Cecilio Abad has been around for a while, but has only recently gained waves of new clients for…read morewedding entourage gowns. My girlfriend is part of a friend's entourage, and was asked to go to his store to get measured for her gown. I, of course, was assigned the role of her designated driver. We had a bit of difficulty looking for the place as they didn't have any notable signage outside. We got there at 9AM; the whole ride from her house to the place, I kept complaining about how it was too early to be up for a fitting on a Saturday morning. I really should learn that my girlfriend is always right. After around 5 minutes of getting inside, a parade of clients arrived. My girlfriend, being there early, was assisted first by the very friendly staff and they kept joking and talking her through her fitting. We were in and out in 20 minutes. My girlfriend was quite happy with her design and couldn't stop rubbing in my face, making sure that I knew that we needed to arrive early.

Being someone who loves weddings and used to write for a popular wedding website, Cecilio Abad has…read morebeen a name I have been hearing for the longest time. I've seen his work but I have never really seen him working in action. So I excitedly accompanied my mom to her first fitting for her gown for my sister's wedding. And yes, my mom was the only one who had a Cecilio Abad gown on. We treat her like a queen. Cecilio Abad's shop was very unassuming from the outside. Once inside, you'll soon realize how masterpieces are really made. 'Cecil' was on top of every little detail that is made inside his shop, he designs, cuts, tucks, stretches and sews himself. He is really the master of his pieces of art and I was amused by his work. My mom used to rave over and over again how comfortable his gowns were compared to other gowns she's used to wearing in the past Can't wait to have my own Cecilio Abad gown made.

Filipinos love barbeque! There's something about the smoky taste, the tender meat and the grill…read moremarks that just does it for us. It reminds us of fiestas in barrios, children's parties and chill night out with friends in carinderias. There's a widespread existence of restaurants that specialize in barbequed food but a lot of the people I know and in my opinion too, it's one of the best. The Reyes Barbeque recipes were perfected by a clan who loves to cook. They took time and effort to make the sauce, the cooking time and the flavoring right so it's no wonder how delicious their food are! They're known for combining their barbeques with Java rice which is served with atchara and their yummy peanut sauce. The chicken pork barbeque meal is a favorite as well as the grilled liempo and grilled pusit! You can find Reyes Barbeque restaurants in a lot of malls or stalls in food courts.

Manila has seen a steady stream of cool and stylish international fashion brands coming into the…read morelocal market and I am very happy about that! (Although my wallet may not be as ecstatic.) One of those brands in Stradivarius, which hails all the way from Barcelona, Spain. Whenever I enter Stradivarius in Glorietta, I always get a little bit confused - confused because I don't know which top, blouse, skirt or pant to grab first. I always find a whole lot to love amongst the different laid-black styles that the brand is well known for. Easy-breezy, unfussy clothing that's great for everyday is what Stradivarius is all about. Nowadays, since I'm much older and less susceptible to following every trend in the fashion book, I'm more inclined to choose the understated but still quite fashionable option. And I love how Stradivarius has got a ton of those kinds of options. Sure, they still have the more trendy stuff but it's balanced well with the unfussy, minimalist stuff that I love.

Holy hell, I can't believe I only discovered this store a few weeks ago. Like, where has this gem…read morebeen all my life? Stradivarius has a TON of great clothes that feel very bohemian and classy. Basically, if you want to emulate Vanessa Hudgens' Coachella style, go here. Something really important I noticed is that all the fabrics are very comfortable and soft. Other trendy stores *cough* F21 *cough* tend to have beautiful designs in itchy material, which is terrible for my super sensitive skin. No problems for my skin demands here! My major and only problem with this store is that some of the items are super overpriced. Would you spend over a thousand pesos on a tiny pair of floral shorts or a super thin, plain maxi dress? My sis and I decided no way. It's important to shop with a critical eye here and look for pieces that really give bang for your buck and would be hard to find. The bags and hats scattered around this big store are super cute. If I had the money, I'd snatch up more than a few of them. Also, there's this gorgeous leather jacket I was eyeing and will hopefully get on sale soon for a trip abroad. Need to get it on sale otherwise my wallet would cry.

Even when you're a few feet away from the store, you already know you're there-- your olfactory…read moresystems are going haywire because of the sheer mix of scents in the air. Was that raspberry? Lavender? Green tea? Coffee? All of them, would be the correct answer! I used to just ignore Lush while walking around MOA, because really, anything that smells that much might not be too good... but recently, I've been seeing these bath bombs around Tumblr and decided to give them a try-- and where else would they have it but in Lush? The staff at this branch are very helpful, and don't really offer you too much so that you're overwhelmed (and I dislike stores that try to sell as much as possible). They answered all my queries about the bath bombs and I finally got home to try out two of their scents. Let me tell you know that I've never experienced anything as magical as a lush bath bomb. (A trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is about the only one that tops it. And then again, that's Harry Potter.) As soon as I dropped the bomb in the water, I was treated to a sight of dizzying colors as the bomb spun out glitters and stars, coloring the waters blue, pink and yellow-- reminiscent of the starry night sky (as what it says on the tin). Believe me when I say that the moment I soaked into the tub, I've never felt more than a space-fairy-princess-out to conquer the world-- just as soon as I finish this lovely bath with melting exfoliating stars!

I LOVE LUSH!!! I usually go to their Glorietta branch because it's where my favorites are always…read moreavailable. You gotta try their amazing soaps and bath bombs to products like Buffy, Ro's Argan, Rub Rub Rub, Ocean Salt and their solid shampoo bars. It's a bit on the expensive side for bath products but believe me, you'll love it!!! Btw, they're temporarily located at 158 Designer Blvd. The staff in the MOA branch are very accommodating and helpful. Just don't be intimidated and ask questions so that they'll be able to guide you better.

Great selection of unique gifts from the Philippines. We found gifts for all our family members…read moreback in the states

One of the things I feel strongly about is saving the earth. His is mostly because, well, it's the…read moreonly place we can call home, right? This is one of the reasons why I like Papemelroti. They use recycled paper for all their paper products, from notebooks, calendars, scrapbooks, even extending to boxes and other décor. They also have home décor available that would definitely be a lovely addition to any country or shabby chic home. Aside from patterns as prints, they also have several items with themed illustrations such as birds, flowers, or even designs that are very Filipino such as jeepneys, tricycles, men and women in baro't saya, etcetera. I must admit that sometimes, I even go just to look around, mostly because there's so much beauty inside. There is a warmth to all of their products, even in the handmade trinkets and accessories. One of the owners' children, artist Robert Alejandro, paints and decorates the walls and even the ceilings of their stores, which makes just going around the store a delight.

I'm glad I came here for souvenirs before heading home. This store in the Mall of Asia (MOA) has…read moreFilipino food, art, clothing, history, and culture. It's thoughtfully designed and clean. I think it's valuable to visit a unique place like this as there's lots of rare finds. It was pretty busy. I had to maneuver around a lot of people while browsing. They had a lot of merch that I wanted but I knew I didn't have a lot of space in my luggage. When you check out, just know green shopping bags are sturdy and good quality. I regret buying the brown shopping bags. I noticed they smelled funny when I unpacked my luggage when I got home. I ended up recycling them. I wish I had more luggage space. I wish I had more time in this store. I guess it gives me a reason to come back here on my next vacation.

Bought a pair of 12.5 mm South Sea Pearls earrings and was charged $720 US dollars for an imperfect…read morepearl earring. They took advantage of the fact that I am in US purchasing the item. Even their website shows 15mm priced less for a round white pearl.

For want of a better name, everybody calls this place Quiapo ilalim. This is where all sorts of…read morehandicrafts can be found. You can tell that they are mostly handmade rather than machine made because the quality and sizes can be pretty uneven. Handicrafts from provinces near and far can be found here, including some beautiful capiz lamps, wind chimes, jewelry boxes and the like. This spot under the Quiapo bridge is very likely the cheapest place in all of Metro Manila to find these items, cheaper even than Divisoria. While some will debate this, at least in terms of convenience this place can't be beat. There are about a dozen or so stores here, with some stall owners only selling goods from their home province. Thus, a stall owner from Batangas will only sell Batangueno goods on the premise that his province is the best, and therefore create the best products. In fact, each province has its own specialties, whether in food or handicrafts. I am still partial to brooms made in Baguio, for instance. If you look at the handicrafts sold in the Filipiniana sections of the malls, you may or may not be surprised to find out that the exact same goods can be found here in Quiapo ilalim. Only the packaging is different. There's lots of good stuff here, so it's worth a visit if you have visitors from abroad.

One of the things I enjoyed was the different bath bombs that they had. They were very cute and…read morewhimsical. One of the store attendance was extremely nice and patient they offered to carry the items that we were selecting and put them in a basket. I would just ask that everyone of course be mindful of Their total. And pay accordingly.

Have I ever been more in love with skin care products? I think not…read more The hype is real! It took me ever so long to catch up, but I'm here now and I'm on their call list. Not that I need it because I go there twice a week. What I can recommend: Face Masks - Mask of Magnaminty & Cup O' Coffee Face Cleansers - Let the Good Times Roll, Herbalism and Dark Angels If you're a Lushie, then you know that their products don't last that long because it's all natural, so you can't really stock up. They have new stocks delivered fresh twice every week. There are more products that I want to try, and I'm hoping they'll have it in stock the next time I visit... or the next, or the next.