More To Mica - Life & Fashion Theme Update

A meet-up trip from the south to Quezon City early in the morning got us to Book and Borders Cafe. I had no idea where to eat since I live in the south, and so does Patrick. Though, he did a bit of research the day before and checked places we can eat at around Tomas Morato. He actually forgot the list though... but anyway we ended up on one of the place he remembers. Here we are in Books and Borders Cafe for some good ol' breakfast.




Books & Borders Cafe is a hangout place where you can drink your coffee or grab a meal and read a book while your at it. They offer a variety of books such as Best Selling Novels and even Children's Books. It's like Powerbooks & Starbucks in one.. plus Buffalo Wings. Hahaha.




On the Book and Borders menu, you can choose from a range of sandwiches, rice meals, pasta, salad, etc. For the drinks they serve a selection of hot/cold drinks, tea & smoothies.



Buffalo wings for breakfast because why not? Lol. This is life when your with someone who loves buffalo wings, you order buffalo wings early in the morning.



The wings were nearly perfect for my taste, the chicken's skin is crispy and the sauce was savory.... but it was freaking spicy. Lol. It's the only thing we ordered. Sadly I can't review their drinks coz I skipped it and got water instead. But based on the buffalo wings I expect (and hope) most of the food/drinks they serve will absolutely be yummy and tasty.



If you want to grab coffee and read a book for free at the same time feel free to check out Books & Borders Cafe. The place is also great for gatherings and meetings.

I have to admit that I'm not sure if I am eligible to be using anti-ageing creams like L'Oreal Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Day Cream. Not to mention, I'm not someone whose into age defense products (yet). Anyway, the moment I got my hands on this one I initially thought I'd give it to my mom but we ended up sharing. Well, I was using it more often... I've been using it for around 3-4 months now. Who knows, I might be able to rip off some anti-ageing benefits.



The day cream is contained in a quite heavy glass jar with a plastic lid to seal the cream in between use. For some reason I couldn't find the plastic lid anymore, Good luck hygiene. Lol.





L'Oreal Revitalift Day Cream has a noticeably yellowish tone but isn't visible on the face. The cream has a tiny bit of a cooling sensation when applied. It's texture is lightweight and a little really goes a long way... I've been religiously using it for 4 months (with just 3 or 4 days missed) but I haven't got the product to halfway even. Ang dami pa talaga.



I'd say I liked using  L'Oreal Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Day Cream. It's SPF is definitely a plus but on my first application I had a really noticeable white cast. So I make sure to apply a thin layer on my face to reduce the white cast.. but I still put a lot on my neck so I could maybe finish off the jar.



I would like to use the cream again but the cream and my oily skin don't quite mix... it isn't helping the white cast either. So I'm sticking to the product that I've been using beforehand which gives my face equal moisture and sunscreen at a more affordable price. But I still suggest you try it if you like or if you don't have oily skin like mine, as these type of creams can actually benefit our skin. The results may not be visible at my age but I do believe that it will do good for my skin, specially in preventing fine lines and wrinkles. I wish I didn't have oily skin so I can keep using the day cream.

In for a treat? Turn away from your busy life for a while, get relaxed and get pampered.

On October 17 from 10AM to 12 noon, you can head over to any Nailaholics branch nationwide and get a relaxing manicure and free hand massage for free. Mark the date!





It's rare that I visit a nail salon to get my mani pedi done. I've mentioned it in a post how I'd usually just do my own pampering to save time and money. Like you, a busy schedule and the daily grind keeps me from having that necessary 'me-time'.




I finally had the chance to have two ates pamper me like a baby. Wee! The staff were really welcoming and caring. Nailaholics reminded me how it felt so relaxing to have someone else pamper you, have some time for yourself and indulge.





Now I have clean and milky, naked-looking nails for days. They have  a lot of colors to choose from... you might struggle picking. Well, I struggled. Went for a barely there milky looking Orly polish for my nails and nude Zoya for my toenails. So it's your turn! As Nailaholics celebrates and takes part in the country’s first ever #NationalPamperingDay I want you to have some good ol' pampering sesh as well.





Perhaps no other nail salon in the country is better known for having perfected the art of a quick, urban pampering the way Nailaholics has. Their interiors are inviting, their service is efficient, and the promise of getting whisked away from realities of looming deadlines, to-do lists, traffic, and whatever else awaits outside the doors of this quaint Hamptons-themed escape, becomes possible —even if it’s only for a few hours.

“We get that,” says Arvin Amaro, Marketing Head. “And it’s exactly why we we’re celebrating National Pampering Day. We want to give people who need a break a quick escape where they won’t have anything to worry about. So be sure that you head over to your nearest Nailaholics branch to get pampered for free.”

Lately I've been eating at restaurants with amazing interiors that isn't just beautifully constructed but serves delicious food as well. Blake's Wings & Steaks was a random discovery of ours (Me & Patrick) during our business trip to Marikina. At first we didn't knew were to eat so we drove along Mayor Gil Fernando ave. and spotted a building with the words 'Wings & Steaks', that obviously got us. Actually at that time we were about to turn around and go back to the other resto we saw but thank goodness we spotted Blake's or else we wouldn't have known and tried this treasure.







They adapted the checklist-menu-type in taking customer's order. The menu didn't have photos which made it quite challenging but good thing it is pretty straightforward. And oh! After we placed our order we were given free complimentary 'kropek' / chips.. they also gave 1 refill for the chips. Yey!



Our order: Spicy Garlic Shrimp, Buffalo Wings, Grilled Salmon




The garlic shrimp & buffalo wings were.... Spicy! .. as they should be lol .The garlic shrimp was flavored with curry, the spiciness was quite intense for me but I was able to handle anyway.  The buffalo wings was yummy, the sauce was just right as well.



And... I had to place the grilled salmon steak last! The one dish that stole my heart... Not only coz it's my favorite salmon but they grilled it just right, it wasn't overcooked. I definitely love this one, and will come back for it.



Eat well, Feel good written on the ceiling of Blake's. I would definitely come back if I get the chance, and try some other dish on their menu. Some other steaks, shall we?



We shall!

Blake's Wings & Steaks
Marikina: 75 Mayor Gil Fernando Ave., Brgy. San Roque, Marikina City
San Juan: 296 Santolan Road cor. 4th West Crame, San Juan City

There's a new player in the Philippines coffee scene, and it's surely winning many coffee addicts. Coffee project is fairly new and roughly four months fresh. In that span of time it had already created much noise and have had people sharing and coming to the cafe. Even though I'm not a coffee fan I too got curious and added it to my 'must-try list' if I get the chance.

One fine Saturday morning my parents were meeting friends at the place so I tagged along. I decided to get some of their caramel brownies and a dark chocolate frappe which was both so good. But my stomach wanted more so I got a pasta meal, my fave Carbonara. If I remember correctly what was Cheesy Bacon Carbonara in the menu. I have to say my tummy was more than happy!

Also, if you've seen a beautiful Instagram-worthy, garden-themed cafe in your Facebook or Instagram feed that would most likely be a shot from Coffee Project's interiors. The place is filled with lavish decors in almost every corner. Keep browsing to see my snaps. Btw, the coffee below was my mom's and not mine. So it's up to you to discover and taste how the coffee is. And did i say they provide at least one socket for each table?











Photos taken at Coffee Project Vista Mall Sta. Rosa

Coffee Project
Starmall Alabang | Vista Place | AllHome Imus | Vista Mall Sta. Rosa | Vista Mall Pampanga | Vista Mall Balanga

Nature Republic is a South Korean cosmetics brand that may not be as loud as other Korean beauty brands. I have heard about Nature Republic before but it wasn't until my mom and I entered the shop in ATC that I got try out some of their products a.k.a testers. I didn't buy anything though but my mom on the other hand saw few hand creams on the racks, which was also B1T1 ( buy one take one ) sale btw. I don't know what does hand creams have but my mom is into them, well she likes to give them as gifts. And so she bought these lovely hand cream in tubes.



Okay, one of these two lovely looking hand creams might be given as gift. So I'll be testing out the Shea Butter instead.




Firstly, I like how most hand creams come in this tube type 'toothpaste-shaped' container, it helps to seal in the cream and it doesn't make a mess on the tip. I liked how the tube is decorated with nice & cute illustrations as well.




The moment I opened the cap, I was captivated! It smelled really good. It had a thick consistency, it's almost gel-like but not too much. I can't put into words the effect I had on my skin after applying the hand cream, but my hands were smooth after. It ended up being sticky & greasy on my skin at first, coz I applied more than I should. So when I use the hand cream, I make sure I apply a small amount on my hands so it doesn't end up too oily.



I used to skip hand creams and such.. Well, hand creams are actually one of the product I usually forget to apply more often until now but ever since I learned from my Lola how important it is to apply hand creams I started using it and try my best to apply every now and then. This hand cream from Nature Republic isn't the first one I've tried but it will definitely be something I would purchase and keep using. I gotta try the other variants of these creams too.