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.

Alone Time

My good friend Kitten and I were supposed to go out yesterday but she had some unexpected things come up. I needed to buy some stuff as I am packing for a trip and so I went alone. I actually enjoy going out alone as much as going out with girlfriends or MB. It gives me a chance to eat whatever I like to eat and explore new restos. It’s also nice to take my time when shopping. After paying my bills, I had a late lunch at Toast Box: I love Hainanese Chicken. I sometimes cook this dish but it’s too tedious so I settle for eating out. I’m so happy that there are now restaurants that serve proper Hainanese Chicken. Well, except that one above was sooooo bloody. It was swimming in blood when I pulled the meat apart so I had it changed. You know what Gordon Ramsay says, bloody chicken is poisonous. This is the second time I ate at Toast Box and in both times, the chicken was so bloody. After lunch, I started shopping. First stop was Beabi where I bought these: The Sakura thermos on...

Soft Luxe Travels: Day 1 - The Journey to Vigan Part 1

In this post, we will start our journey to Vigan! The Night Before After packing our things, I did a few things for myself to help me relax and decompress so that I can sleep. I'm a night owl and not used to waking up early nor sleeping early, so I have to be strategic. I painted my nails that night after all my chores, so that the nail polish wouldn't chip. However, I forgot that I needed to make pressed sandwiches for our breakfast the following day! Because really, what’s a road trip mom without freshly painted nails and a last-minute kitchen hustle? 😂 So, I had to do a lot of washing and hoped for the best that my nail polish will not chip! Luncheon meat, eggs, Kewpie Trust me, it tastes better than it sounds at 11 PM while trying not to chip your polish. That night, we also tried the Ube Halaya from Amira's. This was from our trip to Tagaytay . I'll try to make a review of this on my food blog . With everything prepped, I finally let myself drift off—half excit...

Holiday State of Mind

Sometimes, a quick escape is all it takes to reset the spirit. Tagaytay always gives me that holiday state of mind… Even a short drive can feel like a retreat when your heart is ready to embrace rest. My son successfully finished his recital last Sunday and as a reward, my sister treated us to Tagaytay yesterday. Getting Ready for the Trip I decided to use my BYS Golden Hour Palette for today's look. Makeup, for me, is part of the ritual—it sets the tone that today is special. Here are the swatches: From top to bottom: Polaroid, Candid, Aperture, In Focus, Portrait, Panoramic In Focus is slightly wet, like something between a liquid and cream eyeshadow. The color is gorgeous! I love Panoramic, too! Polaroid is a bit chalky and not as pigmented as the shadows in the Queen Bee Palette. Here are the face shades: Highlighter: Illumination Contour: Ambiance I haven't tried Illumination yet, only Ambiance. I used it on top of my BYS Bronzer. It's a buildable powder, a littl...

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