live fast in comfort

wearing: (1) night market scarf, american eagle knit vest, truly madly deeply sweatshirt tunic, american apparel winter leggings, soda moccasin flats (2) h&m faux fur collar, american eagle military knit cardigan, forever 21 floral blouse, american apparel winter leggings, soda moccasins.

so i've been kind of wearing the different variations of the same outfit. it could possibly be because that i can drive now (insert huge grin) and wearing heels to drive is incredibly dangerous (says parents, something to do with depth perception and the gas pedal). come to think about it, i wear more carefully thought out and meticulous outfits when i need to take the bus. haha.

after declaring the break away from my job, i haven't really called them back to say i was done finals and can return to work. they didn't call back. so lets just assume that they forgot about me. and i move on to a job i can really enjoy. i still want one of those adolescent part time jobs that just pays for my shopping habits and school. i've tried receptionist, restaurant prep, cashier, and specialized factory worker - lets try some retailin' next.

ah i really don't really like listening to people younger than i but this is too catchy: f.cuz - jiggy

leather arms

wearing: american eagle beanie, american eagle fur vest, zipia leather jacket, talula sheer zodiac tee, forever 21 jean leggings, nine west boots

wore this to catch Avatar with some friends. Avatar was an awesome movie, the visuals were gorgeous and made me realize that humans are so lame and inferior. our earth pales in comparison to Pandora's bio luminescent people, wildlife and plants. pure fantasy, loved it.

from my boxing day purchases: as you see i;ve also upgraded to a fur vest from the collar, it was one of those rare purchases my mom made for me that actually complimented the rest of my closet :) and the sheer zodiac tee is probably one of my few graphic tees in my closet but i love it for its sheer quality, boxy oversized shape, and simple graphic design.

american apparel nail polish review

l to r: pinto, palm beach, manila, factory grey, mount royal, office

after learning that these american apparel nail polish are 3 for $18, i picked up the colours i was excited for in my previous nails post except passport blue, which i found to be much darker in person. i was elated when i saw these all lined up in the aa store, their boxy shaped containers really emphasize the creme colours within the glass bottles.



palm springs - pastel cool mint green creme. this is pretty darn reminiscent of china glaze's for audrey, which my sister owns. i am guessing that palm springs is greener while for audrey is more true to blue. applied a bit streaky but it is a light creme so it is expected, two coats.



mount royal - midtone royal blue creme. i was expecting a dustier shade of lighter blue as if someone has spike the formula with several drops of grey varnish but this is a nice shade too, something i;ve seen plenty of but i don't own. two coats, but totally could have been a one coater because of opacity of the polish.





pinto - a red brick brown. please ignore the scratches, i have a bad habit of painting my nails before bed, and i normally wake up to sheet and hair marks. the formula on this one was really runny and had a slight jelly effect where if you did not apply it evenly, it was blatantly obvious where you were a bit heavier with brush. 3 coats.





palm springs - nude pastel peach. this colour kind of reminds me of a barbie doll's skin or that peach crayon that you reserved for colouring skin. i think this looks pretty awful on against my skin, maybe i'll i was more tanned it would be ok. i'll try again in the summer. 3 coats.



manila - like the envelope but not quite. a warm mustard. went on pretty smooth, 2 coats, and the colour is not obnoxious.



factory grey - remember how i wanted this to be the perfect grey? yes i think this is really it. sure sure it is a pink/purple-y tinged grey but it really works with my skin tone. loves, 2 coats.

the formula was decent for majority of the colours. goes on pretty opaque, but i normally do 2 just to even out the colour. the handle of the brushes are a little too long, but the brush is pretty good. sometimes the opi brush is a little too big for my liking, holding too much polish thus i would get it on the sides. while the brush on the aa polish does not cover my entire nail, i like it that way, it allows me to have more control for a neater application.

i want more colours. more. i know it is an illness.

little black boot

the troubles with having a sister with the same shoe size is that she consistently borrow your shoes when you want to wear them. it always happened with my bronx motorcycle boots, which she abused them as if they were her own. tramping through salt slush during warmer winters and leaving them around as door mat in numerous house parties have rendered my beloved boots for early retirement. i've brought them to the shoe repair for a replacement heel and reattach the upper to the sole repair last year, under a year i encountered the same problem again - the detached upper. of course i could bring them to the shoe repair but i feel these boots have too much pride to admit their weakness, so i've decided to reserve them for only the finest weather, ie no precipitation. so now i am looking for a new addition to my family to brave the bipolar weather of a canadian winter.

from the left top clockwise:

• harley davidson little sur - the classic motorcycle boot with a round toe. a clunkier profile than my bronx but i think these are more durable and practical. ($130 CAD)
• frye erin chelsea - i am quite attached to the equestrian look right now, these also give off a more clean and polished look. ($298 CAD)
• dingo shoe boot - these actually could be a good alternative to oxfords, this shorter western style is less obvious. ($80 CAD)
• frye bill short vintage - the classic short western boot with all the details: pull on tabs, wooden sole, stitching on the upper. perfect ($298 CAD)
• steve madden pystol - the trendier western boot with inside zipper in dark blue. the little star shaped cut outs are a nice touch. ($136 CAD)

left to right:

• aldo gaser - nice pull on motorcycle boot with buckles and studs. ($99 CAD)
  
• aldo floseda - another western boot with a slouchy shaft and cleaner look. ($99 CAD)

i really want to try these on before i commit. but i am think i am leaning on the harly davidson ones and a western style. they are so different but i could wear them in so many ways. what should i do?

resistance

wearing: joe fresh style purple cardigan, talula zodiac sheer tee, zara paper waist wool trousers, aldo wedge

as much as i hate spending my hard earn money on less than perfect items, regardless if they are regular or sale priced, i gave in to these pants. you must be thinking what is wrong with them? well there is this weird stain on the belt, it is not very noticeable, but it is there when you look closely enough (third picture). as much as i love zara for their fast fashion, they are one arrogant retailer, when i asked them about the mark on the belt, they refused to give me any sort of favourable resolution:
- can i have some sort of discount for the damaged belt?
- can i exchange the belt of this pant with any pant?

so after i was denied, i left with out the pants. i waited two days, developed this “can’t-eat, can’t-sleep, reach-for-the-stars, over- the-fence, world-series” * kind of attachment to those pants, which drove me back to the sale racks of zara. amongst the messy scoured racks of pants too large too small: not perfect. to my relief, i found my pants. tried them on again, figured that the stain is not that visible and the belt is interchangeable for other (duh!) and skipped to the cashier.

these are probably my first proper pants. not jeans not leggings not super form fitting – the solution to my problem of what to wear for my lower half in the mornings of my future formal group meetings and in-class presentations.

* quote from young Olsen’s It Takes Two

skittle nails

as an lover of american apparel and nail polish, i am so excited about the new launch of american apparel's new line of nail polish. american apparel is known for their array of colours in their clothing and accessories, so isn't it just so fitting that they expand that concept into nail polish? as psyched as i am to get my hands on all of these colours, i am a wise consumer or at least i like to think that way; i have so many questions based on how many coats to achieve opacity, finish of the colours, brush design, lasting power, and comparability to other top brands, such as opi and china glaze.

until i have the time to visit an american apparel store, i will just dream about all those unconventional colours on my tips:



factory grey - i feel this will be my go to grey. all the ones i've encountered have either been too light or dominated by an red/blue/brown base. i hope this cold grey is my answer.



manila, office, palm springs - these are my spring colours! nothing obnoxious nothing neon, i am ready for the pastels: subdued and calm. manila is the mellowed out response to pantone's colour of 2009: mimosa, office is a dainty jade that dominated chanel's f/w 2009 runways, and palm springs is a light coral that one splash away from becoming pink, orange or nude. gorgeous!



mount royal, passport blue - i can never get enough blue nails. royal blue looks like a nice shade of dusty/greyed out blue that isn't too bright and really sophisticated for daily wear. passport blue, i would i die if this had a creme finish and when it dried it would not become some kind of ubiquitous blue/black ordeal. i want it to be a nice visible dark blue in very sort of light.

available at american apparel for $7.50 CAD