A&J: No valentine? No problem!

It’s not everyday that we get the chance to spend time together and shop. So this month of love, we made sure that we get to set a date for bonding, shopping, and a whole lot of best friend time!

We both love to shop for clothes, hair accessories, shoes, among many other things that shout “I’m pretty!”, but unlike when we were in college, we don’t get to bring along our girl friends anymore to shop with us and judge our choices.  And we know for a fact that having someone on the next fitting room ready to check how the dress fits you is always helpful on deciding whether or not an item is worth losing a few bills in your wallet. So we were both excited to know that we will again get the chance to shop like how we used to do it; together. We didn’t waste any second while we were together. All the chika and all the shopping we did. Legen… wait for it… dary! :D

Before proceeding with the main event of the day, we first filled our sexy bods with some delish dishes from Conti’s, and of course, what else for dessert but MANGO BRAVO.

We visited SM Makati, The Landmark, Greenbelt malls, and Glorietta malls on a Monday. Why Monday? We both do not enjoy shopping in crowded places (this only applies to bigger malls, we both love Divi and Greenhills) so we met on a Monday!

We both didn’t have anything specific we’d want to purchase. We touched and tried everything that caught our eyes. We bought quite a number of small items and of course, some clothes. It’ll be too many (and not to mention too boring) if we share with you, friends, all of the things we bought, so let us show you our top 3 favorite purchases from our best friend Valentine's date.

Bebi A:

AAAWWW:  Bebi J can do her make up really well. She can transform herself from very chic, to rock and roll diva, to “I’m an actress who doesn’t know how to act” (Haha! She did a Kristen Stewart make up before).  Bottom line, she knows how to handle those brushes and palettes. And she sure looked nice when we met at Greenbelt; made me wonder if she forgot it was only ME she’s dating that day.

So since I was with her, I took that chance to have her help me choose the right lipstick for me. She gave me some really nice suggestions on which shade I should use, and which brands I should go for to get good quality lip stick. I went for Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suade in Cotoure shade.

 The stick itself is more pink than red, but once applied gives you a reddish tint. A light dab gave my lips my desired natural-looking reddish/pinkish look. And it really lasts. The sales person didn’t lie to me when she told me it can last up to 16 hours. Lips still reddish after you have brushed your teeth, is that good or bad? You be the judge.

I LIKE: I stopped by at The Landmark a few days before bebi J and I went there. On my first visit, I saw this lacy dress that I fell in love with. I fit it, and it looked good on me (Yeah, you read that right :D ), but I didn’t buy it. But when Bebi J and I saw it again on our visit, I immediately asked for a new stock, and purchased it. Her remark, “Bi, this will look good on you.” gave me THE push.

This corset top dress will go well with a nice earth-color boyfriend jacket and closed heels for a more chic corporate look, and of course, can be worn alone plus some bright pumps for a date with the boyfriend. This baby all for a very cheap price of Php299! And I know a dress like this will cost me around $40-$50 in Singapore. Money well spent!

I SUPER LOVE: There is one difference between Forever 21 Orchard Exchange (Singapore) and Forever 21 SM Makati (Philippines); I have never gone to the former with my best friend. I have found myself wandering around Forever 21 in Orchard way too many times, but never have I purchased a single thing. There was just nothing that enticed me to buy anything, not even the ones I really liked (it happens to me a lot when shopping alone, for added proof, refer to the lacy dress story at The Landmark again). But when we got to Forever 21 SM Makati (Philippines), I just went mad over some shift dresses. And this time, I didn’t just fit dresses, I actually bought the one that I liked.

 And I just love how this shift dress can make me look longer than 5’1”. I also bought some half nude half red pumps (Parisian) to go with the dress. I feel very Audrey Hepburn-ish in the outfit. Oh! And let me just add, I’ve already worn this in the office, and I got compliments from almost everyone, including the big bosses. Made me feel so puhreetey!

Bebi J:

AAAWWW:  I am on the plus side of the fashion spectrum, and though they have a plus size section in The Landmark, the choices are still limited and kind of outdated, so I wasn’t able to buy new clothes from Landmark, but I was more than happy to suggest some cutesy dresses for Bebi A. We also bought some super cute and colourful mini hairclips to hold our fringes! Because every lady with fringes knows that it can get really irritating sometimes. ;D Then we went to the mall’s ground floor and that’s like a slice of heaven for me; MAKE UP counters everywhere!!! I immediately switch my make up sniper vision on and located VMV Hypoallergenics to buy “Skintangible Faintation: Skin Refining Skintelligent Non-Makeup”! I love VMV so much! In fact I am using they’re whole “Re-Everything” skincare line!

 

 
(L-VMV Hypoallergenics' Skintangible)
It is a skin brightener and it’s like a foundation but it’s not. It’s so light on the skin and it already has an SPF! I use this to achieve the dewy skin effect, not oily. It just gives the face that healthy glow!

I LIKE: And then we head on to my favourite high street boutique here in the Philippines; Forever 21! I made my way to the Plus Size section right away and found this very nice blouse top and a Navy-inspired black striped dress.

I purchased both of them, but I really like my new Navy dress. I’ve been looking for a dress like this for quite some time now. I love how its simplicity paired with a colourful skinny belt can remind me of Paris or if you match it with a black belt, you automatically can rock an Adele inspired look!

 
I wore this with a black skinny belt and my Tory Burch Black Jelly Reva Flats, and then Voila! A date night or night-out-of-the-town-with-friends look! Or, exchange the flats with red stilettos for a more vamp and sophisticated look.

I SUPER LOVE: And, then after a long day of shopping in Makati we went to the SM Mall of Asia to meet up with some college friends for dinner. On our way to the resto, we saw this store called Club Princess, a very cute store which has a lot of, well for the lack of a better word, princess things, feather boas, pink and everything cute! I found this zebra print headboard that is shaped like a crown with pink ribbons across it used to hold notes or pictures and it is the cutest thing!

I have been looking for something like this for quite some time now as well. I even tried to DIY this but, obviously, I failed immensely. LOL. I love having pictures or memorabilia of my loved ones by my bed that's why I put so much positivity in this board plus it's really cute so a +1 for my room's aesthetic! ;)

That day couldn’t have gotten any better! Food, Shop, and Chika! What else can two female best friends ask for on an ordinary weekday?! And we cannot even begin to describe the things we will do to get that kind of bonding again. Obviously, one day isn’t enough for all the cute items we can get our hands on. But though it’s just one day, we’re glad we had that chance. Who knows, maybe our next Vday date will not be in the Philippines anymore? ;)

 

A: My boyfriend is my boy friend :)

Now this should be fun.

My laptop is a witness to how many times I have tried to start my first blog entry, and just how many times I failed… miserably.

I guess what makes this first entry difficult to start is because I am trying really hard to dismiss the idea of writing anything about love, but I end up with ideas which suggest I do it. I have wondered, wondered, and wondered some more. And I don’t blame my best friend when she suggested writing about my turning-8-years relationship with my boyfriend. It is, after all, THE love month. But as much fun writing my ‘love story’ would be, I’d rather save that for another entry.

On the other hand, I would like to share with y’all the things I love about loving someone and being loved back. Some of you may have the same experiences as mine, while some may have even nicer ones. Feel free to share with us why you love being in a relationship and what you enjoy most about it at the comment box below. And while you choose which of your many lovely experiences you’d like to share with us, here are mine:

First, I love having a boy best friend. As a lady (I refuse to call myself a girl), it is important to have a steady set of girl friends or a really dependable girl best friend. I don’t know about other ladies, but I will not survive a week without talking to Bebi J and my other closest girl friends. It doesn’t have to be serious talk, gossip will do. :D

While girl best friend/s always come in handy with all the love life, handbags, stilettos, Hollywood chick-flick chit-chats, it’s also very helpful to have insights from someone who thinks a little differently. And I am blessed to have one in the form of my boy friend; Popo.

:)  FYI: Popo is not his real name. I call him Popo, he calls me Koko. It’s our thing. :D

I love how I can talk to him about things I also share with my friends, and hear a totally different opinion compared to what I get from my girls.  See, we can’t blame our girl friends if most of the time they take our side in an issue. They can’t help it. I think it’s the girl friend instinct. I think it is the girl friend god who tells us to stick together, never let the other one feel down. And that is what’s nice about having a boy best friend, he doesn’t always take my side, and he makes me realize when I’m wrong. And when it’s him who does that, I don’t feel offended. I feel his concern, his love.

Second, I love feeling protected. To all my friends out there with a lovey dovey, let’s all admit it. We all feel safe when we’re with them. I know we all pray that nothing ever happens that would put his ass-whooping skills to the test, but we all know deep inside us, that should anything wrong happen, there is going to be someone to protect us.

And our knight in shining armour is not only a hero on those kinds of situations. Let’s not forget, how good it feels when you have someone to wrap his arms around you when you’re crying off of frustration. When you have someone to wipe your tears off your eyes after you just had a big fight with your best friend. It’s nice knowing that when you are feeling really weak, he will be there to make you feel otherwise.

Third, I love being treated like a Princess. Now before you start raising your eyebrows, read first. Princesses in Walt Disney’s stories all had to face challenges of their own; they had to face dragons, witches, evil step moms, among many others. They had to face trials, and then after, they got to rejoice over the victory with their princes.

It’s nice to have someone to celebrate a promotion with. To have someone be genuinely happy for you after a visa application has been approved. Or to have someone text you in the middle of the night just to tell you he’s excited for your new adventures.  The feeling is great.

Fourth, I love the make up moments. My relationship is anything but perfect. If there was anything that frequently happened in the first few years of ‘Popo and Koko’, it’s that we fought. A LOT. I don’t look back on those days with a smile on my face, of course. But, I do smile (even giggle sometimes) whenever I would recall how our bad moments end up with us being even stronger.  

I have lost count as to how many times Popo and I fought, but I remember all the things we learned from every fight that we had, and all the happy memories we have after realizing we both are not willing to risk what we have just to get to prove who’s right.

I grew up understanding that there are relationships that you will value so much, you will be willing to understand everything, and sometimes even swallow your pride just so you can keep it alive. And this is one of those relationships. 

Fifth, I love having somebody to love. It’s priceless. I love knowing that no matter what I go through, there is someone who will celebrate with me if I succeed, or wrap his arms around me when I don’t (yet). I love having someone I pray for, and who prays for me. I love reading text messages making sure I already had my lunch, and reminding me to bring my umbrella. I love having someone who shares with me the same amount of excitement as we count the last few days before our anniversary. I love having someone I share my dreams with.

Writing this entry actually made me realize that there are a lot more I am grateful for. I cannot fit all of them in this entry, but I am holding on to them to keep every day a happy day!

There is never an easy journey. I’d bet a million dollars (even though I don’t have that kind of money :D ) that even relationship experts go through difficult situations with the people they love. It will always take patient and loving hearts to get through relationship storms, may it be friendly or romantic.

Spread the love! Happy heart’s!

-A (021513/7:20PM)