Hullo, Third Trimester!

I am at 28 weeks and officially in the third trimester. As Mr. Lodge would say, egad!

My only photo so far at 28 weeks--I can still fit into those jeans!

We finally know the baby's sex, but I won't be revealing it any time soon since my team has a bet going. (Haha.) At the latest checkup, he/she was still in breech position, so I'm a teeny bit worried. But I've got some weeks to go, and I've been trying a couple of ways to get him/her to turn: playing music down by my, er, nether regions, and putting something cold against the top of my stomach. (H was probably wondering why I was holding a bag of frozen veggies against me, but he just didn't ask.) He/She is also low average in terms of size, which surprised me considering how people have been remarking about how huge my belly is. Then again, I should be more surprised if tiny me produced a giant baby! Doc isn't worried, and she's pretty pleased with my weight gain. I've pretty much adhered to her one-pound-a-week rule (save for last month when I gained an extra pound after too much merrymaking...).

Overnight, it seems, I've turned into a preggers cliche: My stomach has suddenly begun to feel incredibly heavy and itchy, I can no longer lie on my back, I'm peeing all the frickin' time, I have to deal with acid reflux, and I sweat even with the A/C on full blast and the fan pointed straight at me! To deal with the itchiness, I guess I have to step up on my belly moisturization. Since the first trimester, I've been applying all sorts of products to keep my tummy skin supple, in the hopes of preventing stretch marks. I started with the Body Shop's Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Stick.

Available at The Body Shop

I purchased one during a Body Shop event, and the next time they sent me some products, they so sweetly included another stick! (Thanks, Body Shop!) I've since gone through both sticks.

As recommended by our art director, I also got me a bottle of the Body Shop's Olive Oil Dry Mist Oil. I've also been using it on my legs when I wear shorts because it gives my skin a nice sheen.

And just recently, my sister-in-law (also pregnant!) gave me Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
 

 Available at Beauty Bar

It's got cocoa, shea, and jojoba butters, but surprisingly has no scent. It's nice and thick, and I really feel like my skin has some extra moisture locked in when I apply it.

I've been slathering on a product every morning after showering and every night before going to bed, but it looks like I'll have to add a midday application. Reeeally hoping these will keep my tummy blemish-free. I'm also hoping the extra padding I had before the pregnancy would help keep stretch marks at bay--I read somewhere that thin people tend to get stretch marks since their skin doesn't have much give to begin with. If that's true, then hurray for belly flab!

Lash-ing out: My First Lash Extensions!

The first time I ever wore false eyelashes was one summer before my freshman or sophomore year of high school. I was in a Repertory play, and it was my first experience wearing heavy stage makeup. Back then, false lashes didn't come in the more natural-looking versions we have now, so I thought that I looked an awful lot like a drag queen (and not in a good way). They also felt mighty heavy, itchy, and downright uncomfortable. This was when I ranked the act of peeling off false eyelashes as one of the best feelings in the world (right up there with taking off one's bra after a long day. Har).

Luuuurve this movie! John Leguizamo, Wesley Snipes, and the late Patrick Swayze as drag queens? What's not to love? Photo from here.

The other false-lash experience that stands out in my memory is my wedding day. My fabulous makeup artist, Omar, wanted to pump up the volume of my long but somewhat anemic lashes by adding falsies. In this day and age, we have individual falsies that don't give ye olde drag-queen effect of yore. They looked quite lovely, giving my eye makeup a bit of drama, without going over the top. The problem was, Omar didn't have his preferred eyelash glue that day, so he settled for whatever was on hand. By communion during the church ceremony, my falsies were falling off one by one onto my veil!

Hamil kept pocketing my Amazing Falling Eyelashes. Here he is, fiddling with a fallen falsie, and there I am, finding the whole thing hilarious.

Makeup mishap aside, I did like the effect of those falsies. I thought about them often, especially when I would be frustrated with my sometimes-uncurl-able lashes. I've tried the whole heat-up-the-curler-with-a-hairdryer trick to no avail. I'm also very lazy when it comes to removing eye makeup, and think removing mascara is a huge chore. Sometimes I think I've gotten it all off, only to find goth-like black streaks around my eyes after I wash my face. Ugh.

It took me weeks to decide to finally get lash extensions. My main concern was that they would be so itchy that I wouldn't be able to stand having them on for more than a day. My other concern was Hamil's reaction. Whenever I brought it up, he would kind of get this bemused what's-my-krungkrung-wife-up-to-now look, but he didn't really discourage me from it. (He's awesome that way.) But after one frustrated lash-curling attempt too many, I finally decided to go for it.

My lash extension salon of choice: i-Lash Extensions Salon.

I went to the SM Hypermart branch, pictured above. This photo from the i-Lash website.

Having never done this before, I had no idea what to expect. I walked in to find a bunch of comfy-looking loungers and stools where customers could put their feet up.

Also from the i-Lash website

I was asked to choose the kind of lashes I wanted:

• Fine (100 pieces of extensions, any length), P550
• Natural (160 to 180 pieces, any length), P800
• Mascara Effect (all existing lashes will have extensions in two layers), P1,000 to P1,250
• Full Thick (all existing will have extensions in three to four layers), P1,500
• Colored lashes (brown, blue, violet), P2,000

Since I was worried about looking like RuPaul for about four weeks, I decided to go for the Fine extensions. The lash girl, Remy, then set to work.

I lay down on the lounger, and they were just as comfortable as they looked! So comfy, in fact, that I found myself drifting in and out of sleep throughout the hour-long procedure. Yep, one hour--they painstakingly apply each individual lash onto the lash line, and make sure that they are perfectly, evenly spaced. "Will my own lashes fall out after?" you ask, or "Does it hurt?" I could address every single question you have, but i-Lash's website has a nifty little FAQ section that can answer your queries more credibly.

The verdict? Tisha Likes this! They aren't itchy or heavy at all! I didn't think they would feel like...nothing! I only feel them when I squeeze (really squeeeeze) my eyes shut, or accidentally tug at my lids when I wash my face and all. But other than that, it's as if they're Bob Dylan. (You know, They're Not There.)

(Left) Extensions Extreme Closeup; (right) the effect: They look pretty darn real! Someone tentatively said, "Nice...mascara?" (I was hesitant to post this not-so-flattering pic--lack of sleep is partly to blame--but review purposes trump vanity!)

Big plus! They look incredibly natural--like my own lashes on a good lash day! Hamil didn't even notice them, until I pointed them out. He was relieved to find that they weren't the bushy, unnatural versions that he had seen before. Later on, looking at my eyes up close, he said that I kind of looked like a different person. It's such a subtle change--people will probably notice that something's different about you, but they won't be able to pinpoint what it is. In that instance, just bat your eyelashes at them and give them a coy little smile.


i-Lash Extensions Salon is located at SM Supercenter Pasig (beside Tiendesitas), tel. (02) 470-4119. For more information and for a list of their other branches, visit their website at http://ilashsalon.multiply.com.

QT with Mumsy (or, I Heart My Job)

"So...this is my job!"

My first time to zipline! Not very graceful, I know.

Mumsy and I had just come from lunch, a press briefing, and a cooking demo, and were standing in our spacious, comfy room at Anvaya Cove. She laughed and said that it was why my nieces thought I had such a fun job. It's doubly fun when I get to share it with people I love! This particular event was for Eskinol Ageless, and we were encouraged to bring our mothers on this overnight mother-daughter bonding trip.

Our room at Anvaya Cove

Rewind to the day before. After receiving the invitation, I called my mom who promptly cleared her sched so she could make it to the event. The next day, we found ourselves in Bataan, where we were joined by two other mother-daughter pairs, and over a dozen other press people.

My mom and me with FHM contributing fashion ed Donna Cuna-Pita and her mom Tita Diana

The event started off with a buffet lunch, then moved on to a presentation about Eskinol Ageless. I didn't even know that this 65-year-old brand had started selling their own anti-aging line. I was pretty amazed to learn that their day creams and night creams sell for just P199 a jar, and that their toners are less than a hundred bucks a pop! No verdict yet though--I'm still waiting to see what it does to my skin after regular use. (On a side note, I am finally using toner. And yes, I can see that it removes dirt and makeup residue that a simple washing can miss. P.S. I used to use toner on my underarms! A friend recommended VMV Id for whiter, smoother kili-kili, and it worked!)

The creams come in sachet form too.

It was cool to take a trip down memory lane with Eskinol, as they showed us old-school commercials--Marian dela Riva, a turbaned Ate Vi (love her! Classic Eskinol girl!), the Cojuangcos, Sharon and KC, and even a friend of mine, Chinie (she's the one in the Matte N' Fresh TVC from years ago). After all the presentations, we sat back as the hilarious and super cute Chef Sylvia Reynoso and her kids had a cooking demo. Mumsy, who hardly cooks, was forced to showcase her kitchen skills in front of a crowd when host Issa Litton volunteered her.

(Top) With Chef Sylvia Reynoso and her daughter; (above) what Mom cooked: prawns in aligue sauce

After we feasted on all the stuff that was prepared (basmati rice, chicken barbecue, a salad, prawns in aligue, and mango sago--and this was merienda!), I went for a run around Anvaya. Too bad I didn't have my cam with me so I didn't get to take pics of the beach and the pool. After my short run, Mumsy and I got ready for dinner...and a glorious massage at the spa.

My masseuse Josie chuckled as she heard several cracks when she put her weight on my back. My body had been crying out for a massage for weeks, and the event allowed me to finally get one. Josie's adept hands set the stage for a good night's sleep.

By 7:00 am the next morning, my mom and I were back at the function room for a yoga session with Dunia de los Reyes. It was Mumsy's first ever yoga session, and she soldiered through it, gamely attempting poses despite having previously fractured a wrist and hip! She wasn't able to do everything, but I was happy that she at least tried to do most of the poses. A for effort!

Right before we grunted our way through the poses

Yoga took a bit out of her though, so she rested while I tried the zipline--the last activity for this packed event. I didn't feel nervous at all, despite the 250-meter line and 100-foot drop--at least not until the dude in charge got ready to push me! I let out a little squeal as I started to move, but "Eeek!" was soon replaced with "Oooh!" after I zipped along at a moderate speed over a whole lot of trees--if anything bad happened, at least there would be something to break my fall! After I got my feet back on the ground, I got ready to go back to Manila.

It was a very pleasant, intimate event. More than all the activities lined up (did I mention the free massage? Sigh), I especially enjoyed being able to spend time with Mumsy, and being able to share the fun side of my job with her!