Taking care of the hair in a budget friendly manner!

Just want to share some good, quick D-I-Y/home hair treatments you can use to restore or maintain the beauty of your tresses without spending a lot. Here are some buddies of mine, always helpful in times of great need.

Here we go:

Lolane Natura
A Thailand made product which is a great smelling hair treatment that I discovered in Robinson’s Supermarket this year. I’m looking for something that will deeply condition my hair and scalp at that time (arte moments) because I ran out of my HN hair mask. Since it’s just P10.00 per sachet, I decided to give it a try. The smell, as Jaymie would describe, is “amoy mayaman!” It comes in 3 different types; a treatment for dry and damaged hair, a treatment to achieve shiny and silky hair, and a treatment for colored hair. I always use the one for dry and damaged hair; I know it works because it makes my hair soft than just using regular shampoo and conditioner.

Human Nature Intensive Hair Masks

This is a favorite since time immemorial. The small tub costs P99.00 and the large tub costs P299.00. It’s available in rosemary and jasmine scent, but the formula is just the same. Like Lolane, it makes my hair soft and bouncy. The main reason why I tried it when I learned about this is because the company is proudly Pinoy. I challenged the efficacy of the product and it didn’t fail me- I’m proud! You can order this on their online store or from Human Nature re-sellers like Rustan’s Supermarket and Beauty Bar. They're selling HN products now with the same price as stated online.

Black Beauty Hot Oil

I use this when I have loads of time for hair pampering. You’ll be instructed to leave the product on your hair for 45 minutes. After treatment, you’ll notice a change in texture; it’s smoother and more manageable. It smells nice, milder than HN and Lolane. A sachet will cost you P15.00. The content is also greater than Lolane, which can make you use it for 2 sessions.

So there you go! Hope this helps a lot of girls out there who intends to take care of their hair in a budget friendly manner. And if you have a great hair care treatment that you want to share then let us know so we can try it also. Let’s spread some lovin’!

“The hair is the richest ornament of women." 

 -Martin Luther                                         

Love Always,
Wandering Venus

Read More

Nuvali's Republic Wakepark

Since the famed CWC in the beautiful province of Bicol branched out in Nuvali, our boys turned enthusiasts after our wake boarding in Naga were so delighted to schedule their next activity (I guess the pro park visits them in their dreams). Hihi. 

Republ1c Wakepark
Republ1c Wakepark, West Diversity Boulevard,
Nuvali 4027, Calamba, Laguna
Website: http://republ1cwakepark.com
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/rwakepark


How to get there (via car/commuter):

• You can view instructions on their location page. They provided directions how to get there via Mamplasan Exit, via Sta. Rosa or Eton Exit and via Silangan Exit. -Lucky for those who have cars!
• If you live just around the corner and you have no choice but to take the public transport, here's how to: From Canlubang Terminal, you take the jeepney en route Terelay. Fare is P9.00 only. You drop off at a terminal too. If none's left in the jeepney, its time you go. Haha! You will see North Park as a landmark. From there you take a tricycle, which if you rent will cost you P60.00 to Nuvali. If you're lucky to be with a few passengers, that's about P20.00 per head. Once you're in Nuvali, you take a few more walks till you see Solenad 2. From there, you'll take a shuttle bus, whose terminal's at the back of Robinson's Supermarket, for about 15 minutes max to Republic Wakepark. Fare is for P25.00 per head. If you are coming from Metro Manila or EDSA, ride a bus to LRT Beundia. Fare is P21.00. From LRT Buendia Bus station, take a Balibago bound bus (P64.00 fare) and drop off at Sta. Rosa Exit. From there, ride a tricycle for P25.00 per head to Nuvali then take a few minutes walk to Solenad 2 for the shuttle bus (read back as I've mentioned it earlier). 

Inside the shuttle bus

As we walked our way to the facility, we saw this MiniCoop with an enormous RedBull can on its rear. Very cute. Pleasing to the eyes!

There was a RedBull event at the time that's why this cutie was there. TV5 was there too to document it, I guess. Feeling a bit favored, the number of people that went isn't too many for an event. Wew!


The sight of the pro park brought me back to Bicol. Indeed, CWC branched out. The facility and ambiance's identical.

Pro Park

Since I've not fed my poor self since last night until that afternoon and have only took in coffee to start the day, I was already starving when we arrived. We then first went to their restaurant/bar and ordered food. We were served the following:

Blackened Chicken Penne - P140.00

Grilled Liempo - P160.00

Crispy Beef Tapa - P170 

Katsudon Pork - P140.00

Oyakudon Chicken - P140.00

Spaghetti Bolognese - P140.00

Melon Shake - P95.00

Strawberry Shake - P95.00

Watermelon Shake - P95.00

Bottled Water - P35.00
Slim Pepsi - P30.00

Note: Food here is much cheaper compared to CWC.

After filling our tummies, the boys paid for the 4 hour pass (from 1:30pm to 5:30pm) for P595/pax and Kim took the 2 hour pass for P470.00/pax . This is inclusive of the wake board, the life vest and the head gear. Please note that upon payment, there's a deposit amounting to P800.00. :) 

Republ1c Wakepark's Store

Life Vest and Head Gear

It wasn't so good for Kim as a first timer. I think it's the lack of an efficient trainer/teacher/guide (whatever you wanna call it). The trainer we had in CWC was hands-on. He's in the lake, all wet and funny, and instructs everyone with enthusiasm. The one we encountered here in Republ1c Wakepark is so vain he doesn't want to get wet. HAHA. Aside from what I thought lousy instructions he gave the customers, he only kept shouting "Don't Pull! Don't Pull!" to the person riding the board, which just annoyed me. Thank God Brian Grubb, the RedBull Wakeskater, was there and generously shared his knowledge.

Brian Grubb as he assists a TV5 host.
And There's Ram waiting for his turn (at the left end of this image). HAHA
Photo grabbed from here

After a few trials at the beginner's park, our boys went straight to the Pro Park and Kim already went to the shower area to tidy up. I hope she enjoyed the whole experience. :) Since there were too many people in line waiting for their turn to ride the board, our boys only had around 3-4 trials, which, by the way, were never enough for them to hit even the 1st 3 meters of the lake. Only Ram was able to reach the 1st part of the obstacles then released himself and swam back to the shore (shore? haha). After that they all had to take their shower because we need to catch the Nuvali shuttle bus at 6:15 pm. 

The not so busy road at night. It was fun doing photo ops here while
waiting for the shuttle bus

Waiting Shed outside of Republ1c Wakepark

To end the long day, we had our dinner at Kenny Rogers in Paseo where Kashogi, Efren and Kim took the 'Muffin Challenge.' Mechanics: Put in the whole muffin inside their mouth, eat it until nothing's left, then put their tongue out for us judges to see who leaves the fast food glorious. HAHA. The one who finishes last, who's Kashogi in this case, will walk his way out of the fast food in robot style. And so he did. HAHAHAHAHA.

So far, the experience was good. I think they only need to hire someone efficient to take care of the first-timers so people get to leave the facility with all smiles and proud hearts because they were able to stand at the wake boards. 




More ♥,
Wandering Venus



If you're interested, you can view our CWC experience here.

Read More

#OOTD - 0001

I bet you already know what's gonna be in this entry the moment you read that post title right there. Yes, we're kind of bringing that famous instagram hashtag, #OOTD, here. Not for any reason so important, but because aside from the multitude of things we like and yet to do, dressing up is one of them. And at times like this, when we're blessed with a few minutes for landian, why not? :)

Black Crop Top (with infinity sign and "young" print)

From one of the RTW stores in Shaw MRT station

Price: P100.00

Pre-loved High-waist Shorts

From posh_vanity IG page

Price: P90.00

Brown S&H Boots

From LandMark, Trinoma Mall

Price: P1600.00

Black Lennon Shades

From one of the RTW stores in Shaw MRT station

Price: P50.00

Walah!

The Lazy Outfit!

hahahah!

                             

 

                               

      

Nothing on hair. Just tied it up with a black, spring pony, put on a pair of white pearl earrings you can grab anywhere and a black arm band.

We're not fashion bloggers but we'll probably post a few every once in a while because it's so fun to do. :) 

Please note that since we do not earn so much to afford expensive clothing all the time, we go hunt for the cheapest more often than not (just to set your expectation). ♥ 


Hope yarrr like it. ♥



More ♥,
Wandering Venus

Read More

Mhad’s Birthday and TAT’s Anniversary Celebration @ Big30 Pizza & Pasta

A month long of conversation and planning through our FB page and group text lead us to a lunch out at Paseo de Santa Rosa. Why Paseo? Maiba lang! But not really. Haha. We just chose to adjust to our friends, whose majority reside in Laguna. That's the nearer, possible, maiba-lang location we can spend the afternoon for a lunch. Justifying "maiba lang!" - it's because our usual hang-out sessions happen, if not in the eskenita of Purok 1, Asia, you'll find us at the empty, dusty garage in front of Peter Rose’s, a small Day Care owned by Yohh's Grandma. We're normally just okay with that since HS was a series of overnight-tambay-sessions-on-a-pavement. We like it like that. So there!

We were supposed to meet at approximately 11:30 am in Paseo. Filipino time that is, we found ourselves in complete headcount around 1:30 pm. Imagine the growling tummys and inner monologues! 

Our thoughts and experience in Big 30:

It’s a small pizza parlor that is known for their 30 inches size pizza. We ordered in party cut one 30-inch, 3 flavored pizza : Bernaise, Big30 Supreme, and Chicken Supreme.

30 inch, 3 flavored size Pizza
Dough is soft and thin so you can binge on 4-5 slices without getting too full.

Bernaise is the best flavor. There’s something distinct about it.

Big30 Supreme and Chicken Supreme were just okay.

Price is P1398.00 - Acceptable for an enormous pizza like this with 14 people sharing, plus it isn't bad at all taste wise.

The store is transparent when it comes to how they prepare the star of the meal. On one corner of the dining area (probably an exposed extension of their kitchen), there's a cubicle covered with glass walls where you can see the some of the crews as they charm their customers with their pizza making SKILLLLSSSS! Very nice marketing strategy right there! *wink!*

Carbonara Spaghetti (Small)–Fettucini pasta with white sauce, topped with bacon, mushroom, and parmesan cheese. This is just an ordinary Carbonara recipe with 2 slices of bread. 
Good for 1
Price is P128.00

Seafood Spaghetti (Medium) – Spaghetti pasta in red sauce topped with shrimps and parmesan cheese. This is just okay apart from I think it only had 3 pieces of shrimps. Oh yeah, just three. A piece for each of us that shared the plate. 
Good for 3-5 sharing
Price is P298.00

Meatball Spaghetti (Medium) – Spaghetti pasta in red sauce topped with Meatballs and cheese. 
Note: Meatballs are too soft that they easily crack. Using a spoon is better.
Good for 3-5 sharing
Price is P268.00

1 Tower of Lemon Iced Tea - Note: Too sweet that you have to wait for the ice to melt, or you can mix with water.
Good for 8 pax
Price is P198.00 

1 Tower of Pineapple Juice - Note: This is too sweet too but you can mix it with your desired amount of water.
Good for 8 pax
Price is P198.00 

And we also ordered two more from the menu and their pictures are missing. Sorry about that!

Burger Steak with Rice 
Solo
Price is P128.00

Country French Fries with Dip
Tasted like homemade fries cut into bigger/fatter slices compared to McDonald’s. 
Good for sharing 
Price is P68.00

Viola with the Pizza! :)

Ching, Yves (the baby!), Mhadz (the birthday celebrant), Abby, Arvin, Myl, Tah, Panget, Mie, Pogi, Lab, Asshet, Con, Ram, Yohh and Glenn

  
Okay, so we're rating it. Here we go!

Food: 3/5

Place: 3/5

Service: 2.5/5

The experience wasn't overwhelming. If not for the excitement of seeing each other and being almost complete after yearssss and updating everyone with the who-what-where-when-and-how’s of our lives, we would have not enjoyed the whole thing. Or we could've focused on the food more if we weren't just so excited about each other? Hahahahah. Also I won't forget the server's attitude as she makes face while taking our order. I give her that we are too much of a riot to deal with at the time, but good customer service definitely makes wonders! Good thing we were later presented by a better crew. The tip is yours, Man!

Apology for the blandness of this entry and if we are lacking words to describe the foods in detail. All we can say is that they’re average and we don’t want you to drown with the passive “just ok” comment. :)

Happy Anniversary TAT!

Happy Birthday Mhadz!

*******************************************

Budget per pax: P250-300
**We are 15 that ate here***

Location:

Big 30 Pizza and Pasta

Paseo 2 Unit 3B,4B,5B

Greenfield City,

Paseo de Sta Rosa, Sta Rosa City Laguna. 



Love Always,
Wandering Venus



***Photo Credits: Ramil Baldoz***

Read More

A quick review: Lucido-L Hair Supplement

This is just a quick review on the latest hair care product I bought at Watsons. I've seen this at TBJ's blog and she provided a good review. I have dry hair, yes, because of regular hair re-bonding and coloring. This year, I decided not to color my hair (even if I’m dying to) to give it some time to recover from all the harsh chemicals. I’m fond of trying different hair products to restore my hair; I tried using hair masks, hot oils, serums, organic shampoos and conditioners, etc. By trying, I got to know those that work for my damaged hair. One of those is this.

Lucido-L hair supplement.

At first sight, I thought it’s a deodorant coz’ it looked like one. Haha. Then I noticed I’m in the hair care section of Watsons. 

Lucido-L comes in different types, depending on your hair type. I chose this one because the others are for either styling or for curly hair. In a pump type container is a white milky, fruity scented product that looks like a lotion. You have to apply it with your slightly damp hair, focusing on the crown and ends of your tresses. You can style after or you can just leave it until it naturally dries. I like that it’s not sticky and doesn’t give you that wet-look. I found out that you can easily style your hair after applying the product, and it holds the style for a pretty long time. 

One time, after applying the product and drying my hair using the fan, I put my hair up in a bundle using my ever reliable spring pony. After a while, I let my hair down and big waves were formed. Normally, my hair will go back to that lifeless straight look in less than an hour, but with this hair supplement, the waves lasted longer than usual. My hair looked more lively and bouncy. It gave volume to my hair, making it easier for me to achieve an undone look. :) 

You can check for the other variants in any leading Watsons store; price is P295.00.



Love Always,
Wandering Venus

Read More

Cream de Cheek in Coral Cream

I’ve been doing a lot of research lately for a good blusher: reading blog after blog because my favorite Elianto cheek blusher is almost wiped out. It’s a favorite and nearly an everyday blush on for me. It gives me that natural glowing look. I bought it years ago (yes, it lasted for years. I think 2 years) in Greenhills for P495 if I remember it correctly, hahaha. Now I’m not sure if they still have Elianto there because I haven’t been to GH for months now. Going back to Majolica Majorca’s cream de cheek in Coral cream, I read good reviews about the product so I checked it out some Sunday ago when I got the chance to roam around Watson’s MOA.

Majolica Majorca

Majolica Majorca is also known for their creative packaging, it’s like a mini nail polish in a translucent, matte, glass bottle capped with a black brush applicator; pretty much the same as a nail polish actually. :)

I didn't try it on my face. I just swatched it at the back of my hand, blend it smoothly and feel the texture of the semi-liquid, semi- cream tint. The color is lighter than the Elianto blusher, but I still took a risk and purchased it. After all I really wanted to try a cream blusher for my oily skin. The next day, I decided to try it on top of my everyday powder- Johnson’s baby powder in Blossoms. I’m not a fan of pressed powder and foundation for an everyday look. I want to be as natural looking as possible. Just to be able to mask the paleness is enough and I’m good to go. One thing I like about this cream blush is that it doesn't cake upon application given that I’m using a cheap loose powder. It’s highly pigmented and so a little goes a long way. I think it will last a year or more for me. Color is well, Coral. Again it’s lighter than the Elianto blusher but it still gave me that natural glow—success!

The best picture I could get after application :)

Lasting power is quite good also; it can last up to 4-6 hours, depending on my pores’ mood (I oil up big time in some days). I’ll give this a 4.5/5. 

By the way, it’s available in 4 shades: Custard Cream, Raspberry Cream, Shell Pink, and Coral Cream. You can find it in Majolica Majorca boutiques, SM Department stores and leading Watson’s store for P495.



Love Always,
Wandering Venus

Read More

Raving about Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque!

Mint Julep Masque

Finally, I got this mask last week from Healthy Options in Megamall. I had this inner war- a part telling me to try it because of the good reviews from credible beauty bloggers online; the other part telling me to stick with my usual mask, fearful that my skin would negatively react from it. Obviously, the first won the battle. 

I’m a mud pack fanatic partly because I grew up watching my sisters put on this kind of face mask. I remember my first encounter with mud pack was that time (elementary days) I got curious with a tube in my mom’s tocador that says “Epoch,” which was apparently from Ate Che’s obsessive compulsive hauling of beauty products at that time. That's just one of the many perks of being the youngest from an all-girl pride aside from I also get to rummage through Mom and sisters' closets, make ups, and more! I put the tocador-found-mud-pack on my face just like how they do it (yes, I’m intrimitida!), and I kinda enjoyed the feeling- like a donya being pampered! Haha. That’s where the enthusiasm with mud packs started. It’s just in college that I learnt the benefits and usage of various mudpacks in the market. 

Anyways, how’s my experience with this product that collected a bunch of high praises and created a rave online?

I followed the instructions at the back of the tube:

1. Wash face thoroughly and pat dry.
2. Apply mask on face, avoiding eye area.
3. Let dry for 15-20 minutes.
4. Rinse with water or with wet washcloth.

The mask felt cold upon application and while letting it dry (because of the mint probably). I felt my pores were tightening within that full 20 minutes. It’s like the mask is sucking up all the dirt and oil inside my pores. I can feel my face pulsating because of the extreme tightening and coldness. It’s not uncomfortable at all; it’s relaxing (for me). After 20 minutes, I rinsed my face using tap water and a face sponge.  And the result? I noticed that my face got brighter after compared to washing my face thoroughly with just my facial wash. It’s smoother and softer than its previous state. I use the mask before sleeping to test if it’s a good oil control product coz’ I usually oil up big time during sleep, waking up with a shiny, greasy face (spell MANTIKA). Haha!

After 6 hours of sleep:

I’m so excited to check the result that I immediately went to the mirror and yes! That’s the first time I woke up with a matte face. I’m not exaggerating here, that was really the first time since I started producing oil during puberty stage til’ now. I’m happy this product worked for me. This is definitely an HG product for me from now on. The best mask I tried so far! It works well for oily/combination skin, but the product description at the back says that it’s also good for people with minimal or no skin problem at all (do they exist?). hehehe. It claimed to be a facial and neck muscle relaxant too aside from being a convenient and affordable face treatment. 


You can grab yours at Healthy Options for P329.00! 

Love Always,

Wandering Venus

Read More