Celeteque Advanced Ultra Hydrating Cleanser

I've been using Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil (Fresh variant since my skin is on the oily side) to remove make-up and to simply cleanse my face for the last several years. It's quite expensive, retailing at around P4,500 for a large pump dispenser bottle (here in the Philippines anyway, it's cheaper abroad by at least P1,000+) but since I was happy with it and it lasts a really long time I stuck with it.

I first heard of Celeteque Advanced Ultra Hydrating Cleanser from my fellow bloggers. Mrs. Martinez in particular was all praises for it. I was taking make-up classes at the and so I couldn't make it to the event which introduced the product to bloggers.

I finally got to try out Celeteque Advanced Ultra Hydrating Cleanser (P319 for a 100ml bottle like the one pictured above) for myself last week.

I went to a dinner sporting a fully made up no make-up look. It may not look it but I am wearing gobs of make-up -- mineral foundation, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, eyebrow gel, blush, concealer, lipstick... the works! All that just to look like I wasn't wearing any hahahaha... oh the irony of the no make-up look!

Celeteque Advanced Ultra Hydrating Cleanser is a light cleansing oil. I put some of it on a cotton ball in order to remove my eye make-up.

Read more »

Excelente Chinese Cooked Ham in Quiapo, Manila (Sooo Pinoy Food Trip Series)

To continue with the Sooo Pinoy Food Trip, we were whisked off to the city of Manila after cooling off with a glass of Kabigting's Halo-Halo.

We initially visited a hole-in-the-wall eatery called Nihaya Halal Fastfood, which as the name suggests, serves halal (meaning permissible to Islam) food. I'm not blogging about it because the dishes were not to my liking... there was liver (which I don't eat), jackfruit (which I'm also not fond of), kilawin (raw fish in vinegar, which I also don't eat), fish curry (uh... no), and beef rendang (that was the only dish I actually tasted and in fairness it was quite good).

So anyway, off to our next stop, Excelente Chinese Cooked Ham in Quiapo.

Excelente Ham is legendary especially during Christmas season. People would actually line up in long queues just to purchase their P900 per kilo ham for both personal use and gift-giving. Don't let the shop's humble appearance fool you, prices are quite high-end.

My jaw actually dropped when I heard the price point of P900 per kilo. I was like... P900??? Anyhow, there was a tub of cubed ham drizzled with their signature honey syrup for sampling. I was able to take only one photo since the cubes were disappearing fast. After snapping, I proceeded to get a few cubes myself. My word, that was hands down the BEST ham I had ever tasted. Tender, juicy, meaty... and that sauce... words can't describe how good Excelente ham is!

There were sausages and all sorts of meat too. Mixed sausages like the ones in the photo above cost P600 per kilo.

Read more »

Be one of 10 winners of P1k worth of SM GCs!

Hello dear readers!

I'm helping out my cousin who's holding a coffee shop survey at this link here - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PHLCoffeeShopSurvey for a feasibility study he is conducting.

If you have the time please do answer. It's very short and sweet (I myself filled it out and it took me less than 10 minutes to finish) plus he's raffling off ten (10) P1,000 SM GCs to survey respondents.

Thanks in advance! <3

SM Giftcard Winners

1. Myra Songalia
2. Amity Young
3. Maricel B. Quitalig
4. Ruth dela Cruz
5. Perlita Fernandez
6. Carlene Landicho
7. Evian Ong–Yu
8. Mica Ella N. Cu
9. Francis B. Contreras
10. Thimothy Joseph A. Mabutol

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog by clicking HERE.

Become a Facebook Fan for updates from Animetric's World

GoodSkin Labs Tri-Aktiline Instant Deep Wrinkle Filler is magic!

The good folks over at GoodSkin Labs let me try a most revolutionary product in the form of Tri-Aktiline Instant Deep Wrinkle Filler. It more than lives up to its name, it works like magic and I'm not exaggerating!

I'm in my late 30's *sniff* so theoretically I should have plenty of uses for this product. The thing is, it was really a challenge for me because apparently I don't have visible lines or wrinkles on my face. I attribute this to my skin care addiction and obsessive daily application of sunscreen even on stormy days. In fact, I took a skin age quiz at a recent beauty event and ended up with the number 20. My skin age is supposedly 20 years old (I hope it's true hahahaha!).

I searched high and low for lines and wrinkles. I finally found them on the palm of my hand. XD

GoodSkin Labs Tri-Aktiline Instant Deep Wrinkle Filler is a cream that you dispense in teeny tiny amounts. It's very thick in terms of consistency so it doesn't run down your skin, it just stays put where you squirt it.

Read more »

Win 11 KFC sogood buckets of chicken!

Did you know that KFC chicken is seasoned with 11 secret herbs and spices? No wonder it's sogood! Plus I think everyone will agree that the equally delicious gravy is the perfect partner for the chicken.

Eleven is the magic number, which brings me to the question, if you were given a chance to make 11 people feel sogood by giving them each a KFC bucket, who would they be and why?

As for me, I'd give each of the following people a KFC bucket:

1. Dr. Keith Brian Gensolin - Doc Keith is like family to us. I can't even count the number of times we've called him during the wee hours of the night due to a medical concern. He is always helpful and accommodating and I'd like to show my appreciation by giving him a yummy bucket of KFC to enjoy with his wife and kids. :D
   
   
2. Dad - My dad and mom were the ones who introduced KFC chicken to me as a little girl. I'd send over a bucket to my mom too if she were here but she's based in the US. My dad is still as crazy about KFC today as he was when I was a preschooler and so dad, this bucket is for you.
   
   
3. Our secretary Edna - Eds has been with us for almost two decades already. She is loyal and trustworthy and she has survived a lot of hardships life has dealt her. I just want to send over a bucket of happiness her way.
   
   
4. My sis-in-law Jenny - Jen is always literally cooking up interesting stuff for my kids to do such as baking cookies and making pizza. My kids love it! I'm useless in the kitchen and so I'm really thankful someone is taking the time to expose my kids to the wonders of creating gastronomic delights. Jen, here's a bucket of goodness for you and your family!
   
   
5. Manang Ana - She's been with our family since she was in her teens (I was a little girl back then). She took really good care of my amah (paternal grandmother) until she passed away. She's still the caretaker of my amah's house to this day and well, she's always cooking for everyone! I'd like to give her a day off and treat her to a delicious bucket of KFC chicken for a change.
   
   
6. My sister Roanne - She's kind of like a one-woman army when it comes to running her toy business plus she spoils my kids... haha! Time for someone to spoil her with a yummy bucket treat!
   
   
7. Aunt Sally - She's my dad's younger sister who has always been like a parent to me, always supportive and ready to lend a hand, an ear, and just about anything I could need. Sending over a bucket of sogood KFC chicken is really the least I can do for her.
   
   
8. Mrs. Martinez - I'd like to send over a bucket of fun to my ever-loving neighbor and partner-in-crime Mrs. M! I know June is quite a stressful month so here's a bucket for more fun times, chismax, and long drives hahahaha!
   
   
9. Our good friend Dar - Dar is our good friend from way way back. He's our son's ninong and he has always loved chicken since we were kids. He's a true friend to the end and it's his birthday month now so here's a bucket to make it even more special!
   
   
10. Michelle Tiu - She's a regular reader of my blog. I'm sending her a bucket to show that I appreciate her taking the time out to comment on just about every post that I make! Thank you for your continued support! :D
    
    
11. cristines_corner - I'm giving her a bucket for being the best commenter on my KFC sogood post!

This is my list. Now I want to know yours. Tell me who would be the 11 people in the Philippines that you would want to give a KFC bucket to make them feel sogood. Do it as creatively as you can. Email your answers to animetric(at)gmail.com with the subject KFC Sogood Contest and follow the additional mechanics below:

• After you have emailed me your answer, share this contest on Facebook OR Twitter. For Facebook, click on the Share button on top of this post. On the blank box above the title of the blog post, tag Animetric's World and then post "Animetric's World is giving away 11 buckets of KFC chicken! Join now!". For Twitter, just tweet about the contest and the url.
  
  
• Post the url of your FB share or Tweet along with your full name and email address on the comments section below so I can check and verify your entry.
  
  
• Deadline for entries is July 8, 2011.
  
  
• One (1) winner will be chosen to receive eleven (11) KFC bucket GCs as a prize. I will update this post with the winner announcement after the contest deadline.

Simple right? Join now! I'll be waiting for your entries. :D

UPDATE: Announcing the winner of 11 buckets of delicious KFC Chicken... she not only told me about the people she was giving her 11 buckets to, she showed me.

Congratulations to Camille Quiambao! I will email you with regards to prize claim details. Thank you to everyone who joined the KFC sogood giveaway! There are a lot more contests coming so stay tuned! :D

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog by clicking HERE.

Become a Facebook Fan for updates from Animetric's World

Samsung Galaxy SII and Galaxy Tab 10.1 grand launch + mystery cellphone winners!

As many of you know by now, the mystery cellphone I've been posting about in the last couple of weeks is the Samsung Galaxy SII. Naturally, I was present at the launch event held at the A Venue Events Hall last June 21, 2011. Please note that I used the Samsung Galaxy SII's camera to cover the entire event. :)

We were shown a demo of the Galaxy Tab 10.1's nifty features before we entered the event proper.

Plus we were allowed to play around with them. Notice how compact the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is, it's actually a bit smaller than the palm of my hand.

Meet the mystery cellphone, Samsung Galaxy SII! I won't talk about it too much now but I will post a full review soon. I just want to say that it's the best cellphone I've ever used and I really LOVE it to bits. :p

Read more »

Kabigting's Halo-Halo in Quezon City (Sooo Pinoy Food Trip Series)

Going back to the Sooo Pinoy Food Trip, our next stop after Nathaniel's Bakeshop was Kabigting's Halo-Halo in Banawe, Quezon City. Just like Nathaniel's, Kabigting's originated from Pampanga.

Personally, I prefer my halo-halo (Filipino iced dessert) simple which is why I love Razon's. I don't like kaong, nata de coco, and langka so the less ingredients the better. :p

Kabigting's halo-halo is comprised of chewy and slightly sticky mashed beans, carabao milk pastillas, creamed sweet corn, milk, and very finely shaved ice. I really enjoyed it a lot. In fact, I want to go back already! One halo-halo such as the one I had above costs P75.

I also decided to buy a box of Kabigting's carabao milk pastillas (P70, pictured above) for my kids.

Read more »

What can we expect from Meralco in the coming months?

Electricity has always been one of our major household expenses since we own and use all sorts of appliances. This is especially true during the summer when we turn on the air conditioners more. Thus when Meralco invited a handful of media folks and bloggers to view their exhibit which showcases what they have in store for subscribers, I grabbed the opportunity to see for myself.

We all gathered around the exhibit proper wondering what plans Meralco had for the coming months and years.

We started with the Smart Grid, a digital technology that automates Meralco's distribution systems.

They explained that this makes it easier to ensure that our electricity supply is uninterrupted since everything can now be monitored and controlled from remote locations in real time. With this in place, Meralco can easily determine the health of the electric grid simply by looking at a computer screen. The usual problems like overloading can now be prevented, making the system much more efficient. We will experience less power failures as a result.

Read more »

FOTN with Maybelline Eye Studio Hyper Diamonds

Let's take a little break from my Sooo Pinoy Food Trip and talk about beauty, shall we? :)

I'm on an eyeshadow sampling spree since I'm trying out different palettes to see what colors I should be getting for myself. I'm starting with the more affordable brands since the more expensive ones entail a bigger investment. :p

For today's FOTN (yes, I usually use make-up for night occasions) and eyeshadow review we have Maybelline Eye Studio Hyper Diamonds in GN-1 (P599). It's my first time to try green hues since I've always been partial to blues.

There are five shades in the palette. I've numbered them so it's easier to keep track which is which.

Sorry about shade #5, I'll use my forearm next time so there is more space, hehe. The pigmentation is pretty impressive as the colors come out immediately upon application.

Read more »

Nathaniel's Bakeshop in Quezon City (Sooo Pinoy Food Trip Series)

Continuing my chronicle of the Sooo Pinoy Food Trip last June 11, we were whisked off to Nathaniel's Bakeshop along Timog Avenue after lunch at Adarna Food and Culture.

I'm familiar with Nathaniel's Bakeshop way before it opened shop here in Metro Manila because we have a supplier in Pampanga who gives us goodies from Nathaniel's Bakeshop every Christmas (Nathaniel's Bakeshop originated from Pampanga). They are most known for their Buko Pandan Salad. A big container such as the one in the photo above costs P450, while a smaller one (around half the size of the big one) costs P235.

Nathaniel's Buko Pandan Salad is supposed to be kept in a freezer so it's frozen when opened. You're supposed to let it thaw for a bit before digging in. :)

It's comprised of rich, thick cream with coconut milk, plump coconut meat pieces, and pandan jelly. It's perfect because it's not overly sweet. It's just the right taste... I love it! :D

Read more »

Adarna Food and Culture (Sooo Pinoy Food Trip Series)

I was 1 of 15 bloggers invited to embark on an all-day Filipino food trip by Unilever Food Services last June 11, 2011. It was definitely one of the more interesting and unique events I've been part of thus far. Instead of the usual meet-up in a restaurant, we all rode a wifi-enabled tour bus that made stops at specific food destinations.

Our first stop and starting point was Adarna Food and Culture located along Kalayaan Avenue in Quezon City. It's a place that's right out of a history book with its traditional Filipino interiors. I can imagine Rizal's Noli Me Tangere characters fitting right in.

We were served lunch at Adarna since it was around 12nn when we all converged. We had the typical kanin and ulam (rice and viands) lunch Pinoys are so fond of. To complement our steamed rice, we had Seafood Special (P485, pictured above). Mixed seafood like scallops, shrimp, squid, and breaded fish fillet are stewed together with assorted veggies. It reminded me a bit of afritada.

I was quite surprised with Bicol Express (P298, pictured above) since it came in the form of battered green finger chillies. The chillies are stuffed with ground pork cooked in coconut milk. I managed to finish one whole piece, hehe. Pretty neat!

Read more »

SunPlay Super Block SPF 130 PA+++

How ironic that I'm writing about sunblock on a rainy Sunday like this. Being the sun phobic that I am, it doesn't matter if it's sunny, cloudy, rainy, or snowy... I'd still slather on sun protection before leaving the house. I drive myself everywhere so my arms and face are always exposed to the sun's damaging rays.

Given my love for Japanese products, I was only too happy to try out SunPlay Super Block SPF 130 PA+++ by Mentholatum. Just when I thought SPF 100 was the ultimate, SunPlay comes out with SPF 130, which means I'm getting 130x my normal sunburn protection. Never mind if I'm just driving to the office, it is my belief that you can never get too much SPF since the sun's harmful rays causes photo damage (age spots, wrinkles, you name it!).

I adore the super cute bottle! It's soooo Japanese. Oh yeah, ever wondered what PA+++ stands for? I did too. It turns out that it's Protection grade for UVA. The number of + signs indicates how many times the skin is protected against darkening. SunPlay's PA+++ means that it offers 8x more protection. Now I understand why I burned so badly with a high SPF sunblock I used last month... it had no PA+++!

Taking off the cap reveals a milky white liquid that has a thin water-like consistency. According to the package instructions you need to shake it well before use.

Read more »

KFC sogood... going beyond finger-lickin'!

I still remember going to Kentucky Fried Chicken Bonanza along EDSA with my mom and dad as a little girl. We would take out a bucket of delicious fried chicken with that really yummy gravy. That must have been the late 70's because I distinctly remember that 1978 logo on the photo below mounted on a lighted sign. Finger lickin' good was the catch phrase then, because that was exactly how one would describe the KFC chicken. Needless to say we've all been hooked since. My dad still has KFC fried chicken delivered to his house almost every week to this day even if my sister and I don't live there anymore.

KFC logo collection above courtesy of artatm.com

I'm 30-something now -- let's leave my age at that -- and well, I still eat KFC fried chicken. Correction, we still eat KFC fried chicken. My hubby and kids never tire of KFC's tasty goodness. Whenever our cook takes the day off, KFC delivery saves the day with a bucket of sogood chicken and fixins!

Sogood? What happened to finger lickin' good? I know none of you want to hear boring corporate stuff about how this evolution was brought about my marketing, branding, and whatever else so I will explain it as best as I can -- the way I understand the change as a longtime regular paying KFC patron.

• KFC doesn't just offer fried chicken and fixins at present. There are salads, pasta, sandwiches, drinks, desserts... some of which don't necessarily involve finger lickin' but are all sogood anyway!
  
  
• I don't know about you but when I'm asked to describe KFC chicken's taste the easiest way to do so is say it's so good! KFC chicken + unlimited gravy refills in all stores = sogood!
  
  
• I noticed that I never eat KFC chicken by myself. It's always a bucket shared with my hubby and kids and even yaya. Or else it's what we bring to potluck with friends. It's just so much more special and sogood when shared and enjoyed in the company of people close to your heart. :D
  
  
• Sogood perfectly summarizes the feeling you get when you eat something yummy... and in this case, the chicken with the fixins and all the other food offerings you can have in KFC.

Get your sogood KFC fix at the nearest KFC branch. Log on to http://www.kfc.com.ph for the full list of stores or simply dial 887-8888 for delivery.

Check out the KFC sogood microsite here - http://www.kfc.com.ph/sogood/

What do you think? KFC and Animetric's World have something very special in store for all of you coming right here on this blog so stay tuned and share your sogood thoughts with us... okay? :D

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog by clicking HERE.

Become a Facebook Fan for updates from Animetric's World.

Zong at Fort Bonifacio Global City

I trooped to Zong at The Fort through the stormy weather with a couple of blogger friends last June 9, 2011. I've never eaten at Zong before (although it's been around for 9 years already) and I couldn't say no because a friend whom I had not seen in a very long time was the one who invited me to witness Zong's relaunch. :)

I initially thought that Zong was a Vietnamese restaurant, but as it turns out I confused it with Zao Vietnamese Bistro! Anyways we started off with Chinese-Style Chicken Salad (P348, pictured above). It's very unique because while the usual oriental or chinese style salad usually involves crispy noodles and peanuts, this one tosses together jellyfish, steamed chicken strips, carrots, bell peppers, greens, and sesame vinaigrette. I liked it a lot. :D

Then we had Homemade Meat Roll in Orange Sauce (P328, pictured above). Simply put, it's good old kikiam. Crispy outside while tender, juicy, and meaty inside, this dish is a winner. I hate it when I chew on bits of tough fat or ligaments in kikiam. This one had no such extenders and is made with high quality ground meat. The orange sauce is zesty and slightly sweet -- just perfect!

Fujian Fried Rice (P288, pictured above) was up next. Fried Rice is topped with a thick sauce garnished with mushrooms, shrimp, and mixed vegetables.

Read more »

An alternative career as a Sun Life Advisor?

A handful of bloggers were invited by the folks over at Sun Life Financial for a leisurely lunch.

I was actually kind of iffy at first because I'm not really a fan of life insurance. I have car insurance but that's about it. Life insurance is so morbid in the sense that someone has to die before anyone can reap the benefits. We were assured that we were not going to be sold or offered anything of the sort so I finally agreed to go.

Cutting straight to the chase, the point of our meet-up was so the Sun Life folks could share with us the possibility of an alternative career. I know, you're probably like ick, I don't want to be an insurance agent! Well, neither do I. But the way they explain it makes the whole concept quite attractive.

For starters, they don't call themselves salespeople or insurance agents. They're Sun Life Financial Advisors. You don't necessarily have to get life or any type of insurance. All these folks do is try and help you determine how to manage your money efficiently. Most of the Sun Life Advisors started out casually. They would talk about insurance, educational plans, pension plans, etc with friends over coffee. Later on they find themselves making a sale, and that pretty much gets the ball rolling.

Advantages of being a Sun Life Financial Advisor:

• You are trained by Sun Life Financial for free.
• You don't have regular office hours, you keep your own time.
• If you reach certain quotas you become eligible for rewards such as free travel. The Sun Life Financial Advisor we talked to was actually able to redeem a free trip to Europe and then some.
  

Of course, I'd be a fraud if I didn't tell you about the downside. There's actually just one: No sales means no income. You live off commissions and there is no basic salary. How much you make from being a Sun Life Advisor would depend on how hard you work on your own -- unsupervised. You would have to be pretty disciplined to make it in this field. It's actually like having your own business because you have things to sell and you can do things on your own time, the difference being you don't have to shell out any capital and you have an established corporation backing you up the entire time.

So... do you think being a Sun Life Advisor is something you would consider? If the answer is yes, call 849-9888 today, or log on to http://www.sunlife.com.ph and explore a possible alternative career path.

Thanks to My Mom Friday for the group photo.

Like this post? Subscribe to this blog by clicking HERE.

Become a Facebook Fan for updates from Animetric's World.

Animetric's Guess and Win Final Round!

Okay dear readers, we're almost there! I've been scattering clues about this mystery phone that I've been tinkering with for the past week. In case you've just come across this promo just now, let me walk you through the clues so far:

• Clue #1 - http://animetric.blogspot.com/2011/06/animetrics-guess-and-win-week-1-part-1.html
• Clue #2 - http://animetric.blogspot.com/2011/06/animetrics-guess-and-win-week-1-part-2.html
• Clue #3 - http://animetric.blogspot.com/2011/06/animetrics-guess-and-win-week-2-part-1.html
• Clue #4 - http://animetric.blogspot.com/2011/06/animetrics-guess-and-win-week-2-part-2.html

So... you have to guess the brand and model of the phone above in order to get a chance to win the phone in the photos below:

So, who wants to win that brand spanking new cellphone? I know I'm supposed to reveal the grand prize at the very last day of the contest but I'm just so excited to show you guys what's at stake! Before we officially move on to the final round, I'd like to announce the winners of the second weekly raffle...

Read more »

FOTN with L'oreal Open Eyes Pro in Blue Harmony

Although I bought L'oreal Open Eyes Pro in Blue Harmony some months ago, it's only now that I actually got to use it. I decided to finish my make-up course first because I wanted to use this for practice. This is an FOTN (Face of the Night) because I came up with the look for an evening affair.

Anyhow, the palette costs P875. You can purchase it from department stores and drugstores which carry L'oreal products.

There are four different colors in L'oreal Open Eyes Pro Blue Harmony palette. I've numbered them so I can show you exactly where I applied them. I chose this set because I love the color blue.

I used only three colors for this look. I decided to skip the metallic black eyeshadow (marked as 4 on the palette) because I wasn't aiming for smokey eyes. Ugh, seeing this photo reminds me that I should get my eyebrows threaded!

Read more »

Animetric's Guess and Win Week #2 (Part 2)

It's time for another set of clues about that mystery phone I've been fiddling around with. If you think dual-core processors are just for computers well... they're not! This cellphone is equipped with a dual-core application processor which gives you speed and power beyond compare. Really, it's a lot like toting around a mini computer. :D

Seamless multi-tasking is just one of the things the dual-core processor delivers. I can jump from one app to another without a hitch. My old android phone would have a hiccup if I did that. There are now voice applications too, such as Voice Talk. Voice Talk lets you use voice commands to ask the cellphone to call, text, take down notes, play music, etc.

For this demo I click on the Memo button. The phone asks what I want to write.

I say "Hello" into the microphone and the phone processes what I just said.

Read more »