recent purchases

Some things I got when I went shopping today. I wanted to go see H&M because they finally opened a store in Metrotown (the biggest mall in the Vancouver area) but I didn’t end up buying anything from them! There was one chiffon dress (on my list!) that was close to coming home with me before I realized that it’d always stay in my closet because it didn’t suit any occasion that I could think of wearing it for. I’m really proud of my restraint actually, it was a really pretty dress but it was just unnecessary. 

Otherwise I am completely in love with everything bought today! Especially the tribal print sweater, I love how it looks like a sweater with character.

I got my knits and my leather, next is the boots and the bag….

random doodle of Emma Watson I made in class while we were *studying diligently* 

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fall 2011 wishlist

nudes by cocoabee featuring leather boots

Its been over a month since I last updated, I’m sorry! Balancing school, work, and volunteering with hobbies on the side is still something I’m working out. What I have worked out is what I want this season, and it starts with…

 

1. Cherry blossom pink Chiffon Ruffle dress – I dislike shiny dresses. My friends are looking at prom dresses and they’re all shiny! 
2. Nude ruffle dress in a heavier fabric – casual looking enough to be worn under a leather jacket
3. Faux leather motorcycle jacket in a cream colour – easy style and warmth on the go
4. Black faux leather pants
5. Suede Ankle Booties
6. Infinity Scarf – good excuse to wear my hair in a ponytail or bun
7. Thick knit gloves with design

winter by cocoabee featuring a sheer sweater

Winter in Vancouver is pretty much fall in Vancouver without leaves and 5-10 degrees Celsius colder.  We get a lot of rain so waterproof is essential.

1. More chunky knit sweaters – The one pictured above is from old navy. Can you believe that? I think its so cute! 
2. Waterproof Trench Coat – my parkas are too thick to wear with thick sweaters
3. Jeans – preferably skinny so they fit well into boots

4. Over the Knee faux leather boots – buy stylish, flat heeled, tall, faux leather boots and use them as rain boots!
5. Suitcase style handbag – not sure what these are called but they’d be perfect. Classy, sophisticated and waterproof.
6. New Wallet
7. more Jewellery to play up boring sweaters

sweaters by cocoabee featuring a cropped sweater

Must – Chunky Knit sweaters, Cowl neck sweater, Batwing sweater, Striped sweater and a Cowichan print!

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removing pillings

These are a thick pair of leggings I got impulsively in New York when it turned out to be a lot colder there than I expected back in March. I bought them in Chinatown NY (we were there for food, Kathy’s Dumpling House – best wontons ever -  and I got these ‘cause we’d be staying late and it’d get even colder) and quality wise their fine except they pill really easily. A few weeks ago at daiso I bought a small electric pill remover ($2), you can get pill removers/fabric combs/fabric savers at most supermarkets, fabric stores and home supply stores.

This is what my $2 daiso one looks like 

and I love it. Its amazing. A total life clothing saver. Just look

ALL GONE!

Its all trapped in here now.

I’m so glad I bought this, I just found out that pilling was removable last month and had been looking at different pilling removers/fabric savers online. I was going to get the fabric stone but I bought this basically because it was $2 and I thought it’d be worth a try, it works so much better than I’d expected! Its saving me so many of my sweaters that I’d though I’d never wear again because they had pilled so badly.

I’ve used this a few times now and I make sure to give it breaks after a few seconds, the thing about cheap electronics like this is that you have to worry about the motor dying out. You can also use a (new) shaving razor (preferably 1 blade, the less blades the less likely you’ll accidentally cut the fabric)  to get rid of pilling and fabric fuzz. It takes forever though and I’ve cut holes my clothes accidentally with it. . 

The one I used was from the dollar store, 3 blades, sharp enough to cut holes in the fabric, not sharp enough to get rid of the pillings/fuzz in less than a dozen swipes.  It works, its just not efficient.

The Pilling remover from Daiso has not cut any of my clothes so far in my experience, I’ve even used it over stitching and designs (like the shiny zebra design on the leggings pictures above) and its been fine. It removes pillings like a dream but its not that great with removing the fuzz from knit sweaters (scarves, etc.). Still I love it, $2 really well spent. 

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Biotherm biopur pore reducer

This is a moisturizer I’ve finished recently and have put off reviewing for a while because my opinion on skin care products takes a while to develop. At first I’m excited to try it out and it seems amazing but if I still like it by the time the bottle is empty, then I know its a great product. If I remember correctly I believe this was $45 for 50ml, I got some samples of other Biotherm creams with it. 

It claims to  “refining the skin's texture”, tighten pores and keep the skin matte with PORE INSIDE™ technology and ingredients such as a natural soap, astringent Copper, oil-regulating Zinc, and mattifying Starch. They instruct to use this as a day and night moisturizer and it contains no SPF.

The ingredient list on the website isn’t complete so here is the list of everything that’s in it.

Generally this cream was OK, it’s lightweight enough that I could layer sunscreen (Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen) and foundation on top of it and it didn’t make my face shiny (although my face’s natural oil will make it shiny in a few hours) but the fancy technology and ingredients it claims to have didn’t do much better than Neutrogena’s Oil Free Fresh Moisture Moisturizer. No “oil regulation”, no smaller looking pores. For $45 it contains a lot of the same ingredients that $10 drugstore moisturizers have such as, salicylic acid, glycerin, aqua (water – as its first ingredient), sodium hydroxide, aluminum starch octenylsuccinate, fragrance (it had a light scent)  and witch hazel. The ingredients are similar and the effects are similar. It does have better packaging, the pump dispenser is great and its in a glass bottle.

In all, a nice moisturizer, not a fantastic one, but not one that I want to get more of now that the bottle’s empty. I’ll be looking for moisturizer with more antioxidants next. 

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haul + update

Last week was an exciting week for me, it was my birthday and I got hired for my very first job (well, legitimate one anyways) and an old friend came into town for a visit. I also cut my own hair for the first time with two haircutting tools purchased from Daiso. I didn’t realize it until now, but I bought a lot of goodies too. I went to a cosmetics outlet I read about on mallvibes (here), the shop smelled horrible and the prices weren't much lower than you`d find normally at most drugstores but I found a few things I wanted.
1. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Foundation $8 (reg $12.99) – I don`t have mature skin but I was looking for a medium-full coverage foundation and this one has good reviews on mua. The shade I got is 150 Classic Ivory, 2 shades darker than the lightest they make but this shade was the lightest I could find in the shop. They do say that its better to go darker than to go lighter. A foundation that`s too light can make you look pasty and ghostly but I always thought they could `brighten up` your face to give you a glow. 
1. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Double Face Perfector (concealer + highlighter) $8 (reg $10.99) – Heard rave reviews of this, can`t wait to give it a go!
3. Neutrogena Oil Free Fresh Moisture $5 (reg $9.99)  -  my second time buying this product. I rarely repurchase products but I have liked this one, its light weight and has been keeping my skin smooth for the past year.

my year old tube compared to the new one

  Sunscreen, guess where I got this! At Dollarama! This was $2 at Dollarama and its still sold at places like Zellers and Superstore for around $10. I was pretty sceptical to get this because I`ve heard that some dollar stores take the packaging of a product and fill it with something different but still sell it as whatever the packaging says. Dollarama is a large retailer though and I don`t think they`d do that. This sunscreen seems great so far regardless.

Water proof mascaras! Because their supposed to hold a curl better and I`m tired of getting smudges on my lower lash line. I`ve opened `the Falsies`so far and am disappoint so far to be honest.

First box of ice cream for the summer. Got it two weeks ago and its almost empty already!

 
I`m now using Aussi hair care, no particular reason, just ran out of shampoo (was Herbal Essences) and conditioner (was Aveeno). Really love this stuff so far. Makes hair super soft, smooth, shiny and smells good!  
 
Daiso haul, I actually have a lot of Daiso hauls to fill you guys in with. This one has an umbrella (haven`t used yet), hair cutter (LOVE IT, used it to cut my hair last week), haircutting scissors (used it a bit, don`t really like it) and a pill remover (mom loves it). Everything was $2 and more opinions on them soon.

I miss doing posts like this! Its what made blogging fun in the first place. Thank you all for still reading this blog even though I hardly update anymore, hello! to my new readers, I promise I`ll put up more posts for you to read more often!

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