Red, White, & Blue for 22!

2 pieces, $11 each for a grand total of a Red, White, and Blue deal for $22!

A 4th of July outfit that's fun and cute for the summer weather.  It's outdoor friendly for a 4th of July BBQ or hanging out in the sun before sunset to watch the fireworks.

Caption: Oh so fierce.  Oh so hungry.

It's all about stripes!  I was going to feature other combinations of the outfit but I figured to dedicate this post to just the 4th of July outfit itself.  It's simple to see that the shorts can be paired with a white tank or the striped tank can be paired with simple jean shorts or skinny jeans.

The top is super comfortable.  I was skeptical that the original price could be so high.  I mean.. wow, $78!  The fabric is amazing and the fit feels like it was made for me.  It just clings on so well!  The tank is boyfriend style so it's over sized but it was nice to just tuck in one side for a loose top feeling.  I have never even seen the brand T Los Angeles before until I found the top at Macy's.  Apparently the clothes are sold in mostly boutique stores across the nation.  I would definitely buy more clothing by T Los Angeles... as long as it's on a Tina-approved-price of course.
 
Item 1-- Boyfriend red/white striped tank
From: Macy's
Brand: T Los Angeles
Type of sale: Macy's One Day Sale
Original price: $78.00
Purchased price: $11.00

These shorts are very cute!  I absolutely love the tie in the front which gives it this sailor/yacht club feel.  It's perfect for a summer day.  I actually have not bought anything by Roxy since maybe the beginning of college.  I just felt like I grew out of it since I associate Roxy with being a teenager.  However, when I saw these shorts at Ross I loved the stripes and the cute front tie.  I was surprised to see that it was by Roxy and I was very happy with the price...and.. SOLD!

Item 2-- Blue/white striped shorts with front tie
From: Ross
Brand: Roxy
Type of sale: Ross everyday
Original price: $46.50
Purchased price: $10.99

To finish the outfit you can add sunglasses, sandals, and jewelry of your choice.  Play it up with strappy sandals and silver bracelets or play it down with flip flops and hemp/braided bracelets that could match the tie of the shorts.

Red, White, and Blue for $22 :)

Side Note!
Of course the side note is always the next Macy's sales!
The July 4th sale starts Thursday, June 28 to Wednesday, July 4.  It will be 25%-50% off storewide with 3-day specials starting June 28-30.
You will be able to take an extra 30% off already reduced prices plus many other extra savings in the store!

Fashionably cheap,

Tina

MAXImize your savings!

Yay for new hair cut and awkward photos.  Look at my face, it screams... savings.

I'm usually not a fan of maxi dresses but I fell in love with this maxi dress and I'm thrilled by the deal I scored on it!

Get it?  MAXImize your savings... maxi dress.. ha..ha?

Okay, don't mind my strange ways.

I bought two items at my most save friendly stores-- Ross and TJ Maxx.  I don't know what I would do without these two stores.  I find myself on vacation or out of town and shopping at a Ross and/or TJ Maxx.  You might think it's weird but I can't help but to have the need to find out if there are other Ross or TJ Maxx stores that have just as amazing deals as the ones here.  Based on my experiences on both the Ross and TJ Maxx stores I would say that in California the deals are way better than the ones in Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.  Don't judge.

Some people I have spoken to, okay maybe almost everyone I speak to, would choose TJ Maxx over Ross any day.  Why?

Cons about Ross:
Can be messy and unorganized
Opened packages
Screaming children
Irregular items
Lower quality of items
Crying children
Poor customer service
Fitting room attendants that don't trust you
Misbehaving children everywhere

Also in the last couple of years Ross has really increased their security of the store.  Is it really necessary to have a "Loss Prevention" aka Security Guard who monitors the store and randomly greets you when you walk in?

The most annoying thing about increasing security in the store is having the fitting room attendant act like they don't trust you when you're going into the fitting room to try something on.  You can't just go up to them and say the number of items you have to try on anymore.  You must put your clothes on a rack, they count the hangers (sometimes more than two times), and even pat down the items to make sure you're not hiding anything in between the hangers!  OH MY GOD!

But... oh well.  I'll sacrifice my shopping experience with crying children and a clothes pat down any day for a good deal.

TJ Maxx has more brand names, better service, and a better feeling in overall-- therefore higher prices.  I've found great deals at both Ross and TJ Maxx but if I wanted something specific like a pair of black sandals there is no doubt that Ross will be cheaper.  I can find Steve Madden sandals at Ross for $14.99 while at TJ Maxx it will be $29.99.  Although, at Ross you have to be lucky to get an item right away in your size while TJ Maxx will have multiple pairs in all sizes.

Okay enough on the Ross and TJ Maxx comparison and onto the outfit!

Dress + Clutch = $26.00



Item 1-- Black and White Maxi zig-zag striped dress
From: TJ Maxx
Brand: Love. Fire
Type of sale: TJ Maxx everyday
Original price: Compared at $40.00
Purchased price: $19.99


Item 2-- Orange clutch with chain strap
From: Ross
Type of sale: Ross everyday
Original price: Compared at $19.99
Purchased price: $5.99

The top of the dress has a sweetheart shape and is textured for some dimension in the dress.  I love the small details.

You can carry the purse using the silver chain or tuck in the chain and hold it as a clutch.

A few maxi dresses I found to compare my dress with.  I especially love the Michael Stars one but come on... my purchased maxi dress was within a $20 budget!

Gotta maximize my savings :).

Side Note!
Two sales starting tomorrow: Macy's & Nordstrom.
Macy's has their Memorial day sale starting tomorrow May 23 until Monday, May 28.
This includes... taking an extra 30% off already reduces prices on selections for her, him, kids, and home.
Nordstrom has their biggest clearance sale for women and kids for their "Half-Yearly Sale" and you can also earn double points on both Wednesday and Thursday on all  Nordstrom credit card purchases in the store and online.

Fashionably cheap,

Tina

Lovely and Flowy for Spring!

Two outfits.  Spring themed.  Fun, cute, and flowy!
One outfit is more for a night out while the other is for a lunch date :)


Outfit 1: Tank, Skirt, and Necklace total cost = $23.00

Item 1-- Flowy printed skirt; short in the front and long in the back, weird way to put it would be a "Mullet Skirt" but much better looking than an actual mullet.
From: Macy's
Brand: Bar III
Type of sale: Macy's one day sale (scan the bar code on the price tag for lower prices!)
Original price: $59.00
Purchased price: $35.40 with final price $13.00 (I used a 20% off coupon on top of a sale price and an additional 40% off sale price)

I wore a black spaghetti strap top you can get from any retail store.  Mine was from Ross for $4.99.

Pair it with a fun necklace with some color like this one!  Purchased for only $5.00 at a flea market from a local vendor.  I love the different shaped stones and wooden bird on the chain.  Play with different charms in a necklace to make one piece of jewelry really stand out.

I wore this outfit for 3 nights out (not in a row..of course...) but loved it so much for it's comfort I wore it to two Birthdays and just a night out too.

Outfit 2: Dress, Belt, Sandals, and a Clutch for under $35!

Hello, lunch date :)

I love pairing tan and coral, it's a great Spring combo.

Item 1-- Tan flowy dress
From: Forever 21
Type of sale: Forever 21 everyday
Purchased price: $14.80


Item 2-- Coral belt
From: Forever 21
Type of sale: Forever 21 everyday
Purchased price: $1.50

Item 3-- Floral clutch
From: Ross
Type of sale: Ross everyday
Original price: Compared to $16.00+
Purchased price: $7.99


Item 4-- Strappy flat sandals
From: Urban Outfitters
Brand: Ecote
Type of sale: Clearance sale
Original price: $38.00
Purchased price: $9.99

Side Note!

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers- 4pk for $2.50

These things are amazing and get almost anything wiped off of walls.
Dan uses these in his room/apt and man, this stuff cleans well ;D.

If you purchase these from Lowe's at their very low price, they have free in-store pickup.  

I've seen them for about double the price at other retail stores so hit up your local Lowe's and grab one of these for your cleaning needs.

Deal found on FatWallet.

Fashionably cheap,

Tina

Makeup. Something I have zero knowledge about.

So maybe I don't have zero knowledge about makeup but it's almost zero.  What I mean is that I buy makeup based on the price of it.  I buy the basic makeup products whenever they're on clearance/sale: eyeliner, mascara, bronzer, lipgloss/lipstick, and foundation.  I do own a few makeup products that I would consider pricey like a good aqua gel eyeliner by Tarte (sold at Sephora for $18) or the amazing all night makeup spray by Urban Decay (small travel size bottle sold at Sephora for $11).  At $18 and $11... I think that's a little pricey.  For that much money I can get a pair of jeans and a top easily, just saying.  I try to use the aqua gel eyeliner only on special occasions and the all night spray only when I know I'm going out for the night (clubbing usually; somewhere where I know my makeup will run).

In this post I will discuss makeup products I recently purchased from Rite Aid and Target at great prices!

I will also have pictures of me wearing the makeup to show the quality and use of each product.  Photos are all taken 'as-is' and are not retouched so the makeup is shown as the way it is applied.

Oh and nail polish just for fun! :)

This makeup style is very simple and I would wear it to work or out on a date.  It took less than 10 minutes to apply.  I usually don't wear this much everyday and I would wear a little more for a night out or on a special occasion.

 These products I purchased were all on clearance.  At Rite Aid they will have selected products on clearance marked by the Clearance 75% off stickers.  At Target there will be about 3-6 shelves dedicated to clearance makeup, hair products, hygiene products.  Usually some of the reasons why these products go on clearance is because of a surplus amount or product (color/type) discontinuation.  Sometimes I see the products will be expiring in the next 6 months so I believe that is another reason to why some of the products go on clearance too.

**Note- only these selected products were on clearance.  Notice that not all colors were on clearance.

RITE AID

Item 1-- Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

Original price: $8.99

Purchased price: $2.24

exp: 10/12

Item 2-- Rimmel Moisture Renew cream lipgloss in colors Pink Spa and SOS Red

Original price: $6.49

Purchased price: $1.62

exp: 10/12

Item 3-- Borghese Rapido Nail Lacquer in Menta

Original price: $8.00

Purchased price: $2.00

 TARGET

Item 4-- L'Oreal True Match Natural mineral powder

Original price: $12.49

Purchased price: $3.74

Item 5-- L'Oreal Tescopic Explosion Mascara (2 pack)

Original price: $11.98

Purchased price: $5.98

1. I applied the Rimmel match perfection foundation under my eyes to lessen the puffiness and around my nose and under my mouth where I had some redness.  I simply did this by dabbing the foundation with my fingers and blending it on my skin.

2. I applied 2 layers of the L'Oreal explosion mascara to my top and bottom lashes.  It's kind of cool that the mascara brush is a spherical shape so it can reach the tiny lashes on the corner of my eyes.  The mascara is a little clumpy but I evened it out with a eyelash comb.  I did not use an eyelash curler here.  I hardly ever do unless I want more dramatic eyelashes when I go for the night out.

3. I applied 2 layers of the Rimmel Rose Spa lipgloss.  I chose to go with the Rose Spa color because it's a softer color for work.  I really like the lipgloss because of how smooth they make my lips feel!  I would usually put a layer of lip gloss on after a layer of lip stain/lipstick on an evening out.

4. I applied a quick brush of the L'Oreal mineral powder all over for a finishing touch.

 

The only thing I added (not pictured) was a brush of my honey bronzer on my cheek bones from The Body Shop (Original price: $18, Purchased price: $6.00 - combination of other items purchased on a $20 groupon deal and 40% off sale)

ALL FINISHED!

Side Note!
Macy's Spring Spectacular starts tomorrow Wednesday, March 28 to Sunday, April 1!
50%-80% off storewide with 2-day specials Wednesday, March 28 & Thursday, March 29

And my work outfit in the photo:

Item 1-- Gray dress with pockets and button design
From: Ross
Brand: Rhapsody
Type of sale: Ross everyday
Original price: Compared at $36.00
Purchased price: $12.99

Item 2-- Purple Cardigan
From: Forever 21
Type of sale: Forever 21 everyday
Purchased price: $12.50

Fashionably cheap,

Tina

Simple Color Blocking

Color blocking, the latest and only thing I see on clothing store mannequins and front window displays.

I have two outfits to show you.  Both are very simple blocking outfits.  If you're not ready to wear purple pants, blue top, and a kelly green blazer... I totally understand.. Neither am I.  Too much 'bold coloring' going on for me.

Although Katy Perry is looking great with the color block scheme... I think I could only wear that going to some 'hip/cool' party (I sound like a middle aged woman not understanding what is hip and cool now).  It's just not an outfit I could wear out to lunch or to go to work in.  I don't think I would even wear that going out for the night somewhere either.  Well, maybe.. minus the belt.. and maybe with a shirt under the shirt or at least buttoned up :P.

Here is my version of color blocking in a simpler way.

Lime/Aqua

Item 1-- Aqua cardigan
From: Forever 21
Type of sale: Forever 21 everyday
Purchased price: $12.50

Item 2-- Lime-Yellow/White color block tank
From: Forever 21
Type of sale: Forever 21 everyday
Purchased price: $9.80

Item 3-- White skinny jeans
From: TJ Maxx
Brand: Vanilla Star
Type of sale: TJ Maxx everyday
Original price: Compared at $24.00+
Purchased price: $14.99

Tangerine/Tan

I purchased this dress from Express but have not worn it yet to take any photos but since this item is still being sold at Express I was able to find the image on their website.

I purchased it in the tangerine/tan color block but they did have various other color/pattern combinations.
As seen here!

The retail price is $79.50 and still being sold at that price.
I managed to purchase this dress last week for $30.65

This is how!

Express had a promotion going on where the dress racks displayed at the front of the store were 30% off.

I then received $25.00 off the dress on top of the 30% discount by using a...
 "$25.00 off your $50.00 purchase Express cash coupon**" (can only be used on regular priced items including promotional items that have an additional percentage off; exclusions are items ending in .99 in the price AKA clearance).

 **You receive one of these coupons on a previous purchase if your total purchase was over $50 (regardless if total purchase was clearance/regular priced)
 Note: the coupon is only good during a certain time frame.  My Express cash was only good between 1/30/12 and 2/20/12.

$79.50 - $23.85 (30% off) = $55.65 

$55.65 - $25.00 (coupon) = $30.65

Side Note!
TOMORROW, FEBRUARY 22, IS NATIONAL MARGARITA DAY AT ACAPULCO!
$2 house margaritas all day in the dining room and cantina-- get your margarita on ;)

Fashionably cheap,

Tina

With the Pumped Up... heels.

(In the tune of 'Pumped up Kicks')
All the other girls with the pumped up heels
You better save, save, save... save all your money


Lame but you know it works with the song!  And I made it up in about 10 seconds... so you have to give me some credit.

I'm sure someone, one of the five people who read this, would appreciate that chorus parody.

So after not blogging for over a month due to a combination of being lazy and me being sick... I'm back with an entry that will start the new year! (Only a month later... no biggie)

Part of my "What I am going to do this year differently" includes wearing the most dreaded thing I can't stand wearing-- Heels!

Yes, I know I have mentioned in past entries on how I can't wear heels and even tried wearing training heels but I figured it's about time to get a little girly in my footwear.  I started my new wearing of heels by buying these grey BCBGeneration Pumps!  I've already worn them 3 times and survived!  They are surprisingly.... not that hurtful to my feet.  I won't say, "Oh, they are so comfortable!" because that would be a lie.  However, they have been great to wear to work and to just a night out at a bar.  They mix well with my high-waist skirt outfits for work and with a pair of skinny jeans for a night out.

(Tobi the chiahuahua makes an appearance in my photos!)

Item 1- Grey Suede Pumps
From: Ross
Brand: BCBGeneration
Type of sale: Ross everyday
Original price: Compared to $83.00
Purchased price: $24.99

Item 2- Red/Black Pumps
From: Ross
Brand: Jessica Simpson
Type of sale: Ross everyday + clearance
Original price: compared to $59.00
Purchased price: $22.99 with final price $10.99

 

Item 3- Light grey/egg shell Pumps
It was such a good find!  The cashier was shocked at the final price of the heels.  
From: DSW
Brand: Marc by Marc Jacobs
Type of sale: Clearance with yellow tag additional 80% off
Original price: Compare at $395.00
Purchase price: $199.94 with final price $39.99

Side Note!
Macy's One Day preview sale is TOMORROW!
Take an additional 40% off already reduced clothing; up to a total of 80% off

Remember what I said in the past Macy's One Day Sale post... go on the preview day!  More items and less of a crowd!  The actual One Day Sale is posted for Wednesday but the preview day is the day you want to go to the "One Day Sale"!

Fashionably cheap,

Tina