ASIDE from searching for beauty finds, we took in the sights and ate our way through Bangkok. Practically every meal came from a buffet.
We had Tod Mun Pla or fish cakes everyday, sometimes twice in a day. We also had lots of the stir-fried noodle dish Pad Thai and Khao Neeo Mamuang, Thai sweet sticky rice and mango, which are both better when purchased from street vendors.
We had dinner on a river cruise and visited Iconsiam, Bangkok’s biggest commercial complex to date. Iconsiam’s total floor space of about 520,000 square meters surpasses Central Group’s CentralWorld mall. Coincidentally, we stayed at a hotel in front of CentralWorld.
Anyway, Iconsiam, which sits on the bank of the Chao Praya River, is home to global brands like Takashimaya, Hermes, Gucci, Dior, Bottega Veneta and many others. But we were in Bangkok for a cosmetic tour and that’s what we did.
We visited a small skin-care manufacturing facility in Bangkok that makes products that you can relabel. They had everything from collagen creams to sunscreens. We weren’t allowed into the area where they mixed the creams and serums, just in the packaging and packing departments. They gave us small samples to try and I was fascinated with the charcoal face cleanser, which I haven’t used because I have so many cleansers opened that I have yet to finish.
Like most Filipinos, the women of Thailand love whitening products. Even their makeup has skin whitening properties. The women there have lovely porcelain-like skin.
SnailWhite, which we have here, is everywhere in Thailand, including the international airport. Research firm Nielsen said whitening creams account for half of the $320-million Thai market for facial creams. That is a lot of money.
I would seriously visit Bangkok again to stock up on beauty products. So what would I get if I returned?
• Milk Plus products. At the airport, I saw Korean men carrying bottles of the Milk Plus Whitening Body Lotion. I asked one of them and he said his girlfriend asked him to buy for her. Okay, so I bought a bottle out of curiosity. The smell is indeed milky. I’m not into whitening but I’d buy it for the smell. I think this has a body wash, too.
• Oriental Princess Hair Cologne Spray. I have a Chanel cologne spray for the hair and I love it, but I can’t use that everyday. This one is OK for that purpose. I bought a bottle but gave it to a friend as pasalubong. I want to get it back. (Joke.)
• Pond’s BB Magic Powder. This is so popular that it is sold at the airport. This cult favorite is not available in the Philippines. I tried this on the back of my hand. It has a bit of shimmer, which would account for reviews saying the powder gave them a glow. It’s inexpensive and would make a good pasalubong for friends who are beauty-conscious.
• BSC Cosmetology skin care. I mentioned that we had visited BSC’s counter at a department store and I was seriously intrigued by their skin-care products more than the makeup. I wished I had picked up a bottle or two of the skin-care products.
Oh, I won’t number this as it’s not a beauty product but I wish I had bought a NaRaYa bag. I went to their stores and I loved the bags but I was in such a hurry that I didn’t get to get one. The bags are made from fabric and they’re great for schlepping around.
To be continued…