My Name Is Shayna And I Think I Have A Problem!

So yes, I am obsessed with nail polish. And makeup. And clothes. And unfortunately shoes. And just like with nail polish and makeup, I tend to have expensive taste. I wish I didn't. And while I do love me some Zara and Topshop, neither have stores where I live. That makes it kind of hard. And while I do have a tendency to lean towards the luxury over mass market, I do love me a bargain. I am all about thrift shopping. If I buy most of my pieces for under $5 a piece I don't feel guilty when I do splurge on something big! (like this amazing Ella Moss Cooper jacket I obsessed over which you can see here but ultimately passed on. Could not justify $400 Cdn on it. I found it at the goodwill, Neiman Marcus tags still attached. Oh yeah, it was $2!!).

Anyways, I am always looking for a deal. I was on ebay looking for a specific pair of shoes (Rebecca Minkoff Reed heels in blue) and came across a store called apparelsave. I did some googling, and it seemed to not have the greatest reviews on websites. But when I looked at the actual FEEDBACK, I liked what I saw. 32 THOUSAND positive reviews in the last month alone. About 200 neutral and 300 negative. Now normally 300 negative would be an automatic no. But I read the reviews. And 95% of the bad reviews were people who were charged duty on their purchases. You buy things from the USA, you have to expect duty. Basically all the negative reviews told me that I should either not order multiple pairs in one order (large price means duty) and that they were a fairly honest company (would rather have lots of negatives than cheat on customs forms). So I decided to take a risk and make an order.

But, if you know me, you also know I am totally inpatient and totally unable to order one of anything. So I did two things. The first thing I did was order the Rebecca Minkoff Reed heels. They retail for $275 and cost me $33.99. Brand new in box. But how would they ship them? Would they list them on the customs form as being $33.99 or for being $275USD? Well, it turns out they were listed as $33.99! SCORE! Means if you order one at a time we dont have to pay duty here!

Yeah, I ended up getting them in red instead of blue. As much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE the blue ones (and I really do) I did just get the multi coloured lace up sandals from Zara a few months back and thought that since I had just gotten them, I would get these in red instead! I know as you can see they are totally different, but both are kind of statement-y time shoes and both are HIGH!

But, again, I can not order just one pair. So I also ordered the Via Spiga Ife pumps with white toe for $28.99 instead of the retail of $225. And a pair of Pour La Victoire Belz sandals that I had been dying to get from shopbop but didn't want to pay $275 ($370 Canadian). Oh yeah, I paid $37.99!!! I also got a pair of Nanette Lapore Sweet Revenge Pumps for $32.99 instead of $330. Coach Daylan purple suede sandals with gold trim? Not for $260 but for $29.99 they also went in my cart. And then I accidentally somehow ended up buying these Dolce Vita Burgundy sandals for $9.99 by mistake? Not at all a bad deal since they retail for $98 but they are 4.5 inch and 3.5-4 is my limit for comfort. But they are cute and I can see myself wearing them for short periods. So yes, if you were keeping track, that was 5 more pairs. But again, I wasn't sure how they would be listed on the customs form, and the retail was $1200. After shipping I paid $150 for those 5 pairs and had them shipped directly to my post office box in the USA. Ok, in case my mother or father happens to read this, THEIR post office box. But thats never stopped me before from using it.

Yeah, how did that happen? Does it help justify things that I had a $75USD paypal gift card that payed for more than half of this?

I didn't think so. But yeah. Now the store itself, would I recommend shopping here? YES! 1000X over yes! The shipping was fast. Shipped within a day, arrived ahead of schedule, both the pair coming to Canada and the ones shipped to the USA. Canadian shipping is $14.99 for the first pair and though it doesnt say so, each additional pair is either $8.99 or $6.99 or something like that. American shipping was $8.99 for the first pair and $3.99 for each additional pair. The store has TONS AND TONS AND TONS of shoes, and both used, new and flawed ones. I immediately limited my search to brand new in box options. And the pairs were all as described. Some were floor models and had a bit of scuffs or marks on the bottom. But all completely as described in each listing. And those that SHOULD come with dust bags did come with dust bags. Overall, I am over the moon and very happy. Here are the shoe pictures below of the other 5 pairs.

I LOVE the chain detail on these Pour Le Victoire ones and now REALLY want them in blue! So comfortable! Will possibly have to make another order.......

I swear, I have no idea how or why I ordered these! But they are super cute! Just not comfy!

These Coach ones are amazing. Kind of remind me of YSL Tributes. Not sure why since they are not at all similar. But they still do. And while these look more on the blue side, they are a royal purple. And not at all blue.

I am a pretty consistent size 8.5 US or 39 Euro but these 8.5 ones are a tad tight. I will have to try to stretch them out. If ordering Nanette Lapore shoes, I highly recommend half sizing up!

An amazing purpley-silvery-grey colour with white grains!

Now the biggest problem Where on earth to put them all!! So a trip to Ikea was in order.  A Billy Bookcase and 5 extra shelves solved that problem! And all of the shoes now fit! With a bit of room to spare!

Would You Ever Buy This??!!

So I have a feeling this is going to start a lot of drama but I am seriously SOOO on the fence about how I feel about this. On one end I think its totally wrong and kind of dishonest...... but I also would totally buy one if I didnt already have a Clarisonic Mia.

So for those of you who do not know what Aliexpress is, its basically a Chinese version of Amazon. Yes, you can buy TONS of fakes and replicas on there, but you can also buy all sorts of just cheap stuff made in China. $1-$3 accessories galore. And while many do not like that you can not pay with paypal, I think the Aliexpress method is actually safer.  I have made about 80 purchases in the last two years (best place to buy silicone heel protectors, gel insoles and other such items for pennies!!) and have had 9 arrive either completely damaged or just the wrong item. Each time I have filed a dispute and all but one time got my money 100% refunded. Aliexpress does not release the money to the vendor until you confirm successful receipt of item.

So anyways the point of this post. Someone on facebook recently bought a Clarisonic Aria off of the site. I figured it would be a knock off. Didnt think much of it. Then she got it. And reviewed it. And she went to the Clarisonic website  and registered it! WHAT???!!! For $50USD and free shipping?

I went through the feedback comments and was even more floored. 97% positive feedback, hundreds purchased, and many say they successfully registered it on the brands website! The friend who bought it got some replacement brushes at Sephora and she swears that they are actually legit Aria brushes.

Here are a few pictures from the feedback.

So my question is, would you do this? For $50? Its a completely unauthorized seller OBVIOUSLY, as to its authenticity, it seems legit, but that raises all sorts of questions about how they are getting them with real serial numbers and then the morality issue...

That being said, I am totally sure that if I did not have a real one I would totally say screw morality and pick one up! Hell, lets be honest, I just DID do this with a Babyliss Pro Perfect Curler. Instead of $200 USD I just ordered one for $30 Canadian that again, gets 99% positive feedback and that my friend who has the real one says they are legit identical. Do I feel guilty? A bit. But for a curler I will literally use once every 3-4 months, I wasn't splashing out even $100 on the drugstore one.

I am really interested to hear everyones opinions on this, and because I dont really feel like getting the listing taken down I will not publicly post it on this site. You can email me if you really want to get one and I can send you over a link!

NARS Nars Steven Klein Collaboration One Shocking Moment Cheek Palette

So this is what I am totally obsessing over today. I am still desperately trying to find a replacement for my go to blush that I have hit pan on from NARS. Stupid limited edition items!! I am not completely sure that there is a shade in here that will take its place, but at $92 CND (on sephora.ca) it seems worth the gamble?

This palette contains:
- 2 x 0.12 oz Contour Blush in Paloma (I), Paloma (II)
- 0.29 oz Bronzing Powder in Laguna
- 4 x 0.12 oz Blush in Robotic, Blaspemy, Luster, Dolce Vita

SEPHORA COLLECTION hakuho-do + SEPHORA PRO Kanpeki Perfection Brush Set

So I am completely and totally OBSESSED with this limited edition Hakuhodo/Sephora collaboration. Six brushes I want and NEED in my life. 

Forget the adorable keepsake box these brushes come in, I freaking want the brushes!!!

1. Small Teardrop Pointed Highlighter
2. Wedge Sloping Powder Brush
3. Large Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush
4. Angled Concealer Brush
5. Crease Brush

And did I mention this set was under $150?? (ok, $185 for us Canadians). This set was sold out by time I got to the website a few days ago to try and buy it but I have everything I can crossed that it comes back in stock!!

Urban Decay Vault - Now Available!

I am not sure how practical a set his is. $335 gives you about $80 in savings over buying everything individually, but lets be honest. How many of us beauty obsessed dont already own half this set? Ok, I dont. I actually only own the naked 1 palette. And if you own even one of the 3 big palettes that erases the savings. If there was a limited edition palette or something, it might be tempting. But I dot know. For me, this is a great set, but of little value. At least the eyeliner and shadow vaults had many more pieces that we go through much faster.

Am I just being a total kill joy? Are you all super excited and lemming this and I am just being cranky? Let me know!

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
It’s the Naked arsenal you’ve been begging for! Experiment with a DOZEN of our most-coveted Naked products—all in one ultra-luxe, limited-edition set.


We loaded our Naked Vault with a huge range of neutral shades for eyes, cheeks and lips. First up: ALL THREE of our bestselling Naked palettes—loaded with bronze, taupe and rose shades in an insane range of textures—along with the three coordinating 24/7 Glide-On Double-Ended Eye Pencils. 

Finish the look with Naked Flushed in Naked (medium pink), Native (light pink) or Streak (medium peach) and one of three shades of Naked Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss: Nooner (a gorgeous light neutral nude), Rule34 (a beautiful brown-nude) or Streak (the perfect coral-peach). 

If you purchased all of these products individually, you’d pay $420; at $335, our Naked Vault is an amazing value! AND it comes in a gorgeous case topped with mesmerizing, sultry artwork. Lift out the durable, removable tray and store it in your vanity, then use the box to stash your other UD essentials or as a place to store jewelry.
If you know anything about our past Vault releases, then we don’t have to tell you that they have a history of selling out FAST. So if you want in on this all-Naked edition, don’t blink or you’ll miss out! 

Fill Weight:
Naked Palette: Eyeshadows : 12 x 1.3 g POIDS NET/NET WT. 12 x 0.05 oz
Naked 2 Palette: Eyeshadows: 12 x 1.3 g POIDS NET/NET WT. 12 x 0.05 oz
Naked 3 Palette: Eyeshadows: 12 x 1.3 g POIDS NET/NET WT. 12 x 0.05 oz
Naked Flushed-Naked/Native/Streak: 14 g POIDS NET/NET WT. 0.49 oz
Naked Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss- Nooner/Rule34/Streak: 4ml / 0.13 fl oz
Naked / Naked 2 / Naked 3 Double Ended Pencil:0.5 g POIDS NET/NET WT 0.01oz

AVAILABLE NOW ON URBANDECAY.COM 

Formula X KVD VS Formula X Nail Polish Collection

This collection has launched at sephora.com and comes in the following shades: NaYeon, Vampira, Tijuana, L.U.V. and Color Piaf. And while I have never been a massive Kat Von D fan (not hating on the brand at all, just never been a brand that tends to consistently pull me in) I am a big fan of the Sephora X brand. I think they are a fantastic formula at a very reasonable price. And at $12.50 per polish, I may have to pick up most of these!!

Marc Jacobs Beauty For Holiday 2015

Marc Jacobs Beauty has come out with their holiday collection (available now on the sephora website) and I can officially say the holiday shopping has also commenced! I couldn't resist the holiday liner set. I love the set I got last year, think the liners are the best around, and it was literally purchased within 10 minutes of seeing the items online!

Epic Rewards to Epic Failures to $50 Apologies

A few weeks ago Sephora hosted what could easily be described as one of the most horribly executed events ever seen in the beauty industry. A week long bonus points event was held with the promise of EPIC REWARDS the next day! Which sounded awesome! The rewards were amazing!

See? AMAZING rewards! Now I work a pretty a flexible job and like many I was updating the website pretty much non stop for 12 hours. LITERALLY. I feel kind of embarrassed saying that but its true. And the reason I like many others was updating non stop is because Sephora REFUSED to tell anyone when the rewards would be loaded. And then at noon PST (2pm my time), BAM! They were there! But within seconds (Sephora denied when called later that the rewards only lasted a minute or two and say they lasted much longer) they were all gone. Literally by the time I was forced to log in again all the rewards were gone. If they had 20 of each reward I would honestly be shocked!

Now, having only a few, being ultra exclusive could have been ok. IF they had been honest about it. If they had not sent 3,323 emails to every beauty insider, VIB and Rouge member for the entire week leading up to it reminding everyone to shop now to get bonus points to use on the Monday. It was going to be EPIC! EPIC REWARDS!

That turned in to EPIC FAILURE! It also lead to mass returns from insiders who felt conned in to shopping. I bet Ulta couldn't have gotten as much publicity or sales that resulted if they tried! Not that us Canadians had that option. I was beyond annoyed. I then get this email from a friend on facebook:

I guess this was tweeted out, though I never ever would have seen it if not for the message from a friend. So I did email. I had NO IDEA what would come of it, though I was pretty sure it was going to be a totally lame discount code for 10 or 20% off. It turns out, we all got $50 gift cards! No minimum purchase amount, no hoops to jump through, and good unitl the end of September (and holiday sets should start coming out pretty soon!!).

Let me just say, this was a HORRIBLE way to solve the problem. Yes, I am happy. Yes, I am sure everyone who saw the tweet and got the $50 is at least somewhat happier. But what about everyone not on twitter? Everyone who got screwed who did not happen to see this email? There was no attempt on Sephoras part to distribute this to everyone. Sephora as a brand did not tweet this. Who is @Calvin_Sephora? I assume many of you know who this Calvin McDonald is, but I sure don't. And I bet a lot more also don't .

So while I am thrilled to get a $50 gift card, I feel awful for all those who were equally disappointed in the sale who are all sitting here now upset that they were not informed of this email.

What do you guys think? Did you take part? Did you GET an epic reward? Did you see this tweet and get a $50 I'm Sorry Gift Card?

Rituals Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel Sensation Review

This originally came in a Glossybox. I say originally because this is my 4th or 5th bottle since. I picked up a few different scents at the Birchbox store in Soho. I was also gifted another one from the lovely peeps at Glossybox when at their headquarters.

I have not used skintimate shave gel in 20 years (quite literally) but I have to say this just reminds me of that. Its that EXACT same texture. That runny gel that you rub and it turns into that same thick foam.

Oh, and it smells so good I have also had to use it in my bathtub at least a few times!

In general, a shower gel is a shower gel. Not usually much to say other than "its shower gel" or "it cleans you" and hopefully "it smells good". And the truth is that aside from the "its basically shaving gel that is shower gel not shaving cream" it basically is just that. A shower gel. But one that smells so good and that is just a weird texture. I freaking love it!