Nomama

nomama artisanal ramen sounds like a place you’d love to hate. apart from bespoke (even sartorial or fusion), artisanal is one of those buzz words you should avoid – it is either overused or used inappropriately. admittedly, i had my doubts at first. but after hearing good things about the place from different people PLUS it was in my neighborhood, i was really getting very curious.

tucked in a residential area in quezon city, nomama is bright yet still has a nondescript air about it. it is the brainchild of chef him uy of east, that tiny resto inside of rustan’s.

i had googled the night before so i knew what to order and what to avoid. we settled for the following:

the mushroom gyoza looked like the traditional japanese ones but when we looked for the sauce, the waiter said it was already incorporated in the dumpling.

think of it as a vegetarian xiao long bao – a soupy yet crunchy XLB. it was light and refreshing.

the seafood kilawin sounds very filipino from the get-go. that said, unlike the traditional kilawin which had a more brine-y taste to the seafood, nomama’s version was succulent and didn’t have that overwhelming vinegar-y taste.

the beef tataki with sweet potato chips was my favorite. tataki is a japanese way of preparing meat or fish, seared very briefly over a hot flame or pan, briefly marinated in vinegar, sliced thinly and seasoned with ginger. nomama’s version had hints of garlic and chili. and if you scoop out the tataki using the chips and top it with a little alfalfa sprout, this combination melds into a delightful mix of textures and flavors.

the nomama ramen had a shoyu-based(soy) broth with chasyu(pork slices) and topped with a beckoning “ramen” egg or ajitsuke tamago. ajitsuke tamago is basically a soft-boiled egg flavored and marinated overnight. although the ramen and broth itself were just ok, the egg was done wonderfully.

we ended the meal with the flourless chocolate cake with miso salted caramel, which seemed like something out of the “hip” food catalogue(again?). and since i was a sucker for anything salted caramel, i had to try it. the cake itself was pretty dense but i loved the idea of the salty bits incorporated in the batter. the caramel was also more tampered in sweetness.

as compliments of the chef, he sent over a slice of buttermilk poundcake with a wasabi-chocolate sauce. the chef mentioned he rarely bakes so he wanted us to try it. i really liked the poundcake because it didn’t taste that rich and heavy, probably because of the buttermilk used. the sauce had a stronger kick of wasabi, more than the usual when used as a dessert. i told him i found it interesting and he thought i didn’t like it. interesting is not exactly bad, you know.

what i like most about nomama is that the place and the dishes surprised me! it was all sorts of good things rolled into one – modern, tastey and homey all at the same time. i liked it so much, i had dinner there two nights in a row. it’s that kind of restaurant you’d love to go back just to try out the other stuff on the menu.

Nomama Artisanal Ramen

G/F FSS Bldg 2, Scout Tuason cor
Scout Castor Sts, Quezon City
+6329214913
+639175228272

Buzz

got all caught up in my short vacay over the weekend that i didn’t get to do this week’s glossy. heehee. but in case you’re bored, here’s a link to all the glossies so far. enjoy!

Glossy features Ivy Kirzhner

Ivy Kirzhner is a Filipino-American shoe designer and photographer based in New York City. Ivy is multi-talented and gifted having graduated from the prestigious and highly selective La Guardia high school or commonly known as the FAME high school which calls Erica Jong, Robert de Niro, Steven Bochco, Jennifer Aniston, among its alumni. After high school, she went on to the Fashion Institute of Technology and graduated with a BFA in accessories design.

Since then, Ivy has become a young creative leader in contemporary footwear design where she has lead teams domestically and overseas, and designed footwear lines for Dolce Vita, DV by Dolce Vita, Sweet Life by Dolce Vita, Dolcetta, Pencey, BEBE, Steve Madden, H by Halson, Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic just to name a few. She is currently the Designer and Creative Director of Footwear for BCBGMAXAZRIA at the Camuto Group, where she also works closely alongside the legendary icon and industry patriarch, Vince Camuto.

Apart from being a creative fashion force, she als runs a very popular blog http://www.saintandlibertine.com.
*****

At home in New York, I do tend to keep quite a maximalist lifestyle, being in fashion and in various creative fields.
However, my grooming essentials are quite simplistic since I travel a lot for work and leisure. I stick to products that are fool-proof and reliable, and I try to keep my daily routine down to a minimum. I also try not to splurge. (My savings go to my photography equipment… and on my designer pieces.

These are the 40 things I love and cannot live without.

My facial routine has not changed much since I was a teenager. I’ve been using almost the same exact products since. Thankfully, I never really had any issues with my skin despite of my age.

1) Clean&Clear Persagel. I apply this on my T-zone after cleansing, even if I don’t have any pimples. It keeps everything under control and it bleaches out blemishes.
2) Neutrogena Healthy Skin Moisturizer. I have been using this since I was a teenager. I’m not ready to move yet.
3) Neutrogena Ageless Intensives. This is a recent add-on to my nightly routine as a aging preventive.
4) Bliss Fabulous Foaming Facewash. I love this cleanser! It cleanses, exfoliates and freshens the skin all at the same time. My skin feels like petals afterwards.
5) Natural Crystal Essence deodorant with Lavender and White Tea Oil. I’m a big fan of all-natural products. This one works awesome!
6) Listerine Mouthwash. As a rule at home, we decant our mouthwash.

7) L’Occitane hand lotions. I actually use these as body lotions as well, since they’re so rich and yummy. They work great especially for my super dry legs and arms.

I’m a big bubble bath buff. Bubble baths are like ice cream. You gotta have different scents of all kinds! Here are some of my absolute favorites:

8) Satu Poppy Showers Bubble Bath.
9) Lollia Sugared Pastilles BubbleBath. This one smells super delicious!
10) L’Occtinate Cherry Blossom Bath Pebbles. Aside for bubble bath soaps, I like to throw in bath salts into the mix. They keep your skin from drying up.
11) Sabon Mineral Powder. (divasoria:I LOVE SABON PRODUCTS!)
12) Sabon Peach Bubble Bath Foam.

I recently got a Japanese hair perm and it’s important that I keep my hair super hydrated and that I use sulfate-free products.
13) Organix Vanilla Silk. This one for general cleansing. It’s also sulfate-free.
14) L’Oreal Sulfate Free, Silicone-Free Smoothing Shampoo. This is what use for my second lather/rinse to smooth and repair.
15) dAvines LOVE Conditoner. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this conditioner from Italy! It smells like babies AND it is super hydrating. You only need a teeny tiny dollop and soon, you can say goodbye to hot oil treatments. It really works!

Styling regiments on top shelf
16) Bumble and Bumble Straight Blow Dry. I use this for when I really want to get that super pin-straight ZEN-like polished hairdo.
17) Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum It smells like coconut, but works great on keeping my hair lush and super strong. Great for when I don’t need to blow dry my hair straight

I alternate between these two products if I want to have that uber Glossy polished look. They both smell incredibly wonderful.
18) CatWalk Camera Ready.
19) BedHead Tigi Head Rush.

I love perfumes. I had been looking for the perfect scent that blended well with my body chemistry. I have amassed quite a few until I tried Chloe. Chloe has become the signature scent for me. It interacts magically and effortlessly with my natural scent… and drives my husband wild! I think that’s when you know you have found the right perfume. Once in a while, I would change it up with the other perfumes I have kept. It all depends on my mood, the season and the occasion. But for everyday, I use Chloe.

20) YSL Babydoll. For flirty days.
21) http://www.chanel.com/en_US/fragrance-beauty/Fragrance-Coco-Mademoiselle-88188
I spray this on whenever I go to some serious occasions in the Fall, like seeing Opera or the Ballet. I relate this scent to velvet and pearls in November.
22) Dior Cherie. This one makes a great Spring/Summer scent.
23) D.S. & Durga Silent Grove & Coriander. I love the smell of Coriander. It’s so fresh and natural and so green. The Silent Grove is actually superbly romantic, yet simply floral at the same time. I wear these two together sometimes.
24) Chloe parfum and lotion. Absolute LOVE!
25) L’Occitane Cherry Blossom Cologne. Another great spring/summer scent.
26) L’Occitane Eau de Miel. I put this on at night as it’s alcohol-free and super mild. It smells like babies!

I have a really simple cosmetics and makeup regiment. Learned from just playing with makeup randomly as a kid.
FACE:
After cleansing and moisturizing, I normally use 27) Bobbi Brown’s concealer with finishing powder and then apply 28) Guerlain powder foundation on top.
For my cheeks, I use a teeny tiny bit 29) Makeup Forever’s HD Tint.

EYES:
For my eyes, I stick to 31) Dior Couture’s Black Flash and Gold Touch eyeshadow, but I would sometimes use 32) Chanel Les 4 Ombres No 14. Then I define my lids with 33) Bobbi Brown’s gel eyeliners with a brush (which is so amazingly fuss-free!!!). Then I finish it off with 34) Guerlains waterproof/smudge-proof double-wand mascara.

LIPS:
For lips, for everyday, I stick to 35) Bobbi Brown’s nude palette. For evening and if I want something more dramatic, I love using red, etiher 36) Chanel no. 14 or 37) Chanel Shanghai Red. Occasionally, I’d go for the hot coral pink 38) YSL Rouge Volupte especially in the springtime.

Other things I use:
39) C.O. Bigelow No.140 Chapped Hands Cleanser. Wintertime is quite brutal in New York and my hands are the first victim. It really leaves your hands feeling suepr moisturized and protected.
40) Crest 3D White. This is the simple secret to a bright fluorescent smile. Seriously, the color of your teeth can make or break any look.

as told to divasoria

cocooning

co·coon·ing noun \-ˈkü-niŋ\ – the practice of spending leisure time at home in preference to going out

i think it’s more of a function of getting older but i’ve found myself and even my friends preferring to enjoy each other’s company in the comforts of our own home. there just seems to be a huge black hole in places that cater to my demographic – everything is just too manic or too loud.

i’ve also noticed that i spend hours looking at design and home decor sites lately. i’ve been skipping the end-of-season sales of zara, mango, topshop etc in favor of buying “home” things. my favorite purchase so far? these lovely pillows.

it’s from bleach home by bleach catastrophe, one of my favorite local brands. i like the neutral palette and the quirky visuals. since i’m a huge fan of a more eclectic aesthetic, i thought the delicate ballet slippers and butterfly graphics worked perfectly with the skull print it’s very feminine and homey yet still modern and rock n roll.

yup, i think i’m growing up.

bleach catastrophe
2nd level, greenbelt 5,

Mamma Mia the Musical Comes to Manila

The hit musical comes to MNL! The international tour of the highly-anticipated musical, MAMMA MIA! will be staged at the CCP Main Theater this January 24-February 12, 2012. The performance times are at 3pm on Saturday and Sunday, 8pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 8pm on Friday and Saturday.

For tickets, check out ticketworld.

mixtape 01142012

because i’m in the mood for procrastinating, i decided to do a mixtape of chill/downtempo songs with an r&b touch.

my recent and obviously late discovery is robin thicke. maybe i’m stuck in the 90s but i really am a more maxwell kind of person, but after hearing love after war, i think i am hooked. anyway, i like using this playlist when i need to work or for dinner parties. i think it encourages a very chill vibe and good conversation. you can also use this as a MOMOL playlist, let me know what happens

to download this mixtape, follow this link.

glossy features mau tanedo

Mau Tanedo is a Business Operations Manager handling North American HR services for a Business Process Outsourcing company. Apart from being this generation’s atypical corporate girl, she is also a part-time lifestyle journalist starting as a correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s 2BU! when she as still in high school and is a contributing writer for various publications. At 15, her piece on family and teen life appeared in an American book.

******

I love beauty products and tend to buy a lot, but over the years disciplining myself and learning to stick to my staples, I’ve managed to pare down my favorites to a few that I trust and really do use. There’s a lot to get rid of from my dresser yearly, but these ones are not going anywhere – unless of course, I find better products in better packaging one day! My friend Lia who works in marketing and brand management likes to kid me and say I’m a marketer’s dream. LOL! I’m actually getting better as I get older.

Clarins One Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser – this is actually a facial cleanser that I use for my body. LOL. I love the tangerine scent – it wakes me up and makes me feel good about my day. And yes I’m fast running out!
Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate Body Wash – …which is why I have this one as my backup body wash. I wasn’t able to take a picture but my bar soap is just Dove – my mom introduced Dove to me when I was a kid and I’ve always had it in my bathroom!
I like to alternate my shampoo but my favorite is John Frieda Root Awakening Health Infusing Shampoo – this has a fresh minty feeling to it. My current shampoo but when I run out I will probably revert back to either Pantene or L’Oreal Elseve Nutri Gloss Shampoo in Pearl Protein (pink bottle). My conditioner is also L’Oreal Elseve, alternating with Pantene.
I really haven’t gotten around to researching my hair products or having my favorites, so I’m a little less passionate and picky about them. LOL.

I have a simple Cleanse-Tone-Moisturize routine for my face. It’s basic and I’ve been doing this since my teens, when I started getting oilier skin and my mom started buying me Neutrogena products. Right now my skin’s more like combination-normal and I still stick to my Neutrogena products.
Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash – I don’t have acne but I love, love, love this cream cleanser because of the smell! It’s a pretty sea green color, too. It really smells like aloe and chamomile combined and always feels nice on my skin. This is my cleanser of the moment – I use my Neutrogena cleansers until I finish the entire tube. I don’t have one favorite Neutrogena cleanser, but I’m partial to the cream cleansers like this one, Pink Grapefruit and Deep Clean.
Neutrogena Alcohol Free Toner – I tone only once a day after cleansing when I get home from work but this is my choice as it’s alcohol-free and scent-free.
Johnson’s Baby Oil – I use this as a makeup remover for my eye makeup. One swipe and all the gunk’s gone!
Peeking out from the sides are my hand wash (Bath and Body Works) and Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo for when my hair feels dry and just needs to be cleaned quickly.

Johnson’s Baby Milk Lotion – these days I don’t use this anymore, but I refill it constantly as I love the smell of baby milk lotion. I have a same size container of the baby milk bath, too, as an alternate to my body washes.
Vaseline Healthy White Triple Lightening and Vaseline Total Moisture Nourishing – I use both alternately. Can’t speak to the effectiveness of the former’s whitening abilities as I have no appropriate basis, but I can speak to how good these two smell (at least to me!) and the SPF 24 in the Triple Lightening variant. Both are affordable and I’m glad I decided to try them early this year as they do the moisturizing job in Manila heat without breaking the bank.
Dove Whitening Deodorant – I use Dove as it’s gentle and I am buying into it not being one of those deos that make your underarms dark! It does say Whitening, right? LOL.

Jurlique Love Balm – I use this as a lip balm at home to keep my lips moist, wearing it alone or to prep my lips for gloss/lipstick. It’s really waxy in a good way – very moisturizing and thick.
Rosebud Salve – I bring this with me everywhere! Really a miracle worker. I use it as a lip balm in general but it once saved my hands from a surface burn while I was microwaving noodles on a business trip abroad (talk about ultimate FAIL!).
Etude House Miss Tangerine Cream Choux Blusher – This is a nice peachy pink cream blush that I like to put on the apples of my (fat) cheeks! LOL. It comes out orangey from the tube but when you apply it, it practically melts into your skin and looks like a natural flush. Nice and affordable, plus a little goes a long way.
MAC Lipstick in Hug Me – this is my everyday neutral “my lips but better” shade. Can’t live without MAC lipstick – for going out, my other favorites include Girl About Town (a fuchsia that you can layer depending on how dark you want it on your lips), Fast Play (pretty much a darker version of Hug Me, more intense and pigmented but just as natural) and Viva Glam Gaga 1 (sheer baby pink that you can layer). My favorite MAC lipsticks are the lustres because you can always build up color by layering.
MAC Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer and Fast Response Eye cream – I use both interchangeably as an eye cream and concealer primer. It has caffeine so it’s supposed to make eye bags less puffy – a good thing for someone like me whose eye shape makes the skin around my eyes just naturally puffier (gotta love that – NOT) AND stays up late when I have too much extra energy.
L’Oreal Bare Naturale Mineral Glow – I use this as a contouring powder/blush.
Palladio Brow Powder in Taupe – I just use this to fill my brows in. Once upon a time, in my early teens all the way into my late teens, I decided that thin brows were for me. WRONG. Now I wish I hadn’t tweezed too much back then. In between threading sessions, I just tweeze outside of my natural shape and fill in my brows where my teenage self did some damage thanks to overzealous tweezing.
MAC Select Coverup Concealer - this is my favorite undereye concealer. I also have the MAC pot concealer for the occasional blemish but I hardly use it as this liquid concealer pretty much does the trick of lightening the undereye area.
MAC Blot Powder – holy grail powder! This doesn’t add color and isn’t as thick as Studio Fix (which really is a powder foundation). I don’t wear foundation so Blot Powder is the only thing I need for my T-Zone. I always keep one compact in my dresser at home and another in my bag to take with me wherever I go.

Too Faced Natural Eye Palette - I had been a little desperate to get the much adored Urban Decay Naked Palette – I looked for it in New York and in Singapore but it was always out of stock. I was not about to pay x2-3 of the price through Multiply though. When I was in Singapore, I asked the SA in Sephora if they had the UD palette in stock, just to try my luck. They didn’t, but they showed me this palette as an alternative. I love it and I’m so glad I bought it! I use this for parties and events though not for everyday. I’m no longer into colorful eyeshadows (when I used to be, it had to be MAC or UD) so this set of natural shades does the job for me. I have Chinese monolids (ie, no “talukap”, “tingsun” or “double lids” – however you want to call them!) so I need to put on eyeshadow a certain way without faking a crease – I use MAC brush #239 to pack color to my lids, get a darker color on the outer ends and blend it with the same brush, then line thickly and push color into my upper lids using MAC brush #219 (a favorite!). Both these brushes have goat hair which help pack on pigment. I use brush #266 (mine came from a travel set from eons back – a Nordstrom exclusive collection called Printout from must have been 2004) to line my eyes.

Goody Ouchless (No Metal) Hair Elastics – this is an essential for me so I just have to include this. I always make sure I have some stock since they’re not difficult to lose!

Jurlique Hand Cream in Jasmine – my best friend Leah, who lives in Australia, gave me this. I absolutely love the moisturizing qualities and the fragrant smell of jasmine. I use this at home for my hands and feet!
Hand Food Hand Cream - I got this in Sephora in Singapore, too and this one goes into my bag for when my hands feel cold and dry from the freezing aircon in the office. I love the smell, too – sweet but not overpowering.
Neutrogena Moisture with SPF 15 - this is actually part 3 of my “Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize” routine for my face, but I keep it on my dresser so it joined this shot!

I love perfume! My sister and my best friends like to give me perfume. I don’t always finish my bottles because I keep collecting them. LOL. Here are the three that I am alternating right now:
Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche - for going out at night. I also have the original Chanel Chance, but Eau Fraiche is my choice for a less intense smell. I love the fresh, floral, powdery but still elegant scent.
L by Gwen Stefani – this one is a more intense sweet scent for going out at night, too.
Marc Jacobs Daisy – this is my default everyday scent for 2011 – a light, floral scent! My best friend from college and work Ma’an, who now works in Singapore, surprised me with this last Christmas. I had been meaning to get myself a bottle but she beat me to it.

as told to divasoria

The Prodigal Daughter

ever since i got my new iphone 4s, ive been obsessive with setting it up with the coolest and more interesting apps i could use. i was never into apps when i first got an iphone 4 years ago. i did pretty basic things with it – text, call, tweet, facebook. i liked it a lot but when it got stolen after the JT concert, i was forced to be on a blackberry.

most of my friends are on blackberry and BBM really is the shiz(admittedly, iMessage cant compare). i really loved the push email feature, too. im still on the blackberry but i hate to admit this, i really love my iphone. four years since i got the first generation, the iphone has grown by leaps and bounds. its really such a fun phone.

there are two apps im currently loving, flipboard and instagram.

flipboard is just this amazing app that helps you curate all the media you consume. its a great way of knowing the coolest and most important things you’re interested in. i love it so much that i wanna marry it. LOL.

im a flickr loyalist and i actually pay every year because i think its the best photohost but instagram is such a cute app. its basically a photosharing app within the iPhone/iPad community. what makes it really nice and heartwarming is the different settings you can use to filter your photos.

nothing beats waking up to murder, drug raids and a nespresso in the morning #itsmorefuninthephilippines

ben and markus farnsworth house lego set

anti-simple girl french manicure(1 coat black satin + 1 coat top matte coat + 1 coat black satin on tips)

best.christmas.ornament.EVER

TF lipstick in cherry lush is LOVE

mundane shots become artsy! i think slates culture gabfest coined the term instagrammed to refer to the sepia-toned memories made via instagram.

dont tell my blackberry, but the iPhone is LOVE.

Sebastian’s Cereal Milk

in between the daze of christmas and new year’s, my friends and i decided to get together for a “left over dinner”. we had chinese ham, pandesal, cheese, pasta, roast chicken and special ice cream courtesy of sebastian’s!

ian of sebastian’s made us try 4 new flavors – quezo de bola, cereal milk, olive oil and chocoholics anonymous. i zeroed in on the cereal milk flavor.

cereal milk is an invention of christina tosi, momofoku milk bar‘s very talented pastry chef. what tosi wanted to recreate was that childhood memory of slurping the last bits of ice cold sweet milk and crunchy cereals in the morning.

sebastian’s version officially called “cornflake milk” was something out of our grade school days – just imagine pleasant memories of crunchy cornflake bits in a steady stream of subtle sweet milk in ice cream form! i could not get enough of it!

it’s the ice cream world’s version of a 400-count duvet and goose feather comforter.

Sebastian’s Ice Cream is available in the following locations:
Podium Mall,
4th floor, near escalator
ADB Avenue, Ortigas
0927 453 7426

The Block, SM North Edsa
3rd floor, near Cinema Ticket booth
Quezon City
0927 290 1633

COLD COMFORT Ice Cream Parlor
SM Mall of Asia
New Entertainment Mall, 2nd Floor
(near IMAX exit)
0915 489 5753

glossy features leigh reyes

Leigh Reyes is one of the country’s most respected creative minds. She won the Philippines’ first gold Clio in 2007 for the Soroptomist campaign, a series aimed to inspire women. Leigh’s impeccable eye has landed her a place as jury member for the Cannes Advertising Festival. Incidentally, she was the youngest Filipino and the second Filipina to be chosen for the prestigious panel.

Leigh has been featured in various magazines and television shows for her work in advertising and marketing as well as profilers on her ability to juggle professional success and motherhood. Her interests and hobbies are quite fascinating and varied. She is a known collector of vintage and Japanese fountain pens.

As part of her digital and social media thrust, Leigh has successfully put up various online outlets such as her blog “My Life As A Verb” and her twitter account @leighpod plus well-followed accounts on instagram, hashable, quora and glue. Also, her digital knowhow played a big role in the recent launch of Lowe Philippines’ Crowdder, a real-time consumer insight app with a social gaming component.

This January, Leigh assumed the post of President and Chief Creative Officer of Lowe Philippines.

******

I need scrubby bits in my facial wash. I hoard Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Acne Wash in pink grapefruit. Shampoo, conditioner and body wash may vary, and often do.

I have tried pretty much every body lotion out there and VMV’s Re-Everything face-hand-body lotion has won me over. I use Oil’s Well if I feel my skin is extra dry. To calm bacne breakouts and help prevent ingrown hairs from shaving, VMV’s id Lotion.

Yes, there’s an old jigsaw puzzle box held together with packing tape on my dresser. I use argan oil on my hair while it’s still wet, comb, and let it air-dry on the way to work. If there’s a little more time, I can blowdry. I keep a little Mason Pearson hairbrush in my bag. A good cut keeps day-to-day effort to a minimum, which I prefer.

I once went to a spa and asked if they could finish their 90-minute signature massage in 45 because I had a meeting. In the same spirit, I wish Genifique and Visionnaire came in one bottle. Bioré UV Perfect Face Milk is SPF 50, PA++, and controls oil. I use Flammazine if I get a zit.

Kissing is the best lip exfoliant. The second best is Carmex. Fresh Sugar lip balm is also good. My daily powder is Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30 for oily problem skin (saves me from reapplying facial sunblock during the day). For big meetings or events I have a brown eyeliner with smudger by Tarte and NARS lipstick in Flamenco. Baby wipes help with everything.

I have other makeup products I keep in the office. The underlying theme seems to be “noncommittal.” I have a kabuki brush that I use for everything. Tarte has this tinted moisturizer with a matte finish I like, plus SPF 20. I have NARS the Multiple in Laguna which is hoping to be brought to a beach. Bobbi Brown lipstick in (so neutral it hurts) Brown. My fifth tin of Dr. Feelgood, a no-brainer really. Shu Uemura loose powder in Colorless. O-Plump and O-Glow from Smashbox if I feel I could use a little more color.

My real indulgence is fragrance. I am a huge fan of Luca Turin’s reviews. There are certain noses whose work I follow with interest: Olivia Giacobetti, Christopher Brosius, Isabelle Doyen, Jean Claude Ellena. Serge Lutens, of course. These are my favorites. I layer Un Bois Vanille with Rousse and pretend I am a tall chai latte. Daim Blond smells amazing on slept-in clothes in the morning. This is my last bottle of Feminite du Bois and I really need to get another one.

Guerlain Après l’ondée smells like its name. Jo Malone Blue Agave and Cacao is pretty straightforward. I like layering it with Jasmine and Mint. Diptyque Ofresia and L’Artisan Poivre Piquant share peppery notes. Rochas Tocade is the fragrance world’s equivalent of a push-up bra(divasoria: WOW ISN”T THAT THE BEST TAGLINE EVAR). I wear A Different Company’s Bois d’Iris in lieu of shoulder pads.

There are also fragrances that are just fluffy fun. D&G’s L’Imperatrice is nothing like its name; it smells like a little princess who’s eaten too much candied flowers. Fragonard’s Fleur de Vanille is a full-on vanilla with a surprisingly strong sillage. This is my last bottle of L’Occitane’s Miel & Citron which is no longer in production, what a pity because it’s honey-lemon-vanilla. (Yes, I have a love affair with vanilla.) Histoires de Parfums’ 1873 also has a yummy drydown. You’d think I would have been first in line for Prada’s Candy but I found it too unimaginative.

as told to divasoria

2011 in pictures

Thank you to all my family, friends, colleagues, readers, followers and everybody else who made this year great!

Here’s to 2012!

my glossy, the yearender.

my friends always tell me that they’ve probably changed/revamped their beauty routine a couple of times ever since i started glossy. not surprised as i’ve experience a few turnovers myself since the very first glossy post.

i’ve always felt that beauty and cosmetics are personal things – one product may or may not be suited for everybody. this also means there’s a constant search for “holy grails” and thanks to my fantastic glossy girls, this weekly series gives us a forum to share what works for us. and honestly? no paid endorser can beat that.

as a yearender glossy, i’m going to let you in on my current routine and favorite discoveries of the year.

i’m still a loyal kiehl’s user but i’ve added the ultra facial oil-free cleanser. a discovery i made while putzing around the kiehl’s corner in HKIA, this cleanser makes my skin reach that balance of not too dry-not too greasy state. i use this on rotation with muji’s cleansing oil. i was a non-believer with these cleansing oils thinking my combination skin(leaning more to the oily side of the scale) might not be able to hack it. surprisingly, this was light enough for me to use when removing stubborn eye make-up/eyeliner.

and i need to mention those cotton pads i use. the brand is cuddles, a tip from my friend kevin! you can get them at your average supermarket, i get them at hi-top in quezon city(QC REPRESENT!) and it IS awesome. only a third of the price of muji but it is dense, sturdy and soft.

and thanks to keri for giving me bb cream from korea as pasalubong. i’ve heard so much about bb cream from past glossies and how it pretty much improved their skin AND provides adequate coverage. this one is called gold caviar and although i feel that my skin gets a little too paste-y white, i just add a good amount of bronzer particularly armani beauty’s fluid sheer in golden bronze and it adds a perfect dewy glow.

age has made me too lazy to get my “glam on” all the time but i’ve found a routine that only takes 5 minutes. my new go-to “foundation” for light coverage is RMK’s gel emulsion compact. i was apprehensive about using a gel base but RMK’s much-touted compact works really well! i use just one swipe and it lasts the whole day. what i like most about it is that it melts seamlessly into my skin, rendering a very natural and dewy finish! i’ve also realized how my skin has improved since i used it, it’s not as dry and i haven’t been breaking out as much.

when i’m in the mood(and that’s very seldom ), i turn to armani’s eyes to kill eyeshadow. it is fun, multi-faceted and easy to use. no need to get a bunch of colors just for that perfect smokey eye.

my loyalties when it comes to eyelash curlers shifted from everybody’s favorite shu uemura to chanel. i find it appalling though how absurdly priced it is in the states but think about it, you get 2 extra rubber pads and come on, the all-black sheen of chanel is just too pretty to pass up.

but this year, it was all about the lips! i’ve mastered the “art” of having nothing but the barest face with the most luscious lips! my favorites this year are molton brown’s handy protecting vitamin lipsaver(a qatar airways freebie!), armani beauty’s gloss d’armani in rouge 400 and their shine lipstick in 8(both my go-to reds. thanks L!) and chanel’s rouge allure velvet in l’exuberante – a lovely bright pink but this limited edition line’s perfect matte finish makes the color subtle enough to wear often.

but i’m saving the best for last – this was a christmas gift(thanks again, keri!) and it was much awaited – tom ford beauty in cherry lush. i’ve heard so much about this lipstick and i was too excited to try it. probably the most expensive lipstick i own, TF’s line is BEYOND with its array of exotic ingredients – soja seed extract, brazilian murumuru butter, chamomillia flower oil, etc. once you try it on, it glides smoothly and the texture is a cross between lip balm and chocolate, smells like the latter, too! the color pigmentation is pitch-perfect and the lipstick itself is so comfortable on the lips, hydrating and yes, LONG-LASTING.. TF’s lipstick is probably the gold standard of lip lacquers. if God thought of a perfect lipstick, it would be this one. thankfully, it isn’t available in southeast asia or else i’d be broke!

my favorites chanel polishes on this year’s rotation are fall 2012′s limited edition quartz and matte top coat but i love, love LOVE the navy of blue satin, the old rose x brown of rose confidentiel and the lightness of tendresse(i admit, i got a bottle because it’s vanessa traina’s favorite! HEHE!). i also found my ultimate gardenia-based cologne from santa maria novella and an everyday scent in the gap’s so pink.

and yes, after all that, i still consider myself low maintenance. haha.