Shopping!!!

So I finally had a chance to relax and do a little shopping over these past few days...since it will be Winter moving into Spring when I arrive in South Africa I tried to remember to get pieces that could be worn in both seasons. I'm not really into trends but into classic timeless pieces with a few modern trends.(eg Audrey Hepburn meets Michelle Obama). See the things with trends is you buy all these clothes one season and can't carry them into the next. So although I love my colors I usually stick to black, white(v-necks, tanks, camis), neutral greens, tans, and browns. I don't shy away from colors I love my greens, purples, pinks, and yellow but usually for accessories such as scarves or maybe a shirt now and then. But anyway I was really trying to stick to a budget so I paid for everything in cash, I usually use my debit card but some places use credit and don't take the money immediately and also I tend to spend more money when I use my debit card. So I attacked the mall, I knew what stores I wanted to go to and made a list of things I really needed. I also had to keep in mind that my suitcase can't be more that 50 pounds which is a bummer, because internationally it can be 70 pounds but whatever.

I love boots which is why I really love fall/winter. I don't mind peep toe heels, but a nice pair of flat boots really speak to me. I found the perfect pair and got them in both brown/black...you'll see them more in later photos. Speaking of finally got a new camera since the last one was stolen and my mom really wanted her camera back. Sadly it's not pink but it's plum and purple has always been one of my favorite colors so all and all a good thing. I went and got a Polo sweater I've been eyeing for awhile which I'm really excited about because I really like the fit with the new jeans. I went to Forever 21 one of my all time favorite stores the others are Express, Bebe, Aldo and I honestly was not impressed by the selection there. I like to browse online and so I get ideas of clothes in my head so I hate when they're not actually in the stores. Also since the store is moving from summer/fall a lot of pieces didn't appeal to me for my trip to South Africa. However I did find a nice leather jacket, one pair of jeans, a nice crisp button down, and a navy blue cami to match the Polo. I do this a lot buy one expensive piece and pair it with something less expenisve. I didn't spend as much as I thought I would at Forever 21(less than $100) which is odd for a back to school but I got some pieces that I can wear throughout the year so it was worth it(with the exception of the leather jacket)

So a little sad about my Forever 21 experience I headed to Express...I needed a nice pair of gray slacks...[sidenote gray slacks are really diverse and can be dressed up or down and can go with a variety of tops] and I knew Express was the place to go well the sales guy was really friendly and he helped me find the perfect pair. They have a really nice lining so I can also wear them in the winter when I return back to America. They're called the Editor pant and look really professional, I'm really small but I do like the way they fit and they look nice with both heels and flats. I knew Express had some news jeans so I decided to browse to see if I liked any...well I purchased the Stella Barely bootcut and I loved the way they fit...since they're buy one get one half off I went back and got another pair the Zelda Skinny Jeans. I love Skinny Jeans because I'm really little a size 0 so I really like to the fit and they go well with my heels, boots, or Chucks[only tennis shoes I will wear]. My venture to Express was really good and I was dreading that it was not the first place I went to.

I went to the dreaded WalMart to get toiletries items and what an experience. I detest WalMart and the way it causes people to act but they have really good deals on Olay and Eucerin so I have to go there. I love that Olay has combined their pore scrub and cleanser now, and I also got more makeup remover. I love my MAC but when it's time to go to bed I really appreciate a good makeup remover that cleans and refreshes my face without drying it out and Olay has that. I also purchased sunscreen for my face because I know the sun it a lot harsher there and nothing can make you look older than the sun.

My most exciting trip was to the MAC counter, I only really needed new foundation, MAC has the best foundation in the world. I love my Studio Fix NW43, it looks really natural and if I don't wear eyeshadow or eyeliner someone always asks me do I have on makeup at all...which I love. I wear powder but I have a really good brush also from MAC so I like the way it looks and just haven't ventured into trying liquid yet... For me makeup is about enhancing natural beauty and on a normal daily basis I really don't want people to notice. Personally if people notice then I have on too much make up or I didn't do it correctly, which is why I love MAC because it's so au naturale. However when I got there I saw to new lipglasses I liked Smile and New Spirit. New Spirit had only arrived that day which I'm excited about since they don't make my Hello Kitty anymore. I also qualified for a new lipstick which I usually don't wear but I couldn't get another lipgloss so the MAC girl helped me find a lipstick that matched the scheme of my new lipglasses called Funshine. FYI about me I'm really into natural looking lips with a hint of color so most of my glosses are in the pinkish range to blend into my natural lips which looks really good with the MAC chesnut liner. I also got a new eyeliner pencil because my dog chewed my other one....sad day in my household.

So all in all I had a really great shopping venture I got some really nice sweaters, long sleeve v neck t-shirts, greats jeans, and other pieces that I could layer and change up since I can't take my whole wardrobe. I was a little concerned about what I'd do but once I made a list, set budget, my shopping trip was great. The best thing was that I spent less than I thought and now I have more money to go to South Africa with. Now if only I could pack and stay on top of my blog the way I wanted....