Happy Celebration of Independence from The Country That Brought Us Kate Middleton.
In the spirit of patriotism, let's support the American economy and buy some things. You know, the real reason 3 day weekends were created: retail sales. Ad circulars. Big box zero percent financing offers.
SO, in an ode to the things upon which I fairly regularly squander my *modestly* hard-earned dollars, I've come up with a list of the things that I really, truly love. Things that were worth the cash. Things that I use judiciously and then replacing once they are actually, entirely used up. Things toward which I have sworn some small measure of brand loyalty. Things you probably oughtta love, too.
So, Happy 4th! Let's go "imaginary shopping." Bonus: almost all of it's on the cheap. Because I may have online shopping carts filled with thousands of dollars at Barney's and Bluefly, but in "real life," this kid shops Target. Ross. More Target. Bartell's. Sephora. Target.
Enter my...uh...boudoir (that also includes some kitchenware and stuff).
Voluminous Mascara ($7)
I've used this for 90% of my mascara-wearing life, with some ill-advised forays into Dior, Chanel, Hourglass, Lancome, Stila, Mac....none of them hold a candle to L'Oreal's Voluminous in Carbon Black. It's buildable, flexible, the brush is easy to work with, it doesn't flake or clump or smear. This is THE mascara. And at 7 bucks, impossible to top.
Target tank tops ($8)
So, I hate bras. Hate 'em. Instead, I rely on camis and tanks to keep me covered underneath tops. These cheap, ribbed tanks from Target are my favorite - they're soft, stretchy, long enough to stay put, and they come in every color of the rainbow (even pretty little floral prints to round out another obsession of mine: tank tops in girlie flowered patterns). Stock up.
Urban Decay Eye Primer ($18)
Don't leave home without it. I don't, you shouldn't. If you want your eye shadow to stay in place for 18 hours, want your lids to be smear-proof, crease-proof, smudge-proof, get yourself a tube or two of this primer. It's available in a handful of shades (some can even be worn alone as their own shadow) - I prefer the original sheer color that comes in the purple container - it blends perfectly and sets my eyelids up like a canvas....
Sonia Kashuk Eye Makeup Remover ($10)
This two-toned solution is gentle-as water, works as well as paint thinner and doesn't leave any sticky/oily residue behind. You give it a little shake to combine the layers and everything from mascara to waterproof liner is gone in a few swipes. Bonus - it's as good as Lancome (another brand of remover I love) but it's less than half the price. Find it at Target.
Michael Antonio shoes (from $25)
This is probably my favorite cheap shoe label. Er, affordable, without looking cheap. Stylish without being so trendy they date themselves. And there's something about this brand that makes the BEST blue colored shoes out there. Blue pumps, sandals, boots....I'm going through a phase where I consider turquoise a "neutral" color that goes with anything, and I LOVE a fun pair of bright, robins egg blue shoes. I own at least 4 pairs of Michael Antonios - they're a pretty good value. Well-constructed, easy on the eyes, INEXPENSIVE!
Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips ($13)
This kid has sensitive skin. There are probably only one or two brands of bronzer out there that won't cause me to break out in an itchy, pink rash. Good think these hypoallergenic Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips come in at least half a dozen colors, can be used for bronzer, blush, or eye shadow, and are drug-store priced. The color stays put all day, and the amount of shimmer is JUST right.
Machine denim (from $30)
I love cheap jeans. Styles change so often it's hard for me to pony up the cash for nicer stuff knowing they'll look dated within a year or so. Which is not to say I haven't caved and decided it sounded like a good idea to parade my spending around by way of recognizable back pocket designs that declare me a Seven girl or a Citizens fan or a Hudson sort of chick....I've done that. BUT, when it comes to the staples of my denim wardrobe I discovered these cheap-o Machine brand jeans that I absolutely LOVE. Most of them are pre-distressed with funky holes like these ones......
La Vanila Grapefruit perfume (from $18)
I've always wanted to have a signature scent. Growing up, my mom always smelled like Shalimar. My best girlfriend smelled like Clinque Happy. My sister found this great "Jade Blossom" fragrance that they've since discontinued, but it smelled "like her." I've never had a signature. This comes close. It's warm and creamy with citrus notes. I've found it's a great BALANCING scent to mix with others that need some mellowing. It lends a great vanilla note to other brighter, more fruity fragrances. I buy the travel-friendly roller ball and leave it in my purse at ALL times.
Lancome Cosmetic Brushes (from $20)
I'll admit, there are some things that just ought not be skimped on. Makeup brushes are one of those things. I may like budget moisturizer, budget foundation, the most affordable eyeshadows I can find and $7 mascara, BUT -- if a brush leaves bristles all over my face or feels anything like a pipe cleaner while I'm using it: it's headed straight to the trash. Er, wait - no, it's headed straight to that giant, multi-level tupperware cabinet thing in the hall closet where "things I don't like but might want in a pinch later, when all of my good stuff is eaten by the dog" go to live in perpetuity. Along those lines: I love Lancome brushes. They're soft, they last forever, they're the goods.
Make Up For Ever Lip Gloss (from $18)
A lot of ladies swear by Make Up For Ever foundation and primer. I'm sort of "meh" on that front - you can do just as well with most Revlon stuff these days. HOWEVER - when it comes to lip gloss, I'm with those ladies. This stuff is fantastic. It's a sheer cherry color that works great year-round AND (the best part) - it's minty! It's practically impossible to find minty lip gloss any more. They're all PASSION FRUIT and STRAWBERRY and other things that remind me of being 4 years old. This is fun because it makes your lips tingle, it tastes yummy, it stays on better than most glosses and it's a pretty, pretty, girlie color. Dig it.
Avocado Oil (prices vary)
So, my hair and skin are VERY dry. Constantly dry. I've started keeping avocado oil around because it works on both and smells nicer than olive oil. Rub a few dots on my cheeks in the winter before bed for good overnight moisture with no rash-inducing fragrances or weird parabens to behave like artificial hormones. I also like to add a drop or two to my palms, rub them together, and smooth it through the ends of my hair at night for some deep conditioning. Also works for massages, for taking off lip-stain and other tough-to-remove makeup, and -- in a pinch -- you can cook with it!
Cetaphil Moisturizer (from $8)
Okay, I can't smear oil on my face all the time. Cetaphil is the gentlest I've found, and I've spent almost " Creme de la Mer prices" on moisturizers in my life. Works well under makeup, goes on easily, has the nice pump bottle, price is hard to beat. It's good stuff. I was hesitant because the packaging looks so....utilitarian. BUT, my little aesthetic-enhancing "bathroom counter" trick is to fill up a pretty soap-dispenser with the lotion - easy-access, with an increased pretty-factor.
Slouchy Forever21 sweaters (from $12)
I own too many of these. I suppose it's because I've discovered these unstructured, loose-fitting, drapey sweaters are a great way to combat a fat day, still feel reasonably put-together, and the boat-neck-esque style on top showcase a part of me I actually like, even on a bad hair day: neck and shoulders. They're great with cropped skinny jeans and flip-flops on a comfy day, or some heels in the "evening." For all of those "evenings" when flip-flops aren't good enough? Ehh - I live in Seattle - they're always good enough.
World Market stemware (prices vary)
Once upon a time, I bought a box of 9 white wine glasses for less than $10 at World Market - that felt like a good deal (no, it's not Ross prices, but the quality of the glasses are so much better - delicate and dainty and infinitely more breakable, but so nice to hold). Either way, they're my go-to shop for all things stemware. It's fun to mix-and-match, and they're affordable enough to acquire in all different shapes and sizes.
NARS blush ($27)
So, every girl I know owns this blush in the Orgasm shade. It's probably Sephora's best-selling makeup product of all time. I went out on a limb and bought this in an electric, cotton candy pink shade called "Desire" instead. It looks SHOCKING in the compact but turns out looking just perfect on my cheeks - a little flushed, a little "just-came-in-from-outdoors" wind-blown, looks just nicely pinched-pink. Love it. Peachy colors tend to come out looking a touch too orange on my cool-toned complexion, so this one has just the right pink/blue undertone to match. My new favorite.
So, for awhile it was possible to buy a tube of Loving Care conditioner that was the thich, rich, intense equivalent of the tubes that come in a box of do-it-yourself hair color (and I ALWAYS do it myself). I love that conditioner. HOWEVER - they seem to have discontinued that. In that case, this tub of Nexxus is about as close as I can get. It does a pretty respectable job of detangling my frizzy, brow-beaten hair mess....and if I leave it on for about 10 minutes, it actually looks mostly shiny once dry. Which isn't saying much about the state of my hair, but this is about the best conditioner you can find at the average drug store/grocery store/non-salon. And it won't cost you Bumble and bumble prices. And the B&B stuff is no better, anyway.
Sea of Shoes.com
Okay, okay, you can't go buy this girl, but her fashion blog is my FAVORITE. She's gorgeous - love her fiery red hair and adorably impish face - she can wear the heck out of clothes and her site's photographer is a genius. Envy that this girl's only 22 or so and is getting nearly 100K hits a day on her site, seaofshoes.com. She makes me want to try bangs again. Sort of. If they looked as nice as hers. Maybe.
With that - Happy Fourth!
Kate Middleton (and husband....what's his name?) is in Canada right now, wearing a fascinator with a maple leaf on it. Sort of wish they'd made it stateside for the Holiday - would have loved to see her try to work stars and stripes into some prim-looking, structured little dress with her requisite almond-toe pumps.
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