Tabla de contenidos para August 2021 en MEGA

No matter how many times we’ve shot Anne Curtis, the actress never ceases to amaze. She didn’t just capture imagination a generation—dominated it—and continues to dazzle and reign over the competition. For this month’s cover shoot, Curts is clad in head-to-toe Louis Vuitton, wearing both signature pieces and selects from the current collection. Her hair is a cascade of mermaid waves, her sultry, dark lips highlight her perfect, radiant skin. Decades after she burst into the scene a sweet-faced cherub of a tween, her beauty continues to stun and mesmerize. Witness how she literally lit up (with a little help from the bright lights set up by photographer Shaira Luna) the lobby of The Peninsula Manila on a very dark and stormy afternoon. When Luna zooms in for a closeup,…

MAZEE Entrepreneur Maikkie See started Mazee because of her love for arts, crafts and jewelry. What started out as admiration became a full-on business that aims to be a worldwide brand. “The vision has always been to go global and even though we’re not yet entirely there, we have already reached other parts of the world through our clientele from Europe, USA, Japan and Singapore. The brand is sticking to that goal with the hopes to reach more countries in the coming months,” See shares. With pieces that range from of-the-moment gold chain jewelry to statement signet rings and initial namesake pendants, her pieces are all highly coveted, as seen on many stylish influencers on social media. The brand aims to have physical locations soon but for now their cool…

“IF WE DO WELL DURING THE PANDEMIC, THEN WHEN IT IS ALL OVER, THE SKY IS THE LIMIT FOR TOKYO GLAM.” WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST FASHION MEMORY? As young as seven years old, I was already in love with wearing beautiful bags. Despite the bags being off-brand, I was still very fond of choosing the fashionable combinations of bags, clothes and dresses. WHO WAS YOUR FASHION ROLE MODEL WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG? Audrey Hepburn. I love the fashion she wears and how she wears it. I am inspired by her style. WHAT IS YOUR FASHION PHILOSOPHY? Fashion is an extension of yourself. It reflects your character and identity. As a result, fashion allows you to express who you are. WHAT ASPECT OF FASHION INSPIRES YOU? Fashion inspires me because it…

Tucked in the corner of Crimson Hotel Filinvest City’s lobby is Baker J, the cute-as-a-macaron full service restaurant moonlighting as a Parisian café. The name, which alludes to je suis (I am), may not sound typically French, but everything else—from the smell of the freshly baked baguettes and pains au chocolat to the candy-colored interiors—is meant to transport visitors to the City of Lights. Baker J opened earlier this year with the intent of providing freshly made, nutritious and delicious food to residents in the southern area of Metro Manila. But as restrictions loosened up, Crimson Hotel decided to open it—safely—to diners, employing all mandatory health and safety requirements such as temperature checks, health declarations, and the wearing of masks and face shields while not eating. Thanks to all the…

FASHION HEY JOW, web <heyjow.com>; LOUIS VUITTON, Greenbelt 4, Solaire Resort and Casino; MAZEE PH, web <instagram.com/mazeeph>; SUKI JEWELRY, web <sukijewelry.ph>. DESIGNER ANDREA TETANGCO, Instagram <instagram.com/andreatetangco>; BYCARLL, Instagram <instagram.com/carlalbertooo>. BEAUTY BELO, Leading department stores, web <shopbelomed.com>; ESTÉE LAUDER, Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Rustan’s Alabang Town Center, web <rustans.com>; INNISFREE, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Trinoma, web <lazada.com.ph, shopee.ph, beautymnl.com>; OXECURE, Leading drugstores, web <lazada.com.ph, beautymnl.com, watsons.com.ph, and zalora.com.ph>; SIMPLE SKINCARE, Leading department stores, web <lazada.com.ph, beautymnl.com, watsons.com.ph>; SUNNIES FACE, Glorietta 1, Alabang Town Center, SM Megamall, SM Makati, web <sunniesface.com>. SERVICES AVIGNON CLINIC, 58 Sgt. Esguerra Ave, South Triangle, Quezon City, Philippines; TOKYO GLAM, 4th Floor, Unit 4291, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Asean Avenue cor. Macapagal Blvd., Aseana City, Brgy. Tambo, Paranaque City.…

I’ve always believed in the notion that as you get older, you get to know yourself better. I also believe that apart from age, your experiences, mistakes and learnings also shape you as a person. Every life stage has its own set of lessons and challenges. When you’re young, you tend to focus on yourself and you are more carefree. In your twenties, you’re out to prove yourself in the work place. In your thirties, you are probably juggling a career with family life, your priorities shifting constantly. Each stage allows you to discover a little bit more about yourself. There are probably people for whom self-discovery has been a relatively easy process, but for others—like me—well, let’s just say it’s an ongoing process. Ultimately the journey to self-discovery is…

The woman has always been defined in the eyes of a man. From what she is expected to do, to what she is expected to look like, the man has always been in control of what she can become. But in recent years, women have been taking these standards back into their hands to mold a new future of fashion that is inclusive and very much voiced by and for women. One of the voices who continue to push for this in the local fashion scene is designer Andrea Tetangco. “Im always inspired by empowered women, creating something for these women and making a statement that will give them confidence,” Tetangco shares as she creates pieces that women truly adore. One of the first women she looked up to was…

Years from now libraries, whether virtual or actual ones, will be packed with literature about this pandemic and its ramifications. Already we can see the lasting changes it has effected. In Travel, one editor shares the wildly divergent emotions of traveling a - to the Land of the Free, where the brave are already roaming sans masks and social distancing. Meanwhile, in Forvm, we peer through the digital divide that the pandemic has made even greater and more explicit: for every person contentedly working from home, there are several sitting in limbo or in simmering frustration as sub-par gadgets sputter and internet connections stall, both screen and time frozen and wasted. Lastly, in Relationship, one writer puts her glass down and resolves to abstain from alcohol, the emotional lubricant that…

By now many people already done their pandemic-era public debut. Regardless if you simply ventured out for a walk in the park, had an al fresco dinner or went all out to an exotic resort, you no doubt had that moment. You know what we’re talking about. That instant when you laid out your beauty arsenal and stared at it, unsure where to start. How did it make you feel? Where you nervous? Happy? Distraught? Anxious? (Still? Same.) Excited? It’s likely you ran through a gamut of emotions, and that’s fine. This month, the beauty section is full of feelings: the satisfaction of seeing an editor’s pick in Tried & Tested and realizing you have the same one on your bathroom sink; the mild panic when you discover new sunspots…

Whether she’s modeling, coming up with the next raved about product, or walking down the aisle, Jessica Wilson—or Jess, as many call her, exudes a beauty that simply captivates. Bare faced for our early morning shoot, she’s still radiating the bridal glow from tying the knot with her long-time partner Moritz Gastl in an intimate civil wedding held at Palawan. When I asked what her secret was, she reveals that it was just the joy that they were able to pull off the wedding after two postponed attempts. “Every bit of the weekend from seeing the plans actually coming to life to everything going better than what I could have envisioned. It was just the overall feeling of happiness that it was happening,” she shares fondly. Even when she was…

“One can speak poetry just by arranging colors well.”VINCENT VAN GOGH…

“We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time.” - T.S. Eliot The journey to one’s self can be arduous, at times painful, but always rewarding. This month, our thoughts and emotions are far-reaching, with some of us reaching for color, warmth and positivity, while others embraced the darkness, uncertainty and freedom of the unknown. It’s heady stuff, but none headier than the idea that we’re at the cusp of something great. Listen, it could just be the vaccine talking, but we’re ready to leap. Leading the charge is our cover star, the incomparable Anne Curtis. She’s never been shy about her ambitious, her audacity to follow her dreams. Star…

The halcyon days of spending hours pampering one’s self inside a salon, chatting with favored technicians and artists are long gone. Today, it’s all hazmat suits, temperature checks and the pervasive smell of disinfectant. While salons typically employ the strictest hygiene practices, they were no match for the government’s even more stringent health guidelines. Tokyo GLAM, a luxury lash and nail salon, experienced the full brunt of the COVID-19 catastrophe, having opened just before the lockdown began. It faced months of limbo waiting for the signal to open again and for jittery customers to venture out. But instead of simply weathering it out, Tokyo GLAM founder Michelle Takijima, went full speed ahead—albeit in a slightly different direction. “Since the pandemic has started, a lot of changes had to be made…

Hi, I’m Aby and I’m not an alcoholic. However, by the time this article gets published it will be more than six months since I decided to get sober. I had my last sip of alcohol on New Year’s Eve--a full 15 minutes before the clock turned twelve. The idea to stop drinking came to me the moment I decided to move back permanently to Manila from Madrid in November of 2020. The clean slate in Manila and the beginning of a new year offered an opportunity to cultivate fresh habits and quit old ones—including the dreadful drinking habit I picked up in Spain. You see, I had been living in Madrid for the last couple of years. In Spain, I thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful selection of fine but affordable…

stripped down “When my skin needs extra care, I use the DR. FRANZ Anti-Aging Microcurrent Dual Face Mask (P2800) available at Belo Beauty. It consists of two masks and a boosting essence to achieve the best healthy and radiant glow. It’s formulated with Oligo Hyaluronic Acid that relieves dry skin, ceramides that lock in hydration and moisture and lastly, it boasts of 10 different vitamin complexes to ultimately nourish the skin from the inside out.” Peewee Reyes-Isidro, Editor-in-Chief sleep tight “I’ll be honest—I’m not a big fan of sheet masks. However, I am in love with ESTÉE LAUDER Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Recovery Powerfoil Mask (P5250) because it contains double the dose of the beloved ANR serum. Bring all that hyaluronic acid over here please! It costs a pretty peso…

Progression is such a tricky path because moving forward would always involve looking back. One cannot look to a future with clarity without the help of the past’s lessons. In this issue, we are all about discovering a new sense of self by centering in on what has been learned from the collective highs and lows of the recent past. This way, we move forward with a better foundation. While the term iconic is thrown out quite often these days, Anne Curtis is truly one of the rare few who indeed deserves it. The multi-hyphenate took a year off from the limelight to focus on her daughter and discovering other aspects of herself. But now she’s back and she’s even stronger and more stunning now. Clad in the best of…