ASOS

Today i will review a website that i used a couple times since my friend told me about it.  The website (http://www.asos.com) is great in a couple ways.  One, being free standard shipping worldwide, no minimum purchase and the second being the fact that there are free returns.  Its an easy site to use and everything is displayed and some items, usually clothes, has a function provided that allows potential buyers to see the clothes on a runway.  This is a helpful tool to have, especially when you have never seen the actual item in real life before.  We all know that online shops can be deceiving in a sense that we don't get to try on the item, so we don't know what it looks like on us.  We might not like the item we purchased; this is why free returns are that great.  Although certain items are a bit pricey, the material is not bad.  The bracelet below is from a UK brand called Gogo Philip and its made from Italy as it says on the tag.  I paid around $16 for it, but i actually really like the bracelet~It makes jingling noises which i want all my bracelets to do.  So for me, this was a good buy.  The next thing i got was the tunic which i got for around $15 and its from Vera Moda.  The material is amazing.  Its not some cheap chiffon you get at certain stores, but it actually feels really soft like a silk chiffon.  The inside is also lined with a silk-type material which i love.  So the whole tunic is almost weightless and goes great with leggings and a cardigan.  These were really good buys.  I also got a belt for $5 and its almost in a gold metallic color, but what can i say, its a belt. It does what its suppose to do.

 Overall, i'm quite impressed with the company and these items were my first order and it came pretty fast, around 7 days and its free shipping.  What more can i say about the company.  Right now they are having a sale as well, so you guys should go check it out.

Boxing Day!!~

Let me first start off by saying OMG what a day.  I basically walked around from 8am until 6pm on December 26th, 2011 and came back with bags of stuff (most of which are NOT mine).  This i am quite proud of.  I dragged my bf with me because we have to buy souvenirs for his family back in China since we will be heading there in January.  Of course, during the journey of buying these gifts for other people, he picked up a couple things of his own (sorry i don't have pictures).  They were just 2 jackets, one from Buffalo and one from Bench.  Basically we went to 2 places to shop, one is Metrotown and the other is the Queensborough Landing.  The first store we lined up at when we got there, before 8am, is Coach at Metrotown.  I asked the people who lined up infront of us what the sale was at the store as there were no signs and they said "i don't know".  Basically we all just lined up for the sake of lining up hoping theres a sale.  When we got in i asked the sales associate what was on sale.  Turns out, one of the walls was 50% off; that basically explained why there are a bunch of people pushing each other infront of that way.  My bf wanted to get a bag for his mother as a gift so he pushed his way into the pool of people and grabbed random bags for me to judge.  We got 3 things from the bag and one of them is mine (thats most important), which is actually the clutch you see below.  it retails for $98 so i got it for around $50 i guess, which is a fair deal for Canada (it doesn't compare to states); oh well.  

 Moving on, I actually did walk into the BCBG at Metrotown but the sale wasn't that great so i took a look around and walked out.  I went to the Queensborough outlet one instead.  This year, I noticed that there were actually a lot of cars compared to last year.  I guess people have finally discovered this outlet that i discovered since it opened.  I remember when i first went there for boxing day.  It was an accident, it was before Best Buy at Lansdowne opened and Queensborough was the only one close to Richmond.  My dad wanted to go there and i decided i would look at the other stores.  I went to Garage then, and i got a blazer that i still have for $5.  Yes, it was an awesome deal.  This time, i walked into BCBG at the outlet and OMG, the stuff was on sale already, but the WHOLE store was ADDITIONAL 50% OFF!!  It was a great deal, so i got this clutch for $15 and the shoes below for $30.  I actually got the same pair of shoes when they first came out for the retail price of $121; I really liked them and they same in a size that fit me.  for BCBG i could fit into 5.5, which is the smallest size they make (it is really hard to find shoes that fit my tiny feet).  This is why i would be willing to spend more on shoes that fits me right. The original pair i got were in black this time, since it was on sale and they still had my size i got them in white.  They are really comfortable for such a high pair of sandals (5.5" heel).  Whats great about this pair of shoes is that they have good cushioning and the soles of the sandals are rubbery for good grip on the floor, so you won't slip easily with such a high heel.  A well thought-out design.

I actually went to the Disney store at Metrotown as well and they had a sale on stuffed animals, but since i already have plenty on my bed i didn't get any, i got 2 cups instead for $5.99 each.  But i didn't take a picture of them, my mom already took them from me to use.  This calendar i got at the bookstore at Lansdowne just today for 2012.  It was 50% off and its just a small one i want for my cubicle.  It retails for $4.99 and i got it for around $2.80 with tax.  Not too bad



 We also went to Bath and Body Works are Metrotown where i got a bunch of  pocket pak hand sanitizers with the Christmas stickers on them and they retail for $2.00 but they were 75% off so i got them for 50 cents each.  They are great for giving as gifts in Hong Kong and China, because i don't think they have such a mini size. I got also them for myself because i was running out; they fit great in my purse.  I got one that is a foam sanitizer and it retails for $4.50 but it was 90% off i guess because the girl at the counter said was was 45cents, so i got one.  The frog thing is a car fresheners that the girl said is $2.00 now and it smells good, so i got one.  The lotion is the best part, because it smells like oranges and mandarin and it was 75% off of $12.50 so it was $3.13.  They have such great deals there right now.  We got a couple things from the Body Shop as well for just random gifts for people in China.  I guess because nice smelling lotions usually cost a lot there.  They had a 3 for $30 deal, where all of the big body butters are part of the deal.  I actually like Bath and Body Works better, but i think the Body Shop is more famous in Asia.  Nevertheless we got something from both store for them.

We got a lot of stuff that day, many i did not mention because a lot of it wasn't mine.  I got some stuff as gifts as well, so overall i spent quite of bit of money.  As you can tell from all the bags from the store it was well worth the trip and for me it was quite fun.  I was so tired near the end.  My bf...i think he had fun.  His new favourite store is probably Bench.  We went to the Queensborough one because i feel their sale is better than the one at the mall.  I was right, its additional 40% off at the outlet and only 30% at the mall.  However, i went to the Bench outlet a little before Christmas and the sale items were an additional 50% off but it was only 30% of the regular stuff so i guess its almost the same, depending on what you buy.  I guess its always good to keep a heads up during boxing day and not buy just because.

ADOVIA

Today i would like to review this soap bar I've been using called Adovia's Dead Sea Mud Soap.  This is the second time i have ordered these soaps and have gone through 2 bars with my brother.  I initially ordered this soap for my brother because i heard that it was good for people with skin problems such as Eczema, Psoriasis or Acne. Made from the mud in the dead sea, it is infused with minerals and natural ingredients that work together to clean your skin.  I use this soap for my face and its quite gentle for that and my skin does feel clean after i use it.  I might just lather the soap on my hands if i am lazy; other times i just take my scrubby and grab some soap with it and scrub my face.  This exfoliates and cleans my face for a deeper clean.  So far, there are no major problems with using this on face and i actually thinks its helping with my skin problems as well (my skin is prone to acne). One bonus about this soap is that is doesn't have a smell, so for those who are sensitive to smells, this would be a good choice of soap.  My brother uses his soap for his entire body because of his skin problems.  He told me to order more because it seems to be clearing up the marks on his skin which he thinks it caused by eczema.  Overall i would recommend this soap to anyone who has problems with their skin and needs a gentle face wash.  


This soap costs around $10 to $11 or so with shipping for Canadian customers (depending on how many you buy) on the site Cleopatra's Choice (it is under the BBB so its safe).  Right now they are having free shipping for this product and i would urge one who take advantage of this promotion following the link below. 


http://www.cleopatraschoice.com/mud-soap.html?__utma=1.861786182.1304183736.1304183736.1304183736.1&__utmb=1.48.10.1304183736&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1304183736.1.1.utmcsr=youtube.com|utmccn=%28referral%29|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/watch&__utmv=-&__utmk=170117536

BuBBi BrUsHes~

 Today i wanted to do a review on Bubz Beauty Bubbi brushes.  I happen to purchase 2 of them a while back and my first impressions of these brushes are that they are pretty soft and the packaging is very pretty and nice.  This multi retractable brush is one of the softest brushes i have ever touched and the packaging looks very nice.  One negative thing i would have to say is that the retractable part itself seems not as high quality as the brush, making it seems like a cheap metal coating something fabulous.  Otherwise the use of this brush is multi-functional.  I love using this brush to contour because it is an elliptical shape making it easy to get into the sides of your nose and hollows of your cheeks.

 This next brush is Bubbi's Flawless HD brush.  The design of this brush is just like all the other foundation brushes out there, except that it has a slight angle and because of the size (which is smaller) it can be used to blend in concealer really well.  I use this mostly for concealer because i am lazy and find that using this brush to blend my foundation or BB cream takes much longer than the kabuki brush i use. Otherwise this brush would be a good alternative.  The packaging for this brush is very nice and sturdy, unlike the retractable brush, this brush doesn't have that cheap metal feeling on it.  I really like this brush for blending concealer.

I purchased these two brushes with shipping to Canada and i think for these brushes it cost me around $25 CDN including shipping which isn't too bad. It didn't take too long, around 2 weeks which is fair because it is shipped out from Hong Kong.  I think Bubz did an excellent job on these brushes and i forward to all her future products.

Milk Frother Day~

I recently went out to buy this Keurig Milk Frother.  The reason being the fact that i like warm milk, but the microwave makes the heat distribution uneven.  I also wanted it to make drinks because it produces foam if i want it to.  It is a great little device that makes warm milk or foam in 90 seconds and its just takes a touch of a button.  I got this on sale for $79.99 at Home Outfitters and i had 2 of their money cards worth $20 each.  Of course, i have to spend $100 to use both, so i got something else around $20 and paid around $75 for both things, great deal i would say.

Would this device be worth $80? I would say that no, it wouldn't be worth full price, but if it was on sale then i would say go for it if u like warm milk.  I honestly love this device but without the coupons, i probably wouldn't have went out to buy it.

This is a great gift and its great for entertaining 1 or 2 people, because its a personal device, meant to only make 1 drink.  For the holidays though, i would say something warm to drink isn't too bad and it only takes 90 seconds.

Perfume

Recently i bought a perfume off beyond the rack and it was a perfume that i wanted for a long time but never got around to getting it until now.  This is the BVLGARI BLV Eau De Parfum II. 

I got a sample of this perfume when i went to Portland 2 or 3 years ago when it first came out and i loved it since then.  Strangely enough, this perfume wasn't available in Canada for a while and even when it was, it is not easy to get your hands on.  I went to stores and saw that they did not have this particular kind.  The only places you can get them are at large department stores, such as The Bay and Sears, which retails for about $92 a bottle.

When Beyond the Rack had a perfume sale and i saw this perfume, i decided it was time to get a new smell.  My boyfriend told me that perhaps now that i have started to work, it would be worth while to get a more mature smell but still pertain that fun, fresh, youthful radiance my other perfumes demonstrates so well.  I pretty much only use certain perfumes because i didn't want to spend a grand amount of money on the purchase of perfumes, especially when i know i probably won't be able to finish any of them.  Thus, my other favourite perfumes that i use on the daily bases include, Ralph Lauren Cool (pink bottle), Ralph Lauren (blue bottle) and Britney Spear Curious. All these other bottles radiates that youthful fun smell, but most of these i find are great for the summer, not so great for the winter.  So i decided that BLV eau de parfum II would be a great add to my collection and a great smell to have for the winter or more sophisticated gatherings.

I got this for about $50 including taxes and shipping, which is still half of what it would cost to get it at the department store in Canada.  It was a great buy and i would describe this smell as fresh but floral, with a hint of citric to it.  I definitely think that it adds some class and sophistication in a natural way.  Perfumes aren't something that i would recommend buying for someone, unless you know for sure they like the smell.  But if they ask me what type of perfume i would recommend, it would be this one.  However, everyone has their own sense of self, therefore their own tastes and desires, so i wouldn't offended if people hate this smell that i love so much.

MAC Prep and Prime Transparent Pressed Powder

I wanted to do a review on this MAC Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Power in Pressed form.  I use this powder to set my foundation or any makeup i have because its transparent.  In the compact it looks like a white powder, but it actually comes out as no color.  I really like this powder for the purpose of setting makeup. I wanted a powder that would could set, has no color, and won't leave my face cakey or look like i have makeup on and this does just that.  Sometimes i just put primer on, put concealer on areas, and dust this powder over my face. It looks natural with enough coverage and i don't have to spend a lot of time in the morning getting ready.  The best part about this product is that it is less messy than their counterpart which is the loose powder MAC carries.  I have to say that it controls oil for a fair amount of time considering i have combination skin (about 4 hours).  I actually don't like my makeup too matte.  Matte enough to have no shine, but i don't want to look like a ghost, just a natural finish if enough for me.  I have no problem with having to blot and reapply this powder with a brush, but i just don't like to look unnatural or cakey.  One thing about this product is that, if you are looking for something that will give you coverage, this isn't the powder you want to use.  It it most used for setting makeup and just finishing your face.  Overall i would give this product a 4/5 and would recommend this product to a friend. 

http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/160/17325/Prep-Prime-Transparent-Finishing-PowderPressed/index.tmpl

http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/160/4462/Prep-Prime-Transparent-Finishing-Powder/index.tmpl

Cake Beauty (Holy Grail)

Hey everyone, this is my first product review post and i would like to review my holy grail product that i just love and probably will use it forever.  This is the Cake Beauty Milk Made Smoothing Hand and Cuticle Buffer and Milk Made Velveteen Hand Creme.  I used this quite a few times and even though i got it just last month it has been my all time favourite product.  One reason might be the fact that my hands get pretty dry during the winter months and i work with paper regularly, so the moisture from my hands tend to deteriorate throughout the day.  This product replenishes the moisture from my hands and helps me get rid of dead skin cells.  The BEST part about this product is that after i use it, my hands are SUPER SOFT.

First let me tell you that this company.  Cake Beauty boasts that all their products are paraben free, which is an added bonus.  The creator, Heather, started this company with a vision of using natural products which can be indulged by the user.  I find that most of the products do smell sweet, but it is not too over powering.  Now, i am not one to reach for anything sweet smelling at all, in fact i hate it.  But i don't think this smell is overbearing or anything, actually, i like it, just a light sweet scent.

This is how it works, first u might want to wash your hands, then take the plastic spoon that came with the buffer or  whatever spoon that fits into the jar and mix the product so all the good stuff comes together.  Then take a little scoop onto your hands and just scrub it together (just like how you would use soap). After about 30 seconds to a minute rinse off the product with just water and pat dry.  You might want to keep washing because you feel like your hands are oily, but actually aren't, just pat dry.  Instantly your hands free much softer.  Then take the hand creme and just use like a hand cream.  They both work together to create that soft feeling.  I find with the creme it just works better, so i recommend getting them together, but you definitely do not have to, just use a regular cream if you like.  

These two products both retail for $18, but there are often discount codes online and you can get a gift set that contain these two products for $30.  You can also get this product at Sephora as well if you don't want to wait for the shipping.  I got this product off the site because I used a coupon code of 40% off at that time and i got free shipping for spending more than $25.

Right now they have a coupon code:  STUFFERS ,which gets you 30% off and if you spend more than $25 its free shipping.  I think it last these 2 days, so hurry up (link to the site below).

http://cakebeauty.com/prodlist.asp?cid=49

That is the link for the site i used and i had no problems with it.  I paid for it, and got the product in about a week.  I ended up buying the 2 products separately because their set (retails for $30) were sold out when i ordered but i really wanted to try it.  I don't regret it at all and it had become something i would recommend to my friends.  Forget hand masks and their inconvenience. Let me know how you feel about the product.

Cheers~

Watch my youtube video on this product.  Its my first one!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y3qky9ZuVs&feature=youtu.be

Hi Everyone.  This is my first blog entry and i would like to introduce myself.  The reason i started this blog is to share my opinion on products that i have tried.  I know that buying something i have never tried before was easier when i could find reviews on the products through youtube or just googling the name.  I have a couple of reviews lined up for you all but it will just take a bit for me to upload them. One of my favourite things to is shop, whether it be online or in stores. They both give me a boost of happiness when i get a new product that has received excellent reviews because you never know when something can become your holy grail product (at least for the time being).  As we know, technology has advanced and will keep evolving, thus products will keep improving.  It is up to people to give their honest opinions on certain products and drive the motivation of creating new products that will help serve out needs better than their previous counterparts. I would like to be part of this larger movement by doing my share in spreading the word out for products that have made it easier for me everyday, or products that i have enjoyed using. One of my goals as a shopper is to find deals on products or to find products within a lower price range that do the same thing as higher end products.  This being said, i do use a variety of products, just to compare the quality of them. I look forward to reviewing my products for all of you and i hope you enjoy them too.