Mother’s Day 2018

Tags

activity, Bonding, celebration, chocolate, daughter, Entertainment, gifts, holiday, kid, lipstick, lunch, makeup, mama, Mom, mommies, mommy, moms, mother’s day, mothersday, parent, special occasion

Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful and strong moms out there! We had a simple celebration but I must say that I really liked my day. When I woke up, I found a gift box from my little girl with presents that she bought herself from her own money.

Card, chocolate bar, fluffy makeup brush and lipstick

Last part of the card

Wore the lipstick to lunch

We went to Ricky’s All Day Grill and the wait was long and had to wait some more once seated and ordered for our food to arrive. But I really liked my food so I think it was worth the wait.

Prawn Pesto Fettuccine

They have this small bottle of Maple Apple Syrup as giveaways to all moms there.

We stopped by the mall for a while and they got me this dress jumper just because…

And when we got back home, we decided to make some lemonade.

And it was sooo good!

And that was it! Hope you all had a great day!

XO,

MUG

El Nido Cove Beach Resort

Tags

beach, beachfront, cheap el nido hotel, el nido, el nido accommodation, el nido cove, el nido hotel, elnido, holiday, hotel, nature, philippines, resort, sand, sky, sun, sunrise, sunset, tour, Travel, trip, vacation, view

When I finally decided that I will be visiting El Nido Palawan in the Philippines for sure, first thing that I automatically did was look online for available accommodations. This was about 5 or 6 months prior to my travel period. As you know, the internet is full of information that you’ll ever gonna need for your travels anywhere in the world. From properties to cost to reviews, everything you need to know is just a click away.

So long story short, I found El Nido Cove on one of the booking sites. It is not high end but not one of the cheap ones either so it’s a happy medium. It’s got a fair amount of negative reviews so I was kind of hesitant at first but the overall look and vibe of the property really appealed to me so I decided to click that “Book” button.

Entrance to the Resort

From the main road, there is this sign and then followed by a long driveway until you reach the gated guard post. They will do checks and security procedures before they open the gate and let your vehicle in. It made me feel like we were in a very safe and secured place.

Front Entrance

From the gate, the driveway leads to this front entrance. I wasn’t able to take my own pic so I borrowed this one from hotels.com that I found on Google Images 😄. The whole property is full of trees and plants so every nature lover will surely appreciate it. There was also a guard in this area most of the time when we were there so you’ll know security is a huge priority to them.

Reception/ Dining/ Breakfast Area

This is their main lobby where the reception are is located. This is also where guests can have their meals including the buffet breakfast (included in room package), buffet lunch and dinner. There are also some comfy couches made of natural materials where guests can hang out. This is also where the resort’s Wifi is the strongest.

The Beachfront Loft Room

I booked 2 rooms for this trip. One is the beachfront loft and the other was called a Forest Room and it really did feel like it’s in the middle of the woods! This Beachfront Loft Room that we got has 2 beds and 3 people (2 adults + 1 kid) were able to fit in the main one and 2 people for the one upstairs (loft). It has a small dining table and a washroom/shower. There’s a regular door that leads to main reception area and a sliding one that opens to the garden and beach area.

View from Beachfront Loft Room

Waking up to this view was just amazing! We can literally hear sound of the crashing waves from our room. This also makes it easy to watch the sky during sunrise/ sunset and just enjoy the beautiful colors.

View from the Little Patio Outside the Room

There is a little cottage to the left where guests can hang out anytime.

Charming Spot

Guests can use this to enjoy some drinks with family and friends after a day of island activities.

Morning View

From the room, the beach is just a few steps away. The sound and smell of water was so calming and relaxing. The sky with pink, purple, and blue colors create a perfect backdrop.

Good Morning!

This is actually much prettier in person! I won’t mind this as my morning view everyday 😄!

Quiet and Private

The resort is located far (20 mins give or take) from the town proper so guests can enjoy a quiet and private moments like this! Pick a spot and just watch the waves or the sunrise without having to deal with a big crowd of people walking back and forth obstructing your view.

Your Own Private Beach

The resort has it’s own beach for all guests to enjoy. Granted not as white as the ones you can find on island hopping tours but still a good bonus. They offer free use of kayaks as well which is a good extra as rentals there would normally cost 300-400 pesos.

Morning Dip…

Invigorating…

On our first morning in this resort, we couldn’t help but admire and enjoy nature. We walked along the beach and felt the waves on our feet. We were going to an island hopping tour that day so we didn’t get to stay there for long and had to get breakfast before starting our day.

Outdoor Patio and Rear Entrance to Lobby

This is where we have our breakfasts everyday! We are a group of 7 people and the staff were very attentive and have put tables and chairs to sit us all together and have placemats and utensils set even before we finish getting our plates from the buffet inside.

Dine with Nature

Having this view while having your meals is just priceless! Lush trees, sand, sea and sky with a backdrop of the sunrise or sunset! What else could be better???

Bar

They have an outdoor bar made with nipa roof and other natural materials. Guests like having some drinks here with the view of the sunset and the beach in the evening.

Infinity Pool

They have a decent infinity pool beside the garden rooms just across from the outdoor bar. The water was clean and warm when we were here so it was great for an evening of a relaxing dip after a long day of island hopping.

Relax and Unwind

This resort is highly recommended for those looking for a peaceful and quiet time. Away from all the city noise and stress of everyday life.

Beautiful Sunsets

I love both sunrise and sunsets but there’s something more dramatic about sunsets. I love silhouette pics and this resort will provide guests lots of good spots for these kind of photos.

Good Night

This is what the outdoor dining patio looks like in the evening. No more views of the beach and nearby islands but they usually set up lights for a romantic ambience. Some guests have their special dinner set up near the beach for a more memorable experience.

Again, this resort is far from the town proper and will cost 200 pesos for a trike ride or 600 pesos for a van (as of January 2018) to take you to town so if you’re planning to be at the town proper a lot, prefers to try different local restaurants for every meal or nightlife and have limited budget, this resort is not for you.

They have basic facilities but more than enough for an “island resort”. Wifi is strong in the lobby and in some Beachfront rooms that are closest to the lobby. Wifi is almost non existent in Garden and Forest rooms.

Best thing about our whole experience in this resort is the staff and the customer service they provide. They are polite, courteous, attentive and efficient. We had asked them to fix and arrange for some stuff for us and everything was addressed promptly. Thumbs up!

Any questions please feel free to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by.

XO,

MUG

Dior Rouge Holiday Couture Collection

Tags

beauty, cosmetics, designer, Dior, lip, lipcolor, lippies, lips, lipstick, luxury, make up, makeup, style, Style, Beauty and Fashion, women

Hey guys,

Just a quick post here to share something I got over the Holidays and as you can probably already guess from the title, I got the lipstick trio set from Dior’s Holiday Couture Collection.

I have always been a fan of Dior cosmetics and I just think they’re really high quality and you can easily from how they look and feel. The packaging is always nice and luxurious and the products are always excellent!

This particular set is very versatile in the sense that it comes with 3 different shades of nude, bold, and something in between so there will definitely be something for every personality, mood, and occasion.

* 219 Rose Montaigne (nude beige)

* 60 Premiere (light pinkish beige)

* 999 Matte Red

It also comes with a good sized patent pouch that you can use in a variety of ways.

The nice girl at Sephora even gave me samples of the Rouge Dior Liquid Lipsticks and I’m not really a matte lipstick type of girl because I find them so drying, I was actually able to wear these samples so I might consider getting a full size one. They last a long time and very light and comfortable to wear.

If you guys have a favorite lip product please feel free to share! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

XO,

MUG

Dior Nude Air Illuminizer: A Must-Try Highlighter

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beauty, blogger, cosmetics, designer, Dior, diorskin, highlighter, illuminizer, luxury, makeup, mall, Shopping, splurge, style, Style, Beauty and Fashion

As most of you know, I am not a makeup junkie and I only own the very basics (maybe not even) like powder foundation, brow kit, and lippies. Then I’ve seen some youtube tutorial videos mentioning highlighters and for some reason it did catch my attention. I really like the glowing effect that they create and realized “oh that’s how they get their nose and upper lip shine like that!” Haha I know, it’s like I was living in a cave 😂.

So, I was convinced that this is something I should try. Like the matte lippies from my previous post, I wanted to try a cheap one first so I wouldn’t be too heartbroken if I didn’t like it or if it just didn’t work for me. At least I know I won’t just be throwing away money. I’ve watched some youtube reviews on drugstore highlighters and decided on getting this Elf Highlighting Set.

This Elf set includes a highlighting palette with 4 different shades for different looks and skin tones. It also comes with a small tube of highlighting cream which I haven’t tried yet. My most favorite part of the set was the highlighting brush. It’s nice, soft, and definitely well made.

So here are the swatches for the different shades that come in this palette. They are a little powdery here but they blend really well with makeup. It is a very good starter kit and once I decided I want to keep using highlighters, I thought it’s time to shop for one from high end brands.

I actually went to Sephora first and looked for something that I’d like and I just tried to take a mental note of the ones I was considering. I checked out both the Chanel and Dior stalls in the mall’s department store and tried whatever they highlighter they had. And this is what I ended up getting…

I guess the title kinda gave it away already 😄 but yeah, I loved Dior’s Diorskin Nude Air Illuminizer! It comes in 4 different shades and I got the 001 which is the Nude Glow. Other shades are:

002 – Pink Glow

003 – Golden Glow

004 – Bronzed Glow

Just look at how beautiful that looks! Shimmery but not really glittery. It’s very light and very easy to work with. Of course you will be able to tell the difference in quality between a $14 CAD and a $68 CAD highlighter but it is so worth the price. A little goes a long way so this should last you a long time.

One of the things I love about high end brands is the packaging. I know that contributed to why you’re paying extra but I just love how pretty and luxurious they are. This comes with a mini kabuki brush and a velvet pouch. The compact has a mirror and a magnetic closing and when it clicks, it is so satisfying to hear.

What’s your favorite highlighter? Do you prefer drugstore or high end brands? Thanks for reading.

XO,

MUG

Matte Lippies: Drugstore Brands

Tags

beauty, cheap lipstick, cheap makeup, cosmetics, covergirl, drugstore brand, drugstore makeup, kate perry, lip balm, lipbalm, lippie, lipstick, liquid lipstick, makeup, matte, matte lippies, matte lips, matte lipstick, revlon, rimmel, rimmel london, style, Style, Beauty and Fashion, tinted lip balm, tinted lipbalm, trend

Hey guys,

Today I will be sharing my thoughts on some drugstore matte lippies that I’ve purchased and tried recently. The reason for this is because I’ve always been wanting to try some matte lippies but I know from one past experience long time ago (can’t remember the brand) that they tend to really dry out and make lips look flaky and just unattractive.

But lately I’ve been seeing a lot of pics of girls wearing matte lippies and I thought maybe they have improved the formula and they won’t be as drying as before. Now, I’ve been eyeing some products from Dior, Marc Jacobs and of course my fave Chanel but I wanted to try it first with cheaper brand to make sure it’s for me before splurging on more preferred ones. And I know I’m comparing apples and oranges as high end brands will of course have better quality but still… 😄

So from friends and fellow bloggers’ recommendation, I tried the Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Lip Color and Covergirl’s Katy Perry Katy Kat Matte Lipstick. I also picked up one of this Revlon Kiss Tinted Lip Balm. Here’s my thoughts on these products:

The Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Lipcolor that I got is in the #210 Rose & Shine shade. I wanted something that’s not too pale nor too bold and I think this one does it for me. It’s creamy and easy to apply and comes in a uniquely shaped container.

It dries up quickly to a nice matte finish. Almost effortless. It’s supposed to be transfer proof but in my experience, this wasn’t the case. I had coffee 2 hours after application and I still saw marks on my white cup every time I take a sip. And after coffee, it starts to feel dry. It does last long (8 hours I’d say) if you don’t plan to eat and drink for that long 😄. This is based on the parts of my lips that didnt touch food or drinks. Overall, not bad for the price. 

Next one is the Katy Perry Matte Lipstick from Covergirl. I got it in shade KP07 Kitty Purry and just by looking at the color of it, I thought it will be a mauvy or berry shade. But it actually looked more of a pale pinkish shade on me. Too pale for my liking.

This one isn’t in a liquid form and at first I thought it was hard to use. After a couple applications, it started to glide on the lips smoothly and easily which I really liked. It has a demi matte finish so if you’re looking for the full and opaque matte finish, this probably won’t be the best option for you. It also stays on for a long time but again, didn’t find it to be transfer proof. But I really liked this because it’s buildable.

To solve the paleness issue with the Katy Perry lipstick, I applied this Revlon Kiss tinted lip balm first in the Sweet Cherry shade. This is one is probably one of the best tinted lip balms I’ve tried. Perfect for quick touch ups and will keep lips moisturized with a subtle hint of color. I often just use this by itself on very casual times when I’m too lazy to wear makeup.

And this is what it looked like when I apply the Katy Perry Matte Lipstick with the Revlon Kiss Tinted Balm. Still has the matte look and lips feel softer because of the balm. Now I think I’m ready to explore high end brands.

And this is my new set of lippies joining my fave ones from Chanel. I have the Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet which is basically a vetvety matte kind of lippie and the Rouge Coco Shine which I love because it feels like wearing a tinted balm with sheer and buildable color. And of course a tube of lipgloss coz you’ll never know when you’ll need that extra shine and sparkle 😂!

Update:

I was browsing for nude matte lippies and came across this brand having a sale and offers free shipping to Canada so I gave in and thought I’d try it. After a week, it came in the mail 😃 yaay!

This is Tarte Cosmetic’s Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in the Bestie shade. I love how lightweight this one feels on the lips and produces a very nice matte finish. I will definitely try more different shades from this brand.


Thank you for reading and let me know your thoughts, suggestions and recommendations in the comment section.

XO,

MUG

Starbucks Zombie Frappuccino

Tags

apple, beverage, caramel, childhood, chocolate, drink, drizzle, frap, frappucino, halloween, scramble, starbucks, zombie

Starbucks just launched their Zombie Frappuccino yesterday of course in time for Halloween. This will be offered for just a limited time (5 days I think 🤔) just like the Unicorn Frap that they introduced last Spring. Although I did like the Unicorn Frap (didn’t get a lot of good reviews by the way) because I like sour candies, I can say that I liked this one much better.

This Frap is supposed to resemble some zombie characteristics with the pink whipped cream as exposed brains, chocolate drizzle for bloody effect and of course the green slime or whatever that is haha!

The green slime tastes like a caramel apple. The green apple taste is pretty dominant taste with a very subtle hint of caramel as an after taste. But what I really liked is the combination of the pink whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. Reminded me of this kind of beverage I used to have during my childhood years called the Scramble.

The scramble is like a slushie in the Philippines. It has shaved ice, milk, banana flavor, powdered milk, sometimes marshmallows (original version didnt have this), and of course the chocolate drizzle. It used to be a beverage version of a street food but now it is also being offered in malls and restaurants.

So there it is! For me personally I liked it because I like caramel apple and the other part kinda transports me back to my childhood and reminds me of this beverage that I really liked and enjoyed. But of course this is just me and it will still come down to personal taste and preference.

Have you tried this drink? Let me know your thoughts! 😊

XO,

MUG

Staying Positive After A Bad Experience

Tags

anger, bad experience, break in, car, glass, homeless, life, luck, money, perspective, positive, poverty, robbery, theft, understanding, vehicle, window

This will not be like my usual posts but I thought I’d share this experience with you along with my thoughts and the things I realized after.

I went to the mall after work today and parked in the underground parkade and went in to browse and get a little bit of retail therapy. As I walked back to my car and pressed the button to open the door, a man’s head just popped up from the rear passenger side of my car. He probably was surprised when the car chirped when I opened the door.

Then I realized what he was doing! He was trying to break into my car! Without thinking clearly I confronted him from the other side and called the police. When he stood up I was shocked to see that he’s like 6’2” in height and fairly well built. He was anywhere between 25-30 years of age and just one look I knew he was homeless.

I know that was a very bad move on my part, I shouldn’t have confronted him as he could’ve easily hurt me right there and then and there was no one around. But he just slowly stepped away from the vehicle and away from me without saying a word.

He caused some considerable damage to my vehicle. Broke the glass, broke the weather strip and even the trim so that would cost me for sure. Cops came and got the police report done and eveything and I had to drive home with a black bag taped to my window to cover the opening and my back seat full of broken glass.

 

I know this happens a lot to other people but still not a good feeling. I was shaken and angry and worried as I was driving home but those feelings didn’t last long as there are lots of things I realized while driving and these thoughts changed the way I looked at things:

• Even if that man was arrested and even if I get to beat him silly, he still wouldn’t be able to cover the cost and eliminate the hassle of getting my car repaired because he simply had no money to afford it.

• After realizing that, I came to the conclusion that anger, worry, and negative emotions wouldn’t help me in any way and would even prevent me from thinking clearly.

• I realized that he probably didn’t really mean to hurt anyone or he would’ve done that to me already. He’s probably just merely trying to survive. Wrong way I know but we never know what he’s going through right now.

• I realized how blessed I am having even a simple car and stuff that he was clearly trying to get. I’m lucky I’m not the one in his position having to take extreme measures to get something. And again, I’m not trying to justify what he’s doing. It’s wrong regardless of which way you look at it.

• I’m still thankful that I’m safe, he didn’t hurt me and he didn’t get to get anything because I came back at the right time. I’m still lucky because I have the means to get the car fixed despite the hassles.

So, after realizing all of these, I actually felt better almost instantly. I felt bad for him and I forgive him for this and hope he figures out how to make his life better so he wouldn’t have to do this to others anymore.

XO,

MUG

Winter Already???

Tags

autumn, blogger, boots, canada, cold, fall, leggings, ootd, outfit, riding boots, snow, storm, style, Style, Beauty and Fashion, sweater, weather, wind, winter

Yesterday my family and I still got to enjoy a nice Fall weather. It’s been a good start to the season not too cold and not summer hot either! In fact, we just put up our fall decors and are excited to enjoy this very beautiful and colorful time of year.

And this morning when I woke up, I saw this winter storm warning which Kinda surprised me as it was really nice yesterday! So I looked out the window and yep, strong winds and blowing snow. That just means we didn’t even have 2 weeks of Fall.

So for my work outfit, I just picked something warm and cozy like a long burgundy sweater, black leggings and black riding boots. Not the most stylish 😄 but does the job of keeping me warm and comfortable.

XO,

MUG

Welcome Fall 2017!

Tags

autumn, bag, blogger, canada, designer, dress, fall, flats, gucci, gucci marmont, louis vuitton, luxury, lv, lvoe, michael kors, ootd, outfit, purse, season, shoes, style, Style, Beauty and Fashion, weather, work

Wow! It seems like I’ve just been celebrating Spring and now even Summer’s over! This is probably one of the best and busiest summers I’ve ever had since I came here although I can’t deny that Fall is still my favorite season and it’s here again! Beautiful colors everywhere for all to enjoy!

It has been a really warm and dry summer so I’m not surprised that it’s still nice today although we’ve had a couple of cooler days last week. For work, I could still getaway with summery outfits and this is what I wore for today…

I am planning a special trip in the winter and I’m finally gonna be able to go back home and visit after a long 8 years! I didn’t expect to say this but I’m really looking forward to winter because of this but for now I’ll just enjoy the most beautiful and colorful season! Welcome Fall!

Dress: Michael Kors

Purse: Louis Vuitton

Shoes: Gucci

XO,

MUG

Louis Vuitton Delightful PM in Damier Azur

Tags

accessories, bag, calgary, damier azur, delightful, designer, handbag, holt renfrew, louis vuitton, luxury, lv, lvdelightful, lvoe, purse, Shopping, shoulder bag, splurge, style, Style, Beauty and Fashion, Summer, yyc

It’s a good and warm day today and I decided to visit my local Louis Vuitton store since they’re having a perfume/scent event today. I got an invite for this event in my email so I thought I’d check it out.

And I don’t really know why but I’m only interested in their bags/purses and not other stuff so I just ended up asking them for different models and prints. Unfortunately, the first 5 or 6 items that I wanted was not stocked and I didn’t really want to wait as I was set on getting something today.


This display column that has all Damier Azur purses caught my eye and I thought I’d ask one more time for a Delightful bag in MM size but unfortunately it’s too big for my frame and my liking. Asked if there’s a PM size but was expecting a “no” for an answer as it’s not on their website so imagine my excitement when she came back with one!

Obviously I had to get it and I’m so glad I did. 

Orange is my least favorite color but I absolutely adore this packaging! Magnetic box, blue ribbon, the whole package.

And here she is 😊 fresh out of the box. This is my first Louis Vuitton in the Damier Azur print. I have always been hesitant in getting this print because I was so worried about color transfers and maintenance but this is a very fresh and pretty print so I decided to give in haha!

One of biggest concern is keeping the Vachetta away from spots and stains to get a nice and even patina but this is something that a nice and colorful twilly can easily solve. Love this nice and crisp name/logo on the handle.

It also comes with a gold bag charm/ key ring that obviously matches all the other hardware. The ring and the clasp both have Louis Vuitton stamped on them.

My favorite part is the interior with the Rose Ballerine lining. A good sized zippered pocket can carry important stuff like smal wallets, card holders, passports, phone etc. for easy access. As you can see in the photo, this particular bag was made in France which has always been my personal preference when getting an LV purse.

I thought at first the Delightful will look awkward when worn but when I tried it, I actually don’t mind the look of it. And I think this is the best size for me. Anything bigger would overwhelm my small figure.

What do you guys think?

XO,

MUG