Sonia Kashuk Lip Palette in Sorbets

Today’s item is the Sonia Kashuk lip gloss palette.  There are 3 versions (Nudes, Berries and Sorbets), each feauturing 5 shades in a cute compact with a mirror and a lip brush for maximum portability.  They’re all such gorgeous colors , and the texture is perfect.  I’m a major lip gloss user, and texture is such a major influence in my choices.  I hate sticky, thick-feeling gloss (unfortunately, some of Ms. Kashuk’s tubed glosses fit this bill.  Sorry, Sonia), but this feels lovely and has a great, glossy shine without a lot of sparkle.  The consistency actually reminds me of my other favorite gloss manufacturer, Prescriptives, but at $11.99, Target’s offering is less than half the price of Prescriptives’ current pallette (and I actually like the presentation better, too).  Just be careful, because the gloss is softer than you might expect and you may end up with a LOT on the tip of your brush the first couple of times.

I just love the limited edition high-end designer collections at Target!  The clothes don’t always work, but the accessory lines tend to have amazing stuff across the board.  My jaw dropped when I saw that Botkierhad a new line.  Handbags are one of those things that I typically like to go ahead and spend the money on, but as soon as I saw this line, I knew it’d be ok, just this once.  I walked out with this gorgeous fuchsia hobo bag.  I’ve gotten so many compliments on it (people actually stop me on the street) and the vibrant color really perks up any outfit.  The whole collection is very urban and sophisticated, I was very tempted to pick up this beautiful metallic rose satchel (the metallic color is much more expensive looking in person, and it’s a nice change to the usual silver/gold metallic options ), but ultimately the fuchsia seemed like it would work well through the seasons and better offset my many neutral outfits.

The downsides:  It’s PVC, not leather, and the material is a bit flimsy.  the construction is solid, but I’m not sure how well the material itself will stand up to my abuse.  Same goes for the lining,  I’m a sucker for pointless details like an adorable lining that makes me smile as I dig for that wayward lipgloss, but this is just flat black cotton that may tear when jabbed with a handful of car keys for the millionth time.  The zipper sticks a little, but doesn’t seem to have any major issues.  Overall, the appearance, roominess and hardware of the bag outweigh any faults in the materials, and I’m confident that it should still last me at least until my next favorite handbag comes along, and at $39.99, what does it really matter?  Buy it!

Today’s Target item is this awesome pair of moccasins.  This is one of those rare items that actually looks much better in person than on the website.  The golden tan color is nicely saturated through the thick, supple leather and the contrast of the strap across the front is much more subtle than it appears in the picture.  The hardware is sturdy and looks like real brass, regardless of whether or not it actually is.  They’re comfortable and substantial-looking, and the metal studs and buckle take them from the costume-y appearance of typical mocs and more into loafer territory.

These are perfect, WASP-y, “going to the country home for a long weekend” slip-ons.  They go with pretty much any preppy outfit and add a nice touch of warm color against dark jeans.  Buy them and look like you just returned from your holiday watching the regatta.

A favorite pastime of mine is hunting for expensive-looking items that may or may not have a price tag to match.  I know that sometimes you get what you pay for, but I also know that there are a lot of ways to cheat the system.  As a result, I’m obsessed with Target.  I shop there at least twice a week, and I could honestly get by in every aspect of my life if all other stores closed forever (although I’d miss Ulta a lot).  Target is amazing if you know what to buy.

With that in mind, I’ll be presenting one awesome Target find per day.  I’m only going to post things that I’ve physically seen and can vouch for the quality of, because as all Poison fans know, every rose has its thorns, and even my beloved Target sells some cheap things that just look… cheap.  Because of this, I’ll also periodical point out products that look nice online/in their ads but are of poor fit or construction in real life to protect against online shopping disappointments.

First up in the AWESOME category is this metallic bubble dress.  It’s regularly only $19.99, but is on sale through 8/23 for $17.99.  Bubble dresses can fit beautifully or repulsively depending on the cut, and this one looks fantastic.  It’s rather short, but the bubbly-ness helps in that regard by A: diffusing any thigh-related issues you may have (drapery hides a multitude of sins) and B: covering your ass when you bend over.  Now you don’t have to worry about holding the back of your dress down, the elastic does it for you!

It comes in several colors, but I’d stick to the lighter ones.  the black and dark purple versions look cool online, but hopelessly chintzy in person.  The sparkle blends nicely with the taupe and silver versions, making them look pretty luxe.  It’s also 80% cotton, so you don’t have to worry about any of the scratchiness that often accompanies sparkly clothing.

Retro-cool without being too Sonny and Cher, drapey and slimming without looking trash bag-ish, this is a great party dress for late summer (so cute with flats) OR fall (just add dark tights and heels/boots).  Buy it!

Costco.  That’s right, Costco.  The discount warehouse club with brand names that rich people feel ok about is actually a pretty good source for higher-end cosmetics, too.  Hardly something I was thinking about as I scoured the cavernous aisles for gallon-sized tubs of guacamole and free lobster spread samples, but a gleeful discovery nevertheless.  As it’s a bulk store, you will find the obligatory multipacks featuring five of the same mascara, but thankfully most of the products are sold as kits, eliminating any and all budgetary inhibitions on my behalf.  First of all, as a packaging nerd and bargain-hunter, I’m already a huge fan of kits.  While I may have difficulty justifying $15 for a single eyeshadow, I’ll gladly fork over $45 for three if you package them together (bonus if it comes in a pretty all-in-one pallette/container/easy bake oven), and cosmetic kits often feature fun bonuses like free applicators and special edition colors.  As evidenced by my much loved 30-dresses-in-1 American Apparel find, I’m easily sucked in by the lure of purchasing one thing with many possibilities.  Maybe it’s just retail ADD, who knows.

So yeah, I got The Bare Minerals Get Started Eyes kit for $39 ($10 off regular price), which is pretty great.  I’ve recently been buying into this whole mineral makeup craze in a big way.  What I’m really excited about, though, are the Stila Fall eyecolor sets they’re currently selling.  They come in Grey and Brown collections, and they’re only *NINETEEN DOLLARS*.  The set comes with a pretty aluminum palette with four gorgeous, blendable and (thank god) full-sized shadows that are perfectly matched and vividly pigmented.  It also features a gigantic mirror in the compact so you can smile at your badassery as you flaunt your now perfectly smoked eyes.  The fun doesn’t stop there, though.  The palette is already a steal, I’d expect to pay twice as much, but it’s also packaged with two full sized eyeshadow brushes AND a nice all-purpose mascara.  I ended up buying the grey one for myself (as pictured left) and a brown one for my mom.  Fricking amazing.  Oh, and they also had a Smashbox kit, but I didn’t buy it since those are frequently rip-offs, which is a whole other entry.

Costco’s stock changes frequently and varies by location, so who knows how long these will be available, but you’d better believe that I’ll be checking back pretty frequently for new specials.  This may even help to curb my unhealthy dependence on Ulta, who knows.

I buy too many things.  I mean, I really, really like to spend money.  This is bad because I don’t have the income that I used to, and those credit card bills aren’t looking so hot these days.  I’ve adapted fairly well to this new, ghetto-fied lifestyle, but I still try to find ways to remain fabulous on a budget.

The author and bf have seen the light.

I’d imagine many of you may be in similar situations, so please enjoy the first in what will surely be a long line of posts about awesome products that I’m “testing” (and totally not just blowing the beer money on).  It’s for the public good;  I spend money on things first so you know if they’re worth it!  At least, that’s what I’ll tell my boyfriend when the power gets shut off.

Like so many of my art school ilk, I’m an American Apparel fan.  I know, a lot of their products are kind of ridiculous (think LiLo and her glitter leggings) and YES, they only sell solid-colored clothing for the most part.  Even so, the awesome qualities of their company/merchandise surely outweigh the WTF factor.  Their ads are delightfully seedy, featuring a refreshingly makeup and photoshop-free cast of cheerful, multicultural strumpets demonstrating what the clothes look like going on or coming off rather than simply being worn.  In addition, their efforts toward immigration reform and sweatshop demolition are commendable.  Whores and progress, it’s pretty much my dream come true.

The democracy doesn’t stop there, they’re also huge proponents of making versatile clothing that can be worn several different ways.  The product information pages on their website feature slideshows with examples of different uses for each item, and some even have even how-to videos on the many variations for that piece.  I once spent an entire afternoon learning how to fashion various shirts, belts, headwraps and skirts out of a $12 scarf.  Totally worth it.  The piece-de-resistance, though, is THE DRESS.

I’d wanted it for so long, the elusive all-purpose American Apparel dress.  It beckoned to me from facebook banner ads and magazine pages.  I don’t like buying dresses online, so I *finally* dragged my ass out to the store a few weeks ago to try it out after months of lusting.  I ended up buying two, and honestly, it’s the best dress I’ve ever owned.  I’m tempted to buy a third.  I’ve already worn THE DRESS on several occasions, fashioning it differently each time.  It’s sturdy and flattering, it makes your boobs look great no matter how it’s styled and it comes in tons of colors and in two forms (pencil skirt or bias cut).  I am shocked by how versatile this thing really is, and the best part is that it keeps me from spending more money because I can wear it constantly and it always looks different and new.  It was cheap, too.  The store employees even gave me a stack of free “Legalize LA” shirts with my purchase, to promote conversation about their immigration ideals.  I can look hip AND socially conscious/politically aware at the same time?  FOR FREE???  Surely there is no better company.

I’m about to hyperventilate if I think about my love for this dress any longer, so I’ll leave it at this: wear this dress, and everyone will want to fuck you.  It’s true.  Go NOW.