Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Current Obsession: scented candles

I've been stocking up on scented candles lately. I got some from IKEA because they've just lowered their prices on the "tindra" ones. However, when I burn them the fragrance is not strong to fill the whole room but the price is very reasonable. The one in the candy jar glass is vanilla scented and the fragrance is strong. The jar is also very lovely and suits the decor of my room.


When the candle is all burnt out I like to reuse the jar to store my bracelets. I've repurchased these ones 5 times now. I got it from Habitania which is a home wares store. It's one of my favourite places to shop.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Thursday, August 16, 2012

PLAY Comme des Garçons knitwear guide

Winter is almost over in Australia but the weather is still chilly and unpredictable in Sydney. A jacket or thick cardigan is essential for those unpredictable days. What has been staples in my winter wardrobe are my PLAY Comme des Garçons cardigans. They are 100% wool, made in Japan  and in my opinion will always be in fashion because they are so simple, suit many trends, unisex and so versatile.


I first noticed this brand on a shirt that NEYO was wearing on a YouTube video (I usually notice weird little details). Initially I didn't know the brand but on a holiday shopping in Hong Kong I stumbled upon a pop up store because I had noticed the logo.

I wanted more of these cardigans but there was no store in Sydney that I knew that stocked this brand. Hence I started to search on eBay. However, on eBay there are so many fakes of this brand selling at only $30! Which is way below their recommended retail price. I did manage to acquire more of these cardigans through reference with the one I already owned and through communication with the seller. I'm posting a general guide to authenticating PLAY knitwear. For reference my cardigans are all crew neck.

Crew necks have 6 button holes and 7 buttons (1 is spare)

The spare button is attached to the care instruction tag. The tag would have a stamp in kanji. Also attached is spare thread

Buttons are mother of pearl and NOT plastic

Care instructions in English and French. Dry Clean Only.

Warning and more care instructions. The wool is thick and the quality of the fabric is noticeable. 

The underside of where the buttons and buttonholes are placed have a cross grain ribbon lining.

Hope this helps for those who are planning on getting some knitwear online. Make sure you ask for plenty of photos from the seller. For me these cardigans are worth every cent because I've worn them so many times.


Monday, August 13, 2012

MAC haul from target - update

I have some good news for my fellow Aussie beauty junkies. Target now has MAC make up at comparable prices to America. These were released last Thursday, 9th August. I managed to pick up some items before they were all snatched up.
L-R: Eyeshadow in Rule ($19), Studio Fix Powder Foundation in NC20 ($29.95), Sheertone Blush in Pink Swoon and Breath of Plum ($24 each). 

Not too long ago I made a post about MAC being available at Target. However, it has come to my attention that these products may be slightly different to the ones available at MAC counters. Initially when I brought these home, I did a quick swatch of each product and they were a bit chalky and not very pigmented. I've not bought MAC powder based makeup before, only lipsticks from their counters while holidaying overseas, therefore it would be hard to compare with their legitimate counterparts. However, compared to my NARS blush, the quality of the MAC from Target is no where near my NARS blush. I'll be returning the blushes and eyeshadow but not the foundation because I lost the receipt for that transaction. Usually I do my research before buying but I guess the prices and the fact that it was stocked in Target, a large 'trustworthy' company, got me too excited. 

Just wanted to thank Denise for alerting and confirming my suspicions =)

UPDATE!!
Products were confirmed fake. Lucky I've refunded mine.