self-care – Jellybeans in the City

Time for some pampering at Nailaholics, SM City East Ortigas

The past two years have not given me a lot of opportunities for some pampering.

With the lockdowns and the pausing of operations of non-essential businesses such as nail salons, I’ve had to make do with my good ole’ nail clipper to keep my nails passingly presentable.

Well, with the easing of quarantine restrictions and the prospect of returning to the office in the coming days (which require getting my “porma” on while in a corporate setting), I just knew I needed to level up my nail-care game.

With these considerations in mind, I opted to treat, not just myself, but also my husband and daughter #ExhibitA, to some pampering via manicure/pedicure and foot spa services at the nearby Nailaholics Nail Salon and Spa.

This decision might come across as self-indulgent but this kind of self-care does have some significant health benefits:

They help prevent infections. Regular cleaning and clipping prevent ingrown toenails which normally cause infection. Plus, part of the services involve moisturizing your feet and hands which, in turn, minimize dryness that results to skin cracks which may also house infection.
They promote healthy blood circulation. Nail technicians also massage your your arms, hands, lower legs and feet during your mani/pedi service, which help to reduce muscle tension, improve joint mobility and optimal blood circulation.
They help improve the appearance of your hands and feet. Aside from the improved blood circulation that improves your skin condition, the resulting clean and well-groomed look of your extremities contribute to an overall improved appearance.

Nailaholics prides itself as the country’s pioneer in specialized nail salon and spa boutique. It promises to bring that “getaway experience” to its patrons, that paradise of pampering that comes from professional yet personalized service from highly trained nail technicians and a truly relaxing setting inspired by the chic and luxurious beach life along the Hamptons coast.

Foot Care

Our pampering started off with a Foot Spa (Php500) that involves foot detoxification, exfoliation and moisturization.

First, our feet were soaked in a warm and scented foot bath which helped to soothe our feet (oftentimes the most neglected part of our body!). These were then massaged and scrubbed to remove dead skin cells and promote a softer feel.

After the Foot Spa, comes the Pedicure (Php475) which involves toenail shaping, cuticle treatment and (for me and #ExhibitA) application of nail polish.

I’ve been nursing a case of subungal hematoma (also known as “patay na kuko”) on my toes for the past few months which I’ve been feeling very self-conscious about. It wouldn’t be an issue during a work-from-home setting (after all, I don’t display my feet during Zoom meetings, hehehe!) but going back to the office with these unsightly injuries would preclude me from wearing open-toed heels which I usually wear with my office clothes.

Ah, the problems that beset working women!

Well, this problem was solved by covering them up with nail polish. As I would still like my toenail color to be simple and low-maintenance, I opted for a nail polish shade that’s close to my skin tone.

Hand Care

Simultaneous with our Pedicure, another set of nail technicians are busy with our Manicure (Php450), cleaning and shaping our fingernails as well as carefully providing cuticle treatment.

Since my work involves a lot of typing on computer keyboards, long fingernails is a no-no. I opted for French tipped-nails: closely clipped and square-shaped nails with a clear polish applied at the base and white nail polish applied at the tips. This style has a clean and simple appearance that is so easy to maintain.

It’s wonderful how this short pampering session got me feeling all refreshed and revved up, ready to return to the office!

Plus, Hubby and #ExhbitA are quite happy with their Nailaholics experience as well!

Want to treat yourself to some pampering too? Book your appointment now!

This Nailaholics branch is located at the Second Floor, SM City East Ortigas, Ortigas Avenue Extension, Barangay Sta. Lucia, Pasig City, open daily from 10am to 9pm.

Other Nailaholics branches in Metro Manila are located in the following cities:

Las Pinas: SM Las Pinas
Makati: Ayala Circuit, Gloriata 3, Cash & Carry, San Antonio Plaza Arcade
Manila: Lucky Chinatown Mall, SM Manila
Marikina: Ayala Malls Feliz, SM Marikina
Muntinlupa: Festival Mall, SM Muntinlupa
Novaliches: SM Novaliches
Quezon City: Ayala Malls Cloverleaf, Ayala Fishermall, Eastwood Mall, Gateway Mall, Robinsons Galleria
Paranaque: SM BF Paranaque, SM Bicutan, SM Sucat, Ayala Malls Mania=la Bay
Pasay: SM Mall of Asia
Pasig: Ayala Malls the 30th, Robinsons Metro East, SM Pasig
San Juan: Unimart
Taguig: Market! Market!, Uptown Mall
Taytay: SM Taytay

Know more about Nailaholics by visiting its website. To stay updated on Nailaholics’ promos and offers, follow it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Check out my previous post about Nailaholics:

Gave my nails a treat at Nailaholics, SM Pasig https://flic.kr/p/2oenwsF

Exploring grocery and self-care shopping possibilities at Mitsukoshi BGC

‘Tis definitely the season for shopping as Mitsukoshi, the country’s first Japanese mall, finally opened its doors last November 18.

Located in one of the metro’s busiest commercial districts, the four-storey mall offers a much-welcome change of scenery for the people who frequent Bonifacio Global City for work and leisure.

Aside from its distinct Japanese design that melds together traditional and modern sensibilities, this new retail destination also features distinct areas dedicated to worthwhile pursuits for its shoppers and visitors:

Fresh produce and imported delicacies in Mitsukoshi’s own-brand supermarket at the basement
A self-care and beauty section highlighting natural and organic products at the ground floor
Appetizing Japanese and international dining options at the second floor
And soon, exciting Japanese entertainment and leisure outlets geared towards wellness and enjoyment at the third floor

The mall truly offers a myriad of possibilities to delight any shopper. However, I’d like to fill you in on the first two floors of Mitsukoshi, where its in-house outlets are located.

Check these out!

Mitsukoshi Beauty

Mitsukoshi Beauty, located in the ground floor, seeks to provide the essentials that will help you beauty mavens unleash your inner radiance in time for that holiday glow-up.

With a wide selection of cosmetics, self-care and wellness products, this new shopping destination is not about changing one’s looks but letting one’s inner glow shine through.

Here, you can indulge yourself with natural and organic products and learn from beauty experts on how to enhance and show off your best features.

For a well-curated selection of Japanese beauty and self-care products, be sure to drop by the The Apothecary.

Here, you can discover and take your picks from among celebrated Japanese brands, some of which can only be found at Mitsukoshi Beauty.

So go ahead and discover your natural beauty and inner shine at Mitsukoshi Beauty.

For the latest updates on Mitsukoshi Beauty’s products and offers, follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Mitsukoshi Fresh

The mall’s basement is reminiscent of a depachika – a Japanese food hall dedicated to representing the best of Japan’s food culture. It is connected to the mall’s supermarket brand, Mitsukoshi Fresh, which brings a multi-sensory shopping experience to its shoppers, thanks to its carefully curated food products sourced from all over the world, as well as its attractive and interactive displays.

Here, you can take your pick from the fresh produce, meat and seafood available to bring about your own culinary creations.

Want to bring a Japanese dining experience to your home? Be sure to check out its sushi, sashimi and dumpling selections.

Holiday celebrations are sure to be lively and fun, especially with the wide selection of wines, liquors and beverages available here. You can even sample wines by the glass at the wine counter.

Got a sweet tooth? Don’t miss out on the freshly made as well as imported Japanese dessert delicacies on offer, especially the much-awaited Tokyo Banana custard.

Of course, Japan is well-known for packaged food that are anything but generic: these include anything from delectable ramen to flavorful rice bowls and ready-to-cook soups and pastas.

By the way, Mitsukoshi Fresh also spotlights notable local artisanal brands such as Gourmet Farms and Auro Chocolate.

If you want to level up on your home cooking with a few Japanese touches and international flair, Mitsukoshi Fresh is the place to be.

You can even give in to your food cravings while inside the supermarket, thanks to its in-store dining and takeout outlets.

Know more about Mitsukoshi Fresh’ offers on Facebook and Instagram.

Want to earn points, get rewards and cool coupons with your purchases at Mitsukoshi? Sign up for Arigato Rewards!

Mitsukoshi BGC is located at The Seasons Residences, 8th Avenue corner 36th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Mall hours are from 10am to 11pm daily.

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.

Heroes for Children: Step up and deliver hope

UNICEF Philippines partners with RUNRIO Events to bring Filipinos together for a virtual move-a-thon for a cause: “Heroes for Children.”

Amidst a raging pandemic, many Filipinos feel trapped and anxious. This is especially true for children who, because of the nationwide lockdowns, face even greater difficulties in continuing their education and declining access to life-saving immunization and proper health and nutrition services.

Hope is needed now more than ever—and it begins with people who are willing to get up and move to make a difference in this year’s Heroes for Children campaign.

Delivering hope starts with one step

First launched in 2015 by UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Anne Curtis, “Heroes for Children” is a fundraising initiative that supports and gives hope to vulnerable Filipino children.

This beloved fundraiser returns this year as a virtual move-a-thon where anyone can bike, run, walk, dance, or exercise at their own pace—and help children in need get a better chance at life.

Everyone is invited to be a hero

“Heroes for Children” is open to all individuals, friends, families, PWDs, and even fur babies here and abroad. It’s a chance for everyone of every fitness level to practice self-care and do good for Filipino children—in the safety of their own homes and communities.

Participants can choose a category and activity, and complete their distance goals within the whole duration of the virtual move-a-thon from October 1 to 31, 2021.

Registration is ongoing! Sign up for yourself, your friends, or family through the Race Roster website or visit bit.ly/UNICEFHeroes2021.

Hope comes in many forms, be part of UNICEF’s 75th anniversary

This year, UNICEF is commemorating its 75th anniversary by inviting everyone to help build a better world for children.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the many issues facing children today that put their rights at risk. This crisis is a pivotal moment to not only respond to most crucial needs of children now, but also to continue building a better world for them.

When you sign up and move through “Heroes for Children,” you contribute to improve vulnerable children’s access to quality education, routine immunization, and health and nutrition services. Every step you make in the virtual move-a-thon is a step towards making this better world a reality for every child.

The Basket of Hope and Heroes for Children virtual move-a-thon are among the many initiatives and projects that enable individuals to help and join UNICEF in its mission to protect children’s rights and ensure a better future for them. With your participation and support, we can make it possible for every child to grow up in a world where they can enjoy all of their rights.

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfil their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

For more information about UNICEF and its work for children visit www.unicef.org

For more information about UNICEF and its work for children in the Philippines, visit www.unicef.ph. Follow UNICEF Philippines on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.