Some Vanity Secrets, and the One

With so many beauty and bath products these days, it's so hard to choose from a vast array of both local and imported products since most of them look, smell and feel so tempting. A year or so ago I've decided to veer away from makeup after receiving strong(!) confirmation from friends, colleagues, and strangers that my skin does look great these days. One acquaintance even asked me how much I paid for an intravenous glutathione session. I gasped, and admitted I used glutathione CAPSULES two months before my wedding and stopped. From then on it was just Vaseline. Really.

For my face, I wash with Dove white beauty bar and Olay Total Effects facial wash at night.

I moisturize with Myra E with SPF 15 on weekdays and Olay Total Effects with SPF 15 on weekends. Before it was just Olay all day all night, weekdays and weekends, but when I noticed that my skin was getting a little too white already, I stopped using it for a while. Then I discovered Myra-E, which is great because I don't have to put on a separate sunscreen (saves me time and money), but I still missed the powerful moisturizing effect of Olay, so I came up with such schedule and now Im happy =D

Okay so now the things that I felt made my skin look great aren't very secret anymore.

During a trip to Watson's to replenish my supplies, I noticed these pretty things sitting brightly on an otherwise drab corner. The pretty things happened to be bath and beauty products with the brand name One. The salesperson told me it's a US-based company whose products are formulated by a Filipina. The philosophy is right-on environment-friendly, but they take pride not just in their formulation but in the eco-friendly packaging. The girl was more than happy to show me their unique products, which really caught my eye, not just because of the cute packaging but in their very forms and names.

"Blast from the Past" for the anti-aging soap. This one has an invigorating berry scent.

This "hair biscuit" happens to be solid shampoo. It's applied to the hair several times, lathered up and rinsed. I'm intrigued, but opted not to buy this one since I'm being very careful about what I put in my thin hair. A lot of people in the US are so fascinated with this product it's been featured a lot in print and on TV.

The hair conditioner is solid, too. Perfect for travelling. Look ma, no spills!

Their bestseller is this hand and body lotion named Cloud 9. It has a soothing sweet scent. It's rich and creamy yet very light on the skin.

Another cool product is the lotion massage bar. This one, with red monggo-like seeds on its surface, named "Oh my gosh!" is supposed to melt one's stresses away, but I went for the smoother, calming one in blue packaging. It's supposed to erase my scars and stretch marks away. We'll see.

Other try-worthy products are the shea body butter in yummy variants, lip butter balm, and the after-shower skin conditioner. All products are quite pricey for my local taste, but after several tries I think it's fair enough. The more important thing is that these are all-natural products inside and out. The tin containers are very cute and would definitely serve another purpose after the product is consumed. It's also nice to be doing something good for the planet while keeping a naturally pampered body.

Be naturally gorgeous,

New Favorite

No, we aren't exactly tired of our favorite spa place. It's just that someone told us this place is very good in terms of the price and ambience. Noy and I were both very tired that day and were just looking for this chance to relax a little - he from a very long list of patients, me from a very tall pile of clothes ironed.So off we went to a branch located at the Somerset Millenium in Aguirre St., Makati.

The moment I stepped inside, I already felt I was in a different place. It was so relaxing to sit on batik-printed easy chairs and stare at the colorful upside-down umbrellas on the ceiling. The indirect lighting on the wooden plank floor was just right - not too dark and not too bright. The place is quite small and the beds are separated by curtains only, but I didn't sense privacy and personal space issues here. Everything is quite simple - no overbearing furniture and decor, no superlative fragrances that almost hurt the nasal mucosa. And it works just fine.

My attendant was very professional. She had firm sure strokes. She knew where to place more attention to. I hate to compare but I liked the process here better than our favorite place, where I stumbled upon hurried attendants who couldn't seem to wait for my session to end. I even had one attendant who kept chomping away at a sandwich while she was kneading my arms. I have nothing against eating on the job, but they take breaks in between, don't they? I would really love the full attention of my attendant who's supposed to make me feel relaxed because I paid good money for it. Over at Lotus, the attendants take their jobs seriously. Mine at least does. She spent a lot of time with my foot and head, which I enjoyed tremendously. I even heard Noy snore at one time, but he doesn't remember falling asleep during the massage. No sense of hurry + careful defined attentive massaging = true relaxation.

On the downside, they don't have showers. The attendants just put powder on those areas massaged with oil. This shouldn't matter if you're headed home after the massage.

Did I mention that Lotus offers affordable prices for its services? The combination massage was Php100+ cheaper than in our favorite place. I think I should stop calling it our favorite place because I obviously have a beginning obsession with this new one.

Have a relaxing weekend,

photos from the Lotus My Massage Place facebook page.

8 to 5

I used to criticize "office" people - those who worked the "normal hours" of 8 am to 5 pm, with an hour-long break. Such a short time compared to doctors who worked 24, 36 or 72 hours with unpredictable breaks and sleep. Some have none. While the office people strutted in their air-conditioned posh cubicles in designer clothes and shoes, we, the doctors could not even take a shower or lunch in peace because there will always be calls in between patients. The sad part is that we get equal pay as the office people, sometimes lower if the patient could not afford to pay cash.

Now that I've shifted gears to research, I'm required to work during the "normal" office hours. For the past two years that I have been doing so, I realized that the number of hours doesn't really matter sometimes. It's quite tiring to wake up at exactly the same time everyday and develop a certain routine.

Sometimes I miss just working my ass 72 hours straight and sleep the entire day the following day. I hate worrying about what to wear to the office and I miss my comfortable scrub suits and sneakers.

The boredom is pretty stressful, too. Before it was various sorts of ailments - from malingering to dengue fever, from breech deliveries to gunshot wounds, from diazepam overdose to fatal cerebrovascular bleeds - now it's just the computer and pap smears. I miss the adrenaline rush of the emergency room and the thrill of the operating theater.

I'm not complaining. I'm just reminiscing. And harboring new found respect for the people who did an 8 to 5 all their lives.

Dr Juice

It's quite hard to believe that this little stall in Makati

serves sumptuous dishes like these -

Noy frequents this place for lunch because it gives him a chance to eat fish without worrying about fish bones, or about the fact that it's not paksiw. I love paksiw na isda, especially if it's bangus or sapsap. Noy thinks it's still raw (but he eats sushi!).

In this light, I find Dr Juice quite a blessing because my husband gets to eat food other than pork, beef or chicken. I like the fact that they serve brown rice. The weekly menu list is quite impressive; some of the items sound a lot foreign to me, although when Noy describes the dish it turns out it's just a fancy name. Nevertheless, it's a good alternative to the jolly jeep.

Last week, he took home Mixed Seafood Etouffee to me - a medley of squid, fish fillets and shrimp on a bed of celery and spicy sauce. It was yum, but his Cream Dory in Parsley Cream Sauce is yummier. The portions are huge; I was really really full by the time I bit on the last morsel. At Php 80-85 per serving (with either white or brown rice) it's quite a steal.

Dr Juice is located along Salcedo Street, Makati. It's on the left side of the road if you're walking from Makati Med to Greenbelt.

MO: Mellowly Outstanding

Last weekend proved to be a relaxing one, what with an invitation to spend Friday night at Mandarin Oriental Manila. It was my first time to step foot at MO, and I have always been intrigued at the fact that a lot of people rave over it when it definitely looks old from the outside. MO is indeed old, but experienced, or mellowed, is the proper term I should say. The service is impeccable, something attainable only from worthwhile experience and learnings.

The lobby is quite small but elegant. The reception desk personnel were warm and accommodating, the welcome mango drink refreshing. Noy requested for a room located at the highest possible level, to which they gladly complied.

On our 10th level room we found a large bed and the usual amenities, but this was more comfortable and thought-of.

Someone brought a fruit plate in just moments after we got settled.

The bathroom showed signs of just how old the hotel is, but it's pleasant and well-appointed.

Noy especially liked the black and white tiled floor while I loved the signature seashell design everywhere in the hotel, evident even in the towels.

While the toiletries aren't so bad, I wish they would replace them with something like L'Occitane, just like Sofitel did.

In the evening we proceeded to the function rooms for the symposium. Dinner buffet was served in one while the program was held in another. Both rooms had an old world European feel, both businesslike but still very comfortable. There were mirrors everywhere to make up for the rather small size of the rooms, making them bright and airy.

Dinner was largely made up of Filipino dishes. Food wasn't at all bad - there was plenty, but I'd say I've tasted better. In the other room where the program proper was held had a coffee and snack bar (sandwiches and fries). There was bottled water and candy for everyone. It was really well thought-of.

When we went back to the room we were surprised to see the television turned on, the curtains drawn, the trash bins emptied, the bed made ready for sleeping. The slippers were even laid out beside the bed for use.

Oh, and they even replenished the complimentary water bottles in the fridge. I haven't heard of such service, but it was a good one and we thoroughly appreciate it.

Noy and I brought swimsuits but woke up too late for an early morning swim, what with the very comfortable bed (finally! one large bed!), save for the blanket that always folded under the covers.

The pool was large and inviting, but we didn't want to swim in full view of the diners at Paseo Uno, where we had breakfast as well. Our table had a view of the pool, a pretty one, but the mere thought of all these people looking at me in my swimsuit while they ate prevented me from giving in =D.

There were four well-replenished food stations. While Paseo's size is a lot smaller than Spiral's, I enjoyed eating here more because there was less clutter, not to mention less people. This size allowed me to choose my food carefully and not to jump at something I haven't had before. Spiral's was just too overwhelming for me, although their food tasted a little better than Paseo's.

Paseo Uno, MO's all-day diner, with its wood-framed capiz walls, modern-inspired native furnishings and lovely anthuriums, serves homemade yogurt in cute little jars perfect for whipping up a salad dressing. The yogurt wasn't sour at all. Noy mixed it with a blueberry-flavored soya drink and made himself a yogurt masterpiece. It was very good!

I probably would not be able to forget how the attendants give utmost attention to its diners. Whenever someone left the table to get more food, an attendant would place the chair back and the refold the napkin. When that someone comes back to the table, the attendant would let that diner sit, replace the napkin on his or her side and ask if anything else is needed, like a coffee refill or a newspaper. It's almost tiring to look at the OC-ness but it's definitely something remarkable. I myself felt special whenever the bespectacled guy, bless him, almost ran just to lay the napkin out on my lap.

MO is a hotel that caters mostly to business travelers, but it's not a very bad getaway to those who are seeking mere pleasure. They have a world-renowned spa place on the 18th floor, something I would love to try and save up for. Would I come back for another weekend? Oh yes yes yes.