{Review} eShakti Dress

Hello hello! Long time no outfit post! I'm not counting the Dapper Day outfit because of course I would take pictures whilst on vacation! I did get off by butt and took actually outfit photos on a normal day because I got the lovely opportunity to review a dress from eShakti. Many of you have probably heard of eShakti from the many blogger reviews around the community. It is a website that sells customizable clothing. They have tons of dresses and skirts in retro styles, which definitely attracts me. They also have tops and jackets. They do have regular sizes and the base design where you pay $7.50 for customizing, which I find pretty affordable. I chose the Retro embellished poplin shirtdress. I had it customized to my measurements and I also changed the sleeve length to 3/4 sleeve. Other options were to change the skirt length and to remove the pockets or embroidery.

Pockets

The thing I love most about eShakti are the side-seam pockets. They are perfect. I am much less likely to lose my phone when I have pockets. So, I would never choose the remove pockets option. Ever. 

Sleeves

I changed the sleeve length because I prefer 3/4 sleeves the best and most dresses I find don't come in that length. I found that I didn't enjoy the look of the sleeve being so loose fitting didn't seem to fit the style of the dress, so I folded it up and folded it up until it looked good, which ended up being short-length. I regretted not getting a full length sleeve because I could have folded that up to 3/4 sleeve length. It would have been much better if there were actual pictures of each type of sleeve length instead of illustrations. I understand not making completely different sleeves every time they make a new dress, but at least show different sleeve types in different fabrics. It would definitely help the decision making process. 

Embroidery

The design is lovely and I like the colors. The embroidery isn't evenly stitched around the entire skirt. Some parts are stitched closer together than others. The closer stitches are definitely better looking. Overall, further away it looks  good. The chevron stripes also don't match up on the side seams. They kind of match up on the top, but closer to the bottom it gets less matched. It's understandable since the skirt goes outward to make it full. It also isn't so noticeable. These are things I am fine with, but it does speak to the quality. Since I'm taking about the skirt portion.. It is extremely full and fits my petticoat, but it isn't a full circle skirt as advertised. It's not cut as a circle skirt, which automatically makes it not a circle skirt. It's actually 4 panels. It might be 2 panels because I can't tell if the embroidery came before or after the fabric became a skirt. I'm unsure because the stripes match up on 2 of the seams. Anyways, When I hold up a circle skirt it makes a 180 degree line, but this dress doesn't make it that high. It definitely comes close though! Fitting my petticoat is really all that matters.

Fit

It fits really well. It felt tight whist putting it on, but I think it just fit so exactly. That or they didn't add enough breathing space or I measured incorrectly. I found that the shoulders were actually a little too big. I may have measured myself wrong? That was the measurement I was most unsure of when I took it. This is definitely the hard part about ordering customized clothing online. I know a lot of people don't know how to measure themselves properly. That may actually also include me! 

The construction was good.  The darting was the best fit I've ever had there. The sticking connecting all the pieces together was solid. It didn't feel like it was going to fall apart anytime soon. The pockets are awesome. They are big enough to hold what I need. I wouldn't need to use a purse sometimes even. They also aren't obvious when worn. I have other items with pockets including a coat and a different dress (not eShakti) change the draping of the fabric that it's obvious if I have something small in my pocket and ridiculous if it's something big. The way these pockets are sown are awesome. I love the customization choices as I really like over the knees lengths which is so hard to find even for a shortie like me. I absolutely hate sitting down and being able to feel the chair. Some dresses are too difficult to resist though. The dress design is also extremely cute, much like most of the other options on the site. They also seem to go through designs pretty often. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone wearing the same dress as you. I do like eShakti and already own a dress and skirt from them. I also just purchased a dress for my mother. I'm excited. I wouldn't count on the fit being completely perfect all the time even though it's a customization website. It is really difficult to do, even designers have multiple fittings before the finished product. I would definitely continue to shop at eShakti purely for the pockets and over the knee-length skirts/dresses. The pretty designs and full skirts are also a big reason too though. I could definitely look past any imperfections for these reasons. 

Outfit Rundown Beret: Goorin Bros. Earrings: Claire's Dress: c/o eShakti Website - Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest If you want to shop at eShakti, you can get 10% off with the code "calamaristyles". It's only valid until December 3, 2014 though! Just enter it in the promotional code box :]

I received this dress for review, but all opinions are my own!

{Review} Daiso Sheet Face Masks

Daiso is a great place for cute Japanese items and they even have beauty products. Everything is $1.50 unless otherwise marked. At least, that's how it is for me in the San Francisco Bay Area.

BB Face Mask with Collagen/with Hyaluronic Acid

Price - This comes in a 2-pack, all for $1.50: basically 75¢ per mask. To clarify, it's not a variety pack. It's a 2-pack of the Collagen type or the 2-pack of the Hyaluronic Acid type.

Review - It's by far the prettiest packaging of the other Daiso masks I've seen, but that has nothing to do with the actual product.

Treatment - I'm not quite sure what it means by BB, but I can try to explain the Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid. I'm no expert, but I'll explain what I think from my research. Our skin contains Collagen and that breaks down over time. The thinking is that if we add collagen over our skin, it will help repair the existing Collagen. Smartskincare.com says that Collagen applied over the skin won't actually work because it cannot penetrate the skin. It would only just cover wrinkles and moisturize. Hyaluronic Acid can hold a lot of moisture, hundreds times it's weight, so it's great for moisturizing the surface of your skin. If used in a dry climate, it may actually pull moisture from your skin instead of the air.

Coenzyme Q10

Price - This comes in a 3-pack, all for $1.50: basically 50¢ per mask.

Review - It contains plenty of liquid product. It was cooling at first, but only because my body temperature is warmer than the sheet. It definitely warmed up after a couple of minutes. I had no additional feelings during application. After removal, directions say to pat the extra product on my face. It left my face feeling sticky, but soft and moisturized.

Treatment - I can't really say much about the Coenzyme Q10 treatment it is supposed to give since it was only one application. The package recommends application 2 to 3 times a week. I'm no expert, but from what I understand, Coenzyme Q10 is already in our bodies. It plays a role in producing energy and it is an antioxidant. Theoretically, it should help the skin repair itself and reduce damage caused by free radicals, however there is not enough research to prove this and it's possible that the amount of Coenzyme Q10 in most beauty products isn't enough to make a difference. I highly doubt that this cheaper product I think smartskincare.com has a good description of Coenzyme Q10 for skin products.

Honey and Pearl Pure Moisture

Price - These separately come in a 3 pack for $1.50 as well. 50¢ is such a great deal! It's still the best price I've come across so far. And just to clarify, it does not come in a variety pack, it's 3 honey or 3 pearl.

Review - Face did feel quite moisturized. I didn't smell anything for the pearl type, but the honey one was really overwhelming. It didn't quite smell good which did not make an enjoyable experience.

Treatment - The aim is to moisturize your face and it did just that.

Overall
I would recommend all of these products. I wouldn't depend on these for the Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid, and Coenzyme Q10 treatments as I can't really say these work. I don't really think that they will. Especially be careful with the Hyaluronic Acid type if you're in a dry climate though. I would just use these to occasionally pamper my skin for the moisturizing effect.  I'm just a girl with a taste for variety, so I decided to try many different kinds. I would go for these face masks, just for the moisturizing effect, just don't get the honey one!

With Daiso's low prices, I was very willing to try these all out spending $9 for 16 single masks (6 different types of masks).

Daiso also sells the sheets, so that you can make your own masks. I've never tried it before, but I've seen a few tutorials here and there on other blogs and youtube. Have you ever tried making your own mask before?

*This is NOT a sponsored post. I am in no way affiliated with Daiso. I bought all of these products with my own money. I am also not affiliated with smartskincare.com.*

{Review} Daiso Face Cleanser

So, I meant to buy the black one there as. Reccommended by a friend (it's a face mask that dries and you peel it off). I accidentally bought the grey one, which turned out to be a face cleanser. I should have known from the picture.

It comes in a tube, so it is hygenic. It's sealed as well, so you know if it's been used or not.

The product itself is grey and pretty thick. It's an interesting feeling to smear onto my face. My sister and I thought it was the face mask at first and spread it over our faces, and it obviously didn't dry like a clay mask.

It does however have a clay feeling when applied. Also, it doesn't completely feel as though it was all washed off when I rince. It's nice though because it doesn't seem to strip my skin of moisture. In the summertime, I actually did not feel the need to add moisturizer afterward. 

I wouldn't purchase this again because I have acne issues, and prefer my acne cleansers. However, I think it has it's uses and I still use it occassionally. It was a cheap buy, at Daiso's normal $1.50 price. I do think it's worth a shot if you are looking for a cheap cleanser and have dry skin though. 

*This is NOT a sponsered post. I purchased this product with my own money of my own choice.*

{Review} Juara Skincare Samples

Juara skincare is a line based on an ancient herbal medicinal tradition called JAMU. Their products "fuse the active botanicals of Indonesian herbal recipes with Western science to create products that represent the best of both, the east and west". You can check out more information on their FAQs page and Philosophy page.

There was an option to request a small sample pack of three sometime this year which I did In March. In the order form you can state whether or not you will be reviewing their product on your blog and I said I would. I thought it'd be something fun and different since I've never reviewed any beauty products on my blog. 

I don't think this is quite a sponsored post though as the samples were available to everyone and I did receive the samples after a 5-month wait. I did also receive an email in April saying that there was such a large demand creating a delay in shipment. I don't think I recieved the same samples I originally choose, but they did say in the order form that it could change based on availablity. Anyways, I thought I'd review the three samples here.

The first sample is the Sweet Black Tea & Rice Facial Moisturizer. 

The claim: "This light-weight yet intensely hydrating facial moisturizer combines a patented form of fermented sweet black tea with rice bran oil. This tea significantly smoothes skin to minimize imperfections and the appearance of fine wrinkles while rice bran oil, known for its high content of fatty acids and natural vitamin E, helps keep the skin hydrated and nourished."

Review: I've been in the market for a good facial moisturizer, so I'm glad I got to try this one. It's not greasy and it's light. I have dry skin (with extra dry patches), but an oily T-zone. It moisturized fine over my whole face. I can't say anything about how it minimizes imperfections or wrinkles because I saw no difference. My skin did feel adequately moisturized though. It did absorb quickly and left my face feeling soft. I think I'd prefer something heavier to sleep in and use this for daytime.

The second sample is Sweet Black Tea Eye Cream.
The claim: "A silky, fragrance-free treatment that hydrates, smoothes and firms the fragile eye area with anti-aging Kombucha (fermented sweet black tea) and vitamin E rich rice bran oil. Works well day and night and under make-up."

Review: This was actually my first time trying out an eye cream. I should have taken a before picture or a right after application picture because I applied it at night and woke up to find a wrinkle. I may have had it pre-application, but I just can't remember and picture just are not close enough. My skin did feel a bit tighter and firmer though. Pretty immediately after application too. It was a really slight feeling though. It could have just been the warmth of my finger when patting on the product, but it felt warm and a little tingly when I applied it. It's supposed to be fragrance-free, but I think I smell something. I'm rather bad at describing scents, but I smelled cinnamon or some kind of spice during application. It was not strong though and it smelled pretty good. It was fast-absorbing, but not so much that you couldn't get it around your eye fast enough. I think it was the perfect amount. It also didn't make my eye feel greasy.

The third and final of the pack is the Candlenut Body Creme.
The claim: "This rich, luxurious body cream provides the nourishing benefits of candlenut oil, known for its high content of essential fatty acids. The unique properties of Candlenut oil allow for superior skin penetration with a comfortable, velvet finish."

Review: It's pretty moisturizing without feeling greasy or heavy. I tried it on my wrist area where my hands have been extra dry for some reason, as soon as the temperature got lower and now it feels much softer and smoother. It's still a little rough and red from having been too dry for too long and cracking. I wash my hands often because of work and my hand lotions were not doing the trick. I wouldn't expect a quick fix, but I think this would fix all the roughness with continuous use. It did get much softer though! I personally wouldn't buy it because I am already happy with my body lotion and am not looking for a body creme, but I think it's a great product that smells good too. It has a relaxing, clean scent.

I loved the packaging for the samples! You could just squeeze to get the product out! 

*This is NOT a sponsored post. They did NOT contact me to write a post, but I was sent these samples. They were available to everyone. There was a box to check if you were going to review or not, but it was not required*

If you want to try out their samples too you can get some on their site. You just pay $1.99 shipping! Have you tried out Juara products?

Pretty Perfumes: Victoria's Secret Gorgeous

Yay! I was actually able to finish this post before leaving! So, here's another one from the Victoria's Secret Sampler Set called Gorgeous.

Here's what the Website says about it:
Show-stopping beauty. Effortless glamour. Made to be noticed. Gorgeous! Irresistible strawberry, sheer jasmine and tempting sandalwood. Domestic. 

So, I've received mixed feelings about this fragrance. Some loved it and some hated it. I personally only liked it. It didn't smell bad, but I didn't like it that much. Someone did comment that it smelt too old for me at first spray, but liked it better once the scent sank in. The scent only lasted a few hours, so it wasn't very lasting. I wouldn't purchase it, but you can always try for yourself in stores.

This particular fragrance is on super sale because of the Semi-Annual Sale. It is about $20 for the actual perfume.

Pretty Perfumes: Victoria's Secret Very Sexy

Sorry about being so late on this post. Wednesday just got so hectic (painting the old house/cleaning), and before I knew it, Thursday was over as well (just so much cleaning to do!).
Anyways, here's the first sample from the Victoria's secret sampler box in my first perfume post. I checked on the site and I believe that this would be the bottle. It's quite pretty. I like the colors and the way VS is placed. I'm not sure if this is the correct version though. There is is one version to my understanding. I believe this would Victoria's Secret signature fragrance. It's been around for a while and the VS for Very Sexy matches the VS for Victoria's secret.
Here's what the website says about the fragrance:

Fierce. Hot. Very Sexy®. Start the ultimate seduction. Vanilla orchid, sun-drenched clementine, midnight blackberry.

This one is alright for me also. It still does not seem like me. It's not very floral-y or cirtrus-y fresh. I highly doubt I will find that from my Victoria's Secret Sampler Box, but I do like the scents enough to use them. I'd really love that bottle and hope to have it in my collection someday (I wish they'd make it in a mini!) They made a similar bottle for Very Sexy Touch except it's purple and gold. Although, I love those colors together (my favorite combo!), I don't exactly like the shade of purple they used and this red/black one just seems more... well... sexy. Haha.

What do you think of the pretty bottle? Purple/Gold or Red/Black?

Pretty Perfumes: Victoria's Secret Sexy Little Things Noir

Last Week at Victoria's Secret I bought "Noir" by Sexy Little Things.

Here's what the website says about it:

At once elegant and playfully provocative, it's an enchanting blend of sparkling nectarine, sultry amber and exotic cattelaya orchid. Domestic.

• Fragrance type: Fruity Floral
• Top Notes: Nectarine, Juicy Apple, Sparkling Citrus, Pineapple, Guanabana, Mouthwatering Pear, Red Fruit, Bergamot
• Middle Notes: Cattelaya Orchid, Muget, Cyclamen, Jasmine Petals, Plum, Vanilla, Dewberry, Cassis
• Low Notes: Golden Amber, Velvet Musk, Sultry Woods, Tonka Bean

I bought this in store and they had a sign up saying by any 1.0 oz + fragrance and get a sampler box free.
I choose this as my first Pretty Perfumes because of the special offer. I am hoping it will still be available to you all by the time I post this and you going to a Victoria's Secret.

I had been contemplating on getting this perfume for a while because of the pump. I knew that it was the specific reason I wanted to buy it. Isn't it awesome? It's rare to find a modern fragrance with a pump.
It's not miniature, but the mini doesn't have a pump so there wouldn't be any point at all.

The scent is alright. It does not smell bad, but I don't really see myself wearing it often. It doesn't seem very me. I'm more of a fresh florals type of gal. I would probably wear it more as a night fragrance though since the scents I'm attracted to are typically for daytime spring. I was originally debating between "Noir" and "Tease". Tease was a warmer scent which to me seemed more sensual. I couldn't really see me wearing that more than "Noir". At least Noir was a little floral-y.

I will post more on these sampler scents in the future and also individually. And if you're wondering, each vile is 2.9 oz. They're pretty big samples!

BonjourHoney.etsy.com

Last May I won Julie Doll's giveaway for her handmade Shooting Star Hairpin Brooches. It arrived in a bubble mailer and the packaging was just so adorable! Just look at the lovely little bag and how it all looks together.

She even included stickers of her etsy shop and a nice little note. It felt so personal. I don't know if she always includes these things since I won them instead of purchasing them, but it really made me feel appreciated as a reader. Definitely check out her blog. She dresses in Lolita often and does a lot of themes depending on where she's going. Her fashion style is always lovely and exciting to see.

The Shooting Star is so great! It's really well made and very sturdy. I haven't gotten to wear it yet because I don't wear Lolita much at all in the summer. I'm so excited for the fall weather to come! I've had my coordinate planned for months now!

Lake McClure

My family went camping at Lake McClure, East of Modesto, California.

It was a pretty long drive going there, but it felt very short coming back for some reason.

Anyways, I'm unsure if it was just the time of year, but it was VERY hot. My family reserved a campsite near a pavilion with sinks etc, and it was near everything. We were near the swimming spot, playground, bathrooms with open showers, shop, and lake. It was a very easy walk to everything and the campsite was well lit near the bathrooms. It was still very easy to see all of the stars in the sky.

There weren't really any annoying bugs that bite. We didn't really have to worry about leaving the tent door open and bug spray very much. The only thing was the flies. There were so many and they were after our food!

There was also a lot of animals! The deer actually got very close. I suppose they're already used to humans. They didn't hurt any of us though, they did rummage through our garbage. There were turkeys roaming around too! My family heard them in the mornings. I also liked to hear and watch the woodpeckers. It was kind of weird to see little frogs in the bathroom though.

The swimming was alright, the swim spot didn't seem all that clean because so many people had been in it. I bet there was a ton of pee. Also, the deer use it as a watering hole and some people allowed their dogs to swim in it even though it wasn't allowed. It's a good spot for children though because it really isn't very deep. I am 5 feet tall and the water only ever reached my neck. I think the deepest part was probably 5 feet.

Overall, it was a very good experience. I give the campsite an 8/10.

My only real problems were the heat and the lack of private showers. Although... the flies were quite annoying.

My advice if you go:

• Make sure you have shade.
• Bring soap because like most campsites, the bathrooms don't have any.
• Bring some sort of cover for yourself to shower with. Maybe a gigantic umbrella or some kind of portable shower curtain.
• Bring some kind of toy or floaty to play with in the water to make it more fun.
• Let friends and family know before you leave that you may have trouble contacting each other because of the lack of signal. Verizon seemed to work better than AT&T.