Showing posts with label hautelook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hautelook. Show all posts

Friday, 15 November 2013

Friday Favourites: Online Flash Sale

With Christmas just around the corner, it might start to feel a little stressful mentally with all the planning on what to buy for all your loved ones. More importantly, it is going to make an even larger impact on you, financially. So today, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite online stores with flash sale deals to relieve some of that holiday pain and suffering. These sites will not only ease your hunt for the perfect gift but lessen the trauma to your bank account.


Hautelook is a company branched from Nordstrom, so just imagine the variety of stock they offer. Each day brings around 8 events for each category: women, men, children, home, travel, and more. Every day at 11:00am E.T., new events appear on the site including everything a girl wants or needs. The site is very easy to navigate. Also, items are available in most sizes so it's not just the smallest or largest size left over that is super discounted. What I especially love about Hautelook is that they carry luxury items as well as trendy. Even designer items are some of the recent selection from their collections. Therefore, the prices cover wide range of budgets. Now let's talk prices. Most items are 40-70% off retail price, and they are not lying. These are the items you will see full price in store at Nordstorm or another retail store. They also feature items, usually beauty products, that are exclusive to Hautelook which usually come in sets. Just recently, a Nordstrom Rack for Hautelook section was added to the site making items you have your eye on even more accessible for purchase. In terms of shipping, it is a $10.95 flat rate to Canada and free shipping over $100 in the US. For international shipping, duties are calculated at checkout to avoid charges on delivery. Orders take about 3 days to process and 1-2 weeks to ship. I suggest Hautelook for those that value good quality but not willing to pay the full cost for it.

2. Gilt
Gilt is another online flash sale store but exclusively on discounted designer items. Similar to Hautelook, new events occur every day and ranges from fashion to beauty to home decor. The events are more repetitive as they usually recycle themselves every couple of weeks but there are still a wide variety of products to choose from. Prices are also around 40-70% off retail and already include duty charges. Shipping is free for purchases over $100 (I think ...) and takes from 2-3 weeks to arrive at your door. In fact, I am currently waiting, quite impatiently, for my most recent order which I will reveal shortly. It just might be my biggest score of my life. I recommend Gilt for people who know what kind of item they are looking for and hoping to save some serious bucks on a designer piece.

The above two website are by far my favorites and the only flash sale stores I had positive personal experiences with. I've made multiple orders on both so I can back up my opinion on these shops. The next 2 online stores also have flash sale deals but I have no yet purchased anything so I cannot give a honest review.

3. My Habit

4. Beyond The Rack: For my Canadian readers.

5. PLNDR
Plndr, a sister company of Karmaloop, is a very popular flash sale website that offers mainly trendy fashion products. They carry brands including MinkPink, Obey, Jeffrey Campbell, etc. I have made one order on PLNDR and that was any but a nice experience. However now that I am more aware of the process and fees, I may give it another try.

The way I think about it, I am already willing to spend a little more on something that is of much better quality. But if I was to able get a deal on it, why not? It's called shopping smart and it's much easier than it seems. So simple that it has become part of my every day routine. I know how crazy that sounds but it's usually just browsing. However, with the holiday season coming up, I will definitely be using these deals to ease gift shopping process and maybe treat myself along the way. 

Tuesday, 16 July 2013

summer clothing and shoes haul

I've already admitted to myself that I have a problem.... Hi my name is Sunny Cai and I am a shopaholic. So today, I will be showing you the clothing pieces I've accumulated in the past couple of weeks. What can I say, I'm obsessed with online shopping...

Zara:
Zara has intense sales about twice or 3 times a year and I just happened to catch the spring/summer sale. The first day the sale started, I copped the high heeled sandals with a buckle in black since I've been eyeing it for so long. Good thing I jumped on it because it was sold out the next day! These sandals are surprisingly comfortable and I think it is an essential shoe for summer (check out of last blog spot). Then I made another online order that consist of a pair of distressed high-waisted shorts (the fit is perfect for my body shape) and some clothes for my little sister (the kid's selection at Zara is too adorable for words). The following week, I visited the a Zara store and purchased a black form fitting midi dress that I can wear for special occasions. I absolutely love how the dress fits and it is perfect for business wear. I also bought the same sandals in red but later decided to exchange it for the lace up gladiator sandals. Honestly, if I had the money, I would buy everything at Zara. It is definitely one of my favourite clothing stores.
high-waisted shorts ($39.99)
black midi dress ($35.99)


lace up gladiator sandals ($39.99)
sandals with buckle (similar 1, 2, 3)

Hautelook:
I have 4 flash sale online sites that I check daily: Beyondtherack, Gilt,  Myhabit and Hautelook. These sites have amazing deals on designer items at very affordable prices. For the longest time, I thought hautelook open offered shipping to the US but my friend recently told me that they also ship to Canada. Naturally, I made an order as soon as I saw something I wanted.

The only reason why I chose this muscle tee is because of the writing on it: Math Sucks. I thought it would be so punny for me of all people to be seen wearing it since I'm majoring in Math at uni. Anyways, it was definitely an impulse buy and I;m not sure if I regret it or not. Shipping for hautelook was $10 and there was a 20% duties charge. But since the tank was only $25, it was quite reasonable.
Wildfox muscle tee (similar style here)

Brandy Melville:
I've been eyeing these tops from Brandy for a while but decided to purchase the American Apparel ones instead (although they are twice the price) but when I tried on the AA crop tops, the fabric feel very constricting and stiff. I've heard great things about brandy's soft material so I finally made an order online along with my other 2 friends. I decided to get the black and white since they are both very versatile and can be paired up differently. (No, let's be real, I got both because we all know how good I am with making decisions right.) I also added a pair of black look silk-like shorts last minute, just for those chill hot days lounging at home.

Giselle top in black and white ($15 each)


Victoria's Secret:
The only thing I hate about Victoria's secret is that it is sooooo much better in the States. They have so much more selection, especially when it comes to swimsuits. When I looked online, I was immediately drawn to words "SWIM CLEARANCE". After browsing the site for hours, I finally made an order of two sets and two individual bottoms. My order total was only around $75 which is amazing for 6 VS pieces but shipping was $18.99 and there was a $30 tax and duties charge on top of that. But I can't really complain since I would be paying way more than that if I was to buy it in Canada.

Cheeky low-rise bottom in black
Lace push-up halter top in white
Side-tie bikini bottom in white crochet
Push-up halter top in black/white
Side-tie bikini bottom in black/white
Multi-string bottom in amalfi blue

Also from the mall, I bought a black boyfriend blazer from h&m to wear to work. I desperately need more work clothes but shopping for work clothes is no fun so I'll do that later. I also bought a loose white tee from the Gap for $5!!! A girl can never have too many white tees.


From Aritzia, I purchased the Owen Pant which might just be the most figure flattering and comfortable pants I have ever owned. The material is durable which it should be considering its retail price of $98. I also finally bought another pair of leggings. These ones are from the brand T.Babaton and all I can say that is that are the softest material ever. Overall, I absolutely love everything in Aritzia and if money grew on trees, I would buy everything in stores.

So I kind of went crazy this month with shopping but this is definitely not the end. Good thing I still have an income and will be working full time come September.