Lululemon Dance:Strap Tank - White!

Ok so I lied.  I did end up buying the white Lululemon Dance:Strap Tank from the loot section on the Lululemon website.  The only size they had available was size 6, which is one size bigger than my usual.  But I figured since the size 4 I got the other day in champagne color was a little tight in the chest, that 6 would be ok.  And I was right!  It arrived today and the chest portion is way more comfortable in this size.  I don't have nearly as much cleavage as I do in the size 4.  The body portion still fits well and flattering.  It's not too loose or anything.  Yay!  I can definitely see myself wearing this to the gym as well as out and about during a hot summer day!

I have noticed a couple differences between this one and the champagne one I got on ebay though.  The logo on the white one is like velvet material, in the usual silver color, while the champagne one is smooth and in gold / champagne color that matches the rest of the shirt.  Also, the band of the inner shelf bra is different.  The white one has 4 lines of stitching on the band and the champagne one doesn't have any.  Hmmm... I compared the rest of the shirts and qualities and they seem equal.  The material feels very similar.  The other details and stitchings everywhere else are identical.  Even the fit is the same, minus the size factor.  So I don't think the champagne one is fake (I'm always wary buying stuff off of ebay).  Maybe it's an earlier version of the Dance:Strap tank.  I know Lululemon has certain products that they have carried and changed/updated throughout the years.  Such as the Groove pants.  There are many different versions of it.  So maybe the same applies to this tank.  

Anyways, I love both of these shirts regardless.  I just think the champagne color is so pretty and unique.  I wore it to the gym and it absorbed sweat well too.  White one is always versatile and fresh for the spring! 

Lululemon Dance:Strap Tank

I have seen many girls with the Lululemon Dance:Strap Tank at the gym in all kinds of bright colors before, and while I thought it was a cute looking tank, I always figured it would be a little too revealing for me so I never purchased it.  However, while browsing ebay the other day, I came across one of these tanks in a very pretty champaign / gold color.  I'm trying to branch out and get more different color palettes added to my Lululemon wardrobe, so I decided to give it a try.

I won the auction for like $25, and after paying shipping it turned out to be $30.  I figured if I hated it, I could always turn it around and resell it for equivalent if not more.  

Well it arrived today and it's soooo pretty!!  I love the color.  It is a true champaign color and so different from my other tops.  I got it in my normal Lulu size 4, and it fits well.  The chest is tight fitting though even for my size - though no double boobage, thank God!  I can't imagine anyone with bigger than a B cup would be able to wear this tank.  It actually pushes my boobs together to show a nice cleavage hehe.  It is very very low cut.  It's the lowest I would go for a work out tank.  But it's such a pretty tank that I think I could wear it out to dinner or going out at night as well, with a jacket or cardigan over.  The back has criss cross straps and is mostly open as well.  Definitely revealing!  The body of this tank fits loosely as it's supposed to.  So it's good for those bloated days.  But it's still figure flattering.  There is a draw string at the bottom of the tank so you can cinch and adjust the length however you want.  The material of this tank is "lullure".  Whatever that means?  It is pretty silky, and feels heavier than luon.  It falls well and hides imperfections.  I don't know the content of this fabric, but it feels more polyester than cotton.  It feels cool and I can see it being very nice for those hot summer days that are right around the corner!  There is mesh on the area right below the boobs, where it sweats most.  That is a nice touch!  I need to try it out at the gym tomorrow.

I really like this tank!  I can't believe I waited so long for this one.  The Lululemon website has had this tank in black and white on sale for a while now.  Now they only have the white one in size 6 left.  The tank shown on the model below does not have the drawstring cinched up on the bottom so it looks longer.  I like it cinched up on me so the shirt falls around my hips.  Also I feel like the model does not do this tank justice.  It pooches out at the bottom making her look bigger than she is in the mid section.  It does not have the same effect on me.  Maybe also due to the drawstrings?

I am seriously considering getting the white one as well.  I just don't know if size 6 would fit me as well.  I think the chest would be fine or even a better fit, since my size 4 is rather tight.  But I'm afraid that the body of the size 6 would be too loose and add pounds to my silhouette since I like how the 4 fits.  Also, it's not that cheap still.  It went from $58 to now $42.  After taxes it's still going to be an almost $50 top.  Since sale items are final sale, I would not be able to return or exchange.  Also not sure if white is a little boring and goes against my "adding more color palettes to my Lululemon wardrobe" idea.  So I guess I could just be patient and wait till another fun color shows up on ebay!  Hopefully I won't have to wait too long...

BaByliss Pro Ceramix Xtreme & Phillips MonsterVent Brush

My old school hair dryer that I got for like $15 and have been using for at least 5 years finally died.  Well, I would have gotten a better one a long time ago except I shower at the gym most of the time and use the hair dryers there.  But I do shower at home once a week or so, and it's important for me to have a working hair dryer.  So, I decided to get a decent one that works well and will last me for at least the next 5 years!

I googled "best hair dryers" or something, and lots of different brands popped up.  Most of them cost $150-200 or more.  I wanted to spend at the most $50 since my hair is pretty easy to manage.  It's straight and smooth so I really only need a hair dryer that drys it. 

I looked on folica.com and found the BaByliss Pro Ceramix Xtreme (BaByliss 2000) that has 160 something reviews that average almost all 5 stars and is only $38.  It is a 2000 watt professional hair dryer with 3 heat settings.  Basically that's all I need and nothing too complicated.  How perfect. Definitely seems like the best hair dryer to buy at the cheaper price range.

I also ordered the Phillips MonsterVent Brush since folica.com offers free shipping for over $50.  The brush costs $11.95 so my total came out just over $50!

I ordered everything last Sunday, and I received them on Friday.  Not bad.  It was my first time ordering from folica.com.  I guess they ship from New Jersey using UPS, that's why it's a little slow.  My first impression of the hair dryer is that it's pretty heavy.  And the brush is gigantic at 4 inches!!!

I was able to try them out today since I didn't go to the gym.  They seemed to work pretty well.  I do like the hair dryer.  It's heavy so that's obviously not easy on the wrist, which is a minus.  I used it on the highest heat setting, but the air didn't feel very hot.  I was kind of surprised by that.  But it did dry my hair within a good amount of time.  So that's good that it did its job without being super hot I suppose!  It's also on the quiet side, and it made my hair smooth with minimal flyaways, which I love.  Or was that because of the brush?  

Hmmm... well I think the brush is decent.  It's very very big and intimidating.  I'm used to my 2.5 inch brushes.  So this one almost doubles the size.  But I wanted a brush that would give me more volume.  That's always my problem with my long and straight hair.  And I think this brush did give me more volume than my other brushes.  Not much though.  So maybe I need to use it more and figure out how to use it better.  After I finished drying my hair I saw that lots of bristles on this brush were bent in all different directions.  That's kind of annoying after just one use.  I'm still holding out hope though because this brush is rated one of the best products by folica.com reviews.  There must be a reason!  

Anyway, I'm happy with my purchase overall.  My hair is all shiny and bouncey now as I'm sitting here typing!  Hehe

Shu Uemura Foundation Powder

I decided to try a new foundation last week.  I used to use the Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation for years, which is a really nice product.  But I lost my latest one at the gym - aha!  Apparently brushes aren't the only things I lose at the gym!  Anyway, while I like the Laura Mercier foundation - it offers great coverage, and a little bit goes a long way so the whole tube lasts me about a year - great for $42 - I just find it a little too "silky" after a few hours.  When it's first applied, it always looks so nice.  It gives the flawless supple skin effect.  And it offers the most coverage of all Laura Mercier foundations, so it covers any blemish like a concealer would.  I would always use very little of it (like 1/4 of a pea size for my whole face!) so that it didn't look heavy on my face - it spreads extremely well - and even still the coverage was excellent.

Sometimes the coverage is just too much for me, especially for everyday wear.  After about 2 hours or so, my face would always turn super shiny.  I don't have especially oily skin.  I think I have combination skin type, so my T-zone tends to get more oily while the rest stays dry.  But this foundation always made me shiny everywhere so I would always have to remember to dab my face off.  Plus I was getting a lot more pimples, which I wasn't sure if was due to the foundation or not.  So I figured trying something new wouldn't hurt! 

I was doing research last week on the best foundation or powder on the market.  Laura Mercier's Foundation Powder actually showed up a lot as the #1 product. 

I read lots of great reviews about it and was tempted to get it, but I was afraid that it would have the same problem as the Silk Creme Foundation.  

I love Shu Uemura's products, namely the Cleansing Beauty Oil, their false lashes, and of course their #1 seller the eye lash curler.  I love all their products that I've tried, so I decided to give their foundation a try. 

I didn't want to buy stuff online that I haven't tried for fear that the color wouldn't match well.  But the only places to buy Shu Uemura products in LA are the Barneys and Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills.  Lame because in San Francisco or New York they have Shu Uemura stores and even Nordstrom sells their products.  What's up with LA?  The nearest Shu Uemura store is in Irvine 40 miles away.  Ugh. 

Anyway, I didn't feel like making a trip to Beverly Hills and having to valet my car just to try some products.  So I decided to buy online, especially since they were having free shipping offers and additional free products as gifts.  So after looking through everything, I decided on the Foundation Powder. 

It has great reviews online as well.  The foundation is refillable, but it means I had to buy the compact separately for $12.50.  Whatever, at least I could reuse it.  The foundation itself is $32.50.  So it's actually cheaper than most of the other premium makeup brands.  The compact is actually pretty nice.  It's a pretty good size so you can actually see your face in the mirror.  The only thing I don't like about it is that there's no magnet on the bottom of the foundation that rests in the compact slot, so it will fall out if you accidentally tipped it upside down.  MAC's eye shadows all come with a little magnet on the bottom to stick to the compact's metal bottom, which is a very nice feature.  I wish Shu Uemura would have copied that idea!

Anyways, so my Shu Uemura stuff arrived in the mail yesterday and I had a chance to try it out today.  I absolutely LOVE this foundation powder!!  First of all, the color I picked actually matches me really well.  I first tried to apply it with a powder brush directly on my face without any primer, which worked fine and gave a more matte finish.  Then I decided to wet the sponge and apply it to my face that way, and I loved the effect even more.  It became a softer, more ethereal and air brushed kind of look.  It made my pores disappear instantly and skin tone even and smooth, and at the same time looked very natural.  It even smelled great!  It was super easy to apply - I finished within a minute or 2.  Oh, and it has SPF 22!  

It is seriously the perfect thing for me.  I'm so glad because the description on their website says that this product is perfect for people who have concerns about shine on the t zone area, prefer portable compact foundation with glow finish like liquid foundation, and medium coverage.  Those are exactly what I was looking for and it delivered the results perfectly!

I even went running tonight with it still on my face, and even after sweating my skin still looked great and not very shiny at all.  This foundation powder has passed all the tests!  I'm so glad it worked out since I can just buy the refill from now on and save $$$!

In order to get free shipping, I had to reach $50 total, so I also got some pentagon sponges for $5 for 4 of them, which are great for applying to edges and curves on the face.  

I got two free gifts with my purchase on top of the free shipping.  One was a full sized Glow On Blush.  I've never used this either but read good reviews about it.  A lot of the fun colors are sold out online.  I didn't get to choose my own color since it was a free gift.  The one I received is like a tan color, it's called M Amber 85.

I normally use pinkish colors for my cheeks.  But I do have some goldish and darker taupe colors that I use sometimes to make my face look tanner and skinnier.  Darker blushes are great for giving the illusion of higher cheek bones and skinnier face when applied to the area right below each cheek bone.  But this color wasn't quite dark enough for that.  It actually just looks like a powder color almost.  So I'm not too sure what effect it would have.  I will have to try it out and see.  Maybe it will just be slightly darker and give me a really natural looking tan. 

The other freebie I got was the White Recovery Brightening Cream.

I'm not exactly sure what a "brightening cream" does.  Presumably makes skin look brighter?  The description on the website states "fights against visible spots & skin complexion for impeccable translucent skin", and "Skin looks radiant, uniform and supple by the next morning".  

The direction doesn't say when or how many times a day it should be applied, but I guessed just overnight since the above states "by next morning".  

I've used it last night and applied it again just now.  It smelled really good.  But I haven't noticed any difference really.  Maybe need to give it a couple weeks and see.  I don't know, I used to be into expensive eye cream and night facial cream and all that stuff.  But I really can't even tell if any of the products actually made my skin better...??  Maybe my skin would look much worse now if I never used any of them, but I guess I will never know.  I stopped using them because I just didn't see the point of throwing my money away - the recession made me more conscious of my spending habits.  But perhaps I should start using them again since I want to look youthful for as long as I can!  I will thank myself when I get older hehe.  Anyway, the brightening cream will last me a while, so we'll see if I notice anything!  Always great to get free stuff though.  

OPI Nail Polish - Hong Kong Collection

I bought 2 new OPI nail polishes from the new Spring 2010 collection.  I love OPI because the colors are so pretty, they go on evenly, and dry fast. 

The first color I bought is called Pearl of Wisdom.  It's a gorgeous white pearl color.  Very light and shimmery.  If I apply only one coat, I can only see the color when it catches certain lights.  It's nice for those days when I don't want to be too "loud".  When 2 coats or more is applied, it becomes much easier to see the pearl color.  I think it's a good color for hands.  I normally like lighter colors for my finger nails and brighter colors for my toes.  Well, except the Royal Raja Ruby color which I love for my fingers!

The second color I got is called Meet Me On The Star Ferry.  It's a moon lit pinkish, plumish, violet color.  Very shimmery as well.  I've had a few similar nail polish colors before.  I guess I always tend to gravitate towards this color.  This color is definitely a deeper color that goes with on toes.  Actually will go well on fingers too.  I actually tried using the Pearl of Wisdom over this color, which is a very nice effect.  It makes the color look lighter and shows the nice pearl highlights while still showing the actual color underneath.

I think this picture makes it look more orangey.  It doesn't have an orange tone at all in real life.  It's more pinkish.  Anyway, I love it!

Mizuno Wave Nirvana 6 Women's Running Shoes

I went walking around Brentwood on Saturday and decided to stop by FrontRunners to pick up a new pair of running shoes since my old ones are almost 2 years old and pretty beat since I use them almost everyday.  It was actually my first time going into FrontRunners even though I live right around the corner.  I had read good reviews about them on Yelp.  And I firmly believe that you should go to a running shoe store where the employees are runners themselves and can look at the way you walk/run and suggest the right shoes for you.  There are just SO many different kind of running shoes out there that do different things, and it would be impossible to pick some out yourself without help. 

My old shoes are New Balance, and I've been suspecting for a while now that they just aren't a very good fit, even though I did go to a specialty running shoe store to get them.  It might have been because I told the guy that helped me to only show me shoes under $100.  Well, this time I decided to not worry about the price and just get a pair of great fitting shoes.  The guy that helped me seemed knowledgable enough, and he measured both of my feet instead of just one like most places do.  That was great, since my right foot is slightly bigger than my left.  Then he looked at my pronation while I walked.  I guess I'm pretty neutral with a little bit of over pronation.  He then brought out a pair of Mizuno Wave Nirvana 6 and a pair of Asics (can't remember the exact model I tried). 

I tried the Mizunos on first and felt in love with them immediately!  Then I tried on the Asics, and while they were nice and probably better than my New Balance, they just didn't wow me the same way the Mizunos did.  My usual shoe size is 6, but I tried on size 6.5 to give a little room for swelling. 

The description on the Mizuno website states this:  SmoothRide Engineered, Full-length Composite Double Fan Wave provides superior protection while offering excellent support to the moderately overpronating foot. Incorporating the latest advancements in Dynamotion Fit allows for unparalleled fit while in motion. Combination solid rubber/blown rubber forefoot outsole design for cushioning, flexibility, and durability.

I know it's a little bit to weird to have a "love at first sight" kind of thing with a pair of running shoes.  But that's exactly what happened!  They felt SOOO comfortable as soon as I put them on.  It was like they were hugging all the right curves on my feet!  The sales guy said they fit kind of like gloves, which is exactly right!  I walked around the store with them on and they felt very light, bouncey, cushiony and flexible - big difference from my New Balance shoes that feel heavy and clunky!  The upper and side part of the shoe is stretchy mesh, which feels really great on.  Kind of gives a custom made type of feel.  I'm usually a pretty indecisive person, but I decided to get these right away.  Plus they are so cute with the teal colored accents which just happened to match my teal shirt at the time.  =)

This morning at the gym I finally had a chance to test them out!  I ran about 1.5 miles while waiting for my boot camp class to start.  These felt so wonderful!  I am guessing it must be the shoes because I was able to run faster and not get as tired...?!?  I felt like they helped my performance enormously.  Amazing!  I can't wait to test them outside and see what difference they make.  Oh my gosh, who knew that I could have ran so much faster with a better pair of shoes???  I'm only kicking myself that I did not do it sooner!

Oh yeah, on a side note, I checked on the LA Marathon site today for the 5K rankings, and looks like I finished #71 out of almost 2000 female runners.  Overall ranking I think was 200 something out of 5000 people.  Not bad.  That's definitely among the top 5%.  But I wonder how much better it would have been if I had my new shoes!!!

Cadbury Mini Eggs

Around Easter time every year, I start seeing all these Cadbury Mini Eggs at the grocery store and just cannot resist!!  I love everything Cadbury, and it's sad that I cannot get many of the Cadbury items here in the US.  When I lived in Australia, they had TONS of Cadbury products, including eggs all year round.  It was amazing.  So now that I'm back here, I have to wait until Easter to enjoy a select few of Cadbury products.  No matter though, the mini eggs are amazing!!  They are covered with hard candy shell, with milk chocolate on the inside.  I've also had the dark chocolate kind, but it's not as good in my opinion.  I usually like dark chocolate, but the milk chocolate combo in this case is just to die for.

The only problem with them is that, well they are chocolate, and high on calories and sugar.  And they are so addictive that I cannot stop eating them once I open a bag.  Arrrggghhh... I'm going to gain like 10 lbs this month.

LA Marathon!!

I got up somewhat early this morning to go cheer on the LA Marathoners.  I walked down to the Lululemon store, which is right outside of mile 22.  So many Luluheads showed up in 80s attire, and they had tons of food, water, signs, and even a DJ! 

We brought champaign and lemonade and drank and cheered people on all morning.  It was fun!  I saw so many people that made me feel lame for not running the marathon!  Like people who are on wheelchairs, or people who look like they are in their 90s, or little kids.  I guess if I had this goal I could do it, but I really just don't want to put my body through that???  I saw a friend who ran the course twice this morning though!!  Don't know when he started, but when I saw him he had already ran from end to start, and from start back to mile 22.  So he was 4 miles away from 52 miles total.  Wtf?  Crazy!!!

This is a funny sign that they made and we were holding it for a while...

Hehe... it was a really good time!  I loved the people who ran by and danced along to the music and smiled and high fived us.  I think it's really great that they were able to run a marathon today!  Maybe someday it will be me too....

Lululemon Groove Crops - White!

I bought some Lululemon Groove Crops in White, which reverses to all white as well.  One side has the reflective logo on the left leg and the reversible side has it on the back of the waist.  I bought them in a size 2 which I had been meaning to try, because some of my size 4 bottoms from Lululemon are a little loose around the waist.  I was glad that size 2 fits pretty well.  Definitely tighter around the waist than my 4, but everywhere else feels pretty much the same.

They are really cute but the only thing is they are see through around the butt!!  I was wearing very pale pink underwear and they totally showed through on the front and back.  Well, I guess it's a good thing that I have so many long tanks that would cover most of my butt!!  I like the way the white looks though, and they are not see through everywhere else.  Hmm... maybe I shouldn't have bought a size 2 in these!  Though these don't look too tight and they are not all stretched out or anything.  Perhaps a bigger size would be better as far as the see through factor goes?

Anyway, I like how they are very clean looking and I think they would be good for hanging out in the summer.  Maybe not to the gym, because if I sweat my butt might completely show through like a wet t-shirt contest lol.  But I can see myself wearing them around to run errands in or... to go on a tropical vacation!

They are a bit longer than I liked so I took them to the store today to get hemmed about an inch shorter.  That way they will be right below my knee and exactly how I like them!

LA Marathon NPN 5K

This morning I went to the LA Marathon NPN 5K Race with the Lululemon run club.  It was so crowded!  I didn't expect so many people to show up for it since the actual marathon is tomorrow.  But I guess this was for people (like myself) who wanted to share some of the marathon fun without actually running 26.2 miles.  I run pretty often, but I have no desire to ever put myself through that.  I used to want to do a half marathon but I don't even know if I want to do that anymore.  I don't see the point.  I think 8-10 miles is the most I would do.

Anyway so the race started at the Dodger Stadium and there must have been thousands of people there.  It was supposed to start at 8 am, but traffic was so bad getting there that we didn't even get there until 8.  Then had to park and get our bibs.  The race actually started more like at 8:30, which was fine.

All the Lululemon girls wore something in the new lagoon color.  Good thing I had one too!  I wore my lagoon Run:Swiftly Tech SS that I bought a while ago, and my coal Run:Jog skirt.  It was like 80 degrees in LA today, so it was perfect.  There were many other girls from the other Lululemon locations around LA, and I obviously didn't know many of them.  But they all thought I worked for Lulu too because I looked like it.  Hehe... made me chuckle.  I guess I should take that as a compliment since they are all cute girls who are fit!

The race itself was super hilly!  I totally did not expect that.  I thought it would be an easy cruise and finish in about 20 minutes.  But there were 3 BIG hills.  I saw the first one from afar and thought to myself we better not be going there!  Some of the more flat areas were slight inclines as well, so it was actually a pretty tough 5K.  I ended up finishing in 27 minutes.  So about 8.7 minutes a mile.  Not so bad considering all the big hills I had to climb and nearly fainted.  There were lots of spectators at the end of the race cheering people on, so I was definitely sprinting at the end and my heart rate went up the roof.  I just kept telling myself not to faint in front of everyone right before the finish line because that would have been so embarrassing!!  Hehe..

Well, the Lulu girls brought running socks and headbands to give out to people.  But they didn't really end up giving them to many people so I got another Slipless Headband in plum color, and a pair of the Ultimate Running Socks.  I was wearing mine and glad to have gotten another one for free since they retail $14, which is a lot for socks in my opinion.   But they are pretty light weight but padded in all the right spots, so I like them.  Plus I got them in fun colors (white/seniorita)!

At the end of the race we all stretched out and did yoga poses and got a lot of people to watch and take pictures of us.  Hehe... that was kind of funny.  Oh, and I also got a medal!  It's actually pretty heavy and nice looking.

We walked around the Expo afterwards which is the Expo for the actual marathon.  It was soooo big!  I think we spent at least an hour in there.  They had tons of different vendors giving out samples and selling stuff.  Pretty cool.  I tried the Bolthouse mocha flavored protein drinks and they were so yummy!  Like a light milkshake.  May have to go get some, though they are high in calories and sugar.  Also liked the barley powder drink from Green Foods.  

Had such a fun time today!  I'm looking forward to cheering on the marathon runners tomorrow!  They are passing by my neighborhood (mile 22), so that's exciting!  The Brentwood Lululemon store is hosting a party, we plan to bring champaign and OJ.  Should be a fun time!

Lululemon Run:Swiftly Tech SS Lavender

I believe I've written enough good things about the Lululemon Run:Swiftly Tech SS shirt.  But I bought another one online yesterday, and it just arrived today.  I had to because it was the new lavender color!!  I just love it so much.

It looks pretty much exactly the same in person.  Very soft and feminine color.  I think I've mentioned before that colors seem to be more tuned down in the silverescent material of the Run:Swiftly Tech shirts.  It goes really well with black or grey bottoms, which are all I have!  And I think the color goes nicely with my skin tone and hair color.  Hehe.

Another new tank that Lululemon uploaded on their website yesterday was the Push Ur Limits tank, which I was very close to buying.  It came in black, lavender, and bubbulicious/coal (pink and grey).  That is the one I would have gotten because of the contrasting colors.  I think it's a very cute tank, but 1. I couldn't justify another tank when I just bought a Cool Racerback last week in the same color, and 2. I wasn't sure about the fit/material of this tank and rather try it on in store first. 

I love the design though.  The front looks pretty much exactly like the Lululemon Swift Tank, but the back is very pretty and unique, and has mesh all the way down to keep you cool (which is also similar to the Swift Tank). 

Anyway, I hope this tank comes out in stores so I can try it on.  I've heard complaints that the luxtreme material that this tank is made of is very unforgiving and shows every single imperfection, and the light and bounciness of the material does not hold boobs in place well.  That is what most people don't like about the Swift tanks.  But I have a Swift tank and I love it.  I don't have any stomach or side pooch or anything, and I'm an 34A or 32B bra size, so I think this tank may work for me.  Still want to try it on to see.  Also hoping it comes out in maybe the new Passion color with black or coal straps, since I already have the bubbulicious Cool Racerback tank, even though they are very different styles.  I just don't want too many tanks in the same color.  Last night when I went to the store for run club I did not see this tank and I'm pretty sure it hasn't hit any stores yet.  So I will wait and see!

Lash Allure MD - Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum

I made another Gilt order today.  I didn't mean to, but I was checking out the different stuff they had on sale today and came across the Lash Allure MD - Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum. 

I guess it's "formulated with a patent-pending peptide complex, this fast-acting conditioning serum dramatically strengthens and stimulates eyelash and brow growth without irritation."  Also, it says that "Lash Allure MD is physician formulated without prostaglandins — the ingredient shown to cause skin and eye discolorations in other formulas. It's paraben-free and clinically proven to give the appearance of thicker, darker lashes and brows in two weeks and full results in six weeks."

Well that sounds promising.  So I decided to get it and give it a try.  It retails for $50 but Gilt was selling it for $30.  Since I had a $25 credit, it didn't cost me much to try it out.

It looks like liquid eye liner.  I guess it's applied just like liquid eye liner too.  

DIRECTIONS:
1. Apply directly to the upper lash line as you would a liquid eyeliner, sweeping from the inside of the eye to outer edge and back.
2. Close eyes and apply serum directly on top of upper lashes, sweeping out from the base of lashes out towards the tips.
3. For eyebrow application, apply serum evenly across each brow.
4. After application to lashes or brows, allow the product to dry for several minutes. Once dry, apply your normal makeup.
NOTE: Use twice daily, morning and evening. 

The before and after picture they provided looks pretty good, but who knows if it's photoshopped or not?

Well I should receive it in April and I will try it out and see what happens! 

Lululemon Astro Crop - Black/White and Coal/Aruba/Heathered Aruba

I got the Lululemon Astro Crop in Black / Bon Bon / Paradise about a month ago off of ebay and love them.  They came out in spring / summer 2009 and I missed them while they were in stores.  By the time I went to buy them online they were sold out.  I had been looking for them on ebay ever since.  I love the color of the ones I got, but I really really wanted the Coal/Aruba/Heathered Aruba ones.

So finally I saw them on ebay in my size and I just had to get them!  The aruba color in person is brighter than it looks in pictures, but still nice.  The auction was actually for 2 pairs of Astro Crops.  The other ones are black with criss cross white band on the front that has floral print on it.

They are kind of like the picture above except white where the coal color is.  The back side is completely black.  I don't know what the color code is, but the white color has a very subtle print on it that's almost imperceptible.  It's pretty though.  This color combination was never sold online.

Soooo, now I have 3 pairs of Astro Crops!!!  I'm so excited.  I've been wearing them everywhere - to the gym or just hanging out.  I LOVE how they look!  I don't like the new Astro Pants of this season as much because the color combination is just not as pretty as last season.  Maybe they will come out with lavender or something and I will reconsider.  I just love the length and waist band of this crop and as long as I like the color combination I will keep collecting them!

Lululemon Run:Passion Crops

I had gotten the Lululemon Run:Passion Crops when they first came out around Thanksgiving time last year, and I LOVE them!  They are a shorter crop that hit me right below my knees.  Perfect.  I can't stand crops that end at the calves because I feel like they make me look shorter and stockier for some reason.  So I never liked the Run:Empower Crops even though everyone raves about them. 

The Passion Crops are made of luxtreme, which is the same material as the Empower Crops.  They have a cute little side pocket on the left thigh, and they have a higher waist rise.  There is also a draw string that you can use to adjust the tightness of the waist.  They do tend to fall down a little as I exercise, so I always make sure to make the waist really tight.  Otherwise, they are seriously the perfect pair of crops.  They are light but keep the muscles tight and warm at the same time.  They also do an excellent job wicking sweat away.

I got the blue ones and I love how there is a whimsical butterfly thingy on top of the usual Lululemon reflective logo.  This only appears on the blue and pink ones, for some reason.  The other ones only have the regular logo.  The blue ones are also the only ones that have a ring of blue on the bottom of the leg openings.

Well, these crops sold out pretty fast online.  In fact, I don't think the stores near me ever got them.  At least not in fun colors.  Every time I wear them, someone compliments me on them and asks me what they are.  I would have loved to get more colors, but I just couldn't justify $86 on each pair.  They did go on sale for $59 a while later, but only size 10s and 12s left, as usual.  Smaller sizes never go on sale!!!  About a month ago, my gym actually received a shipment of the Passion Crops in pink.  They were regular price though, so I passed.

Ok so when I saw the purple ones on ebay the other day, I just had to get them.  They were listed buy it now at $49.  Not bad.  I did have to pay a little more than I liked for shipping since they were being shipped from Canada.  But I figured it was now or never!  I was sure somebody would have snatched them up fast.  Besides, purple is the color I would have gotten instead of the blue ones.  The only reason I got blue was because of the whimsical thingy which I loved.  I do think purple is a very pretty color though, and would go especially well with my new Cool Racerback in lavender!

I know that some people do not like the V lines on the back of these crops because they draw attention to the rear end.  But I actually think they serve as a slimming effect.  Either way I don't mind them.

I'm glad that I now own two of the Passion crops!  My first pair sure does get a lot of use.  So I'm sure the new ones will too.  I plan to wear them to the LA Marathon 5K this Saturday!  I did think twice about having the same pair of crops in different colors.  But I've been looking for a different style that was better or comparable to the Passion crops and they just simply don't exist.  So... I have to assume that they are the best crops out there right now!

Ace Hotel - Palm Springs

I just got back from my short overnight trip to Palm Springs where I stayed at the Ace Hotel.  I posted a couple weeks ago that I got a pretty good deal from Jetsetter - $90 a night.  So I was excited to check it out.  I guess it's an old Howard Johnson converted into this hip new up and coming boutique hotel.  There was an old Denny's adjacent to the hotel that they converted into the lobby of the hotel and the hotel restaurant.

Upon first impression, it was very very different.  It was like hippie-ville with a chic and somewhat Western flare, plus the gay influence of Palm Springs.  I'm not into hippie stuff at all, but these are wannabe hipster hippies.  There are 2 good sized pools on the premise, and 1 good sized hot tub.  The larger pool has a DJ and pool side service, and is open until 3 am!  There were lots of ppl there yesterday (Sunday), and we were glad that our room was not directly surrounding the pool area.  Otherwise the noise would definitely bother me at night.

There's everything on this compound - spa, steam room, sauna, 24 hour gym, big movie/events room, free bikes, scooters, fireplaces and hang out couches throughout.  The rooms are very interesting indeed.  The walls are covered with a canvas - so it's like camping!  They provide these long hemp robes, blanket, and walking stick that they hang on the wall.  The artwork hanging behind the bed are old school style photography without picture frames.  The bathroom amenities are their own brand, which I actually really liked, and they provide these big big towels!  Only thing is, they don't provide lotion.  How weird!  Especially in the desert!  But luckily, Kiehls stayed there before so the girl was able to run up some Kiehl's lotion for us.  If you know how I feel about Kiehl's then you would know how much I appreciated it!  They were out of regular lotion so she gave me SPF 15 ones, but whatever, it kept me moist, and I used it today for pool time fun!

The room also came with tons of alcohol and snacks.  Hotel price of course.  But good to have the option!  We had a upstairs room, but the downstairs rooms all had private courtyard with fireplaces and tons of lounge equipment.  We had a little balcony but nothing like the downstairs ones.  I was jealous.  Next time!

We laid out by the pool for about an hour before heading out today.  It was so nice!  They had all hemp lounge chairs / cushions by the pool / hammock everywhere, and even a ping pong table!  They played relaxing inde music.  It was perfect!  I wish we could have spent at least one more day there.

All in all, I would definitely go back there again.  Preferably with a group of friends.  I will definitely request a downstairs room further from the main pool.  That way we will have the choice of joining the party or mellowing out.  They also provide a roll away grill and meat / veggies, so we can have our own BBQ party there!  What a fun idea for a hotel!  I'm very curious to check out their other locations as well - especially the one in NYC, but also Seattle and Portland.

Lululemon Cool Racerback Tank - Lavender & Bubbulicious

Finally Lululemon came out with pretty, soft, pastel colors!!  I went to the store today and picked up two Cool Racerback Tanks in the newest colors - Lavender and Bubbulicious!  So glad to be done with the neon colors of late!

I have always bought size 4 (my usual size @ Lululemon) in these tanks, but today I tried on a size 2 and it actually fit pretty well.  I liked how it fit on the shoulders and chest better than my 4, but the tummy area was definitely more fitted.  Very curve hugging.  I don't like having on a tight shirt that show outline of the pant waist underneath.  So I decided to go with 4 as usual to have more room and be more comfortable.

I have noticed though, that the new Cool Racerbacks have a slightly curved front and a straight back at the bottom.  My old ones are the same straight all the way around.  Not sure if I like the curvature, but it's very slight so I guess whatever.  Not sure what the point of it is.

The lavender and bubbulicious colors though, I cannot say enough good things about!  I had been looking for the older power purple color for a long time but nobody ever had my size.  So I was very excited about the new lavender color as it is very similar to power purple.  It's not as rich though.  It's more a softer, baby, pastel type of purple.  I like it a lot.  I feel like my hunt for a purple cool racerback is finally over!  The bubbilicious color is a soft bubblegum pink.  It looks a shade brighter in person than in the pic above.  But definitely not a bright pink, which I love.  

So glad I was able to get these in my size before they sold out!  I also had the rest of my Lululemon giftcard from reaching 50 miles with the run club, so I was able to knock $10 off the price and ended up paying $75 after tax instead of $85.  Ugh, so much money for two tank tops huh?

Oh well.  They will definitely get a lot of use.  I'm hoping that this new color scheme is the direction Lululemon is going from now on.  Though I feel very much like an Easter egg with colors like these and chirp (the soft baby yellow).  Hehe.

My Marc Jacobs Purse Arrived Today!!!!!!!

OMG, SOOOOO CUTE!!!!!!  I was soooo happy to discover that the Marc Jacobs Ashley purse I got from Gilt earlier this week showed up even better than expected!!  And not to mention the super fast shipping!  They packaged it very nicely too.  It was a small box with Marc Jacobs written on it that contained the purse, inside of a bigger box that said "Books Handle With Care".  Weird.  Maybe they did that so there would be less chance of the package getting stolen.  The big box was filled with air pockets so the smaller box inside wouldn't move around.  This prevented anything from crushing the purse in the small box.  I hate having a new purse arriving with wrinkles in the leather.  This purse definitely arrived in good condition.  I guess for a $1100 purse, it had better!

The purse is definitely BIGGER than I thought it was going to be, which I was very surprised about.  In fact, I would call it a mid sized purse.  It's got 2 different zipper compartments from the outside, and one little zipper pocket on the inside.  It's definitely enough room for my purse, iphone, keys, and tons more!

The straps have shiny stitching details all over it which I could not tell from the pictures on Gilt.  But what a pleasant surprise!  The stitches are in gold and black with red border accent.  Very pretty and eye catching!  The leather of the purse feels sooo soft.  And the navy blue color came exactly as shown on the pictures - not too bright, not too dark - just right!

The strap is very short as expected.  So I'm not able to wear it on my shoulder.  I will have to carry it in my hand or just dangle it from my elbow.  Way cute.  May get a bit annoying, but whatever it's worth it!  Hahaha... oh exciting day!

Shoedazzle Sylvie

I know that I said earlier that I would never order from Shoedazzle.com again, but I did!  I got my new 5 selections for March on the 1st, which I should have just clicked on "Skip this month".  But I forgot to do so, and when you don't do click on that nor select a pair of shoes before the 6th day of the month, they charge your credit card, and then you just have a credit on the account towards your future purchases.  So at first when I realized that my card got charged, I was kind of annoyed and wanted to call them right away to argue and cancel.  But when I jumped onto the site to see my shoe selections, I actually fell in love with the Sylvie shoe.  So I guess I didn't really mind the fact that my credit card was charged.  If I didn't see anything I liked, that would have been a different story hehe..

They just look very different and fresh for the spring!  I don't have any other pink shoes, so I figured why not.  I was definitely afraid that they would show up looking super cheap like some of the other shoedazzle shoes I've had to return in the past.  And I was also afraid they would be very uncomfortable.  But they arrived today (only a day later!) and they are pretty awesome!  They look exactly like the pictures, and they are surprisingly very very comfortable, even though they are tall.  I think it's the platform that makes them look higher while keeping the arch low.  

I love the fact that the platform and the heels are white, so the whole look is not overwhelmingly pink.  I mean I don't mind pink but I can't take too much of it.  These just look very clean and pretty.  Plus it's a very soft pink.  The cork insole of the shoes are pretty comfortable.  I actually think I could wear them walking around all day!  Maybe I will try that this weekend and see.  Also, you can see from the first picture above, that there is a little piece of elastic band on the inside heel part of the shoes.  I think they are there to keep the feet in place better.  I've had shoes before that my heels would keep falling out of the back of the shoes while I walked - very annoying.  Also, I've found that the rise of the back heel on these shoes is lower than my normal high heel shoes.  So they probably won't dig into the back of my feet as much.  I will definitely have to test them out!

Ok I am very happy with this purchase, especially at this price ($39 and free shipping).  I think these shoes are very versatile - they would look good with skirts, shorts, pants, jeans, capris, etc. etc.  They would work for a casual weekend outing or a day to the office.  Yay!  Finally shoedazzle redeemed themselves in my eyes!  If they continue making stuff like this, I may actually be inclined to keep my account and order from them more often!  This is a good sign that they are improving though!