MyFriend Jelly Shoes

Possessing big-foot's feet size, I usually get cold feet when purchasing shoes. Relief certainly flushed through me when I could slip my feet into the first pair of shoes that I have bought online. My feet length is ~24cm, and size 39 fitted quite well.

Named as "jelly shoes", this pair of pumps is made of plastic throughout (good for rainy season), and has some mini flowers pasted on the front strap. The flowers are not as tidy as shown on the website, since they were squashed together during storage and packaging. 

I like the fact that the shoes are not flat and has a slight elevation at the heel to make walking more comfortable. The grooves are rather funky too. Oh dear, let's not brood into the korean-company-peddling-china-made-goods again ok?

Looks aside, the shoes are quite easy to slip into. However, I had some trouble walking since the back of my heels kept slipping out from the back strap and then stepping back onto the strap. So I had to bend to put the strap back in place. I'm clueless about the physics of it that made walking kinda noisy i.e. I went "plap, plap, plap" over the walkways. After almost 12 hours of wearing it, my heels suffered, but only slightly:

 Ahh, the price of vanity.

 Source: Gmarket

Price: $5.90 + $4.30 shipping (for 2 pairs)

Rating: 8/10

Style-AM2PM Jewellery (SE1883, SE4017, SNS2657, SNS4616, SNS4993, SB1278, SB1529)

As all buyers (should) know, sellers market their products in a very positive light, especially via photos, hiding behind the not-so-presentable stuff and plunging their customer into disappointment after finding defects after their purchase. To me, even bling-bling items fail to appear bling if they were not to my expectations. So, I'd decided to try to evaluate each jewellery item that I'd bought to let other potential customers make a better decision. I'm not wealthy, so don't expect me to purchase bling-bling items which have extra charges =)

SB1278: 

I like to scrutinise my stuff really well. One or two of the jewels near the neck of the loop for this necklace are duller than the rest. I tried to capture this on photo, but this is the best macro shot that I can get on my handphone camera. Not an obvious defect though. I thought the jewel was only framed without a support at the back, but it is not so:

SNS 4616: 

 

This little silver fella certainly attracted attention when I had it over my neck. Of all things, why would someone have a silver ladybug as a pendant? Well, it's probably just due to my bizarre taste in accessories. It is hollow at the back (it appeared rather solid and hardy in the seller's pictures), so it isn't as heavy as it looks.

SB1529: 

It wasn't an easy feat for me to open it before and after I had put it on. This shouldn't be a problem for people who wear watches with metallic straps, since the latch resembles that of those watches. Some minor scratches can be observed, but no biggie:

SNS4993: 

On first look, this pendant looks like a pretty gem. And yes it is so, until you look at it from the side. Oh my, why is the frontal jewel so big and ill-fitting over the groove that it protrudes out?

SNS2657: 

I thought this was well-made (no protruding or dull jewels or scratched surfaces) till I inspected the pearl. What a waste, it was glued at the wrong spot, so the junction which two parts of the pearl were annealed together shows, resulting in two different shades of white on the surface.

SE1883: 

I was scratching my head when I saw this item.. Did I really order this? Or was it a mistake? I had to double-check online as well as my own records. Sometimes my idiosyncratic and rapidly-shifting sense of fashion bewilders me. 

Anyway, I dislike the fact that there is no groove for the stud to be secured in a place. Is there a medical term for the fear of having one's ear being squashed between an earring and the stud? Let's coin it larky-ear-syndrome ok?

SE 4017:

Think this pair of earrings has been kept for a pretty long time, as the pearls as well as the paper earring holder are yellowed. Pits and poor glueing can be seen on the surface of the pearls as well. Upsetting. Even my trashbin was upset when I tossed the pair in.

Bonus item: 

Ahh, a tool to compensate for the inadequacies of the purchased items and pacify the upset customer? =p This is probably another marketing ploy to get gullible and greedy customers *guilty look* to buy more than what they had initially intended to get. Always be wary of freebies since most sellers tend to give away stuff that they do not want. Fortunately I didn't skip that crucial step, for there is one terminal end of the earring (that is to be put through the earhole) with a sharp pointy edge that promises a nick on the fragile skin of the ear lobe. That will not be very pleasant for someone who has larky-ear-syndrome. 

On the whole, the items which I had received from Style-Am2Pm are of decent quality and good price (wait for the $0.50 deal! I bought mine at $0.70 though). Some minor defects can be seen, but they are still reasonable, except for that "dangerous" bonus item. I'm sure no one examines the jewellery you wear with such hawk-eyed scrutiny, isn't it?

Source: Gmarket

Price: $0.70 (0.50 cheapest!) each + $2 shipping

Rating: 7.5/10

USB Piggy Hand Warmer

Recently it has been cooling in Singapore, and even at home with no airconditioning or fan, my hands would feel clammy to touch. This cute USB-powered hand warmer comes in handy, especially if one works in the office. That's why I've gotten it for my office-bound pal. Since it is an electronic product, it's best that I get it checked out first before handling it over, so that I'll not be liable for any damages =x

Made of cloth, the warmer can't be washed with water since the heating element is sealed within the internal pockets. There's a foam bed at the bottom, and a hole at the top for fitting the cables when not in use:

Two hands can fit into the piggy snugly, but I can only show one hand inside since I need the other to take the picture below. Hmm, if the pig warmer had a body and one has to stick the hand in.. how interesting.

Anyway, just to make sure that the heating element is working fine and will not cause excessive heating and burns, I whipped out my trusty food thermometer and gave it a temperature test. The reading was 47.6 deg C after about 10 minutes in a warm room with poor ventilation. Passed.

Source: eBay

Price: USD $3.59 ($4.57) + Free shipping

Rating: 8.5/10

Sweet Sweet Tooth (Chocolate Fondant and Green Tea Snow Ice)

If you are reading this post, I'm sure that you are a sucker for desserts. How do I know? Cos I'm one too =p Upon setting eyes on the attractive price of $6.90 for two choices of dessert items retailing up to $13.90, I immediately purchased the voucher for desserts at Sweet Sweet Tooth!

Since this is a pretty new establishment located in a rather 'secluded' walkway at Marina Square, reviews are scant. Even hungrygowhere.com didn't have much information in there when I checked! There was only one rave review by a customer who was served water and good desserts. Heyyyyy, speaking of water, I don't remember being served water when my friend and I arrived at the empty cafe with our coupon! =(

Ok, that's a small issue. Can't blame the two staff since we were just getting what we paid for. And so we ordered the following:

1) Chocolate fondant

The warm chocolate fondant appeared like an average chocolate sponge cake on the surface, but molten chocolate batter oozed out when we dug a spoon in like any self-saucing cake (no surprise to us here). There was ~1cm rim of chocolate cake lining the pool of liquid, which sported a rather greasy look and seemed a tad bit too sweet for us after a few mouthfuls. Good thing this dessert was served after our green tea snow ice, for it numbed our tastebuds with its sweetness. We felt that the green tea ice cream that came along with the fondant failed to complement the fondant with it's very milky/creamy texture. Too greasy on the whole.

2) Green tea snow ice

Sweet Sweet Tooth had came up with a variation from the normal green tea snow ice that we usually have at DessertStory or Mei Heong Yuan Dessert. Apart from the red bean, there was an interesting addition of green tea crumble and nata de coco bits to the flaky snow ice. If I'm not wrong, the additions were made to impart texture as well as novelty to this well-received snow ice. The crumble didn't suit my palate, and nata de coco felt out of place after the snow ice melted in my mouth. I still like my green tea snow ice plain and smooth like snow.

We both liked it being less sweet than the ones we had before since there was no condensed milk on the generous heap of bittery green-tea goodness (I realised that I had been selectively scooping those areas with no condiments). The red-bean paste was sufficiently sweet enough to tone down the bitterness of the snow ice, but somehow, it didn't match up to the standards of other establishments.

For the price, it's a good deal if you like some casaul desserts in a quaint place with soothing music. But don't be picky about the food like I am.

Source: Gmarket

Price: $6.90 (West Dessert + Snow Ice)

Rating: 8/10

Giftshow Doraemon Blanket and Hello Kitty Cushion

I had these items delivered to my friend's place so I didn't get to see them, so I'll just post them up. It came as a surprise to me that the Hello Kitty item is a cushion instead of a mat:

The doraemon blanket, as I was told, is adorable but too small to cover much of the legs, yet too big to be a floor mat. What to do with it then?

 

 Source: Gmarket

Price: $2.90 (Dora) $5.90 (Kitty) + $4 shipping

Rating: -

Jewellery from vnflifestudio and sglady

A few days back I chanced upon lucky jewellery set at $3 by sglady. I had my reservations initially, but after viewing some of the reviews and also some examples of that items that one might expect to receive from the mix, I gave in to my vain desires. As usual, delivery was very efficient, and it took <3 days after my purchase for it to arrive. So here's what I had gotten from (or more suitably put, to) my surprise:

A dented rose-red ring holder, a flower necklace that reeked of spray paint, kiddish huge heart-shaped earrings with bears much unfit for my age, green-hoops bangle with plastic ornaments too large to be worn, and a bronzed flower ring. I was most (and perhaps, only) satisfied with the last item. 

I had received none of the "example" items which were on display on the website, how unfortunate. Think sglady is really holding a huge grudge against me.

By the way, there was a review which went "this is what i received. as you can see, it is similar to the one which someone posted on the premium review, i guess this is the excess stocks which they had and most of you people will receive these, exactly 3 of the accessories are the same, oonly the earrings are different, and the pearl in the earrings are not sticked proportionality, one is the middle and the other is at the bottom. the bangle is too big and slips off my wrist, think this whole set will go to waste :( i hope more people can post what they have got so we get to see what each of you guys get!" As the reviewer aptly concluded, "watch out before buying: if you are buying something that don't suit you". Kudos to this reviewer, the online marketplace should have more of such people around!

Perhaps, to those people who are contemplating to buy this set, don't put too much hope on getting something you really wish to have. Remember, these are clearance items, items which are hard to sell out. If you don't mind the cheap accessories and simply adore the element of surprise that accompanies it, do try your chance. And post a premium review or two, will you?

Source: Gmarket

Price: $3 each + Free shipping

Rating: 6.5/10

Now, for a dollar more, I got these from vnflifestudio on the same day: 

Gorgeous aren't they? I don't have to say much with this picture. I wished the pearl was white instead of off-white though. Just a side note, the bangle might be too small for people with a larger wrist diameter. Luckily, the bangle fits mine.

It's great when you get to choose and receive what you desire, isn't it?

Source: Gmarket

Price: $1.99 for bangle + $1.99 for necklace + Free shipping

Rating: 8.5/10

Dudebabe (7180, 7032, 561)

A new entry on the block, Dudebabe offered pretty good discounts on clothes. I suspected that company is a division of another company on gmarket as they have a similar range of clothes, but it's ok as long as I get my clothes as cheap as possible.

#1: 7180 white $8.90 

This dress looked really auntie, with the bright pink flowers printed on lace. The online image seemed to be paler in colour. The white was more of an off-white rather than a pure white, do take note. The fabric was well-sewn and was of decent quality. It would be quite warm when wearing this. However, I couldn't really think of an occasion to wear this, not even during the Chinese New Year celebrations.

#2: 7032 $7

This full dress was not as body-hugging as it seemed, so it made me look too straight, like a cylinder. The whole dress was made of thin and not-so-smooth material, and the bra could be seen through after the dress was washed. I found that my arms were unusually prominent and fat in this =( The black skirt part was interesting, resembling much of a petal folding across another. The layers were not sewn so if the wind comes, do hold the skirt down!

#3: 561 $7

I had completely no idea that the neckpiece and the top were not attached together, and couldn't remember how to wear the neckpiece until I checked the purchase site again. The material's like tee-shirt, but seemed thicker yet softer. Quite comfortable to wear.

There were some awful (left) and redundant (right) sewing going on, but on the whole, it's not bad. The colour was more of dark brown, not grey as depicted in my pictures.

Source: Gmarket

Price: $1.90 each + $1.50 shipping

Rating: 7.5/10