Splits59 Nova Capri Tight!

I loved my Splits59 Ginger 3/4 Tight so much after my workout that I ordered 2 pairs of Splits59 Nova Capri Tights!  I really think the Ginger tights are perfect and exactly what I need, they were so comfortable, didn't ride down at all, and I didn't have to feel self-conscious when I was stretching with people behind me.  I love them!  I had read about the Nova tights before being a favorite of celebrities, like Kim Kardashian has more than one pair.  So I figured they'd probably be a good bet to get next.

The company is located in LA, and they shipped very fast so I already received them!  I ordered both the black ones and gray ones.  The black ones I got in size XS because they were out of size S, which was the one I would have got.  And I got the gray ones in size S.  However, after trying them on, I actually like the XS better!  It's a tighter fit but it's not like the waistband digs in or anything like that and it just holds you in place better.  The size S also works though, and they are definitely not loose except a little bit in the waist area.  I do not see any riding down issues though, so I think it's really personal preference.  They are sold out of size XS in gray, so I can't exchange.

I got both colors because I couldn't decide which color I liked better.  I was planning on returning one pair.  But now that I have both, I want to keep both!  They are $98 a pair so they are quite pricey.  But if you sign up with Splits59, they send you a 10% off code which makes it a little better.  Oh, or you can use "SPRING13" and it gives you 10% off too, as I just found out today!  I really love the metallic stripes on these tights.  They are actually silver metallic with black or gray mesh over them.  They just make the tights look so cool!  They are made of the same material as the Ginger tight, which is 90% Supplex, 10% lycra.  I love how it feels on.  There is one hidden pocket in the waistband of these tights, but no other pockets.  It's not very big, but enough for some cash, key and maybe a credit card.

The black ones have a white stripe down the back and the gray ones have a yellow-greenish colored stripe which is called "yucca".  It's actually very similar to the current Lululemon faded zap color.  I'm quite happy about that because I can wear my faded zap Flow and Go tank with it for a perfect match!  And I also just ordered the faded zap Free To Be bra as well.  Yellow tanks also work, and I have a couple of those so I have many options.  But who am I kidding... I don't usually like the matchy-matchy look so I will probably pair these with pink or something!  Hehe.

Anyway, here they are on me.  I took front, side and back photos.  And I wore my new Zigi Kickin wedge sneakers!  Not bad I think?!?  =D

Anyways, I'm gonna sit on this for a few days and decide whether to keep both or not.  But I'm for sure keeping one at least!  Splits59 offers free return shipping as well within 30 days, so I have some time.

I'm kind of becoming obsessed with this brand!  I keep adding other things to my cart, then not buying when I see that my total is like $500 or something lol.  I gotta tell myself to slow down!  But I'm so happy with my recent purchases so it's hard!

Zigi Kickin Wedge Sneakers!

So call me crazy, but I've been kind of liking this wedge sneakers look that every shoe store seems to have now.  I haven't seen many people actually wear them though.  When I first saw them on a girl, I thought it was the most hideous thing I'd ever seen.  But for some reason it's grown on me!  I wanted to get some to wear as to/from of my pilates and yoga studios.  They add on a couple inches while still maintaining the athletic look!  But I didn't want to spend anything more than $50 really.  Certainly not $650 on the Isabel Marant ones!  Though I think Miranda Kerr makes them look damn good:

Still I cannot spend that kind of money on these!  But I did see these Zigi Kickin ones on ideeli from $85 to $30, and thought why not give them a try!  They had both the taupe color and teal color.  I would have got the teal, but I'm still unsure about the style and thought I'd go with the safer color at least.  The taupe ones are more neutral so they could go with more outfits anyway.

So I had read that these wedge sneakers are very very comfortable.  And it's true!  When I put them on, I was pretty impressed with that.  The wedge is 3 inches and the platform is about a quarter inch.  So together they give you a 3.25 inch rise and they feel like nothing!  

I got them in size 6.5 which is the shoe size I normally go with.  So they are true to size.  But these ones were a little hard to put on.  I had to loosen the shoelaces a lot and kind of squeeze my feet into them a little.  I can see taking them on and off being a bit of a nuisance.  They are made of faux suede and keep your feet pretty warm.  May even be too warm to wear here in a month or so.  I better start wearing them ASAP!

I think they are cute!  And for the price I am definitely keeping them.  I think they'll look cute with skinny jeans/leggings or ankle pants too.  I did a google image search and also saw wedge sneakers paired with skirts.  I'm not too sure about that, but it's fun to play around with fashion!  What do you think about wedge sneakers?

Loving My New Workout Gear! Splits59, Hardtail Forever, Alo Sport!

I did some damage at the Equinox shop today.  Well, they told me I get 20% off for the first month they are open, so of course I did some shopping!  I am actually very very very happy with all my purchases, and I think I might have found the best workout tights EVER!  I do love my Lululemon, and actually almost bought the Run: Proceed With Speed crop this weekend (super cute on).  I didn't buy them because I didn't feel like spending $98 on them.  And then I came home and read reviews online that many people have experienced the seams coming apart while working out at the gym!  How horrifying!  So forget those.

I have been browsing Splits59 for a while now since my first tank purchase there a couple years ago, but they are pretty pricey - even more so than Lululemon, so I haven't really bought anything.  However, everything is made in the USA so maybe it's worth it to support my own country.  I have been loving the Ginger 3/4 Length Tights online, and I was very glad to see them at Equinox today to try on.  As soon as I put on half of one leg, I knew they would be a winner.  Lol.  No, I'm not really exaggerating!  They are a super cute fit and the material is divine!  It's kind of similar to Lululemon's luon, but like the old luon, not the more polyestery, thin and sheer luon.  I tried on a size small which fits perfectly, and they feel slightly more compressive than Lulu's wunder unders.  The wide waistband is just like wunder unders, and they sit at around the same place on my hips.  The waistband has these mesh inserts which make them look cooler than just solid black.  They are $89 on Splits59's website, but $88 at Equinox for some reason.  And with my 20% off, they were a great deal!

They also come in mariana blue and barberry (red).  I was so tempted to get the blue ones too!  The waistband looks metallic in the blue, and so cool!  But I just wasn't sure how much I'd wear the color so I passed.

Anyways, here they are on me, with my new Splits59 Sabrina tank in granita/light gray jersey that I also purchased today.  Just like the Splits59 Chase Long top I have, the material is suuuuper buttery soft, you'd never want to take it off!  Seriously, you must feel to understand.  So much better than any material from Lululemon.  I am wearing this outfit right now as I type!  =D

I got so excited that I took a bunch of pictures of the Ginger crops, so you get almost a 360 degree view!!

I love them!!!  They are not sheer at all, I did many downward facing dog tests.  For some reason I only like to wear Lululemon's luon bottoms to do low impact workouts like yoga or pilates.  But luxtreme bottoms for cardio and more high intensity workouts.  But I feel like these Splits59 Ginger crops are like the perfect combo with the more cottony feel like luon and more compression like luxtreme.  I can truly run first and then go to yoga class!  Cannot say enough good things about them already, can't wait to actually test them out during a workout!

The Splits59 Sabrina top is super cute too I think.  It's a tank without built in bra.  I am wearing my Lululemon Flow Y bra under it in my picture.  You can't really see the bra at all.  But the armpits of this tank dips lower than Lululemon cool racerbacks, so you can maybe catch a glimpse of the bra at times.  I love the color of the Sabrina top I got, with the purple and gray combo.  The back has a ribbed panel as well and it's just super soft, lightweight, and breathable.  I got it in size small as well, which as you see fits loosely as it's intended to.

I think this is an older color, I actually remember seeing it on their website before and liking it.  But never bit the bullet to purchase it.  So this color is no longer sold online.  But I did find pictures of it from Neiman Marcus:

I also bought this Hardtail Forever Slouchy T-Back Sweatshirt and I am so in love with it!  I can't find the light heathered gray color I bought online, so the link goes to a darker gray color which is cute too.  But I like mine better.  I saw it on the mannequin at Equinox and just had to try it on.  So glad I did!  I'm wearing the currant Lululemon cool racerback underneath here.

The T-back portion is a ribbed material and different from the rest of the sweatshirt

I love the back of this sweatshirt!  It's different and looks great and effortless.  Plus it is the perfect top for SoCal weather.  The sweatshirt is on the thicker side, like a regular sweatshirt.  But the open back totally allows you to stay cool.  I got it in size XS, and it fits loosely still.  According to the Equinox shop manager, this sweatshirt is so popular that it's completely sold out at all other Equinox locations.  They have been getting calls asking if they have them, and the only reason they did was because they just opened!  Crazy!  Well, glad I got mine lol.

And lastly, I got this Alo Sport gray cowlneck hooded sweater with button details on the front.  I started looking online at Alo Sport stuff a few months ago too, but had never purchased anything.  So I was glad to try on their stuff at Equinox today.  I tried on a couple tanks, both with and without built in bra.  The one with built in bra is super cute but the bra is not supportive at all and showed headlights.  No thanks.  This is the reason I started buying Lululemon years ago!  Seems no one else can actually put a substantial enough bra in their sports tops.  Maybe Zobha, but I don't really like too much of their designs and I hate their logo (silly I know, but I can't stand it).  I'll keep looking.

Took this one in the fitting room!

I love this sweater too.  It's very thin and semi-sheer.  The material is very light and stretchy.  I love everything about it, including the pointy things at the bottom.  This is a size XS, and I think it's a good fit.  It looks super cute layered over my cool racerback.  

So altogether I spent like $290 or something after tax on all 4 of these items.  I think every single piece I got was totally worth it today.  I'm really in love with them all.  But I'm especially excited about my new tights!  I've been looking for new tights for a while and other than the CW-X Pro tight (great for high impact but I'd never wear them for yoga) and these ones, I haven't been able to branch out of Lululemon.  Beyond Yoga was obviously a fail, but I did try on some Zobha ones today that were pretty cute.  They just were nothing special compared to the Split59 ones that I came home with!

Sunday Funday!

I was so excited this week, because the downtown LA Equinox location finally opened!  I pre-signed for it 6 months ago, and have been waiting till the day I could stop going to ghetto 24.  Equinox opened on Wednesday, so I now have a lot more classes to explore!  The only thing I found out is that they are not open on Sundays... WHAT?!?  For the hefty membership they charge, I can't even believe they would consider only opening 6 days a week.  I'm going to go haggle my rate tomorrow.  It's only fair that I either pay 6/7 of the price, or get access to another location for free (I signed for single location membership).  One interesting thing I noticed is that this Equinox shop does not carry any Lululemon, at all!  I've been to many Equinox locations/shops, and this is the first one I've seen that does not sell any Lulu.  Hmmm... sign of changing times huh?

Anyways, so this week I've been eating a lot of muffins lol.  Aside from my protein muffins, which I bake about once a week now (enough to lasts a whole week!) and playing with different ingredients (dried fruits, etc.), I have also been baking these egg muffins.

I saw the original recipe on the Tone It Up blog.  It's super easy, you just mix 4 eggs, 4 egg whites, 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt, handful of chopped spinach and mushrooms, whisk it all together, add some salt & pepper, and bake!  I find that I need to bake these for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  They taste great and last for a long time in the fridge too!  I just bake a bunch and grab a couple to go for breakfast.  Super easy for those mornings that I am running late (pretty much everyday)!

I also saw this super easy recipe (hit Translate on top to read it in English) of baking an egg inside of an avocado, and have tried this as well.  So fun and creative!  I had an avocado that was extremely ripe, so I was glad to have been able to use it all at once.  This one is so easy to do, because all you have to do is cut the avocado in half, take out the core and cracked an egg in it (scoop out some extra avocado to have more room for the eggs).  I added a little bit of salt and pepper before baking.

At first I didn't make the hole big enough for the egg, so I had some messy egg whites to clean up!  But second try was much better.  I baked it all at around 300 degrees for 15 minutes.  But I think my eggs got a little overcooked, so maybe less time next time!  Still tasted great though, especially with some paprika on top!

I just love finding and trying out healthy and easy recipes!  Especially appreciate the kind that I can make bulk ahead of time.  

I've worked out pretty hard this week.  The new gym definitely gives me more motivation to workout more!  Every time I've been there, I've spent almost 3 hours there!  Well, including shower time. 

Tuesday 3/26

What I did:  Ran and did weights.  

What I wore:  Lululemon Not So Deep V bra in caribe/gulf undulation with white cool racerback over.  Astro wunder under crops in black slub denim, and Adidas adizero adios 2 shoes.

Wednesday 2/27

What I did:  This was the Equinox opening party.  I went and got some free Earth Bar smoothies (love!), but they made their money back because I kept buying these damn $10 smoothies every time I go there!  At least they are meal replacements (that makes me feel better).  Oh, I did workout on Wednesday as well.  I ran my sprints on the treadmill and had a great weight workout with killer leg sets.

What I wore:  I purposefully wore older and not perfectly matched Lululemon products.  Lol.  I didn't want to run into other girls wearing the newest Lulu gear, and I did see a couple.  So I wore Lululemon swiftly racerback in pow pink, with pow pink Free To Be bra under it because I can't wear this bra with light colored tanks since it bleeds like crazy!!  Run: Empower crops in coal/passion, and Brooks Pure Drift shoes.

I wore the Principle jacket as to and from.

Thursday 3/28 - I was so tired so I went home after a short work day and fell asleep lol.  

Friday 3/29

What I did:  I had Friday off work, so I was able to go to the gym during the day.  I warmed up with a 30 minute run/sprint, and then took a Metcon class.  It's 10 one-minute exercises done back to back with no rest, then repeat it all 2 more times with only a minute rest in between.  Ending with some explosive cardio type of workouts at the end.  Pretty good workout I think.  Definitely got me sweating!

What I wore:  Lululemon Energy SL in angel blue, CW-X Pro tights, and Brooks Pure Drift shoes again.

Saturday 3/30

What I did:  I took a barre class at Equinox, then ran sprints on hills for about 30 minutes. 

What I wore:  Lululemon Scoop Me Up tank in caspian blue, with wunder grooves and Nike Frees.

I wore the Armani Exchange faux fur knit jacket as to/from.

And of course, didn't workout today since gym was closed!  Booo!  Ok, I could have worked out elsewhere but didn't feel like it lol.  So sad that the long weekend is now over!  And now that Easter is over, these Cadbury mini chocolate eggs will not be in the store for much longer.  I did cave and buy these lol.  Hey, they only come around once a year!  And I try to only grab a few a day...