Designer Shades for $9!

Sunglasses are always tricky for me, as I am a huge klutz and constantly fall down and drop everything. I usually need a new pair of 'em every month or so. Because of this, I can't really justify purchasing shades that are over $10-20ish. That usually leads me to (gasp!) drugstores for cheapie ones.

Lucky for me, Vera Wang has come to the rescue! Her Simply Vera line (sold exclusively at Khols) is pretty much amazing. Everything is super cute and looks much more expensive than it really is.

The Rounded Sunglasses come in fuchsia and are a steal at $9!

Matte About You

This Fall, matte nail polish is going to be big. A bunch of companies are taking advantage of this by releasing tons of matte shades (mostly just a few of their old shades with a matte finish). Honestly, buying them is a waste of money. The trend is cute, but it will pass before you finish the bottle. Also, most of the new polishes specifically state that the color will not last as long as their glossy counterpart. This is mainly because of the fact that you cannot wear a topcoat with the matte hues since topcoats are generally shiny (thus defeating the purpose of beginning with a matte finish).

Essie has come out with a great product, Matte About You. It's basically a topcoat that instantly gives any nail polish you may currently have a matte finish. For $10, I say grab a bottle of the stuff. It'll definitely last you through the trend.

Get Pink'd!

Okay, so we've already established the fact that I own an outrageous amount of lip products. Be that as it may, I'm a huge fan of Sephora's Get Pink'd Pink Lip Deluxe Sampler.

It has oodles of pink glosses, lipsticks, and even an exfoliator for all of your pucker's needs. Another plus? All the products are mini-sized, so they are very purse friendly.

Here's a list of what's included in the kit:

- 0.34 oz Laura Geller Lip Strip
- 0.1 oz DuWop Prime Venom
- 0.0676 oz Korres Cherry Oil Lip Gloss in Fuschia
- 0.23 oz Sephora Super Shimmer in Think Pink
- 0.02 oz Stila Cherry Crush Lip and Cheek Stain
- 0.1 oz Smashbox O-Gloss
- 0.09 oz ck Calvin Klein Lipstick in Mesmerize
- 0.26 oz Urban Decay Lipstick in Jilted
- 0.17 oz ck Calvin Klein Plumping Gloss in Bloom

This fabulous set is $37, but is an $80 value! Not bad, eh?

#1 Fashion Faux Pas: The Man Purse

I am officially horrified at the amount of man purses, otherwise known as "murses" that frequent the world. In one particular gentleman's closet, I found 5 murses. Of course, he justifies this by telling himself that half of them are for camera equipment, or traveling. Regardless, they are man purses. Backpacks or messenger bags are much more acceptable (and probably more comfortable).

Recently, my boyfriend came home carrying various sound equipment in a murse that he borrowed from his father. I literally screamed a blood-curdling scream worthy of at least a b-list horror film and insisted that he never use said "bag" again.

The worst part? Some of these man purses are disgustingly expensive [read: more than I would ever even consider spending on a handbag]. Here's an example. Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you. This dainty handbag costs a steep $275.

So men, please think before you go down the man bag route. It is roughly a couple notches above wearing a fanny pack.

That is all.

Best Fix for Oily Hair Days!

One of my fave hair tips is using baby powder. This magical stuff quickly absorbs any oil you may have in your hair and smells pretty too!

Sprinkle along the crown and at the roots on your oiliest days and you'll love how much body your hair has. It even works on us brunettes. Just make sure to brush it well and don't let it settle into your part.

You can buy Johnson's Baby Powder on drugstore.com for $5.69. Not bad for a miracle hair fix!

Fabbity Fabulous Makeup Bags!

I probably own roughly 5437895734 makeup bags in varying sizes. Most of them are pink. Be that as it may, I might just have to buy this adorable bag.

Checks in the Mail now sells makeup bags as part of some of their collections, which I think is awesome. There's nothing better than having matching checks, checkbooks, address labels, and makeup bags. They even have matching coasters. Totally fab, as far as I'm concerned.

The small Little Black Dress makeup bag is $16.99. Maybe a tiny bit on the pricey side, but so cute!

Seeing Green?

This Fall, deep green nails are in. Surprisingly flattering, the color is bold, yet tame enough to wear out.

Sephora by OPI has a great shade, Dark Room. The color is only available to Beauty Insiders (which is a great thing to sign up for anyway, as you get tons for freebies and exclusive products). At $9, this polish is sure to be an autumn staple.

Defrizz your hair for $4!

I have the most ridiculously thick, frizzy hair. It can get so out of control that often times, I just throw it up in a bun to avoid dealing with it. I've tried countless "shine serums" and the like, some of which work but all of which are expensive.

A new idea? Hand cream. Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula Hand Cream seems to do the trick. At about $4 per tube, you get your money's worth and avoid spending your days living as a walking afro.

To use, apply a pea-sized amount of lotion. First, rub it in your palms, then run your fingers through your hair. Because the ends are usually the most dry (and frizzy), apply the most to the ends and work your way up. Delightful.

Bag Boo-Boo: Vera Bradley Handbags

Okay, I have to get this off my chest. I hate Vera Bradley bags with a passion. I have spent time studying them, selling them, and even (during a severe lapse of judgment) bought them.

UrbanDictionary.com defines Vera Bradley bags as a brand of ugly, pillowish, overpriced bags. That pretty much sums it up. No matter how great your outfit may be, pairing it with one of these grandma bags immediately makes you look as if you have no fashion sense at all.

On a more light-hearted appeal, I would also not be able to take myself seriously, if I carried a bag named either Sherry, Libby, Betsey, [Insert name here]-y, or “Tic-Tac-Tote”. I must admit though that all fashion is situational. In the case that one does own a yacht or “summers” anywhere, perhaps this is the trend for him or her. However, if you are not one of these individuals, and you still crave the preppy look, I would do Kate Spade or Ralph Lauren Polo in tiny doses and let Vera Bradley rest in peace.

That is all.

Did You Know....

Sephora.com has a SALE SECTION!!!!

Yes, the rumors are true. The items retail for up to 75% off. Ridiculously amazing.

My current fave is the Juicy Loves Sephora Pavé Lip Gloss Heart Ring. Originally priced at $68, the ring now goes for $34. It is super cute and, despite the price, I debated purchasing it months ago at full price. The lip color is sheer, yet tinted for a natural look, yet the ring is bling-tastic!

Check out the Sephora sale section and you will not be disappointed.

SNEEK PEEK: MAC's Fall 2009 Dazzleglass Creams Collection

First of all, thanks to Temptalia for the inside scoop on the new MAC lip glosses!

Secondly...umm how amazing are these? They look like liquid metal and glitter.

The gloss comes in 9 fabbity fabulous hues:

- Soft Dazzle Mid-tone peach pink with gold pearl
- Sublime Shine Light coral brown with gold pearl
- My Favourite Pink Light blue pink with pearl
- Perfectly Unordinary Bright yellow pink with gold pearl
- Luscious Spark Light orange with gold pearl
- Do It Up Bright blue pink with pearl
- Totally Fab Bright yellow red with pearl
- Amorous Deep brown red with pearl
- Creme Allure Bright yellow plum

The gloss will be available in the US September 24th, 2009 and retails for about $18 (worth it for absolutely flawless lips!)

Write with Lipstick!

More than a few times I've found myself needing to write things down without a pen in sight. Oddly enough, I usually have an average of 5 lipsticks in my purse, so I usually write with one of 'em.

Fred Flare has tapped into this dilemma. Their Lipstick Ballpoint Pen is the perfect solution. Because the pen looks like a tube of lipstick, I'll be sure to throw it in my bag without even thinking! The pen is totally gorgey and actually makes taking notes stylish.

Selling for a mere $5, this is one pen you'll want to keep with you at all times.

Orange You Glad You Tried Orange Nail Polish?

Summer is the perfect time to wear bright nail polish. In the Winter months, we often tend not to try bold colors (even though we probably should!)

Orly's Orange Punch is great for this. Oddly enough, orange is a superb color for most skin tones. It accentuates a tan, or adds color to fair-skinned gals like myself. The main thing you want to look for with orange polish, is a color that has blue undertones (anything that looks too yellow-based generally doesn't flatter many people).

You can find this divine color at most drugstores, or purchase it online for $6.49.

A Little Black Dress with Some Flair

Is there anything better than a cute summery dress on a hot day? I think not.

Charlotte Russe's Striped Colorblock Dress is perfect and flattering for almost everyone. Because the colorful stripes are along the bust line, the hips and waist immediately look about a size smaller. This is the case with most dresses that have embellishment or a pop of color on the top. The empire cut also helps with this.

Also, there are a couple of fun little details that make this dress unique: a sweetheart neckline (very flattering for the knockers), and two pockets! The pockets lay flat against the body, so no extra bulk is added.

My favorite thing about this dress? It's on sale for $13.49 on charlotterusse.com!

Fashion Faux Pas: Men in Pink

Okay, I get it. Pink is the cool thing for guys to wear. For some ridiculous reason, men have the idea that wearing pink suddenly makes you awesome. Wrong. This started as a way for guys to stand out, and it has now spiraled out of control to the point where I see at least three dudes in pink daily. You are not being original.

Men who wear pink look like idiots. I can't even think of one instance in which this would be socially acceptable.

That is all.

A Plumper For Your Seductive Pucker...

I probably own roughly 77 lip glosses. It's honestly a bit sickening. That said, I consider myself to be quite the expert on all things lip-related.

My latest find is Maybelline's Volume XL Seduction Lip Plumper. It is divine, to say the least. Finding a good lip plumper is tricky; most of 'em don't work or are pretty pricey. Even some of the ones that work are, quite frankly, physically painful! This is due to the fact that most lip plumpers contain ingredients like cinnamon or ginger that irritate the surface of the lip and cause temporary redness and swelling. I know that sometimes we have to suffer pain for beauty, but that is just ridiculous to me.

The Volume XL Seduction Lip Plumper is different. Though it does tingle upon application, it is more numbing than anything else. I felt no irritation with the gloss and noticed a definite difference in the plumpness of my pucker.

The color selection is great; most of the them are sheer and natural shades, which is what you want in a plumper. Dark colors tend to make lips look thinner, as a general rule. I went with the "Born With It" shade--the lightest one, and found that it added shine and a little shimmer without weighing down my lips or looking unnatural.

The gloss is $7.09 on drugstore.com, and you can also find it in any local pharmacy.

Muah!

Fashion Faux Pas: Harem Pants

I can't even believe that there are people in the world who think that harem pants are socially acceptable. Unfortunately, the powers that be have decided that these hideous pants will be a style staple for Fall.

Pictured, is one particular pair that I find offensive and just plain ugly. Free People Clothing is selling them for $98. Which makes sense when you read all of the great qualities of the pants: "Metallic knit harem pants. Elastic pull on waistband and banded bottom hem."

First of all, the harem shape is not flattering on any figure. Even the model pictured looks like she has huge hips and a bit of a tummy issue, and she is obviously a skinny gal! The pants are very fitted at the natural waist (higher than most pants), drastically poofs out, and then tightens again at the ankles. The metallic finish also exaggerates the look. Basically this just ads bulk in all the real trouble areas for most women.

Furthermore, no one should ever wear elastic pants! Perhaps when you're in your 80s, they might be an okay choice. Until then, it's a good idea to avoid any pair of pants that comes in Small,Medium, and Large.