Lip, Lip...Hooray!

It's been a while since I've written about beauty here at Ny Minute Now, ever since I'd moved all the beauty articles over at BeautyintheBigApple.com. However, this afternoon, I got to thinking about sharing my two latest lip finds.

On my way to the ladies' room at the office earlier, my friend, Pia Rojas, fashion and beauty editor of Good Housekeeping, casually said, "Go to my desk, I have lipstick for you."

Now, while I've more discerning than ever with what I put on my face and body these days, I rarely turn down beauty products. I no longer get to test-drive a kazillion items for work, so I actually now have to head to the counters and supermarkets, or rely on the generous donations of my editor friends for personal care items, as you can tell from above.

Anyway, that said, you must check out Revlon Colorburst™ Lipsticks in Soft Nude and Grape. The former is a delicious neutral shade that seems blah at first swipe, but instantly transforms into a healthy pillowy pink, once topped with your favorite old-rose gloss. The latter, meanwhile, looks like a rich plum inside the tube, and based on the nude I've tried, goes on soft and creamy on the lip. And that's saying a lot, coming from someone not exactly a fan of rouge, who consciously takes it off before eating!


Pictured above are Revlon ColorBurst Lipsticks in True Red, Fuchsia and Baby Pink. Image courtesy of Harper's Bazaar.

Carrot Cake Update

I've made carrot cake a couple of times before, but this has got to be the cutest one so far. Frances recently "hinted" over Facebook that she craved for carrot cake, and like what they say, one must never turn down a pregnant woman! (She blogged about it here and here!) Anyway, I posted the recipe in AllMySugar.com. I have to update that blog more regularly if I want to channel all my Food Network dreams, or even just keep my food-momentum.

One day at the office pantry with Coni Tejada of Real Living—with a slice of my carrot cake—and Frances of Ok! Magazine, holding up some Red Velvet cupcakes made by Nicole Delos Angeles (also a former Cosmo editor and now beauty editor-at-large for Ok! and Candy Magazine).

Past and Pasta

"Past is past and pasta makes it better."

That's what my friend, Frances, said earlier. I won't tell you why my heart is twitching again. But it has something to do with food that I miss, that can only be bought in one of the most special places in the world.


Okay, some of you know where that is. Anyway, I'm off to Cibo for honest-to-goodness, serotonin-boosting noodles, and then a Sex and the City 2 movie premiere tonight with my husband. Happier hours up ahead for sure.

Image courtesy of BusinessWeek.com.

An Early Alternative

When I got to the office today, I did something different to start the day off: Instead of the usual checking emails, bank balances, and other updates online, I went right ahead and got down to the writing tasks at hand. Just writing. As in, opening Wordpad (I like the simple interface) once the computer finished booting up. I must say it was refreshing. I write this actually without even having checked a single email.

I find that ideas are so fresh in the morning. And if you read and write for a living, it's wise to capitalize on this early burst of momentum. In my Time and Type post from last year, I mentioned that as a freelancer (who didn't have to wake up at a set time daily), I found the ideas being diffused by the 'defrost'—those couple of minutes I allow myself to enjoy lingering in bed before actually getting up.

These days, my husband and I still 'defrost,' however, our body clocks have changed; mine especially. With my latest project going full throttle and with a few weeks left before its culmination, I'm at the office the earliest I've ever been on a daily basis in almost a decade. And what better way to capture a promising day fully than going off to an early start—at least until I'm back working in my pajamas once again.

Beyond Shoes and Bags

A world beyond shoes and clothes.

At my own internship experience 10 years ago, I looked forward to coming to work everyday. Each opportunity presented a new learning experience, and I was happy to take in as much as I could. The magazine industry in Manila back then was still somewhat in its infancy, and we were all still finding our feet. I reckon it was a great time to have been able to dip my toe in, and then jump (and swim) in the growing magazine pool. Among friends, we still refer to a certain time as the Golden Age of Glossies.

Fast-forward to 2010, it's nice to know that magazines are standing the test of time (in a not-so-glossy economy) and have evolved to breathtaking, awe-inspiring, and excellently edited works compiled by the most talented and hardworking people in the business. And most importantly, they are still very much FUN. True, the demands have grown, the responsibilities are more vast, and the consequences to delinquent behavior are more magnified, but I still see it as one happy and dynamic capsule, exploding with infinite opportunities.

When I see interns Alex, Gaile, and Yen at work, I catch a glimpse of this sense of wonder and eagerness to be part of something bigger than themselves; to explore the world beyond their comfort zones. I notice Alex arrive 30 minutes before everybody else; Gaile, quietly and diligently helping our fashion editor with her pages; and Yen discovering the wonderful—and tedious—world of beauty. So much to take in, so little time.

I ended up staying on board as an intern for four months, eventually becoming an editor for many years. Magazine publishing remains my first love and forever home, wherever I am in the world, and however it is presented (online, over the iPad, in the moon...). And for Alex, Gaile, and Yen, I paraphrase the words of Stanley Tucci's character, Nigel, in The Devil Wears Prada: I only hope for the best—I have to.


Originally published at Cosmo.ph/FlawlessatWork. Image courtesy of Cinecon.com and 20th Century Fox

Something from Kate

"I'm not entirely fearless. I have my own fears, too, I have insecurities. But I go out there anyway and do what I want to do and make the most of my life."

That's designer and musician, Kate Torralba, on being fun and fearless. Kate as you may already know is a friend of mine who also designed my lovely wedding dress (photo in this post). She's one of Cosmo's Fun Fearless Female awardees this year and she gave an insightful interview online about how she started her fashion career as a hobby and a "happy accident." Read the Cosmo.ph article here.

Image courtesy of Cosmo.ph

Weekend Update

At the Pond's Flawless White event with Cosmo EIC Zo Aguila, interns Yen Pomida, Gaile Tan, and Alex Parungo, withPond's brand manager Jacqe Yuengtian.

Over a light chat over work-related topics, the subject of blogging came up and a colleague casually pointed out that I haven't been updating my blog often enough for her to read it regularly. Eep! Talk about a very straightforward wake-up call that I badly needed. Not that I don't berate myself daily for putting off writing. It's just that...okay, okay, no excuses.

I've spent some time online lately though, in the form of managing the micro-site of Pond's in Cosmo.ph. (CMS—or whatever that interface is called—can be a bit of a challenge, mind you.) There, you can read the three interns' blogs; mine, too. We're on top speed at the internship program, and I am so proud of the girls! I truly feel like a mother hen!

What's been keeping me busy online lately.

We've been logging some video and TV time, too, with the ETC. crew popping by every now and then to document the internship program, along with Cosmo.ph's impressive team that updates Cosmo TV online.

Despite all this 'work' (it doesn't always feel like it because it's fun), I know I should keep this blog updated (along with AllMySugar.com!), so let's see how next week goes!

Zo and I next to hosts, Bianca Valerio and Brent Javier. Plains & Prints dressed us up, and did you know I almost chose the same dress as Bianca's? Good thing it didn't fit! I already look so small next to her :)

Must diligently apply eye cream ASAP!

Train Lesson

On the MRT ride earlier, I got to thinking about my early days in New York when I had my restaurant hostessing job. I usually got off work around 10pm, and on the 7 train, found employees looking as tired (or even more than) as I was, heading home from their respective jobs. I still remember how their faces looked, the palpable exhaustion, with the common denominator among people boarding the train nightly seemingly was that we were all either restaurant employees or blue-collar workers—definitely no spiffy nine to fivers with disheveled neckties. (Throwing in a little racial profiling, I've been told in the past that the 7 train that runs from Times Square midtown to way out in Flushing, Queens has been dubbed the "Orient Express.")

The experience from those early days had taught me to be more thankful and respectful of the jobs that have come my way, especially those that didn't require me to be on my feet for hours, seating people or even handing out flyers. I have learned to not take work for granted, and when faced with procrastination, I only have to think about people who have no choice but to work laboriously to make ends meet, or even to simply feed their families. True, I get lazy, even lethargic, sometimes, and continuously struggle with deadlines, but I have regular reminders of why I should be more diligent. After all, these days, I am able to command premium compensation for the work that I do, and it is only appropriate and fair to deliver beyond the minimum; and I hope to always go the distance.