Anne, Kylie, or Gabbi: Who is your Salontastic Persona?

Every woman is unique. Every woman has different needs. And every woman is equally beautiful and deserving of the best products and experiences that make her confident in her own skin. When it comes to hair, every woman is different too. Some are confident with colored hair while others prefer natural locks. Others feel most beautiful with straight hair, while others like to rock big waves. Some women feel most authentic when they grow their hair long while others like to cut theirs short. But no matter what unique hair desire she has, she deserves salon-level treatment for her strands, so she can continue to be the fantastic woman she is meant to be.

For Every Kind of Salontastic

With the new Pantene 3-Minute Miracle, women can take their pick from three variants to match their unique hair needs: Collagen Repair, Keratin Smooth, and Biotin Strength. When matched with Pantene Total Damage Care Shampoo, every woman can achieve stronger* hair as if they just stepped out of the salon!

A perfect example of how every woman has unique hair needs is how our very own Pantene women each have their own favorite variant! Which of our strong women do you relate to the most – Biotin Beauty Anne, Keratin Queen Kylie, or Collagen Gal Gabbi?

Strong like a Biotin Beauty

As a multi-talented host and actress plus a young mom, Anne faces more and more responsibilities every day. She needs strength for her mind and body, but also for her hair like a true Biotin Beauty! Anne shares that Pantene Biotin Strength keeps her hair luscious, “All smiles because I can still get the same salon lush treatment my hair needs at home with @pantenephilippines. Look at what I’ve been using to help strengthen my hair from breakage so I have less hair fall and #Salontastic hair!”

Photo credit: Anne Curtis

Pantene Biotin Strength 3-Minute Miracle helps repair 3 months’ worth of damage in just 3 minutes, while strengthening each strand to lessen hair fall due to breakage. Feel the nourishment penetrate deep into the hair, strengthening it from root to tip, giving you that salon-level look right at home!

Smooth like a Keratin Queen

Kylie makes everything look effortless! She’s a mental health advocate, a content creator, a public figure, and so much more, and she does it all while wearing a crown (figuratively and literally) on her head! She shares, “I got my Miss International crown 👑 in 2016, but I got my crowning glory 💁🏻♀️ from @pantenephilippines! I conquer every day like a true Keratin Queen with the help of my very own #SalontasticAtHome kit.”

She shares how Pantene Keratin Smooth 3-Minute Miracle Conditioner is her “…secret to #Salontastic hair that’s effortlessly soft, smooth, straight and without lagkit!” She adds, “So happy with this NEW Pantene 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner! Give your hair the salon treatment it deserves today, too. 🤍 #panteneph”

Photo credit: Kylie Versoza

You too can effortlessly help manage frizz with Pantene Keratin Smooth 3-Minute Miracle Conditioner. Inspired by salon Keratin treatments, every bottle of Keratin Smooth infuses your hair with ultra-rich moisture so you can transform dry and damaged hair to visibly healthy, shiny, smooth, and strong locks!

Confident like a Collagen Gal

Young, bright-eyed, and talented, there is so much ahead for Gabbi! She’s enjoying life and sharing her thoughts with her millions of followers. She shares, “Fine, I’m guilty of posting a lot of photos of myself here on Instagram, but who wouldn’t when you have #Salontastic hair? 🙆🏽♀️✨ And now that #PantenePH just sent me this #SalontasticAtHome kit, I’m going to flood you guys even more! 😅”

Photo credit: Gabbi Garcia

With beautiful hair to match her beautiful personality, Gabbi is confident she can achieve anything she sets her mind to. Get the same confidence with Pantene Collagen Repair 3-Minute Miracle Conditioner. Gabbi shares that this is her favorite variant and it’s, “what I use as a Collagen Gal with healthy, smooth hair that’s free from lagkit! 💁🏻♀️ I can style my hair any way I want without worry, as if a salon-expert touched my hair! 💫 Love this NEW Pantene 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner!”

With Pantene Collagen Repair 3-Minute Miracle Conditioner go ahead and experiment with your hair because its formulation helps transform dry and damaged hair into Salontastic smooth hair.

Be Your Own Kind of Salontastic

So which Pantene woman are you? Are you strong like a Biotin Beauty? Smooth like a Keratin Queen? Or are you confident like a Collagen Gal?

Whichever you relate to the most, you can be sure to enjoy Salontastic hair when you use the new Pantene 3-Minute Miracle Conditioner. Use it after you wash your hair with Pantene Total Damage Care Shampoo that’s specially designed to repair 10 visible signs of damage, on top of that, it also prevents split ends* up to 3 months! The best part is that you can do all of this from the comfort of your own home.

With Pantene, every kind of woman can feel like they just stepped out of the salon every time they step out of the shower.

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What are you waiting for? Start your Salontastic journey today. All variants of Pantene 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner and Pantene Total Damage Care Shampoo are available at the P&G official stores on Lazada and Shopee.

*Lazada link used https://www.lazada.com.ph/shop/pg-beauty/Pantene.htm?wh_weex=true

*Shopee link used https://shopee.ph/shop/73395170/search/?page=1&shopCollection=9573899&sortBy=pop

Disclaimers

* breakage from styling, color, perm; with regular use

Pampered at Purple Strawberries Salon & Spa.

The new school year is almost upon us, and I, like most moms, am savoring the last few hours (barely 24 to go! ) of summer. And so before I go back to the daily grind of waking up early, preparing my son's meals, helping him with school work, organizing lecture notes, and writing reviewers and mock exams, I treated myself yesterday to a bit of pampering  at Purple Strawberries Salon & Spa.

Purple Strawberries Salon & Spa.

The spa is located at Colago Avenue, right across the Community General Hospital. Ironically, this place is just a few meters away from my son's school, but it took me years to finally come and visit. At first, I thought this was just an ordinary nail bar which offers the usual manicure, pedicure, and nail enhancements. I guess that's the main reason why I never bothered to come here despite its 'very accessible location'.

Purple Strawberries at Buena Ventures Trading Post.

My indifference changed to interest when I learned from a friend that Purple Strawberries now offers massage and body care services. My poor, aching back had long been pining for a massage, and I had been meaning to get my nails done for the longest time. And with this salon offering both nail care and massage services, it's like killing two birds with one stone. Yay!

The reception desk/waiting area.
Photo credit: Purple Strawberries.

I booked an appointment for Saturday afternoon, after Yue's karate training. I made it a point to call the salon a day before my visit, because weekends are usually the busiest days for businesses like this. Yue and I arrived a little after 3:30 pm, a few minutes ahead of my 4 pm appointment.

The Nail Bar/Nail Care area on the first floor. 

I was ushered to the Nail Bar on the first floor, where the nail care services are done. I was planning to have the massage first, then the footspa and pedicure later, but the receptionist told me that the schedules got a bit mixed-up; the couple at the waiting area had to be massaged first since they were availing the couple massage at promo rates (Php 500 from 11 am - 4 pm).

Locking in the moisture on my feet with lotion, cling wrap, and a warm towel.

The therapist who was in-charge of me that day was apologetic for the mix-up, and assured me that my nails will be dry before I get my massage. (She used a nail dryer to dry my toenails, lol). At least she did a nice job with my foot spa and pedicure. The foot spa was very relaxing, and I did not feel pain the whole time she worked on my toenails. (Goodbye, ingrown and dry cuticles! So nice to get rid of you, finally!)

The Nail Bar.

I like that Purple Strawberries has a wide selection of nail polish, most of them from imported brands (think Zoya, Orly, and the like). So don't be daunted by the rates if you see their price list. They're pretty reasonable considering the (high) quality of the brands. Aside from the regular manicure and pedicure, they also offer nail stamping, with various stamping images to choose from. I'm not really into nail art since I do house chores, plus the fact that I always wear sneakers when I'm out and about, so I chose a purple Zoya Matte Velvet nail polish instead.

Color selection for Orly Gel Nail Color.

Massages and other body care services are done on the second floor. Their body massage is a combination of Swedish, Shiatsu, and Thai, with rates depending on the duration of the service. A 1-hour full body massage at Purple Strawberries costs Php 350 - still at par with the rates of other spas here in my hometown. I'm not sure if you can request for a specific type of essential oil for your massage, but mine had a minty scent. Something like eucalyptus, which I actually prefer.

The Massage/Body Care area on the second floor.

They also offer hot compress and cupping (ventosa) for an additional Php 125 for each service. I tried cupping for the first time in my life, and oh my goodness, I could feel the months (years, even) of soreness and stiffness being sucked away as the cups were placed on my back. It felt so good! Why have I never tried this before???

The place is dimmer in actual. Very relaxing, imho.

Overall, I enjoyed the massage despite the therapist being a bit heavy-handed. I had to ask her to soften it up a bit on my arms because my skin is rather flimsy and  I get bruised easily, and it was only when I got home that I discovered tiny bruises on my left arm. Nothing a concealer can't handle, but I will most likely request for another therapist next time, lol.

Yue hanging out at the Nail Bar. :)

If you're planning to visit Purple Strawberries with a kid, you'd be glad to know that they have free wifi. Just ask the receptionist for the password, which my son boldly did, haha. This kid would be willing to wait for me hours as long as he has his phone, his power bank, and data/wifi connection.

Purple Strawberries Salon & Spa

Buena Ventures Trading Post

Colago Avenue, San Pablo City

(049) 521 2511 / (0995) 1977 037 / (0929) 2515 284 
Operating Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 1pm - 10pm 

The Best Salon and Spa Treatments You Can Enjoy on Your Lunch Break.

There is nothing more relaxing than sitting in a salon and spa and letting someone else pamper you. You can easily spend a whole day there without enjoying all the treatments it offers. Many women tend to think that spas are expensive and that they can only go on the weekends or when they have a few hours. There are some great salon and spa treatments that you can enjoy on your lunch break.

Playing with makeup!

Makeup Lessons
Have you ever caught a glimpse of your reflection and noticed your lipstick bleeding off your mouth, that your eyeliner is crooked or that you can see the line between your foundation and neck? A simple makeup lesson can teach you some tricks that professional artists use, and lessons only take an hour or less.

Hair down there?

Body Waxing
Head into the salon on your lunch hour and walk out with no more unwanted hair. While waxing your legs usually takes some time, you can opt for a face wax that removes unwanted hair from your upper lip or chin. Waxing professionals can also remove the hair from your lower and upper arms or eyebrows in less than an hour.

Dolled-up nails.

Manicure
The classic manicure usually takes around 45 minutes, but if you have a little extra time, you can choose a gel manicure or another specialty manicure. You'll love the feel of soaking your hands in warm water and the way your hands and nails look later. Click here to find other spa treatments you can enjoy on your lunch break.

Hair Story | Etude House Bubble Hair Coloring in Sweet Orange.

I'm in a bit of a frugal mode lately. Well, to be exact, I NEED to be frugal these days. The little man will be in kindergarten this June, and as we all know, schooling entails expenses. Lots and lots of expenses. As such, I need to tighten my belt a little bit more while stretching the household budget a little further.

And with that, I chose to go for DIY hair coloring this time - instead of going to the salon and dishing out more than a thousand bucks (pesos, I mean) just to have it done. I actually considered going to Yue's barber, because they only charge Php 45 pesos (a little over a dollar), as opposed to the Php 150 rate of my stylist.

See? I told you I'm a jeans and t-shirt girl. And a sneaker freak, too! :)

However, the witty little boy reminded me that 'barbers are for boys'. LOL.

Ugh. The color is nearly gone, and I'm almost back to black!

I had my hair hacked waaay shorter at the back this time. And I specifically asked to have it contoured along the ears.

Handsome-ness! :)

Lani, my stylist, never fails to impress me every single time! She's like the Picasso of Pixies! (Whattaterm, lol!)

Now for the DIY part. Here's the arsenal.

Etude House Bubble Hair Coloring #5 (Sweet Orange).

I've read tons of positive feedback for this product, which doesn't come as a surprise to me. After all, it's Etude House. Bought this for only Php 350 from my favorite eBay seller; I reckon it's also within the Php 300+ price range if bought directly from an Etude House store.

Clockiwise From L-R: Box, Pump (has liquid solution inside), Bubble Coloring Solution,
Silky Perfumed Hair Treatment, Plastic Cape + Latex Gloves.

Here's how you use this product.

1. Wear the cape and latex gloves.
2. Pour the Bubble Coloring Solution inside the pump bottle. 
3. Tilt the bottle from side to side so that it mixes with the Liquid Solution inside the bottle. Do not shake the bottle, as it may become too foamy to pump out.
4. Pump out the foamy mixture and apply it on your hair.
5. Leave it on for about 30 minutes.
6. Rinse thoroughly.
7. Apply the Silky Perfumed Treatment next. 
8. Leave it on your hair for at least five to ten minutes. 
9. Rinse.

I would have loved to share the step-by-step procedure in photos, but it's a tad too difficult to use the camera when your hands are covered in latex and/or bubble solution.

Here's how my DIY experiment turned out.

One of the rare occasions that I do flash photography, lol.

It came out orange, all right! The color is so prominent at the ends, and I love it! I wish it did the same towards the roots, though. But then again, my hair has been a mixture of all sorts of colors throughout the years (I've been coloring my hair since I was in high school, lol). Hence, I can't blame the product entirely if it doesn't turn out the way it should on my hair.

So yeah, I'm not complaining. All the more because it cost me just a fraction of what I would've spent in a salon.

Just a word of caution, though. The moment you rinse the color off, your hair will feel hella dry. Don't fret because this is what the Silky Perfumed Treatment is for. Use it generously and your hair will feel soft and smooth in no time. If you're still unsatisfied with it, try using Human Nature's Intensive Hair Mask. You'd be surprised at the wonders this product could do to your hair.

Now allow me to squeeze 'the look' in this post.

Because I haven't done a proper FOTD post in awhile, meh.

Products used:

L'Oreal Base Magique Primer
Etude House Precious Minerals All Day Strong BB Cream
Human Nature Perfect Coverage Mineral Foundation in Honey
Avon Ideal Luminous Concealer Stick in Almond
Ever Bilena Eyebrow Liner in Brown
Avon Smoke and Mirrors Eyeshadow Palette
Avon Mega Impact Gel Eyeliner in Blackberry
Avon Mega Impact Gel Eyeliner in White Fawn
Avon Super Curlacious Waterproof Eyeliner in Black
Sleek MakeUp Blush in Pomegranate
Jordana Double Length Lipliner in Rose
Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart

Notice the new foundation? Review coming soon! :)

Stylish and Chic | Salon Work Uniforms.

One of my most favorite 'me-time' activities is going to the spa. Before I got pregnant and gave birth to our son, trips to the spa were a monthly ritual for me. Now that I'm a full-time-stay-at-home-do-everything-by-myself mom, I'd be lucky if I could visit the spa at least once in three months.

Thinking about it now makes me pine for some well-deserved 'spampering' even more! My entire body, worn-out and exhausted from all the housework, is in dire need of a soothing Swedish massage. Boy, do I miss the cozy ambience of my favorite spa - the relaxing scent of aromatic oils wafting throughout the place, the soothing music that fills the air, and the accommodating staff clad in stylish salon work uniforms. Their chic and trendy outfits would make any stranger think that they're working for an airline company or even a five-star hotel!

I wonder if they're donning a new design of salon work uniforms. The last time I visited (which feels like ages ago), my masseuse and the entire staff were wearing something similar to the photo above. Must definitely pay a visit to the spa soon so I can check their new uniforms out. Most importantly, my back is begging for a trip to the masseuse!