Lulubag (no.852)

Little Lulu little Lulu, with freckles on her skin, always in and out of trouble, and  mostly always in. This is true for Lulubag too, in trouble as he/she has sent me the wrong colour for #852.

It came as black, rather than chocolate. But I didn't pursue it. The faux leather is soft, much like sheepskin. The shape is special: a semi-oblong shape on the front view, and a diamond-shaped bottom on the side view.

The pull tab is hard to zip through, and my Mum rubbed it with wax (spot the pink wax on the pull tab!) before it budged. As the golden teeth is rough, it scratched me a few times when I open/close the bag. Beware of this point if you have tender flawless hands! 

The interior is of a minimalist design, with only a small front pocket and back zipped compartment. It is big enough for an A4 size folder. Some maneuver is needed to place the folder inside and to avoid the sharp teeth as the opening is small relative to the bottom part of the bag. 

If the bag gets too heavy, fret not, as the bag comes with a detachable sling strap. The seller is nice to attach a complimentary satin-like leopard-skin square handkerchief to spruce the bag up, though it looks a tad bit "primitive". Lulu is after all, living in the 1930s.

Little Lulu little Lulu~ When can we look forward to your next surprise? (song)

Source: Gmarket

Price: $13.20 + $7.80 shipping

Rating: 7/10

UPDATE (after 3 days of usage):

Oh man, really a surprise, the faux leather isn't very hardy and started peeling:

Lower rating deserved: 5/10

The Mimosa Garden Iphone Button Stickers

The listing from The Mimosa Garden has an interesting clause:

"We apologise that some of the pictures might look blurry but rest assured that the actual stickers are clear.

Do not be mislead by any false claims, we sell stickers with good printing and original packaging :)"

Good marketing technique, to reassure potential customers that their products are good. Somewhat fishy, don't you think? Gullible as I am always, I believed their "assurance" and this is what I received:

1) Some oily deposits on the stickers

2) Inferior and dull colour printing

and 3) Cheap imitation tactics

I hope my friends won't mind when I give these to them. These were afterall from the start, meant for them (I'm no fan of iphone =>).

Source: Gmarket

Price: $0.90 + Free shipping

Rating: 7/10

Kawaiikoya Rings (CJ6081, CJ6014)

*ring ring* Moshi moshi.

Pretty lame introduction. This is what happens when you quit writing for a period of time and you lose that inspiration to come up with cheesy introductions.. So I bought rings on impulse from a japanese-sounding store in gmarket. I'm definitely not me today *knock knock* Anyhow, the damage's already done so I shall not brood too much into it. 

On the bright side (yes, very very bright), the rings are really shiny and of good quality. CJ6014 (left, +$1.30) is a solid well-polished structure while the gems on CJ6081 (right, +$0.80) sparkle and look classy without that cheap-gem-look:

However do take note of the sizes, while CJ6014 fits well on my middle fingers, CJ6081 appears too big and chunky. The latter is definitely not for those with skinny fingers. However much I like that ring that scintillates with brilliance, I wouldn't feel very comfortable trying to get it to stay stationary on my finger the whole day.

To proponents of objectivity, what better way to judge the ring sizes than with a ruler?

In conclusion, get quality rings from this seller, after checking the sizes proper.

Source: Gmarket

Price: $0.59 + $1.50 (shipping)

Rating: 7.5/10

Vogue Dresses (Smocked dress, simple black dress)

Since the purchase of a gorgeous white dress at $19.50 at Vogue, I found myself visiting this store at Yew Tee Point more often for my shopping fix. I like the fact that they change their clothes often and that the store staff are very spontaneous in offering their assistance (to the extent of being annoying sometimes).

Today, I brought home two dresses from Vogue for $25 - a simple black dress and a smocked V-necked blue dress.

Made of polyester, the black dress comes with a detachable black "belt" which is just a cloth band and appears to be rather heavy on the top due to the large frills. Not a good fit for those with broad shoulders.

The blue dress is more flattering compared to the black one, and of thick yet stretchable fabric. It is a well-made dress, save for little hole at the back that I missed out while checking for defects. Always look carefully when things go on sale! 

After buying countless apparel online and offline, I'm quite convinced that there will be no item that is of good quality at the right price. Until this dress bought at a standalone store in Tampines Central proved me wrong: 

Excellent quality (soft yet hardy material) at an astounding price of $8! 

Source: Vogue

Price: $25 for 2

Rating: 8/10

Caishen Dresses (696_D6A07_A6301, 904_D7A07_A1119, 892_C6C13_A1970_black, 890_A6A07_A6269_black)

This purchase order was made one day after a disastrous order, and the seller shipped all together. 

696_D6A07_A6301 (+$7.88)

Made of material that resembles those of swimming costume, this unique tri-coloured dress is less flattering and more baggy than expected. The lower seams are not sewn so they curl slightly, but that's a minor issue. The strap adjusters are made of metal, which I think might rust with countless washing. 

904_D7A07_A1119 (+$7.88)

This is in fact a top, but it is long enough to make a dress for someone who is approximately 157cm. It is not stretchable, and tends to be wider at the top region than the bottom region. If one finds it too tight at the hips/thighs, do unbutton the bronze tinys, and reveal some flesh as well.

892_C6C13_A1970_black  (+$4.88)

This black cardigan feels slightly rough and is thick in material. I didn't expect the buttons to be white, as it was not shown in the listing. Sporting a V-shape, the side view for this cardigan is rather special I would say:

Apart from that, it comes with a black belt which can be put through supports, which do not seem very securely-sewn on:

Even after washing a few times, the colour runs really badly so avoid putting it in the washing machine during the first few washes.

890_A6A07_A6269_black (+$5.88)

I'm not really keen on this dress, as it is rather big and does not accentuate my curves proper (that is if my curves are present). People with narrow shoulders should avoid getting this dress. Unlike the usual thin fabric, this one somewhat resembles a carpet's texture, and is quite thick as though it's for winter-wear. 

Source: Gmarket

Price: $0.99 + $1.50 shipping (free if >$29)

Rating: 7/10

Caishen Dresses (25A_S305_A5329, 989_SH1_A8080_purple, 992_SH1_A8630)

In the past, I used to like to buy from Caishen shop, as th provided decent quality clothes with a handwritten thank-you note and some jewel stickers. This time around, I felt that there is a decline in quality. Let me justify my claim.

25A_S305_A5329 (+$9.88)

A stark contrast to the picture shown on the listing. Slightly on the loose side, it looks way too cheap for comfort, and is not well-tailored. On closer look, one can see the poor handiwork:

And guess what, the silver neck piece is actually made of plastic silver ribbon (the type you use to tie gifts with) which broke when subjected to the stresses of washing. To wear the dress, the velcro is there for you to link the plastic ribbon ends together. 

989_SH1_A8080_purple (+$9.88)

The most decent of all, this skater dress with accompanying jewel necklace fits me well. The pastel-violet fabric seems to be made of cotton and is rather stretchable. I've bought something like this from the seller before. Here's a closer view of the attached accessory:

992_SH1_A8630 (+$11.88)

 *sigh* What made me purchase this one? There is no way I could wear it and look sane. Wrinkled and exceedingly baggy, this dress has inner lining only at part below the waist band. The fabric is a metallic beige and seems impermeable to air. Can someone advise me on how I'm going to wear this maternity dress and still look presentable?

Considering that each dress exceeds the amount needed to get a decent dress from Bugis Street, the quality is unacceptable. Branding the apparel with a "Caishen" tag without improving the quality doesn't make sense to me. I would rather the seller invest in better quality dress, than to waste the money and manpower on printing tags. 

No, I can't "wear beautiful" with your clothes and rusty jewellery gift Caishen shop.

Source: Gmarket

Price: $0.99 + $1.50 shipping (free if >$29)

Rating: 4/10

Dudebabe (Y10024_Black, Y10024_White)

Another deal from Dudebabe - $10 for 2 items of your choice from a whole list of products, and free shipping! Which shopaholic can resist such an irresistible temptation? Well, at least I couldn't!

After ploughing through the items and reviews, I settled on two innerwear. They turned out pretty short and are made of barely-stretchable fabric. Ladies with wider hips beware, these might not fit. I myself have problems getting them past my hips! The straps are quite long too, so I discourage wearing these innerwear singly unless one intends to show off the inner garment for any purpose at all.

Both are not as sheer as I expected them to be though it shows through if you wear dark-coloured undergarments. The top portion of the innerwear is lined with cotton knitted into a flowery design:

While the bottom part has poorly-sewn-on polyester nets and lacey laurel wreath patterns:

Still a good but as I bought these at $7.50 with coupons. Go get your coupons!

Source: Gmarket

Price: $10 for 2 items + Free shipping

Rating: 9/10