Morellato Sparkles at Shangri-la East Wing

Italian jewelry brand Morellato, which traces its roots back to Venice, in the year 1930, recently opened its newest store at the East Wing of Shangri-la Plaza Mall, graced no less by Morellato's principals who flew in from Italy, as well as Italian Ambassador Massimo Roscigno.

The Fioremo Collection, the latest from Morellato

With a strong Italian heritage, all pieces designed by Morellato are made in Italy, crafted from precious materials such as pearls, diamonds, semi-precious materials and surgical stainless steel, which guarantees strength and protection from corrosion.

More than just jewelry, Morellato also offers a selection of watches, leather goods, key chains, and writing instruments. 

Of course, Morellato is also known for its "Drops Collection", which allows us to playfully put together crystals, jewels and blown glass (in true Venetian fashion) to come up with a piece that is truly our own.

Here's what I came up with:

A bracelet with a Dragon for Dragon Boy Xavi, a Baby Carriage for Baby #3 (our latest Dychiao addition!), a Pearl for Donya Beriray, a Crystal Charm for Me, and a Lucky Horseshoe for Dada, who was born in the Year of the Horse! So cute!!! 

For more on Morellato Philippines, Like their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MorellatoPhilippines

Meet Peter Cincotti, Tod's First Male Ambassador

Singer/Songwriter/Pianist Peter Cincotti, the first male ambassador for Tod’s, if you haven't noticed, is all decked out in Tod's for the music video of his single “Madeline” from the album “Metropolis.”

If that went on too fast, here are outtakes of his outfits from the shoot:

What a lucky guy, I hope he got to keep some of what he wore, or bought at wholesale at least, heehee. Because here they are some of the pieces he wore for the video up close, and everything, as expected from Tod's is elegant in that sporty way that only Tod's can do.

In the Philippines, Tod’s shoes, bags, and accessories are exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. (SSI) and are available at the boutiques located in Greenbelt 4, Ayala Center, Makati and Rustan’s Tower, Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

Tonkita BBQ Tools and a Bucket

Tongue Twister: BBQing in the backyard of a Brooklyn brownstone, photo by Dada

One of our favorite summer activities with friends is a backyard BBQ.

We don't even need a fancy grill. We get our favorite folks to gather around a portable one, prepare burger patties, hotdogs, corn on the cob, asparagus spears, onions and sweet peppers, open up a bag of chips and prepare a cooler of icy cold soda and beer and that's a whole afternoon of fun right there!

 

What's not fun is cleaning up! While fat drippings and a bit of char on a burger or Pinoy style BBQ stick is a little dose of heaven, seeing these stickily stuck on a grill, you just know it can be hell to remove.

While Italians may not be known for their grilling skills (the closest to my mind is a panini. Oh and Nero), Italian manufacturer of household cleaners, Arix, has come out with a line of barbecue tools that would please the master of the grill, or whoever is tasked to clean up after a cookout:

You know what else is fun about outdoor barbecues? Seeing kids have fun at the sandbox and in the pool!

You can always use the pool water to clean up the backyard mess. Just dump the pool water into this stylish Tonkita duplex bucket...

Where you can dunk and squeeze out the mop in one go:

Italians may be outshined by a mile by good 'ol Southern barbecue pitmasters, but they sure have Sprezzatura when it comes to household cleaning!

For more on Tonkita by Arix, like their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ArixPhilippines  

Slim Down with YamamaySlim

 

 

Would you believe me if I told you that we can look slimmer, even smooth out cellulite, just by wearing "magic" undergarments for 8 hours every day for 28 days?

That's the promise of YamamaySlim and according to the SA who assisted me and Jackie at Yamamay in Glorietta, this line is a bestseller in Yamamay's native Italy, flying off the shelves as soon as stocks arrive. She even told us of a US based customer who would hoard YamamaySlim for herself and her mom everytime she was in town.

But what exactly is YamamaySlim? And how does it do what it promises to do?

The YamamaySlim garments are made of Revolutional® Slim, a Carvico fabric. It is an innovative, comfortable and effective product that revolutionizes the concept of slimming. By wearing them regularly for at least 8 hours a day for 28 days*, they help to:  

• reduce the hips circumference 
• fight water retention 
• reduce orange-peel effect

Unique in its kind, Revolutional® Slim performs a remodelling action on localized fat and provides a new teatment for the reduction of blemishes caused by cellulite. Thanks to the use of Nurel’s micro-encapsulated fibre, rich in natural active ingredients such as caffeine, retinol, fatty acids, aloe and vitamin E, Revolutional® Slim redefines the silhouette. 

The extraordinary results of Revolutional® Slim have been widely demonstrated by clinical safety and effectiveness tests conducted and certified by Bio Basic Europe - Milan, an authoritative centre for derma-cosmetic evaluation. The garment retains its properties unaltered over 100 washings. 

(*) in addition to a balanced diet and a regular physical activity 

The SA also told us that the fabric used in YamamaySlim is so comfortable, you can even use it for workouts! I got the leggings and the top in black, and I will definitely be using the leggings for yoga and Plana Forma (when I find the time, heehee).

As for the black top, I have been using it as a camisole underneath silk tops and they fit and feel like a dream! Very comfortable and feels cool to the skin. I can totally wear it for 8 hours straight, even more. 

I haven't worn it straight for 28 days though because that would mean I'd have to buy at least 4 more to wear day in day out haha. But I like wearing it as a camisole and if it means slimming down by wearing it, then that's just the cherry on top. I'd say it's worth a try!

If I were to buy another piece from YamamaySlim, I'd get the bodysuit. This would be perfect to wear underneath dresses. Or with a top that you'd want to tuck into your skirt or pants for a smooth, seamless look. Plus its so easy to wear, you don't have to worry about peeing and such because it has snaps in the crotch area:

Oh and guys, worried about those love handles? There's YamamaySlim for men too. There are two styles, a shirt and singlet that comes in black and white, and may be used as an undershirt so you can wear them every single day.

About Yamamay:

Yamamay is Italy's answer to Victoria's Secret. My friend Kellyn, who studied in Italy, says they have the best fitting bras. Apart from shapewear, they also carry beachwear, underwear, lingerie and sleepwear.

Yamamay is located at 2/F Robinsons Magnolia and 1/F Glorietta 2.

Vroom Brooms from Tonkita by Arix

This is the walis called the walis tambo that most of us use around the house to sweep non-carpeted floors: 

photo via sungka.wordpress.com 

Then, there's the walis tingting of course, which is for "outdoor" use:

 photo via reflectionsofasia.com

The tambo is made from reeds, while the tingting is made from the center spine of a coconut leaf. Very quaint and old-fashioned, but they're still around because they work like a charm. When I would see guys in Central Park using leaf blowers and rakes, I would immediately think how easier life would be for them if they had a Metro Aide style walis tingting. 

In fact, my friend Emee who has a multi-label showroom in Manhattan asks her interns to sweep the floor of her showroom with a walis tambo. Because it cleans better and gets more dust daw. Imagine showroom interns in Chloe sandals, Golden Goose boots and Pierre Hardy sneakers, sweeping the floor of a Tribeca loft with a walis tambo. Surreal and a bit absurd, but true.

Effective as it may be, the traditional Filipino walis unfortunately is not exactly the height of chic heehee.  And for somebody like me who likes to do things in style (haha), these Italian brooms from  Tonkita by Arix are the sort of brooms I want to be using around the house.

100% recyclable indoor and outdoor broom heads from Tonkita

Made from high quality, eco-friendly bristles, Tonkita by Arix lasts longer than ordinary wooden brooms. It has angled edges, to make it easy to sweep corners and hard-to-reach places. It also comes with easy-to-use extendable steel handles so we can use it to clean both floors and ceilings.

Like our very own walis variants, Tonkita by Arix is available in indoor and outdoor versions.

Indoor versions are ideal for smooth surfaces and fine dust, crumbs and hairs. It is safe to use even on the most delicate surfaces: ceramic, terracotta, stoneware, marble and parquet.

 dual indoor broom with extendable handles, Php389.75 (L) and spazio indoor broom refill, Php174.75 (R)

Outdoor versions are made of stiffer bristles and are ideal for rough and cement surfaces: basements, garages, terraces, courtyards, gardens and streets. And once they've been used and abused? Refills are available for all versions. 

rustica w/ handle Php359.75 (L) and maxi w/handle Php419.75 (R) outdoor brushes

Stylish na, functional pa. If you wear Chanel camellia slippers at home, carry lang magwalis walis around the house. Donya pa din.

Arix S.p.A. is the trusted Italian brand of high quality cleaning materials. Check out its new range of push brooms designed for a more effective and efficient cleaning at Handyman, Ace Hardware and leading grocery stores.

For more on Tonkita by Arix, like their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ArixPhilippines