And The Winner Is...

You've met the lovely contestants. Now the judges have to make this difficult decision: choosing the best extra seksi woman to win an overnight stay in Coco Beach Island Resort for two! 

We're looking for two things: confidence + style and creativity in reason for joining. Needless to say, the contestants gave us an extra hard time in selecting the luckiest woman on earth today. 

Before we announce the winner...

Drum rolls, please!

Garnering an average score of 95%, our winner is...

Cristina Gundran

Age: 25 

City: Quezon City 

 Size: 16

Reason for Joining: This contest is for plus size women to be more empowered! THAT BEING PLUS SIZE is an ASSET and flaunting your curves is SEXY by wearing the clothes you want and especially the swimsuit that accentuate your curves and loving your body. 

Judge Ina: This is very sassy! I love that she's in the water in a bright swimwear, looking sassy and stylish. 

Judge Leslie: Love the color and style. So sexy! Perfect reason, too!

Judge Lorna: What can I say? Low neckline, high bun, confident pose and positive message! You got it, girl!

                    CONGRATULATIONS, CRISTINA!

Meet The Looking Extra Seksi for Coco Beach Contestants!

The long wait is finally over! You've met the judges here; now it's time to introduce the fab hopefuls! 

Aries Guzman 

Age: 27 

 City: Pasig City 

Size: 16 

Reason for Joining: I want to win this vacation because I am actually a travel-phobe (a little now before it was a little crazier). I know that if I travel more, I'd be more comfortable with it. Furthermore, I get inspiration for my designs for Erzullie through my experience in life. I am actually responsible for Resort wear; and an Erzulliesta in vacation in an awesome place is always my inspiration. Therefore, if I do win this Coco Beach photo contest, I'd be able to help diminish my phobia of travel and get inspiration for the next Resort collection.

Ann Gelene Butawan

Age: 23  

City: Imus City 

Size 16

Reason for Joining: My birthday is coming this March 3rd and it will awesome if I will be celebrating it at the beach. Who wouldn't want to have a relaxing massage near the beach with your partner away from the city and pollution?

Berna Cuevas

Age: 26 

 City: Rizal 

 Size 18

Reason for Joining: I'm EXTRA in SIZE and EXTRA SEKSI in this rockin' swimsuit!  Even if this were long-sleeved rash-guard, I feel so confident! To the point that it was my first time to wear this boy-cut bottoms!

Silca Argoso

Age: 25 

 City: Mandaluyong 

 Size 18-20

Reason for Joining: Yep, I'm PLUS SIZE and PROUD! I love the beach and I love showcasing my curves. All my life I've been blessed with this amazing body and people who appreciate me. So I joined this photo contest 'coz I'm pretty hot and thick! Plus size and proud!

P.S. February is my birth month. This would be an awesome gift! 

Dimples Gonzales

Age: 42 

City: Pasay 

 Size: 14-16

Reason for Joining: For the Coco Beach Island Resort getaway, I would like to wear this Emerald two-piece swimsuit, (which by the way, I bought for an auction price of Php150.00 – isn’t that a great deal?).  I picked this emerald bikini, because according to pantone.com (which is the authority of color) emerald is the color for year 2013.

I hope that you would choose me for this giveaway, so I can surprise my hubby for a sweet time together wherein we could relive the experience of a wonderful moment at Puerto Galera (our first trip together to Galera was in 1996). I am sure he will be more than delighted to also catch the beauty of Coco Beach Island Resort.

It would be our 18^th Year Wedding Anniversary this July, and this getaway would be an awesome gift.

Lyn Guiyab

Age: 34 

 City: Kawit, Cavite 

Size: 20

Reason for Joining: I'm joining the contest to prove that we don't have to be skinny to be sexy! Wear whatever you want. Do whatever makes you happy. Enjoy life to the fullest! 

Cristina Gundran

Age: 25 

City: Quezon City 

 Size: 16

Reason for Joining: This contest is for plus size women to be more empowered! THAT BEING PLUS SIZE is an ASSET and flaunting your curves is SEXY by wearing the clothes you want and especially the swimsuit that accentuate your curves and loving your body. 

Loren Mae Monares

Age: 29 

 City: Makati 

 Size: 14

Reason for Joining: First, I am a nature lover and one of my favorite getaway is beach. These moments prove to be very relaxing, no stress, no make up (except at night! Haha!) and you get to really enjoy life! Second,I just realized I never had a beach outing last year and I think I deserve a break from all the hectic work for the past months to recharge! 

           

Meet the Fab Judges (In Their Resortwear/Swimwear)!

You've heard about my little giveaway contest to mark my 2nd bloggiversary happening next week. Now it's time to reveal the fab ladies behind the virtual chairs who will choose the most deserving woman to take her friend to Coco Beach Island Resort in Puerto Galera! 

Meet the judges! 

L-R: Leslie, Ina and Lorna

You've met Leslie Ann Canlas here. She's Miss Bilbiling Mandaluyong 2011 and I can say she remains a walking inspiration to all plus size ladies. Once an extra seksi, will always be extra seksi.

Ina Israel-Pausanos is the Sales and Marketing Manager of Coco Beach. She's been a licensed diver since high school and, as a resident in the resort, she constantly dons dresses, kaftans and swimsuits. She sure knows what's hot and what's not.

And yours truly. (I'd like to think no introduction is needed. Charot!)

Special thanks to Fao for the collage design. 

Feeling Extra Ready and Looking Extra Seksi for Coco Beach Photo Contest

How time flies! In less than a month from now, Extra Seksi will turn 2-year-old and we shall celebrate it as  if this blog won't turn 3-year-old at all. And if you've been visiting here for the past months, you can probably tell what's my idea of birthday par-teys. All together now - BEACH DAY!

Yes, I'm giving away an overnight stay for two in one of my favorite sanctuaries - Coco Beach Island Resort! All you have to do is shoot me an email, state why we should choose you and show us what you'll be wearing during your stay. It's that simple!

Make sure to send in your lovely messages on or before January 10th midnight. After deliberating the entries with the panel of judges, I'll be announcing the winners here and in my fanpage on January 20th. For more details, check out the flyer below.

I'm looking forward to receiving your email! Good luck!

Design by Mark Gerad Oliva

WORLD PREMIERE: That Ruffled Pink Bikini and Pink Bra / Postcards from Coron Part 1

As you can tell in this entry and the succeeding bikini postcard entries like here, there and everywhere, I can rock any maillot and tankinis. Exposing my muffin top in a two-piece, however, is something I need to find courage to do. Little did I know that I would finally do it during my recent Coron getaway.

I've long wanted to world premiere this ruffled pink bottoms since I bought it from a friend last year. But I can't seem to find any silver or blue tankini that would complement it. Then, my at-work-and-play friend Chi (you've met her here) gifted me a pink bra whose hue slightly matches the bikini I mentioned earlier. Perfect match indeed! 

In my private "dress rehearsals", I realized the bikini was at least one size bigger (yeah, I'm suck a sucker for ruffles!) and wearing two-piece alone will be too risky. I have no plans to reach the shores and then realize that the waves took my bottoms away. I have no plans to expose the gateway to heaven! So I decided to bring this coral sleeveless top with me as cover-up.

Check out my ruffles!

Still in Banana Island

Remember how I love jump shots? My BFF Carl and I wrapped up our stay in Banana Island  by doing such and, at one point, I had to stop as I felt my bikini fall down, exposing my buttcrack for the male photographer and young locals to witness. How mortifying!

 And the Kodakan continued in Malcapuya Island...

When the sun finally felt less cancerous (we arrived in Malcapuya Island by noon), we took a long dip in spite of the wild waves. Carl and I took turns to take photos of each other and, at one point, she encouraged me to take off my coral top. I was initially hesitant. But in the end, I agreed. Man, it felt good! 

My poor attempt to look like a calendar girl

 That glorious moment when I decided to take the cover-up off

Take 1: Ooops!

Frolicking with Jovi and Mars

Postcards from Zamboanga / On Repeating Swimsuits

And this unstoppable force finally got to bring her childlike energies in Zamboanga peninsula, aiming to bury her toes in the pinkish-white sand of Sta. Cruz Island and to frolic in the renowned shores of Dakak. Our 4-day stay proved to be insufficient to go the distance and visit the latter. We resolved to land at the Dipolog Airport (20 minutes away from Dakak vs. the 8-hour commute from the airport in Zamboanga City) next time. In spite of this unmet itinerary, we're all portraits of gladness and gratitude for the chance to chill out in Sta. Cruz Island.

There will be a separate entry for the amazing pinkish sand and other exciting finds on my travel blog. For now, let me show you some postcards from my recent adventure. Yes, postcards that include me and my beautiful swimsuit!

With my friends Claire, Mario, Phyll and Abby

Our party of five were very fortunate to step our wrinkled feet to a sandbar (it's actually a coral build-up with pinkish-white sand underneath). Of course, we grabbed the opportunity for more Kodakan! Our guide, Kuya Richard, said that most boats don't take the tourists in this area. It's our lucky day!

***

Remember my quick getaway with my at-work-and-play friends and then-boyfriend in Laiya, Batangas this summer? Had I been able to combat my curiosity for that asymmetrical swimsuit and compulsion to show support to the plus size bloggers/designers behind it, I would have donned this one-piece swimsuit as if it were the first time I did. See, it's currently my favorite swimwear for its strappy neckline details, sensual low-back cut and maximum support for my twins. If there were any flaw, its design may give people the impression that I'm a serious swimmer and, worse, drowning people are just one glide away. That's faaaar from true!

Imagine my shock when an anonymous visitor expressed his/her disapproval of my remark "Bawal mag-ulit ng swimsuit!!!" In that line, I was quoting the "fashion police" in our batch (she actually didn't say THAT, we just connected the dots and kiddingly cyber-bullied her that that's what she was trying to insinuate upon seeing my pictures in Boracay and Batanes wearing the same number). I was not trying to sound like an elitist nor suggesting that everyone - bloggers in particular - should veer away from recycling clothes. I apologize for the confusion.

I wrote:

I just broke my record this weekend. After this world premiere comes another. I wasn't expecting it either; this swimwear purchase was just a last-minute decision. When I stumbled on this blog entry, I got saddened that this cool launch slipped under my radar in spite of the fact that I'm just in Eastwood all working hours every week. Curiosity and excitement consumed me after hearing that The Plump Pinay twins designed a handful of curve-friendly swimsuits for I Love Koi. So I dragged my office pals to the Complex Lifestyle Store to check them out. While doing so, I recalled how one of my wave mates who'll be joining us in this quick summer getaway was JOKINGLY regarded as a fashion police ("Bawal mag-ulit ng swimsuit!!!"). Plus, it's my first out-of-town traipse with Waldo so I wanted to look extra extra seksi in his eyes. And the rest is an impulsive buying history.

- WORLD PREMIERE: That Asymmetrical Black + Snakeskin Swimsuit, 30 April 2012
Emphasis added

You've seen this one-piece number here, there and everywhere!

If you've been a frequent visitor of this blog, you're probably getting bored with my tendency to repeat clothes and probably turned off that I actually post unflattering photos that show my cystic zits, among others. And it doesn't bother me at all. Look, I'm a plus size woman in a slow journey to be more fashionable and kikay. I may succeed, I may return to my innate choice to be too comfortable and practical. I'm clueless myself where this will lead. But, hey, I'm real and that's what you'll see in my virtual niche.

Again, I'm sorry for whatever confusion that quoted statement had brought you. I'm no rich kid and in no position to endorse such kind of thinking. Thank you.

Photos from Claire, Phyll and Abby.
Collage by Winifred.

MUSIC MONDAY: Katy Perry - Firework

♫♪♪ You don't have to feel like a waste of space ♫♫♪
♪♫♫ You're original, cannot be replaced ♪♫♪
♪♪ If you only knew what the future holds ♪♫♫
♪♫♫ After a hurricane comes a rainbow ♪♫♪

What else could be more liberating than to see the big woman in this music video break free from her difficult past and take a plunge into the pool wearing her bikini and THAT lovely smile? Go check out 2:33 to 2:39 now!

As I have expressed here, the beach [or in this video's case, the pool] is big people's runway, too. If there's anyone who stands in the way, that would have to be the shadow of your self-loathing soul. Come on, let go. You have no idea how goooood it feels inside.

[Bikini] Postcards from the Philippines

It doesn't really take a migratory bird to act on this all-important impulse to take advantage of the summer heat. With about 7,100 islands to explore and with our God-given bronze beauties, it is NOT right for us to remain exposed to the artificial light and stressors in the workplace. Follow where the summer breeze leads us and spread the ♫♪ summer lovin' ♪♫!

Ooops, I forgot. There's this unavoidable display of skinny celebrities in bikini along EDSA and continued circulation of magazines with cover girls in nothing but skimpy outfits and smirk by now. Recently, I unearthed this Blair Bitch postcard that reads NO FAT PEOPLE ALLOWED! What else could dampen the spirit and the urge to don a bikini, right?

That Blair Bitch postcard.

Cheer up, girl. As Danah put it, everybody is a bikini body, because no one should dictate which ones are allowed to wear one and which ones are not.

In response to the abovementioned postcard, here's a slideshow of my favorite beach moments in swimwear, kaftan...and whatever my self-esteem and/or budget allowed me to wear that time. I'm glad this journey to body acceptance is documented with our local shores in the background

Postcard from White Beach, Puerto Galera, 2005.
Tankini top and matching shorts from SM Department Store.


Postcard from Olango Island, Cebu, 2005. With Fristine.


Postcard from Splash Island, Laguna, 2005.
Haltered top from Landmark Department Store, purple sarong from Edzelove.


Postcard from Sagada, 2005.
Tankini top from SPF.


Postcard from Coco Beach, Puerto Galera, 2006.
Haltered tankini top from Speedo, off-shoulder top as cover-up from ukay ukay shop.


Postcard from Talipanan, Puerto Galera, 2006.
Striped tube top from Blued.


Postcard from White Beach, Puerto Galera, 2006.


Postcard from Mansud Wall, Davao, 2006.


Postcard from Pagsanjan, Laguna, 2007.


Postcard from Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, 2008.
Red tube top from Dorothy Perkins to conceal my two-piece bikini.


Postcard from Pamilacan Island, Bohol, 2008
Tankini top and bikini from Wet Shop.



Postcard from Anawangin, Zambales, 2009. With my traveling doll, Raya.
White kaftan from Coco Cabaña. Underneath: the same tankini and bikini worn in Bohol.


Postcard from White Island, Camiguin, 2009.
Haltered tankini from Speedo and light blue kaftan.


Postcard from Cagayan de Oro, 2009. [Getting ready to go whitewater rafting with friends]
Haltered tankini from Speedo, swimming skirt and floral kaftan from my friend's tiangge store in St. Francis Square.


Postcard from Zambales, 2010.
Tie-dyed tank top and printed bikini [not seen much in this photo].


Postcard from Vigan, 2010.
That overused polka dotted tankini top and bikini from Wet Shop.


Postcard from Boracay, 2010.
One-piece swimwear from Speedo.


Postcard from Sabtang Island, Batanes, 2011.
Recycling that swimwear worn in Boracay.


Postcard from Sabtang Island, Batanes, 2011.
Kaftan from H&M.

Yeah, yeah, I need a sponsor for my swimwear. =P

Body acceptance is one helluva journey. Up to now, I fall victim to those moments. I still sometimes feel too unpretty and too huge to get half-naked in the beach. Worse, I even feel unprepared for whatever other beach bums would say about my body and the excess balls that go with it.

But then again, why worry over what strangers would think? Sure, we have family and bosses and other people to please, but should we really bring such thinking in our escapes? The beach is our runway, too. This summer, let's shed those inhibitions and leave them behind before boarding the bus or the plane. Summer lovin' starts from within!