Everyday Make Up

No, this is not a make up tutorial.  I leave it up to the experts.  But I would like to share with you this everyday make up tutorial I found.  

Danah and Stacy of the Plumpinay featured her in their blog.  I can say, she is not only talented when it comes to make up, she is very inspiring as well for all the "fiercely-real" sized women out there (to quote Tyra Banks).

Say hi to Teena!

I got inspired by her that I bought new eyeshadows so that I can follow what she did in the video.  I can't even wait for tomorrow to try it out.  So even though I'm working from home today, I did my make up!!! HAHAHA!!!

PS: I really enjoyed her videos.  She is so quirky and fun!

Here are my tools to achieve the look.

Maybelline Shine Free Face Powder in Natural
Maybelline Lip Smooth Color Bloom in Pink Bloom
Maybelline Gel Eyeliner in Black
Maybelline Cat Eyes Mascara in Black (not in picture)
Dream Girl by 4u2 Shining Thru Cheek Color in #1
ELF Brightening Eye Color in Butternut
ELF Eyelid Primer in Sheer

I'm so happy with the result :)  Thank you so much Teena for your help!!!

Gotta Love: Dress Up 13 -- Stripes and Gray

This was what I wore last Friday and it was casual day at the office.  Never thought that orange and gray can go together. :)

Blouse: Forever 21

Skirt: Just G

Bangles: Parfois

I love how my shoes make my legs look longer (well, at least from my perspective :P)

Shoes: VNC

Finally, I have renewed my love for lipsticks.  I just pre-ordered 6 today.  Haha!  Promise to blog about it once the package arrives.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Antwerp available at Digital Traincase

Yummy for the Tummy: Seven Corners Buffet Lunch

Of all the buffets that I tried, this I can say is the best I have ever been to.  First time I tried it, really loved overall experience.

Seven Corners is located at Crowne Plaza in Ortigas, just beside Robinson's Galleria.  Why the name, you might ask?  Based from what I read, this is because of the seven interactive kitchens that they set up.  But for me, it can be summed up into American, Italian, Thai, Indian, Japanese, Desserts and Appetizers, and Bread.  I'll take you through each one as I share with you some of the pictures that I took.

Velada Tomasina

So bummed that I would not be able to join my alma mater's celebration this year.  The University of Sto. Tomas (UST) will be celebrating it's 401st foundation day this week.  And tomorrow will be Velada Tomasina, a living tableau that shows the University of Santo Tomas in the perspective of the cultural milieu of Old Manila at the turn of the 19th century.  Students are encouraged to wear period costumes.  They will be putting up life sized tarpaulins all over the Benavides Park.  Life sized standies of Emilio Jacinto, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, and other prominent figures who studied in UST during the 19th century will be placed.  A fiber glass representation of Jose Rizal will also be placed in the park.  How cool is that?!

I encourage my fellow Thomasians to attend this once in a lifetime event.  Post many pictures for us to see, ok? :)

PS:  Please visit Clickers Photobar at the University Fair to get your souvenir pictures and for some photobooth fun!!!

More information on this event at http://www.facebook.com/VeladaTomasina

Gotta Love: Dress Up 12 -- Buffet

Boyfriend and I planned to eat at our number one buffet place last Saturday.  We've only eaten there twice and it immediately became a favorite the first time.  

What you wear at a buffet is crucial.  HAHAHA!  You need to have enough space for your tummy to breathe after all the eating you are about to do.  

So here's what I wore that day.  Funny thing though is that, I was wearing the same thing when we ate there last year.  Favorite food goes with favorite clothing :)

Blouse: Forever 21
Shorts: Forever 21
Shoes: Australian

I've worn these shorts lots of times already.  It's my favorite because it makes my legs look longer.  The blouse is a bit see through so I wore a cream tank top underneath.

Longchamp Le Pliage in Bilberry

Sorry for the blurred picture.  I moved while the picture was taken.

As for my accessories, I wore some vintage looking necklace, bracelet, and ring.  

PS: See how bloated my tummy was?  I ate a lot during lunch and I was not able to hide it.  Hahaha!  Promise to blog about this awesome place soon.

Ring and Necklace: from bazaars
Bracelet: gift from cousin

Gotta Love: Dress Up 11 -- Jump!

Jumpsuit, that is!  Haha!  I won't really jump in high heels :)  Got this pretty jumpsuit from Bayo.  I love it because I don't have to think of what top or bottom I have to pair it with.  Only downside is the effort to go to the bathroom :P

One piece jumpsuit: Bayo
Suede Pumps: Figlia

Kept my accessories at a minimum since I was going to the office.

Chandelier earrings: Gift from cousin

Necklace: Simple Joys

Playing with my camera before leaving for work :)

NYX Round Lipstick in Fig available at DigitalTraincase

Yummy for the Tummy: Red Kimono

Somehow, the idea of a sit down buffet excites me.  No waiting in line to get your food.  No frustrations of getting to table only to find that the food you like best ran out.  And best of all, no beating other people to the tempura!

That's why I enjoy eating at Red Kimono.  Their "Better than Buffet" is really an experience you should try.  You get to have buffet but served ala carte.  You can be assured that the food is served fresh from the kitchen.

Now priced at 595 pesos (about $14, plus 10% service charge), you can enjoy all your Japanese favorites with a modern touch.

They only have one rule: guests should order at least one serving of gohan or fried rice per person, or one kettle of kamameshi rice which is good for one to two persons.  After that, you may order as much as you like!

Now, time to show you my favorites! Warning: may make you hungry after seeing these pictures.  Carry on if you dare.  Haha!

Yummy For The Tummy: Sentro

The past holidays were all about friends and family.  Almost everyday of my one week break were full of meet ups and dine outs.  

We met up with old office mates at Sentro 1771 Greenbelt.  This restaurant specializes in Filipino dishes, but with a twist.  It's only my second time to eat there (first one was back in 2007).  Here's what we ordered.

For appetizer, we ordered Fried Kesong Puti (made from carabao's milk).  I'm not sure if I really liked it because I like the cheese to be salty.  I guess it was ok.

This is the house specialty, Sinigang na Corned Beef.  This one I liked very much.  Be sure to order this early since it runs out fast!  We were only able to order one serving.

Crispy Pork Spareribs

Among all of the main dishes that we ordered, this one is my favorite.  It's so yummy even without the dipping sauce.

Here's the rest of what we ate.

Tilapia Fillet in Coconut Milk

Fried Chicken Cutlets

Garlicky Adobo

Ok, this is not part of the menu, but you are too cute and I just wanna gobble you up!!!

I had a good dining experience overall.  The food were delicious but pricey (about 500 per head).  I think I'll only eat here for super special occasions.  But it was indeed special, because of the friends we spent the day with.

Chef Frustrations: Katsudon

Konichiwa!  I've always loved Teriyaki Boy's Katsudon.  BF always orders it whenever we eat there.  So it got me thinking, why not try it out for myself. So with Google as my guide, here's my own version.

Ingredients that you'll need:

Tonkatsu 

Dashi

Mirin

Leeks

Onions

Eggs

Kikkoman Soy Sauce

Nori

Panko Bread Crumbs

The differentiating factor for this dish is the mirin, Japanese sweet rice wine.  I found one at Rustan's supermarket.

Here are the steps to prepare the tonkatsu, which is deep fried breaded pork.  First, marinate the pork with salt and pepper.

Dip the pork in flour, beaten eggs, and bread crumbs.  Fry until golden brown then cut it into strips.

Next prepare the broth.  Since I can't find dashi anywhere and it's hard to make one,  I just used Knorr Beef Cube (as advised by my good friend Richard).  Prepare 4 cups of water and dissolve the buillon cube.  Add in about 2/3 cup of Kikkoman soy sauce and 1 cup of mirin.  Add in the leeks, strips of nori, and onions.  Bring to a boil then set aside.

To assemble,  place about half a cup of the onion mixture in a pan.  Place in one beaten egg.  Stir once and wait until egg is cooked.  Place the slices of pork on top of cooked rice.  Top with the egg mixture.

This is a bit time consuming since I did it one serving at a time.  The result: a whopping 8/10 rating from bf.  Good enough for my first time!

Itadakimasu!

Fashion Spotlight: Monique Lhuillier Pre-Fall 2012

The collection came out a few weeks ago and I totally forgot to blog about this (memory gap :P).  Anyway,  I am so proud as a Pinay of Monique and what she has achieved.  First making her way as a designer of wedding gowns, her creations are now being sought after by big names in Hollywood for their red carpet events.  

For her pre-fall collection, most of it have blue as the dominant color.  Other highlights included black and cream.  I love how she was able to combine these colors.  I like how her daytime looks can inspire women to dress up more for office.  What did catch my attention were her formal looks. 

Here are my favorites (picture taken from Style.com application)

I absolutely love how the colors blend into each other

Who would have known that blue and cream works together?