My New BLOG: Beyond Pink Stripes

I think I owe my readers (well, if any hahaha) an explanation for having neglected this blog for ages! 

No, I haven't disappeared from earth yet nor transcended to some unknown dimension. LOL. Truth is, I have a new blog!:) 

I ain't elaborating on what pushed me to transfer to a new "online realm" and I would be mum on the contents hoping (yeah, hoping...) that my fellow happy earthlings would be intrigued enough to visit www.lifebeyondpinkstripes.blogspot.com :)

So with that, I cordially invite everyone to take a peek at my new blog. It'll be worth the time and effort, promise.:D 

Excuse me then, have to go, I gotta write.:D

Tony Moly Water Jelly Tint Pomegranate

I was rummaging through my bag and I saw this.

I've been meaning to take a photo and post a review on Tony Moly's Water Jelly Tint in Pomegranate few months back (if I'm not mistaken, I first bought this from the Korean brand's boutique in SM Megamall 3-4 months ago) but because I got too busy, I did not notice the delay until I saw my almost empty tube. 

Waaa anyway I still believe it's never too late to post a review on this, so here it goes.

First to give you an idea on how the product looks in its unused state, I grabbed a photo from TM's site.

Comes in 2 variants - Pomegranate and Strawberry

I.LOVE.THIS.TO.BITS.

It's been my everyday tint, mind you. What first attracted me to this tint is its deep plum color. Well, I love love shades that are vampire-ish haha.:D  When applied to lips though, it doesn't look dark at all, its hue is pigmented just right.

BEFORE--- Bare lips :)

AFTER --- Tinted Lips, one swipe only :)

This tint has a consistency of a diluted jelly so it is easy to apply and blends but never messy. I suppose this can be used on the cheeks as well but I just use this on my lips. It is moist and does not dry my lips due to its misture content. It is long-wearing and does not transfer. I tried pressing my lips on my hand after a few seconds of application and there wasn't any hint of color left on my skin.

As you can see, my tube is almost empty, and the label's almost gone haha, but I intend to finish all of the contents to its last jelly drop. And when the tube becomes empty, Tony Moly Water Jelly Tint in Pomegranate would have a place in my history for being my first cosmetic product to be used up entirely. For the record, I haven't finished any make-up yet, as in totally, as there would always be contents left and then I'll proceed trying new products hehehe.


Needless to say, I gotta schedule another trip to Tony Moly boutique so I can get a replenishment of my Water Jelly Tint, which by the way, costs P348 only.:D

Reminiscing KISSES with the Enchanting Scent of Palmolive Naturals Intensive Moisture Conditioner

Is it just me or does the reformulated Palmolive Naturals Intensive Moisture Conditioner (the pink one, for dry/ coarse hair) actually smell like those oh so fragrant, tiny seed-like playthings which I think most girls of my generation went gaga over during our elementary years?

Remember KISSES?

Sadly, I don't have any photo of "kisses" to show the little lasses of today... I am not even sure if they still know that "kisses" could refer to something else apart from such being planted by the lips hehe. 

Looking back, "kisses" indeed became an inevitable part of my happy childhood. :) And these are some of my random memories:

1. If I'm not mistaken, a pack of kisses amounted to P1 only.

2. During our time, a girl cannot have just one piece of "kisses" (the word being a collective noun I suppose).

3. I would put kisses in my bag but most especially in my pencil case.

4. I would trade kisses with my classmates in St. Scholastica's Academy Marikina especially if I didn't have a particular color then.

5. There was a nasty rumor that "kisses" were infused with prohibited drugs of which those who smell them could become addicts.

5.  And the most absurd memory of all.... my friends and I believed that "kisses" could get pregnant hahahahaha! We would be in the lookout for "kisses" which appeared fatter than the rest, wrap them with cotton and then wait for a few days for birth to take place hahahahahahahahahahahahaha! I even have a faint recollection of me "massaging" the kisses to help them give birth to baby "kisses" hahahahahahahahaha! Now that I am all grown-up, I can't remember if I was able to get a proof that "kisses" can actually give birth to baby "kisses" LMAO!!!!!:D

Are kisses still sold in the market presently? I would love to verify now if those oh so fragrant, tiny seed-like playthings can give birth haha.:D

Anyway, I'm glad there's Palmolive Naturals Intensive Moisture Conditioner (my conditioner for the moment which makes my hair softer, by the way), well, it's the closest thing I could get to reminisce the good old scent of "kisses".:)

lomo-ish photo :D

Digiperm at Azta Urban Salon: Catching the "Wave"

<-----------  For a girl who has this kind of natural hair to begin with, why even bother getting a perm?

Since such hair is actually mine (PHOTO OF WHICH I TOOK BY MYSELF USING AN SLR CAMERA, IMAGINE MY HARDSHIP HAHA) and I had my DIGIPERM just recently, I will boldly answer such query.

A. I was curious on how it feels to undergo a relatively new beautification process that is DIGIPERM which will have my crowning glory all rolled up and attached to a machine. I had to satisfy such curiosity.

B. With all the photos of "digipermed" hair all over the internet, I surmised that digiperm could transform my moody hair (when it's
cold, my hair is a bite tame with relaxed waves but when it gets hot, the loops get annoyingly uneven and frizzy too) into something with either cute Korean curls (defined, big curls) or hot, Surfer Girl waves. I had to find out if that thought is workable for me.

Before I proceed, what is digiperm? Let me just quote our friend WIKIPEDIA to make life easier haha. According to Wiki, it is "a perm which uses hot rods with the temperature regulated by a machine, which has a digital display, hence the name. The biggest difference between other perms and a digital perm is the shape and the texture of the wave created by the digital process. A normal perm, or a “cold perm”, makes the wave most prominent when the hair is wet, and loose when it is dry. The hair tends to look moist and as locks. 

A digital perm makes the wave most prominent when the hair is dry, and loose when it is wet. Therefore you can create the dry and curly look of the curl iron or the hot curler. The digital perm requires heat, so it is also called a “hot perm” in comparison to the “cold perm”.

Digital perms thermally recondition the hair, though the chemicals and processing are similar to a straight perm. One's hair often feels softer, smoother, and shinier after a digital perm than before it."

Ok,ok get it?:) 

Moving on, I actually did not see myself getting a digiperm too soon primarily because I find its average price range of Php3000- Php4000 a bit costly. But when a group buying site ENSOGO featured Azta Urban Salon's "P1500 only for a digiperm (any length)" deal, I wasted no time in securing my own voucher. That's one unbelievable mark down. And it helped also that the salon has a branch near my place, specifically in Robinsons Metroeast so the convenience enticed me all the more to avail of the offer.

Weeks after getting my Ensogo voucher, off I went to Azta Urban Salon. It was my first time to go there so I did not have any stylist yet. I was assigned to Marlon. And here's my digiperm story.

I was led to a chair and  was offered a drink. I did not want any so I politely declined. (I was asked if I wanted a drink 3x during my stay haha but I still said no, I wasn't thirsty). The salon's Operation Manager JV (if I got her name right) approached me and asked if it was my first time, etc. etc. Well, she was nice.:) 

When Marlon came to me with his assistant Grace, he first scrutinized my hair and asked which treatment or hair process I've undergone prior to that day. He thought my natural hair was digipermed! 

Marlon's so serious in scrutinizing my hair.:)

NATURAL CURLS: BEFORE DIGIPERM

Yes, I took that as a compliment haha. He told me though that if he would have his own way, he'll just leave my hair as it is because the result of digiperm would be somewhat similar to what I have already. All I need to do, as he further explained, is to learn the proper way of styling and my hair's good to go as it is! But I told him, "my hair isn't always like that and well I have the voucher so might as well try it!:)

So on with the process. Grace shampooed my hair first. 

Then Marlon trimmed my hair to eliminate the damaged parts.

Afterwards, Grace applied some "moisture cream" on my hair, which according to her, would soften the strands in preparation for the digiperm.

And then the "mane" procedure began. My hair was divided into sections, and the perming solution was applied to each section and then rolled on rods.  If I heard it right from Marlon, the rods used were combination of 20 and 22, I guess they're the biggest of the rods available. I wasn't able to verify it though. Hello Medusa!

The rods were then attached to the machine which digitally controlled the heat that would flow to my hair. High tech huh!

I was attached to the machine for not less than 3 hours but mind you I did not get bored. Thanks to the Internet!:) Unfortunately I wasn't able to connect to Robinsons Metroeast's wifi but I was prepared hehehe, I brought Sun broadband and that's what I used to access FB. But then  again, it wasn't surfing the net which took up most of my waiting time. it was playing tadaaaaannnn...ANGRY BIRDS. :)

When it was deemed ready, I was finally separated from the machine haha but before unrolling the rods, neutralizer was poured into my hair to seal in the curls. It felt cold on my scalp but it smelled wonderful ;)

I was handed a paper which looked like a doctor's prescription, only that it was a stylist's prescription, cool!

And the moment of truth finally came, rods were unrolled and my new hair was unraveled. Tadaaaaah!

Errr, I initially thought it was too curly for me. Waaaa! But of course I kept my smile. 

But as soon as I stepped out of the salon, I disobeyed the stylist's instruction. I combed my hair! But with my fingers only.  Waaa frankly speaking, I really thought it was too curly :((


Before the hubby got home, I warned him about my hair but when he finally arrived he said it's good! I asked him to take a photo of me and here's the result.

I was surprised! Beachy waves showed up on my crowning glory! I was ecstatic! Wow. Maybe it helped that I did run my fingers through my hair, it somehow tamed the curls. Yey!


Though I was disobedient to the "don't touch your hair" advice, I did follow the "don't wash your hair  for 2 days" advice. Then, I just thought of putting my hair on a bun and guess what! When I undid my bun the day after  and shook my head a little bit, my hair was transformed to this.

Now that's what I call digipermed hair! So happy!:) It's not a hair disaster after all!:)

I will give update on my hair after a week. I hope it would remain nice as this :D

How about you, do you have any plans of getting a digiperm?:) 

UPDATE: (Sept. 19) After washing my hair, it did not return to my preferred digipermed state like the one showed in the last photo above ^. But the beachy waves remained until now and I guess I'm ok with that.:D

Bank of the Philippine Islands' Commendable System

I never thought that I would be writing about banks here in my blog but something well, happy, happened today which inspired me to post about Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI).

I don't remember the last time I stepped inside a BPI branch since I started banking with Banco de Oro. However, I had to go to BPI Concepcion, Marikina branch to deposit payment to the organizer of the bazaar which we are participating in this December. 

As I entered the bank, I immediately searched for the table where forms are usually located but could not find any. I figured then maybe in BPI, forms are given at the counter.

I surveyed the place still and saw the screen showing the numbers in queue. So I asked the guard on duty where I can get a number. He led me to the line of automated machines and guided me with the process. Before getting a number, I had to punch in details of my desired transaction to one of the touch screen machines. Instead of money, it dispensed afterwards a piece of paper bearing a number.

Luckily, I did not wait long for my number to be called. When it was my turn, I merely gave the number to the teller and then some cash. And while she verified the name of the account to which I was depositing money, she's already printing the deposit receipt!

That was fast! As in fast! Apparently, with the encoding I did earlier in the automated machine, I did not have to fill up any form or slip as the details went straight to the bank's system.

All I can say is wow. If all banks had such system, banking would be more convenient, fast and not stressful at all.

So sorry if this may seem such an outdated and somewhat ignorant post for those who are BPI clients for so long, haha but as I've mentioned, I didn't have anything to do with BPI until today. I don't know when I'll be coming back to the bank again but I'm glad I had a wonderful experience with its system which deserves to be shared to everyone.:)

Happy banking!

************

For more info on Bank of the Philippine Islands, log on to www.bpi.com.ph

Banking hours is from 9am to 4:30pm.

I GOT MARRIED!

I know, i know. I've been really bad to this blog. I've neglected it for gaaaah 3 months! But hey, I have a valid and happy excuse for it. 

I.GOT.MARRIED! Yey!

During the preparation I was very hands on, mind you, I did the wedding coordination myself (bow!). So you could just imagine how I became very very very very very very busy! Hence, the neglect of this blog.

Anyway, I just dropped by to say that I may still be neglecting this blog in the coming days as I am now concentrating on my newest baby on cyberspace, this time focusing on the details of my wedding. 

A Rated DG Wedding

www.rateddgwedding.blogspot.com

As I've told you, I coordinated and arranged for my OWN wedding so I hope through my new blog, I would be able to help, in my little way, all beautiful brides-to-be out there with their preparations.:D

So for www.happinessofg.blogspot.com readers, I'll see you again soon, meantime, I hope to see you in my other site --- 

A Rated DG Wedding

www.rateddgwedding.blogspot.com

Happy newlyweds.:D

Consider my other site an extension of this blog. Anyway, there you shall be reading about something that brought happiness to me, G. Happiness that will surely last for my entire lifetime.:D 

1st EVER GRAND SALE OF ETUDE HOUSE PHILIPPINES this JUNE!:)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh for an Etude House uber fan like me, this is indeed HEAVEN!:D 

I'll let these posters (courtesy of Etude House Philippines) speak for their glorious selves.

As for me, I gotta go and prepare for the ULTIMATE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE!:D 

Wish me luck, hope I don't get bankrupt after this haha!:D

Etude House and Dara's Transformations :D

As endorser of Etude House, DARA of 2NE1 has undergone several transformations.

Most notable of which is her becoming MISS TANGERINE. Sporting short curly light brown locks, she showed us how to look playful and vibrant by putting on a color which many thought was "unwearable" --- orange.

.
And then in a blink of an eye, we see Dara shedding off the "juicy" image, to become the ALOHA GIRL! This time, with long dark brown hair, cherry lips, and bronzed skin that suit her very well.:) Thanks to Etude House's newest makeup line, Aloha Makeup Collection, which will be released in the Philippines soon. 

Between the two, I think I favor this tropical look over the other. Oh well, she looks CUTE as Miss Tangerine but in my opinion, she looks GORGEOUS as Aloha Girl! 

Based on Dara's photo, I say the new makeup collection would generally work for girls from the Philippines especially those who have "bronze" or tanned skin to begin with.:) That's why I'm so excited for the arrival of Aloha Makeup Collection. 

It seems ironic though that the collection reminds me of the beautiful "summer-y" island of Hawaii and now in the Philippines, the rainy season is beginning to make its presence felt.

photo grabbed from www.gohawaii.com

Haha but I don't care.            

I can be Aloha Girl any season of the year!:D

How about you, which do you like better - Dara as Miss Tangerine or as Aloha Girl?:)

Etude House says..."Put Your Hands Up!"

Etude House prides itself on being a TOTAL BEAUTY BRAND, addressing various beauty and skincare needs of Princesses and even Princes too!:D

And now, the brand takes a step further as it introduces products for the ARMPITS!:D These aren't available in the Philippines yet but one can take a preview of these products at one of the corners of the Nail Art Area in the new Etude House SM Megamall (located at Building B Upper Ground Floor).

I couldn't resist taking snapshots of these adorably packaged deos, with a very interesting, and I should say, funny name haha --- PUT YOUR HANDS UP! Come come come take a look and check out what I got from the label of each.

Put Your Hands Up Deo Perfume Mist (50 ml)

It restrains sweat and odor to keep freshness. It has delicate pearl and sweet floral scent.

Put Your Hands Up Deo Multi-powder (40g)

This multi-use powder keeps freshness by absorbing sweat.

Put Your Hands Up Deo Perfume Stick (40g)

This is a stick type deo restrains sweat, odor and keeps freshness with citrus scent.

Put Your Hands Up Deo Care Gel (50ml)

This product restrains sweat and odor with whitening and anti-wrinkle effect.

Knowing Etude House, these products should be very effective, just like the other products they carry.

Now I'm thinking, when these become available, I would probably try the Deo Gel first (yes, the whitening and anti-wrinkle benefit are definite come-on) I wonder how the gel would feel on my pits....hmmm cool perhaps? But for sure, it'll be a refreshing experience that would make me "put my hands up!"

Haha, can't wait!:D

Code B Dear Darling Ultra Firming Lips PK001

This is one of my favorite lipsticks from Etude House. Why?

1) I get moist and firm lips by using this.

2) In my opinion, this is very long-lasting compared to other Etude House lippies.

3) It has a nice pink shade that illuminates my face especially in my photos. The shade goes by the name Charisma Pink and I'm indeed charmed by it.

4) It goes well with my Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher in Lovely Pink (No.5)

5) It costs only P448 :D

I do wish this shade won't be discontinued by Etude House ever, as in ever...:D

Facial Cleaning at its Happiest with Etude House Happy Tea Time!

Now it's time to talk about Etude House Happy Tea Time Cleansing Foam. This product is actually one of the most inexpensive and practical items to purchase from Etude House, as it costs only P148 for a 120ml tube! If you're using it alone, 2x a day, still it will last you months as you need only a pea size to produce a rich bubbly lather for facial cleansing.

But aside from the price factor, what's good about this product is that it is effective and very pleasant to use. It has a nice soothing tea scent, depending on the variant. I've been using this since last year (I'm a Peach Tea loyalist haha) and not only does it make my face smooth and clean but it also makes my senses invigorated.

And because I love this product so much, last Christmas, I decided to let family and friends experience the joy of using it. I gave out several Happy Tea Time Cleansing Foam as gifts. I was lucky to get all variants despite the fact that many customers were hoarding too. For a while I was tempted to keep everything for myself but the goodness in me prevailed so I just took a photo of all the variants lined up together instead haha.

The Happy Tea Time Facial Foam Family :) From left to right - Milk Tea, Lemon Tea, Green Tea, Peach Tea and Aloe Tea

VARIANTS and USES:

GREEN TEA - For pore cleansing and oily shine relief 

MILK TEA - For moisturizing and soothing 

PEACH TEA - For brightening and clarifying 

LEMON TEA - For vitalizing and nourishing 

ALOE TEA - For moisturizing and promoting complexion health 

How about you? What's your favorite Happy Tea Time Cleansing Foam variant?:)

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Boyfie gets a Lip Makeover!:D (With Etude House Welcome to Wonder Lip Land)

Ok, so the truth is boyfie's lips are DRRRRRYYYYY and PALE and so I've decided to experiment with lip gloss to somehow "enliven" his puckers but not looking too gay haha :D I first applied ETUDE HOUSE COLOR ME NUDE lip concealer (costs P228 only) to make his lips look smoother, to hide blemishes on the lips and also to make the lip makeup long-lasting.

Photo courtesy of www.etudehouse.ph. I was so excited with the lip makeover that I only realized while posting this that I failed to take product shot of my Color Me Nude. ORIGINAL PHOTO to follow :D

I then layered three lip gloss colors from Etude House Welcome To Wonder Lip Land to achieve a fairly decent look for him.

 

I first applied lip gloss color c and then topped it with color d and then finally, lip gloss color f, my favorite among the lip gloss colors, as I've mentioned in my previous review on Etude House Welcome To Wonder Lip Land.

The result? Tadaaaaaaahhhhhh!:D  

What do you think? For me, it looks ok, at least his lips acquired color somehow but doesn't look gay nor too unnatural for a guy :D

Here's a picture of us together, see it looks natural, right? 

I'm just not sure if I could convince him to sport this lip look all the time haha, especially that he's not used to having gloss on his lips but for picture purpose, I'm just glad he relented to my idea haha :D

How about you have you tried giving your guy a makeover? If not yet, try it! It's really fun!:D 

Maybe, I should put eyeliner on him next time...hahahahahhahahahahhaa :D

The Ultimate Epitome of Cuteness...:)

'Twas in year 2007 when I posted this blog entry:

The ultimate epitome of CUTENESS..:)

Haven't seen them for a while but after some random surfing in the net, I chanced upon 
Forever Friends images, and now all I want to do is enter the monitor and hug these bears 
as tight as I could and be lost in their very own world of cuteness..:)

Four years later, the sentiment is pretty much the same. After another random surfing, a cute 
Forever Friends image popped into the screen and there I go again wanting to enter the monitor 
and hug these bears as tight as I could...awwwwww...the cuteness is overflowing, I simply am at
loss for words.

Now, I don't get to see merchandise or physical displays of these cuties too often in the 
Philippines. Oh wait, on second thought, I haven't actually seen one for the longest time, AT ALL!
 I'm not even sure if the  kids of today could even relate to Forever Friends. :(

Thank God, I've discovered www.foreverfriends.co.uk, the official Forever 
Friends site which I could visit everytime I want to have my fix of Forever Friends' cuteness 
overload. Moreover, I could send loved ones with cute FF cards, shop online for cute FF 
merchandise, download cute FF stuff like wallpaper, icons etc. , join fun games & contests 
and relive the cute history of how Forever Friends came to be.

And not only that, Forever Friends bears are on Facebook too! Well, you must have guessed by 

now that I've already LIKED Forever Friends Cute Bears Official Page.

And so for my 20-something year old self, Forever Friends bears remain to be a HAPPY 

reminiscence of my childhood and beyond.