Japan bound

Hello readers The Royal Household will be flying to Japan tonight. We'll be over there for 17 nights, taking in the sights and sounds of Tokyo and Osaka. We'll have internet access at the hotels, and hopefully I'll be able to write a few posts on the road. It'll be a nice change to write about food, sightseeing, and of course shopping ;-) Cheers Queen...

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Black and white

Browsing Etsy can be overwhelming given the number of items on sale, so I like to use specific search terms to bring some focus. This time around I searched for "black and white pearl earrings" and discovered these gems. White Swarovski pearls & black rhinestone stud earrings ($US29) Pearl clusters earrings ($US22) White pearls, black onyx and sterling silver earrings ($US26) black onyx white pearl dangle sterling silver earrings...

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Australian designer fashion bargains

In my research for the Etailers directory I came across a few Australian designer websites, and I was pleasantly surprised to find good sales on their e-boutiques, and there are a few bargains to be had! The items on sale may be a season or two old but they are usually good quality, and you can't go wrong with the price! So what can you snap up? How about ... Alice McCall Teacup Shower bustier dress (RRP $389, on sale for $139) Bec&Bridge...

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Help my reader find a bag!

A few weeks ago a reader e-mailed me. She saw the Kate Spade Lily Bexley bag on sale on Ozsale but it was sold out, and she wanted to know if the bag is available elsewhere. I did some searching and I could only find the bag on Ebay (given it's on Ozsale it's probably old stock). Disappointed that I couldn't help her, I asked if she'd like me to help her find another bag and she said yes. She is looking for a classic, everyday bag. There...

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Winter haul from Hobbs

Autumn arrived in Sydney pretty abruptly on Tuesday - I went to the beach on Easter Monday and now it's time for coat and scarves! Naturally my mind turned to winter fashion :-) I went to the shops at lunch time yesterday and I was not particularly inspired. The only thing I liked were these cute Portmans gloves which I may go back and purchase. Last night I was in bed with a warm doona and started browsing online. My friend Z recommended Hobbs...

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Parcel Lockers from Australia Post

One of the tricky (and sometimes annoying) aspects of online shopping is parcel collection, especially when you need to sign for the parcel. Australia Post and most couriers deliver during business hours when no one's at home; for most of us it means a trip to the post office on a Saturday morning to collect the parcel. Not only is it a bit of a hassle, it also means we have to wait a few more days before we can get our hands on our latest purchase. Responding...

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The great cosmetics ripoff

When it comes to discrepancy between Australian and international prices, make up must be close to, if not at, the top of the list. For instance, a MAC lipstick is $US17 in the US and $A35 here, and Stila's natural finish oil-free makeup costs $US38 compared to $A80 at Mecca. It's actually worse with pharmacy brands. For instance, Revlon has just released the popular Colorburst lip butter in Australia. It costs $US6.49 at US Target. And how much...

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The dark side of online shopping

Photo: Amazon I came across a article on the Sydney Morning Herald website about the working conditions of warehouse workers at the major online retailers in the US like Amazon. It refers to Mac McClelland, a US journalist who did s stint at one of the warehouses. The experience is fascinating, and also a bit disconcerting. The advice Mac received before she started was to "leave your pride and your personal life at the door", not what you expect...

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Claire Danes in ASOS magazine

I'm a big fan of Homeland and Claire Danes is fantastic on the show. It was a pleasant surprise to see her on the cover of the latest ASOS magazine. Getting one of the hottest actress on TV to model for your clothes (I assume for free) is quite a coup for ASOS. You can pick up the T-shirt Claire wore above for under $30! Bargain, ...

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