Styled Smart: Frugal Fragrance Find

The spring is officially here and with it brings a desire for new things!! I have been longing to purchase the new scent from Yves Saint Laurent, Manifesto. So I popped into Macy’s and made my purchase! Because the fragrance is a new release it came with loads of samples and a small purse spray! I was so excited!!! After bathing and applying my new fragrance I realized that it wasn’t exactly what I wanted from my new spring fragrance!! So I popped back into Macy’s, but I went to a Macy’s a little closer to home!!! They were having a huge mall event and I wanted to catch some deals!! But I wasn’t prepared for the deal I came across today!!! I went to return my YSL fragrance but the sales women wouldn’t let me leave empty handed. They had a fantastic promo for Rhianna’s fragrance Reb’l Fleur. The $65 you get her fragrance Belle and either her new Nude or original Reb’l Fleur!!! On top of that two for one offer, a trendy watch and a sassy purse is also offered absolutely free!!

Needless to say I made the exchange happily!! Now I have two fragrances and all the extras for less than my original purchase! All smiles!!

Make-up: Frugal Finds for Pricey Pursuits

There are many new products that are simply amazing and also mirror products that have a more expensive price tag!!! My goal is simple, to look amazing and spend very little to achieve this feat!

Below are just a couple of items I use daily. I will show the more pricey version and list the benefits of both!

Yves Saint Laurent -Rouge Pur Couture (glossy stain) $34.00
This product gives a very supple appearance to the lip and doesn’t look too made up!!! It’s a stain so it will have the lasting power need to face the day and not look back!!
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L'Oreal Color Riche Caresse $9.99
This product is marketed just like its YSL rival and only costs a fraction if the price!
There is a wide variety of color to choose from!!! And with stains growing in popularity because of their effortlessness, you grab two and still spend less than you would for one YSL glossy stain!!!
#amazing

MAC Paint Pots $18.50
These are pro long wear matte colored primer like eyelid colors that will amplify a bold look if desired. Their application is smooth and the come in an array of colors.

Maybelline Color Tattoo -Cream Gel Eyeshadow $4.97 (Wal-mart)
These are about one third of the cost of MAC Paint Pots and perform the same function!!! I currently have the color Tough as Taupe and it is amazing!!! I use it the make my purples, blues and oranges pop!!!

The Cure: Google it, Try it, Buy it or Leave it!!!

The most important advice I share with clients is to shop smart! You will save money and precious time by figuring out what you really want from a product and how to get in the most cost effective way possible! Start with a little research!!! Maybe you’ve been wanting a new lipstick and you just received an email from MAC about their new Viva Glam lipstick and gloss!!! Or you have always wanted a huge leather Coach purse like your friends have!!! And you could possible want to try the new pixie look like a lot of Hollywood celebs! Whatever it is!! Use Google’s search engine to search for exactly what you want. That way when you start your search you can just whip out a picture and say it want that. Search and save a few pictures of other options that you would like just in case what you really want isn’t available or not right for you! If you have a smartphone you can even label a photo album folder as “shopping” so that you can go right to your pictures!

After you have done a little research on what you want its time to figure out if its right for you. If you are trying on makeup, make sure you leave with a fresh clean, moisturized face. You want whatever product you use on your face to show as it would when you put it on from home. For lipstick its important to use a lip scrub to remove any dead skin that would effect the look after application. Use a balm on your way to the store to insure you have a little moisture treatment as trying on lipstick will dry your lips! If you are looking for a new purse, don’t be afraid to try it on and even remove some of your items and place them in the display purse. A purse above all else should be functional! For clothes bring your control undergarments with you so that you can get a true sense of what you will look like in your clothes.

Now it’s time to figure out whether to buy it or leave it!!! Go back to the pictures that you saved in your smartphone! Did you go off track a little or did you pick up extra items!! Aim for the item that you came to purchase. When you were at home, you chose the picture you did for a reason. Maybe you shoes for the dress you chose. Or maybe all your lipsticks are too dark and you need a lighter one! Maybe your purse is falling apart and you want something different than what you have. As shoppers we tend to pick up and grab things we already have out of habit. It’s easier to get out of your comfort zone if you see that what you have isn’t going to do the trick!! If you have looked and you haven’t found what you are looking, leave what you have. Save your money for what you really want!