Split Personalitie

Monday, July 5, 2010

Spa Massages, Makati

I love to get massages... yes, I'm a massage junkie. I've been to a few massage places, but these are my favorite.

My favorite place to get a massage in Makati is The Lotus, My Massage Place in Greenbelt Mansions, Perea St. The place screams RELAX! when you enter. I can literally feel the stresses of the day fall off my body when I enter this place. I love their Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage.

It is a gentle-medium pressure massage, and the masseuse uses her forearms in massaging a lot. If feels oh..so good! It runs at 450 php an hour. The decor of the place comes across to me as Asian-Thai, with lots of parasols hanging on the ceiling. The ambience of the place is rather dark, and very cold. To me, it is very very relaxing. Instrumental music plays in the background as well. Once you enter the place and specify your desired massage, they will lead you reclining chairs (that remind me of those you find in old houses' porches), and an attendant will bring you a wood basin filled with stones and hot water to soak your feet. Then, you will be let to your "room." The whole place is actually divided off with drapes/curtains to separate off each room. Surprisingly, the level of quietness is very good; in fact, it is better than other places I've had massages in. After your massage, the attendant will ask you if you want ginger tea. I've also tried their Balinese massage, which is supposed to be good for blood circulation. It's not as gentle as the LomiLomi...it's more focused on pressure points. There was a lot of thumb-action
going on. However, the only negative thing for this place is the shower. I tried it last weekend before my massage thinking it would be very nice. Although it is was only 100 php, it was just a normal shower. There is nothing there that separates it from my bathroom...absolutely nothing special about it. Aside from the shower, though, this place has got to be one of the best massage places in the area... and not expensive either! It's number one on my list.

Rating: 4.5
Relax Factor: 5
Website: facebook fan page

My next favorite is The Spa in Greenbelt. It can be rather pricey for a student's budget though. I tried the Javanese Royal Bath there one time...and I felt like a million bucks after. It's a massage + lulur scrub + a soak in a rose-filled jacuzzi. Apparently, this is how a bride (way over in Java, way back then) would prepare for her wedding night... It's rather pricey though -- 2,100 php for 90 minutes of pure bliss. I guess since it's a more upscale spa, the shower is free; it's mandatory, and it's pretty darn nice. Plus, you get a locker for all your stuff too. If you've got the moolah, this is the place to go.

Rating: 5
Relax Factor: 5
Website: http://www.thespa.com.ph/

While my boyfriend gets a haircut, I always get a massage in Let's face it in Greenbelt 1. It's around 450 php for the normal Swedish massage per hour. It's great if you want a traditional massage. It's pretty good value for the money too. You get your own real room, and in contrast to other branches, the one in Greenbelt is very quiet. There's no shower, but the attendant rubs alcohol on your legs before starting the massage.

Rating: 4
Relax Factor: 4
Website: http://www.letsfaceit-spalon.com/lets_face_it_contact.php

Shui Hilot Healing Spa wasn't as fancy as the others (maybe cause I went there during the day), but my boyfriend loves it...and probably for that very reason. I mean, it doesn't come across as girly. Like its name, it's focused more on the healing aspect of massage. It is very good hilot. We also tried the ventosa cupping, and the feeling is heavenly --very relaxing as the glass moves about your back. After I got this done to me, I received about three comments that day on how radiant I looked. Maybe all that cupping sucked the negativity out of my body, eh? A bit pricey though; an hour of hilot with half an hour of ventosa therapy runs at 799 php. Extra bonus? The lady at the desk is very, very accommodating, AND she gave me two gift certificates!

Rating: 4
Relax factor: 4.5
Website: http://www.shuihilotspa.com/home

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

My Favorite Blogs

Hello to all out there! I apologize for not writing in a while. I just went back to Manila where I go to college, and adjusting to the time zone hasn't been that smooth. Anyways, I am back to my junior year, after being excused by the dean to be about 3 weeks late for the start of classes. I tried my hardest to do everything remotely, so I can at least be on the same page as the class -- but what I found out was if the class were not meant to be online, it is quite hard to stay on track.

So now, I find myself with a rather long to-do list, which I can accomplish, of course, I think. Plus, it did inspire me to write this blog post, a post about my favorite blogs and sites on getting stuff done and self-empowerment (I guess we can include fun blogs too...I guess).
Enjoy!

1. Lifehack.org
This is by far my most favorite blog! It has everything a determined person would want -- tips on avoiding procrastination, how to do well in a job interview, pursuing your passions, etc. It has pretty much everything, from relationship advice to date night ideas. One of the posts that is very useful is a grand master list of student resources, study tips, posts on how to be the best student yet, etc., and most of them free, and ALL quite useful! Here is their master list of the best posts for 2009.

2. ZenHabits.net
Simple is always best -- that is the essential message of Zen Habits. Every time I visit the site, my brain feels like it's on vacation. It has great posts about simplifying your life, avoiding work-overload, etc. It's has great ideas to balance our technology-drowned lives; start with their guide to zen living. It's everything you'll need for a productive, relaxed, and balanced life.

3. Time Photo Essays
The best of photojournalism... everything you expect from Time. With healthy doses of posts about social issues, history, science, and the World Cup, it's definitely worth checking out. It's hands-down the best way to catch up on the news.

4. Polyvore.com
Need fashion ideas? Want new outfits from the same ol' pieces in your closet? Check out this great site! It is pure inspiration for both the couture girls and the frugalista girls. It even has an art section and an interior design section! Check out their collections.

Let Your Dreams Take Flight by Frances Advincula featuring Christian Louboutin shoes

5. KhanAcademy.org
This has video tutorials on a vast area of academic topics including physics, algebra, finance, and statistics. It's how I did well in calculus... 'nough said.

6. ThePioneerWoman.com

This blog has a special place in my heart. Not only did it teach me how to make sushi and great steak, but it has healthy doses of humor as well. It also has one of the best photography I've seen in blogs... but wait until you find out what this is really about! Cali girl meets cowboy, they fall in love, and ...she has to adjust to being married to a rancher. I guess I can relate to this blog because I spend my life both in Missouri and Manila, and when I miss the open space and the cows, I'll check out this blog. It also has great recipes, Photoshop tutorials, a photography section, as well as a homeschooling section. Don't miss out on their love story !

Photo Credits:
Image 1: From FreeDigitalPhotos.net by Michelle Mieklejohn

Monday, June 21, 2010

Beauty on a Budget Series

Hey, Everyone! As you all know, this is my first blog post on my first real blog. By real, I mean the first blog that I'm going to post on seriously. I thought it would be great to do a mini-series on getting gorgeous on a budget! So, let's get started, Ladies!

MAKE UP

-You don't really need all that make up. Minimize what you buy by sticking to the good ol' and the tested. You can stop buying all those expensive brands -- maybe one or two to make you feel glamorous. The rest can come from the drugstore.

-Get foundation with built-in SPF. You get double the bang for your buck.

-You don't need to shell out your hard-earned dollars for tinted moisturizer. Just mix a teeny-eeny, itsy-bitsy dollop of moisturizer with your foundation (1:1 ratio).

- If you are "downsizing" from brand-name to drugstore brands, bring along your old products when you go to the store so you can get as close to your branded shade as possible. Or, try to compare the shades online through pictures.

-You don't need all those eye-popping colors. Every girl should have the basics:

A brown pallete for work
A good-for-your-eye-color pallete (blue-eyed gals look good in brown palettes, brown-eyed gals look great with blue-ish palettes, and green-eyed gals look fantastic with amethyst.)
A smokey eye pallete for night-time looks

That's all every gal really needs. If you must,you can invest in one or two colored eye-liners. They can give you that extra "glam" if you feel the crave, without going over the top.

- You don't really need lipliners; they tend to age you. False eyelashes and nails? Puh-lease! Not only are they expensive over time, they look tacky as well.

-Don't be afraid to go double duty. Mascara can be used as liquid eyeliner, just use an eyeliner brush. Blush can also be used as eyeshadow, and pearl colored eyeshadows can be used as a highlighter.

-Mix petroleum jelly or a lipbalm with eyeshadow. Voila! You have a good, moisturizing sheer lipstick shade.

-Keep your eyebrows in shape and neat. You'll need less make up to look presentable if your eyebrows are well-groomed to begin with.