Posted in Rants & Raves

Buy SEPHORA online through ZALORA Singapore now!

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Hey Singapore pals! Gone are the days where you have to stock up at your overseas Sephora store! I know that their signature black & white stores have hit the shores of Singapore a while now but guess what? You can now shop Sephora online through your favourite multi-label Singapore-based website, Zalora!

I used to love going into stores and touching the merchandise, testing it out and all. But once that’s done, I save the hassle by buying online. It gives me the freedom to buy something I already know I want, without contending with queues and travelling to an actual, physical store. Have you ever gone to a store only to find out that they do not have physical stocks of the items you want? ARGH! How annoying! Also, online shopping these days come with the perks of user reviews. Instead of going to a store, looking at the advertising copy on the product and second-guessing its actual benefits, I would much rather click on the product listing in the comfort of my seat/bed at home, search for user reviews and hit ADD TO CART!

And if you need more reasons to check out Sephora at Zalora, how about easy returns and free local shipping for orders over SGD40? Forget expensive and complex international shipping!

Posted in My Stuff

My Stuff: Living Conditions

My stuff is everywhere. I’m not really a collector if anything (except maybe stamps, no kidding) yet I have so so so so much stuff! I just spent yesterday afternoon trying to tidy my room and I think I might’ve stressed my joints too much. Ended up with mild inflammation that still hurt like a bitch.

I’m a grown woman in my mid-30s and I’ve just started house hunting. If I can’t even manage the upkeep of a bedroom, I can’t imagine what my future home is going to be like! So 3 weeks ago, I embarked on a shopping ban and also started selling my stuff online. I’ve given away 2 bags in June during a Freecycling event but these other stuff I still really can’t bear to part with them.

I have since thrown away most of my Uni textbooks, from my BA, PGDE and MA. Not sure why I kept so many shitty essays and outdated books but I was quite unwilling to see them dumped. I kept all my Lit novels, some printed readings and the nicer handwritten lecture notes for keepsake. The rest were mercilessly culled. Also threw out a lot of very pretty and unused but definitely expired skincare and cosmetics. I am such an incorrigible hoarder that I only am halfway through!

So anyway, some parts of my room are now clear of clutter. Half my bookshelves are tidy. I have a clean and spacious vanity table -YAY! And there’s actually space next to my bed to yoga again!

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Bad news is… My bags and accessories are in a big mess and quite frankly still overflowing despite giving away and selling about 50pcs in the last few weeks. Also, I still have about 2 boxes of winter clothes I haven’t yet looked at AND I have a hanging rack full of another 30-40pcs of regular clothes (that I really still want but have no space for). The aim now is to get rid of the boxes, dismantle the hanging rack and narrow down to 100pc of accessories in the next 8 weeks!

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Posted in My Stuff

My Stuff: Living Conditions

My stuff is everywhere. I’m not really a collector if anything (except maybe stamps, no kidding) yet I have so so so so much stuff! I just spent yesterday afternoon trying to tidy my room and I think I might’ve stressed my joints too much. Ended up with mild inflammation that still hurt like a bitch.

I’m a grown woman in my mid-30s and I’ve just started house hunting. If I can’t even manage the upkeep of a bedroom, I can’t imagine what my future home is going to be like! So 3 weeks ago, I embarked on a shopping ban and also started selling my stuff online. I’ve given away 2 bags in June during a Freecycling event but these other stuff I still really can’t bear to part with them.

I have since thrown away most of my Uni textbooks, from my BA, PGDE and MA. Not sure why I kept so many shitty essays and outdated books but I was quite unwilling to see them dumped. I kept all my Lit novels, some printed readings and the nicer handwritten lecture notes for keepsake. The rest were mercilessly culled. Also threw out a lot of very pretty and unused but definitely expired skincare and cosmetics. I am such an incorrigible hoarder that I only am halfway through!

So anyway, some parts of my room are now clear of clutter. Half my bookshelves are tidy. I have a clean and spacious vanity table -YAY! And there’s actually space next to my bed to yoga again!

20120826-134838.jpg

20120826-134846.jpg

20120826-134853.jpg

Bad news is… My bags and accessories are in a big mess and quite frankly still overflowing despite giving away and selling about 50pcs in the last few weeks. Also, I still have about 2 boxes of winter clothes I haven’t yet looked at AND I have a hanging rack full of another 30-40pcs of regular clothes (that I really still want but have no space for). The aim now is to get rid of the boxes, dismantle the hanging rack and narrow down to 100pc of accessories in the next 8 weeks!

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Posted in My Stuff, Rants & Raves

Rants & Raves: The end of my BellaBox subscription

This is definitely a rant. An uncharacteristically long ranty tanty rant.

I found out last night that my BellaBox membership was cancelled by the company because I have cancelled the next cycle of payments – without warning or reason. In January this year, I paid for 1 full year’s subscription (that’s 12 + 1 free box) upfront. I have previously written briefly about both my beauty subscription boxes – BellaBox and Glamabox, both of which I find have good and bad months. These boxes sometimes arrive later than the 15th of the month and you know, that takes the fun out of it. I subscribe to the Rough Trade Album of the Month Club and they send me CDs on time from half-way round the world!

Out of the supposed 13 boxes I paid for, I have so far received 6. When I realised that my friend whom I introduced to BellaBox had received hers a few days earlier, I wrote to ask why mine was delayed. I was told that my membership was canceled. This is odd and somewhat unfair because whilst I’m not planning to renew my subscription in 2013, they still have to cater to the 7 boxes I have already paid for. Maybe some administrative screw-up because of scalability issues, I don’t know. But that was the only reply I got.

This morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I have received my refund via PayPal. And I also noticed that the comments that I (and another frustrated former subscriber, a Miss Foo, whom I don’t personally know) made have been deleted. I can now no longer post on their page. I have since unLIKED the page (not that it would be detrimental to their count or profits).

I’m sure I wasn’t posting explicit or nasty things and I haven’t had any of these issues addressed. In the 3 posts I made, I asked a) why my box was delayed again and what the issue was this time? b) Why my box membership was cancelled even though I paid 1 year upfront and only cancelled the NEXT cycle that was due only in February 2013? I also commented that c) it’s unfair to not take care of existing customers just because they have canceled future business d) I’d rather  seek a full refund now than go through the same grief for another 7x (after another user said she was billed again after she cancelled).

What prompted me to cancel the next cycle  in the first place, was that BellaBox had increased their prices (by a measly S$5) but I felt it didn’t improve in tandem with the quality of the products received nor their service. I am paying for the service, right?

Oh well, I got my refund – almost S$90. That, I really appreciate. And I think I’ll use it to offset the cost for a brand new subscription with VanityTrove. Because I’m a sucker for surprises and I love getting parcels in the mail – and even though it costs more than BellaBox, they appear to have nicer stuff and fewer complaints. Fingers crossed that I’ll have a better experience!

Posted in Rants & Raves

Rants & Raves: My CLARINS Haul

I’m raving about my CLARINS experience at the Raffles City Shopping Centre ROBINSONS today. I wasn’t really looking to buy anything but chanced upon CLARINS “Big Beautiful Eyes Pledge” on Facebook. By entering your particulars, you get invited to try some products out at your chosen CLARINS counter. I made my appointment at Raffles City because it was closest to work.

This experience didn’t start really well. I’m sure it’s partly because of how I look and dressed. To be fair, I didn’t identify myself and waited for the consultant to serve another 2 women before stepping up. The first thing I asked was about a gorgeously pink lipstick, then I passed her the printout (which you were supposed to bring to prove that you LIKED their page and signed up for the challenge). After clarifying, she explained that she could do it on my hand (which would be faster and simpler) or remove my make-up and try the products out on my face. I chose to try it out on my face because I have time anyways.

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I spent close to 1 hour and 30 minutes having my make-up removed, then getting the various products slathered on my face – including a mask. This allowed me to feel the products on my skin and see how they’re being used. It was full-on slather and not a half-hearted affair. During the trial, I asked questions because I was genuinely interested in the products as she was offering them to me. I got the feeling that she was more enthusiastic after I showed more interest. She wasn’t pushy and explained how the products were used, even answering my questions about some similar products I was already using from competitors like Shiseido.

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Anyway, long story short, I bought the lipstick (Rouge Prodige 102), Water Purify One-Step Cleanser, HydraQuench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase and WHITE PLUS Whitening Velvet Emulsion with SPF20. I also received a full sized bottle of their Satin-Smooth Body Lotion with Sorbier Bud as well as a set of travel-sized skincare (toner, make-up remover, scrub etc) because they were having a promotion. Also, I was given a $50-off voucher to the Wheelock Place Clarins Spa once I was automatically made a member. AND because I spent over a certain amount, ROBINSONS gave me a $20 voucher (which the cashier promptly used to deduct from the total cost). In the end, I spent only $259 on everything!

I know it’s a little more spendy that I usually am (partly because I’m a bargain hunter and I am skint) but I think today’s haul is a fantastic deal! For those products that I was unsure of, I was given a suitable stash of samples to try. The consultant also indicated in a product guide, which ones to use, when (including the samples). I am impressed because this gives me an idea of what my entire skincare routine would entail and whether or not the extra products will benefit me.

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The beauty consultant that serviced me was Janice Han and I’m very happy with today’s CLARINS haul and experience (much better than what I can say for a certain SK-II counter where I was told I needed every product under the sun because I had really bad skin, then refused to give me more than 2 sample sachets to try out the products). I’m sure I lucked out with the triple-bonus and after today, I don’t think I’ll ever bring home that many  CLARINS products for $259. But then again, if they work, I don’t think I’ll be that worried because I know that I can try out the products adequately before I plonk down the moolah.

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So does this count as a haul?

 

Posted in My Stuff

My Stuff: Products I Love Now (April 2012)

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These are some products I’ve been using for a while now and I really like them:

FANCL White Body Milk – I often work in the sun and my skin type is not exactly sun-friendly. I get freckles all over my face, arms and chest so I was searching online for something that would lighten my freckles when I read a thread on a beauty forum mentioning the product. It does not whiten or bleach your skin, I think it makes my freckles less obvious though. It’s light, fragrance-free (almost) and so easily absorbed. It’s my nightly body lotion routine now.

CLARINS Toning Lotion (Alcohol-Free With Iris) – this was an unplanned purchase. I bought a coupon for a facial at Eden Spa (Purvis Street) where they only use CLARINS products and it was such a good facial that I started wandering around looking at all the products they had on display. They carry a really good range and I casually enquired about the prices. Turned out that they had a special on the toner & make-up remover as a set. Full-sized products but virtually half the price so as all bargain hunters do, I was suckered it. I’m using the make-up remover but am not too crazy about it. The toner however, I really like! I’m not sure if I’ll continue buying it after I’m done with this bottle because of the price.

TK Trichokare Black Shine – another couponing adventure that ended up with me suckered into buying something. I do however use the product and love it. It’s been awhile now that I’ve gone “dark”. No more coloured hair and no more lightening. I’m back to my dark brown/black Asian hair because I’m turning 40 in a couple of years and I thought I’d better enjoy my natural hair colour before I started turning white. This product is used after wash and dry to provide a nice sheen/gloss without adding too much grease. I have extremely oily scalp and I have to wash my hair twice a day. I must say I almost never use product in my hair for that reason but I love this Black Shine enough to use it on my hair ends almost every day!

SE Donkey Milk Essence Foam Wash – yes Donkey Milk, not kidding! I was so amused that I bought a bottle out of curiosity. Turned out smelling like regular foam wash for showering but a lot more expensive. (SGD 49) I’ve used it about 4x and it’s part of my bi-weekly exfoliating regime. I don’t have to moisturize after this because it doubles up as a moisturiser and does leave the skin nice and soft. I use bath gloves with the product and rinse off after, just like that.