As a beauty and fashion editor, my main job is to shape our section in The Philippine Online Chronicles. What do I want it to be? What do I want it to talk about? What image should it have? Well, I want the channel to be a source of valuable information on beauty and fashion for Filipinas. I want it to talk about our pressing concerns. I want it to empower women to be more confident about themselves, and try new things now that they know how. Basically, I want the section to be intelligent and encouraging, a useful tool for being a better version of ourselves.

I've been at this job for the past five months, and I'd like to believe that I have achieved the goals I set above. Of course, that wouldn't be possible without the team of writers who pour their experiences and hours of research on the channel: Lauren, Mara, Kira, Tanya, Gela, Gem, Lyn, Rizel, and Alex. I thought it would be fun to get all the girls under one roof, and I was totally right!

L-R: Tita Noemi, our boss; Lauren, me, Mara, Lyn, Alex, Kira, Tanya

Hi Liz! I've been following your blog for quite some time now. I really like reading your posts because they are so helpful to me in so many ways. I really like and appreciate that you care about affordable beauty!

So, I have really oily skin. As if that isn't enough, I also sweat rather excessively. Which is really frustrating because I am still a student (who walks around the campus a lot, under the scorching heat of the sun). My skin breaks out a lot too. By a lot, I mean I always have a big nasty zit or two on my face. They never go away! I don't really know where I've gone wrong. I try to clean my face as regularly (not excessively) as possible, but it seems like I would never be able to have clear skin.

I know that you also have oily skin too, so I thought it would be a good idea to ask you about these things. I'd really appreciate if you recommend me any product (for oily skin) that you swear by. Thanks a lot!

Also, I just like to tell you how I enjoy reading your blog, and that your posts are so helpful. More power, Liz!

Hi Honey! Thanks so much for following my site. It really makes me day when I hear from lurkers! So, about your problem. I'd like to recommend my Holy Grail product - Burt's Bees Garden Tomato Toner. It's labeled as good for troubled and oily skin, and yes, it does help clear my face of pimples and it helps lessen the oiliness.

I would also recommend the Skin Hour Mattifying Day Gel. Lauren and Kira are such fans! They've both given the product rave reviews, and they are perhaps the oiliest people I know (no offense to you guys lol). I haven't tried the product personally, but it looks extremely promisin

I feel frazzled and overwhelmed these days. I'm finding it hard to focus. I downloaded this new app for my Macbook called Omm Writer, which is a basic text processor that has a peaceful and beautiful background, with built-in soothing music to help me focus and think on whatever it is I'm writing. Watch the video to see what I mean:

Yesterday I went to two events. I immensely enjoyed both of them, but the rain and my four-inch heels (which are actually comfortable - up to a point!) really wiped me out. I was so exhausted when I got home. I should make it a point to go to a max of two events per week. But I don't know, I can't help it. I love seeing beautiful things!

Pumps are back on track! The killer red ones are on the feet of Divine Lee. The silver ones are from my personal icon, Bianca Valerio. This photo was taken from the launch of the Ponds x Plaints & Prints Collection at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. 

More stuff after the cut!

This is my second time to be on TV! The first time (QTV Channel 11, Fit and Fab segment on fashion bloggers) was quite embarrassing so I won't link haha. This time though was pretty fun - I was with Lauren, and we just talked about Ukay Manila and our blogs.

Tek Tok TV is a show hosted by Hannah and Vince that's all about tech news, trends, the Internet, bloggers - anything geeky and cool. It airs live every Wednesday, 10:30-11:30 AM on the Global News Network channel of Destiny Cable. 

Pics!

Bambi, Lauren, me, Hannah, Vince, Glambox Airbrush owners (pic from Lauren)

Bambi being interviewed. Love her smoky eyes and pale pink lips!

I'm not into showbiz, but I've always admired the work and dedication that goes to making it in the entertainment industry. That's why I'm honored to be one of the judges for the finals of the Search for the Watchpad Crew. It's a contest for the next team of young endorsers for the online media streaming service of PLDT called Watchpad.

The girls

The guys

It was my first time to judge something, lol! It was a fun night just getting to know the contestants casually and finally picking the Blogger's Choice Awardee with fellow bloggers Hannah and Vince. To be quite honest, I initially didn't understand why bloggers were invited to judge a contest like this one. It was clear later on though - PLDT wanted representatives from the active internet community to help in picking winners that are well-versed in the cyberworld, and who better to know than bloggers? They also invited a panel of student journalists, lifestyle and entertainment writers from newspapers as well. 

Me and Hannah. I'm glad we got to hang out!

I love my junk food and my candies, but I always try to eat healthy anyway. I'm always on the look-out for tasty, quick and healthy dishes with low fat and manageable calories. I'm perpetually trying to lose weight but aside from that I have witnessed firsthand how a bad diet can quickly lead to terrible circumstances. My boyfriend had his gallbladder taken out last year, you see. The operation was a cinch, but the two weeks after that were extremely painful for him. I don't want to go through that.

Let this serve as a reminder that beauty comes from within. Eat good food to look good. It's not just skincare and makeup that will keep you looking your best! In the long run, its the food you eat and the lifestyle you maintain.

I love salads but I am generally too lazy to make them the way I like them! I prefer salty-sour salads with some sort of meat - it's already a complete, healthy meal that way. Anyway, let me share with you a simple salad recipe that I whipped up randomly. Loved it! Ate it for breakfast for two days straight.

It's a muggy, lazy Saturday for me. I have a ton of stuff lined up for this week so this is probably the last day I have for myself in the next few days. I better start vegging out in front of old DVDs and doing random useless things around the house (I'm in my mom's house every weekend) while I still can.

One of the random useless things I thought of doing is posting some photos I took recently. Here you go!

Margaux is a writer for Sense & Style magazine. I first met her in a Clinique event last November - she was wearing a super hot pink lipstick, so I just had to ask what it was! It's NARS Schiap. I met her again last Thursday at the Dr. Jart launch and when I saw her I blanked out for a while before screeching "MARGAUX!" How can I forget her? I'll drag her and Marbbie to hang out with me one of these days. I'm a bit shy though because I know that these girls are insanely busy. Heehee.

This is my favoritest snack in the whole wide world. I haven't seen these for years though! I was so happy when I found them at Cash & Carry in Makati. I live far from there now, so I don't think I can drop by to buy these heavenly things anymore. Sad, sad.

As you may know, there was a minor tiff among bloggers that happened last week. I refuse to call it a controversy, because for me, having basic values like common sense, respect, and quality of output should always be a given when dealing with businesses - they're not negotiable nor reason for controversy. These values that constitute professionalism are important whether you're a blogger or not.

Anyway, we've all been hearing bloggers like me blabbing about the issue on how blogger-advertiser relationships should be handled. But what about advertisers? Are you curious about how they bring products and events to us? Most importantly, don't you want to know what they think of us?

...we also want to get to know bloggers and build long-lasting relationships with you—but we want the relationship to be built on equal respect for each other and not build a relationship with bloggers that are based on FEAR. Fear that you can lash out on our brands, and our campaigns, and criticize our every move and turn. We are just still learning, and if you can just give advertisers time to ease in.

Note: To clarify, this post pertains to bloggers who deal with businesses, not to those who write about what they ate for lunch or how their dog died.

You might have heard a silent bomb explode on the blogosphere today. It's about this, supported by this, and answered by this.

Now, I normally don't join the fray of blogger politics. I usually have better to do with my time than bicker about issues like this. I do think however that this one is different.

Professionalism

Blogging is only now treated with new respect by Philippine companies and traditional media outfits despite being around for a decade. Why? Because there are a lot of bloggers who work very hard to be professional in doing their blogging duties such as attending events and reviewing products. They practice proper decorum and courtesy when facing media contacts, and then objectiveness and meticulousness when reviewing products. In other words, professional bloggers make themselves relevant by being ethical, well-mannered journalists and media personalities in their own right. 

This summer is getting more exciting with PLDT myDSL’s search for the Watchpad crew. The final 10 was revealed last Thursday, in a night dubbed as “X”, ultimately getting closer to the five teens going from anonymous to famous. They will be chosen through online voting, revealing who really has the x-factor to make it.

If you've been following this blog, you'll know that I've been working as a freelancer for the last three months. So how is it? Pretty cool, actually. I get to work on my own time. I get to attend events, nap, or play Xbox whenever I want to. It's great to stay inside the comforts of my place here in Makati most of the time, so if you ask me, I have zero regrets.

That is not to say that it wasn't difficult at the start. One of the most terrifying things I've done in my life so far is quitting my full-time job. Heck, I'm only 22. I was terrified that I haven't paid my dues enough and wouldn't make it as a freelancer. I was terrified of being poor. I was terrified of having to come back home to the province and live with my Mom (she's awesome, by the way, but living with my parents isn't my idea of a successful life).

The first month sucked. I earned very little money. However, on the second month, everything turned around. I got big PR gigs out of the blue, an editorial job, then the business boomed. It seemed like doors were opening everywhere - pardon the cliche, but that's the truth. I have never been this busy in my life.

One of the things you may not know about me is the fact that I cook. I love food, but I'm not a foodie! I just like to try new things both in the tasting and cooking department. My cooking philosophy is pretty basic: make simple, healthy, but tasty dishes. I'm always trying to lose weight and I don't really have that much time to spend puttering around the kitchen, hence that kind of thinking.

Anyway, I'd like to share some recent recipes I whipped up with the help of Epicurious. It's this site that aggregates recipes all over the Internet, which makes it an awesome place for those who are always looking to cook something new, or add a twist to what they're already making.

Sauteéd Chicken Cutlets with Asparagus, Spring Onions, and Parsley-Tarragon Gremolata

This recipe has a very herby taste. Instead of cutlets, I used huge chicken breasts which worked pretty well with the whole thing. The creamy herb sauce infused with a spark of citrus flavor is quite surprising but still very much delightful.

More recipes after the jump!

This is pretty late, lol. A few weeks back I got interviewed by Jori Pamintuan, a columnist from The Philippine Star, about fashion and beauty blogging. As you all know, that's my favorite topic so I was really happy to ramble on about it. 

Here's the full article online. It's surreal to be on print - I'll never get used to it although I've been on print a couple of times (once in UNO Magazine October 09, a mention in Smart Parenting Dec 09) and once on TV (Fit N' Fab on beauty bloggers - I'm embarrassed to share). I don't know! It's fun, it makes me feel good that all my hard work is actually manifesting itself physically.

Anyway, the feature just has a few snippets of the full interview so I want to share the whole thing. I must warn you that it's pretty long but I hope you get a few useful insights from my ramblings.