#almost all my wardrobe is brand but also very cheap lol

[strawberryteabunny]

20dollarlolita’s February $20 challenge:

Metamorphose OTK’s, $16 // BTSSB socks (these were $42 for all three so technically $14 each and that qualifies IMO)

Angelic Pretty letter set, $17 // GLB no. 1, $20

I wasn’t really trying to find/make anything for this challenge so it’s not a lot but I figured I’d share ^^

I have bought a skirt and blouse before for $20 (my cheapest dress was $35), and tons of legwear/hair accessories for $20 and under so I don’t think it’s an impossible challenge for bigger pieces but an unlikely/difficult one. Still fun to see though! I think this should become a bigger thing

[refinementofacourtesan]

Black Friday Lingerie Sales:

If you are making the transition into high end s*xwork now is one of the best times of the year to buy lingerie and begin building your wardrobe. Summer sales, anniversary sales, sample sales and Black Friday/after Christmas sales was when I would buy almost all of my lingerie when I was first starting out.

Most of these sites/designers are a bit on the pricey side (which is another reason to buy when it's on sale) but I put a few mid and lower cost options/brands in here as well because not everyone has Agent Provocateur money.

Agent Provocateur - 30% off site wide (use code AP30) this may not seem like much but if you purchase from their outlet (pieces that are already discounted) it will add up nicely (doing it this way and you can literally buy a set for less than $100).

Bluebella - up to 50% off site wide definitely check out their "outlet" section as well

Bloomingdales - 25% off selected items

Curvy Kate - up to 50% off site wide - great store if you are plus size

Dita Von Teese - 20% off and though that may not be much, her sales page is definitely worth checking out

Fleur du Mal - an EXTRA 30% off of sale items with code 30FLEURYOU

For Love and Lemons (on their site, not VS) - 30% off everything, use code CYBERWEEK (if you're into very feminine, pink, "girly" lingerie, definitely check out their sales page)

Harlow and Fox - 30% off all in stock items (they don't have a large collection of in stock items because their lingerie is usually made to order but I wanted to mention them because their bras go all the way to G cup)

Journelle - 20% off everything which includes their sales page

Moxy Intimates - $10 off $50, $25 off $100, $45 off 150 + free US shipping

Net-A-Porter - up to 50% off select styles

Playful Promises - up to 85% off of everything

Revolve - up to 70% off

Saks Fifth Avenue - up to 80% off of select styles

Studio Pia is having a sale as well (the discount depends on the collection).

The Outnet - an additional 25% off of everything with code BLACKFRIDAY

And my absolute favorite: HONEY BIRDETTE IS 50% OFF select styles (just stop reading and go right now)

Honorable Mentions:

Ann Summers - up to 50% off everything

Yandy - up to 80% off sitewide

I know Ann Summers and Yandy are not considered high end, however, I'm mentioning them because if you need photos, doing online s*xwork or need additional pieces to create content to post on your social media, these 2 sites can really come in handy. However, if you are really slim and/or have a small chest be very careful if you order from Yandy, a lot of their sets have a tendency to run slightly on the bigger side (even their size small) and a lot of their pieces are actually sized S/M and M/L not S, M, L, etc. They do have some XS pieces that will fit A cups fine. But if you are plus size, they have a substantial collection of plus size lingerie.

I'm not mentioning SHEIN because although they are also doing a Black Friday sale, their shit is always cheap lol.

[emeraldcity2oz-blog]

First Impressions

It is almost 2 in the afternoon on my second day in Oz. I am typing this on a word document because internet hasn’t been as easy to come by as I thought it would. I got an Aussie SIM card right off the plane, but it took until this morning to get the data working…and apparently you can’t tether, so my computer is off the grid. I never thought I would miss Starbucks. With that said, I don’t  know when I will be able to post this online, but here is my first day summary.

 Most Memorable Moments:

Being approached by a stranger who told me I had a great aura. He asked me questions, and told me a lot of things he either guessed really well or through ESP (my birth month, recent health information, and some personality quirks). He gave me a specific date and said 3 good things will happen. I am not allowed to share the date, but we will see if anything happens on the date. I will post after it happens.

Starting a conversation with someone and being told, “Wow, I haven’t heard an American accent in a long time, it was very jarring to hear you talk.” Of course, I responded that I didn’t have an accent, but that conversation didn’t really lead anywhere. Lol.

I spent the sunset last night at the beach. I walked down to the sand, and it was a gorgeous light brown that glittered in the sun like copper. It was so pretty. I watched what I initially thought were surfers and kayakers paddle around the water. I went into the water to wade a little, and the water was so warm, it surprised me. I would have jumped in and swam if I had a swimsuit. I then noticed a few people doing just that and enjoying the waves and the warm water. I walked along the beach and realized that the “surfers” were actually lifeguard doing conditioning with rescue boards. Many of the beaches here are staffed with volunteer lifeguard clubs. I think it might be fun to volunteer with one when summer rolls back around.

 Biggest Surprises:

Seeing so many recognizable brands (McDonalds, Shell Gas, Target, etc). I guess I hadn’t given it much thought before, but there are a lot of common stores, restaurants, and such that I hadn’t expected. Things that I had searched for (phones, banks, etc) had all been different than options in the US.

The accents. I have been listening to Australian radio, and seen Australian tv for weeks now, and they all have had accents. For some reason, hearing them in person is different. I was ready to propose at least 3 times before I left the airport. Also that might have something to do with how attractive 97% of people here are. I have had trouble putting my finger on it, but aside from people here being physically gorgeous, I think something about the style, grooming, and of course accents…I don’t know…I definitely will need a wardrobe/style update to have any hope of a dating life here.

Barefoot people. I have been known to walk around barefoot in strange places, and I have been really excited to see people barefoot while checking into my hostel…or while they are pumping gas…or walking down the street. I am very excited to let my feet loose in public while I am here.

 Initial Frustrations:

Driving! I knew it was backwards, but I had no idea how much mental thought it would take to actually operate a vehicle here. I can’t say how many times I went to hit the turn signal and hit the windshield wipers instead.

Internet shortage. Not being able to google parking signs, or maps was quite a challenge yesterday. Now I have it on my phone, but can’t get it on my laptop, which would make some of my errands a lot easier.

Pictures. Because of the SIM and internet and phone issues, I can’t send pictures of get them from phone to computer. I guess I don’t want to make y’all too jealous.

 New Dreams

Living near a beach. I initially was looking inland of the harbor, but after seeing the beach, I want a place where I can walk right to the beach from my home. I wasn’t sure how far anything was, because maps can be deceptive…and while I will be working about 40 minutes from the city, I can get a nice place between work and town, and still be able to get around. We will see what I can get near the water on my budget. =]

Longer visa. I have a new theory that the longer I stay here, the more attractive I will become. At any given time, I can look around at the people near me and find at no less than 3 jaw-drop-worthy people to stare at. I feel like there must be some sort of transference that can happen…the whole, when in Rome, do as the Romans did…well…when in Oz, look like the Aussies do. ;-] Don’t crush my dreams of learning to be beautiful.

New cell phone. This is not an immediate issue, but I do think I will have to trade my 2 semi-functional phones in for 1. I love my windows phone, but without any support, I can’t use it for apps I need to function, and my android has the broken screen, and all around cheap hardware. It doesn’t have my calendar or contacts synched, and my email doesn’t work as well. I did see someone get off the plane sitting in front of me who had a windows phone, and a little part of me smiled inside. Too bad Microsoft gave up on it. =/

 All right. I think that is my first day reflections. Day 2 in Oz!