Snidel 2013 Lucky Bag Contents

As promised Snidel 2013 lucky bag contents! This year there were two colour choices - A and B, I bought type A. I am very much obsessed with casual yet elegant and feminine Snidel style (and pretty much with all MashStyleLab fashion creations) so I did a bit of research from what collections did the lucky bag items come from (or most similar to) and will provide the links to the official webstore for better detail pictures.

There were five items in the bag - outer, onepiece, top, bottom and stole. All of the items are exceptional quality, just as expected. The bag itself was large zipped tote made of non-woven material and was the only item that had tag attached.

Outer piece was this amazingly soft faux mouton duffel coat (or duffle coat, seems like both spellings are acceptable) in Black. When I saw the first reveals I thought: "Argh... I don't like this coat a bit" :(  It turned out it's just not that photogenic because in person and when worn it looks really cute, and did I mention how soft it is? This duffel coat is from Snidel 2010 winter collection and type B bags had the same coat in greyish beige (honestly, I'm not too sure how to describe that other colour). I ended up really liking this coat and actually kind of glad that I got black one (though looking at first reveals I thought that lighter coat is much cuter). I just got light beige Cecil McBee duffel coat not so long ago and I would had to choose between them.

Just like my Liz Lisa boston bag, Snidel lucky bag also had peplum cardigan in it!The style is from 2012 fall collection  but neither of lucky bag cardi colours were offered in store.  The one I got (A) was beige, and type B was dark grey. It's a shame peplum doesn't look good on me because this cable knit cardigan is really cute. It seems to be very warm as well. I just sold it on eBay but Liz Lisa peplum is still available! Both cardis are sold :)

One-piece item was angora knit dress (even though I wouldn't call it a dress, more like a long sweater). The style is from 2011 fall collection. I am not too sure about what colour type B bags had, it might be the same as type A (ivory) because that's how it looks at some pictures or maybe it was light pink shade since that's how it looks on other pics. This sweater features slightly puffy 3/4 sleeves and V-neck cut. I absolutely love it! It's so lovely and goes with almost anything. It's nylon/angora blend so it's really warm as well!

Yet another peplum piece in the bag was jacquard peplum skort. It's similar to this 2012 fall collection style with the only difference being that different patterns of the jacquard fabric were used. Type A was in pinkish beige and type B in black. Skort has a zipper and elastic waist, it's a bit short but really adorable!

Finally, the last piece is a gorgeous extra soft and large stole. It was challenging to find the most similar style because well, pretty much all stoles look alike but the details of the lucky bag stole (fringe and edge finish) looks most like this 2011 fall collection stole. Type A bags had the stole in cream and type B had it in greyish blue colour. The stole is really large and as cozy and warm as a blanket. I just got white stole for Christmas and was thinking of selling this one but as soon as I got it out of the package, I just couldn't part with it.

  And last picture is angora sweater - peplum skort coordinate :) I already can't wait for the next year lucky bags! I don't know exactly what brand bags I'll be able to get next year but I'm considering Snidel (of course!), gelato pique, Rojita, minirdees and Liz Lisa. Oh well, but with the shipping they'll  probably gonna cost a fortune :( Really wish Tenso started shipping with regular mail and not only EMS because I don't mind waiting longer if that means paying a lot less!

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Liz Lisa Sweet Ribbon Boston 2013 Lucky Bag Contents

This year for the first time I bought lucky bags! I think I only learnt about their existence last year right when it was too late to buy any :( I absolutely adore Snidel ♥ so that was my first choice. As a second smaller bag I wanted to buy one from gelato pique but I didn't act fast enough and they were all sold out. So, my second choice fell to Liz Lisa sweet ribbon boston. Liz Lisa even though not my favourite but still pretty cute! If ordering lucky bags next year (or this year) online from outside of Japan keep in mind that Tenso shipping is crazy expensive (but lightning fast!). I got the package this morning (01/08), both of the bags were in Tenso warehouse by 01/03 but I was also waiting to consolidate the packages so technically they could have been here even faster. For me shipping cost for two bags - big Snidel and small Liz Lisa - was basically like a price of another big lucky bag :( But, hey, it's probably worth it!

Here are the pictures and little description of the contents of sweet ribbon boston bag (and the bag itself, of course). All the items had tags attached and I tried looking for the individual items on the webstore site using their codes but couldn't find any. I think that what happens to the items from current and past collections that are sold out and not going to be re-stocked again. Or maybe some of the items were lucky bag only, I don't know.

I really liked the bag itself when I saw it online and I actually pictured it smaller for some reason. In fact, it's quite roomy, with beautiful golden details and heart-shaped zipper.

One of the items in the bag was V-neck knit peplum cardigan in off-white. It features adorable rose shaped buttons, really cute! Apparently one of the huge trends of 2012 was peplum (I read it today on wiki while learning about the etymology of the word "peplum" :D ) I had peplum cardi in my Snidel bag as well!  Peplum cardigans look crazy cute but unfortunately they do not flatter my figure at all :(  I'm selling both on eBay and you're welcome to take a look! Both cardis are sold :)

Another item was lace collar shirt (which isn't actually a collar but a collar shaped lace insert) and when I just got it out I thought "Meh..." Then I tried it on and really really liked it! It's simple and modest yet very elegant in its own way. There is also super cute small droplet cutout on the back topped with a little bow.

The one-piece item was plaid V-neck salopette in brown. It's pretty short but luckily not embarrassingly so :)

And here are some coordinates:

Overall, I'm mostly happy with the contents even though the fact that I got two peplum cardis that don't suit me is disappointing :( My next blog entry will be about contents of Snidel lucky bag!

ShopRuche.com

is one of my favourite on-line shops. It features classy and cute vintage inspired clothing and accessories. I can window shop at Ruche literally for hours! Every single item is special.

If you just like anything vintage, pastel or floral, you definitely want to check Ruche out. Ruche Lookbooks are absolutely beautiful - adorable models, perfect photographer, designer and stylist work and stunning clothing, of course!

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UNIVERSAL-DOLL recently posted about JugeETTA, gyaru inspired brand that is Liz Lisa-like but a bit more mature. Ruche carries a lot of similar styles at affordable prices. I made some picks based on UD post.








I found Ruche while shopping for booties - I needed something lace up, brownish colour, not flat but not super high heel, within reasonable price range. It was a challenge (×̯×)  There was something wrong with every single pair of booties I was looking at! No heel, heels too high, weird colour, awkward design. I found only two pairs of booties I truly liked. One belonged to this awesome blogger and others were Ruche that I ended up buying.

They are comfortable, classy and very versatile. Interestingly enough my best friend bought very similar pair and this lady happens to have great taste!

Actually, they look a little bit darker than in the pictures. Somehow they seem to turn out to be light coloured in the pictures (even though they were taken without flash). Description on Ruche says "dark taupe" and I guess, it's more accurate.

                  

                Ruche: ✿ Facebook ✿ Pinterest  ✿ Blog   ✿Twitter   ✿Tumblr  ✿

MISSHA Haul

First of all, I changed blogskin and I hope it looks much better now, doesn't it? I don't even really like green colour but I really lack decent pictures, so colour palette was dictated by picture not by my wish :D Anyway... 

I really like MISSHA brand but I sort of abandoned it for a while (last order I placed was in April'11, I think). So, I decided that the time has come! Another reason to shop there was that MISSHA launched VIP program and I am very eager to get access to things it offers, stuff like special promotions, gifts and so on. 

The Style Under Eye Brightener

★ The Style Under Eye Brightener (Light Beige)

Well, I am using it mostly just as concealer and it does a good job on that. Blends in pretty well. Doesn't require much product to apply. Good value. 

                                                                                       

Super Aqua Deep Hydro Cream

★ Super Aqua Deep Hydro Cream 

I've used two other products from Super Aqua line - Detoxifying Peeling Gel and  Moisture Deep Cleansing Cream. The impression was quite unambiguous. Cleansing cream definitely was not the best I used. It moisturises and softens skin BUT really doesn't do proper job on cleansing :( So, it kinda have great additional features but doesn't fulfil it's main function - to clean. Peeling Gel, on the other hand, is absolutely THE BEST. It really is! Description says visible peeling effect and once in a while advertisement doesn't lie :D That's why I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the Deep Hydro Cream. It turned out to be pretty good, though. Deeply moisturising indeed, mild to skin and very softening. 

M Luminous Color Lip Rouge

★ The Style Soft Stay Lip Liner (Nude) and ★ M Luminous Color Lip Rouge (BE 203)

These two perfectly match each other. I am so glad I bought them! I've lost lipstick that I liked (L'oreal, Ariel) and the one I got instead (Maybelline Forever Metallics Lite, Snow Perle) turned out to be a little bit too sheer for my liking. BE 203 Luminous Colour Lip Rouge, however, is so perfect. It's nude pearly colour - absolutely beautiful! Lipstick also has this subtle flowery smell, not to mention chick golden packaging with rhinestone on top. 

The Style Soft Stay Lip Liner

 

Lip Liner has two sides: one contains liner itself and the other has the lip brush for lipstick application. I experienced some problems with the lip liner, since the pencil part always getting stuck in the cap and is taken out with it, so I have to be really careful to open it right way. However, it's such a minor defect that I don't really care. 

Pure Source Sheet Mask

★ Pure Source Sheet Mask (Aloe, Pearl, Green Tea)

There was (still is actually) Buy 1 Get 1 Free promotion so I took advantage of it. I chose Pearl and Green Tea masques and got 2 Aloe masques as free gifts. I don't really think there is need to speak about MISSHA face masques. There is a HUGE variety to choose from and everyone loves them anyway! :D

The Style Sharp Eye Liner

★ The Style Sharp Eye Liner 

(Black) Brush is rather soft, application is quite easy (for experienced hand at least). One thing I don't quite like is that this eyeliner has thin watery texture and in order to get intense opaque line I have to apply at least two layers. Other than that it's pretty good - long lasting, doesn't flake or smudge.

M Show Powder Blusher

★ M Show Powder Blusher (Devy)

I didn't open this yet so have nothing to say about them at the moment. Nevertheless, I believe MISSHA won't disappoint :)

The Style Stars on Nail

★ The Style Stars on Nail (Crystal Nail Polish Set)

MISSHA was giving away Christmas presents and I got coupon for free 'Stars on Nail'. For some reason, I was absolutely sure that it is some kind of sticker sheet for nail art (tiny complimentary gift, you know?) But it turned out to be a set of three sparkly crystal nail polishes - Orange Stone, Blue Stone and Lavender Stone! And it immediately reminded me why else I like MISSHA so much - they are never stingy on gifts and promotions. Know how to feel me valued :) Gorgeous blings-blings :) I would certainly try to do something fancy with my nails one day, now when I have these amazing polishes. 

tofebruary.com review and my first nail art

tofebruary.com is a small on-line store specializing on " Asian inspired fashion, jewelries, accessories, and drama collectibles", I somehow stumbled across it and then read long and detailed review here that convinced me to try this store out :) The only Korean drama I've watched (actually still watching at the moment) is The Musical but the further it goes the less interested I become... However, if you're K-dramas' fan, you might want to check tofebruary out as they have plenty of replicas of accessories and clothes from K-dramas :)

I'd like to point out that website design is super cute ^-^ Tofebruaury.com also has several distinct features that are quite rare. First of all, shipping to US is only $1! One dollar per ORDER! International buyers are not that lucky though :) Second feature is payment options. You can pay as usual with PayPal and credit cards OR well concealed cash at your own risk. They even kindly describe how to conceal the cash properly:

Q: How can I conceal my cash?

Some customers are very creative when concealing their payment. Most customers hide the payment in a card of any kind inside the envelope. Others have decorated the envelope with stickers and cute stamps to make it appear as if it's a friend-to-friend letter. Another frequently used way of concealment is to wrap the payment with a few sheets of paper and/or magazine paper. Whatever you do, be sure to not let the payment be seen through the envelope when it is held up to the light.

I really don't want to think that post workers are stealing money from the envelopes but last time I sent my parents a package they got everything except the belt for my dad. However, there was a bar of some sort of German chocolate in the package that I didn't send. We were quite puzzled because if somebody decided to steal a belt then why would he/she put the chocolate instead? Fair trade or something? There was really nice and expensive pearl necklace for my mom in the same package and I was like why belt? And why chocolate?! Then we came to conclusion that maybe the custom officer/post worker/whoever that was, was checking two packages at the same time and ended up mixing their content :D Well, anyway...
So, I just placed tiny one item order => Bunny Cellphone Charm that turned out to be absolutely adorable!

As you can see, item is exactly as pictured, it's pretty big (exactly size of my phone actually). The dress can be taken off, so it's probably possible to sew alternative dresses for this cutie ^-^ Shipping didn't take long, only 2 days. I also got complimentary bookmark and hand-written "Thank you!" on the invoice :) Sweet! 

Bunny Cellphone Charm

• Tofebruary.com Facebook page here

And another thing I wanted to share - my first ever nail art :) Or maybe I should call it attempt for the nail art XD I got I got free Cherry Blossom Bunny Sticker Sheet with my last order from Hip Hop Candy, so I decided to use some stickers as nail decorations. Here's how it turned out:

Cherry Blossom Bunny Inspired Nails ^-^

At first I wanted black to be background colour (because the edging of the stickers is black and I didn't want it to stand out) but then it turned out that stickers are actually not opaque but translucent so I used OPI I'll Take the Cake. It was quite hard to cut out all the stickers neatly because my scissors were too... clumsy for this delicate job XD But I managed to do it! Then I placed bunnies on my thumbs and cherry blossoms on middle fingers, decorated with rhinestones (OMG, that was time consuming) and finished with CND Super Shiney Top Coat. Hope it will last at least three days taking into consideration how much time I've spent doing this. I think, it's not too bad for a first try!

GROUPON - The Body Shop Haul

Probably everyone heard of GROUPON by now. GROUPON features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in 45 countries. The deals are truly amazing, it's rarely less than 50% off the original price and it's easy to buy as well. Why do I recommend to sign up? Because you can get all kinds of great deals! Also, soon after signing up, GROUPON will e-mail you $10 certificate that you can use towards purchase of your first GROUPON (at least, that's what they did to me :D Thanks to this certificate my first GROUPON cost me only 5 bucks (!) - it was $15 for 30$ worth groupon to Paciarino, local Italian restaurant, which I still didn't visit yet but plan to do so very soon :) I think you have something about a week to use the certificate, otherwise it will expire; but, seriously there are plenty of amazing deals every day.

Vitamin C Daily Moisturiser

Anyway, my next purchase was The Body Shop groupon. $20 for $40 worth products! I just couldn't resist... First of all, I did some research. The line that caught my attention was SHISO MOISTURE WHITE; but, of course >_< it's not sold and is not going to be sold (I asked that question on their FB page) in US. Too bad >_< So, I printed out the GROUPON and headed to the mall. Sales associates were wicked nice and helpful. I used my groupon for $18 Baked-to-Last Blush (Petal shade) and $20 Vitamin C Daily Moisturizer (which is apparently #1 Best Face Moisturizer according to TotalBeauty.com). 

Baked-to-Last Petal

Baked-to-Last became my absolute favourite. It's super lasting, with subtle shimmer... looks beautiful! Vitamin C Daily Moisturizer is OK, smells fresh and citrous, has SPF protection but I don't like the tingling feeling that it gives. I've read somewhere that if any product gives you "stinging sensation" it's not good as this product damages your skin or something. I am not even sure if it is true, but I am so easily influenced, you know?

LOVE ETC... Purse Spray

Born Lippy Watermelon

But that wasn't it with the shopping! They had a promotion running Buy 1 Get 2 free (with purchase of 3+ items). I was little bit in a hurry so I picked up 3 more small items: Born Lippy Watermelon Lip Balm (aw, it smells so crazy sweet), Satsuma soap  and LOVE ETC... Purse Spray. All three of them cost me $6 (price of the most expensive one, buy one get 2 free, remember? :) Satsuma soap has very fresh and energetic scent (good for mornings, I guess) but I am not a fan of it since I prefer my soap/shower gel to be sweet/fruity. So, anyway, that wasn't it because super nice sales associates also gave me A LOT OF samples including White Musk Eau de Toilette and Dreams Unlimited Eau de Parfum. 

Dreams Unlimited

I especially liked the Dreams Unlimited - it has fresh pure scent featuring uplifting top notes of citrus and green chilli (never ever herd of green chilli before but apparently it's smells amazing :D, heart of delicate white flowers and fresh aquatic notes, and base notes of cedarwood. The last little perk I got was The Holiday Joy Card which aloows to receive 10% off all The Body Shop in-store purchases until February 29, 2012.

After that super pleasurable experience I made one more visit to the Body Shop recently and guess what I saw at the store entry? Fortune Wheel! Every visitor was welcomed to spin the Fortune Wheel for a chance to win various discounts. I won Buy 1, Get 1 Free perk!!! Initially I was just going to buy one small bottle of shower gel but since I had such an amazing opportunity - I bought huge bottle of Strawberry Shower Gel (I am sometimes obsessed with strawberries, not my fault they smell so damn good) and chose Vitamin E Cream Exfoliator to be free item. I really liked this exfoliator, it's super fine, provides visible peel and moisturizes at the same time (my skin is dry, so that's exactly what I need). Oh, and thanks to Holiday Joy Card this purchase was 10% off too! So not a bad deal - I love The Body Shop more and more... Not to mention The Body Shop is against animal testing, supports community trade and in general is socially and environmentally friendly company. I mean, they seem to be really nice guys, are n't they?

M Signature Real Complete BB Cream Review

I am one of the 100 lucky winners from Missha US promotion who got free M Signature Real Complete BB cream + free shipping! I was really happy and ordered some more products so the free shipping thing wouldn’t be wasted ^_^

First of all, I’d like to say that I absolutely love the idea of the BB creams – 3 in 1 - skincare, sun protection and make-up foundation in one bottle! I use a lot of products to make my skin as flawless as possible – SPF, primer, make-up foundation, concealer, loose/pressed powder… It seemed as a wonderful perspective to buy one product instead of three. The only BB cream I used so far was M Perfect Cover which is not bad at all but has certain disadvantages.  The most disappointing of them is very light coverage - I just had to use foundation and/or concealer to achieve the look I want (I am flawless skin junkie!). And I don’t even have any major skin problems, just fighting (or trying to cover up :D light freckles and occasional blemishes. So, M Perfect Cover became for me something like replacement of separate sun protection product but not the make-up item.

When I got the M Signature Real Complete I was expecting something similar but I was mistaken.  Couple words about the packaging - really beautiful and chick. The form of the bottle is similar to the other Missha BB creams’ bottles but it also encased in plastic. M Signature Real Complete is non-chemical, paraben-, alcohol-, GMO-, mineral oil-, triclosan-, benzophenone-free. Fragrance is quite specific but I wouldn’t say unpleasant. Skincare benefits include wrinkle-repairing, whitening and moisturizing. This BB cream has perfect coverage – just right for me! There is no much need for concealer anymore either. It blends into skin really well and doesn’t look or feel cakey.

M Signature Real Complete comes in three shades: #13 Light Milk Beige, #21 Light Pink Beige, #23 Natural Yellow Beige. I got #21 Light Pink Beige and I have to admit it really does have pink undertone which gives you that healthy glow. It’s not really noticeable but after applying M Perfect Cover, my face kind of differs in color from the rest of the body; it’s not about darker/lighter but about this pink undertone mostly. So if I’ll purchase this product, it’ll be #13 (my compact powder Missha M Prism Powder Pact is #13 and it fits my skin shade perfectly).

M Signature Real Complete is not perfect though, it has it’s own minus – price! 45 g costs $45.99 but if to think closely it might not be such a problem.  Count yourself how much will you pay for bottle of sun block, whitening+anti-aging skincare product and make-up foundation? M Signature Real Complete could be a real bargain as it successfully (unlike other similar products) replaces those three.  

And just couple more words about one of my Missha’s favourites => M BB Boomer. Using primer is always a good idea and I usually use M BB Boomer. It’s brightening moisturizer which boosts adherence and duration of BB cream on your skin. It also makes skin look brighter, more radiant and actually gives the skin the same glow as my Bare Minerals Hydrating Mineral Veil. For people with the dry skin (like me) M BB Boomer is must have as, after all, it’s a moisturizer!