Quick Updates- Lululemon Upload Spoilers

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to post a quick update. I saw some Facebook updates from different Lululemon stores and if you just can’t wait to find out until tomorrow, well, it looks like we’re getting a new To & From capsule.


Pictured above are the Love Tee III, Vinyasa Wrap II and Get Ready Jogger Swift.

Note: It says “Get Ready Jogger Swift” on the post, but I wonder if the “Swift” is simply the fabric. I will update as soon as I find out!

Also: Here’s a sneak peak of a new pattern coming out tomorrow!


Looks interesting. It would be amazing in a bright color! Says me: lover of all bright colors.

Let me know what you think! And as always, thanks for stopping by!

Invigorate 7/8 Tight & Fast And Free Tight Fit Review

Hello Friends!

Thanks for stopping by! I am so glad I found time to get into the Lululemon store this weekend! I did really want to try out the new Invigorate Tights, since I heard that they are replacing the Inspire Tights. I prefer the Inspire Crops to the Inspire Tights, but will still miss them if they’re phased out forever.

I found the compression of these to be very similar to the Inspire Tights, and the fit was similar too. Definitely true to size, in my opinion. I enjoyed the fit, but didn’t love them- so they stayed at the store. I also didn’t love the print- Daisy Dust Alpine White Black/ Black- but I am curious as to whether my store will receive the Deep Rouge or not. Very  pretty color, that Deep Rouge. As always, quality matters, and fabric is an indicator of quality. That said, the black ones I tried on were 77% Nylon/ 23% Lycra. The printed ones I tried on were 69% Nylon and 31% Lycra, and were lined in white, for those of us who like to be aware of these things.

Next, I tried the Fast And Free Tight. These are amazing. You might be able to size down, I stayed true to size. The main thing I loved about these was that they were incredibly comfortable. The fabric was so soft and light, but I didn’t feel that they showed my flaws the way other non-compressive legging do. They are the “Naked Sensation” and definitely have that ‘barely there’ feeling with only light compression. Of course, they are a forgiving black, perhaps another color may have been less forgiving. These boast 83% Nylon and 17% Lycra. Main drawback, and one of the things that made me leave them in the store: they retail at $128. I may reconsider on markdown, or if they come out in another color.

I found another picture of these! 


The girl in the back is also wearing the Invigorate Tights! She looks amazing in them!

Happy International Women’s Day!

Hello fellow women! 

Today – and today only, Lululemon is offering 21% off at their stores for in-store purchases. I have also heard of some people calling and their stores allowing them to make purchases and shipping items to them. Of course, it is up to your individual store if they are offering the sale at all, but I’ve heard a lot of people confirming that this sale is going on. So, before the end of today, go get you some Lululemon for 21% off!


This is from Cleveland’s Lululemon regarding the sale. Be sure to call your local store to see if they’re participating! 

Happy shopping!

About the Nulux Pants

Hello everyone!

 

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I saw these pants in my store and I just had to try them on because I’m all about loud prints! The print is so bright and fun in person! Unfortunately, I put them on and immediately noticed that the waistband was not secure (too loose) on me. I saw a few reviews online that said that people were having problems with slippage and having to pull up their pants during physical activities. I can definitely see myself having the same problem, which is ultimately why I chose to leave these at the store.

I did also want to let you know that I also found that these were sheer on me. Now, maybe it’s also because my body is just not made for these pants, but I did find them to be sheer in a deep bend. To be honest, it wasn’t that bad but I’m not the only person who thought that they were a little sheer as there was also one other reviewer who tried these and expressed a similar opinion. Her three-star review is pictured below. Again, it wasn’t that bad, and the main reason I left them there was the waistband, but I just thought I would let you know.

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I also took pictures 🙂

Here is a photo of the hang tag and the tear-out tag. I will say that I love that they’re 83% Nylon and 17% Lycra, that’s great. The issue for me is the thinness of the fabric. I will also say that it’s great that they’re lined in light blue instead of white. Here’s the thing: I’m not paying $128 for even just mildly sheer pants. Remember when Print Fullux Wunder Unders were $92? LuluAddict commented on that in a post about pricing increases in 2014.

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She was 100% right! I mean, I wasn’t shocked that Lululemon was raising their prices (because after all the scandals, why not double down?), but I was pretty shocked about how fast the prices were going up at the time that she made that post, and now, looking back on it… Well, I’m not surprised that she was right that the Fullux Wunder Unders increased in price- I mean, we all knew that was coming!- But I AM SHOCKED that they’ve gone from $92 to $128 in less than 3 years. I’m seriously thinking to myself, that is a price increase of 39%!

At the end of the day, I don’t like the price hikes, but I would be happy to pay more if there was an increase in the quality. If there isn’t, it is just a disappointment.

Anyways, here’s a photo of me in the pants, and I really do love the print, then a photo of the slight amount of sheerness that I experienced. I see the rip-out tag, do you?

At the end of the day, whether you buy these or not is a personal choice, and I maintain that the principal reason I didn’t pick these up is the waistband, but the sheerness is an issue too- especially considering the price. What do you think? Will you get these pants? Is the waistband an issue for you? Did you experience any sheerness? How have you felt about the price increases? Let me know in the comments here- or tweet at me @lululemonexpert.

 

The Ultimate UNICORN Location Guide

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Hello everyone! This is a post that I have been wanting to write for a while and I’m so happy that I’ve finally found the time to do so. I am really really excited about this post because I definitely want you all to be able to find your unicorns!

On Unicorns: My definition of a unicorn is that it is your unicorn. A unicorn in the traditional Lulu sense is that it is a highly sought after item that is difficult to find. When I use the term, that’s often what I mean, but I can also mean something that is special to you. Sometimes my unicorns are not really all that highly sought after, but they are rare. I hope that when I talk about unicorns in this post you understand that I mean all types of unicorns, whether they qualify in the traditional sense or not.

There’s a reason why my mascot is a Unicorn. (Isn’t she so cute!?) It’s because I LOVE Lululemon, and I LOVE all my unicorns. There have been a bunch of ways that I have captured my unicorns- at the right price- and I want you all to be able to use these strategies to catch your unicorns at the right price for you. Honestly, I can’t guarantee you’ll find Quiet Stripes for $50, or Tribal Wanderlust Wunder Unders for any type of reasonable price, but for unicorns that aren’t the top 0.01% of popularity, I think my strategies, plus a little patience, will pay off. PS: I already wrote a post on how to find the best deals on Lululemon. That’s about the best deals over all, this post is about how to find rarer items at a semi-reasonable price.

Here’s a pic of those Tribals, only [sarcasm] $480 right now on eBay.

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Let’s begin, the following are places where you can find your unicorn, along with sporadic advice on how to go about maximizing the possibility that you’ll find it!

The Boards

There are plenty of deals to be found on the Facebook Boards, but there are also lots of unicorns floating about. Here are some strategies I know to use these to your advantage.

ANY of the buy/ sell/ trade or auction groups. 

There are sooooo many buy, sell, trade, and auction groups that it is hard to keep track. But browsing these groups might help you find your unicorn. Unfortunately, much of the time, your unicorn is also someone else’s unicorn, which might drive up the price. However, if you’re communicating directly with the seller, you might be able to convince them to give you a deal, especially if you’re buying more than one item from them. On auction pages, I’ve actually seen (and gotten) some great deals on my personal unicorns.

Some of the buy, sell, trade, and auction groups: The Unicorn Bidding Field, Lulu After Dark, Lululemon 911, Lululemon Amuurica, Lululemon Exchange, The Lululemon Market, Lululemon Bidding Battles

ISO Lululemon

For older Unicorns, I really like ISO Lululemon. I post a photo in the size album of my choice in the color that I want to find and wait. Sometimes waiting doesn’t work. So, I’ve also posted text-based ads in ISO Lululemon offering a small “finder’s fee” for anyone who knows where I can get the item. I’ve never found my item because of the finder’s fee, but my strategy is to make sure that people know that I’m ISO, or DISO, and that I’m a serious buyer. Sometimes, people have an item that you want, but they’re not going to sell it to you because they think it’ll be a hassle. I know that there have been times where I see an ad on ISO Lululemon that says “VERY VERY DISO!!! X-Item, preferably markdown price.” By putting a price condition in your ad, you’re giving people reasons to not message you. Maybe someone has your item, but they’re selling it for retail. If it’s really your unicorn, at the end of the day, wouldn’t you rather have the opportunity to negotiate on price with the seller, rather than have them see that you’re looking for the markdown price and just not even messaging you in the first place? My point is: Unless you are absolutely firm, and that even if a NWT version of your unicorn came to fruition you would not budge on price- you should not post a price suggestion in your ISO ad. If you’re putting a price condition in your ad, you’re giving people who don’t need your money a reason to not contact you even if they have your item. Many people who sell Lululemon are not doing it for the money. Although, there are flippers out there, and you can find my opinion on them here. A lot of the people uniting other people with their unicorns do it for the good of the community, and to build their own good Lulu karma.

Other things to consider: Please respect the rules of this group. If someone creates a post looking for what you’re looking for, don’t say that you’re looking for the same thing on her post. Please create your own post. If someone has the item, maybe the seller will follow the advice provided in the rules and message each potential buyer to ask for their best and final offer, thereby giving you an equal opportunity to “catch” your unicorn.

Follow the posting rules, no pics on the wall, be sure to specify size & color and make sure you don’t use stock photos. This group remembers when another Facebook group got shut down due to using Lululemon’s stock photos. I remember when this happened as well. It was not fun. But what IS FUN is getting your unicorn! The best part of this group is that you’re basically allowed to bump your post as often as you want! This improves visibility of your post- and shows potential sellers that you’re serious about capturing your unicorn. I recommend bumping your post once a day.

A few years back, the way that I found my item on ISO Lululemon was just that: posting my ISO ad, bumping it once a day for a few days and offering a finder’s fee to show that I was serious, and someone contacted me. They even told me that they weren’t planning to sell the item, but they could tell how much I wanted it. And I paid their reasonable (IMO) asking price. It was less than what the item was being sold for on eBay, and less than retail- so, to my mind, that is fair.

PS: If you don’t know what ISO or DISO means, check out my post about Lululemon Acronyms.

Lululand

Probably my favorite group right now. This group is FULL of AMAZING Angels and the Admins do a GREAT job! I’m updating my old “best deals on Lululemon” to include this group as well, but I have found more “recent” unicorns on here for fabulous prices. I’ve seen some really fantastic deals on Space Dye Wunder Unders, the special edition reflective print stuff from this past Black Friday has been on the board recently, the CRBs that were recently discontinued in favor of shorter length CRBs… just a myriad of great stuff at amazing prices. I can’t say enough great things about this group and the people in it.

Best use for Lululand: If you think you just missed out on your unicorn this is the group for you. Maybe your budget didn’t allow you to buy that week or you were really busy that week and didn’t realize you had your eye on such a hot item- and *bam!* by the time you finally get around to it, it’s sold out! Well, you may find have missed out that week, but if you stay vigilant, and turn on your notifications, maybe an angel will post your item after finding a deal either in-store or at an outlet. Don’t forget to tip your angels!

Lululemon Store Finds

This group has lovely ladies who tell you about great deals on marked down items in-store, and although no angeling is allowed, you can call the store and have them send it to you. Again, this group is best for people who have just missed out on their unicorns.

eBay

I don’t love eBay for finding unicorns. When it comes to unicorns, they are often over-priced. But there is one strategy that has worked for me and I will share that one. It is the same as one of the eBay strategies I shared on my old “best deals on Lulu” post. That is simply this: Set up alerts for the items you want. Following auctions might get you a deal on your desired unicorn, and it might not, but at least if you see the item early, you have a chance to “buy it now” before anyone places that first bid, thereby (possibly) nullifying the BIN option.

Poshmark & Mercari

Both apps are good for finding deals, but not so good for finding unicorns. I’ve seen it so many times: someone posts a GREAT deal on a unicorn, notices that there is a TON of interest, deletes the listing and reposts at a higher price. Not fun. But, I figured I’d mention them because of those good deals, who knows, maybe your unicorn is on there after all!

Local Finds and Consignment Shops

You might be able to find your unicorn on Craigslist or Kijiji, but beware that the seller might be getting a lot of messages from people who also want her item. Consignment shops can be great for finding deals, but are a gamble on whether or not you’ll find a unicorn. It’s always fun to go take a look though, amiright?

Final Thoughts:

The best place, hands down, to find your unicorn for a moderately reasonable price is the Facebook boards & groups. The ladies on the boards are really helpful and courteous. There is a ton of goodwill built up in the community and people are always willing to go out of their way for each other. It’s really wonderful to see. These are the people that will angel your unicorn to you, tell you/ tag you in the post if they see your unicorn for sale somewhere, and help you find your unicorn any way they can! I hope that this post has been helpful.

Aside: I think it’s funny sometimes how “into” writing I get then 5 hours later, I’m like, “oh! it’s 2am.” Thanks, as always for reading. I really do appreciate you taking the time. Let me know how you find your unicorns in the comments!

*There are a ton of links in this post- if any are broken, or not working for you, please let me know in the comments and I’ll fix them!

 

 

Vintage Lululemon: Yogi Toes Mat

Hello everyone!

I found this in the archives (not really- although I do wish that I had an archive of Lululemon items… like a wine cellar, but for clothes) and I wanted to share it with you!

If you like these types of posts, you should check out the Good Old Lululemon Blog which showcases a lot of vintage Lululemon items from the “Wet Dry Warm” days of yore.

Anywho- I got this one a while back and I thought it would be fun to talk about it a bit.

 

This mat is an early collaboration between Yogitoes and Lululemon. It is the perfect size, 24 inches wide x 68 inches long. If you want to use it with your mat- it will cover the whole thing, or you can use it on its own. I prefer to use it with a mat. Perfect for hot yoga! It’s terrycloth, but what makes it unique are all the teeny, tiny silicone bumps that keep it from slipping during your practice. Honestly, it does slip sometimes, especially during a particularly sweaty practice, but it’s better than any other, non-silicone enhanced towel.  

You can’t find Lululemon branded Yogitoes mats anymore, but you can still find them on their own. I like this one because it’s from the “groovy collection,” and certainly is eye-catching. 

I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Color Comparison: Aurora

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to do a quick(!) color comparison post for y’all! Sometimes I see a color online and it looks gorgeous, darling and I feel like I absolutely MUST have it- only to receive it in person and find that it looks way too much like another color I already have in my collection. Aurora might be one of those colors for you. I have a couple of tops in it so far (this one, and that one), which I discussed in my previous posts (here & there), and I really felt like Aurora was different enough from my other pinky-purpley tones to add it to my collection. So, without further ado:

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Left to right: Regal Plum, Heathered Regal Plum, Moonlit Magenta.

First off: The Regal Plum Sculpt tank and the Regal Plum Swiftly look so different! But it’s true: They are both Regal Plum!  That said: Of all the colors in my closet, Aurora looks most similar to the Regal Plum. All my pinks are too pink (including Paris and Raspberry) and all my other purple-red colors are too dark (like Bordeaux Drama and Black Cherry).

So, what do you think? Is Aurora going to join your collection? Does anyone else just love that color because it’s named after a Disney princess? No? Just me? Haha, as always: Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing your opinions in the comments!

 

A Couple of Try-ons: The New “Hot Like Agni” line

Hello everyone!

Went to the local Lulu today and tried on the new “Hot like Agni” line!

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Here I’m wearing the “Hot like Agni” bra [not shown] & singlet, along with the pants of the same name. The top is in Heathered Aurora & the pants are in Darkest Magenta. The singlet was true to size for me, but the other items were not. The bra reminded me of the Arise bras, so, if you were ever a fan, you might like this one. I found that it was a size-down item for me, since the band was too wide. As for the pants, they are high rise, so the waist was a little too big in my regular size, and the hips were a little tight in my size down. The Educator I spoke to said that she too had sized down due to the waistband.

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Notice, the texture on the model’s bottoms? Those are the “Hot like Agni” crops, not the pants. I didn’t see them in-store, but I hope to check them out when they arrive!

Thanks for reading! What do you think of the new Hot Like Agni line!? Let me know in the comments!

A couple of Lulu try-ons + fit reviews

Hey everyone!

I noticed all the new stuff Lulu has put out recently and decided to pop into my local store for a quick peek! I noticed the Pow Pink is back in-store, and if you didn’t get them last time, or you’re looking to perk up your Speed Short collection, you might want to grab a pair in Pow Pink! Caveat: be careful when washing, Lulu has had issues in the past with bleeding inks :-/

They also had a few other adorable items in-store that I wanted to give a try:

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The tank I’m wearing is called the “On Track tank.” It reminds me very much of the “Back on Track” tank, without the Silverescent woven in. I did pick this up, since I was a huge fan of the Back on Track tanks. If you’re like me, and maybe sometimes straps do not always flatter your arms, I did not find that this tank dug in at all, and in fact, I found it quite comfortable. In addition, as the hang tag states below, it is meant to provide medium support to A/B cups, and in fact, I think that C cups may also find that it provides adequate support. Fabric-wise: the bra part is mostly Nylon and the tank part is half Nylon, half Polyester. Color: Heathered Aurora/ Aurora.

These High Times in Score Jacquard Black Indian Ocean. They do look nice, I like the look of the fabric, but there is something about the feel… It’s sort of bumpy. I wish I could adequately describe it. I don’t love the feel of the fabric, so these were left behind. Also: I have found myself really enjoying (and purchasing) green tones lately, so I didn’t feel the need to add these to my collection. They were true to size, maybe even on the loose side, in my opinion.

Here is a close up of the fabric so you can see what I mean:

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Here are the hang tangs for each of the items described above:

Have you tried these? What do you think about the fabric of the High Times? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!!!

New Lulu Try-ons!

Hello everyone! I thought it would be fun to do a try-on report for y’all, so I headed in and tried on a few adorable items that I want to talk to y’all about!

First off: I am absolutely in LOVE with the new pattern! It’s called Strive Multi Black!

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I went in and tried on the Speed Tights. I think these are true to size and they passed the bend-test. They are not see-thru. However, they are lined with white, so that’s something to keep in mind, since some sheering out of the pattern may occur as the fabric stretches. Overall, I liked them and found them comfortable. I am going to wait to see if my store gets the Pace Rivals, since I really want this pattern in a crop! Crops get more use than pants in my collection since I live in the South and it gets mighty warm down here!

I also tried on the new Fast Lane bra in this print, and liked, but did not love it. It’s supportive, and lined with black, but it just didn’t wow me. I might pick it up on WMTM, if it makes it there.

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I also tried on these Wunder Under Pant (Hi-Rise) in Dazzle Wunder Under 50g Alpine White Black. I liked the feel. Soft without feeling too slick. These definitely have the “second skin” feel to them. If you’re familiar with Teeki’s hot pants, apparently you’ll feel right at home in these, according to a couple of reviewers online. Although I didn’t feel like the waistband might roll, some reviewers expressed that their waistband did roll, so definitely lookout for that if you’re thinking about buying these.

Then, I tried on these Wunder Unders in Midnight Tulle Multi. These are gorgeous! I really like the fabric and fit, and I almost left with them, but I decided to wait. I am not happy with how quickly things seem to be moving to WMTM lately, but if these make it there soon, then I will be happy to get a deal on them. Full size run still on Lululemon.com


If you do shop at Lululemon online, as I’m sure many of you do: Don’t forget to use ebates! It’s a website that gives you cash back just for shopping online. I installed the browser button so I can make sure I’m getting cash back every time. Use my referral link if you don’t have ebates yet & get $10 after your first purchase.

What do you think about the new prints? Let me know in the comments below!