FASHION | How to buy Max Mara and other designer brands for European prices without travelling to Europe

Today I wanted to let you in on a secret… I purchased my brand new Max Mara Manuela Icon Coat for 40% off the Canadian retail price. It was shipped directly to me via DHL, duty paid, from Italy.

Background

When I was researching Max Mara, I had the realization that the products are significantly cheaper in Europe compared to North America. The Manuela coat retails for C$3,490 (plus tax) in Canada but only EURO 1,400 in Italy, plus you get a nice 18%-ish percent VAT refund too, so the coat ends up being just approximately C$1,700. Of course you may pay duty upon entering into Canada, but sometimes you get lucky and just get waved through by the customs agent. Of course, the smart thing to do was to wait until I had plans to go to Italy to make my purchase, but we have no plans to go back to Italy since I was just there last summer. I also wasn’t going to plan a trip just so I can buy this coat since that just made no sense.

Luckily for me and my awesome internet research skills, I stumbled across a site called Italist. This company is based in LA but they work with stores and boutiques in Italy to bring you products at Italian-local prices, VAT-free, shipped directly to your house anywhere on the planet for free.

Shopping experience

Shopping on the Italist is very confusing. It is not for the faint of heart or for someone who wants an easy shopping experience. You place your order online, then they will confirm stock with their boutique partner, and if the item is in stock, the boutique partner will ship it out within the next day. Since the stock listed on their website isn’t theirs, stock isn’t guaranteed and your order is only confirmed if the boutique partner confirms it. I messaged Italist on Instagram and they said one out of every 200 orders is cancelled due to lack of stock, since their inventory system refreshes every hour.

In addition, because product information is provided by the boutiques, sometimes it is very vague and you don’t get all of the details. You really have to know your brand, research the product you want, before making your order on the Italist. For example, when I found my Manuela coat on the site (screenshot below), the item wasn’t even labelled as the Manuela coat – it actually made zero reference to the word “Manuela”‘ and was just called the Tie Waist Coat. However I was familiar with the description of the coat and various details that make it the Manuela coat, so I knew it was that exact coat. I also confirmed my knowledge by comparing the the photos of the coat on the website with stock photos on the Max Mara website, and with my own photos I took when I tried the coat on in store.

The listing of the coat I bought was taken off once my purchase went through (there was only one available from that particular boutique so once inventory was sold, the listing was removed), but the current listing for the Manuela coat is available here and just calls it the “Max Mara Coat.”

Also, you might see multiple listings of the same product, making it even more confusing to the shopper. This is because there are multiple boutique partners selling the same style. If you are looking for a particular size and one boutique partner doesn’t have it, just search for the style in their search bar and you will likely see another boutique partner offering it in your size.

Since it was my first time ordering, I took screenshots of the product page so I can compare the end product that I received with what was listed on the website. This is just me being overcautious, but also it was for good reason. Italist does not accept free returns. I know that being in North America, we are used to free shipping and returns as that is just the nature of retail here, but in Europe, a lot of places do not accept returns, especially smaller boutiques. Since Italist offers low prices for products based in Italy, free express DHL shipping on a duty paid basis, returns are a hassle. You have to pay for the shipping back to Italy, and because it has to go through customs again, it is a huge hassle to get the customs refund and your ultimate refund for the product. This is another reason why I suggest doing a lot of research outside of Italist before you make an order. I would essentially treat each order as final sale.

Before you buy, definitely read up on their “How to Shop” guide, which has everything you need to know to shop there.

Price savings

Now why would anyone go through that trouble and such inconvenience? Because you get huge price savings. Like I said before, the Manuela coat costs C$3,908 in Canada with tax. I paid C$2,300 for mine in the classic camel colour. This is the tax in, with free shipping, the all in cost. If I had travelled to Italy, bought the coat, got the VAT refund, paid duty upon entering Canada, my end cost for the coat would be about the same as what I paid on Italist. Plus I saved all of the travel costs and the hassle of bringing a giant coat back in my luggage.

Let’s look at another example of a Max Mara Icon Coat – the 101801 “Madame” coat retails for C$4,650 (plus tax) in Canada. On the Italist, you can purchase the same coat for US$1,550-$1,800 (plus import duty). After converting this to Canadian dollars, it’s about C$2,400 before import duty, which is usually about 20% of the base value of the product. Essentially you save almost half the Canadian price.

I only researched Max Mara on Italist, but from reading the Italist thread at Purseforum, people have purchased other brands from there. Most of them were successful and very happy with their purchase, but there were a few people who had minor issues and had to work out a return with the company.

In addition to the Italist, there is also the Clutcher, which is a similar concept shopping site, as well as Elsa Boutique, which is a boutique based in Italy that ships to countries around the world. I was considering ordering from these but in the end the Italist had the style I wanted at the right price so I shopped with them. I haven’t ordered from the Clutcher or Elsa Boutique so I strongly suggest doing your own research before placing an order as there is always some level of risk when you order from a website that ships products from overseas.

I’m always a strong advocate for smart shopping. I love buying designer products but if you do it in a savvy way, you can find incredible deals, leaving you more money in the bank for savings (or to buy other things).

Hope this was helpful! Also, I don’t use affiliate links so none of the links here give me any kind of commission if you click on the links.

SHOPPING | My August 2018 Sephora VIB Sale purchases

Helloooo I am back from Europe so I’m just slowing getting back into the grind of blogging. There are so many things coming out next month that I can’t wait to share with you, but first… my Sephora VIB sale purchases! I almost never share these purchases because I never go crazy and do those massive hauls that you see on other people’s blogs or Youtube channels. I usually pick up 1-2 basics each time there’s a sale and that’s all, which isn’t very exciting. That being said, I am crazy excited about one thing I did pick up this time that I NEED to tell you guys about it.

So the two things I picked up are the Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydra-Gel Eye Patches and the FOREO LUNA (original) for Sensitive/Normal Skin. The latter, I am so excited about. I received a FOREO Luna Play from the Holt Renfrew media event in July 2017, and I started using it about a year ago and I absolutely love it.

The Luna Play is a tiny tiny (see size comparison here) non rechargeable version of the Luna that is fantastic for travel or for when you want to just try out the Luna system. There are SO many cleansing systems out there and it can get very overwhelming. I myself have tried four of the very popular ones on the market (Clarisonic, Clinique, Philips, and the Foreo) and everyone has different opinions about each one. They can get pretty pricey if you aren’t sure if a system will work for you, so the Luna Play is great to dabble in this system first before deciding to make the investment (and then you can just keep the Play for travel later). Basically it doesn’t come with an option to charge, but each factory fresh Luna Play will lasts you about 100 cleanses. I don’t use mine every night so one year later, it’s still going strong. It is very basic so it doesn’t even come with a timer, and it only has one speed setting, but it should work for most skins. I have slightly sensitive normal / dehydrated skin and the Luna Play has done wonders for my skin.

Anyways, the reason why I am so excited about the FOREO Luna purchase is because the original one is currently on sale for 30% off for $139 down from $199, and then you get the additional 15% off on top of that, which means the system ultimate ends up being 40% off the original price. This is the original Luna, not the Luna 2, but I did a bunch of research and basically determined that the different between the Luna 2 and the Luna isn’t significant enough for me to warrant paying $194 (post-discount) for the Luna 2, versus $118 for the Luna. If you’re looking for a good comparison post between the original and the Luna 2, here’s a great one.

I can’t wait to receive mine in the mail!

The PTR Eye Patches I’ve had in my Loves list for a while. My eye area is super dry, especially since I work at a computer all day and then winter is also coming (dun dun dunnnn), so I need something to alleviate the dryness and incoming fine lines. I haven’t used this yet but once I do, I’ll be sure to post my thoughts.

One last thing I wanted to mention. There has been a lot of noise out there in the beauty community about Youtubers and influencers accepting tens of thousands of dollars to post reviews and feature products in videos / posts. I just wanted to clarify again that:

1. I have a full time job and I don’t rely on my blog to make money. In the last year, I’ve done a few sponsored posts but I would estimate my earnings for the entire period from January 2017 to now to be under $1,000. I also never actively pursue sponsored posts, only reacting to them if I receive an offer.
2. I don’t use affiliate links. Obviously it’d be nice if you guys went out and bought stuff that I recommend, but I don’t have any interest in whether or not you do.
3. I do receive PR samples to review and write about, but I have always been brutally honest with my reviews, especially as I don’t use affiliate links and I don’t have any interest in whether or not you end up buying.
4. I started this blog as a side hobby to document my love for beauty, and I continue to strive to keep that up.

Thanks for letting me speak my mind here!

SHOPPING | Sephora Favorites deluxe kits for travel and trying out new products!

Sephora releases these amazing Sephora Favorites kits each season, with an abundance of them released in the summer in order to accommodate the summer travel season. I’ve been buying these kits for the last year and I highly recommend them as they are incredible value. Not only do you get several, very generously-sized deluxe samples to try out, they are also very travel friendly. You can either bring them with you on your travels, or use it as an opportunity to play with different brands for a low price.

There are kits made for skincare, hair, lip products, perfume, and also specific themes such as inner beauty. At the time of writing this post, there’s also a Clean Beauty one (might be sold out already by the time this is published… these kits go super fast!).

The one I ordered recently is The Ultimate Travel Bag (pictured). Everything came in a TSA-friendly clear pouch which is perfect for hauling everything around with you in your carry on. The price? Just US$40! The value of the Sunday Riley C.E.O. Serum itself is already $42.50, so you are essentially getting everything else for free. I plan on taking some products in my kit to Europe with me when I’m there in August, and then the rest of the products will go with me to Florida in November. Sadly, this kit sold out within a few days of being posted on the Sephora website.

Here’s the complete list of products included in the kit. Some of the products I’ve already tried in the past, so I’ve included some thoughts about it, others I have not tried.

• 0.23 oz/ 7 mL Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm – amazing value, basically half of the full size which retails for $68. A tiny bit goes a very long way, very good for soothing and hydrating tired undereyes, great for preventing fine lines
• 1.35 oz/ 40 mL Alterna CAVIAR Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo
• 1.35 oz/ 40 mL Alterna CAVIAR Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Conditioner
• 0.16 oz/ 5 mL AMOREPACIFIC The Essential Crème Fluid – very lightweight but very hydrating, love this for travel
• 0.7 oz/ 20 g boscia Luminizing Black Charcoal Mask – didn’t find it very luminizing but definitely very fun to use!
• 0.5 oz/ 15 mL boscia Tsubaki Swirl Two-Part Gel & Cream Deep Hydartion Moisturizer
• 1 oz/ 30 mL Caudalie Beauty Elixir – really refreshing, not super hydrating, great for travel when you need a quick pick-me-up
• 7 tablets HUM Nutrition Beauty zzZz Sleep Supplement
• 0.5 oz/ 15 mL LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask – amazing for when you are on the plane and want to prevent your skin from drying out.
• 1 oz/ 30 mL Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash
• 0.81 oz/ 24 mL Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream – LOVE THIS CREAM! Smells amazing and is super moisturizing and nourishing, but dislike the shimmers in the cream
• 0.5 oz/ 15 mL Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
• 0.5 oz/ 15 mL Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40

Sadly, the availability is different on Canadian and US Sephora. The Canadian one has fewer kits (there are only six on Canadian Sephora compared to 21 on US Sephora), and even within the kits there are certain products missing (for example any SPF products that aren’t sold in Canada, such as Supergoop). If you are near a Sephora store in Canada, you might find certain kits that are either not available or already sold out online. If you have access to a US mailing address, I highly recommend that you order these directly from the US Sephora site for the biggest selection.

Highly recommend Sephora Favorites!

SHOPPING | My top favourite brands and products, available at Holt Renfrew

So by now you’ll already know that I am a major luxury shopper and I buy a lot of my stuff from Holt Renfrew, a luxury department store in Vancouver that also has locations across Canada. Some of the brands I talk about extensively on my blog are also available at Holts, so I wanted to give you a mini shopping guide, of sorts, of the products and brands I love that are also available under one roof.

The full disclosure is that yes I do work with Holts sometimes and I get invited to their events. BUT if you know me in real life, you’ll know that I actually work two blocks away from the Vancouver store and it also happens to be on my way home (on the way to the skytrain…) so I actually shop quite extensively here. During their May/June designer sale, I’d actually come here every day after work to check out shoes and other sale items. This post is absolutely not sponsored, I really just go there a lot.

1. Charlotte Tilbury

It’s no secret that Charlotte Tilbury makes some of my favourite makeup products. My top picks include Filmstar Bronze & Glow, the Luxury Eye Palettes in the Dolce Vita* and the Vintage Vamp*, KISSING Lipstick in Bitch Perfect, Lip Liner in Pillow Talk*, as well as the combination of Magic Cream + Wonder Glow* + Light Wonder Foundation*. I recently broke the highlighter pan in my Filmstar Bronze & Glow. It still works but I just can’t take it around with me anymore since the powder spills out. Well I love that so much that I ended up picking up a replacement to take around with me because I need my glow on the go!

2. Christian Louboutin Beaute

I love Christian Louboutin lip products. They are such a luxurious splurge but oh so worth it. Since it’s summer, I’ve been wearing the Sheer Voile Lip Colour in Mexicatchy* all the time. Not only does the formula and colour look beautiful, the packaging is also such a statement piece.

3. La Prairie

Okay do I need to say more about my love for La Prairie? The products are insanely luxurious but it’s such a wonderful experience whenever you use them. My top picks are the Skin Caviar Concealer + Foundation* and the Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Dry Oil*. Both of these are on the lower end of the price spectrum for La Prairie, and both of these also last you FOREVER in terms of usage, so you actually get pretty good value for your money (despite it being luxury products).

4. AmorePacific

The first brand that introduced me to the world of ultra luxury skincare, AmorePacific is a Korean brand that specializes in using green tea extracts to achieve skin goals. I love their Time Response products, which are an ultimate splurge, but the texture and skin benefits really outweigh the price. I have travel sizes that I take around with me whenever I travel, and I simply love how amazing they make my skin feel and look. For a slightly less pricey (but still very pricey) alternative, the Future Response line is also great. Their skin basics, such as cleansers and toners have been long-standing favourites in my skincare routine. While I test out many products, every few years I will return to AmorePacific and the results are always just as I expected.

5. Sulwhasoo

Korean luxury beauty brand Sulwhasoo is owned by AmorePacific and specializes in ginseng-based skincare. I’ve only tried a few products from the brand but so far I’ve been very impressed! The First Care Activating Serum* is a greater starter serum for anyone looking to venture into this brand. I’ve also had very good luck with the Snowise Brightening Mask* to give me luminous skin before an event or when my skin is looking particularly sallow.

6. Givenchy Beauty

OH MY GOD. I was so happy when I found out Givenchy Beauty was launching at Holt Renfrew. You can now pick up the entire line of makeup products here, as well as their line of Atelier Haute Parfumerie collection. I’ve been buying Givenchy Beauty from Sephora for years but the line wasn’t that widely available, and it was always hard to find stock / good testers, as well as people who knew the line. I was invited to the media launch of this when it opened early June, but of course I went back a few days later to pick up one of their new Le Rouge Liquide lipsticks. SO MUCH LOVE!

You can purchase all of these products at Holt Renfrew (duh). Next time you’re in Vancouver, make time to browse their beauty floor, which is amazing and YUUUGE. I love spending time browsing the different counters and playing with all the new products.

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these and what your thoughts are!

Certain products were gifted or provided by PR for review consideration; these are marked with a *. Most products I’ve tried from these brands were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Celebrating Swimco’s 40th anniversary + e-commerce launch!

Swimco is western Canada’s leading retailer of swim apparel and accessories. A family-owned business, it was founded in 1975, meaning that they are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year! The matriarch of the company, Corinne Forseth, created Swimco from her basement as a mail-order swimwear business, and since then, Swimco has developed into a an operation with 22 retail locations in western Canada. In 2014, Swimco launched its e-commerce website, essentially going back to its roots in the mail-order business, and has become readily available to customers across Canada.

I’ve shopped at Swimco brick-and-mortar retail, and their customer service is really great. I remember shopping at the Metrotown location last year in preparation for my Mexico trip and the experience was very pleasant – the salespeople were very knowledgeable, never pushy, and also provided me with a variety of options to suit my body type. Swimwear shopping is extremely daunting, especially on someone like me who does not have a supermodel body, but Swimco has really turned it into a positive experience.

Recently, I was offered the opportunity to experience shopping via the Swimco e-commerce website. The Swimco website offers a plethora of brands, as well as wide selection of styles. You can choose to shop by brand, such as Seafolly, Azura Australia, Speedo, BCBGeneration, and more, or by style, such as tankini, one-piece, fitness, and more. The website also offers styles for men and children, in addition to women’s styles. You might think it would be difficult to shop swimwear without trying it on, but the Swimco website is amazing in that it offers size guides by the brand (not an umbrella size guide), because we all know that sizes vary by brand; as well as a customer service “Fit Expert” live chat who will be able to answer your questions about any particular brand.

I am particularly biased towards Seafolly suits. I currently own three swimsuits and all of them are by Seafolly – I just love the cute designs as well as a pretty prints that are released every season, and I also love the availability of sizes for bigger busts. One of my bestest friends (and blog contributor) Liza swears by Seafolly, and she says after even years of wear and wash, they still hold up extremely well, which is also what convinced me to continually purchase their suits.

The design that really caught my eye was their Vintage Holiday print – I just fell in love with the U-Tube Bandeau Top and the Roll Top Retro Bikini Bottom (scroll to the bottom of the page). I have the U-Tube Bandeau top in the normal size, but I was really excited to see it being released in a size more suitable for bigger busts, providing more support via bigger cups as well as underwires. Keep in mind that the sizes on the Swimco website are listed in the Canadian sizing, not the Australian sizing on the label of the swimsuit.

Website tip – if you want to check if there is stock of your size at a brick-and-mortar store near you, you can click on the size on the product page, then click “check in store availability.” If the size you want isn’t in stock on the website, you can do a live chat (or leave a message if its after hours) with a Fit Expert to ask them to check store stock. The Fit Expert live chats are available from 8:30AM to 5:00PM MST on Monday to Friday, closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays (but you can leave a message and they will get back to you the morning of the next business day).

I ended up ordering the U-Tube Bandeau Top in a size 12, which I thought was the Australian size 12 (Canadian size 10 or US size 8) but turned out to be a Canadian size 12, meaning it was one size too big for me. This meant that I got to experience the speedy and convenient exchange service offered by Swimco! I did a live chat with the Fit Expert to let her know that I need an exchange, and because the size 10 was sold out online, the Fit Expert managed to track down a size 10 at a retail location, and also offered to transfer the top to the store that’s most convenient for me to get to. After a few days, the store called me to let me know that my suit had arrived, and the exchange process was just super easy. In the end, I was very happy with the Swimco online service, and the entire ordering process.

The U-Tube Bandeau Top in size 10 was the perfect fit for my 34DD size chest. While it is a bandeau-style top, it comes with underwire support for those in need of more support. I love that the suit is also lined in a fluor pink that’s super whimsical and cute. The bandeau style doesn’t provide me with a lot of cleavage, but I prefer this type of understated look that provides more coverage and support rather than cleavage. I also ordered myself the Twist Front bottom from Seafolly in navy to pair with the Vintage Holiday print – the navy colour goes perfectly with the blue floral print.

If you’re a Canadian in need of a large selection of swimsuits for every size, and want somewhere that offers free shipping for orders over $100, easy and convenient exchanges or returns, you should check out Swimco!

Thanks to Swimco for providing me with a gift card to shop!

NEW! 9W♥InStyle capsule collection for Spring 2014

For spring, Nine West is collaborating with InStyle magazine once again to create a limited edition capsule collection; Nine West and InStyle collaborated previously for their capsule collection in fall 2013. The 9W♥InStyle capsule collection will be available at all Nine West locations in Vancouver, as well as in select stores across Canada, the US, the UK, Spain, Turkey, and Mexico.

Their previous collection included only shoes, but this time there will be a portfolio clutch and also a cuff bracelet, both available in 3 different colours. The accessories are priced at $180 for the clutch and $98 for the bracelet.

The 9W♥InStyle capsule collection is available in stores on Friday, March 7 and the shoes will be priced at $120 to $149. Some of my favourite designs in the collection are below.

Basic wool peacoat: the purchase (part 2)

I previously wrote about my search for a classic and basic wool peacoat here. After literally months of searching, I finally found the one.

I like to think of my coats as an investment. Prior to this year’s replacement of the coats, my previous outerwear have all lasted me anywhere from 4 to 7 years. This year, I finally decided to replace all of my coats due to realizing that they’re actually not that warm anymore.

The three choices that I had looked at in my last post all had flaws that I just couldn’t overlook, and because I was confident in that I would be wearing this coat for many years, I decided to expand my search to more luxury brands. Specifically, I looked at Burberry.

I absolutely love Burberry for outerwear. I find that the quality really is fantastic and the price they charge for the craftsmanship and material is (almost) justified. I previously purchased a trench coat from Burberry and it has become the most beloved and most worn articles of clothing in my closet. Coincidentally, the Burberry website started their winter sale just before Christmas and of course I had to take a look.

Wool coats by Burberry London (my favourite of the three Burberry brands – Prorsum, London, and Brit) were marked down 30%, and everything was shipped straight from the UK. I looked at three different styles that met my criteria (everything except the price, of course). All o these coats were made of 80% wool and 20% cashmere, meaning they are extremely soft and warm.

Wool Cashmere Military Pea Coat

I love the button details on this style, as well as the giant pockets (yay for carrying a lot of stuff around!). I also really like that cuff design around the sleeves and the nightingale extension at the back of the coat. The downsides were the extremely high price, and that it looked a bit too contemporary for me. I wanted something more classic that would stay in style for years.

Revere Collar Wool Cashmere Pea Coat

Again, loving the button detail on the sleeves and the scrunched up fabric at the back of the waist. The downside was the sleeves look really short on the model, and I felt it might be too fitted to layer anything underneath. This coat looked more like a light spring jacket than a warm coat.

Wool Cashmere Pea Coat

This one was a winner! Definitely love the oversized collar and the slightly longer cut. It’s fitted but still loose enough to layer a blazer or a sweater underneath. It has less detailing around the back of the waist or the sleeves, but the oversized collar is definitely the main feature. While the price is a bit high, I was very happy with this purchase. I was also extremely happy that my search is now over!

Basic wool peacoat: the search (part 1)

I’ve always been a long coat kind of gal. All of the jackets/coats I wear on a regular basis are long, either knee length or longer. This year, I wanted to get myself a short wool peacoat, something for more casual wear that wasn’t as heavy or formal as a long coat.

I started my search at the beginning of coat-shopping season, during early September. I had narrowed down my list of criteria to the follow:

• Short (ish), around hip length
• Dark colour, either black or navy
• Made of wool, with minimal other materials mixed in
• Fitted enough to create an illusion of a waist-like, but loose enough so that I can layer underneath
• Budget of around $300

In addition to looking at the various brands such as Club Monaco, J.Crew, Mackage, Smythe, I also kept my eyes out for sales on shopping sites such as Gilt, Rue La La, and others. In the end, I narrowed down my selection to the following choices:

Majesty Peacoat from J. Crew

The classic Majesty Peacoat from J. Crew is made of warm stadium cloth. Available in a wide variety of colours, I fell in love with the fit of this design. I tried this in a size 8 and it was just perfect for wearing with a thick sweater or a blazer underneath. The navy colour, coupled with the gold buttons, was also a standout. The downside to this peacoat was the gold buttons, as they looked plastic and slightly cheap.

Samantha Navy Blazer Coat from Mackage

This was a lot more expensive than what I had originally budgeted, but I love the feel and quality of Mackage coats that I couldn’t resist but look. The leather detailing, a Mackage signature, was very much my style, but the zipper side details were a bit too grungy for me, especially since I wanted something classic for every day wear.

Wool-felt peacoat from Iris & Ink

I’ve never heard of the brand Iris & Ink, but this came pretty close to what I was looking for in a wool peacoat. The material looks heavy-duty, and the design was a contemporary take on a classic silhouette. The only thing was I couldn’t find much online about the quality of this brand and I was wary about spending so much money on a coat that I wasn’t sure of the material and make.

Which coat do you think I chose in the end? I’ll be following up with part 2 of my coat search soon!

Maddy Loves holiday gift guide, 2013 edition!

It’s not easy to shop for the beauty fanatics in your life. I know from personal experience that I don’t like it when people buy me beauty products because I’m very particular about what I want. However, there are some great alternative beauty products out there but I never thought to buy for myself. This is where the gift givers come in!

1. MICRO Pedi at-home pedicure

For the DIY lovers in your life (that’s me!), the Micro Pedi is the perfect gadget. Pedicures are expensive and impractical sometimes, so this is the perfect compromise. Battery-operated, the rolling spinner works to remove the dry skin to give you soft and smooth feet, perfect for holiday season cuddles. Priced at $49.99, the Micro Pedi is available at Shoppers Drug Mart and at http://www.micropedi.ca.

2. MIYU Beauty facial essence and tea sets

MIYU Beauty has combined beauty and health with their beauty essence and tea sets. Available in two varieties – a hydrate set and a de-stress set – this is perfect for your office-worker lady friend. The spray is perfect to keep at the office and the tea is great to enjoy while working late nights. Priced at $42 for each of the sets (pictured above), you get a 80mL of the beauty essence and 16 tea bags. There is a great sampler set available for $24 (pictured below) that includes 15mL each of the hydrate and de-stress beauty essence, and two each of the hydrate and de-stress tea bags. Available online at http://www.miyubeauty.com.

3. Way Spa gift cards

Way Spa is a spa network that spans across Canada and their gift cards are redeemable at over 2,000 spa locations across Canada. Available in denominations of $25-500, these are great if you want to surprise your lady (or male) friend with a relaxing day at the spa. I wrote about my experience at one of Way Spa’s partners, the Sabai Thai Spa here. A general gift card like this is great for when you want to be a bit more flexible as to where your gift card can be used. Available online at http://www.wayspa.com.

I also wrote about holiday offerings from L’Occitane en Provence and LUSH Cosmetics, if you need some more inspiration!

Shopping for work clothes: what I look for, where I shop, and how to get the best deals

I admit, I am becoming like an old woman because I get excited at the sight of nice, proper work clothes. On my last trip to Vegas, I didn’t look at any casual clothes, and even if I did look, I was not interested at all. What I was interested in, though, was the pencil skirts and fitted blazers of the bunch.

When I shop for work clothes, I look for three main things:

• Fit – I like my clothes to be fitted against my curves but still loose enough for me to move around comfortably in them. I really like structure in most of the work clothes I buy as I feel it makes me look more professional, however structure does not mean scratchy fabrics.
• Texture – The feel of the item is equally important as the look. I like my fabrics to be soft to the touch, and preferably stretchy so it is easier to move around in them. I also like well-made, high quality pieces of clothing. I am willing to splurge on something that will last several years rather than buy several items that are of lower quality.
• Timelessness – With work wear, I rarely, if ever, follow trends. I almost always go with timeless pieces, such a good quality collared shirt or silk blouse with bow tie.

There are some stores that I absolutely love for work clothes, some of them have been long time favourites and others are new discoveries for me. Some of them used to be favourites, and then as time went on… quality of their products have really declined so I’ve stopped shopping there.

• Banana Republic – BR is hands down my absolute favourite place to shop for work clothes. Their non-iron shirts are staples in my closet as they are incredibly soft and they fit well on my body shape, not to mention the convenience of not having to iron them. Their designs in general are chic and modern, without looking too trendy. Quality is also on their side; their products are very well made and are made from high quality fabrics too. Their products are slightly on the pricier side so I usually wait for sales to buy them though, make sure to sign up for their mailing list to get information on when their sales are. Hint hint, they almost always has some kind of markdown event going on!
• Ann Taylor – This is a new discovery from my Vegas trip. I’ve been hearing bloggers talk about Ann Taylor but I’ve never shopped at one until recently, and I quickly fell in love. Their Perfect Pumps are easily one of my favourite work shoes and I also love their blouses. The quality isn’t as top notch as Banana Republic’s, I find, but again if you check their website regularly, or subscribe to their mailing list, you can find really amazing deals (up to 90% off!).
• BCBG Max Azria – My favourite place to shop for blazers, which I talk about in detail here. I also love their silk blouses and accessories, especially belts. Quality of most products is fantastic, but they are a little bit trendier so not everything is office-appropriate. Their outlets are great places to find awesome deals, and they also do sales sometimes in store, either for 30, 40, 50 or 60% off select items, and then sometimes they have a 20% or 30% off all regular-price items in store.
• Zara – I fell in love with Zara just this spring when I bought two of their blazers in a row, plus a bunch of other things. Both fit and quality are inconsistent, so I highly recommend trying things on in person. Their sales are good… on the first day. And then it becomes a madhouse and things get ripped or makeup stained and I would rather just not go there.
• Jacob – I used to love shopping at Jacob, both the regular Jacob and Jacob Connexion. The quality of their products used to be fantastic, with great designs that were trendy but still very wearable, but now it has just been going downhill. Now, I feel that their products don’t fit me as well as before, and the fabrics are stiffer, but prices have stayed the same. I will still look occasionally, but I usually don’t find anything I like anymore.
• Mexx – Same as with Jacob, but Mexx does those 50% off the entire store events which I enjoy.

Wow, now that I’m done, I totally realized this was just a big fat word vomit of a post. I hope it was helpful to those of you who had the patience to read through it though. If you have any questions, feel free to ask =)