First Impressions : Yummylly Cakes - Cafe

This cafe has been open for some time and people have been bugging me to do a review on it but I've always tried to put it off. Why? For the simple fact that my 2nd degree cousin & his lovely wife own the place. Willy & Yummy started Yummylly Cakes a few years back and have now opened their 1st cafe branch at Nunez Ext. Crossing, behind ADZU, beside TV Surplus shop (Zamboanga City)... People may think that I'd be biased because of the fact I'm related to Willy, but I've always given 100% honest reviews and this particular one won't be any different... Now that we got that out there, let's get on with the review... My friend D.A. & I stopped by around 3:30pm. There were a couple of other people in the cafe to place in cake orders but we were the only ones there who were actually going to stuff our faces with food. *lol* Their color motif was pleasing to the eyes - a soft pink & a teal blue color. We loved the lighting fixtures, cutesy throw pillows and also their long stretch "sofa" couch. The fondant covered cakes on display also offered a touch of quirkiness to the place that balanced everything out... We all agreed to give Yummylly Cakes a 5/5 for their cafe set up. What's better than FREE WIFI? *winks* (ilovecakes) I liked that they used a chalkboard as their menu board because these gives them the option of spicing things up with colored chalk or other decorative writing styles... Though their current one was a bit out of place with the overall cuteness of the cafe... They have a variety of finger foods available and they even have rice meals! We decided to order a strawberry frappe, a cookie monster "monster frappe" (monster frappes were on a separate menu board), a slice of their yema cake and plain salted fries... *Quick story : My friend D.A. got really pissed off with the one manning the cash register and taking our orders because she gave off this really mean attitude. She talked to us as if she wasn't in the mood (in Chavacano "dol nuay le gana combersa na customers) and seemed impatient to answer my questions regarding the monster frappes. My friend decided to just go sit down at our table before she also goes all b*tchy while I was left to handle the situation... (Bawas pogi points tayo sa ganito eh!) Only 3/5 for this particular customer service. Our orders arrived in batches (something that irks me at times) starting with the yema cake, the frappes then lastly our plate of fries. We digged in and started  comparing notes on our orders... Strawberry Frappe P75/order Taste : 4/5 Presentation : 3/5 D.A. & I liked this frappe a lot. It had the distinct strawberry flavor you'd expect from a strawberry frappe and it had a generous serving of whipped cream on top. We just wished it had more of an "oomph" presentation-wise. Cookie Monster - Monster Frappe P150/order Taste : 2/5 Presentation : 5/5 We gave this frappe a 2/5 for taste because it lacked that cookie or chocolate-y taste we were expecting. Most of the "flavor" from this frappe came from the toppings but the actual "milkshake" portion of the drink did nothing to satisfy our tastebuds. Having said that, we gave this a 5/5 for presentation because come on, just look at this thing! It was overloaded with yummy goodness! It was impressive enough to warrant the P150 price tag. Plain Salt Fries P50/order Taste : 2/5 Presentation : 2/5 This were your standard "from the package" kind of fries that came with a dusting of salt. The serving size was a decent "good for 2 unless your'e fry obsessed". Presentation was MEH! I wish they had a separate container for their fry sauce (mayo+ketchup, I think) because it can get a bit messy if it's squirted directly onto the serving plate... I know they could have done better on their presentation but at P50/order, you definitely get what you pay for.  Yema Cake P55/order Taste : 2/5 Presentation : 3/5 I had high expectations for this... This is supposed to be their best seller, an all time favorite... I got disappointed because of the taste. I was saddened because my friends D.A. & A. also had the same opinion about the taste of this particular slice. The yema filling and frosting had this really weird "plastic-balloon" kind of taste, and it wasn't an after taste at all, it was straight up plastic balloon (the kind I played with as a kid) in my mouth. At first it was subtle, but as we progressed into the cake, it tasted more and more like the plastic balloon that we ended up not finishing this piece. I've had my share of yema cakes so I definitely know what it's supposed to taste like, and believe me when I say that this piece tasted nothing like a yema cake. *sad sigh* I really think it's the frosting was the thing that was off since the cake was light and fluffy by itself. Well that's it for now. We're giving Yummylly Cakes cafe an overall 3/5. There's definitely room for improvement on several factors. So, has anyone tried this place out yet? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Review : Naturactor Cover Face Concealer Foundation

This is an EXTREMELY late post. It's been in my drafts folder since March 2015! I'm that much of a "bad" blogger. *chuckles* I feel like I'm the last beauty blogger on earth to be reviewing this product! Well I've had 9 months to really use this and try it out on myself and on others. The product I'm talking about is the Naturactor Cover Face Concealer Foundation.

This foundation - slash - concealer comes in a white jar with a screw top lid which makes it very travel friendly. Shade swatches online are very unreliable, so I had a difficult time deciding what shade to get. It was between 141 and 151. In the end I got the "darkest" shade which is 151. It's a little too light on my NC30-y skin but it's nothing a bit of powder can't fix.

What : Naturactor Cover Face Concealer Foundation Shade : 151 Amount : 20 grams Made in Japan Purchased from : Prinsesitasarah Cosmetics (IG) Price : P500 

Some bloggers have mentioned that there tends to me a film of oil on the surface of the product when you first open it. That thought scared me because I have oily skin! Thankfully my jar didn't seem to have that weird oily film on top. I swatched it onto the back of my hand first and started to blend it out. It left a really smooth finish so that was promising... It spread like butte on my hand so I was expecting the same for my face BUT I was wrong! You need to really prep your face beforehand because if you don't, expect a lot of tugging!

To be honest, I had a difficult time working with this product at first. It didn't get along with any of my foundations when it acted as a concealer and when I did use it as a standalone concealer-foundation, I found it difficult to blend properly but as time passed I came up with a series of steps to get flawless skin with this product.
The secret really is in the preparation of your skin. I start off with a very gentle skin exfoliating facial wash, then I follow up with my moisturizer, toner, facial mist, then my primer (I use the Quick FX No Shine Mattifier!) before I finally apply this product all over my face. The best tool to do this is... MY FINGERS! Yes, you read that right... I use my fingers instead of my holy grail Sigma F80 flat kabuki brush! This is because I've noticed my fingers do a much better job of blending everything in. I follow up with a touch of powder with my Sigma brush... And VOILA!~ A flawless face...

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Christmas 2015 Wish List!

My Christmas 2015 wish list is pretty straight forward. Most of the things on this list fall into the "need" category. It's free to dream, so I'm dreaming that I wake up to these on Christmas day! *chuckles*  Let's get started!

First on my short list is the Longchamp Le Pliage Neo in Navy. I'd really like to have this in size small. I have 3 other Longchamp bags and they have served me well but this one with the sling will definitely be easier for me to go on "hands-free" mode! Please someone give this to me! HAHAHAHA! :D Syala Collections dresses. I'm in a size 4XL. The owner, Miss Day, is really easy to talk to and the quality of their dresses is superb! Another cool thing is that all these designs can have sleeves added to them which is really important for me since I'm self conscious about my arms.
Letter "J" and a stand mixer charm from Pandora. I have a growing collection of charms and trinkets from Pandora. They are of excellent quality and I love building my bracelets to accommodate charms that really personify my character. Lastly, I'd like several wooden stirring spoons, rubber spatulas and colorful mixing bowls. As a baker, you can never have too much of any of these items... Help me expand my kitchen stuff! *lol*
That's it for this year's list. What are your picks for your personal list? Tell me in the comments below! :)

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HMUA Work : Shereen's Yearbook Pictorial Look

I haven't been really accepting clients for hair & makeup services the past few months due to my busy schedule and my shifting to baking but this is a special case. This lovely lady is a close friend's  lil sis" so I made an exemption. She had her yearbook pictorial yesterday and I felt the same amount of excitement for it as if I were graduating all over again!
Here's the list of products I used on her.
Face: Evian Mineral Spray Quick FX No Shine Mattifier Quick FX CC Cream Naturactor Cover Face Foundation #151 IN2IT 2 Way Foundation OCF #02 Warm Beige Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder Contour & Blush from palettes purchased from Red District
Brows: Nichido Mineral Precise Eye Pencil in Walnut Nichido Tinted Brow Gel in Brunette
Eyes: Several different eyeshadows from different palettes... Maybelline Hypercurl Mascara in Black IN2IT Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Very Black Generic pair of falsies 
Lips: Nichido Lip Liner in Rosette (topped off with a nude shade from a generic lip palette)

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December 1st : City Mall Tetutan (Zamboanga) Grand Christmas Tree Lighting

 I promised myself I'd be a better blogger (yes for the nth time!) this month. I'm starting December 2015 with my first ever "event". I was invited to City Mall Tetuan' s Grand Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony by Mr. Edzel Nohay, Marketing Assistant & Team Leader of City Mall Tetuan. I received the official invitation a few days ago and the press package earlier during the event. 
I was really about to miss the event due to some personal reasons but everything worked out in the end... *smiles*

While reading the content of the announcement page included in the press package, I learned that today the City Mall Christmas tree was unveiled simultaneously with other locations nationwide. Isn't that a cool concept? They definitely kicked off their December with an awesome event that the entire family could enjoy!

Check out Santa chilling before the program started... I bet he knows hordes of kids will be all over him in a few minutes expecting sweets and hugs and greeting of Christmas!

Miss Maria Morena of YES FM was their enthusiastic host for todays event. She was bubbly and energetic and was exactly the type of host to rile up the public to join in the fun. What I liked the most about her hosting style is that she got the audience involved and even spoke in Chavacano, the local dialect which I feel is awesome because it helps promote something that is genuinely a representation of what it is to be part of Zamboanga City.
   Welcoming remarks were given by Mr. Denmar Madriaga, Marketing Assistant of Double Dragon Properties Corp. The corporation owns 66% of City Mall while SM Investments Corp owns the other 34%... He warmly welcomed all the special guests, media personnel, City Mall personnel and the other mall goers to the event.

There were also performances by local artists & students like this one from Zamboanga City High School Main's marching band... I was able to take a short clip for your enjoyment.

Another group that performed was a vocal choir called RJ's Choir. These kids are really talented and blessed with amazing voices that blended together so well. I won't lie, I definitely got goosebumps! I was also able to take a short clip of their performance...

The last video I got was of the actual Christmas Tree lighting... 

These little kids dressed up as Santa received special surprises.

Here's a photo of me alongside other special guests to the event...
Some other cool things happening at City Mall is their active participation in an activity called Hoverboard Nation, a perfect past time for the entire family located at the mall's back entrance. The shoppers get 15 inutes free usage of City Mall owned hoverboards for a minimum receipt of P300 from ANY City Mall store! Check out the photos below. 

There was food ready for the guests after the event but I only nibbled a few bites off the food because I was reserving my tummy for something else I've been wanting to try out... RICE PA MORE is a newly opened food kiosk located alongside other food kiosks at City Mall's hypermarket... It's owned by "Kuya" Al & Sam, the awesome people who made all my debut dreams come true (a couple of years ago!)... To those from Zamboanga City, go check them out. I tried their best seller, SHAWARMA RICE  which combines two of my favorites, RICE & SHAWARMA!!! I was in heaven and at P55/order, so was my wallet.

I also got this bottle of wine as part of my press package. I'm not much of a wine drinker, but my parents will definitely enjoy this treat.
So there goes my December 1st. I definitely had a blast. How did your December 1st go? Tell me all about it in the comments below!

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Of Choices & Life Decisions...

I woke up pretty early today to finally accomplish my resignation clearance from Ciudad Medical Zamboanga. This is also the first time (I think!) that I've mentioned the complete name of my workplace - my home for the past few years. I've been with CMZ since 2013... I started out as a trainee nurse then finished my first contract then resigned... Last February 2014 I decided to come back and work in the same area that I fell in love with. I started from the bottom again as a trainee nurse. I served for 6 months and was then promoted to a reliever nurse. I held that position for a year before I got promoted to my probationary status. A month later, I decided it was time to resign... Yes, you guys read that right. I'm officially unemployed again as of November 18, 2015. It was a really tough decision to make on my part but I took the risk to do what I love the most, and that is to bake... I'm taking Sugar Works to a whole new other level that's why I decided to really resign already. No turning back now... I meant for this post to be a much longer one but I think this pretty much sums up everything I want to share for now... Wish me luck guys, this is really it! 

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September 2015 Favorites (Beauty)

Last month I didn't really have a lot of time to play around with makeup. I always had full schedules and busy days that I decided to stick to the basics : powder, brows, lips and a good skin care regimen... I've been using a lot of different products but these ones made it to my "favorites" list!
Top to Bottom, Left to Right : St. Ives Even & Bright Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange Scrub Ponds White Beauty Pearl Cleansing Gel Quick FX No Shine Mattifier Ever Bilena Powder Foundation Refill in Light Natural Nichido Tinted Brow Gel in Medium Marionnaud Dual Ended Brush Nichido Mineral Liner in Natural Revlon HD Lipstick in Rose L.A. Girl Creme Lipstick in Last Night Maybelline Baby Lips Candy Wow Lip Balm in Cherry
So there you guys have it... How about you? What were your September favorites?

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Currently - V7

Oh my gosh, it's October already?! Where did my September go? I haven't even had any decent posts last month... Well, I'm going to start the month with another currently post. I find that this is a great way of updating my blog on a personal level. I'm pretty excited and nervous about October. So much is happening in my life right now but I know that everything happens for a reason...
Currently...
Reading: This awesome recipe for liege waffles by smitten kitchen! These waffles are also called gaufre de liège. I've been obsessed about making waffles and while I wait for the perfect waffle maker to arrive I've decided to scout the internet for awesome waffle recipes!
Writing: A list of everything I need to do and accomplish before the weekend.
Listening To: Pop Rock covers of several songs by Twenty One Two on YouTube. Check this rad version of Taylor Swift's Blank Space.
Smelling: KFC's Twister in Pizza flavor because a steaming one is chilling right beside me while I type this blog post out.
Wearing: House clothes, the super comfortable kind.
Thinking: About what time I should sleep tonight so that I don't end up rushing around for tomorrow's duty at the operating room.
Feeling: Anxious and nervous because tomorrow is a big day for me... I'll be explaining more about all the anxiety I'm feeling in a different post.
Loving: Speculoos Cookie Butter. I've had the opportunity to get my hands on a bottle again. It's pretty difficult to get my hands on stuff like this because Zamboanga is super "provincial" in some aspects. I've been using the spread on my toasted cream bread... I'm planning to make cookies with this spread soon!
Wanting: A huge scoop of strawberry ice cream while I watch Grey's Anatomy reruns.
Needing: A breather. I've been overanalyzing everything that's going on in my life the past few days and I'm exhausted! It's only the first of the month!
Wishing: I knew what the hell I was doing.

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September Songs

I've been really into listening to music while I work (on cakes) this entire September. I think one of the main reasons I decided to get a premium Spotify account is because I like drowning myself in music. It really helps me deal with a lot of stuff...
Today I'll be sharing the 10 songs I really enjoyed this September. All of the videos embedded are off YouTube. Some are the official music videos and some are the cover videos. I really do enjoy covers more than the original versions of some songs...
In no particular order, here are 10 songs I "rocked" September with...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Currently - V6

It's almost the end of September. I've been all over the place with my day job, baking, and life in general. I feel like such a bad blogger because I've severely neglected this blog. I wish I had more time, or even more pairs of hands so I could just get more stuff done!~
I've recently had to make big life decisions and maybe I'll be blogging about it soon, but for now here's another on of my currently posts...

Currently...
Reading : This lovely cookie recipe on BrownEyedBaker.Com, I'm really looking forward to trying this version of a chocolate chip cookie out. It's called the $250 Neiman Marcus cookie!

Photo Source : BrownEyedBaker

Writing: A list of things to buy at the grocery. It's been raining like hell the entire day and the kitchen at my grandmother's house is flooded. I need to stock up on easy to cook stuff like canned goods just in case the condition worsens because of the typhoon.
Listening To: " I've got my ticket for the long way 'round, two bottle whiskey for the way... And I sure would like some sweet company, and I'm leaving tomorrow... What d'you say?" Smelling: Rain.
Wearing: Leggings, a shirt and pink socks. I'm still wearing the clothes I wore when I went out earlier. I really should shower and change into my pjs asap.
Thinking: About a lot of things. Especially about whether or not I made the right choice.
Feeling: Anxious about everything that's going on.
Loving: San Miguel's apple flavored beer. I've had a couple of bottles the past few days.
Wanting: More time to do everything I need to do. 
Needing: A couple of cups of coffee.
Wishing: Everything to fall into place.

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Currently - V5

It's been almost 2 weeks into September and I'm still up to my neck with all the things I need  to do! It's funny how life can be at times. I have a lot of pending posts, so please bear with me while I try to catch up with updates! *teehee* Here's another currently post (which I seem to love to do these days!)
Currently...
Reading - Absolutely nothing! I don't even have time for Wattpad stories anymore. *boo*
Writing - This currently post, in an attempt to kickstart my blog with a September post.
Listening To - Marvin Gaye by Charlie Puth ft. Meghan Trainor
Smelling - Coffee. Yes, it's 2:15am and I'm drinking coffee because I have this insane craving for coffee right now. So I whipped myself up a good ole mug of 3-in-1 Kopiko. So pinoy, I know!
Wearing - A ratty old nursing shirt & my lil sister's navy blue ISS shorts. I was opting for a pair of pjamas, but can't seem to find my fluffy pink ones so I settled for the shorts instead.
Thinking - About how ironic life is at times. So many things have been happening recently and one "life event" shattered my OR family's hearts the other day when one of our own passed away so suddenly. It really got me thinking that life is too short to stay miserable...
Feeling - Numb.
Loving - The taste of coffee in my mouth at the moment.
Wanting - A lot of comforting hugs from my mum. *sad sigh*
Needing - A foot spa-pedi-mani session at my favorite nail salon... Soon, please!
Wishing - Her passing was just a bad dream, but it's a reality so instead I wish that the Lord grant her soul eternal rest & peace... *super sad sigh*

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L.A. Girl Luxury Creme Lipstick : Review, Swatches & Giveaway!

It's been a while since I last posted anything makeup-related on my blog. It's a funny thing since this blog used to be mainly a beauty blog. *lol* Anyway, I'm here with a couple of lipsticks that I've had for over 2 months now. They're the L.A. Girl Luxury Creme Lipsticks  which I purchased a while back from Makeup Inbox PH (formerly known as NYX Wholesale PH). I purchased over 20 pieces because some friends had ordered with me and I even sold some other shades through my old online shop (Unicorn Delight) but I kept some shades for myself as well. I kept 8 shades that really caught my eye. Take a look at them below! What : L.A. Girl Luxury Creme Lipsticks Where : Makeup Inbox PH Price : P100/tube Product Description (based on the site) : "Luxury Creme Lipstick delivers ultra rich colors in a lightweight formula. Its blend of moisturizing ingredients of aloe, shea butter & vitamin E enhances lips, leaving a smoother, healthier feel. Glides on effortlessly with the slant top for a flawless, even coverage. What I Liked : * At P100/tube, it's a very affordable product to "collect" (like I do!). They are probably one of the most affordable tubes of lipstick I have in my collection. * They are very pigmented. One full glide off the tube is enough to deliver a beautiful and even coverage. * It lasts a pretty decent 4-6 hours for the darker shades and an acceptable 3-4 hours for the lighter ones. It doesn't feather which is another plus! * It's very moisturizing, creamy and application is a breeze. Even on days that I have chappy lips, this products doesn't aggravate the situation, and because this product has aloe, shea butter & vitamin, I know that it's helping my lips too! What I Didn't Like : * I have a slight problem with the fact that it's scented. The product gives off this slightly soap-like smell which I don't really like. It disappears once the product really settles into the lips. * I don't really like the packaging on these lipsticks. Though the locking mechanism on the cap is great (unlike the Wet N Wild megalast lipsticks) it still feels pretty "cheap" and prone to breaking. The transparent cap makes it easier for me to check the shades but it's also very prone to getting dirty with product stains. I also wish the product name label was on the actual bullet body than on the cap. Now, onto swatches! (1 full swipe each) * Promiscuous is a brownish red which most would consider as a brick red shade. It definitely belongs with my other "fall" lipsticks. This is similar to Wet N' Wild's megalast lipstick in Cinnamon Spice, only with a creamier consistency. * Devoted is a natural peachy pink which goes with about almost everything. I like reaching for this shade when I want a no-brainer wash of color. * True Love is a berry tinged pink (blue based) which I usually reach for when I want a pop of color. * Forbidden Love is a nude-brown. I'm pretty careful with this shade because it can make me look a bit "sick" at times.   * Soul Mate is a bright pinky red which looks pretty amazing on my medium skin tone. * Rendezvous is a pinky-nude which is my current go-to nude lipstick. This can even pass off as a my-lips-but-better shade! * Romance is a purple berry shade. It can be a bit frightening in the tube (and on my swatch!) but a thin/blotted layer of this on the lips leaves a beautiful mulberry-like shade. * Promise is a mauve shade which I usually wear when I want a darker shade but I don't want to commit to something as dark as the romance shade. Now for the exciting part, a giveaway! Checkout the rafflecopter app below for the mechanics. This giveaway starts today, August 24, 2015 and ends on August 31, 2015 at 11:59pm. It's open to all my Philippine based readers & supporters. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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