The Shopping Diaries: Fighting Eel

Hi all! I suppose this is more of a collective haul from one of my favorite boutiques here on the Islands. I've mentioned them in a few of my previous hauls, but this is, of course, Fighting Eel. I really like the easy, breezy, beachy resort-like design that is very versatile for both day and night. I think many of their pieces would fit nicely into any girl's closet, regardless of their personal style. The quality of the clothes are always on point, and as long as you follow washing instructions, these pieces will continue to look great! And, they are a local boutique too, which makes me happy to be supporting local designers in Hawaii :)

The pieces that I'm showing you today have been from recent purchases. I try to wait for some sort of sale before purchasing hehe, but it's all worth it!

Slate Grey Tie-Dye Cold Shoulder Top (Ava Sky): I got this top at their Downtown location. I think this is my favorite tie-dye color out of all the others that they made with this collection. This top has long billowy sleeves, kind of dolman-like, that has a cut-out which exposes the shoulders. I don't exactly remember what sale I got this from, but I think it was about 25-30% off. I was deciding between this top and another top in the same pattern, but the sleeves had this nice caged detail along the length. I found this top to be more flattering on me, which was my decision for choosing this! How I style this piece is really simple: I just pair it with my light-blue wash Leigh denim from Topshop and my faded black Lita boots from Jeffrey Campbell. Perhaps I should make a lookbook as well with these pieces?

Dark Smoke Tie-Dye Pant Porto (Ava Sky): I remembered exactly what these pants were called because the first time I saw them on IG, I was determined to get them someday! I also got this at the Downtown location at the same sale as the top above. I've been dying to get into the laid-back pant trend because while I think denim is really comfortable, sometimes you just want to wear pants that makes you feel more at ease. I would describe these pants as easy-lux because you feel luxurious without trying too hard. These pants are really versatile when creating an ensemble. My go-to look with this is my white crop tank from Topshop, a thin black cardigan from H&M, and my cut-out buckle boots from 2020 ave.

Purple Stalactite Pendant Necklace (Katrina Cordova): I love Fighting Eel's taste in jewelry. I think they pick out really nice pieces from different local vendors. My boyfriend was asking me what I wanted for Christmas, and nothing came immediately to mind, but I did remember seeing on IG that that day was the last day for 25% off of all jewelry. I decided I wanted to check it out because I had been admiring many of the pieces from this designer. I immediately took to this one because of the pretty purple color. I was debating between this one and another one on a much longer chain because the other had a larger piece of the stalactite and the purple was more dominant. In the end, I chose to go with the more delicate version because I thought it would be more versatile to wear, especially with a shorter chain.

Half Sleeve White Top (Allison Izu): My boyfriend also gifted me this top as well! After picking out the necklace, I browsed around the store to see what was new and I saw this top. Anything white always catches my eye. From the nice drape at the ends to the mesh strip down the middle on both the front and back, this is a great example of easy-lux. The designer is also a local designer who specializes in petite women like me hehe. The smallest size at the Waikiki location available was a Small. The fit was really good, but I wondered whether an XS would fit even better. I was able to try on an XS at the Kailua location a few weeks later, but I ended up keeping the Small because I thought it looked better even though the XS was technically a better fit. I wore this on Sunday with my Dark Smoke Tie-Dye pants, a long gold chain necklace with a triangular pendant from PacSun, and my 2020 ave boots.

Sky Blue Tie-Dye Kimono (Ava Sky): The great thing about signing up with FE's email list is that you receive many great one-day deals. This was one of them! First, they had 30% off the entire store on Dec. 22nd, then 40% off the entire store on Dec. 23rd, then 50% off of Ava Sky items. I missed the first two days (shucks!), but I took advantage of the last sale because that was freaking good! I had one of those credit card gift cards for Christmas (to my defense, I didn't know it was an Xmas gift until I opened it >_>) and I thought this'd be a great opportunity to get the most out of it. After realizing I already had two versions of this dye print, I chose this sky blue one in kimono form. The material is fantastic as always (it's made out of 100% Tencel) and the sleeves and length don't completely drown me. I plan to wear this with the next top listed with some faded high-waisted skinnies from H&M ^^b. Oh yeah, this was already on sale for $64 and with the 50% off discount, it came out to $32 and my gift card was for $30 so I only paid $2 :P.

White Tank w/ Mesh Side-Panels (Allison Izu): To kill some time before my grandpa's funeral, my mom and I had lunch at Mei Sum in Downtown Honolulu and we ended up walking around. Not many shops were open on Sunday, but I knew FE was open hehe. They were having an extra 30% off of reduced prices. Of course, I checked out their sale items and I found the tank version of the top I got for Christmas. This is an XS and despite how the XS fitted for the half-sleeve top, this one had a much more looser fit. I was surprised that my mom offered to buy this for me lol but I wasn't about to turn her down :P. This was originally $60, the sale price was $50, and with the extra 30% off, it came out to $30 :). I would simply style this with a pair of white jeans since I'm a sucker for an all-white ensemble and for a pop of color, I'd use the kimono from above and maybe my nude wedge sandals from ALDO.

I hope you all enjoyed my selections from Fighting Eel. If you live in Hawaii, please support our local designers and if you don't live on the Islands, they do have shipping options! Also, you may find some of their pieces at other boutiques on the Mainland. Here is a list of their sites:

Fighting Eel: http://www.fightingeel.com/
Ava Sky: http://www.avaskyhawaii.com/
Katrina Cordova: http://katrinacordovadesigns.com/site/Main.html

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and see you next time!

- Lauren

The Shopping Diaries: Black Friday 2014

Hi all!

I know this is waaaaay overdue for a Black Friday haul post, but hey, better late than never right? :)

I'd say that this past Black Friday was really enjoyable because I felt that the sales were really good this year. I know some people say otherwise, but as an annual partaker of the tradition, I do believe the sales at the stores that I went to were fantastic. So here are some of my finds!

Victoria by Victoria's Secret: Honestly, I have way too many bottles of perfume, BUT, it's hard to leave without taking advantage of the 50% off deal. Plus, I'm a big fan of VS perfumes because I think they do them very well and they have a good range of scents. I think I have the body spray for this one from a previous purchase, but I decided to go with the perfume because I really like the scent. The description says that it has "Red berries, Victoria Rose, and Creme Brulee," and I think it's the red berries note that gives it that citric tang that I like. I got this for $25 for the 1.7 fl. oz.

Tocca Handcream/Rollerball set and Tarte mini set: For the second year in a row, I failed to get my hands on the Philosophy facial wash T-T. At least I was able to get my hands on the other two things that I was interested in! I became a fan of Tocca scents from the previous year's $10 set. I was happy that this one included two different scents that are both lovely. The two scents are Giulietta and Stella. I think I favor Stella over Giulietta, but as I said, they are both lovely! As for the Tarte set, I've always wanted to try one of their amazonian clay 12-hour blushes and I thought this was a good opportunity to try it out. Plus, I get to try their mascara and lip gloss of which I like both!

Navy Blue Trousers (GAP): This was one of my steals of the day. I had reminded myself that I've been on the hunt for trousers that hit at the ankle and were well formed to my legs. I'm 5' 1'' so it's really hard to find trousers that fit me well. Gap was having 50% off the entire store, and I had remembered that the Ultra Slim Crop Pants in petite form fit me really well, but unfortunately, they didn't carry that size in-store, which is really odd for a store in Hawaii where there are a lot of Asians lol. Anyways, that style is available online (which also had the 50% off deal), so I ordered myself a pair in black. I decided to give the sales rack a go since I was there already and came across this pant. This is the Slim Crop in OOR and I thought why not try it on. I was surprised that the fit wasn't that bad! The length was quite good for regular instead of petite and, due to the material, the fit was good as well. This was originally $54.95 and the sale price was $29.95, then with the extra 50% off, I only paid $15!

Mid-Crop Black and White Striped T-shirt (Spiral Girl): I haven't really been shopping at this store as much, but they had a whole bunch of sales and I decided to pop in for a bit. I was immediately attracted to this because of the monochrome and the simplicity of it. I like these types of boxy mid-crop tops and I was glad that I was finally able to find a style that I liked. I had been debating about getting something similar at Brandy Melville, but I like something that has more of a drape rather than the form-fitting style that a lot of crop tops have. I think I got this for $20? I think the regular price was $29.99.

Mung Bean face mask, et. al. (The Face Shop): By the time I got to the Face Shop in Ward Center, they had 20% off the entire store (earlier hours had 30% and 25% off). I originally went in there for a gift for someone and I decided to get a few things for myself ;). Not pictured was a black charcoal face wash that I really enjoy using with my konnyaku sponge. I really like any cleansing product for the face that has black charcoal because your skin comes out feeling really nice and clean without it feeling super dry. Also, I got this mung bean face mask, which is great for purifying pores. Of course, whenever you go to any Korean skincare store, you always leave with some samples!

Cedar Street Large Monday in Black (Kate Spade): This was a Christmas gift from my mom to me, but I included this in the post because of the good Black Friday deal! It was 25% off the entire store, and while I'm not too familiar with the sale patterns at Kate Spade, it seems like these bags don't really go on sale as these are one of their most popular bags and it's in black. I've been loving small crossbody bags, and I'm happy to have found a classic bag in black in a flexible style. This bag is great for daytime shopping or for a classy night out. The slimness of the bag doesn't allow for the user to stuff all kinds of junk inside and limits you to the essentials, which is great weight-wise!

Monochrome Graphic by Joe's (Nordstrom Rack): I had seen this a few weeks back and I was immediately attracted to it as you can probably tell why hehe. It was on the clearance rack for $84 I think, and I really didn't want to spend that much despite it being on clearance. But, I came here the day after Black Friday and it was still there! And the clearance sections had an extra 25% or 30% off, so I was like hmm I'll try it on for kicks. The fit was fantastic, especially the length, so that left me feeling like ugh, it's still $60 but then again, it's Joe's Jeans and I know they fit incredibly well. Nevertheless, I don't regret getting them!

High-Waisted Black (Nordstrom Rack): I happened to find this in the clearance rack as well. I had been keeping an eye out for high-waisted black denim and I was excited to have found these. I love the vertical zipper detail and that it is a proper high-waist fit. This turned out to be only $13 after the extra percentage off the lowest price!

Thank you for reading this post! I always enjoy Black Friday shopping. I can't believe this is the sixth year that I've done this. It's such a fun experience and I look forward to this year's as well.

Happy New Year's everyone!

- Lauren

The Shopping Diaries (4th of July Special): TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, J. Crew, GUESS, Bath & Body Works

Hey all!

It has been about six months since I've last posted anything on this blog ><. I know I'm such a terrible blogger but I hadn't been inspired for some reason. I don't know. I feel like I'm going through this odd phase of not really knowing what I want or what I want to do in life, even though I enjoy fashion. I am attempting to get an online associate's degree in fashion merchandising from SNHU, so hopefully by taking these courses, I'll feel something that'll help shine a light on the path I want to take :). There are other personal reasons that have been plaguing me, but let's not get into that.

I must say that I have to give myself a pat on the back for not shopping in over a month. I would've liked to have extended that but the sales were absolutely RIDICULOUSLY good for the weekend holiday. The first two items were bought by my mom, but the rest was bought by me. Let's get into it! 

White Laser Cut Cover-Up: This was something my mom saw and thought was super cute (hence the reason why she bought it for me). To be honest, I don't go to the beach and I haven't swam in at least 5-6 years. This is supposed to be used as a cover up for your swimsuit, but when I tried it on, I thought I could still wear it with some leggings or a nude slip. I think this is a great, airy summery dress, especially for Hawaii weather. The cutouts are really delicate and feminine, which is something that I usually don't gravitate towards, or at least right now. It was originally $40 and TJ Maxx listed it as $24.99. The brand is Solitaire Swim.

Palm Island Shea Butter Soap: Once again, my mom found this and saw that there were two, so she got me one ^^b. The reason why she got these soaps was because the scent was freaking amazing! The scent is Grapefruit Ginger and while I don't like to eat grapefruit, it works as a soap. When I smell this soap, I think of a luxury tropical spa, a perfect setting for Hawaii I think! This was originally $10 and listed price was $4.99.

Embroidered Black Bralette (TOPSHOP): Nordstrom Rack was having their Clear the Rack sale, which was amazing because you got an extra 25% off of red-mark clearance items. So of course I had to check out the long lines of sales racks. Because I'm such a big fan of Topshop, I'm always subconsciously searching for their items whenever I'm here. Was I ever so surprised to find this bralette AND in a size 2! I definitely remember this from last year, but hey I have no problem getting it more than a year later for $11 (say wuuuttttt?!?!?). Yes, you read that correctly! This was originally $40, then was on clearance for $14.97, and with the extra 25% reduction, it was $11.34. I couldn't pass up this great deal hehe!

Hazy Floral Print Top (TOPSHOP): This was another amazing find that I almost missed. I had just gone down one side of the rack and thought that was it, but then quickly realized I had another section to browse and that's where I found this top. There was a sheer lavender floral peplum top that I was tempted to purchase too, but as a size 4, it was a little flowy and loose, which I wouldn't have minded, but I got a second opinion. That's all right because to be honest I felt more strongly about this top rather than the other. This was a size 4 and this too was much more flowy but it wasn't as loose. Another reason why I couldn't pass this up because it was exactly the same price as the bralette. This was originally $44, reduced to $14.97, then extra reduction to $11.43!

Black Straw Hat (J. Crew): I've been on the look out for a chic black summer hat to protect my face from the harmful sun rays. J. Crew was having an amazing sale. I usually don't go into this store because it's quite pricey, but they had an extra 50% off on their sale items. I must say there were a lot of cute items that I would've loved to take home with me, but I was able to resist. Plus, I was with my mom and she's a real Debbie Downer lol. Anyways, this hat was on sale for $24.99 (orig. $34.50), so this meant I only paid $13.40 tax included for this hat! I was incredibly happy and now I own something from J. Brand hehe :P

HW Bleached Cutoffs (GUESS): I went into Guess the previous week and my eyes immediately zoomed to this pair of shorts. I just really loved the bleached effect and I already knew that Guess high-waist shorts were the perfect pair of sexy-cute without being desperate if that makes any sense. Plus, they covered the bum, which is the most important part! I hadn't purchased it then, but I did end up getting it! I consider these mid high-waist because you can still see the belly-button, so I need to pair it with some mid-length crop tops to balance it out since I don't like showing a thick band of stomach. If it's just a sliver, then that's fine for me :).

Simple White Wallflower Burner Plug (B&BW): My last stop was at B&BW because I needed another wallflower plug since mine had burned out. I think that's the one annoying thing about these things is that they easily burn out after using 4-5 wallflowers. That's about how long mine lasted. I don't mind repurchasing these because I think it's a better way to scent your room instead of using candles (tho now I have a butt-ton of candles that I still need to burn lol). I don't mind burning candles every now and then, but having to not worry about fire hazards is really convenient. I was tempted to buy the cute plugs with the sailboat or koi, which were $8.50, but I figured if these don't have major longevity, there's really no point. I love simple white items so this was perfect. I had a 20% off coupon off one regular priced item that my mall was having for the weekend, so I applied this to my purchase. The simple plugs are about $4.50, so I ended spending $3.60.

Here ends the shopping haul for the weekend. This was an eventful 4th of July weekend if I do say so myself. I went to the driving range for a bit and spent the rest of the day in Kailua to wait for the fireworks display, which was really lovely. You can catch a video clip of the fireworks if you click onto my instagram. Then the next day was shopping with my mom. The day after that, I saw How To Train Your Dragon 2 with my dad. While I wasn't into the first movie (actually I never make it past 10 minutes), I thought this was really good. There were some heart wrenching parts that I wasn't expecting, although for the first half hour or so, I kept on thinking how did Hiccup lose his foot since I never finished the first movie lol. But overall, great movie.

I do hope to continue blogging. I had prepared some other pictures for future posts, but never got around to it. I'm hoping now that I'll be inspired to post more. And if I'm feeling really adventurous, I may post in my cooking section if this one recipe that I'm going to attempt to try works out! I won't say what to keep it a surprise, but if it fails, I'll mention it in a future post :P

Thanks for reading!

Lauren

The Shopping Diaries: Charlotte Russe

Hey all! Welcome to my first haul of the month of September. I'm not sure if I'll be having a collective monthly haul this month just because so far I've been buying enough things to make separate posts for each store/brand. This post comes from Charlotte Russe. My step-mom had bought me a dress when she was in Vegas and although I thought the dress was pretty and fit very well, I didn't feel like I'd actually wear it much just because I'm not much of a dress person. So I returned it at my local Charlotte Russe and in exchange, I got these pieces:

Indigo Caged Back Sheer Top: In the past, I've kind of shied away from this color, but I felt like trying it on because I love this kind of detailing and it was on sale for $12.99. The picture shows a more royal blue, but it is darker in real life. The top has a tinge of billowy-ness, but not as much because it was an XS. The size is good, but I think I would've preferred to go up a size just to have a bit more airiness. Nonetheless, I think this is a good top to have in my wardrobe just because I don't have this color yet.

Fringed Crop Top: This was also on sale for $12.99 and at first, I thought it could go either way of loving it or hating it, but I definitely wanted to try it out. I found that it looked really cute on, especially with what I was wearing that day. I had on a pair of low-waisted light-wash destroyed denim and I had a nude bra underneath  that was really close to my skin tone. So when I put it on, the length of the fringe touches the waist of my jeans and you really couldn't see my bra. I would like to wear it like that, but it is showing a lot of skin and I wonder if it's acceptable enough to wear in public... In all honesty, I don't think it looks slutty, but I wonder if it's too much. Obviously I can fix that with some high-waisted shorts and wear something underneath, but I really liked the original coordinate hehe.

Gold Chain/Triangle Double Necklace: I absolutely love this necklace. I think gold chains can really make an outfit look really chic and cool without making it look JB douchey lol. It was only $6 and I've worn this necklace a lot with my collared shirts. The different length adds a really cool dimension to simple outfits.

I hope you all enjoyed my little CR haul! I'm really happy with my finds and I hope to style them soon in my OOTD!

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

TSD August 2013: Nordstrom Rack, PacSun, Charlotte Russe, Aeropostale

Hey all! I can't believe I almost forgot about this post ><. I usually draft out posts during the month and for some reason I just kind of forgot about this one until I was editing my Monthly Gram that I had one more post to upload for August. Anyways, onto the things that I got at random stores <3.

Yellow "SWEET" Bracelet: I've always wanted a few of these BCBG bracelets because they're good for stacking and are basically statement pieces. What attracted me to this particular one was the soft yellow color. I love this shade of yellow and I thought it was sweet...hahaha...yeah, anyways -_-; I got this at Nordstrom Rack and I only paid $9? They're usually $18, so I got a great deal!

Simple Black Sheer Caged Top: I love caged details on tops, especially ones that go down the spine. That's my favorite usage for the detail and I found this nice one at Nordstrom Rack. I like just simple tops like this because it gives you a blank canvas to go creative with accessories. Plus, it's really chic without trying too hard. The brand is LUSH.

Asymmetrical Floral Sleeveless: My dad took me for a bit of shopping at Windward Mall. I decided to check out Pacsun since they always have stuff on sale. The sales promotion was buy 1 from the sale rack, and get the second piece for free! I was attracted to this because of the light florals and that it was only on one side of the top and on the pocket. The little tie at the bottom makes for an even cuter top and it screams Spring or Summer, which is no problem over here since the seasons never seem to change :D. I got this for less than $20.

Pugwich Tee: This was the top that I got for free and I love it! I think the print is absolutely adorable. I kind of have a soft spot for pugs, so I couldn't help but get this. A simple chain necklace and a pair of black jeans and you're good to go with this look!

I <3 America Black Tank: Before going to Pacsun, I made a stop at Charlotte Russe. I saw this tank and I was immediately reminded of something similar at Brandy Melville. The fabric is really soft and I like the vintagey look of the American flag. Plus, this was on sale for $10.

Geometrical Striped Inset: The thing that caught my eye was the sheer black inset. Lately, I've been really into tops that mix different prints or fabrics. I think the sheer fabric adds a bit of sexiness without being too over the top to what would be just a simple shirt. This was only $12.99.

White Knit Cardigan: Lastly, I went to Aeropostale and I was immediately drawn to this white cardigan. Everything about the shape and the knit reminded me of the open cardigans that they sell at Brandy Melville for $52. This was originally $36, but I got it for $18. This was the last one left and it was a large, but luckily that just meant the length was a bit longer, just like the Brandy Melville ones. It still fits nicely on the shoulders and the sleeves aren't long. I felt like I just got a really good deal!

And that's the end of August's haul. Be on the lookout for this past weekend's shopping haul. Literally, I just wanted to go to Forever 21 for this one tank and I ended up getting that and more -_-. Seriously trying to rein it in though hehe.

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

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

TSD Vegas Edition: TOPSHOP

All right lovelies! Get ready for my first clothing haul from my Vegas trip! The first place that I went to was, of course, Topshop at the Fashion Show Mall. It is basically the Motherland for me when it comes to fashion. I love the how British fashion is so quirky and funky and I feel like I don't see that a lot in American fashion. Topshop was having another major sale like last year when I first visited them. Amazingly, except for one item, I got everything on sale! I felt so proud of myself because last year, I think I only got one thing on sale and everything else was regular price yikes! I think my total spent at Topshop was under $200 so I give myself a pat on the back :P. Anyways, to the fashion!

LOVE Monogram Gray Jumper: This was the first thing that I picked up when I entered the store. I suppose a lot of their "winter" stuff was on sale and this jumper caught my eye. It's simple yet funky, giving me a 90's feel. Even though I live in Hawaii, this will come in handy for those cool nights. Also, I'm jetting off to San Fran at the end of this month, so I'll bring this along!

Sheer Floral Lace Crop Top: I love that Topshop has petite sizes since I'm only 5' 1" and that their smallest size starts at US 0 (regular sizing starts at US 2, which is fine in most cases). The size 0 was a great fit, but I wanted a little more length and size 2 did the trick! I need to find a black faux leather high-waist skater skirt with this to complete the look hehe.

Monochromatic Checkered Shirt: This was one of the tops that I picked off the rack and thought that it may or may not look good. My opinion totally changed when I tried it on. I thought it was super chic and cool. It's sheer so you need a black bralette. Another thing that I love about the print are the vines weaving along the front buttons and the sleeves. It's subtle and slightly camouflaged, which I really like. I wore this out this past Saturday with a pair of black leggings from H&M.

Checkered Floral Singlet: Here is another top that I wasn't sure how it would look on me, but once again, when I tried it on, I thought it looked adorable. Plus it helped that I was wearing a black bralette, which completed the look. I love the mix of geometrics and floral. Also, this will be fantastic for those muggy days when you still want to look cute without too much effort ;)

Striped Polka Dot Floral Shirt: That was a mouthful wasn't it! I was a bit apprehensive just because it seemed so busy, but I knew that it would look totally awesome because the mix of prints was just too cool and they really gel together. This was another petite top and this time I got it in a size 0. I've never had a long sleeve top where the length of the sleeve was perfect. I plan on wearing it this weekend! Also, I'll be starting OOTW posts soon so you all will be able to see it on a human form lol.

Blue & Red Mini Check: I had tried this on during my first visit to Topshop, but I returned the next day and decided to try it on again with the intention of getting it this time. It's a long sweater, which covers your bum, so it would look cute with a pair of tights. I think I was a bit intimidated by the print, which is why I didn't get it at first, but when I tried it on again, I thought it would make for a cute geek chic outfit. Also, it was $12 on sale (regular $56) so I just had to get it, even if I really wasn't into it!

White Floral Lace Bralette: This was the only thing that I didn't get on sale, but it was $24 so it wasn't too bad. All my bralettes were black, so I was searching for a white one. Luckily I came across this. I was also happy that I could fit a bra underneath comfortably since it didn't have any shape or support. I'm not busty by any means, but it's good to have shape hehe.

I hope you enjoyed my first post-Vegas haul! Next up will be from Zara!

Thanks for reading!

-LAUREN