1) Trissey (Tricia + Crissey) bonding after so long! We spent almost a whole day together - it was loads of fun, especially with the kind of silliness that is always expected from our duo. <3

2) Pat from Apartment 8 treated us to cake in the middle of shooting. Of course, with something as cute as this, you’d expect us to take photos and Instagram first before digging in!

3) Valentines-themed cupcakes at Sonja’s in Serendra! Not what I ordered (since my favorite from them is their Red Velvet) but too cute not to Instagram, lol.

4) Spent a lazy afternoon in Starbucks reading this book. Little did I know that my angkong (grandfather) would pass away the next day. It’s the first time I’m explicitly talking about it but I pretty much spent most of my February afternoons and evenings at the hospital and at his wake (even on Valentines Day), thus the lessened activity on my blog during this month. He was in and out of the hospital for heart-related problems most of 2012 as well.

As of this writing, it’s been exactly 49 days since his burial. We actually just came from the cemetery to visit him again and pay our respects. He’s in a better place now. <3

5) Quick lunch at Yabu!

6) Valentines-themed shoot with James and Ericka! 

7) Heart-shaped donuts at Krispy Kreme. A ton of people commented on my IG saying that they look like heart-shaped ground meat, lol.

8) MEXX outing with blogger friends! With Lissa, Laureen and David.

9) Chocolate-covered strawberries for Valentines thanks to Pond’s!

10) Received pretty flowers from Krissy and Ericka <3

11) Flowers for my angkong, 3 days after the burial. In his mausoleum — “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.”

12) Sweet pink hair (or wig) and make.

13) Salmon Carpaccio at Italianni’s with my new friends Ley and Cindy, and blogger friends David, Lissa and Shai.

14) Little things! Mini Canon USB from @osgenshop on IG and mini Celine ear plug from @crownedvelvet on IG. Yes, that’s a page of ViVi with Sara Mary on it!

15) Wore this to the Young Market Masters Awards (YMMA). Simple black shift dress from Mango and bag from Forever 21.

16) Strawberry mousse!

17) Pink and white outfit in preparation for spring/summer.

18) Wearing the very popular Apartment 8 peekaboo shoulder top! So happy it got wonderful reviews from people after I wore it, as all their stocks were sold out twice, and people still want it to this day! <3

19) Suddenly, dark hair after a disaster at my previous salon! It has since then faded to my current hair color which is still a little messy, but at least I already cut all the damaged parts off!

Wearing Orly Frisky nail polish from @polishedinthecity on IG. 

20) Alice in Wonderland vibes at the ob for shu uemura event at SoFA! Macarons everywhere!

21) Blue top and necklace from Forever 21, bag from Moussy (Japan), and inset skirt leggings from Yesstyle. My hair was pretty much fried at this point…

22) Met up with my best friends at The Old Spaghetti House and got this cheesy penne pasta. NOM.

23) Second time to see Crissey! <3 We were invited to a web show called Live, Love, Lolz by Tita K! But first we had dinner together, and spent the rest of our time camwhoring in a small bathroom, lol.

Photography by Tricia Gosingtian. Make-up by Ais Liao. Model: Lissa Kahayon.

Last week, I was fortunate enough to be invited by Mexx Philippines to a short bloggers outing with fellow bloggers Laureen, David and Lissa. It was all the way in Alabang Town Center, a place I almost never go to, so the outing also served as a good opportunity for me to get out of my comfort zone (which is mostly Libis, Ortigas and The Fort only) for a change! Plus I can’t say no to a day of bonding with long-time blogger friends!

Lissa and I met up in Glorietta where we were chauffeured in a pretty Mercedes Benz! The car ride was super smooth, and this means a lot considering that I always have motion sickness whenever I ride cars.

After a few introductions with the whole Cinderella and Mexx team, we proceeded to California Pizza Kitchen for lunch! The yummiest Italian food were served to us in giant portions, and I helped myself to some epic-tasting pizza and pasta, of course (LOL). 

Was seated right across pretty Laureen and her very summery outfit! 

Not for those on strict workouts, diets or fitness regimens (ehem Lissa), but ideal for those who don’t have any care in the world about them (ehem me). 

S’mores pizza for dessert! 

After lunch, we were finally taken to the Mexx store!

It’s the only Mexx open so far, but do watch out for the Shangri-La, SM Aura, and Glorietta stores this year! I, for one, am excited for the one in Shang because I live quite near and it’s one of my favorite malls since I was little.

Sweaters and cardigans everywhere! Most of the items in Mexx are very reminiscent of European Metropolitan lifestyle. They offer modern pieces that are appropriate for city people with a knack for functional fashion.

Bags and scarves that are super easy to pair with anything!

Camwhoring in the mirror because we couldn’t get a proper group shot. :D

Here’s another one! I swear it would’ve been so awkward if someone walked into the store and saw a bunch of people (including 3 girls wearing sky high heels) taking pictures of everything we could find in the store. Ahh, blogger duties!

My favorites from the men’s collection. Reminds me so much of my trip to the UK last spring. One Direction style! 

From the women’s collection. A lot of their fall/winter items were still on the racks, and these included a lot of tweed jackets and office-appropriate blazers that exuded a certain kind of sophisticated European elegance. 

Mexx has actually been around for a long time now, but it’s never too late to let people enjoy good fashion. Thanks to the official distributor, Cinderella, for bringing it here to Manila!

Love the current collection that’s made up of mostly charcoal gray, brown, old rose, beige and red.

Apart from the quick tour of the store, we were also asked by the Cinderella team to help style them using Mexx clothes! It was a challenge for me to style someone with a completely different body type as me, but it proved to be quite an experience in the end. For Mexx Marketing Assistant Renee, I picked a blush-colored drape neck top and paired it with a similar-colored bag, and some bright red skinny pants. Just something mature and simple yet still appropriate for both daytime at the office and nighttime out with your closest girl friends. Pair with nude pumps!

Lissa made MEXX Assistant Buyer Tin wear something that matched her own outfit! It’s the same top from the previous picture, only in black. She paired it with a muted aztec print skirt and a bright cardigan for that extra touch of edginess that is so very Lissa!

Laureen styled Cinderella Marketing Manager Lana with a sexy-corporate-chic outfit. Black skinnies are my personal favorite staples in my closet, and Mexx had a lot of good ones that you can pair with anything. Laureen’s interpretation included a low-cut sheer floral-print button-down, and a dark gray blazer to balance out the sexiness of the blouse. 

It was David’s first time to style a girl - how cute! <3 I loved the result - a masculine look in general but the belt made all the difference in the world since it highlighted the waist and gave the outfit a feminine silhouette. I’d totes wear this look! ESPRIT assistant buyer Anjelica looked pleased with her new look :)

Sadly, the trip had to come to an end, and it was time to say goodbye! It was such a fun trip though, and I’m happy I managed to convince myself to participate in blogger activities for once. Promised myself to be less anti-social this year, so I hope this is only the first of many events I can go to this year. *crosses fingers* 

Thanks Mexx, Cinderella, Mercedes Benz, Mary Kay and CPK for taking care of us! Can’t wait to go on a shopping spree when the Shang store opens next month!

Follow Mexx on Twitter and Facebook. 

Sorry for the Instawillgoplaces delay! Anyhow, feast your eyes on plentiful food porn, travel photos and a couple of annoying photos of myself, teehee.

1) Really really really good Mac and Cheese and Truffle Pizza at one of my new favorite places to eat/hang out, Locale Gastrobar in Pasig. NOM.

2) Camwhoring in the dressing room at the Apartment 8 launch with Lissa, Camille, Patricia, Vern and Verniece. 

3) Pigged out at Wildflour Café + Bakery with my boyfriend RG after a long day at The Mind Museum. Totally craving for all these right now. Can’t wait to go back!

4) MAC Ruby Woo lipstick and matching red nails! Sweater from Forever 21.

5) After getting a bangs trim and a blowdry at my usual salon. I should do this hairstyle more often…

6) Attended the Ateneo Bonfire as usual, to celebrate the 5th straight championship for the UAAP Basketball team! Boyfriend and I are both proud Ateneans :D

7) The first time I dyed my hair darker after a long time. It’s (Schwarzkopf) Igora Royal 5-65 on light brown, previously bleached hair. 7-65 for the non-bleached parts like roots. Baby steps to making the color even. It was frustrating when the color on my roots and the rest of my hair would fade differently, so my hairstylist decided to use two different colors (from the same family) then. Complex stuff.

8) BIG BANG concert! Definitely one of the highlights of 2012. <3 I made sure to schedule my flight to Hong Kong the next day and not on the day of the concert!

Went with my Juju, Calel and his girlfriend Farrah who is a huuuge K-pop fan. We both screamed our lungs out during the concert like crazy people, lol. Sadly can’t go to the DFKC but I’m still crossing my fingers for a solo SNSD concert or a possible SM Town Manila. :(

9) As soon as my friend Jee and I arrived in Hong Kong, we splurged on giant strawberries at the supermarket. Yum!

10) Hong Kong Disneyland with Jee! She bought the cutest Marie cat ears because she super loves cats, and I got myself a nice limited edition Halloween Minnie headband.

11) Benico x Hello Kitty Petit Macaron blushes in PM03 and PM04 in Sasa for about HKD99 each. Still using these blushes now, especially the purple/pink one.

12) Stocked up on some of my favorite lashes! Sasa, just come to Manila already! T_T

13) Had dinner with the family at UCC as soon as I came back to Manila! Absolutely in love with their seafood salad. Pricey but so good.

14) And yet another dinner with the family. This time at Italianni’s in Eastwood Mall. We all clearly missed each other too much. That, or we all have bottomless pits as stomachs.

15) Before I knew it, I was out of the country again! Here’s a pretty view of Jakarta. 

16) Borobudur Temple!

17) Prambanan Temple!

18) The most adorable Alice in Wonderland stickers I found at a random stall in a mall in Jakarta. Alice and I have the same hair! :D

19) Japanese burger with truffle cream sauce at UMAMI in The Grove. My siblings and I also love going to this place for coffee and dessert! Try their sea salt caramel coffee. <3

20) The yummiest comfort food at Borough in The Podium with my family. Brooklyn Omelette, I love you forever.

21) Homemade paella made by my talented brother Calel! 

22) Bangs! With Camille at the Apartment 8 Holiday Collection shoot.

23) My super sweet boyfriend surprised me with flowers the night before my birthday! He also baked a layered chocolate cookie dough and oreo cake which we both ate at midnight. He worked on it for 5 straight hours! Intense.

The perks of having a boyfriend who loves to cook and bake. I fail at everything related to the kitchen, lol.

24) I didn’t post this on Instagram but I just found this too cute not to share! I was taking my usual outfit photos in front of the mirror when he decided to photobomb me. :D

Pink and princess-y look while I still can. Dress is something I got in Korea a long time ago. Maybe I should schedule a trip to Seoul again this year… 

25) He treated me to Wafu in Greenhills for my birthday lunch. So. Freaking. Good. I can eat Japanese food everyday.

26) Then we spent most of the night with the rest of my family at Mom and Tina’s. First time to treat all of them for my birthday instead of the usual. For the past 24 years it has always been my parents paying for everything but I wanted to give back by treating them out for dinner for once. Made me feel like an adult! :D

Top left: My brother Chase and his girlfriend Cat, top right: My brother Juju and his girlfriend Cel, bottom left: My parents, bottom right: My brother Calel and his girlfriend Farrah 

27) My dad surprised me with cake (which I ended up paying for also, lol) with a color scheme and design that matched the color of my top and the curls on my hair! 8D

28) Light make-up and shiny gold accents. 

‘Til next time! I’ll probably do a separate entry for my December Instagram photos. Follow me @tgosingtian for live updates!

Last October 5 was the official launch of Apartment 8. They finally got to do this after years being in the industry, and I couldn’t be happier for the team behind this wonderful brand. What I love most about them is that they offer a wide assortment of affordable, high-quality clothes that can fit different personal styles. I believe in their products so much that I agreed to be one of the brand ambassadors, along with Camille and Patricia. The 3 of us got to represent the 3 roommates of Apartment 8 - Blair, Paris and Katy. This concept got me sold! It’s so incredibly fresh, don’t you think?

Click on the names to view each collection:

Blair: “Sophisticated, clean, classy. Whoever said that sophistication and sass don’t mix clearly hasn’t met Blair. With her classic, polished look, she proves that a girl with good taste can have a real good time. All the gossip about this girl is true; she puts the fine in refined.”

Paris: “Nobody knows how to live it up quite like Paris. This sexy girl sure can work a room and demand attention when she wants it. Constantly clad in pieces that stand out like her personality, Paris is certainly where the party’s at.”

Katy: “Katy is the epitome of fun. Her bubbly personality translates to her wardrobe, which often consists of pops of color and prints that make you do a double take. She is edgy. She is spontaneity. She’s the perfect mix of young, wild, and free.”

Click here to view all my previous Apartment 8 posts.

Not inspired to splurge on all their pretty clothes yet? Here are a few photos that me and my boyfriend took during the launch at Blue Leaf Events Pavillon at McKinley Hill. They also got other blogger ambassadors like Lissa, Vern, Verniece, JL and Domz to walk down the runway dressed in special Apartment 8 pieces.

Dressing room with Lissa and Camille after we had our make-up done. Different hair and lip colors!

I almost never attend events as much as them so I rarely get to bond with bloggers outside work, but when I do, it’s always such a pleasant time. Good, positive vibes!

One of my muses, Tori, modeled for the fashion show. She is one of the best, most professional models I have ever known, and everyone (including me) should take a cue from her because she is so professional (and always on time, if not earlier than everybody else). It’s only a matter of time before she becomes big! <3

Ais Liao, who does the make-up for some of the shoots I photographed in the past. It was such a new feeling when I was the one sitting on her make-up chair as a model this time. 

Camille while having her make-up done. Silver smoky eyes with bright pink lips - a show-stopping combination very fitting for Paris.

Pretty Patricia fully made-up. Super love this lip color on her!

Chow Resurreccion, my brain twin, and the amazing designer behind all the Blair collections and this intricate flapper dress that I’m wearing. 

Ernest’s jacket. He is the designer behind all the Paris collections!

Lissa having her make-up done. Girl has the most flawless skin ever!

My favorite blogger siblings Verniece and Vern. I watched the fashion show from backstage and “aww”-d every time it was their turn to walk the runway because they were just too adorable for words. 

Pictures from the fashion show:

Patricia modeling Josh Buenaflor’s design for Katy. Too bad I don’t have a proper picture in my camera, but it was such an interesting design. 

Never mind that I am the most awkward person on stage and I have the worst posture ever! Congratulations to the Apartment 8 team for this opportunity. You finally did it! I can’t wait for other people to enjoy your designs as much as we did.

Thank you most especially to the lovely lady behind all this. Sheira, you are sorely loved! <3