Jae Raids the Drugstore: Best (and Worst) Beauty Buys II

So, you guys know I was on a shopping fast last month because I haven't shut up about it for the last 60 days. Like, we get it Jae. You didn't shop. There are starving children in Africa.

Of course, I had to have an outlet for shopping or else I would have ended up with the shakes, so makeup made up almost all of my purchases for the entire month of April.

Seriously, in true addict style I ended up just going to Walgreens and throwing the entire beauty department in my cart. Then I talked myself out of it and only came home with a few things. My husband and my bank account were grateful.

I thought I'd show you some of the stuff that I got that I loved (and hated) on the cheap at the drugstore. It's OK to feed your habit if you're also shopping for cough medicine, right? RIGHT!?


Rimmel Scandal Eyes Mascara

Despite the fact that I HATE the commercial for this stuff (seriously, it's not the gap that bugs me, it's the ugly face she makes OVER and OVER again during the entire spot) but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway. I did that thing where you put saline solution in your mascara to make it last longer at the very end, but I could only make it last so long and the stupid Nordstrom near me shut down and I had a mascara emergency! I actually really like this stuff! It's not as smooth as my usual mascara, and I don't think I like it as much as Million Lashes, but it's pretty close. Gives me nice, fat lashes, which is the only part of my body that I would ever wish to be nice and fat.


Sonia Kashuk Brush Couture

Can I just tell you how much I love Sonia Kashuk brushes? Obviously they're from Target and not the drugstore, but I feel like because Target HAS a drug store, it counts. Anyway, this is my second set of SK brushes - the others I had for almost three years. They're super soft and lovely. I love the huge one for bronzer, and the last one in that row makes the coolest smoky eyes in one step, which is pretty brilliant. And I got all of them for like, $14 - not too shabby!

Wet n' Wild Color Icon Shadow Trio in Knock on Wood.

I was in a beauty slump last month and wanted something to kick it, but I also didn't want to commit to something pricey, so I picked this little number up for a couple of bucks. I'm telling you now: If you have blue eyes, get this palette! It's totally foolproof - I mean, each color tells you where it goes on your eyes, for goodness sake - and it makes my blue eyes totally pop. It would look really pretty with brown eyes too. I'm impressed!


Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss

Would you laugh at me if I told you I bought this at Walmart while we were picking up patio chairs and a couple of plants? Because that's how I roll. This stuff is like grown-up Lip Smackers. I can't really sat if it improved my lips at all, which is like, the whole schtick for this stuff, but it tastes awesome and I like the hint of color it gives. It's my new go-to laid-back lip that I keep in my purse and reapply 50,000 times per day.


Wet n' Wild Mega Eyes Liquid Liner

Oh, Wet n' Wild. You did so well with the Trio and then failed miserably with this liquid liner.

I totally hate it. I ran out of my beloved e.l.f. liner (are you detecting a pattern here? I make risky makeup choices when my stuff runs out) and grabbed this when I was out and about. I just hate the way it goes on. It seems like a liquid, but the coverage is pretty terrible. I needed like, three coats for it to show up. Not a fan :(


Maybelline Volume Seduction XXL

Makeup names are ridiculous. Anyway, this stuff is like a crack stick. I LOVE IT. I grabbed a couple - in Born With It (shown) and Fully Blushed - and I love them both. I've bought plumping lip stuff before, and usually it just stung. This gets your lips all tingly and I love the super sheer colors. You also get a ton of shine. I'm actually really glad I bought two - the one shown is really sheer, and then I got a pinker tone. If you're looking for Angelina lips, you're not going to get it from a lip gloss, but I love that these brought a ton of natural color. Definitely a keeper.

K, it's your turn. Have you found anything that you love for cheap at the drugstore you can share? Or have you tried any of the stuff I bought in a moment of weakness?

Dealing with a Tiny Clothing Budget

OMG I cannot wait for Friday so we can finally talk about the slit heard 'round the world from Angelina Jolie. Did you know her right leg now has it's own Twitter feed. I kid you not.

But today, can we talk budgets? I get approached by various companies hoping to do a review or giveaway or whatever, but a lot of times I turn them down because their product is out of what I would spend on something. I know my audience, and mostly, my audience is 20- and 30-something moms that have smallish clothing budgets. You're probably not going to drop $200 on a pair of lambskin gloves, am I right? Besides, it was a LAMB. Someone skinned a LAMB.

I feel your pain when it comes to budget. We all know by now that my husband and I were basically destitute when we first got married. He went to school and worked two jobs while I waited for my immigration papers to go through. It was a dark, dark period in my life, during which I did uncharacteristic things like scrapbooked and went for walks.

*shudder*

But hello, we're not millionaires. And when I spend too much on clothes, I definitely get a stern look from my hubs, but it doesn't last long because later he'll get hungry and literally doesn't know how to peel an orange without my help. So I try to keep the monthly total as low as possible to spare our marriage and save me from a fleeting stern look. If you're trying to do the same, shall we talk bargain hunting tips?

-Buy accessories. I think I say this a lot. A huge cocktail ring is seriously like, $4 at F21. It'll make all the difference in a plain outfit and it's totally worth the one dollar bills you have floating around the bottom of your diaper bag. Wanna know what I do? I empty out my pockets into my vanity when I'm getting ready for bed at night and then use all the ones that I've accumulated to buy pretty things. Of course, buying everything with ones kinda makes you look like a stripper, but at least a stripper with really good taste in cocktail rings.

-Hit the sales racks. Most stores start clearing out winter stuff for summer inventory by the end of January and February, which is ludicrous because there is definitely still snow on the ground where i live. I've scored tons of great deals on jackets, sweaters and boots by waiting for a bit to buy. No, seriously. Once my husband tried on a jacket he loved, but we couldn't justify the $100 price tag. Come March, it was $15 so I bought it and looked like a high roller. So check out the clearance section... just watch out for the freak sizes. WHO is a size 00. WHO!?

-Give yourself a budget. So I like to shop. That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. But I don't always blow a huge amount of money on an entirely new wardrobe in one day. In fact, that's never happened -- you know that a lot of the stuff I have is literally years old. Instead, I usually see what I can score for under $30 or $40 and that way, I'm pushed to find better deals and I get in less trouble.

-Save up for big sales. I love the Memorial Day sale in Park City. But I don't want to give the hubs a heart attack, so I usually restrict my spending in May. That way, I do less of a walk of shame when heading back with my purchases because It's about what I would spend in a month anyway.

-Take inventory. Whenever I complain that I have nothing to wear, I need a complete reality check. We talked about wardrobes having good bones, right? Check out your closet and deal with the stuff you had. Not in an annoying "Frugalistashopyourclosetrecessionchic" way, because that makes me barf. But what about taking an afternoon when your kids are out of the house, blasting the Bon Jovi and going through your closet? Actually try stuff on and see how you can mix and match what you already have to come up with new combos. You can also get rid of old stuff. I'll take a bare closet filled with awesome staples over a packed closet filled with crap that doesn't fit any day.

Confession time: sometimes, when I get home from a shopping trip with like, a new scarf, I try stuff on in a weird, teen movie makeover montage way. Try it!

-Swap with friends. Every magazine ever is going on about clothing swaps with friends, but that's not what I mean. Mostly because I don't want to give away my clothes, ever. But I will literally let anyone borrow my clothes and shoes. Like, pretend you're invited to a work cocktail party with your husband. If you don't already have a cocktail dress in your closet, you probably don't want to spend major dough on something you'll wear once. Check with your same-sized friends to see if anyone else does. I'm always happy to lend out my duds to save a friend from budget blowout.

-Invest in the good stuff. Buying a $10 pair of jeans is great -- if you plan on wearing them once in a while. But if you're a die-hard jeans lover and wear them every day, it's best to spend more on a better pair than to buy five pairs of crap quality pants. I invest in daily-wear shoes, but I'll definitely bargain-hunt on a pair of crazy heels.

Is this doable? I feel like there's nothing earth-shattering here (except for the part where I divulged that I listen to Bon Jovi when nobody is home), but sometimes it's worth the reminder that a tiny budget doesn't mean you can go shopping in your South Park pajama pants, (seriously WHY) .

Although I will admit that I totally went to the store to buy toilet paper in my workout clothes today. It was gross and sweaty and I don't want to talk about it.

If I Had Thirty Dollars...

So the other day a cheque (check for you born and bred Yankees) for $30 arrived in the mail for me unexpectedly. Since the $30 wasn't going to make much difference to my bank account either way, I resolved to spend it on something pretty for myself. (Moi? Shopping for moi? Unheard of.)

There are likely some naysayers who scoff at my $30. "$30!?" They say. "Shame on you. You should only buy expensive designer pieces, or none at all!" Well, I say that is crazy talk. There is a lot of good style that can be bought for a paltry $30. And since I feel like I've been doing a lot of Freaky Friday posts as of late, I am far too chipper about my $30 to rain on anyone's fashion parade. Instead I give you some awesome buys for $30 and below.




I think I've sung my song of love for trouser jeans before, have I not. I got a pair at the Gap for a measly $6 and I LOOOVE them. LOVE. And you wear them and people are like "ooh, what's the occasion?" and you're like "Um, I like wearing pants?" Anyway, I couldn't find mine from Gap BUT I did find these for $20 at Alloy.com.


Ooh, I love a good multiple strand necklace. Yes, they get tangled and then you have to have your sister in law detangle them while you frantically get ready to go out (This may have happened to me once) but they're so pretty! This one from PacSun WILL be mine - $6.


I love a pretty ring. I love a huge ring. A huge, pretty ring? Double love for a mere $16 from American Eagle.

Clutches complete my life. I am looking for a pretty frilly one. The ones that I have are usually pretty structured, but now that spring is coming it's time for some girly goodness. This one is by Steve Madden for $30. Love the non-girly color too.

Ahh! I've been looking for a double strand belt. Yet another in my "things I can wear with my Fryes" arsenal. Asos for $30.


Aw, how pretty is this headband? And how easy would it be to wear it and feel pretty? The answer: very easy. Ans since it's only $7 from Dorothy Perkins, I would have $23 left to spend on myself. Oh, spending money on myself is ever so much fun.



Ah, this sweater conjures up notions of sitting on my chaise lounge and writing in my journal with a feather pen. Since I don't own a chaise lounge, a journal or a feather pen, I'll have to be content with wearing it while shopping. Old Navy, $27


K, so number one gripe with LIFE in general: people who wear vintage tees without really caring about what's on them. Fortunately, I am a big Beatles fan and love me some Strawberry Fields Forever. I also imagine, while I am having American Idol tryout competitions in my car, that I would sing Let it Be for Beatles night. YES I DO THINK ABOUT THIS SERIOUSLY. Anyway, you too can have a piece of my Idol dream with a graphic tee like this... Delias for $15.


Cutest shoes of life. I love the rhinestones on the bow. It makes them not so bo peep sweet. Forever 21,
$23

Such a pretty statement cuff for only $30. I love pearls. My next big jewelry purchase will be a pearl ring, I'm sure of it. I think they are so pretty and classic and they go with everything. I'd wear this cuff with a black tee and jeans and call it good.

Okay, so, as I'm off to hit the mall with my twenty and a ten, if you're feeling up to it, sneak a couple of bills out of your husband's wallet, blame it on his sketchy coworker and go see what you can find on the cheap. Wear it, feel good about it, and return and report.

Sweet Deals on Stuff You Should Buy

This is horrible. I set out looking for good deals, and I ended up buying a lot of stuff. Don't tell my husband.

I'm sticking with tops and dresses today because I don't recommend you buy pants or short over the internet. They really need to be tried on before buying.

Changing up your wardrobe shouldn't have to be expensive. There are pieces all over the place that aren't going to break your budget. All of this stuff can be found at the clothing company's corresponding websites. Happy shopping. Direct your husband's hate mail to me.

Nordstrom - $14

Venus - $10

Venus - $10

15DollarStore.com -$15 (Obviously)

Body Central - $15 (love this one an obsessive amount)

Body Central - $15

Macy's - $18

Venus - $24

Nordstrom - $12 (Oh my gosh, this with a little brown cardigan? Adorable.)

Lesson One:

If someone were to come up to me who wasn't feeling super awesome about themselves, and really wanted to change they way they looked and dress, and asked me what the first step would be, this is what I would tell them.

Two words. Statement. Lipgloss.

I know, right? It sounds odd. Why, when you're feeling crappy about your frumpy self image do you need lipgloss?

First of all, you are too old for Lip Smackers. I know they are delicious. I held onto my Dr. Pepper one from grade 7 for YEARS. Chapstick has it's place and time, but remember, we're looking for something a little less mommyish.

Moms (Okay, moms other than me) rarely spend money on themselves, right? But I KNOW you have $20 tucked away somewhere. Don't spend it on your kids. Take it and spend it on yourself.

No, do not buy this lip gloss at the grocery store. Or even the drug store. This is department store territory, baby.

My two favorites are by Dior and Coach. I know what you're thinking. Those are designer! They sound expensive! That's the best part about the statement lip gloss - it's only about $13 more than a drugstore Cover Girl gloss, but the difference is amazing. The quality is good, you get the gorgeous little statement tube, and when you slick it on, you are going to feel better about yourself. TRUST ME. Not to mention, it's such a super fast way to look put together when you're really not. Fake it till you make it, baby!

I have this one - Dior Addict in Fucshia Poplin. So pretty! Not to mention, hello! How gorgeous is the bottle?

Love these colors too:





Spend $20 on yourself. It's going to be your first step to de-mommifying. Then we'll work on the jeans.