Afternoon Tea at Bizu Patisserie

The tradition of afternoon tea started in the United Kingdom and is also practiced in countries influenced by the British Empire. In movies, observe how relaxing and comforting an afternoon tea could be, not to mention how stylish it seems to layer different types of pastries on a tray and choose the best tea cups and wares for you and your guest.



To recreate a relaxing afternoon tea, select an al fresco location - a spot on your garden, terrace, or balcony. Prepare an interesting mix of pastries, scones, jams, chocolates, and sandwiches that are cut into bite sizes. An afternoon tea is meant to pass the time and enjoy a relaxing conversation with your guest. Eat like a queen, alternating bites and sips in moderation. Afternoon tea is best enjoyed between 2PM-5PM, just in between lunch and dinner time. What a relaxing and stylish way to pass the time :)

At the Bizu Patisserie, you and your guest can enjoy a traditional afternoon tea (minus all the preparations). Their afternoon tea spread includes the following:-


Mushroom Duxelle in Vol-au-Vent, Salmon with Dill Pistachio Mousseline on Pâte Brisée, Caramelized Apples with Brie on Croute, Petit Croque Monsieur, Petit Herbed Chicken Feta in Ciabatta.


Classic Scones include - strawberry balsamic jam, chantilly cream and whipped butter best enjoyed with the classic Madeleines.


Macarons de Paris, Chocolate Truffles, Opera Cake, Mango Chiboust.


To clean the palette, sorbets are also included to the afternoon tea.

Bizu Chef Sander shares more with Style and Relax in this video. Watch and learn how to enjoy a succulent afternoon tea this summer.



The afternoon tea spread in Bizu Patisserie costs Php 475 for two persons already. It's a very generous offer, yes? Three-tiered pastry tray served with your choice of any mild teas, what a lovely treat.

Star Style: Roxanne Guinoo

Roxanne Guinoo shares her beauty secret and comfortable outfit with Style and Relax. Recently featured as one of the Top 10 most transformed celebrities, Roxanne Guinoo started as a contestant in Star Circle Teen Quest.

Her charm and natural physique got her on the cover of men's magazines and eventually, she became one of the White Castle endorsers; joining the ranks of legendary White Castle ladies Carmi Martin, Glydel Mercado, and Lorna Tolentino.

Inspiration: Japanese Kimono Style

Yves Saint Laurent and Missoni from Style.com

Time to write about some fashion inspiration. I've always been fond of the Japanese Kimono - it radiates femininity, sensuality, smoothness, and silky movements. I was watching a special on the House of Natori at Lifestyle Network once, and began Googling about Japanese inspired dresses once again. I attempted to unearth my sister's Japanese Kimono costume and wear it with black skinny pants but the costume is somehow lost.


Katherine Heigl and Kate Hudson - Kate Hudson's kimono drapes perfectly! But I wonder what that white tassel is for?


And Yumi Komagata, Shishio's wife in Rurouni Kenshin - whose Kimono I've always wanted and admired



Finally, a preview of my latest shopping find that is inspired by this fascination. I cannot wait to wear it and turn Japanese :)

Tough Jeans 101

Joy Austria of Tough Jeans Philippines shares more about their brand, endorser Gillian Chung, and on why Tough Jeans is the toughest fashion statement that you can make.

Remove Black and White Heads in 15 minutes!

If you are averse to facials with pricking involved, this one is for you -and your nose. Black and white heads usually crowd up the nose area, giving you a black dirty looking nose. It would range from small to huge ones that you just want to squeeze out but squeezing your own nose to clean it would just aggravate these little devils and turn them into zits or humongous pimples.



Here's the solution: Beauty Credit's Mud Pore Strips. I first heard about Beauty Credit in Badet's blog, where she featured the charcoal version. These are only available at Watson's in SM Mall of Asia but instead of the charcoal pore strips, the sales lady gave me Beauty Credit Mud Nose Pore Cleansing Patch. It's also black so I did not notice the mistake but anyway, it also worked.



The box is written in Korean which I don't understand but from the photos and numbers I deciphered the following steps:

1. Wet your nose, just use your finger and make it moist.
2. Apply the nose pore strip or patch and pat it lightly so it touches your skin. Most of all, so that all those dirt and black heads will be trapped into this sticky patch.
3. Wait for 15 to 20 minutes until the pore strip is dry.
4. Lift the pore strip upwards quickly.

Lo an behold, you'll be amazed at how much dirt and black heads have been collected by the pore strip. Since it's black, you can easily see how much it has collected - eeewww. After trying Beauty Credit's Pore Strip, I felt my nose was a lot cleaner. I could actually see unclogged pores and can imagine my skin breathing free - finally.

The Beauty Credit Mud Pore Patch costs Php 199 (7 pieces). It is located at Beauty Credit's own stall inside Watson's in Mall of Asia. Go to the make up section and you will find it. Good bye blackheads! :)

Fashionably Tough Jeans

What is the latest trend in jeans? Joy Austria, Manager of Tough Jeans says tattered, fitted, and boyfriend-type jeans are hot in stores. But what is most important with a pair of jeans is how it fits and it's just too hard to find jeans that are both stylish and comfortable, yes? A recent trip to Tough Jeans at Shangrila Mall made me realize it's not that hard anymore! Just look at their inventory straight from Hongkong.


Sexy, deconstructed, rugged, tattered - must buy Tough jeans!

Tough Jeans are almost customized - their pants have unique stitching, intricate details, and to mention again, a perfect comfortable fit. Clearly, they are on trend with pants that have twisted cuts that make the jeans look fit at the bottom parts. This technique is similar to how modern harem/crouch pants have twisted fabric/stitching on the legs. I love it.



Inside the store, I could not help but ask the Tough Jeans staff to strike for a pose. They are their own stylists that are bound to be helpful to every customer. Meet Joy, Kerwin, Erwin and Daisy :) All of them are wearing Tough Jeans from top to bottom.



It was my first time at Tough Jeans and I just realized I almost stayed here for about an hour. More than jeans they also have tops and watches from Salad, Tough Jeans accessories like bags and belts, and this lovely metallic and furry jacket:




A whole new jeans shopping adventure awaits you at Tough. Also, they offer free alterations so you can enjoy your pair right away - customized to your own length.



Finally, here's my own pair of Tough Jeans. Tattered, crumpled, rugged, and deconstructed. Look at how the back is full of elements, faux belt, the Tough Jeans tag, and an emergency silver tag, how cool is that?



You too can have your own pair of Tough Jeans! Share your Toughest Summer experience at http://toughjeans.multiply.com Deadline of entries is on April 30, so hurry!

Ipanema's Plataforma has New Colors!

At the Ipanema Walkathon, I got for my mom this Ipanema Gisele Bundchen Seeds pair:



This is called Plataforma, and she loves it very much. I also like how thick the soles of Plataformas are, not to mention it came in White and Gold combination that is very classy. The Ipanema Plataforma is great specially now that it's starting to rain. With this, you can still enjoy wearing flipflops but you have elevation in case the road gets wet, yes?

Now the Ipanema Gisele Bundchen Seeds Plataforma also comes in Pink and Purple:



Check out the nearest Ipanema stands in your favorite mall as they also have new exciting colors for other designs :)

Bio Essence Serenity Spa - Break Stress, Literally!

These days, who doesn't need a thoughtful massage? With rising stress levels, everyone needs to head to a spa for a well deserved relaxation. But more than just relaxation, massages can literally break stress built up inside the body.



At the Bio Essence Serenity Spa, I indulged myself to a Shiatsu massage and my attendant Brenda told me that I have "nodules" on the back of my neck, shoulders, and back. I asked her what nodules were and it turns out that these are the tender parts I can feel on my shoulders. Usually mistaken as swollen nerves, nodules are really toxins built up on lymph nodes because of STRESS. Old folks call them "lamig" and nodules are the same reason why a person feels stiff, heavy, with lots of muscle and back pains.

Inside the massage area, where relaxing piano music and eucalyptus scent are present, I had these nodules massaged and you can really feel them breaking down into pieces. I tried to feel my back and it was lighter, I could easily move my shoulders and almost feel my body say aahhhh~ Their Shiatsu massage includes facial and tummy massage too! :)




The Bio Essence Serenity Spa in Connecticut Ave. Greenhills is one of the most stress-free spas I have been to. Everything is clean, on time, and professional. Since it was my first time, I quietly inspected everything:

1. Towels are fresh not reused
2. Bed sheets are clean as well as the pillows
3. Massage beds have clean head holes covered with fresh cottony sheet for comfort
4. Lockers are secure with key, located near the massage bed
5. Rubber slippers, robes, and shorts are provided
6. Comfort room is in the same massage area where a full length vanity mirror is available for fixing yourself up after your massage.
7. Different shower rooms for men and women

What I like most is that they know what a "dry massage" is and they actually have a procedure for it. For people with sensitive skin like me, massage oils can easily clog the skin so we have to opt for a dry massage. My attendant, Brenda used a clean towel on top of my skin and moved it around to the area being massaged. It was very hygienic and soothing at the same time.



The Shiatsu massage at Bio Essence costs Php 650, tips are not mandatory and you will never receive a mystery envelope after your session. Perfect! With only Php 650 you can also use their sauna and shower before your massage. They also serve refreshments before and after your treatment. Hot tea is recommended to effectively flush out the toxins from the body.

What are you waiting for? Give yourself a break and head for an affordable but enjoyable massage at Bio Essence. You can visit their website for their full list of services at http://bioessence.ph

Make Everyday a Friday - Relax with a Cocktail!

Relax, Friday's are always bound to come once a week and mark the start of a happy weekend, when you can rest and unwind from all the stress! Whether you are a student, office worker, or a freelancer - make everyday something worth celebrating. It will make you feel lighter and healthier but sometimes, we need a little help to boost us up. Good food and great company of friends or just anybody at all.



Or how about a refreshing mojito? Personally, it was my first time to drink a mojito because I am averse to alcohol. But on a Monday night, at TGI Friday's, I discovered a refreshing and relaxing drink that will make you go ahhhhh ~



Because of TGI Friday's A Week of Fridays promo, it's more affordable to celebrate at this fun-filled restaurant where you can leave your worries at the front door.

Or, if you would rather stay at home why don't you whip up something cold and refreshing? For this post, I experimented with a Blueberry Vodka Cruiser x Fresh Pineapple Juice on the rocks :) The StyleandRelax cocktail, cheers! You will end up with a luminescent glass like this:



Make sure to pour the Vodka Cruiser first before the Pineapple Juice, and watch the colors do their magic :) Now, don't you feel so much better? Cheers!

Get yourself to Exercise - Belly Dance

Summer is the best season to be active, but honestly with the afternoon heat all we want to do is lie down and wait for the sun to fade. Hence, everybody needs all the motivation in the world - think of something fun to do wherein you can burn all those calories hiding behind our skin.

Why don't we try something new like....

Belly Dancing! These are the photos I took during the Fitness First Anniversary in Megamall. Belly dancers are so graceful, confident, and glowing. Not to mention the fabulous costume, didn't we all want to be like Princess Jasmine during our tween age? The show was enough to convince me to unearth my belly dancing instructional videos.

If you have extra money, it's best to enroll yourself in a belly dancing studio where mirrors are installed on the walls and you can see if you are getting all the moves right. Teachers are also present to correct, guide, and motivate you along the way.



On the other hand, there are lots of belly dancing videos in record bars. These you can do and follow in the comforts of your own home. Here are some tips to get the most of belly dancing at home.

1. Be sure that you have enough space to move around
2. Prepare all things that you might need (i.e. face towel, a glass of water)
3. It's best to practice belly dancing inside your own room where people cannot disturb you
4. If you are living with housemates, be clear with them that you are not to be disturbed or that they should not barge into your room
5. Always have the remote control within your reach should you need to pause

These tips are the same tips I follow whenever I practice yoga at home. It's hard to get ourselves moving and disturbances would only discourage us to continue exercising. Now grab yourself a Belly Dancing DVD and move it! :)