What’s on your bucket list? #RexonaDoMore

We love the latest campaign of power beauty product Rexona simply titled Do:More. As the saying goes: “don’t regret the things you’ve done, regret the things you didn’t do when you had the chance!” Life should be all about taking chances, living out your passions and simply doing more.

I think that motherhood has tamed me in the sense that I think twice before stepping out of my comfort zone these days. Still, this hasn’t prevented me from writing a bucket list:

1.Swim with the dolphins in Donsol.
2.Savor exotic food in Kathmandu and Yangon.
3. Have croissants for breakfast in Paris.
4. Have flat abs while doing 2 & 3.
5. Be able to say “six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks” in 30 seconds and repeat consecutively ten times :)
6.Marvel at the sight of Niagara Falls and the Pyramids of Egypt
7. and easily the most achievable one: join Rexona Run 2013 happening on Oct. 20…yay!

In an event last June 26, Rexona unveiled its chosen Ambassadors who embody the Do More lifestyle.

Former Chelsea FC player Phil Younghusband is the star player of the Philippine Azkals and pursues his own social responsibility project by coaching promising Filipino kids under the aegis of the Younghusband Football Academy. In photo, Phil pins on the map his next travel destination Brazil, for the 2014 World Cup.

Phil's next destination

Bianca Gonzalez has always been known as the pretty face who juggles many different tasks at the same time. Yet, her close friends know her as one gutsy spirit who loves travelling to places far and near. Bianca fearlessly greeted 2013 by jumping off a plane in Skydive Monterey Bay. In photo: Bianca excitedly shows us her next destination: Egypt.

Bianca points to map

We also spotted these relentless Doers:

Model, host and entrepreneur behind Pinkerton Ice Cream – Xandra Rocha.

Xandra Rocha

Paolo Cabalfin (middle) and colleagues from the Makati gym Team Focus Athletics.

Paolo Cabalfin & team

Businessman and host RJ Ledesma looks like he hasn’t aged a day. He does more by having less, thanks to a strict vegetarian diet.

RJ ledesma

Rexona Brand Manager Mar Corazo encourages everyone to ” be open to possibilities, keep busy, seek adventure, go the extra mile and push limits.” This is the rationale behind the #DoMore philosophy. “With Rexona, you can always feel confident knowing you’re protected throughout the day, no matter what it is you’re doing,” he added.

#rexonadomore

(Thanks to Bridges PR for the photos)

Bianca Gonzalez shares quick beauty fixes

Bianca Gonzalez for Close Up White Now

We’ve been seeing a lot of multimedia personality Bianca Gonzalez as an endorser which is a good sign. This can only mean that the local beauty market is waking up and is ready to accept a beautiful brown-skinned Filipina (as opposed to the usual mestiza stereotype dominating the modelling industry).

For her latest venture, Bianca is being backed up by no less than leading toothpaste label Close Up which has chosen her to be the brand ambassador for their White Now instant whitening toothpaste.I’ve been using this product for months now and can attest to its positive effects. It also doesn’t cause breakouts on my face (particularly lower mouth) like the other whitening brands. So yes, we agree with Bianca that Close Up White now is indeed one good beauty fix.

Ever wonder what are Bianca’s other secrets for staying fashionable and beautiful? We got to corner her at The Conservatory of The Peninsula Manila to share her secrets. Read more after the jump -

Beauty Essentials

1. Bianca can’t live without lip liner. “I love it for long-lasting, vibrant red lips. For me it works a lot better than lipstick.” Her lip beauty ritual goes like this: apply a soothing balm first, like Burt’s Bees; then draw on the liner on the edges of lips. Finish off with lipstick. She prefers a reddish color.

2. She keeps a bottle of facial spray to keep her skin hydrated and help cool off on a hot day.

3. Using a green concealer is one thing not everybody knows about. Look for Bloom Secret Weapon Concealer Kit in stores like The Beauty Bar.Says Bianca: “Green concealer is best when covering up pimples. It’s about color science really. When you mix a green concealer on a red blemish, it combines to make a neutral color.”

4. Her favorite scent to spritz on is Bulgari Omnia.

Bianca Gonzalez

When it comes to staying fashionable, Bianca sticks to classics like her sunglasses of choice, the RayBan Aviator.

She also recommends women to stock up on a nice pair of blazers and heels to prop up their confidence.

Bianca believes, however, that essential in completing any look is a killer smile. “It’s always important to wear a smile in whatever outfit you decide. Because it just shows how confident you are with yourself, and for me confidence is very important.”

View Bianca’s recommended beauty fixes on CloseUp’s Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/CloseupPhilippines) and the CloseUp website (www.closeupwhitenow.com) starting June 21.

#weekenddiscoveries: Antipolo City!

This is something we’d probably agree on: I love going to places I’ve never been to, discovering new tastes, relishing new experiences… am sure you do too! When Abby of Nuffnang Philippines invited me last month to a secret weekend escapade, the question was apt: when was the last time you discovered something for the first time?

Truth is: the last time when I discovered something for the first time was only the week before (eh heh) but hey, I never say no to NEW! :)

The day started with a power breakfast at the cozy Mom & Tina’s restaurant along C5-Libis. A first: it was my first time to eat at this branch. I’ve always liked their tapa.

at Mom & Tina's

Then we rode the shuttle bus which will lead us to the mystery somewhere. Again, this was new to me since I never drive my car or ride a vehicle without knowing where am going. But in this case, Joanne – our fit & able tour guide – just dropped clues about the place. Finally, we were able to guess it because of the landmarks she mentioned. We were going to Antipolo City!

insidebus

I was certainly excited because I’ve never really conquered Antipolo, except for those times in my younger years when I got drunk with my friends in one of those huts at the viewpoint. I was glad because we were going to some of the places on my Metro Manila bucket list.

First stop was the Lanelle Abueva-Fernando Studio Pottery. Lanelle is one of the country’s foremost potters and I was fascinated to see her in person doing the work. Her stoneware is known for their distinct designs and I could almost believe no two dinnerwares are alike. She showed us the whole process of molding, glazing, painting and firing up the finished products in a hot oven to dry.

Abueva Pottery Collage

Part of the pottery workshop was also a cozy restaurant called Crescent Moon Cafe serving Asian specialty dishes with the artist’s twist. Unfortunately, the place is open for reservations only and we were just dropping by. This gives me reason to want to go back and try the restaurant, explore the adjacent gardens with its enchanting koi pond.

Crescent Moon Cafe

Our next stop was the Pinto Art Gallery which left me awestruck because of all the mixed media art on display. There is something about art which awakens the mind and elevates the spirit and this is what I felt being in Pinto with its likable clutter of masterpieces. I learned that they are not for sale, they’re just from the private collection of one of the country’s top neurologists, Dr. Joven Cuanang of St. Luke’s Medical Center.

Pinto Gallery Collage

me beside a huge canvas

Maybe I will feature Pinto in another post. It was a huge compound with several bungalows and the whitewashed walls made it look a bit Grecian.

Pinto Gallery

The final leg of our trip was a Meet & Greet with the beautiful multimedia personality Bianca Gonzalez, endorser of Nescafe-in-a-can which sponsored our little weekend getaway.

Bianca Gonzalez for Nescafe

Bianca is the perfect celebrity to pitch for Nescafe because the drinks are as refreshing as her.Retailing at only P29 for the Latte/Mocha flavors and as low as P18 for the Espresso Roast, they’re a perfect alternative for coffee lovers like me in these super-hot summer months when you want it cold slash iced as much as possible. If you ask me, my favorite is the green Espresso can because I want my coffee strong and bold. Otherwise, everything was good!

nescafe in can

To end our hectic day, we still managed to go pasalubong shopping at these busy roadside stalls selling fruits, native vinegar, suman and other delicacies.

Antipolo

Antipolo City is really a destination in itself with its assortment of resorts, quaint hotels, restaurants and must-see places like the ones I just mentioned. It was a gem to discover this city that is just an hour or two drive away from Manila. It should be a good alternative for those wanting to see new sights this summer!

Bianca Gonzalez is the face of Samsung Galaxy Note 8

With 2.2 million followers in her Twitter account and 230K for Instagram, multimedia personalty Bianca Gonzalez is the perfect choice to be the endorser of Samsung first 8-inch tablet, the Galaxy Note 8 (suggested retail price: P23,990).

At least we can say that the multi-tasking Bianca will use this gadget to the fullest as she essays different roles: TV host, newspaper columnist, editor-at-large, commercial model and social media influencer.

Bianca with officials of Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation (SEPCO) during the launch of the Note 8 in Makati City:

Bianca with Samsung officials

In front of the media, the pretty and svelte Bianca demonstrates the fun she has with the tablet:

Bianca Gonzalez for Samsung

The writer and TV host says she loves the Galaxy Note 8 for bringing about the 2 Ps: portability and productivity. “It can serve as your laptop, tablet, mobile phone, camera, e-book, movie and music player, calendar, diary, and notebook – all in one!” Bianca enthuses.

So without much further ado, here are the specs of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8:

1.6GHz A9 quad-core processor
Display: 8” WXGA (1280×800, 189 ppi) TFT
OS: Android 4.1.2 (Jellybean)
Camera: Main(Rear): 5 Megapixel Camera
Sub(Front): 1.3 Megapixel Camera
S Pen Optimized Features: S Note, S Planner, Email with hand-writing integration
- Quick Command, Easy Clip, Photo Note, Paper Artist
-Air View
-Popup Note, Popup Video
- Shape Match, Formula Match, Idea Sketch

Samsung AllShare

A-GPS + GLONASS (3G Version)

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 & 5 GHz),
Wi-Fi Direct, AllShareCast, BT4.0, USB2.0

Sensor: Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity
Memory: 2GB (RAM), 16GB microSD (up to 64GB)
Dimension: 210.8 X 135.9mm, 345g (3G Version)
Battery: Standard battery, Li-ion 4,600mAh