Sephora

Mcakes · ‎12-05-2018

*Sign-ups are CLOSED - Exchange is in progress ❤

It's back! The gift exchange celebrating "the best day of the year" is here

Our previous rounds have been wonderful platforms for bringing us all together though our appreciation for beauty, treats and camaraderie. We're glad that you've decided to join in on the fun!

Positive Energy and Unicorn Love Always,
Mcakes & ZombieMetroAnt

Tips and Tricks:

Spoiler

♥Ask questions! Anyone can ask anyone an anonymous question, that will help you get a better idea of likes and dislikes, haves and wants, etc.

♥When you purchase something, click "Mark As Purchased." They won't see it, but they might be using the same wishlist for other gift exchanges, so this can prevent them potentially getting the same gift from two different people.

♥If you got something for yourself, remove it from your wishlist!

♥Ask questions! Anyone can ask anyone an anonymous question, that will help you get a better idea of likes and dislikes, haves and wants, etc. ♥When you purchase something, click "Mark As Purchased." They won't see it, but they might be using the same wishlist for other gift exchanges, so this can prevent them potentially getting the same gift from two different people. ♥If you got something for yourself, remove it from your wishlist!

Shipping Suggestions:

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How to ship abroad/add a customs label while still using online shipping:

1. Creating an account: First, you must create a free account on the USPS website. The paypal.com/shipnow site will not let you create customs forms.

2. Shipping Label: To create the shipping label, you want to use the "Click n Ship" function from the dropdown menu under Mail & Ship. Many of the directions from above are basically the same but the key difference is under, "Where are you sending to?" you will need to use the dropdown menu to select the country of choice.

3. Finishing the Shipping Label:Fill in all the corresponding information until the end of the form including the value of the package. The Canadians on the board may have more to speak to with this but I always kept this amount on the lower side so the recipient doesn't get hit with high customs fee. (average amount I would put would be $10-$20) A great feature is at the end of the page it will give you all your options for shipping. I can tell you on a personal note that when I ship to England I always choose first class international mail and I have never had a problem. Once again, delivery confirmation is thrown in for FREE.

3. Beginning the Customs Form: You will then get to a page that will you through step by step filling in the customs form. The first question will ask you to "Enter Package Information." This is where you can just write this is a gift box for a friend. You do not need to write anything more!

4. Customs Inventory: Next up is, "Enter Item Information." Okay, this one is a little tricky. If you want to itemize, and fill in every single thing in the box, you can. If you only want to do a couple, you can. I've done both over the years and both have been okay. I'm not going to tell you though that it will work every time so ultimately, the decision is up to you. Make sure though that you mark each item a GIFT so that the recipient does not get charged increased fees. Also, and this is IMPORTANT, the total that adds up for the all the items has to be the same total you gave on the previous page for the value of the box. So if you make something worth $1, that's fine! (Again, Canadians speak up hear if I'm wrong but my abroad friends always told me it was better to do this to reduce customs fees for the recipient.) Lastly, each weight of each individual item will need to add up to the to the total weight item, so I've honestly literally made up ratio numbers in the past. (I have never had a problem in years of sending packages)

5. Tarrif Number: Lastly, you do not have a tariff number so leave that blank. Okay, one last thing, choose your AES exemption. I would choose the second one having to do with gifts.

6. Obtaining the Label/Customs Form: The steps following this are similar to the ones from above except that I believe the payment options for USPS may also include credit card options as well as PayPal. Go ahead and print your label which will also contain your completed customs form. (Please note: you may need to sign your customs form before affixing it to your package) On a positive note, YOU STILL SAVE MONEY BY USING THE ONLINE POSTAGE SYSTEM!

7. How to actually ship it:For international packages, my personal advice is yes, bring it to the post office, and yes, actually check it in and get a receipt saying it was checked in by a postal worker. Since many international packages take quite longer than domestic and tend to get delayed at different intervals, you want to make sure that everything is okay when it first enters the system.

Duty Info (thank you @veronika23 ! If you need help with shipping info to Canada, please message her

😞

The US can receive a gift up to 100$ USD. If you are sending a gift from Canada and mark it as 100$ you are actually saying it cost you 100$ CAD. Today Google converts that to 73.30$ USD so your recipient should be ok and not pay additional fees.

Canada can receive a gift up to 60$ CAD. If you are sending a gift from the US and it was 60$, you are actually saying it cost you 60$ USD. Today Google converts that to 81.86$ CAD. So your Canadian recipient in this case might pay duties/taxes/fees. But if your gift only cost you is lets say 35$ USD today Google converts that to 47.75$CAD. So the recipient shouldn't pay fees.

I believe customs will check the rate on the day the item is processed.

For the US ladies. The cheapest way to ship to Canada is via USPS First Class International mail.

How to ship abroad/add a customs label while still using online shipping:1. Creating an account: First, you must create a free account on the USPS website. The paypal.com/shipnow site will not let you create customs forms.2. Shipping Label: To create the shipping label, you want to use the "Click n Ship" function from the dropdown menu under Mail & Ship. Many of the directions from above are basically the same but the key difference is under, "Where are you sending to?" you will need to use the dropdown menu to select the country of choice.3. Finishing the Shipping Label:Fill in all the corresponding information until the end of the form including the value of the package. The Canadians on the board may have more to speak to with this but I always kept this amount on the lower side so the recipient doesn't get hit with high customs fee. (average amount I would put would be $10-$20) A great feature is at the end of the page it will give you all your options for shipping. I can tell you on a personal note that when I ship to England I always choose first class international mail and I have never had a problem. Once again, delivery confirmation is thrown in for FREE.3. Beginning the Customs Form: You will then get to a page that will you through step by step filling in the customs form. The first question will ask you to "Enter Package Information." This is where you can just write this is a gift box for a friend. You do not need to write anything more!4. Customs Inventory: Next up is, "Enter Item Information." Okay, this one is a little tricky. If you want to itemize, and fill in every single thing in the box, you can. If you only want to do a couple, you can. I've done both over the years and both have been okay. I'm not going to tell you though that it will work every time so ultimately, the decision is up to you. Make sure though that you mark each item a GIFT so that the recipient does not get charged increased fees. Also, and this is IMPORTANT, the total that adds up for the all the items has to be the same total you gave on the previous page for the value of the box. So if you make something worth $1, that's fine! (Again, Canadians speak up hear if I'm wrong but my abroad friends always told me it was better to do this to reduce customs fees for the recipient.) Lastly, each weight of each individual item will need to add up to the to the total weight item, so I've honestly literally made up ratio numbers in the past. (I have never had a problem in years of sending packages)5. Tarrif Number: Lastly, you do not have a tariff number so leave that blank. Okay, one last thing, choose your AES exemption. I would choose the second one having to do with gifts.6. Obtaining the Label/Customs Form: The steps following this are similar to the ones from above except that I believe the payment options for USPS may also include credit card options as well as PayPal. Go ahead and print your label which will also contain your completed customs form. (Please note: you may need to sign your customs form before affixing it to your package) On a positive note, YOU STILL SAVE MONEY BY USING THE ONLINE POSTAGE SYSTEM!7. How to actually ship it:For international packages, my personal advice is yes, bring it to the post office, and yes, actually check it in and get a receipt saying it was checked in by a postal worker. Since many international packages take quite longer than domestic and tend to get delayed at different intervals, you want to make sure that everything is okay when it first enters the system. Duty Info (thank you ! If you need help with shipping info to Canada, please message her

):The US can receive a gift up to 100$ USD. If you are sending a gift from Canada and mark it as 100$ you are actually saying it cost you 100$ CAD. Today Google converts that to 73.30$ USD so your recipient should be ok and not pay additional fees.Canada can receive a gift up to 60$ CAD. If you are sending a gift from the US and it was 60$, you are actually saying it cost you 60$ USD. Today Google converts that to 81.86$ CAD. So your Canadian recipient in this case might pay duties/taxes/fees. But if your gift only cost you is lets say 35$ USD today Google converts that to 47.75$CAD. So the recipient shouldn't pay fees.I believe customs will check the rate on the day the item is processed.For the US ladies. The cheapest way to ship to Canada is via USPS First Class International mail.

Link to Galentine's Day 2018:

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https://community.sephora.com/t5/Besides-Beauty/Galentine-s-Day-Exchange/m-p/3675077#M161033

Housekeeping :

Spoiler

*Information Only- Exchange is already underway*

If you are interested in joining, please see the Eligibility Requirements, Rules, and Key Dates below to see if this will be a good fit for you!

Eligibility-

Spoiler

Have you participated in a gift exchange on BT/BIC previously?

Yes
Previous participants in exchanges that either ZMA or I have hosted without incident on their part are pre-approved. If you participated in an exchange that ZMA or I have not hosted, please kindly provide a link to that exchange thread for us to do our due diligence. If there were no issues from the exchange on your part, we are excited to have you on board!

No
Meet one or more of the following requirements:

1.Must be willing to do a $50 box deposit that will be taken at sign up and returned once your Galentine has given us confirmation of delivery.
2.Must be vouched for by 2 members of the community who ZMA or I are familiar with.

*Since we are trying to be as inclusive as possible while also protecting other participants in this exchange, ZMA and I will have final discretion on participant eligibility. We realize that this is very subjective, but we must establish a certain degree of trust between users as there is sensitive information being exchanged. Thank you for your understanding.

Rules-

Spoiler

By expressing interest in signing up for the exchange, you are agreeing to the following:

-The minimum spend for this exchange is $50. You do not need to go over this amount, but in the spirit of fairness you may not go under it.

-If you have not participated in an exchange previously, you must ship your gift on or before February 1st. If you miss this deadline and do not communicate with ZMA or I about the reason for your delay, you will not get your box deposit back. Instead, we will use your box deposit to create a gift on your behalf. No Galentine will be left behind!

-Provide tracking number(s) to ZMA or I once you have shipped your gift. This can be done via Elfster or messaging ZMA or I.

-Acknowledge receipt of your gift ASAP, even if you need a little more time to do a full post. This is a courtesy to your giftor to know it was received (it is stressful waiting to know if a package made the journey ok!) and for ZMA and I to keep track of the progress in the exchange. You may do this via Elfster, by posting on this thread that you have received the parcel, or by messaging either ZMA or I.

-You must post pictures of your gift. This is an integral part of the exchange experience and we want to share in the excitement with you! We know how much thought and care goes into curating a gift, and we want to acknowledge your giftor's efforts as well. You may provide pictures for either ZMA or I to post on your behalf if you are having issues posting, but please know that the pictures are a firm requirement.

Key Dates-

Spoiler

Sign Up Deadline: 12/31/18

Draw Day (This is the day you find out who you are shopping for, yay!): 1/1/19

Ship Date for First Time Participants: 2/1/19 (*If you are shipping from Canada to US or vice versa, this deadline will be earlier)

All Gifts Must be Received: On or before 2/13/19 (Galentine's Day)

To sign up, please comment on this thread! ZMA and I will be messaging approved participants with more details and will be updating the Participant List as we go.

We are looking forward to celebrating with y'all !

Positive Energy and Unicorn Love Always,
Mcakes & @ZombieMetroAnt

P.S. We will make every effort to accommodate all shipping restrictions, please state those restrictions at sign up via PM. Thank you!

*Information Only- Exchange is already underway*If you are interested in joining, please see the Eligibility Requirements, Rules, and Key Dates below to see if this will be a good fit for you! Eligibility-Have you participated in a gift exchange on BT/BIC previously? YesPrevious participants in exchanges that either ZMA or I have hosted without incident on their part are pre-approved. If you participated in an exchange that ZMA or I have not hosted, please kindly provide a link to that exchange thread for us to do our due diligence. If there were no issues from the exchange on your part, we are excited to have you on board! NoMeet one or more of the following requirements:1.Must be willing to do a $50 box deposit that will be taken at sign up and returned once your Galentine has given us confirmation of delivery.2.Must be vouched for by 2 members of the community who ZMA or I are familiar with.*Since we are trying to be as inclusive as possible while also protecting other participants in this exchange, ZMA and I will have final discretion on participant eligibility. We realize that this is very subjective, but we must establish a certain degree of trust between users as there is sensitive information being exchanged. Thank you for your understanding. Rules-By expressing interest in signing up for the exchange, you are agreeing to the following:-The minimum spend for this exchange is $50. You do not need to go over this amount, but in the spirit of fairness you may not go under it.-If you have not participated in an exchange previously, you must ship your gift on or before February 1st. If you miss this deadline and do not communicate with ZMA or I about the reason for your delay, you will not get your box deposit back. Instead, we will use your box deposit to create a gift on your behalf. No Galentine will be left behind!-Provide tracking number(s) to ZMA or I once you have shipped your gift. This can be done via Elfster or messaging ZMA or I.-Acknowledge receipt of your gift ASAP, even if you need a little more time to do a full post. This is a courtesy to your giftor to know it was received (it is stressful waiting to know if a package made the journey ok!) and for ZMA and I to keep track of the progress in the exchange. You may do this via Elfster, by posting on this thread that you have received the parcel, or by messaging either ZMA or I.-You must post pictures of your gift. This is an integral part of the exchange experience and we want to share in the excitement with you! We know how much thought and care goes into curating a gift, and we want to acknowledge your giftor's efforts as well. You may provide pictures for either ZMA or I to post on your behalf if you are having issues posting, but please know that the pictures are a firm requirement.Key Dates- Sign Up Deadline: 12/31/18Draw Day (This is the day you find out who you are shopping for, yay!): 1/1/19Ship Date for First Time Participants: 2/1/19 (*If you are shipping from Canada to US or vice versa, this deadline will be earlier)All Gifts Must be Received: On or before 2/13/19 (Galentine's Day) To sign up, please comment on this thread! ZMA and I will be messaging approved participants with more details and will be updating the Participant List as we go. We are looking forward to celebrating with y'all

! Positive Energy and Unicorn Love Always, Mcakes & P.S. We will make every effort to accommodate all shipping restrictions, please state those restrictions at sign up via PM. Thank you!

Participants (42)-

Spoiler

ZombieMetroAnt - gift received, thank you faeriegirl!

Mcakes - gift received, thank you godivamoon!

notcrocker - gift received, thank you melissapurple22!

unfungirl

pixiedust2 - gift received, thank you mermadelove!

Tamara76 - gift received, thank you pixiedust2!

darkiceis - gift received, thank you Kim888!

godivamoon - gift received, thank you darkiceis!

sister13 - gift received, thank you CC3616!

prettyinpa - gift received, thank you Ispend2much6!

CC3616 - gift received, thank you SportyGirly125!

Kim888 - gift received, thank you sabrinas!
Ispend2much6 - gift received, thank you Samtian!
Anastasiya13 - gift received, thank you imlostagain!
ElleElleG - gift received, thank you prettyinpa!
bakeamuffin - gift received, thank you GG84!
scott1201 - gift received, thank you gonerogue!
Spacellama - gift received, thank you NotCrocker!
melissapurple22 - gift received, thank you Nickelliebear1!
Indy701 - gift received, thank you unfungirl!
GG84 - gift received, thank you Spacellama!
faeriegirl - gift received, thank you skcfan!
mermadelove - gift received
gonerogue - gift received
SportyGirly125 - gift received, thank you jen143xo!
MissPuff - gift received, thank you scott1201!
snoflakefaerie - gift received, thank you Tamara76!
lipstick4soul - gift received, thank you Anastasiya13!
quspork - gift received, thank you lipstick4soul!
naturalooks15 - gift received, thank you itscarin!
veronika23
itsfi - gift received, thank you Indy701!
eshoe - gift received, thank you MissPuff!
Samtian - gift received, thank you itsfi!
itscarin - gift received, thank you quspork!
skcfan - gift received, thank you eshoe!
imlostagain - gift received, thank you snoflakefaerie!
ohheyitscindyk - gift received, thank you ClassicallyFab!
ClassicallyFab - gift received, thank you ohheyitscindyk!
Sabrinas - gift received, thank you Mcakes!
Nickelliebear1 - gift received, thank you bakeamuffin!
jen143xo - gift received, thank you naturalooks15!

ZombieMetroAnt - gift received, thank you faeriegirl!Mcakes - gift received, thank you godivamoon!notcrocker - gift received, thank you melissapurple22!unfungirlpixiedust2 - gift received, thank you mermadelove!Tamara76 - gift received, thank you pixiedust2!darkiceis - gift received, thank you Kim888!godivamoon - gift received, thank you darkiceis!sister13 - gift received, thank you CC3616!prettyinpa - gift received, thank you Ispend2much6!CC3616 - gift received, thank you SportyGirly125!Kim888 - gift received, thank you sabrinas!Ispend2much6 - gift received, thank you Samtian!Anastasiya13 - gift received, thank you imlostagain!ElleElleG - gift received, thank you prettyinpa!bakeamuffin - gift received, thank you GG84!scott1201 - gift received, thank you gonerogue!Spacellama - gift received, thank you NotCrocker!melissapurple22 - gift received, thank you Nickelliebear1!Indy701 - gift received, thank you unfungirl!GG84 - gift received, thank you Spacellama!faeriegirl - gift received, thank you skcfan!mermadelove - gift receivedgonerogue - gift receivedSportyGirly125 - gift received, thank you jen143xo!MissPuff - gift received, thank you scott1201!snoflakefaerie - gift received, thank you Tamara76!lipstick4soul - gift received, thank you Anastasiya13!quspork - gift received, thank you lipstick4soul!naturalooks15 - gift received, thank you itscarin!veronika23itsfi - gift received, thank you Indy701!eshoe - gift received, thank you MissPuff!Samtian - gift received, thank you itsfi!itscarin - gift received, thank you quspork!skcfan - gift received, thank you eshoe!imlostagain - gift received, thank you snoflakefaerie!ohheyitscindyk - gift received, thank you ClassicallyFab!ClassicallyFab - gift received, thank you ohheyitscindyk!Sabrinas - gift received, thank you Mcakes!Nickelliebear1 - gift received, thank you bakeamuffin!jen143xo - gift received, thank you naturalooks15!

MissPuff · ‎02-25-2019

@Guessgal Done! The spam has made it super hard for me to figure out with of our BIC ladies are also applying so I'm super happy that you've found me! You'd be awesome on the squad, testimonial done 🙂

itscarin · ‎02-22-2019

@MissPuffIf you felt inclined to write a testimonial for me it'd be greatly appreciated!

https://www.sephorasquad.com/testimonial/citizensrain

My instagram is not the same as my BIC handle. 😄

MissPuff · ‎02-23-2019

@itscarin Of course I would love to 🙂 I suspected that most of the BIC ladies don't have matching IG handles, thanks for sharing your link 🙂 DONE!

Mcakes · ‎02-21-2019

You're so welcome @MissPuff Thank you for being a part of it!

Have you applied for the Sephora Squad? I'd love to leave a testimonial for you as well! Here is the link for mine: https://www.sephorasquad.com/testimonial/michaelachicotsky

I know my chances aren't great, but you can't win if you don't take the chance right?

txcatx · ‎02-25-2019

@Mcakes Just submitted a testimonial for you, and I also just followed you on Instagram!

Mcakes · ‎02-26-2019

Aww, thank you so much for the testimonial @txcatx I saw that and followed you back! Love your pics!

naturalooks15 · ‎02-22-2019

Same here @MissPuff I don't post a lot but would like to try 🙂 I'll post my link here soon. Thanks for the offer. I'll also write for you and others. That is my weekend project 🙂

itscarin · ‎02-22-2019

@Mcakes LOL You'd be great at it! I have to catch up on the sephora squad stuff this weekend. I want to write some endorsements and finish my application, too. Those questions were hard. Like College-entrance-essay level hard!

Mcakes · ‎02-22-2019

Haha thanks @itscarin ! I agree, I don't think it was a 10 minute application at all. Then again, I am quite the chatterbox once I get on my soapbox so who knows lol.

MissPuff · ‎02-22-2019

@Mcakes I haven't since I'm pretty sure I'd be terrible at it 🙂 BUT, I think it would be great if some of our BIC ladies made it on to the squad!

Mcakes · ‎02-22-2019

I guess none of us really know what the full job would entail, but I think you would be a lovely addition @MissPuff ! Let's try together 😄

Ispend2much6 · ‎02-21-2019

@MissPuff You are so sweet and thoughtful! I'm not applying but I thought I would just comment on your kindness.

Kim888 · ‎02-20-2019

Thank you again to @Mcakes and @ZombieMetroAnt for hosting. And thank you for the cute Galentines Card!

CC3616 · ‎02-24-2019

@Mcakes @ZombieMetroAnt Thank you for the adorable galentine!

Mcakes · ‎02-25-2019

You're very welcome @CC3616

RebeccaBT · ‎02-21-2019

@Kim888 So cute!

ohheyitscindyk · ‎02-18-2019

Apologies for how long this took to get up. Every time I tried to post, I either had BIC issues or was interrupted 😕

Anyway, onto the unboxing!

@ClassicallyFab decorated every side of this box, just like she did the first box 🙂

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Upon opening the box, I discovered more glittery unicorns, along with a string of light-up hearts (she even included batteries).

As you can see, more beautiful wrapping!

Spoiler

She recommended a sweater shaver once, but I had totally forgot to get one. Thankfully, @ClassicallyFab knows me well lol. She also got me the PMG glosses, I've never tried anything from the brand, so I'm excited to try them! Additionally, she gave me a cute cat headband & a sparkly pouch (the sparkles float around when you move it!).

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The last time I flew, I told her I kept accidentally picking up someone else's luggage & she thoughtfully got me this handy thing, I don't know if any of you have heard of it, called a "luggage tag" 😄

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@ClassicallyFab & her mini me also made me some mystery party poppers! They stuffed them with confetti, lippies, mascara, & slime! This was my first time playing with slime ooh haha.

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I also unwrapped an assortment of masks, some cute Hello Kitty fortune cookie bath bombs, & a facial roller, which I've never tried before.

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These are all the sweets, with a cute wind-up toy. There's also a colorful homemade treat, yum!

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And last, but certainly not least, I opened this box:

What was inside? Oh, "just" a beautiful teacup & saucer, with some tea!

Spoiler

@ClassicallyFab Wow, I'm not even sure what to say except thank you thank you!! I'm just amazed & touched by your generosity & the time & care you put into everything. I feel incredibly fortunate to call you my friend.

And as always, thank you to @Mcakes & @ZombieMetroAnt for hosting. This exchange has been a blessing for me, & I'm sure for everyone else, during difficult days. I'm sad it's over, but I can't wait for the next one!

Tamara76 · ‎02-25-2019

Oh my goodness! What a special gift, @ohheyitscindyk ! I enjoyed seeing @ClassicallyFab 's spoilers (can't recall if they were here or on IG) and could not wait to see the amazing package! This is awesome! She is so thoughtful and creative! ❤️

ohheyitscindyk · ‎02-25-2019

@Tamara76 I couldn't have said it better myself! 🙂

imlostagain · ‎02-21-2019

@ohheyitscindyk So many awesome gifts! Love the tea cup, so delicate and classy. Perfect Galentines gifts 🎁 @ClassicallyFab

ohheyitscindyk · ‎02-21-2019

@imlostagain They really were the perfect gifts! 🙂

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