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.

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.

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

Nature Republic caught my eye when I was looking for a gift for one of my friends. She, I have a…read morelot of lady friends, was the type who really took care of herself and really liked the organic stuff so I thought that going to a place called Nature Republic would be a good start. The place was as alien to me as video game stores are alien to my grandma. I didn't know what to get for her. Thankfully a nice sales lady approached me and began to ask what I was looking for. The store basically sells items that are all made from organic substances. I even recall that one of their products was made from a snail's shell or something. That said, once I learned that some of the stuff girls put on their skin or face could be made from the stuff that my nightmares were made of I decided then and there that I'd stick to the stuff I find in the grocery.

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 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.

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!