Philosophy at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall

My sister told me about the Philosophy Help Me Retinol Cream in one of our Facetime convos, and when I did some research last week, I discovered that only the Beauty Bar carries the brand in the Philippines. I thought about ordering online but the nightmare of having to claim them at Phil Post stopped me. Philosophy is a US brand.

Then as if by some twist of fate, I learned that Philosophy is opening its own shop in the new SM Megamall Fashion Hall that opened last January 27. Someone up there loves me!

I waited until the next day and dragged my brother to drive me to the new wing. We parked at Mega A Building so the access to the wing was easy, and the store was at the second floor. I was just too excited to see what else they were selling.

They have this really pretty installation at one corner of shop so I had to take a photo. Some girls that came in also took snapshots – proof that it was really eye-catching. It took all my willpower to just buy what I had earlier decided to but I couldn’t resist looking at each product.

I bought the Help Me Retinol cream which was really what I went there for. Retinol is actually the over-the-counter version of retinoid. Retinoid is a vitamin A derivative that unclogs pores, reduces fine lines and evens out discoloration. The first and most popular prescription retinoid recommended by dermatologists is tretinoin. I hate having to go to the dermatologist so knowing that Retinol is available, although you won’t see any immediate signs of progress before 12 weeks, is very appealing to me. I don’t really have any skin problems except that some darks spots on my nose and cheeks (which my husband insists are freckles) and the occasional breakouts on my forehead, and these (plus my sisters’ advice) have forced me to start paying attention. The only thing I had ever put on my face is sunblock. I remember my Mom buying these small amber bottles of tretinoin and would apply the product on her face to reduce melasma. Her face is almost flawless now but I remember trying it for kicks once in my 20s and it burnt like hell. That was probably why I disliked going to the derma. My grandmother, Mom’s mother, had really bad melasma and it really showed too because she was Spanish mestiza. Anyway, I hope this Help Me cream really does help me get ride of the brown spots.

I also bought the Amazing Grace fragrance that I had read so many positive reviews about. The other scents didn’t really appeal to

me – they were either too citrusy or too fruity. The Amazing Grace is a cologne and the scent is not too overpowering. I’ve been wearing it everyday since and the husband loves it.

They gifted my with a goody bag with some tubs of moisturizers, face serum and wash so that was really nice. I was also given a card that they would stamp on after every purchase, and every few stamps I am entitled to a free gift like a tub of 60ml facial wash. Not too bad.

I am definitely going back!

We dropped by a few shops like Vero Moda (which I didn’t know was on sale so it was a pleasant surprise when they knocked a few hundreds off the pair of pants I got) and Uniqlo. Only about 50% of the shops are open and more will come mid-year like the much anticipated H&M (3-storeys!), the Zara flagship store, and the Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan for their yummy dimsum. A fully-computerized bowling alley also opened, as well as an IMAX theater. With the addition of the new fashion hall, SM Megamall has reclaimed its title as the biggest mall in the Philippines.