Life Update + Topshop Mini Haul

I haven't been writing a lot lately mainly because,

a. I haven't been anywhere remotely interesting.
b. I'm in that weird transitional period where I'm still waiting for my online orders to arrive.
c. School is really kicking my butt, you guys.

So, apologies for the lack of updates. Things have been fairly routine-y at home and I haven't done a lot. Plus, sometimes I feel so tired all I want to do is curl up and watch TV and not be productive. But I have been doing a few things that I do want to write about in the very near future, meaning I have quite a few drafts saved but nothing is done. I also have been taking zero pictures, which makes me so sad but it's so cold that I don't want to go outside anywhere. The semester's ending in a couple of weeks and after that I'm hoping to go back to this full-time during winter break.

Plus, exciting news, the boyfriend is visiting me for two weeks so expect a large amount of pictures starring his funny face (I say that in a loving way).

Anyway, enough my boring old life, let's get down to the fun bits!

My cousin and I went to Carrefour Laval this weekend because they had opened the first ever Topshop store in... the city? I think so. There's a mini Topshop section inside of The Bay downtown, but this one was a full-on store. They had most of the collections, including Topman, Petites, and Tall. I was so excited to see the Petite collection because most store here in Canada never offer a petite collection, unlike stores in the UK. I always end up buying so much when I travel, because I find a lot of things that fit me perfectly. Otherwise, I tend to stick to online purchases where I can find petite sized clothes.

Anyway, Topshop was... so and so. The clothes were amazing and the store was beautiful and they had so many shoes I wanted, but the only thing that left me and my cousin completely disappointed were the ridonkulous price tags!!! OH MY GOD, everything was so expensive, I couldn't afford a single thing. Lies, I did buy some things, but only accessories. I don't think I could afford any clothes there. Sadly, Topshop simply took the British price in pounds and converted it to Canadian dollars, which resulted in some $80 skirts, $50 tops, and $70 jeans. A plain grey sweatshirt was $35! I loved everything I saw, but it was way out price range for a working college student, which is disappointing because they could cater so many people if they adjusted their prices for a Canadian market. I compared it to this: If I bought a shirt on sale at H&M in the UK, it's about 10 GBP, and the same shirt would be on sale here for about $10 to $12, not $16 which is the converted price. I don't think I'll be buying any clothes from Topshop, mainly because foreign retailers have the horrible habit of marking up prices when they come to Canada. It's disappointing for all shoppers, to be honest. They also had 70% off on their sale items, but we were sad to realize it was three pathetic racks of leftover summer clothes nobody wanted.

Still, I decided to splurge a bit for myself (mainly because I was so determined to leave with a Topshop bag) and bought a pack of three stud earrings, a nail polish (it's amazingly good), and some socks (3 for $18). Plus, students get 10% with their student ID or OPUS card, which is great. That's another little perk they've brought from the UK to here and I'm very glad for it! I'll probably be looking at their accessories more than anything, although even those were expensive. A plain beanie (similar to what you could find at H&M) was about $30, which is a big no no for me.

After my first trip to Lush, I've been meaning to go back for their lip scrub. It's so great! It's a bit messy to use, but it smells and tastes amazing. I really want to learn to make my own lip scrub though, because the recipes I've seen online seem so easy.

I also got this beautiful red plaid scarf at H&M, my mom says it's basically a blanket I'm trying to pass off as a scarf. I don't care it's so warm and comfy and it keeps me cozy!

Also, the nerd in me had a moment in HMV when I spotted this Doctor Who fleece throw which I had been looking for weeks! So obviously, I had to buy it. It's super cozy for this time of the year and it's perfect for the days you should want to sit on the couch and Netflix for a few hours.

Have you been to Topshop Canada?

Is this way out of budget for you, or do you think it's worth the splurge?

Have you ever been disappointed or surprised with prices abroad?

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