Event: Pond's launches new and improved Age Miracle and Flawless White skincare lines

I knoooooow. I've been gone forever! And what's a great post to come back with than a super fabulous glamorous and sumptuously romantic event hosted by Pond's?

The mega beauty brand invited select media to a "stay-cation" at the Midas Hotel along Roxas Blvd. After we freshened up in our individual rooms, we had high tea with scrumptious hors d'oeuvres (I ate a LOT) as the Pond's team outlined what to expect in our two-day stay. With the help of this iPad!

Each guest had an iPad, which was to announce what will happen next. That's Jacqe Yuengtian of Unilever. She was the host of the affair and so appeared on the iPads every so often to tell us what to do. Well, we were told to dress up in red and proceed to the special Pond's bus.

This TwitPic was taken by Style Bible's Isha Andaya-Valles. From left, that's Divine Lee, Preview's Pauline Juan, me, Pond's Age Miracle spokesperson Rissa Mananquil Trillo and Tim Yap.

As we were driven to the mysterious location, everyone seated at the back Tweeted. Well, everyone except Pauline and me.

There was videoke on the bus so Isha, Phil. Star columnist Zo Aguila (pictured) and Saga Events' Robby Carmona entertained everyone on the bus with the cheesiest songs ever. After winding about Manila and Makati, we found ourselves in Top Shelf at Fully Booked, which was decorated in the color of the season--red (the event was held just before Valentine's Day).

That's former model now Unilever's Global PR Manager for Pond's Apples Aberin. She told us all about the new and very much improved Age Miracle because now it's called Cell ReGEN. As in, this new formulation is called the Intelligent Pro-Cell Complex which promises to regenerate your cells!

I've actually tried Age Miracle but the old formulation, which said my skin would be changed in 7 days. Y'all remember that campaign? Well, on the fourth day of use, my husband stared at me and then said, "You look really good. Like you're well rested." O, diba?! That's just the fourth day!

Anyway, after our skincare seminar, we were treated to a delicious dinner. I think it was catered by Cibo but I'll have to confirm. Even though I was still full from all the canapes and mini desserts from the afternoon tea, I forced myself to eat because the spread was just so good!

Oh, this is me. Yes, look at my big tummy. BURP! Joke, joke. That's my almost-7-months-pregnant tummy! I tell ya, my baby Wiggle was super happy that night from all the rich food Pond's served us!

After dinner, I went home because I wanted to be with my husband and baby boy. But the rest of the media invited went back to Midas and continued the party there.

The next morning, my darling husband braved the traffic to drive me all the way to Pasay for the second launch--the new Pond's Flawless White with GenActiv Formula.

Now this one is really exciting, folks. I didn't get to take photos of the skincare seminar (which everyone attended clothed in various shades of pink) but I was very impressed. Pond's announced that after 10 years of research, they found a way to manipulate the gene that caused skin color so that you lighten and brighten naturally.

I especially like that the new formula does NOT mess with our melanin. Melanin is the skin's primary protection against the sun's harmful rays. Basically, it's why we darken when we're exposed to the sun. Melanin increases its production of pigment much like little umbrellas that open to shield our skin. Of course that means you darken. Most whitening products lighten our skin by destroying melanin. The problem with that is, sure, you look white but your skin's defense against the sun's rays is gone.

The new Flawless White line whitens safely and naturally and your melanin stays put. Basically, it undoes years and years of skin damage so that your skin becomes as fair as it once was when it never felt the sun (yep, the day you were born!).

Anyway, after the very informative talk, we all had a lovely lunch at Midas.

Below is very pregnant me with Good Housekeeping's Tisha Alvarez Angluben and Inquirer's Cit-Cit Sioson.

I'll talk more about Pond's Age Miracle Cell ReGEN with Intelligent Pro-Cell Complex and Pond's Flawless White with GenActiv Formula after I tested them. For now, I hope you enjoyed this beauty event!