tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227745143785373782024-03-05T16:31:01.496-08:00ELLANUZOLifestyle. Beauty. Fashion & everything in betweenellanuzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16815183093269697703noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-222774514378537378.post-10536961529047779422017-06-21T13:01:00.000-07:002017-07-07T14:29:34.065-07:00VACATION RECAP | SECRETS ST JAMES REVIEW MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/18977737/?claim=mk4rxeq9vtw">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>
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Hi everyone!<br />
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How is your Wednesday going so far? I'm currently having beach withdraws so reminisce about a time where I was only steps away from the beach. What better way than to do a little recap of my trip down to Jamaica. I thought I would also do little review of the resort we stayed in. We booked an all inclusive trip through Sunwing and stayed at the Secrets St James Hotel in Montego Bay. Patrick & I flew down done for some much-needed R&R & also to celebrate my birthday. As we both have fairly hectic work schedules, we decided on an easy going vacation. Although I had the full intention of vlogging the whole trip, as the days passed I did end up slacking. I'll blame it on the fact that I had fully embraced the relaxed vibe of the vacation. Honestly, most of days consisted of laying by the beach with tasty cocktails, nachos, and ample amount of jerk chicken on hand. I think it's great mixing vacation styles from time to time. Although I love sightseeings and discovering new cities and town, it was a nice change to just relax and lay on the beach. It's definitely different from all the other hectic and action packed vacations we've had in the past.<br />
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I also uploaded a little vlog of my trip down there as well as a hotel room tour :) <a href="https://youtu.be/ZNrAO8ndNMI">Click here</a> if you'd like to see the vlog. Also if you would to be updated for when I upload my videos, be sure to subscribe to my channel so we can keep in touch :)<br />
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<b>HOTEL, LOCATION & PRICE</b></div>
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As I mentioned above, we booked our trip through Sunwing and stayed at the Secrets St James Resort, which is located in Montego Bay. The resort is only about 15-20 minutes away from the airport. The resort was rated as a 5stars resort, which I do I agree on. It's also a adults only resort (18 years + ).We paid just under 1800$ CAD each for a 7night stay. As the name suggest, the price was all inclusive and include the flight, transfers, accommodation as well as all the meals and drinks. </div>
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<b>CHECKING IN </b></div>
As we arrived at the hotel, we were immediately welcomed and the bellman took care of our luggage. There was even a cute doormat that said: "Welcome home". I love cute details like that! The check in process was quick and simple, and they even offered us champagne during the check in process. Talk about a chic check in! The lobby though was fairly small (I usually associate all inclusive resorts with a grand lobby). But this just made for a more intimate check in process.<br />
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<b>HOTEL ROOM</b></div>
The great thing about this resort is all the rooms are suites with either a balcony or a patio which means that space isn't an issue. This particular hotel is described as having a colonial style (their sister hotel Wild Orchid has more of a contemporary style if that's your preference). Although the decor definitely has a colonial vibe, I didn't feel as though it was outdated. The room features a soaking bathtub, a rainfall shower head, a mini bar, and king bed, a balcony with the view of the pool and beach (AMAZING) and many more amenities. <a href="http://www.secretsresorts.com/st-james-montego-bay/elegant-accommodations?_ga=2.34625192.821249558.1497763845-1280738447.1496791053">Click here </a><span id="goog_1810571714"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1810571715"></span>if you'd like to know have more room details.<br />
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<b>HOTEL GROUNDS</b></div>
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Although the Secrets St James shares its amenities with the Wild Orchid Hotel, I personally did not find the resort to be overly crowded. Perhaps that's also in part due to our timing there. We went early June when it isn't technically high-season. The hotel grounds were well maintained and beautiful throughout. I honestly have no complaints. The beach, the sand, the decor and everything was aesthetically pleasing. They also had peacocks that randomly roamed around the hotel grounds. I was always fascinated every time I saw them casually wandering around. They also had a couple of parrots with an open cage (Bob & Rita (not pictured). A<span style="text-align: center;">lso, I think it's also worthy to mention that they had swings throughout the resort. They basically rock you to relaxation. This bed swing was my favorite though! It's literally a bed hanging from a tree with the view of the ocean. Now that's what I can bliss!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">BOB the parrot, Jerk chicken & Pina Colada, & a casual bed swing facing the ocean (it was so pretty I wanted to cry)</td></tr>
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<b>FOOD</b></div>
The all inclusive package included 24h room service and snacks, unlimited a la carte restaurants, and of unlimited liquor. The room service was basic, and excluded cocktails but overall it was decent. They had a variety of a la carte restaurant, ranging from Italian, French, Mexican, Jamaican, and even a Hibachi restaurant. My experience with Jamaican cuisine is quite limited, and therefore I can't be completely certain of how authentic the Jamaican food was, but regardless of its authenticity, it was absolutely delicious. The resort also featured a jerk chicken cart that would travel throughout the resort around lunch time as well as late at night. Just imagine jerk chicken and Pina Coladas by the beach, and that pretty much was a routine during my vacation. There was also a self-service soft ice cream by the coffee shop (where you can usually find peacocks waiting in line as line:), which Patrick & I hovered around on many occasions<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh Coconut, My happy face when I see a Mai Tai, and a bob marley drink.</td></tr>
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<b>ACTIVITIES/ENTERTAINMENT</b><br />
The resort was definitely not short of activities, however, Patrick & I did not participate in many of the activities because we were busy being beach bum during the day. What can I say, we took the term relaxing literally and had a great time. What I really took advantage of though was the sunset yoga. Practicing yoga while listenning to the calming beach waves as the sun set was beyond incredible. It took relaxation to a whole new level. There were also activities throughout the day by pool and staff we were really engaging. One of my favorite activities they hosted was chocolate night, where they wide variety of chocolate treats (chocolate fountains, even roasting your marshmallow, an abundance of chocolate dessert, a flambe station, and of course chocolate cocktails!) They also had nightly entertainment ranging from their live bands to interactive games (couples night), circus acts and many more.&nbsp<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gazebo where sunset yoga took place </td></tr>
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<b>TIPPING</b></div>
I read several posts prior to going to Jamaica to see what the tipping situation was, and from what I gathered, tipping is to your discretion. We ended up converting our money into USD (that seemed to be the consensus from reading the forums) and had asked the bank for many 1$ - 5$ bills. Although technically all taxes and services charges are included in the package, personally I was more comfortable providing a tip for the workers. Generally, most of the staff were extremely friendly and welcoming that I think they truly deserved it. They were all so appreciative when it came down to giving them a small tip. Basically, for drinks, Patrick & I would tip 1$ USD each. During meals, depending on the service we would tip between 2-5$ USD, and for the turn down and housekeeping, we would tip 5$ USD.<br />
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<b>THE BAD</b><br />
As much as I loved this resort and overall found the service to be quite good, there were a few hiccups. First, our toilet broke a few times, and although I'm not extremely technically with the mechanism of a toilet, I think it had something to do with the flusher. This wasn't really a hindrance because it was fixed quite quickly and the housekeeper also left us a note on to remedy this (by pressing a certain button twice.) Again, not an expert with the exact parts of a toilet, but her advice seemed to do the trick. Also, our mini bar wasn't consistently refilled, but I think that had more to do with the times we put the "do not disturb sign", as the bar is refilled during a certain time period. Also, we did encounter a few staff members that were not as pleasant others, but honestly it didn't phase us. There were probably only one or two we had come across, and maybe they were simply having a bad day themselves. Like I said earlier, most of the staff were extremely friendly and welcoming. note, I thought I'd end this post with the good aspects of this resort.<br />
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<b>THE GOOD</b></div>
As I hate ending things on a negative ample amounts of food available throughout the resort ranging from snack bars, room services, and restaurants. (Food is very important to me while on vacation) Also, there was also several self-serve cases of water bottles available (on ice) near the beach, and waiters that would make their way to the beach and pool to bring your desired cocktails, so being thirsty was never an option :) Patrick & I both had an extremely relaxed and fantastic vacation at the Secrets St James. They had a mixed between a relaxing resort to party resort. If you wanted to day drink and party the night away they had you covered, but there were also many spots throughout the resort that allowed you to just relax and to decompress. Overall I would definitely recommend this resort. :)<br />
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If you made it this far to the post, thank you so much for reading this post. If you have any additional questions, feel free to ask :) Also, I'd love to know if you guys have any all inclusive resort recommendations. I definitely foresee going to another one in the future :)<br />
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<br />ellanuzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16815183093269697703noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-222774514378537378.post-48131597877517281152016-02-28T18:54:00.001-08:002016-10-03T21:00:33.127-07:00BOOHOO & SHEINSIDE HAUL | CANADIAN SHIPPING REVIEW<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Sunday everyone! Today, I thought I'd share a haul as well as my experience with Boohoo and Sheinside. Both retailers are definitely not new contenders when it comes to the youtube world. I've seen both brands appear in numerous youtubers' haul. However, when it comes to ordering outside of North America, I'm always a little weary. Long wait times, duties, and complicated return policies are among the reasons I tend to avoid ordering abroad. Last month however my curiosity finally got the best of me and I found myself finally clicking on the "place order" button.<br />
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<b>BOOHOO </b>is a UK based retailer with a wide selections of trendy and modern clothing. Their petite section is what initially sparked my curiosity . Being barely 5ft'1, I'm constantly on the hunt for clothing that fits my small frame.<br />
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<b><i><u>Items purchased:</u></i></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.boohoo.com/canada/boohoo-petite/petite-izzy-strappy-back-maxi-dress/invt/pzz98190">Petite Izzy Strappy Back Maxi Dress</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.boohoo.com/canada/boohoo-petite/petite-eva-wrap-front-34-sleeve-woven-shirt/invt/pzz96461">Petite Eva Wrap Front 3/4 Sleeve Woven Shirt</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.boohoo.com/canada/boohoo-petite/petite-kayla-tie-waist-utility-skater-dress/invt/pzz96020">Petite Kayla Tie Waist Utility Skater Dress</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.boohoo.com/canada/shoes/orla-pointed-patent-court-heels/invt/azz06050">Orla Pointed Patent Court Heels</a></div>
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Grace Western Chelsea Boot (no longer in stock) <a href="http://www.boohoo.com/new-in-shoes/martha-suede-zip-chelsea-boot/invt/dzz88045">similar here</a></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><u>Shipping & Duties:</u> </i>For some time now, Boohoo has launched a website specifically geared towards Canadian shoppers (www.boohoo.ca). They provide free shipping for orders above 50$, and otherwise the cost is 9$. Shipping time according to the company will take approximately 8 business days. I would say this is quite accurate. I placed my order January 23rd and received it a short week later. Boohoo also covers all the duties and taxes, which is a major plus in my book. Say goodbye to surprise duties bills! Another great quality about this company is that they keep you consistently informed about the status of your order. They emailed me every detail of my order status from when it was being prepared, to when it left the UK, entered Canada and when it was out for delivery. I find this is be extremely helpful as I am more mindful to when I should stay home to avoid missing my package. Since I am car-less, going to the post office to pick up packages is a errand I truly dread.<br />
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<u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Size, Quality & Fit:</u> With their low prices, I wasn't expecting any designer quality but I was still hopeful. The quality of the clothing pieces I ordered were on the ok-low side, but this could've just been the pieces I chose. For sizing reference, I normally wear a XXS-XS in most regular sized brands, and a 0-00 petite clothing. I chose a UK size 4 for the clothing pieces, and they seen to fit more on the small side. The military dress was tighter than any other dress I've ever ordered. On the plus side, their maxi dress fit me almost perfectly (something I've yet to experience). As for their footwear, I would have to say that they definitely exceeded my expectation. Quality in regards to price is amazing!<br />
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<u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Do I recommend them?</u> If you are in the market for current in trend pieces that are affordable, I would definitely recommend Boohoo. Especially if you are on the petite side. However, if you're looking for more quality long-term pieces perhaps not.<br />
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<b>SHEINSIDE </b>is based in China and also has a huge selection of clothing ranging from closet staples to fashion forward pieces. I've seen and read a lot of mix reviews about this company and I think I can relate to both sides.<br />
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<b><i><u>Items purchased:</u></i></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.shein.com/Apricot-Spaghetti-Strap-Backless-Florals-Print-Maxi-Dress-p-169646-cat-1727.html?aff_id=5108">Muiticolour Hibiscus Florals V-neck Spaghetti Straps Backless Maxi Dress</a> size small</div>
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<a href="http://www.shein.com/Black-Spaghetti-Strap-Backless-Bodycon-Dress-p-212079-cat-1727.html?aff_id=%205108">Black Spaghetti Strap Backless Bodycon Dress</a> size small</div>
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<b><i><u>Customer Service, Shipping & Duties:</u></i></b><br />
Although their website claims that shipping to Canada is within 12 business day, it took approximately a month from the time I placed my order to when I physically received it. I placed my order January 27th and received my package February 22nd. Truthfully, that's way longer than I care to wait for but I think it's also understandable since they are based all the way in China. I did end up inquiring about the whereabouts of my package since there was no updates of my order for over 2 weeks. They were quite prompt with their reply. They emailed me back within a day and redirected me to follow up with my local post office instead of the tracking link provided with the order. From this, I found that they my order was held in customs, which was the reason for the delay. My order cost less than 60$ and I wasn't charge for any duties. I'm not quite sure how duties are calculated, and this might different from order to order.<br />
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<u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Size, Quality & Fit:</u> Similarly to Boohoo, for the price I paid for the items I wasn't expecting any designer items, however for one the pieces I was actually pleasantly surprise. In my opinion, the maxi dress' quality was beyond the price I paid for. The black dress on the other hand was a let down. I wasn't amazed with the fabric & overall fit was quite awkward. A consistent theme that I've noticed amongst the negative reviews of Sheinside is that the pictures of their clothing can be quite deceptive. Personally what I did was read the reviews extensively and ensured that the item I was interested in had pictures from customers. However, as you can see, despite these efforts I still was unsatisfied with one of my purchases. That being said, this is not exclusive to Sheinside, and it pretty much comes as a risk when purchasing from any online retailer.<br />
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<u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Do I recommend them?</u> Personally, I would re-order from Sheinside. If you don't need the piece of clothing urgently and don't mind the wait time, Sheinside can be a great website to find in trend items at an affordable price. In order to lessen the risk of being disappointed when receiving your package, I would recommend browsing through the reviews of the item you're interested in prior to placing your order.<br />
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Hope you guys found this review helpful :) If you have any additional questions, please feel free to comment below.<br />
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Until next time,<br />
xo<br />
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Eliiellanuzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16815183093269697703noreply@blogger.com2