One week Be4 Holiday Haul

This week,....

Received another VS package in the mail! ❤

Body by VS - Bare Ultimate Panty - FREE
Knot-Front Babydoll bra top - $4.64 shipped (Orig. $48.50. Sale $39.50)

The babydoll, I used the 30% off code and stacked three $10 SRCs to get it down to that price. ☺
Yeah, that's a lot of coupons for one simple top. So glad it's not disappointing. I love it! ❤ Though the shelf-bra is annoying, hard to breathe, so I probably will mutilate it (cut the elastic band).

I still have 3 more $10 Secret Reward cards. I'm going to wait until next week. There's a rumor that the online Semi Annual Sale will be on Dec 22nd. I can use some more buff/beige/neutral-colored bras.

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Last week, Bath & Body Works offered "A free tote ($20 value) with any $25 purchase and $ 3 shipping on order of $50 or more". I fell into their trap! I really liked the tote color and pattern at first sight, sooooo I bought a bunch of things to get the tote. Agh!

Foaming hand soap - 3 for $10
Shower sponge - $3
Lambie doll - $3.50

I also bought a $35 Lambie blanket, since I didn't know what else to get. I don't like their lotions, they are watery and the fragrance is too strong for me. I like Vaseline brand more. With the blanket, I could get the free tote and $3 shipping (Orig. $6.99). I live 10 mins from the store, so it's easy to return it. It's a nice vinyl tote, it has a button closure, but it's definitely not worth $20. More like $10..... or $5. It's currently on sale for $10 btw.

O yeah, one more thing. When I opened the package, there's a Victoria's Secret $10 off $25+ coupon inside! It valid from Dec 26th to Jan 10th.
I know B&BW and VS are run by the same company, but I'm still surprised that Bath & Body Works gives away VS coupons!!
VS didn't even include any coupons at all with my orders. Boo!

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Next, ASOS. I bought a belt and a knit wide headband about 1.5 weeks ago. Also, I got a tote for free. It has a picture of a bulldog and a bird on top of it, really random.

Man, I wonder how many totes I got for free. I've a bunch from VS Pink, a couple from Old Navy, Sephora, DSW, Bath & Body Works, ASOS, ... I don't even carry totes. LOL

Belt - $6.80
Whitney Port Floral Headband - $17

The belt is awesome. Pretty chain design buckle, it fits as modeled. The headband, I dunno why I got it, it's not really my style, it's girlie, but I like it because it's so unique and eye-catching.

I had done some research on the headband before I bought it. It's Whitney Port inspired. It's popular in early 2009 (article). It seems it's still popular in UK. The headband comes in black, white, and pink. The black is out of stock. The white was out of stock at least twice. The white one recently is back in stock, but they have increased the price to $20.40.

See, it's quite feminine/girlie. The flower is HUGE. I'm not sure if I want to keep or sell it on eBay. Yah, hubby said I should keep it.

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On Sunday, Amazon site held a one-day only deal, select outerwear was on sale for 75% off!! There were a bunch of $100-$500 value women/men designer coats and jackets. I couldn't buy anymore coats, I have too many already. :(
But, I bought a down vest, since I didn't have one. LOL
I bought it around 2 AM on Sunday. I was so glad that I didn't delay, because when I woke up later in the morning, the vest was totally sold out.

ESPRIT Quilted & Down Vest - $29.88 shipped
(Orig. $119.50)

The vest REALLY nice, good quality and warm. The hood is detachable. It has zipper, buttons, and toggles closure. The fake fur is pretty and good quality too. I pulled a small section of the fur, and it didn't shed at all.
The downside, it runs a little small. It's kinda tight around the chest area. It fits fine if I only wear a shirt or a thin sweater. It's kinda tight if I wear layers of clothes. I should have ordered one size bigger. *sigh* O well, I still LOVE this vest !!

It also comes with a tennis ball. I was confused why they included a ball. According to the instruction, it seems that it's recommended to throw the ball into the dryer with the vest. The ball will distribute the down evenly. Wow, I didn't know that. Neat!

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Next, Old Navy. Last week ON had 20% off code and free shipping for $50+ purchase. I found some nice skirts. I bought some since I'm tired of wearing jeans all the time in fall/winter. I can wear the skirts w/ leggings and boots.

Two Khakis Pencil Skirts - $38 (Orig. $24.50 each)
Cotton Twill Box-Pleat Skirt - $19.99 (Orig. $29.50)
After 20% discount - $46.39 shipped

I like all of them. Good quality and versatile!! Though, I ended up returning the last skirt. It looks like a school skirt. :-x

Then, there's that pending cashback from eBates and Bing.
So after the cashback, these skirts are pretty cheap. ^__^

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I bought this Martin+OSA a few days ago, when they had 25% off + free shipping deal.

Long Sleeve Cascade Ruffle Tee $18.38 shipped (Orig. $44.50)

The tee is thin and semi sheer, but bra is still not visible. So no need to wear a cami underneath to hide the bra.
I love the color. Pretty unique ruffles design. I should have ironed them first before I took the picture. O well, lazy right now. =P

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So 2 weeks ago, Sephora emailed me a $20 gift card to spend. I used it to purchase Shu Uemura Skin Purifier Cleansing Beauty Oil.

Shu Uemura Skin Purifier Cleansing Beauty Oil - $52

Samples:
Gucci Flora By Gucci Eau de Toilette
Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne Eau de Parfum
Nanette by Nanette Lepore Eau de Parfum
NARS Lipgloss duo (Dolce Vita + Striptease)

I purchased the 5 oz bottle ($32) when Sephora had that Friends & Family 20% sale a few months ago.
I decided to buy the 15.2 oz one with the $20 gift card for backup, since it's pretty good deal after the $20 discount (=28% off), and I'll also get cashback from Bing and eBates.

Now I have all 3 sizes, 15.2 oz, 5 oz, and 1.6 oz!
I'm set until next year. LOL

Yeah, I spent quite a fortune on this cleansing oil because it's just THAT gooooodddd. It's been great to my skin, and it washes off my makeup very effectively. ❤

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And last, I spent my last Old Navy $10 coupon, finally. I couldn't find anything I want. I'm out of stuff to buy from that store. LOL
So my hubby used it to buy a pair of khakis, for $5 !!

Men's Flannel-lined Plain-Front Pants - $5
(Orig. $35.50. Sale $15)

The fur-trim hoodie I bought last week that was on sale for $25, now it is on sale for $20 !!! I totally have to go back there and get price adjustment!

I've Done Some Damage...

I received my $2.80 nail filer + free Coconut Scrub from Body shop that I bought last Monday (Cyber Monday).

So, I returned one of the scrubs that I bought a few weeks ago (Blog).
I saved $20. ☺

$2.80 shipped

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I received 3 out of 4 VS orders I placed last week.

Ruffle-Front Bra Top Cami - $6.48 shipped
Orig. $38.50. Clearance $14.99.

Material is soft and stretchy. The ruffles are huge and not flat, which make me feel uncomfortable wearing it, because the ruffles are so eye-catching, which can make people indirectly stare at my chest.
O well, I can cover it a bit with a cardigan, and it's only $6.

Cotton Pointelle V-Neck Babydoll - $9.98 shipped

Orig. $48. Clearance $19.99

It's cute. I looooove the poet sleeves !! Kinda dissapointed with the color. It is not as purple as the stock photo, it's brighter in real life.

Cowlneck Sweater - $4.29 shipped
Orig. $39

Luckily, I was able to stack $30 worth Secret Reward cards for this one.
I LOVE this sweater!! The material is soft and it has a big cowlneck.

I also received a free scarf, with the purchase of the sweater above.
The scarf is very long, almost touches the floor. FYI, my height is 5'5".
Quality is so so.

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I ordered these boots last Monday (Cyber Monday) from DSW.

Impo Tarra Ankle Boot - $33.71 shipped

Love them! They look so sexy! The heels are 3 inches tall, perfect height.
I love how the toes aren't too pointy and too round, just in-between.

I unexpectedly also received a canvas tote too. It's a gift with purchase I guess. It's very huge.

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I bought this from Amazon 2 days ago.

Nature's Way Basic Pack - $12.89 shipped

Product Description:
The Basic Pack can be used on any part of the body and any ailment. Great for Headaches, Arthritis Migraines, Backpain, Neck pain, Tension and Stress. Used cold for Insect Bites, Bee Stings. Width: 6.5 length: 13 Use anywhere on your body, Relieves pain, All of our herbal packs are made from 100% pure flax seed and an assortment of 12 different natural herbs, These herbs provide a soothing scent that will last for years Warming and caring for your body never got so easy and felt so good! Our products provide relaxing qualities along with soothing aromatic scents made from natuers finest herbs

Sooo I bought this because I want a practical heat pack for menstrual cramp relief. I usually use Therma-Care brand, it works really effectively, instant stomach cramp relief for 8 hours. Unfortunately, it is a bit pricey, only get 3 one-time use heat-packs for $6-7. The pellets that ThermaCare use reminded me of this product. With this Basic Pack, I can reheat and reuse as many times as I want. The herbs smells really nice and comforting too.

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Bought these sweaters when AE had that BOGO 50% off deal + 20% off code.

AE Mockneck Sweater - $16.98

Hubby really likes this sweater. He wore it right away, without cutting off the price tag first. I had to remind him about it. LOL

AE Cableknit V-Neck Sweater - $12.73

I have this in white, I really like it. The red is brighter than the stock photo. I was thinking to exchange it with something else, but hubby said the color looked fine.

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Now stuff that I bought in-store..

Yesterday I went to Old Navy to use the $10 coupon that they mailed to me a few weeks ago. I used it to buy a $25 faux-fur trim hoodie. I love the fur trim!
I'd been wanting to get this hoodie 2 weeks ago, when they showed the Alpine collection commercial on TV (Youtube), but I didn't see it last week. It's strange that they didn't have it instock until this week.
I bought size medium, eventhough size small fits better on me, the sleeves of the size small are more fitted. I didn't get the size small because the hood wasn't big enough, it barely covered my bangs.

Old Navy - $15

My alumni bookstore had 50-75% sale this week. It's end of term sale. I didn't really find anything I like, and majority of the clothes were size L and XL. Then, this one tee caught my eyes, because of the "hottie" word LOL. I bought it for $5.xx.

My hubby bought a bunch of jerseys and zip-up jackets worth $50-$100 each for 50-75% off. Lucky him.
He also found this pom pom beanie. It's very cute and warm!
He bought it for 50 cents !! He told me his coworker offered him $5 for it. LOL
First glance it looks like an Abercrombie & Fitch brand (the moose design).

eBay Bing 20% cashback and more !!

eBay currently offers 20% BING CASHBACK !!
I don't know how long it will last though.

Go to Bing.com, and search "Nintendo Wii"

credit: Slickdeals

Related blog entry: eBay shopping - How to double dip eBay + eBates

Other good deals:
Walmart -- Bing Cashback @ 20%
Go to Bing.com and search "Nintendo Wii"

Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Piperlime -- Bing Cashback @ 25%
http://www.bing.com/search?q=old+navy+cash...m=QBRE&qs=n
http://www.bing.com/search?q=piperlime+cas...m=QBRE&qs=n (link list on the right)
http://www.bing.com/search?q=gap+cashback&...m=QBRE&qs=n

Related blog: Double-dipping eBates+Bing

Black Friday Haul and more

I've received the JC Penney boots that I bought last black friday.

They look good in the box. Nice brown shade, love the style, and the man-made leather looks like the good quality one. I thought I scored a perfect pair of brown boots.

But, .... after I put them on, I don't like them.
The leather looks pleather-ish. I don't like the shiny finish, looks cheap.
They aren't exactly "tall" boots. They are just calves-high.
Worst part, when I tried to walk, instant pain !! It felt a little bit better after I slipped in some Dr. Scholls.
I ended up returning them today to their department store. Bummer. I guess I've to keep looking.

Then, I went to their shoes section.
My eyes caught a pair of cute buckle boots. I love the brown shade and the triple buckles. I wasn't sure if I should get them because I was looking for brown sexy tall boots with high heels. But then, I thought, with these boots, I could walk for long hours without the sore feet. LOL =P

So, original price was $110. They were on sale for $49.99.
I had a 15% off coupon, so final total would be around $42. That's not bad.
The cashier rang them up, the final total was $37.39!!
He said they were cheaper because of the morning Doorbusters deal. Yay ❤

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This week I also received the Emjoi epilator that I bought on Target site last black friday, for $14.99 shipped (Orig. $19.99).

The epilator has a lid and comes with a little brush to clean the tweezers part.

I already tried it once on my facial hair.

Pros:
The tweezers grab and pull off facial hair at the roots very easily, fast and no mess. It can even grab the very very short ones (e.g: the peach fuzz).

Cons:
- It only comes in one speed, SUPER fast one too. So if you have low tolerance pain, it can be VERY painful, more painful than epilating leg or armpit hair. It's more painful because face has the most delicate skin. When I tried epilating my peach fuzz...it hurt like a motha' !! But it worked. LOL
- Last, it doesn't come with a case, so you have to provide that on your own.

Still, it's a keeper.

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So on Friday, hubby and I went to Old Navy.
Old Navy mailed me 3 of $10 off any purchase coupons. Only can use one each week.

ON is currently having lots of sale, a bunch of clothes and outerwear are 30% off, and many plain shirts, tees, camis etc are only $5-$10!

The cami is $8. I wasn't in the mood for shopping, since I bought 4 tops from VS early this week.
The shirts are $10 each. Quality is pretty good, like GAP clothes.
After the $10 coupon, total is $18.

After I finished paying, hubby dropped off 3 more shirts. LOL
The long sleeve v-neck shirts are $5 each. Good deal! ❤

Holiday shopping

Black friday hmmm... it's just like any other day.... I shop too much, i'm out of things to buy LOL, plus my walk-in closet is literally full from one end to other end, from top to bottom, literally has no more space :( I didn't go shop in-stores since I don't like shopping at a crowded place. It's nauseating. I can't enjoy it.

A few things I bought online...

New York & Co. - $14.97 shipped

JC Penney - $34.99 shipped (Orig. $110), in brown

TARGET - Emjoi Slim Hair Removal Epilator - $14.99 shipped

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And then, on Saturday, I went to Portland with hubby to meet hubby's friend + family + fiance. We also went to multiple malls. I didn't have the mood to shop. The malls were SO crowded, inside the stores were SO warm, it felt like 80-85 degrees F because there were so many people in there. I couldn't stand it. I went in, browsed around, and went out quickly.

Anyway, inside the GAP store was not that bad. I bought a couple of henleys. They are only $10 each (orig. $22.50). They are very soft and comfortable.

I also went to Victoria's Secret store. I bought a couple of things worth $10+ since I wanted the Pink dog and the SRC card. :-P
I've also got one more SRC from hubby's friend's fiance. She doesn't have the time to use it since she'll be abroad until January. Lucky! ❤

Too bad this store didn't carry the $1.50 lollipops, so that my hubby could buy something and get me a doll too. I want the orange and blue one ! ❤

We also went to Nordstrom Rack. Unfortunately, didn't buy any clothes/shoes, since they were too expensive for me. Though, I found a bunch of cheap Stila eyeshadows and bought one. Finally the $2 refillable compact I bought last September just to get a free smudge pot is useful! (Blog entry). :-D

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At last, Cyber Monday! Huge shopping online deals. It's pretty much my day. LOL

I barely did any work today because I was occupied looking for good online deals. ^^"

Hubby told me about the $7 bubble vest on Walmart site. He bought one, and since it's cheap, I bought one too!! I hope the size small fits me.

Faded Glory Men's Bubble Vest - $7.97 shipped

The Body Shop is having 20% off of any purchase, plus you get to pick 1 freebie, today only.

Soooo I picked the cheapest item I could find. There were some $2.40 nail filers, but they were all sold out. I guess everybody thinks the same way.
I picked the full size coconut body scrubs ($20 value). Very good deal! I ❤ their scrubs!

nail filer - $2.80
coconut body scrub - free
+ $5 shipping fee

I also bought a pair of ankle boots on DSW site. They are currently having 25% off of any purchase (SAVE25) and free shipping with $35 minimum purchase (SNOWMAN), today only.

Plus eBates is offering 12% cashback, today only !!

Impo Tarra Ankle Boot - $33.71 shipped
(Orig. $69. Sale $44.95)

*satisfied* ^o^

Now I'm going to shop on VS site. FYI, eBates is currently offering 6% cashback.

Revlon Colorstay = HG foundation

So, last week I read a topic on Soompi about Revlon Colorstay foundation, here. They said this foundation was suitable for asian yellow skin tone. I read quite good reviews on makeupalley too. They recommended golden beige or sand beige.

Luckily, Walgreens and Rite Aid were having BOGO free that week. One foundation costs $12.99. Wow, quite a jump from 4-5 years ago, when they sold foundations for half the price of that LOL.


So, as recommended, I bought sand beige and golden beige. One for normal/dry skin, and the other one for combination/oily skin, since I wasn't sure which skin type I was.

FYI, before I apply this foundation, I apply foundation primer first. Without it, it's hard to even out the foundation, it looks streaky.

The sand beige, was not a match. Also, it felt like I was wearing a mask, looked oily too. So, I guess I have oily skin type.
Luckily, the golden beige suits my skin tone! It has amazing long lasting coverage, good oil control and not drying. It feels like I'm not wearing foundation. Last night, I was out for 12 hours, my makeup still looked 80-90% flawless by the end of the day.

According to the reviews on makeupalley, it's not good for acne-prone skin. Since it's great staying power, it's hard to wash it off thoroughly. Luckily, it doesn't make me break out. Then again, probably because I double-cleanse. I wash my face with cleansing oil, and cleanser+Clarisonic. Then, I use toner too, to eliminates the last traced of oil, dirt and makeup from pores.

One thing I don't like about this foundation is the smell. OMG, it smells like paint. It smells kinda nauseating when I'm applying it on my face. The smell gradually disappears after about an hour.

So yeah, from now on I'm going to stick with this foundation.

Messed Up Orders + Body Shop Haul

Update on "VS Messed Up My Order" blog!!
On Tuesday last week, I wrote about VS messing up my VS order. They gave me a Pink lip gloss ring instead of my original order, a Pink panty. Finally, it has arrived!! Also, as I hoped for, they included a Secret Reward card too !! Yay !!! Lucky!! ❤

So, overall I have 9 Secret Reward Cards.
I hope at least one is worth more than $10. LOL

I read on Slickdeals - Victoria's Secret Chat thread, some members have 20-30 SRC cards! True VS fanatics!

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Today, my Body Shop order that I placed last week has arrived.

I'm not completely happy with my order, I'll tell you why in a bit.

I placed an order because I wanted the $15 grab bag that contained random full-size items. I'm bad!! Yah, I needed to restock some body scrubs anyway. (Excuses!)

Coconut Body Scrub - $30 for both
Orig. $20 each

The $15 Grab Bag
*click image to zoom in*

Pretty good deal on the grab bag!
I think they are all discontinued/clearance products, because I can't find any of them on the website, except the Vitamin E Hydrating Toner (bottom right corner). I like most of them. Not really like the blushes (bottom left corner), I like the powder kind more.

Though, I'm not really happy with my FIRST experience ordering from Body Shop, because.............

BODY SHOP MESSED UP MY ORDER !!

I ordered this soap....

Body Toning Scrub Soap - $6

But they didn't include it with the rest of my order.
They still charged me for whole 4 items (2 scrubs, $15 grab bag and soap) Agh! Good thing it's only $6.
I scanned the invoice and emailed it to them and demanded for a refund. :(

On a brighter note, I earned pending cashback of $10.20 in total from Bing and Ebates (10% cashback each). ❤