outfit experiment: inspired work outfit

so my weekend was pretty much a lazy weekend, so i'm not going to post any photos of my lazy-day outfits. they're somewhat embarrassing! lol

on another note, here's an outfit i found and my version of the outfit.

inspiration for my 2011-03-28 work outfit

occasion: work
2011-03-28

items worn:

1. coach aliza booties 2. wilfred (from aritzia) black high waisted cotton skirt 3. hollister white tank 4. club monaco grey cardigan

outfit experiment: #3

occasion: work
2011-03-23

items worn:

1. louis vuitton totally mm in monogram   2. club monaco navy v-neck sweater   3. club monaco grey high waisted skirt   4. bcbg black pumps

outfits experiment

after a year of occasionally using photoshop at work, i've finally found a personal use for this new "skill" i've learnt: keeping a log of my outfits! (i was inspired by cher (from clueless)'s digital closet)

some of the outfits will be absolutely horrible, some will be ok and some will be down right sloppy (maybe i won't post those..). i know that i'm not the most fashionable person in the world, but i work with my budget and i try to use key pieces that i will hopefully have for several years.

with this experiment, i hope to photograph every item of my wardrobe (so far i've taken about 10 photos), wear more the items that i never seem to remember about and hopefully reduce my shopping habits. once all the items are photographed, i will "cut and paste" the items together to make my daily outfits and not take a photo of the outfits everyday.  please note that my photoshop skills are VERY basic and are really crappy in comparison to millions of other people on the internet.

let's begin!

occasion: work
2011-03-21
1. Black Zara Cardigan   2. Black Aliza Coach Booties 

3. Beige Gap Linen Shirt with a Bow    4. Black Jacob Skinny Pants

occasion: work
2011-03-22

1. Black Zara Blazer   2. McQ Shinny Leggings    

3. Black Coach Aliza Booties   4. White Lululemon Power Y Tank  5. Black Community Tunic

shopping: new spring wardrobe?

spring is here! it's my second time working during the spring season, but my first year's spring wardrobe consisted mostly of year-round items. i'm excited to look for some new items, but due to my budget i've narrowed it down to a few items that i should purchase:

• shirts that i can wear tucked-in with skirts and with skinny jeans
• work appropriate dresses
• ballerina flats in black to replace my old ones
• gladiator sandals with heels
• leather flip flops - to wear on public transportation 

and i've also limited myself of what i am not allowed to buy:

• no more skirts - too many in the closet already 
• no rubber flip flops - this includes designer flip flops that i'm always tempted to buy
• no more sunglasses - this includes the ray-ban wayfarers that i wanted :(

let's see how i do in the next couple of weeks...

wardrobe test: 10 favourite items - item # 9

9. wilfred's silk skirt 

(purchased in 2008, price range: $50-$100)

this is THE skirt that made me love skirts (i'm now obsessed with skirts, especially high-waisted skirts with pockets). i purchased it in 2008 and i'm still seeing new colours of this skirt at aritzia. i can't say it's a classic skirt that i'll wear forever, but it's my go-to skirt when i can't think of something to wear. i can wear it with a white t-shirt and flats on the weekend or pair it with a dress shirt and black pumps during the work week. either way, it's a simple outfit, but the silver zipper in the back makes it young, cute and modern. the only downside is that since it's made of silk, i have to bring it to the dry cleaners regularly, which means parting with my favourite skirt for a few days...

wardrobe test: 10 favourite items - item # 10

this segment of blogs entitled 'wardrobe test' are my ten favourite wear-to-death things"
to start of my wardrobe test, here is my first item (other nine items to be posted later on).

Item #10: james jeans' mid-rise legging-fit skinny jeans 
(purchased in 2010, price range: $50-$100)

my ideal perfect pair of jeans
- dark, so that i can pull of wearing it on the weekend, during a night out or to work
- fitted at all the right place (with no muffin top)
- skinny fit (for now)
- skin friendly
- medium waisted
- extremely comfortable and stretchy

it took a very long time to find my 'perfect' pair of jeans and luckily i've found my match.

since leggings have become popular, i've been mostly wearing leggings because they were 100x more comfortable than jeans, but since i've discovered jean leggings/jeggings, i've been obsessed with my james jeans legging-fit skinny jeans. i can run, jump and squat without worrying about jeans being too tight or bursting/tearing when i sit (this happened to my co-worker).

review: giorgio armani maestro liquid eye liner

i've been using mac's gel fluidline in blacktrack for the last few years, however many of my friends swear by using liquid eyeliner and i decided to give it a try as well. i've tried some cheaper brands of liquid eyeliners in the past and never liked the application wand, therefore i started my search of liquid eyeliners for an easy to use pen-like application. i narrowed it down to 2 choices:
1. nars' eyeliner stylo ($30 CAN), and
2. giorgio armani's maestro liquid eye liner ($27 CAN, although i think the price increased after purchasing it)

the sales associate at the nars department told me that the eyeliner was both smudge proof and water proof and can only be removed with a good eye makeup remover. however, i tested both the nars' and giorgio armani eyeliner on my hand, let it dry and tried to smudge both products. the nars eye liner smudged much more than the giorgio armani eyeliner! after this test i washed my hand with soap and water and both eyeliners instantly disappeared off my hand. therefore neither of these products are waterproof, but the maestro liquid eye liner is more smudge proof than nar's eyeliner stylo. for this reason, i purchased the giorgio armani maestro liquid eye liner.

giorgio armani's maestro liquid eye liner

this eye liner goes on very smoothly and is very easy to use for liquid eyeliner beginners. it can be use to create very precise applications such as a flick at the edge of the eye. what's nice about this product is that the tip can be used to create very precise lines, and it can also be used at an angle for a larger thicker liner (which is what i do). 

the downsides of this product is that it's water based and therefore i find it to be quite runny and it bleeds into the inner corners of my eyes.  you really have to wait to let it dry before blinking. i strongly suggest to skip using eye cream when using this product. also, the packaging of the product recommends to store the eyeliner upside down and to make sure the cap is closed properly. i don't have problems storing it upside down (i put it in a cup with my makeup brushes) but i don't know if it's because i'm ultra clumsy or weak, but i have slight difficulties removing the cap without getting eyeliner on my hand. 

i'd only recommend this product for people who really want to use a liquid eyeliner for precise application. for long lasting wear, i'll be sticking to mac's fluidline, which hasn't failed yet (and i've been using the same bottle this entire time!). 

wardrobe test: 10 favourite items

"it's a good test, actually - to go through your wardrobe and pick our your ten favourite,
wear-to-death things, whether it's a white t-shirt, an argyle sweater, or a sequined miniskirt. boiling it down will give you a pretty good picture of what your personal style is." - lauren conrad's style

yes, i just quoted lauren conrad. i'm not afraid to admit it, i bough lauren conrad's style book and i love it. i did this 'wardrobe test' and i've discovered what all my favourite items have in common: they're all comfortable, made of pretty good quality, made of soft, non-skin irritating fabrics and they are all non-constricting clothes. i have some great items in my wardrobe that i love to wear because they're more flattering or because it's a name brand item, but they didn't make the list because they're not 'wear-to-death" items. some of the items on my list have be re-sewn, patched, brought on most trips, you get the picture...

so what's my personal style? casual (solid colour) everyday clothes with one (not flashy) statement item or accessory that can also be doubled-up and can be worn hanging out with the girls on the weekend/lounging around with my boyfriend or worn at the office.

my list, details and photos of each item to come soon!

review: shellac nail polish removal

i finally got my shellac nail polish removed over the weekend, after having them on for a little over 3 weeks. i wanted to get them removed earlier, but the spa was completely booked during the times i was available.

the process was as follows:

1. my fingertips were placed in acetone for approximately 5 minutes. initially i was quite nervous about this process since i have a history of having eczema on my hands and was worried it would burn my skin. it turns out that it was pain free, but i can feel and see that the acetone was drying out my skin and nails
2. the nail polish began to 'melt' and was removed with wood cuticle pushers. the lady was literally pushing off the melted nail polishing and scratching off the stubborn polish that was sticking to my nails. regular nail polish was also used to help remove nail polish residuals.
3. i then thoroughly washed my hands with warm soapy water to remove the acetone from my hands and nails. 
4. my nails were then re-filed and shaped since they've grown quite a bit since i got my shellac nails done and cuticle oil was applied to the entire nail to hydrate the nail. 

after removal of shellac nail polish

the owner of the spa told me how it was safe to put on shellac nails right after getting them done, but the manicurist recommended to let the nails 'breathe' for a few days before getting shellac nails done since acetone is very harsh on the skin and nails. she also mentioned that many people are allergic to acetone and tend to have a runny nose due to the strong smell.

the results of the entire process was quick and pain free, but i do feel that my nails more dry from the acetone. i would recommend getting shellac nails done once a month at the most:  2 weeks of shellac, removal of shellac and then get regular manicures for 2 weeks (use acetone-free nail polish remover as well). now off to putting on more cuticle oil...

monthly spending summary: january & february 2011

like most people, one of my new year's resolutions was to save money in 2011. to help me keep track of my spending habits and figure out where i need to cut costs, i've decided to post monthly updates and see if i manage to stop spending as much. i welcome any advice and tips in order to decrease my monthly totals!

based on previous years' spending habits, i've created goals in several categories as follows:
DINING - Includes all restaurant and food purchased not in a grocery store: $200
BEAUTY - Includes all beauty products purchased, haircuts, manicures, etc. : $166.67
FASHION - Includes all clothes, purses, and accessories purchases: $333.33
MONTH TOTAL*: $700
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JANUARY 2011
DINING:  $250
BEAUTY: $240 - average ($/item): n/a
FASHION: $0 - average ($/item): $0
MONTH TOTAL*: $490
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FEBRUARY 2011

DINING: $300

BEAUTY: $150 - average: $37.50/item

FASHION: $350 - average: $350/item

MONTH TOTAL*: $800

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i started off on the right foot, but returned to my regular spending habits in february. luckily the total of the two months is less than the budget/goal fore the two months. where did i go wrong in february? the sunglasses are all to blame... but i really don't regret buying the sunglasses, i love them too much.

*Monthly spending does not include fixed costs such as transportation, cell phone bill, internet, tv, groceries, etc.