Interesting finds at the new Miniso store in Robinsons Manila

25 June 2016

As we walked around Robinsons Manila, we naturally gravitated towards Daiso, our favorite Japanese-brand store.  Even though we didn't have anything to buy, it's comforting to be surrounded by a ton of kawaii and practical stuff :) While there, the kids needed to go to the bathroom and when we went to find one, we ended up seeing the new Miniso store at the 2nd Level of Robinsons Manila (Padre Faura wing).  At that point, Dylan, Dana and I simply couldn't resist and went to check it out =)

Our first impression of Miniso was kind of like a more high-end Daiso store and it was kind of true.  Their floor area was a huge difference if you compared the two stores (at least in Robinsons Manila).  As Miniso was more spacious, it naturally followed that they had more products to choose from.  Being well-lit also improved the appeal of the store.  I just didn't like that their air-conditioner was not functioning properly at that time so it was pretty hot in the store despite some of the Iwata fans around.

See if you can spot us in the line at the check-out :)

They offer cosmetics and makeup accessories, sunglasses, kitchenware, toys, bags, slippers, stationery supplies, bathroom accessories, and a lot more.   Here are some interesting finds:

Earrings - P99 and up

Hair accessories - P49 and up

Eye-protecting Table Lamp - P449

Headphones - P299 and up

Cultivation (a Plant seedling and soil) - P99

Toothbrush holder for - P149

Here are some of the items that we bought:  A monkey plushie for Dylan (149), mascara and eyebrow pencil for me and a Hair Brush for Dana (P149).

The cosmetics counter was the first thing that you'll see when you enter which gives you a good reason who the target market is =)  They have plenty of "tester" samples open and the staff was extremely helpful.  I tried the mascara on the spot.

Strong Curling Lasting Mascara - P99
Automatic Eyebrow Pencil (grey) - P99

When we got home, I immediately tried the eyebrow pencil.  It was angled which makes it easier to draw the eyebrow on.  It's "automatic" because you only have to twist it to bring the edge out, instead of having to sharpen it like traditional eyebrow pencils.  Here's what it looked like when I tried it at home and that's with just one try =) Oh and I don't usually do my eyebrows so I think this was a good enough result. ;)

When we got home, I Googled Miniso so I can learn more about it.  It's a Japanese-Chinese partnership so you'll see a lot of "Made in China" products.  The products are Japanese-designed so they bear a lot of similarity to familiar Daiso products too.  Their icon is eerily similar to that of Uniqlo too.  However, I liked their diverse products and will most likely go back in the future.  Check them out for yourselves :)