Greetings Socialites! Today’s Fashion Find is brought to you by the letter B; as in Beauty Boss! One thing I’ve learned from being in the corporate and fashion arena is you can always look professional without sacrificing your personal fashion sense. I found this amazing lavender, faux wrap midi dress on one of my Etsy.com raids and it is an example of how you can be a beauty and a boss at the same time! And she’s available for *drum roll*…$14 (click here to purchase). This is what we like to call “beauty without breaking the bank!”
This dress definitely doesn’t skimp on style options so here’s one way you can rock it and own it. For a day at the office, we decided to keep it trendy with this maroon toned blazer (available here), which can be turned into a cropped blazer with the flick of a zipper. We also added a neutral belt (available here) to cinch in that waist and decided to go neutral for the shoe (available here) as well. Of course, with a v neckline we had to add a pop of color with this awesome necklace (available here), sprinkled with an apple green and a hint of yellow. And no socialite should go anywhere without a chic bag (available here), like this tan one we found at Modcloth. Keep in mind that this look can easily be a “Day to Night” outfit by simply slipping off the blazer.
So, Fashion Mavens, be sure to remember that a Beauty can DEFINITELY be a boss! Happy Findings!
For more Fashion Finds, please visit www.thelonenatural.wordpress.com
Contributor | Cadian Carter As a lover of fashion, Blogger Cadian Carter got her first job working at indie fashion publication, V Magazine. Now she is a freelance writer helping women embrace their own personal style, one fashion find at a time.
When you start talking personal finance, saving money and living a frugal lifestyle there are usually a ton of groans that follow.
Everyone wants to live the fabulous life of their dreams… But our pockets are always that unpleasant reality check we don’t want to cash.
Everyone wants to save money.. but our desire for a fabulous lifestyle and the reality of our pockets + bills often leads us to believe that saving is IMPOSSIBLE.
Then you hear the words “Live a Frugal life” and you cringe, don’t you? There is nothing fabulous about being frugal or so you think. But its been my experience since welcoming frugal into my vocab, this misconception is so far from the truth. Frugal is one of those words often misused as a synonym for cheapskate, but it isn’t just some secret code word for self deprivation. It simply means you aren’t wasteful with your resources and boy-oh-boy, you hate being ripped off!
Frugalous!
How does one blur the line between frugal and fabulous? Well that’s what The Budget Socialite is all about! Creating that hybrid of frugal and fabulous! Adopting a new lifestyle that I like to call… Frugalous!
The secret? Being “Frugalous” allows you to enjoying all the fabulous things life has to offer while still maintaining a nice cushion for yourself. I mean what else would you expect from a blog called The Budget Socialite.
Can you still go shopping? Yes! Brunch with friends? Absolutely! Happy Hour? *raises glass* Yes!
Notice we haven’t deprived ourselves of anything we love yet! Yippee! *throws pink confetti*
There is only one major concept you have to adopt to live the Frugalous Life though.. what??? You thought there weren’t going to be any requirements?? C’mon! But it’s pretty simple!
Money is a valuable tool and resource that allows me to explore my options and opportunities. Tweet This
Take that mantra and really let it marinate in your mind. Read it again, come back tomorrow, print it out and hang it on your fridge, your bathroom mirror and in your work cubicle. The moment it clicks for you, that’s the moment you will be on the road to being Frugalous!
When you enter the world of the frugalous you will realize instant gratification is short-lived and often ends with the trend, fad or season. Remember those trucker caps you bought? Boot cut jeans, cool lots? Where are they now! Stuffed in the back of your closet right??
Less is more, really…
The more stuff we buy the less resources and space we have. It clutters our closets, apartments, minds.. Yet empties our bank accounts. George Carlin once said… A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. Seriously. Think about it.
As a monthly contributor to The Budget Socialite I’m going to help you create and understand your financial goals. We’re going to write them down and make them real! We’ll also create a timeline of when you’d like to accomplish said goals. Giving yourself a deadline will help you commit to your financial goals and the more you value your goals the less self deprived you’ll feel for random STUFF! You’ll understand that budgeting for the things you want and can afford means you can still be as fabulous as you want to be without ever compromises your goals.
Are you ready to became frugal and fabulous? Frugalous! Have any tips to share? Let us know in the comments. See you next month!
Contributor | Carrie Pink A reformed shopaholic, money MIS-manager & Chief Mom. Her taste is still champagne & croissants with balanced saving, spending & investing. Follow her recipe to true financial happiness!
At a bare minimum the “smokey eye” consists of 4 components: primer, lid, crease, and highlight. To the everyday belle, using a multitude of shades is not only intimidating, but flashes dollar signs. Enter Revlon’s PhotoReady Primer, Shadow + Sparkle collection. These handy little palettes are not only affordable (you can nab them for under $7 just by shopping around your local drugstores!), but they are designed to be a one-stop-shop for dimensional eyeshadow looks with minimal effort.
While I haven’t been able to try all eight palettes, my pick is Metropolitan. The colors are neutral, yet buildable, and undeniably feminine.
Primer: A sheer, shimmering, flesh tone shade with 8-hour priming claims (ahem, malarkey). It also works nicely as a highlight for the inner corner and brow bone.
Glitter: To bump up the sparkle, add this copper shade filled with golden nuggets of delight. When doing so, be careful of fall out – upon initial application I noticed some flecks of glitter on my cheeks.
Lid: A deep brown, matte shade perfect for deepening up the “outer V” of the eye, and easily blended.
Crease: A shimmering, silvery taupe. While it’s a gorgeous shade, I always stay clear of adding heavy shimmer to the crease. If you have fine lines or a slight hooded eye from age, shimmering creases can look dated. In my opinion, this shade is best suited as an alternate lid color.
Highlight: While very similar to the primer color, the highlight has a peach undertone. Unfortunately, it doesn’t show up so well on fairer skin.
My two cents:
I still suggest using a standard primer prior to applying these shadows to 1.) Make the colors pop and B.) Avoid creasing.
Use them wet or dry! The dark lid shade is perfect as a subtle liner when used wet.
Knock-off the excess. These shades are a bit powdery, so tap that brush before application to avoid fallout.
I would re-purchase. I always seem to find shades in palettes that I don’t like or that I would swap out, but that’s just the nature of the product. You can’t go wrong with this price.
What do you think of Revlon PhotoReady Primer? Do you have any drugstore favorites? Let us know in the comments.
Contributor | Lauralai Clymer Lauralai is a beauty absorbed YouTuber and blogger. She strives to deliver tips, tricks and trends that are both practical and fabulous while being as honest and open as she is with her closest girlfriends.
Dude, it’s a hard knock life (cue Jay-z). I’ve been running around like a mad woman, and I’m sure you have too. Sometimes it’s difficult to fit in a meal, let alone a healthy one. It’s hard to believe but a girl cannot sustain herself on martinis alone. Trust me, I tried… But that’s a story for another day. Let’s talk about mason jar meals instead.
Get your jars ready!
Mason jar meals are adorable, but they could also save your life. I’m talking about subsistence here, but you could probably defend yourself with one since they are made of glass –depending on how you roll. No judgments here.
The best part of using jars is that it’s easy to layer your food. So you can make a salad with the greens on top and the dressing at the bottom, without the greens getting wilted. Just shake and eat! You can also get all your meals ready on Sunday, line up your jars in the fridge, instagram your jar line-up (yeah, I’m that girl), and grab and go.
I scoured the internet (wipes brow) for the best, most delicious and prettiest mason jar meals the online world has to offer. I got your 3 squares covered, and even threw in dessert because I’m not going down alone I love you.
Any of these these mason jar meals strike your fancy? Do you have a favorite on-the-go meal option? Let us know in the comments.
Co-founder | Trinidad Pena Trinidad Pena is a blogger, foodie, and design superhero bent on helping others kick-ass online, world domination and convincing the world that wine belongs in the fruit food group since it’s made from grapes.
Mascara for only one dollar??? I know right, it seems too good to be true.
ELF cosmetics is a steal!
If you are familiar with E.L.F. (Eyes Lip Face) cosmetics, you know that it’s a pretty stand up brand at a really good price – most of their products are $1. Some can set you back a whopping $3! ELF mascara is un dinero! Score!
The mascara has two sides, Waterproof & Regular, so you’re basically getting 2 mascaras in one…and what Budget Socialite doesn’t like that deal?
But, is it any good?
First, I tried the waterproof side. I like to think of myself an expert in mascara handling, however, I had a hard time with this wand. The rule of thumb is, how the wand looks is how it’s supposed to make your lashes look. I prefer the spikey wands because I like my lashes to be separated. I also like to get as close to the lash line as possible. I was a bit clumsy with this wand and got mascara on my eyelids. It really is waterproof, because only makeup remover got this stuff off. I also worked out with it on and can tell you that it’s also sweat proof.
Second side is regular mascara. I had the same issue with the wand, perhaps I need more practice??? But, I liked the way my lashes looks. Soft and fluffy.
Conclusion
It’s a decent mascara and at only $1, you really can’t complain. I’m usually a bit skeptical of cosmetics for dirt cheap, but ELF has a good reputation and you can’t go wrong. You can’t compare it to say Lancome’s Oscillating mascara or the like, it just wouldn’t be fair. Overall, if I were in a pinch and needed mascara, sparing a buck for this would be the perfect solution.
So that’s it! My ELF Mascara Review. What do you think? Will you be trying this one dollar wonder? Let us know in the comments
Co-founder | Scarlett Rocourt Scarlett creator of Wonder Curl is a Marketing Maven, DIY Diva & Glamour Girl! Her affinity for style, organization & discount designer shopping makes her a true Budget Socialite. Her flare for creativity allowed her to translate that into a career in marketing.
I could wax poetic about the nutrients of greens or tell you about the dangers of processed food, but I’m not going to. That gets boring quick doesn’t it? Want to know a secret? I drink green juice because every now and then, I think eating baked brie and an entire baguette for dinner is a good idea. I drink green juice because sometimes my co-worker brings in brownies and I find myself in the break room every half hour until all the brownies are gone. I drink green juice because occasionally, I get a little too happy at happy hour. I also drink green juice because it makes my skin glow. And I drink green juice because it gives me a ton of energy. I drink it pretty much because it’s awesome.
Green Juice is like restarting your computer, except your computer is your body. You know that restart sound? It’s the sound of sweet relief. It’s your body saying “OMG, it’s not another krispy kreme. Its nutrients! Now we are so happy we do the dance of joy!”
To juice or to blend?
The recipe below is for juice. You could easily add ½ a cup of coconut water, throw it in the blender and make it a smoothie. Pretty much the difference between juicing or blending is fiber. Juicing is great because it gives your body a break from digestion. You get all the nutrients already broken down so your body can use them quickly, but you don’t get any fiber.
With a smoothie your body does have to do some digesting, so you don’t use the nutrients right away. But it has fiber, which keeps you full longer + your body needs fiber. It helps you do things. You know what things. Don’t make me say it.
You could have a juice WITH your breakfast, while you could have a smoothie AS your breakfast. It really just depends on how you wanna roll. I mix and match, depending on my mood, the amount of time I have, and if I feel like cleaning my juicer that day. On to the recipe!
The Goods
3 Celery ribs
½ a Cucumber
1 handful of Kale (Can also use spinach, collards, or dandelion greens)*
1 handful of parsley (Can also use mint or cilantro)
1 granny smith apple
1 inch of cut ginger
½ a lemon
Optional -1 tablespoon of Trader Joe’s Super Green Powder (or powder green of choice)
Let’s get cracking
Juice the Greens, herbs and ginger first**
Then juice the celery, cucumber and apple
Squeeze the lemon into your juice
Add a scoop of Trader Joe’s Mean Green and stir
Add vodka Resist the urge to add vodka
Enjoy
*Feel free to experiment but be careful with mustard greens. Those bad boys are spicy!
**The greens don’t yield a lot of juice, but if you juice them first, the other juices have to go through the pulp of the greens and catch more of the nutrients on the way down.
If you are blending, just throw it all in the blender. It’s that easy. Bottoms up!
So what do you think… Are you a green juice fan? Where do you stand on the smoothie vs juice debate? Do you have a to-die-for recipe? Let us know in the comments.
Co-founder | Trinidad Pena Trinidad Pena is a blogger, foodie, and design superhero bent on helping others kick-ass online, world domination and convincing the world that wine belongs in the fruit food group since it’s made from grapes.
My fellow fashionistas…Spring 2013 cometh!!! Yes…It’s here! One of the best things about Spring, is you can start airing out those dresses you’ve been dying to wear, but couldn’t, all winter! And if you are like us, freshening up with new pieces is always an option. For me personally, I LOVE a good vintage find because its a great way to bring new meaning to reinvention without breaking the bank. Which brings me to this FABULOUS dress I found on Etsy.
Rogue Girl Vintage, an Etsy shop, is selling this amazingly amazing frock for…wait for it…$34 (Purchase here). That’s a huge steal! Want a style option? Here’s one, out of the vast spectrum of possibilities.
One of the best features of the dress is, its mix of print, bold red and subtle blue trims. Though, the dress is a focal piece in itself, don’t let that hold you back from taking bold to the next level. Here we’ve paired it with a green belt, to cinch in and bring attention to the gorgeous waistline and decided to play on the blue by adding a blue cocktail ring. Earrings are kept simple, but again a pop of color like a yellow, which will accentuate that red in the dress. Now that we have the colors of the rainbow, we made sure to keep the bag and shoes at a neutral tone, which aids in cohesion.
So mavens, pull those dresses out, head to your local coffee spot and make like you spend Springs in Soho!
Shoes(click here). Bag (click here). Belt (click here). Ring (click here). Earrings (click here)
Contributor | Cadian Carter As a lover of fashion, Blogger Cadian Carter got her first job working at indie fashion publication, V Magazine. Now she is a freelance writer helping women embrace their own personal style, one fashion find at a time.
