Decision, decision

School is going to start after Labor Day here. I went home to Toronto for an extended stay. It is so hard not to get anything while shopping in the city. I grew up in the city and moved to a small town by marriage. As much as I dislike living in a small town, sometimes, I am glad I do. It would be so hard to resist materialistic temptation on a daily basis.

I was not shopping for a pair of flats. But when I was at Yorkdale, went to Holt Renfrew(like Bloomingdale's) and was just browsing at the shoe department. 

Yes, I know. Nude flats are more for the spring/summer. But I think they are so classic and can easily be incorporated with fall items.

I have a pair of Tory Burch Reva flats. After breaking them in, they have become my go-to flats these days. These Tory Burch nude flats have an elastic band around the edges and make them very comfortable. Don't think they need any break-in period.

They are priced at $250 at Holt Renfrew. And even summer is coming to an end soon, don't think they will go on sale any time soon.

Since J. Crew fall rollouts, I have been eyeing on these: 

J. Crew Mila cap toe leather ballet flats(buy here)

They are pretty similar to the Tory Burch nude flats with elastic band around the edges. These are with cap toe making it a bit dressier.

I was going to go try them on at J. Crew store but they do not have these available. I really want to try them on in person before I buy them. These are $170.

So the price is very comparable and similar style. Which one you prefer?

The Yorkdale Mall has its food court relocated and totally renovated.

Went to Glow Press for lunch. This is my second time already. Last time went with my niece and we had a great lunch. They are fancy grilled cheese sandwiches. We tried the pulled pork and grilled veggies cheese sandwiches and they were awesome. 

This time, I had the steak grilled cheese sandwiches with veggies and potato leek soup. De-li-cious!

I'm a Lush virgin

I have always wanted to try Lush products. I made it to the store a few times in Ottawa but was totally overwhelmed by all the varieties in the store that I ended up leaving the store empty-handed. I decided to do some homework on the products before I go to the store and take suggestions from bloggers of products they have used and reviewed.

I am not a bath person so I am going mostly for shower products first. Lush has released their cosmetic line not too long ago but I think I am going to hold off on those until I am familiar with their basic products first.

Since I am home(Toronto) for my last visit before school starts after Labor Day, decided to pay a visit to a couple of Lush stores. I went to the one in Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket first. It is a relatively small store and the staff there is extremely helpful in educating this Lush virgin. I got a couple of things from that store and a few samples to try. I strongly suggest to visit your Lush store before making a big purchase.

I got Sweetie pie as my very first Lush product to try. It is a shower jelly which smell soooooooo good. It is quite fruity but not overpowering. I use my finger to take a small junk out and put it on my loofah and it lathers up extremely well. It is quite economical as I got the small tub and it is $5.95 for 100g which I think can last me a while. It is also very moisturizing as well. I don't have to apply my usual moisturizer after shower.

After I fall in love with my first ever Lush product, I went back today to haul a few other items. Went to the store at the Markville Mall in Markham. Grabbed the other shower jelly: Whoosh. The scent is not as fruity and sweet as Sweetie pie. It has more of a neutral scent. By neutral, I meant it can be used by men as well( but I think I will hide this from hubby so he won't be hooked to it like I do haha). 

As I have mentioned earlier, I am not a bath person. Take showers all the time. But when I was exploring in the store, came across this bubble bar which smells absolutely amazing. This is Yuzu and Cocoa. This smells so good. A mixture of chocolate and orange. Totally refreshing and delicious that you almost want to take a bite out of it! Who knows, I may turn into a bath person after using this. 

If you are a Lush virgin like me, I would not go visit a store until you have some idea of what you would like to get. Also make sure to visit bloggers who are familiar with the products and give good reviews. I get a lot of information and detailed reviews from Canadian Beauty Reviews. She is very familiar with Lush and give very good and honest opinions. Also got excellent tips from her about ordering online. After my 2 visits to the Lush store, I made an order from Lush UK this morning. Even though I can easily make a purchase from the stores here or the North American website, Steph from Canadian Beauty Reviews has compared prices on a few products and advised it is cheaper to order from the UK website even with the slightly-higher shipping cost. I got a sample of the Ocean Salt (facial scrub) and Rub Rub Rub(body exfoliate) and am very impressed with them. On my online purchase, I got those as they are much cheaper there. Also got a few other items and will do a post on those when my order arrives. 

I now totally understand why so many others are obsessed with Lush. Their products are natural and smell amazing. I have got a few other samples and looking forward to trying those. 

J. Crew rollout change room reviews

After I saw the fall rollout from J. Crew last week, I made a wishlist(see post here). Went to J. Crew and happy to see most of the items on my list are in store so I could try them on.

My first must-have item on my list is the peter pan collar tee. It is more than a tee to me. Much more substantial fabric. Maybe can justify it is pricier than their usual tee.

Peter Pan collar tee(sim here)

This is my first choice of color, with cream collar on grey. Currently this color is sold out online and only have the black collar on blue available.

This is a size S and I like how it fits everywhere but the length. I prefer a bit longer. So I guess if I decide to get it, will have to size up to a M. The other thing which bothers me is the back zipper. Why do they make it like that? My hair is past shoulder length and is always caught in the zipper which drives me nuts. 

another version of Peter Pan collar knit top( I don't see it online, anyone?)

This is a burgundy top with a cream colored collar. The fabric is probably a linen/cotton mix. This is also a size S and I like this length on me better.

Forgot to take a picture of the price tag with the product code.

The back doesn't have a zipper. Only a button which suits me better.

Tippi sweater in polka dot size S (buy here)

Love tippi and this one does not disappoint me. Like the 3/4 sleeve length which is perfect for fall and still wearable for cool summer nights.

Love the asymmetric location of the dots. Makes it much more appealing than the Old Navy version.

French hen sweater (buy here)

Feel like you either love or hate the hen sweater. There is no in-between feelings. To me, it is a cute and fun sweater but I would have to say pass. This is a size S and it feels very tight on the arms. Also the fabric is very rough and very itchy on my skin.

Tippi cardigan in colorblock (buy here)

This Tippi is a bit thicker than the other tippi cardigans. The Yorkdale store is out of the size S so I grabbed a M to try on and think it is a bit big on me. 

Multistripe doman sleeve tee(buy here)

The sale section is quite big but nothing too interesting. I grabbed this dolman tee to try on. But think the sale online is better deal(currently they have a 30% off sale items online, using code LOVEIT)

Waverly chino 

This is a size 2 and there were only a size 0 and 2 left at the sale racks. I tried the size 2 on and I could squeeze into them but the waistline was a bit tight. But at $24.99, hard to resist. Good that I checked with the sales associate and he was able to find a size 4 for me in the stock room and came home with me.

This is what I wore today: Crochet lace front tee in size S, No. 2 pencil skirt in deck stripe in size 4

Really loving my No. 2 pencil skirt in deck stripe. I love how the fabric stretch a bit and does not need any ironing, unlike other No. 2 pencil skirts. I was contemplating in getting the new wool No. 2 pencil skirts but the colors don't wow me. And I have heard from other bloggers that this season's skirts are not as nice as previous seasons as quality of the fabric is lower. 

Obsessed with Revlon Kissable Balm Stains

Yes, I am officially obsessed with Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. That's all I have been wearing ever since I got my hands on these amazing lip stains a few weeks ago(see my previous post here). I would say they are not so much of a balm as they do dry out after a few hours. I don't have to reapply the balm stain though, just regular balm to moisturize my lips.

I got a few of these balm stains through ebay as they were not available in my local drugstores back then. They were shipped fairly fast from U.S and I got them within a week.

I just went to my local Rexall( drugstore) and I almost jumped with joy when I saw them on display.

They are regularly-priced at $9.99 and this week they are on sale for $7.99. Great time to grab those if you want to try them out.

The display is not very big and they only had a handful of stains.

I already had the shades: Honey, Darling and Charm. I just ordered Cherish from ebay a few days ago. I prefer the lighter colors so I grabbed Rendezvous and Precious today.

From L-R: Precious, Honey, Darling, Charm & Rendezvous

The staying power of these balm stains is amazing. I do find some stain last longer than others though. Honey lasts the longest on me so far. The lighter/nude colors don't stay as long.

From L-R: Rendezvous, Precious, Darling, Honey & Charm

Charm

Rendezvous

Precious

Precious and Charm are actually quite similar. Charm has a more peachy undertone. Both look very natural and nude but surprisingly don't look totally washed out on me as a lot of nude lipsticks do. Rendezvous was one of the first colors that attract me but I thought I wouldn't look good in these orange/coral colors but this one looks pretty good on me. I am so glad I got it in the end. 

I'm just so happy I got all the shades I wanted for these balm stains. Sometimes, little things make me happy. So since I'm treating myself, might as well treat myself to one of these deadly delicious but fattening junk food: 

Poutine

I didn't know that Poutine is quite unique to us Canadians. I thought they are readily available all over the world. If you haven't had one of these, this is French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. I usually limit myself to one of these once or twice in the summer. My niece and nephew love these and I always take them to one of the local chip wagons to get these when they come for visits. 

J. Crew new rollout wishlist

Looking back to what I got from J. Crew this season makes me realize how much I have bought from them. Ever since they opened their first Canadian store in Toronto last August, I have become a loyal customer ever since. 

Since I don't live in Toronto anymore, I do most of my purchases online. I have a pretty good idea of what my sizes are for J. Crew but sometimes it is still a gamble. But thanks to lovely and reliable bloggers, I have detailed reviews of almost everything I bought and have never regret buying certain items or even returning them. 

Fall items have arrived at J. Crew and there are new arrivals on the website today. Here are what caught my eye: 

Peter Pan collar tee

This tee is absolutely adorable. I haven't got any tops like that. But not sure about the sizing. So I'm hoping they have this in the Toronto store and I am going home next week.

Tippi cardigan in colorblock

I have a few tippi and just love them. Ready to move onto tippi cardigan and what better way to try it with the gorgeous colorblock. Love this fuchsia/burgundy combination. 

Cece printed ballet flats

No secret that I love heart pattern and what's not to love this cute pair of ballet flats. 

Tippi sweater in argyle

I miss out on last season's argyle sweater(even though I saw the sweater popback mysteriously on the website last weekend, I thought I was seeing things). 

Houndstooth sweatshirt

Love houndsooth and I really want to get this one. Want to feel the fabric first though. I don't want a scratchy fabric which would make my skin itchy.

Tippi sweater in swiss dot

I am obsessed with polka dots and so excited to see this. 

With my last order from J. Crew, they threw in a couple of the 20% off $150 purchase promo cards. Not sure if this is for Canadian orders only or not. They are to be used online only. But will bring the cards to the store next week and see if they will honor it. Wish me luck!

Fall is in the air

If you live in Ontario, you would find this summer unbelievably warm and dry. I don't recall the last time I pull out a pair of jeans or pants. I live in shorts and tee in the summer. This summer I add a few more stable items like skirts and dresses and I'm loving how casual I can turn them into and wear them out to run errands in town.

For the past week, I can certainly feel fall is in the air. Days are getting a bit shorter and much cooler at night time. Another couple of weeks, school will start and I can hear everybody whining about going back to school.

 Joe Fresh tunic in size S

J. Crew chino shorts in size 4

Donald J. Pliner sandals

The tunic is a beach cover-up from Joe Fresh. It is made out of very light cotton. I like to wear it as a causal top paired with shorts or leggings in the fall.

Sideway cross necklace by Regina Pierallini

Do you like to wear beach cover-up as casual tops? If so, how would you style it?

J. Crew 5" chino shorts

Just got my extra 30% off sale package from J. Crew. I did not get a whole lot of items. Just 2 to be exact. I tried on the No.2 pencil skirt in deck stripe in the Toronto store a couple of weeks ago and have  fell in love with it. A lot of love has been given to the No.2 pencil skirts and this is my first No. 2 pencil skirt purchase. I picked the deck stripe pattern over the solid colors. Feel like it is less formal and I can wear it more often.

Today I wore my new 5" chino shorts paired with a vintage stripe tee. Perfect for hot summer days.

J. Crew vintage stripe cotton tee in size S (buy here)

J. Crew 5" chino shorts in size 4 (buy here)

Cole Haan sandals

Necklace from Mynamenecklace(buy here)

I really love the vintage stripe cotton tee. I have 4 of them and I wear them very often. Just love how soft the vintage cotton is. For hot summer days, it is perfect to pair them with shorts to run errands.

I love the color of this chino shorts. Very easy to pair with  any colored tops. I have not tried this on in stores before. I have the J. Crew factory Bermuda shorts and I have one in size 4 and one in size 6. I thought the chino shorts would fit similar so I took a chance of ordering a size 4. This fits slightly smaller. I wish I have ordered a size 6 instead but guess this will have to work as I have no intention of shipping it back for exchange.  I got this for $37.99 less 30% so really a great buy. 

Also included in my order are 2 20% off $150 orders on J. Crew.com promotion cards.  Will be so handy for new fall items. 

Monogram Necklace

I love dainty necklaces. I am not a big statement necklace gal (J. Crew bubble necklace are certainly my exceptions. Feel with the dainty necklaces, it is easier to wear with my every day tops without "wowing" too much. 

If you are a " Sex and the City" fan, you would not forget the " Carrie necklace". I have always wanted  one of those. 

There are also monogram necklaces that I have seen on bloggers(Tweed and Toile, Respect the Shoes). They are simple but yet elegant. 

These come in different finishes. You can pick colors or you can pick gold/silver.

I am more a silver gal when it comes to jewelry.  I ordered it from MyNameNecklace.com. They have a  great variety of monogram/name necklaces. It took approximately 2 weeks for my order to arrive. Considering it is custom-made, the delivery time is not bad at all. 

The pendant itself is not very thick as I thought it would be. It is quite thin. Also, the chain it comes with looks really cheap and I replaced it with one of my own sterling silver chain and it looks much better. 

There are many stores which offer similar necklaces (BaubleBar). Think their version is a much better quality one. Just too bad they do not offer shipping to Canada.

Essie Metallic Nothing Else Matters

When I saw the new Essie mirror metallics collection, I was immediately drawn to it. Love metallic finish. Very smooth finish and not streaky at all. Very happy with the shade I picked.

Essie metallic nothing else matters (see collection here)

Nothing else matters has a pinkish-purple touch to it. Very pretty color. 

Are you into metallic nail polish? What is your recommendation?

Revlon Kissable Balm Stain review

Ever since I read about the awesome Revlon kissable balm stain, I was excited to get my hands on those. However, where I live, the new stock does not usually appear in stores for a couple of months(yes, that is the fun of small town living!)

I love the Revlon lip butter and have got way too many colors than I need. So this time, I have decided to try a couple of colors for everyday wear. I tend to stay away from very bright or deep colors. Feel the  lighter colors look more natural on me than trying too hard. 

Since these hot Revlon Kissable balm stains are no where to be found in where I live and being as impatient as I am, I turned to ebay. 

Top: Darling

Bottom: Honey

left: Darling

right: Honey

Got these shipped from the States and I am pleasantly surprised to receive them within a week. 

Honey is the first shade I was drawn to as this is my typical go-to lip color. Has a bit of a brownish, mauve undertone.

Darling is more sheer and on the swatch on my arm, it was 4 swabs before it came to this color. Honey is just 1 swab.

Honey on me

Darling on me

These kissable balm stains are extremely easy to apply, just like a lipstick. When you first apply it, you can feel the menthol in the stain. Guess it is the balm property. Not very strong menthol scent but if you are sensitive to menthol, you may want to stay away from these as the scent would linger on for a minute or two.

The staying power is pretty impressive. I only have to apply it once throughout the day with a few drinks and snacks in between. For the laziness in me, these balm stains are the answers to my solution. I hate re-applying lipsticks constantly. 

I have also used the Benetint which is a lip/cheek stain. Those come with a brush and you would need a few dots of the stain on your cheek/lip. You have to apply and rub them out fairly quickly as they do set pretty quickly. These, however, do not set quickly as other lip stains so more time to apply it properly.

In comparison, I grabbed the Revlon just bitten lip stain and balm. This was released a few years back, I believe.

It is a marker felt tip for the lip stain and lip balm on the other side.

the color I got is beloved

Beloved on me

I have been using the Revlon just bitten lip stain and balm for 2 weeks consistently. I find the marker felt tip of the lip stain not very easy to apply. More like a lip-liner. It sets pretty quickly though so you have to move fast. Then would flip to the other side to apply the lip balm.

The staying power is not as impressive as the new kissable balm stain. So I can fully understand why the kissable balm stains are such a great hit.

I am tempted to get a few more colors but will probably wait until they are available in my local drugstores or if I go to the city soon, will grab a few to swatch.