Posts Tagged ‘brands’

365great Day 343: Coach bags

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365great day 343: coach bagsWhen Panda wins an award at work, he gets to choose a prize. One of the items he got was this set of Coach bags for me. 🙂 I’ve been using them for many months now and I’ve been very happy with how well they hold up to my heavy use. The larger bag has acted as my work bag and carries my laptop, snacks, drinks, even clothing. Despite the thin straps, it has shown no sign of wear and I love how the quality makes it so sturdy. The smaller bag actually snaps into the interior of the large bag, but I’ve been using it separately as its own clutch sort of purse. I like the simple design that is very practical and so useful for me. I’m not usually into brand names, but this is one brand I’ve grown to appreciate, so it might be a gateway product for me to get into designer brands. 😛 Only at steep discounts though! Or maybe I could just win them; wouldn’t that be great?

365great Day 315: derma e

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365great day 315: derma eWhen I saw this microdermabrasion scrub that some Ipsters were getting one month, I knew I just had to have it. I’ve had microdermabrasion treatments before, but never saw a scrub like this, so I was intrigued. When I got it, I was thrilled. It’s a rich creamy texture that applies smoothly and those fine little beads scrub unlike any other. It smells fabulous with a light citrus scent and I love scrubbing away with it. Just a little is all you need to cover your entire face, so it will last and last for many uses. My skin felt immediately softer and finer afterwards and I couldn’t have asked for a better feeling. I love that their products are natural and I can’t wait to try more in their line! They all look great. 🙂

365great Day 268: Aerie

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365great challenge day 268: aerieI’m getting to be quite the fan of Aerie. Awhile ago, I shared how I got free & practically free underwear from them and then today I managed to score a bra for just over $5! Now that’s a steal. Granted, $10 of that was from Wrapp (to be coming on another 365great day), but still, I’m very pleased. They always have really cute clothes and undergarments and when I wait for just the right time, I can snag them at fantastic bargains. I’ve got my eye on a bunch of clothes that I’d like to get there eventually… like maybe later this month when they have their $10 off $30 promo! I can’t wait – it’s gonna be great. 🙂

365great Day 214: Best Buy/Geek Squad

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365great day 214: best buy/geek squadI’ve recently been pleasantly surprised by Best Buy’s service, at least at the Reston location. When I went in looking to buy a laptop, I was helped by two guys who were helpful but not pushy. They got me the device I wanted and I decided to opt for the Best Buy credit card since they’ve got a 0% financing for 18 months offer. Then when I took it back two days later to get it exchanged, we got that taken care of easily. Geek Squad helped me pick out a solid state drive and took in my laptop and the hard drive to install it for me. There was a hiccup along the way when they didn’t have the turnaround I was hoping for, but once I learned of the complexity of trying to get Windows 8 onto a SSD, I understood. I got my laptop back not long after that and I’ve been playing around with it to see if it’s what I want. I have 15 days to decide and if I don’t like it, I can return it and the hard drive for a full refund. With convenient policies and people offering friendly service, I’m impressed and that’s great.

365great Day 205: Target

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365great challenge day 205: targetI didn’t really shop at Target until I met Panda. A few years ago, he started to introduce me to it. And as I began to see all the different deals and offers I also began to hear about how all these people love it. I began to follow some bloggers who happen to be huge fans and I slowly started to learn the ins and outs of Target shopping. I love using my RedCard, bringing a bag to get that 5-cent discount, and compounding Target coupons with manufacturer ones. Oh yes, I’ve certainly enjoyed adopting Target as my new store of choice. There are some fantastic products to be found and if you’re patient you can get them at absolute steals! Just check out the deal I got on some shampoo. 🙂 Not only do they offer products I like at good prices, there are so many discounts to take advantage of! Makes for a great shopping experience.

365great Day 195: memory foam

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365great challenge day 195: memory foamOmfreakin’g. I think my feet have found their personal heaven. These memory foam footbeds in my sneakers are fabulous. I’ve often had foot pain due to the lack of padding in my flats, flip flops, and other footwear so this time around I went shopping with just one purpose: comfy shoes that I can stand in for hours. When I started browsing, I happened upon the Nike In Season model of shoe and I knew right away I could get nothing less. I looked for the comfort footbed in other ones, but of the items at the outlet, they were the only ones I could find. Luckily, I liked the colors of this pair, so I got them when I went back. Today I wore them for the first time as a test run throughout the day and never have my feet felt so fabulous. It’s been years since I’ve worn sneakers and now I’m considering wearing nothing but! Or I suppose I could remove the insoles and put them in other shoes. I may not have liked the heavy feeling my head got from a memory foam pillow, but for my feet, it’s a dream come true. Amazingly great!

August Favorites 2013

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collage of august 2013 favorites including lightweight jackets, ipsy bags, jcpenney businesswear dress, olay eyelash serum, instant udon noodles, gogobot canvas bag, basin products, and american eagle clothing

1. lightweight jackets – In the summer months, it’s so uncomfortable wearing heavy jackets but I still needed something to keep me warm in air-conditioned areas. Literally the day I decided to look for a new jacket, I happened upon the blue on at Kohl’s! It was pretty much exactly the kind I had in mind – this sort of super thin and lightweight material that had a lot of texture on the inside to trap more heat. Perfect. Then I headed over to Target and discovered the purple one, which is the same sort of cloth but with a hoodie. It was on sale for a good price so I decided to get it as well. Now I can choose between hooded or not!

2. Ipsy bags – Over the months I have acquired quite a few Ipsy bags and I am still thinking of uses for them all. I plan on putting one or two in the car and using some in my purse once I start carrying a larger one again. They are perfect for organizing small items like foil samples, hair ties, and lip balms. I think I might also use one for receipts since they always get so mangled in my purse. I enjoy all the different patterns, textures, and shapes that Ipsy comes up with. Certainly keeps things fresh!

3. JCPenney clothing – The last time I shopped at JCPenney must have been in high school and that was to buy a purse. For the longest time, I never gave their clothing a chance, thinking the quality and style choices might not be suitable. Panda convinced me to swing by though when I needed something to wear to an interview and I’m so glad he did! I found this dress, which was just the kind of thing I wanted – a dress with pencil skirt bottom and blouse-like top. I don’t have to worry about matching and I only have one article to put on. 🙂 We got it for such a steal too! In the future, I will keep them in mind for my clothing needs.

4. Olay eyelash serum – I got this as a sample from VocalPoint awhile back and then I lost it. Ever since, I’d been searching for it at a good price (most stores offered the eyelash serum and eye cream set for around $30-35). Then I came across it at Costco at such a deal!! I forgot the exact price, but it was like $25 for two sets of the eyelash serum and eye cream duo. Oh, that was another thing – I only wanted the eyelash serum, not the eye cream, but Olay doesn’t sell them separately! Anyway, I got them for a price I was happy with and I probably remember to use it about once a week. I really do feel like my eyelashes have gotten better since I started using it and I’m not sure if it’s my imagination or just that I didn’t notice what my lashes looked like before. Whatever the case, I’m happy to use this as long as I see results!

5. Nongshim instant udon – We discovered this at Costco as well and I pounced on it. Instant udon?! I don’t really see that around and I love udon noodles. I wasn’t sure how the quality would be and while it’s certainly not healthy for me, I sure do love the taste. This is such a fun and easy meal to have when I don’t want frozen food or leftovers or instant ramen. I try to limit how much I eat since it is priiiicey (about $2/bowl compared to like maybe a quarter for ramen) and very salty. I’m not trying to kill myself with over-consumption of salt here. This is a new staple in the house and I expect it will stay that way as long as they are sold in our area.

6. Gogobot bags – I received this super cool canvas tote bag from Gogobot when I became a Pro. Ever since, it’s been my go-to travel bag. The UK trip and that Panda and I took was no exception, which this bag and my suitcases carrying all my stuff. I also love the toiletry bag I got for writing a certain number of reviews on Gogobot. I can’t seem to find a picture of it and I’m too lazy to get one for you but it’s quite a large bag, with various compartments for all your toiletries. I love it and keep it on the counter at home as well so I can (somewhat) organize my various products. Both of these bags were essential for my travels and I’m so glad I have them.

7. Basin products – I’ve been using the pink grapefruit solid shampoo and conditioner for my showering needs. They smell fabulous and I love how well the shampoo foams up. These bars will last me months and months. I even brought them with me on the trip so I wouldn’t have to worry about liquids. Unfortunately I didn’t realize how abused my checked luggage would get on the way home, because I decided to throw them in the checked bag and now my shampoo bar is one crushed mess. I will need to find a container for it! I’ve also been using the charcoal face wash, which smells nicely of something sweet and makes the skin on my face feel calmer.

8a. & 8b. American Eagle sales -I mentioned Hukkster about a month ago when I got these skinny jeans and dress from American Eagle. If it wasn’t for that service, I never would have known the amazingly cheap jeans I could have gotten! I ordered three pairs of pants and then just a few days later was browsing their site again when I found some cute dresses. This one was on sale for one of the lowest prices so I decided to get it too. I love AE free shipping! Now I am the happy owner and wearer of these articles, three of which made it to the UK with me!

secret passage ipad game screenshot loading screen9. Secret Passages game – For some reason when I tried to open this picture in Picasa to add it to my collage, it wouldn’t work, so here it is shown separately. This is a game I’ve been playing a lot lately, where you basically search for items in a picture. It’s designed so you can’t play more than four searches in a row so I have to put it down a lot. While that made me frustrated at first, I kind of like that since it forces me to do other things in my life. Sometimes I can get into games with no end and play for hours!

365great Day 159: Julep

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365great challenge day 159: julepI’ve actually never purchased a product from Julep, but I’ve certainly been eyeing them for awhile. My first encounter with them was with a focus group study I was a part of, where I got to try out a bunch of their hand and nail care products. From there I got a chance to experience more of their products as I began to do trades and swap items for them. So far I’ve managed to try nearly all of the products that I’m interested in, including the green tea blotting papers that Brandy gave me and the nail polish remover and gel top coat that I received in a trade. Of course I’ve also tried a couple of their nail polishes at this point, including a crackling one! I love how they’ve been churning out all kinds of beauty products in rather unique packaging. I’m holding out on getting the free intro box until they refresh what’s offered in that box and I’m looking forward to seeing what they offer! Already it’s great how they’ve branched out beyond nail care and I’m sure there’s plenty more expansion to come.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review.]

365great Day 152: Ipsy

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365great challenge day 152: ipsyI joined Ipsy back in May and I initially intended to just try it out for a month or two, but it soon became addicting. It’s funny because before I knew about them, I had thought how cool it’d be if a company made all kinds of fun makeup bags. Then I stumbled upon their subscription bags and found that my idea was already being executed. I’ve really enjoyed the different shapes, designs, and materials of the Ipsy bags, but even more than that what’s keeping me is their products. For just $10 I get to try out a variety of makeup, skincare, and nail care items each month. I like that the sizes are deluxe samples or full sizes so you have enough to try the product a few times to see if you like it. It’s always fun to watch the spoilers come out and see the different combination of products you might receive. This month was the first time that IpsyMatch did an excellent job and sent me all items that I’d use (and exactly what my ideal bag was!). I’ve been introduced to so many great products and have swapped whenever I didn’t get what I wanted, which is a fun experience in itself. This is such a great way to try out beauty products!

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review.]

365great Day 149: Brookstone

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365great challenge day 149: brookstoneWhat a fun store to explore. Brookstone has all kinds of awesome solutions to your problems (whether you even realized you had them at all). You can get massagers, technology accessories, gadgets, toys, and so much more. My most recent visit allowed me to enjoy their massaging zero gravity chair for 15 minutes of comfort. I also discovered they’re now selling fun little plants you can keep in your home, which you buy in store and have shipped straight to your door from wherever the plants are stored. I mean, you could really equip your home with some amazing stuff from this store. It’s a fantastic place to browse for gift ideas and other novelty items that can be quite practical too. I always enjoy stopping by and trying out their various knick knacks and I look forward to the day when I can start filling my house with some of those cool products. Brookstone is great not only because of the range of products they carry, but that they allow you to try out all that stuff as you please!

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