Sneak Peek | Etude House x Hershey's Collection.

I've been out of touch from the blogosphere and my social media pages lately. Been extremely busy since we moved to our new place, not to mention that my seven-year-old laptop seems to want to retire already (not yet please, says my budget). But I just had to tell you guys about this - the latest product drops from Korean beauty brand Etude House!

Etude House x Hershey's collection.

These new babies got me so excited because it's actually a collaboration collection with one of my favorite chocolate brands, Hershey's! Remember how Etude House broke the internet last year with their Kitkat eyeshadow palettes? Seems like they're gonna outdo themselves with this year's Valentine's Day collection by launching not just an eyeshadow palette, but also eyeshadow brushes and lip products.

Here's a sneak peek of what the Etude House x Hershey's collection has in store:

Etude House x Hershey's Play Color Eyes Mini Eyeshadow Palettes, 16000 won.

The eyeshadow palettes, which look like actual chocolate bars complete with foil wrappers, come in two variants - Original and Cookies 'n' Creme. The latter is perfect for creating 'soft and sweet' makeup looks, while the Original palette is great for 'cut-crease', 'night-out' looks with its warm brown and shimmery gold shades. 

Shade selection,
Etude House x Hershey's Play Color Eyes Mini Eyeshadow Palette in Original.

Shade selection,
Etude House x Hershey's Play Color Eyes Mini Eyeshadow Palette in Cookies 'n' Creme.

You can achieve these looks using the brushes included in the collection - the 'Creamy Milk Chocolate' brush with a rounder tip, which you can use to blend base shades on your eyelids; and the 'Cookies 'n' Creme' brush with a pointed tip, which you can use for doing detailed work, like blending eyeshadow and highlighting the inner corners of your eyes.

Etude House x Hershey's My Beauty Tool Brush, 6000 won.

And because no collection would be complete without a lip product, the Etude House x Hershey's collection also features two Powder Rouge Tints in yummy, chocolatey shades - Hazelnut Choco, a gorgeous terracotta shade, and Almond Choco, a sultry shade of red.

Etude House x Hershey's Powder Rouge Tint, 12000 won.

The Etude House x Hershey's Collection is now available in South Korea, and word has it that they will be released in other countries by February 1.

Which of these eye-and-lip candies will you be copping? :)

Sneak Peek | Etude House x KitKat Collection.

I'm not the kind of girl who looks forward to flowers and chocolates and all that cutesy stuff on Valentine's Day. Never was, and probably never will. I am, however, the kind of girl who would choose makeup over flowers on any given day - especially if the makeup is as adorbs as this.

Etude House x KitKat Collection.

Etude House is the latest Korean beauty brand to work on a collaboration collection with a food brand, and it's with KitKat no less! The 'food meets beauty' trend was quite a hit with K-beauty fans (as evidenced by the Coca-Cola makeup line, the Peko collection, and the Samyang collection), and it was only a matter of time for Etude House - and perhaps other K-beauty brands - to follow suit. 

For Valentine's Day, Etude House revamped their eyeshadow palettes to make them look like the KitKat chocolate bars we know and love! This chocolate-inspired collection features two Play Color Eyes Mini Palettes, with each palette containing six different shades.

Etude House x Kitkat Play Color Eyes Mini Eyeshadow Palette in 'Original'.

Shade selection of the 'Original' palette.

The 'Original' palette resembles KitKat's classic red packaging, with shades ranging from a light champagne to a vivid metallic gold.

Etude House x KitKat Play Color Eyes Mini Eyeshadow Palette in 'Strawberry Tiramisu'.

Shade selection of the 'Strawberry Tiramisu' palette.

The 'Strawberry Tiramisu' palette, on the other hand, comes in a pink and white packaging and has shades ranging from a blushing pink to a rich brown hue. 

Comes with a pouch and a chocolate bar.

The Etude House x KitKat Play Color Eyes Mini Palettes are encased in a soft pouch, and comes with a free bar of KitKat. They retail for 20000 Korean won each, and they're selling like hotcakes in Korea.

No news yet if they'll be sold here in the Philippines, but I'm hoping to see these cuties on the Althea website one of these days. Otherwise, I'll have to ask my other half to take a break and do some makeup shopping for me. Haha! :)

Foodie Goodie | Kumori Signature Hanjuku Cheese.

Japanese bakery Kumori has been making waves in the Philippines for almost four years now, but it wasn't until this weekend when I finally got to try their pastries and realize why people rave about them. Blame it on my geographical location (I live in the province), and the fact that I hardly go to Metro Manila these days because I hate traffic.

Thankfully, my sister now goes to Manila every so often, and she remembered me while passing by the Cafe Kumori at Festival Mall. She got me a box their Signature Hanjuku Cheese, one of Kumori's best-selling and well-loved products.

Kumori Signature Hanjuku Cheese - best with coffee. :)

Palm-sized and individually-wrapped, the Signature Hanjuku Cheese is a half-baked Japanese-style cheesecake with a rich and moist cream cheese center. It has a mousse-like texture with just the right sweetness.

Also comes in chocolate flavor.

No wonder Kumori's tagline is 'Bite Into Clouds' - you'll really feel like biting into one with this soft and fluffy cheesecake and its melt-in-your mouth goodness.

Melt-in-your mouth cheesecake.

I did my best not to finish the entire box in one sitting, haha. Each box contains six pieces and sells for Php 294. My sister got me the assorted box, which contains three chocolate flavored cheesecakes and three original Hanjuku cheesecakes. You can also buy them individually for Php 49 each.

Kumori Signature Hanjuku Cheese box, Php 294.

Cafe Kumori is located at the following malls: Festival Mall, Robinson's Galleria, Robinson's Manila, UP Town Center, Gateway Mall, Ayala Malls Makati, and SM Mall of Asia. Kumori kiosks can be found at Landmark Makati, SM Makati, and SM North Edsa.

How's Your Halloween?

When I was a kid, Halloween was a holiday that was largely unheard of in this country, or at least in the province where I live. I've only seen Halloween celebrations through cartoons and American TV shows, and have always thought how cool it was to be dressing up in fancy costumes and getting candies and chocolates in return.

Fast forward to more than twenty years later, Halloween has become an annual tradition in the Philippines, with parties and events to celebrate the spooks. Although I must admit, this holiday has become a tad too commercialized, and even I have fallen prey to it - lol.

For years, we'd celebrate Halloween by dressing up my son in a costume and taking him to the mall for some trick-or-treat-ing. Here are Yue's costumes through the years:

Halloween 2010.

Yue's first-ever Halloween costume (2010) was a pumpkin. He didn't go trick-or-treat-ing at the mall (he was only two years old then and I thought he would be too young to be doing so), but we did shower him with candies at home.

Halloween 2011.

The following year (2011), we went all-out with his costume and props, and he even entered a costume contest at the mall. His dinosaur get-up won him second place in the Cutest Costume category, by the way. :)

Halloween 2012.

2012 was a tough year for us. Yue got sick several times that year, and was hospitalized thrice between the months of October and November. But he was healthy and well come Halloween, and he dressed up as a Korean prince for the occasion.

Halloween 2014.

We skipped the Halloween festivities in 2013 because we had to attend my godson's birthday party that year. The following year (2014), Yue was back in the game and dressed up as a ninja, a costume that he chose for himself.

Halloween 2015.

In 2015, he went trick-or-treat-ing as Buzz Lightyear. But I'll let you in on a secret... he's not really wearing a costume. Those are PJs, actually, but Yue insisted on wearing them as his 'costume' anyway.

Halloween 2016.

It seemed like we saved the best for last in 2016. Yue dressed up as Darth Vader that year, which would turn out to be his last costume, at least for now. He refuses to wear a costume nowadays, but he still finds joy in trick-or-treating. After all, who would refuse free chocolates and candy?

What diet? Lol!

I was thinking of dressing him up as Finn Balor this year...

Demon King Finn Balor

Should I try this on my baby nephew instead? :)

So how about you, how's your Halloween? I hope your kids had a blast and got tons of candies!

Sneak Peek | Holika Holika x Peko Collection.

It seems like collaborations with food brands will be this year's trend in the K-beauty industry as another exciting collection is about to come our way!

Korean cosmetics brand Holika Holika, known for its 'fun and practical' makeup and skincare products, has recently joined hands with Japanese confectionery brand Fujiya Co. for this super cute, absolutely adorable makeup collection. Kawaii! 

Holika Holika x Peko Collection!

View the complete Holika Holika x Peko Collection after the jump!

Spotlight | To PH With Love.

Unlike other couples, my husband and I really don't celebrate Valentine's Day. Aside from the fact that we've been physically apart for the past six Valentine's (this year will be the seventh), we just don't like the thought of 'joining the Valentine bandwagon' - you know, flowers and chocolates and all that mushy stuff.

Surprisingly, however, this year is an exception. My husband sent an early present that's actually within the norm of Valentine's Day gifts! (Three years ago I got a cookware set for Valentines, how cool is that?!) But they're not for me, though. They're for Yue, which made this present extra special.

A surprise from Daddy!

Apparently, the husband tapped the services of To:PH With Love, a newly-established company that aims to help OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) around the world to send gifts to their families here in the Philippines. Gifts can be in the form of flowers, chocolates, stuffed animals, even surprise parties for your loved ones.

Made possible by To:PH with Love.

Pre-packaged gift sets are also available, such as the one the husband sent. This gift set in particular contains an assortment of chocolates and a teddy bear keyring housed in a cute ice cream cone.

Sweet treats inside!

Yue was thrilled to discover that the ice cream cone is actually a coin bank. He asked my grandmother for coins and deposited them inside the cone right away.

Saving for a rainy day. :)

This gift arrived at our place last weekend, and could not have come at a better time. You see, we had a bit of mishap at the barbers last Saturday, which led to the skinhead cut. Yue didn't like the thought of having his precious hair hacked off (he really loved his high fade pompadour), and cried a river while sitting in the barbers chair. When we got home, this package was practically waiting at the doorstep and it was more than enough to cheer Yue up and make him forget about the barbershop brouhaha. Whew! :)

Thanks, Daddy!
And thank you, To PH With Love!

Still on the lookout for Valentine's gifts? Let To PH With Love help you in selecting the perfect gift for your loved ones!

To PH with Love
Manila, Philippines
+63-927-988-4523
tophwithlove@gmail.com

Foodie Goodie | Nutella Cake in a Jar.

Oh, the many things you can do with Nutella! You can spread it on wheat bread, make brownies with it, use it as frosting, use it as a doughnut filling... heck, you can even lick it straight from the spoon! The possibilities are endless!

Today, let me share with you this super simple recipe that requires only two ingredients and takes about a minute and a half in the microwave. Yes, it's quite simple to make and tastes great even via microwave! :)

Nutella Cake in a Jar

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix, prepared according to package directions

1 teaspoon Vanilla, Butter, & Nut Flavoring (optional)

Lots of Nutella

3 pint-sized canning jars

Procedure:

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the inside of each canning jar. Spray the inside of each jar thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Stir the Vanilla Butter and Nut Flavoring into the cake mix. Spoon about 1 cup of cake batter into each jar.

3. Cook one jar at a time in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through.

4. Allow jars to cool slightly, then scoop the top half of cake from the jar.

5. Spoon a tablespoon or so of Nutella into the center of the jar, replace the top half of the cake back in the jar then top the warm cake with another layer of Nutella.

6. Serve immediately or cover with a lid and store in the fridge. Cakes should stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days.

As seen on Babble.

Foodie Goodie | Brownie Brittle.

I reckon it was around this time last year when I first had a taste of Sheila G's Brownie Brittle. You know, those crisped up brownies that are as thin as chips. They're highly popular in the US, and became pretty famous in the Philippines, too - thanks to S&R.They don't come cheap though, as one bag costs around Php 500 each. I actually consider it a luxury to buy more than two bags since I can pay for my phone bill with that same amount, lol.

There are, however, cheaper alternatives to this tasty treat. There's the Brownie Crunch from Cream-O, which sell for Php 35 a pack, and the Brittle Brownie from Chips Delight, which sell for around the same price. And then there's this quick and easy recipe, which you can try in your kitchen. :)

Brownie Brittle

Ingredients:
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg white
1/3 cup flour,
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
A few dashes of salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. If using parchment paper, lightly spray the surface with baking spray.
2.In a mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar and vanilla, and mix until incorporates. Add in egg white and blend well.
3. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt,  and mix for about 1 minute or until the batter is smooth.
4. Spread batter over your mat/parchment paper using a spatula. Make it thin, but not transparent. An area of about 11 x 8 will do.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, remove brittle from the oven and quickly sprinkle with the mini chocolate chips.
6. Return to the oven for an additional 7-10 minutes (total cooking time 22-25 minutes) then remove from oven and cool completely. It will crisp up as it cools. As it begins to cool, you can score or cut brownie brittle into pieces or you can simply break it apart once it is completely cool. Store in an airtight container.

As seen on Babble.

Foodie Goodie | Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies.

It's World Nutella Day!
Yes, the Italian hazelnut-chocolate spread that we all know and love (because I don't know of a soul who does not like this sweet treat) has a special day marked in its honor. How awesome is that?!

To celebrate, I'm sharing with you one of our (my son's and mine) favorite snacks - chocolate chip cookies stuffed with Nutella. :)

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup Nutella

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, continue to beat until well combined.
3. Combine flour and baking soda in a bowl, then add slowly to wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips.
4. Scoop a large spoonful of dough and flatten it into the palm of your hand.
5. Add in some Nutella into the middle, about 1-2 tsp. Then fold cookie dough back up so that it seals and covers the Nutella entirely.
6. Bake for about 10-14 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
7. Remove and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

As seen on Kirbie Cravings. 

Wordless Wednesday #107 | Little Ninja.

The little man dressed up as a ninja for Halloween.

And came home with a pumpkin filled to the brim!

Foodie Goodie | Meiji Lucky Stick Cappuccino.

While grocery shopping earlier, I chanced upon an interesting snack item in the 'International Food' section of SM Supermarket.

Meiji Lucky Stick Cappuccino.

It's called Lucky Stick, from the Japanese brand Meiji. And I find it interesting because of - you guessed it right - the cappuccino flavor.

Cappuccino for the coffeeholic! 

Made in Indonesia under license from Meiji Japan.
Oh, and each pack is worth 220 calories. OMG, haha!

Open the foil pouch and the first thing you'll notice is the delicious waft of creamy coffee.

Single pack.

The coating has just the right sweetness - not bland, not saccharine - and tastes a lot like cappuccino, too. The flavor actually reminded me of Maxim Cafe Latte, my favorite Korean instant coffee mix.

The sticks are of the same size as the illustration on the side panel.

As for the biscuit itself, they were pretty crunchy but didn't have much flavor. But we (my son and I) like it, anyway. Haha!

Love the cappuccino coating! :)

Compared with other biscuit stick brands, Lucky Stick has about the same length as Lotte's Pepero, but pudgier and fatter than Glico's Pocky. Lucky Stick is also the cheapest among the three, as it sells for only Php 29 per box at SM Supermarket. (If I remember correctly, Pocky is around Php 35, while Pepero is around Php 45 per box.)

Battle of the biscuit sticks.

Lucky Stick comes in two other flavors - milk chocolate and strawberry. I have yet to try these flavors, haha! How about you, have you tried this snack before? :)

Shared with Food Friday and Food Trip Friday.