Sunday, May 8, 2011

 Buy Discount Women's Designer Clothes

Cheap Sources of Branded Clothing, Including Ralph Lauren & Versace



Identifying sources of cheap designer clothing feels very rewarding, especially as designer clothes are normally so costly. Finding a discount clothing sale can really cut the cost of clothing down to size, but the timing of that seasonal shopping trip is vital.

Pick Up Women's Designer Clothes at Bicester Village & Portsmouth Harbour

Designer Villages are growing in popularity as a great place to get hold of trendy clothing from designer clothes shops at discounts of up to 75%. All the big designer shops are there, including Ralph Lauren, Boss, Versace and French Connection.
All the women's designer clothes shops are beautifully organised and several specialise in designer bags and shoes. There are plenty of places where men can pick up designer wears if all the designer shoe shopping gets a bit much for the men.

The best time to shop is in January as there is a huge designer clothes sale on. Branded clothing can be picked up for a fraction of the original discount price. The only downside is that it can be a bit busy, especially on a Saturday.

Take a Holiday Shopping Trip to America

Women's designer clothes have always been cheaper in America than in the UK. What better way to socialize than by pairing a holiday with a discount designer clothes shopping spree? The strength of the pound relative to the dollar serves to benefit the cost-conscious US traveler.
The savings made on these cheap designer clothes can even pay for the holiday, although bringing loads of designer wears with their tags on through customs isn't a smart move - they are taxable! Wearing them whilst in America is the way to go as it cannot be proved when or if they were bought.

Bargain Shopping Tips

With consumers less willing to buy during unstable economic times and the prices of goods going up continually, even the most die-hard fashionistas are tightening their purse strings and cutting up their credit cards. However, with the right information, you don't need to shop less, just smart. With the right tips to help you bargain shop, you can still look good and feel good without breaking the bank.

Location

 One of the most important things you can do to save money while shopping is to cross your favorite department stores off your shopping list. Yes, it hurts--but if you truly want bargains, particularly on designer and brand names, the marked-up prices at department stores are only taking unnecessary money out of your wallet. Alternatively, get your designer fix at factory outlet stores. If you can't compromise on quality or prestige, then take your business to your local outlet stores, which carry designer items that have been overstocked, discontinued or are simply items that department stores needed to discard to make room for new stock. Often these will be marked down from the original retail price, with some items being scaled back by 40% or 50% in price. Most upscale department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom even have their own outlet stores and will readily give you information on where to find them if you ask a sales representative. Also, for the label slaves, off-price stores such as TJ Maxx, Ross Dress For Less, Filene's Basement and Marshalls offer heavily discounted designer and brand-name items direct from department stores. Here you can find couture brands from Fendi all the way to Calvin Klein and Juicy Couture at heavily marked down prices. For those who are not particularly concerned with brand names, head to your local discount chain store such as Target, K-Mart or Wal-Mart. These days, chain stores are stocking excellent basics such as denim, shirts, underwear and simple business attire. Also, since 2008, Target has been stocking apparel made by high-end designers specifically for Target, such as Anna Sui, Alexander McQueen and Jean-Paul Gaultier, which offers the quality and style you would get from a couture piece at layman's prices.

Timing

As with anything in life, timing is everything. While discount stores offer bargains throughout the entire year, if you simply cannot kick your department store habit then at least wait until sale season--and there are plenty to choose from. You can catch excellent bargains during holidays such as President's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and after Christmas and New Year's. With so many holiday sales to choose from, you can at least hold out a month before you spend on that designer bag--especially if you can score it at a heavily discounted price. If you frequent your favorite department store enough, you will most likely notice they will sometimes hold "25% off," "take an extra 10% off" or "buy one, get one half off" sales in order to make room for new stock. Thus, if you see items that you love and cannot live without at your favorite department store, at least wait until they inevitably offer it at some sort of discount.
 
Vintage

Last but not least, shop vintage or thrift. Despite the emergence of vintage shopping as the new "fad," many people still balk at the idea of second-hand clothing. But keep an open mind--before reputable vintage and thrift stores accept or buy the clothing, it is checked for quality and cleaned professionally before reselling. Also, the term vintage is used so loosely these days that many "vintage" stores are not carrying olden day clothing as much as clothing that has been simply preloved or worn once or twice. As of 2010, prices for designer jeans and brand-name T-shirts have even reached as low as $5 or $10 in some cases--one-tenth of a designer item's recommended retail price and an absolute steal for barely worn couture. Also, make sure you do your research or ask around about your nearest resale shop. Resale shops are where the wealthy clean out their overflowing wardrobes and donate them to such stores, who check them for authenticity and sell the items at discounted rates. Here, you can find genuine high-end couture, such as Chanel, Prada and Gucci, without the heart-attack-inducing price tags.

How to Find the Right Eyeglasses for Face Shape


Finding the right eyeglass frames isn't just about a fashionable design or a trendy color. Face shape is the most important factor. You'll typically want a shape that is the opposite of your face shape to promote balance. You'll also want to consider the sharpness of your features and the size of your face and body frame. The most harmonious eyeglass frames are ones that will both highlight the positive aspects of your face, by providing symmetry, and not distract from your features, such as too-big frames on a too-delicate or small face.


  1. Determine your face shape. The best trick is to look in a mirror, pull back your hair and trace your face using lipstick. The result should be the shape that closely resembles one of the following: oval, square, diamond, heart, rectangle and circle. Still in doubt? Go with the closest match.
  2. Consider proportion. Besides face shape, consider the bulkiness of your features. If you have delicate features and a petite face and/or frame, you don't want large, bulky plastic frames. Whereas if you have stronger features, you may be able to pull off bigger, more dramatic frames.
  3. Select wider frames for an oval face. Though this face can pull off most anything, you want to maintain the balance this shape is coveted for. Opt for frames that are at least as wide as the broadest part of the face.
  4. Go with narrow frames with curves, not sharp angles, if you have a square face. Narrow frames minimize the width of one's face, particularly the sharp, angular jaw. By selecting oval or round shapes, these curves have a balancing impact on the otherwise sharp and angular features of your face.
  5. Pick frames with detailing if your face is diamond-shaped. The detailing highlights your eye area and brings out your often dramatic cheekbones. Cat-eye shapes further maximize the often narrow eye area that comes with this face shape, as will wider or bigger frames.
  6. Choose frames which are wider at the bottom and narrower at the top if your face is shaped like a heart. By selecting this upside-down shape for frames, you'll actually add some heft to the bottom of your face, which is a good thing as your chin tapers. Again, you achieve balance by doing so. Look for frames with rounded tops and squared-off bottoms.
  7. Opt for geometric-shaped frames if your face is round. Think of frames which are the opposite of what looks best on a square face. You want to alleviate the curves of your face, so pick frames that are rectangular, with sharp angles. Also, go for thinner frames. Thicker frames only add bulk to your face.
  8. Try on your frames virtually. If in doubt, don't buy. Instead, try on hundreds of frames from the comfort of your home. There are sites where you can "test" out the look of your prospective frames by uploading your photo.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

How to Tell If Ray Ban Sunglasses Are Fake

 


Ray-Ban has been manufacturing sunglasses for more than 80 years, and as one of the most popular brands on the market, they can be on the pricey side. When shopping for Ray-Bans, you need to make sure you get what you pay for. Numerous knock-off companies manufacture replicas, and dishonest dealers sometimes try to pass them off on unsuspecting buyers. If you're in the market for a new pair of Ray-Bans, make sure you know exactly what to look for to ensure you don't wind up with a pair of fakes.


  1. Look at the box your Ray-Bans came in. There should be a recycling logo, as well as a semi-permanent sticker on the box, including the serial number, manufacturer and distributor details, lens and frame type, and the model number of your specific style of sunglasses. If this sticker is missing, the sunglasses in the box are probably not genuine.
  2. Inspect the case they came in. There should be a gold logo engraved, not painted, on the case that says "Luxottica." If the logo is painted or missing, chances are the sunglasses in the case are a knock-off.
  3. Hold up the sunglasses and check the engraved Ray-Ban logo, which is an interlocking RB, under the bridge of the nose-piece. When holding the sunglasses upside down, the engraving should read right-side up. If it is upside down, you may have a pair of fakes.
  4. Check the right lens for the RB engraving. If it is above the hinge, your Ray-Bans are authentic. If the engraving appears below the hinge, they are probably fake.
  5. Inspect the rubber quality on the earpieces and frames. Quality rubber is used on authentic Ray-Bans and should feel chalky to the touch, not sticky, stiff or slick.
  6. Test the quality of the authenticity card that comes with the glasses. Not only should it be printed on high-quality card stock, it should be free of grammatical errors and typos. The ink should not smudge or smear, which you can test by running your finger along the printed card.







  • How to Find Online Shopping Deals

     Online shopping has redefined the word "convenience" to many shoppers out there. Say good bye to snobby sales associates, crowds at malls and stores, searching for parking, and carrying heavy purchases. With the ability to shop online becoming more prevalent, it is important to know how you can find the best deal without having to pay a hefty price for the luxury of shopping, all within the comfort of your own home.

    1. Sign up for e-mail newsletters. This is the best way to be notified of exclusive online sales and discounts.
    2. Search for coupon codes using search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, or Bing.
    3. Search for the product itself, too. You might be able to find the item selling for cheaper through another merchant.
      Say if you were looking for a Guess shirt, it may be cheaper at Macy's than Guess. Or if you're looking for a Logitech keyboard, it may be cheaper at Buy.com or Fry's than Logitech. Amazon is also one such merchant.
    4. Look for deal websites that may have listed a coupon or deal of your product.
    5. Try: spoofee.com, fatwallet.com, bensbargains.net, slickdeals.netMake purchases through websites that give you cash back by linking to stores through their websites. If you go to evreward.com and enter the name of the merchant you are shopping at, it will list all the sites that give you cash back and the percent you will earn.

    6. Some credit card companies also do something similar. Sometimes if you link to a store through the credit card website, (e.g. ShopDiscover) you will receive cash back. Also check all of your cards to see if there is a discount or certain percentage cash back for using the card at a specific store.

    10 unexpected Mother's Day gift ideas

     

     Why not surprise Mom with something other than the flowers, candy and dinner out this Mother's Day? How about something that shows thoughtfulness and even an investment of your time, energy or creativity? We've compiled a quick list of 10 such items to spur your thought process.

    1. Garden plants. Why spend $60 on a dozen roses that will wilt in a week when you could buy a few rose bushes that will bloom for years? Or tomatoes she can enjoy all summer long? Of course, if your ma isn't a gardener, you could include taking care of her rose bushes or plants as part of your gift, if you live nearby. Time is the most precious gift most of us have to give.

    2. A Skype video call with a distant old friend or relative. If your Mom isn't technologically savvy, she may not even be aware that teleconferencing is now a breeze. Although this might take some setting up on the other end, Mom might really enjoy a face-to-face chat with an old friend or relative in another state or even halfway around the world. Tip: Facebook makes it easy to find old classmates.


    3. Her heritage. Though this is certainly not cheap, a study of Mom's DNA to trace her ancestry would serve you as well as her. For $119, Genetic Geneology will trace her maternal or fraternal lines back centuries to reveal who her ancestors were. She might even find she is related to someone famous.

    4. Ready-made meals. Sure Mom's an incomparable cook, but even she might enjoy having some home-prepared soups in her freezer. Take the time to make a batch of you best and freeze it into meal-sized portions for her. She'll think of you every time she thaws one out.

    5. A tiara. You mom is a princess, why not treat her like one? Every woman needs at least one tiara in her wardrobe.

    6. Premium silk flowers. The best quality silk flowers look better than the real thing, especially a few weeks after Mother's Day. Make them even better with a vial of matching floral scent to sprinkle on them from time to time.

    7. A digital photo viewer or iPod-like device preloaded with family photos. Sneak her favorite photo albums out of the house, scan the contents and load them onto a portable viewer (there are many options available). She'll be delighted to have them with her to share at a moment's notice. If you go the iPod route, preload some of her favorite tunes, too.

    8. Buy a goat in her name. Through World Vision, for $75 you can buy a goat for a Third World person in her name. Long after the flowers are gone, she'll have the satisfaction of knowing she'd helping make some distant mother's life better.

    9. Buy her a nice pair of 3D glasses or even 3D clipons and take her to the movies. It's a 3D world now, and who wants to wear a pair of glasses that have been on thousands of noses? Not your Mom, I bet.

    10. A locket with a photo of her mother inside. After all, even on Mother's Day, she's still the child of her own mother.

    credit by Tom Barlow

    Monday, April 25, 2011

    Beauty

    New Nail Color Alert: OPI’s Spring Collections


    OPI is one of the more prolific nail polish companies, and it hasn’t disappointed us this spring, offering three new collections. OPI continues its collaborations with Serena Williams and adds a tie-in with Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. OPI is also expanding its super-popular Shatter collection and offering a lot more colors.
    Click through to see the new collections, all of which will be available in May