The Chronic Consumer

After hearing some good things about a product called Kiehl’s tinted lip balm, I decided to order a tube for myself. I’ve never tried any of their products before, but always suffer from wind- and sunburned lips in the summer, so I want to be prepared.

I read a few reviews about the different shades and ended up ordering Hue 30G. It looks bright red in the tube, but all the reviewers agreed that the color was very subtle when actually on the lips.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to receiving and trying this Kiehl’s Lip Balm!

Although I have a couple of Theory pencil skirts, I’ve never owned a top from this brand. But I recently came across a pretty good deal on a NWT Theory Clea tee and decided to give it a try despite not really knowing my size. The auction was for a Small, which is what I usually wear.

The transaction went just fine, but the shirt is far tighter than I would prefer. I mean, it doesn’t constrict breathing or anything like that and I’m sure I could wear it on select occasions, but this style would not be suitable for the workplace. I think in the future I’ll go with Medium for Theory tops.

Incidentally, I was surprised at how long the sleeves on this shirt were (it’s l/s) compared to the body length. The shirt barely reached down to my waist, but is a good inch-and-a-half too long in the sleeves. I’m small-boned, yet normally proportioned person (I don’t have short, stumpy arms or anything), so the Clea tee just seems weird to me. Now I wonder, is this how all Theory tops are cut or is this particular to the Clea tee?

I am not big on shoes. I have two or three pair that get me through most occasions, and rarely have to go shopping for anything new. But one of my go-to pair of work shoes recently gave out, so I had no choice but to replace them. I decided to try Aerosoles for the first time because they were having a big sale.

I’ve seen the Aerosoles store in the mall forever, but never went in there before. I was surprised at the wide variety of shoes they carried and at their very reasonable prices. After looking around for a bit, I found this nice pair of chocolate brown slip-ons named “Temptress”. They have a bit of a heel, which I like, but are otherwise very conservative and nice, with a combination of suede and faux crocodile on the outside.

Besides the looks, I was impressed by the way the shoes felt right out of the box. They were extremely comfortable when I tried them on in the store. They have a lot of cushioning inside, so I could envision wearing/walking in them for a long time.

Overall, I have gotten pretty good use out of these shoes so far. I ended up paying only $32 for them, which was down from the $59 original price tag. I’ll definitely go back to Aerosoles again!

Why is it so hard to find a comfortable sports bra? There seems to be an inverse relationship between comfort and support with these things. Want it to be comfortable? Forget about adequate support. And vice versa.

I was hoping this Champion cotton fitness bra would be an exception to the rule, but that didn’t really happen. This is an 88% cotton/12% spandex model with moisture-wicking properties, ventilation panels, and racerback straps. It is meant to provide medium support for medium impact activities.

While I don’t have an issue with support, the bra isn’t very comfortable at all. It feels tight (I’m between a medium and a large, I guess, and had to go with a medium for the right kind of support) and it chafes during each and every workout. I don’t really notice the moisture-wicking either. I can tell when I’m sweating heavily.

Bottom line: for $20, I expected a bit more out of this bra. Next time I’ll be trying a different brand.

I’ve recently added a lot of browns to my wardrobe, and as a result have had to buy a bunch of matching accessories as well. One such accessory that I needed was a new belt. After a bit of a search, I was able to find this nice Nine West black/brown reversible belt.

I wasn’t necessarily looking for a reversible, but once I saw this one it made sense. I like the way it looks, it’s the perfect width (neither too skinny nor too thick), and it has a cool little buckle. It fits just right, too, as I’m able to buckle it at the middle hole. So why bother trying to find two great belts (one in black, one in brown) when I could just grab this reversible and get twice as much use out of it?

The only potential problem some people might have with this product is figuring out how to get the belt to reverse. What you have to do is pull the buckle up a bit and then twist it around (it splits between the “Nine West” stamped hardware and the end of the buckle hardware). I couldn’t figure it out on my own in the store and had to ask the salesperson for help before I bought the thing.

Anyway, this belt is $28, which is a decent price for what is essentially two accessories. I love it so far!

I recently ordered a set of monogrammed ladies handkerchiefs from the website monogramsinc.com. It was my first time dealing with the site and my first time buying this kind of product. Overall, the experience was pretty good.

Monogramsinc.com has about 17 different styles of ladies handkerchiefs to choose from. I selected the one pictured here, which is called “Seaside Lace”. I wanted something that looked feminine, but not too dainty — if that makes sense. I thought this design fit the bill, so I went with it.

It cost $36 for a set of four monogrammed handkerchiefs, which, according to a very hasty exercise in comparison shopping, is very similar to what other sites charge. I was given a choice of thread color (I went with lavender) and of course was able to specify what letters I wanted embroidered on the product.

The quality of the handkerchief itself is decent — not great, but not absolutely shabby either. I wish it were a bit softer, but perhaps that will come with subsequent washings. A quick cycle through the dryer might do the trick as well, but I’m afraid of the possibility of shrinkage. For now, I just hang these to dry (which means I must also iron them afterwards).

Anyway, I like these handkerchiefs. I’m just getting over a cold, so I was able to make good use of the handkerchiefs, what with all the coughing and sneezing I was doing. I’m fairly satisfied with this purchase!

I have a lot of trouble finding pants that fit right, so I’m always interested in trying different brands. I used to shop at Eddie Bauer quite a bit when I was in college, but haven’t gone there in the longest time. But after visiting their website today, I think I might give them another try.

What I really want to check out is their “truly straightt” fit pants and/or jeans. As you can see from the graphic above, this fit is meant for rectangular bodies. The pants sit below the waist (which is what I want), and most importantly, there’s supposed to be no gap at the waist. That’s a problem I constantly have with my pants, and I hate it!

Anyway, I’ll have to go to an actual Eddie Bauer and try these on in person before attempting to buy online. I hope the “truly straight” fit is everything EB is making them out to be!

It was time to update my sweater collection, so I made a trip out to the Gap recently. Usually I would just shop online, but some recent weight loss makes it necessary for me to actually try things on to verify my size.

Anyway, while there I found this nice, basic v-neck — just what I was looking for. It’s made of 55% nylon, 35% wool, and 15% acrylic, is machine washable, and fits very well. I went with the fuschia color pictured here, and it looks nice with the Modern Boot Pants I bought at the same time, as well as with jeans. This sweater is not particularly warm or anything, but then again, it’s not meant to be.

All in all, I like this basic v-neck. In fact, between the pants and this sweater, I might start shopping at the Gap regularly again!