Double Post! The Shoe Review and Fa(t)shion Friday!

The Shoe: Fioni Barbie Shoes, Sz. 10
The Store: Payless
The Price: $18 USD



These shoes are a staple of my "interesting items" wardrobe - you know, those items you wear out specifically as a point of conversation. Although I cant wear them all the time, I love them for a good night out.

Pros: Unique color, Grippy Heels, Pointed toe doesn't pinch.
Unlike most heels, what I love love love about these, is the heel/pad of the foot is made of a grippy rubbery material, so you don't accidentally slip on slick surfaces. You have NO IDEA how wonderful this is, and honestly, I dont know why more heels dont use this. The color is what truly grabbed me though. Lets face it, I have probably 10 pairs of black heels for every occasion, but I love these more than all of those combined, simply because they're so different from every thing else I have. The toe of these heels, although pointed, isn't so narrow that it pinches your toes. Happy toes = happy feet.

Cons: Heel Height/Width.
I can't be the only person out there that has trouble walking in heels, otherwise I don't think they'd make thick heels, or kitten heels. These are probably the thinnest heels I'd wear without worrying they're going to snap off. (Okay, I still worry, but that's besides the point).

The Verdict:
If these shoes had been more expensive, I probably wouldn't have bought them, simply because I have a hard time walking in them. I love the color though, so, for this time atleast, I couldn't pass them up.

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The Clothes: Floral Wrap Dress, Sz. 2X
The Store: Fashion Bug (USA)
The Price: $20 USD



Pros: Hides imperfections, modest length, two ways to wear it.
When I first bought this dress, I was a little apprehensive, because I'd never owned a *real* wrap dress, and I was worried something might happen and my dress would accidentally come undone, and I'd flash someone (or some other nonsense). None of this has ever happened, and honestly, now I know its kind of silly of me to have thought this. I like that this dress hits just below the knee on me, and makes for a nice, modest Easter/family gathering type dress. Its quick to slip on and go, and the all over floral pattern works wonders to hide any little lumps and bumps. I found two ways to wear it - as shown in the first picture, tied to the side, or after I lost a little weight, I found I could tie it all the way around my waist to define it a bit more.

Cons: Low cut when worn as shown.
My one real gripe with this dress is, being bigger busted, my bras come up rather high on the chest, making v-neck, and low cut things hard to wear. As was expected, this didn't come up high enough to cover the top of my bra, and I ended up having to pin it in the middle, to keep it from gaping and showing my bra.

The Verdict:
This dress is getting a bit too big on me, which sadly means I'll probably have to get rid of it soon, but given the chance, I'd buy it again (especially if I could find it in a size smaller this time around). I love it for when I want to quick slip on something nice looking to go out, or for a day when I just feel like wearing a cute, springy outfit.

Makeup Monday: Maybelline Volume XL Seduction Lip Plumper

The Makeup: Maybelline Volume XL Seduction Lip Plumper, Born With It (105)
The Store: Walmart (available in most beauty stores)
The Price: $8 CAD



Make your lips up to 30% bigger with Maybelline Volume Seduction Lip Plumper. Feel a tingling effect as active amplifiers instantly plump lips for a visibly fuller pout . Available in 10 seductive shades. Not recommended for sensitive lips.

Pros: High shine, Non-sticky gloss.
I didnt realize this was a plumping gloss when I first bought it - all I saw was the picture on the display - and I thought to myself, "Wow! That is some seriously shiny gloss!". I immediate snapped it up and ran off to try it. I have to say, its everything I expected - beautifully shiny, a slew of colors to choose from, and unlike most high shine glosses, it isnt so sticky that I feel like my lips are glued together.

Cons: Uncomfortable tingling, Effect wears off quickly.
Being a "plumping" gloss, it uses a stinging agent, such as cayenne pepper to force a mild allergic reaction, which causes the area to swell, and therefor makes your lips look more plump then usual - but as with most allergic reactions, your body overcomes this quickly, and the effect wears off. You have to keep reapplying, which to be honest is uncomfortable.

The Verdict:
If I wanted a plumping gloss, I might be disappointed, but as I was just going for the shine, I am a happy camper. I bought this gloss in Born With It (105), and Fully blushed (115).

Buy Online at Ulta Beauty

Fa(t)shion Friday: Va-Va-Voom

The Clothes: Red Halter Dress, Sz 16
The Store: Ricki's (Canada)
The Price: $30 CAD (Originally $130 CAD)

This dress is one of the reasons I am a complete advocate of getting store discount cards - especially if they're free. If you don't use them, no big deal, and if you do use them, you can get some pretty amazing returns. This particular instance was that Ricki's was having a 50% off sale, and it opened a day early for members (Nothing picked over yet!), I also had a coupon for $25 off, when you spend $75 or more (cheap accessory to cover that price), and another $20 off coupon for my birthday. Right place, right time? Yes, I think so.

Pros: Hugs your curves, Gorgeous color.
Let me start off by saying, as soon as I walked in the store, this dress was like a neon-flashing light to me. Something in my brain clicked on and said "look at the pretty color!". Its hard to see from the picture, but the dress is ruby-red, with a gold undertone. In addition to being really pleasing to the eyes, the gold reflects on your skin, making you look like you have a nice healthy golden glow (which is amazing because I am pasty right now!!). The fabric has a subtle stretch to it, which is great because it hugs your curves, and kind of makes you look like a 40's starlet. Va-va-voom!

Cons: Poly-blend fabric.
I dont know what it is about poly-blend fabrics, but I HATE the feeling. This stuff feels like windbreaker material to be, which is a huge downfall, but at the same time I love the dress itself so much that I am willing to ignore it for an evening out.

The Verdict:
I needed a party dress, and I happened to find a gorgeous dress for less than most cheap articles of clothing. This was a definite buy for me (I am sure I'll find another reson to wear this gorgeous dress too!!).

The Shoe Review: Mossimo Gold Heels

The Shoe: Mossimo Gold Heels, Sz, 11
The Store: Goodwill
The Price: $6 USD



In my travels, I've found that Brand name stores (such as Target) will donate BRAND NEW, unsold items to thrift stores like Goodwill or Salvation Army. It could be because its a style that just didn't sell well, or in this case sizes that didn't sell (usually larger like Sz. 10-11, or smaller, Sz. 5-6). With shoes - in North America, there are two standards of sizing, which vary about a half size from each other. Much like with clothes, if they don't have your size, you may want to try the next size up or down from what you normally wear, because it may end up fitting you anyway.

Pros: Comfortable, Flattering style.
I'm not going to lie, when I bought these, it was for looks alone, but i soon found out they were more than just a pretty shoe. The patten on the top creates a bit of an optical illusion, and even though they are a size 11, with a low heel...they dont make my feet look like I'm wearing clown shoes. Thats a pretty big plus for me since, lets face it, I have huge, wide feet. The pad of the shoe is also wider (no squished toes!) and slightly padded for a more comfortable walking experience.

Cons: Not true to size, thin heel.
These shoes aren't true to size, and if you ordered them offline by number alone, you might end up with something you didnt want. However, size is just a number and if you read measurements this shouldn't be a problem. My one real gripe with this pretty shoe is that the heels don't feel particularly sturdy - in higher-end shoes, heels are often reinforced with a small metal rod that is securely attached to the rest of the shoe. However, this is not a high-end brand, and I get the feeling this heel couldn't take a lot of abuse. Not that you should abuse your heels anyway...

The Verdict:
For $6, I'd buy them again. I love the way they looks, and I'm willing to forgive the fact that they're not-so-sturdy.

Buy similar style online at Target.com (available in Silver, White, Brown, and Black)

Makeup Monday: Maybelline Express Finish Nail Color

The Makeup: Maybelline Express Finish Nail Color, in Red Comet (180)
The Store: Meijer's (available in most beauty stores)
The Price: $3.50 USD

QUICK-DRY NAIL COLOR Wet to Set in 50 Seconds
ADVANCED WEAR® anti-chip color
EXCLUSIVE CONTROL-FLOW™ BRUSH

Pros: Dries quickly, Comes off easily.
When Maybelline says this polish is quick drying, they mean it. I dont know if it really was 50 seconds, but it was rather fast - which turns out to be a good thing, because I had to put 3-4 coats on to achieve some semblance of the color this polish is supposed to be. As noted later on, I chipped this polish pretty quick, but luckily it comes off rather easily with polish remover. Most red polishes tend to temporarily stain your nails, and glitter polishes tend to be very difficult to remove at all, and leave left over specks of glitter behind, but this color came off rather cleanly overall.

Cons: Chip Resistant? Color is prettier in the bottle.
Chip resistant MY BUTT. I managed to chip about half the polish off in one go just putting on my dress this morning. So, if you plan on wearing it out ...paint your nails after you're already dressed. I know I am hard on my nails, but that was a bit ridiculous!! The polish color is close, but not as true a red as it looks in the bottle. It tends to look a bit more berry-red on the nails, which left me a bit disappointed. The more coats you put on the closer the polish looks to the bottle color, but after 4 coats of polish, you nails start to feel too "built up".

The Verdict:
I liked the color enough to spend $3.50 on it, but I've honestly found better nail polishes at the dollar store, so I thick thats what I'll stick to in this case. I imagine if I would have used a topcoat it would have been a bit stronger, but my nails were already feeling mucky, and I didnt want to add any more layers to it.

Buy Online at Amazon.com

Fa(t)shion Friday: Work Appropriate Week

The Clothes: Michel Anton Pintuck Dress, Sz 16W
The Store: AdditiionElle
The Price: $20 CAD (Originally $150 CAD)

Pros: Pintuck detailing, Neutral color, Flattering length, Sturdy construction.
For a work-safe dress, this is about as good as they come. This neutral grey dress hits just above the knee, which is neither too short as to look "sexy", nor too long making you look frumpy and outdated. It has a very sturdy construction, and some eye-catching pintuck detailing at the bust. The neutral color leaves for plenty of opportunity to pair with a dash of color to keep the look fresh and in tune with the season's current fashions.

Cons: Heavy weight fabric, Short sleeves.
In the middle of winter, having a heavy-weight fabric seems like a good idea, but even for winter it does tend to be a bit warm. Inversely, it has very short sleeves, which leave you both overheating AND freezing in the cold weather months.

The Verdict:
At the original price, I probably would have passed this dress by, but I caught the right sale at the right time, and I am willing to spend $20 on a nice work-appropriate dress. Overall, I would probably pass this store by - unless, as stated before, I find the right sale.

Shop Online at AdditionElle

The Shoe Review: Lower East Side Kimberly Pumps

Okay, so by no fault of my own, blogger was having issues yesterday, and wouldn't let me post. I had everything ready for you guys,and made sure to do my post extra early before I had to leave.....aaaaand blogger ate my post. Poof, gone. So here is my second attempt at this post, and it better work this time *shakefist*



The Shoe: Lower East Side Kimberly Pumps, Black, Sz. 9W
The Store: Payless
The Price: $20 CAD

Pros: Comfortable heel, Straight and wide-width, Common colors.
As previously mentioned, I suck at trying to walk in heels, one because I am just too unsteady, but also because the height tends to hurt my feet. These pumps are a wonderful marriage between wearing heels, and still being able to walk without breaking my ankle. The round toe leaves plenty of space which means no squashed toes, and miraculously, it comes in wide-widths too! The color selection is limited to Brown and Black, but as far as leather shoes go, they are the staples of a wardrobe.

Cons: Wide-width, certain colors not always available.
When I first got these pumps (9W black) I immediately wore them the next day, and after discovering I could wear them for an entire day without my feet killing me, I immediately went back to get a pair in brown. How surprised I was to learn that they dont carry wide width for the brown shoes (which makes no sense at all to me). In fact, Payless is a bit weird - in store they sell these heels in both brown and black, and wide widths (even sizes only, I believe), but they dont even offer brown as an option at all on their website. Usually its the opposite for most sites (carrying a larger selection online).

The Verdict:
I love these shoes, I'd recommend them to anyone, and even though they didnt have wide-width sizes in brown, I bought them anyway in a half size up.

Buy Online or In-store at Payless