Stripes and Gingham

Besides the Silk Boy Shirt in Heart Throb, I haven't bought much from J. Crew lately. Yes, there are lots of items that I want but I think the prices have gone a little steep for these spring items.

J Crew Boatneck Popover

very cute stripe sweater but for $120, I don't think so

J Crew Perfect Shirt in Mini-Gingham

Gingham shirts are everywhere these days. I have the perfect shirt in gingham and I love it. But at $88.......

So I started to look somewhere else while I was waiting for a sale.

Basically, looking for a white thick cotton sweater with navy stripes and a navy gingham.

So, here is my version, a much more affordable version of the two

Lands' End Starfish Stripe Long Sleeve Boatneck Top

Gingham Shirt from Pure by Alfred Sung 

I got the boatneck top during one of the Lands' End 25% off promo. Regular price is $40 and I got it for $30. It is a very nice, thicker cotton sweater. Very soft cotton and well-made. I got it in size small as I mostly want to layer it.

I was at Zellers yesterday and I rarely browse their clothing department. But I thought maybe they have some J. Crew gingham lookalike shirts. Sure enough, from a far distance  from the cosmetic department, I spotted this shirt. Very soft cotton, 100% cotton and they are from the spring 2012 collection. So since it's new stock, doubt if it will go on sale soon. But for $24.97, it is not a bad deal at all. Comes in this blue and a light grey color. I got it in size small as well, which is the last one. 

Necklace from Lia Sophia (sim here)

Revlon Lip Butter

I don't buy a lot of cosmetics. I am a simple make-up gal. Don't like a lot of fuss. My daily makeup routine is to put some BB cream(blemish balm), concealer, fill in my brow, eyeliner and Benetint(Benefit tint) on my cheeks and lips. Just enough color to make myself look presentable and not just roll out of bed.

Lately, I have been slowly adding a few essentials. Got the Urban Decay Naked Palette 2, a few good quality makeup brushes(which I find very interesting of how much difference a good makeup brush can make) and Revlon Lip Butter.

Smashbox lip gloss used to be my only lip treatment. I have used Mac but find it extremely sticky. I like lipsticks which are not heavily pigmented(yes, I know. Most gals like pigmented liptsticks. I just find myself look too "made-up").

Read a lot of good reviews about the Revlon Lip Butter. They come in a wide variety of colors. I started with one and just love it. It is very moisturizing and it is not sheer. It doesn't last all day so will have to re-apply it throughout the day, which is no problem for me as I always go to my purse to apply lip balm anyway.

From top left: 001 Pink Truffle, 005 Sugar Frosting, 025 Peach Parfait

Bottom left: 030 Fig Jam, 085 Sugar Plum, 095 Creme Brulee

They are in the same order as the above picture

I just got the 005 Sugar Frosting and 095 Creme Brulee today. The rest I have them for over a month and I have been wearing the 001 Pink Truffle the most. The 025 Peach Parfait is a very nice peachy color with a bit of shimmer. I am not a shimmery gal but the shimmer in this one is subtle enough. The 030 Fig Jam is a beautiful brownish color. 

Price of these ranges from $6.50 to $10, depending on where you get them. I usually get them at Walmart or on sale at drug stores. I have used many other brands, including Mac, Clinique, Smashbox etc. These affordable ones are truly winners.  

Late " Heart"

Looking back to my January wishlist from J. Crew, I have eyed on a few must-have items. One of them is the Silk Boy Shirt in Heart Throb. Even though I love the cute heart pattern on the silk shirt, it was hard to bite at full price.

Waiting and waiting for a decent promotion these days from J. Crew is torture. When everybody was grabbing the shirt for Valentine's Day, it was out of stock a few times, regardless of any promo.

So finally, managed to grab it during the 20% promo or was it 30%, I cannot recall. I was just excited to grab one. Thanks to the detailed reviews of fellow bloggers, I went down a size smaller as it runs big.

Got the shirt today. So happy about the quality and pattern. It's worth every second/minute/hour I have waited for.

Silk boy shirt in heart throb in size 4

I was worried that the size 4 would be too tight. I usually wear a size 4 or 6 for J. Crew shirts. The last shirt I got was the perfect shirt in gingham and it was a 6 and it fits just right. But after reading so many bloggers' review, decided to take the size 4. Ever glad I got the smaller size as it fits just right. 

Beautiful beautiful pattern

Tried it with a black cotton sweater

So glad I waited for a promotion, even though I got it after Valentine's Day, I think I will wear it a lot.

How to revive your dried-up gel eyeliner

I have this Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner for a few months. It is actually my second jar. I love it because it is easy to apply and when I apply eyelid primer, it does not smudge.

I discarded my first jar because it dried up. Only half-used. What a waste. The Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner is on the pricey side too so when I got my second jar, I swore to myself that I would keep the container tightly-closed so it would not dry out.

What happened? Yes, after only a few months, the edge of the eyeliner is all dried up. I was going to order another one when I found this youtube video, I jumped for joy.

What you need is some glycerin(which you can easily find it at drug store, I found mine at the first-aid aisle), Smashbox foundation primer( a clear face primer which contains silicone).

If you watch the video, it is very well-explained(you may find it a little bit long at the beginning) and I followed all the steps and it works. My gel eyeliner is revived. Save me from buying another one.

There are other videos on youtube of how to revive gel eyeliner too but I find it this one makes more sense. Basically, I am just adding more hydrating ingredients to the gel eyeliner to revive it. Other videos I watch mostly just require the whole gel eyeliner jar to be submerged in warm-to-hot water to loosen up the gel, which I don't think work last too long as  it would just be a temporary solution, as opposed to this one. So if you have a dried-up gel eyeliner ready, try this and you can save yourself some money. Good luck!

Jewelry from Banana Republic

I have always love the accessories from Banana Republic. They are mostly high quality and the styles are simple and elegant. Unlike the inexpensive items from Forever 21, these are well-made.

During the last promotion(Banana Republic Canada is always tempting me with the ongoing sales, 20, 30 and today only 40% off full-priced items), I picked up a ring.

Amanda Flower Ring

I like the flat setting as most costume jewelry rings are very big and chunky, always get caught in things.

They are having another promotion, only for today, use code BRLOVE and get 40% off one full-priced item.

I'm once again tempted, eyeing on a few bracelets and bangles:

Twin Link Bracelet in Orange

Flower Brooch Cuff

Banquette Bangle

Clarisonic Mia

Have read a lot of excellent reviews about the Clarisonic Mia. It is basically an electronic brush to clean your face. I have always worried about not able to clean everything off my face by the end of the day. I put on BB cream(blemish balm) pretty much daily and want a thorough cleansing of the face. The Clarisonic claims to wash the face by gently exfoliating and clear pores and as a result would have better skin conditions.

The Clarisonic Mia is pricey (priced at Cdn $119), comes with a universal plug-in for easy traveling and  Clarisonic cleanser. 

There are similar products in the market such as the Olay Pro V Brush (at $39.99)

and the Neutrogena Microdermabrasive System($33.99)

After reading the various reviews, decided to try on the Clarisonic Mia. There is a Mia 2 and it is $159.99. The only difference is it comes with different speeds and there is a timer which will beep after 1 minute(to remind you should use the brush on other parts of your face). 

I was going to order it from Sephora but found out it cannot be shipped(even though it is on the Sephora website but after you proceed to Canadian checkout, it would tell you that due to restrictions, it cannot be shipped). So after a little bit of researching, decided to go with fabove.ca. It is based in Vancouver, B.C.  A few days ago, when I placed the order, they were running a special. I got the Clarisonic Mia for $119.99 and just add $1, I could get a FITI Ceramic Tourmaline Styling Iron (valued at $45). They are now running a special of if you get any flat iron/ hair straightener of $100 or above, you can also get the iron for $1.

Excited to get my Clarisonic Mia in the mail in the next couple of days and will review it after using it. 

Jason Wu for Target

Today is the day. First day of the collection of Jason Wu for Target to appear at Target stores. I can just imagine how crazy the stores were when they opened this morning.

Unfortunately, we Canadians don't have the privilege of having Target yet. They are coming to Canada next year, I believe.

Last time with the Missoni of Target, I was lucky enough to get my hands on a few items I had my eyes laid on. Since Target doesn't ship to Canada, I can only rely on Ebay to get my items. First couple of days when the collection came out, Target online site crashed and items were cleared off shelves in stores. Soon after, they re-appeared on ebay. I just cannot believe some of the prices the sellers set their items on. I tested out my patience and got the items mostly 20-30% above the retail prices which are not too bad, considering I didn't have to wake up at 5am and line up in stores.

Here are some items on the Jason Wu for Target collection I am looking out for on ebay:

Yes, polka dots obsessed again. I like this with the bow. Such a feminine touch.

Polka dots again. But not sure about the thick black stripes on the sleeves ...

This is one of the first pieces I laid my eyes on when I previewed the collection. Such a clean cut with the adorable stripes.

Love love love this stripe tee

Are you getting any pieces from this collection? What are your favorites?

p.s. There is a great giveaway of one of the cutest item in Jason Wu for Target Collection. Click here to check out SavvySpice's Awesome Giveaway

J. Crew Favs & Recent buys

Got my J. Crew Feb catalog in the mail yesterday. I like it so much better than last month's. So many items that I put on my wish list. Unfortunately, they haven't been having any promotion or decent sale on spring items yet so I will have to test my patience out a little bit longer.

Here are some of my favorite items:

yes, another polka dot top that I NEED to have

another Perfect Shirt in Mini Gingham that I NEED

Perfect Shirt in Liberty Art Fabrics floral

even though I am not big on floral shirts, this one catches my eye

Love this Silk Boy Shirt in Heart Throb

I know, they probably have this out for Valentine's Day but I think the hearts are subtle enough that can be worn a lot more

Pleated Jardin Skirt in Heart Throb is equally cute. But debating on whether I will get this as well as I doubt if I will wear them together as styled in the catalog

Tillary Tote

I like the simple design of this tote. But would like to see this in person to see how the quality of the bag first

So meanwhile I'm waiting for J. Crew's promo, have bought a few things: 

Burton Black Sheep Beanie

Even though most southern Ontario is enjoying a mild winter, it is still pretty cold here. We just got a few dumps of snow over the last week (yes, of course, snow storms will only come when hubby is away, leaving me to clear the driveway with the ever-so-heavy snowblower!!), I desperately need another beanie to keep warm when I'm out walking my dog. It is very challenging to find a beanie that would fit my big head. Hunting high and low and I finally found one.

What is this? 

That is exactly what I said to myself when I saw that. This is the Lioele Fringe Bow It is for clipping your bangs up when you are doing makeup so your hair won't get in the way. It would not crease your hair( as it claims but I haven't received it yet so have to review it later)

Skin79 Hot Pink BB Cream

For those of you who are not familiar with BB cream, it stands for blemish balm. It was invented by Germans for burnt victims and other patients who have severe skin abnormalities. The Koreans have made improvements on that and are very popular among asians, making skin flawless. I have been using another brand, Missha and very happy about the result. I don't wear a lot of makeup but just need a little to make my skin brighten up a little. I don't wear foundation and I find the BB cream a perfect solution for me. Just a few dabs of the cream even out my skin tone and cover blemishes and dark eye circles. I have decided to try this brand as I have heard very good reviews about it especially for oily skin.