See-Through

Skirt: Choies / Jacket: Nastygal / Shoes: Alexander Wang / Earrings: H&M (courtesy of Honey Andrade) / Eyewear: Karen Walker / Clutch: SM Accessories

I can be very particular with the cut, fit, design and make when it comes to picking out skirts. I love it when a simple silhouette, such as an A-line or pencil skirt, is amplified with interesting details such as cut-outs, flaps, embroidery, clever pocket placements or even the use of different materials. The sweet lace pencil skirt I'm sporting here (you can also get this in black) is one good example of a simple skirt which plays on different textures -- lace and mesh/net. For someone who's not a fan of looking too saccharine, the mesh/net works wonders as it adds a tinge of edge and freshness to the whole skirt.

If you're feeling more romantic and feminine, here are other variations of the quintessential lace skirt which you can choose from (my faves are the Tibi and Sportmax Code skirts!):

GCASHAMEX Shopping Haul

Remember my post on Globe's GCASH American Express Virtual Card and some of the shopping I did in various U.S.-based online stores? Well, my orders have finally arrived! And I'm so excited to share them with you! Here, have a looksie!

I was so ecstatic to see three packages gleaming in the corner of our office! These were the items I ordered from Zara and Nastygal. I also managed to squeeze in some last-minute Black Friday shopping over at Solestruck and I got myself a pair of Jeffrey Campbell Lancer.

Got these babies at 50% off! Oh I love Black Friday sales! This pair would be my go-to heels for dressier occasions from now on. 

You've probably seen these Zara booties from a previous BU4 post. When I was starting to open up the packages, I went for the Zara box right away! I wanted to see the cowboy boots and oversized vest in person and I was trembling with too much excitement while I was opening the box that I forgot to take a photo of its contents. Fail! Haha!

The beauty with shopping with a GCASH American Express Virtual Card is that you're assigned your own U.S. shipping address (online orders are delivered straight to this address) via My-Shopping Box. From said address, the packages are then shipped to your Philippine shipping address. You would have to settle an extra set of shipping fees for My-Shopping Box to deliver your packages straight to your Philippine address but the extra payment is definitely worth it -- nothing beats the convenience of having your orders shipped straight to your doorstep vs. lining up in the Postal Office or driving or commuting to pick up your packages from a freight-forwarding branch. 

Now, am I forgetting something? Oh, right! The Nastygal package! Here it is! In all it's plastic-covered glory!

The contents: A black & white faux leather moto jacket, baroque print chiffon skirt and gold eagle cuff. 

Now, for those of you who joined my Nastygal wardrobe giveaway, I'm pretty sure you're already itching to know who the lucky winner is! Well, the winning entry handpicked by Globe, is...

 EDEN VILLARBA!

My GCASH American Express Virtual Card shopping experience was definitely a dream. I would definitely continue shopping with this newfound gem! I suggest that you get your own GCASH Amex accounts too for hassle-free international online shopping!

I'm An Online Shopping Addict!

I'm a big advocate of online shopping. I particularly love shopping from various U.S. based online shops because of the extensive merchandise options they offer. The downside of shopping from international online stores though is absorbing the ludicrous tax and shipping fees...not to mention the dreaded visit to the Postal Office where you have to face a snarky Customs officer and settle an exorbitant (at times) Customs & Duties fee. But with the GCASH American Express Virtual Card, you don't have to go through all of these shopping hassles anymore!

 What exactly is a GCASH American Express Virtual Card? It's a prepaid virtual card linked to your GCASH mobile wallet, enabling you to shop conveniently from both local and international online shops which accept American Express cards. Moreover, this service gives you a personalized US Address which allows delivery of your purchases right to your doorstep (no need to drag yourself to the Postal Office! hooray!). 

Applying for a GCASH American Express Virtual Card is fast and easy! All you have to do is go to the website and sign up for a free trial. When you sign up, you will be asked to key-in your mobile number and email address. Afterwards, a unique passcode will be sent to your mobile number which you have to use to access your passcode-protected Digital Handbook, containing all of your AMEX Virtual Card account details (see sample below). Just load some cash on your GCASH wallet and you're all set to shop! Subscription fees for this service are as follows: Php 25/month, Php 140/6 months and Php 250/1 year (cheap, right?).

Here is a list of online shopping sites which have been already been tested to accept the GCASH American Express Virtual Card:  

Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom, Zappos, Old Navy, GAP, Banana Republic, TOMS, Journeys, Piperlime, Athleta, Payless, Tiffany, Sephora, Strawberrynet, Beauty.com, Nars Cosmetics, Target, Kohls, KMart, Apple, Amazon, Bestbuy, Sony, Samsung, Newegg, Radioshack, Agoda, Barnes & Noble, Gymboree

 Of course, being the online shopping addict that I am, I just couldn't pass on the opportunity to try this amazing new service. Let me share with you the items I purchased using my GCASH American Express Virtual Card...

I got myself an oversized biker vest and a pair of cowboy boots (ala Isabel Marant) from the ZARA USA website (while we do have Zara stores in the Philippines, these items are not yet available locally). Can't wait to receive these yummy goodies and wear them out!

This week is actually the perfect time to get yourselves a GCASH American Express Virtual Card because the much-awaited U.S. Black Friday Sale (one of my favorite sales!) is already happening on November 23! Take advantage of items at marked-down prices and go shopping crazy! Excited much? You should be!

And to get you even more excited, I actually did a bit of shopping for you guys too! Check out the items I personally handpicked for you from one of my fave U.S. based online stores, Nastygal!

One of you can win this Nastygal wardrobe set (blouse & jacket are in size SMALL)! Think of this as an early Christmas treat! To join this giveaway, you have to follow ALL of these steps:

(See sample entry in the Comments Box)

NOTE: If you don't have a blog, just indicate it in the Comments Box.

Deadline for accepting of entries is on November 27 has been extended until December 3! Giveaway is open to Philippine residents only. The GCASH Team will have a final say on the winner. Winner will be chosen based on the quality of answer and if he/she followed all of the steps.

Early Birthday Presents

My birthday is coming up so I decided to spoil myself with a few early birthday presents! 

Such as...

New lippie from MAC

I got the Hibiscus shade (a pretty coral hue) from the Surf Baby collection. 

A beach trip to Coron, Palawan

They say Palawan is a water baby's paradise and I'm already psyching myself to be blown away by Coron's beautiful waters and landscape. I just hope Mrs. Weather won't rain on our beach escapade. Beach bound, June 24-27. Woot!

And lastly...

Jeffrey Campbell "Lana" in Leopard Suede

I received these babies yesterday and I was surprised at how huge they are. They're even bigger than the Litas! Oh geez, on my big feet, they'll definitely look 10x bigger...but I still love them. But all of these fleeting sources of joy aside, all I pray for on my birthday is happiness and the absence of stress. WISH.ME.LUCK.

Palawan photo from http://i1.trekearth.com