I’m Impressed with Ebates

Ebates is kind of an interesting concept.  The idea is that when you shop online, you go to their site first and search for the company you are going to shop at.  You click through their link to that store, and ebates gives you a low % of cash back on what you buy there. 

I (like you probably) wondered initially if Ebates was a scam.  Since I didn’t need to give them my credit card information or anything like that though, I decided why not try.  

Ebates is an Affiliate Marketing company.  This means that they earn money by referring people to buy someone else’s products, and don’t actually sell anything, have any inventory, or have any part in order fulfillment.  According to this page on Ebate’s site, they make money by:

They get a commission from the store where you made your purchase, and they share a portion of it with you.

My guess is that there is some add revenue and consumer activity/habits tracking and sales happening as well.  That’s what I would do anyway.  It makes more sense than a pure commission model, and they get TONS of clicks on businesses from people who are just browsing (I’ve clicked through to Nordstrom’s many times, myself.)

Anyway, why am I writing about them?

Because they have better issue/conflict resolution than I’ve seen from most other sites.  They missed one of my orders (from Vitacost!) and all I needed todo was fill out the form, put the numbers (order and $) in the right spots, and BAM my $6ish showed up in my Big Fat Payment section.  Nice.  I didn’t have to fight or argue or anything (I’m almost always prepared for fighting and arguing when it comes to getting someone to give me money they may not think they owe me.)

Anyway, I’m also sharing because I think it’s a neat business concept, and because I’ve found out personally (via $ in my paypal account) that it’s not a scam and that they do pay out.  Neato.

If you want to try, they of course have an affiliate program (what affiliate marketing company wouldn’t?) so if you love me, click here and they will give me credit for you joining.  It looks like a you get $5 I get $5 situation, but there is also some mention of bonus payouts.  Click here if you love me.

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=0g7v52Mc9F3qn8wkWCMEOQ%3D%3D&eeid=26471

IPSY July 2014

What’s an IPSY: IPSY sends out a package of surprises in the GLAM BAG (well, they spoil the surprise right before they ship, but when you but you don’t know what you are getting so it starts as a surprise.)

COST:  $10 a month (it’s $10 + $4.95 shipping)  Use my referral link to join if you want to share the love!

DELIVERY:  Ships Mid Month (Canada is a bit behind the US shipping from what I saw online)

WAITLIST:  Yes.  But if you refer someone they will move you off it.

This month was pretty good.  I was about to cancel, and I think I’ll give it one more month.

 

 

Pur~lisse pur~protect essential daily moisturizer spf 30 (Sample Size $16)

That math seems off… the full size is $55 and this is a .5oz.  Expensive moisturizer.  I liked the one I got a while back that didn’t have spf, so I expect this will be similar.  

derma e BB Creme with SPF 25 (Sample Size $7.35)

This isn’t really the right color for me, it’s a bit dark.  Plus it didn’t really rub in that well.  It’s a decent sized sample though, so I wish it was the right color for me.

 

POP Beauty Sunkissed Bronzer (Full Size I think it was $5ish, but it’s sold out on their site and someone on reddit posted that it’s on sale in US drugstores for 75% off)

Looks like it’s probably discontinued.  It’s also the wrong color for me.  I’ll try it and see, but the swatch doesn’t make it look too promising.  Maybe I can use it on my eyes.

 

Bare Minerals READY^® Eyeshadow 2.0 (Sample Size/mini)

This is pretty small, I like the colors and I look forward to giving this a try.  The swatches seem pretty pigmented and nice.  Pinkish eye colors aren’t normally my thing, though.

Pixi Beauty Mini Tinted Brilliance Balm (Sample Size/mini)

This is pretty much clear.  It’s apparently supposed to change color on your lips, I don’t see it.  It’s lip balm feeling, not sticky.  

 

Swtaches

It’s an OK bag.  Compared to others I’ve seen it looks like I got lucky.  I’m going to keep Ipsy for one last month.  But for now:

 

(Under $20)

 

   I will use the products that I like, but I don’t expect to buy any.

 

 

 

MEMEBOX Superbox #23 Summermeeting

My Summer box!

I was so excited for this box, I ordered it ages ago.  

What’s a Memebox?

Memebox is a Korean beauty box service that ships from Korea to Canada and the US (and quite a few other countries). In each Memebox, you get 6-8 Korean beauty products, some are deluxe samples and some are full sizes.  The normal box is $23 + shipping (and not shipping per box but per order, so if you order multiples it’s a way better deal.  Superboxes, like the one reviewed here, are between $29 and $39  This particular one was $32.

You can earn “meme points” as well for additional discounts, and the way and number you earn is varied and seems a little random.  If you want one click here if you would like to use my affiliate link.  

On to the box!

MEMEBOX Superbox #23  Sumemrmeeting

I love Korean Sunscreen and BB Cream.  That was what I was hoping for in this box, and they mostly delivered.

The Goods

1. Finco UV Control Sun Block 
2. Hope Girl Power Volume Mascara Wand Waterproof
3. CNKCOS Transformer Solution 1st and 2nd (They work together)
4. borntree Bloom Mineral Avenue Air Fir Sun CC
5. W.HOLIC Glutathion Whitening Essence

  

Finco UV Control Sun Block ($54 for 60ml)

 As I mentioned, I love Korean Sunscreen.  This one is PA+++ and doesn’t leave too much of a white cast.  I usually don’t concern myself with white cast because I always wear makeup, but I think this one could be worn alone too.

 

Hope Girl Power Volume Mascara Wand Waterproof ($22)

Waterproof mascara.  Not bad, it’s subtle and natural looking.  I usually go for the MEGA SUPER EXTRA FAT LASHES kind of mascara, but for a day out or at the beach this would be great I think.

CNKCOS Transformer Solution 1st and 2nd (They work together) ($20)

These are the instructions that came with it: 

My main concern is how long this lasts after mixing together.  I didn’t mix it yet because I don’t want to waste it if it’s limited after use.  I can’t find much online about it.  I’m going to wait until I want to try it to mix them, just to be sure I don’t waste it.

borntree Bloom Mineral Avenue Air Fir Sun CC ($21)

 Super cute.  

It’s the right color for me 🙂

 

It blends in well, but has very minimal coverage.  And wow are my hands veiny.

I’ve never tried CC cream, but the card calls it “lighter and more natural looking” base makeup.  This will actually be great for carrying around when I’m traveling next week.  I guess I better spot check asap.

W.HOLIC Glutathion Whitening Essence ($43)

Whitening makes me a bit nervous.  If it’s whitening because it gets rid of sunspots (using AHA, niacanimide, or Vitamin C) I am OK using it, but I get concerned when it’s not one of those because I don’t want to actually lighten my skin.

I tested it on my wrist and it’s a thick whitish serum, it doesn’t smell like anything, and it rubs in well.

This product uses Glutathione, an antioxidant.  Taken by the mouth it does all kinds of things, but I couldn’t find much about what it does when applied topically.  I’m going to hold off using this until I get an ingredients list, the search is on

 

I’m overall pretty happy with this box.  It’s really high value, and I think I’m going to get good use from everything in it. I have about 4 more memboxes coming, I keep getting caught up in the deals and coupons, and if more are like this one I’ll keep on ordering them. 

The total value of this box is $160 in products.  

(Under $30) Cheapskate Approved because it’s so high value!

 

    Will use most products, very happy with the box all in all. Good Buy!

 

LIPMONTHLY – June 2014

It finally came. Lip monthly is very new, in fact this is only the second box ever. This box is normally $10 a month, plus an additional shipping fee that’s around $5 if you live in Canada like me. For this box I used a $5 off code (which I believe is still valid SUMMERLIPS) so I got this box for just over $10 with exchange rates, ect, all in.

The Goods:

Lipology – Anti-Feathering Stick ($3.99)

I admittedly had never heard of anti-feathering sticks.  It is supposed to help lip stick not migrate off the lips.  It feels like lip gloss on the lips, and has no color on its own.

Mary Kate and Ashley – Lip Foils ($4.99)

There are very….. foil like.  I don’t know what I’m going to do with them.  Probably not wear them.

lol – Lots of Love – Lip Stick ($1.25)

This is light, cheap feeling, and orangy.  I won’t use this.

Essie Purifying Hand Treatment ($3.99ish on Ebay)

This is intersting.  It’s like a serum for hands.  Kind of comes out as a whitish liquidy goop.  It smells like hippies, yet no respectable hippie would ever use an alcohol based hand bacteria killer.  (Which this may or may not be, based on various things I found online and the fact that alcohol is the second ingredient.)

Swatches.

Yep.  That’s what I thought it looked like too.

I already unsubscribed from this subscription box. Regardless of the fact that I did get my money’s worth, there isn’t a single thing here that I would ever buy myself, or a single brand that I will buy again.  I was rooting for them as a new company, but I’m not willing to spend $15ish a month (now that my $5 off is no longer valid) to stick around and see if things get better.

(Under $20) Cheapskate Approvedish, but not for this box

   Not likely to use the products.

 

Lvida Nail Polish (blue) From Memebox

Lvida Nail Polish (blue) (Full Size, $7)

Claypatra Mineral Salt Clay Pack

The Product:

Claypatra Mineral Salt Clay Pack by banila co

The Cost:

My tiny jar is worth about $2.52

For a full size Korea Depart has it for $15.22

The Claim:

Clay with minerals to cleanse excessive sebum and exfoliate dead skin cells.  Offers moisture, while making skin smoother and softer.

The Ingredients:

Shea butter, macadamia seed oil, trehalose, honey extract, edelweiss extract, calendu la flower extract, chamomile flower extract 

The Experience:

I got this little jar in a Memebox, and since it was the product I was as most interested in in the box, I tried it right away. The mask has the following ingredients: Shea butter, macadamia seed oil, trehalose, honey extract, edelweiss extract, calendula flower extract, chamomile flower extract Since a lot of these are things I already use on my face in their raw form (Shea butter, honey, oils) I threw caution to the wind,skipped the patch test, and spread this goop all over my face. I used a pretty thin layer, and was pleasantly surprised that I only used about 1/3 of the jar. It goes on like this: 

It dries somewhat hard, like most clay masks do, so I looked like a lizard after about 20 mins.

At the 20 min mark I washed it off with a face cloth and inspected my skin.

The Verdict

I don’t think clay masks are ideal for my dryish skin, but I have been wanting to try one for a while.  This one was great for me since the oils seemed to keep it from being too drying for me, but I felt like I got all the benefit of using clay.  After using it my skin really readily absorbed my serums and moisturizers, which makes me think even though it isn’t as drying as some clay, it was a little too drying for my skin.  I did have smooth, lovely feeling skin for the next day though, I credit this mask with improving the texture of it.  

I don’t plan to buy a full size product, as I don’t have acne prone skin any more and I’d rather spend my mask hours moisturizing and soothing my face.

For someone with acne prone skin who isn’t sensitive to the ingredients (there are more than something like plain Aztec Clay has in it,) this mask would be a nice choice.

             Works Well to draw out oil without over drying!

 

       (Under $20) Cheapskate Approved!