Cebu weekend

the beauty of symmetry 

Okay, not from the hotel but it's too good not to post- Squid Ink Risotto with Oysters & Prawns from the Tinder Box

We celebrated mum's birthday dinner at Ibiza. 

I spent Sunday morning swimming and trying to transform myself into a lobster

4 hours under the sun and no sunburn - all thanks to Nivea's Protect & Refresh Invisible Cooling Mist (SPF 50). 

Sometimes I forget about the loot brands send me, but I just had to bring these to Cebu since I discovered mum swears by the Revitalift Laser X3 products... Also been loving the EverPure sulfate-free color care system, fall repair shampoo & conditioner ever since I dyed my hair black (thankfully these new formulas don't have those cancerous ingredients)! I have yet to try the 3-in-1 Extraordinary Oil (orange bottle)- it's a blend of 6 precious flower extracts and smells amazing. It can be used before shampooing (as a hair mask), before straightening or as a finishing touch! I'm a bit late but THANK YOU, L'ORÉAL! I have the simplest beauty regimen but lately I've been trying out these really cool products with better and safer ingredients. 

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Really happy and thankful that I was able to fly to Cebu last weekend! Mum chose to celebrate there instead of Manila for a change and our little family was complete. We decided to stay at the Mövenpick Hotel since we've never been and the white interiors really drew me in (as usual). Was a bit hesitant to fly in because of the aftershocks, but I really needed the sun and sand again. Experienced 2 earthquakes during my stay--nothing too scary but it's not the same for everyone. Got to see some of the damages caused by the first earthquake (magnitude 7.2) last Tuesday and it was just so eerie. Praying for Cebu and Bohol, two of the most beautiful cities in the country. 

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Cebu/Sinulog 2013 photo diary

Kryz's birthday at the very chic Henry Hotel (formerly known as the House of Cebu)

love these two 

Interior designers! 

more about the hotel on Kryz's blog post

I had to fly to Manila the day after her birthday to settle some things for work, then traveled to Cebu again 2 days after to prepare for Sinulog weekend.

Went for a night out with the girls on Thursday, had a gig at the Outpost on Friday, then had my early birthday celebration at one of the ballrooms at City Sports on Saturday before hitting the clubs. 

Amber x Funk Avy at the Loft 

 

birthday dinner outfit 

I haven't seen some of my high school batchmates in over 5 years! It was great to catch up with some of them. 

Quinito, Lor, Pia, Ayen and Steph- my Sinulog buddies & house mates from Manila this year (missing Ianna in the photo)

With the fab bloggers! Thanks for comin, guys! Appreciate it :) 

Sunday at Baseline...

Nix Damn P! 

How crazy am I for snapping photos while trying to maintain my balance on the fence with these two?! Some of you may have read my tweet- some guards kept hitting our butts with tall sticks since they wanted us off this fence. Ha!!

By this point, I had to leave. The photos show how blurry my vision was getting from all the shots I took. We walked to Ayala where I had dinner with Mia and some of my friends before I managed to end up at the Marriott hotel where my parents stayed for the night. 

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The madness at Baseline during Sinulog gets crazier each year! Gotta hand it to the Rhipstop/Spectrum .PH team... It's always a party to remember! My guests are always looking forward to the street party and Cebu gets flooded with visitors from all over the world because of the beautiful Sinulog parade. Next trip, I'll be hittin the beaches since I miss island-hopping around Cebu. 

Love visiting this city because I'll never get tired of the warmth and hospitality of the Cebuanos. The people add to the list of what one can look forward to, aside from the resorts and all the food of course. Thank you to those who helped me show my friends from Manila why I love this place! And to my mom (I know you're reading this)- you're the best host ever! 

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Cebu Next

It's out tomorrow! So honoured to be a part of the list with these talented & humble Cebuanos. Please grab a copy of Zee Lifestyle's December issue.

(L-R) Vito Selma, Matteo Guidicelli, Slater Young, Vania Romoff, Mia Arcenas, Holly Dychangco, Raleene Cabrera & Kryz Uy
Photography by Dan Douglas Ong Creative Direction by Melo Esguerra   Shot on location at Cebu Yacht Club ❧ some behind the scenes photos to add to my previous blog post [via iPhone].. We were all suffering under the sun and it felt like the hottest day of the month.  Look at everyone squinting/ scrunching up their foreheads! We also had solo shots taken before everyone arrived for the group photo and I had to wear the first dress I had under the kaftan. I forgot to bring a slip! No choice but to layer or else I'd be flaunting my undies... Thanks to Mia for the beautiful kaftan and cuffs ♡  It was a really fun photo shoot even if we had to look away from the camera after every shot (cos the sun hurt our eyes soooo much). We all knew each other well so you can only imagine the amount of jokes we cracked in between the serious poses. We all look so prim and proper, right? Don't be fooled! We're a wacky bunch.  Thanks so much to Zee for including me in this lineup. You guys are always so supportive and accommodating every time I visit. Can't wait to see the full spread! 
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