My Experience with 'Not on the High Street'

Hey Girls,

How are you pretty ladies ?? A very Happy Women's Day to you all.

I am sorry for not blogging since long. Traveling for work can be a bit hectic at times, coupled with a new job. Yay! Haha..I can't contain my excitement. I just got appointed as the Legal Expert for a Regulatory Commission of Indian Government. 

Anyways, today's post is about my shopping experience with a UK shopping website

Let's see what they say about themselves

shop with a name you can trust

We at notonthehighstreet.com carefully select every seller for quality, style and originality.

Our passion lies in discovering unique new products and we’ve spent a lot of time choosing the 50,000 or so products (and counting) that you’ll find here on our website and in our catalogues.We get hundreds of new products landing on our desks and popping up in our in-boxes every single week but we only select the very best. We insist on exceptional quality, so if it’s not well-made, it doesn’t make the grade. We’re style seekers too and are always on the lookout for beautiful design and detailing. And we don’t do ordinary – for us, it has to be original so we only choose products that inspire us. Why do we have such a strict selection process? That’s easy. It’s our way of making sure you’ll end up with a purchase you’ll love from the moment it arrives and for many years to come. Or a gift that will make you very popular indeed!

supporting Britain’s small businesses

We’re proud to have over 3,000 of Britain’s most creative designers and manufacturers as our selling partners. They’re a diverse and extremely talented bunch of small independent businesses that share one thing in common – they’re as passionate about quality, innovation and style as we are. That’s why we invited them to sell with us. Everything you buy from notonthehighstreet.com comes directly from one of these businesses. So when you shop with us, you’ll be directly supporting the future and growth of Britain’s creative talent.

exceptional quality to the last detail

Only a small percentage of the small businesses that apply to sell with us are accepted. That’s because we only select sellers whose products meet our stringent quality standards. It’s just one of the ways we ensure you’ll be delighted with your purchase.

discover unique products

We all love finding something extra special and a little bit unique, whether we’re treating ourselves or a loved one. So you won’t find mass-produced products at notonthehighstreet.com – what you will find are gorgeous gifts, homewares, fashion and jewellery that we’ve hunted out for you.

gifting gurus

We’re here to inspire you with delightful gifts and thoughtful treats for any special occasion – birthdays, weddings or christenings, anniversaries, graduations or Christmas. And we make it easy to find something truly original by offering you a fantastic choice of products that can be customised or personalised by you for the people you love best. With your own messages, names or pictures, you’ll create a wonderfully unique gift that will be treasured forever.

award-winning customer service, six days a week

We want to make sure that every notonthehighstreet.com customer is a happy one. Because when you’re happy, we’re delighted. So whether you’re shopping online or by phone, we make the experience fun and hassle-free, from when you place your order to when the postie delivers your package. 

So, let me just show you what I got 

A closer look at the earrings

 All the items came nicely packed and secured in separate packages. Ah! I know, i should have shown you the boxes too, but you know how we women are when it comes to gift boxes. I tore open all the packages like a child opening his birthday gifts. What's even more impressive is that everything arrived with a week.

Just click on the names to view the products

Teardrop Earrings by Black Pearl

Almond And Avocado Face Cream by Sweet Cecily's

 Oval Taklon Lip by Elle Au Naturel Beauty

 Anti Aging Cream by Alison Claire Natural Beauty

I had a wonderful experience shopping with them. Would love to shop again. 

A big thanks to the lovely Harriet for sending these products for consideration. 

My review is still honest.Promise.

Take care and Stay Pretty.   

Introducing Beautykafe

Hey Girls,

How are you all doing ?? Gearing up to shop till drop over the extended weekend ?? Yes. Well, you rightly stumbled upon this post then. Today's post is about a brand new online shopping platform Beautykafe. When I first browsed through this website, I thought this was another addition to the already many online shopping portals, but I was wrong. A look at the brands which Beautykafe stocks, proves just otherwise. Beautykafe is fastest growing online Megastore for cosmetic, personal care & fragrances with over 12,000 products from around 200 brands.

Now you must be wondering why am I saying so ?? Just take a look at all the brands here. Let me help a bit more. 

Beautykafe stocks makeup, haircare, skincare, fragrances from everyday use brands to high end brands like
Shiseido,  

Estee Lauder   

Clarins 

Lancome   

Thalgo   

Bobbi Brown

Victoria's Secret 

Chanel (Yes, the Chanel !!. I wish they had Chanel Lipsticks too)

Christian Dior 

Marks and Spencers

Bath and Body Works 

Yes, the Brands which are so much craved yet almost extinct in India till yet. These are just a few high end luxury brands which I could spot just looking at their list of brands. I am sure you girls can spot even many other brands much sought after in India, but pity we all had to rely on relatives traveling to other countries to bring them for us. Before I get all dreamy eyed about these products, let me tell you a bit about Beautykafe. 

Here's what Beautykafe say about themselves 

Beautykafe.com is an initiative from Slickmart Retail Pvt. Ltd. Here, we are constantly looking for ways to improve online shopping experience. Our mission is to provide best of the products/brands at the lowest prices with great online shopping experience, free shipping and Prompt customer service. Our benchmark is to provide our customers with a physical stores shopping experience; online, without the hassles of driving around the town locating a shop and then a place to park the vehicle. Our sourcing team works with over 70 vendors internationally, nationally to source the best products/brands for you at the most affordable price. Our product photographs can be zoomed so that you can read the details on the product cover before taking an informed decision. All items originate from our warehouse and have been sourced from authorized representatives or manufacturers. So shop with us, sit back and relax. Our logistics and customer support team works very hard to get your goods delivered at the earliest and respond to any queries that you may have.

Beautykafe has a comprehensive shipping and delivery which is quite customer friendly. Let's take a look. 

• We offer free shipping on all orders across India with subtotal greater then INR 500.
• We are committed to ship products within 2 to 4 business days of the order being confirmed. In order to ensure on-time delivery of your order we ship your ordered goods only by premier courier service. After we ship the goods the delivery time of the same may range from 3 to 5 business days.
• We currently deliver to more than 8000 pin codes across India.  
• If you believe that the product is not in good condition or if the packaging is tampered with or damaged, before accepting delivery of the goods, please refuse to take delivery of the package, and call us on +91  22 65267777 or mail us at admin@beautykafe.com, mentioning your order reference number.
• Some products like perfumes may make longer to deliver as they cannot be carried by Air Mode and have to be send via Surface Mode. This is due to government regulations.

Pretty much what we all want ? Isn't it ?

For payment options, Beautykafe provides many options like Credit cards, Debit cards, Net Banking as well as Cash on Delivery (on additional charge of INR 50). You can view the Payment Options. You can also take a look at their Exchange Policy and Returns, Refunds and Replacements. 

Phew, what can I say ? My fingers are itching to peck furiously at my laptop and place an order. I am eyeing the Bobbi Brown Rose Shimmer Brick Set.

Do anyone of you have birthdays coming up ? Well then you know what you can ask for from your parents, boyfriends, husbands and even friends, and they can't even escape now.

My Experience with MedPlusBeauty.com

My Experience with MedPlusBeauty.com

 What MedPlus Beauty Claims

About Us

MedplusBeauty.com is India's preeminent online beauty retailer offering a wide and diverse selection of over 15000 beauty and personal care products across various categories and hundreds of brands. It is part of MedPlus, India's fastest growing healthcare retail chain.

At MedplusBeauty.com, our goal is to provide you a convenient, hassle free destination for all your beauty and personal care needs. You can choose from your everyday staples to some of the most luxurious beauty brands worldwide. Since all our products are sourced from reputed companies, we guarantee that all our products are original, whether domestic or imported.

Whether you choose to have the product conveniently shipped to your home or pick it up from your nearest MedPlus store, we offer same day or next day delivery in all major metros, so you do not have to wait long for your shipment.

We bring you the best prices, and with our daily promotions and free gifts, you can be rest assured that no one provides you a better value for your money. ValuePlus, our one of a kind rewards programme. provides you the opportunity to accrue points for purchases across various MedPlus businesses, both offline and online, and exchange the points for invaluable gifts translating to an additional discount of 20-30% off of our already competitive prices.

With multiple and secure payment options, a worry free returns policy & friendly customer service, we are committed to provide you an unparalleled shopping experience.

About MedPlus

 MedPlus is India's leading independent pharmacy chain with 950+ stores in 6 states. Launched in 2006, it is India's fastest growing health network with a CAGR ( Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 130%. The company offers genuine drugs, quality storage, wide availability and free home delivery. MedPlus pioneered value pricing in pharmaceutical retail industry and offers 10% discount on medicines and 5% on general products to all consumers. The company has 5000 employees and serves more than 1,30,000 customers daily.

Mode of Payment

MedPlus offer multiple methods to make payments for your order, like Credit or a Debit Card, Net Banking, or Store Credit or Offline using Cash on Delivery (COD). Additionally you can place an order and pay for it through any of the MedPlus stores nationwide.

They ensure trusted methods are used for online payments using Credit/Debit card and net banking payments. Customers would be routed to our trusted payment gateway provider where they have to enter account number and/or your CVV number and 3D Secure PIN. All Credit/Debit card details remain confidential and private. medplusbeauty.com and our trusted payment gateways use SSL encryption technology to protect your card information.

Payment by Cash On Delivery

Offers cash on delivery for minimum order of Rs. 250 and the maximum order value should not exceed Rs. 15000. No Cheques or Drafts will be accepted except cash. 

Brands Offered 

MedPlus Beauty houses almost all the brands from and a huge range of products from Garnier, Givenchy, Cetaphil, H20, Biotique, Giovanni, Freeman, The Body Shop, Herbal Essences, Vichy, Clarins, La Roche Posay, Organic Surge, Bourjois, Chambor, Faces, Avene, L'oreal, Maybelline etc. Go check out the entire list of brands here Brands

 

Now let me come to the best part of MedPlus Beauty, the virtual makeover section.  The virtual makeover section can help you try a particular makeup product on the photo of a model who is closest to your skintone, or better still, your own picture. 

Before

After

 I also uploaded my own picture and here they are for you to see. This was one of no makeup picture in broad daylight. So, I think it will be a perfect picture to try every shade which I like. Putting both the before and after pictures for you.

Trying a blush with my own photograph 

So, what do you think. Isn’t this virtual makeover section awesome. Yes, I am going to buy that blush now. It’s so lovely. Suits my rather pale complexion.

The number of brands which they have is so huge. You think of a brand, and chances are that they will be stocking it.Medplusbeauty is the first website where I found The Body Shop products, (Yes, you read it right, Body Shop) and believe me they did not one or two random products but a large no. of products from body shop including their newly launched virgin minerals range. How awesome is that. You can take a look at the entire range of body shop products stocked at MedplusBeauty here. 

I found some high end brands like Giovanni, Givenchy, Beyu, Freeman, which are not available on any other website. 

Price of every product in lesser then other online shopping websites. While browsing through the website, I found that on an average, they were providing discount in the range of 7% to 25% on large number of products. Huge discounts on even those products, which other websites usually stock and retail at their MRP. 

Collection of their perfumes in just mind-blowing. Take a look. Fragrances

 

Cash on delivery option is available only in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. 

My experience with MedPlus Beauty

They claims to deliver to metropolitan cities on same day. Now, doesn’t it feel like going for shopping and getting your goodies right away. Mostly, every other websites delivers products only after 2-3 days.

I placed order for my products on 7, January and received an email confirming my order  on the same day, within a gap of few minutes.  I placed the order at night, at around 9 pm and got the confirmation call the next day, which happened to be a Sunday. I am presuming that if I had placed the order earlier in the day, I would have received the confirmation telephone call on same day. To sum it up, very prompt services. They informed me that my order will be delivered within 2 to 5 days and I got it today, i.e. on fifth day. In between, their customer care department kept calling me to know whether I had received the order or not. Very friendly and helpful customer service. 

My products came packed in a sturdy cardboard box sealed well. It was lined with thermocoal sheets from all sides, including top and bottom. Very well packed and minimum chances of any breakage or damage to products. All the items were wrapped together in bubble wrap and placed in the middle. All products were in perfect condition and there was no breakage or any damage.

All the products were wrapped in bubble wrap and placed between thermocoal sheets

Here's what I ordered

I did not experience any shortcoming in their services. so, no cons for me.

Few suggestions

• They should stock a few luxury brands also like Elizabeth Arden, Marks and Spencer, Bath and Body Works Collection, Victoria’s Secret etc.
• Tracking system inbuilt within the website, so that a customer can keep a tab on the status of his products.
• Add a notify option so that if a product is out of stock, a customer who wishes to purchase can be notified when the product is replenished.
• If they can stock foreign brands like NARS, MUFE, the Balm, which are so so hard to find in India.  I can think of all you girls nodding their heads in affirmation. Don’t you think we all will go crazy shopping for all these stuff?
• Hope they can stock professional hair care range from different brands like L’Oreal, Matrix biolage, Schwarzkopf etc. I have’nt yet seen the professional hair care range from these brands on any online shopping websites before.
• Should stock some Blemish Balm creams also. They are quite a rage already. 

 Disclaimer - I was given a voucher to make purchase, but it has not affected my review in any manner. 

Shopping at Slassy.com

Brrrrrr....its so damn cold here already. Do you like winters ? I totally hate winters, especially winters here in Delhi. Winters to me are nothing but dry, gloomy and depressing days. Yes, that’s how badly i hate winters. I am a complete sunshine person. Love summers. I never had a chance to experience winters down south until a few years back, I went to Hyderabad during winters. Oh boy, winters there felt like a spring. My family had to literally drag me back to Delhi. 

Anyways, so how have you lovely girls been ? I hope you all are enjoying the festive spirit. Wishing you all a very very happy new year. 

Today’s review is about  a new online shopping website Slassy which comes from Stylish and Classy. Cute name isn’t it? they stock some high end brands like from Bourjois Paris, Organic Surge,  Maxfactor and Chambor. 

What Slassy says about itself 

Slassy is an India-based hip and trendy fragrances, skin care, cosmetics, hair care and beauty accessories store available exclusively online. We bring premium branded products to our customers across men's and women's categories. By leveraging the reach of the internet, we aim to bring a unique perspective to shopping in India. We provide quality products and unmatched superior customer service.

Our Vision

All good things begin with a vision! Slassy must be a progressive company committed to the future of the world of beauty. Without sacrificing any quality, Slassy will bring the consumer what they are looking for - products from prestigious brands at reasonable prices. Slassy constantly keeps abreast of trends to fulfil the goal of accommodating the changing needs of the consumers.

Our Mission

Our mission is to become the destination store for both men and women, offering the convenience of multiple brands and providing a personal high touch shopping experience that helps create lifelong customer relationships

At slassy we are obsessed with,

• ·         Quality
• ·         Customer Satisfaction

My experience with Slassy 

 Slassy stocks a lot of different products for skin care, hair care, makeup, bath products etc. like Bourjois, Chambor, Maxfactor, Organic Surge, Garnier, Lotus Herbals, Chambor, Olay, Giovanni, Biotique, Loreal etc. they offer free shipping for all order above Rs. 350, which is pretty reasonable. I was so amazed to find skincare products Giovanni also on their website.  Yup, you guessed it right. I already got myself a facial cleanser from Giovanni from Slassy.com.

Payment options

Slassy offers payment options like credit cards, debit cards, internet banking and very recently they also introduced cash on delivery option. So all you girls out there, who are paranoid about using your plastic cards online, this is for you. (I know, you must be thinking that I am from the stone age, still scared to use cards online, but I cant help it. LOL. I guess I have seen too much of cyber crimes already in my profession) 

I placed my order on 26, December and received a confirmation email within few minutes. The same evening, I received a confirmation and feedback call from their representative. He confirmed that they would be shipping my order the same day and also asked me about my experience of shopping at Slassy.com. I got my order on the morning of 28, December, within 48 hours of placing the order. The next day, i.e. today, I again received a call from their representative, confirming the delivery and for feedback.

The order came nicely wrapped in a sturdy cardboard box, filled with styrofoam cubes. I was a bit surprised when I saw that the products were not packed in any kind of bubble wrap or protective packing. When I expressed my concern during the confirmation and feedback call, their representative assured me that they have tested the packaging and it was damage proof. 

Here's what I got from Slassy 

They have a lot of other skincare and haircare products from Giovanni too. I wish I could buy all of it (sighs)

I had a great time shopping from Slassy and would be definitely going back for more. I would only suggest them to stock up on more brands and get some foreign brands too, to make makeup crazy girls like us even more crazy. 

Have you shopped from Slassy ? Which product do you want me to review from my purchase from Slassy

Disclaimer - I was given a discount voucher to purchase, but my review remains honest.

Shopping Experience with StyleCraze.com

About StyleCraze and its Founder 

StyleCraze is the brainchild of Chetana, who is herself an Amateur Makeup artist from Hyderabad. She started Style craze to provide the best in Cosmetics & Beauty care products to Indians at affordable prices combined with legendary customer service. what prompted Chetana to start StyleCraze was the lack of variety in retail stores is a major concern for any Make up junkie. Like she says, ‘when it comes to beauty, I never compromise on the Brand or the shade. StyleCraze was started so that you dont have to compromise on your Beauty needs.’ 

Advantages of buying from StyleCraze 

a. Get access to the Largest collection of Cosmetics & Beauty care brands at one place

b. Upto 25% lower prices than Retail stores - No physical stores implies less costs, we prefer to pass this on to the customer in terms of lower prices

c. Amazing Customer Service: We pride in our Customer Service. All the products on the site are in stock & ready to ship. So we ship within a maximum of 3 Business days of receiving the order. 

My Experience with StyleCraze 

When I first started browsing through StyleCraze, I was so delighted to finally find the much sought after NYX Concealer on StyleCraze. I was not able to find it on any other shopping websites before. But it turned out that shade for my skin tone i.e. Beige was not available at that moment. So I sent an email to them. Well, I blinked and they replied to the email with the speed of lightening. I think MUA in a shop would take more time to find a product. Lol. They assured me that they will get it in 2 days and inform me. Yay..anyways, finally I got a Revlon concealer for myself because a friend recommended Revlon and I tried it too. To sum this small experience, they have a very prompt helpline type of service. Also, their claim about 3 day shipping is absolutely. I was sent a compact instead of concealer first. When I told Chetana about this, she immediately got the concealer dispatched and also arranged for getting the compact picked from my home. Another 3 days and the concealer was there, sitting pretty on my vanity. 

I found some other international brands like Bourjois, Maxfactor, Faces on StyleCraze. I was really really keen to get those little lovely Bourjois blushes, but controlled. With websites like StyleCraze, its getting harder and harder to control such urges. 

The best of their offerings would be 

• 3 Day shipping - I placed my order and got an email within a few minutes confirming my order. They also informed me when they shipped my order and their claim of 3 day shipping is absolutely true. I got my order within 3 days. My order came in perfect condition with products were nicely packed in bubble wraps in a cardboard lined with Styrofoam balls and cubes. 
• I had never seen Bourjois on any other websites where I shopped before. It was such a hard to find brand for me, but now it’s not. Chetana, can you get NARS to India, especially their NARS Orgasm Blush. Owning it will make my life worth living. :-D 
• Cash on Delivery - I find cash on delivery the safest way to shop. It makes shopping so hassle free for women like me who are quite scared to use credit cards and net banking etc. but I am slowly getting a hang of these online payment things. 
• Free shipping on Rs. 250 and above - StyleCraze offers free shipping for all orders above value of Rs. 250. 

Another thing which I loved about their services is the personalised touch which the add to their services. When I sent a query about the NYX concealer, they regularly kept on informing me about when it will be available with them. That too without me asking, and I already told you how prompt they are in replying to emails and queries. 

StyleCraze also offers different payment options like : - 

• Cheque/demand draft
• Credit card
• Debit card
• Cash on delivery
• Net Banking 

What I ordered from StyleCraze

You can reach the website at www.stylecraze.com.

You can also join them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. 

Disclaimer - I was given a discount voucher for my purchases but my opinions remain honest. 

My Expereince with B.Lab

I recently came across a new website Beauty Lab, B.Lab for short offering some of the best brands like Elizabeth Arden, Yves Saint Laurent, Shiseido, Emporio Armani, Dermalogica, OPI, Zoya, Victoria's Secret Thalgo, Babor, Vichy, Eminence, Dermalogica, Palmers, La Rochey Posay etc.

What B.Lab claims 

B.LAB is a India based beauty and wellness company that simplifies shopping for beauty and wellness products for both women and men with a simple click of a button. B.LAB, short for Beauty Lab was started by industry veterans looking to create an exciting destination, which brings some of the world’s best brands and solutions to address your beauty needs.

The shop features a large variety of brands and products organized in logical categories intended to help you find products fast. For women, you will find everything from a daily face wash to the most advanced skin care cream. For men, a range of products from shaving foams to advanced hair styling products are available. We partner with some of the best brands in the world with our brand portfolio growing each day. Don’t miss out - register now to get the inside scoop on new arrivals and offers.

At B.LAB, our team carefully selects brands that offer the most effective solutions for common beauty products from some of the world’s top beauty companies. Whether you are concerned about an occasional breakout or hair loss, you will find that B.LAB offers the best of beauty in India.

One of our goals is to make it easy for you to find relevant products easily. Our site features various ways to discover and learn about new and exciting progress in beauty. The B.LAB MAGAZINE features the latest trends, helpful tips, latest offers, and news from the beauty world. Our weekly B.LAB PICKS shortlists hot products. We will continue to add new ways to simplify discovering new brands, products and solutions. Stay tuned by subscribing to our weekly newsletter.

B.Lab offers free shipping for all orders above value of Rs. 400 and also offer Cash on Delivery. I always feel more comfortable shopping on website which offer option of cash on delivery. Do you girls feel the same ?

 

My Experience with B.Lab 

 When I first accessed the website and was browsing through the brands available, I was very much surprised to find some high end brands especially Elizabeth Arden, Yves Saint Laurent, Shiseido. I have never seen the brands on any other website from where I have shopped before. Like I just said, I was quiet surprised to find luxury and high end brands like Elizabeth Arden, Yves Saint Laurent, Shiseido, Emporio Armani, Dermalogica, OPI, Zoya, Victoria's Secret Thalgo, Babor, Vichy, Palmers, Eminence, Dermalogica, Palmers, La Rochey Posay etc.

Just check out the pictures below and feast your eyes :-)

I think I got a bit lost looking at the pictures again. Lol.

Coming back to my experience, I placed order and instantly got an email from them about the items that I ordered. The next day I received a call from one of their representatives to confirm my order and that my order will be shipped after confirmation and will reach me within 3-4 days. A few hours later, I got another email from them that my order has been shipped.My order arrived on the third day itself. The items were tightly bubble wrapped in tons of bubble wrap and securely kept in a cardboard box to ensure no breakage.

The box and the products ordered.

 B.Lab also has its own monthly magazine which includes features like tips on grooming for men and women, gifting ideas for the festive season, new product launches etc. Check out the previous three editions of B.Lab's monthly magazines. You will enjoy reading.

B.Lab also features a separate section for videos for day and night.Check out these videos here

Here's the Day Makeup Video 

The Night Makeup Video 

Have you shopped from B.Lab yet ? Do share your experiences with me.

B.Lab recently  "On the Go" (OTG) offers program. Program highlights are as follows:

1. A fixed amount of discount will be offered on MRP for a few select products.
2. Offer will be limited for a short time – 24 to 48 hours
3. Offers will be updated regularly 
4. Each visitor will be able to redeem  only 1 product per session – need more? just buy via separate sessions.
5. Any other offers/promos/coupons we are running will not be applicable to these products.

You can access these offers here. These offers are for a limited time only and B.Lab keeps coming up with new offers on different products every few days. So stay tuned, maybe that Elizabeth Arden lipstick of the YSL blush you have been eying for ages might be available for a big discount very soon. 

Disclaimer - I was given a voucher to make purchases, but my review of www.blab.co.in  is unbiased.