Come Fly With Me!

CEBU, Philippines - Feel the passion and taste of the latina culture. Welcome to a trip that will change your life forever. Spain is now in a super hot summer (June 21st until September 21st), so come and visit! Enjoy our Mediterranean and cosmopolitan way of life, as the Philippines and Spain are related. Let me prove it.

I am Diana G. Marugan, Spanish journalist, actress, tv host and a new "Cebuana". I'll be your personal guide, so pay attention, because our adventour starts now!

Our first stop will be Madrid (the city that never sleeps), but before embarking, let's share with you some tips and important issues we must know to have a wonderful Spanish experience.

Preliminaries: Get the tourist visa

I know, I know, it is not fun and it costs a lot. But please don't give up! "Everything worthwhile requires an effort." Take it easy and plan it well, like a preparation for a romantic dinner. First, you need to do some things that are not so nice, even painful (as we, women, know..) but after all the beauty preparation, you can see in your partner eyes that it was worth it. I recommend you ask help through your travel agent or email the Spanish Embassy in Manila, to make sure you have all the necessary documents. (In my opinion, we should all have a free visa to fly all over the world without going through all the hassles, but unfortunately I am just a journalist...)

Contact information:

Spain Embassy, Philippines

5th Floor, ACT Tower 135 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue 1200, P.O. Box 1114, MCPO,1251Makati City, Metro Manila Philippines

Phone: +63-2-8185526 ; +63-2-7592971

Fax: +63-2-8102885

Email: [email protected]

 What should I pack?

Before the flight and while you are arranging all the required documents for your Europian trip, we should know where we go and what is mandatory to pack.

First, take a notebook and a pen and write everything you think you may need. Don't worry if it looks long, we will fix it!

I know you will be a tourist and you have to be comfortable. You may think it will be enough to pack only a couple of flip flops, sneakers and some shorts. Wrong! Hello! You will be part of a fashionable European summer and your pictures will stay forever in your social network. Make sure you choose the best outfit before your shoot...or your FB wall will be full of unglamorous images.

Let me explain: We Spanish women prepare our bodies and faces for the summer.

After a terrible winter and snow, our body needs to breathe, to feel the spring, flowers, the colors and the sun. We love the sun, tanning and the D vitamin that makes the body look healthier and golden. I know that here, the sun is almost an enemy of beauty, but if you go to Madrid, having some golden color means you are a lucky and successful person who has time for the beach. Of course, it is super mandatory to use the best sunblock. My favorite brand is Clarins. I think this French brand best uses science for perfection and health. Every morning after cleaning my face, I moisturize my skin with Multi-active Day Cream and then I use a little bit of the Sun Care Milk Lotion (in Spray) UVB 50+.

You can use this brand or whatever works for you, but please don't forget to take care of your skin and to clean your face every day, morning and night, even if you don't wear any makeup!

Now that we are done with the face, let's talk about the body. To be a super Madrid walker and be invited to the most gorgeous parties, it is important to be aware of how you dress and how you look. It is not necessary to spend a lot of money to have the ideal outfit, just take a look at Mango or Zara, and you will see how we dress. What is so important is to have a clean line. Less is more – make it simple. Make sure your face, legs, arms, and your body to be soft and hairless. So, go for a peeling. I will share with you one of my secrets: If I have no time to go to a parlor for a body scrub, I create in my bath, my own beauty salon. It is very easy -- take a cup of salt and mix it with your moisturizing body cream. Apply it to your whole body and leave it for three minutes while you use a bath mitts or glove. After a few minutes, take a shower and your body will be radiant and smooth.

A proper pedicure and manicure are important. If you want to be super fashionista, you must have a French style manicure for your hands and feet. In this case, I don't recommend any brand, just make sure you go to a clean and healthy place; why don't you bring your own equipment?

In your luggage, leave a lot of space for all the new stuff that you will be buying in your trip and make sure you wear shorts, tee tops and sneakers for those "tourist" moments. Also some jeans, three cute dresses that can be combined with ballerinas for the day and heels or sandals during party-time. A couple of bikinis or your favorite swimsuit, sunglasses and a hat to protect you from the sun, two neutral purses -- a big one for daytime and while traveling; a small one for night use. Also don't forget one pashmina!

In your wallet, make sure you have your ID (specially if you are a student, a retired person, a teacher, a journalist or someone working for culture events) because you may have free entrance in all the museums.

Buy a travel book about Spain for you to know all those special places you should see. I will be your tour guide, but it is very useful to have one all the time. Not too big, because it will be with you during the whole trip.

Now that we have all the preparations done, it is time to think about airports, dutyfree and those issues about flying. In the next article, I will share on how to look fabulous, sexy and fresh even after flying for more than 15 hours. Because you deserve to be always beautiful and cute as you can imagine. (FREEMAN)