Massive Target Shoes Review

    I have a soft spot for shoes though I don't talk about it often.  And one place that I have been buying lots of shoes from lately is Target!  I didn't take my own pictures of some of the shoes I'm reviewing because I returned them before I could but I hope this post encourages some people to try out some Target (mostly Mossimo) shoes because they really are quite nice for the price (ehe I rhymed :} )


    Women's Mossimo Supply Co. Odell Ballet Flats - Pewter
    Purchased at: Target
    Cost: $12.99

    So first off - my most worn (and only) pair of flats!  Love these because they are so damn comfy.  I've always had issues with the back of flats scraping the back of my heel or simply coming off when I size up to avoid the heel problem.  But these babies are perfect.  I got a 7 because my mum likes to wear them too (ehe) but I think a 6.5, which is my typical size for Mossimo and most shoe brands, would have worked better for me to be honest.  So, I would say these run very true to size.

    The metallic pewter colors is really lovely too - it's a nice pop of modest color without being too flashy :)  I think the pewter color is OOS on Target but I've seen the gold one in-stores and that's a very pretty color as well!

    Top left corner: With flash.    Middle: No flash.
    Most accurate color is upper left hand corner.  The non-flash pix are too yellow.

    Sorry for the many watermarks :\  Unfortunately, some pictures from my reviews have been cropping up in other places strangely enough...and while tracking them down is too tiresome, I intend to make it as hard as possible for people to crop off bits of my pictures >_>

    Pros:
    • Very comfortable. No blisters on the back of my heels!  I never had to "break" them in either; they were comfy from Day 1.
    • Insanely cheap!
    • Not prone to getting super smelly when they get wet (though they do smell a little bit :P)
    • Gorgeous color. Very versatile yet unique.
    • Runs true to size.

    Cons:
    • Very little traction (look at pic of the sole).

    Overall: Very recommended!  Best pair of flats ever~


    Women's Cyril Bootie Slippers - Tan
    Purchased at: Target
    Cost: $18.00 SALE (I got mine for $22.99 :P )

    I've been wanting a pair of furry slipper-boots for a long time. But the fact that faux fur is trendy this year means that anything with a bit of fuzz on it has been awfully expensive....  So, when I saw these at Target I just HAD to have them.  They aren't super high-quality and even though I have weather-proofed them (with the spray), I haven't actually walked around in the rain/snow...but I honestly doubt these are weatherproof :\

    Whatever, I LOVE the look of these trendy slippers - they suit me since I get sick of things easily and I won't feel bad about messing them up in rain/snow.  They look great with leggings and the fact that they are on sale means you should totally get them.  I got mine for $22.99 and I don't regret it.  I wear these with leggings or stockings all the time = love :)

    FYI there are 3 colors available but I got the Tan one.

    These pictures are a hair more saturated than they should be.  In real life the boots are SLIGHTLY lighter.
    FYI the pic from Target is a lot lighter than they are in real life.  I would say my pics are truer to the actual product ehe

    Pros:
    • So friggin cute and trendy.  These look awesome with leggings.
    • The faux fur is quite soft and looks more expensive than $22.
    • Very cheap way to get your hands on furry boots xD
    • Pretty warm.
    • Forgiving on sizing.  You could size .5 a size up or down without discomfort.

    Cons:
    • The material of the boots (the leather part) is flimsy feeling.  Kind of thin and very fake.  It's very soft though.
    • Absolutely no ankle support. Seriously.
    • Not that much padding in the soles.  Don't expect Ugg-like comfort.
    • Very little traction or weather-worthiness. This is not really a boot...it's just a pretty slipper.  The fact that Target files this under Slipper says it all >_> Don't expect wear this in rain/snow.

     Just a peek at the interior of the shoes~

    Overall: Totally recommended.  How can you deny these cuties?  Again, these aren't hard-wearing, tough shoes but they're a great casual fashion statement imho


    Womens' Chandra Suede Scuff Slippers - Tan
    Purchased at: Target
    Cost: $19.99 Online Price

    My mum actually wears these.  She has two pairs, the Tan one for indoors and the dark chocolate brown version for outdoors.  I wear them occasionally when she's not ;) and they're quite comfy.  I really like how you can just slip your feet in yet keep you toes completely toasty.  I think you should size up for these because they're slippers and I like to wear these with socks occasionally (though they are plenty warm even barefoot).

    These are one of the most popular shoes from Target I think - I see loads of people wearing them.  And I understand why, it's the comfort of bedroom slippers as an outdoor shoe.


    Pros:
    • Very comfortable!  This is probably why it's so popular.
    • Very warm.  These babies will keep your feet toasty fo sho.
    • Convenient casual shoes since all you need to do is slip them on.
    • Pretty cheap.
    • Can be worn indoors or outdoors since the sole is rubber
    • Very forgiving on sizing since it's a backless slipper.

    Cons:
    • The suede picks up stains quite easily, especially on the Tan version.  If you're going to wear these outdoors, get the dark brown version.
    • The fur is soft but not AS soft as the picture on Target's website >_>
    • Since there is no backing you prolly can't wear this in snow/rain. BUT I have a friend that wore these rain or shine, straight through college so obviously it didn't bother her too much.  Replacing them isn't much of a financial issue anyways.

    Overall: These are mom's personal favorites.  She loves 'em.


    Women's Xhilaration® Silvana Bow Wedges - Black
    Purchased at: Target
    Cost: $19.99 Online Price

    When I first saw these online, I thought these would be the perfect everyday, work wedges.  Perfect height, black, simple with just enough detailing to make it interesting.  When I got them in the mail, they looked great - leather looked expensive, all the seems were tight, it fit the arch of my foot very well... Unfortunately, this shoe had a really strange quirk that made me HAVE to return it.  Right in the middle of the toe part, the leather bends (aka in the direction of toe-to-heel), and just DRIVES itself into your middle toe. It's so odd - I've never felt this in any other shoe.  It's not painful or anything, but having that "bend" of leather prodding at your middle toe for 8-12 hours a day just drove me bats.  On BOTH feet too.  After 2 days I couldn't stand it anymore so I just returned them.  It's a pity because this pair was otherwise quite nice - looked fabulous, no blisters on the heels, good height....

    Overall, not recommended because that weird bend at the toe.  Maybe it was just a fluke pair but I won't be trying these shoes again.


    Women's Mossimo Supply Co. Wanda Wedges - Black
    Purchased at: Target
    Cost: I paid $24.99 - out of stock online

    These were another stab at getting work-appropriate black wedges.  I thought I'd love these because I prefer higher heels (I have a high arch). But strangely enough they weren't very comfortable.  They look exactly like the stock photo btw - so that was fine but my toes kept getting jammed up and I don't know, the textured leather clashed a little with my clothes (but that's just my opinion).

    This is a pair that I can't quite put my finger on why I didn't like them very much....I just felt no click.  Anyway, I returned them.  I can't say if I recommend them or not.  Personally, I don't recommend them.


    Women's Mossimo® Pearce Pumps - Chili Patent

    This is kind of random but I have been DYINGGGGGG for Target to restock this shoe.  I have a hankering for red patent heels for some reason and these are "the" red shade and style I have been looking for.  But it's been two months and still it is OOS ;_; Aren't they just lovely looking?  Oh Target....

    *whew* Believe it or not I have more shoes in my cart ;)    Don't judge me >.<  Also, if this post has tempted you enough to give one of these shoes a try, Ebates has 3% back on Target and shipping is free for $50+ which is pretty easy to reach. 


    Also, new members have a choice of a $10 gift card and Target is one of them, so that works out pretty well.  This is my referral link (thank you!) but feel free to gander over to Ebates.com straight if you're not in the mood for referral sorts of things :)

    And because it's Halloween (ends in 2 minutes gah!) and since I just spent an hour typing a thesis on shoes from Target - I bring you a solution to never having to shoe shop again:

    From Geekologie.

    STILETTO IMPLANTS.
    :)

    Happy Halloween!

Godiva Fall Releases~!


    Hi everyone~  Long time no see (as usual >_> ehhe) It was mad cold this week - it actually snowed today!  I don't remember the last time it snowed this early in the DC metro area....perfect weather for just snuggling up in my favorite blanket ^_^   I'm loving the change of the season because I am liking this winter's fashion this year ahha This winter I've been digging black tights with subtle patterns, faux fur (drooling over this), and chunky sweaters :D 

    Anyway, the one-piece-free-a-month shtick Godiva Club has going is genius because every time I go in to pick up my one freebie I end up with a little gold bag filled with 3+ of the latest releases.  Which I'm sure is the whole point but it's ridiculous how I KNOW what they're doing but I still fall for it. Every month. Without fail.

    This post is a little late in how some of these aren't still being sold in Godiva shops anymore >_> but yeah.... any excuse for snack/dessert porn....

    Awww I forgot to do a cross section of the Pumpkin Cheesecake one...ate it too fast ahahah
    Strawberry Creme Tart (pink) - Tastes more like raspberry to me...like tangy raspberry and vanilla though I could barely taste the latter.  It was a nice mix of tangy+sweet :)  Recommended.

    Crème Brûlée (white) - just a mouthful of white chocolate and milk chocolate.  Doesn't really taste like  a crème brûlée....no subtlety. Did not like.  But it's pretty to look at though...I dig the contrast of the two halves~ I also expected more out of the crackly sprinkles (burnt sugar I imagine), but the whole truffle was just cloyingly sweet.  Not particularly recommended.

    Caramel Apple Tarte (chocolate + green drizzle) - this actually tasted like apple spice :) It was a little artificial tasting but quite distinct and accurate with the caramel apple flavor! Recommended.

    Pumpkin Cheesecake - This was one of the half-half truffles :)  One half was filled with cheesecake, the other half was pumpkin.  It was great because it actually tasted liked pumpkin cheesecake!  It was very yummy despite the garish orange coating. Recommended - this was my favorite of this batch!

    A seasonal favorite returns! Our wickedly delicious Pumpkin Patch Truffles are filled
    with creamy pumpkin-spice ganache and enrobed in milk chocolate. The perfect treat on a cool fall day.
    Pumpkin Patch Chocolate Truffle (here) - Isn't the packaging SO cute?!  Too bad it didn't taste half as good as it looked :( It tasted like milk chocolate with a very slight pumpkin spice flavor.   Weird because the filling looks so "pumpkin-y"....but yeah.  Practically no flavor whatsoever.  I didn't particularly like this one...it was just very boring :P  

    It would have been perfect if they got the Pumpkin Cheesecake truffle with the packaging of the Pumpkin Patch truffle, especially since the Pumpkin Cheesecake truffle was the definite winner :)

    And since November is right around the corner, I get my November free chocolate soon :D ahah I'm especially excited to go to Godiva this month since I bet all the Halloween theme products will be on sale ;)

Review: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Sao Paulo & Antwerp


    So yeah...my attempted Zipia haul was a huge fail ;_; eheh oh well, it's probably a sign that I need to stop shopping ^_^;;   If anyone is interested, let me know...because I just think I'm going to hold off until then :| The thought of going through a survey exhausts me *sigh*

    Also, question: Do you guys prefer having full posts on the homepage of the blog or do you prefer clicking "Read More"?   I've just been thinking have Page Breaks would allow me to have more entries per page and might cut down on image loading...what do you guys think?

    Anyway - another NYX review!  These babies are lovely - smooth, rich, and the only American brand of matte lipstick I would recommend.  As a general rule I favor lip tints and glosses but my love of the Etude House Dear Darling Ultra Shine Lip Stick and Holika Holika Aqua Muse Watery Lipstick, which remain to this day my favorite lipsticks (the latter would be much better without the soap taste tho) - eventually led me to try more lipsticks. NYX has by far the most affordable and quality lipsticks you can get I think and these are a good addition to NYX's lipstick collection.

    Purchased at: $4.50 @ Cherry Culture


    Packaging: Simple and to the point - it's just a plastic tube with a fingerprint-prone twist cap that I could do without (same material as NARS makeup, yuck). Classic doe foot. Overall, nothing fancy but I like how compact and sturdy it is.  My two complaints: 1.) I wish they printed the lip colors on side instead of using stickers on the bottom.  It looks cheap and peels off easily. 2.) The cap material...it gets dirty so easily.

    Scent: A creamy, rich (distinctly artificial) vanilla scent.   It's a milder vanilla scent than other NYX products though and it smells quite acceptable.  But again, scentless would have been ideal.

    Texture: So rich & creamy!  Smooth as silk and not sticky at all.   By far one of the nicest textured lipsticks ever.  It just glides on your lips.  It's pretty moisturizing even though it has a matte finish - it goes on like a cream and dries matte.

    Swatches turned out looking really...similar.  Antwerp has a much more peachy hue and is lighter than San Paulo.
    Pigmentation: Amazingggggggg~  As you can see ;) The tube color is pretty much what you get on your lips.  One coat of is quite sufficient.

    Lasting Power: This is a matte lipstick despite it's creaminess and it's lasting power is right between a traditional lipgloss and traditional lipstick.  I would say roughly 4-5 hours if you don't eat or lick your lips a lot.

    Without flash.
    Antwerp: This is a lovely pink with strong peach undertones.  Interestingly enough when I apply this it tends to turn a lot more pink than peach.  The last pic (3rd from the left) turned out really blurry :\ but the color is actually quite close to the how it looks on my lips as a final result.  Much more pink than it looks when you initially apply it.  I'm not sure why it turns out so pink (I like a bit of peach/orange in my lipsticks) but it's a pretty color all the same.

    A little chapped O_o
    San Paulo: ahhh super big macro lip shots!  Not sure why these turned out so well ^^;;  This series of pics shows clearly how this lipstick goes on creamy then dries matte.  It does rather sink into fine lines now that I look at it - but I haven't tried a matte lipstick that doesn't sink into fine lines yet either.  This "dries" into a dark pink with a light purple undertone.  It's a decent color but I wish the color stayed the rosy pink that it is when you first put it on.  I prefer Antwerp because the faint purple tint of San Paulo gives me makes me look a little old imho...   Nonetheless, I can totally see other people rocking this color.

    Overall
    Antwerp is the only lipstick color I wear regularly but both of these are really nice in terms of quality.  Very creamy, pigmented, affordable, and decently scented.  As a matte lipstick it does tend to sink into fine lines but it's more moisturizing and shows fine lines less compared to other matte lipsticks I've tried (Lioele, MAC).  I think matte lipsticks tend to age a face so I don't wear them too often, but I don't regret buying these at all.

    I would recommend these to people who want to try a matte lipstick.  It's just as good quality (perhaps bette) as more expensive brands and overall delivers on what a matte lipstick is supposed to do.  However, what really sets these apart compared to other matte lipsticks is the texture!  It's so creamy and rich without being sticky or cloying.  People who like subtle colors and glossy finishes, however, may want to skip these.


Baked n' Wired Cupcakes + Zipia Buddy?


    Hey guys :)!  First off, thanks to all the people who continue to visit this increasingly sporadically updating blog - tis truly much appreciated ^_^  Secondly...apologies for this frankly useless post ^^  Clearly, desserts are always running through my mind....

    Anyway~ these babies are from Baked & Wired, another DC cupcake shop.  The pictures don't show how utterly HUGE they are - they are the size of my face I swear.  You can easily split one cupcake between 2 people.

    Left to right: Teresa's Bday (maple icing), Mocha, Pretty Bitchin'

    The good: the flavor of each of the 3 I tried were SO STRONG (yes, I ate all of them by myself and yes, I ate 2 of them and one sitting and almost died).  There was no questioning the flavor of each cupcake and as a whole, the cake parts were moist and very dense and rich. 

    The bad: dude, I love icing and sweets but the icing on these things were pure sugar.  Don't get me wrong, it's good icing and I like how they don't skimp but holy mother of god...it's just very sweet.  Definitely not for those who dislike sweet stuff.

    Twas helpful how they wrote what each flavor on the underside of the lid.

    These are vague recollections since I ate these awhile ago:  Pretty Bitchin' was a peanut butter flavored one - the icing was like eating peanut butter+sugar.  Mocha was MOCHA; it tasted it very (artificial) mocha-ish for sure and a little subtly wouldn't have hurt. Teresa's Bday was my favorite I think, the maple icing was delicious~ In general, I can remember being overwhelmed by their size, sweetness, and in-your-face flavor.  I think they were a little too sweet for me tho....a little more subtly and a little less frosting (I can't believe I just said that) and they would've made these a lot yummier.


    On a totally random note - is anyone interested in doing a Zipia haul with me?  For those who don't know what Zipia is, it's a wholesale clothing site that sells Korean street style clothing.  The price, since it's wholesale, is pretty decent for the quality (better than Forever21, on par with H&M, not as good as The Limited/Banana Republic).   It's the only place I buy Asian clothing because YesStyle strikes me as painfully expensive and most other places *coughwholesaledresscough* are better left ignored.   The downside is that you have to purchase a minimum amount of $300 and while I love clothes, spending $300 in one sitting for street wear, non-work clothes makes my stomach flip.  I normally buy Zipia via a soompi survey but I figured I'd post here first because I don't feel like waiting. 

    Peeps in the DC/VA/MD area would be ideal so we can do away with the extra leg of shipping (and we could meet up maybe :D).  But if you're in other states and don't mind covering the me-to-you shipping, please feel free to join this impromptu Zipia haul!  Obviously, there wouldn't be a service fee for anybody ^_^  I just wanna haul some Zipia baby~! I'd like to order sometime in the next few days/this week fyi. So yep, if anyone tis interested, let me know (via post below or email me at insideoutelle at gmail com).

    Brrr...it's getting pretty cold over here - keep warm peeps!

Total Pageviews