Shopper's Stop Sale August 2011: Overview

This was one sale I was waiting for.. I love the fact that they accept gift vouchers even during sale and this time I had a lot of them in stock! Though I ended up picking some items on which there was no sale, I did spend quite some time there hunting. Here is a brief overview.

Offers on Make Up Items
I don't the brands can't keep a discount on any purchase. I was disappointed about the fact that most of the brands had gifts on making a purchase of a certain value. Here are a few offers.

Revlon
Buy any three items and get a gift. This is still better than having a value associated with the purchase for a free gift. I mean if nothing then buy 3 nailpolish bottles may be ;). Well not sure if that would qualify.

The gifts however were not that attractive. There were 3 choices.
1. A bath set (comprising of a loofah, pumice stone, back scrubber, a massage aiding thing (I don't know if I am missing anything here). This was the best of the gifts, but not something I would die for :)
2. A make up pouch, empty of course
3. Another make up/ toilettories pouch

Maybelline
Shop for 1500, get a lip balm free. Really sad..Recently in the Pantaloons sale they had a 10% off, which was far far better than this! Probably they oversold and ran into losses ;)

Chambor
Again, there was some gift on a purchase of 1500, but I didn't feel like asking what :(

Other brands like Lakme etc also had similar (and not so useful) offers. I did not explore the higher end brands though. I will keep updating this section.

Offers on Women's Clothing

• There was 10%-40% off on mix and match salwar kameez as well as pre-assesmbled sets.
• Van Heusen, Allen Solley, Arrow, Wills Lifestyle also had upto 40% off, in facts quite a lot of items in the 40% range. Unfortunately I did not like anything!
• Remanika, Noi had upto 51% off and I think most of the items were flat 51%.

Offers on Lingerie

• Most of you would be aware that this is one section in which there are hardly any offers during sale. Most items were still on the MRP. 
• B'witched was one brand that had 40% off on a few items. They also were giving away a voucher of Rs 250 on purchasing things from the nightwear section.
• The other offers were mostly on unsold and unusual sizes. There was no offer on Lovable or Triumph (except some items for 299) or Jockey.

Most of these had an additional 5% off for Golden Glow members.


Offers on Bags
There were the usual 10%-40% off on bags too. Rocky S had some interesting stuff. In fact planning to pick something up from there.

Conclusion
Overall the sale isn't bad at all....They have enough discounts of enough items. It was unfortunately not my day :(. I was a little disappointed with the make up section offers though.

So what are you waiting for, the sales on for everyone from tomorrow, August 6, 2011... and so is the weekend.. It definitely worth a visit.

Shopping Options at the Delhi Airport

The first time I had to catch a flight from T3, Delhi Airport, I actually didn't feel the pinch of my flight getting delayed! In fact I was kind of 'loving it', because the place was a shopper's paradise! Gadgets, clothes, accessories, perfumes or even chocolates, you can find everything there. You can't always have enough time to shop till you drop but you do have enough to shop till you get your boarding call, and there are convenient trolleys in which you can go on dumping your stuff without really having to carry so much!

I wanted to do this post the when I went to Mumbai in February, but somehow lost the pictures! Here are the latest ones, while some are well-stocked while others, merely a waste of time. Read on..

Marks & Spencers

This store is actually bigger and better stocked than some of those in the malls!

Dazzling Swarovski

WHSmith: The Complete Solution to Your Groceries Needs and More! 

Accessorize: Pretty Well Stocked

MANGO

I was really excited to see a Mango store in the middle of the airport and that too with a sale board! But it's rather poorly stocked and it is unlikely that you will find anything even at full price!

The Body Shop: Well Stocked!

Parcos: The Perfume Shop

This is really one of my favorite stores out there. They have a good stock at reasonable prices. They are also quite upto date! You must visit this one!

Boggi Milano: I didn't enter here :(

Reebok: Perpetually on Sale but Nothing Fancy

Eyewear and Watches

Besides these there are many other stores like

• Odyssey
• William Penn
• Croma

So which is your favorite shopping destination at T3?

The New Bug called 'Obsessive Sale Shopping Disorder'

A good friend of mine was in town from Pune. We planned catch up at the Select City Mall almost after a year! I left office early at 4, took the metro and reached the destination on time. She was already there waiting, we were thrilled meet after so long. While we were chatting and walking around the mall, both of us got our eyes stuck on the 'SALE posters on 'Mango'. We walked into the store as if that was the coffee shop we had always planned to go to. After hunting through the heaps of clothes and not really finding anything, both of us realized that we had actually met to chat and catch up and not shop! And having met after a while it was a better idea to bond with each other at a restaurant rather than a crowded store!

'Sale' is actually the sign most of us can't resist these days! Shops get crowded as if they were selling things for free and not just discounted prices! Remember the '2 hr 50% sale by Benetton', The AC does not seem to be cooling any longer because of the number of people, the billing line gets out of the store. What had shocked me even more was the looooong line of customers outside the 'Ed Hardy' store during sale. Believe me or not, they had bouncers to control the crowd! And there was a 'Waiting' before they would let you in. I wish I had taken some photographs.

Jack n Jones and Vera Moda Sale

And yesterday was a similar repeat when Jack n Jones and Vera Moda were on 60% sale. I knew it was next to impossible to actually be able to find some thing in such a crowded shop but I wanted to atleast check out if the line was longer from the last time or not :) For a change I had no intention to buy anything. And yes there was a line before you could get in. I reached the place at 9, so the 'waiting' was not too long, just around 5 min. But I heard that people had lined up outside even before the store opened at 9am. They had a lot of huge security guys/ crowd managers all equipped with walkie-talkies. Here are some images, but again since it was post 9pm, the length of the line was nowhere close to the crazy Ed Hardy sale.

When I managed to get in, all I saw were heaps of clothes lying on tables all around and people desperately trying to find something useful amongst them, a few pulling the two sleeves of the same top! The clothes didn't even look like they were new! 'Heaps' is the accepted form of display of items during sale these days, which is okay for street shopping but very un-appealing for high-end clothing. And there were so many guys in black with walkie-talkies that I felt I was probably at the US  President's office and not a shop!! Nevertheless people did manage pick their heaps from amongst those heaps! Lucky them. But I felt rather agoraphobic and moved out in 5 min!

SALE is a word that instantly attracts consumers and the marketing agents using it to their best benefit! The word almost drags you into the store. But are clothes truly sold at a discounted price in the name of sale? I have myself seen Reebok hiking their price and put a 50% off tag during sale. And I would assume Reebok is not the only one. Most of the times the stock is pretty old and no-one really know the original price. Whatever it is, we the consumers definitely go ballistic the moment we see the SALE sign! That is why I think this is the latest new-age lifestyle disorder: 'Obsessive Sale Shopping Disorder'!! Are you affected too?

Oh by the way, did any of you manage to get something at the Jack n Jones sale yesterday? Do share! I would love to know..

An Evening in Dilli Haat

It is a bit difficult these days to tempt yourselves away from the air-conditioned malls in this hot and humid weather. But a trip to Dilli haat was the best thing about this weekend. The place has always been one of my favorite evening destinations. Having spent some great dates here, I have fond memories associated with this place.


About Dilli Haat
For those not from Delhi, Dilli Haat is an upscale flea market with ethnic handicrafts and jewellery from all around the country. It is also a hub of culinary delicacies from all around the country. You have state-wise food stalls. The stalls are spread in an open area just like you would find in a traditional haat.

What you get at Dilli Haat
Everything! I even saw a stall selling litchi! You can flatter your taste buds with items ranging from Kashmir ki Biriyani, Arunachal ke Momos, Gujarat ki Jalebi, Bengal ka Cutlet and so on. You can also find a wide range of interior decoration items, clothes, jewellery etc.

You can also find a wide range of interior decoration items, clothes and jewlery. I can think of

• Home decoration items: handicrafts, metal-work, wood-work, bamboo-work
• Pottery, Ceramic and Clay-work
• Clothes: Mainly Traditional Kurtis, Shawls etc. But you get short skirts too!
• Ethnic Jewelry
• Bed-sheets etc
• Wide variety of sandals

Here are the pictures!

A Trip to Dilli Haat is Incomplete without Momos and Fruit Beer

The Haat

Pottery/ Ceramics: Various sizes, shapes, designs

Colorful Cups

Artistic Wood-work

Lamp-Shade

Harley Davidson for Rs 550!

Busy Baraat

Bangles

Kids love these, I can't remember the name!! 

 There is more than just Traditional Stuff

Chest of Mini Drawers: Found these really interesting, Good for Jewelry

Name Engraved on Rice

The Nodders!

 Sandals

 Plenty of Food Stalls

I know I have given an overdose of pictures. But tell me which ones you like the most..

His vs Her Shopping: The Differences!!

 This article is based on my experience of shopping for decades with men, be it my dad or my then-boyfriend-now-husband! Let's start with the story, last weekend my husband and I headed towards the malls with a packed agenda of shopping, shopping and shopping. We spent quite sometime there and here's what we came back with -

Him: Pair of jeans, shoes, pair of trousers
Me: Faces Eyeliner (which was not even on my shopping list for the day) and ..that's it!



Later on Monday, I was sitting in a meeting in office and wondering why I can never buy stuff in a planned shopping. This analysis seemed far more interesting that what was going on in the meeting. You won't believe it but I actually made some notes! I realised the concept and approach to shopping are very different for men and women. Let's get into the details.

The Concept
For men shopping is more of a need based thing. They shop when they need something.
For women, shopping is the ultimate pleasure. We don't shop because we need something, we shop because we feel like shopping.

• I shop when I am happy because I am happy.
• I shop when I am sad because it will make me happy.
• I shop when I like something (even if my closet is stuffed with 10 more items of the similar kind).

Yet, I do always have some kind of a reason as you can see, I am not an unreasonable shopper.

Why men take lesser time to shop?

1. The Approach
When men shop, they have very specific things on mind. Sometimes it is simply a replacement. Hence it is much easier and less time consuming. My husband mostly buys from the first shop he enters. He purchased a suit worth Rs 12k ($ 300) in less than 12 minutes!

As for me, I can't even buy something worth Rs 1200 ($ 30) in 12 min. It is a very rare that I picked up stuff from the first store! I may eventually buy from there but not before I have explored the entire mall. I can't miss out on better deals and designs!

Secondly shopping for us is an experience, so if I planned to shop for 2 hrs, I can't finish it in just 10 min!

• Replacement takes lesser time than adding new things to the closet!

2. Hardly Any Choice
 I don't wanna sound rude but men hardly have 10 things to chose from, I mean its just jeans/ shirt/ t-shirt/ trouser/ shoes! But for us, it's so many things in addition to these.. We have to shop for lip glosses/ eye-liners/ eye-shadows/ sarees/ tops/ skirts/ stilettoes/ pumps/ curls/ jewellery....the list can go on!

• Limited Choice = Less Time

 



3. No Questions Asked
Men don't like asking questions, be it while driving to a new place or shopping in a store. They just pick up what they like without asking too many questions to the SA. But again, we like to get the best deals, so we like exploring and bugging the SA with millions of queries. It's their job after all!

• Less Questions = Less Time

Finally: Honey, Let's talk about the Money
Now hear this, not always but most of the times our stuff comes at half the price of theirs. For similar items, men's stuff is invariably more expensive than those for women in the same store! So that leaves us with the freedom to buy more things :)
It's strange that though I am the shopaholic and my husband is a wise shopper, our credit card bills are more or less the same!

This was my experience. So tell what you guys think!

Pictures from Google Images

Marsha's Weekly Beauty Hot Stuff 12/5/2010

~Scent of the week~

Givenchy Play for Her

A surprising and bold fragrance, Play for Her radiates its unusual alchemy, combining the floral notes of the tiare flower and the warm accords of amyris wood to create a voluptuously flowered fragrance with woody tones. Imagining a woman who is naturally seductive and ready for life's surprises, Givenchy's perfumers created this sparkling composition to astonish and captivate.

Available at Sephora

$47.50-$70.50

~Cosmetic of the Week~

For the holiday I tried a new lip color Red. I recently bought MAC lipstick Diva Matte! So sexy!

Available at Macys $14.50

~Hair of the Week~

You want to put your hair in a ponytail but dread the idea of slicking on gel? or worried about getting flakes? Try HerCut Styling Lotion. It's a lightweight formula that smoothes and holds resistant strands, control fly aways, and imparts glossy shine. Also conditions the hair! So get that smooth look without the hard spritz or gel!

Available at Sephora

$22

~Fashion of the Week~

Bracelet/Bangle Sets

It's a deal! You get more for the price of one instead of buying them seperate! You can go brass gold with wood mix, rhinestone and pearl mix, beads and rhinestone mix, metal silver with other color mixes.

You can bring out a plain shirt with a hot bangle set, hoop earrings and a cute satchel bag, jeans and pumps and your good to go!

Available at Express, Aldo, Macys,  $19.99 -up

Hope you enjoyed the Hot Suff of the week.

From your Diva friend Marsha

It's your girl and 954 is where I'm at!

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Marsha's Weekly Beauty Hot Stuff 11/21/2010

~Scent of the week~

Mary J. Blige My Life. I got to give it to Mary on this one. This perfume is a delight, a breath of fresh air. HSN's No.1 Debut also presented by Carols Daughter.  So rock your inner diva with a perfect medley of fruit, woods and florals. If this scent is a reflection of Mary's life than she is saying her life is SWEET!!!!

Available at HSN.com $55 plus shipping.

~Cosmetic of the Week~

Have you gotten your Essie Winter Nail Polish Collection Yet?

What are you waiting for?

Winter is here! The hottest nail colors of the season!

Going Incognito- Green lovers ooh will have them green w/envy

Hot Coco- Sexy milk chocolate make u wanna a sip!

Luxedo- Deep pretty shade of purple almost looks black screams Mysterious!

Masquerade Belle- Deep burgandy so sultry!

Silken Cord- The hottest sexiest red will make head turns!

Smokin Hot- Is what it is! Deep gray is SEXY! My FAV!

~Hair of the Week~

If you're the weave extension wearing diva! I recommend Goddess Remi Human Hair Weave "Remi Loose Deep"

It's not as crimped as the original deep wave. It's looser and have a more relaxed, natural looking curl! If you want a layered look, put the longest length of weave in first (bottom) and the shorter length last (top) so it has  layered effect!

Avialable at Beauty Supply Stores or online wwwlfhair.com

Starting at $69.99 - up it's worth the $. Follow the care instructions and you can use this weave over again! 

~Fashion of the Week~

The Chunky Necklace!

Well they made it NOT ok for our bodies to be chunky but ok for our necklaces! So I say bring on the DRAMA around your neck!

Put on a simple black dress and let it shine through a chunky neck piece! You can go beaded, diamond, mixed, chain link and more!

The choice is yours! Oh yeah a little cleave won't hurt either lol!

Avialable at Forever 21, JC Penney, Macys and more $10-up

I hope you enjoyed the Hot Stuff of the Week!

From your diva friend Marsha!

It's your girl and 954 is where I'm at!

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