Ilocos Norte

by Paowie

Bantay Abot Cave, Pagudpod, Ilocos Norte

Bantay Abot literally means a cave with a hole, it is not really a cave but a hill and the hole was the result of an earthquake in the 80s.

Inside the “hole” in Bantay Abot Cave overlooking the other side.

Ka Angrian Waterfalls, Burgos, Ilocos Norte

Located in Burgos town, Ka Angrian literally  means “smelly” and the local folklore says that a mermaid living in the river emits a foul smelling gas when she gets angry at the trespassers of the falls.

We had to take a 30 minutes rough road tricycle ride followed by another 30 minutes hike on foot to reach this awesome multi layered falls.

Bangui Windmills, Bangui, Ilocos Norte

Disclaimer : All pictures are my own.

June Favorites

by NaolS

Bloggers have been doing posts on their monthly favorites for years. Here is my take on it. Of course, my June favorites are all beauty-related.

From time to time I shuffle my beauty regimen and essential products. But most of the time I stick to my all-time favorites and June was no different.

Sea Silk Oil-Free Moisturizer by Cellex C

This is my all-time favorite moisturizer and I cannot even remember how many jars of this I have emptied.  This is my go-to skin moisturizer especially on days that my face is really oily.  It has lots of antioxidants like Marine Extract, Seaweed Biopeptides, DHEA Complex, Watercress and Sea Buckthorn, which is known to prevent sunburn; treat radiation damage from X-rays and sunburns; and heal wounds including sores, burns, cuts and acne.

It also helps my makeup stay in place and prevents my face from becoming too shiny for a good number of hours even without using a primer.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks in Pale Pink.

I’ve been loving cream blushes lately and this particular shade is becoming my favorite, just because of its subtle, sweet and demure shade. I blend it from soft pink flush to full-on pink for a day-to-night look transition.

Cyber Colors EX Volume Mascara

This is a very good mascara. The volumizing waterproof effect lives up to its promise. The secret is in the wand, which has an amazing comb on one side and a small tooth on the other to reach those small lashes and coat every strand beautifully. Believe me, its effect gives people the impression that I’m wearing false eyelashes every time I have this mascara on. Did I say waterproof? Yeah I think I did.

Jo Malone London Blue Agava & Cacao Cologne

There’s no easy way to describe this scent from Jo Malone. For me, perfumes are personal. I don’t buy them just because I like the name, the packaging and the smell. I buy them because they convey my personality through scent. Its sexy, edgy and persuasive scent boosts my confidence every time I put this on.

There you go ladies, these are my favorites. What were yours?

Disclaimer : This is not a sponsored post. All products are my own.

Apu – Authentic Filipino Cuisine

by Paowie

My family loves Filipino food, so when one time we were at City of Dreams we went to try Apu. Apu is kapampangan for Grandmother, which i guess is where they get the inspiration for their menu.

     

We were given a digital menu

Nilagang baka which is good for sharing  Php680.00 or 15USD

sizzling pork sisig is Php420.00 or 9.30USD

Seafood kare kare Php750.00 or 16.50USD

and Pinakbet Php450.00 or 9.90USD at the back

Apu is worth coming back for with good food and service , the price on the menu shouldn’t discourage you because all their dishes are good for sharing.

APU Authentic Filipino Cuisine is at the Upper Ground Floor, The Shops at The Boulevard, City of Dreams Manila, Aseana Avenue corner Roxas Boulevard, 1701 Parañaque City

Disclaimer : This is not a sponsored post. All pictures are my own

June Favorites

by Loi

These were the beauty products that I kept reaching for in June:

Desert Essence Pure Jojoba Oil

 

This is an oil for the hair, skin and scalp. I use it mostly on my face. I have very oily skin so when my friend Dinna recommended it to me, I bought the oil right away. I’ve been using it every night for about three months now and my skin loves it! It does not leave my skin feeling greasy and there is no shiny, oily-looking residue. After reading some articles, I found out that jojoba oil is very similar in chemical makeup to the oils that our skin naturally produces. That explains why it does not clog our pores. Available at Healthy Options for over P600 (about $15) for a small bottle.

Kérastase Nutritive Masquintense

 

After all the hair rebonding, brazilian blowout, hair coloring, and highlighting it has been through, my hair is officially dry. Neal of Hairworks Salon told me to try Masquintense. I use it at least twice a week as mask that you leave on your hair for about 30 minutes or longer after you wash it. So far, so good! My hair is healthier and softer than it was before. It retails for P2,500.00 ($55) at Hairworks Salon and all major salons in Metro Manila.

 

Tom Ford Black Orchid

I don’t usually buy my perfume because it has been a staple “pasalubong” when relatives and friends come home from abroad. This is an exception. A few weeks ago, I got a good deal from my friend so bought a bottle. It’s been a year since I discovered this scent in Hong Kong. My cousin and I would pass by almost every chance we got at the store to get a whiff of it. It was love at first whiff! Sadly, TF perfumes are not yet locally available.

What are your June favorites?

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All photos are my own.

Cebu Eats

by Paowie

Ngohiong is Cebu’s take on the spring roll. It usually contains chopped singkamas or jicama, ground pork and ubod or heart of palm and seasoning. It also comes with a dipping sauce.  And they say you can’t leave Cebu without eating their ngohiong so my friend Atemai brought me to the original Chinese Ngohiong restaurant in Junquera Street near USC.  Last time i went to cebu I wasn’t able to get some.

This is a self service restaurant and the line is quite long when we got there, we were lucky to get a table right away. Everyone here eats with their hand or you can ask for a plastic bag from the counter and use this.

I was also craving for some puso (rice wrapped and boiled in coconut leaves, called hanging rice) which was available for P5 each.

They also serve pork barbeque (skewered pork), stuffed crablets and meatballs.

We had six ngohiongs (which I found too oily), two stuffed eggs and one puso for P80 (about $1.80).

Chinese Ngohiong is located at Junquera Street, Cebu City near University of San Carlos.

Disclaimer : This is not a sponsored post. All pictures are my own.

 

Blush Babies

By Finns

I am not a big fan of blushers. I would rather use a highlighter than a blusher. Because of my skin tone, most colors tend to look muddy on me.

But I have three favorites that I have repurchased several times. One of these has been discontinued but I still have two backups.

MAC Mocha

The first time I was able to afford a MAC blush, I went to the Glorietta blush intent on purchasing Dollymix. But the makeup artist in the store convinced me to buy Mocha instead (because of my skin tone) and she was right. I have since repurchased this twice, which is a big deal since I hardly hit pan on my makeup. The name is not quite right because Mocha is actually a plum, not a brown-toned blush.

 

Benefit Rockateur

I first got a sample of this blush when they launched it in the Philippines. For a time, it was my favorite blush. On the pan,it looks like a highlighter but it is actually reddish. Despite the color, it is easy to apply. It’s not unwieldy to the point that you will look like you’ve been slapped.

Benefit Bella Bamba

Bella Bamba, described as a sheer watermelon, is my favorite blush of all time. I have backups of this as it’s been discontinued. I have purchased this blush several times. This is also special to me because a long time ago, when my friend Smile had a small business buying stuff for people abroad, I asked her to buy Bella Bamba for me. We didn’t really know each other yet. The transaction was done via bank deposits and couriers. Now, Smile and I are not only online friends but friends in real life.

Disclaimer: Rockateur was provided by the brand’s PR for consideration while Bella Bamba, including the backups, were gifts from friends.

Photos

Thoughts on Thursday

By Finns

Yesterday my friend Smile showed me a quote she found on Instagram. I can’t repeat what it said exactly but it went something like–my mistake was thinking she was a friend instead of an acquaintance. It hit me because something like that happened to me recently. Actually it happened to me twice.

Case No. 1: Girl has been my friend for decades. Decades. I knew she had a temper. As her friend, that is how I looked at it. The truth? She is someone who likes humiliating people. She gets off on screaming at people who care for her, me included. She is now bereft of power and is faced with physical challenges. I am only human and sometimes I think, “You get what you deserve.” But I pity her. She has no real friends. I thought we were friends until I realized she was someone who hated me. I am better off without her.

Case No. 2: Girl and I become friends or so I thought. Later on, girl starts avoiding me. I thought I did or said something to offend her. One day, I had an “aha!” moment. You know when guys tell you, “it’s not you, it’s me.” This was a case of that. I realized she stopped liking me because I was too pedestrian for her. I was hurt at first. Now I think, “It’s your loss.”

What do you do when you think you’ve been shortchanged like I have? You cry or rant a bit, shrug your shoulders and move on. That’s life.

You cannot force people to be friends with you. It’s not nice to “unfriend” people who were sincere in their dealings with you but it is what it is.

Rant over. Have a nice day!

Moevenpick Hotel in Mactan

by Paowie

In a recent trip to Cebu, my boyfriend and I stayed at the Moevenpick Hotel in Mactan.  After reading good reviews about this hotel, we decided to check out what the raves are all about. Upon arrival, we were given their resort necklaces and served welcome drinks. Unfortunately, the reception area was undergoing renovation while we were there so it was a little disorganized but still bearable.

 We booked the deluxe king room for  approximately Php12,000.00 or 265USD through http://www.booking.com

Another view of the room.

The minibar.

       

Below the minibar is a personal refrigerator.

            

Bathrobes and the in-room safety deposit box are also inside this spacious closet.

Side table with chair complete with notepad and pen.

         

The toilet has a separate shower and bathtub, the small sink area came with Chopard toiletries.

View from our window.

Lobby and café area.

Recreational area.

Pool area (in the morning)

And at night

   

Beach lounge chairs are scattered everywhere.

Ibiza Beach Club and beach area.

Moevenpick Hotel Mactan is located at Cebu Watersports Complex, Lapulapu City.

URL : http://www.moevenpick-hotels.com/en/

Disclaimer : This is not a sponsored post. All photos are my own

The Wonders of Coron: Island Escapade Tour

Words by KSum

Images by Paowie

 

Before summer officially ended, Pao and I traveled again to Palawan to explore one of the Philippine’s most sought out destinations, the island of Coron. I have to say, our previous trip to El Nido certainly jump-started my love affair with white sand beaches. 

In this post, I will take you to the three of the most amazing beaches in Coron where we had the pleasure of lounging on pristine white sand, leisurely swam in clear sparkling water, and snorkeled to look at the beautiful marine life underwater Coron has to offer. 

 

It took about an hour and half to get from the boat docking area to our first stop, the Malcapuya Island, where the stretch of powdery white sand meets the enchanting color of blue green water.  

Our next stop was the Banana Island where our lunch was served.  Unfortunately, we don’t have any photos of our sumptuous meal but it was a variety of seafood and fresh salad prepared by the boat crew.

 

Our last stop for the day was the Bulog Dos Island. This small island has a sandbar connected to the next island where the Two Seasons Resort is located. 

We booked our tour directly from the hotel where we stayed in, the Coron Westown Resort, for P1,700.00 ($37.00) per person. The tour already includes transfers to/from the hotel to the boat docking area, entrance fees, picnic lunch, the boat crew and tour guide.

For someone who used to shy away from beaches, this trip has surely fuelled my appetite to visit all the beautiful beaches in the Philippines. 

 

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All photos are our own.

The Wonders Of Coron: Coron Westown Resort

Words by KSum

Images by Paowie

 

Situated just 25 minutes away from the airport and 10 minutes from the boat docking area, Coron Westown Resort is the ideal place to stay in Coron if you’re not on a tight budget. Depending on the dates of your travel and the hotel’s promotions, guest rooms starts at P4,800 or approximately $105 a night which includes breakfast buffet for two.

We booked a Premium Room, which has its own balcony. Initially, we were bummed to get a room located at the ground floor but once we opened the door and saw that we actually had a direct access to the pool, we were ecstatic! One downside though was that unless you were on the balcony, mobile and data signals were not available. The bright side? Peace and quiet.

 

   (Apologies for this dreadful photo)

The bathroom was spacious, and decent toiletries were provided.

 

The resort has three pools for kids and adults. A small gym and a bar are also strategically located in this area.

There are definitely cheaper places to stay in Coron. But for convenience, the place, the pools, and the service, you can’t go wrong in staying with Coron Westown Resort.

 

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All photos are our own.