Would you agree that we feel more confident when we know we look good? Those who are aware of this fact want to look our best all the time. However, it could be hard if one's skin is not very cooperative so we continuously search for the right products to help us deal with various skin issues. 

For many women, common skin problems include uneven tone and dull-looking skin. Watsons recognizes this and wants to help ladies become our fairest, most confident self by throwing a Big White Blowout sale where shoppers can find a wide variety of choices with the most amazing deals and discounts on whitening needs!

During the Big White Blowout launch yesterday at the Watsons Podium branch, Cosmo Skin endorser Ruffa Gutierrez shared with guests that, aside from using the right products, we should also remember to get enough sleep and to never sleep with makeup on. I totally agree with those tips because looking good should begin with having the discipline to take care of the basics when it comes to skin care.

Personally, I am always happy to be inside a Watsons store because I can find many of my favorite beauty brands there. Visit one near you and you'll find shelves upon shelves of whitening soaps, facial creams, body lotions, deodorants, and more. There are even beauty supplements you can drink for those who want to experience the next level of whitening.       

some of the skin care products I use that are available at Watsons

In addition, there's another exciting feature of this blowout sale. Shoppers who use their SM Advantage or BDO Rewards card for every P500 purchase of whitening products will get a chance to win a brand-new iPhone 7! 

make sure to look for these stickers while shopping

So find the right white for you and join the conversations online by using the hashtags #WatsonsPH and #BigWhiteBlowout on your social media posts! 😊

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions when it comes to aging. What remains true, though, is that we age faster when we subject ourselves to stress and bad habits. Plus, our hectic and modern lifestyles are not helping make us look younger!

Did you know? Signs of aging – both internal and external – start to manifest as early as our 20s? For instance, those cute little laugh lines, when not treated as early as possible, might stay on and become full-fledged crow’s feet. Likewise, dry skin that isn’t moisturized as needed will likely appear wrinkled faster. 

Thankfully, Watsons Philippines has just launched its latest anti-aging campaign to help thousands of Filipinos Kiss Aging Goodbye. According to Viki Encarnacion, Watsons Marketing Director, the campaign is “an educational effort with a two-pronged approach, teaching our customers how to prevent the negative effects of aging by taking care of themselves inside and out. We are literally helping people ‘Look good. Feel great.’ And it’s a wonderful thing.” 

I like Korean personal care products. They are effective and many come in pretty packaging. Most of them are also very affordable. However, their popularity has also led unscrupulous people to manufacture fake products, which can be dangerous to consumers.

Althea always delivers items inside a cute pink box

Of course, I want to make sure I only buy authentic Korean products and the best place to find them is through the Althea Korea website. There, beauty enthusiasts can easily browse dozens of Korean brands and hundreds of items that include skincare, cosmetics, and hair and body products. Tabs dedicated to the latest trends as well as bestsellers and new arrivals can also be found for a smooth online shopping experience.

my first purchases from Althea Korea in January 2016

Manila's much awaited yearly book fair is happening this September and Church Strengthening Ministry (CSM) Publishing will once again offer big discounts, book signings, and a large selection of good reads. 

The 36th Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) is a great avenue for publishers and authors to meet the community of Filipino readers. CSM Publishing, a pioneer of the P100 Book Craze, has set the benchmark of promoting the Filipino talents through its homegrown pool of authors. The sale, offering titles at low prices, provides book lovers an early Christmas shopping experience where they can find good gifts for their loved ones.

This 2015, CSM is launching a solid all-Filipino book lineup from different generations with quality content good for people of all ages. Here are some offerings to look out for:

Ital Design celebrates the renovation of its showroom at MC Home Depot in Bonifacio Global City by offering premium Dunlopillo mattresses (read a related blog post here) at special prices from July 16-19, 2015.

The innovation of this one of a kind luxurious showroom aims to encourage customers to imagine the possibilities that mattresses and furniture hold. Highlighted in display featuring Dunlopillo mattresses are 10 uniquely decorated vignettes in styles appealing to every type of customer. Ital Design and Dunlopillo will make it easier to create your personal haven whether you’re young professional, a student, or a parent. 

It is hard to resist shopping for clothes made by trusted brands especially when they are offered at half the price. Last year, I bought two dresses and one top from SM Woman several days after it was launched during Philippine Fashion Week (I wrote about it for A&B magazine) because I really love the designs and so many of the stuff I tried on fit me perfectly. Imagine how hard it was for me to choose which ones to buy!

Early last week, The SM Store announced that they'll be having its first Ladies Night on April 15 and will be slashing prices at 50% off of SM Woman, GTW by SM, Coco Cabana, and Gigi Amore, among others. Like many of my female friends, I was eager to see what nice items we could get a low prices. 

Uniqlo Philippines is having an exclusive holiday offer of its luxury collaboration line +J in response to what it described as overwhelming customer demand. The +J Collection is loved for its timeless yet forward-looking style and affordable quality since it debuted in Fall Winter 2009.

Having grown to become one of the most successful fashion collaborations of all time, +J elevates basic garments for functional, minimalist elegance to suit any lifestyle. This season, Uniqlo's best of +J collection reissues carefully selected garments from past seasons that capture the +J philosophy.

Good news ladies! This season, TRESemme, the salon brand used by professionals, is giving women a treat to get salon gorgeous hair at home at half the price with the TRESemme Runway Ready Sale!

TRESemme Keratin Smooth at 50% off

TRESemme has marked down their best selling TRESemme Keratin Smooth shampoo and conditioner 440 ml bottle packs by 50%!* This variant infuses keratin proteins unto every hair strand to help control frizz for up to 48 hours.

I love wearing clothes that are comfortable but still stylish and Forever 21 carries those. I usually check out clothes in the SM Makati branch when I'm in that area but it was definitely welcome news to know that F21 will be opening a branch south of Metro Manila. 

Forever 21's SM Southmall store is very spacious and carries men, women, and children's lines. I paid the branch a visit during its opening day last October 30 and found a couple of nice dresses I couldn't resist as well as a lacey skirt and knitted blouse. 

Getting involved in any kind of sport is good because it promotes physical and mental health. However, outfits and equipment can sometimes be very costly especially since good-quality ones are usually made by popular and expensive brands. 

This past weekend, well-known surplus store HMR Philippines launched its own apparel and equipment home brand called Loro Sports at its Sucat branch. The comfortable apparel line and sports equipment available were modeled by members of the Philippine Lady Volcanoes who gamely walked the ramp and showed off their fashion styles.

The event, hosted by Philippine Volcanoes member Andrew Wolff, was made more exciting with raffle prizes that includes a coveted North Face jacket, Patrick shoes, and a Dick Smith TV that a little kid won! 

Some of the shoppers were also encouraged to join rugby demos by the Lady Volcanoes and I believe they all had a lot of fun. 

Of course, being inside the HMR warehouse means getting to find lots of good stuff! (Read my other blog post about my first time at HMR last month here). My firstborn son and I didn't let the chance pass as we searched among the "treasures" what things we could use at home.

Our finds? A heavy-duty dartboard (which hubby and I have actually been planning to buy for weeks) for P1,490; a weighted jump rope (I have been searching for one in other stores for months to no avail) for P390; a Waboba Pro water ball (that we could use the next time we go swimming) for P35.00; and two denim bibs for my special child (at 50% discount each) for P27.50 and P14.70. We actually saw more items we'd like to take home but I had to curb the spending budget for the meantime.  

We've yet to buy anything with the Loro brand though because hubby and my other son, the sporty ones, were not with us. Maybe the next time we visit, they'll find stuff they could wear or use. For now, the whole family is enjoying playing games of dart in our backyard and I'm also targeting being able to jump rope with at least half the endurance of Manny Pacquiao in the coming days :) 

     

Everybody loves a good bargain and it's such a great feeling to be going home with value-for-money stuff that are well-made and affordable. Recently, I finally had a chance to visit HMR Philippines' 5,000 sq.m. warehouse in Mandaluyong and saw so many good finds it was hard to choose which ones to buy!

I found out that HMR has been trading in surplus since 1992 and that the Mandaluyong store is the original one. Now, HMR has expanded to eight Surplus Depots located in various parts of Metro Manila and Laguna along with an ever-expanding franchise network of Save On Surplus (SOS) stores nationwide.

Speaking of SOS, there's one in Festival Mall which my hubby and I have already been frequenting since we discovered it last year! We were actually so bummed to find a tandem bike there once that has already been sold and was only awaiting pick up. But we've bought other stuff there that we were very happy about including a micro-CD player with speakers for only P990!

Over the years, HMR Philippines has become known as "The Best Surplus Depot" because its link to a strong international supply network of the HMR Group of Companies earned it a reputation of being the place to buy anything and everything from. Customers range from Classes A to E, from big corporations to small enterprises; and from famous celebrities to ordinary employees. 

Among its products are home and office furniture, computers and peripherals, telecommunications equipment, audio/video equipment, medical and industrial supplies, toys and novelty items, clothes and home furnishings, hardware tools, and many more. We were told that new products are continuously being added on a regular basis as they search for bargains both locally and internationally to offer their customers more unique shopping experiences.

For those wondering, yes, the products are brand new although some of the packaging may not be in 100% tiptop shape anymore. At HMR, surplus means excess, over production, or shelf pulls from leading retail outlets in Australia and the US.  

Prices of products at HMR are 20 to 50 percent lower than in other retail outlets that's why you'll love shopping there. When they hold sales, like the time I was there, the prices are further reduced! HMR is also willing to cut prices if items are found to be cheaper in competing stores!

This business model is really quite a unique concept. It not only caters to the needs of a wide variety of consumers with affordable surplus products, HMR also offers complimentary technical services, particularly on computer hardware and related peripherals.

HMR is moreover the exclusive Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR) for the Philippines, which means they are able to sell Windows 7 operating systems and Office software for a significant fraction of retail OEM price. The company met strict requirements of selling refurbished computer units with pre-installed legitimate software at pocket-friendly prices.

Here's sharing my finds during my first HMR visit: three (3) 0.2Watts night lights for P590, three socket adaptors are P45 each, a super soft Star Wars blanket (50% off) for P445, an 8GB SD card for P249, a door knob with keys for P390, a nice condiments plate (50% off) for P75, and two boxes of latex gloves (50% off) for P75 each, which we often need for my special child's medical needs at home. 

Excited to shop now? HMR Surplus Depots can be found in Novaliches, Araneta Center, Mandaluyong, Manila, Paranaque, Muntinlupa, and Sta. Rosa, Laguna. For the complete addresses, maps, and contact numbers of these branches, please click here.

By the way, make sure to stay tuned for the launching of HMR's own sports equipment brand named Loro Sports this coming August 9. You may also want to start shopping soon! :)

Many Filipinos now feel the season of giving and sharing but a lot of our fellowmen in other parts of the country still need assistance. May we not forget them and continue to find ways to help as long as we have to. 

This December, Ayala Malls is staging Joy of Giving, a silent auction that involves a series of select fashion and beauty brands in partnership with Look Magazine and Inquirer Lifestyle. All proceeds shall be for the benefit of Bulig Bisaya, a fund raising drive for the rehabilitation of Carles and Estancia Towns. These are Ayala Land's adopted communities located in Northern Iloilo.

The auction started in Greenbelt and Glorietta last December 2 to 8 and 3 to 9, respectively. It was then transferred to Alabang Town Center from December 10 to 16. Now, Joy of Giving is in Trinoma until December 22.

Fashionistas who would love to own stuff from well-known brands will get a chance to bid on their chosen items simply by indicating their bids on the corresponding BID portion on the auction form. After which, they can drop the form in the drop box provided. This auction is open to everyone.

This activity is described as a silent auction because nobody knows how much other people bid on each item. That's an interesting concept, don't you think? Plus, the opening bids are really, really low! Winning bidders will be notified on or before January 6, 2014.

Participating merchants from Trinoma includes Bauhaus, Benefit, Celine, Chronos, Dumond, Fred Perry, Geox, Hotflopz, Hush Puppies, Geleia, Jewelmer, Original Penguin, Power Mac Center, Rabeanco, Sebago, Swatch, Thomas Sabo, Watch Republic, XOXO, and 101 New York.

Head on up to the lobby near the Trinoma Cinemas to view and bid for the items. For more information, please contact Ms. Stephanie Co at 901-5713.

One particular place that every tourist must not miss when visiting Bangkok, Thailand is Chatuchak Weekend Market. It is THE place for bargain shopping.

It is very easy to get there via Bangkok's easy to navigate train system. Just ride the BTS (Sky Train) or MRT (Subway Train) and get off at Mo Chit station. Make sure to get a copy of the free map of the train systems that are available in most stations, save a picture file on your mobile device, or print out a copy from the internet before you leave for Thailand.

I went to Chatuchak on a Saturday by myself. I took the airport link train from the Ramkhamhaeng station, which is just across Nasa Vegas, my hotel, got off at Makkasan (fare: THB 15) and walked to the MRT's Pratcha Buri station. I rode that one going to Mo Chit (fare: THB 31).

Walking towards the main market is easy because I just followed the flow of the people in front of me. Just turn right after getting off the MRT stairs, go straight, and you'll eventually see the entrance to Chatuchak on your right.

From there, just start exploring anywhere. You will find bargains at every turn. I very much regret not being able to have more time there, though. I arrived around 3PM and didn't get to buy as many souvenirs as I wanted because the stalls close at 6PM.

Someday, I would like go back there because I saw a lot of things I should have bought the first time I passed their areas. As it was, due to the huge land space, I found it hard to find certain stalls again afterwards.

Some tips:

1.  Wear comfortable shoes and light clothing. It can get really hot. Bring a bottle of water with you although there are food stalls also where you can buy snacks and drinks. I ate a papaya salad to replenish my energy.

2. Always try to get the lowest price possible. Learn to haggle with the shop owners. I happily was able to get some good discounts.

3. Exchange rate here is higher. Don't swap all your spending money while at the airport. I learned that too late.

4. Bring a big foldable bag that you can put your all purchases in to avoid holding lots of small plastic bags. My mistake.

5. Take pictures. The place is so colorful, you'll have a great time taking lots of nice shots.

6. Go there early to be able to shop more. Operating hours: 6PM-12MN on Fridays, 9AM-6PM on Saturdays and Sundays.