What’s In Your Bag???
Posted on | March 30, 2010
All I can say is, thank goodness that women carry purses- or pocketbooks as they call them in New England- because if not I would be lost. My bag…purse….pocketbook is my emergency bag, my savior. It holds all sorts have things that have proven to be invaluable in many different circumstances. A couple of years ago when the oversized tote came back into style I was thrilled because I could put even more “stuff” (aka very important random-ness!) into it, to lug around. With all my pretty pennies, I purchased an oversized brown leather “tote” that goes almost everywhere with me. It is the perfect size to throw in a magazine, a pair of flip-flops, a lightweight sweater… you name it! How do men manage without a bag? I mean, I get that they’re not carrying around lip gloss, but even other (non-girly) items are needed when we’re out and about.
So what do we carry in our bags? I have makeup items- for touch ups, lotions- to remedy any dry skin issues, iPhone- to keep up to date on Twitter, digital camera, video camera– hey, you never know when you’ll need them and a miscellaneous array of other items. Oh yeah, and my wallet. But what are the main items that no woman should leave the house without? Perhaps you can leave the Flip video at home. Perhaps you can carry only 2 lipsticks versus 5. But what are the main ingredients to any great bag?
Stylists carry around a lot of things that might seem strange…, shout wipes, lint remover sheets, sharpies, scissors, clips, tape measures, you’d be shocked to see what all is in my bag. Though there are certainly things we should all be carrying around, each of us has our own “necessities.” What’s in your bag?
Editor: Valerie Elizabeth
Staff Writer: Karen Yannacio Morse
5 DAILY FASHION TIPS:
1) Emergency Fix: Keep a stash of safety pins, band-aids, double stick tape, etc.. for (fashion) blunders.
2) Touch Up! Keep a day to night lipstick, eye shadow/liner, and bronzer for a quick fix.
3) Happy Hair! Travel size shine serum + mini brush to keep tresses sexy for last minute happy hours.
4) Spritz! Keep a trial size perfume in your purse cosmetic bag to freshen your scent mid-day.
5) Accessorize! Costume jewelry, snazzy headbands and cute clips will save the day in a pinch.
D.I.Y. Beauty
Posted on | March 29, 2010
As Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home”… well… unless you are somewhere you like better than your home…maybe a gorgeous spa in the south of France? If you aren’t visiting that amazing spa in the south of France there are many tips and tricks you can master to maintain your natural beauty right at home. Yes, we’re talking about home beauty remedies. Right in our bathrooms, in our kitchen sinks… in our grocery stores. We are always looking for some quick trick to lose weight or have amazing skin or a blemish free face. Though many of these remedies are just crazy, there are quite a few that actually work.
Did you hear about the new patch that is sewn on your tongue (yes, I said sewn!) that will make eating hurtful so in turn you won’t eat much? Make eating hurtful? What about it would freakin hurt like all get out to have something sewn to your tongue!!! Every day there is a new idea to help (or hurt) us in achieving our beauty goals. It’s up to us to determine which ones we want to try out and which ones we want to run away from. I might actually get in amazing shape with how far I am running away from the tongue patch. Hmm…maybe that could be a new remedy…if you don’t run you’ll have to use this tongue patch. Okay, maybe that is a little extreme.
Not sure if you have heard of Prevention Magazine, but it can be a great resource for information to keep you staying healthy. Lots of information and resources are in every issue of this magazine. If you’re interested in all kinds of advice on maintaining your health and beauty, you should check out an issue. With a healthy diet you will look and feel amazing. Truly. It’s like how you feel after a run – those endorphins just pump up and make us feel great and we look great too!
There are lots of drugstore/department store products you can use at home…one of my faves is Joico’s K-Pak Deep Conditioner. Or you can try your own at home remedy. Such as an at home anti-aging mask by combining mushed up papaya or strawberry and letting it set on your face for a good 15 minutes to break down the debris on the face. Have stinky feet? Ewww. SOOOO not fashionable. Try a vodka foot bath. Or if you want to conserve the vodka, you can use rubbing alcohol instead. Soak for 10 minutes for a cleansing experience. Too much glistening perspiration in your day? End your day with a soothing bath, and add 2 cups of lemon juice (anti-bacterial agent), apple cider vinegar (natural deodorant), baking soda (absorbs odors) and some tomato juice (does a lot of things!). Relax for about 30 minutes with a good book (May I suggest Kelly Cutrone’s book “If you have to cry go outside”) to remove all super odors.
From toothpaste on pimples, clear nail polish on warts, and gargling with salt water for a sour throat we all have remedies to keep us looking great and feeling healthy. What is your best tip and trick to looking amazing or stay healthy at home? Whatever it is, we’d love to hear all about it.
Editor: Valerie Elizabeth
Staff Writer: Karen Yannacio Morse
5 DAILY FASHION TIPS:
1) COFFEE, COFFEE! Drinking coffee before the gym helps reduce muscle pain. Augh, a pain-free workout!
2) Blemish Breakout? Chamomile tea bags+15 min on your blemishes will do wonders to remove redness!
3) Fresh Face! Use the peels from avocado for a fabulous facial! Seriously!
4) Wake-up Wonder! lemon juice + grapefruit juice = Instant energy drink!
5) Moisturize! Vegetable shortening= amazing moisture to your body! Not for T-Zone but great for feet.
Good Morning Texas: Shopping & Selling Consignment
Posted on | March 25, 2010
Missed Valerie Elizabeth on Good Morning Texas? Check out the segment video below…on shopping & selling consignment. For more information on the segment check out the blog HERE. Also if you are interested in any of the pieces in the segment, you can buy them online HERE.
Shopping…and selling, consignment.
Posted on | March 24, 2010
Interested in the items you saw on today’s Good Morning Texas segment? Visit our shop to buy them for yourself.
On this morning’s Good Morning Texas segment we are discussing shopping and selling consignment. I am going to share my favorites with you and give you some hints and tips for when you are out on your own. To give you a brief overview, consignment is typically defined as a client entering into an agreement with a merchant to temporarily hand over goods for the merchant to sell on the condition that upon completion of the sales the merchant will provide the client with payment for items sold. And upon completion of the sales term, unsold items will be returned to the client. If you are a “shopper” you can truly benefit from this because merchants are often VERY motivated to sell the merchandise as they are typically on a 90-day term and surprisingly 90 days can fly by.
Where to shop consignment:
Traditional consignment stores…my favorites in Dallas include Clotheshorse Annonymous, Clothes Circuit and Revente
Consignment sales…such as the twice annual “The Ultimate Exchange” which has a three day sale coming up in April.
Online at vintage stores and thru sellers on eBay.com
Non-traditional ways to find “consignment” type merchandise…shop on Craigslist, stop into Buffalo Exchange or shop my LA faves: Wasteland, Entre Nous, Decades and Decades Too. (Note: the last three are all designer and on the pricey side)
Want to make a little cash to cover an unexpected expense? Or just put it back into the shopaholic fund. Look into selling your items consignment. You’d be surprised how much those items collecting dust in your closet could be worth.
Where to sell consignment:
-Right here with us at Society Stylist. We consign on a 90 day terms and split profits 50/50.
-Twice annually at “The Ultimate Exchange” which has a three day sale coming up in April. If you consign with Society Stylist we will put your items in this sale for you. If you want to sign up with them directly be sure to mention you heard about them from us. Earn up to 70% on your sales.
-Set up a consignment account at a local shop such as Clotheshorse Annonymous, Clothes Circuit or Revente. They only take in season, stylish clothing with absolutely no damage or wear. Positive: It is easy to drop your items off. You can have them donate anything they do not accept. Negative: The split is traditionally 60/40 and they often reduce merchandise quickly.
-Sell directly or trade at Buffalo Exchange. Cash at 30% and trade at 50%. Positive: You can get cash or credit immediately. Negative: You may be getting less for your items than you could elsewhere.
-Sell on Craigslist or set up an account for yourself eBay. Positive: You can get top dollar for your items if you list, describe and price them appropriately. Negative: This can be very time consuming and the learning curve turns a lot of people off. Also many people do not like the “stranger” factor associated with Craigslist.
-Drop your items off with an eBay store. Positive: Very simple if your items are all worth more than $50 resale. Negative: They often don’t care about pricing or getting you a fair amount and just start all items at 99cents which means your $1,500 handbag might go for just $30.
On that same note, let’s talk a little about pricing for resale and what you can expect. I wrote an entire detailed article that you can read HERE but to recap….An item that retails for $1,000 is typically worth about $300. If it sells for the full resale value you will get a check for approximately $150. Sounds like a big loss I know. This is why I encourage all of our clients to make purchases at 70% off to begin with so the loss when they consign their merchandise is very minimal. I typically make all of my purchases at 70%+ off retail.
Want to learn more about shopping and selling retail. Contact us to book an initial consultation and you’ll be amazed all the secrets and shopping tricks we can teach you. If you are a shopaholic you’ll quickly find that the money we save you and make for you is worth every penny we charge in consultation and styling fees.
Interested in shopping or selling consignment with us? Or you want to book an initial consultation? Contact us at: assistant@SocietyStylist.com
Want to Know a “Secret”???
Posted on | March 19, 2010
Did you hear? Victoria’s Secret is launching a new shapewear line, in competition with everyone’s favorite shapewear, Spanx, appropriately named “Secrets.”
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I am a major, major fan of Spanx for about a million reasons. My main reason is that I can literally have my cake and eat it too! Spanx will keep my looking tight even after having dessert! Previously I have wished their creations were a bit more stylish (read: sexy) rather than just functional. During the red carpet show for the Academy Awards Victoria’s Secret revealed that they were launching their own shapewear line appropriately named “Secrets.” The line is designed to hold it in, suck it up, lift it, boost it, squeeze it, and keep you looking svelte…yet with the stylish appeal that has made Victoria’s Secret so popular. Their shapewear offers a sexier, edgier slim wear solution so that us ladies can look hot and sexy yet still be totally tightened even under our sexiest dresses. It’s a dream…come….true. I have no doubt Spanx will soon follow suit with an edgier version to their shapewear as they have really cornered the market thus far. Until then you can check out the Victoria’s Secret collection in-store or online– I think you’ll be very pleased at the looks they are presenting…now we just have to see if they are as effective at covering up all those “problem areas.”
Editor: Valerie Elizabeth
Staff Writer: Karen Yannacio Morse
5 DAILY FASHION TIPS:
1) Curves ahead! The “So Curvaceous” slip gives you lift and support so you’re looking amazing!
2) “Body by Victoria” conforms to your own chest size for a perfect fit and it’s completely seamless!
3) Underwire in the V.S. Secret line corset cinches in your waist and is great for those backless dresses!
4) Sexy, pretty and shaping are all present in a V.S. Biofit bra with convertible straps for any top!
5) “Slimtastic” holds you in and gives your back end that fab lift!
Valerie Elizabeth’s Oscars Red Carpet “Best & Worst” on ABC
Posted on | March 9, 2010
Valerie Elizabeth talks Oscars Red Carpet wrap-up. The Best & Worst on ABC’s Good Morning Texas. Want to find out more...read the blog recap HERE.
Oscars: Red Carpet Recap
Posted on | March 8, 2010
We all look to the red carpet for style inspiration but there are many lessons to be learned. When I say “Red Carpet” you think “Beautiful Gowns.” But the truth is not every look that comes down the red carpet is “beautiful.” In fact some are just downright terrible. Most though, just need restyling. Sometimes just a slight fix can take an outfit— even a red carpet look— from a “Don’t” to a “Do.” Last night’s Academy Awards were no exception.In general this year’s Red Carpet was a whole lot of “BLAH.” I kept waiting for the really super amazing dresses to show up, but nothing. So of what we had here are my top five best dresses, top five worst dresses and a few looks that could have been amazing with just a twist in styling with some other notables thrown in just for fun,
Matt Sayles, AP
Be sure to tune in to catch Valerie Elizabeth live, reviewing last night’s Red Carpet.
Good Morning Texas on ABC at 9AM
The reality is there are a lot of REALLY bad looks at the Oscars but they never get on camera because the people wearing them aren’t the ones we want to see. So let’s just settle announce now we are completely disregarding all of the too terrible to mention looks…like the one worn by the woman I call “The Interupter” ….or “The Kanye West of The Academy Awards” Elinor Burkett saved anyone commenting about her look however by commandeering the microphone in such poor taste. Read more
Red Carpet Ready: Oscar Worthy Hair
Posted on | March 5, 2010
Date night. Friday night. Special event night. You found the perfect dress, but what to do about your hair? Augh. Hair can be so fickle. True, it sometimes looks amazing [usually on the days where nothing special is planned] yet on “important” hair days it somehow turns to what I call “hair mush,” otherwise known as “a whole lot of not what I am going for.”
Dishing the hair secret dirt! Do you know that you can style your hair (like if you’re doing to the Oscars) in under 10 minutes and look amazing? It’s true. It’s a fact. And it’s not hair rocket science! Read on. The first secret to styling your hair for an updo…it should be DIRTY. WHAT???? I know, it was hard for me to understanding too. For years I had tried conditioning, deep conditioning, hair protector, lots of things I thought would work but the number one thing to help your hair stay nicely in a updo is that it is dirty. If it’s not dirty, never fear…you can add hairspray, tease it, and curl it to make it seem dirty and then start on your updo. Read more
Defining Beauty: How Much Does “Beautiful” Weigh?
Posted on | March 4, 2010
What’s considered beautiful around the world? We think about what beauty means to us and what comes to mind? Typically what companies define as “beauty via marketing.” Do you ever really consider what is beautiful around the world? Let me back up a bit. Today, at home, how do you consider yourself in terms of beauty? What do you judge that against? What determines your answers? I’m guessing that if you’re like me you mold your thoughts about what beauty is based on what you see in the magazines, on TV and in stores. I love receiving my new fashion mags in the mail, but at the same time I measure what I look like against these gorgeous (many times, scratch that, always heavily airbrushed) girls on the covers. It’s an interesting marriage between me and the magazines. Love. Hate. And we all have this relationship, I’m assuming. But this is our personal reflection of what beauty is. And people all around the world have their different ways of measuring what beauty means to them.
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On the Oprah Winfrey show she had a full hour of what beauty “is”. With special guest Jessica Simpson on along with features of ‘beauty” definitions from other countries it was a fascinating and eye opening look at what we, universally, consider beautiful. Think it’s the same vision? Not even close. In China, Lisa Ling shared some scary “beauty” practices, including breaking one’s legs (yes, that’s what I said) on purpose to lengthen your leg! OUCH!!!!…doesn’t even begin to cover that. Plastic surgery seems to be everywhere and the eating disorders are in many countries as well. The Finnish skin care rituals to achieve a “healthy glow” includes toasting in a hot sauna immediately followed by plunging into snow! Yowza! Read more
Good Morning Texas: Outlet Shopping & Buying Designer at 70%+ OFF
Posted on | March 1, 2010
Valerie Elizabeth talks Outlet shopping and buying designer at 70%+ OFF. For more detailed information and additional pictures you can read the corresponding blog HERE.