I recently dragged the hubby and the toddler to the Bobbi Brown cosmetics counter at Nordstrom's. Call it a family foundation emergency.
When it comes to makeup, I continually learn the hard way that some things are worth paying for. My most recent lesson came when I replaced by beloved Bobbi Brown foundation, $47, with a Sephora brand that was only slightly less painful at $42. The result was a sticky, tacky mess that I had to live with for months.
With that bottle finally kicked, I decided to go back Bobbi, the only brand that I have found is a good color match for my skin tone. But while the saleswoman was applying my tester hue, out came other "reminders."
What is your moisterizer regimen? Lip plumper? SPF-protecting blushable bronze tint?
How many times can a girl say no? In my case, it was one too few. I left not only with my desired foundation but also a plum lip gloss that looked too pretty to resist. By this time, the family was rebelling, so I just swiped.
Only later did I realize with horror that I had paid $24 for lip gloss. At least it is really pretty.
Has anyone mastered the art of countering the cosmetic upsell? Tutor me, please!
When people ask what perfume you are wearing, you can give them the finger - politely. Scented nail polish from Calvin Klein, $14.
We are not approaching the summer of shy nails, that's for sure.
Nail polish trends for summer are bright, shiny, scented and best of all, creative. You can do them yourself without shelling out for a manicure, I promise. You just have to practice.
Check out our slide show for photos and follow the links for tutorials and sources.Full Story
With all the talk about spring trends lately, I decided to finally take the plunge and try one I was a bit reluctant about.
I think my love affair with skinny jeans is well documented. And I’ve always been a fan of Capri pants.
But skinny ankle pants??
Wouldn’t the love-child of my two loves just take me back to that awful place when the “floods” (too-short pants) that strained to cover my rapidly growing chicken legs only accented the braces, frizzy hair and squint of a girl whose refusal to wear those large-framed glasses she so sorely needed earned her daily comparisons to middle-school-super-nerd Steve Urkel?
Well, ankle pants – now a darling of celebrities and models strutting spring 2013 runways – have come a long way, my friends. So I couldn’t help but pause when I passed a rack of the colorful pants at Tar-jay a couple months ago.
A couple months ago, I wandered into a Charlotte Russe store, saw a piece of outrageous aqua neck candy priced at $12.99 and walked out the proud owner of the new bold and chunky beast. What a unique piece of jewelry! Something I had never seen before! This would really make a statement, in the immortal words of Daria Morgendorffer, stand proudly and proclaim I AM!
The following week, former Deal Diva Emily walked into happy hour wearing the exact same necklace, down to the color and the gold hardware, unaware that I had ever made such a purchase. "I have that exact thing," I said, and then showed her the picture above.
Huh. Well, it was probably a fluke, I figured, a total coincidence. That's when, in the next few weeks, I started seeing bubble necklaces pretty much all over the United States of America. I saw them in stores, on people, on Pinterest pages. I walked into Charming Charlie to pick out a Mother's Day gift for my mom and was practically assaulted by bubble necklaces. The tipping point came when I realized that the mean sorority girl who wrote that now-infamous letter was also wearing one in the pictures that went viral. Major fail. …
Nancy Fernandez places price tags on deeply discounted wedding gowns at the Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc., St. Petersburg warehouse in preparation for the Goodwill Wedding Galas.
It's a bittersweet day for brides in Tampa Bay.
Goodwill's Wedding Gala, the bridal dress blowout bringing bargain gowns to locals for the past seven years, will come to an end after two final sales this weekend. Brides have always flocked to this sale, lining up in the wee hours of the morning to get their hands on new designer gowns worth thousands for prices starting at $50. The gala, Goodwill officials told Times business reporter Susan Thurston, has run its course. It was too labor-intensive to host the events and seek donations every year, organizers said. Read the full story here. About 400 dress donations this year come from CC’s Boutique, Athena's Bridal Boutique, Diana's Bridal, Olga's Bridal & Boutique and Priscilla of Boston.
If you want to get in line for the last dress sale probably ever, here's what you need to know: …
Flabbergasted. That's how I feel about Old Navy right now -- and their campaign to get me to wear white jeans.
The latest move? Enlist 90s R&B group Boyz II Men. I love you Shawn, Wanya and Nathan, I really do. But... why? WHY did you have to do THIS?: (You might need to scroll down.)
Besides being just... wrong, it also didn't make me any more likely to squeeze my legs into white denim fabric this summer.
To be clear, I'm not against the white jean look. In fact, I'm all for incorporating colored denim into your closet. I just don't think I can pull white off.
What say y'all? Will you rock this trend all the way to Labor Day (and beyond!)? Old Navy IS having a sale on jeans right now. (Starting at $19)
Closet shopping spree! I wish I were this cute. This is Julianna Zobrist, wife of Tampa Bay Rays player Ben Zobrist, in her closet.
My wardrobe is enjoying a renaissance that didn't cost me a cent. I've been shopping my closet.
Like Deal Diva Kameel, I've been in need of inspiration. In my case, a move plus a baby created a disorganized closet stuffed with once adored dresses and tops that I haven't worn in two years.
I don't have a lot of spare time to spend in a closet, so I resolved to try on one "new" item each week. And I bought an iron.
The result? Non-stop compliments on items purchased years ago. On Monday, it was a fushcia shift dress inspired by Michelle Obama's first State of the Union appearance. Today, I'm wearing a classic shirt dress, vintage 2001.
I'm not quite sure to do with clothing that seemed trendy when I bought it. Are hardcore ruffles still in? Tribal print dresses with thick belts?
Minus a few tears shed over items that don't fit like they used to, the only downside to shopping your closet is racking up a drycleaning bill. But it's still cheaper than a mall trip!
White Tent Runway owner Zakia Carter offers women’s clothing not found in stores, buying just a few of each item from specialty designers.
Here's a cool concept for our on-the-go culture: a designer boutique that fits in a highway lane.
Mobile boutiques, long spotted in mega cities like Los Angeles, are getting some love in Tampa Bay.
Times retail reporter Susan Thurston brings us a great story about Zakia Carter, a 40-year-old Lithia entrepreneur who founded White Tent Runway last year. Carter runs the women's boutique from a 37-foot, 1985 recreational vehicle that used to house victims of Hurricane Katrina. She made the RV a chic space and stocks it with one-of-a-kind pieces from designers in LA, all under $100.
Being of the human race and sharing its fondness for procrastination, we're going to guess for some of you the answer is "nerp, not yet, working on it, get out of my grill." And that's okay! We have some ideas.
*ARTPool Gallery near downtown St. Pete is offering 25 percent off vintage purchases, which excludes local art, vinyl and food. Stop in from noon to 6 p.m. today and Saturday. The offer applies to clothing, jewelry, shoes, boots, purses and hats.Full Story
A vest from MISRED Outfitters' "Reconstructed" line. See new spring looks at the store on Saturday
Is your weekend calendar filling up fast? Leave time for fashion.
MISRED Outfitters is having a launch party on Saturday to debut new spring looks for its "Reconstructed" line.
If you remember, "Reconstructed" is all about embellishing vintage pieces. The line's look so far leans heavy on denims and bright patterns -- usually in the same garment (see the vest and shorts above)
The store, in the 600 block of Central in downtown St. Pete, will stay open after normal closing time on Saturday to give customers a sneak peek of the new looks.
Our invitation says that folks should stop by between 6 and 9 p.m. to check out the clothes.
Oh, heck. Let's start with this diamond headband from Tiffany and Co. It's a mere $200,000, completely practical for your everyday life. Race you there!
When I was a kid, I had a fashion-through-the-ages sketch collection that explained style from French regency slippers through 1980s Gordon Gekko power suits. My favorite chapter was always the 20s. It was a period of no apology, of reckless abandon that comes just prior to consequence. It was SPARKLE. So on one hand, I am beyond ecstatic for Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, which comes out on May 10. It's going to be the total stew of Jazz Age opulence I have coveted for so long, right there, on a giant screen. Squeal.
On the other hand, the frenzy is a bit bittersweet, like a tasty little secret just got let out on American Idol and the cover of Vogue. Naturally, now everyone and her sister wants to look like Daisy Buchanan, and why wouldn't you? She's tremendous. And that's to say nothing of Jay Gatsby, the handsome scamp. Brooks Brothers has introduced a whole line of delicious (and overpriced) menswear based around the film and F. Scott Fitzgerald's characters (who did not pay much mind to price tags). …
Beyonce basically runs this, can do no wrong, is the best person in the world, knows how to make an entrance, etc, etc...
One of the best fashion-as-spectator-sport events of the year happened last night in New York. It's the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where all celebrities come looking as if they have consumed a martini of Windex and bath salts. It is fantastic. There is always a theme, and the guests typically try to hit it in some capacity. Some years, the theme requires lots of Googling and consultations with people who know things other than, "Which pizza has the fewest calories?" Last year, the theme was "Schiaparelli And Prada: Impossible Conversations," which sounds like something you could say to strangers at the airport to get everyone to leave you alone.
This year, the theme was "PUNK: Chaos to Couture." Easier! If you pick up the latest Vogue, the one with Daisy Buchanan on the cover, you'll see that Ms. Wintour has a hankering for punk at the moment, which all real punks would probably think is super stupid.
Check the slideshow above for some of the most memorable looks from the party (speaking of, what do they DO once they get inside? Costume contest?). You'll thank us for this slideshow about 4 p.m. when your coffee is wearing off.
I had an argument with myself last week, which is probably the best way to argue because you're guaranteed to win. And I did!
I was in Nordstrom Rack in Tampa, trying to unwind a little, not even planning to buy anything. I know some people find shopping to be the most stressful thing they could ever do with their spare time, but I'm the opposite. Browsing through a store with no agenda makes my happy chemicals go up. It's the colors, the fabrics, the soft music. The rhythm of the flip-flip-flip through the racks. This is starting to sound like an episode of some screamy reality show on A&E. Anyway.
There was this thing staring back at me. A soft, buttery top by Diane von Furstenberg, priced originally at a whopping $255. Sale price at Nordstrom Rack?
Looking for shopping deals in Tampa Bay? The Deal Divas are on the prowl, sniffing out hot fashion finds that won't leave your wallet in ruins. Now you never have to miss a shopping deal! Check in often for the lowdown on local bargains, as well as fashion advice, fun photos and style news. Disclaimer: The content of this blog is produced by the editorial staff of the Times and is not tied to advertising. E-mail us ideas you'd like us to write about.
Stephanie Hayes came out of the womb wearing high heels. While other kids were reciting multiplication tables, she was learning to calculate an extra third off the half-price discount during buy-one-get-one week. She loves animal prints, black mascara and anything that sparkles. She objects to visible panty lines, Crocs and anything that costs more than a car payment. And she doesn't drive a nice car. She can be reached at (727) 893-8857 or shayes@tampabay.com.
Katie Sanders foolishly spurned pretty dresses and shoes as a child, tossing new clothes over her shoulder at birthday parties with a totally rude "no, thank you." Her drab days of monocolor outfits are over now, and she certainly knows better than to turn down free stuff. Her wardrobe mixes classic with quirk. Think blazers with statement necklaces, and lots of patterned ballet flats. She can be reached at (850) 224-7263 or ksanders@tampabay.com..
Kameel Stanley has never encountered a thrift store she didn’t like. Her mother taught her that the true value of clothes isn’t how much they cost, but how many outfits one can create from them. Having grown up in Michigan, she was delighted to learn upon moving to Florida that she almost never needed to wear socks or boots again. There’s a lot of turnover in her closet, and she’s obsessed with dresses, necklaces and wedge heels. She can be reached at (727) 893-8643 or kstanley@tampabay.com.
A disciple of the little black dress classics school, Letitia Stein stretches her budget by looking for styles with staying power. She lives for 80 percent off shoes at DSW, floral sundresses and bohemian chic tops. She confesses to being a bit of a snob when it comes to handbags and jewelry. She can be reached at (813) 226-3400 or lstein@tampabay.com.
From camo pants and construction boots to sundresses, sweaters and sling backs, Keyonna Summers knows how to make all of it rock -- at rock bottom prices. A Detroit native, Keyonna delves into her urban roots to find fashion pairings that give a nod to street fashion while maintaining the class of the modern, professional woman. She believes in searching for affordable clothes that look expensive and can easily be dressed up or down. You won't find plaid shirts or fleece jackets in her closet; the only hiking Keyonna does is to the bargain basement. She can be reached at (727) 445-4153 or ksummers@tampabay.com.
Katie Sanders foolishly spurned pretty dresses and shoes as a child, tossing new clothes over her shoulder at birthday parties with a totally rude "no, thank you." Her drab days of monocolor outfits are over now, and she certainly knows better than to turn down free stuff. Her wardrobe mixes classic with quirk. Think blazers with statement necklaces, and lots of patterned ballet flats. She can be reached at (850) 224-7263 or 
Kameel Stanley has never encountered a thrift store she didn’t like. Her mother taught her that the true value of clothes isn’t how much they cost, but how many outfits one can create from them. Having grown up in Michigan, she was delighted to learn upon moving to Florida that she almost never needed to wear socks or boots again. There’s a lot of turnover in her closet, and she’s obsessed with dresses, necklaces and wedge heels. She can be reached at (727) 893-8643 or 
A disciple of the little black dress classics school, Letitia Stein stretches her budget by looking for styles with staying power. She lives for 80 percent off shoes at DSW, floral sundresses and bohemian chic tops. She confesses to being a bit of a snob when it comes to handbags and jewelry. She can be reached at (813) 226-3400 or 
From camo pants and construction boots to sundresses, sweaters and sling backs, Keyonna Summers knows how to make all of it rock -- at rock bottom prices. A Detroit native, Keyonna delves into her urban roots to find fashion pairings that give a nod to street fashion while maintaining the class of the modern, professional woman. She believes in searching for affordable clothes that look expensive and can easily be dressed up or down. You won't find plaid shirts or fleece jackets in her closet; the only hiking Keyonna does is to the bargain basement. She can be reached at (727) 445-4153 or 
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