But I want it! J Brand black jeans!

...Or do I?

J Brand 910 Super Skinny Jeans

I tried on this pair at Neiman Marcus outlet on Sunday and I liked them...I really liked the price (50% off $99 = $44.50 + tax)--which is waaaaaay better than the normal $160 price tag.  I've been dreaming of the perfect black denim, but this pair, though it fit well, didn't scream LOVE (the way I imagine it could...?)

I tried on an even better pair about a week ago at a boutique....It was also J Brand, but the inseam was about 29" (too short for me, but I'll take what I can), the price was about $40-50, and the material was oh so soft. I have no idea what it was called (must be from an older collection) but I assure you the only reason I didn't get it was because the size was a few numbers too large. They fit me, yeah, but I was bloated from PMS at the time and will they fit me after a few washes?

Those of you who have purchased J brand before, help me; do the sizes run small or large? Do they stretch a lot? Should I go one size down or buy the perfect fit? The ladies at the boutique couldn't help me so I let go the most wonderful pair of black jeans ever.

Post-Christmas Shopping---anyone?

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays, wonderful Christmas and all, and hopefully unlike me you don't have to go back to work tomorrow >D Haha...anyway, regardless of whether you got your wishes for Christmas (did you? What did you get?) I'm sure you're all just as excited about the after-Christmas sale as I am! Most years I'm gone for the holidays so by the time I come back in January I missed out on most of the sales (boo~~), but this year I told yobo early on that Sunday the 26th is OUTLET SHOPPING DAY. :D:D:D

So today we went a little further down (to the border) to Las Americas Premium Outlets....just because we haven't been there before and we figured there would be less traffic from SD/Mexico than from SF/NorCal. It's like going to Tijuana but not quite, lol. One of these days I'll make it all the way there...

But meanwhile I did buy a couple of items that I will show you later when I have daylight to take pictures of them :) Victoria's Secret had 75% off and their xmas hats and tutus were only 99 cents each! Needless to say I was very tempted, but yobo said no ._.

I just wanted to show you that I do actually still use the ELF palette that I reviewed in this post, because I don't want to waste and it's decent if you really pack it on, don't touch the cream shadows, and don't dare to sweat.  Just a survival tip ;D

I'm wearing Gold and the Bronze next to gold on the top right of the palette

I'm wearing the ELF eyeliner that came with the package. The "lead" keeps breaking on me. I barely got my other eye before it needed sharpening (again). It's not very "soft" either but it still rubs off easily. Ugh. Never again.

So the key to using these colors is to use one of those flat sponge applicators instead of brushes. You know how some people say you should use brushes with powder eyeshadow and applicators with cream ones? Or your fingers? Well this color palette works way better with applicators and fingers, most likely because it needs to be packed on and the applicators work very well at that. I found a pack of H&M applicators that I must have purchased a while back and I have been using them with this palette to make it work for me.

What tricks have you got?

Am I over HELLO KITTY yet?

Given that I have been in the cave as far as blog world news goes I'm not so sure if the upcoming Hello Kitty collection is new to anyone anymore (no, huh?). I found myself clicking on a link to a so-called "private viewing" of the Hello Kitty make up stuff that would officially launch next January (at which point they will sell out in two days because they started selling them before Christmas...?).

Now at first I thought oooo...SHINY! and other than that studded (beaded?) pink and white face everything looks classy and adult-like (no?). Then I clicked on the link and found myself staring at overpriced toys.

You know how women like to mock men by calling one manchild or just plain immature? Well, their obsession with cars and "cool" things (like comic book heroes and cowboy themes) is kind of like our obsession with "cute" things. Why else would Hello Kitty have a make-up collection? Or Barbie one with MAC? Or why does the Disney store have an adult section? Why would you want to match with your daughter? O.o;;

I'll admit that beside my monitor I have a 2007 Classic Pooh plush (limited edition) from the Disney store that I snagged as soon as I saw it, and that I carry a black classic pooh purse to work, and that yes, my classic pooh is wearing a santa hat at the moment x3 ...And yes, I <3 Betsey Johnson designs, because they all have this princess-y, childlike feel to them, but you know what else?

I don't buy them. I adore them. I wanted this shiny red Hello Kitty purse for the longest time (and you could get a matching red wallet too!) and then I said no to myself and told everyone I don't want it (just in case). Why? Because I feel old. And while it might be cute to have a secret stash of adorable things in your purse (your wallet, your lipstick, your make up bag, your keychain, your iphone cover....)--is that the kind of image you want to portray to the world? 

What I mean is, even if you really are a cute and fluffy person on the inside, when your at home, with your family or your best friends, your loved ones, etc., is that the only you that exists?

I think not. I think most of us have layers to our personalities (are we not complex creatures?) that take on different faces, different looks, and as a result make us feel differently and react differently. Think about it: if you are supposed to be in "work mode" and you dress like you're going to the mall, how does that affect how you feel? Would you not feel more confident at work if you were wearing a pant suit or whatever your uniform normally is? If you are on campus (where everyone's dressed casual, here would be in jeans and flip flops), do you want to wear high heels and $1000 dresses?

...I think that adorning ourselves with cute accessories, cute make up, cute products that make us feel innocent and sweet in our minds, perhaps make us smile when we take out our wallets to make a payment (how rare!), may seem like a good idea in the short-term, but in the long-term it may harm our image as a woman to be taken seriously by the outside world.

Given that, how seriously do you take your "image"?

Wearing Red at the Swedish Christmas Fair :)

I completely forgot that Sunday was Christmas fair, to the point where we ended up missing all performances (what can I say, sleeping till the afternoon is my Sunday vice). I still decided to go, though, because unlike in Finland where there are similar fairs every weekend, this was a one day event and if I missed it I'd probably spend all Christmas regretting it.

And I was right to! There were so many familiar items and decorations that I'm used to being around at Christmas time. Most of the participants spoke Swedish amongst each other, especially the church members (of Church of Sweden). I do regret missing the raffle though. Instead yobo had some pea soup (always better than American attempts), while I got a cup of glorg (it was a very cold rainy day). I wondered at the price, and then I realized that it wasn't really glorg as in the juice, but it was liquor (I'm somehow used to being carded for those...I guess I must be looking old)! So after a few sips I went and got myself a plate of cookies and cake to help drink it down in the middle of the afternoon LOL

 

Romeo & Juliet cardigan, 2Bbebe tunic dress, Cotton On leggings, Nine West flats, Rocawear purse, random belt

While there I also saw spike mats that I coveted last Christmas...! They have a store in Beverly Hills that sells them! I think I may just get myself one for stress relief...more on this product later.

Did you go to any Christmas Fairs this year?