kikaytrekkie

REVIEW: Amici

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:56:53 +0000

Category:	Restaurants
Cuisine:	Italian
Location:	SM Megamall

in fairness, before i had my meal at Amici, i already had a heavy heart and was getting sleepy instead of being angry. no nothing personal i.e. the Benj and I had a fight, nothing like that. di ko lang nahabol yung isang cd that i wanted to buy at astro vision, hahaha.

Weekend lunch, the usual place, Ortigas, 3 and a half malls to choose from. We chose to eat at a place we haven't tried and where it seems there are always people eating, not a good standard to follow as you read on.

upon entering, sorry naman kung first time ko dito. turo turo pala dito. parang milky way of long ago. not jologs yet turo turo.

so the Benj placed our orders then i saw him get glasses and put ice in them, so i was in daze that i didn't realize what self service was at the time. he was holding 3 glasses, now with ice in them since my mom was with us. mom had to jump out of her chair to make sure the Benj wouldn't drop any of those glasses he had to place ice in, did i mention, by himself?

by the way the ice tea here is a liter of lipton per order. so fine isang coke zero pls.

it's a family place so madaming bata.

the orders started to arrive:

first up, the fried mozzarella cheese with breading topped with their own tomato sauce thing. SARAP. especially while pipping hot. if you can stand paying about 150-200 per head or per head/meal but without much service then do try the fried mozzarella appetizer.

the Benj always seem to order the right thing, or sadyang takaw tikim at ingitera ako. he ordered the pasta in basil(?), anchovies and olive oil, winner! Just the right saltiness. the pasta was al dente and wasn't drenched with olive oil either, it was just right. i loved his order.

my order was this tomato based seafood pasta. it had 2 big prawns, some shell fish, i don't recall if there were any squid or fish though. the tomato sauce was kinda like the sauce they put on top of the fried mozzarella. similar but not the same on the account of the seafood in it. it had the same pasta quality, al dente. mine was happily drenched in the tomato sauce. which is fine with me, actually. i had a difficult time prying out the prawns from their shells so i ended up giving them to my mom, bago lalong uminit ulo ko.

mom's order was the usual carbonara. she liked it, a bit too creamy as she couldn't finish her order on the account of it being too rich. and since there was no iced tea that less than a liter, she had to order coke light which she hardly ever does, so she felt satiated right away.

and finally the 2nd appetizer arrived, after following up the order 3 times and after we had finished our meals...

well they apologized for the delay, what else can they do right? buti na lang masarap daw (sabi ni mommy at ni the Benj).

i reviewed eat and go, here, they have a similar price range with the added extra of full service of a waitress waiting on you, serving you your drinks, glasses with ice included and not having your appetizer arrive last.

so fine, it's possible my patience was not present to begin with after having visited 3 record bars to no avail, but the fact a restaurant within spitting distance has the same price range but actually has service can annoy me even if i had gone to Amici with a cooler head.

masarap ang food dito, worth the price, magbaon lang ng pasensya [ok i think i opened myself up on that one].

EOTD: Pink and Gray Smokey Eye

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:43:53 +0000

Another party look:

Products Used:

Face: Primer: Skin Food Peach Sake bb cream #2

Revlon Colorstay Foundation for oily combination in Buff

Blush: Ellana Minerals in Fetish

Eyes: Prestige Light Response Under Eye concealer

Wet n Wild Cream Shadow in Lilac

Revlon Colorstay 12 hour Eyeshadow Sterling Rose

Ellana Minerals: Ethereal

Maybelline Studio gel liner

Shiseido Mascara Base

Max Factor False Lash Effect

Lips: Revlon Colorstay: Limited Edition Smooth Nude #350

Eye brows: Elf Studio Eyebrow kit in Light

Pls vote on MYX: create text message: type all caps MYX VOTE LA LA LA send message to 2366

REVIEW: VMV HYPOALLERGENICS Metamorphoskin 15

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:22:44 +0000

this foundation is being retailed at US$45. I got mine at the Landmark Trinoma, for PhP1300 at a buy one get one (so i have another one in their "Champagne" shade)

VMV's website description:
Description:

Liquid-Into-Powder, Soft-Yet-Perfectly-Matte Oil-Absorbing Foundation

SkinMatch, Liquid-Into-Powder, Soft-Yet-Perfectly-Matte Oil-Absorbing Foundation

You won’t believe your eyes ... and they won’t believe your skin! This magical tincture spreads on as a light liquid, then instantly transfigures: drying as a fine, fleecy, powder. But the real metamorphosis is your complexion: matte as matte can be, shine-free, yet surprisingly soft.

This mattifying foundation controls shine for hours yet looks fresh and natural, not heavy or caked on. Pore-friendly to help in the management of acne. Medium coverage that provides daily sun protection, too.

Combination to Oily Skin Medium Coverage. Validated Hypoallergenic: VH - 27. SPF 15. 100% All-Types-Of-Fragrance-Free. 100% Preservative-Free. Usage and Patch-Tested. Non-Comedogenic.

Net Content: 0.88 Oz. (25g)

Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Polydimethyl Siloxane, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Titanium Dioxide, Alkyl Silane, Polymethylmethacrylate, Iron Oxides

May Contain: Talc

My Experience:

Here's a shot of this foundation before blending. the consistency is as watery (or slightly more so) as my holiest of grail, Revlon Colorstay with Softplex for Oily Combination in Buff.

Pic of me and my office mate Jasmin, no foundation on.

Picture below shows half of my face with the foundation and the other without. Keri naman ang shade, the shade i have on is Breeze.

Pic below is taken with the flash turned on auto...tada! folks the Pinay relative of Toshio!

Pic with no flash.

Pic of myself with some makeup on, office look.

Throughout the day.

After a full shift and back at home and some oiliness and hmmm possibly oxidation as i no longer look like the undead, at, take note may flash yan.

Thoughts:

Consistency /Application: I concur with the description of liquid into powder. The consistency of this product is glorious! It's so soft to blend and spread on my face. It doesn't dry as fast as Revlon's foundation either so I have ample time to blend. The warmth of your fingers and your face helps it make it more emollient. Don't use a sponge with this since it's too watery, sayang ang mahal na foundation kung sa loob ng sponha lang mapupunta. Use your fingers or a foundation brush with synthetic bristles i.e. taklon.

Sun protection: The usual/minimum SPF15 that most cosmetic companies dispense. NO PA + or anything!

Coverage: nako noh, to coin a phrase from one of my office mates, Bern, I look as though nagapply lang ako ng pressed powder ng "bongang bonga" (in pic when the flash is turned on). putting it mildly, the coverage is light. Too light even for my under eye circles that aren't too dark to begin with. Most of my pores were covered well enough (this in combination with a bb cream underneath as my primer).

Shade Match: So long as flash photography will not come into play then the shade suits me just fine, it's like a mix of buff (Revlon) and NC20-ish (Mac). It doesn't give an initial white cast, kung ano na yung shade nya upon first application, yun na yun.

Oil at bay: This in combination with my Skin Food Peach Sake BB cream (under the foundation) and Ellana Minerals Espresso con Pana setting powder on top made me use less of my oil blotting films. i didn't have to blot until about 6 hours later, that's a record for me. i usually have to blot in about 3 or 4 hours.

Lasting Power: I still looked fresh when I got home, all i ever usually do when I wear liquid foundation is touch it up by blotting oil and apply mineral veil or ellana's setting powder. (it's when i use mineral makeup foundation that i have to reapply after about 4 to 6 hours). It doesn't rub off. once it dries, it stays put.

Oxidation: There was oxidation (darkening) in the later part of my day, as it wasn't too reflective of the flash anymore.

Shelf Life: ONE YEAR. nako.

Recommendations:

I recommend this foundation to people with hardly any blemish. I recommend this foundation to people who actually use a separate concealer for their under eye circles. I recommend this foundation to people who won't have their picture taken or if you would, it's possible a diffuser can help. Ang sakit naman i-recommend for everyday office wear sa mahal ng foundation na toh when there are other foundations just as good for PhP825 and come in a full oz instead of being just 0.88 Oz

REVIEW: BB CREAM FROM SKINFOOD'S PEACH SAKE LINE

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:59:54 +0000

before:
my before shot shows a person that nearly just woken up, has done her morning routine and this face is already moisturized with skinfood's peach sake emulsion and serum. i have some unevenness stemming from some dark circles under my eyes and i look sallow and pale (maputla).

bb on the right side of the face:

the bb cream applied just on the right side of my face. viola, most of the discoloration was covered by the foundation like consistency and shade of the product. i ALWAYS use the second shade from the lightest with these Asian cosmetics and it's working out so far. there is also slight coverage of the pores on my nose and the apples of my cheeks.

the finished office look. i use all of my bb creams as primers, so on top of tonight's bb cream is my hg foundation which is Revlon's Colorstay for oily combination skin in buff.

Thoughts:
Packaging: Of all the Skinfood bb creams this variant comes with a pump. The pump isn't all like the pump of the face shop's the skin bb. My first tube of this skinfood peach sake bb cream had no content (walang laman) and i had to return it. my second tube has a funky pump. the spring locks the pump down and i have to twist it about, i nearly returned it until the sales agent at skinfood mega mall made the pump work again, and the product came out of the pump. so yeah, i hate this pump.

The BB cream itself:
Consistency: It's as watery and silky as skinfood's ginko bb. very easy to apply, spread, and blend on my face. It covers most of my smaller pores even with its watery consistency.

The Shade: If i had the choice, i always go for the number 2 shade (the 2nd from the lightest) in most of the Korean cosmetic(s) that i've tried. This one is no different. This number 2 shade blends so easily on my skin. it doesN'T give me a gray or white cast like other bb creams. it covers my under eye circles well enough. having the bb cream on my face by itself makes me look very natural and gives that no makeup makeup look.

There is a slight and pleasant scent to this bb cream but dissipates upon application.

Oil Control: This variant of bb cream (along with their agave bb) is supposed to be for oily combination skin. There is some oil control since i only get oily on the tip of my nose where i am oiliest and i don't have to blot as much on the apples of my cheeks or the rest of my t-zone until about 4 hours after application. so i use less of my oil blotting sheets since i only wipe off oil from my nose. It doesn't dry my skin in my U-zone either. moreover, i don't end up like a grease ball using this product. i love the balance of oil control and moisturization especially now coming in to our dry cooler season.

Lasting power: Because it controls my oilies rather effectively, it lasts about 6 to 8 hours on my face which means it helps any foundation i put on top of it last much longer. I use this bb cream as a primer and it helps my mineral foundation and liquid foundation last considerably longer.

Skincare/Blemish Balm: well it hasn't broken me out. hasn't contributed much to the number of black heads i already have. I haven't had any break out or zits in months so i can't tell if this product does help with healing.

SPF: it has an SPF of 20 and PA + (only). so i advice to use a proper facial sunblock if you'd like to use this bb cream by itself or if your regular foundation does not have a higher sun blocking property. the low spf and pa is prolly the reason why this thing isn't reflective of the flash in photos so you can see my neck still matches my face...hmmmm

Will I purchase this again?: It will be a long time yet before I purchase another BB cream. the stupid pump at the end of the tube is such a hassle, kaka-turn off. i wanna cut into it and transfer the contents in sample jars. But the product itself is wonderful as a primer and tinted moisturizer.

REVIEW ELLANA MINERALS SHEER VELVET HIGH DEFINITION PRIMER

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:11:01 +0000

Category:

Other

here are pictures of me using the primer powder under mineral foundation (also ellana in french vanilla latte. the gradual step by step transformation from a bare face:
see the pores in the above picture especially near my nose.

the above picture shows me with high definition powder applied and buffed, the pores slightly covered, i now have a slight white cast on my face. imagine this product on women with warmer or not so pale skin tones?

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! with french vanilla latte foundation, skin tone evened out, no more white cast.

I have ellana blushes on my face a combination of fetish and obsession. ellana blushes also contain silica which in my opinion adds to the smoother quality of the powder and the ability of the products to make me look air brushed either in IRL (in real life) or in pictures.

messy hair with lipstick and all. ahmm it's just the flash but the setting powder (espresso con pana), the foundation and the high def powder under does not make me look washed out and i assure you my neck is neither fairer or darker than my face.

and this is my makeup for the office.

products used:
eyebrows: elf studio eyebrow kit
face:
the primer powder
ellana foundation in french vanilla latte
ellana setting powder in espreso con pana
blush: ellana blush in obsession and fetish

eye shadow: skinfood cream shadow and ellana mpm in confess (on the crease only)
eyeliner: Maybelline gel liner in black
mascara: max factor false lash effect
lips: skin food lip laquer (natural fit) and ellana liquid lip color in precious.

p.s. hahaha may p.s. pang nalalaman.

i get how one can say haler the shots are farther and farther away fr your face girl! naturally we would see your pores less. but let me assure you the primer powder does help fill in the pores because there's something on your face not just the foundation and setting powder.

also this is merely an adjunct, a step that you may add or completely skip depending on your skin and how it looks.

til next time folks ^_^

my video below reviews the product and gives my 2cents worth

REVIEW: ARYA

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:40:54 +0000

Category:	Restaurants
Cuisine:	Indian
Location:	Podium, Ortigas

last weekend was sale everywhere weekend (even skinfood had a half off sale! parang gusto kong magpa-misa ) and the Benj and I wanted to avoid the crowd as much as we could so we decided to have lunch at the Podium at Arya at that.

I will no longer discuss the prices at this restaurant, just know it's considered fine dining in Manila.

The Ambiance: Since it is considered fine dining, the decor is an upgraded persia grill or kebab factory. if anyone has visited hussein's in the last 6 years, being inside Arya is a tad similar to hussein's only less lit and less posh.

The Service: well, the Benj and i were the only patrons at the time so the attention of the waiters and waitresses were directed only on us. on top of which they saw me take pictures of our food as they served them so that made them stay on their toes more.

benj and i thought we had ordered kuboz (pita bread) but my lamb kebabs arrived with rice instead. i wasn't gonna complain but one of the waitresses heard the Benj question the waiter about the rice and she insisted that it was absolutely ok to have the side dish changed. and am like, am sooo not letting go of that fluffy long grain rice!

the food: i ordered my usual, lamb kebab. the grilled tomatoes and the rice comes with the order. my kebab's were tender and juicy. i'd prefer them a tad spicier but it was ok, it wasn't at all gamey. what i didn't care for was the fat included. what's this?? Pinoy barbecue where the last piece is a piece of fat?!

the Benj ordered chicken with some sort of lemon sauce on the side served the wonderful fluffy long grain rice i mentioned only peppered and buttered with something else that is more in line with the chicken order. he and i liked the chicken fillets that were juicy and melts in your mouth. the breading wasn't overpowering either. the butter in Benj's rice seemed too powerful for my taste almost nakaka-umay.

we had this for an appetizer. it's very interesting, the texture and the spice made really addictive at least imho.

and for drinks the Benj and i both had sweetened lassi, which the waiter claimed to be Arya's specialty. it's thicker than kebab factory's and less tangy than Hussein's (from my vague recollection). Lassi pa lang busog na ko. Needless to say, Benj and I were completely satiated and loved our meals.

Arya is definitely a place to visit once or twice a year for special occassions or if you have no other choice or compelled by the mass or sea of people in mega mall to eat here instead.

sharing a wonderful mtv, if only i can connect how the guys are inter-related

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:33:59 +0000

i kinda got lost, too, on who asked who to be hit?! hahaha and the girl? hopes someone can share what they know

i think a 5 day wait is enough don't you? a MASS MESSAGE TO MULTIPLY STORES / SELLERS, don't blame me for being frustrated and distrustful

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:33:47 +0000

as most of my readers know and the multiply sellers that keep inviting me, i shop on multiply. and this week, i and a couple of my officemates decided to purchase a stippling brush form on one the major old timer multiply stores (in fact a store i found her way way back even before i found ellana and the only reason why i haven't purchased is that mas mura kay ellana and i can actually swatch ellana's stuff since ellana has kiosks in mega and sm makati).

fast forward to last Oct 10, dead ma walang sagot even to the newer questions below my own. fine, in fairness sumagot naman nung sunday, sa text, and the number on the site and the person answering claim they still sell the item i wanted. so next day after i confirmed with my officemates how many of the items we were to order, i filled out their order form,

(2 days later)

so i waited about a day or so, nagtext ako ulit that i filled out the order form, nag sorry sya di pa daw nya nache-check email nya, tas BAGO DAW PHONE NYA QWERTY HIRAP daw. mariosep, ok at least that's the first time i've heard that one.

so sweldo na AS IN KAHAPON, OCT 15, since yung invoice as was given oct 14 and my estimated payment date is 1015, bayaran time na ito. di ko inabot ang jowa ko na may super easy access sa metrobank (blessing in disguise na rin siguro).

so ok, gcash na lang nga. i texted around 12pm, oct 15, na gcash na lang asking magkano additional fee kung gcash. kamusta naman gumising na ko ng mga 630pm wala paring sagot. ako na tong concerned kung may additional fee ba kung gcash di pa rin sumasagot. ang sagot lang sakin ok please send the gcash, prolly was not able to read thru the UBER TECHIE PHONE THAT I WAS ACTUALLY OFFERING TO PAY FOR THE globe 1% gcash-out fee since i was paying more than 1k.

awa ng dios hanggang ngayon wala paring sagot.

AT THE RISK OF BEING CALLED A BOGUS BUYER BY THIS PARTICULAR SELLER EH BAHALA SYA. I CAN LIST SELLERS THAT I'VE PURCHASED FROM ALREADY AND AT LEAST TWICE PA THEY CAN BEAR WITNESS THAT I PAY RIGHT AWAY AND I GIVE FEED BACK RIGHT AWAY SO LONG AS I GET A REPLY RIGHT AWAY.

REVIEW: EAT & GO

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:40:45 +0000

Category:	Restaurants
Cuisine:	International
Location:	SM Megamall Atrium

this review is long overdue. i suppose i couldn't find the appropriate time to blog about food (and beauty) while hell is all around me. i also didn't want to let down the people dear to me who are giving their time for(to) the relief effort by bombarding my blog (thus their inbox/wall) with non essentials like these in lieu of spreading relief effort information.

Slowly, even other beauty and about town bloggers are coming back to life thus, so shall i.

Eat&Go is a small hole in the wall at the Mega Mall atrium. As usual Benj and I wanted to taste something different other than the usual home cooked meal, everywhere else had a queue except for eat & go, and pan cake was too far in megamall and i was hungry (hehehe what's new).

Benj ordered the fried chicken while i ordered the seafood spag.

Both orders where satisfying and gratifying. The chicken was seasoned just right, not too salty and not bland. though i thought the breading would be better with a little more ground pepper. and yey, hindi nabitin si Benj sa order nya.

The seafood spag was just fine, nothing too fantastic but it was gratifying and tasty. it had an ample amount of shrimp and squid, too.

the pasta was al dente, bordering on soggy just because the portion was almost drenched with the red sauce... so Pinoy hehehe. i didn't care for the bread that was served with my pasta, but hey, laman tyan din yan.

the ambiance:

it's a diner type of place with booths and tiny tables for two. since it's new, it was still manageable and clean. i didn't check out the loo though.

the service: service was pretty quick and the waiters and waitresses were friendly and quite easy to catch their attention. even while there was a single dad trying to have a peaceful lunch with his 2 children around the ages of 4 and 5 and uber kulit, so kulit that the male child spilled his drink...and the waiters and waitresses were quick enough to assist and clean up the mess right as rain.

THE PRICE: check out the prices HERE. they are quite reasonable. it's not fast food prices but a little above that. they are not fine dining prices either.

the prices at eat & go are indeed affordable yet enough to separate you and your company from riff raff.

ondoy relief effort

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:37:20 +0000

Relief Effort pictures from
acespinosa.multiply.com, Annette Carino Espinosa

Flood pictures I got off the web:

Kindly give clothes or drop off relief goods at any Convergys Philippines Branch, at any Coffee Bean in Metro Manila

Donate Online

* ABS-CBN Foundation: http://www.abs-cbnfoundation.com/donate.php
* Ateneo Alumni Northeast, Inc: http://www.atenista-usa.org/site/featured-articles/help-for-ondoy-victims/
* Australian Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org.au/Donations/onlineDonations.asp
* Ayala Foundation: http://af-usa.org/donate_now_form.asp (select AFI-Typhoon Relief Fund in drop down menu)
* eBay: http://donations.ebay.com/charity/event.jsp?NP_ID=-45#donatenow
* Gawad Kalinga: http://www.gk1world.com/give.html
* Philippine National Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/PNRC/Default.aspx?S=48&SS=972
* PayPal: PayPal is also accepting donations now. Please send to give@redcross.org.ph.

A. New York

NAFCON (Nat’l Alliance for Filipino Concerns)/SANDIWA Nat’l Alliance of Fil-Am Youth are now receiving relief donations (clothes, blankets, medical supplies, monetary). NY drop-off @ BAYANIHAN Filipino Community Center, 40-21 69th St. Woodside, NY 11377. Call (516)901-1832 or email sandiwa.national@gmail.com

B. New Jersey

Drop-Off Points:
1) Sinugba Cafe – 561 Westside Ave. Jersey City, NJ 07304
2) Casa Victoria – 691 Newark Ave. Jersey City, NJ 07306-2803 You can send CASH through Metro Bank acct. 3 189 14540 1 For BAYAN’s “BALSA” (Bayanihan Alay sa Sambayanan)

For donations in New Jersey please contact:
(201)621-3156-Yves Nibungco
(917)476-7855- Nick Cordero

C. Los Angeles

In Los Angeles area please contact Kuu Hilo (818)395-9207. You can send CASH through Metro Bank acct. 3 189 14540 1 For BAYAN’s “BALSA” (Bayanihan Alay sa Sambayanan)

D. San Francisco/Bay Area

For donations in San Francisco/Bay Area, please contact Ryan Leano (626)534-4971. Monetary donations can also be dropped off at these sites. Checks can be made out to “Lakasdiwa,” a non-profit organization that will send the funds directly to MIGRANTE International in the Philippines, a workers’ organization directly helping the victims in the disaster relief efforts. Please put “Typhoon Ondoy Relief” on the check’s note.

Filipino Community Center
4681 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94112

Liwanag Kultural Center
Hillside Park Clubhouse
222 Lausanne Ave.
Daly City‎, CA‎ 94014
Mondays 3:30-6:00
Tuesdays 3:30-6:00
Wednesdays 3:30-8:00
Thursdays 3:30-6:00

Asian Pacific Islander Youth Promoting Advocacy & Leadership
Attn: Armael Malinis, AnakBayan-East Bay
310 8th Street, Suite 215
Oakland, CA 94710

Stanford’s Pilipino American Student Union (PASU) is also collecting donations to be sent to the Philippines to help victims of Typhoon Ondoy (international name Ketsana). If you would like to make a donation, please contact AV David at avhdavid@stanford.eduThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (650) 491-4561.

Music: Kiss the Rain by Yiruma