Mercato Market

Early in the morning, a few girlfriends and I decided to check out what the deal was at Mercato Market. I'm had a wedding to attend and host that day, so I had a quick brunch with them before leaving for the church.

I had heard that this Manang's fried chicken was better than Bon Chon, so I decided to have this for lunch without batting an eyelash.

The chicken is cooked and seasoned right in front of you. You have a choice of either Original, Mild Spicy or Extra Spicy. I'm not a fan of spicy stuff though I can take them, so I chose original.

Honestly, I was disappointed with it! It's so not better than Bon Chon. It feels like it's missing Bon Chon's secret ingredient, which is Ginseng. Sorry people, I'm a Bon Chon girl all the way. Haha. I have a feeling that the reason to why the people on Team Manang's like this better is because they have the option to choose Mild or Extra Spicy, whereas in Bon Chon they only have the Extra Spicy option. Oh well, c'est la vie!

I only had 3 Chicken wings out of the 6 that I bought for 120 Php. Then it was dessert time!

Surprise! Look at what I found! I have blogged about these before (link here) and they impressed me once again! I got a box of 12 standard macarons to take home and a box of these minis, which I shared with my friends. :)

One would think that these minis would be crunchy all the way and not as good as their standard older siblings, but they weren't at all! They were how a macaron should really be-crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The small ones are a cylinder of 12 for 220 Php, and the standard are 12 for 450 Php. :)

And lastly, right before I left, I couldn't resist having one of these. I tried two of them on my last trip with friends to Tagaytay - Caramel and Vanilla. They weren't anything great. But for the love of Rose!

I had a Vanilla Rose mochi ice cream ball and it was lovely! All of you must know that I love everything roses. The color, the flower, the taste and smell, everything! Haha. So I really enjoyed this one. :)

So, would I go back to the Mercato Market? Probably not. I wouldn't go for the real food but I would go back for the desserts. And since I'm on a diet, I definitely won't be going back. I hope. HAHA!

OPI polish

So here's a more girly post :) I was having my nails done, and I didn't feel like my usual shade of pink. I wanted a stronger pink this time, quite close to red. These were the top 3 shades that I picked:

(L-R) Cara Mia Crimson, Dutch Tulips and Cajun Shrimp

It's already my second time to pick the Cajun Shrimp along with other shades, but I didn't decide to use it again because on my nails it was a little too orange. It wasn't in the pink family actually. So Between the Cara Mia Crimson and Dutch Tulips, I ended up with...

Dutch Tulips! I didn't like the Cara Mia Crimson either because it had a little bit of a sparkle. I was feeling like a flat pop of color that day. And as always, I'm really hoping and praying that this polish stays chip-free for more than three days. Actually, I'm lucky if I can even get past a day without chipping it! Working with so many metal rulers, pencils and the like can mess up a manicure really bad.

I know that there's a polish craze going on right now, particularly affordable ones like the 99 Php Elianto shades, but I'm too scared to try those because like I said, my polish chips off very easily. I only trust two brands to stay on for good, namely OPI (of course) and China Glaze. Another thing that I love about OPI are their quirky color names. One of my dream jobs, actually is to be on the naming team for OPI! Haha, dreaming is free.

Well 'til the next post. If this wasn't enough for you, let me SHATTER your minds with something new in a day or two! I'm so excited to reveal this baby as soon as I get it :D

Derma Visit

Two days ago, I went to my dermatologist to have a glycopeel cleaning. A girl has to be beautiful all the time, and everybody knows that in this day and age it's rarely all-natural. My regular facialist is none other than...

Belo Medical Group! I've been a happy and loyal client of theirs for almost 6 years now, and I've been to a lot of dermatologists since I hit puberty, so saying that I've been loyal to them for so long means a lot to me.With other dermatologists, they don't mind you when you say it's too painful, and the scars last forever! Whereas with Belo, they give you mini breaks in between your treatment (as long as it's in your allotted hour/s) and I feel confident that within four hours, with makeup you're good to go out and enjoy the rest of the day. Or if you're eager enough to go in the morning, by the evening your scars are almost gone and all you need is a little concealer and blush.

Their waiting room is very nice and comfortable, there are plenty of reading materials to choose from. On the wall opposite the reception there is also a big-screen LCD television showing documentary-like films of people that Dr. Vicki Belo and her staff have done in the past. It gets really interesting, especially hearing the people talk about their experiences before and after, and how much happier and confident they are after their treatments. Oftentimes I don't want to leave for my treatment when I'm called in the middle of a film. Haha :)

I was in for a surprise when I went into the waiting room this week. The aroma of the room was so calming and soothing that I had to ask the receptionists what scent it was. On their incense burners was peppermint oil. Who would have thought that peppermint gives the room such an uplifting vibe? I'd heard of Lavender, Jasmine and even this scent called "Babe Type" (HAHA!) but I'd never actually encountered peppermint until now.

Once you're settled down in the waiting room, your facialist will personally go up to where you're seated, will call you and lead you to her treatment room. The rooms are clean and packed will all the cupplies she will need for your treatment. I get the most gentle treatment because my mom always tells me that while my skin is young, I shouldn't touch it too much. The treatment that I get called Glycopeel Cleaning. It's a facial peel that's made out of natural fruit acids and is gentle enough to be done every week, but my prescription is every two weeks. I don't go too often though, only when I really feel that I need it. Maybe once a month or every other month :)

By the way, hello Prada baby on the reclining bed! I got her two years ago in Florence. :D

A timer, telephone, supplies and sterilizer...

This is a photo of the sink, soaps and towels. As for my treatment, first the facialist washed your face with their Obagi cleanser, then with a cotton bud and personal electric fan, she'll appl the glycolic peel on your skin. I find the use of the personal electric fan because it shows the cheeky and cutesy side of Belo, which is also part of what led me to try this as well as great raves from my friends in high school. :)

After that she'll start extracting your pimples, blackheads and whiteheads. Now this is the painful part!! :( Depending on how many you have, you just have to stand it and pray you fall asleep. Haha! I have lots of comedones on my nose, which are oil deposits that are barely seen but still there. So that part hurts the most and I always get that part done first. Next is the right face because it hurts more than the other side because the face really has more nerve endings on that side, and then the left side of my face.

This vaporizer is on for maybe the first 20 minutes of your facial. It keeps the pores open (and humidifies the hair. :\ ) Haha but I don't complain.

After the facial I kept with my mantra that at least by the evening it will be gone, and definitely by the next morning I had a happy smile on my face, ready to go back to school as if nothing happened. Okay, I'll be honest. Of course my big pimples had a little red marks, but those were only two that could easily be covered up with concealer. Haha!

Like they say, Beauty is pain, and the vain never complain!

Thinking...

To get my own domain name or not? Think, think! I have to be more regular here if I do get my own domain.

Double Down Fully Loaded Meal!

A fab find for under P150! This whole week I'd been craving for the KFC Shakin' Shots, which is just their Fun Shots with a flavored powder that you shake into.

I was really disappointed to see that they didn't have it on their menu anymore :( I really liked their garlic parmesan with rice! Mmmm oh well, time to let go. Haha because i found another yummy thing from KFC!

It was none other than the Fully Loaded Double Down Meal! It wasn't even on their menu board; it was on a printed piece of paper and hanging on top of the chicken case, haha! Good thing I saw it. Yum yum!

Here's what you get: The Double Down, rice, cole slaw, gravy and a small drink, all for Php 145! :) I love how it's in a box, so it's really neat, especially on the go. I was on my way home and in the car, and I had no problem with it :D everything was in cups, except for the rice of course. Yum!

Before you ask, what is a double down?

The Double Down is a sandwich made up of two chicken fillets, with cheese, bacon and mayonnaise in between. I put a hold on the mayo though because the last time I had it, I found the mayo to be too much with all the sodium and fatty goodness already in the Double Down. Haha!

It was actually my third time to have a Double Down, and I don't know if I was just starving or really craving for chicken, but I really enjoyed it. I don't know the next time I'll have it though. It was so oily and so much! Not to mention the coleslaw was drenched in a sweet dressing. Of course, piggy me finished all of it though! Haha :(

'Til my next yummy find!

Banana "Birkin" Craze

Another Asian frenzy that we should all love!

So what's all the hype about this Banana "Birkin" bag? I was so obsessed with looking at photos all over the internet that I just HAD to get one of my own. Oops! Haha

The original six colors pictured above were such a hit when they came out last year that the company just had to make a Christmas collection.


In my opinion, the Christmas colors set a different tone. They're much more muted formal that the first collection. The first collection is a more fun, playful side that adds a pop of color to any outfit. So of course, which one did I choose?!

Maybe some of you would think, oh, no surprise there! Haha :) But I was seriously so torn between 4 colors! Namely Sweet Pink, Tiffany Blue, Midnight Magenta and Supper Champagne Grey (on the lower left of the Christmas collection). But of course indecisive me took so long that they already sold my first and second choices, the Sweet Pink and Tiffany Blue! And the Supper Champagne Grey wasn't in stock o I had no choice but to pick the Midnight Magenta. It was still a choice, and I knew I was going to fall in love with whichever one I got anyway! And yes, it is in fact SUPPER Champagne Grey. Haha, so funny!

This baby is special too, because it's partially handmade and the company can only make approximately 6 bags per hour due to quality control. They're eco-friendly, using all man-made materials. It's made of photo-printed canvas and the handles are faux leather.

In person, the pink isn't so bright. It's in between a light pink and a hot pink, which is good because it's a pop of color that's not screaming at you. :)

The bag is quite small, it can't hold much things :( I originally wanted it as a school bag, but since not a lot of things can go in it I guess when I get tired of using it to go out I'll make it my exercise bag.

Thank you so much to Mouse, who gave me this bag :D Best early valentine's gift ever!

The Banana Bag is available on http://bagahollic.com for Php 4000, much cheaper than in other countries. The best deal! :)