Hong Kong Day 3: Hong Kong Disneyland

We’re halfway through our week in Hong Kong already! You can check out my previous posts for day 1 & day 2, too.

 

For our third day in Hong Kong, we went to the happiest place on Earth: Disneyland!!! ‘Twas truly the highlight of our trip; well, at least for me, it was.

 

Anyway, just like our trip to Ocean Park, we wanted to get to Hong Kong Disneyland as the park opens (10AM). From our hostel, we walked to Tsim Sha Tsui station and boarded the train (Tsuen Wan Line) towards Tsuen Wan, which is around 17 minutes or 9 stops. We alighted at Lai King station, and rode the Tung Chung Line towards Tung Chung (around 11 minutes, 2 stops). Then, we walked to Sunny Bay station and rode the Disneyland Resort Line train. The travel time is around an hour. The fare is less thank HK$20; forgot the exact fare. Again, we used our Octopus Card.

 

Oh, a tip for you guys: you can also bring snacks and water into the park. Water costs HK$22 inside the park, but you can buy the same brand of water in 7-11 at only HK$3!!! So if you don’t want to spend so much money on water and snacks, you can bring your own water and candy.

 

 

The train’s design is absolutely gorgeous! The theme, obviously, is Mickey Mouse. Can you find the Hidden Mickey?? LOL! But yeah, the windows are in the shape of Mickey’s head. The plush blue curved sofas are really comfortable. Also, lots of Mickey décor adorned the train. Definitely picture-worthy!

 

 

HELLO, DISNEYLAND!!! Disneyland’s gate is a tourist spot on its own.

Hello Kitty top from Forever21, Highwaist shorts from Pull & Bear, heart-print tights from Hong Kong, and flats from Forever21

 

We also got our Disneyland tickets at Asia Travel because it’s cheaper. Tickets cost HK$390 (around Php2000) at the entrance, but we got our tickets at a lower price (forgot the exact price). Some hotels also sell Disneyland tickets at lower prices especially if you book with them, so do check out their rates as well.

 

Disneyland has 6 main areas: Grizzly Gulch, Toy Story Land, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, and Main Street, USA. My favorite is Fantasyland, where Sleeping Beauty’s castle is located.

 

I enjoyed Disneyland more compared to Ocean Park. The rides are more child-friendly, less-extreme. Aside from the rides, there are loads of performances to watch, like Mickey’s PhilharMagic, The Golden Mickeys, and various Street Performances. Your eyes will drop with loads of things to see!

 

 

One of the highlights of the park is the Flights of Fantasy Parade everyday at 3:30 PM. It begins in Fantasyland near the entrance of Storybook Theatre. The weather wasn’t nice when we visited the park, so instead of having the Flights of Fantasy Parade, the visitors enjoyed Mickey’s Rainy Day Express Parade.

 

 

Aside from the rides, we also got to meet several Disney characters. Do check out Disneyland’s Daily Calendar, so you’d know where and what time to catch them. They were really nice and friendly! Such a fun experience to meet the characters we love since we were kids. Each character has an assigned photographer to take “official Disneyland photos.” But you can also give them your own camera for your own copy.

 

 

Disneyland also has lots of shops where you can buy gift items, clothes, and other knick knacks. My sisters and I bought matchy-matchy charm bracelets in memory of our Disneyland trip. Souvenir items here are a tad bit pricier compared to Ocean Park, but they’re too cute to pass. Oh, except for the Minnie Mouse headband, which is around HK$128 to HK$168 each.

 

Another must-see attraction is the “Disney in the Stars” Fireworks signify the closing of the theme park. At 8PM every night (9PM every Thursday until Saturday), watch the skies light up. This is best viewed on Main Street, USA. Crowds flock in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle minutes before the fireworks start, so be there earlier than 8PM to get good seats.

 

 

The fireworks display was truly beautiful! I got teary-eyed (hehe) while watching coz they’re just soooo pretty! I felt thankful to God to be able to experience this together with my family. Cheesy, eh?

 

 

The fireworks display lasted for about 15-20 minutes. Then, it was the closing of the park. We lingered for a little while at the shops at Main Street because we knew the lines at the MTR will be crazy long.

 

Three different train lines after, we were back at Tsim Sha Tsui. Our feet were too tired from walking for the past three days, but ‘twas definitely worth it.

 

‘Till next time, loves!

 

Love,

Dianne

Technorati Tags: 2013,abroad,travel,hong kong,hong kong disneyland,family,trip,outfit,ootd,fashion,forever21,pull & bear,longchamp,train,commute,fireworks

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December Makeup Haul

My sister, Bianca, is a makeup junkie. We both love makeup, but she’s more into learning the craft. Pang-arte lang sa’kin ang makeup. Haha! She influenced me in watching vlogs (video blogs) of different YouTube bloggers, such as Say Artillero, Bethany Mota, and Meghan Rosette. I used to laugh at them ‘coz it sounds silly to share the random things you buy at the mall. It’s like saying, “These are the things I bought at SM Department Store: Ever Bilena lipstick, Nichido eyeliner, etc.” I have nothing against these local brands; it just seemed funny for me.

 

However, sharing their “makeup haul” also opened doors for me: I now know which drugstore brands are the best, which products I can save money with, the different dupes of higher-end products, etc. Nakakaaliw lang panoorin sila. Plus, I gained more background on putting on makeup.

 

So, when a friend from the US was coming home to the Philippines, my sister and I became wide-eyed and started online shopping! I enjoyed scouring through different drugstore sites, such as WalMart, Ulta, and Target. To be honest, the variety of makeup brands was really overwhelming! But a big thanks to these Beauty Vloggers, I now have an idea which items to purchase.

 

Online shopping, especially for makeup, is really tricky. If items are available here in the Philippines, I suggest you visit the makeup counter to swatch on the products. You’d know if the product would suit you or not. If the makeup brand is not available, then seek help from the different Beauty bloggers and vloggers online.

 

Here’s my makeup haul from Target and Nordstrom, which I got last December!

 

First row: Real Techniques Stippling Brush, Real Techniques Core Collection Set [one brush is missing, can’t find it haha], Revlon PhotoReady Powder

Second row: Maybelline Great Lash LOL Mascara, Maybelline Great Lash Big, Maybelline Volum’ Express One by One Mascara, Revlon Lash Potion Volume + Length Mascara, NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream, MAC Retro Matte Lipsticks

 

I won’t be doing a makeup review because I may not know what I am talking about. Haha. I either love or hate the product, that’s it ;)

 

 

My sister and I own a handful of affordable brushes from Shawill, Forever21, ELF, and Nichido. Since we’re just starting out with makeup, we wanted good brushes at good prices. But then came these Real Techniques brushes posted all over the Internet. We wanted to get a set, but we don’t want to spend Php950 to Php1050 for a set of brushes! Good thing, there’s Target! Haha. The brushes were on SALE.We got the Stippling Brush (pink handle) at only US$7.49 (around Php320; original price is US$9.99). This retails at around Php550 to Php650 online. The Core Collection Set (gold handles) was also on sale at US$13.49 per set (around Php600; original price is US$17.99). This retails at around Php950 to Php1050 online.

 

I love these brushes. They’re soft on the face, which is the first thing I look for in a brush. I use the Stippling Brush (first brush) for my BB cream and liquid foundation, the Buffing Brush (fourth brush) for powder, the Pointed Foundation Brush (third brush) for my concealer, and the Contour Brush (second brush) for contouring. I haven’t much figured out how to use the Detailer Brush (not in picture) though.

 

 

One of my makeup obsessions is mascaras. As of posting time, I have 11 mascaras, including these 3 unopened ones. I’m super in love with Maybelline mascaras. They’re my absolute go-to mascaras because they lengthen and add volume to my lashes. I actually have 6 Maybelline mascaras now. Haha! Talk about hoarding ;)

 

I bought mascaras that aren’t available here in the Philippines, namely (L to R) Maybelline Great Lash Big in Blackest Black (US$3.99; around Php180), Maybelline Great Lash LOL in Very Black (US$3.99; around Php180), and Maybelline Volum’ Express One by One in Very Black (US$5.99; around Php270). Super excited to use all these mascaras!!! (Note: Read a mascara wars blog post here against Benefit They’re Real, and guess who won? Now I’m more excited to open this tube!)

 

 

I also bought the Revlon Lash Potion Volume + Length Mascara. I bought it at Target since it’s expensive here in the Philippines! Haha. The tube retails at around Php700, I think. I got this at only US$4.99 (around Php230)! Pretty cheap, huh? This is my current favorite, alongside Maybelline’s Volum’ Express Rocket, which I got at only Php319 at Watson’s during a sale.

 

 

Another makeup obsession is lipsticks! I just can’t get enough of them! As of writing, I own 25 lipsticks (plus another 5 more are in the mail. Can’t wait to share this with you!!!). Yes, I am a hoarder!

 

I bought these at Nordstrom.com, and not Target (Target doesn’t carry MAC). Left is MAC Retro Matte in Steady Going (Limited edition; US$15 or Php670), middle is NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Antwerp (US$5.99 or Php270), and right is MAC Retro Matte in All Fired Up.

 

 

My least favorite of the bunch is MAC in Steady Going. I was debating whether to get Flat Out Fabulous or Steady Going, and I went for the latter because it’s limited edition only. It’s quite easy to apply, but it tends to settle on the cracks of my lips. So ang pangit niya tignan sa lips. The MAC MUA says I should use a lip primer, which is on my next shopping list (currently looking for cheap lip primers since MAC's so expensiiive).

 

My favorites are both NYX Lip Cream in Antwerp and MAC All Fired Up. They’re just soooo pretty on the lips! Antwerp is coral on the lips. I just had a sudden love of coral lipsticks through Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in Coral Crush, which came in my BDJ Box last year. Lakas maka-girl next door peg ng coral! Haha. I also love MAC All Fired Up, which is pink red under good lighting conditions. Such a pretty way to make a statement.

 

 

Next on the list is Revlon PhotoReady Powder in Light/Medium. It costs US$10.99 (around Php500). I love this powder because it’s light on the face. It also has a matte finish to keep the oil at bay. It has sparkly shizznick on the powder, too. I really have no idea what it does, but it’s so pretty to look at! Haha. It also comes with a flat brush (not in the picture, but it’s somewhere on my dresser, I swear). I don’t like to use that, but I use my Real Techniques Buffing Brush instead.

 

So yeah, that’s my makeup haul from Target & Nordstrom. Total cost is US$86.92 + sales tax, which is around Php4000. But, if I bought everything here in the Philippines, this would cost me around Php6700. Saved roughly Php2700!! Great deal, I must say! How about you? Do you have a makeup haul? Love to hear from you!

 

XX

Dianne

Technorati Tags: Maybelline,Real Techniques,Revlon,NYX,MAC,mascara,brushes,powder,lip cream,lipstick,beauty,Target,haul,Nordstrom,online shopping,makeup

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Trip Down South

Last Saturday, my family and I headed down south for our last trip before the holiday break ends. We visited Paseo de Sta Rosa and Solenad at Nuvali.

Top from Topshop, Maxi skirt from SM Store, Bag from Charles & Keith, Shoes from Parisian

I have a love-hate relationship with maxi skirts. I feel so intimidated by it because I’m petite, and I don’t want to look any shorter. The trick for petite girls to make maxi skirts more wearable is to choose dainty prints, such as the one I’m wearing. If you choose to don solid colors, the color should be on the lighter spectrum. Choose pastels to get that girl-next-door vibe. In addition, the fabric should also be light. Think chiffon or light cotton fabrics. Avoid the heavy structured fabrics coz it will make you look heavier. I looooove this particular skirt (which was also 50% off at the SM Store; talk about a great deal!) because of its floral print. I also like the pleats, coz I think it made me seem taller. ;)

Paseo de Sta Rosa is an outlet store heaven. It has tons of outlet stores which will make one’s wallet whimper. Haha! More stores have been added in Paseo 3 & 4, so better check it out. I especially love the Bench Outlet, Nike Park Outlet, and Nine West Outlet stores. You can score items at 20% to 80% off the tag price! Great deal, huh?

Ooooh, my 4-month old Shih Tzu, Princess Kate, made new friends!! YEY! She was a good girl the entire trip! She was quiet during the trip to Sta Rosa, and she was asleep the whole time going home.



Next stop was Solenad at Nuvali. This is one of my favorite places to dine. I used to go here often in college, since ‘twas less than 20pesos away [before the SLEX toll hike happened!] from school. Perks of being “away” in college; you can stay out really late. LOL



Nuvali has two different “areas”: Solenad & Solenad 2. Solenad area has loads of restaurants to choose from! Favorites include Crisostomo’s, Conti’s, Yellow Cab, Claw Daddy, and, of course, Starbucks! I love the Starbucks branch at Solenad coz it’s really cozy! The interiors are also aesthetically appealing. In college, we used to visit this particular branch of Starbucks because it’s “conducive to learning.” [Echos lang. Gusto lang talaga gumala haha]

Solenad 2, meanwhile, contains lots of shops. Unlike Paseo de Sta Rosa, it doesn’t have much outlet stores. A few lang, like Payless, ALDO, Shoe Salon, and Stoked. Forgot the others, but yeah; you get the idea.





My mom LOOOVES Christmas a lot! Especially Christmas decors. So, when she found pictures of her friends and their families posing on a quaint Christmas village, she wanted to visit the place.



Apparently, it’s not a Christmas village; rather, the model houses of Brittany & Crown Asia were dressed up in Christmas themes (Candy Land & Santa’s Toy Box) especially for the holdays.





Here’s a picture of my adorbs puppy, Princess Kate! I think she’s too hot from spending so much time under the sun. Poor, baby!



Aside from dining at Solenad, there are activities that you and your family can enjoy. There’s a boat ride at the lake (Php30/head), bike around the area (bikes for rent at Php60/hr), enjoy a picnic (totally free!! Lots of “grass” to lay down on LOL), and feed Koi fish in the lake (Php15/packet of fish food). We chose to do the latter because the heat was totally unbearable, so we opted out the boat ride & riding a bike.



Sadly, wasn’t able to buy anything. I became more kuripot ever since Pixie Dust came to life. HAHA! But I enjoyed this last trip that we had. My cousins from the province really enjoyed their vacation. There’s nothing like spending the holidays with the family <3

How did you spend the last few days of the holiday break (and the first few days of the year)? Hope you had a blast, just like I did. ‘Till next time!

Love,

Dianne

Technorati Tags: family,love,fashion,topshop,SM Store,ootd,outfit,puppy,puppy love,Shih Tzu,paseo de sta rosa,nuvali,laguna,shopping,fish,koi,fish feeding,parisian,charles & keith

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Hong Kong Day 2: Ocean Park Hong Kong

How’s Day 2 of your 2014, so far? Mine’s ok! Haha.

Anyway, Day 2 of our family’s Hong Kong getaway last April was dedicated to visiting Ocean Park Hong Kong. Have I mentioned how easy commuting in Hong Kong is??? I love their public transportation system; hoping we have disciplined commuters and effective commuting system, too!

I highly recommend buying an Octopus Card once you get to Hong Kong. The Octopus card is similar to the LRT/MRT card; only BETTER. Aside from using the card at the MTR, you can also use it to pay for your bus fare. In addition, you can use it for your purchases at 7-11, SaSa, and other retail stores, parking lots, and more! It’s a reloadable card that you can use to pay for almost everything! The regular Octopus card costs HK$150 (HK$100 load but HK$50 is refundable). It has other card types, such as the Tourist Octopus card. We opted to get the regular one, so we can still refund the HK$50. You can buy the Octopus card at the airport or any MTR station (that’s where we got ours). Also, fares are relatively cheaper if you use the card compared to giving cash for your fare.

We wanted to get there as the park opens (10AM), so we left the hostel at 9AM. Mirador Mansions is very near the MTR station (Tsim Sha Tsui station), so commuting was really easy for us. To get to Ocean Park, ride the Tsuen Wan Line train towards Central, and get off at the Admiralty Station. Walk to Admiralty West Bus Terminus (Exit B) and wait for the 629 Bus that will take you to the Ocean Park Main Entrance (bus trip is around 25 – 30 minutes). The bus will drop you off the entrance; ride the escalator going up, and HELLO, OCEAN PARK!!!

Lace longsleeves top from Forever 21, Aztec print skirt from Pixie Dust, black tights from Hong Kong, Red jelly flats from MEL, Le Pliage Longchamp bag

We got our tickets at Asia Travel because it’s cheaper there compared to buying it at the gate. I think, during our trip, tickets cost HK$290 (around Php1500) at the entrance, but we got our tickets at HK$252 each (around Php1300) instead. Few hundred bucks cheaper ;)

Ocean Park Hong Kong is soooooooooooo big. Unlike Manila Ocean Park, HK OP has tons of rides and other amusements aside from the usual aquariums. It has two areas (The Waterfront and The Summit), which are connected by the cable cars and the Ocean Express.

The Waterfront area has 5 “sub-areas” : Amazing Asian Animals, Aqua City, Waterfront Cable Car Station, Ocean Express Waterfront Station, and Whiskers Harbour. The Summit has 7 sub-areas: Submmit Cable Car Station, Ocean Express Summit Station, Marine World, Adventure Land, Thriller Mountain, Polar Adventure, and Rainforest.






We visited The Summit first, and we rode the cable car going there. IT WAS AMAZING! ‘Twas my first time to ride the cable car. A bit terrifying, yes, but the experience was worth it. Take the cable car option if you’re a thrill junkie; if you’re afraid of heights, I suggest you take the Ocean Express instead. My parents visited Ocean Park Hong Kong in 1994, and they swore the cable car ride wasn’t that loooong then. I guess the park underwent tons of renovations since then.









The Summit has more rides compared to The Waterfront. However, we weren’t able to ride everything ‘coz most were scary! The most adventurous ride we went on was the Mine Train! The track is more than half a kilometer long and is 85 meters off the ground. Plus, it was beside the ocean! We felt like we would fall off to the ocean!

Here’s a picture of the Mine Train!

My favorite attraction at The Summit was the South Pole Spectacular. Was able to  meet real live penguins!!! They were really cute and playful! Be warned though, it’s verrrry cold inside! Around 8-10 degrees inside the building.




 

We also got to watch the dolphins show. It was quite similar to the show at Ocean Adventure in Subic.



They were many things to see at The Summit, but we were really tired from all the walking. We then headed back down to The Waterfront via the Cable Car. Once there, we visited my next favorite attraction: the Giant Panda Adventure!



This was the highlight of my trip to Ocean Park! I loooove pandas <3 Good thing the pandas there were awake! One of the pandas just woke up from his nap and he was hungry, so he ate in front of us! UGGGGH. CUDDLY PANDAS!!!





I also bought a souvenir: a panda plushie. My boyfriend and I named him (CHESTER) [apparently, Chester is my TIGER plushie. Haha! #confused] GAO.



The dancing lights fountain show marks the closing of the park, which is at 6PM. So be there before 6PM, as people would flock that area. We didn’t wait for the show since we were too tired.





We went back to Tsim Sha Tsui the same way we went to Ocean Park: 629 bus and MTR ride to Tsim Sha Tsui. We headed back to our hotel and rested for a while. After, we headed out to scout for dinner, and we landed at KFC. Haha!

‘Till next post, readers!

Love,

Dianne

(See previous posts about our Hong Kong trip here and here!)

Technorati Tags: hong kong,ocean park,family,love,ocean park hong kong,panda,animals,penguin,rides,forever21,mel,pixie dust,longchamp,ootd,outfit

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Cheers to the New Year!

Hello, 2014!!!! I’m quite excited for this year! I’m claiming it to be a better year than the last one. Yep, positive outlook on things mean positive outcomes.



The last year was not what I expected it to be. Yeah, there were happy moments, but some things were quite unexpected. I “quit” Graduate School earlier this year. I was taking up MS Genetics minor in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in UPLB. I admit it’s really my fault; my Special Problem didn’t go well as expected, so I simply left school. Up to now, I do not know the grades I got from my classes that semester. I was just too scared to face the consequences, so I just “hid” from all my professors. Maybe, Graduate School really isn’t for me. (Stop ranting, NOW)

One of the highlights of my year, though, is the success of Pixie Dust. My sister and I started it last September 2012, but 2013 was very good to our small business. We sold 11 collections in total, joined 3 bazaars, launched Pixie Bites by Pixie Dust and made tons of new friends! We’re so thankful for the overwhelming support of our wonderful customers. Have you visited our online shop lately?

Dress from H&M, belt from Bershka, Flats from POSH Pocket Shoes

New Year means new things to do and accomplish. So here’s the list of things I’ll accomplish this year:

• Get a (stable) job – I’ve been unemployed for more than a year already!!! Haha. I miss getting regular paychecks.
• Travel to more places in the Philippines – Hoping to do a Mindanao tour (Camiguin, CDO, Bukidnon, GenSan) sometime this year. Plus, Bacolod, too!
• Financial stability – This is my yearly “New Year resolution.” I do get to save money throughout the year, but it ends up getting used up in one way or another. This year, I’ll say goodbye to credit card debt, pinky promise!
• Blog regularly – Hoping I’ll get the knack of updating my blog regularly Hihi

Technorati Tags: new year,2014,ootd,outfit,new year's resolutions,h&m,bershka,POSH pocket shoes,family,puppy,love,celebration

How about you? What’s in your list of things to accomplish this year? How did you spend your New Year’s?

Love,

Dianne

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