Style and Soul

Sometimes, we just really need a break from life.

You agree with me, right? I'm not sure if you remember, but in one of my previous posts, I've shared how unhappy and restless it has been for me to work so hard to make a living and never took the time off to give myself the chance to enjoy and have fun.

Many of my goals and dreams have made me over-schedule my days, rush through my to-do list and keep myself busy 24/7. Imagine, in order for me to realize how valuable it is to simply slow down and live, I had to reach a breaking point and feel miserable about my life. 

As we focus on our ambitions, let's say, starting a business or climbing a corporate ladder or assuming on new responsibilities (like having a baby or something), it's easy to get caught up with all the work. It didn't really occur to me how necessary taking a break is, not until I actually allowed myself to have one.

So ask yourself, when was the last time that you had a break? Last summer? First of all, I'm not talking about a vacation. And second of all, I say, take any form of break (at least one day) every week. Trust me, when you wait for the perfect moment to take one, it never seems to come because there will always be something to do or take care of.

In my case, the best way to rejuvenate and refresh my mind is to take a quick trip out of the metro. Getting away doesn't necessarily mean you really have to go that far. Not a lot of you know this, but I always go to Tagaytay whenever I needed some sort of escape. My boyfriend's family has a second home there along with a few horses (yey for free horseback riding), plus it has a pretty cool weather that we all love, and  it's just more or less a two-hour drive away. 

Since my boyfriend and I have been staying in the same house every time we visit Tagaytay for the past four years of our relationship, we've gotten a little tired of it and figured that it would be good for both of us to check out new accommodations for a change. One of the most perfect spots that we found around the area was Puzzle Mansion Bed and Breakfast.

 

With Pinkbox's relaunch, it aims to take center stage as one of the go-to places for each fashionista's accessory craving. Pinkbox wants you to make it your regular outfit staple, to use its wide array of accessories to complete your everyday chic look.

As a stronger and more competetive brand, Pinkbox is confident to say, "You're never full-dressed without it!"

P.S. Thank you Pinkbox and Liz for having me at the event. The bloggers all went gaga over the accessories buffet but I still snagged awesome pieces. Can't wait to share my outfit posts with it! 

The latest scent that I've been sporting right now is the light and minty fragrance of Acqua Colonia from Prestige Brands Philippines. If you're not familiar with Prestige, the company handles branding, distribution and promotions of international fragrances here in the Philippines.

This holiday season, I'm sure it's that time of the year again wherein everyone's going gaga over what present to give to family and friends. And if you have the budget to spend, or for more... splurge (don't tell me I didn't warn you!) for your very special loved ones, you might want to consider giving out the gift of scent this Christmas.

Nina Ricci Elixir

Acqua Colonia

This perfume definitely has earned my stamp of approval. I have been using its Melissa and Verdbena variant for a month now and I still love its light and minty lemon grass scent. I've written an in-depth review about the product so if you'd like to read more, just click this link!

PRICE: 170ml - P 2,500

VIP Men by Carolina Herrera

PRICE: 100ml - P 4,670 | 50ml - P 3,540

GUESS Seductive, I'm Yours

Guess Seductive is especially created for the passionate, confident and liberal woman. This fragrance has that luscious and exotic scent that can drive men to distraction and lure them into deep desire. It is beautifully packed in an appealing flask in color pink with fishnet graphics.

I remember a guy's story about a mysterious girl that lived next door in his building. He has never seen her but every time he walks down the stairs in the morning, he could smell her scent. And from then on, he couldn't wait to once and for all, finally meet her. 

This scent is for that kind of woman - the one who can attract men with her mere scent. It is also for the modern street goddess who exudes overwhelming confidence and embraces her sexuality to the fullest.

Created by IFF perfumer Pierre Negrin, the fragrance of Guess Seductive, I'm Yours is an oriental mix of fruity and gourmand sweetness of passion fruit with floral tones of tiare (Tahitian flower), magnolia, lily and orchid, wrapped in various woods and musk. (source: press kit)

PRICE: 30ml - P 2,200 | 50ml - P 2,900 | 75ml - P 3,500

If you want to give out something designer, how about Oscar Dela Renta's Esprit D' Oscar? This may be the next best thing to his very expensive couture gowns. This is a luxury item you may want to give to your mother, sister, wife or girlfriend. Pang doňa lang!

From its fragrance, down to its bottle, Esprit D' Oscar is the embodiment of sophistication and class. Its scent is a modern reinterpretation by Frank Voelkl and Ann Gottlieb of the original fragrance created way back 1977.

This timeless perfume is said to have retained its original oriental and floral character but the updated version begins with citrus notes of Sicilian lemon, cedrat (a.k.a citron), mixed with a floral bouquet scent of Egyptian jasmine, orange blossom and tuberose. Its base is composed of musk, heliotrope, tonka and vetiver. (source: press kit)

PRICE: 1.6 fl. Oz - P 3,650 | 3.3 fl. Oz. - P 4,650

Bond No. 9, New York

Last but definitely not the least, here is a full-blown fragrance collection which is launched as an homage to New York city. Bond No. 9 got its name from the address of its headquarters at 9 Bond Street in NoHo.

The Bond No. 9 collection of 36 women's, men's and unisex perfume is said to be an alternative against the mainstream fragrances in the market today. It is said to contain high and long-lasting concentrations of pure scents in variants that caters to all types of personalities but not for everyone's budget. Priced at P 9, 737 for a 50ml bottle and P 14,124 for 100ml, Bond No. 9 is specially created for those who can truly afford (I'm not one of them, LOL). So if you have the all the money to overindulge yourself in something extravagant such as a bottle of Bond No. 9 perfume, it's up to you!

 

It was the last Saturday of October, a usual busy weekend for someone like me, who just went through a couple of meetings and decided to skip Philippine fashion week again. All day's work ended in such a sweet note the moment I entered my room and found a basket with some flowers lying on my bed.

My heart skipped a beat. Being in a relationship for three years, it's been quite a while since I last received flowers from my boyfriend! And by saying that, I feel the need to explain now, haha. You see, flowers and teddy bears are not my thing. Life has taught me to be practical and frugal and the same principles apply to my romantic relationship. We (my boyfriend and I) are big on moments, not gifts. Naks.

Anyway, I rushed in to take a closer look at the flowers and found out that it was a gift sent over by the generous people from Prestige Brands Philippines. If you think I got disappointed because it wasn't from my boyfriend, you are totally wrong, haha. It was a funny scenario and I was caught laughing at myself.

Took some so-so photos so I edited it like this! Got this idea from Paul Jatayna's blog :)

Of the five ACQ fragrances, I got the Melissa and Verbena variant which is reminiscent of soothing gardens and healing herbs. It's my current fragrance and I've been using it for a week now.


Here's what I like about ACQ's Melissa and Verbena:

• Usually, perfumes are overpowering but this one is so mild that I use to think it's baby cologne which is something that I find great because it's an everyday fragrance that I can use; not just on special occasions.
• Its mild scent doesn't hurt or sting my nose no matter how much I apply.
• The smell reminds me of leaves, morning dew and meadows with a powdery touch to it.
• I applaud the fact that the smell is genderless! With this variant, you can't exactly pinpoint if it's for a male or female because it's mild and minty. It can be for both actually.
• I love the bottle which is nostalgic of a vintage alcoholic drink with a modern twist (think Godfather movie), haha.

Each 170ml bottle costs Php 2,500.00 and is available at Rustan's nationwide.

Special thanks to Prestige Brands Philippines' Ms. Marcela Pabellano (Group Brand Manager), Mr. Brian O'Hara (Brand Manager) and Ms. Marla Cabahug (Brand Assistant) for this gift of scent for my style and for making me feel like it's high school all over again as I imagine that I have a random secret admirer who happened to send me flowers, haha!


Websites:
Acqua Colonia: http://www.acqua-colonia.com
4711: http://www.4711.com/

Bringing out the edge in anybody. This is what Saint Rebel Street (SRS) is all about.

If you’re going for looks that are tough and bad-ass, for sure, you shouldn’t miss this online store in your list. Saint Rebel Street (SRS) is a brand offering accessories that help “bring out the rebel inside you.”
Carla Apostol, a Visual Communication student from UP Diliman and owner of SRS, believes that her line would totally create a certain look and vibe that deviate from what most girls in the country would go for: dainty, cute, boho and vintage. SRS breaks free from these styles with hand-made jewelries that aim to elicit a kind of edge that will make you stand out on the street. Its pieces remain wearable enough on a regular day in school, to a club party later at night.

I personally like the store’s solid branding because not a lot shops dedicate itself to only one vision. Today, I’d see a lot of accessory stores selling a hodgepodge of items or boutiques mostly carrying girly, pretty and quirky pieces. You wouldn’t find any of those in its collections because Saint Rebel Street puts out a cohesive set of accessories that transform any outfit to edgy yet chic.


From a purely visual perspective, there’s something about edgy styles that make a woman look powerful, dangerous and independent as opposed to feminine looks that construct this “ideal” sweet, docile, damsel-in-distress and princess-pretty vibe. Which one would you rather be? The strong characteristics associated with the former are what I commend the most from Saint Rebel Street’s fierce accessories.

Its collection sprung out from the designer’s soft spot and special interest for elaborate body chains. Carla said that she had a hard time finding the exact designs that she wants in the malls. All that she could find then were only available on international online shops and cost way more than her budget. After getting her much needed sources of inspiration online, Carla began crafting her own accessories. “When I started wearing them (DIY accessories), other people wanted their own too. I made the pieces for them for a fee WAY lower than the prices of the real thing,” Carla recalls. From there, she began posting an album of body chains on Facebook and most of her collection got sold out. A lot of people responded really well to her products and she was motivated to produce more.

With Saint Rebel Street, almost everything is handmade. Carla stressed that she creates limited pieces on purpose in order to keep the value and uniqueness of everything she makes. “I believe every piece that comes from Saint Rebel Street is a work of art, so I don’t mass-produce as it gives me the impression of lowering the value."

The brand also keeps up with the latest trends like these feather accessories!


The brand has yet to take off in full colors but as early now, Carla hopes to get the business to continuously rolling, to join her first ever bazaar in the near future and to finally introduce a clothing line that would go well with her accessories.

Her items are pretty cool so check it out and it’d be worth your while!

Click here to go to Saint Rebel Street's page at Facebook and on Multiply.
Photos courtesy of SRS. Self portraits by JR Espejo.

Most of us dress up based on our personal style or simply what we like, don't like or what's dictated by our gut feeling. Some of us dress to impress by keeping up with the latest trends. Nevertheless, whatever fashion choices we make, we all want the same thing - to look fabulously great (ain't that right?)! To assure that, (we have to admit) we put on clothes that conceal our flaws and highlight our best assets.

For Flattering Tops, flattering is the main top of the mind for the products that are placed in each of their collection. This is the brand that understands a woman's need to not only feel beautiful but most importantly, of course, look the part. Thus, they only have one goal: to continuously offer women figure-flattering wear.

For those who haven't heard of the brand, they started way back 2009 with sourced out pieces across Asia. Later on, the people behind the brand decided to work more closely with their manufacturer and no longer relied on the designs being presented to them. This business move led them to collaborate for their own designs and styles to ensure that each item released would be befitting to carry the label.


Their fashion philosophy? "You don't always have to wear something tight." (Tama!)

Flattering Tops reject the idea of wearing body hugging clothing for women to be sexy. Instead, they offer loose tops that would look smashing for any body type, hiding any problem area with its free flowing cut. What I like about them is that they encourage us to go for comfort [first] above everything else. I somehow feel guilty (and I know you are too, 'wag na magdeny) because there were times when I would sacrifice comfort all in the name of fashion.

The over-sized and laid back yet stylish tops from their store have been proven to be a perfect fit on different body types, from the thin to the ultra curvy, across all ages. The newest addition to the brand are their new bottoms like denim leggings and skirts in order to complete a flattering ensemble.


For our busy and hectic schedules, I'm sure we would all be needing that flattering top which we can wear in order to move freely and comfortably. Plus it would be easy for us to mix and match especially for those lazy dress-up days.

So come on, go ahead and flatter yourself! *wink*

P.S.
This summer, catch Flattering tops at Rockwell's Summer Bazaar today (March 11) till Sunday (March 13). Expect new arrivals from their summer 2011 collection and get hold of their fresh designs and must-have travel wear! If you can't make it, you can always go shop online!