Colgate - Palmolive's Slim Soft Charcoal Toothbrush

Another interesting new product from Colgate - their new Slim Soft Charcoal toothbrush or basically the only black toothbrush you'll see in the supermarket shelves.

I got the 2+1 version (it also has singles) which might seem expensive at P198 but price per piece is only at P66 which is really affordable for my teeth's sake. I am a fan of their Slim Soft range and I can't help but recall their tagline in their commercial "Thin is in, honey!" Over the years, Filipinos have become more educated on oral care hygiene as companies are really doing strong and relevant campaigns. As for toothbrushes, my personal preference is really thin, tapered, and soft bristles that I feel can clean my teeth more.

And as someone who likes to try new things or be different in some ways, this Charcoal variant really appealed to me (don't worry, you won't end up with black teeth when you brush with it). I'm just thinking that they chose charcoal as it has disinfecting properties...like when we use to put it in the refrigerator when it's not used for a long time. What's Colgate going to come up next? Perhaps toothbrush with gems on them? I still would buy that!

Great Taste White Iced Coffee Mix

Discovered Universal Robina Corporation or URC's latest addition to the coffee beverage industry some months back in Colonnade Mandaue in the form of Great Taste White Ready-to-Drink Iced Coffee Mix.
This was registered with the Philippine FDA in November 2012, which means it's a relatively new product, an innovation from the side of Great Taste to keep up with the changing times and lifestyle.
For those who are not familiar, Great Taste brand is the first locally manufactured coffee blend from the 1960's who went against the giant that is Nescafe by Nestle.

As a white coffee lover (second preferred drink after tea), I enjoyed this product from Great Taste. It had just the right amount of coffee flavor to give that distinct taste but not too strong thanks to the milk. Just a simple background, white coffee could mean black coffee mixed with milk but not to be confused with cafe au lait which is also coffee mixed with hot or steamed milk. Either way coffee and milk just go so well together.

 

 

This 180ml retailed at around P15 per piece which is affordable versus getting your chilled coffee fix at coffee shops. This should not be used as a substitute for coffee as it had no effect on keeping me awake whatsoever. All in all, Great Taste White Ready-to-Drink Iced Coffee Mix was yummy and affordable but I am reminded of sugar and calories. If one really wanted to have white coffee, it's as simple as pouring any type of milk in black coffee which I think is healthier with less preservatives and you can actually control the flavor. This is more ideal for people on-the-go.

Blue Bell Ice Cream's Country Cookie

"Heaven in each bite," is the phrase that comes to mind with Blue Bell Ice Cream's Country Cookie. Finally the brand has reached the shores of Cebu thanks to Visfood Corp Philippines but based on their Facebook, I think they are the distributor for the whole country.

Photo from Facebook page

It's vanilla ice cream sandwiched between chocolate chip cookies...how can you go wrong?? It's so yummy that I think I could eat 10 pcs. in one sitting if only it wasn't so expensive. Blue Bell's Country Cookie retails for a little less than a 100 I think which is quite pricey for the average Filipino. It's one of those "rewards" you can give yourself after a job well done.

 

 

Here's the actual which has kinda melted since I was trying to get a "perfect" shot but to no avail. I would like to try the rest of the flavors that Blue Bell Ice Cream has to offer. For now they are in Banilad Town Center or BTC's Sunday food market. A little bit trending in Cebu since I've been seeing a lot of posts on Instagram about their most recent Blue Bell Ice Cream purchase. Must try...but don't forget to check the prices first.

Jack 'n Jill's Cream-O Crinkles

I am a super fan of chocolate crinkles growing up. I had a classmate who would sell in class and I think I was pretty much the top customer. I can remember the chewiness and the just-right amount of sweetness that came with each bite. Jack 'n Jill (a brand under Universal Robina Corporation or commonly called URC) describes their latest creation as "chewy chocolate cookies sprinkled with powdered sugar."

It comes in a 30g packet with 3 pcs. inside and retails at around P6.00 - P7.00 per packet as seen and can be found in local supermarkets. I would say that it is a pretty good deal once paired with your tea or coffee but since I really did not enjoy the taste, save your money and stick to the good old Cream-O vanilla cookies we have come to love.

 

Yes it was chewy, but in a commercialized kind of way. But one would expect since it's not gourmet. Overall, try it out since it's really affordable but once you do, you will understand when I say to just stick to the original Cream-O in it crunchy vanilla goodness. Just a background, Cream-O is really big in the Philippines even before Oreo came into the limelight over here. Highly likely that Cream-O followed Oreo and successfully found its place into the top of mind for both kids and adults alike when it comes to biscuits and cookies.

Oishi Oaties Milk

Oatmeal lovers can rejoice at my latest discovery by Oishi -- Oaties Milk described as "Milk + Finely Ground Oats, Cream & Smooth Oatmilk Drink."

Nowadays everything seems to be about living a healthy lifestyle, getting fit is the in thing. All of a sudden, it's very "now" to join Crossfit, get active through a Zumba class, post yoga poses on Instagram as well as the healthy salads and other dishes that you have conjured up after following Erwan Heussaff and his lifestyle of staying fit and healthy.

And Oishi's Oaties Milk takes us there with its promise as a "source of fiber" and "no added preservative" along with calcium and all the other nutrients that comes with milk, packaged attractively and hip and also tastes good enough for children to enjoy. You can't really taste the oatmeal flakes so much but the milk is thick and has texture which feels good to swish around in your mouth.

Ultimately, I will buying it again if I see it elswhere as I only got to see it in Colonnade priced semi-affordably at P77 for 1 liter.

Modess Day & Night with Wings by Johnson & Johnson

For all the girls / ladies / women out there, I have found the perfect friend during the "monthly visitor" days a.k.a. the "red sea" days a.k.a. "mens" (short for menstrual period) or commonly known as "the period" in Johnson & Johnson's latest Modess innovation to hit Philippines -- the Day & Night pad.

It took a while for this to hit PH since browsing online, it seems it's been in other countries for quite some time. As per the label, Day & Night pads are ideal for those in heavy flow and compared to the standary pad, it's longer at 29cm whereas a standard pad is at 23cm. Those experiencing heavy flow know that it's best to use an overnight pad when sleeping since the standard pads are just not long enough. Usually the morning after turns into a bloody mess (pun intended) and that's never fun.

Personally, it suited me well during Day 1 -2 but not so much when the period becomes light as the length (which is its main selling point) becomes uncomfortable especially when you're walking a lot.
Definitely a must-buy for those with heavy flow only at P7 per piece but since I am not, I am still all for comfort and would prefer the ultra thin ones. The latter just makes you feel a lot sexier in spite of this "monthly discomfort."

Photos are writer's own.

Philippine Chocolate Dried Mango

One of the top Philippine exports is the dried mangoes loved by both young and old, locals and foreigners. Taking it to the next level is one of my favorite dried mango makers--the Philippine brand by Pro Food International Corp, which I think has captured just the right amount of sweetness and chewiness in every bite. I finally found their latest creation surprisingly in a convenience store called My Stop and not in major supermarkets.

Who does not love chocolate and mangoes together? Although chocolate can elevate any fruit in my opinion, the type of chocolate used matters too. For this specific product, P54.00 is affordable due to low cash outlay but expensive because it's only 6 pieces per pack. Though I'm no chocolate connoisseur, the chocolate tasted poorly and not that satisfying. On the other hand, the dried mangoes were still as good as I remember them.

I heard that one brand came up with theirs using Belgian chocolate. Now that's really something I must try soon. The scouring continues.

BIKA's Dream On

Super hilarious moment each time I see products with "amusing" names. Case in point is this chocolate flavored wafer roll that I found in Metro Gaisano Ayala called "Dream On" from BIKA.


Photos are writer's own.

BIKA is one of the top Malaysian snack producers as per their website but of all in their portfolio, this is probably their most hilarious product, apart from their tagline encircled in green below. I know that they mean well and probably have something else on their mind when they made these titles but please, hire a better translator next time.

 

Photo from here

Philippines has a lot of all these imports from Malaysia and other Asian countries--thanks for giving ha-ha moments on the shelves.

 

Price: P259.25 for 1 box with 36 packets

 

Colgate Optic White

Photos from Optic White Facebook and writer's own

Yet another set of whitening products for the Filipinos to splurge on. But this one, I am quite a fan of since everyone just looks better with whiter teeth! Colgate's newest whitening line launched in the Philippines sometime in 2012 called Optic White which include toothpaste (100g, 40g), mouthwash (250ml), and toothbrush (adult) which all claim to help whiten teeth in only a week.

I really love the sleek, clean, and regal-like design and feel to it especially since they used those stand-up tubes and the color red. Looking at it on shelf just makes it stand out amongst all the other white and clinical looking toothpaste boxes. I think choosing Solenn Heussaff, who is currently one of Philippines' IT girls, is the perfect choice. Her appeal is really regal-like as well and not yet so masa.

I've tried it out especially since it's very affordable -- 40g toothpaste is only P54.50 and 100g is P95.30 only -- and it truly works! My friends have tried it too and they say Optic White has also worked for them. I have to say the mouthwash is not the best tasting and I think the toothbrush is too expensive at P162.75 a piece. How can a toothbrush help whiten teeth?? I think you can substitute the Optic White toothbrush with any other toothbrush at lesser cost.

Smuckers Squeeze

This is a long overdue post but nonetheless I am still elated about the Smuckers Squeeze in Cebu (along with the bins that they came in) that I saw on display at Metro Gaisano Ayala sometime in February.

Though Smuckers is considered an imported product, it has become popular among the jam-loving population in spite of its higher price. Local spreads in the Philippines are mostly limited to tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, coconut, and guava plus there's a major difference when it comes to quality. With Smuckers, one can actually taste (and see) the seeds and somewhat chunky parts which makes it feel and taste authentic and allows us locals to also get a taste of the uncommon flavors such as blueberry and strawberry on our toasted breads.. The local Philippine spreads, in order to make it affordable, really "spread it thinly" wherein it will taste like melted sweet goo with some form of flavoring.

Smuckers takes it to a higher level and uses these squeeze type bottles which not only looks good but is actually convenient as you can bring it around and makes sure that none goes wasted (because it's face down). Unfortunately, the packaging makes it more expensive compared to the jar ones. Personally, I am not that big a fan of the squeeze type at all -- I prefer to spread it. From my experience, you have to be really patient in order to let the jam squeeze through that very thin nozzle.

Smuckers Squeeze Strawberry 20 OZ - P205.40
Smuckers Squeeze Grape 20 OZ - P169.00

Photos are writer's own.

Sky Flakes Condensada

Another calorie-adding food stuff to your breakfast or afternoon snack. Paired with coffee, tea, or juice, Sky Flakes Condensada from Monde M.Y. San Corporation needs no commercial to be noticed as Sky Flakes is the leading crackers brand in the Philippines and always the top-of-mind choice.

Sky Flakes Condensada has a thin filling between crispy white cracker thins inspired by the very popular sweetener loved by most Filipinos called condensada or condensed milk. It seems like condensed milk just makes everything extra yummy that’s why Filipinos love to put it in our fruit salads, halo-halos, cakes, and sometimes in sandwiches for those with a truly sweet tooth. How very innovative of M.Y. San Corporation with website here to incorporate the all-time favourite condensada with another Pinoy favourite – Sky Flakes. For only P5.26 a pack, this is what Filipinos call a truly sulit snack!

Photos are writer's own.

It's All About Shopping

Supermarket is love...because supermarket shopping is retail therapy without breaking the bank. Like a kid in a candy store, I get excited seeing shelf after shelf of all these products that I can choose from.

While others might be overwhelmed with all the choices, I take time to look at the labels and check on the manufacturer and where the product is made. I am also amazed at all the Marketing efforts that I see on TV, hear on radio, and see on print when a product is launched or re-launched in the Philippines. I just think that there are so many brilliant minds behind every good product and with this blog, I will cover products found in local supermarkets in the Philippines that pique my interest. Check my blog for the products that catch my curiousity and ultimately, why I decide to buy them (or not).

Feel free to drop me a comment. I am interested in everything retail especially supermarket retail and would like to know what's happening from other parts of the world as well.

This is a continuation of my original blog supermarketlove.weebly.com

Hope to hear from you!
Sassy

Photo from here.