Fringe Salon in Alabang

I was beyond excited when I was invited by Patty (of Mrs C's Sugarcoated Life) and Michelle (of Momma 'N Manila) to an afternoon of pampering at Fringe Salon in Alabang, which opened last October 2013.

The first thing that came to mind when I stepped inside is how posh the place looked. I loved the sleek, modern interiors and yet it still has that homey feel to it. It is very evident that owner Evelyn R. Tagle has paid particular attention to detail when she set up this space. No wonder it has since become a favourite neighbourhood salon for many residents in the area.

love all the huge, full-length mirrors!

the stylish waiting area

The second floor of the salon has 2 VIP rooms which clients can use as an exclusive venue for services, should they wish for more privacy during their visit. Wouldn't this be a fun place to have a girls' day out with your mom, sisters or BFFs? :)

even the bathrooms are so nice

For those looking for a full day of relaxation, the fully-equipped massage room also located on the second floor provides the perfect retreat. The massage room has its own shower and even a Jacuzzi fitted with a mini TV. I wouldn't mind spending the whole day here for sure! ;p

You can also tell how the salon equipment is all top of the line. Check out their foot spa chair, with back massager and a built in tub.

Even their shampoo chairs look so luxurious!

The salon only uses MAC makeup and Cuccio, an organic nail polish, so you know that you are getting only the best in quality when you avail of their services. And, with over 43 years of collective experience among their senior stylists, you are definitely in good hands at Fringe. You might think that their prices would be steep but it is surprisingly very affordable considering the amenities they provide! 

Like I said, I couldn't wait to get my hair done since it was really a hot mess already. Just a little kwento, I was dying to get my hair colored the whole time I was pregnant but chose to wait until after I gave birth just to be on the safe side. I gave birth in January and was finally able to go to a salon last March. The salon was new and I had high hopes since it was owned by a celebrity hairstylist. I showed them a picture of the shade I wanted and told them I even wanted it lighter than the previous color I had. However, I was disappointed after since it seemed my hair even became darker! They told me it would get lighter eventually but I was really frustrated since I paid a lot of money and didn't even get the hair color I wanted (not even close). So this salon trip to Fringe came at the right time since I was really planning on coloring my hair again!

Here's my BEFORE look. I really wasn't happy with the dull shade of brown. And I definitely needed a haircut! ;p

My hair was first analyzed to check its current state and growth from previous dye job. I'm currently having a LOT of hair fall post-pregnancy too, so I told them not to panic if they see clumps of hair falling out haha!

I was given a haircut before the color. I asked them to chop off about 2 inches (basically the damaged ends) but told my stylist Rodel I still wanted to keep it long. He gave me a layered cut to frame my face which you'll see later.

Rodel working his magic. Can I just say their mirrors are perfect to take selfies in haha!

lemongrass juice and some cookies for snacks

Then, it was time for the color! According to Rodel, they used Davines on my hair. I was honestly really nervous since I hoped the color would be right this time...

When they were blow drying my hair after, I was secretly doing a happy dance inside since I could already see that my hair was definitely a lighter shade of brown!

And here's the finished color. It's a bit lighter on top than at the bottom since they also did a reverse ombre effect.

Check out the huge difference before and after! I love it because I really want the color to be obvious even when indoors and not just when I go out under the sun. And I love my new layered look too! :)

So again, thank you ladies for the wonderful afternoon! Here I am with Maricel of A Sweet Cottage (who provided a lovely dessert buffet set up which I'll be blogging about next), owner Evelyn, Michelle and Patty.

(L-R) Maricel, Evelyn, Michelle, Patty, and me

Fringe Salon is truly your one stop shop for a perfect day of pampering and I can't wait to be back for more. :)

FRINGE SALON
G/F Commercenter Building
Commerce Ave. cor. Filinvest Ave.
Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa
+632 8080881, +63920 2193391, +63927 7897559
Open from 10am to 7pm, Mondays to Saturdays
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/fringesalonph
Twitter and Instagram - @FringeSalonPH

Transformers Collector's Exhibit in SM BF

I was never a fan of Transformers since I was never exposed to it as a kid. I don't have any brothers plus I went to an all-girls school so I pretty much spent my childhood back in the 80's with Barbie, Rainbow Brite, She-Ra, Jem and the Holograms, and the Care Bears.

When the Transformers movies first came out a few years ago, I wasn't really that excited and just watched it since it was a big blockbuster film. To be honest, I was really confused with whether they were aliens or robots or whatever haha! ;p

Fast forward to a few years later when I had my son who's now 3 years old. After his dad introduced him to Transformers last year, he's been obsessed with them ever since! My hubby even downloaded the original 80's movie and my son loves watching it as well as the new ones. Even his 3rd birthday party had a Transformers theme (check it out HERE).

If before I had no idea, now I practically know all the names of the characters! I know the Autobots, the Decepticons, and now the Dinobots too. And for the first time, I'm super excited to watch the new Transformers 4 movie!

So when I found out that there was going to be a Transformers Collector's Exhibit in SM City BF Paranaque, of course we had to check it out.

It was just a small exhibit but the toys were pretty interesting. However, it was cordoned off so you couldn't really check out the toys up close. I was also expecting mascots like Optimus Prime to be there, so it was quite disappointing that there was only a Bumblebee statue there (although maybe they'll have on the weekend?). And even if my son loves the Transformers, he apparently is still scared of mascots so he refused to have his photo taken with Bumblebee. Hay naku!

I was honestly expecting a whole lot more with the set-up. Maybe even a nice big background to take a picture with or something? Thank goodness we were really in the area since we had to go to the grocery. I think I would be mad if we traveled far just to see this haha! I think it was hubby who enjoyed this exhibit more though. He loved this display below since some of the toys were vintage and said we should recreate it at home with Sabe's toys (yes, he has that much!).

Here were the other displays:

The Transformers: Collector's Exhibit and Cosplay is on view at SM City BF Paranaque's Main Atrium from June 16 to 29 (10am - 9pm). Check it out if you're in the area and are a fan of the Transformers. :)

Happy Father's Day!

To the man of the house, Happy Father's Day! My gift to you is you get to take care of all 3 kids for the whole day! I know how much you'll like that hehe! ;p

But seriously, I'd like to say thank you for being the most wonderful dad to our children. And not just for providing them with everything they want and need, but for always being there for them.

Again, Happy Father's Day to all the dads (and also single moms) out there! Enjoy your day today! :)

Just Thai in Molito, Alabang

I was invited to do a food review of Just Thai located in Molito, Alabang last Monday and I was really excited to try it out.

love the high ceiling and oriental decors

I have very low tolerance when it comes to spicy food so it was nice that you can specify how hot you want their dishes to be. I've eaten in Thai restaurants before where even if you tell them to keep it mild, the dish is still served extremely spicy. So this is a definite thumbs up for them. :)

For starters, we were served 2 types of soup. I personally preferred the chicken soup (Tom Kha Gai) since I'm honestly not such a fan of seafood (Tom Yum). The coconut and lemongrass mixed with the chicken soup were an explosion of flavors.

Tom Kha Gai
Chicken soup in coconut broth and lemongrass

Tom Yum (they provide you with the spices seen on the upper right if you want it really, really hot!)

For appetizers, we had chicken sate and spring rolls, both favorites of mine! The peanut sauce with the chicken was simply divine.

Chicken Sate

Thai Spring Rolls

And then, dish after dish of delicious goodness were served.

Mixed Seafood in Basil

Grilled Pork

Fillet of Fish

Cashew Chicken

Chicken Pandan

Pad Thai

Bagoong Rice

Everything tasted really good and authentic. My personal favorites were the Chicken Pandan, Cashew Chicken, and Pad Thai.

For their drinks, I had the Thai Iced Tea and Lemongrass Juice, both equally refreshing. I also tried their Tamarind Juice, but I found the Tamarind taste a little too strong for me. Although I've heard others really like the kick to the taste buds. ;p

(L) Thai Iced Tea, (R) Lemongrass Juice

Now the best part, dessert! I didn't expect to like the Tha Kho so much, which is a coconut pudding. It tasted really light and refreshing. Perfect palate cleanser.

Tha Kho
Coconut pudding wrapped in Pandan Leaves

And finally, they saved the best for last in terms of presentation. Just look at the intricate arrangement of mango slices on top of the sticky rice. This classic Thai dessert just looked too pretty to eat!

Fresh Mango on top of Sticky Rice

Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience since they have a good variety of dishes to choose from. I will definitely be back with hubby who loves spicy food (so he can make his dishes as hot as he wants!). Thank you again to Ms. Kenny Ngo for the invite. I definitely enjoyed the food and the company.

JUST THAI
Molito Lifestyle Center, Alabang - 808-4058
Forbestown (Burgos Circle) Fort Bonifacio - 403-8718
Prism Plaza, TwoE-Com Center, Manila Bay (near MOA) - 519-8135
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/pages/Just-Thai/194210380589164