Review: Corioliss Clipless Curling Wand

     About three months ago, John from Misikko.com asked me if I would review one of their products.  Misikko.com is the home of Professional Hair Dryers, so I said yes.  They sent me a Corioliss Clipless Curling Wand and within days it had arrived.  Having never used a clipless curling iron, I turned to Youtube to figure out how to use my brand new Wand.  I found a few videos, and this one that recreates Taylor Swift curls was particularly helpful.  In addition to watching some videos on Youtube, I also checked out the girls at the mall kiosks that use clipless curling irons to figure out how they used them.  
     Once I figure out the basics of using a clipliss curling wand, I went ahead and tried mine out.  (Turns out that, instead of starting at the ends like with a traditional curling iron, you start out curling at the roots and work your way down the strands of hair.)  Without much effort I was able to curl my whole head of hair in about 40 minutes.  Once I curled it all I finger combed through the curls and slept on them.  The next morning the curls were still perfectly intact.  In fact, as the picture below shows, the curls were still perfect the next evening.  I would definitely measure that as a success.  

     The curling iron itself is pretty great.  Mine is black and came with a protection glove and a heat resistant pad on which to place the wand while I'm working with my hair.  In addition, the wand gets really got really fast and  doesn't have temperature settings so its either on and hot or off and not. Because the wand gets so hot, its really easy to get hair to curl.  With just a little bit of time for each section of hair, I got great bouncy curls all over my head.  I know a lot of people use Flat Irons to curl their hair, but I have to say this curling wand is pretty damn fantastic.  I would definitely recommend it and any of the other curling wands in the Corioliss Curling Iron family.     

Post of Many Names

    This post could go by several names: To my mother, Where the Sidewalk Ends, The Little Post that Almost Wasn't, Third time's the charm. . .  Essentially, I wrote the post about my mom over a week ago.  It took wearing the outfit 3 times (yes I do laundry) to finally get decent pictures, something I wasn't sure would happen.  The sidewalk behind me literally ends right there.  So yea, here goes. (finally)
    I (originally) wore this outfit a week and a half ago on  Thursday when I went on a quick grocery trip.  I actually wore it that night and decided to recreate the outfit so that I could get good pictures (again).  But that's not the point of the post.  This is about my mom.  (When I originally put the outfit together) I was standing in my closet and grabbed my new pair of black jeggings.  I knew I wanted to wear them with my new Tsubo Hepti booties.  But then, what else to wear?  I didn't want to be weighed down by a coat, so I looked in my sweater section of my closet.  I decided to go with this soft caramel colored sweater.  And, yes, it used to be my mom's.  This was also part of the haul that my sister brought me after her Christmas break.  

     I've always loved this sweater.  The color is a soft neutral that works with everything.  It is also the perfect length.  A lot of sweaters that I've seen lately are way too long for me.  I get that a lot of tall ladies prefer the availability of long sweaters and shorter gals may like long sweaters with leggings, but for a short curvy gal like me, a shorter sweater works best with skirts and pants.  To add to the list of awesome characteristics, this sweater isn't all that bulky either.  Its not skin tight, but it does highlight my figure.  All in all, I love this sweater.

     Naturally when I grabbed this sweater I was thinking about my mom.  In fact, my mom probably wore some version of this outfit 20-30 years ago.  Thinking that makes me feel connected to her, even though she is several hundred miles and several hours worth of a plan ride away.  Little did I know when I threw on the sweater and stepped out my door that she would end up text messaging me.  Apparently my poor mother has a kidney stone (still) and spent all of that Thursday in the Emergency Room.  They gave her pain killers, but she expressly told my sister and me that she would rather give birth to several babies in a row than have to deal with a kidney stone.  While it was hilarious to hear her say this, I felt really bad.  She's so far away and only has my dad to take care of her.  I know they're adults and have lived on their own for a while, but I feel at least marginally guilty that I can't be there to help her out.  

Isn't the zipper just killer?

    If you want to know the story about these booties--Check out my review of them here. 

 Do you feel connected to people through your clothes?  Is your closet a way to feel close to your loved ones?

The Details:

Sweater: Carara (thrifted) Similar Also Similar

Jeggings: Old Navy

Booties: Tsubo Hepti in Dark Chocolate Suede/Terracota  And for a limited time $2.95 flat rate shipping from 2/1 to 2/14!

Tsubo Hepti Review

     Let me tell you about these booties.  When booties first came into fashion, I was not their biggest fan.  Its not that I didn't like them, I just figured I wouldn't participate.  Then, several weeks ago, Tiffany of I am Style-ish had a post in which she was wearing a pair of really cute booties.  A day or so later, Sally of Already Pretty posted on Twitter that 6pm.com was having a sale on Tsubo shoes.  I've heard plenty of wonderful things about Tsubo shoes and boots from both Sally and Audi of Fashion for Nerds.  So I clicked over to 6pm.com and marveled at all the beautiful Tsubo shoes they have available.  I thought of getting the Tsubo Eini in Red/Metallic Dark Grey, Tsubo Nabu in Black/Light Grey, or Tsubo Acrea in Mecca/Chartreuse.  In the end I chose the Heptis because they were different and I need a new pair of brown boots and I kept thinking of Tiffany's post when I looked at the Heptis.  So I called mom to see if I could use the remaining of my Christmas money on shoes, got the go ahead and ordered them.  

    They arrived within the week and it was love at first sight.  Luckily I checked out others' reviews so I knew to order a half size larger than I normally wear.  They are really comfortable and I can barely feel that they have a 3 inch heel.  The metallic orange inside adds a funky touch that only I am privy to.  All in all, I would definitely recommend these booties.  They do have a 3 inch heel, so if you're not used to wearing heels over 2 inches, I might reconsider.  Also they're suede.  I am planning on spraying them to protect them, but I would not wear these out in the slushy winter weather some of you are experiencing.  
     And guess what guys--Today only: Tsubo Shoes Up to 70% off! at 6pm.com .  In fact, the Tsubo Heptis are $43.50!  In addition, 6pm.com is offering Heart to Heart Shipping Promotion - $2.95 flat rate shipping from 2/1 to 2/14!


*This review was neither asked for or compensated for*

Special Offer!

     eShakti recently contacted me to offer a special promotion to my readers.  From now until February 28, 2011, by using the code LAWSCHOOL2011 at checkout, you will receive a 20% discount at eShakti!  It can be used on any number of purchases you make until then.  It is, however, an exclusive code and cannot be used in addition with any other offer, gift certificate or promotion.  
   Since this is such an awesome deal, I figured I would also show you what *I* would purchase.  Below are some blouses, skirts and dresses with accessories that just scream romantic to me.  Any of these looks would be great for a certain romantic holiday coming up (if you celebrate it, that is.)  And if you want to check out my review of eShakti, here it is.  

eShakti by lawschoolfashionista featuring crystal jewelry

Buttoned shawl collar dress - eShakti.com, $70
eShakti - Shop Women’s designer fashion dresses, tops| Size 0-26W..., $60
eShakti - Shop Women’s designer fashion dresses, tops| Size 0-26W..., $55
Triple layer pearl necklace - eShakti.com, $30
Crystal stretch bracelet - eShakti.com, $30
Copper enamel blue stone pendant necklace - eShakti.com, $20
eShakti - Shop Women’s designer fashion dresses, tops| Size 0-26W..., $50
eShakti - Shop Women’s designer fashion dresses, tops| Size 0-26W..., $43
eShakti - Shop Women’s designer fashion dresses, tops| Size 0-26W..., $40
eShakti - Shop Women’s designer fashion dresses, tops| Size 0-26W..., $40
Wavy square bangles - set of 3 - eShakti.com, $20
eShakti - Shop Women’s designer fashion dresses, tops| Size 0-26W..., $18


Edited to Add: I do not get any payment if you use the code.  I recommend eShakti because *I* like it and *I* appreciate having clothes tailor made.  

Disclosure Statement

    I love blogging.  I really do.  I get to share my thoughts with you and get some great responses in return.  The thing is, blogging doesn't pay, normally.  Sure I could accept payments to review products, but that's not my style.  I prefer to give you my independent opinion, good, bad or in between, and not feel beholden to anyone in the process.  I have, in the past reviewed products that have been sent to me as gifts and given you my opinions on those.  In fact, I've reviewed things I've bought myself just to share my experiences with you.  And at the bottom of every such post I make sure to let you all know exactly what's going on.  This post is doing the same thing.
     I've decided to try to make a little bit of money off my blog.  In the next few days, for example, you'll see that I'll have a blog sponsor for the next 6 months.  In addition, I've created affiliate links with a few companies.  When I give you "The Details" in my outfit posts, I'll also be linking to similar or the same items that you can click through to and purchase.  If you chose to do so, I will get a small commission on these sales in return.  Linked items labeled as “similar” are as close as possible to what I’m actually wearing. If whatever I have on is still available for sale, I will always link directly to it, even if I can’t create an affiliate link that will earn me income.  I also have ads in the column to the right that will earn money for the blog with each impression or click through. 
     I hope that you know that I'm not selling out or trying to push purchases on you.  I'll still be the same chick figuring out how to get from law school to be a lawyer and sharing my journey with you.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask by email or in the comments.  It is my goal to always be open with you.
<3, A-C 

CSN Review--Hobo Purse

     Hey y'all!  Remember when I announced that I would be partnering with CSN stores a while ago?  Well I received a $45 gift certificate about a month ago that I used to buy my sister's Christmas present.  Over Thanksgiving she and I went through several of their sites and came up with the Sydney Love New Spa Front Pocket Hobo Bag in Brown.  She's needed a new purse for a while.  Especially one that makes her feel like an adult and not a kid playing one.  So the above purse fit the bill.  It came within a few days and from my cursory inspection, looked exactly like what we wanted.  In fact, its bigger than I thought it would be AND the lining is brown polka dots on a tan background.  I mean, who wouldn't fall in love with something like that?
    So when my sister visited me at work last week to drop off her dog, Aslan, I went ahead and gave her the purse.  I gave it to her early so that she could take it on her trip home and show it off to my mom.  She also loved it.  In fact, she wrote this review for me to share with all of you:

 

Originally submitted at CSN Stores

Exceeded Expectations!

By A-C from NC on 12/19/2010

5out of 5

This is a great bag. I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered it, but it exceeded any expectations I did have. Sits comfortably on the shoulder and definitely holds everything I need.

(legalese)

Lastly, don't forget to enter my Giveaway with Misikko.com.  Giveaway ends tomorrow night!  

Product Review: Chi Silk Infusion

    Remember this post where I said I would be back to review another product sent to me via Misikko.com, home of the "Professional Blow Dryer"?  Well here it is.  It's taken me so long to post it because I wasn't 10000% impressed with the product.  Let me explain.

    The product I was asked to review is the Chi Silk Infusion.  Now, I have heard about Chi straighteners for years and wondered if their hair products would live up to that hype.  For me at least, the Silk Infusion did not.  I used the product for a few weeks by doing my normal thing: wash my hair, put product in, go to sleep with it wet, wake up with pretty hair.  And while the Chi Silk Infusion did exactly that, my second day hair was less than impressive.  
     You see, I don't wash my hair every day so I rely on whatever leave-in I use to keep my hair curly and bouncy even after I've worn it down a whole day and slept on it.  Inevitably this means that about a third of the time my hair goes up about halfway through day 2.  The thing is that with some products my hair looks great even on day 2, even on the night of day 2!  The Chi Silk Infusion just didn't do that for me.  This doesn't mean that my first day hair was dreadful, it wasn't.  It was beautiful: nice and soft, curly and bouncy.  It's just that second day hair fell pretty flat from the second I woke up.
     My conclusion is that if you need to wash your hair everyday or you want to keep your hair straight, then this product is probably for you.  It has a nice light smell that is not at all noticeable once hair is dry and its easy to apply.  However, if you rely on your products to keep your hair looking curly and bouncy for more than a day, then I would recommend you try the Hana Shine Shield that I reviewed from Misikko.com that is still working beautifully for me.

Lastly, I will be hosting a giveaway later this week in which Misikko.com will provide one of my lucky readers with BOTH the Hana Shine Shiled and the Chi Silk Infusion.  So keep a look out!  


*This is a requested review.  I did not receive compensation for the review other than the products to be reviewed.  Nonetheless, all opinions are my own and are shaped by my experiences testing the product.*

Wrapped in a Blanket

     Guys, so a few weeks ago eShakti.com approached me offering an item to review.  I've been drooling over their clothes since I first heard of them, so I said yes.  It took a while to figure out what I wanted. There are so many beautiful items to choose from that I had a really hard time to trying to decide.  I knew that whatever I got I wound want to wear to work, so it would have to be work appropriate and would need to work under a jacket.  Below are a few of my  favorite options.

Choices! by lawschoolfashionista featuring a shirt dress

Houndstooth print fleece knit dress - eShakti.com, $65
Surplice front knit shirtdress - eShakti.com, $50
Sash waist fleece knit dress - eShakti.com, $55
Belted cotton poplin dress - eShakti.com, $55
Cotton rosette trim dress - eShakti.com, $50
Surplice shirtdress - eShakti.com, $50

     

     I ended up choosing the Surplice Front Knit Shirtdress in Charcoal.  I wore it to work yesterday and from the very beginning I felt like I was wrapped in a blanket.  I was comfortable and warm all day long, it was great!  
     I knew from the second I chose this dress that I would want to pair it with burgundy tights.  So I chose to do that immediately.  Even though you can't tell the color, I promise those are burgundy tights.  To match the tights and incorporate the color elsewhere, I went with my burgundy/pink necklace as well.  To keep things from getting TOO matchy matchy, I went with a light blue tank.

     This tank is actually really important.  I am grateful that I had the foresight to wear a tank under this dress.  I didn't realize when I ordered it that there wouldn't be a snap or button closure where the tank is.  I'm going to have to add that myself.  So to keep from flashing anyone, I wore the tank under the dress and had the surplice front open a bit more so it looked purposeful.  In the future I hope that a snap will keep things under control so that I won't always have to wear a tank, but will keep the option of the tank still viable.  

     And to be honest, that is my only complaint with this dress.  I wish that it had a snap and pockets, but neither is necessary and I'm pretty sure I can add one if not both on my own.  The fit is a dream as I gave my measurements when ordering.  If you're hard to fit or simply want something tailor made to you, I definitely recommend giving your measurements when you order.  And for $7.50 (free the first time you do it!), it really is worth it.  My order shipped quickly and got to me a good 5 days before I expected it.  So yea, I recommend eShakti.com, and I promise its because I love this dress and the service and not just because I got a free dress out of it.

The Details:
Dress: courtesy of eShakti.com
Tank: Old Navy
Tights: Hanes Outlet
Heels: Bandolino
Necklace: Banana Republic Outlet    




P.S. If you would like an awesome coupon code, let me know in the comments and I'll email it to you.  


* I received this dress as a gift, however, all opinions expressed are my own.*

Product Review: Hana Shine Shield

    A few weeks ago, the lovely people at Misikko.com approached me about doing a product review and giveaway. After checking out the site and seeing that they're the home of the "Best Flat Iron" and being the great big fan of hair products that I am, I jumped at the chance.   A few days later a box filled with a whole bunch of goodies was waiting for me on the counter when I got home from work (The Fiancé brought it in for me).  I went eeny meeny miney mo and decided to try the Hana Shine Shield first. 
     After washing my hair I poured about a quarter sized dollop of Shine Shield in my palm, rubbed it between my hands and finger combed it into my hair from roots to tips.   I brushed through my damp hair to make sure it got spread evenly, then threw my hair up in a towel turban (as per my routine).  A short time later I went to sleep with my hair wet and woke up with fluffy, full of body and soft curls.  It only got better as second day hair was equally gorgeous.   Having seen what Shine Shield did in my hair as normal, I decided to throw it a curveball by ironing my hair. 

     If you've followed this blog for a while, you'll know that I don't iron my hair all that often.  It tends to take a bit of time and actually requires effort, 2 things I don't have a lot of.   But to test this product I wanted to make sure I threw everything at it.  So I ironed my hair and the Shine Shield performed spectacularly. My hair was soft, nongreasy, and beautifully straight even after having slept on it. Some products have a tendency to get my hair really greasy after a few hours after I've ironed it, but the Hana Shine Shield did not at all.  My hair stayed straight without any creases and didn't grease up at all, even into the second day.  Yup, that means that there were no creases or random curls after sleeping on it, TWICE! (Ironed my hair Sunday night and wore it straight Monday and Tuesday). 

     I very much recommend this product. It handled my hair very nicely and has a very light and pleasant scent. AND it doubles as a body lotion. The directions say you can apply it to skin, and being the curious blogger that I am, I applied it to my legs post-shave and they felt silky smooth.  At the current price of $29.99 or the reduced price of $18.99, the 2 oz bottle is a bit steep, however the 6 oz bottle that normally goes for $49.99 and is currently at $29.99 seems more reasonable.  I'm not 100% sure I would buy either size as they are rather pricey and currently out of my league, but I would at least seriously consider the 6 oz bottle for $29.99 as this product has worked really well with my hair. 
    Just an FYI, I will also be hosting a giveaway, but will do that when I review the second product Misikko.com sent me. 


*This is a requested review.  I did not receive compensation for the review other than the products to be reviewed.  Nonetheless, all opinions are my own and are shaped by my experiences testing the product.*

The Fair!

    Friday was a big day for us.  The Fiance had an interview for which he was offered a job and he accepted!  In addition, we went to the State Fair.  I am a *huge* fan of the State Fair.  I love the food, the crafts, the animals and of course the food.  I don't go for the rides, and in fact this time around we didn't even consider going on a single one.  I did, however, eat my weight in bad for me foods.  But that's ok.  I gave myself permission to indulge since its not every day I get to eat funnel cake, roast corn, candy apples or drink fair lemonade.  Besides, we spent a total of 6 hours at the fair.  All that walking definitely burned off at least a funnel cake.  

    So what's a girl to wear when heading to the fair?  Knowing it would cool down as soon as the sun went down, I went for a cashmere blend sweater layered over a black tank and jeans.  For footwear, I grabbed my trusty Reebok Easytone sneakers. I was warm and comfy all afternoon and night long.  Which was super important as we walked all over the fair for several hours.  We also met up with my sister while at the fair.  Even she remarked that I looked good and asked if I had lost some weight.  :)
    This was also the first day that I've tried a new product.  I won't tell you what it is yet, but I will let you know that my hair felt softer than usual and was very touchable all day and night long.

oh and P.S. I want a baby pygmy goat SOOO bad! 

From: http://www.skipopia.com/pygmy-animals/

The Details:
Sweater: no idea, its been in my closet for a while
Tank: Old Navy
Jeans: Old Navy
Sneakers: Reebok via Lady Foot Locker   

Online Shopping!

     I am a HUGE fan of using the internet to help shop.  While I don't normally shop online, I do look at styles, colors and shapes of items before I head out to stores.  I tend to use the internet as a super awesome research tool and not as a means of shopping.  I have a preference for trying things on and touching them before I buy them.  But there are always exceptions.  Recently, I was approached by a company to take advantage of the internet to do some shopping.  And I've agreed.  The really cool part is that this company has over 200 websites with items that range from upholstered headboards, to bar stools, to designer shoes, to wallets to anything else you can think of.  If you guessed that this is CSNStores.com, then you're right!  I am really excited and know that this will bring good things not just to me, but to the blog and to my lovely readers as well.  So stay tuned. . .  

Eureka!

    So, even though I'm not shopping at the moment, or anytime in the near future, I got really excited when I stumbled upon MyShape.  MyShape is a website where you enter your measurements and they tell you what body shape you are.  But that's not all dear readers!  In addition to telling you what shape you are, the site will also shop for you.  It uses the measurements you put in to find clothes that will *ACTUALLY* fit your body.  
    I don't know about you, but this is a godsend.  You see, even though I like clothes and style and stuff, I HATE going shopping.  My ginormous boobs, among other things, make things very difficult.  So Sunday I measured myself in a bra and undies.  I inserted 21 of the 29 measurements they ask for.  (If I had had a willing measuring buddy, I would have done all 29 measurements.  Alas, none of the furbabies have thumbs and The Fiance wasn't exactly willing to help.)  Luckily, you don't need all 29 measurements in order for them to give you a body shape.  In fact, I'm pretty sure you only need a few measurements of the essential 15 located on the left side.    Anyway, so I measured and got the body shape of M.  (That's what I guessed I would be beforehand).   Then I did a little survey where I chose the types of clothes I like and the fits I prefer.   
    Then the fun begins.  Once you have gone through all of the measuring and surveying, you get to see what clothes matches your style AND they've done the hard work for you by figuring out what size to get in the chosen garments in the Apparel section.  In addition, there's a section called Browse Outfits where they've taken pieces from the aforementioned Apparel section and put them together in outfits for you.  You want to know what made me REALLY happy?  It was that I found that several things that are already in my closet were similar to what was on their shopping list for me.  Turns out I'm not *that* far off.  :)
    So for all you lovely ladies struggling with how to classify your body shape and then figuring out what would look best on your body shape and size, this site is definitely for you.  And for you lovely ladies who know what you've got and rock it already, I still recommend it as it might open your eyes to new outfit possibilities.  And really, who doesn't want a personal shopper? 

***This is NOT a paid review.***     

UPDATE: 

Get $25 off $100 & free shipping at MyShape! Shop styles that fit & flatter.