Dibs on the Biebs

Dibs on the Biebs


He may have dressed down his Hollywood glamour by sporting a comfy and relaxed style, but Justin Bieber is still a head turner with his effortless street swagger.

Oversized tees with structured sleeves, ripped baggy jeans and cool snapbacks—these essential pieces to channel that inner Harlem swag are finally here. Inspired by Bieber’s latest album and his current style, local fashion brand Oxygen has teamed up with the pop star himself to come up with one of the edgiest streetwear collections to date.

The local flavors of Locavore

The local flavors of Locavore


Filipino food is something we’re all familiar with—but it’s always a welcome surprise when these well-loved and familiar dishes are prepared at a higher level.

Our local cuisine is nothing short of a gastronomic adventure. While other cultures tend to stick to their salt and pepper garnishes, ours lean toward more complex preparations. But even as we can indulge in Filipino food in the comfort of our homes, Locavore is a good option when we want something a little bit super to our usual dishes.

The restaurant’s name is quite a giveaway to the kind of food that it wishes to present, and more importantly, represent—food that is loved locally, with ingredients that are locally grown and produced.

Locavore is proud to be local—and it’s obvious in its reinterpreted all-Filipino menu.
The restaurant currently has branches in Kapitolyo, Pasig, and Forbes Town Circle, Taguig.

Innisfree haul

Innisfree haul


It was a few years ago when my dad brought us home huge-ass facial washes from this Korean cosmetics and skincare brand Innisfree. He told us it was a popular brand loved in Korea, and until now, it still hasn’t set up its own flagship store in the Philippines—which I hope will change soon.

Before using the wash my dad gave me, I did a bit of research on the brand, making sure it was cruelty-free and made for sensitive skin. And lo and behold—it is!

Innisfree has an all-natural philosophy, and is, in fact, Korea’s first natural brand. That means majority of the ingredients they use are extracted from natural and local produce, while their pigments are derived from minerals.

The brand prides itself of using natural ingredients from Jeju island, which is known for its pristine environment. There is fresh air, fertile soil, and unpolluted waters in the island. Its green tea, volcanic clay, camellia oil ingredients, among many others are sourced directly from Jeju.

Another reason to love the brand is its green causes. It has collected over 8 million Innisfree bottle containers from its patrons for recycling, and continues to promote the use of eco-friendly materials like recycled paper and soybean ink for its packaging.

It took us months to finish the 300-ml products my dad had as pasalubong, and since it was such a bang-for-the-buck buy, I was determined to bring home another bottle—among many others.

My first day in Seoul made me realize I had forgotten my makeup kit at home, but that just gave me an excuse to buy more than what I intended, and even try out their basic products.


I now present my Innisfree haul:

The DΞΔN’s list

The DΞΔN’s list


At Greenplugged Seoul, DEAN is a headliner—and hours before he even occupied the music festival’s Sky stage, the crowd on the standing zone begins to thicken, waiting for him to take the reins from his fellow hip-hop and rap artists. As DEAN begins his sound check, fans start cheering, while some are even close to crying.

The sun usually sets late in Korea, and as it melts on the horizon with hued streaks of orange and pink, the stage’s screen replicates the psychedelic colors, cueing the alternative R&B artist to start serenading the hyped crowd as the hour finally enters the night. The clock turns to 7 o’clock, and DEAN’s music begins to play.

Greenplugged Seoul is the next big international music festival

Greenplugged Seoul is the next big international music festival


It is the beginning of summer in Seoul. On a weekend, people from the city flock to Nanji Hangang Park, a perfect space to seek shade under the trees as the spring breeze still lingers, with scenery that breaks the concrete horizon.

Tents were set up all over the park’s grounds, and its green carpets of grass were replaced with colorful mats and rugs. People brought their bikes, scooters and skateboards, while others carried picnic baskets.

On the weekend of May 21, the park was host to the city’s version of Coachella, and we discovered every Korean musicophile’s top secret: the Greenplugged Seoul Music Festival.

It was a celebration of (and testament to) Korea’s massive local and independent music scene. It was an epic experience with four major stages and three minor sets located all over Nanji Hangang Park. On its eight straight year, the two-day Greenplugged festival featured a total of 65 artists in an all-local lineup.

Park Hae-jin in ‘Man to Man’ isn’t the man to fall for

Park Hae-jin in ‘Man to Man’ isn’t the man to fall for


Love is merely a tactic of deception. For a secret agent, it is said to be the most powerful shield.

JTBC’s “Man to Man” creates a lead character that isn’t hard to fall for—and that is exactly what makes him more dangerous.

Ghost K (Park Hae-jin) is a secret agent for South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). His missions are never simple, and being a spy limits him to no geographical location. For the government, ghost agents like him are neither dead nor alive.

This ghost agent can lie on impulse without detection. He does not have a name he can call his own, and knows he fights battles in the shadows no one will never know about. He’ll never be the type of hero the public will see on the front page of a newspaper, but there is always a possibility that whenever it is threatened, he has kept the nation’s peace and order in place for one more day.


Explosive flavors at LAVA

Explosive flavors at LAVA



One of the things I keep a tab on is places that offer ice cold Tiger beer.

The Singaporean lager is popping in our local restaurant scene and I am very pleased to announce that LAVA Timog is one of the few that carry this brand. I love this drink, and it’s always one of the reasons why trips to Singapore are always welcome—Tiger beer is available on tap!



But that’s not the only reason why I’m writing this blog post solely dedicated to LAVA, a comfort food nook that you should keep under your radar.

When one hears of the restaurant name, you immediately look forward to a molten cake dessert—but let me just stop your sweet-tooth drooling there. LAVA takes its name after the most important part of their kitchen: Lava rocks.