It was a bright Saturday that promised a lot of fun activities and a party that no one will forget. I was up early, puttering about the cabana, watching Shakespeare In Love. I was suffering from internet withdrawal! I totally regretted that I didn't bring my Mac. Still, with a view like this, it's hard to feel anxious.

It was a hot day. An extremely hot day, as in, when you go out you can literally feel the sun burning through your skin. And it was what, only 9am? Insane! However I had the chutzpah to stand in direct sunlight like this because I sprayed the Nivea sunblock on before I left the cabana. Take that, sun! Hah!

Here's Marbbie! FYI, we didn't coordinate our outfits. Ipanema gave me black strappy flipflops while they gave her the white version and somehow we just thought of wearing clothes to match them. It was so funny!

After breakfast we rode the coaster to the Upper Beach Club (around five minutes away from Club Punta Fuego). This is the view of the pool beside the Lower Beach Club.

Check out how unbelievably clear the waters are! I was two floors up from the ground when I took this photo.

This is what the word "azure" means

Had to turn away to get to work! These are the campers in a fashion workshop held by runway and events director Robby Carmona and designer Sassa Jimenez.

Here's a photo essay of everything that transpired on Day 2! (extremely photo heavy)

The other weekend, the mega skincare brand held Camp Nivea for rising teenage stars and press people. It was three days full of activities that improved the leadership skills, camaraderie, music skills, fashion sense, runway talent, and camera projection of the beautiful teens.

The location was, how do I say it mildly, paradise! Club Punta Fuego is located in an exclusive property located on the tip of the Batangas peninsula. The clubhouse of the huge and exclusive summering compound is carved out from a ridge overlooking the clear blue sea.

Camp Nivea was the most fun I've had in a long, long time. I went to the event not knowing a single soul but I came home with new acquaintances that I hope to meet again (shout-out to the Candy mag girls, Mars and Cre, Star columnist Jori, and Sense & Style writer slash Heart Evangelista look-alike Marbie).

Marbie, Jori, Mars, Cre

Here's a photo essay of everything that transpired on Day 1! (photo heavy)

My special someone is the type of guy who loves to be in control. He's extremely intelligent, focused, and passionate about his job, which is web design and development. He's always busy growing his start-up company and of course, I'm there with him every step of the way.

Around half a year ago he started dressing up to match his lifestyle. He likes great food, nice places, stylish clothes and smelling good. He's never actually ventured into designer perfumes before because he's not that vain (omg, you can't believe how much flack I get from him because of my vanity! But that's another story) so he's happy with department store deo sprays. 

Until I gave him this:

Guess where these awesome sandals came from! Take a good guess (without checking my Twitter account).

They're from a brand I didn't know made shoes like this: Avon! Avon is best-known for makeup, skincare, and underwear - not really for shoes. They tend to make ones in very safe, sensible designs that I just can't relate with. I love shoes that are quirky and fun and if possible, purple!

 I fancy that I am not a purist when it comes to blogging. The medium has evolved tremendously in the past couple of years so it's really hard to set and expect a certain standard for bloggers and their content. So yes, I'm not a purist in the sense that I don't expect anyone's blog to be so and so. I can always simply stop following a blog that ceases to have value to me. 

I do however have preferences. The blogs I read are always about real, personal experiences by the blogger. I stay away from the press release blogs because I don't see the point - I can always find that information in a proper website, magazine, or newspaper. In other words I prefer content that I can't find anywhere else but a specific blog. 

Here's a summary of what the channel's been up to!

News

Going nautical: Wynn Wynn Ong’s jewelry in WWD Another Filipina gets featured on the daily fashion bible!

Style and function: the Asus EEE PC Karim Rashid Edition The shiny, sleek, and pink reincarnation of the Eee PC

Mich Dulce wins Int'l Young Creative Entrepreneur award The quirky designer wows London!

Pinay wins first runner-up at Ford Supermodel of the World 2010 A Filipina supermodel walks the talk

Jay Nicolas Sario: Making history in Project Runway The first Pinoy in the contest ever!

Rajo Laurel’s dress webbed in WWD Insects and cobwebs lands Laurel on the international fashion scene

Like any self-respecting female does, I got new shoes to match the season. I wanted comfortable ones that weren't too hot on my feet, easy to walk in, and comes in bright, summery colors to match the clothes I'll be wearing. Here's what I came up with:

I'm loving these ultra-comy brogues I got from Tonic, at The Ramp. They're soft and the color speaks a lot for itself. I like wearing these during the day as it instantly livens up drab casual clothes. I got them for a nice price of P990 (I would have loved to pay less because I'm cheap like that) but they're totally worth it!

Here are the shoes in action. Wore them with acid washed shorts, Uniqlo polo, necklace and hat from SM Department Store. I have a feeling that this will be my summer uniform! It's slouchy but still smart, don't you think?

Last Tuesday Asus launched its latest netbook incarnation - the Eee PC™ Seashell Karim Rashid Collection (1008P). It's pink, it's small, it's stylish! After that one can't really say a lot. It's got the usual specs that an average netbook has except that the latest Eee PC packs a lot of spunk in terms of design. It promises six hours of battery life, too. (Read after the cut to see the complete specs)

Karim Rashid, a world-renowned industrial designer was tapped to create the newest look of the Eee PC. The design is the realization of his vision of computing—one that is more sensual, more human, more hip. The hot pink laptop is targeted towards the younger, more mobile market. If you're not the sort who wants to get caught in tacky hot pink, never fear! There's a coffee brown version for guys and older women.

Dreamy light show and ambiance courtesy of Icon in Hotel Intercontinental

The most interesting thing during the launch was the fashion show parading R.A.F. Plains & Prints's Summer 2010 Collection. I loved most of the oufits featured! The Karim Rashid Eee PC is such a great accessory to the clothes, don't you think? 

Me and my trusty Ipanemas at the beach

Summer is in full, heatstroke-inducing swing! If you're going to the beach, it's time to stock up on essentials like sunblock, swimsuits, and of course - flipflops. I am soo feeling this sentence because I went to the beach last weekend with no proper flipflops. Good thing Ipanema gave us all a pair! But that's another story for another day.

Speaking of Ipanema, you can also find the brand in a newly-opened footwear store called Bambu. They also have other brands like Ipanema Giselle Bundchen, Rider, Grendha, and OndadeMar. The new place has this classy samba vibe, well-lit interiors, and tons of fashionable (albeit expensive) footwear for kids, women, and men. They also have some resort wear and woven bags and hats available. Perfect for the beach!

What follows is a barrage of pictures of the launch.

I'm sure you're tired of seeing the NYX Round Lipstick everywhere! It's that awesome. I mean, where can you find cheap-ass, good-quality lipsticks that have an insane range of colors? Each lipstick is extremely pigmented, creamy, and has a decent staying power. The price is too nice at P160 (the cheapest I know of here in the Philippines). I got my loot from Carefree Shopper. 

Rea, Pumpkin Pie, Power, Fig, Louisiana, Electra

Rea makes my lips look gray. I think this nude is too beige! Still, I enjoy using it. This will look awesome with heavy smoky eyes.

Pumpkin Pie is a nice peachy nude. I'm not a huge fan of the frost finish but I can live with it.

I was overdue for my yearly haircut so I decided, quite spontaneously, that I wanted to get my hair chopped last Friday. I was at home, bored, procrastinating when suddenly, poof! I shot off to get a cut. Not before Googling salons, of course! I asked Lauren about Beauty Brick, since it's well-reviewed online. She got her lovely digiperm there. She was so happy with the service so she enthusiastically referred Beauty Brick to me.

The salon is located in Dona Consolacion Bldng, Jupiter St. Makati, near the corner of Makati Avenue. The place looks quite cozy and homey. As soon as I got in, all the salon people greeted me good afternoon! They were very warm and friendly. They greeted my by name since I called in for an appointment and hour before.

The whole time I was there I didn't have to wait for anything. After greeting me, they herded me to the shampoo area where they oohed about my naturally wavy hair. I think they're so used to getting customers who are sick of their straight hair! After all Beauty Brick is really known for their digiperm, not haircuts per se. 

After shampooing, they seated me in front of the huge mirror and proceeded to blow dry my hair. Once they're done with that, they gave me three ring-bound books full of pictures of hairdos specifically for wavy hair. I super appreciate that little gesture because when I went there I didn't have a specific style in mind. While I was browsing, they asked if I wanted coffee, tea, or iced tea. How nice, eh?

Once I picked a cut, Mr. Shin, the owner of the salon, went over to study my hair and make suggestions based on the style I wanted. He spoke mainly in Korean and knew a little English. We didn't have a problem with communicating though since some of his staff were fluent in Korean and translated quite well.

Snip, snip, snip...the whole haircut was done in under 30 minutes. Wanna see?

WARNING (posted February 11 2011) I have stopped using this product a year ago, shortly after I wrote this post. I was not comfortable with the fact that I don't know what the ingredients are and that this is not officially approved by the BFAD. Please do not use this. Do not approach any of the sellers on this thread.

At the end of the day, the only healthy way to lose weight is to exercise and cut down on fatty and carb-laden food. There is no shortcut. If you have to trust this blog on anything, trust it on this point.

A lot of people have been commenting that I've lost weight. Last November, I was so fat that a double chin was creeping up on my face! That says a lot about my weight gain since my face is the last thing that ever gets fat in my body. It's usually my tummy and arms that go, then my thighs, lower leg, and finally my face.

So what's my weight loss secret? It's partly Leisure 18 Slimming Coffee! I've been drinking this stuff since the week before the Christmas last year. People wondered why, after the holidays, I was thinner instead of fatter. It's because I didn't eat much. Leisure 18 basically works as an appetite suppressant, meaning, I get too lazy to eat. Yes I get hungry but when I actually eat, it's like I'm satisfied earlier into the meal. 

Okaaay. Time to share! What pads do you use? How are they? Any good? 

One of the banes of female existence is menstruation. It's messy, it stinks, it makes us feel like a tub of lard, it makes us crabby and/or depressed. Anything - and I mean anything - that can help lessen the discomfort is like manna from heaven. It's like mother's milk. It's like a tearjerker romcom. It's like zero calorie candy. It's like...you get the drift. 

This is why the pads we use are important to our sanity and overall well-being as women. Me, I can't stand thick pads that feels like a wet moldy towel stuck between my legs. I never looked back after I first tried ultrathins at the tender age of 14. It's just like having soft cardboard paper covering my junk. It's certainly more comfortable than the normal pads!

A couple of months back my trusted brand (since forever!) had a new version of their pads. They had some thermal stuff going on that's supposed to make me feel cool. Well, it felt stuffier to me because the pad felt denser. I also got rashes, ugh. Before, I only got rashes from dry cover pads. Now I'm not even safe from their cotton cover ones!

Hot pink! Cheery.