deborah lippmann: I Know What Boys Like

deborah lippmann nail polish in I Know What Boys Like gives nails a unique, cornflower blue shade that's fun, attractive and soothing to the eyes. The consistency of this polish is less dense than that of a thick, creamy Chanel. The application is smooth but can be a little tricky. I found that painting it on the nails using normal cuticle to tip strokes leaves some bald spots. Instead, I had to dot the polish onto my nails to even out the color. (available in Lane Crawford for HKD 150 each)

ONE Naturals: Environmentally Friendly Local Skincare

ONE Naturals, my new discovery during the mid-year sale, is a local brand that boasts all-natural ingredients and environmentally friendly packaging. The attractive sky blue polka dotted counter can easily catch the eye, and the helpful sales assistant is familiar with most of the products.

The item that got my attention was the stack of massage bars shaped like soap bars (Php 469 each). Below, massage bar with red beans. I got the plain calming bar which also whitens and reduces stretch marks. I'm not sure about the last two, but it definitely soothed my aching leg muscles after a long day of shopping.

 Hand and body lotions come in interesting and delicious sounding flavors such as "Hollywood." I got one in vanilla almond custard. The creamy moisturizer leaves skin smooth and shiny but is a tad heavy and can be a little hot on the skin. I recommend to use this as a hand/foot lotion or as a body lotion only during colder months.

 Generous freebies complete with soap, scrub and lotion, perfect for traveling. 

 ONE Naturals was featured last year in Philippine Star. Read about it here.

I Think I'm In Love

Adding romance and luxury from Guerlain to my pragmatic and understated Chanel cosmetics. (Reviews to follow)

From top: L'Or radiance concentrate with pure gold make up base, Two brush mascara 360 degrees lashes in 10 noir, Terracotta Touch glow enhancing perfector with pure gold, Meteorites in 02 teint beige and powder brush, Rouge automatique hydrating long-lasting lipcolour in 143 Nahema, personalized pocket mirror

It's About Time

Veg Haven

A Comprehensive Guide to Vegetarian Restaurants

includes Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines

Bystander at Tzu Chi's Rice Relief Program

Fourteen thousand residents of Marikina trooped to the city's sports complex on July 3rd for Tzu Chi's (慈濟) 2011 Prayer Vigil and Rice Relief Program. Rain poured for half an hour ninety minutes before the program was set to begin. In retrospect, the weather was actually in favor of the charity event as the wind and rain cooled the scorching heat from the midday sun. The program culminated in a prayer led by priests and monks from different religious groups before the sacks of rice donated by the Taiwanese government were distributed. Political figures present that day included Marikina Mayor Del de Guzman and Congressman Miro Quimbo. In Tzu Chi fashion, the giver and receiver must both bow to each other before the exchange was to be made as those in the last photo were preparing to do. Read more about it here. 

Manila's Mid-Year Sale: BPS's Take-Away

It's true we have a mid-year sale here in Manila! It's not the same scale as the summer/winter sale in HK, but the state of end-of-season sales here has been improving. More stores are participating now, discounts go as high up as 50% off, and more importantly, the stuff on sale are not all that crappy anymore. I don't have photos of what are up for grabs since most stores are strict about taking pictures of items for sale. Best to just pick a mall and check out the mid-year sale for yourself.

My pick: Makati. I started at F21 in SM Makati, crossed the street to check out Zara, 9 West, Mango, Gap and Rustan's in Glorietta, skipped Landmark and headed straight to Topshop (and Zara and Mango again) in Greenbelt.

Here are what I got away with: loose tee for half off, basic tank tops, heels and skincare items at around 20-25% off. 

During sale season, my shopping strategy is to stick with the basics. Over the years, I learned that impulse buys could be a burden when the highs of discount shopping began to wane and the realization that I didn't really need/like what I got finally kicked in. But it's almost impossible to go wrong with basics, and getting them on sale is a plus. Above, Zara tank tops at around 20% off and an impulse buy loose Mosaic top at half off for lazy days.

Below, a pair of Zara TRF navy blue heels I spotted last week but had to leave behind because of a crooked left heel. They're the main reason I was out and about this weekend since I normally don't go to malls when there's a sale going on to avoid the huge crowds. Fortunately, there was one pair in my size in GB5 without any damages. I stopped getting my shoe fix from Zara after a few disappointing pairs, but these are surprisingly comfortable especially for 4-inch heels, at least for the 5 minutes I was in them in the store.

Another impulse buy, a new discovery in SM Makati, O.N.E. Naturales all natural products. I got a massage bar and a tube of hand and body lotion and got 2 mini sacks of samples. More on this to follow.

Snacking is a must to keep energy levels high. 

Cheap thrill: Tokyo Tokyo's tempura style onion rings for only Php 55

And fuel for an afternoon of shopping: sugar-filled coffee slush

P.S. All the items in Mango are on sale as is its usual practice. In Topshop and Zara, more than half the store are sale items. Check out your Zara picks online to find out if they're on sale, original and discounted prices are listed.

Charlie's Shrooms

Indulging in a burger is a rare occasion for a vegetarian living in a vegetarian unfriendly city. Here's Charlie's Shrooms Vegetarian with a side of fries and weird beer.

My top 2 choices were Rogue Juniper Pale and Ipa Hop Ottin'. Rogue looked exciting but a little too masculine. I went for Ipa which was recommended by the cashier.

Good choice but it took me a few sips to get accustomed to the taste. Php 205 per bottle

The tag has a brief description of the beer but it doesn't come close to capturing its taste. Best to just give it a try.

Finally, my Shrooms Vegetarian arrives. It turned out the portobello patty was breaded and deep fried with cheese. Garnishes included raw onions, lettuce and tomatoes, mayo and mustard. Everything blended well to create a tasty vegetarian burger, but I was hoping for a grilled version that would bring out the natural taste of portobello mushrooms. Instead, I get a guilt-filled number perfect for satisfying cravings. Buns were also not very fresh. The fat fries were not bad but the crunchy edges were fantastic. Php 315 for the burger, add Php 30 for the fries

To cap the night, we had an extra order of garlic parmesan fries which I paired with a bottle of Corona Extra. The fries were nothing like I expected (again). I was thinking of something along the lines of powdered flavoring, instead we got fries that were dunked in garlic mayo and parmesan. I loved it but agreed with the others that the garlic overpowered the taste of the parmesan. Php 125 for the fries, Php 140 for a bottle of Corona

One more thing, I hated the cheap tables and uncomfortable chairs but commend the guys behind Charlie's for thinking of a way to encourage fast turnover of customers. Overall, I'm happy I tried the portobello burger out but found it to be a little pricey. I might go back, though, to satisfy a burger craving.