Alexander Wang on Gilt always invites impusle buys — if you don’t make your purchase decision in 2 seconds, everything is sold out. So on my merry little commute to work today I was browsing through the Gilt sale (I wasn’t driving, I was a passenger!) and of course all of the Rocco bags were in members’ carts. I did see a cute convertible clutch — a shoulder bag with detachable straps that was reminiscent of my zippy satchel (which I still use everyday). I thought the color would be perfect for my white/lighter colored summer dresses so I didn’t hesitate.

I’m not gonna lie — I still have the page opened to the Rocco mini duffle. Whoever has it in their cart, either buy it or release it already!

It’s been a little bit of a chore trying to duplicate my Westside life out here in the outskirts of Orange County. Last week though I found a little peace of heaven: Purple Yoga Studio. I picked up a Groupon ($29 for 1 month unlimited) and was delighted to see that they offered hot yoga — something I’ve only tried a handful of times at Bikram Yoga in Los Angeles.

Their facility was bright, new and well-equipped. I could do without the extra charge for mat + towel services but was too dazzled by the Orange County prices (half of LA!) to care. The most important thing was that the place was clean… if you’ve done hot yoga you know how badly a place can smell but this place wasn’t bad. I mean, no matter what you do, sweat smells, but here it smelled a little less. Oh, and another thing I love? Their last class is at 8:40 — perfect way to end the workday.

Yes, it’s a little hard to convince my stubborn self to do hot yoga in the heat of summer, but it’s so rewarding that I forget it feels like torture. Now if only they’d open a bar method and a pilates studio down here, I’d be set!

My girlfriend had been raving about her Clarisonic for months before I finally had the chance to see what all the hype was about. I tested the Clarisonic Mia and I have to say — once you try it, you never want to wash your face the old way again. (Fingers? Ugh!)

I find it easiest to use in the shower, but if you do this you have to remind yourself to take it out to wipe down and recharge once in a while. The first time I tried it, I used it with Mario Badescu’s Enzyme Cleansing Gel. It felt good across my forehead and my cheeks but anywhere else it just tickled too much. It automatically shuts off after 1 minute but I felt that was too short so I gave it two rounds. It took me twice as long to rinse out the cleanser: my face felt super smooth and slippery from the gel cleanser. I was surprised to find afterward that it didn’t dry out my skin.

The next time I wanted to try it with something soapy so I tried it with Bliss’ Fabulous Foaming Face Wash. It didn’t get as soapy as I expected (which is a good thing — who wants a bubble bath in their face) but the pulsating brushes really brought out a soothing, milky foam that washed off a little quicker than the gel. Again, I was surprised to see that my skin wasn’t dried out afterward and instead clean and supple. My moisturizer went on smoothly and felt weightless.

Since then I’ve tried it with a couple of other brands of face wash but I liked the Bliss one the best. It’s been about 3-4 weeks and my skin is very normal… in the best possible way. Less breakouts, not overly oily or dry… just feels normal. I don’t think I could go back to washing my face the same way again!

I have to say the price is a little bit hard to swallow. I’d pick up a coupon code to buy it online or drop a heavy hint if your birthday is coming up. If you ever need help justifying your purchase you can always remind yourself that you’re saving money by using less product each time.

The perfect Saturday usually consists of some sort of splurge duo — eating and shopping. You know, brunch at Barneys Greengrass before heading down to the 3rd floor to do some damage. A bisteca sandwich at Tra Di Noi in Malibu before walking it off at the Malibu Country Mart.

I’ve found a new one to add to the mix: burgers at Umami followed by a quick walk-through of Fred Segal. Umami has apparently been there for quite a while but being an OC bumpkin now I haven’t had the chance until now to try it. I have to note that the burgers are a little on the greasy side — but what good burger isn’t? The choices are tasty (I probably liked the veggie one the best), the sides are filling and you definitely walk out full. I only wished the shopping was as good as the meal — Fred Segal has been a disappointment my last few visits.

Umami Veggie Burger // your garden variety classic with a portabello patty

Truffle Burger // yours truly opted for a heartier meal, with a yummy berry glaze

I try so hard to avoid buying only black, grey and white. Maybe I should just accept the fact that I am colorless, or bland?

So I have been bit by the shopping bug and it just won’t stop. A couple more things I picked up this week… a Thread Social jersey knit (with a big black bow!) and cutie liqueur glasses that I’m going to use to chill flan, panna cotta and other sweet things this summer.

The trick will be to wear this sweater with cute shorts or skirts in the summer without looking too much like a ballet dancer.