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.

When I need really cheap makeup for some Halloween look I want to achieve that year, or when I just…read moreget the urge to paint my nails, I go the Hortaleza beauty supplies shop across Farmers Plaza in Cubao. The area isn't the most hospitable to most, but if you've been around the area long enough you get used to the smell of the wet market, the trucks that rumble through the road beside it, and the number of passersby who are always on this sidewalk. Inside the store itself it's quite calm and somewhat orderly: their glass counters surround you and everything you need to see is on the walls and in the displays before you--you just need to ask the ladies who staff the place to get them. It can be a little competitive sometimes when there are lolas and titas of Manila vying for their attention, but that's when you get to practice your assertiveness and charm. Again, these are all cheap cosmetics and beauty supplies, mind you. You probably won't find any classy mineral foundation here, but if you just need to look a little dead gray in the face and a little purple on the nails for a theme party, Hortaleza is all you need.

Lush is a foreign brand that sells beauty and cosmetic items, gourmet cosmetic and beauty items to…read morebe more precise. They don't sell make up, so far as I can tell, instead what they sell are special soaps. They're allegedly gourmet soaps. I'm not entirely sure what makes them gourmet or what makes them better than other soaps though since I've never actually tried them for myself. What I am sure off though is that most of their products give off a really strong scent. I mean, I was a few feet away from the entrance of their door when I my nose picked up on an explosion of different scents. I even tried one of their unisex perfumes. It was actually quite good, at least that's what a lady friend from law school told me. Drop by and give this place a try if you're looking for soaps that would double as a cologne or something since I think that's what they're really trying to do.

Tucked away in the innermost crevices of the second floor of Shopwise Cubao is Fragrance Factory…read more Passing by its posters near the walkalators, you'd hardly notice it walking through the Shopwise-SM bridgeway, and would unlikely bother to even really give the place a look, but it does have hidden gems for the more astute shopper. If you have the chutzpah to make your own scents or cologne, then surely this is a place you should visit. They have all the necessary ingredients for you to concoct your own fragrance (or approximate those of more recognizable brands ;) ) to use in perfume, hand sanitizers or whatever else you can come up with, to give as presents or giveaways. But to those who don't have such lofty goals, they have stuff like liquid dispensers or spray bottles that have their own everyday purposes, or essential oils to use for your own linen spray, diffusers, or air fresheners.

I love makeup, but I hate clogging my pores and aging my skin. Thanks to Snoe, I don't have to…read moreworry about bad chemicals at all! Their cosmetic and skincare products contain no harmful chemicals, and tons of beneficial ones, which makes it incredibly easy for me to not stress over my skin whenever I need to put on makeup. None of their products have caused any detriments to my face at all! Not acne, not darkening, not anything. Whoopee! My holy grail Snoe products include: 1) Their translucent HD Poudre Phenomenon, which gives me a lovely matte finish, keeps my makeup on all day, and has one of my favorite skin ingredients witch hazel in it, and 2) Their Rouge Deluxe Complete Lip Care lipsticks, which contain Argan Oil, Vitamin E, shea butter and other antioxidants. Please do your face game a favor and get the shades Vintage Rose and Mauve Movement. Vintage Rose is the BEST and most natural My-Lips-But-Better dusty pink ever, and Mauve Movement is a very charing and also quite natural baby pink. I swipe both on almost everyday. They're super pigmented, moisturizing, As the cherry on top of it all, the packaging is adorable and the prices are affordable.

I absolutely love shopping here because Pearl is amazing at her job. Such a cute store to splurge…read moreon great skincare products or quality makeup! All their product names and packaging should be awarded as the most creative beauty brand. My ultimate fave is their It's Oat K Foaming Oil Cleanser which is better than any expensive brand I've tried. As for the scents, they keep adding a lot of yummy smelling spritzes- like Cranberry Pie or Candy Sprinkles. Love them both! For makeup, my HG eyebrow gel is their shade in ochre. 100% dupe of MUFE!

The first great thing about Benefit Cosmetics is their interior: vintage, retro, modern girly,…read morechic, Hollywoody...all at the same time! You'll notice their pink-themed store, but what's inside those shelves are just as important and of quality. They offer basically all cosmetics products, foundations, eyeliners, eyebrow pencils, concealers, BB creams, etc. However, what sets them apart are their organic products for different needs: saggy eyes, fine lines, dark circles, blemishes, etc. I recommend this dream screen product, not only because of its beautiful bottle, but because it's thrifty to use and quite effective. I'll also say go for their "pore-fessional" products, especially if you wish those pores closed! Lastly, their staff is very kind! Very accommodating, helpful and always projects happily.

From the owner: Boutique and BrowBar specializing in instant beauty solutions and brow wax services.read more

Here's why Happy Skin is an awesome brand--it's home grown. With model, mom, muse, and gorgeous…read moreperson all around Rissa Mananquil-Trillo behind the brand, it's easy to see why her brand of cosmetics feels good seeing them on the stands and on your face. To begin with, their packaging is totally cute and any girl will instantly fall for it, even if you don't want to admit it. And their product lines have even cuter names. My favorite product is their moisturizing lippie that goes by the name Shut Up and Kiss Me in "Just Married" even if that's a far away ideal for me (LOL). In any case, it's a great pink color even on my morena skin. Their products don't require a makeup certificate because they're super easy to use, which means you can also take them with you to create makeup looks on the fly. A feel good brand, by a feel good lady, I don't think there's any reason not to like this brand!

Finally, a home grown brand of cosmetics that caters to our skin! A full line of makeup, Happy Skin…read moreis definitely not just another cult brand. It promises fuss-free, easy to use products that compliments any skin tone. Their cute packaging goes well with their products which are named cleverly like "Shut Up And Kiss Me" lippies (which I personally love and considering of starting a collection myself) to their "Don't Get Mad, Get Even" foundation and much more! You will surely fall in love with this brand like I did. As mentioned, I highly recommend their Shut Up And Kiss Me lippies. These moisturizing lippies comes in a variety of shades, you'll find the perfect shade of nude, pink and even the perfect shade of red for your skin tone! For reference, I am a MAC NC35, and most, if not all shades suit me well! My favourite MLBB (my lips but better) shade would be the "Crushing On You" which is a pretty mauve color, it's safe to wear everyday. I can't wait to purchase more products from Happy Skin!

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.