La Belleza Hair and Nail Salon GC Giveaway Winners

Friday, December 26, 2014




Hi guys and gals! I guess you've been waiting for this announcement the whole day. My apologies as I've been a little busy spending the holidays with the family. Anyway, we'll make this short and sweet. From over  Here are the winners of the La Belleza Hair and Nail Salon GC Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Lorie Nocasa
Zette Tan
Leo Rances Garcia
Pam Engaño
Jim Marlon Macaraeg
Sena AGon
Jen C Rosanes
Marlon Agnote Reyes
Shawn Michael Fernandez
Fibi Ruth M. Roberto
Victoria Vargas Rivera
Lorena Capote
Maria Corazon Letada
Jelo Manongsong
Emiliana Limlengco Sison
Ericka Vernadette Sallador
Ruby Chavez
Rodel Mercurio
Elinor Semira
Kimberly Camille Tiu

You have just each won for yourself 2,000 pesos worth of Salon Services courtesy of La Belleza Hair and Nail Salon. I will be contacting you  in the email addresses you have provided in Rafflecopter so please check. I'll be also sending instructions on how you can get it. Congratulations and thank you for supporting KUMAGCOW.COM and La Belleza Hair and Nail Salon. All I would need you to do is enjoy and get a cut, color or whatever you would need to do to look good. Ask the stylist and they could recommend things so you could get your GC's worth. Again, thank you and congratulations! 

COW

For more information about their salon:
labellezahairandnailsalon
La Belleza Hair and Nail Salon
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The Amazing Private Benjamin

Tuesday, December 23, 2014


I remember seeing this movie during MMFF and it was a big hit back then. Will this installment equal or even surpass that movie or will this be a bust?  That's what the unkabogable Vice Ganda is about to prove when "The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin" comes out this Christmas as Star Cinema and ViVa Films offering in the 40th Metro Manila Film Festival. 



During the blog conference, we talked to Richard Yap and he says "We've never worked together in a movie so this is my first time with most of thw stars. With Direk Wenn you have to be very fast, how he works, you really have to pick up the pace. We already talked about making a movie before but that was shelved because of Be Careful With My Heart that we were supposed to do this year. I wasn't apprehensive because I know they were going to help me. It was also a nice experience working with Bimby, he's like our baby in the set. He did all the things Direk Wenn told him to do. Of course it's different when it's MMFF because it's like a competition too. There's a little pressure there but I know it's going to be a great movie I did some scenes here where you won't see the respectable version of me, but I'm okay with that. Even though it's a comedy, there's family, love for country. There's a lot to learn from it. I'm blessed because there's no sepanx from BCWMH because I don't get attached that much to things. We'll be flying to Vietnam by the way on Monday to meet the fans there. I'm excited! This is going to be the most exciting movie you'll watch this Christmas."



This film is directed by Box Office Director Wenn V. Deramas and written by Keiko Aquino and Danno Mariquit. It also stars Richard Yap, Bimby Aquino, Alex Gonzaga, Tom Rodriguez, Nikki Valdez, Vandolph Quizon, Kean Cipriano, DJ Durano, Ricky Rivero, Al Tantay, Malou De Guzman, Abby Bautista and Angeline Urquico. 

Time to watch this movie! Remember all proceeds of films this season will go to charity. :)



COW
For more information about their movie:
Star Cinema
Star Cinema
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http://www.starcinema.com.ph

Skin Stories: The Journey with Marian Rivera and Maxi-Peel

Sunday, December 21, 2014


The BEFORE shot. Three ladies with three different stories.
(Photo from Maxipeel Facebook Page)

We all wish for that soft, clean, clear, gentle skin. With the harsh elements plus Manila's polluted air, we don't even ask why we end up feeling dirty every time we go out in the sun. Three ladies, three different skin stories were revealed in Maxi Peel's social network channels. These are three young women in the prime of their youth, yet they can't get their full potential because they've got skin problems. These three girls Belle, Crystal and Shane would have loved to live a normal life away from ridicule, feeling degraded, lack of confidence because of the way they look. They have different skin stories, and no less than prime time queen Marian Rivera will help them together with Maxi-Peel. We went to the GMA Studios for their reveal because we wanted to follow their stories. We even got to see Marian Rivera during rehearsals sans make up. She was absolutely stunning.

Marian Rivera during rehearsals for her show "Marian". No makeup, yet she looks stunning!
Belle is getting married soon!
Meet Belle, a bride to be. She's planning to get married next year. She's excited to marry the man of her dreams - but her confidence level right now is at an all-time low. Why? It's because of breakouts due to oily skin. When she first met her fiancé, it wasn't as many but with the stress of preparation, right in the middle of their relationship, it just became worse. Now, she's one if the lucky girls that Marian surprised. Like the rest of the girls, Marian asked them to go through a strict skin regimen for 30 days.

Meet Crystal, she's in a quest to find her first job!
The next one is Crystal. She's a graduating student and taking up B.S. Tourism. When she was younger she always had good skin. With the stress of school, project deadlines, hormones and the quest to find a new job, the last thing she wanted was increased pimple proliferation and acne. Marian Rivera felt she had to help her, so she let her try that 30 day skin regimen too and see if her skin improves. 

Shane works in the graveyard shift, stress and lack of sleep don't mix. We know how that feels.
Another lady named Shane works for the BPO industry. She wishes to be a Manager soon. Having worked there myself, I know the pressures that come with the workplace. Weird sleeping patterns, tight deadlines and the hunger of getting promoted in the corporate ladder seemed like a regular thing. Sometimes, your work isn't enough and you need to have presence, consistency, the confidence and effort to look good so your people would see you differently, with respect, which is a must in the work place. If she didn't look the part, people won't even look at her or consider her to be someone who could lead teams. That made her very depressed. Of course, there's Marian to the rescue and she will also have Shane undergo the same rituals as the other girls. Marian gave them the ultimate surprise, she got Belle, Crystal and Shane guest on her dance show "Marian" for the big reveal! This happened last Saturday.

The three ladies at the back stage of dance show "Marian"

First time in GMA studios, came over not as an audience member but as stars of the show. Belle, Crystal and Shane are now in Marian Rivera's dance show called "Marian" to talk about their journey.
They were surprised to see Christian Bautista was there to serenade and escort them to the front of the stage.
She wasn't nervous and talked about her experience when she was struggling to go to special occasions.
Now she's got improved skin, cleared in some areas and lost those little pimples on her face.
Belle, Crystal and Shane sat down with Marian and talked about their journey. Shane says "I always cried because I couldn't even go to my own birthday celebration. I was so ashamed because of my breakouts. Now that I've got renewed skin, I can now go to my own wedding with confidence. Thank you Marian for your advice, we got encouraged to view life with new hope. Just like my skin, there is hope. My husband and I are excited for my wedding day and finally Maxi-Peel has gotten me back on track".

We saw her struggles before, but now she's confident to walk out in the world to see what job would fit her.

Christian Bautista even had a moment with her during the show.


Crystal says "After college, I suffered so much and after following the regimen, it brought confidence and I'm so ready to apply for work. My skin has lightened and I can see the difference. I believe with continued use, my problems will all soon go away." She can now take the time to go to interviews without thinking that they're just looking at her pimples and confidently look at their faces when they are talking to her. Marian feels there's a perfect job waiting for Crystal out there and since her skin is already taken cared by Maxi-Peel, she doesn't have to worry about it anymore. 

Christian Bautista escorts Shane on the stage presenting her improved version of herself.
I've seen some small scars on Shane probably from years of having acne, but I've also seen it has greatly improved already. A few months more and I'm sure her skin will be back to it's normal, clear state. Thanks to the good people from Maxi-Peel who started her journey.  

"My work hours are so weird and I have to do this with you (pointing to Marian) as inspiration. Now I'm confident at work. They see me, they listen to me. Even if I was just in an elevator with them, they complement me generously. I even had lots of friend requests after this journey and I hope to have a new boyfriend soon!" says Shane, the BPO (hopeful) Manager to be.


Three ladies being serenaded by Christian Bautista.
They thought that was the end of the interview, but Marian Rivera (soon to be Dantes) actually had another surprise!
Marian says "That's not just the end of it, we're going to have another surprise." Then they played the VTR. Crystal's Mom suddenly appeared on the screen. Her Mom said thanks for her sacrifices and also said that no matter how things go with her career, they assured that they will support her 100%. Shane on the other hand had her boss on on the monitor. She's happy for the better version of Shane. She also tells us how Shane is seen as a different person in the office, more worthy as a leader. The husband of Belle also appeared on the video and says no matter what, she's always beautiful in her husband's eyes inside and out - he promised to be there on their wedding day, isn't he sweet? Then we saw Marian cry a bit because of how sweet his message was for Belle. He must have been as sweet as Dingdong Dantes in that bit.  


 
Marian sat down at the end of the number and adds "Whatever their problems are, we can see there is always a solution. When I asked them off cam, I got the right responses from them because they told me that this experience has changed them for the better. It's the reason why genuinely still trust, and still use Maxi-Peel til now. You are doing this for yourself, and if you love yourself, it will show. Girls who have problems with their skin, there is hope, there is still a way to be beautiful inside and out!"

You can watch the full show here!




Thanks Maxi-Peel and GMA for inviting us live on their set. I'm sure these ladies are just starting their journeys but it definitely looks brighter already. You have definitely personified "Bagong Ganda, Bagong Pagasa" (New Beauty, New Hope) tagline with these ladies and I fervently wish to see more Filipinos find their own journey - with you by their side. The journey continues, so make sure you follow them on their social media channels below and see how their stories unfold in the coming months. Congratulations girls!



COW

For more information about their products:
MaxiPeelSkinCare
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Food Panda Maginhawa Food Crawl: Casa Quesadilla

Saturday, December 20, 2014



Intended as a snack place in the morning we went to Casa Quesadilla during the Food Panda Maginhawa Food Crawl in Maginhawa Street in Quezon City. This quaint little place serves Mexican Food favorites at a fraction of a cost. I haven't been in these parts so I was really curious about Casa Quesadilla and their offerings. I'm not fond of Cilantro aka flatleaf parsley and it is very present in most Mexican dishes but you know what, I gave it a go.

Dynamite Beef Rolls
The restaurant can serve around 15-20 people at most but they're very fast. Their kitchen is open and preparation is made just at the back of the counter so you can see everything made. Just as I expected they do have flatleaf parsley but you can ask them to edit that out if you wish, they also have all sauces on the side to control portions. Their Dynamite Beef Rolls isn't just the same like you see in restaurants which is just filled with Cheese and a whole Finger Chili. They've added ground beef to it so it tasted more savory and appealing. It's not too spicy either which would be good for those who doesn't like extremely hot food. Mind you, I was really surprised to see most of the things in their menu to be either less than a 100 bucks or a little over that because their serving is roughly for groups of 2-3 people. I would actually be ecstatic if they also served liquor but I learned later on that the whole Maginhawa Street doesn't serve beer (but you can bring in Wine on most restaurants I think, everything else is legal). They're very near UP and the foodie community basically wanted to probably promote food more than that, or they're just all dreading drunkards to frequent the place. That's really heaven for me LOL!

Ultimate Nachos
Meet the Ultimate Nachos. Their version is ample, quite affordable, even free from 1-5PM with every Php 350.00 purchase. It was okay for me, just okay - but if you want your stories to run a very long time in this place you should order one because it begs to be the ice breaker, a chip every time there's dead air (more cheese please!). Although, I bet you'll be amused by the interior enough that it's not going to matter. Aside from that, Casa Quesadilla plays Mexican music, you'll be in a very festive mood in no time and enjoy my favorite activity "People Watching" when you are sitting outside the restaurant at night.

Spinach and Chicken Quesadilla
My favorite on their menu is this Spinach and Chicken Quesadilla. The simple pleasures in life personified with a spinach shards and chicken slices smothered with cheese (oh and these cheeses are imported! Monterey Jack etc.) pit together on pita bread. I love quesadillas and this version was all worth it. It's creamy, cheesy and the lovely spinach which I usually love in pastas but worked in this case. 

Beef Yakiniku Quesadilla
It's East meets South America in this Beef Yakiniku Quesadilla. It works. I thought it wouldn't but you can taste the cooked Yakiniku style beef in every slice which is more on the savory side. I was imagining I could have this with beer again but it passed on all colors with a glass of Mountain Dew available at the joint. They've got Iced Tea too (unli at Php 50) for those who want something more refreshing paired with their food.

Mexican Beef Burrito
For those who would love to fill up their tummies in no time, this Mexican Beef Burrito is surely the most value for money thing that I've ever found during this trip to Maginhawa. The flavors are intense, the servings are huge and dirt cheap. I even asked them how they were able to keep the prices that low and they answered they buy things in bulk. They've also got suppliers that help SME's or startup businesses like them who serve real, honest, good food. I found it comforting munching on just half of it (as I was pacing myself) but I could probably eat three of these in one sitting (no joke!). Though the rest of the population could get full with just half (for the ladies) and whole (for the gents!) in no time. It's really good. They've also got Chicken Burrito which would be good for those watching their weight, as if the carb loading wouldn't do that haha!


This joint is owned and operated by Jimbell Caluncaguin, Ayce Frias and Nooe Frias. Say hi to these nice folks if you're visiting the place because the community thrives with making each dining experience very personal. Tell them what you want on your table and they'll make sure your day will be made, especially those lip smacking burritos! Darn I'm even salivating just thinking about it now. Please visit them at 176 Maginhawa Street, Sikatuna Village Quezon City. Their on that G&CY Manor building's commercial spaces along the road so you wouldn't miss it. Worth every penny, nickel or dime. You can also like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Casa.Quesadilla. Since they're now part of the Food Panda family, you can order online if you are within the area (Food Panda App is location based!) by downloading the app in the App Store or Google Play. You can even order through web at https://www.foodpanda.ph. I'll definitely be back here!


COW

For more information about their services:
foodpandaphilippines
Food Panda Philippines
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