To say this month so far has left me over-stimulated would be a massive understatement. It’s gotten to the point where if a unicorn waltzed up to me in a pair of vintage YSL pumps and started doing a shockingly accurate Philip Seymour Hoffman impression, I would say, “Yeah, that looks about [...]]]>

To say this month so far has left me over-stimulated would be a massive understatement. It’s gotten to the point where if a unicorn waltzed up to me in a pair of vintage YSL pumps and started doing a shockingly accurate Philip Seymour Hoffman impression, I would say, “Yeah, that looks about right” and then take a nap. So woosh, just like that, my friend Nico invites me to his ‘rents empty beach house in San Diego for some R&R. “I am so there, I’m already there,” I say. I’m in desperate need of some ME time.

CONTINUE READING for a chance to win $100 worth of Mary Kay Cosmetics!

Do I look well-rested? I’m not (I can nap when I’m NOT on the beach, thankyouverymuch). What’s doing a sincere approximation of “naturally glowing” is my new Mary Kay compact. Not just for your aunt anymore! I am obsessed.
I’m wearing:
• Mineral Eye Shadow Kit for Hazel Eyes
• Mineral Cheek Color in Shy Blush
• Tinted Lip Balm
• Ultimate Mascara
I’m also wearing a touch of liquid eyeliner, a little brow pencil, and some mineral foundation.
This compact has cut my makeup necessities in half! I feel polished yet natural, youthful and sophisticated, and the colors work perfectly together. I also feel complete knowing that I don’t have to wrestle four different compacts into my makeup bag in order to look human whenever I get The Wanderlust. It came with three shadows: a perfect putty that gives just the right definition, a deep, almost eggplanty brown that brings out the green in my eyes and adds a just a pinch of drama (perfect for day-to-night ease), and a champagne shimmer perfect for the inside corners and for highlighting the brow bone.
Of all the colors, the Shy Blush is my favorite. It leaves a peachy glow with a smart golden shimmer that somehow knows exactly where my cheekbones live. It’s crazy. This stuff makes my cheeks look like they belong to a pregnant teenager who just spent a week in Såo Paulo on a Beach Yoga and Hydration Retreat. I could pretty much survive without my entire makeup kit with this blush at the ready.
Long story short? Treat yourself. Do your aunt proud and grab this compact. Who knows? Perhaps you can help your sister-in-law’s daughter’s babysitter earn her first bubblegum pink Mary Kay car! CUTE.

In the meantime, you may want to enter this contest to win a a gift basket of Mary Kay® products worth about $100! Visit the Promotions & Prizes section at BlogHer or visit the official site. Contest ends June 30th, 2011.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER TO WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Mary Kay® Sweepstakes Official Rules: Sponsored by BlogHer, Inc.
Four ways to enter:
1) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post;
2) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post;
3) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post;
4) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules and follow instructions for an alternate form of entry.

No duplicate comments. Limit to 2 entries per household. Begins June 1, 2011 at 9 AM PST and end ends June 30, 20011 at 5 PM PST. 10 Winners (one from each participating blog) will receive a gift basket of Mary Kay® products (ARV $100 per basket). Odds of winning will depend upon the total number of eligible entries received. Initial Winners will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to claim prize before it is awarded to the Alternate Winner. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, including D.C. who are 18 years or older. For complete official rules, click here.

Keep reading for this easy-entry contest!

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and Reebok.

Last year I discovered that European travel on a budget is not conducive to [...]]]>

$100 Visa Card up for grabs to whoever is best at pretending they’re excited about getting into shape this year! Enjoy!

Keep reading for this easy-entry contest!

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and Reebok.

Last year I discovered that European travel on a budget is not conducive to healthy eating habits. In Reykjavik and Copenhagen, I survived 2 and a half weeks on cheese, bread and salty street food. In the much cheaper Berlin, I got wise to the wide variety of delicious, but not-neccessarily healthy vegan street food (read: deep fried / composed of starch / ordered with extra non-vegan cheese and consumed in excess quantities, in my case), thanks to my vegan host. Needless to say, this resulted in a carnivorous solo orgy towards the end of my stay. In Vilnius, it was all about collaborative meat products, potatoes, and cream sauces (read: meat mush stuffed into a potato and covered in cream sauce). Belgium’s restaurants had a beer selection that could make a monk cry and a menu that consisted of 80% goat cheese. Finally, London forced me to consume mass amounts of overpriced curry, just to stay alive.

Luckily, my preferred form of transit is the only one that’s totally free. I covered miles and miles of cobblestone on foot. Impossible amounts. I pretty much traversed the city of Berlin. So I managed to return stateside with regrets consisting of, but not limited to; my accented beer gut, some afore-unmentioned lithuanian river snails, and having not thought to trade out my ankle boots for some of those new Reebok EasyTones. Then I’d have been toned, svelte and right primed for my annual holiday bulk-up. So, I’ll go ahead and make peace with the brand new pair of cheese thighs and bacon-wrapped butt I’m getting for Christmas. The dessert boobs, however, can please stay for as long as they like.

This year, however, I’m not leaving the weight swings up to chance. I’ll be starting my dream job and moving to Canada in a year, and won’t have the luxury of agreeable weather and/or miles of gothic architecture to keep me fit. I’m hoping if I splurge on a shmancy pair of running shoes with all the features, and a yoga class subscription, I’ll at least attempt to get my money’s worth.

What are your best tips on getting back in shape for the new year? Answer in the comments and win a $100 Visa Gift Card! Contest ends January 16, 2010.

Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry
methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about
an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
Visit the Official Rules
Visit the Official site
Visit the Exclusive Offers section

Photos by Ryan Mihalyi Models – Asher Caplan, Ashley Geiger, and Sandra Solial Jewelry by Laura Kepner-Adney, Wingflash Designs Hair by Addam Moreno, ISO Hair Makeup by Lauren Malanga Styling by Amber Mortensen

Get an eyeful of Wingflash Snowstorm Part 1

[...]]]>

Photos by Ryan Mihalyi
Models – Asher Caplan, Ashley Geiger, and Sandra Solial
Jewelry by Laura Kepner-Adney, Wingflash Designs
Hair by Addam Moreno, ISO Hair
Makeup by Lauren Malanga
Styling by Amber Mortensen

Get an eyeful of Wingflash Snowstorm Part 1

If you’re in or near Tucson, please come see us! Click the flyer to check out the bootie we will be hawking! If you’re not in the vicinity, here are some more delicious links from my About Budget [...]]]>

We have been, and will be, slaving away for the Fourth Avenue Street Fair:

If you’re in or near Tucson, please come see us! Click the flyer to check out the bootie we will be hawking! If you’re not in the vicinity, here are some more delicious links from my About Budget Style site. Enjoy!

How To Shop At Thrift Stores

Top Five Shoe Trends For Spring

Top 5 Cheap-As-Free Beauty Tips

How To Pack Light and Chic

How to Adopt Spring 2010 Runway Trends for Less

Fair Trade Tribal Accessories (Indulge in the Tribal Trend Whilst Helping Independant Artisans)

Why Shop Off-Price Stores… or How I Bought My Brand New Designer Outfit For $35.

Fresh Saint Patrick’s Day Style Under $40

Ghetto Beauty Tips and Drugstore Product Reviews

1.  you know that thing they do every time you leave the hair salon?  the one where [...]]]>

funny you ask, because i happen to be a bit of an expert in that field.  
let’s not waste any time on small-talk – we’ve got some Serious Money-Saving Hair Business to get down to!

1.  you know that thing they do every time you leave the hair salon?  the one where they say, “so we’ll see you in 4-6 weeks, right?  how about we just book that next appointment right now, since we fill up so fast…”
well, that’s a lie.  (usually.)  i worked in a pretty upscale salon for a year when i was still in nyc, and even there, under most circumstances it was possible to book an appointment with your favorite stylist about a week in advance.  (i mean, if this is your wedding day hair style were talking about you might want to call more than a day ahead, but otherwise…  hold your ground, soldier!  don’t let them bully you into committing to shelling out another $30, $60, $150, or whatever it is your stylist charges every four weeks.)  

2. (this ties in with #1…) take some time to find a stylist you love.  
someone you trust, who really “gets” not only your look, but also the texture of your hair.  this is super-important.  and unfortunately, most often found at the higher-priced salons.  the up-side of this though, is that with the right cut, you can easily go two, 3, even 6 months between visits.  hair doesn’t grow that fast, and in most cases it takes a few weeks to stop looking “freshly butchered” and grow into it’s full potential.

3. experiment with hair accessories.
even when you know you’ve pushed it way past “acceptable,” you can usually get a few more weeks, (ahem…  months?  stop staring at me.)  out of a ragged ‘do by clipping it up, pinning it back, twisting it around something, knotting it, braiding it – and if all else fails, i heard the turban is making a comeback. 

what if – like me – you are morally opposed to bling in the weave?
pick an accessory that’s small, tasteful, and similar to your hair color.  check it:

this is a fine example of what i like to call a ‘totally classy hair-piece.’  
it also happens to be holding some Very Angry Bangs back while i procrastinate getting a trim.
you can find more totally classy hair pieces by clicking on the picture.  or here.  i dare you.
bonus: they’re a total bargain, and made by the sweetest etsy-er ever.

4. ask about (free!) fringe-trims between visits.  
most salons at the mid-to-nice end of the spectrum offer complimentary bang trims between visits.  (of course you still want to slip your stylist a little “thank you” cash, but that’s nothing compared to the standard 20% on a full-priced haircut.)  getting your fringe trimmed between cuts will do wonders for  hairs that seem like they’ve grown past the point of acceptable.  unless you’re doing something drastically short or super-shaped, no one’s going to notice if your sides are half an inch longer than they normally are.  this leads me to #5:

5. trim it yourself!
i’m serious.  i’m also serious that there are some pretty big rules that go along with this advice.  such as:

• take time.  this is not something you want to tackle when you’ve got 5 minutes to get out the door for work.
• don’t cut more than 1/4″ in one snip.  you can always keep trimming.  unfortunately, (i’ve learned) you can’t glue that stuff back on once it’s landed in the sink.
• cut it dry.  never EVER trim when it’s wet.  hair “shrinks” up once the water-weight isn’t weighing it down.  i’m not kidding.  don’t do it.
• do not combine this activity with wine consumption, tequila shots, beer-bongs, or any other methods of alcohol ingestion.  ”hair-cutting” and “party atmosphere” do not belong in the same bathroom.  even if it’s just a party of one…
• same goes for “emotional turmoil.”  if you and the boyf just exchanged a few unfriendly words, this is not the time to pick up the scissors.   turn to the beer bong instead, ok?
• oh, and use hair scissors.  they don’t have to be expensive ones, but come on, we’re classy ladies (and lads.)  do we really want to trim our hair with the same scissors we just pruned the ficus with?  no.

6. preventative maintenance.
don’t shampoo every day.  this is incredibly damaging and entirely unnecessary.  trust me, i have that lucky combo of baby-fine locks and hyperactive grease glands – (is that what they’re called?)  i will be retiring the day they develop a car that runs off of sebum.  but in the meantime, i’ve learned that my hair is much much healthier when i rinse it every day in the shower (and even use a vigorous scrubbing motion, which helps distribute the oils more evenly,) but only shampoo every 3-4 days.  same goes for using heat tools – if you must blow dry, aim at the roots and spray the ends with a heat-protecting product.  combining these two will almost entirely eradicate split-ends from your life, which means, “hair cut what?!”  
(throwing in a little deep-conditioning treatment every once in a while doesn’t hurt either…)

see?  i just saved you a ton on your hair expenses.  that’s more than that geico lizard can say…

Yay, Diana!
For more cheap-as-free hair and beauty tips, here is another amazing PainfullyHipster post by the lovely Mary Catherine about spending pennies instead of hundreds on better beauty products.
-Amber

Cheap as free:

Vitamin E capsules. Take one, poke a hole in it with a stick pin and glide it onto chapped lips. Not only is it soothing, but you’ll [...]]]>

Over the years I’ve learned a few beauty tricks that don’t necessarily come from Sephora. Your wallet (and your boyfriend) will thank me.

Cheap as free:

Vitamin E capsules.
Take one, poke a hole in it with a stick pin and glide it onto chapped lips. Not only is it soothing, but you’ll look as though you’re right and ready to be kissed. Smooth it onto bruises as well and they’ll be gone in half the time!

Egg yolk.
Ah, the great skin equalizer. Don’t you hate it when your skin gets all schizo on you with dry patches and acne? Its a little messy and slimy, but one week of egg yolk on yo’ face before bed will fix you right up. No kidding.

Cornstarch.
Having a greasy hair day? Take a teaspoonful (or more if your hair is thick/long), rub it in your hands and comb through your hair. It removes excess oil and gives fine hair body and holding power. For serious!! Best hair product ever and at about $2 per pound, it’s the cheapest too. If you are a brunette you’ll want to be careful not to use too much or you’ll end up looking grey. At some drug stores you can sometimes find a spray-on version called “dry shampoo” in all colors of the hair rainbow for about $5.

Kombucha.
More of a health than a beauty tip, this carbonated fermented tea makes me feel healthy and full of energy. Another quirk? It totally helps prevent yeast infections if used on a regular basis. Although undeniably gross, brewing it yourself is ridiculously easy – if you have a friend who brews it, its almost certain they’ll have an extra SCOBY on hand.

NYC Browser.
This stuff RULES. For about $4 you get eyebrow color, tweezers and wax. Pretty much all you need for amazing brows, although I would highly recommend initially getting them shaped professionally. It makes ALL the difference.

Maybelline Lash Stiletto.
The packaging makes me giggle every time I reach for it (it’s in the shape of a stiletto heel) but there are even more reasons to give this a try: The brush is great for separation and pretty much does for you lashes what stilettos do for your legs.

Worth the dough:

Nippies Natural ($24).
I LOVE these things. I was born with a inert hatred of bras, especially when the straps show. These fix me up when wearing something white, slightly sheer or backless. They’re comfortable, washable, and barely there to give you endless styling options. Also touted as “paparazzi-proof” for when your girls are at attention and there is a powerful flash a-lurking.

Benetint Blush ($28).
Hungover? With this cheek and lip stain you’ll look like you just woke up in a dewy meadow after a mysterious fawn granted your wish to look 4 years younger. The color lasts all day and the bottle will last for months.

Kryolan High-Def Makeup ($21-48).
This stuff was invented by a theatrical makeup company for starlets who are suddenly faced with the daunting reality of High Def television. But this ain’t no pancake makeup! It feels light and breathable and stays put in dreaded humidity.

In other news, packing for New York and Chicago (including two semi-formal events, rain, heat, lots of walking, and a business meeting) in a carry-on bag is going to be a science that I’m pretty sure I’m going to need a bunsen burner for. Wish me luck! Expect photos of blogging soulmates we’re pretty sure were separated at birth, outfits in front of famous landmarks and our Moroccan-themed hotel, and our very own Mary Catherine in her authentic 30s costume for her Broadway play!

With “cheap chic” being the primary focus of Painfully Hip, it seemed only natural to share the news about BeautyTicket.com, a cheap chic beauty site that just popped onto the scene.  Like many of you, I love high-end beauty products. And like many of you, I cringe at the thought [...]]]>

by Jill Sherman

With “cheap chic” being the primary focus of Painfully Hip, it seemed only natural to share the news about BeautyTicket.com, a cheap chic beauty site that just popped onto the scene.  Like many of you, I love high-end beauty products. And like many of you, I cringe at the thought of dropping $25 for a lip gloss. That’s why BeautyTicket.com is well worth a visit — up to 85% off premium beauty brands every day with new products/brands weekly (think Ruelala.com meets Overstock.com.)  And if it sounds too good to be true, click here to find out how they can offer such low prices.

I had an opportunity to spend some time with the owners (two seasoned beauty industry mavens who used their life savings to launch the site after getting laid off from top beauty companies themselves!) and would stake my personal reputation on doing business with them.  Their selection is amazing (Smashbox, Stila, Joey New York, Pop Beauty, Estee Lauder, etc.) and their customer service rocks. (If they make a mistake, they’ll rush out new product + a freebie to say, “We’re totally sorry for the screw up!”)  And to personally welcome you, they’re offering Painfully Hip readers 10% off their entire order until May 1st. Use coupon code “PAINFULLYHIP” or simply click on this link.  (Oh, and don’t forget to sign up for ‘sneak previews’ and ‘steals of the week’ while you’re there.  Or, if you prefer tweets, they also announce new deals via Twitter. )