12/09/2015

Goat Soap Bar

Goat's milk products are living a golden age, with goat brands popping up as flies in summer, some of them with very similar branding and products. This bar is made by Goat (how original!), an Australian company. To be honest, I don't know anything about the company as their own website doesn't give many details either. 

Although I don't use soap bars much these days, I do use them when travelling, especially when travelling to remote areas of the world, when I am staying in cheap or medium-range hotels, or when I am travelling constantly and showering in different kinds of water.

These soap bars aren't glamourous but they are excellent for people with sensitive or problematic skin as they are designed for them. They are mild on my  skin, but leave it velvety soft after washing, as if I had applied a moisturiser. 

The bar is small enough to carry in your suitcase without the need of bringing any liquid or lotion specific for your sensitive skin. They have many varieties, coconut,  manuka honey, oatmeal, lemon myrtle, argan oil and the original one which is the best if you are having skin problems right now.

They are usually less than three bucks, and tend to be discounted quite often.  Great value for money.

Naturopathica GastroHealth Probiotics

Naturopathica GastroHealth in capsules is an every-day probiotic brand that will help you keep your intestinal flora happy like in a manicured garden. They will help you recover from common ailments (flu, fungal infections, or stomach flu for example) and are needed to help recover your system after having antibiotics (my doctor dixit.)

Although I use stronger probiotics from other brands when I am sick (as they have many more millions of probiotics per capsule and many more varieties  as well) these are my usual daily brand. Besides, I take a package of these any time I travel anywhere as they don't require refrigeration and, once your remove the package, you can pack them flat anywhere.

I always recommend any traveller taking a package of these, especially if travelling to parts of the world where hygiene is lacking or you are going to eat or drink unfamiliar food. You will certainly be happy to have them at hand if you get a runny belly or food poisoning, I can guarantee you that. 

Pro-biotics are never cheap, but these ones are usually cheaper than other brands or more discounted. 
 

12/08/2015

Lifespace Home Innovations (Online Retailer)


Lifespace is a home and garage storage and organisation store. I've bought a couple of times in the past from this online retailer and I love the items I got, the variety of products online, the speedy dispatch and delivery.

I really like the range, quality and functionality of the design of the storage products these guys have, and pricing is the same you find for similar items in similar storage and organisation stores, (Howards, for example). A poor consolation, as most items are expensive unless you buy them during sale periods. 

Their online shop is easy to browse and you can check-out as a guest without the need of registering, which is always a point-maker with me. They clearly state which products are in stock, which ones are limited, and those that are out of stock, and you will receive an email when your order is processed and another when a tracking link once it is dispatched. They dispatched my items next day using TollEPC, and these guys SMSed me when my parcel was out for delivery. 

A few days after delivery Lifespace sent me an email requesting a review for each item.

Shipping costs were low, something that I always love, but I  would like their shipping costs waved for purchases of 100+ or 150+ bucks.
 
Lifespace is a reliable online retailer, and my experience with them is very positive. If they sold at cheaper prices. I would visit them more often.

Chemist Warehouse (Online Retailer)

 


I have always been a devotee of the Chemist Warehouse stores. Not pretty places but they have anything I need from prescription medication, OTC medication, vitamins and supplements, beauty and cosmetic products, perfumes and cleaning products, sex toys, travel products, and all at very good prices. My sort of heaven.  

Although I have been buying from Chemist Warehouse for years, lately I am ordering online, and I am very happy with their online shop.

CW's online shop is large and well structured, with a huge variety of products available. Everything is sold at the same price you get it from a real store. The search tool is great not just to looup up products you already know, but to search for types of medication or active ingredients. For example, you can look up Vitamin C, or Clotrimazole or anti-histamines or Murine. You also have the latest catalogue online, so you can order those super-discounted products online as well. The description of some products in their individual page could be more detailed, but this varies from product to product, and overall it is a very good online shop.

They deliver to Australia and overseas, and you get free domestic delivery if you expend over +100, which is easy if you buy bulk. Otherwise, their shipping fees are reasonable. You can include prescriptions in your order; of course, you have to provide exact details of the prescription before they put the medication in your parcel. Yet, it is worth ordering, as their prices for prescription are way cheaper than elsewhere. 
  
You have to register to order. Once you pay, a confirmation email is sent to you. Once your parcel is dispatched, you receive another email with the tracking link. You can pay with credit card, Bpay or Paypal.

Dispatch has always been reasonably fast, like a couple of days and they use Australia Post. The delivery has also been as per estimated periods and the parcels brought to my door properly packed, so bottles with liquid are all sealed in individual plastic bags, and items with glass containers are properly wrapped. 

This is e-pharmacy at its best.  

Bed Bath N' Table (Online Retailer)

 

I love Bed Bath N Table's cover duvets and some of their towels, and I have been buying them in real stores for years. However, my first experience online was very good.

The website is easy to browse, prices and discounts easy to spot, and the pricing is the same as in the shops.

The shipping took about 24 hrs to be dispatched, and my parcels were posted via Australia Post's registered mail.

Shipping is free for purchases over 150 bucks, which is great if you decide to buy a whole set of towels, duvet set or doonas because you will be paying around that money. If you expend less, their shipping fees are still reasonable and affordable, nothing to stop you from shopping. 

You know what a business is made of when problems arise and they have to deal with them. My first shopping online from BBT was affected by the mishandling of my parcels and my parcel got lost somewhere in the Universe. However, BBT's customer service was absolutely professional, caring and hassle free. They launched an investigation with Australia Post and sent my order again for the second time at no extra charge without waiting for the resolution of the case. That is what customer service should be. 

I received the parcel promptly, well packed, and they are the usual gorgeous products that I love from BBT.

Replica Furniture Online (Online Retailer)



I decided to give Replica Furniture a go after seeing the positive reviews posted online and just because I could not find in my city the Hans Wegner replica chair in the stain I wanted.  I had seen and touched the chair in many stores before I ordered from RF and I knew in advance how the chair's build, thickness, finishes, colours and textures should be.  

The chair took a bit over 24 hours to be dispatched from the home Brisbane store and was sent to me via Toll EPC. A tracking link was provided to me immediately after dispatch and Toll sent me a SMS when my parcel was out for delivery.  The chair arrived within the estimate time of delivery mentioned by the retailer.

The delivery fees aren't bad taking into account that, well, we are talking items of furniture that need of a bit of extra-packing and care.  Pricing was similar to that in most medium-range furniture shops I had visited in my city. 

Regarding the quality of the item I received, well, it is a bit average, not that good but not bad either. The chair is poorly assembled and stained, and the joints between legs and seat area underneath were not stained or were roughly so. The top coat stain is just OK. The quality of the wood is just OK. The quality of faux-leather seat cover is OK.  In short, this is not the solid polished chair I had seen in the stores in my city for  similar price. 

I expected the chair to be delivered assembled, because the site does not state the opposite, and it was! However, nothing is mentioned in the site. It would be great if Replica Furniture provided customers with explicit information regarding whether any given piece comes fully assembled or not. Also, it would be great if RF  provided customers with an approximate date when an out-of-stock item will be back in stock, so that customers can decide whether waiting or not.

I always hesitate to buy furniture online, and this was the first time I took the plunge. My experience with Replica Furniture was hassle free, fast and very satisfactory regarding the service they provide, but a bit disappointing regarding the quality of the materials used in the product I ordered. Yet, I would not hesitate to order from them again if I needed any small accessory or I was in need of a medium-price spare chair that could not be found in a city store. If I wanted to buy top-notch quality I would go elsewhere. 

12/07/2015

Curves Gyms

 


I have been member of many gyms throughout the years, and I was member of Curves for about 3 years. There were many things I liked about Curves and many others that were not my cup of tea.

HITS
+ They have a comprehensive weight program with a set of routine exercises, monthly weighing, and a book of nutrition to follow if you want. If you don't want to follow anything, you just go there, follow the exercise routine and voila.
+ Their machinery is easy to use, low impact, and your member card also allows you to check your progress in the computer when you sign off every day.
+ They are a female-only gym, so you go there just to exercise not to be stared at by men or to flirt. You don't feel; conscious about what you are wearing or your boobs going up and down.
+ They are friendly places, a sort of sisterhood, and the managers are always very familiar, try to connect people and check how you are doing, so it feels a very personal experience. Very far from the usually cold unfriendly gyms out there.
+ Curves is a program for people of all ages.
+ They organise social and charity events in the gym.
+ They sell gym stuff at very good prices and for all sizes.
+ They give you free shirts when you reach a certain number of visits/workouts, 100, 200, 300 etc.
+ I loved their stretching stations.
+ I love the staff encouragement, care and friendliness. Awesome ladies.

SO-SO
- I worked out harder than anybody else, went there regularly, at a certain point I even followed their nutrition program. I kept putting on weight and my level of fitness did not improve much. That is so because their exercise machines are perfect as a maintenance program or for older ladies who don't need or can't do much cardio. I changed gym, changed my plan of exercise, and lost about 10 kilos in little time without even dieting. So, basically, Curves never worked for me. I think if you are obese and don't move much is different, any exercise would make you lose weight, so Curves might work for you.
- Groups of women can be a bit of a problem if you, like me, are not into chatting while exercising, or you are not into socialising during gym hours because you have to go.
- There is just one piece of each type of machine (at least at my gym), so that creates a problems at times, when several people arrive at the same time and you have to cue for any given machine because all of them are being used. .

I really loved the ambiance and sisterhood inn Curves, but the gym programs never worked for me or helped me to lose weight.