Liquido!

I don't have to repeat again how I've been gaining weight, right? A simple check between my "old" face and my "current" face shows I've been packing on the pounds. :(

** Trust me, it's really much fatter. The picture on the left was taken just a year ago? But I'm also really impressed at how much fairer I got wtf. **

For reasons I won't reveal (yet!), I am not furiously sweating my fats out at the gym, but will be doing so around November or December instead. Now, all I can do is watch Les Mills Sizzlers and think about the days when I used to go for mad amounts of group exercise classes. Videos like these:

One thing that really motivates one when exercising is ... what you wear! And if you've read my old fitness blog, I started off as someone who would just throw on cheap shorts and oversized shirts and head to the gym. After a while, I realised that if I splurged out more on nicer stuff, erm... more form fitting stuff... it not only made me feel good, it helped spur me on to work out harder so that it does the clothes justice! In Malaysia, there's really not that many choices for sportswear - it's always the typical stuff like Adidas, Nike, Puma... Hey, I'm not saying it's not good! I like those brands too, but sometimes a bit of a mood killer when someone else has the exact top that you have. I want something more unique!

There's a new brand in town now called Liquido and they stock some pretty nifty threads for fitness wear. Well, I think they actually concentrate more on bikinis (?), but I need workout wear in preparation to get a good enough body to go back to wearing bikinis. :P So in love with the capri pants below. I would totally wear it when I'm doing Body Jam again! Or if I decide to be more hardcore and actually try crossfit. Basically, it looks so versatile, fashionable & comfortable...

You can check out other unique pieces that they have on their website... I'm eyeing the green short-sleeve crop top as well (but it doesn't seem to be for sale!!). A bit shy to bare my belly, but hey, if I actually get hard-as-rock abs one day, everyone will know about it.

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Tips to Buying from Wholesale Sites

I know I've used to buy a lot of stuff from wholesale sites, but I've since stopped. It's really tempting because the outfits are really cute, and they are REALLY cheap! Like, if I spend RM500 at VS or ASOS, that's like 5-6 pieces of clothes. For that amount, I can get more than 15 pieces of clothes! In fact, it's literally a SACK that arrives in my house when I buy from a wholesale site. Of course, with anything, there's cons, and there were enough cons that made me stop buying. Here are my personal tips on buying from wholesale sites. Some may seem like simple LOGIC, and I apologise. But better safe than sorry!

1. Check the measurements!
Wholesale sites, especially those which promote Korean-style fashion, really do cater to VERY PETITE girls. For myself, I'm only 160cm, but almost 60% of the dresses that I buy there are too short for me! After that, my personal mantra is to buy something that is at LEAST 85cm in length, or only go for the long dresses. That really cuts out a LOT of the cute dresses though. -__-"

2. Don't bother to look at the model for estimations
It's not as simple as "you won't look as good as her", the fact is that on wholesale sites, the material used for the clothes on the model is not the same as the one they will be sending to you. Hence, refer back to item (1). =) After all, the model is 165cm, and the dress looks normal on the model who is taller than me, but it doesn't look as obscene on her. -__-" At least on VS, what is being modelled is actually probably from the same batch manufactured to be sent to you. Yeah, they might pin bits and pieces of it to look nicer for photographs, but I'm talking like, something that looks like silk in pictures, but is chiffon when it comes to you. -__-" So just know that whatever is draping so nicely on the model won't do the same for you.

3. The material is super thin 
I hope you're the type who likes to wear multiple layers, because the stuff is super thin. If possible, don't buy things that are white in color because it's guaranteed to be see-through. If you land yourself in such a situation, I hope you have a few singlets and petticoats handy. =)

As above, don't bother looking at the model for hints on how the clothes will look like... they probably use better material for whatever they are advertising

4. No to button-downs
If you are bigger than an A-cup, even if you are able to button up, there will be these huge gaps caused by the material just stretching out. Obscene obscene!

5. Keep it simple 
After explaining to you items 1-4, you will understand that your best bets are always the simple stuff. The less sparkle, the less dingle-dangle, the less fanciful pleats and stuff will ensure that your items are more like what is advertised than a complete surprise. I've had stuff that looked so high-class on the site turns out to look really tacky when it arrived, with cheap "jewels" hot glue-gunned. A flapper-inspired top that totally did not have the "flapper" feel to it, with very cheap materials for the fringe. Even a crochet collar top ended up pissing me off because it was crocheted in such a way that the collar WOULD NOT STAY DOWN.

6. Shipping
There is no such thing as free shipping, and usually, you have to pay by weight. Which can be a pain, especially since you will have to buy at least USD$100 in a wholesale site. And USD$100 of clothing is a LOT of clothes and VERY HEAVY when it comes to a wholesale site! Usually I choose a long shipping time (by BOAT) so that it's cheaper, and then dealing with the kinda delivery services these sites use.... *fainted*. It's no Fedex and you can say that again.

At the end of the day, I guess you could find a site that actually sieves through the good and bad for you, and pay double to triple of what you could get from a wholesale site (I've seen SOOOO many bloggers promoting something that is 100% the same as what I got from a wholesale site --- of course, it was one of the "good buys" following my 1-6 mantra). Or, you can try and scour for good deals, but of course... will you be able to buy USD$100 worth of stuff once you've whittled it down by so much? For me, I couldn't... so that's why I stopped buying... for once in my life actually wish that I could be shorter so I would have more options!

Ending my depressing entry with some nice SIMPLE stuff I saw from my fave wholesale site today. All the shirts are around USD5- USD6, and the dresses are cheaper than USD8. Where else can get these kind of prices, you tell me?!

 

 

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Good Shopping Times

Ok, here's my shopping haul post that I've been talking about! Lumped together stuff that I bought in pharmacies here and from Thailand. And just for fun, some random accessories that I bought when I was in Bangkok!

As much as I've been haul-ing, I'm also pretty confident that my "own little drugstore" (husband's words, not mine) supply has been dwindling. Been getting more diligent at actually using the stuff and reviewing. No worries, not pouring them down the drain. :P

Without further ado.... (I love haul posts, so much fun!)

1. At the Airport + Boots + Xmas Present
a. Glossed For Words from Soap & Glory. This Xmas set of 5 "Sexy Mother Puckers" cost about RM50-ish. Not too sure. :S I bought it even though I have lots of lipglosses because you can't find the Sexy Mother Pucker in Sephora Malaysia. :P Also, as an Xmas set, it was cheaper than if I tried all 5 colors in the original full size. Thought of giving it away as a gift too, but wound up too attached to this. :P

b. So many travel exclusives that I wanted to get at the airport!!!! I was debating between the Burberry Brit Sheer travel exclusive and the Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Cherry Blossom. In the end I only bought the Burberry Brit Sheer because I bought the Viktor & Rolf Spice Bomb perfume for my hubby as well. Forgot the price, but I remember the EA one was about RM150, and this was slightly more expensive.

c. Nars blush in Orgasm - I think this and Deep Throat are the most wearable shades. Ok, I debated over getting Super Orgasm too. Why get an Orgasm when you can get a Super Orgasm amirite???? To my uneducated eyes, the only difference is that the Super Orgasm is a LOT more glittery and shimmery. In the end, decided that Orgasm was a more sensible choice that I would get more mileage out of. I think this cost about RM100.

d. The Bobbi Brown Caviar & Pearl eyeshadow set is from my sister and BIL. :O So unexpected, and such a pricey gift (considering they got my husband a sketch book, hahahaha). The colors are very neutral, suitable for an OL look. Love it already! My first makeup from Bobbi Brown...

2. Guardian
a. Aussino bath towel that cost RM19.90 because of some purhase-with-purchase thing that they had going on. So nice, lavender colored! Not very absorbent though... *angers*

b. Johnson & Johnson baby powder. Can't do without my baby powder though my husband trying to wean me off it because he says I spill it and cause him to nearly slip and fall. That reminds me of the time when I was younger and my sis and I would pour baby powder all over the terazzo tiles at home and "skate" all over the slippery floor. Omg, good times! :D

c. A new box of My Beauty Diary sheet masks! I love the sets that they have, because they let you try a lot of different types of mask in their arsenal. I know that I said I'm giving up on sheet masks, but MBD masks are really good and right up my alley. One box about RM60 thereabouts.

d. You can ignore the Colgate toothbrush... but I have to say, it's less than RM3! So cheap....

e. Rimmel lipgloss + mascara combo that only came up to RM22. WHERE GOT MASCARA + LIPGLOSS FROM RIMMEL SO CHEAP ONE!!! I tried a lot of Rimmel mascaras thanks to Yuberactive last time, and now I have yet another one, hahhah. Oh yeah, another one of my beauty resolutions is to wear mascara more often! Just because I have a lot of mascaras to use. You might suggest that I sell or give it away instead, but all have been used at least once or twice. Don't think it's very hygienic to sell off your mascaras....

f. Two tubes of Wuta Kamilla skin care cream, because it was buy one free one. I've seen the Wuta Kamilla products around and was always interested to try it because it looks cute (wtf)... but damn it's expensive. Even with buy 1 free 1 promotion, I still feel it's very expensive because it's about RM22 for ONE tube. RM11 for one tube is pretty steep for me considering that is moisturising lotion? It's for sensitive skin, I know... but still? Even Sebamed is not this pricey! Or is this for special usage only, not daily? It doesn't really say. :S

3. Watsons 
So I thought that I had tonnnnnnnnnnes of credit on my Watsons VIP card, and they sent out an email blast saying that all points collected would expire on 31st December 2012. Of course I rushed to cash out, convinced that I had "at least RM50" (that's what I told my husband). This was what I bought, and then nearly vomitted blood when found out I only had RM8 in store credits.

a. Watsons Wet Wipes are my fave due to the scent. I much prefer their in-house wet wipes compared to Guardian's one. Got the grapefruit & jasmine scented ones this time, which means I've pretty much tried 'em all. It costs slightly less than RM5 for a pack of 3, and sometimes there are promotions, so you can get them even cheaper. Like buy 1 pack and get RM1 off the second pack.

b. The cute panda packaging for Bye Bye Bag Hydro eye masks caught my attention, so I got it too, though it's pretty pricey. About RM8, haven't used it yet. If it makes my panda bags go away, I'll be sure to tell you.

c. Two more boxes of Biore pore strips from their aroma collection. I just love the aroma collection though it's about RM12 each box!! This time they have it in Apricot & Jasmine scents. Getting very creative. By the way, I used a Biore pore strip on my husband a few nights ago, and we were both really fascinated by all the icky buggers we managed to extract out. Seriously, I've not had so many black/white heads extracted out in a longggg time (think : teenage years when I first found out about this). I feel like using him to review some of my pore strips in the future. Hahaha.... :P Cos can detail the effectiveness better mah...

d. Two in-house masks from Watsons since they had a buy 1 free 1 promotion. Their in-house masks are pretty decent considering the price. Got the rose revitalizing face mask and the anti-aging tomato one. :) About RM5 for one piece, if not mistaken.

4. Thailand Boots + Gourmet Market
Wheee... if you came for the Thailand haul bits, here you go! I honestly didn't get as many things as I did last time because I find that the Boots range didn't change dramatically from the last time I was there. Most of the stuff is stuff I've seen before. It's also pricier than I remember! Even if I take RM10 = 100 baht, when in fact the exchange is slightly higher. Sigh... also, some of the nice stuff I bought last time that I wanted to repurchase seem to be out-of-stock. They used to have this milk body wash that was very very nice.... sigh!!

a. Bought the Berli Pops Honey Orange Smoothie 3-In-1 Facial Foam because I ran out of face wash samples by the 3rd day I was there. So wasted lah! If only I had more face wash samples (wtf). This was not toooo expensive (I purposely scoured the items in the bottom most shelf for cheaper stuff), about 90baht, me thinks. It's also pretty good and nice smelling, so hey, a pretty good discovery. Will review it further later.

b. I saw the Boots Vanishing Day Cream the last time I came here, but did not have the heart to part with the moolah. It absorbs very quickly and smells nice, so I decided to get it this time around.

c. Got the two Biore shower gels in the Gourmet Market supermarket @ Siam Paragon. One in Sparkling Apple and one in Sakura Sensation. I don't think they are selling this in Malaysia, are they? Anyway, both are scents that I have not tried before in the shower... and yes, they smell pretty nice and refreshing out of the bottle!

d. 3 Boots Body Scrubs :  I got Tomato & Tangerine (Moisturising & Brightening), Lemongrass & Tamarind (Refreshing & Reviving) and Jasmine & Jasmine Rice (Moisturising & Calming). As always, I choose base on scents and not by what they claim to do, hahhaa. They have more types, if you have the chance to check it out, you will definitely find some combination you fancy.

e. 3 Boots shower creams from their Natural Collection. I like it because of the "hook" bottle shape - can hang it in the shower easily. :) Each bottle is 250ml, and I chose Ice Musk, Wild Strawberry and Mango & Papaya. All based on smell-test in the store, hahhaha. As with the body scrubs, this was also on a buy 2 free 1 promotion.

5. Thailand Gourmet Market + Pressies!! 
a. Got the Irish Spring Body Wash from the Gourmet Market as well! Hubby picked this up, I guess he wants to use it too. At first, I thought Irish Spring was the scent, but it seems to be the brand. It looks very tingly and refreshing!

b. Gifts from Dull!! For my birthday! I cannot believe she got me all these Boots stuff, and so happens it's not any that I bought (because I didn't see them there!). One is the Natural Collection body spray in Wild Strawberry (and I have the shower cream! So matchy-matchy) and the other is a Zingy Berry shower gel! She also gave me two Dazzle Dust pots from Barry M. She kept raving about them last time, but I didn't check it out (online purchases with no free shipping a bit sien for me), so I'm glad she gave me these two!

5. Thailand Boots
Left this Biore pore strips out in the earlier picture! Another pore pack to add to my collection. This one comes in a combination of sakura and green tea scent. So Japanese...

6.  Some funky hair bands from Thailand. Combination from Siam Square and Platinum Fashion Mall. There's more that I wanted to buy, but it's not super cheap. Still cheaper than what they are selling here lah. E.g: the cat ears hairband is selling here for nearly RM50. In Siam Square, you can get for RM19 and less if you buy more stuff!

 

7. This seems to the style for costume jewelry now. Most of the store in Platinum Fashion Mall and Siam Square is selling like this... and so are Forever 21 and Diva! It's much cheaper in Thailand of course. Average price of the above is like RM14- RM16. Sure you can get even cheaper if you buy in bulk. My bargaining skills aren't good, and generally they aren't very friendly if you only buy one or two pieces. :(

Not so sure about the bejewelled collar necklaces though. Not sure how to werk it. :S

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Online Shopping Is Like Window Shopping (Whitesoot & Victoria's Secret)

After nearly 2 months of absolutely NO shopping (well, I lie - I bought an evening gown for my sister-in-law's upcoming wedding - but this doesn't count because it's a NECESSARY purchase), my fingers are straying across my keyboard and going to all my favorite online shopping haunts to ogle at the beautiful clothes. Recently, I found another online shopping site that looks very promising. I first saw it on Bobostephanie's blog, where she was wearing this awesome one-piece-top-that-looks-like-a-two-piece. The item was sold out on the site, but that's when I was first introduced to Whitesoot. I've not actually bought anything from the site before, but I like how you can even get your items via meet-up (instead of PosLaju) at SS2 McDonalds. I can easily swing by the area!

I might be on a temporay ban from shopping, but I can still share what caught my eye, right? I'm liking these few pieces from Whitesoot. Mainly like the office-wear-with-a-twist (bright colors, cute detailing) and the casual dresses. Most of the dresses I bought from wholesale website that I shared last time are way too short. I promised a post on that, didn't I? Still trying to collate some nice photographs!

 

Skater dress with a triangle cut-out, inspired by something similar from Topshop, I believe!  I think it's flirty, fun and playful... just think it might be too youthful for me!

 

Another casual dress with a twist... it's a little bit like a high-low dress, but slightly more subtle. I'm getting tired of high-low dresses that are "too" high-low. Like super short in front and trailing like a bridal train at the back... a bit too over for me. This one is sweet, simple and just nice! 

A top that is suitable for office, in this season's hottest color - mint! Don't know if you can see it, but there's some subtle silver polka dots as well. Apparently this is Zara inspired.

Not a 100% sure about this top, but I'm attracted to the vibrant purple color.

At the moment, I'm very into puffy sleeves. This, and the subtle clever detailing makes this top suitable for formal occassions and casual outings as well.

How much would you pay for tops like the above? I believe none of the items above are more than RM80 per piece. In fact, the tops are around RM50-ish, if I'm not mistaken. Super affordable in my books, but of course, haven't gotten the chance to check out the quality. I might buy one or two items first, just to test the waters. Tell me if you've gotten the chance to buy from them! At the moment, I see lots of rave reviews, but most of them are from Whitesoot's blogger circle. Those gals get the clothes for free, so they might be biased. **sorry to say this**

Next up on my "online window shopping" --- only, my most favorite site ever - Victoria's Secret! I've bought tonnes of stuff from them, and everything from innerwear to pajamas to clothes have been of excellent quality (some things I've been using for years and years), fashionable and cute! My last purchase was just before my honeymoon (wink wink) and now they have a lot of new trends for fall. According to the editor's picks, look out for more sparkle (sequins!), poppin' colors and lots of luxe. Here are some of the new selections that are my pick. ;)

 Long sleeve chiffon + sequin top. It looks so luxurious and glamorous... though I can't really think of an occassion to wear this too... plus I don't think I would look good with white pants! (Like the model!)

 I actually have a similar pleated skirt (in peach) from Forever New, but I just super love skirts like this! My husband hates the skirt though, he said that people might think that they can see my underwear wtf. 

 Love the lace skirt in this velvety plum shade. Love love love!! 

 A boyfriend shirt in a vibrant print

 Might have posted this before, but silk shirts are my Achille's heel... they look so comfy and welcoming in Malaysia!

Sigh.. when will my bonus come? With a new married life, comes new responsibilities. Can't be a-spending on frivolous things like clothes so often anymore. ;(

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The Lust List : New Trends From VS~~

My favorite website! Of course I'm tempted whenever they update with this season's trends. Of course I want everything that catches my eye. Of course I'm reaching for my credit card..... stop me!

High-low pleated skirt. High-low skirts /dresses are all the rage now! 

T-shirt dresses are casual, cute and cheerful! And they come in a variety of fun prints. Versatile too, I can see me dressing this down for casual outings and accessorising differently to even wear this to work! 

I ALWAYS have a soft-spot for peasant-style blouses. I still miss this Padini peasant blouse I used to wear in college. I would still be wearing it now if not for the fact that a bad washing incident made it all splotchy with other colors. Argh, bad memory surfacing...

Feminine bling! The pink sequin top looks so sweet and feminine, so unlike what one would imagine a sequin tee to look like. Too bad I'll have to lose like 8kg if I want to look good in a crop top like this. :(

Embroidered mesh top, subtly sexy.

Super sexy open back lace dresses. I can't decide which one is nicer - the sleeveless one or the long sleeve ones.... And it's so freaking figure hugging...again, motivation for me to lose weight lose weight lose weightttttt

Summer love - lavender, ruffles cotton tube dress. :)

Gone are the days of tight minis - swinging loose skirts can be just as playful and sexy as figure hugging bottoms! 

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Accessories Haul from Diva!

Decided to update my accessories recently --- been very keen on hair accessories especially! I feel like I don't make enough of an effort to look good on a daily basis. Cannot end up a lazy woman! I don't know whether I've mentioned before, but I used to spend LOTS on those 3 for RM10 earrings (I think I have more than RM100 worth of those earrings). I don't even wear them anymore. Then I decided to go low-key and buy lots of studs, usually about RM25-RM30 a pop for 6 from Diva / H&M. I end up not wearing them either because it's too boring. Now I'm all about splurging on nicer and more unique pieces. That or on the real thing. ;)

The new trend in Diva right now is "Pastel Luxe". Lots of diamantes, pearls, and bracelets in pastel summer colors and turquoise stones as well. I remember it being a really huge thing last time - well what goes around comes around. Lots of ribbons and flowers for the hair accessories as well. This is what I picked up recently :

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Wholesale Outfits

I think I'm going nuts! When I'm stressed, the best way to release stress (for me) is to go on mad shopping sprees. Since I'm busy and stuck at home to boot (stand by for production rollout!), what I do instead is go on mad shopping sprees ONLINE. However, when you add that with my inate cheapskate-ness / want-to-get-bang-for-my-buck, you wind up with a gal who spends about RM1,000 on 9kg of clothes (total 30 pieces!) . Can I hear a loud, resounding "WTF!" ?

Here are some things I have picked out:


10x Short Dresses

Couldn't decide between these two dresses. I know, I'm still into the color blocking trend! :X There were actually another two more that I was considering, but those had darker colors, was more for dinner-style dresses, and I have plenty of those already! :) I like the bubblegum / summer colors for both these dresses, and the first one comes with the belt as well! :)

This looks like just a regular dressy dinner dress, but it has a very cute deep V back which is also covered in lace. Because of the light lilac color, I think it could be suitable for a day dress as well. What do you think?

Am not sure whether I could pull off a peplum dress (girls with big hips shouldn't wear it, IMHO), but I like the color combination, that and the polka-dot see-through part! So, so, cute!

Another dress that comes with the belt, and I like the simple look of this dress. Plus, i comes with long sleeves, so I won't need a cardigan to cover up my arms. *insecure* I think it would be a pretty perfect dress for church on Sundays! :)

 I just like simple dresses with cutting like this! The cute sleeves are just an added bonus! And so cheap to, like RM25 only. :D

Another simple and plain dress. Hmm.. maybe I shouldn't have bought so many... I mean, yeah, it's cheap but do I really need so many? *doubtful*

 Simple mustard yellow dress with a unique neckline. About RM25 for this one too. 

Cute & fun pink-striped tee dress. It has a bow at the back too! :) Actually, I'm kinda worried that this is gonna be see-through-ish, which is normal when it's cotton dresses from wholesale suppliers. -_-" 

What can I say, I love polka dots! :) 

4x Jackets

This is one of the priciest items from the wholesaler. The jacket is about RM55, but the quality looks really good & the jacket is well cut and structured. I am looking for a blazer/  jacket like this for a while, think it could be for work and for casual outings too. :)

I've always wanted a shrug/ cardigan like this! The only other place I see this being sold is in Supre's website. Maybe I've not looked hard enough, but those places are expensive, whereas I can get this whole sale for like RM25! 

 Army style cotton jacket. I think it's cool the way the model is wearing it. Donno how I'll look like wearing it *doubtful* Will try to werk it.

Happy blue cardigan for about RM38.... a bit pricey, this. But for cardigans / jackets, even wholesale distributors can't get too low. 

 4x Long Dresses

 Long, summery cotton dresses in citrus colors! I love! 

I promise you, I saw a similar version of this dress sold in some high-end boutique in Malaysia for few hundreds. I am buying this for like 1/10th of the price! I am probably going to wear this to someone's wedding, hahaha. 

What looks like a normal long dress actually has a SexyBack! I love it!

11x Blouses / Tops / Shirts

For the love of the sleeves. Plus I honestly have a lot of slutty tops with low necklines, so I need to beef up the stock of modest looking tops, wtf. 

 Another cute, simple top with a unique Peter Pan collar + fluttery sleeves. 

I am very into these kinda shirts now - those which look like very classy & formal, yet is made of some silky / satin kind of material so it feels very cooling when you wear it. You will see that I have made more similar purchases further below... :P 

I already have a blue-green checked shirt, but I'm liking this peach-pink one as well. Plus, only RM15! I should've bought 2-3 pieces, but this wholesale supplier has SO MANY CHOICES that it seems a shame to buy multiple copies of the same thing when I can have MORE different types of pretty. :)

 Denim shirt with cute lace detailing. Ok, I just keep using the word "cute" a lot... hmmm.. 

 I wanted to say no to pussy-bow tops, but they are so prevalent that I end up with another one more in my cart. :X I like the sleeves as well... but usually nowadays I don't tie the pussy-bow into a bow, but leave it like a tie instead.

 See what I mean about the slouchy, formal-like shirts that just look plain comfy to wear? 

 Haha, I think I posted this in another post... I decided to get the sleeve / cuff leopard-print top! :) 

 Tiger wearing 3d glasses!

 Top with sequin accented collar... 

I am so preppy, I have lots of shirts like this --- which looks like I'm wearing a shirt with a vest. And dang! The model left the price-tag of the shirt hanging out.

1x Long Skirt

Apple mint green long skirt with a slight dip-dye effect. Yes yes, increasing the collection of long skirts to hide my legs. :(

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