By: Trish Zamora
My sister knows me too well: she knows that the only reason why I would accompany her to U.P. to get her diploma is if food was involved. And she promised me Italian food in a quaint little restaurant a ways off the main campus if I go with her in the middle of the day.

With one hand carrying her diploma and the other holding the door open for me, my sister introduced me to a favorite restaurant among U.P. students: Friuli Trattoria.

The Area

When she said "quaint", she meant quaint. The restaurant -- sorry -- trattoria is cozy but inviting. The inside was small, consisting of a counter and three tables that seats four people each. The decor was simple with attractive photos on the wall. Wide windows give a good view of the quiet street.

We sat inside the restaurant because of the air conditioner, but if you want alfresco dining, you can always make use of the tables outside.

Affordable Italian Food

One thing I can say about their menu: they have an expansive pizza list. They have a variety of vegetarian pizza and meat pizza, which is something that you don't ordinarily see in Italian restaurants. However, their pasta menu is ordinary and nothing stood out.

Since we are starving that day, we decided to skip appetizers and just went ahead with the main course. Our tuna carbonara was surprising as we didn't know that it was spicy. Other than that observation, the pasta was ordinary.

The margherita pizza we ordered was better than the pasta. The crust was cooked perfectly and it has a generous amount of toppings. However, nothing about its taste stood out.

'Not as good as before.'

My sister was quite disappointed with the food. She used to frequent Friuli when she was still a student and she said that the food now was 'not as good as before.' 

Since it was my first time there, I wouldn't know what the food tasted like before. I do know, however, that sampling Friuli's fare was pleasant enough, but lacked that oompth factor.

Friuli Trattoria is located at 79A Maginhawa Street, U.P. Village, Quezon City.

Price Range: Php100-300
 
Fashion is making people creative and experimental, especially in these days. They are able to make a statement and interpretation of themselves through an expression of style. Indeed, fashion has become a worldwide custom since the popular styling or practice keeps trending every now and then.

Fashion styles keep changing and people are the only ones that keep them up. It just goes on as it produces new wave of styles and designs. Everyone can make their own fashion styles. It just depends on how they carry it as an individual.

Clothing, shoes, and accessories, these are the ones that create fashion for people. And when we say trending, we mean by something that is currently popular. And speaking of popular, Vintage is one fashion look that keeps trending. I guess, it's really in demand.

Vintage is the old things originated from previous era, treated as second-hand, and the antique look that usually comes back from season to season. This is a term used by people to clarify a garment, shoes, accessory, or anything that looks old and classic.

Vintage styles have returned with a creative touch. It is true that history repeats itself in the fashion industry. Let's start talking about the vintage dresses. Vintage dresses bring confidence to every woman. It has a sense of pride that comes from the fit and appearance. It is all about the details. Vintage simply stands out from modern dresses. Maybe because of the already “known features”. Some vintage dresses feature vibrant color palettes and geometric prints and designs.

When it comes to shoes, vintage shoes are most likely from the Victorian era. It is because the fashion styles were all flourished during that time period. Vintage shoes from that era were worn with heels and pointed or squared toes. And now, fashion is making them popular once again. They are just stiff and restrictive and should be worn short and tight as possible, just like the old days.

Lastly, the vintage accessories. Accessories are my favorite wearable vintage fashion, especially creative rings. Vintage accessories are commonly presented with touch of silver and gold. As for vintage rings, most of them are made with huge head. The head is usually presented as round or square and the styles depend on the time era where it came from. Some setting styles of vintage rings are granite, pearl, flower, and color pattern crystals. And these unique styles are also applied with vintage necklaces and bracelets.

In a nutshell, I just want to share how to get a vintage fashion look. So if you feel like changing your fashion look, you might want to try vintage. In addition, you can still get a vintage fashion even if it's a combination of two periods: old and modern.
 
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Starring Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Rosamund Pike and Edgar Ramirez

I’ve been longing to watch Wrath of the Titans right after I saw its trailer. Its story looks exciting and the scenes look intense. With its title “Wrath” of Titans,” I was expecting to witness overflowing wrath and extreme battle scenes between Perseus (Worthington) and the villains.

In this sequel, Perseus (demigod son of Zeus) works as a fisherman in a quiet village with his 10-year old son Helius. The movie evolves on the struggle for supremacy between gods and the Titans. Humanity’s lack of devotion to the gods weakened the gods’ hold on their immortality and their control over the imprisoned Titans. As a solution, Zeus’s son Ares (Ramirez) teamed up with Hades (Fiennes) and Kronos (father of Zeus, Hades and Poseidon) to steal Zeus power and take over the earth. This caused Perseus to make an action to save his father and the people. Together with Andromeda (Pike), Agenor (Kebbell) and Hephaestus (Nighy), Perseus takes on the adventure of defeating all the monstrous creatures to prevent the power of darkness from ruling over the humanity.

I didn’t enjoy this film as compared to the first film. Although the scenes and actions were nice, there’s something about this story that didn’t appeal to me. It was not interesting and it lacked surprises. Even though the fighting scenes and the monsters were intense, the story itself is shallow. Also, I think that there was no strong character build up and some of the actors performances were lacking.

The only things that are good about it are the fantastic special effects and the mythical creatures were more solid and well-made. However, the last battle scene of Perseus looks boring. It lacked action because Perseus easily defeated the monster.

The film is okay but I expected more out of it. I think Clash of the Titans is much better than this one. It’s not recommendable to watch.

Rating: 2.5/5

 
By YARobles
I never drink any coffee other than Nescafe before. For me, it is the only delicious and refreshing coffee that keeps me alert at work. However, someone gave me a sachet of San Mig Coffee one night that I was lethargic from lack of sleep. At first, I refused to drink it; but since I had no choice at that time, I drank it.

After that first encounter with San Mig Coffee, I did not try drinking it again because my loyalty was still with Nescafe. When I craved for coffee again, I drank Nescafe, but was completely surprised that I disliked its taste. It was like smoking a cigarette - I hated that it smelled like one too. I really wanted to drink coffee that time so I, again, drank San Mig Coffee.

The perfectly balanced taste of its ingredients - the coffee, sugar, and cream - and the aroma hypnotized my taste buds. I loved its excellent sweetness and creaminess. It tasted really good that I cannot forget its flavor unconsciously.

After I tasted it again, it is now my favorite. It supersedes Nescafe, my old buddy. However, coffee is still bad for me. For those who have acidic stomachs, no coffee is ever recommended as it is as bad for the stomach as drinking fresh juice. Though I had a great experience drinking San Mig Coffee, I still refrain from drinking it.

 
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Music is life. So make sure you get a good one.

Based on my experience with the two iPods I have bought so far—one is the third generation iPod nano and the other is the fourth generation iPod Touch—I can say that Apple doesn't exactly offer the best partners for its iPod products. The former gadget's earphones was broken after a year of usage, while the other was just in four months. Sad, but maybe that's just the way they are. At least this writer who has the reputation for being a barbaric owner can guarantee the products' durability.

Because of this, I have found myself buying numerous affordable yet above average-quality earphones from time to time and so far, the best among them is the AERIAL 7's Bullet in-ear earbuds, a pair with ground-breaking bass at an incredibly affordable price of only 660 pesos. It comes with different stylish color combinations: The Circuit with colors white, black, and red, Dark Rasta with black, red, green, and yellow, Tantrum with pink, grey, and white, Storm with purple, blue, black, and yellow, Azzurro, and Shade with colors grey and black.

Plugging it up in your ears would allow you to listen to the stereo quality of your favorite music for AERIAL 7's Bullet boasts of its excellent sound reproduction and in-ear buds to make sure that no external sounds can be heard. Its package also comes with four optional size ear gels for a sure fit to your ears, and its cable is both soft and pliable giving you comfort whenever you use it.

If you want to listen to music with style and great sound quality at a budget price today, AERIAL 7's Bullet in-ear earbuds is the perfect companion for you portable music.

 
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Cajun Red Rock by Chef Tony

By: Trish Zamora

Spending time with my sister these days are too few and far between, which is why we never miss a chance to hang out whenever we can. It was during one of these times that our tired feet and hungry stomachs led us to Cajun Red Rock at SM Megamall.

Cajun Red Rock

Cajun Red Rock (pronounced as cay-joon) is an American restaurant that serves Cajun cuisine. Their staff greeted us the minute we stepped into their restaurant. We were seated quickly by the booths and immediately given their menu.

The Menu

Cajun has an extensive list of American food - from burgers, to salads, to soups, and, most especially, ribs and grilled meat.

For appetizers, my sister and I had soup. Their Chunky Tomato Soup was delicious, more like a full-on vegetable soup in creamy tomato sauce. However, I was disappointed with the soup's temperature - it was lukewarm and not as hot as I would have liked.

As for our main course, both my sister and I ordered from their grilled menu. The Chicken Marsala I ordered came with two sides of my choosing: Buttered Veggies and Country Potato

I was surprised with their serving size. The grilled chicken was generous, so were their buttered vegetables and potatoes. As with traditional Cajun cuisine, the use of herbs and spices is liberal and is apparent in the taste and aroma of the food. The chicken was moist, tender, and drowning in delicious Marsala sauce.

We were also surprised with how huge their drinks are, which makes me thankful that we didn't order bottomless drinks.


The Staff and Service

The staff was friendly enough but the service leaves a lot to be desired. It would have been a better experience if they served the soup hot. Also, their staff responds slower than I am used to.

Must-Try Items

Cajun's Mustard Peppered Chicken is always a treat. It features a juicy mustard sauce laced with fresh ground pepper poured on a large piece of grilled chicken.

Also, their Espresso Crispy Chicken is worth a try. It is composed of two slices of grilled chicken topped with espresso sauce and cream sauce. For me, it's an acquired taste. Believe me, I didn't like it the first time, but I've grown accustomed to its bittersweet taste since then.

Price Range: Php200-Php500 per person
 
People have set the standards for beauty. There are people who can't leave the house without wearing makeup. Most women wear makeup, even some little girls in these days. Starting from makeup foundation, shaping and coloring your eyebrows, applying eye shadows, eyeliner, and mascara, blush on the cheeks, down to wearing lipstick. I see a lot of people doing full makeup and somehow, these beauty embellishments have become a worldwide custom.

Honestly speaking, I actually don't wear makeup. But I just got the feel of shading my lips with red color. Since then, I'm used to wearing red lipstick before I leave the house. I don't know why but I just love how I look with my red lipstick on. It gives me a dramatic look, a captivating look. And so I believe I don't need to wear full makeup in order to change or enhance my look because I know lipstick will do that for me.

Lipstick is really magical. I really love at how can a single lipstick transform my face into a well-presented beauty. Wearing lipstick carries my overall beauty and is giving me a promising brilliant smile every day in every shade of lipstick.
  
I have lipstick collection and most of my lipstick shades that I love to wear are Snow White and Barbie Pink. And that's how I want these shades to be described and branded. I'm collecting Snow White and Barbie Pink Lipsticks. As for myself, Snow White has three kinds: Dark Red, Fire Brick, and Burgundy. These are my favorite shades of Red and I call them Snow White. While Barbie Pink falls under five categories: Baby Pink, Fuschia, Deep Pink, Brink Pink, and Hot Magenta.
  
Collecting different shades of lipstick has really become a habit for my guilty pleasure. I heard about Nyx Cosmetics and I fell in love with their lipsticks. Indeed, it was love at first sight. That's why I'm currently collecting all the available shades of Nyx Round Lipstick.


NYX Round Lipstick

Looking for a great lipstick? Give it a try for NYX Cosmetics. They offer NYX Round Lipstick which is smooth and bold with every application. Round lipstick is NYX's best selling lipstick, available in 144 shades. It is a velvet-textured lipstick formulated with mineral oils. It offers a long-lasting and non-smudging color.

The shades are very vibrant and visible. It has the ability to add color to your lips leading you to have an amazing signature look. I can say that the lasting power of these lipsticks are very impressive. This can last for about 8 hours without fading. You might want to try this kind of lipstick set. Indeed, this will be your go-to lipstick. NYX Round Lipstick comes in captivating shades ranging from soft nude to bold red.

Here are some of NYX Round Lipstick shades:  

 
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By Jillian Hee

The summer heat these days has gone extreme. The unbearable heat contributes to a morning headache and excessive sweating. I could also picture frying eggs on the streets in just minimal time.

With the summer heat becoming more intense, there is nothing more rewarding than a cold and refreshing drink. The idea of sipping a beverage filled with ice is the only solution I know to somehow lessen the heat this season.

The new Mcdonald’s Summer Medley Float is the answer to this. The Mcdonald's commercial featuring new McFloat variants along with the ‘Walking on Sunshine’ song playing on the background looks appealing and very much refreshing. It makes me want to try new McFloat variants right away.

I am a great fan of Mcdonald's Coke Float so when I learned that there are new flavors, I became interested.
The new Mcdonald’s Summer Medley Floats introduce exciting new flavors such as Blueberry, Green Apple, Four Seasons, and Honey Banana McFloat.  These Summer Medley floats are Sprite-based and were added syrup to add flavor.

When I got the chance to visit Mcdonald's, I didn’t hesitate to convert my drinks to a Summer Medley Float variant. And since I love the usual four seasons drink, I ordered it first. I took a sip and found it refreshing but too sweet.The fruits of the four seasons were not present at all. I was really expecting to taste the four seasons flavors. The Sprite has overpowered the flavor and I didn’t enjoy it as much as the regular Coke Float.

When I ate at Mcdonald’s the other day, I ordered the Green Apple Float. Compared to the Four Seasons Float, this variant is better-tasting. I really had a good time sipping my float because the apple flavor is present. Mcdonald’s did a great job on this flavor.

The Honey Banana Float was also flavorful. I’ve tasted a right combination of banana and honey. It was not too sweet just like the Four Seasons Float. The delicate sweetness of honey complements the soda perfectly.

I haven’t tasted the Blueberry Float but my friend said it has no impact for her. The taste was just average and the blueberry flavor was not tasted at all.

Among these four variants, the Green Apple Float is the best for me. Its zesty taste makes it perfect in beating the summer heat, making you feel refreshed and cool.

 
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Imagine that as you take a bite of that Jerk Chicken, you hear the lovely voice of a flight attendant over the microphone saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have just landed the Norman Manley International Aiport. Welcome to Jamaica!”

That was what I felt with every sample I took from Racks' newest food offering, the Jamaican Jerk Chicken. The food was so good that it was like I was being transported to that island off the Caribbean Sea the whole time I was eating.

My family and I seldom eat at expensive restaurants, but as we were all craving to have a taste something new to our palates, one of these few days luckily fell on my birthday, while we were at a mall, already hungry with all the walking we were doing. It was then when we passed by Racks with its tarpaulin advertising its new Jamaican Jerk Chicken which is sold for 275 pesos. “Not bad for this special occasion,” we all agreed.


Departure to Jamaica

We entered the restaurant, got greeted by one of the friendly crews, and was escorted to our table. My family ordered whatever that sounded good to their ears on the menu while I decided to go for the Jamaican Jerk Chicken, thinking, “Hey, a new food for a new year in my life. I hope this one's good.”

And that day proved to be a great one not only for myself but also for my taste buds and tummy. I wasn't wrong in choosing Racks' new addition to its menu.

Made up of grilled boneless chicken thigh and seasoned with the best Jamaican Jerk ingredients: Scotch bonnet, allspice berry or the Jamaican pepper, and thyme, the Jerk Chicken had that perfect smoky taste and was rich in flavor due to it being marinated. I really felt like its Jamaica brought right on to my plate!

It was also served with java rice which had a different twist to it, I think, vegetable salad, corn on the cob, fried plantains, and any side dish of your choice, which all made me sated and full when my plate was finally empty.

Considering the price and the amount of satisfaction it gave me, I can say that every penny spent on that food was surely worth it!

 
By YARobles
I love to wear make-up and I have been a fan of cosmetics since my high school days. I love how it transforms the way I look. At first, I have no particular likes and dislikes when it comes to make-ups. However, in my senior year, I started to be choosy with the cosmetics I wear. I became more concerned with the effect of the product to my skin than its appearance. 

My Nichido Experience

I started using Nichido cosmetics since I graduated college. Nichido Powder Plus Foundation is one of my best friends ever since. I love how it covered my blemishes and added glow to my pale skin. The only thing I don’t like about this foundation is that it easily runs. Aside from the Plus Foundation, I also love the Mineral Kohl Pencil, a water-resistant eyeliner that perfectly adds definition to my eyes. Its particular disadvantage is that it can’t be easily removed with water. I always have a hard time removing it before going to sleep. The last but not the least of my favorite Nichido products is the Nichido True Colors Collection Powder Blush. It makes my face looks naturally rosy, but it does not last longer than I expected.  


Revlon is the BEST

Although I am contented with Nichido products, I still want to try other make-up products for a change, especially the expensive ones. So I decided to purchase a Revlon PhotoReady™ Powder Foundation. At first, I hesitated to buy it because of its high price. However, the saleslady convinced me to take it. I tried it to my face and it was perfect. It last longer than I expect it to last. I never regretted the amount of money I have spent for it. It was really worth the price. 

All in all, I am satisfied with these two cosmetic brands. Their price is just right for their effectiveness. Nevertheless, I would still prefer the Nichido brand because it is much more practical to purchase than Revlon.