Manila Shopaholic

Wow! Time flies so fast, doesn’t it. What do you know? It’s already the end of the month. To cap of the month with a BIG bang, David and Goliath is again going on sale – Holy Mother of Sale! The tees are going to be sold at PHP 499 each and the accessories will be sold for as low as PHP 99. The sale actually started last January 20 and will be ending on February 5, 2012. So go on, grab your chance to get some really great deals from David and Goliath! By the way, the David and Goliath Store are in Bonifacio High Street, Greenbelt 5, and Trinoma.

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So, what have you been up to lately? Well, it was a holiday last Monday and I had the very awesome chance to experience Chinese New Year at its best at the Manila Hotel.

My Sister and I at the Manila Hotel

That night was super fun because it was hosted by Manila’s Queen of Feng Shui Maritess Allen and Manila’s King of Talk Boy Abunda. I guess what is amazing to me is that most of the people who attended were actually Filipinos. I know that it might sound a bit weird but I do believe in Feng Shui because I believe in balance – just like how I believe in Yoga. If you ask me if Feng Shui worked for me, well, I can’t really give you a straight answer because I don’t have a BIG story yet. Maybe, it’ll come, I don’t know. But this I have to tell you, I am truly fascinated with it.

Feng Shui Items

I can’t really remember when I started to have Feng Shui Items. I would probably guess that I’ve had some items since around 2005. It started with the lucky bracelets from Charms and Crystals (which before were around PHP2,800 and now it’s a whopping PHP6,800 per bracelet!!) and graduated to World of Feng Shui items by Lillian Too. The good (well, not so good, I guess) thing about the Lillian Too items is that a lot of people have their own versions so you can get them cheaper – but I guess it would still be pretty expensive.

Personally, I have the following for this year:

Blue Rhino and Elephant (around PHP500)

This keychain works as a talisman to protect you from the nasty effects of the violent number 7 star – which is said to afflict the boar this year. This particular star is said to manifest itself in the form of robbery, car accidents or someone cheating you of something or someone that is rightfully yours (in other words “ahas” – English translation: snake).

Nightspot Talisman Amulet (around PHP500)

This particular amulet brings protection against all sorts of harm and people with bad intentions. Highly recommended for those who work late at the office or those who frequent nightspots or as well as those who have to entertain clients or a travel a lot.

I bought this particular amulet because I am scheduled to travel this month and next month and it wouldn’t hurt right? :)

Well, here are just a few reminders if you have these items:

• Make sure that you have the “new” version or newly bought amulet because if you’re still using the one of last year it would probably be “mahina” (weak) already.
• Make sure that nobody else touches these amulets because you’re the only one who is “allowed” to touch it. If by any chance someone else touches it by mistake, make sure you re-energize them. How? You can use incense. “Pausukan” mo. I don’t know the English translation of that! (haha.)

Anyway, I hope this helps especially for people who are born on the year of the boar and for those people who travel a lot. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me. I will try to research more about Feng Shui for you. ;)

Hi, Everyone!

It’s the 17^th of January already. 17^th day of the year. What have you done so far? As for me, I’m still pretty busy at work. Already preparing for a project that might be a way for me to go to China! Yipee! I’m pretty scared and excited about it. It’s going to be my first time in China and I don’t know what to expect. I actually never thought that I would ever step foot on China.

Anyway, another MAJOR thing (well for me at least), is the release of the new collection of Longchamp. You have to check it out! I’m pretty sure you will LOVE IT (as I do!). So anyone who is going to France or to Europe who would be kind enough to buy for me, I promise I will pay you!

And since I have already established my ultimate FETISH for bags, I’d like to introduce you to The Bag Department. They offer unique and carefully crafted bags of the finest quality. The Satchel Bag became very popular last year with the rise of the Cambridge Satchel Bag. The new take of this bag on the classic school boy image hit the fashion wave and made the fashionistas crazy. Honestly, I don’t have one. But I would like to have one (the one with the color combination) but I’m still not over the Longchamp  craze. ;)

But for you gals out there who have already moved on to the satchel-craze, lucky for us, a lot of bag makers here in the Philippines really make great satchel bags. The important thing about the satchel bag is that you have to make sure that the leather is of good quality. It doesn’t really have to be the real deal! And who cares if it’s a replica (for as long as there is no Cambridge Satchel tag – you’re good to go!)?

Here are some of the bags that Bag Department has to offer:

Felicity PHP 1,200

Maria Box Bag PHP 3,500

Murphy Bag PHP 4,800

Pink Envelope PHP 1,200

Satchel PHP 1,000

Spencer PHP 1,500

Envelope Satchel PHP 1,450

Buckle Bag PHP 1,000

So, what do you think? Do you think these bags would fix your satchel bag cravings? Anyway, hope to hear from you guys soon! Also, if you have any products or items that you would like me to feature, please don’t hesitate to email me!

Love,

Manila Shopaholic

P.S. By the way, do not forget to join the ENSEMBLES contest. Who knows, you might just win an ALL EXPENSE PAID TRIP to Boracay!

11th day of the year. I wonder how this New Year is treating you? Well, personally, it has been pretty good and steady. Although, I was bogged down yesterday cause I was sick. Now, I had to catch up with all of the work that I missed yesterday. But it’s all GOOD. ;)

The start of the year they say would set off the pace of how your year is going to go. So it’s really up to you if you’re going to make it exciting or not. And to help you make 2012 a VERY exciting year, Ensembles will be giving away an ALL EXPENSE PAID Boracay Trip for 2!!

Ensembles hopes to meet more of our new fans as well as reward our long time loyal followers. We have very exciting plans for you all.

Few more weeks and Summer is officially on! Summer means having fun, adventures and getaways. And Ensembles is getting an early start to summer!

Ensembles is kicking this off by giving away an All Expense Paid BORACAY TRIP for TWO! Join Ensembles Facebook Photo Contest this January 16 and reach for 20,000 Facebook likes. Once we reach this, a lucky fan will be basking with her companion under the sun! Just upload a photo of you wearing your fave Ensembles outfit, tell us why you chose this photo and ask your friends to like it. The entry with the best answer and most number of likes by the time we announce, wins!

To join the contest, visit our facebook page: www.facebook.com/EnsemblesOnline and www.ensembles.com.ph for the full mechanics.

It’s the 5th day of 2012 and so far, everything is doing okay. Had a lot of blessings this week such as meeting up with my friend and hew new boy (will not mention who ;)), catch up dinner with a friend to just rant about our “grown-up” problems, got a free dinner and free stay at the Manila Hotel for the Chinese New Year celebration (YEBA!), my new earrings (citrine and aquamarine) arrived yesterday! So many blessings so far. Thank you God!

But of course, there are also some news that I came across which are not particularly good and I’m not sure as well if they’re particularly bad. But one thing’s for sure, I never expected those things to happen. Not now. Especially not this month.

With all of these ups and downs, life must go on and blogging must go on. ;) Thanks to my friend, Aleya, who has been so generous with her articles, I’m still able to keep this blog alive. ;) So here goes her tips on how to care for some common skin problems… Something that I should really be paying more attention to… ;)

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We all dream of having beautiful, clear, healthy looking skin. Unfortunately there are many of us who have to deal with having not so perfect skin and the sight of it can make us feel self-conscience and maybe even abashed.

Rosacea

If you have rosacea chances are that you have very red patches on your skin that may or may not be covered with pimples. To add insult to injury your skin may also appear to be swollen. Although there is no known cause for it there are some things that you can do to can do at home to improve the condition, including:

• Increase your intake of vitamin B by taking a B Complex daily and eating foods such as fish, bell peppers, nuts and green tea.
• Apply grape seed extract to your skin to help with the inflammation.
• Apply an oatmeal honey mask to soothe the skin and give it a heavy dose of moisture.
• Put cucumber peels on your skin to cool it down and nourish it.

Severely Dry Skin

Having dry skin is one thing, but dry skin that is flaking and peeling is an entirely different story. Not only is it unattractive but it can also cause an itch, burning sensation that can be painful. Causes include taking very hot showers, raising the heat in the home too much, wearing clothes made from synthetic fibers and using perfumed detergents. You can nourish and improve the state of your skin simply by:

• Taking a multi-vitamin that includes vitamin A, B, C, D, E and zinc.
• Don’t use soaps or detergents that are perfumed.
• Wear clothing made from natural fibers such as cotton.
• Moisturize several times a day.
• Take lukewarm showers- especially when you step right out of the shower.

Cold Sores

A girl can feel pretty down about herself when she’s talking to someone and they’re just staring at the cold sore on her face. The worst part is that this painful sore will stay with you for a few days and will most certainly come back in a short period of time. Some ways to get rid of it faster are:

• Spray some apple cider vinegar to the infected area and eat or drink some of the vinegar as well. If you’re planning on drinking it, try putting 2 teaspoons in a glass of water to take off the edge.
• Put a slice of lemon on the area and leave it on for as long as possible.
• Sprinkle salt on the area and hold it in place with your finger for a minute or two. It will hurt but it will work.
• Dab on some coconut oil.
• Get some real aloe and put the juice on the area. Aloe is one of the greatest natural healers in the world and can improve the sore effectively.

Age Spots

Many people get age spots (otherwise known as liver spots) as they get older. That doesn’t mean that we’re ok with it though. Before trying any treatment to reduce the signs of age spots we just want to point out that you’re going to have to be patient because it’s a slow process. Now here a few helpful hints to help you get started:

• Use aloe. As mentioned before aloe is a great healer so apply it to your skin and head to the health food store and purchase some aloe juice to drink.
• Apply a yogurt honey mask to your face.
• Take vitamin D daily and eat foods such as fish and eggs.
• Eating and rub red onion to the area.
• Squeezing some lemon juice to the affected area will make the spots fade and soften your skin at the same time.
• Use sunscreen every single day- even when it’s cloudy.

Adult Acne

You thought it would be over after your teens, didn’t you? Sadly millions of people have adult acne and it’s more annoying than ever before. A few ways to clear up acne prone skin are:

• Use a gentle cleanser to wash your face daily and be sure to exfoliate weekly. This will help to rejuvenate your skin.
• Make a baking soda and water mask  to dry out the acne without drying out your entire face.
• Eat more fish, raw fruits and veggies and lean meats and drink a minimum of eight glasses of water.
• Use oil free makeup and moisturizers. There’s no point in adding more oil to the area.

These are basic solutions to some problematic skin conditions. If you find that you’re getting worse be sure to head over the dermatologist.

This post was written by Aleya who works in collaboration with Allu Skincare

As Manila Shopaholic, one thing that really excites me is my passion for shopping and going to the mall. This passion has been the root and the reason behind why I started Manila Shopaholic. I know that last year, I wasn’t able to blog as much because of work. Yes, I do work and apparently, I figured out that I do love my day-job (no matter how difficult it has been for me).

2011 was a difficult time for me because I had to leave my comfort zone – the team that I used to work with. I had to leave the familiarity and start anew. I have given up this comfort zone to be able to go out, explore the world and explore other things that are there for me.

Yes, in fact, I was able to explore Europe. But with this, I also gave up a lot of things. I gave up my routine of living a healthy lifestyle (I work from the afternoon until late at night – sometimes, until the wee hours of the morning). I gave up hanging out with friends because there are time when my schedule would not match their or sometimes, because I’m just too busy. I gave up my accessibility to the mall because the location that I work in does not really have a mall accessible to it. I lost my personal life as well because I was just too busy and I wasn’t able to determine that something was wrong.

To augment everything and everything that I felt, I built a small business which made me happy – Mis Cosas. Through that I was able to life up my mood. Remembered how it felt like to be excited once again. It also allowed me to show my creativity and passion for colors and a colorful life.

Looking back, I realized that there are 3 important things to me:

1.)   To make sure that everything is finished and everything is finished on time

2.)   To make people happy – yes, I am a people-pleaser (sometimes to a bad-extent)

3.)   To Laugh! To enjoy life!

Last year also, I realized that there are just some values that are non-negotiable for me:

1.)   Courage – to be strong in the face of pain or grief

2.)   Faith – to completely trust and put all of your confidence in God

3.)   Honesty – to be upright and fair at all cost

4.)   Integrity – to be consistent in actions, values, principles, expectations and outcomes

5.)   Loyalty – to be devoted to something or someone

6.)   Trust – to be able to rely on someone or something

Yep, I, Manila Shopaholic am a person to and these are the core values that I hold dear to my heart. I am proud of this and I am proud that I work hard to make sure that I uphold all of these.

What about you? What are your thoughts of 2011 and what do you think would you still hold dear this 2012?

Christmas may be finished but it’s never too late to buy yourself a nice gift. With all of the Christmas money gifts that you have received, add it all up and I’m pretty sure that you will be able to get yourself a nice watch from the Holiday 2011 collection of Fossil.

Gifts that never go out of style

 There’s something about vintage-style fashion that makes them never go out of style and this style remains at the core of the Fossil brand as it creates modern yet vintage products for everyone, a simple yet compelling idea reflected in the Company’s tagline, Long Live Vintage™ that makes them the perfect Christmas presents for your loved ones.

The heart and soul of the FOSSIL brand – its people, products and culture – is about a unique kind of inspired creativity. Representing the concept of accessible cool, Fossil’s identity is anchored in vintage authentic style mixed with a creative spirit and a sense of humor that extends into all its product offerings, graphics and one-of-a-kind, trademark collectible tins.

Welcome this season of wonder with the most iconic collections of FOSSIL yet. They’ve taken the all-time favorite styles and re-invented them in bold hues and rich textures perfect for the holidays. From must-have Maddox to wear-everywhere Decker, the key gift platforms feature original hardware, vintage-inspired detailing, and subtle embellishments that strike just the right balance between classic and chic.

To personalize your gifting experience, mix and match your favorite pieces to create one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on your list.

MADDOX

This season, the beloved Maddox collection is back—and better than ever.  Complete with soft, pebbled leather and custom hardware, these iconic bags are even more stylish in perfect-for-the-season colors like navy, scarlet, and salmon. We love the messenger bags for keeping organized, and for holiday, we can’t get enough of “wow” details, like metallic accents and fur textures.

Maddox Style#ZB5032602, SRP PHP 12,520

 VINTAGE RE-ISSUE

With rich, glazed leather and iconic turn-lock hardware, this is Fossil’s most vintage-inspired collection—we love the way the ultra-classic designs remind us of ‘70s-era Italian handbags. This season, unexpected details, like floral prints, vintage metallics, and woven wool, keep things fresh for the season.  

Vintage Reissue Style#ZB4614001, SRP PHP 9,320

ESTATE

Fossil loves to combine vintage-inspired styling with modern functionality for a look that’s rooted in tradition, yet perfectly of-the-moment. Estate bags are crafted out of rich leather, and antique-inspired hardware and detailed stitching make them must-haves.

Estate Style#MBG827150, SRP PHP9,320

 TRANSIT

Some guys prefer worn-in jeans and vintage tees to suits and ties (or at least they do on the weekends), and Transit is designed for this retro-refined man. Transit takes two favorite decades—the 1960s and the ‘80s—and combine them for a casual-yet-classic look that can go anywhere with ease. Speaking of going anywhere—Transit’s antiqued hardware was inspired by vintage flight bags, and the cargo pockets allow plenty of room to transport your necessities.

Transit Style#ML2958001, SRP PHP2,520

FOSSIL STERLING

The hardware-inspired sterling silver jewelry that was designed with pretty details. High-quality sterling silver makes these pieces perfect for gifting, and made to last a lifetime.

Sterling Style #JF84521040, SRP PHP2,850

STELLA

The most iconic watch collection is available in all favorite materials this season. What feels fresh? You will love the rose gold-tone timepiece (complete with sparkling accents) which feels just right for the holidays.

Stella Style#ES2955, SRP PHP9,410

FLIGHT

The aviation-inspired Flight is classic, sophisticated, and just a bit sporty—the perfect wear-with-anything watch. You will love the oversized dials and the 1940’s feel in both the men’s and women’s versions. Whether you choose a leather or stainless strap, Flight is ready-made for your next adventure.

Flight Style# CH2696, SRP PHP8,320

 MACHINE

With knurled topring and aeronautically inspired gauges, the Machine watch makes a powerful style statement. You will most definitely appreciate how the material changes the feeling—leather for dressing up, silicone for getting sporty. With a variety of classic color choices, the Machine watch is your best bet for easy sophistication.

Machine Style# FS4662, SRP PHP9,410

 Visit Fossil Boutique at SM Megamall, SM MOA, SM North Edsa, SM Pampanga, Robinson’s Place Manila, Robinson’s Galleria Dept. Store., Alabang Town Center, Festival Mall, Marquee Mall, Market Market Dept. Store and Ayala Center Cebu.  Also check out LTIMESTUDIO in malls nationwide for the latest in Fossil watches.

Check out www.ltimestudio.com and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/timestudio.