CityTV x eBeauty.ca event… and the birth of a new Canadian online shop for all of your cosmetics needs!

I was invited to the CityTV x eBeauty.ca event that took place on the 29th of June. eBeauty.ca is a new Canadian online retail space that sells over 300 brands of cosmetics, many of which are not available in Canada. They offer free shipping over $75 (right now there is a promotion going on that is free shipping over $25) and many weekly deals and specials. Brands include Stila, Paul & Joe, Jack Black (for that lip balm that Temptalia has raved about), Butter London, Barielle, Caudalie, and MORE! What’s best is that they are a 100% Canadian-owned company as they are owned by Rogers.

Now for some photos from the event… I will do a look breakdown for you in another post =)

Awesome deals for the early present buyers~

I know I haven’t done one of these in a while, but there have been some really awesome deals around the net lately so I feel I have the obligation to share (aka enable) them with you.

• Strawberrynet currently has YSL Ombre Duo Lumieres (duo eyeshadows) on sale for $20! That’s 50% off. Products are boxed, have no problems and they’re the current ones being sold at the counter (not discontinued), so its an amazing deal. Free shipping on everything and 5% off if you buy 3 or more items (as usual).
• Strawberrynet is also currently having their unboxed sale, with products discounted as much as 65%. The products won’t have boxes (which is why its an unboxed sale…), but don’t worry, its not because they’re testers or anything. Deals include Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar for $21, Bobbi Brown Protective Face Lotion for $23.50, Diorskin Nude liquid foundation for $33, Dolce & Gabbana lipgloss for $22, and MORE.
• ASOS is currently having their mid-season sale on cosmetics. This includes whopping 50% off deals on brands like Paul & Joe, Illamasqua, Steamcream, etc. If you’re looking for Paul & Joe holiday collection, it has already been released on ASOS (yes, already). Shipping to North America is $6 flat rate.
• Sasa is selling Chanel Rouge Coco and Rouge Allure lipsticks for $26. Shipping is free over $100.
• Cosme-De has Anna Sui Luxury Face Powder on sale for $39 (usual price is $56 I believe, in stores) and Dejavu mascara for $10 (Selling on Sephora for about $28). Also you can pre-order Barbie Hsu’s HG face mask, the For Beloved One Melasleep Bio-cellulose Mask for 50% off. Shipping is free on any order.

That’s about all the deals I can remember right now. If you know of any, please feel free to comment with the information and URL.

If you bought something, please let me know what you bought!! I love to hear about other people’s purchases =)

Urban Decay BoSIII and NEW primer!

If you don’t know yet… Urban Decay’s new Book of Shadows III has been released on Sephora. Yes, this was the palette that sold out within 10 minutes of its release on UD’s website due to them releasing too limited stock. Its been out for a day on Sephora and still in stock, so I doubt its going to go out of sale that quickly, but if you know you really want this, then don’t hesitate.

Also Urban Decay released a set of four mini Primer Potions, including one NEW primer called Greed that is a pearly gold. It is also available on Sephora if you want to try all of the eyeshadow primers that UD has out right now, including the new one, this is a great way to see which one you like without having to buy the full size of each. Also, did I mention those little bottles last FOREVER? I’ve had my full-size for two years and I can still manage to get lots out of it.

My thoughts on the Book of Shadows? I’ve had my Alice palette for about 8 months and I’ve only used it TWICE. Its not that I don’t like it, because I really love it, but just the colour combination and everything is just off for me. Its like UD just stuck all their colour choices in a random generator and whatever came out they would put in the palettes. This is also what seems to be the case with BOSIII. I personally really just want Haight, which is a single shade, and I might just get that. My advice is if you are someone with tons of creative juices and can think of random looks to create with a totally random palette, then go for the BOSIII and any future BOS that come out. Otherwise, if you are like me and prefer a ready-made palette with all of your colours laid out for you, then I would skip and go for a nice Dior, Chanel or Guerlain palette, or even looking at Japanese eyeshadow palettes because those ones are the ultimate colour coordinations, complete with eye graphs.

That’s just my two cents.

(stock photos courtesy of Sephora)

Online Discount Shopping Sites!

One of my most popular blog entries now is the one about the Japanese cosmetics… So I’ve decided to do one for discount shopping sites too! Discount shopping sites are a great way to purchase brand name products for a lower price. Usually if you seek out a more prominent company, such as Hautelook, then you don’t have to worry about fakes and stuff like that. Most of these sites are by invitation only, so you have to get invited by a member in order to see the products that are available or purchase from them, so the link I’ve provided is my personal invite link.

1. Hautelook

This is probably the biggest and most famous of the discount shopping sites. Prices are relatively reasonable and they have a great selection of products at any given time, with product ranging from housewares, to food, to men’s accessories, to cosmetics. Shipping is about $10 to Canada and the US and from what I know, they collect your money and then tell the manufacturer of your order, the order is then shipping from the manufacturer to Hautelook and then to you.

I’ve ordered from here and honestly, it sounds like a long process but it really isn’t. When I made my order, they gave me an estimated time of when my stuff would get shipped out, but they ended up getting my stuff to me about a week and a half before their estimate. From when my stuff were ordered to when they were shipped out, it took about two weeks. They ship to Canada via Canada Post Expedited shipping, which is the extra quick one and is insured.

2. Beyond the Rack

Beyond the Rack is a Canadian discount shopping site. They are focused more on women’s and men’s clothing and accessories, and occasionally cosmetics or skincare as well. Their selection isn’t as amazing as Hautelook’s, but they do offer some really amazing brands such as Dior, Fendi, Rock & Republic, Diesel, etc. I have purchased a pair of Dior sunglasses from here for a really good deal, and I found that it shipped fast as well, via FedEx. Shipping is about $20, which is a bit high, but it is FedEx, so its fast. You can also read my previous review here.

3. Beauty Story

Beauty Story is a rare breed of discount shopping sites that only offers cosmetics, skincare and other beauty products. They really got themselves out during the Rock & Republic cosmetics sale and they are a subdivision of Editor’s Closet. Shipping to US is $6.50 and to Canada is $14, which is a little high, but they do have some good sales if you are a beauty fiend.

4. Editor’s Closet

Another discount site based in the US. They are kind of a rare breed as they only hold 1-2 sales at one time, unlike Hautelook or BTR where they have 10 or even more sales on at once. They also focus more on the high end stuff, like just today their Dior shoe sale ended with prices ranging from $150-300 (up to 70% off!).

5. Ideeli

Yup, another store like Hautelook… I’ve never shopped from here and I know they don’t ship to Canada so I have no idea how they work.

6. Izzy’s Beauty Shoppe

This is a discount store for beauty products, but you do NOT need an invitation to get in. I like Izzy’s Beauty Shoppe because they have a whole variety of products on sale. Prices aren’t bad, and sometimes you can find LE, discontinued or sold out products for not a huge markup. The best thing though? They sell testers. You know that Guerlain G Lipstick that you’ve always wanted but can’t talk yourself into putting down $60 for a lipstick? Well they have the testers for usually half of that price, or even more discount. They also sell slightly used perfume bottles, like perfumes that have been sprayed a few times but the majority of it is still there. Basically if you don’t mind the aesthetics or if you just love something and can’t bear to put down the entire amount for it, you go to Izzy’s. Shipping is free over $100 to Canada and the US, so you can shop to your hearts content without having to worry about shipping prices.

Online shopping guide for Japanese cosmetics (updated 07/01/2011)

I know I feature a few Japanese cosmetics products and brands that aren’t available for purchase in North America, and I know that feeling of it being so lovely that you want it, but just can’t get your hands on it because its not available here. Because of that, I’ve put together an online shopping guide for purchasing Japanese [and most Asian branded] cosmetics in general.

1. Cosme-De

This is my favourite place to shop for cosmetics of any kind and if I can find it here, I usually don’t go elsewhere. They are based in Hong Kong and offer a variety of Asian and Western brands, many of which are at a lower/discount price to what you would find in store. Best of all, they have Jill Stuart products selling at near retail price. Brands include Jill Stuart, Etude, Missha, Skin79, Lunasol and more. Free shipping anywhere in the world on all orders of any size.

2. Strawberrynet

Another one of my favourite places to shop and also based in Hong Kong. They have a nice selection of items available for purchase and I love their bi-monthly “special offer” deals where they have certain stuff discounted for around half price. They also have a “loyalty discount” where the more you shop, the more you save. Brands include Paul & Joe, Coffret D’or, Kose, Kanebo, Maquillage and more. Free shipping anywhere in the world on all orders of any size and you get a 5% discount if you purchase 3 or more items in one order.

3. Sasa

This is where I buy My Beauty Diary masks and other random stuff. They are kind of like a mid to high end beauty depot based in Hong Kong. If you’ve ever been to one of their brick-and-mortar stores, you will know that they offer a melange of everything beauty-related. You can find some amazing deals on their site, often for a limited time only. Shipping is free, depending on where you are, with a $75 or $100 purchase, otherwise it is $18.

4. Gooddealer

My favourite online store, based in Hong Kong, to get the most recent and up-to-date collections and releases. They offer pretty much all of the Japanese brands, but their website a little hard to surf so you’ll need to the patience. Basically when you shop from there, you pay for the price of the product (listed beside the product name), shipping (by weight), and a “service charge.” One reason I don’t like buying from here is because you don’t see the final total until right before you confirm payment. One more thing is that they prevent fraud by waiting one week between the time of order and when they ship out your package if your billing and shipping addresses are not the same. Its a little troublesome, but totally worth it if you are out to get some limited edition item.

5. Facial-Shop

Another shop based in Hong Kong offering a limited number of brands and goods. Prices are not bad and shipping is quick (and free with any order). You also get 5% off if you purchase 3 or more items in one order.

6. Bonbon Cosmetics

Another one based in Hong Kong, this store sells a very good selection of both Western and Asian brands. I’ve purchased Guerlain from here and surprisingly it was priced at lower than the North American retail price. Shipping is free over $30.

7. Ichibankao

A webstore based in Japan with the biggest selection of Japanese high end, mid end and drugstore brands. I have never purchased from here because the prices are quite high compared to the webstores from Hong Kong (products in Japan are generally more expensive than HK or TW anyways). Shipping is included in the listed prices.

8. Adambeauty

Another store based in Hong Kong! This store has more limited number of brands and goods, but you can find some really random (and good) stuff here. Its another one of those stores where you need to “Add to Cart” to see the final price, which is in USD and includes shipping (note that they use their own HKD-USD conversion ratio and does not go by the market).

9. Bobodave

One more based in Hong Kong. They have a bunch of limited edition stuff from a few years ago, so this is a good place to start if you are limited for discontinued or limited edition products. Shipping is included for certain products, but not for others, so it is always good to double check. Also sometimes they double list certain products and the price between them are not the same, so make sure to do a general search of the site to see if you’re getting the best deal!

10. Mihoko Shop

A shop based in Japan that offers a wide selection of brands and products, as well as clothes. EMS Shipping is free over $150. I’ve never purchased from here for the same reason as Ichibankao; its just cheaper to buy it from a site based in Hong Kong or ask someone to CP.

11. A Pop of Kawaii

Nic Nic of Bang Bang She Shoots has her own online store selling Japanese cosmetics straight from Japan. She just started recently, so the brand variety isn’t has wide as other stores such as Ichibankao or Mihoko Shop, but there is a good number of discontinued/limited edition items on her site so if you missed out on some things, you can always check there. Shipping is by weight via Air Mail or EMS.

12. eBay

I know some of you are wary of shopping on eBay, but truthfully, its not as scary as it seems. I have made countless orders from sellers across the world and most of them turned out very well. My only advice for eBay shopping for any type of product is to do your research. If you know the type of product you are buying and you know its characteristics, then you will be less likely to get scammed with a fake. Even researching the seller is very important: do they have many negative feedback comments? Doing research ahead of time is the best thing that you can do to ensure that you’re getting a good deal. Another tip is if the product you are after is listed as an auction, don’t bid on it right away! Bid on it at most 2 minutes before the auction ends, this ensures that unless someone else is using this technique too, there will unlikely be people who have higher bids than you. But if you do this, make sure your internet connection is fast/stable; you don’t want to sit there for 5 minutes waiting for the page to load or the internet to get reconnected!

13. ASOS

ASOS is a webstore based in the UK. When I was in the UK in the early months of 2010, I ordered from this place like crazy. They have extremely reasonable shipping rates for shipping worldwide and their sales are out of this world. I snagged some Paul & Joe makeup for half off, and also some True Religion jeans for 80% off. Shipping to Canada and the US is just a mere $6 for any sized order, so just order all at once and it’ll be pretty worth it. One word of advice is that if you see something on sale/you want, you want to grab it fast. People are so fast when they use this site, many times I’ve had things go out of stock as I was reading the item description. I also love how once you add something to the cart, you can hold it for up to 2 hours, after that it goes back to be available to everyone. Japanese brands available on ASOS include RMK and Paul & Joe, and you can also grab European brands like Bourjois, Soap & Glory and Steamcream.

14. Beauty Going On (BGO)

This is a site based in Taiwan. You can find a variety of products and brands priced at the TW retail price (some stuff they do charge a “service fee” (aka CP fee) for it, such as a $1 service fee for the My Beauty Diary masks (still a good deal though at $8.33CAD after service fee). Shipping is $15 for anything under $100 and it increases as the total amount of your order increases. Of course, it would still be a good deal, especially on Jill Stuart items since eBay and other sites charge anywhere between 20% to 100% more than the retail price. I have purchased from here and I must say the service is really great, communication is quick and easy and if you accidentally make an order, you can cancel it yourself in the “accounts” section. The only catch is the site is in Chinese, so if you can’t read Chinese then you’re a little out of luck, unless of course you use Google Translator. One thing I do love about this site is that you can collect points to redeem for full size products. Basically you earn 3% of your total order amount back in points and you can redeem those points either on the little samples or each point is worth $1NT and you can save up enough points to redeem yourself a box of masks or a Paul & Joe foundation primer or a Bihada Ichizoku mask. Prices are in New Taiwan Dollars.

15. BeautiesHK

Another Hong Kong store! Their prices are pretty reasonable and their stock is updated quickly. Shipping is with tracking and (apparently) $8 for the first item and $2 for each subsequent item. I haven’t shopped there before, but I heard from a few other bloggers that their service is excellent.

16. Artie Cosmetics and Beauty Shop

A recently opened (March 2011) shop based in the US. They have a good selection of products such as Shiseido Tsubaki, Koji Dollywink, Sana Hadanomy, Gatsby and more. Shipping in the US is free over $50, or $2.99 under $50. Canadian flat rate shipping is $7.99 and international is $13.99. The owner is very kind and responds quickly to emails and questions; the service has been great. Artie has offered an exclusive 5% discount for readers of Maddy Loves with the code MADDYLOVES.

17. PLMM

PLMM is another store based in Taiwan. The acronym PLMM stands for 漂亮妹妹 which basically means “pretty girl.” They are similar to Beauty Going On, but they often do sales on entire brands and their shipping costs have different levels. They also have the typical brands like My Beauty Diary, Jill Stuart, Majolica Majorca, etc. and from browsing their site, it looks like they get items in faster and have a larger selection of goods.

18. eBeauty.ca

eBeauty.ca is a Canadian online retailer that sells Paul & Joe. They are relatively new, just opening last fall, but they already have over 300 brands in their portfolio. Shipping is free over $75, but sometimes they do shipping promotions that give free shipping over just $25. Sales and promotions happen weekly as well, with some brands being discounted as much as 30% off their regular price (for all items in that brand…).

Other information

Ordering: Most sites accept Paypal as their preferred method of payment, which is safer and more convenient for you. If you have questions about the products, communication is generally preferred, and a common courtesy, before you order just in case it isn’t what you have in mind after you see it on your doorstep. It just makes everything go so much smoother for both you and the retailer. Also if you want to try a certain product, you can always request a sample. Stores will usually include a few samples with each order anyways, but if there is anything in particular you would like to try, let them know and they will usually try to accommodate your request to the best of their ability.

Customs & Duties: I know if you live in Canada or the US, you will probably get slapped on with some kind of import tax when your goodies arrive at the border. In Canada, the “rule” is that if its value is over $20 and its a personal import (ie. not a gift to you), then you will get taxed; if its a gift from someone else to you, the maximum value before they can tax you is $60. However from my experience, they usually don’t bother to tax you until your value is $100 or so, or even more. The maximum value of an order that I’ve receive without being taxes was $240, but I have also had incidences when I was taxed on a $70 order, so it really depends on your luck (and the mood of your customs agent that day!). If they offer free shipping on any sized order, then for safety’s sake, divide up your order into 2 or even 3 if your overall value is high. Its really not worth it to get taxed, especially if you’re already purchasing something at a price much higher than retail, and sometimes these taxes can go as high as 40% if shipping via regular mail, or even more than 100% if shipping via UPS or Fedex.

I hope this little “tutorial” was useful to you and that you’ll be able to find those products that you want with ease. If you have any additional questions regarding ordering cosmetics online and whatnot, please do not hesitate to leave me a comment!