The Power of Argan

It was my godsister who first introduced me to Argan Oil. She kept fussing about the Moroccan Argan oil hair treatment cream from Organix saying how it made her hair super soft. I believed her and tried it for myself and it did live up to expectations!

After my finishing an entire bottle, which I used daily as conditioner, I found myself getting second doubts whether to get another bottle because of its hefty price tag. A bottle of Organix' conditioner would set you back more than Php500.00 and since I use it daily, that bottle would last me just around a month. Compare that to regular conditioners which costs just around Php150.00, right? The cheapskate in me just can't stomach that huge price difference.

Well, one day while I was at Watson's, I chanced upon a tub of Argan Oil from Hair Treats and what have you, the effects are the same!!!

I got a 650 gram tub for Php225.00, and best part is, it's on promo-- buy one, take one!

I use it daily and apply it on the roots of my hair and I never have to worry about bad hair days! As testament to that, here is an annoying selfie I took:

Didn't blow dry my hair, hardly combed it the entire day and yet here it is still looking beautiful at 5pm after a long day of work! Oh, the power of Argan Oil!

I know Argan oil isn't that popular but I think it's about time people are made aware of how wonderful it is! I saw it too in one episode of America's Next Top Model, when one of the models had to do a brief infomercial about Moroccan Argan Oil. Its applications are wonderful! Try googling it to see for yourself :)

If you're ever at Watson's, I recommend trying this product. It also comes in a smaller tub which costs around Php75.00 which is just perfect if you just want to test it out. I started with that small tub until I upgraded to the 650-gram container. The smaller tub lasted me around a month so I say it's definitely a steal at that price! So happy to have found this product :)

Have a happy hair day everyone!

Red and Velvet-y

I LOVE red velvet. It's like a magic word that you could say and immediately, I'll light up. It's one of those flavors that I just can't get enough of! I mean, it's part chocolate and it has cream cheese. How can it get even better than that?? Well, my obsession is also why, I am very picky when it comes to my red velvets. I only have a handful that I particularly enjoy and I'm sharing with you some of them here because I'm getting another case of red velvet fever these days.

1. Bits and Nibbles' Double Cheese Red Velvet Cupcake

THIS. The only red velvet that I honestly, honestly enjoy. The cake is moist and fluffy, not too sweet and the cheese! Oh my, the cheese! Cream cheese frosting with grated cheddar on top! Layers and layers of indulgence right there! Love it!

2. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's Red Velvet Cocoa

It's the holidays once again and I can't wait to have these babies at CBTL once again! It's truly a holiday favorite! It's so good! The thing I like most about it (apart from it's pink! hehe) is that it has a subtle chocolate taste-- just how red velvets should really be. Just thinking about it now is driving me crazy!

3. Nininja Cafe's Red Velvet Crinkles

So okay, I may be biased on this one but believe I went absolutely nuts when I perfected the recipe for these red velvet crinkles! I've been munching on them nonstop since Sunday! These by the way are for sale, at the Chorchi's! (oh btw, I am Nininja and Nininja cafe is what I call the section on baked goods at Chorchi's. lol!)

I just can't get my mind off red velvets. I'm obsessed! Any other red velvet products you can recommend? I'm always game to try!

Ordering in, Vegetarian Style

Guess what? I ordered from foodie.ph again! Lol! This time, I ordered from one of those restaurants I've been wanting to try ever since-- Pipino, vegetarian cuisine!

There are very few vegetarian restaurants in the Metro and even if eating at non-vegetarian restaurants don't bother me so much, there are days I just want to relax and order from a menu where I can eat EVERYTHING from. That is why I felt doubly happy when I saw that foodie.ph has Pipino in its roster of restaurants.

I went a big trigger happy with the order button so I ended up with a buffet of sorts which I shared with my colleague:

Item no. 1: Portobello mushroom stuffed burger

Portobello mushroom--the "meat" of vegetarians! I love portobello because it's one of my favorite mushrooms. Good thing my colleague ordered this one so I got to taste it! The meal comes with kamote fries. See how "healthy" this burger meal is??

Item no. 2: Portobello inasal with brown rice

Since I am big on Portobello, I ordered portobello inasal with brown rice. This one kind of disappointed me because I feel like the portobello was under seasoned. The beet sauce that came with it was supposed to compensate but sadly, it didn't :(

Item no. 3: Vegetable Kare-Kare

This is ♥! I get now why it's such a popular dish, it tastes amazing! The black bean "bagoong" was the star of this dish! It was so authentic! Yum-o!

I'm so happy that I finally got to order from Pipino. I'm so excited for my next order! I'm definitely getting the vegetarian lasagna next!

To order, visit foodie.ph

August Rush

"Wizard: What do you want to be in the world? I mean the whole world. What do you want to be? Close your eyes and think about that."

"August Rush: Found."

It's true. For most people, all they want is to find and be found. Life is an unending search-- for meaning; for purpose; for people; for love.   

August Rush is no different. He was looking for his parents and he used music to find them. 

We go out into this world looking for something. And we get into a lot of trouble, experience a lot of pain just to find that one thing-- that one thing that would make life worth living. It is so easy to give up on the search; there are just too many challenges, too many things that would discourage us, and I don't blame people who give up. It's a tiring task and it's not for the weak of heart.

To be found. Wow. What a beautiful wish. And one that I share with that boy, August Rush.

What a beautiful thing-- that feeling of being lost; of wanting to find and be found. I remember when I was younger, there's this prayer I absolutely loved. It goes, "Dear God. I'm lost. Please find me."

The thing with being lost is that it gives you the chance to be found. It is during these times that you allow the universe to work its magic and help you out. You may think that it is a place of darkness; of hopelessness. But it is the opposite, really. When you feel like you're out of track, with no direction, with no hope, you find yourself with the opportunity to start fresh. To choose a new track. To press restart. And this chance, it is a gift-- one that if you only knew what lies underneath is something you'd rush to open.

It's okay to be lost. Because one day, some day, someone will find you. Taking the lines from my favorite song out of the soundtrack,

 "If you hadn't found me, 

I would have found you".

Beautiful, beautiful film. 

Movie stills: google images (sorry too many sites to credit)

Rough it up, tough it out

What is it with independent women that men find so intimidating?

It's always the same line-- "She's too beautiful; too smart; too successful. I can never date a 10."

If guys only knew how much hearing that hurts. 

Over the years, women have struggled hard just to become liberated from the stigma-- that of being JUST a housewife. Because the truth is, women also want what men have achieved. And while men are admired for reaching their fullest potentials, successful women are feared.

It's the saddest excuse ever. And one that I've heard way too many times. "She's intimidating". Really, when someone tells you that, how do you reply? It's like a trap. A death sentence. A statement with no winning rebuttal. Just that. The worst excuse and yet, the most honest one.

You can't please everyone. And I never believed in conforming to society. There are so many times I'm driven to change just to fit in that mold of the not-so-intimidating girl but I realized I'm not being true to myself. God put all of us in this world because he wants us to LIVE. He wants us to be the best version of ourselves and success is part of that whole equation. 

You can downplay your achievements, you can try not to be so busy with co-curricular activities, you can try to hide the things you do well but in the end, what does that make of you? A liar. And who will hurt in the end? You.

I intend to become MORE. Because as much as it may sound like a lie, I'm doing this because I'm intimidated by someone else too. A boy. Because all that I have; all that I am, he can match and even surpass. And it is men like him that makes me hold on to the hope that I'm on the right path-- that tells me there's nothing wrong with being successful. I want to maximize my potentials and become successful because of him. He has changed the way I think. But don't get me wrong-- it doesn't mean I'm in love with him. I'm just grateful that I met someone who made me want to succeed. For the first time in a long while, I felt proud of myself, and wanted to show the world all I can do. I pushed myself to my limits and wanted to soar high. I then understood what I never did before--  I can never be less intimidating. I can only wish I find someone who can keep up with me. Who can run beside me and fight the same battles. Who understands why I'm doing what I'm doing and what I live for. And who would want to share my world. 

Like Gino Quillamor said, "you have a lot to offer and if someone doesn't see that, then offer it to someone else. Someone that'll make you feel appreciated. Someone who will need you and someone who will see the good that you bring about with you. Not letting it go to waste and not letting it pass them by."

Amen brother, amen.

//Worn to Cinemalaya 9.

Green utility vest - Forever 21

Black bandage skirt - Forever 21

Green wedged lace up boots - Charles & Keith

Cinemalaya 9

And once again, Indie Films reign supreme! Thank you Cinemalaya for the amazing week that was!

My favorite this year is Purok 7. It was just so tastefully done. The plot was deep, yet simple, and just beautifully executed. I do hope they win awards!

Coming in close second is Rekorder. I know it's not an obvious favorite but I really like it. I like that it's so Cinemalaya, if you know what I mean. Also, like how I always am with things I enjoy, I find the movie memorable-- and that to me is the gauge of a good thing. Good job Mikhail Red!

Apart from those two, I also enjoyed Transit and Babagwa. Transit has a more documentary kind of feel to it while Babagwa was just so so fresh!

I can't wait to see who won in this year's festival! As early as now though, I extend my congratulations to all the participants! Thank you for a fun week!

See you all next year!