August Round-up

August 2015 was a great month for me because I was able to watch a lot more shows than I usually do in a month. Of course, that leaves me with too few funds for daily needs such as food and skincare, but I wouldn't change a thing!

Therefore, in lieu of an empties post (and with an empty wallet), I've decided to rank the shows I've watched instead.

Listed by overall enjoyment:

1. Hamlet (play) - simple but great acting.
2. La Cage Aux Folles (musical)  - the power of a single star outshining everyone.
3. Singing in the Rain (musical) - not bad, needs polishing.
4. La Cenerentola (concert reading, opera) - great music, dismal direction.

I surprised myself, writing that list: I'd have a very different list if I were looking at how "good" I found each performance compared with others of its ilk. However, this has shown that a great experience in the theater, no matter what type of performance, doesn't just depend on the work of those on stage. Part of this burden rests with management and with the audience itself.

Hamlet, August 2015

Yesterday, Sunday (August 24, 2015) CCP's Little Theater, better known as Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino, was host to Hamlet. This was the work of Terruno Espressivo and Shakespeare's Globe.

For a little background, the goal of this tour is to hit all 205 nations in 2 years, marking the 450th year of Shakespeare's birth and the 400th year of his death. Thus, unfortunately, the Philippines only had 2 shows marked on the same day at CCP.

What do I think? This play was very much worth it, even for those who aren't big fans of his work (in general).

Singin' In The Rain, August 2015

Last night, I watched the first performance of Singin' in the Rain at Solaire. As usual, especially at opening night, the show started later than expected. Thankfully, not as long as I expected it to be. It also had the smoothness of a first show: meaning none at all. There were certain glitches in the sound system, and the show had to stall for 20 mins in the second act due to technical difficulties. There was also a misguided rainshower during intermission.

La Cenerentola August 2015

Yesterday, I watched La Cenerentola at Meralco Theater. La Cenerentola is a Rossini comic opera of Cinderella , and this was the concert reading thereof. Despite the stellar cast of Arthur Espiritu, Karin Mushegain, Beong In Park, Noel Azcona, Ronnie Abarquez, Myramae Menezes, Tanya Corquera with conductor Ang, it was the worst theater experience of my life. And it was not even because of the sound system, though I could not hear the males properly at the lower ranges when they didn't project their voices.

It was because of how this concert was treated.

La Cage Aux Folles, August 2015

When La Cage Aux Folles came out early this year, it barely came on my radar. I was aware of it, yes, but I had no intention of watching it. I'm not very interested in drag queens, aside from the occasional episode of RuPaul. Luckily, I was able to see what I was missing out on.

La Cage Aux Folles, done by 9 Works Theatrical, is as what one of their lines say: gaudy and grand. In a good way.

L'Oreal Smooth Intense Polishing Conditioner

Current conditioner: L'Oreal Smooth Intense Polishing Conditioner.

Does it work? 

Top Coats

This is a list of my current top coats that I've just recently checked for usability, with the last two about to be thrown out.

(L-R) China Glaze in Matte Magic, Orly Top 2 Bottom, Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat, Orly Won't Chip.

July Empties

Very few things were finished last month, but at least some things are officially gone.  This month's empties are:

L'Oreal Feria in Cherry Crush, Etude House Pearl Aura Brightening Essence Lotion, Clean & Clear Fruit Essentials Facial Cleanser in Energizing Berry and Victoria's Secret Body Lotion in Secret Charm.

The only thing that I haven't reviewed in this list is the Etude House Essence.

The Body Shop Shampoo in Rainforest Balance

If you've read my blog recently, you'll know that I dyed my hair red relatively recently. In order to help the color stick, I've been using The Body Shop Rainforest Balance, a shampoo for oily hair.

This shampoo costs P695 for 250 ml. Fortunately, I was able to buy this on sale! Why did I buy this?

Superhero Ennui

I'm getting tired of all the superhero movies going around. At first, like most of the world, I was enchanted with Nolan's Batman. Other movies followed, with varying degrees of success. I even supported some of the reboots: I preferred the X-Men 2011 reboot to its predecessor.

But now reboots are being rebooted, TV series linking to movie counterpart, and lesser known characters placed in the spotlight.

The new Fantastic Four? Count me out. Deadpool. Ditto.

And it's not even due to the characters themselves, but I'm oversaturated. I've missed some movies and am definitely passing on the TV series. The next superhero movie I plan on watching will be Batman vs. Superman, and it will be due to the attractive powers of Henry Cavill and Jeremy Irons… and curiosity as to a Jesse Eisenberg Lex Luthor.

Cupcake Lab Peanut Butter Reese Cupcake

Cupcakes are a bit of a dying trend in the Philippines. People have already gotten tired of the cronut. I'm hoping the macaron will gain more popularity, especially since Laduree is coming to the Philippines (but that's another story). However, there's still a part of me that craves a cupcake now and then.

I then ended up getting a Peanut Butter Reese Cupcake (not sure if this is the real name) at Cupcake Lab for P90.

Peanut Butter Reese Cupcake

Why? I love me some peanut butter and Reese. And this did not disappoint.

Reflections: Skin Changes

Looking back at my previous posts, I've realized that my skin is completely different from how it was as a teenager.

As a teenager, my face was oily and acne prone. I was heavily obsessed with anti-acne products, some more successful than others. Still, my skincare was relatively simple with emphasis on cleansing, toning and spot treatment. I was not very fond of most moisturisers since oil-free and gel variants weren't part of my vocabulary.

Tsoko Nut Batirol

Last Saturday, a bunch of us went to Ayala Museum in hopes of getting free entry. Unfortunately, the place was totally packed and we decided to go somewhere else.

We ended up at Tsoko Nut Batirol at SM Makati.

Tsoko Nut Batirol

Though they were selling these P99 cooler blends, I went and got the large hot chocolate Tsokolate Ah Batirol (P98).

Tsokolate Ah Batirol

While not as rich as some other blends, this is a very good mix of tablea chocolate that reminds me a lot of  my childhood. The cold version, which I sipped from one of my companions, was quite nice too.

I'd forgotten about this place but it was nice to be reminded again.