How busy are you? Would you agree that with our many responsibilities, we tend to forget giving ourselves some much-needed TLC? Unfortunately, by wanting to accomplish as much as possible, we end up spreading ourselves too thin, which takes a toll on our overall wellbeing.

It’s time to revitalize our youthful vigor and bring back the vitality we need to live life to the fullest! To help us get back on track, Watsons launches the Time to Renew campaign so we could more easily restore our beauty and recharge our health.

Ruffa Gutierrez and Iza Calzado

This campaign focuses on three things that people often set aside when running on tight schedules:

• Restore beauty for proper skin care

• Revitalize hair to bring life back to dull tresses

• Recharge health for a more energized and healthier body

In case you still don’t know, busy schedules leading to poor sleeping habits not only affect the mood but also result in dull skin, making it prone to blemishes, dryness, acne, or oiliness. Combat these with helpful products you can find at Watsons: Pond’s, Olay, L’Oreal, Belo, Celeteque, Neutrogena, Snow, St. Ive’s, Suave, Bellic, Glutamax, Shulammite soap, Cosmo Skin, and Nivea Men crème.

More than the skin, however, we also have to protect our hair. Simply shampooing and conditioning are not enough to prevent greasiness/dryness, hair fall, or graying. Hair needs intensive protection from the sun and heat styling products. So, make it a point to revitalize your hair with products like Tresseme, L’Oreal, Dove, and Moringa.

As to recharging health to achieve a 100% you, make sure to mind your eating and exercise habits because skipping them lead to lack of energy and nutrition. Supplement a healthier life and get in tip-top shape with Watson’s healthy solutions such as Cosmo Cee, Poten-Cee, Met Tathione, IVI Collagen, Myra E, Stresstabs, Belo Glutathione, Snow Caps, and Kilo-off.

During the recent campaign launch in Podium, celebrities Iza Calzado, Ruffa Gutierrez, and Alice Dixson shared their beauty secrets using helpful products available at Watsons. Like them, you can restore your beauty and recharge your health while also enjoying big discounts and great deals at Watsons stores and the SM Store Beauty Section. 

In addition, get a chance to win revitalizing packages when you use your SM Advantage Card, BDO Rewards, or PriMo Card when shopping. Every P500 single-receipt purchase of any participating product entitles shoppers to one raffle entry.

There will be 35 winners of Spa Pampering Packages at The Spa; 10 winners of Full-Year Gym memberships at Fitness First, and 10 winners of Overnight Weekend Wellness Packages at The Farm at San Benito resort.

If you’re not yet an SMAC member, make sure to join now because the “Members Get More” program (read my other blog post about it, here) makes shopping more rewarding than ever before. 

Definitely, it’s Time to Renew at Watsons as well as time to get MORE POINTS, MORE SAVINGS, and MORE VALUE! Visit the store nearest you, now!

Summer is the season of endless adventures and possibilities. Make sure it isn't spoiled by getting painful sunburns that can take the fun away! Don't worry, too, about getting your skin too dark. As Watsons Philippines says, don't hold back and make the summer yours!

Watsons' "Make Your Summer" campaign encourages everyone to stop hiding from the sun and instead focus on creating the perfect summer according to your rules. Did you know? There are now a lot of products that you can use for all the fun activities you've got planned so, as long as you know how to take care of your skin, feel free to do whatever you want without any worries!

With Watsons, you can get protected from harmful UVA and UVB rays because it's so easy to find sun-proof items that would help defend your skin from burning and sun damage. Check out amazing sunscreens from Nivea, Vaseline, Banana Boat, Beach Hut, Solstice, Biore, Sunplay, Belo, Neutrogena, Cetaphil, Celeteque, Kojie San, Hawaiian Tropic, Dermplus, Ponds, and Olay!

Also available at Watsons are slimming products for those who want to plan to wear bikinis as well as vivid hair colors for anyone who likes to make summer even more colorful. Choose from fabulous browns and fantastic blondes to fiery reds, and more!

To top these off, summer is made more exciting with a super exclusive treat for all SM Advantage Card (SMAC) members who will get a chance to explore the wonders of the Philippines with getaways for four to Batanes, Boracay, Cebu, Davao, and Palawan. Just buy participating products to get an e-raffle entry for every P500 single-receipt purchase. Promo period is until April 26, 2017.

If you're not yet an SMAC member, now is a great time to join because the new "Members Get More" program makes shopping more rewarding than ever before. So go and earn more points, more savings, and more value by using your SMAC card at Watsons and other SM partner stores!

  

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’ve often heard it said that women should age gracefully and I associate that with taking care of one’s health, including the skin, to delay, if not totally stop, aging. We, ladies, are very fortunate that in our time, there are genuinely effective products that can help us maintain healthy and younger-looking skin.

Olay, one of the world’s most trusted skin care brands, has discovered in one of its studies that women’s skin starts to look dull, fatigued, and dehydrated as it ages. This is because Skin Cell Energy, which is high among young people, declines as women get older. 

I can personally relate to that because there are mornings when I’d wake up with visible lines on my face caused by accidental folds on my pillow. The thing is, it now takes longer for my skin to “bounce back” and for the temporary lines to disappear unlike when I was much younger. I suppose this is caused by skin becoming dehydrated through the night.

Summer in the Philippines is literally and figuratively the hottest season in the country. It is when sunshine and sultry weather gets people in the mood for swimming, travel, parties, and other social events. With all these activities coming up, P&G Beauty together with Watsons, teamed up with Olay Ambassador Anne Curtis and top stylist John Lozano to give ladies tips for a Red Carpet Summer.

Last weekend, SM North Edsa The Block, became a venue for front row access to how-to's for the best skin, hair, and style this season. Celebrity stylist John Lozano jumpstarted the event with hair and style tips by sharing about the hottest trends, colors, and silhouettes for summer. He said that one can make any outfit red carpet ready using the perfect accessories: healthy, shiny hair, and radiant skin.

Thus, everyone is encouraged to experiment this summer with fun colors and new hairstyles while protecting your hair with Pantene Color & Perm Care. This product can prevent colored and curled hair from further damage when exposed to sun, sand, and sea thanks to the new Liquid Crystal Technology that maintains color for up to six weeks.

On the other hand, skin-revealing summer outfits must be complemented with soft, scented skin despite the summer heat. Camay will take care of that with its three alluring scents to choose from: Romantique Rose, Dynamique Grapefruit, and Creme Vanilla. 

Anne Curtis, one of the country's most popular actresses today, revealed that she considers it very important to take care of the skin in the summer. She is all for minimal makeup under the summer heat which is made possible with radiant skin courtesy of Olay Natural White Cream. This product combines multiple effects of a fairness cream, moisturizer, and spot corrector to even out skin tone. Those who don't want to get too tanned may want to try Olay Natural White Instant Glow Cream as it has twice the instant fairness ingredients that immediately promotes fair skin upon application.

So, as the temperature keeps getting hotter and the party invites pile up, prepare for a Red Carpet Summer using the latest products from P&G Beauty -- get healthy, shiny hair from Pantene; soft, scented skin from Camay; and radiant skin from Olay. 

Enjoy your summer everyone! :)

A few months ago, I got to visit Procter & Gamble's museum in Laguna where they show visitors the company's history through the evolution of their products displayed behind glass shelves. 

I found myself transported back to my childhood when I saw some familiar items and took a shot of this  particular product that I remember my mom and grandma using to bathe me and my sister with. After taking the photo, I wondered if I'll ever get to use Camay soap again.

And then I got an invite to attend a P&G product launch the other day at Opus Restobar. All we were told was that they'll be unveiling a well-loved beauty brand and, at the back of my mind, I was thinking if it could be Camay but I wasn't sure. My table-mates were guessing that the scents might be new variants of fabric softener Downy or beauty soap Olay.

Guests were first invited to discover the new scents of attraction led by P&G Beauty Ambassador Daphne Osena-Paez, a scent expert herself who has her own perfume line. Together with event hosts Ms. World-Philippines 2011 Gwen Ruais and Mr. World-Philipines 2012 Andrew Wolff, Daphne guided us through a sensorial experience of vanilla, grapefruit and rose scents. It was hard to choose a favorite because they all smell really nice. There was a chorus of delighted oohs and aahs when the brand name was finally revealed. It was, indeed, Camay! 

"Scents can have different effects on women who wear it and on men who encounter it on a woman," described Daphne. According to her, Vanilla reminds people of happy childhood memories, resulting in the scent's calming effect. Grapefruit, on the other hand, is bright and refreshing, which helps to positively impact energy level. Rose is a very feminine scent that will enhance a romantic mood. Still, whatever scent you choose, Daphne assured that, "Scents make women feel more beautiful and confident."

Now, Filipinas can feel more confident and even more beautiful with the new Camay's exciting new scents. The soap was first introduced in 1926 (so long ago!) as a "white, pure soap for women" that eventually became more popularly known as "the soap for beautiful women." Over the years, Camay celebrated beautiful women through its search for Camay Girls who had the power to leave a lasting impression on everyone they met. 

One such woman is Camay girl, former beauty queen and current TV host, Sabrina Artadi. She affirmed, "Camay lets you feel that radiant feeling of soft skin. I'm very happy that more young and beautiful Camay girls will get to experience Camay."

Raffy Fajardo, Marketing Director of P&G Philippines, expressed hat they are excited to introduce the all-new Camay and the next Camay girl to Filipinas come January 2013. "The modern Camay girl is a beautiful and confident woman who loves romance. Filipinas, like many women around the world, want to be the one he'll never forget."

Thus, understanding the effect of scent and attraction, P&G Beauty, the largest manufacturer of fine fragrances in the world, applied its scent expertise to create the alluring scents of Creme Vanilla, Dynamique Grapefruit, and Romantique Rose. All three promise to give a new generation of Camay girls soft, scented skin that will leave their men wanting more. Now that's Camay attraction!

The all new Camay will be available nationwide starting January 1, 2013 with the following Suggested Retail Prices (SRPs):  
     Camay Beauty Bar - PhP14.00 (55g) and PhP25.00 (80g)
     Camay Body Wash - PhP70.00 (200ml)

*To see more photos during the event, please click here.

Olay recently presented its newest celebrity ambassador for Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Relaxing Cream in an event recently held at Watson’s SM Department Store Makati. Anne Curtis, one of the country’s most popular actresses today who’s also the ambassador to Olay Natural White cheerfully welcomed Tessa Prieto-Valdes, the newest addition to the Olay family. “I’m so pleased to introduce the new ‘other woman’ of Olay,” joked Anne who starred in the blockbuster hit movie No Other Woman a few months back.

Both ladies shared to the audience how they discovered the right Olay product for their skin needs. Anne revealed that Olay Natural White’s 4-in-1 benefits for picture-perfect fairness is a great fit for her busy schedule. “Olay Natural White evens out my skin tone and lightens dark spots for picture-perfect fairness,” she described.

Tessa, who’s constantly on the lookout for the best beauty products, is more concerned about skin ageing. Finally, she said she finally found the right product for her. “With Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Relaxing Cream, I don’t need to resort to ‘drastic’ measures to address fine lines and wrinkles. In just one application, you can reduce the appearance of wrinkles,” she enthused. “In just the time it takes to finish reading a magazine article or fixing your hair, you will already have smoother, younger-looking skin.”

Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Relaxing Cream, which is made with breakthrough anti-ageing technology, proves dramatic wrinkle reduction is possible after one application without the need to wait for 7 days for younger-looking skin. This much-anticipated cream is finally available in the Philippines after being sold out in Australia.

The cream is said to reduce wrinkles dramatically in just one application through optical manipulators or micro-fillers – a proprietary combination of three different particle sizes fills in the ‘valleys’ of lines and wrinkles to effectively diminish the appearance of facial lines and wrinkles almost instantly.

Aside from giving amazing results after the first use, the product is recognized to also address chronic wrinkles with continued application for 14 days. This is made possible through the strengthening of the skin’s moisture barrier, helping skin to retain its own natural moisture and regain its elasticity.

Olay Brand Manager Jia Salindong, expressed how excited they are to bring in breakthrough products like Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Relaxing Cream to the Philippines. “Who would have thought that a cream can give results so dramatic in just 1 application? Definitely with Olay, we challenge what’s possible.”

For more information and updates about Olay, check out www.facebook.com/OlayPhilippines.

Kris Aquino is as pretty in person as she is on TV. She's also consistent in being spontaneously outspoken :p I found this out myself during a recent Olay Total Effects media event at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. 

 

I admire Kris for being able to keep her skin and figure well-maintained despite her obviously busy schedule. Although she doesn't look her age, she acknowledged realizing that as one ages, so does one's skin and its needs. "As you get older, you'll realize that being maputi is important pero gusto mo talaga na up-close, maganda pa rin ang texture ng balat mo," she told Boy Abunda who was hosting the event that day. 

"Good thing my skin went through an intervention with Olay Total Effects. With [it] I get the whitening I want and I also get the other anti-ageing benefits that my skin needs," she shared insisting that she gladly agreed to endorse the product because she really uses Olay products at home.

In a survey of over 100 whitening cream users aged 25-34, Olay Total Effects Brand Manager Jia Salindong said the findings showed an alarming 90% of whitening cream users still suffer from signs of skin ageing. She confirmed that at around age 25, women may already start to notice multiple signs of skin ageing such as fine lines and wrinkles and that many whitening creams fail to address these. "Instead, they need to upgrade their skin care regimen to a cream that provides both anti-ageing and whitening benefits."

 

Olay Total Effects address both concerns with its VitaNiacin complex which is composed of powerful skin care ingredients like Vitamin E, Panthenol or Vitamin B5, and Niacinamide that help skin regain its fair, radiant, youthful glow and fortify itself against the signs of skin ageing.

To prove just how effective the new Olay formulation is on typical women, we were shown profile and close-up photos of several ladies. Guests had fun guessing the women's ages together with Kris and Boy. What surprised us all was finding out that a lady most voted to be in her teens or early 20's is actually already 32 years old and is an Olay user.

Ladies who want to look more than just young-looking from afar are recommended to take a closer look and find out if it's time to level up to a skin care regimen that targets both anti-ageing and whitening needs in one bottle. I've been using Olay Total Effects (facial wash, soap, day cream, and night cream) for a week now. Honestly? I'm quite pleased by the results :)