Your Powers Combined Rhinestone Ring, $9 (was $18) This is here as an excuse to talk about two other giant rings: the future Mrs. Kardashian’s and the one Kandi Burruss wore on the recent RHOA reunion. What even was that?
(Also, who else had that nail polish in 10th grade and how hot were you sure it made you?)
Diya Maxi Dress, $43 (was $81) Yes, this puts a bullseye right between your legs. Don’t mind it.
Ballet Wrap Cardigan, $34.99 (was $49.95) Who doesn’t want to look like a ballerina? Here are some shoes to help sell your new persona:
Tillie Smoking Slipper Flat, $19.95 (were $51) Love a leather shoe for under twenty bucks but I’m bettin’ you can’t wear these outdoors.
Barneys Leather Trimmed Coaster, $16 (was $75) HEAR ME OUT. OK, so this is one of those items you see at the place your friend is housesitting and you’re like, must be nice to not only have rich friends but ones who also trust you with all their fancy stuff, jerk. At this price, you could buy two, maybe even four, and then people could hate YOU.
Mismatch Stud Earrings, $12.50 (were $18) Time to stock up on tiny one-off studs because we’re filling all our holes again. Speaking of holes…
Oakwood Makeup Brush Holder, $24.95 (was $34) Hahahaha… Uhhh, you do know they allow wimmin folk to own their own drills nowadays, dontchya Anthro?
UD Gwen Stefani Brow Box, $15 (was $30) This looks like a pretty good kit mainly because blonde brow kits always seem to lean redder than this one. Give it whirl and report back? Also, not to brag, but my mom is friends with Gwen’s aunt and exclusively refers to her as “[Name redacted]… you know, Gwen Stefani’s aunt?” Moms — they’re just like us!
I am so mad, I’ve been eyeing that Gap ballet wrap cardigan for a few weeks, and I just went to buy it only to find that it’s sold out in my size. 🙁
Look, if a cocktail ring isn’t large enough that slapping someone while wearing it would put them at risk of concussion, then what even is the point?
So large that the light shining off it blinds people every time you take a sip.
large enough to hold the stolen souls of your enemies
Awwwww yisss.
I wore those all the time in college (I should start wearing them again…hmm…) and I referred to them as my “face-breakin’ rings”
That cardigan looks like the perfect “let’s bury my feelings in shopping!” purchase. Anyone have recs on etsy shops or other places that have good options for stud earrings? The madewell ones are cute, but my irrational worry is that the studs are so small that I won’t be able to grasp them enough to pull them out, and then I’m stuck with forever earrings (a worry I discovered the last time I browsed etsy for cute stud earrings that would be work friendly).
I know this may not exactly be what you’re looking for, but I’ve learned that if you time it right, Bloomingdales regularly puts 14k studs on sale for under $100. To whit: http://www1.bloomingdales.com/shop/fine-jewelry/a… and then they’re running an extra 20% off on top of those prices. I bought a pair of pyramid studs there for $80 once, and wore them every day for years, they never came close to falling out.
I promise I don’t work for Bloomingdales, although I probably should.
Recs for sources of nickel-free cute stud earrings would also be welcomed.
Your comment reminded me that I lost one of my favorite earrings a few weeks ago. It is from this pair by the Etsy seller Villa Sorgenfrei: https://www.etsy.com/listing/193669922/brushed-an… Most of their studs are floral and I do have a floral, but I like that sterling silver pair for work and every day. I just ordered a replacement pair and then also their fox ring because foxes: https://www.etsy.com/listing/213909397/hand-gilde…
My current favorite studs are these I got in a grab bag from Olive Yew’s etsy. They look bigger on me than they do on the model. http://www.oliveyew.com/collections/earrings/prod…
https://www.etsy.com/shop/AHoleyMoleyLyfe I love this one! the studs are mostly a larger size, the variety of designs is huge, and the shop is black-owned. I have the galaxy ones and they’re great.
Wow… that brush holder really is literally an offcut of a board with some holes drilled in it for $25. I’m in the wrong line of work.
It legit looks like the sort of thing that would’ve gotten a “you didn’t even try” grade from my middle school shop teacher. He would’ve made the kid spend the next several classes sanding it as punishment.
The more I look at it, the more upsetting it is. The holes aren’t even spaced evenly! Look at the gap between the angle brush and the blush brush!
It looks like something I might make in a fit of necessity and depressed lack of energy, but then feel compelled to self-deprecatingly joke to everyone who saw it that it came from the J_bird 10-minute Payday Loan and Design Firm.
You need to get a job writing copy for whatever the opposite of the J Peterman Catalog is.
it looks like they’re grouped into pairs? maybe?
It’s never too late to open an Etsy shop.
RUSTIC OOAK SHABBY CHIC MAKEUP BRUSH HOLDER HIPPIE FAERIE STEAMPUNK REN FEST
Do you miss Regretsy too? I do.
I think about Regretsy everyday.
A group of us got the Voldemort rhinestone earrings for my friend’s birthday and it is hands down the best gift I have ever given.
Please tell me you have a picture of these!
I totally get why she felt she needed to stop. But oh those were wonderful times.
All the time. ;_;
Whimsickal fuckery 4 lyfe, yo.
soooo much.
Who owns only six makeup brushes? That’s what I want to know.
I only own three! Though two are double-ended, so maybe I should count it as five.
But double-ended brushes would be damaged in this holder anyway! >:-(
True! That thing is useless in so many various ways.
For double ended brushes they sell smaller pieces of wood you can place your brush on top of. I’m guessing.
me, for example
I own exactly four, and only use the two for my brows regularly. (I fingerpaint most of my makeup and just wash my hands between products. My contours come out much better that way.)
Fingerpainters unite! I feel much better using my freshly-washed fingers than a brush that, let’s face it, isn’t getting washed any time this month. (Though I do use a big-ass kabuki for loose powders, which I guess is fine since those go on top of all the other makeups that went before them.)
I’m assuming the brushes don’t come with it?
I am wearing a blush cardigan from the Gap from like 7 years ago that looks almost exactly like that grey one. It doesn’t make me look like a ballerina, more like a dumpy Jedi reject.
HA that is what I look like in every wrap-type situation and I have never had the correct language to describe it. Thank you for this great gift.
Smoking slippers are my favourite variety of flats & I want to fill my closet with them! I’m not terribly keen on the ones here, BUT Aerosoles have a line of smoking slippers in their S/S collection & I’m obsessed. (I have the Betunia in Pewter, sooooo comfortable)
Are those Betunias very breathable? It looks like those would need to be worn sans socks, but my feet get sweaty with a quickness if my shoes are too warm. (Also, ACK why do the studded fabric Betunias have to be sold out in my size?!)
I find them to be very light and breathable, but I still wear no show socks whenever I wear these shoes or any other flats.
I may have to get the Aerosoles ones. Aerosoles makes the comfiest shoes (I swear by a few pairs of their heels) and they actually make them in wide width which will fit the tops of my feet, which are huge.
Can I put a shopping question to the hive mind here? Last week I lost the charm from my favorite necklace — it was a long silver chain with a crossword puzzle pendant on it (from Erica Weiner). I’m now heartbroken, and I’m also without a long silver necklace with a big-ish charm which was a great way for me to feel kind of fancy in t-shirts and whatnot. Suggestions as to where I can find such an item for under $150?
I know this is more labor-intensive and less online-shoppable, but I also like long necklaces with weird shit hanging on them, and I’ve had a lot of luck just going to jewelry supply stores or bead shops and browsing their wares. Often there are some really, really cool charms and pendants for quite cheap. Various types of cords/chains/what have you are also available for fair prices. Good luck!
I am generally bad at shopping for jewelry, so my favorite long fancy t-shirt necklace is a chain to which I added two pendants: a little locket made from a typewriter key (similar items readily available both online and at various local arts-n-crafts fairs) and an old skeleton key (purloined from my sister, but also easy to find). It’s embarrassingly hipster-y, but it’s cute and I think together the components of mine came out to well under $30.
I have a very similar one with the nib from an old fashioned pen and a typewriter key!
I saw this woman at a local craft fair and her stuff is really nice. Not sure if you count crystals as a charm, but this and this are 30″ long and silver.
You may think I’m crazy, but when I want to stock up on long necklaces, I go to Forever 21. 75% of their choices are pretty out-there, but I can always find a few that are nice and they are never over $10, so I don’t feel awful when I inevitably lose them.
Me too! The (overwhelming) variety means you can find everything from elegant to bananas. Some of my actual favorite necklaces cost, like, $4 there.
Yup–and inevitably every time I wear something from Forever 21 my grandmother compliments it and I get to go “Oh, I paid 3 bucks for it on sale at Forever 21” and she laughs because she finds my quest to find bargains hi-larious (she is a very comfortable woman and has said she doesn’t clip coupons because it makes her feel poor).
This also applies to stuff from Target. Target can be hit or miss because the jewelry is so trend-based but sometimes it has some cute stuff.
The idea of a grandmother who doesn’t want to hear/talk about bargains is just so bonkers to me. Vast tapestry.
Wait. Is your grandmother Emily Gilmore?
I’ve also had good luck at H&M and the juniors/BP department at Nordstrom.
Do you still have the chain? You might have more options if you also consider pendants that come without chains.
I so want to recommend my bf’s cousin’s shop – http://www.urbanwildstudio.com/ – but she has nothing up right now. Check back soon for relatively inexpensive and very stylin’ long drapey necklaces. I get so many compliments on the brass and crystal thing I got there, and it was in the range of $30.
I got this long silver (stainless steel) adorable geeky thing for valentines day: http://hancholo.com/collections/shop-all-necklace… (also here, with cheaper shipping) http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/iqgv/
They also have a real silver (more expensive) option: http://hancholo.com/collections/shop-all-necklace…
And lots of other cute stuff! This looks like something you might like: http://hancholo.com/collections/shop-all-necklace…
or maybe this? http://hancholo.com/collections/shop-all-necklace…
I like Fierce Deer on Etsy. Bonus for Canadians – shipping is really cheap! They are in Toronto.
Jeez that brush holder isn’t even a nice chunk of burl. Would it have killed them to finish it? I’ve salvaged nicer pieces of wood from warehouse palettes.
(And now I’m thinking about how bad I need a drill press, even though I’m moving from my tiny apartment in the city to a tinier apartment in a different city soon.)
PS: I bought the Anthropologie vegan leather pants I mentioned in the last Bargain Bin and I’m wearing them now. They make my butt look great but the pockets are silly. So it goes! No regrets.
Finishing it would defeat the purpose on two counts. One- it would no longer look like “distressed barn wood” or whatever, with all that rustic charm. Two- then we would all be able see clearly that it’s just the offcut end of a board rather than something nice.
Does that ring summon Captain Planet???
If it doesn’t I’m not interested.
INDEED.
I clicked on the ballet wrap cardigan because it looks JUST like something I lusted after after seeing it in Teen Vogue like a decade ago and I could get it now and pair it with my glamorous white nail polish and be the hottest girl in honors geometry, and apparently it’s now only available in Pepto-Bismol pink. My dreams of being a cool teen have been crushed again.
Um ok I still want that nail polish. I had a really great shimmery white for a while when I was really into nail art but a lot of my polishes from that phase are very dried up now. I don’t feel too much one way or the other about most of them but if anyone could suggest a new shimmery white…
Ooh I have a good one: Sally Hansen Triple Shine makes a pretty opalescent white polish (I’m wearing it right now). It’s more sheer than what’s in the picture so you won’t have like, bright white nails, but I like that it’s a pearly, neutral nail that’s not ballet pink. Not sure what the color is called, but the line is Triple Shine, and they have a square bottle/cap.
Are you by any chance in Australia? My sister in law lives there and recently sent me a Limedrop nail polish in shimmery white, and it is the best, most durable nail poilish I have ever worn. I think it is this one https://www.limedrop.com.au/collections/nail-poli…
I don’t know if they make versions of this stuff for non-toluene/formaldehyde/DBP-free nail polish, but maybe the old nail polishes aren’t lost? http://www.zoya.com/content/category/Zoya_Renew_N… If you still have them….
Maybe try this? http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/blogs/daily-b…
Oh my god never thin your nail polish with acetone it works in the short term but it ruins it eventually. Get a bottle of polish thinner from sallys or amazon.
I have so many cardigans like that one. They are a godsend to the busty and short-waisted. I certainly don’t look like a ballerina in them, though.
Oooooh, another busty short-waister here! Any other tips to not look like Violet Beauregard post-blueberry transition?
Eschew any piece of clothing that does not go in at the waist.
Guess who’s buying that brow kit?
Me. It’s me. I’m the one who’s buying that brow kit.
The NYX brow kit is also the shit. The light powder in blonde is the best match I’ve found for my dark-blonde, cool ashy color. (I probably would have bought the taupe color, but Target only had blonde and it suits me juuuuust fine.)
I have that kit, too! (I think in the taupe?) It’s really amazing, especially for the price. I’m actually running out of the light color…and I broke the lid. Because I loved it too much.
I am new to brow makeup and have a pencil that isn’t even approximately my dirty blond-going-grey hair color. Which doesn’t matter so much because I cover, but I would like to be better with my brows. Is powder the way to go? Is it super-messy for a clumsy person who has about three minutes to put on make-up in the am?
I use this $3 elf one: http://www.elfcosmetics.com/p/eyebrow-kit
Great product, although the applicator it comes with is basically terrible. I use the stubby angled liner brush (that comes with their gel liner) in the darker product to “draw in” hairs and sort of outline, top it with the powder (using a fluffy brush) and sort of zhuzh a spoolie through them to blend.
I have pretty thick black brows to begin with, but this makes them a little more uniform (or hides a recent plucking spree.) It takes maybe 2-3 minutes.
Wahooo! That looks great, thanks!
Oh my gosh, Life’s Entropy Brow Theory Pomade is the tits. Like identical to Anastasia Dip Brow, but about 1/3 the price. It’s super natural looking, easy to use and you use such a tiny amount the jar will last forever. http://lifesentropy.com/product-category/eyes/
Oh man, that wrap cardigan would look great if I had any sort of torso length. But, bonus, it did remind me of something I wanted to knit about a decade ago(!) but had totally forgotten about.
In other short-waisted news, we’ve finally reached a new month and a clothing budget with no desperately-need-something-practical-like-new-shoes list attached, and thus I bought the caftan dress from a million Bargain Bins ago and am now eagerly awaiting its arrival.
You bought the caftan! I want one so badly. I sent the link to my best friend, and we fully intend to purchase coordinating caftans.
Please report back when you receive it. Detail just how glamorous you feel.
I will def post in Bargain Bin again when I receive it! I ended up going with the fabric pictured in the main photo but if I really love it I might get one in pale yellow as well.
I also bought the caftan (and, like, I bought it THAT DAY) and can confirm it is AMAZING. So comfy, so glamorous. Everyone needs one.
Oh also, the sizing in that shop is pretty great – everything is in standard “letter” sizes AND heights. So you can be sure you’re getting the size that fits your body and your length.
ughhhh now I want a caftan (or several) to be my funemployed-in-New-Orleans uniform this summer. I am getting my Masters, surely I deserve to spend a month or so not wearing pants.
Replying to say a caftan is basically the only item of clothing appropriate to Nola in the summer. You can flap it to create a gentle breeze to move the wet-blanket air.
haha yes! I’m imagining giant sunglasses, hat, caftan, iced beverage. So ready.
Now I’m picturing this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dreRY4DfINc
Any UK toasts have tips for a good source of work cardigans? My favourite just went through at the elbows and I’m looking for a warm, professional and pretty, in that order, replacement.
American here but I order from the UK-based Woolovers, which is pricey but does not disappoint (and isn’t just wool, if you’re allergic or sensitive.)
This is interesting. I bought a cardigan from there for my wedding (it was a cardigany type of do) and all the buttons popped off almost immediately, so I vowed never to buy from them again. But I guess that was just bad luck and I shouldn’t have been so harsh in my judgement?
It’s possible their buttons are terrible- I generally don’t button mine (I work in overheated buildings and have a bosom that laughs at buttons). I hope it didn’t happen AT your wedding! Mostly I like their colors and weight.
My other work cardigans are from Land’s End, which ships to the UK (a dear friend of ours once got them to replace the same pair of pants for him about three times) but had a Problematic Kerfuffle a while ago re: Gloria Steinem.
I read that as “I work in overheated buildings and have a BOSS that laughs at buttons” and I was trying to imagine what your work day must be like….
🙂
My boss is the best and kindest of men (misandry mutters, “not that that’s difficult” but he is really a good person) and this would probably make him laugh too.
(Did anyone else imagine “Mother Hunt”, the Nero Wolfe where Archie tries to track down the maker of horsehair buttons?)
I have a couple from Dorothy Perkins (black, grey) that haven’t faded or stretched in peculiar and unexpected directions, and a couple form M&S which have been great. I got given a beautiful one from Jaeger if that’s more your price range?
I don’t know if they still make them, but Banana Republic (do you have those in the UK? we do in France) used to sell lovely silk knit cardigans that I wore throughout high school and continued to wear until a year or so ago, (I’m 31) so I can vouch for their longevity if they still exist.
Uniqlo. Bought a beige ultra thin merino wool v neck caddie last year that’s still going strong.
John Lewis. Always and forever. I have a thing for their own brand cashmere cardigans for work, because my office is open plan and does this weird eco/no airco thing that means the temp can plummet 15 degrees between places. They are a bit pricey but look smart but unobtrusive, go well with so many things, wear well with almost no pilling, and are really soft. And I flagrantly ignore the tag and chuck them in the gentle cycle in the machine, dry them flat on a towel and they keep their shape perfectly. I’m now on my 3rd one of theirs in “toast” (no really) ones in 11 years which goes with everything and which I wear at least once a week. The elbows eventually go but patched they’re fine for home.
Anyhow, one of those “how many wears” purchases. Also you can usually find them in the sales, although usually they put the biggest discounts on the more seasonal colours. But they come back again and again.
Link here: http://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-crew-neck-cas…
Hm. Evangelical about cardis. So this is what 40 looks like from the inside.
Haha I’ll be 40 this year and cardigans are now Very Important to me 🙂
You wear a ring that size because you are a Borgia at heart, and you don’t particularly care who knows it. The ring is large enough to advertise that it might contain poison. Probably it doesn’t, but it COULD, and do others really want to take that chance?
Ooh, I have an actual poison ring! It’s got an innocent pink opal, but you pop the little hinge and it’s like a locket. I could totally tip it sideways while passing someone their wine, and let a few strychnine tablet fall .. does strychnine even come in tablets?
where did you find such a magical treasure??
Silvershake.com. But I don’t know if they still have them, it was a few years ago– it might be called a pill ring.
Are there crafty Toasties with Etsy shops who could make a large, ruby-red glass heart with “No” on it in gold letters, or a glass pear, as a pendant or brooch? Or a locket with the Merchant’s Wife in it? Mallory’s definition of feminism at that Australian talk a while back has made me want some sort of Toast amulet.
I would buy ANY OF THOSE in a heartbeat, oh my god.
SAME.
Exspeshully the Merchant’s Wife. I want to be her; already have the cat and headwrap.
Oooh… the Merchant’s Wife would be really easy… and actually…I know how to do the heart thing too…. CRAFTERNOOOOON!
Wrap cardigans and wraps in general are so tricky. I have one wrap dress that I adore even though the fabric is fading – it makes me feel very fancy. But I’ve tried on others that either made me look insta-preggers or brought to mind the phrase “boob sacks”
They are SO SUPER hit-or-miss, my goodness. Always have to try on wrap-style things cause you just never know. My “favorite” is when the criss-cross wants to slip UNDER your boobs and make the whole thing very decolletage…
This is also why I’m very reluctant to KNIT a wrap-style thing. Calculating an angle across a non-square grid is hard enough, never mind also making that angle flatter my boobs!!
I once came around the corner at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan right by the Today Show studio and a huge gust of wind caught my wrap dress. I went from Diane Von Furstenburg to trenchcoat flasher in 2 seconds.
Oh lord, my grandma was friends with Hugh Hefner’s ex-wife and would ALWAYS refer to her as “[redacted], you know, Hugh Hefner’s ex-wife,” with “Hugh Hefner” in, like, extremely vomit voice, and I’d be all, GRANDMA!
Oh grandmas! *sniff*
I bought a gorgeous Ted Baker dress yesterday for “only” $170 marked down from $325 so I’m VERY EXCITED but also can’t buy anything else listed here which is sad because the smoking slipper and coasters are calling to me.
This one right here in case anyone else wants to gawk. (I am still gawking. I will be gawking until it arrives and then I will stroke it gently and lovingly.) http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ted-baker-london-vala…
Henri Bendel is having a sale right now, and I got a gorgeoussssss wallet on sale for $158. And I know that’s a ton of money for a wallet, but it’s so pretty: link.
Just bought the dress. At work (oops, sorry not sorry). It’s a slow day, and I’ve been staring longingly outside at the beautiful sun. It’s suddenly all summer-like here in Oregon! Sorry east coast toasts 🙁 I’m sending you virtual sunshine.
Finally scratched my “grown-up lady handbag” itch and bought this one for 60% off. It’s one of my top ten favorite things I’ve ever bought myself and it has convenient side pockets so I can easily access my phone and keys (and keep them separate!) http://www.violetrayny.com/shop-montauk/becca-sta…
HOLY SHIT that is a perfect bag. Perfect. I bow to your shopping mojo.
Truly, I might have missed it if my boyfriend hadn’t yelled “Look at this dinosaur skin purse!” But, I did feel very shopping ninja-like when I saw the discount on the receipt.
Oh, great. My mom saw this.
Hi, Jane Marie’s mom! 😀
I’ve been looking for studs just like those geometric ones for months and I didn’t even know that was what I was looking for. *purchased*
“Care instructions: Clean your jewelry after each wearing with a soft cloth.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahaha. Ha.
Studs are lucky if I remember to take them out before I sleep.
Edit: Stud earrings. Earrings.
John Lewis. Always and forever. I have a thing for their own brand cashmere cardigans for work, because my office is open plan and does this weird eco/no airco thing that means the temp can plummet 15 degrees between places. They are a bit pricey but look smart but unobtrusive, go well with so many things, wear well with almost no pilling, and are really soft. And I flagrantly ignore the tag and chuck them in the gentle cycle in the machine, dry them flat on a towel and they keep their shape perfectly. I'm now on my 3rd one of theirs in "toast" (no really) ones in 11 years which goes with everything and which I wear at least once a week. The elbows eventually go but patched they're fine for home.
Anyhow, one of those "how many wears" purchases. Also you can usually find them in the sales, although usually they put the biggest discounts on the more seasonal colours. But they come back again and again.
Link here: http://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-crew-neck-cas…
Hm. Evangelical about cardis. So this is what 40 looks like from the inside.
Haha I'll be 40 this year and cardigans are now Very Important to me 🙂
OK, I eyed the smoking slippers all weekend and went for it last night! Will report back RE outdoor usage….