Divasoria

I met my friend Andrew a few years ago when he was living in Manila for a few months to work for an anti- human trafficking organization named Visayan Forum and I am glad to hear lots of things about the group and what they’ve been doing to stop modern-day slavery here in the Philippines.

Visayan Forum’s good work with the leadership of Cecilia Flores-Oebanda has made major strides to protect children from the sex trade and convince the country’s biggest star, Manny Pacquiao, to join Cecilia as a fighter in the battle against modern-day slavery. Since 1991, she has helped more than 70,000 victims or potential victims of human trafficking.

CNN has taken notice of their efforts and has produced “The Fighter”, a film that represents the very core of the CNN Freedom Project. Here is a preview of this remarkable project:

Airing on CNN International on two consecutive nights beginning in May 17th(part 1) and 18th(part 2), The Fighters provides a unique glimpse into the world of combating human trafficking through the eyes of those risking their lives so that others may live theirs in freedom. It explores themes of social justice and globalization, as well as offering insight into both the benefits and drawbacks inherent in governmental-charity-celebrity partnerships.

Here are the times of the airing:
Friday 5/17/2013
US: 7am ET, 4pm ET, 10pm ET
Hong Kong: 7pm, 4am, 10am
London: 12pm, 9pm, 3am
Abu Dhabi: 3pm, 12am, 6am
Johannesburg: 1pm, 10pm, 4am

Saturday 5/18/13
US: 7am ET, 4pm ET, 10pm ET
Hong Kong: 7pm, 4am, 10am
London: 12pm, 9pm, 3am
Abu Dhabi: 3pm, 12am, 6am
Johannesburg: 1pm, 10pm, 4am

Fellow music fans were thrilled to find out about the new Annual Music and Arts Festival in the country called “Wanderland”. Touted to be MNL’s version of Coachella or Glastonbury, this event aims to bring in some of the scene’s most adored musical acts from here and abroad.

For its premiere staging, Karpos Multimedia brings in Temper Trap, Nada Surf, Neon Trees, Avalanche City, Colour Coding, Tully on Tully and my favorite local acts Up Dharma Down, Taken by Cars, to name a few, to perform throughout the day this Saturday, May 18th at the new lifestyle venue Circuit(click the link for the map!).

Tickets start at PhP4800 for the VIP section and due to insistent public demand, Gold section tickets are now sold at PhP3000 (exclusive of ticket service charge). For those who have purchased tickets prior to the price change, Gold tickets will automatically be converted to VIP section tickets.

Aside from seeing the hottest indie rock and indie pop bands, and artists up close, all VIP ticket holders will now have the chance to meet and mingle with some of the festival’s featured bands and performers. Tickets available at Ticketworld, Ticketnet and SM Ticket outlets. Gates open at 11AM.

So bring your hipster on tomorrow and see you there!

I spent last weekend hanging out in HK aka didn’t have time to prepare a glossy for this week. LOL! (don’t worry, I had a chance to vote last Monday, too!)

But don’t fret, here is a travel-slash-beauty post.

Behold – the biggest clarisonic brush in the world. LOL! This one I saw on display at the Lane Crawford in IFC. But seriously, for those wanting to buy the much-adored Clarisonic Mia, you might want to head out to Lane Crawford or Joyce Beauty. The most basic Mia 1 is priced at HK$ 1050. It is, in my estimate, more expensive in HK than it is over Amazon but if you’re already in the former British colony and want to shop anyway, go ahead. What I thought was a relative bargain were the replacement brushes – a pair was HK$ 300.

But this post is really about my new obsession – AESOP!

Minimalist branding and displays paired with zen-like stores have made this Melbourne-based cosmetics line a cult favorite among beauty and design junkies alike.

I’ve always been attracted to Aesop because of its clinical and no nonsense packaging. No fancy labels nor boxes – just brown bottles and aluminum tubes. They develop products that are focused on science and they’re also all-natural and organic. SO after wandering and trying out things in their stores and beauty counters for the umpteenth time I had to buy a few stuff.

Due to the crazy heat and my combination oily skin, I decided to focus on looking for a cleanser and oil-free moisturizer perfect for my beauty issues.

My SA Ken suggested I try out the Amazing Face Cleanser and the Oil-free Facial Hydrating Serum. So far, so good! The cleanser was very light and wasn’t very sud-sy but my skin immediately felt soft and grime/oil-free after every use. I also liked the smell – it’s very herb-y and well, clean!

The serum was a wonderful find. It’s very hard to stay moisturized without feeling greasy especially in this humid weather but this one was a gem. My face felt hydrated without the feeling of a heavy slick.

This one was another great discovery! Aesop’s Rosehip seed lip cream – it’s a treatment that will leave your lips moist without the gloss. I LOVE IT! It can be very weird putting a cream on your lips but you’ll be shocked that it’s quick-absorbing AND it dries “matte”. Perfect for using underneath your lipstick.

And honestly, the biggest issue for me when it came to Aesop in the past was the price. I am kuripot but what finally pushed me to purchase was the fact that a little drop or two of these products go a long way. So when you think about it, when an “expensive” product delivers, it surely turns out to be an investment. And I have to admit, after every time I use Aesop products, I feel like a queen. HA!

The closest Aesop counters can be found in HK – Lane Crawford, Joyce Beauty and stores in Hysan Place, Causeway Bay, CityPlaza, etc. You can also buy them online via Barneys.

Lili Paz Tiongson is a registered nurse based in Houston, Texas. She also blogs at SWANKY::CHIC::FETTE where she channels her inner Martha Stewart. Her brand of cool and chic lifestyle ideas has landed her on one of Pinterest‘s most popular boards. On top of all of that, she is a loving wife to her doctor husband and devoted mom to her 5-year-old son, Aston.

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1) Hair : Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner by Organix, not the next shampoo out there but this is what I’ve been liking lately. Love the smell and when used along with the Moroccan Argan Dry Oil, it makes me hair look shiny and healthy. I rotate the conditioner along with 2 others, Fekkai Shea butter and Philip B Forever Shine conditioner – both leaves a long lasting heavenly smell to the hair and makes it manageable and soft.

I use the Moroccan Argan Dry oil after a towel dry my hair and before blow drying. It leaves hair shiny. Ojon finishing spray is another product I recently tried and liked used as the last thing to put on your hair after styling. My two favorite dry shampoo, Oscar Blandi. I dont wash my hair everyday and I start applying dry shampoo on the 3rd day. It adds volume and absorbs scalp oil that wears hair down.

2) Face/Body : Olay ProX Advance Cleansing brush – been using it over a year now, 2-3x a wk and seen major improvement on pore sizes and overallface skin smoothness. I use it with Fresh Soy Face cleanser which is really mild and afterwards use my Algenist cream.

On days I dont use the Olay cleansing brush, I am loyal to my Proactive routine (due to adult acne that started after college). And with the scars left by cystic acne, i use Kiehls Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution (works wonders) as well as Mederma (works just as well for less $$ but smells awful). During winter, I use this Moroccan Oil Intense Hydrating treatment which is an amazing gel-like lotion that does not leave skin sticky yet moisturizes and hydrates extremely dry skin. And the best smelling all-natural deodorant, Lavanila.

3) Makeup : I love using a palette collection (like this one from Too Faced, a gift from last Christmas) – it takes out the guess work on makeup color choices. Same as this Benefit Fine One One, another product I love that multi-task – it brightens & contours cheeks and is also a lipcolor. But I have to apply a few times to get the right amount of color I need since I have a darker skin tone. I am obsessed with BB creams and I have tried a bunch of them and finally focusing one 2 that I really like. Dr.Jart Water Fuse BB cream has a lighter coverage than the Dr.Jart Black Label Detox BB cream. If I needed more coverage I just top both BB creams with Maybelline Instant Age Rewind eraser treatment makeup in Creamy Beige. Its a liquid makeup in a tube that blends really well and has anti-aging elements and SPF in it. My concealer comes from this Maybelline line as well, the Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles in Fair shade. During the day, I rarely use eyeliner but when I do at night I use my favorite eyeliner, Stila sparkle waterproof eyeliner in Rock Candy. Same with mascara, rarely use it during the day but I just curl my lashes with Sephora’s eyelash curler. But for special nights out I love using Theyre Real mascara from Benefit. Glides easily and no clumping! For eyes, I use Chanel Smoky eyes collection set # 93. I usually use those for evening events that call for dark smoky eyes. I rarely use it but its a good collection to have for those special night.

I hoard cheek tints and blush. Nars Super Orgasm is my blush choice for summer nights because of its glimmer and shine. Laura Mercier pink mosaic shimmer is also a favorite for spring/summer. For pink peachy cheeks everyday, I use Chanel’s Blush Horizon from Spring 2012 (no longer available i think). I love carrying in my makeup bag either my Benetint cheek stain (i’m almost out of it) or Tarte’s Tickled cream stain for touch ups or for days where I dont want to look fully made up but still want a bit of color on my face, I dab either one on both cheeks.

My lipcolor favorites range from peachy, pink and red shades. Tom Ford Casablanca is a cross between peach, brown and pink. Great everyday shade and TF creme lipsticks are longlasting. My favorite pink in Chanel is Chanel Camelia and favorite red is Rouge Allure 39. An everyday lip stain for me is the Tarte Joy Natural lipstain with lipsurgence. It looks orange in the stick but comes on as bright pink. I also love that it has that minty feel on your lips from the lipsurgence ingredient making you feel like your lips are fuller. I am not a lipgloss fan but if I need to add shine and luster to my lips, I use Chanel Glossimer 277 and 146, both in peach shades. For lining my lips, I use Chanel Aqua Crayon lipcolor stick. I hoard Revlon’s ColorBurst Lip Butters and my go-to favorite shades are pink truffle, brown sugar, berry smoothie and peach parfait. These lip balms with highly pigmented colors give you the color you need as any lipstick would but has the calming smoothing properties of any lip balm. The color lasts longer and I find myslef using them daily. Another inexpensive lipstick find that I like is the Rimmel lipstick line by Kate Moss. I love its creamy texture and with the small number of color choices, I especially love 08, 104 and 103 – all in pink!

4) Scents : I’ve been using Denenes since high school and now I splash it on my son after shower. I love the baby scent on the blue version. Another similar scent to Denenes is Jacadi’s Garcon which I use everyday. Just a fresh smelling mild clean scent perfect for babies too. My tried and true favorites for fall/winter are Annick Goutal‘s Passion and Eau de Sud which I would spritz on for nights out. During the day, Eau de Sisley 3 and 1 are also great ~ they have distinct sporty scents that really lasts all day. Lastly, this a new one that I have been using ~ I think its perfect for summer and spring, Calypso St. Barth’s Bellini. Sweet, fruity scent perfect for daytime.

5) Nail care : I swear with the following nail care products – Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat, leaves nail shiny and protected from early chipping. it quickly dries too and i reapply if i want to add luster and sheen to an old polish. Julep Quick Dry polish drops are exactly what theyre called – a quick drying liquid to top your manicure with an amazing scent & all-natural ingredients (all Julep products anyway which i love about the line). Im weird because I know all these products are really good but when I use OPI or Essie, I top my manicure with this other favorite Essie Good To Go top coat that’s also fast drying and leaves nails just as shiny as the Julep counterpart. And when I do my nails, which is quite often, I use Julep Acetone free conditioning nail polish remover. Removes toughest nailcolor coats but it leaves a sweet smelling scent unlike other nail polish removers that has that pungent strong smell.

My favorite colors – neutrals : L-R butter london yummy mummy, chanel frenzy, essie The Glamour Purse (dupe for Particuliere, in my opinion), essie Case Study, Chanel particuliere.

Pinks/red/purple : L-R essie Wrapped in Rubies, Nars jungle Red (my favorite red nailcolor), Trina Turk for Julep Delauney (a great red orange color), Julep Eva, Tom Ford African Violet

Blues : L-R Julep Melanie, Chanel Blue Rebel, Chanel Blue boy, Chanel Coco Blue, Chanel Skyline, Zoya (lost the name sticker), Essie blue rhapsody

as told to divasoria

Back in the early 90s, all I wanted was to be just like Winona Ryder when I grew up (I KNOW, WE WILL GET TO THAT SHOPLIFTING BIT LATER).

The very first time I saw Winona in a movie was in Heathers when I was 10 and I never looked back. Heathers is this black comedy about this group of popular girls in high school and they all called themselves “Heather”. I remember my friends and I had tried to make this whole calling each other “heather” happen in 5th grade but thankfully, it did not stick. LOLs.

Winona, in my eyes, was rebellious, grunge-y, beautiful and to top it all off, she was the coolest girl on earth.

In fact, she was in most of the movies I loved as a teen and I could not imagine surviving the 90s without Winona.

Edward Scissorhands – THE ORIGINAL GOTH MOVIE! Twilight got nothing on this one.

Mermaids <3 <3 <3

Age of Innocence – still one of my favorite movies of all time.

Little Women – Winona played my favorite March sister – Jo. And I still hold a grudge against Kirsten Dunst for stealing Christian Bale from Winona(yah, all in the movie. HA!)

REALITY BITES – captured the zeitgeist of my generation. period.

AND OF COURSE – Winona also had the coolest 90s boyfriend of all time – JOHNNY DEPP.

That is why all these rumors about a possible rekindling of the romance has gotten me a little too kilig for my own good.

SIGH.

Winona epitomized the perfect Gen X alt-chick. It made girls like me – slightly nerdy, awkward and angst-sy – believe that there was a place for us in this world. That style.com piece was right, I feel bad for junior high girls these days, they don’t have their own Winona to look up to – she just captured THAT moment so perfectly.

And now, about that shoplifting – it was all because of Courtney Love. Trust me, that big B brought the whole 90s down.

So, Johnny Depp, if you’re reading this – Winona Ryder is single. And you only need to add a “na” to that tattoo and everything will be perfect again.

I am obsessed with early 20th century life! I know, such an over-arching era but whenever I look at my grandparents’ photos or read their old journals and letters, I feel so connected and so fascinated with their lives during that time. Most of the artists, writers and designers I really admire are from that age – Coco Chanel, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Picasso, Gustav Klimt..I felt like the 1920s and the 1930s, in particular, changed the way we looked at modern life and culture.

Here is a picture of my grandmother and her sister. This was probably taken around 1920. How chic were they? Loved the head wraps and shoes.

Another photo from the era, here is my grandfather with fellow Filipino undergrads in Boston. My Lolo Goring finished his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Lolo Goring went to complete his graduate degree in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. This has got to be my favorite photo of his EVER. This is totally Great Gatsby. SO CHIC!!!

Another photo from the 1920s, this is Lolo Goring’s cross-atlantic ship to Paris! He went on to complete his PhD at the Sorbonne. The crowd looked like it was so fun, must be a party every night. Lovely lovely lovely!

Here’s Lolo in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris. Can you just imagine this time in the left banK? MUST BE AMAZING. He walked amongst the writers and artists of the so-called Lost Generation. I also loved their fashion!! If I were to pick an era(apart from my beloved 90s) for fashion and culture, it would be the 1920s.

The 1920s simply revolutionized womenswear forever. Women took off the corsets and petticoats for short and flirty dresses and trousers.

Symbolic as this was also the time women finally had the right to vote. Must have been an amazing time be alive in the midst of progress and prosperity.

Not in the 1920s but I must show you this photo of my grandmother who was the 1933 Miss Philippines(she’s the same little girl in the first photo – she’s the one with the bob on the right). LOOK AT THAT AWESOME CROWN. <3

And speaking of the 1920s, fashion, the lost generation and great gatsby, you must realize by now that I CANNOT WAIT FOR BAZ LUHRMAN'S THE GREAT GATSBY!!!!!!!!!

I kind of secretly loved the book when I first read it in high school because I loved the whole lifestyle and visuals the novel evoked. I had seen the old Robert Redford version when I was in college, that one I thought was ok and very preppy. But this new Baz Luhrman-Leo Di Caprio take has gotten me beyond excited!

AHH!!! Gives me tingles and as a late adapter to the Leonardo Di Caprio bandwagon, yes guys – I only like Leo now that he’s reaching middle age I hated Titanic back then but found Leo kind of amazing when he started making Martin Scorsese films. A friend also told me that Leo and I can be siblings because we sorta have that same wide face and a weird Eurasian look.(I know how gross am I to find a possible sibling hot! Lols)

Anyways, I’ve read so much about the art direction and costume design(i think, by Prada! make-up by Mac) and also about the music(Jay-Z produced OST with Florence and the Machine! the XX!!! ) for this latest re-telling and I could imagine how over-the-top Baz Luhrman can be – this is probably the movie event of the season. CANNOT WAIT.

The Great Gatsby is showing here in the Philippines starting May 17th.

Viella Galvez is a former ballerina & current PlanaFORMA instructor who also spends her free time tutoring students of all levels in Math & Science, thanks to her Biochemistry degree.

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I have combination skin and have been blessed w/ skin that only suffers occasional breakouts, so my daily routine is pretty simple. I favor cream cleansers because they don’t dry my skin out too much, and they can clear my skin of makeup (the brands I use, anyway) and the occasional use of a clay mask always gets my pores back into shape (esp during summer). I don’t use astringent toners or a moisturizer when in Manila (only when in cool, dry weather, and Estee smells great and isn’t gunky at all) so I find that this moisturizing toner works to clear my pores of remaining gunk AND provide some sort of moisture for my face as well.

For hair care, I tend to switch up shampoos yet I’ve recently become attached to Dove. For an affordable brand, the shampoo and conditioner have the exact texture and lather that I want. I love the smell of Herbal Essenses’ shampoo as well. I have a penchant for playing around w my hair color so the color conditioning mask is a must. I recently bought this sampler packet of Hi-Pro Pac Intense Protein Treatment (for Color Treated & Highlighted hair) at a beauty supply store somewhere in NYC’s Upper West Side (during a stroll down Amsterdam & Broadway) and I swear it’s amazing for undernourished hair; it felt like my strands thickened more after washing.
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I discovered Fresh’s Absolute concealer years ago when I asked a Sephora salesgirl for a cream cleanser that was the closest match for my skin tone and texture. I have not found a replacement for it since. I rarely wear foundation on a normal day but I like going a shade or two darker because I hate looking too pale in photos. This Maybelline shade was a recent discovery (again, in NYC) and I think I’ll be sticking to it. I have bad luck w bronzer/blushers because i tend to break them but I am partial to these three. Physician’s Formula is a brand I love because of their matte bronzer (I use their eyeliners as well, a good alternative to Rimmel), the Sephora bronzer was a pleasant discovery months back. My Bobbi Brown shimmer brick has been around for almost a decade, and no, I still don’t break out when I use it so I guess its safe to say that its an awesome investment. Great Lash is a known MUA go-to, but I love this new version for its brush. The Face Shop brow pencil is a great shade and a good alternative to the more expensive Anastasia brand that I get from Sephora. I use Muji blotting paper & MAC translucent powder sparingly on heavy makeup nights to keep the oil and my makeup in check. I recently got myself the Urban Decay All Nighter spray and I love coz it does keep everything in its place on my face (just be careful about spraying too much on coz you’ll end up looking like a glazed donut). I like products that multitask for you, and neutral colors when it comes to makeup (less is more!) and this Estee compact provides everything I want. I don’t usually wear lipstick, a stain usually works on normal days (coz I eat a lot and the lipstick wears off too often), but I recently found this set of lipticks from Sephora near the checkout line… The 5 shades i would defo end up using for every occasion under the sun.

I don’t like cloying scents and the smell of baby powder makes me sneeze. I never used to like fruity florals till I found this variant of Estee’s popular Green Tea line.

as told to divasoria

Christel Ruiz Garcia-Salas is a senior project manager working for the Online Division of the Estée Lauder Companies in New York City. She helps develop, manage and launch infrastructure projects as well as e-commerce and m-commerce sites for the ELC brands. Prior to joining ELC, she graduated from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business full-time MBA Program and subsequently worked as a Product Manager focusing on marketing and new product development for Broan-NuTone.

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Face
1.Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser – I’ve been using this for years, and I love how fresh my face feels after cleansing my face with this. Highly recommended by my dermatologist! I use this twice a day – when I first wake up and before bedtime
2.Estée Lauder Nutritious Vita-Mineral Moisture Gel Crème – I was told use moisturizer daily! I love how this smells and how it keeps my skin soft. I use this in the mornings after cleansing and before putting anything else on my face
3.Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum – Greatly improved my skin tone and helps prevent any breakouts. Just a little goes a long way. I use this nightly after cleansing
4.La Mer Eye Concentrate – Love this product! Every evening, I feel like I am getting a mini spa treatment when the wand touches my face. I use the wand to apply the cream and lightly massage in a circular motion over my eye area. It is so soothing! Really helps with any puffiness and dark circles when I sometimes stay up late
5.Crème de la Mer – I use this nightly and it works so well. I especially need it during harsh winters as it is a thick, rich cream! My face feels so smooth and soft in the mornings. Definitely helps with any dryness or rough patches
6.Estée Lauder Idealist Dual-Action Refinishing Treatment – I use this about once to twice a week at night when my face needs a good scrub. I apply this after cleansing and before putting on the serum and night cream, while my face is still a little damp.

Hair/Body
7.I like to rotate my shampoos. I typically rotate between Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin shampoo and Aveda Rosemary Mint Shampoo and Neutrogena Clean Shampoo (once a week)
8.Kerastase Nutritive Lait Vital Conditioner – I love how soft my hair feels after using this conditioner. I just massage a little bit of it into the strands and the ends, and leave it in for 5 minutes before rinsing off.
9.Kerastase Nutritive Oleo-Relax (once a week) – I especially use this in the winter when my hair starts feeling dry (you can tell from the static!). I just do 2 pumps of it onto my hands, then lightly run my hands over the strands and ends while avoiding my roots and scalp
10.Ojon full detox™ Rub-Out™ Dry Cleansing Spray – Gives me a quick way to cleanse and refresh my hair! Especially handy when I don’t want my hair to look limp (and sweaty) after being at the gym
11.Bumble and Bumble Texture Hair (Un)Dressing Creme – I put a pea-sized amount onto the palm of my hand, rub my hands together then scrunch it through my hair while damp. I use it for days when I want a little more volume and style to my otherwise super straight hair

12.I also like to rotate my body soaps. I use either Dove, Ivory or Aveda Rosemary Mint Hand and Body Wash
13.Darphin Aromatic Hydroactive Body Lotion or Origins Smoothing Soufflé or Clinique Body Cream – I also rotate among these three body lotions. They all smell great and keep my skin soft and well moisturized!
14.L’Occitane hand cream
15.L’Occitane foot cream – I apply this once or twice a week, more in the spring/summer so my feet look good in sandals

Makeup
16.MAC blush in “Mocha” – gives that very natural “flush” to my cheeks
17.Estée Lauder DayWear BB Cream or Origins A Perfect World BB Cream – I really like these BB Creams! The Estée Lauder BB Cream has more of a matte finish, while the Origins BB Cream makes my skin glow and look “dewy”. I use these when I need more coverage than tinted moisturizers provide, but don’t want anything heavy
18.Shu Uemura eyelash curler
19.MAC “False Lashes” mascara – Just one coat makes my eyelashes look longer, thicker and fuller
20.MAC eyeliner in “Grey Utility” – great in adding definition to my eyes
21.Lips: For daytime, my favorite shade is MAC’s “Party Line” lipstick with MAC “Strawberry Malt” lipglass on top. When I want a bolder or darker lip at night, I use either MAC lipstick in “Dark Side”, “Rebel” or “Diva” as my go-to shades
22.Bobbi Brown Ultra Nude Eye Palette
23.Bobbi Brown Concealer – Goes on very smooth
24.Estée Lauder Nutritious Vita-Mineral Loose Powder or Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder

as told to divasoria

During this day and age, we have become reliant on modern technology to communicate with each other. You can email people in an instant, even have a face-to-face call whenever we have good enough mobile data signal. Add social media in all its forms, for better or worse, there is now no excuse to not stay in touch.

But honestly, modern forms of communication seem a little..impersonal. I feel like sending things out to your loved ones through electronic means have been so easy, even too easy to a point that it has become rather mechanical. That’s why thoughtful handwritten notes, whether sent via snail mail or hand-delivered, have become such a romantic and special gift in itself.

Remember the days where you sit down and think of the words you would write on beautiful paper? It feels like the person who sent out the letter gave a piece of his soul. I am blessed to have a treasure trove of old letters from my grandfather’s when he went to school abroad in the early 1900s. Here is the postcard he had sent to his parents in Lipa while he was on a trip to London.

Such beautiful penmanship! And what beautiful words. I can imagine the excitement and happiness my great grandparents must have felt when they received this postcard. I feel like we should all try to get back to this practice, it’s good for the soul.

And thanks to the proponents of the paperline for grown-ups revolution like Isabel Gatuslao who is working hard to bring back the elegance and eloquence of handwritten notes.

Isabel is a self-trained graphic designer who is behind some of today’s most iconic websites and logos and with her love for fonts and paper products, she has decided to launch her own stationery line.

Her first collection called “Anglophilia”, minimalist in its black and white glory, was inspired by England and the patterns much associated with Britain. I love the houndstooth back part of the cards and beautiful black envelope. It’s SO ME!

Her newest collection “Dynasty” is inspired by traditional Chinese symbology – the yang, the foo and the harbor. Here’s an excerpt from Isabel’s blog entry on her design process for this set:

I was thinking of doing something dark and very In The Mood For Love but then I felt an intense red would be cliché. I wanted to tone it down but keep the metals.

To read the rest of the entry, click here.

Isabel’s products can be found in National Bookstore and Powerbooks locations, for “Dynasty”, you can find it at these particular branches: National Book Store Rockwell, National Book Store Shangri-La and PowerBooks Greenbelt 3.

And if you want to avoid the malls all together, she has launched her online store!

Joan A. de Venecia is a product of Ateneo de Manila University (undergrad) and UP College of Law. Joan was admitted to the bar in 2005 and was the topnotcher for that year. She completed her Masters in Law at New York University School of Law with concentration on International Legal Studies where she was a Fulbright scholar and a Graduate Editor for the NYU Journal of International Law and Politics. Currently, she is a litigator at the country’s biggest law firm, SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan. She recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Lucia Beatriz, and is thoroughly immersed in her new role as mommy, loving every second of it.

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Before I got pregnant with my daughter, I spent a lot of money on beauty products, some of which were prescribed by my dermatologist, but many of which were either recommended by friends or featured in magazines. You see, I have oily/combination skin, and though it didn’t happen often, there were days when I would wake up with an unsightly pimple on my face. This was why I was in the constant look out for THE perfect products for my face. After thousands of pesos spent on this ‘endeavor’, however, I still wasn’t able to find these gems.

Then I got pregnant, and for the first time, was very careful about the chemicals I would put on my face and body. My cousin, who had just given birth, recommended a local brand, Human Nature. According to her, she had zero breakouts during pregnancy, and, the good news was, Human Nature products do not contain any harsh chemicals, are made in the Philippines and are very affordable. So I gave it a try.

I first bought the Balancing Facial Wash and Balancing Face Toner (Elemi & Orange). I loved the scent, but what I loved more was the fact that I had zero pimples during pregnancy. I even received compliments for my glowing skin! Happy with my discovery, I decided to try other Human Nature products.

I tried the Sunflower Beauty Oil, which I rubbed on my pregnant belly to prevent stretch marks. I am happy to report that I am stretch marks-free and I have no doubt that this oil (which has many, many other uses) was the reason for this. For removing make-up, I tried the Sunflower Cleansing Oil, which works wonderfully at removing even waterproof make-up.

After I gave birth, I continued using these Human Nature products because I was/am breastfeeding and so still avoid harsh chemicals, but was worried that they might not work as well post-pregnancy. Which is why I am so glad to discover that the facial wash/ toner combination still works like a charm! Five months in and no pimples to date (I hope I don’t jinx it!).

I read somewhere that it is best to alternate beauty products, to avoid product fatigue. I don’t know how true this is, but what I do is I use the Human Nature facial wash/toner in the mornings before work, while I use the Aveeno Positively Radiant Brightening Cleanser at night before going to bed.

I have sensitive skin, so I avoid soaps and lotions that have a strong fragrance. I pair Aveeno’s Skin Relief Body Wash with its Daily Moisturizing Lotion, both of which are fragrance-free for my daily baths.

For my moisturizer, I alternate Theraderm’s BB White Moisture SPF50+ and Aveeno Ultra-calming Daily Moisturizer SPF 15. Theraderm is a tinted moisturizer, so I use it on weekdays as base for my powder. Aveeno I use during weekends. Both have a light, non-sticky feel and are easy to apply.

I don’t usually wear make-up, but I always put on my Laura Mercier foundation powder (No. 6), to prevent oil and shine. I love it because it works. Then, for my lips, I use either Benefit Benetint rose-tint lip balm with SPF 15 or Maybelline’s Baby Lips in Cherry Kiss for a little dash of color. That’s it for regular days.

For those days, however, when I have an appointment or attend hearings, I use Mac’s Rice Paper eye shadow to brighten my eyes. The light color makes it easy for me to apply it without fear that I’m doing it wrong. I use Shu Uemura to curl my eye lashes, and then apply Eye of Horus mascara. The combination is fantastic. To hide dark circles under my eyes, I use Mac’s Studio Finish cream concealer. Finally, for my cheeks, I brush on Mac’s Pinch Me for a barely there, rosy glow.

as told to divasoria