SANDS RESTO GRILL at THE LIGHTHOUSE Marina Resort

SANDS Resto-Grill at THE LIGHTHOUSE Marina Resort REVIEW

                I could eat a horse after our Zoobic Safari Tour. Scratch that. I could eat TWO horses after the tour. Jeff didn’t want to eat at the in house restaurant in Zoobic because he was planning to take me to where he was supposed to take last month for my birthday.

                We took off from Zoobic and after the longest 15 minutes of my life, we were finally at The Lighthouse Marina Resort.

               

                The Lighthouse is one of the best, if not the best, among the hotels in Subic. The place looks very exclusive with only three floors and thirty four rooms. I can imagine how difficult it must be to secure reservations in the summer when it is peak season.

Although the place looks small, I can already tell it’s well-maintained because everything looks spotless and the staffs, from the guards to the receptionists, were all nice and accommodating.

The Lobby.

simple goes a long way

Their hotel restaurant is called Sand’s Resto Grill. They have an indoor area that’s fully air conditioned but we preferred to eat out in their al-fresco area where we can see the sunset and feel the sea breeze. The weather was perfect anyway.

tired. but not too tired as not to take a photo. hehe

The Menu.

To start, we tried this soup (which I totally forgot the name). I think because it was so hard to pronounce. Basically it was a shrimp-paste based soup that had lots of mussels, fish, squid and shrimp in it. It was very tasty. 

like the sea in a bowl

For dinner Jeff had the Kare-Kareng Bagnet.

sinfully delicious. 

This dish is already good for sharing. It was very tasty and the sauce was the right balance of nutty, sweet and creamy. Almost like the one at Pino before when they had better food and service. Sands did not skimp on the bagnet too. So sinful.

I had the Smeared Salmon. 

salmon ftw!

I loved this dish. The salmon was cooked perfectly. I couldn't help but compare it to the dry salmon at Casa Roces. The sauce went well with it too. It had a generous amount of mashed potato and salad on the side.

We didn't have dessert anymore because we were so full. Their dessert menu is all made from mangoes though. They said it was to promote the mangoes they have in Zambales.

Found this couple having their pre-nuptial pictorial in the area. The view of the setting sun will look very beautiful in their background.

Congratulations to them! whoever they are

We wanted to go up the lighthouse but it was only allowed in the morning. We walked around the play area instead.

the lighhouse changes color every few seconds

The place is quiet and very relaxing. The service was very good too. The waiter who attended to us was VERY quick on his feet. At the time they had an OJT working for them who looked very rude and mataray. I’m thinking she’s either on her period or she just doesn’t know what she’s supposed to do. The waiter’s service more than made up for that small issue though.

Marina is the perfect place to go if you want to have a romantic dinner in Subic with your special someone or if you just want to have a day out of the city to unwind with the family. 

For Reservations check their website of contact them with information below.

www.lighthousesubic.com/

Address: Subic Park Hotel, Moonbay Marina, Waterfront Road Subic Bay Freeport Zone Waterfront Rd, Olongapo, 2222 Zambales

Phone:(047) 252 5000

Note: I'll update this post with the prices of the food. Its been three weeks already and I can't for the life of me remember. I'll have to look for the receipt. lol.

A ZOOPER Adventure at ZOOBIC Safari

ZOOBIC Safari

"The Happiest Place"

                Going to Subic was a breeze thanks to SCTEX (and Jeff’s awesome driving skills) except for a few road constructions here and there. From Manila, you’ll have to pass at least three toll gates so prepare at least Php1200 for tollgate fees back and forth.

                Our welcoming committee was mainly composed of wild boars roaming around the parking lot and basically everywhere else. These Pumbas scavenge food from literally anywhere so I suggest you do not touch their mouths NO MATTER HOW CUTE THEY SEEM. Or you can bring a handy dandy santizer/alcohol too.

                The enntrance fee costs Php545 for adults and Php445 for kids 3 to 4ft but that is for the Zoobic Safari day tour. You can opt to try the Night Safari too if you want to check the animals out at night. It costs Php150 more and is only by schedule (check out their site for reservations).

Reminders for the tourists

                The first thing we did was take a picture with their tiger on display. At the time, it was a white tiger named Icy. Jeff says there’s a bigger one twice Icy’s size, too bad it was resting then. 
              
                *I've always dreamed about owning a tiger so it was really awesome to meet them up close. I doubt that I can ever own one though. Maintenance will be really hard and expensive. I would need to own a zoo too.

Icy the White Tiger

That's a bottle of milk in Jeff's hand

             Here’s the resident albino snake Michael.

His muscles are so strong

               And we have not even started the tour yet. 
              
              The entrance to the Zoobic Safari Tour is actually inside this Zoovenir Shop. It's like they're telling us to buy something already before even exploring the place. Haha.

            
                We started the tour by entering the aviary.The Aviary has lots of exotic birds who curiously do not fly off even if they are not tied. 

                 *A tour guide is available to talk about the animals but we opted to check out the place on our own. 

Welcome to Zoobic Park!

                We took pictures with this grumpy owl for only Php50.

He's camera shy but we were able to take a good photo.

                More birds.

                These parakeets look very pretty especially when they fly in sync. You can feed them with rice.

                Looks like I found where Mickey Mouse’s long lost brother lives.

                These bearcats smell like pandan.

                This Puma looks like it can use some entertainment. *Female Pumas are called Cougars.

                These camels are snobs at first but you can get them interested by feeding them with sugar canes nearby.

Please don't eat my hand... please don't eat my hand..

                Baa-baa black sheep have you any wool?

Whatchu lookin at?

                The Serpentarium’s collection of snakes was not very big but they have a number albino snakes, pythons and iguanas there.

A Python

                The Animal Show! The animals have been trained to show off their skills. We were the first among the audience who volunteered to participate in the show. We got to carry a big fluffy bearcat on our backs. Some of the volunteers got to hold snakes and birds.

He's heavy but he smells nice

                     The Tiger Safari is what Zoobic is most known for and also the most awaited part of the tour. We rode a choo-choo train to get to Tiger Café where the jeeps who will take us to the wild safari awaits.

                Before going to Tiger Cafe though, we dropped by the Zoobic Cave and the Forbidden Cave where stuffed animals are put on display. 

Stuffed animals, not toys, inside.

                The jeep parked at the Tiger Cafe Terminal.

                The best part of the tour should be when we purchase Php200 chickens and feed them to the tigers but unfortunately, the tigers were already full when we got there. It felt like a simple off road trip. We only found two tigers and they were literally ignoring us.

                We found this tiger chillin’ like a villain.

You're gonna hear me ROAAAAR... not.

                Close Encounter more than made up for our slight disappointment in the Tiger Safari. We got to see the bigger tigers in their resting areas. The tigers kept here are more than 6 years old while the ones on display near the entrance are less than 3 years old (considered babies). The smell of the place is a little unpleasant because apparently, tigers urinate on their territories just like dogs.  We were immediately warned to step aside if we see a tiger erecting its tail because that can only mean one thing. It's about to give us a shower we will never forget.

The Entrance

One of the big tigers inside Close Encounter

                We went to see the crocodiles too. The crocodiles here aren’t as big or as many as the ones I have seen at the Palawan crocodile farm but they are just as vicious and hungry. We were able to feed them with chicken parts for Php50.

                I don’t know why we were not allowed to step down from the train when we entered the Savannah. But it was fine by me. The smell wasn't very pleasant (what can you expect, the place is full of animals) but I enjoyed observing them. There were ostriches, sheep and pigs everywhere.

animals everywhere

the story of creation

                I enjoyed our tour a lot. My favorite part was getting to feed the camels and the crocs. It was super disappointing that we were not able to feed the tigers though. I also think the place can use a little more.. hmm...pizzazz. Some parts of the place looks gloomy but kudos to the staff for keeping the whole area clean. There's also a zipline available for those feeling a bit more active.

                Jeff and I were S-T-A-R-V-I-N-G after the tour. We could eat at the in house restaurant but the boyfriend had other plans. 

smiling outside but HANGRY inside >=P

               Stay tuned for my next blog about one of the best hotel and restaurant in Subic.. The Lighthouse Marina Resort.         

                

DOUBLE HIT LIP and PRIME PERFECT by Look Beauty REVIEW

 DOUBLE HIT LIP and PRIME PERFECT by Look Beauty

DOUBLE HIT LIP

                All the trends covered – matte, glossy or everything at once!

                So says the package of the Double Hit Lip by Look Beauty(Php550).This two-in-one product is offered by Look Beauty, the make-up brand under LOOK Magazine UK.

                The colours available look very cute and pretty. They all seem very wearable but I was really drawn to Rose Riot.

photo from their website

The lipstick end of the product(2.5g) is very sheer. I don’t think I’ll ever use it alone. It’s not as matte as I expected.  It wears off easily too so you’ll have to re-apply every hour or so.

the lipstick

I was more satisfied with the gloss(4mL). In fact, I can use the gloss without the lipstick. It smells really nice too (reminded me of red velvet cupcakes) so I don’t mind re-applying it every few hours.

the gloss

Over-all I think the product is very convenient especially for those who want to save space in their beauty pouches. I personally liked the packaging because was light but it sealed the product quite well.  It wasn't exactly a double hit for me though. I don’t think I can finish the lipstick end of this product. The shade is really pretty but I find it too sheer. I prefer the more pigmented lipsticks from MAC or NYX. I hope Look Beauty sells their gloss separately though. It sure made the product worth it for me.

PRIME PERFECT

           Wearing primer should ALWAYS be the first step when applying make-up especially if you need it to last for a long time. It makes make up application much more smoother, brings out the colours of the pigments and gives the products something to cling on to. I usually use Benefit’s Porefessional and ELF Mineral Infused Primer. I ran out of both recently and coincidentally came across PRIME PERFECT from Look Beauty at a bazaar. At Php400 for 35mL, I thought it was a steal (compared to other primers worth double the cost).

                The packaging was very simple. It doesn’t turn me off though as long as it looks decent and holds the product together.

                The consistency was watery unlike my gel-like ELF Primer. I was afraid it might feel oily but surprisingly, it felt very light and disappeared on my skin like magic. My skin felt a lot smoother and softer too.

                I wore this over a semi-heavy make-up. After 6 hours, I can say it did a pretty good job of keeping my make up in place.

                Prime Perfect is an okay product for me. It kept my make up on but more products out there can do better for my pores. I’m not sure if I like the consistency too. I would still prefer gel-type ones like good, old Porefessional or ELF.

WHERE TO GET LOOK BEAUTY

                 Look Beauty is only available in Superdrug stores which are not in the Philippine shores yet. You may order online at the Superdrug site or find local online re-sellers. I got mine at a bazaar from @hotshop_.

Dinner at CASA ROCES Malacanang

CASA ROCES at Malacanang

The boyfriend and I recently had dinner at Casa Roces. I’ve been wanting to check this restaurant out since I saw a photo of their Frozen Souffle from @mytummycraves Instagram Account.

It wasn’t too difficult to find. The place is right across Malacañang. What was difficult to find though was parking space because we went there pretty late but thank goodness they have valet.

The first thing I noticed was the interior of the place. It was very cozy and charming. Casa Roces used to be a house for the prominent Roces family until they decided to turn it to a restaurant. There is really something about old houses that makes you feel warm and welcome (unless of course house in question is abandoned, unlit, filled with cobwebs… you get the picture). Every decoration was well-placed to highlight the historic value of the house and really make you feel at home.

at the lobby (too bad  I wasn't able to take a photo from outside)

Next, I noticed was how difficult it was to get a waiter to notice you. But once they decide to attend to you, they’re actually pretty nice and accommodating.

I first tried out their Onion Soup Gratinée (Php140). The serving was pretty small for my appetite. I like my onion soup with lots of cheese on top but Casa Roces’ version was topped with this crouton already soaked in it.

For dinner, I had the Lenguado Meuniere a la Beurre Noisette (Php240) described as Pan-fried sole fillets with butter, fresh dill and capers. I thought it was pretty good and went well with the mashed potato. I couldn’t, for the life of me, taste the green liquid around it but it makes for great presentation.

Jeff had the Oven-Baked Salmon Wellington(Php460). We both love salmon so we were very excited for this dish. We were disappointed to find out it was rather dry.

The Pinakbet with Vigan Bagnet(Php210) would have been great if the Ampalaya wasn’t so bitter and cut out so big.

I couldn’t wait for dessert because I had a good feeling that the Malacanang Frozen Souffle(Php415) would more than make up for our disappointment in our previous dishes. And I was right! I loved every bite of it.

After dinner, we explored the house a bit. We found out that the second floor was dedicated to rooms you can rent if you wish to hold private affairs or parties at Casa Roces. Again, the interior of the place is just charming and cozy. The music they played really added to the ambience too that we couldn’t help but slow dance in the middle of the second floor sala.

I want this couch. 

Honestly I enjoyed the place more than the food. I’ll probably come back to give their other dishes a chance. The guy beside us looked like he was enjoying his lengua. Maybe we'll get that next time.

Casa Roces is located at 1153 JP Laurel cor Aguado St. San Miguel, Manila, Aguado St, San Miguel, Manila, Metro Manila.

Website: http://www.casaroces.com/

Contact no: (02) 735 5896

*I just realized I've been raving about its interiors so much but I've no photo to show. I'll post some when I go back there.

Have you tried this restaurant or would you like to try it some time? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

TOTAL INTENSITY by Prestige REVIEW

TOTAL INTENSITY by Prestige

                This is one product all beauty pageant candidates can swear by. The TOTAL INTENSITY by Prestige eyeliner is one of the best (if not the best) eyeliner pencil out there in the market.

                I have only ever used the Deepest Black shade but according the prestige cosmetics website, the TOTAL INTENSITY line offers more shades like Bold Brown, Daring Green, Fierce Blue, Powerful Purple, Fearless Teal, Strong Slate, Lively Turquoise and Outrageous Emerald. I’ve seen a couple of these at BeautyBar stores but I’m not sure if all of these shades are available in the Philippines.

                Prestige was not kidding when they called this INTENSE. This eyeliner does not skimp on color and pigment which is maybe why it is so easy to finish one of these 6-inch pencils. What’s great about it though is that it doesn’t smudge easily (No to accidental panda eyes!) unless you rub it hard intentionally.

(Swiped the product on my hand. No filter)

                

                You can use it directly like a pencil for that really deep dark line or you can use a fine-tipped eyeliner brush so you can build on the product. 

                It does get a little softer than you'd like it to be sometimes. The trick is to put it in the freezer for a minute before you use it. The tip of the pencil will be a lot sturdier but it will not be any less pigmented.
                 
                 If you want to use this with a liner brush, you can warm the tip of the pencil using a lighter. Hover the tip of the pencil over the fire for one second and get some of the product on the eyeliner brush carefully. Notice how its consistency becomes similar to gel type liners.

              
                I usually use this eyeliner to fill in my upper lash line. This creates an illusion of thicker lashes. Light swipes in between the lashes will do the trick. In this photo, however, I used a eyeliner brush to create this terrible excuse for a cat-eye. I think I'll get creative and try out the other colors from their line soon. 

  

                One pencil costs around the middle range at Php350. There are a lot of cheaper products out there but I think this one with all it's intensity and versatility is worth every cent. And if you are planning to get one of these babies, better go to your nearest BeautyBar branch ASAP because they disappear from the shelves like magic. As of now, the Prestige brand in the Philippines is only available at BeautyBar stores. 

*Share your thoughts by commenting below. What do you think about the Total Instensity by Prestige Pencil Eyeliner?