Home of Beauty Exclusives, better known as "HBC" is (correct and inform me if I'm wrong) the only…read morebeauty supply store in the Philippines. Think the ever famous Sally Beauty Supply Stores in the States and the UK. My friends and I LOVE to color our hair in different or wild colors. I've done silver, different shades of red and blonde and my friends and I have often bought bleaching supplies in HBC. I also love how the sales ladies really know the products when you ask them for advice and all products are very affordable. My only trouble about this branch is that the store moved and now it's just a small stall left. I still go here because it's the only branch nearest to me and the rest are too far. The have a lot of "free" services (when you purchase a particular beauty supply) in their stores like a diamond peel, facial, footspa, makeover, skin analysis and hair color application. I really wanted to try the hair color application (when you purchase a hair coloring set) but by the time I was going to, they already moved. Do check the site for branches if you have one near you.

Like Sally's Beauty Supply stores in the US, HBC carries a wide range of beauty products like hair…read morecolor, hair treatment solutions and other salon supplies. Because their products are mostly generic, salon-grade products rather than commercial consumer brands, you can get everything at much cheaper prices. Those who don't mind DIY beauty rituals at home will certainly find themselves spoiled for choices here. One of their more popular products are their hair dyes. As far as I could tell, they have three in-house line: the permanent regular, the low-ammonia range, and the crystal permanent. Each line has so many different shades and variations, but I did notice a lack of crazy colors like those sold by Manic Panic. A purchase of at least P300 entitles you to free services at selected stores, specifically free application of the products that you have bought. Most customers take advantage of this offer for free hair coloring application, which is a steal because even inexpensive salons charge about a thousand pesos for a simple dye job.

Criselda's sells a lot of perfumes and scents…read more Coming from the escalator in Shoppesville, you'll spot this shop right away. It's filled from floor to ceiling with different perfumes, colored bottles and some bins of vitamins. To save time and also so that you don't buy out the entire store, know before hand what perfume you want to buy. Better if you know the name, know how the bottle looks like and are kind of familiar with the scent. Don't be afraid to ask for a discount especially if you're buying a lot of perfume. The last time I bought perfume from this shop, Miss Guada helped me choose. I hope she's still there. Ask for her just in case.

One establishment in Guadalupe Nuevo that has withstood the test of time is the RB Hortaleza…read moreVaciador & Beauty Supply. I remember my grandmother asking me to bring our scissors and knives to this place when I was a teenager. Until now, our family still patronizes this place to have our garden tools, nail clippers, knives, and scissors sharpened. But I'm no longer the one in charge of bringing in such tools to the shop. The store is also a good place to have common types of house keys duplicated. Apart from tool sharpening and key duplication, Hortaleza sells hair and beauty products and accessories that are rarely seen in major malls and supermarkets. If you can't find a certain brand of whitening cream or soap in big stores, there's a big chance that you'll find what you're looking for here. I know that many beauty parlors in this side of Makati buy hair curling, coloring, straightening, and washing products from Hortaleza. Aside from hair products, they also sell tools and supplies used for manicure, pedicure, and spa services.

Hortaleza is a pretty popular beauty supply business all over the metro, hell, you can even find…read moretheir products in huge department stores! But this one particular branch is my favorite because of the following reasons: It's literally a few kembots away, it has cheap bleach tubs, AND it never fails to supply me with all my vanity needs, most especially those that I need for really fierce fashion shoots! I will also never find any other place that's accessible to me who sells very stylish and avant garde fake lashes for an affordable price! In fact, if you want a lash extension that can be seen from the next kanto, you can get it here for less than a hundred pesos. Oh, I cannot anymore stress over how much awesome the eyelash extension finds here, and I buy them in huge bulks, because the designs run out from time to time. I also want to mention that decent quality hair dyes are available here for less than 200 pesos. There are no vegan brands like Manic Panic though, but if you're not vegan, it's the place to get your dyes without even shelling so much. And they actually are not bad, even almost the same effect as expensive ones. Tried and tested, hunnies.

Hortaleza is a household name for people who work in the salon industry and women who are in a…read moreparticular budget when it comes to "kakikayan". It's a one-stop shop dedicated to affordable prettification. The first big reason to go here is if you'd like to purchase cheaper hair dyes and dyeing tools for DIY hair colouring. They have such a large and inexpensive collection of colours and brands. If you're looking for unconventional colours, I've seen purple, pink, and blue dyes here. Bleach can be bought inexpensively bought here as well. Though it's worth noting that if you are conscious and particular about excessive use of chemicals (which I am, a bit, and avoid animal testing) and are looking for more 'natural, organic' hair dye options, this won't be your place. The second reason to go here for is their wide selection of nail polish and nail cleaning tools. You'll go crazy with the colors and they're inexpensive to averagely-priced. Though personally I would not purchase make-up here as I'm afraid of the quality and ingredients. Also, they have a key duplication service! I had my keys duplicated here and they worked perfectly!

Thank God for places like Hortaleza! They've made it possible for anyone regardless of their…read moreeconomic standing to take care of themselves. I used to come here a lot back in college. I was living on a meager allowance and I couldn't afford to go to a salon. During that time, my friends had allowances that resembled pay checks while I on the other hand was living on P120 a day but I didn't let it stop me from trying to look good. So what I'd do is take a tricycle to Hortaleza and buy things like nail polish, bleach, hot oil and tweezers haha. Sometimes, I would buy hair dye and bring it to a cheap salon and pay just for labor. Being broke teaches you to be resourceful and my main source for beauty during those days are all from this place.

Since the past year, I've made the switch from commercial personal/body and household products into…read morenatural, organic (if possible) counterparts for many reasons. One, because I'm vegan, and I avoid purchasing anything that's been tested on animals. Another is for the environment, as I'm trying to reduce the waste I produce so I make sure that if it's possible to get this product with natural, non-harmful ingredients and placed in a recyclable, biodegradable packaging, then I go for that. Now that more and more people are wising up and getting themselves into using more natural products with less harmful chemicals, one-stop stores like Sesou make it so much easier for everyone to take all these conscious improvements to the next level. Sesou mostly carries local brands of personal care products that are high-quality, sourced naturally, and gentle on humans, animals, and the environment. Aside from personal care products, they also sell a few household cleaning products such as natural laundry detergent, dish cleaners, room sprays, and much more. Personally, I love buying my dog's soap here. It's called GIGA and it's an inexpensive, organic bath bar made of virgin coconut oil and it lathers up so well and takes away my dog's musky mutt smell even for a few hours.

It used to be so hard to get Nars Cosmetics here in Manila because they had no stand-alone store…read more When I saw that one was finally built in Glorietta 4, I was so happy! Finding a good matte lipstick that doesn't cake and dry up after just a few hours was quite a personal frustration. When I finally found it in Nars, I was so relieved. I really swear by their matte lipsticks. My personal count for their line of lipsticks is now at 5! And it looks like it's not stopping anytime soon, especially since they are finally available locally.

One of the newest branches of Beauty Bar, this specific branch at Central Square is absolutely…read morestunning! Its reminiscent of special concept stores in Paris, Berlin, London, and Milan. Great interior design and ambiance; all thanks to the German design group Blocher and Blocher. I very much enjoy going to any Beauty Bar store to replenish on my beauty and cosmetic supplies but I think this branch is my new favorite! With brands like Smashbox, StudioMakeup, Supergoop!, 11theBalm®, Urban Rituelle, Juice Beauty®, K-Palette, Koh Gen Do, Mineral Fusion, Modelco, Palladio, Prestige Cosmetics, Andrea, ARTDECO, Bloom Cosmetics, Burt's Bees®, Christian Faye, Fran Wilson, Happy Skin, Human Nature, JAPONESQUE®, YADAH, Salon Perfect®, Messy Bessy, and Human Heart Nature, you're guaranteed to find something to buy! Everything is well presented and the service is great. They also have a Dashing Diva nail salon inside and I must say that this is the nicest one that they have! Definitely a great venue to shop!

I had accidentally placed an order online noticing that their prices were double of what I could…read morefind on Amazon. I contacted them immediately to cancel my order and they refused to refund it to my original payment method and only to store credit even though the item was literally just purchased and no processing or shipping was done. I told them I'd refuse the package as well but they shipped it regardless. Extremely shady business practice

Their sales staff isn't very helpful. They don't even acknowledge your presence or ask if you need…read morehelp. It's like they don't want to work there.

A big store with a lot of merchandise. This is where I get…read moremy Oat Milk and Almond Milk from. A recent discovery is their ready to drink Kombucha.

I used to avoid Healthy Options stores because I've always had the impression that everything here…read moreis pricey (and even personally called it "Wealthy Options"--I am very lower middle class, if you should know). Generally speaking, this place can seriously break your bank. But to my surprise, *some* products here aren't really that expensive, and reasonably priced, considering the good quality of their products and how ridiculously hard it is to find some of them elsewhere. For health nuts, vegans/vegetarians/people on plant-based diets, clean eaters, and virtually anyone who would like to switch to a more natural lifestyle while minimising the amount of chemicals in their food, personal products and so on, this place is very, very helpful in making that way of living possible and very convenient. There are a couple of products I head here for, such as: - Daiya cheese (non-dairy, vegan brand of cheese. EXCELLENT on pizza!) - Bob's Red Mill products (mostly raw ingredients like flours, grains, oats, etc.) - Nutritional Yeast (Red Star or Bragg - So far this is the only place I know where these are available) - Almond milk, rice milk - Apple Cider Vinegar - Witch Hazel facial toner - Jason Vitamin E Oil (so fragrant, and does wonders on the skin!) - Aztec Indian Healing Clay (super cleans all the clogged gunk on your face!) - Alba Organics tinted lip gloss/balm (great colours!) And this particular branch is the biggest one I've been to so far. It's spacious, well-lit, and they even have shopping carts here! Healthy Options also has an organic farm (no surprise there!), and fresh produce are available here. I am amazed at the quality of their oyster mushrooms. They're SO beautiful, plump, and fresh! So yes. Healthy Options: Good for you. Bad for your wallet.

PCX has almost everything a girl (or boy) may need to feel pretty and happy. They've got all sorts…read moreof cosmetics from lipstick to eyeshadow to nail polish. They also have flat irons, bath soap, sunscreen, oil film and lotions. Like I said, everything a girl (or boy) might need. The thing that made me happy though is the fact that they have so many kinds of The Cream Factory's Bath Cream and Soap because it's my favorite. I suggest that you try it! They smell wonderful and they leave my skin smooth and refreshed. I'll be returning there for those!

It's a little tricky (but really fun) to be a girl. We love buying ourselves things to make us look…read moregood or feel good. The list is super long from clothes to shoes to make up and cosmetics. One of the most complete places I've been to for my cosmetic needs is PCX (Personal Care Exchange) in Power Plant. I love how they have everything you need and everything you think you need (even if you don't). They have a great selection of cosmetics and beauty products. They also carry a lot of imported items from make up to tampons (they always have stock!). I also come here for hair ties from Goody and OPI nail polish cause I know they have exactly what I'm looking for. If you ever need to restock your bathroom and your local grocery doesn't carry something, try PCX I'm almost sure they'll have it!