Samples Received/Redeemed: 10 Dec - 15 Dec 2012

The past week has been a somewhat moderate week when it comes to redeeming and receiving samples. Originally, I wanted to collect my Sulwhasoo's freebies at the newly renovated Tang's Orchard. But I decided to save it for the coming Monday's redemption, in the event the next week is fraught with less goodies for redemption/receiving, at least the weekend post won't look so sad with less than 3 items to show and tell.

Hmm.. Show and Tell. I feel like a little girl all over again with each weekly showcase. Now, less of the yakking and more of the talking.

So, I previously got to know about Banana Boat Singapore's Facebook page and they were going to randomly pick 10 lucky winners for reaching a certain amount of fans on their page. I subsequently liked, shared and spammed everyone I know, and then promptly forgot all about them. Until Banana Boat Singapore decided to share their page to remind us of the "Like & Share" activity which was ending soon. So, I liked and shared the final time and crossed my fingers hoping for good news.

Although I was glad to be one of the lucky chosen ones, I would certainly appreciate it the premium consists different types of Banana Boat products, like SPF lipbalms, SPF sprays for example, than the ones you are going to see below. I am definitely sure a sleeve-less T-shirt is still going to ensure that the skin on my arms are going to get sunburned and turn an awkward shade of red that will leaving me groaning in pain and agony. The only items that I thought I like are the sunscreen lotions and the flip flops, since my old one was getting too tricky to walk around in when the ground is wet.

The premium consists of:

• Yellow sleeve-less Banana Boat T-shirt (XL) x 1
• Sports Visor/Cap x 1
• Yellow Banana Boat Flip Flops

In this picture, there are:

• Handheld Plastic Fan x 1
• Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF UVB 110 PA+++ x 1
• Ultra Protect Faces Sunscreen Lotion SPF UVB 30 PA+++ x 1

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Unredeemable as this is a reward for 10 random lucky Banana Facebook fans. However, I still recommend you to go over to Banana Boat Singapore Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BananaBoatSingapore and Like their page to be informed of up-and-coming contests and giveaways.

And as of now, they are having a Adventurer's Sweepstakes giveaway where lucky winner(s) get to walk away with a pair of tickets to Adventure Cove Waterpark™ At Resorts World™ Sentosa. Hurry as there are still 3 more pair of tickets to be won and the next lucky winner will be announced on the 28 December draw!!

FANCL Singapore was previously having a Pop' A Surprise app on their Facebook page. So, all of us were diligent and went to pop a bubble on a daily basis. I got lucky and won the same item twice, which I gave the other extra one to a good friend Irene. Every time I have something extra, the surplus goes to her specifically because an ex-manager's words still rings in my ear.. (Kah Wee: Use so much, careful your face rot ah!!) Thanks Kah Wee, for scarring my mind somewhat and reminding me to share my goodies (>.<)"

Specifically, I won a FANCL Travel-size Mild Cleansing Oil and may I surprise you all that when I finally went down to Ion Orchard for collection, the only 2 FANCL staffs who were manning the store on a bright Monday morning practically dropped/stopped whatever they were doing and rushed over to serve me as soon as I stepped into the store. (o.o) That was really nice, sweet and pleasant, and might I also include that they are firm believers of "Team Work", as opposed to The Body Shop outlet staffs just a few units away.

One was looking in their many cabinets to look for the prize(s) while the other got busy with confirming my details, receiving my printed email redemption letter. Despite me not buying anything at all other than to show up and redeem my prize, they were both still friendly and wished me a good day as I left the store. I highly recommend the FANCL outlet at Ion Orchard if you ladies ever need to go to FANCL to get your beauty products.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: If you had previously played their Pop' A Surprise app right before it ended and managed to click on prizes, do remember to check your email inbox for the redemption letter, which you have to print out to redeem either at Ion Orchard or Plaza Singapura. Check your Spam folder in case the email find it's way there. And if you still didn't see anything, remember to go to their Facebook page and let them know too.

Alternatively, go over to FANCL Singapore Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FANCL.Singapore and Like their page to be informed of upcoming contests and giveaways.

So, for this goodie, Palmer's Singapore was organizing a Christmas Giveaway where we had to guess the item they are hinting to us. 1st correct answer wins the item guessed. I kinda hunted around on the Palmer's Singapore website and decided the answer is going to be a Dark Chocolate & Cherry Butter and commented. Unluckily for me, mostly everyone else after me kinda copy + paste my answer as the entire line/sentence was exactly the same as mine -_-

But luckily for me, as mine was the 1st correct answer, so I won. Phew~ I mean, it's kinda obvious if the previous 15 or so comments are the same, it's rather pointless to copy + paste the answer as the 1st person who commented is the sure winner in this case. Not nice to just copy + paste someone else's answer at all, unless you commented without seeing the previous answers in the first place. And also, I was just simply glad that Palmer's Singapore didn't come up with "A random winner with the correct answer will win" so I'm going to be upset.

Which brings to mind another contest where my answer was copied also, but repeated with varying degrees. I know I hunted for the answer via Google since I was one of the first 3 with the correct answer, and others just copy + paste. Not cool! It was for a beauty mask where the endorsing celebrity was Jiro Wang. I think organizers of such contests should do what Palmer's Singapore did, which is to insist that the 1st correct answer wins instead of choosing a random lucky winner among those who give the correct answer. Since it's pretty rampant that people tend to copy + paste answers from the 1st correct entry as a winner will be chosen via random. At least make it fair for the person who guessed it correctly within the first few entries.

So for this, I won a Palmer's Dark Chocolate & Cherry Butter via hunting through Palmer's Singapore website. I was supposed to collect it at 12 noon since it's been ages I've ventured around Chinatown/Maxwell area. I ended up arriving an hour early and the office staff who attended to me insisted that I come back at 12 noon as I had promised to come exactly at 12 noon since they were reshuffling their stocks and my prize isn't at the office yet.

When noon came and I went back to their office once more to redeem my prize, I had to sign on a piece of paper that surprisingly had the answers to all their Christmas Giveaways, which includes the person who won. We had to sign beside our name to verify that we had redeemed our prize. This meant that they are aware of what the answers/prizes would be, in which they should have had all the prizes/items in their office in advance. I just find it plain weird that they know the answers but didn't think about stocking the relevant items in their office so that whether prize winners arrived on time or early, the prize is already there waiting to be claimed.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: For now, go over to Palmer's Singapore Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/palmerssingapore and Like their page. Next, keep note of the subsequent Christmas Giveaway post and be the first to comment the right answer to win. And I wish you the best of luck too ;)

So, my good friend Irene sent me a FB request concerning Courts Singapore and since knowing that the membership is free, I decided to join. Finally, this arrived on Thursday and now I know I have a Courts membership card if I need to get anything from Courts.

Honestly? The folder holding the membership card is a gawdy yellow color while the card is of a glittering/sparkling dark blue color. The colors are so reminiscent of Banana Boat lol

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Go over to Courts SG Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CourtsSG, Like their page to informed of contest where you can win electrical appliances and stuffs like that.

Alternatively, you can sign up for a Courts SG membership card that is absolutely free via my Referral at http://www.courts.com.sg/User/FriendRegister.aspx?g=2d879eda-5d5d-4f83-a074-0b7b229b4233. Signing up is free and the card is free too, why wait?

Well, I know I've previously mentioned that I would no longer use The Sample Store services. But upon discovering that they've tweaked their postage charge as such:

• 1-2 items = Postage fee at S$2.99
• 3-4 items = Postage fee at S$3.99

And realizing that I still have enough credits on my account for at least 2 more items, I just went ahead and grabbed 2 items. Which now left my account with only S$0.09 and I am going to leave it at that. I won't top-up my account with anymore money and neither will I use their service anymore. I personally don't see nor understand why we all need to pay S$3.99 for 4 items that could be just 4 sample sachets of products. It's way overpriced!!

So I grabbed a Ichikami Hair Treatment tube which comes with a pamphlet detailing what other Ichikami products are available. Oh well, I only used hair conditioner once a week and my hair can stay soft and tangle-free for close to 5 days. Which probably count me as one of the lucky few who may not need so much hair products, but then, it wouldn't hurt to take special care of our hair when opportunity arises.

This other product I grabbed is fro Bio-Essence, consisting of:

• Inch Loss Shower Scrub
• Body Cream Extra Strength Trial Kit

Since it's applied instead of ingested, I am definitely sure this is a safer product to be used. Wonder if it will be effective though.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Go over to The Sample Store at http://www.thesamplestore.sg/ to grab your preferred samples.

Why not like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PuNiaosProductReviews to be informed of latest samples I found, which is duly updated? Also includes updates to contests that I've sourced out for you to join. It will definitely save you the trouble of having to hunt them down :)

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Samples Received/Redeemed: 24 - 28 September 2012

I was debating whether I should post a review yesterday or wait until today to blog about the samples I may be redeeming from TSS the final time. TSS won here as I am going to gripe about their "un-initiativeness". (Don't worry My Scheming, you're still my #1. All these TSS facial masks are for my mother, except for the Snail Mucin one which I am keeping for myself ^^ )

Well, samples I've redeemed/received from 24 September to 28 September (2012). These The Sample Store samples will probably be the last batch I am redeeming from them. If you're unsure why, go check out my previous post regarding TSS.

But in short, allow me to put it this way. Previously when delivery charges were S$2.99, I can overlook the fact that:

• I need to email TSS every single time I credited money to my account
• I need to send more than 1 email to remind TSS that I credited money to my account
• My saved items miraculously goes kaput after a mere 24 horus, making me hunt down what I've previously saved
• TSS have a flawed system where initiative is never the main objective

But after increasing their delivery charges to S$3.99, with nary an update anywhere on their site, blog or Facebook page, I cannot overlook the fact that:

• I need to email TSS every single time I credited money to my account
• I need to send more than 1 email to remind TSS that I credited money to my account
• My saved items miraculously goes kaput after a mere 24 horus, making me hunt down what I've previously saved
• TSS have a flawed system where initiative is never the main objective

In other words, there's no improvement on TSS part at all. And I thought that after TSS slyly, secretly, cunningly and deceptively increased their delivery charges by another extra S$1.00, their service would improve, but nope. I had to send 2 emails just to remind them that I had money credited to my account. It's not once, it's every single time. Where, exactly, is their initiative?

Probably gone down the drain when they think and also know that they are the only organization in Singapore that provides samples at a fixed price. In other words, I went from a satisfied customer of TSS to a very unhappy one right now. From now on, whenever TSS have new samples, I really have to take a longer took and decide whether future new samples are worth S$3.99. If not, I'll just bid and wait until they offer stuffs that do not need their users to pay anything at all.

Without further ado, here's a look at the stuffs that I redeemed/received:

Mail from Abbott and TSS.

Previously, I've mentioned that it was from an email sent by omy.sg. They were looking for interested bloggers to test this new product and 1 winner would be chosen from all the blog entries, should I decide to join. Well, I forgot to make an blog entry for it as the "time-frame" was too short. It didn't help that their "sample" was decided to be delivered later than it was actually promised.

What I didn't forget was to bug a friend for her particulars so we both can get mystery gift(s) from Abbott. This IS the mystery gift and now, I have 2 quantities of this product and still no contact lenses.. -_-"

First of the 4 facial mask samples I've redeemed from TSS.

• Lovemore South Pacific Gold Pearl Amazing White Mask x 1
• Lovemore Snail Mucin Healing & Hydrating Mask x 1

• Lovemore Japan Soymilk Enzyme Moisturizing & Smoothing Mask x 1
• Lovemore Mediterranean Pomegranate Lifting & Whitening Mask x 1

More mail, from Palmer's Singapore (who chose to use an envelope with a return address back to Singapore Post and had me wondering what the heck it was supposed to be), My Scheming (my favorite facial mask company, love them!!) and the final 2 batches of facial masks from TSS.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula x 2

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Go to Palmer's Singapore Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/palmerssingapore, Like their page. Next, click on the link that says FREE SAMPLES, fill in your particulars and wait for the samples to arrive in your mailbox.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

My Scheming: Deep Cleansing Pore Minimizing Mask x 1

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Go over to My Scheming Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MySchemingSg, Like their page in order to be notified of latest promotions, contests, blah blah.

Most of My Scheming facial masks can easily be won through their Facebook page contests. And to be honest, I've won quite a decent amount too (if I win everthing, everyone's gonna hate me ^^; and as the saying goes "You win some, you lose some"), their contests are uber easy to participate and most occasions, there's always more than 1 winner. So, it's win-win for fans who Liked, Joined and Participate. And may I add, one of the best facial mask company I've had the pleasure of interacting with!!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

• Sexylook Super Hydrating Duo Lifting Mask x 1
• Sexylook Intensive Firming Duo Lifting Mask x 1
• Sexylook Extra Brightening Duo Lifting Mask x 1
• Sexylook Rejuvenating Duo Lifting Mask x 1

• Sexylook Super Moisturizing Duo Lifting Mask x 1
• Sexylook Extreme Whitening Duo Lifting Mask x 1
• Sexylook Pure White Radiance Duo Lifting Mask x 1

• Lovemore French caviar Anti-Wrinkle & Firming Mask x 1

Ahh.. so many facial masks redeemed from TSS, which may probably be the last time I am redeeming anymore things from them. Once "classified" and "translated" to Chinese (my mother don't understand English lah~), almost all of it will be given to my mother to use. I'm keeping the "scheming" ones. Mu~fufufu~

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