Jessica Choy

2/24/13

Coming Soon: Wildflour Cafe + Bakery in Podium

I'm sure you all have heard about Wildflour before, and I'm sure they're nothing but great things. This restaurant has been open for less than a year now yet it's still buzzing - still having to wait for a table for lunch on a weekday should be enough proof. For those of you who can't get enough, haven't tried it yet, live far from the Fort (and near Ortigas) then you're in for a treat! They will be opening their second branch in Podium in May. The cafe will be located on the first floor of the mall, right where Cafe France used to be.

Wildflour

Address: Net Lima Building , 4th ave. cor. 26th street, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City

Telephone No.: 856-7600

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildflourcafebakeryFortBonifacio

2/17/13

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX

Laneige is a Korean brand that aims to help women achieve healthy, radiant, hydrated and dewy skin. When I went to Korea last month I noticed my skin become really dry and flaky and I was amazed how Korean women (and men) still had really healthy and dewy but not oily skin even during the winter time (it was around -10 to -15 degrees!) Whenever I used to do my makeup I'd always use a powder over my foundation or BB cream for a matte look but ever since I went on vacation to Korea I've been inspired by their glowing and youthful looking skin.

Laneige has been available in the Philippines for awhile now but since I was going to Korea I thought that I might as well wait until I got there because it would probably be cheaper and true enough, it was! The original price for the Water Sleeping Pack_EX is 25,000 Korean won and is around 914 pesos, but it was on sale for 20,000 Korean won. Nowadays it's hard to find really good skin care products that aren't crazy expensive. Another thing I love about Laneige is their packaging!

I've heard lots of good things about this brand, particularly this product. It was on Elle Magazine's Beauty It List of 2011 and Women's Weekly Best Beauty Buys of 2011.

It feels cool and tingly once you apply it all over your face and has a firming feel when the product dries. It has a calming feel and an aromatic scent which is perfect to use on the weekends when you just want to relax from a stressful week. Since you're only supposed to use this once or twice a week, I apply this every Sunday and Wednesday night before bed. It's made my skin a lot more hydrated and has also gotten rid of my dry patches.

What is it?
- A special care to promptly restore moisturized, smooth, bright and healthy skin condition.
- Due to harmful UV rays as well as various internal causes such as stress and skin impurities, skin texture and tone are damaged easily. Using this product provides concentrated vitality to the rough and dull skin to restore bright and crystal-clear complexion.
- The light gel-type texture gives intensive hydration, vitality and brightening effect while restoring skin with deep relaxation through aroma scent.

Why use it?
- Night time skin transmission (permeability) shows higher rate than the one in the day time.
- Applying it right before sleep time, the best state for the skin transmission according to the skin circadian rhythm, maximizes the efficiency of overnight water supply.
- The function of skin remarkably declines in the night time. Enriched with Beta-glucan, Water Sleeping Pack_EX deeply hydrates fatigue and dry skin while Ceramide SLN formula strengthens the skin barrier.
- With containing the Snow Water, it helps to keep your skin look more crystal clear and vitalized.
- Antioxidant effect of Hunza Apricot Extracts helps brighten skin tone evenly by removing harmful oxygen and purifying skin.
- Recoverine from Chestnuts promotes turnovers of horny layers to remove dead cells away for vigorous water supply and sleek skin texture.
- An aromatic essence compound exclusively developed by AMOREPACIFIC, Sleepscent™(Patent application No. 10-2009-0043726), helps to relax your mind and body and derive for a good sleep. A good sleep effect allowing sufficient relaxation eventually reinforces skin restoration for healthier skin condition. Essential oils from Orange Flower, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Sandal Wood etc. are contained in the Sleepscent™.
- Light gel-type texture without stickiness but moisture leaves you a comfortable sleep.

What's in it?
- Beta Glucan - skin regeneration effect
- Ceramide SLN - moisture loss protection
- Hunza Apricot Extract - skin purification
- Chestnut Extract - improving skin texture

How to use:
1. In the evening, follow the face relaxing massage after applying skin refiner and emulsion after face wash.
2. After taking appropriate amount(2.5cm in diameter recommended), mark on nose tip ,cheeks, forehead, and chin areas, and feel the scent for about 3 seconds. * Relax your body and mind through the Sleepscent™.
3. Gently spread over the face from inner part to outer part along the skin texture. 4. Go to sleep after absorption without rinsing off. (Wash face in the next morning)
* Use once or twice a week.
* Apply more than recommended amount when your skin is particularly dry.
* Open the cap and breathe in the scent of Water Sleeping Pac_EX about 5 seconds before use when you feel a heavy stress.
* Apply to neck area for neck care.

Laneige
Website: http://www.laneige.com/gateway.jsp
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laneigephilippines
Stores in the Philippines:

- Shangri-La Plaza
Level 3
(63 2) 451-1456
- TriNoma
Level 3
(63 2) 900-5171
- Mall of Asia
Level 2, South Wing, Main Mall
(63 2) 552-7750
- Robinsons Manila
Ground Floor, Midtown Mall
(63 2) 345-7272
- Robinsons Galleria
Level 2
(63 2) 3990125
- Robinsons Magnolia
Upper Ground Level
(63 2) 9615278

Now Open: IHOP in Bonifacio Global City

IHOP or International House of Pancakes opened their first branch here in the Philippines to the public, yesterday, February 15. Since it was their first day open and it was a Friday it took about an hour's wait before my friends and I were able to snag a table. The photo above is their second floor, the first floor is used as the waiting area and have a few tables there too.

They offer four different flavors of syrup (the last one's not included in the photo) old fashioned, butter pecan (my favorite), strawberry and blueberry.

Splashberry (refillable) PHP 175
"A blend of IHOP's juicy red strawberries, lemon-lime soda and premium orange juice."

This was extremely refreshing, perfect for when it's hot outside (which is almost all the time here in the Philippines...) Plus each time they refilled my splasher they always made sure to include a couple of fresh strawberries.

Specialty Sampler PHP 275
"One egg, one strip of crispy bacon, one pork sausage link, one piece of ham, hash browns and one buttermilk pancake"
Or if you're feeling extra hungry, you can order the Breakfast Sampler for PHP 395 which is pretty much the same thing, except it's a double of everything including the pancake.

Instead of getting just the plain buttermilk pancake that the Specialty Sampler comes with, my friend Ilka upgraded hers to a Double Blueberry Pancake (buttermilk pancake filled with blueberries and topped with warm blueberry campote and whipped topping), but of course she had to pay extra.

Big Steak Omelette PHP 325
"Tender strips pf steak, hash browns, fresh green peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese. Served with salsa."

Instead of just getting two plain buttermilk pancakes that the omelette comes with I upgraded it to the New York Cheesecake Pancakes (two fluffy buttermilk pancakes loaded with creamy, rich cheesecake pieces and crowned with cool strawberries, powdered sugar and whipped topping.)

Breakfast food for me is the ultimate comfort food and I love having it anytime of the day. They have endless breakfast choices here, both sweet and savory dishes. But if you're not so keen on breakfast food don't worry because they've got other things on the menu like sandwiches, burgers, salads, dinner meals and more.

Everything was delicious and you can tell that all the ingredients they used were fresh, especially the fruits they used like the blueberries and strawberries. All the waiters are cheery and accommodating, it's just an all in all great casual place to dine no matter who you're with whether you're with your friends, family or a date!