World's best lash curler: Buy it for $16 ... or $3.99

This handy little curler, voted tops by Good Housekeeping magazine, works better than other types on the market. One little drawback: press too hard and it might break, which is why I'd go for the $3.99 model.
Dare to compare:

 Laura Mercier's Eyelash Curler, $16.

 Avon Mini Eyelash Curler, $3.99 

Road tested both and there is no obvious difference except the price, and Avon's comes with a backup rubber curler pad.

To buy:

 at http://shop.avon.com/shop/product.aspx?level1_id=300&level2_id=301&pdept_id=315&cat_type=C&pf_id=44713

Get Mega Smooth Hair, No Brazilian Blow-Out Required

You can easily achieve mega-smooth hair using a flat iron. Even a novice can-do, with these pointers from the pros.New flat irons with ceramic or tourmaline plates are gentler on hair. “A flat iron that’s about 1 ½ inches wide is easiest to work with,” says Nick Arrojo, who until recently was the hairstyle guru for TLC’s What Not to Wear. "Never use a flat iron on wet hair; it fries the strands."
1. Prep dry hair with a thermal protective styling product to shield strands from heat, tame frizz and add shine.
2. Detangle with fingers or a brush.
3. Twist hair into a few sections; clip each in place, leaving one section loose.
4. Lift and hold the loose section of hair at a 90 degree angle from your head. Clamp the iron down on the hair close to the roots--without touching the scalp--then pull it slowly down the length of hair to the ends. Move gently and evenly down the hair shaft. “If you press the iron plates too firmly or move it too slowly you risk damaging hair,” says Arrojo. Once all sections are ironed, spritz hair with anti frizz spray to lock in smoothness.

Free/Fun Facebook Giveaways

Conair “Sneak Peek” Sweepstakes
Want fabulous hair? During the month of March, Conair is offering a “Sneak Peek” giveaway for a chance to win a choice of three new Conair hair styling tools. One winner each Friday! Give your hair some love with Conair and “LIKE” the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/conairhair) for more details!  

scünci "Bendini Blitz" Daily Giveaway
Just “Bend and Snap!” Starting March 7 - March 25, 2011, each day, one lucky Facebook fan will have the chance to win scünci’s newest hair accessory -- the Bendini Clip! Add a touch of sparkle to any hairstyle with a Bendini clip! Show your hair some love and “LIKE” the scünci Facebook page (www.facebook.com/scuncihair) for more details!

Certain Dri “All-Star Antiperspirant" Sweepstakes
Certain Dri wants to send you to the big leagues! From March 1, 2011- May 23, 2011, enter the Certain Dri “All-Star Antiperspirant” Sweepstakes for a chance to win our MLB All-Star baseball game prize package! One random winner will win a trip for two to the 2011 MLB All-Star game and the Homerun Derby (travel accommodations included) in Phoenix, Arizona along with a supply of Certain Dri connect with Certain Dri on Facebook (www.facebook.com/certaindri), for more details!

 

Dine Out: $25 Gift Certificate to Your Fave Place for $2

Maybe there's no such thing as a free lunch, 

but Valentine's Day dinner will cost you practically 

nothing with the $25 Gift Certificate for $2 deal at 
restaurant.com. Most recently a $75 gift certificate 
to a popular restaurant was on sale for $9, and I used it on 
a $150 dinner that cost me $75. 

Join the site for free, use the promo code LOVE,
try an offer, then share your feedback. 
GET $25 GIFT CERTIFICATES FOR ONLY $2!
At checkout, enter Promo Code: LOVE
http://www.restaurant.com
Offer ends Monday February 14, 2011.

Cashmere Sweaters: Dry Clean or Hand Wash?

Debating whether to wash or dry clean? 

Bergdorf Goodman recently posted on Twitter:  @bergdorfs: Snowy day activities - dryel cashmere sweaters. If they can do it, so can you ... if you're patient and carefully follow directions. Learn how-to and print out dryel coupons at dryel.com

Truth is, many dry clean only items can be laundered. Clothing manufacturers will recommend "dry clean" if it’s the best way to care for the garment, but according to the Federal Trade Commission, many items including cashmere sweaters are mislabeled Dry Clean Only when in fact they may be washable.

Excluding lined wool or silk suits and coats and anything suede or leather labeled "dry clean only," I initially dry clean new garments labeled "dry clean," then I eventually hand wash or toss them in the washing machine and lay them flat to dry, with great results. 

Exception: investment pieces like Gucci, Chanel or Prada originals or stained garments are best left to a professional dry cleaner.

Stressless Schlep-Free Holiday Shopping + Free Shipping

Shipping Wars & Last Minute Shopping:
YOU WIN



Why schlep when you can cyber shop for the holidays + get free shipping? With a virtual shipping war, the competition among these and other sites gives you the advantage:

Walmart: free shipping on more than 60,000 online items through December 20th, no minimum order required.
Amazon.com: they’ll meet or beat any other free shipping deal on a limited selection of items.
Best Buy: free shipping offer valid on hundreds of thousands of items, including all CDs, Blue-Ray and DVD movies, gaming software and accessories.
Toys "R" Us: free shipping on purchases of $49 or more for all items except video game consoles/handhelds, software, hardware and accessories.
For more stores, visit freeshipping.org.

LAST MINUTE SHOPPING: A SMART MOVE
Bargains get better closer to Christmas, and this year you can cyber-shop last minute with free delivery, and get your goods before Santa makes it down the fireplace. FreeShipping.org has declared December 17 as Free Shipping Day, during which 1,000-plus merchants will offer free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve.

FALL'S BEST BEAUTY BUYS

Fall's beauty buys start with best bets on Cleansers:
Perricone schmerricone. Pricey cleansers are a dumb deal. In my recent story on Bad Beauty Deals for Consumer Report's Shop Smart Magazine, I reported that since cleanser is in contact with your skin literally for seconds, don't spend much money on yours. “Active ingredients such as hydroxy acids, peptides, and vitamins are more useful in facial moisturizers and eye creams because they remain on your skin much longer than a cleanser,” says NY Dermatologist Deborah Sarnoff, M.D., senior vice president of The Skin Cancer Foundation. Dermatologists, cosmetic chemists and users agree, one of the best facial cleansers you can buy is Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser.  A 16. fl. oz. 2-pack is $21.98 at Amazon.com, with free shipping.

BE A BUDGET SAVVY FASHIONISTA: BUY, SELL, BORROW OR LEND

If you never pay full retail, you know the value of  deep discounts and you are  comfortable with borrowing or lending, I-ELLA.com is your dream come true. Browse this new fashionable/charitable online marketplace for vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces and designer labels including the Prada cardigan and Jimmy Choo bag, pictured here. Join for free when you're ready to  buy, borrow, swap, sell or lend new and gently used  apparel and accessories.  

More motivation to visit: 10% of each transaction fee  is donated to a charity or social venture. Plus, each week the site runs a charity auction from the closet of a different celebrity, with proceeds benefiting the celebrity’s charity of choice.

PRADA 

Tan Wool & Silk Cardigan

with Leather Details

Retail Price: $900.00

Buy for: $225.00

 

JIMMY CHOO  

White Handbag

Retail Price:  $1,100.00

Buy for: $200.00

Borrow for: $30.00/wk or $40.00/mo

 

20% Off Your Favorite Beauty and Household Goods + Free Shipping

 If you think virtual shops like drugstore.com are awesome, meet Soap.com. From the creators of diapers.com, this new site offers over 25,000 products, from beauty basics to nutritional and household necessities. What's it to you? 20% off your order if you enter the code "soapnyc" before checking out, free 1-2 day shipping, promotions and coupons including a $10 credit for referring a friend.

Real Pink Ribbon Deals That Give Back 100%

In honor of the 25^th anniversary of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, your pick of goods that divvy up some profits to breast cancer awareness is big. While this charitable gesture is appreciated, putting the pink ribbon on a product also stimulates sales ... so while it might seem nice when 5% of the proceeds from your purchase is donated, the other 95% is company profit. It's way more philanthropic when a company donates most or all of the profits from your purchase to help find a cure. These budget friendly buys, priced from $2 to $20, allocate a whopping 100% of the profits to breast cancer causes.

Saks Fifth Avenue Key To The Cure Tee is designed by Donna Karan. Saks sells it for $35, and 100% of the price goes to benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Kohl's Cares® Simply Vera Vera Wang Coin Purse, $10.
Kohl's Cares® Simply Vera Vera Wang Multistrand Necklace, $5.

Kudos to Kohl’s for donating 100% of profits from these and other Simply Vera Vera Wang “Pink” products to breast cancer research. More motivation to buy:
All items are $5 to $10 and shipping is a mere 99¢ each. 

PacSun’s B4Bc Another Name Tote, $9.50, displays humorous names for boobs, and 100% of sales go to B4BC (Boarding for Breast Cancer).
Buy Philosophy Shower for the Cure, $20, and Philosophy sends 100% of net proceeds to the
Women's Cancer Research Fund.

Pick up this Breast Cancer Awareness Bracelet at Payless for $2 and they donate 100% of the profits (at least $1 per bracelet) to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, plus you’re rewarded with a $5 off $25 coupon with every bracelet purchase.

Buy Avon’s Breast Cancer Crusade Lips for Life Novelty Tote, $5, and 100% of the net profits go to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. Click for details, or contact your Avon Representative.

Coming soon to an Avon Representative near you: the Marimekko designed Crusade Tote, $10.

 

CONVERTIBLE FASHION STRETCHES WARDROBE, SAVES DOLLARS

L.L. Bean was avant-garde when they introduced pants that converted to shorts over 50 years ago. Since then, convertible clothing has seen little growth except for a jacket with a zip off hood or sleeves.

This season, double duty duds get their due justice, and you benefit from the options. Innovative fashions reverse, shift shapes and transform into a multitude of looks. You can pay a fortune for the privilege, or check out budget friendly ways to double your wardrobe.
3-in-1 BOOTS
Shoe Designers had fun this fall, creating boots that unzip, unbuckle or fold down, so a single pair can be worn at the knee, mid-calf or as ankle booties. Options that retail for $450 are nice, but Charlotte Russe 3-in-1 Boot has a lot going for it at $50. Wear it uncuffed, cuffed, or folded down to a bootie. Faux leather. charlotterusse.com

 

COAT/JACKET

It’s easy to find a convertible coat for $1500, which makes the version at BCBG Max Azria, on sale for $340, a steal. Detachable option transforms it from a coat to a jacket. Detachable faux fur hood. At BCBG Max Azria.

3-WAY LEATHER GLOVES
Convertible Zip Leather Gloves … what a functional find from Michael Kors, available at Nordstrom for $150. It’s your choice: Full-length leather gloves zip down to medium and short lengths. At Nordstrom's.

Are Brazilian Keratin Treatments Toxic or Safe?

Breaking New about Brazilian Keratin Treatments, also called Brazilian Blowout:

On Thursday, Health Canada issued a warning stating the hair smoothing solution made by the California company, Brazilian Blowout, contained "unacceptable levels of formaldehyde." The brand is marketed as a formaldehyde-free, but the Brazilian Blowout solution had been found to contain 12 per cent formaldehyde. The tests and warning were sparked by six consumer and two trade complaints in June after those who worked with the product experienced burning eyes, nose, throat and breathing troubles.

Canadians would have been forewarned if they read my report on BKT (Brazilian Keratin Treatment) in the March issue of ShopSmart Magazine:

Ads for Brazilian Keratin Treatment (BKT), a popular salon technique, claim that it leaves hair smooth and healthy-looking for months. A chief ingredient in the product is formaldehyde, says Perry Romanowski, an independent cosmetic chemist, which is not banned in hair straighteners by the FDA, but it’s a probable carcinogen that can also cause eye, nose, and throat irritation; wheezing and coughing; skin rash; and other reactions. “Some salons claim to do formaldehyde-free BKT. But if it does work as well, it probably features an aldehyde, which is like formaldehyde and is not safer,” Romanowski says. ShopSmart says Try a straightening iron. We like the Revlon Perfect Heat Ceramic RVST2001C, $30.

Power Plucker

If you're your own brow "handler," you need a Tweezerman Slant (the must-have for professional brow mavens). The Slant® tweezer has perfectly aligned hand-finished tips, capable of grabbing even the tiniest superfluous hair. You won't find Tweezerman on sale or discounted, but it’s a bargain in the long run. Tweezerman implements are guaranteed; the company will sharpen any of their tools that get dull through normal use for free, they replace damaged/dropped tools for half the purchase price and they repair bent tips for $5.00 per tool. No S&H charges. At drugstore.com, Bed Bath & Beyond and drug stores, $20. www.tweezerman.com.

BIG DEAL ON HAIRCUTS

Bring a friend to the Arrojo Studio in Soho and get two-for-one cuts, color and styling by big name celebrity hair pros. Mon-Thurs, 10AM-4PM
More Great Discounts at arrojostudio.com
212 242-7786
Arrojo Studio
180 Varick Street
New York, NY

STYLISH WAYS TO GO GREEN WHEN YOU CLEAN

Eco Clean cleaning products made from pure Danish ingredients are the perfect way to clean green. Non-toxic cleaners for spiffing up the kitchen, the bathroom, and hand soap have a foaming option nozzle which minimizes the exposure of vapors. Unlike many bland looking green cleaners, Eco Clean packaging is stylish enough to display in your home, and each product retails for an affordable $4.49 at Alice.com and Duane Reade.

Get Double the Mileage From Your Beauty Favorites

Use much less mascara: Curl your lashes first and you'll need to apply just a smidge of mascara to make them stand out. To do, using a traditional lash curler (Revlon and Maybelline sell under $5 versions at drugstore.com) firmly clamp curler pad on lashes mid way between tips and roots; squeeze curler for at least 30 seconds then release.

Stretch your foundation: Apply foundation with your fingers instead of sponge. Makeup tends to absorb into a cosmetic sponge so some goes to waste. Foundation also spreads easier and more evenly when applied with your fingers, which is why makeup artists recommend it.

Save on scent: Spot application ... spritzing fragrance on your neck, wrists, cleavage, etc ... can be overpowering. For subtler, all over scent, spritz fragrance once directly over your head, then close your eyes as the scent floats down and envelops you.

Everlasting nail file: Some experts claim that using a metal nail file can damage nails, but that's not true if you file gently and in one direction, not back and forth. A high tech metal file such as Diamancel Diamond Nail File ($28 at sephora.com) or the classic Diamond Deb Nail File ($3.99 at amazon.com) can last you a lifetime.

Cheapest/best makeup remover: Many experts, including NY dermatologist Heidi Waldorf, recommend Vaseline. You can't find a less expensive product, it's extremely gentle and it easily removes mascara.

Luxury Hair Products Debut at Duane Reade

Drugstores Are Going Glam! Peter Lamas Products, once only available at Fred Segal and Macy’s, are now going mass market, debuting in Duane Reade on April 29th.

While this is NY-specific news, the company is also offering a NATIONAL giveaway. To celebrate the launch, Peter Lamas himself will be making appearances at the Herald Square and Rock Center Duane Reade locations to provide free hair consultations and to announce his FREE YEAR OF HAIR CARE giveaway! From now through June, Lamas fans all over the country can enter online for a chance to win. 256 winners will be selected. For more details visit lamasbeauty.com

Do-able at home hair color: Save up to $2,000 a year

Coloring your hair at home is a big money saver, and it's a cinch once you get skilled at it. Benefits include no travel time or waiting time, and you can multi-task doing chores around the house while waiting for the color to set.

The experts at Consumer Report's Shop Smart Magazine ran tests of at home hair color kits and results showed that it's possible to get salon results at home. For more information, see the current issue of Shop Smart or follow this link
http://www.shopsmartmag.org/files/Mane_event.pdf
for my no-risk tips for how-to ... without ruining your hair or staining the bathroom.

FREE BEAUTY ADVICE

Budget Style on a Shoestring is active again after a short hiatus (while I was guest blogging and writing about beauty in-house at Avon).
Watch for more stylish ways to save big on beauty, fashion, fun and more.
Have a beauty problem or question? Post it on this blog or email me and I'll provide free advice from a leading expert.

Girdles for Guys

Now there's a manly version of Spanx. Guys who can use some slimming can disguise their bulges without the hassle of dieting or the expense of liposuction, and they are no longer limited to boxers or briefs. EQUMEN recently launched the bulge-smoothing Core Precision Undershirt and Precision Underwear for men, sold at major department stores and at freshpair.com. Pantyhose for men, or "mantyhose," is another growing trend, but beware of males who voluntarily subject themselves to the discomfort ... and the risk of runs.