An ode to Quina Skin Tonic

If Bedak Sejuk prevents oiliness for 4-6 hours then this product prevents oiliness the whole day!!!! Yes! Oil free face!

I was in a Bangkok Supermarket looking for some stuff to bring back home when I saw a bottle almost hidden away in the shelf of the beauty products aisle. I read the back portion and it says that it brightens and enhance skin radiance. Used as facial foundation to control oil and reduce acne... etc.. For 18 THB (around .50USD) I might as well try it.

So when I went back home, I immedately tried it. And whhhooooooaaaaah! Im warning you, it will sting a lot I dont know if it's the alcohol or its just very cold once it touches your skin.. Im not sure but it is worth the pain because once it dries up you can immediately feel that you skin becomes smooth and matte! I didnt apply moisturizer after that (But im sure It's not recommended) I just went on and applied the liquid foundation with the bedak sejuk and powder and boy no traceof oiliness whatsoever... IT IS THAT GOOD!

But of course if you have low tolerance for anything that stings then I advice you not to use this product. Just to give you an idea, its like putting ice on you face for 2 minutes and then it will start to sting you skin.. thats what it feels like when you apply the Quina skin tonic, but the sting will last for 5 seconds..

So it's still all up to you...:D

Bedak Sejuk (cold powder)

I never heard of this product until my husbands colleague introduced this to me. She explained how it prevents oiliness and acne on her face. At first I didn't believe her, in fact I didn't even paid so much attention to what she was trying to say.. it was over dinner in one of my fave restaurants in Bangkok and I'd rather eat than listen to her lecture. And well, I was still focused at that time on how to get milk of magnesia for my face since I read a lot of good reviews unfortunately it's not available in Malaysia.

Anyway when we went back in KL, husband passed on to me a small jar of Bedak Sejuk with an instruction on how to use it. I decided to try and took just 1 piece and added 2 -3 drops of water.. it turned into a paste and I applied it on one of my acne... the next day its gone!!! well not gone but the acne has dried up. And so the following night I used it as a mask, took 2 pieces and added 5 drops of water and applied it on my face, I didnt rinse it off and just let it stay there until the next day. Well it is very impressive because the oiliness on my face became extremely less...

And so I decided to use it on my make up:

2 pieces of bedak sejuk dilluted in 3-4 drops of water (paste like consistency or until the powder dissolves)

Then add 2-3 drops your favorite liquid foundation and mix it well.. (I normally use q-tips as a mixer, just remove the cotton)

You will be oil free for 4-6 hours, if you want to last longer then add 1 more piece of bedak sejuk.

I really love bedak sejuk and I will definitely use this for a loong loong time. The only problem is its not easily available in KL, but I saw this shop in Midvalley just outside Carrefour that sells local beauty products and she sells bedak sejuk.

Oh and by the way, Im trying to make bedak sejuk just in case we need to transfer again in another country. Hopefully I can make it right.

IMPERIAL PALACE WATERPARK Resort and SPA in Cebu review

Beware of this hotel.. if you are not a foreigner then expect to be treated like shit. If not, then good for you.

Check in:

1.We Arrived at 7am, and so I checked in:

Receptionist: You're room will be ready at 2pm (trying to smile.. FAKE smile!)

Me: oh..(sad face) 2 pm.. is it full today?

Receptionist: No

Me: hmm is it ok if we can we have an early check in coz we have a kid that is really tired and very sleepy. (sweet tone)

Receptionist: No ma'am I'm sorry (no more smile and looks irritated)

Me: oh.. is it really not possible?

Receptionist: No if you really want to have an early check in then it is possible but you need to pay the half day rate

Me: Whaaaat? I mean I know the policy of hotels but I've been to hotels far better than this hotel who lets us have an early check in. And also we stayed at Radisson Blu in Cebu City a few weeks ago with the same early flight that we took today and they let us have an early check in and at that time there were already so many people in their lobby that gives me the impression that the hotel is nearly full (but they still accommodated us) while you confirmed it yourself that this hotel is not full and not a single guest loitering. (Still trying to be calm)

What irritated me was her answer

Receptionist: Excuse me ma'am (with a raise in her voice and this time looks really irritated) that's not possible (pertaining to what Radisson Blu did, as if having an early check in is a criminal offense and very impossible for other hotels to offer it.)

Me: I think it's not right to argue with a guest especially if you can't provide them with what they are asking. We will just go back at 2pm.

Receptionist: (She apologized but you can see that it was a half hearted one) Here are some welcome drinks for you and your companions.

2nd incident: (3rd day)

We were 5 in our group and since my brother went to the beach super early he told us that he will just follow us in the buffet area. Receptionist gave us a table for 4. We said that we are waiting for my brother to join us but she just ignored.. so when my brother arrived, he doesnt have any chair... they just looked at us and did nothing. So we called up one waitress and asked if we can now transfer to another table. She left us and informed us that they will look for one.. When she came back she told us that there is an available table but its located very very far from the main breakfast/buffet hall, in fact it is literally in another restaurant with connection with the main one. And since we dont have any other options, we agreed but I already noticed that there were so many other tables available in the main hall.. So on our way to the table that they offered, there was this waiter who asked them why they are taking us there (referring to the other restaurant).. let them sit here pointing towards a table located in the middle of the place... yaaaay! and so we sat there... but here's the catch, I saw how hesitant the two ushers were to let us sit on the table suggested by the waiter.. they even looked at each other and talked in cebuano dialect and sounds like they were pissed off.

3rd incident: (3rd day before check out)

At 9 am, I called the front desk ans asked if we can have a late check out.. I know what their answer will be but I'm just hoping that they will at least make up for the first day.. But as expected the answer is no, they said we should be out by 12 noon. Fine. I didn't argue anymore.

And so at 11:45am the phone rang, from the front desk:

Front Desk: Ma'am we would just like to remind you that it's already 11:45. Check out time is ar 12 nn. So you need to check out soon.

WHAT THE FUCK!?????? First hotel ever to remind me to leave the room ASAP!

Me: (really annoyed voice) Yes, I know that already.

Front Desk: (Sensed that I am already annoyed) offerd this-- Would you like us to send someone to help you with your luggage?

Me: No, we can manage!. Bye!

Good points:

1. If you are a foreigner (especially Koreans) then you will enjoy this hotel because 90% percent of the guests are from Korea.

2. Water park is fun.

3. The room is clean.

4. Amenities are great.

5. They offer so many choices in the buffet breakfast.

Bad points:

1. Very poor customer service!

2. Although there were so many choices in the Breakfast buffet, the tastes really is blah! Even the mangoes are so sour!!! shame on you for giving the impression to foreigners that Philippine/Cebu mangoes are not good! If it's not sweet then don't offer it at all!

3. Beach is so small, you really can't do anything.

4. Very far away from the city, it will cost you around 300 pesos to reach ayala center.

5. Most of them are VERY RUDE!

Overall experience- BAD! Why? Because no matter how nice your hotel is, if you lack customer service then it will leave a bad impression to your guests. Take for example the check in incident we encountered, if the receptionist at least assured us that she will do everything to make it earlier than the 2pm check in time, it will make me feel more important and valued. But since she argued with the guest instead, she gave me the impression that the hotel is all about the money and so I will definitely not recommend the place.

There were already 12 people who asked me how the Imperial Palace was.... and I told them my experience and that 12 people I know will tell another 12 people they know about my experience and so on. I just cant get it why they cant accommodate us when there won't be any loss for them because:

1. Hotel is not full

2. Techinically, the available room is already our room for the whole day.

3. They will not clean the room twice anyway so why not let us use it.

And also, the nerve to remind us to vacate the place at exactly 12!!

I have never experienced this kind of treatment in any hotels I visited... and modesty aside I visited a lot, from 2 star to 5 star hotels in different countries. For the price we paid, we should have stayed in Shangrila Mactan, it's just that there were no available room on our second night.

But anyway, this is based only on our experience. It may be different from yours so if you want to try them then by all means.

But I will definitely not recommend it to my friends and loved ones.. :)

Bitterness

and the ranting continues...... (LOL)

because after 16 looooooong years...... I can still taste her bitterness!

Parasites.

oh I am a self confessed parasite, the victim is of course my husband, whoelse?:p

But for crying out loud I am a wife and I do the laundry, I do the dishes, I cook, I sometimes clean the house, iron our clothes.. the works! I may not do it perfectly or regularly but I still do it!

And then there are those who really are 1001% parasites... I hope they know who they are... but i doubt it. Darn!

I really want to break free from parasites.... useless parasites.

I.will.succeed.

So many ideas running through my head. Should I put up a salon? a restaurant? a clothing line?

I want to be successful. I want to achieve something. I just need to find out where to start. DARN!

☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻

I want to be rich...super filthy rich!

Richer than Oprah and more fabulous than Victoria!

Rooo...maaaaa....niaaaaa!!!

I want to go to Romania!!!!! This place has been haunting me for days now! I tried inviting friends to go on a trip with me but they all think I'm crazy!

Anyways, I will definitely visit the place soon (I hope!)

I just need to do the ff:

1. save money

2. fix my visa

3. RESEARCH

so there......

boooooh!!!!!

I'm feeling under the weather..... again!

When will this end...

Thailand-- Land of Smiles No more?

I fell in love with Bangkok, Thailand 8 years ago.

Everything was "almost" perfect. People were very friendly, food was divine and there were so many night markets and malls to choose from! The only thing that I didn't enjoy was their weather because it was too hot for me. But I can't blame them for something that's beyond their control. Anyways, we even had our honeymoon there!

After a few years (last year to be exact) , I visited Thailand but this time we went to Phuket. And I can honestly say that I enjoyed it! Except for one incident in the airport where a Thai tour guide (assisting a european couple) really went berserk and slapped my hands because I was holding the trolly that was supposed to be for her client! For crying out load, there were so many trollies around us, if that was a special trolly (gold plated perhaps?) then she could at least tell me in a very nice way to leave the trolly alone! And so I thought that she was just an exception, a nuisance, a black sheep.

Anyway, I went to Bangkok last week with hopes that people are still as friendly and as warm as when I first went there a few years ago. Surprisingly, much to my dismay majority of them changed big time! From street food vendors, to market vendors.. even the sales associate in some malls were very very different. They were not smiling, looked pissed if you inquire on their merchandise and will even harm you or curse you (well I based it on their reactions) if you did not buy anything from them. But I am not saying that everyone changed, it's just that majority of the the people I met were very different from the Thais I used to remember. I am not sure though if westerners get to experience my ordeal. But anyway, there were still some who were very very nice and very friendly so at least I still have another reason to go back.

And besides, even if majority of them changed, the food still tastes the same! So that is one factor to definitely consider. Street food, restaurants, food courts... they will definitely not fail you!

My favorites and definitely a must try:

1. Barbecue -along the small streets of bangkok. I saw them selling from noon until around 6 pm (or while supplies last) From the marinade to the sauce.. perfect!!

2. Basil pork (pad kra pao moo (moo is pork) )- can find it anywhere! It is minced pork stir fried in holy basil. A little spicy though so you have to have a bottle of water beside you.

3. Pad thai- the best pad thai I tasted was in one of the streets in Siam square near the Siam BTS staircase.

4. Larb Moo- minced pork with a very refreshing dressing. It's basically a salad without the greens.

4. Mango tango - in Siam Square. A dessert place where they sell anything with mango. Yummy!!

5. Thai Iced tea- not your usual japanese, chinese or english tea but just as good (or even better!?)

Try their massage as well, although many foreigners complain that Thai massage is not so relaxing because it is a very hard massage, just make sure to tell the masseuse to be very gentle. I normally just get the foot massage (which normally includes a little of the back, shoulder, arm and if you are lucky you also get a head massage)

I kinda enjoyed the markets but not so much, because for one I didn't like their attitude, second clothes are free size so that means it only caters to petite girls (and even boys!) and you are not allowed to try it and lastly I am not into the business of reselling their stuff in my country so I don't get the same discount like the other (asian) foreigners who buy in bulks!

Anyway, going back to Thailand for the food and the massage is still so worth it!:)

MAC lipstick

Definitely not a big fan of lipstick or lipgloss.. it's just too oily for me and besides I eat a lot so whatever I am applying on my lips will definitely not last.

But because I will try to sport a smokey eye look I therefore need a nude or pale lipstick. So in my search for a good one, I tried going to the MAC shop.

And while checking out their lipstick collections I realized that if I really want to apply lipstick sans the oiliness I should go for the MATTE finish. I tried few of their nude shades but it doesn't look good on me.. maybe because of the lighting (again!? Same problem with SASA) or my skin color! I don' know.......

After approximately 10 minutes, an SA (salesassociate) approached me.. yeah honestly I'm really not their biggest fan.. I always have this notion that they are just there to hard sell and not really help as in sincerely help. hahaha! Anyway, she offered to help me and I reluctantly told her that I am looking for a Nude shade of lipstick. Well EXPECTEDLY she gave me the same shades I was looking at before she came.

She, however, suggested another color, I tried it on and surprisingly I liked the look of it.. although I forgot to consider that it's more on the glossy side than the matte side...:( Sad to say there's nothing much I can do except to love it!:)

1. Sheen Lipstick in Peachstock by MAC

and moving on to the best purchase I made courtesy of the not so lovely and somewhat annoying SA....

2. Matte Lipstick in Russian Red by MAC

April Beauty Haul ♥♥♥

I'm running out of concealer so I decided to visit the mall last week to look for the perfect replacement (coz unfortunately I can only get my favorite concealer in Singapore! It's a cheap brand though but it covers my blemishes really well!)

Anyway moving on, aside from the hunt for the perfect concealer I also found the perfect red lipstick and some other stuff!!:)

1. TIME BALM concealer by The Balm

I am happy to inform myself that I have found the almost perfect replacement for the concealer I am currently using! Time Balm has a cream like consistency so I only need a small amount. I make sure to apply it ONLY on the blemishes and dark spots. I recommend using your ring finger to dab the concealer so it will blend in nicely on your skin and will make it appear more natural. The only difference between Time Balm and the one I'm currently using is that my fave concealer has a cream to powder finish while Time Balm is creamy and when applied on my skin it still feels creamy, therefore it is really a must for me to dab it so it will look and feel more natural.

2. Lovely Me-ex Angel Skin Loose Powder from The Face Shop

Unfortunately, I am not satisfied with this product.

I always have my ever reliable compact foundation which I always use after applying my liquid foundation but I decided to get a loose powder coz I thought it will give a better effect on my skin. I was thinking of getting a loose powder from the same makers of my compact foundation but I opt to try another brand. The difference? My compact foundation feels so light whenever I apply it on (alone or with a liquid foundation!) But this one feels heavy on my face, I am not sure if it's the sponge provided (I have not tried using a brush) or it's just not compatible with my liquid foundation.

Also my face looks a little darker and unhealthy. I tried all the shades (not on my face though but only on the back of my hand) and this one should suit me well but I guess I was wrong.

This might be a good product to some but not for me. Oh well..:(

3. Shady Lady Eyeshadow in Just This Once Jamie shade from The Balm

Its shade is Purple with a slight touch of pink. This was supposed to be a "go to eyeshadow" for me during those days where I feel lazy to use so many products on my eye. But since the lighting in Sasa was bad I thought the shade was light enough for my everyday use but when I went home I realized that it is darker than I expected. So what I did was to use it on the crease of my eye instead.

I think this product is worth a try, a little expensive, (although not as expensive as the other high end brand) but you just have to choose the correct shade under the correct lighting.

4. Cucumber Purifying Peel off Mask

I love love love this mask! I started applying this at night and I dont know if it's all in my mind but whenever I wake up the next day after using this product I noticed that my face is brighter, skin is tighter and it is less oily! And a single pack (like this one) is good for 3 applications. Very cheap but very good!

4. Rejuvenating Orange Pads by Skinlite

Will just update this post once I tried this product.:)

5. Eyeliner in White from Sasa

Nothing to rave about. :)

Just your average normal white eyeliner. But it's very cheap so might as well grab one since I need this color anyway.

6. Auto Glitter Eyeliner Pen in Violet by Cyber Colors

I have other products from Cyber Colors and I'm glad to say that I'm always satisfied with the brand. What you need is what you get from their products, no more no less. So I'm glad I bought this eyeliner, its glittery violet which I can use on the inner corner of my waterline. The color of the pencil looks dark but when I apply it on my skin it will turn into a very very light purple, almost white! Very very nice and inexpensive as well!☺

*** MAC lipstick review on my next post

OPI in Mini Bottles

I have no plans of buying an OPI.. ever. I swear by the quality of this product but the price is just too much for my budget and besides I dont really know how to properly apply polish on my nails.

But as we were window shopping last Sunday in Midvalley Megamall, I went inside Shins and saw a vast collection of OPI from the regular sized bottles to the small ones. And just by adding a few extra bucks I can have four different colors in mini sizes.... and so I decided to get one. The regular price for the standard OPI is RM59 but this one costs RM 78!!:)

I have yet to try them.

.

Mulberry or Balenciaga?

I've been contemplating since December on whether to get the Mulberry Oversized Alexa (MOB) in Wintermelon or the Balenciaga City (BC) bag in Mimosa.

Since summer is already here I am into bright and happy colors!!

I would love to have the MOB because you don't often see people carrying this brand, thus making you stand out a little bit more than the rest of the purse lovers! I also love the style.

BUT

I also want the Balenciaga City in Mimosa! I just love the bright yellow color!! It looks brighter than the wintermelon of MOB, and besides Balenciaga is known for producing really good bags!

oh and their prices are similar..... decisions decisions decisions.. I hope I can have both!

Yakimix

The first time I tried Yakimix was when my friend brought me here. It was a weekday and we met for lunch. Honestly I was impressed since there weren't so many people inside, the food looked fresh and the place was clean.

So I decided to introduce it to my family.

Before going there, I decided to make a reservation, unfortunately the person on the other line told me that the reservation is already closed. So thinking that maybe because it was a Saturday dinner I asked her if we can move it to Sunday dinner instead, the answer is still no. Hmm I asked if there was an available slot for Sunday lunch.. still none! Errrrr what about the next Saturday? or the next Sunday? Lunch or dinner? either one is fine! NONE!

So since I am so desperate we went that same day at 5:40 pm! yay!! We got a table! But I noticed that at 6pm almost all the tables were occupied and there were a lot of people queueing outside! Reservations officer was not lying!! hahaha!

We visted the place a few more times and unfortunately we always go through the same dilemma. Either we wait for hours or go to the place very very early.

Tips:

1. If you are very hungry at 5pm and ready to have dinner, visit the place.

2. Try the sukiyaki, it tastes soooooo good!

3. Sushi and sashimi are good too. Not as fresh as the one in Spiral or Kimpura but decent enough compared to Saisaki (LOL!)

4. All the meat for grilling tastes good! It's oily but whatever, the oilier the better anyway!☺

5. If you are so conscious of your health or figure or just likes to eat boring stuff then please do yourself a favor and avoid this place.

6. I normally order water instead of the bottomless drinks, its not good anyway and besides I need more space so I can eat more sukiyaki!

7. You need to spend around Php500-600 per person.

Oh, by the way, this dilemma is for the Tomas Morato and Trinoma branch only. I'm not sure if other branches will give you the same problem. ☺

Yakimix Tomas Morato (Forum Bldg.)

270 Tomas Morato, QC

+632 3939100

+632 3328073

Yakimix Trinoma

Level 4

+632 9010057

+632 8614022

Yakimix Greenbelt

3rd Floor

Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center

Makati City

+632 4755153

Yakimix Macapagal

Hobbies of Asia

Macapagal Blvd. Pasay City

+632 3878120

+632 3878112

Yakimix MOA

Ground floor, SM Mall of Asia

Entertainment Mall, Paranaque City

+632 8361535 to 37

Manila Manila Manila (March 25-27, 2011)

I went home for the weekend, although it was only for a very short time, I know I am luckier than most Filipinos working abroad because I get to go back home at least once a month. But of course I will never get used to the goodbyes.☹

I love Manila, despite the traffic and pollution and the undisciplined bus and jeepney drivers(*#$@$!!!!!!)!!!! Why? Because I get to enjoy my favorite food, the super big malls, my noisy family, good restaurants and so much more. But basically it's all about the feeling of just being home.

So what did I do while in Manila???

Attended piggies Graduation ceremony.

Lunch at Abe's (the aligue (crab fat) is my all time fave and TO DIE FOR!)

Dinner with friends.

Photo shoot at Picture Company.

Dinner at Yakimix.

Breakfast at Jollibee for some Longganisa Meal. (yummy!!!)

Squidballs for afternoon snack.

**Will try to provide feedbacks/reviews for some of these places I visited hopefully in my next post.

I ♥ OPI nail polish (nail lacquer)

I'm really not a fan of branded nail polish, I mean it's only nail polish and it will chip off in like 2 days. But the first time I tried OPI a few months ago I realized it was worth my time and money, it stays on so well! I now have a scheduled mani/pedi day every week because I love trying different colors from OPI!

If you want to try OPI here are some tips:

1. Let it "fan dry" for 15 min.

2. Avoid doing stuff like opening zippers, opening soda cans etc. for 30 min. (this means 15 min on fan dry and another 15 min doing nothing-- total of 30 min)

3. wash your hands

and voila your nail polish will last for a week or even more as long as you're not into carpentry! :) lol!

oh and by the way it is pronounced O- P- I (ow-pi-ay)

Visit their website- http://www.opi.com/

HOME SWEET HOME

Yes, this is going to be my "other home" from now on.

I am actually contemplating for the longest time to reopen this blog but I am too lazy to do it. Last night for no apparent reason, I got so excited to open my account and post something! So today I hid all my previous posts so I can have a fresh start with this blog.

I will be posting reviews and pictures of purchases I will be making, menus and prices of restaurants I will be visiting and anything else that interests me!

So good luck to me!♣