LORAC Enchanting Elegance Eye/Cheek Palette

Today I have the other LORAC #Nsale Exclusive palette- the Enchanting Elegance Eye/Cheek Palette($18, currently). I had to have this one shipped, otherwise I probably would've tried this before the Refined Romance Palette (review here). That said, I want to give props to Nordstrom's shipping department. I ordered over the weekend and had it Tuesday afternoon! And given how much I fell in love with the other Lorac palette, I had my face all prepped for immediate swatching and testing Tuesday evening and all-day Wednesday- hence how quickly I got this one turned around for you!

Let's borrow the official description from Nordstrom:

"Inspired by elegant floral prints on the runway, the Enchanting Elegance Eye & Cheek Palette by LORAC features six universally flattering matte and shimmer eyeshadows, a shimmer highlighter and two satin blushes. It's everything you need to create beautiful, sophisticated and captivating looks.

Palette includes:

- 6 Eyeshadows - Cream (Matte), Light Brown (Shimmer), Dark Brown (Matte), Light Grey/Purple (Matte), Light Blue (Shimmer), Black (Matte) (0.22 oz.)

- Light Cream Highlighter (Shimmer) (0.08 oz.)

- 2 Blushes - Light Pink/Purple (Satin) and Fuchsia (Satin) (0.18 oz.)"

OK, let's start with the shallow part: these two palettes are just plain aesthetically pleasing. Here's a shot of these 2 cuties out of the box, together:

This is the cooler of the two options- I think you saw just how deep, warm, and fall the other palette pulled on me (I can't put that berry out of my head, BTW! Just not in 100 degree heat!). Normally I'd shy away from blues, but ironically it was the blue that pulled me in via the stock photo:

In that stock photo, it seemed to be a little bit blue-grey to me. I think I've teased you long enough before showing you what the pans look like:

I didn't mention it before, but there's a Lorac plastic overlay when you first open it up.

It's very pretty.

The pans are really securely in there, even though it's a cardboard palette. In terms of travel ease, it's really awesome.

For the purposes of this review, here's how I numbered the eyeshadows:

Eyeshadow #1 (Cream-Matte): I love these type of colors, and I'm a really tough critic of them. Why? They're workhorses for me, and if a brand can do them right, it's less other products that I have to carry around when traveling. Nailing this type of shade is essential in my mind.

Eyeshadow #2 (Light Brown- Shimmer): Ooh, this is the type of shade that I get lost into for long stretches of time. It's an easy-peasy all-over lid shade right now, and will be a nice accent when it's cooler.

Eyeshadow #3 (Dark Brown- Matte): I really like LORAC's mattes- there's not a ton of fallout here. I could see this as a subtle liner; I tried it as an outer crease shade.

I was playing with flash/no flash, so I included both photos because they showcase different aspects of the shadows.

Eyeshadow #4 (Light Grey/Purple-Matte): I feel like this is one of those shades that have a lot of unexplored depth. It's got a lot of tones in it- grey, purple, taupe... I tried using it as a transition shade since it's a matte when testing the full palette look. I think it'd make a lovely larger base.

Here's a shot of it when I was applying the first testing look:

Eyeshadow #5 (Light Blue-Shimmer): Blue doesn't normally go well with my blue eyes, but something about this one called to me as being more of a silvery blue. I was right. It's breathtaking, and makes an incredible lid color.

Eyeshadow #6 (Black-Matte): It's good to see how LORAC does black shadows; certainly much better than MAC Carbon. It made a nice, subtle liner.

Just like before, swatches both with and without swatches:

Before we move on to the cheek products, let's take a moment to talk specifically about this selection of shadows and compared to the Refined Romance Palette. The first thing that jumps out at me is that this is a mostly (4/6) matte palette, whereas Refined Romance was mostly Shimmer (4/6). I love that LORAC did it this way, making them truly complimentary at a low price.

In terms of performance, these lasted all day on me. I really am loving LORAC's formula and am considering picking up other palettes from the brand.

Now, let's talk cheek products:

Highlighter (Light Cream): This is another high-shine highlighter. It's very color-neutral, and would work on any number of skintones. I tried it with the lighter blush, but didn't photograph it because I had to use such a light hand due to the shimmery blush. I really like it, and think it would work with any number of looks.

Blush #1 (Light Pink/Purple-Satin): OK, I'm in love with this. You don't need a highlighter with this one because it's so shimmery. I was able to blend it nicely and make it work for me. I'll totally wear this in the fall once the shimmer comes back out. Out of all of the cheek products I tested in both Lorac palettes, this is my favorite.

Blush #2 (Fuschsia-Satin): I'm going to be 100% honest, this scares me. I didn't play with it at first simply because there's no way it would work on me the second that my skin flushed in the heat. I look forward to playing with this once it's about 40-50 degrees cooler out. I have swatched it for you though!

In terms of performance, the blush and highlighter performed lovely. My initial application was over L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte and Chanel Les Beiges, and it lasted flawlessly until I took it off about 6 hours later. My full-day test lasted a full 8 hours before showing initial signs of fading but did make it a full 12 hours.

The cheek colors read "not summer" to me, but the eyeshadows are more year-around neutrals to me.

Here's a couple photos of the palette in testing.

#1 to browbone, #4 as transition, #3 in outer crease, #2 inner lid, #5 middle to outer lid, #6 liner

That's the lighter blush-no highlighter-in action

Now, let's have some real talk. Yes, that's an eye look with all 6 eye shades on a small eye. Some bloggers might try to pass this off as a normal, everyday look. Unless you're a MUA, I'm not sure who does a look like that every day.

That's what I would call "let's test it all at once jammed on one eye" look. I would probably use 3 or 4 of them, max.

That aside, when I did my initial look, my first thought was "wow, that's really pretty. And soft." So with that in mind, I really recommend this palette. I'd recommend this palette at a much higher price point. At $18, I think you're crazy to pass it up. Bottom line, GO! Get this! You won't regret it.

LORAC Refined Romance Eye/Cheek Palette

Today I'm thrilled to bring you the first of my #NSale beauty purchases- the LORAC Refined Romance Eye/Cheek Palette ($18, currently exclusive for Nordstrom cardholders only but available 22 July to the public). I'll admit that I was leaning more towards its sister palette, but since I found this in-store it had to come home with me.

Let me borrow from Nordstrom's description of this item.

"Inspired by the romantic floral prints on the runway, the Refined Romance Eye & Cheek Palette features six nude-toned matte and shimmer eyeshadows, two shimmer highlighters and one matte blush so that you have everything you need to create soft, refined, romantic looks.

Palette includes:

- 6 Eyeshadows with shades in Ivory Shimmer, Gold Shimmer, Burgundy/Brown Shimmer, Light Rose/Taupe Matte, Light Purple Shimmer and Burgundy/Brown Matte (0.22 oz. each)

- 2 Shimmer Highlighters with shades in Cream Shimmer and Light Pink Shimmer (0.17 oz. each)

- Matte Blush in Rose Matte (0.09 oz.)"

First Impressions:

Packaging is paper/cardboard, but at $18 I wouldn't have expected anything else. It doesn't feel cheap, nor does it feel like it's going to be easily destroyed. For reference, it's about the length of a Glossybox.

Unlike a lot of less expensive palettes, the pans are all aligned, and appear to be glued in securely.

Color-wise, this is the safer of the two- and a bit warmer. Looking at these colors, I feel like 99% of the population has these shades in their collection already and has seen them. However, I want to see if this is what I was really hoping for- a convenient, well-performing travel palette.

Here's how I numbered them for this review:

Eyeshadow 1 (Cream Shimmer): This one's a bit metallic and very easy to overdo. It's a nice accent, but use a light hand. Trust me.

Eyeshadow 2 (Gold Shimmer): Oh so pigmented. It's a glorious coppery gold that screams fall.

Eyeshadow 3 (Burgundy/Brown Shimmer): It reminds me of MAC Cranberry a bit. I had fun playing with this in the crease quite a bit.

Eyeshadow 4 (Light Rose/Taupe Matte): This light brown matte is lovely. It's totally blendable, and I used it as my base transition shadow in the crease area when building my looks. Although some may find it boring, I am very excited to see this in this palette because it makes it travel-worthy in my opinion.

Eyeshadow 5 (Light Purple Shimmer): I'm not sure if this is lilac or grey. That makes it the type of color that makes my heart flutter. It reminds me a lot of some NARS classics like Lhasa.

Eyeshadow 6: (Burgundy Matte) I used this an eyeliner with a dampened angle brush.

Now, let's move onto the cheek part of the palette. It's equally as warm and yummy.

Highlighter 1 (Cream Shimmer): This is one of the reasons why I was interested in this palette. It's not white. It's a very light baby pink shimmery highlighter!  It imparts a total gleam onto the skin.

Highlighter 2 (Light Pink Shimmer): I would totally wear this as a blush. A totally shimmery blush.  It's a muted mauvey, shimmering highlighter. I used my teardrop Hakuhodo (not the Sephora ones) to gently apply to the high points of my cheeks. On my skin,it blended well into the blush- so I'll play with other shades to try to pull out the mauve on my skin again. This is not a highlighter for the faint of heart, but it gives dat glow.

Blush (Rose Matte): It's darker than I was hoping, so my application is both sheered and with a synthetic brush to make this wearable on my NW15 skin. It's a gorgeous rosy light berry matte shade with awesome pigmentation that will be perfect for fall. I can also see this working on a large range of skintones- if I can sheer it out, most ladies won't have to, and it's deep enough for at least those with medium skin- I'm not sure about WOC but hopefully there are bloggers out there who will be able to swatch it for you. I think it might work though.

Here's how I sheered it, with the darker of the two highlighters:

Here's the main eye look that I tested (ie the only day when the only color on my eyes is from the palette. When I tested shade #2, it was with non-Lorac shades.

Highlight: #1, Transition: #4, Crease: #3, Lid: #5, Liner: #6 with dampened brush

That screams fall, no?


Overall, I found a little bit of fallout with the eyeshadows, but nothing too bad. I don't have the LORAC Pro palettes to compare to, sorry. I found these to last all day with a primer/base, even though it was in the upper 90s with high humidity when I tested. I like the formula.

That said, I'm going to set this palette aside with my other #NSale purchases because it feels really, really fall. Look how well it matches my new throw and Sejour cap-sleeve shirt! I look forward to pulling it out when it's a bit cooler and it's time for fall shades.

I did order the other palette and will be testing immediately upon arrival (possibly today) so that it's hopefully relevant during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

Bottom Line: What a fabulous impulse buy! I can't wait to incorporate this with everything I picked up for for fall- it's all following a similar color story!

L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Foundation

After giving you my thoughts about the brand-new L'Oreal Infallible Pro Glow Foundation yesterday, it's time to talk about its cousin, L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Foundation.

Let me preface this review by stating that I bought it at the same exact time that I picked up Pro Glow, so I had no idea that I liked Pro Glow- or that the color actually worked for my uber-pink skin. Again, chalk this up to "YouTube made me do it."

OK, here we go. L'Oreal's Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation retails between $11-15, depending on vendor. It was apparently released for Spring 2015 and quickly became a blogger (and vlogger) favorite. For that $11-15, you get 1.0oz of demi-matte foundation in the same squeeze tube that I fell in love with from the Pro Glow.

I'm a MAC NW15/Tom Ford 01 Cream/Bobbi Brown Alabaster and I purchased the lightest shade, 101 Classic Ivory.

Just for comparison's sake, here's Pro Matte 101 Classic Ivory swatched next to Pro Glow 201 Classic Ivory,

Now that we've covered the shade, let's talk formula. L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte touts up to a 24 Hour wear-time,with demi matte finish, air-light, and oil free.

One of the biggest differences between Pro-Matte and Pro Glow? No sunscreen in Pro-Matte. That said, let's look at the back of the tube:

For those whose eyes need a break....

"Lasting demi-matte finish. Never full, never flat.
Finish: Demi-matte
Wear Up to: 24 Hours
Coverage: Medium
Texture: Air-Light
Oil-Control."

It also suggests rolling it onto the skin; I chose to stipple with a sponge.

I really put L'Oreal Infallable Pro-Matte foundation through its paces. As I've been bemoaning, the average temperature has been somewhere near ridiculous, and stupid ridiculous with the humidity. Here are the compilation of two days of testing notes. In one case, I ran errands and discovered my car temp in the shade, with a breeze, totally covered at 95. So here we go....

Application: This is different than the Pro-Glow- it's thin but more of the typical foundation formula I'm used to dealing with from just about everyone. I stippled with a Real Techniques beauty sponge and was pleasantly surprised. I know that this is claiming to be medium coverage, but it's quite full.  And it's quite beautiful. Application was quick, easy, and looked pretty. I decided to give a quick T-Zone dusting with Chanel Les Beiges since it's so hot.

Hour 2: Still looking flawless. I can't stop looking at myself! No problems anywhere. Two thumbs up.

Hour 4: Still looking great.

Still working it at 4 hours

Hour 6: A bit of oil peaking through on errands day, but none on AC-only day. Coverage still on point.

Hour 8: A bit more oil on errands day, and the start of some oil on AC day- but no separation yet.

Hour 10: The start of minimal separation on my chin, which is uber oily while testing.

Hour 12: Testing Day 2 (Errands day)- Yep, seeing some wear in my trouble areas but I think pro products would've had the same issues. Upper 90s and high humidity do impact this just like anything else (it's really similar to the wear I get with MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof foundation that I reach for in the heat for longevity and coverage).

Not bad for 12 hours and 95 with humid- all for $11, right?

Hour 14: Testing Day 1 (Didn't leave the AC)- OK, time to take this off. There's still a lot of foundation left on my face, too! Some minor separation in my trouble areas (chin, near nostrils), but nothing a bit of touchups wouldn't fix. I'm really impressed!


I didn't take a photo at the end of the day because I was so tired- but I wanted to give this as long and as honest of a test as possible. It's official: L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation tells me that drugstore lines have stepped up their game and it's earned its place in my stash.

If you asked me to choose between the two, it's Pro-Matte by a long run right now. Check back in the winter when I'm less oily!

L'Oreal Infallible Pro Glow Foundation

Call it YouTube-induced loss of impulse control syndrome. After seeing all of the love for L'Oreal's new Infallible Pro Glow Foundation (and references to its cousin, Pro Matte), I somehow found myself searching drugstores for my elusive color. Now, really, what was I thinking? I've yet to find a drugstore foundation that was light and pink enough for me, so I must have been in a state of temporary YouTube-induced madness to think that these were going to be different.

Well... as it turns out, drugstore lines have stepped up their foundation game! I've been feeling the foundation price creep pinch anyhow (my beloved Tom Ford? now $82), so why not try an $11 foundation. Put in my daily life terms, that's a morning iced latte (quad iced soy latte, thankyouverymuch) and a 6" sub. In other words, not a huge investment. I found the foundation at both stores that I checked; there was a $3 difference between Rite Aid and Walmart! Needless to say, Rite Aid was fully stocked. Luckily, I got the very last tube of my shade at Walmart. Target had about 3 tubes left in a mid-shade.

Enough rambling, let's see if YouTube knows what they're talking about.

I'm going to start with the newer of the two releases, the Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation (I test foundations first on weekends since I can't look like a total mess at my workplace). I figured that summer was a decent time to test drugstore foundations since I bronze the crap out of my face anyhow. I selected the lightest shade (of course), which is #201- Classic Ivory. Turns out it's a shade match for me! WOW!

Looking at the sleek squeeze tube (I love the packaging, btw- it's similar to NARS Pro Prime but not as fat), it holds 1 fl oz, claims up to 24 hour wear, and has the added benefit of SPF15 sunscreen.

It also mentions on the front: radiant finish, normal/dry skin, and hydrating. On the back of the tube, it calls itself "lasting glow foundation. Never dull. Never greasy." Finish: Radiant. Wear Up to: 24 Hours. Coverage: Medium. Texture: Air-Light. It gives the following instructions: "shake well. Dot into skin in rolling motion for flawless coverage."

QBB Disclaimer: I can't do the rolling motion in my cheek area because it tends to emphasize my pores, so I chose to stipple the foundation.

When I first tried this, I had a few hormonal breakouts, so a medium coverage foundation wasn't exactly going to please me (based on prior experience). So this one had a long, uphill road.

My first impression of the foundation upon application was: whoa, sheer shiny mess. So, I did something a bit unorthodox: I put down a layer of Laura Mercier Transparent Setting Powder to take down the mirror-like shine and examine the coverage. I agree that it's truly medium. I'm used to full coverage foundations, to be honest.

I cringe since my skin's not on point right now. This is my left cheek near the hairline.

After that, I did something else that most might find a bit odd- i stippled another thin layer of foundation on top of the foundation/powder combo to restore the luminous finish. I ended up with a medium-to-full coverage, luminous finish look- what I was hoping for in the first place!

I also tried a new tool for the first time- the Real Techniques  Miracle Complexion Sponge. I love the angles to really get in there. I used it dry, and with a stipling motion. This foundation is already really fluid (I think the only true foundation in my stash that's as runny is the Bobbi Brown Serum formula), so I think a damp sponge would've just created a huge mess.

In order to really test the formula, I only subsequently dusted my T zone with Chanel Les Beiges powder and didn't use another full-face setting powder. Truthfully, I didn't need one since I tend to use Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder to warm up my overall look. This luminous formula probably would've looked to be a shiny mess had I added any more highlight.  When I did my look, I didn't even add highlight since I felt it wasn't needed.

Between layers- you can see the slight difference in luminosity.

I have to admit that I love the finished look. My skin looks great and healthy. I could go back in with some concealer without making it obvious, and the formula is obviously buildable. My initial shock on the coverage was just the difference between this and say, MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof foundation.

Initial application- look at dat glow which initially scared me. That's my right cheek- see the eye area for reference.

It's feather-light- it honestly doesn't feel like you're wearing foundation with this one.

Although I'm posting this more than a week after this test, I wrote the testing notes journal-style. Anything in italics is a thought more than anything else

Hour 2: I still look fresh. Great! This might be lazy girl foundation for me since I didn't have to do any highlighting or finish powder. I wonder if this will last.

Hour 4: Still looking great, and I actually don't feel like I need to do any touchups! I'm impressed. OK, this might have to go into my stash for weekend use... 

Forehead: Hour 4. Not bad, not bad at all!

Hour 6: Still good, although I'd normally use a bit of MAC Blot Powder since highlights are starting to show up, and one of my major problem areas (chin) is starting to show some serious wear. I wonder what a different primer would do... or what a sub-95 and humid day would do with it. I just don't trust it yet for work though.

Hour 8: Whoa, glow. I'm itching to grab for blot paper or MAC Blot Powder. Time to distract myself with something else, but for the most part this is doing well. 8 hours in, I'd recommend it.

Brighter lights, but this is a good shade match that blended well. Hour 8 shine meter creeping up on my forehead....

Hour 10: Glow continues to creep. I still don't see a lot of issues with the coverage. I'm thinking the glow I'm seeing has something to do with my overall oiliness due to it being 95 and humid? I'm certainly taking this for a rough test.

Hour 12: OK, I'm really glowy and it's time for me to take off my makeup and go to bed. I'm not going to test this for a full 24 hours, obviously. I'm seeing a bit of separation on the sides of my nose (a trouble spot) and on my chin (my other oil trouble spot). I honestly feel like I could grab a blot paper and do a quick touchup and be good to go for many more hours. I'm impressed- I would wear this to work. That's QBB approved!

I'm cringing showing my chin up close, but see what I mean about separation? I still think this is both good for 12 hours of a drugstore foundation and fixable with 30 seconds of effort.

Bottom Line: This is something I will incorporate into my foundation rotation for sure. It's perfect for summer, when you don't always want something heavy on your face.  I'll be posting my thoughts on its cousin. Pro Matte, which I tested this past weekend in the coming days.

Gwynnie Bee- My Thoughts

A few caveats before today's post: 1. You may be asking where the beauty has gone- it will be back, it's too hot to swatch outside. I'm heat intolerant and just going to pick up lunch yesterday took 2 hours to cool down from, for example. 2. I'm going to be talking about a service that caters to plus sized women. If your intent is to complain about women who are those sizes, please stop reading. Beauty comes in many sizes. 3. There's a personal referral link a couple of places in the post (like right here).

OK, big breath.In the earliest posts on this blog, I infrequently added in a bit of fashion to the beauty talk. I'm not looking to become a fashion blogger, but every now and then I like to add my opinion on a trend or two. In this case, I've been trying out plus-sized subscription service Gwynnie Bee for close to two months (and quite a few exchanges) and wanted to share my thoughts so far.

I used to try to hide the fact that I'm a plus sized woman. I'm not sure why- I own it, and my weight has been stable for 13 years within about 15 lbs, give or take. I'm actually healthier than when I overtrained trying to fit into a smaller size. Looking around at my family, I was born to have a body with curves, which I love. Health comes at varying sizes- and I wouldn't trade my body for a size 2, for example (no shade on size 2s, just picking a small size as an example).

I've always looked with envy at services like Rent the Runway. Enter Gwynnie Bee- which offers the same sort of model for sizes 10-32!

The Basics:

1. Sign up at Gwynnie Bee (Full Disclosure: that's my personal referral link- you get 30 days free trial if you use it, I get an account credit if you do so)
2. Fill up your online closet with 25 items
3. Stalk the mailman to bring the goodies
4. Have a fashion show at home
5. Wear items
6. Pop into pre-paid blue return bag
7. Drop off at Post Office
8. Wait for more goodness to show up at your home

I'm on the 3-items at a time plan ($99 a month plus tax monthly). In reality, you can have up to 2x your plan maximum assigned to you- once you've notified for a return, they start working on your next box while the other items are headed back to GB HQ (in OH). In my experience, this is triggered once two events happen: 1. You hit "Return notify" online and 2. USPS scans your package in.


My Experience-The Good

• GB has a lot of unique brands, so you'll get access to things you won't find elsewhere.
• It's a great way to expand your wardrobe and get some items for those single-use occasions (there are nicer dresses, for example)
• I joined because I tend to wear a lot of dresses and blazers in the summer, both items that are costly to buy and I was getting tired of what's in my closet.
• If you fall in love with something, there is an option to purchase it.
• GB also has a members-only section where you can purchase out-of-season items at ridiculously low prices.
• Most of the items are washable- and they put a LARGE tag pinned to the garment (photo below) giving laundering instructions.
• You can preview what's coming, which is FUN!

The infamous blue return bag and 2 care tags I saved from GB

My Experience- The Not So Good

• GB has a lot of unique brands, so finding your size can be rough at first.
• The most frustrating thing is the lack of control over what items that will be coming. GB lets you prioritize items, but that's by no way a guarantee! For example, it took 4 full weeks and 6 rounds of exchanges to get a simple size down that I needed on a shirt.
• Shirts and tops seem to be the least popular- I got bombarded with them (3 or 4 in a row over multiple shipments) despite shirts and tops being less than 10 percent of my closet. I had to remove all but 1 (the one I just referenced) to get it to stop.
• Although allegedly I could have up to 6 items assigned to me (3 at home, 3 going back to GB), most of the time I had 1-2 items because of returns and transit times

My Experience- The Neutral

• Some people are wierded out by the idea of pre-worn clothes. I recommend closeting items that have only 2 reviews- those are blogger previews. There's a good chance you'll receive a brand-new garment
• I fell in love with a lot of items, so that actually could've cost me a lot more!
• Often the price is a bit more than you'd like to pay; I'm currently sitting on a dress that I can't bring myself to return but I can't bring myself to pay $65 for! That also reduces the turnover in garments.
• I haven't had a problem with overly-worn garments, but YMMV
• Service might be slow if you're on the west coast; GB HQ is in OH.

What I've Tried in 5+ Weeks of Being a Member:

Hopefully this gives you an idea of the number of garments you might reasonably expect to receive.

Box #1:

Cherry Velvet Zoe Dress in Flamingo Print 

QBB Notes: This made me want to cry, as I really wanted to try all the flamingos. This was way big and really low cut on me. I tried it on and immediately put it in the blue bag. Purchase price was very expensive, IIRC.

City Chic Roses Peplum Top

QBB Notes: This was the first garment that I purchased because I found it unique. No way would I have tried it on my own, but it's flattering, a bit low-cut, but fun. Purchase price was reasonable knowing City Chic's retail prices.

City Chic Stripe Zip Blazer

QBB Notes: I struggled with this after falling in love and kept it through 2 wearings. It's adorable, but GB's discount wasn't sufficient IMO given that it's currently available on City Chic's website. I'll just stalk and get a totally new item. GB's initial discount (which I think has to do with the number of people who are waiting, age of garment, etc) was around 10%. No thanks.

Since then, here are the other items I've tried:

Jete Flamingo Printed Tank Tunic

QBB Notes: I'm crossing my fingers, as this is supposed to be here for the second time on Monday afternoon. My regular size was huge. I'm hoping that sizing down will allow me to love it. If I fall in love, there's probably a 95% chance I'll buy because... FLAMINGOS. It took about 4.5-5 weeks to get it back between sizes despite being a priority. 

City Chic Royal Zip Trim Blazer

QBB Notes: I tried this on at home and liked it, but immediately put in the blue bag and sent back. Why on Earth is this not clearly marked as "middle of winter?!?" It's adorable, I love the style (and will thus either recloset this winter or stalk City Chic's website), and I'm glad I know what size to pick. Just not in the middle of the summer!

Yours Clothing Skater Skirt in Floral Print

QBB Notes: This is the second item I ended up purchasing from GB, partially because the price was literally irresistible and partially because this is a 3-season staple. I put this in my closet just to fill space and honestly would never pick this up in a store. Turns out it's a cute, full skirt made of scuba material that would be perfect except in the middle of summer. Fall- put it with fall colors. Winter- black and white and booties, anyone? Cozy sweater? Spring- pastels and white? Without giving all of the secrets away, I nabbed this literal staple for less than the price of NARS Creamy Concealer! So yeah... you can see why it had to stay here.

Corey Trista Dress in Flamingo Print

QBB Notes: Siiiiigh. What is it with the flamingo items being wonky? I wore this to work just before the 4th since it's pretty casual with a blazer (the sleeves are actually ties and open). It's shorter than I'm used to, and the elastic around the waist fit oddly. Still, I loved the fabric- it's just not for me. Purchase price was more than $100, which was jaw-dropping to me. One wear and back to GB it went.

Jete Ice Geometric Printed Scuba Shell Top

QBB Notes: This one didn't make it past the initial try-on. Heavy and unflattering. It's a light blue with white designs, which is a cool twist... but it just didn't look right on me. Literally back at the post office within 90 min.

Jete Arrow Printed Blouse

QBB Notes: Sigh, more shirts. This was cute but I sent it back based on the temperature. No way do I want a long-sleeved blouse in the middle of summer. Even though I have a very large chest (it would force me to get plus and have it tailored down even if the rest of me was about a size 6), no gaping. Two thumbs up on that, one thumb down on random timing from GB. I kept it about a day before deciding there was no way I'd wear it in a timely manner. 

Sandra Darren Navy Dress with Contrast Border

QBB Notes: If I could send this dress hearts and flowers, I would. My third purchase, despite it being more expensive than I'd like and GB recommending dry cleaning (tag says hand wash). Pockets! Pockets! Pockets! The boatneck also makes it completely work-friendly since there are 0 cleavage worries. This dress rocks on so many levels and so hard that I did a little dance when I tried it on. 

London Times Shadow Floral Dress in Blue

QBB Notes: I love everything about this, which is shocking since I only threw it in my closet to hit the minimum again after some exchanges. This is the item I previously referenced as stalking it since it's more than I'd like to pay (it's still $65+) but it's SO cute.  In fact, I might just go ahead and wash and wear it tomorrow again. I really do love it. 

I have 2 shipments en route to me. One, with the second size of the Jete Flamingo shirt (I wish I hadn't had to wait that long!) arrives Monday. A second, with an item I bought to test the GB sale section, has just been updated to have this inside:

London Times Full Bloom Fit and Flare Dress in Black

I'm psyched- given the lack of reviews (3 while putting this post together), knowing it's a newer item, and seeing a high purchase price (not much % off of retail), make me believe that there's a good chance that this is brand-new.

In short, I highly recommend trying out Gwynnie Bee if you're sizes 10-32. The first 30 days truly are commitment-free, and it gives you a good feel to see if the service is right for you. One of the reasons why I posted what I've had within 5.5 weeks is so you can judge for yourself.

If you'd like to try GB for 30 days free, this is my personalized link.

#NSale Purchases Round 2

Oops- I can't stop shopping. But if you've followed this blog, you already know that.

I picked up another few items from the #NSale- some of which I didn't show you before in my post of things I was thinking about.

Despite allegedly being online-only, I stumbled upon the LORAC Refined Romance Eye/Cheek Palette ($18) at one of my local stores. It's 6 eyeshadows, and 3 cheek products (highlighters and blushes- I think this version is 2 highlighters, 1 blush). That's 9 products in a travel-friendly (but not small) palette for $18, folks. Wow.

So when I came home, I went online and ordered the LORAC Enchanting Elegance Eye & Cheek Palette ($18). This one has 6 eyeshadows, 1 highlighter, and 2 blushes. Looking at both of these together, LORAC has offered 12 eyeshadows, 3 highlighters, and 3 blushes for $36 if you buy both. That's pretty darned good.

I absolutely adore these Kendra Scott Mystic Baazar- Addie earrings in gold ($39.90). This is the first time I've bought anything from this designer, and I'm already impressed. The earrings are large but not super large. I'd wear them to work in a conservative office setting, for example. They're feather-light, which makes me happy.  I'm seriously contemplating either the silver (currently available) or the rose gold (currently sold out, but there's usually a restock when the sale goes live).

I also couldn't help but pick up another one of the Kennebunk Home Bliss Throws in Rattan Yellow ($25.90). I predict probably 3 more of these will be mine- some for gifts, and one more for me. They're really that awesome.

I'm done for the weekend... I'm testing a few products right now but the weather is causing me some serious distress so posting is much slower than I anticipated. Heat and humidity are huge migraine triggers for me.