Pretty Gnoce Jewelry Can Be Personalized

All photos are from Gnoce's website here

While I appreciate luxury handbags, shoes, and apparel, it's fine jewelry that makes my heart beat a little faster. Today I'm collaborating with a jewelry company because I love everything about it -- its quality, price, and customer service. Gnoce Jewelry was founded in 2015 "with the idea that jewelry should be fun and inspire happiness," and WOW, do they deliver!

The jeweler aims to capture and celebrate life's special moments and to achieve this, it designs a wide range of ultra-cute styles and personal pieces including necklaces, pendants, bracelets, charms, earrings, and rings to suit every customer and special occasion. 

Conceived, developed, and crafted in-house, Gnoce's 2,000+ pieces are well made (on par with Pandora) yet by far more affordable! With a wise business plan, the company owns its own sustainable factories and sells directly to consumers. Much of its stock including all of the charms that go on a choice of bracelets is made of 925 sterling silver, a precious metal for fine jewelry. Gnoce charms can be further personalized with engravings or photos or by selecting name necklaces. 

IMHO sterling silver jewelry is a luxury item worth the splurge because it endures. With care, the pieces will last a lifetime.

Gnoce has 10+ collections of jewelry to fit every imaginable taste making it very easy to find your own style or to tell your own story with hand-painted and beautiful meaningful or playful charms.

Gnoce's 925 sterling silver pieces are extremely budget-friendly and adorable, making fine jewelry accessible to nearly everyone. In addition to reasonable starting price points, Gnoce offers attractive deals such as buy 2, get 2 charms free, and recurring sales. This makes gift giving of fine jewelry easy on the wallet, and you won't go broke collecting the charms! 

Right now there's a hot 🎃Halloween Sale👻 to check out, including Gnoce's🩸SAW Billy-themed Collection🩸while supplies last. But should the Halloween inventory sell out, I don't need a crystal ball to know Savvy Shoppers will find something else just as wearable. Great attention is paid to the details. Everything is so darn cute, for sure, whatever you pick won't stay in a box!🎁

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10 Face Moisturizers For Fall

1) 7E Wellness Restore

As fall descends upon us one of the first signs we may notice is the tightening of our skin especially on our faces. Summer humidity gets replaced by a dryer climate resulting in a dryer face.

Ceramide

With the change of season, you may have to add a moisturizer to your routine to combat the dryness. Two ingredients to look for in an effective face moisturizer are ceramides (fatty acids that are naturally in the skin) and hyaluronic acid (a  

Hyaluronan

chief component in connective tissue that helps the skin retain water). You should moisturize your face right after you wash it in the sink or step out of the shower to lock in moisture and on top of thinner face serums such as vitamin C (an antioxidant that lightens the skin), retinol, or bakuchiol (a natural retinol alternative for sensitive skin) if you use them.

2) Cocokind Ceramide Barrier Serum and 3) The Inkey List Bio-Active Ceramide

So let's learn (by clicking the brand names) about 10 new beneficial face moisturizers that help fight the dryness of autumn without breaking the bank.

4) Cerave Moisturizing Cream and 5) Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream

CeraVe (#4) and Cetaphil (#5) above👆 are what I use on all my skin including my face. Neither cream is heavy or clogs my pores, and I find each brand as pure, mild, and effective as moisturizing creams formulated expressly for the face. 

The more choices consumers have the better IMHO! Some moisturizers work better than others on different skin types --oily, combination, dry, or sensitive. It's also fun to discover and try new products. When we have options galore we can take full advantage of retail sales to never go without or spend more than necessary. If we know what to buy, when a budget-friendly favorite is out of stock, we can buy another budget-friendly favorite in stock. 

6) SimplyVital and 7) First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

None of today's examples cost more than $20 and the majority are less, with a few offering you extra ingredients like vitamins C, B5, E, etc. Still, without more research to compare concentrations in the right forms of a product, I'd turn to them mainly to moisturize. A moist face is also a younger-looking face!

8) Organic Manuka Honey Rescue Cream and 9) SeoulCeuticals Snail Muscin Moisturizer

#9 SeoulCeuticals cream is 97% snail mucin valued in Korean beauty as having anti-aging properties; manuka honey in #8, is hailed for its antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation causes the skin to wrinkle.

10) Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer with Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid

Vanicream (#10) is a brand dermatologists praise and recommend as pure and suitable for all skin types especially sensitive skin.

The list could go on and on since nowadays there are a ton of fantastic budget-friendly moisturizers on the market. With choices galore, you need never empty a wallet to buy a great face moisturizer. Watch this space periodically for future skincare recommendations.

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Uniqlo's Pocketable UV Protective Parka

In 2010 I devoted posts to (1) What Every Woman Should Have in Her Wardrobe and (2) What Every Man Should Have in His Wardrobe. If I did a good job, my recommendations are still relevant. Today I'll add another essential article of clothing you could call an investment piece as it's so versatile. Once you have it, you can't go without it!

You'll wear it all autumn and spring. You'll also carry it if you need a light layer of protection against windy evenings on the beach; rainy days or nights out on the town; or indoor events with air conditioning. And best of all, you'll have it for many years to come since it's well-made.

What is this awesome, indisposable item that should be in every human's wardrobe? 🥁🥁🥁 Uniqlo's Pocketable UV Protective Parka.

I bought myself one 6 years ago for $29 and my senior mother one last week for $49.90. Alas, post-pandemic inflation, yet still worth the higher price. I've gotten six years and counting of wear out of mine.

The parka is boxy yet not sloppy. It complements pants, leggings, skirts, and dresses. The look is sleek and whatever you need it to be ... sporty, casual smart, or dressier than a sweater, which btw, you can wear underneath it to keep warm in late fall, or early spring. It has a hood, zipper closure, 2 generous pockets with zippers, and an inside mesh lining where I put supermarket flyers or newspapers I don't wish to carry by hand. The fabric is 100% polyester and it's machine washable. I have never had to wash my parka as it's never gotten dirty. Every year Uniqlo slightly re-designs its pocketable parkas, and this year's interpretation has a coating of sun UV 50 protection. Often the sizes aren't consistent from year to year so one year's x-large parka (or coat or sweater or bratop) may be the next year's medium. You must try it on to know. Consistent sizing from year to year is the one feature I think Uniqlo could improve upon in its Lifewear Collection of basics to make ordering online a surer thing.

The packable parka is so lightweight you can take it anywhere tied around your waist, on your arm, or rolled up in its very own little included pouch. I have never used my pouch either! Although of sturdy construction, the parka takes up zero space and adds zero extra weight lying on top of clothes inside a suitcase. The best $50 you'll ever spend!

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Huge Savings With Equate Dupe Moisterizers

As autumn approaches in the Western hemisphere we'll soon exchange the humidity for dry skin. It's time to stock up on moisturizers. Walmart will save you a ton of money with their in-house brand for less under the name of Equate. The label has dupes for many dermatologist-recommended moisturizers. Here's what to buy:

For your face: 

1) Equate All Day Moisturizer - A dupe for Olay with UVA and UVB 15 protection and Vitamin E. Apply it after your Vitamin C and under your makeup. Cost: $4.97

2) Equate Retinol Night Cream - Compare to Olay Retinol Night Cream. Use before bed. New packaging for the same cream and price as the top image. Cost: $17.44

3) Equate Oil-Free Facial Moisturizer For Sensitive Skin - A dupe for Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin. Use on nights you wish to either skip retinol or simply apply additional moisture to your face. $6.67

For your hands ...

4) Equate Ultra Moisturizing Extra Dry Skin Lotion - A dupe for Jerkens ultra healing body lotion with vitamins C, E, and B5 in a generous 32-ounce size pump to keep in your kitchen to mostly moisturize your dry hands during the dryer months. Cost: $6.48

For your face, hands, and body especially in winter ...

The next tubs of moisturizers are listed in the order of their thickness and all are super moisturizing.

5) Equate Moisturizing Cream - Compare to CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. $8.97

6) Equate Gentle Skin Cream - A dupe for Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream. Cost: $7.48 {A review of #5 vs #6 is here.}

7) Equate Therapeutic Dry Skin Cream - Compare to Eucein Moisturizing Cream. $9.92

8) Advanced Healing Ointment Skin Protectant - The knockoff for Aquaphor Healing Ointment. Cost: $10.52, or just buy a tub of Vaseline for half the price.

Frankly, #8 is 41% petroleum jelly so next time I'll just buy a tub of Vaseline for $5.48 or better yet Equate Petroleum Jelly for $2.36 instead of #8 which is 2 or 4.5 times the price. In winter you can always rub petroleum jelly over your moisturizing creams if you need extra thickness.

Walmart has additional dupes of leading name brands, but these 10 are the moisturizers I like and use in the fall and winter months. They are identical to their name-brand counterparts! If you have other favorite moisturizers, check to see if Walmart makes a dupe for it.

9) Equate Beauty Eczema Relief Skin Protection Cream -  With colloidal oatmeal and cheap at 6.84 for 8 ounces.

10) Equate Fragrance Free Daily Moisturizing Lotion - A dupe for Aveeno Naturals Daily Moisturizing Lotion - I smell a mild scent that disappears quickly after application. You get a generous 33-fluid-ounce pump bottle for $7.48. 

Equate makes moisturizers so affordable we can slather them on from face to toe daily without breaking the bank.💵

*Although I've now written 2 back-to-back blogs mentioning Walmart, neither blog is sponsored. I love Walmart!

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Walmart Has Genuine Leather Bags Cheap

Real leather bag by Forestyashe at Walmart - Available in 7 colors on clearance $11 - $15

Walmart may not be the first retailer that comes to mind for finding a smart trendy bag, but you'd be surprised at the stylish deals and steals available on its website. For sure, I am! The styles, hues, and materials are many. I've picked 6 of the genuine leather options that are a fraction of their usual retail prices. There are more! The bags come in up to 7 colors.

HKCLUF Crossbody Hobo Bag

GAEKEAO Small Crossbody Bag

Michael Kors Pebbled Leather Small Tote 

FALAN MULE Clutch and Wristlet 

KAMUGO Leather Handbag with Gold Hardware and Cache

Walmart has quite an online selection of bags of all types. Sometimes the bags are cheaper than what a replacement strap costs elsewhere. By the way, if you like the bag but want to buy a thicker leather strap (look on Etsy, Amazon, or the retailer of your look-alike bag) as you are left with the funds to do so! 

The London Fog bookbag dupe is reviewed here.

Be sure to read the descriptions carefully so you catch the sizes and textures of the bags. Reading every customer review is super helpful in not ordering mistakes, but if you don't like your purchase, Walmart has an easy and inexpensive return policy.

A nice bag on a budget, one that won't fall apart soon. Who knew?

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Art Naturals Deals, Deals, Deals

Art Naturals is a stellar clean beauty brand I previously featured on THE SAVVY SHOPPER. It has everything we want: beneficial antiaging ingredients in the right combinations free of toxins and high prices.

If you need to restock your skincare, haircare, bath & body products, or you embrace aromatherapy now is the time of the year to grab the best bargains from the brand. In addition to 20% off of the line consider buying the gift sets for even more savings. This also gives you the chance to try a few new products at a steal of a price.

Several years ago, I slowly began swapping out my unnatural commercial beauty (and household products) for brands with simple and cleaner ingredients, but I didn't want to go broke using them. If you have the same goal, Art Naturals is an outstanding brand to try. The line of products is also conveniently sold at Rite Aid and Walmart along with other drugstores. 

I picked my 3 favorite items to display but you can browse the website to find yours.

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8 Skincare Products I Use Daily And Highly Recommend

Photo: Adobe

Through experience, you inevitably learn about skin care products like which ingredients really work, and which knockoffs, identical to their more costly name-brand counterparts, to buy.

Here's what I now use every day in my skincare routine, as well as, for my senior mother whose skin still feels baby soft. I like to pamper her with mild, good clean ingredients to keep her skin healthy and moisturized. I've reviewed the following beauty items in prior blogs, so if you wish to know why they're good for your skin click on their links for a description and list of ingredients. Today's blog will try to save you a few bucks when purchasing them:

8 Skincare Products I Use Daily And Highly Recommend:

 

1) SheaMoisture Soap(s) - to wash with during a shower. T.J. Maxx often carries the bars at $3.99/bar.

2) Noxema Cleansing Cream - to wash my face before bed. I also use it to soothe my mom's dry skin where she needs it, such as her arms. Alternatively, I love the face washes from CeraVe and Cetaphil, as well as, their Walmart Equate knockoffs. Walmart also has a Noxema dupe only for in-store pickup. However, Noxema, the name brand, usually selling at under $5, is cheap enough.

3) Coconut Oil - I buy food-grade coconut oil often from Puritan's Pride, to use as after-bath oil to lock in moisture. The reason for the food-grade coconut oil is to simplify my life and not have to buy 2 different coconut oils. {The same applies to white vinegar for cleaning my home. I buy food-grade, not cleaning-grade white vinegar which lies in the cleaning products aisle of supermarkets. When cheap enough, reduce to one multi-tasking product you have to stock. Saves time! Looks like Puritan's Pride no longer sells what I use, so here's another good online retailer. Costs: $6 - $10 for 16 oz.

If I need extra moisturizers in the fall and winter to slatter on dry skin, I add the following to my skincare routine --

4) Equate Moisturizing Cream (a dupe for CeraVe) - Cost: $10

5) Equate Beauty Gentle Skin Cream with Long-Lasting Moisture (the dupe for Cetaphil). - Cost: $6.40. Cetaphil is a tad thicker than CeraVe. Both knockoffs are excellent, plus they work wonders in moisturizing your face, so mild, light, and absorbent that you can skip buying a separate face moisturizer.

6) Target's Up and Up or Walmart's Equate Baby Powder - We use it after bathing and I often apply a sprinkle with a makeup brush to my face to prevent a shiny complexion. Real face powder has a finer texture, than the cornstarch ingredient in baby powder, but baby powder with cornstarch is still a super substitute. Talic (a finer grain) in body power has been removed in the USA. Price: $2.99 for 22 ounces.

7) Daytime: I use Equate Beauty All Day Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion for Skin, Broad Spectrum SPF 15. (the dupe for Olay Complete Daily Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin, SPF 15). I'll use whatever I can get, for normal or sensitive skin. You'll pay about $4

8) Nighttime: I apply Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair - I use the cream formula but have also tried the serum. If only buying one of these, get the cream. Cost: $16 at T.J. Maxx or $13 - $16 on eBay. $25 regular retail price.

By learning what's in skincare products, and focusing on key effective ingredients supported by science, you can find knockoffs for less. Look in health food stores, small batch-start-up companies, and drugstores that offer both name brands that go on sale, as well as, drugstore dupes to lower the costs of your everyday skincare. Toss in Equate (from Walmart) and Up and Up (Target's store brand).

We're talking about effective, clean, high-caliber skincare for less. Skincare without compromise you can afford to use 365 days of the year without going broke! You are welcome.

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