Sunday, December 28, 2014

BANANA REPUBLIC: WORK TOPS FOR < $15

This is a really quick and short post.  Banana Republic is having a 50% off all sales items ending today (12/28/14 - CODE BRWINTER) with free shipping on purchases >$50.  Here are some of my picks :)  Simply click on the pictures for links to the item.

seamed inset tankbanana republic seamed inset tank

Seamed Inset Tank $10.00 (black) with code BRWINTER

lace banana trim top banana republiclace banana trim top banana republic

Lace Trim Top $12.49 (in black and white) with code BRWINTER

banana republic pieced lace topbanana republic pieced lace top

Pieced Lace Top $10 (in white) with code BRWINTER

banana republic mixed media drop shoulder topbanana republic mixed media drop shoulder top

Mixed-Media Drop Shoulder top $15 (in white) with code BRWINTER

Happy Shopping and Happy Holidays!






Tuesday, December 16, 2014

STYLES FOR LESS: LOFT and TARGET WINTER SWEATERS

Happy Holidays!  With the weather getting cold, I started to look for some nice winter sweaters.  Came across some sweaters from Target and found them to be very similar to the ones in loft.  What do you think?  Worth paying more for the brand name?

loft jeweled 3/4 sleeve sweater 

Orig: 69.50, now on sale 54.99, now additional 40% off no code needed =$33



target embellished crew neck pullover sweater merona

Orig. 27.99, now 16.79, additional 10% off with red card = $15


Left: Target jewels
Right: Loft jewels


loft jeweled ribbed sweater


$69.50, now 50% off without code = $35
target embellished crew neck pullover sweater merona

Target's Embellished Crew Neck Pullover Sweater - Merona

Orig 27.99, now $16.79, additonal 10% off with red card = $15


Top: Loft's 
Bottom: Target's

THE DIFFERENCES:
1. The differences are very subtle.  The jewels in Loft's sweaters have encasements to secure the jewels.  Both Target and Loft's jewels are individually sewn on.  Meaning both are secure but you will be able to see the thread if you look closely on the Target sweater.  

2. Material and care instructions 
Loft sweater - since the Loft sweaters contain either 30% wool or 10% silk, the care instructions have adviced to hand wash and lay flat to dry.  The target sweaters are made in cotton, rayon, and nylon.  Therefore, you may machine wash in cold and tumble try, and it's okay to iron.

3. Cost - I'm stating the obvious here.  You are paying more for the wool/silk/jewel incasement.  

4. sizing - I'm happy that Target's xs is running smaller.  Target's XS fits me just as well as Loft's PXS or PXXS.  

FINAL verdict: I personally hate hand washing clothes.  I like tossing my sweaters in a net bag and wash in cold water, followed by tumble dry in my dryer.  It just makes life a little easier.  Also, if you have kids, your clothes are bound to get dirty and it will hurt to get stains you can't remove on an expensive sweater.  For practical reasons, I will pick Target sweaters over Loft.  But, both are pretty and great choices for the holidays.  Happy shopping everyone!

Other wardrobe staples from Target I would recommend,

Stay warm everyone! 











Sunday, December 7, 2014

FINDING THE RIGHT BOOTS: BROWN BOOTS REVIEW

Hello all!  Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  Sorry for the delayed post.  I was in the mountains the last few days and didn't have very good internet connections.  I was at Seven Gables Inn and saw the cutest old couples chatting about their grandchildren.  Grandma 1: "You know those kids are catching on to their parents nowadays.  They don't use Facebook anymore.  It's all about Instagram now."  Grandma 2: "Yes, I think kids realized they don't want their parents to know everything."  Grandma 1: "I agree, Facebook is for older people."  Anyhow, they were so cute, I just had to share it with you.  I feel somewhat aged because I'm a Facebook user.  I wonder what social media people will share their life in 10 years from now.

So, I've been on a brown boots hunt for the longest time.  When I look for boots, it's about the length, fit, height, and comfort.

1. Fit - I like it when the fit is sleek without unwanted gaps for a more classy, chic look.  This may apply especially to those with varus deformity (aka bow leg) Here is a comparison.

                             
      Left: fitted at the opening, without gaps on the sides.           Right: gaps at the opening.
I simply love slim, fitted boots.  

2. length:  This depends on your leg length.  If you have long skinny legs, you can essentially pull anything off.  Shorter legs may benefits from optical illusion.
When boots do not cover the thinner portions of the leg, the leg will tend to look slimmer.  
  • Boots that won't make legs look thicker: ankle, right below the knee, or right over the knee (literally covering up to the knee). 
  • Boots that won't make legs look shorter: right below the knee or ankle.  Anything above the knee will make legs look shorter.
Therefore: 


  • Short/thin women: knee-high, calf-length, and ankle boots will be most flattering while above the knee may shorten your height further.
  • Short/curvier women: knee-high and ankle-length boots will be most flattering, as calf-length boots will shorten your build or widen your calf.
  • Tall/thin/curvier women: All lengths work.  But, same applies, the taller the boot, the shorter the leg may appear.
Finally, moving on to my boot comparison.  Today, I will be comparing Jessica Simpson's Beagan Wedge boot (now $79.90 at Nordies and $77 with coupon in Macy's) and Rockport's Total Motion Knee high wedge boot $179 at Nordies. 



As you can see, the shorter the boot, the longer the leg looks.  This however, does not mean longer boots are not flattering.  It just has to hit the leg in the right areas by showing slimmer areas of the leg.  

Rockport's Total Motion 
  • 1 1/2" heel.
  • 17" boot shaft; 13 3/4" calf circumference. Stretches to fit. (great for those with slimmer calves)
  • Partial side-zip closure.
  • ADIPRENE+® by adidas for all-day comfort and forefoot cushioning - feels like you are walking in tennis shoes!!!
  • Suede upper/textile lining/rubber sole. (BLACK COMES IN LEATHER UPPER)
  • comes in wide for those with wide feet.

Jessica Simpson's Beagan
  • 1 1/2" heel 
  • 19" boot shaft; 14" calf circumference. Stretches to fit wide calf.
  • Leather and textile upper/textile lining/synthetic sole.
  • Comfortable (can walk all day)
  • does not come in wide, but leather stretches and it's comfortable.  I have wide feet and they are not narrow at all 

Which boot do you vote for?  I like both but I only need one pair of brown boots.  The Rockport is more comfortable and way more form fitting, makes my legs look longer, but doesn't have the leather shiny look in brown.  The Jessica Simpson boots are comfortable, has the leather, shiny look, and fits right over the knee, while showing the slimmer part of the thigh.  The color brown is lighter which is more desired for greater contrast with darker/black pants.

Tough call, both are nice.  My final verdict: Jessica Simpson's Beagan boots.  If you are looking for black boots, I highly suggest the Rockport Total Motion in black leather :)










Monday, November 24, 2014

BEAUTY BATTLE: FACE WASH REVIEW

Face wash is a huge part of my everyday routine.  I'm a huge skincare addict.  I'm OCD with removing makeup at the end of the day.  For years I've been using Philosophy's purity facial cleanser.  In the past year, I've been trying different facial cleansers and fell in love with Boscia's makeup -breakup cool cleansing oil.  I like it a lot because it removes my makeup in seconds without stripping the natural oil from my face.  It didn't have a cooling effect on my face, but, I love the fact that it does a thorough cleansing job, removing the waterproof eyeliner and mascara in seconds.


You really do get what you pay for with skin products.  I love the soy cleanser because it leaves a radiant, soft glow after I'm done washing my face.  The Boscia's cleanser is also great because it does not strip my oils while cleansing my makeup.  Boscia's cleansing oil leaves a soft feeling with no residue.  The only downfall in using the soy cleanser is that I use it up so fast.  On the contrary, one pump goes a long way with the Boscia cleanser.  For the price and what it does, I think I'll be using the Boscia oil cleanser as my daily skincare routine.

Links to the products listed above:
1. Boscia's makeup-breakup cool cleansing oil
2. Fresh soy cleanser
3. Purity Made Simple
4. Purity Made Simple Cleansing gel

My final verdict: love Fresh soy cleanser.  But, I find the Boscia's cleanser to be more cost effective and efficient especially on days when I sleep late and don't want to spend a lot of time washing my face.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

ANN TAYLOR LOFT 50% OFF TOP PICKS

Hi everyone :)  Sorry I've been MIA.  Having 7 ICU downgrades, being on night call for a week, and Q4 day calls, plus studying for my intraining exam has taken up so much time that I'd had no time to blog.  I did have a day off yesterday so I dropped by Loft and found out they were having a 50% off everything sale.  YAY!  What a lovely surprise.  Simply click on the picture and it will lead to the the loft link.  (ALL MINE is the code online or simply drop in store and they will give you an automatic 50% off your full purchase)  I don't know why but the in store prices are cheaper than online prices.  I've gotten every piece below in store for $5- $25 max.  All jewelry I purchased were $6-$10.  The belt was a bit of a splurge.  But, for $20, I really love the jewelry belt.  It's stretchy so I can use it on on the waist or hip.  This belt is a great addition over a dress, a cardigan, or jeans!  I will post pics of how I mix and match these pieces for work and casual outings :)  My ICU rotation will end in the end of November and hopefully I will have a real weekend off and shoot from blog photos!


                              

                              

                              


I know I have a Kate Spade obsession.  And if you followed me in the past, you will know that I LOVE boar skin leather.  Here is a bag I've been eyeing.  A senior of mine have the same bag and she bought it for $100 in an outlet in Vegas. Girls, this bag is $485 in Nordstrom so if you have a chance and happen to be in Vegas, check out the Kate Spade outlet.  Here is THE bag :)

Strangely, the quilted bag is 50% off in store but full price online.  Nordstrom is having a price matching event.  So check out their bags ^.^

            'sedgewick place - small phoebe' shoulder bag


                                  If you get lucky, this bag is 50% off at my local Nordstrom!

                        'grove court - lainey' leather tote

I love a classic bore skin bag.  The texture is classic, it's structured, great for work or casual outings.  If I go to Vegas, I'm definitely going to hit the Kate Spade outlet and get one of these totes :)

Happy shopping!




Monday, August 25, 2014

WONDERFLEX: SCRUBS FOR PETITES, GREYS ANATOMY STYLE

You ever notice scrubs don't look the same on TV than they do on people in the hospital.  It's because they tailor the ones on TV so they look fitted.  No hospital scrubs fit me right because I'm so tiny.  Luckily, Wonder Wink's WonderFlex came out with scrubs that fit me without alterations.  Details about those scrubs and links to where you can get them are posted here.  Scrubs became my every day wear minus clinic days.  So, here goes my everyday 10min makeup + hair in scrubs look.

I bought these in navy blue, grey, and black.  I got 1 scrub top, 1 slim fit pants, and 1 regular fit per color.  WonderFlex is about $10 - $15 less than the Grey's Anatomy scrubs.  Click here for detail measurements.


wonder wink wonder flex slim straight pants and verity v neck top petite

wonder wink wonder flex slim straight pants and verity v neck top petite

wonder wink wonder flex slim straight pants and verity v neck top petite

wonder wink wonder flex slim straight pants and verity v neck top petite

wonder wink wonder flex slim straight pants and verity v neck top petite

wonder wink wonder flex slim straight pants and verity v neck top petite

It's so comfy and flexible.  I love it!

Next up: 


wonder wink wonder flex faith cargo pants and verity v neck top petite

wonder wink wonder flex faith cargo pants and verity v neck top petite

wonder wink wonder flex faith multi pocket cargo pants petite

wonder wink wonder flex faith multi pocket cargo pants petite


wonder wink wonder flex faith multi pocket cargo pants petite

I mentioned in my last post that I LOVE the pockets.  So functional.  I don't have to wear my white coat everywhere and my stuff never falls out!  As described here, this is how I use my pockets :)

wonder wink wonder flex faith cargo pants and verity v neck top petite so functional

wonder wink wonder flex faith cargo pants and verity v neck top petite

wonder wink wonder flex faith cargo pants and verity v neck top petite

wonder wink wonder flex faith cargo pants and verity v neck top petite

As mentioned in my previous posts, I permed my hair.  Regular perm, not digital perm.  I didn't iron curl my hair.  I wake up in the morning and my hair looks like this with a little frizz.  I didn't highlight my hair either.  My perm changed the color of my hair over time and I guess my hair looks lightened up from all the scattered white hair on my head.  I do simple everyday 10min makeup which includes concealer, eyeliner, and brow gel.  If I look a little pale, I will toss on blush.  But, that's about it.

everyday 10 min makeup and hair look in scrubs

All ready to fight diseases in style and comfort.  Love my job~