Lots of goodies from Torrid, Talbot’s, LOFT and Express.

Goodness gracious, it has been a while, hasn’t it? Tonight, I am going to share with you some of my purchases from the past several months. Here are my current favorites:

Torrid black lace t-shirt, I know I will get a lot of wear out of this all summer. It was a clearance item, so I no longer think it is available online.

Sleeveless white LOFT shirt. I love the crocheted lace detailing on the back and my mom had a brilliant suggestion, instead of wearing it as it was meant to be, turn it around to have the lace showing in the front. Brilliant! I was told in-store that this shirt sold out fast.

It might not be the silk maxi skirt I was wanting, but I have been lusting after this skirt for a month now. It was on sale at my local Talbot’s, so I snatched it up as this color was no longer available online (edit, looks like it is!) Pricey, but I love it.

Finally, I think I purchase this black hearts and dots clutch purse in May? I have used it several times and it is SOOO cute! I am always scarred of accidentally setting it down and leaving it. From Express.

Hard Candy Nail Color in Beetle

I was in Walmart two weeks ago, which I normally never am, (I do not like shopping there and try not to) but while perusing the makeup aisle, I spotted this color by Hard Candy called “Beetle.”

Beetle nail color polich by Hard Candy

It’s a holographic nail color with shades of mainly purple, green, cooper and gold– much like a beetle’s shell. And for $4 for a small bottle, it was a cheap splurge. I do not think the photos do it proper justice at all! I quit like the other nail color polishes made by Hard Candy as well, but so far, this has been my only purchase by that brand.

Check out the other Hard Candy nail colors or make a purchase online at Walmart.com.

Holographic nail color "Beetle" by Hard Candy. Hard Candy is only sold though Walmart I believe.

I don’t want to wait in vain for that skirt

Elastic smocked waist, semi-sheer chiffon maxi skirt in nude by nine 3 two, Nordstrom.com

I am still looking for a silk or chiffon maxi skirt in pale pink or vibrant red color. How difficult can it be to make such a skirt?  Elastic waist band, plus a lot of silk fabric– boom you’re done!

I found this lovely semi-sheer chiffon maxi skirt from Nordstroms in the most-lovely pale ballerina pink (called “nude”), but it’s only available in small, medium and large. Grrrr. How difficult would it be to make this in a plus size? From the item description it’s an “elastic smocked waist” which sounds easy enough to make in a plus size.

I also like this maxi skirt by “nine 3 two” in the color mint. However, it looks more light blue on my computer screen.

Here’s the closest I have found to a maxi skirt I like by ASOS CURVE.

ASOS CURVE Chiffon Midi Skirt in coral. By ASOS Curve.

I like the coral color alright, although I still would love a vibrant red color and it’s only a “midi” skirt too boot. Plus, it’s polyester and not chiffon or silk, er, ok, that probably accounts for it being cheaper, price-wise.

I like that the ASOS website gives you the model’s height in the description listing. So that’s good to know when you are looking at dresses online and thinking, “Wow, that’s a bit short,” when the model is wearing it. Because I am given the model’s height, I know that this skirt might be longer on me, which in book is a plus.

Alas, the summer is still young and so, I continue in my search.

Shorter, blonder summer hair and new glasses

It has only been about two months since my last trim, but I went anyways. I felt my hair needed a bit cleaning up at the ends.

I love my new glasses, which is HUGE for me, because I normally hate wearing glasses. These are by Ellen Tracy in a dark purplish red color called “wine” I believe. I tried on a dozen pairs at my local Optometrist’s office and these were the ones I liked the most. I was still a little “meh” when I ordered them, but now that I have them, I like them a lot.

Etsy Perfume Oil Review: 13GypsiesPerfumery and WyldeIvy’s Perfume, Soap, Body

I like reading about delicious smelling scents and ordering them online. Some of perfumed-oil scents that are handmade by Etsy, can be quite cheap when ordered as a sampler pack. It is a bit of a shot-in-the-dark, as you cannot smell them ahead of time and you can only go by what you read online. Here, I will be reviewing some of the sampler packs I have ordered online from two different Etsy shops.

13 Gypsies Perfumery on Etsy

The first is 13 Gypsies Perfumery on Etsy, which sells mostly hand-blended perfume oils available in dram-sized (1/8 ounce) but also available in ½ sizes as well. I ordered a three-dram sampler pack of my choice, so I choose the following:

• Andromeda – a blend of Bulgarian rose, coriander, tuberose, magnolia, & rosewood.
• Bitten – a blend of jasmine absolute, aged frankincense, amber, & ambrette seed.
• Nevermore – a blend of violet, sandalwood, light patchouli, & sugar.

I love the theatrical names, I mean, who doesn’t? Out of all of them, I like the “Andromeda” scent the best, I prefer floral scents it seems and it’s light-smelling and floral. “Nevermore” is my second favorite, not as floral-selling as I think sandalwood or maybe the light patchouli adds some spiciness to the fragrance, but it’s not overpoweringly spicy-smelling. As for “Bitten,” I really do not care for it at all, but that’s sort of the risk of buying fragrances online.

If you like 13 Gypsies on Facebook, you can learn about new scents and promo codes that you can use on your orders to save a little bit of money. I saved a few dollars on my order, so it’s worth it. http://www.facebook.com/13GypsiesPerfumery.

I ordered a five-pack sampler from Wylde Ivy Simply Inspired Scents on Etsy. I loved the label design and the fact that the sampler comes in a mini-spritz tubes, as opposed to an open tube you need to dab on yourself. My scent selections were the following:

“Black Patch” ~Wylde Blend~ 

Sultry and oh so sexy. Smooth patchouli blended with black pepper, exotic woods, fresh ginger, Valencia orange, oakmoss, violet leaf, and amber.

“Fairy Lily”
A fragrance so beautiful and so elegant it almost invokes the sense of standing in a fairytale forest surrounded by the clusters of snow white flowers. This is the delicate beauty of a hidden patch of Lily of the Valley that perfumes the breeze.

“Little Shop in Salem”
By far one of our most popular fragrances. We’ve captured the scent of incense, Patchouli, potions, and maybe even a little magic in this scent. Salem is deep, mysterious, and very sexy. Popular with all ages, this scent is an earthy blend of incense and Patchouli and is full of animal magnetism!

Little Shop in Salem Perfume by Wylde Ivy.

“Violet Sun” ~Wylde Blend~
Candied violets on a bed of fresh lemon zest

Petals – sorry, I cannot seem to find a scent description online for this one. I think I detect the scent of jasmine, but the other scents elude me. It seems pretty nice overall.

My favorite out of all of these is their “most popular” scent “Little Shop in Salem.”  I dig the blend of blend of incense and Patchouli, perfect for smoky fall days when you want to feel a little “witchy.”

You can view all their scents online. In addition to perfumes, Wylde Ivy also sells soap, shower gels and body lotions. Wylde Ivy also has a website, Facebook and blog.

Lust: Chiffon maxi shirts

Looking for brightly-colored chiffon or silk maxi skirts in my size is proving to be a challenge, although I imagine I will have more options as summer approaches. Not looking for long, prairie-like skirts, something slightly a-line, without tiers in a fabric other than cotton. Think floaty with some shimmer. Here are a few contenders.

Rag and Bone black silk maxi skirt from Saks Fifth Avenue.

I like the shape and the fabric of the Rag & Bone skirt, however, $395? Way out of my price range.

Wild Rose Maxi Dress. $58 NastyGal.com

For $58. This rose print and black maxi dress is more affordable. Still, it’s a dress and the sizing is limited.

Streetwear Pleated Maxi Dress in blue from New York and Company.

Another dress. Although this is not a skirt, I love this color and simple dresses like this are so easy to wear in the summer.

Or I can make my own. I found this maxi skirt tutorial from “A Pair and a Spare” Fashion Blog.

DIY Maxi Skirt with this tutorial from A Pair and a Spare

My Tacky Souvenir Swap from Malaysia

My package from the Tacky Souvenir Swap arrived at my home today from my swap partner, Sarah, who lives in Malaysia.

It’s some wonderful batik cloth from Malaysia which her country is known for producing. She also sent me this pretty hand-drawn card with a picture of a “Wau” on it, or a traditional Malaysian kite.

Wau Bulan (Moon Kite) from MalaysianMade.com

These are incredibly pretty kites. Check out more photos of Malaysian kites here.

This was a fun swap. Thanks again, Sarah!