She Thrifts, She Scores: 2-26-2013

One of the things I love to do just before a season is under way is to go thrift store shopping and see what I can find that is on trend for that season.  I don't always get to go, but I try especially when Spring is under way, my favorite season.  With Spring just around the corner on March 20th and most of the Spring trends already out in magazines, fashion Websites and blogs, now is the perfect time to go thifting for Spring trends.  I was off from school and work on Tuesday and was feeling lucky, so I headed out to some charity thrift stores.

First stop was the closest Goodwill, only to find out it is now a furniture shop.  Boooooooooo !!!  So I headed out to the next nearby Goodwill and scored two necklaces for a total of $7 and some change.  I scored a coin gold-tone necklace that I have had in mind ever since I bought a bold, long necklace from Refinery 29 Shops a couple of months ago (pictured to the right.)  See the coin necklace pictured with the long, chunky necklace;  well unfortunately someone else bought that one before me.  Luckily, on my recent thrifting excursion, I found one similar.  I was very excited to find one so similar pictured below.  

While I was exiting the strip mall this particular Goodwill was at, I saw a cop car where there was a "no U-turn" sign, so no U-turns for me even in the following turn opportunities.  Instead of heading home, I decided to head to another Goodwill further away.  On the way over there, I was in the vicinity of a Salvation Army I haven't been to in ages, so I stopped in.  I found a lot of good stuff.  I was looking for floral shirts and a boho style dress to wear with this coin necklace.  By the time I finished perusing the women's section, I had about a dozen items.  One of the best finds was a Christian Dior blazer from what looks like the eighties -- SCORE !!!  I did find a boho dress, but not in my size.  It was made of silk and in amazing condition, so I couldn't put it down.  I figured it will fit my younger sister who wears between a Size 2 or 4.  I took the items to the fitting room, very important to make sure they fit and look good.  I was beyond excited to find the Christian Dior blazer was a good fit on my large frame.  I ended up scoring 7 clothing items and one pair of earrings for .99 cents.  Total of $55 and some change.


THE FINDS:

WILL WEAR WITH:

Striped T, Navy Skinny Jeans, Silver-toned Jewelry, Spiked Flats

Bill Murray Print T, Black Skinny Jeans, Gold Boho Sandals, Gold Jewelry

Other Gold-tone Finds; Still looking for a Boho dress

It was a very successful thrifting excursion -- one of the best I've had.  I hope this post inspires you to do some treasure hunting of your own at your local charity shop.  

FLOWER Power for Your Lips

I heard about Drew Barrymore venturing out with her own beauty line called FLOWER about three weeks ago.  I thought cool, it's probably expensive, then didn't think much about it.  Earlier this evening, I was scrolling through my Google+ page and I saw a gorgeous picture of Drew Barrymore sporting a stunning shade of lipstick and read the caption that she was wearing the shade "Petunia Petals" from her own line.  What catapulted me to want to get this shade was that it's being sold at Walmart, so I clicked on the link for Walmart, and lo and behold it's priced at $6.98.  F - A - B - U - L - O - U - S !!!

I put on a pair of pants faster than I have ever put on a pair of pants and drove to my neighborhood Walmart to see if the Flower Petunia Petals lipstick was in stock.  I wanted to see it in person first before I purchased it.  I hate getting something Online that I have never seen before in person when it comes to make-up.  You can easily make a mistake as most Online pictures vary due to the bright lights used to photograph items.  Sadly, Petunia Petals was all sold out =(  However, there was a shade called "Rose Bud" that I liked.  There was one tube on the shelf, and the best part was that it was unopened.  Well, of course, I opened it to see the color, and it was a stunning shade of red.  SOLD !!!

I continued to peruse the other colors of lipstick.  There are two lines of lipstick (one has a velvety texture and the other is a high-shine lipstick,) a lipgloss line, a lip butter line, a sheer lip tint line, and of course, a line of lip liners.  The lipsticks and the lip tints seem to be selling the fastest as indicated by the messiness and emptiness of the display.  I chose another color in the high-shine variety called "Coral Floret" which is perfect for me as I have been trying to hunt down coral shades of lipstick for a while now -- very hard to find.

FLOWER Kiss Stick High Shine Lipcolor in Rose Bud (left) and Coral Floret (right).

The two tubes of high shine lipcolor that I got glide on very smoothly and have a super-silky feel.  The scent is feminine and pleasant; each shade has a different floral scent.  The colors are highly-pigmented, and the the photo I took above doesn't do the in-person color any justice.  Looks amazing in person.  Looks so-so in the picture above.

Flower is a full beauty line with foundations, powder, cheek color and eye color.  The packaging is well-designed, does not look cheap, and stands out from other drugstore beauty brands, especially with the differently shaped lipstick tubes.  The lipsticks I got this evening are labeled "Proudly made in the U.S.A." and "We never test on animals."  The price-points are very affordable.  Drew has done good with this project.  Very well thought-out.  Thank you Drew Barrymore for creating this line of beauty products for the every-day gal, like me!

Now that Flower has got my trust and belief in the product, I will venture to get the "Petunia Petals" shade of the high shine lipcolor Online.  I know it's a hot pink or magenta of some sort -- a trend that has been going on for a while now, so I can't go that wrong.  Anyhow, now that I like the product, I can gamble a bit.

THE KILLS Adds Some Edge to the EQUIPMENT Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign

French brand, EQUIPMENT, known for it's men's wear inspired button-downs has enlisted THE KILLS as the faces for the brand for its Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign.  I was delighted to see them in an ad campaign as I perused the March issue of Harper's Bazaar on my android tablet.  After seeing The Kills last year for a 10 Year Anniversary concert at Ft. Lauderdale club Revolution, I have become a fan.  I dig their moody, yet danceable tunes as evidenced by one of my favorite song of theirs, "Cheap and Cheerful" from The Kills' third album "Midnight Boom" (2008).



I think Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart of The Kills have great edgy styles.  Their personal styles complement each other's.  I especially love how they sport cowboy boots!  Surprising since Jamie Hince is a Brit.  The Kills is an American/British hybrid, with Alison Mosshart hailing from Florida.

The Equipment Spring/Summer 2013 shoot was styled by Keegan Singh and photographed by The Kills official photographer, Kenneth Cappello.  Donning Equipment clothing, stylist Keegan Singh kept the duo's look distinctly The Kills' -- positively brilliant.

I look forward to seeing more of this ad campaign in other Spring issues.  You can view a video of this campaign featuring the song "The Last Goodbye" on the Equipment Website.

Equipment has clothing for men and women.  Shirts are around the $200 range (a bit out of my price-range) and you can expect to also see T-shirts, shirt dresses, and cashmere sweaters.

New Obsession: Watches at TARGET

The watches at Target first ignited my interest when my classmate who I carpool with wore her rose gold watch.  I admired her watch from the backseat on the way to class.  While we were walking in the parking lot on the way to class, she was fidgeting with it and mentioned "Look at this watch I got at Target.  Doesn't it look just like a Michale Kors watch?"  It sure did!  I thought it was one.  Then she mentioned it was under $20 bucks.  It was then I decided I gotta get me one too.

Merona® Rectangle Case Bracelet Watch - Gunmetal $19.99

Looking for the rose gold watch my classmate has a day later, I did not find it at my neighborhood Target, but I found this one instead.  The rectangle bracelet watch in gunmetal was a no-brainer, must-have watch.  I have gunmetal jewelry that needed a matching watch, so I bought it that day. I wore it right away and couldn't stop looking at it.  It looks so expensive!  Although, it doesn't have the feel of an expensive watch due to the light weight of it, it is gorgeous, and only you would know the actual cost of the watch.  It retails for $19.99, but I got a $2 discount.  At $17.99, it was a steal!

About a week later,  I had to return some items.  I wanted to exchange it for hopefully the rose gold watch my classmate had.  No such luck, but I found this beautiful two-toned number.

Men's Merona® Silver and Gold Two-Tone Easy-Read Watch $19.99

I am wearing it now as I write this post, and again I can't help but look at every now and then.  It is just that stunning!  This watch is a bit heavier than the gunmetal number -- it has a heavier case, but the bracelet is still very light, indicating an inexpensive watch.  That doesn't bother me though, as I am not a watch snob (or a snob of any kind.)  I know there are folks out there, like my brother, who only wear expensive time-pieces.  If so, these watches are not for you.  Also, some of the features are not functional and are there just for show.  The stop-watch detailing are fake and don't work.  Again, this does not bother me;  I don't need that feature anyway.  I got the $2. discount again and ended up paying $17.99 plus tax.

These watches, by the way, are much better looking in person.  These photos are very washed out by the lighting, as with most items viewed Online.  Better to check it out in the stores first to see if you like them too.  I also love that the face does not show a brand.  It gives it a more sleek look, and less indicators that it is a cheap watch.  Sometimes the brand ruins the look (with bad logo design, poor choices in font design, bad brand reputation like "Timex", etc.)

If you get bored with wearing the same ol' watch everyday, like I do, these watches are great solution.  The watches at Target are an inexpensive fix.  You can practically have a watch for every outfit.

Today, I have the urge to hunt down this elusive rose gold ditty that my classmate has, so I will stop by the Target by my job, crossing my fingers that it is available (store locator says it is in-stock.)  It is this gorgeous number that I must have.

Women's Merona® Rose Gold Oversized Boyfriend Watch $16.99

Wish me luck... 

Alexander Skarsgard is the Star of Calvin Klein's Spring 2013 PROVOCATIONS CAMPAIGN

I am to the moon right now, after viewing the 10 minute short film for the Calvin Klein Spring 2013 PROVOCATIONS Campaign.  Starring Alexander Skarsgard, this short film is definitely HOTTT !  I am beyond excited because this short film brings together three of my favorite things:  my favorite minimalist American brand -- Calvin Klein, my favorite hot actor --  Alexander Skarsgard, who plays Eric Northman in "True Blood," the show I obsess about, and advertising -- my major in college.



The film is artsy, nonsensical, very sharply shot, compelling, and all together makes you respond with "What the hell?"  This is what I expect from Calvin Klein.  The "Provocations" short film reminds me of the old Obsession commercials from the eighties.  If you are a young'un and don't know what I'm talking about, check out these Calvin Klein classics:






What the heck, right???  I love it!!!  Anyhoo, the "Provocations" short film was directed by "Interview" magazine's Editorial Director, Fabien Baron, and co-stars Finnish model Suvi Koponen.  Fabien Baron is responsible for shaping the images for Calvin Klein and Burberry.  The "Provocations" short film may not be shown a lot, but you saw it here and you can see it again on the Calvin Klein Website.

I Want To Be Just Like Helen Mirren When I Grow Up

This lady has balls, and I admire that.  Not only does she rock silver hair amazingly, she rocks pink hair even better.  WOW.  At the recent BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Arts) awards show, Helen Mirren wore a lavender gown by Nicholas Oakwell and that oh so glorious baby pink pixie do.  Bravo for the bold move!!!

At 67 years old, Helen Mirren isn't holding back when it comes to fashion or her personal style.  She told The Independent that her inspiration for the pink locks is British model Sophie Sumner, the winner of America's Next Top Model British Invasion.  I love that she takes inspiration form someone a fraction of her age and makes a look totally her own.  Although wearing candy colored hair is not to be expected from anyone in their sixties, she somehow makes it look age-appropriate.

Helen Mirren was nominated for her performance as Alma Reville in the film "Hitchcock" where she starred opposite Anthony Hopkins.  Although she lost to "Amour" star Emmanuelle Riva, she deserves a fashion award for Best Bold Move.  

To me, Helen Mirren is always a winner.  She is proof that age is irrelevant when it comes to fashion and that you can ROCK a look at any age.  I only dream of being half as stylish in my sixties as Helen Mirren.  Keep on keepin' on Ms. Mirren.   

Derek Lam for Kohl's Will Hit the Stores in April

Kohl's is following Target's lead when it comes to designer collaborations.  Coming this Spring in April, Kohl's will launch a capsule collection by Derek Lam inspired by his visit to Rio de Janeiro last May.  This will be the second designer collaboration for Kohl's through their design initiative called DesignNation.  The first capsule collection was with Narcisco Rodriguez and launched in November 2012.  Much like Target's Go Collection, DesignNation will feature a high-end designer sharing their vision at affordable prices.  It is an opportunity for both the designer and consumers.

Here is a glimpse of what to expect in April:

On April 5th, the collection will be available in-store and Online.  Included in the collection are swimsuits, perfect for the Spring and Summer months.  Prices will be under $100 for the pieces.

If you can't stand the wait, DesignNation by Kohl's first collaboration with Narcisco Rodriguez is still available Online and is now ON SALE.  Follow the link to Narcisco Rodriguez for DesignNation by Kohl's.

(Photos courtesy of The Budget Babe)

Colors and Prints, Oh My !!! Spring 2013 Pants at The Gap Are a Sight to See.

I have never wanted so many pants at the same time from one store, until now.  The Gap is bringing it for Spring 2013.  The selection is endless.  You just better hope they have your size because I have a feeling they will be selling fast.  

For Spring 2013, you can choose brights and/or prints from four lines of pants:  two lines are jeans and the other two are khakis.  You can choose from jeans of the skinny leg variety --  the Always Skinny Jeans and the Legging Jeans.  If you prefer casual khakis, there are two fits for you -- the Skinny Mini Khaki or the Broken-In Straight Khaki (brought over from last Spring's successful collection.)



My favorite fit are the Gap 1969 Legging Jeans.  I fit in the size 16, the largest size available in-store.  Sizes 18 up to 20 are available Online at Gap.com for most fits.  I love its stretchiness, and it fits my plus-size frame.  The Always Skinny Jeans run a little smaller, and I'm probably a size 18 or 20 in those (I haven't found one in-store to try on.)  The khakis are similar to the Always Skinny Jean as far as sizing.  The rise for these pants are low-rise, but designed higher in the back to prevent your bum from peaking out.  I hate showing crack!  Just say "NO" to crack!!!  Prices range from $49.95 to $69.95, a far cry for some of the other premium denim brands that run $175 and above.

The following are just some of the ones I am hankering for:  

1969 Legging Skimmer Jeans

in Citrus Green $69.95

in Floral $69.95

in San Clemente Blue $69.95

in Blue Dot $69.95

Skinny Mini Skimmer Khakis

in Neon Lemon Yellow $49.95

1969 Always Skinny Skimmer Jeans

in Camo $69.95