Cheap & Chic (for ALL sizes!) Every Outfit UNDER $100!!

Today I felt like shopping, so instead, I've put together some cute outfits for Under $100. I perused the internet for a few hours, putting together some fun, cute and workable outfits for a range of sizes. So.....Get Clicking!

Look One:  Summer Casual

This Pretty Frilled Tube top is only $19.99! also at Charlotte Russe , and comes in Turquoise too!
The Cute White Denim pants were $29.50 at Charlotte Russe as well. These Cute Earrngs are from Charlotte Russe and were only $4!

 

Total Outfit Cost: $53.49

Need some new shoes to go with? Charlotte Russe Currently have BOGO on all their shoes! 

Look Two:  Date Night/Big Event Night/Prom

This look was inspired solely by the dress, which I found when checking out the sales at Nordstroms. Enjoy!

This pretty, one shouldered Lace detail dress is $36.90, and come in sizes from 3-14. The clutch is from Forever 21 and is on sale for $16.99. It's cute cause it matches the flounce of the dress. The pretty shoes are from DEBS and are $20.

Total Outfit Cost : $73.89

Look Three: Friday Night Drinks

I love to go for after work drinks on a Friday night, but I always find myself lost for what to wear out! There are too many choices, but here is one that's guaranteed failsafe. Since most of you are coming into summer, I've tried to offer a couple of options for warmer weather. I'll cover us freezing folk in the next look.

This first dress is from Forever 21, and is only $10.80, comes in S, M, L.

This next dress is from WalMart , and I love that is comes with the belt too! Only $16 and comes in a limited range of sizes because it's so popular! 

Both these dresses would work well with a jacket like this one from Forever 21, in this neutral tone it works day or night. You could try it in Black for a dressier look. Jacket is $32.80

For some cute shoes, why not tryWedges like these Hot wedges from Charlotte Russe only $30 (and six colors!) , or some cute and pretty flats like these from WalMart (click link cause the pic wouldn't work) for only $9!

Total Outfit: $73.60 (MAX)

Last Look for Today! This is a cute Winter Friday Drinks look that I've been doing (in different brands but same outfit) for a little while, and I LOVE it. :) 

These jeans are only $12.99 at DEB, and come in sizes 0-13. They also sell a slightly different version in 14-18. Teamed with these cute shoes from Charlotte Russe , $27.50 sizes 5-9, and this top from WalMart for only $12 in sizes XS-XXL (click the link, the pic doesn't load) and jacket from Dillards  at only $20.65, you can rock this look to work AND afterwards. 

Total Cost for this fun style: $73.14

If anyone has any suggestions for cute accessories, bags or shoe alternatives, feel free to post your links in teh Comments section.

xoxo

My love/hate relaish with SELF Mag

So for a long time I've read SELF magazine. I like it because it's not full of too many advertisements, it's not always full of stick thin gorgeous glamazons, and I love the celebs who are brave enough to go unretouched on either their cover, or inside in the feature.

You can forgive me then, for being a little disappointed to open up my mail copy, and seeing Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover, perfectly airbrushed and retouched to the hilt. The headline beside her? "Gwyneth Paltrow's Healthy Eating Secrets. What she really does to get those Abs!". Now, I'm not into believing magazine claims in general, but I'm even less inclined to believe this one. I flick open, to a 6 page feature at the back, half of which is Organic/Vego/"healthy" recipes. The very last page is the one supposedly telling me how to look like gwyneth. I search, and search, and there, second and third answers, it lies.  Gwyneth tells us she gets her body by doing TWO HOURS A DAY, SIX DAYS A WEEK. I'm sorry, but in reality, who has the time? And all of those sessions? WITH A TRAINER.

Which brings me to my point. While i hate the magazine for sucking women in everywhere with that article, that awful, unrealistic, stupid article, the rest of the mag wasn't too bad.

Their Drop 10 SELF Challenge is actually admirable, in it's approach to balanced diet and excercise, and its realistic "at home" excercise routines. There are fabulous stories about readers OWN BODIES and experiences, and it reminds me that it's ok to fail sometimes, it's ok to look ordinary on days, and...most importantly, that ANY woman, regardless of shape, size or color, IS BEAUTIFUL.

This May issue also contains their 2011 Health & Beauty Awards, roadtested products by readers and editors that have hit the mark, or exceeded expectations. There are some good, affordable products in there.

You can find the mag online at SELF , where you can sign up for their Drop 10 plan (online food plans, workout guides, logs and support), you can design your own 30 minute workout video using moves from their video vault, and you can even check out their fabulous Superfast Beauty routine.

Speaking of Beauty Routines? This week I'm posting BareFace pics.....so you can see how I go from Cleansed and Clear to Flawless Finish :)

TTYS xoxo

Some Cute, Cheap Beauty & Hair Links for Worldwide Followers

Hey Lovelies,

In the spirit of trying to give you some fun while I can't post pics :( , why not take a peek at the links?

I just bought my fave, Revlon ColorSilk Hair Color from here , and it only cost me $12.95 for two boxes including postage. AMAZING! (considering at the Drugstore I just paid that much for one box so i could touch up before work meetings).

Another fave is this cute place Beauty Store , for bits and pieces that you can't find affordably anywhere else.

Last link is here at Budget Deals who have brand new products as well as hard to find things that are on clearance.

I'm about to test a new Mineral Make Up a friend suggested, so keep your eyes open to see my review, and for the link to the product and Cary's web store page. :) http://damajonwithcary.blogspot.com/

xoxo

Freebies Galore!

Hey kiddies!

Check out http://rougemag.com.au/?gclid=CKbhivGOy6gCFQbybwodXlXipA currently they're giving away full size trials of Revlon Eyeliner! :)

Skin Care (and why you should do it!)

So, at the risk of sounding like a harpie, YOU NEED TO ESTABLISH A SKINCARE ROUTINE!!! It's important!

I never really bothered with skin care during my teens, I hardly ever even wore sunscreen. I didn't wear a lot of make up either though, so I guess it was 50/50.

In the mornings, I wash my face with Nutrogena Stress Control Scrub(because without the exfoliating daily, my skin is just awful), followed by BORBAs Orbital Eye Cream, because let's face it, i'm 29 and I need to start being smart about potential wrinkles. I also use Nutrogena Stress Control Hydrating Treatment, all over my face (except where the eye cream is). This stops me from breaking out, but also reduces any uneven tone, redness AND double whammy! it helps heal any acne already there. During summer, I use a light moisturiser with an oil free SPF, but at the moment, I'm using Aveeno Active Naturals with an SPF because the air con inside dries my skin out, and it also provides a nice base for my Foundation. Make sure you wait at least 5 minutes before applying after the Acne Hydrator though, or it gets all tacky and weird. (yuck!)

So there you go. Five, Ten minutes max and you're out the door.

If i'm washing off make up before bed (or during the day if I'm going swimming etc), I like to use Youthful Essence's Cleanser.  It's gentle, smells nice, and washes off even insane waterproof, tattoo like liner. Sometimes, as a treat, I use Dermalogica's PreCleanse, which i found out about because the Twilight Make Up Artist loved it for removing the cakey, whitening make up they used in the films. You use it on dry skin, then add water to emulsify, and it removes EVERYTHING! I still follow that with the Nutrogena Scrub though, I dunno. It just makes me feel better.

I do the same when i go to bed, but I usually use BORBAs Age Defying Wrinkle Repair, which has been discontinued, but replaced with essentially the same thing in their Age Defying Concentrate. It is pretty heavy though....so DO NOT use this in the day unless you're already parched on your skin.

The Long (and the trying to get there from) the short of it

So, if you're anything like me, you'll have been trying desperately to either grow out the short cut that seemed perfect those first fresh few weeks, OR you're trying to maintain and treasure your luscious long locks.

The first thing I want to talk about is Viviscal. Yep, the hair loss pills. They took the underground beauty scene by storm when model Gisele mentioned she'd been taking them for a year or two, and almost never used extensions to fill in her hair during shoots and shows. I didn't buy it then, and I didn't buy it when Vanity Fair ran an article, in which and actual hairstylist guru couldn't stop the acclaim.

A week later? I fell in and bought it. I logged myself into DermStore and ordered my first box. That was almost a month ago. Let me tell you, as I parted with my hard earned $45, I did have hesitations.

I can't say it's the be all and end all and you'll never feel the need for extensions again....but i can tell you that my hair has indeed thickened up, seems healthier, shinier and smoother, and....yes....HAS GROWN. More than it would have without their help. So i'll keep taking them (i just ordered another box), and will post pics along the way to show you the results. For me, they're worth it. Extensions aren't realistic in my life right now.

Anyway, check out dermstore. They have free shipping to the US, and if you join them, you'll get free intnl shipping (along with 10% off favorited items, and 15% off if you review something).

On to Shampoo and Conditioners....and Treatments.

Over time, I've tried probably fifteen different brands...and the two I can't live without are L'Oreal Elvive (the red for colored hair) and Matrix. For an entire year, I used Matrix Sleek (in the orange bottles) Shampoo, Conditioner and Treatment (i don't use their styling products, they gunk my hair up too much). I would recommend them to anyone.

I've just (in the last week) switched to Matrix Biolage Colortherapie, and I have to say, I'm impressed. I switched because I thought I'd purchased the reasonably Organic, Sulfate free Biolage....but I accidentally ordered the regular one. I'm not unimpressed though, my hair feels beautifully clean, and the conditioner rinses out well. Everyone compliments me on the extra shiny softness of my hair, and it's not unusual for a friend at work to want to keep touching my hair because she loves it's feel.
 I bought in 1 liter bottles from eBay, for $54 including shipping, but you can find the regular size here at My Hair Care

Once a week (for the last four weeks), I've also been using Matrix Biolage CeraRepair Hydra, which is a kit of five tubes, you use one a week for five weeks and it repairs your hair. Now, I'm not an idiot, I know you can't actually repair for real, but it does do a lovely job of keeping your hair looking healthy, and making your scalp feel like it's getting some love as well. You can find it here at Westfield

L'Oreal Elvive has been around for yonks and yonks....and if there was no other option? I'd be all over it. I'm lucky in getting a promotion at work, it meant I could treat myself luxuries like Matrix instead.

If you do one thing for your hair in this life? Promise it will be NOT USING PANTENE. That shampoo is full of silicons and nasty chemical compounds which congeal on your hair, causing breakage, buildup, AND you'll notice little black gunky bits on your hot hair appliances....that's the silicon melting off.

Technology Fail!!

So, my sincere apologies for being missing so long. My internet and phone provider damaged something in their exchange, and my whole suburb had nothing for almost 12 days!!

Two posts today to make up: one on hair products I'm enjoying roadtesting at the moment, and one on my skin routine. Product photos will be up today, IRL pics will be updated later this afernoon when I go through it.

xoxo