Top 3 Local Couriers in The Philippines To Choose If You Are Living from the South

Way back 2017, I have written a blog post about the best couriers in the Philippines that I've known and tried. I haven't been able to update my list over the years and that's why I'm writing this. While I'm pretty sure you have your own favorites, I have mine too. I'll list them down shortly.

I lived from the North then (Valenzuela), but last year, we decided to move to the South (Cavite). I have come to realize that there's a scarcity of couriers from where I am now, compared to when I was living in the metro. I guess most couriers service NCR addresses because that's probably where e-commerce businesses are more active . Although it's just an assumption. :D

Anyway, I've googled and checked out a few websites. I found one that picks up from our area, but they have minimum parcel requirement. I am not a bigtime seller and I don't ship a lot in one batch. In fact, I only sell a few preloved items when I declutter, so reaching the required number is quite an impossible feat.

There's another one which I've only recently heard of. The thing is, shipping cost is quite expensive if I ship from where I am, going to different parts of the country. A big no-no for my regular buyers-turned-online friends.

So here I've listed the 3 couriers which I trust. They aren't completely flawless in terms of their shipping and delivery services but I am at my most comfortable when I trust my parcel with them.

 

 

1. GOGO XPRESS

It was formerly known as Xpost and even when I was from the north, I always use their service and almost all my transactions were excellent. The shipping rates aren't the cheapest, but still worth it in my opinion. Shipping was extremely fast compared to competitors, riders were friendly and courteous. They offer free pickup, free item protection (up to PHP500) and free COD transactions.

Their app is their biggest edge in my opinion. From scheduling a pickup to tracking and final deliveries, everything has been smooth for me for about 2 years. Until recently, when there has been a major change in their management, there were so many delays and backlogs but they were able to quickly recover. A few days after, they released a memorandum stating that they were withdrawing their partnership with Shopee. Another major change I observed was when they limit the serviceable areas for pickup to NCR and a few cities in Cavite and Rizal. Unfortunately, Tanza isn't one of those. I am still hoping for them to widen their coverage as soon as possible.

This is why I was forced to search for a different courier. A reasonably-priced courier that would pick up from my place and would offer that door-to-door service and parcel protection. Basically something that would outperform Gogo Xpress.

2. J&T EXPRESS

I have known J&T for years but it was only until recently that I decided to try them in place of Gogo. It was recommended by a previous buyer who wanted to save on shipping because Gogo, was well, more expensive. At first, I was under the impression that I could only dropship with J&T, just like JRS, LBC and more, but I found out I could also schedule a pickup online. The good thing is that they also pick up parcels from provincial places like ours, at no charge and they would even print your waybills for you. Great for those who ship small amount of parcels.

The only setback I always encounter is the booking process. I even had a hard time signing up for an account. Not sure whether it's a system glitch, but I always find it hard to schedule a pickup. Searching for the barangay, city, province is what prolongs the process. Sometimes, when I'm almost done, I'd still get this error 'order failed' or 'wrong sender address' and I'm like, how could that happen??? Using their app never fails to test my patience. PLEASE. IMPROVE. YOUR. APP. I.AM.BEGGING.

Nonetheless, I love the cheap rates, occasional vouchers, and accuracy of their tracking and delivery. I hope to never have any lost parcel with you guys hehe.

3. LALAMOVE

I though I might include a same-day shipping courier in my Top 3. I know there are other options like Grab or Angkas or Mr. Speedy (now Borzo Delivery I think), and I'm actually torn, but I would just say Lalamove since it's usually cheaper and most of my same-day bookings are with them. Although I have to be honest and tell you the not-so-good experiences I had with Lalamove.

First and foremost, it's usually hard to book a rider to pickup from my place to NCR and vice versa. I understand it could be the price surge in gas nowadays, but I couldn't book unless I add 'tip' on top of the base price. You're lucky enough if you could score a voucher to further lessen the total price. 

Sometimes, riders would ask you if they could mark the shipment complete and add another transaction para sulit daw gas to which I would just say I'm good with so long as the parcel gets delivered safely. Of course, it has to be within the day. I still opted for Lalamove despite everything, because I still find it less expensive. I haven't tried Borzo yet, but it's also cheaper than Grab.

I just wish I could top-up money with no minimum amount required since I don't use Lalamove every so often. That's something I wish they consider.

So there you have it! I wanted to have a lot of options so if you are probably in the same location or know other couriers that would pick up from Tanza, please let me know! I would love to try them out! Thanks so much for dropping by!

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Ellana 2-in-1 Eyebrow and Eyeliner Gel in Light Brown, Dark Brown and Soft Black Review

I couldn't remember the last time I wore makeup outside because I rarely go out and if I do, I tend to skip that part and stop at sunscreen. But I've never felt this left behind when it comes to skincare and makeup trends. I've thrown away ALL makeups I had (except for a single tint) because I had them pre-pandemic. And I think they were just too old and their texture and pigmentation were all compromised. I tried being sentimental about it, but I still prefer starting all over again with few fresh makeups.

What we'll be talking about at this point are some new addition to my mini collection. These are Ellana Cosmetics 2-in-1 Eyebrow and Eyeliner Gels. I got all 3 available shades: Light Brown, Dark, Brown and Soft Black. If you buy them in singles, they retail at PHP499 each. I purchased them at a bundle price of PHP999 (I think?) during the 10.10 sale, comes with free shipping and a freebie primer.

Ingredients

This product claims to be 2-in-1 - an eyebrow and eyeliner gel. I like multipurpose products like this because they save money (and space in your makeup pouch lol). Ellana claims these gels lasts up to 24 hours, and are water-resistant, also has high pigmentation. We'll talk about more of that later on.

Instructions for Use

These gel liners come with a box as you can see on the photos above. Made of glass with silver twist cap, packaging is very simple and travel-friendly.

Ellana 2-in-1 Eyebrow and Eyeliner Gel comes in 3 shades, all perfect for Pinay skin. My personal choice is Dark Brown since my hair is currently not treated with any colors. If you have lighter hair, you can opt for the light brown one and if you have really dark hair, Soft Black might be the best option. All three colors are basic and suitable as eyeliners.

If the products seem dry and not too opaque, you just have swirl your brush continuously to reveal the moisturized layer. Or you can add a very small amount of moisturizer to wet the gel. Check the swatches down below.

I apologize as my brows are untidy, well, it's always like that LOL. To show you it's true color and pigmentation on its own, I skipped the brow gel part. It's just my eyebrows and Ellana 2-in-1 Eyebrow and Eyeliner Gel in Dark Brown.

On my lids, are very thin eye liner and I used the color Soft Black. I honestly like the very subtle colors these products give. However, if you are more into that really solid black liners, I'm sure these aren't for you. These can be a bit patchy as you can see, so you really have to be patient in blending.

I couldn't vouch that it's long-lasting because it cannot withstand my oily lids and skin. One of the things I do to improve its staying power though, is to apply black eyeshadow powder on top to mattify it. It's not completely smudge-proof too as you can see down below. I tried to run over the swatches with my fingers after they completely dried, but the colors still smudge. One of the perks I see is that it's easy to correct or wipe off and reapply as it doesn't completely settle on the skin. These are great options too if you would like to achieve feathery or smokey eyes.

If you are a newbie in makeup, having these products in your stash is beneficial as you can play around and improve how you draw your brows and eyeliner. I would recommend these for beginners because it's easier to correct than waterproof makeups. Staying power is not that impressive but given the price I paid for these, I should not expect so much. Any good eyeliners or eyebrow gels/pomade you want to recommend? :)

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