here's hoping Cairo is the last for January

I was mindlessly flipping through the latest US Weekly with Elton John on the cover - digital of course - when I came a cross a bit piece on Kate Bosworth's jewelry collaboration project.

I had read about it a while back on imnotobsessed.com if I'm not mistaken but it didn't intrigue me then. This time though, I was compelled to check her site out, JewelMint.com, as the piece in US Weekly had some photos of available pieces in the current collection.

So I went to the site, did my style profile, got myself registered and received the selection of pieces 'chosen' by Kate Bosworth and her stylist as well as co-collaborator, Cher Coulter. From the selection, I was encouraged to choose the pieces I liked and they would form my showroom. Once I had picked the accessories that spoke out to me the most, these items were available for a closer inspection in my virtual showroom.

I am mainly a rings and bracelet kinda gal so my interests were more drawn to these kind of accessories. There were a couple of rings that I liked but the one that caught my eye the most was the Cairo rings - a set of two distressed gold hammered rings.


I have no idea why it is that of late I am very into Eygptian inspired accessories but I really like the antique vibe it possesses :)

First let's talk about what JewelMint.com is all about. It is basically like an online club for costume jewelry aficianados. The basic premise is that based on your style quiz, Kate, Cher and the JewelMint team will recommend personalized jewelry for you each month. There is no charge until you purchase your first piece of jewelry and from then on, JewelMint will send you a recommended piece. If you're not interested in any pieces in any given month, you can skip getting a piece. It's always free shipping and simple returns. Each piece is available to members for the affordable price of $29.99.

Now, although I liked the idea of the site, I'm not really that big on accessories. And the only piece I really was interested in were the Cairo rings but I was still not interested enough to actually get them.....until I was doing my Youtube beauty vloggers roll and came across Blair Fowler's latest Juicy Jabber vlog in which she talked about JewelMint - what a total coincidence. As I was waiting for the video to load, I clicked on 'More Info' cos sometimes they put what they're wearing and the makeup they have on in the info column and I saw that JewelMint and Blair had a 50% off promo code for your first purchase off of JewelMint.


Well, that sealed the deal for me. I was willing to try JewelMint if I only had to pay $14.99 for the two rings! And so I did! I got the rings in a size 7. I'm so excited to be able to purchase the pieces for such a great price. I'm not saying that I'll be regularly getting anything from the site now that I've made my first purchase as I'll probably only consider getting anything else when they're having some kind of special promos like the one with Blair. Though, I ahve to admit - I'm pretty excited to get my rings! And that, I hope, will be the last purchase for the month of Janus :)

DISCLAIMER:
All images are courtesy of JewelMint dot com.

Target.com ov yanvar 2011-ci il, hələ simpatiya xətləri 'For Target'

I hope with all my heart that the Azerbaijani translation provided by Google is accurately describing what the post is all about and not some other thing :)

So I'm still a fan of designer diffusion lines. The three items I got from Target.com, all come from their 'For Target' collection. That's what the post title is all about - Target.com Haul January 2011, still a fan of the 'For Target' lines. Hehehe, is the purpose of posting the title in a different language defeated when I have to still note down what it means?


First up is this exclusive tunic dress designed by Wren for the Target Red Hot collection. It's been available online since November and retails for $79.99 but has been marked down to $63.99. The even better part is - there's a special promo going on where an additional 20% discount will be deducted if I spend over $75 bucks! In the end I got this dress for $51.19. Now I know that is still pricey but I figure this dress is so pretty and it's January and I still like it. Aside from the discount, the positive reviews really played a major part in my decision to get it. I got this in a size S as I have gotten clothes from Target before and can even manage an XS but I figured an S would give me good room for my broad shoulders to squeeze into.


Next up is the Justin Timberlake owned designer line William Rast For Target. I liked the look of the Skinny Jeans in Medium Wash. This is retailing for $49.99 but is also part of the 20% off above $75 promo so I was essentially charged $39.99. That's a 10 bucks savings! I think this jeans will pair well with the tunic dress above. As the sizing is apparently similar to high-end designer jeans sizing, I decided to be more conservative and go for a 29. I can also see it looking like a winner of an outfit when paired along with the next item that I got.....


.....which is the Dolce Vita for Target Nude Rope Wedge Sandal in 8.5. I was led to these totally gorgeous shoes via The Budget Babe. She was doing a recommended outfit post for someone who was going to somewhere sunny for vacay and picked these wedges as an option. I love that it is in a nude colour, which I don't own. I can see this pairing well with my olive F21 cargo skinnies as well. It retails for $29.99 but again, is an item that falls under the same 20% off above $75 promo so I paid $23.99 for it!

I like the fact that I essentially bought a whole outfit on Target.com. I plan on rocking this on my birthday in March :) I think it's a really great balance between a classic yet trendy look. Everything I got was 20% off and I found a 5 bucks off 50 dollars code so with that as well my total charged was $110.18.

DISCLAIMER:
All images courtesy of Target.com

livingsocial + amazon = 27 cents shopping!

One of the perks of following blogs is finding out about great deals to buy into :)

I was doing my daily blog roll on Wednesday and was reading up on ClosetTherapyBlog's twitter feed when I came across her tweet about a very interesting deal going on at LivingSocial.com - $20 Amazon Gift Card going for 10 bucks! I get an extra 10 bucks for free?!?!?! WHO DOESN'T LOVE A DEAL LIKE THAT!

So I followed the link, quickly registered - using my Portland addy, of course - and purchased myself the twenty dollar Amazon Gift Card that was going for 10 bucks. Since it was my first purchase, I wasn't sure if it was going to go through but today I got an email from LivingSocial telling me my gift card code was ready to be claimed. I was so stoked and immediately went to redeem the twenty dollar amount.

After 'cashing' it in, I kept thinking about what I should spend it on - the Corso Como Festive ballet flats that I've been hankering after, the stuff from the Target diffusion lines that I've been eyeing, stuff from Sephora and whatnot. In the end, I settled for getting something that I needed to replenish - the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti Blemish, Anti Wrinkle cream.

Lol, I know, none too exciting but the tube I got back in November is nearly finished and I was in need to stock up. I'll admit, when I first used it, I wasn't so sure about continuing with this product and stopped for a few weeks before picking it back up. Now I'm loving it! The thing I don't like is that it comes in a rather small tube for a face moisturiser so it finishes faster. Every use you're encouraged to squeeze out a pearl-sized amount and even adhereing to the directions, I find the cream is rapidly finishing.

I found a 2-pack deal on Amazon going for $23.85 which is a pretty good deal cos on Drugstore.com it's a lil bit more than that. Then I noticed something else on the product description page. There was a box that said,

"Save an extra 15% with Subscribe & Save: Sign up to have this item delivered at a regular interval of your choice, and the current price drops to $20.27. Shipping is always free. No fees, no risks, no obligations. See details"

Another 15% off that would bring the total to a mere $20.27, NO OBLIGATIONS AND shipping is ALWAYS FREE?!?!?! I'll sign up for that!

So I did. It is such a deal! The fact that I can get the 15% discount as well as free shipping without a minimum purchase this one time and after this order is delivered, I can have my subscription canceled no questions asked is fantastic. And on the other hand, I'll be assured to have a semi-steady supply with free shipping and 15% off every order. The offer allows you to choose how often you want the product delivered to you - every month, 2, 3 or 6 months. I'm thinking that a tube can last me about 1 1/2 months per tube so I will only need to replenish every 3 months or so. Hence I chose to go for the 3 month option.

Since I had the 20 bucks gift card, I ended up having to charge just 27 cents to my credit card :P I do realize that I essentially paid $10.27 since the gift card was not free and all but still, a 10 dollar savings still feels like free to me somehow, hehehe.

drugstore.com ढोना - जनवरी 2011

LOL, I am really making it my mission to post unfathomable titles! This time I closed my eyes and just clicked from the available translators and landed on Hindi! I'm just going with it......

Being a drugstore.com registered member, every time a purchase is made, I am awarded something called drugstore dollars. This is basically a 5% cashback on my total amount every time I spend on the site. The accumulated drugstore dollars can then be used for future purchases on the site every 3 months.

Since my first purchase back in November, I have accrued $6.19 in drugstore dollars which I have to spend in this month. If I don't the amount is forfeited. It's a good thing I do have some things I want to replenish and therefore won't have to (a) spend unnecessarily just because I don't want to 'waste' my free money AND (b) forfeit the amount which I'm loathe to do and is basically not in my nature.


First item up is something I've heard great things about but am only now going to try it out - the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. I have read rave reviews on this drugstore facial treatment and since I am running out of my Garnier brand masks, figured it would not hurt to give this a try. It has an average rating of 4.4/5 out of 382 reviews - I like them statistics. The description mentions that the Mint Julep Masque was developed by a dermatologist and that it helps dry up acne pimples, rinse away blackheads and shrink enlarged pores. It retails for $4.19.

Another item I've recently become obsessed about trying is the Ambi Fade Cream. My struggles with dark spots caused by overly pigment-producing skin is a constant bane in my existence. I am willing to try just about anything that claims to be able to reduce the appearance of my hyperpigmentation. The fact that this is a drugstore buy that comes with a drugstore price and not something pricey that would make me weep if it doesn't do what it says it does is a boon! It is supposed to visibly fades dark spots and skin discolorations for an even, natural skin tone with in 2 weeks. The cream contains Hydroquinone - which is a dermatologist recommended ingredient to safely fade dark spots, Alpha Hydroxy Acid - to help enhance results - and Vitamin E - to help soften and smooth skin. It is going for $3.53.

An item that came with an additional $3 bucks off coupon is the RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream. I don't know if it's my imagination or the fact that I have never been one to pay attention to the area under my eyes but towards the end of 2010, I noticed the beginnings of fine lines under my right eye. It freaked me out quite a bit and I have been diligently patting the area with my small sample tube of L'Occitane's Immortelle Precious cream. That's close to finishing so I figured it is time to invest in some eye cream. This French brand has had some rather excellent reviews and is even an Allure magazine Editor's Choice Award winner. It is on sale for $21.39 but with the $3 off coupon, I am getting it for $18.39. Plus, buying this item meant my entire order qualified for free shipping.

Fourth in line, we have the Goody Simple Styles Spin Pin. I have long hair that is hanging halfway down my back right now and usually put it up for work. But going through 8-hour days 5 times a week with my hair pulled back with scrunchies or hair ties tend to hurt at some point of the day or another. I have consistently read good stuff about this Goody product and thought it would not hurt to try this out if it'll alleviate the discomfort I go through with having my hair put up. It's basically 2 corckscrew like pins that will hold hair up in a secure yet less stressed bun. At $6.49 for the pair, I'll give it a go.

Fifth in the list is an item that I've heard so many good things about - the CoverGirl Lash Blast Fusion mascara. I decided to go for the shade Very Black. If I'm honest, I have never actually bought a drugstore mascara before aside from a Maybelline clear mascara that I use to set my brows. The mascaras I own are all from Benefit - BadGal and Get Bent. I'm not a mascara snob by any means, I just don't know why I never thought to get drugstore mascara before this. Anywho, the mascara was going for $8.99 but had a $1 off coupon available as well as a 'Buy 1, Get 1 Eye Item for 50% Off' promo.

And so, lastly, to take advantage of the 50% off discount, I decided to get myself the CoverGirl Eye Enhancers 4 Kit Eyeshadow Set in Blossoms. This kit was on sale for $4.99 but with the 'Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off' promo, I managed to score this for $2.50! I went for this shade as it had the least offensive colour combo, lol. The other kits seemed a bit too overwhelmingly cheerful in my opinion :)

Oh, I forgot my two free samples. This timne around I decided to go for the StriVectin-SD Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks & Wrinkles and the Balance Bar GOLD Nutrition Energy Bar with Three Indulgent Layers in the flavour Chocolate Peanut Butter. These samples are $1.49 to buy but are free with any purchase from drugstore.com with no minimum purchase.

That's it for this drugstore.com haul. After deducting the $6.19 in drugstore dollars and an additional $5 for spending over 40 bucks (how can I not love drugstore.com!), I spent a total of $32. I'm hoping the next time I need to get something from this site, it'll be in April or May when I can use my drugstore dollars again!

the new IT thing on the block?

Let's talk about the item touted as the next beauty product extraodinaire - the BB Cream! I found out about BB creams via MissGlamorazzi's Youtube channel where she was waxing poetic about the Skin79 BB Cream.

What is BB Cream? Most sites I've checked out define BB as blemish balm. It was originally used to hide the recovery bruises of plastic surgery patients - providing a practically flawless appearance. Sensing a major business opportunity, it was then commercialized for the beauty market by South Koreans and made famous by their movie stars. This beauty trend has now begun to spread beyond the shores of South Korea to the rest of the world with more mainstream cosmetics company, such as Maybelline, coming up with their own versions of the BB cream.

At the heart of it, commercial BB cream is basically the Asian version of foundation. I would describe it as a cross between a tinted moisturiser and a lightweight foundation. It's claimed to be healthier for the skin as it allows the skin to breathe and also posesses some skin healing properties.

I got my bottle of Skin79 Super+ Triple Function BB cream from eBay for $14 plus with free shipping which is a bargain as some places are selling this particular one for close to 30 bucks. Skin79 brand is by Wizcoz, a South Korean cosmetics company, that specializes in BB creams and they have many different lines of BB creams under the Skin79 name. This particular cream I got has whitening properties, anti-blemish and anti-wrinkle ingredients as well as contains SPF. It is supposed to provide full but light coverage and will colour correct to a natural shade similar to the wearer's skintone as well as provide a brightening effect. With consistent use, it will lighten skintone and also improve skin elasticity. Sounds like a mircale in a bottle, right?

MissGlamorazzi's continuous use of this product in her makeup tutorials convinced me to give this a go. She is Eurasian so I figured if it suits her, it should be okay for me as well. Once I got mine though, the realities set in, namely, the one shade fits all. Ok, if we're honest, the BB cream shade was created with the very snowy white complexion of the Koreans and Japanese in mind, not really meant for those with a more olive complexion with yellow undertones. When I squeezed the pump the first time, I looked at the colour of the cream and became very apprehensive. The cream is a light ashy yellowy beige shade and I wondered if this was going to work on me at all. It did not help that I unwittingly fully depressed the pump and a lot of the cream came out. The consistency of the cream is rather thick when compared to liquid foundations and even tinted moisturisers. When I applied it to my face, it was more like I was trying to slather on heavy night cream with the amount I had, lol. Since I was rushing for work, I didn't have time to fix the mess so I had to wash it all off and revert to my Revlon PhotoReady foundation.


During the weekend, I decided to play around with it. I knew I'm not that much darker than MissGlamorazzi so I was determined to find a way to make it work for me. After some trial and error, I finally came to a pump ratio that would allow the product to actually colour-correct rather successfully to my skintone. It self-adjusts as much as possible but I still think it appears a smidge too light for me and in certain lighting, I look washed out. Once the product is on the skin, it feels very light - as if barely there which is really good as I hate the rather heavy feel of foundations sometimes. However, the coverage is not enough to cover my hyperpigmentation so I cannot use this on its own just yet. I think, eventually, I'll be able to get away with just this sitting on my skin. But for now, I am using it as my primer in my daily makeup routine.

Final thoughts: It's been 3 weeks since I began regularly putting this on my face and so far, so good. I like it, I don't think it's causing me to break out but I don't think it's stopping any blemishes from reappearing either - I tend to get breakouts on the same spots over and over again. I do think it's helping out with the hyperpigmentation. I like that it has SPF. I would prefer if there were more than just the one shade so that a better colour match can be had.

expedición de compras número uno para el 2011

Yes, one of the 'things' on my 2011 list of things to do is come up with foreign language titles for my blog posts. No, not really, I just have nothing better to do than use my good friend, Google Translate, to give me the non-English equvalent of any title I come up with.

Anywho, what, where - another possibility for my fake 2011 To-Do list is apparently being completely obnoxious on my blog postings - I held off for 13 days into the new year before I commenced the act of getting stuff via monetary channels so I give myself total credit for that - hey, credit where it's due and all that jazz, right???? But let's just get on to the good stuff.....

My first official buy of the 2011 shopping year was heralded with a 7 items purchase from everybody's favourite cheap chic fast fashion store, Forever 21. And it cost me a mere $54.06! For 7 things! I got myself a maxi skirt, two pants, a cuff, a ring, a pair of earrings that I'm going to be gifting and this really cute chain fringe hobo which I'm still unsure if I'm keeping or gifting.

That pesky Forever 21 site is just a merchants' port loaded with seriously chic, inexpensive things that sing their individual siren songs to lure level-headed folks (yes, am talking about moi) to an early shopping excursion! The deals were just so, so, so good, I just couldn't help myself! I wanted to wait till February but I was afraid the things I wanted would be gone by the time I was truly ready so I jumped the imaginary timeline I had set myself (I had set none per se - just an unofficial battle of wills going on within my brain)!


Numero uno on this, the first of the 2011 buying expedition, is the grey, long maxi skirt. I have had this in my basket since my last F21 foray in early December but was loathe to pay $17.80 for the skirt - I was banking on the price being reduced further and reduce it did! It went all the way down to $8.99. I breathe a major sigh of relief that I did not cave to my wants earlier cos I would have been majorly irritated to have seen the price dip down by about 9 bucks.

Numero dos was the floral etched cuff bracelet. I got this for $4.80. I've been really into gold accessories of the past few months but I know that some faux gold jewelry can look downright tacky. From the images on the site, I thought the shade of gold on this cuff appeared to be classy rather than gaudy. The floral etchings are very pretty and overall, I get a very Cleopatra-Egyptian vibe from it.

Third we have the relaxed cargo pants in olive. I have been wanting to add an olive hued pair to my skinny leg cargo pants collection for some time now - tried getting the Route66 pair a couple of months ago but it was out of stock after I made my purchase - but I'm glad that none of my previous attempts went through cos I am loving the simplicity of these pants. I like that the back pockets are completely flat and that the material appears to be lightweight. I got these bargain pants for $9.99.

Next up is this totally cute (to me that is) stone age ring. There were three colours to choose from; white, peachy pink and seafoam green but I decided to go for the peachy pink. I have always been into statement rings and this one fits the bill. I think it's edgy yet feminine and I can't wait to get it. The cost was a cool $3.80. Can I just say that I love the fact that most F21 jewelery costs below 5 bucks, it allows one the opportunity to accessorize on the cheap and that's fantastic.

Fifth on the list is the fold-over waist satin pants. It's in a beautiful shade of cocoa and it has a rather upscale look to it. I like how there is a relaxed luxe beachy feel - if one can actually attach a feel to a pair of pants, lol. I debated a bit about getting these pants since it's satin and I live in a tropical climate - sweat stains will be very visible! But the fashion esthetics won over fashion practicality so I got 'em. The largest available size was in M which would have given me pause if it were not for the fact my previous F21 pants purchase was also in M and fits like a dream. I believe I shouldn't have a problem with this pair. These were going for $10.99 on sale.


The item I got to gift are the etched feather and beads earrings. I personally love the look of this pair - I think it's trendy, chic and pretty. I am going to gift this along with the faux pearl cascading necklace I got from my first F21 buy last November to my gal pal, Marie. She's the sort who can pull off these styles.


Last but not least was the chain fringe bag. I was originally looking for a gift for my former roomie, WM, and knew that she'd appreciate a functional yet chic hobo but I couldn't find one that didn't have straps that weren't too long for her petite stature or a design that wasn't too funky for her to carry to school as she's now a trainee English teacher. But after showing this purse to both my sisters, they did agree that the bag looked very nice. And it was going for the ridiculous price of $13.99. I am very attracted to this bag as it is edgy yet beautiful and it somehow reminds me a bit of the Cynthia Vincent Grocery bag (don't ask why!) which I've always thought looked like a really great hobo. I love that the strap looks long enough that it can go cross-body but we'll have to see in person if that's actually doable. I'm still keeping my options open as to whether this bag is going into my own collection or as a prezzie to someone. For now, I can't think of anyone who would like it bar myself. I'm actually kinda relieved that I am considering keeping this bag for myself cos I've been worried my handbag tastes have been compromised by my recent, more expensive purchases. I'm glad that I haven't become a bag snoot, lol.

So the items are packed and shipped and I seriously cannot wait to get them. But I am only having these items sent back to Homeland in February after this month's billing cycle closes. I have a ton of things to pay for this month and can only allocate the funds for DHL shipping into the February budget. There's also the fact that I'm wanting to get some stuff from drugstore.com as well as things from Target.com but am waiting to get these closer to the end of the month so that the things do not have to wait in storage too long before shipment.

DISCLAIMER:
All images are courtesy of Forever 21 dot com.

it's arrived!!!!!

Look at it! So gorgeous, oh, I sooooooooo cannot wait to get this on my wrist. Both my sisters say it's truly huge but I think it still looks really pretty on! That's my sister's wrist modeling it, btw.

My latest shipment of stuff has arrived in Homeland. This group of things included my drugstore.com order, my Shape FX/Lytess Spiegel stuff, B&N Arabian Nights book, my Overstock.com order, Haute Look SIGG bottles, Murad.com order, Walmart.com order and an iPad stylus I ordered with my sis. I am beyond excited that they have all made it safely to Homeland though one of my packages did get left behind at the DHL sorting facility in Hong Kong before arriving at my home later in the evening that same day :)