Do You Sell Online and Want To Win P50,000? Join the SMART Money ShopSpotting Promo!

Are you an online seller looking for some extra moolah? Or yearning to get extra publicity and promotions for your site? Sign up for SMART Money's ShopSpotting Promo which just launched today!

I've been chosen as SMART Money's official ShopSpotter, which has me very excited as it's the first time I'm actually doing anything official as a blogger. My job is to "spot" cool products and services offered by online sellers who accept SMART Money as a form of payment. Like most of you probably, I also just found out about SMART Money, so trust me, we're going to be learning together, and shopping together, along the way. 

I have to confess, I never really did any online shopping before. Granted, I had to browse through tons of Multiply shops in my old days as fashion editor, but I still preferred seeing and buying things in person, so that I could touch them and try them on. That was the best part of shopping for me.

However, moving to New York last year opened my eyes to the wonders of click-and-buy. It was easier shopping in the US as long as you had a credit card. Plus, a lot of sites offer detailed product views and reviews, free shipping, and generous return and exchange policies, so the risk of receiving an inferior product is significantly diminished. And the deals you can get are fantastic. Come to think of it, most, if not all of my online buys were stuff I got on sale. I think one of my first online buys was a Dear Creatures denim romper from Daily Candy's Swirl. I've also bought shoes from Gilt, and home and beauty stuff from Soap, all at discounted prices. Recently, I also got a bag from the Kate Spade flash sale that my friend blogged about. 

Mea Shadow leather and canvas wedge bought on sale at Gilt.

Another good buy: Dear Creatures Denim Sailor Romper at Swirl

Since moving back to Manila, I've discovered and browsed through tons of online shops, not just on the Multiply Marketplace but in the Pinoy wide web. I'm happy that more and more people are discovering the convenience of online shopping. In a way, it has democratized the retail business. You don't need as much capital to set up an online business as compared to opening a brick-and-mortar space. Plus the variety and competition forces retailers to come up with better products and services. Bottom line, consumers benefit. 

That's not to say it doesn't have its disadvantages, the foremost being the security of paying for something online. I think a lot of people are scared to e-shop because they don't want to give out financial information that could be misused for fraud and theft. The payment options are also not convenient. Not everyone has a credit card, and bank deposits are quite a hassle. This is where SMART Money comes in. With SMART Money, you can simply use your Smart mobile phone to pay for online purchases. It also comes with a SMART Money Mastercard that you can use as an ATM and debit card even when shopping in-store.  But don't let me bore you with details, read all about how you can sign up for SMART Money here.

Sign up for SMART Money and get the SMART Money Card which doubles as a Mastercard. 

Now, on to the juicy part. How exactly do you win fifty grand? SMART Money ShopSpotting is open to all local online sellers.  All you need to do is: 1) Sign up for a SMART Money account; 2) Register for the ShopSpotting promo by filling up this form; 3) Upload the "Accepts SMART Money" badge to your site; 4) Check back on this blog to find out if your store has been featured; 5) Visit the SMART Facebook page for updates. At the end of the promo, judges will choose their favorite online store to win the grand prize of P50,000 to be credited to their SMART Money account. All participating online stores will be judged by the following criteria:

Authenticity and legitimacy of merchandise: 40%
Visual appeal of online store: 50%
Online voting: 10%

SMART Money badge lets shoppers know they have a convenient way of paying online purchases.

And even if you don't get the cash, you still win. I'll be blogging about my favorite stores and picks three times a week, not just here but also on the SMART Facebook page which has over a million fans (a millions fans? Panalong-panalo na publicity!). Plus all participants will be included in SMART Money's Online Shopping Directory which all SMART Money users can access, and will also be displayed in the SMART Facebook Fanpage, and SMART Money site.

Now I'm going to be honest here, one of the reasons why I agreed to do this is because I'm also launching my own online accessories shop (more details to come very, very soon!), and it's also a great way for me to promote my blog and my business. Hey, as a budding entrepreneur, I need all the help I can get, and promos like this cost nothing to join, but have instant benefits. 

Rest assured that, although my Shopspotter posts are sponsored, my picks are of my own choice, and won't be the product of PR push. Whatever I post will be things that I genuinely like, and hopefully you, dear reader, will enjoy as well. I will also be posting tips on online shopping and selling so I promise it won't be all "Buy, Buy Buy!" on my end.

So hurry register for SMART Money and Shopspotting, and please, feel free to share with me your favorite SMART Money online stores. I'd love to hear about all of them!

P.S.

I love the way my blog looks now, thanks to a redesign by Ryan Resurreccion of Havoc Digital Media, Inc. Thanks a bunch Ryan! I got the linen background from The Background Fairy, where you can score lots of freebie graphics and buttons for your own blog. For my header, I used FFF Tusj font from dafont.com, and bangle product shot by Louie Aguinaldo. 

Renegade Folk On Sale!

Got a message in my inbox this morning announcing a Renegade Folk closing out sale on their Multiply site. While I'm sad that this excellent Filipino shoe brand is leaving the retail scene, I'm ecstatic about the opportunity to grab their pieces for a steal. Now's your chance to purchase well-crafted, Philippine-made and chic shoes at affordable prices of P499, P999, and P1,499.

In my shoe feature on Manila Fashion Observer's Shoe Series, I mentioned that my beloved wear-with-anything beige lace-up sandals from Tonic (another great Pinoy shoe brand) have already been patched up so many times (that's how much I wear them to death!) that they need to be replaced soon. I've been eyeing a pair of RF sandals that I spotted in Tint, Greenbelt a couple of months ago, and lucky me, they were on sale for P999 (from P1,750)! They're made of real leather, which means they'll age beautifully, and will last long. 

British Summertime strappy sandals in light blush pink. Only P999,  form P1,750.

I also purchased these preppy-ish tasseled loafers, also for P999 (from P2,700), which I am predicting will see a lot of travel time. Also made of real leather. So for the price, it's quite a steal!

Driving leather loafers with tassles in dark blue/tan. Only P999, from P2,700.

Here are some other things I had my eye on, but unfortunately didn't have my size anymore. 

Superstar studded flats in gray. Now only P499 from  P1,450.

The Lucky One real leather loafers in black/beige. Now only P499 from P2,400.

Hurry and click on over to their Multiply site. If my guess is correct, they'll be running out of sizes in a flash.

P.S.

If you end up buying anything, do share! :)

Cashmere + Lace

What do you wear if the weather is gloomy and you're not in the mood to dress up? If I was still living in New York, I would probably pull on my extra chunky, oversized Fair Isle sweater, a hand-me-down from my old roommate Dante, who decided to give it to me instead of selling it to Beacon's Closet, a resale/thrift store in NY. It's my comfort clothing during winter since it keeps me really, really warm, while still looking fashionably at home in hipster Williamsburg, the neighborhood where I used to live.

However, I am no longer living in New York, I am living in sweltering Manila, so my Fair Isle baby has to be put on shelf for a while. So last Tuesday, when I had to go out and run a few errands and meet friend and blogger Tara, I wondered what I was going to wear. Was not really feeling like dressing up, given that the weather was still a bit dreary, but I still wanted look put together. I ended up wearing a very old navy cashmere sweater, another hand-me-down, this time from my dad (can you tell I love men's sweaters?). It's so old, it has holes in it already, but I don't care. It's super duper soft, and falls just right on me.

Daddy's cashmere sweater paired with Forever 21 lace shorts, and Schu patent loafers.

Truth be told, I wasn't posing. I was scratching my legs because dang mosquitos were biting me! 

Of course, the easiest way to spruce up an outfit is to accessorize. Remember my sister's handmade detachable collar? Found another way to wear it again! And my favorite leather wristband from H&M makes another appearance, this time with a chunky chain link and faux gem bracelet from The Landmark (only P169.75). 

And the laziness extends to putting on makeup. I went out with a barely made face (just some Bare Minerals foundation powder under the eyes as an attempt to conceal my dark circles), but to compensate, I wore a bold plum lip. I lost my one and only plum lipstick, a shade called Embrace by Covergirl, so I had to mix up my own. I started by applying Cyber, a dark goth shade by MAC (very Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), and then swiping Covergirl's Spellbound, a nice fuchsia hue, on top, then blending them together with a cotton bud. Not the most flawless job I've done but I was happy.

A bold lip + a messy twisty bun = Puwede nang mag-Makati! (I can go to Makati now!)

Covergirl's Spellbound and MAC's Cyber lipsticks.

What's your lazy day/rainy day outfit? Share!