I never felt so shortchanged like what happened the previous night. I went back to Lyf Center Spa to use one of the coupons I have from Ecotech. Since I already consumed the three freebies before (skin analysis, 30-minute back massage and basic facial), I figured it was time to use the other coupons as well. I paid for a Pigment Control Facial worth 880 pesos and with the coupon I used, I was entitled to a free service of a lower value so I chose to have a Lyf Therapeutic Foot Spa worth 500 pesos. Since I’ve already tried their Pigment Control facial before, I looked forward to another good service from Lyf Center Spa. Oh boy. I was in for a surprise.

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Feeling like we’re a bunch of high schoolers instead of 20-something medical interns, Mela and I had a sleepover bonding two nights ago. Nope. We didn’t study together like we’re supposed to but we did go to this posh nail salon just outside their village gates. The destination? Chic Nails Salon along Holy Spirit Drive at Don Antonio Heights. When I told her I just had a manicure and a pedicure done on my birthday, she said I could just try their massage instead. But when I learned where we were going, my hopes went down. I’m not keen on going to a nail salon for a massage. After all, they won’t call it “Chic Nails” if massage was their specialty right? But honestly, I was pretty satisfied with their massage service. And that’s coming from a spa semi-addict.

The place looks superb. From the outside, the place looks rather small to be offering from nail jobs to facial spas and relaxing massages but what did they say about the book and it’s cover again? Ah. Never, ever judge a “salon” by its facade. I was pleasantly surprised when I entered the “salon”. Lovely interiors I must say. The couches look terribly inviting for someone under so much stress like me. Mela plopped down in one couch and gladly waited for her footspa while I was ushered in to a small cubicle for my massage.

For a salon that specializes on nail jobs, the massage rooms are pretty comforting. Unlike in a number of spas I’ve been to, they have actual cubicles for massage areas instead of a number of beds separated by some flimsy curtain. That’s a plus for people who are very keen on privacy (sometimes I wonder what’s gonna happen if one of those curtains give way. LOL.) My therapist gladly assisted me while I prepped up for my one-hour swedish massage. Ms. Hilda is perhaps one of the most accommodating and courteous therapists I ever had. She was even the one who asked me to tell her if the pressure was to my liking. When I told her I once experienced going out of the spa feeling more tired than when I entered, she assured me that I’ll be more relaxed when our session’s through. My verdict? Ms. Hilda stayed true to her word. Her every stroke and pressure was indeed very relaxing and for a moment I regretted not living somewhere nearby. And did I mention she’s one of the most courteous therapists I’ve ever had? She even excused herself before she tinkered with my lingerie and started massaging my hip area. Talk about being respectful. I remember how my ex once complained how a therapist just suddenly pulled his boxers low for that part of the massage. LOL. And for that, I give Ms. Hilda some plus points for customer care.

The massage was over in an hour. When I got out, Mela was done with her footspa and was waiting for her pedicure to start, Although I was not able to experience first-hand their footspa, Mela said she liked it a lot ‘coz they also paid attention to her overused calves.

Then after a few minutes of chit-chat, a familiar face entered the salon with his family.

Clue: He’s a Taekwondo medalist, an actor and a model. Any guesses?

So how would I rate my Chic Nails experience? From a scale of 1 to 5, I’m giving it a 3.5. It ‘s supposedly a 4, if not for the long wait we had to endure after my friend’s GCs turned out to be expired without her knowing it. Mind you, there were no expiry dates on that GC or any indication whatsoever that it has to be used up 6 months after being bought. Good thing the management still honored the GCs (They should. It was their fault anyway.)

Location (Accessibility, Parking): -It’s located along the main road. Looks small from the outside. There’s a chance you’ll miss it. Parking space may be a problem but the street is a long and spacious parking space.
Ambiance: -Love the interiors! Sunshiney and bright! Very homey and relaxing. The cubicles are small but clean. Limited slots available at one time ‘coz there’s just around 3 or so cubicles I think.

Value for Money: - Swedish Massage and Shiatsu Massage are at 350 pesos for an hour. More types of massages available for one or two hundred bucks more. I didn’t notice if there was a shower area. Better take a shower at home instead just to be sure. No sauna too.

After about a week of being fickle-minded, I finally got my butt off our house to try the Lyfcenter services I was talking about in this entry. It was a week of I would and wouldn’t. Just as the famous saying goes: if there’s a will, there’s a way. I realized I had none of it the past few days – until yesterday. My friends who went there before had already briefed me on what to expect. One of them gave such a bad feedback so I kind of had a biased expectation when I got there – like a cheap car insurance

The place is easy to find. If you might not notice the sign, just look for the orange-colored signboard of Finio and you’re on the right track. Take the flight of stairs up and you’ll see the LyfCenter signboard (a friend remarked how cheap the models looked – I have to agree IMHO.) When I got there I presented the three freebie coupons I got from the booklet that I bought for 400 pesos. Since I was their only client at that time (it was 8:30 pm of a Thursday night), I was half-expecting to hear them try to market me any of their products and services but gladly, I heard of none. They let me fill-in this registration form and I waited for a few minutes in their lounge until a friendly masseuse by the name of Nancy ushered me in to a labyrinthine hallway. After about a number of turns, we found ourselves in a small room with five beds separated by curtains. Truthfully, I’ve seen way, way better massage places than this. The place looked unkempt and a far cry from the promising façade of the lounge outside. The place was warm. The aircon was not turned on and I wondered if that was because they won’t be getting much from me since I’m availing of free services. Anyway, the massage was good. I can tell Nancy knows her thing. I had a little chitchat with her and learned that she had been with the spa for 5 years already. So that’s why she knew the strokes and the right pressure. J I felt sorry that they didn’t offer me to upgrade my massage. But anyway, I’ve kept her name in mind just so I know who to look for when I come back next time. I wish it would have lasted for an hour or more since the massage was good and relaxing. I wasn’t really sure if it had been about 30 minutes already ‘coz it felt like she was doing the massage for just about ten minutes when she called it done. I was next ushered in to another room with a number of facial spa chairs. A girl (whose name I forgot) then told me to sit on this chair for my “free” skin analysis. At this point, I felt like I was robbed. I think they really do this to their normal, paying clients with or without the “coupons” I had. So anyway, the skin analysis device was nothing but a blacklight being shone on your face. Your closed comedones were supposed to light up orange while the hyperpigmented spots will remain… – uh darkened – under the blacklight. She then suggested I upgrade to one of their more expensive facials after the “skin analysis”. I agreed to make an upgrade, and so I spent 530 pesos down the drain for their pigment control facial. The girl who then entered the room introduced herself as Nurse Cherry. I figured she must be one of the hundreds of thousands of nurses, licensed and otherwise, working odd jobs that are unrelated to their college degree. She then proceeded with the facial. I slept through most of the procedure so I can’t say anything much if the facial treatment I received was comparable to standard facial treatments (use of vacuum, galvanic, laser etc) available with most facial spas. Heck, she could have skipped the mask altogether without me knowing it! All I knew was that when I woke up about an hour and more later, the treatment was done. So much for experience! K I think Cherry did her job well though, ‘coz my face felt clean and fresh after the procedure ended.

In general, everything went smoothly. I think the place was not as bad as what my friend warned me. Although the massage was good, I couldn’t say for sure if the facial was the same since I slept through most part of it. Hehe. Nevertheless I’ll surely come back some other time especially since I still have 18 more stubs to choose from.  :)

I just wish that guy (gay?) from the counter would stop shouting back “Look Young Forever, Mam!” after their clients again though ‘coz it definitely gave me the creeps!

I heard about Bon Chon from my ex-roomie Mela when she asked if I wanted to try the place while on our way to a friend’s party. Since the party was to start at 10 pm, off we went to Ayala Triangle to try the new craze in town: chicken wings - Korean style!

The place was packed… a testament to its apparent popularity. I got excited to try the famous chicken wings but the excitement soon faded after a horrible experience we had that night. It was difficult to find a seat and when we already found one, we quickly settled and ordered food. I was already seated comfortably when this girl approached me and asked if I had my name registered in the waiting list. I didn’t even know there was one! To make the long story short, she asked me to stand up to give my table to another guest. So that’s why this couple who just entered the door had been giving me odd glances! How humiliating! We ended up standing, looking really stupid carrying those trays. Good thing it was just for a couple of minutes else it would have brought about our wrath. We ended up talking to the manager – who turned out to be the woman who approached us – and complained about their lack of organization. I mean, if it were somebody else who were more irritable than us, it would have been a scene! I wish they had put a sign –even if it was just scribbled over tissue and placed next to the exit signs – that informs guests to wait to be seated instead of having to ask seated guests to stand up.

I ordered wings of the soy chicken variant and the food was good, though it was not really as exceptional as some people are claiming it to be. The wings were indeed crispy on the outside and had a distinct and very different taste compared to all the soy chicken I’ve tried. But nevertheless, the famous Max’ Chicken line is applicable to Bon Chon: It’s sarap to the bones! The chicken comes in two variants: soy chicken and spicy. I suggest you try the soy garlic first before attempting the other one ‘coz it’s super hot, though for more adventurous guests, you can order a mix of both.

The price range is in the expensive side though. A three-piece chicken wings meal costs P185 plus drinks. And mind you, the wings aren’t that big. There are also a number of other good stuff in their menu that you might be willing to try like bulgogi, the Korean’s take on barbecued chicken.

So will I come back again? I might; perhaps if I happen to pass by Ayala Triangle again or wherever their other branch is in. I sure hope that next time around though, I won’t be subjected to much embarrassment again. Good vibes!

Some were busy doing their paper and others were reviewing while music from our ipod nano blasted through our headsets when a jolly, high-pitched voice echoed through the room. He called himself Shalala (obviously, he was gay) and introduced his companion (which, on my assessment didn’t belong in the same federation) whose name I totally forgot. When his next statement was: Do you go to the spa? I knew exactly what’s gonna happen next.

He then showed us this little colorful booklet of coupons and started talking about how we might want to avail of freebies and discounts to this particular spa along Tomas Morato. I’ve heard of the spa before. In fact, I pass by it often but I’ve never tried any of their services or inquire about their services at the very least. Suffice to say I don’t know much about this spa Shalala was talking about. I browsed through their “menu” which was conveniently printed in this booklet. Shiatsu massage at 400 pesos and Swedish massage at 350? Not bad. They also offer facial services that range from 350 pesos for a basic cleaning to a whopping 1880 pesos for a so-called Cara Espanola Facial. For that hefty sum, I’m expecting you’ll come out looking like Angelina Jolie after the treatment. Hehe. They also offer slimming treatments (Aha! There’s one for my tummy!) and “infusions” which are pretty pricey at 999 pesos minimum.

I wasn’t exactly impressed with how our two unexpected guests delivered their marketing lines. I don’t think they know much about the services they’re offering aside from the memorized and practiced lines they deliver over and over again to unsuspecting people. When my friend asked what an Oxygen Bar does or what a faradic treatment was, they were stumped and changed the topic nonetheless.

Anyway, my friend and I (and a couple of other friends who unknowingly entered the Mood Clinic later) got ourselves a booklet each worth PHP 399. It already includes a Free Skin Analysis worth 300 (Although I bet my friends from Dermatology could do so much better at no cost), a Free Back Massage worth 300 and a Free Basic Facial worth 350 pesos. Aside from those, we’re also entitled to a number of perks such as a free service of lesser value with availment of any of their services. I’m foreseeing how I’d be pretty tied up to one spa for most of the time this year. So for the most part, I guess I’ll be doing a review of the services at LYFspa as we go along. No worries though. For sure, the spa addict in me would still hop around the Metro looking for steals and thrills.

Wish you’ll hop along with me.

Some people are die-hard fans of tried and tested beauty products that they don’t change brands for years – or even forever! I know of someone who keeps the same stash of wrinkle creams that work in her bag year in and year out. On my part however, I tend to switch from one brand to another because I like the thrill of discovering something “new”. But I must admit, there are just some products which I search high and low for and are permanent tools of the trade in my stash. I once blogged about The Face Shop’s Plus+ 1 Intensive Lip Care Cream which is a must-have for my forever chapping lips. Aside from this wonder lip care cream, I am also a big fan of Elianto’s Baked Blusher, specifically in Pale Pink.

This shimmery blush was first made available in 2007 but I only came across this blush when I did window shopping at an Elianto booth last year. I was psyched because of this particular shade’s natural-looking flush effect on my skin. The shimmer of this blush also makes it a good highlighter substitute for areas of the face that you want to pop out like the cheekbone and the browbone. Among the five blushers that I own, this is the one I use the most as it’s perfect for both daytime and nighttime use. This particular pan in fact is actually my third. =)

What I don’t like about this product, however, is that it easily shatters. When I bought my first pan, the saleslady told me to be careful with it since it breaks into pieces with just one drop. I accidentally dropped the blusher on the day I bought it and although the case was intact, the contents were not. I just transferred the contents into an empty mini-powder case. I also broke my second pan so I’ll no longer be surprised if I break my third soon. =)

What about you? What’s your favorite blush?