styles from lord of the rings

I was recently watching Lord of the Rings again, and I noticed that Legolas has really great style! His braids are fish tail, and his belt loop is also in the style "fish." In 2002 when the movie was originally made, I did not realize how stylish Legolas was. OR Legolas started the new trend. I just thought that was awesome and wanted to share it :).

Shoemint update

The website has just recently released all 3 of their winter collection: The Kathy, the Michelle, and the Janice. They also offered a coupon code, but it is for first time buyer. If you are a first time buyer, wait until they offer $30 off first pair because 20% 79.98 is 63.98 compared to 49.98. All the sizes are available right now if you are planning on purchasing. Don't hesitate too much because the shoes sell out fast.

 In order: The Janice(black, taupe), The Kathy (black, red dalmatian), The Michelle(Black, taupe)

your pupils dilated

Petite and curvy

I have been looking all the over the internet and YouTube for fashion bloggers who specializes in petite AND curvy, but to no avail. I am only 5'1 3/4 which makes it difficult to buy jeans because even short is too long for me. My inseams are 26" and the shortest length sold at many stores are 29" or 31". Inseams are not too much of a problem because I can always hem my jeans, but that is costly, and the tailor is not always perfect. My Madewell jeans were hemmed too short, and was redone which made them scrunch up after every wash :(, and this was done through the store. Luckily it was during their jean promotion where hemming was free, or it would have cost me $15 per pair. Being curvy makes it hard to wear button down. Having slightly big bust, I have to wear two sport bra to make my collar shirts' buttons not pop or bulge around the bust area. I could buy a size up to accommodate for my bust, but the fit would be lose everywhere else. This problem also occurs in my jeans. Size 25 in Levi is tight around the waist, but 26 is loose around the thighs. Petite sizes are nice, but they tend to run small, which is unflattering for curvy girls who is also petite. The length would fit, but the sizing is ill fitting. If anyone can suggest a blogger who specializes in petite and curvy, PLEASE help.

Cheekys

I love blush, and I knew I wanted to invest in NARS. I did not, however, wanted to spend a ton of money, because although I love blush, I love other things more. WOW, I used the word love a lot. At the Sephora friends and family sale, I decided to invest in a NARS blush palette. The reason that I wanted the blush palette rather than buying individual blushes is because the palette came with 4 blushes, 1 highlighter, and 1 bronzer. What I did not like after a couple of months is that they included ORGASM, and SUPER ORGASM, which is almost identical in shade, except super orgasm is more sparkly. I felt cheated because I wanted to try more colors. I heard DEEP THROAT was nice - maybe they should have included that. I was very impressed by the more purple color - SIN. It gives my cheeks a nice purple, with gold and pink, and it's just gorgeous. I was scared by CASINO, the cotton candy pink blush, but it's nice on the cheeks. My next only complaint is that the colors are not as pigmented as I hoped it would be. I have to do a couple of swipes of SIN to get a nice color on my cheeks, as with ORGASM. CASINO is too pigmented and I have to use a light hand when applying, and SUPER ORGASM was just too glittery. Overall I liked the palette because it allowed me to try 4 different blushes for the price of 2 full size, which was a plus. If you already own a couple of NARS blushes, I do not think it is worth it to buy this palette.

The names from left to right:

Highlighter ORGASM CASINO

Bronzer SUPER ORGASM SIN

LF warehouse sale

I woke up at 430 am, and drove 1 hour and 20 minutes to downtown LA for the LF sale I mentioned in my earlier blog. Luckily my good friend Kim arrived earlier than I did and was 3rd in line. I did not want to cut in line with her, but with the beckoning of the lady in front, my boyfriend and I made our way through. Poor Allen had to come along, and was the ONLY boy there. The sale was supposed to start at 7 am, but did not until 30 minutes after. It was very, VERY cold. I wore a dress and comfy flats because I wanted to be able to try on clothes quickly because fitting rooms are a hassle during sales, and trying on shoes is also a hassle if you're wearing boots. It was wrong to wear those while waiting, but inside they proved effective. When the doors opened, Kim immediately ran to the size 6 table and grab everything that were "cute" in sight. I grabbed only a few items that I liked, and went to look for clothes.They had tables and table of clothes, and racks of jeans, but I did not purchase any clothing beside a dress, because the fitting room was communal. Girls were undressing in a big room without stalls or any form of privacy. I do not think anyone besides me. There weren't even mirrors everywhere so it was impossible to try and see myself, so I decided not to buy clothes. The sale also sold jewelry and accessories, but with earrings costing $7, and flats at $15, I resorted to mostly shoes. I had to control myself, so I only bought 2 flats and 2 boots. I wanted to buy everything, but Kim, and Allen stopped me, and I am SO SAD that they did, but I guess I should be grateful, haha. I will now post up the pictures of the shoes I bought from the sale.

1st purchase success

They finally came! I have been waiting anxiously for my purchase to come and they arrived after one day of shipment. That is only because the shoes shipped out from LA and I am in orange county, which is only 45 minutes away. The costumer service was really slow to notify me that the shoes were shipped, which was a bummer. On my account online, the shoes were still "processing." I wasn't able to see them right away because I got it sent to my parent's house, but when I came home for winter break today, I was beyond ecstatic. Ofcourse my mother would open the box already, so I did not have the joy of opening the package but I was still excited. There was a little ruined spot on the front of the suede, but I will not complain to costumer service because those shoes are "sold out."

On December 5th at around 1 am, I received a notification that the shoes I wanted, Jolly in Taupe, were back in stock. I did not hesitate and ordered my half a size bigger immediately. I woke my boyfriend up to give me the coupon code for $30 off my first purchase from jewelmint, and finished my purchase by 1:15 am. I do not know if I would have ordered the shoes as quickly as I did without the coupon code, because I was not sure about the quality of the shoes. I have been doing my research and looking at blogs for reviews but since the website is fairly new, only since Black Friday, there were not a lot of reviews online. Now that I have received my first pair, I will do a quick review on them.

The quality of the shoes is great. The suede feels like suede, and looks like suede. There is however a scratch on the front of the shoe, which is not so great. I am sure it was just my shoes, however. I looked inside the shoes to see the detailing and I could see little pieces of paper stuck into the soles, which was weird, but I am sure that is just my pair, hopefully. I listened to the website and ordered half a size bigger than my original size, which is a 6, and the shoes were a bit loose - not too loose, but not snug. I would have liked a more snug fitting because shoes stretch overtime. Overall, I am very pleased with my new purchase, and I cannot wait to see their January collection!

Splurge ?

I love shoes, and I have to admit I have a spending problem. With college increasing tuition, however, I cannot afford expensive shoes. I'm constantly working, but I never have money left over. With deep concentration and a good look at my closet, I figured out the problem: designer shoes. I have just recently graduated from the flats, and kitten heels to the big boys heels, which opened a world of a difference in terms of style and shoes. There are just more high heels, than 1 and 1.5 inchers. I love my heels, all of them, except for one. I regret , regret, REGRET buying the used Christian Louboutin heels off ebay. They are gorgeous, but they do not fit. I tried insoles, cushions, but with the previous owner breaking in the heels for me, my feet could not fill the shoes. Since it is an ebay buy, and IT is used, I cannot return them. I still try to wear them, but it is hard to walk with my feet flying out. I should have measured one of my trusty insoles before I bought those shoes, but they were so beautiful I could not pass up - bad Mistake.  Also I decided no never buy used Christian Louboutin again, because I could buy new shoes in other brands that are almost the same in quality, and style. My Ann Taylor Perfect Pumps in a color similar to Taupe were 50% when I purchased them, and I am in LOVE with them. A youtube guru I follow - Jean from extrapetite did an amazing comparison between the two, and I have to admit, Christian Louboutin are not worth it unless you have disposable income. As a student, I will have to pass up on them until later.

I cannot do a comparison between the two shoes because the Christian Louboutin I purchased are suede while my Perfect Pumps are patent leather. I will show a picture of both, and possibly other pumps that I am in love with that were a fraction of the price of those CL.

Warehouse Sales

Are they worth it? YES. If you have nothing better to do with your time, then do not pass up the opportunity. Every year designers will host warehouse sales selling past season's clothing, shoes, bags, jewelry for 50-95% off. WOW. The downfall? waiting in LONG, LONG lines, with VERY aggressive people in front, and back of you. Warehouse sales is comparable to black Friday. People are ruthless, and the mentality is : buy buy buy. Here are some of my experiences:

1. American Apparel Flea Market - I went to this event 2 years ago (?) and it was exactly as it is advertised: a flea market. I sat in line for more than 5 hours, in the blistering LA heat since this event is usually held in the Summer. People that year were buying boxes of the same item, BOXES. It was madness to try to get any thing, but i did find some great finds. Bring water, and comfortable shoes if you plan on going. I heard the newer warehouse sales are more organized, but not as cheap. What would you prefer?
2. The TOMS Sample Sale. LOVEEEEEE! I went last summer, and I also stood in line for 5-6 hours. BUT I got TOMS for 50% especially since they carry styles that HAVE NOT been released yet. The best part, or the downfall? They have abundant amounts of shoes in size 6, but not so many in other sizes especially 7s or 8s. it was great for me, but I was seeing girls with size 8 trying to shove their feet into a size 6. Not so comfortable. My one regret was not getting there earlier because the one pair of TOMS I really wanted ran out by the time I came. I was not a procrastinator either, I came at 4 am. 
3. The Obey warehouse sale. VICIOUS. I did not know boys liked shopping, but for cheap shirts they are just as ruthless as girls. The best thing about the Obey sale is that they are pretty organized, but only 30 minutes to shop in a warehouse? NOWAY! Also you could not sit down and sort through your items which was ridiculous. The sale was good though, because Obey shirts are long lasting, and very comfortable. I suggest go EARLY if you want to catch good finds.
4. Paul Frank warehouse sale was  FAILURE. They carried a lot of children's clothing, and not enough adult clothing. The accessories are ADORABLE, and prices were very reasonable. The best part? Next door had another sample sale where i got jackets that were originally $60 for $10 :). They are no longer hosting this sale, so ;(
5. Satine in LA sample sale was heartbreaking. Clothes were 75% but 75% off $600 is still expensive. I was able to buy some topshop clothing for $20 - $30 and my good friend was able to find an Alex Wang dirt for $20, SO it was not a failure after all. 

I went to a couple of other sample sales, but I do not recall their names. Overall Sample sale and warehouse sales are worth it, if you have nothing better to do with your time. This weekend LF is having their $15 shoes sale in LA if you are in the area.  Goodluck and have fun :)

Frost and Mint

Hello!


I am sure that everyone has heard of, or is currently on par with the Beachmint company: Jewelmint, Stylemint, Beautymint, and newly added: Shoemint. If you are unfamiliar with the the companies, I will write a brief description. Beachmint is an exclusive online subscription website  that now specializes in jewelry, shoes, beauty and shirts.

• Jewelmint got started by actress Kate Bosworth and her stylist Cher Coulter. The website has exclusive jewelry that are picked based on your "style test" and cost 1 credit each, which is equivalent to $29.99. Every month, new jewelry will be recommended in your "showroom" but you can always click, "show me more" to see other pieces that almost made it into the showroom but did not. $29.99 a bit pricey for every month, so you can always "skip" a month if you do not want to buy a jewelry for that month, or if the pieces are not up to your standards. There are no hidden fees, and skipping is really easy.
• Stylemint was started in partnership with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. I have not ordered anything from this yet, so I do not know much about this. Mary Kate and Ashley, however, have other clothing lines that I do know, and love, so I am sure the materials and style of the shirts are not in question.
• Beatymint was launched by actress Jessica Simpson and skincare expert, Nerida Jo. They offer exclusive monthly skin-care product concentrating in anti-aging technology with natural sciences. I, again, have not ordered anything from this, so I cannot put my inputs into their products. I know Michelle Phan, the youtube beauty guru also has an exclusive online subscription beauty website as well for $10, which I believe is cheaper than Beautymint, but I have not ordered anything from that website as well.
• Shoemint was started by style icon Rachel Bilson, her stylist Nicole Chavez in collaboration with Steven Madden. All the shoes on Shoemint are $79.99, but you can also "skip" a month if you do not want to participate that month. The company has not officially launched yet so their collection is limited as of right now (12/5/2011). I have just recently ordered a pair of "Jolly" in Taupe, and with the discount code I received from Jewelmint, the shoes came out to be $55 after tax, which is a good deal. I am a little concern that all the shoes are a little bit too high of a heel, but I cannot say anything for certain until I try on the shoes. it was very helpful that in  the description box, "size runs smaller" was mentioned or else the shoes I ordered would not have fit. I am super excited about this company over the other three, but that might be because I love shoes more than makeup, clothes, and jewelry. 

I will now post up the photos of the items I ordered at Jewelmint. I got the New Heights Bracelet, and the Ornamint Mystery Grab bag which contained the Desert Rose necklace and the Lady Noirs ring. I was not super excited about any of the items in person, but other, I'm sure would have.

The order of the photos are: The Lady Noirs Ring, Desert Rose Necklace, and the New Heights bracelet. I also have coupons codes that you are able to use if you are interested.

• BOGO 20% - HOLLY 20
• B2G2 40% - SNOW40
• B3G3 60% - FROSTY60