For the love of Mom at Festival Supermall

For the love of Mom at Festival Supermall

It's tough being a mom. First, there's the incomparable act of giving birth, then the endless list of roles such as caretaker, teacher, chauffeur, and cook, among others. It's only right that More »

Iron Man 3

Review: Iron Man 3

In the aftermath of the clash between The Avengers and the alien forces in New York (as seen in last year's blockbuster Avengers), billionaire genius Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) can't sleep and More »

Bimmerfest X

Fasten your seatbelts for Bimmerfest X

Ladies, let’s get on the road to enjoying the fabulous BMW lifestyle! BimmerFest X, an annual all-BMW car show by BMW Car Club of the Philippines is headed our way on May More »

Sa Wakas - A Pinoy Rock Musical.feat

Review: “Sa Wakas – A Pinoy Rock Musical”

Sa Wakas features a bittersweet love story that chronicles the end of one relationship and the beginning of another. It raises the timeless question of why relationships fall apart. Thematically, it also More »

The Sky Over Dimas

Review: The Sky Over Dimas

I had a hard time keeping up with the details of the story in the Harlequin Theater Guild's production of "The Sky Over Dimas", particularly during the first half. Especially since I More »

Sa Wakas the Musical - staged reading

“Sa Wakas”, A New Pinoy Rock Musical

Love is tough. It’s tough because you cannot be sure of it. You can never tell if you’re going to end up with your special someone now. It is possible that one More »

Movie review: It Takes A Man and A Woman

It Takes A Man and A Woman

I didn’t watch “It Takes A Man and A Woman” on its opening day, yet surprisingly, the screenings were still packed days after the opening. I can therefore be forgiven if I had high expectations for this movie.

It Takes A Man and A WomanIt Takes a Man and a Woman is the third and final installment in the A Very Special Love series of films. The movie follows the life of Miggy (John Lloyd Cruz) and Laida (Sarah Geronimo) after their break-up which occurs after the events of the second film. Miggy is now in a relationship with Belle (Isabelle Daza) while Laida is now a more mature woman after living in the United States. They work in the same company, and there is a bit of tension because Laida finds herself opposing many of Miggy’s business decisions.

Shanghai Summer Orange Bikini Fashion Show @ PRIVÉ: Our 5 favorite looks

Shanghai Summer Orange Bikini Fashion Show

Ladies, are you ready for the summer? Your plane tickets are booked and your hotel reservations confirmed, but have you (1) packed your flattering and gorgeous swimsuits that will make you sizzle in the sun, and (2) gotten the requisite waxing of your bikini line? No? Well swimsuit company I Love Koi and STRIP Ministry of Waxing are here to help.

Luxury club Privé was packed that Thursday night for the Shanghai Summer Orange Bikini Fashion Show presented by I Love Koi and waxing experts STRIP. Team MJ loved that the show featured swimsuits that are flattering to women of different complexions and sizes and heights. The bold colors and sexy lines of the bikinis and one-piece suits will make you want to throw away whatever floral suit you’ve been stuck with for the past three years. Of course, to be completely beach and pool ready, you’ll need a waxing appointment from an expert (unless you’re purposely making a statement with your body hair, because we respect that), but don’t fret because the STRIP Ministry of Waxing has that covered, with fun waxing products like their new Shanghai Summer Orange.

Here are Team MJ’s favorite looks from the fashion show:

  1. Shanghai Summer Orange Bikini Fashion Show by I LOVE KOI and STRIP Ministry of WaxingWhile some say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, there’s nothing like gold to make you feel like a goddess while you enjoy the sun. Perfect for women who prefer more coverage than what a string bikini will give, this one features a high-waist bottom with sexy little slits.
  2. Shanghai Summer Orange Bikini Fashion Show by I LOVE KOI and STRIP Ministry of WaxingThis cute number brings out the comic book geek in us — after all, who hasn’t looked at the Wonder Woman and wondered what it would be like to wear that bright red and blue costume?

[More summer favorites, and a video of the show's highlights.]

The Wattpad author interview series: Lloyd Cadena

Lloyd Cadena

Many of you know him as the hit YouTube sensation that made millions laugh with his LC-Learns series featuring his crazy antics, subtle sarcasm and downright funny commentaries on love, school and anything in between. Now we show you another side of Lloyd Cadena and his work, The Impossible. With its wit, humor and creativity, Lloyd’s story highlights the ups and down of love.

  1. Basic information
    • Name and Age:
      Lloyd Cadena, 19
    • School:
      Colegio de San Juan de Letran
    • Interests:
      Music
    • Reading List (not necessarily from wattpad):
      School Books (laughs) I’m busy at school and with my YouTube channel that’s why I don’t have much time to read.
    • Works:
      My YouTube channel “LloydCafeCadena2” and Wattpad story The Impossible
    • Preferred genre, “specialty” (in reading and/or writing):
      Romance, Comedy
    • What motivated/inspired you to pursue writing?
      In making my YouTube videos I needed to first write and outline the flow of the video, all the important points that need to be said in the video and everything. In Wattpad, I only update my story whenever I have time myself to write the next chapter of the story. The story is basically about a girl who falls in love with a guy and all that … a common story right? But this one has a BIG TWIST. Basically the story is about my funny experiences in life (mostly the comedy part of the story). My fans are truly an inspiration; every like and every read is “love”.
      Lloyd Cadena

“Sa Wakas”, A New Pinoy Rock Musical

Sa Wakas the Musical - staged reading

Love is tough. It’s tough because you cannot be sure of it. You can never tell if you’re going to end up with your special someone now. It is possible that one minute, they are deeply in love with you, and then the next minute, the feelings are gone. Not everyone is as lucky as Cinderella or Snow White who lived happily ever after with their princes charming. Some are like Topper and Lexi, whose relationship aged with time, but ended eventually.

Sa Wakas, a new Pinoy rock musical, is produced by Culture Shock Productions in cooperation with Fringe MNL. The musical raises the question of why relationships fall apart, and explores how the choices we make in life define who we are as people. It is co-written by Mariane A.R.T. Abuan and Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan (musical director). Working with them is Ejay Yatco, who beautifully arranged the music that features songs of one of the country’s most beloved rock bands, Sugarfree. The music perfectly resonates the bittersweet love story of Lexi (Caisa Borromeo and Laura Cabochan) and Topper (played alternatively by Fred Lo and Vic Robinson), who later falls in love with Gabbi (played alternatively by Kayla Rivera and Justine Peña).

Sa Wakas the Musical - staged reading

Sa Wakas (Telepono) from Culture Shock Productions on Vimeo.

Excerpt from the staged reading of SA WAKAS The Musical at the Ateneo Fine Arts Festival.

Song: Telepono
Artists: Laura Cabochan & Jussy Pena
Back-up Vocals: Abi Sulit, Mikou David, Cassie Manalastas, Hans Dimayuga

[Ticket information, and more photos and videos.]

Make-up for Beginners: Where do you start?

highlighting the brow bone

Ladies, I’m about to talk about make-up for beginners. An no, it’s not anything like “minimal foundation and a good blush on the apples of your cheeks” or “winged eyeliner and red lipstick” or a short but well crafted FOTD (face of the day).

The answer starts with groomed eyebrows. You might wonder: do you even use make up for that? Of course! And not just make up but careful shaping, drawing and highlighting. The whole eyebrow grooming process might sound scary especially if you are just starting out collecting stuff for your stash but trust me, it’s not. It is, however, a challenge, an art that has to be practiced whenever you have the time (and the mood for it).

Why eyebrows you ask? The answer is very simple: the brows frame the face. They really do! The brows make or break your look. Hence, grooming them is what you have to learn first.

Some pointers:

  1. Oh please, sweet darling, DO NOT OVERPLUCK! After I had my first dose of “groomed brows” (thanks to the friend’s lovely cousin who volunteered to do them the morning before my JS Prom) I kind of hooked myself into maintaining the poor things until one day I was copying Christina Aguilera’s look:

    Christina Aguilera

    Where art thou, Christina? Where are your brows? Christina Aguilera in Beautiful, 2002. Yes, I had my Christina Aguilera (circa “Beautiful” days) phase that was (horribly) immortalized on my voter’s ID. Just look at her brows. Go ahead. It’s a glimpse of me back in the day. As my colleague puts it “…buti tumubo pa ‘yang kilay mo!” Absolutely an all‐time low for my brows.

[More pointers for beautiful brows!]

Sharwin and the Great Cram Job

Sharwin and the Great Cram Job - Number 1 steak at Steakhouse Satou

With my flight home coming at 930 am the next day, I knew I had to wake up at 5 am to catch the train to the airport. That meant my 2nd to the last day in Tokyo was technically my last day. I was tremendously full from the tsukemen I had with Sherilyn and Ruby, but as we parted ways, I was determined to eat more and cram as much I could!

My next stop for a “merienda” would be a place I wanted to eat in the moment I arrived.  Unfortunately, on my first day, I forgot my map and I spent an hour walking aimlessly trying to find it.  Funebashiya Honten, a humble restaurant, in front of a Uniqlo store, two blocks away from the Shinjuku JR Train Station East Exit, has been around over 100 years and they serve only one thing: Tempura.  In my book, if you do one thing great for a prolonged period of time, you’ve got to be crazy good.  My book was riiiiiiiight.  

Funebashiya Honten

[And now for the perfect steak ...]

The Antony Morato launch @ HYVE: Our 5 favorite looks

Antony Morato launch at HYVE

A few days ago, Team MJ put on our clubbing shoes and hied down to HYDE at BGC for the launch of Italian men’s fashion brand Antony Morato. We were afraid it would be too difficult to pay attention to the clothes, as the models in the fashion show were molto caldi, but fortunately the stylish outfits were a sight on their own. Here are some of our favorites:

  1. Antony Morato launch at HYVEWe like to say never underestimate the style power of a good jacket. Most of the time we like to wear suit jackets with, well, suits, but matched with a casual shirt and jeans or slacks, it makes you look dressed up without looking too stuffy for casual Fridays or going out for a drink with friends. The sleeves are cut a bit shorter than a suit jacket, so it makes for a more casual overall look.

  2. Antony Morato launch at HYVEIt’s summer, so boys and girls, it’s time to break out your most stylish shorts. And while guys in t-shirts are hot, a crisp, collared shirt over shorts make for a cooler look. After all, when going casual, it’s important to try to avoid looking as though you just rolled out of bed.

[More fashion and a video of the show's highlights.]

Sharwin and the Anti-Ramen

sharwin and the anti-ramen

Before I was scheduled to meet my high school friend, Sherilyn, I knew I had to get some shopping done.  Stepping out of my hotel, which was 5 minutes away from Tsukiji Market, I began my final shopping run. The outer market of Tsukiji was a field of activity, like the Greenhills tiangge but only of food!   I managed to buy my Katsuoboshi (bonito flakes), which was my main goal. In Tokyo, they were sold by bulk, 500-gram packs. Then I grabbed some preserved ginger and apples. Sold by the roadside, these made for excellent snacks and great for pasalubong as well.

Sharwin and the Anti-Ramen: Tamago Breakfast would be freshly-made tamago. There were plenty of tamago stands along the streets and I grabbed a “small” one with chili flavor. Nicely cooked and not too sweet, it was an excellent way to jumpstart the morning! The best part was there were tons of flavors available, ranging from chicken to seaweed.  On the way back to the hotel, I spied some Togarashi pepper. It looked fresh not as ground-up as the ones we’re used to here so I grabbed a bottle. This was my kind of shopping trip!

For lunch, I headed to meet Sherilyn to check out, in her opinion, one of the best noodle places in Tokyo.  Steps away from the A4 exit of Iibadashi train station lay the tsukemen place.  The funny part is, you place your orders and pay through a vending machine OUTSIDE the restaurant and then you line up and wait for them to call you when your seats are ready.  The tsukemen, though, was no laughing matter.

Review: Paper Valentine (Brenna Yovanoff)

book review: paper valentine

Valentine’s month may be over but that didn’t stop me from picking up a new romance book: Brena Yovanoff’s new novel Paper Valentine. Before I had read the synopsis, Paper Valentine caught my attention because the title and book cover looked romantic. The cover also had a touch of Alice in Wonderland-esque art.

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

(Synopsis from Goodreads)

To be honest, it was hard to get through the book and took some warming up in the first few chapters. It was told in a melancholic tone that conveyed what Hannah felt about losing her best friend. Most of it centered on Hannah’s mundane life, and how she is haunted by her best friend’s ghost. Hannah and Lillian’s relationship is interesting —– unconventional, but it is obvious that they valued their friendship. They were so attached to each other that they grew up alike. In fact, at times I could not tell one girl from another. It is clear that Hannah loved — still loves — her very much and kept blaming herself for her best friend’s death. Anorexia is a big issue among women today and I am glad Yovanoff addressed it in the book, in a subtle way. I still can’t quite wrap my head around the coming-of-age part of the story but I like how Hannah’s personalities and relationships with her significant others are developed in the end.

As for the romance in the story (yes, there is romance!), it is a queer one: Finny Boone isn’t exactly the kind of guy you see as Hannah’s love interest. He is an integral part of the story, and a surprising character.

Sharwin and the Power of Turo

chef sharwin and the power of turo

Throughout my 4 day stay in Tokyo, I often resorted to broken English, a few “desu kas,” “arigato gosaimases” and a lot of “turo” or pointing.  Sometimes, that can lead to some awesome discoveries.

A few of those discoveries were in the Ameyoko Flea Market.  After spending a couple of hours walking along Kappabashi Dori (which is heaven for chefs – a 2-3 km. stretch of nothing but culinary stores), I developed quite an appetite.  I took a train to Ueno and began to look for the famous Japanese flea market. Before I left the train station, though, I needed an ice cream break! Baskin Robbins was smiling at me and what greeted me was this treat of a flavor: Ichigo Milk Ice Cream! Named after a Japanese cartoon, it had a wonderfully creamy milk ice cream, richer than your normal vanilla and it also had some strawberry ice cream with nice sweet strawberry chunks.  Quite a flavor!

Ichigo Milk Ice Cream

Traversing the flea market, I was more interested in the food being offered than the discount clothes, and my first stop was an izakaya, or a drinking joint.  Since it was early afternoon, it was not busy.  Usually izakayas serve yaki toris with sweet sauces, but the one I ate in served theirs with salt and a spicy bean paste.  Left with no choice but to point, I pointed at four items, hoping to God I got at least one right.  And I really was! First came a chicken meatloaf, like a long Tsukune or meatball.  Very flavorful and tender, a great beginning. Then the good stuff came in.  Chicken Gizzard, chewy with a slight crunch, no disturbing odors.  I wish they were slightly more tender but it was good.  A stick of grilled chicken skin was a win, with its slight crunch and rich fatty goodness.  Lastly, a traditional chicken yaki tori with leeks.  Juicy and perfectly cooked, even the leeks were tender and flavorful. Points for lucky pointing! 

Next in this article: takoyaki and oysters!