My first BDJ Box

Belle de Jour box -- beauty bounty!

I am a beauty blogger wannabe. I really envy those girls that have the time and energy to try all those kikay stuff (and actually know how to use them and look good at the same time!) and give riveting and honest reviews. It's fun to browse these blog sites whenever I need a little pick me up :o)

I would call myself a low maintenance gal that has a kikay heart. I would also call myself lazy and impatient. This is why I can't keep up a beauty regimen aside from cleanse, tone (sometimes), moisturize (when I remember). My daily make up consists of mineral foundation/ powder and tinted lip balm. I put blush and eye liner when I feel a little bit special. I can't stand long facials or long hours at the salon (so my hair is super short).

BUT, I love looking at beauty stuff and always wonder how it is for those other kikay girls. I have been a fan of the Belle de Jour diaries since their first planner in 2009 (was it 2009? of course I hardly use the beauty coupons, I guess am really a beauty lurker , lol) . So when I heard about the BDJ Box , a monthly subscription to a sampler of the latest beauty (skincare, haircare, etc) products, I just had to try it out. 

My December-January box came in the middle of an office day , immediately brightening my so-so day. It was surprisingly small, but I loved the colour of the box! Salmon pink and gray. I am also a reuse and recycle junkie so the durability of the box had plus points ;-)

The contents of the box did not disappoint me. Lots of interesting stuff that came in small samplers: Here's a list and my first impressions.

1. Pevonia Botanica Phyto Gel Cleanser

2. Pantene Pro-V All Day Smooth Miracle Water (a full size bottle) - I use David's Serum and am almost out. I can use this.

3. Etude House Moistfull Collagen Trial Kit (Emulsion and Freshener) -- am intrigued with the hype over Korean stuff, will try this.

4. Britney Spears Radiance Fragrance -- too musky and strong for me. I guess Britney and I don't have the same taste. Lol.

5. Snoe Beauty Beso Balm - I am a fan of Snoe Emu Facial Wash and their Hair Heroes line. I am now also trying out their powder foundation (taking a break from my tried and tested Ellana powder)  I still have my favourite Venus and Mars lip balm so maybe I ask someone else to check this out.

6. Flormar Supershine Nail Enamel (i guess this is full size nail polish -- in shocking red!) - I hope they named the colours. This is nail polish made in Turkey , and the shocking red intrigued me so I am wearing it now as I type, he he. I am not used to having nail polish so this would probably come off soon -- but I will post photos.

Discount vouchers !

7. Flormar Long Wearing Lipstick (standard size lipstick-- again in shocking red!) -- I don't think really red looks good on me. I am more of the earth tone , natural kind of lipstick wearer. My mom likes it so let's see ...

8. Tony Moly Broccoli Sprout Cleansing Cream -- broccoli? hmmm...

9. Tony Moly Tomatox Magic White Massage Pack (2 sachets) -- not a fan of whitening products , though none of them really work so maybe I can try this without risking looking artificially pale.




There are also discount vouchers from Browhaus , Etude House, Azta Salon, and Tony Moly.



So there we go. Stand by for my amateur reviews of these products. BTW , if there are any beauty bloggers or experts reading this -- I volunteer to be your makeover mission ;-) Feel free to comment and tell me how all this is done!

Curves Gym @ Serendra: Found my match

Curves at 2F Serendra, Bonifacio Global City

After over a month of being an active Curves member, I believe it's time to talk about it. I am very happy with my Curves experience, and amazed how I have kept at it for more than a month already. I am notorious for not keeping up with working out!



I've always promised to become healthier, more active, and to be disciplined about trying to lose weight. I will download exercise programs and will start with much enthusiasm, only to find myself unmotivated after 2-3 weeks. One slip-up again leads me to a 3 month hibernation until I see very bad, very big photos of myself, which prompts me too download yet another exercise program or buy a new health book… and then the whole cycle starts again.

What's worse is that this roller coaster ride is always punctuated with times where I try to make excuses and convince myself that, "I am beautiful the way I am." Allow me to become brutally honest with myself then. What's beauty without health? I live a sedentary, lazy lifestyle with bad eating habits. I knew I had to exercise not only to lose weight , but just to enjoy overall wellness !

I decided I had to get "outside" help, and to really pick something that will motivate me. I knew that relying on a gym buddy wouldn't work for me. I had gym buddies before who quit going to gym before I did, so eventually, I quit too. Then I also had an experience with one possible gym buddy who was too pushy for my taste :oP . I know, I know, I am too picky. But the solution was really to be motivated by myself first so I can stick to my own commitment.

I have always been intrigued by a gym called Curves. When I was in a study program in the US, one of my host moms was a member and had a lot of purple Curves stuff. Then, I saw that we had it here in the Philippines. The only Curves in the Philippines is located in Serendra, Bonifacio Global City. I was initially worried about what it might cost me, but when I inquired they offered me a free workout first. Well, why not!

Curves is an all-women gym that offers a 30-minute circuit workout, where you  exercise on different machines that works different muscle groups for about 30 seconds each. One 30 minute session involves 2rounds around the circuit .  After the workout, they also have a stretching circuit, a set of bars and platforms that will guide you to stretch every part of your body.

I might have found my gym match ! I find the circuit training challenging and efficient, plus, I appreciate the variety. If there is one thing that keeps me from doing cardio, it is the monotony of constant running or swimming back and forth. I get bored and just want to stop. With Curves, I am always on my toes as I get pumped up by the music, and hear the prompt, "Move to the next station now." The recommendation is to do the 30 minute workout at least 3 times a week. I feel that it has given me enough kickstarter energy to become motivated to do more stuff, maybe do on-my-own Pilates or yoga or running during my non-Curves days.

I like the overall ambiance of the gym. It is small, and doesn't seem chaotic and intimidating as in other gyms. You get to try all equipment, and get really challenged by the routine. There is always a coach present to guide people in the circuit, monitoring heart rates and motivating the girls. And, being an all-girl gym, no need to worry or to become self conscious with other men in the room!

I also feel like the cost is really fair. Their membership package is also flexible and does not lock you in for an unreasonable amount of time.

Goodies for completing 12 workouts during my 1st month :)

I am so far loving my Curves experience! It gives me something to look forward to each morning and I really look forward to my allotted "Curves day". I got a prize for completing 12 workouts in my first month, and have now signed up for a new challenge this month. I am pleasantly surprised that I like working out this much. Ha ha!

Curves is especially designed for busy women and open daily (M-F) from 7 am - 1:30pm and resumes operations at 4pm - 8:30pm. Not too sure about weekend schedules!  They also offer "Zumba in the Circuit sessions" , where they incorporated Zumba as cardio-breaks in between stations. I haven't tried that one yet, tho!


Interested to know more about Curves? Call (02) 828-0208 and book a trial workout and consultation. I particularly like Coach Cha and make sure you tell her that you heard it from Hanna :-)

https://www.facebook.com/curvesphilippines
 Global website: http://english.curves.com/

Super Salon Service: Silvery by Sarsie

Have you ever stepped out of a salon, Php 3,000.00 poorer and less than 100 percent happy? Then you convince yourself that it is all okay because it was so expensive.

I remember saving up cash to see a well-known celebrity stylist, only to shell out an additional Php to 1,500.00 for some damage control in another salon. I wouldn't say it was ugly or a disaster, what he did to me was, well, just wasn't ME. I felt good after our session because of the fancy treatment and his flowery words, but I couldn't stand the look when I got home. Lol. So maybe it was also my fault, too!

Then, my balikbayan Tita raved about a neighborhood salon that her elementary school classmate owned. Silvery Salon is located along Capinpin Road in the Binan Town Proper in Laguna. Bored with my hair, short on cash, and turned off by the deteriorating services of another hometown salon I used to go to, my mom and I decided to try it out.

Silvery by Sarsie, professional service with a neighborhood atmosphere and friendly rates. Back to my original color.

The main hairdresser is Sarsie , and I liked him (but I will call him "her" from this point forward because I feel it is more appropriate ;-)   immediately because I feel like she treated her clients with just the right balance of professionalism and personal touch. I knew I will come back. A haircut is Php 50.00.

What I liked most about the service was its efficiency. How many times have I spent more than an hour in those posh salons for just a haircut and a shampoo? I lose time, and I lose money! Sarsie worked at a posh salon before and told me that services are prolonged so clients would not feel shortchanged and that "they are getting the service that they are paying for." Of course, a Php 250 peso haircut will pay for the famous name, the warm water, the designer chairs, and branded hairdresser, but same Php 50 haircut.

As I am impatient, I usually ask for quick haircuts so I guess I don't maximize the Php 250++ I pay at high end salons ! :-) When I met Sarsie, I couldn't even bear to go to those expensive ones. Two months ago, I came out of Silvery Salon (after just one hour) with a fab cut and a fab color worth Php 550.00. With the look and the price, I felt like I hit the jackpot , lol. The salon had a light atmosphere and fresh towels every time.

Just yesterday, I had a new color job, had footspa and pedicure,  a collagen hair treatment , good stories - and paid Php 700.00 for quality service. With that cost efficiency, I had room to leave generous tips for Sarsie, Ate Bek (the footspa lady), and their young assistant.

Definitely my money's worth :-) If you are around the Binan area, I would be happy to introduce you.

One Rainy Day and Wannabi Wednesdays

I want to make it a point to write here every Wednesday :-) (hah, but uploaded it only now... with missing fotos to boot!)

August 7 was the day the skies decided that several parts of Luzon was either severely dehydrated or needed a good washing. Torrential rains submerged more than 80% of Metro Manila and other areas.

I was in the office very early that day for a meeting (which was cancelled...), and was happy when they called off work. I hitched a ride with my Dad to the Fort where he had a meeting. I decided to wait for him at Market! Market!

How I missed Market! :-) This was my playground when I was still a part time employee and pregnant with Tonyo. I went for the free wifi, walking exercise across Market! , Serendra, and Bonifacio High Street... to browse Digital Hub, Merrell, Bayo, Plains and Prints, Fashion Market , Japan Home... and of course, Healthway! My favorite photo printing shop is also there,

But my favorite parts of Market! are my kikay digs: Lay Bare Waxing Salon and California Nails Day Spa. I was quite surprised with their newer , bigger premises. They are still both on the 3rd floor. California Nails had a spanking new layout , and Lay Bare has moved next door with more spacious stalls.

Another treat for me that day were freshly baked Bibingkinitans for lunch. I just love those tiny bibingkas! Way better snack than Krispy Kremes! Pair it with a cup of steaming hot Batangas Barako coffee and you will be proud to be Pinoy ;-)

On my way to my favorite organic store , Sesou -- I saw another new kiosk (1st floor main hall) , Snoe Beauty. They are a local organic beauty product brand, and what caught my attention was their packaging -- looked soo much like Benefit! Their products are mostly whitening stuff, and the lady was quite surprised when I said I wanted to try something that's NOT whitening.

Their products looked so yummy !! Since I was familiar with the benefits of Emu Oil (from my addiction for V & M Naturals products, www.venusandmars08.multiply.com) , I decided to try their Emuthology facial wash (small bottle for Php199.00). I was so tempted to buy more stuff, but I just placed an order for Emu shampoo with V & M, so buying hair stuff from Snoe would have to wait.

I'm very happy with my current face soap, Beauche Beauty Bar , because it keeps my face smooth and pimple-free. But I need to alternate it with something else because since it's a papaya/ kojic soap -- it whitens my face too much and I don't like that. I've used Snoe for 2 days now and I like its smell and the fresh clean feeling. Will do a product review soon!

That's it for my Rainy Day loot and my Wannabi Wednesday!

Dekuta Hotel - Kuta, Bali

Jl Poppies Lane II No.8, Kuta, Bali, Indonesia

Website: www.dekuta.com

Date of stay: Overnight only, March 11-12, 2012
Cost: +/-  620,000 IDR or barely Php 3,000.00 w/ breakfast for 2

(I haven't converted my RAW photos yet so photos to follow , sorry!)

It reminded me a lot of Makati’s Picasso hotel, with its white exteriors and colorful accents.

The location was good because it was not along the main road, hence less noise.  The nearby surroundings could get dark in the evening though, so it made me a bit nervous (ah, but it was safe! It was just “new place” paranoia – and I can be paranoid anywhere else ;-) . It was along a dark alley of small souvenir shops, obviously the “road less traveled” since most of the activity were happening along the main road. It is about a 10-15 minute walk from the beachfront, the nearby Discovery Mall, a collection of bars and restos, and Hard Rock Café. 

The website Tripadvisor.com was our best friend throughout the trip. We consulted it whenever we booked something – nothing beats firsthand experience so we focused on checking out the consumer reviews. Aside from being recommended by our friend Nyla, Dekuta Hotel also had reasonable reviews on Tripadvisor!

We booked a twin room (with breakfast) for around 620,000 IDR (so that's 308,000 for each of us , about Php 1,466.67 .. not bad at all! ) and we were given one with a balcony and pool view. The room was larger than we thought and designed quite nicely. We had no problems with the room whatsoever .  All the amenities described on the website were there as promised: Airconditioned, LCD TV , WiFi, “Rainshower”.  

In some reviews, people mentioned funny smells coming from the bathroom drain. Sure enough, it was there  :p , it’s a low point, but I won’t consider it such a big deal or a vacation ruiner! It was gone after we used the shower, so I guess it was from the bathroom not being used for a while (used to happen in my Makati apartment before..) 

The breakfast buffet was so-so (my fault for doing this review so late that I can’t remember it exactly… so I guess it’s forgettable!). But still, with the price of the hotel, one shouldn’t expect a smorgasbord of choices! The restaurant, “DePalm” , offers a menu of different cuisines, tho most choices were unmistakably Italian. I ordered minestrone and bruschetta for lunch before we left for Ubud and I was satisfied. 

The Verdict:  the Dekuta Hotel is perfect for travelers who are looking for budget + comfort. It has all the basic amenities mixed with the quaint, artsy ambience. The location is good and they have really friendly staff!

En Route to Bali

March 10, 2012 - The day after our Taman Mini adventure, we were all set to leave for Bali! We had breakfast in the apartment and prepared for the airport.

Bluebird Taxi - trustworthy

Sure enough, we paid only around 180,000 IDR for the metered cab going to the Jakarta domestic airport. Tip: Friends recommend taking only Bluebird cabs when moving around Jakarta , since they are known to be the most honest and trustworthy cabbies, and there is also high probability that the driver will speak English.

Belinda swiping for check-in !

We picked Air Asia for our Jakarta - Bali flight (130 USD, booked and bought in Manila). Air Asia encourages online check-in to minimize airport lines. You can check-in through email and get your boarding pass, or through smartphone and get a bar code for scanning. We thought their self check in consoles were pretty cool, you scan the smartphone bar code there and it prints out your boarding pass. However , it was weird that they don't honor e-copy of the boarding pass :oP which I had on my iPad , so I had to manually check in. Good thing the policy was pretty new that they didn't charge me the 30,000 IDR for that! Be ready also with 150,000 IDR airport tax.

Al Capone (left) was soo good

We were also advised to drop by J.Co for awesome donuts (we learned later that they were about to open in Megamall in Manila, too bad I don't go there! :-) Al Capone rocked. 


Our flight was delayed for almost 3 hours that day. It was also really confusing in the waiting area, since it was just one huge room with one gate where all the different flights were being called. The formal announcements were scarce and barely audible... and we only knew that flights were being called when a ground steward starts going around the room calling for lost passengers. If we weren't impatient Filipinas, we wouldn't have known that our flight was delayed because they didn't announce! They tried to feed the people food but it didn't look too good so we passed (besides, we were full of J.Co already!)

The flight from Jakarta to Bali took around 1 hour and 15 minutes.Air Asia also had fun games like Cebu Pacific.

Whereas Jakarta's time is an hour behind the Phils' - it was good to be back to own timezone in Bali! It was hot and humid , and Bel and I were pretty nervous because we didn't make arrangements for pick-up! We couldn't locate a Bluebird taxi - so we asked the security guard -- and he led us to this man who brought us to a bet up Avanza-like vehicle. OMG, the plot for the movie "Taken" floated through my mind! We got to our hotel okay , but I think the 180,000 IDR he charged us was wayy too much vs. the distance traveled.

When I was imagining Bali, I was thinking of a rural, relaxing type of place with very few infrastructure. I was surprised about how developed it was , with wide roads, box like buildings and disappointing, Jakarta-like traffic. It was bustling with activity!

Our scheduled first stop was Kuta, the beach area! On the way to our hotel, you can really feel that the area was pulsing with energy and fun. It was evening so we couldn't see the beach -- but the collection of bars and shops twinkled invitingly that evening.. we were itching to go out !


We dropped our stuff off in a charming hotel called "Dekuta Hotel" a few meters off the main road. After a few moments of again "making a mess and reassessing luggage" , we were off to explore!

Jakarta and Mini Indonesia

Money Note: The US Dollar to Indonesian Rupiah conversion varied from place to place, also depends on what valuation of bill you are changing, to make it easier for you, let's use U$D 1.00 = IDR 9,000

Jakarta is like Manila...

... without the English! Frankly speaking, I didn't like it that much and was happy we only spent a day there. I guess it is unfair for me to judge too soon because we probably didn't get to see the nicer places, so let me "save" that dislike by saying that we didn't get to go to the nice shopping places which were supposed to be really good :o) maybe next time.

I was also grateful that we knew people there because it looked difficult to get around. I had a fun time experimenting with the BTS Skytrain in Bangkok, but Jkt really made me nervous. It was weirder that Pinoys look Indonesian, and you feel like such an outcast because of the language barrier. (Didn't help much that the people think we were Indonesian and they start speaking to us in Bahasa.. Uh oh)

Bel and I really didn't know what to expect in Jakarta so our itinerary there was blank til the last minute. I just wanted to see my friend Nyla, whom I have promised to visit a long, long time ago. I was just our luck that by the time our Indo trip get finalized, she also learned that she snagged a job in Canberra, Australia and was scheduled to leave the day after we arrived! Great for her but bummer for our reunion (and there goes our tour guide...) Her housemate Ivy, also a Filipina (and a UPLB grad!) was nice enough to still give us a place to crash , amidst the frenzy of packing since she was about to move out as well.

We arrived super late Friday evening and got picked up by Nyles at the airport. the airport is very much like our own NAIA 1. Since it was super late , we paid around 250,000 IDR (about 25 USD)  from the airport to Nyla's place which was right in the middle of the city. Normal price should be around 180,000 IDR only... (thanks Nyla for treating us!)

Hanna and Belinda making a mess in Nyla's and Ivy's living room. Ahem. "Assessing luggage"

The following morning, we had a whole day planned with Milan and his family. Milan is a former colleague from Manila who is now living in Jakarta with his family and they were kind enough to adopt us for the day. Originally from Slovakia, they just moved to Indo last Feb and were eager to explore.

It was difficult to find a good list of "Places to go in Jakarta," and what looked interesting on the web was the Taman Mini Indonesia Inda . Check out the TMII in Wikipedia, TMII in TripAdvisor, and the TMII website. Roughly translated, it means Miniature Indonesia Park. It intrigued me because it reminded me of our very own Nayong Pilipino. Why not squeeze in a visit to all of Indonesia by visiting this park?

We left the apartment at around 9 am and packed Milan's Innova - we were an interesting bunch. Three Europeans, 2 Filipinas, in a right-hand drive car, in unfamiliar streets, and a tiny English - Bahasa, Bahasa - English Dictionary .. oh, and a delayed reception GPS. Of course we got lost a couple of times (the most interesting one was when we took a wrong turn and ended up at a Muslim mosque, we were in summer clothes and got stared at really bad!) It didn't help that a thunderstorm met us when we got near the vicinity of TMII! Better be worth it...

Well, it was worth it... sort of. I couldn't quite explain what I felt about the place. I guess I give them points for trying to come up with a great park (especially since one of the reviews called it the Disneyland of Indonesia!) . The entrance itself looked grand, but the insides looked neglected. As if it had once enjoyed its days of glory and fun. In Filipino, I would say, "sayang!" Nevertheless, it was still an interesting visit!

Entrance to the park cost u about 10,000 IDR (for the whole car, about a dollar ). Since it was 300 hectares , maps were all in Bahasa, and we simply got lost trying to navigate it by ourselves, we decided to get off the car and ride the nearby cable car. At 25,000 IDR (about 2 USD) , we were taken from one portion of the park to another (I won't say from end to end because it didn't look like the end.)

The park was huge from above , and it definitely cannot be seen in just one day. We caught a glimpse of a crowded waterpark and some compounds of different traditional Indonesian communities. When we got off, we decided to walk through the houses. Some were really well maintained, while some were not. I wondered how they allocated the resources for it, maybe local governments are assigned to the specific region? Most interesting for me was one house which walked you through the traditional wedding ceremony. I am sorry but I cannot recall too much of the history because it was just so hot and sticky to be attentive! Soon, we got sick of too much houses and didn't even go inside some. Almost everything showcased wedding garments. They looked very much like our own Mindanao's colorful costumes.

Girls with Erik at the entrance of Museum Indonesia

Our last stop for the day in at TMII was the Museum Indonesia near the entrance. By far, it was the best place we visited that day - the building was intricately designed and the displays were wonderfully preserved inside. Reminded me of Cebu's Museo Sugbo, small , tight, crisp, meaningful! They had literature, paintings, sculpture, history, life size diaromas , in a clean, well preserved environment. What's great about TMII is that you only pay for what you want to see - each attraction has separate entrance fees. Museo Indonesia cost us 5,000 IDR, barely 1 USD.

And with this, let me introduce you to my rating system for trip reviews:
1* - Don't bother
2** - Visit only if you have time (don't smack yourself for not being able to go...)
3*** - Try to go, you won't be disappointed
4**** - Don't miss it!!!

I rate between TMII 2** - 3*** , maybe there's more to it than what we saw. There's also an iMax theater and a couple of other museums (14 total!) ... but maybe there are some other places to visit in Jakarta.


When visiting TMII, don't forget to bring water, wear walking shoes (that's easy to remove because some of the houses don't allow them...), some snacks (limited choices) and a camera! Bring loose rupiahs (most expenses range from 2,000 IDR - 25,000 IDR) Not much souvenir shopping here also. You need 2,000 IDR when using the restrooms, which are not really that clean and equipped (bring toilet paper!)