Blogversary Giveaway

I will be having my blogversary giveaway in a few days!!! I am excited for this. I have gathered quite a few items already. The items aint high ticket items but of course I have chosen them because they are some of my favorites.

What's in store for you? Lipsticks from Ulta (pre-chosen color) and Nyx (you choose 3 colors), Clinique mascara, $100 GC to EdenFantasys to buy some nice lingeries and books and other items you might like from the site, Body Shop body wash , beauty products from Purederm and Orly nail polish.

If you are reading this and you wanted to become a part of my blogversary as a sponsor, please don't hesitate to email me through kessathea26@gmail.com and I will be more than thankful to you for taking part. I can then offer to link your blog or whatever we agree upon.

I will be releasing the blogversary details and pictures next week. Basic requirement to join is to be a follower of my blog through Google Friend Connect (2 entries guaranteed for being my loyal readers - subscribers before the official announcement of the giveaway) and all new Google Friend Connect followers will each have 1 (one) guaranteed entry each. Just click the FOLLOW button under the header of this blog. 

This is to thank everyone for taking time out to read my updates... Merci!!! 

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Wordless Wednesday: Platform Shoes

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Lady E's Thanksgiving Giveaway

I like celebrations especially for milestones. Who doesn't? One of the bloggers I follow is having her very first thanksgiving giveaway for reaching more than what she expected number of followers in her BLOG. Some of you may know her already and to those who aren't acquainted with her yet, she is Lady E, the charming and amiable owner of Hyphen Online Store (she participates in bazaars too). There will be a total of 7 winners for this giveaway.

Visit The Hyphen Store - Click the Picture

Here are what you need to do to join:

1. Be a follower of her blog. Click this LINK.

2. Like the Hyphen’s Facebook Page.

3. Blog about this giveaway. (Like what I am doing now)

4. Like my sponsors’ FB page. (Bobbi Brown Philippines)

5. Share your links in the comments section.

6. Answer this question: What item from Hyphen would you like to win in the next Thanksgiving giveaway when I reach 200 followers? ***I would like to win makeup/nail polish to add to my collection.

7. Answer this other question: As a blogger, what are you most thankful for? Me, I am most thankful for meeting wonderful people through blogging. I know these people will be my friends for life. ***As a blogger, I am most thankful for the chance to share my thoughts and the things I love and for the comments that I receive as this shows that at least someone out there spent a couple of minutes of their time to read what I wrote. I am also thankful for the new friendships that I have created with other bloggers. I have a lot to be thankful for but for now those are just a few reasons. Nothing beats the chance of making someone smile because of what you wrote or encouraging someone to start their own blog because they have seen the passion in you that ultimately inspired them.

NOTE: The Clinique pouches have surprise goodies inside. The winners must be able to personally claim their prizes at the Clinique counter at Rustan’s Makati. The winners will also get a skin consultation from the Clinique Beauty Team. If you want to win this prize, please indicate in your entry. Also, Lady E would not be able to meet the winner and in case the winner will not be able to personally claim the prize, another winner will be drawn. - I would love to win this prize and the Bobbi Brown mascara too. :-) 

You have until July 3 to join this giveaway.

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Orly Nail Polish

One of the gifts I received last week was a trio of Orly polishes and a top coat of the same brand. 

I was ecstatic when I took a peek in the box and I saw Red Carpet as one of the colors. I could not wait to rip open the entire gift to reveal the rest of the polishes inside.

Voila!!!

Orly Charged Up - electric blue-purple with a cream finish. This color is not very opaque so you need at least 2 to 3 coats to get the grape color that you see when you look at the bottle. Even if this color is a little streaky, it dries down really shiny and a top coat is not necessary anymore (based on the swatches I made).

Orly Witch's Blue - deep blue with shimmer that is more apparent in the bottle than on the nail. It has a hint of silver on some angles. It is not as streaky as Charged Up and looks really elegant on my nails. This is perfect for when you will be attending a party at night and you will be wearing a dark color dress.

Orly Red Carpet - is a bold scarlet with a shot of sparkle. This A-List worthy polish is a true scarlet red with a glamorous hint of red and silver sparkle. I think this is perfect for the holidays because of it's glitters. I would not wear this on a daily basis though. It dries out almost pink with two coats on because of the glitters.

Orly Glosser - provides a super shine finish to the nails. This helps keep that "just polished" look. This one is great for every other day application without adding too much bulk to the layers of polish already applied.

Do you have any of these polishes in your collection already?

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Movie To Watch: Monte Carlo

PLOT: "Three young girls (Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, Katie Cassidy) use their savings for a dream trip to Paris, which turns out to be a big disaster. When they decide to take a break from their lousy tour and sneak into the lobby of a 5-star hotel, one of the girls is mistaken for a spoiled British heiress. Before they get the chance to reveal their true identities, the girls are wrapped up in a whirlwind of paparazzi, couture gowns, storybook romances, sexual fantasies, and living the glamorous life in Monte Carlo."

Monte Carlo is an upcoming American romantic comedy film directed by Tom Bezucha. Nicole Kidman, Denise Di Novi and Alison Greenspan are producing the film for 20th Century Fox and Regency Enterprises. It began production in Budapest on May 5, 2010.

Monte Carlo stars Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy as three friends posing as wealthy socialites in Monaco.

The film will be released on July 1, 2011. The official trailer was released on April 15, 2011 and was attached to Rio. It features the song "Who Says" from Selena Gomez & the Scene.

Who Says lyrics

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Wordless Wednesday: Red Shoes

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Dining Destination: Myron's Place Power Plant Mall

I forgot to blog about this lunch I had with Olive because I didn't bring my camera when we went out. The closest alternative I had at that time was to use my phone (again, please pardon the low-res photos). We had lunch at Myron's Place at the Power Plant Mall when we watched Something Borrowed so that was almost two months ago.

The interior was cozy and the chairs/lounge seats were comfortable. I like that the place looked a little upscale compared to the other restaurants in the area. I think the interior is comparable to Burgoo in SM MOA except for the lighting. The lighting in Myron's was more subdued. The place offers free Wi-Fi connection too by the way (you can ask any of the staff for the access code.

The menu illustrations are almost real. Yummy even in pictures.  

Seafood Paella (I forgot the real name and the price). The online menu is not updated so I will update this info when I go back there. I will take notes for sure. 

Me and Olive waiting for our orders. 

Our drinks! I had Red Iced Tea and Olive had Pineapple Juice.  

Pork Binagoongan for Olive. 

We spent around Php1500 for everything we ordered which I think is reasonable enough.

MUST TRY: Pineapple Juice and Seafood Paella. The paella serves 2-3. 

VERDICT: I will be back and will surely try the Steak Diane with Pan Seared Foie Gras and of course to get the prices for what we ordered during this visit as well as the names too. I promise! 

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Happiness Is...

Here are some of the pictures I took showing different degrees of happiness with some of my favorite quotes...

This is a picture of me back in 2006 when Dell just started its operations here in the Philippines.  The letter blocks were a birthday gift from Lana back in 2007. And yes, I collect Beanie Babies. 

This is Angella. I took this picture while waiting for the food we ordered at Sizzling Pepper Steak in Glorietta 5. 

This is Bave. She is one of the supervisors at work. 

This is Gem. She is a training manager at work and just recently started her own blog: http://dagemmiest.blogspot.com

This is Eddene. I took this at the NAIA 2 while waiting for her flight. She just recently started her own blog as well.

This is Aileen, one of the ACCMs at work. I did her makeup here. I should thank her for letting me experiment on her  face.

What does happiness mean to you? How can one be truly happy?

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FOTD: All That Blush

I am starting to love the blush I recently bought: Nars Orgasm. I think it looks great with my complexion and it's very easy to blend. Lighting is not good in this set as I took the pictures inside the restroom. LOL! My hair looked so red too.

Here are a couple of pictures I took with the blush on my cheeks:

I tied my hair up in a bun for about 2 hours and when I removed it I got some nice loose curls. I think my curly hair complemented my makeup.  

For some reason, I looked like I was wearing some lenses here. My eyes were still glassy too  because I was still frustrated over not being able to watch MC's concert. 

I just realized that my color combination was something I don't normally wear. Sea-green top and denim skirt (not shown) and my nails were red with gold flower nail art. 

For this day I used the following products:

Coastal Scents 28 Neutral Palette (just one color swept over the lid)

MAC Prep + Prime Eye Cream - Medium

Nyx Eyebrow Pencil - Brown

Ever Bilena Color Pencil - Black (waterline)

Maybelline Long Extreme Lash Stiletto Mascara (two coats)

L'Oreal True Match Liquid Foundation - Nude Beige

Maybelline Clear Smooth Shine Free Face Powder - Honey

Nars Orgasm Blush

Lancome Chris and Tell (2 swipes)

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Dining Destination: The Red Crab Alimango House

After some cocktails and some 70's and 80's songs from the live band at Bar 360, Olive and I decided to walk around the mall and shop before dinner. We stopped by Michael Antonio and Giordano and picked up a few items and then headed to The Red Crab Alimango House. It is near the entrance of the casino and adjacent to The Wine House and across New Orleans.

We had hors d'oeuvres at the bar and we ordered 4 different kinds (tuna sushi, cheese spring roll, shrimp cocktail and garlic chicken). The serving were way too cute to eat but of course we had to eat them still. Haha! 

Olive and I had a few cocktails at the Bar 360 before dinner at The Red Crab. I had cosmopolitan and Olive had Screwdriver. I think the drinks were watered down a bit because I didn't feel a kick of any alcohol. Well, it's alright though because I wasn't really planning to get drunk. 

This is my friend Olive while we were waiting for our orders.  

The lighting fixture inside the restaurant is interesting.

Chicharon Bulaklak Php175 (around US$4) for appetizer. This is not for the picky eaters. This dish is made of pig intestines and deep fried to make it crunchy and usually eaten dipped in vinegar. The last time I had this was almost 6 years ago. 

Seafood Tortang Talong with Aligue Php198 (around US4.50). This is made of roasted eggplant (talong) with different kinds of chopped seafood and crab fat. I didn't eat the side dish we call achara (pickled vegatables usually papaya). 

Steamed Salmon - Kimchi Rice (Olive's Order) Php385 (around US$9). The salmon was cooked just right and the rice was yummy. We weren't able to finish the rice because it was too much. 

MUST TRY: House Blend Iced Tea - with complimentary refill. 

VERDICT: Nothing to rave about the restaurant but I will be back for the sole reason that the staff were nice and catered to my every request. Haha! Price range is also good and all Resorts World member is entitled to outright 5% discount. 

The Red Crab Alimango House
Resorts World Manila
2nd Level, Resorts World Manila, Newport Boulevard, Newport City, Cybertourism Zone,
Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines
Telephone: +6328560087

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I Had A Slice of My Cakes

I was given three cakes for my birthday this year and they were all bought from the "cake shop ng bayan", Red Ribbon. I didn't have any cake custom-made this year unlike last year because I really wanted to just have a low-key celebration this year. I even went to work by the way so I was surprised when my coworkers trooped to my desk to hand me the cakes and sing the birthday song too. I was surprised!

Thank you Uncle Don for the chocolate cake... Sinful! 

Thank you Team Ryan for the Mocha Cake with the message about finding the happiness that lasts forever... 

Maybe happiness can be found by eating cake? LOL! 

Thank you Team Fern for the chocolate marjolaine. So nutty and chocolatey good. 

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What A Day That Was

For those who follow me on Twitter, I guess you have read that I was not able to watch the Miley Cyrus concert because of the policy by the concert organizers. My friend Olive and I decided to watch the concert first before heading out for my birthday dinner. We were there early because Mediacom advised me to come early because of a little activity that we had to do. When I got there I was told to say a line for Olay Natural White Bar on camera. Nice! Good thing, I went there with a little color on my face and my hair up in a bun. LOL! I didn't expect that to happen.

So, after the impromptu shoot, we made a beeline to the concert section. We have with us 2 silver tickets (on sale at Php3500). As soon as we got to the entrance where the bulky looking men were, they checked our bags, a few steps into the barricade and we were asked if we had a camera, so we of course said we do have. They checked my camera when I showed it to them and bam we were told we can't get in because they don't allow our cameras. Yes, my camera is only a Panasonic Lumix FZ35 and Olive brought her Casio Exilim EX-P505 camera. It is not a professional camera like what is written in the "Prohibited Items" list. I was thinking that these guards were told that if it's a bulky camera then it's not allowed. That's just crap! They called someone to check the camera and again he said without batting an eyelash that it is not allowed and that if we wanted to get in we have to leave the camera somewhere. So, we asked if they have a baggage counter and the answer was "No, we don't have!" What do they expect for us to do? I then told Olive that we should leave before they finally ruin my birthday. One of the guards thought I already turned my back imitated what I said. The nerve!!!

Have you seen any professional photographer use a Panasonic Lumix FZ35? Just because it looks like an SLR means it's an SLR. Have you read that there are bridge cameras? The nerves!!!

I know our tickets were not the most expensive, it's just Silver after all, it's not even VIP but we could have appreciated if we were accorded due explanation or the rules could have been a lot clearer. When I watched the Then and Now concert last year, the rules specifically stated that any camera with 35mm equivalent focal length should not be allowed entrance, so I was able to get inside with my camera because it's only 27mm. Looking at the concert venue map, if me and Olive were able to get in, we will be behind 21,254 people and we will be lost in the sea of 5000 people in the silver area, while 11,000 other people will be behind us. How can a regular point and shoot camera that incidentally looks like a pro camera capture distribution-worthy images from such a distance? It could also have been easier to understand on my part if they just prohibited ALL cameras (like the Cirque du Soleil guidelines for the show in Macau) rather than not being clear on how a professional camera is defined. I don't a professional photographer will use a shabby camera like mine for professional work. For the record, a camera cannot be judged if it's indeed professional or point and shoot just by looking at the mere size of it, the specifications of the camera should have been considered to determine accordingly. 

I rarely rant in this blog let alone analyze such a simple situation but I am just so frustrated. I know I am not even a relevant person for this concert promoters to mind (Futuretainment Inc. and Music Management International) but I hope they be a lot clearer with their rules. Instead of them not allowing us to enter they could have just told us to not use the camera or else they would boot us out anytime. I mean that's Php7000 down the drain (not much compared to the profit they were able to amass). We didn't have a car to leave the camera in and it's not like my house is just right next to the concert grounds.

Such as we were too dismayed, we decided to go to Resorts World and stay at Bar 360 and have some drinks before dinner. We have both decided to make the most out of the evening and spend my birthday in a different way than planned. Still, to say that I was disappointed is an understatement. I am not asking for refunds or anything to that effect. I just hope that rules will be clearer and in black and white next time and oh it should be specific too to say the least.

You may share my point or you may not, I just wanted to rant and I feel much better that I have let this all out. Sorry if this post brought you negativity as you read.

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