review: anjolee

i was recently contacted by the jewelry company anjolee to review one of their products and wanted to share that experience with you all today.  i was initially given the option of choosing between the following three items to receive and review:

now, these rings are stunning.  gorgeous.  drool-worthy.  definitely rings i would gravitate toward if i were at that point my life, but if you've inferred anything about my personal life from reading my blog, you know that i'm neither married nor engaged.  so, it was a little disappointing that the representative from the company had selected these items for me to choose from - i wish that they had done a bit of work to determine whether or not i had a man in my life or at least scrolled through a few of my posts to notice that i never, ever wear rings.

i emailed the representative and explained that since i am neither married/engaged, choosing a wedding or engagement band to review wouldn't be fitting or appropriate content for my blog.  she was understanding of this and gave me three earring styles to choose from to review and i selected the hoops you see below, the diamond hoops.  i really appreciated that she was willing to work with me and offer a selection of items to review that are more reflective of my personal style.

anjolee specializes in fine diamond and gemstone jewelry but for the purposes of this review substituted the stones with cubic zirconium's.  i'm not really a diamond kind of gal, so i actually preferred this simulated stone anyway.  the earrings truly are stunning and i feel i'll own and wear them the rest of my life, probably even weekly.  my earlobes are pretty small but these earrings are actually about the size of a dime, so i felt they suit me really well.  i really was so pleased with working with this company and recommend them if you are in the market for some fine jewelry.

how do you feel about fine jewelry vs. inexpensive costume jewelry?  i am finding as i get older that there is definitely a place for fine jewelry in my collection and i'm so pleased that anjolee has helped me branch out into that genre of jewelry.

candy colored.

  

old navy blouse   ·   merona skirt & belt

born pretty necklace (c/o)   ·   dexter flats

the online jewelry and accessories retailer born pretty recently sent over this necklace for me to review and i have been pretty excited to put an outfit together with it.  i love colorful statement necklaces, so this is a great addition to my jewelry collection.  the candy colored stones offer a starting point for many combinations of outfits--actually, i'm sure it would look great with any solid colored top!

if you're interested in some new jewelry for yourself, be sure to check out born pretty's jewelry & accessories page.  there is so much to choose from!  they are also offering 10% off your purchase with the code "HAT10."  happy shopping!

get the look:  similar blouse / exact skirt / exact necklace / exact belt / exact flats

eshakti {product review}

retro style poplin dress in coral orange {c/o eshakti.com}

eshakti.com recently got in touch with me and offered to send me an item to review and share here on my blog.  after skimming through their spring line, it took about two seconds to settle on this classic silhouette that i can wear year round.  since i've had trouble choosing a standard size at eshatki in the past, this time i tried out the custom measurements... and i think i got it right!  i wish it were a tad shorter but if i really wanted to, i know i could hem it.  my only regret was not choosing it in a different color as i already have an orange dress that i love.  i guess i had orange on the brain when i ordered it, but for some reason i thought it would be more pink/coral than orange but looking now at the picture on the website, i'd say the color is accurate.

i have a couple disappointments with this dress.  it is unlined, yet i think a dress for this price ($59.95) made out of a very lightweight cotton should be lined.  i have $20 skirts from target that are lined, so i would expect more from such an expensive dress.  i also get the sense that this fabric will be extremely wrinkly and need to be ironed after every wear, but that is something that i would expect from a cotton like this.  as long as it's easy to iron i really don't mind having to do so.

overall, i really love this dress and can't wait to start wearing it. thanks eshakti!  here are three options i came up with--fall, spring, and summer.  how would you wear this dress?

thursday (inpink!)

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thursday (eshakti)

 button front circle skirt {c/o eshakti}   jcrew chiffon ruffle blouse {thrifted new}
merona wide black belt {thrifted new}   unlisted black pumps {thrifted}

last month i had the opportunity to work with eshakti who offered me a product from their line to review here on l&s.  i was pretty excited about this, as i was sure i would find a great skirt or dress to add to my work wardrobe that i would also have the option of customizing.  based on the culture of my workplace, i prefer to dress pretty modestly and professionally.  i feel most comfortable when skirts & dresses hit right at my knees and in dresses that have sleeves... and it's hard to find cute dresses that have sleeves! the great part about eshakti is that you can customize sleeve length, collar shape, skirt length, and other factors of the item you're looking to purchase.

i really like this skirt that i chose from eshakti.  the olive green color is one that i am particularly drawn to and i love the flowing little pleats.  i think it's the perfect length.  my only complaint is the right side of the skirt is noticeably longer than the left.  i'm not sure if it's excess fabric or one of the pleats wasn't sewn right.  you can tell the difference in the photo on the left to the photo on the right where my hands are in my pockets and holding up some of the fabric from the inside.

this skirt isn't currently available on the eshakti website, but i encourage everyone to take a look at what they have in stock, especially if you haven't browsed the site in a while.  there are so many beautiful items to choose from!  if you find something you like, eshakti is offering my readers a $20 discount with the code "LITERATELY0811" until 10/31/11.  i'd love to hear if you order anything!

(read my disclosure statement here)