any minute longer. Thankfully it was filled with the kind of good company and steady moments that make life so golden. 

After an intense office volleyball game with some officemates, a few of us were invited by Pod and Domi to their house for an impromptu dinner and drinks. I really didn’t feel like socializing at that point, but I was glad I did took their invite. We got to take a look a their brand spanking new house, and the cosmetic junkie that I was, I also got to sample this absolutely delightful bath gel called Hammam Delight from Rituals. Pod pointed out how he absolutely loved the scent and indeed, when I took a whiff from the bottle, I caught a gently breeze of tingly eucalyptus and rosemary. Love. I couldn’t wait to shower. Like those cans of shaving gel, the soap turned into foam the moment it came into contact with water. I must have spent 30 minutes in their shower just smelling myself. The best part was that it didn’t strip my skin dry. It was perfect for the sweltering tropic night whenI don’t want to slather on anything after a shower. When I cooed about it to Domi, she mentioned that it was only sold in Europe and they made friends buy them boxes each time they visit. I made a mental note to hit a Rituals store when I visit Europe next month (Next month! Oh my Lord, I am so excited to be out from maddening Manila and doing nothing but eat, drink, and discover new things!). With such a wonderful shower experience, how can the night go bad? We had beer, wine, cheese, saucisson, pasta and conversations that were definitely NSFW. 

I got home pretty late and pretty buzzed. I woke up at 11 am the next day, which is almost unheard for me. OK, I admit that I did wake up at 6 am, caught an episode of Glee, cried at scene between Kurt and his dad, and then went back to sleep. This whole week has been… Emotional. 

Dewi dropped by and we headed out to Tagaytay with scarcely a plan. We pieced it together, eating at Bawai’s, then heading to Ilog Maria. I’d never been to the bee farm itself despite being a longtime fan of their products. The place itself was nothing exciting, but I was jealous of the expanse of their property and their business model. Honestly, no matter how you feel about raising bees, it’s not the most common thing to do here in the Philippines. And yet, they’ve squeeze out so many outstanding products from the honey-making process. I indulged in their rosemary, spearmint, and orange zest soaps. I also picked up a bottle of their honey and propolis shampoo for Chris and a tub of their honey scrub for my mom. Well, the latter was initially for me, but after trying it out and marveling at its cleansing and moisturizing powers, I knew I had to let my mom try it out. Dewi and walked around a bit and discovered geese and turkeys lolling around the bees. I was tempted to open the box, but the prospect of running away from a bunch of angry bees without a body of water nearby scared me.

After Ilog Maria we stopped by a market where we got duped into buying expensive mangosteens and avocados. But it was all right as the fruits were super sweet and ripe. Did I think they were worth the price? Ah, yes. They could be worth so much more. 

Revenge happened that night. Jenn came over and we spent the next 6 hours watching the trashy and completely ludicrous televisions series. 

Sunday was spent with the folks. I wish I could have hit the gym in the morning, but Dewi had slept over and we were too lazy to do anything but eat oatmeal and watch canceled comedies. 

I’ll devote a new post on the recent opening of Shu Uemura in Alabang Town Center. Of course I just had to stop by, get to know the bekki behind the counter, and buy a tube of their Rouge Unlimited. Reviews to follow.

That sweet little weekend was capped off by the arrival of my darling Frenchie. He arrived quite late, but even at 2 am, how can you resist your boyfriend bashfully showing you his trophy from the golf tournament? I felt so proud. 

MAC Lickable

When the going gets tough, the tough go to MAC and buy fun lipstick shades.

I was actually on the lookout for Impassioned, but local counters don’t really stock up on a lot of Amplified shades. I must have tried on 3 or 4 other lipsticks (including Up the Amp and Morange) before spying the glittery, raspberry pink shade at the back of the display. As soon as I tried it, the SA nodded approvingly. 

Lickable is my first Cremesheen and it’s a relief that it doesn’t make my lips peel like other formulas (I am looking at YOU Lustre). The lipstick wore well and stayed in for several hours. It should probably last the average person through lunch, but I have this habit of wiping my lips during meals, so I can’t really say. The glitter particles aren’t chunky or rough at all. While the glitter looks more apparent on the tube than in most other MAC lipsticks, the effect isn’t theatrical at all— not for a bright fuchsia pink shade anyway. 

Blot it out and Lickable becomes a wearable summer lippy. Top it with a dollop of gloss then pair it winged liner and some highlighter and you’re good for a night out. 

Isn’t it beautiful? Get. It.

MAC Chili

Well hello my lovely. 

I was on my way to the YSL makeup counter to check out their Glossy Stains when MAC called. I grew up with MAC, so while it’s possible to pass on Chanel and NARS, I cannot for the life of me NOT drop by a MAC makeup counter. Imagine my shock when I did my usual inquiry and discovered that they actually had a tube of the elusive Chili. 

My friend Jenn remarked that it was a very 90s color. It totally is. It’s something Angela Chase or Lelaina Pierce would have reached out for. I totally love it. 

cut your hair

Cutting one’s hair is one of the more fun things a girl can do. Unless you’re stuck in a multi-million hair shampoo contract, I say go ahead and go nuts with it. This does not mean you have to do all the extreme styles—even just splurging on a product or a treatment can do wonders for ones soul.

I am not an extreme hairstyle addict, but I do like to experiment with a lot of looks. And ever since I started working with BelleToday, my hair has gone through quite a few changes. I started work here as copywriter with a Louis Brooks haircut— chin length, dead-straight, and with full blunt bangs. I was super pale, wore large granny glasses, and frowned a lot. Suffice to say, it got me noticed and it was decided that I was well-suited to work and fight to the death with the token British guy in the office. 

In 2009, Victoria and I were tasked with creating this portal—the English version of Aujourdhui.com. We eventually named it BelleToday.com.ph and started writing articles and quizzes and welcoming its new members. I had also discovered the power of layered hairstyles and was obsessed with volume and looking ultra feminine. My old hairstylist showed me a picture of Jennifer Aniston (whom I despise now) with her beautiful golden hair (NOT the Rachel thankyouverymuch) and all of a sudden I wanted to be tanned and toned… And blond. I not only grew my hair long for the first time, but I also started experimenting with highlights. I was always at the beach and was intoxicated by the smell of sunscreen, saltwater, and mojitos. Naturally, the saltwater-sunshine-peroxide mix was killer for my fine hair and I eventually had to chop it off.

After those seemingly halcyon days, our team was given the responsibility of relaunching BelleToday and the FrenchDoctors licenses (Bon Appétit Diet and Chrono-Geno-Nutrition). This huge responsibility resulted in a very serious bob. I not only chopped off all the high lights, but also all the layers. I was left with a sheet of straight dark hair. I started wearing more button-down and developed an allergy to vodka. Luckily, the latter did not last long.

The hairstyle stayed for the longest time until I got really, really bored with it. Inspiration struck on a Tuesday night when I was browsing through a fashion mag and saw this gorgeous asymmetrical haircut. I’ve done asymmetrical before, but this one involved a shave. Like, barbero style. I was smitten and the infatuation intensified when I saw Erica tweet about her side shave, I took it as a sign. I headed to the Jing Monis salon in the Bellevue, showed the stylist my inspiration, and then waited with bated breath as he began snipping my hair shorter and shorter. And now here is the result. For a while I was scared it was too close to Kate Gosselin, but was assured by the team that it was not trashy at all—or not trashy enough. It actually got mixed reviews. Our HR manager Christian shook his head in despair while project manager Christian gave me a wink and a thumbs up. 

The biggest surprise was that the boyfriend liked it. I knew he loved it when I had long hair, but he reminded me that he loved me even more when I was being my crazy, silly self. 

I cannot wait for my mom to see it. 

Speculoos

I don’t usually like asking for pasalubong, except when I truly, truly want an item. Case in point is Mac’s Chili matte lipstick which has eluded me for about a year now. It’s always out of stock in local and Singapore Mac stores. I’ve asked my travel-bugged friend Erica to check it out for me in Hong Kong, Australia, and LA. That’s 3 different continents and still nada. Zero. ZILCH.  

I am a little over the matte red orange shade now, but just because it’s so annoyingly elusive, I will hunt it down until it’s safely tucked in my makeup kit, to be used on the odd days when I want my teeth to look more yellow. 

So, yes, Speculoos. It doesn’t make my teeth yellow, but it does make my knees weak and thighs dimple. Thankfully, no entrepreneurial soul has yet decided to import it here in Manila.  If they did, then it would not taste as good it does now. 

Last month a Belgian colleague was saying his see-yas on his way to a month-long vacation, I found myself asking for pasalubong. A jar of Speculoos please. 

When he came back, he handed me a jar of the crunchy variety. I was so happy I refused to share it with my officemates. 

Speculoos started out as a biscuit with spices like ginger and cardamom. Some genius decided to make it a paste called… Speculoos or Speculoos pasta (guess which one caught on). 

Here is Speculoos with pecan nuts, which is how we were eating it in the office. It. Is. Awesome. It is equally awesome when paired with vanilla ice cream or fruits. Personally, it’s pretty awesome on its own. I’ve spent a blissful hours licking it off a spoon while watching reruns of America’s Next Top Model. 

Thank you Pod and Domi for the jar of crunchy biscuit goodness. If you read French and like to live vicariously through other people’s travels, then please check out their travel blog. 

I really don’t want to work right now. But I’ve no choice :(