Beauty Swap: A way to let your vanity travel and How- to guide

Hello pretty awesome!

 I always often dream of doing a beauty swap since I saw in you tube how fun they were. You know I don't get to travel as much as I wish too. So thank you technology that enable me to do beauty swap. I know some of you might not even know what beauty swap is..So let me introduce beauty swap to you first.

Swap is basically like a 'barter' system where you swap your things with someone else. A great even ethical swap should be same in quality and value. In beauty world, we girls or gay guys or guys swap beauty stuff with a corresponding person. A corresponding person can be your friend, your family, a stranger and anybody. Usually, we do beauty swap with a person that lives different country to enable us to discover beauty products from another country. It can be a country that far apart from each other or in your own region. The main concern in doing beauty swap would be the budget and finding legit non- scamming swap partner.

Thanks to my friend Cindy, she had introduce me to an FB group called Be a Beauty Correspondent. It's a group which requires an approval before you can join in. In this group, there are 3- 4 admins that monitor the group. Great aspects of doing beauty swap involving admins is that you'll know you're safe from being scam. I won't say that there would be no scammer within the group, but at least if you get cheat or others get cheated by someone, it would be discussed within. Hence, you'll be warn.

Doing beauty swap requires us to be smart in budgeting, being really honest and communicate with swap partner and not being a cheap scumbag. A beauty swap item that you're going to send should be, new and preferred by your partner unless you've discussed the terms.

Hopefully you'll understands what it is as we go along. This beauty swap is my first ever beauty swap. So I'm pretty excited. I was going to find a swap partner within the group but then the admin created an event called Bunny Swap. So I felt like joining. In Bunny Swap, you're required to buy beauty stuff for your partner within $50 budget which is similar to RM200. And it is advisable to exclude postage from the budget. So you may guess that beauty swap requires a lot of money.

In Bunny Swap, the admin, had paired us up with our beauty partner and we're supposed to keep our self anonymous to the one that we're sending to. And after knowing my partner is from US, I'm excited to find Asian beauty stuff.

When you're sending someone beauty stuff, keep in mind that everything could be fragile, so wrapping it neatly a putting bubble wrap is great option. Do keep in mind also that all kinds of liquid is not allowed. But if you really must, be smart about it...wrap it tightly, neatly and gently and if possible can't be seen.

Liquid is heavy BTW Hence, it would cost more postage fee. The terms by Poslaju is a little bit strict on liquid item. Hence, they may suggest you to use other courier which would cost double the postage amount sometime triple the amount. Yes, it is insane.

Because I'm scared it won't make till due date of the bunny swap, I posted a month ahead. Being inexperience as I am, I've gone to post office trice before sending mine. First, I had to ask how much it cost. Sending parcel through surface would take a month or more to arrive. Because I don't want to be late, I wanted to send through air but it's double the amount. as I look through the PosLaju timetable, it would cost a lot more for my parcel at that time because it weight over 2 kg. So I decided to separate them into 1 kg each box. But still, the cost are as expensive as the first one. Then Cindy suggested me to use registered mail in Pos Malaysia instead of Pos Laju. In Pos Malaysia they also provide pre paid box for overseas but it' not available at all branch so I have to use registered mail.

In order to send registered mail, the weight must not exceed 1 kg and you are required to buy stamps which cost as much as the weight. Once you're ready, you will need to fill up some form. The form will require you to declare the item inside. If you're sending liquid item, just write makeup samples. My package cost me about RM60 each but in just two weeks, my parcel arrive to my swap partner.

Unfortunately for me, the one that should be sending me was a bit late. After a week of due date, She contacted me through admin saying that she fall sick. We then got directly contact through FB. After being contacted, I'm totally okay with her being late because of her sickness. 2 weeks later I received my package and it's from Canada. Yeay!

In the group, you are advise to key in you preference so that your sender would know what to send you. 

I was so excited to see pink wrap and guessing that she read my preferences. I was hoping that she'll get me something that couldn't be obtain in Malaysia or at least I never had. As I open the box, first I saw was the wind- up toy bunny which is really adorable then there's melted chocolate. Pretty lucky that she wrap everything neatly, that the melted chocolate haven't got the chance to destroy anything. But I didn't have the heart to throw away the chocolate so I ate it all up after freezing it for a while.

Before unwrapping, there's a wish card from my sender, Susan.

How thoughtful was her. Even we never knew each other, I'm glad that she was my partner because after unwrapping everything, I felt so happy that I received everything that I ever wanted.

Nude Shimmer Strips by Physician Formula. Very popular and always wanted this too..

The Balm Frat Boy Shadow/ Blush. Dream of having something by The Balm.

Revlon Colorburst Matte Lip Balm. Always wanted this!

RiveCowe CC Cream. She mentioned that this is an Asean brand but I never heard of it. Cute Packaging!

MUA Lip Liner in two gorgeous shade!

Lip Shimmer by Designer Skin. Never heard of this brand as well.

Brown mascara! Meant to buy mascara of this shade and now I have it. It's from D'Vine. Never heard of it either.

Eyeliner by Missha, a popular brand in Korea

and last but definitely not the least,popular brand mask called Balea. They don't have this either in Malaysia.

I love everything that she had sent me. Thank you so much Susan for sending me everything I ever wanted.

The first time doing swap is always the hardest. But it gives you some kind of satisfaction especially when you don't get to travel as much as you like. At least you'll get to travel by this. Doing beauty swap is an enjoyable leisure and should not be a force of labor. If you're unwilling to spend soo much on your money, then beauty swap isn't for you. Beauty swap is about making friends with same interest and share yours with them.

Will definitely do separate review on each item I've received. Hope this post helps a lot. Feel free to ask or comment:)

Till next time, Salam.

XOXO

S