I’m almost done with my Christmas shopping! Yes, I started Christmas shopping early this year to beat the crazy December traffic and equally crazy crowd of shoppers in the malls. As “fun” as it is to do Christmas shopping at the last possible minute, I’ve decided that this year I should avoid the stress and get things done early. One of the places where I bought my gifts was SM Department Store, specifically their new Beauty Section in Makati. I have to tell you, it was really a shopping haven for me, because it spans almost 2,500 square meters, making it the biggest beauty store to ever open in the Philippines. This is a big deal because I love space (I am a huge fan of it) and yes, I was really able to move around and do my shopping in peace without any stress or hassles (and take note, I did it all on a Friday). This massive beauty section is really your one-stop-shop as it carries almost 200 of the best global and local beauty brands. The Cosmetics & Skin section has brands like MAC, Clinique, Aveda, Kiehl’s. Shu Uemura, Bliss, Glamglow and sooooo much more, while the luxury fragrance line includes the best brands like Prada, Philosophy, Lalique, Atelier Colognes and Amoulage. Tip: Fragrance makes the best gifts because the person remembers you each time he/she uses it!

For my girlfriends, I found these scented body wash/lotion and bath and body care sets that are already in boxes and have the cutest packaging (no need to wrap them). I picked up a quite a few of them and immediately I had crossed out my barkada from the list. They’re not too pricey too, as you get a lot of product for what you pay for (and again, no need to gift wrap them). My plan is to add a big red bow on each and write a heartfelt Christmas note for each one of them. I’m sure they will appreciate the gifts!!!

 The SM Store Beauty Section is located at the Ground Floor of SM Makati. Visit www.thesmstore.com and LIKE them on www.facebook.com/TheSMStore.