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

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.

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.

http://www.smh.com.au/business/target-sued-by-us-giant-for-selling-fake-cosmetics-20120907-25iq2.html

DIY adventures

Not too long ago I rekindled my love affair with craft, specifically jewellery making. I've been into arts and craft since I was around 8. It all started with sewing, then card making, then badge making. In my high school years I did textiles and I got more into sewing accessories, embroidering, quilting and handbag making. Then came the scrap booking trend, I was really into that one. I still have a tonne of supplies left. Towards the end of high school and into University years I was into jewellery making and graphic design. After a while my interest just died down. I kind of lost inspiration.

I'm a bit late on this trend, stacking bracelets, otherwise known as arm party/candy/sway has rekindled my love for making my own bracelets and jewellery. Since I already have plenty of left over materials from my previous phase, I decided to make what I could of my own bracelets so I can have an arm party!

Dusted off the dust of my supply box - from IKEA and painted in red and a tiffany blue colour

I've been having a difficult time sourcing chunky chains. My supply store doesn't really have a good selection of chunky chains and the online Australian store have small chains, something I already have plenty of. 

I searched my room for what I could recycle.

Top gold chain was the only chunky chain at the supply store, second one is an old belt chain that I only ever wore once 5 years ago, third chain is from a handbag I bought on impulse (it turned out to be faulty), last chain is a necklace that I found at Sportsgirl. 

I really dislike the thread so I undid it. I've been trying to find this type of chunky chain by the metre. Also looking out for large gold flat curb chains.

These are the bracelets I've made so far from my existing supplies. The fourth one is the necklace that I've shortened into a bracelet. Also found the gold cuff at my supply store for half the price a costume jewellery store would sell for. I really need to hone my skills, they look a bit rusty. Also need to stock up on embroidery thread to make my chains colourful...they all look a bit blah.

Any one else into the arm party/candy/sway trend?

Anyone know any Australian suppliers of chunky chains?

Shopping for CHANEL

For several years I've lusted after this bag. I've always wanted it in black with gold hardware. But the prices kept rising like 20% every year! So I took a chance and bought it on eBay. I bought a vintage CHANEL medium/large classic double flap in black lambskin with gold harware. The vintage bags are gold plated.

This bag is so classic and will never go out of style. It's so practical as well, it can be used as a clutch, cross body or shoulder bag. Can be dressed up or down. So I feel this justifies the investment.

Personally I feel that a designer bag can make an outfit. It can make a cheap outfit look more expensive. I usually buy bags that are classic, ones that will not go out of style because you'll get more use out of the bag considering the amount of money spent on each one. Also if I want a bag, I must be thinking about buying it for months, I can't do impulse purchases. My bags are bought with my own money....months and months of savings. I feel that I will appreciate it more because I can see my hard work.

Before this bag I did lots of research. It's extremely important to do research. There are so many fakes out on eBay. Don't let the prices fool you! Some fakes get sold for hundreds of dollars by dishonest sellers and uninformed buyers. Here's what I did before I took the plunge:

• googled how to authenticate CHANEL bags, this was to get a rough idea for what I should look out for
• searched eBay and made sure the seller posted plenty of photos, if you are unconvinced it's authentic ask the seller for more photos, a genuine seller should be more than happy to provide more photos
• ask PLENTY of questions
• read seller feed back, check what else they were selling, check how many years the seller has been on eBay, AVOID low feedback sellers, check refund policy
• get a second opinion, I used the Purse Forum which is a free service and is authenticated by ladies with plenty of years experience, there are other authenticators out there but some do charge a small fee
• set limits: how much to spend, what to expect from bag, quality vs. price
• pay by PayPal, PayPal offers buyer protection of up to $20,000. It is also illegal to sell fakes
• as an added backup I paid by Credit Card, the bank will also offer some sort of buyer protection, do not use a debit card

Feel free to ask me anything, by no means am I an expert. But I'm always obsessing over bags and have a keen eye ^_^

Cheap interior finds

I've been thinking of doing a little bit of re-decorating of my room. I'm into french provincial, english country, shabby chic interiors.

Here are some things I found that were a bargain. 

Clockwise: Lolly Jar $2 from Reject Shop (Australian Dollar Store)

Pillar candle holder (used as a vase) $3 from Reject Shop, fake flowers $12 from Habitania (Home ware store)

Vanilla candle $7.95 from Habitania (love this! and the glass jar is so chic!)

Mini Review: CHANEL Vitalumiere Eclat Comfort Radiance Compact Makeup

I finished my Za compact foundation and I could not get a refill to replace it because I bought it in Hong Kong. So I searched online for a good compact powder foundation and I stumbled upon CHANEL. Not good for the wallet but the packaging is just divine. I got mine in B30. I'm a MAC NC20/Revlon Colorstay 150 Buff.

Comes with a sponge and brush. Brush is kinda useless as powder goes everywhere, and it's wasting the powder!! So I use the sponge to apply.

Such a shame the logo will disappear after a few uses. But I did buy it for a reason and it's not gonna just sit pretty on my vanity. I use this to set my foundation or when I'm lazy, I just use this by itself to even out my complexion. Its got decent coverage.

I'd say it's a teeny bit darker than my normal shade but that's alright since my skin tone has slightly darkened. The powder is so fine and feels like silk against my skin. I've used it several times now and it does not clog my pores or cause me to break out. My old Za foundation did give me the odd spots now and then. 

Pros:

some SPF: SPF10

very fine powder

easy to apply

can be used on its own for light coverage

pretty packaging

good for dry skin

doesn't look cakey

Cons:

brush is useless

expensive (can vary from $55 - $100 depending where you get it)

not much product (13g)

I'd definitely buy this again.....if I had money. This was only one off to try a CHANEL foundation and I don't think it performs like a million times better than other products. If I had plenty of disposable income I'd make a repetitive purchase. I think other product around the $20 mark would be just as comparable to this.