Fragrance, Dubai Style

Find yourself a tourist in UAE? Odds are, you'll be ushered into one of the many souks that sell just about anything imaginable. (A souk or souq is a marketplace not unlike the local tiangge that often sells locally-made items. Just like with the tiangge, you must be a master haggler to get a good deal.) Particularly in Dubai, the popular souks or souk-style shops are the gold and spice ones, and then there's the seasonal, carnival-style Global Village with its rides and various country-themed souk pavilions. A common attraction in these small shops, if not the spices, are the bottles and bottles of Middle Eastern perfume that come in 'value sets' and fancy packaging. Oh, and along with them you'll get the annoying vendors who won't stop yelling in your ear and following you around.


[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Global Village[/caption]

However infrequently I shop, when I do end up looking to buy something, the only quality I want out of a sales person is their product knowledge. Answer any and all of my questions, but that's it. I'm sure I'm not the only one who cringes at the vendor who follows the customer around, matching his or her every step in any direction. Furthermore, I don't appreciate the spiel of, "This one is good. Made from blah-blah flower. You buy the set? Very good deal!" every time I examine a bottle. That's why I ended up crossing out perfume from my souq list, though some of them smelled downright fabulous.

If you really want to take home a bottle or five of the local perfume or eau de toilette, especially for giving away as souvenir items, here's my top scent-shopping tip: Don't ignore the supermarkets. Though Carrefour may not have the same exotic vibe as an open-air market, it's definitely not lacking in perfumes and cosmetics. You can take as long as you'd like—undisturbed—choosing the scents that tickle your fancy, and the prices are significantly lower. While the souq may have more unique/unusual blends, the value sets offered at the grocery are truly a steal! Here's what my mom got from Lulu Hypermarket, a grocery store a la Shopwise or Target that sells everything you can imagine:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Jasmine Perfume; this was actually buy-1-take-1 for AUD 20 (PHP 250)[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="504"] Ingredients[/caption]

Beauty for a Cause

Impulse buying this holiday season has mostly gotten me into trouble! Nothing terrible, mind you, but just a tad bit excessive than the budget I usually stick to. Of course, that can be expected of the holidays. Cosmetic companies are forever coming up with gift/value packs, palettes, and other special edition items, making it the ideal time to hoard beauty loot for the year ahead. One of my explorations have brought me to the web-based doorstep of Bon Marche, an online beauty store that deals US brands for competitive prices.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Budget-friendly US drugstore brands and more[/caption]

Yes, I know it sounds like an endorsement, but I'm not affiliated with Bon Marche. I just really like their offerings. For example, I saw a special offer by the shop to help out the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. Selected items from Maybelline, Revlon, and Burt's Bees were offered at PHP 180 each, with all proceeds going to charity. Perhaps this was one time when my impulse buying could actually do some good. Here's what I ended up getting:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Revlon Diamond Lust Eyeshadow in Plum Galaxy and Colorburst Lip Butter in Sugar Frosting[/caption]

For the record, I was very pleased with Bon Marche's service. The transaction was quick and painless, while the delivery was prompt. I paid PHP 180 each for the eyeshadow and lipstick, plus the PHP 60 shipping fee. My (sealed!) Revlon goodies came packed properly, and the eyeshadow was bubble wrapped for safety. I was positively giddy when the package arrived and, yes, I do plan on purchasing more stuff from Bon Marche in future. :)

Taiwanese Beauty Mag

Between my obsession with e-books and my still-unread pile of actual books, I rarely browse or buy any other type of publication anymore—non-work-related magazines included. When I received a copy of this Taiwanese magazine, however, I was truly grateful.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="420"] A Beauty, indeed[/caption]

The best part, of course, is the free sample pack from Benefit. Minis are the best! Because of the sheer volume of products out in the market to try, sample sizes can easily become a girl's best friend in discovering the next favorite item. Travel-size is also essential for a non-bulky purse. I already have a mini Posie Tint, but have yet to try it out. (I'm swamped on the blush department!)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Dandelion brightening face powder and ultra plush lip gloss[/caption]

While I don't speak a word of Mandarin, the pictures are sufficient in explaining the step-by-step instructions. Plus the photos serve as pegs anyway.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Step-by-step[/caption]

Wonder if Korean beauty magazines have similar features. I haven't seen one yet that isn't somehow K-POP-related.

Getting My "Essence" On

My first encounter with newly Philippine-distributed European cosmetic brand, Essence, was back in February for a post-Valentine's date. I was looking for comfy flip-flops in SM MoA's Deaprtment Store because of a shoe-selection faux pas (a.k.a. I was wearing heels that turned out to be too painful for Baywalk strolling), and did a quick stop by the cosmetics section out of habit. That's when my eye caught sight of the Essence counter.

Confession time: It's the first I've ever heard of this brand, but when I read user reviews, I found plenty of good comments to go around. The common thread that linked all those comments was about the affordability of the brand's quality products. Naturally, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Packed with goodies[/caption]

What item do I want to get? Aah... My million dollar question. I wasn't in the market for anything in particular, especially because I just bought myself a brand new haul last month. In fact, I had to pass on purchasing anything from the counter at MoA in February because I already felt like I had too much loot. So what didn't I have yet? Gel eyeliner, that's what!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] The Essence of it all in SM Makati[/caption]

What's fantastic is that Essence opened another makeup counter in SM Makati (and also SM Noth Edsa, according to the sales staff). Bliss! I was thrilled to find out that I didn't have to go all the way to MoA for my fix. With fingers crossed, I am waiting for a counter to appear in SM Megamall.

Because of an event I had to attend near Fort Bonifacio, I finally found the time to drop by SM Makati yesterday. Sweating like crazy from the commute, I breathlessly came up to the Essence sales staff to inquire about the eyeliner. (Those counter ladies were quite nice and really helpful.) I swatched some on the back of my hand and tested out some concealer as well. The initial results were good, but I'll save the full reviews for later.

Here's the "Mini Haul" I got:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="504"] A 3-item mini haul totalling to PHP 487[/caption]

Gel Liner Brush (PHP 109), Stay Natural Concealer Pen in Soft Nude (PHP 149), and Gel Eyeliner in Midnight in Paris (PHP 229).

The price range is around PHP 80 - PHP 300, and most products are in the PHP 150 - PHP 250 zone. Drugstore prices that are particularly impressive for imported products. Plus, it's a good sign that I'm already plotting out my next purchase. (Next time I'm building a haul, I'm looking to try their Ready for Boarding Collection Lip and Cheek Cream in Beauty on Tour, a coral-pink shade that somehow reminds me of bright-looking Tarte blushes. That, and/or their Fruity Collection Blush Sorbet with its fine pearly pink shimmer and liquid-gel texture.)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Their newest collection[/caption]

From this visit alone (and from all the swatching I did), I can tell you that I generally like their products. The only items I found to be lacking were their lipsticks that came off as too lightly pigmented for my liking. Think Maybelline's Watershine Pure lipsticks, but less glossy. It took a lot of swipes to get the color to be well-defined, which makes me think of it as more like a heavily tinted lip balm than lipstick.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] SM Makati actually has 2 Essence counters. The other counter (one of the photos at the top) has the big vanity mirror.[/caption]

How I wish this brand was here when I was still in high school! I would've been all over this like crazy. It's cheaper than Maybelline and they've got a good variety of cosmetics going on, in addition to having shades that range from bold to teen-friendly (i.e. light, subtle colors). Moms, if you've got teen daughters who are only just getting into makeup, get them age-appropriate cosmetics like these--though I'm not saying that older ladies can't pull off this brand. Essence may be packaged a la girly-girl, but I'm willing to bet there's something each lady will love.