PoshPinay

I received a white piece of paper from the post office the same day I got my iPod nano telling me that I needed to claim a parcel. Knowing the process all too well, I put it off thinking that it was the screen protector for the iPod I ordered from an eBay seller in Hong Kong. Today, I finally got around to claiming my stuff and to my surprise it was my Cosme-de.com order.

Such a big box from small contents… After the routine inspection and paying Php35.00 in customs fee, I received my Burt Bee’s Lip Shimmer and the Stila Shadow Pot in pristine condition. I guess the shipping time wasn’t so bad after all considering that it was for free.

The shadow pot in Taupe is really a nice sheer color, just the way I like it. I usually don’t buy cream eye shadow because I hate the creasing effect you get on your lids after a couple of minutes from application. The Stila Shadow Pot is almost cream, but frothier (if that makes any sense). It’s actually advertised as “mousse”, hence the froth. It looks a bit silvery in the picture, but don’t be fooled, It has a nice natural nude sheer-ness that can be applied in layers for intensity in color.

Next time I’ll make sure to make my trip to the post office during the Philippines’ notorious summer heat worth it by adding on to my purchased goodies!

I eventually got the chance to try out my mother’s regular spa. Urban Escape Day Spa is at the second floor of the building but the pungent aroma of peppermint oil immediately found my nose at the ground floor while entering the elevator (yes.. I took the elevator even though it was just a floor up). Being at the spa so much, my subconscious has started to associated the aroma of peppermint to relaxation (kinda like Ivan Pavlovs classical conditioning experiment), I start feeling muscles relax whenever I smell stuff like that.

Like my experience with other spas, we proceeded to the locker room so we could get into our birthday suits for a quick shower. The Urban Escape spas is a bit more quiet and intimate. With only 4 shower rooms, it was no wonder they were fully booked the first time I was taken there. Their jacuzzi can only accommodate 5 people at most (6 girls if they’re all anorexic.. lol!). While you soak, the attendant gets a glass of iced tea and a bowl of ice ready for when you go into the sauna.

After a couple minutes in the tub I tried out the sauna chamber since they have this laminated sign hung on that wall the says we could only use the tub and sauna for 15 minutes each and because there were other people waiting. I have to say, the sauna could have used a bit more heat -I didn’t even need ice in there! I don’t know if that’s the way it usually is but it wasn’t as hot as you’d expect a sauna chamber to be.

After taking a final shower, I proceeded to what I guess you’d call a waiting area. It was a dimly lit room with sofas, coffee table, and a television. It basically looked like a living room which isn’t a bad thing, it was very homey and relaxing. Their massage room has 17-19 beds or so where you can enjoy a 1 hour shiatsu massage while listening to soothing classical music in a dimmed room. During their slow days they let you sleep after the massage for however long you want.

if you’re out for a more intimate and private pampering session with your girlfriends, go with Urban Escape Day Spa. If you want you can have a place to yourself in their VIP room that can service 2 persons at a time for Php700.00 or sofor females and 3 persons for males. Between 12pm-4pm their prices drop to Php375.00 from Php450.00. The have clean facilities and prompt service and very polite attendants. You can call the establishment for reservations so that you’re secured a slot during peak hours.

Urban Escape Days Spa is your peaceful sanctuary from the stresses of city life
2nd Floor, ESNA Building
30 Timog Avenue, QC 1103
Tel: 373-7877/376-2280

Related Post:

Wensha Spa
Bioessence (Skin-Slimming-Spa)

I’ve found myself making frequent visit to a really great spa along Timog in Quezon City. My mother and I discovered it by accident one day when she visited her usual spa, they were fully booked that days so we couldn’t be accommodated so we went a couple blocks down and tried Wensha.

Since my “real” work and freelance writing keep me busy, I rarely find time for recreational activities or the like, but after my experience at Wensha I miraculously found my schedule clearing itself every Friday afternoon. It’s funny really, but I’ve had nothing to do every Friday for the past couple of months but go to the spa.

Wensha spa has a long list of very affordable services that range from whole body massages, to hand/foot spas, facials , and body scrubs. Their facilities include shower rooms, wet and dry sauna chambers that can  hold up to 15 people at a time, and hot and cold jacuzzi tubs. The great thing about this place is that their services also includes a buffet, no added charges so long as there are no left overs. You can eat your meal before or after or before AND after. I admit to eating twice during one of my visits, I stayed so long that I got hungry by the time I was finished :D.  You can stay for a maximum of 8 hours before overstaying fees are charged.

I usually chill out in the sauna chamber with a tub of ice, store bought scrub salts, and protein treatment for my hair (might as well maximize the utilization of heat in there) after which I soak in the hot tub while watching the flat screedn LCD TV mounted on the wall. Now if I can only find out how to waterproof my iPod…

All in all I spend on an average, if I don’t avail of any extra services, Php680 for the facilities, a full body message, and the food. Of course prices will vary depending on the services you avail. Wensha is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s a great way to spend the day with family and friends and even the little ones (children under 12 get in for only Php250). Wensha Spa can be found at Timog corner Quezon Avenue across the circle theater.

Related Post:

Urban Escape Day Spa
Bioessence (Skin-Slimming-Spa)

I got the iPod today! It really surprised me since the receipt for my payment stated a delivery time between the 16th-19th.  I guess it much quicker since iPods ordered in the Philippines are apparently shipped from China via DHL.

It beat the cosmetics I ordered from cosme-de.com which, according to their order dispatch notification, I will receive any time between the 19th-30th. That’s ok though.. it’s free shipping.

Your iPod comes with earphones, USB 2.0 cable, dock adapter and a quick start guide. A purchase of the iPod nano in red allows you to donate to fund the fight against AIDS in Africa. I got a cool iPod and I donated for a cause, cool ey?

The iPod is so compact it fits on the palm of your hand  and comes in several colors, red just happens to be mine. I had mine engraved with an Italian saying that translates to “The beautiful life” and then my pseudonym at the bottom. Just in case someone tries to get their sticky fingers on my new favorite gadget. All I need now is a silicone protector which I’ll get in a couple days from an eBay seller and I’m set!

I’m on an online shopping frenzy, I’ve been buying stuff online nonstop for a couple of days now, I’m officially addicted. And because if thisI made a purchase at apple.com yesterday. I bought me a 4th gen iPod in red even though my iPod video (classic) is still in great working order. It barely has any scratches even after 2 or more years of use. It’s just a hassle at times being that it’s big and all so I bought a smaller one.

Any way I was as jumpy as a hyena from excitement paying for the iPod online yesterday. Then I get this email today that my stuff has been shipped (Yeay!) So I go back to apple.com (ph) only to find out that the buying price has dropped to Php11,490 from 12,490 (hitting myself). I could have bought more stuff on eBay with the extra thousand, matter ‘o fact I could have bought the wall charger which I decided not to because it was sooo expensive.

It looks like prices haven’t dropped for US buyers though. If you convert the USD prices to Php, you’ll find that they are more or less Php3,000 cheaper if you buy from the US Apple store… actually Php2,000 cheaper now that they’ve coincidentally decided to drop prices RIGHT AFTER I bought mine!

By the way they have a new generation of iPod shuffle that holds up to 1,000 songs. It’s the smallest iPod yet with an added feature of a Voice Over that tells you what song is playing and by who. It also tells you the names of your play list. Price is at only Php4,190 this thing makes a great gift!

So get this.. I finally found a site that carries makeup , skin care products, perfume, hair care and the likes from a long list of prominent brand names in the cosmetic world. Best part is they ship to the Philippines, FOR FREE, no minimum purchase!!! I don’t know how, but they actually ship world wide for free. You can visit COSME-DE.COM to find out if they service your country.

Other than on eBay.com I find it hard to find online merchants that ship to the philippines and charge reasonable shipping fees, let alone for free so as shallow as it may seem I’m totally psyched!

I’ve actually know about this site since late last year but only today did I make my first purchase.  Since they are new merchant I only made a small purchase, sort of like a test run to see if I’d get my items and how much I’d have to pay in custom fees. I ordered Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in Nutmeg for $7.00 (Php360) because they had it on sale, original price is $10.00. The item is actually available locally but what the heck! I bought it anyways. I also ordered Stila Shadow Pots for 20 (Php967) bucks. They only had one color, Taupe, luckily I like the color so that went into my shopping cart too. I paid my order through PayPal and presto, purchase made. I’ll keep you guys posted.

Your purchase at Cosme-de.com is paid in USD but during  shopping you’ll see the equivalent of the amount in your local currency. Cosme-de.com accepts payments through PayPal, Alipay, IPS, Amzon Payments, Visa and MasterCard! You can check out all the cool products they carry here.
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Slinky V in Berardi Helless Boots

It was back in 2008 that Victoria Beckham defied gravity by wearing Heel-less boots created by notable fashion designer Antonio Berardi. Victoria got tired of teetering and tottering in sky high heels so she wanted to teeter totter in heelless one’s (hahahahaha!)

Recently, at the Nina Ricci show during Paris fashion week,models were subjected to wearing shoes of similar concept except these had heels.. they just didn’t touch the floor. So why the heck do they have them there for? My guess is as good as yours. How the models managed to end the show with out any of them toppling over, I do not know… What I do know is these shoes are ridiculous.

Talk about being a fashion victim. Even thought I was too young when this trend first became a hit I was already aware of it’s atrocity. So I was pretty surprised to find out that this horrid fashion faux pas was allowed to be released from the unforgiving confines of the fashion jail to play it lurid game. Remember.. there are no victims if no one allows themselves to be victimized.

Fashion jail? I admit that was taking it a bit overboard, but shouldn’t we have evolved? Evolution in theory is adaptation and change that is usually for the better so why is it then that the upward incline of sense and taste in fashion have been stained with this regression.

As seen on William Rast Fall/Winter 09/10 Collection. No matter how fancy you make it seem, I’m still not down with it.

A large majority of us, in us I mean us Filipinas, view Red as too vibrant a color to wear on our lips. But a deep rich red lipstick is actually a nice way of accessorizing a simple look.I my self am a fan of nude lipstick but it doesn’t hurt to be adventurous at times.

My “nude lipstick” may not look so nude on someone else’s lips. This brings us to the first mistake people make when wearing red lipstick and that is choosing the wrong color. For darker skin go for plums, wines, and deep red. Light skin go best with beige, pink, and orange undertone. If you’re in between with an olive skin tone, colors with brownish reds,light browns, and raisins complement your skin best. Use this as a basis for picking you red lipstick.

Second mistake? Coloring outside the line. If you’ve ever worn red lipstick before you’ll notice that no matter how careful you are you’ll get ugly pink smudges around your lips. Guess what gals, that why they invented lip liners! Lipstick that tend to “bleed” can be manged with a lip liner, I like using clear lip liners with my red lipstick.

As a rule of thumb, when you embellish a feature one your face you’ll have to downplay the rest. So if you’re gonna wear red on your lips then go with earth colors on your eyes and vice versa. Since my favorite feature to glam up are my eyes I frequently wear nude colors on my lips.

One last tip.. Make sure you accessorize properly. For example red lipstick and red nail polish is a little too melodramatic for out outfit to carry so choose your outfit carefully