ASOS Shopping and Shipping to Manila

Sharing my experience shopping at ASOS -- for the first time! I had my apprehensions (for good measure, more on this later) since I was concerned that I was going to have a hard time at customs. 

February 24, 2019 - I received an email from ASOS that my order has been dispatched. No tracking number was provided because I availed of the Standard Delivery. According to the site, not all Standard Deliveries are provided with a tracking number. 

Price for Standard Delivery is £6.00, but it's free if you spend beyond £30.00. 

March 18, 2019 - I sought their help on tracking my package because I have not received a notice from the Post Office that my package was available for claiming.

On my first try to reach out, they told me to wait until the first week of April to get a notice from the Post Office. If I still don't, they told me to reach out again.

The first week of April came and went -- still no notice. So I messaged ASOS again. I don't recall the exact message, but they appeased me that they would look into the matter and try to check where the package could be stuck.

April 8, 2019 - They emailed me to say they are replacing my order! They didn't give an explanation as to what happened with my initial order, but I was really very pleased that they replaced it! I got the email the following day saying it was dispatched already. At this point I was losing hope already. I was just grateful that I did not spend a significant amount. 

BUT!!! On April 30 (or was it May 1) I got my notice from the Post Office that I could pick up the package at the Pasay City Central Post Office! 

May 6, 2019 - I went to the Pasay City Central Post Office in Tramo. I was expecting to get my package at the EMS/CMEC Post Office at Domestic Road because a number of colleagues said that's where they got their packages from overseas, but for some reason I got mine from Tramo. FYI, I got mine from the Pasay City Post Office because the address I placed for my order is in Pasay.

I went to pick up my package at around 4:30 (Office hours are from 8AM to 5PM) and there were just two people ahead of me. I paid just P112 for Customs Exam Fee, as stated in the notice. I wasn't given a hard time at all--no under the table payments or anything! So that was a relief.

Parking at the Pasay City Central Post Office in Tramo: None--there's a small driveway enough for one car, and if you're unlucky, you might not be able to secure this spot. I went there via Grab, which was a good idea because in order to get to the Post Office, you need to pass through a skinny street, enough for one vehicle to pass through at a time.

Post-Shopping reflections:

Would I shop on ASOS again? Definitely. Customer service was hands down, very very good. I really appreciate the swift action on my order. What I'm concerned with however, is buying something that's not my size and having to return it... Maybe that's for a separate post.

I hope you found this informative!

Pops of Pink

If you'd look at my closet, you'd see an abundance of whites and blacks. There will be pops of blue and dark green--rarely will you see punchy colors. I'm still into the color pink at the moment and though I'm still on the fence about incorporating it in my wardrobe, I am more than willing to add some pink accessories to my wardrobe such as this pink top knot headband and blush trunk bag.

Top and Pants: Bazaar Finds - Top Knot Headband: H&M - Trunk Bag: Muse

Beauty Review: MAC Chili

Time and again I have vowed to stay away from MAC's lipsticks--but the color selection is just way too appealing. Reds alone will send you into a tizzy, you'll spend a LONG TIME just trying on tube after tube. So when I felt like abandoning my bright reds for a more muted shade of red, of course I came running back to MAC, LOL.

A long researched ensued and I decided to settle with Chili, which according to MAC is a "brownish orange-red matte lipstick"--and it certainly is that. I am so in love with this color--it brightens up my face without being too "out there red". When I was much, much younger I was a fan of bright reds--even during daytime. Age however, has prodded me to reconsider. If you're a fan of lip liners, this goes so so well with MAC's Chicory. 

What I like:

+ The color is absolutely beautiful. You know it's red, but not entirely. I am really in love with the unique color;

+ It brightens up my face without being too loud like my old favorites--Ruby Woo and Russian Red; and

+ It's matte but glides on easily--no tugging involved; 

What I don't like:

- MAC's mattes are beautiful but they can really be drying, so you really need to prep your lips before you put this on; 

- Unlike Ruby Woo and Russian Red which both leave a nice stain, this one tends to leave a weird stain on the lips--the color stain is more apparent at the edges of the lips rather than at the center--which is why reapplication is necessary; and

- With the abundance of matte lipsticks out there, MAC lipsticks are still considered quite expensive. Though, in MAC's defense, I have yet to come across another matte lipstick that can be an exact dupe for Chili.

Have you tried this lipstick? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the Comments section! x

1 Pair of Jeans, 2 Looks

I'm a new convert to high-waist jeans so I am now considering adding a pair of two to my closet--I've already ordered this pair from Mango and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they fit right so I can wash them and wear them stat!

My hunt for the pair of jeans went beyond jeans (of course) so I thought I'd do some outfit inspo using this pair of jeans.

LOOK 1
Top: Polka Dot Cross Blouse - Jeans: Slim Fit Mom Jeans - Bag: Bucket Sling Bag - Sunglasses: Round Sunglasses - Sandals: Tan Flats

LOOK 2
Top: Pink Knit Top - Jeans: Slim Fit Mom Jeans - Bag: Woven Bucket Bag - Sunglasses: Light Pink Cat eye Sunglasses - Sandals: White Mule Heels

Top Knot Headband

If my much younger, grade school student self would see this pink headband--she would probably lose it! Pink moment remains in full swing! And since the pink moments in my life are usually fleeting--I tend to just stick with accessories and small things when incorporating pink items in my life. In this case I chose this pink top knot headband from H&M to spruce up my outfits which are predominantly in black, white, and beige.

The exact headband I wore in this photo isn't available online for some reason... but here's another pink top knot headband from the site. 

Checked Blazer

Blazer: Bershka - Jeans and Tank Top: Department Store finds - Tote: Ni Qua - Slides: Primadonna

Wow. It has been a long while since my last blog post... But here I am! Back to blogging!

Mini Sephora Haul

Sharing my mini Sephora haul! Mini, not just because of the quantity, but also because I got items in travel size LOL.

I wasn't actually ready for a Sephora trip (I haven't done research so I spent a considerable amount of time going through the items in the Sephora Georgetown branch.) I visited 3 more Sephora branches and ended up buying some more stuff--none I'm guilty about.

01. TATCHA Luminous Dewy Skin Mist

My skin was super dry during our visit--heck, it was flaky, even. So I was itching to buy a mist on the first day. I couldn't bring my Avene Mist because I was concerned it would be seized at the airport. This mist however comes in the usual spray and not the pressurized one and is just 15 ml so I knew it was perfect for the plane ride home.

Pros:

+ No adverse reactions, but sadly, not enough to keep flaking skin at bay. Unless I spray every so often. Back in Manila though, this is just perfect.

Cons:
- I'm not a fan of the scent, it has a weird scent which goes away after a while (luckily)
- It's pretty pricey for such a small bottle
- As opposed to other mists, this leaves little white spots on your face upon initial spray-- it kind of looks weird so it's not something I'd put on at work, while working away behind my computer.
- I have yet to see any brightening effects though... So I don't know if I would still purchase...

02. Milk Holographic Stick in Supernova

I actually didn't plan on buying a highlighter on our trip--especially since I love my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish (Separate review on this!!!), but I saw this little stick and thought, what the heck, I can use this on days I don't want to go with a powder highlighter. Also! It's packed with mango butter and coconut oil, which were exactly what my skin needed at that point in time. 

Pros:

+ Perfect for those who prefer liquid/cream blushers (I am, on some days)

+ Moisturizing (See ingredients list HERE)

+ The glow is subtle.

+ A little goes a long way-- I have been using this for months and it seems like I haven't made any significant dent on the stick!

+ The shimmer doesn't go on other areas of my face...

Cons:

- With that last point said, I noticed it doesn't stay on very long on my face either. I need to reapply throughout the day if I want to keep the shimmer. 

03. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

They weren't kidding when they said creamy! This is the best concealer I have tried EVER. This is actually my favorite from my mini-haul (and from all the makeup products I bought on the trip!). This concealer does not budge, cake, or dry around the area you want to conceal. IT. IS. THE. BEST. I had the Makeup For Ever HD concealer before I tried this and I hated it. It dried the skin around the area I'm trying to conceal making it even more obvious! 

I actually don't have any cons for this product! I love this so much. 

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments section below! xx