My $10 Month with Gwynnie Bee: Week Four

January 27, 2015 Coco

Gwynnie Bee is a monthly subscription clothing rental service for sizes 10-32. Pay a flat monthly subscription fee and get an endless, rotating wardrobe with unlimited exchanges and free shipping both ways.

My shipments are getting to me faster and faster each week. This week I am finally getting one of the dresses from the top of my wishlist (the ASOS dress below).

ASOS CURVE

Skater Dress With Mono Print Blocking

SIZE 16

This dress has been on my wishlist from the beginning and I was super excited to finally get it. Unfortunately didn’t look that great on me. It looks nice but it makes me look wider than I am. It is cute and at $39 it isn’t a horrible price. I just wasn’t as in love with it as I thought I would be. I will wear it one time and then return.

RETURNED WORN

SPRUCE & SAGE

Baroque Floral Fit And Flare Dress

SIZE 14

In person, this dress is a lot less colorful than in the photo. It is not as purple/pink as it looks and honestly isn’t as cute as I expected. It doesn’t look anything like the photo. I was recommended a size 12 but I am glad I got the size 14 because it fit perfectly and is actually more fitted than I thought it would be – there isn’t much stretch in the waist. While the material feels very silky soft, at $68 it is not a winner. The belt is absolute crap and looks very worn. I plan to wear it once and then return it.

RETURNED WORN

I also received the Mint Rose Spruce & Sage dress from Week 3 in a 2X, but it ended up being way too big, so it was returned unworn as well.

Next week is my final week!

My $10 Month with Gwynnie Bee: Week Three

January 21, 2015 Coco

This week’s shipment came EARLY, woohoo! I got the first two items on Tuesday and the third item on Thursday. Not bad at all. Be sure to check out my first and second week review, as well as check back for when I post my full review at the end of my $10 month.

I was exited about these two dresses even though the price was pretty high, they looked cute in the pictures. But they didn’t live up to my expectations, womp womp.

ABS

Animal Print Color Blocked Dress

SIZE 16W

I wasn’t sold on this dress when I saw it in the catalog, but thought it was be something new to try and I added it to my closet as an extra. When I saw it in my queue to send home, I was disappointed that one of my favorites hadn’t been selected this week again, but still I thought it would be fun to try something different… until I saw the price tag. $148 ON SALE. That price is way too high for a work dress. Even if I loved it, I couldn’t convince myself that that price is fair. When it arrived, I could immediately tell it was WAY too big. The quality was nice, but I couldn’t even wear it. Back it goes! (Which I am definitely okay with.)

RETURNED UNWORN

ELIZA J

Striped Fit & Flare Dress With Pink Accent

SIZE 1X

I generally disdain horizontal stripes, but I absolutely love pink. I decided to give this dress a chance since it looks so cute in the picture. I wasn’t super happy about getting sent another dress in the $50 range, but at least it was a little more attainable than the last dress. When it arrived, the white stripes were a little more grey colored. Once I put it on, it was way too big. I can’t give it a fair review, because I didn’t even get to wear it.

RETURNED UNWORN

My third dress was supposed to come on Thursday, but ended up coming Wednesday (WOW!) so I was actually able to wear it this week (I was off work Friday).

TRISTE

Paper Mache Chelsea Dress

SIZE 1X

After my experience with the last Triste Chelsea Dress, I decided to look at their other patterns. I noticed this one and thought it would be a nice option, since I actually liked the fit. This dress is still in the $46 range, so again I was on the fence. The fabric seems a little cheaper than the other Chelsea Dress but I love the pattern on this one more. I ended up deciding to purchase it since I did like it a lot and did not want to miss out on it again.

PURCHASED

Good news is that they have already started prepping one of my next items.. and it’s gorgeous. I am hoping it will get here by Saturday! 4 dress in one week would be a first!

UPDATE

The dress came on time, so I am including it below:

spruce-and-sage-mint-rose-fit-and-flare-dress

SPRUCE & SAGE

Mint Rose Fit & Flare Dress

SIZE 1X

For $33, I was VERY excited about this one. The color is beautiful and I love the rose print. Unfortunately it fit tight at the waist and showed off my back fat … so it is getting returned after I wear it once to work (with a jacket to hide the back). Another Spruce & Sage dress that I wish I had picked the 2X. The material is on the cheaper side but still looks nice. I think I am going to re-closet it in the 2X and try to get it again. As well as the other Spruce & Sage dress I liked that was too small.

RETURNED WORN

My $10 Month with Gwynnie Bee: Week Two

January 15, 2015 Coco

All 3 dresses for this week have finally arrived and I have had a chance to review them. Check out my Week One post if you haven’t already, and I will be posting an extensive review and overview at the end of my $10 month.

WEEK TWO

My first outfit of the week arrived yesterday, and it was pretty adorable.

EFFIE’S HEART

Dolce Vita Dress In Mariposa Print

SIZE 1X

Finally, a perfect fit! This dress is seriously adorable and unique! I love the butterfly print.

I do have to say that the dress looked a tad bit worn, but not too much, and my boyfriend disagreed with me and said it didn’t. Also the dress is very slightly see-through, so make sure you aren’t wearing a polka dot bra like I was when I tried it on. Nit-picking: The belt loops were a bit stretched and the pockets drooped a tad.

Other than that it was a seriously cute design, and I decided to buy it the same night (on sale for $29.50). I wore it to work the next day!

PURCHASED

The following two dresses arrived earlier today:

TRISTE

Colorfully Tiled Chelsea Dress

SIZE 1X

I am still currently on the fence about this dress. I plan to wear it tomorrow because it actually looks nice on me. But at $45.50, I am hestitant to pull the trigger. My main complaint is that the print actually looks fairly different than the photo. It is very colorful but the colors look kinda weird together. My best example is that it looks like a child’s craft project. The fit is great though and it seems to hide my problem areas. The quality is nice and the dress appears to be new. I am wearing it tomorrow and will decide then whether I am willing to pay that much for this dress.

CONSIDERING PURCHASING

SPRUCE AND SAGE Sunset Charmer Fit and Flare Dress

SPRUCE & SAGE

Sunset Charmer Fit & Flare Dress

SIZE 1X

Love the print and the quality of the material is nice. I definitely loved the idea of dress and it actually looked nice in person but unfortunately it accentuated my hips, tummy, and back. The first two I can handle, but my most hated spot is my upper back fat. I think in this case the 2X may have been nicer because it wouldn’t have been so form fitting. Overall, though, it was a very nice dress. At $35 on sale, I probably would have bought it if it wasn’t so unflattering in my problem spots. Also, I am pretty sure this dress was new or worn only a handful of times.

RETURNED UNWORN

Overall, it was a pretty good week. But I am really excited to see what is picked for me next.

CocoFeed: January 2015 Pop Sugar Must Have Subscription Box

January 13, 2015 Coco

I decided to try out PopSugar’s Must Have box and I was pleasantly surprised! I absolutely love the glass cup and First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. Those two items made this box worth it for me.

Cost: $39.95/month.
Coupon: Use coupon code “REFER5” to save $5 off your first PopSugar Must Have Box.

Included in this month’s box:

Jack+Lucy Pom Pom Hat ($32)
KeepCup Brew 12oz ($26)
Skin Jewel Tattoos ($18)
Nature Valley Protein Granola ($3.68)
manduka eQua Yoga Hand Towel ($16)
ToGoSpa Ice Water Eyes ($12.50)
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream ($28)

I’ve already started using the cup and cream. My boyfriend loves the granola.

Instagram filter used: Amaro

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CocoFeed: Trying out True&Co’s Home Try-On Program

January 10, 2015 Coco

I decided to try out True&Company’s Home Try-On Program. I am usually a 38DD, but there were only a few in that size to order. I ended up getting three 38D’s and two 38DD’s.

The only one that even remotely fit (the Contour+ 38D) still did not look quite right and did nothing for my breasts. The other four bras were too tight in both the band and cup.

The quality of the bras were nice but I felt like for the price there are better options. I ended up returning all 5 bras.

Overall, I was pretty impressed with the service. Shipping was fast and the bras arrived in great condition – I assume they were all unused. But I do hope that they decide to expand their sizes to include larger cup and band sizes.

Instagram filter used: Perpetua

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My $10 Month with Gwynnie Bee: Week One

January 8, 2015 Coco

I am writing a full review of my $10 Month with Gwynnie Bee, but I decided to update weekly on my experiences. This is week one!

WEEK ONE

I decided to add only dresses because that is what I wear to work every day. I usually wear 1x and size 16s, but also 2x and 18s. To be safe I chose the latter, since I was sure they would fit fine – I was pretty wrong.

JESSICA HOWARD

Short Sleeve Colorblock Sheath Dress

SIZE 18W

Beautiful in the photo, but unfortunately the 18W was way too large on me. I feel like even if I had sized down, it would have been blocky on me.

I really love the colorblock design and the dress is obviously well made. It felt very nice to the touch and seemed sturdy.

I forgot to note the price, but it was in the $20-30 range on sale. Good price if it would have fit!

RETURNED UNWORN

BB DAKOTA

Batavia Dress

SIZE 18

Adorable dress! But on me, the top was very droopy and way too big – which at 40DD is not usual. The waist was also too big, although it wouldn’t have been so bad if the top fit. I think if I would have downsized, the top would have still been too big and the waist might be too small. It had a very odd shape.

I did love the material, and the print was gorgeous. Might have been my favorite, material wise.

I forgot to note the price, but it was in the $20-30 range on sale. I probably would have bought it if the top hadn’t been so huge.

RETURNED UNWORN

POSTCARDS

Tribal Print Cascade Dress

SIZE 18

This dress was shorter than the previous two, and a slightly cheaper feeling material although still good.

The fit was decent, and after the first two being such duds, I was happy that it even fit!

I bought it immediately (on sale for $17.50) and I wore it out that night. The price was a great value and I’ve worn it twice since!

PURCHASED

I got off easy this week with only spending $17.50 and got a pretty cute dress. Not a bad week at all, although I was sad that I only could wear one of the three dresses I received this week. I am going to change the dresses in my closet to 1x and 16s since the 18s were so big on me. Hopefully it will work out better next week!

Country Outfitter and Corral Boots!

March 10, 2013August 16, 2026 Coco

Last time I talked to you all about cowboy boots it was in-relation to a cheap pair I bought at Ross… well, somehow I have even more so become a huge fan of boots, and recently won two Country Outfitter $150 giveaways (One at I Love Farm Weddings and the other at A Thrifty Diva)! I had already been drooling over the beautiful Corral Boots, so I already knew which two pairs I’d be purchasing!

After waiting patiently for my gift cards to arrive, I ordered my first pair of REAL cowboy boots! The first gift card I used to purchase these beauties, my new dancing boots:

Corral Desert Red Goat Leather Boot – R1952

My second pair came awhile after, as there was a little delay in getting the 2nd gift card, but soon enough, I had my FAVORITE pair of boots on my feet!!! These boots are so beautiful, it’s shocking. Every time I wear them I feel like a million bucks!

Corral Yellow/Red/Turquoise Butterfly Boot – A1928

I wholly recommend Country Outfitter for your cowboy boots needs! They are a wonderful company, and I was actually shocked how fast my boots arrived to me despite them being back-ordered or something like that.

I think I am forever a cowgirl now and these will not be the last boots I purchase… I see an addiction beginning!

Shorts and shoes for summer!

July 1, 2012 Coco

I went shopping again! Sometimes when you are feeling down, retail therapy is the best. I stopped at Ross again and found 3 more pairs of sandals (well 4 if you count the pair I bought for a friend, Zebra print Madden Girl Sandals) at about $10-13 each (The brands were Nicole and City Classified if you are wondering). Last time I found that pair of strappy silver sandals and I was pretty excited to have a new pair, but this time I am even more happy with what I found. They are way cuter!

I hit the jackpot in blue jean shorts, finding three pairs of short shorts for $10 each at JCPenney (brands Soundgirl and Truce). I went at the perfect time because they had racks on racks on racks of discounted blue jean shorts, and I was able to try on at least 15 pairs that fit. Usually I am lucky to find one pair, so three pairs was fantastic.

Lastly, I went into Walgreen’s to show a friend the Essie Rock Solid treatment and ended up splurging on their $8 nail polish called “A Cut Above” from their luxeffects collection. I also found a few awesome steals, two Freeman face masks for $3.99 buy one get one free and Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Protector Finishing Powder that was ‘Last Chance’ and half off for $4.49. I will probably do reviews for both of these products once I have tried them out.

As always, some pics:

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Protector Finishing Powder

(click to enlarge)

Am I becoming a Cowgirl?

June 27, 2012 Coco

I went out to dinner with my mom and dad, had a nice margarita and then my dad wanted to show us Bucky’s (a HUGE gas station that has food courts and clothes, etc!) because apparently it is super cool. Honestly it is kinda overrated, but for a gas station, I have to admit it IS pretty nice. Afterward we stopped at Ross Dress For Less and that is where the magic happened!

I know, I know… I bought black boots just last month at Charlotte Russe, but these (pictured below) are brown Charles Albert boots and they are SUPER adorable. They were $16.99 (and previously $39), so not really a SICK steal, but they are still very cute and I love them. For a more daily look, I found a pair of Sam & Libby silver strappy sandals for $12.99 (orig. $45).

I also found a very pretty Ice brand dress for $24.99, and get this: it was originally $138! Ridiculous, right?! I would NEVER pay that much for a dress let alone THIS dress, but it is very cute and I cannot wait to wear it and the boots to Cowboys soon since we did not end up going last month! As always, it looks way better in person and the material feels very lush! Lastly I picked up this fancy-ish Expressa shirt for $11.99 (orig. $36), and it kinda fits the whole cowgirl theme… I honestly never thought I would become the kind of girl who wears cowboy boots, but honestly… I could get used to it! They are sooooo cute!

Pics~

(click to enlarge)

Steve Madden BSOCIAL purse

May 8, 2012 Coco

Immediately after finishing my French final, my dad suggested we do a little light shopping before heading home. (My final was at 8am, so I asked my dad to give me a ride to town so I didn’t have to wake up so early). Found some cute boots at Charlotte Russe($9.99, orig. $45), and a pretty ring by Footnotes at JCPenney($20), but the HUGE find of the day was our last stop at Marshalls when I spotted this GORGEOUS blue, almost purple, Steve Madden handbag. And here’s the kicker… it was only $39.99!! It retails at $108 anywhere else online, so this was definitely the Sick Steal of the Day! Maybe year! Can you tell I am in love with this purse??!?!?! Also, after we had some REALLY good burgers at Centerpoint Station in San Marcos, TX.

I can’t wait to wear the purse out for the first time on Wednesday.. it’s going to be my lucky charm for my Brain & Behavior final. Not to mention, I’ll be wearing the boots when we go out dancing at Cowboys next week! Plus this ring is SUPER cute! I’ve been looking for something simple and cute to wear daily (my other ring is so fancy in comparison!). An overall GREAT day with my Dad ^^

Here are some pics I took:

(click to enlarge)

You can check out the purse at SteveMadden.com.

Bling!

February 16, 2012 Coco

It has been a long time since I’ve worn rings. I used to wear them ALL the time when I was little on my ring finger. But as I got older, I stopped wearing rings. This is probably the first ring I’ve bought in years, so I am pretty excited. I bought this beauty at my college at the Avalon Jewelry vendor in the quad for only $26! I’m in the organization on campus that hosts them, so I occassionally volunteer to sit with them. Nothing usually catches my eye there, but this ring did and the owner gave me a pretty good discount since I’m there a lot (it probably would have cost over $40). I guess you can consider this a belated V-Day present to myself! 8D

It’s a lot more silver and black than the image suggests, but I’m addicted to Instagram now 😛

Skechers Shape-Ups Bollard Boots

November 27, 2011 Coco

I was just at Ross Dress for Less with my dad, and he found this amazing pair of Skechers women’s ankle-high boots for only $22.99, which is an extremely fair price considering they were originally $110! They are suede (I bought mine in charcoal, pictured to the left) with a rubber “rounded sole that increases leg, calf and gluteal muscle activity,” and are, so far, super comfy! The interior lining is a soft faux fur, which adds a little more warmth and comfort. I’m terribly picky when it comes to shoes, so I usually scoff at the idea of wearing Skechers, but these boots have officially made me a fan! Ross also had a black pair of Skechers knee-high boots, and I totally would have bought another pair but they didn’t have my size!

UPDATE: (12-26-2011) I went back to Ross Dress for Less and found the knee-high boots in my size!!! They’re black Skechers Women’s Shape Ups XF – Avalanche boot and were the same amazing price of $22.99 and I believe retailed at $150! I might love them even more than the Bollard boot, they go with everything!! So excited!