shamcey and her beauty secrets

Shamcey shares her beauty secret

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
December 31, 2013 

 

Beauty queen and newly-wed  Shamcey Supsup admitted she was not always keen on skincare and makeup until she joined beauty contests. Then she had no choice but to be a tiis-ganda.

“When I started [on beauty pageants], sinabi nila na para akong monkey sa sobra kong balbon! So I would wax or shave everything as often as I can, whole body pa, including my face. Sobrang sakit!”

The 27-year old stunner admits that she was super conscious about her “super duper hairy” body. Hence, she religiously shaves and waxes to solve her problem. Little did she know that shaving has its perils. She said her skin became thick, rough, and had chicken skin. Her skin would also always break out.

Her makeup problem is another story.

“The makeup is different when you are a beauty queen. It’s heavier and people aren’t used to seeing us with fresh [and light] makeup,” she says.

There was a time when the makeup wouldn’t stick to her face because it became too overused and irritated. She had to do a series of pictorials and by the third layout, her makeup wouldn’t work anymore. “Ayaw na kumapit nung makeup because my skin was overused and tired. It was really mahapdi and irritated from all the retouching and brushing.”

But now, Shamcey isn’t tiis-ganda anymore. She has found a non-invasive and effective way of treating her skin and hair problems.

Shamcey is the newest face of Facial Care Center (FCC). She says she is a fan of the Laser Light Hair Removal, which makes her skin softer and her body hair finer, and the RevLite Total Rejuvenation. The Total Rejuvenation solution for the skin is FCC’s newest offering. Its sophisticated laser technology lightens uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation, freckles, and melasma. Add to these is Revlite, which also improves skin texture such as the unwanted chicken skin.

The secret lies in the rapid pulse widths of the lasers, which need lesser heat and thus highly safer. Its Photo Acoustic Technology Pulse technology does not hit the healthy skin tissue and only focuses on the problem areas.

Now, Shamcey has been enjoying the fruits of her sessions and said that there’s no looking back to yesterday’s tiis-ganda moments.

Shamcey joins the roster of other beautiful women ambassadors like Bianca Gonzales, Dawn Zulueta, and Charlene Gonzalez, among others.

For more information, call Facial Care Center in 892-SKIN.

Salmon: Affordable luxury on your plate

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
December 31, 2013

We may live in an archipelago surrounded by bodies of water that yield varieties of fish but majority of the Filipino foodies still prefer meat as their comfort food. From time to time, cheap and readily available varieties of fish like bangus, tilapia, and galunggong are served on our everyday plates.

Salmon is one of the most versatile foods. You can eat it raw, put some olive oil, or make a sandwich. The possibilities are endless.

But, one kind of fish that is not accessible in our local seas but available in the market today is salmon. It is one of the most popular fishes in the world thanks to its tender meat and rich taste. Yet it remains unfamiliar to the majority of Filipinos for it is often branded as a luxurious fish that is only available in posh restaurants and hotels.

Because of this thinking, we may lose out on the nutrients we can get from salmon. Just like tuna, salmon is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which is good for people with heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. It is also good in preventing cancer, memory loss, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease. For pregnant women, Omega-3 helps in preventing premature birth and bearing children with hyperactivity.

Salmon for everybody
But things are definitely changing. Nowadays fresh salmon is relatively cheaper; at least one company is trying to lessen its retail selling price in the market by as much as 20-30 percent to fit in the budget of many.

“While salmon is not an everyday commodity, still many Filipinos think that it is very expensive. We want to change this thinking. We believe that salmon products need not be expensive, hence our mission is to make salmon as affordable as possible while maintaining the best quality taste-wise and health-wise,” Superfish and Domestic Market Business Unit Head Juan Paolo Araneta says.

This being said, the Philippine-based international processor and distributor Big Glory Bay Salmon & Seafood Company Inc. (BGB) wants to change this notion by the introduction of Superfish, its competitively-priced salmon brand. BGB is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Singapore-based Alliance Select Foods International (ASFI), which is a tuna export company publicly listed in the Philippines.

“Our salmon is especially high in Omega 3, having almost twice the levels of other salmon species. It only takes 150g of salmon per week to meet the weekly requirements of Omega 3. It also contains an essential trace element of Selenium, which plays a vital role in protecting against oxidative damage,” Araneta adds.

Each worker wears washed boots, coat, hair net, mask, and gloves to avoid contamination.

Clean and green plantation
Some media men were invited to personally witness the art of producing world class salmon. The facility is strategically located in the heart of the Tuna Capital of the Philippines: General Santos City. While BGB also produces tuna, our main goal was to learn more about their salmon production.

We were asked to wear hair net, mask, coat, and boots, which we personally wash from time to time. The entire area smells fresh and looks spic-and-span. We also had to sanitize our hands more often. The plant uses state-of-the-art equipment however, we were asked not to take photos of the machine. The seafood plantation holds the reputation of being the country’s most modern seafood processing plant that adheres to the highest international standards thus, promising the best quality seafood products.

The salmon are carefully deboned, salted, or smoked by skillfully practiced artisans. The seafood products are sold locally and overseas where there is a high and strict standard of food quality and sanitation like in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, and New Zealand. Given the strict standard, the company has gained international recognition for its freshness, taste, and optimal health benefits. The salmon are sustainably sourced from the waters of New Zealand.

All the products are mercury-free, MSG-free, and zero trans fat. Currently, Superfish is available in 46 stores in Metro Manila including Rustan’s Supermarket, Robinson’s Supermarket, Shopwise, and Unimart among others, and in Cebu, Davao, Pampanga, Palawan, and Cagayan de Oro.

 

The fight of lights

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
November 27, 2013

Proper lighting makes or breaks the ambiance and look of a room, hence its importance. As in fashion rules, the warm yellow light mellows down a face and can hide someone’s imperfections; the white light on the other hand highlights one’s features. This golden canon is also applicable to styling homes. Apt lighting can downplay or upgrade the style of a space such as the living room.

This is where the key roles of layering lights come in the picture especially in the living room since it accommodates and plays different facets such as the entertainment, study area, and/or sometimes dining area, it should be properly lit. A well-designed and thought-of living room must include layered lights, meaning light fixtures that accommodate for the general lighting and for the accent lighting.

There are thousand lighting fixtures to choose from but the bigger problem lies on what are the best kind of lights to buy.

Here is a comprehensive breakdown of light types according to the Design Recycle (www.designrecycleinc.com):

Incandescent lights are cheap but die quickly because they use 90% of their energy to become light. The fluorescent lights on the other hand are more expensive than incandescent and they light 20-30 times more.  Obviously, the LED lights are the best given the factors in the table although they are the most expensive. On the plus side, LED lights are also environmentally friendly and can last for over 20 years.

General and Accent Lightings

As mentioned, a living room must have two kinds of light fixtures: the general and the accent lights. The general light as its term implies is used for the all-purpose illumination. The accent lighting on the other hand only complements your wallpapers, cabinets, coffee tables, and other living room accessories.

The classy and elegant chandeliers and pendants (the smaller ones) fall under the general lighting category. They are excellent sources of lights for the living room. Aside from that, they are good house accessories.

The chandeliers and pendants come in different designs, colors, and materials. Price starts at P50,000 depending on the materials.  Your favorite stores—SM Department Store, Robinson’s Department Store, Home Depot, Quiapo, Dapitan Arcade, Divisoria, Marks & Spencer, and online shops—offer them.

Lamps, candles, lanterns and scones (light fixtures affixed to the wall), meanwhile are the accent lights. Aside from giving accents, they can be used as aides for reading, surfing the net, or playing games.  The accent lights costs for as low as P5,000. Again, SM Department Store, Robinson’s Department Store, Home Depot, Quiapo, Dapitan Arcade, Divisoria, Marks & Spencer, and online shops offer them.

Here’s a quick tip, the color of a living room plays an important role on illumination. A pastel/light colored room reflects lights thus making it bigger, homier, and happier while a dark room absorbs light hence making it gloomier 

Femme fatale

Feeling tired and looking haggard? Perhaps you are lacking iron

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
November 12, 2013

Dr. Corazon Gamilla, Chair UST OB GYNE Department

Everybody needs a supply of iron in the body to last through the day but women need it most especially. Why? To replenish their monthly blood loss, maintain health during pregnancy, and sustain their everyday roles as super women. Imagine juggling careers, love life, family, and other responsibilities all at once!

Iron is one of the most vital minerals we need because it carries oxygen from the lungs throughout the body. Thus, some of our bodily functions will suffer if we lack iron. It is also a major component of enzymes, which help the body digest food.

“In layman’s terms, iron contains oxygen, which we need to live and function accordingly. We cannot do without oxygen,” UST OB-GYNE Department Chairman Dr. Corazon Zaida Gamilla says.

However, despite its indispensable role, we tend to forget, or sometimes forgo eating iron-rich foods like red meat, eggs, liver, nuts, and oatmeal, among others.  Thus, low red blood cell count or anemia results to pallor, lack of concentration, tiredness, easy fatigability,  shortness of breath, unusual headache, and vertigo.

According to the 2008 National Statistics Office data, there is a prevalence of anemia among pregnant women, lactating women, and babies between six months to one year old because of malnutrition.

Treating anemia however is easy and seemingly manageable, Gamilla says. Aside from eating foods fortified with iron, daily exercise and enough sleep work wonders.

“Catnaps are powerhouses because they reinforce sleep but nothing compares to nocturnal sleep,” Gamilla says when asked if siestas and morning slumbers can replace the usual bed time routine.

An average eight hours of sleep restores our blood count/iron to its baseline. Pregnant women need a minimum of 12 mg while women in general need 1500 mcg of iron. Males meanwhile have an iron baseline of 14 mg, Gamilla says.

However, let us admit that maintaining the right amount of iron in our body can be as demanding and daunting as our daily activities. Good thing there are iron supplements we can all resort to. One of the available supplements in the market includes Sangobion. Unlike majority of the iron supplements, Sangobion does not contribute to constipation, thanks to Sorbitol, an anti-constipating agent. Moreover, it has chewy chocolate flavor hence, there’s no metallic smell. Moreover, Sangobion contains vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, and folic acid.

Gamilla says that it is best to drink supplements and medicines with water before eating breakfast for better absorption.

Katrina Halili: better than before

Better than before

Actress Katrina Halili talks about her life as a new mom

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
December 7, 2013

Katrina Halili with baby Katrence (Photos by Nice Print Photo)

Being a parent definitely changes people. For the young sultry actress Katrina Halili, the transformation goes beyond the physical.She has gone from sexy to wholesome to being a completely different person. Parenthood can do that to you but it does not come easy and no one knows that more than Katrina.

Prior to her pregnancy, Katrina could be seen gracing the covers of men’s magazines and heating up the screen with her sultry looks. She was definitely enjoying her single life and showbiz career then… until Katrence came.

Baby Katrence got her name from Katrina and her partner, singer Kris Lawrence. She came so unexpectedly that for a while Katrina didn’t know what she was going to do. “Having Katie is life-changing. I became more responsible with my actions. And my life has become more meaningful. Of course, as a first–time mom, I wasn’t ready yet and the pregnancy was unexpected. I had to think it over for two days. And then after that, I accepted the situation and I was happy with it,” she explains. “When you’ve learned to accept the baby wholeheartedly and when you can already sacrifice everything and be happy that you are now expecting her (Katrence) then, you will know that you are ready to become a mom.  Siguro motherly instinct na maging ready ka.”

With her one-year old baby girl Katrence, she is now taking on the challenges of being a mom head on. Her past life experiences and actions have definitely taught her a lot, which she is now applying to her new role as a mom.

Mama Katrina

Having a baby when you are still young, barely experienced, and unprepared for motherhood is hard. She had to adjust and sacrifice a lot of things. Her life definitely turned a full 360-degree since giving birth to Baby Katrence. Even her priorities in life changed.

For one thing, she has less me-time now since all her time is devoted to taking care of Katrence, which she jokingly calls “mommy duties.”  “Time for myself definitely lessened because Katie is now my priority.”

Aside from that, she also needs to adjust her schedule as well as change her food choices. “Even though I am really sleepy you have to wake up in the middle of the night to take care of her, especially when she is crying,” Katrina explains. But thanks to to Kris, her mom, and the internet, she believes that she is coping well.

Despite all the sacrifice, she has no regrets. She loves baby Katie so much, describing her as “happy, charming, and lovable.” She remembered being so happy the first time she saw Katrence. “I was amazed and very happy because I waited her arrival for nine months.”

Her best mom moment happens whenever they are together. Like any other mother, she enjoys waking up with her, taking her for a walk, and giving her a bath. These, she treasures the most because sometimes she needs to leave her for work.

Other than these, she has no problem with baby Katie since she is a “happy, charming, and lovable baby.”

How the internet helps

The cyberspace has actually been very helpful for Katrina. As an inexperienced mom, she had to read a lot on parenting. Self-help books and the internet gave her useful information and tips.

Although the internet has guided Katrina through this new journey, nothing beats first-hand experience. Thus, she advises first-time moms like her to just enjoy the pregnancy and being a parent and just learn from it.

“Do not be afraid. Everything is worth it the moment you lay your eyes on your baby and the first time you hold him or her. Also, follow your doctor’s advice and treasure family support,” she adds.

There are more life lessons to learn and Katrina is savoring each moment. Whatever the future holds, one thing’s for sure, motherhood changed her, for the better.

Baby Katrence in various layouts by Nice Print Photo

the architecture of beauty

Bringing body care and spa products into the comfort of your own home

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
December 3, 2013

The hype about Korean beauty is not likely to wane, but for a change, here’s a Thai brand brought by beauty and wellness expert Paul Harn (left). At right, the packaging of Harn’s products are inspired by his architecture and aesthetic philosophy.

“Oh well, you are not unique,” Thai architect and beauty and wellness expert Paul Harn (Vuthichai Harnpanit) said with a seemingly faint trace of indignation. He was referring to the Filipino penchant for beauty products that promise fairer, smoother, and softer complexion. He said this fondness also applies across Asia.

But the bigger problem lies on what products to use. It is perhaps a common fact that the Korean cosmetics are among the best selling items today. But are they specifically designed to match our own morena skin?

“Among Asians, Thai skin is one of the closest skin types to Filipinos because we also share and experience the same tropical climate and weather,” Harn explained.

This being said, Harn opens up the Harnn concept store in Glorietta 5. Harnn is a leading Asian brand of body care and home spa products that sets a new standard for luxurious lifestyle. Harnn products come in the form of hand creams, skin revitalizing lotions, body polish oil gels, bath and massage oils, and hair conditioners.

“Each formulation is inspired from holistic approach by utilizing the finest natural ingredients to help restore and refresh the body and mind. All the active ingredients are natural,” Harn said.

Many formulations come from the traditional herbal medicines from plant extracts and essential oils such as the following:

Rice bran oil

The rice bran oil acts as a natural skin moisturizer, anti-oxidant in the form of vitamin E, and sunscreen. The Natural Rice Bran Oil Soap Collection is infused with lemongrass, lavender, rosemary, black rice, mangosteen, and red rice among others.

Jasmine

The Jasmine flower, or Sampaguita in the local terminology, offers aromatherapy and can also clean and purify the hair and skin.  Jasmine is also a good defense against heat. Jasmine oils are infused with other active ingredients such as pomegrenate, aloe vera, and wheat and rice oils.

Cymbopogon

The Cymbopogon or Lemongrass has natural antiseptic, antifungal, antimicrobial and anti-inflammation properties, thus good for sensitive and irritated skin. The Cymbopogon collection is synthesized with lavender, a sweet and therapeutic scent that also acts as an anti-inflammatory.

Rose

The Oriental Rose Collection enhances the natural skin tone. Rose extracts are also good for dry hair. The key active ingredients utilize high technology in processing extracts from red seaweed and greed seaweed to stimulate collage and elastin production.

Water Lily

Water lilies contain minerals that boost the skin’s collagen production thus preventing wrinkles and other skin problems like dark spots, freckles, and enlarged pores.

Sandalwood

Sandalwood comes from the same botanical family as the European mistletoe, which is known to brighten skin. The Tropical Wood Collection uses the pure essential oils of Sandalwood and Orange Blossom to create a calming and restful scent. Also, the Nano White Technology reduces dark spots and skin discoloration.

tea spa

Tea for spa, anyone?

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
December 10, 2013

A hot cup of tea after every meal works as a digestive aid as it also detoxifies our body. Hence, the sudden influx of milk tea shops around the metro was not surprising. But tea for a spa treatment? Now that is something innovative.

And why not.  Did you know that two cups of tea are as effective as seven cups of orange juice? Moreover, a tea plant as an antioxidant is 200 times more potent than vitamin E. Thus, it helps erase the signs of aging by neutralizing the free radicals (from air pollution, smoke, drugs) that damage our skin’s elastin and collagen. This perhaps explains the flawless complexions of Korean and Chinese women.

So, off I go to Sofitel’s Le Spa to experience its newest and exclusive range of treatments that utilize the power of teas called Themae, (or temae in Japanese, a term for tea preparation ceremony), which is dubbed as the best in French cosmetology.

Themae honors the benefits and powers of tea and uses them to concoct relaxing and soothing formulations such as creams, balms, and scrubs for my facial and upper body massage session. The spa experience uses the natural powers of four tea extracts as the main ingredients, which are the regenerating white tea, stimulating black tea, soothing red tea, and anti-oxidant green tea.

“White tea is the most expensive among them because of its sophisticated way of harvest. It must need proper timing and perfect weather conditions,” my personal massager, Elvie explains, while I loll, almost half asleep, thanks to the tea aroma and its therapeutic effects.

Elvie started by cleansing my skin and rubbing it after with minute granules that stimulated my blood flow as well. The process utilized the soothing effects of red tea. Then, in between facial massage was a calming eye cream that used white tea extracts. A detoxifying facemask topped off my facial spa.

Also, my rejuvenating Instant Glow Facial included a massage of neck and décolletage, “so the face color matches the neck”, which is a common boo-boo among women who only focus on face whitening, Elvie said.

What sets my Themae experience apart from the various facials I’ve experienced is its injection of traditional Asian practices like the use of nuat naa (Thai facial massage technique), which is a facial roll with two Tiger-eyes (marbles). The nuat naa does not have tiny needles for pricking acnes but just a stick with two cold marbles on the end, which stimulate pressure points while inducing sleep.

I woke up feeling fresher and cleaner, just the same feeling as drinking a cup of tea after a hearty meal.

Softiel’s Le Spa also offers other signature facials, body scrubs, and massages. For inquiries visit www.sofitelmanila.com.