It's been a year...

I always say, "Time flies." But last week, 'twas one of those times when I really meant it.  Of course it doesn't mean I was lying on the other times I've said it, it's just that last week, tagos sa buto ang pagsabi ko ng…"grabe, ang bills ng panahon."

Why?  Because it's been a year na pala since I left Pinas. 

Last year, I finally made the decision to leave PH and join my husband here in UAE.  I admit, it was not easy.  I have my family, my friends and a career in PH.  I was used to living alone since I stay in Manila for work and seldom go home to my family in the province.  We've been married since 2009 but it was last year when we felt it's time to be together.  We are not that prepared for the big change. But what the heck, it's now or never na kumbaga.  It was actually the make or break of our relationship.  Mostly, I was scared.  Not that I don't want to be with my husband, but I was scared what will happen to me.  Will I find a job?  What if I don't and I used up all of my savings? I am not used to asking money to buy things I need.   If there's something I want, I get it myself.  I don't make asa. But then it hit me…when I got married, there should no longer be "me" but "us." And why the hell should I worry about running out of savings?  I'm sure my husband will take care of me.  He always did and always will.  It's just a matter of me getting used to asking, that's all.  

So for this post, type ko mag-walk down the memory lane...

My last day in ADB:

 Of course, I wasn't really crying! Hahaha.

This was my 3rd cubicle in ADB since 2009.  

(May oil blotting sheet pa talaga!) 

MAC Nail Transformations Collection...

If you love collecting nail polishes then this collection from MAC will definitely make your heart skip a beat.  Well, mine did! (Though I don't really collect nail polishes...yet!)

MAC teamed up with Marian Newman, a former forensic scientist, to come up with a collection of nail lacquers and topcoats designed to give your nails a stylist twist. Choose any base color then use any of the top coats and have fun in coming up with endless possibilities of colors and effects.

To give you an idea, here are some photos from Janine of Imabeautygeek (check her blog post here) showing how amazing these top coats are:

She used this Revlon black polish as base

And look how the color transformed with each of the top coats from the collection:

 Now, isn't that amaze-balls!?

^_^

A Hairstyling Product I Don't Think I Can Live Without…

Do you have fine, limp hair like I do?   If you do, what hair styling products do you use to give it some volume? I've tried wax, gels, mousse and hair sprays but most of them just makes my hair looking greasy at the end of the day. Also if I used too much (which happens a lot), I just end up getting the opposite of what I'm trying to attain. And some can be such a pain to wash off your hair.  So yes, I came to a point that I had enough of these hair styling products.  But with my hair this short, I don't think I can just give up that easily.

When I had my last haircut last July, the hairstylist recommended a product which according to her is so good, she has no doubt  that I'd like it. I was skeptic at first, thinking that she's just trying to sell me some products, but she said she'll try it on me after the haircut so I can see it for myself.  And so after trimming my hair and giving life back to it after a not-so-good styling from another salon, she used the product on my hair while it's wet and blow dried it a bit. My hair really got volumized which is usual after a blow dry.  But what really had me sold was when I was able to style it by just running my fingers starting from my nape going up. Tumayo ang hair ko! It was like I've used hair wax.  I then gave it a few scrunching and some twirling and whoa, my hair was actually keeping up. I can feel some texture on my hair but it's not something heavy or greasy.  It just makes styling it a lot easier!

So what product is it? It's the:

 Davines Sea Salt Primer For Wizards

(AED 70)

Gives texture and lots of volume to hair, as well as some control: for that casual uncombed look with the dry and full body effect typical of beach hair.

Now I'm not sure why it says For Wizards but I guess it really has some sorcery in it, as it truly does magic on my hair. Hehehe!

Product Review: Dermalogica After Sun Repair..

Do you like basking out in the sun to get a nice tan but hate ending up feeling toasted and red all over?  I once experienced getting sunburnt and it was really not a good thing at all.  My skin felt so irritated and sore.  It's so painful, and the peeling after? Ugh, terrible!  From then on, I try to stay away from too much sun if possible.  

During my vacation in the Philippines last April, me and my family went to the beach.  My sister who is so fair wanted to get a tan so she decided to get overdosed under the sun.  She did get a tan but it was mostly on her bottom, LOL!  Her ass (at least the part not covered with her bikini) went from being too red to looking like it has been toasted.  She was complaining the next day because her skin feels so sore, sensitive and burning. We didn't have any aloe gel to relieve the discomfort at that time so we just made her apply some lotion.  It did help a bit, but only for a short time.  We were laughing so hard because she said she can't even sit properly because her ass feels so irritated.  

When I went back to Dubai and got a few gifts from our friends from PR, I wished I have gotten it sooner.  Why? Because it includes this:

Dermalogica After Sun Repair

(AED 175)

A cooling treatment balm to remedy damage from exposure to UV sunlight. This lightweight gel helps calm skin and reduce irritation induced by sunburn.

It contains Chamomile, Clove, Cucumber, Szechwan Pepper, Lavander and Yuca. It also contains extract of Japanese Alder which scavenges free radical and accelerates the repair of UV-induced damage after sun exposure.

When I got back to Dubai and summer started kicking in, I told my husband not to ask me to go to the beach as I would say NO right to his face. Hahaha!  So I thought, I won't be able to use this at all.  But I was wrong.

How To Cook: Pork Kinamatisan...

I know it's been a while since I last posted my cooking here but if you're following me on IG and FB, you'll see that I still cook (a lot!) during weekends.  I usually cook 4-5 dishes because I have to make sure that the husband has something decent to eat even when I'm away.  If not, he'll resort to canned tuna everyday.  Ah men, they can be really lazy no?

^_^

Anyway, here's a dish that I got from Girltalk. Apparently this dish is famous with my fellow girltalkers. And after trying it for ourselves, I know why.

This is called Pork Kinamatisan.  It's kinda similar to Pork Sinigang, but this one's a lot easier to prepare.

The ingredients are:

 Tomatoes

For this, I used 6 big tomatoes. More tomatoes, much better!

1 Kg Pork Ribs

I opted for ribs because the bones help to make the dish tastier.  If you want, you can also use pork belly.

5 large Green Chilis, chopped.  It's the same chilis you use in Sinigang

You can put the chilis whole but I prefer them sliced to get that extra spice.

 Fish Sauce

This dish is by far the easiest one I cooked.  It is so easy to prepare. 

Charm Double Duty Makeup Brush Set...

When I was still doing makeup for clients, I buy makeup brushes often.  I hate having to clean my brushes right in the middle of a makeup session so I make sure I have a lot of extra brushes with me each time.  Now that I've stopped having makeup gigs, I can say that buying makeup brushes became the least priority when it comes to my "kikay" shopping.

But I guess I am just one lucky/blessed girl, because I still get to have a new set of makeup brushes without me buying.  I am one spoiled girl to have my Sample Room family and Sophie of BeautyandMinerals because they sent me my newest makeup brush set, the Charm Double Duty Makeup Brush Set.  And mind you, this is just one of the stuff they have in that huge SampleRoom Summer Loot bag!  If you are following me on Instagram, you'll know what I'm talking about. (wink)

Anyhoo, let me start bragging (tee-hee!) about my new baby..

It comes in this cute pink brush roll which is made of the same material that they use in their makeup brush belt. It doesn't look cheap and it can be cleaned easily so you don't have to worry about stains.

Inside, you'll get 4 dual-ended brushes and a lip brush with cap, so you get a total of 9 full-sized brushes.

It has flaps on all the sides so you can also put other brushes and they will all be tucked in safely inside the roll. Instead of a velcro strap to close, this one you just have to tie and for me, it makes it more dainty and cute.  

And the winners of my Skinwhite Giveaway are...

Maria Fe Manlapaz

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/758921894158593

Phoebe Ruth Roberto

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/762239707160145

Sena AGon

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/759941954056587

Jeddahlyn Gonzales

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/761725900544859

Mary Jay Javier

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/762617440455705

Aye Marcelo

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/763044940412955

Analyn Cellan

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/763134947070621

Vicenta C. Rada

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/763413157042800

Rachel Ann Lamano

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/763895260327923

Cy Valencia

cyvalcy29@yahoo.com

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/764600863590696

Ryan Valencia

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/764604066923709

Monica Escobinas

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/764615380255911

Pyllis Kirsten Aquino

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/764876666896449

Jayver Javier

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/765027370214712

Marites Javier

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/769076716476444

Rowena Belleza

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/769092033141579

Lorielyn Nocasa

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/769265793124203

Jeffrey Nocasa

https://www.facebook.com/skinwhite/posts/769301296453986

You may now claim your prize at the Splash Corporation office from 9am to 6pm during weekdays and don't forget to bring an ID. 

The address is: 

5F W Office Bldg.
11th Avenue cor. 28th Street
Bonifacio Global City
Taguig City 1634 Philippines

Thanks Skinwhite and for those who have joined!

^_^

Please like me on Facebook ( IambrigittePage ) and follow me on Twitter (_IAmBrigitte_) and Instagram (Iambrigitte)

Our Dining Experience at Mo's Dubai...

What do you do when you're tired, feeling restless or stressed?  Before, I go on shopping.  But since that makes me end up being broke or buy stuff which I don't really need, I try not to do that anymore.  I still go on retail therapy at times, but lately, I just indulge myself with good food.  And when I say good food, I mean comfort food! When I was still in Manila, I usually go to Friday's or Chili's. 

So when I was given a chance to try Mo's Dubai (thanks, Caramel Group!), known for its wide selection of what we call comfort food, I just had to say Yes.  Besides, it's also a chance to connect with some other bloggers in the region. I rarely go out on a weekend, but I just felt that I need to amp up on my  so-called social life which is by the way already dying. Hahaha!

I was told that Mo's is a casual dining restaurant but I can tell it has a fancier vibe to it as soon as I entered the place.  But I never felt intimidated as I would normally feel whenever I go inside an upscale restaurant. Instead, I feel the hospitality and warmth of the staff.  As soon as I entered the restaurant, I was greeted by the staff and even walked me to our table. The manager even approached our table, introduced himself and had a short chit-chat with us.  

If it's my first time in a restaurant, I usually ask my friends to order for me.   Or sometimes, I ask the server what's good in their menu but I usually get  the answer, "everything is good." (laughs) At Mo's, they know their menu by heart.  They would ask you what you prefer: pasta, seafood or salad and they will recommend what's best in that selection. 

And what can I say? Their recommendations are spot on! There was nothing on our table that night that we didn't like.  

Ceasar Salad with Chicken

Crispy Romaine Lettuce, Chicken in Lemon Garlic Dressing

I'm not that adventurous when it comes to salads as I always opt for the Ceasar Salad.  But let me just say that this by far is the best Ceasar Salad I've tried.  The dressing, which is mainly made of lemon garlic plus other secret ingredients, gave the salad the zest that most caesar salads lack.