Recent Consumerism

I haven't been dressing up lately so I haven't had much reason to post, and even if I had, I wouldn't be able to share photos because I forgot to bring my camera cable with me >_<

Reasons I've been a slob (T-shirt, jeans/shorts, sneakers) lately (in tiny text because it's kind of whiny)
When summer started, I was super lazy and wore pajamas all day. Okay, this one is totally my fault.
My eyes somehow became sensitive to my contacts, so if I wear my contacts my eyes get red (especially my left eye), but if I wear glasses for a couple of days they go back to normal. No pain/itchiness/irritation. I threw away my old contacts and tried a fresh pair on Monday (eyes had been totally clear for ~3 days), and everything seemed okay for the rest of the day and on Tuesday, but on Wednesday morning my left eye was red again. So I'll be wearing glasses for the foreseeable (ha) future, and I don't like the way I look with glasses, so I don't feel like dressing nicely. 
I have tendinitis in my feet and have to wear supportive shoes, preferably sneakers with an orthotic insert. Usually I can get away with wearing other shoes for a few hours if I put in arch supports (and am willing to have my feet hurt for a couple of days after) but recently it's been pretty bad - my feet hurt even after walking in the sandals for too long. So it's sneakers, all day, every day.
I work in a neuroscience lab and have to wear pants and closed-toe shoes. 
It's super hot and humid here, so my hair frizzes as soon as I walk out the door.

But even when I don't dress up, I still like pretty things...so here's the results of my recent consumerism/bargain-hunting.

Wearing Kids' Clothes - Target Edition

Every so often there's an article about adults buying children's clothes for themselves, usually because it's cheaper or because they like the style. Probably the most well-known article is "Cool, Condensed" (New York Times, 2011), which focuses on adult interest in Gap Kids following its Stella McCartney collaboration.

A lot of petite bloggers (like Jen of From Head to Toe and Xiaxue) mention wearing clothes from, for example, J. Crew's Crewcuts line, or Abercrombie Kids. My mom is very petite (5'2" and ~95lb) so she occasionally wears girls' jeans (she has a pair that I wore in 6th grade), but I always figured I was too big to wear kids' clothes (5'4.5" and ~135lb), so I never looked seriously. But today at Target I found this dress on sale for $13 and fell in love with it:

Cherokee Girls Eyelet Dress - White

Cute detail - the straps are lined with pink seersucker material. The back is totally shirred, and the straps (which are crossed in the back by default) are attached in the back by buttons, so I was able to uncross them - and then it fit perfectly! I was so happy, especially since I just donated my last white sundress (from J. Crew) because I bought it when I was about 10lb heavier and it's too big for me now...

I'm kind of tempted to buy the same dress in navy. The seersucker dresses are pretty cute, too, and they have the same button straps and shirred back. Too bad they're all sold out online/ my local store...

Cherokee Girls Eyelet Dress - Navy, Cherokee Girls Lawn Dress - Pink, Blue

I grew up wearing Target's Cherokee line, so it's pretty funny to me that I can still wear (some of) their clothes - and that I still like them!

I wouldn't recommend buying kids' clothes online because the proportions tend to be different, but I think I'll start looking through the kids' section whenever I shop in-store.

Do you wear kids' clothes? Would you?

Where to Buy China/HK/TW YesStyle Brands

Since for some reason a lot of people have contacted me regarding various brands or websites with which I am not familiar, I created a page with information regarding YesStyle brands based in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Everything I know about these brands is on that page, and it took probably ~15 hours to track down all that information.

I cannot read Korean or Japanese and am probably not the best person to ask regarding brands or webshops originating in these countries, so please do not ask me where to find those brands.

Sorry for the super-lame post.

PG Mall/ PG Beauty Review

Established in 2003, PG Beauty is a popular Taiwanese handbag/accessory brand.
They have their own online shop, PG Mall, as well as a Yahoo Taiwan storefront and TaoBao storefront. Their goods are also sold on YesStyle (marked up significantly, as usual).

Overview, timeline, reviews, and price comparison with YesStyle after the jump! You can also check out how to order from PG Mall/ PG Beauty here.

How to Order from PG Mall/ PG Beauty

PG Mall is the webstore for the brand PG Beauty/PG 美人網, a popular Taiwanese brand that produces handbags and accessories. You might have encountered it on YesStyle or TaoBao (or Yahoo Taiwan), but they actually do accommodate overseas buyers, so you don't need to go through a middleman.

Prices are pretty reasonable, mostly in the 200-400NT range. They seem to release new styles pretty often.

If you can read Chinese, they have instructions for overseas buyers here. If not, don't worry! That's what this guide is for.

Warning: image-heavy!
Note: click to enlarge all images.

Nail UP! May 2012

After keeping my nails short for years for practical purposes, I started growing them out freshman year of college - but for the last few months they've been breaking/peeling and I don't know why! I started using Sally Hansen "Hard as Wraps" base coat, and that seems to help, so I'm growing them out again now.

The school year is ending soon, so tests/papers/finals/projects are all piling up, but I definitely want to start painting my nails again. May's Nail UP! has a ton of gorgeous ideas:

Collections:
- World Map: Paris, LA, Hawaii, London, Bulgaria, Bali, Spain, Brazil
- Jewel Box: Emerald, Pink Diamond, Ruby, Pearl, Sapphire, Amethyst, Diamond, Turquoise
- Favorite Characters: Disney, Sanrio, animals, etc.
- Private Nail
- Fall in Love

Order Nail Selection: Pink, Nude, Pastel, French, Wedding, Gel

Bonus: Spring Pedicure

Warning: image-heavy!

Jewelmint Review

So I didn't check my mail for a few days, and this is what I found today:
Jewelmint, Hollister, geocolouredlenses.com, and eBay packages!

I've heard a lot about Jewelmint, but most of it is from aggressive advertising - actual reviews seem to be pretty mixed. Personally, I rarely pay $30 for jewelry, and definitely not for costume jewelry, so I wasn't about to commit to paying $30 for jewelry every month!

But I caved and bought one piece - just one.