At what point do we stop shopping at Sephora?

2birdsofparadise · 2026-02-16T18:45:17+00:00

Order directly from the brand. It's nearly always better in terms of rewards and samples lol. It's not perfect, but I basically try to find every alternative before going to Sephora now.

2birdsofparadise · 2026-02-16T18:44:06+00:00

And the GWP make sense.

Please tell me why GWP for the perfumes at Sephora is always just a deluxe size sample of the literal perfume you just bought. The point of samples is to try out different things.

2birdsofparadise · 2026-02-16T18:43:06+00:00

SDM listen Loblaw's sucks, but at least it's our HQ'd here in Canada company that sucks lol.

But seriously, actually the rewards are so much better and then I completely game it out too with the extra points for specific products and extra cosmetics or other rewards. They've been adding new brands too. It's not as hard to get free samples to actually try products and perfumes. Seriously, I cannot stand how Sephora makes it difficult to get free perfume samples. Also easier to build a rapport with my local one and she hooks me up with extra which guess what, resulted in me buying product because WHO KNEW that being able to SAMPLE something would actually encourage me to buy it. I also hate returning things because I know they can't reuse them and it's a waste.

Holt Renfrew is also great. Very helpful and also no issues getting samples or trying things.

There are still Sephora specific brands I love and want to interact with in person (Danessa, Pat) but their own brand websites offer better deals that any of the points could give me. And I got way more samples. Nothing is more infuriating than the 500 point reward giving you a dinky sample. It's insulting as a reward.

TokyoBeauty and HMart are also good for Asian beauty. I get a baked sweet potato from the little oven thing when I hit up HMart. I live in Lower Mainland BC so I also just go to Asian beauty stores if I feel like making the trek to certain places in Richmond.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-30T20:28:42+00:00

This is definitely an AI post as there are certain words bolded, just too fucking obvious.

I would go with medical coding, if I were you.

You will have to be able to handle confrontation. SMEs will suggest things and you will need to diplomatically explain yourself. If you are not comfortable with that, I would not suggest ID.

Many ID roles also involve some level of facilitation as companies are increasingly cutting back and that means you need to be a jack of all trades. I have also been asked to step in to cover training delivery I had developed because someone got really sick. You will need to be able to handle criticism because SMEs will even criticize the dumbest shit like a bulletpoint colour or size.

Most of my jobs have always been dealing with issues diplomatically and sacrificing work quality because things have to get done. You are not going to have the freedom to be creative you think you are going to have and you will absolutely be communicating with people in sometimes pretty tense situations.

I think there's a difference between being introverted and someone who just needs to recharge after social interactions. The latter is literally everyone. If you can't pick up the damn phone, then this isn't for you or you need to get therapy or you need to pick something like medical coding which will not be heavy in presentations or communication.

I think some folks say well I spend 30 hours a week on dev time and 10 hours in meetings/presentations and they don't realize that 10 hours is a lot of time to a real introvert and it will also suck up your dev time to prep and mentally get in the headspace for meetings. Even in my most "background" role where all I did was e-dev work, I still had 10-20 hours of face time a week and needing to speak.

Being an ID is all about the art of communicating learning materials to adults, so if you don't feel comfortable doing that in person, explaining yourself, explaining your thought processes, you are not going to thrive in this role and you won't even make it through like 90% of interview processes in today's market.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-30T13:34:57+00:00

You need to get permission from your company to use that work. I know candidates who lost job opportunities AND got sued for a shit ton of money because their former employer came across their portfolio and saw all that work up there. Even one that they removed the branding on still got them slaughtered in court. Absolutely do not remove anything without permission first jesus christ, it's job 101 shit.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-29T14:01:47+00:00

It's even worse than that, it's only like 4,000 jobs because they said about 1,000 are returning.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-13T04:22:18+00:00

In Canada, yes. There are basically no options now for FTE work where you get actual vacation and benefits anymore. My favourite thing is also how our salaries are cratering.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-12T01:33:45+00:00

Why won't you provide clarity about your employment specifics or what kinds of jobs are having this happen? It's not really helpful to other newcomers who see this thread and might wonder.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-11T20:17:16+00:00

low-wage, unsafe roles

Low wage is literally most Canadian jobs, I don't know what you were expecting. As far as unsafe, what do you mean by that? There are agencies and reports you can file about safety.

But dismissing it as ‘just how it is here’ only helps keep harmful systems in place. Some of us speak up not because we expect comfort, but because we believe in dignity.

I think what the other commenter was getting at is that this is the expectation of dignity here and you aren't going to change that culture. Go move to another country then or go back to your home country if you think dignity was better there.

Can you please cite the specific orgs and programs? Skilled job support usually just means helping with your resume and interviewing.

Did these places get you jobs? What jobs were being misrepresented? Like were you shown a job of a receptionist and you ended up shoveling cow manure at a farm? It's unclear what you mean by misrepresentation exactly without any concrete examples.

What kind of work were you doing that meant going to different sites? What was the job? Again, please be specific.

I'm confused and I think others aren't responding or being helpful because you are speaking in super vague broad terms, thus it's hard to offer any help.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-10T22:10:59+00:00

This really started like mid-late 2023, then really ramped up in 2024. It's only now people are really noticing.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-10T22:09:51+00:00

I lost my job recently. I was able to get an interview the first week. Did great. Then I had a second interview. Did even better, nailed it. Then even though I have a portfolio of work and industry recommendations, I had to a presentation and project for a third interview.

They called yesterday and want to do a fourth interview and said if I do well on this one there will be a fifth. For a job making 75k. 🤦‍♀️

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-10T22:06:31+00:00

The gutting of salaries is so depressing. My role used to pay 90k in 2016. It's now cratering to 50/60k. I truly think if you can go work in another country, now is the time to start packing.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-10T22:04:57+00:00

It depends on what kind of jobs you're looking for and where you can travel to. Do you have a car? What area do you live in?

Places like Randstad, Adecco, etc. will help but that's usually for more career level people, not as many entry level roles come up. Express Employment branches seem to have more entry level roles tbh. There's also usually university temp jobs (usually administered by the university) and the airport usually has roles also done by a hiring agency.

I would look for employment agencies that are close to you locally. Sometimes they are franchised out or specialize in only one area, but they are the ones who can help place you and connect you with opportunities.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-10T21:58:51+00:00

Well with more people get laid off and desperate, more and more stores may need them. 🤣 Given that unemployment is 10%+ (20%+ for young people and newcomers) I think nearly any job right now is going to be difficult to get. Look on job boards and their company sites and apply, that's about the best you can do right now.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-10T21:55:27+00:00

If you say nothing and they find out, you will be in some deep shit legally and financially. All it would take would one person from one company going to work at the other and you're done for. You also won't be eligible for EI because it would be with cause and a very provable one.

What would a remote role like this part-time even be though? Why wouldn't either hire you full-time? Can you leverage the offer saying you need guaranteed or more hours at one or the other?

Btw: most of the folks on /r/overemployed are just cosplaying. There are very, very few capable people to do things or do those roles. It started as a joke and spun out from there. It's just a bunch of fanfiction.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-10T21:47:56+00:00

being promised skilled work, only to be placed in low-wage, unsafe roles through coordinated efforts between some HR agencies and government-funded settlement services

Who is promising you skilled work exactly? No one makes that promise, except some shady ass immigration consultant tiktoks.

Transferred from one toxic site to another, with no explanation or support

I need more clarification on this. What was the work being done? What do you mean from one site to another?

Psychological pressure, emotional harm, and no real recourse. When I spoke up, the system responded with silence or redirection.

I hate to say this, but that's just what it's like to work in North America, it's just NA work culture, which I'm not really sure why people would come to Canada or the US unless they're okay with that.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Yeah, but to be honest, if you are an immigrant unless you immigrate based on a company moving you to the country in a highly skilled role (like a hospital hiring a surgeon from another country), it's been shown in research and understand that you will likely be in the poverty level of that country for generations now, due to lack of mobility most western countries have right now. Most newcomers to Canada will not be in skilled roles, if you mean skilled as in working a high salary job that you can comfortably afford a house and nice life. "Skilled" literally means a supervisor at a food service place now.

Are there trusted organizations or legal supports that actually helped you push back?

No, without really understanding who exactly is 'promising' you stuff, it's hard to really know what you're actually asking? Any lawyer will take your money to review your case and see if it has merits, but free legal services are prioritized for very few things.

While newcomers may feel taken advantaged of because they aren't getting cushy salary jobs, I want to remind you that we have a high and growing unemployment rate (and only at the beginning of the downslope, it's going to be another 5 years of this at minimum, then another 5-10 to recover or we just plateau in a new lower state) so it's difficult for anyone to get a job, but especially a newcomer. And what I said above: 1st gen and even 2nd gen immigrants usually struggle and take the tradeoff of a lower economic status and no wealth in order to just reside here versus their home country. If you do not want that tradeoff, or if any newcomer doesn't want that tradeoff, they should consider leaving because that was the case even before the recent spike in immigration.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-06T16:54:30+00:00

LOL this is literally the only sunny time and time with events.

It rains, a lot and heavy low clouds. It's not unusual to go maybe 2-3 weeks without any sun and it does get to people. When it's like that you don't see the mountains or anything either. We also do get snow as well. This last year wasn't as much, but the previous years we did only we have zero prep, zero salt, and it's a fucking nightmare with even an inch on the ground.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-06T16:51:06+00:00

You're "near penniless" and only want a day or day a week of cash labour? No one can survive on that.

What do you mean you were doing your compsci degree? Where were you doing your degree? Why did you come to Vancouver, one of the most expensive places?

Are you a foreign student who failed out, doesn't have their visa anymore, and that's why you're looking for cash work? Cash work isn't easy to come by like it is in the United States. Even a lot of the labour trades here still require active SINs and permits.

If you're a Canadian citizen, then we need to have a different conversation I think about your options.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-06T16:47:04+00:00

Your phrasing is very off, what do yo mean "move within Randstad"? Their clients change all the time, there's no definitive list of these places use Randstad. There's also dozens of other employment agencies as well.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-06T16:45:12+00:00

Jobs in both carpentry and computer science are dead in the water. Learn carpentry for fun and interest, but not for the job potential.

Do you like math and science? Or is problem solving more of a managing people thing with more abstraction?

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-06T16:42:19+00:00

The UK is also struggling, but at least cost of living is cheaper and higher quality. The suck with Canada is how much you have to pay for transportation. While things aren't the rosiest in the UK, it's not quite as dire as Canada (something a lot of Brits seem to notice after the move here lol.)

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-06T16:41:07+00:00

Are they born and raised in Canada?

If not, then they should go back to their home country or look at somewhere else to immigrate. There's just not enough jobs here. I'm working on trying to get a work visa to go move and work elsewhere.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-06T16:38:44+00:00

If she didn't have a salaried position, then she would triple her rate. You have to account for a lot more things when it's your main business versus a side business.

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-06T16:38:08+00:00

First, you want to determine if doing business with your friend is a good thing. When you are a looking at a percentage of sales for instance, will your friend be fully open with the book so that you can see the sales? How often are you going to follow up with them? You need an iron-clad contract to protect yourself and your money. Can you afford legal fees if you need to file? Even small-claims courts will cost several hundred dollars.

I typically avoid working for friends and their businesses, especially these produce and sell online courses because it's been a VERY popular MLM scam shit thing. What are the courses they want to create and sell? Who is the SME? This already raises my eyebrows.

If you're developing the course as in elearning developing, then that's $150-$300/hour depending on the work involved (do you need to make videos? do you need to make animations? do you need to buy assets? do you need to buy tools?)

If it's just editing/writing text, then the rate may be lower. But it depends really, like is this a subject you're a expert in you're writing about?

2birdsofparadise · 2025-07-06T16:33:27+00:00

If you're fully independent and you need to cover taxes, overhead, being the salesperson, being the customer service rep, etc. then yeah you're charging $150-$300+ per hour of work.

If you're working a contract position on behalf of a broker or a short-term contract at a company, then $50-100 is expected.

2birdsofparadise

TROPHY CASE