Better Shipping for Shoes

all shoes and boots from Shoes.com.

Shoes.com is now offering better shipping rates for their shoes, whether you order flats, pumps, or boots you can enjoy two flat fee shipping rates to Canada. For orders under $125 shipping it is $10 and for orders over $125 shipping it is $20. Like many of the large retailers in the U.S. they are working with FiftyOne to handle customs and taxes.

I was checking out their new arrivals and fell in love with a few things — looking at them now apparently I have a buckle fetish.

Fall shoes and boots from Shoes.com.

From left to right:

  • Lauren Ralph Lauren Adena, $99
  • Naturalizer Deangela, $79
  • Rocket Dog Jelissa, $44
  • Jellypop Smudge, $60
  • Steve Madden Haggle, $130
  • Pink and Pepper Reggie Wide Calf, $69

Are you ready to put away your summer shoes yet?

***
Topic Links
* Get your footwear from Shoes.com

Moe

Maureen (Moe) Wood has been writing for the Large and Lovely site at BellaOnline for over nine years. Her plus size shopping blog, My Favorite Things, celebrated its fifth anniversary. Read more about Moe on her about page or follow her through her social network links below.

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The Faux Leather Skirt

Bright berry colored plus size opaque tights from City Chic Online.

Want a chic leather skirt without the authentic leather price (or guilt)? Chic Chic Online has this adorable Vinyl Skater Skirt in black ($68).

A black a-line short vinyl leather look skirt from City Chic Online.

I love that they styled the model with bare legs but I what I really want is these berry opaque tights ($12) to go with it.

Bright berry colored plus size opaque tights from City Chic Online.

I love it when the rich berries and emeralds come out to play for fall. What do you think of the skirt, with or without tights?

***
Topic Links
* Get your plus size faux leather skirt from City Chic Online
* Get your plus size opaque tights from City Chic Online

Moe

Maureen (Moe) Wood has been writing for the Large and Lovely site at BellaOnline for over nine years. Her plus size shopping blog, My Favorite Things, celebrated its fifth anniversary. Read more about Moe on her about page or follow her through her social network links below.

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Maxi Fall Dresses

Plus size maxi dresses for fall.

It has been getting cooler here at night (7C) but is still pretty warm during the day. It is going to be something like 29C tomorrow — that’s just wrong. The maple tree out front is already changing color but the weather has another idea although I am not sure what.

I have been waiting for a few weeks to show you this fall maxi dress from Swak Designs. It was unveiled in their lookbook but was not available until now. I think it will be a hot item for fall. I can see it worn with sandals for the remaining fleeting days of warm weather and transitioning into boots, tights, and big bulky scarves draped around the neck as it gets cooler.

Long sleeve teal maxi dress from SwakDesigns.

The Lois Maxi Dress is available in sizes 1x to 6x for $69.90 and comes in wine, black, or teal. I think the black would be the most versatile if you do not have pets but I am partial to the teal.

***
Topic Links
* Get your plus size maxi dress from Swak Designs

Moe

Maureen (Moe) Wood has been writing for the Large and Lovely site at BellaOnline for over nine years. Her plus size shopping blog, My Favorite Things, celebrated its fifth anniversary. Read more about Moe on her about page or follow her through her social network links below.

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Old Navy Sizes Up

My favorite new arrivals from Old Navy's plus size bottoms section.

Finally after all these years of having an internet presence and all these years with the U.S. version of the site offering a higher range of sizes, OldNavy.ca is now offering us sizes up to 30 for plus size shoppers. It is only in their online shop so don’t go too crazy.

I had a long look at the new arrivals last week and while I am happy for the size range I was not too thrilled about the style selection. This week however they had a bunch of new stuff! Especially every day wear tops:

My favorite new arrivals from Old Navy's plus size top section.

From left to right:

  • Patterned Chiffon Shirts (four other patterns), $23
  • Pointelle Knit Sweaters (in navy too), $39
  • Drop-Shoulder Jersey Tops (three other colors), $32
  • Color Block Tunic Sweaters (one other color combo), $35
  • Military-Style Canvas Jackets (already sold out of 3x), $52
  • Boyfriend Cardis (four other colors), 37
  • Drape-Front Jersey Tunics (one other color), $27
  • Premium V-Neck Tops (two other colors), $27
  • Chiffon Dolman-Sleeve Blouses (also in navy), $35
  • Twill Surplus-Style Vests, $42
  • Pleated Crepe Blouses (also in grey), $35

But there are bottoms I like too:

My favorite new arrivals from Old Navy's plus size bottoms section.

From left to right:

  • Rockstar Coated-Wash Skinny Jeans (also in black), $47
  • Rockstar Boot-Cut Cords (three other colors), $49
  • Stretch-Twill Ankle Pants (four solids too), $45
  • Knit Pencil Skirts (four other colors), $35
  • The Rockstar Skinny Cords (three other colors), $47
  • Jersey Maxi Skirts (also in black), $39

Are you happy Old Navy is now offering a better size range?

***
Topic Links
* Get your plus size clothing from Old Navy

Moe

Maureen (Moe) Wood has been writing for the Large and Lovely site at BellaOnline for over nine years. Her plus size shopping blog, My Favorite Things, celebrated its fifth anniversary. Read more about Moe on her about page or follow her through her social network links below.

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Deluxe Manicure Kit

Diamond Deluxe Manicure Box Closed.

When my brother-in-law was visiting a few weeks ago he dragged his brother to one of the malls in Toronto. While there they got to experience a hard-sell at one of the Kiosks. Specifically the Forever Flawless Deluxe Manicure Kits, “for beautiful, shiny nails and soft beautiful hands”.

Diamond Deluxe Manicure Box Closed.

At the kiosk the kits costs $79.99 but the men were able to walk away with two kits for the price of one. Two for the price of one, the men thought they got a good deal and a gift for each wife.

Diamond Deluxe Manicure Box opened.

So what is in the kit?

  • 150 ml of Forever Flawless Hand and Body Lotion
  • 15 ml of Forever Flawless Cuticle Oil
  • 4 sided buffing block
  • nail file
  • cuticle trimmer

The box has detailed instructions on how to use the contents on both the inside flap and on the outside.

The Lotion

The lotion is very thick and creamy; even the tube is heavy. I found it to be a very mild scent (I actually really liked the scent because of this) but my husband thought it was strong. A little goes a long way in terms of coverage but once it has soaked in there is no greasy feeling residue afterwards.

The black tube of Forever Diamonds hand and body lotion.

I wanted so much for this lotion to be awesome and it is for maybe the first hour or two but it does not hold up in terms of fighting dryness or providing protection. In fact, over a week, I found the skin on my hands felt dryer, looked older, and was more irritated than ever. Definitely not what I expected from an $80 price tag.

The Cuticle Oil

The container for the cuticle oil is a bit cheap. It has a little ball tip for application. There is no control over how much comes out, a bit too much in my opinion.

Forever Flawless Cuticle Oil.

Now, I will admit I am a bit biased when it comes to cuticle oils as I have been using the same one for over eight years and have yet to find anything that comes even close to being as good.

According to the ingredients on the back this one is a combination of water, jojoba oil, and sand flavor.

Forever Flawless cuticle oil ingredients.

I feel the same about this product as the lotion. After a week of using it my cuticles were crying for my old oils and my hang nails were out of controls. If you use absolutely nothing on your cuticles I can see how this might be useful but again for the $80 price tag, not so much. You could find better conditioners in your local drug store for much cheaper.

The 4-sided Buffer

To me, this was the best item in the box. I am not a huge fan of buffers on a regular basis because it is easy to over buff and buffing causes splitting. But as someone who regularly abuses nail polish sometimes it is just necessary. The buffer is actually a three sided buffer with the fourth being a nail file. This is how my nails look before buffing (the yellow tint is from a previous staining of orange polish):

What my nails looked like before buffing.

I love the two different grains for getting a smooth finish and the final silky side for getting a really nice shine. After using this anyone could go without polish with confidence. It’s lovely, if you can your hands on the buffer, go for it.

What my nails looked like after buffing.

The Nail File

Meh.

The nail file from the Forever Flawless manicure kit.

The Cuticle Trimmer

DON’T ever use one of these but especially this one. This was incredibly sharp and dangerous to any healthy nail/cuticle or nails/cuticles trying to get healthy. You would be better off using clippers to trim. This was also a cheap piece of plastic — I have one I paid less for that is better quality.

Cuticle trimmer from manicure kit.

Overall, I cannot say I am impressed with this manicure kit and if I had been with the men while they were shopping I would have told them to skip it — even though they got two kits for their regular price (which was a last minute attempt by the seller). Incidentally, I found a Forever Flawless website that is selling the kit for $99. It looks basically the same but the cuticle oil container is actually nice looking.

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Topic Links
* Forever Flawless Nail Care Kit

Moe

Maureen (Moe) Wood has been writing for the Large and Lovely site at BellaOnline for over nine years. Her plus size shopping blog, My Favorite Things, celebrated its fifth anniversary. Read more about Moe on her about page or follow her through her social network links below.

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Boot Alert

Wide Calf Suede boots with thick heel.

We are just starting to get some cooler nights but are you ready for boots yet? Penningtons is hoping you are! They have five styles of tall boots to choose from in their online store — not all stores carry the same stock so they might not all be available in store. The prices are pretty reasonable at $85. All of them are wider than regular calves although I’m surprised the online store does not give the calf width information to help shoppers make an informed decision. I did see last years boots and they were much wider than the usual 16″.

Five pairs of Wide Calf Women's boots from Penningtons.

They currently have sizes 7W to 12W and ship throughout Canada and the U.S.
***
Topic Links
* Get your plus size wide calf boots from Penningtons

Moe

Maureen (Moe) Wood has been writing for the Large and Lovely site at BellaOnline for over nine years. Her plus size shopping blog, My Favorite Things, celebrated its fifth anniversary. Read more about Moe on her about page or follow her through her social network links below.

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Summer Sale at Laura Plus

Plus size coordinates from Laura Plus.

According to their website Laura Plus has about 170 but I have not been fortunate to be in one. If like me, you have not then now you can shop online and it so happens they have their summer sale on now. I found these great pieces and more while browsing their site.

The Sale Section

While Laura Plus does not offer bargain bin prices they do offer sales on their high-end fashions that are worth looking at especially if you do not normally shop there because of the high price points.

My sale picks from Laura Plus.

From left to right:

  • Collarless Zebra Print Blazer, $82.50 (reg. $155)
  • Cropped Coloured Jeans, $79.99 (reg. $135)
  • Cotton Linen Cropped Pant, $39.99 (reg. $110)
  • Straight Leg Stretch Jeans, $49.99 (reg. $100)
  • Chevron Print Day Dress, $119.99 (reg. $165)
  • Tiered Mixed Mesh Print Top, $59.99 (reg. $75)
  • Two-Tone Floral Print Belted Dress, $119.99 (reg. $165)
  • Sheath Dress with Lace Blazer, $59.99 (reg. $195)
  • Pull-on Straight Leg Jeans, $59.99 (reg. $105)

The Not on Sale Section

As I searched through the many pages of fashions I could not help noticing the plus size fashions that were not on sale and decided to a few of my favorites from there too.

Plus size coordinates from Laura Plus.

From left to right:

  • Belted Short Dress with Bolero, $195
  • Polka Dot Ruched Waist Dress, $165
  • Frank Lyman Ruffled Butterfly Print Top, $175
  • Frank Lyman Textured Stripe Swing Cardigan, $155
  • Ikat Print Gathered Waist Dress, $135

Laura Plus carries sizes 14 to 24 and ships only within Canada for about $8 to $18 depending on province.

***
Topic Links
* Get your plus size clothing from Laura Plus Online

Moe

Maureen (Moe) Wood has been writing for the Large and Lovely site at BellaOnline for over nine years. Her plus size shopping blog, My Favorite Things, celebrated its fifth anniversary. Read more about Moe on her about page or follow her through her social network links below.

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Jumpsuit Crazy

Plus size jumpsuits for women

I think jumpsuits look amazing when they are fitted properly — unfortunately most people purchase a jumpsuit without getting it fitted and with so many different body types, heights etc there are a whole bunch of fit issues going on. Then, throw in the whole having to take off your whole outfit to pee — no thanks.

But you, my loyal peeps, you love your jumpsuits; otherwise you would not be searching for them. My number one search item for this year has been jumpsuits. Guest what, you are not alone, Ashley Stewart loves jumpsuits too. There is at least seven of them in their maxi dress closet (some on sale and some are buy one get one 50% off). Here are my favorites (all under $50):

Stylish plus size jumpsuits for women from Ashley Stewart.

If you want the designer brand then check out Monif C’s summer special which comes in three colors: black, burgundy, and ivory. They are fresh out of the new arrivals so are not on sale and will ring in at $178. I love the addition of the really long sash to wrap things up or leave hanging. Or just remove and add your own belt.

Sexy plus size jumpsuits from Monif C.

Have you gotten into the jumpsuit trend? Or have you “been there, done that”?

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Topic Links
* Get your plus size jumpsuits for women from Ashley Stewart
* Get your plus size jumpsuit from Monif C

Moe

Maureen (Moe) Wood has been writing for the Large and Lovely site at BellaOnline for over nine years. Her plus size shopping blog, My Favorite Things, celebrated its fifth anniversary. Read more about Moe on her about page or follow her through her social network links below.

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Pop Brights

Ceramic Glaze and Quo nail polishes

Shoppers Drug Mart is having a “Nail the Look” contest on their site. They are featuring four different nail looks and have asked people like us to nail the look and send in photos of the results. The judges will then pick a favorite from each look and each of the winners gets $500 in nail products. How could I not enter?

The first look is called Pop Brights. The look was developed by Jenny Stencel and Danielle Black from polishyoupretty.com. Here is their tutorial:

I thought this look would be a good one to start with so I headed out to Shopper’s to see what I could find. Luckily they had all the colors I needed and they were all on sale:

  • Quo by Orly — Femme Fatale
  • Ceramic Glaze — Watermelon Cooler
  • Ceramic Glaze — Exotic Dragon Fruit

Ceramic Glaze and Quo nail polishes

This is my first time using Quo and Ceramic Glaze nail polish. They are both on the higher end price wise and were on sale for $8.99.

Dragon Fruit with Watermelon dots.

I did not enjoy the Quo experience. I actually had to take off the first two coats I put on because they were such a goopy mess. If I used anymore than two brush strokes to get the polish on it got sticky. I fared better with my second attempt but still was not impressed. If they are all like this I probably would not buy anymore.

I did however really like both of the Ceramic Glaze polishes which I found much easier to work with.

Playing with nail art dots and bright colors.

The video used an Essie Millionales base coat but I used a Revlon Multi-care Base/Top Coat (965). And my favorite Julep Freedom Polymer for the top coat.

Pop Brights Nail Art Submission to Nail the Look.

I am very happy with how it turned out! I have a lot of brighter shades in my nail polish box and I love the concept of breaking up the brightness so it is not so overpowering. I am so thankful I watched this tutorial and gave it a try. Fingers crossed the judges think I “nailed the look”!

***
Topic Links
* Shopper’s Drug Mart Nail the Look — Campaign is over.
* Take a look at my other entry!

Moe

Maureen (Moe) Wood has been writing for the Large and Lovely site at BellaOnline for over nine years. Her plus size shopping blog, My Favorite Things, celebrated its fifth anniversary. Read more about Moe on her about page or follow her through her social network links below.

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True Blue

Bright blue nail polish with two thin white stripes on tips.

Bess, I love you.

I know I have been going crazy with nail polish for the last few months and I apologize for this addiction but honestly I cannot help it. Ok, I can but I don’t want to. Especially after wearing this new color from Julep.

Bright blue nail polish by Julep.

About a week ago I put on two coats of this thick creme nail polish with no top coat — it had such a nice sheen on its own I didn’t bother.

A fresh coat of bright blue nail polish.

I probably could have put on a third coat as my nail tips are still visible but I really don’t mind the look. This robin’s egg blue is called Bess — like a good friend. I know I am obsessed with blue tones but this one is so pretty.

Robin egg blue nail polish from Julep.

After a few days I was a wee bit bored with myself and changed the look into a make-shift French manicure by putting slate sparkle polish (Jordan) on the tips. I am pretty sure it was two coats. It just looks black in the photo but trust me, it is glitter.

Silver grey glitter manicure with bright blue polish.

I enjoyed it for a few days and was itching to do something else. The polish was still looking hot so I could not justify taking it off. Soooo… I put on another coat of Bess, yes, right over the sparkles and everything. Then I took out my L.A. Colors white nail art lacquer brush and painted diagonal stripes on the tips (left hand first).

Diagonal white stripes on nail tips.

It turned out way better than I could have imagined.

Bright blue nail polish with two thin white stripes on tips.

This last nail art was super easy and I highly recommend trying it. It was fun to do and looks so sharp.

***
Topic Links
* Become a Julep Maven or shop at Julep
* My first Maven experience
* My second Maven experience

Moe

Maureen (Moe) Wood has been writing for the Large and Lovely site at BellaOnline for over nine years. Her plus size shopping blog, My Favorite Things, celebrated its fifth anniversary. Read more about Moe on her about page or follow her through her social network links below.

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I Love Some Bunny

Two coats of Julep's Bunny white nail polish.

Ok, I was at a loss for a title to use with last week’s nail polish pick, it happens. The white polish you see before you is called Bunny and it is by Julep.

Bright white nail polish from Julep Maven add on.

This polish is thick and creamy white with a very fine gold fleck you can see in the bottle if you look real close but not really on the nail.

Gold flecks in white creme polish.

I used two coats to get a completely opaque finish. I do not think I particularly like white nail polish in and of itself — perhaps if I had a tan or if the sparkle had shown up it would have been perfect.

Two coats of Julep's Bunny white nail polish.

As it is, it will make a great base for some nail art when I get the nerve to try this water marbling:

I so want to try this but it looks labor intensive so have been putting it off. I had every intention of doing it but then my white chipped three days later and I was ready to try a new color. I know, excuses excuses. But I am definitely going to try it. Problem is, these nail artists make it look so easy that I get discouraged when it is not — I love the simplicity and satisfaction of a straight coat of color.

Have you tried white nail polish, or water marbling?

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Topic Links
* Get your white Bunny nail polish from Julep
* My first Maven experience
* My second Maven experience
* Check out the first marble look nail art I tried!

Moe

Maureen (Moe) Wood has been writing for the Large and Lovely site at BellaOnline for over nine years. Her plus size shopping blog, My Favorite Things, celebrated its fifth anniversary. Read more about Moe on her about page or follow her through her social network links below.

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Building a Foundation

Plus size pretty bras from Lane Bryant.

With Lane Bryant

Plus size personality, Marcy Guevara takes us on a visual tour of some of Cacique’s pretty and functional bras as well as offering tips on how to get a proper fit and style for your outfit.

I think I have mentioned before that the Balconette style is my favorite for every day where. And Cacique was the first brand I fell in love with. Most of my pretty bras are Cacique. Here are a few of my faves from their new arrivals:

Different styles of Balconette bras from Lane Bryant's Cacique line.

As of this post Lane Bryant currently has bras, Buy 1 get one 50% off as well as some on for $20. Have fun!

***
Topic Links
* Get your plus size bra from Lane Byrant

Moe

Maureen (Moe) Wood has been writing for the Large and Lovely site at BellaOnline for over nine years. Her plus size shopping blog, My Favorite Things, celebrated its fifth anniversary. Read more about Moe on her about page or follow her through her social network links below.

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Pretty Blue Bras

Plus size pretty blue bra from Addition-Elle.

Addition-Elle’s bras keep getting prettier and prettier but I especially like their current array of pretty blue bras. Whether you like satin, or lace, or a little bit of both, there seems to be a little something for all tastes. These three are my favorite at the moment:

The Aqua Blue Perfect T-shirt Bra

The pretty blue color is made even more perfect by the extra long straps that can be criss-crossed to wear with that awkward tank cut top so the straps do not show.

Plus size pretty blue bra from Addition-Elle.

The Azur Blue Double Lace Balconet Bra

The Balconet style bras tend to be my favorite for comfort, support, and overall shape appearance. I love the two tone blue lace on this one. Very pretty.

Plus size pretty blue lace bra from Addition-Elle.

The Mint Blue Vintage Contour Bra

Sometimes allover lace feels too fancy and a nice satin bra with lace trim fits the mood. I love this vintage inspired bluey-green bra (I really cannot get enough of mint this season) with its zigzag cup details.

Plus size pretty blue bra from Addition-Elle.

All three of these bras are $55 each but at the time of this post they have “buy one get second 40% off”. Not all sizes are available in all bras but there are many other styles and colors to choose from.

What Color is Your Underwear?

When it comes to bras and panties are you partial to a certain color? Is it different from your outer garment choices? For example, I have a friend who wears mostly black on the outside. Tops, dresses, pants, shoes — black, black, black, and black. But with her undergarments she goes wild with reds and purples. Do tell us in the comments below! But before you scroll down, answer this quick poll on mixing and matching.

[poll id="6"]

***
Topic Links
* Get your plus size bras from Addition-Elle

Moe

Maureen (Moe) Wood has been writing for the Large and Lovely site at BellaOnline for over nine years. Her plus size shopping blog, My Favorite Things, celebrated its fifth anniversary. Read more about Moe on her about page or follow her through her social network links below.

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