Fashion - Pocketful of Joules

Awesome Gadget: Sweater Shaver

Every so often I come across something amazingly awesome that I want to share with the world. Or my blog readers… which make up a very small percentage of the entire world and tend to be just ladies. But you know what I mean.

With the weather starting to finally cool down over the next month or so, many of us are going to unpack our sweaters and realize that they’ve magically become a lot worse looking than we remembered.

The dreaded sweater pilling, which happens when the sweater fibers break down and mat together. For me it is usually where I swing my arms (apparently I skip like a child when walking from place to place) or on skirts where my purse swings against the fabric.

A few years ago I finally ordered a sweater shaver off of Amazon.com and crossed my fingers that it would work and OH MY GOSH it is the best! You just turn it on, swipe it over the fabric a few times and all the pills are totally gone leaving you with a brand-new looking item of clothing. I started using mine in 2012 (according to Amazon) and have saved so many sweaters from the donation pile.

Here is the exact one I have:

Sweater shaver

I just realized that mine is called the Fuzz Wizard, which I didn’t actually know until I pulled out the box to find it online for you guys. And now that I KNOW it’s called Fuzz Wizard I feel like I need to preface any sweater shaving I have to do with, “Well, guess I’d better go be the Wizard of FUZZ now” or reply to my husband when he asks for something with “Do you realize who you are talking too? I’m the FUZZ WIZARD!”

This one is only $11.50 and has over 17,000 really great reviews, or this one by Conair has over 29,000(!!) reviews and is currently $11.99. So if you’re shopping for one I’d try one of these even though they doesn’t have a super cool name like Fuzz Wizard.

Do you use a sweater shaver? Do you agree that it’s one of the best inventions ever?

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post, I just really like being the WIZARD of FUZZ. Pocketful of Joules is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Reviewing Madison Reed Root Touch Up: Does it REALLY Work?

When I decided to go red a couple months ago, I knew that roots were going to be an issue.

I mean, no matter how much I begged and pleaded with my hair follicles, they just won’t come out of my head the reddish color that I want them to be. So, within a few weeks of getting the ginger color of my dreams, my medium brown roots started showing up to crash the party.

I could easily hide them for a few weeks by changing the way I part my hair, but here they are in all their 6 weeks of growth glory:

I’ve been hearing a lot about a Madison Reeds’ Root Touch up powder, which is supposed to easily brush on to instantly cover your roots. Another blogger recently reviewed it in a sponsored post and raved about how amazing the product was, even including pictures. So, I decided to try it out for myself to see whether it could buy me an extra week or two between color appointments.

The root touch up comes in a few different colors, so I picked up the Auburn to try and match my reddish tint. The compact was $30 at Sephora, but if it works it would totally be worth it.

Here is what it claims to do:

The compact looks like one that you would use for brush or bronzer and even comes with what you would typically think of as a ‘blush’ brush. I generously applied the powder along my dark roots at the front of my part. Then, I applied some more. And then some more.

I did three coats of powder and nothing happened. That’s right, it didn’t hardly make any difference at all. I mean, maybe if I squint I could see a tiny difference, but it certainly didn’t disguise my roots as advertised.

How could this be? There are lots of positive reviews online saying what a lifesaver this powder is to stretch between hair dye appointments. Well, not for me. Maybe it works better if you have grey or white roots that you want to cover up… but if your roots are a darker shade like mine, I’d save your money.

Luckily I have an appointment with my colorist set up for Friday to get my hair back to the reddish hue I love. I’m also lucky that I picked the root powder up at Sephora, because they have an awesome return policy so I can get my money back.

Have you tried any root cover up products that actually work well? Are you with me in wondering how everyone else seems to get better results?

My September Stitch Fix: A Sassy Birthday Fix

September is totally one of my favorite months. The combination of the whole back-to-school excitement in the air, a hint of pumpkin spice everything, and my September birthday all work together to make me a happy lady.

I purposefully planned my September Stitch Fix delivery to come a little earlier in the month so that I could treat myself for my birthday. I booked a babysitter for Saturday and can’t wait to spend the day with my husband, family and close friends at a nearby wine festival.

With that in mind, here is my stylist note for my September Fix:

This is my birthday fix, so let’s have fun! Maybe a couple showstopper tops, I’m going to a wine festival to celebrate. Transition pieces are good too — lightweight sweaters (no fitted crew neck tops), interesting casual shirts. I would love a business formal blazer in a color other than solid black, solid gray or b/w stripes.

{If you are interested in checking out all of my Fix reviews, you can click here. This Fix is #24… so I’m kind of a fan!}

Let’s see what she sent!

Item #1: Kensie Rebekah Contrast Detail Blazer – $88
For my marketing job, I give presentations on a pretty much weekly basis all year long. On presentation days I have to step it up from my typical business casual wardrobe to something a little fancier, so I usually throw on a blazer. I have your typical black version, gray version and a black and white stripe version… but I was hoping for something a little more interesting when I asked Stitch Fix to send me one to try. My stylist sent me this blue Kensie blazer, which has polka dots on the cuffs.

I styled it with a pair of typical black work trousers, a floral blouse and a pair of pumps. The blazer is nice and fits well, however it isn’t really what I was hoping for. I mean, there isn’t anything ‘special’ about it, is there? And I was really wanting something more special.

Keep or Return: If you don’t already have some basic blazers in your closet, this is a nice one to add. However, I’m already all stocked up on basics, so it’s a return for me.

Item #2: Maggy London Izan Floral Dress – $158
I recently pinned this dress to my pinterest board because I really liked the shape and the darker take on a floral pattern. I was thrilled to open my box and see this in there, but wasn’t really loving the price.

The dress is absolutely gorgeous though. It’s a little tight in the bust, but a minimizer bra seemed to take care of that issue. It would look fantastic for a fall wedding (please, someone invite me to one so I can wear this!) or dressed down with a sweater and booties for work. This might be a little dressy for the wine festival, but if the weather is nice it might work. I mean it IS my birthday…

Keep or Return: Oh my, I love it so. I do have a lot of dresses though, so I can’t say I really NEED this one…

Item #3: Market & Spruce Bran Embroidered Dress – $68
I was hoping for a couple cute tops to pick from for this weekend’s wine activities, but my stylist suggested that I try this dress instead. The embroidery at the top is really cute and the dress is nice and soft with an elastic waistband to give it some shape.

I like the shape and design of this dress, but there are two things that are not working for me – the length and the fact that it is so casual I could never dress it up for work. When I invest in dresses I like to have the option of wearing them to a few different events and this one is just not that versatile.

Keep or Return: If this dress were a few inches longer (to my knees), I’d have to think about it a lot harder, but as it is I’m sending it back for someone shorter to enjoy.

Item #4: Renee C Gean Pullover Knit Top – $58
Last month I mentioned that if I were going to wear a sweater it would have to either be an oversized v-neck or a cardigan. Well, my stylist really delivered with this super soft pullover.

I tried it on with a black tank top, my boyfriend jeans and Toms for a perfect Fall weekend look. The sweater is that exact right mix of being just big enough that it works for a casual outfit, but not so huge you look ridiculous (like the butt wings shirt from last week). It’s also a way for us ladies with larger busts to rock the stripes trend without making them awkward. I really like this sweater and I can see mixing it with a bunch of different bottoms — jeans, leggings, colored jeans, etc — but is it worth the $58 price tag?

Keep or Return: Yesterday when I tried it on I was convinced that this one was a keeper, but now I’m not so sure. What do you think?

Item #5: Daniel Rainn Waring Roll Tab Blouse – $68
Oh man, did my stylist get me on this top or what?! It’s got a moody floral going on, a flattering length, some really pretty pleating details and tab-sleeves. It’s like they might as well name it The Joules!

Here is how it works with my work trousers and heels. It even has a little split-back action going on, which I don’t hate. I also tried it with my circle skirt:

And here is a close-up of the pattern and pretty pleated details:

Keep or Return: This one is a no brainer, it’s so pretty and I love it. I can imagine styling it a ton of ways and will totally be wearing this all fall, winter and spring!

Help Me!
Wow, my stylist really knocked it out of the park for my birthday fix! I’m really loving two of the items – the floral dress and blue floral blouse. I’m torn on the comfy sweater though. The embroidered dress and blazer are nice, but not the right fit for my lifestyle. So, here’s the fun part… what do you think I should buy?

Leave me a comment below and tell me what you think!

9/18/15 Update: I decided that I really liked the blouse, sweater and dress, so I listed the other two items on a Stitch Fix buy/sale Facebook group. The dress immediately sold, so I went ahead and bought the whole Fix for the 25% off discount. As of now, the blazer has not sold… but it’s growing on me so I may just keep it. Thank you all for your feedback!

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Stitch Fix, I pay for the $20 styling fee and any clothing I purchase with my own hard-earned money. If you enjoyed my review and decide to try Stitch Fix for yourself, the biggest compliment you can give me is by using my referral link. Thank you to anyone who chooses to click through and support my shopping addiction!

Psssst…Do you love checking out what other people received in their Fixes? I added quick links to every single one of my reviews on my Stitch Fix Reviews page!