No bad hair days this Xmas!

LIKE most women, I too have a love-hate relationship with my hair.

I get obsessed brushing it, fluffing it this way and that, or blow-drying it just to make it look like I just came from the salon. The obsession takes on a more intense turn even more so now that it’s barely two weeks before Christmas. I mean, there are those Facebook photos to think about!

Because no matter how great our make-up is, or what fabulous clothes we have on, if a few of those hairs stray all over our face, or the grey hairs start making their presence felt (aka "chismis"), then our coiffeur is ruined and we look less than perfect. Maganda na sana, kaso bad hair day. Ay!

As usual, at this time of the year, I’m already hanging about my favorite salon – Essensuals Toni&Guy – at the TriNoma, for the best treatments for my locks. It’s always a must that I get my hair cut, dyed and highlights done at least a week before Christmas Eve, just to avoid the mad rush of fellow customers.

Cherry Reyes, T&G co-owner, and a kick-ass stylist herself, has just come back from London with some of her senior stylists and color-technicians after attending the courses at the parent company’s Toni&Guy Academy at New Oxford St.

The result is the salon’s latest offering for hairstyles called the Alignment collection – inspired by fashion, music, street culture, and architecture. “Think decades gone by and futuristic ideals, giving an ‘old meets new’ approach and an eclectic high-fashion feel,” Cherry notes.

And just in time for the holidays, too!

The new collection is "characterized by minimum effort and maximum impact,” she explains, “from strong statement cuts to uncomplicated naturalistic shapes with an anti-product finish, not too many hair products; versatility is key in creating the hairstyle. It’s a ready-to-wear approach, parang ‘do-it’-yourself’, low maintenance but high impact hairstyles. The styles incorporate trend-driven techniques with ultra wearable finishes.”

The cuts, she says, range from strong and classic shapes like the Wedge and 1990’s Crop, to soft long layered tresses with real emphasis on texture – “vintage and lived-in meets groomed and tailored.” Think youthful, fresh-faced with a hint of attitude!



So what about the men? Cherry says the men’s cuts are all about clean lines and groomed texture worn with confidence. “The classic short back and sides complemented with length on top will continue to remain a dominating iconic look for seasons ahead.”

In terms of color, Cherry says her colorists will combine and blend chocolate, caramel, and whiskey shades, which are very apropos for Asian hair. “We can also infuse some red or violet colors depending on how brave or bold and playful our clients are.”

Career women, for instance, don’t have to fear a touch of striking color in their hair just because they work in offices. “We create color that is highly individual. ‘Work’ now is fashionable regardless of age. We can look corporate with a touch of red, plum or gold in our hair for the holidays. Or we can do our latest Dip-Dye technique wherein the color is noticeable at the ends or inside the hair, or just one side. We can do colors that may be hidden during the day and bold at night when partying for the Holidays.”

Aware that the frenzied partying season has already commenced, Cherry stresses that our hair can always look its best even without visiting the salon every party day. “Just keep it moving! Avoid using too much products or hairspray, wax etc. If you have long hair, wear it down - it's sexier,” she advises.

The festive season is not the time to be safe and conventional with regard to our hairstyles, ladies. Take a chance, go for a different look, or just adopt something edgier to give us that extra oomph!
Let’s make our gorgeous ‘dos our fashion statement for the Yuletide season.

(For inquiries, call Essensuals Toni&Guy at 812-8002/812-8559 at 6750 Ayala, Makati; 9007169/9007168-TriNoma, QC; and 470-1806/470-1446 and cell. no. 09194222600-SM Megamall Atrium, Mandaluyong.)

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HOW is the Filipino faring in the 21st century? How are media, the Internet and social-networking sites affecting today’s children?

These are some of the issues to be discussed in “Family Congress 2012” to be held on February 18, 2012, at the Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig City. The congress has as its theme “BFF: Building the Filipino Family.” The event is jointly organized by the Love Institute, Galileo Enrichment Learning Program and FID Events Services.

The congress aims to reaffirm the value and relevance of the Filipino family in the face of changing times. Love Institute has enlisted esteemed experts in their fields to talk on issues concerning children, relationships and families. Guest speakers include psychologist Dr. Honey Carandang, educator Dr. Queena Lee-Chua, inspirational speaker Francis Kong, and parenting and relationship experts Allan and Maribel Dionisio.

Workshop topics to be discussed during the Family Congress include “Bridging the Facebook Fad: How Can Parents Manage the Invasion of Media and Technology,” “Built for Forever: Preparing Singles for a Lifetime Relationship,” “Being Friends Forever in Marriage: Learning the Art of Fighting,” and “Teaching Parents to Talk to Kids and Teens about Sex and Relationship.”

Marriage and family counselor Maribel Sison-Dionisio and corporate trainor and relationship counselor Pia Nazareno-Acevedo founded Love Institute.

According to Nazareno-Acevedo, “Love Institute was born out of the acceptance of the fact that there is just not enough systematic knowledge available out there for all those who take their love relationships seriously.”

The company offers various classes and seminars on relationships and love in a small group setting to set the foundation of loving relationships and balanced individuals. One-on-one and couple counseling sessions are also offered, as well as individual evaluations and assessments (compatibility, self-esteem, life plan, etc.) to provide the individual with the needed life skills and knowledge.

Both Sison-Dionisio and Nazareno-Acevedo took graduate studies in Family Ministries at the Ateneo de Manila University. They both have extensive experience in counseling and training, which they put to use at Love Institute.

Galileo Enrichment Learning Program is headed by Ma. Rowena J. Matti, who has been involved in the education sector since she was a child. Her mother founded the Sacred Heart School in Malabon. Galileo offers enrichment programs to children aged three to 12, by making learning a happy experience. It offers programs in math and English.

FID Events Services is headed by Fides M. Reyes whose expertise in PR and events organizing has been strengthened and refined by over 30 years of experience. She is passionate in the ministry of strengthening relationships within the family. She serves at the Light of Jesus Community of Bo Sanchez as pastoral head and part of the creative media team.

Participation in the Family Congress is at P1,500 per person, inclusive of seminar fee, congress kit and meal.

There is a special group rate for families joining the congress. For every six paid participants, a seventh member will be admitted for free.

• For inquiries about the Family Congress, e-mail familycongress@gmail.com. You may also call Love Institute at 436-4143 and 0922-8944143, or Galileo Enrichment Center at 810-8506.

(My column, Something Like Life, is published every Friday in the Life section of the BusinessMirror. This piece was originally published on Dec. 16, 2011. Photos courtesy Essensuals Toni&Guy.)

Chot and Cherry at 25

Cherry and Chot with their kids: (from left) Rebekah, Joshua, Moses, and Isaiah, at the couple’s 25th wedding anniversary celebration in Discovery Shores Boracay. (Photos by Philip Sison)

THE love story of basketball coach Chot Reyes and his wife, professional hairstylist the former Cherry Tiosejo, has all the makings of a great telenovela.

There is an unplanned pregnancy, enmity between parents and the prospective son-in-law/daughter-in-law, screaming fits, doors slammed preceded by departures in a huff, big fights, threatened separations—I can just imagine the dialogue in my head. It’s the stuff that keeps most people glued to their afternoon TV screens.

But just like any great telenovela, there are no tragic endings but only happy ones. After all that drama, Chot and Cherry joyously celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary last December 16, and did it so in style at the posh Discovery Shores.

With their four children, close family and friends all dressed in beach white, they commemorated the glorious occasion with a thanksgiving Mass that ended just as the sun was setting, painting the Boracay sky in postcard-pretty wisps of orange and blue and gray.

A wonderful intimate dinner followed, with relatives and pals toasting/roasting the two, and after the last dessert had been savored, the entire group partied all night. “Everyone was thankful for that party,” Coach Chot, fresh from the recent win of his Talk ’N Text team at the recent PBA championship, tells me. From the photos I’ve seen, there can be no doubt that everyone who went home did so with a huge smile on their face and a skip in their step.

Watching the couple as I interview them for this Valentine piece, I am not at all surprised why they lasted this long. (Officially, they have been together for 28 years.)

There is an easy bantering, a kind of cariño or affection for each other that is reminiscent of how best friends behave, or, in this case, a pair of well-seasoned lovers. There is also honesty—the kind that never hurts, but only acknowledges what they had been through as a couple—just the facts folks. And the interview is always peppered with witty declarations, both having a healthy sense of humor.

I ask, for instance, how they met, and Chot playfully boasts: “’Yung klase nila sa Miriam [College], ang tagal pumipila sa klase namin [sa Ateneo de Manila University] sa soiree. Mauutak, sporty na mga cute, pinipilahan kami talaga, six months ang waiting list!”

How do they settle arguments? Cherry retorts: “Palayasin mo muna, tapos pigilan mo.”

But both turn serious when talking about the early days of their relationship. Just five months into the relationship, Cherry became pregnant, yet both decided not to get married until after Chot graduated from the university. “Can you imagine the dilemma nung in-announce ko na buntis ako, pero ’di kami magpapakasal? Sobrang iyak ng mommy ko,” recalls Cherry, the youngest in the family, and who describes herself as having led a very sheltered life. Chot was the eldest in his family, and being male at that, there was also a lot riding on his future.

Everyone said the pair wouldn’t last, both being just in their late teens and early 20s. And what did they really know about life and raising a family? But both persevered despite the huge odds against them. Chot worked even while studying, and as soon as Cherry graduated, she learned to cut hair. (She now co-owns Toni&Guy Essensuals and styles the hair of a number of celebrities and VIPs, including President Noynoy Aquino.)

“To support them, I had to take a part-time job,” Chot continues. “I worked at the Ministry of Transportation from 8 am to 12 noon. Then papasok ako [sa school] from 1 to 4 pm, wala akong kotse ha. Then from 4 to 6 pm, I’d coach the high-school team. Then 6 pm, I had to play for the college team for my scholarship. For two years ’yun ang buhay ko.” He proudly says he was able to graduate on time, then went on to work full time at the transportation ministry.

They finally got married in 1985, much to the relief of their respective families and friends. Chot says, “We spent for our wedding,” which was held at the Archbishop"s Palace, and reception at the Makati Skyline.

Still, there were more trials to come, as they adjusted to their new life as a married couple. Chot recalls, “There were a lot of big fights early on,” which Cherry says were mostly about money and jealousy, the latter, of course, due to Chot’s popularity as a star basketball player with a bevy of female fans around.

Somehow the two always managed to patch things up, and despite the bumps in the road, life moved on. Soon the other children came—Moses, Isaiah, Rebekah. From raising each other as husband and wife, they were soon nurturing their growing brood. Cherry says she is the round-the-clock disciplinarian in the family, “pero ’pag major kasalanan, si Chot na.”

I don’t sense any insecurity about each other’s professional successes, and I ask them about this. “I think that one of the secrets of lasting marriages is to let two people continue to grow as individuals, continue to learn, continue to evolve,” stresses Chot. “She [Cherry] continues to do her training in London, improves her skills; same thing with me, I’m leaving for Brussels for an executive coach-development program.”

Of course, both say that despite the 25 years behind them, they still continue to work at the marriage, although it looks more like play to an outsider like me who observes their kulitan. In their case, they say they are best friends, they go out without the kids because they genuinely enjoy each other’s company. “Barkada kami eh. I look forward to going home and being with him,” Cherry says. “Kinikilig pa din ako when he picks me up from work. Magkwe-kwentuhan kami.” Chot says, “I pick her up from the salon in Makati, we go out to dinner, we have wine....”

(Partying with Gary V. after the reception)

Both add that basketball also plays a part in strengthening their ties: “It’s a common activity [that bonds us],” acknowledges Chot. “Masaya kami when we’re champions,” says Cherry. “’Pag matalo, malungkot, malungkot together,” Chot says, finishing the thought.

He stresses that by no means is their marriage perfect, but both have learned to live and tolerate each other’s quirks or insecurities. There is a time, for instance, to just keep quiet and let the other spouse vent his/her anger. Or perhaps sleep it off, so cooler heads can tackle the issue the next day. “The best way to each your children about love and about God is to show them how to love your spouse. Kasi yung iba d’yan grabe magdasal, sobrang religious, tapos bastos, nangbubugbog pa....I think our marriage is strong; we can overcome a lot of crisis,” Chot confidently shares.

Asked about the secret to their lasting marriage, Cherry says half-jokingly, “Magaling ako magbantay, man-to-man guarding.” Ahem, ladies, pay attention. More serious now: “Perhaps what we went through, everyone said we wouldn’t last, parang we wanted to prove them wrong.”

Cherry advises all couples who reach a milestone like their 25th year together to celebrate it. It’s a way of reflecting on their lives, she explains, seeing how they managed to overcome the challenges that presented themselves, and a chance to begin a new chapter in the relationship.

“So tanong [ni Cherry], ‘mag-renewal of vows ba tayo [during the Mass]?’ Sabi ko, ‘I have nothing to renew because I’ve never broken any vow,” declares Chot, and we all dissolve in a fit of laughter. Game over. Another championship round won. It’s never a dull moment with these two.

(Originally published in the BusinessMirror, Feb. 11, 2011. My column, Something Like Life, is published every Friday in the Life section of the BusinessMirror.)

Mane tales

WHEN the heat of the summer season begins to sizzle, most of us usually pay more attention to our skin, slathering oils and lotions to protect and moisturize. What we tend to forget, however—perhaps because it has the tendency to just uhm, hang about—is our hair.

Hairstylist Cherry Tiosejo-Reyes and proprietor of Toni&Guy Essensuals Manila, says that just like any part of our body, we should also pay extra attention to our locks, especially during this season. The sun’s ultraviolet rays tend to dry out any ounce of moisture in our hair, so it needs proper conditioning every so often.

With the Earth’s thinning ozone layer already proven to do harmful damage on our skin, I am almost inclined to start wearing hats these days. Actually, I don’t understand why we here in the Philippines don’t wear hats more often, considering we live at least half of the year under the blazing sun. Don’t you find umbrellas just too cumbersome? (Click Something Like Life. Photo from the web, via BM.)

An affair with hair

(Toni&Guy Essensuals at the Megamall Atrium. Look for Cherry Reyes.)

"They say a woman’s relationship with one’s hairstylist is probably the most important—after her immediate family, of course. For in the hairstylist’s hands a woman either blooms or ends up looking like a shriveled prune. No matter how gorgeous a woman’s face is, a bad haircut will take away all that pert and prettiness. Bad hair day? You bet." (Click Something Like Life for the rest.)

Pumapatak na naman ang ulan...

...is how the APO's song goes ano? Well, while it was pouring torrents on Monday, I was seeking refuge at the Trinoma. Ok, not quite. I was actually on a mission to exchange some stuff my mom and I bought at a store a few days before (wrong size), and to get a shot of Red Mango's frozen yoghurt, so I deliberately made my way to that mall. (More on Red Mango later.)

(Photo from VisitPinas.com)

As I was on my way up using the escalator in the North Parking vicinity, I felt drops of water on my head. I looked up, and there on the ceiling was a growing water stain. It was a leak no doubt from the rain overspout (or whatever thingamajigger contractors call it).

Hmm...didn't the Trinoma just open two years ago? Well, if this is the kind of shoddy work Ayala Land employs in its buildings these days, I no longer wonder why its income plunged by 50 percent in the first quarter of 2009. Would you buy a condo from the company if it gives you leaky ceilings? Didn't think so.

Like I've said before, and other mall visitors have confirmed it as well, Trinoma is really a depressing mall to go to despite the massive amounts of foliage and bright lights in its stores. Parking is confusing as well as the store locations, it's just chaotic. There are no automatic flushes in its toilets' while the better-smelling pay lounges are located in way out of reach places, instead of central locations. And it's freaking noisy! It's starting to become another regular SM Mall w/ its loud music, and with its bad acoustics you'd think you were in Divisoria instead!

It's so not like an Ayala mall, I tell you. I mean, if you go to an SM Mall at least there are no surprises. You know what you're getting. Loud and crass. Trinoma tries to reek of class but fails miserably bec. the owners think the rich folk from Caloocan and QC have bakya sensibilities. Thus the architecture and interior design. WTF, coño!

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So is there nothing to love about Trinoma? I admit there are a few, w/c is why you will probably find me there every other week, esp. if there's a new film in town. For instance, I like the variety of goods that Landmark supermarket offers (and btw, it has self-flushing toilets in its regular restrooms). And I enjoy watching films in the mall's roomier cinemas.

Some of the restaurants are noteworthy (Cyma, Thousand Cranes Shabu-Shabu, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Cibo, Peking Garden), and it has Piandré Salon where I get my pedi, and Toni & Guy Essensuals where I turn to for a haircut. And did I mention Red Mango frozen yogurt?

(Red Mango's stall in the hallway fronting Toni & Guy)

Red Mango is a franchise from surprise! South Korea. But it really became a hit when the company expanded in the U.S. So far, it has three local outlets - Trinoma, Eastwood, and Megamall. I love it because it's creamy and tart. Wonderful mouthfeel, but if you don't watch out, will give you brainfreeze! Brrr. (I had two servings of each flavor the other day and ended up w/ a slight headache.) I like both the original and green tea flavors, straight up, no sprinkles.

(My small serving of green tea flavor.)
I'm surprised that the stall in Trinoma never runs out of customers. Who would've thought that Pinoys would learn to appreciate yogurt? Could be that we're really more health conscious now or just bec. the product is still new in the market, and something different from the usual ice cream concoctions we've been used to? It has great price points - P80 for a single scoop for the original (P85 for the green tea), plus P20 for a single topping (fruits, nuts, or cereals). Try it.

(The toppings of Red Mango. I counted about 25 in fruits, nuts, cereals.)
(ATTENTION WHITE HAT GUYS: Okay I know you were the first in asking me to try your frozen yogurt dessert. I promise to get to you soon and give the readers the lowdown.)