product review – Jellybeans in the City

Quick Caffeine Boost Without Spilling a Drop: Introducing Another Coffee

Got a full day of work and activities but your mind is still feeling drowsy. Got to get on-the-go but your body just wants to stay under the covers? Got to be on the road so you need to be on full alert mode?

There’s a quick and delicious solution to these problems: Another Coffee.

Another Coffee is a chocolate covered espresso bean snack that is made with real espresso beans that are sourced from Batangas, Philippines. The beans are then covered in a rich, dark chocolate. Each piece of Another Coffee is the perfect way to get a caffeine boost without having to worry about spills or messes.

Why You Need Another Coffee in Your Life

There are a few reasons why you need Another Coffee in your life. First, it’s the perfect way to get a caffeine boost without having to worry about spills or messes. If you’re on the go, you don’t have to worry about carrying a coffee mug or worrying about spilling your coffee. Just pop a few Another Coffees in your pocket or bag and you’re good to go.

Second, Another Coffee is delicious. The combination of the rich chocolate and the roasted espresso beans is simply amazing. It’s the perfect sweet snack that will satisfy your cravings without weighing you down.

Third, Another Coffee is a great way to support local farmers. The espresso beans used in Another Coffee are sourced from Batangas. This helps to support the local economy and ensures that Another Coffee is made with high-quality ingredients.

Where to Buy Another Coffee

You can buy Another Coffee chocolate covered espresso beans at the following online outlets:

Another Coffee is also available in select retail stores in the Philippines.

How to Enjoy Another Coffee

There are a few different ways to eat Another Coffee. You can eat them plain as a snack or top them on ice cream or cake.

I personally like to eat them plain as a snack. I like the combination of the rich, dark chocolate and the roasted espresso beans. It’s the perfect sweet and coffee-licious snack that will satisfy my cravings without weighing me down.

How Many Another Coffees Can I Eat in a Day?

According to Another Coffee, it’s safe to eat around 20 to 30 Another Coffees in a day as long as you’re not pregnant or sensitive to caffeine. However, it’s always best to start with a few and see how you feel before you eat more.

How to Store Another Coffee

Another Coffee can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge. They will keep for up to one month from the production date.

The Bottom Line

Another Coffee is a delicious and convenient way to get a caffeine boost on the go. It’s made with real espresso beans and covered in a rich, dark chocolate. It’s the perfect sweet and salty snack that will satisfy your cravings without weighing you down.

If you’re looking for a unique and delicious snack that will give you a caffeine boost, then you need to try Another Coffee. You won’t be disappointed!

Disclosure: Product sample was provided to facilitate this feature story.

Gourmet desserts in minutes with Maya Decadence Premium Mixes

Being a busy mom with a sweet tooth, I can get frustrated when I can’t get my hands on quality desserts when my craving for sweets hit.

Granted, going to the nearest dessert shop or bakery, or having the new trendy desserts delivered to my doorstep can be easy enough but they do cost me a pretty penny.

If only there was a way to get those decadently premium desserts without breaking the bank nor tying me up all day to the kitchen, eh?

Well, there is, thanks to Maya Decadence Premium Mixes.

These comprise a line of high-quality baking mixes that are perfect for busy moms like me who love delicious, decadent desserts but don’t have the time or expertise to make them from scratch. Whether you’re a busy parent, a novice baker, or just someone who loves sweets, Maya Decadence Premium Mixes are the perfect solution for your baking needs.

Each Maya Decadence Premium Mix is made with the finest ingredients, including cane sugar, wheat flour and other additives that give each mix a rich, luxurious flavor and texture that will make your taste buds sing.

All you have to do is add wet ingredients (usually eggs, oil and water) to the cake mixes then bake them according to the package instructions.

Check out how I made my delicious attempts at producing show-stopping cakes using Maya Decadence Premium Mixes.

Yellow Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Maya Decadence Yellow Cake Mix has a moist and dense texture, produces a thick batter and possesses a distinct taste makes it ideal for most cake recipes.

My cake was a dense, three-layered confection which I topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting (recipe provided at the back of the box).

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Red Velvet Cake with Leftover Cream Cheese Frosting

Maya Decadence Red Velvet Cake is a richly red and velvety confection which run a gamut of flavors from milky to acidic to slightly chocolatey.

The resulting cake also goes well with cream cheese frosting. Fortunately, I had some leftover from the Yellow Cake. I saved the Whipped Cream Powder included in its box for the Devil’s Food Cake.

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Devil’s Food Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Whipped Cream Frosting

Maya Decadence Devil’s Food Cake Premium Cake Mix produces cakes that are richer, darker, fluffier, and as simply delicious as you can imagine, thanks to its use of unsweetened chocolate instead of cocoa powder.

I made this especially sinful by topping each layer with chocolate ganache, then covering the top with kisses of sweetened whipped cream made from the powder included in the Red Velvet box.

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In case you’re still on the fence on whether or not Maya Decadence Premium Cake Mixes are for you, consider these advantages:

Convenience. They save you the time and hassle of measuring and mixing individual ingredients. With Maya Decadence Premium Cake Mixes, you can simply follow the instructions on the package (or improvise like I do sometimes) and have your baked goods ready in no time.
Consistency. Since Maya Decadence Premium Cake Mixes are made with standardized recipes and ingredients, you can expect consistent results every time you use them. This is especially helpful if you are new to baking and want to ensure that your baked goods turn out well.
Variety. Maya Decadence Premium Cake Mixes come in three variants which can be baked strictly per instruction or adapted into new recipes. They allow you to experiment with different frostings, icings or toppings to truly customize your cake creations.
Cost-effective. Using Maya Decadence Premium Cake Mixes is definitely more affordable than buying and stocking up on all the individual ingredients separately, especially if you only need a small amount of a specific ingredient. They also help reduce food waste by providing the exact amount of each ingredient needed for the recipe.
Long shelf life. Maya Decadence Premium Cake Mixes have a long shelf life, making them a great pantry staple. This means you can always have a cake on hand for last-minute baking needs (such as gifts or potluck contributions) or unexpected guests.

So, go ahead and try these fabulous baking hacks. Who would have thought that you can produce gourmet desserts in minutes just by using cake mixes?

Know more kitchen hacks by visiting the Maya Kitchen website or following it on Facebook and Instagram.

Pasalubong from Pampanga: Cheesebread from LBS Bakeshop

During one of our get-togethers, my boss gave each member of the team something really special: a box of those famous Pampanga cheesebread from LBS Bakeshop.

This Pampanga cheesebread is a beloved local specialty that has made a name for itself, not just within Pampanga, but also beyond, with city slickers from the metro clamoring for it whenever friends would venture north.

This soft and fluffy bread has a lovely mix of milky, sweet and salty flavors from the soft and fluffy bread to the fragrant sugary cheese streusel topping. The combination of these flavors and textures creates a taste sensation that is hard to resist.

It is also quite affordable, a treat that can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life, regardless of their budget.

Pair it with some local hot chocolate and you’ve got a delicious combination of comfort foods for your breakfast or coffee break, or to enjoy during cold and rainy days. Count on the sweet and slightly salty taste of Pampanga cheesebread to complement the rich and creamy flavor of hot chocolate.

It’s no wonder, then, that the cheesebread is such a well-loved staple and a point of pride among Kapampangans. It has become a symbol of the province’s culinary expertise and a must-try for anyone visiting the area.

So, where do you go to get your hands on this celebrated local delicacy? Well, if you’re in San Fernando, Pampanga, just proceed to J. Abad Santos Street in Barangay Sto. Rosario to get a box (or two… or three!) to bring home with you or for your pasalubong to family and friends back in the metro.

A mini box of 18 pieces costs just Php180 while a regular box of 30 pieces will set you back just Php210.

Aside from cheesebread, you may also like to check out LBS Bakeshop’s other pastry offers such as Spanish Bread, Coconut Pie, Pan de Coco, Special Pan de Sal, Pan de Lemon, Putok, Monay and Hopia Kundol.

Call in your orders for pick-up via +63 45 9613457 or +63 917 5747594. To stay updated on its products and offers, follow LBS Bakeshop on Facebook and Instagram.

#EatHealthyEatFresh with Nutrifresh Chicken

With the continuously rising prices, eating home-cooked meals in lieu of dining out is becoming more popular.

Aside from cutting costs on your food budget, home cooking also helps you choose healthy and wholesome ingredients, have greater control over preparation methods and portions, as well as practice your creativity in the kitchen.

However, one of the hurdles to be managed in home cooking involves sourcing of fresh ingredients that will help recipes turn into delicious dishes.

Fortunately, you can now turn to the Internet to conveniently shop for ingredients and have them delivered to your home.

Take Nutrifresh Chicken, for example.

Nutrifresh Chicken is a direct producer, processor and distributor of broiler chickens which is mainly based in Southern Luzon, with branches in Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Gensan, Davao and Palawan.

It carefully manages the production of its chicken products – from breeding, hatching, growing, processing to packaging and delivery – to ensure the adoption of humane practices and maintain product quality while eschewing the use of preservatives, added hormones and steroids.

These dressed chicken selections include:

Nutrifresh Chicken started its venture into consumer retail just when the worldwide pandemic reared its ugly head back in 2020, challenging the company to come up with solutions to efficiently deliver its fresh and premium quality chicken products from its farms to its customers.

Then, it launched an app that enabled home cooks like to order their choices from among its various chicken selections and have them conveniently delivered right to their doorstep.

This online facility made it that much easier for home cooks to prepare nourishing and mouth-watering dishes for their families.

The app is currently being updated to improve its user experience but you can place your orders through Nutrifresh Chicken’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. When the app update is done, you can download it here.

So go online to order your Nutrifresh Chicken selections and be on your way to eating healthy and fresh!

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate this feature.

Sawsaw-sarap ng Pinoy food, thanks to all-natural vinegars from Casa Lontoc

One significant feature of Filipino cuisine is the abundance of condiments.

We don’t consider a viand complete when it leaves the kitchen and is served on our dining tables. Nope, we still keep the option of further enhance its flavor or add some spice, zing or texture to it, through the use of condiments.

In his article The Psychology of Condiments: A Review, food scholar Charles Pence posits that “the existence of condiments is probably also an acknowledgement of the very different worlds of taste in which we all live.^”

After all, condiments allow us to personalize our food, adjusting its taste according to our individual preferences.

There’s little wonder then, that we Pinoys developed a wealth of condiments and dipping sauces that make our dining experiences all the richer.

Husband-and-wife team Juan Carlos Lontoc and Louwina Ann Balboa Lontoc grew their small enterprise of making and bottling sinamak into a fast-growing business they called Casa Lontoc.

Sinamak is the spiced vinegar which is aged with spices and aromatics, making it very flavorful. It is a perfect complement for the Ilonggo delicacy chicken inasal, as well as grilled and fried dishes such as liempo and seafood. Plus, it can also be used as a marinade for various dishes or as the acid in the local version of ceviche, such as the tuna kinilaw.

Casa Lontoc’s Mild Sinamak is the best bet for those who want a distinct Ilonggo flair for their grilled dishes. It is made from all-natural distilled cane vinegar and spices, inspired by a Lontoc heirloom recipe.

Similarly, the Spicy Sinamak, is made from the same recipe but has more heat to it, not only enhancing the flavor of the dishes it accompanies, but also bringing a lot more spice to them.

Casa Lontoc’s Sweet and Spicy Cane Vinegar, on the other hand, is quite distinctive thanks to its sweetness. This makes it quite a match to the Filipino penchant for sweetness and is a great salad dressing or vinaigrette for ensaladas, or a dipping sauce for finger foods.

Other Casa Lontoc products include:

Spiced Tuba Vinegar
Spiced Iloco Vinegar
Chili Garlic
Habanero Chili Garlic

Casa Lontoc’s all-natural vinegars and sauces certainly help to bring new dimensions of flavor to many Pinoy dishes.

Who knows? Maybe they can also introduce new sawsaw-sarap possibilities to foreign dishes as well!

Try them as dipping sauces for your everyday meals or as dressings or marinades for special dishes during your weekend family barbecues.

To know more about Casa Lontoc and its products, visit its website and follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate this feature.

An honest promise to better skin: Celimax

Let’s face it: when you’ve reached the “wrong” side of forty, you have to step up on your skin care routine.

When you get to this stage, the sins of your past tend to catch up with you: the times when you stayed up at all hours, slept with your makeup on, or spent all day in the sun with no sunscreen on will start to leave their marks on your face and skin.

Hopefully, these sins of your youth against your present self are few and far between, and you still have so many years left in which to enjoy the skin that reflects how young and radiant you actually feel.

Personally, having grown up thinking that skincare simply involves washing my face with soap and water right before bedtime, I was dumbfounded to discover that it is actually comprised of several steps (which can be as many as ten!) and involves so many products. I could hardly tell where to start or how to go about my skincare regimen.

Fortunately, there are ways to pare down the complex skin care rituals to the most basic – yet essential – steps that still help to achieve to goal of minimizing pores and maintaining a youthful freshness despite the advancing years.

Honestly, I find a simplified routine a lot easier to do – and definitely a lot more sustainable to maintain in the long run.

This routine includes:

Step 1: Cleansing.

My busy days (and the hot and dusty city environment) tend to layer on dirt, oils and makeup residue on my face which may clog my pores, increasing the chances of unsightly breakouts. A skin cleanser should be able to remove the day’s accumulation of dirt while still maintaining my skin’s pH balance.

Step 2: Toning.

A thoroughly, but gently, cleansed skin should also be prepped to absorb moisturizers and other treatments you want to apply.

That’s the job of the skin toner. It also restores the skin’s pH balance and improves the overall skin tone.

Step 3: Treating

Despite a meticulous approach to skin care – or because of our past transgressions towards taking care of our skin during our youth – we may have some problem areas that we would like to address. These may include dull looking skin, fine lines and wrinkles, acne breakouts, among others.

Using serums, ampoules, acids or sheet masks with a higher concentration of ingredients to treat these problem areas will help in maintaining your skin’s health.

Step 4: Moisturizing.

Since we are not young as we used to be, moisturizing our skin is the order of the day – any day! How else can we keep our skin from drying out, keeping them nice, supple and young-looking.

To equip our skin care arsenal with the appropriate products to support our skin care goals, we can look to Korean skin care brand Celimax.

This line of beauty and skin care products is focused on transparency: it designs honest, user-friendly products with clean ingredients (allergen-free fragrance and no harsh chemicals) to bring about better skin for people with various skin types and skincare needs.

Among its products are the The Real Cica Calming Ampoule and The Real Cica Soothing Cream. As their names imply, both contain extracts from the cica (Centella Asiatica) plant, well-known for its healing, soothing, antibacterial and inflammatory properties, naturally derived within forty-eight hours of harvest to ensure maximum concentration of active compounds.

The Real Cica Calming Ampoule

This product contains 75% cica extract and an oil-free ultra-concentrated hydration complex to hydrate and soothe irritated skin.

To use, apply two to three drops from the automatic dropper and apply evenly across your face using your fingertips, avoiding the eye area. Use gentle pats to facilitate absorption of the formula.

Stock up on The Real Cica Calming Ampoule here.

The Real Cica Soothing Cream

This light-weighted hydrating gel cream is infused with 73% cica extract along with Dermatic AC3 (to manage sebum production and acne care for oily skin) and Niacinamide + Adenosine (to brighten skin and manage the effects of aging).

To apply, squeeze out a pea-sized amount of face cream then apply evenly throughout the face, gently massaging into the skin with small, upward circular motions.

Stock up on The Real Cica Soothing Cream here.

I love their light, refreshing and non-sticky feel on my face and the way they work together to quickly and effectively soothe away facial redness and swelling from irritation.

They are also easy and simple to apply, so including them as part of my nightly skin care routine would be no hassle at all.

Want to try these cica-based skincare products from Celimax?

While cica extract is usually safe for all skin types, it may aggravate or irritate the skin in certain cases. Also, results may vary from person to person. Be sure to scan the full ingredient list of these products before purchase and conducting a small patch test before the application to ensure your safety.

To know more about honest skincare products, follow Celimax on Facebook and Instagram.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate this feature.

Homemade goodness from Baba’s Kitchen

Want to jazz up your mealtimes without slaving all day in the kitchen? Or have tasty munchables ready whenever you get hungry for a midnight snack or get in the mood for a Tv binge?

Well, you won’t have to do hard kitchen labor because you can get your hunger pangs and cravings catered to by Baba’s Kitchen!

Yep, my cooler bag from Baba’s Kitchen is chock-full of tasty homemade goodies that opens up a world of wonderful gustatory possibilities.

I’ll tell you more about these but first, let’s check out the bag’s contents.

These include ready-to-cook viands such as Breakfast Patties, Spanish Chorizo and Wagyu Tapa, snackable dips such as the sweet and spicy Mango Jalapeno, the tasty Garlic & Herb and Chicken Rum Pate, the highly snackable Beachcoast Crisps: Cranberry Edition, as well condiments such Baba’s BBQ Sauce and Baba’s Spicy Bitchin’ Sauce.

With so little time for food prep after a hectic workday, I had to get a bit more creative when coming up with a dinner that the kids will get excited for.

So, I whipped up a batch of Cheesy Peppery Burgers using Baba’s Kitchen’s Burger Patties!

We paired our meal with some crackers, Baba’s Kitchen’s Beachcoast Crisps and Baba’s Kitchen’s dips!

With much of the prep work of the meal already done by Baba’s Kitchen, I had more time to enjoy dinner time with the kids!

This meal-in-minutes sure seems like a resounding success, wouldn’t you say?

UPDATE:

I also whipped up a quick lunch for the family: Tapsilog using Baba’s Kitchen’s Wagyu Tapa!

So, now, what can I whip up with the other items from Baba’s Kitchen? Use the Spanish Chorizos for some Deviled Eggs? Use the BBQ Sauce as a Chicken Teriyaki Marinade? Let me know if you have more ideas.

If you want to have more fun mealtimes with the fam while feasting on great food (with little effort!), check out Baba’s Kitchen!

Order now from Baba’s Kitchen’s website. To stay updated on Baba’s Kitchen’s products and offers, follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate this feature.

#BakeItTilYouMakeIt: Our Baking Mama Gift Set from Ka Tunying’s

As a working mom, I try not to let my hectic work schedule get in the way of my kids’ enjoyment. Things like freshly baked desserts served right after a family meal are what treasured childhood memories are made of.

However, baking is not always easy, right? Stocking up on ingredients and shopping for essential utensils can be tedious and time consuming. If only baking could be made a bit easier…

Well, Ka Tunying’s got something for busy moms who also want to try their hand at baking: the Our Baking Mama Pack!

This sweet little package contains an apron, a wire whisk, a baking mitt, a rubber spatula and a 500-gram brownie pre-mix, essentially a starter kit for a baking mama.

And here are the goodies that were brought about by this gift set in mere minutes.

Awesome, aren‘t they?

All I had to do was pour the contents of the jar into bowl and mix in 3/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup vegetable oil and 3 beaten eggs until just combined. Then I divided the batter into two separate baking pans – one of which I topped with just chocolate chips and the other I topped with chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. After that, they went into a pre-heated 350-deg F oven and baked for a little over twenty minutes.

Once they’re done baking, I let them cool down for a few minutes then cut them into squares. Upon serving, I topped the brownies with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

My kids loved them!

So mommies, get a headstart on your baking adventures with the Our Baking Mama Pack from Ka Tunying’s, available for just Php999 this May. To order, call +63 995 2376684 or +63 917 1038673.

Got fellow momshies whom you’d like to treat with something special? Why don’t you gift them with other gift packs from Ka Tunying’s such as:

Kitchen Queen Mother (Php999): includes an apron, a food tong, a wooden ladle, a cooking mitt, a 250-ml jar of Ka Tunying’s Gourmet Tuyo and a 220-gram jar of assorted pasta shells
Break Ka Muna, Ma! (Php999): includes 3 pcs sugar cookies, a double-wall mug, a 120-gram jar of ground coffee, a 370-gram jar of butterscotch and a 120-gram jar of choco crinkles
As Sweet as You, Mom (Php249/6pcs | Php369/9pcs): special Mother’s Day cookies

All natural sweetness from Pure Via Stevia

Sugar permeates practically all of our food stuff. Aside from being a sweetener, it also acts as a preservative, texture modifier, coloring or flavoring agent and as an aid in fermentation.

However, sugar does have its downsides, especially if its consumed excessively. Being so calorie-rich, it can lead to weight gain and accumulation of visceral fat, and can increase risk of heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, certain forms of cancer and even depression. Its ill effects may even manifest in our outward appearance in the form of increased acne and accelerated skin aging.

Clearly, as we transition to our more mature years, we should wean ourselves away from sugar. Well that is easier said than done, considering how ubiquities it is, and, of course, how appealing sweet foods are to us.

Fortunately, we now have sugar substitutes that are all-natural, such as Pure Via Stevia.

Made from the leaves of the stevia plant, Pure Via Stevia contains no sugars, calories, cholesterol nor carbs and is 200 times sweeter than sugar. In fact, 1 small stick of Pure Via at zero calories is equivalent to two teaspoons or sugar which contains 32 calories.

You can use it to sweeten your coffee or your smoothies, so you can start your day on a sweet but healthier note.

You can also modify your favorite dessert recipes using Pure Via Stevia as a substitute for sugar, making your cakes, pastries and creams a lot better for you.

So stock up on this wonder ingredient by adding it to cart in time for Shopee’s 5.5 Brands Festival and take advantage of discounts up to 50% off at the Equal Official Store.

During this online sale from April 26 to May 7, you can score a wide assortment of brands at unbelievable deals with 50% off Brand Bundles, 10% off daily, and Free Shipping with ₱0 min. spend.

So get started on a healthier way of life that is just as sweet as you like it to be with Pure Via Stevia.

Add to your Shopee Cart Now

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate this feature.

Why we moms should keep Getein PH testing kits in our bags

There’s no doubt that when the IATF declared Metro Manila under Alert Level 1, we moms were among those who breathed a huge sigh of relief.

At long last, after more than two years of living under strict community quarantine regulations, our families can now get some semblance of how we used to live prior to the arrival of the pandemic to our shores.

We started venturing out of our homes and exploring our world again: dining out, watching movies, visiting parks and going on staycations.

These adventures added some fun, variety and excitement to our lives, especially for our kiddos who had been stuck at home for over two years.

But make no mistake, momshies, COVID-19 is still here and we should remain just as vigilant now as we were before. In fact, now is not the time to let go of our “mommy spidey senses,” in other words, our “pagka-praning!”

Aside from following the now golden rules of wearing facemasks, maintaining physical distancing, keeping our homes and belongings clean and sanitized, as well as meticulously washing our hands, we should also be able to quickly detect if anyone in our immediate circle has been infected.

This will help us to immediately organize our home to quarantine and care for the infected person while keeping the other household members safe from the virus.

Fortunately, a proven effective yet easy-to-use COVID-19 testing kit was approved by the Food and Drug Administration early this year, giving us moms a readily accessible and convenient way to detect COVID-19 infection.

The Getein SARS-Cov-2 Antigen Self-Test Kit contains the following:

SARS-COV-2 Antigen Test Card
Sterile Swab
Extraction Tube with Sample Extraction Solution and Tip
Bio Hazard Sample Bag
User Manual

Using it is so easy! Just follow the steps in the manual and you’ll get your results in fifteen minutes. You can even get a certificate by uploading your results through Getein’s mobile using a QR code.

I’m sure that I can trust that this testing kit is reliable as it has RITM validated results at 96.43% sensitivity and 100% specificity

Now that more people are going out or returning to their schools or offices, we moms can’t afford to be complacent when it comes to guarding our families against COVID-19.

What we can afford to do, however, is to stock up on Getein SARS-Cov-2 Antigen Self-Test Kits for our weekly antigen testing at home. At only Php298 per kit and available at leading drugstores, this self-test kit is an essential item that should always be within easy reach, whether in our medicine cabinets or in our purses.

We can still be praning but we won’t be as helpless as before, thanks to our new partner in early COVID-19 detection: Getein SARS-Cov-2 Antigen Self-Test Kits.

Know more about Getein PH on Facebook and Instagram.

Disclosure: Sample products were provided to facilitate this feature.