Tips and guides for travelers in Cambodia and Vietnam.

Being scammed in a foreign country is the perfect way to ruin a vacation. lolz. I think I need to look up for "scams" in each country I am going to visit in the future to prevent myself from experiencing another heartbreak.

I am not supposed to post my recent out of the country trip yet 'cause I have a lot of backlogs but I consider this urgent.

I don't know if other nationalities felt ripped off too. The spending was too much for us yet we felt that we had no choice. I don't know. Sort of like we, unknowingly, fell as victims of a syndicated scam (in Cambodia). What do you think?

1. Choose your hostel/hotel wisely.

Make sure that they're going to pick you up at the airport if it's included in what you paid for. I replied our schedule but for some reason, our hotel didn't pick us up. I had to buy a sim card to call them (4 USD) and then had to spend (10 USD) for a taxi ride. Una pa lang, Cambodia ay Scambodia na. Huhu. Should've been more careful.

This is a lengthy post kinda filled with rants and pictures:)

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Perfect for the rainy day at makakasigurado kang, DEE BEE TIN. :))

Dee Bee Tin is the stall that sells Chinese Comfort food in the Station, Maginhawa.

I'm not a fan of Chinese noodles but if I were to eat, I always choose Beef variant. I love how tasty the soup is without tasting too Chinese. :)) Haha! I don't know about you but there's a distinct taste of Chinese cuisine (from star anise, perhaps?) that I don't like if the flavoring is too strong so Dee Bee Tin's version's alright and perfect for my liking. The beef cubes were tender and the noodles wasn't soggy. I am seriously craving for this in this rainy weather we're having these days.

At dito sa porkchop rice nila, sigurado ka ngang DEE BEE TIN. :)) I love the world play in their name. Hehehe. The porkchop was tender as well and it's big that you may actually need two cups of rice.

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This, too, I've tasted before this event because of their large butterfly squid.

These Crispy Crablets are perfect especially when dipped in their vinegar.

For me though, their Butterfly Squid became a favorite. I love how it's reasonably priced. You get a huge squid for only P 179.00 and it's already big enough for 2-4 persons to share.

So like most food in that food park, pwede ka na rin bumili ng beer, bes. :))

One thing nice about Wild Bird is that their servings are generous yet maintains the taste of the food. I remember my cousin eating this entire fish and chips all by himself the first time we went there. The fish is cooked right - soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside.

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Updated Skincare and CGM Products (My HG's) - 2020

What will the contents be?

I've decided to post these in one article to save time. Anyhow, I've reviewed some of these products before so I'll only be linking them here

HHN Sunflower Oil

Nivea Extra White Body Serum

Clean and Clear Press Powder

Dove Bar Soap

Etude House's Wonder Pore Toner

Benzac Acne Gel

Benefit The Porefessional

Celeteque and Mizon Eye Cream

Biore BB Cream

HHN Soothing Balm

HHN Lip Balm in Peppermint

EOS Lipbalm

Pretty Secret and Finess Oil Control Sheet

The Face Shop's Jeju Volcanic Lava Nose Strip.

I know it's 2017 but more or less same review even if the posts are written way back 2012. :))

Written by her in 2012.

Saud Beach, Ilocos Norte, February 2012.

I'm showing this to people who tell me I have commitment issues. What commitment issues when I have been using some of these products for a decade already?! Lol. Dove lang. :))

Naglilinis ako kanina and then napag-isipan kong picturan. HAHAHA. Yes, hoarder self? Medyo nabuking ka rito.

To begin this post, I have an oily skin which is prone to pimples. I also have visible pores in my cheeks and my nose that just wouldn't go away no matter how hard I try. Go away talaga. haha. Wouldn't close??

I try new products once in a while but I decided stop buying new products for the meantime to save money. Mukhang okay naman na 'tong stock ko. So... I am accepting products to review para maiba. :)) Send me an e-mail lang po! Chos. HAHA.

All these are the products "I tried" before and made it to my everyday essentials. So let's just call these products as the products I go back to when others fail. Grabeng title e noh. Pero dito naman kasi ako sa mga 'to bumabalik. Affordable na, effective pa sa'kin.

HHN Sunflower Beauty Oil - since 2012.

I used to like products that are multi-tasking before 'cause I didn't like spending a lot of time with those skincare routines and money with those skincare products. Back then it was just soap, oil, and acne gel for me. I would use this sunflower oil to clean my face before washing with soap at night, use this again under my eyes and on my lashes, this again for my lips, and on my hair. O DIBA. :)) But overtime, I have added few products which I'll be showing you below pero 'yun nga, dyan ako sa sunflower oil nag simula.

Nivea Extra White Firming Body Lotion

I am not particular with the brand of lotion that I use on my body but most of the time, I buy Nivea or Vaseline. I use whitening lotions not to get whiter skin but 'cause I am hoping for an even skintone. Ang lala kasi. :)) Daming tanlines. Haha!

Kaya 'yan tatlo kasi kakabili ko lang nung pump bottle tapos biglang nag sale 'yung Nivea. Asar. Edi napabili na naman ako. Mas gusto ko pero 'yung serum lalo na nung summer. Lighter 'yung pakiramdam, hindi malagkit kahit mainit 'yung weather. At, may SPF!

Olive Oil

Ever heard of the OCM or Oil Cleansing Method? I do that every night. I DIY the oil I use which is a mixture of Olive Oil, Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil, and Korean Ginseng Oil.

Clean and Clear Face Powder

Using this since 2009. One of the cheapest I can find and works for me naman though I need to retouch a few times a day. I also use Innisfree Powder these days. I use Innisfree at home and just bring this with me for retouches.

Celeteque Brightening Eye Cream

I forgot when I started using eye creams but it was because of a package I got from Celeteque and I have been buying this eye cream since then, It's the cheapest I can find in stores. Better than nothing, diba?

Mizon Eye Cream

I bought that when it was on sale in BeautyMNL. I haven't tried it yet though.

Dove Body Soup

Do I need to say more? Isn't this picture enough? :))

I use safeguard on my body and then dove soap on my face. I use any variant of Dove depending on what smells nice to me whenever I buy them. Of all the products that I have included here, this is the one that I have been using the longest and I don't plan on stopping.

I have had three major breakouts in this lifetime. Wag na, life. Tama na 'yung tatlo.

First: I tried a facial wash. - dito ko na-discover 'yung Dove actually. Isang hugas lang dun sa facial wash na 'yun, kinabukasan, puro pimples na ko. My ghad. Hahaha. Ito 'yung gentlest soap na nakita ko that time kaya binili ko. Good thing! Holy grail. I can't live without you kind of relationship na. Dove girl and proud, mga ganyan. :))

Second: Nagpa-facial ako. hahahaha. Hindi na talaga, bes. Nakakatrauma. Di na nga ko makalakad papuntang Facial Center eh. :) Alam mo 'yung nasaktan ka na nga sa Facial tas mas masasaktan ka pala kasi for some reason, 'yung facial mo naging breakout facial? hahaha. Syempre, dove forever. Kasama sa hirap at ginhawa.

Third: Dahil takot ako magpa-facial, nag oatmeal scrub ako sa bahay. YEY!! Pimples ulit. Haha! Mahilig ako sa mga homemade dati na nilalagay sa mukha kasi hindi naman ako nagba-budget para dun. Ayun na nga, nabasa ko 'yung tungkol sa oatmeal. NAKO POOOOO. Ewan. Overexfoliation siguro. Back to Dove.

Finess Oil Control Sheet

One of the cheapest you can find but it tears easily. Since I am a hoarder, I still have like three unopened packs here. Kasi it sells at around 30.00 kaya para 100.00 ung bayad ko saka mabilis ko naman to maubos, 3 agad binibili ko.

Pretty Secret

Was recommended to me by a friend. Effective naman. I like this better than Finess especially 'yung charcoal variant kaya di ko tuloy pa nagagamit 'yung ibang Finess. You can find this at Watson's.

Jeju Volcanic Lava Pore Strip

Bakit ganun? Pag nasanay ka na sa porestrips, parang hindi na pwedeng wala? Anyway, effective 'to in removing blackheads sa ilong. Mukhang mahal since you have to buy it in sets but worth it ang pera.

Benzac Acne Gel

'Yung unang breakout ko when I used a facial wash that I was allergic to, I used Benzoyl Peroxide para ma-treat. For acne treatments, usually you have salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, tea tree oil, and witch hazel as your options.

I've tried using all four pero pinaka-effective sa'kin na spot treatment 'yung Benzoyl Peroxide and these days, I use Benzac. Sayang nga kasi before ko sila i-follow sa Facebook, meron para silang promo na buy 1 take 1. Tsk.

Aside from the occasional paisa-isa or dalawang pimpes, I usually develop white heads/pimples on my chin before that time of the month so Benzac really helps in drying them out fast.

Careful lang or ask your dermatologist before using this 'cause at first, it will peel and it will sting but my face got used to that already after using this for several years. I self-medicated based on what I saw on a magazine. Panoxyl pa nga gamit ko nun. I stopped for a few years then napabili ako ulit dahil dun sa second wave of breakout ko. Plants vs. Zombies lang, may wave? Ngayon lagi na ko meron nito para pag may tumutubo, spot treatment agad.

EOS Lipbalm

Thorough review naman dati.

So I got my first two spheres in the states. No matter how much I like this, sobrang daming imitations 'yung nabibili rito sa Philippines and I just can't take the risk. I found them sold in SnR but it's around 1,000 for five pieces which is kinda expensive na and swertihan lang pag may stock.

HHN Lipbalm

I went back to HHN because it's cheaper and easier to find here in the Philippines. Plus, gustong gusto ko 'yung cool effect ng peppermint.

Benefit The Porefessional

Nakakaliit naman tignan sa pores pero hindi for the whole day. Ginagamit ko lang 'yan pag may special occasions. Haha. Ang mahal eh. Pero a little quantiry goes a long way naman. Sulit na rin.

Etude House's Wonderpore Toner

Where are the free cotton pads, Etude House?! :((

This one's difficult to find so when I saw that Etude House in Lucky Chinatown Mall sells the 500 ML bottle, I immediately bought one kahit hindi pa ubos 'yung isa... yan tayo eh...

Biore BB Cream

Since I use Benzoyl Peroxide on my face, I make sure to use sunscreen. Haha. Lolz. Hindi rin agad-agad. Pero required 'yun ah, sunscreen. I got a tube last year since I ran out of my old BB cream from Tupperware brands. This was easier to find and it has 50 SPF. The SPF content is what made me consider this 'cause I was expecting Nevada to be really hot. HAHAHA. Yep, sa lugar kung saan pwede ako bumili ng mga facial products, nag hoard ako sa Pinas tas dinala ko dun. Anyway, as you can see, this has become my go to BB Cream. May glitters lang konti pero 'yun kasi 'yung 3D effect. Pero actually, di ko 'yun napansin. Recently ko lang inintindi. :)

WEEKLY ROUTINE:

Meron akong facial scrub from HHN at mud mask from Skin Genie na ginagamit ko every week.

Pag ginamit ko 'yun, naglalagay ako ng Aloe Vera gel pag matutulog.

PAKAARTE E NOH. Kala mo naman. HAHAHA. Lolz. Syempre, di na nga kagandahan, di pa mage-effort? Char. Alagaan din kasi ang skin, diba? Prevention is better than cure. Anerrrr. :))

BELOW ARE MY TRAVEL ESSENTIALS:

Laneige Toner and Moisturizer

I used to apply that moisturizer on my face everyday before BB Cream when I was in the States but when I went back home, parang di na kami bagay. Haha. So I just bring it with me everytime I travel and put it on my face every night para freshness naman the next day. I was actually looking into buying their sleeping mask but I think I'm still "young" for those kind of products. Di pa kaya ng budget ko mag-invest. So far happy naman ako sa aloe vera gel ng The Face Shop. hehe. In three years time, maybe?

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

Undereye concealer na worth 299.00 pero sulit na sulit. I used Sephora tube concealer before this. Okay naman 'to. Mas mura pero effective naman.

Skin Genie Lip and Cheek Tint

80.00 lang per tube! As usual naman sa mga lip and cheek tint, kailangan mo lang ikalat agad kasi natutuyo sa face. May part na red na red parang kinagat ng langgam, sige ka. :))

2014

2015

California Adventure Park

June 2016

Mt. Sipit Ulang

October 2016

December 2016

November 2016

January 2017

April 2017

June 2017

So kelangan may selfies talaga, noh?

Parang pinakita ko lang kung paano ko tumaba within 5 years eh. hahaha.

New to BeautyMNL?

Use my code: MACRISTINAG2625XBEAUTYMNL and

get Php 100 off your first purchase with minimum spend of Php 1000. Valid until December 31, 2019 only

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Here's a review of the current conditioner that I am using these days, Pantene Pro-V 3 Minute Miracle, Summer Rescue.

I have my hair rebonded every December so it's a good hair day for me several months after that. But around this time of year when the hair growth is already noticeable, it's already a problem already but then I'd have to wait until December again.

Above is a picture taken September of last year.

While doing the grocery, I spotted this blue conditioner and read that it's a summer rescue. I haven't used Pantene on my hair before so I went on and bought one just for trial.

I hoped for a summer savior but I've also found my everyday conditioner. I am an outdoorsy person and even though I apply sunblock on my skin, I put nothing on my hair. All those sun exposure had taken toll on my "crowning glory" 'cause I've noticed that my hair felt dry and brittle. Since I found this conditioner, I don't worry anymore for I know that it's being repaired plus it's also being protected from further UV damage. I love how it rescued my hair and makes it healthy, soft and manageable but I love the longevity of its scent more - kahit matagal ng naarawan sa labas, hindi nangangamoy araw ang buhok.

My hair days after rebond.

February

June

Closer look of my hair last June

The black colored part is the growth since I had my hair dyed March 2016.

So far, so good.

July

I have high hopes with this conditioner especially now that my hair is approaching its awkward months before December. lolz. :))

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Donya Levita offers Filipino food at The Station.

We were able to taste this sisig and their cheesy tahong/tahong with cheese which I loved so much.

My alcoholic self would advice you to get yourself a beer and eat this very delicious sisig from Dona Levita but I don't have an alcoholic self so my social drinker self would just advice you to get rice to pair this with. Char. :))) Sarap kasi i-ulam! :))

It's usual for me to order sisig anywhere though so what I said above is not surprising. This one's new though, baked tahong. For given the two options, I'd usually go for sisig. But it's kind of different with this food stall 'cause I found myself reaching out for this Baked Tahong more. It's perfectly baked that you'd not taste the "lasang dagat" (if this explains it) with perfect amount of cheese in each.

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Here is something for the sweet toothed, tickle belly.

Tickle belly serves desserts which will surely satisfy your cravings for sweet treats. For that night, we got to try three of their drinks.

While I'm really not into bubblegum flavored anything, this is something my sister (who's into everything bubblegum flavor) will like. You can immediately taste the bubblegum flavor in your first sip.

I've always wanted to try one of those crazy milkshakes with different toppings and thanks to Tickle Belly, I got to try one. I think that eventhough it's supposed to be a drink, it'll not quench thirst. haha! Para siyang more of a dessert na kailangan mo pa rin ng tubig pagkatapos.

This interesting milkshake with several toppings is one you'll enjoy for sharing. I'm pretty sure kids will love this drink especially those different kind of toppings it has.

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If you're planning to go to Bohol and Cebu in one trip, the wiser decision is to book two one-way plane tickets for your outbound and inbound flights. That way you won't have to go back and forth the islands but if you're like us who've booked round trip tickets then you'd have to ride the ferry to get to another island.

Book your own adventure here:

Cebu-Bohol OceanJet Ferry Ticket (One Way or Round Trip)

Discover Scuba Diving in Bohol

Panglao Island Hopping Day Tour from Bohol

Bohol Whale Shark Interaction with Pahangog Twin Falls - Whole Day

Unang beses ko! I am so happy.

'Cause by then, I finally fell asleep. :) Ewan, weird ba? Na mabilis ako makatulog sa mga private transportations. Huhu

Usually, I'd cover myself with a scarf or sarong. You know, for those times na baka nakaka-nganga na pala ko and all. Jk! Mas komportable kaseeee. :)) I forgot to time the duration of the ferry ride though.

The ferry to Bohol was packed but the ferry back to Cebu had a lot of empty seats that I was able to use three chairs as I slept. Not the weirdest place I've slept at. Definitely not now after my Malaysia trip which I'll be posting in the future... dahil patapos na July, February pa lang nalalagay ko sa blog. Sampung palakpak naman para sa'kin dyan. lolz. Hope this helped you somehow! :D

Book your own adventure here:

Cebu-Bohol OceanJet Ferry Ticket (One Way or Round Trip)

Discover Scuba Diving in Bohol

Panglao Island Hopping Day Tour from Bohol

Bohol Whale Shark Interaction with Pahangog Twin Falls - Whole Day

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Dahil may bagong pelikula ang Lloydie ko pero hindi ko pa napapanood. Dito muna tayo sa lugar kung saan sila nagkikita-kitang magbabarkada doon sa One More Chance, Bellini's sa Cubao Expo.

Finally Found Someone ba ang drama mo, besh at gusto mo siya i-date?

Hmm... paano pumunta dito?

Punta ka ng Cubao.
Lakad ka pa-Manhattan Parkway
Labas ka sa may Save More
Tawid ka pa Save More
Lakad ka sa kanan
Makikita mo 'yung Cubao Expo
Nasa dulo 'to banda.

Kapag nawala ka, magtanong-tanong ka na lang dun. Haha!

Laking tulong ko talagaaaaa. :))

Updated 'to kasi na-post ko na 'to nung 2013. Makailang beses na rin akong nagpunta pero gusto ko ilagay ngayon 'yung mga mural sa loob ng resto. At wala lang, gusto ko lang mag drama na hindi ko pa napapanood 'yung movie :(

Sit-down restaurant ang Bellini's pero hindi naman nakaka-intimidate.

Mas gusto ko nagpupunta ng alanganing oras para wala masyadong tao. Sayang 'yung lugar kung hindi ka magmi-mini photoshoot. HAHAHA. Sanay naman na sila kuya. Di ko lang maiwasan. Kailangan ko mag-picture lalo na sa upuan ni Lloydie My Labs. <3

Isama mo siya rito. Perfect venue for a platonic date eh. Jk. This one's a good date place especially because of the ambiance. It feels high-end and private somehow but the prices are not that expensive.

Dahil bihira ako kumain ng carbonara at enjoy ko ang carbonara nila. Pang-isahan lang 'to pero pwede niyo naman i-share.

Food may be a hit or miss but so far, never disappointed with my carbonara. I just feel that it's the safest and cheapest bet out of all the food options there.

Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain in Las Vegas link: here.

Venetian, Las Vegas link: here.

Venice Grand Canal Mall, Taguig link: here.

Since it's not usually packed, you can expect that the service is good especially since there's a bell in each table which you can use to call the waiter.

My friend asked the waiter if he can play the piano and so he did. Waited at this part of the restaurant for like 30 minutes and then we were given a shot of their sweet wine as a complimentary "dessert"

Hinintay kita.

Di ka naman dumating.

Charot lang. Sarap lang mag-emote kapag ganyan kaganda 'yung background mo. :))

'Yung difference ng watermarks are signed na matagal ng nasa backlogs ko 'yung mga naunang pictures. hahaha!

Someday, matututo rin akong magluto ng carbonara. :)) lolz.

Apat na flavors 'to diba? Pero surprising, sobrang sarap ng four cheese! Tagal kong iniwasan 'yun para may laman naman 'yung pizza pero 'yung four cheese pala ang winner! :)

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