Fashion and Beauty $$ Saving Tips!

        Have you ever walked down the street and walked by someone who was wearing something they really shouldn’t have been wearing? I don’t know about you but it seems as if everywhere I go there is that one person who has absolutely no idea the fashion suicide they are committing. As a fashion/beauty/bargain lover, it not only kills me to see someone wearing something that just does not look good, but also when minor beauty maintenance gets ignored. I always have the urge to take them on an educational shopping trip and give some good advice. Although the possibility of me enlightening strangers with my ideas on fashion and beauty is unlikely, I figure I can take this opportunity to give a few pointers and share some valuable tips and tricks that may become helpful one day!

Wearing leggings as Pants:

Leggings. They are a fast, comfortable, and an easy contribution to an outfit.  Although there is much to love about leggings, they are also see-through around the bottom half.  Sadly, many women fail to notice this when putting together their ensemble in the morning. I know for me personally, I can go without seeing someone’s crack.  It is not sexy, or cute. When purchasing leggings try to buy a few longer shirts that you can pull down over your bottom half. If you have trouble finding longer shirts you can find a great variety at H & M. They typically sell these shirts for under $10.00 in an assortment of summer colors.


  Chipped finger nail polish:

 As I approach my last few weeks of college, I find myself stumbling for time to paint my nails and maintain them. According to nailcare.lifetips.com, a manicure should last one to two weeks. This means the average person will have to fix up their nails about every week and a half requiring extra time. For all you busy bees out there like me, I understand your pain. I have found that it is best to remove your nail polish with remover instead of having chipped nails. If there is no time to make a salon appointment, this is your best bet. No nail polish is better than chipped nails that can ultimately look sloppy and unprofessional. So, next time you are in a time crunch grab some remover and rock some natural nails! My personal bargain favorite is Sally Hansen's nail strengthener $4 nail polish remover. You can find a cheaper version that works just as well at Walmart for about $2 .


Wearing a bra that is too small:

For us girls out there, the famous Bra undergarment is a pretty important part of a final outfit choice. Unfortunately, many girls fail to acknowledge this and overlook the bras important role in fashion. When wearing a bra, a bra should cover enough to eliminate any kind of spillage. I see many girls wear bras that are too small and as a result make their shirts fit awkwardly. This is when “the sneaky bra pull down” move comes into play.  I see many girls “adjusting” their bras throughout their day, which can not only be uncomfortable, but can also make a cute shirt look bad.  As a female, I feel that having the right bra is important because every girl wants that awesome shirt to fit right. To fix this fashion slip you can visit your local Victoria’s Secret that offers FREE sizing and suggestions from a bra specialist. At the end of your visit you will be given a  “Your perfect fit” card with your personal measurements. With this card, you will then be able to find flattering styles that will suit you and your body shape.

Greasy Hair:

  Someone walks by you with noticeably greasy hair. Gross right? Its not the most flattering when someone sitting next to you has clearly not washed their hair. Not only is it gross, but it also leaves the hair looking extremely dull. These circumstances can happen to anyone. A late night out with friends, and an early class the following morning can leave you with no time to wash and style your hair.  A great quick fix to this is some good ole’ fashioned baby powder. Take a small amount into the palm of your hand and gently rub it around the roots removing the excess powder. When baby powder is not conveniently available, putting your hair into a French braid or topping a cute hat will also do the job. The less noticeable it is that you have not washed your hair…the better! John Frieda also has "Root Awakening" shampoo and conditioner that is $4.99-$5.99 at Target.

WON: Betsey Johnson designer dress for less than $100 on Ebay!

Originally: $460        Won for: $95.00

In the mist of searching for a dress to wear to my cousins wedding, I was desperate to find something fashionable and cheap. With Betsey Johnson being my favorite designer, I instantly searched for dresses on Ebay  in hope to find something appropriate for the occasion. As I scrolled page after page the prices not only were out of my price range, but not exactly what I was looking for. The dresses that were in my price range were "used". I tend to be a little picky when it comes to buying used items on Ebay due to my uncertainty of the quality and the risk you take in purchasing an item previously used.

 Just as my hopes began to run low I came across a few dresses labeled "new" Betsey Johnson dress. I saved them to my "watch" list and hoped that I would win one of the dresses.As the first bid approached I continued to check back to see just how high the price had gone up. Every dress that I had on my watch list had been bid out my price range, except one. A blue teal dress with a cream underlining had not been touched. The price sat at $95.00 and my budget was $100. The dress was originally $460, new with tags.

With Betsey Johnson formal dresses running at about $300 + , this really seemed like a really fantastic deal. Skeptical with the low price I inspected the seller's rating and found nothing but good reviews. I also inspected item details and photographs which only made me more excited about my bargain find. With only three hours left on the bid, I didn't want to get my hopes up. I  was nervous I might lose the bid on this dress. This was my last hope in finding a dress for the wedding which was approaching in three weeks time. Laptop in hand I checked on the dress every 30 minutes.

As the bid came closer to the ending time I hoped that someone else was not doing the same thing I was doing and waiting until the very last 10 seconds to bid on the dress. With my budget being so close to the starting bid price, I knew I was taking my chances. At 10 seconds left, I placed my bid to $95.00 (the starting price of the dress) and waited. Those 10 seconds were the longest 10 seconds of my life. When the bid finally was over I refreshed my screen and was thrilled to read the words "you have just won this bid!". 


With shipping prices my dress came out to be just about $100. I received my dress in three days and was very pleased with my purchase. This has been one of the BEST bargain finds I have found in a long time. To all of you fashion-lovers out there, don't give up hope in finding cheap designer pieces! Take your time, be patient and scout Ebay on a daily basis. Things are constantly being put up and you never know what kind of deal you might find! 

Back of Dress

Front of Dress