Rss Feed

August, 2011

  1. MUG SHOT: What I wore when I met Paris Hilton

    August 21, 2011 by pam

    My week-long disappearance from this blog can be explained by two words: Paris Hilton.

    parispolish10

    She arrived in Manila for a business trip and I was assigned to cover her five-day stay for my newspaper.

    It was a crazy assignment that started days before she arrived, with me trying to track down why she was coming here, what she was doing, who she was seeing.

    Before I even saw Paris in Manila, I had already written two front page stories about her.

    Front page story # 3 and fashion story # 1 were written just after her press conference.

    parispolish9

    That’s where she talked about the beach club she’s designing for real estate firm Century Properties.

    I got home at 3 a.m. that night but I knew I had to do a special Paris Hilton mani.

    Because the next day, at her store opening in SM Megamall, I was set to have an interview with her. There were only two of us allowed to have a one-on-one (make that two-on-one) with her – me and my friend Bea, who writes for another newspaper.

    I thought about choosing a nice pink, her favorite color, but that didn’t seem special enough.

    I checked my polish inventory and tried to find fitting polishes. Strangely, despite my pretty extensive collection, I didn’t have a single polish with the word “Paris” in its name.

    Finally, I made a decision.

    parispolish21

    I would use Rescue Beauty Lounge Purple Haze

    parispolish19

    with MAC So Rich, So Pretty on accent nails.

    parispolish23

    I chose Purple Haze because it shares Paris Hilton’s initials.

    parispolish20

    And MAC So Rich, So Pretty. I don’t think I need to explain this one.

    parispolish24

    This is my Paris Hilton mani.

    parispolish1

    RBL Purple Haze is a lovely purple cream. The formula was fantastic – two super smooth super easy coats.

    parispolish31

    MAC So Rich, So Pretty is a rich and pretty shimmer. I used three coats to make it fully opaque.

    parispolish35

    On Thursday, as I stood with Paris inside her handbag and accessories store, it was complete chaos outside. The fans, photographers and TV men went completely wild for Paris, trapping Jill in their mini-stampede when she was supposed to be inside the store shooting. I swear, I thought they’d break the glass.

    But soon, order was restored.

    parispolish46

    I shook Paris’ hand, said hi and watched as she posed with her handbags.

    parispolish47

    “Nice hair,” she said, when she saw my blue streaks.

    Then we sat down for the interview.

    And posed for a photo after.

    parispolish7

    Sadly, we didn’t get to talk polish.

    But I noticed that was wearing a very pale lilac polish.

    parispolish39

    Her mani showed some tipwear but I couldn’t blame her, given the insane week she’s had.

    After the interview, Paris officially opened her store and had a signing session with her fans before going to the airport to catch her flight to LA.

    And I headed back to the office to write my sixth and final article about her.

    parispolish6

    Paris Hilton photos by Jill Lejano

    Category mug shot | Tags: ,,,,,,, | 23 Comments

  2. POLICE FILES: Oh Les Jeans De Chanel, we were meant to be

    August 16, 2011 by pam

    This story starts seven years ago when I first dyed my hair pink.

    Over the years I’ve dyed my hair all kinds of crazy colors.

    dye6

    Pink. Red. Blue. Purple.

    dye5

    Purple was my favorite.

    dye3

    I’ve been wanting to dye my hair purple again for a while now and I’ve had bottles of Raw Deep Purple and tubs of Manic Panic Ultra Violet and Lie Locks waiting.

    dye4

    The day for dyeing finally came a few days ago after a crazy attempt to start boxing again.

    dye2

    I could have tried Manic Panic but I decided to use Raw Deep Purple, my all-time favorite. I cannot count how many bottles of Raw Deep Purple I’ve used. It’s never failed me.

    So imagine my surprise when, after three hours of bleaching, watching bad TV and talking to my hairdresser about his ex-boyfriends, I ended up with blue hair.

    dye8

    Blue. Not purple. Not blurple. Blue.

    I wasn’t happy about it.

    I was hoping a shower would lighten my hair enough to make it look purple – but even though the suds turned purple, my hair stayed blue.

    I did my research and found other loyal Raw Deep Purple users complaining about the same thing. Their hair turned blue too.

    I spent 24 hours hating my blue hair (and writing an angry letter to Hot Topic).

    And then, today, I decided to embrace the blue. I wore my favorite blue shirt (the one with a panda on it) and I painted my nails blue.

    And after getting a haircut and a blowout, I decided I liked my blue hair.

    dye9

    I could even love it.

    And then I thought, uh oh, I am loving my blue nails a little too much too. What if I end up just wearing blue polish?

    Let me say that again: Earlier today, I asked myself: What if I decide to just wear blue polish?

    And then I saw Chanel’s colors for Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out this year.

    dye10

    Les Jeans De Chanel – Blue Rebel, Coco Blue, Blue Boy. Aren’t they pretty?

    Be still, my blue polish-loving heart.

    This is destiny. You can’t tell me it’s not meant to be.

    Blue hair, I love you.

    Blue Rebel, Coco Blue, Blue Boy, you will be mine.

    Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out 2011 is on September 8. To see the event listings, check out the collections and find out where you can get these blue babies, go HERE.

    Category police files | Tags: ,,,,,,,, | 17 Comments

  3. MUG SHOT: Misa and Nubar goodies from Cat

    August 14, 2011 by pam

    Posh Nails president Cat Ilacad is super sweet and thoughtful. A few weeks back, she sent me lovely bottles from Misa and Nubar.

    It was because of Cat (and Des, from Beauty Blends Inc., Misa’s Philippine distributor) that I finally realized how awesome this brand is. I will forever be grateful.

    The three Misa shades Cat sent me were from the brand’s Wishes Collection. They’re all so pretty.

    This is Fountain of Youth.

    misafountainofyouth17

    It’s a super pale green shimmer.

    misafountainofyouth1

    On me it doesn’t look very green.

    misafountainofyouth5

    The color reminds me of pearls – with a really light green sheen.

    misafountainofyouth7

    I love this color.

    misafountainofyouth11

    It’s really pretty.

    misafountainofyouth16

    And I love the formula.

    misafountainofyouth10

    I used two coats.

    misafountainofyouth14

    This is Touch The Rainbow.

    misatouchtherainbow17

    It’s a pale blue shimmer.

    misatouchtherainbow1

    I love this color too.

    misatouchtherainbow15

    I love how soft this shade looks.

    misatouchtherainbow8

    Just looking at it makes me feel calm.

    misatouchtherainbow10

    So pretty.

    misatouchtherainbow2

    The formula was great too.

    misatouchtherainbow7

    I used two coats.

    misatouchtherainbow6

    This is Genie In This Bottle.

    misagenieinthisbottle18

    It’s a pale lavender shimmer.

    misagenieinthisbottle1

    This one’s really pretty too.

    misagenieinthisbottle13

    You’ll get tired of me saying how pretty these colors are but I cannot help it – they’re super pretty.

    misagenieinthisbottle11

    I normally don’t go crazy for pale shades but these colors are just amazingly pretty. I cannot wait to wear them.

    misagenieinthisbottle9

    Genie In This Bottle’s formula is great too.

    misagenieinthisbottle15

    I used two coats.

    misagenieinthisbottle7

    Cat also sent me two shades from Nubar. I don’t have too many Nubars in my collection but the more I try this brand, the more I love it.

    This is Lavender.

    nubarlavender19

    Lavender is a soft creamy lavender.

    nubarlavender1

    I love this polish.

    nubarlavender3

    Super pretty.

    nubarlavender15

    The formula was great too.

    nubarlavender16

    It was super opaque.

    nubarlavender2

    I used two coats.

    nubarlavender8

    This is Lemon Drop Dazzle.

    nubarlemondazzle5

    Lemon Drop Dazzle is pretty glitter in a yellow jelly base.

    nubarlemondazzle1

    This color’s pretty sheer. Even with three coats you can still see my nail line.

    nubarlemondazzle2

    But I just know this would rock as a top coat.

    nubarlemondazzle4

    I will try that next time.

    If you want to try Misa and Nubar, visit celebrity favorite Posh Nails. Cat says they have over 50 Misa shades available for use.

    And here’s the best part – because Posh Nails is celebrating its 9th anniversary, if you go for the Posh Spoiling pedicure until August 22, your treatment will be upgraded to the Lemon Twist Scrub Pedicure.

    Posh Nails has branches in Tomas Morato, Greenhills, Megamall, The Fort, SM Fairview, Ali Mall, BF Homes, Katipunan, SM Marikina, Binondo, Robinsons Galleria and Iloilo. For the complete address, phone numbers and business hours, please visit Posh Nails’ website. Check out the spa’s services HERE. Find Posh Nails on Facebook.

    Category mug shot | Tags: ,,,,,,, | 8 Comments

  4. MUG SHOT: A very Smurfy mani

    August 13, 2011 by pam

    I never outgrew my love for the Smurfs.

    Which should explain why I’m a thirty-year-old adult who owns a Smurf hoodie.

    sm1

    Make that two Smurf hoodies.

    73572_499777977847_725857847_7167199_3593256_n-1

    Yes, that’s a Smurf hoodie hiding behind my bag of McDonald’s.

    My love for the Smurfs should also explain why I still have Smurf toys.

    sm5

    I bought these little Smurfs at FAO Schwarz a couple of years ago.

    sm3

    And my friends gave me a Smurfs lunch box for my birthday.

    sm2

    When I heard that the movie was coming out, I knew I had to watch it even though I was worried that it would be just like the Chipmunks movies.

    sm8

    I watched the movie the day it opened in theaters and of course I had to wear a special manicure for my beloved Smurfs.

    The first step was figuring out which polish matched the Smurfs perfectly. I chose from quite a few blues but ended up picking OPI’s No Room For The Blues. It’s the perfect Smurf blue.

    And because my nail art skills are nonexistent, I decided to do just one accent Smurf nail on each hand using my Etude House nail art pen and NARS Ecume.

    The result? Not very good.

    This is my left hand. Check out Drug Addict Smurf on my thumb.

    sm6

    This is my right hand. Check out Just-Got-Punched Smurf on my ring finger.

    sm7


    As for the movie – it was exactly like my attempt at nail art.

    sm9

    It was Smurfy – and not in a good way.

    Category mug shot | Tags: ,,, | 4 Comments

  5. MUG SHOT: Matte about Cutex

    August 9, 2011 by pam

    Let me begin with total geekiness. (You might want to blame my two-day Big Bang Theory marathon. I love this show so much – and yes, I’m still watching it now.)

    I spent all my life thinking it was only us Filipinos who used brand names as common nouns. We call toothpaste “colgate” even if it’s another brand. We call refrigerators “frigidaire.” And, yes, we call nail polish “cutex.” Countless people have referred to me as “the girl who’s into cutex” when in reality, what they meant was “the girl who is completely and insanely addicted to nail polish.”

    But it’s not just us. Apparently, Haitians who speak Creole do exactly the same thing. They call cameras “kodak.” Their coolers “igloo.” And yes, nail polish “cutex.”

    Color me nerdy but I got a major kick out of that.

    And that brings me to the real point of this post: Cutex.

    cutex1

    Yes, geekiness over. Let the rain of polish continue.

    These colors have been hiding in my Helmer for months now and I feel like kicking myself for not taking them out sooner.

    cutex2

    Because they are awesome.

    Because they’re from the Matte About You collection, all these five shades are matte. But if you think that means chalky, flat and boring, you’re wrong.

    They are Halloween-themed – and yes, we’re a couple of months early – but I’m pretty sure once you see them you wouldn’t care.

    Yes, they’re that awesome.

    Ready? Here we go.

    This is Show Me The Mummy.

    cutexshowmethemummy1

    It’s a deep purple polish that flashes blue.

    cutexshowmethemummy5

    It’s gorgeous.

    cutexshowmethemummy2

    I love it so much.

    cutexshowmethemummy3

    It dries to a super smooth and satin finish.

    cutexshowmethemummy7

    The formula was lovely.

    cutexshowmethemummy4

    I used three coats.

    cutexshowmethemummy6

    This is At The Strike Of Midnight.

    cutexatthestrikeofmidnight1

    Cutex describes this is “a deep blue-black.”

    cutexatthestrikeofmidnight5

    But under some lights it also looks like a deep blurple.

    cutexatthestrikeofmidnight6

    Yes, I love this color too.

    cutexatthestrikeofmidnight7

    Pretty pretty pretty.

    cutexatthestrikeofmidnight8

    Nice formula. I used two coats.

    cutexatthestrikeofmidnight9

    This is Under A Spell.

    cutexunderthespell1

    This electric blue is the brightest shade from this collection.

    cutexunderthespell4

    I love how vivid this color is.

    cutexunderthespell5

    And, yes, I love it too.

    cutexunderthespell8

    How can I not?

    cutexunderthespell3

    The formula was great.

    cutexunderthespell7

    I used two coats.

    cutexunderthespell11

    This is Spooktacular.

    cutexspooktacular1

    Cutex describes this shade as “moss green.”

    cutexspooktacular3

    It’s a pretty accurate way to describe the shade.

    cutexspooktacular6

    But it’s not enough to describe how awesome this polish is.

    cutexspooktacular4

    Let’s face it – Spooktacular is spectacular.

    cutexspooktacular13

    I love it so much.

    cutexspooktacular9

    And given that I have twenty-nine thousand greens in my collection, that’s saying a lot.

    cutexspooktacular8

    Again, lovely formula.

    cutexspooktacular14

    Two coats.

    cutexspooktacular18

    This is Think I Goth It.

    cutexthinkigothit1

    Sadly, we have reached the last color of the set.

    cutexthinkigothit5

    Think I Goth It is sexy black.

    cutexthinkigothit9

    It dries like latex on the nails.

    cutexthinkigothit2

    Again, nice formula.

    cutexthinkigothit7

    I used three coats.

    cutexthinkigothit10

    Each bottle costs ₱109.75.

    These bottles were sent to me by Cutex Philippines.

    Cutex products are available at Watsons branches (SM Makati, SM The Block, SM Harrison, Sta. Lucia Mall), SM Department Stores (Makati, North Edsa, Megamall, Mall of Asia, Cubao, Southmall, San Lazaro, Fairview, Filinvest, Pampanga, Bacoor) and Watsons Sta. Lucia Mall), Landmark (Makati and Trinoma), Robinson’s Department Store (Galleria, Metro East, Pioneer, Festival Mall, Pampanga, and Imus), Robinson’s Supermarket (Galleria, Ermita, Metro East, BF Ruins and Pampanga), Waltermart Makati, Shopwise Libis, Rustans Supermarket (Makati and Rockwell), Cash and Carry, California Advanced Nail & Skincare (Alabang Town Center, and De La Rosa Carpark I, Makati), Market! Market! Department Store and selected Mercury Drug Store outlets. Find Cutex Philippines on Facebook.

    Category mug shot | Tags: ,,,,,,,, | 30 Comments

Older Entries
Newer Entries