Fringed Fashion, Bargainista Style

I just lost my entire post so here we go again...

Yesterday my parents were honored at my old elementary school so I pulled out my thrifted Tom and Linda Platt vintage fringe dress and paired it with my shiny new YSL heels and Jimmy Choo purple clutch for a pop of color.

From head to toe:

• Lipstick: MAC Victoriana, Isabel & Ruben Toledo collab, $17.50 (free with Nordstrom Notes)
• Earrings: A.V. Max snake earrings, sample sale, $4
• Dress: Tom and Linda Platt, thrift store, $15 (their dresses retail for $500-1000+)
• Bag: Jimmy Choo violet Charm satin Swarovski Clutch, sample sale, $250 (last retail I found online was $2,600 but that may have been the sale price)
• Bracelets: A.V. Max crystal bangle, sample sale, $5 and spiked cuff, Nordstrom Rack, $5
• Shoes: YSL, Nordstrom Rack, $131.23.

My brother's girlfriend thought it would be fun to take a slow-motion video of me twirling. Here is the abridged video. All you're really missing is me stumbling out of frame. Spinning + little alcohol + heels = not the best idea LOL.

Thank you to my nephew, Bin who took my pics so my husband wouldn't have to LOL.

I'm linking these pieces and similar so you can shop my look :)

And in case you missed my Insta post, Clear the Rack at Nordstrom Rack is going on now thru January 3rd! In addition to an extra 25% off red and blue tag clearance, they are offering a whopping 50% off clearance dresses in store only!!! I hate shopping on Saturday nights but when I heard I ran over because that's a game changer.

I totally cracked up when I saw a SA walking around with stickers on his shirt clearly explaining what was on sale and what wasn't. Hats off to my girl Wanda who had everyone in the shoe department sporting these tags today.

Can't wait to share all my finds in my next haul post! Would love to hear what you picked up this CTR :)

XOXO
Shoppinggal

Bargainista Style; My $1,897 Alice + Olivia Voloshin Embellished Lace Dress...That Cost $119!

I can't tell you how many people asked to see more of my Alice + Olivia Voloshin dress. Thank you to my amazing reader, Julia who found the dress online so I could see that it retailed for a whopping $1,897. And to think I was mad that they priced it as a gown at the sample sale for $119 instead of a embellished dress for $99 LOL. Definitely worth the extra twenty bucks.
Once again it was unseasonably warm so I was able to step outside in short sleeves without a problem. My super talented niece, Meira, shot me so I didn't have to bug my poor husband or kids.

From head to toe:

• Earrings: A.V. Max spiked ear climber, sample sale, $4
• Eyes: Korres Volcanic Liner and Korres Professional Mascara, free (thanks Korres!)
• Lips: MAC Victoriana, Isabel & Ruben Toledo collab, $17.50 (free with Nordstrom Notes)
• Dress: Alice + Olivia Voloshin, sample sale, $119 (retail $1,897!)
• Bracelet: A.V. Max beaded rocker jewel cuff, sample sale, $10 (retail $105!)
• Bag: Maison Du Posh python skull clutch, Century 21, $46 (90% off sale - retailed for $1300!)
• Shoes: Charlotte Olympia Agent Provocateur Bellatrix, sample sale, $150 (retail $895)

This look easily retailed for over $4,000 and it was $329 OOP for me :)

I also decided that going forward I'm gonna need a cropped black fur coat for this dress so I'm on the hunt.

Linking some of these pieces (and similar) for you to see how much other people actually paid for them LOL.

I think this dress may be my favorite sample sale find this year - and this year has been pretty amazing. I'll be sure to do a roundup of all my faves before the end of the year. For those who have been following along, what are your favorites?

XOXO
Shoppinggal

Cocktails, Couture...and a Red Lip.

I'm not really a mall girl (you know I don't pay retail) but when I scored an invite to Cocktails & Couture at Garden State Plaza I figured it would be fun to meet Bethenny Frankel (of the Real Housewives of New York) and grab a few freebies.

Luckily the first thing I did was get on line to take a picture with Bethenny, because moments later, they stopped the meet and greet. I told her I appreciated her hustle. I decided not to share that my brother-in-law was actually on her talk show - he was so inappropriate that they had to bleep out half of what he said.

Sadly the lighting was terrible on the red carpet.

After seeing these pics I decided my nude lip wouldn't do so I walked over to the Nars lip bar that they had set up and asked for a red lip. Me thinks I need to head to Nordstrom (to use my notes) to buy this cherry red lippie! The color is Annabella, from their Audacious line. After I put it on an older couple stopped me and asked if anyone had ever told me that I looked like Taylor Swift. I told them that I was probably old enough to be Taylor's mom, but thank you. It's amazing how just a change of lipstick can totally make your look.

As always, when I'm solo I depend on the kindness of others to take my picture. Here's the best of the bunch...

My look from head to toe:

• Dress: Elizabeth and James, sample sale, $50
• Jacket: Gap, $8 (after stacking code glitch)
• Bracelets: A.V. Max, sample sale, $15 each
• Bag: Marc Jacobs small Antonia, Nordstrom Rack, $25 (After using my notes - retail $1,095!)
• Shoes: Manolo Blahnik, Century 21, $100 (75% off sale)

I'm linking some of these pieces (or similar) here:

On my way out I snapped a couple shot of my bag and shoes because I know you want to see more pics of those. It's actually the first time I took either of them for a spin. I couldn't find my Rockstuds but these Blahniks were perfection. I love how playful they are - and that they're not as matronly as most Monolos.

And because I know you want to take a peek inside, I went to the second floor to get a better shot of the private event.  You can see Bethenny in the top pic, on the right chatting with a few people. There were probably a handful of other celebs in the mix but I'm so bad at recognizing anyone not A list LOL.

On the way home I stopped in at the Rack (nada) and then at the supermarket a little girl came over to me and said "Excuse me, you're very pretty." Totally made my day. It's the power of a red lip :)

XOXO
Shoppinggal

And the reds have it :) MAC Cosmetics Isabel & Ruben Toledo collaboration lipstick reviews.

For some time I've been looking for a new red lippie (and keep buying pink LOL) so when I saw the pretty packaging for MAC's Isabel & Ruben Toledo collab I knew I had to see if any of them worked for me.

Colors from left to right are Oxblood, Barbecue, Victoriana, Tenor Voice, Opera and Sin - $17.50 each

The three colors that caught my eye are Victoriana, Tenor Voice and Opera, and truthfully they look pretty similar. They are all matte formulation and have good staying power for a MAC lipstick.

So similar, right?

Victoriana was the first I tried on and the one I took home :) It has a touch of pink in it and I liked how it brightened up my face.  FYI - I never wear lip-liner and I was in a hurry so please excuse my messy application. The lipstick is the only makeup I'm wearing which is why you can see all the tiny veins in my 40 year old skin.

Victoriana

Tenor Voice was the second and it was a little warmer in color. I did like it but because all three were so similar I didn't need more than one. 

Tenor Voice

Last but not least was Opera - it's the most blue-red and gave my skin a grey tint.

Opera

 Here I am modeling my look with my new MAC Victoriana lipstick :)

Dress: Peter Pilotto for Target dress, 50% off
Belt: BE&D leather studded Garbo belt, thrifted for $10 (retail $495!)
Bracelet: Chanel camellia lucite cuff, 75% off @ Neiman Marcus
Shoes: Tamara Mellon grey leopard calf hair Addiction pumps, $50 sample sale (retail $595)

Overall I'd say I'm really impressed with the MAC Toledo collection - the packaging is really a standout. With most designer lipsticks retailing for $30+ it's refreshing to find these priced at $17.50 each. Would love to hear what you selected from the collection :)
-Shoppinggal