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Monday, June 25, 2012

The Shopping Diaries: Abercrombie & Fitch Ala Moana, Nordstrom Rack Ward, Nordstrom Online

Finally the last installment to this shopping extravaganza! Because I only bought one thing from A&F, I decided to combine it with my own purchases from Nordstrom Rack and online!

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

Here is a simple long sleeve white shirt. The material is quite thick so I'll probably be only able to wear this during the fall/winter season, but I can also wear it as an overshirt if I go to the movies. I got this on sale for $29.99 and I'm always curious to see what the original price was, so I carefully removed the sale sticker and saw that this was originally $88! It's still mind-boggling that A&F would think anyone would buy a plain shirt like this for $88. I hardly buy anything regularly priced at A&F because their sale section is decent.

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

I bought this at Nordstrom Rack the same day I bought my Bed Head products. I was always on the look out for a white skinny belt because I had bought this really cute dress from Cecil McBee (one day I'll do a series of posts for my shopping in Japan when I was studying abroad) and it came with a white belt, but I had ruined the white part and it became kind of unsightly. I thought this was the perfect belt for that dress! It's adjustable in the back just in case I get fat or something lol and the buckle is really pretty, which reminds me of the style of jewelry that Brighton does :)

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

These are my beautiful Vince Camuto "Jasper" Black Mary Jane pumps. I'm just going to copy/paste the description that I wrote on my Poupee for this. 

t was literally love at first sight. These are 5'' heels but anything with a platform will make it much more easier to walk in. The heel is thicker, which gives added support. Honestly, I've never said a shoe was sexy before, but these are sexy .

I saw these for the first time sometime in April and they weren't on sale. As much as I loved them, I couldn't see myself spending $120+ on it.....well actually I could but I didn't want to . I thought that by waiting for the half-year sale that my size would DEFINITELY not be there. But when these finally went down to $80, they had a 6W size available, so I snatched it immediately not really knowing if a wide size would be too big. Turns out it made the shoe much more comfortable because it wasn't squeezing my feet. There is still a little room behind the ankle, but it's not very noticeable and that means I won't be getting blisters back there! 


And there you have it! I'm not sure what I'll post next after this...probably more fashion/beauty posts because I've done a lot more shopping up til now. Some major posts to look forward to will be the Sun Protection Kit that I bought from Sephora, Ole Henriksen products, and a major TJ Maxx purchase!

Thank you for reading!

-LAUREN


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The Shopping Diaries: EXPRESS Ala Moana

What's up peeps! Here is the EXPRESS purchases

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

I really wanted to get something kind of out of my comfort zone. Although a lot of you may think that it's not much of a step forward; for me, colors out of my comfort zone is major. I wanted to incorporate more pinks into my wardrobe because I tend to shy away from this color the most. This baby soft pink is perfect for summer and just a nice white tank underneath and a big statement jewelry piece, perhaps a sweet-styled necklace, would be perfect.

 Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

This t-shirt was probably the biggest jump in difference in my usual style. I really wanted in on the gradient trend, so I decided to go along with exploring the pink color and trying this on. I thought it was super fun and very summery as usual. Also, my first thought was that it reminded me of shave ice :9

 Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

I don't know why but I always feel like I need to get a plain white top wherever I go, whether it be in t-shirt, shirt, or tank top form. I kinda reasoned myself into getting this one because of the textile and...um...the string that goes across in the back? Lol, I really did get it because of the textile AND because of my next purchase....

 Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

It was pretty much love at first sight. I loved the different shades of blue and I really am into this Native American/Western style of jewelry, kinda like Lucky Brand. Although I was very let down when I first wore this and while I was straightening my necklace, one of the strands totally broke apart. I was super devastated. Luckily, I found all the beads that fell off and now my boyfriend will attempt to fix it. I hope he does it soon because I miss this necklace dearly!

All right folks! One more installment of this shopping spree and I'll be able to go on to my next segment.

Thank you for reading!

-LAUREN



Friday, June 15, 2012

プーペガールのイベント写真

June Bride Event


The Shopping Diaries: Brandy Melville Ala Moana

Hey all!

I can already feel myself getting lazy about upkeeping this blog, but I'll continue to do my best ^o^
Here is the next segment to my shopping extravaganza and as you can tell by the title, I'll be showing my Brandy Melville purchases!

I must say that I wasn't a fan of the store from the get-go. It took me a while to appreciate the store concept and the clothes. I remember the first time I visited, I felt like it wasn't really anything special. All I could see was the "plainess" and "basicness" of the clothes. Even after feeling that way, I always felt compelled to check out the store, which I figured meant something lol. So finally, I made a visit to the store and genuinely tried to really see what the store was about and I began to like it. Touching the fabrics, actually trying on the clothes, etc. helped to create my appreciation for the store. I began to look at the clothes and my mind started making coordinates with my current wardrobe. I saw that the simpleness made it chic instead of boring as I first thought and left a lot of room for creating many looks; whether it be 可愛い one day and カッコイイ the next time. Also, many trends that I'm currently obsessed about were available in cute patterns, such as a floral sleeveless tail top, or just in solid shades, such as an off-white tie shirt.

When I first looked up Brandy Melville on the internet, I expected it to be a brand out of California because of the beachy, casual theme that I've associated with the West Coast state, but to my surprise, this was an Italian brand! It does draw inspiration from the Cali look, but at the same time, it uses Italian textiles and styles to create this fusion of Italian casual chic. Now, enough of my blabbering about this brand and onto the purchases!

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

I was immediately drawn to this because of the softness of the shape and how the collar and sleeves reminded me of petals or lily pads. I'm not really into the small Peter Pan collars because I feel they are a bit too juvenile on me, but I think the other details that I mention before come out more strongly, which takes away focus from the collar.

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

I remember seeing this exact same style during a previous shopping trip over here, but I had already made my purchases and only noticed it when I was leaving the store. It was some sort of faded green tone color that attracted me immediately and I thought it might still be there the next time I went shopping, but they didn't have it and I was quite bummed out. So when I saw this, I decided to try this one as I am a fan of this shade of grey. I thought it looked pretty cool and because the arm holes are kind of big, I decided to just wear a black, lacy bandeau.

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

If I buy clothing, I usually like to leave with one accessory. I was drawn to this little teapot/teacup set. Perhaps not necessarily with these purchases above (although it would go nicely with the soft beige top!), I thought of my "tea time" t-shirt that I bought from Ank Rouge would go nicely with it!

Stay tuned for the next shopping spree segment!

Thank you for reading!

-LAUREN


Friday, June 8, 2012

The Shopping Diaries: Spiral Girl Ala Moana

Here is the second part to this shopping spree! This next post will be about Spiral Girl

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

This should be quite familiar as my dear boyfriend had bought the light blue version for me. When I saw that the dark brown was still available, I just had to get it. For some reason, when it comes to this brand, I have a penchant for buying all the available colors for the same silhouette or style. It's quite weird lol. I hardly wear this color so I'm thinking this would be a great addition to my road to becoming an ultimate fashionista! 

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

This dress was on the sale rack. It was originally $69 and had been reduced to $59. The sales girl told me that all the clothes on the sale rack were an extra 15% off from the sale price, so I decided to definitely try this on. I very much liked the fit of the dress and I liked the smoky grey color with the lighter grey pointed collar. I noticed that when the sales girl rang this up at the cash register, it took 15% from $55 rather than $59!

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

This top is from a brand called MiiA. Also on the sale rack, I wanted to buy another backless ribbon tie top and I thought this would be a good opportunity not only to do so, but to expand my soft pink section of my closet. It's a very light long sleeve so  it's possible to wear during the summer. 

Stay tuned for the next shopping spree segment!

Thank you for reading!

-LAUREN


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

The Shopping Diaries: Gilly Hicks Ala Moana

I always look forward to when my dad surprises me with these shopping sprees. I call them shopping sprees; he just says 'I'm going to take you shopping this Thursday.' I went to 5 different stores, so I'll make separate posts for each store because I did buy quite a lot from each store. Today's post will be about Gilly Hicks.

The first time I saw Gilly Hicks, I could instantly tell that it was definitely from the Abercrombie & Fitch company. A&F's marketing scheme fascinates me. I think the most interesting thing about them is their store layout and ambiance. If I could, I would definitely love to do a marketing research report on just that. What is it about these brands that make them so hip? If you think about it, take away their famous animal symbols, strongly perfumed scents, and darkened rooms, you really just end up with ordinary clothes that you could easily find for much cheaper. Yet, consumers of the brand continue to be loyal and want only from their brands. Interesting isn't it?

So as you all may know, Gilly Hicks is like the Victoria Secret of the A&F empire. I haven't bought any bras from here yet, though I should because when they have sales, it's usually at least 40% off and it's regularly priced at around $20 so not bad at all! What I really love about this store is their sleepwear. I enjoy wearing their sleep shorts, which you'll see in a moment, and other basics such as tank tops and long sleep pants.

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl
Fashion brand community - poupeegirl
Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

Here are the three pairs of sleep shorts that I bought! It was all 40% off from $19.50 I think. I have a mad obsession for navy blue (I think I mentioned that before in one of my previous posts) so I bought one with a white trim and one all navy blue. I'm also obsessed with monochrome and they had white with navy blue trim, so I grabbed that as well.

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl
Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

I had originally bought the gray tank and a navy blue V-neck t-shirt, but the t-shirt ended up being too big, so I had to go back and return it. I ended up exchanging it for a navy blue tank instead of getting the t-shirt in a smaller size. I've been buying a lot of sheer tops recently, so I thought it might be best to invest in more under tops such as tanks. I think these were originally $15.50 and the sale for this was all tanks and plain V-neck t-shirts were $10.

Stay tuned for the next segment in this shopping spree!


Thank you for reading!

-LAUREN 


Saturday, June 2, 2012

Control Freak and After Party

Hi all! To give a little break in between my shopping diaries, I would love to share with you two hair styling products that really work for me. This is Bed Head's Control Freak and After Party. I usually don't do anything to my hair, but now that my hair is on the shorter side, I feel that it needs a little bit of product to look nice and natural. That's one of the things that I love about these two products is that it makes your hair look natural in its style; not stiff or....fake I guess you could say lol.

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

This is the Control Freak. It helps with frizz control and helps to straighten your hair without taking away from the natural body of the hair. I like this because I don't like my hair just flat straight; I want it to be smooth without taking away the natural waves. Which leads to the next product!

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

This is the After Party. It basically smooths and creates a healthy shine. Also, it smells really great!

And when combined together, you can get results like this:


I know that different products will produce different results depending on your hair type. But if your hair is a little on the thick side, kind of wavy and frizzy, I highly recommend these two products. They're also great for defining layers as well and they last throughout the day!

Thank you for reading!

-LAUREN 



Saturday, May 26, 2012

The Shopping Diaries: EXPRESS, Spiral Girl Ala Moana

This bout of shopping was done the weekend after taking my last final as an undergraduate. I was relieved to have taken my last final but it felt bittersweet at the same time. You know how you've concentrated and worked really hard on something for so long that when it's over and done with you're left with this kind of sick, nauseous feeling? That's probably a more accurate representation of how I felt rather than relief lol. But I got over it the next day and had a bit of fun with the shopping :P

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

EXPRESS was having a pretty good sale that weekend. I believe it was buy one, get one 50% off. I just ended up getting this t-shirt because I loved the sequined heart. Even though the sequins look like a brown gradiation color, it's actually more of a gun metal gray. Nevertheless, I really liked this top and I had a couple coupons that I could use and I got $10 off.

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

This top came from Spiral Girl. I had seen this earlier like last month and I immediately felt the pull to buy it, but I waited. No sale came out of this waiting period, but I felt that rewarding myself would make me feel better :). I really liked the Western vibe from this top because of the the metal collar detail at the ends. With my hair shorter, those cute details can now be seen! Plus, gotta love the tiny studs going down the middle.

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

I had bought a black hi-lo skirt from Brandy Melville not too long ago, but of course the length is ridiculous. So when I saw this at Spiral Girl, I knew I had to try it on. Because it's a Japanese brand, it caters to the Japanese size, which is perfect for me. I found myself wishing the length was just a tad bit longer, but I couldn't complain much. Also, it came with a slip underneath so that was a major plus as well. This skirt is quite different from the Brandy Melville one (I think I may make a Brandy Melville post too later on) because this is much more girly and romantic in a sense.

After deciding on these two pieces, Jason (my boyfriend) and I go up to the cash register to pay and he surprises me by gifting these to me for graduating. I was really surprised because I hadn't been expecting it. It kinda made me blush and I felt my heart flutter a bit. I'm usually not the type to feel all sentimental and stuff because I'm quite a cynical person, but to feel that was nice :)

Thank you for reading!

-LAUREN 

Friday, May 25, 2012

The Shopping Diaries: Aeropostale Windward Mall

My dad and I were just browsing around Windward Mall and saw that Aeropostale was having a 50% off everything in store. Dad was kind enough to purchase my items :) Here's a quick look at what I got today!

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

I've been wanting more denim shorts as it's getting quite warm in Hawaii. I really liked this faded wash. It kinda reminded me of the 90's a bit when grungey faded or acid wash denim was super trendy. I'm liking this more updated look inspired by those trends!
Fashion brand community - poupeegirl
Dark denim is always a great staple to have. I liked the rolled-up cuffs at the end. This and the pair above will go great with my F21 purchases from the previous post ^^b

So if you have a chance to go to Aeropostale this Memorial Day weekend, they're having an awesome sale of at least 50% off the entire store. There were tops and t-shirts that were also 60-70% off as well, so take advantage!

Thank you for reading!

-LAUREN 


Thursday, May 24, 2012

The Shopping Diaries: Forever 21 Waikiki

Okay, so this is my first post about one of my shopping trips! I hadn't been to the Waikiki Forever 21 in a while because I had been busy with my last semester at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) and I'd been focusing on that. Now that the semester is over and I got in my last semester final grades (all A's!!!), I decided to treat myself to a little shopping spree :)

Now, I'm not really a big fan of Spring/Summer trends just because I tend to love Fall/Winter, but when I went into F21, I was pleasantly surprised! Three trends that I'm just loving at the moment are high/low hems, sleeveless tops, and tie tops. Studying abroad in Japan last year was when I first encountered the high/low hems (not sure if they had that in the States yet) and I just fell in love.

I love trends, but honestly if they're not me, I won't be forcing myself to wear them. Trying new trends is fun and I just love it when one works out so well for me, like the above mentioned trends! And believe me, even if certain trends become "last season," you won't see me hiding those pieces in my closet. I'll wear it whenever, wherever because it's what I like. Simple as that!

Sorry for blabbing there! Now I present to you my shopping finds from this past Sunday:

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

I have two pair of white shorts: one that I love and one that I don't wear at all, so it's more like I have one pair lol. Anyways, I really liked this pair. I thought the skinny, brown cord was a nice accent to the shorts, though honestly it probably won't be seen much of the time since my tops will cover it. But say if I were to tuck in my top or just the front, the cord accessory would be a nice enhancement to the outfit. Another reason why I got this is because the fit was really good. I'm petite so I have difficulty finding things that fit well. Tis' the curse of being a lil' one :)

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

The color that I'm kinda obsessed about is blue. I tend to like more of the navy blue rather than lighter blues, but overall I like all shades of blue. This top covers my favorite trend right now, which is the tie at the bottom. I really liked this top because of the button details. I like how it extends up to the left collar and falls down the back of the shirt. It's quite classy...

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

For textile trends, I am loving the polka dots. I got into it when I was in Japan last year. Now I'm more of a monochromatic girl, so I'm always attracted to shades of white, black, and gray. Though pinks and pastels/sherbert/macaroon colors in general are attractive in my mind, I don't see a lot of these colors matching me a lot, which makes me sad because I do adore them. I was on the fence on this one because of the color but yet it's sleeveless, I love the collar, and another trend that I forgot to mention that I love is the tie-around ribbon. So I asked my boyfriend what he thought and he really liked it and actually bought this piece for me!

I'll probably be mentioning my boyfriend in my shopping posts quite often as he is one of my main shopping partners. He has a good eye for fashion and appreciates design despite not being a fashionista like me ;)

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

Here is a simple, sheer (did I mention I like sheer as well!) high/low white tank with black lining details. I thought it was a nice update on the classic white tank. Love the little pocket as well!

Fashion brand community - poupeegirl

And finally, my last purchase was this gorgeous burnt orange/white side panel tank. I'm also loving burnt orange and I just thought the color blocking for this was perfect. Unfortunately, there were no XS or S sizes left so I bought the medium. The good thing is that because it's sheer, you have to wear something underneath anyway and so the big arm holes don't matter too much. Also, in the back is a black fabric button which cinches in the sides to give a more defined shape. That helped a lot!

So there you have a look into what my shopping diaries will be like! Later on, I'll post other recent purchases that I've gotten this month.

Thank you for reading!

-Lauren


Hello!

Hello all! This is my first attempt of doing a blog. I'm kinda nervous lol. Anyways, I'll most likely be posting things about my life and all its happenings. You'll probably be seeing a lot of shopping adventures posted on here since I'm totally in love with fashion! If I could, I would've loved to be a part of the fashion world, but unfortunately I'm not that innovative enough hehe. So instead, I am quite satisfied to just sitting back and appreciating what so many gifted designers have to offer.

Alrighty then! I look forward to having fun with this :)

-LAUREN