Shoes of the Month Club: Shoemint

It seems like the latest fads have been these monthly subscription services.  Whether it’s beauty or shoes or health products, every month you pay a certain fee and you get a fab product.

Shoemint was launched back in December and it is part of the Beachmint umbrella of companies that include Beautymint, Stylemint, and Jewelmint.  Each “mint” is a monthly subscription service, where you pay a set fee a month (you can choose to skip the month and not pay) and you get a certain product (one that you pick out).  Each site deals with different niches and are styled and designed by a celebrity and/or stylist.  For example, Beautymint (skincare) is a collaboration between Jessica Simpson and Nerida Joy (a skin expert), Stylemint (t-shirts) is a collaboration with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and Jewelmint (jewelry) is a collab between Kate Bosworth and her stylist Cher Coulter.

The newest “mint”, Shoemint, is a collaboration between OC and Hart of Dixie actress Rachel Bilson and celebrity stylist Nicole Chavez.  Now I know what you are thinking, what does Rachel Bilson know about shoes?  Well my friends, they also partnered with Steve Madden who is in fact manufacturing the shoes.  Each pair of shoes are $79.98 USD and ship for free (unless you live in Canada, like me; shipping is $19.99).

Now I’ve heard of Shoemint since they launched back in December 2011 and immediately fell in love with the Edith pumps in blush suede.  The problem was, when they launched they didn’t ship to Canada.  I was lusting after these shoes after I saw them on both Dulce Candy’s and Mayte Doll’s websites.  Steve Madden’s private label made the same pair (called Viktoree) but they retail for $129.99, plus $25 shipping to Canada.  I was desperate and almost ordered them, but the steep price tag and the fact that I could get them for a lot cheaper on Shoemint held me back.

Then one day I got an email from Shoemint and in the fine print it said “*Free shipping to contiguous United States.  We do not ship to APO/FPO addresses.  Shipping charges may apply to Alaska, Hawaii and Canada.”  Okay, hold your horses, “shipping charges may apply to… Canada”?!  You better believe that I made my way to the Shoemint site right after that and lo and behold, they do in fact ship to Canada now.  Shipping wasn’t free unlike our neighbours to the south, but with everything included (I also had a 20 per cent off my first pair coupon code), it was still a lot cheaper than the Steve Madden Viktorees, and they are the exact same shoe, manufactured by the same company, just a different label.

So I ordered them and with everything in they cost me $83.97 ($89 CDN).  And then I waited… and waited.. and waited.  I ordered the shoes on December 17, 2011 and got them finally on January 4, 2012.  Now that may not seem like a super long time, but it took almost two weeks to process my order (they shipped on December 30, 2011) which I think is way too long.  The actual shipping didn’t take a long time, they came via Canada Post for all you Canadians wondering and they do provide a tracking number (well a reference number).  They also came from Windsor, Ontario.

Now onto the actual shoes themselves.  I absolutely love the Ediths! They remind me a lot of the Christian Louboutin Lady Daf platforms (but without the hefty price tag). They also come in black but I loved the blush so much that I had to have this colour.  They are easily the highest pair I own, coming in at a staggering six inches (with a two-inch hidden platform). They may be high, but they are surprisingly easy and comfortable to walk in.  I wore these at the office earlier this week and by the end of the day my feet were still fine.  Keep in mind that I was sitting at my desk for the majority of the day, but even climbing stairs were a cinch (careful not to scruff them on the bottom of a stair though!).  If I wore these to a club or anything they probably would be pretty painful from dancing for a few hours, but compared to other heels I own, the comfort level on these are pretty good (surprising considering how high they are).  This could be for two reasons: the platform and the mary-jane strap.  They are also real suede.  The part that sets Shoemint apart from the other shoe subscription services (*cough* Shoedazzle *cough*) is the fact that they use real leather, suede, you name it (that’s why, in part, the price tag is higher than their other counterparts).  When I opened the box the smell of suede was pretty overpowering so they really weren’t lying with that one (and they are super soft too). I bought my pair in a size 7.5 (they offer sizes five to 11) and they fit perfectly.  On the website it says to go up a size but I usually wear 7.5 for most shoes and I remember that was the size I fit for Steve Maddens anyways.  Honestly, if you know what size you are in Steve Madden’s I would go for that.

I absolutely love these shoes and other than the wait time, am really impressed with Shoemint.  Right now their selection is pretty limited, but I also really like the Jolly and the Michelle (but not enough that I would order them for $79.98 each).  If you were to order a pair every month it would get quite pricey, so I think I will be skipping most months unless something absolutely fabulous comes along that I can’t imagine living without.  If you do sign up for Shoemint make sure that you choose the “Skip This Month” option before the fifth of the month otherwise they will charge your credit card and you will be issued a credit.  I set reminders on my iPhone so this hopefully won’t happen.

So would I recommend Shoemint?  Yes!  You are basically getting Steve Madden shoes for a fraction of the price but with the same great quality.  I love the shoes I got and although they aren’t practical for everyday wear (or winter) I still think I would get good wear out of them (I’ll be wearing them at the office for now).  I won’t be ordering a pair every month but if something comes along that I really love, I will probably order again.

Oh, and if you decide to sign up, make sure you Google “Shoemint coupon codes” or search around, I found a code for 20 per cent off my first pair.  There are plenty of these floating around.

Are you member of Shoemint?  Do you own the Edith pumps? What are your thoughts?


Pretty Wink

So if you read my post on the December 2011 LuxeBox by Loose Button, you would know that I got these fab lashes by Velour.  These were hands down the most impressive thing in the box for a number of reasons. One, that they alone cost $35 (the box is $12 CDN a month); two, that they are mink; and three, that they are from a Canadian brand.

Velour Lashes were started by two best friends Mabel and Angela and are based out of Toronto, Ontario.  Each pair of lashes are handmade with 100 per cent authentic mink fur. Because the lashes are made from real materials, they can be worn at least 21 times (more if you take really good care of them).

The pair I got in my LuxeBox is called Lash In City and are described as “Girls just wanna have fun! These lashes perfectly compliment a dark smokey eye. Designed with extra fur on the entire band to provide a dramatic and full look. This style also adds a touch of “wing” to the corner of the eyes. Shoes and martini’s shouldn’t be your only accessory.”

Lash in City retails for $34.99 (regular price is $64.99) and you can buy them online.  I believe that they are only sold online, but they offer free shipping worldwide.

I have to say that I am really impressed by these.  Granted, they are quite expensive but for mink, they are definitely something special. The hair on these are so soft and they actually feel like real eyelashes which is the best part.  Okay, so I know, like who would touch your eyelashes anyways, but seriously, the look of these beauties when they are applied looks so pretty.

Since they are mink you have to take special care of them.  Don’t apply any mascara to them and don’t soak them in any liquids.  In the application video online, they show you to apply the lashes and then take a eyelash curler to fuse them together but to be honest, the lashes were too long that it moved the placement of them on my eyelids, so I don’t really recommend doing that.  As for the length of the band, I actually had to cut off a bit at the ends because they are quite long.  I’ll use those extra bits for more definition on the outer corners of my eyes when I don’t want to apply the full strip.  And, speaking of the strip, it’s quite flexible and fit the natural curve of my eye perfectly so that was another thing I really liked; they were simple to apply.

They are a splurge but if you have a special event (like a wedding or something), I highly recommend these.  If you take really good care of them they can last at least for 21 applications which is great since regular falsies last for less than 10 (at least for me, I was told at MAC that their lashes last three to four applications).

Have you tried Velour Lashes?  What are your opinions on mink eyelashes?  Are they worth the splurge?

NOTD: Deborah Lippmann Single Ladies

New year, new nails!

I got my very first Deborah Lippmann polish for the holidays and it’s this gorgeous vampy red colour called Single Ladies.

The colour (from her 2011 fall collection)  is very glossy and honestly reminds me a lot of Chanel’s Vamp.  It’s like a blood red burgundy colour, perfect for winter!

Excuse the band aid!

I had to use three coats to accomplish the above finish. I did find that this polish isn’t as creamy as Stormy Weather.  As for the chip resistance, it’s been holding up pretty good, I had to repaint half of one nail but that’s it!  For my base and top coats I used OPI’s top coat and Seche Vite’s base coat.

Have you tried Deborah Lippmann’s Single Ladies?  What are your thoughts?

1 530 531 532 533 534 569