In high school or even in college, I was not used to wearing lipstick. The closest thing to a lipstick I applied was a tinted lip balm that’s easy to spread and control. As I entered the corporate world, I learned that one of the ways to look more presentable and put-together in my profession is to keep my lip situation on-point. π My interest on lipsticks grew, and from then on, I started researching and trying out several brands and formulations to see which ones last the longestβeven after a meal.
Quite relevant to this course of thought was the theme of the event I attended about a week ago at Chelsea Kitchen by Raintree Restaurants, SM Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall. It was entitled Food Versus Lipsticks, basically a combination of a food and a beauty event where we tested several lipsticks in terms of moisture, color richness, and staying power, while eating some greasy dishes that could potentially ruin or rub off the lipstick.
This is my first time to publish a food/restaurant review with snippets of insights/lessons from the lipstick-testing session at the bottom of the post. Please read on! π
Beauty Materials We Used:
Lipstick Remover and Cleaning Wipes
Lip Brush
Lipsticks
Review of Chelsea Kitchen (Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong) + Food vs. Lipstick
Ambiance: β β β β β
Its location (by the entrance of SM Megamall, between Zara and H&M), the tasteful dΓ©cor, and food props by the counter make the ambiance of Chelsea Kitchen more than inviting. It’s amazing how a well-designed dining area, no matter how simple, can alter the entire vibe of a place.
Thanks to the illumination provided by the mall, Chelsea Kitchen’s vigor seamlessly blended with its contemporary style. The atmosphere was laid-back, one where you can totally relax as you take the day off. Couches are stools were comfortable, and actions as seen in the open kitchen enhances attraction throughout.
Food: β β β β β
As an appetizer, the Sesame Seared Tuna and Mango Salad (PhP 350) isn’t much to write home about, but there’s no doubt that this salad tasted fresh and sharp. Packing some lovely nutritious greens in the blend, it consisted of tuna chunks, shallots, cashews, sweet miso cream, and ponzu honey. Sorry, meat-lovers might wish to take their cue to the next dish instead.
Chelsea Kitchen’s Crispy Hot Wings (6 pieces) (PhP 295) with carrots, cucumbers, and jicama were quite greasy and saucy and these came perfect for the testing session. The wings were succulent and surprisingly clean and crisp. With a hint of sweetness, the orange sauce also left an impressionistic mark. Reminiscing its taste was enough to make me swallow my saliva while writing right now. π
I ordered the Roasted Tomato Cream “Cappuccino” (PhP 140) as its name got me curious. Did it taste like cappuccino? No, I didn’t think so. It was more like tomato puree that’s flawlessly prepared with bold, creamy, and savory flavor and velvety texture.
It was a no-brainer to get the Squid Ink and Clams Pasta (PhP 320) to check if our lips would be tinted in black after eating the pasta. Distinguished by the aroma of fresh dill and sun-dried tomatoes, the soft angel hair pasta was just coated with black ink and was not originally black. Taste was a little bland for my liking, and what I found missing was that taste of the ocean that’s always a defining moment for seafood entrees. Anyway, the clam shells made a perfect companion, and a squeeze fresh lemon was great to jazz up the dish.
The 12″ stone-fired pizza, Super Garlic Cream Pizza (PhP 250), was absolutely delicious. It was just mouthwatering visually and a gustatory delight. Evidently, the pizza was freshly baked and well prepared, topped with the cheese and a massive amount of garlic. Oh, I loved the slightly burnt crust!
Served with roasted tomato cappuccino and fries on the side, the Ultimate Grilled Cheese (PhP 295) was oozing with three kinds of cheese. It had just the right level of cheese to please our palate without any satiation. The bread was fluffy and incredibly stretchy. Every bite tasted as good as the last. Yummy!
Another must-try we enjoyed was the Triple Decker Club Melt (PhP 320). The large sandwiches were made with grilled pesto chicken, farmer’s ham, egg salad, American cheddar, romaine, and tomatoes. The dish sported a good flavor and it was worth to mention that it didn’t come out soggy.
The 4-Hour Cola Ribs (PhP 450) were recommended and did not disappoint. The sweet and spicy barbecue sauce developed a nice flavor to the tender ribs. I guess it’s a great meat option to order this summer season to appreciate something sweet with tad tangy kick.
Swimming in pomodoro sauce, the Roasted Seafood Cioppino Pasta (PhP 425) was made with pesto spaghetti, loaded with fresh seafood, topped with herb croutons, and drizzled with fresh lemon. Nom factor is high. Give it a place of honor on your table. π
For dessert, we shared a slice of the Birthday Cake (PhP 195) which looked too cute with baby blue and baby pink icing. The cake was sweet but not overwhelmingly sweet. Sadly, the texture was a little too rough and I felt that the cake bits lingered after every mouthful. I would have preferred a softer and smoother icing to go along.
From a long list of drinks on Chelsea Kitchen’s menu, the Super Food Smoothie (PhP 195) looked most appealing withΒ healthy ingredients, such as honey, yogurt, berry compote, banana, and chia seeds. It combined tastes of sour, sweet, and a punch of nuttiness from the chia seeds. It’s a total winner.
Price for Value: β β β β β
Offering a different menu from Chelsea Grand CafΓ© in Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Chelsea Kitchen in SM Megamall is a congenial casual restaurant that’s ideal for tired and hungry shoppers in SM and those who just want to try some robust and adventuresome plates. Service is respectful and food in general provided a pretty good value for money. Come hungry for ample servings of delicious European cooking that’s decently priced. π
5 Insights/Lessons Learned from the Lipstick-testing Session:
1. When you’re mindful about how your lipstick stays on while dining, food choice is important. More often than not, the lipstick comes off on larger pieces of food you put to mouthβoverly greasy or otherwise, so it’s best to cut food to bite-size pieces. Yes, it’s usually the big bites that end up smudging the lipstick. In addition, it’s wise to put the effort of not touching your lips with the food.
Monika
2. As much as possible, drink a beverage using a straw. In cases when you really need to drink from the glass (like when drinking wine, champagne, or cocktails), just be more careful and try to avoid touching the glass with your top lip. Drink from the same spot so the mark of your lipstick will only be in one position.
Joy
3. Sticking with neutral or nude lipstick color is best. That way, you will be less worried when the lipstick fades. People will not notice as much and rather think that it’s just your natural lip color.
Em
4. More than creamy and shimmering lipsticks, matte lipsticks fared better. All the lipsticks I tried had good lasting power (Nichido, Ever Bilena, and M&Co), however all of them dried my lips out and caused some flaking.
Joy
5. Covering the lips with a lip primer and then applying a lip liner will extend the life of a lipstick application and keep the color in place. Doing these is worth a try, to help prevent feathering or the migration of lipstick into fine lines around the mouth.
Me :P
Feel free to comment both on the food and the lipsticks. π
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
That Sesame Seared Tuna and Mango Salad looks awesome. What a great place to eat. I would love it there.
Yup, I could have eaten a lot more of the salad but I was saving room for more dishes. π Try it!
I need to use the straw trick to keep my lipstick on my lips. When I drink a cup of tea, I always see my lip marks left on my cup. It gets to looking pretty gross (the cup) after awhile.
You had lots of very interesting food at the Chelsea Kitchen. My Husband would be in heaven with the Squid Ink and Clam Pasta, not to mention the Sesame Seared Tuna.
All the food were interesting! Let me share with you one lipstick I have which can be considered one of the best when it comes to not transferring. It’s Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Rogue line of lipsticks. The only downside is that it’s expensive and also drying my lips.
Oh wow, I love all of the shades of lipsticks. I wish I could wear so many different colors. That food looks amazing as well. I’d love to try that Triple Decker Club Melt.
Yeah, it was only just recently that I found my love for trying out different brands and shades of lipsticks. The Triple Decker Club Melt is to die for! It’s so good! π
Wings, tomato soup, pizza, grilled cheese, smoothies- my goodness, this place sounds like the most awesome little kitchen out there! I guess my only question is- when is Chelsea coming to the US? π Loved all the lipstick colors, thank you for the tips!
Haha I guess the only one who can answer that is the owner of Raintree Restaurants. π You’re welcome, Ashley! I’m glad to be of help.
Love the lipstick colors! You pull those off well. I swear, I shouldn’t be looking at food when I am so hungry. It all looks so good!
These food look all-inspiring and awesome for sure. They’re crave-worthy, too! I have yet to try other unusual lipstick colors that are quite wearable during casual occasions. π
Wow a food AND beauty event! That’s incredible. What a great way to test lipstick. The food looks pretty amazing too. I think I will give this idea a try the next time I am reviewing a lipstick!
Yes! Invite your friends to come along so you can share your stash of lipsticks. You can try as many brands and discover how the formulations react. π
That food looks amazing! I can’t believe all the wonderful restaurants you have in your area. Yum!
You should have a food trip here, Stacie! π SM Megamall Fashion Hall has lots of promising restaurants where you can find satisfaction.
This looks like it was a fun evening. I would love to try all the different foods. The Triple Decker Sandwich would be on my list of must haves.
It’s a wonderful sandwich anytime. Choose any juice or beverage of your choice to wash it down. π
The mango salad with tuna and the crispy hot wings looks so delicious, it is making me hungry. Love the combo of the beauty and food event.
I would love to participate in similar events like this in the coming months. This way, I get to interact as well with bloggers with other niches. π
I’m not a foodie so I can’t really comment on the foods but wow! I want all of those lippies except the bright pink. I love how you showed multiple lip looks for each woman.
Yeah, I think one of the lessons we also learned from this event is that we should be more open and adventurous when it comes to trying out lip colors. Some of us have never tried the vamp lipstick before and only realized it also looks good once worn. π
What an amazing line-up of delicious foods! My favorite is the 4-hour Cola Ribs, they look just out of this world! I agree that doing a food and beauty review together is a fantastic idea, thank you for sharing this wonderful experience with us! π
You’re welcome, Susan. π You can call our your friends and conduct an event the same as we did. I’m sure it will also be super fun!
Everything looks so delicious! I would love to go there and sample some of those dishes!
A complete meal from appetizers, the main course, desserts and drinks would be perfect. π Whoever created Chelsea Kitchen’s menu is commendable.
Chelsea’s Kitchen appears to be a chic bistro. I love the food fare and the ambiance. π
Oh yes, this is one of the greatest places where you can linger over a tasty lunch or while away the evening in the company of friends. π
I love that you authentically tested lipstick. Typically I always forget to reapply after eating…I guess if I use some of your tips I won’t have to. The Chelsea Kitchen looks like such a fun place to experience, so glad you shared it with us!
A tip not mentioned above is that you don’t have to use a lip brush to apply the lipstick. Since we were sharing the tube, for sanitation’s sake, we did that but in reality, you will get a richer color when applying your lipstick straight from the tube. Blot the first coat with a tissue, then add another layer.
This is such a beautiful place, there is so much to see. I would love to visit someday.
The food looked all delicious and you will start to drool once they are served. π Chelsea Kitchen is a charming restaurant and I hope it’s nearer my place.
I still don’t wear much (if any) lipstick outside of the house. I just don’t like to retouch, I don’t mind if it gets on my teeth – I’d hope someone would tell me it’d be there. But touching up is too high maintenance for me, to be honest LOL. So I only prefer to wear gloss, where I don’t need a mirror to apply it.
Most of the time, I only retouch after lunch since I brush my teeth and the lipstick wears off. If there is no important occasion anyway, I will not worry much about touching up while eating. π
This looks like a great place to eat! It looks trendy and chic. Those wings look DELICIOUS! Yum
I’m actually planning to go back to Chelsea Kitchen and order only the wings and the ultimate grilled cheese. I don’t know when I’d ever get tired of these! π
What a unique and interesting place…that food looks serioulsy amazing!!!
Yes, you should also try visiting other Raintree Restaurants around Makati. Everything has a unique cuisine offered and not one place disappoints. π
I tend to stick to the safe tinted lip balms myself. I don’t have to worry about the smudging or fading, and I don’t even need a mirror!
True. Tinted lip balm is such a safe bet. π This will get your lips moisturized and keep them from looking dry and cracked.
The triple decker melt looks soooo good! It’s fun to see you all in the different lipstick shades too. Great looks!
Thanks, Liz Mays. It’s so hard to be a girl sometimes hehe. Learning how to keep the lipstick last is one thing, and learning how to make the lips healthy is another. Exfoliating is key to remove the dead skin from the lips and leave new skin to grow in their place.
A combo food and beauty event, you say? Yeah, you just can’t go wrong with that pairing. π
I loved every minute of the experience. π
That sounds like a fun girl’s day out at the mall! And the mall looks fantastic, the lipsticks looked fabulous, and the food looked super tasty!
If you love shopping and dining out in interesting restaurants, SM Megamall is the place to be. Chelsea Kitchen is one of the best restaurants there that deserve a visit. π
Thanks for all the lipstick tricks, I have only recently started wearing it again and had forgot some of the little hassles. Like for example, the whole marking of the cup is also so frustrating but using a straw would make it so not an issue.
Every drink can be drank using a straw, however it will just look weird if you do this when drinking maybe beer or wine. π The best thing to do is just be more careful with the sips.
Those lipstick shades look gorgeous, the perfect shades for spring and summer! I am loving the look of the food in Chelsea Kitchen, especially the cake! π
Most of the lipsticks we tried were local brands available in the drugstore. I was surprised how the colors and the pigmentation turned out to be so good. Next time I’ll visit the beauty store and appreciate more of the Philippine brands. π Oh yes, the cake was really cute.
wow.what a post. i loved watching make up reviews on lunch table. with food. yammi food i love all the pictures of food. that drinks and cake is absolutly adorable and seems to be so yammi.yhamìnx for this beautiful post.i love the lipstick shades
Thanks, Brook. I would like to try more of their cakes next time. π
The food looks delicious! I just want to grab and eat all of them. The price is also not bad. This is something worth trying!
Yup, it’s worth a try. Better bring a bunch of friends so you can also share the bill and try several dishes in one sitting. π
Can I get one of all of those pastas?? Yum!! I also have slowly ventured into the world of lipstick, love those colors on you!!
There are more interesting pasta dishes to try in Chelsea’s Kitchen. Visit them once day to find out and taste for yourself. π
I love the look of their food! First time reading a makeup post in a food restaurant love the idea.
I did not expect that the event would turn out to be this fun. π
oh wow! this is basically the first i heard of this kind of review. Sounds like a fun day for the girls who both love to eat and to be pretty. I am wondering though if Chelsea partnered with the lipstick brands or a specific beauty shop to make this possible.
Nope, one of the beauty bloggers was just kind to lend us some of her lipsticks for the testing event. π
It’s a no brainer – food. You look great even without lipstick Roch.
Haha thanks, Franc. π
Can i have some food from Chelsea’s Kitchen. I will send you my address! How fun is this that the lipstick stayed its course after having eaten all of that amazing food! Mmmm… How delicious!
You can drop by and personally taste the food once served fresh. π
It looks like you had a blast. The food looks amazing, especially the sesame salad
I see that you’re a fan of salad. π
What a great evaluation! I like how you chose a selection of foods covering a breadth of textures and colors (melty cheese, bread, soup, squid ink) to see how they fared with the lipsticks.
How often did you each apply lipsticks? Did you use a different color for each course? Which one(s) stayed on the best? I’ve found lipstains (e.g. YSL) to stay on well; lipsticks still tend to come off more for me. Great range of colors, and what a fun study to do with your friends! π
xo,
lauriel
Yup, we did our part in selecting the food to make sure we get a wide variety, while some were suggested by Chelsea’s Kitchen’s marketing team.
I changed lipsticks every 2-3 courses. Before removing the previous color, I face the mirror to see how it’s affected by the sauce/grease/stain and take notes down on my mobile phone notepad. Out of the three I tried in the event, maybe the third one (M&Co Brand) can be counted as the best because of the brightness of color. However, I still have not found the perfect lipstick for me. Even MAC matte lipsticks (I have two-Chili and Flat Out Fabulous) do not really stay on for long after I eat haha.
Chelsea’s kitchen looks like an awesome place to visit! Look at all the lip colors I would of been in heaven! I love the dark lip colors but I know spring is here so we gotta transition to light!
Ohh hehe if I were to have a similar size of lipstick collection, I would really have to make labels to remember which shade I already own. As for my preference, I’m not into lighter colors because I have a darker complexion than most Asians or in particular Chinese.
All of this food looks amazing. I love pizza so I am a big fan of that pie you have up there. I wish we had a Chelsea Kitchen here. Looks so cute. Like the chairs.
Everything is a must-try! π You certainly have to have this restaurant in your list.
My hubs would have LOVED those crispy hot wings. And I always use a straw while wearing lipstick for the very same reason!
Thanks for sharing. At least we have an agreement. π
Mmmmm, tasty looking food. I got hungry just looking at them.
Pictures did their job to stimulate your appetite. What more if you can smell the food coming out of the kitchen? π
I agree with Frank, you look great even without lipstick. I never imagined that a beauty and a food event can go together.. Cool!
Thanks, Mommy Levy. π Hope to meet you next time!
Sounds like a fun event. I liked seeing all the different colours on you. The cake, ribs and wings look so good!
Those three will make a good meal. π Don’t forget to order one from the drinks section as well!
Wow, everything looks amazing! Food and beauty, the best of both worlds! Looks like an awesome event.
Yeah, these two topics are so close to my heart. π
Looks like a lot of fun. I’ve only gone to try on makeup once and it was at a friend’s house… lol. The restaurant is very open and bright… and I was digging the grilled cheese pic. π
The taste was heavenly. π It’s best to keep your face clean and your skin healthy even without applying makeup.
I love the lipsticks!!! Sounds like a fabulous to eat at! I love all the pictures you shared.
Thanks, Shannon! π I can’t imagine having that many lipsticks for myself.
What an interesting event! a food and beauty even combined. I haven’t tried Chelsea’s Kitchen yet but that Sesame Seared Tuna and Mango Salad is inviting!
This was all thanks to Joy who organized the event and invited us. Thanks also to Mo who shared her lipsticks. π You should bring your family here and enjoy their food!
Ahh lipstick! The only piece of cosmetic I can’t live without. I actually noticed that you were wearing lipstick the last time, maybe because it was a bolder color. I saw Chelsea Kitchen the last time I was in Megamall. I will take this post of yours as a reference when I finally eat there.
Haha yes, that time I was exploring my look with an orange lipstick. π Chelsea’s Kitchen is so good. All of the items we had here are recommendable. Thanks, Marge! π
I love the open floor plan of the restaurant, also the ability to look in the chefs eyes while he prepares your food:) The food looks delicious especially those wings! SO much fun to share lunch while testing out new lipstick shades. As a red lipstick wearer, I as well drink everything with a straw.
Wow, thanks for sharing that, Geanine. I also think that drinking from a straw is more lady-like. π
Nice event you’ve attended. Wish I was there, not to try on lipsticks but to munch some of those deli foodies. Good thing that at the end of the day, you’ve learned new stuff from that experience.
Haha of course. You can share the tips with your wife. π
Makeup and food? Who wouldnβt like that? I bet you had loads of fun trying and seeing everything there. I wish I could have gone with you.
Hihi maybe next time. π
From all that I’ve tried at Chelsea’s, the 4-hour Cola Ribs and Super Food Smoothies are something I would come back to. Thanks for sharing the lipstick tips π
You’re welcome. π Hope you can apply them next time.
wow! the place looks nice and your photos were very engaging. I wanna try their squid ink and clam pasta π
Thanks, Jojo! That’s a nice choice, not too common but still appetizing. π