Hoan Kiem Lake

One of Hanoi's (Vietnam) major attraction, Hoàn Kiếm Lake meaning ''Lake of the Returned Sword'', has a very interesting legend.

It began in the Fifteenth century during Lê Dynasty when the emperor of Vietnam Lê Lợi was out boating on the lake when his magic sword, Heaven's Will given to him by Kim Qui- the Golden Turtle God, was grabbed by a turtle and disappeared into the deep. Although they have delved to look for the sword and the turtle but it was never found. So Lê Lợi accepted that the sword has gone back to the Golden Turtle God, renaming the lake to Hoàn Kiếm Lake or The Lake of the Returned Sword.

Hoàn Kiếm Lake is a lake not only rich in history but as well as beauty. It emphasizes the historical significance of Hanoi.

Outfit
Bag: Louis Vuitton
Top: Mango
Denim Pedal Pusher: Abercrombie and Fitch
Shoes: Vintage

Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts center in New South Wales, Australia. Built in 1958, completed in 1973 and designed by a Danish architect Jørn Utzon. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is one of the busiest and most famous performing arts center in the world.

I feel so blessed to see the very famous Sydney Opera House.
Will keep posting about my travels around the world! :)

Time to Clean the Makeup Kit!!!

Spring cleaning time is here so it's about time to throw away the old cosmetics. I have been really bad at cleaning my makeup kit, so shock to see they're full of dust. Anyway since beauty products do not last forever, should keep an eye on the dates that you have used them since different types of bacterias can accumulate on these products after months of usage. And this can be very dangerous, usually resulting to face/eye irritation or infection!

Like Mascara, should only be used up to four months after opening since bacterias can breed on its wand, thus, can lead to conjuctivitis. Old lipsticks sometimes produce awful smell and they make the lips dry. Expired blusher, bronzer, concealer and foundation can clog up pores with bacteria then causes rashes or pimples. Using dirty brushes can cause skin irritations like ringworm and herpes. Health wise, it is very important to dispose those unneccesary and old cosmetics. If they change color and smell, throw them away!

COSMETIC LIFESPAN

Mascara                  3 to 4 months

Blusher/Bronzer      12 to 18 months

Eye Shadow            12 to 18 months

Foundation              6 to 12 months

Lipstick/ Lipgloss    12 to 18 months

Eye/ Lip liner         18 to 24 months

Here's a sneak peek of my newly cleaned makeup collection.

My makeup collection.

I usually separate the used from the unused ones.
These little babies here are soon to used...;)

My used ones are placed in this really cute purple makeup organizer...

My lipgloss collection... I love lipgloss..
Check my previous post about them..;)

I only have a few lipsticks, I prefer lipgloss...
My fave colors though are Red, Pink, Nude and Orange.

My Eye colors from Bobbi Brown, Elizabeth Arden, Estee Lauder, MAC, Body Shop and etc!!!

Bronzers and Blushers...
As you can see, I use more bronzer than blusher...

The most important- the right face powder/ foundation!!!
Choosing the correct face powder/ foundation can be very difficult!
Ask your brand consultant the correct shade for you!

Eyeliners and Mascaras!!! 

My brushes from MAC, Estee Lauder and Lancome...
Cover them with plastic to protect them from dust!

Sunday Caramelized Banana

I miss being home in the Philippines with my family. Usually, we have a Sunday tradition that I find so cozy. We stay at home and relax, listen to old music and eat traditional Filipino desserts. And right now, I am imagining myself sitting on the balcony, reading magazines or painting my nails while listening to the music.

Now that it's Sunday, I thought hmm, why not bring that tradition with me. So I prepared and cooked a simple Filipino favorite dessert called Caramelized Banana or as what we call ''Banana Cue.'' The reason why it's called Banana Cue, like Barbecue, the caramelized Bananas are placed on Bamboo skewers.

Hope you enjoy! :)

Caramelized Banana

Ingredients:
Saba Banana (Asian Plantains)
Brown Sugar
Oil

Method:
1) Peel banana, coat with sugar. Set aside.

2) Heat oil in a deep pan, turn heat to medium until oil begins to bubble.
3) Place the bananas carefully in the Pan and fry them until the sugar melts and turns to brown.

4)  Place them on a Bamboo skewers or put on a plate and serve.

Enjoy! :)

Ho Chi Minh City- The Best Place to Shop!!!

For those of you who are Travelling to Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City is one of the best places to shop in South East Asia. Yup, you heard it right- HCMC, Vietnam. There are a lot of outlet shops here in HCMC and brands to die for like Michael Kors, Zara, Mango, Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie and Fitch, Aeropostale, Forever 21, H&M, etc. They are sold much cheaper and sometimes, they're not even out in retail shops so most of these clothes are yet to become the fashion trend! ;)

The reason why they are sold cheap here is because a lot of these brands are manufactured here. Haven't you noticed that most clothes now are Made in Vietnam???

But also one advice, don't shop at shopping malls- they are much, much more expensive!!! And also Luxury Brands, whoooh!!! They're more expensive than in Europe. 

These outlet shops are found in the Russian Market (Lucky Plaza), Taka Plaza and Saigon Square.

And yesterday, I went shopping for my European vacation next month. So excited!!! ;) Apparently it's still winter in Europe, so I bought a new pair of boots, skinny jeans, Juicy Couture Velour Hoodie, Victoria's Secret top and Victoria's Secret make-up kit.... ;)

Lucky Plaza: Dong Khoi, Ben Nghe, District, HCMC, Vietnam
Taka Plaza: 102 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, HCMC, Vietnam
Saigon Square 1: Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, HCMC, Vietnam

Updated article about shopping in Ho Chi Minh City, click here A Look For Less: Shopping in Ho Chi Minh City.

 Bought them at a shopping mall so they're expensive! :(

I love Juicy Couture but my husband hates these Velour Hoodies...
still bought them though... ;)
These hoodies cost 350,000 VND (17USD) at Taka Plaza.

Victoria's Secret Top from 100,000-200,000 VND (5- 10USD)
These are some of the clothes I bought at the Market (outlet shops)...
I also bought a Mango dress that costs 75 usd at a MANGO retail shop here but I only bought it for 25 usd at the market...;)

Lip gloss addict!

Ok, I'm such a Lip gloss addict. I can't stop buying them, I just want to collect and not use them! I know it sounds stupid since make-up expires, eventually. It started in High school when I became interested in make-up, though I only buy those cute container lip balm/glosses (which, by the way, I still have ;p) then it became an obsession.

The reason why I prefer to wear them over Lipstick, they are shiny and not so heavy like lipsticks. But of course, I still believe in the saying that every girl should have a red lipstick in her purse! ;)

The colors I normally use are nudy, pinkish and orangey lip glosses and oh, I'm also a fanatic of flavored lippies. I could spend a day just sniffing their fruity or candy-ish scent.
I have used a lot of different brands but I can't really say which one is the best. And my favorite brands are Estée Lauder, Clinique, Lancôme, MAC and Chanel.

Will post more about my Make-up Collection soon! ;)

Trip to the Old Town of Gdansk

Gdańsk, a Polish city, located on the Baltic coast and Poland's principal seaport. My visit to Gdańsk, Poland was very short since we (My husband and Parents-in-law) were on a Cruise tour. We spent our 8 hours walking around the cozy old town, ate some traditional Polish food and of course, shopped for AMBER jewelry.

Walking around the old city was never a mistake! It felt like being back in the Renaissance period. Most of buildings were beautifully designed and vibrantly painted.
During the WWII, parts of the historic old city were destroyed but it was rebuilt during the 1950's and 1960's.
After scouring the streets of the old town, we went to have lunch at a Polish restaurant and had a traditional Polish cuisine. My food was really nice! But the best part of this trip was Shopping!!! Yes, we went shopping for some really good quality Amber jewelry. The Baltic area is very famous for it's Amber and the old city (Gdańsk) has a lot of Amber Jewelry shop.


The Old Town

Some of my Amber Jewelry Collection from The Baltic Area. :)