Holiday NOTW: Candy Cane Inspired

I just wanted to sneak in a quick post while everyone's in their holiday rush. Presenting my Christmas nails: Candy Cane inspired stripes! Now I know the usual candy canes are just red and white, but I decided to add some pizzaz by striping some gold glitter in there as well. I'm absolutely chuffed by how it turned out!

Products I used: OPI Natural Nail Base Coat, The Face Shop RD 301, LA Colors Art Deco in White and Gold Glitter, OPI Top Coat, 

I am a single furmom right now, just me and my five little monsters. My parents and my brother are in Hong Kong (They are very clingy! We Facetimed for 2 hours this afternoon and we are on Skype right now.) and M is in the Northern Wastelands, er, Canada, home. (Now now, that was a joke so please do not be offended.)

So there, I am alone for Christmas and I think my pudgy tummy has become less pudgy with the lack of rich, holiday food. I am currently living on fridge leftovers, but I can't complain since I have my Kewpie Roasted Sesame Dressing and crab sotanghon hotpot from Century Seafood Restaurant. Not together, of course.

So that's it! It was a bit long. Sorry for rambling. Merry Christmas everyone! Happy Holidays from me here at Unicorns Dream!

Chopper Says Hi! One Piece x Hello Kitty

It's a very exciting and rather hectic holiday season for me, but I just want to pop in to share this little bit of happiness in my life right now. I was browsing Japan Home Center with my parents, looking at their Kitty stuff and I spied this kawaii little thing. Tada!

A set of two One Piece x Hello Kitty cord holders. I was absolutely chuffed to see little Chopper in a Kitty hat. I tried looking for Kitty wearing Chopper's hat, but there weren't any. Very useful little buggers, and extra cute to boot!  The pair only costs PHP66, what a steal right? Perfect stocking stuffer.

Disney's ALADDIN: The New Stage Musical at the Meralco Theater

Hello everyone! It's been rather busy lately, but allow me to share some news about Aladdin, which we have on December 8, 8pm at the Meralco Theater. Read on for our Give Back with World Vision and our Awesome Foursome special. See you in the streets of Agrabah!

Watch Aladdin with Upstagers Manila! A portion of the proceeds for the December 8, 2012 8pm show of Disney’s Aladdin: The New Stage Musical at the Meralco Theater will help sponsor a child through World Vision. See you in the streets of Agrabah!

Music by Alan Menken

Lyrics by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin

Book by Chad Beguelin

Based on the Disney film written by Ron Clements, John Musker, Ted Elliot and Terry Rosio

Starring

Tom Rodriguez as Aladdin
K-La Rivera as Princess Jasmine

8 December 2012, 8:00PM
Meralco Theater, Ortigas

Ticket Prices:
Php1,500.00 – Orchestra Center
Php1,350.00 – Orchestra Side
Php900.00 – Orchestra Side Obstructed
Php1,100.00 – Loge Center
Php1,000.00 – Loge Side
Php700.00 – Balcony Center
Php600.00 – Balcony Side
Php500.00 – Balcony Back

Check our AWESOME FOURSOME Promo!

Please check the seat plan to view available seats.
You may reserve here or via SMS. Please check our Contact page.

Magic in a Bottle: Color Club Polish in Magic Attraction

First of all, I have to admit that I had a Halloween design planned in my head. Unfortunately for me, the lace I was supposed to use disappeared in a smokey green *poof!* and so I settled for a non-gruesome manicure. (Translation: I lost the lace and I couldn't find it! Boo!)

Achieved with two coats of Magic Attraction 

So about Color Club's Magic Attraction. At first glance, it looks like your ordinary glitter polish. When I got it in the mail, I gave it one look and thought, "Why did I get this again?" I stuffed it in my nail polish bin and promptly forgot about it. When I couldn't find my lace, I rummaged through my stash and picked this bottle up. It has small and tiny silver holographic glitter and a sprinkling of tiny red glitter. Once I tried it on, I was stunned. It looked like crushed diamonds. Beautiful.

Magic Attraction is very easy to use, too. The brush is your regular round brush, but we can only thank the company's formula for applying like a dream. There is a ton of glitter and it applies pretty even, not like some glitters where you have bald patches on parts of a nail. Not only that, this baby dries fast. Like, super fast. I paint my right hand, and after the left, I can confidently touch, press, and even rub my right fingernails. Magic!

Photos do not do justice to Magic Attraction. Gotta see it to believe it. So beautiful.

One thing about Magic Attraction, like most glitter nail polish, is that it feels a little sandy or gritty after one swipe of top coat. Not that I particularly care about that since I love my textured nails but some people want a smooth manicure. You can probably achieve that, but with a few more layers of top coat. Oh, and I'm not sure if it's available locally. I purchased mine online and had it shipped from the US.

These were my NOTW and I still adore Magic Attraction. One week after and I have no major, yucky chips. There is nail growth as well as tip wear, but not as much as I expected since I work with my hands for my job. I have to admit, there are a few small chips in some of the nails' tips, though they are so minor that they're barely noticeable. Magic Attraction is very easy to wear! I really love it :)

Want to try the Brazilian Blowout?

Now's your chance! The Blounge is extending their promo for the famed Brazilian Blowout. Call them for more details and to schedule an appointment :)

Congratulations to the Gold Leaf Tea Premium Gift Box Winners!

Happy October everyone! I know everyone's excited for the announcement of the winners for the Gold Leaf Tea Premium Gift Boxes. 

Sorry for the slight delay, I've been neck-deep in tasks I had to accomplish that are essential for my future. But enough about me. Without further ado, here are the winners!

Peter O.

Jayson B.

Jay

Congratulations! I will be sending out congratulatory emails soon. This is also to coordinate the pick-up or delivery of your Gold Leaf Tea Premium Gift Boxes. You may also view the winners in the Rafflecopter widget in the contest blog post.

NINE

Book by Arthur Kopit (based on Federico Fellini’s semi-autobiographical film 8½)

Music and Lyrics by Maury Yeston

Directed by Bobby Garcia

Starring
Jett Pangan
Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo
Cherie Gil
Eula Valdez
Sitti
Jay Glorioso
Carla Guevara-Laforteza
Ima Castro
Yanah Laurel

29 September 2012, 8:00PM
Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC, Makati

Ticket Prices:
Orchestra Center – P1700
Orchestra Side  – P1600
Loge Center – P1400
Loge Back/Side  – P900
Balcony – P700

For reservations and inquiries please contact:

UPSTAGERS MANILA

Read: http://theupstagers.wordpress.com/

Tweet: https://twitter.com/UpstagersManila

Like: http://www.facebook.com/upstagersmanila

Email: upstagersmanila@gmail.com

SMS + 639175163318

BONA is EXTENDED!

Catch Eugene Domingo in the hit theater production BONA! See her perform in this limited, extended run. Hurry before tickets run out. See you this Saturday!

Written by Lalie Bucoy

Music by Teresa Barroso

Directed by Soxie Tapacio

Starring
Eugene Domingo
Edgar Allan Guzman

29 September 2012, 3PM
PETA Theater, Quezon City

Ticket Prices:
VIP – P1000
Orchestra – P800
Balcony – P600

For reservations and inquiries please contact:

UPSTAGERS MANILA

Read: http://theupstagers.wordpress.com/

Tweet: https://twitter.com/UpstagersManila

Like: http://www.facebook.com/upstagersmanila

Email: upstagersmanila@gmail.com

SMS + 639175163318

Win It! From Unicorns Dream and Gold Leaf Tea

Hello everyone! To make up for being away for such a long time, I present a very awesome giveaway! Unicorns Dream has partnered with Gold Leaf Tea to raffle off not one, but THREE Gold Leaf Tea Premium Gift Boxes! Three winners will each get a dozen boxes of Gold Leaf Tea in each gift box. In total, you will receive over 280 servings of tea! My personal favorite right now is the Pure Jasmine Green Tea. It calms my mind as well as my body. Each variety has their own benefits that you may find listed on each box. I'm sure you'll find a favorite among the many flavours included in this premium set.

For ways to win and terms and conditions, please refer to the Rafflecopter widget below. Only entries made through Rafflecopter will be counted. And for your reference, below is a photo of a Gold Leaf Tea Premium Gift Box that will be given away! Thank you oh so much Gold Leaf for sponsoring such awesome prizes. So, what are you waiting for? Click away and join now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gold Leaf Tea for a HealthTEA Lifestyle
Visit Gold Leaf Tea's Website (PS, it's very, very nice! :D)
Like Gold Leaf Tea on Facebook

Congratulations! Etude House Nail Art Vouchers Winner!

Sorry for the delay, everyone! Here's our winner for the Win It! From Unicorns Dream: Etude House Nail Art Vouchers Giveaway. Congratulations, Faravel!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'll be sending you an email in a bit to get your address and such. I'll also be throwing in a few Asian candies for you to enjoy while having your nails done at Etude House. Thanks for joining, and congratulations!

If you didn't win, don't fret! I'm cooking up an even bigger and better giveaway. Stay tuned, safe, and dry! It's pouring buckets out there!

Hong Kong Sights: Exhibit at Times Square

I've been going through my iPhone photos and I realized that I took a just a few photos of my Hong Kong-birthday trip. I found this set of photos I took at Times Square and I was like, "Oh yeah!" Now, I never heard of Mike Stilkey before this encounter but I was amazed at what I saw. Here's a peek at his exhibit, Full of Smiles and Soft Attentions.

Here's the guy at work. His exhibit was still closed and in progress, but I chanced upon him actually painting one of the pieces for his showcase. I took this photo while on the escalator, while my mum and I were on our way to Zara.

This was the book installation/painting he finished. The lady was apparently holding a cute pink cat that we didn't see at first because of the barricade. Adorable! I love how places like Times Square, a famous shopping center, would have such an interesting exhibit. Hong Kong culture supports and promotes the arts as well.

I chances upon a blog that posted about Mike Stilkey's exhibit once it opened. You can click here to go see. Visit the artist's website as well. His style is very interesting indeed.

P.S.

Join my Etude House Nail Art Vouchers giveaway! I've decided to throw in random Asian confectionary. I love, love, love Japanese sweets and such, so I'll share some with the winner too :)

WIn It! From Unicorns Dream: Etude House Nail Art Vouchers

Win It! From Unicorns Dream: Etude House Nail Art Voucher Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please remember to read the terms and conditions as stipulated in the Rafflecopter widget. Give me another day or so, I might be able to add a few more doodads to the current prize. Thank you, and good luck!

NOTW+Tutorial: Cupcake Overload (Without the Guilt!)

Happy Sunday everyone! I want to share with you the nails I rocked while on (birthday) vacation in Hong Kong and Macau. I received a lot of compliments on these cute Cupcake Overload tips, from friends and strangers alike. Some of them asked if they were stickers, others thought I had them done. No, my friends, I spent some time on my butt to hand-paint both hands myself! Sorry for the uncleaned sides where the frosting went over. I hadn't had time to wipe them off before I took the photos.

Before you start your Cupcake Overload tips, protect your nails with a base coat. I used OPI's Natural Nail Base Coat. This will prevent the polish from yellowing and damaging your nails.

Next, using Revlon in Raven Red, I painted French Tips covering 1/4-1/3 of my nail. It doesn't have to be very straight or perfect, you'll be covering up the top with frosting anyway. You can use any color you want for your cupcake. I even thought of using different colors for all the tips! Maybe next time :)

Then, I used LA Colors Art Deco in Gold Glitter to define the cupcake liners. Create three to four lines per nail on the tips only.

For the frosting, I used Etude House's WH702 to frost my cupcakes. One thing to note, though. I purposely let this white nail polish of mine to thicken up a bit to make French tips easier. It wasn't as opaque as I wanted so letting it thicken made it just right. Also, don't worry if it looks kinda goopy, like in my photo below. Not all cupcakes have perfect frosting, right? Plus it adds to the character of the cute nail design.

Next, I painted on some sprinkles. I used LA Colors in Glistening Purple as glitters make the easiest sprinkles. (yes, I cheat!) Looking at my polish stash, I realized that my The Face Shop PK109 huge hexagonal glitter would make nice sprinkles too. You can also use a dotting tool with regular polish fo this.

This next step is optional, but I decided to use LA Colors Art Deco in Red to make heart-shaped cupcake toppers on each nail. I think this may have upped the cuteness factor of this Cupcake Overload nail design. 

Last but not the least, seal your cute cupcake nails in with a top coat. I used OPI's Top Coat. Don't forget to clean up any residue polish on the edges. Simply moisten a Q-tip with polish remover and wipe, wipe, wipe! I cleaned mine up after everything dried :)

It may look complicated, but it's actually really easy! You may just have to go slow on some parts, like when I was frosting my cupcakes. Also, if you don't have LA Colors Art Deco polish, you can purchase a thin tipped brush from the art section of bookstores or craft stores. I got that tip from Achi Nikki of AskMeWhats. 

So, what do you think of this Cupcake Overload, without the guilt? Sometimes when I'm hungry, I admit to staring at my nails and wishing they were real. Many people loved this! I'm glad that apart from my own glee and pride, this design put smiles on many girls' faces. Shh, I caught a few girls in Hong Kong and Macau looking at my tips. A lot of them smiled at me after, and some waved, gestured or pointed at nails. There were also two ladies who talked to me about them in Hokkien. Cute cupcakes transcends language barriers. Do jeh, girls! 

I hope you can try out this Cupcake Overload design. Have a dose of sweet, sugary goodness without the guilt!

UD on Gifts with Purchase and Sampling in Manila

GWP's, Gifts with Purchase, is a common marketing technique used by retailers to encourage customers to to purchase items in order to receive a free gift. It's pretty simple. Customers buy, often reaching a certain amount, and the promotional item is given. Samples, on the other hand, can be freely given without any purchase. Here in Manila, some stores can be rather stingy with their GWP's and samples. The higher end boutiques here usually have GWP's more often, and usually have more samples on hand. They can be a bit picky about who they give them to, though. My aunt is a regular in Rustan's so she (and by extension, me!) is given samples from brands like Clinique and Murad regularly, even though she doesn't buy a lot from them often. More often than not, you might have to ask for samples to receive them.

A few of the Murad samples my aunt passed on to me

On the middle end of the spectrum, I tend to patronize the Korean beauty brands more often. I remember this one time my mother and I were in The Face Shop in Mall of Asia. We brought Milo with us and they thought he was so cute so when we paid, they loaded up our bags with samples. One other time, when I asked if they had samples of other products at the cash register, she gave me two little packets that were smaller than movie tickets. Etude House, on the other hand, has GWP promotions every month, I think. I received an Aqua Cure travel kit once, and I think one of the best value GWP's I got was a free sheet mask for a P500 purchase.

GWP packs given at Thailand's TFS

Other countries seem to be more generous with their sampling and GWP's. I'm sure you've heard of Korea's skincare stores, side by side along the same street, handing out free sheet masks and filling your bags with GWP's. Sure, most of the bulkier items might be cotton pads, but I'd take free cotton pads for buying something than nothing. But of course, that's just me. The Fresh Fruit Lemon sheet mask packs are what they gave my aunt and her friends in Thailand's The Face Shop for buying a compact and a few bottles of nail polish. They gave them three packs of those, and each pack contains two masks and the Blemish Zero toner and moisturizer sample. So generous! Which brings me back to TFS here in Manila. That one time I asked for samples, they sorta made me feel like I was asking for handouts. Not fun for me.

All in all, I find that GWP's and samples are rather hit and miss here in Manila. More often than not, you're likely to receive GWP's and samples in higher end brands. Of course, if you're really keen on trying out a product, you can always try your luck and ask a sales associate for a sample. I also notice that other brands, when available abroad, tend to be more generous with their GWP's and samples. Of course, this is my own view and you may have other, more pleasant experiences on this matter. Please do share :)

God of Carnage: Show Info, Promotion and Giveaway!

We interrupt your regular UD programming with an update from Upstagers Manila. See parents behave badly as Lea Salonga, Adrian Pang,  Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and Art Acuna star in the Tony Award winning GOD of CARNAGE. The Upstagers Manila brings you the opening night!

Play by Yasmina Reza

Translated by Christopher Hampton

Directed by Bobby Garcia

Starring
Lea Salonga as Veronica
Adrian Pang as Michael
Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Anette
Art Acuña as Alan

13 July 2012, 8:00PM
Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC, Makati

Ticket Prices:
Orchestra Center – P1600
Orchestra Side  – P1400
Loge Center – P1200
Loge Back/Side  – P900
Balcony – P600

Please check the seat plan for available seats

You may reserve here or via SMS. Please check our Contact page.

The Upstagers Manila has an Awesome Foursome promotion going on. Simply purchase four Orchestra Side tickets and get the fourth at a 50% discount. For more details, please click here. And finally...

Win It! from The Upstagers Manila: God of Carnage tickets
Get a chance to win free tickets to the God of Carnage opening night by liking The Upstagers Manila on Facebook and entering the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck on this contest!

First Impressions Do Last: The Charm Angled Kabuki

When Sophie mentioned that she'll be launching new Charm brushes on her birthday, I eagerly awaited the special announcement. When her birthday came, I wasted no time and ordered one of the three new brushes: Charm Angled Kabuki. I think my package got stuck somewhere but it finally arrived today. Tah-dah!

And there she is! Isn't she a beauty? The Charm Angled Kabuki comes dressed to the nines in the famous Charm Essentials colors. I was really so excited and decided to post my first thoughts on my new baby. I'll post again once I get to use her.

What I love:

• Cruelty-free. Made with synthetic, vegan hair. No animals were harmed in bringing you these lovelies!
• Soft. The bristles on this brush feel very luxurious and non-scratchy. They can fool you into thinking that you're using a natural-haired brush.
• Dense. This brush has the right amount of bristles and again, the thick hair feels so luxurious.
• Ergonomic design. The handle and the overall construction of the brush are just right. Good weight and handle length feel good in my hand.
• Feminine colors. Just had to mention this in a separate bullet! I love the pink and black color scheme of Charm essentials. So chic, and it gives just the right amount of girly vibes. I love, love, love the cute Charm logo printed on the handle as well.

What I don't like:

• Having to wash the brush before you use it. Is it obvious that I can't wait to use my new Angled Kabuki?
• None so far! But I don't think I'll find any negative aspects. I'm happy with all the Charm brushes I have!

Do I have you drooling yet? Get yours today from Sophie at Beauty and Minerals. You won't regret it! 

Beauty Loot: Summer Edition

I'm notorious in my family for buying something, keeping it, and start using said something at a later date. Sometimes, my "new" clothes are actually from last season or *gasp*, last year. I've collected some beauty stuff over the latter part of summer, mainly because I keep on forgetting to take a photo to blog. Finally, here's my Beauty Loot for summer :)

First up is the Pretty in Pink 14 pc vegan makeup brush set by Charm Essentials. I bought the oh-so-cute set from Sophie's Beauty and Minerals, the home of Charm Brushes. I actually have two other Charm brush sets and a few individual ones. I love Charm! Affordable yet quality brushes. 

Then I have an Ecotools Bronzing Brush that I got from the Boy. I actually pestered him to get this from me and thankfully, he did. So far, it feels really soft and nice. Then I have some goodies straight from Korea. Three sheet masks, BB cream from odbo and a cute kitty hand cream from The Face Shop. I also got Choco Flaki, my favorite Korean chocolate snack thing ever. They're all in the refrigerator though.

Finally, the NARS blush. My aunt got me this with some of her leftover Rustan's gift cheques. It's in Gaiety, and it's a really lovely pink. I haven't defiled mine yet, but Ate Lara brushed it on my cheeks when it just arrived. I fell in love instantly. A girl can never have too much blush!

Now that our rainy season has officially started, these tidbits left from summer will surely make my dreary days brighter. 

Rock of Ages is Finally in Manila!

Book by Chris D’ Arienzo

Featuring the music of Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Steve Perry, and Poison

Directed by Chari Arespacochaga

Starring
MiG Ayesa as Stacee Jaxx
Nyoy Volante as Drew Boley
Vina Morales as Sherrie Christian
Aiza Seguerra
Jinky Llamanzares
Calvin Millado
Bibo Reyes

23 June 2012, 8:00PM
Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC, Makati

Ticket Prices:
Orchestra Center – P2000
Orchestra Side  – P1750
Loge Center – P1500
Loge Back/Side  – P900
Balcony – P700

Please check the seat plan for available seats.

You may reserve here. Please check Upstagers Manila's Contact page.

NOTW: Chunky Pink Glitter Tips

It's been a while since I've posted about my nails. One of the issues I've been having is my USB card reader not working. Granted, I got it free when we bought our Canon Powershot G12 in Causeway Bay's Broadway store. But come on, it's Hong Kong, I kinda expected it to last longer than it did. Anyway, now that my brother's at a sleep over I've managed to hijack his laptop. Thank goodness the guest account is still active, and that there's an SD slot built in his giant Vaio. So, here are my nails!

They're really easy to do. I just put on my base coat, OPI's Natural Nail Base Coat, then painted on the pink glitter on the tips. This bottle is from my friend, who got it from Korea. It's The Face Shop, but it's not available locally. What I like about this chunky hexagonal glitter is that the tips don't have to be perfect. The line might be wonky but it still looks great.

I sealed everything with a top coat once the glitter dried. I used OPI's Top Coat. This design is awesome because you can adjust the amount of glitter you want for your tips. You can also use any color and type of glitter, whatever you have. Hex, holo, fine, mixed, bar glitter, anything goes! I hope you can try this easy nail design. Just a little effort, but you get fantastic statement nails in the end. :)

Win It! from The Blounge

Check this out! The Blounge and Outbox Media are giving away pampering packages to their Facebook fans! The Blounge offers quality hair and spa treatments with the best service while keeping you connected with iPads. Find all the info you need to join in the poster below. Good luck!

Get  a  chance  to  win a Salon Pampering Treat when you like OUTBOX MEDIA and THE BLOUNGE Facebook pages.

Click on the photo to view a larger version

The Blounge Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/thebloungesalon

Outbox Media Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/outboxmediaprod

Sale Alert! Human ♥ Nature Sunflower Beauty Oil

Holla! Human ♥ Nature's having a special discount on their Sunflower Beauty Oil!

Image from the email H♥N sent

You can avail of their special discount from April 10-14 only. Get 15% off the 50ml bottle and 20% off the 100ml bottle. I just got my big bottle this afternoon! I'm so excited to try it out.

I got my loot from my dealer (oh? hahaha) and friend Teng. If you've wanted to try the Sunflower Beauty Oil, now's the time! :)

NOTW: Easter Bunnies!

Happy Easter! Today I share my Nails of the Week: Easter Bunnies! I wanted to do an Easter design, and I was inspired to draw bunnies when I saw them on Beautylish. See the little critters below!

And today, I come armed with a photo tutorial of sorts. I'm sorry, I feel really inadequate! My photos are bad, the lighting looks horrible and I don't know how to get the proper angles. Also, in my excitement, I seem to be missing some steps in photos. Sorry! I'll try harder next time. So as not to prolong your agony, let's get started!

First, prep your nails with a base coat. I used OPI's Natural Base Coat. Then I applied my favorite pearly pink from The Face Shop. I deem that pastel colors would look really good with this too.

Then, using an opaque white polish, paint some half moons on the edge of your nails. I used an Etude House polish on this one.

Using the side of your nail polish brush, paint the ears on each bunny. Let dry.

Then, get your black nail polish and paint on each bunny's face. Make two small dots for their eyes and a triangle (or a dot if you're like me!) for their noses. They don't have to be uniform and exactly the same. It adds character to your design.

Or that's just my excuse since I can't get them to all look alike. Some of my bunnies look like they're on crack or something :P

Next, using a red polish, I drew little ribbons on each bunny's left ear. Again, you can use different colors for this part or leave the little ears bare.

Once everything's dry, seal everything in with a top coat. I used my OPI Top Coat.

I can't stress how important it is to make sure it's dry! I was in a hurry with my right hand and applied my top coat right away. Two of my bunnies have streaks on them. My ring bunny looks like it's crying. My middle bunny looks like it's bleeding.

Ta-da! They're not perfect, but I love my little Easter Bunnies and I think they're all cute. So, how was your Easter? And what are you wearing on your nails? :)

The Day I Got Sunburned

Yesterday! What a glorious, sunny day it was. Holy Thursday was the day my family planned our annual beach trip. As usual, we were late when we started looking for rooms so we had to settle for a day trip. It was a quick beach run, with more than half of the hours spent in the lovely school bus, on the road.

Here's my bare-naked mug, with nothing but sunscreen slathered on. I really love the top-knot I ended up with, it was really, really cute.

What was in my Skin Food polkadot cosmetics bag: sun essentials. Watson's Soothing and Cooling After-Sun Lotion (with aloe, cucumber extract, and Vitamin E!), Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Lotion Sunscreen SPF 50 (in a lovely coconut scent!) and Beach Hut Face Ultra-Sensitive Hypoallergenic Sunblock SPF 65 (that was a mouthful, and a handful to type).

What was in my Majolica Majorca gold and glittery cosmetics bag: make-up! Red Hello Kitty hand mirror, Goody Anti-Frizz hair brush, MAC Studio Fix compact in NC25 (I used to be NC20 when I was younger, boo), Majolica Majorca Pressed Pore Cover, Charm Retractable Kabuki, Skin Food Salmon Dark Eye Circle Concealer in 02, Origins Liquid Lip Color in Copper Beach, eos Smooth Lip Balm Sphere in Summer Fruit and NARS blush in Orgasm. I only put them on after showering, since the ocean would wash it away if I decided to wear it into the water.

And here's a photo of the little white pup my brother helped save. So we were sitting around in our cabana, and my brother sees this father and son pair swimming in the sea. They were throwing around this little white thing and after some squinting, we realize that it's a white puppy. They threw him into the water, submerged him, let him swim and scamper off, chased him and finally, buried him in the sand. My brother approached the policemen that were patrolling in the area, and after witnessing for themselves the cruelty that was going on, one of them approached the kid to tell him off. I saw the poor, scared pup run off somewhere. When my dad and I went to the food hut to get some juice, I saw the poor thing and called him. Being the nice, trusting little fellow that he was, he approached me and I picked him up. I fed him some of the food we had for lunch: fried chicken (that was way too dry, really), tuna and pork. The poor boy, which we dubbed Whitey, wolfed each morsel down.

I ended up getting sunburned even though I slathered the sunscreen on. After about thirty minutes in the water, I got up for lunch. I reapplied and went back in for another thirty minutes. Right now my shoulders hurt pretty bad. My chest is kinda red but aside from the V-mark I got from my swimsuit, it's pretty much okay. Lesson learned: No matter how careful I am, I don't tan. I burn.

Win It! from Unicorns Dream and The Upstagers: The Avengers Special Screening Tickets

The Upstagers, together with Unicorns Dream, would like to give you the chance to win tickets to the screening of one of the most anticipated movies of 2012, The Avengers. The screening will take place on Wednesday, 25 April 2012 at 7.20 PM at the Newport Cinemas in Resorts World Manila. To join, please log in your entries in the Rafflecopter widget below. 

NOTW: Pink 'n Glitter

Just a short, quick post before March ends! I've been really busy with work, work politics, some minor family issues (plus a bit of my own fangirling, sorry!) and other stuff so I've kinda neglected Unicorns Dream for a while now. Which I feel really guilty about. Plus, I think I may have lost the SD card which contains the photos for upcoming blog posts and reviews. I'm an idiot, I know, but I'll try to find it!

Today I present what I'm currently wearing on my nails. Ta-da!

I'm sorry for the lousy photo. Since my SD card is currently missing, I can't use the G12 to take slightly better, at-least-they're-not-blurry photos. I used my Blackberry. Anyhoo, you might remember this manicure from last year's post: Purple Glitter on Hot Pink. I knew it when I saw the effect that I'd be reusing it again. Took me half a year but hey, I love it and it's back! It's almost completely identical to last year's. The only difference is the base and top coats and the amount of glitter. I used OPI and so much less glitter. At least it won't take forever to remove! Oh, and a review of the OPI pair to come. Soon.

Win It! from The Upstagers: In The Heights Tickets

I'm so excited to share another giveaway! This time it's hosted by The Upstagers, a group of cool, quirky and fun individuals hell-bent on bringing you the best and latest theater productions. 

If you think your lucky stars are aligned today, head on over to The Upstagers' Facebook page, like it, and follow the instructions on the In The Heights Giveaway Rafflecopter app for a chance or two (or three, or up to fifteen!!) to win one of FIVE In The Heights tickets for the 17 March 8PM show.

I hope today's your lucky day! In The Heights is a world-class, Tony Award winning theater production. I wish that one of UD's readers snag a ticket. I'll be there, and I'd love to meet you! What are you waiting for, go join this awesome contest now :)

Disclosure: Denise is one of the cool, quirky and fun individuals that comprise The Upstagers. Just to let you know. And now she's referring to herself in third person too.

The Blounge: Comfy Chic! plus, Welcome to My New Site Sponsor!

Do you remember the Unicorns Dream and The Blounge giveaway I hosted a few weeks back? The Blounge was generous enough to raffle off ten free hair spa and back massage gift certificates to five lucky readers of Unicorns Dream. Valued at up to P1,450 per GC, we gave away a total of P14,500 worth of awesome hair treatments. Once again, thank you thank you so much The Blounge! And now, here's a report of my very own The Blounge experience.

Ta-da! Isn't the place lovely? I really love the wallpaper. It's very pretty and it totally adds to the classy vibe of the whole place. And see the octopus-like contraption near the back? Sorry, I forgot to ask what it was, but it looks so high-tech! The huge mirrored dresser is where clients have their make-up done. The kawaii orange spaceships, I mean, seats are the hair washing stations. 

Since The Blounge understands the need of many to remain connected, each customer gets to use an iPad with super-fast wifi for free. Connect with your friends on Twitter and like The Blounge on Facebook while you get your tresses tamed and treated or play some games as your digits are being shaped and painted to perfection. 

As for my own mane, I wanted to try the Brazilian Blowout but The Blounge's hair experts suggested that I go for the rebond instead. I was put in the capable hands of Ate Glenda, who used to do my hair before. She's still as good as ever! She kindly explained to me that as the years went by, the process got better. Up there is a shot of my hair being ironed out to awesome straightness. Take note that rebonding takes hours, which is a serious con if you can't keep still like me.

After a few hours on my butt and having my hair ironed out, here's the final result! Wicked awesome, right? My hair was naturally poofy and a bit hard to maintain but getting a rebond from Ate Glenda and The Blounge made it soft, smooth and really easy to fix. Rebonding is permanent; it doesn't wash off and only the untreated roots "go back" to the natural state of your hair. I'm really happy with the result! Right now, my hair's just a bit dry on the ends because of my own negligence (read: not enough deep conditioning!) and having my hair colored, plus bleaching and reddening of my bangs. Hair's still sleek and shiny though!

Thank you so much The Blounge! Not only have you made my hair really awesome, you even gave my readers a chance to try your fantastic services totally free of charge. With that, it is with utmost pleasure that I welcome The Blounge as Unicorns Dream's site sponsor. Once again, thank you, thank you, thank you oh so very much! Check out their rates and jaw-dropping promotions, they have really awesome packages right now.

The Blounge
332-2197 / 964-0650
2/F Hodge Podge Bldg.
139 Mo. Ignacia St. Quezon City

Visit The Blounge's website

Like The Blounge on Facebook

Disclosure: The rebonding service described above was sponsored by The Blounge for consideration. All opinions posted are honest and truthful- 100% real!