Korean Skin Care: Piolang 24k Wrapping Mask Review

I have been addicted to Althea.kr since I found out about it last March. I have ordered several items from them and yesterday, I got my Piolang 24K Wrapping Mask! I was so excited to try, I used it last night.

The item was well packaged and it has a small spatula inside (which I believe is useless).

The consistensy is a little bit watery. But it does shimmer inside!!

I used my old (clean) foundation brush to apply it on my face.

(This was after washing my face with a cleanser)

I did not apply too much but I made sure to have it spread out and not so thin as well (so that it would be easy to peel).

I peeled it after 30 mins. and my face looked like this after:

I had redness all over my face! #OMG

I did not have major breakouts but when I woke up this morning I had several bumps on my face 😭😭😭. I think I popped 3 white heads out of my face. 

I'm gonna try it again though. I am not giving up on this gold mask but I don't think I am going to repurchase. ☹

Item cost: 800 (got it with 25% discount)

Rating: 2/5

Review: Tim Ho Wan

There has been much hype for Tim Ho Wan since it opened several months ago at Megamall Fashion Hall. Being a Michelin Star restaurant, everyone seemed to came a buzz with it.

Having read a lot about it, I have long wanted to go to Megamall just to try it out. Last Tuesday though, we got the opportunity to go there and also check whats new with the Fashion Hall. We went there at around 3-4ish and there's still a queue. It was a weekday afternoon. The turn over was fast though, as we were only on queue for like 5 minutes.

So the whole service process was like this:
1. You get seated
2. You check your order from the menu list (so Chinese!)
3. Server repeats order
4. Food is served by two servers who assists and chats with each other
5. Bill out

We ordered their famous Pork Buns

Pork Buns

Ace trying out the pork buns

As well as their Hakaw, Chicken Sausage Mushroom Rice and Pork Bbq Vermicell Rolls

Shrimp Dumplings (Hakaw)

Chicken, Sausage, Mushroom rice

Vermicelli Roll

So how do I find it? I think its O-K. Alright, their pork buns are exceptional as me and Ace both felt like the buns were melting both in our hands and mouth. The hakaw was also good as the wrap was not that starchy and the shrimp was plump. The roll though, and rice toppings tasted similar to that of Wai Ying and the corner restaurant we ate at Macau with a more hefty price. 

At around 400/pax, I find it expensive (even if they say this is the cheapest Michelin Star restaurant - i find Din Tai Fung in Taiwan more price wise). Its just that I know there are Chinese restaurants out there who serve almost the same good dumplings just without the rating and at 1/3 of that price. The pork bun though, i cannot compare anywhere else.

So if your planning to eat there, go head for the pork buns right away. 

Rating: 3/5

Menu : 3/5 

Service: 4/5 (fast but i did not like servers chatting in front of me while serving)

Price: 2/5

Airplanes missing.... and crashing

I miss traveling. I used to go back and forth Philippines and Taiwan when I was taking my MBA at Yuan Ze University in Taoyuan. My last air travel was when I went back after to Taiwan to finish all my requirements to graduate - that was August 2012. Its now July 2014, it has been almost 2 years.

Recently though, several air tragedies came up (happened all in the same week):

• Missile attack of Malaysian Airlines MH17 at Ukraine

Photo courtesy of Straittimes.com

• Crash of TransAsia plane bound to land at Penghu, Taiwan (from bad weather)

Photo from ibtimes.com

• Crash of Air Algerie AH5017

Photo from 1001crash.com

Add the STILL missing Malaysian Airlines MH370 plane which left KL last March 8 bound for Beijing.  

I guess air travel is in its "bad year" and now, a lot of people are afraid to fly. Some say its fate, some say it bad luck - I say its a mistake.

The two planes (TransAsia & Air Algerie) flied in bad weather. Malaysian Airlines MH17 flied in an airspace which had been already declared as war zone - even if they justify it as an approved airspace. 

The missing MH370? I say it had an engine/mechanical failure (as explained by experienced pilots), crashed and they were too late searching the correct crash site. 

Airlines should realize that people are their asset and they should not be taking even 1% risk for their lives. I do not understand why would you fly if you are aware that there is a typhoon coming? or why would you risk flying over a war zone even if it is an "approved air space"? 

I really find it frustrating that airlines gamble the lives of their passengers when they could have had prevented it. 

D.I.Y Hair Coloring

I have been coloring my hair since I was in college. I used to have it done in a salon (where my mom pays the bill) but now that i rarely go to the salon with my mom, I buy d.i.y hair coloring kits. I have been trying to achieve an Ash Brown color (like the one below) for the longest time now but have always failed to do so.

Ash Brown Hair Color (Photo Credits to Owner)

My hair always turns into a brassy orange-yellow tone which I hate. I thought it was because I never bleached it and I have black hair, but a month ago, I tried bleaching and my hair got the worst brassy colored tone I ever got! I did not even bother taking a photo. Anyway, after a day, I decided to color it using the Casa Cellophane Home hair in Ashbrown.

My hair turned Red Wine-Brown! I was not happy. Look:

In fairness to this product it made my hair softer (after bleaching which was SO DRY) and it was easy to apply. Also, since it was cellophane, it wears off after each shampooing. I kept it for 2 weeks.

Last Friday, I colored my hair using the bubble hair coloring kit by Richenna. I bought at at Watsons Century City Mall branch for Php149 (it was on sale).

It requires mixing the colorant and developer into the pump:

Colorant and Developer

Pump placed in the box to stand

After mixing, the mixture comes out like this:

I shampooed it to my hair and left it for 20 minutes. The result came out like this: 

Although it did not came out like my "perfect ash brown hair color" it was so much better than my berry colored hair! The photo above was taken with natural lighting inside the car.

Review: Generic Diapers (Bosomi, Petpet etc)

Having a baby is really expensive. Yes, more expensive than a 1 week HK vacation, or even a 2 week Boracay escapade. So, the least I can do to squeeze in our budget is to choose products which are good but would still allow us to save some money. 

After I gave birth, we took home Prokids diapers from the hospital. It was part of the package. It worked well - no leaks, no rashes for baby, and good sizing for a newborn. After we ran out of it though, my husband had a hard time looking for it at SM Supermarket. They don't have stocks of newborn sizes so he bought Mamypoko. Mamypoko was better! I mean, we did not have to change it during the night - better absorption, no leaks as well, did not cause rashes and also good in size. The thing though it is effin expensive! So, my mom tried looking for newborn sizes from Mercury Drug. She got pampers and EQ. Pampers was alright but it was also costly, EQ on the other hand was affordable and fits my newborn baby really well - better than others. I thought, "Oh hey, the EQ brand could work" - but after using it for a day, I realized - NO IT WOULD NOT. It leaked miserably! I have a newborn and it leaks! I mean, how many cc of liquid could she only pee and yet this thing could not hold it? After which, I started looking for reviews online regarding diapers. I came around Calvin's Hub which had a post regarding Bosomi (generic) diapers and where they were able to get it. It is around Boni Serrano Avenue and Crame which is around 15 minutes from our home. It used to have the "Limcon Construction" signage. Now though, it is Savers Up. I asked my brother to drop by and buy me 1 pack of diapers to try out. They sold him a pack of Petpet diapers in small size as all newborn stocks were apparently bought before he came.

Petpet Diapers (from Primero website)

Petpet diapers had a small sizing - their small size was the same as the newborn size of EQ. It was then 130/pack (30pcs/pack). So that's Php4.33/pc! Imagine the difference from the ff:

• Pampers NB: Php220/pack (24pcs) = P9.16/pc
• EQ NB: Php140/pack (22pcs) = P6.36/pc
• Mamypoko NB: Php305/pack (30pcs) = P10.16/pc
• Prokids NB: Php375/pack (48pcs) = P7.8/pc

Petpet Newborn-Small Rating: 3.8/5 

• Cost: 5/5
• Absorption: 3/5
• Sizing:4/5
• Design: 3/5
• Texture: 4/5

I gave it 3.8/5 because really, it is cost effective and it served its purpose without making my baby have rashes. Newborns poop all the time, so they do not really require long-haul diapers. During our baby's first 3 months she poops 3-5/day. So really, you'd change them all the time anyway there's no point of having the best absorption nappy.

There are days though when the shop would have Bosomi on stock so I'd buy those. The price is almost similar (difference of 20-30 cents/pc). I like Bosomi more as its sizing is more generous and it has the wetness indicator which Petpet does not have. Eventually though, I prefered buying only Bosomi or Babioniq (almost the same as Bosomi) as Petpet was only good until she was 5 months - after she started eating solid foods and was drinking around 7-8oz of milk, Petpet cannot hold her pee anymore and leaked all the time! Sab is now 8 months old (70 cm;  7kg) and the medium size still fits her well but we still change her nappies before we go to sleep. I tried Large size on her but it was still too big.

Babioniq (Medium)

Bosomi (Large)

Bosomi Diapers / Babioniq Diapers Rating: 4.5/5

• Cost: 5/5 (P5.35/pc - Medium; P5.75/pc - Large)
• Absorption: 3.5/5 (can hold up to 6 hrs)
• Sizing: 5/5
• Design: 5/5 (They both have different designs per size!)
• Texture: 4/5
• ++Wetness Indicator

Aside from Petpet, Bosomi and Babioniq, I have also tried the following generic diapers:

1. Zoo Diapers - I did not like the tape which gets ruined easily
2. New Cutie - has looneytoons design and has a wetness indicator but is always out of stock (was only able to buy once)
3. Baby Love - Almost the same as Petpet even with the sizing

Just two weeks ago, I also started cloth diapers on her (I wanted to try how long these cloth diapers can hold). I still interchange it with disposables though as these are more convenient especially when she poops. I'm still in the transition phase and will soon give a review of the cloth diapers I have.

Goodnight for now!

Joanni

What most mothers won't tell about motherhood

http://mops.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/motherhood.jpg

1. Everyone almost says that it is painful to go in labor yet all of those pain fade once you see your baby.

My reality: I delivered through Cesarian Section. I did not feel anything but I can barely move. I did not see my baby for like a day after a gave birth. While it was warming to see my baby after, really, it did not make me able to remove all my body ache.

2. Majority of mothers say that having a baby is pure joy.

My reality: NO. NO. NO. I am not saying that I was not happy about having Sab. I am, but having a baby does not exactly translate to "pure joy". They CRY. A LOT. To the point that you get weak from not having any sleep, from not having time to eat, from not having to see and hear anything besides the echo of her crying face. She was a cry baby until she was 4-months old. We made her sleep in our chests so that we could get sleep as well. We were not able to take her (or ourselves) to the mall as she cried so much inside the car (or any dark place). We slept with the lights open. On her 5th month though, she started sleeping in the bed, and on her 6th, she slept straight through the night :)

3. Everyone is an advocate of breastfeeding and if you don't breastfeed, your a bad mother!

My reality: Breastfeeding was a pain for me - not that it was painful to make her suck my breast - it required me to be awake even on time when I could be asleep. First, it does not fill her compare to formula. Second, even on times during the day where someone else could take her, I would still need to be awake to breastfeed her. True, breast milk is best for baby. It is also cheaper than formula. But after a loooooooonnnngggg night, all I really wanted then was to sleep. I did not even bother eating. I just really wanted to sleep.

Having a baby has its highs and lows. There are a lot of joy, but it also requires a lot of sacrifices. It is not easy. Most mothers conceal their pain as they are afraid to be labeled as a "bad mother". For me, being true is not being bad. For me, over caring is bad. Neglecting yourself is bad.

Giving birth

Exactly 8 months ago, I gave birth to Sab. She was 35 weeks then going to 36. She has barely growing in my uterus for 2 weeks then, even if I have been eating full jolt already. I had gone through a weekly pelvic ultra sound from Oct 2013 to the first week of November and she gains only a few grams per week. Finally my OB, Dra. Abad-Ramos from Dr. Jesus Delgado decided that I should undergo a doppler ultra-sound which confirmed that my right uterine artery is narrow. Right then and then, she scheduled me for CS labor. I WAS NOT PREPARED.

I have not done any kind of shopping for my baby. All we have was the Luvable Friends Sets(which I am selling) and a wooden crib which I bought from Sulit. Emotionally, I did not know what to expect. I was with my mom then, and she was the one who panicked. I was kind of passive, because really I did not know what or how to react.

I was scheduled at 3PM. I woke up when my baby cried after they got her from me then after at around 6-7ish already. I did not feel anything - nothing except that I can barely move. I was told that my baby was in the nursery and the only way to see her is during window hours when they are displayed (I was not informed right away that mothers can go to the nursery anytime). We cannot take her in our room. She was 1.8kg only and she had dextrose in her feet. She was so tiny. 

Sab right after I gave birth to her

My pre and post pregnancy was so sensitive. 5 days after I gave birth, my blood pressure still rose to 170/120. I had pre-eclamsia. Everyone panicked especially my mom (who is always paranoid even on normal situations). I got Magnesium Sulfate shots - which was SO PAINFUL by the way. Injecting it to me was painful enough, but its after effects were so much more. It was literally HOT. I has the a/c lowered to 12C making everyone chill and I was still feeling like I was in an oven. I stayed in the hospital for a week, while Sab stayed there a week more. 

Before and After

P.S.

If anyone is wondering, Dr. Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital is one which specializes in labor. Almost 90% of its patients are laboring women and I found its rates really affordable compared to other hospitals (not that I did a survey or anything) because my Dad has a colleague who had a daughter suffer from pre-eclamsia as well and she gave birth at UST hospital. Her bill went up to like 500++K. Our bill - room, Doctor's Fee, Anesthesiologist, Pedia etc. was less than 200K - and I stayed in their private room for a week and Sab in their nursery for 2 weeks! Plus their food is really good for hospital food! If your preparing for labor, and is looking for a hospital to give birth, or just have a question, just leave me a comment and I'll try to answer with what I know :)

Online Footprint

http://www.falkondigital.com/blog/be-careful-about-your-online-footprint/

I have had this blog since I was in high school. Then, one day, I have decided to be invisible online so I deleted ALL MY POSTS. ALL. I have realized that searching my name from google would land an anonymous person my whole life - my comments from other blogs, my school adventures, my crushes, my disappointments etc. Then, 8 months ago, I had a baby. A pre-mature one.

Now, I am currently a stay at home mom, putting back my blog just for the heck of it. :)