Champagne Room *ORIGINAL*

Back in September, the Boyfriend and I celebrated our anniversary in one of the restaurants we've wanted to try for the longest time: Champagne Room. This restaurant is located in Manila Hotel, the grand dame of hotels in Manila.

Manila Hotel has recently undergone some renovations and refurbishments, especially with its restaurants.  Since Champagne Room has been on our restaurant list, our anniversary  was the perfect occasion to find out for ourselves what makes Champagne Room special.

Hole in the Wall at Century City Mall

Simple but true words at Hole in the Wall

 The other night, we chanced upon the first day of the (soft) opening of Hole in the Wall, the newest dining establishment to open in Century City Mall in Makati. 

Kerasilk Keratin Treatment from Alex Carbonell for Cynos

In May, I made the visit to Studio Fix in Greenbelt 5 for my usual cut and color services courtesy of Alex Carbonell,  and I was surprised to learn about an exciting brand for hair color and treatments which partnered with Alex as its brand ambassador. It's called CYNOS, a brand that was born in Korea and  is now a company with its home base in Canada. Today, in partnership with Alex, it's a brand making its mark in the Philippine salon industry.

First, let me tell you about the fantastic hair color service which I received from Alex, using Cynos hair color products. I started out 2014 with this "new year, new look" cut, at the able hands of Alex of course.

Fast forward five months later and this was the length and condition of my hair, with the icky roots and all:

Back to Blogging (Hopefully!)

Siquijor, August 2013

Hello! Read about my thoughts on getting back to blogging here.

Cheers!

Serendipitous Short Hair at Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell

Serendipity occurs when something wonderful happens unexpectedly. Because you don't plan for it to happen, the beautiful or happy event that occurs serendipitously becomes all the more poignant, as if touched by grace. It can happen from the profound and deepest aspects of life (such as love) to the most mundane and kikay of things, like finding an amazing dress at the mall when you've just planned to go there to window shop, and even better, finding it on sale. Or it can happen while getting a haircut.  A few months ago (I know it's been months but better late than never!), serendipity happened to me in the hands of my favorite stylist, Alex Carbonell.

Happy Weekend x Five Things Friday

Hello, lovelies! I know I haven't been posting here much lately. I blame it on life and work demands, but hopefully that will all soon change as I gear towards more balance in life, work, and creative passions. 

Wanted to post this after the previous weekend, but it's now Friday and it looks like this will turn out to be a Five Things Friday post.  But it will be all about the things I have loved and appreciated last weekend. 

Such as discovering the capability of my new smartphone to capture my handwriting and actually write on my photos! Take that iPhone 5 (kidding!)

EndDanger: An Arts & Music Fundraiser

What are you up to this weekend in the city? Consider going to EndDanger, an Eco Art and Music Fest Fundraiser opening on January 19, 2013 (Saturday) in Quezon City.

Dreaming of Fall/Winter with a Basic Black Shirt

Hello there! Hope everyone is having a great start to 2013 so far.

To welcome the new year, I spent a weekend in Baguio, the City of Pines, and welcomed the opportunity to dress for the cold weather. I brought out the knit hats, the jackets and the scarves. Particularly, a breton shirt bought from a recent trip to Korea proved to be quite the remarkable basic item from which I was able to style three different looks, as you can see from these photos via Instagram:

On Love

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I first discovered Kent Nerburn's "Falling in Love" (also excerpted as "On Love;), a chapter from his book Letters to My Son: A Father's Wisdom on Manhood, Life and Love, way back in high school.  Back then, it seems that the worst thing that can happen in the realm of love was realizing a crush doesn't have a crush on me.  In 2012, I look back yet again to its simple but profound wisdom, as I know it can still teach me a thing or two about life and love. These are words that any one who has fallen in love should always remember and should never forget.

The Enduring Allure of the Little Black Dress

Hello there! I've been away for quite some time I know! Traveled to one of my favorite countries last month, celebrated my birthday, and basically just devoted time to catch up with work and family commitments and well, Life.

But I've definitely missed blogging and you my dear readers.  This time, I'm back with this post for all you classic (and classy) ladies out there. 

Champagne Room

Back in September, I was able to go to one of the restaurants I've wanted to try for the longest time: Champagne Room. This restaurant is located in Manila Hotel, the grand dame of hotels in Manila.

Manila Hotel had recently undergone some renovations and refurbishments, especially with its restaurants. Since Champagne Room has been on my restaurant list, that night  was the perfect occasion to find out what makes Champagne Room special.

Lookbook: Dress The Part

Hello there! Just a quick hello and hoping you're having a great weekend. Just want to share with you these looks which I've created in partnership with Van Mildert, an online shopping site which carries the latest looks as well as classic items, and with a wide range of brands.   

I think every closet must have dresses as a wardrobe staple, and great dresses are definitely a worthwhile investment.  These looks center on how you can use a great dress as the anchor of your outfit for any occasion, whether it's for work or for the weekend.

For the Office 

The Pretty Dress Company peplum dress/ Sam Edelman leopard print peep toes/ Marc by Marc Jacobs cross body bag/  Ray-ban aviators

Girls' Night Out

 McQ Alexander Mcqueen dress/  Muubaa leather jacket/ Michael Kors tote/ Sam Edelman leather & suede calf boots/ Vivienne Westwood earring

Sunday Brunch

Marc by Marc Jacobs dress/ Vivienne Westwood jacket/ Michael Kors flats/ Marc by Marc Jacobs clutch/ Juicy Couture charm bracelets/ Ray-Ban Wayfarers

What's your favorite look?  I hope this inspires you to choose a dress and to work it! :)  All these items are available on Van Mildert. Cheers! :)

Color & Hair Treatments at Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell

 

As most of my dear readers already know, my go-to hair stylist is Alex Carbonell of Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell salon. And it's simply just a bonus that among the top posts on this blog are my posts on my experiences with Alex, either from the first time I had my hair cut at his hands or the first time I had my hair colored with him.  In fact, readers who have left comments on my posts have also attested to how well he cuts hair and the superb service they themselves have received at Studio Fix.

And I was even happier when I went back again to Alex  in July when he told me that he had several customers who told him that they went to Studio Fix  after they read my blog. And so before I tell you about my latest Studio Fix experience, I'd like first to thank all those who have read my blog and were encouraged enough to take my word and try out Alex and Studio Fix. Alex even thanked me for sending those clients his way, and it was indeed truly heartwarming :) Here in Sunset Goddess Manila, I really feel happy and quite honored whenever I receive feedback about my posts and I'm glad I'm able to share such fab "finds" as Studio Fix with you :)

The Eco Bag Solution + Relief Ideas

 

The aftermath of the monsoon rains and floods which have poured on Metro Manila and neighboring provinces starting on August 6, 2012 until today is simply heartbreaking.    While I have been lucky not to suffer from the floods and was not even inconvenienced with a power outage (the only major change in our household was that the cable was out until this evening), I know a lot of people are still suffering, whether in big or small ways. I am simply thankful that all my loved ones and family members and myself are safe, dry, and comfortable in our own homes---and I am praying hard that the rains stop for those who are in unfortunate circumstances because of the torrential downpours.  

Relief efforts have already started but the pressing concern in my mind right now is what will be done after those relief efforts have subsided.  Of course, I know that these rescue and relief operations are essential to save priceless lives.  But there's also a part of me that thinks that giving relief bags is the equivalent of giving survivors fish that will feed them for a day, but will not teach them how to fish to feed them for a lifetime. It's a band-aid solution that's needed at the moment, but a band-aid solution nonetheless.

Celebrity Dresses

One thing I like about shopping online is that there's simply a great range of options available, especially when it comes to clothes.  Sure, there's nothing quite like shopping for clothes in a brick-and-mortar store.  But I say, shopping for clothes online has its own natural high and is a shopping experience quite unique to our generation ---something that our moms or any older generation of women may never be able to get.

Another fabulous aspect of online shopping is getting to see and buy celebrity dresses. Yes, celebrity dresses---as in, dresses that are copied from or inspired by the clothes celebrities wear.  These celebrities may be actresses, pop stars, fictional characters, or royalty. Celebrities can basically wear anything they or their stylists want and they can afford just about anything.  But for us mere mortals, the practical and smart solution are celebrity dresses.

These are just some of the celebrity dresses that I like and won't mind getting for myself:

Bag Lust: The Givenchy Antigona

The days of the "It Bag" may now just be over and yet, there are still some bags that make my heart leap and induce a major case of bag lust. Aside from the Celine Mini Luggage tote, one of the bags on my radar is the Givenchy Antigona.  

Date A Girl Who Reads

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Divisoria Finds!

Ever since I was in college and moved from Makati to San Juan, I've been going to Divisoria to shop every now and then.  From San Juan, Divisoria is so accessible either by car or commuting (ride  the LRT2 from the V. Mapa LRT station, get off at Recto station, then Divisoria is just one jeepney ride away).  It's a destination that I'm proud to say I can brave by myself, although there is also a different sense of fun to go shopping there with friends.

Then and now, Divisoria has always been the perfect place to score cheap but fabulous finds---whether for home stuff, fabrics, toys, and other knicknacks. But of course, my main reason for turning to Divisoria has always been for fashionable finds, and of course, at cheap prices too. I've always been meaning to make a Divisoria guide/ blog post. So since I was there last Saturday with my friend, I thought this was the perfect time to share with you the great finds I came home with and some Divisoria "tips" as well.

Who wants free Uniqlo Gift Certificates?

I love it when serendipity happens! I just blogged about Uniqlo opening in Manila and now, I got word that Hyundai's Sand Sea and Sky is giving away a shopping spree worth P5,000.00 to Uniqlo! How to join the giveaway? All you have to do is like Hyundai Sand Sea and Sky on Facebook! So easy and who knows, you just might shop your way into the most-talked about store recently :) 

To learn more about Hyundai Sand Sea and Sky visit their website.

Cheers!

Uniqlo Opens in Manila

On Saturday morning, I found myself going to Mall of Asia (MOA) to go to Uniqlo. It just opened the day before and though I heard from friends that the first day was a nightmare with so many people in the store, I figured, going there early on the second day would give me a good chance.

I was there about 15 minutes before the 10 AM opening time and silly me for thinking that there won't be any line. Because this is what I saw when I arrived: