Thursday, December 28, 2023
Art Naturals Deals, Deals, Deals
Thursday, November 2, 2023
8 Skincare Products I Use Daily And Highly Recommend
Photo: Adobe |
Monday, August 28, 2023
5 Cheap Beauty Thrills And Steals
A splurge doesn't always have to cost an arm and a leg. At times finding a small item that serves a purpose, one that does a job well on the cheap can be as thrilling as acquiring expensive things. Scoring a cheap beauty item gives you a shot of endorphins without the pain of blowing your budget, or having a debt to pay off when charges are posted to your credit card. The following are 5 fabulous cheap beauty thrills and steals -- priced under $7, with certain colors within each product selling for under $5!:
1) NYX Professional Makeup Butter Gloss, Non-Sticky Lip Gloss - Lip color that is buttery soft and silky smooth, cheap, but not sticky. Sold! Great to carry in a handbag to moisten your lips with a pop of color throughout the day.
2) International Women's Travel Kit - a 10-piece oral, skin, and hair grooming kit. Contains: Herbal Essences Shampoo 1.4 oz., Herbal Essences Conditioner 1.4 oz., Styling Comb, Eucerin Lotion 1 oz., Secret A/P Deodorant .5 oz, Crest 3D Toothpaste .85 oz., Toothbrush, Dental Flossers 3 ct., Quart Sized Zip Top Bag in Reusable Zippered Cosmetic Travel Bag. It's worth paying for the convenience and compactness of fitting the toiletries we need into an overnight bag. (I'd have to add a sample packet of face wash and a hair tie inside to hold my hair back for wishing my face.)
3) Goody Ouchless Women Polyband Elastic Hair Tie - 250 Count - For under $5 you get a ton of invisible hair ties that hold your hair in ponytails of all sizes without hair breakage.
4) Covergirl Clean Matte Pressed Powder - Nobody needs to be walking around with a shiny face, a forehead, nose, or chin. It's unbecoming! Good, clean, pressed matte powder to the rescue! Perfume-free, it comes with a powder pad and mirror and slides into a handbag.Tuesday, July 25, 2023
Inflation Beaters: 12 Foods You Should Always Buy At Target
Here on the Upper East Side, it's hard to dislike Target, which opened Target Express retail stores in Manhattan beginning in 2018. One Target Express opened on my block in 2021, which thrilled the entire neighborhood. Unfortunately, many New York Moms and Pops are expensive. Although we love small businesses too, we also need to buy groceries and household goods at affordable price points, and mostly Target (as well as, Walmart) delivers. When it comes to food staples, what I appreciate about these big box stores is their consistently lower prices, meaning I don't have to wait to catch a weekly supermarket sale. Staples, already at lower prices at Target than most supermarkets, sometimes also become a loss leader item for an even lower price! Indeed, Target is doing very well in my neighborhood, and the retailer hasn't raised its prices to reflect inflation.
12 Foods that are Cheaper at Target (without a sale) include:
1) One gallon of milk - $2.99
2) Large Eggs - $1.99 per dozen (on sale last week for 99 cents/dozen)
3) Peanut butter - $5.29 - 40 oz.
4) Frozen orange juice - $1.99 - 12 oz. can
5) Butter - $3.99 - 16 oz. - 4 sticks
7) Spaghetti - 99 cents - 16 oz.
8) white or brown rice - 95 cents - 16 oz
9) Semi-sweet dark or white chocolate chips - $1.99 - 12 oz
10) Tomato sauce, salsa, and canned foods are often 20 cents - 50 cents less than at supermarkets. Also, dried spices are as much as $2 - $4 less than at supermarkets.
11) Unbleached all-purpose and whole-wheat flour - always list at the supermarket loss leader sale prices - $2.49 each.
12) A box of saltine crackers - $1.69, the supermarket loss leader price.
Target so consistently offers the lowest prices on these 12 food items therefore I don't need to find a supermarket sale. I simply walk to Target to pick them up. If online prices are less than in-store, your cashier will give you the lower price if you ask for it.
I'm sorry Target discontinued their Oreo knockoff, it tastes 100% like Oreos. I'll have to try competitor Walmart's store brand of Oreos, which I'll show below:
Walmart's Oreo knockoff |
Walmart's chocolate cookies with cream centers are half the price of Oreos also. Other Great Value food has been great ... except for saltine crackers which aren't as tasty as Target's house brand or other name brands.
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Jewelry Lovers Come Play With Us
On today's THE SAVVY SHOPPER Angie Smith, who has made a few appearances on the blog is back! Both of us love jewelry and like the variety of styles, decent quality, and affordable price points of Italo Jewelry. All of the retailer's jewelry is 925 sterling silver and lab-grown white sapphires.
In real life, all the earrings I possess are post earrings so I picked styles I don't already own which include loops and dangling earrings. I also think hearts would be fun to wear on Valentine's day and skulls on Halloween as I generally stick to the classic styles and don't have any themed styles of earrings.
💎💍💎💍💎💌💎💎💍💎💍💎💌💎💍💎💍💎💌💎Angie's picks are so smart with classic studs and pearls, a blingy pair for formal events, and she loves emerald-shaped stones. As it happens, I overlooked the gorgeous clover leaf drop earrings until Ang sent me her choices. Excellent tastes, Ang, my Glitter Twin never disappoints!!!
Know that this blog is written for fun and not sponsored. Last year I bought the pair of lab-grown white sapphire studs at the top of the blog. They are 4 carats in size and truly sparkle. I have such fun wearing them. Often people mistake them for diamonds, which would cost a fortune in comparison -- a 5-figure sum so over-the-top and perhaps for an average joe/jill not worth the expense. The alternative of lab-grown white sapphires and sterling silver allows us to buy the effect without breaking the bank. One caution though: If ordering from online jewelers including Italo jewelry, try to get your order right so you don't have the hassles or cost of returns. You get free shipping only, not free returns for your mistakes.
Angie, thanks for playing this fantasy game with me today! Fun, fun, fun!!!♥️
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Exfoliation In Skincare
"Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from the surface layer of the skin. Physical exfoliation uses a product or tool to buff away dead skin cells," while "chemical exfoliation uses direct acids (AHAs and BHAs) which have the ability to weaken bonds between surface skin components, allowing the acids to slough away dead skin cells at the surface." Exfoliation helps to unclog pores, promote even tone and texture, and bring new skin cells to the surface.
AHAs are alpha hydroxy acids a/k/a fruit acids. BHAs are beta-hydroxy acids, which are also organic acids. Both act to dissolve the bonds that hold dead skin cells to the face. BHAs such as salicylic acid mildly loosen the glue that holds skin cells together. Salicylic acid is often in formulas targeting acne, rough, and bumpy skin.
1) Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution - An exfoliating toner for targeting dullness, texture, and signs of aging.
2) Latic Acid 5% + HA - A milder exfoliator that works to reveal smoother skin. (A stronger strength is available.)
3) Mandelic Acid 10% + HA - A leave-on serum that helps improve skin clarity, balance uneven skin tone, and correct skin texture gently yet effectively.
4) Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution - A gentler water-free solution for blemish-prone skin and uneven texture. (A stronger strength is available.)5) AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution - An advanced-level exfoliating peel.
Thursday, January 12, 2023
When To Increase Your Retinol to 2.5%
Retinol (the non-proscription derivative of prescription strength Retin-A) is an anti-aging powerhouse. Dermatologists often call it the gold standard in promoting a more youthful appearance by helping to build collagen, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and even out skin tone.
But to minimize the discomforting effects sometimes associated with retinol, like dryness, flaking, and raw sensitive skin, you have to start with a lower potency retinol such as .5% --> moving up to 1.0% --> then perhaps increase to 2.5% over time and before attempting prescription strength Retin-A (known as Tretinoin).
Understand that a higher potency retinol isn't a better or more effective anti-aging serum. The consistency of using retinol trumps potency.
I have been using drugstore retinol for a couple of years and only now will I try to bump up the potency to 2.5% strength, which I aim to use once a week and return to lower strengths (and bakuchiol) for the rest of the week before using 2.5% retinol more than once a week.
All the brands of 2.5% retinol featured on this blog sell on Amazon and Walmart for $10 - $14. Check the ingredients for extra benefits like hyaluronic acid (for hydration), vitamin C (an anti-antioxidant to protect and brighten the skin), and aloe (to smooth the skin), etc.
I bought the Mo Tulip Retinol (below👇) at Walmart to try. So far the hyaluronic acid in the serum is super hydrating, and green tea has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant protective properties, but I'll have to use it longer to verify the effectiveness of its retinol.
With choices galore, you don't have to spend a fortune for a good retinol that really works, just look for transparency on the label to know exactly what you're getting.
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