OOTM: August 2013

Hello! It's the last day of August :(
I hope you all are having a great Labor Day Weekend. Mine is turning out to be quite lame :/ so instead I decided to turn it around and upload a post!

BOSS Crop Top: Forever 21
HIgh-Waisted Dark Wash Shorts: GUESS
Necklaces: Forever 21, Macy's

Distressed Floral Knit: sheinside.com
Distressed Pants: UNIQLO
Crop Tank: Topshop

Bart Simpson Crop Top: sheinside.com
High-Waisted Dark Wash Shorts: GUESS
Bracelet: Cotton On

Floral Crop and Petal Pants: Topshop

Pugwich Tee: Riot Society (Pacsun)
Denim: GUESS
Necklace: Macy's

Tribal Fringe Top: Tiare Hawaii (from Fighting Eel sample sale)
Sunflower Denim Pants: GUESS
Necklace: Liz Lisa

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

August Favorites 2013

I can't believe August is basically done with! Soon it'll be September and the Fall season starting, then Halloween (actually I've already seen Halloween decorations available at Hallmark!), Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then 2014! I want this year to slow down, but ain't nobody got time for that I suppose ;P. Well, on to my favorites for this month!

1. Did you read any books?
I am finally getting into A Game of Thrones. I really want to watch the series on HBO but because I never saw it from Season 1, I'll probably get lost and miss out on a lot of the story. So, I decided to start reading the book! I'm borrowing it from my local library and I can tell it's really popular because when I went to reserve it, I was number 13 in the queue but somehow got a notice that it was available for me two or three days after putting in my reservation lol. Anyways, I'm loving the way this story is written out. Instead of chapters, it splits into different perspectives of the many characters in the story. It's written in the third person limited, which is great because it keeps me guessing as to what's going on and later confirming it under another's perspective. Even though there are 800+ pages, don't let the number intimidate you because it's a fast read that'll keep you entertained!

2. Did you watch any movies?
Surprisingly, I only saw one movie this month. Honestly, there were a lot of movies that I wanted to see, but the reviews were just awful. Like what Jason has said, movies are getting crappier while television shows are getting better, which I wholly agree on.

Elysium was an all right film. Definitely better than a lot of mainstream films that came out this month. Elysium is a post-apocalyptic story where the wealthy live on a huge luxurious spacecraft 20-30 minutes away from Earth while the poor continue to live on desolated, polluted Earth. Matt Damon stars as the main character who holds the codes to Elysium's system, which could be used to change the course of life for both Earth and Elysium. While the story was adequate, I felt that the movie seemed to drag in between. I understand it's necessary to develop the story line, but it just felt that it could have been a little more engaging. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the film. Nowadays, it seems that films need to have some sort of sci-fi/dystopian/post-apocalyptic story line in order to fair well at the box office...or be a comedy I suppose.

3. Which foods did you eat and love?
You'll see these two pics in my Monthly Gram post, but honestly these were the two food items that stood out for me this month. On the left is a homemade haupia sweet potato pie that my Aunty made and brought to my Aunty's 1 year passing picnic. I thought her pumpkin crunch pie was the best thing she's made, but this definitely tops my list. My Aunty is really good at baking desserts, so anything that she makes is bound to be delicious, but this pie was literally heaven AND it wasn't overly sweet!

To the right is a veggie tofu pho that I got at Pho My Lan this past Sunday. I've had limited pho experience since I've eaten it mostly at my college and a few random places in Kaneohe. I was really surprised that this pho was really flavorful, especially for a veggie pho. I ordered a small portion yet it felt like a big portion to me. Plus, they give you lots of basil, bean sprouts, some leaf I didn't recognize (it looked like it had little thorn-like edges) and jalapenos. Jason told me it was piman and so I ate one whole and a fire started in my mouth -_-

4. Which songs did you like?
To be honest, it took me a long time to like this song. But, the more I heard it on the radio and listened to the lyrics, I began to fall in love. The chorus is my favorite part because of the sweet lyrics. I think the music video is great too. Even though I didn't watch the VMAs this past Sunday, I'm glad that JT won the most awards. I think he deserved it out of all the contenders.

Mirrors- Justin Timberlake

5. Which products did you like?
This is probably my favorite sunscreen (Nature Republic) to wear for my face because it isn't oily and heavy on my skin. It is SPF 50+ and PA+++ which is great because the sun is really strong right now. Also, it has whitening and anti-wrinkle elements, which is a plus for my skin for lightening blemishes and discouraging wrinkles from forming. A little bit of this sunscreen goes a long way since I find it easy to cover a little product over the surface of my face. I'm happy that Ala Moana will be having a Nature Republic store soon because it is a bit of a hassle to visit the Waikiki location :P.

6. What did you learn?
I thought about this for a while, but I learned that I really do appreciate my Dad's side of the family a lot. At least once a year, we have this family picnic at Kualoa Park and I would always dislike going because it fell on a Saturday all the time and that's when I liked to hang out with friends. It wasn't until this past picnic, which was for my Aunty's 1 year passing anniversary that I realized this. This realization probably came from a certain family member moving in with my Grandpa and I. The best way to describe this person without coming off blatantly mean is that she's a very unpleasant person all around (that actually sounds mean but I don't care). With all of her negativity and other members who feed into it, it really put into perspective at how different my two sides of the family are. I've always known it but it just seems like it's totally magnified now and that this blantantness (not a word, I know) made me realize how lucky I am to have my Dad's side of the family. I feel awful about my past feelings, but at least I've learned my lesson.

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

The Shopping Diaries: GUESS (Part 2)

Hello again! Sorry for the delay in uploading this post. I got totally engrossed in a book that many of you will probably know of. I'll definitely be mentioning it in my August Favorites which is soon to come. But for now, let's continue with the GUESS haul!

Miss Deer Tee: I had bought the Mr. Bunny Tee when these first came out at $39.99 and I just couldn't help getting it right then and there because it was a bunny motif. I should've waited because they still had the Mr. Bunny Tee in my size and I could've paid only $20.99 ><. Oh well, coulda woulda shoulda as they say. I decided to purchase the Miss Deer Tee since I had thought this print was cute too. Although....I just realized it now but this deer can't be a female because it has antlers and only male deer have antlers right? Lol, it's fabulous Miss Deer then!

Hi-Lo Print White Tank: I had picked this out randomly from the rack because I do like prints with people looking carefree and such. Plus, I was liking the overall purple haze. It really is long on me since I'm short and I actually wasn't going to get this until the guy at the register said that I needed only so much to reach $300 and get the $100 reward in return. So in all, I was duped into getting this but whatever. It makes for a cool tank and I don't have one that's super long like this.

Black Textured Shimmery High-Waist Shorts: Like the top, these shorts are from the Tiesto collection. Items from the Tiesto collection seem to be club-inspired and sexy yet not obscene lol. To be honest, these are borderline cheeky but I think I can get away with it because I can pull them down just a tad bit without it looking like I have a saggy...center. Also, due to the material being quite fitted, it's important to wear seamless underwear or else you'll get those unsightly underwear lines.

Bolo Tie inspired Gold Topaz Necklace: I ended up having to get this necklace because I had to cover the $300 mark line since after ringing up the Tiesto tank, the manager gave me the $20 off discount which made me $10 short. Luckily I found this cute necklace that was the perfect amount (they had an extra 50% off on jewelry that was already on sale, so from $25 to $9.99). I like the simplicity of the topaz square and the flat gold chains dangling from it. Once again, it's another piece that I don't have in my closet, so I look forward to styling this with some of my white tops.

Like many other people have mentioned, this year is going by rather quickly from some reason. Thus, be on the lookout for my monthly posts: Monthly Gram, OOTM, and Favorites!

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

The Shopping Diaries: Fighting Eel Sample Sale, GUESS (Part 1)

Hello! Today's post will feature purchases from a sample sale that I went to and GUESS.

I follow Fighting Eel on Facebook and Instagram, which is how I found out that they were having a sample sale featuring their lines, Fighting Eel and Ava Sky, and a separate brand called Tiare Hawaii. I'm not sure if they carry that brand in their stores. It's a good possibility that they do! The sample sale took place on Saturday, the 10th of August, in Kaka'ako at a place called A Pinch of Salt. It was in a warehouse-like building.

For those of you who are not familiar with the concept of a sample sale, it's when a store has either too much inventory such as pieces that didn't sell well in-store, has pieces that were manufactured but was never put out on the floor, or has near perfect products that they want to sell. Basically, it's a great way for a store to get their name out to the public and showcase their items. Right now if you go to their offices in Downtown Honolulu, they still have sample sale items available until the end of this week! Check out their Facebook page or Instagram for more info.

The sample sale officially started at 11 a.m and I think I got there just a little past the hour and the warehouse was already bustling with customers going through the many boxes marked with signs such as $10, $20, etc. This was my first time going to a sample sale and I was a bit nervous because I do suffer from minor claustrophobia but I was gamed to do my best and find a deal! I paid my $5 fee at the entrance and made my way through the crowds. I saw some colorful basics, but I ended up with only one item from Tiare Hawaii.

Navy Blue Print Fringe Shift Top: I found this top in the $25 Top box for the Tiare Hawaii brand. I was immediately attracted to it because of the color and the fringe. Lately, I've been a sucker for tops that have a slight fringe detail. This top came in black and a green shade, but I ultimately stuck with this one. It's a one-size and it fit nicely on my frame. It has room for some movement, but doesn't have that ill-fitting-trying-to-be-oversized look lol.

Now the rest of this haul will be pieces that I got from GUESS. I've been a GUESS List Noir member for a couple months now and since it's my birthday month, I get double points and supposedly a $20 award for the month. I tried explaining that to the guy at the register, but I don't think he understood what I was talking about? I was a bit annoyed at that, but the manager, who is always super nice to me, gave me $20 off anyway! It wasn't in relation to the award, but to a pair of jeans that I will go into further detail when I get there. I also used an Ala Moana gift card that my Aunty gave to me for my birthday and I applied that to my total. And lastly, I had forgotten that they were having the promotion where you buy a certain amount, you get a money back total award for later on. Since I bought over $300 worth of clothes, I got a $100 cash back award to apply it to my next purchase starting on September 26th. Plus, add that to my huge point balance and I have a pretty nice award :)

Blue Denim Sunflower Jeans: I noticed that this jean had been on the sale rack for a while, but I had never bothered trying it on until Jason handed it over to me. So I decided to give it a chance and I'm glad that I did! I love the subtle sunflower pattern. It's a good memento to summer. Whenever I wear printed denim, I usually like to wear a basic top because I like to emphasize the print in my coordinate, but I actually wore the top from above with the pant and it created a really sweet boho-chic look! Also, all sale items were an extra 30% off!

True Black Distressed Denim: Another pick from Jason! At first I wasn't sure if I would get this pair just because I didn't know if I wanted another pair of distressed denim. But when I tried it on, the jeans fit so well and were really comfortable that I overlooked that hehe. Also, it really is a true black denim without any fades or bleaching. Jason had made a point that most distressed black denim show bits of white in the patchy areas, if that makes sense. But if you look at these, everything is black and it makes for a classy pair of distressed jeans; an oxymoron in itself!

Zipper White Pants: Okay, so these were the jeans that the manager had given me an extra $20 off. GUESS was having another promotion where if you tried on a pair of jeans that were regularly priced, you got an automatic $20 off at the register. This pair and two other pairs of white denim were already marked down at 40% off, but one of the guys who I always see had thought the promo applied to these as well, despite being 40% off. So after the mix up of the $20 award that comes with being a Noir upgraded member, I asked the guy (not the same guy who I always see) about whether he applied the extra $20 off on the jeans. He said it didn't apply to these because they were on sale and I told him that the other guy told me they did. So he asked the manager, and being the sweet lady that she is, gave me the extra discount because I'm a regular :P.

Things that I like about this jean is obviously the zippers. What you can't see in the photo is that there are more zipper details on the cuff that run vertical up the ankle-calf area on both sides. It definitely had that moto feel. I was already in the market for a good pair of white denim since my only pair happened to be a basic denim from Wet Seal that I got 4-5 years ago? This pair is way more comfortable fabric-wise and fit-wise :)

Not Your Typical Black and White Striped Denim: I literally gasped when I saw these on the sale rack. I had first encountered them when I got my black and white paneled denim and this was when they were still quite regularly priced. I tried these on and I ended up not getting them, thinking that they would have my size when it went on extra sale. So when that time came, they didn't have my size! I was wholly regretting not getting this pair because I absolutely love how the stripes and spacing aren't uniformed. It stands out against all the other striped pairs of monochromatic pants that you see at other stores. There were many times where I just thought of purchasing something that was second-rate, but I could never do it lol. Then these appeared on the sale rack in my size and I was like "this is destiny." Someone must have bought them and returned them or they found it in the backroom or something, I don't know. All I know is that I'm superbly happy for waiting and now life is complete for now :P

Terribly sorry for the rambling and over-explanation in this post. I really like to tell the stories behind my purchases despite how boring or bland it may seem. Talking about my thought process and feelings show my love for fashion and design rather than the physical act of shopping. Yes, shopping is fun but for me, it has become an activity where I try to find something that is unique and stands out. I love trends and finding pieces that suit me and trying to make it me!

I have about 4 more pieces that I got from GUESS, but due to the over-emotional speak in this post, I decided to break it up into two parts. Be on the lookout for part two!

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

Nature in Bloom: Ohai Ali'i

Phew! It's been a while since I did a Nature in Bloom post. I'm still in the process of getting my lavender to grow but unfortunately, they seem to be taking the long route towards blossoming lol. I have a couple shoots but it's been that way for a long time. I suppose I just have to be patient and keep at it!

My mom had an Ohai Ali'i tree that she wanted to transplant into the ground. It was literally a little shoot or sprig, but once we put it into the ground, it really took off! It could have also been due to the fact that my Uncle brought over pigeon droppings and placed it around the plant hehe.

I took it upon myself to dig a hole that was originally supposed to be for the Ohia Lehua, but because it was kind of deeply rooted into the ground on the side of the house and that it was way bigger than the hole that I dug, I suggested to plant the Ohai Ali'i instead. As you can see, the Ohai Ali'i is a fern tree that puts out these pretty little red-orange blossoms. These trees are only found on the islands of Hawaii and Tahiti. Also, the flowers carry no fragrance, but they can be made into beautiful leis. I'm not sure if they bloom all year around, but they really started blooming since last month or June.

Here is a picture of the Ohai Ali'i. Please excuse the weeds and long grass growing around it!

A close-up on the flowers. They're really pretty and quite cute!

Here is a picture of a lei using the blossoms. Photo credit goes to the Hawaiian Lei Company.

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

The Shopping Diaries: Bath & Body Works, PINK, Sephora, Longs

Hello all!

I went on a little shopping spree at Ala Moana where I met my friend Sam for the day. I was having a really tough week and continued to struggle afterwards, but I was really happy and grateful that I got to spend time with my dear friend.

I had some birthday coupons to spend since my birthday was on the 14th! Even though it can be kind of irritating when you continuously get a whole bunch of emails from stores that you give your address to, I think it's still worth it to get the birthday incentives :). Now onto the haul!

Lakeside, Autumn Bay, Black Pepper Bergamot, Sandalwood Citrus: I didn't get any coupons from B&BW, but I was initially interested in their 2 for $15 mason jar candles that I saw in my email. I asked one of the storepersons about it and he had no bloody idea what I was talking about, so I just shrugged it off thinking that I may have been mistaken. It turns out I was correct because as I was walking outside of the store, I saw a big sign advertising that sale. Anyways, I think I came out with the better deal hehe. When B&BW had their 2 for $22 3-wick candle sale a while ago, I had considered purchasing Lakeside, but I felt that I had a candle that was already similar to the scent. I decided to get it this time around because all their previous season 3-wick candles were 50% off. I really love the slight musk with a hint of citrus scent. It turns out that I really like candles that have either a musky or clean scent to it, which is why I picked out these three minis: Autumn Bay, Black Pepper Bergamot, and Sandalwood Citrus. These three minis are from the new batch of candles for Fall. If I'm able to burn through a good bunch of the candles that I already have, I will definitely get these in the bigger size!

Fresh & Clean Body Scrub: Victoria Secret sent me a $10 coupon to use on anything and I decided on this body scrub since I was interested in getting underwear. It was originally $18 but in the end I paid $8 plus tax. I actually didn't recognize the scent until I smelled it. The reason being is that the last time I got the lotion form, it was still in its old packaging and this was the first time I saw it like this. Instead of getting the lotion, I decided to try the scrub. It smells like how it is named so I really enjoy it!

Meet for Drinks, Metro Chic, Dance Til Fawn: Sephora was having a 3 for $10 sale on their O.P.I nail polishes. I was hoping to get an undercoat as well since I barely had any left, but they were out of any base or top coats. I had come in with a list of polishes that I was interested in getting, but they literally had only one of the colors that I wanted, which was Metro Chic. But I'm still happy with the two other colors that I got. I think these colors will transition nicely into fall and continue to be a nice fall staple. Meet for Drinks is a deep, shimmery maroon color that I'm absolutely in love with. I have a red shimmery polish that I got from VS during their annual sale, but I really prefer this shade due to the sultriness of the red. Metro Chic is a pretty taupey color with a purple undertone, which I'm totally in love with. Lastly is Dance Til Fawn which is much truer to a taupe shade. I love my taupes hehe!

Perfect Truth CC Creme Sample & Birthday Pack: I received a sample of Ole Henriksen's Perefect Truth CC Creme and I must say, for a Western BB cream, it's not bad! The coverage is still on the light side and it's not as great as my Korean BB creams, but it's still pretty good. I tried it and thought it did a good job of covering some of my acne blemishes albeit going over some of the spots again with my Korean BB cream. Would I purchase this? No, but it's quite good for those who prefer Western BB creams.

I love Benefit's they're Real mascara and I was really happy to have a mini version to carry around. Then I got the mini Watts up! highlighter. I think highlighters go really nicely with fairer-skinned girls, but with my skin tone, you can't really tell I applied it on lol. I'm still fair but I do have some coloring. Perhaps I'm not applying it on very well?

Green Tea Cleansing Tissues & Multi-Care Base+Top Coat: I was in the market for a new make-up cleansing wipe and my friend suggested epielle's Green Tea Cleansing Tissues. So far, I really like it and it gets off A LOT of make-up and it leaves my skin feeling nice and soft. I still go over it with my Clarisonic afterwards, but I'm hoping that with both products it'll improve my skin. Also, my friend pointed out this multi-care base and top coat from Revlon so I'm excited to try it.

Sorry for getting lazy with my posting hehe. I have so much material in draft form, but I'm slowly getting my motivation back, so hopefully I can get out my next posts every other day. So stay tuned for the next episode!

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

The Shopping Diaries: Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, GUESS

Hey lovelies! My birthday is in 2 days ><. I dread aging one year older, but no matter what, I still wish to continue being my fashionable self! I would've posted this much earlier but I was waiting for this white jacket from Topshop that I thought would look super adorable with this coordinate, but it took forever for the system to confirm my order since I ordered it at the cash register. Then what ended up happening was that I saw the size that I wanted online and ordered it myself, which arrived like 5 days after. So Nordy's kind of fails me when I have them order things for me at the store. Anyways, the smallest size was still too big for me and I returned it yesterday :(. I was super bummed because I went through all the trouble trying to get it. *sigh* Everything can't go my way ay? So enough rambling and let me get into the haul!

Neon Floral Crop Top: This was already on the sale rack during Nordy's Anniversary sale. I think it was regularly $56 but it was on sale for $29.99. I wasn't sure if this would look good on me because I'm naturally suspicious since it's not my usual color palette and it was a size 4. When I tried it on, I was pleased with how it looked. It has a slightly airy look to it because it is one size up from my usual size 2, but I think it'll look great with one of my Brandy bralettes. Also, I ended up loving the print on me!

Black Shimmery Petal Shorts: I absolutely love the hem on these shorts because they cover the most unflattering part of the thigh so it gives the illusion of slim pins hehe! It is high-waisted as well, but it falls slightly under my belly button because it is a tad bit loose. I saw a size 0 online and went to order it, but they had to cancel my order because they were out :(. I'm still able to deal with the size 2 and the crop top above covers the waist so you don't see the slight bagginess! I'm not the biggest fan of shimmery threads, but it's so subtle in this that it makes it look really nice. The only thing that is going to drive me insane is how easy the threads will snag >< so I must be really careful when I wear this!

Jeffrey Campbell Faded Black Litas: I was literally ecstatic to see these JC Litas on display! I've been dying to get my hands on one because they're so bloody fabulous. The platform is 1 1/2 inches and the height of the heel in general is 4 1/2 inches, so it's comparable to a 3 inch heel. It's quite comfortable but maybe not for all day walking lol. Perhaps I should insert a comfortable pad for the balls of my feet? Anyways, I'm usually a size 6 when it comes to shoes, but I got a 6 1/2 for comfort. I think it depends on the material used which determines whether you go up or down a size. For the price ($159.95), I think it's a really good buy for the quality and the design.

High-Waisted Dark Wash Denim Shorts: In the picture below, you can see these cute high-waisted dip-dye American flag shorts, but as much as I love Topshop, their shorts are waaaaaaay too cheeky. So I was incredibly happy that I saw these at Guess. They were $29.99 and I think they were on extra sale or something like that. Anyways, my favorite denim has to come from Guess. These shorts cover the bum really nicely and the distressed details are also nicely done. Guess is #1 in my book when it comes to denim!

Here's a picture of me with both Topshop pieces on! And that white jacket in the back is the one that I ended up ordering and returning later on. I thought this would be a nice birthday dinner outfit this Wednesday! I have a more fitted cream-colored jacket from H&M that I think would suit this coordinate better, so I'm not terribly sad about not fitting the Topshop one.

Posts to look forward to will be, of course, more hauls and a long awaited Nature in Bloom post for my garden section :)

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

July Favorites 2013

Hey all! I've decided to do a different format of monthly favorites. I don't really change up my make-up products, which to me is the basis of monthly posts. So instead I'm using a format that Youtuber cutiepiemarzia uses and I chose questions that I could easily answer. So here they are!

1. Did you read any books?
I haven't been really reading any books for a while! I'm trying to read City of Bones (Mortal Instruments) by Cassandra Clare.

I bought the book when I was in Vegas this past April because I had seen the preview and thought that the movie looked pretty cool. But the more I see the preview, I start to get a Twilight vibe from it, which is no good for me lol. I absolutely hate Twilight, both literally and cinematically (yeah I know that isn't a word :P). But like with Twilight, I'll give the first movie a chance, but seriously it better be 100x better than Twilight >:(

2. Did you watch any movies?
Yes! I watched Despicable Me 2 and The Wolverine. Despicable Me 2 was super adorable, just as I expected. I'm super happy they're making a Minions movie XD. I also really enjoyed The Wolverine. I don't read X-Men comics and I'm really not familiar with the whole series in general, but I thought the story that they chose was fantastic. Hugh Jackman's body is delicious and can I just say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!!! at the cut scene at the end?!?!?

3. Which foods did you eat and love?
To be honest, my choice of food doesn't really change because I always tend to eat the same things. I suppose my favorite of the month was my Rolled Quesadilla from Cactus in Kailua. I uploaded a pic in my Monthly Gram post for July so I won't upload it here so that I'm not repetitive.

4. Which songs did you like?
I'm probably going to be so mainstream with my song choices but I don't really care :P. I genuinely liked both songs when I first heard them. It's Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell & T.I, Get Lucky by Daft Punk feat. Pharrell, and Treasure by Bruno Mars. I think what I like about all three songs are the melodies. I'm loving the throwback feels of the 80's, which seems to be in all three. I feel the whole eletronica, don't-really-need-talent-to-sing type of songs are getting old for me, so to hear something that pulls influences from earlier decades has become refreshing to me.

Blurred Lines

Get Lucky

Treasure

5. Which products did you like?
I've been really liking my mini benetint that I received as part of a 500 point perk from Sephora. I just put three little streaks on each cheek and blend it in to create this natural blushy tint. I also love that it has a nice rose scent to it. I think it lasts pretty well all day! I would definitely get the regular size of this once I run out of this mini.

6. What did you learn?
I learned that you can't go back to school just to get a minor even though you've successfully majored in something earlier. I was just bummed because I wanted to go back to school to get a minor in Fashion Merchandising, but unfortunately it's not possible. But after some research, I found an online program for an Associate's degree in Fashion Merchandising through SNHU. I'm a bit wary about doing a degree fully online, but I'm gamed to do it. Plus, I can transfer a lot of my credits so that I don't have to take as long. I just gotta make sure I can get an internship in fashion merchandising and then it's all ships go!

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

The Shopping Diaries: sheinside.com + Review

Hello lovelies! I'm really excited to finally upload a post about my first purchases from an online clothing shop called sheinside.com and my experience of shopping with them. But first, here's a little background on SheInside. SheInside was first started in 2008 and is based in China. Their clothes reflect the popular trends seen in highstreet stores. They guarantee good quality and great value for the money you spend. Here is a screenshot of their homepage:

As you can see, when you sign up with SheInside for the first time, you automatically get a 15% off coupon, which is what I applied to my purchase total. Also, SheInside has many sale promotions as pictured above. Another great thing too is that standard shipping (5-15 days) is free! As you purchase items, you begin to rack up bonus points through their SheInside Bonus Point Program (SBPP). Besides purchases (in U.S dollars), you can earn points through social media platforms, reviews, and lookbooks. You can use the bonus points at any time for future purchases and get a discount.

Now I will share with you my first purchase! The main reason I wanted to shop on this site was because I was watching Youtuber clothesencounters or Jenn Im and she had the Bart Simpson crop top from SheInside. I didn't immediately gravitate to the top, but it slowly grew on me as I saw many girls hauling not only the crop top, but also other pieces that had the same motif on denim long sleeves and high-waisted shorts. I decided to take the plunge with the discount and free shipping as my incentives. And here it is!

Black Short Sleeve Simpson Print Crop T-Shirt
$20.16
My rating: 10/10

If you're wondering why this print is so popular, let me give you a brief explanation. This was popularized by American designer Jeremy Scott. He is known for using vibrant and kooky prints such as Bart Simpson. You can check out his designs on his website. I believe this is more popular in Asia, but we can see some of the same influences in the West such as the use of comic book motifs. Anyways, back to the review of this top. The fabric is of really good quality. It's not a typical thin shirt type of material but something more substantial. For me, the length of the crop top is on the longer side for my height (I'm 5'2") but that makes this top a bit more versatile when it comes to bottoms. It looks good with high-waisted shorts or regular pants. So overall, I was more than completely satisfied with this purchase.

My second purchase was this long sleeved knit with rose-like floral patterns over white fabric. The overall look is very distressed and vintagey-like. It's obviously supposed to be a duplicate of the Wildfox jumper with the same motif. And, at first, it looks like a great dup:

White Slash Flowers Print Knit Long Sleeve Sweater
$29.00 on sale (reg. $42.88)
My rating: 6.5/10

Perhaps my judgement is a little harsh and I was thinking that it would be a close dup to the original fabrication-wise. One of the major things that I really disliked about the knit was that it had iridescent strands threaded throughout the entire piece. I'm not the biggest fan of that style even though I do have a few pieces that have some sort of sparkly thread intertwined, but I would've preferred to not have it. The fabric, overall, is kind of on the rough side and not soft, but not enough to irritate the skin. Also, the floral print is painted on rather than actual pink and green thread. I would gently hand wash this piece in order to increase the longevity of the print. For the price, I suppose it's still not that bad of a buy. I'm pretty sure I can incorporate it well with other pieces and hopefully make it look better than I think it is. Sorry about the harsh review!

Now onto the shipping and processing part. I placed my order on 07/20 Hawaii time and it left Nanjing on 07/26 to another part of China. It reached San Francisco on 07/31 and after more processing and sorting, it reached Honolulu on 08/03 and I received it the same day. I've always disliked how items shipped from Asia have to fly over to SF first and then to Hawaii. My friend told me it's because of some sort of shipping agreement from a long time ago that it has to be in that order. In all, it took 14 days to reach my house, which isn't bad! Yes, the anticipation kind of killed me, but everything came in tip-top shape. Before starting this post, I actually put in another order for a knit since they are having a 20% off promo for knits (ends on 08/13) so I'll be sure to post about that as well.

I hope you all weren't too bored with my purchases and review! I think this is a great site for trendy clothes and even other clothes for a great price. Also, with the many sale promotions that they have, it's hard to pass up on these great items. So please check out www.sheinside.com. It's a very safe site and they guarantee great customer value and service.

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN