Pink Me Up Beauty (Nail and Dry Bar)

Hello everyone! How long I've been out of the loop? Sorry to keep you all waiting but just like before, I'm still adjusting with the fact that I have to take care of two canines. One adult and one puppy whom I compare to a two-year old boy. Terrible twos indeed! Because of the stress that is slowly consuming my body, I decided to schedule an appointment in Pink Me Up Beauty Nail and Dry Bar. I've been hearing a good feedback when I did a research about this place and just like a fairy godmother who heard my thoughts, a deal came up in Deal Grocer last February and I couldn't pass up the chance to check out the place.

Deal Grocer Deal of Pink Me Up Beauty Nail and Dry Bar.
I have to remove my name and the redemption code for security purposes.

Last Sunday was my scheduled appointment, my friend and I went to Pink Me Up located in Lee Gardens Condominium. I purchased two vouchers as I was thinking to share it with my sister but her schedule the last time she was here in Manila was hectic so I decided to share it with a friend instead. The building is right after the first Petron Station you will see on your right side if coming from Edsa. Below the building, there's Security Bank and Starbucks. It's only a 5-10 minutes jeepney ride from Starmall.

I read somewhere before that it's like a maze before you can find Pink Me Up on 2nd floor of Lee Gardens Condominium but now it was easy breezy as they decided to put up a stand-up tarp to show you the way to the nail spa bar.

There it is! Found it after a series of turns...

Now, I'll be posting some pictures inside this nail and dry bar. I was not able to get a picture of my own as there are customers when we went there and the lightning inside is a little dim with all the curtains drawn. Good thing I stumbled on the photos taken by Paolo Feliciano where he was able to capture the place all lit up.

Reception Area

They have a cushioned sofa which can seat 8 people comfortably.
Below each designated seat on the sofa, they have a sink which they used for soaking and rinsing your feet.
Now that's what I call, space efficiency!
You will notice that there's a vanity mirror and a chair on the left side of the picture,
this is the place for the hair dryer/blower service. Yup, they offer this service for as low as Php 280.

You will notice that there are cabinets on the far end of the picture, that is the pantry for the Pink Me Up staff.
The second curtain on the right side of this picture, has a massage chair.
I'm not sure how much they charge for  that service.

This is the focal point of the Pink Me Up. It's hard to miss this area as it screams,  girly and princess!
Would want this kind of office/study area in our home.

I forgot to wear shorts that day (stupid me) and instead I'm wearing my ever reliable comfy leggings. The staff was kind enough to offer me a towel which I have to wrap around my body during the foot spa and pedicure.

Time to soak our feet.
 See what I told you earlier, their sink is tucked securely and neatly below the cushioned sofa.

Our deal is the Red Wine Foot Spa with Pedicure and a Red Wine Hand Spa with Manicure. We started off by soaking our feet in warm water. I'm not sure how long it was soaked but definitely it will not go over 10 mins. Then the staff started scraping the bottom of my feet. I was not happy with the way she did the scraping to remove the excess skin on my sole. I felt that she was in a hurry and didn't bother to check every inch of my feet. Up to now I can still feel some hard portion of skin in my sole. Then a scrub was applied to my feet up to my knees. Again, the staff can't wait to be finish with me that I can't help but compared her to the attending staff (name tag says Melanie) of my friend whose very keen that every fingers on her foot should be scrubbed. I didn't get that kind of scrubbing thus I end up checking her name and taking note that I will never ever get her should I come back to Pink Me Up.

Our feet was rinsed from the scrub and a moisturizing mask was applied then we were wrapped like a ham or chicken...

....a hot towel was wrapped on our feet afterwards to help absorption of the mask.

After 20-30 minutes, our feet was freed from all the towels and plastic. Imelda offered me a basket full of nail polish. I saw a lot of Orly and Essie with a few Ciate.

Imelda suggested I used the nude/beige color by Orly. Normally, I would choose red but since I can't find a suitable shade of red that I like, I agree with her in using the color on my nails.

Just like her previous acts, I felt that she wanted to get rid of me and attend to other customers or avail her much deserved break. It's not my fault that you scheduled us for 11am. After applying the nail polish on my feet, it was time to prep me up for the hand spa.

Waiting for my hand spa...and there's Imelda, the staff attending to me which I 'm not happy with her service....

Imelda cleaned my fingers by cutting the nails and filing it. Then Janice (another staff) came out to start the hand spa. My hands were soaked then a scrub was applied. She rinsed the scrub and applied a cream. She massages the visible part of my arms then wipe the cream with a wet towel. Then an oil was applied for moisture.Kudos to Janice as I never felt that she was beating a timer.

Imelda came back to apply the nail polish on my fingers. I say she will be a perfect candidate for the fastest staff in in Pink Me Up.

The effort I made to grown my nails....
Yeah, I know it's not super long like the others  but knowing me I have a habit of biting my nails so this is a milestone!

My nail polished nails. Notice that my nails are not thoroughly covered by the nail polish.

I know you were all thinking that since the package I got was a deal thus the service is not explicit as the paying customers will get but I beg to differ. Posting a deal in Groupon sites is one of many ways to market and advertise one's product and services so the service shouldn't be less equal. They even mentioned on the  voucher that you will get a "very thorough 2-hour Red Wine Foot and Hand Spa". It's not so thorough as they say that I can't help but compare my experience to the best foot spa and pedicure service that I got way back years ago in Let's Face It Greenbelt 1. My feet was scrubbed and scraped until I can't feel any hard layers of skin caused by constant walking and wearing heeled shoes. My feet was soft and smooth.

Here are some of their Nail Spa Services should you wish to visit them:

The price for the Pink Bubblegum Foot Spa with Pedicure for Kids is Php 380. 

I was able to email them before and made an inquiry for their Spa Party Packages. I hope that the prices are still the same since I made an inquiry with them last January.

Spa Party Packages for 8

Spa Party Packages for 10

Spa Party Packages for 12

Will I be back? Yes as long as another staff will attend to me like Janice or Melanie for the nail spa service.
I still do recommend the place since Pink Me Up Beauty is clean, chic and you can actually relax as they play music that is just so right for you to unwind. They're using Orly, Essie and Ciate Nail Polish plus, I love their spa party packages! Perfect for bridal shower, birthdays and girl bonding. Apart from that, some staff are attentive. Proof is the staff of Pink Me up whose manning the reception area that Sunday, sent me a SMS yesterday informing me that I can drop by the place anytime to get my missing USB. I sent them a text message late afternoon on Sunday that I probably left my USB on the couch. Good thing they found it stuck at the back of the sofa to where I was seated. I'm glad that I didn't totally lost it . So thank you so much for that.

I apologize to Imelda if I mentioned her name but I just want to point out the flaws and things to improve if you want a happy customer. Or maybe it's just me because I availed a discounted deal. If that's the case, it's kind of disappointing on my part as I've been one of the few thousands who patronize Groupon deals.


Pink Me Up Nail & Dry Bar
Unit 2D Lee Gardens Condominium
Shaw Boulevard corner Lee St. (near Old Wack Wack Road)
Mandaluyong City
Telephone Nos. (02) 358-24-12
               (0915) 1392234
               (0947) 9650507
Operating Hours: Daily 10am-9pm
Pink Me Up Beauty Nail and Dry Bar Facebook Page

The Invisible Mother

Dear All,

After reading this story, my very own mother came to my mind. After having 3 kids, she gave up her full-time job to take care of us. Right  now, she is still working hard to have an extra income. She is very hardworking and being lazy is not an option.

SALUTE to ALL MOTHERS! This one is especially for YOU ALL.

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. 

Inside I'm thinking,'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this ? Can you tie this? Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduate d summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, de vour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you mak e every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM!

Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know... I just did.

Throwback Thursday

Sorry for the lack of posts. It's been hectic the past few days in our home since the puppy's arrival. Will tell you more about him on a separate post but my friends in Facebook have already seen his pictures. I know it's not Thursday but when I was creating this post last night, my internet is acting up on me thus I have to wait for today to post this.

For now, let me share one of my very kept photos. It was revealed for public viewing during our reception on our wedding day. It was part of the Photo AVP arranged by Richel Mascarinas who happens to be a well-known photographer.

Yearbook Graduation Pic (1993)

How's that for a throwback?! This pic was taken 20 years ago (imagine that) in my elementary school, St.Mary's Academy in Pasay City. We were asked to wear our gala uniform which we normally wore during first Friday or any Catholic feast day celebrated by the school. The gala uniform is color white with matching white belt. It has little lace trimmings adorning the front of the uniform and the sleeves. To finish off the uniform we wore a blue ribbon. I feel like an angel when I'm wearing this uniform. This is the same uniform we wore during our graduation rites held at Sta. Clara Parish Church which is right across from St. Mary's.

Graduation Rites at Sta. Clara Parish Church. I'm wearing the gala uniform of SMA.

I've never set foot again to SMA. It's been a long time and I miss it. I miss the grade school library (which is huge!), the canteens (yes, they have two or three canteens inside the campus), the spacious quadrangle, the auditorium, the rooftop gym, the chapel where I had my first communion, my old classmates and batch mates. Ohh memories....

Mandaue Foam Summer Sale

I didn't push through with my plan to attend the Make Your Own Havaianas event since my grandmother decided to visit and stay in our house for a vacation. Plus, my two friends that I invited to join me backed out which is really a downer. So I decided to spend some of my money to a more practical and useful items instead. I've been getting a lot of news feed from my Facebook account about this summer sale courtesy of Mandaue Foam...

Photo courtesy of Mandaue Foam Facebook Page

I couldn't resist not to check out the items that were on sale and since I don't want to be trampled or be a victim of a stampede scene in Mandaue Foam's Las Pinas branch, I decided to check it out yesterday where most of the Filipinos are engaged in their respective work.

Mandaue Foam Las Pinas

If you're coming from Alabang, it's on the right side before you reach SM Southmall. If you're coming from Baclaran/Zapote, it's on the left side after SM Southmall. It's actually less than 5 minutes away from SM Southmall so in case you missed this building just stop at SM Southmall and walk the rest of the way going to Mandaue.

Inside the store, you will see a lot of tarpaulins screaming the discounts and sales. Sorry I was not able to take a snapshot since there are customers around and I fear that the one of the staff will questioned me on taking pictures.

I immediately looked for the pillows that I saw on Mandaue Foam's online shopping website. It's a Buy 1 Take 1 Fiber Pillow costs at Php 350 so that's Php 175 each pillow. I already told my husband that we need to replace the pillows were using on our bedroom because for me it reached its mark to graduate. Our pillows are not tattered beyond recognition but we've been using it for a long time now (don't ask how long). Found these pillows on the ground floor of the store. It's located at the far end near the carpets section. Just look for a red banner that hang on the ceiling that says SALE ITEMS.

Buy 1 Take 1 Fiber Pillow at Php 350

On the 2nd floor, they have the "special" pillows ranging from Php 280-950 per piece. I was eyeing the Dreams Pillow and Fantasy Pillow but the thriftiness in me prevailed. Yeah I know what they say about investing in nice pillows for a good sleep and posture but that just have to wait as we are planning to renovate our bedroom. As soon as we have a nice mattress then I will definitely pair it up with those nice and comfy pillows.

What is a pillow without a pillowcase? Plus I read somewhere that you need to replace your pillowcases every week for hygienic purposes. So it's one good reason to stock up on pillowcases. Found these two on the shelf:

Left Pillowcase costs Php 150, apply the 20% discount and it's Php 120
Right Pillowcase costs Php 500, apply the 20% discount and it's Php 400

Actual photo of the pillowcase :)  I know it's cheap but I like the colors. So calm and fresh!

This is the print on the second pillowcase. It's very masculine but  versatile that it pair it with our  brown
and green bed sheets. It's a little pricey than the other since it's a 300 threadcount. 

When I was about to round up my purchases, my eyes darted on the shelf that holds the tablecloth. I instantly fell in love with the soft earth tone colors of this tablecloth that I decided to get it. The tablecloth that we have right now in the dining table needs a substitute.

Tablecloth priced at Php 275, apply the 30% discount and it's Php 192.50

See the embossed design on the tablecloth? 

My Total Purchase in Mandaue Foam

Didn't check out the bed frames but accroding to the staff who assisted me, the mattresses (foam and spring) ranges from Php 7k -8k, apply the 30% discount and you'll get Php 4,900-5600. It's a good buy isn't it?

This awesome summer sale is until May 5th so grab the discounted items until supply last.

Lutong Macau in Makati

Last April 15, I decided to treat some of my close friends at the office in Lutong Macau located in Jupiter Street which is a walking distance from our office. It was my last day at work thus the celebration.

(L-R) Maco, Carlo, Me and Carol

(L-R) Paul, Maco, Carlo, Me, Carol and Roel

I love their food! The servings of the food are good for 3-4 persons plus they serve bottomless tea. I'm not really a tea drinker so I don't know how will I rate their tea.

Updated Menu  1 (click to view large)

Updated Menu 2 (click to view large)

Photos above are the updated menu and pricelist of Lutong Macau. When I checked their website, the prices posted there are less than Php 20 from the current menu. All prices are VAT INCLUSIVE and NO SERVICE CHARGE.

Now on to the food that we ordered:

Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php 220)

A Filipino meal is not a meal without rice. It's a staple to every Filipino to eat rice even if it's once a day. I'm a self-confessed rice lover. Ask my friends and they will tell you that I have this romantic relationship with rice. But right now I decided to only have one rice meal per day as I'm trying to loose some pounds.

This Yang Chow Fried Rice alone can be a meal for me. As you can see there are bits and pieces of eggs, veggies and meat present on the rice. Having a viand is a bonus for me.

Steamed Shrimp "Hakaw" Dumpling (Php 112)

A full shrimp dimsum treat! Maco ordered this simply because you'll get to eat a full shrimp dumpling with no flour/cornstarch inside. You'll get your money's worth.

Hot Prawn Salad (Php 380)

This dish became my instant favorite when I first tried it. It has the sweetness of pineapple blended with mayonnaise that complimented the fried prawns. So delish!

BBQ Asado with Soy Chicken Platter (Php 360)

Carlo ordered this dish and I must admit I wasn't able to try the different cooked chicken on this platter as I'm so engrossed eating the Hot Prawn Salad and Lechon Macau. Plus I'm stuffing my tummy with the Yang Chow rice. But just by looking at the dish, it's definitely a healthy platter perfect for those who wants to lose weight or those whose staying away to eat red meat.

Lechon Macau (Php 320)

This is way better than the Lechon Kawali that I always wanted to eat when I was a child. Crispy pork skin on top of the soft and juicy pork meat. Arggh! You'll definitely need to eat a lot of green tea after wolfing this whole plate. It's a sinful treat so better to eat it in moderation or if you can't help it, might as well detoxify the next day or do a cleansing diet.

Our bill totaled to Php 1500+  which is cheap considering we are a group of six. Not bad at all.

Oh before I forget, Lutong Macau have Lauriat Menus that may suit your needs:

Lauriat Menus A, B, E and F

Lauriat Menus C, D, G and H

* Prices are VAT inclusive, net of senior citizens and privilege discounts. Additional of Php 800.00 per set menu for bottomless drinks. Available for TAKE OUT or DELIVERY. FREE BIRTHDAY NOODLES or YANG CHOW FRIED RICE per set menu ordered. Inclusive of two (2) kinds of desserts per set menu. Inquire with store personnel. This apply for the Lauriat Menus.

Lutong Macau
116 Jupiter St. Bel-Air Village,
Makati City
Tel. Nos. 896-7777/ 895-3333
Mobile No. 0922-8362228
Email: info@lutongmacau.com
www.lutongmacau.com