Maniolas

TV host and model Bianca Gonzales talks about how to shop smart.

Villa del Conte gives customers the freedom to add personal touches to their creations with their exclusive customizable packaging. MANILA, Philippines -The premium chocolate brand known for its delectable flavors carries the name of a small, idyllic town in Italy, Villa del Conte, where it began, and where chocolate is not just a treat but also an edible art form. For 81 years, Villa del Conte has been making exceptional chocolates specially made by their artisans. Using only handpicked cacao beans, shaped by a unique process, one can taste a masterpiece of authentic Italian tradition. Being a place of creativity and intellect, Villa del Conte soon became the home of world-class artisanal chocolates, carrying a tradition that spans three generations. Much like heirlooms, its world-class chocolate recipes are passed on from father to son and so on. Today, people can have a sweet piece of Italy as Villa del Conte presents its exquisite line of chocolates in the Philippines: signature creations such as Praline Balls, Praline Sticks, and Ovicini, followed by decadent Domes, Truffles, and Neapolitans. Made of silky, creamy fillings in milk or dark chocolate shells, Villa del Conte’s Praline Balls come in flavors of cacao, caramel, coffee, macadamia, hazelnut cream and cereals, milk cream coconut chips, and white cream filling and biscuits. Giving you the perfect combination of citrus and cioccolato, their Praline Sticks have a wide array of flavored cream fillings such as banana, orange, strawberry, blueberry, mint, and watermelon, in milk or dark chocolate. Lifestyle Feature Read More …

Happy eyebrows: Happy Skin’s Eye Love View Eyebrow Duo is an easy favorite beauty find —  it’s got an eyebrow pencil tip on one end and a liner tip on the other.    Dear Lucy, I do not have eyebrows, and I am not even remotely considering getting it tattooed in any way.  I have turned to using a pencil, but it looks so unnatural! Can you suggest anything that will work? Tania I asked some makeup experts, as well as friends I know who have the same dilemma as yours and this is what they have to say:  Pencil can work, if it is the right one, and another good option would be powder.  If your problem is sparse eyebrows, then they say it may be best to go for powder, which can be more easily dispersed and will not give you a look that seems painted on.  Bear in mind the color of the powder, make sure it matches your hair color.  Laura Mercier has some brow powder duos that you can choose from, and is best applied with a stiff angled brush.  Use short, feathered strokes.  To set the look, mist an eyebrow brush with hairspray and brush it through. Happy Skin’s Eye Love View Eyebrow Duo has become a quick and easy favorite beauty find for many.  It has an eyebrow pencil tip on one end and a liner tip on the other.  The former makes application of color easy (and it is in a very Read More …

Patty Laurel Filart and Angel Jacob are happy with their Herve Chapelier bags. As my daughter Natalia and I were window shopping at SM Aura,  she spotted a store that I wasn’t too familiar with. Excitedly she explained that it was one of her favorite bag stores when she lived in Paris and was happy that it is now available locally. The Herve Chapelier brand is named after its French founder who, in 1976, started with tote, duffel and travel bags made with sturdy materials that are usually found in car seat belts and canvas in red, purple, fuchsia, orange, yellow and neutral hues.  Popular with the younger set and those who want practical bags, the brand is also favored for its simplicity and durability.  A week later, I was invited to the opening of  Herve Chapelier and one of the guests even jokingly remarked that her bag has outlasted her decade-old marriage. Guests Stephanie Kienle-Gonzales,  Maggie Wilson, Pia Magalona, G Tongi, Anna Rufino, Patty Laurel, Mika Martinez, Keri Zamora and Karen Jimeno agreed that these bags are the best not only for travel but also for daily use. They showed us their choices that looked so chic in various color combinations, including animal prints which are always in style. The evening’s Parisian-themed soiree had romantic French music in the background as French goodies were served.  Guests were able to view the bag artwork created by selected young and upcoming local artists Aiya Balingit, Mayi Peñaflorida, Soleil Ignacio, Niccolo Jose, Kris Abrigo, and Tokwa Peñaflorida who each Read More …

Oliviero Bottinelli, Audemars Piguet (AP) managing director for Asia, calls himself “the brand concierge.” “The title on my card is not important,” he humbly says. “I like to say that I do everything for AP — even clean display windows.” Photos by JOEY MENDOZA What is that thing before me? The altered lyrics of a Black Sabbath song could very well describe people’s initial reaction to the Royal Oak Offshore watch when it was first launched by Audemars Piguet in 1993. Those were different times — so trad, still conservative — in the luxury watch scene. “They went, ‘What is that? So bold, so big.’ It was way ahead of its time,” explains Oliviero Bottinelli, Audemars Piguet (AP) managing director for Asia, about the watch that has become the brand’s most iconic model. “Nobody really liked it at first. The brand CEO at that time even said, ‘We’re going to create 100 limited-edition pieces and then that’s it.’ But it created a lot of noise.” It plucked a historical note, striking the chimes of innovation. The Offshore became the pioneer of big watches, because, after that, other brands came out with their own bad boys of bigness. Now, the watch lovingly called “Bumblebee,” “Panda” and even “Pounder” has reached iconic status. Jay-Z and King James would coolly agree.    At the recent Geneva watch fair, AP launched the new 42-millimeter Offshore — six pieces (four in steel, two in gold) —  then popping up in cities such as Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Read More …