The Casa Ibiza experience~

Don't you like it when you are able to snag a good deal at group buying sites? We were able to get the chance to stay at Casa Ibiza for half the price, that's all thanks to Metrodeal!

We have an overnight accommodation on their deluxe villa. Let me give you a tour of their amenities. I hope that this post would be helpful for those who are thinking of staying here & knowing what & not to expect.

The gate of this place is not easy to miss seeing as how wide it is. You'll easily see how beautiful it looks like!
I like how colorful the villas are. It really stands out amidst the lush greens!

See how bright it is?

We stayed on the yellow villa...

It looks big, but you only get to occupy the 2nd & 3rd floor. I think the 1st floor is like a store room of sorts.. not sure though. You have to climb the 2 set of stairs to get to the "villa". If you are relating the word 'villa' as big & grand then brace yourself because it is more like a small studio unit.

We are 6 in all, my parents, me, my 2 brothers & our grandma. They said that the deluxe villa could accommodate a maximum of 6 persons. Yes, it can accommodate 6 if one of them is just a kid. If so, then the kid would have to sleep with the parents on the masters bedroom, but for all 6 adults, i don't think so. I'll explain later...

You'll be greeted with their really tiny but comfortable living room. Personally, i don't think you can use the word 'room' to describe it because it is really tiny! If you stretch out your arms, you would be able to span the width of it.

The dining room is on the right side...

Cute little note
^_~

The dining area..
It has a refrigerator & a sink. I forgot to take a picture of because i am standing on this area when i took this. hehe

That's the first floor...
Let's go up!

Master's Bedroom first...
The roomiest bedroom! It has a dresser & also a tiny balcony... no picture.. i forgot again. tsk! But it's behind the curtain...

Then it got 2 more tiny bedrooms that looks like this.

It's really tiny! See how my brother can span the whole space with his arms outstretch?!

Sorry about my left hand blocking the picture..tsk!
Seriously! Jem, how bad is your picture-taking skills?!
LOL!

Now that you've seen for yourself, how tiny it is I guess you can understand how hard it is to let all 6 adults sleep comfortably. The sofa on the living room can only accommodate 1 person. Imo, the deluxe villa could only accommodate a maximum of 5 persons. But of course, i know how pinoys could be creative. I'm sure you'll find a way to make it work. We did!
^_~

Let's go down & take a tour of the surrounding.
That is their pool bar. The children's pool is on the right side...

They are set for Halloween!

Children's pool...

I must admit that i'm drawn to how cheery it looks like!

Those are the cabanas that are near the sprawling pool. I'm standing on the bridgeway by the way.

This is the cabana...

Then the sprawling pool...
It's not really deep because the deepest is just 5 feet & the shallow part is 4 feet.

It even has a very lush waterfall setting. I like it!

They also have a gazebo at the center for they do accommodations for pre-nuptial photo shoots too!

They call this as Haven, which is a big function hall for any special events.

They also have a horse stable, his name is Tigershark (based on the website).

We took a dip later on... spent some time on the pool taking underwater pictures & doing some antics. I like how the water is just right. It doesn't contain high amount of chlorine that could dry out your hair in an instant.

The place looks great during evening time too!

We just ordered from them for our dinner. They have a nice selection of food. Just click THIS LINK to see their menu.

They would have complimentary breakfast for each guest. You can either choose from these 3 choices..

Garlic rice with ham & eggs

Garlic rice with corned beef & eggs

Garlic rice with longganisa (traditional filipino sausage) & eggs

served with either hot coffee...

or ice-cold orange juice!

The breakfast is simple yet scrumptious!
With how beautiful the surrounding is, you'll have a grand time taking pictures! We did! haha!

The staff are very accommodating but i have to say that they don't have a lot of staff though. I can understand how some people say that there are not enough people to accommodate your needs but it could also be a positive thing because you don't have a lot of people there ensuring you of privacy & quality relaxation time.

Luckily, there are no other guests staying the time we were there so we have the whole resort all to ourselves! ahahaha! How great is that?!

Now, some points to remember.
- You have to give a refundable security deposit of Php 2000 upon check-in (again,it's refundable) for any expenses that you might incur during your stay.
-Excess rate for every person would be Php 500/adult & Php 300/kids
-You have to register the foods that you will be bringing in the resort. I'm not sure though if that also counts any packed lunch because all we have are just tons of chips! haha!
-No pets allowed
-They don't have any lifeguards, but then i guess you won't really need to since the pool is not deep to start with. Just make sure that kids must be under adult supervision when playing on the pool.
-They also have some spa services! We just didn't avail of it anymore.

We enjoyed our stay & i can see that we will be staying here again in the future!

Lola, where are you looking at? LOL!
I like how everything is just so beautiful!

You can see more pictures on their website.
Hope you find this post helpful!

Jaa ne~!
^_^

Acne-free & loving it~!

That's all thanks to Diamond's Orange Peel & L-Glutathione Soap! It's THE ONE!

I ate my words but I don't mind, because this is THE ONE! The one solution to my problem!

For those who have been following my blog, you know how I suffered from adult acne. Yes, suffered! OMG! I can't believe that I can now use the past tense because I am now acne-free! I have been raving & recommending this soap whenever I would receive queries about acne. Why?

Let the pictures do the talking...

This is how my skin looked like when I did my post about this soap. You can read it HERE.
Now, after 6 months of continued use, this is how my skin looks NOW without anything on.

Go ahead, click it!
I don't mind you looking at it because my acne is gone! That red mark there is not acne.

Sugoi,ne?!
Amazing,huh?!

I don't have perfect skin, but I am now confident enough to go out without make-up on. I know I have large pores, but that's the least of my concern because after suffering from acne, you'll realize how minuscule that is compared to acne.

I still have some things that I want to improve on my skin mainly a mild case of acne-scar, large pores, blackheads, broken capillaries, and uneven skin tone amongst others but again, I'm just simply relieved to know that my "acne stage" is finally over! It's really embarrassing to suffer from acne. You go through your everyday activity feeling conscious thinking that people are looking at your acne & not at you when you talk.

It is really a big blow to your self-confidence. I'm just really really glad that my journey to acne-fighting has come to an end.
*whew*

I'm not saying that I can't have pimples anymore. I still get an occasional zit or two, especially during the time of the month but what's amazing about this is that when I use this, it will not grow into a full-grown zit. It will reduce in size & will just disappear! I won't even notice that it's gone!

I love love love this soap!
You might ask me what skin care products do I use?
I'll tell you...
daycare - Nivea Visage Sparkling White UV Blocker 
night care - Collagen by Watsons

You might ask me too if maybe it's the effect of the Nivea why I am acne-free. I don't think so because there was a time when I ran out of this soap, I just used the facial wash that I have here but I broke out. I immediately have to run (literally!) to Hortaleza just to buy this soap. I'm really convinced that it is this soap that made my zits go away!

I'm not an expert, ok? Just a simple blogger who has endless curiosity about things so I made a little research about the effects of orange peel on the skin & I found out that orange peel has been used as a home remedy for treating acne. You can use it as a facial mask too!

The typical home remedy is to finely grind the skin with some water until you achieve a paste-like consistency then apply it to the affected area. If you want to use it as a facial mask, you can click HERE for further info.

It is said to even be used to treat cellulite!
Amazing!
Now I won't look at orange like how I did before. I can see myself saving the orange peels starting now.

I tried looking for an explanation of the components of orange peel & how it works on the skin but simple ol' me can't find any, for now. I just don't have the luxury of time now but I'll sit on it one day to look for explanations, ok?

But for now, my pictures did the talking. You see the effect, so I hope that it helped you somehow in deciding if this soap could work for you.

One thing though, again like what I said in my review, is that the packaging makes it really easy to miss.
I have browsed Watsons countless times thinking that it's not available. I had to even ask the SAs if they have it but only to be dismayed that it's there sitting prettily without me noticing it. This goes on every time I am looking for it. Is it just my eyes or me?

But whatever, I will continue pestering SA's just so that I could get myself a bar or two. I have been repurchasing this soap again & again & again. I can't live without it! This is my saving grace!
Thank you, God for small things!
Nah, this is not small, this is a major thing for me!

If you try this do let me know how it works for you,ok?

Hope you all have a great day,hunnies!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Birthday haul~

Thanks for all the birthday greetings,hunnies!
I appreciate it!
Arigato,minna-san!
^_^

It's only now that i realize how fast time flies because i'm already 27. I honestly do not feel any different from when i was in my early 20's now that i'm almost in my late 20's! hahaha! I guess it's true that age is just a number,ne?

I hauled a couple of things. I mainly do haul post not to brag or show-off but it serves as a guide for me to know when i started using a product. My haul post had saved me thousands of times in being able to identify which stuff i need to throw out & what i can still use especially mascaras!

I used to put stickers on the products to indicate when i started using it but ever since i ran out of sticker labels it went ka-boom! LOL!

I'll start it first with my prize from the Benefit Philippines on their contest.

One of their famous product, Benetint!
Waaahhhh! Ureshii!
Thank you, Benefit Philippines!
^_^

I went to Robinson's Place last Saturday (with Lea) & Sunday (with my family) so i was able to visit Saizen. I bout a couple of stuff.

The Charcoal soap, i've tried before & it's a good deodorant soap. It's better than those sulfur soaps, i think. Then i saw this Cleansing Water. I prefer Cleansing Water than Oil so i thought that i should give this one a shot.

Then on my 2nd trip to Saizen i bought the Daiso Charcoal mask & the black fiber mascara.

If you haven't tried the charcoal mask, you ought to. It's one of the best peel-off masque that i've tried! It will really lift those blasted blackheads off of your skin!

I'm not really giving much hope to this mascara, but since this is fiber so i decided to include this. Anyway, it's only Php 85 so it's not expensive. Will let you know how it fares once i've opened it up.

Stopped by at the beauty bar & i decided to grab one of my favorite falsies, the number 21.

For those who haven't tried natural falsies, you have to! It's way way better than synthetic ones!
I know that Ardell lashes are expensive here in the Philippines, it's priced for Php 400 a pop while Andrea modlash (same maker of Ardell lashes) is only priced for Php 200 a pop at Beauty Bar! So, make sure you drop by at Beauty Bar. Actually, i only drop by at Beauty Bar for the Andrea lashes..haha!

Then i went to SM North Edsa before & i purchased this Solid Shampoo from ONE just because it's on sale. I think it was priced for Php 400 before. I got it for only Php 250. I haven't tried solid shampoos yet so this is my first time.

They said this is their best seller. I have yet to buy the Solid Conditioner. I will drop by at SM again to purchase the Solid Conditioner.

I ran out of Veet Wax Strips but i saw this so i thought of giving it a try.

I'll make a post about it later on.

Also ran out of my favorite Fanny Serrano 2 way cake & was thinking of purchasing one but when i passed by Fashion 21 i decided to check out their 2 way cake. I know that Fashion 21 is also from Mama Fanny so i thought i might as well try it.

I asked Tita Fashion 21 (i call her like that because i always buy from her) what is the closest shade of Duchess in the Fashion 21 powder line & she said it's number 1 so i bought one. Review to be posted din after some time.

When i went to Japan Home Center i saw big 2 way mirror for only Php 88!
Yatta~!
Lucky!

I' already put it on my cosmetic case because it's great to use when applying make-up. You can see everything! That little gingerbread man is a just something that you can wind the earphone wire so it won't get tangled up. I think it's cute!

Then finally, a couple of socks since lately i have been wearing slippers when i go out.

I don't really put sunblock on & it lead to uneven skin tone on my feet. Looks disgusting! Yes, i know it's bad for the skin to not apply sunblock, i just can't because it feels hot & it's like my skin is suffocating. The socks would be so i'll be forced to use my flat shoes with socks on to prevent any tan lines. I also use socks after i apply lotion on my feet. The flexgel is just so that my feet would be comfy.

That's all!
Now, i'll try my best to make a follow-up on the nail art brushes but i fear that it might take a while just because i don't have the time plus the fact that i've cut my nails short so i'm not really into nail arts for now. I make it a point to not apply any nail polish on my nails once it's short.

But next post will definitely be about a re-run for my favorite soap - Orange Peel & L-glutathione. I think i've been using this for more than 6 months now & i'm really really happy with it! I'll be working on that for the meantime.

Thanks for the birthday greetings again,sweeties!
Hope you all will have a great day!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

how-to:nail art brushes + acrylic painting Part 1

Sorry for not being able to blog regularly. I think i have been apologizing over & over again because of my lack of updates. I hope that you'll be able to forgive me with this post. My long overdue post about nail art brushes.

This 15 pc. brush set is from BornPretty.

It has a pretty good selection of brushes in making different designs. It got detailing, liner, fan, angled, filbert & dotting tools. According to the website it has:
3 drawing tools
7 painting tools
2 liners
1 dotting tool
2 fan brushes for nail art effect

I seriously can't understand why there is a need for 2 fan brushes though. i'd rather have another filbert brush to go with this set.

I prefer acrylic as my medium all because it's easy to work with. You can easily wipe it out when you made an error (provided that it's still wet). Unlike polishes where you have to redo everything once more. I have received tons of questions if it's ok to use the acrylic sets that painters use.

I, myself, use acrylic sets like that. I think as long as you put on base coat, it won't harm your nails. I have even tried using it as my base color & nothing happened on my nails.

note:
Make sure that you do not get the acrylics on the ferrule or you'll risk the bristles of your brush splaying out. Getting the debris out of ferrule is not an easy task. You'll end up ruining your brush when it splayed out, especially for detailing brushes! Just dip the bristles half-way on the acrylic & make sure you clean it after every use.

Let's start by prepping up first & what you need before you start playing with colors.

First of all, you have to remember that acrylic dries fast. It is water-based so you would need to spritz water on it every now & them to keep it easy to work with. So you would need an atomizer filled with water (mine is really small...see that small orange bottle?) to keep it pliable.

Then of course, something that you can use as a pallet. I just use old CDs. Something to wipe your brushes with... kitchen towel or tissue & of course your jar of water to clean your brushes.

Now that we got that out of the way let's go to the brushes...

My favorite brush of all...

THE DETAILING BRUSH

This is the most versatile brush of all because you can make specific designs with this.
Detailing brush has fine tip so that you'll be able to maneuver it easily. I mostly use this on my nail art tutorials. Here are some of the designs that i did using this brush. Just click the title of each picture to see the step by step tutorial on how to make that design.

3d flowers

You just need to have steady hands when doing detailed work, well, since acrylic can be easily removed with wet wipes, you can practice the design as much as you want on the surface without worrying about it.

rose curlicue

You can do lines easily with this brush too...
even dots!

sunny flower

You can also use your polish as your medium, just make sure that you will not get the polish into the ferrule... same goes with acrylics.

heart overload

If there is one brush that i would recommend that you buy, it would be this. You can also use artist brushes. In fact, my favorite detailing brushes are craft brushes. Sizes would vary of course, just go for the smallest ones, which i think is 3/0, if my memory serves me right.

You can do a lot of designs with detailing brushes!
Love love love detailing brushes!

THE FILBERT BRUSH

This is a very nice brush to make flowers with.
Please refer to this illustration on how to make flower petals.

You just need to lay it on the surface then drag it either towards you or going out.
See the 2 different flowers using this brush?
Cute,huh?
^_~

time for spring

This is one design that i made using a filbert brush.

THE STRIPING BRUSH

Striping brush have flat ferrule as opposed to detailing brushes that has a round ferrule.
So, what designs can you make with it?
Basically, you use it to make stripes!

Of course, it doesn't mean you only need to use it for straight lines. You can make waves with this brush too, like this.

This is perfect for making those background waves.

I didn't really do this design for i had it made on the salon, but the brush that was used on this is striping brush.

THE FAN BRUSH

Fan brush can be used to clean the surface among other things.

The top pictures would be to show to make random "flowing" stripes in just a couple of strokes & the 2nd one is how to use it in picking up glitters/pigments. You tap it straight on to your wet polish for that added bling!

I didn't use a fan brush in this nail art but i should have just used it because the end result would just be basically the same.

christmas trees

The grasses on the ring finger is made with a fan brush.

These are just the basic use for the brushes but you don't need to limit yourself to these designs with each brushes. Heck, you can even do flower petals with a striping brush! Just explore these brushes to figure out the different uses.

To be able to see my nails art easily you can click on my FB NAIL ART ALBUM. It would be easy for you to browse through my past designs with blog links on each pictures for reference.

I'll continue with another post to talk about the other brushes like the flat & angled brushes. I actually cut my nails a few days ago so they're really really short now but i don't mind. I am enjoying my shampooing experience because i can get to massage my scalp as much as i can unlike before. LOL!

I just hope that it will grow long by christmas time because i would like to don christmas design on my nails this holiday!

It's going to be my birthday this Sunday. I can't believe how fast time flies.. I'm already 27!
Wow! Where did all the years went? haha!

Anyway, hope that you'll have a happy weekend!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

ps:
Product presented as samples. I did not receive any monetary compensations. Opinions posted are mine alone & not influenced by the company.