Tiny-shop Pregnancy Test Kits

These are cheap kits to calm frantic people done after they accidentally had too much fun. However, I would double-confirm with a store-bought kit or with the doctor. FDA wouldn't give much thought to such diagnostic kits (i.e. they do not "clear" such products), so take the results of these kits with a pinch of salt.

Source: Gmarket

Price: $0.90 each + Free shipping

Item Rating: NA
Processing time: 0 day (s)
Delivery time: 5 day (s)

Iphonex Premium Pink DIY (Cable + Adapter)

Nowadays, the creativeness of the sellers to cross-sell their items is very admirable. I wish I could do the same for mine, but my conscience screams at me if I were to promote additional things to other people. It's not very nice to be pushing things which people might not need. Seems like I'm not cut out for business.

Back to the main topic, the seller for this item has deviously packed in a smiley-faces-stickers for customisation of a charging plug for Iphone. Initially I only wanted to get the plug head, but in the end I got the cable as well... for the stickers. I'm such a bummer.

I'm not very sure about the charging speed, but from the looks of the item, there were certainly areas to improve on. There were some strands of plastic (glue?) on the charger head. Additionally, the recipient of this product mentioned to me that she tried on the Ipod and the connection was "very tight" and "hard to connect". Maybe it would be better for Iphone? I have no idea.

Source: Gmarket

Price: $7.50 + Free shipping

Item Rating: 2/5
Processing time: 3 day (s)
Delivery time: 2 day (s)

Dudebabe Dress (Exchange item 8822_Blue)

This is an exchange item done with dress 8796. The material feels like cotton, and the sewing isn't really top-notch. Place the item flat on the floor and there is an obvious uneven bottom frame. The white collar and sleeves are made from different fabric, but got slightly stained with blue dye from the bulk fabric after washing. 

It's a pity that this dress has a glaring sewing defect that renders it "unwearable", and yes it is super obvious as it is found at the beige lace area:

 To salvage the dress, I decided to take a risk by removing the lace area - what if the collar is secured to the dress together with the lace? One wrong move and there goes the whole dress. no venture no gain right? It's a risk I'm willing to take. 

Outcome? 

 Much better.

Source: Gmarket

Price: $9.45 + $1.50 shipping

Item Rating: 3/5
Processing time: NA
Delivery time: NA

Budgetmktg Travel Fragrance Perfume Atomizer Spray (Red, Pink)

This is one of the most useful items that I have purchased. Throw away those glass funnels and eliminate spilled perfume, this travel fragrance perfume atomizer will save the day! 

This palm-sized atomizer has a one-way input valve at the bottom, which is a receptacle to the hose nozzle of your luxurious perfume bottle. Just attach the bottom of the atomizer to that nozzle and pump hard a few times, and there you have it, 5ml of perfume on the go!

To check if there are any leakages, I filled the atomizer with some perfume and indicated the level with a sticker. I will report if there are any drops in perfume levels after some time to see if the atomizer is really a one-way valve.

One problem with this is that it is not very suitable to use for multiple fragrances, as the interior cannot be washed. Probably would have to "rinse" with a small amount of new perfume and spray out before filling with the new perfume. Unless one doesn't mind the concoction of two perfumes. Who knows, a new fragrance might be born!

Note: The shipping took really long as the seller did not have stock for the items. In the end they "compensated" with two face masks, which I simply have no issues with.

Source: Gmarket

Price: $6.40 + Free shipping

Item Rating: 4.5/5
Processing time: 11 day (s)
Delivery time: 6 day (s)

Pinglejia-home Iphone Transparent Slim Hard Case

For a fraction of the price you can find from shopping malls, you can get a quality slim 0.5mm transparent case for your precious Iphone delivered straight to your house. Need I say more?

Source: ebay

Price: USD 2.25 + Free shipping

Item Rating: 4.5/5
Processing time: 0 day (s)
Delivery time: 11day (s)

Explanation of the Rating Scale, Processing Time, Delivery Time and others

Rating 

Review based on the product itself, not taking into consideration other factors like seller's attitude, delivery time etc. With effect from 2012.

0) Please don't consider at all 

1) Mediocre with glaring defects

2) Good with some drawbacks

3) Great with minor issues

4) Excellent and highly recommended

5) Perfect like good pasta

Processing Time

Time period between the order and shipping date. 

e.g. I ordered the item on 24/3, and the seller dispatched the item on 26/3. Processing time will thus be 2 days. Technically, it should be 3 days, but for convenience and fair adjustment, it is just 26-24 = 2 days.

Delivery Time

Time period between the shipping date and delivery date.

e.g. After the seller had dispatched the item on 26/3, I received the item on 29/3. Therefore, the delivery time will be 3 days. Technically, it should be 4 days, but for convenience and fair adjustment, it is just 29-26 = 3 days.

Caishen Dresses (A6839_pink, A9094, A9805_gray, A655_green)

PROMO_114B_C3_A6839_pink ($7.85, Rating: 2/5)

• Rose pink shiny but thin material
• No inner lining
• Non-centralised ribbon 
• Sewn-down top bow edges of ribbon, while bottom edges are not
• Unequal widths of left and right shoulder parts
• Improvements made: Removed ribbon

116_D5A08_A9094 ($11.87, Rating: 3/5)

• Dull beige colour for bottom part of dress
• Presentable white lacey area
• Uneven frills
• Inner lining present 

1028_22A_A9805_gray ($8.87, Rating: 3.5/5)

• Batik-style grey soft cottony material
• Way too short to be a dress (for 1.57cm pax)
• Best of this lot

105_C3_A655_green ($11.87, Rating: 1.5/5)

• Shiny but thin material
• Pastel blue-green fabric for middle portion, pure white fabric for top and bottom area
• No inner lining
• Poorly-sewn underside of waist band
• Improvements made: Added a button to lift neckline

Source: Gmarket

Price: As above + Free registered shipping (if above $29)
Item Rating: As above 
Processing time: 1 day (s)
Delivery time: 6 day (s)

Bugis Village Touchscreen Stylus (SC21 Silver, Pink Blue)

These weigh heavier than they look, and makes sketching on touch-screen devices easier, especially if one has fat fingers or long fingernails. The rounded tip is rather soft so when pressed down, it would distend. Hold down more and there is a cute squeaky sound across the screen. It would be good if the tip was sharper, for drawing fine lines.  

Source: Gmarket

Price: $1.78 each + Free shipping
Item Rating: 4/5 
Processing time: 2 day (s)
Delivery time: 5 day (s)

Pearly Beats Dr Dre Earphones (S Jack beat Tour)

Think Singpost is just itching for complaint letters. Last year they returned the same item I wanted to send out to me TWICE, and just last week, they returned another item I wanted to send out to me again. Can't they read "If undelivered, return to XOXO" and the highlighted address to be sent to? And the state many of my packages are like unacceptable for a civilised state - torn, crumpled, opened and wet even. Singpost really needs to work on their package handling. 

This time, I received a package that are ragged at the edges. The envelop wasn't that great, but still the damage done is too absurd. What's worrying is that the seller didn't pack the item with plastic wrap so if water leaks into the electronic product, I wouldn't know who to blame.  

Unwrapping the package, I was immensely glad that there was minimal damage to the product since the product packaging was not the most environmentally-friendly. Let's see:

Apart from the jaw-dropping price, another factor that attracted me to get this OEM earphone for my brother is the unique design of the cables. They are flat, with an uncanny resemblance to mee pok, and the brilliant red colour complemented well with the black ear buds. I figured that my brother would be able to identify with the "Monster" label too hehe =p

A clip to attach to the wires came along with the package, and that I feel is essential since the wires are really long. Additionally, there were extra four sets of ear buds, and I found two pairs particularly fascinating. They are shaped like cones, which I presume the design is so that one can stuff the whole ear bud into the ear. Not forgetting the ear wax as well =x

My brother and I are not worshippers of good sound quality in our earphones. As long as the music gets into our ears without background interferences/noise, we are contented. For this set of earphone, we did not have any issues with either the crisp sound quality or the handy accessories. 

Source: Gmarket

Price: $14.00 + $1.00 shipping
Item Rating: 4.5/5
Processing time: 3 day (s)
Delivery time: 1 day (s)

Celina Babe Body Shaper (B06-size M-L, D04-size L)

B06-size M-L ($13.47)

Body-shapers are interesting - they help to push in the fat and artificially slim the silhouette, which in turn makes people feel great about their figure. However, for my case, I decided to get one for my bottom to hide that awful panty line caused by my under-sized panties (it's silly to be ousting my whole box of small undies in exchange for boxer shorts or thongs). So here's what I've bought from a self-conceited seller:

The images on the seller's listing looked so promising.. but it turned out unexpectedly disappointed for me as it is a thin material that does not give much support. Needless to stay, the tightness is not there for this 36" bum. If only there were option for a smaller size. On the bright side, the workmanship is not bad, with the lace only having some stray frays.

D04-size L ($16.87)

Since the evil inner desire to splurge has reared its ugly head, I went on to purchase another body shaper that looks like a spaghetti top. The chest to side of waist areas are made of lace, while the rest are simply mesh material.

With decent workmanship and some loose ends, this spaghetti top is two mesh tops pieced together. So it's like double-layered mesh top. I like the adjustable straps as well as the intricate lace designs.

I'm a size UK 8-10, and I find that it's a feat to squeeze into the top while controlling the amount of force to yank the top on. Speaking from a person with a pear-shaped figure, the bottom region is too tight for comfort and the material keeps on rolling upwards, while the waist region is not as "constrictive" as I like it to be. 

When it came to the chest region, rather than lifting my boobs, it flattens them. According to the measurements given on the listing, I'm more suitable to size M based on the chest area. I have already taken size L and it's still so tight up there, so probably a review should be done on their measurements.

On the whole, the L-sized top is pretty small I would say, and is more suited for more petite ladies.. but then, why do they even need a slimming wear?

Source: Gmarket

Price: Refer to above + $2.00 shipping
Item Rating: 2/5 for B06, 3/5 for D04

Processing time: 0 day (s)
Delivery time: 2 day (s)

Nana Beauty Shop Compression Knee Socks (Black)

As many might know, compression socks exert pressure on the legs to help to promote blood circulation and prevent fatigue. They are tightest at the ankles and gradually become less constrictive towards the knees and thighs. I have been using 20-25Pa compression stockings from Japanese Gunze Sabrina, which certainly serve their purpose well. 

This time around, since there was a time sale (they always seem to tempt me to spend unnecessary $), I decided to get this pair of "brand-less" compression socks to try out during sleep time. 

Spanning 78 cm, this pair of socks came without any retail box to verify its source (even though deep in our hearts, we know where the product is likely to be made from). It ranks very well on the aesthetic scoreboard, with all the nitty-gritty details:

I couldn't help thinking about the ease the sock is put on, at least till my knees. To someone who has been using 20Pa compression stockings, this does not feel like anything near 10Pa, how does will it exert its effects proper? I would say it's comfy but not tight enough for the ankle and calf. 

At my thighs, the sock got too tight and cut into my flesh. If blood can't flow to and fro properly from my calves and lower legs as the supply is restricted at my thighs, there might be blood stasis at the lower legs. Call me paranoid, I wouldn't want to risk having thrombosis. I'll probably roll the socks down to my knees when I put these on. 

This is ill-fitting is rather expected, since proper compression socks should be matched to people based on leg sizes. The fact that the dimensions of my rather odd legs does contribute to the poor fitting as well - more flesh at the calf relative to the thigh. I'm 21cm at the ankle, 35cm at the calves, 39cm at 1" above my knee, and 46cm at the thigh area where the socks are pulled highest to. So the socks are not tight, tight, slightly tight, most tight in the above order. Not good for me.

Oh I just love to look at item feedback that people give on Gmarket, for they make me laugh sometimes. I have just something to clarify after reading some, that compression socks don't "fight fats", rather, they drain edema in the legs so the legs appear slimmer. Fight fats with a healthy lifestyle instead.

Source: Gmarket

Price: $8.90 + Free shipping
Item Rating: 2.5/5 
Processing time: 6 day (s)
Delivery time: 3 day (s)

Pinglejia-home Cami Secret

I have plenty of dresses with low necklines so I tend to have a plethora of tubes to go along with them so that I can wear those to work. You see, professionalism is a much desired quality in my profession. And I don't wish for my valued customers to spend too much time checking something else other than his medications. 

Anyhow, the strapless tubes tend to slide down after a while and can be quite warm in our weather. A few months back, a colleague did mention to me about some sort of triangular cloth that is designed to cover only the cleavage area, and it can only be bought exclusively in USA. 

Fortunately for me, I stumbled upon the stated item - Cami Secret on Ebay. Ebay is such a wonderful site, transcending international trade boundaries and bringing the world closer. 

For $5.82, I got 3 pieces of Cami Secret - black, beige, white which suffice for general everyday use. The sewing is beyond what I have imagined (in a positive way), and the material is smooth to touch. There are two clips to be attached to bra straps. They did make my dresses more suitable for work. But if the dress is more body hugging, the outline of the Cami Secret can be seen. 

Update: I found out that Gmarket actually sells it too, at a higher price but faster delivery since it's a local listing.

Source: ebay

Price: USD 4.50 + Free shipping

Item Rating: 4.5/5
Processing time: 0 day (s)
Delivery time: 18 day (s)

Hittime_hk Make Up Brush Guards Protector #1

Make up brushes need to be pampered and dressed up too. Yes?

Powder Brush booms: Yes!

Blending Brush rasps: Definitely...

Eye shadow Brush purrs: Why not?

Concealer Brush drawls: Surreeee...

Kabuki Brush squeaks: Of course!

Well, we have a unanimous reply from every brush. Wish granted:

Now every brush is happy. 

Source: ebay

Price: USD 0.99 + Free shipping

Item Rating: 4.5/5
Processing time: 0 day (s)
Delivery time: 13 day (s)

Iphonex 4800 mAh Battery Charger

"Eh, your thing charging my room for almost 2 days liao.." I turned towards the monotonous voice of my bro, and gave a puzzled look. My thing?

A few moments later, a wave of realization hit me, and I hit myself in the forehead while rushing to his room to retrive my newly-bought charger. It's going to be roasted, omg. Cradling the device in my hand, I inspected the overly-charged charger for any signs of damage.

Shiny, black, rectangular, sides liend with a blue stripe, one micro-usb port, one mini-used port, a round button framed with blue outline, the letterings "Mimi" etched at the bottom, weighing approximately 110 grams.. Seems like it's still intact.

Oh wait, what about the charging capacity? Immediately, I whipped out my Samsung GS2 and connected the charger.

11:34, 26% battery.

13:35, 96% battery.

14:08, 100% battery.

Hitting the charger button after which, it was a pleasant surprise to find that there were still 2 out of 4 lighted blue specks (image below shows 3 specks). 2.5 hours for 74% of battery charge, and the charger still has approximately 50% charge left.

Like any typical human who likes to compare, I dug out the white 5000 mAh charger and placed it together with this black one. For almost similar charging capacity and unequivocally lower price, this charger is more petite and lighter than the white one. 

Honestly, I would have gotten this right from the start if I had seen it first.

Source: Gmarket

Price: $19.90 + Free shipping
Item Rating: 4/5
Processing time: 3 day (s)
Delivery time: 6 day (s)