With Lipton, the PossibiliTEAS are Endless!

As a kid, I would watch my Grandma prepare tea for my Dad and my uncles every Sunday. She would make it the traditional way, like boil a kettle of water, scoop tea leaves from a jar, and then later filter those tea leaves before serving. It was their habit to drink tea at home every Sunday because that's the only time they get to just stay home and relax from work. Fast forward to today: I'm glad that now we have the convenience of having tea anytime, anywhere we could possibly want.


Lipton Yellow Label Tea is made from 100% tea leaves so you get natural tea goodness every time. One great quality of this tea is that it contains Theanine (which is naturally contained in black tea leaves). Theanine helps bring you a relaxed state of mind.

Whenever you feel stuck and need to feel relaxed and alert, choose tea instead to freshen your mind and body!

Bring along these small tea bags for instant refreshments!

One cold and rainy afternoon, I was stuck at home and suddenly HIRAMEKI came across me. The word "HIRAMEKI" means "Get inspired". I got it from Lipton's box. XD So I decided to make my own blend of milk tea!

STEP 1: On a cup of boiled water, add the Lipton tea bag and let it brew for 3 to 5 minutes. Personally, I prefer having it brewed for 3 minutes so the taste won't be so strong.

Remove the tea bag before the next step. Old tea bags can be used as a deodorizer for the refrigerator.

STEP 2: Add milk or creamer. The recommended amount would be 1/4 cup of milk, but this depends on your taste. You can add more if you like! (I added the milk first before sugar because I might overdo the sugar, and I prefer more milk than sugar.)


STEP 3: Add sugar to taste. Make sure to stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Now we're done! Cheers to homemade milk tea! I added butter cookies on the side, too.

I admit, I am not so creative when it comes to DIY stuff. I prefer taking things as they originally are. Before, if you give me a tea bag, I would have just used it alone. Not this time though, because with Lipton, the possibiliTEAS are endless!

Have you had tea today? Try making your own blend of milk tea (or fruit tea)! Like Lipton Philippines on Facebook for more recipes. :)

Love,
Helen

UPDATE: Fashion Rev Manila is Postponed to Nov. 19 & 20

Due to Pedring and the current weather situation, Metro Episode Casting and Events Management had chosen to postpone Fashion Rev Manila Bazaar to November 19 & 20, 2011 (Saturday and Sunday), same time and same venue at 10AM -10PM at the Megatent, Meralco Avenue, Ortigas.

Love,

Helen

Cheap Thrill: KFC Streetwise Spoonfuls

I've found something that managed to make me smile amidst the gloomy dark skies and rain outside - it's KFC Streetwise Spoonfuls! I love desserts and anything sweet, so the moment I saw this in the store menu, I knew that I had to get it. I love that KFC has expanded their dessert options, because now they have 4 variants of Streetwise Spoonfuls and the classic Brownie.

At only P29.00 a cup, now you can indulge everyday!

Mango Cheesecake

This one is my favorite! It has just the right amount of sweetness to it. However, I find the topmost syrup/fruit layer too thin. But it's okay, because you really can't complain for its price. I like this one and I would buy this again when I go to KFC.

Chocolate Mousse

This one is a classic. I remember this already being sold before but on a wider and flatter cup which was then P40.00. The price has decreased and so has its size. They could have been more generous with the candy sprinkles on top so this dessert would look cuter. I find the topmost whipped cream layer too thick and a bit bland, but I love the chocolate mousse part of this dessert. This one is a typical chocolate mousse cup.

Streetwise Spoonfuls come in 4 great flavors:

Chocolate Mousse

Choco Banana Pie

Chocolate Tiramisu

Mango Cheesecake

Have you tried these yet? Which one did you like most? Mine is Mango Cheesecake. :)

Love,

Helen

The Body Shop Makeover + BDJ Rendezvous + Chicken Charlie + Dezaato Pan

This is the continuation of my post for yesterday. When I found out that my wallet got stolen after I went down the bus, I was thinking if I should go home instead or continue on going to Makati. When I checked my bag, I found out that I still had my ATM cards, MRT card, LRT card, some money, and LYB card + P300.00 beauty cash with me. Well, instead of going home and being sad all day, I decided to continue on with my activities for the day.

My first stop was The Body Shop in Glorietta. I arrived there a little over 12NN, with a bare face, ready for my makeover! I signed up the day before for a free makeover by Via. She represented the Philippines for The Body Shop Make-up Competition for Asia Pacific 2011. She's such a great makeup artist. We were making chika about our lives and makeup, and she told me that while she was a kid, she already did makeup for her neighbors. She discovered her passion at an early age and I admire her for that. For me, she's still the winner in the makeup competition!

For the look she did on me, she used the Extra Virgin Minerals Cream Compact Foundation SPF 15 in 202 Natural Vanilla for a matte finish. (So that was really my shade, since I also used that one in the workshop.) After that, the Lightening Touch pen was used on my dark under-eye circles. She also taught me how to fill in my brows. First she drew on the outer corners of my brows using an eyebrow pencil to mark where the eyebrows would end. Then for the rest of my brows she used eyebrow powder. For eyeshadow, neutral shades of brown were use just to emphasize the crease. Eyeliner pencil and non-waterproof mascara (by request) finished the eye makeup. The blush she used on me was also from the Italian Baked Makeup line I used in the workshop. For the lips, I'm not sure if it was shade 69 from the Colorglide Lipsticks, but it was a bright pink shade (almost fuchsia). I loved the bright lip color!

Thanks for the makeover, Via! ♥

After the makeover, I finally bought the Elderflower Unperfumed Eye Gel (P395.00). I used the P300.00 Beauty Cash and just added P95.00. I will review it soon so do watch out for it!

I headed to The Ramp, Crossings for the Belle De Jour (BDJ) Rendezvous after having my makeup done. When I got there, the ladies were already having their human bingo sheets signed. I was kind of late, but I tried to ask for people to sign the paper I had, but got lazy. Haha.


There were 4 speakers for the event: Kat Dy (former Fashion Editor of Cosmopolitan), Jasmine Mendiola (our host for the day, and a regular host/speaker for BDJ events), Kris Bacani (professional makeup artist), and Donna Cuna-Pita (also a former Fashion Editor for Cosmopolitan). They gave us tips on how to break free from our fears and put our game face on with every situation we may encounter.

In every BDJ event, there are raffles and contests. Since my friends and I were at the back row, we did not stand a chance in joining the games because once the hosts announced that she needed volunteers in front, ladies would almost always run to the front. So active right? Also for the raffle, I did not win anything this time. It's really not my day! XD

Khamz, Helen, Ria

This was our merienda! I liked the hotdog covered in bacon. Yummy!

After the BDJ Rendezvous, I went to Banawe to meet my boyfriend for dinner. We ate at Chicken Charlie. It was our first time to try out that restaurant.


The restaurant is so small, and it's always packed. We were lucky to have come earlier, we spotted an empty table for 2.

Chicken Charlie Combo: 2 Drumsticks + 4 Wings (P197.00)

We ordered the Chicken Charlie Combo (2 Drumsticks + 4 Wings) in Soy Garlic sauce. It was so delicious. I never eat chicken skin and chicken wings, but when it is cooked like this, I will eat them all up and eat up your share too. >:) The chicken skin was so crispy, mildly sweet and salty. One thing I did not like about this restuarant was that their serving of plain rice was expensive, P20 for a super duper small scoop of rice (I had to eat 3 to 4 scoops of this), but we had no choice but to order it since we wanted rice with our chicken.

After the meal, we had dessert from Dezaato Pan - 2 slices of Choco Banana Mousse Cake. This is the same cake I got from my birthday last month, only smaller.

Choco Banana Mousse Cake (P80.00)
Layers of chocolate sponge cake, banana, and chocolate mousse topped with thick chocolate ganache, decorated with chocolate rosette and Dezaato Pan's chocolate coin.

This cake was very heavy on the stomach. We could have shared just one slice and be satisfied already. The cake was decorated so pretty, I did not want to wreck it. The cake had a thick chocolate layer on top which was very sweet. Be ready with a tall glass of water when eating this. The chocolate sponge cake was moist and delicious. I could distinctly taste the banana and the chocolate. The layers of mousse added texture to the cake. There were also small slices of real fruit inside. If you're up for a fruity, chocolatey treat, this one is a must try!

Food makes me feel better. Tried and tested! :D How was your weekend? I hope you enjoy the rest of it because it will be Monday again tomorrow. :|

Love,
Helen

Never Use a Bag Without Zipper

My wallet got stolen earlier today while riding a bus. I never thought that it would happen to me since I'm always careful when commuting. It was before lunch when I was on my way to the Belle De Jour Rendezvous in Glorietta, and I had to ride a bus to get to the North Avenue MRT station. My bus ride was just a short one, it was even less than 5 minutes and things happened so fast. I sat beside a lady who looked harmless. Actually, the people around me looked harmless so I just though that it was another normal bus ride. While I was about to go down the bus, the man in front of me was so weird, he went near the bus door as if to exit, and then went up to the aisle again. I thought "he's so weird, he's blocking my way!" and somehow, nasiksik ako sa may aisle. The men seemed to did not want to give me space to move so I got irritated and hurriedly went off the bus. When I was going up the MRT stairs, I could not find my wallet anymore. I felt so stupid for buying and using a bag without a zipper. Bags without zippers are not made for the Philippines! I also did not feel anyone touching my bag so I did not know that I was already being robbed. I feel so sad. My consolation was that my ATM cards, The Body Shop Love Your Body Card + P300 beauty cash + vouchers (I'm such a fan), and some cash were not in my wallet at that time. I lost the money which I budgeted for the next 2 weeks, plus some membership and discount cards. Good thing I do not have a credit card. Also, good thing my cellphone and camera were not stolen. I try to see that as a positive side to what happened today. I'm sort of thankful that no one pointed a weapon at me to steal my stuff or tried to harm me.

I learned my lesson:
(1) It pays to be paranoid, cynical, and suspicious of the people around you when commuting. Those that look harmless are the ones that will steal from you. Thieves don't dress jejemon and they look normal, so normal that they blend in any crowd.
(2) People will severe needs or those just plain evil and without conscience will take advantage of you. They don't care if you worked hard for your money. They will just take what they can.

I hope someday I won't have to ride crappy buses or any form of mass public transportation anymore. It's so unsafe to commute here in the Philippines. I also hope that those who steal will have severe punishment, like have their hands severed (which serves the purpose perfectly, so they can't steal any more stuff from anyone).

Whenever it's -ber months already, crime rates rise. Maybe the thieves need money to spend in celebrating Christmas season. But how proud can they be with themselves when they serve food and give gifts that came from the money they stole? It's just pathetic.

Always be careful, no matter where you may be. I wish what happened to me won't ever happen to you.

Love,
Helen

The Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals Workshop + Love Your Body Membership Upgrade

Last night, I went to The Body Shop's Love Your Body Workshop. I've been waiting for this since they launched their Extra Virgin Minerals Line just last week. I was not able to attend the launch last Saturday in SM The Block, so I had to attend this workshop to experience the latest makeup from The Body Shop. I went there together with my friend from elementary class (I think it was way back from Grade 4), Jessica! We finally got to see each other after x number of years. So yeah, we had a reunion in The Body Shop!

Good thing I got there early! I was able to settle down and take some pictures of their display in store.

Their new window display showcased the latest mineral makeup range, the Extra Virgin Minerals.

The Body Shop is also offering a bigger and better Love Your Body Rewards Programme. Visit their stores now for a free upgrade of your Love Your Body membership! See more details at the end of my post.

The new Extra Virgin Minerals line is suitable for all skin types, even sensitive and acne-prone skin. There are 3 products in this line of mineral makeup, with 8 shades for each type of foundation.

Extra Virgin Minerals Cream Compact Foundation SPF 15

"Created from a unique blend of 100% ultra-fine, ultra-pure mineral pigments and 100% Community Fair Trade Italian cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, this foundation blends on like a cream and miraculously transforms to a light-weight matte finish to give a medium to full coverage."

This one intrigued me the most! I was always hesitant to use mineral makeup in its loose powder form because I find it messy. I guess this is the answer to my woes! It's a creamy foundation that comes in a compact form, and it includes a perfectly shaped brush that glides effortlessly to give an immaculate and matte finish. My first impression on this is that it looked kind of oily in it's pan (and I have oily skin), but when I did a swatch on my hand, it turned to a matte, powdery finish in an instant. I also like how soft the brush is; we all know how soft The Body Shop brushes are! I'm just not sure with its lasting power and after how long it will take for my face to oil up (because of its thick texture) since I've just swatched this once.

Extra Virgin Minerals Liquid Foundation SPF 30

"Extra Virgin Minerals Liquid Foundation is made from an exclusive combination of pure mineral pigments and Community Fair Trade extra virgin olive oil and marula oil, creating a wonderfully blendable foundation, which is light and comfortable to wear and offers all-day hydration, 14 hours of skin moisturization."

If you're after a fresh look, use this liquid foundation! It is a breeze to apply. I love it's light texture - so light that when you put some on your hand and tilt it, the foundation will flow instantly. This foundation is easy to blend, buildable, and it gives a light to medium coverage. Also, this liquid foundation has the highest SPF in all The Body Shop cosmetics, having SPF 30.

Extra Virgin Minerals Loose Powder Foundation

"Made with 100% ultra-fine, ultra-pure mineral pigments, this long-lasting premium loose foundation powder applies evenly and blends easily to give a natural-looking complexion with a radiant finish."

If you're after a radiant finish, this light, loose powder foundation is the one for you. This has light reflecting pigments (like microscopic mirrors) that make you look healthy and radiant. This gives a light coverage, and you won't feel and look like you're wearing any makeup on. It is also great for when you want to set liquid foundation. However, I still don't like the classic loose powder form (when it comes to any makeup). A lot of product sticks to the brush and it scatters; or maybe I'm just not used to it.

One thing that got me curious is this color shade wheel. It will help you determine the shade and type of foundation that's suitable for you.

STEP 1: CHOOSE YOUR SHADE (Mine is 202 Natural Vanilla for fair skin)
STEP 2: CHOOSE THE FINISH YOU'D LIKE (Radiant, therefore liquid foundation)

So what exactly happens during a Love Your Body Workshop?

Complete skincare lines of different variants were displayed on the table for us to share. There were also tissues, cotton pads, sponges, and brush sets for us to use. Since many ladies attended, the brush sets were not enough so some had to share. Good thing I brought my own brushes! Can you say girl scout?

First step was the skin preparation. We did the 5-step skincare routine, which involved a cleanser, toner, eye serum, face serum, and moisturizer. I have oily skin, but the Tea Tree line dried out my skin before, so I used Seaweed instead. I used the Seaweed Purifying Facial Cleanser to remove existing makeup and dirt. It's so easy to use! It's just like cold cream (only more watery and fresh-smelling). Dab some on your face, massage, and wipe it off. Rinsing with water is optional, but since we did not have any faucets and sinks in the store, we just wiped it off with cotton pads. After that, I used the Seaweed Clarifying Toner to thoroughly remove all traces of dirt left behind. I like the Seaweed range because it smells so clean and fresh, and it's gentle on my skin.


It was my first time to try the Moisture White Shiso Eye Serum. It had a lighter texture compared to the classic eye cream, and it is easily absorbed. No stinging occurred when I applied it all over my eye area. It left my eye area well moisturized.


The Vitamin C Skin Boost is a serum that provides instant smoothing radiance for dull skin (me!). I loved the idea of rubbing Vitamin C all over my face because I feel like my skin will have it's dose of orange juice. This one felt so velvety on my skin, though I can't tell the brightening effect since I just used this once. It had a pleasant scent, and it left my skin feeling soft and smooth.


The last step was moisturizing. I used the Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion SPF 15. I have the Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream at home. This moisturizer was easily absorbed by the skin.

Since I'm lazy with skincare, I seldom do this 5-step thing. After doing all that, I almost did not want to put anything on my face anymore since I wanted to go home and sleep. But then I remembered that I was in that workshop to play with their new mineral makeups. Haha!

This was the type of foundation I wanted to use, but all the shades that reached our side of the tables were all dark shades so I used the liquid foundation instead.

So many shades to choose from! I was also happy with using liquid foundation since this is the type of foundation I am accustomed to.

I used the shade 202 Natural Vanilla. For some reason, I love it when the word "vanilla" is used as a shade name. It sounds so yummy and creamy.

These were the makeup that I used in the workshop. For the face, I used liquid foundation and set it with loose powder foundation. For the eyes, I asked to use the blue shimmer cube since I didn't feel like using neutral shades that time. I found it hard to use neutral shades like peach and brown because the colors does not show on my skin unlike the blue one that pops! I used my eyeshadow brush to line my lower and upper eyelids, a light brown shade for the outer corners of the eyes to neutralize the strong blue shade, then black pencil eyeliner to complete the look. I skipped mascara since I forgot to bring my own. For the cheeks, I used the Italian Baked Blush, and for the lips, Colorglide lipstick (which is now at 40% off!).

The Love Your Body Team decided to choose the top 5 makeup looks, and I was lucky to be part of it because they though that the blue eyeshadow look was creative! It's my first time to win in this kind of activity. :D

Inside the mini-loot bag were samples of the Nutriganics Smoothing Serum. Yey! Thanks, The Body Shop!

Ms. Moira from Love Your Body, Jessica from Fashionista MD, Mary Ann from Peppermint Crinkles, Ms. Pie, and Ms. Chuchie

The Friendly Staff of The Body Shop SM North (Main)

For Love Your Body members, the Extra Virgin Minerals are at P200 off plus 10% off on your net purchase. :)

Before I end this post, I'd like to share with you the latest news from The Body Shop's Love Your Body Rewards Programme. They're having a free upgrade for existing members. Just visit any The Body Shop store from September 16 to October 16, 2011 to avail of the free upgrade.

"Visit any store before October 16, 2011 for your free membership upgrade and we'll convert any unredeemed vouchers to the new voucher value. Plus, we'll round up any unredeemed reward points to the nearest ten. You can exchange these upgraded rewards for LYB Money and use them to pay for your purchases at The Body Shop."

The new rewards system is better. Every P100 spent earns you 5 points. Each point is equivalent to P1. More points earned for every purchase means more shopping credits for later!


Upon upgrading, you will receive a P300 Beauty Cash which you can use to purchase any regular-priced skincare product. New members who sign up will get this as well! (A single-receipt purchase of P1,500 will automatically give you free membership, or you may opt to pay P300 for the membership that is valid for 1 year).

I was thinking of what to buy with the Beauty Cash, and Ms. Moira of Love Your Body told me she got the Elderflower Unperfumed Eye Gel (P395). So with the Beauty Cash, looks like I'll be getting myself a new eye gel tomorrow! :D

If you're an existing member with stamps on your old Rewards Card, they will be converted to vouchers with higher value!

My new Rewards Card is ready to be stamped! :D

So there, visit any The Body Shop store and upgrade your membership ASAP. Also join the workshops so you could maximize your membership. Their workshops are fun and you get to learn lots of beauty tips from them. If you happen to see me in one of their future workshops, please say hi! :)

Love,
Helen

Does Size Really Matter?

For me, it does! Especially when it comes to food. I love (and more like need) big servings for my hefty appetite! Last weekend, I got a taste of one big burger that changed the way I saw burgers forever.

One of the sponsor companies in Blogapalooza was Size Matters. They are known for their flame-grilled sausage burgers which I haven't tried until then. They served us snacks and I got a Hungarian Sausage Burger. Chow time!

Hungarian Sausage Burger (1/4lb, P125.00; 1/2lb P199.00)
Pork sausage patty served with mayo, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes in an oat bun.

I've tried lots of beefy burgers before, but it's my first time to taste one made from sausage. It had a different texture; it's more chewy and very tasty. It's just like a sausage formed into a patty, made into one huge burger!

Next time if someone asks you if size matters, now you know the answer...

It really does!

Size Matters
3/F #186 Tomas Morato cor. Scout De Guia, Q.C.
Store Hours: Sun-Thu: 11AM-11PM | Fri-Sat: 11AM-1AM
For bulk orders, pick-ups, and cookout parties, call 413-87-15.
Delivery: 2121212
Like them on Facebook: Size Matters Sausage Burgers

We will definitely visit this restaurant soon!

Love,
Helen