Author: Noelle De Guzman

Jamming at the Clubs

BodyJam 49 poster
BodyJam 49 poster

If there’s one thing I look for when I go out to the clubs, it’s the music. It has to be good, otherwise it defeats the purpose of why I went out in the first place: to dance. As long as the DJ has that perfect tempo and bass beat going, my body just follows, no matter what genre is playing. But it’s always great when it’s a song I know and love.

The best thing about BodyJam is that every three months we get new music to move to, and more often than not I find those songs playing in the clubs as well. This is genius, since Jam is being marketed to the club-going set: people who might not necessarily want to get fit in a gym dance class, until they hear the club bangers on the speakers.

More than the past releases, BodyJam 48 is attuned to the current club playlists. I have heard “Closer (Stonebridge Club Remix)”, “Krazy”, and “Where’s Your Head At?” every time I’ve been out dancing, and these songs always make the crowd go through the roof! BodyJam 49 promises to be even better.

The weird thing is most of my participants don’t go to clubs; they are moms who just want to bust a move, and are able to shed their inhibitions only on the gym floor. So they don’t necessarily understand the vibe from the songs on their first go, and it’s my job as an instructor to bring that club atmosphere to the gyms. So for my continuing education, I just go out dancing at the clubs. Ü

Skin Care on Kikay Exchange

Whether by design or by accident I’ve always taken the simple approach to skin care. But when I got a chance to check out the Clinique way of doing things, I just had to try it out! Ü Read about my experience on Kikay Exchange: 3 Steps to Great Skin.

…I’ve started to experience my first fine lines under my eyes, dark spots on my face, and dryness and irritation on my forehead. Suddenly a multi-step approach to skin care seems very appealing. But how many steps do you really need? I paid a visit to a special Clinique counter last week to find out.

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Impromptu Pictorial

navy blue off-shoulder dress

Sometimes it pays to be in the right place at the right time. I dropped by the Arresting Images studio on Tomas Morato to pick up a CD of hi-res photos from my photoshoot with Vic Fabe. When I got there, a pictorial was in progress. Vic took me aside and asked, “Are you doing anything?”

And BOOM! I was in Hair and Make-up with Raymund Acedo and did three sets modeling FABE clothing.

navy blue off-shoulder dress
Helen of Troy?

FABE: Attraction series

Grey Silk Blouse by FABE
Polka-Dot Dress by FABE

During the latter half of the shoot, Marvin Maning took over photographer duties, and the AI art director Emmanuel Arquiza started styling my poses.

It should have been just a lazy Labor Day, but it turned out to be a great working holiday for me. Best part is I was able to use the make-up for that evening’s night out clubbing. Ü

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Dental Mental

I just got back from a dental appointment with my uncle. You know, for most people (well, those who can afford to go), trips to the dentist’s chair aren’t so eventful. But if you haven’t been to a dentist since 2006, like I have, it’s definitely newsworthy.

Particularly when you find out almost all your molars have cavities. Not huge ones, but small pinprick holes in the biting surface. Sigh. So I’ve been going to my uncle’s office the past three weeks (excluding Holy Thursday) and we still aren’t done. He says the damage isn’t extensive and I’ve taken pretty good care of my teeth, considering it’s been three years… But it’s still a bummer. The high-pitched whine of a drill doesn’t entice. At least I don’t need to get teeth pulled, and for that I’m thankful. Ü

So, the lesson here, kids, is visit your friendly neighborhood dentist regularly to avoid plaque and tartar build-up, and stop cavities from forming.

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Swimwear by FABE

floral bikini by FABE

Two weeks ago Vic Fabe invited me to model his swimwear.

floral bikini by FABE

I first encountered Vic’s sportswear line at Fitness First Platinum Trinoma; whenever we launched new Les Mills releases he would always sponsor our clothing and send someone to set up a booth for his wares. For the summer I thought it would be fun to do a swimwear shoot, so I gladly accepted Vic’s invitation. Thankfully I had a bikini-ready body because I’d been preparing for the Superbods semifinals (which sadly I had to back out of).

Vic does his own photography as a hobby, and I love the way he shoots and coaches his models. His goal is to do as little Photoshop work on his photos as possible. Ü Hair and makeup are by Raymund Acedo, who did an amazing job — I’d love to learn how he did my eye makeup. I want to look like this every day!

floral bikini by FABE

floral bikini by FABE
floral bikini by FABE

neon green two-piece by FABE
neon green two-piece by FABE

I even have an extra set wearing a grey cotton dress. Ü

grey dress by FABE

grey dress by FABE
grey dress by FABE

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Sun-Tanning and Soul-Searching in Boracay

Last month when my sister and I booked our stay in Boracay, I thought it would be just another of our outings there, with the same routine — tanning and swimming at the beach, watching the sunset from the Tides’ roofdeck, and dinner and dancing somewhere on the beachfront.


Marielle and me on the beach

But it’s the Lenten season, and it just wouldn’t be right without a little soul-searching. Apparently that’s what God meant for us to do because only a week before we left for Boracay both of us found ourselves in situations that needed prayers, thought, and time away from our usual pursuits in the city. In my case, I had to assess my job situation and career path, and I’d just broken off from a relationship that was going nowhere. Definitely soul-searching stuff.


a little light reading… not!

Monday was our first day. I was on the boat from Caticlan and I asked God to speak to me and romance me during the whole trip. After we’d spent a few hours on the beach trying to get tanned, we decided to head back to our hotel. It was then that we bumped into Joaqui Tupas and his fiancee Jana, who had just finished having coffee at Cafe del Sol. They invited us to sit down for a while, and we had a blessed, insightful, and encouraging conversation with them about relationships and careers — just what I needed. They prayed for me and my sister, and our serendipitous meeting left me feeling sure about the decisions I had made the week prior to our trip. Best of all, I began to understand that God was in control not just of my trip to Boracay, but also of my life.

I woke up for an early-morning beach run on Tuesday, drinking in the island’s beauty and just feeling very loved by God. I ended up running a distance approximately twice the length of White Beach and still had three hours of tan time on the beach to spare.

We spent the afternoon with some friends, hiking past the last resort on White Beach and going around the bend to some secluded spots on the island. It was such a peaceful afternoon, capped off by the best sunset I’d ever seen in Boracay. It was just us at the tip of the island, the sea, and the sun going down the edge of the world.


the view from Nami


Boracay West Cove

I was up early again on Wednesday morning and decided to have breakfast by myself at Real Coffee. I ended up breaking bread with Nadine, the owner, and just shooting the breeze with her about herself and Boracay. It was such a beautiful thing and is one of my favorite points of the whole trip. It helped me to realize that I should ask questions and engage people in conversation more often — not just in pursuit of a story, but also because people have great stories to tell.

I came home from Boracay yesterday with a golden tan, and a smile on my face and peace in my heart. It was a great way to kick off Holy Week, just relaxing and seeking God’s will in my life. I’m excited about what else He will reveal to me the rest of this week.