My Palmolive Naturals Stylista shopping date with Marie
Friday, October 12, 2012 at 10:58AM “When I shop, I just get what I like on the mannequins! I don’t like looking around!” said a friend of mine over lunch. I was marginally scandalized. I’m a person who can’t settle on a purchase without seeing everything first. How can I possibly make an informed decision if I don’t know all my options? How can anyone else?
Hehe, seriously, I think of shopping somewhat like a game. And I loooove having a companion to shop for. A couple of weeks ago, I accompanied the winner of my Palmolive Naturals Stylista Speaks contest to her shopping spree at Forever 21 Makati. It was such a fun experience because it’s my first time to go shopping with a new friend!
Her name is Marie. She’s a pretty just-out-of-college woman who is very sweet and kikay. Ahhh, a girl after my own heart (well except for the sweet part, har di har har). She wanted to find good deals at first since some items were on sale, but I persuaded her to invest in some pieces that I think she’ll enjoy wearing again and again! I also gave her my tried-and-tested shopping tips, which I shall post here!
Fit should always be your first consideration when buying clothes. Know your body type and what works with it. If something doesn’t look right, don’t force it even if you really like the item. You’ll find that you won’t wear it often - if at all - once you have it in your closet.
Look for good fabric. Thin, haplessly-made clothes tear and fade easily. It’s best to go for finer and thicker fabrics because you’re guaranteed a longer shelf life. You don’t necessarily have to spend extra for this, thankfully. I find that there’s a lot of sturdy clothes priced just as much as the flighty-looking ones. You just have to look.
Great find: this little black dress comes in a thick, slightly heavy material, making it look more elegant than its price tag.
Work with your skin tone, not against it! Marie has fair skin that Palmolive Naturals White & Moisture Soap has definitely helped her maintain, thanks to its 100% natural Papaya and Songyi mushroom extracts that help brighten skin in just one week*, so blush tones, bright shades of pink, and pastels look fab on her. Yellow, turquoise, and brown, not so much. For morena-toned gals, I would recommend emerald, golden, and earthy colors for their skin to stand out.
And that’s it! Hope you found these tips useful. It was a pleasure shopping with Marie, so thanks Palmolive for the experience! Guys, don’t forget to follow the Palmolive Naturals Facebook Page to catch future promos like this. ;)
*based on instrumental mexameter reading; when used twice daily
***This post is brought to you by Palmolive Naturals***
Reader Comments (13)
Hmm, I'm not exactly like your friend who gets what she likes from the mannequins, but I don't spend a lot of time looking around when I shop for clothes. When I find something I like and it suits me, I buy it. Then I just go back to the store some other day to find something else I like. I'm quite indecisive when it comes to pretty clothes so if I look at everything, I might never leave the store because I wouldn't be able to decide which piece to get!
The essence of shopping is lost when you just buy everything straight from the mannequins. Plus you take out the fun in shopping too cz you didnt experiment on the "what goes well with what", you just simply copied the stylist's look.
I know what you mean by looking at everything. I personally comb everything to make sure what I'll buy is definetly what I like. Thanks for the tips, I hope that you showcase more shopping tips in the future.
Thanks for sharing :)
Congratulations to the winner! It looks you both had a grand time shopping and styling too. :) I absolutely agree with Lian that the essence of shopping is lost when you buy straight what's from the mannequin or what's most "uso" right now. Plus, I think you're taking out the fun out of shopping that way, because the best part of dressing up is expressing yourself through your clothes.
Everyone has their own sense of style, for there's no really one universal rule in fashion. Fads+ fashion trends come and go but personal class and style, THAT leaves a mark. May I also add a couple of tried and tested shopping tips that I learned along the way?
1) BE REALISTIC. DRESS FOR YOURSELF. - Remember that you're shopping for you not others. More oftentimes than not, those that look good on others doesn't mean that it may look good on you. It doesnt matter if its the latest "fasyon" now. Like Ms. Liz said earlier in her post, you may end up wearing it only once then it just ends up at the back of your closet.
2) ALWAYS TRY IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT - I think this speaks for itself. We all have different shapes and sizes. Dresses, shirts, bags, shoes etc. Try it on to see if it fits you before spending your hard earned pesos on it. As the saying goes, "wear the dress, don't let the dress wear you."
3) BE 110% CERTAIN BEFORE BUYING ANYTHING - Ask yourself, do I really need to buy it now? What occasion will I use it for? Can I mix and match it with the other items in my closet? Paint a mental picture of you in your head wearing it. This not only saves you money but also sudden impulse buying.
4) EASY ON THE ACCESSORIES - You want to accessorize not excessorize. Sometimes less is really more.
5) HAVE OPTIONS. MAKE A SAVE VS. SPLURGE LIST - To buy or not to buy is our number one dilemma when it comes to shopping. May it be because its too pricey, they don't have it in your size or color, etc. Always have other options, make a save vs splurge list of those items. That way, if you have extra money to spend go ahead, but if you don't, you still have another choice. Win- win.
6) SET A BUDGET. DON'T OVERSPEND - Be sure before heading to the mall that you have enough money for the items you want to buy. I know how its difficult to do this, with all those beautiful things tempting us everywhere we look. No harm in bringing a little extra money just in case "baka magkulang". Whats the point of having all those clothes, bags or shoes if you dont have food on your table, unpaid bills and a lot of debt at the end of the day, right?.
7) BRANDED OR NOT BRANDED - I do believe in quality over quantity. Economically speaking, it lasts longer too. Investing on quality made clothes will make you spend more at first but will make you save more long-term. But sometimes its not always the case, right? That's why there's retail outlets, sale promotions, other stores to go to and choose from.
8) INVEST IN KEY PIECES - Remember to have key pieces such as the little black dress, little white dress, good pair of jeans, black +red +nude high heels, classy bag, a good, well-fitted t-shirt etc.
9) BE ADVENTUROUS IN YOUR STYLE. TRY SOMETHING NEW - As we grow older, our style evolves. Look for inspiration may it be in magazines, tv, beauty blogs etc. Don't be afraid come out of your comfort zone. You might even discover a new side of you that you didn't know before. On top of that, you'll be pleasantly surprised and even empowered when you do. Don't dismiss it and immediately say, "No, Im sure it won't suit me or Di yan bagay sa akin" without even putting it on.
10) LOVE YOUR BODY. EMBRACE IT, ASSETS, FLAWS & ALL - Personally, I think this is very important. We, ladies, we focus too much with what we lack. We want to desperately hide our flaws, be whiter, thinner, prettier --- the list goes on and on and on. We oftentimes get so caught up in it, and oftentimes forget what makes us beautiful. Its not the clothes, the bags, the shoes. Its the person wearing them.
Start with you. When you feel good, you look good. At the end of the day, what matters most is what you think of yourself, not what others think of you. :)
There you go. :) Got a little carried away with my comment. :) Hope this helps too! :)
She's really pretty :) Fun part of shopping is going thru everything and trying it out. On lazy days, I scour for stuff online before hitting the mall.
1. Marie is so lovely! She reminds me of an Asian Grace Kelly, patrician skin and all.
2. I love the tips on what to get! Very helpful! Oh, and I didn't realise emerald looked good on my dusky skin until you mentioned it!
She's pretty Ms. Liz! Congrats to you Marie, for winning the shopping spree and for shopping with THE Liz Lanuzo!
Thank you for the tips Ms. Liz. I like looking at the clothes on the mannequins, but when I find and try the pieces, sometime it doesn't really work for me. When buying clothes I always get the ones that make me say, "Wow, I love how this looks on me. It makes me look amazing.", or something like that. I don't usually buy clothes because other people tell me it looks good on me, because I dress not to please others but to make me look and most importantly feel great. Something comfortable and effortless but still classy and form fitting. And I enjoy looking at everything! It's fun to see the current style and pick out something that's new and work well with my wardrobe and stand the test of time. :D
I also don't settle for any piece until I see all my options. Sometimes, it has to be the piece that captures my attention the most or the one that looks best on me. When I shop in the mall, I really want to get the best choice since they have higher prices compared to tiangges. I don't want to regret my purchase. I think your tips are very helpful.
Plus, Marie is really pretty. and I really like the first outfit you guys got (the one with the black dress underneath). Hope I could find something like that in Forever 21. I'm not lucky at finding anything I'd like to wear there. Maybe I'm just not as patient as others.
Thanks for the tips, Ms. Liz! These are very helpful especially for those who loves to shop like me. And also for my shopping buddy, my Mom. ;)
Your tips are so helpful. Never heard of them before. I would like to ask you something, I am on a diet right now, and I really want to buy a new pair of jeans, do I have to wait to lose some weight before I buy one?
Wow, lucky Marie! I love your OOTDs and basically your sense of style so a shopping date with you sounds awesome. I definitely agree with your tips on the fit and fabric. I used to just buy whatever looks nice on the mannequin or what was in style for the season, but those won't necessarily look good on you. I used to get frustrated with shopping because clothes don't always seem to fit me nicely. Turns out that I was just picking the wrong clothes for my body type. Thanks for all the tips!
True! When shopping, dapat fit talaga dapat ang unahin mo kasi everything else is secondary na. A dress that hugs your curves right where you want them is a weapon that needs very little help na. Just a pair of earrings and bracelet, gorabels na! I also like good fabric. Though, I love good bargains! Minsan nga lang, ung mga naka-sale ay masyado nang malaki or maliit. Pero there are good finds on sale days, especially pag maaga ka. hehe :) Just go early on sales!