Beauty and butter

A most unique pampering station for the young and young at heart had its formal launch at its flagship branch on the fifth level of SM Megamall. Welcome to Beauty & Butter.

The event had star-studded guests like Richard Gutierrez, who came with his mom Annabelle Rama, Brazilian model Fabio Ide, Dawn Balagot, Edward Mendez and young actress Yasmien Kurdi. Belo Essentials managing director Cristalle Belo Henares and Flawless Aesthetic Center owner Rubby Sy were also present. Event consultant and imaging expert Jojie Dingcong organized the party and like any Jojie event, he drew a huge and beautiful crowd. NU 107 DJ and model Raya Mananquil hosted the program. Members of the teen female group Pop Girls, who are also the official celebrity endorsers of Beauty & Butter, entertained the crowd.

Owner Mikael Coyiuto entertained the guests and answered questions about his brainchild. He said, “We wanted to give young people a place to relax and call their own. We wanted Beauty & Butter to be a place where the young would belong; somewhere that speaks their language and understands their lifestyles.”

Mikael also pointed out Beauty & Butter is not limited to the youth, adding: “We set out to cater to Manila’s young people, but all ages come to visit us. It just goes to show that youth isn’t limited to age. The young at heart enjoy themselves so much here in Beauty & Butter.”

The “Buttercups,” which is what the highly talented and accommodating staff members of Beauty & Butter are called, were around to offer the services of the newest, one-stop beauty station.

Guests got to try out the distinctive service selections of the station, especially the customized nail art that Beauty & Butter is fast becoming to be known for. Models romped around to allow guests to sample the innovative products of Beauty & Butter, like the nail polish, colognes and sunblock, most of which were also distributed as giveaways.

Aside from the Mega Atrium location of Beauty & Butter, there are two other branches at the second floor of SM Mall of Asia’s Entertainment Wing and at the second floor of SM San Lazaro.

A tribute to Fran

Her friends gathered to celebrate her life. More than just a gathering of family and friends, this was a fundraiser to support something that avid dancer and music lover Fran Ribaño held dear: the arts. In her honor, the Frances Sophia T. Ribaño Scholarship for the Arts was set up with the aim of providing financial assistance to promising underprivileged dancers and musicians. 

The tribute shindig began with Fran’s ninth day novena Mass followed by dinner and an inspiring outpouring of love from everyone, which resulted in a party to remember Fran’s fabulous life. Fran’s friends banded together, donating their time and talents to ensure that the event was a success. H20 Hotel @ Manila Ocean Park provided the venue for the tribute, thanks to Lim Chee Yeong. Robbie Sanchez’s Exile provided the lights and sounds. Staging was provided by Momon Baula of NDS Stage. Set design was conceptualized and executed by the wonderful team of Angelo Villanueva and Ed Aniel. To keep the guests refreshed, drinks were provided by The Distillery’s Raj Sadhwani, Future Trade’s Bibe Roldan, Moet-Hennessy Asia-Pacific’s trio of Olga Azarcon, Randy Uson and Dindo de Villa, Rene Barbier Wines’ Fro Oliva, Solid Wines’ Calvin Li, Mast-Jagermeister AG’s David Bell and Jun Manas, Diageo Philippines’ Gene Canta, Joey Alinas and Denzil Garma, and Harry’s House of Wines and Gallery Trading’s Carol Hermanos and Gerry Mendoza. The food was provided by Trio & Pasto’s Conrad and Kay Alcantara, Nu-vo’s Louie Ysmael, Capone’s Joey and Jay Server, Embassy Cafeteria’s Erik Cua and Chic-Boy by Pier1’s Francis and Dino Juan. Keeping the night hopping were Fran’s friends and colleagues featuring performances by Erwin Edralin, Pole Academy Philippines, Cheeba, Ozawa, Kjwan and The Dawn. DJs Boyet Sison, Manolet “Papi” Santos and Steven Love spun vinyl until the wee hours. Capturing the moments were lensmen Eddie Boy Escudero, Norman Lleses and Jovel Lorenzo. To help with the fundraiser, prizes were raffled off to a lucky few. Thanks to Strip & Browhaus’ Monique Jamlang, Café Breton’s Tony and Lela Cancio, Philippine Airlines’ Babyruth Chuaunsu, Patrice Ramos-Diaz (who raffled off a made-to-order cocktail dress gift certificate), Mandarin Oriental Manila’s Charisse Chuidian gave an overnight stay for two with breakfast and a P1,800 gift voucher at Martini’s, and finally to SEAIR’s Patrick Tan for the grand prize of a roundtrip ticket for two to Boracay. Fran was truly loved by her friends.

(For those interested in getting involved with the Frances Sophia T. Ribaño Scholarship for the Arts, please e-mail Tere Ribaño at [email protected])