Spring In Winter: Mini Accesories Haul

Have a couple bucks? I highly suggest that you beeline your way to Sidecca and get yourself some fun accessories. I was looking for something to add to an outfit for a wedding that I'm attending next week and was not disappointed! Everything I picked up was only a dollar and it was just the little bit of cheap indulgence that my hair needed! As you could tell from my previous posts, I've gone back to black and started to play with extensions. This has left me in search for a little color without having to redye my hair. It was such a huge success that I might just have to go back!

I also picked up a hat at Macy's today. We went looking for something Eugene could wear to the meeting and couldn't pass up this tweed fedora all by its lonesome in the clearance section. It's so cozy and warm on my head making it perfect for the Winter months. There's a little section where I can tuck the clips of the flowers into the side of the hat making it a perfect statement!

Viola! I just love that color and texture combination. Hope those of you near a Sidecca can take advantage of the sale too!

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The Lane Bryant Holiday Haul

I've been meaning to come in here and tell you of my lovely Lane Bryant Haul for some time now. I feel like I've been snowballing in the shopping department since everything is so darn cheap! Believe me, I've been still sticking to my half off only policy, yet everything seems to be dropping cheaper and cheaper. Where as the fact that products are practically being given away these days means the economy is not so great, I've never had the opportunity to refresh my wardrobe so quickly! Even the fact that I was better off financially last year than now doesn't seem to be holding me back in this department.

For those of you that follow my Instagram, you may have noticed this photo for awhile sometime. This was my receipt from the haul, something that I'm terribly proud of. Seems like being good paying the bills all year and waiting for the clearance to go an extra 50% off has it's bonuses. Spending $70 for well over $200 in items can't get any better. I got some wonderful useful items for everyday which I'm super happy about.

Here's what I got:

I just love this little thin print shirt. It's a bit baggy on me but I love the way that it goes with leggings. I wore this to Palm Springs and it was a great shirt to layer and wear with my favorite jeans. This little Anglophile is gleaming with happiness.

I love this feather watercolor shirt. It's silky in the front and has a stretchy cotton back that makes it very light. Wearing it just makes me feel pretty. I think I should go on the hunt for a dream-catcher pendant. I also enjoy that it's one of those pieces you can dress up or down depending on what your day calls for.

It was about time that I got myself a denim shirt. I was fortunate to find this peasant blouse one. It has that industrial look with a little bit of girlish touch. I love it! I'm looking forward to pairing this shirt with my brown vest for an everyday steampunkish look.

I love these button up dresses and have a slowly growing collection of them. I was happy to find this in Olive Green because I promise come around St. Patty's that I'll get more green in my closet. Well! I beat myself to it early this year since I've been really into green as of late. I also enjoyed that it came with a nice belt that I can use with other outfits. Best part about this dress is how flowy the fabric is falling in all the right places without pinching and being too stiff. I'm saving this dress for a special occasion.

The priciest item I got were these boots which I didn't mind one bit! Be it the weight I am now or when I was much thinner in my high school years I was NEVER able to quite fit into knee high boots. I just about gave up on the idea until Eugene found these and suggested I tried them on. I bought them in a heartbeat! The stretchy backing made it easy to wear without looking to tacky being stretchy all over like most boots that I've seen. I also love the thick rubber souls for all day wear without looking too much like a sneaker. I wore these once before taking these photos and they've become a winter staple for me this year. Ladies, do yourself a favor and invest in a good pair of boots if you haven't. I have a feeling these will be with me for a good few years to come.

And last but not least, a big bottle of Cacique Perfume...

I can go on with the praise about this perfume all day. As seen I had bought a small travel bottle to try for the meantime and I just couldn't stop wearing it! What I love the most about this scent is that it's bold without being obnoxious. It's so common to want a bold perfume and people suggest citrus scents. Personally I like citrus, but what I really love is the delicate naturally sweet scent of flowers. Cacique does a great job of combining both to where the floral scents take center stage and keep a presence through the whole day. The woodsy under notes combined with me mandarin just punch take the florals and make the deeper if that makes sense. I feel bold and beautiful when I put this on, its a scent that Eugene prefers over all my others.  And to think, this perfume is cheaper than most brands I enjoy and I can find it at one of my favorite shops. Such a win win!

Hope you've enjoyed this and you've been struck with shoppers luck lately.

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The Body Shop Makeup Haul

 

The past couple of years I've been experimenting with makeup on and off. I stop wearing it when it gets too hot and muggy to wear, and that sadly is what a majority of the weather is here in L.A. With the weather calming down I'm happy that I can start at it again!  I've been slowly growing my collection, trading out my cheaper products for higher quality ones. My skin is super sensetive, so much that I've been known to break out into itching hives at Sephora. It's quite sad really, no MAC or Urban Decay for me.  :( So far Bare Escentuals and Boots have been kind to me.

 

I recently renewed my Love Your Body membership with The Body Shop and my points ran over from my last year purchases. A few weeks ago they had a sale which made all of their makeup 50% off, so that included with my points allowed me to get $100 worth of products for $25. All I had to do was get the stocking which has proved to be Despereaux's new favorite cuddle toy. Any who, I have taken the time to try out all of these products and have grown to love them! I forget that I'm even wearing them where my old eye shadow would make my eyes puff and water after an hour of wear.

Baked Eye Color: Sage

I got this color because I've been in a woodland fairy sort of mood.  This palette has proven to be my favorite out of the entire haul. It comes out a very light earth green which goes well with my brown eyes. I set this with Prime Time Primer from Bare Escentuals, and it last through an entire day. The picture below shows you how the lighter shade and the darker shade mix. It proves to be a really easy smokey eye. I would definitely recommend this for anyone that has brown eyes as an everyday smokey look with just a little bit of a twist. 

Shimmer Cubes: Palette 20:

( Left to Right: 

Snow White, Indigo Blue,

Midnight Black, Starlight Silver)

 Holy cow these palettes carry plenty of eyeshadow! Within the the clear plastic case there are smaller cases holding about a sugar cube size worth of eyeshadow. This palette makes for a very stormy mood and you can make it lighter or darker depending of the occasion. I should mention to be careful with the blue because it does grow very intense in color mixed with any of the other colors. The white makes for a great highlighter in the corner of the eyes. The black is also a very soft black for those that like a darker eye but not something so harsh.

Shimmer Cubes: Palette 06
(Left to Right:
Honey Comb, Dark Chocolate,
Marshmallow, Choc Chip)

I was expecting the color from these to be very metallic and strong, but I was pleasantly surprised that this turned out to be a very shimmery and warm neutral palette. I use this palette when I wear more earthy clothes. I'd imagine this would be a great palette for a black dress occasion, focusing your color on the lips. My favorite from this collection would be the Marshmallow and Honeycomb, they are great to blend with other colors and create warm highlights. Can't wait to try them with a liquid lined cat-eye; I'd imagine it would look very sweet and feminine.

Pressed Face Powder:
Shade 03

Its been awhile since I've had a press powder in my collection. I usually steer clear from them because they never match my skin tone. Fortunately for me I found this shade which matches me to a letter! I got this for light cover to take with me. Lately I've been using it alone, but on days where I know plenty of photos will be taken of me on the job I put this on top of my light concealer from Boots Botanical Collection. 

I almost didn't notice the difference in did to my complexion until I put in on to half of my face first. It gives a very subtle fresh look and get rid of the dark circles under my eyes perfectly.

Baked-To-Last Blush:

Coral

I love this blush! A little goes a long way with this. I love the nice dewy look that this product has as it goes on. It really looks like a natural blush on my cheeks, for a stronger rosy look you just apply more. The thing that drew me to this product was the little bit of highlighter included. I use this part on my nose and forehead when I need to. I mostly blend the two and just add a light blush in the hollow of my cheeks for emphasis on my cheek bones.

I'm happy that I was able to share this haul with you! These are really great products and I enjoy using every one of them. They put me in a good mood every time I get out of the shower and start my day off right. The Body Shop has a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all their product or you can return them with no fuss. They are worth a try and are super good for your skin and the environment.

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Classic Savory Tea Haul

Its been awhile since I did a tea post. That's because I've been occupying my tea hobby reading my Meditation with Tea book which I just finished today (Huzzah)! I've learned quite a bit as to what each tea was specifically created for, which in turn has gotten me to appreciate certain teas that I never would have before. Now that I know what notes of flavor I'm looking for, I can can venture into more traditional teas and taste the entire bouquet and appreciate it. I've started to venture into two types of teas which I wasn't really into for years until I read this book: Oolongs and Blooming Teas.

I started getting into Oolong because I learned that Oolong has such a wide variety of ways that they are prepared. Oolong is a tea that is not completely oxidized to a Black form, but what I didn't know was that percent can range from 2% to 80% depending on the desired flavor. This gives you hundreds of options with flavors, notes, and texture. I don't think that a tea lover could get tired of Oolong for this simple fact alone.

As for the Blooming variety, I used to think that it was all for show. But after reading the book I now understand that most blooming teas were created for social occasions. Because they are tied together they take longer to bloom, making them a slow steeping tea easy to wait for the water to cool over a conversation. Taking this concept I realize that I can get a good pot of tea that doesn't get bitter when I'm working, or into a good read. As the weather is cooler I thought that blooming teas would be perfect those long cozy reads and painting sessions on the couch.

All these teas are from Bird Pick:

 
Super Grade Oolong: This tea is actually the tea of the month and when we had a sample of it Eugene fell in love with it. It carries a very traditional floral bite to it thats a desired characteristic of Oolong, but it had hints of a citrus zest as the finishing note. When I brewed it it came out a very golden color brew, so I assume that it has been half way oxidized. The leaves are also fairly tough, giving for a strong but fresh brew.


Osmanthus Milky Oolong: Confession; I'm on my second bag of this stuff. Lately this has been my go to tea. It's a traditional flavor with a modern twist. Milky Oolong is a fairly new type of tea on the market in the way that it's grown and harvested. No one is sure exactly how they do it, but the Oolong is a very green Oolong with a sweet milky after taste. The Oolong alone is phenomenal, giving way to very complex intense flavor, but the delicate bits of Osmanthus flower give it a sweet finish. I love this tea! I love how you just get hit with sensory overload the minute you open the packet and smell it while the water boils. Please get some if you can, you won't be disappointed!

Royal Red Peony Organic: One of the teas recommended in the book, I gave it a shot from the description of it being a good tea for entertaining. It was recommended as a perfect tea to take out on walks as it takes time to steep. I am so happy that I gave it a chance, as it is growing to become a new daily favorite of mine. Since it's a blooming tea there is no fuss with strainers and it comes out perfect every time. Another thing I love about this tea is that there is no such thing as over or under steeping it. So far my favorite steep of it is less than a minute freshly poured. It keeps its sweet dewy, light woody taste through the entire pot. People say you shouldn't brew more than one pot, but so far I've gone as far as two pots out of this one blossom.

Sprinkled Stars Blooming Green: I have yet to try this Blossoming Tea, but I got it because it's made of fragrant Jasmine Green leaves and shoots out bits of Osmanthus giving it its name. I also thought that the Easter Lily is a wonderful pairing between the two.

If any of these sound interesting to you please check them out on the web as they have been a great part of my tea exploration.

Cheers!




P.S. I wanted to do a shout out to Rachele from Nearsighted Owl for having me as a sponsor and featuring me and other talented bloggers in a post. Please check her blog of cats, fatshion, and everyday brilliance.

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Well Lit Black Friday: Patriot Candle Haul

Despite the good sales this year for Black Friday; I ended up doing my tradition of stocking up on candles at my local Walgreen's. In keeping up with my Crossing Fingers Challenge, I make it a point this shopping season to:

• Not buy anything unless it's at least 50% off.
• Never spend more that $50 per day.

With all the pretty shiny deals bombarding my email and blaring on billboards; its easy to get jaded and feel like you need everything. Keeping these rules have been working particularly on behalf of my budget and seeing that it's not necessary to horde. One deal I refuse to miss however is the yearly Black Friday Patriot Candles sale! The sale is for jar candles that go for buy one get two free. Walking out of there with a handful of six candles was liberating.

I wanted to share this haul with everyone because these candles last for a long time and are a great value. I love the variety of scents especially in the layered candles. The blends make for fresh interesting scents. The sale makes them even more desirable, as they become more than 60% off!

Here are my choices:

  

Smoothie Blends (Wild Berry, Blueberry Burst, & Strawberry Swirl): I love this scent because it smells like a fresh berry blended smoothie from Jamba Juice. Most berry scents are super sweet and sickeningly ripe. This candle keeps a fresh berry scent to the very end. I burn it when I want a fresh and sweet scent at the same time.

Tranquil Retreat (Garden Rain, Days End, & Indigo Nights): It starts with a sharp earthy smell and blends out into more mellow scents. This candle overall has a rich incense smell to it which it nice as a neutral background scent. I love burning this in the morning, it has an energizing crisp hit to it.

Vanilla Celebration (French Vanilla, Vanilla Cookie, & Vanilla Caramel): When I picked this candle up I literally felt like I was smelling a slice of white cake. The vanilla smell is balanced out with a baked good smell to it. Not a sugary vanilla either, more like the smell of a vanilla scone or angel food cake. The smell is very light when burned and gives a cozy warm feeling to a room.

Midnight Garden (Seashore, Midnight Jasmine, & Indigo Nights): By far my FAVORITE Patriot Candle! It has similar notes to Yankee Candle's Midsummer's Night scent but with warm floral notes. I guess the best way to describe it is that it's the girly version of the Yankee Candle Scent. Think China Rain with Sweet Jasmine, Woods, and Cashmere. It's my go to candle when I want to curl up with journal or a good book in bed.

Fruit Fantasy (Lime Verbena, Flowering Pear, & Honeydew Melon): I got this candle for the first time this haul. What drew me to it was the balance of floral and fruit notes. Your first hit with the light lime and later the under of sweet flowers similar to Sweet Pea. This is the sweetest smelling candle out of the six I have, but it works with the fruit notes being very mellow.

Sea Grass: It has that soft smell from most Ocean scented candles except a sweet note and hints of what I think are Aloe and Lilac. I think it's a nice fresh scent that can be an alternative to the Linen Scent.

When I got home I found out that my mom had gotten a few herself; our family is pretty fairly equipped! I love having a variety of candles on hand so I'm ready for however my mood changes. This was definitely a wonderful way to spend my Black Friday and ease into the Holidays.

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Harney & Sons Tea Haul

Before the Tea Festival I was falling into a bit of a tea rut. What I mean by that is that I wasn't exploring and I was only really drinking a few of my regulars. There isn't anything wrong with that, except that it was starting to bore me. Then by luck, I was introduced to Harney & Sons. I had tried some of their teas at Barnes & Noble a few years back, but brewed incorrectly these teas become bitter and stout so I hadn't touch them since, until now.

If you can tell I turned myself loose on their products. They are the friendliest family based company that really cares about their product and sharing tea with the world. When speaking to them they feel like tea has gone up in popularity because people want conversations and alternatives to coffee over those conversations. There is no real 'true' way to consume tea; rather a journey of sharing listening and learning. As a tea enthusiast that is strongly against tea snobbery and elitism, I was so happy to hear a company on the market that shared my views. They are mainly what I bought at the tea festival, which I did gladly! I look forward to reading the book by the Harney Family: TEA. This is after I complete my meditation book. As for the teas...

Harney Teas come in these beautifully decorated tins that carry silken sachets. This is a good cross between loose leaf and bagged teas making them convenient while keeping the herbs in tack. I for one am in love with the classic look of these tins, as they match my library nicely and give me a beautiful tin to store other teas in the future.

They also generously gave me samples to bring home. They're really good about that sort of stuff and really want to share their passion and blends with others. They even went as far as to open some tins up and throw a few loose bags in for me to try other than the ones shown above.

Here's all of the teas I brought home with me:

Hot Cinnamon Sunset: They're best selling Tea! This is a black mixed with three types of cinnamon to give an intense burst of sweet cinnamon goodness. When I say sweet I mean it; this tea has a sugary taste which they say is the cinnamon tricking your taste buds. I know for sure you can get this tea at Barnes and Noble. Give it a try! I'd imagine it with a plate of Snicker-doodle Cookies.

Paris: I just fell in love with the smell of this tea! The main notes in this black tea are honey, currant, bergamot, and rose petals. It just smells like a sweet warm fire on a cold rainy day. This is a great milk tea, but I personally love it straight steeped hot as I curl up under the covers or write in my journal.

Organic Green w/Gingko: Wow! Let me just say wow! I love this tea! I love the hint of citrus in a mellow green with that soft nutty taste from the gingko. Its so refreshing to have a citrus tea that doesn't bite or zing. I could see myself drinking this green everyday relentlessly. I won't order online just yet because
I know one (or two) tins of this simply won't be enough. I was so bummed that this wasn't being sold at the festival either...

Bangkok: An exotic green tea blend of coconut, ginger, and lemongrass. Its a pleasant experience for green tea lovers that want a little bit of zing. I personally wasn't in love with this tea as much as the gingko and loved the Cinnamon Sunset in the spice choices. I would recommend this tea with a good asian salad or light asian fare.

Another tea I would love to mention was the Soho Blend. A decadent black tea with chocolate and coconut notes. It wasn't really my thing, but I was proud to have met the blender for that tea who happens to be the manager for the SoHo store.

I plan to order more of their teas online, Especially the Green with Ginkgo. I also heard from their representative that they're working on expanding here on the West Coast especially in the Los Angeles area. I'm looking forward to that. Until then I'll enjoy the lovely tins that I have as well as the yummy samples.

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Lane Bryant Late Summer Haul

It's that lovely time of year in SoCal where the Summer clothing goes on sale to make room for the Fall.  The great thing about this is that Summer weather lingers well into late October like it is this year. Another bonus is it never gets all that cold (other than the occasional hail storms) and you can wear just about anything with a good coat or sweater. I went on a haul with a coupon in hand and got some really good finds! I figured it's about time I do this post since I've already done two OOTD with this haul. You can see those here and here.

Here's what I got:

I love this top as it's sheer in the back for those extra sticky hot days here. I've been wanting one of these but could never find anything tasteful in my size. Clever Lane Bryant only made the back sheer with a super light cotton in the front. I adore the screen print with has half dots in gold glitter under it. I'm totally rocking this to the Tea Festival as the hot weather is slightly picking again.

 I found a Seven dress at such an affordable price! I was so shocked! I've been looking for good versatile dresses lately as I carry alot of light sweater and over vests in my wardrobe. I love this because it's so hard to find a long cotton dress. I also love that the stripes are subtle and go with almost everything.

I call this my Echoing Green shirt! The artwork on it looks like something that would have been on their early 90s albums. I love the way everything is grey-scaled and the flowers just pop it to life.  Charcoal Grey is also my absolute favorite color and it's so hard to find nice shirts in that hue.

I love this tank because it has this slight shark bite taper and it's long. This will be so great to rock with leggings. I also love the little bit of glitter on it so I can sport it with some of my pop or rockability looks.  The blue stripes are also a beautiful shade.

This shirt is so soft and relaxing. I just loved the way that the sleeves slouched on my arms to give it a great curvy look with the boyfriend shirt appeal. This shirt also has these pretty stripes with a bit of metallic silver thread spun in it. It's so easy to dress it up or down. The screen print just adds the right amount of texture to dress up or down the accessories. 

Isn't this the coolest shade for a chunky sweater? I really love that fire red orange tone that goes great with any neutral shade! It's also rare to find a chunky quarter sleeve sweater as well, and it falls just above my waist so that I can wear it with a short dress or skirt without killing the lines of an outfit.

I was a couple of dollars short from my coupon working so I got this nail polish in the color of 'Morning Dove'. I'm so glad I did! This nail polish goes on super thick and only needs one coat. It dries fast and is very flexible resisting chipping. Their nail polish all have a super shine metalic finish. It's really playful!

I'll be having fun with these finds, so expect to see more of them. Happy shopping everyone!
-Stef

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