Books before boys! Love these nerdy chic Kate Spade bags!

This here used to be my uniform: romantic blouses or soft tees, skinny jeans, heels and a book. I always  used to walk around with a book!

But now that I'm a magazine editor and a mommy, I scurry about everywhere with a large carryall filled with magazines, press kits, date book, phones, diapers, wet wipes, milk and toys. I do, however, always stash a small purse inside my big tote. This purse I bring to meetings and events so that I won't look like I brought my entire house with me.

After seeing these clever clutches from Kate Spade, I think I'm going to ditch the purse and grab me some book clutches! They are so nerdy, adorable and so cool!

Other designs are just as fabulous.

Much as I love the "covers" of the Austen clutches, I've never read her. I'm not her market. I like Dickens, Fitzgerald and Shakespeare, of course, so everything else in Kate Spade's library of clutches, I have read and loved... and want to own!

Each clutch is US$325. That's P13,600++. Whew. That's a lot for a small bag! Just imagine how many real books I can buy with that money. Kate Spade, I hope you go on sale soon!

*images grabbed from Kate Spade online shop

Get Trench'd!

Well, this is crazy weather we're having. I hope everyone's okay now. And in case you're wondering how to be stylish in this insane rain, check out Ready For Rain's latest offering: Trench'd coats!

Gorgeous! Loving the colors and the style. I almost want to get out and start singing, "What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again! I'm laughing at clouds so dark up above, the sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love!"

And it's just P1,950. What a steal! Buy yourself a coat (or two!) now at Ready For Rain!

*photos courtesy of Ready For Rain

My secret to healthy nails: Oro Gold

I've always had nice nails. I used to wear them long but when I became a magazine editor, long nails and tapping away on keyboards incessantly just don't mix. So I kept them short but always colored with nail polish.

Around 4 years ago, which was the most unbelievably stressful year of my life, my nails began to crack and split. I've tried lotions and nail treatments to help ease the brittleness but nothing worked. I stopped putting on nail polish. I used gloves when washing dishes and doing the laundry. Nothing helped.

Then a few weeks ago, I was accosted (yes, that's the right word. More on that later!) by sales people at the Oro Gold standee boutique at Shangri-la Plaza. This woman told me that they have a kit that will miraculously make my nails healthy. I waved her off but she asked for just one minute and my thumb nail. She worked on that nail with a buffer and when she was done, my nail was free from the grooves and bumps it's been plagued with since 2008! So I bought that kit!

Here's my nail grooming secret:

Because I'm a mommy now, I have to keep my nails short. The nail set has a nail buffer, an oil and a hand-and-feet lotion. The nail buffer is really good. I actually already have one that I bought from Watsons but the Oro Gold buffer is much better!

Step 1: Use the rough side to file away the ridges and bumps. Call it exfoliation. I like how the rough side is still so fine so I don't feel like my nail is getting damaged.

Step 2: Use this pad to buff away and smoothen.

Step 3: The final pad is used to polish the nails. It's so good that my nails actually squeak! That's how smooth and clean they become!

Tada! Smooth and shiny nails!

Step 4: The tea tree oil makes nails healthy by sealing in moisture. Plus, tea tree oil is antibacterial. It's good for nails and cuticles since it protects them from infections.

Love that golden green color! Just one drop is all I need. I put one drop each on my thumbs then spread the oil all over the other nails. This small bottle goes a loooong way!

No more brittle nails after this! It is truly amazing. Like I said, the kit comes with a hand-and-feet lotion, which is Step 5. I just forgot to take a photo. So the nail buffer, nail oil and lotion is P2,000. Not bad!

I do have one complaint with Oro Gold. They are very aggressive with their sales pitch. Here you are, walking along happily and they will really block your way. And they will keep following you! It's a good thing I was in a good mood and was willing to listen to that woman. I also didn't like her spiel. While it's true that the treatment does its job, I didn't need to hear superlatives and stuff like, "Try not to kiss me because after this, you will be so happy you will jump for joy and try to kiss me." Something like that. I mean, really.

Other than that, I'm pretty happy with Oro Gold. A high school classmate said the face creams and other products are really nice. She loves them. And since she looks so good, I believe her!

The Oro Gold I bought is from the kiosk in Shangri-la Plaza, near the escalators on that floor with Bench. I think I saw another kiosk at Power Plant Mall, near the arcade. I don't know where else Oro Gold is available. If you do, kindly leave a comment below!

How I whitened my underarms with Pond's Flawless White and Dove Whitening Deo

I have finally found the best whitening products for my underarms! Pond's Flawless White and Dove Whitening Deodorant!

But first, a little history. I got pregnant twice in the last 2 years. Okay, maybe 3, if you count 2009. But since I got pregnant December of 2009, I guess it doesn't count! Anyway, the pregnancies have resulted to discoloration of my underarms. Yes, they've become really, really dark. By my second pregnancy, I was deeply dismayed because my armpits were almost nearly black. Black, dammit!

I've tried this and that (I won't say what failed!) and then I remembered that I have Pond's Flawless White creams from the event I attended last February. The Flawless White line is for the face—it's for lightening acne scars, fading sun spots and evening out skin. It promises to whiten from the cellular level so that your skin whitens naturally. Since my face is already fair, I didn't use my free jars (the Pond's Gold line is what I already use). But when I realized there are parts of me that desperately needed whitening, I remembered I had Pond's Flawless White!

It's the Day Cream. I love the soft texture. It almost feels like whipped cream. I did hear that the Night Cream is far more potent. Oooh! I'll use that when I finish this jar!

I used the Flawless White Day Cream on my armpits every morning and night and after a week (yes, a week!), I noticed a change. I got really excited! My only problem with my new find is that when I use it in the morning and I get sweaty during the day (and of course, I'm a mommy with a toddler and a newborn!), my underarms get really slippery. Yes, cream and sweat combined!

So I stopped using the cream in the morning and just slathered it on at bedtime. It still worked. My underarms lightened and softened week after week.

Then I found a fab solution to the morning ritual: I was watching TV one time and I saw the Dove Whitening Deodorant Spray TVC. It promised to whiten underarms in just 7 days. Well! It did! Yes, I got two canisters, Original and Silk Dry. That's how much I believed in the promise of Dove!

I'm currently using the Original variant and I love the scent, the quick spray action and the whitening power, of course! My one suggestion to those who'll use Dove is don't spray too much and really aim at your underarm. If you aimed at your face (yes, it happened), you can get overwhelmed by the spray and cough cough cough.

My armpits really did whiten faster with Pond's Flawless White and Dove Whitening Deo. My underarms are not just whiter, they're softer and smoother, too! Happiness!

Tod's presents its Autumn/Winter 2012 collection

Well, you all know how I'm dying to own a Tod's D Bag, right? So when Tod's invited me to their intimate soiree to launch their A/W 2012 collection a couple of weeks ago, I threw on a Missoni knit dress, lifted my then 2-month-old baby boy (he turned 3 months old yesterday!) in my arms and went to the Manila Peninsula Suite to view Tod's latest!

Here I am with Good Housekeeping's fashion and beauty editor, Pia Rojas. I am loving the blue of her nails! And we are both loving Tod's Signature Collection!

The Signature Collection features the distinctive Gommino pattern that is found on the soles of the driving shoes of Tod's. I like the texture. I am particularly liking that texture on the soft leather of these totes.

Here's another view. Can't decide which is prettier--the purple or the pink.

Here is the Medium Tote and the Clutch. That blue looks much better in person. But I'm not a blue bag person. So I'm still thinking about the purple and pink!

Woah! And then you have these wild girls! Not only are they in loud colors and trimmed in luxe fur, they're also in sumptuous suede. Yum yum. These babies should star in their own ad campaign.

Signature Collection still, but accessories, like this iPad 2 case. I love that orange!

Well, hello there, D Bag! I see you've got a makeover, too. Is that fur trim? In orange, no less! Hmmm. I should've taken a photo of the bag beside it! It looks pink and trimmed in white. Very sweet and sexy!

These are big bags. Perfect for travel or as carry-on luggage. But the leather is so luxurious, I wouldn't put it in the overhead compartment. Ya, I'm not that rich yet that I can throw my bags just anywhere! Anyway, these beauties can fit enough stuff for a weekend or, if you're not a light packer, for an overnight stay.

Ooh, small D bags in teal and fuchsia! This is the zippered-pockets kind. Very nice handbag but I'm really gunning for the D-Styling Medium one. Although I love that pink!

And they have matching suede booties, too!

As you can see, teal and fuchsia, together with orange, are the colors of the A/W collection. Those shoulder bags also feature a signature Tod's element--the key lock.

More accessories in yummy soft leather and colors. There's actually a lot more in the A/W collection but I had a baby with me so I wasn't able to take a lot of photos. But I'll definitely browse the line at the Greenbelt 4 boutique as soon as I can!

Help the flood victims with donations

I have a slew of beauty and fashion posts all scheduled in the next week but I'm pushing them back a bit in light of what's happening to our country. The monsoon rains have been truly unforgiving, resulting to massive floods and homeless people.

There are many ways to help. Since this is a beauty blog, let me share the fashion and beauty brands who are facilitating the distribution of donations:

Friends of Kiehl's, let's help out! Please pass the message on to your friends. Our boutiques, which will serve as drop-off points for donations, can be found in Greenbelt 5 (Level 1, Fashion Walk), Mall of Asia (Level 1, Main Mall), Trinoma (Level 3, Mindanao Wing), Alabang Town Center (Level 1, Garden Wing).

To support the relief operations of the Ayala Malls, our Lancome Boutique in Greenbelt 5 will be accepting any form of donations that could be of great help to the flood victims.

Please drop off your donations at any of our Boutiques:
- Level 2, Powerplant Mall, Rockwell Center

- Level 2, Garden Wing, Alabang Town Center
- Level 3, TriNoma Mall (Beside Kiehls, Near Team Manila, Topshop)
We will be accepting any form of donations that could be of great help to the flood victims. This is a tie-up with Ayala Malls and Power Plant Mall relief operations.

For other ways to help, go to the government site and to Frannywanny's blog for a list. Be safe everyone. God bless us all.

I have committed a serious blogging sin

I haven't updated this blog since February!!!

Well, as you can tell from my last post, I was pregnant. I had the baby (it's a boy!) and even though I was on maternity leave, I was still busy--working on the celebrity magazine, accepting writing assignments, blogging on Topaz Horizon and Topaz Mommy.

But now I'm back! And I have so much beauty and fashion chika to share! See you around here soon!