Testers Keepers wanted a mystery shopper to review Accessorize. This review is from Georgia Clarke.
I placed my order late at night on 15th November, opting for the 3-5 working days delivery. I liked that this was free due to spending over £40. There were also options for Saturday or Sunday delivery, which is good for people who are last minute shopping!
I was told I would receive a confirmation email shortly. However, by Saturday I still hadn’t received any email. I decided to use the Accessorize online help chat. I was asked for my order reference. The person I chatted to was very helpful and assured me that my order had been confirmed. I had an email come through once my order had been dispatched.
Overall, I am pleased with the ordering process; however, it was a little unclear when I would receive a confirmation email.
The courier they used was Hermes. I liked the fact that I could track my parcel and see when it would be delivered. Hermes also contacted me directly, notifying me by email and text when my parcel was on its way with a two-hour time slot.
This was helpful as I was out at the time and could make sure somebody was at home to receive the parcel. My parcel was delivered 3 working days after placing the order on 20th November.
When the package arrived, it was presented in a cute, sealed plastic bag with the contents protected in a cardboard box inside. Inside the box was bright pink tissue paper. Everything was packaged in bags, which stopped the necklaces and earrings getting tangled and/or damaged. Whilst this was good, some of the products such as a pair of gloves I ordered wouldn’t have needed this as it is damaging to the environment. I was pleased to see that nothing was damaged. Even the box was in perfect condition.
Here is what I ordered from my Accessorize shop:
Thinsulate Sparkle Bobble Stitch Capped Gloves -£15
These gloves are very warm and cosy; however, they are so thick that they made my hands look enormous! The thickness also makes them quite tight inside. These would not be good for a claustrophobic person.
The good thing about these gloves is that they are lined on the inside with a soft, fleecy material. I was worried that these gloves would feel scratchy due to the glitter wool, but they are not.
Unicorn Hand Wipes £1.85:
For 10 mini wipes, I would say that these are overpriced. They were much smaller than I had anticipated, even being called ‘mini’. The size of them does make them extremely convenient for popping in your bag for when you are on the go.
The scent is delicate and not overwhelming. They are gentle enough to use on your face and are roughly the size of a standard baby/face wipe, lasting three months. I think the main reason the product is pricey for what you get is the packaging. It is very colourful and I could see it appealing to children and teenagers.
3x Christmas Pudding Eye Sheet Masks £5:
I like that these masks are resealable. I did find them quite dry though, as they didn’t stick to my eyes very well. They are made up of what feels like a thin felt and have a slight vanilla smell to them. They have cucumber and green tea extracts which are good for your eyes. They are also quite soothing and could be a cute stocking filler.
Rose Gold Eternity Disc Necklace £12:
This necklace is very dainty and looks very elegant on. The pendants are of high quality. The chain is very thin though and seems like it could snap very easily. In the picture below, I have it on the loosest hoop, this is where I found it fit best, without feeling too restrictive. For £12, this is a lovely little accessory. Overall, I would say this is a pretty necklace and I would wear it often.
UPDATE: After wearing the necklace for the past 5 days, I can say that it is excellent quality. I have only taken it off to shower and it still looks brand new!
Circle Hair Clip with Swarovski Crystal £8:
This is a good quality hair clip that can jazz up any outfit. Unfortunately, my hair was too thick for it to all fit in, so if you have thick hair this could be a problem. It did look nice in a half-up, half-down hairstyle though. The end of the clasp does tend to stick out, but this can be covered with the hair that is down. The clip stayed in place all day too, whilst at work
2x Jersey Hair Scrunchie Pack £2.50:
These scrunchies are your everyday, run of the mill scrunchies. Saying that, they are incredibly soft and stretchy. For the price, they are good quality. They also pull my hair a lot less than regular bobbles and are pain-free to remove.
Polar Bear Hand Sanitiser £3.50:
This marshmallow scented hand sanitizer is perfect for carrying on the go. I could see it being popular for things like camping and festivals, where you might not always have access to hand washing facilities, because it is so small and compact.
It also claims to be moisturizing. When you first spray it, it does have a strong smell of alcohol but as you rub it in you can only really smell the marshmallow scent. My hands don’t feel greasy or slimy after using it, but they do feel moisturised. The packaging is cute, and it has a little flap on the top to stop it accidentally being sprayed when carrying it round.
3x Drop Hoop Earrings with Swarovski Crystals £17:
These earrings are very fiddly to get in and out due to the little hoop the stem must go into. They aren’t the sort of earrings you can put on in a rush.
You get 3 pairs for £17 so they aren’t too pricey. The colours in the set compliment each other well, meaning if you had multiple lobe piercings, you could wear them simultaneously.
There is also a colour in the set that would go with any outfit. They are thin and dainty, giving a nice look that isn’t too ‘in your face’. They are comfortable and lightweight meaning they don’t pull or stretch your lobes.
Appleton Utility Wallet £15:
The purse had a very strong plastic smell when first opening it; however this disappeared after a couple of hours unless you put your nose to it. The zippers are very smooth, and it has an overall sleek and simple look to it.
I like that there are two zipped pockets, the one at the back is good for keeping change and I like to use the zipper on the front for bus tickets and receipts. There are three areas inside the fold for storing notes and 10 slots for cards. Whilst this is a good purse for £15, it is very bendy and could be misshaped if squashed in a bag.
2x Lacey Pearl Hair Ponies £3:
These ponies are simple but elegant, making it seem as if you have made an effort, even if you haven’t. They are tied tightly but are not stitched so could come undone if not careful. The pearls have been glued on, the glue is slightly visible but only if you examine it. It’s not visible if it is in your hair. There is a beige-neutral colour in the pack, so you could wear it with any colour.
Dome Backpack £35:
This bag also had quite a strong plastic smell when I first opened it. It has one main compartment with a little pocket at the top and a big pocket on the outside of the bag. I like that it has two cup holders.
There is only one zip to get into the main compartment, I think it would have been better if there were two, it would just make it less fiddly. The straps are also quite thin, so I can’t put too much in it or it digs into my shoulders. The zips do work smoothly though and don’t get caught. I think it is a good bag for carrying around a couple of bits, but I don’t trust it to carry heavy things like books and my laptop due to the straps being so thin.
UPDATE: I tested the bag through my long commute to university which includes an hour walk to the station and it held up amazingly. My first impressions of it not being able to carry a laptop and textbooks were wrong! It did however; still dig into my shoulders, the straps could be thicker.
I would say that Accessorize has some good quality products. There was nothing in this order that I did not like. My favourite would be the necklace because it looks so elegant but can be worn every day. I also like the earrings which add a little extra to any look.
I would recommend Accessorize to my friends, as they are in their early 20s, but I don’t think I would recommend it to older members of my family as they do seem targeted towards young adults and teenagers.
Most of the things I bought were decently priced and were worth what I paid, the only exception to this would be the mini wipes, which I believe you could find much cheaper and in larger quantities elsewhere.
I would say I am likely to shop at Accessorize in the near future, especially with Christmas coming up. I think there are some lovely things that I could give as presents to friends. Comparing Accessorize to other high street retailers, I would give them an 8 out of 10. If I had to sum up Accessorize in a couple of words, they would be: cute, value for money and trendy!