Soft Luxe Travels: A Beauty Treasure Hunt at Vigan’s “Ancestral” Watsons

When you think of Watsons, you picture sleek, modern stores inside malls. But in Vigan, even Watsons steps back in time. My son aptly called it the “ancestral Watsons” — and honestly, I couldn’t agree more. Nestled inside a heritage-style building with whitewashed walls, arched doors, and capiz-inspired windows, it feels less like a typical beauty run and more like a cultural experience.

Walking through those doors, you still find your usual pharmacy staples and the signature Watsons layout and design.

I found a lot of interesting things there that I haven't seen in my local Watsons.

They have a lot of these FRESH makeup there. I have a FRESH makeup brush and I'm loving it!

Now these are interesting. I haven't seen them in Manila. Or maybe it's because I don't normally look at the Maybelline gondola. Maybelline lipsticks tend to dry out my lips plus they don't have much staying power. These are longwear, though and kinda scare me. 😆

I have not seen these BYS Decoded products!

This is the first time I've seen this brand! The Twilight Hues is pretty. A day to night palette.

This is another brand that's new to me, too. Has anyone tried this? Share your experience in the comments, please.

I don't use Kotex but I really like their colorful packaging. They always have something new from time to time.

Like this! It's Cinnamoroll!

How appropriate that this promo is at Watsons Calle Crisologo!

There's the kitty umbrella I got from Baguio

So many types of soothing gels. I asked my care provider if I could try one of these. He said no. 😆

Discovering More BYS

What really caught my eye was the BYS shelf:

I almost bought this palette but realized that I won't be able to use a few of the shades, plus I already have the golds and the champagnes in my other BYS palettes.

Yeah, these are beachy, bonfire party colors

BYS palettes are so fun! They remind me of Too Faced and Benefit palettes!

These colors would look gorgeous on you if you have fair skin.

These are totally wearable during the day, but I already have those shades, so I passed.

And this looks like an Urban Decay palette. This palette is great if you are a winter girl.

These BYS palettes are almost like rediscovering limited-edition gems hidden in plain sight. For makeup lovers, stumbling upon these finds in such a nostalgic setting felt like unearthing a beauty time capsule.

We bought a few necessities there, plus I found a surprise product that I can't wait to try and share with you, ladies! As I type this, I'm nursing a cold. So, I'm holding off on product testing until I'm 100%.

This was my Watsons Vigan tour. Looking back at these photos, I wish I had spent more time scrutinizing the shelves. There were so many skincare and makeup that were new to me! I guess Vigan Glow Girls are very serious about their skin and how they look.

Only in Vigan can a beauty run feel like a heritage tour. Stay tuned for Calle Crisologo Part 1.

Soul Notes: For Your Journal Tonight

Come sit with me for a while. I have my journal open, and tonight I’ve been thinking about something I suspect I do more often than I realize. I turn healing into another thing I need to accomplish. I want to know when I’ll be over something. When I’ll stop thinking about it. When something that hurt will finally stop hurting. When I’ll feel like myself again. And somewhere along the way, healing quietly becomes another deadline. Another invisible date on a calendar. Another thing I can somehow be late for. But maybe healing doesn’t work particularly well under project management. Maybe there are things I will understand quickly and things I’ll have to revisit again and again. Maybe I’ll feel completely fine one day and unexpectedly tender the next. That doesn’t mean I’ve gone backwards. It means I’m still moving through it. I remember one day, many years ago, when I had fibromyalgia. I lived in constant pain. I just couldn’t get a good day. And then one day, in the office...

Used to the Last Drop: The Ones I’d Already Told You About

There’s something particularly satisfying about finishing a product you’ve already written about. Not testing it. Not forming first impressions. Not wondering whether I’ll still like it three weeks from now. Finished. My Molang Honey sheet masks and this body scrub both made it all the way to the end. (Finally for the Molang sheet masks, right?) I’ve reviewed both before, so I won’t review them all over again here. But perhaps using something until there is nothing left to use is its own kind of review. Beauty products come through my bathroom rather frequently. Some are lovely for a week. Some get pushed to the back of a shelf. Some simply stop working for me. And then there are the ones that quietly disappear because I kept reaching for them. Maybe an empty container is the shortest review of all. I liked it enough to finish it. If you want to read my thought about these products, just type them on my search bar. —- With elegance and quiet fire, Lady E Founder, Glow by Lady E...

The Pleasure of Leaving It Behind

I really liked this dress. Enough that I stood there looking at it for far longer than necessary, having that familiar little debate with myself. It was black. Simple. Very me. I could already imagine how I would wear it. There was only one problem. The fabric was thick. And perhaps in another climate, or another version of my life, that wouldn’t matter very much. But I live in the Philippines. We’re going through El Niño. Heat and I are already not particularly good friends, and my histamine sensitivity has made me even less willing to wear something that might leave me uncomfortable simply because it looks good. Still, I stood there. Because sometimes walking away from something we like is strangely difficult, even when we already know it isn’t right for us. We start negotiating. Maybe I’ll only wear it indoors. Maybe the fabric isn’t that thick. Maybe I’ll regret leaving it behind. Then I realized I was trying awfully hard to convince myself to buy something my body had alrea...

Glow by Lady E

Search This Blog