Lifestyle Talk – Ebates

Besides working out and eating, my next favourite past time is SHOPPING and do you know that you can actually earn cash back just by shopping? I actually could not believe it, until I scrolled down to a huge variety of brands that are under Ebates Singapore!

I now know where to get Nike items that are not available in SG! :P

Of course, there are other supplement brands that interest me too, like MYPROTEIN and Nutri-Health Supplements, etc. Read on to find out more about Ebates Singapore!

Ebates Singapore

What is Ebates?

Ebates is a pioneer in online shopping cash back and operates by giving members up to 26% cash back. Founded in 1998, Ebates Inc. is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, but also runs dedicated sites for customers in Canada, China, Russia, and South Korea. In 2014, members globally spent close to US$3 billion shopping through Ebates. Ebates Singapore was launched this week to cater to the Singaporean shoppers.

What are some online stores that Ebates work with?

Ebates currently liaise with over 2,600 online stores globally that range from men’s/women’s clothing, travel and vacations, health and beauty, electronics, baby and children products to office supplies. Some familiar brands include eBay.com, Nordstrom, Ralph Lauren, Shopbop.com, Victoria’s Secret and others.

Does Ebates Singapore work with any local online merchants?

At present, Ebates Singapore has Rakuten.com.sg on board with them and they are definitely interested to partner with local online merchants for their localized Singapore website and are in talks with other local merchants to support the growth of Ebates in Singapore. So we can look out for more local online merchants on board with Ebates Singapore in the near future!

Rakuten Super Sale

Rakuten is having a huge sale right now and I’m eyeing the BenQ CP70 Portable 4R Photo Scanner (going from $124 to $29.90 now!!!) and the Beats SOLO HD by Dr. Dre (going at $195.50, with almost $40 off!!!). Get up to 90% off from Rakuten Super Sale + 15% Cash Back (highest in the market) when you shop via Ebates Singapore.

There are more discounted items on Rakuten.com.sg so go check it out! :P

How to start using Ebates

1. Sign up for a free account with your email, password and enter my personal code (which will be revealed below)

2. Browse or search for your favourite brands

3. Click through Ebates to complete your purchase on your favourite store

4. Cash back will be credited into your Ebates Singapore account 3-7 days after your purchase

I’m sure there would have been some burning questions at this point in time so I have compiled some of the enquiries that I have personally questioned during my own shopping and research on Ebates Singapore so here goes!

Common Questions

Where does the money come from?

Ebates generates additional sales and traffic to their partner stores. After shoppers complete their purchase, Ebates earns commission from merchant and shares it with customers.

How do consumers receive their cash back? And how often do these payouts occur?

Every consumer who signs up with Ebates will own a personalized account. Once the consumer makes a purchase, most cash back will be reflected in the user’s Ebates account within 3-7 days. Some stores, however, cannot confirm the user’s purchase until the return period is over and may take up to thirty days to confirm the cash back.

Actual cash backs are paid quarterly in the form of a cheque, through PayPal or credited back to the consumer’s credit/debit card.

Do note that if the shopper has earned less than US$5.01 cash back, Ebates will carry over their cash back to the next payout.

Link to cash back payout schedule: www.ebates.sg/help/most-shoppers-want-to-know#faq_section_3_question_1

How do Ebates members ensure that they are earning cash back?

Purchases shoppers make at Ebates stores are only credited if they shop through Ebates.sg and click to a store via an Ebates link.

How do I store and ship my purchases when I shop on an overseas site that does not provide direct shipping?

Shoppers will have to key in their free U.S. address which they get from signing up for an account with a freight forwarder like comGateway.

Good news!!

You will all get a USD$10 signup bonus just by keying in my personal code (limaran-EbatesSG) here!

After clicking on the link, you should be able to see this:

Only valid if you try out Ebates and spend USD$50 within 90 days upon signing up though so what are you waiting for? It’s time to get your loots and enjoy cash back rewards now! :P

Beauty Talk – Hadara Derma-calm Facial

My skin has always been very thin and sensitive I’m always very skeptical about going for facials because I’ve had an outbreak of hives once after extraction was done. My entire face was swollen, red and it was itching so bad I will never forget that unpleasant experience. Since then, the thought of going for facial still scares me sometimes.

After having used Dermagold during our Seoul trip last year, I decided to go ahead and give the Derma-calm Facial a shot after consulting the doctor (and co-owner of Dermagold) and it was to be customized according to the needs and condition of my current skin. Besides, all products that are used during the facial are Dermagold skincare, which immediately puts my mind at ease.

The Hadara Experience


We were greeted with an uplifting Hadara signature scent upon entering the boutique. It is a blend of organic aromatic oils especially concocted for Hadara in collaboration with a clinical herbalist. This signature scent never fails to soothe my senses and brings my mind to a complete relaxation mode, ready for a good ‘sleep’! :P

The therapist then ushered me into one of the rooms to get ready for my facial.

Hadara Derma-calm Facial (60min)

This facial is calming and soothing, specially designed for sensitive skin like mine. It was sooo good I fell deep asleep, undisturbed almost throughout.

1. Skin is first cleansed, followed by a award-winning scrub (Harpers Bazaar most gentle scrub award 2014).

2. Very simple extraction was arranged for me with minimal pain I could almost sleep through.

3. My skin was then soothed with a cold hammer therapy and recovery gel to restore and calm down the sensitive areas right after the extraction. This was my second favourite part!

4. After the cold hammer therapy, this is my favourite part of the facial (actually maybe I have another favourite part at the last part of the facial too!)! The therapist used an air-spray called Cleopine Air-spray. The Cleopine ampoules and air spray are invented by a Korean doctor. It is manufactured using a patented technology and it is FDA approved as a food substance. (it can be sprayed safely into the mouth too!)

Cleopine ampoule are especially suitable for sensitive skin and is penetrated into the skin using a special nano-technology air spray.

What is Cleopine made of?
- fermented peptides from mushrooms grown in korea 

- nutrient extracts from pine trees in Korea 

- high quality mineral salt 


Benefits of Cleopine: 
- whitening 

- anti-aging 

- anti-wrinkle 

- moisturising 

- improved skin tone 


Hadara Sparkling Eye Therapy (30min) 


The next part of the facial is the Eye Therapy and is especially suitable for people like me with tired eyes or people who uses the mobile phone and laptops for long hours.

Benefits:
- Stimulates blood flow to the skin, muscles and capillaries in the areas around the eyes, helping to drain excess fluids, reduce sagging areas, tone the muscles and nourish new cell growth. De-stressing the muscles that cause crow’s feet. 

- Activates the pressure points around the eye sockets to help release tension in the visual system and increase the flow of life energy to the eyes. 

- Enhances penetration of products into the skin for maximal effectiveness 


The last part of the facial includes a mask and super-good massage!

I really like the fact that my therapist did not leave me alone at all times. I hate it when I go for facials and have to wait alone helplessly (especially after the machines used had stopped beeping). Over at Hadara, my therapist made sure I was not left alone for more than 2-3 mins. I was attended to all the time, and the session ended right on time (very important for me as I always have pt sessions planned before and after), I cannot afford to let the session overrun without me pre-empting my clients. So thumbs up! :D

The final clean and fresh look of my skin (minus the slight redness due to sensitive skin, which cleared up within the same day). My day continued after the facial, without having to deal with people staring at a red and swollen, freshly-out-of-facial face or people asking me what happened to my face! I love it! ☺

We quickly grabbed a photo with the beautiful owners of Hadara before we left for work too!

Exclusive promotions

Because you have all been soon supportive, there is some exclusive discount just for all of you! :D

1) 8% OFF Dermagold Sensitive Skin System
This system consists of:
- Delicate Skin Cleansing Mousse
- Delicate Skin Toner
- Miracle C+ (star product of Dermagold with 18% Vitamin C)
- HA Booster (100% Hyaluronic Acid)
- Hydra Recovery Gel [won award for: NUYOU Suncare Awards 2015 - After Suncare (Face) and SHAPE Suncare Awards Aftersun Care For Face (Most Moisturising)]

Validity: Valid till 30 September 2015

2) Purchase 3 Hadara Customised Facials for S$399 (U.P. S$450) AND receive 3 x S$50 Hadara Cash Voucher
Hadara Customised Facials include:
- Hadara Power Facial (whitening / anti-aging)
- Hadara Acne Clear Facial (acne)
- Hadara Derma-calm Facial (sensitive)

Validity: Valid till 30 September 2015

There is also a special promotion for all tertiary students and more details can be found on Hadara's Facebook page! :)

Specially designed for Singaporean skin, Hadara provides a very good range of Dermagold skincare which I love very much! Do pop by and grab a few to try if you are around the area!

Hadara Aesthetic Boutique 

23 Lorong Telok #01-01 

Singapore 049035
 

Contact number: 6969 3022
 

Email: info@hadaraaesthetics.com 

Website: www.hadaraaesthetics.com 

For other promotions and giveaways, feel free to like the Facebook page of Hadara and Dermagold, and follow them on Instagram, @dermagold_sg and @hadara_sg too! :D

SG50 – A Funpack from Me to You

Everyone is getting excited about this year’s NDP celebration because it is SG50 this year (and also my birthday every year :P)!

This year, every Singaporean and PR household will receive a SG Funpack while NDP 2015’s spectators will receive a NDP Funpack! Households can expect to receive instructions on the collection of the SG Funpack through mail by July 2015.

50 Unique NDP 2015 Funpack Designs

A total of 50 unique Funpack designs were picked from the NDP 2015 Funpack Print Design Contest, which invited Singaporeans to submit designs based on what they thought made Singapore special. Be amongst the first to see the complete range of designs, and read more on the inspiration behind each entry here!

I received a design by Carlo Gozon, 19 and a student.

“The inspiration behind my design is the Singapore Island shape. I chose the stars because even though Singapore is a little red dot, Singapore shines across the world. On the bottom left, 5 stars are shaded in red and shaped like a crescent moon. The number ‘50’ represents how far we have come.

I wish Singapore a Happy 50th Birthday!”

Content of Funpack

I got mine last week and immediately checked out the content! So here are some of what you will be expecting soon!

A Singa Lion Figurine

To celebrate our unique Singaporean identity, a commemorative figurine of the Singa Lion will be included in every Funpack. The Singa Lion was chosen as an icon of kindness and graciousness that Singaporeans have grown up with. There are a total of 15 different designs and mine is the light turquoise, 4th on the first row!

The full set of Singa figurines can also be purchased at The Kindness Gallery (140 Hill Street #01-09 Singapore 179369). They will be available for sale individually as well as in a collector’s box set. The proceeds of the sale will go to the Singapore Kindness Movement’s Seed Kindness Fund.

Nostalgic Snacks and Games

Expect to find a nostalgic snack and games pack in both the SG and NDP Funpacks, and reconnect with family and friends across generations through shared stories based on snacks that were eaten and games that were played. I received a pack of lollipop and the chocolate bangle candy which I used to buy when I was still in Primary school, and a set of country erasers and pick up sticks! Those were the days, when everything was simpler, and we could make do with simple games and still be very content with whatever we had.

‘Birthday Wishes for Singapore’ postcards

Singaporeans can also look forward to being involved in activities and initiatives in the lead up to NDP. The NDP 2015 Exhibition will be held in conjunction with the ticket collection exercise at the Marina Square Central Atrium from 5 to 14 Jun 2015. Families can expect a sneak preview of the various chapters in the integrated show of NDP 2015, have fun at the various family-oriented interactive exhibits and stand to win attractive prizes including NDP tickets. Other initiatives aimed to engage the different segments of society include the “A Funpack from Me to You” project involving voluntary welfare organisations and schools, as well as getting Singaporeans to pen their well-wishes for Singapore under the “Birthday Wish for Singapore” project.

2 more months to NDP 2015 and I’m sure it will be a huge celebration of the great 50 years we have come by! I cannot wait for it and I hope you will all enjoy your Funpacks!