TOMS Shoes Philippines

I joined a good cause today. 

For every person that posts a barefoot photo and tags #withoutshoes, @TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a person in need!

It felt good to post this: https://instagram.com/p/2-QCf7Dx_U/

TOMS is a brand that I support. With every purchase, TOMS will help a person in need. One for One. Believing in their advocacy aside, I've had quite a few memorable moments with my TOMS.

This is me and my classmate since Kindergarten riding the Singapore MTR on our way to watching Wicked at the Marina Bay Sands. It was my first time in Singapore and my husband and I went there to celebrate the Valentines Day weekend on a double date with my friend and her fiance at the time. It was back in 2012, but joining the TOMS cause today reminded me of this photo. It never gets old. My kinderpwend and I wore our matching TOMS Ash Canvas Women's Classic. Hers and hers. :-) That was the day I saw her cry (to Wicked). And she never cries. :-) Bestfriends for life. #feelingsentimental

Fast forward to when I got pregnant and I needed some comfy shoes for our Hong Kong trip. I ended up buying 2 pairs: the Correa Burlap sandals and the Tie-dye Blue Canvas Women's Classic slip-ons.

I couldn't walk in plain flats. I needed some cushion and support to aid my aching back, pelvis, calves, feet, etc. My TOMS were there and helped me survive the long lines at Victoria Peak and Disneyland.

Now, that's a happy girl! ;-) 

Post-pregnancy, TOMS are still great "mommy shoes". Excellent for when you're on-the-go and looking for comfort.

Lately, I've been lemming over these!! 

TOMS is available at Nothing but H2O stores and online and TOMS branches nationwide. Follow them in Instagram @tomsphilippines.

What's your TOMS story?

NYX Matte Nail Polish in Sky Blue

Earlier this week, my husband and I went to the doctor to have our cough (and his asthma) checked. In the hospital, I noticed a girl sporting cute pastel blue polish on her fingers and toes. I envy people who can keep their fingernails and toenails painted with the same colors. Haha! I change my manicure too often that my pedicure couldn't keep up. :)

Anywho, she made me want to wear a pastel blue myself. And I knew just the polish to try on! This is NYX Matte nail polish in Sky Blue which came with my polish swap from Jeiflyn.

This was done in 3 thin coats. I really like the satin matte finish. It was just right, not too matte that it looked flat or dry. I was thinking to myself that I feel like I have Barbie's nails for some reason... I don't know why exactly. :) For me, it looks very clean and neat. I could almost call this mannequin nails, but then they're in baby blue and not nude or skin tone. Hehe!

It's very pretty and I think it's just perfect for the weather! We're starting to get more of those scorching hot summer days, like searing heat the moment you step out of the house. I bet we'll see more of these pastels as spring and Easter approaches. This looks like a great backdrop for an Easter egg nail art. Don't you think so? It has a similar smooth eggshell finish. I like!

The only thing you have to be careful with is making sure that they dry completely. Otherwise, you could get small creases, and these are quite delicate when still wet. It's formulated to be matte. So there's really no protection for the polish. But it's the 4th day that I'm wearing this and I'm still loving it! I'd dare say that the wear on this is pretty good!

Not sure if my nails worked with this outfit, but here's what I wore to my lunch date with Jor-el. I was craving for some Eggs Benedict and we ended up at Bizu! Yum! :)

Jellybean cape button down shirt, Zara floral print shorts, Tonic Bags and Shoes Lillian gold spiked sandals, Jellybean tribal necklace.

Eggs Benedict at Bizu, The Fort (Yumm!!)

What colors would you like to see for spring (or summer here in Manila)? :)
  

The Face Shop Face It Nails in BR802

Last weekend, I met up with friends for dinner at Greeka Kouzina. Afterwards, some of us went to Craft Coffee Workshop to hangout. I was a very good day with friends. It's been a while since we hanged out like that. And Craft was a good venue for talking and catching up.

My childhood friend, Jane, was there with us and she was wearing this pretty gold polish. It looked like gold foil and it just shined every time she moved her fingers and made some hand gestures. Haha! Oh my! Do I sound like a stalker?! :-p She told me that she feels happy just by looking at them and I knew I had to get myself a bottle!

And so, what do you expect? I got myself a bottle last Monday. Hehe! What do you think?

This is The Face Shop Face It Nails in BR802. Unfortunately, Korean brands don't come up with cute names for their polish. Just a bunch of codes, like BR, meaning brown, BL for blue, PK for pink, and so on. As a corollary, gold is like some shade of brown; hence, the BR802 name. :)

It's a beautiful gold foil! I did this in 3 coats, although I really could've stopped at 2. It's very pretty, how it reflects a lot of light. Even if it's metallic, I think it works great for summer because of the warm undertones of gold. The application was very smooth and I had no problems whatsoever in that department.

In the shade

Part of me feels though, like it made my hands look old? Or maybe it just didn't stand out against my skin tone? Or my hands just look too dry and wrinkly? :-O (God forbid.) It looked waaay more beautiful on Jane! If only I had a picture to show you. Shucks!

Here's a close up of the bottle.

I have them on my toes too and I think I like them more there than on my fingers. In the picture below, I'm wearing my favorite (and my only) spiked sandals, Lillian from Tonic Bags and Shoes, to showcase this polish for you.

Lillian from Tonic Bags and Shoes

How do you like it? Or them? The polish and/or shoes? Haha! :) Would you get these for yourself too? :)

I leave you with some pictures I took recently from Greeka and Craft! If you're from the Manila, I really suggest you try these places out! You won't regret it!

Greeka Kouzina is located at 285 P. Guevarra St. San Juan, Metro Manila.

Craft Coffee Workshop is located at 66 Broadway Ave., New Manila, Quezon City.

Thanks for reading!
  

Floral Nails

Last week, I was about to let go of my nail art obsession. For some reason, I just got tired of the smell of polish and wanted to stay away from it for awhile. I was polish-free from Monday to Friday until inspiration hit me.

My friends have been feeding this obsession of mine ever since, but even more so when I started doing nail art. They've been posting nail art pictures on my Facebook wall, somehow challenging me to replicate those designs. My friend, Kim, presented me with challenge #2 (the first one being aztec nails, which I still don't have a full entry about).

Anyway, going back, here's how challenge #2 turned out. It's so feminine and dainty!!

See the resemblance to the original?

Unfortunately, I cannot give credit to the original since we can no longer trace back where this came from. So if anyone recognizes the creator of this, please do let me know so that I can give due recognition.

It was challenging but fun at the same time to do this because it's my first time to do roses! Here's a tutorial that I found showing you how quick and easy it is to do. I got this link from another one of my idols, Polished Perfectionist. She does AMAZING roses (among other things!!!)!  Check out her blog entry entitled "Sweet Roses" here.

The challenge: I had a bit of trouble coming up with a close color match.

I don't have a pale yellow polish (this looks like China Glaze Lemon Fizz) so I invented my own. First, I layered Orly Spark, a bright yellow, with Essie Waltz, a sheer white, which beautifully tuned down the brightness and saturation, making it a light and dainty yellow pastel.

I also don't have a light gray polish. So I layered my OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, my go-to white polish, with OPI My Pointe Exactly, a sheer gray and one of my favorites from the NYC Ballet Collection. I made thin coats just enough to get a color match so as not to make the polish too thick.

For the flowers, I followed the video tutorial above and swirled Orly Spark and Sassy Nail Art in pink. For the leaves, it was a combination of China Glaze Exotic Encounters and China Glaze For Audrey.

Lastly, for my topcoat, I skipped Sally Hansen Insta-dri Anti-chip top coat and Seche Vite dry fast top coat this time around because I got sick of the smell. Instead, I turned to Orly Sec-n-Dry. It's not as thick, glossy, and long-lasting as the other two, but it smelled less toxic and did the job.

Here are all the nail polish colors that I used (excluding my base and top coats). From left to right: Orly Spark, Essie Waltz, OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, OPI My Pointe Exactly, Sassy Nail Art in pink, China Glaze Exotic Encounters, and China Glaze For Audrey.

Want to see more pictures? ... You don't have a choice! :D

I showed this to Kim in person over the weekend and she said that this is her favorite nail art to date! Yey! I was so touched and reenergized to do more!!!

I also had fun matching my outfits with this design. I didn't realize it would be so wearable! Just think feminine and floral, or yellow and gray combo.

Last Saturday, I went to a 1st year birthday party and to a wedding afterwards. I wore this a pale blue fitted top from Armani Exchange paired with a nude ruffled skirt from Zara. I then synched my waist with a big nude rose gartered belt also from Zara. (You can barely see it on the picture to the left, below!) For my shoes, I wore my Tory Burch wedged sandals for all-day comfort! Too bad I don't have a full body picture! But here are some pictures I took that day.

We took several pictures with the wine because it's extra special at P9,850.00 a bottle. :)

See if you can try to imagine and piece my top together with the skirt below and the rose belt worn to the side. :)

On Tuesday, I went to the office and paired my nails with a Mango elastic waist dress in green, Mango chain detail waist belt, Tory Burch wedge sandals in knot, and a Louis Vuitton Speedy in Monogram Mini Lin cotton and linen canvas. Again no picture, but see below how I tried to assemble the look. I love the proper, sophisticated look. :)

On Wednesday, I went with Jor-el for a check up at the hospital. It was raining, so it was time for my boots to come out and do their job. This is more of an edgy look but still played with the pastel yellow and dove gray theme. It struck me that I had to take a picture! I'm wearing a Mango pale yellow spaghetti strap, Zara dove gray cardigan, Zara navy blue distressed shorts, Zara black leather ribbon belt, Kenneth Cole black knee high boots, and my Forever 21 layered necklace. Kinda funky for your taste? Must be the Taiwanese in me! Heehee :)

So! Do you have any challenges for me? I'm all ears! Leave a comment and I'll try my best to do it!! :)

Thanks for reading!


* UPDATE: Wanted to share with you the picture that I posted in Instragram.
I love love love these adorable frames!!! :D

  

Karen & Erica's 2012 Birthday Party

September 15, 2012

This year, it was a sit down Surf and Turf dinner + Hello Kitty + Tonic Bags and Shoes + Polished Inthecity Nail Art PARTY!!!!

I'm still on a high over it! Jor-el bought 18 pieces of 14-16 oz. steaks for all of us to feast on!!! If you've seen them in real life, you'd be flabbergasted! :-O

Thank you Chef Jor-el Soyangco for our plated surf and turf grilled steak and prawns with a siding of mashed potatoes and our smoked salmon with kesong puti salad in blueberry vinaigrette!

Thank you Chef Nicco Santos for our watercress and spinach soup, mushroom and truffle cream sauce pasta, and our late night salpicao!

We even hired a waiter to serve and bus out our plates! How cool is that?! :)

It was so sad we didn't have pictures of the food though!! All I have is this picture of the leftovers with the boys. :(

I got Erica black Lydias from Tonic Bags and Shoes for her birthday! I wore my platinum ones, while Anne wore her gold ones. All thanks to the ever-talented Kim Chupeco!! We love your work!!! <3

Our friends, Kali and Rach, got us these really cool Hello Kitty glasses! Now, I have 4 in my collection!!

Took this the day after the party, with my new Hello Kitty glasses! :)

The night progressed with the girls doing their nails for each other. :) It was so much fun!!! Look at the smiles on our faces! After trying it out themselves, my friends realized how easy it was to do! The night was shortlived and I'm still hoping that I can invite them over to the house for another round!

Nail Art #1: Kate Spade Dippin' Dots for Kali

with China Glaze Peachy Keen, China Glaze For Audrey, and Orly Pixy Stix

Nail Art #2: Fun Nerds Dots for Shirley

with Orly Spark, Orly Rage, Orly Pixy Stix, China Glaze Peachy Keen, and China Glaze For Audrey

Nail Art #3: Silver Accents over Pink for Elaine
with some Orly pink polish and Wet 'n' Wild Wizard

Nail Art #4: Sponged tips for Erica
with Orly Rage layered on Essie Sand Tropez

Nail Art #5: Aztec Nails for Kacy
with OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, L'Oreal Electric Pink Creme, and Sassy Nail Art in black

Nail Art #6: Paul Smith Stripes for Kim Lee

with Sassy Nail Art in black, red, and Orange striped over OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls

Nail Art #7: Black Swan sponged tips over silver foil for Jeelai
with Wet 'n' Wild in Creme Noir over some silver polish

The last 3 to leave, with yours truly. You can see the full post about my cupcake nails here. :)

Can you believe it?!?! 7 nail art designs all in one day! Phew! Perhaps I can retire at this point! Haha Who am I kidding?!?!

But before I end this post, I'd like to share with you my favorite picture of them all! It was an honor to have our first ZESh baby, Kirk, attend his first ZESh party!!! I'm a proud Auntie!! :) Isn't he just adorable? <3 Calling Kirb and Vince, please bring Kirk more often! Anne and Hans, bring Ethan next time too, okay? :)

Celebrating love and friendship on our 28th! Of course, a little bit of nail polish and Hello Kitty wouldn't hurt too! :)

Have a great Wednesday to all of you!!

 

Tonic Pink Jenica Plastic Peep Toe Wedges

Hello everyone! I can't resist but to squeeze in a short post here.

These are my new pink wedges from Tonic and I just love them to juicy jelly bits and pieces!!! (Drool...)

They caught my eye when I first saw them online. And they did not disappoint! When I wore them, oh wow! I felt like Barbie! Haha!

Kim brought these for me last week when we played badminton. I just had to try them on the moment I got home! You'll see me below still in my post-badminton outfit. Heehee

And of course, I had to wear them that same weekend. We were going to the new mall, Robinson's Magnolia, to watch "Katy Perry The Movie: Part of Me" and I thought they'd be perfect! But alas, we were mistaken and the cinema didn't show it in the evening. :,(  I ended up watching "The Campaign" with Kacy (thanks for being a true friend haha!), while all the others switched to "The Possession". (For the life of me, I can never ever EVER watch a horror movie.) To end our evening, there's nothing like a good old classic Banana Split from the Magnolia Creamery! :)

My outfit for the day: Mango dipped hem cold shoulder top, Mango tie dye skinny jeans, Tonic Pink Jenica plastic peep toe wedges, Agnes B. black tote bag, Forever 21 layered necklace, Thomas Sabo charm bracelet, and Swatch date ring.

Great elevation! My shoes kept my feet dry when it rained that night. :) Perfect for those unexpected rain showers! And needless to say, they were comfy to shop around in!

Here is the product shot.

You can order these beauties online from Tonic Bags and Shoes! These are also available in The Ramp Glorietta, The Ramp Trinoma, Wisdom Rockwell, PopCulture Alabang Town Center, and The Maze Ayala Cebu.

If you feel like pink is too loud for you, these come in bone white too! Check out the Jenica album and see for yourself!

Before we end this post, I have a surprise for you! What's a post without any nail art? Haha!

Here's a preview to Kim's aztec nails challenge! Don't they look so good with the shoes?? :)

 

Details to follow in the next post! Hope you enjoyed this one for a change. :)

Thanks for reading!