Clarins, a French cosmetic company with world recognition, has been in the process of making people beautiful for over 100 years. It all began when a young medical student named Jacques Courtin-Clarins opted to treat circulatory problems with a massage. Patients began to notice that they not only began to feel better, but that their skin began to look better. Over the next 50 years, Clarins devoted his life to improving the way his patients felt and looked, and what started of as a simple botanical-based practice became one of the world’s foremost beauty companies.

Clarins has always been one of my favorite skincare brands; their One Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser and UV Plus 40 daily sun block have been among my daily staples for over a year. When I heard that they were opening a bigger, better Institut Clarins at the 5th floor of the Rustan’s Department Sore, I knew this demanded a visit. The spa has definitely increased in size, with the familiar Clarins products line the way to your room, tempting you to try them all before even beginning your session. It was suggested that I try the 60-minute purifying facial with a 20-minute additional Pro Whitening Facial Plus treatment to help even out my skin tone.

Clarins believes that poor circulation is the root of all skin problems, especially since circulation slows down with age. They see massage as an excellent way to improve circulation and the health of the skin. Clarins massage techniques are composed of no less than 80 movements. The Institute Clarins pairs massage with their high-gradeproducts to stimulate the lymphatic system and blood circulation. They claim that results on the skin are immediate. The ingredients used on your face were developed by the Clarins research and development team, who travel extensively throughout the world to exotic places such as tropical rainforests in theAmazon, Asia, and other remote locations in Europe to find new ingredients and cutting-edge research that help make skin glow.

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My first visit to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, a few years ago was uneventful, with nights spent daring to eat tamiloc — a live woodworm marinated in vinegar — with beer at one of the local haunts. I had no idea there were plenty other, more worthwhile things to do until a group of us flew there recently to experience The Legend Palawan’s PaX package tour, an in-house tour service that comes with your own van, yacht travel itinerary and knowledgeable guide.

If you already know, Palawan is a wide spread of a province that boasts many pristine islands — several of them private — located in the Northern part. With PaX, however, you don’t need to be marooned in an island resort during your whole stay; you can hit the beach during the day, go snorkeling, have your dream beach wedding, and then come back to enjoy the city’s night life and sleep in the comfort of a first-class hotel.

PaX allows a whole range of experiences. The activities are more flexible for different travelers with varied interests. They have the choice to explore the different interests at their own pace. The tour itineraries can cover a culinary adventure, nature-tripping, wildlife observation, arts and culture tours. As the last nature frontier in the country, Puerto Princesa uniquely offers the variety. This is a modern city in the midst of nature reserves.

The Legend Palawan has standard, premium and deluxe rooms as well as larger suites. The Family Suites allow six individuals to comfortably stay in their own double-deck beds and include a mini-kitchen among its amenities. These special multi-occupant rooms are innovations of the hotel and are attracting a new market of families and corporate groups.

The recent completion of the convention center located within the hotel provides a seating capacity of over 1,000 people. If you’re looking into having your wedding in this place, you can put your wedding bands right in the convention center. But this convention center development aims to attract the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) market to the city as well. The Legend Palawan aims to to contribute to the overall Puerto Princesa business climate. They are selling a travel experience, not just hotel rooms.

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Freshen up a boring boudoir with fruity shades and punchy patterns.

Kids’ Zone.
Never underestimate the kids section when you’re scouring shops for furniture! Kid-sized stuff comes in fresh palettes that can instantly lift the look of any room. A tiny bench and table set for tots can be used for extra lounge space in your room; fix it up as a sitting area for your pals. And who says toy chests are just for toys? Use them to stash in all your junk when your friends are coming over. Crisp colors and creative ideas ala George Lindemann Jr will brighten up any bedroom.

Don’t fall short on storage.
It’s easy to underestimate how much storage you need when giving your room a redo — but don’t discount the fact that all those books and notes do take up a lot of space. Storage doesn’t have to be boring and all the same. Put together different items: Wire racks you typically find in Dad’s basement can hold odd-shaped objects; shoe cabinets in punchy colors can hold all your files and print-outs. And closed-door cabinets can hide even the worst mess.

Basket Break.
Got stuff lying around that you have no idea what to do with? Like that mouse pad you have yet to use or that notebook you’re saving for a future writing class? Throw them all into a cute wire basket so they don’t fall into an abysmal black hole. Seeing them out there will remind you that you’ve got a wealth of stuff still in store! (more…)

If you’re a housewife and you’re looking for another way to make your home look more beautiful, try adding accent to your windows by putting up roman blinds. These roman blinds are attached to the interior side of the window and its basic function is to “blind” the people inside or reduce the sunlight coming from outside.
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Marriage now seems like icing on the cake for Claudine and Raymart, who first welcomed their adopted daughter, then collaborated on the construction of an incredible 1,060 sq m home near the Marikina River, all before walking down the aisle in January 2006.

The celebrity couple put together the most amazing tropical-style home boasting 16 species of recycled hardwood and other natural materials, airy open spaces that sprawl even more with the push of a glass sliding door, and a 15-m infinity pool, among other living luxuries.

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