New Shopping Bag!!!

I know, I know, I know...the last thing I need is yet ANOTHER shopping bag but I just couldn't help myself. 

I thought long and hard if I needed to have another shopping bag but I just couldn't help myself --- I just had to have this one! 

It's so pretty and besides, it's light weight and which would make it ideal for my handbag. I'm sure it's going to be put to good use :) 

Steve Madden Handbag

I've been browsing for a nice, trendy and affordable handbag suitable for work recently. Oftentimes I would find something I like but the price tag is just way out of my budget and not something that I can justify splurging on.

I went in to the Nine West store in the Gardens Mall and saw a brown coloured bag that I liked but unfortunately, they didn't have one in stock (they just had the display bag). So, after asking them to check out for stocks in other stores, I was directed to the Nine West outlet in Robinsons which is just around the corner and in the same mall.

Upon getting there though, I discovered two things: one, the bag that I was after, although was displayed on the shelf in Robinsons, they too, didn't have any in stock and two, I saw the bag that I eventually purchased in the Steve Madden outlet which happens to be right next to Nine West. Although I liked the Nine West bag's design, I preferred the material of the Steve Madden Bag more. Moreover, the Steve Madden Bag was slightly cheaper than the Nine West bag, so, win! :)

After finding out recently that Maybank Treats Points have expiry dates and are good for only 3 years. So, with that in mind, I went ahead and traded some of my Maybank Treats Points for Robinsons gift vouchers and purchased this Steve Madden handbag :)

I'm glad that I didn't purchase the bag in H&M a few months back. This bag looks way nicer :) It's roomy (read that to mean that I can thrown in loads of things into it including a book, newspaper, a bottle of water for those hot days and perhaps small shopping purchases on top of my regular handbag things) and hopefully it'll last me a long time.

AEON BiG Gift Card

My steam iron decided to retire a few days ago without giving me prior notice. I discovered this in the morning when I was trying to iron my top for work.

So, after shopping around for a replacement iron, I decided to purchase one from AEON BiG Mid Valley since I could trade in my Maybank Treats Points for a AEON BiG Gift Card worth RM105 at the Maybank Credit Card Centre in the Gardens Mall. I used the gift card to not only purchase an iron but also some groceries and I've still got a balance on the card! I'm not complaining :)

Baskin Robbins 31% Off

It's the 31st of the month and as always Baskin Robbins are having their 31% off promo today.

I was down at the local Baskin Robbins and picked up just a pint of Black Forest Cake Ice Cream. There wasn't too many people there when I got there around 6 pm. I went home after purchasing my pint of ice cream to put it in the freezer and later went out again and passed by the Baskin Robbins outlet and it was full of people at around 6:45 pm!

Phew! I was lucky that I was there just a tad earlier and missed the mad crowd (yes, it can get pretty mad in there on the 31st). There was once, a few months ago, I went there thinking that I was going to purchase ice cream on the 31st but gave up after seeing that there was just waaayyy too many people in there.

I got lucky today and I'm not complaining! :) I've now got my ice cream treat in the freezer!!! :)

Wardrobe Update :)

I've just realized that my wardrobe doesn't have enough colors... yup, really eye opening!!! Most of my clothes are black in color. Don't know why but I've always been drawn to black when shopping.

Anyway, I went shopping yesterday as well as the day before yesterday to update my wardrobe.

My haul:

1. A pair of cobalt blue skinny jeans (just looovveee the color!). Strangely enough, I only realised that both pairs of jeans (this one as well as the sand colored ones) are by Zara TRF today (when I found myself in yet another fitting room, hanging up my jeans on the hook to try on some clothes). By the way, it's super comfy to wear! I'm glad that I bought it :)

2. A pair of sand jeans (can't believe how I've manage to live this long without ever owning a pair of jeans in sand before this!)

3. An H&M  flowy chiffon top (ah, so romantic!)

The top goes with both pairs of jeans

4. Three H&M tees (just love H&M tees) in pink and blue

Notice that there are no black tees for a change!

5. A pair of wedges with blue bows!!!(awww... how pretty!!!)

6. A pair of cute ballet flats in blue (hmmm... notice that I've been buying lots of blue this time around!!!)

I also signed up for FOS's membership programme (it costs RM5.00 a year if you "like" them on FB and the membership allows you 10% discount on normal priced items. On top of that, you get a RM10 voucher when you have accumulated a total of 500 points, which is basically, pretty easy to do over a year).

LOREAL Stock Clearance Sale

I went to the Loreal Stock Clearance sale in Sri Petaling Hotel today. Okay, granted that it was quite a drive for me to get there but I thought that I'd go to check it out to see if I could pick up some treats at a discount so that I wouldn't kick myself so much if the products didn't work out.

I haven't been to the Loreal Stock Clearance sale for quite a while now and I must say that it has changed quite a bit. Their warehouse sales in the past have been quite a mad house with loads of women pushing their way to get to the products. Back in those days the sales were often held only on one day and some women would take the day off from work just to go to it. Today, shopping was a breeze.

The products are no longer as cheap as they used to be, I'm afraid. I remember the days when the Maybelline  lipsticks used to be RM 10 each. Now, they cost RM19 each. Kinda pricey for a drugstore brand sold at a warehouse sale, if you ask me.

I recently bought the Maybelline Angel Fit Foundation at Watsons for RM32 (and that was a discounted price, the normal price is about RM40). I saw it at the sale today and it was selling at RM22. Strangely enough, it didn't have the same names that they have for the products in the stores. The bottles only had code numbers which can be difficult to buy especially if you're thinking of picking up a bottle after having tested out the colours at the stores earlier on.

Here's what I bought:
1. Loreal Derma Genesis Pore Minimising Smoother (Gel Cream) for RM27 (This product contains Hyaluronic Acid and it was a curiosity purchase as I've read so many good things about Hyaluronic Acid)
2. Loreal Touche Magique Concealer for RM20 (I've read great reviews about this product)
3. Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner (Waterproof) in 01 Black for RM23 (I've read great reviews about this product too). The package includes the gel liner as well as its own eyeliner brush.
4. Maybelline Clear Skin Minerals BB Cream in Fresh  for RM14 (This was my curiosity purchase. I've tried out the testers at the store many times before but never got around to forking out around RM20, normal price, for it. It's a small tube that's easy to carry in my bag and it comes with SPF 26)
5. Two Maybelline Eyestudio Eyeliner Pencils for RM6 each (for my mom)
6. Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Permanent Hair Color for RM14 (This is my staple purchase)

The good thing is because everything was kinda pricey, I wasn't going crazy and getting EVERYTHING I saw. I was quite reasonable in selecting my purchases.

If you're thinking of going to the sale, it runs till Sunday, September 18, 2011.

Buying Stuff on Sale

How many times have you bought something that you didn't even know you wanted before you saw it on sale at the store? I know that I have been guilty of the crime one too many times.

Buying things that you want and need on sale makes a lot of sense and yes, you're saving bucks. On the other hand.  buying things that you don't really need just because the price has just been slashed 50% doesn't make sense --- that would only mean that you spent money on something that you didn't even know that you needed before you set foot into the store.

Be aware of what's going on when you step foot into a mall or a store. Millions of money are spent researching the psychology of spending. There is a reason why stores are such comfortable places to be in --- they try to keep you there as long as they can. Remember, the longer you're in the store, the more likely you are to spend money on things that you don't really need.

The solution? Make a list of the things that you want. If there's any new product that you want to research on before buying, go to the store during a normal day when there isn't a sale (you're less likely to spend minus a price discount). Make your decision and then walk out of the store and wait for the next sale (in Malaysia, sales are often, so you wouldn't have to wait too long for the next one). Sometimes, if it's something you really didn't care about very much for in the very first place, you might even forget about wanting it at all in the very first place (yay! money saved!). If you still decide to make the purchase when the next sale rolls around, remember, anything not on your list shouldn't be purchased no matter how good a deal it is.

I normally go shopping to do my research on new products that I want to purchase during normal days. I have to make sure that I've done enough research before I purchase anything so that I won't be cluttering my home with things that don't work for me.

Recently, I've been going to drugstores to try out anti-aging serum testers. I know that I want to buy an anti-aging serum as my current serum looks like it will last me another month or so. Since there are so many brands and products out there, I'm using this time to do my research and make my decision. When the next sale comes around, I'll be ready to purchase the product that I want.

One thing to note: The product that I'll be buying may not be the cheapest on the market. The cheapest product may not be the best product (nobody wants premature wrinkles.... hey, nobody wants wrinkles, period!) as I'm making an investment on my skin and how I look (yes, vain thought, I know!). This will be a long term investment in me!!! Why wait for a sale, you ask? Well, that will be when I'll be purchasing a product of value and one that I need at a lower price and thus saving money! 

IT Fair in Mid Valley

Thought I was early for the IT Fair in Mid Valley (I arrived at 10:45 AM for the 11 AM opening) but it seemed as if the rest of the world beat me to it (check out the pic)! People were waiting in front of the still closed shutters!!!

I purchased the three user Kaspersky Anti Virus programme for RM72 (normal price RM99). It's another investment on my business.

a great bargain site

i love bargain hunting and am always looking out for a good deal.

WeBUY is great group buying website that lets you enjoy services and experiences without having to spend too much money. In fact the prices offered on the site are 50% - 90% off the normal retail prices.

The bargains include restaurants, fashion, hotels, spas, travel packages, go karting lessons, entertainment, etc.

There is a time limit for each bargain offered (there is a clock on the page below the bargain which will tell you how much time is left for you to act to buy the bargain). When you see something you like, just click on the "buy" button. The bargain will only be activated if the minimum numbers of buyers is reached.

Buyers will only be charged if the deal is activated. You will not be charged for deals that aren't activated due to insufficient responses from other buyers.

I just purchased a full set of high tea with pastry lunch which comes with a further RM5 voucher for the next visit at The Tea Republic for only RM11 (yup, hard to believe considering that it is located in the Bangsar Shopping Centre).

I've never been to The Tea Republic and I figured that RM11 is a small price to pay to sample the food, atmosphere and services offered there.

WeBuy is currently running The RM203,000 WeBUY Community Giveaway Project  where every person matters as they are offering cash giveaways to be credited into your cash wallets if the number people who buy the deal (which is on 100% discount --- yes, it costs you ABSOLUTELY NOTHING --- it's FREE!!!). This system is based on breaking a number of tiers in order to activate the cash giveaways as more and more people "buy" the deal.

At the present moment as I'm writing, 1572 people have bought the deal which means that the RM5 tier has already been unlocked. As more and more people buy the deal, more money monetary tiers will be unlocked resulting in more money in our respective cash wallets. The number of people targetted to sign up for the deal is 10, 000 which will unlock the maximum tier which will get us all RM20 credited in our cash wallets. There are still 57 days 16 hours 29 minutes and 13 seconds to go as I write this post.

Do yourself a favour and sign up today!

what's your vice?

mine's shoes.  i don't know why but i keep buying them even though i already have MANY pairs at home... but this pair's a different colour and this pair's too pretty to pass up and this pair's just soooo sexy and this pair's really cute and would look nice with my skinny jeans and this pair's great for work... you get the idea.  before i know it, i have bought like 10 pairs in a week!!!

do you think there's such a thing as a "shoe buying gene"???

bags...

my sister's been sporting branded handbags (prada, marc jocobs, coach, just to name a few) of late and which she only uses a couple of times before she gives them away... strangely enough, she never gives them away to me...

in the meantime, yours truly is still thinking a million, if not a zillion times, about buying a RM 180 charles & keith handbag.  you have no idea just how many times i have visited the charles & keith store just to look at this one bag... sigh...

i keep telling myself that i need to justify this expenditure... do i  really need another handbag??? or is it all just a whim....

omg!!! another pair of shoes!!!

yup, guilty!!!  i just couldn't help it!!!

i was passing by the vincci store in 1-utama today and was unable to resist a read pair of heels that was on 50% discount!

yes, it is my fourth pair of shoes within the same week, i know!

shoe sale!!!

did i happen to mention that the shoe sale is on at vincci and i bought three pairs of shoes last sunday???

in my defense though, all three pairs, i am happy to announce were on 50% discount!

i bought a pair in gold (which would look great worn with jeans) and two pairs in black (which i thought would be great for work).

it seems like such a splurge but i figured that i might as well buy all three pairs as i sometimes cannot get shoes in my size especially in sales.

Cotton On

I just discovered Cotton On in 1-Utama (okay, I'm probably the last person on the planet to discover this!).  I saw loads of people in the store (there was a sale on).

I'd never heard of the brand before and went into the store to see what was going on.  I LOVED it!!!  People were going crazy and the clothes were everywhere...the last time I saw anything that resembled this was when I was in Primark in London.

The prices were affordable and there were loads of stuff that I liked (and bought!). In fact, I loved it sooo much that I went back there the next day (when the displays were more organized).