We had an important meeting yesterday with an overseas executive who is visiting Manila. My colleague from the commercial team has been trying to woo this company and I think Kr and I nailed it.

Their BD guy is cute but I told Kr he might be young enough to be my son. I should just give him to L 🤣

Anyway, my sis-in-law hitched a ride with me and she went shopping at Glorietta while I went to this meeting and Kr and I worked on a story at the nearest Starbucks after that.

I knew going with my SIL is going to be destructive to my budget because I ended up here:

SM Makati has renovated the ground floor to dedicate the entire level to beauty products. I was supposed to buy a blouse or two as I need to refresh my business attire because I want people to take me seriously…but no, I ended up buying a perfume with my SIL because I always have trouble choosing scents. What smells good on paper samples or spritz from testers might not turn out to be the same once the perfume mixes with your sweat and skin. Perfumes react differently on people’s skins, which is usually the case with me—the scents react weirdly on my skin, that’s probably why my kids don’t like my perfumes. The annoying thing is that some of my perfumes are at least USD 100 🤦🏻‍♀️

Finally I was able to choose better this time becase I now have my SIL as a second nose.

As for shopping for clothes, that can still wait for another day. It was already late and some shops have already gotten ready for closing.

Perfume, day cream, facial wash (Japanese brand), clothes, jewelry…why do I even bother?!

It’s because I want to exude professionalism and just like in theater, I want to command stage presence, especially since I regularly meet top executives, government officials, and other high-profile people. I know people shouldn’t be judged by how they look and how they present themselves, but in business it does really matter and you have to play the game. So I can’t understand why some women keep on dressing up to show off their boobs to do business. I want my executives to look at my face, specifically into my eyes, when I talk and not at my boobs.

But ok fine, if showing off your boobs makes you feel beautiful and confident, then so be it. But I cannot assure you that the other side would take you seriously, especially men. Or wait, women are more judgmental towards fellow women. That’s why a former reporter friend of ours who keeps dressing provocatively gets written off by others. I know it’s harsh but in my opinion there is a time and place for dressing provocatively. I don’t know, it’s just the Asian in me speaking.