Independence Day with the Chicas at Egg-it (Part II)

Next stop for our Independence Day foodtrip was Egg-it. I saw Egg-it on my Facebook Newsfeed courtesy of Spot.ph the night before. As it turns out, this waffle shop is just next door to Pomodoro Pizza!

Egg-it

Egg-it Menu

Service

You know how it feels when you ask your server about the menu and they reply in a tone that sounds like: "why don't you just order already?" You won't get treated that way at Egg-it. Service is excellent! The staff was friendly and accommodating. We had a lot of questions about their menu items and they were more than happy to answer. They even asked to take a photo of us and posted it on their Instagram.

For 2-in-1 flavors add 20 Php

2-in-1 Reese's and Bananutella (110 Php)

2-in-1 Mango Caramel and Bananutella (110 Php) Photo Courtesy of Joyce

None of us have tried Hong Kong Style waffles so this our first time. The pancake itself tastes all right and it was fluffy even though it was made into bubbles. The best thing about Egg-it waffles is that their toppings to pancake ratio is good! I didn't find myself finishing off topping-less pancake bubbles. 

Bill came in this tin

Things to note:

Just like at Pomodoro Pizza, Egg-it didn't issue us a Sales Invoice either. Then again, we didn't ask for one. Always ask for a receipt!

Would eat again?

Yes! I'd like to go back and try their savory egg-it waffle flavor: Black Pepper Spam with Cheese and new menu item: quesadillas. (I should've taken a picture of the poster. Apologies!)

Egg-it

6F San Rafael St. cor Sta. Rosa St. Kapitolyo, Pasig City

Store Hours: MON to SAT from 8:30 AM - 9:30 PM

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Independence Day with the Chicas at Pomodoro Pizza (Part I)

Pomodoro Pizza Menu

My friends, Joyce and Pauline, and I went out last Independence Day on another food trip. First stop: Pomodoro Pizza!

Saw Pomodoro Pizza mentioned as a comment on a post about restaurants to visit in Kapitolyo.

Pomodoro Kitchen

The Pizza

12" House Special (170 Php)

If you love cheesy pizzas like we do, you'll love the House Special. Pauline is a fan of thin crust pizzas, and she especially liked that the dough was thin and chewy and not the usual thin and crispy.

The Pasta

Pesto with Italian Chicken (109 Php) - Photo Courtesy of Joyce

Bataan Tinapa Pasta (109 Php) - Photo Courtesy of Joyce

We all thought the pastas lacked flavor. Both were a little dry. Their serving size is good for one person only. Here are pictures so you can see how much pasta there was on a plate:

Pesto with Italian Chicken

Bataan Tinapa Pasta

Homemade Iced Tea (30 Php)

The Homemade Iced Tea was cold and refreshing, but it was also bland.

Bill:

The bill came in a cute shopping cart!

Things to note:

We weren't issued a Sales Invoice. Then again, we didn't ask for one. Always ask for a receipt!

Would eat again?

I'll probably skip on the pasta and drinks, but if I'm in the area I'll definitely order pizza.

Pomodoro Pizza

6G San Rafeal cor Sta Rose St. Kapitolyo, Pasig City

Store Hours: MON to SUN from 10 AM - 10 PM

Phone: (+63) 927 589 4426 

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Trippy Customs Shop Review

Hi! I'm back with another Online Shop Review. Here we go!

The Loot

Shirts and Mouse Pad

Trippy Customs

Trippy Customs sells customized shirts, mouse pads, mugs, and lanyards. If you don't have anything particular in mind, they also have designs available. They started out with League of Legends themed shirts. They now have TV show ones like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones.

Promos

The shop had a promo earlier this year: Trippy Customs January Freebies, Pick, Like and Share! I entered and chose this design:

Shirt Code: DianaLeona

Congratulations to the winners! That unfortunately didn't include moi. So I ordered it! Ordering from Trippy Customs is pretty easy. You can either text, Facebook message, or email them. It would be best if you have the Shirt Code, t-shirt size and color of the shirt/s you want to order before contacting them. This makes it easier for both parties.

Back when I ordered this was the measuring guide they had:

Shirt Measurements

When I got my shirt, it was too tight! When I was talking with one of the coordinators, we settled for the women's shirt that should fit exactly according to the shirt measurements. The shirt material was stretchy but...

Here's a tip for the ladies: don't underestimate your bewbage!

Wrong Size DianaLeona

Wrong Size Poro Puffs

Apologies for the picture quality. Might seem like it fits fine, but it's really too small.

Anyway, I'm glad Trippy Customs allowed me to return my shirt and exchange it for a unisex one. If you read their Terms & Conditions, they only allow returns for damaged items and will only replace products once. So make sure you get your size right!

They uploaded an updated sizing chart. Check it out:

Sizing chart

One can argue this shirt too big, but it's a hell of a lot more comfortable to wear than the first batch I got. Rolling up the sleeves would fix the arm length issue.

DianaLeona unisex

Mouse pad

Trippy Customs also makes customized mouse pads. I ordered one for my brother. They had a few designs to choose from, but  he chose the League of Legends official Team Builder artwork:

Official Art

Mouse pad (100 Php)

Mouse pad (Back)

My brother expected that the design would fill the entire mouse pad. Other than that, he says the mouse pad quality is better than most within its price range. I'm actually considering ordering one myself because my Dragon War Mousemat is in such a sorry state that I am ashamed to post a picture of it!

Free Swag

If you're wondering about the Poro Puffs design. I actually got it for free! Thanks Trippy Customs!

Poro Puffs unisex

Check out their Facebook Page for more!

Full Disclosure: I know of Trippy Customs because one of the owners, Kiko, is a college friend of mine.

Trippy Customs
Cubao, Quezon City
Contact: (632) 287 5472 and (+63)927 562 6226
Store Hours: MON to SAT 10 AM - 9 PM
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Shine Moist Henna Wax Color Treatment in Cyclamen Review

Shine Moist Henna Wax Color Treatment was recommended to me by my sister. She used it to tint her medium brown colored hair to red. Unfortunately, she doesn't have pictures of her hair during that time. She didn't stop using the Henna Wax Color Treatment because she had a problem with the product, she stopped because she decided to get highlights on her hair.

My roots have been growing for a while now to the point that I actually look more like I have an ombre. So I decided to give it a try. I didn't bleach my hair to test if the product can be used to color virgin hair.

There's a lot of colors to choose from:

Henna Wax Color Treatment in 18 colors

Henna Wax Color Treatment in 18 colors

My sister recommended Cyclamen which is a purple pink color. I bought the smaller tub at HBC Antipolo Branch. The big bottles were currently out of stock. I was told by the sales agent that this color is one of their bestsellers.

The Packaging:

Shine Moist Henna Wax Color Treatment 05 Cyclamen

Front

Back (Product Description and Directions)

Price: 100ml for Php 199 (4.5 USD)

!! IMPORTANT !!

Perform a patch test before coloring your hair. The Shine Moist Henna Wax Color Treatment is a semi-permanent hair dye, but a patch test is recommended every single time before using any chemical treatment.

How to do a Patch Test:

1. Using a cotton swab, apply a small amount of the product on the area directly behind your ear, or on the inside of your elbow. 
2. Leave the product on your skin uncovered for around 45 minutes and rinse it off. 
3. Wait 24-48 hours and watch out for redness, itching or swelling. Any sign of reaction (that's not intended) means that you should not proceed with the treatment. 

Remember, symptoms may vary from very mild to quite severe and a tiny reaction could be magnified once you use more of the product and expose yourself to the chemical for longer periods of time. So please be safe and take a patch test!

If no irritation occurs after the patch test, you can now start coloring your hair!

I found this on the Shine Moist Facebook page:

Dip Dye Henna Wax Color Treatment by Shine Moist

Watch the Shine Moist video tutorial for this style here:

Directions:

1. Shampoo and towel dry hair to 75% dry.
2. Apply Color Treatment beginning 3 mm from scalp and comb through the hair thoroughly.
3. Keep hair moistened and heated with a steamer or heater for 30 minutes.
4. Allow hair to cool for 5 minutes before rinsing thoroughly until the water runs clear.
5. Squeeze out excess water and apply conditioning rinse and leave it in the hair for at least 1 minute.
6. Rinse thoroughly with water, blow dry and style.

What's in the box?

Disposable gloves and shower cap, and the product

I asked my mom for help. She divided my hair into sections similar to the way it was done in the tutorial. She also applied the dye.

Back

Side

Front

TIP: Apply petroleum jelly on your hairline to get rid of dye stains easier.

Update 5/19/2014: After treatment, rinse out hair until the water runs clear. Avoid washing your hair for 24-48 hours. If you must, do not use shampoo! This will prevent the color from fading faster.

Leftover product

Results

These pics were taken one day after application:

Shine Moist Henna Wax Color Treatment on Light Brown Colored Hair (Cyclamen)

Shine Moist Henna Wax Color Treatment on Light Brown Colored Hair (Cyclamen)

The product was not able to dye my virgin hair. The colored part of my hair was dyed nicely though. After a week, I decided to use up the leftover product to cover up the rest of my brown hair.

Reapplied treatment one week after first application

These pics were taken one week after reapplication:

Under natural light

Under direct sunlight

What I liked

One 100ml tub was able to color half of my hair.

For only Php 199 it's definitely cheaper than having it done professionally.

It has a pleasant smell. It smells nothing like those pungent hair developers.

Hair feels soft and silky after treatment. It felt like I used a tinted hot oil treatment.

Worked on light brown colored hair. You might want to bleach if you want a lighter color though.

What I didn't like

Nothing really. It takes a while to rinse out after application, but that's common for all the dye treatments I've tried so far.

I also experience minimal color bleeding whenever I shower. I might have to thank my natural and sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner for that.

Would buy again?

That's a definite: yes! I might try other colors once this fades.

Update 06/13/2014:

The color faded 2 weeks after reapplication. The product was washed out completely 2 weeks after it started fading. To keep the color "fresh", I suggest reapplying Shine Moist Henna Wax Color Treatment every 2 weeks.

Have you tried Shine Moist products before? Comment below!

MyPhone Rio Lite Unboxing and Review

Why MyPhone Rio Lite?

Bought the Rio Lite for my dad. His old Android phone was the Cherry Mobile Cruize which he had for more or less a year. The notification bar and about an inch of the screen above the soft capacitive buttons are no longer responsive. I tried factory reset just in case it was an app that was responsible for the unresponsive touch, but that didn't fix the issue. Safe to say it's a hardware issue (digitizer maybe? Don't mind me, just trying to hazard a guess). Since the camera glass is broken too, dad wanted to have the phone replaced instead having the CM Cruize repaired.

Dad wanted a phone that's bigger than my Cherry Mobile Flare HD's 4.3 inch screen, but smaller than the CM Cruize's 5.2 inch display. At 4.7 inches, the Rio Lite is the best compromise. After checking out the competition, Rio Lite at SRP 3,999 Php is the sulit (best bang for our buck) choice. This is not only screen-wise, but also specs-wise. Let's compare:

Display
- While other local brands at the same price point would also have WVGA with IPS, most of them only have 4 inch screens. The ones with larger screens (around 5") aren't IPS.

Camera
- Most phones that have a 3,999 Php price tag have VGA (0.3 MP) front cameras while the Rio Lite has a 2MP cam.

Battery
- Highest I've seen from most the competition is only 1700 mAh while the Rio Lite has a 2000 mAh battery. The only other phone at this price range that has 2000 mAh batt is the GEO 400q from Cloudfone Mobile.

There are other features that make the Rio Lite a good buy. I'll elaborate more on that later. Let's look at the official poster for the Rio Lite's specs:

MyPhone Rio Lite Official Poster

Meet the MyPhone Rio Lite:

MyPhone Rio Lite

Bought at MyPhone Kiosk at SM City Masinag

I bought the unit last Monday (5th of May) at the MyPhone Kiosk at SM City Masinag. They only had blue units available. While I was there, 3 customers asked about the availability of the Agua Rio, the Rio Lite's big brother, unfortunately the phone was out of stock.

Testing the Unit

Before we proceed to the unboxing, let's talk about testing devices while you're in the shop. Usually, sales agents would help you test your unit. Knowing what to test for could save you from a bad purchase. So here's a list of what I test for in an Android device and how I go about testing them:

Build Quality

- The device should be solid. There should be no creaking. Check for dents and scratches.

Battery

- Make sure the battery is not bloated. Also check for missing/bent connector pins.

After the phone is turned on:

Screen

- Check for scratches, black light bleeds and dead pixels. One way of doing this is installing apps that help you examine your device's display. I've used Blacklight Bleed Test and it doesn't just help check for Blacklight Bleeds but is also wonderful at checking for dead pixels. Most shops would have their own Wi-Fi or you could bring your own. Another option would be backing up the apk on your memory card, then using that memory card on the device you're testing so you can install the apps.

Camera

- Check for scratches. Take sample shots. Don't forget to test the flash!

Touch

- Test the multi-touch capabilities. If the device has no games installed, you can try zooming in and out pictures in the Gallery so you can at least test the 2-point touch.

Audio and Video

- Unfortunately (or fortunately, however you want to look at it) the Rio Lite does not come with sample Audio and Videos. You can also insert your memory card and use your own media to test the new device. If your device has Radio, don't forget to test that as well. In the Rio Lite's case, I downloaded the YouTube app and tested both Audio and Video in one go. This brings us to the next thing to test:

Connectivity

- Test Data, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Tethering, GPS (Google Maps) and telephony (try sending an SMS and/or calling). I don't always get to test all of these, but I'll do it if I can.

Did I miss anything? What do you test for? Share it in the comments section below!

AnTuTu Benchmark

I posted about buying the Rio Lite on the MyPhone Rio United Facebook Group (you have to be registed to view the post) and someone asked about 2D games and lag. So I decided to get the device's AnTuTu score. I downloaded the app, and ran the test:

Antutu Benchmark Results

I should have screencapped all of the results, but that's all I have on file right now. Remember AnTuTu scores aren't everything. After all the sidetracking let's (finally) proceed with the unboxing:

What's in the (eco) bag?

MyPhone eco bag

What's in the box?

MyPhone Rio Lite box and unit

Front

Back

Side (specs)

What's in the box?

USB cable, Charger, headset, unit and manual

Charger

Front of the manual and the unit

Manual (front)

Back of the manual and the unit

Manual (back)

Back cover and the back of the unit

Screenshots:

Home Screen

App Drawer

If the Rio Lite lacks anything it's bloatware. That's a good thing! The Rio Lite shipped without the Pinoy Apps that MyPhone installs on their other handsets.

MP Rio Lite Custom Settings

Stock camera app screenshot

How to take a Screenshot:
Hold the POWER BUTTON + VOLUME DOWN BUTTON at the same time. 

Sample shots:

Please excuse the sample shots. Not so good at photography.

CM Flare HD

Bougainvillea

The 7-day replacement warranty ends this Sunday (the agent said the day I bought it already counts) and the Rio Lite is in good condition and we haven't encountered an issue so far. He definitely likes his new phone because it's the right size for his hands (and pockets) and he is enjoying the crispier display.

See CM Cruize and Rio Lite comparison pics below:

Cherry Mobile Cruize and MyPhone Rio Lite side by side (front)

CM Cruize and MP Rio Lite (back)

Need more reasons to get a Rio Lite at only SRP 3,999 Php? Here you go:

MP Rio Lite's other notable features (what the specs sheet didn't tell us):

MP Rio Lite is a dual SIM phone with dual standby, take note that SIM2 is actually a Micro SIM slot.

Dual SIM (one regular and one micro SIM)

Dual 3G capabilities:

Dual 3G

Wireless Input Device:

Wireless Input Device

Clever Motion (Gestures):

Clever Motion

Wireless Display:

Wireless Display

The MP Rio Lite has LED notification light:

LED notification (yellow) for text

Yellow LED notification (yellow) for calls

It's located to the left of the speaker grill on the top of the screen. (It got cloudy when I took the first picture showing the LED notification. Prolly why the pic turned out that way. My bad!)

Hot-swappable micro SD card slot

Update 5/10/2014: 

A member of the MyPhone Rio Lite OFFICIAL Facebook Group asked if it's possible to move apps to SD storage:

Moving to Phone storage

This is where the Rio Lite falls short. It doesn't seem that you can transfer apps to SD using Settings. You can only move to Phone Storage or Internal Storage. It should say "Move to SD card" like so:

Move to SD card

Update 5/12/2014:

A member of MyPhone Rio Lite OFFICIAL has discovered hidden feature of the Rio Lite:

Credits to Miss Loreena.

Rio Lite has OTG (USB On The Go)! OTG means you can use USB devices on your Rio Lite. I did a quick test today and found out that while it works on my The Sims 3 USB Flash Drive, it was not able to read my Western Digital External HDD.

What you need: Rio Lite, OTG Cable, USB device

To use OTG, you would need an OTG cable and a USB device. (The Rio Lite does not come with an OTG cable.) 

What you should see when you plug in your USB device

You can now choose External USB Storage as a Preferred Install Location

External USB Storage info, Unmount and Erase options

 Remember to Unmount the USB Storage to avoid corrupting the USB device. Better safe than sorry.

Unmount

USB Storage removed successfully

Update 5/13/2014:

Members of MyPhone Rio Lite OFFICIAL asked for camera flash tests:

without flash

with flash

without flash

with flash

Conclusion

MyPhone Rio Lite is another locally branded phone that's affordable yet doesn't compromise much specs-wise. Overall, I'm pretty happy with this purchase, seeing him enjoying his new phone makes it a worth the money. Now if only he could make this one last at least 2 years... ^_~

Before I go, let me give you the specs sheet:

MyPhone Rio Lite Specifications:

• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean 
• Dual-SIM, Dual-standby 
• 4.7″ WVGA 480×800 IPS display 
• 1.3GHz quad core MT6582M processor 
• Mali-400 GPU 
• 512MB RAM 
• 4GB ROM, expandable via microsd card 
• 5mp rear-facing autofocus camera with LED flash 
• 2mp front camera 
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS 
• 3G, HSPA+ 
• 2000mAh battery 
• Price: Php3,999

and a screenshot of the About Phone under Settings:

Do you have a Rio Lite? Write your review on the comments below! Do you know where I can get the CM Cruize fixed (other than the CM Service Center! Haha!)? Please leave a comment!