Uniqlo is now one of my favorite brands. When I say brands I do mean brands and not just clothing…read morein particular. I mean, I love the fact that Uniqlo sells high quality stuff at extremely low prices. They make the expensive stuff very affordable. Uniqlo gives people what they're really looking for, value. Price is what we pay for. It's the money that leaves our pocket or wallet. Value is what we in turn receive and Uniqlo gives it in spades. I mean, damn, some of their products are made from supima cotton. It's some of the best fabrics on the planet. I'm no expert, but the fact that they're able to sell it at such a low price point is amazing to say the least. I walk into Uniqlo with a few thousand pesos and walk out rich in clothes. They have almost anything I could possibly be looking for. The fun thing about Uniqlo is that it's always like this massive store that feels more like a grocery store than a clothing store. You'll here someone say something over the mic about a special discount or what not. The Uniqlo in SM is by far my favorite since it's the biggest one among the lot.

Uniqlo is probably my favorite clothing brand right now. It's simple and minimalistic, with the…read morebasics that get you through every day in style. Their jeans are so comfortable and it's great how they're so stretchy. Also, their tees are great! The recent collections of their graphic tees include Star Wars, American Movie Characters, Pixar, and a whole lot of other neat, sleek designs. Their shirts really get you to breathe comfortably, and the cloth just feels so good that I even wear the nice shirts at home! Also, one of the more popular choices in Uniqlo for the college males are the Easy Shorts, and with all those different colors to choose from, it's not hard to see why we like to hoard as many as we can and wear them every day. They're just so comfy! Uniqlo is priced awfully okay for an international brand, and there are always some items on sale. Something completely underrated in Uniqlo: the socks. They're so cute, and some of the nice designs go as low as P90 per pair when they're on sale! They're such a steal.

I'm not very particular with the kind of comb I use because I'm blessed with thick hair and healthy…read morescalp. In fact, I still carry on my back pocket the cheap local brand of fine tooth comb that my dad gave me when I was still a teenager. But the case is different with my niece. She has extremely thin hair and quite a sensitive scalp to boot. No wonder she didn't like to have her hair combed. While prowling the shops in SM Megamall, I came across Hua Mulan, a kiosk selling high-quality handcrafted combs made from horn and wood. I inquired about their products and the staff at the counter told me about wood comb being gentle on the scalp. It helps prevent hair fall and is easy to use. Since the items at Hua Mulan are quite expensive, averaging around PHP 400.00 - PHP 500.00 each, I told the staff that I would return for a refund if the comb I bought didn't help with my niece's problem. The staff half-jokingly said yes. I actually went back to the kiosk after a few days, not to return the comb I bought for my niece but to buy three more as gifts for my sister, my mom, and my aunt who all had sensitive scalps.

Trusted pre order shop in Manila. I buy a lot off of Amazon and they will ship it for you. Plus…read morethey've got friendly staff

Don't mock the name! I have to be honest, when I first came across them, I doubted them because of…read morethe name but I was only buying a box of Twinkies, they can't really do much damage now can they? This was when Hostess and their products weren't available at SnR yet. We would pre order, pay half of the amount and then wait about a week or two for it to get here. At first they only had a couple of Hostess products, those spreads that people went cray over and some shoes like only a limited number and the pre picked size and kind. Since then I've built a relationship with Gr8tshops and they're one of the few online shippers you can trust. I say this because I'm a hard customer to please. I'm one of those who needs constant updates and proof of whatever. They send a screenshot of the online transaction (of what you ordered), pictures when it's arrived on their bodega and text you updates on when it might arrive. They did all that without me having to ask 'em to and that's some customer service right there. You can either have it shipped to your place, go to one of the meet up places or pick it up at the bodega in Cubao. We also had this instance where we ordered something from the U.S. and it arrived at their bodega a little damaged, the shoes had some sort of stain, upon closer examination. They could've sent the item and claim that it wasn't their job to return it but they did and when the new item came, it had a similar stain. By that point they offered to refund our money and send back the shoes but it was fine because the stain was barely visible and we really liked the shoes! You can be confident that you're in good hands with Gr8tshops!

Roots is an avenue for the locally owned businesses to sell their products (food, clothing, drinks,…read moreetc.). They also have a small coffee shop called MAD coffee (they sell locally produced beans from around PH as well). I went here a couple of times to study for my exam, but the work space here seems better for those who have small-scale businesses or those who prefer to work in a more collaborative environment. The first three hours of use for the workspace is free, but there is a rate for staying longer. I would definitely come back here to buy locally produced goods (especially Nipa Brew beer and Hiraya chocolates from Davao) and maybe stay for a while to get a good cup of coffee. :)

This is one of the few online shopping and shipping company that I trust with my $$$. Now, it took…read moreme a while to order at US2MNL because of their long list of requirement but they only need that to make sure they're ordering the right product in your behalf. At that time they only had one shipping option in which you'd have to wait about 2 months before your package arrives. I know that might not seem like much time but for someone who has internet trust issues, that's super long. For example, you order something that's worth 10k, you'd have to pay about half that which is 5k and wait for two months to know if your order's coming or if you've been duped 5k. Thankfully there were a lot of good reviews on their page already and I was sort of at ease because I think they had an idea on what I was going through. I was messaged the moment my order arrive and I picked it up hassle free. You could also opt to have it shipped to your location but their bodega was near where I was at that time. You can be sure about US2MNL and know that your orders are safe. Oh and they have air freight now which arrives in half the time!

I discovered Sexy White Shirt by chance. I read a feature on it online and I thought, oh hey, cool,…read moreI love sexy white shirts anyway so why not give this brand a shot? I went on their website, put in an order, and I received my white shirts within the next two days! Awesome. I was impressed with the stellar customer service. There are plenty of options available style-wise (round neck and v-neck) and even other colors so that's great. I went for the white V-neck cotton shirt with and without the pocket just cause I like to keep things simple. They're pretty great and as their tagline says, sexy, modern and versatile.

Earth Green Shop offers variety of natural products that many people will love. They offer rosemary…read moreessential oil, tea tree essential oil, black seed oil, peppermint oil, castor oil and other essential oils that you use for your DIY personal care products or projects. It's located in CUBAO EXPO, Unit 22, so, it's easy to find it within the busy city of Quezon. Also, they're open from Mon-Sat at 12nn-7pm and on Sundays at 1:30-7pm.

Formerly known as the Geo Shop, Earth Green is easily one of my favorite shops in Cubao Expo…read morebecause it revolves around the concept of natural healing and organic products. All of their items on display and for sale are sourced locally from all around the Philippines incluidng honey from Benguet and oils from various provinces. The prices are affordable too and I would come in and buy an occasional bag of tofu chips for less than Php40 while checking out everything on the shelves. The shopkeep/ owner is nice too and will entertain all of your queries, no matter how meager and dumb. I usually buy my box of Victoria natural laundry soap here so I don't have to hand wash my kid's clothes with Perla every night. Although even after buying Victoria, my mom still forces me to hand wash my kid's clothes but with the Victoria soap powder this time.

I don't know why, but my wife has a love affair with Bath & Bodyworks' hand sanitizers. She has a…read morepile of these things at home and every time she has extra money, she buys one or two more bottles at Vitamix, located at the second floor of Glorietta. Sometimes, when I head to my favorite comicbook place, she would ask to be left at the kiosk to take a look if they have new stocks of her favorite Warm Vanilla hand sanitizer. I understand her tendency to hoard these things because she does not only use them but she also gives them as gifts to family and friends. Just the other day, she again asked me to buy a couple of hand sanitizers from Vitamix. When I went there, I realized that the kiosk doesn't only sell hand sanitizers. They actually have other Bath & Bodyworks items such as lotions, colognes, and hand soaps. The funny thing is all these beauty products aren't even their main business. I didn't notice it before, but their bread and butter items are actually imported herbal supplements and multivitamins. Now I know why they are called Vitamix.

I went with a friend of mine once in this place called Vitamix because my friend wanted to get a…read morespecial kind of supplement he needs to take alongside with him constantly working out. I got dragged to go here and well in this place you will see a long of products that are of herbal foundation (meaning they are all healthy herbal supplements). They are definitely all imported products and for the ones who go here regularly it is not pricey but for someone like me, I found it to be pricey. As from the herbal supplements, I notice they have a lot of Bath and Bodyworks products like body sprays, hand sanitizers, hand soaps and lotions. If I went here during my phase of hoarding Bath and Bodyworks products (years ago), this place would be my best friend! You know what I find a bit weird? They have bread and butter products which is so far from the beauty and healthy products! Overall though, this place could help you especially if you are into herbal medications.

Quirks Novelties & Curiosities is an interesting store to say the least. They have all sorts of…read moreknickknacks that you didn't think you wanted or needed but now that's right in front of you, you're frothing at the mouth for it. Their products are nothing more but simple things, but jazzed up in a way that makes it quirky and interesting. One of the best examples I can think of (and one I really want) is the scratch off world map they sell. It's basically a matte black world map with a gold foil overlay. The idea is for you to scratch off the places you've been to, one country at a time. Quite an interesting conversation piece when hung at home, wouldn't you agree? One weakness I see with Quirks is that with all their products, nothing is vital. What happens is that people, including me, just go inside and ooh and aah without buying anything. Though I have to admit, that map sure is tempting.

As the name suggests, everything you find at Quirks is simply quirky, novelty, and entertaining. It…read moreoffers products that take ordinary things designed in such unique ways that make decorating and gifting even more fun. It's difficult seeing the line between knowing what you need and what you want in this store because most of the products have actual practical use, but the appearance is so deceptive as though they are merely toys to play with. It's always fun browsing products at Quirks. My favorite item? The scratch world map!