Home + Boredom + Flu = online shopping

I spent a lazy day at home today, doing laundry and browsing online. I have an excuse- I'm sick with the flu! Well, after browsing and browsing I decided it's time to suck it up and buy a new make-up brush set. I've delayed purchasing a new brush set because I was content with my travel set from MAC. But after reading lots of articles on the importance of using a *premium* brush when applying make-up, I convinced myself to buy the Trish McEvoy travel set, just to try it out.



Now I just have to wait for it to come in the mail. Does anyone have experience with trying out different make-up brushes? Is there really a difference? Oh well, I hope so.

I also decided to try the Kerastase Masquintense, Thick. I have thick hair that can be unruly sometimes and I like the way the Kerastase Nutritive shampoo smells so I decided to buy a tub of hair mask. I'll let you know how it goes!

And now I'm searching around for a pair of destroyed jeans. I was considering the Paper Denim & Cloth Ripper jeans but I feel like they're EVERYWHERE and I'm starting to get sick of them. Abercrombie and Hollister have a cute pair of ripped up jeans but their cut never looks right on me. True Religion has one but it's $170+ and I already have 2 pairs of TR jeans. Any other suggestions???

mebath Shower Sherberts

You know how I'm really into scented things? I've just made another new discovery, from the makers of the mebath Ice Cream.

Up until now I've always used a separate shower gel & body scrub. Shower scrubs usually smell good but are ineffective in proper exfoliating. Good body scrubs, on the other hand, (sugar or salt) usually smell really bad. These new Shower Sherbert takes the best of both worlds and puts it in a cute Haagen Daz sized tub of sherbert. The formula contains cane sugar plus jojoba oil and vitamin E leave your skin soft and smooth. It also lathers up well, leaving a luscious scent on your skin.

My fave is still the Hawaiian Lei!

Me! Shower Sherbets - 16 oz. at eBubbles 16oz., $28

Back to reality..

I can't believe I'm back in LA. The week went by too fast! Well here is a quick summary of what went on:

Friday Aug 20~ Monday Aug 23
Left LA for Honolulu to stay at the Sheraton Waikiki for 3 nights. I was pretty darn happy... ok I was extremely happy... Louis Vuitton was right across the street! And the block over to the left housed Gucci, Chanel, Dior and Tod's. Within walking distance?? It was too much for me. ~.~ All I did in Waikiki was shop, every hour, every day. I picked up a really cute necklace from Chanel~ they were having a sale on some of their jewelry but of course I had to pick out something that wasn't on sale. Macy's was having a big sale too, I got 2 pairs of Hudson jeans and some Sweetees tanks and Sanctuary cropped pants- it was so hot & humid I ran out of clothes to wear by the 3rd day there. I also discovered a new must-have piece of clothing: Mimi & Coco tank tops.



The pointelle tank comes in either solid colors or with contrast lace. They are a light breathable cotton and very stretchy for comfort. Anyways they come in a ton of yummy colors and it's hard to refrain from wearing these tanks everyday! They are easy to dress up or down too, making them very versatile.

Anyways I also stopped by the Ala Moana mall where Neiman Marcus was having a great sale on Marc by Marc Jacobs clothes and I also picked up a turq blue Miu Miu bag for 65% off. Nuts. At nights I just walked around the streets and I ran into a Brazilian girl who handmakes all of her own jewelry with real semi-precious stones. She was so talented! I got some very good deals on the most gorgeous necklaces. I'll try to get some photos up later!

Ooh and I can't forget to mention the awesome pedicure I got at Nailabo. They specialize in Hawaiian floral print on the nails... here are some grossie pics of my feet ~.~



Mon Aug 23 ~ Thurs Aug 26
I arrived in Maui... I was originally going to stay in Ka'anapali but when I saw how crowded it was there I immediately made a call to make the switch over to the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua Bay. The resort was gorgeous; everything from the 3-tier swimming pool to the quiet private beach was breathtaking.



Anyhow there wasn't much to do (shop) in Maui so I spent most of the time working on my tan and relaxing on the beach. The shops in the villages were alright (although it was weird- amidst the homey shopes in the Whaler's Village stood a Louis Vuitton and Tiffany's... talk about standing out) but I did find a lot of cute things in one of the gift shops in the Ritz. They had everything from Trina Turk's new line to Diptyque candles (got one in Baies, yum!). I also found the best way to bring relaxation back with me to LA... mebath Bath Ice Cream.



They are scoops of "ice cream" filled with all natural essential oils, salts, minerals, scents and flowers. They fizz when you pop them in the water and create a wonderfully scented bath. They also work wonders on your skin, making it feel smooth and reinvigorated. My favorite scents were Hawaiian Lei and Peaches and Cream.

Well, the main reason for my visit to Maui was to attend my cousin's wedding. It was on the lawn of a beach house, steps away from the sand.



All of the settings were so beautiful. The dinner table was right next to the water, which was amazing in the moonlight. Well... that's it for now, I will try to post more pics later. Right now I have to enjoy the time I have with the house to myself. (Just dropped off the pups at the groomers)

P.S. Remember those dog tags I ordered from Wagging Tail? Well, I got a call from them telling me that they were featured in a magazine and they got flooded with orders so they weren't ready until today. They said that "Reese Witherspoon bought some and then it was featured in a magazine the month after and we've been soooo busy." You know what pisses me off??? I ordered them the same day, WHILE Reese was in the store... so why were MINE pushed back? Sheesh. I guess that's what I get for being an unimportant person in LA...

I'm back!

No... I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I just got back tonight from my trip to Hawaii.. will post more tomorrow! (Who knew Waikiki Beach would be so fun...)

Prada Rush...

Despite the summer heat, my sisters and I decided to drive over to Cabazon to satisfy our craving for good deals. Of course, I went with a game plan. I always stop by Gucci first to check out the bags and shoe selection, then make my round over to Prada. Then after that it's off to the "moderate" stores like Barneys New York and Off Saks 5th to search for bargains.

This time around Gucci was just "blah" and Prada had a worse-than-usual bag selection. However, since I was enjoying the air conditioning (with the 100 degree heat outside!), I made my way to the back and saw a couple of cute shoes. Then off to the corner I saw a sign: "Women's RTW 65% off lowest ticketed price." What? Wait. These shoes are $190... that can't be.

So I give a sales person one of the shoes and asked her to check on the sale price for me. She returns it and says "These will be $65." So I asked her back, "uhm, is that for just one or.. the pair?!" And she says, "Yes, haha, they are for the pair. These are the last ones so that's why they are discounted. Actually, all of the shoes in this section are around that price range, but they are all size 9-10."

Thank God for big feet!~

I walked away with 3 pairs of shoes:
- Prada darkened bronze strappy high-heeled sandals.
- Prada black leather semi-chunky heels.
- Miu miu brown leather sandals with a high cork heel.

All of this for.... $190!
$65 + $68 + $42 + tax

I still can't believe it.

I wanna go back and just take the rest of the shoes but they were mostly black or dark brown so I doubt I need that many. But still! I was so excited I was seriously sweating in the store and I don't think it was because of the heat.

Weekend Shopping

Diane vonFurstenberg, in violet trimmed with pink.


Vintage Disney l/s tee, in Tinkerbell/white.


Hermes, in purple.


GAP

Barney's Warehouse Sale

As mentioned before, it's time for Barney's twice-yearly clearance sale. This time around, though, I noticed there was better merchandise including racks upon racks of Marc Jacobs and Diane vonFurstenberg and even the "Designer" row had great threads from Proenza Schouler, Missoni and Balenciaga. At 50-80% off! When I arrived at 10:30am it was already FULL. A ton of people were walking out with bags of merchandise.

Here are some things I noticed today:
- Flirty Diane vonFurstenberg dresses in leftover ugly print, the occasional "wow" piece here and there.
- Marc Jacobs jackets from cotton canvas military style in aqua, black, and violet to heavy coats with shearling collar trim.
- Marc Jacobs sweater sets, from $49 cami's and $79-149 cardigans.
- Missoni dresses in a mixture of pinks and browns with a clear sequin overlay.
- Prada brocade tops, bottoms, and dresses.
- Seven Jeans in cream, or corduroy cropped pants in black, brown, and olive.
- Lots of colorful COOP tee's.
- Men's Rogan shirts, including the ever-famous "Save the drama for your mama" in red and white.
- Vintage Disney long sleeved t-shirts previously at $98 could be found for $19. Even though the disney thing is over, these things are super-soft and great for lounging around the house!
- Juicy Couture pleated skirts.
- D&G pink croc heels in almost every size. So cute!
- Proenza Schouler dresses, mostly left in large sizes.
- Balenciaga high-rise stretchy black pencil skirts, great for transitioning into fall, and only $59! (What!?)

Go, go, go!!!

More Wants!

I squeezed in some shopping yesterday after school. Barney's is getting a make-over so they moved things around. I hate construction. It just throws you off!

But anyways I saw some Cecilia De Bucourt shawls on the 3rd floor. They had a couple of silk ones, a bunch of wool ones (including the fiesta-yuck!) and one last cotton one in a turquoise color. I really wanted to get one but it's hard to think about shopping for shawls or jackets when it's 102 degrees outside. I still think the shawl is very cute but I'm starting to think it's a bit played out. Maybe I should stay out of the game on this one. Oh, but it's so super-soft!

They also had a few sale items left. Oh wait- which reminds me... TODAY marks the start of the Barney's warehouse sale!!!

Ok, gotta go ~.~

Fall into the Gap

Went semi-shopping at GAP today. Dunno what it is, shopping at GAP just doesn't have the same punch as other places such as Barney's or Bloomie's. I think it's because no matter how cute an item is that you purchase, once it enters your closet it will always be just a "basic". Today I stopped by the GAP in Santa Monica to pick up a large bag for my Hawaii trip- something to take with me to the airport and shopping. Well, here are some "basics" that I picked up today.


Dainty, but slim-fitting. Meaning, fitting to make you look slim. ^.^

A bit marc jacobs-y, looks clean on its own, cuter when layered.

Addicted to my black "Pally" gauchos, so I bought an olive green pair in a more tailored cut. I have been eyeing some Theory ones for a while now but these are a bit easier on the wallet.


Matches my vernis marshmallow "French Purse" =) Big and roomy enough for the beach, cute enough for the streets.

First time I actually saw someone use this bag...

Three Cheers for Kiehl's!

Here are some goodies I picked up at the Kiehl's in Santa Monica (Montana Ave.) today: *edits are added after testing :P

Cutest little gift set ever! No! I didn't buy it for Lulu! It's for my cousin Emi's new baby. Of course, as they are gifts and for babies, I was unable to try them for a product review ^.^
But the set comes with:
Gentle foaming hair & body wash, Nurturing baby cream for face & body, Diaper rash ointment, Baby lip balm, & Kiehl's baby T-shirt.

*edit: Okay didn't actually test it, but I did smell them and they smell so cute!

Superbly Efficient Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant Cream
I got this one just for the name ^.^ I wasn't overconfident about the normal drugstore ones I use, and since this one is superbly efficient, I had to try it. It boasts 24-hour coverage as well as skin softening, soothing, and conditioning ingredients such as orange, lemon, and linseed extracts.

*edit: It hasn't been 24 hours yet, but I'd say I'm impressed! It isn't as sticky as Secret and I certainly don't have to use as much. It also makes the underarm skin look smoother and healthier!

Grapefruit Liquid Body Cleanser
At first I didn't like Kiehl's shower gels because they were so runny, but I love the refreshing fruity scents. It also leaves your skin feeling very clean and soft yet without the tightness that other soaps usually leave behind.

*edit: I like this scent much better than mango, it's stronger and cripser.

Grapefruit Deluxe Hand & Body Lotion
Not as heavy as the Creme de Corps, but does its job well. I love the refreshingly sweet scent and the smooth texture it leaves behind. Some if its ingredients include Aloe Vera and Oatmeal.

Superemely Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover
I love that this make-up remover feels more like a treatment rather than the usual harsh ones put out by other beauty labels. It is very gentle and not greasy at all, but it does the job!

Close Shaverettes "Simply Mahvelous Legs" After-Shave Lotion
My legs have become so dry this season, I was willing to try anything. This soothing cream doubles as a moisturizer and is supposed to get rid of dryness.

*edit: Don't convert just yet... not as moisturizing as a lotion and doesn't smell very good. However, I noticed that I didn't have any razor burn or irritation afterwards... so the question is.. did I ever have razor burn or irritation before? I don't think I did... Anyhow, I still had to put lotion on afterwards.


Rare Earth Facial Cleansing Masque
I was looking for a good treatment to use for my bf's sensitive/oily complexion. This is supposed to be a good cleansing mask that goes deep into the pores and leaves the skin soft, clean and smooth.

*edit: Wow! The masque went on smoothly, wasn't messy, and it dried up pretty fast. The results were pretty good- the tone of the skin improved and pores were clean & shrunken. It definitely delivered on its promises - and even better: it works on ALL skin types including sensitive.


Foaming Non-Detergent Washable Cleanser
I got this facial cleanser for sensitive skin for my bf. Again, not for me, but I hear it's unscented and guys love it because it foams up just like soap. BTW- what is it with guys and non-foaming cleansers? It bugs the hell out of him whenever I get a facial cleanser that doesn't foam up. It's still cleanser! Anyhoo this one is great for sensitive/oily skin.

*edit: Passed the redness test! Definitely gentle enough for even the most sensitive of skin.

Multi-Purpose Facial Formula For Men
Don't you wish they had one of these creams for women? It's an all-in-one cream that is supposed to smooth, moisturize, protect, exfoliate and mattefy male skin. Now I don't want to say I am easily swayed by marketing but... this cream seemed pretty amazing!

*edit: Again, I was very impressed. The cream was light and not oily at all. Had no scent and was gentle enough even for his skin. Left just the right amout of moisture on the skin with shine control.

South Coast Plaza Reunion

After 3 or more long years, I have finally been reunited with South Coast Plaza again ^.^ For this fancy occasion, SCP has prepared for me a few surprises:

Ron Herman - Although always yummy tops and other casuals, walking in here felt a little too summery for me. Time to gear up for fall. Pass on the colorful tees, bring on the cute scarves and jackets!

Kiehl's - I love how Kiehl's is popping up everywhere! With a store in Santa Monica, South Coast, Kiehls.com and of course the slew of department stores that carry kiehls, you really don't have a reason not to own any ^.^ Among my favorites: cucumber herbal toner, creme de corps body lotion, baby lip balm and the creme d'elegance repairateur facial moisturizer.

Bath and Body Works beauty - Since when did BBW carry products from henri bendel, molton brown, murad, and nars? The foyer entrance to this BBW was stocked with goodies from some of my favorite beauty companies.

Lawry's Carvery - I didn't get a chance to eat here... but I wonder if they have their famous spinning bowl salad and creamed corn to go?

Louis Vuitton - Again I don't remember if there was an LV store the last time I've been there... but if there was it must have been remodeled or something because this was definitely the first time I'd been in this store. I showed my lil sis the multicolore mini sac that I wanted to get her but she didn't like :(

Jimmy Choo - There, in the front display, was a small silver framed sign that said: "SALE". I dared myself to go in. But after my recent shoe splurge... I just couldn't.