i broke the ban!

I broke the ban on my AMEX! I knew I wasn't supposed to get anything till January 6th 2011 but the deal was going to slip through my fingers and I was tres, tres desperate! I have serious shopping issues - coupon codes and promo deals are my achilles heel :P Anyways this will be my last online buy for 2010. Hope it is a good one!

So I have been looking for a dietary supplement to take that will benefit my hair, skin and nails. Specifically try to get my hormonal breakouts under control. Taking the Acne Cure homeopathic pills were a dud - I think they caused more issues than they helped - so I went and searched around for an alternative and what brand would be better than Murad to take care of my skin issues. The $30 off $100 promo going on at the Murad.com site did nudge me on further :)

I looked into the Murad Pure Skin Clarifying Dietary Supplement and was encouraged by the many, many positive reviews on this product. I just want to make sure that my hyperpigmentation is helped along as I have dark spots - remnants of zits past - from October that have not faded away into the night! These pills are purported to.....offer a patented formula acne medication that combines nutrients such as Vitamin A, Yellow Dock, Burdock and Zinc to build strong, healthy and beautiful skin cells for a perfect complexion. What you put into your body and how you nourish it contributes directly to how your skin looks on the outside. These acne pills are the perfect skin care solution for treating your skin from the inside out.....direct quote from the Murad.com site.


The pills are rather pricey though at 43 dollars a bottle for a 30-day supply. The directions mention taking two pills in the morning and two in the evening to ensure maximum results. I have read reviews in which consumers say that they feel it is too much and have dosed down according to their own needs. For myself, I will follow the recommended dosage for my first bottle and if I do see an improvement, I will dose down accordingly as well. I got two bottles of this for my first try. I know some people might think it's excessive to get 2 of something I don't even know will work yet but I figure I will need to give it time to work and a one month supply will not be enough if the stuff does help. For example, I bought a 2 months supply of the Acne Cure pills so I can say for certain that they did not help me. I ate the pills diligently and according to the instructions so I am satisfied that I can safely say that those pills are not for me.

The item I got to complete my 100 bucks purchase was the cheapest thing I could find to round it up but one that came with glowing reviews as well - the Acne Treatment Concealer in Medium. This concealer contains salicylic acid to help heal blemishes as well as acts as a cover-up. It retails for 21 bucks. There's not much to say about it right now - I am waiting to get my hands on it and give it a test run before I will comment further.


I was also allowed to choose 3 free samples to try and decided to get the Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel, Intensive Wrinkle Reducer for eyes and the Skin Perfecting Lotion. My total for the Pure Skin supplement and Acne Treatment concealer came to 77 dollars with the 30Off100 promo code.

DISCLAIMER:
All images are courtesy off Murad.com

finally here!

All my lurverly LUSH stuff has just arrived.....via my boss! Lol, my boss is so cool, he'll bring along mostly anything that's passed on to him :) Also arriving was my Skin79 BB Cream, a purchase influenced by MissGlamorazzi from Youtube. But more of it next time, first let's talk LUSH!

So I actually got my LUSH stash a week back but I am only putting this post up now cos I wanted to test drive some of it first. First up is the Winter Warmer gift set. The more I waited to receive the LUSH gets, the more I found myself looking forward to this one more. So this is the first box I opened. And I am incredibly impressed with both items; the Mandarin Tea Party soap and the Glogg 3-in-1 gel.

First of all, I tried the Glogg first as I can't resist anything with a cinnamon scent. I used it as a shampoo and a shower gel and I have to say that the scent is heavenly! It is a really spicy scent which makes the whole bathroom smell like Christmas :) The scent also lingers on the skin for a long time and when used as a shampoo, even longer!


The Mandarin Tea Party soap is also wonderful. I am truly impressed with the longevity of the scent on my skin. I use it on myself in the mornings before I go to work and even when I'm preparing for a shower that evening, I can still smell the scent on me! The bar I received is huge but as LUSH products are not infused with chemicals, they tend to melt faster so I will monitor the longevity of this product before I claim it as an A+. Scent-wise though it smells so delicious, I love taking whiffs of my arm throughout the day and it most likely has my colleagues baffled as to what I'm doing inhaling the skin of my forearm all the time, hehe. It is more of a glycerin-ish type soap than a creme so it does not lather up into suds much.


Next is my Snow Fairy gift set. I haven't opened this as yet cos I'm going to try to finish off the Winter Warmer products first. By the looks of it, I won't have long till I'll have to open this gift set. My sis, who got the bigger Snow Fairy set, is very much in love with the scent so I'm quite excited myself to try that out. I'm also eager to test out the soap as well. The Shimmy Shimmy massage bar is something I'm ambivalent about. I am not a regular when it comes to applying moisturiser on my body so this product, although intriguing, I don't know if I'd buy again after I've tried it. But really, i think I should reserve judgement till I've actually tested it out. Who knows, perhaps, it'll make me change my lazy moisturising habits :)

just because.....

Been acclimatising myself to my fabulous iPad and just wanted to post an updated pic of it with its zebra decal on. Tres cute, if I do say so myself :D


Now I am really excited to pair it up with the magenta-hued rooCase. It'll be an epic combo!

أنا متحمس جدا ليلة وليلة

Ok, thought I'd throw in a lil bit of Arabic in there cos there's some connection to it in this post. Anywho, I've been on a shopping freeze for about two weeks now and I guess I was bound to snap sooner rather than later. Heck, I'm surprised I even lasted as long as I did. I know I mentioned I was banned from virtually swiping my AMEX. It's okay, I used my MasterCard for this purchase since B&N.com allow international credit cards for purchases though I did get the book sent to the Portland addy.

But anyways, as is my nature, I am always taken in by discount coupon codes and this time it was Barnes and Noble's turn to reel me in. I had a 25% off of one item discount code that was in need of use since it was going to expire in two days and I felt that that amount of a discount was too good of a discount to waste - I knew exactly the item I was going to buy to break my shopping fast.

I've chronicled my Barnes and Noble purchases a number of times on this blog and in particular my Barnes and Noble Leatherbound Classic books that I've gotten. My first buy from this collection was Homer's Iliad/The Odyssey and I followed that up with a quadruple buy of Alice In Wonderland/Through The Looking Glass, Chronicles Of Narnia, Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales and a collection of stories from The Brothers Grimm. I simply love the Barnes and Noble Leatherbound books as they truly make them to be a true collectors item for any book lover.

And it's because of this that I decided to add to my collection by procuring Arabian Nights. The book was on sale for 18 dollars from the RRP of 20 but with my 25% discount, I got it for $13.50 with a free B&N membership for two months! And with said membership, I received free expedited shipping and as I type, my book is already packed for shipment.


That's a real bargain for such a beautiful book. I'm truly excited just from viewing the images - the illustration looks extremely well-done and very, very beautiful. It makes the experience of being transported to another place and time when reading a book all the more vivid as there's actually a 'visual guide' for the words being read. Hehehe, I sound like a crackpot right there :)

I like how my leather-bound purchases have all occurred during the Christmas season for the past 3 years running which kinda makes it my own Christmas tradition, hehe. I feel next year, should the opportunity arise, I will get the Jane Austen book. Even though I'm in possession of the individual books, I feel that for my leather-bound collection, this is a must-have. I also would like to get the Sherlock Holmes collection as well as the Ann Rice Vampire Lestat collection. I know the Ann Rice isn't a classic per se but I would like to own it nonetheless. I've also never read 'em (simply watched the movie 'Interview With A Vampire) so this would definitely be a good buy to get into the books. Asides from that, I am also thinking of getting the Edgar Allen Poe collection of short stories and poems. I am creeped out by him to be honest and i still find the story of the beating heart freaky to this day but that's the beauty of Edgar Allen Poe. The last book from B&N's Leatherbound collection that I would liken to own is Dante's Hell. However, am not sure if this is still in print cos I have not seen it on the site for quite a while now.

Right, haven't written anything book-related in months. It's partly due to the fact i haven't been buying any physical books. I can't stress enough how excited I am for my Arabian Nights book to arrive. I have never truly read the book cover to cover so I'm pretty stoked that I'll be able to do so with this leather-bound version.

DISCLAIMER:
Images are not my own but are courtesy of B&N.com.

i'd like to introduce.....

That's right! That's my latest plaything, my slip of an iPad. I understand it now. I truly do, I get why people go nuts over this exquisite piece of tech gadgetry. I too am in love!

Dramatics aside, I have to say that despite not even yearning for an iPad prior to my impulsive decision to get it last week, I realize that it makes my life soooo much easier. I received my iPad when my uncle and his family came up for a visit on Monday. Since then I've just been testing it out, trying to get a feel of it and how I'm going to incorporate it into my life. And I find it to be one of the most useful technological innovation that I've ever had the pleasure of owning.


Now, it's not like I've never held an iPad prior but I just wasn't able to get fully into it since the times I did use my sister's iPad was just to beat her high score playing Veggie Samurai, lol. Anyways, I've been using it exclusively at work for the past couple of days and aside from making my reports, it can practically replace my Netty in terms of functionality (I still love you, Netty!). One of the many things that impressed me about the iPad is its battery life. I can use it to play music while reading my e-magazines, watch a bunch of my TV shows, play my free Mahjong Tiles, answer my emails, do some comparison shopping as well as some actual shopping and track my shipped packages AND the battery will still be at 74% charge!

But I think my most favourite thing about it is the fact that it makes reading my PDF magazines such a joy in simplicity. Even with my Asus I have to deal with lag when scrolling through the pages but with the free app PDF Notes, I only have to wait during the magazine's first load and then it is just easy, breezy browsing from then on. I love it, it makes me feel as if I'm actually thumbing through an actual paper mag! I haven't tried reading my kindle books as yet, only tested it out a lil bit but I'm guessing the experience is going to be similar! Which means it's going to be a complete lovefest!

Aside from reading mags, playing free games, watching my shows, listening to Glee and testing a myriad of free apps - I've only bought one so far - the Scene It! Harry Potter game - and updating the firmware to 4.2.1, I've just been getting to know my iPad a lil better. But from what I've gleaned so far - I am in lurve!

maybe Haute Look didn't intentionally reject me

A couple of days ago I was trying to get some SIGG bottles on Haute look through the sample sale site's iPhone app. My sis had previously bought off of them via her app and it went through no issues so by virtue I should also be able to get stuff from them as well.

However when it came time for payment I kept getting a message that my card could not be authorized. This was the same message I kept getting when I was trying out the Sephora-To-Go iPhone app. I got my sis to try getting the stuff I wanted via her account but it was declined as well. So, I figured Haute Look had smartened up. Was a bit bummed but not bumming too hard :)

Then 3 days ago my sis tells me that she had gotten the two SIGG bottles I wanted. Turns out that the AMEX system was having issues and that's why I had been having problems with my last few online shopping tries. I guess I will try getting something from Haute Look and Sephora-To-Go to test it out since these were the two sites that gave me the authorization error message. For the rest, I'm pretty sure the rejection was due to the billing address so I'm not going to try Bath & Body Works or Piperlime again.

Anyways, the two bottles I got from SIGG are as pictured below.....


The SIGG bottle is great. My first AMEX online purchase sent to my Portland addy was of my silver wide mouth SIGG 1.0L bottle. Ever since using it in May, it has served me well and has already gotten plenty of battle scars from being accidentally knocked over or dropped on the floor. Nonetheless, I still love it. So I've been thinking that I just wanted another one. Another one being the 1.0L SIGG Root Over Rock bottle.

A couple of months ago, there had previously been a SIGG sale on another sample site, Beyond The Rack, which is where I first fell in love with the Root Over Rock design but it doesn't accept AMEX. My sis had bought stuff from them once or twice but when she tried to get this bottle for me, it was declined. Since then we haven't been able to shop there. So when I saw the SIGG event on Haute Look, I immediately browsed with finding this design in mind. As my luck would have it, it was on sale going for $12.99. The RRP on the SIGG site for this bottle is $24.99. I save 12 bucks on this so I'm good to go.

I also decided to get my gal pal a bottle as well. This is the same gal pal who I got the F21 embroidered motif top. I can't just give her one top so I had been trying to find something else to get her and the 0.6L SIGG SteelWorks wide mouth bottle in candy pink is perfect. She's starting to get seriously into running or exercise or something so she'll need to hydrate. What better than a really cute yet functional SIGG? Plus, the gorgeous, attention-grabbing colour will make it easy to differentiate from other people's water bottles. It retails for $19.99 on the SIGG site but on Haute Look it was going for $8.99.

Pretty great bargain's all around. I'm happy with the purchase and I can't wait to get my new SIGG bottle. I think it's keeping with my grey obsession that I'm so enamoured with this design. I can't help but feel that the fuschia pink tree on the light grey background is just sooooo pretty. Plus, I like the whole tree motif - it reminds me of the Tree Of Life, which is something I've kinda been appreciating lately for some reason or another :) Ok, I don't think I can wax lyrical about bottles much so I'm just going to stop now.

when i see it like this.....

Yea, even I can't believe the amount of stuff I buy online, hehehe. Ok, to be fair, that is the collective shopping of all three of us sisters. Eleven packages total this shipment, I think the comGateway and DHL employees think we're nuts!

In this collection are my two Forever 21 purchases. The top row is from the first package and the bottom row is from the Black Friday buy. I am loving the look of every single item I got despite the fact that the linen pants from my first package might be a lil tight. It was on clearance for $6.99 and I liked the laid-back look it had so despite knowing I would be completely sure with an L, I got the M cos that was the only biggest size available and I really liked them. My sis tried 'em on and she says it's tight in the thighs for her and she can't zip em up. I'm only a size smaller than she is - to be fair, she has given birth to 3 kids - and despite that we usually can fit the same pants size so it's a bit of a concern that she is having issues with these pants. It might be ok for me but till I can get my legs in them (hehe), the fit'll just be a mystery. Perhaps it'll serve as motivation to exercise and trim down my hips, lol.


I'm also really liking the 2 maxi dresses though I was unaware that there was a slit on the side. I am planning on getting the slit sewn up cos I like my casual long dresses to just have a full skirt. I was worried the dresses would be short and hang awkwardly but according to my sis they are "sweeping the floors", lol. I might have to get the length altered as well. It's good luck that I have an amazing tailor I can trust to make the alterations :).

The Black Friday haul also looks good on first impressions. My sis is really happy with her two slouchy cardies and from the pics of mine, I am loving the look of them too. I love blazers and as these cardies have a blazer feel to them, I am swooning at the thought of pairing these with my long dresses. I think the combo will be gorgeous. And last but not least is my slouchy striped tee. Oh my, I love, love, love the overall feel this tee presents. I think it looks like the most perfect slouchy oversized tee in the history of oversized tees. Yes, melodrama is coming out full force. Over an $11.99 oversized striped tee from Forever 21. I think it has a very simple casual feel ala Ella Moss. Which is also the feel I get off of the two slouch cardies as well. I think Ella Moss makes gorgeous basic pieces but her prices are beyond what I'm willing to pay. If I can have something that reminds me of Ella Moss at a price point I can handle, I'll take what Forever 21 has to offer.


Then we come to the remaining two items from my first Forever 21 purchase. The embroidered motif top and the cascading faux pearl necklace. These are the items that I bought as presents for others. Yup, I actually got things for other people besides myself, hehe. When I first talked about my F21 buy, I was still wishy-washy about keeping/giving the necklace but I have decided to give it to one of my best gal pals whom I know will love this kind of fancy-ish jewelry. The top I got is for another gal pal. It's actually kinda difficult to get clothes for her since the girl is soooo tiny but I figure this top has a banded ruched waist and is very pretty and it is in a size S, though I would have preferred an XS but no luck on that front, that I can't help but think she'll love it. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the top will be ok on her.


Also in this shipment were my endless.com purchases - the Steve Madden Tsunamii motorcycle rainboots and my Reebok RunTones. I got both in a size 9. The rainboots didn't come in half sizes and based on my web research, most places recommended going a half size up if you're in between. That pic is of my eldest sis wearing 'em. My sisters did ask me why I got them cos they didn't understand it. I think they look really nice and the fact that they aren't pleather means that it'll last longer. I have an aversion to getting pleather footwear after my faux leather knee high boots disintegrated on me during the Paris sojourn last year. Another reason I like these boots is because I also don't have to constantly take care of them like I would have to with a leather pair. Plus, they don't really look like rubber boots at all cos they don't have that rubber sheen that rainboots tend to have. It just looks like a well-worn shade of black.


The Reebok RunTone's are also a good fit, according to my sis. These shoes do come in half sizes but I took into account the thickness of socks when I wear athletic shoes and decided to go a half size up. I can wear an 8 1/2 for pumps, wedges and the like but for shoes like boots and sneakers, I figure I will go a half size up to accommodate the additional space wearing socks will take up. I'm glad it panned out for me. It could have been a colossal Melissa Vinyl II mistake :)

That's actually all from this shipment. My share was only 4 out of the 11 packages total though the boots and RunTone's did account for a lot of the weightage. My LUSH goodies also arrived. My sister is completely loving her Christmas Candy gift set and has gone completely bonkers for the Snow Fairy 3-in-1. She wants me to get the biggest bottle available for her now that I've told her it's only a Christmas special. Her reaction has me really excited to have a whiff of mine. I'm truly looking forward to the Glogg as well. I'll probably do a post on that once I have the stuff in hand.

my last online purchase before i got banned

Nothing serious, just banned by my sister who is the primary cardholder. I didn't tell her I was making a 200 dollar purchase and she was surprised, to say the least, when she saw the charge go through on her online statement, lol. I am not entirely sure why it's such a big deal since it's not like I'm saddling her with the bill to pay at the end of the month :)

Anyways, discount codes are my achilles heel. I had this limited time 30% off discount with no minimum from Spiegel.com and it was going to end in about 5 hours. It's about to be 7 am where I am and I managed to complete a lil bit of shopping before I went off for work. How crazy am I, lol?

So I decided to browse around the Newport News outlet but nothing interesting was there. Then I thought to take a look at the Shape FX products on offer. I had been thinking of getting one of those slimming shapewear from the Lytess for Shape FX line. I had been reading about the line here and there and was curious to try it out. I wanted to see if it would really help out with my hips which are a problem area for me. Now, I am by no means, overweight or actually have a weight issue, but like many women out there, I could use a lil bit of conditioning and toning. However, a lifetime of bad habits make change difficult to enforce so on top of my own efforts, I feel I need a lil bit of a nudge via other measures. And that's where Lytess for Shape FX comes in.

The Lytess for Shape fx® line are slimming shapewear that have caffeine-infused microcapsules within the fabric. The microcapsules act to mobilize fats. The Lytess for Shape fx® apparel also contains shea butter which moisturizes and smoothes the skin. Through clinical studies conducted, it is purported that wearing a Lytess for Shape fx® shapewear can result in a size reduction up to 1.5" on waist and up to 2.1" on hips after only 21 days.


I decided to go for the Lytess for Shape fx® Slimming Capri Pants. It is high-waisted and covers the legs all the way to mid-calf. This basically targets a number of areas on my body which could do with some help - my tummy, my hips, thighs and my calves. I figure, for the sixty dollar price tag it has attached to it, I might as well get something that will give me bang for my buck :) With the 30% off discount though, I just have to pay $42. I got this in the size S/M. This item is currently not in stock though and will only be shipping out in January 2011. That's totally fine by me - I just wanted to make sure I could use the 30% discount to get the item for cheap. This means I'll still only pay $42 only when the item is being prepped for shipment. If that's only in January, it will not appear in this month's billing cycle and thus provide a reprieve from having to pay for it from this month's salary too.

I also decided to get the Seamless Square-Neck Top by Shape fx®. I can't find the image for this on the website anymore so I'm guessing it's all sold out now. It was on sale for USD20.99 but with my discount I will only be charged $14.69. I got this to use as innerwear when I'm wearing sheer tops. I wanted something in a thin material and since this is a shapewear, all the better for it. I got this in a size S/M as well.

I have to say that i really like the Shape FX range. My first shapewear was from SPANX and though it is perhaps the most popular range of shapewear, I am kinda going to go out on a limb and say that I prefer the Shape FX line. I got the Sleek and Seamless Tunic-Length Tank Top by Shape fx® a month ago and I love it. I purchased it in a size S and it fits well and hides a multitude of sins. I am a borderline size S for tops and most of the time I end up in an M but for shapewear I figure I should go a size smaller. Else, what's the point of shapewear.

At checkout, my total was USD58.64 inclusive of the $1.95 handling charge. I hope that this order will hold up considering it's going to be some time before I'll actually get the items. I think some e-tailers tend to cancel such orders. I hope Spiegel will uphold it as well as the 30% discount. Only time will tell.....

i got these at the same time.....

I was buying the stuff from Overstock.com. I know I've been spending a lot this holiday season. I can't help but want to take advantage of all the holiday deals and though I don't celebrate Christmas in any way, nor Thanksgiving for that matter, I do appreciate the bargains galore that come attached with these two holidays.

Anyways, I was doing simultaneous shopping at Overstock as well as Walmart. I have been loving the Norma Kamali diffusion line offered via Walmart.com ever since it debuted. In this purchase, bar for one Faded Glory tunic shirt, everything I got was from the Norma Kamali line. And the best part was everything was on clearance sale!

I got a few things for myself but I also got two items for one of my gal pals for her birthday. Ok, I know some people would judge getting someone a gift on clearance, and from Walmart to boot, but I feel that if the gift is something you know the person you're gifting it to will love, it doesn't matter the cost or place it was gotten from. And the Norma Kamali line is a well thought out collection. Ok, defensive much, Zlena? Lol, but seriously, I do stand by my words and if I were to receive something from Walmart as a gift, regardless full price or clearance, I would be happy if the gift was something I truly would love.


On to the actual items purchased. First up we have this Norma Kamali jersey maxi dress in charcoal stripes. Yup, my maxi dress obsession continues. As does the stripes obsession. That's 3 maxi dresses and 3 striped items in one month. I have no explanation for it. I just love me some long dresses and striped clothing. And shoes and blazers but my obsessive tendencies are a whole other matter. Back to the matter at hand, I am going through a phase of loving grey. I am just loving the colour to death and am trying to amass as many grey clothing as I can from the looks of my shopping history :) Anyways, I loved the heather grey racerback maxi dress that I got from Norma Kamali the last time and I thought this striped version would be a great buy too. I love the feel of the material - so soft - and I think the cut is very flattering. I did decide to go with a size S this time cos the previous one I got was a size M and it was slightly too big. God only knows if I'll be able to fit into this but if the cutting is the same as the one I already have then I don't think it will be a problem.

Then we have the boyfriend vest in black stripes. Hmmm, looks like we are continuing with the stripes theme. I didn't realize that my vest was also part of the stripes brigade till I typed it out. Looks like its 4 striped items this month. Ok, so I am also a vest lover. I have loads of vests. Let's just make things easier and just make a blanket statement that I'm basically obsessed with clothes. I thought the look of this vest was so masculine/feminine. I like that it'll look great for work as well as over casual tees. Plus, I think I was thinking of Dmitry Chaplin when I decided to get this vest for myself. He looked so darn good wearing a vest similar to this during his Argentine tango dance with Mya on DWTS as well as on Ellen that I partially got this so I could be reminded of the awesomeness of Dmitry Chaplin rocking a vest, lol.

Final item from my personal Norma Kamali haul is this drawstring hooded french terry tunic sweatshirt in black. I had been eyeing this for the past 2 months and was always reluctant to pay the 25 dollar price tag. I came close many times to checking it out but I am sooooooo glad I waited cos I got this for just 8 bucks. That's a 17 dollar savings, guys! Love it when I get to save money like this! I already own another Norma Kamali tunic sweatshirt that has a drawstring waist. I got that one in an L but for this time I went with an M cos the L is very oversized though definitely still wearable. This design is slighly different as the drawstrings are on the cuffs as well as the hem. I don't know how flattering a cut it'll be though.

Last item I got for myself is this cute printed tunic shirt from Faded Glory. It was also something I had been looking at but didn't want to pay the 9 bucks sale price, lol. Then I saw it had gone down to 5 bucks. Feeling that that was finally a deal I could get on board with and so I got it, hehe.

These next items are birthday prezzies for the gal pal I got the F21 embroidered motif top for. Next years' birthday that is. The F21 top I got is a belated 2010 birthday gift since the original gift I got her did not pan out. Anyways, I got her the same Norma Kamali boyfriend vest I got for myself but hers is in solid black. I first picked the vest for her cos she had told me off hand earlier this year that she was looking for a collar-less vest. I had been casually keeping my eye out for a vest that would fit her requirements - she is a bit of a picky person - and when I saw this, I thought it would be perfect for her. I got this in XS cos Norma Kamali sizes sometimes tend to run a lil larger and the girl is a wisp. She may have found her vest already but it doesn't hurt to own another pair :) I also got her this flutter sleeve sheer georgette blouse, also in XS, cos I think it's something that's to her taste. I think the top is very feminine and pretty and definitely something she can wear to work. I can see her totally rocking the shirt/vest combo.


And that's all from my Walmart haul. My total cost for everything was $55.82. It was a complete bargain and I couldn't be more happier with these purchases :D

UPDATE (09/12/2010):
As of last check on my Posted iPhone app, which I love love love btw - best $1.99 I've spent on an app, my Walmart package is in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania. Should arrive by Monday in Portland I guess.

further holiday deals tripping me up

And the buying never stops! Hehe, well after getting the iPad, I kinda figured I would need to accessorize so I did. And when I start accessorizing, I end up getting other things as well. I am beyond being saved :D

Anyways, last month's billing cycle has closed so I decided to just get the rooCase iPad cover in magenta from Overstock.com while my welcome 10% discount was still deemed valid. After making this purchase, man, I seriously can't wait to get my zebra vinyl decal as well as this rooCase. Can you imagine how gorgeous the combo of zebra fur print will look against the hot pink-purplish hue of the rooCase folio?? Seeing the 2 images I uploaded of the items respectively in the previous post already has me in a tizzy about the potential aesthetic greatness of the duo.



Of course, it didn't just end with the iPad case.....

I have mentioned this item before on this blog and I finally just decided I will not overthink it too much and just get the thing before it went out of stock. What could I possibly be talking about? Well, it's this.....


Yup, that's the MICHAEL Michael Kors Oversized Runway Watch in gold. I have lusted over this watch for close to three years now and finally - in Zlena's Year of Living Frivolously - I have succumbed to my longings, said "To Hell with it!" and got myself the darn watch. Three years is a long enough wait - if you're still wanting it after three years means you really, really want it. The $187.99 price tag really helped to nudge me as well :)

After discounts, I was charged $201.58 for the two items which, when put into perspective, is nearly 50 bucks cheaper than the RRP of the watch itself. Basically, what I would have paid if I had gone the Bloomies/Nordstroms route. I have looked on Overstock.com many times before but had never found this watch to be available till this holiday season. I had initially chosen the regular sized version of this watch but as I waited for the next billing cycle to begin, the watch sold out. I had admired this larger one as well but was, and still am, worried it might look too ostentatious. However, I will make it work regardless cos the fact is, money has been spent - no time for regrets and even if there are some, it's basically useless. Again, all dependant on whether the charge goes through - been having bad luck with the AMEX for the past coupla days so I really don't know if the actual charge will pass or otherwise.

I am truly hoping that this charge will go through mainly cos I am starting to really want that watch. My Tag Heur has been acting up lately and I would love to get my hands on this MICHAEL Michael Kors watch as a backup to my Tag. Right now, all I can do is wait and see. Fingers crossed that Overstock.com is a go :)

UPDATE (08/12/2010):
Well colour me surprised! After the rejections I've been getting from Sephora, Bath & Body Works, Piperlime, Haute Look and other e-tailers that refused to accept my AMEX, I am slightly stunned that this charge on Overstock.com has gone through. Woohoo....?

UPDATE (09/12/2010):
The watch is already in Oregon - just not yet delivered to my Portland addy. Geez, that was super quick! The rooCase is coming in a seperate shipment and is in Carson, California I think as of my last check. It has basically not left the state from whence it hails, lol. And I also just got an email with another 10% discount from Overstock.com as a thank you for my first purchase. Man, I am starting to become uneasy with these discount codes - they're making me shop too much, lol. But my sis has banned me from shopping after my Overstock.com charge went through. It's the single biggest charge I've actually made online so she told me that I'm not allowed to buy anything till the new billing cycle opens next month, hehehe. I'm ok with it though. I also feel I should take a bit of a breather.

dressing up

When I get new stuff, I love to play dress up as various blog posts can attest. But the act of dressing up doesn't solely apply to my clothing purchases alone but also extends to various other things namely, in this particular case, my brand, spanking new iPad!

No, I don't have it with me but as is my usual SOP, I go around looking for accessories. My main concern is to protect my new tech gadget from bumps and bruises but the best part of this is when I find a product that serves the dual function of being stylish AND functional.

Hence, I've been looking around for the perfect genuine leather iPad case that will serve the purpose of covering the iPad, as a stand and as a fashionable accessory. I am adamant that I get a proper leather piece as I've had issues with synthetic leather products peeling on me. If I'm going to be spending a pretty amount of dollars, I want it to be real leather.

Amazingly enough, I've found the case that I want for a price that is really affordable. I am thinking of getting this rooCASE Textured Leather Apple iPad Folio Case in Magenta. It is listed going for USD35.99 on Overstock.com. I have a 10% off promo code so I would definitely consider getting it from there.


Of course, till I decide to actually get it, my iPad needs to be protected and so I have decided to use a vinyl sticker decal like on my Netty. I went back to the eBay store I purchased my HP 2133 decal from but there were slim pickings there so I had to broaden my search. I came across this FLorida-based company that had vinyl decals for the back as well as the front border going for $9.99. Plus with the international shipping via USPS for $1.99, I would have to pay $11.98 total. That's a really reasonable deal.

The store, MightySkins Outlet, has an array of ipad skins to choose from and I had a tough time trying to figure out how I wanted my iPad to be characterized. In the end I settled for this realistic looking zebra print.


I ran this option past my second sis to see if it was just me who thought the decal was too cute and she agreed with me. Even to the extent of saying it made her want to run her fingers through the fur, lol. I love it.

I am likely to be getting my iPad this coming Monday as I have relatives flying in for a holiday and my sis will be passing it through them. Since I just completed purchase of the decal today, I can only get it when my boss comes up at the end of the month. I still have time to decide if I want the rooCase now or sometime after Christmas cos I don't want my items to get caught up in any Christmas shipping snafus.

talk about impulse buy

Sometimes I do wonder how it happens. How I end up spending hundreds of dollars in a blink of an eye. One phone call and suddenly I'm the owner of a 64GB 3G + Wifi Apple iPad. Hehe.

I know, I can see the slow Apple conversion going on. I am seriously liking my hand-me-down iPhone and had been thinking about getting the gen 4 but it looks like I have an iPad instead.

I'm a lil stunned by the purchase since I actually had no inclination to owning an iPad - despite it being Oprah's number one favourite pick :D But the deed is done and my sis has my iPad in hand so I guess I join the ranks of iPad owners :P

My sis was attending the launch of the 3G iPad back in Homeland. Being an AMEX platinum cardmember she got to go to the pre-launch and get her hands on one before the rest of the masses. She already owns the latest iPad and has been trying to get me on board as well but I have been resistent or just non-committal about it. Not as non-committal as I thought I guess, hehe.

The great thing about this is that I get the iPad for practically the same price as its being sold in the States. After forex conversion it costs USD830. AND the most stupendous thing about this purchase is.....it's on a 12-month interest free payment plan! WOOHOO!

Hmmm, I kinda don't know what I'm dong with an iPad :P

so i'm totally stopping after this

Yea, I know I make declarations such as this ALL THE TIME but considering I really wanna be able to pay them all off at the end of this month as well as keep up with my study loan payments and handbag payments, I have to make sure I follow through.

Anyways, these purchases were more of me stocking up while its cheap rather than getting anything new per se. Ok, let me be honest cos if there's any time and place to be honest it's going to be on this semi-anon blog that I have - I was stocking up on ONE thing, the other two items in my order are just new whimsies.

Moving on with the post, as usual there was some awesome deal I had to take advantage of on drugstore.com and the short of it is it cost me $53.78. I present my 'haul' as below:


First and foremost of all, I was looking for replacement brush heads for my Clarisonic (which is MY beauty tool du jour, can't express how much I love, love, love it!) and it so happened they were going for a really great bargain on drugstore.com. This is after I did my usual Google Shopping gig and finding that the best deal was from my favourite drugstore refuge - though Clarisonic is more a high-end brand than a drugstore brand but anywho.....I got the pack-of-2 CLARISONIC Replacement Brush Head for Sensitive Skin that usually retails for 40 bucks at the very pleasing price of $25.60! I have been diligently using the Clarisonic twice a day as part of my skincare routine and considering the wear and tear of daily use and the instructions to replace brush heads every 3/4 months, I figured it was the right time to be looking into some spare heads.

Then I decided to get myself the ecoTools brow and lash groomer. I had been eyeing this brand for some time, debating to go for this or the Sonia Kashuk for Target range of eco makeup tools but on a recent trip to Homeland, I found a local beauty store that carried the line and ended up purchasing the ecoTools 5 piece mini brush set to use with my Jane Iredale mineral foundation compact. I loved the set I got - the bristles are synthetic but oh so soft! - and since my really, really old (we're talking turn of the millenium old!) plastic Lancome brow and lash brush, short anecdote - received as a free gift when I bought my first high-end fragrance Oui, already had a gaping hole where it was missing more than a few teeth, I figured it was a good time as ever to invest in a new groomer. And there just so happened to be a special sale on ecoTools products on drugstore.com. I got the brush for the great deal price of $3.19. Hey, since I'm replacing an old, worn out lash and brow groomer, I believe this qualifies as a 'restock' of sorts :D

Last paid item on the list is the RapidLash Eyelash Enhancing Serum. This was a non-necessity, just a random buy. I wasn't in the market for one but as I am wont to do, I was trying to qualify for free shipping. Usually this product would cost an arm and a leg for this teeny tube but drugstore.com had a price reduction special going on so I figured why not. With the special discount and on top of my member promo code I got this serum for $29.99. Of course, I read the reviews first before proceeding and it appears primarily excellent. I was born with sparse-ish brows and my lashes though not stunted but well, which girl wouldn't like more luscious lashes? If this product does what it says it does, I'll be glad I decided to throw caution to the wind (hehe, this seems like a funny saying to me somehow) and just go for it. If it doesn't do anything, then I would not feel the burn so much since I didn't pay the full $49.99 for it :)

Other stuff I got were just some free samples - a Fekkai Glossing Shampoo/Glossing Conditioner Dual Sachet, a de-luxe SaVON French Milled Soap, a Sue Devitt MicroQuatic Pro-Juvenation Reparative Eye Cream, a Stila Eyeshadow Kitten Complimentary Sample and a complimentary sample vial of Jack Black Eau de Parfum.

DISCLAIMER:
Images are not my own but are courtesy of drugstore.com