Whiten Teeth Fast at an Affordable Price: The Smile Bar in BGC

I really don't know how to tell you this but I've been a little low on self esteem especially when people talk about teeth. Mine isn't the whitest, perhaps over years of driven abuse of it with coffee, smoking and just about anything that would have caused a no-no in a dentist's check list. I regularly see dentists, go through prophylaxis but it doesn't come close to what I've wanted it to be. I thought about bleaching but got scared of horror stories about the side effects of it, plus the fact that the quote that I got from my Doctor was scary enough to put it under the priorities, when I shouldn't have really.

Anyway, I'm so glad this place opened up at the 2nd Floor of Uptown Parade in Bonifacio Global City. It's called The Smile Bar, and I'm glad to note this is their first flagship store which means they plan to open up more real soon. The promise? Is to get your teeth whiter in just 20 minutes! Crazy I know, but with what I've experienced, it is possible! 

The technology has been brought here from Sweden and they have been using it for a decade. Teeth actually discolors over time but also is subject to things that we don't have control of, like our diet, the things we drink (like tea, cola, juice, coffee) and that's pretty much what The Smile Bar takes care of. You probably know you consume a lot of that, guilty? Don't worry, because they can remove it with the procedure and get you 2 to 9 shades whiter in a short amount of time. I feel like I was there for about less than an hour and got 3 shades, but I've seen my friends get 8 and I'm not even joking. They will have you sit in these gorgeous egg chairs (photo seen above) and let you do the procedure here for most of the time.

They have professional attendants trained to help you do it. You would need to first go to the huge lavatory and brush your teeth. They use a special line of products to take care of your teeth. First of which is the BrilliantSmile WhiteningEvo Mouthrinse to prepare your mouth for cleaning. Then you will have to brush your teeth normally but with a special Brilliant Smile Whitening Boost Toothpaste (on the first week), then Brilliant Smile Whitening Evo Toothpaste for the second week, then go back to the Brilliant Smile Whitening Boost Toothpaste again on the third week onwards. This will also be explained to you before you leave the facility so make sure you ask questions if you're a little dumb lol (or write it down if you forget quite easily).

That syringe filled with black stuff is actually the solution that will go to a tray that you would need to bite on later. I just took photos of it for reference later so you know what goes in the hatch LOL.

Oh yes there's music for you to listen to, an iPad will be provided while you're seated comfortably in your seat.

Brilliant Smile products will also be available inside the store, I will be buying that mouth rinse because I ran out of it already this morning.

Don't worry about the wait time because they will make sure you are comfortable, and perhaps let you know if it would be okay for you to shop around nearby Uptown Mall which sits right across, and connected by bridge. Congratulations to The Smile Bar Philippines CEO on photo.

I waited and didn't want to smile for photos, I'm that shy haha. The place is modern, the lighting is perfect for selfies too so indulge!

They will let you sign papers before the procedure, to get to know if you have allergies and declare it before the procedure. The things they use though are harmless even for your gums and teeth, so no need to worry.

In a brightly lit room, they will measure your starting shade by comparing it with this contraption. You will see the difference afterwards.

So after brushing my teeth, they put the black stuff on the tray and then fit it on my mouth. It'll cover most of the front and bottom teeth. That's where they need to concentrate on my smile.

Then I went back to the chair and got a contraption pointed to my teeth. The tray is transparent so the light from this device will go through. It's hot but manageable. You will also be ask to wear protective goggles.

Then peteew peteew! Make sure you sit comfortably because it's going to be like this for 20 minutes. Make sure you do or else, your neck would hurt. I got skills so I'm okay.

After the procedure, they got my trap dried and cleaned. Then they put in the NANO Seal Total+. so your teeth would get coated shut. Otherwise, you would actually need to refrain from eating or drinking anything that has color for 3 days. You can always go without it but I'd suggest you do this, you don't wanna look for white food for 3 days eh? LOL

The experience alone had me think that there's actually hope for me. The procedure is not expensive, even feel more effective, especially if you compare it with the long dental procedure and prophylaxis (where I have locked jaws). Imagine, it just took me 20 minutes for it to take effect, but got 3 shades whiter. I see the improvement first hand plus it's not hard to maintain and I hope this would turn out to be a normal thing in the Philippines. The procedure costs Php 2,999 for Single Whitening, Php 4,999 for Double Whitening, they can do Triple Whitening also for Php 6,999. My dentist's whitening procedure costs 4x that haha. You can do the Nano Seal Total+ for Php 1,299 while the Brilliant Smile Whitening products cost Php 849 for the Evo Toothpaste, Php 649 for the Whitening Boost Toothpaste, and Php 999 for the Whitening Evo Mouthrinse.

There are a lot of people with teeth confidence issues like me, but remember, it's aesthetic. If you want to do it fast, affordable and safe, then get your feet walking towards The Smile Bar. If you want to book an appointment, you may book online via www.the-smile- bar.ph. Or you can call or text them via 09171485659 or landline 5412853. They do entertain people if you walk in but only if there are available slots, a lot of people already are availing their services as you probably would know.Head to their treatment salon at the 2nd Floor, Cluster 2 of Uptown Parade in BGC, Taguig City. They're on top of breakfast place Denny's so you won't miss it. Just ask around, there are tons of security people there.

Get those pearly whites shine baby!

It's Not Too Late with Boost

My folks are in their 70's and they're still strong like bulls. They do get sick every once in a while but recover quite nicely if I may say so. I noticed how less they've eaten though and somehow became a little dependent on maintenance medicine. I'm sure there are a lot of you that have the same fears as I do because really, do they even get the right amount of nutrients they need to function?

Now I tried to be a good son and got them these Adult nutrition formulas from Nestle. Being a name I do trust over the years (Grandpa worked there!) I guess it's about time to include in their diet something that could replenish the vitamins and minerals they need that they couldn't consume by just eating. Boost Optimum for my Dad. He was an athlete and this would have helped a lot in his case as aging comes creeping in. The Vanilla flavor wasn't overly sweet, and can be mixed in a lot of other food items, but he takes it with just hot water. It actually tastes great, and he even has it with coffee. Weird I know, but it actually works. You get that flavored coffee vibe you order at Starbucks, right in the comforts of your own home.

This one a 50% whey protein blend that helps maintain muscle mass, we wouldn't want people to depend on bones only right? Plus it helps in digestion because it has probiotics (it's the good bacteria) plus the needed Vitamins B6, B12, Vitamin E for nerve and skin health. It's also Gluten-free and Lactose Free which would be good for those who are allergic from it.

Mom loves the Boost Energis. This helps the body recuperate from fatigue and getting too tired. Mom still goes out in errands, even perform with her senior group in various Quezon City events so she needs that extra kick that would keep her active almost the whole day, this is perfect.

Just like Optimum, Energis is also rich in high quality dairy protein. The 20 vitamins and minerals in it should take care of my Mom's health, gives what she needs to stay active the whole day. There's also no added sugar which is good for diabetics like her plus it's also okay for vegetarians. It's gluten free as well so those who are afraid of that ingredient should not worry.

I know how hard it would probably be to stay in touch of things that would be beneficial for my folks so the Boost Mobilis should provide the protein they need again for maintenance of muscle mass. Both of them need to remain strong, by providing nutrition for bones, the repair of it, including cartilage and those that would be good for skin.

The BOOST Optimum, Energis and Mobilis is available in leading supermarkets and drug stores nationwide. Healthy skin, muscle and bones would be a good investment. So if you're already in your 50's or know your loved ones need it, take a trip down the store and give them the gift of health. It's easy to even include in your grocery list, so go be a good son like I am LOL! Yes, it's not too late!

Good Days for OPM Happening at #CokeStudioPH

Looks like Coke is getting their hands warm on Filipino music. They've been always like that and despite hard times, they've managed to put up tons of concerts, shows and caravans that make us all proud of our own music. They're not stopping there because every Saturday, they will be seen helping established, up and coming and indie bands + artists to up the ante on their OPM game for COKE STUDIO PH. It's a new show seen on TV5 every Saturday at 7PM and just a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to see the launch at SMX Convention Center. It was like a town fiesta like no other!

Coke had us stay in the center, surrounded by different stages that had musicians, artists take over for a few minutes and boy it was crazy! Different genres, different takes on new and old Filipino songs, all of us got comfy seats and sang along with the crowd.

The crowd wasn't letting down as throngs of them lined up even after the first performers came out. Sandwich opened the show, I went ballistic! Haha!

They switched back to acoustic and played my favorite Eraserheads songs, an era I am very familiar with.

Then they toned down a bit and made it a bit romantic. These two had us feel like we were in a park busking in the moonlight.

I wasn't surprised TV5 had this on their station. I remember Coach Chot saying that they wanted to have something that isn't seen on the other stations, this would really be something special for them, not to mention a good platform to be seen, to help those bands and artists that are good but haven't been seen by the general public. To hopefully broker record deals if they find them awesome on stage.

I couldn't remember their name but they played percussion instruments like they were in Rio De Janeiro. I'd like this in my own party!

A section of the hall was dedicated to a Coke Studio filled with your favorite drink, and a Karaoke + recording facility. It was a time to sing your heart out in front of tons of people. I didn't do this but I would if I could brave the line that they had that evening.

The other side of the hall had a conversation space where the artists and the band members were interviewed, made to inspire us ordinary people, and the up and coming bands and artists too. The juke box though isn't your ordinary box, it's an automatic labeler so you can just put in your name and get your own personalized Coke bottle!

Coke executives weren't just going to sit around and watch, they played too!

When Sandwich came on stage, I shouted, I jumped with excitement, and joined in with the crowd who wanted more of this music.

Stephan from Coke also gave a speech. Here it is on video so listen in!

I had so much fun!

For the finale, they had the artists, the executives from Coke and the bands on stage including Franco. God was I so zonked this night but I still got my A game on. I wished the evening wouldn't stop!

Thank you so much Coca Cola Philippines for the opportunity to party with you guys! Every year I always look forward to your gigs!

Again for those who would want to see the show and how you mix in the old and the new, keep it on TV5 every Saturday at 7PM. You'll like Noel Cabangon do it with rapper CurtisSmith, and other artists on the pipeline. Cheers to Coke and Pinoy Music!

KUMAGCOW
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ASUS Outs Zenfone 4 Series

Had the chance to take a look at the newest phones of ASUS earlier of what seems to be some awesome products on the ASUS ZenFone 4 line. It's been a while since they came out with something new and if this is a game changer it'll be something that the other smartphone companies are taking a close look at. Will it perform much better than the ones that came out before this one? How would it fare compared to the OPPO F3 and Vivo V5 series? I had to ask those questions myself.

Darren Cheng of the ASUS Product Team says "We love photos and the possibility of taking photos like a professional photographer. Now cameras on smartphones are getting better, even the ones that take shots in low light environments. We also want to make the hard task of framing easy, and improve the selfies and group shots too. We have improved the SuperPixel camera, specifically the aperture with 1.8 on Zenfone 4 and 1.7 in the Zenfone 4 Pro. The large pixel size we have is great because we use the best Sony imx362 sensor, which gets 96% more light than usual and a better image processing system. We also have employed a second generation laser autofocus (improved to 0.03 seconds) and combine these technologies so you can take better photos with our phones. The Zenfone 4 also has a super wide angle camera so you can get 200% greater viewing area than before. You will see the difference easily as it also comes with twice the optical zoom and hybrid digital zooms, you can truly see more details in the photos."

The Zenfone 4 has an 8MP front camera, and is capable 5x clearer even in lowlight conditions. The Zenfone 4 Pro has got 3 Sony camera sensors in one device. It also had Portait mode for that bokeh effect. With these features alone, it may prove a challenge, but really are the photos good? How about the images for selfies?

Ivan Chen, Senior Product Manager for ASUS adds "The Zenfone 4 Selfie and Selfie Pro is gunning to be the best selfie solution and we made it to get clear selfies even in low light. The ASUS Superpixel Cameras can get you better shots with it's softlight features, the higher resolution and 24 MP DuoPixel technology can bring you larger photos. It's also got 120 degrees wide angle shots so you don't have to break your hand just in case you need to take those difficult shots and also 4K video recording, so you can have the clearest videos too. We also have an incomparable beautification mode to hide those imperfections, a software where you can do the edits in one place, employing noise cancellation, beautification even on live broadcast, even on real time tasks."

The ZenFone 4 Max Series has 5000mAh capacity, making your phone have long standby modes, charges fast, and premier battery safety. It was even tested 46 days  on standby, so if that doesn't make you buy one, then ask and carry around a car battery later lol. It can get you 3 hours of talk when you charge it for 15 minutes, which is already remarkable. They also employ 12 safety technologies protecting you from worries like heat, circuitry, inputs and outputs.

We also had our first encounter with the ZenFone 4 Selfie and Selfie Pro.

This is for the ZenFone Selfie Pro.

George Su says "You know we all love photos, and we are launching our campaign around on technologies that addresses the need to have phones that should be able to take great selfies and group shots, and I hope you experience that later on!"

During the event, they got us inside the ASUS City that they divided into districts. It was enormous fun for dealers and ASUS enthusiasts as they had to go through various activities and get snacks, raffle tickets and win prizes later on. They have built a very big community already, and they even included the Gong Yoo fans in the Philippines since he's the current APAC endorser.

It was also cute that the official mascot Zenny was able to interact with the kids and ASUS fans today. 

So in a nutshell they have released 6 phones today, the Zenfone 4 and Zenfone 4 Pro, the Zenfone 4 Selfie and Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro, plus the Zenfone 5 Max and Zenfone 4 Max Pro. Almost all of them have similar specs but with a bit of additional hardware upgrades on the pro versions.

I'll update this post when I get photos of Bea Alonzo, yes she's the new endorser for ASUS Philippines.

Photos of Bea Alonzo courtesy of Kate Adajar of Random Republika :) ty Kate!

We got the prices of the handsets: The Zenfone 4 costs Php 28,995, the Zenfone 4 Pro is at Php 39,995, the Zenfone 4 Selfie is at P13,995, the Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro costs Php 18,995 and the Zenfone 4 Max is at Php 9,995.