I have a love/hate relationship with SM Aura. I hate that the food choices are limited (as are seats during the weekend) and that the cinemas are almost always full. Seriously what's the point of having an IMAX theater near me when it's fully booked most of the time? I love the SM Store - so many well-curated items in there - but it's also limited. 

Still, the shopping at SM Aura blows High Street, Serendra, and Market! Market! out of the water. Before I would need to go to Makati to shop at stores like Forever 21, Uniqlo, Miss Selfridge, and Bershka. Now all that is 10 minutes away! I also love Suite Blanco (it's like a much cheaper Zara) and L'Indochine. 

Aside from clothes though, beauty shopping at SM Aura is also leveling up. The SM Beauty and Watsons there have excellent drugstore selections, but I love that MAC is also now available in the mall.

It's a huuuuge store, bigger than the one in Rockwell I think. It's all gleaming black surfaces and bright lights, as if you're in a real studio. The latest collections are also available there - check out these palettes!

The MAC Illustrated Ccllection by Rebecca Moses features limited edition kits and palettes. The palette containing the blush, four eyeshadows, and two lip colors retail for about P3,000. Not bad!

Here are more photos from the event!

I was trawling Mall of Asia yesterday with my mom when I saw a stall I have never seen before. I asked the sales lady when it arrived and she said it's been there since February 16! The brand website doesn't offer much information, but it's pretty obvious that the products are targeted towards tweens and teenagers (Justin Beiber for the win!).

Presenting, essence, a drugstore cosmetics brand from Germany. It's now in the Philippines!

The enormous display drew me in but the prices kinda blew my mind. Most of the items were being sold for under P250, with the cheapest going for as low as P79 a piece. Not bad eh? I swatched a few products and found them okay for the price. Not too bad but not "omg gotta have this" good (at that time).

Eyeshadow singles for P119

Don't you just love how Manila is fast-becoming a world-class shopping mecca? All the best brands are finally arriving in our shoes, and the latest to join the growing list is Japanese casual fashion brand UNIQLO. It's definitely something Pinoys will love because we're very much into laidback basics.

SM, who recently brought Forever21 to Manila, will also carry UNIQLO. It's slated to open come early 2012 so that's something to look forward to next year! The good news is that judging by the pricing of F2, it's reasonable to speculate that UNIQLO pieces will still remain affordable.

Vogue Concepts brought us Promod and Yves Rocher from France, Parfois from Portugal, and Flojos from California. But they're not stopping there! Early this September, they brought in one of London's hottest stores called Peacocks. The fast-fashion brand is London's version of the US's Forever 21, with the goal of translating catwalk trends to wearable retail. 

Here's the lookbook-esque catalogue they rolled out for us (you must look at it from beginning to end, there are so many neat inspirations!)

It’s been only a little over a month since I’ve walked into Promod and Parfois, but I’m pleased to see that both brands have so many new stuff to ogle at! I visited their SM Southmall home this time. Speaking of SM Southmall, I noticed that it’s still being renovated, but I noticed that the look and feel of the place has brightened up since last I’ve been there. Can’t wait to see its new look!

Aside from the new interiors, SM Southmall has also been bringing in more trendy brands. I spotted Cache Cache, All Flip Flops, Charles & Keith, Terranova, and La Senza among the usual local names. Promod and Parfois, two of the most trendy yet sophisticated brands in retail right now, are heading the pack. Here are my top picks!

Promod is already raring for fall. Their latest collections have two color stories: on one hand, they have woodsy tan mixed with rich hues like blue, orange, and burnt pastels. On the other hand, the brand features a stark black and red palette for the corporate woman. 

Warning: lots of photos after the cut!

I’m very happy to observe that as Filipinas are starting to step up their style chops, malls are also keeping up! I’m sure you’ve already observed the influx of amazing items in SM malls in the past year or so - from shoes, accessories, to clothes, the previously “outdated” mall chain has risen up to become one of the country’s most fashionable places to shop in. 

SM malls in the main Manila area have reinvented themselves, but the South will not be ignored. Before, stylish Southerners in the Las Pinas and Alabang area may be obliged to make a trip to Makati or Ortigas to get dibs on the latest fashion pieces. Now, SM Southmall can be your one-stop shop in the South for the best fashion finds.

SM Southmall recently held a fashion show to showcase some of its most stylish brands. Promod, Parfois, Accessorize, and All Flip Flops were some of the names that took part in the event. Models donned the latest collections from these brands and strutted their stuff on the catwalk.

This girl is totally rocking The Promod Clogs That Got Away. Huhu.

SM Accessories recently released their latest collection called City Safari. It brings out the urban warrior in each of us as it features sumptuous, ornate gold pieces inlaid with bright beads and adorned with fringes reminiscent of bygone civilizations that rose from the dusty steppes. 

I can't wait to check these out in person! I'm liking that necklace with turquoise beads and the gold cuff made out of twisted wire. What caight your eye?

I was in SM Bacoor with my mom yesterday. I wasn't particularly intent on buying jewelry, until I saw these NACCARA Pearls in the department store!

These earrings were the first thing that caught my eye. I'm not particularly fond of earrings, but I really love how delicate this pair looked, with its tiny majorica pearls and inset stones.

Heads up! SM Manila is having a grand accessories sale today. The event is called RED SALE. It will be held at the upper ground floor of SM Manila, today until June 26. Fashionable items for men and ladies are up to 50% off and as low as P50. There are handbags, scarves, necklaces, and other pieces on the racks. It's excellent time to stock up on scarves and hats now that the rainy season is here!

You should definitely visit if you're in the area. Check out the items on sale after the jump!

You guys know that I love the cheap yet utterly trendy accessories that can be found in SM Department Stores. I've bought, oh, so many hats and little trinkets in the past few years, many I didn't get to blog about. So when SM invited me to the media launch of their accessory department, I braved the strong rains just to get to One Esplanade that wet and traffic-heavy night.

The fashion show featuring SM's latest and upcoming accessories was nothing short of a spectacle. Top models like Ria Bolivar walked the runway, as well as celebrities like Bianca Valerio, Tim Yap, Chesca Garcia, and Mariel Rodriguez.

Here are some photos (and at the end are the accessories I picked in SM).

Ria Bolivar

I haven't bought accessories in, oh boy, months. So when I was in Mall of Asia the other day, I can't help but get these super cheap (but gorgeous!) goodies:

I think I only spent P620 for all of this. The oversized flower clip is only P150, while the animal print clip is just P150. The faux beaten gold and turquoise necklace is P350. Not bad eh?