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By Sydney's Bargain Queen, Sara. March 11, 2008. Bags, Beauty, Clothing, Jewelry, News, Shoes
We get a lot of emails asking, “where is the best place to look for …”
To help us answer your questions, we have a list here at BQ HQ where we share all our favorite shopping spots with each other. As well as helping us answer your questions, we also use it to find fabulous things to write about, and of course, to work out which retailers we want as affiliates too!
Today, we’ve decided to share our ’secret’ list with the world. It’s been months of work compiling it, so we hope you find it useful.
Next time you’re looking for something fabulous at a reasonable price, we recommend that you try these retailers. We always have great luck with them, so we’d love to hear your thoughts on them too!
Without further ado, here’s the list:
Click here to continue »
By Florida's Bargain Queen, Meg. February 15, 2008. Accessories, Bargains, Beauty, Clothing, Fashion, Hair, Under $10, Under $100, Under $20, Under $200
Whether or not you’re going to San Francisco, try wearing a flower in your hair this spring for an unexpected pop of color.
It’s an inexpensive alternative to this season’s trendy floral prints if you’re looking to incorporate florals into your spring wardrobe — and why not, they’re feminine and fun.
Torrid.com has several lovely flower hair clips for just $9! Among others, I particularly like this yellow rose clip
and
this one in red.
For $35, you can get one of these stunning orchid hair clips from Karin’s Garden. While that may seem a little pricey for a hair clip, it’s a very reasonable price for an accessory that will add so much pizazz to so many outfits year after year.
All the clips featured ship internationally.
By Kimba. February 11, 2008. Advice, Beauty, News
A loving relationship with yourself is the most important one you’ll ever have. After all, if you don’t honor and understand your own soul, how can you expect a significant other to cherish and adore you?
So romance the most important person this Valentine’s Day and beyond, with beauty, pampering and love. It all starts with a great night in, or a solitary weekend retreat.
Be a bathing beauty
Begin with a candle-lit soak in the tub with some sublimely-scented bath product, such as Laura Mercier Tarte au Citron Honey Bath, to leave you silky and smelling good enough to eat. Turn up some soulful tunes and savor the warm water while you anticipate the pampering to come.
Indulge your body
Once you’re done, slather your locks with some eggy-yellow Aesop rose hair moisturizing masque which tames even my frizz and smells divine. Pull your hair back into a bun and smooth some creme brulee body souffle over your arms and legs before bundling yourself up into something cozy yet chic, like a cashmere mesh sweater over silk pajama pants. Don’t forget to anoint your feet and wrap them up in some cashmere knee-high socks for all-over warmth.
Set up your surroundings
There’s nothing like a vase of roses to fill your home with dreamy scent, but around Valentine’s Day these don’t represent the best use of your cash. Be smart and light some scented candles instead to create a perfumed pleasure zone and a gorgeous glow.
Try some sweet treats
Orgasmically-good organic dark chocolate makes for indulgent nibbles, and the flavor is so intense you’ll find a little goes a long way. I’m currently torn between Dagoba’s raspberry and rosehips and the utterly divine lavender and blueberry with cocoa nibs, both packed with so many powerful polyphenols they’re practically health food. You’ll probably be sated for the rest of the night so just keep some sparkling water on hand to accompany, although some new season strawberries wouldn’t go astray either. Either way, it’s a light meal which will leave you feeling fabulous.
Sip some tea
A pot of jasmine pearl tea is pretty, or else experiment with some flavoured and fruity herbals or white tea blends in a favorite mug.
Let the festivities begin
Decide between watching a DVD or immersing yourself into a great book, but whichever you choose, commit your full focus to one so as to extract the purest pleasure.
I’d happily curl up with Sex and the City, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Before Sunrise or Before Sunset anytime, but sometimes only female-friendly reads are the best tools to nourish your mind and spirit.
* Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach – because sometimes we need gentle reminders of how to nurture happiness
* The Life Organizer by Jennifer Louden – prioritize your time and create the life you’ve always wanted
* A Room of One’s Own – this classic by Virginia Woolf reminds us to use our brilliant, female minds
* Live your best life: A Treasury of Wisdom, Wit, Advice, Interviews and Inspiration from O – uplifting reads for when only Oprah will do
* Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead But Gutsy Girls Do by Kate White – for a gentle, yet empowering boost
* Living Out Loud: Activities to Fuel a Creative Life by Keri Smith – infectious and crafty fun
* Hip Tranquil Chick by Kimberly Wilson - a yummy manifesto for self-care and self-knowledge
Or devour some great fiction: Possession by A.S. Byatt – a smart, literary romance. Atonement by Ian McEwan – for a good cry in private. Or anything by Colette for a reminder of the importance of pleasure and independence, such as The Vagabond or the sassy Claudine series.
From all of us here at The Bargain Queens, have a passion-filled Valentine’s Day!
By Florida's Bargain Queen, Meg. January 24, 2008. Bargains, Beauty, Skin Care, Under $100, Under $20, Under $200, Under $50
When the Clarisonic skin care brush system came out, it was a huge hit, despite being $195.
Then came the Neutrogena Wave power cleanser for under $20. Despite having good luck with Neutrogena products in the past, I was a bit sceptical. It’s getting stellar reviews though. It may not be the Clarisonic brush system, but it’s a great product for the price.
It gets better, though!
It’s now just $11.99 — and eligible for Amazon’s free Super Saver shipping!
The catch is that it’s only available in the 48 states from that seller. If your state misses out, get it from this seller for $14 (plus shipping). They also ship to Europe, Canada, the U.S. protectorates, and APO/FPO addresses.
By Florida's Bargain Queen, Meg. January 18, 2008. Bargains, Beauty, News, Skin Care, Under $100, Under $20, Under $200, Under $50
Winter white has a new meaning come shorts season. There’s nothing wrong with being a bit pale, but if you’re scared of looking like the ghost of Christmas past, then it’s time to add some color.
Save money and your skin by skipping the tanning beds. Instead, get your tan from a bottle of Prescriptives Sunsheen allover self-tanner. It’s on sale for $13.75, down from $25. Plus, it ships worldwide!
I love Prescriptives’ self-tanners, especially compared to others I’ve tried. Don’t take my word for it, though, check out the reviews on Makeupalley.com.
By Florida's Bargain Queen, Meg. January 6, 2008. Bargains, Beauty, Under $10, Under $100, Under $20, Under $200, Under $50, navy
OPI’s Russian Navy nail polish has made a big splash in the past few months, being featured on a lot of popular beauty and fashion blogs. I haven’t followed nail trends in the past, but I had to find out what all the hype was about. So I tried it myself.
The verdict? I may have found my new favorite nail color! While I normally prefer natural looks, this color is just too fun. It’s edgy like black polish, but it’s a more sophisticated look that’s a lot more wearable. Plus, it looks great with arm warmers.
At just $5.49 a bottle, it’s a trend that you can enjoy without spending a lot.
If the featured seller doesn’t ship to your country, try this seller.
By Florida's Bargain Queen, Meg. January 6, 2008. Advice, Bargains, Beauty, Makeup, News, Shopping, Under $10, Under $100, Under $20, Under $200, Under $50
I recently went shopping for makeup brush holders and was shocked by the overpriced plastic holders being sold. Twenty-five dollars for a piece of clear plastic with a few holes in it? They have to be kidding!
I only use about a half dozen or so makeup brushes, and I knew there had to be a better solution. There was, and it was staring me in the face all along — toothbrush holders!
They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. You can get them super cheap, or spend a little more to get one that matches your decor.
This blue ceramic brush holder has plenty of room, ships worldwide, and is just $5.97. The company also sells matching accessories as well as holders in a variety of other colors.
This travertine marble brush holder is still only $19.97, and it ships worldwide. While it only has three holes, many brushes are slim enough that you can put more than one in each slot.
Of course, the choices are endless!
By Florida's Bargain Queen, Meg. January 5, 2008. Advice, Beauty, Hair, Makeup, News, Shopping, Skin Care
One of my major expenses last year was building a collection of beauty products like makeup, makeup brushes, and skincare. I don’t regret it; I love the makeup I have and my skin now looks a lot better naked, but I really can’t afford to spend as much this year.
Therefore, I’ve been thinking about how to cut down on beauty-related expenses with these simple ideas.
Click here to continue »
By Sydney's Bargain Queen, Sara. January 5, 2008. Advice, Makeup, Shopping, Skin Care
Here’s one of our favorite posts from the Bargain Queen archives for your enjoyment over the holidays.
If you use makeup wipes to clean makeup from your skin each night, here’s something you need to know: baby wipes are basically the same thing, and cost a lot less money.
I started wondering about them when I noticed that the baby wipes my sister-in-law uses on her adorable sons’ bottoms look and feel almost identical to the makeup wipes I use on my face.
Curious, I took a look at the ingredients and there didn’t seem to be many differences. It seemed like the makeup wipes I was paying $10 for 25, were the same as the baby wipes that cost $5 for 80.
I asked the experts, and here’s what they said…
By Sydney's Bargain Queen, Sara. December 27, 2007. Advice, Shopping, Skin Care
Here’s one of our favorite posts from the Bargain Queen archives for your enjoyment over the holidays.
I’ve been asked many times whether I think it’s worth spending money on expensive skincare products.
It’s not easy to answer that because it depends on your individual priorities: for some people, skin care is a higher priority than it is for other people.
I can answer the underlying question though: do expensive skincare products do the things they promise?
Read on for the answer.
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