NAIA 1

I'm off for some R and R this long weekend. Even if NAIA 1 is considered the "worst airline" in the world according to a recent survey, I had a pleasant, quick and straight-forward check-in this morning.

Talk to you guys later. Thanks for dropping by!

Zara

Hi there! I bought these shoes a few months back but I haven't had much use for them. It looked good and sturdy when I first tried them on. But I haven't had any more ideas as to which clothes i could pair it with. I guess you could consider this purchase as done on impulse. I haven't bought something on impulse for a long time. When I shop, I usually have something in mind, something that I truly need. But these pair of shoes was something I don't really need. It was something that I had to have, just because I'm in a store that we dont have in my neck of the woods. It's like buying a souvenir.

ZARA Antik Leather Wooden Wedge (pictures taken from Zara.com)

Anyways, the leather is hard. It gave me a wound in my ankle because of the hard leather. It actually is stable to walk in despite the 5-inch height boost it gives you (from the 5-inch wedge heels). Warning though, this shoes are made to for walking on flat surfaces. Watch out for stones on the ground because even a small stone can make you topple over.

If you have extra money and would want to buy statement shoes, then you could try this.

Until next time. Thank you very much for dropping by!

Chatime

I needed a midday sweet fix earlier today, and I thought of Chatime. Chatime offers an array of tea-based drinks an other non-tea based cold drinks. They even have coffee. I think of Chatime's drinks as being more sweet beverages than tea-based drinks. I think of them as more of a juice flavor and not tea. If I want a tea fix, I usually go to Serenitea. However, the hot weather earlier prompted me to crave for a cold sweet drink. Here is what I got...it's the mint milk tea with pudding.
It certainly satisfied my need for a quick midday sweet fix. If you're looking for a good sweet and cold beverage, drop by Chatime.

Until next time! Thanks for reading! :-)

Magnum

What do you do if you have a sudden craving for something? I went out and got what I was craving for.

I was watching local TV tonight when I saw the Magnum ice cream ad. The ice cream looked so yummy so I had to get me one. I was in my pyjamas already, but that didn't stop me from changing and going out to buy me some Magnum.
The first stop was a Petron Gas station. Unfortunately, they only sold ice cream from Magnolia. Next stop, Total gas station. As luck would have it, they only sell Selecta ice cream. Okay, last stop, the grocery. When I got there, the only flavor left was Chocolate Truffle. Magnum Chocolate Truffle it is...

I really like the Belgian chocolate outer cover. The chocolate was heavenly and it was "crunchy".  You really need to bite into the cover to get into the ice cream middle.  The ice cream inside was okay. It was smooth and not that sweet, which is a good thing for me.

All in all, Magnum Chocolate Truffle was yummy. This, for me, is the yummiest ice cream on a stick. Craving satisfied...happy tummy. :-)

See you next time for another review on real products...real experiences. Thanks for dropping by!

Kenny Rogers Roasters

What's for dinner tonight? It's Kenny Rogers Roasters. We are going to watch a movie in a few hours and we only have a litlle over an hour to eat our dinner. I have been craving for thin crust pizza from Shakeys' but the line was too long. So, we opted for the next fast food resto beside Shakey's, which was Kenny Rogers Roasters.

My first memory of eating at Kenny Rogers Roaster was when I was around 12 years old. I loved how their chicken was moist and soft and the side dishes were really yummy.

However, I have noticed that as the years went by, their chicken taste seems to have changed. I assume they still cook it the way they used to (since they still have their window display of a big roaster with chicken being cooked). Maybe it's the time from roaster-to-plate that makes a difference. Since they have lots of customers, maybe they cook the chicken way ahead of time and it sits in the carvery area for a long period of time. That's just my opinion.

Anyways, for tonight, I ordered their original roast chicken. I got the breast part. The chicken was a little dry and it was not as yummy as I have had it previously. The white rice that comes with it was dry too. The saving grace of the platter was the mac and cheese side dish and the corn muffin. I wasn't satisfied with my dinner tonight. :-(

Original roast chicken with rice, mac and cheese and corn muffin

My companion ordered the spicy roast chicken. I tasted a little of it and boy, it was really SPICY! Well, at least 1 of us had a good dinner.

Spicy roast chicken, rice, macaroni salad, and corn muffin

And my other companion had fried chicken.  Again, I tasted a little of the fried chicken, and I must say, I've had better (my all-time favorite fried chicken is from Mc Donald's - I'm weird like that).

Fried chicken, rice, mashed potatoes, and corn muffin

That's it for today. Off to see a movie. Until next time. Thank you so much for dropping by! :-)

Human Heart Nature 2

Remember my Human Heart Nautre post (here)?  I have been using their moisturizing shampoo and conditioner in lush vanilla for 1 week.  Here is my verdict…

Let me give you a background of my hair condition.  I have dark, dry, straight hair with frizz.  I have not colored my hair or had any treatment done in the past 4 months.  I shampoo and conditioner my hair daily.  My main concerns are to relieve dryness of my hair and to remove frizz (if possible).  So far, the shampoo and conditioner that I love using to address my concerns are from the Sunsilk Co-creations line.  I like their expert-perfect straight shampoo and conditioner.  It makes my hair soft and smooth and lessens the frizz.

As much as I would like to love the Human Heart Nature Natural shampoo and conditioner, it doesn’t do much to my hair.  Yes, it effectively cleans my hair and it even makes it soft.  But my main problem with the use of this shampoo and conditioner tandem is, it doesn’t  control the frizz in my hair.  Even with application of anti-frizz serum, my hair seems to want to coil and stand up on its root.  I had high expectations for this product, but it did not deliver to my satisfaction.  L

It doesn't show in this picture but I've used 3/4 of a 50-ml bottle in a matter of 7 days.

After 1 week of use, I've finished the contents of the 50-ml bottle.

 As for the Human Heart Nature 100% Natural Healthy Lotion in Vanilla Delight, this one is a keeper.  I like the smell and it does make my skin soft and smooth.  The only downside for this product is that the consistency is a little runny.  But I can live with that.  I really admire and believe in the mission of Human Heart Nature.  So, in my quest to be pro-poor, pro-Philippines and pro-environment, I will now use this lotion.

This is what it looks like now after 1 week of use.  You can't see it but I've used up 3/4 of the original amount.

Let’s all do our share in making this world a better place to live in.  One step is using products that are pro-poor and 100% natural (100% chemical-free)/ environmentally friendly.

Until next time!  Thanks for dropping by!  J

Serenitea

Hi readers! I would like to share with you my favorite bubble tea. It's Serenitea! I buy it every time I watch a movie. There have been several times that I drop by their store midday to get myself a dose of milk tea. The best thing about Serenitea is that they freshly brew your tea. Unlike other bubble/milk tea places, they brew your tea after you've made your order. They dont have a pre-mixed batch that they stock up. I think freshly-made tea tastes better than tea that has been sitting inside a container for a few hours.

My favorite flavors are Okinawa (brown sugar flavor) and Hokkaido (butter toffee flavor). I usually have half pearls (sago) and half pudding since I find their full dose of pearls too much for my taste. If you are trying to slim down, make your sugar level 0% or 25% and buy the regular size.

I have tried other bubble tea places (Chatime, Gongcha, Happy Lemon) but I keep coming back to Serenitea.

That's it for today. Stay tuned for the next blog post of Real Products...Real Experiences. Thanks for reading!

Abe

Welcome back!  Tonight I had a work-related dinner at Abe Restaurant.   Abe is a restaurant that serves Filipino food.  According to their website, Abe serves Filipino food with a strong Capampangan accent (Capampangan/Kapampangan – people/cuisine/language of the province of Pampanga and nearby provinces).  They have branches all over the Manila (Serendra, Mall of Asia, Trinoma, and Alabang Town Center).

Picture from their website.

 I ordered their Kamias shake.  It was very refreshing.  The drink was not sour at all.  They also have other shakes such as Sampaloc (Tamarind), and Dalandan (Citrus aurantium).  I have tried their Sampaloc shake before and it was also good.

The set menu included the following:

Sauteed shrimp

Chicharon (Fried Crunchy Pork skins)

Pinakbet..well I think it was pinakbet

Binukadkad na Plapla (Fried Fish)

We also had Kare-kare (beef in peanut sauce), Sinigang na isda sa bayabas (Sour fish stew with guavas), Gambas, Baby squid, and Knock-out Knuckles (Fried Pork Knuckles).  For dessert, we had Sans Rival Cake.  I'm not sure if it's part of their menu or someone from our group brought it in (one of the persons present had her birthday a few days ago).

I especially liked the Pinakbet.  The green leafy vegetables were I think talbos ng kamote (leaves of the sweet potato plant).  It was a nice alternative for kangkong (water spinach).  I like the food of Abe.  It's comfort food for me.

The interiors are nice and the servers are helpful.  The restaurant is between fine dining and fast food.  So, the price is also in-between that range.

All in all, I had a great time in Abe.  The dinner was good.  I'll be returning to this restuarant, maybe after 3-6 months.  Unless, of course a free dinner comes my way, then I'll be glad to return earlier.  :-)

I'll see you next time.  Thank you very much for dropping by!

Zalora

Guess what came in the mail today?  My Zalora order!  I get soooo excited whenever I get a package.

The items are housed in this nice bag.

 Zalora is an on-line one-stop shop for shoes, clothes and fashion.  It has free delivery all over the Philippines and a 30-day return policy.  Zalora also has a cash on delivery payment scheme as well as other traditional ways for paying (PayPal, bank deposits, MasterCard, Visa, GCash).  Their web interface is easy to navigate and the search options to narrow down the search is also useful.  The downside is that the items don't have measurements.  Local items are tagged as either XS, S, M, L, etc.  I usually fit into medium when buying local clothes.  So, I ordered the clothes in medium.  If you are unsure of the size, you may call their call center which accepts calls from 7am to 1am.  I tried calling their call center at 12:45am and someone answered my call.  I asked the call center agent regarding the size of the items.  She said that Medium is the regular medium I find in local stores.  Well, I figured, if it doesn't fit, then I could just return it.

Their response time was fast and they were able to deliver my items 1 working day after I ordered.  They can actually deliver on the same day you order it.  However, I ordered  in the wee hours of a Saturday, so, I got the items Monday morning.

I ordered 3 items.

Dress from Space

 This dress from Space is priced at P1000+ (I saw the price from the torn label).  I got it for only Php 747.50.

Skirt from Collective.com - new label, available exclusively at Zalora.com.ph

The skirt is well made and fits me like a glove.  It was priced at Php 695.  Not bad for a closet staple that I'm sure I'll be able to use 2-3 times a month for the rest of the skirt's life.  I can picture myself wearing this skirt until it falls apart.  At the Zalora site, the picture comes with a product detail tab that gives you the measurements of the skirt.  Unfortunately, not all items in Zalora has measurements to guide you in choosing your size.

Sheer blouse also from Collective.com

I also like this blouse.  It's a little loose but it will do.  The style is actually loose anyways.  I got this top for Php 695 also.  Again, I plan to make this item a work-horse in my closet.

All in all, I'm very pleased with my purchases.  I won't be returning any of these babies.  Maybe I should order something that I will surely return so that I can try their 30-day return policy?  Hmmm...

Until next time.  Thanks for dropping by!

Nivea Essential Care Lip Balm

Hi everyone! Today’s review is all about the Nivea Essential Care Lip Balm. As I’ve said before, I have very dry and sensitive lips. You would see me with chapped lips 4 out of 7 days in a week. Good thing, one of my best friends introduced me to Nivea Essential Care Lip Balm. She swore by its moisturizing power. True enough, I tried it and it was a miracle! I had soft and well moisturized lips after just a few uses.

Pictures from the Web

Actual picture of my used lip balm

I tried one of their variants, which was Soft Rose.  It had a pinkish tinge to it when you apply it to your lips.  I would’ve liked the tinge of color.  However, their colored variants doesn’t seem to moisturize as much as the plain white one.  I still liked the effect the plain white lip balm had on me.

So, if you are looking for the holy grail of lip balms, this is the one for me.  Try it.  It's very effective in combating lip dryness.

Until next time!

Dexter Kylie Wedge Pump

Brown shoes are a staple in a girl’s shoe closet.  For the longest time, I have been on a search to find the perfect brown shoes…and I think I found it.  Let’s all welcome Dexter Kylie Wedge Pump in Cognac.

As seen in Payless.com

I bought these babies a few days ago.  I initially wanted to buy the capped-toe Crocs flats.  However, when I reached their store, they said it’s not yet available.  Payless was a few stores down from the Crocs store, so I popped in to take a look.  And, lo and behold…I found these.

The pictures above are actual pictures of the shoes.  Sorry for the inconsistency in the color.  The exposure from the second picture seems to be off.  It's probably the lighting.  Anyways, the actual color is closer to the Payless.com picture above and the picture on the left.

I wore this the whole day today.  I walked a lot and climbed up stairs.  These shoes are very comfortable!  I can walk all day and night in these.  They didn’t give me “break-in” wounds (you know, the one’s that some shoes give you during the first few times you wear them).  Aside from being comfortable, because of its wedge design, it will add a few inches (3 inches to be exact) to your height.  A good thing for people like me who are vertically challenged.   At P1200+ per pair, these affordable shoes gives you bang for your buck. 

Come back tomorrow for another Real products...real experiences review.  :-)

Human Heart Nature

I love buying online.  I recently came across the online shop of Human Heart Nature.  I have heard of the company before thru magazines.  I like the idea that their products and their very existence is to promote natural products that benefit the poor.  The company's core values are pro-Philippines, pro-poor and pro-environment.

Here is the box that I got from the mail.

I had an easy time using their web interface and the process of ordering and paying was a breeze.  I got my order after 1 day.  Their products are not expensive.  I ended up buying small bottles of their shampoos and conditioners.  I also bought small bottles of their lotions.

I plan to give their lotions as Christmas gifts.  So, I wanted to try them out first and check their quality before giving it out to others.  I also want to spread the word of their existence since I also believe in their core values.  Seeing that there are 100% natural products that are available in the Philippine market that is not exorbitantly priced makes me want to shift all the products I’m using right now to more environmentally-friendly items.  And since most of the products from Human Heart Nature is 100% natural, they are biodegradable.

First up for review is the lipstick that I got (oh yes, they even have cosmetics!).

Swatch of the lipstick.  I got the First Kiss Lipstick.

The lipstick is not that pigmented but it is highly moisturizing.  It actually resembles a lip gloss in its staying power (meaning it wears off quickly).  I have lips that constantly chaff and is mostly dry.  This lipstick is a good way for me to bring moisture to my dry and parched lips and bring a little bit of color into them.  Downside is, you have to keep applying the lipstick since it wears off easily.  But looking at the bright side, you need to consume the lipstick in 1 year anyways (there’s a printed actual expiry date on the metal tube of the lipstick case).  It expires easily since they use natural products that will go bad in a year’s time.  So might as well use it before it expires.

Watch out for the reviews of the other products.  I have been using their shampoo and conditioner, as well as their lotion for 2 days already…so far, so good.  I’ll give my full review maybe after 1 week of continuous use.

Moisturizing shampoo and conditioner in Lush Vanilla

Healthy Lotion in Vanilla

Thanks for dropping by.  Until next time!