[Product Review] CETAPHIL Gentle Skin Cleanser

Gustuhin ko man, I was never gifted with clear, flawless skin. I even had really bad acne back in highschool.. Although I don't fuss about it too much, I still try to find ways to minimize the redness and breakouts that appear from time to time, especially during my "red flag" days. 

I've tried a lot of the best selling facial cleansers/wash that's out in the market but the closest that I ever got to having clear skin was when I used The Body Shop's tea tree soap (read my review about it here). The rest would just be too strong for me (too strong that it would leave my face super dry and feel like sandpaper) or sometimes, it would work for about 2 weeks and then all of a sudden, its like I'd be immune from it. 

Just before I left Manila, I consulted a dermatologist about my skin problem. She suggested that I use Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser for my face along with some other cream/medications that I was supposed to put on every morning and every evening. 

I was a bit hesitant to use Cetaphil because

Mr. Jones' Mac 'n Cheese

If you ever crave for good old mac 'n cheese, I highly recommend that you try the one from Mr. Jones in Makati.

It's seriously the tastiest and creamiest mac 'n cheese I've ever had in my life!
:D

Ambiance: ★★★★★
Food: ★★★★★
Service: ★★★★★

Mr. Jones is located at Level 1, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati

Dubai blogger: LATIFA

A lot of my friends have been wondering what most people in the Middle East dress like.. I'd love to take pictures of random people on the streets, or the beautifully dressed women I always see at the mall, but doing so might get me into trouble. :(

So instead, I'm going to post pictures taken from Latifa's blog. Latifa is a fashion blogger living in Dubai and my goodness, let me tell you, she has impeccable taste in SHOES and bags and jewelry. Most of the stuff you'll see on her blog are things that most women dream of having inside their closet. Looking through all the photos make me wanna drool in envy.

Definitely want to raid her closet. :) 

Most women are required to wear what they call an "abaya", but

[Between U & Z] The Disease

I really ought to be ashamed of myself for being a little too emotional on this video but.. hey I'm only human. Its a part of me that I wouldn't normally show other people but.. Its le boyf's birthday and I miss him A WHOLE LOT. Anywayyyy...



I think that birthdays are one of the best times to reflect and in this entry, Zee shares with you a piece of his mind. I hope you take the time to read it and I hope that you learn something from it. :)

________________________________

     Well its been a while since I wrote something besides Medicine notes... I have been busy studying for my board exams... But now that caffeine got the best of me and I'm too tired to watch any more video lectures, I decided to write about something that I believe is not just important to me, but to everyone. I dont know why its been bothering me lately. Maybe its because I'm living in a new country and I now have a chance to reflect on everything I've seen and done in the Philippines. But what I want to talk about is something that doesn't just happen in the Philippines, it happens everywhere in the world. Now I know you've probably heard a thousand different versions of this "lecture" before and I'm not pretending mine would be any different but I just felt like I have to do this because well... I just thought I should.


     You see, I have recently realized that every one in the world, every man, woman and perhaps even every child, is sick. Each of the 6.9 billion people in this world is infected with a disease. A disease that will eventually lead to our untimely and utterly devastating demise. The thing is, this disease isn't like Diabetes or Cancer. This is an infectious disease. Something that spreads from one person to another. Now, it might just be me, but I'm convinced this thing is in the air all around us. And like most diseases, this one has a name as well, its called APATHY.


     Now some of you might already be thinking "I knew it, I shouldn't have started reading this", well that's exactly what I'm talking about. That's the first symptom of apathy, losing the ability to care. Let's face it, its happening all around us. Now I'm going to out on a limb here and stir up a hornet's nest. You see, most of us (and I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't include myself) only care to do something for other people only if we benefit from it in one way or another. Whether you go to church, temple or a mosque, you are all told the same thing-- to do good things for other people.... AND... it will be returned 10-fold (or something like that). Now dont get me wrong, I have nothing against church, temple or the mosque. But when was the last time you did something good just for that reason alone... because it was the right thing to do... No reward expected, no hidden intentions. Sure, you might get rewarded for your good deeds and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it becomes a problem when these "rewards" are expected and even worse, demanded. That's when you know you've got a bad case of apathy. By the way, that's symptom number 2-- selfishness. Apathy is a horrible disease that affects almost every part of your body. Eventually, you'll start to get blurry vision-- that's when that roll of weed or syringe of heroin looks more interesting than frightening. Apathy even affects your brain-- that's when hurting someone becomes an option instead of a crime. Its also been shown to have detrimental effects on your heart-- that's when the desire for lust overcomes the need for love. Eventually, when all is said and done, and the disease has taken the best out of you, there's nothing left except a life of regret.


     Here's the thing, I've got good news and bad news for you. Bad news first, there is no cure, sorry. Apathy is like herpes, once you get it, it stays with you for life. They say Herpes is the gift that keeps on giving. Well if that's true, then apathy is something that just keeps on taking, not just from you, but from the people around you. If you've ever seen starving kids go through trash just to find scraps of food while you complained about your food to the waitress at an expensive restaurant, then you've got a problem... BUT, if you just read that sentence and did NOT feel bad about it, then you have an even bigger problem. But dont worry, like I said, there is some good news. It can be treated, but I have to warn you-- its not as easy as you may think. Dont worry, I'm not going to send you little envelopes and expect you to put money in it or ask for your credit card information and expect a donation. You see, that's not what I want you to do. What I really want you to do is get up! Off your ass! Go around the corner to that 7-eleven and buy a bottle of water. Now cross the street (dont get run over doing it), find that beggar and PUT that bottle of water IN HIS HANDS and TELL HIM, "There are people who care". Call up your friend and tell him/her how much you appreciate them. Call up your parents and tell them how much you love them and how grateful you are to them. Call up an old enemy or someone you hurt and tell them you're sorry, dont expect forgiveness, just do it for no other reason than you really are sorry. The next time you eat at a restaurant, tell the waitress she's awesome and make her day. Thank your nurse for taking good care of you or your loved one. Dont just give your money away to a charitable organization and expect other people to take care of it for you. Learn to be those "other people", volunteer at your church, temple, mosque or town. Get out there and change someone's life... start with your own. If you are still reading this, then maybe I didn't make myself clear enough... GET UP! KILL your apathy! I warned you it wouldn't be easy but this is the only way.


     So let's get this ball rolling. Let me start by saying thank you to anyone that read this post. I am grateful to you for your time, even more so if you're actually going to do something about what I've just spent the better part of my day putting together. Thank you for helping someone that needs it. Thank you for being a friend. Thank you for helping me kill my apathy. Now if you'll excuse me... I think there's something important I need to do.

Store Visit: SHOEBOX @ 360 Mall

My first visit to a SHOEBOX store here in Kuwait, where they sell all sorts of branded shoes, bags and accessories. Took a few pictures of the things that caught my eye. :)

BCBG

Sam Edelman

Vince Camuto

I'm obviously attracted to things that are studded. Hehe.

I think I may have found a new favorite shoe store. :)

Wagamama Restaurant, 360 Mall

Had dinner with my family at Wagamama inside the 360 Mall earlier today..

We weren't up for anything too "heavy" so we thought of just ordering a salad and a couple of things from their "kids' menu".
Their Salmon Crab & Avocado salad is an absolute MUST-TRY! Its so good that I don't think I've found/ tasted anything that can beat it. I highly recommend that you order this salad when you get the chance to visit. :)

Salmon Crab and Avocado Salad - KWD 4.250

I love how the quantity of food from their kids' menu is enough to feed an actual adult. Haha! 

I ordered the Mini Chicken Katsu (deep-fried breaded chicken breast served with sticky white rice and shredded cucumber, served with a lightly spiced curry sauce) -- KWD 2.250 **Loved it to bits! Loved the thick, spicy curry sauce!

(*Also something from the kids' menu) Grilled Chicken Noodles (slices of grilled chicken breast served on soba noodles with shredded carrot, sweetcorn and coriander, served with citrus yakitori sauce) -- KWD 1.950

Soup for my Mom :)

Mini Ramen (noodles in a vegetable soup topped with grilled chicken breast, seasonal greens, carrot and sweetcorn) -- KWD 1.950

One of the things I love about this place (besides the really good food) are the really friendly and helpful staff. Their servings are quite large and is totally worth every penny. This is easily one of my family's favorite restaurants and I'm pretty sure we'll be back soon! :)


Ambiance: ★★★★★
Food: ★★★★★
Service: ★★★★★

**Wagamama is located at the 3rd floor of 360 Mall (King Faisal Highway, Safat)

[VLOG] Super Fail

I love my sister.. She's the cutest. :)))

A song for all the LDR lovers..

My Kuya took a portrait shot of me last night..

When I saw the picture, it reminded me of...

I'll never be as gorgeous as she is but I LOOOOOOVE ADELE!!!!!!

This is one of my favorite songs by Adele.. It reminds me of Zee and our long distance love affair..
I feel like crying everytime I hear this..
To everyone who's in a long distance relationship.... This is for you.... Hang in there.. We'll survive this :)


Its one of those days when I wake up and I start to really miss Zee so bad.. :( And thinking about the distance really hurts. :( I'm sure anyone who's in an LDR can relate.. But I'll try to get over this. I know we'll get through this..

I'll think about that day nalang when I post an OTD of me wearing a nice WHITE dress... :)