Makati Shangri-la

Hi everyone!  Another review for another hotel.  I stayed at the Makati Shangri-la last night for another business event.  And boy, was it a great night!  The lecturer was very good and at the end of the night, I was able to win something from the raffle (my first win in a raffle contest EVER).  I love staying at Shanri-la hotels.  I like the ambience, the exteriors and the service.

Pardon the unkempt nature of the bed...

The staff is courteous and helpful.  The amenities are world-class.  The health club even operates for 24 hours.  The breakfast buffet at the Circles is good but I still like the better space area and selection at the Heat (EDSA Shangri-la's restaurant).  I can't wait to for my next stay.

The view from my hotel room

That's it for now.  Thank you very much for dropping by!  Until next time!

The Bellevue Manila

Hi everyone!  I'm staying at The Bellevue Manila for another business event.  This is my first time to stay in this hotel.  I was booked by my sponsor at the new wing of the hotel.  And my, was I surprised by the huge suite that greeted me.

The hallway of the suite

The living room

The dining area

The queen-sized bed

The space in front of the bed

I don't know if all the rooms were suites but I'm definitely grateful that I was booked in this room.  It's really very big.  This suite is actually bigger than the 1-bedroom condo unit I used to live in.

The lay-out is also nice.  The toilet has 2 doors.  One opens to the hallway for guests and one door opens from the bedroom.  There are lots of storage areas.  Very many cabinets and drawers, although if you're staying for only 1 night like me, then the many storage areas will not be useful. Another plus is that the hotel has free wifi. Once you check-in, you will be given a username and password.  The down-side is that the design is not really nice.  The color of the walls are grayish-cream (I can't really distinguish what the color is but it's a cross between more cream with gray).  It's like the walls are dirty and the color makes me sad.  The lighting is also off, since it's very dim.  But this is just in the bedroom.  The living room lighting was okay.  Well, dimness is usually the case for hotel rooms.

I spent some time in the hotel's bar called the Vue Bar.  I'll probably dedicate another blogpost for that.

Well, that's it for now.  I'll talk to you later.  Thanks for reading!

EDSA Shangri-la

Hello everyone!  I attended another business event last Friday and I was booked at the EDSA Shangri-la Hotel.  I have stayed at this hotel a few times in the past and I find EDSA Shang a nice hotel to stay in.  The best part about staying in hotels for business events is the fact that you get to stay in a hotel for free.  Now, that's a huge plus for me.  :-)

For the past few times I have stayed at EDSA Shangri-la, I was booked in the garden wing rooms of the hotel.  I think the rooms on that wing are newer than the rooms in the original building.  I stayed at a room on the 5th floor of the main building last Friday, and it seemed to me that the room I stayed in needed to be upgraded.

Here are some pictures I took...

A new feature is a touch pad where you sign for check-in.  I think this is a good way to be environment-friendly...less paper usage.

The king-size bed.  The space in front of the bed is narrow, hence the not so-full view.  I can't back up to get a bigger picture.

You can see me in the reflection of the mirror.  Surprise!  ;-)

The photo on the right is the view from my hotel room window.

Don't you think it needs an upgrade?  Well, according to the General Manager, they will indeed do renovations on this part of the hotel.

What I like about EDSA Shangri-la is that you feel extremely welcome and taken cared of once you step on their property.  The staff are courteous and respectful.  The buffet breakfast in Heat is amazing!  The food selection is overwhelming.  Even if you stay for 3 or more days in the hotel, you would still find something new to eat each day.

One down-side is that their pool is not heated.  Maybe this is because we live in a tropical country and most of the time the weather is hot, hence they thought a heated pool is not needed?  But, during the colder months, I would still prefer to swim in a pool with lukewarm water.

Anyways, I would recommend EDSA Shangri-la Hotel because of its service, amenities and its prime location.  Being near shopping malls, churches, and restaurants make it a good place to stay.  Maybe in the future, I would try the Chi, their spa.

That's it for now.  I'll talk to you guys soon.  Thank you very much for dropping by!

Zalora Shoes

Hi everyone!  Another package came last Saturday.  It was my Zalora order.  I was browsing their collection of skirts when I saw these shoes on the model.

Pill Swiss in Black pic from www.zalora.com.ph

Actual picture of my shoes

I fell in love...I had to buy them.  I was actually looking around for sandals like these.  They cost Php 1250 (Zalora has free shipping).  Not bad for a pair of shoes that looks so nice!

Again, the Zalora service was impeccable.  I ordered from their website early Friday morning, got a confirmation e-mail a few minutes after ordering and the shoes arrived Saturday after lunch.  Payment was also easy-breezy (I used PayPal).

I took these babies out for a spin a few days ago.  It was a full day of work and dinner with the girls at night.  These shoes did not fail me.  They were really comfortable despite the 5-inch heels (although there's a 2.5-inch platform in front).  I walked around all day with them and it did not hurt my feet.  It also looks nice on the feet.

It makes feet look sexy.  Since the ankle strap is thin, it does not cut the legs or make the legs look short.  These sandals did not give me break-in wounds and the strap in front, surprisingly did not hurt my wide feet/entrada.

At the end of the day, my feet did not hurt and I felt good wearing them.  I felt tall.  I really need all the heel-help I can get since I'm vertically-challenged (I stand 5 feet and almost 2 inches).  I recommend these sandals for those who want sexy sandals that would make them feel tall and not break the bank.

That's it for now.  Talk to you soon.  Thank you very much for dropping by!

Sally Hansen Nail Polish Cherry Red

Hi everyone!  Remember how I gushed about Sally Hansen nail polishes (read my blog post here)?  Well, I got myself another one.  It's still from the Xtreme Wear line.  I got the brightest red I can get.  It's the Xtreme Wear nail polish in Cherry Red.

It comes with the squarish applicator brush that glides easily over nails to produce an even coating of the nail polish.  One coat actually looks nice already, but I had to apply two coats to cover my deformed toe nail.

Applicator brush

This is my swatch for you.  Excuse the uneven application...I don't really know how to put nail polish on my fingernails.  I just put nail polish on my toe nails.  :-)

Swatch of Xtreme Wear Nail Polish in Cherry Red

For the price of Php 245, this nail polish is worth it.  A bottle can last you a long time (since 1-2 coats is enough to cover nails).  And, unlike other cheaper nail polishes, Sally Hansen nail polishes don't become sticky and gooey after some time.  It retains its original smooth liquid consistency.  The only down side of this Xtreme Wear line is that the colors are limited.  I don't think I have found another color that I would like to try/purchase for now.  You can buy Sally Hansen nail products in PCX shops.

Talk to you next time!  Thank you very much for dropping by!

Love for fashion boutique

Hi everyone!  Look what the mailman dropped at the house...

Love For Fashion Boutique color block flats

The outer side is cobalt blue.

The inner side is color green.

I ordered these shoes from Love For Fashion Boutique (thru www.themall.ph).  It is on a pre-order basis.  The site tells you that you need to wait 4 weeks for production before they send the shoes to you.  I thought to myself, yes, I could wait for 4 weeks.  I'm in no hurry.

Eight weeks later, these came in the mail.  I actually forgot about these flats.  But good thing it did come.  I took them out for a spin today.  At first, it was really comfy.  It did not give me break-in wounds even if the shoe material was a little stiff.

As you can see, the ankle straps were loose.  You could punch holes on the straps to tighten them.  But on second thought, I prefer them loose.  As the day wore on, my right big toe felt as if it was being pinched/crammed into a tiny space.  It became a little sore after some time.  You see, another of my deformity (you can read about my other deformity here) is that my right foot is 1/2 size to full size bigger than my left foot.  After one full day of work and walking, my left foot felt fine but my right big toe felt a little bit pinched.

Left foot

Right foot

Well, you can't really order different sizes, right?  So, a little sacrifice to look good doesn't really hurt that much (tiis ganda!).  Maybe another option is to buy the right size for the right foot and just put a cork inside the left shoe so that it can fit perfectly.

Anyways, I would like to recommend these flats as well as the site where I bought it.  Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the online shop on themall.ph and I tried to Google it but I can't find it.  There are other colors on their site that is worth looking at and probably buying.  I'll try to search for their online store again.

That's it for today.  See you again next time for another review on Real Products...Real Experiences.  Thanks for reading!

Granddad's Grill and Deli

Hi! This is another restaurant review. If you live in south Manila, then you should try Granddad's Grill and Deli at Aguirre Street in BF Homes, Paranaque. The meat is good and the prices are insanely low. They charge 1 peso for every gram of steak. Now, that's a good deal!

Lamb Chops with Mint Jelly and Green Rice

Although, for steak connoisseurs, you might find the meat a little chewy. But for the price, I still think it's a good deal.

Prime Rib with Gravy and Green Rice (the vegetables are under the meat...squint and you'll see them :-) )

So, if you want good steaks at low prices, then head on over at Granddad's Grill and Deli.

 See you next time for another dose of Real Products...Real Experiences. Thanks for dropping by!

Skyfall and Wreck It Ralph

Welcome back for another episode of Real Products...Real Experiences!  The review for this post will be the latest 2 movies I have watched.  These are Skyfall and Wreck It Ralph.

Let's start with Skyfall.  I really liked this movie.  It was very entertaining and had the usual stunts and twists in the plot that you would expect from an action movie.  The best character in this movie is, in my opinion, the antagonist.  Javier Bardem was really good in this movie.  He infused character into his portrayal of Silva.  The chemistry and the interactions between the 3 main characters (Bond played by Daniel Craig, M played by Judy Dench, and Silva played by Javier Bardem) were well-played and was seemless.  If you are a 007 fan, then I'm sure you have watched this film.  If you are not a Bond fan, then you should still watch this movie since it is very good and was well-made.

As for Wreck It Ralph, this movie was hilarious!  It was funny but with a good dose of moral lesson.  I think that in this month of celebration of tolerance, Wreck It Ralph really nailed it.  This movie isn't only about accepting oneself, but also accepting the differences of others.  Added bonus if you have lived in the 80's and 90's.  The characters from the different arcade games would be familiar to those who have lived in those decades.  As with Skyfall, this movie is well-made and very entertaining.

So, if you are wondering which movie to watch this week.  I recommend these 2 films.  I think you can still catch Skyfall and Wreck It Ralph this week.

See you next time!  Thank you very much for reading!

Tous Les Jours

Good day friends! I walked by a nearby Tous Les Jours bakery recently, and there was a sale. Oh, goody! I bought these at half the price (it was tagged as buy one get one) since it was closing time (around 9:45 pm).

Left - Cream Cheese Filling; Middle - Custard filling; Right - pork sausage filling

The first one I tried was the bread with cream cheese and black sesame seed filling.

This was the best one among the 3. The outside bread was soft and not that sweet. The filling was also good and was enough to be around for every bite. I will be buying this one again (40 Php full prize).

The second I tried was the bread with pork sausage filling. I didn't like this one. The filling had pork and other veggies I can't determine. I wouldn't buy this even if its on half prize. :-(

The last one was bread with custard filling. This one is a winner. It's yummy. The bread is soft and the filling is not-so-sweet. I would be buying this again.

The picture on the right shows burned outer covering of the bread with custard filling.  I left the bread inside the toaster for more than the amount it takes to heat it, hence the burned outer cover.

According to the web, Tous Les Jous is a South Korean bakery franchise specializing in French-Asian baked goods.  It was established in 1997 and presently has more than 1000 stores worldwide.

I hope to drop by this bakery some time soon for my new favorites and maybe to try some of their other offerings.

Thanks for dropping by! Until next time. :-)

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh

Welcome back to another review post. Tonight I would like to talk to you about the Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau so fresh, Eau de toilette.

Image from the web

Let me tell you a background of my scent/smell preference. I'm really not a floral-scent-kind of girl. I gravitate towards the citrus, powdery, fresh kinds of scent. I like scents that smell like fresh laundry or scents that smell like you just got out of a shower.

I can't show you the box since I threw it away already (got this a few months back...I had no idea that I was going to start blogging then). But I can describe to you the box that came with it. It was pink with little flowers on the border. When you open it, the cap even has multiple daisies attached to it. So, my first impression was I wouldn't like it at all (based on all the flowers I saw on the cap and on the box). I thought it would overwhelmingly smell like flowers. However, when I sprayed it on, suprisingly, it smelled more fruity than floral. It smelled like sweet fruits (more along the lines of sweet cherry, mango, passion fruit). The scent is really sweet. It has a floral undertone but definitely not fresh or citrusy. It definitely does not smell fresh to me (as per my definition of fresh, being more like just cleaned laundry or just out of the shower scent).

The smell lasts a long time (2 applications for the smell to last for a good 10 hours). I sprayed it before going to work in the morning and a re-application in the mid-afternoon.

The verdict: if you're into floral scents, maybe try the original perfume version of Daisy and not the Eau so fresh version. If you're into sweet, fruity scents (not citrusy), this one is for you. If you are more into fresh laundry/out of the shower fresh scent, stay away from this.

I wouldn't purchase this again-well, I really didn't spend for this though, it was a gift ;-).

Thanks for reading! Until next time :-)