Sonja's Solutions

Hi guys, I would like to introduce you to one of my best friends from school, who will now be writing about affordable beauty products! So without further ado...



Hi everyone, my name is Sonja. I’m a sophomore at Syracuse University, originally from Colorado. Aryn is one of my three gorgeous roommates, and she asked me if I’d like to write a beauty post on her blog -- of course I jumped at the opportunity and am so excited to start writing for Frugal Fashionista!

I’m only writing once a month, so I’d like to review two or three products in each blog. Since this is a blog about frugality, and I do happen to be a broke college student, I’ll most likely be reviewing drugstore cosmetics, and discount designer finds that I happen to come across each month. Let’s get started!

When I arrived at SU, my biggest complaint was acne. It’s hard to meet new people with confidence when you can’t shake the feeling you look like a pizza face! There are no one-size-fits-all solutions to healthy skin, but hopefully this will give you some ideas about ways to whip up a skin care regimen that works for you.

Two times a day (immediately after I wake up, and 30 minutes before bed) I wash my face with Clinique Liquid Facial Soap in Mild (http://www.clinique.com/product/CATEGORY14110/PROD9552/3_step/Step_1_Cleanse/index.tmpl) $15 buys you the 8 oz. Size. The formula doesn’t dry out my skin, but never leaves oil or makeup residue behind.

Next I pat Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion all over my face and neck, and rub the remainder onto my chest (it ages faster than you think!). The 4.2 oz bottle costs $24. Maybe a little on the pricey side, but if you’re going to buy one thing from the Clinique skin care line, this should be it. http://www.clinique.com/product/CATEGORY14112/PROD3304/3_step/Step_3_Moisturize/index.tmpl?cm_vc=XCATEGORY14112

At night time, after cleansing, I alternate between using Mario Badescu’s Whitening Mask, and Burt’s Bees Pore Refining Scrub.

I can’t say enough good things about the Whitening Mask http://mariobadescu.com/whitening-mask. It leaves skin moisturized and rejuvenated, and began fading my acne scars after about two and a half weeks. It probably would have been effective faster if I had followed the directions better, and applied a thinner layer to my face, and then rinsed (not scrubbed) off the mask when it was completely dry; I guess I got a little mask-happy. After rinsing, my skin retains enough moisture from the treatment to go un-moisturized for the night. The 2 oz. container will hit you with a $24 bill on the Mario Badescu website, but the brand pops up frequently on sample sale sites like Gilt.com and HauteLook.com for about 20% less.

On nights when I’m not using Mario’s services, I turn to Burt (of Burt’s Bees, of course) for a healthy exfoliation. Burt’s Pore Refining Scrub with salicylic acid and willow bark (http://www.drugstore.com:80/products/prod.asp?pid=218833&catid=15274) has actually reduced the look of the size of the pores on my cheeks, and has left the rest of my face a little brighter. I’ve even seen fewer breakouts in my trouble areas. After using the scrub, I feel free to neglect moisturizing for the night, because the formula combined with a moisturizer might leave my skin too oily.

That’s it for me this time. Good luck finding your perfect skin care routine! Next time I’ll talk about makeup, and how to make your beautiful face stand out from this fall’s blush-colored clothes trend.

Love,
S

The Mad Hatter

So as I was reading my daily blogs over coffee this morning, I noticed a lot of bloggers wearing adorable hats and I completely forgot this lovely hat I wore one day while I was in Colorado! Normally I am not a hat person at all but when Sonja's mom asked if I wanted to wear one to the zoo how could I refuse? Needless to say I loved it and think I need to invest in one myself. So kudos to Sonja's mom and her lovely hat sense. :)

I also feel bad for my remark in my last post about how Colorado has little to no fashion sense...so I think I am going to think of some outfits I think would be perfect for a lovely day in the mountains...more on that soon!

As for my pick of the day, obviously I am going with a hat theme so here we go:

 

This is a lovely hat on sale for $29.99 at Ruche.com. Perfect for a lovely afternoon at the zoo or just about anywhere. :)

Photo found at shopruche.com :)

The Craziness of Summer.

Alright you can say it I am the worst blogger in the world, but in my defense I have had the craziest two weeks ever! First off I was in Denver visiting one of my best friends from Syracuse. It was so good to be reunited once again, I can't wait until we go back to school! Anyway so I really wanted to do a whole week about Colorado fashion, until I got there and realized everyone is about 3 years behind. I maybe saw two girls who were worth taking a photo of. Needless to say I was a little disappointed. However I got some great photos of nature's beauty. These pictures were taken on top of Mt. Evens, which has an elevation of 14,207 ft. We drove all the way up to the top. It was the scariest thing I have ever done but totally worth it.

As you image we did quite a bit of shopping. My favorite purchase, a chestnut faux leather fringe purse for $25! What a deal! Perfect for going to the mall, going out, and of course for going to concerts, especially The Flaming Lips and The Black Keys concerts. This leads me to my next crazy adventure that occurred over the past two weeks. My friend and I were walking around before the concert and were asked by a roadie if we wanted to dance on stage. I have to admit I was a little hesitant but my friend immediately said yes, and I am so so so glad she did. We got to meet all the bands, get photos, and autographs, not to mention spent the whole concert onstage. Coolest thing that has ever happened to me by far.

We got to wear really cute outfits :).

Us and Wayne after a great show.

What is my excuse for all the rest of these past two weeks, working like a dog these past few days. This week though I promise to post at least every other day.

I want to leave you all with my pick of the day, these cute cut out oxfords. They are originally $109.95 but are $69.90 due to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. This sale is going on until August 2 and is definitely worth checking out, some stuff is marked down by $100!!

Have a great day loves, I will be spending mine cleaning my room after two weeks of craziness.


Photos from Colorado and The Flaming Lips are personal photos, the show from Nordstrom.com.

Lazy Sundays

Yea I got this from Google. The beautiful Colorado backdrop...yea I think I just might like it. :)

Hello all. I am sitting here, drinking coffee and reading blogs, which has become my favorite thing to do. I love Sundays for a number of reasons, it is a day to catch up on the events of the week and I usually don't work. So Sundays I usually go out for a ride at the barn or just nap all day. Today however I have a whole list of things I need to accomplish. The reason being I will be going to visit my best friend from school in Colorado! I am very excited needless to say. The farthest west I have been is Ohio, so I am excited to get me some west coast loving. I am so excited to see the differences between Colorado and New York. I am a true New Yorker at heart, I get annoyed by people who walk to slow, drive to slow, talk to slow, ect. So it will be interesting. But what I am most excited about is showing you guys some Colorado fashion, if there is any...I am confident there will be though. So next week I am going to devote my blog to the west coast vibe, and am hopefully going to get my bff to do a guest post for you all. (Assuming someone is reading this, not confident in that fact yet). As promised though I will be showing you some awesome steals I found to compete with the vintage, classy style of Anthropologie...later. I am going to finish half my list then post again. So until then have a happy Sunday morning!

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Frugal Finds: Anthropologie Style

Good morning fashionistas. Yesterday I was hard at work to find some items that are up to par with Anthropologies "A Lady's Hallmarks". Surprisingly it did not take me long to find the classy vintage feel I was looking for. So let's start with shoes, which happen to be my personal weakness.



Theses flats can be found for $39 at Lulus (my favorite clothing site). You could wear them with some dark skinny jeans or a cute knee-length skirt, giving you a 1920's look.



I love love love these heels. For one thing they are $33, how can you say no to $33?! The strap adds a very vintage feel and the nude color allows you to pair these shoes with pretty much anything, although please no black and white :). Oh and these also can be found at Lulus.

Lastly I leave you guys with my favorite pair I found...



Once again I found these on Lulus, I told you it was my favorite :). These are the flats of all flats. They are made by Chinese Laundry, who make great shoes and they are only $27.50! Can you say a deal! Plus they have the cute bow, making them very feminine and with the emerald green color they could pass as statement shoes as well.

These are not the only shoes I found, there were a lot of others on Lulu's website, and as I told you earlier it didn't take me long to find them. One piece of advice when using Lulu's...don't hesitate. They have very cute items at extremely low prices, which means they are gone fast!

I hope everyone has a great day, it is going to be a hot one where I am. I think a cute romper and gladiator sandals are in store today, what do you think? Oh and stay tuned tomorrow for all the cute dresses, tops, and skirts I found as well.

All of these lovely shoes and photos can be found at Lulus.com.

Anthropologie: classy and lady-like.

My obsession with Anthropologie started when the store came to my local mall this past January. I walked in opening day and was mesmerized by the cool vintage look and feel of all the clothes that were completely unique to any of the other stores I had been in. The problem...the prices. A typical shirt costs around $48 - $60 and pants around $100. What is a girl on a budget to do?! Well I simply could not resist like I can in most stores, so my solution...get a job there! I started working at Anthropologie when I came home from school, and it has been an absolute dream as I now get a lovely discount. Unfortunately I know most people do not have the same luxury. One option is the sales section, all Anthropologies have a great selection all the time. Although prices are still a little on the steep side and not everyone lives by an Anthropologie. This brings me to this weeks advice...copy. Well copy sounds a little bit on the illegal side, how about "inspire". Anthropologie has a great website and has an option called "feature". This is where the brilliant fashion minds at Anthropologie put cute outfits together in hopes their customers will buy the whole outfit. However what I purpose to you frugal fashionistas is simply get inspiration from these ideas.

For example, right now one of the features is "A Lady's Hallmark: A lady's calling cards: delicate florals, smart heels, and vintage inspired silhouettes." Now do you see why I love this store so much? Anyway this look includes bows, oxford heels, lace, stripes, and florals. Here are some of the items:



Absolutely love this cardigan. It has the classic look with the black and white but is also glamorous with the gold sequins making up the bow.



Oxford heels have become very popular as they can give any outfit a vintage look. These ones add a very feminine touch with the bow in the front.



Love the polka dots and the high neckline, definitely says 1950's glamor.

Now these items are $118, $128, and $258 respectively. HOLY COW! How is a poor college girl suppose to afford this!?! Well this week I am on the hunt for these cute styles at a price that isn't going to break the wallet. So all you frugal fashionistas stay tuned.

(All photos used are from the lovely Anthropologie website).