Quick Updates

• Extra 50% Redlines In Stores- Hollister Co.
• End-Of-Summer Sale (Up to 65% off)- Sephora.com
• Up to 60% off- Victoria's Secret
• Up To Extra 40% Sale Items- Lucky Brand Jeans
• Summer Send-Off Sale (Up to 80%)- Haute Look
• Up to 65% off- Guess? At the Fashion Vault
• Up to 65% off- Chinese Laundry
• Ulta 21 Days of Beauty (including $4 makeup) begins on Sunday!- Ulta Beauty

I you are planning to be a part of the daily deals during Ulta Beauty's 21 Days of Beauty, I was told to get to the stores as soon as possible on any particular day. Each store may receive as little as ten units of the product so get there quickly! Also, get excited because Fashion's Night Out 2012 is coming!

21 Days of Beauty at Ulta Beauty

Ulta Beauty is kicking off the fall season with their 21 Days of Beauty beginning Sunday, September 2nd through Saturday, September 22nd.  Everyday, Ulta will feature 'Beauty Steals' in which high end beauty products will be marked to a steal-worthy price. Along with these beauty steals, shoppers will have the chance to try and receive demonstrations on amazing beauty products from Bareminerals, Smashbox, Dermalogica, Urban Decay, Philosophy, Clarisonic, Tarte, Benefit, and so many more brands. Check out their 21 Days of Beauty calendar for a look at the products and beauty steals featured everyday.

Along with daily events and beauty steals, Ulta Beauty will have hundreds of items on sale. There are many sets, palettes, and high end makeup that will be on sales as well as many free bonuses. For example, the Tarte Call of the Wind Amazonian Clay Palette ($136 value) will be on sale for $36 along with a free Deluxe Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara and Maracuja Oil with any $25 Tarte purchase. There are product deals like this from Too Faced, Bareminerals, Lorac, Stila, Urban Decay, Laura Geller, Smashbox, Napoleon Perdis, Benefit, and many other brands.

Ulta Beauty products will be on sale as well. All Ulta eye shadows, eye liners, mascaras, and lip cosmetics will be priced at only $4.  There will be a free gift with any 2 piece Ulta Brand eye product purchase. There will also be a free gift with any 2 piece Ulta Brand lip product purchase. All nail lacquers will be $2.

If you are a member of the Ulta Beauty Membership, you will receive 2X bonus points and $3.50 off any purchase of $10 or more with their mailer. Here is a list of the products I am most excited for:

• TUE: 9/4 Tarte 360° Creaseless Eye Primer $10 ($19)
• FRI: 9/7 Too Faced Romantic Collection $20 ($36)
• SUN: 9/9 Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara $10 ($19)
• MON: 9/10 Butter London Nail Lacquers Buy 1 Get 1 Free ($14)
• FRI: 9/14 Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener $10 ($19)
• SAT: 9/15 Benefit Powderflage $10 ($28)
• SAT: 9/22 Urban Decay All Nighter Pore Perfection Duo 50% off

 

Lady Gaga.

Lady Gaga has recently released her first perfume, Fame. This perfume features the notes of Atropa belladonna, Tiger Orchid, incense, apricot, saffron, and honey.  The true excitement comes from its history making chemistry: it is the first perfume to appear an opaque black, but sprays clear.  It was first rumored to smell of blood and semen as the perfume's chemistry is based upon her own blood's molecular structure. Lady Gaga commented that instead, the perfume would make one smell like an 'expensive hooker'.  Unlike most celebrities out there, a Gaga does not simply have a perfume...

Lady Gaga's new perfume is a prime example of the message she brings to her Little Monsters: to let go of all your inhibitions and be the person you know yourself to be.  Throughout the history of perfume from the second millennium B.C. until today, not one except Lady Gaga has imagined a perfume to appear opaque, but spray clear.  Should Lady Gaga have strayed from the artistic thinker she truly is, the world would be waiting a bit longer for a perfume like hers. 

Though one can criticize Lady Gaga of her dress, risque behavior, and controversy, we can not argue with her empowering message of being yourself. It is an age old piece of advice that a majority of individuals fail to follow.  When the whole world is looking one way, but you want to look the other, just remember Lady Gaga and the dent she has made in our culture. She once believed she was a freak- and she was right. But she was a freak who changed the music industry and concert theatrics, fashion industry, and lives of so many out there. A long time ago, she had no followers but still stayed true to herself; she is still the same person today, but now lives in a world with people who have come to see her eye to eye.  So the next time you feel like an outsider who must be someone else for the people around you, remember Lady Gaga and how her decision to be herself changed our world forever.

Quick Updates

Many stores are having clearance events to make way for the new season! Get the steals while you can and pick up any giant, juicy September fashion magazine to prep for Fall Fashion!

Sunday Night Blowouts- HauteLook
50-70% Clearance Shoes and Sandals- Aldo.com
Goodbye Summer Sale- Urban Outfitters
Huge Clearance Event (Still On!)- Sephora
Back-To-School Bags 80% Off with Free Shipping- Ebay Fashion Vault
$1.98 Shipping- Eyes Lips Face
Up to 85% Off Summer Clearance- dELiA*s
Extra 40% Off Clearance Items- Express

Why Sephora Lets Everyone Be Luxurious

Most people do not shop regularly at Sephora because of their expensive prices on high-end beauty products and illusion of patronizing to a select type of person. Sephora is actually far from this and I guarantee it.  Currently, the store is offering huge sales on many of their products. Many of their Sephora brand products are on sale as well as great brands such as Cargo and Kat Von D. First off, here is a list of clearance items that were in my local Sephora:

-All Cargo products on Clearance
-Summer Essentials Kit $20, a $75 value
-Sephora Eyeshadow (Select Colors) $4, regular $12
-Sephora Mineral Foundation $5, regular $22
-All Supergoop cosmetics on Clearance
-All Perfekt cosmetics on Clearance
-All Tokidoki cosmetics on Clearance, marked down a second time
-All Amazing Cosmetics on Clearance, marked down a second time
-Benefit Cabana Glama Kit $19, regular $36
-Smashbox Lip Gloss Set of Five Shades $20, a $55 value
-Kat von D True Romance Pigment Johnette $4, regular $16

I also saw some Bare Escentuals Kits on sale as well as other kits that were worth grabbing. The Summer Essentials Kit for $20 was a huge steal. It contains a full-sized Benefit BADgal Waterproof Mascara which is already $20. It also contains a Lorac TANtalizer Deep Body Bronzing Luminizer, Sephora Nail Polish, Nars Illuminator, Smashbox Limitless Long Wear Lip Gloss, Too Faced Bronzer, Supergoop Face & Body Lotion, Murad Oil Control Mattifier, and Sephora Waterproof Makeup Remover. Jump on it.

There were also lots of other Sephora Collection cosmetics on clearance for about $2-$5.  Basically, Sephora is constantly revamping their own Sephora Collection and adding new brands to their store. They are then constantly placing their Sephora Collection on clearance and discontinuing certain brands even though they are still very high quality. When this happens, the brand goes on clearance; after a certain period of time, the products are marked down a second time.  The best part is their Beauty Insider program. For every $1 you spend, you receive 1 point. When you reach 100 points, you receive a free product. During your birthday month, you also receive a free product. Go to your local Sephora now before other glamorous chicks get the deals!

Rasputin is Music To My Ears

What would a runway be without that catchy, beat-driving-catwalk song?  Glamorous chicks need music, and I know the perfect place to find it.  Though some are familiar with Rasputin Music, most are unaware of how unique their store truly is.  Though our time is faced with huge reductions in record stores everywhere, Rasputin Music still stands as the greatest and largest chain of record stores in the Bay Area.  The store offers a huge selection of music, games, books, movies, and much more. The greatest part of their store is their collection of used music. Not only do they have extremely low prices on popular modern CDs, but they also have an excellent close-out section where you can find music anywhere from $1-$3.  For the closeouts, if you buy a certain number of CDs (four at my location), you get another closeout free! The best part is, their closeout is full of great music and selection; it is always a thrill to look through the stacks and see what I can find.

Rasputin also offers low prices on used video games, records, movies, etc. Their video game selection is pretty rockin' and their used movies are always extremely inexpensive. They also have a good selection of giant posters and rare posters (such as band art and tour posters).  These are also very inexpensive and Rasputin sometimes features sale bins on posters.  There are also sometimes sales on their clothing and Rasputin merchandise.  Stop into your local Rasputin to see what you find!

To Rasputin.com

Be an 'Alluring' Winner

I like to consider myself pretty lucky, but we all know it takes strategy to win.  Here's a little hint from by bag of tricks so you can be a winner in Allure Magazine's August Free Stuff Blowout.  All month long, Allure gives away tons of free luxurious goodies to their readers: 32,350 items to be exact. Visit their free stuff calendar to view the specific time to enter.  Be sure to account for the time difference because the times are in E.S.T. (So for instance, I must subtract 3 hours because I live in an area with P.S.T.)  At the specified time, enter your online entry or scan the master entry tag.  The first specified entries to enter the contest win the freebie. But there is a little trick to it that will increase your odds...

• Right before the specified time, open a web page of the exact time. 
• Click 'submit' about 4-9 seconds (though it fluctuates about 3 seconds), before the specified time, watching the exact time as you do so. 

These tips will increase your chances of winning. The trick is to submit your entry before and not after the specified time.  When thousands of readers click the 'submit' button as their clocks change, the server becomes extremely slow and your entry will be entered late even though you tried to submit it at the correct time. It is a lot like trying to win a radio station contest; everyone is calling in so you have to get lucky if you want to get in yourself.  The time to enter early fluctuates, but the trick has helped me score numerous prizes from Allure. 

Updates

Just some quick updates on steals out there:

• Eyes Lips and Face is having a two day treasure hunt to celebrate their new search function. You can find up to 80% off certain items in the online store. For those of you unaware, Eyes Lips and Face is probably the most inexpensive brand of great quality cosmetics out there. 
• Lots of items on sale at Sephora.com
• Lots of items on clearance at Urban Outfitters in-store and online. Additional 30% off in-store. 
• A local correspondent from the Bay had the opportunity to check out the Jessica McClintock Blowout Sale in the San Francisco.  She found some amazing dresses and took some great pictures. Get out to the Bay while you can; this is truly a sale not to miss! 

Thanks to my Glamourous Chick from San Francisco, you're too awesome!

Steal This Art- They Said We Could!

The finer things in life encompass our culture along with the extraordinary creations that inspire us to think, feel, and continue that creation. One of the most captivating creations that evokes imagination and inspiration is the art of the Lowbrow Movement with its varying degrees of darkness, humor, pop-culture, and use of medium.  I have always identified with this art form due its roots in Southern California, my love of cartoon animation, and my youthful age.

Steal This Art is an excellent way to purchase high-quality prints of art from the Lowbrow Movement and eliminate the hassle of frames and high costs (like the prices at Urban Oufitters).  Every week day, Steal This Art sells a limited number of a particular work of art for only 24 hours or until it is sold out.  I find the prices average about $20-30.  The prints are usually numbered and signed by the artist, so the price is definitely a 'steal'.  Join their emailing list to get alerts of new art pieces; this saves you the hassle of going to the website everyday.

To Steal This Art

Project by Unhuman

Depot by Allison Sommers

DJ Black Rabbit by Aaron Jasinski

In the Bay? Come visit my friend, Jessica!

Jessica McClintock is one of the first brands a girl thinks of when someone says 'prom dress'.  True, McClintock has given many high school girls their first prom dress, but the brand is also excellent for any events ranging from semi-formal gatherings to fancy cocktail parties. The company is based in San Francisco, CA where their outlet is also located.  One of my good friends introduced me to the store and I've been 'in love' ever since.

The store has a huge collection of dresses. Their New Arrivals section is anywhere from 25-50% off the regular price for a given dress.  They always have racks that are anywhere from 50-75% off their reduced price. As you can see, this is already a steal. After a period of time, those dresses are finally marked to $10 or $15.

I visited the store yesterday and was ecstatic to find their Blowout Sale for the end of the season.  All silver dresses were $15.  (I want to say there were about 6-8 racks of silver dresses...) There was a long rack bordering the entire west wall that also carried a variety of $15 dresses.  All racks in the front of the store were 70% off their list price. The average cost of these dresses were about $21. There was another section of floor-length evening dresses for $15.  All bridal dresses were 75% off as well as long prom dresses. (If you are planning to get married, a whole section of the store was dedicated to white wedding dresses. 75% off. Just saying.)  I was dismayed to find my prom dress for $22.50 when I paid about $90 for it on sale.

If you live around the Bay Area, visiting, and/or love dresses- this is for you. (I was informed to go during the weekdays where you have the store to yourself.  Weekends are always hectic, filled with excited high school girls and fashionistas like me.)

Address: 25 15th St.
               San Francisco, CA 94103
               in SOMA neighborhood  

(I bought the dress above for $21.50 total.)