Dakong Bato Beach and Leisure Resort

I'm lucky to be one of the few people to see Dakong Bato transform into the beautiful resort that it is now. About 4 years ago, we just called this place Mr. Wong's resthouse. We used to spend summer outing, Christmas party, and team-building activities there while the resort's development was still on the works. Even then we already loved the place.

A glimpse of the over-looking view from the restaurant in the resort

The infinity pool and cottages

A different view of the pool and the crystal clear sea water

Emely enjoying the infinity pool

Karaoke and activity area near the infinity pool

Another pool with a slide

Our delicious lunch after a tree planting activity. The banana leaves made it extra special. This was bought outside by the way.

A random tiny flower

Top view of the infinity pool

Sea water enclosure in between the two pools

Sea water enclosure showing the sea wall

Enjoying the view

So Dakong Bato in English means "big rock". The resort is built in a rocky cliff overlooking the sea. It is located in Coro, Dalaguete Cebu which is about 4 hours ride south of Cebu City.  What I like most about the place is the serenity and privacy, beautiful sunrise, and the cool clear sea water perfect for snorkeling . This may not be the place though for those who would expect of a white sand beach. I still  do enjoy the sea most here especially now with the sea water enclosure. As for the fees, it may be a little heavy for some but the place is still worth checking out. For more information about the resort visit their site, Dakong Bato .

Dani

Sizzlin' Pepper Steak and Nonki

I'm just the worst person to share food trips ever. Not only do I post so late, I don't take notes of the menu or dishes that we've tried. Oh and also the prices. If only I posted this sooner, I would have remembered. It would still be nice to share the photos anyways. They look too delicious to be put into hiding. 

So this was at Sizzlin Pepper Steak at the Terraces Ayala Center Cebu a few months back. This was from their Sizzlin Pepper Rice menu, I'm just so sure now if this one I ordered was pork or chicken. 

It was really cool to wait for your meal getting cooked right in front of you on the hot plate. 

It was sizzling hot and really good, that I can honestly remember. :D

My partner in food crime Emely, went healthier with her choice of a Tuna dish. Sorry, no idea with the menu name too. :(

It was light, creamy and yummy as well.

On a different day, we had the chance to try out Nonki Japanese Restaurant in SM City Cebu.  We just opted for their bento dishes. Our orders came with complimentary tea, appetizer and miso soup. 

I had tempura bento. This was actually too much for me, I had a hard time finishing and I just have to stop forcing myself because I was in the verge of throwing up. Well I wasn't feeling well that night. We might just go there again when I'm really starving.

Emely had this chicken something bento, nothing special with the chicken but it was good. Among all the other Japanese bentos we've tried, Nonki so far had the best value for money. It was sumptuous, affordable and offered great ambiance as well.

I still have a few food photos hanging around, I definitely would be posting them soon. And I should better be  taking notes next time.

Dani

Swatch: Nyx Round Lipstick in B52

actual color is almost the same here

Bare lips

With NYX B52 Round lipstick

The Good: Smooth application, creamy, no shimmers, color compliments well with any skin tone

The Not-So-Good: Doesn't last long, can get too soft with the Philippine weather 

This is not my first NYX round lippie, but finally this is the first one that I have been using for a longer time than the others that I've tried. Please excuse the photo actual application does seem a bit weird, though it was taken with natural lighting. Another thing I liked about it, it somewhat makes the skin look bright, thus the effect of the last photo I guess. In person, its almost like my natural lip color, and more even. I don't know but I couldn't seem to like NYX lipsticks with shimmer finish. It might just be me but outcome of color pay-off and texture are not the same. I may also be just too picky. 

Anyways, I bought this from pretty Ms Kaz of  Krozer Online who's based in Cebu City Philippines, and who is also selling her NYX lipsticks and other make-up for wholesale prices. So you might want to check her site         Krozer Fashion Shop  before it runs out! 

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

Dani

IN2IT Waterproof Eyebrow Colour

 Cute packaging design

Comes with a tiny applicator brush 

I was blessed with naturally thin and very sparse eyebrows. Never learned to do anything with them until I started working and basically use any eyebrow pencil my mom would suggest. I haven't really found that one good eyebrow pencil after many tries. Well, I've heard of eyebrow powders and kits but thought to myself those are just for the professionals. Until I was at Watsons one time, just looking around and the IN2IT SA just talked me into trying out their Eyebrow Colour. I was actually eyeing on the Skinfood and Nichido Brow kits but its good to talk to someone who's nice and friendly enough to tell you more about the product, so I gave it a go. 

 The IN2IT SA taught me to swipe the brush from the lightest color to the darkest color in a slant direction. In this way the brush picks up all three shades of the brow powder, then apply to redefine the eyebrows.

 

SWATCHES

First three swatches from the top: The individual colors of the brow colour, from lightest to darkest

Bottom swatch: Brush swiped on all three shades

 Bare Eyebrows

Pardon my application, I still need more practice. Just wanted to show how the powder goes on the actual eyebrows

Conclusion: I love it! It took me a few days to get used to the brow powder to replace my usual eyebrow pencil routine, but I can really say that its definitely worth it. Eyebrow powder gives a more subtle look than most pencils. It gives me more control during application. The brush applicator is handy but I found a different  a slanted eyeliner brush with a spoolie (Marionnaud) at the end which works perfect for the eyebrows as well.   I have combination oily skin and with this, my eyebrows can last all day. I also like to use the darkest shade as an eyeliner which works pretty well. I bought this at Watsons for Php 299.00 ($6.8), and I think this is the only shade available, I might try to check. I'm not sure how long will this last me but for sure, I will repurchase.

So I thought brow powder application is hard, but with this I'm going to surely try other brands especially that it is one product that I will always use everyday.

Have a great day everyone!

dani

Dark and Heavenly

Chocolates are one of my guilty pleasures. I grew up too prone of tonsillitis, so I'm always warned of the possible outcome whenever I eat them. Came the sort of independent years, I just eat whatever I want, given its in moderation and right way so I still give in to my chocolate cravings. But I may have outgrown my sweet tooth because I no longer crave for the milk chocolate types. For a few years now, I just heart the dark chocolate varieties.

The cocoa content of dark, semisweet, bittersweet or black chocolates may vary from brand to brand but it basically has zero or less milk than milk chocolates. Though a true dark chocolate contains at least or more than 65% cacao. I've tried one long time ago, I can't remember the brand but still familiar with the packaging, just couldn't find it recently. So here are my latest grabs of locally available dark chocolates, Meiji. Toblerone, Goya and Dove. 

I am just delighted to share that many brands have finally come up with dark chocolate varieties. There's the Snickers and Kitkat bars as well, which are sadly out of stock during my supermarket visit. 

I could not decide on a single favorite but my top picks are the Almond Goya, Meiji Black Choc and Snickers Dark Choc.

I love this black choco! The right bittersweet taste and very satisfying...

I only eat Toblerone if its this dark choco! The others are just too sweet...

Since there are not a lot of these babies available locally, I'm not too keen with the cocoa content. As long as its labeled dark, I'm good. It's somehow good to know that the higher the pure cocoa content, the better benefits we get from it. Dark chocolates have shown to lower bad cholesterol, lower bad pressure, contains serotonin and stimulates endorphin which are responsible for enhancing happy moods. But it should be remembered not all chocolate brands carries the same nutritional value. Nonetheless it's definitely worth indulging..


Good luck for another weekday ahead!


dani

Tony Moly Mini Lip Tint in Cherry Pink

This is just going to be a quick take on my experience with the Tony Moly lip tint. Bought this off Ebay for Php50 and this is the sampler size of about 7g. Thought it would be good to try it out since its just small.  The tint is almost watery and I just find it too drying on my lips, thus I have to skip the application for this post.  On the other hand, applying lip balm first doesn't give the expected color pay-off and doesn't last long. It might just be me but overall I was disappointed.  Not fond of cheek tints either so haven't applied the product as such. So I think tints of this kind is just not for me.


Another long weekend ahead! (Cebu) Lovely day everyone!


dani

Pure Beauty Essential Eye Cream

Product Info:

Bon Voyage Essential Eye Cream is specially formulated to help reduce dark circles and smooth fine lines. It contains Sepilift lipo-amino acid, which helps stimulate the self production of collagen and restore the natural firmness to your skin. The resealable sachet pack makes it convenient for travelling.

For Daily Use: In the morning and evening, apply a small amount around the eyes using fingertips. For best results use continuously for a minimum of 2 weeks.

For Intensive Treatment: Apply a thick layer of cream over upper and lower eyelids and leave on for 10 minutes then wipe off. Complete the treatment with a massage starting from the inside, going towards the outer part of the eye contour.

My Personal Take:

Got this product from Watson's for Php 79.00 ($2). My main concern are the puffy eyebags. Though it's not that dark, I find it somewhat wrinkled.The instructions suggests continuous use for 2 weeks, but forgetful me or just being plain lazy, haven't really religiously followed the regimen.Good enough though I can actually say that the product works. There was a time that got to use it for 5 consecutive days I have noticed slight improvement with my wrinkled under eye area. What I like most about the product is its refreshing effect upon application. Not a substitute for cucumber slices or cold eye packs, which I love btw, but I am definitely lobing the coolness the cream gives. Overall I like the product, I still use it whenever I have the time and the 10 mL cream goes a long way.



Stay Happy and Pretty,


dani