Look Good, Feel Great with Watson's

I belong to Gen X, raised by Boomers who think that self-promotion and loving one's self first is well, to put it, selfish.

But as we all know now, and have known all along, there is nothing wrong with that. We call it  now "filling our love tank" or "putting your own oxygen mask first". It's crucial to our sanity.

This week, Watsons launches their #LookGoodFeelGreat campaign with an online video to remind us all to be kinder to ourselves. That it's ok to love ourselves, because when we do, we feel great.

Here are some insights and tips on self-love from Watsons. 

What is Self-love?

• Self-love is a state of appreciation for yourself that is manifested through different means. 
• Self-love involves taking care of yourself, not losing touch with who you are despite the stresses of everyday life. 
• Taking care of your health, face, hair and skin are some of the basic aspects of self-love because when you look good, you feel great. 
• Self-love starts with self-awareness, which means knowing your strengths and weaknesses and likes and dislikes. It can mean anything from doing something that will make you feel great like wearing a new pair of shoes or applying red lipstick on a Monday to make you look good.

How can we practice Self-love?

1. Be aware. It all starts with knowing who you are and what you can do. 
2. Don’t procrastinate. So one of your New Year’s resolutions is to achieve glowing skin. Don’t wait until the year is over to have a realistic skin care routine based on proper cleansing, moisturizing and sun protection. 
3. Be goal-oriented. Proper sleep, exercise and good nutrition are only some of the steps you should take to achieve your goals. List down your goals and think carefully how you can achieve them. 
4. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re not perfect; nobody is. If you are overweight, you can do something about it. If you look tired, there’s a reason for that. It’s not because you were born that way. 
5. Realize that you’re not alone. So many people struggle with lack of time or will to take proper care of yourself. Watsons encourages each one of us to love themselves more to look good and feel great. 

To learn more about the video, visit the Watsons Philippines Facebook page and @watsonsph on Instagram.

July 2013 Grocery/Store Finds

Here's a roundup of products you might want to check out at your favorite grocery or health & beauty supplies store. All fresh, all new, for the month of July. I know, it's August. But hey, better late than nevah!

Burlington is known for socks, and it just seems like a natural progression to venture into foot and shoe care products. Call it a foot fetish if you may. 

BioFresh Foot & Shoe Antimocrobial Spray products come in scents like Charm, Aqua and Bliss and promise to eliminate bacteria and microorganisms that cause bad odor.

Burlington Shucare meanwhile offer a variety of eco-friendly shoe care products. Shoe creams (Php110) are made from beeswax and come in black, brown and neutral. The Self Shine Renovating (Php140) polish would be great for fast, easy cleaning. Then there's the Instant Colour Shine (Php175) which you can store in your glove compartment or on your office desk for quick touch ups.

Canvas sneakers? No prob! There's the Shucare Sneaker Cleaner & Nano Water Proofer. Yes, Burlington has got your footsies covered.

For more on Burlington BioFresh, click here. For more on Burlington Shucare, click here.

NIVEA understands how frustrating it is when our deodorant leaves stains on our clothes. So they came up with NIVEA Invisible for Black & White, a new generation of deodorants with textile protection technology that leaves no white marks on dark fabric and minimizes yellow stains on light and white textiles.

There's an Invisible for Black & White range for men and for women, and it comes in two variants - Spray (Php170 for 150 ml) & Roll-on (Php50 for 25 ml, Php89 for 50 ml).

The new NIVEA Deodorant Invisible for Black & White is now available in stores nationwide.

NIVEA Sun Protect & Refresh Invisible Cooling Mist may be a summer product, but since it is practically summer all year round here in the tropics, you might as well know about the first aerosol sunscreen from NIVEA that combines protection and immediate cooling and freshness from the sun's harsh rays.

To know more about NIVEA products, visit www.NIVEA.ph, like NIVEA on Facebook and follow @NIVEAPhils on Twitter and Instagram.

Watson's Stretch Mark Minimizer makes stretch mark minimizing more democratic.

If you are looking for a serious stretch mark minimizer but don't want to cough up the dough for the more potent ones, take heed. At Php149 for a 200g tub, this Watsons Stretch Mark Minimizer Body Butter is said to be proven effective not only in reducing marks, but also in keeping skin moisturized to prevent the appearance of stretch marks in the future. 

Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? To be honest, I haven't tried. But at Php149, that's a small price to pay just to try, so why not? If all else fails, you can always use it as a foot cream.

Available exclusively at all Watsons stores nationwide.

Because Breaking In is Hard to Do

I really invest in shoes, because I know that I need to take care of my feet. For me, a great pair of shoes will last me a long time, and it's often a bonus that they are so well made, that there's no need to break in a pair, at all. So sulit na din, because I can wear them always, forever and ever.

But of course, there are days when even my most trusted brands don't come up to par. And as much as I have tried and tested a brand, there are times when a break-in for a new pair is still required.

A few months ago, I bought a pair of nude flats and found that after just an hour in them while doing groceries at S&R, I got blisters! Which seriously, I haven't gotten in a long time. It was a good thing I had a stash of Neat Feat products sent for me to road test:

I used the Gel Slingback Shields, which was just the right size to cover the area around the back part of the shoe that was rubbing against the back of my heel. And just like that! The shoe was comfortable as could be! A wonder product really!

So, if you are looking for a way to address your foot and shoe issues, Neat Feat could be the answer!

Neat Feat is a relatively affordable, complete line of foot care products from New Zealand, and unlike other brands in the market that only aim to provide foot comfort, Neat Feat takes it a step further (literally!) by providing cushioning and comfort for foot problems (i.e. athlete’s foot, flat foot, bunions). 

Neat Feat's Orthotics and Gel range is especially targeted towards athletes and runners, not only women who are particular about ensuring that their feet are comfy, cushioned and well-supported. 

Incidentally, Neat isn't only just for the feet. Neat also created 3B Facesaver, which is perfect for athletes who don’t want sweat disturbing their line of sight.

For more on Neat Feat, like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NeatFeatPhilippines and Follow @neatfeat_PH on Twitter!

In the Philippines, Neat Feet is available at Watson's and ROX on Bonifacio High Street.