Search This Blog

Monday, November 30, 2015

Take your love to the skies (and avoid the hellish metro traffic) with GrabHeli



“I try to keep my face impassive as we enter the elevator. The doors close, and it’s there, the weird electrical attraction crackling between us, enslaving me. I close my eyes in a vain attempt to ignore it. He tightens his grip on my hand, and five seconds later the doors open on to the roof of the building. And there it is, a white helicopter with the name Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. written in blue with the company logo on the side.

“Let’s go,” Christian says, and we make our way toward the helicopter…“Sit – don’t touch anything,” he orders as he clambers in behind me.”

For those who have read Fifty Shades of Grey, one of the most memorable (besides their romps in the red room) is when Christian first took Anastasia on a helicopter ride.

And while the chances of meeting your own Christian Grey may be  next to impossible, booking your own helicopter ride for a romantic date isn’t—thanks to GrabHeli—GrabTaxi’s newest addition to its transport fleet.





GrabTaxi, the Southeast Asia’s largest land transport brand, launches two new services GrabPay and GrabHeli at  PhilJets’ hangar in Pasay last Nov 24. The event was hosted by Ms. Joey Mead King and attended by Grab ambassadors Solenn Heussaff, Janine Gutierrez, Mikela Martinez, Joyce Pring, Chico Garcia, among others.

Ms. Khriztina Lim, Thierry Tea and the Grab Ambassadors

Thierry Tea, CEO of PhilJets Group


If you book a GrabCar, GrabCar+ or a GrabHeli, you have the option to either pay in cash or debit/credit card using the GrabPay app in your smartphone. To register, passengers just need to enter their credit card details in the payment section of the settings, wait for approval and when they book rides, they’ll be able to select credit card payment already.




GrabPay, the new payment option for GrabCar, GrabCar+ and now, GrabHeli, will enable passengers to pay with their credit or debit cards. GrabCar, which became popular for being the first ride-sharing app to accept cash transactions for rides, has added cashless payments to their payment options.

When a passenger books a GrabCar with GrabPay, all they need to do is get in and out of the car, no more looking for change and they receive the e-receipt immediately.

Starting today, GrabPay will be rolled out to all GrabCar Peers, and passengers who book rides with GrabCar and GrabCar+ will have the power to choose their preferred mode of payment after registering with GrabPay.




“The Philippines has always been primarily a cash country that’s why we invested our efforts in making GrabCar available to most Filipinos. Now that we’ve established the brand, we want to be able to reach out to the credit card users and make the app accessible to virtually anyone with a smartphone,” said Khriztina Lim, Country Head of Marketing, GrabTaxi Philippines. GrabTaxi has made the transition from cash to credit as seamless as possible for passengers.





GrabTaxi Takes to the Skies with PhilJets


In an exclusive partnership with PhilJets, GrabTaxi adds GrabHeli to their growing product offerings. GrabHeli, which is in its beta stage, will be tested for three months. PhilJets, a startup in itself, is aligned with the goals of GrabTaxi in innovating and providing transport solutions to the country. “We are very happy to partner with GrabTaxi Philippines. In the 2 years they’ve been in the country, they’ve proven that they’re a formidable company to be associated with and this partnership promises a ride to remember,” said Thierry Tea, CEO of PhilJets Group. GrabHeli, a pre-booking helicopter experience, is the company’s latest innovation. “GrabTaxi has been in the Philippines for a few years now and we’re launching GrabHeli as a way to thank the passengers who have always supported us and stood as witnesses to our growth. It has always been our goal to transform the way Filipinos travel and aviation is not an exception.”

Be a GrabHeli beta tester For Php 3,888 per person, anyone registered with GrabPay can fly around Manila in an aerial tour of Makati, BGC and Pasay. Unique GrabCar promo codes will be given to GrabHeli passengers to take them to or from PhilJets’ helipad in Manila Domestic Airport. “Booking a helicopter ride used to cost tens of thousands of Pesos. But through our partnership with PhilJets, we’ve made it possible to just buy a minimum of one seat on a helicopter and you’re good to go. With GrabHeli, riding a helicopter will not be as far-fetched as it used to be. It is now luxury within reach,” said Lim.

Pre-booking a GrabHeli will be available weekly from Saturdays to Wednesdays through the GrabTaxi app with fixed flight schedules during Fridays and Saturdays at 4pm.










Sylvester Stallone returns as Rocky Balboa in the "Creed"



            For the seventh time in his illustrious career, Sylvester Stallone portrays his most iconic role of boxing legend Rocky Balboa, in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Creed” which explores a new chapter in the “Rocky” story, now focusing on Adonis, the son of Apollo Creed, Rocky’s late best friend.


           
Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) never knew his famous father, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born.  Still, there’s no denying that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed’s legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa.
            “He thinks that because Rocky was close to Apollo, he might be the only other person who could understand what he’s going through, and that because of his history with the father, he’ll be willing to train the son,” Jordan offers.  “But that’s not the case.”

Rocky makes it clear he’s not interested in going back to that world, and, Jordan says, “that just because his father’s Apollo Creed doesn’t mean he’ll become a world champion.  It takes a lot of hard work.”


But the wholly self-trained Adonis doesn’t shy away from hard work; he’s ready to knuckle down.  That says a lot to someone like Rocky, who decides to take him on despite his misgivings.

            Having created Rocky Balboa and played him in six prior incarnations, Stallone slipped easily back into the role, eager to explore the character in this phase of his life, when he’s presented with this unexpected opportunity.  “Even though the character comes out of me, I wish I was able to be more like him,” Stallone laughs.  “He’s the epitome of patience, there’s not a mean bone in his body and, though he’s very competitive, he fights for pride.”




            “Sly knows Rocky better than anybody, and he knows more about the sport of boxing and how to make a movie about it than I ever could,” director Ryan Coogler says.  “We’d be writing scenes and I’d call and ask him, ‘What would Rocky do here?’  If I had ideas, he’d be the first person I’d call.  If he had an idea, he’d call me.  He was so generous.  It was a great collaboration.”


            “Boxing, probably like most sports, is about 80 percent in your head,” Stallone surmises.  “You can be defeated before you walk out of the dressing room.  That’s why a good corner man has to be a psychoanalyst, right on the spot.  He’s got to hold his guy together.  It’s a pretty extraordinary occupation, and I thought it was a great place for Rocky to go—to take everything he’s known from all his years as a fighter and give it to this kid.”

            Having been in and around the boxing arena—both fictional and real—for so long, Stallone has had ample opportunity to examine what makes a boxer tick.  “Why fight when you don’t have to?  What drives the fighter?  It’s a very unique personality who wants to challenge himself in that way.  Even Rocky, who is so gentle; when he’s in the ring there’s a primal thing that kicks in.  It’s about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, testing yourself in this ultimate, mano a mano fashion that most people wouldn’t do.”





            Stallone adds that, in addition to the emotions that come with the highs and lows of Rocky’s own life story, when confronted with Apollo’s son, “he’s suddenly faced with the grief of losing Apollo again, and feeling responsible for that death.  He’s never really come to terms with it.  Now he’s not only reminded, but he sees this kid, who looks so much like his friend, looking back at him, wanting to step into this dangerous arena and wanting Rocky to take him there.  And Rocky doesn’t want to; he doesn’t want to feel responsible for Apollo’s kid getting hurt, too.  But he knows if he doesn’t do it, someone else will, and Donnie may really get hurt.  If Rocky does his best, maybe he can keep him safe, and make up for what happened all those years ago.”

            Opening across the Philippines on Dec. 09, 2015, “Creed” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.


Sunday, November 29, 2015

Calyxta sale alert!



Sale alert!!!

Calyxta will have a birthday sale from November 27 to December 6, featuring 12 of its favorite beauty brands to celebrate the 12 months they have been online! Visit them at www.calyxta.com to take advantage of this wonderful deal!





Rémy Martin Launches Jeremy Renner and Huang Xiaoming in the "One Life/Live Them" campaign



Remy Martin Cognac,  founded the business in 1724, it was owned by Rémy Cointreau, a company established in 1991.  Remy Martin, produces exquisite Fine Champagne Cognac for nearly 300 years, which is the category of highest quality in cognac production.

Remy Martin recently launched The Avenger,  Jeremy Renner as the new face of Remy Martin. The multitasker actor, producer, musician and home renovator made him the ideal representative for the brand's One Life/Live Them campaign,  which assumes its grammatical accident, identifies that today’s consumers are not defined by one talent or skill, but are multi-faceted and should be applauded for their many passions. Rémy Martin’s One Life/Live Them campaign encourages consumers to explore and celebrate all their talents. It is a call to live richer, larger lives, to expand the horizon and seize all the wonderful opportunities that life can offer, beyond the one-dimensional paths that former generations could have embraced.







To embody this brand philosophy and lifestyle, Rémy Martin is partnering with two talented multifaceted personalities: the American actor Jeremy Renner and Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming.
Two-time Academy Award nominee, Jeremy Renner has received wide acclaim for his ability to embody characters of broad depth and appeal, from Sgt. James in Kathryn Bigelow’s award-winning Hurt Locker to a thief in Ben Affleck’s The Town, a mayor in American Hustle…



These performances have been coupled with blockbuster roles in such Hollywood super-productions as The Bourne Legacy, Mission Impossible and his inimitable role as Hawkeye in The Avengers.
Renner expanded his cinematic skills by creating a production outfit The Combine with Don Handfield in order to produce quality, character-driven content for TV and film. Their company released the crime thriller Kill the Messenger in 2014 and is currently working on the historical tale Knightfall for The History Channel. Renner is also an accomplished singer and musician, skilled on the keyboards, drums, guitar and vocals, playing in a band since his youth. Although best known as an actor, Renner has extended his creative talents into the field of home renovation, successfully renovating and selling several houses, turning this hobby into a flourishing business with fellow actor and home designer Kristoffer Winters.

A famous actor/musician/model, Huang Xiaoming is also a philanthropist/wildlife lover who adopted twin pandas in his role as an ambassador for the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. He grew up planning to be a scientist but turned to acting and into a household name with his roles as a martial arts hero in the wuxia TV series The Return of the Condor and in the series Shanghai Bund, set in the world of 1920s gangsters.




A keen musician and singer, he sang the closing theme song for Shanghai Bund, which featured on his first album. He even met his fiancée Angelababy, whom he married on October 8, while singing at a karaoke party. His move into cinema has seen him star in films such as The Sniper, The Message,
and Ip Man 2, but he is also known for his charity work and advocacy of environmental friendliness. In 2007 he performed at the Live Earth concert in Shanghai and became a UNICEF ambassador in 2009, taking part in a charity run to raise funds to reconstruct the Sichuan region following the earthquake.


Actor/Producer/Renovator/Musician on the one hand, Actor/Environmentalist/Ambassador/Singer, on the other hand, both Jeremy Renner and Huang Xiaoming are the ideal representatives for the brand’s One Life/Live Them campaign,” said Eric Vallat, CEO of Rémy Martin. “This is a new chapter in the history of Rémy Martin, and we’re delighted to be working with two personalities
who perfectly embody the lifestyle that we are celebrating.”

“I am excited to work with this iconic brand and to help launch this new campaign. The story of how to live your life really resonates with me personally. I think to fully realize one’s potential you must take action, remain curious, embrace your failures as they are gifts, and honor your successes with humility. We are all many things and cannot and should not be defined by one thing, which is truly awesome,” said Renner.


“I think the meaning of life is about challenging the unknown, and experience the different ways of living. Everyone has unlimited potential talents and more possibility of living waiting to be unleashed. I desire to help more people reveal their talents so they can live life to the fullest. That is the exact reason why I feel so honored and enthusiastic to be part of the Remy Martin Global Campaign: try to let more people understand “One Life/Live Them”, says Huang Xiaoming.


Rémy Martin launched its campaign in Cognac, France, and in New York City, U.S.A. last October 20, and Shanghai on October 23. Two 60 seconds commercials featuring the many talents of Jeremy Renner and Huang Xiaoming was previewed for guests. The commercial will be launched on television in the US and in China at the beginning of November, and all around the world on www.remymartin.com and social networks. In addition, print executions with Jeremy Renner and Huang Xiaoming will be featured in national publications and the One Life/Live Them tagline, along with exclusive, behind the scenes footage, will appear prominently in the brand’s social media channels.



Rémy Martin remains committed to the core principles and values that its founders used to establish the company more than 290 years ago. Supporting the community, highlighting skills and revealing the talents of people and nature, honoring craftsmanship and embracing the luxury of time enables Rémy Martin to cultivate the most premium products. It is this depth of history and skillful mastery that goes into every bottle of Rémy Martin Cognac.





“Rémy Martin has always been about sharing – the fruits of our labors, the talents of our cellar masters, a range of cognacs crafted to suit different tastes but always with a distinctive style. It’s a philosophy which strikes us as tailor-made for today’s social networked world,” said Augustin Depardon, Executive Director of Rémy Martin. “The most inspiring people are never just one thing, they are diverse and multitalented and we can’t wait to discover their passions. Just like Rémy Martin. “


Banila Co, the promise of a "Lit from Within"





Banila Co launches their top 10 products in Manila last November 23 at the Marco Polo Hotel, Ortigas. The event was hosted by Sam Oh and graced by Banila Co's  CEO Mr Chang Soo Kim, Chief Makeup Artist Mr. Kangpil Kim, and Managing Directors Cathryn and Jon Lim of All That Blush Trading Inc. 


We had the time to test their products, starting with the tinted love melting balm, to achieve a gradient lip dab the lip tint all over your lips, and blend outwards using your fingers and set off with Banila Co CC Cushion for that bitten look. This is the lipstick trend Korean girls are crazy for.

The second stop is at the CC Cushion booth, I also love how their CC Cushion feels like, it has that dewy no make up, make up look effect, light but enough to blur your blemishes. To apply, just  dab all over your face and layer if you want to.




Now, have you ever wonder why Korean has smooth and flawless skin? Getting that porcelain-like skin is quite a task with their 10-steps skin care routine. But truth be told that they never go to bed with their make-ups on. For their arsenal of a product  Banila Co Clean it Zero Cleansing Balm, (Banila Co's best seller) made it to their shelf as a part of their skin care which melts away impurities and gently cleanses off traces of make up.

We all went gaga over their BB creams, I guess the one thing that made Korean beauty stand out above the rest is their bestselling BB creams, that one multitasker treatment for your face that tends to cover your blemishes and has a  staying power, sunblock and whitening to cover up what you wanted for in a foundation.





I chanced upon Banila Co, when I stayed over a year at UAE. I bought their Let Me Bebe BB Cream and swore it made my pores invisible, and whitened up my face a bit, I dont know if its the UAE weather but definitely made it my make up routine for over a year of my stay. It became my  HG product.  It made my face pimple free for the rest of the year, I partnered it with a face powder to set the BB cream in.

Now, that Banila Co invades Manila, you dont need to ship their products here and the best thing is that you have the time to physically test it yourself at the counter.






Banila Co is the most multi awarded Korean cosmetics brand in the field of base makeup.  Its products help women achieve the popular Korean “Lit from Within” look.Banila Co.’s primers, foundations, gel eyeliners, CC creams, make up cleansers, and the like have been lauded by the most prestigious beauty arbiters in the industry for its prestige quality, creative packaging, and disruptive innovation.



From its humble beginnings in 2005, Banila Co. has grown rapidly in Korea and now has become the second best-performing Korean cosmetics brand in China. It now focuses its attention to South East Asia, headlined by concurrent launches in the Philippines and Taiwan.  Subsequent launches in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand are earmarked for 2016.   Banila Co opened its first store in Glorieta 4 last November 14. It will soon open its doors Robinson's Place Manila and other prime malls in Metro Manila and key provinces.




Banila Co.’s Prime Primer, with its silky smooth texture and its potent ability to minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines, was adjudged by Get It Beauty, a Korean cable program that reviews the best cosmetic products in the market, as the best primer in the industry. 


 The It Radiant CC Cream has been the bestselling CC cream in Korea for 3 years running.



Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm captivated Korean beauty enthusiasts that they snapped up the product at a staggering rate of 1 cleanser for every 4.8 seconds. 





 The first and only water-based CC cream, keeps the skin moist with 55% water based cushion



Saturday, November 28, 2015

Huawei unveils First Experience Shop at Cyberzone, MOA





Huawei's First Experience Store unveils at Cyberzone MOA last Nov 21 and graced by Huawei executives Charles Wu, Jojo Vega and celebrities GMA Kapuso Star Rocco Nacino, PBB's 1st runner up Tommy Esguerra, Maggie Wilson among others and hosted by Gellie Victor.

Known for building telecommunication networks around the world, Huawei officially unveils its first Experience Shop, right at the heart of the busy SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

Located at the new Cyberzone, the new Experience Store symbolizes Huawei’s continuous growth from a reliable and respected brand into an aspirational brand with a meaningful purpose.



Huawei Experience Store at SM Mall of Asia

“Innovation has always been in the DNA of Huawei, fearlessly envisioning cutting edge technologies,” said Charles Wu, Country Head of Huawei Technologies Philippines. “But rather than innovate just for innovations sake, Huawei creates innovations that serve as tools to realize the vision and passion of its consumers.”

The 110-sqm Huawei Experience Store is designed with simple, all white, minimalist interiors that reflect the “Huawei and I” philosophy, which aims to establish better engagements with end-users.



The result is a space that is both inviting and relaxing with a well-designed store layout. It guarantees you to quickly find the device you are looking for. The store likewise engages your visual and auditory senses with the top-of-the-line fixtures on the ceilings, the fit-outs, and the long stretch of audiovisual output that highlights the lifestyle themes of the shop.

More than just a store where families, students, and professionals can shop and learn more about Huawei’s innovations, the experience store also is positioned as a place where you can get some expert opinions.

“Knowledgeable sales people are available to help consumers learn about all the latest products from Huawei and test the best features of each device and guide them in choosing the best device according to their specific needs and passion,” says Jojo Vega, Consumer Business Group Director of Huawei Technologies Philippines.




The hands-on Huawei store experience provides visitors with a chance to try Huawei’s entire product line such as the new Huawei MateS that revolutionize the power of touch with its Knuckle Sense 2.0 and Fingerprint Sense 2.0 technologies. Shoppers can try the Beautification 3.0 Technology of the newly launched Huawei G8. This first-of-its-kind feature allows users to enhance images with various makeup styles and preview the effects in real time with a single touch.

The store also showcases the much awaited most stylish Android watch Huawei Watch and the Google’s best smartphone to date the Huawei Nexus 6P.


Another attraction in the store is the Huawei Powerbike, a consumer engagement activity that highlights the power saving advantage of Huawei brought about by its telecommunications network superiority.

“Filipino consumers have shown tremendous affinity for our devices, as translated to Huawei’s impressive market share growth every year. Today, and more than ever, we are bullish that with the increasing platforms to engage our consumers everyday, their trust in our brand and our mutual connections will continue to grow,” added Vega.

With the opening of the Huawei Experience Store, Huawei now has 40 brand stores and 32 kiosks and lounges all over the country. The brand targets 60 brand shops by the end of the year.


Friday, November 27, 2015

Delight in Baskin Robbins Mandarin Orange Cheesecake




Got a craving for cheesecake?  Delight in Baskin-Robbins’ November flavour of the month – Mandarin Orange Cheesecake.  Inspired by global culinary trends, Mandarin Orange Cheesecake is the latest cheesecake masterpiece from the world’s most beloved ice cream brand. This treat deliciously combines mandarin orange and classic cheesecake ice creams, happily swirled together with a citrusy mandarin orange ribbon, and soft, creamy cheesecake cubes.

Enjoy Mandarin Orange Cheesecake as a scoop, sundae or milkshake in Baskin-Robbins shops at the Central Square, Bonifacio Global City; Greenbelt 5 and Glorietta 5 in Makati; as well as Fairview Terraces and Trinoma Mall in Quezon City.  For more details about Baskin-Robbins, visit www.baskinrobbins.ph or check out their Facebook (facebook.com/baskinrobbinsph), Twitter and Instagram (baskinrobbinsph) accounts.



Daiso partners with Robinsons Retail Holdings as the exclusive sub-licensee of Daiso Japan




Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. COO Robina Gokongwei-Pe and Daiso Industries Ltd. Japan Founder and President Mr. Hirotake Yano

Daiso, the store that carries kawaii Japanese stuff, kitchen items, detergent soaps, food, party items, bags, underwear, bento boxes, makeups and anything you could think of which sells at incredibly low price recently reaffirms ties with Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. as the exclusive sub-licensee of Daiso Japan in the Philippines.

Daiso Industries Ltd. Japan Founder and President Hirotake Yano was in the country recently as one of the speakers of the 17th Asia-Pacific Retailers Convention and Exhibition (APRCE) Manila 2015 held at the SMX Convention Center.  Mr. Yano, along with other well-respected speakers from different countries, shared their insights on how to face the latest challenges and issues that the region’s retailers face and help them deliver greater value to consumers.

Daiso Industries Ltd. Japan Founder and President Mr. Hirotake Yano

Mr. Yano also visited Daiso Japan stores in the Philippines and met with Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. (RRHI) officials Robina Gokongwei-Pe, Wilfred Co and Katherine Michelle Yu. RRHI is the appointed franchisee in the Philippines of Daiso Industries, Inc. Mr. Yano reaffirmed the strong and exclusive partnership between the two companies.


During the meeting, Mr. Yano expressed his satisfaction over the Supreme Court’s final ruling in June this year, preventing Japan Home Center (JHC) from using the trademark Daiso.  He reiterated that Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. is their only authorized and licensed partner in the Philippines.   It will be recalled that Daiso Industries Co., Ltd filed a complaint with the Intellectual Property Office against Japan Home Center (JHC) in 2009. Hence, Daiso Japan stores should not be confused with any other establishments bearing a cunningly similar concept.


Photo shows (from left) Daiso Japan General Manager Katherine Michelle Yu; Daiso Industries Ltd. Japan General Manager for East Asia District Koji Nishigaya; Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. COO Robina Gokongwei-Pe; Daiso Industries Ltd. Japan Founder and President Hirotake Yano and Daiso Philippines Vice-Chairman Wilfred Co.  


Mr. Yano said that he is very happy with the growth of Daiso Japan in the Philippines. “I first came here four years ago and observed that it was experiencing a very competitive growth, one that was comparable to Daiso in Japan.  I am actually quite proud of this development.” There are 44 Daiso Japan stores in the Philippines and over 2,400 stores in 30 countries around the world.


Both Yano and Gokongwei-Pe reiterated the strength of their business collaboration that was sealed in 2008. “I am very confident with the leadership of the Robinsons Group as our Daiso Industries’ exclusive retailer in the Philippines,” he said. “That is why I look forward for continued growth as customer demand increases.” 



Gokongwei-Pe is likewise very optimistic about the expansion of the Daiso Japan brand. “We brought it here knowing that it is a big brand from Japan that offers good quality and affordable products. That, for me, is the best combination that is very much suited to the Philippine market. The items in our stores are the real Daiso merchandise from Japan.  There is a guarantee behind the name and the partnership that we have with Daiso Industries,” Gokongwei-Pe said.


"Under a Piaya Moon" and "Last Shift" Triumph at First-Ever Puregold CinePanalo Awards Night

“ Under a Piaya Moon” and “Last Shift” bagged the coveted Pinakapanalong Pelikula awards in the full-length and short film categories respe...