Welcome To The USA Joe Fresh

Neoprene-coat in assorted colors, $99

If you haven't heard of Canada's Joe Fresh brand of clothing, you are missing out on cute, contemporary, inexpensive style.  Truly, I can't rave enough!

Designer Joseph Mimran, best known for the understated, minimal look he created for Club Monaco,* before launching his Joe Fresh label in 2006, just crossed the Canadian boarder to open stores in the US, including a flagship store on Fifth Avenue (at 43rd Street) and another shop on Madison Avenue (at 80th Street).  Yanks should be thrilled!  He has an entire line of fashion forward basics for men, women and children.  Apparel and accessories range mostly from $16 {for a soft, extra long, thin cotton, t-shirt with a pocket} to $99 {for a chic, neoprene coat in assorted colors, including orange, blue, teal, brown and black}.  A tailored silk blouse is $19. Wool-blended jumpers are $49, and cotton chino, or wool pants are $39.  His coats and skirts have classic good looks, with pizzazz and retro influences. 

His tops, trousers and dresses are the perfect blend of relaxed, practical and casual smart.  He combines eye-popping, bright colors like yellow, orange and berry with clean neutrals -- tan, brown and black.  His collection is calm and balanced without being boring.  You look sophisticated and modern while spending less than $100 for an outfit.  And his clothing is suitable for everybody -- consisting of jeans, weekend wear, workout clothes and business attire.  Joe Fresh will launch additional stores, (hopefully one near you!) and he's calling all frugal fashionistas.

*Mimran sold Club Monaco to Polo Ralph Lauren in 1999.


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A Light Carrot Cake

Photo credit: judicialpeach.com

This weekend I baked a carrot cake. I don't understand why so many cake recipes call for so much fat and sugar. My carrot cake is light, yet moist, sweet and tasty. I didn't add additional fruit to the recipe, such as pineapple, applesauce, coconut or raisins, not that there's anything wrong with that, but sometimes a pure carrot cake flavor rules. I used the following ingredients:

Carrot Cake Light

Ingredients:

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

punch of ground clove

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 eggs

¾ cup buttermilk

¼ cup olive oil

1 ½ cups grated carrots (I use a food processor.)
1/3 cup of chopped walnuts

optional for an extra kick of flavor: 
 1 slice of fresh grated ginger

 10 turns of freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. 
2. Add the wet ingredients, one at a time and mix with an electric mixer.
3. Pour into a large greased loaf pan. (If you prefer a round cake, pour into 2-8 inch cake pans.)
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 - 45 minutes, or until the center is done. Test with a poker or toothpick.
5. Remove from the pan(s) and cool.

Eat plain or with a cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients: 
1-8 ounce package light cream cheese
1 cup powder sugar, or more to thicken
drops of skim milk (if needed)

Directions:
Mix the ingredients, in order, using an electric mixer and spread on the cake. Top with a ¼ cup chopped, oven toasted walnuts if you like.

There are lovely flakes of carrots in a slice. Looks very orange and healthy, no? It has a bit of  vitamin A, fiber and protein. So invite a friend over and enjoy!

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Crystal Heels For Glamour

I saw a cute line for these: "Pardon my back."

I love shoes with glitter.  Because I rarely wear heels, I only have 2 pairs of pumps. But both pairs have glimmer heels.  One pair is a little flashier than the other.  On occasions when I pull my glitter heels out of my closet, I get lots of compliments.  I think everyone likes sparkle.  Since many designers include them in their collections, they are available at every price point. Crystals are more expensive than rhinestones.

You will find bejeweled ballet flats too.  Shimmer can take you from the office to a night out on the town without having to change your attire.  Rhinestone-and-crystal footwear pushes a casual smart look up a notch and jazzes up an otherwise understated outfit.  You look dressy without trying too hard.  Worn with a little black dress, chiffon gown, or black velvet paints, the look is classic with a little extra pizzazz.  Stepping out with glitter accented feet adds a bit of glamour all year around.  It's a vintage look that never goes out of style.

Places to shop include: Zappos, Nordstrom and Endless.  

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Your Fall Wardrobe: Shop For Value

Photo by Goop

The arrival of fall presents a good time to take stock of your wardrobe.  Put away your summer shorts and dresses and throw away what is shabby and can't be worn next year.  Now decide if there's anything you lack to get you through the colder seasons.  Perhaps you need a new wool suit, a pair of leather boots, rubber galoshes … or some stylish basics: long sleeve t-shirts, jeans, or new undergarments.  Here are five retailers to help you with your task:

Hirshleifer – This 100 year old family run store is expensive, but they have absolutely beautiful things from Rag and Bone wool blazers and Alaia flannel skirts to Yigal Azrouel zip jersey dresses and Laurence Dacade short suede booties.  This is the place to look when you want to find a few, expertly tailored, classic pieces you will wear for years to come.  Gwyneth Paltrow is a fan.  She has a big budget.  You may settle for one practical, exquisite piece, and what's wrong with that?

Lands' End – Here quality meets unbeatable prices.  Shop for cashmere cardigans, snow boots, waterproof Squall jackets and goose down Chalet winter coats.  Plus, all of their goose down vests and coats can be machine washed and dried, which means no dry cleaning bills.

Uniqlo – They design sleek basics with Japanese technology.  Get premium cotton t-shirts, easy leggings, stretch jeans, feather-light jackets (that keep you warm), innovative Airism tops, undergarments and more.  So much more that I featured Uniqlo in an earlier post.  The Airism tops provide full support, as well as, wick perspiration away.  Perfect to wear for a workout, or under a dress.

FootSmart – A retailer offering comfortable shoes and boots with just right heels, as well as, hard to find sizes and widths, plus custom designed pain relieving tools to treat specific foot problems like hammer toes and plantar fascitis.

Target – It's where to go for sports bras and premium Champion active wear.  Sells for $10 - $17.  Why pay more, when you can get it for less?

With a bit of experience under my belt, I tend to be an under buyer.  But when I need something, I buy it. Always know your budget and stick to it.  Shop for value.  As you can see, value is available at every price point. Be open, resourceful and flexible to find it!

Photo by chuvaness.com of Uniqlo's Airism tops, which also come with sleeves

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Flat Top Kabuki Brush

Daubigny's makeup brushes have over 4,100 stellar customer reviews on Amazon, and the brushes sell for under $10, including the entire eyebrush set👇 below!🎯

The dense bristles of the Daubigny Kabuki brush remind me of my more expensive IT Velvet Luxe brushes once sold at Ulta. I bought my set one brush at a time, not knowing they would soon be discontinued before I got the chance to buy my last brush, the IT Kabuki brush. Daubigny's Flat Top Kabuki Brush, won't ecstatically match my IT Velvet Luxe brushes, but reviewers say it blends makeup in all forms -- liquid, cream, or powder -- perfectly. (It appears the lookalike brushes sold by other sellers for a few dollars less are the same exact brushes, but this cannot be confirmed without purchasing them. You take a slight risk they are of lesser quality.)

Like my 7 IT Velvet Luxe brushes, the bristles of this brush are dense, firm, and soft, precisely what I look for in makeup brushes. Makeup brushes on smoothly and evenly to give you a flawless, poreless non-makeup finish. Vitally important, the bristles do not shed! The reason I invested in IT brushes was I got tired of picking the shedding bristle hairs off of my face after applying blush or powder to my face.

The Flat Top Kabuki brush is a steal! It comes with a durable plastic carrying case with a flap and snap closure to keep both the brush and the inside of your bag clean. Nice!

Temptation calls: I'm getting a 2nd chance to buy a superb Kabuki makeup brush. Should I take a bite of the apple and get it? Yes!

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Dorothy Perkins Is Top Shop's Stylish Sister

Meet Dorothy Perkins, popular and trendy Top Shop's stylish sister! The sibling line creates affordable fashion pieces that are classic, pretty and feminine. Adorable dresses, tops, bottoms and accessories, which are a tad more conservative than à la mode articles, so they won't soon go out of style.

Cute ladylike florals; animal prints; or solids with flattering details such as a fitted waist, or pleated skirt. And subtle polka dots to boot!

There are timeless shoes and accessories for all occasions, plus you won't need to empty your wallet to buy extras in order to match your dress.

I can envision the Duchess of Cambridge (a/k/a Kate Middleton) wearing these elegant clothes!

An Ombre All Over Lace Dress ... wow ... oo la la ... wunderbar ... love at first sight! At last, understated style for grown-up women ... with a touch of pizzazz!

Well worth browsing the website. Once there, click on the upper left to select your country of origin. Enjoy!


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The Fit And Flare Dress

Here are three variations of one of my favorite dress styles.  The look is dressy, clean and feminine.  The dress is cut to draw the eye down the sems, creating a slimming effect.  It has a classic princess neck.  Without hugging the waist or hips, the dress tapers at the waist, then flares out from the hips down to the bottom.  Both the style and length -- which is just above the knee -- is very flattering.  A Fit and Flare dress can have long sleeves in the winter and cap sleeves in the summer.  And, it is comfortable to wear.  Sometimes this lovely style is so hard to find in stores.  Why?!?

The dresses I used to illustrate the style are:

1. Plenty by Tracy Reese Woman's Ponte Flirty Dress - $178

2. Kensie Women's Textured Twisty Knit - $88

3. Suzi Chin Women's Fit and Flare Dress - $158

This is my style.  What's your style?  Knowing what you feel good wearing helps you avoid buying mistakes and lets you pounce when there are too-good-to-be true sales.

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New Hair Tools: Crimpers, Curlers and Making Waves

In life there are many things a person has little control over, somethings it's your adult children, a stubborn parent, or even the daily happenings in an anxious country. To make up for the many annoyances, every day should be a good hair day. Right? At least give us that!

1) In the 1990's I crimped my long straight hair a few times a month. I still like the look and still have the crimper, but as an older model, it takes about 5 minutes to heat up. The Bed Head Little Tease Crimper is light, slim, ultra fast and easy-to-use. It gets hot in 30 seconds. Do you have 30 seconds of patience? Why ... yes!!

The crimper has toumaline/cermamic plates to protect the hair against heat damage. Using the tool adds volume to straight hair, which can go flat at the end of a long day.

2) The Kiss Instawave Automatic Hair Curler heats in seconds to create beautiful soft curls without tangling. The ceramic ionic technology delivers shiny, frizz-free hair. With it, you can also control the direction of the curl.

3) For natural beach waves, wrap sections of hair around the double barrels of the above Remington hair CI52FO Wrap to Wave Styler in a figure 8 shape. It has 30 different heat settings, so the fork-shaped gizmo works on any hair type.

4) The Revlon Shine Enchancing Hot Air Kit is a 2-in-1 hair dryer and styler with ionic technology to dry hair faster, reduce frizz and add volume and shine. This model comes with 3 heat settings and 2 brush sizes to create waves and curls.

Frankly, in styling my hair straight sans frizzies, a blow dryer (with an attached comb), plus a flat iron to curl the ends under is faster. How the Revlon Enchancer helps is by adding volume to the hair when used at the end of the blow dry. Place the roller-brush under your hair to finish drying, and it lifts the hair up, as well as, smooths flyaways.

Not only do customers give these 4 hair tools high ratings, they are priced between $18 and $35. Because ... it shouldn't take much time, effort or money to have a good hair day. So at least a gal can be in control of her locks!

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Chanel's L.A. To Paris Makeup Palette

Thank goodness, I'm not an emotional buyer.  Because ... I see something from Chanel I want.  But if I got everything I liked, I'd be broke.  Plus I'd live in a cluttered home.  Thinking about the most horrifying show on television, Hoarders, will keep me in line!

That said, when you really do need a product, you should invest in quality.  And when it comes to makeup where rich pigments matter, Chanel is the gold standard.  Makeup that contains good pigments will stay on you face all day, so you won't have to touch up as often.

Chanel created an all-in-one makeup palette.  It has everything a woman needs in one lightweight compact.  Called “L.A. – Paris,” the plum harmony kit consists of 2 lip glosses, 1 sheer-wine-red lip color, 2 cream concealers, cream blush, and 3 powder eyeshadows.  With individual applicators, the universal colors flatter most skin tones.

This exclusive palette is ideal for travel since it's the only makeup you'll need to pack.  Now ... be still my heart and go away temptation.  Cost: $85.

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Garnier Whole Blends Smoothing Shampoo And Conditioner Coconut Oil & Cocoa Butter Extracts

Weighing price, convenience and effectiveness, I lean towards organic personal care products; and when it makes sense, I will switch from drugstore brands to those products with cleaner, organic ingredients. In reality, it's difficult to go totally organic -- nevertheless, we can aim to reduce the amount of chemicals we use in our beauty products.

Most shampoos will clean your hair just fine, but the commericial hair conditioners still work better than any organic conditioner I have tried. Plus, the mass produced name brands of shampoos and conditions tend to be cheaper  than many organic brands. If you wash your hair every day, the costs can add up! Will it be pennies, or dollars you wash down the drain? Sometimes it's worth the extra cost, sometimes it is not.

Photo credit: Jacqui Writes

Shampoos are easy, but I always return to the drugstore brands of hair conditioners. Recently I tried Ganier Whole Blends Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner Coconut Oil & Cocoa Butter Extracts. Forumulated with South Pacific coconut oil and African cocoa butter extracts, the shampoo and condition tames and smooths hair. It has a clean, coconut scent and leaves a shine. Thankfully, both shampoo and conditioner are paraben-free and gentle for daily use.

While it is always wise to check ingredients, the great news is: Drugstores are responding to customer demands for better, safer ingredients. For the price, effectiveness and hair sans frizz, I recommend this new Garnier forumula. Try it, you will like it! 

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Let's Talk: What's In Your Makeup Bag?

Photo: iStock

Wow, look at all the stuff in this cosmetic bag! Full size makeup brushes, creams (of some sort) and nail polish. Where does a woman do her fingernails on the road? I mean ... would she polish her nails at work? In a public bathroom? On the subway? Hopefully not while driving!

I use moisturizers too ... but at home. On the job, I keep chapstick and hand lotion in my desk.

Certainly, I carry far fewer items on a daily basis than the above image shows. Just for fun, let's share what we keep in our makeup bag, one that fits inside our purse. Short of an overnight trip, here's what's in mine:

1) a compact case of pressed powder
2) a lipstick (Need a little blush? Doubles as one.)
3) a tube of sheer lip gloss
4) Erase stick for under eye circles
5) a soft crayon eyeliner
6) A small hair comb with wide teeth

That's it. My makeup bag is small. I hate being weighed down with too much stuff. And yet, I have everything I need for touch ups. Forget oil blotting papers to wipe my t-zone. I just blot an oily complexion with Kleenex, or in a pinch, toilet paper. What? It works better, in my opinion, because it's bigger then blotting papers.

I can understand carrying mascara, but I rarely wear it to work to avoid raccoon eyes. Usually I don't wear eye shadow during the day either, but many women do, and it's all good.

Spring is the perfect time to clean out your cosmetic bag. Take out any items you never touch. Also, remove makeup if it would upset you to lose it. I never carry one of my Max Factor Pan-Stiks in my purse. Ever! Pan-Stiks have been discontinued in the USA. Heaven forbid, it falls out or melts!!!

Not my Pan-Stik, nooo!

It's better to travel light whenever possible. Simplify your life!

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Denim In Living Color

Colored denim isn't new.  I wore a pair of cardinal red and white striped jeans in the 7th grade.  But now they are designed for adults.  And nothing screams SPRING FEVER like lots of bright colors.  It's a happy trend.  Comfortable too.  And when a look becomes popular, you will find it at every price point.  Choose your favorite color, or something floral, or patterned.  Unlike in the past, there's no set style or jean length.  Wear what suits you, whether it's low or mid rise, ankle or capris, skinny or boot-cut.  People come in all shapes and sizes, and fashion should reflect it. There's a radiant hue for every body, budget ... and personality.  Get in on a fun fad with these retailers:

Citizens Of Humanity jeans

1. American Eagle

2. Citizens Of Humanity - Must shop for them in stores.

3. Forever 21

4. J brand

5. J.Crew

6. L.K. Bennett - a favorite of Kate Middleton♥ Here's a NYC location.

7. Old Navy - Lots of affordable style on sundresses, t-shirts, shorts, cotton sweaters and sports bras too. Sales galore.

8. Nordstrom

9. Uniqlo - Brilliant prices, promotions, design, quality and a huge inventory for Men and Women on pants and other casual wear.

10. Zappos – Free shipping both ways

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Poetry In Fashion

Last week THE SAVVY SHOPPER featured a retailer who offers cute, trendy clothing to stretch a wardrobe. I want to follow-up with a London company, Poetry, a designer of investment pieces.

Investment pieces may cost more, but they last season after season and can be used to mix and match to create outfits. While basic and less flashy, usually the craftsmanship and fabric are of a higher quality. A smart practice is to stock your closet with mainly investment and some trendy pieces. Not all articles of clothing need to last forever, but things you return to time and again like a trench coat; leather jacket; wool sweater; or warm scarf should be well-made and durable. Since you wear an intestment piece for decades, it will pay for itself. And, it's better for the environment to hang on to things. Unfortunately, we've become a throw-away society; and according to sociologists, constantly buying new stuff doesn't even make us happy!

Poetry, which is a family run business, designs a collection of dresses, skirts, trousers, sweaters and accessories, using unique blends of natural fabrics, such as alpaca, linen and cashmere. Cotton, silk and virgin wool ... be still, my heart! I love natural fibers. The pieces are stylish, soft and timeless. Owning fewer, but finer, more perfect and practical pieces is always savvy shopping!

Moreover, what I like about Poetry can be summed up in one word, "value" -- its attention to detail at a reasonable price, which is much less than its competitors. It may take us several paychecks to save up for a pair of knee high leather boots; a brushed cotton and wool (with buttons, 3/4 length sleeves and a dropped waist) dress; or a long checkered, blended wool and silk scarf, but it's doable.

Poetry is all about designing fashionable and versatile pieces that are meant to last!

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Fashion's Night Out Is Thursday

This year there are over 1,000 stores participating in New York City and many more in major cities around the world. Stores are open late and hosting free food, spirits and plenty of exciting entertainment.  Don't miss out on the ultimate party scene as only the fashion industry can throw it.  Go to these in-the-know sites to get a complete list of all the fashion, fun events and giveaways: FNO {All cities} and Metro {New York}.  Get ready to enjoy the celebrities, music, and champagne! 

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