Men should be more invested in a proper skincare routine. Not for the sake of vanity, mind you, but for the future of their skin! A simple cleanse and moisturize routine today can make a huge difference in say, twenty years from now; their skin will maintain a more elastic texture with less wrinkles at the very least.

Anyway, when LAB SERIES, a premium skincare brand for men, asked the press to bring a male +1 I immediately thought of one friend: Osmond! I'm sure he'll be receptive to the idea of investing in skin care. Besides, I haven't seen him in ages. Reuniting for the love of skincare was an excellent idea.

So here's what happened. He got a high-tech skin analysis that determined his skin type and condition. Unlike other skincare brands where analysis is based on a Q&A format (it is subjective), the Lab Series analysis is objective using a sensor specifically calibrated for male skin. Cool eh? It only took a few minutes.

Osmond was found to have fairly good skin already, with a bit of oiliness around the t-zone and dryness in the cheek area. The skincare specialists recommended that he use the basic cleanser (Multi-Action Face Wash, for all skin types) and exfoliator (Invigorating Face Scrub) to maintain his skin.

In a day this gloomy and wet, it's hard to imagine that summer ever happened. But hey, that's not an excuse to come in to work (or wherever you're going) looking like a drowned rat! Or even a rat expecting to be drowned for that matter. Er. Well my point is that it's important to have some life and color on your face whatever the season is, which is where the Benefit Cabana Glama Makeup Kit (P2,000) comes in!

This palette has everything you need to fake that glowy summer tan. In keeping with my past experience with Benefit products, the items inside are well-formulated and designed to flatter. Here I will discuss them one by one!

This is a little late I know but I thought I'd share my two cents anyway. The protest train has come and gone, Belo has apologized and taken down the ads. But I thought this is a worthy point of discussion, particularly about irony and hypocrisy.

Last Sunday, Belo Men has released a new campaign promoting their whitening range for guys. Three ads came out showing a conyo guy who is supposedly 10% lighter and thus 100% more sosyal and attractive. 

The knee-jerk reaction is that the ads are racist and promotes social stratification. But you know what? I think they're funny (while wrongly promoting social stratification, though definitely not racist)! The ads are tasteless but what Belo has here is self-deprecating sarcasm. Notice how the guy has a Kia - an old, far from sosy car. That's your giveaway. If there were only two ads or if his car is say, an Audi, I would think that Belo is being an asshole. But they're just trying to be funny, even going so far as to poke fun at their target market and even themselves.

Okay let's backtrack. From the car ad, we see a good looking guy throwing his keys at a valet in a swanky place. But he speaks in over-the-top conyoese and drives an old Kia, which means that he's not rich but that he's trying to climb the social grapevine.

Do you guys watch Downton Abbey? YOU SHOULD. It's a historical drama about the lives of an English titled family and their servants in the early 20th century. Affecting them all are events happening in the larger world like the sinking of the Titanic and the first World War. The actors are fantastic, the story, poignant, and the clothes! My dears, you shall be inspired.

The ladies wore charming tea dresses with immaculate, softly tailored tops. While we can still definitely do this today, wouldn't it be a little impractical to be walking around in heavy lace and full-length dresses? It is. Which is why I love JC Buendia's collection for Kashieca: it's inspired by Downton Abbey, except the clothes are made for the 21st century no-fuss working woman.

Don't expect any print-crazy trendy stuff. JC Buendia had something a lot more sophisticated and body-friendly in mind! The collection is full of figure enhancing tops and bottoms done in practical fabrics that can handle daily wear and tear.

The cuts aren't the sort that you'll see in your average Bangkok and China rebranded stores. Since the clothes are exclusively designed, you get the extensive experience and knowledge of the female body only a trained designer can give to his work.

I've been terribly busy last week so I haven't had the chance to take as many photos as I want. The only time I get to take a breather is when I'm eating; hence the gratuitous food portraits. Hehe. Enjoy!

Doodle earlier at a meeting. "He never came." 

Made mechado for dinner. It took me two hours to make! The beef is of some unknown type of diamond.

Bought these Grendha sandals yesterday at Bambu BHS. It's the perfect errand/rainy day flipflops.