• black friday sales

    Haul | 2022 Black Friday and Holiday Sales

    December 8, 2022

    Hi everyone!

    Today, I’m sharing what I got from Black Friday and Holiday sales! In the past two years, it seems like I do the most damage in October and November because I just can’t resist a Black Friday sale!

    I’m not going to put the prices up because I’d rather not see the grand total of what I spent during the sales, but I will include the discount.

    Sephora – 20% off

    • First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub with 10% AHA
    • bareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF15 in Light

    Shiseido – 30% off when you spend $200

    • Eyelash Curler (comes with replacement pad)
    • 2 x Eyelash Curler Pads (2 replacement pads per pack, so I got 4 in total lol)
    • Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Concealer in 202 Light
    • Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Concealer in 203 Light
    • Overnight Wrinkle Resisting Cream (for my mom)

    Kiehl’s – 25% off

    • Centella Sensitive Facial Cleanser
    • 2 x Ultimate Strength Hand Salve
    Bottom left is Blondo, middle is Skechers

    Mejuri – 20% off when you spend $150 (I believe this is the only sale they have throughout the year)

    • Twist Ring in 14k White Gold
    • 2x Single Mini Hoop in 14k White Gold

    Last year, I bought the Single Mini Hoops and I’ve been wearing them ever since. I decided to get 2 more for my second piercings. To bump it up to $150, I also got the Twist ring. Last year, I got the Braided ring. I haven’t worn it much though, because it looked a bit plain on its own. So now I have the twist one to stack. Their diamond huggies are super cute too.

    Old Navy – 50% off code for being a Navyist Rewards Member

    • Creaseless Hair Clips 4-pack (Tortoise shell/Coral pink)
    • Dynamic Fleece Pullover Hoodie in Icelandic Mineral
    • Vintage Long-Sleeve Sweatshirt in Inkwell
    • Printed Flannel Pajama Pants in Red Fair Isle

    La Vie En Rose – 2 for 1

    • Soft plush Robe in Lilac Cloud
    • Soft Plush Robe in Black Buffalo Plaid

    Naturalizer – 30% off

    • Blondo Skylar Waterproof Combat Boot in Black Suede (wide)

    I have wide feet unfortunately and I’ve realized it’s ridiculous to put bandaids on my pinky toes when I wear my winter boots. I was on the hunt for a nice pair. I got these Blondo boots in wide. I read a few reviews, but it’s hard to decide based on a few website reviews, so I just decided to try them. They were definitely not wide. I know Blondo is known for having a narrow fit, but I thought maybe these would be okay. These were probably what would be considered a regular fit for other brands. I was wearing regular, thin socks and while my foot fit into them, they would be super uncomfortable. You could also see the shape of my foot in the boot and it just didn’t look nice. Unfortunately, they only accept returns online which means they charge $8 to ship it back to them (taking it off your refund).

    The Shoe Company – 30% off?

    • Skechers On-The-Go Glacial Ultra-Woodlands Wide Winter Boot in Black Suede

    Skechers is a brand that I own quite a few running shoes from. Even with their regular fit, they’re very comfortable. I recently purchased a wide fit sneaker and they are super comfy for me. So I got these knowing that Skechers is a brand that I like.

    Spanx – 20% off for regular priced items, I think. I got something from the sale section, so it was 50% off

    • Spotlight on Lace Regular Waist Brief in Vintage Rose
    Clockwise from top left (gray): ribbed cotton, cotton cable lace, pointelle high cut, cotton eyelash lace, period underwear

    Aerie online order – 30% off sale or something

    • AerieREAL Period Underwear (I will be posting a review on this once I’ve tried it out)
    • AF Super Cropped Scoop Neck Cami in Black
    • Wrap One Piece Swimsuit in Black
    • High Neck Henley Tank Top in White

    I bought the swimsuit because I realized I sold all of my swimsuits on Poshmark. Even though I haven’t gone swimming/to the beach in 6 years lol, I thought it’d be good to have one just in case. I was disappointed when I tried it on and ended up returning it. I don’t think I have a particularly long torso, but the body was so short (it was cutting into my butt). I can’t imagine a taller person wearing it. Even though you can adjust the straps to make it a bit longer, it would make the bust lower and the wrap part just wasn’t flattering to begin with…It wasn’t giving any lift to the girls. When I was thinking about buying it, I was a bit worried about whether it would stretch from wrapping it all the time, but I wanted to try it anyway since they have free returns. Back to the drawing board for this one. 

    Aerie in-store purchase – 10 for $40

    • Pointelle High Cut Bikini Underwear (high cut, peek of cheek)
    • Cotton Cable Lace Boybrief Underwear (regular rise, no cheek peek)
    • Cotton Eyelash Lace Boybrief Underwear (low rise, no cheek peek)
    • Ribbed Cotton Boybrief Underwear (low rise, no cheek peek)

    I have previously purchased Aerie underwear a few years back and the boybrief underwear were really stretchy and too big. I got the same size in all of the underwear I bought and it just didn’t fit right. I’ve had time to try all of the underwear I bought and they all fit nicely. The Cotton Cable Lace ones are my favourite. A lot of my underwear are low rise and I’ve realized how much I like a regular rise.

    With all of the online orders, I managed to get about $20 cashback from Rakuten.

    (not sponsored or anything, but this is a referral link to sign up. You get $30 if you use the link and I will too).

    Did you pick up anything during the Black Friday sales?

    Love,

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  • Black-owned Brands

    Black-owned brands

    July 13, 2020

    Hi Everyone!

    I’ve started a page to share Black-owned brands (bookmark the page because I will be updating the page instead of this blog post as I find more brands). The brands are listed alphabetically. At the bottom, I’ve also included other categories like apparel, accessories, home, etc. I hope to add more international brands. Right now, they are mostly American with some from Canada and the UK.

    **There are no affiliate/ambassador links below. I am not affiliated with any of the brands.**

    **Any AdSense generated from this page will go towards purchases from Black-owned brands to review on this blog.**

    A

    B

    C

    D

    E

    F

    G

    H

    I

    J

    K

    L

    M

    N

    O

    P

    Q

    R

    S

    T

    U

    V

    W

    #

    Non-beauty brands

    Clothing & Shoes

    Accessories

    Baby

    Home/Miscellaneous

    Cakes

    Love,

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  • Poshmark Canada

    Selling on Poshmark Canada

    April 10, 2020

    Hi Everyone!

    Today, I’m going to talk about selling clothes on Poshmark.

    I started selling in late August. I’ve only sold items that are from my own closet and my family’s. Most items are/were gently used. There are/were a few items that still have tags. If an item is still in good condition, list it! It doesn’t cost anything to list on Poshmark. I’ve sold a number of Forever 21 items that I didn’t think anyone would want. It’s great to give your clothes a second life and they’re going to a new home where they will be worn. Especially if you were planning to donate them, why not make a few dollars?

    I live in Canada which unfortunately means that we don’t have access to free boxes from UPS. Also, if you’re a buyer on Poshmark, you have to pay $12.99 for the tracked shipping. Luckily, my mom hoarded all the boxes from my online purchases so I haven’t needed to buy any boxes yet.

    Ask family and friends if they have clothes to sell or if they have boxes that they don’t need. If you do ask others if they have clothes to sell, make sure to talk to them in advance about how you will split the earnings. Whether it’s 50/50, 70/30 or 100/0, it’s best to come to an agreement first.

    As a seller, if you sell something for $25, you don’t earn $25 because you have to pay taxes on it and Poshmark takes a commission. You’ll earn just over $19 if you haven’t offered any shipping discounts to the buyer. If a sale is under $20, Poshmark takes a flat rate fee of $3.95. Any sale over $20, they take 20% commission. If you offer a discount on shipping to the buyer, you will earn even less.

    As a seller, you should:

    • Have boxes or polymailers, a printer (to print out the pre-paid mailing label), packing tape, tissue paper, scotch tape, bubble wrap or those air pillows to pad anything that’s fragile
    • Share your own listings
    • Share other people’s listings and follow other people daily
    • Add new listings at least once a week. If you’re just starting out, don’t add everything all at once. Add them gradually.
    • If you’ve had a listing up for a while and nothing is happening, delete it and re-list the item. Maybe you need to add more to your description or lower the price a bit.

    For your listings:

    • Make sure to inspect your clothes thoroughly and write any flaws in the description. BE HONEST because you’re less likely to get a complaint. There are still people out there who might make a complaint even if it’s in your description, but that’s not on you.
    • Steam your clothes (This isn’t a must, but it does look nicer when your clothes aren’t wrinkly. It shows that you care)
    • Use natural lighting or lighting that isn’t too cool or too warm so that the colours are accurate.
    • Write good descriptions – If your item is still available from where you bought it, use the pictures and descriptions from the store’s website.
    • List your items at a slightly higher price than you expect to sell for. Also, remember the Poshmark fees. If you want $20 for something, you’ll have to list it for $25 or more. 
    • Don’t forget that the buyer has to pay for $12.99 shipping. Say you have a pair of jeans with the tag on. You paid $100 for them. Don’t expect to get that $100 back because 1) You’d have to list them for over $100 because of the Poshmark fees 2) The buyer isn’t going to pay $100+ and $12.99 shipping on top of that. Especially if the jeans are still available in stores.

    Optional:

    • Own a clothes steamer or iron
    • I like to store my clothes with dryer sheets so that the clothes smell nice and fresh
    • Buy a fabric shaver. These are great even if you’re not selling clothes. They can make old sweaters look good again. It won’t always make clothes look brand new, but they do work! They have cheaper ones on Amazon, but I just recently bought the House of Wonderful Wonder Lint which is great. It reminds me of a hand mixer for baking. It’s not quite as big, but it’s still bigger than the 1st fabric defuzzer I bought which was $10. The $10 works great as well, but if you want to cover more surface area, the Wonder Lint one is bigger than the usual battery-operated ones.

    Congrats, you’ve made a sale!

    • Package them up nicely (I use tissue paper) and when necessary, I will add brown paper or bubble wrap to pad the items.
    • Add a little thank you note for the buyer. It doesn’t have to be a fancy ‘Thank You’ note. You could make your own cards or even use blank index cards to thank the buyer for choosing your closet.

    At this time, I’ve put my closet on a vacation hold. I would say I’ve been getting at least 5 sales every month since I started selling. It wouldn’t be social distancing if I go out to the post office for a non-essential business. I made the decision to do this, but I understand that many people (especially full-time sellers) are continuing to sell because it’s their main source of income. I had several reasons why I put my closet on a vacation hold:

    Just because I’m not selling at the moment doesn’t mean I’m not on Poshmark every day. I still make an effort to share other closet’s listings and follow people. This is the perfect time to continue taking pictures of inventory and writing descriptions for listings to be added. It’s also a great time to go through old listings and re-take pictures if needed.

    Some of you may have questions about income taxes in Canada. It’s best to consult with a professional as I am not an expert on the topic. I don’t want to misinform anyone.

    If you are thinking of starting a Poshmark closet, you can sign up with my invite code JENC26 and you’ll earn $15 CAD for your first purchase! Once you’ve made the purchase, I will also receive $15 credit for a purchase of my own 🙂

    Check out my Poshmark closet!

    Follow my Instagram account for my Poshmark Closet!

    If you have any questions, feel free to message me on Instagram or fill out the contact form.

    Love,

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  • clothing declutter

    My Rules for Decluttering | Clothing Edition

    August 24, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    Similar to my Makeup Goals and Style Goals, I thought I’d set some rules for when I declutter beauty products and clothing. This post will focus on clothing and if you missed the beauty edition (click here)!

    I feel like I have a bigger attachment to clothes and accessories than makeup and skincare. Unless makeup or skincare is discontinued, I can always pick it up again if I need to, but for clothes and accessories, they might not sell it anymore. I’m a bit of a hoarder that way because I always think, “I might need this for a Hallowe’en costume or something.”

    If the clothes/accessories are still in good condition, I’ll donate them (unless it’s underwear). I’ll ask the following questions before decluttering anything:

    Where did I buy it from? 

    Any jewellery that I’ve bought from Claire’s, Forever21 and other similar stores, I’ve decided to donate them. If you read my Style Goals post, you’ll know that I am only going to buy better quality jewellery.

    Does it still fit?

    Obviously if it doesn’t fit anymore, I will probably get rid of it, but sometimes I’ll think, “maybe I’ll fit into it again.”

    Is it too young for me?

    I know I’m still young, but there are certain things I probably should stop wearing because they look too girly and cutesy. For example, my prom dress still fits me, but I don’t know if I’d ever wear it again unless I got it altered. It’s a light chiffon material which looks kind of girly and feminine. It’s pleated and it has a design at the bottom that makes it look like it has tiers which is what makes it more girly. It hits above the knee and has an empire waist. I think, for me, unless it’s a summer dress or made of a thicker material than chiffon, I should get dresses that are knee, midi or maxi length.

    The very left pic is my prom dress (it looks so much shorter on the very tall model, it’s just above the knee on me) and the second one is a dress that I think is too young for me because it’s mid-thigh, chiffon and the way that it flares. I think the window of opportunity for wearing the black dress would’ve been ages 15-20. I don’t think I own any dresses that are fit and flare and mid-thigh length. Any dresses that are mid-thigh are form-fitting so there’s lower risk of seeing underwear when leaning over. The two dresses on the right are ones I think are more appropriate. The maroon dress is above the knee, but it’s a cotton material which has more weight to it, so it’s not as flirty. Also, the way it flares isn’t as dramatic as the black dress because it’s still form-fitting and won’t make me look hippy. The blue dress on the right is at the knee which makes it more grown up.

    How long have I had it? Is it in good condition?

    Have I had it for longer than a year? Is it in good condition still? For me, I don’t usually have to ask myself if it’s in style because I choose more classic pieces. But every now and then, I decide to wear certain clothes as loungewear instead of wearing out of the house. For example, baby doll shirts were really in style when I was in high school and I have a few of those. They’re great for hiding those food babies!

    I usually go through my clothes every year or so to see what I want to donate. I have more clothes than I have closet space. I think my goal is to have all my clothes comfortably fit in my dresser, closet and shelves without overflowing. Like I said before, I’m a hoarder. For some reason, I have a lot of Forever21 activewear and I also have a lot of t-shirts from volunteering. I think it’s time to donate those and just get a few better quality pieces because I don’t need more than 2 or 3 outfits.

    I was curious to see if there were articles on how often you should throw out underwear and bras. I found out that you’re supposed to throw out your underwear after a year and replace bras every 6-8 months.

    For underwear, I used to buy new ones at least once a year, but I wouldn’t be throwing out old ones as quickly. I have a whole drawer full of bras and underwear and I probably only wear 1/3 of them. A lot are lacy and pretty and not that comfortable, so I don’t wear them that often. I just keep wearing the same ones over and over.

    For bras, it was the same; I’d buy some on sale every year, but still wear the same non-lacy, t-shirt bras on a daily basis. For a while, I had like 30 bras and then I was at La Senza (lingerie store) and the lady measured me and it turns out I was a band size lower and a cup higher. I was wearing the sister size to my bra (i.e. 34A is the sister size to 32B). So, I had a ton of bras in the ‘wrong size,’ they still fit, but the new ones definitely worked better. At first when she said I was wearing the wrong size, I was like pshh! She just wants me to buy new bras, but I went to try them on in the new size and I was like “oh, damnit, she’s right, this fits way better!” Get fitted for your size, people! You might be wearing a size that doesn’t fit you. I was wearing a 34 band size and when I used a tape measure, I was like 31 or 32 when I measured under the bust. I would always wear it on the smallest hook of the three. I’ve learned that you’re supposed to be hooking the last one (loosest hook) and then as you wear the bra more and it stretches, you start to wear it on the middle and tightest hooks. Makes so much sense!

    I think I might try that tip where you put everything in your closet with the hanger facing the other way and then when you wear something, you turn it the other way. That way, after a year, you can see what you haven’t worn and decide if you want to keep it.

    How often do you declutter your clothes?

    Love,

    jen

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  • My Rules for Decluttering | Beauty Edition

    August 22, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    Similar to my Makeup Goals and Style Goals, I thought I’d set some rules for when I declutter beauty products and clothing. This post will focus on beauty and Friday’s post will be clothing. I will be posting my first Declutter post next week because I decluttered a lot of beauty products this month. I plan to go through my clothing and accessories soon too. I’ve already gotten rid of some things when I was reorganizing my room, but I need to actually take things out of my closet and dresser and go through them properly.

    To prevent wasting too much money, I’ve decided to come up with some ground rules before I declutter any products I have. I’ll ask myself the following questions before I go through with decluttering anything:

    How much was it?

    Did I buy it or get it for free? Was it over $25? If it was under $10 and I don’t use it very often, I’ll probably declutter, but if it was over $25, then I’ll ask myself the next question.

    How long have I had it? Is it expired?

    Unless I broke out from using it or had some bad reaction, I’m going to say that I have to have had it in my collection for at least 3 months before I can declutter it. If I’ve had it for that long and haven’t used it much, then I probably don’t love it enough to kep it.

    Did I give it a proper trial? Can I use it in another way?

    Did I give it a fair shot? If it was something like a foundation, did I try it in different ways- different primers and moisturizers? Unless I received a foundation for free or picked it up from Winners for less than $10, I don’t usually buy foundations unless I’ve tried multiple samples and done a thorough wear test.

    Is it a highlighter that’s too chunky/glittery? Can I use it as an eyeshadow? Is it a face cream? Can I use it on my hands or something?

    How much have I used? Can I give it away to a family member, friend or donate it?

    How much have I used? Is it worth giving to my mom/sister/friend or donating it?

    Do you have any rules for decluttering? 

    Love,

    jen

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  • Style Goals | A Classic Wardrobe

    July 25, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    Continuing with “Goals” posts, I thought I’d one on style. For both the makeup and style goals, they aren’t just for 2019, but they are goals I’m setting myself going forward.

    Check out my Makeup Goals!

    Ever since my interest in makeup went up, my clothes buying went down because I gotta save somewhere! So, I don’t think I will need to be instituting an annual budget for clothes. Unlike my makeup buying habits, I wouldn’t say I’m as impulsive with clothes because it’s different. Yes, I’ve bought clothes I didn’t necessarily need, but with clothes, you can try them on and make sure they fit right and for the most part, you can return them. With makeup (especially drugstore makeup that doesn’t have a tester), you’re just buying it based on what you may have read or heard.

    GOAL #1 | Buy more colours and patterns

    If you looked into my closet, you’d see darkness because most of my wardrobe consists of dark blue or black with a touch of colour. Some day, my wish is to have a walk-in closet and it would be really boring to just see walls of black and blue.

    GOAL #2 | Buy better quality

    This doesn’t necessarily mean ‘buy more expensive’ because I can still buy good quality clothes for less at places like Winners and Marshalls. My style is fairly classic and plain, so it’s not like I need the latest jeans or blouses- I’m fine with jeans that were released in 2015.

    Buying better quality is especially important for buying jewellery for me now. A lot of things I’ve bought from Forever21 or Ardene/Claire’s have tarnished. I think I may have gotten an allergic reaction from a ring that I always used to wear. You can definitely tell the difference in appearance- better quality looks super shiny and actually looks silver/gold/rose gold. I love my pieces from Stella & Dot (check out my post).

    I think it’s time to buy better quality bras too. A lot of the time, I got to La Senza to buy bras that are on sale for less than $15. Most of the time when I’m getting dressed, I reach for the same ones. I might as well spend a bit more on an everyday bra and have fewer instead of having 30 bras where I don’t wear 20.

    GOAL #3 | No more shopping at stores like Forever21

    This goes with buying better quality clothes, it’s time to shop my age. Once I passed my 21st birthday and after graduating university, I felt like I should stop buying clothes at Forever21. I already stopped doing this a few years ago when my mom kept telling me to buy better quality clothes. Unless I’m making a DIY Hallowe’en costume, I won’t be stepping foot into a Forever21 store while shopping for myself from now on.

    GOAL #4 | Declutter

    I was reorganizing my room and went through my jewellery to declutter/donate. I am a hoarder; I keep a lot of things because I think, “what if I need this later?” I have a whole dresser full of loungewear and pajamas. I think it’s time I go through some clothes and donate the ones I don’t wear.

    GOAL #5 | Build a Classic Wardrobe with Pops of Colour

    I’ve read numerous articles on building capsule wardrobes and classic wardrobes. I love clothes, shoes, bags and makeup. I don’t think I could ever have a minimalist collection of anything. The items in the Minimalist collections are great starting points, but I want more. For the different articles on building a classic/capsule wardrobe, I own most of the ones they have, i.e. little black dress, knee-high boots, trench coat, dark jeans, black sweater, etc.

    Items I want to add to my wardrobe:

    • Plain white t-shirt (I don’t know why I don’t have any)
    • A coloured blazer (maybe red or blue)
    • Watch (I like Rosefield watches)
    • Patent nude pointed toe pump
    • Wrap/waterfall coat (in black, blue or maybe even bordeaux)- waterfall style is like that drape-y type of coat
    • Classic trench coat (I have a classic beige/tan trench, but it’s a thinner material, it’s not like a water-resistant ones from Burberry/Coach)
    • Comfortable flat ankle boots
      • my cousins wear the Blundstone Chelsea ankle boots, but I don’t think I could pull those off
    • Black riding boots
      • I know ‘comfort brands’ are known for being kind of old lady-ish (i.e. Clarks), but when I was working at Hudson’s Bay, I saw a lot of nice riding boots by brands like Naturalizer and Rockport
    • Designer bag & wallet (maybe a Michael Kors or Tory Burch wallet, and I dream of a YSL crossbody bag, but those are like $3000)
      • I don’t think it’s unreasonable to spend a few hundred on a nice bag and wallet. I take good care of my things, so they’ll last a long time. I have a Longchamp tote that I’ve had for 4 or 5 years and it’s in pristine condition. I’ve used it as my main purse for 2 years now. I love my Longchamp tote, but it’d be nice to get a bag with a shoulder strap so I don’t have to worry about it falling off my shoulder
    • Some day, I would love to own a pair of Gianvito Rossi pumps (Kate Middleton wears these), Christian Louboutins and Jimmy Choos. Also dreaming about the Patent Nude Valentino Rockstuds, but we’ll see if those go out of style since they’re trendy. They’re very expensive, but I’ve heard multiple ladies call them ‘the most comfortable pump they’ve owned’

    What are your style goals?

    Love,

    jen

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