Smart Girl Txt

Mane Attraction

2007-06-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

Get Professional Hair Tips!
By Angelo Falconi of Angelo Falconi III Salon

Top 3 Tips for Healthy Hair:
1. USE PROTECTION. Prevention is better than cure! If you are a keen user of hair gadgets, make sure you protect your locks. Heat resistant styling sprays help prevent permanent damage to your hair as well as locking in loads of essential moisture.

2. BE GENTLE. Wet hair is more prone to damage, so treat it gently! Blot rather than rub wet hair and never, ever brush it while it’s wet—use a wide tooth comb instead. Never tightly tie your hair while it's wet! That's your surest way to get frizzy or the so called “dead hair".

3. DOUBLE UP. Use Home Care Shampoo and Treatment Masque to maintain your locks and use styling products designed to style and improve your hair at the same time to maintain vital moisture levels.

Beauty Basics

2007-06-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

By Margarette Teodosio

Cheapest and most proven beauty advice
1. Drink eight glasses of water daily.
2. Get enough sleep.
3. Smile!

Facial masks depending on skin type
* For oily skin. Mix 2 tablespoons of papaya pulp with 10 drops of lemon (or calamansi) juice. Apply on the face and neck, and rinse well after 20 minutes.
* For combination skin. Place a cloth in warm water and apply to your face to open the pores. Smear on honey and leave on for 15 to 30 minutes. Wash off with warm water, then use cold water to close the pores.
* For dry skin. Mix one egg yolk, one teaspoon honey and a teaspoon of olive oil and some vitamin E oil if available. Smooth on face and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry. If your skin is still a bit dry, you can put a dab or two of olive oil on moist skin after washing.

Homemade conditioners
* Beat one egg yolk until thick and light colored. Slowly drizzle about half a teaspoon of olive oil onto the egg while beating it. Slowly add and beat 3/4 cup lukewarm water into the egg mixture. After shampooing, massage conditioner into hair and leave on for a few minutes before rinsing thoroughly.
* Mix one teaspoon of honey with two tablespoons of olive oil, then beat in one egg yolk. Massage onto hair in small sections. Wrap head with shower cap for 30 minutes. Rinse and shampoo.

Hair Talk

2007-06-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

L’Oreal teaches you how to wear your hair this year and three lucky GirlTxt subscribers get to be the models!
Hair and makeup by Angelo Falconi III, L’Oreal Professional
Photographed by William Ong

Amy Rose Farol
Fringes are big this year. And the blunter, the better—they can dramatically change any look in an instant. For Amy, Angelo created a face framing graduation at the front and then created texture on the ends. Reds will also be hot this 2007. Amy’s deep brown hair color was maintained, but to spice it up, vibrant red triangular panels at the back as well as square and rectangular panels at the crown area were created.

“For Amy’s face shape, there is nothing more flattering than a soft side-sweeping fringe. A bright intense color always screams ‘look at me!’ and is guaranteed to get you noticed for all the right reasons,” says Angelo.

Crystal Nieto
Dark and neutral shades with strong contrast in stripes will make a come back in hair coloring. Using the foil technique, Angelo created a neutral shade of light brown that blended with Crystal’s natural dark brown hair. The result is neutral and subtle soft brown highlights that add dimension. A variation of bobs—from classic to short layered and textured—is all the rage right now. Angelo advises, though, that to get the bob that suits you best, consider your face shape and hair texture.

“A sexy, shoulder-length bob hair style gives Crystal’s hair more texture and her face more shape, while soft brown highlights add dimension to her mane.”

Katrina Dujunco
Keep your locks looking glamorous with big curls combined with volume in all the right places. Angelo added sexy spirals at the bottom of Katrina’s hair while keeping her crown area straight. Using the foiling technique to color her hair, he and Wesley pre-lightened Katrina’s hair, followed by a soft color, then finally gave it a gloss treatment to add some shine to her locks. The result is a combination of dark and warm brown panels that shows depth and dimension at the bottom area of her hair where there is more movement.

“Loose, casual curls never go out of fashion. A transient length haircut with flirty bangs and point cut ends spell fun and suits the bubbly personality of Katrina.”

Kitchen Beauty

2007-06-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

Turn your kitchen into a beauty lab
Written by Margarette Teodosio

I love Sundays. It’s my Me-Myself-and-I Day; the day when I treat myself to some pampering and loving. As much as I’d like to visit salons and spas every week, I cannot afford it (I can if I don't eat, pay the bills and go out on Friday gimiks). So, I have collected tried and tested beauty treatments that only require me to raid the kitchen cabinet and the fridge to create my very own home spa beauty treatments.

My Sundays always start with me waking up when I want or need to. With no thoughts of alarm clocks and morning rush hour traffic, I give myself the luxury to stare at the ceiling and not jump out of bed immediately. A typical Sunday will go like this:

In the morning
9:00 am Leisurely get out of bed. As I heat some water for my oatmeal, I scoop five tablespoons of instant oatmeal in one bowl (for breakfast) and another three tablespoons in a separate bowl (for the facial mask).

9:30 am After breakfast, I moisten the facial mask oatmeal with one to two tablespoons of lukewarm water to make a paste, which l then use to gently scrub my face with, avoiding the area around my eyes. Once the oatmeal paste has dried (it takes around 15 minutes), I wash it off with cool water and pat my face dry. Usually, I take a bath after this.

10:00 am After shampooing my hair, I towel off excess water and apply regular mayonnaise (NOT salad dressing!) on my mane. I rinse it after 10 minutes. My officemate Eliza swears it made her sun-dried hair shine again.

10:15 am Once I'm done with my bath, I rub a small amount of extra virgin coconut oil or lana (the latik oil you get after boiling coconut milk) on my knees and elbows to soften them. Remember to only use lana if you are staying home since it will make you smell like biko the whole day. If you are going out, rinse the area well with mild soap to remove the yummy tropical smell.

In the afternoon
4:00pm For my homemade foot spa, I fill a large bowl or small basin with lukewarm water and 1/2 to one cup of milk. I also sprinkle, whenever available, rose petals from Aling Choly's garden to give it a more authentic spa feel. With Enya's CD softly playing in the background, I soak my feet in the basin and my fingernails in a smaller bowl with 2 tablespoons of calamansi juice. The calamansi will act as an astringent and strip away light stains. The chilled cucumber slices over my closed eyes complete my afternoon treat. The cucumber helps reduce the puffiness of my eyes. (Tea bags soaked in cold water and then drained also have the same effect.)

In the evening
9:00pm The evening is set aside for my weekly exfoliating session. After moistening my knees and elbows, I apply a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar (slightly dissolved in honey). I then gently massage the mixture on my elbows and knees using a wet washcloth or my fingers. After 3 minutes, I rinse off the sugar and honey. You can do this twice a week for softer and smoother skin.

9:30pm Before going to bed, I massage lana on my dry hair (concentrating on the roots), and securely wrap it with a towel. I usually leave the lana on overnight. If you do this, remember to put on a shower cap to avoid staining your pillows and beddings. And, to avoid smelling like your favorite kakanin the next day, remember to thoroughly wash your hair with mild shampoo in the morning.

GO GIRL!!!

2007-05-31T20:14:00.001-07:00

Chocolate Kiss

2007-05-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

Let your lips be kissed by sensational dishes

Written by Almira Ocampo, Photographed by William Ong

Reading the café’s signage—Chocolate Kiss—already brings to mind dreamy visions of an intimate rendezvous. And why not? The words “chocolate” and “kiss” rank high in almost anyone’s romantic vocabulary. Once inside the restaurant, the atmosphere is warm and cozy. Delicate white paper lanterns hang from the ceiling, artworks adorn the walls and freshly baked cakes are temptingly displayed in a cake counter, releasing a most divine aroma. The atmosphere is so relaxed you can stay the whole afternoon or evening there.

If the delightful name and ambiance are any indication of the food, then you know your palate is in for a treat. For starters, indulge your taste buds with the Chicken Salad Oriental (P160). An exclusive special at Chocolate Kiss’ Roces Avenue branch, this sweet and tangy salad is highly addictive. Each mouthful of crisp lettuce and chicken morsels coated with a sweet citrus sauce leaves you hungry for more. Follow with house specialties like the Chicken Kiev, (P210); Hickory Smoked Spareribs, (P205); and Gamberi, (P220).

Vegetarians can delight to their heart’s content with Chocolate Kiss’ Steamed Tofu, soft yet firm bean curd in a special Oriental soy-based sauce topped with three different kinds of mushrooms and served with rice (P160). Leave room for dessert as your visit to Chocolate Kiss would not be complete without having a slice of their Devil’s Food Cake and Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. Beneath the white, fluffy icing is a moist and decadent chocolate cake. Words of caution though, Devil’s Food Cake is sinfully sweet. So for those who aren’t equipped to handle such a temptation, try their Chocolate Chip Cheesecake instead. The rich cream cheese, combined with the chocolate chips and crust, is a match made in heaven.

Whether you are looking to go there for a full course dinner or a sweet nightcap, Chocolate Kiss is sure to satisfy whatever you are craving for. Forget pricey tabs and dress codes. Luscious food, casual clothes and comfy surroundings with a violinist and keyboardist serenading you as you take a bite of that decadent cake…well, what more could you ask for?

Chocolate Kiss Café
91 A. Roces Avenue, Quezon City
Open Mondays to Saturdays, 11am to 10pm.
Phone No.: 412-7876

Ang Bahay ng Alumni
UP Diliman, Q.C.
Phone No.: 433-3782, 434-7430Open daily, 7am to 10pm

What a Girl Wants

2007-05-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Girltxt and HBC’s Allue Exclusive Shopper’s Card For Teens

Great news, girls! Get ready for loads of exclusive privileges to come your way care of Girltxt and HBC’s Allue! Allue, the cosmetic brand for tweens and teens from HBC has launched its first ever Exclusive Shopper’s Card for Teens! Get great discounts on all Allue products, HBC outlets and other partner shops. Whenever you buy your favorite Allue cosmetics, you automatically get points and a chance to win beauty and fashion items!

Add to that the useful tips from Girltxt and your life will definitely be easier and more glam! Fashion crisis? Love dilemmas? Clueless about makeup? What’s a girl to do?! Girltxt and Allue lets you in on essential information that every girl needs to know. To join the club and receive daily messages, simply text GIRL and send to 2966. P2.50/txt. Visit any HBC branch to learn more about HBC’s Allue Exclusive Shopper’s Card for Teens.

Girltxt is an exclusive club powered by Smart Communications and Global Wireless Connections. For inquiries, call (02) 910-0105 to 06 or fax (02) 634-8172.

Shrek the Third

2007-05-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

Shrek is Back!

By Alexis A.

I’m not sure about Spider-Man and Pirates of the Caribbean (all part of much awaited trilogies whose last installments fall this year), but Shrek the Third quite did not meet my expectations. Perhaps I can blame it on all the hype and the excitement for it, because the second was hella-hilarios! I don’t know, the humor on this one is not as good as the previous one. It starts with the Frog King dying, and with no other heir to the throne, Shrek would be crowned the King of Far Far Away. However, given the insecure ogre that he is, he doesn't want the responsibility of being king. So Shrek, together with Donkey and Puss in Boots, engages in a quest to find the other heir, who is none other than Artie (Justin Timberlake). But before leaving Far Far Away, Fiona announces that she is pregnant. While Shrek, Donkey and Puss are away, Prince Charming, together with fairy tale villains, such as The Hook, and the Witch from Sleeping Beauty, goes to the Kingdom to steal the throne.

And as fairy tales go, Shrek saves Far Far Away, Artie gets the throne, and Shrek and Fiona have babies and they all live their happily ever afters. The babies look like cabbage patch kids, they’re actually really cute, cuddly and adorable for ogre babies. Although, in my opinion, this third one is not that hilarious, I still give it credit for its humor here and there, which is a Shrek trademark, of course! Watch out for Gingerbread Man's before death flashbacks, and Pinocchio’s attempt not to lie, those are really funny. As for the new characters, there’s Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White. Because it’s Shrek, I give it 3 and a half stars.

Grey's Anatomy

2007-05-09T00:06:00.000-07:00

To all you fans of the popular hit TV show Grey's Anatomy, here's a little trivia. Did you know that Grey's Anatomy is an allusion to the book "Gray's Anatomy" by Henry Gray? It's a textbook widely regarded as a classic work on human anatomy. :-) Watch out for Grey's Anatomy's spin-off, Private Practice whose lead character is Kate Walsh's Dr. Addison Montgomery.