Thursday, June 24, 2010

My Five Minute Face


My early mornings are a mad rush to get out the door. As a Supermom Wannabe of three boys - two in “Big School” and the youngest in preschool, I don’t have the luxury of time when I start my day. All three must be fed, bathed and ready to go by 6:15am or we’ll be stuck in traffic and late for school. Amidst all the “I’m still sleepy” whining and “Five more minutes, Ma” begging, I have to get myself ready.

I used to just shower and go. I say used to because when I caught my reflection in our building’s elevator and wondered who was staring back at me, I knew my twenties and “fresh face” were gone with the wind. Hello, thirties! - and wrinkles, and dark under eye circles, and eye bags, and uneven skin tone, and patchy skin...the list goes on!

I ♥ make-up but I really don’t have time for a fully made-up face. While I am the Queen of this Castle, I still serve the King and the Three Musketeers. I NEED to get my game face on in as little time, with as little product as possible! In five minutes - yes, FIVE minutes - I can become polished and presentable, and not feel like a frumpy housewife when I bump into my fashionista friends.



In the shower, I wash my face with Neutrogena Deep Clean Foaming Cleanser. Afterwards, I use Celeteque Oil-Control Toner to exfoliate. Since my skin is so oily, I skip moisturizer during the day and go straight for the sunscreen. Bolso Babe Rorie gifted me with this amazing one from Elizabeth Arden, the White Glove Extreme Brightening UV Protector SPF 50 PA+++. It goes on smooth and doesn’t leave any cake-y white residue like most facial sunblocks. After patting on Kiehl’s Eye Alert, I apply Shu Uemura Pro Concealer 5YR Medium around my eye area and blend. Using Shu Uemura’s Natural 20h brush, I swipe on Smashbox Blush Rush in Paradise that Preview Contributing Editor Agoo Bengzon introduced me to. I shade my eyebrows with Bobbi Brown’s Eye Brow Brush dipped in Club Monaco Eye Shadow in Stone. I finish off with C.O. Bigelow Vitamin Mentha Tinted Lip Balm in Brown Betty Mint, Sephora Lip Gloss in Precious Pink. - KGG

* Photo from strawberrynet.com

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Philippine Opera Company’s HARANA goes to Dumaguete

Harana refers to the traditional form of courtship where a man woos a woman’s affection by singing underneath her window. In the 1920s, the harana or kundiman became a mainstream musical style, with many popular performers including Diomedes Maturan and Ruben Tagalog performing it. A celebration of this musical tradition comes in a time when the country is rapidly losing an appreciation of our homegrown Filipino music to foreign influences. Sadly, many people are no longer interested in listening to Filipino classics composed by gifted Filipino geniuses.

The Philippine Opera Company’s HARANA: A Cultural Journey is a show that features the country’s celebrated singers Ana Feleo, Karla Patricia Gutierrez, Ma. Florence Aguilar-Barquez, Arlynne Lupas-Tecson, Jennifer Villegas, Sherwin Sozon, Glenn Gaerlan and Nazer Salcedo. More than just performers,  each and everyone of these artists feel strongly about doing their part in safeguarding our very own Filipino music, as well as opening the eyes and ears of the present Filipino to the richness, glamor and opulence of our heritage.
 After 6 out of 6 standing ovations in its recent Visayan tour to Cebu, Bohol, Iloilo, Antique, Roxas City and Puerto Princesa, HARANA’s next stop is Dumaguete. The Silliman University Cultural Affairs Committee where will open its 48th Cultural Season for Dumaguete City with the show. It will be performed at the Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium on June 25, and on June 26, 2010 for regular patronage.

Repertoire for the Dumaguete shows include timeless classics such as “Bituing Marikit,” “Dahil Sa Isang Bulaklak,” “Iyo Kailan Pa Man,” “Kalesa,” “Ang Maya,” “Ano Kaya Ang Kapalaran,” “Dumbele,” “Ay Salidumay,” “Waray-Waray,” “Sa Kabukiran,” “Manang Biday,” “Atin Cu Pung Singsing,” “Pobreng Alindahaw,” “Saan Ka Man Naroroon,” “Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal,” “Usahay” and “Hindi Kita Malimot.”

Huwag sana nating kalimutan... Tayo’y isang bansang Malaya, mayaman at makulay ang kultura, mayabong ang kasaysayang minana, marilag na bansang pinagpala! Ating itaguyod ang Kulturang Pilipino… Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!!! - JJV
 

*** Those who wish to make inquiries re HARANA in Dumaguete please call 422-6002 loc. 520. ***
 

Saturday, June 5, 2010

The Second Coming of Style

Hollywood's most fashionable foursome—Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte—are once again sashaying the streets of NY (in their ultra-fab frocks, of course) for the second and highly anticipated installment of Sex and the City. To celebrate the comeback of these famous fashionistas, we decided to dedicate this post to all things SATC: our favorite hunks, quotes, ensembles and episodes that made us laugh, cry, cringe and, most importantly, appreciate our girlfriends all the more.


InStyle's Which SATC Character is Your Style Twin?

 Rorie

I'm a Carrie! I share her love and lust for all things fashion so, yes, I'm happy I got her.
 

Whose closet would I like to have?


Definitely Carrie's closet! 


 My favorite looks are her vintage pieces and when she mixes different prints and colors together. I'd steal these outfits in particular 





My SATC hunk? 


Aidan! Because he has that aw-shucks-cute look AND he was good to Carrie.
 

 
My fave SATC moment? 

The "An American Girl in Paris" episodes! It's my favorite city in the world and Carrie's outfits were AMAZING.
 



 My fave SATC quotes?
 
Carrie: Some people are settling down, some people are settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies.


Carrie: Honey, if it hurts so much, why are we going shopping?
Samantha: I have a broken toe, not a broken spirit.


 Carrie: Here. Swear. Swear on Chanel.





Jenny

Got classic and simple Charlotte... from what I've seen of the series I think it's pretty accurate... minus the abundance of florals and ruffles in my closet...can be a bit of a Miranda sometimes I think. :)




Whose closet would I like to have?


I’d steal the following from The Girls’ closets: 


preppy polo shirts



nice peep toe pumps



simple accessories like a strand of pearls



nice classic hand bags



simple cuts of cocktail dresses


My SATC hunk? 


I'm really not the typical SATC follower, the only guys i remember on the show are Mr. Big and Aidan Shaw and they’re really both not my type. :)
 
My fave SATC moment?


One episode (The Real Me) that stuck in my head is when Carrie pulled herself together in a fashion show mixing supermodels and real people. She tripped on the runway and the voice over after says “I had a choice; I could slink off the runway and let my inner model die of shame, or I could pick myself up, flaws and all and finish. And that's just what I did. Because when real people fall down in life, they get right back up and keep on walking.”




My fave SATC quotes?

Carrie: You shouldn't have to sacrifice who you are just because somebody else has a problem with it. 


 
 Karisia
 

I kind of knew I’d get Charlotte.I love her!



Whose closet would I like to have?



I would definitely love to have Charlotte’s closet. 
I love her feminine and romantic style - dresses, ruffles, florals, pinks, pastels, LBDs, LWDs...all of it! 


My SATC hunk? 


No one was ever quite big enough as Big.
 


My fave SATC moment?

I love the episode (The Agony and the 'Ex'-tacy) when nobody shows up for Carrie’s birthday, but when she gets home she sees Big’s car. Their conversation still gives me goosebumps:


Big: Happy Birthday, baby. Get in. 

Carrie: It’s after twelve, you’re late.

Big: Not really, I’m on London time.

Carrie: London is five hours ahead.

Big: In that case, I’m really f***ing late.

And I especially love the “I Heart NY” episode!!! Big, wine, Mancini’s Moon River, a carriage ride through Central Park and a plane ticket to Napa...perfect.
 

My fave SATC quotes?

Carrie: Eventually all the pieces fall into place....until then, laugh at the confusion, live for the moment, and know that everything happens for a reason.  

Carrie: I'm looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other love. 

 
Kit
 
Charlotte. I thought I’d get Samantha because her “devil-may-care” attitude is closer to mine.




Whose closet would I like to have?

 
I’d like to raid all their closets!!!

Carrie’s shoes


Miranda’s corporate wear


Charlotte’s feminine dresses


Samantha’s GNO outfits


and Samantha’s Birkin!

 
My SATC hunk? 

  
Smith!





My fave SATC moment?
 

The last episode (An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux) when Big called Carrie on her cellphone and they showed his name! 



My fave SATC quotes?

I heart New York! :)





* All photos may be found on the net from glamour.com, ew.com, elle.com, orange.co.uk, hbo.com, debutanteclothing.com, instyle.com, fabsugar.com, harpersbazaar.com, marieclaire.com

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Hairography


I think a girl’s obsession with hair begins even before we hear “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden hair!” Early on, we were taught that girls had long hair and boys had short hair. Of course, these days, anything goes...My 10-year old nephew is rocking long hair and one of my BFFs has the cutest pixie cut she’d be a shoo-in for Alice Cullen (Sorry, Ashley Greene).

You can ask my sister and she’ll tell you with her trademark brutal honesty that I have struggled with my hair. As little girls, we had the same straight, fine apple cuts. But somehow in our tweens (Yes, it’s no longer called pre-teens!) she grew long, soft, black hair and my brown version went amok. I still cannot pinpoint the culprit though - Was it too much Aquanet or was it that disastrous layered look I attempted at 12 (Think poodle)? So to hide my frustration, I kept my hair in a ponytail (Goody: A Girl’s Best Friend) or chin length. As Jen's, Posh's, and Katie’s manes were copied in salons all over the world, I sadly kept my hair the way it was, but silently vowing that one day I, too, would finally know what the term “crowning glory” really means.

It’s taken me more than a decade of weekly hair treatments (Irma), hair cuts every 2 months (now it’s Philippe or Tom), color maybe twice a year (Dave), and a gazillion bottles of Kerastase, but I think I’ve finally come to terms with my hair. I knew I finally got it when kneeling down in prayer at our NYC parish of St. John’s, two elderly women tapped me on the shoulder and said “You have such beautiful hair...” All of a sudden I was Jessica Simpson with Ken Paves as a BFF. Of course, that was a really good hair day and I'm far from my ultimate goal - Gisele's big, bouncy waves - but let's just say that was the highlight of my (hair's) career.

Just so you know that you're not alone in your search for the perfect hairstyle, I gathered some of my bestest chicas to share some of their hair secrets...And to make it more fun, I went to InStyle's Hollywood Hair Virtual Makeover to give us a look at what we'd actually look like with our dream 'dos. All you have to do is upload your pic and you can choose from a variety of celeb styles. You'll never have to make that mistake of getting the wrong cut, we all know about the dreaded "growing it out" period. Enjoy!

KIT

I have thick, wavy hair. I shampoo and condition my hair everyday or every other day (depending on daily activity). 

My favorite products are:
1. Kerastase Bain de Force shampoo.
2. Kiehl's Leave-In Conditioner I use this when I style my hair with
3. Bespoke Labs T3 Wet-to-Dry Ceramic Flat Iron and finish with
4. Kerastase Nacre Nutri Sculpt

If I could have Eva Longoria's or Kim Kardashian's hair I would die happy :)


* Supermom Kit with a black-colored version of Eva Longoria's mane.

LEXI

I too have really thick hair--both in terms of single strands and overall volume. And my hair's WAVINESS doesn't help the cause either!

To keep it manageable, I have my hair short to avoid looking like a lioness. I try not to shampoo and condition every day as apparently it's not too good for your hair...and when it's too hot and I have to wet my hair on a non-shampoo day, I put a tiny amount of conditioner.

Also, I try to do a hair treatment in the salon every quarter to regulate my hair and scalp....as I color my hair at least three times a year.
 
Since I love experimenting with color and never get to have my hair long, I always wondered what I'd look like with:

a) Gwen Stefani's PLATINUM BLOND hair!! (my ultimate dream!)

b) Demi Moore or Jordana Brewster's mega straight, long, BLACK locks

c) Marcia Cross (or Brie Van de Camp's) perfect RED hair
...as nobody in this country knows how to mix the right shade of RED (or brown, for that matter)


















* Since I couldn't find a Marcia Cross, I gave Lexita Mad Men's Christina Hendricks' red and her dream platinum blond.

LORENA

My hair has always been fine and straight, and in the past, oily. I only use shampoo since conditioner will weigh it down. Not much styling products for me, sometimes I use my secret rollers (hehe) and blow dry it, but most of the time I air dry it using the fan (my hair gets oilier due to blow dry heat).
 
Whose hair would I want? I love Drew Barrymore's 60s 'do when it was all teased and parang she just got out of bed. Blake Lively's curls are also so warm and pretty, Sandra Bullock's hair during the Oscars, Jennifer Aniston's hair (always pretty) and Carrie Underwood's hair (parang Barbie).


* For my Bru who has always had short hair, I gave her Jen's uber fab updo in black.

RORIE

I have mondo thick and wavy hair—enough to make three wigs! I shampoo and condition every other day (Pureology is THE best) and I try to do a Kerastase deep conditioning/repair treatment once a month. Stopped using styling aids as they sometimes make me break out.

I would love to have tousled, French-chic hair a la Eva Green. I've also been dying to go short and when I'm brave enough, I'm going to sport a Carey Mulligan 'do!


                                              

* Now the always chic bride-to-be knows what she'll look like with Carey M's pixie. 

STEFF

I have fine black, curly, yucky hair that I have re-bonded every once in a while...otherwise, I'm a walking humidity radar.

Hair products I like are:
1. Kiehl's Leave-In Conditioner
2. Kerastase Oleo Relax Masque

Products I'm dying to try are:
1. Kerastase Bain Bio-Recharge Shampoo
2. Kerastase Bain Clarifiant
3. Kerastase Bain Divalent

I would love to have hair like:

1. Sofia Vergara
2. Charlize Theron


* Steffi gets her brunette version of Charlize and her daughters' choice of their idol - Taylor Swift.

VICKY

I’m an absolute Kerastase fanatic. Tony & Guy has this “shine zone spray” that keeps your hair super shiny with just 2 sprays. Aside from Kerastase, seriously swear by Goldwellmoisture definition treatment intense products, specially their “” which is like an instant hot oil treatment for 5 minutes in the shower. 

Celebrity hair? Hmm have to say I like Penelope Cruz's, Giselle Bundchen’s, Kim Kardashian’s and Leighton Meester’s hair. Angelina I love only because she is my love. Hahaha!















* Fab V as a lighter-haired Penelope Cruz. 

As for me, I'm keeping my hair long, but in my dreams, I have Katie Holmes' hair.

 EXTRA HAIR TIPS FROM VICKY:

Want instant highlights? Put lemon juice on some strands of your hair while you’re under the sun.
 

For reddish highlights, use cranberry juice spritzed on your hair while under the sun.

Want to lighten your hair? Chamomile tea after shampooing.

Parlor made you too much of a blondie? Make a paste using coffee and warm water. When pasty and cool enough, spread all over your hair using a paintbrush (like the one they use for dyeing your hair) and leave for 15 minutes.
 

Super dry hair? After you shampoo put honey all over your hair and wrap with saran wrap (it seriously rinses out quickly and won’t make your hair sticky at all).
 

Dandruff? Soak cotton ball with apple cider and rub on your scalp, leave for 15 minutes and shampoo off.

So a special GRACIAS to Kungs, Pwet, Bru, Mama, Ats and V for indulging me yet again. I ♥ My Girls!!! - KAB