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I have to say: If there’s one upside to this economy, it’s that department stores, boutiques, online shopping sites, and designers alike are so desperate to clothe us (a.k.a. sell stuff) that prices on everything from sunglasses to wedding gowns are slashed. Which is great for girls like me, who are, well, still desperate to be clothed by them! The bottom line is that, if you know where to look, you’ll never buy a full-priced handbag, pair of It jeans, or must-have dress again.
Shop it to Me
Shop it to Me markets itself as your own personal shopper, and it’s a pretty accurate tagline. Sign up on the website; tell it what types of sales you’d like to hear about (i.e. women’s clothing, bags, and shoes and girls’ clothing); input your various sizes; select your favorite brands/designers from dozens of options, including Marc by Marc Jacobs, BCBG, Theory, DKNY, Nanette Lepore, See by Chloe, and many more; let the site know how often you’d like to receive Sale Mail (I choose twice a week) and, of course, the minimum percent off you’d like to hear about. Voila! Every Tuesday and Friday at 9 a.m. I have a lengthy list of sales from Nordstrom, Shopbop.com, Zappos, Macy’s, and more. Plus, for every 10 friends you recommend who sign on to the site, you get a $10 gift card.
Gilt Groupe
Gilt Groupe is a dream find for designer-hounds. The equivalent of exclusive New York sample sales, the site offers access to women’s, men’s, and children’s luxury designer merchandise reduced by up to 70%. Home decor items are available as well. The way it works: Everyday, you’ll receive an email letting you know of that day’s sale, which will last only 36 hours and usually feature less than a dozen items hand-picked by the designer. It’s not unusual for items to sell out very early, but you can always put yourself on the waiting list. Today, I had my eye on a vivid tangerine silk ruffle dress by Miguelina, reduced from $495 to $198. Unfortunately, my size was already sold out—lesson learned!
Eluxury
Check out the sales section of Eluxury.com for reduced-priced goods from such coveted designers as Versace, Dolce and Gabbana, L.A.M.B., and Marc by Marc Jacobs. If you’ve got a spare $1,300 stashed in a sock drawer somewhere (ha..ha), do me a favor and splurge on this mink-fur stamped suede Fendi bag reduced from $2,450. 
For the rest of us, how about this edgy snake bracelet from Roberto Cavalli, down to $139 from $350? 
Edressme
Full disclosure: I own more than 50 dresses. Knowing it’s obscene won’t stop me from buying more, and when the compulsion hits, I turn to edressme.com. It is the site exclusively devoted to dresses, and you’ll find a ton of bargains on their “under $99” page. How about this adorable black and white tank and ruffle combination by edressme.com for only $61.20? 
Retail Me Not
Retail Me Not offers online coupons for more than 20,000 stores. So before the adrenaline rush makes you hit “Pay,” make sure you’re not missing out on a coupon for free shipping, an additional 20% off, or buy-one-get-one-half-off. I’ve saved up to an additional 30% on purchases through this baby!
And Don’t Neglect to Shop Local
Many local boutiques ask for your e-mail address when you check out. If you love the boutique, give it to ‘em. You’ll be the first to know about sales and events. Just this week, for example, I received an e-mail from one of my favorite local boutiques advertising its spring sale with 20% off new merchandise… and champagne during shopping! Sometimes, boutiques along the same street will put together a joint sales event or host trunk shows by some of their designers. Half the time, these events also offer nibbles by local restaurants and complimentary wine or champagne. If you’re worried that your reserve will fail if you get a little tipsy, just BYO non-influencing beverage.
Happy sale-ing! Let me know what you find. 😊
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Artificial sweeteners in the most unexpected places
Posted by Colleen McKie Categories: Advice, Cuisine, Health,
About two years ago I decided to cut out all artificial sweeteners that weren’t plant based out of my diet. No more aspartame, sucralose or sorbitol for me. The decision was arrived at after I did a bit of reading and came to realize that none of these products were originally designed to be consumed. The discovery of their usability as sweeteners was accidental., and they contain all kinds of bads stuff making them generally not very good for our bodies. I’m not big on ingesting toxins (like the ones found in aspartame) or eating loads of laxatives(sorbitol) so I’ve cut them out of my diet. But once that decision was made, I came to realize just how prevalent artificial sweeteners are.
Bye bye gum
Almost all gum, except for bubble gum, has artificial sweeteners in it. So I haven’t had any of the breath freshening gums in almost two years. At first it was hard, but after a while I didn’t even miss it anymore. Now, I rarely ever think about the fact that I no longer chew gum. And if I need to freshen my breath, I have a mint. After checking to make sure it doesn’t have any artificial sweeteners, of course!
Water anyone?
I am one of those people who hates the taste of water. I know that I don’t get my daily amount and I was thrilled when, a few years ago, different companies started putting out flavoured water. I loved them and found that I was having no problem getting in my eight glasses of H2O a day. Then I started reading the labels. Yep, you guessed it: artificial sweeteners in almost all of them. Danone does have an all natural water, but it’s almost impossible to get where I live.
So now I squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice in my water. It tastes great, and I don’t have to worry about artificial sweeteners. I also drink a lot of herbal tea, which helps because hot beverages count toward your daily water intake, as long as they don’t contain any caffeine.
Sweet fish
I am deathly allergic to lobster and crab, but I love the taste of them. So when I used to get a hankering for seafood I would buy simulated crab meat and that would take care of the craving. Sure, it doesn’t taste exactly like lobster, but it was close enough for me. And heated, dipped in garlic butter? Pure Heaven.
But once I started paying closer attention to what I was eating, I was shocked to read the label and
discover that it had sorbitol in it. I was very disappointed and curious as to why seafood would need to have artificial sweetener added. Never have I had once said, “Gee I want something sweet. Fake crab meat it is!”. So, there goes that food. I haven’t had any in ages and, as with the gum, I no longer miss it.
Cough, cold and sorbitol?
I recently came down with a pretty bad cold and nasty cough. I was okay during the day, sucking on mints and drinking tea, but was having a hard time sleeping at night. So I went to the pharmacy to buy some cough syrup.
Did you know that almost ALL cough syrups have artificial sweeteners in them? Well, they do! I searched for half an hour and finally left empty handed, heading home to cough my head off through the night. The next morning I headed to my favourite grocery store that has a wonderfully large natural food section and found a natural cough syrup, Nin Jiom. I was pleasantly surprised with the taste, a nice mix of menthol and honey, and it worked wonders. Better than some of the other cough syrups I’ve tried over the years. And because it was all natural, there weren’t any other unwanted chemicals or medicines in it. And a 250 ml bottle cost ten dollars, so it was very reasonably priced, too.
Always be wary
If you have decided, like me, to cut artificial sweeteners out of your life, be wary: they can show up in the most unexpected places.
Mint is one of my favorite scents in the world. I quite often have a peppermint candle burning and most of my beauty products have some form of mint in them. There is nothing quite like starting the day off with a hot shower, apple spearmint shampoo and lavender peppermint body wash. It helps wake me up and gets my creative juices flowing.
I have also recently discovered the joy of peppermint tea. I find it’s a great mid morning perk me up without the negative effects of a caffeine headache.
While some of the enjoyment that I get from peppermint is based on the fact that I genuinely love the scent, there is more to it than that. Peppermint has long been a staple of aromatherapy, helping with a number of ailments and both mental and physical problems.
All snuffled up
Vicks is great, isn’t it? Nothing helps a stuffed up head like a whiff of menthol. A few years ago I discovered that by adding a drop or two of peppermint essential oil to an oil burner and sitting next to it I can get the same relief, but without all the stickiness of Vicks Vapor Rub. Putting a drop or two of the oil into a dehumidifier at night works wonders, too. Even brewing a cup of herbed peppermint tea can help unclog your sinuses and make breathing a whole heck of a lot easier.
Rumbly tummy
I don’t get nauseous a whole lot, but when I do I want one thing and one thing only: my peppermint tea. Peppermint, whether consumed in a beverage, inhaled or applied topically can work wonders on your digestive system. It can help keep nausea at bay and also help with gas and bloating. Sipping tea or rubbing some essence oil on your belly can instantly make you feel better. And having a peppermint candle burning can help keep the nausea away.
Heads, finger, lips and heels
Ever wonder why almost all foot creams contain peppermint? Well, there are two reasons. The first is that peppermint acts as a cooling agent of sorts and is great for sore muscles and spasms. So applying it to sore feet after a long day helps to work out the tension and achiness. The second reason is that, contrary to popular belief, peppermint is a moisturizing agent. It helps to stimulate the skin’s natural production of oil. Your peppermint lip balm makes more sense now, doesn’t it? And, thankfully, peppermint tastes great.
Above all, think
Regardless of why you are using peppermint, there is one other, very important benefit: energy. Peppermint is a stimulant; therefore it is energizing in nature and promotes mental clarity. And God knows we could all use some of that.
So the next time you are sick with a cold, the flu or are just felling blah in general, light a peppermint candle, grab a cup of mint tea and slap on some lip balm. Trust me, you’ll feel better in no time.
The Healthy Makeup Cure for Dry Skin—and Other Recessionista-Chic Beauty Ideas
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Fashion, How To,
All right, ladies, I don’t know about you, but I have been dealing with the most schizophrenic skin lately! Always a bit of a rabble-rouser (Accutane twice, perhaps?), my skin lately has been winter-dry and flaky… in the areas where it hasn’t been producing unnecessary amounts of oil, that is. My pockets aren’t particularly deep these days, so I decided to mix my standby powder Bare Minerals foundation with my daily Neutrogena Oil-Free SPF 15 Lotion, a part of the Neutrogena Acne Therapy System. The result? A light but creamy tinted mineral moisturizer with coverage I can dial up or down (more lotion for sheerer coverage and vice versa). Brilliant! Perfect to try with your own powder and moisturizer. The only caveat: You’ll want to steer clear of wearing tinted moisturizers or liquid/cream foundations in general when it’s likely you’ll sweat. Runny makeup? Never hot.
A recent savvy purchase of mine was the Loreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes (in black). I’d been a big fan of the original Double Extend mascara and was intrigued, I must admit, by the commercials. An $8 investment, these falsies-by-wand are my new besties. If I could have worn this mascara on my wedding day, instead of actual false lashes, perhaps we all could have been spared a set of eyelashes floating inside a champagne cocktail by night’s end. Caveat: While they’re technically water-proof—as in, you’ll experience no running—I kinda can’t get over how creepy it feels to pull the tubes from my lashes at night. Basically, with soap and water, the tubes loosen, making your eyelashes look strangely limp (if still long). Rather than scrubbing with soap or eye makeup remover, simply pull gently at your lashes with thumb and forefinger; the tubes come right off, and damned if you don’t feel you’re washing your own eyelashes down the drain!
I just happened across the most genius bang-trimming trick—courtesy of Hollywood uber-stylist Kevin Mancuso—in this month’s Elle: “Gather your bangs from temple to temple, twist them in the exact center of your forehead, hold them down toward your nose, and cut off the tip. Always cut them dry; wet hair can shrink up and be too short.” Now, I’ve done this trick twice, once even with wet hair—sorry, Kevin!—and haven’t yet needed to go back and edit the trim. Free and foolproof? Yes, please.
How have you been cutting beauty corners lately?
Bad Spelling Pun Aside… The Results are Hair!
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Editorials, Entertainment, Fashion,
The almost-week since chopping off my hair has been a study in feminine power. On that first day, walking out of the salon clutching my 10-inch severed ponytail, I felt a strange combination of liberation and uncertainty. I no longer had the heavy weight of thick hair over my back and shoulders, and my neck felt bare and vulnerable. Later, of course, I thrilled at how quickly I could wash my hair in my crappy, low-water pressure shower, and marveled at how, when I pulled a blouse over my head, there was no hair to heave out from under it. But the feeling of uncertainty remained.
“Do I look stocky?” I asked my cornered husband. I narrowed my eyes at myself in the mirror and stood with my hands on my hips. Then I turned my stare to him. “So?”
“Um…no?” he replied and then quickly ducked out of the bathroom. Smart man.
I realize now that I did not look stocky; after all, if anything I had lost ounces, not gained them! But I felt that I’d also lost that element that has made women feel feminine and sexy for millennia: long hair. As the week wore on and I grew more used to my new reflection—and played with alternating looks between sleek and choppy—I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed at the attachment I had had to my hair. I mean, I’m a smart girl. I have a great career. I work out, and my body feels stronger and abler every day. Most of the time, I feel pretty confident. So why suddenly feel as though parts of those great characteristics had disappeared with my—let’s face it, slightly damaged—ponytail? Silly, silly, silly!
And now? I love feeling the early spring breeze tickle the back of my neck. I love that the tops of my shoulders show even when my hair is down. And it’s soo much fun experimenting with different makeup looks to go along with the hair. My advice to any of you ladies seeking self-discovery? Head to your stylist. With a sharp and shiny pair of scissors, she’ll be able to help you out.
Aromatherapy, fragrance oils and other yummy scented thing
Posted by Colleen McKie Categories: Advice,
There are several studies floating out there that make the connection between certain scents and well being. Cinnamon, vanilla and pumpkin pie are known to relax. Other scents, such as orange and grapefruit are thought to stimulate the mind. Each of us has certain scents that help relax us and others that might kick in the flight or fight in us or bring on feelings of sadness. Usually these scents are closely associated with an important memory we’ve stored in our minds. 
Aromatherapy, on the other hand, is more scientifically based. Certain essential oils can help with a wide variety of ailments. Lavender, peppermint neroli, rosemary, eucalyptus and a whole slew of other essence oils can help with stress, concentration depression, headaches, congestion and other ailments.
There are two basic ways that you can use an essential oil: inhale or apply directly. For example, if you have a head cold, boiling some water, adding a drop or two of eucalyptus and then inhaling the steam can clear you out. Rubbing some lavender on your temples can help relieve a headache. You can get the same level of relief as with over the counter meds, but without putting drugs into your system.
I am a huge fan of scented candles and I almost always have one or two burning. I also have oil burner and by adding just a drop or two of my favorite essence oil, not only do I make my house smell great, but I also get the benefit of the aromatherapy.
Taking the Plunge… By Which I Mean the Chop
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Editorials, Entertainment, Fashion,
Ladies, the tables have turned!
After five years of having very long hair, which I have to admit I think is one of my best features, the time has come. My appointment is February 25, and I’m anticipating chopping off about 12 inches. (I may need a glass of wine first.) I’ll be donating my briefly orphaned strands to Locks of Love, which I’m really excited about because frankly, who doesn’t want to do something nice for a sick child? I also think the cut will bring about some change in me (God knows what, but I can’t wait to find out!).
But what style should I ask for? The basics: It will likely fall somewhere between my jaw and chin, and I have full, blunt bangs. What are your favorite short haircuts? I challenge you to find the best! Send pictures, links; share your creativity! I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Oh, and what do you think of the image here? Could it be The Cut?
We quite often read food labels to be aware of what we are putting in our bodies. But how about what we’re putting on them? You might not think too much about what’s in your make-up, shampoo or body lotions, but maybe you should. Some of the most popular ingredients in beauty products can also be harmful.
Parabens
There has recently been much controversy over the use of parabens in products with both sides of the debate being very clear on their position. Some health officials swear there is nothing harmful about using parabens, while others swear they are extremely harmful. My main concern with parabens is the potential for harm. It’s a chemical and has proven to be absorbable through our skin. The studies against using parabens have found that in cancerous breast tissue cells there is an elevated amount of the chemical. Has it been proven to cause or increase the risk of breast cancer? Nope. But remember, at one time it was thought safe to powder your face with lead.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
This cleaning agent can be found in soap, shampoos and body washes. Oh, yeah and as car engine degreaser. Sodium Lauryl sulfate and any of the other sufactants can cause skin and scalp irritation, irritates your eyes, cause hand, face and arm swelling and dries out skin and hair. The reason it’s used? Because it’s cheap.
If you have sensitive skin and use a product with sodium lauryl sulfate, you can irritate the underlying problem making your skin even drier and itchier. And what do we generally do when our skin is dry? Put on more lotion, probably full of parabens.
I have decided to become a beauty product label reader and will only use products that do not contain either of these chemicals. Because I think they are 100% toxic and will kill me? No. Because I want to live healthy and that includes what I put on my skin as much as what I put in my mouth.
What’s Your Locker-Room Body Image?
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Celebrities, Editorials, Entertainment, Health,
Shortly before I got married last May, my amazing mom—who knew I’d been wanting to get back in shape—gifted me 20 half-hour sessions with a personal trainer. Fast forward five months. I received a call from 24 Hour Fitness; it seemed they checked their records and I still had 18 of my 20 sessions remaining. (Oops.) Did I want to come in and use them? Damn, I thought. But my summer of blissful post-wedding eating had taken a toll—ten pounds, to be exact—on my figure. I’ve always been pretty small, so that increase made a major difference in the way my clothes fit and the way I thought about my own body. So I said grudgingly, “Okay. I’ll go in tomorrow.”
Since then, several things have happened, all amazing in their own right. (1) I weigh the exact same as I did in September… but my body fat has dropped by 6%. I’ve gone from the “Acceptable” to the “Lean” range! (2) I’ve committed to participating in a triathlon in May… How did that happen? (3) I renewed my training sessions—twice—and am now in another class three days a week to prepare for the triathlon. All in all, I’m working out seven days per week—crazy! (4) I can do awesome man-pushups, and I feel strong and powerful. (5) My skin is clearer… a happy surprise, to be sure!
Of course, to be fair, half my pants still don’t fit, and I’ve been sore every day for, oh, five months.
Click to continue reading What’s Your Locker-Room Body Image?
5 Ways to Romance Your Man on Valentine’s Day
Posted by Vicky Lane Categories: Advice, Editorials, How To, Humor, Marriage, Relationships, Sex,
As I’ve said before, guys just aren’t allowed to ignore Valentine’s Day. First of all, it’s advertised everywhere in every store you could possibly shop in. Secondly, the retailers make it ridiculously easy for men to pick something up for us. Whether it’s a heart shaped box filled with chocolates, some silly stuffed animal, or a bouquet of flowers, guys have it easy. But what about us? What the hell do we get for our husband, boyfriend, or friend who is male? Candy? Sure, but that’s not very original and maybe you’re like me and have been buying Valentine’s chocolate all week. If I do buy Husband a cutesy stuffed animal I can’t expect that to be the only gift. He’ll take one look at it and toss it to the cat. And flowers? For men? I don’t think so. We may as well buy ourselves the bouquet of our choice.
So we know, for the most part, Valentine’s Day is really a test for men to see how romantic they can be. But I still like to return the gesture. I may be a taker but I love to give just as much. And as cheesy as Valentine’s Day really is, I think men want to be romanced just as much as we do.
Here are some “gift” ideas that I think men will appreciate this Saturday.
1. Be Sexy
Ok this one is obvious and probably the one thing he really (really) wants. If you’re like me, you have a drawer full of sexy lingerie that pretty much stays there most of the time. Maybe I’ll buy something new but then again, will he even notice if it’s new? Probably not. If you wanted to actually buy a gift to offer while looking hot, a basket of intimate “bedroom” products is a sure thing. Sex is really all men want most of the time so giving him what he wants is your best bet.
Click to continue reading 5 Ways to Romance Your Man on Valentine’s Day
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