cheap chic

As Mother Nature decided to toy with us last night (hopefully for the last time), I wasn’t able to make the pre-launch of Mississauga’s Joe Fresh at Heartland Town Centre. No matter, I bundled up the kiddos and made my way over this morning, where I was beyond excited to take in all the Joe had to offer (minus the grocery cart, of course).

(I’ll have to let you know here that I was so terribly excited to actually be in a Joe Fresh stand-alone that I completely forgot to take pictures inside. Of course, running after Ryder as he tore around the store was also a slight distraction. Above is a photo I borrowed from Joe Fresh’s Facebook; but check out pictures of my haul below.)

Now today only, every one can score 20% off (almost) everything – I say “almost” because their daily deal, Womens Boot Cut Jeans and Mens Classic Fit Jeans, were just $10 (!) and thus excluded from the promo. But really, who’s going to argue for a further discount on $10 jeans??? Such a sweet deal!

My first impression of the store is that it is very well laid out. Ladies in front, mens in the middle and kids/ babies at the back. Plus, cosmetics are conveniently nestled close to the checkout – no doubt so that associates can keep on eye on them, too. The store is very bright, clean and uncluttered – exactly the way I like it. Helpful associates were at every turn ready to help, and did an awesome job of keeping the store immaculate and the lines moving (approx. 3-4 minute wait for a change room; less than a minute wait to check out).

Selection for ladies is jaw-dropping compared to their grocery store alternative; I don’t know if this is just a Jedi mind trick since the clothing is spread out so well, or if there there really is that much more stock and selection. I flew through menswear (sorry hubby) to the back, where I found items for baby and toddler similar to those I’ve seen at Loblaws and Superstore. BUT, at 20% off, I felt compelled to load up my cart (um, stroller – no baskets/bags were offered during the shopping experience, making it slightly difficult to hold on to everything, especially cosmetics). Since I’m still on track to shed 10 pounds before summer, I took a pass on clothes for myself and instead grabbed a few to-die-for threads for Ryder – but wasn’t loving the babies wear much, so sadly, Reid went home empty handed.

I also made a very necessary stop to the cosmetics counter and grabbed a variety of Joe Fresh nail polishes – since they’ve inspired a cult-like following (and are 3 for $10!), many shades were already sold out just half an hour into opening day.

Here’s my haul:

Nail Polish, from Left to Right:
FIG, STORM, ESPRESSO, GUNMETAL, PRUNE AND PAPAYA

Top:
BASE/TOP COAT, PETAL (which was my FREE gift with purchase – today only!)

I also grabbed BLOOM – a bright pink peony – but I forgot to include it in the photo above. Oops. For those who are interested, it is said FIG is a dupe of OPI’s Parlez Vous OPI, STORM is a dupe of OPI’s Metro Chic, and GUNMETAL is a dupe of Chanel’s Steel. A dupe for under $4? Yes please.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Edwin, Joe Fresh’s Cosmetics Coordinator, and we had a great conversation about the best way to apply Joe Fresh nail polish:

1. Always apply a clear base coat first.
2. Apply one or two coats of nail polish – MAX – these colours are not meant to be piled on like other brands; they’ll get goopy and chip easily. The only exception would be shimmer shades like Gunmetal, where you may have to work to get the coverage you’re looking for.
3. Apply a top coat to finish.

Now for the affordable & stylish toddler clothes:

The entire haul pictured above cost just $46 before taxes. The shorts were the most expensive at $14 each ($11.20 after discount), but the quality was above average and I just loved the matching belts.

Of course, with all the pretty summer clothes on display, I just HAD to grab something for myself, so I settled on this ultra-girly floral appliqué top in coral – just $16 ($12.80 after discount). The tee is available in a variety of colours – I had a hard time choosing.

To top it all off, I took my purchases home in a cute reusable tote – a thoughtful finishing touch!

Overall, the store size and selection met my expectations; the staff’s availability, helpfulness and friendliness exceeded them. Of slight concern is the absence of shopping bags/hand buggies to help haul around your merchandise, but its an easy fix and I’m hoping the store takes note.

For those who live in the Greater Toronto Area, make a trip out to Heartland and visit Joe Fresh – it’s pretty darn fabulous.