FASHION: Green Apples

From last week's gloomy weather, the sun was out the entire week this time! I'm glad that the weather hasn't been extremely hot like last month. I'm welcoming the less warm weather that's soon to come but I am not ready to kiss Summer goodbye!

It's TGIF today but I've got a gazillion things to do! I need to get ready for this weekend's makeup jobs and I need to finish jewelry orders and some handpainted clothes today. So since my artistic skills are being put to full blast use, I decided to wear a comfortable maxi dress so I can achieve my deadlines and at the same time run a few errands for today.

Don't you just love the print on my dress? This dress was originally owned by my grandmother. (Yes, lola was and IS a fashionista) I found it a couple years ago in a box of old clothes that she tucked away. It was a long sleeved, turtleneck dress that I cut up and altered a bit. I can just imagine how she wore this at gatherings during the 60's / 70's. I'm not a fan of turtlenecks and the long sleeves simply won't do with our weather. Hence, the makeover on this piece. It's a beautiful vintage fabric  printed with green apples and dots. I certainly did not want to put this dress to waste! I also love how light and flowy the fabric is. Perfect to lounge around in when I want to take a quick  break in between work and errands.

I save a lot of old pieces owned by mom and grandmother. I don't know who originally owned the clutch I'm using, but it's another vintage piece I found in our attic. My jelly shoes are from the brand, Jessica from SM Department Store. I LOVE jelly shoes and I started quite a collection already. What I like about this pair is the skin tone color which makes me look longer even if they're flats.

I LOVE my headchain! I made this myself and I think it's the perfect compliment to my outfit. My cocktail ring is also one of my handmade creations under my brand, OLEIC.

I'm still loving my pink ombre hair done by Angelo Falconi III. It's been 3 weeks since he colored my hair and I love dressing up to compliment the color. It's also perfect for the "Hippie Vibe" of my look for today. Again I was feeling lazy to fix my hair today so I kept it in a bun while I painted at home and let it down when I had to go out and run a few errands. I love how it still looks good!

Dress: Vintage Piece  |  Pink Ombre Hair: Angelo Falconi III |  Clutch: Vintage Piece |  Headchain: OLEIC  |  Cocktail Ring: OLEIC | Jelly Flats: Jessica, SM Department Store


Photography: Eunice Vallesteros of Purple Dot Photography

HAIR CHRONICLES: Think Pink.

Ok I admit, I love coloring my hair. I've gone super black, medium brown, light brown, reddish brown and dark blonde. Don't get me wrong, I do love my naturally dark brown hair... but sometimes I just love changing it up. It feels like an adventure every time that I do. It's like I'm waiting to surprise myself at how different I'd look. All my hair coloring and treatments in the past have been DIY. By myself or with the help of yaya for those hard to reach parts.

But alas, I think I have to kiss my DIY hair treatments goodbye because now, I've found my hair angel. Mr. Angelo Falconi, owner of the Angelo Falconi III Salon's is THE man! I coined him my hair angel because it really suits his name, diba? But I don't just call him that for fun because he literally is! As a Loreal Master Colourist and Loreal Ambassador, he really is the guy to go to if you want expert hair color and treatment.

I met him back in 2007 as my mentor when I studied makeup in the Center for Aesthetic Studies. He was a  terror professor and I will never forget that he did make me cry! He really is a perfectionist and honestly I now appreciate how strict he was with my class because we really would not have turned out the makeup artists that we are if not for him. Today, he is a very good friend and the only one I trust to color my hair.

I can no longer remember how our discussion went but somehow we were just chatting at that time and then the discussion geared to hair. PINK ombre hair. And why not? I guess it was time to try something REALLY different. The thought of it scared me a bit at first but then I realized that my tresses were in VERY GOOD HANDS. So... no fear.

Angelo worked on my hair himself. His staff, assisting him as he moved. It seemed so complicated! I couldn't understand what he was doing but I guess that is how he works his magic. So I turned to my phone, started facebooking and stopped worrying. After what seemed like a very quick treatment, Angelo called my attention and I was simply in awe when I saw myself in the mirror. I LOVED IT!!!

Before and After. Angelo had to bleach the ends of my hair a bit for the pink to pop out.

With my Mentor and Loreal Master Hair Colorist, Angelo Falconi III

It's been two weeks and I'm still loving my pink ombre hair. I have been approached by random ladies several times, asking me where I had it done. All the more that I enjoy flaunting it everywhere! The best thing I love about it is that my wash and wear ways really work with it! (Yes, I never pack a hairbrush in my purse) No need to brush and blow dry and it still looks amazing!

Walking around at the mall, my friend Eunice of Purple Dot Photography saw how nice it looked as my hair flowed with the gentle breeze. She took a few shots and as we checked through her camera, I felt that I was looking through a magazine! My pink hair was so beautiful! I kept it in a bun for just a couple of hours and when I let it down... this was the result! No brushing and styling aids even! Here are our shots from that day:

When in doubt.... THINK.... PINK! Wala lang! Haha!

Want to try Angelo's hair magic? You can reach him through his facebook account. Click here.
Or check out his website: www.angelofalconi.com to check out his events and list of branches.

Dress: OLEIC
Photos by: EUNICE VALLESTEROS of  Purple Dot

BLOG GIVEAWAY: OLEIC + Naturaleza

Naturaleza Manila is a company that discovers and develops Filipino heritage products. Local products that have been used for generations and have been kept quaint by remaining cottage industries in the provinces.
Naturaleza Manila assures the use of premium organic materials. A Hacienda in Negros is one of it's primary sources.

Naturaleza Jabon Delujo is a body wash made with all natural ingredients. It's very mild and gentle on your skin and smells really good!

A number of our local celebrities like Ana Roces, Tim Yap, Phoemela Barranda and Ruffa Gutierrez have been giving these as Christmas gifts or were gifted with this product last December, as seen on their Instagram accounts.

And as a gift to my readers, I'll be giving away full sized bottles of this product which I love and use myself, as well as some jewelry loot from my accessory brand, OLEIC! =)

Here's how to join:

a Rafflecopter giveaway  


Terms & Conditions:

1. This blog giveaway will end on June 30, 2013 (Sunday) at 12noon. 
2. You can go back to this blog page daily to click on the Tweet button for additional entries. That means more chances of winning!
3. Rafflecopter follows EST. Therefore, cutoff for each day is at 12noon. This means you can go back every afternoon to retweet for additional entries 
4. All those who will COMPLETE all the options on Rafflecopter WILL BE QUALIFIED to win the prize.
5. Contest is open to Philippine residents only.
6. Winner will be announced on this blog. We will contact the winner within 48 hours from the closing date.

Good luck ladies!

 

SHOPPING: 1,000.00 Peso Challenge for June 2013

Last May, I started my first post on my monthly P1,000.00 shopping challenge. It's a chance for me to add new stuff to my wardrobe without spending too much. Of course as a mom, my son's needs are priority so I always have to be on a budget but will never sacrifice my style! You can read about last month's post here.

Yes I will admit, I love going to Landmark. Again for this month, I spent my monthly challenge there.

You know that feeling when you find an article of clothing that you love so much and you end up buying it in all colors? Ok I admit... I'm GUILTY! This shopping challenge was not at all difficult for me because I ended up doing just that. Here are my buys for the month:

The thing about this dress that I love so much is the fact that the colors create an illusion of curves and a smaller waist. It's made in stretch fabric, the type used for t-shirts so it's very light and stretchy and can easily be converted for day use to night use with a change of accessories. Best part is that it costed only P249.75 (around $6-7) each!

After fitting the dress, I spotted these tops. I wanted to get the black and look for another item but as I took the black one from the hanger, I saw the pink one and it just begged me to take it home. I couldn't resist! These tops are super cute. Perfect for our warm weather with the peek-a-boo shoulders and laser cut details on the sleeves. It's a bit loose at the waist area so no need to suck in that tummy. They were a steal at only P239.75 (around $5-6) each!

Here is the summary and total of my purchases:
P249.75 - black and yellow dress 

P249.75 - black and white dress 

P239.75 - black top with shoulder cut outs 

P239.75 - pink top with shoulder cut outs

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P979.00 GRAND TOTAL (around $25)

Again, I stayed within my budget and was able to come home with 4 cute items that I can really use for my day to day activities. Yay, more clothes! Can't wait to shop again next month! =)

HAIR CHRONICLES: Brazilian Blowout

I was fortunate enough to be able to try a Brazilian Blowout courtesy of The Hair Lounge Salon in Wack Wack, Mandaluyong. I was pretty excited because this was something I've been wanting to try since I don't really like to carry a hairbrush with me. My long locks are hardly brushed! Yes, I'm the wash and wear type. I normally don't like to exert much effort on my hair but I still expect it to look Uh-mazing! Yes I know, if only my hair could speak up, it would nag me for more hair care. I visit the salon only once a year for my yearly trim. Other than that, all my hair coloring and treatments are done by myself or with the help of yaya, in the comfort of my own home.

Based on what I've researched about it, characteristically, the Brazilian Blowout treatment should eliminate frizz, straighten the hair and last about two - three months. It's a keratin-based treatment and can be done on virgin hair and even on chemically treated hair. Heated flat irons are used to close the product into the hair cuticle. The treatments do not guarantee completely straight hair, although if performed correctly, it does reduce the curl, frizz and waves of the hair. 

I arrived at The Hair Lounge Studio and was very happy with the staff's warm welcome. At first I thought that the salon was quite small, only to realize that I was only at the receiving area and was led to the 2nd floor where it was really spacious and the seats were very comfortable. 

The Hair Lounge from outside

First Floor

Reception

Spacious 2nd floor and comfortable seats

After I got seated, two ladies from the staff immediately got to work. Armed with their flat irons, one lady on each side. I was given a cup of coffee and a pile of the latest magazines. My man accompanied me during this salon visit and I appreciated that he was also accommodated with a cup of coffee, reading material and a comfortable seat while he waited.

Friendly staff working on my tresses

My cup of coffee and lipstick stain, hehe =)

After 2-3 hours more or less, the treatment was finished! and here is my before and after result:

It did eliminate the natural wave and slight frizz I had on my hair. What I liked about it is that it didn't look "TOO STRAIGHT" (like a walis). It looked very natural. Although I am not sure if it will turn out the same for others as results may vary depending on your hair type. If you are planning to have this done and are wondering about the results, I suggest consulting the experts so they can assess your hair and let you know how it will turn out for you.

Frontal view of end result.
My man waiting for me at the back! Haha! =)

If you would like to consult them regarding the Brazilian Blowout, The Hair Lounge Salon is located in 520 Shaw Blvd. cor Old Wack Wack Rd, 1555, Mandaluyong. You can also set an appointment by calling them through the following numbers: (02) 2393702, (02) 6248444, 09178084848