All-Around Pinay Mama

Home Factory Outlets: A Haven of Premium Home Essentials at Very Low Prices

October 31, 2016

While everyone’s attending Halloween events, I am starting my biannual general cleaning. Our home badly needs organization despite decluttering and cleaning often. Having three boys in the house is the main reason, I guess. No explanations needed! LOL! We also need a new dining table and sofa ASAP. When talking about purchasing new furniture or furnishing, budget is the number one consideration especially to moms like me who work on a very tight budget. Not only that, most of the furniture available in malls can’t fit a tiny home like we have. When there are available, they are cheap but the quality is not good. Most big furniture depots have good selections but they are too expensive. So after two years of planning to change our dilapidated furniture that we thought would remain a dream at the moment, an invite from Home Factory Outlets (HFO) made it happen in an instant.

Honestly, I didn’t hear about HFO before. It was the very first time that I visited the place with Loley today to check-out its Grand Celebration First Anniversary Sale and the people behind the company didn’t lie that we could avail the following!

• 80% off on a wide range of of furniture and furnishing

• Buy 1 Take 1 items

• Bargain Corner (50% off and up)

• PISO Madness Deals (with minimum purchase)

• AND MANY MORE!

After enjoying the best deals, these are the things that I consider the strengths of HFO:

1. It has wide array of premium but very affordable, as in super cheap, home and office furniture, furnishing, appliances, dining wares, sofas, beds, and more that fit big and small homes.

Here is the LINK TO THE PHOTOS of some of the products that you can purchase there. These are just a few or shall I say tip of the iceberg.

2. Its staff members are very accommodating and friendly. Despite being tired due to so many customers, they remain enthusiastic and very much willing to serve.

3. Its systematic and organized. It follows an order so that every client can be served properly. There is no need to wait long. Transactions can be finished smoothly and quickly.

4. Installment plan with so many payment options to choose from are available aside from cash. Here they are:

Credit Card

CitiBank

For Php5,000-Php19,999= three months installment, 0% interest

For Php20,000 and up= six months installment, 0% interest

Other Banks

For Php5,000-Php49,999= three months installment, 0% interest

For Php50,000 and up= six months installment, 0% interest

Non-Credit Card

You may avail of this when you have a bill minimum of Php5,000. These are the requirements:

- A Filipino citizen

- 18-68 years old

- Employed (at least three months), self-employed, businessman, pensioner, or a remittance beneficiary

Just submit minimum of two IDs (at least with address)

a. At least one primary ID: SSS card, GSIS card, driver’s license, voter’s ID, passport, UMID, PRC ID

b. Supporting documents: Philhealth card, credit/savings card, postal ID, NBI clearance, company ID, remittance slip, salary slip, certificate of employment, bank/account statement, electricity bill, water bill, phone bill, mobile bill, barangay certificate/clearance, Pag-IBIG/HDMF card

For inquiries about payment options, you may call (02)753-5711.

5. Delivery service is available at reasonable price for commuters like me and to those who don’t have a vehicle to bring home their purchases. Delivery fee depends on the location but it starts at Php420 within Metro Manila regardless of how many items you purchase. The more you purchase, the more sulit the delivery charge. Delivery schedule is not on the day of purchasing itself. In our case, the delivery of our purchase is after seven days.

6. It’s accessible to all types of clients, with private vehicles or commuters alike. From Shaw Boulevard going to Pasig, alight at Pioneer Street, Unilab is the landmark. Turn left. From there, ride a tricycle going to 14 Williams Street where HFO is located. Unilab Bayanihan Center is the landmark on the right and the first street after the establishment is Williams Street. Turn right. HFO is so easy to see. The ride costs Php20.00. Actually, the location can be reached through walking. It's three blocks away from Shaw Boulevard corner Pioneer Street.

HFO is indeed the best place to shop for home and office essentials when you want to revamp your home or office. The Grand First Anniversary Sale is only until tomorrow, Oct. 31, 2016, from 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM for you to save more on your purchases. It assures its clients that within the anniversary sale, the prices of its products are very, very low although it still remains on sale on ordinary days.

Here are some tips that might help when you visit.

1. Visit in the morning so that you can get the best deals and steals. It's so convenient to go around the warehouse and choose without the presence of too many people. It’s colder to shop in the morning because it’s not air conditioned although industrial fans are strategically located everywhere.

2. Bring water and wear comfortable clothing especially when you visit in the afternoon. As I’ve mentioned, the place is not air conditioned.

3. Bring at least one valid ID especially when you are going to use your credit card or the requirements needed for your chosen payment method mentioned above.

4. Have a list with you on what you really want to purchase so that you can focus on what to look for. The selections are overwhelming and having a list can make you stick to buying only the things that you really need.

5. If you think that you can’t stick with your list, please bring extra cash if you don’t plan to avail the installment plan. Honestly, going there can make you realize that there are things that you still need. But please, stick with your list as much as possible to avoid overspending.

6. Be decisive. Make sure that when you choose a particular item, it’s final already. See to it that the staff marks it SOLD with your name on it. Items come and go so quickly that when you are fickle minded, your choices may be taken by other clients. Ganoon siya kabilis! It happened to us this morning but it was a blessing in disguise and we were able to see a better option.

I hope this information helps. I guarantee that you are not going to regret visiting HFO. HFO upholds to its mission: "To turn every Filipino's house into a home" without breaking your budget.

I will show you through a blog post our purchases. Stay tuned!

For inquiries, you may call 695-1338 or 695-1346. You can also like @HFOutlets on Facebook for updates and deals.

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The Home Factory Outlets (HFO) is the country's pioneer mall designed to cater factory overstocks, floor models and great finds at up to 60% off daily. This 3,000 square meter concept mall offers sofas, dining, beds, mattresses, office furniture, furnishings, housewares and home appliances from participating retailers like BLIMS Fine Furniture Outlet Store, Sogo Home and Office Center Clearance Outlet, Elba Outlet Store, and Collins International Trading Corp. Outlet Store which carry brands such as Dowell, Thermos, Moulinex, Krups and Eglo Lights among others. It is considered the country's pioneer mall for home furniture and furnishing clearance items.

REVIEW: Fashion 21 Duo Eye Enhancer and Eyebrow Gel

October 24, 2016

According to internationally renowned make-up artist, Bobbi Brown, “Defined brows instantly make you looked polished.” Yes, it’s so true that eyebrows speak louder than words. It can make or break your look if not groomed properly. Due to this notion, a few years ago, I really did my best to learn how to groom mine the scientific/professional way because I had a tendency to over-pluck or over-shave them, making them so thin that I looked like too old for my age.

Aside from maintaining and grooming our eyebrows according to the shape of our faces, having the right eyebrow tools and cosmetics that are reliable, easy to apply, smudge-proof, waterproof, has long staying power, and most especially affordable can keep our eyebrows on fleek in no time!

I’ve been using only two brands of eyebrow pencils with the same shade of dark gray for years, which I find not just very convenient to use but cheaper. I am frugal when it comes to purchasing cosmetics but I don't sacrifice quality and safety. I haven’t tried powder and gel forms yet. Sabi nga, nakasanayan na bakit kailangan pang humanap ng iba?

Not until Fashion 21 sent me a Perfect Brow Bundle through PerCX-Perfectly Creative X-tras. It was composed of one Duo Eye Enhancer (Dark Copper), one Eyebrow Gel (Copper Brown), and one eyebrow shaver (not seen on the photo).

It's never too late to celebrate National Eyebrows Day 2016! Thanks @fashion21_cosmetics and Percx Advertising Services for sending these #Kilay weapons: #Fashion21 Smudge Proof Eyebrow Gel (Copper Brown) and Duo Eye Enhancer (Dark Copper) to make my #eyebrows on fleek! Yay! I am so excited to try and test these! #Kikay mode on! . . #allaroundpinaymama #aapmcosmeticfixation #productreviewer #momblogger #beautyblogger #mommybloggersphilippines #momswhoblogph #certifiedbloggers #makeup #eyebrowpencil #eyebrowgel #brown #philippines #nationaleyebrowsday #15october2016

A photo posted by SJ Valdez (@allaroundpinaymama) on Oct 14, 2016 at 11:18pm PDT

By the way, this Perfect Brow Bundle is the latest promo of Fashion 21 that has started on October 21 and shall last until October 31, 2016. This is available in all Fashion 21 Outlets nationwide.

When I saw the shades, I was quite hesitant to try them at first because based on experience, brown didn’t look good on me for some reason despite the fact that my hair color was black and darkest brown could fit me aside from dark gray. I referred to the color chart of eyebrows from Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual, by the way. But due to review purposes, I had no choice but to give them a shot!

First, I used Fashion 21 Duo Eye Enhancer (Dark Copper) on its own.

Description: This dual-purpose eye pencil is gentle on the skin during application, and doesn’t feel greasy despite its creamy texture. While it’s got its glitter on, don’t let that stop you from using it on your brows—the glittery element actually helps make your brows look fuller! This eye enhancer comes in six natural shades that will complement any brow color, hair color, and skin tone, as well as a brush for the brows.

Available Shades: Blonde, Dark Copper, Honey Blonde, Light Brown, Mahogany Brown, and Natural

Net Weight: 1.65 grams

Pros:

- It’s easy to apply.

- It easily adheres to my eyebrows and skin although I need a few swipes to cover my entire eyebrows.

- The built-in brush can spread the product evenly without the fuzz.

- It’s buildable and workable.

- Surprisingly, it looks good and natural on me despite being brown in shade.

- It can be used in tight lining too.

- It’s sealed with a plastic where its ingredients are printed. This can guarantee that the item is fresh, unused, and new.

- It’s super affordable at Php125.00! Not bad to purchase especially when you want to experiment on different shades. It’s highly recommended for starters in make-up application.

Cons:

- It can’t last longer on its own and I need to set it with powder to make it stay put and hide portions with hair scarcity.

See how Fashion 21 Duo Eye Enhancer works for my eyebrows! It's close to the color that I usually apply on my them. It's not too light or dark. I also like using it for tight lining. Great product and very affordable!

Next, I applied Fashion 21 Eyebrow Gel (Copper Brown).

Description: This eyebrow gel is perfect for adding fullness to your brows. It comes in six natural shades to complement your hair and skin. The mascara-like applicator keeps you from putting on too much product by accident, and it’s smudge-proof too.

Available Shades: Blonde, Clear, Dark Brown, Light Brown, Reddish Brown, and Copper Brown

Net Weight: 8 grams

Pros:

- It’s very quick and easy to apply.

- It easily adheres to my eyebrows and skin although I need a few swipes to cover my entire eyebrows.

- The built-in mascara-like applicator can spread the product evenly, hassle-free.

- It’s super buildable and workable.

- It can be used on its own.

- It’s really smudge-proof and lasts for hours.

- It’s sealed with a tight plastic that guarantees that the item is fresh, unused, and new.

- The durable acrylic bottle is where the ingredients are printed.

- It’s a great brow product that is affordable at Php165.00! Trying on different shades won’t break your budget. It’s highly recommended for pros and starters in make-up application.

Cons:

- Copper Brown is too light for me. I’d prefer dark or light brown perhaps, the shade closer to Fashion 21 Duo Eye Enhancer Dark Copper.

Finally, I used both at the same time which reinforced their staying power and being vibrant. To make it look natural though, I had to blend them with the Duo Eye Enhancer’s built-in brush. It could also look nicer if I got a darker shade of Eyebrow Gel. I just needed to tame the color by swiping a bronzer/dark brown eyeshadow.

To sum it all up, I am so happy that I’ve tried this Perfect Brow Bundle. Now I can have another affordable and effective alternative in grooming my eyebrows.

For more updates and deals, join Fashion 21 Cosmetics Community on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM.