Tip #41: Upscale Consignment Shops

My girlfriend found this Ball Gown
at Chic Envy and looked gorgeous!

Cheapest is not always best - especially when it comes to certain basic wardrobe items - like Jeans and Suits.

But, you still want a bargain....

Upscale Consignment stores, such as the one in Fairfax called Chic Envy (www.chicenvy.com), carry high-end clothing, shoes and accessories for a fraction of what they would cost in the department store.  Many times these items still have the original tags on.  I found myself a pair of Cabi Jeans for $30 compared to the original price of $90.  

When looking for those wardrobe basics that you plan on keeping in your closet for years and years, try an upscale consignment store first.

Tip #40: How to Try on Clothing Easily

1. Wear loose, comfortable clothes that are easy on and easy off. That means no tight jeans, tank tops with built-in bras or shoes with laces. 
2. Wear neutral colored undergarments so they don’t show through any light colored items you might try on.
3. Avoid heavy foundation or powder make up, as it rubs off easily on shirts and dresses that you need to pull on and off over your head. 
4. Wear Deodorant that rolls on clear.
5. Avoid styling your hair. You’ll just get aggravated trying to keep it in place pulling clothes on and off over your head. Instead, pull your hair back into a braid or ponytail. Or if it’s a short do, just wash and let it go.
6. Take a friend you trust along with you--someone who respects your style, but who also will be honest and tell you when a color, print or size doesn’t like you.
7. Browse through all of the clothing racks before heading into the dressing room. If you end up with too many items to carry, ask the store clerk to hold them for you. Accumulating all of your possibilities before heading into the dressing room will you give you the most options for putting outfits together. The last thing you want to do is try on a bunch of clothes then discover on another sweep through the store that they have a shirt that just might be perfect for the pants you already tried on.
8. Grab a couple of sizes (if you don't know the brand/designer) so that you don’t have to go back out into the store if one doesn’t work out in the dressing room. 
9. Fold after you try on a piece of clothing if you want it, but hang it back on the hanger if you don’t. It’s no fun trying to make sense of a big pile of discards and their tangled hangers when you’re done trying on and just want to get out of the dressing room with your new clothes.

Tip #39: When you don't shower after the Gym

Ugh... who doesn't shower after the Gym.... ME!

I am already out, I have an hour before picking up my daughter at preschool and I need to get sh** done!

C'mon girls - who can admit they run to Target after sweating on the treadmill?!?

My solution to my smell?

Magazine Perfume Inserts.

I rip out the page and keep them in my car.  I rub them all over my wrists, neck and clothes after a workout when I don't have time to shower before an errand.

Don't subscribe to Magazines?  Rip them out of the magazines at the gym or at a doctor's office.  Chances are, if the magazine is available to the public then the person buying the magazine wasn't interested, right?

Tip #38: Eyelash Strengthening FOR FREE!

Some of  you are going to think I am CRAZY!

So, I happened to catch some snippets of the morning shows yesterday at the gym and they were talking about the eyelash lengtheners that will be hot this year.

I tried a way that lengthened my eyelashes for FREE!!

I am a little nervous to tell you because it can be dangerous....

I trimmed my eyelashes with nail scissors. 

Yes, I cut them.  

And they grew back longer and thicker.

My Eyelashes 1 month after trimming
(love the bloodshot eyes!)

The first time I did it, I was VERY nervous.  What if they don't grow? What if I puncture my eye?  What if I cut them too short and I look like a freak?

My girlfriend has been doing it for years.  At first it was an experiment based on the fact that when you cut your hair on the rest of your body, it comes back thicker and sometimes darker.

After 25+ years of curling my eyelashes and wearing waterproof mascara, my eyelashes were beat up.  They didn't curl as well anymore.  Sometimes I had holes where I had no eyelashes.  Some lashes grew sideways. Some were thin.

I am quite happy with the results.  I trimmed them back in early December and by mid-December I had fuller lashes.  

Note:  If you have short, stubby eyelashes, I would not attempt this.

Tip #37: NEW YEAR, NEW YOU!

Did you save some money to go clothes shopping?  

Because January and February are 2 of the best months to shop for clothes!!  

Need to wait a few weeks for the best bargains, but there are a few out there right now.

Wait until the Xmas dust settles a bit.