For the Love of JustFab

Last month or so, I posted a few of my daily walks from my car to my office on SnapChat, which was basically a video of my feet walking.  It was just a way for me to say "Hello social media, I'm alive" but  then friends and followers started commenting on my shoes (where I got them, how much, are they comfortable, etc.) so I decided to put together a little post to answer those questions as well as give you a quick rundown of my experiences with JustFab so far.

I've been a JustFab member for a few years now (since 2014) and just about every shoe I own (with the exception of sneakers) is from JustFab.  That's 35 pairs of shoes that I've purchased from JustFab so far (plus 2 blazers and 5 bags), so I like to think I'm pretty knowledgeable when it comes to JustFab products.  I plan to do a haul/review post every time I get new items in the future and I'll also post a review of my last purchase sometime this week, in case anyone is interested in the same items.

What is JustFab?

It's basically a subscription-like service where you are charged a monthly fee of $39.95 to use towards an item unless you log in and "Skip the Month" or make a purchase by the 5th of every month.  Each month, you'll have new "picks" that you can choose from or you can browse the entire website to find something you like.  If you don't skip the month by the 5th, you will be automatically charged the $39.95 and your account will reflect the credit.

*Tip:  Try to budget for the $39.95 charge so that you can save up your credits.  JustFab has sales pretty often, so keeping those credits for an epic sale is really the best way to get the most out of your budget.

What kind of quality should I expect?

For me, the shoes and bags are well worth the price.  I've only had one heel break on me but I assume it was due to something else and not the quality of the shoe because I order the same shoe in two different colors and only that one shoe broke.  As with any online order, sometimes the fit of a certain item can be a little off so ALWAYS read reviews before purchasing so you know what to expect as far as the fit goes.  I'm normally a size 7 in flat shoes so I always go a half to a full size down when purchasing heels since your feet tend to slide forward more.

*JustFab has recently started adding extra rubber heel soles so you can replace them when they get worn out.  This is so awesome because my heels get worn out fast walking through my office's parking area and now I don't have to throw out or replace my shoe when it does.


As for the clothing, I've only purchased 2 blazers so far and the quality wasn't really all that great.  One was a crepe polyester material that looked more green in person than the dusty brown it appeared to be online.  The other was polyester material as well but it was just okay.  Both weren't really things I would have paid $40 for had I seen them in an actual store, but you win some, you lose some.  And no, I didn't return them, I just kept them.  I don't like returning things and have never returned online purchases because I can't deal with the hassle of shipping it back.  I usually just keep the items and either resell them or gift them to someone else.

How do I sign up?

Head over to JustFab (yes, that is an affiliate link), take the style quiz, and start shopping.  They usually have new member promos going on (20% off your first item, buy one get one free, etc.) so your first purchase is pretty much a steal.


Anything else I should know?

You earn points for every dollar you spend and reviews you write on their website.  Points can be redeemed towards items such as jewelry, nail polish, fun accessories, beauty items, and extra discounts so remember to review your items when you receive them to rack up those points!

P.S.  For a quick rundown of the items I've got so far, check out my JustFab Pinterest Board.

Fashion Wishlist: Bag Lady

Okay, so I know I'm on a shopping ban right now but these bags were just too good not to share!  I caved last month and bought 7 pairs of shoes (we'll get to that in another post) and now I'm realizing how I don't have enough purses and bags.  Third world problems, I know.

Now, I've never really the type to splurge on a bag.  I've always bought cheap purses which end up falling apart on me sooner rather than later.  You get what you pay for, right?  Well, since turning 30 (still can't believe it) this year, I figured it's about time for me to start treating myself to things that are a step up from my usual.  And, while I still can't justify spending $300 on a single purse, $50-$100 seems pretty reasonable for something sturdier (and still cute) that will last me a little longer.  Plus, I think knowing it costs more that $25 will make me want to take care of it more.

I've always been a fan of structured handbags and Kate Spade continuously has me swooning over their products until I look at the price tags.  They had a surprise sale last week and even though the sale prices were much lower than regular price, I still couldn't do it.

So, I did what any smart shopper would do: I browsed the internet for similar styles.  Thankfully, I eventually stumbled upon StyleWe.com.  They have SO.  MANY.  BAGS.  I'm not even kidding, they have 31 pages of unique handbags.  Totes, backpacks, cross-body, shoulder bags, clutches, wallets...and in all sorts of colors and patterns!  I browsed through all 1,477 of them and picked my top ten favorites to share with you.  Swoon with me, won't you?

Duckie's Top Ten Handbags by frikkenduckie featuring a satchel bag

That fringe one is one of my absolute favorites!  I have a dusty beige fringe bag already, but black is my color.  And you just KNOW I am absolutely going to buy that cute little pineapple purse eventually, because how can I go to sleep at night knowing that I don't have a pineapple purse?  And that light blue color looks so luxurious, while the deep burgundy will be perfect for fall.  Sigh...

If you can't tell from my picks, I like big bags and I cannot lie.  When you have three kids, you kind of have to be ready to carry everything with you all the time.  Plus, with me being a makeup hoarder and planner addict, I need lots of space to carry 7 shades of lip stick, 3 eyeshadow  palettes, 24 colored pens, and about a pound of stickers with me everywhere I go.  You know, essentials.

So tell me, what does your bag wishlist look like?  Which ones are your faves?

Fashion Wishlist: Summer Wedding Style

Summer is almost over, and this year has been pretty exhausting.  So many parties, summer events and tons of weddings to attend that it has become pretty clear to me that I've used up all my outfits in my closet.  With a few more weeks to go before school starts again, I've got a just a couple more wedding receptions to attend and nothing to wear.

For those that have been following along for a while now, you'd know that a) I'm not yet married and b) have been half-ass planning my wedding for about 2 years now.  That being said, I've stumbled across Dresswe a few times now while browsing for possible wedding dresses, entourage outfits, etc.  They have super affordable (some under $100) wedding dresses and such a huge selection of different styles that I've found it hard to pick one just yet.  (I'm leaning towards a form fitting, mermaid/trumpet style, with a sweetheart neckline and lots of lace and beadwork.)

But, since I'm not getting married just yet (I'm the kinda gal that would much rather save my time and money on building our house first), I decided to browse the other dresses and items they have and found so many different things that I liked.  The dress below caught my attention immediately and I just knew it would be a perfect outfit to wear to a summer wedding because of the bright colors and fun print.  I'm pretty sure I'd wear this to more than just a summer wedding because it seems like of those outfits where you can't help but be happy in it - and who wouldn't want that?

Summer Wedding Style featuring Dresswe.com by frikkenduckie featuring necklaces

It's been a while since I've done a post that didn't pertain to working out or what I've been reading, but I really did enjoy putting this together.  I kinda miss posting outfit ideas, fashion inspos, wishlists, beauty faves - basically all things girly.  I'm still very girly in real life (I love shopping, dressing up, makeup, etc.) but it hasn't been coming across that way on the blog lately.  I'd like to do more girly type of stuff here, keep things interesting around here for you readers as well as for myself.  I was challenged to do a "no mirror makeup" look from one of my friends on Snapchat (username: frikkenduckie) and I was thinking I'd post it here on the blog too.  Just a little goofy, girly fun.  Or maybe a makeup tutorial to accompany this outfit post?  What do you think?

Attending any weddings this summer?  What are your go-to outfits?

Happiness Boutique [Review + Giveaway]

So remember that Rocksbox post I wrote a while back?  Well, since then, I've been on the hunt for cute, AFFORDABLE, quality pieces to spice up my everyday wardrobe.  Lucky for me, I was contacted by Happiness Boutique to review a product of my choice from their website and after the Rocksbox fail, I was already in the market for a brand new statement necklace that I didn't have to return.

Trying to pick just ONE piece to review was tough.  They have over 300 items in the necklace section alone!  It literally took me days to finally narrow it down to a few choices and then another few days to actually commit to one.  After about a week of serious deliberation, I finally chose this one.

If it isn't obvious from the photos, this necklace has quickly become one of my faves and I've worn it on several occasions.  It's so easy to style that I can wear it with shorts and a tank top on the weekend, with a v-neck and flare jeans to work, or with a simple bodycon dress to go out.  The details on this are absolutely stunning and while it looks like a high-end piece, it's actually really light and doesn't make me feel like I'm carrying an anchor around my neck.

The people over at Happiness Boutique are so true to their name that they also offer free shipping!  As in, no minimum purchase required.  As in, you don't have to pay anything other than your items.  As in, AWESOME.  Oh, and did I mention that they also have a reward program?  Yup.  You get points for purchasing, points for reviewing, points for sharing, points for tagging, and points for signing up for their newsletter.  That's a shit ton of points that you can redeem for FREE STUFF.  If you're not happy with free shipping and free stuff, then something must be terribly wrong with you.

Oh, and because I love my necklace so much, I've decided to spread a little happiness and give you a chance to win one of your own!  You know the drill, enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't be such a tulle ft. eShakti [Review]

A while back, I was contacted by eShakti to do a review on one of their custom-fit products.  Being that I had heard only good things about eShakti in the past, I excitedly agreed.  Alright, who am I kidding - I agreed because, well, free stuff!

So anyway, I browsed their available selection and came across a LOT of great things.  It was extremely hard to narrow my choices down to just one item, but after days of deliberating (seriously) I finally decided on this white tulle skirt.

I've seen all the cute tulle skirt outfits on Pinterest and have always been wanting one but could never seem to find them locally so when I saw that eShakti had one that I could customize, it was a no-brainer.  The customizing part was awesome and so easy to do.  You just type in your measurements and your height and then select the length that you want it to be.  I'm loving the midi-skirt style right now!  Oh, and you can even choose whether to have pockets or not.  Genius.

So what do you think of the skirt?  Have you ever ordered from eShakti?

Shopping Smarter: Eyeglasses [feat. Firmoo]

 

 The "Smartie" Outfit

  Bralette ($5.99) & Tank Top ($7.99): Jeans Warehouse Guam

Blazer (old):  c/o 720four

Guess Jeans ($15.00): via Poshmark

Shoes ($24.99):  Just Fab "Frances"

Glasses ($36.00): c/o Firmoo

Guess Necklace ($7.99):  Ross Guam

It's been a while since I posted my face up in hurr, hasn't it?  Since the death of my camera, I've kind of been limited to my iPhone for photos, which has really put a damper on my hopes of producing better posts with quality images.  Womp womp.  But, a new camera is on my wishlist this year (which I'll post about later) so hopefully I'll be upgrading soon.

Anyway.

Lately I've been all about smart shopping.  I've become obsessed with trying to find the best deals without having to sacrifice the quality of the product.  That whole outfit up there cost me less than $100.00.  REAL.  Take that expensive fashion bloggers!

Towards the end of last year I was contacted by Firmoo to try out another pair of glasses for them.  If you remember, I had previously reviewed a pair of sunglasses from them that were absolutely perfect and still my faves, so of course I was thrilled to be able try a pair of their prescription glasses too.

Once again, Firmoo did not disappoint.  Picking out my frames was the hardest part because they were all so cute and I had a hard time deciding which would look best on me.  I had even had a friend measure my eye area so that I was sure to get frames that would fit my face perfectly (which I definitely recommend you do when you're ordering glasses online) since the awesome folks at Firmoo provide the measurements for each frame on their site for your convenience.

After finally deciding on my frames, the rest was easy.  I was able to fill in my prescription quickly since I had asked my eye doctor (I'm too lazy to google the actual professional title for an "eye doctor"...is it optometrist?) to write it out for me at my last visit so I had no problems at all.

When I received my Firmoo frames, I immediately tried them on and fell completely in love with them.  The quality is amazing.  The frames are thick and sturdy and the metal hardware is not flimsy or loose.  Firmoo went above and beyond my expectations yet again.

And, though I did receive these glasses compliments of Firmoo, I would (and probably will soon) gladly pay full price for another pair considering that these bad boys only cost $36.00 and they've easily replaced the frames I had just dished out $250.00 (which could have been put towards a new camera) for from that eye doctor of mine.  At least now I know better.  And where the better is.

Can I Get a "TGIF"?!

Holy hell am I stoked that it's Friday!  This whole week has been a shit ton of tedious tasks - mostly printing tens of thousands of documents for work.  I've been printing hard copies of documents from a disc for the past two days and I'm not even halfway through it.  And here's the kicker - there's three more discs for the same file that need to be printed out.  Fuck.

I haven't worked out at ALL for the past few days and even skipped out on my morning yoga routine a few times.  The kids have gotten sick, had school projects due, and we've all just been struggling to make it through the week.  Tomorrow is a full cleaning day for us - the whole house needs an overhaul.  Hopefully it'll help us to refresh for next week.

In case you're not following me on Instagram (why aren't you??), here's the outfits of the week:

Okay, so I didn't manage to get a full photo of Wednesday but it was basically a rust orange blouse with black pants and boots.  The same black pants I'm wearing today.  No, I didn't wash them before using them again today.  So what.

And because I'm so drained and this post has been pretty mediocre so far, here's a few links of AWESOME blogs and posts that you should check out instead:

This girl is pretty much amazing.  I swoon over her style and her artwork...>>

Because I'm a kimono hoarder and aspiring designer...>>

Helene always knows how to make me think about how much my life was affected by others...>>

The fact that her gorgeous face is on this post is enough to make me love it...>>

Hey Shorty!

I've mentioned before (and I'm still not sure why) that I'm really excitable this year.  It's like someone put some yayo in my drink on New Year's Eve and it's lasting all year long (well, so far).  We're full swing into spring (see what I did there?) and I couldn't be more excited about pastels, florals, Easter, and oddly enough: spring cleaning.

And since summer is right around the corner, I'm absolutely ecstatic!  No surprise there.  You wanna know what is surprising (and sorta, kinda, silly) though?  I'm excited about shorts!  I know most of you are still dealing with freezing temperatures so you're probably excited about wearing shorts in the summer too, but I live on Guam - I wear shorts almost every single day.  Silly, right?  That's like a Japanese person being excited to eat rice.

Sassy Summer Shorts by frikkenduckie featuring Forever 21

Ever since I bought a pair of loose printed shorts from Charlotte Russe last summer, I've been obsessed with the trend! They're so comfortable to wear since they're meant to fit loosely - so no battles with zippers, buttons or belts here! Plus, my thunder thighs are not suffocating like they sometimes do in tighter denim shorts. 

I think the thing I love most about this style is that it is so easy to wear. You can wear these shorts with a tank while you're lounging around at home, throw on a cute jacket or cardigan to go run errands, and then throw on a cute top and some heels to go out for drinks.

So what do you think?  Do you love this trend too?  Are you excited to wear shorts?  And I don't know about you, but I'm falling in love with that floppy fedora and those gladiator sandals too...swoon!

 

Things I'm Loving Lately...

1.  Kimonos //  I've fallen in love with this trend ever since I ordered one from LOVE back in December and I still cannot get over how amazing this look is!  I've already got a couple kimonos in my closet and am itching for more!  I've paired them with dresses for work and with shorts and a t-shirt while running errands.  Definitely a great way to refresh your wardrobe without having to spend a fortune.

2.  Patterns and Pastels //  This year I've been warming up more to pastel colors and graphic/abstract patterns.  I've never really been a fan of pinks and powder blues, but for some reason they've been catching my eye lately.  I'm in love with the thought of light pink/grey/black/white/gold as a color scheme and have been using those prints and colors in decorating my workstation.  I wish I could incorporate that color scheme somewhere in the house, but I think a pink living room would be a little too much for Joey and Trace ("the boys") to bear right now.

3.  Minimalist Heels //  There's just something so chic about this versatile trend, it's a wonder I hadn't gotten into this sooner!  I ordered a pair (the black ones on the top left) from Charlotte Russe back in November and finally got around to wearing them in mid-January.  It took two weeks for me to break them in but it was well worth it because they have quickly become my favorite pair - I wear them almost every day to work.  The minimalist style allows me to pair it with just about anything so it's no surprise that I just ordered a new pair (the nude ones) from JustFab yesterday.  I'm dying for the Jeffrey Campbell ones (with the clear heel), but for $130, that'll have to wait until my birthday.

Your turn!  What are you loving lately?  Would you rock the kimono trend this spring?

P.S.  Don't forget to enter the beauty box giveaway!

Buyers Beware: Aupie.com

This review has been a long time coming.  I had been going back and forth as to whether I should post this or not but after four months, I think it's about time.

I'm a self-proclaimed shopaholic as I know most of you readers are too.  That's part of the reason why we get along so well, right?  So I like to think that we can rely on each other to be honest and open about our likes, dislikes, and experiences with fashion and shopping.

Now a while back, a representative from a company called Aupie contacted me about doing a sponsor post for them.  In exchange for writing a post to promote their website I would be given $20 in credit to go towards a purchase on Aupie.  I wrote the post, selected an item, and paid the difference that the credit didn't cover.

That was back in November.  It is now March.

Four months have passed since I had placed my order with Aupie and I have not heard anything positive from them.  When I had contacted them in December after a month had passed with no package in the mail, their response was vague and did not confirm that my order was ever sent.

"Your order has been sent out already by Hong Kong Post Air Mail.It's no tracking number. Maybe it needs a little more time.But it can provide parcel deliverability rates as high at 99.99 percent.I think you can receive it soon. Please kindly pay attention to it. I sincerely hope you can write a post and share them to your social networks when you receive them."

I am no stranger to international mail.  I know it can take up to a month for mail to be delivered, but after four months it's a bit ridiculous already.  I've received wonderful items from several other international sponsors that had contacted me AFTER placing my order from Aupie.  I had no problems with any of them.

Aupie, however, has not responded to any of my inquiries since December.  They've not even responded to my request for a refund of the money I paid out-of-pocket to cover the difference.  I've chatted with a few other bloggers who had worked with Aupie and they all agree with me:  AUPIE IS CRAP.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion so you don't have to listen to mine or heed my advice to stay away from Aupie - just don't say I didn't warn you.  They do have some really cute items, but after comparing them to Rosegal, Everbuying, and Sammydress, Aupie falls short.  You can find the same items from Aupie at a lower price and with better customer service from any one of the other companies I just mentioned.

Yonce' All Daisies

There's really no denying that I'm a huge fan of Beyonce.  Now, I'm not a die-hard super-fan who stalks her every move, but I just think she is pretty frikken amazing.  I mean, how can you not idolize someone who has been in the game since the 90's and is still working her ass off and pumping out hits!

Her newest album is a lot different from her previous work and she's gotten some bad reviews on it because it's more sexually provocative than anything she's ever put out before but honestly, after having a kid you kinda get the need to feel sexy again so I totally understand where she's coming from.

This top, inspired by Queen Bey, is one of my absolute favorites.  It's so comfy and makes me feel like I can take on anything!  Definitely helps boost my ego and motivates me to get shit DONE.  These daisy-printed shorts have quickly become my favorite pair too because they're just so damn comfortable and the print is so cute and spring/summer-y without being obnoxious.  I've never been a fan of florals but the simple daisies on black is something that works for me.  Black is my favorite color, after all.

 Top:  ILWF  //  Shorts:  MotelRocks [sold out]  //  Boots:  Charlotte Russe

Sorry for the lack of posts this week - I say this a lot but it's always true - I've been super busy.  The flu's been going around and its caught up with the kids so I've been home for the past two days taking care of them, trying to work from home, and cleaning up here and there around the house so I'm a little burnt out now.

I've got a giveaway planned for next week, so be on the lookout for that one coming soon!

Bring It On, Blues!

Alright, I'm officially over winter!  Spring is coming quickly and I couldn't be more excited about it this year!  I swear I think someone put something in my drink on New Year's eve, because I've been a lot more peppy about things lately.

Those who know me will tell you:  pep isn't really my thing.  Like, at all.

I've never been a cheerleader, never paid attention to sports, and certainly don't care to keep a smile plastered on my face.  I've never really been one to wear pastels and even my kids know that my favorite color is black.

This year is strangely different though.  I find myself being drawn to things that never really interested me before.  I actually surprised myself when I started getting giddy about all the new feminine, pastel-colored items on LOVE.

You wanna know what really surprised me, though?  Powder Blue.  I seriously cannot get over it!  I am itching to get my hands on this color!  Every item that they have in this color just looks so light and fresh - how can you not feel cheery with such an amazing color?

Powder me blue by frikkenduckie showing what to wear with a blue dress

And to help you chase away your gloomy greys with some powder blues and pastels hues (see my kick-ass rhyming skills there?), my cheer-mates over at LOVE are giving you all 25% off all full-priced items with a minimum of £30!!  And you know what?  Just about every item up there qualifies for the discount!!

Now get your pom-poms out and head on over to LOVE and get your new spring wardrobe with this exclusive discount code:  STYLEOFF.  And don't forget to show off your new items with confidence - but I know you'll have no problem with that...