Your #TeaReimagined with the New Starbucks Teavana Frozen Teas

Starbucks PH introduces their Starbucks New Teavana Frozen Teas following their successful Teavana Asia launch last year.

To those who love their teas frozen,  healthy and packed with antioxidants. Starbucks PH launches their refreshing, icy-smooth handcrafted beverages Starbucks New Teavana Frozen Teas on Sept 2 at Starbucks largest branch Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard with media. We got to try mixing and customizing our own frozen teas with the help of Starbucks barista Ms. Roma.

It was a fun whirling afternoon mixing our own concoctions. I customized mine with a little syrup and lots of pomegranate pearls. Yummy!!

My personal favorite is the new Starbucks Teavana Frozen Hibiscus Tea with Pomegranate Pearls. 

Starbucks Teavana Frozen Hibiscus Tea with Pomegranate Pearls

This refreshing beverage combines floral notes of hibiscus flowers and rose petals with the tropical flavors of papaya and mango, enhanced with hints of cinnamon and lemongrass. The beverage is topped with glistening, jewel-like pearls of pomegranate juice that burst on the tongue.

I also did my version of  Starbucks Teavana Frozen Chamomile Tea with Kyoho Grape and Aloe. I was generous with the toppings. The kyoho grapes goes well with chamomile tea. It was a perfect combination.

It is made with chamomile tea blended with honeyed white grapes and aloe cubes delivering a cool, lightly sweet taste. The beverage is generously topped with skinned and pitted whole Kyoho grapes – a popular variety from Japan known for its distinctive sweetness and generous size.

Following the successful Asia launch of Starbucks Teavana last year, which brought Starbucks modern tea experience brand to Asia for the first time, Starbucks today announced the introduction of new Starbucks Teavana Frozen Teas. These refreshing, icy-smooth handcrafted beverages combine the finest Teavana teas and botanical blends with premium ingredients like Kyoho grapes and pomegranate pearls.

“We want our customers to experience tea like they’ve never imagined. Drawing our inspiration from a love of tea in Asia and from popular new flavors. This year, Starbucks takes innovation in flavors and texture to the next level with a unique Frozen Tea platform to satisfy the growing sophistication of consumer preference.” said Keith Cole, head of marketing for Starbucks Philippines.

Starbucks Teavana Frozen Teas have been developed exclusively for customers across Asia, delivering a sophisticated and modern tea experience. Starbucks is committed to investing in Teavana in the region as it remains a strong growth driver for the brand.

Commenting on the growing interest in frozen beverages, Davina Patel, global food and drink analyst at Mintel, the global market intelligence agency which follows food and beverage trends in Asia, said: “Our research shows that consumers in Asia continue to gravitate towards beverages with textural and visual appeal, which has led to a growing interest in frozen products. Moreover, consumers are increasingly exploring the world of tea through flavor and variety, with preference shifting towards botanical teas such as herbs, fruits and spices.”

It was truly a fun afternoon of surprises as we arrived to our own gallery of snapshots (posted at the venue) taken at Starbucks teavanas launch last year.

We also tried to customize our own Starbucks pouch with lots of doodles and drawings. Talking about creativity. I am a minimalist so I just stenciled mine with colored hearts. This is how it went!

Starbucks Teavana Frozen Teas will be available for a limited time only starting September 12.


As a special treat, Starbucks Card customers can enjoy Starbucks Teavana Frozen Teas ahead of its public launch. Customers will just need to pay the full amount of the beverage using their Starbucks Card from September 9-11 to avail of the early access promo.

For more information about these new Starbucks Teavana Frozen Teas and the aforementioned promo, visit www.starbucks.ph.

Casting for “Aladdin,” the live-action adaptation of the studio’s animated classic, is now complete

Check out this Selfie of “Aladdin” Cast Members: Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott and Marwan Kenzari

Will Smith: https://www.facebook.com/92304305160/photos/a.231136370160.270995.92304305160/10159146683900161/?type=3&theater

Disney:
https://www.facebook.com/Disney/photos/a.127564720953.105058.11784025953/10154939369560954/?type=3

Casting for “Aladdin,” the live-action adaptation of the studio’s animated classic, is complete and production is currently underway at Longcross Studios outside London.

The “Aladdin” cast includes: Two-time Oscar® nominee Will Smith (“Ali,” “Men in Black”) as the Genie who has the power to grant three wishes to whoever possesses his magic lamp; Mena Massoud (Amazon’s “Jack Ryan”) as Aladdin, the hapless but lovable street rat who is smitten with the Sultan’s daughter; Naomi Scott (“Power Rangers”) as Princess Jasmine, the Sultan’s beautiful daughter who wants to have a say in how she lives her life; Marwan Kenzari (“Murder on the Orient Express”) as Jafar, an evil sorcerer who devises a nefarious plot to unseat the Sultan and rule Agrabah himself; Navid Negahban (“Homeland”) as the Sultan, the ruler of Agrabah who is eager to find a proper husband for his daughter, Jasmine; Nasim Pedrad (“Saturday Night Live”) as Dalia, Princess Jasmine’s hand maiden and confidante; Billy Magnussen (“Into the Woods”) as Prince Anders, a suitor from Skanland and potential husband for Princess Jasmine; and Numan Acar (“Homeland”) as Hakim, Jafar’s right-hand man and head of the palace guards.

“Aladdin” is directed by Guy Ritchie (“Sherlock Holmes,” “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”) from a screenplay by John August (“Dark Shadows,” “Big Fish”) based on the 1992 animated film “Aladdin” and stories from “One Thousand and One Nights.” The producer is Dan Lin (“The LEGO Movie”) with Golden Globe® winner Marc Platt (“La La Land”), Jonathan Eirich (“Deathnote“) and Kevin De La Noy (“The Dark Knight Rises”) serving as executive producers. Eight-time Academy Award®-winning composer Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid”) provides the score, which includes new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and Oscar®-winning lyricists Howard Ashman (“Little Shop of Horrors”) and Tim Rice (“The Lion King”) as well as two new songs written by  Menken and Oscar® and Tony Award®-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“La La Land,” “Dear Evan Hansen”).

For more information on “Aladdin,” follow

Facebook:        https://www.facebook.com/DisneyAladdin/
Twitter:           https://twitter.com/DisneyStudios
Instagram:       https://www.instagram.com/disneystudios/
Hashtag:        #Aladdin

Watch for the new official “INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY” trailer here!

Enter the red door and watch the new trailer of Columbia Pictures' Insidious: The Last Key

The creative minds behind the hit Insidious trilogy return for Insidious: The Last Key. In the horror thriller, which welcomes back franchise standout Lin Shaye as Dr. Elise Rainier, the brilliant parapsychologist faces her most fearsome and personal haunting yet: in her own family home.

Shaye is joined in the cast by Angus Sampson, Whannell, Josh Stewart, Caitlin Gerard, Kirk Acevedo, Javier Botet, Bruce Davison, Spencer Locke, Tessa Ferrer, Ava Kolker and Marcus Henderson.

Steven Schneider, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Charles Layton, Bailey Conway Anglewicz, Couper Samuelson and Whannell serve as executive producers. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (“SPWA”) produced and financed Insidious: The Last Key. Sony Pictures Releasing and SPWA’s Stage 6 Films will distribute the film outside of the U.S.

Opening in Philippine cinemas in 2018, Insidious: The Last Key is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Dreams do come true through "The Happiest 5K on the Planet" Color Run with UNICEF Ambassador Anne Curtis

I have been joining fun runs for over 4 years to get fit and it has become a part of my fitness routine. I have witnessed all sort of themes. But this time, ”The Happiest 5K on the Planet” Color Run was by far the most relevant, because it was for a good cause and the most fun colorful race I have ever been. It was a sold out Color Run Dream joined by 10,200+ millennials last Sept 3 at the SM Mall of Asia grounds. This was for the benefit of UNICEF,  the first project of Anne Curtis's Dream Machine PH. 

UNICEF Celebrity Advocate for Children Anne Curtis joined the  ”The Happiest 5K on the Planet” and supported by celebrity friends Nico Bolzico, Raymond Gutierrez, Carla Humphries, and fiancee Erwan Heussaff. There was an after party for the color runners with DJ Tom Taus providing live percussion at the background.

 "Last year, we saw 7,000 runners making a difference for children’s health and nutrition. This year, we are so happy to gather 10,000 runners in this colorful run to help children with disabilities achieve their dreams," says Curtis.  

The Color Run, the largest fun run series in the world that has brought joy to over 6 million runners worldwide in 35+ countries, finally lands in the Philippines through Anne Curtis’ foundation, Dream Machine.

“The Color Run is among the first major projects of the Dream Machine, which is a platform to help dreamers achieve their dreams," Anne adds.

"Anne is untiring and unwavering in her support for children. Her generosity to sponsor and organize this fundraising activity inspires us to keep innovating in our work for children,” says UNICEF Country Representative Lotta Sylwander. 

Sylwander adds, ”Children with disabilities are Just like any other children. They want to be seen and heard, to be loved, to go to school and be useful members of society. UNICEF is working to give them access to health services that will enable them to have a fair chance in life. All the funds raised in the run will help us bring these services to all children with disabilities in the country.” 

According to UNICEF Philippines, an estimated one out of seven children or around five million are living with disabilities that range from hearing, visual, and mobility impairment including those who have development or learning disabilities. To address the situation, UNICEF aims to build four one-stop shops throughout the Philippines to provide comprehensive services such as diagnosis, provision of assistive devices, counselling, referral, and therapy.

The Color Run is a five-kilometer, un-timed event in which thousands of participants, or ”Color Runners", are doused from head to toe in different colors at each kilometer. Along the 5K color and music-filled course, participants can run through frothy foam and bubble zones, snap photos with unicorns, and get the ultimate color inspiration as they party with family and friends at the Finish Festival amidst vibrant bursts of color throws.

Presented by Dream Machine and organized by RunRio, The Color Run Dream for the benefit of UNlCEF is made possible through the support of SM Mall of Asia, Cherry Mobile, Enervon, .Jollibee, PMX, Swatch, Viva Artists Agency, Audi, B’lue, Salonpas, Toy Kingdom, Viva Live, Maynilad. 

Solaire announces Solaire celebrity endorser Martin Nievera

Solaire Resort & Casino has announced its new celebrity endorser, the Philippines’ Concert King, Martin Nievera. The renowned singer - songwriter stars in a music video of a song he co-wrote with Moy Ortiz entitled “Follow the Sun”, showcasing Solaire with Martin singing and swinging all around his new home.

If the casinos along the world-famous Las Vegas strip had Sinatra, we at Solaire have Nievera!

Solaire, the only Filipino-owned integrated resort located in the rapidly evolving Entertainment City, provides a grand venue for luxurious accommodations, gaming, dining, entertainment, and recreation, all with the magnificent view of the Manila Bay sunset.

It made its mark as a world-class destination when its Sky Tower was awarded 5 Stars by Forbes Travel Guide.

“Martin embodies who Solaire is – he is a homegrown star, known for his many talents. Nievera, a multi-awarded, world-class performer definitely knows the finer things in life. He’s a perfect match for Solaire,” said Cyrus Sherafat, Senior Vice President for Casino Marketing.

In his own words Nievera says, “Having traveled around the world performing and experiencing world-class service wherever I go, Solaire certainly stands out among the best. What makes me gleam with pride the most is that around the world, the Filipino talent is imported to smoothly operate their resorts and casinos.  In Solaire, that same world-class service I get is here, making my every stay a true five-star experience.”
                   

Prior to the announcement, Nievera has performed various sold-out shows at The Theatre and hopes to continue performing there like it was his own “home theater,” and at the same time personally invite some of his already famous friends to do the same.

“Performing at The Theatre at Solaire is a world-class experience. We have housed some of the most popular Broadway productions and continue to give Filipino audiences a chance to see some of the biggest names internationally known, not to mention keeping OPM alive by showcasing outstanding performances by our own homegrown talents. Every time I perform in The Theatre, I feel so proud to be a Filipino artist and I am excited to show off The Theatre’s amazing facilities to anyone and everyone who steps inside. The show better be good, because the venue is already awesome!”

Throughout his two-year endorsement, Nievera will be doing more shows for Solaire that are both open to the public and exclusive to its VIP guests.

BILL SKARSGARD plays PREDATOR CLOWN PENNYWISE IN “IT”

The filmmakers of New Line Cinema’s horror-thriller IT knew the actor cast as the predator Pennywise would have a significant impact on virtually every aspect of the film.

The enigmatically short title refers to the story’s central villain, an ancient shapeshifter that takes the form of its victims’ deepest fears and comes out of hibernation every 27 years to feed on the most vulnerable residents of Derry, Maine: the children. This time, however, seven young outcasts, who dub themselves “the Losers’ Club,” will band together to do battle with the mysterious being they call by the all-encompassing pronoun: It. But It goes by another name…a name that has become iconic in the annals of horror: Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

After an extensive process, Bill Skarsgård landed the coveted role. Director Andy Muschietti says, “I was first captivated by Bill’s performance in his audition and from then on, it was like discovering a new treat every day. He not only brought mystery and an intriguing quality to the character but had the guts to explore Pennywise’s insane theatricality. He had a madness in his look, and his body language was completely unnerving. Some of the physical demands of this role were exhausting, but I have to give it to Bill—his energy was at full all the time.”

In turn, Skarsgård says he counted on Muschietti’s guidance and appreciated the confidence his director placed in him. “Andy trusted me and I trusted him. I knew I was in good hands so I could really go for it, and he responded to what I was doing. We had a great collaboration between the two of us.”

Screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith remarks, “You can’t overstate what Bill added to this character in terms of his physicality, his attitude and his expressions.”

In fact, one expression the actor was able to bring to the role took the director by surprise. Muschiettir ecounts, “Pennywise’s wall-eyed appearance was something I had in mind from early on—I wanted him to have this crazy look where one of the eyes is going in a different direction, the opposite of cross-eyed. I mentioned this to Bill as a trait of the character, thinking it was something we would do in post-production. But he said, ‘Well, I can do that,’ and he just did it right there. And it freaked me out! You will see it in the movie; it’s pretty terrifying. One thing Bill couldn’t do was turn his blue eyes yellow—that we did have to do in post—but the wall-eyed stunt is all him.”

Apart from his physical characteristics, Skarsgård focused on creating Pennywise’s distinctive voice and maniacal laugh. For the voice, he landed on what he calls “a kind of crackling, high-pitched tone.”

Muschietti gave a great deal of thought to how he was going to reveal Pennywise onscreen. “It’s an iconic moment in the book that many people will be waiting to see,” the director acknowledges. “The scene is mesmerizing; the first appearance of Pennywise is intriguing and charismatic, but at the same time, you know there’s something wrong about him. But he’s also shrouded in a kind of magic that is quite unsettling.”

That unsettling feeling is something to which Barbara Muschietti could relate. “Clearly, the first time we see Pennywise is an incredibly important scene and, speaking for myself, it’s something that stays with you. From the first time I read the book, it was very difficult for me to look at a storm drain and not think of Pennywise lurking,” she smiles. “We wanted to create an image you will never forget.”

Opening in Philippine cinemas September 7, IT is released worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Entertainment Company.