sales, deals, discounts, savings.. oh my!

since some time ago, i vowed to never pay full price for anything unless it was a) an emergency, b) i can't live without it, or c) i just absolutely needed it now. i guess they could've all been put into the category of something-i-need-now-and-cannot-wait-another-minute-for, but you get my point. the reason for such a promise to myself is because first off, every store always ends up having sales of some sort. you ever get the buyer's remorse after seeing something you bought go on sale?? (and it's too late to get a price adjustment on it!) it's depressing. sales occur every season, when stores are trying to make room for their new inventory. and it's not like winter sales only occur after winter. they are often happening in the early-mid seasons. take the current winter sale happening at the moment... actually it is on its verge of ending and we still have about 2 months of polar bear weather to endure. secondly, almost every store has promotions from time to time ranging from free gifts with a purchase to $$money$$ off a purchase. the only connector between these is timing - knowing when. i often find myself searching on the great Internet looking for these deals, coupons, promotions and whatnot and it seems like they are never in one place. so this is where i come in... the milisecond i find out about an opportunity to save big bucks, i will announce it and you will be in the know. all you have to do is follow me on twitter and sync it with your blackberry, iphone, palmpre, or whatever phone is cool these days. i promise i won't let you down! from time to time, i will spill my confessions as a shopaholic too and any worth going to event around Boston and NY.

so here are some tips i learned throughout my shopping lifespan on how to never buy things at retail price:
1) 24/7 online sample sales! these are sites that hold a variety of sample sales everyday and are always sold for a fraction of the price. this is pretty much the only online shopping i do now. most of the brands i see on these sites are: nine west, kenneth cole, cole haan, free people, hype, gucci, chanel, and so so much more. my favorite online sample sale sites are listed on the left panel with invites. most of these sites are invitation only. i admit i get $10-20 credit for each new member that purchases something, but i genuinely love these sites so much that i wanted to let you know about them. it's actually worse for me because now i will have more competition when it comes to each sample sale opening! (these sites have their sample sales open at a specific time, either 11AM or 12PM and all the good things are often sold out within the MINUTE!) i believe that if you are loyal to a specific brand, you might as well get it at a highly discounted price and still get the same quality as you would if you bought it in let's say bloomingdales. not only do these sites host sales on clothing, accessories, and such, but they have sales on home goods, services (such as massages), and travel (but those are always high-end and expensive).
2) shop at chains that specialize in selling high quality brand names at discounted prices the most popular as well as my favorite chains are TJ Max and Marshalls, which are under the same company and the prices are the same. Cole Haan glasses for $20! Samsonite spinner luggages for $60! i love going to these stores to see what new treasures i would find. the way these companies work is that they buy items from department stores that are looking to get rid of their extra inventory at a bargain price. that is how they are able to sell it for a much lower price. if you'd like to read more on how they work and how these companies started, click here.
3) sign up for e-mails, newsletters, catalogues! do you have a favorite store you always go to? it is smart to sign up for their e-mails and catalogues because companies like to keep their customers' loyalty by sending them coupons and special offers. also, many stores now offer reward cards (not credit cards). if you buy a lot from them anyway, might as well make sure they keep track of it and let them know who is a loyal customer. that way, you will be rewarded.
4) find an outlet near you outlets always have great buys and even outlets have sales and coupons! if you are planning to go to an outlet, don't forget to visit their website and see what sales are going on. also, google "printable coupons" and click on the first link that pops up. this blog always have updated lists of coupons to print out and use. most outlets have coupon books that you can pick up at their information center too. in boston, the closest outlet is Wrentham and to get a coupon book there, you need a student ID or AAA card. you can also ask nicely and most of the times, they will give it to you anyway. in NY, the closest outlet is Woodbury Commons. there is also a Tanger Outlet in long island.
5) there is a time and a place for every buy consumer reports created a calendar to help guide you when the 'right time" to buy a certain item is. certain products are sold at a lower price during a certain time of the year because of its low demands. don't forget to take advantage of holiday sales too!
6) keep updated with bargain sites sites like dealnews, dealsea, edealinfo, and slickdeals are always on the lookout for deals and everyday there are a stream of deals that are posted. but like i said, it is time consuming to look at so many sites for deals and discounts. so if you trust me, follow me on twitter and i'll let you know what deals/discounts/coupons are worth it.
7) don't throw away your student ID a lot of stores offer student discounts if you just show them your school ID. stores like J.Crew (i believe it was 10% off) and TopShop (20% off located in soho) offer student discounts.
8) keep your reciepts you never know when a store will suddenly have a sale or an even bigger sale after you went shopping. most stores offer price adjustments within 14 days of purchase. check their website or call to ask about their price adjustment policy.

i hope these tips will help you looking fabulous and at the same time sparing your wallet. and i would love to know if you have any other tips that weren't mentioned as well.

LeSportsac Runaway Duffle Bag in Splash review

so today i finally got my LeSportsac bag! i have been looking for one for so long. i originally wanted the large weekender, but i couldn't find a color that i liked. if you've seen LeSportsac bags, you'd know how funky their designs are. they were either too plain or too crazy for me, but i've finally found THE ONE!

i got it on hautelook, an online sample sale i rave about almost every post, for $60 (retail = $120). the dimensions for this bag are: 16" wide x 9" long x 8" deep. if you've seen the weekender bags, this one is in between medium and large. i would say it's a little closer to medium though. it is absolutely perfect for a weekend getaway, especially for snowboarding/skiing trips. the fabric material makes it really easy to clean. another reason i insisted on getting a LeSportsac traveling bag is because of how light and roomy they are, yet stylish. i have some LeSportsac totes and though they might look small, they can fit so much. i decided to make a review video for it to showcase how much it can fit.



please excuse the constant sniffing! i'm sick and have a very runny nose. also, i thought i did a poor job of making it seem easy to pack because i only had one hand to actually do the packing while my other hand was holding the camera. if i had actually packed better, it wouldn't have looked so stuffed. somewhere in the middle, i realized my camera wasn't centered on the bag.. so you were mostly watching the floor and listening to me talk. my apologies! other than that.. i hope you enjoyed the review and i hope it helped you in someway or another!

sweet spunk

H&M pink top; Express white top & jeans; Forever21 black sequenced vest, gold leaf earrings, & black studded belt.

lady in red

 

Forever21 red tube dress; New York & Company necklace; Express studded waist skirt (used as tube top under the dress); Saks Fifth lacey tights; Payless Shoes boots (although i wish i had some cute black booties instead)

obsessions of a shopaholic

my new obsessions - jeggings (jean leggings), studs, sequences, and bags (all kinds).

don't forget to follow my twitter!! the milli-second i find out about a sale/discount/coupon/any crazy deal, i will be twitting it on my iphone (which i have with me 24/7).

confessions of a shopaholic

the result of 6 hours of shopping with my roomie @ wrentham outlets. i would say it was a success! although surprisingly, she ended up buying more than me.
the new additions to my overflowing wardrobe:

• nine west brown boots - $50
• nine west black booties - $30
• Burton snowboard mint boots - $85
• cute shirt from saks fifth off - $15
• 2 pair of tights from saks fifth off - $24
• Burton scarf i don't know how to use yet - $15

total - $219 to my poor hello kitty credit card... actually my rich hello kitty card, poor me.

what's the buzz on twitter?

i officially joined the twitter club! i signed up so i can easily post coupons/deals/sales instantaneously. be my shopping buddy and follow me! =)

voom voom voom

i love coming back to my apt with UPS boxes sitting on my steps patiently awaiting me. the UPS guys are like santa's little elves that work all year round. hooray for them! christmas everytime i see those boxes.

i couldn't wait. my order from hautelook finally came.

they are delicacies of voom by joy han

 

i am in LOVE with this "tina bubble" dress. it has a cute just-right sized bow and pockets!! pockets seem to be the big thing this season. sweaters, skirts, dresses with oversized pockets. it was $49 on hautelook. i googled the dress and it seems to be selling for $150 elsewhere. yay a steal! it fits just right and is adjustable with a laced up back. perfect for special events, weddings, or even a night out. it can be sweet by pairing it with a necklace with pearls and some nice shoes. it can be punkish-rock with laced tights and some black accessories.

 

another joy han delicacy called "beaded top." i really wanted to pair the top with shorts, but i couldn't find any in my boston apt. i used to live in ny so i have a lot of my clothes there too. but anyway, the necklace is sewn in with the top complimenting it very well. what i like most about the top is the color. i don't think my camera and photography skills (or lack thereof) did the color justice. $35! googled it for about $60.

hautelook is just heavenly. it hosts a variety of boutiques that open at 11AM on the dot everyday with designer apparel and accessories for affordable prices. i've seen cole haan, nine west, betsey johnson, soia kyo, diesel, various makeup brands and i can't remember anymore. they occasionally have blowout sales too. the shipping is $10. i have them ship the items to boston so there's no tax, but i'm not sure if they will charge tax for elsewhere. ok ladies and gents?.. happy shopping!!

benefit online sale//this weekend's boston events

Benefit is having a "sale-abration"!! i've never seen benefit have a sale online until now. a lot of their things are about 25% off. you can just type sale in their search box to find it.

• free shipping with $50+: "PRETTY50"
• free silky eyeshadow with $35+
• 2 free samples
• if you use ebates, you can get 3% cashback

i'm not sure if return shipping is free though.. and i think all sale items are non-returnable anyway. here are the things i put in my cart:

"creaseless cream eyeshadow" ($19, color: tattle tale) - would look great as a base color and/or highlighter under the brow. so prettyy

 

"realness of concealness" ($24) - i've had this for more than a year now and i love it. it's cute and so handy. i use all of the things that are included.

 

"you're bluffing" ($16.50) - conceals redness. it was voted "best concealer" by Star magazine in 2006. let's hope it works!!

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if you live in boston, here are some places/events to check out this weekend:

• stylemakers pop-up store: a 2-day shopping event where stylists, editors, and some of the most best-dressed people are cleaning out their closets and selling their clothes and accessories. it is being held this friday night, jan 8 (6pm-9pm) and all of saturday, jan 9 @ 15 Channel Center Street. it's like a designer yard sale!! this article from boston herald includes a sneak peek on what you will expect.
• improv's no pants 2010: i see london, i see france, i see your underpants!!! if you're riding the T this sunday, u might see some funky undies. i love improv. they are a group of people that hosts events such as this that ultimately gathers people from around the city for an outrageous task. this time, the task is to wear no pants on the T this sunday, jan 10. youtube their events.. it's hilarious watching people's reactions. they are also having the event in new york. <<--- watch the video of last year's. can you believe they have been doing this for 8 years already?? i guess i haven't gone on the train that day for the past 8 years.
  

why is winter so cold??

why is winter so cold in boston?? well here are some of my favorite winter wears that are keeping me warm and cozy this winter:

most comfortable winter boots in the world!! they're so furry and cute and waterproof too. i bought them maybe 2 years ago? they're from sporto and i think they were around 40-50$. and the jacket i bought recently from cole haan. it was on sale for $250. totally worth it. it's 80% down and so warm and cozy. it's really light and great for travel because it can convert into a pillow. it comes with the pillow cover too! i never liked bubble puffy jackets, but this one is just plain awesome.

this was the outfit i wore today. cute, sweet, cozy. the maroon sweater was on sale for $20 from hollister, belt from forever21 ($8?), grey tank top from express ($15), hat from a boutique in soho nyc ($17), and tights you can get pretty much from anywhere. i love these tights though because they are thicker than most and are warm enough to wear on its own. my mom had gotten it for me from her company. she is a pattern maker and gets dibs on some clothing whenever they are being made so i score these freebies sometimes. that's it for today. hope you guys like what you see!  

a new beginning

happy new year!! so one of my new year's resolutions was to start a blog. and ta-da here i am! the bigger resolution is to start an online clothing store... but baby steps first. i chose the name anonimous beauty because well, beauty is anonymous. it has no name, no identity, and no possession. it is solely in the eye of the beholder. i believe that anything and anyone can be beautiful.. it is all in how you see it. that is why art and fashion is so subjective. my hope is that you will all get to know my style and come to like it. i'm definitely not a fashion expert. i'm just a fashion lover. i love looking at new styles and i especially love shopping. so i thought, why not share with the world all my great buys?? i'm not rich and i don't have a lot of money, but i do know how to find awesome buys aka inexpensive good quality items. so what should you be expecting from my blog you ask? pictures of my day-to-day wear, recent buys, daily/weekly updates on current sales/coupons, and much more. so stay tuned!!