Splurge vs Save: Alexander McQueen Skull Scarf

I've always thought the ever popular Alexander McQueen skull scarf was really cool. Though this probably has more to do with my interest with slightly macabre items and accessories. However, I'm not the type to spend upwards of $300 for a scarf (not knocking people that do; whatever floats your boat right?).

A fellow Mallvibes member bought a very similar skull scarf from Zara and commented on how she thought the Zara one looked better because it was more detailed. While I've never seen the McQueen scarf in person, I was surprised at how nice the Zara scarf was. It's a lightweight fabric (light enough for summer actually) and the skulls are quite detailed.

Unfortunately, the scarf that the Mallvibes member bought was no longer available so I purchased Zara's newer version of the skull scarf. It has larger skulls in the middle and smaller skulls for a border, with copper studs on some of the smaller skulls. While I love the detailed skulls and fabric, I hate the ugly copper studs on it. I think it makes the scarf look cheap. If they had chosen different coloured studs (gold or even gunmetal) it would have been ok. I'm planning on taking the studs of myself. I've taken of one stud and there was no glue residue. The fabric also held up at the part without the stud.

If you're looking for a more affordable, but not ugly and cheap looking skull scarf I suggest getting the Zara one! It's $29.99 CAD.

 

Review: Wildfox Couture & Revolve Clothing

I've been browsing around Revolve for quite some time now, but I've never bought anything. After seeing this Wildfox sweater though, I knew I had to have it. It's obviously no the most "mature" looking sweater, but I think it's cute and it's amazingly comfy.

 

Wildfox is an L.A. based company and has been incredibly popular with celebrities (just google wildfox baggy beach jumper and you'll see what I mean). You can read more about them on their website. I think the particular sweater that I got is a Revolve Clothing exclusive. I haven't seen the same sweater in other online retailers. It took about a week and half for me to get my sweater, but I was lucky enough not to pay any duties or taxes. I also got 10% off with the code TULIP. Revolve also ships to Canada for free. However, if you're returning the item, you have to pay for shipping (they don't provide a prepaid label like they do with orders shipped to the US). 

Even though the sweater isn't made of particularly luxurious material, it is SO soft! The only weird thing about it is that it arrived looking slightly pilled. I'm not sure if that's part of the design since this is my first sweater from this brand. The heart part of the sweater has some weight to it and I haven't had any problems with the glitter getting on everything (a complaint some have with the white sweater with red heart). Also, the sweater is made in the USA, which is probably why it's priced at $107USD.

I got it in a MEDIUM, but I could probably go down to an XS or S. The sweater fits about 1 size big, but it is meant to fit oversized. I've also already washed mine and it didn't shrink. Here's a picture of me with it on at F21 (for reference I'm 5 feet tall):

 If the price is too steep, I suggest getting this sweater from Forever 21:

 

The F21 sweater is $21.80CAD and it is just as soft as the Wildfox sweater. However, I did get a LARGE of this sweater, because I find that F21 clothing tends to shrinks no matter how you wash them! The large in F21 fits a tiny bit bigger than the medium in Wildfox.

Overall, I didn't have any problems ordering or receiving my sweater from Revolve. The quality and look of the sweater also met my expectations. I like it so much that I'm planning to get another one soon!

Bedroom Reveal

I finally got around to fixing, moving stuff, and taking pictures of my new bedroom. As you'll see in the pictures, almost all the furniture is from IKEA. I generally chose these pieces, because I wanted furniture that would be easy to integrate when I move out and get my own condo or townhouse. My closet, study/work table, and shelves are custom-made (by my parents). You can't see it in the pictures, but my room is tiny! It probably would have been better to get a twin bed, but I hate sleeping on small beds and I really like the look of the IKEA bed frame. For the paint colour, I ended up going for something that wasn't even one of my original choices. The paint colour is a slightly darker colour than Blair Waldorf's (Gossip Girl) room paint colour. I do think it fits well with the furniture though.

I'd have to say that the best part of the new room is the custom closet. This closet is really small, but since my parents put in the new shelving and drawer, I can put so much more stuff in it. I'm so happy that I finally have shelves to put my bags on! It's also a lot easier to organize everything. You can't really tell in the pictures, but the clothes are actually organized by type and colour. My mom was saying that I have OCD judging from how my clothes are folded and how disturbingly organized the clothes are -_-

Breakdown of Items & Prices (in CAD):

Paint / Valspar China Blue ~$40 (Lowes)

Bedframe / IKEA Birkeland Queen $399

Drawer Unit / IKEA Alex $149

Makeup Table / IKEA Malm $129

Wall Mirror / IKEA Ung Drill $19.99 (reg. $29.99)

Black Velvet Hangers / JYSK 50 pack $16.99 (reg. $24.99)

Here are some pictures of the room:

 

While I have most of the larger furniture all set up, I still need decorating items. The room looks really bare and plain right now. I'm finding it really difficult to find just the right thing to decorate my room though. I was planning to get a large world map (with all the places I've been to marked on it) to put above my headboard, but I feel like it doesn't really match the furniture, paint colour, and general look of the room. I'm thinking of putting wall decals there instead (though I'm not sure what kind yet).

I'm still in need of the following items: lamp, door hangers (hooks), closet hooks, jewelry stands/holders, decorative pillows, and wall decorations. I feel like I've been to pretty much every store in Vancouver and I STILL can't find the things I need at a reasonable price. Everything I've seen that I do like is way over my budget (ex. a $400 lamp). I've looked online as well, but I haven't found anything that has "clicked".

If you have any suggestions on where to buy bedroom/decorative accessories, please leave a comment below!