I had accidentally placed an order online noticing that their prices were double of what I could…read morefind on Amazon. I contacted them immediately to cancel my order and they refused to refund it to my original payment method and only to store credit even though the item was literally just purchased and no processing or shipping was done. I told them I'd refuse the package as well but they shipped it regardless. Extremely shady business practice.

This was the High End Mall, before all the other High End Malls appeared. And to this day, it…read moreretains a lot of the class and style that defined it as THE mall of choice of Manila's elite. Rustans is special because they were handpicking and curating the vendors and suppliers for a sensible, classy experience even before curation became a thing. And that's probably why Rustans has remained relevant. While other malls and department stores are content with featuring whoever and whatever, stepping inside Rustans was an experience in itself. If you had the scratch to spend on a place like this, you could step out of there in style. The men's section in particular gives you the whole "Manly and Classy" vibe that is just almost impossible to find nowadays. An amazing, amazing place.

I can't remember how many times I've been to the Landmark since I moved to Manila. I guess it was…read morethe first store my husband showed me. I remember that entering there was like a baptism, a début. I could almost hear the voice over: "Welcome, Danyella! This is the one and only Landmark! Here you'll find EVERYTHING you may need from now on. And for a cheaper price!". Did I say EVERYTHING? Yes, because that's exactly the feeling you have when you enter the Landmark. I just cannot decide where to look at. All products catch my attention. It's crazy. I'll give you a short list of what I already bought there, so you can feel the vibe: a Hello Kitty towel as a monito monita gift; a beautiful tea pot; maternity clothes; comfortable shoes; baby onesies; underwear; step ladders to reach high shelves; cute notebooks; toiletries; Instax instant film; scarfs; bags; a wallet; table linens and much more items. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the grocery. It's cheaper than Rustan's and even SM and you can find great variety. TIP: They sell Santis's meats and cold cuts at Landmark! I highly recommend it because of the quality. It's great to have this facility, so I don't have to split my grocery list anymore and go to Santis Deli at Rockwell.

So many cutesy butingting, so little room in the house…read more There is a section at the Landmark Department Store that can be considered a haven for hipsters - in that it features products that are shabby chic, and full of typography and graphic designed travel stuff. As you enter from the walkway that connects it to Greenbelt, you'll see the area on travel-inspired designs of notebooks and planners. And then there's the tin-can containers reminiscent of the things we used in the 80s as kids but the design is more English rose country and shabby chic. Still some of the home decor items are of prints and typography that would fit any room occupied by a hipster. Not that I'm a hipster, lol. But they are soooo cute!

When I want to buy local souvenirs, I usually go to Kultura Filipino or to Filipiniana. Both are…read morelocated in Makati, close to my place. And both offer all the traditional symbols of the Philippines - barong tagalogs, pinneaple fiber clothes and table runners, t-shirts, Mother Pearl picture frames, pearl and coral jewelry and so on. I particularly prefer Kultura Filipino, because I have the feeling it's better served. Actually I think the store is bigger. Anyway, I prefer it. But when I don't want to cross Glorietta to get to the SM building, I go to Filipiniana, inside The Landmark. I highly recommend it for those times you have to buy a gift for a foreigner friend or buy some souvenirs to your family when you go back home on vacations.

If you're a foreigner or balikbayan looking for authentic and inexpensive Filipino souvenirs and…read moregoods, you have to stop by the Filipiniana section of Landmark. The large section is dedication just for Filipino crafts, products and food and I love how you have so many options to choose from. I'm not a foreigner or a balikbayan and I'm not looking for souvenirs but I do love going around this section and buying things. I love being a Filipino and I'm certainly proud of our skills, talents, culture and food. In this part of the department store, you'll find any kind of souvenir you want. It's basically a one-stop-shop. You can find gorgeous handmade and local artisan crafted furniture, home accessories, jewelry, clothes, traditional costumes and even yummy Filipino food snacks like peanut brittle and the famous dried mangoes! I always bring my foreign friends and family members from the States to this store and they always buy so many things and come out of the store happy and satisfied.

You walk through the store and nobody will leave you alone. Until you get to customer service and…read morenobody wants to help you. A room full of people waiting to be helped, 4 people sitting behind the counter and only one of them working.

SM Department Stores has been renamed as SM Stores but they still stand for everything you need in…read morejust one place. The one in Megamall is one of the biggest and easiest to navigate. Each floor is designated to items catering to a particular gender or age group. They also have a floor just for home furnishings and appliances. I've lost count of how many times I've been in dire need of a gift item at the last minute and was saved by the SM Store in Megamall. They house almost all of the most famous and dependable brands be it for clothes, toys, footwear, beddings or appliances. It makes it easier to shop if the other brand is just a few steps away. You can browse and compare all the brands without breaking a sweat. They have a lot of fitting rooms so the only times when you have to wait for your turn to try out an outfit is if it is the holiday season or during a sale. And they have several weekend sales throughout the year with numerous items selling for up to just 50% of their original price. And like what I mentioned earlier, it's easy to navigate this huge store. It's basically just one large rectangle of shopping haven with several floors.

It is never a good idea to visit Metro Department Store (and Supermarket) in Taguig City during…read moreweekends or paydays because you will get lost in the throngs of people shopping here. In fact, just before the start of the school year, the place was too busy as shoppers try to get the best deals for school supplies, uniforms, shoes, bags, and other school essentials. The first level is allotted for men's fashion and accessories, beauty and health, and the Metro Jewelry sections. Women's fashion and shoes can be found at the second level, while the toys and kids' section is at the third floor. Furniture, décors, and other home essentials can be found on the fourth level. The fifth and last level is designated as the section for appliances and sports and fitness equipment. Aside from unbeatable prices for jewelry and home essentials, what I like about Metro Department store is their big and clean dressing or fitting rooms. Plus, with their Metro Rewards Card, you get rebates from the things you buy.

One, if not the most beloved SM branch in the country for me, is, SM Quiapo. It is actually one of…read morethe two Outlet Stores of SM. It is still one of the best kept secrets in Manila because its hidden in the streets of Quiapo and it's a haven for bargain hunters. Most, if not all, of the sale items in different SM stores that weren't bought are delivered here. From clothes to toys to appliances and even school supplies, SM Quiapo offers its clientele the orange to red tags, denoting that original prices are marked down. One of the nicest polo shirts I bought came from this store. Originally priced at Php799, I bought it for only Php250! A pair of running shorts and a gray undershirt cost me only Php 150. It packs a lot of people especially during weekends but come on an early morning weekday and the store has a few buyers. A tip for everyone: Learn to ask for the cheapest racks for clothes, anyway, you wouldn't go here if you are not looking for quality and cheap clothes.

For starters, I don't know why this place is called SM Department Store Quiapo when in fact it's…read morelocated in Sta Cruz, very near the Carriedo station of the LRT. Maybe Henry Sy prefers to keep it this way. The story of SM's growth from mere shoe store in the '60s to the biggest department store chain in the country begins near this branch. The original SM was located a few meters away but the building where it was located has seen better days. This SM is known as a clearance outlet and I've known for the longest time that it's one of the best places in town to buy imported chocolates. For several Christmases, I bought assorted chocolates here to give to my family, friends and office mates. A friend who worked briefly for SM tipped me off about this branch. He told me that some items were being sold below cost. Now what can be a bigger deal than that? In my latest visit, the bargain sweets were still there, and I hope they will be for as long as there's an SM. I've also bought small items here in the past and was not surprised that the prices are not too far off from the sidewalk vendors outside. Since the place is comfortably air-conditioned, it's also a nice place to cool off and shop at the same time. Of all the SM department stores inside their malls, this place definitely has the lowest prices. That's saying a lot because SM already has a reputation for having the best prices in town.

We bought some last minute pasolubong here…read more We decided to go to the SM , figured it would have everything , lots of variety. Which they do. We were on the 4th floor which is where they had their candies. As well as toys and kids clothing and some household stuff and Christmas decor. We were trying to find the cash register usually because they are near the exit but in this case it wasn't where I would have expected it. But whatever, eventually we found it near the escalator inside the store. Well the store was clean. SUPER BUSY maybe because it's only a few days till Christmas. But literally when we paid there were like 9 people behind the register counter for 3 registers. We were the only people in line. So yeah that was really fast service. Anyways , last minute pasolubong was overpriced but my bad on my end. The store overall looked very clean and organized. There's lots of workers to assist. Without even asking one employee retrieved a shopping cart for me . And another asking me for which size I needed when I was just perusing some kids t-shirts. I appreciated the attentiveness.

I think I just died and went to heaven! I absolutely love this store!…read more H&M, a well-known brand, already had me when they opened their first clothing store. They are right on trend with prices that don't break the bank. They also have basics and styles to suit almost anyone's taste. I just happened to walk by the giant store in SM and realized that there were pillows, curtains and candleholders in the window display. I looked up and saw "Home." I rushed in and didn't leave for an hour. If you're familiar with the American store Anthropologie, this is a carbon copy of it, at better prices. The home decor is mostly shabby chic with many distressed items with a cool retro vibe. They have old-fashioned handmade looking glass containers that can be used for whatever you think up, wooden crates with cracked paint and printed vintage logos, neutral woven rugs and pretty much anything else you could possibly need to dress up your home. Although the prices are not through the roof, they are not cheap. I had to resist buying everything in the store, but managed to walk away with a few throw pillows, some thick glass jars and a cute little wooden crate to put them in. I go by as often as I can just to see if there is anything new. If you need to spruce up your home, this is the place to go.

I was so happy when H&M opened a branch in SM Makati. Since I live close by to the mall, I don't…read morehave to haul myself all the way to SM Megamall to get my fix of the fast-fashion mega brand anymore. Each time I'm about to enter the store, I get giddy. I really don't know why. There's something about the gang of well-dressed mannequins by the entrance that gets me excited. The store itself is so humongous that sometimes, I actually get lost inside. And because it's so big, there's really something for everyone. They've got the basics, the trendy stuff, cool athletic wear, the fashion-forward pieces, menswear, kids wear, tons of accessories and even an earth-friendly line. Did I tell you how glad I was when H&M opened near my place?

Just the place to get some bargain knock offs! Yep, I'm cheap. Everyone's respectful and no one…read morepushes their stuff on to you. Just check them out and get only what you want.

Over the years, Tumblr users have skyrocketed. It's so popular that a lot of kids, teens and hip…read moreyuppies get inspiration from Tumblr blogs. May it be photography, quotes, memes, gifs, art, pop culture, style and most especially fashion. My friend actually introduced my sister and I to Fashion Market. After learning about it, we go there every time were at this mall. Fashion Market is split into 2 sides on the mall - the left and the right. I suggest going through all stores. It can take hours though, haha, but you won't regret it. They have every style and trend you'd typically see on Tumblr, fashion blogs, Youtube beauty channels and fashion week! Inside, you'll also find spas, salons, money changers and ATM's. The prices range from super inexpensive to normal clothing price rates. A lot of stores sell super hip shoes, clothes, hats, shades and even prom dresses and traditional Filipino costumes. Definitely check out these stores I frequent when you're there - (right side) Push Thru, Mastermind Chase and Muradito, (left side) Nava, Berca and Ballow. Happy shopping! :)