Host(ess) Country

Lookie at what they have at Rustan's Marketplace!

Hostess cakes!!!

It's so, so, so awesome that they finally have a bigger range of products in the country.

When Less is More

Here's proof that the concept of "The Look for Less" is very relative.

While my idea is of "less" is putting together a full outfit for less than P1,000, other people's concept of "less" is a lot "more." That's almost P100,000 for a "less" outfit!

Was I surprised?

More or less.

Second skin

Personally, I'm not a fan of perfume.

Even as a teen, when my brothers were collecting Drakkar Noir, Kouros, Polo and Gray Flannel, I didn't have a bottle of perfume. I'd have some bottles of cologne, particularly the Spanish ones that Tita Evelyn would bring from Spain, but that was it.

I'm not a fan of strong scents - which perfumes usually are. The only scents that appeal to me are the scents of the body wash I use, which are simple, clean, soapy scents - think Ivory Soap or Dove. 

That's why in those few times that I'd buy perfume, the scents I'd gravitate towards were soapy and laundry-inspired scents. Yup, my idea of smelling good is smelling like I just came out from the washing machine and dryer. Thus, my liking for scents like Clean Fresh Laundry, Clean Warm Cotton and Clean T-Shirt.

Another scent profile I'm into are skin scents. These are scents that smell so natural, it smells like your skin after you took a bath. My favourite scent for this type is Clean Reserve Skin.

Since my bottle of that scent is almost empty, I dropped by Rustan's to buy another bottle. Alas, they didn't have any stock, and didn't know when their new stocks will come in. 

But, true to Rustan's superb customer service mantra, the sales clerk suggested another skin scent for me to try. That's Dipytique's Fleur de Peau.

Whoa! This. Is. So. Good!

"Fleur de Peau" literally means "Skin Flower." It really smells like you're not wearing any perfume at all. It's just like you bathed using a nice smelling body wash, nothing more, nothing less. And what you're left with is the scent of very clean skin. Because of that, I ended up buying a bottle of this pure, skin scent.

Of course, some people would find it odd that you'd spend almost P11,000 to smell like you're not wearing any scent at all. But for me, smelling like this is already second skin.

Very pretty

Being a fan of citrus scents, this was one of the Maison Margiela Replica fragrances that caught my eye after seeing it at Rustan’s.

The reviews about “Under the Lemon Tree” are true. It has a citrus base that’s not too sweet nor tart, and it has a balance of floral accords that give the scent more depth. It has the lightness of a cologne with the longevity of an EDT.

This Lemon Tree is indeed very pretty.

Sailing (Sun)Day

After what felt like an hour, going back and forth, spraying on paper then spraying it on my wrist, I finally decided on this bottle of Maison Margiela Replica.

It was a close call between 3 scents. But after letting it stay on my skin for a couple of minutes, it was Sailing Day that ticked all the boxes. It had to be light, it had to smell like second skin, and it had to have that shower smell.

The fact that this reminds me of the Clean scents that I have was probably the deal-breaker. I'm not a perfume kind of guy, so having one that doesn't smell like perfume is a plus. Quite ironic because it's perfume that doesn't smell like perfume.

Despite choosing this bottle, the 2 other scents still linger in my mind. And if it stays in my scent memory, I might have to go back to Rustan's and get those bottles as well.

You wood, wouldn't you?

There are times when you drop by a store and something you see surprises you. That was the feeling I got after seeing this interesting little minaudiere at SM Department Store.

It's made of wood! And it's surprisingly light! And it was on sale! And I have 3 exclamation points in a row!!!

A bag this chic was just begging to be bought. And it was also begging for a companion shoe - a pair of easy-to-wear shoes that had the same neutral color that complements wood.

Enter Rustans, and this nice pair of shoes:

It had the right color, it had the right style, and it had just the right height. It was one of those classic strappy shoes that would go well with anything. But it goes best with the wood bag.

And what best to do with this duo? Use it with the solihiya dress for Ate Bullet.

The final look: a modern, Filipiniana and wood-inspired outfit that's sure to stand out.

Ate wood definitely rock this look to an event. I mean, would.