New Kids On the Block

We rarely go out for lunch because of the erratic weather, but since yesterday was a bright and sunshiney day (and our good friend a couple of blocks away offered to treat lunch, hehe), we decided to walk to a nearby resto to eat. :)

My sister is very keen on OoTD photos, because she wants it to be, simply put, PERFECT. It's almost impossible to please her! It's either this angle is not so nice, the lighting is terrible (and we're under the SUN), blah blah blah. Yeah, yeah, I understand. She only wants the best for our readers. :) NAKS!

So as we walked around the Fort, she kept on stopping and pointing to areas where we could shoot. We finally saw a wall that's perfect for photo ops, so we took some shots. Unfortunately, the guard shooed us away (I think we caused a scene, BWAHAHAHA), hence the different backgrounds of these photos. :))

Danah

Sheer top: DKNY (thrifted)

Tank top: Esprit

Jeans: Dorothy Perkins

Shoes: schu

Shades: Topshop

All accessories: Yhansy

I LOVE YHANSY'S ACCESSORIES! 

They are very chic, unique and VERY AFFORDABLE! :)

My favorite is this gold lion sash belt. 

It's a silk belt that you can use as a different accessory (head piece, arm wrap), it all depends on your creativity!

Next to that is my armadillo ring! It's so ferosh (fierce) and very light on the finger! :) 

It's very comfy too!

Stacy

Denim jacket: GAP

Tank top: Esprit

Striped skirt: F21

Sandals: schu

Necklace: Extreme Finds

All other accessories: Yhansy

 

Stacy really likes the colors and style of her braided coil necklace by Extreme Finds! :)

 

 Polygon bangles, octopus ring, 4-star double ring: ALL FROM YHANSY!

Notice anything different?

 I COLORED MY HAIR! :)

Well not really, but I had my root touch-ups! :) I'm very particular when it comes to hair color, especially when I just like to play around with brown tones. Since I'm not as bold as Stacy when it comes to hair, I always make it a point that my hair is dyed in the right shade of brown. Thank God there's Azta Urban Salon! I really love their services and I trust that they always make me look better every time I visit! :)

So yesterday, I went to their Pioneer branch. They quickly attended to me and started with my mani-pedi. :) Of course they only use the best nail polish such as OPI and Orly. Half way through my pedicure, their stylist, Louie (with gorgeous blonde hair), came over to check my hair. He asked me if I remembered the shade last used on me but I don't, so he had to match it himself. While waiting, they offered me their very yummy milk tea (which I LOVE)! :)

After several minutes, my manicure was done and my hair was ready to be rinsed. They shampooed me and blow dried my hair. I asked politely if another person could help in drying my thick mane because I was in a bit of rush, and they gladly agreed. They were very fast, and my hair afterward was so silky smooth and bouncy! I LOVE IT! And I didn't even have to tell him what I wanted. :) I still haven't washed my hair this very moment (haha!) just because I want the look to last a day more. I promise to wash my hair tonight. :D Hee.

CHECK 'EM OUT! :) Azta Urban Salon Pioneer

That's all for now! I hope you enjoyed this post and try out the services of the most liberating salon in town! :)

Plump love,
Danah

...AND THE MAKEOVER GOES TO...

After a total of 14 entries submitted by our dear readers (since we posted the very first contest we hosted here on The Plump Pinay last month), we now officially end the anxiety and announce the 5 lovely and inspiring winners! :)

Here are the best 5 plumpies who, according to our right and proper discernment, succeeded greatly in writing their personal experience and their answer to the question:

What's the bravest and most liberating thing you've done since you started your body acceptance journey that makes you a bona fide Plump Pinay?

Paula Nazareno

Her story is really an inspiration to us, and I am sure that many of you will be moved as well. She found her genuine sense of self-worth from the God who created her all special and unique. It was when she realized that God knew what He was doing when he made her naturally big and beautiful that she finally accepted the body she has been blessed with. As a result, her realization unleashed her inner confidence which lead her to fully love and accept her body. Here's a snippet from her essay:

"When I was in Pampanga, I was very unsure of myself. I feel that every time I go out. I’ll be the laughingstock of other people because I’m fat. [...] Then I started going to this church, it’s called His Life. Did I mentioned that I do pity myself and at times I felt that God doesn't love or care about me? Yea, there are times that I just felt like that. I mean, I tried everything just to lose weight, just to look good. But nothing happened…

It was late 2010 when I started to attend there [in His Life Church]. It's different there, it has a different vibe. And people were warm to me; smiling at me, hugging me, and making me feel that I am special. I feel different there; I feel the love that I didn’t receive from my friends. I started body acceptance when I accepted God in my life. It followed; I was smiling, laughing and just being myself. There was a sermon that really moved me… One of the pastors said… “God loves me the way I am, I tried everything just to lose weight. But I think this is my destiny. I have to be proud of what I am. Because God made me the way I am, and I am the apple of His eyes. I am unique.”

That was just it. It was like, BHAM! That day I started to love my body. I don’t care what people would think. Now, I just care how I look through God’s eyes.

P.S. I have found a man that loves me the way I am. :) He loves my curves! He can't get enough of it!"

Maita Lu

Big girl in Big Fashion--this is the title of the essay she sent as a contest entry, which is fitting, considering that she studied college in a fashion school. Her passion for big fashion captivated us instantly. Transforming the feeling of being marginalized in a world where stick thin people equaled "beauty", she decided to be a plus-size fashion designer. Read this small chunk from what she wrote, which is basically the reason that made her decide what and who she is now.

"Worse was what the media repeated over and over--big was not in and less was more. In fact, plus-size fashion was just an assortment of unflattering bright rags. The fitted trendy fashion was slow in the coming and they were not my style. I wanted my style out there. I wanted to wear my style. I loved ruffles, frills and laces. If others keep insisting what they think should be plus-size then I have a right to declare what I design is plus-size.

I wanted to inspire people with my creativity. I didn’t want to be just another fashion school graduate. I wanted my art and designs to influence everyone who felt the way I did. Fun, frilly and romantic was my fashion mantra. I was a big girl with big ideas and so, I decided to combine myself and my works. I decided to be a plus-size fashion designer. Plus-size fashion is actually harder to create because there are these generous curves to consider. Easing, darts and gussets also have to be well thought-out. It was a tough road to declare myself as plus-size designer because there was not much of a market then. But I pursued amidst criticism. In my fourth year in fashion school, I took up the task of having a plus-size fashion show inside a mall. It created a buzz and convinced my peers that plus-size fashion was very much part of the fashion world. I worked for two plus-size fashion brands and now I have a business making creative accessories and made-to-order clothing. I welcome girls of any age and size to model for my events."

Magi*

Magi instantly showed courage through unraveling her story to us. Her past definitely pinched our hearts, being a victim of physical and verbal abuse from her own father. But what makes her a real winner in life is her strength to put all her painful experiences behind, muster the courage to stop believing the lies and free herself from it. This is Magi's story. Be inspired.

"I've been fat my whole life--I was often discriminated and been a subject of ridicule a thousand times, which resulted a huge impact on my personality. I am very much withdrawn, I do no got out or meet new people because I have a very low self esteem, and I often think of myself as an ugly, fat girl who doesn't have a life. And I just hated myself for being fat. My dad hated me [too], because I wasn't the type of daughter he wanted to have. He often calls me "abnormal" for being fat and shapeless, and just

imagine the impact of being called "abnormal" at the age of 12-14 by the man you looked up to, who you were expecting to save you from "evil forces"; the first man in your life, and he beats you up because he doesn't like it that you are plump; and the irony of calling you a pokpok (whore) when you don't even wear skirts and sleeveless and mini shorts.

I almost died from heartache of being discriminated and not being accepted by the society for having an unconventional beauty. Then I decided that the pain just had to stop, they are torturing me because I am letting them torture me. And you know what is the most liberating thing I have done? I accepted who I am, what I'm capable of, and the beauty that I have that not all people can see. That I have a a figure of a "real" woman. I started wearing skirts, dresses. People were surprised, and I gained a few admirers! I have freed myself from the box of pain and torment that narrow-minded people created for nonconformist beauties like us plumpies. I have broke the chains and escaped the prison. We are all beautiful. This is the most liberating thing that i have done. And I give credit to it.

P.S. The second most liberating thing that I have done is I got naked in front of a man, I've shown him how flawed I am, and instead of ridiculing me, he kissed the stretchmark that I have on my arm."

*She requested that her named be changed for privacy purposes.

Retty Contreras

Retty has been featured on this blog before as a big, beautiful ballerina. Her so-called "unconvential" type of body as compared to the usual petite, skinny ballerinas definitely did not hinder her from sharing her gift of being a graceful dancer to the world and pursuing her passion in the art of movement. Below is a little chunk I've taken from her entry, wherein she narrates the most freeing thing that she did that makes her a certified Plump Pinay!

"My coach began his great speech about how I weighed so much and that I was, as the aforementioned, more of a liability than an asset to the [dance] team. I remember clenching my fist and swallowing hard, stopping myself from screaming at him. He ended his speech by dictating to me in front of everyone what I could and couldn’t eat followed by a long list of things that I should and shouldn’t do. But instead of causing a scene, I did both of us a favor and just smiled and stepped off the scale.

The evening that followed was spent discerning and weighing my options. Should I still stay on the team and continue torturing myself because of this man who thinks less of me because of my weight? Or should I just quit and find other options?

Of course we all know that the latter choice won. I decided that I wasn’t going to let that terrible man make me feel like horrible about myself all because I was heavier than everyone else. I concluded that I didn’t need his approval—or anything from him, for that matter to do what I love. In fact, I didn’t need people who made me feel inferior because of the numbers that showed every time I stepped on the weighing scale, at all.

That was the most liberating thing I’ve done in my journey to self acceptance, learning how to stand up someone who belittled me because he was too narrow minded not to see beyond the physical."

Kristel Ocampo

Kristel recognized her beauty when a guy (who is now her fiancée--kilig!!! ♥) loved her completely for who she is. This urged her to come out of her shell of baggy pants and loose clothing and experiment more with stylish and fashionable clothes because she wanted to look pretty for her sweetheart of a boyfriend. Her new found confidence also gave her the audacity to audition as a plus-size model. Below is a portion from the piece she wrote to us about her life experience that turned her heart into one that is fierce and courageous!

"The bravest and most liberating thing I did was to apply as a plus-sized model. I felt the urgency to let everyone know that modeling or high fashion is not just for the "perfectly" measured bodies anymore. It's for everyone else. And I truly believed I can be a model. I researched and emailed my portfolio/resume to all the modeling agencies and fashion companies in Metro Manila. It hurts to receive replies of decline, telling me I don't have the required measurements. But that did not stop me. I kept applying to different companies until I found out about Erzullie, a clothing company that caters to the plus sized women. I was interviewed, and I can't believe they made me their model!!! I was ECSTATIC!! I practiced posing everyday...and the day of the photoshoot definitely gave me a big boost in confidence. I felt like a SUPERSTAR.

Because of this guy who believed in me, I was able to accept myself and take care of myself. My life changed BIG TIME. By the way, the guy I'm telling you about is now my fiancé. :)

What I'm trying to say is, when someone or something has become an inspiration to you, they breathe life into you. And everything changes for the better. And now I get to become the inspiration. If you are plus size like me, I want you to know that you are beautiful and everything is going to be OK. Let's hear it for the women who don't give a damn about the size printed on the label.

I am proud to be a BONAFIDE PLUMP PINAY. :)"

Before I go, I must admit that we had an extremely difficult time narrowing down the entries to the five most-inspiring and well-written essays because all the women had such beautiful and moving stories! And I'm not saying this just to make those who didn't win feel better. If only we could do a make over for all of you we would, because you are all unique and brave women, but we only have limited options. Thanks for joining though! We'll be having more contests in the future so watch out! :)

To all the winners, you all deserve it. Continue being a BONA FIDE PLUMP PINAY, illuminating others that beauty is all about confidence and sexiness is not determined with body size. ;)

Keep loving thy awesome self,

Stacy

P.S. Aside from the awesome full makeover care of Azta Urban Salon (for hair) and Kaycee Lim (for makeup), our mom will be sponsoring fabulous FOREVER21 accessories to our lovely winners! We will contact all the winners soon for further details! :)

Say NouNou to damaged hair!

Azta Urban Salon offers what every girl needs this summer-- the NouNou Pak Treatment to protect dry and damaged hair!

Dry hair needs instant hydration and nourishment to keep it looking and feeling healthier. Using Davines NouNou Pak Mask Treatment before going to the beach or any activity under the sun protects your hair from damage including dryness and split ends.

The NouNou Pak Mask Treatment is infused with Olive Butter, Jojoba Oil, Cherry Oil and Rhizobian Gum, all essential to repair your hair--making it healthier, softer, and easier to comb.

Danah and I both have dry hair because of all the ironing, curling, and hair coloring we let our hair undergo which make us the perfect customers to test this new service they're offering. And besides, it's summer time already! So we tried the treatment, and true to its claims, it actually left our hair softer, shinier, and healthier! :)

Super duper damaged hair! :(

First off, they dry shampooed our hair--one of the well-known services that is exclusively offered by Azta, and one of their services that I really love! The shampoo they use smells really good, and it never fails to leave me with a feeling of a squeaky clean scalp.

After rinsing our hair, they applied the NouNou Pak Mask covering our every single strand of hair. Then they gave us great head massages--I was playing Plants vs. Zombies to pass the time but I had to pause the game because the massage was too relaxing! :D

Our scalps were then plastic wrapped for a good thirty minutes, probably to ensure that the treatment penetrates and deals with every damaged hair on our heads.

It is evident that Azta is purely a Filipino brand for their hospitality. They know how to care for customers well. While waiting, they offered us magazines and drinks. :)

After the whole rinsing and drying process was done... Tadaa! Our hair, as I've said earlier, feels healthier, looks healthier, and is definitely much much more softer (yup, that's how much softer it is as compared to my hair prior the treatment! :D )!

It's funny how Danah's photos are mostly in this post, considering I'm the one writing this entry. Haha :D

Let's all enjoy this summer without making our hair suffer! Go ahead and try the NouNou Pak Treatment at any Azta Urban Salon branch and protect your hair from further damage from the sun! :) The price originally starts at P900, but now, Azta offers it at the hottest starting price of only P499++!

*Price may vary according to hair length.

Plump love,

Stacy

MAKEOVER CONTEST!

Hello Plumpies! :)

Want to win a makeover from the trendiest urban salon in the Metro?

All you have to do is answer this question in 500 words or less:

What's the bravest and most liberating thing you've done since you started your body acceptance journey that makes you a bona fide Plump Pinay?

Email your answer including two (2) attached recent photos of yourself (1 head shot and 1 full body) to theplumpinay@gmail.com. Include your full name, age, email address, and contact info. The subject of the email should be MAKEOVER CONTEST ENTRY.

Deadline of submissions is on the 8th of April, Friday at exactly 10:00 pm.

Danah and I will choose 5 Plumpies with the most inspiring and well-written stories! The winners will get a FULL MAKEOVER—we’re talking awesome hair-styling plus color change only from the professional stylists of AZTA URBAN SALON and amazing makeup by the very talented artist, Kaycee Lim! :)

To top it off, the 5 lucky winners will also have a photoshoot for Azta's exclusive style book for plus size ladies sporting their new looks! :)

EXCITING, HUH?

Join now Plumpies!!! :) Start writing and get creative!

Plump love,
Stacy

RED HOT!

I've been wanting dye my hair red for so long, and finally it is now a reality! :) My hair was done by Azta Urban Salon in Eastwood using Davines haircolor, and I just love how it turned out!

Since it has been only a month since I last soaked hair in chemicals, I was actually expecting my hair to be really dry and coarse after the treatment, but surprisingly and fortunately, I was wrong. I think my hair got even softer and shinier than before when it was orange. Good job, Azta! :)

Know more about Azta Urban Salon through their Facebook page! Click and like them here.

OoTD time!

Here's what I wore to a Christmas dinner with my closest friends the day after I artificially turned into a redhead. :D

Tube top Forever 21 Cardigan Topshop Long chain necklace Tutti Frutti (Rustan's) Believe necklace Disney Couture Rose bracelet Tutti Frutti Bangles Robinson's Galleria Dept. Store Belt Rustan's Jeggings Kashieca Lace-up boots Forever 21

6 days to go before Christmas! Is it just me or does my hair go well with the holiday theme? :D

Keep loving your awesome self,

Stacy