Bath and Body Works 1st 2013 Haul

Here's my new Bath and Body Works Haul. . . .

I know, I know. . . You may be raising your brows at this new loot, telling yourselves seriously another batch? Doesn't she have enough. Well, it would've been awesome if all of these are mine in the first place. This was ordered by someone else. I only placed the order and received them. The only things in here that are mine is a bottle of the WInter Candy Apple, which smells awesome by the way and a bottle of daisy dreamgirl. I originally was about to get either the Honey Sweetheart or the Berry Flirt since I don't like floral scents but surprisingly I preferred the Daisy Dreamgirl over the other two since the floral notes aren't so strong, and the dry down smells much better than the other two. But then that's just me.

TAOBAO Haul #9: December

And so here it is folks, my last Taobao loot for the year. Wow, one more haul to go and I could have closed off the purchases at 10 boxes for the year. This package definitely lifted my spirits after suffering such a dreary day. *sigh*

Anyway here's a quick look at my purchases for this batch:

I have been lurking around Ardium Planner's for a while now but I didn't get the chance to buy one for myself last year. Ardium is  a Korean brand with products ranging from phone cases, pouches and of course their nifty looking planners. The price of course depends on the style of the planner, but the cheapest goes around ₩8,250 based on one store I visited while I was scouring through shops in GMARKET.  And it is actually not a bad deal considering that their planners are of pretty good quality. I was really stoked to find Ardium planners in Taobao, although I'm not sure if there's an issue with it being a fake or not. But the one's I got didn't have the extras, the deco stickers and the like, which I think was supposed to be included as a bundle with the planner. 

And that's it for now folks. . . . Hope you have  a happy holiday everyone! Cheers!

Unboxed: Bath and Body Works Haul

I just received my Bath and Body Works haul c/o House of Flair. This is my second of batch of pre ordered items from the US. This ain't as huge as the one I got last Wednesday considering that this package is solely BBW. 

So here's a shot of what I got for this batch:

The package contains:

[from back row left side] Forever Sunshine Fine Fragrance Mist // Dreamy Vanilla Woods Fine Fragrance Mist // Sweet on Paris Fine Fragrance Mist // Brown Sugar and Fig Body Splash // Enchanted Orchid Fragrance Mist // Sweet on Paris Shower Gel // Sweet on Paris Body Lotion

I am currently working on reviews for some of the items that I got on both hauls. Not sure though when I am gonna be posting those since it's still mayhem in my body mist closet. But do watch out for it. 

For some additional reading here are some of my other US Haul related posts: Unboxed: VS and BBW Haul c/o House of Flair || House of Flair Service Review

Unboxed: VS and BBW Haul c/o House of Flair

My Victoria's Secret and Bath and Body Works haul just arrived! This has got to be one of my mega hauls for this year. Way to end the year. Mind you, I don't usually indulge myself in things like this being the cheapskate that I am so this is a rare treat for me. 

The package smells like freakin' caramel popcorn. OMG!!!  

I got a couple of Victoria's Secret Fragrance Mist, Halloween Edition Pocketbac's, Mini Candles, and BBW mists.

The super duper awesome freebie. This is actually my favorite scent from BBW's halloween collection.Thanks for the early Xmas Treat Ms. Suyen! *happy dance*

House of Flair Service Review

House of Flair is your "personal shopper" who provides great shopping opportunities for us Filipinos who are vying for items from US based shops, especially for those stores that doesn't ship to International destinations. All items are guaranteed authentic since Ms. Suyen orders your items direct from the US shop of your choice. You could basically order anything and everything you want. The only restrictions are electronics and as for food they just started allowing orders for those. But I think there are still limitations on what you can order considering the transit time which may affect the food items that you'd be ordering. So definitely no perishable items. There are also available on hand items which you could browse on the website.

House of Flair Service Review:

Service Charge: 

Items are reasonably priced considering that the quotations provided are inclusive of fees like taxes, shipping and handling fees and the like. So with all those fees bunched in there, I am actually quite surprised that prices aren't sky high.

Ms. Suyen only requires 50% of the total amount as downpayment so you don't have to get yourself all frazzled about the payment. You can just pay the rest when your items are already on hand. Payment wise there are several options that you can choose from depending on what suits you best.

Communication: 

Awesome service. Seriously. Replies are prompt, its like you're talking in person. Ms. Suyen is super nice and she's patient enough to respond to the massive amounts of queries and for that I am very grateful. I could be such a headache at times because I have the tendency for asking so many questions. And I usually go with a certain budget so yeah I often end up inquiring about TONS of things just to know what fits that budget.

Packaging/Handling:  

Everything's been wrapped securely. Each piece arrived in excellent condition. No spills from the bottles. Nor any nips or chips from the candles which I was really worried about. 

  
Shipping: 

From US to Philippines: The shipping approximate is 6 to 8 weeks. Batch 30 came within six weeks while I believe Batch 31 came at a much earlier time than expected so while a portion of my previous batch is still held up at customs, batch 31's arrival coincided with it. Compared to the transit time with packages we often receive through door to door, which usually takes 2 months or more, House of Flair's delivery is much faster. If you still can't wait long enough, you may choose HoF's Express Delivery wherein transit takes about 3 weeks.

Local Transit: House of Flair has free shipping through Fast Track Courier. This is the first time that I have actually heard of the said courier so I didn't really know what to expect. Fast Track is okay actually. Totally understandable that it took two days for the package to arrive since they course provincial deliveries through LBC. They still have to do the forwarding and all that thingamajig thus the longer delivery time I suppose. I really hope that the package tracker in their website is usable since it would've made the tracking faster than having to go through landlines or sending e-mails, thus the minus points in the rating.

All in all it was a great shopping experience and I am definitely looking forward to more transactions in the future.

If you want to know more about House of Flair you may visit the following links: Official Website || Twitter Account || Facebook Page 

For a peek at what I got for my very first haul kindly check out the link: Unboxed: VS and BBW Haul c/o House of Flair

TAOBAO Haul#8: November

I am actually quite amazed at how time seem to have flown by just like that. . . Only a few more days before December and a few more weeks before Christmas. Hmmm not really sure if I am excited considering that the past few weeks have been rather monotonous for me. Hoping that new and exciting things would come next month. Not really expecting presents since I rarely get one, considering the small amount of friends I have. And they haven't been exactly visible during the past few months as well. So yeah. . . boring, boring life for me.

Well enough about that. . . I just can't believe that this is my 8th Taobao Haul already. I didn't imagine that I'd actually be ordering so much when I started. So far I haven't missed any of the ETA's except for the second one this month because I lamely decided to just push my supposed orders for the last week of this month over to the DEC ETA. Darn, the last package would've been my 10th haul. Oh well. . . .

This is a  relatively small haul. . . Just a bunch of squishy food simulation pieces. I got myself some as well lol . . . And lookie at what's on top of the pile. . . What's that blue thing in there? Hmmmm. . . . 

Its the new Taobao Manila Eco Bag given as a freebie for their purchasers .

TAOBAO Haul #7: October

 

 

A brief rundown of my purchases for this month: A couple of microfiber cloths, and by a couple it means a bunch, seriously. Then some cute pouches, my hauls staples which are accessories, this time I got buttloads of necklaces, I took a photo of my favorites since I really did get a lot; and then some hair acessories again. I am IN LOVE with the maroon colored bow. It's so pretty!!!

TAOBAO Haul #6: September

So yeah I know that I am once again  late with this post but I've been really busy with so much stuff going on and I spent a good day or two crying over the black ugliness that now stained the back of my once pristine Kindle 4. Lesson learned: stay away from stuff made of colored rubbery stuff unless you've seen and tried it in person. Especially if its for your electronic stuff. Because seriously if you value your stuff that much, it would be such a heartbreak if it gets whacked. 

Here's a brief snapshot of this hauls highlights:

TAOBAO Haul #5: AUGUST

Yet another Taobao Haul. . . 

I just squeezed in as much photos as I could into one so I could share with you my recent purchases. As you can see majority of these are hair accessories, like some scarves, printed chiffon cloths, usamimi headbands, cute hair clips  and a couple of rings. Then down below are some items for the nails which are actually a part of the Christmas gifts for my bestfriend who really really loves doing her nails.

TAOBAO Haul #4: July

Another Taobao Haul post! This one is probably the biggest package I've had since I started my frequent sprees in Taobao. The package, again, came in a box. Much bigger than my previous one. . . I'm so excited for this particular haul because like the usual, I ordered quite a number of quirky knick knacks again and some new additions to my collection. . Opening the parcel definitely is the most exciting part. . .  Whether its cutting the box open or ripping the pouches. . .

Annnnddd I finally reached the 500rmb mark and so, not only did I get a much lower fee for my purchases, which was originally 50% down to 35%, I also received a free canvas bag! OMG!! Lucky! Its in blue!! Fave color!  And I LOVE the design, I've been planning to buy a bag with this kind of design for quite a while now, so imagine the coincidence. Thank you Stalklife!

And as I have mentioned above, I purchased quite a number of items, but I decided not to post pictures of every single item since it would take me ages taking pictures of them. Instead, here's a snapshot of my most favourite items from the bunch.

Clockwise: 4 pieces of yummy looking ice cream pens, Canned soda pens and a real looking pizza eraser. . .  YUMMMMM!!!! 

As long as the items look like food, I'm sold! LOL!

And some handy new travel organizers as well. The compartments are detachable. How awesome is that. . .

I still have a few more items that I am planning to order considering that there is an ongoing pre order for the AUGUST ETA. And what excites me is the fact that I am able to participate in yet another promo. The first one was the Early Bird Promo last April. This time I successfully made it through for the 25 for 25 promo. Yay!!!!! I was so excited that I think I was one of the first few who made the dp for the promo lol. . .But I don't think that I'd be able to best this latest haul with the up and coming ones. But we'll see, since Taobao is a definite fountain of new finds. 

I'm quite thankful that despite me being so kulit that many would prefer to just strangle me, lol, the awesome staff behind Stalklife remain accommodating, understanding and very helpful.

So, that ends yet another Taobao Haul update. Till next guyz!

For more info on my previous hauls kindly click the Service/Shopping tag which you will find under REVIEWS SECTION on the right panel of this blog.

TAOBAO Haul #3: May

Pretty late haul post. . .A month late I think?

And yes!  It is indeed another haul from Taobao! This time its in a box? So you could safely guess that I went gaga over so many pretty, quirky things from taobao again. But not all of it are mine this time. . . Though majority are still purchased by me. 

If you're now raising your brows at my apparent splurging tendencies whenever I am lurking around Taobao, the thing is, most of the items from taobao are quite cheap, but some could be pretty expensive as well. So you could really stretch your buck with the plethora of items that you can find. But do know that the cheapest isn't always the best of qualities. But its a rare chance that I come across cheap items with cheap quality. Perhaps I am just lucky enough with finding good quality things for a cheap price. Lol! Talk about a den for temptations.

For any skepticism, checking store rating and feedbacks' is a lot of help. You may also ask tips and advices from those people who are familiar with the in and outs of Taobao, and recommendations on shops were you could find the particular items that you wish to purchase. 

There are a LOT of things that I have yet to discover in taobao and I'm rather excited to see where my constant lurking will take me.

You may like to check Taobao Manila (Stalklife) if ever you are in need of an agent for Taobao purchases. Definitely recommended.

Some of my favorites. . . 

 

2 set of Postcards, Craft Ink Pads in Gold and Silver, Deco Tape, Stamps and 2 Metallic pens.

And here's me finally embracing my House in Hogwarts. Yay for Gryffindor!

 

TAOBAO Haul #2: April

I recently just received my second Taobao Haul courtesy of Stalklife (Taobao Manila). My favorite item most definitely is a replica of the Hair Tie/ Bracelet worn by 徐熙媛 when she played the role of 尹夏沫 in the Taiwanese Drama 泡沫之夏. I am a huugggeee fan of that drama. . .  

Here's a quick snapshot of what I've ordered.

 For more info on my previous order please refer to this post Taobao Manila (First Taobao Haul).

TAOBAO Haul #1: March

With a few days before mah birthday. . . 

My package is here! OMG! That was so fast! Hurray for next day delivery. . . Nuff said about paying for shipping that I could've gotten at a much lower, cheaper price if I chose another courier. . . My schedule has been pretty uncertain so I was undecided on whether I'd have the items shipped or pick 'em up via meet up. I have only done one meet up before and that was way, way back in 2007, I think? And I resorted to having things shipped out instead. The only concern I have for couriers is that there are times when items get manhandled?

I haven't really purchased anything off of Taobao before since I was having troubles looking for an agent. But I am not a newbie when it comes to Shopping Services, considering that I have dealt with quite a few agents but they were for my packages from Korea and Japan.

Therefore, I was so ecstatic when I came across a blog entry made by Yaptus where I found out about Taobao Manila (Stalklife)

I literally spent hours and hours looking at different shops in Taobao, narrowing down my list of would be purchases. If only I wasn't such a cheapskate, then I would've splurged more on purchases. There's still a lot more stuff on my list that I haven't crossed out yet: Creepers, Boots . . . ahh the list goes on and on and on. . . 

Here's a quick peek at what i've purchased. . . I barely got a pic of the package LOL! I was that excited

Very neat and organized. . . 

My favorite purchases! The irony of buying these two at the same time, was pure coincidence. I was determined to purchase the Harry Potter Planner and the Twilight pencil case when I first saw it. But I didn't really realize at first that the pencil case is a Twilight Merchandise. I just liked it for what it was: a pencil case.

Taobao Manila Service Review:

Service Charge:

Reasonably priced. The service charge might seem a bit expensive but considering that they would be lugging all your stuff themselves in a plane to bring it to Manila makes the fee worth the money. But if you are still mooning over the 35% and 50% fee then you have the 10% fee option, but you have to pay for the international shipping and there's the possibility that you'd be required to pay for customs taxes, which is equal to a lot of headache. Besides, they check the items to make sure you'd get your money's worth.

Communication:

Fast replies!!!!!!! Very accomodating and helpful when it comes to inquiries and things about purchases and questions you may have about Taobao. And, very patient, most especially with me being so kulit and fickle minded (re: shipping/meet-up). Besides that, your updates doesn't stop after you've made your payment. They would STILL message you afterwards about your items/package so you'd be on track. They even post photos of your items so you'd have an idea on how the stuff you've ordered looks like. No need to pester them for the status and especially for the tracking number.

Packaging/Handling:

Everythings been packed and arranged inside the box with care. There are sticky notes with the name of the person who purchased the item, most certainly to make sure that things won't get mixed up with other customers purchases. Items arrived in perfect condition.

Shipping: 

Perfect score for both Taobao Manila and LBC. The former for shipping out the package at the soonest possible time and for trusting me with the shipping fee. Not everyone would've done that. And for that extra brownie points.

For LBC, despite being quite an expensive courier service, I can say that the money was well paid. Who could argue with such fast delivery time! I received it immediately!!! It's been shipped out for barely even a day and I already have it! 

Overall Verdict:

First transaction was a success. Thank you Taobao Manila for being of great service to us Taobao lovers. Hoping that I'd be able to participate in the next ETA again! 

To find out more about Taobao Manila (Stalklife), kindly visit their site:  Taobao Manila (Stalklife) 

UPDATES: As of current the Service Fees have been reduced to 30% and 40%. For more info kindly visit Taobao Manila's homepage provided on the link above. 

Japan Haul!

So. . . one of my biggest packages for the year just arrived today!!!! I was soooooo excited when my package was delivered in the afternoon bundled inside a paperbag with tons and tons of tape lol! How all of these items managed to fit inside, I would never know hahaha. . .  I never expected that I’d be receiving it today so I just can't stop raving about it. . . 

As you can see, I was only halfway in my task of properly opening the package, and I just had to snap a quick picture . . Tadda!!!!!!!!!!!

I won’t give details on the items bit by bit like I usually do. I’m being lazy again lol. . . 

Some of the items all laid out. . .So here are my new bags. 2 are from bodyline. After giving it so much thought, I’m glad that I was finally able to grab a hold of my very own bodyline bags. The money is so worth it! And then there’s my new School Bag.If you are fond of watching Japanese Dramas you'd be aware of these type bag that they use for school. I also have a leather version of this bag in black.

Here are just some of the random things I’ve bought. Yeah, I know I often buy things that are really out of the ordinary huh? Oh well I simply could not resist the cuteness. . There are these two cute mini food shaped mamegoma erasers. I wasn’t able to get a close up shot since the camera goes bonkers all of a sudden when I click it. Just look for the two small boxes. The two transparent colorful looking boards with adorable mamegoma prints all over them are my super kawaii pencil boards. I feel bad that I’m gonna use them. Perhaps I should just add them to my stash? *thinks hard*. And ultra nice planners!!!!!! I’d be using them to note all my activities for the whole year 2010. . .Hopefully nothing to dreadful. . . . and, well, as I have said during the beginning of this paragraph this is the shot for all my random buys, lol and as you see on the left I actually bought some plastic bags! Hahaha!!!!! What?! They’re cute!!!!! I got them from strpaya.

A shot of my new bento making accessories. . . 3 packs of the most adorable looking sauce bottles!!!!!!!! Oh my!!!! I just fell in love with the mini mayonnaise and catsup squeeze bottles. . . Tsk! I knew it!!! I should’ve purchased 2 packs of it!!!!. . . The rest of the items you could see in the pic are my new fancy accessories. . .