• black friday sales

    Haul | 2022 Black Friday and Holiday Sales

    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

    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

    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,

  • Style Goals | A Classic Wardrobe

    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