[reposted from iamsuperjen] 11.20.11 The search for the perfect Fix

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I just got Studio Fix-ed!

I've been meaning to get a much-needed haircut for weeks now and for the same amount of time, I've been plagued by the same eternal question: where? and from who?

I heard about Alex Carbonell some years ago from Bianca Gonzalez's blog. Now I've always admired Bianca's hair since... well, ever since I can remember! But while she constantly plugs Alex in her blog, I haven't actually tried to get his services yet.

For years I went to different salons searching for that perfect stylist but with no such luck. You see, my hair is super maarte. Namimili talaga ng stylist! When I was in Dagupan back in 2006-2009, I only allow one person to cut my hair and that was Joey of David's Salon-Nepo. I had a couple of bad luck with few stylists first before I finally found him but when I did, I almost always go back to him for my routine haircut. 

Anyway, I think I hit a home run with Alex because I absolutely love my hair! I didn't know what I was thinking going to different salons, trying out different stylists, when I've known about him all along.

Finally after many hours of soul-searching and internet research reading review after review about Alex, I decided to book an appointment with the master stylist himself.

I don't know if I'm just biased with all the reviews that I've read about him, but there was really something different about him. So let's cut to the chase, shall we? Let me tell you about my own personal experience with THE Alex Carbonell of Studio Fix.

I had a 4:30 PM appointment yesterday. When I arrived, the salon was packed with people! As in! Imagine Bench Fix on a regular weekend, parang ganun! Tipong pag walk-in ka, wala ka nang pag-asang makakuha ng slot for the day. Well yes, Studio Fix may be the big brother of Bench Fix but I never thought na magiging super packed with clients ang Studio Fix given na medyo high-end salon siya. Obviously, I was mistaken. Dun ko lang nakita first-hand how in-demand Alex really is. 

I was called in for pre-haircut rituals after 30 minutes of waiting. I didn't mind since there were a couple of magazines that I can leaf through in the receiving area and they offered me a drink while waiting. This is a plus since other salons only offer the client a drink while being serviced. Anyway. On my way to the washing area, I passed by Alex and he said "Hi, Jen! I'm Alex." 

Promise, nadistort ata yung pag-iisip ko that moment kasi no other stylist did that to me before. Parang, for a lack of a better term, na-"starstruck" ata ako kasi I used to only see pictures of Alex in the internet and now he's here right in front of me, talking to me! I don't know, basta there was really a surreal feeling sa mga ganung moments. Hahaha!! I felt kilig! I wasn't able to do anything but smile a very shy smile and murmur a barely audible "hi". Akalain mo yun? Lumabas talaga ang hiya ko?! Amazing!

Then he followed me to the washing area and talked to me some more. He instantly noticed that my hair was thin and politely confirmed if I had it chemically treated. I said yes but I have no intention to chemically treat it anymore because my hair is thinning already. 

I like it that he paid attention to my hair pre-washing because I think that's what stylists should look at before they cut their client's hair. Kasi how would they know kung ano yung totoong bagsak ng hair ng client nila if it's already wet diba? How would they know if a certain hairstyle will work or not sa texture nung hair ng client? Anyway, I don't know if Alex does that to all his first-time clients but I certainly am glad he did it to me. Plus points! :)

My original plan was to get a haircut only but since I was already there, I decided to have my hair colored as well. Studio Fix offers organic hair coloring (no ammonia!), which is perfect because it doesn't itch and it doesn't have that funny after-salon treatment smell. And it's okay for chemically-treated hair.

Alex decided to give me a darker shade of brown but a lighter shade than my original hair color since he assessed that my hair is too dark for my skin tone. I gave him complete authorization on what to do with my hair. He knows best, I figure.

The finished product. You can't really tell the difference since it's not your hair but I can! The color is a subtle shade of dark brown and it actually is lighter than my natural hair color. Best thing about it? My gray/white hairs are completely gone!

My hair was cut after coloring. Alex asked me what style I want and I said any style as long as it's not too short since I'm trying to grow my hair long. In my head, a hairstyle is forming in my imagination: shoulder length, no obvious layers, side swept bangs... I didn't tell him any of that but quite surprisingly, it's exactly what I got! Voila! 

I am a certified Alex Baby!

Alex also gave me tips on how to care for my hair. He said that protein is the nutrient our hair needs in order to be healthy. So we should eat a lot of beef and other food rich in protein. Drinking multivitamins helps in keeping hair healthy too! So I guess that's another reason to stock up on multivitamins! For my naturally wavy hair, applying leave-on conditioner helps tame the frizz. No more rebonding or perming or any other chemical treatments with ammonia that makes my hair fall off. Organic hair coloring is okay.

Overall, I am very pleased with the services I got from Studio Fix. I definitely recommend Alex Carbonell and Studio Fix to anyone who wants an amazing and memorable salon experience. :)

Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell

Level 4, Space 4-003A and 4-003B Phase II Greenbelt 5

Contact Numbers: (02) 501-3062, (02) 501-3064, (0927) 576-7698

PS: Alex Carbonell is available at Studio Fix on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. It's best to call in for an appointment ahead of time because it's kinda hard to book him on a short notice since he is almost always, if not always fully booked! :)

[reposted from iamsuperjen] 12.30.10 My Christmas Curls

the desire to have my locks permed started when a friend curled my hair at our departmental Christmas party. i’ve been wanting to get my hair curled for the longest time but i didn't know where to go to achieve the kind of curl that I want. the last time i went out to get a perm, my hair was so curled up that i had it straightened after a month because i didn’t like how it looked. needless to say i was a bit traumatized by the experience.

so as I was saying, i loved the way my friend curled my hair at our party. i had big wavy curls that flowed around my neck, which is perfect because my hair length is neither too long nor too short. in the next few days, i toyed with the idea of getting a perm for the second time in my life. i vowed that this time though, i would do proper research before i subject my hair to perming chemicals. i wouldn't go to any salon just like i did the last time.

i searched the internet for details and asked people in facebook for any helpful information about digiperm. good thing the internet is swarming of digital perming facts and i am lucky to have friends who were kind and generous enough to give out information and reply to my query in fb. a few days later, i booked an appointment at Be@utybrick Hair Art Studio for an afternoon of digital perming madness.

why Be@utybrick?

Beauty Brick Hair Art Studio 

i was actually eyeing Tony & Jackey at first but a former officemate recommended this salon. i haven’t heard of it before in my life so I consulted Mr. Google about it. i liked what i saw!

another reason why i chose Be@utybrick instead of T&J is because of its great service. according to threads i’ve read on the internet, Be@utybrick is supposedly A+ in terms of service so i would really, really like to try that firsthand.

but the most important reason of all and this made me really go to Be@utybrick instead of T&J is the price. Be@utybrick delivers the same kind of service at a more affordable price (3k+ vs. 4k+). so really, i consider their pocket-friendliness a big , big plus. here are photos after the jump.

this is it!

here I am when my curls are being done. I usually bring my own books whenever I’m at the salon because treatments get so tagaaaal!

reading The Lightning Thief

there's Mr. Shin!

a close-up shot on the machine

wall designs

oohhh curls!

there's Mr. Shin styling my hair

of course once I shampooed my hair, the curls became a bit loose. i kind of expected that to happen because i digipermed my hair just one month after i had it straightened. Mr. Shin warned me about it too. curls tend to last longer in virgin hair, he says. whatever! i still love my curls coz it looks like i have this gorgeous mermaid waves. i’m definitely, definitely going back to Mr. Shin next time around. :)

Beauty Brick Hair Art Studio
Unit 103 Dona Consolacion Bldg.
122 Jupiter St., Bel-Air, Makati City
Contact Numbers: (02) 473-5108, (0917) 520-0044

Overnight at The Boutique Bed and Breakfast

Around a month before the long weekend, I booked an overnight stay at The Boutique Bed and Breakfast in Tagaytay. This is as far as Mon and I are going to get in terms of vacation this year since we have been saving money for more important things.

Anyway, I was in charge of looking for the perfect accommodation for us when I remembered a blog I read sometime ago regarding The Boutique. I read so many reviews and quite honestly, some of 'em weren't good, though some really raved about the place! I decided to follow my instinct and booked 'em anyway since I read from the reviews that The Boutique had been constantly improving the place and their service. And boy, did I make the right decision!

If I were to rate this using a 1-10 scale, 10 being the highest, this would be a whopping 11! 12 sana if the security guard on the parking lot paid attention to (a.k.a assist) the cars trying to park. 13 if they gave us more espasol. :))))

Ok, before you expect too much, I have to say this. I am not a picky traveler. I don't rate things based on a certain standard. I simply rate them based on my experience and I don't look for much. I am very easy to please, well, at least that's what I think.

Here are pictures after the jump.

Our room was as dreamy as it can be!

The lovely bed and breakfast has seven rooms we can choose from. Each room is named after an emotion. I Escape, I Surrender, I Love, I Dream, I Desire, I Dare, and I Lust. The look and feel of each room is patterned to the emotion. The room I chose was I Dream. I chose this because I love the interior, which is all white and everybody knows I love the color white!

White! White! White!

I look weird. Hahaha! Was watching TV here, I think.

The first thing I loved about the room is the bed and the maaaaany pillows it has! In the picture, I was literally swimming in pillows! As soon as the service crew left us, I put my bag down and run to the bed and dived with an ecstatic AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! Mon was laughing at me the whole time! :)))))

All smiles!

I was so lazy to get up, as lazy as the bear I was holding, who did nothing but sleep all the way through the vacation. Hehe!!

The espasol was to die for! Yumyum!

Part of the package is welcome drinks. I didn't know there was welcome food too so this was quite a surprise. They gave us espasol with chocolate dip. Aaaaannngggg saarraaaappp!!! The espasol wasn't enough though. I wanted more!

I'm famished!

Mon was taking a picture of me the whole time that when he finished taking pictures, the espasol was all gone! Hahahahaha!!! Who says I'm demure??? If you do, then you're probably not my friend. Hahahaha!!! If you insist, why thank you!

Lunch overlooking Taal, why not?!

We ordered food from the famous Hawaiian Barbeque restaurant downstairs. We would've eaten there if there wasn't too many people! Grabe, may waiting list pa! That's how famous the food there is. But nonetheless, it was perfect coz we had lunch in our own veranda, just the two of us. More romantic! :)))))

The Kahlua Pork Belly

This is what we ate. The Kahlua Pork Belly. We loved it! It was just enough for us two. We also had a refreshing Mango Smoothie. Mon loved the Smoothie. He says it tasted as if they blended ripe and green mango together. I think they just used ripe mango that was not so ripe yet. It was yummy, nonetheless.

At this point, he was really hungry na but I forced him to smile while I take his picture!

Who's that pogi boy over there?? None other than my main man, my dear kambal, my HoneyMon! Mon made my life easier that day. He did everything for me. He was like my yaya and boyfriend in one! It felt like I was being courted all over again. Hehe!

Burp!

This is what happens when two stomachs are deprived of food in the morning. There is nothing left except for the fat!

After lunch, it was my time to take pictures so I took some key items in the room and snap! snap! snap!

Our funny welcome note.

First of all, we're not married yet and second of all, I don't wear the pants in this relationship! But of course, the crew doesn't have a way of knowing that since it was I who booked the accommodations and all. :)

Our room key

The breakfast slip

This is where we put our choice of breakfast for the next day. It needs to be hanged in the door knob outside the night before. We had a choice of Continental, Hawaiian, Filipino, and American Breakfasts. It also includes 2 drinks for each person, one hot and one cold, and a choice of fruit for dessert. :)

Our toiletries.

One thing I loved about The Boutique is that all guests are given the opportunity to choose their own toiletries. They have their own line of body bath and beauty essentials called "Pamper Me". As we checked in, we were led to a small room where we can choose our own scent of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, soap, and room scent. Mon loved the scent of soap I chose for him! It was Peppermint, I think.

The Boutique's Pamper Me line.

Mon checking out the Pamper Me basket. :)))

The basket also includes a laundry bag, which I found very useful!

Mon is watching Gossip Girl! Would you believe???

A knock on the door indicated that our masseuse had arrived! The accommodation package included a complimentary 10-minute facial cold stone massage or foot massage. We chose the facial massage and boy, was it cold! No pictures, though. 

Sitting pogi!

Mon loved the bed. It was so comfortable and big! With different kinds of pillows, big and small. I think Baby Bear loved the bed too, dawnchatink?? :)))

Had a Gossip Girl marathon right here.

Mon and I are big TV buffs. Yes, we have different tastes in TV shows. I watch The Vampire Diaries and he doesn't. He watches 24 and I don't. But there are some TV shows we both like, like The Big Bang Theory and Glee and surprisingly, Gossip Girl!

The luckiest girl with the sweetest guy!

We're picture addicts too! Well, not as much as others but yeah, we love taking pictures of each other and of ourselves together. That's a pretty blurry one up there, though.

Here's a pogi shot, right here...

...a not-so-pretty shot, right here...

...and a shot of us together!

Here's Mon, carefully choosing some movies to watch.

After the Gossip Girl marathon during the day and watching some bit of news, we went to the DVD library to borrow some movies. I chose New Moon and Mon chose Titanic ...because I've never seen Titanic before. Hahahaha!!!

The famous Hawaiian Barbeque's Baby Back Ribs!

We had dinner in our room coz just like lunch time, the restaurant downstairs was packed! This was kind of a bummer really coz I wanted to try eating in the restaurant that night. But, oh well. It was our fault coz we didn't call the front desk to reserve ahead of time.

Dinner in bed while watching New Moon!

After dinner, Mon took a shower and was ecstatic to find guest robes in the closet! He gamely posed for pictures! He looked kinda Japanese-y right here. I kinda freaked out. Hahaha!

Guess who loved the bathrobe???

Native Hot Chocolate with Churros

At around 10pm, our "midnight snack" arrived! This was also included in the accommodation package. So you see, with all the food we had eaten, from the welcome drinks and espasol to the kalhua pork belly to the baby back ribs to the midnight snack, we never starved since we arrived. There was always food! Oh, I almost forgot, there was also a bedside nibbler in the room, which I forgot to take a picture of because I ate it without remembering I had to take a picture of it first!

We spent the rest of our waking night watching the first half of Titanic. Such a long movie! ...and a tear-jerker too! We slept peacefully that night.

I woke up to this view. Nice, isn't it?

I woke up ahead of Mon and this is what greeted me on our veranda.

Good morning, sunshine!

Mon finally woke just as our breakfast arrived at 9am in the morning. It was a big and hearty breakfast. It was great!

Our big breakfast

There's our complimentary bread with jam and butter, Mon's Daing na Bangus, my Egg Omelette with Spam, mango for dessert, hot chocolate, and water! The Mango Juice was not captured in the photo.

Hi! My name is Baby Bear!

Guess who finally woke up and joined us for breakfast? Baby Bear is kind of our "baby". He has 2 older brothers, Monmon and Puto, who didn't join us in Tagaytay because they wanted to stay at home. Baby Bear is the most "gala" among the three. He joined us too in our Boracay breakfast, remember?

Our Baby Bear, all white and innocent in Boracay last year.

We watched the second half of Titanic during breakfast. Look who's glued to the TV! Hehe! Then it's time to pack and head for home!

Here's Mon and I, savoring the last minutes of our trip. *sigh*

When we checked out, we were surprised to get a goodbye gift, a tiny gold box full of white and milk chocolate goodies with rice crispies. The box was tied with a red ribbon and has a tag that says "Fall in love all over again at The Boutique."

Our farewell gift from The Boutique staff. One BIG SMILE!!! :))))

Well, I don't know about falling in love all over again because that would mean that I had ceased to fall in love to fall in love again. In my case, I say no need! coz with Mon, I am in love, all the time! :)

The Boutique Bed & Breakfast
#45 Aguinaldo Highway, Silang Crossing East, Tagaytay City
Contact Number(s): (046) 860-2716, (046) 413-1798, (0927) 363-2660
Email: theboutique.bnb@gmail.com
Website: www.theboutiquebnb.com