THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF UKAY-UKAY


Vintage is back in the mainstream! It's once again hip to sport the styles of yesteryears. Two nights back, I was watching "Chances Are" on HBO and I said to myself, who would've thought that Cybill Shepherd's outfits in the movie would be the hottest ensembles hanging on the racks of Mango, Zara and Topshop?

We have our own neighborhood thrift shop, what we call in common Filipino parlance, as "ukay-ukay." It is conveniently located five minutes away from our house. Part of the tedious search is the humid and dusty interiors of the Ukay ukay store. But I guess it is part of the rewarding experience that goes with an Ukay Ukay adventure!We scoured through all the racks of the thrift shop and found treasure finds. We bought about 4 dresses, a yellow frilly top, a pair of Marlboro Classic denim jeans, a long brown vest, a long sleeved embroidered purple shirt by BCBG Max Azria and a denim victorian vest, all for the retail price of P1600! We walked back home with a huge plastic bag filled with such interesting finds. If I had brought the same amount to Rustan's or Powerplant, the only thing I would have brought home was a solitary blouse!

I know that these ukay-ukay items are contraband goods as defined by law. In the Philippines, it is prohibited to import used clothing by bulk. Still, they figure their way into our customs territory. Just as they say that piracy is stealing, people may say that buying ukay-ukay is congruent to that. They can complain all they want, but it's still a thrill reenacting the TV show, "Look for Less" inside our friendly neighborhood Ukay-Ukay Store!

I will post the pictures of these wonderful pieces soon, after undergoing a stringent washing procedure hehehe...

SINGELRINGEN

I was browsing the Wednesday edition of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and I chanced upon the Christmas Gift Guide Feature on Young Style. There they featured the Singelringen, which means "singles' ring" in Swedish. It is made in Sweden, a sterling silver band with a turquoise acrylic coat. Each ring is unique in that it is assigned a distinct number code, which you can key in upon registration on the website. Once you are registered, you will be ushered into the Global Singelringen Community where you can create your own profile, much like Friendster or MySpace and meet fellow ringbearers so you could mingle through email and messaging. Sounds interesting, huh?

Being the slave to consumerism that I am, I rushed to Beauty Bar Powerplant as soon as I got off work to get myself an all new Singles' Ring. The marketing strategy was successful. It was indeed time for the singles of the world to shout out that we are mighty proud to be single! Married and engaged individuals are not the only ones entitled to wear rings!

The ring costs P2450. At first I hesitated, was it all worth a chunk of my weekly salary? But heck, I looked forward to day end so I can buy myself the embodiment of my present civil status! So there, I got myself one, despite the fact that it doesn't fit my ring finger. The smallest size was equivalent to U.S. Standard Size 6. I think Im a size 5. It slipped perfectly onto my middle finger. It looks good on me! Yah yah yah... But I could also opt to wear it as a pendant, or as a cellphone charm, just like how they wear it in Japan. Possibilities are endless! :)

Oh well, at the end of the day, mission is accomplished. Another one of my manufactured needs addressed...

ELF (Eyes Lips Face) COSMETICS

I told you I was out on a beauty splurge last weekend. I was walking around the Independent Lifestyles Section at Powerplant Mall with my sister. Guess what we found at the makeup counter of Mimi, incidentally one of our favorite stores in Rockwell... ELF COSMETICS! ELF is a US based company and their products are available online. I think Target also carries this line. For the last year or so, we have tried to purchase ELF both in New York and Australia. I have no idea what prevented us from getting our hands on them. So our jaws dropped when we found ELF in Philippine Shores! To whoever owns Mimi, we are forever indebted to you! All products on the ELF retail for $1.00 on its website. In Mimi, everything sells for P150! Almost a 200% markup I know, but who's complaining!!!

Im loving the Tone Correcting Concealer, Shielding Hydrotint with SPF 15 and the Hypershine Lipgloss in Vixen. Grab your stash now! But please, leave some for me!

Mimi is located at the Independent Lifestyles Section, 3F Powerplant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati City

LISE WATIER AND OLAY TOTAL EFFECTS

As a result of my previous post, I took it upon myself to purchase the new Olay Total Effects. I was particularly drawn to buy the product because of how Miriam Quiambao in her advertisement. She looked absolutely radiant! I will keep you posted on the improvement of my skin. The product promised to show results in two weeks.

As I lined up at the cashier, I just kept repeating to myself, "I'm not vain! I just needed a daily beauty regimen..." No big deal... :)

Aside from that, I was all set to splurge on beauty products last weekend. I also tried out a newly launched makeup line here in the Philippines. Lise Watier, a Canadian makeup brand, is presently available at Marionnaud, a cosmetics chain in France. I had been using Bobbi Brown's Pressed Powder for three years now. I tried several brands in between, Le Clerc, Shu Uemura, Rice Powder, etc. But I kept coming back to Bobbi Brown, which you could avail of in its lone counter here in Manila at the Rustan's Department Store in Glorietta.

While I was strolling around Mall of Asia, I stumbled into Marionnaud, me and my hypnotized feet.. Who wouldn't be drawn to it? The sight of an enormous MAC and Origins Counter was all too difficult to resist. And then there, I found a counter of Becca Cosmetics from Australia, which I have read in various magazines. But they had limited shades available for girls like me who hated looking like Kabuki ladies. I prefer to look like a sunkissed bronzed diva hahaha...

The consultant there recommended Lise Watier Teint Multi-Fini in Ambre. It was an oil free powder foundation, which if applied dry, would cover like a pressed powder. If applied wet, it would give more coverage. Ambre was a shade darker than my natural skin tone. But I love it! It seemed like I stepped out of the sunny sunshine beaches of Boracay. I would definitely recommend it. It costs P1,950 at the Marionnaud in Mall of Asia.

It came with a free express manicure since there was a promo if you spent at least P1500 until November 30, 2006. I signed up for their Loyalty Card, where you can get rebates from your purchases.