21st National Retail Conference (NRCE) and Stores Asia Expo happening this August 2012

SHOPPING - It's more fun in the Philippines.
21st NRCE on August 9-10.
Photo credit here.

SHOPPING. It's more fun in the Philippines!

Agree or disagree? Me? Well, I 100% agree! I don't know about you but I can attest that the shopping experience here in the Philippines is quite unique. From bangketas to tiangges; malls to boutiques - convenient shopping & bargain hunting is one of the reasons we all love to shop here right?  But don't just take my word for it. The 21st National Retail Conference (NRCE) and Stores Asia Expo will be highlighting all about this during the conference. 

The NRCE's theme for 2012 is centered on "Taking Customer Experience to New Heights" which is mainly inspired by the government's latest tourism campaign "It's More Fun in the Philippines." The 21st NRCE will be on August 9-10 and will be held at Function Rooms 2 & 3, SMX Convention Center beside Mall of Asia in Pasay City. More than 800 retail owners, suppliers, CEO's and top level executives of various companies are expected to be in attendance to learn more on strategies for driving growth and customer engagement so that shopping will definitely become more fun in the Philippines. 

The conference will be having two panel discussions per day. Click to check out the  conference program. One topic that really caught my interest was "Retail Entertainment: Creating a New Level of Customer Experience." For me, what causes me to buy a certain product is when I am able to touch, to see, to smell, or on some occasions to taste said product. As a consumer, this experience is a factor in decision making. So it would definitely be interesting to see how the retail industry would take us to this new level of customer experience.

Hopefully this National Retail Conference will lead to more improvements in the retail sector. I'm looking forward to retailers and service providers responding well to the feedback from their consumers and customers. I've experienced bad service before and it is frustrating when the company doesn't respond to a complaint. Tie ups with social networks have helped improved it already and hopefully more retailers will pick up on that. 

Anyway, to understand this better the next best thing you can do is actually check it out yourself at The Stores Asia Expo. I'm sure there will be interesting things at the strategically placed booths of various retailers and service providers at the The Stores Asia Expo. Interested? Click to check out the Stores Asia Expo Booth Layout. 

Here are the list of sponsors of the event:

PLDT Alpha Enterprise, SM Department Store, Hewlett Packard, Robinsons Malls, Araneta Center, Ayala Malls, Meralco, IBM Philippines, DHL Supply Chain Phils., Inc., Festival Supermall, Wilcon Depot, Celine, The Philippine Star, BusinessWorld, ABS CBN, Schutzen, Mobext, Inc., Crossover 105.1., Entrepreneur, Focalcast, Q Creatives, Cylix Technologies, Mediamagnet, Catalyst Media, Infinite Grafix, Travel Club, APL Logistics, Avolution, Live Media, Starmall and Bayantel. 

Or if you prefer, you can attend the conference and learn a whole lot more there in the event. Here are the rates as stated on the website:

Note:

To avail of the Early Bird Rate, check payment should be SENT to the PRA office (Unit 2610 Jollibee Plaza, Emerald Ave., Pasig City) OR DEPOSITED to PRA Acct.: Banco de Oro – SM Mega B Branch. S/A No. 2800-373-09 ( pls. Fax Deposit Slip w/ your Company Name to PRA). We regret that we cannot pick up checks. 

PLS. make checks payable to PHILIPPINE RETAILERS ASSOCIATION INC.

YOUR LEARNING INVESTMENT: (includes meals and kit bags, handouts)

PRA MEMBER 

EARLY BIRD (paid on or before July 15) - P 5,995.00 

REGULAR RATE (after July 15) -  P 6,995.00 

ON-SITE -  P 7.995.00 

NON-MEMBER 

EARLY BIRD (paid on or before July 15) -P 6,995.00

REGULAR RATE (after July 15) -  P 6,995.00 

ON-SITE -  P 8, 995.00

FOREIGN DELEGATES

EARLY BIRD (paid on or before July 15) -USD 170.00

REGULAR RATE (after July 15) - USD 200.00

ON-SITE -  USD 250.00

*School facutly (with meals)- Php 4,000
*Students (no meal)- Php 2,000
20 students registered per school- Free 1 faculty

Additional 5% discount for 5 or more participants from the same company. Cancellations received in writing at least 2 weeks before the event will be subject to 50% refund. Replacements are welcome but must be advised to the Secretariat at least 1 week before the conference. *Must provide copy of valid school id and faculty id upon registration to avail the special rate

So just follow these steps if you wish to attend the 21st NRCE conference and register online: 

1. Go to NRCE website and download the registration form which can be found here.
2. Fill up the registration form and complete payment procedures. 
3. Fax the registration form and deposit slip with company name (if applicable) to PRA at 636-0825 or scan and email at ebbs@philretailers.com / ncm_philretailers@yahoo.com.

For more information about the 21st NRCE visit http://www.nrceph.com. You may also contact the event organizers, the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) at 687-4180/4181 or 687-4985 or 0919-6481231. Fax them at 636-0825. You may email them at info@philretailers.com or ebbs@philretailers.com.

iLove The Body Shop Olive Oil Dry Oil Mist

The Body Shop's OLIVE OIL Dry Oil Mist
It's a spritz-on lightweight moisturisation with lustrous Community Trade organic olive oil.
For NORMAl/DRY Skin.

Its very rare for me to like oil mist sprays. I mean, seriously, with our tropical weather.. do I really need to be more oily? Haha. That was my first thoughts when I heard about The Body Shop's Olive Oil Dry Mist. Normally when you hear oil mist sprays, especially here in the Philippines, its not really a first option for one to buy. But then I heard from several people, one being JEN (shopgirljen.blogspot.com), who swears by it and has used this product even several years ago. 


So I got curious. What's the big deal about Olive Oil anyway? Yeah I know, you are probably wondering why a type of cooking ingredient is used for body "beautification". Plus wouldn't you end up smelling weird? Yep, those questions did swirl in my mind. I checked it out on the net and apparently Olive Oil is indeed an awesome moisturizer because it contains linoleic acid, a compound not made by the body, but which prevents water from evaporating. But reading about that doesn't really exactly show the effectiveness of Olive Oil as a Dry Oil Body Mist.So I had to "experience" it to be a believer in it! Its a good thing that I was able to get my hands on it thanks to one of The Body Shop events (which you can read in this post) because honestly I wasn't that motivated enough to pay around Php 700 plus on a small bottle of oil. So when I finally got my own Body Shop's Olive Oil Dry Oil Mist - I instantly fell in LOVE with it and swear by it! So here are my thoughts on this product.

Kaisensei Likes:

1. SMELL. Oh boy was I sooo wrong in my assumption that this olive oil would smell weird and funky. The Body Shop's Olive Oil Dry Oil Mist smells AWESOME. It has a light smell that does have a faint olive oil scent that we all know BUT reworked into a refreshing scent. The scent is NOT overpowering. But it hooks you  I swear! 100% of the people who has smelled this product on me swear that it smells sooo good and immediately ask what it is. Everyone gets surprised when they find out that it is Olive Oil. So yeah the scent is definitely a winner!

2. MOISTURIZER EFFECT. It is definitely what it says it is. It is LIGHTWEIGHT. The oil absorbs quickly! Plus it leaves your skin smooth and soft. For me, this worked soooo much better than all the lotions I have put on myself. One of my friends have noted that I do sometimes have rough dry skin. Especially my hands. But when I put it on, my hands are immediately soft and not dry and rough.

I was with my lola the other day and I showed it to her and spritzed some on her hands, arms, and elbows. She took one look at me and said that she wanted one. She said that the cool windy weather has made her skin rough and kinda scaly like (seriously!) so she was looking for a good product that would make her skin soft. The Body Shop Olive Oil Dry Oil Mist was indeed super effective! (comment pa ni Lola, mabangong mabango daw. Mabenta! hehe!)

It is NOT sticky. It doesn't make you feel oily (dry oil nga eh..). And the best time to put this on your body is immediately after you shower.



Kaisensei disLikes:

1. PRICE. Like I said earlier, I wasn't too thrilled to pay Php 795 (srp)  for a bottle of olive oil. But after experiencing the product, I tell you IT IS WORTH IT. It is my absolutely favorite body moisturizer. I use it more than my lotion. I have also been using mine for 3-4 months na and so far I still have more or less half of the 100 ml bottle left. If you still think its a bit expensive, you can check out The Body Shop counters during SALE season. I know they mark it down as low as 30% off. This bottle was sold during a sale period at P495. Not bad na diba?

2. PACKAGING. Well more specifically, it is a spritz. I guess for me, I want to make every single drop of the product count. So I really dislike spritzing it on my legs or arms coz some of the product doesn't land on me (sayang! hehe). To compromise, I spritz the product on my hand. Only then do I spread and rub it on myself. That's a Tipid Tip right there!

Kaisensei's Final Rate: 
10 out of 10! 




To make full use of your The Body Shop Olive Oil Dry Oil Mist, here are some interesting info about how Olive Oil can be used for your skin. (For more Olive Oil Health Benefits, check out this site for more info.)

1. SHAVE. It can be used as a safe and natural lubricant for a close shave.
2. EXFOLIATE. Especially for your face and hands - rub olive oil on your skin then scrub with sugar or coarse salt, then rinse.
3. SKIN SOFTENER & ANTI AGING MOISTURIZER. For soft and youthful hands, smooth generously on your hands before bed then wear cotton gloves.

i Love THE BODY SHOP's OLIVE OIL DRY OIL MIST!

So Coffeeholics! Have you tried out this product already? Or do you already have one? Or maybe you can recommend YOUR favorite body lotion or moisturizer? Don't forget to share share share!

Coffee Break - Kopiccino by Kopiko

 

The rainy season is definitely at full blast now. Especially last weekend, it has also been much much cooler. Which is why recently my coffee intake has slightly increased. Even though I do love coffee, I still control myself and limit myself to 2-3 cups a day. Anyway, I was at a "sari-sari" store near school when I saw this Kopiccino by Kopiko 3-in-1 coffee mix. I immediately perked up. They had this wonderful idea of finding a way in making instant "cappuccino." Admittedly it isn't as wonderful as the real thing but its a fine substitute that I'm willing to get my taste buds on especially at the very affordable price of Php 8. (It says 8 pesos at the package but the sari-sari store sold it for Php 9). 

For a more authentic "Kopiccino" feel, Kopiko included choco granules which you can sprinkle on the foam of your drink! Yes it is FROTHY and FOAMY! :) Hehehe. Its not too sweet. And di rin masyadong matapang. Its more like, if have the urge to try something different, Kopiko's Kopiccino is a must coz it lets you have a cappuccino experience. :)

Sorry it doesn't look enticing. But try it.. matutuwa ka! promise! hehe!

So yeah, I really wanna feature coffee related stuff din here on my blog. So if you have any suggestions on what kind of coffee I try next. I will be trying out Herbal Coffees and Teas as well so look forward to that. Hope you all have an awesome week! Mwah Mwah!

Snack Attack - Tong Garden Pumpkin Seeds

I'm craving for some Butong Kalabasa or better yet known as PUMPKIN SEEDS!
Tong Garden's Salted Pumpkin
"Superior Quality Fun Time Crunch! Fit 4 Active Lifestyle"

Hey Coffeeholics! It's been a while since I've posted about food and well I'd just like to share to you guys my latest Snack Addiction - Salted Pumpkin Seeds! Actually, last month I've been really hooked into Tong Garden's Salted Pumpkin Seeds, Salted Sunflower Seeds, and even the Paprika (hot and spicy!) version of these snacks.

PAPRIKA PUMPKIN
Hot and Spicy Pumpkin seeds

You know how addicting "butong pakwan or butong kalabasa" can be? Well this will definitely satisfy your craving! The best part of this snack is that all you have to do is just pop it in your mouth. Wala ng babalatan pa. :) Hehehe. Instant gratification. No more mess.

The Cartoon Pumpkin and Sun suddenly reminds me of Plants Vs. Zombies. hehehe!

PLUS, it comes in at a super affordable price which ranges from Php16 to Php25. It really depends on where you buy it. You can actually find it at Landmark groceries, Rustans, and even at SM. The sad news is that its not always available. I've been visiting Rustans Supermarket at Gateway to check if they still have it. My favorite of these Tong Garden "chicheria" snacks is the Salted Pumpkin Seeds which has been of late always out of stock. Naubos ata kasi I shared this snack to my friends and other people in school kaya ayan.. haha. naubos! I just hope they restock soon coz this is one of the "healthy" alternatives to junk food chips.  So Coffeholics, have any latest snack addiction? Or are you hooked on this as well? Don't forget to share share share! :)

Magnetic Nails at The Nail Xperts Spa

Hey Coffeeholics! I had an enjoyable pampering sessions with one of my best friends some time ago. She's my classmate and bff ever since I was elem and she is currently my co-teacher. Anyway, just recently she invited me to check out her favorite places to rest, relax, and pretty up at the Nail Xpert Spa. There are several Nail Xpert Spa branches so we visited the just opened branch at The Graceland Plaza, Sto. Nino, Marikina City.

I've always admired Naomi's nails. Especially the various nail polishes she uses. It always catches my attention and she would always refer back to this spa. So I really was curious when they invited me to visit their just opened store in Marikina. The Nail Xpert Spa is open for franchising and there are several stores around. But this particular store is owned and managed by Mrs. Eileen Lopez. She also owns two other Nail Xpert Spa branches - one at Vista Square, Vista Verde Cainta, Rizal and another at Rublou Plaza, Brookside Hills, Cainta, Rizal. Mrs. Lopez opened her very first Nail Xperts Spa at Vista Verde last 2010. A year after that, the Brookside branch was launched. And now this 2012, the Marikina branch opened. In all branches, my friend Naomi was their customer during the first day of each branch opening. Yes she's that loyal! hehe. One of the great things about their spa is not only their services but their friendly staff. I don't know about you but for me to go back to a store for a certain service, the rapport that I have with the staff is one major factor for me. 

The salon is quite roomy and has several couches to make you feel comfy. I especially like the color scheme and the violet color touches to the room.

This is where Naomi and I sat. We came straight from work so that we could immediately enjoy the Nail Xpert Spa's wonderful services. And yes, just as the name implies they offer not only "Nail" care but Spa services such as massage and waxing as well.

Massage Room and Bed

For waxing, they use DEPILIEVE waxing products.

Nail Xpert Spa NAIL CARE. 

A wide selection of ORLY products! I chose dark violet and gray for my toes.

Jennifer Lynn Gel Polish is also available at a super affordable price! 

Of course what really drew me to the Spa was their selection of polishes especially the MAGNETIC nail polish. I first heard about Magnetic Nail Polish from fellow blogger Aya who blogged about magnetic nail polish here. So when I heard that Nail Xpert Spa offered this, I really wanted to try it out.

SNB KOREAN MAGNETIC NAIL POLISH
Photo credit here.

For my nail polish, they used SNB Korean Magnetic Nail Polish. I wanted to have multi-colored nails so I opted for a violet and silver combo.

SNB Magnet for Magnetic Nail Polish

This is one of the magnets that can create a cool horizontal stripes on your nails!

So after putting on base coat, Miss April put on a coat of SNB magnetic nail polish.
And yes, notice the magnet on the left side of my hand?
I decided to go for a diagonal stripe effect.
Candy Stripe ang peg! hehe. I also decided to go for silver and violet. 

Then immediately after, the magnet with design is placed directly above (but not on) the newly polished nail.
It is advised to not move the magnet and let it stay there for at least 20-30 seconds.
The longer the better. The unique metallic particles in the nail polish arranges itself to the unique pattern on the magnet.

And this is how it looks like! I wasn't quite decided yet when this photo was taken
but I ended up getting the violet and silver. :)

So I decided to go for what I now call CANDY STRIPES! Love it!

Naomi had her nails done in black and silver with the horizontal stripes design!
She called hers.. "Bangus and Tilapia!" hehe.

Thank you so much Nail Xperts Spa, Mrs Eileen Lopez, and Naomi for this wonderful experience and checking out your new branch. So Coffeeholics, if you happen to be in Marikina, Vista Verde, or Brookside Cainta, don't forget to have some awesome "R&R" time at The Nail Xperts Spa. You may also contact them through these numbers:

Nail Xperts Spa - Marikina 09226123206

Nail Xperts Spa - Vista Verde 092288119

Nail Xperts Spa - Brookside 023999704

So Coffeeholics, have you tried magnetic nail polish yourself? Or would you even try? Let me know your thoughts. Share share share! Have an awesome weekend!

OOTD - Crochet Accents

Dress - Magarbo

Shoes - CLN

Bag - Bazaar

Ring - SM Accessories

Watch - Timex c/o SM Accessories

Studded Bracelet - Kisses & Co.

Magnetic Nails c/o Nails Xpert Spa

Magnetic Nails!

Hey Coffeeholics! Yes, this was the outfit I wore to the Kashieca and The Body Shop event. I really love the dress that I'm wearing. Its now one of my favorites. I saw this dress at Magarbo - a well known thrift shops that can be seen in malls! I was at The Alphalands one day and saw this and really really liked it. PLUS, it was on sale! It cost Php 100. I know its a bit pricey from the usual ukayukay finds but for me it was worth it. I mean, c'mon! Who can find a decent dress at Php 100 in stores nowadays? hehe. So this dress was definitely a bargain! Also, I really wanted to show off my MAGNETIC NAILS. Yep, I had my nails done at THE NAIL XPERT SPA who kindly let me try out their services which I will be blogging about next. I think its pretty cool. It isn't that obvious in the pic but its actually purple and silver. 

Anyway, I know its been awhile since I was able to post. I'm currently adjusting with my sked at work coz we just started training our students for inter-school competitions and well that means more time at school for me. Would you believe that I'm the "adviser" for the Needle and Threads division of the school? Yes that means I'm "coaching/teaching" students in the (sadly) "dying" art of crochet, knitting, and embroidery. My real expertise (ha.. di naman..kaunti lang!) is crocheting. I've personally joined competitions in crochet (where I won!) when I was in high school. So naturally when I became a teacher, it kinda crossed over and I ended up being appointed as the school. So this is why I really liked the crochet dress. No I didn't do the crochet accent pieces on the dress but I fell in love with its "demureness" ba. Anyway, so what do you think? Would you wear crochet accented outfits? Or crocheted clothes (shawl, coverup, etc?) Or do you own a crocheted article of clothing? Please do share share share!

JC Buendia x Kashieca Collection

Hey Coffeeholics! I was able to attend an event from Kashieca featuring their new line JC Buendia for Kashieca. They collaborated with JC Buendia with these simple, chic, and classy tops and bottoms. So here's a look at the JC Buendia for the Kashieca line.

Part of the JC Buendia for Kashieca Collection
Love the drama effect!

White is always classy!
Love the accessories on this one. :)

The bottom palazzo like pants is really interesting coz you can actually wear it in several ways!
One way you can wear it as a dress! Don't forget to ask the friendly Kashieca staff to demo or explain it to you!

They also gave us styling tips that are unique to the JC Buendia line.
This particular piece can be styled in three different ways just by changing the arrangement of the  attached accent piece in the middle. This has got to be one of my favorites in their line coz its also flattering for my body type! hehe! 

Another flattering top thanks to JC Buendia for Kashieca!
I love how the lines make you look.. slimming! hehe!
This one comes in three colors (I think!) black and gray, white and gray, and blue and gray like the one on top.
It costs around Php 600+. I was about to get this one but they hadn't got one of my size. Sayang!

This is the White and Gray version of the one that I mentioned above.
But the focus of this photo is that awesome necklace there.
I LOVE LOVE! 

They also have simple tees and polo shirts by JC Buendia.
See that cute frog logo? All of the JC Buendia for Kashieca has that mark on the clothes!

So look for the Frog with Crown logo if you are looking for a JC Buendia for Kashieca  item.  :) 

With the designer JC Buendia

And yes, I got to take home some Kashieca outfits which I can't wait to use for my outfit diaries. Haha. Abangan! So Coffeeholics, if you are interested in these, don't forget to check it out at any Kashieca boutiques. As far as I know, some boutiques do not hold the whole collection. Like I checked out the SM Marikina branch and they only had a few choice pieces unlike in Trinoma and Greenbelt. Most of the clothes in this collection range from Php 600 to 1,200. So if you want to get a good deal, try checking out SM NORTH this weekend. They are having the GREAT NORTHERN SALE! Check out their branch there and it might be on sale. :) The Great Northern Sale ends tomorrow so don't miss out on that! Its payday weekend coffeeholics so stay safe and shop wisely.