jessica simpson also does shoes, you know

what i like about jessica simpson is she doesn’t seem to mind what the press and the haters are saying about her. and that she doesn’t seem to get offended about people calling her “dumb” and rubbing that “chicken of the sea” incident to her face; well, at least doesn’t mind enough to actually refer to it in a national tvc then add insult to injury with “buffalo wings” to make matters “dumber” thus funnier.

i think jessica looks fantastic. i think she’s gorgeous even during the time people called her a cow (which is very unfair because i bet most women are bigger than the biggest she has ever been).

do you know that she also has a lifestyle collection composed of apparel, fashion accessories, shoes and handbags? not too well-known in places outside the u.s., unlike celebrity prestige labels l.a.m.b. or sean john, the jessica simpson collection has done so well to hold its own. not along the price range of the more popular celeb catwalk brands, i believe it has price points similar to nine west.

her shoes happen to have some of the best customer reviews online. see it to believe it.

and the designs are drop-dead gorgeous. hold your breath, girls.

high heels:

gabriella

badoline

hesse

josette

acadia

flat sandals

jayla

carsi

giovanna

jeanna

booties/boots

kenzy

light

jonas

you have to like her now…

check out her collection here.

review: pure fiji sugar rub, face and body foam cleanser, spa soap

i wrote an entry about visiting the pure fiji factory and mentioned how they have a sale event every saturday morning.

here’s the loot we scored from one morning spree:

5 bottles of hydrating body lotion (for gifts), 2 kits of reniu bath products, 8 bars of spa soap, 1 bottle face & body foam cleanser, and 1 jar sugar rub. all for just fjd150.00.

spa soap

we bought the spa soap at only fjd1.00 each, though obviously they are not packaged in the same attractive way the retail soaps are. we got the mango and the white gingerlily infusions.

first off, i was surprised that the soap lathers quickly and more thickly than most commercial soaps since i have always found oil-based bath products to lack luxurious bubble power. the soap is creamy on the skin and glides easily, much like vco soaps, though this one is not at all slippery. like most soft soaps, the bottom tends to get mushy on the dish if left inadvertently with puddles of water.

if you are not fond of shower fragrances, you might find the scent quite overpowering. while i am a fragrance junkie, i try to minimize the use of this soap on my face for the simple reason that i am allergic to strong bath smells. but if you don’t have allergic rhinitis like me, the scent should not pose any problem to you.

another surprising feature of this product is the way it dries my skin, though in the first place i do have dry, scaly skin by nature. nevertheless, other coconut cream and vco soaps i’ve tried before actually leave my skin soft and hydrated, thus my surprise. in any case, such a property should prove advantageous to oily or even normal skin types, as this provides a taut sensation especially on the face, as if you got a face-lift or something.

overall, it gives me the feeling of being invigorated. it’s one of the soaps that make me feel extra clean after shower (note: some soaps don’t make me feel too clean at all. either i can sense residue or as if not all the gunk were removed). i love using the soap especially after work-out or when i need some waking up in the morning.

face and body foam cleanser

this cleanser is one of the newest products in their bath and body line. it comes in a pump bottle and dispenses into foam (duh).

like the spa soap, the first disadvantage for me is the strong scent. other than that, the foam is just fine. i have used it on my face a few times, i find it gentle enough on the skin, though, again, my rhinitis gets the best of me and i sneeze in a matter of seconds. for the rest of the body, i’m really enjoying it; it’s like slathering shaving cream all over yourself, only less thick. i do notice some drying effects, but that might just be me (like i said, my skin is overdry under normal circumstances).

all in all, also very refreshing and, if you like heady scents, quite energizing. we bought the passionflower infusion, and this fragrance lasts, giving you that bagong ligo sensation well into the day.

sugar rub

i was right all along. i just knew i would adore the sugar rub. especially the coconut milk and honey one. it’s made with raw honey, fresh sugar cane crystals and exotic oils. if merely reading the ingredients makes you feel indulgent, wait ’til you try it.

it comes in a jar and has a nifty little scoop is provided.

combining raw honey and fresh sugar crystals would make you think this would smell sickeningly sweet, but this does not at all smell anything like either. it smells coconut-milky and soapy at the same time, with various oils i can hardly recognize behind it. the liquid is slick, not thick like your breakfast-table honey. the granules are fine, definitely finer than the more popular salt scrubs. one heaping scoop of it should be enough to rub all over your body, but i usually apply two scoops. because i’m wastefully indulgent like that.

like all scrubs, it is meant to polish your skin, buff away dead surface cells and unclog your pores. it should provide a deep-clean feel, like your skin is renewed and rejuvenated. it certainly delivers its promise.

unlike many salt, mineral or natural fruit scrubs which i find quite abrasive (i have had minor injuries with those), this one is finer thus less scratchy upon application. and unlike many commercial exfoliating scrubs which i find too fine on the other hand, these crystals are just the right amount of coarse to give you that “smoothening” feel. the sensation is comparable to rubbing creamy sand on your skin, like getting into the sea then rubbing yourself with sand in panglao or maybe boracay (i write maybe because i haven’t been to boracay, so i can only surmise. people do say the sand there is as fine as sugar… sugar rub, sugar sand… i’m just establishing a connection). as you keep rubbing the product onto your skin, the crystals dissolve and the product starts to feel less silty. by this time, you can swear your skin is absorbing all those anti-oxidant properties.

after bath, you instantly feel as if your skin is much smoother and much softer, even on your elbows and knees. the first few times i used it, i can’t keep myself from stroking my hands and elbows, they were so supple. it leaves a fantastic scent that is noticeably clean, but it won’t take over your favorite cologne or perfume. in addition, your skin may feel intensely moisturized but not greasy. so even when i used this for a foot scrub, my feet neither slipped nor slid in my sandals (which is one of the things that annoy me most when i get a foot spa).

overall, one of my most favorite bath products today. they say one jar is good for 15-18 treatments. at the rate i use it, i’m going to run out of it very soon. which means i have to go back to the factory one of these saturdays and get a whole bunch of them.

manila sale season! there goes your bonus…

yes, this place is paradise, but now i can see there are no big scale elbow-each-other-on-the-ribs sale events that can make even an anchorite spend with wanton disregard. well, there are huge advantages to forced savings of course, but i can’t help but think with forlorn sighs of the past holiday bodega sale crowds i have braved to buy christmas gifts.

my favorite will always be the abci bodega sale. i bought my favorite fragrances, extra nice gifts for my family, and ado was able to score a 39″ samsung lcd tv in abci last year. they change location every season, so it pays to keep abreast. this year, they are holding their famous (or infamous, depending on your spending/saving views) sale in the paseo center, paseo de roxas. corporate makati, you can see they intend to take your paycheck on the very day you receive it.

for price list of prestige fragrances and skincare, click here (oh noooo, i can see marc jacobs daisy!).

for price list of revlon cosmetics, click here (the pain in my heart! midnight swirl lip color at only php175.00 from php875.00! fabulash blackest black at only php100.00 from php525.00!).

for price list of kids’ fragrances and other skin care, click here (i want kaloo and clayeux for my little girl who just turned two!).

another bargain event worth trekking to is the styleright global watch sale. from this company, we were able to buy adidas watches at 90% off! i also loved the watches from jeep, follie follie and daniel hechter. you have to check it out!

uh oh, there goes your bonus and 13th month pay…

pure fiji factory trip

i wrote about pure fiji bath and body in this entry and set up a contest in this one. i was introduced to the brand when i received bottles of body lotion as gifts before, and i became an avid user of their products when i got this welcome basket on my first night on the island.

i got a bottle of coconut milk and honey body lotion (the same one i gave away as prize before), plus this soap:

this body mist:

and the reniu shampoo and conditioner from the same company:

i got the opportunity to visit the factory some weeks ago. they open their doors to the public every saturday morning and hold a warehouse sale. unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take photographs inside, so i had to content myself with a few before we entered the building.

if you are a tourist or if you intend to give some items as gifts, there’s a dhl booth ready to take your loot to where ever in the world you’d like them to end up.

ok, i did not completely abide by the rules because i was able to sneak a shot of the emmy basket. this is the stash given to the emmy nominees:

i wonder if jeremy piven or james spader ever used the body scrub?

product reviews later. i’m suddenly too wasted to write more. in the middle of writing this post, i just became an aunt, so my father-in-law bellowed to all of us to get our asses into the kitchen and suddenly there was scotch all around. plus bailey’s with french vanilla ice cream.

really hurts to know what could have been

yes, like many of you michael jackson blokes, i turned up on the weekend of this is it and turned on the waterworks when the opening strains of man in the mirror came into play. and i sobbed through the entire song up until the end credits.

it really hurts to know what could have been.

i probably am not the best person to write a film review, what with my deeply rooted biases, so i wouldn’t even attempt to. for those of you who have loved michael jackson even a little bit growing up, and those who kept abreast of his life and times and stuck by him through his legal battles and personal ordeals, you should watch this movie. in fact, you might want to watch it twice in the cinema.

if there is any moral lesson we can gather from this production, it is speaking to people kindly even if you mean to criticize them. i asked my husband, the music and concert tour geek, if indeed michael jackson was that nice to production staff… or are they just playing up his niceness to leave a remarkable impression of saintly behavior to his fans? whatever the reality, only michael can correct a guitarist and say, “do it for love” at the end of his comment; or call out to the sound guys about ramming his inner ears then say, “i’m saying that with love, L-O-V-E.” indeed, only michael can get away with saying that.

another thing we can learn is synergy. from the dancers, the singers, the musicians, the technical staff, heck from the mind-blowing pyrotech guys, everything and everyone somehow melded into one workable unit. of course, if there had been any heated arguments or pouty walking out, the disruptions wouldn’t have made it into final production. but that wouldn’t have affected my opinion that the entire group was so synergistic and extremely supportive of each other, all teams the world over should sit up and take notes.

one of my biggest frustrations about this concert not coming into fruition, which i think i will carry until my last breath, is the fact that we won’t see michael in the fantastic costumes designed for him and the other performers, along with some classics recreated with greater intensity especially for this tour. the bedazzled gloves and socks, the iconic “thriller” red jacket embedded with fiber-optic lights that flash in time to the beat, the regimental regalia for “i just can’t stop loving you”, and what seems to be a cosmos-inspired white suit for “billie jean” heavy laden with thousands of swarovski crystals and led lights.

perhaps the most significant feeling i developed while watching this film is a tremendous respect for director kenny ortega (btw, if you don’t know who kenny ortega is, give yourself a swift kick in the butt. he worked with gene kelly in xanadu, directed and/or choreographed such classic music videos as “material girl” and movies like dirty dancing. if these titles still don’t make sense to you, here: he choreographed and directed the high school musical franchise).

while a reliable review mentioned that ortega can seem fawning and quite obsequious towards michael, i hope you also note the fact that this is michael we are talking about. even if you were not particularly supportive of his achievements and his lifestyle, you would still end up admiring the skills and story behind the man. besides, we should also remember that ortega directed both the dangerous and the history world tours, therefore he definitely knows better than any of us how to deal with michael jackson.

on a rather unrelated note: this year, kenny ortega lost two of the most talented stars he has worked extensively with: michael jackson (he directed the dangerous and history world tours) and patrick swayze (he choreographed dirty dancing and to wong foo, thanks for everything, julie newmar).

as this is it continues to shatter box office records worldwide, i can’t help but think this is not over yet.

glambert and an apocalyptic film

it’s around this time of the year when i start getting more or less ambivalent about tv shows: it’s way after the mid-year stream of season debuts, just some weeks short of the holiday specials, and, naturally, the horror/thriller tv-movie genre plainly keeps me away from the small screen for hours longer than i care to allow. more importantly, it’s been some time after the finale of american idol; the revelry have quite died down, and it would still be some months until our nerves are strung on tenterhooks yet again for that shameless laugh-trip we so call the auditions.

one thing i am happy about this year is that my favorite idol contestant released a single sooner after the season than any other idol hopeful – or even winner, for that matter – in all of american idol’s short but meaningful history (of course, not counting the official a.i. song as typically released almost immediately by the winner). and to make the fortunate turn-of-events even sweeter, it’s the carrier single for a major motion picture soundtrack surcharged with all the tumultuous special effects befitting any apocalyptic film.

i am, as the title gives away, referring to adam lambert and the movie 2012 (directed by ronald emmerich, the same man who brought us independence day and the day after tomorrow; i suppose we can reasonably surmise what his favorite theme is).

true to the drama and spectacle he was known all season for, adam delivers a power ballad to further the legacy of that other end-of-the-world theme song, independence day’s i don’t want to miss a thing. and this one will certainly do steve tyler justice.

time for miracles is, very ironically given its grand scale, a huge relief, considering the music industry has been churning out predictable tunes for the past few years. not to say that we were bereft of any potential classics. i do love my simple yet profound songs, my nonsensical dance and electronica. it’s just that we have forgotten how big, bold music with incredibly strong vocals strike our emotions as only songs with arrangements so full and so substantial can; that feeling we get from aerosmith, the kind that drag us to the ground with the mass of its power, then pull us up to a soaring crescendo as the same strength lifts our emotions to its revolutionary last notes… or eventually lay those feelings gently down from a dizzying height to a resting denouement.

love it or hate it, welcome back to the big screen the mass hysteria, the destruction and the hurtling debris from outer space. welcome back the power ballad with time for miracles:

ladies and gentlemen, in just a few moments, this song will make its way to ktv bars and magic sing. please wait.

michael jackson wore this jacket in his “thriller” concert tour (we’re not worthy *bow*)

from fijipina.

this is it! opened today in theaters!!!

the studded leather jacket worn by michael jackson in his thriller world tour is here in hard rock cafe, fiji!

i know, the shot isn’t exactly pro type. i’ll try to post better ones another time. when we get a better camera, that is.

a staff mentioned that some customers have offered to buy it, one even willing to pay $500,000.00, but hard rock cafe refuses to give it up.

it’s quite surreal.

shoe packing (and why you should take this very seriously)

i know how it feels. the pain of loss. of losing perfectly good pairs of shoes to improper packing procedures.

i have relocated over a dozen times, you would think i had gotten the hang of protecting my precious cargo from destroying themselves. at times they get crushed beneath the weight of heavier, bulkier objects, other times they get misshapen by hard loose edges. many times they self-destruct in that abominably and irregularly large cargo box: poking pointy heels into their partners, rubbing leather against each other until they fade into ugly mottled skins, scuff the surfaces where they are most obvious, and snapping buckles and straps as they entwine themselves with shoelaces and satin. and that’s not counting the molds and mildew yet. it’s like they attempt suicide with all the anxious confinement, like they are deadly afraid i am going to take them to a holocaust, they’d rather just die on me. i don’t really mean to be so careless; having to move just always seemed to catch me by surprise, i had to simply cram my things into boxes before i can even consider their likely destruction.

so i had to sit by myself before a big box of ruined shoes, singing dirges in my head for a small funeral bidding farewell to many of my favorite things.

my last relocation took me out of the time zone, so i thought the very stress of a long-haul flight and possible freight might just completely annihilate my shoes, so i took greater precautions in packing. fortunately, i found this helpful video from mayflower transit, inc., one of the biggest moving corporations in america.

for even added protection, you can stuff the shoes with socks or crumpled paper so they retain their shape.

not only did i follow the advice of mayflower transit, i went crazy and mummified my favorite pairs one by one. with lots of tissue wrap and masking tape.

if i had cling wrap then, i would have probably put that to waste as well.

new skin tone, new make up shades

i have been in fiji for a sun-glorious six weeks now. and it shows in my skin color. i used to be fair, now i’m brown. i’m not going to describe my skintone in newfangled shades that make me sound like i’m a metal (like bronze or golden) because brown is exactly what i am. like a caramel brown (yes, i’d rather be described in dessert terms), that is, a kind of tan with the yellow undertones characteristic to most asians.

while back in manila, i admit, i was among the brainwashed denizens who took insufferable measures to keep their skin away from bright spots or those light beams that shoot from open cracks in the concrete skyline for fear of getting dark, i am now enjoying the tanning effects of the fiji sun.

i could use a fresh glow like vanessa hudgens'.

yesterday, we just received our long overdue freight of personal effects from manila. as i excitedly reunited with my cosmetics, i also came to realize that most of my make-up have now become the wrong shades for my new skin tone. the pale frosted pink lip glosses, latte and silver-gray eye shadows, and cotton candy blush have been rendered unflattering if worn by themselves or worn at all.

so i gathered some online data and went on some sample shopping to see which colors can now thrive in my tropical make-up kit.

face and cheeks

brown complexions do typically have deep honey undertones, a rich warm color, so shades like peach, praline, apricot or those with gold shimmer are best.

i am crazy about l'oreal blush delicieux. i use golden apricot (as shown) or sugar praline.

eyes

the best part about getting a tanned face is now gold and copper eye shadows are part of my neutral palette, not just shades i wear when going 70’s disco dancing.

estee lauder pure color eyeshadow in sun block.

many of my tried and true browns, like the cappuccinos and fawns, can still retain their places in my arsenal.

for times when playful shades are required, a strong navy blue or fatigue green seem the most frivolous yet sensible choices. it’s goodbye to my sky blues and apple greens. as for purples, extreme care should be observed in choosing, as the wrong purple can make me look as if i have a shiner. ouch.

i am loving ysl eyeshadow duo in pearly peach and mink brown.

lips

yay! this time, i have a wider range of oranges to choose from, in fact just about the entire spectrum looks great on brown skin: from peach to coral to red-orange.

i used to stay away from red lips, but now i can actually wear deep or fire-engine red without looking as if i’m off to my burlesque revue.

many of the balm's plump your pucker shades make great color for brown skin. i use cherry my cola (6th from right) or tutti my fruity (4th from right) just about everyday.

considering a tan yourself? don’t forget to run through your makeup along with your skin color change.

resorting to fashion

as i am now in a resort culture, my first fashion entry coming back from a dry spell is reasonably one about resort collections.

it wasn’t too long ago when the fancy term “resort” made its way into the glamorous jargon of annual fashion events, squeezing itself among the blur of fabrics that are “spring-summer” and “fall-winter”.

so what exactly is the resort collection?

though the term gained solid existence only in recent fashion history, resort wear itself goes far back when the wealthy jet-set formed a viable market for high fashion appropriate for escaping the bitter winter as they fly off to warm tropical climates. it used to be primarily made up of light materials, gossamer fabrics, billowy hats, open footwear and multifarious swimwear, but designers have now considered the other side of the jet-set who run off to aspen rather than the bahamas by including toasty materials, furry hats, snug boots and warm gloves.

my favorite pieces from resort 09 collections:

badgley mischka

badgley mischka

badgley mischka

badgley mischka

luca luca

luca luca

luca luca

luca luca

narciso rodriguez

narciso rodriguez

narciso rodriguez

nicole miller

nicole miller

nicole miller

nicole miller

nicole miller

nicole miller

nicole miller

rag & bone

rag & bone

rag & bone

while girls in many countries blessed with year-long sunshine prefer their wardrobes to consist mainly of jeans and shirts, i think it would be a fine idea to introduce some dresses and hats (yes, hats. why is it that not many women wear hats in the philippines?). i like jeans and shirts too, but i find myself wearing dresses more often here in fiji. they are more comfortable under tropical heat, plus they are easier to pack and wash. and i always wear a hat.

don’t forget your sunscreen.