I won in Project Runway Philippines Promo!

I received a call yesterday from a Solar Entertainment representative that I won in their Project Runway Philippines promo. The said promo is sponsored by Pond's Philippines. This morning I went to the 11th floor of the Solar Entertainment Tower to claim my prizes. I gave my company ID to their guard for validation and after a few minutes he came back with a stylish paper bag bearing the logo of Project Runway Philippines. I immediately took a peek inside it and saw the following items: Pond's Age Miracle gift pack, a notebook and an item X (I don't know what it is, it looks like a hook).

Project Runway Philippines stylish paper bag

Pond's Age Miracle Gift Pack

Project Runway Philippines notebook with item X

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Solar Entertainment for having this contest for Project Runway Philippines fans like me. I also would like to thank Boy Kuripot because it was through his blog that I saw this promo.

David's Salon Tutuban Branch

The last time I had a haircut was in a cheap salon and the result was really terrible! So for my next haircut I decided to go to David's Salon which is located on the 2nd floor of Tutuban Mall. David's Salon is one of the most popular salon in the Philippines that's why I didn't think twice to give it a try. The moment I entered the salon I was immediately greeted with a smile by the receptionist who asked for my first name, the service that I wanted to have and my preferred hairstylist whom I selected from the list posted on the front desk. After that the receptionist told me to sit first on their comfortable leather sofa while waiting for my chosen hairstylist to finish with her current client. After about 3 minutes, one of their staffs called my name to shampoo my locks. The staff carefully washed my hair to prevent water from entering my ears and he even asked whether I preferred warm or cold water. Then he led me to one of the salon chairs and gave me a very relaxing head and neck massage for about 15 minutes. The massage was so soothing that I felt like I was inside a spa house. Then my hairstylist finally came and asked what type of haircut I would like to have. I told her that I wanted to trim only an inch of my long layered hair to remove the split-ends but she suggested to cut my hair shoulder-length because 50% of my hair was already damaged by the chemical process I took 6 months ago. Since I saw sincerity in her suggestion, I completely entrusted my tresses to her hands. Voila! In a matter of 5 minutes, my mane was completely transformed into a sexy short-layered hairdo which perfectly framed my round face. I also noticed that every hairstylist in the salon has his own assistant who is responsible for sweeping the hair that was left on the client's clothes and for blowdrying the client's hair after the cut. Overall, I am so impressed with David's Salon's quality of service, friendly staffs and comfortable salon ambience. Their price is a bit expensive compared to other salons but I won't mind paying a lot if they can fix my super stubborn hair.

Mineral Makeup Craze

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics

Two Saturdays ago, I watched Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho and it was the first time I heard about the so-called Mineral Makeup. Honestly, I'm really not a makeup junkie but the said topic intrigued me very much so I decided to watch and listen. I found out that mineral makeup only uses natural ingredients so it is highly recommended for women who have sensitive skin and who are proned to skin breakouts when using makeup. Morever, mineral makeup has no expiration date. Most mineral makeups come in loose-powder form which are better than the compact one because they contain wax which can clog our pores. The only downside is that mineral makeups are very expensive and only a few makeup brand offer it such as The Body Shop, Bare Escentuals Minerals and Youngblood Cosmetics. But with all the wonders mineral makeup can do to my super sensitive and pale skin, I might give it a try. I need to save money first though because mineral makeups are really not budget-friendly :)

Pic Credit:
Youngblood Cosmetics

My First Massage Experience @ Massage King

I noticed for the past few days that I was experiencing frequent backache due to long hours of sitting in front of a computer using a very not-so-ergonomic-friendly-chair. So when my very loving boyfriend asked me what I wanted as a Valentine's gift, I simply said that I wanted to have a body massage due to my backache. That's why last Saturday, my boyfriend and I went to SM San Lazaro for his promised Vday treat. He asked me where I wanted to have my massage and I pointed him to Massage King. They have various affordable packages. I'd chosen their 30-minute half-body massage using aromatherapy oil for only 220. Since it was my first time to have a massage, I was a bit shy when the masseuse told me to remove my shirt and bra. But as soon as I lied down on the massage bed and the masseuse began massaging my back, I already forgot that I was half-naked with two other female clients in the same room. My designated masseuse was really good, with every stroke of her hands I can feel that my muscles were relaxing. The hand pressure she used on me was not too hard which I really preferred because I didn't want to end up having broken bones after the massage session. The entire 30-minute session was so relaxing that I almost fell asleep. My backache was also instantly gone, thanks to the magic touches of my masseuse! My overall massage experience at Massage King was really great for such an affordable price. I will definitely go back there in the future with my boyfriend and try their other massage packages :-)

SSS ID Issues

I can still remember the exact date when I applied for my SSS ID - it was on May 22, 2008. It all began when I went to Binondo and Makati branches of SSS to apply for an SSS ID only to find out that their photo-capturing device was out-of-order. After I inquired on several branches, I finally found an SSS branch with functioning photo-capturing device and that was the Lawton branch. So on my next vacation leave, I went there as early as 6:30 AM with my mom and to my horror the queue was already long! My line number was already 60+ and Lawton branch only allows 120 ID applicants in a day. It took me 5 hours for the entire process to finish and I was thankful that my mom was with me that time to have a proxy when I wanted to pee. After that the personnel who recorded my personal info said that I'll get my ID in 3 months. Unfortunately, 8 months have already passed and my SSS ID has not yet arrived. I keep on calling the Lawton branch and the SSS hotline (917-7777) but their answer is always "Sorry ma'am, the device for printing the ID is defective as of this moment. Just keep on waiting." One of the customer service who answered me even told me that I should wait for a year before my ID can be processed. I hope it will not take them forever to process my precious SSS ID. I wish early this year I can already receive it.

Do you also have the same experience as mine?

DFA Passport Renewal

I just received my new machine-readable passport today. It was delivered in our office by the messenger of the travel agency that processed my passport renewal.

Actually, there are 3 ways in which you could apply for passport renewal.
1. Apply directly to DFA. (cheapest but has the most hassle)
2. Apply through DFA online. (www.passport.com.ph)
3. Apply through your favorite travel agency. (most expensive but has the least hassle)

I'd chosen the third option because I don't want my precious time to be wasted on falling in long lines. As suggested by one of my officemates, I went to Asia International Travel Agency in Makati City with the required documents for passport renewal (old passport and its photocopies, 4 pcs. passport-size pictures). Make sure that your passport pictures are taken with a royal blue background. I paid a total of 1350 to my travel agent and they scheduled my DFA appearance last January 29 at 9 AM. On the day of my appearance, I went to DFA with my mom and went straight to Gate 3 as instructed by a representative from my travel agency who is a very courteous person. It took me only 45 minutes to finish the process because we arrived there earlier and I salute DFA for having an organized system. After 1 and a half week, I already received my passport :)

Here are the contact details of the travel agency that assisted me.

Asia International Travel Agency
2nd flr. Sagittarius Bldg. III, 312 H.V. dela Costa St.
Salcedo Village, Makati City, Philippines
8182032 / 8129504 / 8124464 / 8170227