H&M May Sale Fitting Room Review

In addition to the mad hunt for Red October H&M Conscious Collection items, I found some miscellaneous cold weather sale items and cute almost-summer pieces while in store. I've probably forgotten half the prices already and still have a backlog of at least 2 more visits in the fall and winter. If you don't mind feeling sweaty while looking at cozy knits in the summer, I'll go ahead and review those for you too in the near future. Onto the recent (sale) finds!

1) H&M light pink boyfriend blazer, Euro 4 ($40 USD)
I have been hunting for a light pink blazer since well into last year's spring and to date, I still have not found on in my budget. I came very close to purchasing one but it was never perfect. I think this H&M boyfriend blazer is the best one I've found and I think the owners figured that out. No way am I shelling out this much for a blazer that I probably won't wear too frequently, unlike my black H&M blazer that I'm constantly throwing over a tee. I like the V shape hem too, and the boyfriend style doesn't swallow my petite frame. I very reluctantly put this baby down.
- Verdict: Pass due to hefty price tag. I will be stalking stores again for it soon!

2) H&M aztec sweater in Camel, Euro 4 (sale price $10 USD)
I've been wanting a slouchy oversized poncho all spring and even fall, and this is a nice affordable camel one on sale. Come to think of it, I should really have kept this one. It even matches with the turquoise beaded necklace I wore that day. The sleeves and hem feature cutout detail (almost eyelet) and I feel like I could go climb some ruins right now on an alpaca.
- Verdict: Passed, but may reconsider.

3) H&M mosaic sweater, size XS or S ($10 USD)
I remember seeing this piece on the mannequin worn off one shoulder, I liked everything but the price tag. Last time I saw this it was still $20 on sale, so I tried it on again. I loved it more when I paired it with black skinny jeans though. It has a looser boyfriend kind of feel, since an XS or S looks like a M on me.
- Verdict: Passed

4) H&M black lace vest, Euro 4 ($13 USD?)
Blah. Eck. Not for me. Too Victorian meets Addams Family, or at least I can't think of how I'd style this off the top of my head.
- Verdict: Definitely pass

5) H&M olive green bermuda shorts, Euro 4 ($18 USD)

Oops a little blurry. They look too Boy Scouts on me in an unflattering way. I also dislike the bunching at the crotch. I've been wanting longer shorts because my long upper leg makes every pair of reasonable length shorts look like Daisy Dukes and it's indecent. These are too tomboyish and the length is awkward. I picked up a navy pair similar to these with a cute light blue ultra skinny belt but it was also unflattering on. Will return.

- Verdict: Pass, too boyish

I did walk out that day with something from the Conscious Collection and those longer shorts that I'm going to return. Hopefully the blazer and some other cute things are on sale at my San Diego mall, and perhaps some cute scallop hemmed things? I have high hopes and too much patience. Going shopping tomorrow, any sale suggestions or cute finds you'd like to share?

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To Great Lengths

Above: maxi dress pre-styled

OnlyCuteStyle hot pink floral maxi dress (S) // H&M floppy sunhat // Forever 21 satin bow belt (S) // 
Xhilaration strappy mustard yellow wedges (5.5) //

Photography: Self-timer and camera

First [current] outfit featuring my new lopsided DIY angled bob :) I must say, I was quite proud of what I managed to do facing a dorm bathroom mirror with a pair of child-safe scissors (also, thanks to my boyfriend for fixing the mess of "stairs" in the back). This is what you get when you lose your sanity slowly from studying finals. Kids, don't try this at home. My parents didn't like it so I started to chop off the right side and now I just look downright silly. Yes, I miss my long hair and favourite accessory a lot. No, I unfortunately couldn't donate to Locks of Love. Yes, I am so glad I'm rid of probably 8 inches of dead, dry, brassy hair. I'm one of those crazy girls that needs a drastic hair cut that's bound to be noticed. Why else would anyone cut their hair then?

Onto this dress that I got from OnlyCuteStyle.com when I won April's giveaway from forever ago. I remember it was the tail end of last summer and I was still pining away for a maxi dress to call my own, so I boldly chose this one based on the model photo - dramatic, a deep almost-purple pink, and sweeping lengths. When I opened the box ... the only word that suffices to describe this dress is "eh." I stuffed it back in and brought it home to leave unloved in a closet somewhere. Why is it that anything purchased from asian online clothing stores looks cheap or at least nothing like the model photos? Today is a brand new day, so I decided to give this dress at least a first chance.

The corny little tie-ribbons on the shoulders I tucked into the bust of the dress: instant strapless dress. But the chest area was still really poofy and the hemming weird, so it was folded over and flipped inside. The unsightly billowyness around my waist fixed with a simple black belt that I wore backwards to accentuate the cute bow (boy do I wish I had my college closet with me now - there's a perfect brown belt that matches better). Also wish I had some chunky jewelry to jazz up the neckline with and my white ruffled bag. The good thing is the skirt part is fully lined and has some contained shape to it. Luckily this dress is petite enough for 5'3" me to walk barefoot in without tripping, so that 5 inch wedges weren't necessary but my favourite pair of yellow summer wedges are oh-so-necessary. I dusted off my floppy sunhat from last summer and threw it on my new self-imposed-angular-bob head and headed out, beach-worthy.

Note to self: had to jack up magenta saturation in Lightroom wayyy up since shooting at 2 PM is a no-go on a sunny Cali afternoon. It washes out colours and turns things yellow. Tripod is nice for stable lighting, so editing is a lot faster.

I'm going to sell this maxi dress in my blog sale, so if you want it now, email me!

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Review: St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Cleanser

After hearing much hype about St. Ives' simple and affordable products, I decided to try out the St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Cleanser and Scrub while looking for their popular Apricot counterparts. I like green tea and the concept of using herbs and tea in facial products is interesting. I purchased my bottle at Walmart, but you can get it at CVS, Walgreens, Amazon, Target, basically anywhere.

My overall impression was that I initially really loved the product. I used the Green Tea Cleanser twice a day in conjunction with other St. Ives products. One pump produces enough gel to cover the entire face and the formula foams lightly. I did have to adjust to the strong herbal scent for about two weeks until it started smelling pleasant, but overall it's a light facial cleanser that leaves the skin feeling refreshed. However, after extended use with other products, I found that it dried out my skin and I had peeling all over my forehead one day and developed fine wrinkles in my undereye area. This is probably because it contains sodium laureth sulfate, to dry out fresh pimple spots. For the past few days, I have been using the Green Tea Cleanser in the shower at night and it has not been drying - the key is using this in isolation or moderation.

As you can probably tell from the half-empty bottle, I have been trying this cleanser out for almost a year on and off, and overall I like it. If I use this at night in the shower, the cleanser removes oil well but in the mornings I wake up with oily skin again. The Green Tea Cleanser does well as a makeup remover for foundation, concealer, and non-waterproof mascara, but for certain stubborn eye makeup, I have to use other products to remove the left-overs.

Packaging: simple with a useful pump

Clear gel

Lightly foams

Price: $5.29-$5.99 for 6.75 fl oz (200 mL)

What the product claims to do (from St. Ives website): This cleanser deep cleans to gently remove dirt and make-up and helps maintain skin's moisture balance. Clears breakouts and reduces redness.
- Dermatologist Tested • Hypoallergenic • Non-Comedogenic • Dermatologist Tested • Not Tested on Animals • Does not contain animal ingredients • Formulated without Parabens and Phthalates

Ingredients:

Pros:
- Very affordable
- Salicylic acid reduces breakouts
- Nice texture
- Removes oil and makeup

Cons:
- Sodium laureth sulfrate dries out skin
- Some people may not like the strong herbal scent
- No visible reduction in redness

Verdict: I like this cleanser for quick removal of oil and makeup in the shower or in the mornings, but I don't like being paranoid about drying out my skin. Aside from the sodium laureth sulfate, it is quite gentle and has a nice smell once you get used to it. After using this product, my skin did become clearer overall, but it did not magically remove spots or acne scars. It's good for the price but not the best acne-reducing cleanser out there.

Effectiveness:
- Oil removal: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
- Makeup removal: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
- Acne reduction: 3/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
- Reduce redness: 3/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

- Moisturizing: 2/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
Packaging: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
Scent: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
Price: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥


Would I buy it again? No. When I run out, I'll try new cleansers in hopes of getting more effective acne treatment.

Image credit: gentlemanstandard

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I was not paid in any way for this review; these are my opinions after use. This product was purchased with my own money. Results may vary from person to person.

Bedazzled and Bejeweled

H&M beaded cropped blazer (XS) // H&M mocha satin drapey tank (Euro 4) // Forever 21 black skinny jeans (26) // 

Xhilaration Taree Oxfords in Cognac (6) // Panda watch from Taipei Zoo

Photography: JJ

Californiaaaaa, here we come, right back where we started from. I am so happy to be back home amongst family and endless food, with 2.5 weeks to relax and fill out my med school applications. I can't believe my undergrad journey has dropped me off at this train stop, where soon I'll have to stop being a premed and actually be a ... med? Aaaaahhhhhhh. The realization is killing me, when did we all grow up so fast?

While I'm having lunch dates with MSAR, AMCAS, MCAT, and all the other acronyms that include M,  hopefully I can sneak in trips to the mall and beach and fix my Einstein-idolizing hair. I do miss my long treads and their strange wavy ways but when St. Louis turns the temperature up, I have the last laugh. New challenge: make short hair work with my outfits. Don't you get the feelings sometimes that when you get a haircut, all the clothes in your wardrobe no longer look right? Hair is such a huge statement accessory - should have thought of that before I took a pair of scissors to my head and sheared myself in the mirror.

A go-to work outfit for me during the school year has consisted of a cardigan over quirky/nice shirt, skinny jeans, oxfords or other flats. There's not much time to think as I transition from shorts or summery wear that I threw on for class to something appropriate for the lab, so I stick with the default. This time I dressed it up with an H&M satin tank and a beaded cropped cardigan (oooh shiny). The tank is such a pain in the neck to wash by hand and dry - never get oil on this thing because it stains. The folder for these photos claim that this outfit happened a month ago, boy does time fly. This summer I am going to dress more creatively for work and snap pictures with my point and shoot for one more month (June 30 is major payday and I will run fly to Best Buy to claim the Canon T2i I've been pining for for sooo long). Another challenge is to stay cool and work-appropriate with the summer wardrobe of a college fashion blogger. Remember that white blazer of mine? Makeshift lab coat it is ... : )

A pleasant surprise: as people from my university find out about my blog they are interested and happy to learn that I have a quirky hobby. Even my neuroscience professors have expressed intrigue during meetings ... goodness. I am happy that I didn't brashly delete my blog because I thought I was becoming fake and materialistic, and even more grateful that even hardcore scientists truly appreciate the artsy sides of me. I am more than a number, a GPA, a test score. I have my own story and this year to tell it to the world.

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