30 October 2013

A Tool to Shop Smart and Save More Money

If you're an online shopper, you have to use Ebates.

I had initially heard about it through Chelsea from Chelsea Wears (her Ebates post).
Chelsea is quite the homegirl -- She has great style and taste.  She likes the $$$ items, but will share how she saved a fraction of the costs through sales or codes like Ebates.
C'mon, if we're all going to continue to feed our sicknesses, might as well burn a little less dough while at it!

Now, whenever I shop online, I always check whether or not I could save more money by going through Ebates.  I advocate it to all of my friends... by ways of bursting aloud "DID YOU USE EBATES ON THAT SH*T?!"... (I'm referring to all of the instances of my poor boyfriend telling me that he's making another Chapters Indigo book purchase).  You'd think I worked for them or something (I don't).

How does it work?
Affiliate links are everywhere (think about all of those Sigma ones on YouTube), but when you purchase through those links, you don't receive a cut of the revenue -- It goes to Ingrid (sorry R... lol), or whomever.
Ebates shares the cut with you when you click through their affiliate link -- This explains the cash back percentages.  The percentages range from 1% upwards (A few months ago, Nordstrom, Neimans, Saks all had 15% cash back)!  For example, if I make a $100 purchase at Sephora, and the Ebates cash back percentage for Sephora is 4%, then I would receive $4 from Ebates for my Sephora purchase.  This $4 is also independent of any additional savings I may already have from other coupons or codes!

Ebates.com has over 1500 retailers enlisted, and is awesome.
If you're Canadian, sign up with Ebates.com, rather than Ebates.ca.
Ebates.ca has significantly fewer retailers, and the cash back percentages for the same retailers are much lower -- Just use Ebates.com.

I've been a user of Ebates.com since early 2012, and have received about $50 in cash back cheques.  If you're an avid online shopper, you definitely need Ebates.  If shipping costs are your worry, many stores allow you to ship free to a physical store for pick up too -- It'd be like you bought from the actual store, except you would enjoy even more savings!

With the holidays coming up, I figured I would share this money-saving tip with everyone.
If you do decide to sign up, I would really appreciate it if you did through my referral link.  I am not affiliated with Ebates, and am not sponsored by them.  If you sign up through my referral link, I will receive up to $5.

Happy Shopping!

- M

29 October 2013

REVIEW: Rimmel Apocalips / Show Off Lip Lacquer - 101 Celestial

I've been waiting for these to arrive in Canada for months!
They were all over the UK blogs and channels, and then eventually some of the American ones.  (Note:  They're called Apocalips in the UK and Canada, but Show Off in the US).

After much swatching and hmmm...uhhh... at the Shoppers Drug Mart counter, I ended up picking 101 Celestial, for now.

8 October 2013