When I lived in Dubai for 3 months last 2009, there’s a burger that I didn’t mind eating every single day.

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A little late for the party but hey — this haul’s too swell to miss!

I stashed up almost two weeks ago from the annual VMV Hypoallergenics Skin Soiree. Apart from the usual suspects, I also got dibs on their latest cosmeceuticals skin care line: Red Better.

VMV Hypoallergenics Red Better cosmeceuticals skin care line

In VMV Hypoallergenics’ endeavor to minimize costs and waste, they started packaging their products in these posh glue-less boxes (sexy cat legs not included):

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Hello hello. Just quickly breathing some life into this blog. As much as I’d love to kick start my story telling, it’s only today that I got to r-e-l-a-x like a boss (hence the title). I’ve been incredibly blessed — I opened 2012 Q2 with a new job! :) Same amazing company, different business unit. It’s the first time we’re bringing this business unit in the country reason why I’m really excited and ultimately passionate about it that I’ve been uhmmm parking my backlogs for a while (sorry!).

I welcomed Saturday with a prayer and a hefty lunch at Borough c/o our friends from Sueno de Espadrilles. I grew a mad migraine after lunch so I went to The Spa hoping it will cure all the nasty kinks I’ve been feeling on my shoulders. If you haven’t tried the Crystalline Skin Body Treatment, you must book a slot stat. Hands down: best 90min treatment I’ve had in ages. The Php 1900 bill I settled was absolutely worth it.

Like a true boss ala-Mad Men (I’m hooked on this series!), I’m now drinking dark lager in a steak room while waiting for my girlfriends and their husbands (I feel old!) for our much awaited Mafia dinner. Could things be any better?

I hope your weekend’s as lovely as mine.

xx,

Phoebe

Are you looking for a lightweight facial serum and liquid foundation duo? Sounds like finding a needle in the haystack but our friends from Max Factor found a way to heed this need with their new product called Ageless Elixir 2 In 1 Foundation + Serum.

The silky-soft fluid formula gives effortless coverage of fine lines and wrinkles whilst the the serum with SPF 15 works to protect against daily UV damage. The result? A beautiful finish today. A naturally flawless skin for tomorrow.

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Once (twice if I’m unlucky) a year, my skin goes on absolute, wild haywire. This usually happens every summer when sweat doesn’t bead off profusely and causes an awful baby rash followed by mild sweat acne on my hairline, chest and ugghhh neck. I think I need not explain any further because the picture’s pretty clear — it feels like I’m back in sophomore high. *bawls*

When this happens I usually run to my dermatologist or VMV Hypoallergenics. It needs more TLC than the usual cocktail I get the rest of the year so I load up on either topical antibiotics, beta-hydroxy acid, or salicylic acid. What I like about this combo’s that it zaps all the nasty bumps without leaving a trace behind (read: no stubborn burnt, brown spots after). For this bout, VMV won over my dermatologist because it’s more accessible (it’s available in all of the malls I go to) and frankly, my dermatologist’s prescription burns and stings and the full blown summer heat doesn’t make this quite a feat.

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Facial Care Centre’s nothing but golden in my beauty black book. Long before I became a client, Mother Goose has frequented to their Solid Mills Building branch (which I think transferred operations to GT Tower). My Friday routine in the mid to late 90s would include me and Gov picking her up from Facial Care Centre where she’d usually have 2-3 treatments done in one go. She’s such a swell fan that I wasn’t quite surprised when upon graduating from college, she actually gifted me with a treatment program designed to calm my post-thesis and OJT stressed skin. It’s safe to say that for both of us, no one does soothing and anti-aging treatments better than Facial Care Centre.

Not too long ago, Facial Care Centre opened another branch in the east aptly situated in Eastwood. They invited me to try out a treatment program I never had before so you guessed it — I immediately said yes.

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Except when I’m out of town, my Monday mornings are dedicated to my brushes being deep cleansed (or bathed). I used to do it 2-3x a week until time became a huge constraint reason why I had to resort to other cleaning and sanitizing means. My first HG brush cleaner’s Cinema Secrets until I discovered other brands that are more locally accessible and affordable namely MAC, shu uemura, and Parian Spirit.

What usually greets me every Monday morning — very dirty brushes!

I discovered the Parian Spirit Professional Makeup Brush Cleaner three years ago in a gig with an old friend. I had my Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner housed in an atomizer and I was spraying and drying my precious brushes in between sets until I caught a whiff off what she’s using. It smelled so citrusy good and I was amazed on how efficient it was in getting rid of foundation stains on her MAC 190. It wasn’t locally available back then so I had another friend buy me my first bottle in the US. For three years in a row, I haven’t used any other brush cleaner apart from Parian Spirit.

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