At around 12midnight of June 01, 2011 @penshoppe twitted:PENSHOPPE officially welcomes our new LEAD endorser MR. ED WESTWICK to the Philippines! #YouKnowYouLoveHIM xoxo

Yes, people! The bass is finally here in the Philippines. The winners for the 10 lucky girls who would be included in the VTR to be watched by Ed Westwick has already been picked; but fear not ladies! Penshoppe launches another Twitter contest where they'd choose 2 lucky followers to meet and greet the one and only bad ass that is Chuck Bass. All you need to do is tweet them your photo inspired by their latest campaign and add the following hashtags: #ChuckBass, #YouKnowYouLoveHim and #Penshoppe. The contest winners will be announced on June 02, 2011 exactly 12 midnight.


As for the rumors upon where he is currently staying @michdulce twitted: @jiritajackson soshal nya ha presidential suite ng manila penn! I know that backdrop from my debut when we stayed there!! #hulikachuck

So there you go, The Bass is already in Manila. Question for you guys, what is the craziest thing you are willing to do to see Ed Westwick? Leave a comment below. I would appreciate it. You know you love him!

A request from someone on Facebook asked me to give tips on how to organize an event. Organizing an event is not an easy task to do; plus there is no specific way on how to do it. It always depends upon what kind of event you would want to organize. Would it be a birthday party, a debut, a wedding, a social gathering, a press conference, etc. There are so many kinds of events and each one requires a different way on handling it; however, I would be giving you tips on the basics of organizing an event.

1. What is the event about?

You should have already thought about what your event is about and what the theme is. Whether the event is for a social gathering or a birthday party, you should have already thought about how you want this event to look. This is because you will base every planning and preparation details with this core information.

2. Know your budget

It is just right that you should have already known what your allotted budget is for the event. That way you can plan well and make necessary adjustments early for the event. If it is a corporate events or a social gathering, you can go look for sponsors; but be reminded that sponsors are not always the answers. They could lighten up the financial burden but you should always have a specific budget ready already.

3. Final Planning

Upon knowing what the event is about and how much your allotted budget is, you can now plan as to how you want your event to run and the final set-up look on the venue and other related stuffs. You will be basing your plans on the given theme and budget for the event.

4. Make a Pre-Event Checklist

Now that you know how your event would look like and what is it about, it’s about time we list the things we would need for the event. Like the caterer, the guest list, the lights, sounds, etc.  You need to fulfil each and everything on the list and as an added tip, put the most important on top of the list. This would help you in figuring out what your top priority is.

5. Prepare a timeline

Keep in mind that you must always be on schedule or even earlier so that if in any case that there would be changes, you still have time to adjust. That is why you should always give a timeline when doing a specific something for the event. Like if you would be having sponsors, give them a timeline until when you need their confirmation and such stuffs. If one thing is delayed, your whole planning would be adjusted and changed. So better be on track of your timeline.

6. Prepare Well For the Ingress

For me, the ingress is the most crucial time for the event. I suggest you prepare a complete ingress checklist as to what you will need. List even the smallest items from the lights, the mobile to the electric tapes, wires and even scissors. If you do this, you can thank me later. This will save you a lot of time and will keep you prepared for everything. Trust that your ingress will fall smoothly.

7. Be Alert on the Event Itself

Yes, you should be. If in any case there would be problems, if you don’t have the budget for the headsets in all of your staff, at the least keep your mobile phone close to you so you can always contact each other. Always check your mobile phone and check on your staff every once in awhile. Do not panic. Stay calm and enjoy the event.

8. The Egress

Just because this is the egress doesn’t mean you need not to prepare for this. If you have rented the stuffs you used for the event, make sure everything is in its working condition and check all the staff while packing up. Use your ingress checklist and see if everything is complete and still in good working condition.

This is pretty much the basics, my own tips and what I do when I organize an event. Different occasions call for different approaches. However, these are tips in general. Hope this helps and thanks to Kriszelle Diaz for this article request. If you still have any requests, add-ons, suggestions and/or comments feel free to leave a comment below, hit the contact me button, comment on my fan page in Facebook or tweet me. Just look for Gelleesh both in Facebook and Twitter.

Till next post!

The first hint I got about this is chuvaness.com's tweet: "confeermed! guess who's coming to town?" and then she posted a picture of a pair of gorgeous eyes that can only be of Ed Westwick or more popularly known as THE Chuck Bass. With the caption under the picture being: "You Know You Love Him" it is a sure that the hot eyes belong to an Upper East Sider we all love.

manila-guide.com posted a blog entry regarding predictions on who these eyes are and she came up with Chuck Bass. As chuvaness.com still continues with the clues that it won't be Chace Crawford (Nate Archibald) nor Penn Badgeley (Dan Humphrey).

As per the trending tweets and other more random tweets, seem like Ed would be doing a photo shoot with Penshoppe next week. mindy-tv.blogspot.com confirmed this information via @PublicityAsia on twitter as they are working with Penshoppe on this project.

Now, would the Bass be going around in Manila to make all her ladies here happy? We sure hope he would. As for now, be happy he'd be here, hope for the best and thank Penshoppe.

xoxo,
Gelleesh BASS. (LOL)


**UPDATES: This tweet pretty much says it all:  @PublicityAsia IT'S OFFICIAL: ED WESTWICK is the NEW lead endorser of PENSHOPPE 2011/12 campaign! Cheers to @penshoppe #YouKnowYouLoveHIM

Yesterday, I visited Forever 21 at SM Megamall with BDJ buddy, Lyzette. She bought a gray cropped top while I went to the cosmetics section. I found stuffs I would want to try like their body shimmer, the blush which looks like a pink camouflage suit and their cute coloured nail polishes. They also have these mood lipsticks which they claim to change colours after awhile.

I have been convinced to purchase the Love & Beauty Smokey Palette. It has 10 colours which are already good for blending and creating a smokey effect on the eyes. It also comes with an eye shadow applicator and a black eye liner. I am excited to try my new baby and I will be posting a review and eye look for this palette. This palette costs only PHP 435.00. Good deal, guys?

Do you have any thoughts on the Love & Beauty products of Forever 21? Have you tried any of them? Don’t forget to leave a comment below or message me for Love & Beauty stuffs.

Till next purchase ladies!

Topshop | Topman re-launched their flagship store at Robinson’s Galleria this May 25, 2011. The fun part is: first 50 “early birds” gets 50% discount off while the rest still gets to enjoy 20% off. Now, you can imagine how long the line is at the counter area. I arrived late because of the traffic and my meeting before the said event, so I apologize for the very few pictures. There were random and sudden games which will get you gift bags from their sponsors. It was a fun-filled opening night. There were alcohol, finger foods and a DJ. A shopping party indeed!

So girls and guys, don’t forget to drop by the new fashioned Topshop | Topman at Level 2 Robinson’s Place Galleria. Great clothes and accessories await your eyes.

See you next event! ;)

I have new babies for my makeup kit. You know me. I’m a very thrift shopper but at the same time, I make sure that the quality won’t be suffering. I will also be making reviews for these products so that you'll know if it is a "yey" or a "ney" to me for the final verdict.

The Wet N Wild Color Icon Brow and Eyeliner in Black was sent by my good ‘ol beauty blogger friend, Fashiometics (http://fashiometics.wordpress.com). She recommended this liner and, well, I trust her lots. If she says it is good, it really is. I would be posting a review soon so that I can tell you guys what I think.

The Marionnaud Latex Sponges in Oval Shape only costs PHP 69.00 and there is like already two pieces. The Marionnaud sponge is soft but it’s not the soft type which easily tears and breaks out as per how I felt it upon touching. I will make a review about this as well.

Last stuff I had is the Watsons Soothing Lipbalm in Raspberry. It says that it has sunscreen protection but no indication of spf content. So far, as per my observation, it is colourless and odourless. It is 4g and costs PHP 65.00. It is from Watsons so I don’t have any problem with the quality. I will also be posting a review about it soon.

You can share in the comment section below your own new add-ons in your makeup kit. Till next blog post, everyone!

May 22, 2011 (Sunday) was the only available date of my cousin, Ate Honey. Ate Honey came home for a short vacation here in the Philippines; so we wasted no time and made ourselves available for this night.

The Fort is kind of a ghost town on a Sunday night; but it doesn’t really matter because we are just after each other’s company. It was me, Ate Honey and Ate Sheila who were present that night. 

We ended up at Toyz Bar and just ordered frozen margarita while enjoying sisig and calamares. We caught up with each other’s lives and just enjoyed the night. We went out to the streets to take some funny pictures of ourselves since there were like almost no vehicles passing by.

The night out with my cousins was a lot of fun and I really love them to bits! Till next bonding girls!

May 21, 2011 – This was my first BDJ Rendezvous and I was super excited to attend this event and meet new friends. Now, the date has arrived. The rendezvous was at the newly built Ace Water Spa in Pioneer and I have attended and super enjoyed the day. What happened you ask?

Freelance Makeup artist Jasmine Mendiola hosted the event. I super love her style today. It was kind of like a care-free boho chic look and her makeup is so fab. It looked glamorous and calm at the same time.

First to speak was Ma. Belinda Reyes from GlaxoSmithKline Philippines; she talked about how to reach success in the corporate world. Below are some of the things she shared which I love the most:

In this first talk, I have learned that spending you extra well-earned money to something which will make you happy isn’t all that bad. I remembered once again the quote I got from Femalenetwork.com: “You don’t live to work; you work to live.”

Raffle! I got in to the first batch of raffle winner and I got goodies from Watsons Philippines! How the F did they know that Watsons is my sin place? I got a GrapeBella Revitalizing Shower Gel, Watsons Velvety Soft Tissues and the Lorys Deep Moisturizing Hair Cream.

After the raffle, we had games! There was this human bingo, this apple thingy which you have to keep between you and your partner’s face, the fashionista or something-like-that-game and the group game wherein the leader would have to memorize the names and adjectives by the members; BTW, I am GLAMOROUS GEL. Sadly, our group (Team Ohlala!) did not win; but what’s important is that we did have fun right?

Next would be lunch. There was this chicken recipe with coleslaw, a mini club house, a mini tuna burger and spaghetti with olives. It was red iced tea for drinks right? I didn’t taste it well.

Anyway, after our lunch, we had another game which was organized by Strip. Strip is a waxing salon which boasts its very expert waxing specialist and special waxing formula which will be less painful than those normal waxing. 

I won a shirt from them by bringing a camera in front and stripping a hair from the hotness ever body of their male model (LOL).

Next up for the talk was Jill Ngo Crisologo who is a belly dancer guru here in the Philippines and owns her own dance studio, Peak Performance Dance Studio. This was actually the most inspiring talk of the day. I learned that giving up shouldn’t be an option if you have the passion for the thing that you’re doing and you can see that you’re good at it. Don’t let anyone and anything stop you from reaching your goal and never be afraid to pursue it even if no one is by your side. She was a fun and very inspiring speaker.

Last to give a talk was Bianca Valerio, Lifestyle Network’s F.A.S.H (Fashion and Style Hub) host. She gave everyone tips on how to look good, what hair, makeup and even nail color suits a particular skin tone and as per her words and all, the summary of her talk, in my own opinion is, “No one is perfect and beautiful in other people’s eyes; but that is not an excuse to not be on your best and look good.” I so love your tips Bianca!

I got a lot of freebies and discount coupons! Do you want proof? 

I made new friends and even met old high school mates who are active BDJ members! Oh Belle de Jour, please make another event like this. I enjoyed this so much and I appreciate the effort you have put in this rendezvous. Continue inspiring more women!

Till next post Bellas! ;)

Shopping online has been one of the alternatives a lot of people do nowadays because (1) it sometimes is cheaper to shop at online stores and (02) it is definitely hassle free. I am one of those guilty ones who love doing online shopping because of the aforementioned reasons; however we cannot deny the fact that there are a lot of scammers who will pretend as online shops to only take your money. So for all of those who love shopping online, here are my tips on how to avoid those unwanted scammers:

1. Ask For Proofs

It is the customer’s right to assure that the online seller is legit. Ask for shipping proofs or positive feedbacks from previous customers. This way, you would know that the seller has already transacted with other people.

2. Meet-up

Some online sellers offer meet-ups but often times, they have a handling fee amount. It is sometimes better if you could meet the seller on the first transaction so you would really know him/her personally. Sometimes it is more comfortable to transact with people whom you have personally met.

3. Payment Method Choice

For your first transaction with a seller, it is better if they could offer you a payment method via depositing in a bank account. This way, you could really secure that the person whom you would be sending the money is a real person. There is no problem with other payment methods like Moneygram, LBC, Gcash, etc.; but it is better if in the first transaction, at least, do a bank account payment method just to assure things. ID’s can be faked; but if worse comes to worse, bank accounts can be traced.

4. Do Your Research

This is not about taking your money; but one time I saw an online shop claiming that what they’re selling are authentic MAC cosmetics; however, the case of the lipstick itself is obviously fake and with a P250 would you expect it to be original? I was really disappointed with that online shop. I respect, however, those online shops who admit to selling replicas. At least, their customers will not be misled when buying from them.

5. Pre-Loved Limitations

When shopping for pre-loved it is best if you ask the seller for any damages even if it is little and if how many times the item was used. It is just right that you know the present situation of the item you would be purchasing.

Never, in under any circumstances, buy pre-loved cosmetics. This is very unhygienic. I would rather suggest you buy cheaper but brand new cosmetics (as long as you don’t have sensitive skin) rather than buying branded but used cosmetics. Yes, there are some online shops selling pre-loved cosmetics and I really do discourage this. They may say that they don’t have any major skin diseases or whatsoever; but sharing cosmetics with other people can give you their acnes, warts and other minor skin issues they have and again, that is VERY UNHYGIENIC.

I hope my tips helped you in safely shopping online. If you have any additions and other suggestions, please feel free to comment or message me. I would appreciate it and will also give you proper credit. ;)

If you do not know what the hype about the Obando Festival is, then you aren’t probably a Filipino (LOL). The Obando Festival’s schedule for celebration is May 17 – 19, 2011. The Obando Festival or more popularly known as the Obando Fertility Rites is when people from all around the country (even from different parts of the world) go to when they wish for a husband, a wife or most specifically a child.

I have graduated elementary and high school at the parochial school in Obando (Colegio de San Pascual Baylon), but I haven’t completely attended the festival rites. This is because of two reasons: (1) it’s celebrated during school vacation, (2) I’m originally from Valenzuela. Still, this is not enough excuse, I am very much aware. I’m like in my early 20’s now and I still haven’t been to a single Obando Festival. Shame on me! So, for this year, I decided to visit Obando with my mom and two sisters. Literally, visit. Okay, maybe next year I might go full time on this festival but I’m really very busy these past few days. I’ll TRY next year, promise! (See how the word “try” is emphasized? LOL)

So here is what pushed us more to visit Obando: Ma’am Annie, my most favourite high school teacher whom I loved so much, invited the whole family for dinner (May 17, 2011). We went and before heading to Ma’am Annie’s abode, we first stopped by to the Obando church for a quick prayer and visit.

The patio was full of food carts, fast food chain mobiles, people selling flowers, candles shaped in a man and a woman and of course, what is a festival without the “tiangge.” Intentionally, I did not bring my wallet because I don’t want to be tempted to buy even those small cute stuffs. I am saving up and every peso is important!

Next year I’m planning on doing a full day-to-day coverage of the Obando festival. That is the plan. I am now going to find a way on how I could do that. Or at least the highlight of the day’s event, will that do?

PM or comment me your suggestions! It will be very well appreciated.