Thursday, April 1, 2010
Speaking of Travel
Smart and Sassy with Sprinkles is having a giveaway on her blog for a travel jewelry box! It's adorable and easy to enter. Just go >here< and find out how you can enter to win too! She also posted a great blog with some travel tips of her own, so don't hesitate to check those out as well!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tips for traveling light(er).
Summer is on it's way, and I just got back from a little Spring Break vacay as I'm sure some of you did as well and since I'm always moving or traveling, I decided this last year to make it a point to perfect the art of traveling light(er). I can generally get away with a couple carry on bags now for an almost two week trip. It's not always easy but I wanted to share some of my tips on how I do it.
*Hair product samples! Sounds SO simple but it's true. Especially when you are flying and you have a small bag to put all your liquids in, having hair samples is so convenient. It doesn't take up too much space so you can save more room for make-up products or other hair products that you can't get samples of. When I order from places like Sephora that give away free samples with every order, I usually try to click some of the hair products because they are so small and if I'm going for two weeks I can take two or three and I'm not lugging around bottles of everything that I need to worry about spilling or bringing back.
*If you are going somewhere warm, dresses are very convenient, can be worn casual or dressy, and don't take up a lot of room. Maxi dresses that don't wrinkle are very nice for this, but there are always hangers in hotels rooms, and if you're staying with a friend or family member, I'm sure they'll share. Even in the winter you can always layer a dress with leggings or tights and a sweater and if you bring several different tights or sweaters you can change up your outfits with very little work. Maxi Tee dresses are having their time in the sun this year and those are perfect worn so many ways, they're comfy, and cute.
*A few key accessories like bangles or a few layered necklaces can also help you change up an outfit like taking you from day to night with little effort. Pack a nice braided belt to wear with pretty much anything, some bangles to stack up can take you to the beach or a nice night out. Don't forget a vest! Hats can be great too if that's your thing, as long as they aren't too big and can travel nicely.
*I pack just one extra hand bag along with the one I'm going to be taking with me on the plane or in the car, that way if I want something else to match a different look I have it. I know some people really like those Miche bags. I don't have one but that would be convenient for travel as you could just change the shell and not have to bring a whole other bag with you.
*Pack some basics: comfy tee's, a pair of jeans that look great day/night, a few dresses, leggings, and a sweater or two. Make sure several of these things can match each other so you can change your looks without having to pack a million different "outfits". This was the hardest thing for me because I would always pack outfits instead of key pieces to mix and match. It's great to have a few stand out pieces but if everything is like that you'll find it harder to get by on less and harder to pack less.
*SHOES: A pair or two of neutral sandals or flip flops and a pair of shoes you can walk around in all day and still be comfy. Toms are a good choice for comfy shoes that can go with pretty much anything and still keep you looking great. There are so many different styles and they are so lightweight they don't take up a lot of space, but when you need that extra support for walking around a lot-they are pretty great. Converse are also pretty versatile and depending on your style can be worn with dresses as well. Keds and Vans can also be really nice choices. Most of these shoes can also be dressed up depending on the style. A sexy pair of heels, a couple pairs of sandals, and nice pair of flats/sneakers is all you really need to get you through your trip.
*A versatile make up palette is a must. A smokey eye palette, or something with several colors you can wear for lots of different looks that isn't too big is perfect. If you have a contour palette or something that comes with several colors in one, those are great because you don't need to bring 5 different blushes or bronzers, etc. Nude lipsticks are perfect for almost any look, are really in right now, and if you want to save the space you can always just use your foundation or concealer and just bring a gloss to wear on top.
What I do is I pick out things I want to bring and I choose only some of them, ones that I know I can mix and match. Most of the time you are near a washing machine or your hotel can send it out so I try to get away with less as much as possible. It's hard but it can be done! So these are things I do in order to pack a little lighter. I know quite a few of you travel quite a bit, some even with children, so what are things you do to pack light(er)?
*Hair product samples! Sounds SO simple but it's true. Especially when you are flying and you have a small bag to put all your liquids in, having hair samples is so convenient. It doesn't take up too much space so you can save more room for make-up products or other hair products that you can't get samples of. When I order from places like Sephora that give away free samples with every order, I usually try to click some of the hair products because they are so small and if I'm going for two weeks I can take two or three and I'm not lugging around bottles of everything that I need to worry about spilling or bringing back.
*If you are going somewhere warm, dresses are very convenient, can be worn casual or dressy, and don't take up a lot of room. Maxi dresses that don't wrinkle are very nice for this, but there are always hangers in hotels rooms, and if you're staying with a friend or family member, I'm sure they'll share. Even in the winter you can always layer a dress with leggings or tights and a sweater and if you bring several different tights or sweaters you can change up your outfits with very little work. Maxi Tee dresses are having their time in the sun this year and those are perfect worn so many ways, they're comfy, and cute.
*A few key accessories like bangles or a few layered necklaces can also help you change up an outfit like taking you from day to night with little effort. Pack a nice braided belt to wear with pretty much anything, some bangles to stack up can take you to the beach or a nice night out. Don't forget a vest! Hats can be great too if that's your thing, as long as they aren't too big and can travel nicely.
*I pack just one extra hand bag along with the one I'm going to be taking with me on the plane or in the car, that way if I want something else to match a different look I have it. I know some people really like those Miche bags. I don't have one but that would be convenient for travel as you could just change the shell and not have to bring a whole other bag with you.
*Pack some basics: comfy tee's, a pair of jeans that look great day/night, a few dresses, leggings, and a sweater or two. Make sure several of these things can match each other so you can change your looks without having to pack a million different "outfits". This was the hardest thing for me because I would always pack outfits instead of key pieces to mix and match. It's great to have a few stand out pieces but if everything is like that you'll find it harder to get by on less and harder to pack less.
*SHOES: A pair or two of neutral sandals or flip flops and a pair of shoes you can walk around in all day and still be comfy. Toms are a good choice for comfy shoes that can go with pretty much anything and still keep you looking great. There are so many different styles and they are so lightweight they don't take up a lot of space, but when you need that extra support for walking around a lot-they are pretty great. Converse are also pretty versatile and depending on your style can be worn with dresses as well. Keds and Vans can also be really nice choices. Most of these shoes can also be dressed up depending on the style. A sexy pair of heels, a couple pairs of sandals, and nice pair of flats/sneakers is all you really need to get you through your trip.
*A versatile make up palette is a must. A smokey eye palette, or something with several colors you can wear for lots of different looks that isn't too big is perfect. If you have a contour palette or something that comes with several colors in one, those are great because you don't need to bring 5 different blushes or bronzers, etc. Nude lipsticks are perfect for almost any look, are really in right now, and if you want to save the space you can always just use your foundation or concealer and just bring a gloss to wear on top.
What I do is I pick out things I want to bring and I choose only some of them, ones that I know I can mix and match. Most of the time you are near a washing machine or your hotel can send it out so I try to get away with less as much as possible. It's hard but it can be done! So these are things I do in order to pack a little lighter. I know quite a few of you travel quite a bit, some even with children, so what are things you do to pack light(er)?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The White Queen Inspired Look
I know I promised you all a Mad Hatter inspired look, but after watching the film I decided to take that look in a different way, and admittedly still a little conflicted. However, I had done a White Queen inspired look already and I still really like it and wanted to share it with you all.
To get this look all you need for your eyes is a good base, white eyeliner, and a shimmery white eyeliner if you have it. If not try a shimmery white eyeshadow and apply it wet. The only other items I used aside from my regular foundation and powder is a wine colored blush. I also used a white highlight for my cheek contouring as well. This is optional. To create this eyeliner look is very easy. It's pretty much the "Amy Winehouse" look. Take your white pencil eyeliner and make a thick cat eye. If you mess up that's okay because you can always go BIGGER! Line your water line and go along lightly over your eyelid along your lashline with the shimmer white eyeliner or shimmery white eyeshadow. Take it from the corner of your bottom lash line from one end to the other lightly. Curl your eyelashes and apply mascara. Apply your blush and make sure to highlight the top of your cheek bones with the white if you have it because it really adds more white to the look which is what you are going for. I took my foundation and applied to my lips and made sure to set with a powder. I then applied a very light pinky silver colored lip gloss and that's the look!
Actual products used:
Face: Nars Concealer Custard/Ginger
MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation in NC25
MAC Blotting Powder in Medium
Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Sephora Crayon Eye Pencil in White
Victoria's Secret Sparkling Eyeliner in Sparkling White
Smashbox Lash DNA Mascara in Jetblack
Cheeks:
MAC Beauty Powder Blush in On A Mission
Smashbox Soft Lights in Illuminate (just the white)
Lips:
MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation in NC25
MAC Blotting Powder in Medium
Sonia Kashuk Ultra Shine Sheer Lip Gloss in Sugar
*Also don't forget to do your brows and highlight your brow bone!
I hope you all enjoyed this little how to! Let us know what you think about the look, and if you try it yourself, send us your pictures! We would love to see them!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Turn an old T-Shirt into a bag
Today I wanted to experiment with this tutorial I had seen on how to make a bag out of an old T-Shirt. I had this Digital Underground shirt that was a little too short on me that I got for about $1.00 that I thought would work perfectly for this. It was my first sewing project completely on my own with no help or interference from anyone else so you know it was easy to do! This is a great bag because you can use it as a shopper at the grocery store for produce, or for the mall or bookstore, or you could make a bag out of a child's shirt for your daughter or son to use as an overnight bag or for dress ups or whatever you can think up to use it for! Maybe even Trick or Treating during Halloween! The steps are simple, you just take a shirt and turn it inside out, sew or surge the bottom near the seam across the entire bottom (you want to sew it together like you are making a pillow case or something similar), turn it back to right side out and cut the arms and neck off to make it look like a thick strapped tank top. After you finish those steps you are DONE! It's that easy!
Happy Sewing!
Friday, March 12, 2010
more organizing tips
So first off, if you don't keep all your taller boots in their boxes when you store them, a great way to keep them upright so they aren't falling over and making that weird crease is to use a magazine rolled up. Go on girls I know you have some old Vogues lying around ;)
And another thing worth mentioning, if you can find a hat rack at a thrift store, garage sale, etc. they are great for hanging your purses. Unless of course you have enough hats to fill the rack, then by all means, hat it up! I am now on the hunt for an old hat rack!
I know some of you have already seen this because I posted it on my personal blog a while back, but I wanted to make mention on here of an easy do it yourself earring holder. All you need is an old frame, any size that you feel would be big enough to accomodate your collection, fiberglass or aluminum screening (whichever you have or prefer), and a staple gun. You can also paint it any way you want to match your room. Here is a picture of what it should look like:
(No that is not my entire collection of earrings, hehehe)
Hope some of these help you get creative!
And another thing worth mentioning, if you can find a hat rack at a thrift store, garage sale, etc. they are great for hanging your purses. Unless of course you have enough hats to fill the rack, then by all means, hat it up! I am now on the hunt for an old hat rack!
I know some of you have already seen this because I posted it on my personal blog a while back, but I wanted to make mention on here of an easy do it yourself earring holder. All you need is an old frame, any size that you feel would be big enough to accomodate your collection, fiberglass or aluminum screening (whichever you have or prefer), and a staple gun. You can also paint it any way you want to match your room. Here is a picture of what it should look like:
(No that is not my entire collection of earrings, hehehe)
Hope some of these help you get creative!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Ebates
So as a Sexy Saver I'm always trying to find new ways to save money and still look great! I don't know how I haven't found it sooner, but there is a website called ebates and it is AWESOME!!!!! You get CASH BACK when you use their site to shop online. It doesn't cost anything and they will provide any codes they may have for saving you money as well. There are so many sites that use ebates it's ridiculous! Even ebay does! So if you shop online a lot like I do, earn yourself some money and use ebates! I am kicking myself for not using it sooner! There are so many other benefits they provide other than the cash back aspect, but that alone is well worth it! If you are feeling generous, sign up under my link and don't forget to invite your friends too!
CLICK HERE FOR EBATES
CLICK HERE FOR EBATES
Sunday, February 28, 2010
inexpensive organization
How do you organize your pretty things? A few great ways that are worth mentioning are as follows:
1. Finding those silver serving dishes at thrift stores for a catch all or jewelry holder like this:
2. Use those wall hooks that you can stick on the wall with a sticky on the back, but instead of using the plain white, go with the silver ones to make it look nicer. They are still plastic but they just have a more classic look:
Do you have a creative/inexpensive way you do it? Please share! We would love to see/hear about new ways to do things and we would love to share them with others on our blog!
1. Finding those silver serving dishes at thrift stores for a catch all or jewelry holder like this:
2. Use those wall hooks that you can stick on the wall with a sticky on the back, but instead of using the plain white, go with the silver ones to make it look nicer. They are still plastic but they just have a more classic look:
Do you have a creative/inexpensive way you do it? Please share! We would love to see/hear about new ways to do things and we would love to share them with others on our blog!
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