online shopping – Adventures in Polishland

Tag: online shopping

Jet Away June Wrap Up | It’s Time to Book Your Trip!

Posted on July 1, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! Now that it’s July, Jet Away June has come to a close. I hope you all enjoyed the themed month! You can see all of my Jet Away June posts in one place by clicking on the Jet Away June category HERE. In June, I shared many of my own personal travel tips with all of you, so I thought it fitting that I wrap up the month by sharing the websites I like to use to book my trips.

MY FAVORITE AIRLINE

Flying can be very uncomfortable, especially if you don’t fly often. I’ve recently tried JetBlue for the first time, and it is now my go-to airline. Not only are the seats more comfortable than other planes, because you have extra legroom, but each passenger gets her own TV with several different channels to watch for free. Plus, you get free, unlimited snacks! How awesome is that?! JetBlue employees are also really nice. Like any airline, there have been some bad press about JetBlue in the news, but it’s honestly the best airline I’ve ever taken!

FINDING A CHEAP FLIGHT

My first step is always using Kayak to find a cheap flight. While JetBlue is definitely my personal favorite, I’m willing to fly on another airline if it is substantially cheaper. Kayak is a great tool that finds the most affordable flights from many airlines in one place. They also offer what is called “hacker” flights that combine flights from different airlines to save you even more money. I’ve neve purchased from Kayak directly, but I always use it to search before I shop.

THE PERFECT ONE-SHOP-STOP FOR BOOKING YOUR TRIP

If you’re looking for affordable flights, hotels, rental cars, and more, Orbitz is definitely a great option! You can book your flight and hotel separately, or pick a package deal. I used Orbitz for the first time a few months back and had a great experience. On top of the every day low prices, Orbitz also has a rewards program and they send out coupons all the time!

EARN CASH BACK

Finally, don’t forget to use Ebates when you book your trip online! Many websites, such as Orbitz, offer you cash back when you book your vacation. Flights and hotels can be very expensive, so every bit that you can save counts!

Well, that wraps up my Jet Away June month! I hope you enjoyed all of my posts and found them helpful. Let me know in the comments where you’ll be traveling this summer. I’d love to hear all about your trip!

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Jet Away June | Prescription Sunglasses from Firmoo.com

Posted on June 4, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday, and welcome to another Jet Away June post! I was recently contacted by the online store Firmoo and asked if I would review a pair of glasses on my blog. As you may know, I do wear prescription glasses, so when I learned this website was all about fabulous and affordable glasses, I was really excited to try the site out and share my experience with all of you! Since it’s now summer, and because I didn’t own any already, I got a pair of prescription sunglasses for review. Let me show you the glasses I got, and share my Firmoo experience with all of you!

Firmoo Ordering Process

The Firmoo ordering process was surprisingly very easy! I went directly to the RX Sunglasses page, and ended up picking the style #FS1004 (pictured above). I really like that you can preview the glasses on a model, or even upload a photo of yourself to the website to virtually try on the glasses. It makes choosing a frame easy and fun!

Once I chose the frame, I clicked “Add to Cart” and followed the instructions. I was prompted to enter my prescription and choose from some add-on options. I decided to stick with the basic style with dark brown lenses, but you can add polarized lenses, for example. I placed my order on Friday, May 16th, and the glasses arrived to me on Wednesday, May 28th. I was really impressed with how quickly the glasses arrived, considering they are obviously made-to-order, and they shipped from China!

The Sunglasses!

When my sunglasses arrived in the mail, I was really impressed with all of the goodies that came with them! In addition to a good quality, hard case, I got a cleansing cloth, soft case, and a key chain with mini screwdrivers (in case the screws on the glasses come loose). I think it’s great that they give both a hard and soft case, and the extras are always helpful. I prefer to use the hard case, just so the glasses don’t get bumped around in my purse. The glasses are also really high quality! They arrived in perfect condition, and look just like they did on the website. As with any new prescription glasses, it took me a few wears to get used to new lenses, but I’m now rocking these shades during my walks throughout the city. Are you ready for my selfies?!

I am honestly loving my new shades! I think they look great on me, and go really well with my face shape. They are very comfortable to wear as well. Plus, I like the gold detailing on the sides. It adds some subtle bling!

Final Verdict

My first Firmoo experience was a big thumps up! I am really impressed with the easy ordering process, quick shipping time, and high quality glasses. While I did receive this pair for review, I am definitely going to be ordering from Firmoo on my own in the future whenever I need new prescription sunglasses, or even for a spare pair of regular glasses. The sunglasses I got sell for $56.00, and with shipping my total order was $62.95. That is an amazing price for prescription sunglasses! I would definitely pay $200-300 if I got similar frames at my local optical shop (if not more).

All in all, I highly recommend Firmoo! Whether you’re looking for a new pair of sunglasses for your summer travels, or simply needing a new pair of regular glasses, this website is awesome. They offer styles for both men and women, and you can even get non-prescription glasses. Please shop HERE using my referral link if you plan to order from the site. If you’ve used Firmoo before, let me know in the comments! How was your experience? What frames did you get? I would love to know!

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. This post contains a referral link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Bimonthly Beauty Post: How to Get the Most for Your Money at Sephora!

Posted on March 25, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today’s post is one that my Facebook followers highly requested after I posed a photo of my recent Sephora haul. Because Sephora’s prices are a bit out of my price range, I make sure to get as much as possible for my money every time I shop there. This post will include my latest Sephora haul, and explain the six simple steps I use when shopping at Sephora. Let me show you how I shop at Sephora and get as many products as possible!

I got all of these products in the photo above for $50! Sound too good to be true? It’s easy!

Shop online at sephora.com! While there are definitely perks of shopping at Sephora in person, I find that I can only get the most for my money if I shop online. This will make more sense when I share the rest of the tips I have with you.
Become a Beauty Insider member! Sephora has a free rewards program called Beauty Insider that earns you points on all of your purchases. Each dollar spent is one point toward a free perk! While it does take some time to earn enough points for perks, there is no reason not to join this program. Even if you spend zero dollars at Sephora, you will get a free birthday gift each year! I’ve loved all of the little gifts I’ve received along the way. You can sign up for this program online or in store!
Spend $50 to get free shipping! I always wait until I have $50 worth of products to buy on Sephora’s website before ordering so I can get free shipping. My trick is to place exactly $50 in my cart and not spend a penny more! For this haul, I knew I wanted the Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream, and that I needed a new base coat. I then added on the Instant Eye Makeup Remover, the Sephora Pro Lesson Palette, and a pencil sharpener. These are all items that I will use, and the grand total was exactly $50! Click on the name of each item to see it on Sephora’s website.
Enter a promo code at checkout from the Weekly Specials page! Sephora always has special promotional codes each week that get you free deluxe samples with any order over $25. Since you’ve already spent $50 to get free shipping, simply choose any code you like and enter it at checkout! To find the Weekly Specials page, click on “3 Free Samples” from Sephora’s homepage, and then on “Weekly Specials.” I got a deluxe sample of the Caudalíe Premier Cru Eye Cream with this order that retails for $24.50! I’ve been wanting to try an eye cream, and this was the perfect opportunity! You can only get these freebies online, and not when you shop in store.
Use your Beauty Insider points to get a free perk! For every 100 points earned, you can get a deluxe sample added to your order without having to use up your promo code. The perks offered change regularly, so keep an eye out for something that you really want. I snagged the Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask with my 100 points. My pores desperately need help, and I think this mask will be perfect. You can also save up your points for the 500 point perks as well, but I prefer the 100 point products so I get goodies more often!
Enjoy 3 free samples with every order! Last but not least, every online order gets three free samples. While you may get some samples when shopping in the store, you are only guaranteed three when you shop online. A few times per year, Sephora even offers five samples! I like to get perfume samples because they typically come in mini spray bottles that I can use at least 3-4 times. If there is another product I’m interested in, I’ll pick that up as well. This time I got Juicy Couture perfume in Couture La La, Clinique perfume in Happy, and Murad Hydrator lotion.

All in all, if you follow these six steps you will be sure to get the most for your money at Sephora! For this particular order, I only spent $50, but got $85.56 worth of products! That’s an extra $35.56! The best part is, I only got products that I know I will use and it only took a bit of strategizing!

I hope you find these tips helpful! Let me know how you score great deals at Sephora!

Your Guide to Buying and Swapping Nail Polish Online

Posted on February 10, 2013November 30, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

The internet is an amazing platform that provides us nail polish addicts with great ways to acquire nail polish from all over the world. With so many indie brands and Facebook swap groups to choose from, it can sometimes be confusing, and at times quite scary, to purchase nail polish online. After a recent, negative experience I had with an indie brand, I was reminded of the precautions we must take to protect ourselves and our purchases. I have put together this guide to help those in the nail polish community stay safe when buying and swapping.

Do your research! You’ve finally found that perfect polish you were looking for, but before you hit the “checkout” button, head on over to Google. Type in the indie shop you are hoping to purchase from and see what pops up. This simple step can provide you with lots of helpful information regarding a seller’s reputation that you can easily miss without doing your research. An indie’s name can bring up feedback, blog posts, online forums, and other useful tools to shed light on the product you wish to buy. Along the way you could find out that the quality of an indie polish is not what you want it to be, or that the seller simply does not ship items. If I did my research I would have found a Facebook post letting me know the seller I had trouble with is known for not shipping packages!
Pay with PayPal! Always ensure that you are protecting your money by using PayPal when shopping. Almost all indie brands sell on websites like Etsy and BigCartel that use PayPal, but if you are buying from a seller on Facebook or through a blog sale that may not be the case. Always request a PayPal invoice. An invoice will outline your purchase as an itemized list, and it is the only way you can file a claim for goods you never receive. If a seller refuses to create an invoice for you, that is a red flag that she is not reputable.
Get Delivery Confirmation! Almost all sellers provide delivery confirmation, otherwise known as a tracking number, with every purchase. If you are swapping, however, it is imperative that you and your swap partner use delivery confirmation. This is your “insurance” that your package has been mailed. Make sure your swap parter sends you the tracking number as soon as your polish has been mailed.
Keep your personal information private! This may go without saying, but do not give out your home address or other personal information if you do not trust the person from whom you are buying or swapping. If possible, get a PO Box to use when you are shopping online. You can also give out your work address if it is permitted by your employer. Otherwise, only give out your home address if you have done your research and trust the seller.
Be active in the community! If you plan on doing a lot of nail polish shopping online, join some Facebook groups dedicated to nail polish chat. By actively engaging with other nail polish aficionados you will soon learn which indie brands are great, and which to avoid. You will also learn who trusted swappers are. ~~If you would like to know of some Facebook groups I recommend, please email me at adventuresinpolishland@gmail.com.~~ I am not actively participating in any Facebook groups for buying/swapping nail polish that I recommend as of 9.9.15.
If swapping, invoice each other! This is a tip that I recently learned. If you are doing a swap, you and your partner should invoice each other on PayPal for the same amount of money. For example, if you are swapping a $5 nail polish, invoice each other for $8 to cover shipping. That way if one person does not follow through with the swap, you can file a claim on PayPal.

“I never received my polish! What do I do?”

If you followed the steps above and you find yourself without your purchase, you can still rectify the situation!

Contact the seller! If a few weeks go by and you never receive your polish, the first thing to do is to get in contact with the seller. Most sellers have an email address, but others can be contacted directly through Etsy or social media. Every once in a while, a seller can simply overlook an order, or something may come up in her life that causes a shipping delay. Whatever the reason, politely ask the seller why your order is taking so long. Usually this step will clear up any issues.
File a PayPal Dispute! If the seller does not respond to your message in a timely manner, file a dispute with PayPal in the Resolution Center. Doing so will alert PayPal that you never received your purchase, and will also contact the seller an additional time. If a seller does not respond to your dispute, your money will be refunded. If she does respond, your purchase will either be fulfilled, or the seller may choose to refund your money. If you properly used PayPal to purchase your item, you will always be protected!
Contact the admin of the Facebook group! Many sales and swaps occur in Facebook groups. If you try to contact the seller or swapper to no avail, message the admin of the Facebook group. She will be able to help you resolve the problem, and will warn others from dealing with that person in the future.

I hope you have found this guide to buying and swapping nail polish online helpful! I love indie nail polishes and will continue to buy them, but I will be doing my research from now on. Out of all the brands I have dealt with thus far, I have only had issues with one. Keep an eye out for the bad eggs and you will be good to go! If you have any questions, or would like to add a tip to this list, please email me at adventuresinpolishland@gmail.com.

Stay Safe & Happy Polishing!