As a stay-at-home mom with no nannies, I bring with me my young kids wherever I go, including shopping. Most of the time when we visit malls, our trip covers groceries and buying stuffs the kids need. I always intend to buy products for myself but end up buying nothing because it's either the kids are tired or grumpy, or we just don't have enough time.
I would describe myself as a meticulous shopper who enjoys scanning all products and comparing each before I purchase. With kids in tow, the struggle is real. Ha ha! That's why I prefer buying items online. I can browse and examine the products before I can purchase and have the delivery guy drop it at my doorstep.
But not all online stores are created equal.
When BeautyMNL told me that I have been handpicked to test run their site, I was all giddy and excited, I said YES and checked their site right away. :)
My mom was staying with us that day so we both checked it and got her goodies as well.
First. Registration.
It took me less than 2 minutes to create and register an account. I'm glad that I didn't have to type too many information to jumpstart my shopping experience.
I really loved that the website has pages for their shop and articles on beauty and wellness. The blogs were written by Filipinas which helped me relate well with them.
The categories were simple yet comprehensive. The products were organized into: skin, makeup, hair care, nails and scents, essentials, and brands. I also liked that they have a category for organic products. I am always on the lookout for organic products to try.
When you click on to a product, there's a description for each - what to love, how to use, and about the brand.
You can also sort the items by price, rating and new arrivals.
The straight-to-the-point approach made it easier for me to browse each product.
Quite frankly, I really had a hard time choosing products for myself since the items they have are great and some are on sale! Can't beat that! Anyway, after an hour of choosing (yes, that long!) I finalized my orders and checked out my cart.
There are several ways to pay: Paypal, bank deposit, and cash on delivery. Yup! You can pay when you receive it. Cool, right?
They deliver nationwide in the Philippines. For Metro Manila, a flat rate of 50 pesos delivery fee applies per cart, while for the rest of the country it's a flat rate of 150 pesos per cart. This means that you can order as many products (before you checkout) as you want and just pay for the flat rate.
Once you've placed your order, BeautyMNL guarantees a next-day delivery to Metro Manila addresses and 3 to 5 working days for the rest of the Philippines. They don't deliver though on weekends and on holidays.
I ordered on a Friday and got my loot on Monday!
We were out that Monday afternoon due to an emergency and no one was home to accept my package. I knew already that they would deliver because they sent me a text message in the morning. I was hoping to get home before the delivery man comes but I got another text from them while on our way home and he said he was at my doorstep. We were 10 minutes late.
I appreciate that he communicated with me and asked first if he could leave it with the security guard. He also texted me once he left it at the guard house and sent me the name of the officer who received the package on my behalf. I truly appreciate that act because I had a couple of experiences before with other couriers who leave my packages at the guard house without informing me. So, kudos to Kuya BeautyMNL delivery guy! :)
My package was a sealed plastic resealable clear bag. The items inside were concealed with sheets of paper and a print out of delivery receipt can be seen in front.
I've been shopping online for years and this is only the second time I have received a package sealed in a resealable bag(the first one was for a baby carrier). I applaud the company's efforts to reduce wastes by using a resealable bag. If you've been reading my posts on homeschooling, you'll notice that I love using resealable bags.
Here's my (and my mom's) loot:
- City Color Eyebrow Powder Kit
- Zenutrients Lip Balm Cherry Mint
- Olay Total Effects 7 in One Foaming Cleanser
- Swan Compact Round Facial Konjac Sponge
- LA Colors Tinted Cheek and Lips
- Maybelline Volum' Express Hypercurl Mascara.
And I got a freebie from them! They run promos on their site, like the free Dove deo I got, and items on sale. Some of the products I got were on sale that day and I got great discounts.
Raves:
- quick setup of registration
- comprehensive, user-friendly, and straight-to-the-point website (desktop and mobile interface)
- broad range of products and brands
- promos, discounts, and credits
- multiple payment options
- next day delivery within Metro Manila (Monday to Friday)
- Reusable package/pouch
- Dependable and courteous delivery personnel
Areas of Improvement
Just one, actually. I hope they can also deliver on weekends, even just for Saturdays. There are a lot of women who work and are not available on weekdays to receive items. And some companies discourage using the office as delivery address for personal packages.
The verdict.
Overall, I loved the experience and will definitely purchase again from them. :)
Oh, by the way, they have a monthly contest. If you like taking selfies (I know a lot of friends who do), you can join BeautyMNL's #selfieMNL contest! Get a chance to win a Printster Polaroid of your pretty face and a PHP200 BeautyMNL GC. Click here for the complete details.
BeautyMNL
beautymnl.com
really love their fast delivery service! I got mine in less than 24 hours!
ReplyDeletePero yeah, I think you made a valid suggestion when it comes to deliveries, better nga kahit Saturdays lang.