Happy to be Alive!

MTV and Body Shop join forces to launch the
Move Your Lips campaign
for the Staying Alive Foundation. Body Shop created a limited edition Guarana Lip Butter to support the campaign to promote awareness and prevention of HIV all over the world. I saw this in Duty Free today, sold at $3.25 per pot. All proceeds go to the Staying Alive Foundation. Limited edition nga pala. :)

There's also a scent created for the same advocacy.
Body Shop's Rougeberry Eau de Toilette for the
Spray to Change Attitudes Campaign
also for HIV awareness and prevention.

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Just to explain how I found myself in Duty Free, well, my uncle's girlfriend (pseudo-wife) wanted to purchase yet another Longchamp bag (she has loads of 'em in different colors) so we headed to Duty Free to take advantage of the sale they have.

My brother and I, being trained in the field of business in our respective schools, have noticed the change in the trend of shoppers in Duty Free. Many years ago says 'Tita Girlfriend', around 20 years, probably, it was very nice to shop in Duty Free. The have all these unique items and the people who shop there are really the well traveled ones. Luxury goods are updated, items are quite exclusive and the service is really good. Today, people flock in big vans and even convoys that seem like the whole barangay, celebrating everyone's pagiging bigtime abroad. Trends aren't very much updated such as bags that are from last season, scents in all these 'tipid packs' as my kuya and I fondly call it. This shift is very much evident in what types and classes of people come to Duty Free. I can't really blame them. I mean, of course they are simply reaping the fruits of their sacrifices abroad. But it is such a shame that Duty Free downgraded quality as well. The aircon wasn't even turned on! There were lots of electric fans turned on but for a department store, moreover, for Duty Free, sheeesh. Howell, must stop ranting since I didn't really buy anything. I'd rather shop in Rustan's, Glorietta and Greenbelt. They have everything that there is in Duty Free and more, at the same price (when you convert to peso) and of course, the aircon.

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Oh, learned something today. Familiar with L'oreal's latest hair care line, the ELSEVE?
I found it in Duty Free too! But it's labeled ELVIVE.

I haven't exactly figured what is behind their marketing strategy but I do want to understand. According to some websites, it's ELVIVE in the UK and Europe but here in the Philippines, it's ELSEVE. But don't worry, it's the same banana. hahahaha

I'vre tried the shampoo and conditioner of ELSEVE. It smells fine but still, the Purple Palmolive variant still smells waaay better. For the job it does, the price is definitely affordable. I swear, even a bi friend commented 'ang bango naman ng hair mo, Adz.' Weeee! Kinilig ako, in fairness sa bi. hahaha Anyway, back to my story, the conditioner works too but I think it is too expensive for the job it does. So, I wasn't really hooked to buy my second bottle of ELSEVE. Nothing beats Kerastase of course. Although I haven't gathered enough strength to let go of two thousand effin bucks for a bottle of shampoo. I just end up having Kerastase on my hair when I get a cut at chosen David's Salons. haha Maybe when I'm waaay richer, I can afford to buy all the Kerastase I want. wooohooo!
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Oh, one last! Even (PRODUCT) RED brand (branchild of U2's Bono and Bobby Shriver, in cooperation with Ecko, Gap, etc.) joins the World in the call for AIDS awareness and prevention. Half of the total proceeds of the RED line go to the Global Fund for AIDS. They started in March 2006 and have by far pooled up to $100 million. Oh, the parenthesis? it's "the embrace". sweet.

To learn more about this campaign, visit www.joinred.com.