I Love Free Stuff!

I'm a bit of a free stuff junkie so I sign up for lots of giveaways and sites that offer up free goods for reviews. I've been a little under the weather so I took a bit of a shopping break - but luckily I've been having some pretty awesome mail days of late :)

Let's start with Target's June Beauty Box which isn't free but pretty close. Target has been offering beauty boxes filled with samples and a few full size products for $5-10 on a monthly basis now. They tend to sell out quick so as soon as it pops up you need to jump. Some boxes are more worth it than others - so decide quickly! I got my husband the men's box this month but he put it to use before I could photograph it. The women's box wasn't as exciting for me but it has some solid products that I'm sure I'll pay with when I get a chance. I always look for a good lipstick, nail polish, razor, dry shampoo or hairspray. This box was $10 and the lippie was by elf so I probably should have skipped. Live and learn.

FYI - The July box should be available any day now...

These days they mail it this black box with shrink wrap - which unfortunately doesn't do much to protect the goods...

I've been doing Influenster for a few years now but I'm stuck on their mommy list. They send you stuff for free to review and share with followers. While my friends get luxury makeup, I get apple juice and dish soap. That's not to say this box isn't full of useful stuff...I'd really like to try some of the good stuff already! Either way head over there to sign up and see what they send you. Maybe you'll get lucky...or just don't tell them you have kids LOL.

I'm not even sure I remember how this one came about but POPSUGAR sent me this Must Have Box to try and I have to say it's chock full of fun. They cost for $39.95 and have surprises that retail for $100+ The background I'm using is actually a really pretty oversized scarf that came in the box. Also included was a little mirror, nail polish, pretzels, bottle opener, card game and underarm deodorant wipes. My son was quizzing us all weekend with those cards.

Won this WEI Beauty haul on Instagram a little while back. I have to confess I still haven't touched anything because I'm so stuck on my Murad products for my face. I swear by Murad's Clarifying Mask (which makes pimples disappear overnight!) so I'm afraid to touch anything else. I'm gonna read up on these and start playing with them soon.

When Sugar Brand reached out to me and offered me free shoes...you can guess what I said. I choose these crafted sandals because I'm always looking for cute flats. I'm sure you recognize my new Jason Wu sunglasses from the Modo sale but my new Flocking Fabulous MAC lipstick was from the 30% off deal I mentioned here. They still have a few products left on sale but this lippie sold out. Hope you didn't miss that deal!

Thanks to Practically Haute, I was introduced to 0.8l, an online platform where you can try before you buy some interesting Korean beauty products. You have to apply to "win" and so far I've won 3x.

My favorite score was this Vant Sun Cushion - which arrived just as I ran out of my favorite BB cream. I have a hard time with foundations - they don't make a lot in fair with a hint or yellow. It seems I have Korean coloring because this one is perfect for me! It's really dewy and moisturizing, and has just enough coverage :)

This Pongdang Mulbit Glow BB Cushion scared me when I opened it. It looks so dark, yet applies lighter than the Vant. The color is fine but it's a little drier than the Vant. 

Finally, when my Delight 18 U White Pang Cellapy Sun Cushion and lip gloss arrived, my girls flipped for the packaging. So cute! The lip gloss appears clear but applies to a soft, natural pink but doesn't leave my lips as moist as I'd like. The sun cushion on the other hand is white. Literally white. All of these cushions have SPF which is amazing but this one is primarily for whitening - which I don't really need or like. Frankly, I'm pale enough. It's also a little drying. It's just not for me. Too bad because that doggie is so sweet.

We went to my Uncle Bob's pool last weekend so I felt the need to shoot everything in front of the pool. I put my $5 Rebecca Minkoff sample sale sandals to use - if only they were as comfortable as they are cute. But they sure do take a pretty picture!

And last but not least, my new Benefit Brow products. They ran a promotion to earn free products for referrals and I earned these two - and then they ran out before I could earn their third and final free product. Hate when that happens. Haven't tried them yet but can't wait! I should also thank my girls for their artwork all over my front walkway - I keep using it as a backdrop for photos :)

I'm finally feeling well enough to shop but I'm trying to give my kids a little more attention this Summer. Took them to Finding Dory yesterday and it was sweet...other than the insane woman who started cursing me out for taking her seats - which I didn't do. My husband was already sitting there holding our seats while I went to the bathroom with the kids. She claims she had sent her young son in to save seats while she was buying candy but must not have noticed my husband was there first. Honestly I didn't even see a kid standing there when I sat down - not to mention I saw the two of them walk in behind us because I remembered her grumbling on the way in and tried to stay clear of her. Maybe the kid didn't see the seats were occupied because my tiny daughter was sitting in it and in the semi dark it looked empty? Either way, she went ballistic and called me every profanity in the book at the top of her lungs. Who does that? Who curses in front of their kid like that at a children's movie? A normal person would move on and take an empty seat - that's what I would do. She eventually backed down and found another seat but not without loudly complaining to all the poor bystanders. In hindsight I probably should have looked for a manager and had her thrown out of the theater. All I can say is there are some crazy people out there...and her poor kid who has zero chance for being normal with a mom like that. Ugh. Vent over.

Anyway...hope your mail days have been as successful as mine :)

XO
Shoppinggal

Nordstrom $500 Gift Card Giveaway!

Yes, it's another giveaway! This week I won THREE giveaways so I'm paying back the karma with another giveaway for you! I won a 3-foot sub sandwich, a 14K gold and Moonstone ring and a modest rashguard that I'm giving to my sister. Don't worry - I'll be sure to share pics when they come :)

This one is for my favorite store - Nordstrom! Do you know how many penny items I could get with $500 at the Rack? I would be decked out for the rest of my life. So now here's your chance to win and see how much damage you could do with 500 bucks!

I'm linking a bunch of stuff you could splurge on with your gift card. Nordstrom Rack has spoiled me to the point that I often forget how much things actually cost LOL.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Prize: $500 Nordstrom Gift Card 

Co-hosts: TonieGirl // To Be Bright // tanyafoster.com - a lifestyle blog // Jenns Blah Blah Blog // The Mommyhood Mentor® // Krystal's Kitsch // Sand, Sun, & Messy Buns // High Latitude Style // Peyton's Momma // Threads For Thomas // Tailored and True //  LeHoarder // Fashion Fairy Dust // Cityrocka's Accessories and Celebrity Gossip Blog

Giveaway organized by: Oh My Gosh Beck! 

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter form to enter daily. Giveaway ends 3/7 and is open worldwide. Winner will be notified via email.

Are you a blogger who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your blog? Click here to find out how you can join a totally awesome group of bloggers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's not too late to enter my Louis Vuitton Speedy 30, a pair of Fendi sunglasses, and a gold iPad mini giveaway here. Good luck! 

XOXO

Shoppinggal

New Year's Eve, Bargainista Style.

Happy New Years Eve! Today I headed to Nordstrom to have my face done to make up (haha!) for an overwhelmed employee who wasn't all that friendly a couple weeks back. Long story short, in my quest for the perfect brow I purchased an Anastasia eye pencil online and picked it up in store. When I went in I asked for assistance and the Anastasia associate told she was too busy to show me how to use it - and she couldn't be bothered to call someone to help. Last I checked Nordstrom was known for customer service so I reported her. The cosmetics manager, Adria Hill called me back and offered to do my makeup for New Year's Eve. I'm always up to learn a few new tricks so I happily accepted.

Adria is amazing. Check out her insane Insta feed here. She showed me how to contour, highlight and do a crazy eye. I hope to collaborate with her again in the New Year because she is so talented. In addition to make up artist, she was also my photographer for the day. Thanks Adria!

My look from head to toe:

• Lips: MAC Ruby Woo, Nordstrom, $17 (free with notes)
• Jacket: Alice + Olivia Jace, sample sale, $99 (retail $2,000!)
• Dress: American Apparel, $7.50, Nordstrom Rack
• Bracelets: A.V. Max beaded cuffs, sample sale, $10 each
• Bag: Dannijo Viper clutch, sample sale, $75 (retail $698)
• Boots: Sergio Rossi, sample sale, $25 (retail $1,100!)

I didn't want to wear full on sequins during the day so I grabbed my new Alice + Olivia leather jacket for some sparkle. I got this little black dress at the Rack 50% off dress sale yesterday - I planned on using as a slip to layer under dresses but I decided to just wear it out because it's an easy, comfortable dress. Basically, this $3,000 look cost $226.50 OOP. #Score!

I had free money at Nordstrom so I splurged on some makeup. Adria recommended getting Ruby Woo pencil and lipstick because I don't have them yet and I grabbed another Miley Cyrus Viva Glam because today was the last day to buy it. It's a limited edition and I was told them are getting pulled so if you want one order NOW. I'm sure you've seen a bajillion pictures of me wearing it and it's become my go-to lipstick.

I'm linking up some of my pieces (and similar) for you to shop :)

So Happy New Year! So excited to see what 2016 brings! May it be a year filled with successful sample sales, discounted designer shoes and many, many fashion adventures! What are you looking forward to in 2016?

XOXO
Shoppinggal

The tale of my broken Balenciaga... and tips on caring for your designer bags & shoes.

This year some of my designer goods have decided to give out on me. First my brand new Chanel bracelet died (snapped in two) and then my Refurb Balenciaga from the Rack broke in less than a year. The Chanel wasn't an issue because I eventually took it back to Neiman Marcus where I purchased it and they refunded me. I wasn't sure what to do with my Bal because it was a Nordstrom Rack purchase.

It seems the piping on a Balenciaga has a thin plastic wire beneath the leather and can easily crack and poke through. I usually do lots of research on how to care for a bag when I get it. I'll waterproof it, condition and clean it as needed but somehow I missed that the piping would be an issue. Only after the fact did I discover that I should have reinforced it but once it's damaged there is nothing you can do. Very disappointing for a $2,000 bag.

I immediately called Nordstrom customer service and they told me to go to my Rack or regular Nordstrom and see what could be done. Unfortunately Nordstrom just changed their policy and no longer does repairs for customers and they just shrugged their shoulders at the Rack where I purchased it.

I then emailed Lovin My Bags to get a quote for repair (and never heard back) so after a recommendation from a TPF member (The Purse Forum - if you're not already on that forum, you should be) I called Rago Brothers in Morristown, NJ thinking they would be cheaper than a NY repair place.

A week later (and $240 poorer) I picked up my Bal. They put in a brand new piping and it's good as new. For $150 they could have just patched the corners but I know that would have bugged me so I just went for it.

They did leave me with this red mark that wasn't there before. (Red sharpie?) I spotted it when I picked it up and they took it to the back to fix it, but I made the mistake of not double checking it when I left because it's still there. Maybe I'll use a black sharpie over it.

In hindsight, perhaps I should have just taken it directly to Balenciaga in NYC (maybe it would have been free?) but overall I'm pleased with the repair and my Bal is back in service.

It was on TPF that I read I should use Zelikovitz Satin topcoat on the piping to fortify and prevent further wear and tear. I'm going to wait a little bit before painting it because the piping already looks a little darker and I'm hoping with some time and wear it won't be such a stark contrast.

With the influx of all my new sample sale-d designer stuff, I've started a round of protecting the goods. About twice a year I pull everything out. First, all new leather pieces are sprayed with a rain and stain protectant. Then I look over my older stuff and condition and spray them as needed.

My two favorites are Apple and Collonil Waterstop - both are available on Amazon or eBay. I really need to source them locally so I can find them for less than $10 a pop. Yes, sometimes I actually have to pay retail. All you do is spray on a two light coats (I wait 24 hrs in between to let them dry) and voila - you are protected from rain and most stains. A client this week told me that her daughter accidentally dumped her hot chocolate in her new black leather Burberry bag. She did not treat it - but she was lucky and after a quick rinse it looks good as new. For those of us who are not so lucky - go buy a couple bottles right now.

Other products in my arsenal include Leather Honey conditioner (keeps bags buttery soft and makes scratches virtually disappear) and Meltonian cream shoe polish (I have a rainbow of colors for touch ups). I'll be sure to show before and afters of those products next time I pull them out.

So the lesson today is take care of your designer bags BEFORE there's a problem. A $10-20 investment will more than pay for itself in the long run.

XOXO
Shoppinggal

PS - I've been playing with fonts for the watermark on my photos - do you prefer the new script or my old block letters? I'm undecided...would love to hear what you think :)

And it started with a lipstick :)

Last week on a whim we jumped in the car and drove down to Florida for some sun and fun. My kids used to be great on roadtrips and these days...not so much. They took turns passing around the iPad, the video player and LeapPad for 19 hours. My husband is a machine behind the wheel and we only had one stop each way - and he did most of the driving. I think I'm ready to try flying with kids again. In the 9 days we were gone I only got to hit one Rack and it felt like we spent most of our vacation in the car. I kept spying outlets, Goodwills and malls and there was just no time to shop :(

The kids only had a half day of school today because of the snow so as soon as I got them on the bus and worked out I headed out to shop. I had a feeling Century 21 would hit 75% off today but I wanted to first do a couple returns at TJ Maxx and hit Nordstrom to pick up the new Miley Cyrus Viva Glam lipstick. TJ seems to have had another round of yellow sticker markdowns but there was nothing good left. Then at the mall I popped into Neiman Marcus to see what was left at their consolidation sale but not a single Rockstud, Louboutin or Chanel was left in my size. At least I got my new lipstick - and I got it for free with my Nordstrom notes. It was a good thing I went in because the coordinating lip gloss sold out at Nordstrom and I'm not sure how much longer the lipstick will be around. If you're into bright pinks you'll love the new Miley Viva Glam - it's a gorgeous pop of color. It is less red than I thought it would be. It's very moist and not as dry as some MAC lipsticks. The salesgirl told me I would need a lipliner because it's one of their Amplified lipsticks but I'm wearing it right now without it and it's just fine. No bleeding at all. I've already had a bunch of complements today :)

After the mall I headed to Nordstrom Rack and H&M to do a couple returns. H&M has 50% off clearance right now but it was slim pickins. I walked out empty handed and finally made it to Century 21 and it was a good thing I did...

Because I was right! Designer shoes were being marked down! Despite not getting there when they opened I came home with a bag full of shoes :) I took a few pics of ones that didn't work for me so you can get an idea of what they had.

Marc by Marc Jacobs wedge booties for 75% off $169.97 ($42.50) - saw them in 6.5 and 8.5.

Strappy size 7 Fendis for 75% off $439.97 ($110)

I've been watching these Rebecca Minkoffs for weeks hoping they would make it in my size :) They had tons left in multiple sizes for just $32! I grabbed the 9 and 9.5 so I could decide which fit better at home.

Love these (too small for me) size 9 suede platform wedge Donna Karan booties- 75% off $259.97 ($65).

Found two pairs of these Love Moschino size 11 moon boots for just $25!!!!
 

I also spotted a sign for their upcoming designer event - can't wait to see what they'll have :)

I went back to the Rack before heading out to get my kids and a little birdie told me that they will also be having a designer sale soon :) I hope it's going to be as good as their first one because their last one was just sad. Fingers crossed that they will get designer accessories and shoes too!

Century marks down a few departments each day so I'll be stalking them every day this week (weather permitting). Now it's time for you to run to Century and see what you can find!

Happy shopping :)
-Shoppinggal

Adventures in retail

Those of you who know me know that I don't do retail. It physically hurts me to pay full price. So when I got this postcard in the mail I knew I would have to brave the retail jungle...

Yep, you read it correctly :) If you offer me $50 to buy whatever I'd like in Nordstrom - I'm coming!

It seems they randomly select Nordstrom card holders for this promotion. All I had to do was schedule an appointment with a stylist and share my agenda. I told them I wanted to try on that Ted Baker dress I blogged about earlier, see if I could find matching earrings for my new Alexis Bittar bracelet and be informed about markdowns in the designer handbag/shoe departments. This time of year nothing is on sale in Nordstrom (yet) so I figured I should ask about a beauty stylist as $50 can buy me a few things in the beauty department. I've been hunting for an under eye concealer as well as the perfect red lip for some time now. Plus I had a $40 Nordstrom Note so I essential had $90 in free money to play with :)

My appointment wasn't until 1:30 so I had some time to kill that morning. After my regular trip to the Rack and a cute $6 necklace I headed to the mall.

First stop was H&M to check out Isabel Marant's collaboration and by the time I got there they were already dismantling the displays because there was next to nothing left. All I got to see was the window display. I did find one of the dresses I wanted to try on by the changing room but they only had a size 2 and that's just not going to happen.

My picks from this collection include a couple of her dresses (I'm a sucker for a pretty dress) and shoes (as always). I wasn't going to buy anything but I just wanted to see what they hype was all about. I'll wait patiently until they turn up in the thrift store :)

I decided to take a peek in Neiman Marcus to see what was going on as sale season is approaching. I checked out some dresses on a sale rack and then headed down to my favorite spot - designer shoes and bags :) Around 15 years ago I picked up a Balenciaga in Barneys NY and made the mistake of walking away. I've been thinking about it ever since. I decided to revisit the brand and see what I would get should I happen to win the lottery this week.

Very pretty but this lovely caught my eye on the neighboring display...

Say hello to the beautiful Givenchy aubergine Nightingale. If this baby ever magically gets a crazy markdown she's coming home with me :)

But then reality set in and I left empty handed.

After those unsuccessful missions I headed to Nordstrom to do a little scouting of my own. I headed to the dresses only to find that they don't carry Ted Baker at that location and then in the jewelry department all I found was Alexis Bittar's ugly lucite stuff (not a fan). I met my stylist in the designer handbag department and she was late so I had time to discover they had 20% several designers but nothing of interest. After exchanging contact info we headed to beauty to meet my beauty stylist. Luckily my pre-shop allowed me to focus in the beauty department where I planned to spend most of my time and free money anyway.

We started with under eye concealers. I wanted to try Cle De Peau (not available at that location, ugh) and Kevyn Aucoin as they were highly recommended. I have very sensitive skin/eyes so I have a hard time wearing eye makeup in general. I probably should have mentioned that to the stylist as after several attempts my eyes teared up and nearly swelled shut. Luckily I had already purchased Benefit's Erase Paste from Sephora the week before thanks to a generous online friend who shared her 20% VIB code with me - and so far it's the best I've found for color and coverage.

Next we decided to conquer the red lip. She brought me litany of lipsticks. I tried brands I'd never even heard of before. And then she brought me Guerlain's Rouge Automatic in Chamade...the most beautiful shade of PINK. And yes, it's the perfect rosy lip but it's in the same color family that I always buy. And yeah, I got it. The bullet pops up which is great - you don't have to worry about loosing the cap. However, I'm worried I'm going to snap it off when applying so I have to be more careful than I'm used to. For $35 a pop you'd think they'd come up with a better design.

After a few more attempts I gave up and grabbed my favorite concealer, Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage in SC-2. I discovered LM years ago when I had my adult acne problem and I found that this was the only concealer on the market that would perfectly cover the mess on my face. My skin has since cleared up thanks to Murad (amazing stuff!) but I still love me some Secret Camouflage for tiny imperfections.

I also grabbed a Nars Gypsy lipstick - it was my wedding lipstick. I remembered it being red but it's actually more berry.

I really did try to find something new but it's funny how one always gravitates to what they know.

We spent a few minutes in the perfume department to try to find a new sent. I took home a sample of Valentina by Velentino and it's very pretty but it does not last very long. It reminds of me of Michael Kors which used to be my signature fragrance. I have a feeling if I can't find something else soon I'll end up back with Michael LOL.

And then it was time to pick up the kiddies. Total cost for my day: $6

Not too shabby for a day of fashion and beauty :)

-Shoppinggal