Posts Tagged ‘save money’

Shopping Tips for Fall: Using High & Low Tech Assistance

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

I was recently talking to a client who had taken her ” Wardrobe Wizard Color Chart,” and her line drawings with her when she went shopping.  She showed these to a sales person who knew the store stock well.  The sales lady helped her pick out lots of separate  pieces that really looked “cute together.”  Unfortunately, by the time she got home she did not remember what went with what.  The solution I suggested to her was to use her camera phone or digital camera next time she goes shopping.  Here are some shopping tips that will make it easier for you to shop for clothes.

Tips when shopping for new items for your wardrobe:

Before you go shopping, shop your closet. Use your camera phone or a digital camera to take pictures of the clothing you wear most often.  If you do not have another person to photograph you in your clothing, lay the pieces on your bed and take a picture of the different ways you mix and match your separates.

Load these picture on your computer, save them and print them out. Take these pictures with you when you go shopping.  The process of shopping your closet and photographing what you wear should help you be more aware of the gaps in your wardrobe. Every time you buy something new photograph it and add it to your saved file.  Eliminate photos of any clothing you eliminate from your wardrobe.

1.  When you actually go shopping ask the sales person to take pictures of you ( with your camera phone or digital camera) wearing pieces you are considering purchasing.

This is especially helpful if you are unsure about purchasing the items.    A picture will let you know if the clothing is really flattering.

2.  Bring items from your closet that are “orphans.”  ” A closet orphan,” is anything you are unable to wear because you have nothing to wear it with.

3. Bring some straight pins shopping so you can see how the clothing you like will look when it is hemmed or altered in strategic places.

4. Bring the shoes that look good with pants if you are shopping for pants or shoes that look good with skirts if you are looking for skirts or dresses.


Nancy Goldblatt, “The Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore,” is a Personal Image Consultant trained by Color 1 Associates.  She specializes in working with midlife women whose shape or size has changed.  She is available to work with individuals and groups in Baltimore, Md and surrounding areas. Her website is WWW.WardrobeWiz.com/

She hopes to soon be able to do “virtual image consulting.”  This will mean she can work with individuals anywhere in the world.   Watch this blog for more information to follow soon!

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Paula Begoun, “Cosmetics Cop,” comes to Baltimore

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

When Paula Begoun aka ‘The Cosmetics Cop,” came to Baltimore Thursday, Dec 4th and spoke at Barnes & Noble in Pikesville, Md., she stated, “For centuries women have wanted to look pretty, and wasting money is not pretty.”

Paula came to promote  version eight of her book  “Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me.”   I have been a fan of hers since she wrote “Blue Eyeshadow Should Be Made Illegal.” in 1986.   I currently subscribe to her  on-line  “Beautypedia.”  It costs  $24.95 a  year to subscribe  and new products are reviewed every two weeks.

I find it saves me money because it prevents me from impulsively buying new products.  Paula said her goal has always been to help women save money. She has saved me a lot of money over the years.

Before  I buy a new product I go  online to “Beautypedia,” to check  “the Cosmetic Cops” review.  Cosmetic & skin care reviews include both drugsstore, department store and other retail brands. I am still unsure about the product and  it’s a drugstore cosmetic, I buy it at CVS or Rite Aid because even if it has been opened  or used it can be returned or exchanged.  Paula emphasizes in her reviews that expensive products are not necessarily better than less expensive products.

Paula now wears two hats. She is still “The Cosmetics Cop.”  She and her staff evaluate thousands of brands of makeup, and skin care products.  She gives a smiley face with a check mark for outstanding products and a frowning face for products that aren’t well formulated and do not do what they promise.   She also has her own line of makeup and skin care products called “Paula’s Choice.”

I especially like her exfoliating AHA  and her BHA  products. I have  very dry skin  but in the summer time I get oily around the T zone.  I break out with pimples under the skin and even have had a few blackheads.  Nothing helped me until I used her 2% BHA product.  It cleared up my pimples without overly drying my skin out.   “Yeah, Paula’s Choice.”

If you like Internet research and want to get reviews of new products coming out, its worthwhile subscribing to Beautypedia’s online reviews or  if you prefer buying a book, get her latest version of  “Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me,” available in paperback from Amazon for $19.77.

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Which Recent Trend Is Not Flattering to Anyone?

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

 I am going to talk about a recent trend the magazines have been showing which will cause you to not look “visually harmonious, ” or “pulled together.”   Unless you prefer people to look mainly at your feet, this trend will not work for you.  Its wearing shoes that are a different color than your outfit.  On the Today show this morning, Ann Curry, one of  the women hosts who usually looks great did not look as good as usual. 

She was wearing  bright red shoes.  There was nothing else in her outfit that was red and my eye went down to her feet.  If you plan to wear red shoes the color should be repeated in your main outfit at least once .  If she had been wearing a red sweater or jacket over her black base she would have looked more “put together,” because our eye automatically searches for colors to be repeated.   In Ann’s case my eye kept going down to her red shoes when she was seated and I could seee her shoes.  

I happen to like Ann Curry and find her a very good interviewer.  However, I was distracted by those red shoes and she seemed less credibile to me as a result.  Be careful of trends because frequently the purpose of the trend is to get you to go out and buy more stuff.

Which recent trends do you avoid and which do you like?  I would love to hear from you.

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——————————–What Natural Oil Is Good for Your Hair, Skin & Nails.?

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

      Jojoba oil (pronounced “ho-HO-Bah”) is the liquid wax produced in the seed of the jojoba plant, a shrub native to southern Arizona, southern California and northwestern Mexico. It is chemically similar to human sebum. It appears as a clear golden liquid at room temperature. Its used widely in various cosmetics.
     What I really love about using this oil for my hair, skin and nails is that its  a non-oily oil.   Rub in into your cuticles, on your face and its great for your hair.

     I have dark brown short hair and I use the jojoba oil for those pesky wiry grey hairs that don’t like to lay down.  I just take a few drops and rub it between my fingers and run my hands through my hair.  One day I poured a fourth of a cap of jojoba oil into a whole glass of water and poured it over my hair like a hair rinse and then rinsed my hair with clear water a few times.    A co-worker asked me if I had dyed my hair because all of my grey had disappeared!  My grey hair only disappeared until the next time I washed my hair..   Get jojoba oil at your local health food store.  It lasts a long time.

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