Salmon and Roses: a new favorite color combination!

SALMON AND ROSES

I'm so in love with this color combo! I like to pair salmon with unsuspecting colors as I've mentioned in prior blogs, and I find that I can often use it in place of red (where I am accenting with red).

PS--If you like my (no heat)hairstyle, for this look I simply slept in braids. See a before/after Instagram shot I took a week or so ago when I styled it the same way, here!

OUTFIT DETAILS: 100% thrifted. Just recently bought this cute, crepe-style vintage blouse; a mock silk with rose print!

My Top Ten Favorite CHEAP beauty products!

Pssst...the necklace I'm wearing is part of my next DIY blog post!

My Top Ten Favorite CHEAP beauty products!

I LOVE beauty products. Hair, nails, makeup…you name it! Like most women out there—I appreciate quality. Yet, as many of my readers know, I’M CHEAP! OH!

How to balance this pesky parsimonious penny pinching point?

Luckily, my need for performance meets my desire for low price in my top ten CHEAP beauty products, and I’m sharing them with you, today! I’m only reviewing items you can buy for under ten dollars!

ONWARD WE MARCH!

1. L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Million Lashes It’s the mascara I’m applying above! (Why MUST we apply mascara with our mouth wide open? Does anyone apply it with their mouth CLOSED?) I used to be a huge fan of just the L’oreal standard Voluminous mascara in the darkest black shade available, and I still am, but the Million Lashes variety won me over with the soft, spiny rubber brush they have.  Now, I understand there are many great mascaras out there. MAC comes to mind as a favorite. However, for the price, which is about $9 per tube, I have yet to find another mascara as plumping and enduring. I LOVE this product, and I’ve been faithful to it for many years.

2. E.L.F Bronzing Powder I’ve talked about E.L.F beauty products in my blog before, and it is probably my number one favorite “dollar” store cosmetic company, though their products range in price and are sold at many different stores and online. Out of all of their products, their bronzing powder is my absolute favorite! I have it in two shades; one for highlighting in winter months and one for enhancing color in summer months.  I prefer it to several MUCH more expensive brands I have, including Mary Kay and Este Lauder! And for the price ($3 for the last compact I bought), you really can not compete with this product! One caveat: do not buy this product online, it is twice as much! Amazon has compacts listed for as high as almost seven dollars, and that is a gigantic markup compared to the prices I find at dollar stores, super stores, and cosmetic counters.

3. NYX Cosmetics Cake Powder Eyebrow Kit This has been the best eyebrow kit I’ve ever had. For a few reasons! I order it in taupe/ash. I am SO very ashen haired and neutral that it is very hard for me to find my correct palette when it comes to eyebrow colors; they are ALWAYS too orange-y, too dark, etc. I was so pleased when I first ordered this kit from Amazon.com and the color match was perfect! Though I do use my own brush kit, the exacto brush that comes with the kit is great for travel and works very well! Also, the brow wax included in a little pot within the compact is not too greasy, but holds the brow shape well. The only unfortunate thing about this product is that, recently, Amazon modified it to be an “add on” product, meaning that it must be purchased in addition, or as an add on, to a pre-existing order of $25 or less. Say what? Not cool, guys. Luckily I found it for a dollar cheaper (at about $5) WITH more reasonable shipping, here.

4. LA Colors Nail Polish My nail polish cupboard is FULL of this stuff! As far as staying power goes, it performs reasonably. In my opinion, the nail art products are even better! (Same price). Longer, skinnier bottles hold fine brushes for painting designs and patterns. Though I have seen some reviews that say the brushes are too thick, they have worked well for me. No, I am not a nail polish connoisseur, but I do dabble in the fancy nails from time to time. I appreciate all of their color variety, and the silver chunk glitter in the regular polish has been one of my faves, as well as the solid colors in the nail art deco line they have. I see LA Colors at many locations I shop at, but I know I can always find them at Family Dollar stores as well as Dollar Tree stores. $1 goes a long way with this product!

5. Africare Cocoa Butter Sticks Another dollar store product purchased for one dollar, My Africare Cocoa butter sticks last forever and work SO well! I originally got hooked on these the year that my Aunt Mary put one in a Christmas stocking for me (thanks Aunty Mim!) As the name insinuates, I’m sure this product is marketed for African-American skin (it was among other similar products at the store as well), but it’s really great for everyone. How I love to use this product: on any chapped or burned area of the skin. It is fantastic to use on delicate skin after shaving. In fact, I bought a second stick to use exclusively for the bikini area because it was so great in moisturizing/soothing my sensitive skin after shaving! It also makes a pretty effective eyebrow wax in a pinch, and moisturizes lips well. The stick is interesting because it doesn’t really melt or absorb into skin until friction from rubbing causes warmth, so it isn’t messy to keep/work with.

6. Rimmel London Hide the Blemish Stick Concealer It’s honestly priced a little more than I like to pay for a blemish stick at around $7 (I’m notoriously prudent, remember?), but I think the formula stands up to the test and also, I like the color options Rimmel has available. Because my skin is very light yet has yellow undertones, concealers in ivory or nude shades that have pink undertones (which is many of them!) are often a bad match for my complexion and leave blemishes or under eye circles looking worse. This was a newer choice for me this year, and I was satisfied with my purchase.

7. Jhirmack Silver Plus Shampoo Do you have blonde hair that is either color treated or susceptible to elements in your water that add unwanted brassiness or warmth to your locks?  Though my hair is naturally a medium to light ash, I do like to get highlights and lowlights on occasion. Sometimes, my blonde highlights can become slightly brassy. Worse yet, this year I received a bad coloring (THE HORROR!) right before my vacation to Tennessee! Luckily, I was able to correct and tone the issue at home myself, but the rusty colored red/brown that was added to my hair instead of my usual dark ash brown (what a nightmare) tried to ruin the party for a while.  I used Jhirmack to help control that issue and it worked well for me. There are many “bluing” shampoos out there that will help you control brassiness, and they all work in the same way, adding cool tones to your hair through their application, which is usually recommended as a treatment of washing, leaving in for a few moments, and rinsing. Almost all shampoos of this variety are somewhat drying to your hair—it’s just a typical side effect. The benefits outweigh the drying outcome and you can condition as you normally would after the treatment. Overall, if you’re looking to wash your hair occasionally with a product that will reduce brassiness, this is going to be your most frugal bet, at around $5 per bottle.

8. Burt’s Bees Apricot Baby Oil I’m not sure exactly why, but the smell of Burt’s Bees Apricot Baby Oil might be one of my favorite scents. EVER. It’s such a delicate and lightly absorbing oil that it works well FOR EVERYTHING! When my son was an infant, I used it to treat his cradle cap, and added it to his baths when he suffered from eczema. It was so light that it was the perfect moisturizer for any time on his delicate skin. I was glad for this, because the idea of heavy or excessive (and chemical laden) moisturizers or products made me nervous. In fact, I avoided treating his skin with any products, if I could manage it. I found that his skin naturally maintained moisture and really didn’t NEED all of the products that I, as a new mom, was bombarded with advertising for. And then, my little baby grew up…and I still had apricot oil left. I began to use it on myself as a moisturizer, an after-shave lotion for my legs, in the bath, and my favorite—as an eye and lip application at night. The benefits of this cold pressed oil are numerous! And just because it is all natural doesn’t make it an ineffective beauty remedy. Also, I dare you not to love the smell of it. Double dog. It’s completely worth the $9.99 (as my most expensive product reviewed here) and the 4 oz bottle lasts forever!

9. Jordana Fabuliner (in black, of course!)I bought this liquid pen eyeliner at Walgreens for around $3. It is one of the best liquid eyeliner pens I have purchased to date for the price. I tend to HOARD liquid eyeliner, and I have brands that range from more expensive (Mary Kay) to the generally cheaper (E.L.F), in tubes, pens and pots. If you consider the E.L.F. pen liner can be purchased for one dollar and does quite a nice job of a fine line, that is one heck of a deal! However the Jordana eyeliner pen is thick, precise, and BLACK. It is my favorite by far, and my go-to liner to produce a thick, laser-straight cat eye.  I’ve found that the pen begins to dry out a little after about 3 months, and I don’t feel guilty at that point about buying a new one to achieve that dark black I love so much. That said, I recently displaced my newer pen and dug around in my makeup drawer for an older one, which performed very reasonably. ;)

10. Wet 'N Wild Color Icon Collection Eyeshadow Compact First things first--I really liked this product, because the eyeshadow was very high pigment, and lasted a long time! Also, I think the palette shades are put together nicely, and I like that the compact includes not only shimmery shades but also a matte contouring powder as well. And let me say, the black contouring powder in these collections does not mess around! It is seriously high coverage and heavily pigmented. I purchased the "Blue Had Me At Hello 737" compact, and though I typically use my huge multi-color palettes (like the BH Cosmetics 88 color palette I never go anywhere without)  I really enjoyed using this product.


There you have it! My top ten! What are YOUR favorite beauty products under ten dollars? Comment below!

Pretty Summer Hair Tutorial: Thrift Trick Guerrilla Style

Pretty Summer Hair Tutorial: Thrift Trick Guerrilla Style

While I was out and about in Grand Haven, Michigan yesterday at Jumpin' Java Coffee House, I spotted this cute, summery hairstyle on the young lady in front of me! I wanted to share it with readers as an idea/reminder for a quick long hair style. I especially like the way this style uses smaller strands and is simply held with a bobby pin. No tight feeling at the back of your head or crimp marks when you "let your hair down" at the beach later! :)

Here's how to achieve it for medium to long length hair:

What you'll need:   

• Tangle free, dry hair sprayed with any favorite products (heat treat, etc.)
• A medium to large curling iron 
• 2-3 bobby pins in whatever size holds your hair best/matches your hair color
• Optional: any special added decoration you'd like (flower to pin, decorative bobby pin, or even a single clip on earring!)

1. Part your hair however you prefer (down the middle, to the side, etc.)

2. Pull hair into large sections (1 1/2 to 2 inch), and with a medium to large barreled curling iron, barrel wrap hair loosely at the end. Don't know how to do that? No problem! Here's a Youtube tutorial for you to watch:

 (*Note: for the above look, you'll want to wrap the hair lower on the strand, unless you like the look of a tighter curl. Part of my appeal for the above look are the relaxed, beachy waves you see in the picture.)

3. Take a 3 inch section of hair from either side of your crown in front (not too thick--hair should rest lightly and fall above ears) and secure at the back of head in a criss-cross pattern. Bobby pin sections underneath and to hide the pins, allow some of the top strands of hair to be partially loose at the very top of where the hair is pinned together. It will fall a little over the bobby pin but won't separate entirely from its section.

4. Add some flair...Try pinning a flower to the center where sections meet, or get "thriftspired" and secure a sole vintage clip on--perhaps a rhinestone or large costume piece!

Voila! Pulled together yet relaxed and summery...

Keep following along with me this summer for more Thrift Trick Guerrilla Style! 

Check out my Instagram and Facebook page and search for posts labeled with the hashtag #ThriftTrickGuerrillaStyle to see my posts all together!

Animal Tendencies: $2 shirt

ANIMAL TENDENCIES: $2 shirt

Oh, HELLO! It's been a while since my last post! Make no mistakes, I've been squandering money at the thrift store left and right (I keed, I keed)...but yes...life has been full of change, business, and work! Also, there have been beach days...lazy, lazy beach days. For me, actually being able to "turn off" my brain and completely relax on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan is a wonderful luxury. As a person who struggles with sitting on the couch long enough to make it through a 30 minute sitcom, finding a little "zen" in my day can be next to impossible. Therefore, as this summer blazes by, I've been taking advantage of any spare time I have with wonderful, indulgent sunning by the lake with my friends, family and boyfriend. And life is good.

What have you been up to?

As the title suggests, I picked up this little knit leopard print turtleneck shirt for $2 at Hope's Outlet on Saturday, along with some other neat finds. I promise to make more of an effort to share my thrifting gems with you. I feel as though I've missed a thousand blog opportunities with all of the cool items I've bought secondhand this year, and they deserve to be brought to light!

Before that happens though, I have both a guerrilla fashion tutorial and a DIY coming this week! Stay tuned!

OUTFIT DETAILS: 100% thrifted

You've been "Thrift Tricked!" : An InStyle Red Blazer outfit recreated with secondhand clothes!

You've been "Thrift Tricked!" : An InStyle Red Blazer outfit recreated with secondhand clothes!

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I’ve blogged before about my little style book. It’s the binder that I keep (actually, I have several) of magazine clippings of clothes, printed Pinterest outfits, and any fashion inspiration that is worth saving from magazines.  Almost daily, I pull it out and browse through for inspiration on what to wear the next day, be it casual or professional. It never ceases to motivate me! I'm going to show you what's inside and how I organize my thoughts in the next week or so--stay tuned for that!

For a while now, this great red blazer outfit (a feature in my style book) has been catching my eye, but there was one problem—I didn’t have the jacket! Until last week, that is. I was lucky enough to have thrifted this light Pendleton fitted blazer for two dollars at Hope’s Outlet on Sherman Avenue in Muskegon, Michigan!

A blazer outfit might seem a touch heavy for summer fashion, but actually, the chambray shirt and light fabric of the jacket made it quite weather appropriate, especially if you consider that up until this last week, much of Michigan was still struggling to break 60 degree weather! For those of us working in cooler office environments, a light blazer is not only something to stave off chilly arms, but also the perfect solution to dressing up jeans for a casual Friday.

The BEST part about this outfit is the $986 I saved thrifting it. You heard me right—the InStyle version of this outfit was actually a little OVER $1000, and my version was done 100% thrifted for $14. Not bad…not bad at all. 

If you want to know the truth, I think I knocked this one out of the park!

ELEMENTS:

Red Blazer (thrifted at Hope’s Outlet for $2)

Chambray dress shirt (thrifted at Hope’s Outlet for $2)

Jeans (thrifted for $3 at Goodwill)

Nude peep toe heels (thrifted for $4 at Goodwill)

Wrist watch ($1 at Hope’s Outlet)

Vintage ring ($1 at Hope’s Outlet)

Blue vintage clutch ($1 at Hope’s Outlet)

Multi-strand Necklace: (Freebie! I "DIY"d this a few years ago, check out the post here!)

FASHION TIP: As you can see from the original photo above, I did a NUDE heel rather than a leopard print heel.  There were a few reasons for this. Namely, though I do own some leopard print wedge sandals, I did not have a leopard heel (but it’s something that’s really on my thrift wish list right now).

Also, I felt that this outfit looked more polished with heels rather than a high heeled sandal.

Additionally, it’s always good to remember that you can exchange and match nudes with colors/accessories/elements the same way you would with animal print and vice versa. Where nude goes, so does animal print. Try this trick in your wardrobe to spice things up a bit if you are a fan of nude, and if you’re a fan of animal print, the reverse could bring a little needed change into your daily ensemble!

A LITTLE ON MY HAIR: To get this look, I actually put my hair in soft rubber rollers the night before, mostly dry. I used Clairol "Lock and Roll"...remember those?  They are actually some of my favorite, but honestly--not the most comfortable to snooze in. ;)

Once my curls had set over night, I took them out, seperated them gently with my fingers, parted my hair on the side and pinned it hair back into this very messy twist with a multitude of bobby pins! This look really doesn't work without the unique volume of curler set hair!