Tuesday, March 26, 2013

The looloo rendezvoos #3

It is confirmed: being surrounded by nice and friendly people gives you a dose of good vibes. :)

That's like stating the obvious, isn't it? But you'll be surprised how rare this happens in today's world; there always seem to be "negatrons" lurking around the premises. But at looloo's 3rd Rendezvoos, it was all smiles and positive energy; no bad vibes allowed here!

I was very happy to receive a Rendezvoos invite from Peanut, one of the looloo crew. I was also a bit torn. I had a scheduled event on the morning of the Rendezvoos, all the way in La Mesa Eco Park! I wasn't sure if the event will finish on time, or if I will be able to drive all the way from the North to the semi-South in time for the Rendezvoos meet-up! But I wouldn't miss this for world (I mean, how often do you receive invites for free nail spas?), so I told Peanut that I will be there "by hook or by crook." Haha.

Thankfully, I arrived, albeit a lot haggard and a bit late. They weren't at the meet-up place anymore by the time I got there. :( Peanut was so nice to come back for me and another looloo rendezvooer, Marc C. (I'm glad I'm not the only one who was late! Haha!), to accompany us to the location of our nail sparty: Coco Luca! It's a "hidden" nail and waxing salon just off of Burgos Circle.

The reception area

By the time we got to the place, Odell R, Alecs R, Jodi N, and Tracy M. were already getting their finger/toe nails clipped, buffed and polished. It was a very small place, only enough to fit 7 to 9 customers at the same time, but it didn't look cramped since there was natural light coming through the windows, and they had light colored walls with bright colored furniture and upholstery. :) The place was channeling "tropical spa" with its theme, which is very fitting to their name which means "Coconut" and "Light."

Looloo-ers getting pampered!

Didn't take too long before someone started working on my nails. The package comes with a manicure, pedicure and footspa, and a free hand and foot massage, too! Ahhh. :)

My tired feet needed some R&R

You have a lot of nail polish to choose from...

Gucci nail polish! Sounds and looks expensive!

Since it was a nail sparty, we had the place all to ourselves! They served food and drinks, too: mini tacos (what were they called? Taclitos? Taclings?), iced tea, and assorted candy.

Read my detailed review here. :)

The spa services aside, what I really, truly enjoyed was the company. It was weird how I could talk so easily with a group of strangers! I usually hate small talk, and I don't really like mingling at business lunches or seminars (I'm an introvert that way), but the conversation at the Rendezvoos didn't feel like forced small talk at all. We talked about everything under the sun: from unique food finds, disastrous restaurant experiences, magazine features (hi Tracy M.), scuba diving (hi Marc C.), movies (hi Jodi N.), our old age as compared to one (hi Alecs R.), and our collective hate for anything green and leafy (hi everyone except Marc C! Haha!).


The Rendezvooers (L-R: me, Tracy, Alecs, Jodi and Marc)
Photo grabbed from @loolooapp (instagram)
 
It also helped that Odell and Peanut were such charming and interesting people. They asked us thought-provoking questions  such as "How did you first discover looloo?" and "Would you rather go to a place with good food but bad service, or good service and so-so food?" Haha! (My answer, by the way, is the latter) We also shared with them valuable suggestions for the looloo app, such as new badges (i.e. the Suggestor Badge and the Club Badge); and "badge levels" (for those who have visited more than 5 coffee shops, for example); and "badge gift certificates or prizes" in collaboration with some establishments. Other suggestions were: editable star ratings, a personal message feature, and editable recommendations for the inflooence score (this is especially for those with sucky inflooence scores, like me! Haha!)! Odell and Peanut promised to take note of these ideas and discuss them with the whole team. :) I hope that some of them make it to the next looloo app upgrade! :D
 


Meet Peanut, the most adorable person on looloo! (haha, ang galing, Tracy & I had the same assessment!)
 
The whole gang with the looloo crew, Peanut and Odell!
(photo grabbed from Peanut's instagram)

All-in-all, it was a very enjoyable afternoon. The conversation was so interesting that we continued our chikahan at the nearby Toast Box (sans Alecs, who had to go back to school! Boo!).

Thank you, looloo for giving me the opportunity to be part of the first nail sparty rendezvoos! Not only did I get a free manicure and foot spa (and some loolooloot, too!), I also met some really interesting people. :) It just goes to show that looloo has become more than an app, it's a community of people who are interested in so many diverse things; a community of people who like discovering places they'll love. ♥

Thanks again, and see you at the (next) looloo eat-up! :)

My awesome new nail color c/o Coco Luca, and my looloo goodie bag!


This is a picture of the loolooloot I got from the previous Tomas Morato promo! Got the same stuff here at the Rendezvoos too! The more the merrier! :)






Get 360 Fit, the 30-Day Challenge: WEEK 2

We are now at WEEK 2! As early as now, I can tell you that this is a good program to follow. Focus on health and fitness everyday is not such a bad thing. :) If I can maintain this program for every day of my busy life, I can probably reach my fitness goals in less than 3 months. I will get stronger, leaner, and more flexible, with the help of these basic exercises.

So what did they have in store for us this week?

* * * *

Day 8: Water is best!

Today's challenge was simple: stay away from canned drinks, softdrinks, juices, or anything other than water! This is a good challenge for me because I often forget to drink the required 8 glasses of water a day! :( Getting into this habit is beneficial because it will lessen my sugar intake, and it will help flush out the toxins from my body. Detox!

Drank water from my UP Yabang Cup!


Day 9: Power up the core!

Another day to focus on the core! We were asked to do 3 rounds of the series of exercises below:

Plank circuit:

- Low planks, 40 seconds
- Side planks, 35 seconds per side
- Glute Bridge, 40 seconds
 



Core integration circuit:

- 12 floor touch squats
- 12 push-ups
- 12 pairs mountain climbers
- 6 pull-ups or 12 body rows
- 12 full burpees with push-ups




I think I did well enough. :) I noticed that I had an easier time with the push-ups. I can finally say that I can now do full push-ups, baby! No more of those modified ones. :)


Day 10: FREE DAY, NOT! ;)

LOL. Nag-paasa pa talaga sa title. Today, we were free to choose to attend either an STC, Kettlebell or Body Weight Circuit class. I chose to attend the body weight circuit class in Makati (7:00 p.m.), since I was supposed to have a PT session that evening also.

The class was jampacked (with other challengers), and we were all tasked to do 3 sets of a variety of exercises: mountain climbers, planks, push-ups, burpees, lunges, etc.


Upon seeing my ngarag face after class, my coach said that it would be best if we postpone the PT, since he was planning to have me do many difficult exercises. It would be a waste if I do not have the full energy to do those exercises, so he pushed me to attend the Body Jam class at 7:30 p.m. instead. No complaints here, I love Body Jam class. :)


Day 11: We know you all love BURPEES!

Oh no, it's burpees time again. I thought 50 was bad enough, but no, they had us do SEVENTY (70) BURPEES this time! With push-ups!



Halfway through the exercise, I was surprised to realize that I didn't have as much of a hard time as I did when I was doing the 50. I took less rests in between burpees (before, I rested after every 10; now, I rested after every 15, I think). Great! I hope this means I am getting stronger!


Day 12: Try the Challenge Work-Out of the Month!

I had a PT session scheduled for today, so it was no problem for me to go to the gym. But I was late, and - you guessed it - my PT session was postponed again. Hay. :( Malas ata ako sa PT. Haha! Coach Mapi turned me over to another coach, though, to guide me through the Work-Out of the Month (weird, it says Work-Out of the Week on the board). I was asked to do as many rounds as I can of the following exercises, in 10 minutes:

- 10 squat to burpees (with 10-lb weights)
- 10 burpees to pull-ups
- 15 clean and press (with 10-lb weights)
- 30 alternate lunges (with 10-lb weights)
- 15 Russian Twists

That's me, not looking very  happy, doing the Russian Twists. Haha!

I'm sorry I couldn't ask the coach to take more pictures of me doing the other exercises. I was too busy dying from the "burpees to pull-ups" exercise he made me do. That was intense. At the end of 10 minutes, I was able to do one complete round plus an almost complete 2nd round; I just wasn't able to do the 10 "burpees to pull-ups." Sayang.

But at least I got my name on the board. Only female contender for the week, right here! :)

After finishing the challenge, I rested for a while, and Coach Mapi asked me to do 3 sets of the following series of exercises to complete my work-out:

- 10 burpees
- 10 push-ups
- 10 squats

Wala lang, madagdagan lang.


Day 13: Take it down a notch

"You're almost halfway through, good job! Go watch a movie, eat out, relax at home, do whatever you like today and just have fun! Time to recharge for the week ahead." This could be my most favorite challenge yet. Very timely, too, because I had a nail sparty (yes, it's a word combo: spa + party) at Coco Luca that afternoon, c/o looloo! :) Check out my review of the place here so you can see just how relaxing my day was!



Day 14: Take an afternoon jog!

Ok, so I didn't exactly follow the instructions to a T. Sunday afternoons are usually reserved for my family (we had mass in the afternoon), so I didn't have time to go on an afternoon jog. I wish they sent the instructions earlier so I could have gone for an early morning jog instead. :(

I tried to make-do with what I had, though, so I hopped on the treadmill that evening. The instructions stated, "light training for today!" so I went ahead and ran 3 kilometers on the treadmill, at an average pace of 7 km/hour. Not too shabby. I hope they consider this as a valid replacement!

I tried to take a picture before and during the work-out.

* * * *
 
14 days down, 16 more to go!!!!

Get 360 Fit, the 30-day challenge: WEEK 1

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Get 360 Fit, the 30-Day Challenge: WEEK 1

In my last bid for a bikini-worthy beach bod for Summer 2013, I signed up for Personal Training sessions twice a week with a coach at 360 Fitness Club. I am also practicing yoga at Urban Ashram (at least once a week), TRYING to cut back on rice and sweets, and lastly, I signed up for the "30 Day Challenge," which is also initiated by 360 Fitness Club. My Boracay trip is less than 30 days from now, as I write this blog intro, but I'm hoping that the 20 or so days of physical activity will still make a difference. I will probably be doing the last few days of the challenge on the beach! Wouldn't that be interesting?

For posterity's sake, I will be documenting the exercises here on my blog, similar to the JuJuCleanse diary I wrote a few months back. This is a personal test to see if I have the discipline to finish all 30 days, and to see if I will get physically stronger day by day.

* * * *

DAY 1: The Starter

See demo video from 360 Fitness Club.

This was basically a fitness test, to check our strength / endurance level before we started on the 30-day challenge. Will the results of this test still be the same after 30 days? It will be interesting to find out. :)

- 1-minute push-ups (do as many push-ups as you can in 1 minute)
- the 90 second plank (hold the plank position for as long as 90 seconds)
- 1-minute burpees (do as many FULL burpees as you can in 1 minute)
- the vertical jump test (jump as high as you can)


Result: I was able to do 18 modified push-ups (the ones with my knees touching the ground); I was able to complete the 90-second plank; and I was able to do 12 full burpees. I hate burpees. Just 12 of 'em was enough to make me sweat like a pig. It's an intense exercise, though, and according to an article in livestrong.com, if you are a person weighing 155 lbs, you can burn as much as 10 calories per minute. Hmm. So I guess I burned less? But still, I'll take what I can get! If I didn't burn as much, at least I was able to give my core and legs an intense work-out!


DAY 2: Building the Foundation

See demo video from 360 Fitness Club.

It's time to build the core! We were tasked to do some planking and then core integration exercises.

Part 1: Planks

- low plank for 30 seconds
- left and right side plank for 30 seconds each
- rest for 1 minute after each set; do 3 sets in total

Part 2: Core Integration

- 10 floor-touch squats
- 10 push-ups
- 10 pairs mountain climbers
- 10 pull-ups or 10 rows
- 10 burpees



DAY 3: Let the Music Move You

See demo video from 360 Fitness Club.

This one was pretty easy. All I had to do was go to the 360 Fitness Club Makati branch to join the Body Jam class at 7:30. I usually go to the gym on Mondays to attend the dance classes (Body Jam and Zumba back-to-back!), so this was nothing new to me. I'm not exactly the most graceful dancer, and I have problems with hand and feet coordination, but this has been an effective cardio work out for me (pawis kung pawis!), and the music makes me happy. :) AND they say you are able to burn an average of 500 to 600 calories in an hour of Body Jam / Zumba! Nice!

The studio was pretty full; it's normally full on regular days, but there were a lot of newcomers because of the challenge. I'm glad that this isn't my first time because at least I was familiar with some of the dance moves. Haha!



Really fun challenge, and convenient for me to go because I had a scheduled Personal Training session with Coach Mapi right after. The dancing provided me with the needed adrenaline rush to get me through the instense PT work out. Fight!


DAY 4: We're gonna burpees like it's the end of the world!

50 full burpees. If that statement doesn't scare you, I don't know what will.

I hate burpees. Full burpees are even worse. If you do not know what FULL burpees are, go back to the demo video of Day 1. Here are the basic steps:

1. Start in the standing position.
2. Drop down to the floor, using your hands as support, then kick your legs back into a low plank position.
3. From the plank position, lower your body down to do a full-push up.
4. Push your legs forward to jump into a squatting position.
5. Jump as high as you can from a squatting position.



It's a full body work-out that involves your legs, core and arms, so get ready to really sweat it out. I survived by resting after every 10 reps. It was pretty intense. I had trouble sitting down and walking the day after. Well, you know what they say: no pain, no gain!


DAY 5: Push it!

100 full push-ups. Man, these challenges are getting scarier and scarier everyday!

In yoga, there is this pose called chaturanga dandasana. In this pose, you don't push yourself up, but rather, lower yourself down from the plank position. I guess it's a bit similar to the full push-up, but there is no abrupt push of your body weight from a lowered position.

I thought that my weekly yoga practice would prepare me for this full push-up challenge; the step I find most difficulty in executing is the lowering of the body. I still need improvement, though, as I still cannot lower my body as low as I want to (chest should touch the floor, or else it doesn't count??). I am also having difficulty with my form: my legs go down before my chest does, when it should be in one straight line. :|



Anyway, the important thing is, I SURVIVED. I did 50 full push-ups (with a minute resting time every 10 reps), and 50 modified push-ups(with a minute resting time between the 15-15-10-10 reps).


DAY 6: Strengthen your minds today!

No exercises for today! Just 10 minutes of rest and quiet meditation. At this day and age, things get more stressful with our phones  / computers / gadgets tied to our hands almost every minute of the day. For today's challenge, we just set aside 10 minutes of our day, detached ourselves from our gadgets, and focused on our breathing, while lying down (in shavasana pose), or while in a comfortable seated position (sukhasana).

We weren't required to take pictures for Day 6. Good, because it would have been weird (and an interruption to our concentration) if somebody snapped a photo of us while lying down. Haha!


DAY 7: Fit Family Day!

We were required to do something active with our families, may it be a quick work-out, walking, jogging, or Wii or Kinect. Since all of my siblings (all 4 of us, except for my sister haha) are work-out addicts, it wasn't very hard to convince at least one of them (my youngest brother), to work-out with me in our gym. I asked the non-working-out sibling (my sister) to take pictures. Haha!

We did core exercises similar to the exercises in Day 2 (planks), and then he taught me some abdominal exercises. We did 30 reps each of the following:

1. Straight-leg sit-ups
2. Legs-bent sit-ups
3. Leg raises
4. Russian twists
5. Side crunches
6. Superman (similar to the locust pose in yoga)


 
That was fun. :) Maybe next time we could all run in UP together. The challenge there is trying to get all of us to wake up early on a Sunday morning. Haha!
 
* * * *
 
Week 1 is done! So far, so good. I've been able to send in my pictures everyday. I'm already through 1/4 of the program, I can't back out anymore! Sayang naman, diba?
 
 
FYI: The prize for completing this challenge is a limited edition finisher's shirt. I know it's not much, but I'm really aiming for the pride of wearing it. Haha! And of course, I am aiming for the strength that I am sure to gain in doing this challenge. Eyes on the prize!

Sunday, March 03, 2013

A Birthday Beyond Expectations

I celebrated my 30th birthday in Melbourne, Australia.

Now doesn't that sound so exciting? It was my birthday gift for myself, and it was also timely that one of my good friends from highschool was getting married there on the same week. I have been planning it since around 4 months back (of course, since I had to apply for a visa and book a ticket), and I was expecting it to be an awesome birthday adventure Down Under. It did not disappoint.

Getting lost in the streets of Melbourne

It was my first time to travel so far by myself (the farthest before that was to Guam, U.S.A.), and I spent most of my 10 days there "getting lost" in the streets of Melbourne, taking solo walking tours and experiencing the city on my own. The day itself was pretty memorable: I spent the day walking around Melbourne, camera and map in tow; it was also the day my iPhone fell into the sewer (on a rainy day!), died for a couple of hours, and was revived miraculously a couple of hours later. That night, my friend Kat gathered some of her friends and family to have a buffet dinner with me at Kitchen Workshop. It was a simple get-together with old and new friends, and a great way to cap off my 30th birthday celebration.

Birthday dinner with new friends 

Of course, there were the little heartwarming moments that made my birthday extra special: a Skype call from my family in Manila at 12 midnight on the dot; and a birthday cake with a humongous candle care of Kat's family, when we got home from our dinner. :)

The biggest birthday cake candle I've seen in mah life

It was an epic event in my life; it was when I truly focused on myself, did things that made me happy, and the time when I looked at life in a more positive way.

I found  in the streets of Melbourne


Every year, I celebrate my birthday very differently from the previous one. Maybe it's because so many things change in a year and my interests also change; maybe it's also because I get restless a lot, and I always want to improve on my life experiences.

Spent my 29th birthday here with these kiddos

My family and friends who helped me with my birthday outreach!

Spent my 30th birthday at Relik with THESE kiddos. LOL.

Every year is special, and every year is always fun. :) This year, though, I decided to just spend my birthday here in Manila. I also didn't want a big party. Big parties entail big funds (which I am trying to spend responsibly for my future haha), intense planning (which I do not have time for because of work), and high expectations (which I cannot afford to have, because I will just be setting myself up for disappointment).

And so, this year, on an insignificantly numbered year (31), I was planning on having a laid-back birthday. No big plans. No big expectations. I was satisfied with just having a simple celebration with friends and family.

However, so much has changed this past year: I've met new friends, gotten even closer to some of them, and drifted apart from some others. 2012 was also the year I met and got to know my boyfriend, Ton, so that's a big and happy change. :) My family and I have also moved to a new house (a house I designed, hurrah!), and I've been reassigned to a new project. All of these factors come into play with what the heavens have got planned for my 31st birthday.

First-off, my boyfriend wasn't going to let my 31st birthday be insignificant, that's for sure. Ton is a show-stopper, and he was not going to let my birthday be another run-of-the-mill inuman. Haha. Secondly, my family missed having to celebrate my 30th birthday with me, and they weren't about to let this one slip past their fingers again. And lastly, my loyal and loving staff from my current project has never celebrated my birthday with me in the past 3 years of working with me (2 years ago I spent my birthday in Baguio for the Panagbenga, then last year I was in Melbourne), so I really didn't know what to expect, spending my birthday at work for the first time. I guess I expected to just work. Haha.

February 25, 2 days before my birthday: I made last minute plans for a small get-together at Relik, during their Akoustika Mondays. Nothing big, just something to relieve Monday stress. :) We used to be regular patrons of Akoustika...as in, EVERY MONDAY NIGHT we would be there to drink, relax and sing. We've been busy lately, though, so we've been absent for quite awhile. I thought a pre-birthday celebration would be a nice time to come back. :)

Thanks to those who were able to come even with the late invitation!

Thanks to the Entourage boys for singing for me! :) "Mr. Brightside" never sounded so good! Haha!


February 26, the day before my birthday: Since we were all up late on a work night, I told Ton that I wanted to relax the following day. We just had a simple dinner at Grams Diner, then proceeded to Bugsy's to make an appearance at his co-worker's birthday inuman.

I was telling Ton that I could not feel that it was my birthday. It was like a normal day/night for me. 31 is a pretty odd number, and after passing the milestone of 30 years, I didn't think that another year would really be more significant. Haha. I guess I was having the birthday blues. After years of trying to avoid that damn thing, it sneaks up on me again.

But that would soon change. As soon as we reached the top of the stairs of Bugsy's, shouts of "Happy Birthday!" and "SURPRISE!" greeted me. My friends from high school, college, MBA, the Entourage, and my family, were there! I was amazed at how Ton got everybody together, even if he just met some of them once. He really has the ability to remember every detail of my life, and every person that I introduce him to. Turns out, he has been planning this for about a month already, and he contacted everybody through Facebook (of course).

SURPRISE! :)

Thank you to everyone who took time from their busy weekday schedule to come and surprise me on my birthday salubong! And for keeping all of this a secret for a whole month! Ang tatag nyo! Nag-tampo pa man din ako sa marami sa inyo dahil di kayo pumunta sa aking impromptu pre-birthday inuman. Haha!

Even my family was there at the party! (sans Laurence. Hmp)


February 27, MY BIRTHDAY!: Having had a blast at the party the previous night, I wasn't really expecting much on my birthday itself. I planned to have some food delivered to the office for a simple salo-salo with my staff; and then dinner with my family at Village Tavern. :) I guess my staff had other plans; after being on "birthday leave" for the past 3 birthdays, they weren't going to let me off the hook so easily on my first birthday at work:

Di pa ako nagsusuklay, may surprise na!

Sweet!

They also tried to distract me by taking me on a site inspection so early in the morning! I had surprises waiting for me at the project site as well:

DATEM workers singing me a happy birthday! :)

Spent around 30-40 minutes walking around the site, clueless about the surprise waiting for me back in the office...

Coming down from the site, I saw all of my site architects, engineers and staff lined-up in front of the office, waiting for me:

They all had a WHITE rose for me! Parang debut lang! Haha!

I honestly thought that that was all there is to it: my staff giving me roses one-by-one, getting a photo taken with each of them, and hearing birthday greetings and wishes from all of them. The biggest surprise was still waiting for me behind the door, though. I looked back towards the office and there was Ton, standing there with the 31st (red) rose. 


The look of love and surprise! Haha!

It was the sort of thing that I only saw in the movies. I couldn't believe it: I finally experienced my very own movie moment. It's what I have always hoped for, and it happened! To me! It just goes to show that I really should never underestimate the wonders of life: I thought things couldn't get any better, but life just handed me a big: "Hah! I proved you wrong!" in the form of roses and cake and good, well-meaning friends and family. And of course, in the form of a tall and charming Bisaya named Ton. :)

Daghang kaayong salamat. Gihigugma ta ka!


Very happy birthday girl

It was a very happy birthday indeed, one filled with so many unexpected twists. Last year, I remember blurting out (to no-one in particular): "It will be very hard to top THIS birthday!" Somewhere out there, God said: "Challenge accepted!" and proceeded to draft out a plan: a better birthday for Lesley, 365 days in the making.

I am humbled by all of the blessings I have received this past year. Words cannot describe the gratitude I feel. This birthday has been GREAT beyond expectations! And I know that next year will be even better; that is God's birthday gift to me year after year after year after year. :)

Friday, March 01, 2013

Blow Me Away

Most of my friends will take a look at me and they will consider my hair to be straight: it's not wavy or curly or frizzy. However, it has this "natural wave" somewhere in the middle of my head that causes my hair to look unruly if I do not comb it out properly (which is usually the case since I cannot, for the life of me, handle a hair dryer). If it's cut the wrong length, or if I do not fix it properly, I will end up having "tikwas" or "fly-away" ends.

I am also used to my hair being "wash and wear," since I used to have short hair back in my college days (boys' cut and bob cut). But ever since I grew out my hair to longer than shoulder-length, I have considered using hair tools such as hair irons (I've tried them myself: they do not work on my hair; or maybe I just do not know how to use them properly), and hair dryers (which I rarely use because I am usually in a rush to go out).

Whenever I have special events or dates to attend, I go to the nearby parlors to have my hair blow-dried or styled. Most of the hair stylists I've encountered always comment that my hair strands are so thick and so many, and therefore difficult to tame. They mostly do a good job at the end, though, so I don't just base my reviews on the finished product: I also check the pricing, the customer service, and the interiors (of course you need to have a beautiful salon! Channel your surroundings dapat!).

This month alone, I was able to try out 3 different salons. February is "special-event" month, since it has Valentine's Day and my birthday, so this is also the month wherein I spend a lot on kikay services. I will try to review each salon separately, based only on their blow-dry service.


FIX LAB
2nd Level, Serendra Piazza, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Tel No.: +63 2 8560594

Went here to have my hair blow-dried for my big Valentine's date. I had to call ahead to set an appointment of course, but when I got there, I saw that I shouldn't have worried: the place was completely empty except for a girl getting foil on her hair. Huh. Is nobody prepping for VDay?
  • Interiors: spacious in the middle, high mirrors, comfy chairs.
  • Shampoo service: Whenever I visit a salon, the shampoo service is the one that makes or breaks my opinion of them. I had no problems with Fix Lab's service: the stylist didn't dribble water into my ears, the neck rest was comfy, and the towels were nice, fluffy and clean.
  • Finished product: I was in and out of there in 45 minutes. The stylist just blow-dried it straight: no waves, no curls, no frizz (see picture below for reference). And then he put some styling wax onto my bangs for staying power. It smelled good. I also tried out a different hairstyle with them before for my Halloween costume last year. I had them blow-dry my hair into big, sexy waves, and I also asked them to put in a silver streak onto my bangs using this spray-on hair color I bought. Kudos for doing the extra service!
My straightened hair c/o Fix Lab

My wavy hairstyle with silver bangs for my Halloween costume (Rogue from the X-Men); hairstyle c/o Fix Lab


Overall, I was satisfied with their service. The shampoo and blow-dry service only cost me Php 225, plus I gave a 50-peso tip. Php 275 all-in-all! Not bad! However, If you have your curled or set (like what I did for Halloween), it will cost you PhP 500.


BLO BLOW DRY BAR
2-c01a 2nd Level, Serendra Piazza, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Tel No.: +63 917 6-BLODRY (256379) / bloserendra@blomedry.com

I was so excited to try this place out when I saw that it was already open. I've seen their teaser board-ups in Powerplant Mall, and I could see glimpses of their 2nd floor Serendra branch board-up whenever I would pass by the Piazza.

I was planning an advance birthday celebration with a small group of friends that night (a Monday night), so I thought of trying Blo out for my birthday blow-out (hehe, get it?). I set an appointment thru phone, and I asked the receptionist how much their blow-dry service is. It costs PhP 500, and you will have 7 signature styles to choose from, from their "Hair Menu." Huh. That's pretty expensive ah, especially since I can get my hair blow-dried for half the price at other salons.

I decided to go through with it anyway, and I Googled the 7 signature styles so that I could choose beforehand. When I got there, though, their in-store hair menu had more choices than in the website I saw. Their US stores apparently offer a different combination of styles. I think the "hair menu" is a cute and creative way of offering their service: sometimes we girls go to salons without a clue as to what hairstyle to have done. Sometimes there are hair style magazines we can browse through so that we can have a peg image for the stylist to copy from. Blo, however, has taken this critical stage of choosing to a whole new level: a chic hair menu that shows sketches of the different hair styles they can offer for a set fee of PhP 500.

Sample page from their hair menu
I also asked my stylist what her recommended style for me was. At first she wanted me to try this Hollywood Glam style with big, sexy curls, but then she decided to use the Red Carpet style instead: this one is like a regular hair blow-out, but with natural waves at the end. She said if we do the big curls, my hair would shorten up to above the shoulders. Blah. No, I want long sexy hair, please. Haha!
  • Interiors: SO CUTE! It was all white and deep pink / fuchsia! It looked so new and clean and girly. ♥ The chairs were upholstered in white leather / leatherette, and the countertops were immaculate. Each station had their own set of tools: hair dryers, irons, curlers and whatever hair tool you would need for styling. They were all neatly arranged in compartment holes beside the mirror, and in drawers that hide neatly under the counter.

PINK PINK PINK PINK PINK PINK
  • Shampoo service: This is where it got bad. I was casually conversing with my stylist while she was shampooing my hair and I found out that they only opened last February 12, so that means they've only been operational for 2 weeks and they are on soft opening. She used to be assigned at the PowerPlant branch (which opened February 5) but she was transferred immediately to the Serendra branch upon its opening. I don't know how long they were trained, but in the middle of the shampoo service, I was thinking that maybe she needed a bit more training. Water kept dripping into my ears! Ugh, I hate that. And she was still a bit hesitant with her scalp massage. Parang kulang pa sa conviction. Haha! So it felt like she was just patting me on the head. Oh well. She was nice naman, so I can give her another chance. Hehe. The shampoo station was so pretty (mosaic tiles on the walls, and white chairs), and the neck support was comfy, so 2 thumbs up for that!
  • Finished product: See the picture? That's me, holding the pink hair menu. What do you think? I thought my hair was nice, not too flat or straight, with a few wisps of runaway waves here and there. Perfect for a casual night out. I think they need to practice some more, though. It took an hour to finish my hair. To be fair to my stylist, she asked me if I was in a hurry and I said no, so she said that, good, she can take her time to work more on my hair. I guess I gotta give her credit for wanting to do a good job. Haha.
My "Red Carpet" look

Oh yeah, after my service, they asked if they could take my picture. I wasn't able to ask what it was for, but I smiled for the camera anyway. :D

Looking at their Blo menu, they have other services aside from the simple blow-out. They also have hair styling for men, up-dos, attachment of extensions, and bridal hair. They really just focus on your tresses. Wash, blow and go is their tag line, and they aim to give fast hair service to their customers.


One interesting thing they have is that they don't give out paper receipts. They send out appointment confirmations, receipts, and thank you notes through email. I think it's a nice, modern touch.

I am willing to try Blo again, even with the high price, but maybe I will choose another hairstyle just to see how well they can execute it, and to see how well I can pull it off.


LOUIS PHILLIP KEE SALON
G/F Unit 116-117, Forbeswood Heights, Rizal Drive corner Burgos Circle, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Tel No.: +63 2 8563388 or 8564848

I'm a coupon junkie, and I often do my shopping sprees online, on deal websites such as Deal Dozen, Deal Grocer, MetroDeal, CashCashPinoy and Living Ensogo. I can get big discounts for items and services that I usually spend on, such as multiple-day passes for fitness centers (this is how I got to try out 360 Fitness Club and Urban Ashram Manila), restaurant meals (so far, I've tried food from Lulu, Ristras, and Relik), accessories (I bought a car trunk organizer, a portable digital luggage scale, a Pro-Form Pilates Kit, and a Longchamp Le Pliage bag!), and salon / grooming services (I've bought IPL packages, eyebrow threading and coloring, and manicure / pedicure packages).

The latest salon service I was able to try out was Louis Phillip Kee's "Keratherapy," the new chemical-free Brazilian blow-dry. I was able to buy a voucher from Deal Grocer for only PhP 4,200! That's more than 50% off from its original price of PhP 9,000. Pretty sweet deal! Now it is time to find out if the service is totally worth my money.

I decided to try it out on the day before my birthday (which was a mistake; you'll find out later on why), because the voucher was set to expire only 2 days after, and I had no other free days. I called the salon ahead to set an appointment and to ask how long the treatment will take: 2 hours, they said. Ok. So I set my appointment 3 hours before my dinner date that night. That should give me enough time to go home and change.
  • Interiors: The place was a bit small. I'm an architect, so the layout is usually the first thing I notice, and the salon's layout was a bit messy. The chairs and mirrors were placed in the oddest of places (most of them weren't placed beside each other). I guess they were trying to maximize the space, but for me, it looked magulo. The chairs were big, plushy armchairs, though; I liked that.
  • Shampoo service: I guess I should've known that something was terribly wrong when the stylist draped a dirty towel on my shoulders. It was dark blue and stained with blotches of hair coloring. Ugh. I guess it may have been washed (the stains are just there forever), but it still smelled funky, like old socks. The shampooing was ok: the stylist used sure, firm movements while massaging the shampoo into my hair and scalp. Water still dripped into my ears though, and he wiped it off using the stained towel. *shudder* AND he wrapped this same stained towel around my hair. This is terrible. Salons should always have a supply of clean towels. If it's stained, throw it out! Kailangan pa ba i-memorize  yan?
  • Finished product: I guess I was too appalled by the towel-incident to remember to take a picture at the salon. Below is a picture of me during the surprise birthday salubong party my boyfriend prepared for me that night, so at least you will have an idea of what my hair looked like after the treatment. It looked ok that night, but the following day (my birthday), it looked a bit flat! I spent my birthday having flat hair! Huhu. :( I can't wash it for 3 days, they said, so was stuck with limp, oily, stinky hair for 3 days. :( They were offering me a special shampoo and conditioner that is recommended for use post-treatment, but they were out of stock. It will make the treatment last longer by locking in the "ingredients" into my hair. I'm not sure if I want to buy it, though, because it's PhP 1500 each!!! Mygad.

What do you think?
The treatment itself was ok; it only took around 30 minutes to apply to my hair. It stings, though, so be sure to close your eyes (now that I think about it, it's supposed to be chemical-free, so why does it sting?). It took SO LONG to dry and set it, though. After the treatment application, he let it set for another 30 minutes before starting to dry my hair. But then blow-drying wasn't enough; he still used a flat iron to "set" the treatment. The whole process took more than 2 hours. :( The stylist was very talkative and friendly (which is a plus because it kept me entertained haha), so the 2 hours didn't feel so long.

I'm really hoping that this is worth it. It's a service worth 9k, and even if I bought it at more than 50% off, I still don't think it's worth that much. I hope it will prove me wrong in the next couple of days. So far, though, I think it's working: since my hair looks icky, I've had it in a ponytail for the past 7 hours; when I removed it, there was no dent where the ponytail used to be! Still straight! Nice. I'm hoping that this means I won't need to go to the salon for blow-dry service for the next 3 months  (they say the treatment lasts for 3 months). C'mon, hair, cooperate!

* * * *

I like the feeling of having silky, shiny hair after going to the salon. I don't know why I don't get the same results when shampooing and conditioning at home: is it because they use expensive shampoo? I bought expensive shampoo from a salon once, and no, it did not give me the desired results for every day that I used it. :( I guess I really have to depend on salons for perfect hair until I can get the hang of using a hair iron or a hair dryer.

The 3 salons I reviewed above are all located very conveniently near my place of work and place of residence, so I can have my pick any time. Based on my experience, though, I prefer the service of Fix Lab (they give good results for a good price!), and I am intrigued by what else Blo can do for my hair. It's a bit steep (2x the price of Fix Lab for a simple blow-out), but if I choose the other, more complicated styles (like the fishtail braid, an updo, or the big Hollywood curls), the price is the same. As for Louis Phillip Kee, if it weren't for the deal voucher, I would never have tried it there. Their staff is nice and friendly, but maybe they should consider changing the towels first. :P

It's nice to have a suki salon to go to where there's a stylist you can trust with your precious tresses. My suki salon is all the way in QC (Profile's Salon, the best), so I can't really go there all the time for minor services such as mani/pedi or blow-dry. Maybe it's about time to find a suki salon just for blow-drying. If they can make my hair all sleek and glossy and shiny, or if they can transform my hair into sexy waves when needed (without dripping water into my ears during shampooing), then I am all for it. :)

** For my other reviews, check out www.looloo.com :)