Guess where these awesome sandals came from! Take a good guess (without checking my Twitter account).

They're from a brand I didn't know made shoes like this: Avon! Avon is best-known for makeup, skincare, and underwear - not really for shoes. They tend to make ones in very safe, sensible designs that I just can't relate with. I love shoes that are quirky and fun and if possible, purple!

 I fancy that I am not a purist when it comes to blogging. The medium has evolved tremendously in the past couple of years so it's really hard to set and expect a certain standard for bloggers and their content. So yes, I'm not a purist in the sense that I don't expect anyone's blog to be so and so. I can always simply stop following a blog that ceases to have value to me. 

I do however have preferences. The blogs I read are always about real, personal experiences by the blogger. I stay away from the press release blogs because I don't see the point - I can always find that information in a proper website, magazine, or newspaper. In other words I prefer content that I can't find anywhere else but a specific blog. 

Here's a summary of what the channel's been up to!

News

Going nautical: Wynn Wynn Ong’s jewelry in WWD Another Filipina gets featured on the daily fashion bible!

Style and function: the Asus EEE PC Karim Rashid Edition The shiny, sleek, and pink reincarnation of the Eee PC

Mich Dulce wins Int'l Young Creative Entrepreneur award The quirky designer wows London!

Pinay wins first runner-up at Ford Supermodel of the World 2010 A Filipina supermodel walks the talk

Jay Nicolas Sario: Making history in Project Runway The first Pinoy in the contest ever!

Rajo Laurel’s dress webbed in WWD Insects and cobwebs lands Laurel on the international fashion scene

Like any self-respecting female does, I got new shoes to match the season. I wanted comfortable ones that weren't too hot on my feet, easy to walk in, and comes in bright, summery colors to match the clothes I'll be wearing. Here's what I came up with:

I'm loving these ultra-comy brogues I got from Tonic, at The Ramp. They're soft and the color speaks a lot for itself. I like wearing these during the day as it instantly livens up drab casual clothes. I got them for a nice price of P990 (I would have loved to pay less because I'm cheap like that) but they're totally worth it!

Here are the shoes in action. Wore them with acid washed shorts, Uniqlo polo, necklace and hat from SM Department Store. I have a feeling that this will be my summer uniform! It's slouchy but still smart, don't you think?

Last Tuesday Asus launched its latest netbook incarnation - the Eee PC™ Seashell Karim Rashid Collection (1008P). It's pink, it's small, it's stylish! After that one can't really say a lot. It's got the usual specs that an average netbook has except that the latest Eee PC packs a lot of spunk in terms of design. It promises six hours of battery life, too. (Read after the cut to see the complete specs)

Karim Rashid, a world-renowned industrial designer was tapped to create the newest look of the Eee PC. The design is the realization of his vision of computing—one that is more sensual, more human, more hip. The hot pink laptop is targeted towards the younger, more mobile market. If you're not the sort who wants to get caught in tacky hot pink, never fear! There's a coffee brown version for guys and older women.

Dreamy light show and ambiance courtesy of Icon in Hotel Intercontinental

The most interesting thing during the launch was the fashion show parading R.A.F. Plains & Prints's Summer 2010 Collection. I loved most of the oufits featured! The Karim Rashid Eee PC is such a great accessory to the clothes, don't you think? 

Me and my trusty Ipanemas at the beach

Summer is in full, heatstroke-inducing swing! If you're going to the beach, it's time to stock up on essentials like sunblock, swimsuits, and of course - flipflops. I am soo feeling this sentence because I went to the beach last weekend with no proper flipflops. Good thing Ipanema gave us all a pair! But that's another story for another day.

Speaking of Ipanema, you can also find the brand in a newly-opened footwear store called Bambu. They also have other brands like Ipanema Giselle Bundchen, Rider, Grendha, and OndadeMar. The new place has this classy samba vibe, well-lit interiors, and tons of fashionable (albeit expensive) footwear for kids, women, and men. They also have some resort wear and woven bags and hats available. Perfect for the beach!

What follows is a barrage of pictures of the launch.

I'm sure you're tired of seeing the NYX Round Lipstick everywhere! It's that awesome. I mean, where can you find cheap-ass, good-quality lipsticks that have an insane range of colors? Each lipstick is extremely pigmented, creamy, and has a decent staying power. The price is too nice at P160 (the cheapest I know of here in the Philippines). I got my loot from Carefree Shopper. 

Rea, Pumpkin Pie, Power, Fig, Louisiana, Electra

Rea makes my lips look gray. I think this nude is too beige! Still, I enjoy using it. This will look awesome with heavy smoky eyes.

Pumpkin Pie is a nice peachy nude. I'm not a huge fan of the frost finish but I can live with it.

I was overdue for my yearly haircut so I decided, quite spontaneously, that I wanted to get my hair chopped last Friday. I was at home, bored, procrastinating when suddenly, poof! I shot off to get a cut. Not before Googling salons, of course! I asked Lauren about Beauty Brick, since it's well-reviewed online. She got her lovely digiperm there. She was so happy with the service so she enthusiastically referred Beauty Brick to me.

The salon is located in Dona Consolacion Bldng, Jupiter St. Makati, near the corner of Makati Avenue. The place looks quite cozy and homey. As soon as I got in, all the salon people greeted me good afternoon! They were very warm and friendly. They greeted my by name since I called in for an appointment and hour before.

The whole time I was there I didn't have to wait for anything. After greeting me, they herded me to the shampoo area where they oohed about my naturally wavy hair. I think they're so used to getting customers who are sick of their straight hair! After all Beauty Brick is really known for their digiperm, not haircuts per se. 

After shampooing, they seated me in front of the huge mirror and proceeded to blow dry my hair. Once they're done with that, they gave me three ring-bound books full of pictures of hairdos specifically for wavy hair. I super appreciate that little gesture because when I went there I didn't have a specific style in mind. While I was browsing, they asked if I wanted coffee, tea, or iced tea. How nice, eh?

Once I picked a cut, Mr. Shin, the owner of the salon, went over to study my hair and make suggestions based on the style I wanted. He spoke mainly in Korean and knew a little English. We didn't have a problem with communicating though since some of his staff were fluent in Korean and translated quite well.

Snip, snip, snip...the whole haircut was done in under 30 minutes. Wanna see?

WARNING (posted February 11 2011) I have stopped using this product a year ago, shortly after I wrote this post. I was not comfortable with the fact that I don't know what the ingredients are and that this is not officially approved by the BFAD. Please do not use this. Do not approach any of the sellers on this thread.

At the end of the day, the only healthy way to lose weight is to exercise and cut down on fatty and carb-laden food. There is no shortcut. If you have to trust this blog on anything, trust it on this point.

A lot of people have been commenting that I've lost weight. Last November, I was so fat that a double chin was creeping up on my face! That says a lot about my weight gain since my face is the last thing that ever gets fat in my body. It's usually my tummy and arms that go, then my thighs, lower leg, and finally my face.

So what's my weight loss secret? It's partly Leisure 18 Slimming Coffee! I've been drinking this stuff since the week before the Christmas last year. People wondered why, after the holidays, I was thinner instead of fatter. It's because I didn't eat much. Leisure 18 basically works as an appetite suppressant, meaning, I get too lazy to eat. Yes I get hungry but when I actually eat, it's like I'm satisfied earlier into the meal. 

Okaaay. Time to share! What pads do you use? How are they? Any good? 

One of the banes of female existence is menstruation. It's messy, it stinks, it makes us feel like a tub of lard, it makes us crabby and/or depressed. Anything - and I mean anything - that can help lessen the discomfort is like manna from heaven. It's like mother's milk. It's like a tearjerker romcom. It's like zero calorie candy. It's like...you get the drift. 

This is why the pads we use are important to our sanity and overall well-being as women. Me, I can't stand thick pads that feels like a wet moldy towel stuck between my legs. I never looked back after I first tried ultrathins at the tender age of 14. It's just like having soft cardboard paper covering my junk. It's certainly more comfortable than the normal pads!

A couple of months back my trusted brand (since forever!) had a new version of their pads. They had some thermal stuff going on that's supposed to make me feel cool. Well, it felt stuffier to me because the pad felt denser. I also got rashes, ugh. Before, I only got rashes from dry cover pads. Now I'm not even safe from their cotton cover ones!

Hot pink! Cheery.

At the tender age of 22 I am already becoming paranoid about lines forming around my face, especially near my eyes. I wish I was kidding, but the wrinkles near the corners of my eyes are progressively becoming deeper. And deeper. 

Of course, Clinique has a hi-tech solution to that problem! The brand didn't become a trusted leader in skincare if they didn't always innovate and have a feel for the evolving needs of women. In a press launch last February 18, Clinique introduced their newest anti-aging line - Youth Surge.

Clinique introduces its latest patent-pending de-aging treatment line – Youth Surge.  NEW Youth Surge Night Age Decelerating Night Moisturizer and Youth Surge SPF 15 Age Decelerating Moisturizer incorporate groundbreaking Sirtuin technology to help slow down the visible signs of aging while simultaneously promoting cellular repair.

I love palettes. I love how the colors are neatly arranged in rows and columns, glittering and pretty. I love how they give me lots of choices when I take them on a trip. I love how cheaper they are than buying individual pans of eyeshadows! I can go on all day but you get the drift.

The set with a full-sized Primer Potion costs $39

My current palette love is the Urban Decay Ammo Shadowbox. It was released to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary and contains ten of their best-selling eyeshadow shades in coordinating duos. I've been wanting to get my hands on this for the longest time but since I got the Book of Shadows II, I decided to put it off. However, when some of my friends decided to order the Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows, I couldn't miss the chance! I just had to get the Ammo.

The product images from the Urban Decay site does no justice to the gorgeous colors of this palette. Its hard to catch the nuances of each shade on photos so you just have to take my word for it. Each eyeshadow is extremely pigmented and silky, just as what you'd expect from a good brand like Urban Decay. Chopper, Mauwi Wowie, and Grifter are rather gritty because of the glitter, but they go on smoothly nonetheless. Just be careful of the fallout.

I love the Philippines so I've never seriously considered moving to another country, say the US. However if there is one thing - one thing - that could convince me otherwise it would have to be all that gorgeous makeup they have over there! There's collection after collection from cheap to high-end brands. Not to mention the stuff are relatively more affordable than when they come here to the Philippines...if they get to the Philippines!

A lot of the best makeup brands in the US don't operate here, unfortunately. There's Urban Decay, Benefit, Sephora, Too Faced, Lorac, Korres, Ecotools, the list goes on. One of my dilemmas as a makeup enthusiast is getting my grubby hands on makeup that isn't available in the Philippines.

Enter stores like the House of Flair. The gracious owner, Suyen, was nice enough to contact me and ask me to try her shipping service. Basically, I picked something out of Sephora, filled up her order form, and poof! In three weeks the package was at my doorstep. My transaction with Suyen was fast and hassle-free.

Benefit's best sellers: Some Kind-a Gorgeous foundation faker, That Gal Primer, Posietint, and Highbeam