Boxing

For the past few years, my Saturday ritual has been going to my favorite boxing class at the gym.  The class used to be in the boxing room with real hanging bags a couple years ago when it first started, but it could only hold 6 people max, so it moved to the bigger main studio with free standing bags (not as good of course, but does the job for us amateurs).  The instructor Brian is very good, and he would set up different stations for the students to rotate to.  The stations could be either punching the bags using different combinations (speed, power, etc.), or doing push ups, sit ups, weights, resistant bands, ropes, balls, etc. etc.  He is very creative!  So we would rotate from one station to another every few minutes until everyone has been to every station.  The hardest one though, is the one on one session with him.  He wears these mits and holds them out and tells you what punches to throw.  I'm always breathless within 30 seconds of my session with him.  But it's so fun!  And he is very encouraging.

Well yesterday was his last class.  He has a wife and kids and I guess Saturday class is getting to be too much for him since he wants to spend it with his family.  So yesterday he kicked our asses!  Not too many people showed up, so he could really work each of us individually hard.  I did one of my best sessions ever with him, and he said that I had become a much better boxer.  My back feels sore today, which is rare nowadays since I do box so often.  I remember the very first time I did it, I literally couldn't move for 2 days after!  My body hurt all over in places I never thought existed, even laughing or coughing hurt like hell.  But of course if you work those muscles often enough, they don't get like that anymore.  So for me to be this sore today, I know I worked out hard yesterday!  Boxing is definitely one of the best work outs out there.

But I'm so sad that now it's over.  What am I going to do on Saturdays now?  I've tried other boxing classes, but none have even come close to Brian's class.  You just can't substitute certain instructors.  Same as my Wednesday spin class instructor - they just got rid of her class out of nowhere and it was immensely popular!  Very upset that I'm paying over $150 a month for my gym membership and all my fav instructors are gone.  The only one I like now and can go to is my boot camp class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings but that's hardly worth the hefty membership due.  I mean I know I get to use the nice amenities such as Kiehl's products in the locker room, but for $150 a month I can go buy them over and over again.  Ugh!!!

This definitely feels like the end of an era.  I've been already slacking on going to the gym lately, and this does not give me motivation to go back.

Lululemon Scoop Bra - Fruity Tootie

I've been looking for a pink bra for a while, and when the Lululemon Scoop Bra in fruity tootie (hot pink) went on sale online end of last week for $29, I decided to get it. 

I have quite a few Scoop Neck Tanks, but had never tried on the bra.  However, I figured it would fit exactly the same as the tank so I went with my regular size. 

Well I was right, it fits pretty well.  And the color is exactly what I was looking for.  But I was a little disappointed to find that when I put my Cool Racerbacks over it, the neck line makes a pretty obvious indent underneath the tank.  I got this bra just to wear under my Cool Racerbacks since my other work out tanks all have built in bras.  I like that the color of the bra peaks out from the tank but I wish it would lay smoothly underneath!  

Oh well, I guess I can still wear it under my Run:Swiftly Tech shirts and other long sleeve running pullovers.  I'll have to play with it under different Cool Racerbacks too to adjust the fit and try to make it look better.  

By the way, I like this bra for the support and style.  The wide straps make it very comfortable around the neck.  It does not dig in at all, like the Flow Y bra does sometimes.  And it's not as tight as the Deep V bra.  The mesh in the back also cools you down.  So all in all, I think it is a good purchase!

Lululemon Dance Studio Pant II - White! Update!

I wrote a couple days ago that I got the Lululemon Dance Studio Pant II in white in size 4, and was debating whether to keep them or not.  I thought that they weren't as flattering as my coal ones in size 2 because the legs are wider, thus adding pounds to my silhouette.  But since they are SO rare and hard to find, I was tempted to just keep them anyway.  And they are oh-so-comfortable.  Since I very recently became a fan of these pants and found it justified to spend $100 on, I'm still in awe of how comfortable they are.

Well, today I called the GEC (again) to check their stock, which they told me they did not have a size 2 in their central warehouse (again).  I also called the Beverly Hills and Santa Monica stores near me, both of them said their size 2s were sold out within a day.  Argh!!  I'm always a day late calling!!  So I asked the GEC to check the stock for ALL the stores near me, which luckily is about 10 stores if I'm willing to drive an hour to the furthest one.  So luckily they told me that in fact some of the local stores did have size 2 in stock!  The Newport and Irvine stores in Orange County, and the El Segundo store in Manhattan Beach.  The El Segundo one is only about 15 miles away, so yay!  I called them right away to put them on hold and was going to go get them when I got off work.  But then my amazing boyfriend actually went and got them for me while I was at work today!!  I'm soooo happy because when I put them on, I found that the size 2 is MUCH BETTER than the size 4 in these!  Maybe because these have lining, vs. the coal ones I have which aren't lined and are almost indistinguishable between size 2 and 4, but the size 4 in white has so much more excessive material!  Size 2 has a much more fitted look, and I'm now a happy camper!  

Speaking of my coal pants, I took them in to get fixed since some stitching came out after minor wear.  But I guess the store sent them to the tailor with a description on it to fix, but the tailor didn't do anything!  They just sent them back to the store!  So the store had to once again, send them to the tailor and they said they were going to follow up with a call to explain.  What the heck?  They left a pretty detailed note for the tailor and attached them to the pants.  How could the tailor not see it?!?  And more importantly, how could he not have called the store to ask before sending them back with no work done??  Ugh!!!  Sometimes people really baffle me.  Well, I hope that they get fixed, it's just annoying that I'm having to wait like 2 weeks!

Express Editor Wide Waistband Pants - White and Neutral

I went to the Express store yesterday and bought two more pairs of the Editor Wide Waistband Pants.  I swear by these pants when it comes to my work wardrobe, same as I swear by Lululemon stuff when I work out.  Hehe.  They are just the greatest pants for work - super comfortable and flattering at the same time.  I don't like the regular Editor pants because I think they fit me weird.  But for some reason the wide waistband ones are a perfect fit.  Not gonna complain about that!  I think the wide waistband gives it a clean and professional look, great for wearing with a button down shirt or a sweater or something.  The length of these pants in regular inseam is perfect for me with heels on so I never have to get them altered. 

I already have like 6 pairs of them, but I need a little bit more variety instead of one for each day of the week.  Most of mine are dark, and now that it's Spring, I felt like lighter pants are in order!  Even white!  Is it bad to wear white pants to a professional work environment though?  Hmm...

(By the way, why do their stock photos show white pants on white background?  Seems kinda dumb.)

So the white ones are actually a different material than my other "Studio Stretch" ones.  They are the Cotton Sateen material, which is of mostly cotton with 3% spandex or something.  They are $10 less than the other ones, at $49.  I'm actually not too much of a fan of this material because it wrinkles easily and looks horrible if you wash them in the washer as the washing instructions suggest.  You have to dry clean them with starch to make them stay in nice shape.  I know because I have a pair of pants in this material that I got on sale, and after I washed them they are totally ruined!  They look so old and used up, no matter how hard I ironed.  I just can't wear them anymore because they make me feel like a slob.  =(  I got them on sale for like $20 so that was a good guinea pig I guess.

I got the white ones though because I just wanted white pants.  I'm going through a white pants phase.  And the material also gives it a more casual look - good for my business casual Fridays dress code for work, as well as for the weekend if I want.

The other ones I got are neutral color, which is a light tan color with dark brown stripes.

The stripes are subtle, which is good.  These pants are not the famous Express "Studio Stretch" either, but I think they are made of similar material.  The description just says Synthetic/Spandex.  They are the same price as the other Editor Wide Waistband Pants I have - $59.  They feel lighter and flow-yer than my Studio Stretch ones.  But I also have a pair of Studio Stretch ones in grey stripes and the material feels very similar to these, so I don't know.  I have a feeling these won't stay their shape as well.  Perhaps I will dry clean them with starch and see if it helps.  

They also seem to run a tiny bit bigger.  I got both these and the white ones in size 00 - same size as all the ones I already have.  But these feel looser.  If I lost a little bit weight I wouldn't be able to wear them anymore.  More incentives to eat chocolate!  LOL!

So I had yet another discount card I got from Express in the mail, which gave me $30 off if I spend over $100.  These went just a little over $100!  So I was able to get $30 off and ended up getting them at about $40 a pair after tax.  Pretty good deal!  I love these pants and will continue getting them when new colors come out!

Dance Studio Pant II - WHITE!

So by some miracle, I got a voicemail last night from the manager of my local Lululemon store saying that she found a pair of the Dance Studio Pant in white for me in my size!  And instead of putting it back onto the floor, she held it for me.  YAY!!!  How nice!!!  So today I went by the store again to pick them up. 

I got size 4, which is one size bigger than the size 2 I got in the same pants in coal.  But the white ones are lined (since they would be super see through if they were unlined) so I figured 4s would be good.  And they don't have any size 2s, so I got the 4s without even trying them on.  They are cute, but for some reason I thought they were not as cute as my coal ones.  Hmmmmm.... not sure why this is.  Maybe because they are lined so they look heavier?  I don't know, I feel like they make my legs look shorter and fatter.  Maybe it's because white is not as a slimming color as a dark color?  Or maybe it was just me being crazy.  I actually called the GEC asking if they had a size 2 in white, and again got the answer no.  So I'm going to sleep on it tonight and try them again tomorrow.  If I really don't like the way these pants fit, I guess I will have to return them and save me $110.

I was really hoping to fall in love with them though.  Because white just looks so cute!  And they would be great when the weather gets colder (I know it's not even summer yet, call me crazy!) because they are quite warm.  Another thing is, since the inseam on these are 35 inches, I have to cinch them up.  But I have to be careful not to drag them on the ground because they will get dirty in no time!

Lululemon Dance Studio Pant II - Problems Already!

Since I got my Lululemon Dance Studio Pant II in Coal last week, I was really happy with the way they fit and felt.  But, after wearing them once or twice (just walking around a couple hours, not working out or anything), I noticed that lots of threads already came out from the inner waistband!  I know this is not because I snagged on anything while walking around, since they came out from the inside that rested against my skin.  Not like I wear metal underwear or anything!  So this is unacceptable since these are brand new, $100 pants that are supposed to take physical abuse for years! 

So I took them back to the store today to see what they could do.  I was actually hoping they would just give me a new pair and call it a day, but they said they would send to their tailor to see if he could fix them first.  If not then they will give me a new pair.  How inconvenient.  So now I have to wait a week and then see if it worked out.  By that time, they won't have any size 2s left in stock because that's the first size to go always.  So I guess I'm really hoping the tailor will be able to fix it!  I would be pissed if I didn't live so close to the store.  It also doesn't make me happy that these were made with such poor quality and charged such high price.  I don't want this part to be fixed just to have another part come out a couple weeks later!

Grrrr..... I've been reading on Lululemon's facebook page about a lot more customers complaining about the lesser quality of their products nowadays.  It seems a lot of people are having bad pilling problems with luon items.  Some say they started pilling after a week or so before they even washed them.  It seems that this is only happening to the newer items that came out within the last few months.  People say that their old Groove pants they bought 5-6 years ago look better and newer than their 2 week old new ones.  Hmm... well I only have one pair of Groove pants that are from 2009, and I've worn them quite a bit and there's almost no pilling.  Some of my other luon crops also from 2009 have a little bit of pilling but not bad.  None of my luon shirts have any pilling.  The only item I have that have major pilling issues is my Biker Groove Shorts.  They are static charcoal color, which I've read has really bad pilling issues so I'm not the only one.  I've only worn mine about 5 times or so at the most, and the inner thigh area feels like I've worn them for years!  I'm almost afraid they are wearing so thin that they would rip apart during my work out so I stopped wearing them.  I can't even resell them because they are in such bad shape.  =(  I hope Lululemon really addresses their quality issues because I will not buy their pants anymore if it keeps happening!  I do understand that companies make more profits by cutting costs, but it seems that they need to keep up with the high quality products they used to make because that's what keeps loyal customers coming back for more!

Anyways, rant over.  Oh, found out today that they got more WHITE Dance Studio Pants!!!  Sooooo sad though because they only received ONE pair of size 4s which are already sold out, and none in size 2.  I even called the GEC yesterday asking for these but I think the girl I was talking to didn't know what she was talking about and was looking up the wrong product.  Otherwise I would have got the white ones in my size already!  I will have to call them again tomorrow and hopefully talk to someone else with more knowledge of their own products!  What can I say... I just really love the white ones!

Lululemon Run:Team Spirit Crop - Coal/Chirp

About 2-3 weeks ago, I noticed that the Lululemon Run:Team Spirit Crop was price adjusted from $86 to $69.  Not all colors though, just the coal/chirp color combo and the black/seniorita pink color combo.  The all black ones and coal/lagoon ones were still at $86.

Well, I had tried on these crops when they first came out a few months ago, but didn't think they were special enough to spend $86 on (I tried the all black version).  They were actually a little shiny on me and since I already have many other Lululemon bottoms, 2 of which very similar (Run:Passion Crop), I felt that I didn't need them.  But at $69 it is definitely a good deal as far as Lululemon bottoms go.  They don't normally go down less than that, well maybe cotton items but not technical items, and NEVER in my size!  So I decided to get them.

I wanted the coal/chirp version because I have always thought grey and yellow were a cute color combo.  Plus my other running tights are black, so it's good to branch out (yeah like grey is soooo different hehe).  But these were sold out so fast in the stores around here as soon as the price went down.  So I had to call the GEC (Guest Education Center) to order them.  They did a check for all the stores in the country and this one store in Chicago had them.  So they were able to ship them to me (for free of course).

I had read reviews about these crops and people saying how they are a lower rise crop, therefore tend to fall down as you run.  It seemed that some people sized down.  I got my regular size though.  Some people also didn't like the ruching on the sides of the butt and thighs because they thought that added pounds to their silhouette.  Well I tend to disagree because I think it's actually really cute and different, and they are subtle enough.  But I also have pretty skinny legs and small butt so maybe that's why.  

I can definitely see how these would fall down as you run though.  They are not that low rise on me, but lower than some of my other Lululemon pants.  I would say they are a medium to high rise on me.  But they were sliding down a little as I was wearing them and testing them out tonight.  But there is a draw string and once I tied it, they stayed in place pretty well.  I have to test them out during my run tomorrow night though.

I love the length of these crops.  They are the same length as the Run:Passion crops on me, which is right below the knee.  They definitely aren't as long as they look on the model above.  They must have stretched them out on the model because I'm only 5'5 - most likely shorter than the model.  And the crops look about 4 inches shorter on me!  This is my favorite length for crops though.  I get all my Lulu crops hemmed to that length because I feel like it elongates my body and legs, and makes my legs look leaner.  So I'm glad I don't need to take these in for hemming!  Excited to try them out tomorrow!  I've been lazy ever since I got back from Tahoe for the weekend and haven't worked out at all.  It's so easy to fall out of routine.  This is great motivation to get back in bright and early tomorrow morning (then again tomorrow night)!!

Lake Tahoe Trip!

I took my boyfriend to South Lake Tahoe for the weekend for his 30th birthday and just got back last night.  South Lake Tahoe is the part of Tahoe that borders both California and Nevada.  It's a very cool spot because first of all, it's beautiful, and second, it has all the winter and summer sports as well as the casinos on the Nevada side!

It was a rather short trip.  We flew into Reno (because the Tahoe airport is very small and expensive) on Saturday morning, got a rental car and drove to Tahoe which was about 50 miles.  It was a pretty easy drive, with a little bit of it on curvy mountainy roads which I'm sure is a lot more trouble when there's snow on the road.  But it was pretty nice when we arrived.  We enjoyed the nice views along the road!

We stayed at the 3 Peaks Resort & Beach Club which is a little boutique hotel in a pretty convenient location.  It's about 2 blocks from the beach, 2 blocks from the Heavenly Resort lifts, and 2 blocks from the casinos!  So you could say it's in the middle of everything.  The hotel itself is pretty interesting.  It was obviously built back in the day, but they have been remodeling the rooms.  We stayed at the Parlour Suites, which is one of their nicer, newly renovated suites.  It has a full sized living room with a nice fire place, a full kitchen, bathroom and a bedroom.  

The suite is renovated to a pretty modern and chic look.  It definitely looked like they hired a designer for parts of it.  For example, the valance matches the ottoman and the round decorative pillows on the bed, etc.  But it also seemed that they forgot / ran out of money for some of the simple things.  The phones still look like they are from 1980, and the kitchen appliances and counter tops weren't changed at all.  Also they could have fixed some light fixtures - just relatively cheap details they could have done to make everything tie together.  Regardless though, we really liked the place.  It's very cute and quiet, and the size was very good.  We enjoyed having a full kitchen as well because we went grocery shopping and cooked our own food so we barely spent any money!  

The front office is pretty nice, they have free computer and printer for use.  They also give you towels for the pool (which was closed in the winter) and hot tub.  The hot tub is awesome!  It is a bi-level gigantic tub!!  Possibly the biggest hot tub I've ever seen!  It closes at 11 pm which is an hour later than the usual 10 pm closing at most places.  We went after a light snow storm though and the water was not hot enough.  =(  We had to leave after only a little while and walk back to the room in the freezing cold weather with only a towel on which was NOT fun at all.  We heard from the couple that was also in the tub though that the night before, it was really hot and nice.  Too bad we missed it!

Anyway, aside from the hotel, we tried going up to Heavenly to go snowboarding or tubing.  We figured it would have been kind of lame if we didn't do something snow related.  Especially since I brought my snowboard and all.  But we found out that in order to go up to Heavenly, you had to pay $31 to get up the gondola!  So once you are up there, you have to pay another $30 or whatever for tubing.  That adds up quickly and is pretty lame since tubing usually costs $10 or so.  So we passed and figured we'd go to a less "prestigious" resort.

Well, we found the Sierra at Tahoe resort which is only $25 for tubing total so we went.  I had never been snow tubing before so I was curious to try.  Sierra is about 10-15 min drive from where we were.  It was already a little late when we got there.  But there were barely any people there so we found very good parking.  The tubing hill was very lame though.  It was not steep at all - definitely for little kids.  So we passed.  But we did find out that they have internet special for a 2.5 hour snowboard or ski lesson for $35 if you book online the night before!!  Such a great deal!  I've never heard of anything like it! Maybe it's the economy??  Well we went back that night and booked it for the next morning.  However, it was snowing really hard by then and they wouldn't let us up the road unless we had chains on our tires.  Since we had a rental car and were leaving that day, we didn't want to buy chains just to get up there.  Very sad.  =(  We will try to get our money back but they said no refunds when we bought online.  Well it will be worth a try anyways, better than throwing away $70!

Anyway, we also visited the casinos.  There were only 4 casinos on the main stripe.  I think one more somewhere down the road.  But the Harrah's and Harvey's were both pretty crappy and depressing.  They are old and looked like they weren't updated very well.  And they smelled like cigarette inside really bad.  Not the fancy schmancy Vegas type casino at all!  Montbleu was the nicest.  It had been remodeled in the past 5 years and 100000 times better than the others!  It smelled good too.  Oh and also we won there playing craps and poker.  Hehehe.  Maybe that fact also made me like that casino the best.  =)

So I wish we had at least one more day there.  But work has been pretty busy lately and I only wanted to take one day off.  I do wish we could have made it up to the mountain to go boarding though.  I have been a few times before but I'm not very good and I wanted to take that lesson!  I just can't transition from heel edge to toe edge and vice versa.  I just want to be able to cruise down an intermediate level hill nicely.  It was very empty that weekend and it was a Monday, so I think there was a very good chance that we could have been the only people taking that lesson!  Grrrr... damn snow!!!  

Well everything else was nice about the trip though.  It was very relaxing to just hang out.  I want to go back there soon, maybe in the summer.  We could lay out by the beach and go kayaking or jetskiing, or golfing or horseback riding!  Flying into Reno and driving there was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be since the Reno airport is so easy.  And the rental car companies are right outside and give really good rates.  I think we paid $25 a day!  So I think we will definitely go back more often than not.  I want to be a good snowboarder!

Lululemon Dance Studio Pant II & Run:Speed Shorts

I finally broke down and bought the Lululemon Dance Studio Pant II in coal after trying them on a few times in stores.  I really like the look and fit of these pants but for the longest time I just couldn't justify spending $98 on a pair of "to and from gym" pants, because they are just way too loose for me to work out in.  And I don't dance.

They are made of Swift fabric.  It's a very very light material.  These pants are extremely soft and comfortable.  The ruching gives them quite a slimming look.  They only come in a 35 inch inseam which is way too long for me.  But on the bottom of the pants there are draw strings so you can cinch them up to be the right length.  In the summer time you can also cinch them up to the calves to be crops.  I guess you can also get them hemmed off for free at Lululemon stores, but I saw someone with them hemmed short and they just don't look that good anymore.  I think these are meant to be a little loose and have a little extra fabric at the bottom to have that "hip hop" look or whatever.  

So I figured that I could wear these on the weekends just hanging out, and definitely can wear them while traveling.  They would be good pants to just throw on.  But since I waited so long, I missed out on the white color which is super cute and would have been my #1 choice.  Now they only have big sizes in white left.  I even called the Lululemon corporate 800 number to do a nation wide search and there is none left!!!  Sad.  Oh well.  I guess white would have the problem of getting dirty rather easily on the hems from dragging on the ground while walking anyway... coal is definitely a cute color though.  They also have black right now which is cute too but for some reason I like coal a little better.

I have tried on my regular size at the store - size 4, and also have tried on size 2 at a different time.  So I couldn't really compare which size fits better.  When they were uploaded online earlier this week, I decided to just get both and try them on side by side, then return one of them to the store.  Well they arrived today and I've put on both sizes at least 10 times and there is such a slight difference that I still don't know which ones to keep!  The size 4 just feels a little bit looser around the butt and hips, and it's a slightly higher rise than the size 2.  But size 2 definitely does not pull or anything.  It's a tiny bit more fitted but not tight and I can definitely still wear something under it.  My boyfriend said that they both look exactly the same from the back.  So, I think I might go with size 2, just so I will be able to still wear them if I lose a couple pounds.  Ha!  I've been trying to lose 5 pounds forever...

Anyway, the ones I got have a "*No" after the name, which means they have no lining.  I guess the Dance Studio pants that come out in the fall have lining to keep you warmer in the cooler weather. 

I also got the Run:Speed shorts in white/passion.  I thought the color combo was very cute and couldn't resist ordering it!

I have never owned the Speed shorts but I've tried it on in stores before.  So I thought that ordering my regular size would be perfect.  But they arrived today and they are way too big!!  I'm sooo disappointed!  Especially since size 2 is sold out already online.  And I'm not even sure if size 2 would have been a better fit because the waist part of size 4 fits fine, but the butt part is too big and flares out too wide.  I think it adds pounds to my hips and it's just not good.  So size 2 may fit well around the butt but might be too tight around the waist.  Who knows, but I have to return these now too.  =(

Maybe this color will make an appearance in stores soon too so I can try on the size 2.  Man this really sucks!  I was really excited about these.  I guess the Run:Ultra Shorts II fit me way better.  I have those in my regular size 4 and they fit perfectly and they are soooo flattering and cute.  Ugh.  The thing is, I think most people like the Speed shorts more, and they make way more colors in those.  I haven't seen the Ultra shorts in stores for a long time so I really hope they aren't discontinued!  

A side note, my Vera Wang Lavender Label dress that I ordered from Gilt was delivered today too.  

It was the right size!!  Size 2 would have been way too small.  Size 4 fits pretty tight around the chest, but could fit a little better around the waist and hips.  I don't think it made me look as good as it does on the model above.  But I was bloated when I tried it on earlier tonight so maybe I'll have to try it on again later and see if I need to get it taken in a little to make the fit more flattering.  From the pic (and product name - Black / Ivory) I thought the bottom part would be more of an off white / ivory color.  But it looks more like light grey in person.  Oh well, no biggie.  This dress is a different look, something that I haven't had before.  So I'm looking forward to an occasion to wear it to!

Lash Allure MD - Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum UPDATE!

I finally received the Lash Allure MD - Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum that I order from Gilt like a month ago.  I tried it out last night and this morning.  It's a clear liquid gel that comes in a mascara looking tube, but thicker.

As can be seen on the above picture, the applicator head is a little brush.  You basically put it on the upper eye lid close to the lashes as if you were putting on an eye liner, and then close the eye and put it directly onto the lashes.  You can also put it over eye brows if you want.  

I like how easy it is to apply, and it dries pretty quickly.  But it burns my eyes when I first put it on!  Not a painful burning sensation, but still does not seem right.  It burns for about 30 seconds or so, then it goes away.  I don't have any redness, or bumps or any other allergic reaction afterwards.  I've been googling reviews for this product and lots of good things come up about it working really well and not irritating the eyes.  So maybe I'm just allergic to some ingredients in it.  =(

Nevertheless, I think I will continue using it for at least 2 weeks just because I'm curious to see if it actually works.  Of course I will stop if the burning gets worse or lasts longer.  But maybe I can build up a tolerance to it (like to alcohol) and I won't get it anymore after a couple uses!  Hahaha... doubt it though.  But I think this product is supposed to work because from what I've read, it contains an ingredient that boosts hair follicles to grow.  Sometimes the follicles become dormant as we age.  I think this is happening to some patches of my eyebrows.  I probably over plucked at some point in the past, and some parts just never grow back anymore!  I always have to fill it in with an eye brow pencil or powder.  So I'm hoping that at least this will boost my eye brows to grow more.  The painful sensation only happens to my eye lids, not my eye brows.  So at the minimum I can hope to see results from eye brows.

Anyway, since I've only been using it for a day, I can't really comment on whether it works well or not.  But if it does work well then it's probably a good product for its price of $49.  Many other products out there that claim to do the same things can cost upwards of $100.  I will have to report back!

Victoria's Secret Swim Suits

Ok so I splurged a little the other day on Victoria's Secret's website.  I needed a new bathing suit, but I bought 3!  Well 3 and a half technically because I bought a smaller size in a bottom that I already have from there that's too big.  The deals were just too good!  I mean I know Victoria's Secret has cheap swim suits but these were on super sale for like $9 each!

I didn't know what size to order.  So I just ended up ordering all XS in tops and bottoms alike, and crossed my fingers that they would fit.  I received them in the mail a couple days ago and they all fit very nicely! I'm very glad!

What I bought are:

Polkadot Bandeau top and matching fold over low-rise bottom in coral:

It looks like a hot pink color in the photo, but I think it looks red in person.  I was hoping for the hot pink but oh well, it's still super cute.  I love how the top is mostly white and the bottom is reversed in mostly coral.

The strap of the top is removable so you can wear it as a strapless top as well which is nice for tanning - won't get those tank lines!  It did tend to fall down a little, so maybe I needed to tie the back more.  The fold over style of the bottom is awesome.  I really like the low rise look.  It's flattering and does not cut into the skin.  I think it's the most flattering of all bottom styles they offer.  This set is the most expensive ones I bought at $15 for the top and $14 for the bottom.  Awesome!

Next, I got the Push Up Halter Top in green plaid and low rise tanga bottoms in jade. 

The top has built in push up padding which I did not know when I ordered.  It's not bad and definitely does the job!  Gives a nice cleavage.  I like the plaid look, it's very different and cute.  I got the jade colored bottoms as shown in this photo, because I like the mismatched look - they do match at the same time!  But I didn't get it in the double tie string style as shown above.  I got it in the low rise tanga style like this picture below:

By the way, I actually really like the swim suit in this picture too, but it was more expensive so I didn't get it.  Anyway, I just posted it to show the style of the bottom I got in jade.  It's like a low rise style but the sides are sort of rouched and you can adjust the width.  I actually found that this style cuts into the skin more than the others.  But not so bad that it's unwearable.  Maybe I just need to tone up more!  Haha

So after I got the green plaid top and the jade bottom, I decided, since they are only $9 a piece, why don't I just order the reverse colors?!  That way I can mismatch the jade top and plaid bottom, as well as match plaid top with plaid bottom and jade top with jade bottom.  So that way I get 4 different outfits for under $40!

Hehe so I went ahead and got the jade top in the same style as the plaid top.  But the plaid bottom I got the low rise style instead of the low rise tanga style.  Confusing I know!  But it looks like this picture:

So basically it's just good old regular looking bottoms without fancy schmancy designs or strings or anything.  It looked in pictures like it would cut in the most but it actually fits really well. 

Next I decided to get a smaller size bottom in a swim suit that I got from my boyfriend over a year ago.  Yes it's still on their site!  I never wore the swim suit much because it didn't fit too well.  But the smaller size of the bottom made all the difference!  I now love it!  It's called the Floral Triangle Top and Micro-Scoop Bottom:

I LOVED the look of this bathing suit the first time I saw it on the cover of the Victoria's Secret catelogue.  It also comes in pink.  The top is not great for laying out in super hot weather.  It's more decorative.  I wore it in Vegas last year during a really hot day and the metal pieces on the top got so hot that they burnt my skin whenever my hand brushed them or something.  Not good.  But it looks good and I will wear it to the beach in LA in the mid 70s.  

The bottom is now on sale for $15 so I figured why not.  So glad I got it.  It really made all the difference!  It's a way lower rise now, and I can adjust the tightness on the sides.  It just gives the whole outfit a new look.  I think the lower rise of the bottoms makes me look skinnier but I could be delusional.  But whatever!  I love it!

I now need to find some exotic island vacations to go on so I can use all these swim suits!  I have at least 4 other ones laying in my "swim suit drawer".  So I will have a whole week's worth without having to repeat outfits!  Hehehe... so exciting!  I'm thinking somewhere in the Caribbean... soaking in the sun in my cute swim suits while drinking a tropical drink with a cute umbrella in it!  Ahhh....

Lululemon Push Ur Limits Tank - Passion Wee Stripe

I went to Lululemon again today to try on some new stuff.  I didn't really plan on buying anything, but I wanted to try on the Push Ur Limits Tank.  Then I had to buy it!!

This tank came online a few weeks ago before it hit the stores.  It came in black, lavender, and bubbulicious/coal.  I wrote about it then, saying that I was very close to getting the bubbulicious/coal one, because it was so pretty and unique looking.  But I had JUST bought the bubbulicious Cool Racerback, so I couldn't justify another tank in pretty much the same color.  Even though I tried to convince myself that it was very different designs and material. 

I had mentioned that if this tank came in the new Passion color (a reddish / orangish color) that I would buy it.  Well, it did!  It was not uploaded online, but they had it at the store today, which is the one I bought.  It has grey stripes on the straps called "wee stripe". 

This tank is made of luxtreme material, which is the same as the Swift Tank.  I only have one Swift Tank, which I like.  It's a much lighter and silkier material than regular luon.  It has tons of stretch but tends to show the imperfections on the body because it's so body hugging.  But it's very comfortable and lightweight on, which is great for the warmer days coming up!

I just loved how the Push Ur Limits tank fits me.  It's like a custom made glove!  So it's tight.  The front is shorter than the back by a little bit.  I actually really like the length of the front.  I don't mind the longer back in this case.  It has a slight curvature and mesh all the way down the middle of the back as well.  I just love the look of the contrasting straps!  Now I wish I had gotten the bubbulicious/coal one as well.  That is the only other color that has contrasting straps.  The black one and the lavender one are both solid colors all the way around.  They also had one other color - wee stripe.  Basically the whole tank is grey and white stripes like the straps of the passion tank.  But the mesh on the back is black.  It's ok, not bad but a little too busy for me.  But I would get a bubblicious one just because of how well it fits!  And of course I hope they come out with new colors too.

I got my regular size, but I suppose it would be ok to have sized up one too if you want a looser and longer tank.  I like tight fitting tanks, especially for working out in.  So I was fine with mine.  But if someone is concerned about tummy pooch or something they should definitely size up since this tank really shows everything.  Or if someone has bigger boobs, I think they would definitely need to size up as well.  The chest is rather tight on me and my boobs aren't that big.  I do like it like that because it gives more support.  But if my boobs were any larger, they would pop out on top making double boobage look which is very disgusting.  Oh, I had to ask for cup inserts for sure.  I tried it on without cup inserts and the outline of my nipples showed through!  I wasn't even cold, so that was not a good look.  Perfect with the inserts in.  I can't wait to wear it to the gym and try it out for my sweaty activities!!

Vera Wang Lavender Label - Slipper Satin Color Block Dress

I made another purchase today on evil gilt.com!  I actually wasn't planning to buy anything, but I saw that Vera Wang Lavender Label was on sale so I had to check it out.  I just love their stuff.  The dresses are always so pretty and wearable, and the jewelry are very eye catching, beautiful and unique.

While browsing, I came upon the Slipper Satin Color Block Dress and fell in love with it right away.

The dress is like a 40s style with a modern flare.  I love the color combos of black and ivory with a gold band.  It's very classic and versatile.  Very easy to match with different colored shoes to make it a fun outfit!  I love the crystal details on the shoulders too. 

I feel like it's an awesome dress to wear out at night, dress up during a special event, or even during the day and to work with a cardigan over!  

Since I never tried on a Vera Wang Lavender Label dress before, I wasn't sure what size to order.  Not that Gilt gave me much choice since all the sizes were constantly in someone else's cart and I had to keep clicking over and over again to try to add to mine.  But I was deciding between size 2 and size 4.  The size chart just said "this item fits true to size".  Great.  Very helpful Gilt!  But it did give measurements of the size 4: 34 inches in circumference at bust; 29 inches in circumference at waist; 36 inches from shoulder to hemline.  The reason I hesitated with it is because the waist size sounds pretty big for a size 4.  My waist is 26 inches so this one is 3 inches wider.  But the bust sounds about right so I wasn't sure.  Is it designed for a person with smaller chest and wider waist?  But it looks so flattering on the model!

Well, I figured it is better to get a bigger size and have to go take it in than to have one that is too small to wear.  So I got size 4.  I really hope it will fit well and I won't have to bother going to my tailor.  

This dress retails $495 but Gilt was selling it for $169.  I had $50 in account credit, so I only paid a little over $100 with $9 shipping.  So it's not bad at all!  I figured why buy a pair of Lululemon yoga pants for $100 when I can have a Vera Wang for the same price!  Hehe

The description for this item states:

Style Information #D28D80D

*Slipper satin color block dress *Gemstone detail at shoulders, attached tie sash at waist, side slash pockets *Hidden back zipper with hook and eye closure, partially lined in silk *34 inches in circumference at bust; 29 inches in circumference at waist; 36 inches from shoulder to hemline; Measurements were taken from a size 4 *Model's height is 5 feet 10 inches; bust 31 inches; waist 24 inches; hips 34 inches

Color: Black/oyster

Material:  60% silk and 40% rayon shell. 100% silk lining

Fit:  This style fits true to size

Origin:  Imported 

It also says it's supposed to be delivered between 4/8 and 4/14 or something so I should get it next week!  Can't wait!

On a side note, the Tumi T-Tech Move Portfolio Hanging Toiletry Kit that I ordered from Gilt a month ago finally arrived today. 

It's a lot smaller than I thought it would be so I'm kind of disappointed.  I guess it did give measurements but I didn't pay much attention so it's my own fault.  There's not too much room to put stuff in it.  It would be good for a weekend trip or something to take basic toiletry in.  But not for anything longer really.  At least not for me.  I have so much stuff.  I think it will barely fit my hair brush in.  There are not very many pockets so I can't stash little things here and there.  There is a hanger which is nice.  All in all, not very impressed.  But for the price of $29 (retails $60) and I got it 100% with my account credit (so free), it is just fine.