I used to detest Forever21, but as of late I have noticed that their clothing has gone from tacky to what’s in. Or maybe I’m just happy about what’s in, since I wasn’t so content about the trends that were going around for about a long time.

Anyhow, Forever21 isn’t only putting out items that are currently in, they are also reasonably priced. Hm, correction, they are cheap. There I said it….Cheap. And although the quality of the fabric isn’t as durable in comparison to the more expensive items, and you may quite possibly may see ten other people wearing your T-shirt on your way to work, the quality of fabric has increased over the years, and who cares if someone else is wearing the selfsame printed T as you are…? Maybe you two or three can get together for a coffee, cuz you probably have more in common if you chose the same T-shirt..no?

Right now I’m really into printed T’s with funny sayings on them. I like to rock them under blazers, it’s sort of my personality breaking through the bland colors of tan, grey, brown, all those – I belong in the world of suits –colors.

Does the evening at Forever21 mean that I have a closet stocked full of Forever wear? No. I still  believe in shopping at locals where each item is special, or close to it, but it’s good to do a little of everything, too much salt, it just too much salt.

Check Forever21 out and get back to me if you do. And no, I’m not even going to go into the meaning of their name with you…But think about that one for a minute.

This is how I went about the whole business: (It was only slightly tortuous.) I splurged on a dress from Roni, (An Nyc shop) $150.00. This dress required a belt for it to appear it’s best, so instead of purchasing a belt for $50 that I would wear, what three times, I ran to a fabric shop and got myself a thin spool of ribbon for $2.67.

When I called around to various nail salons, I found out that it would cost nearly $50 for a manicure & pedicure. I initially thought it’s graduation, a little pampering won’t hurt, but one must remain realistic about these things. Because that pampering will hurt at the end of the month when the mailman hands over the pampering bill. So, I purchased my own nail polish for $3.99,  soaked my feet in the tub, and made my own toes attractive. It was actually quite relaxing since the part of my brain that usually moves from one thing to the next, had one focus only, and it being a simple task, it was vacation from the thinking.

When it was time for the hair I called Maria Bonita, a salon that I invariably turn to for special occasions, and booked an appointment for a blow-out for $45.00.

(I have a decent variety of shoes, so I didn’t have to worry about that. Thank goodness.)

In total, new outfit and look: (My hair is usually curly.) $201.66. It’s not bad considering how put together I looked. The trick is to spend where you need to, and not to spend when you don’t, or when creativity would be an even better option, do that.

Here are the best SPF 30’s around. Added bonus—they’re tinted! Wave bye-bye to foundations and primers during the dry and sticky months. All available at Sephora.

LORAC ProtecTINT SPF 30 Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer

Used In The Buff (the second lightest), Tahitian Tan (the darkest shade), and Beach Bronze (a sheer bronzer for any skin tone). Dare To Bare, their lightest shade, is normally the only one I could use, but there is something special about Lorac’s shades. The colors are so sheer, that when blended thoroughly, virtually any shade can look like your own. Tahitian Tan actually looked like a real tan on me! So effortless to blend, there was no tell-tale foundation line anywhere—very impressive, Lorac! Light coverage, excellent for layering, leaves skin dewy. Can get shiny a few hours after application, so pack some blot sheets. Great for sensitive skin!

5 sheer shades to match any skin tone. 1.3 oz for $32, found at Lorac Cosmetics.

Numbers 2 & 3 after the jump!

The number 2 best tinted SPF is:

Josie Maran Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30

Thick enough to replace your everyday moisturizer, this tinted SPF has a lightweight feel and a coverage that reduces the appearance of fine lines. Apply sparingly, a small dab on just one area of the face at a time. Best applied with fingers—a blending sponge can wipe it off entirely. Can layer for heavier coverage. Because of the natural ingredients, shake vigorously to prevent the oils from running or clumping. Shades appear darker on skin; try one lighter.

Maran’s signature ingredient, Argan Oil, can be used on both oily and dry skin. The antioxidant repairs skin cells damaged by free radical exposure. Organic grape seed, jojoba, pomegranate, avocado, flax, olive, and coconut oils are mixed with organic extracts from papaya, passion fruit, chamomile, ginseng root, and aloe, olive, and rosemary leaf. Cocoa and mango butters are blended in for year-round to skin conditioning. The line is paraben, sulfate, petro-chemical, phthalate, synthetic dye, and cruelty-free.

5 shades for fair, medium-light, tan, medium-brown, and deep, rich brown skin tones. $38 for 1.7 oz. Sold at Josie Maran Cosmetics.

And number 3 best tinted SPF is:

Tarte. Smooth Operator SPF 20 Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer

This would have made the #1 all time best tinted SPF if it had an SPF 30 in it. Because it’s only a 20, it made #3. So, if you want to use the best tinted moisturizer around, use this, but wear a makeup primer with an SPF 30 or higher underneath, I love Make Up Forever’s UV Prime SPF 50/PA+++. It’s a moisturizing primer with an SPF of 50 all in one go-to product. Added bonus—it’s only $30, and saves you thousands on lessening wrinkles later with dermabrasion or laser surgery.

The easiest blending ability of all brands tested. The reason: the moisturizer instantly absorbs and dries into the skin, leaving an almost powdery finish. Doesn’t smear or smudge. Goes on incredibly smooth, hence the name. So lightweight, just a few dabs around my nose lessened the appearance of broken capillaries. One layer made my pores soften instantly, and it gave my skin such a radiant and healthy finish.

You need not worry about a shine attack from this product. Blot sheets should be more than adequate, and you can probably skip the powder.

For those with sensitive skin: it leaves a slight tingling sensation on the skin and you may want to wear an SPF 30 lotion underneath to really prevent the aging process brought on by the sun.

Contains apple, lemon, gingko billoba root, camellia, chamomile, ginseng root extracts and vitamins A, C, and E. Formulated without gluten, parabens, mineral oil & petrolatum, sodium laurel sulfates, phthalates, and is cruelty-free.

9 shades to flawlessly match each skin tone. Used Agent 00 for porcelain/fair complexions with pink undertones. $36 for 1.7 oz. at Tarte Cosmetics.

When cooking a meal for a number of friends, the want to impress is a given, yet you aren’t exactly on a budget that will allow you to purchase oysters & fillets of salmon. If this is you, there is hope. There is my stroganoff.

Since my mother was never a fan of cooking, (Yes, there was a pizza Friday and a Chinese food Sunday. I am still trying to blot out those Mondays-Fridays.) I took to experimenting on my own. Sure, there were many times when the recipes I cooked were inedible because I would invariably linger away from the directions or the needed ingredients, but due to that exploring I have created a few beautiful eats. Shall we?

The following can be applied to beef or chicken. (Go with chicken if you’re going for cheap. But I tend to prefer beef.) Now bear with me, the strategy I use for measurements could be comparable to an Italian grandmother.
~
You should have at least two handfuls of beef (chuck) or chicken for each person. (We don’t want to send anyone home hungry.)
Ketchup (Plenty)
Lea & Perrins The Original Worcestershire Sauce
1 Large Spanish Onion (Chop. Don’t dice.)
Mushrooms (I like to mix the white caps with two large portabellas. Slice please.)
2 small containers of sour cream (But you’re only using 1 1/2)

Sushi Rice (Sushi rice soaks up the sauce in a good way.)

Romaine Lettuce

Ruffles Potato Chips

Salt & Pepper for taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

First things first: You want to start sauteing the onion on a low flame in a nice pour of oil. Then tenderize the meat/chicken while the onions are on the flame. When the meat has been sufficiently roughed up, place in large pot to brown, also salt & pepper please. (At this point the heat should be at medium to low.) Once the meat is brown add ketchup, when it seems like you should stop, keep going, then stop. Lea & Perrins should follow directly after this with 6/7 good shakes over the pot. (Stir) Then add a container of sour cream. At this point, take note of the color, aim for dark orange. Then place the lid on the pot and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes. After that time, add the mushrooms, then allow the pot to simmer for another 10ish minutes, or until the meat is cooked. But pay attention to it because you don’t want it to get tough.

While simmering, get the rice into action. (If you do that, side and main should be timed up.)

I tend to plate the first serving  for guests,  since presentation will also cost you points. (Top Chef anyone?) The way I go about is by draping the plate with lettuce, then placing a scoop of rice into the center, then ladle the stroganoff atop and around the rice. (We want to see the rice. Remember the presentation.)

Enjoy.

(O, and the chips will be your utensils when eating out of the fridge at 2 A.M.  It’s really great cold.)

A few options on how to loosen that money belt so one can ahhh breath again are:

Um, stop purchasing those water bottles at every street corner. Those stainless steel canteens are around $10, which will pay itself off in two weeks’ time. Also, I hear all that plastic is bad for the environment. “We are the world.” What happens to us when the world is super dirty?

Please purchase a coffee maker, and if you have one, use it! Now I am willing to go halfsies on this one, because there is no way a simple coffee machine can accomplish the magic that is Starbucks (Or a favorite coffee spot.). But, if you were to make your own coffee at least three times a week, that is a weekly $10 savings. Do the math. (Also a Starbucks secret: Refills for coffee are free, that is, the no frills coffee, which hello, is also good.)

For those who are jonesing for a girls night out, start the evening at a friend’s apt/home. It’s called pre-gaming. Although this sounds like a college student activity, anyone can do it. This will save you cash on drink number one, and dare I say number two. When times are rough, a gal’s gotta do what a gal’s gotta do.

For some reason doing these small things tend to make me feel better. When I think of more, and I will, I will post them on here. P.S. Let’s pretend the pretty girl in the picture is holding a quarter, instead of a Euro.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5-6 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

10 ounces frozen chopped spinach (in a bag)

1 8 oz container of low-fat cream cheese, softened

1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Combine ingredients in microwave safe 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Nuke on high for 5-6 mins. Remove dish from microwave, stir mixture until blended. Serve with oven-baked tortilla chips! 

This is a recipe for tomato chipotle fennel seed hummus.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans

1/2 cup tahini

1 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1 teaspoon (1/3 palm full) ground chipotle powder

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed

1/4 cup chopped onion (optional)

black pepper to taste

cayenne pepper to taste

salt to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Place garbanzo beans, tahini, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, and maple syrup in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add in fennel seed, nutritional yeast, and onion; blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Inside the True Romance gift set ($60), you’ll find a fragrant product for each part of the bod. Bath bombs (really fun to watch fizz before your eyes and over your body) and emotibombs (meant for sharing), a delightfully rose-scented yin-yang shaped soap, a heart shaped massage bar with a chocolate center, shower gel,  and a honey flavored lip balm.

The shower gel included is their Flying Fox, with ingredients said to help PMS: honey and jasmine. Combined they smell great and give you a sense of well being and soft skin.  But men like it just as much as women, so you and your guy can share. And it can also double as a shampoo!

And the lip balm is Honey Trap, made from Shea butter, olive oil, honey, beeswax, white chocolate, and vanilla for ultra-kissable lips. Truly addictive!

Check out other great products from LUSH, like their version of a Pumice Stone (body butter with tiny pumice stone pieces) called Running To The Embassy, $11.65, and worth every penny!

Then, make your foot extra smooth and moisturized with their amazing mask for feet! Put Volcano Foot Mask ($20) on your feet, wrap your tootsies up in plastic bags or cling wrap, wait 20 minutes, and rinse.  It’ll bring you from flats to sandals weather and back again. You’re dry heels with thank you!

If you’ve ever bought a smoothie while you were out, you know how expensive they are. Invest in a sturdy glass blender (the kind where the steel blades don’t come out) and you’ll have better than smoothie shop quality smoothies. Not only will it pay for itself, but you’ll know how fresh the ingredients are and where you got them!

INGREDIENTS:

1 banana

1/2 cup of frozen or fresh red raspberries (or strawberries)

1/2 cup of frozen or fresh black raspberries (or blueberries)

1/2 cup of fat -free yogurt (plain or strawberry)

And if you used fresh fruit, you’ll need a 1/2 cup of ice

DIRECTIONS:

Blend the banana, ice, raspberries, and yogurt for about 60 seconds. Cut up a few raspberries, small enough to fit through a straw, and put a few pieces at the bottom of the cup. Now pour the smoothie in. Finish at the top with more pieces and enjoy.

That’s a yes for me! This year, yours truly, fabulous and fearless editor extraordinaire, will be tying the knot in lovely June.

Among other things, since I was first proposed to, I had looked forward to trying on and finding *the* dress. But let me tell you, it was not the magical mystery tour I was expecting.

Click Below For Wedding Gown How-To’s

1.) Go with  Mom and your maid of honor. Above all else, do not go to a bridal shop alone! It’s like going swimming in the ocean at night—by yourself.  The shop lady will tell you the most ghastly numbers are the one.  They’ll give you the hard sell. And you do not want to believe them, because after 2 hours of trying on tulle petticoats and 20-pound gowns (oh yeah, most are that heavy), a part of you may want to believe them just to get out of there.

Most bridal shops require a deposit, and once you put that $ down, you’re committed—that will be your dress.

2.) Don’t let the prices scare you. Try on any dress you like, no matter how much it costs. Maybe you can afford it, maybe you can’t, but that’s not the point. The point is, how many sassy, practical women of today want to throw down 4 digits  on a big dress that has a limited lifespan? So, for you thrifty gals, I have a solution: Find the designer you like and go to their bridal shop. (I love Augusta Jones!)

Then, try on all the gowns you want. Have someone take your measurements, and commission a seamstress to copy the drool-worthy design using any fabric(s) and colors you want. You can add to the dress, or take something away from it and make it truly your own!

Check local seamstress shops with a good reputation and ask to see their previous work or some proof that they can actually do it without botching it up. (They’ll tell you they can do it even if they can’t—everyone will. A job is a job in times like these.) If you don’t find anyone you feel you can put your faith into, no prob, go to Etsy.com or search Google and find the seamstress that’s right for you!

3.) Since you’ll be throwing a bit of cash around, consider making it count for double. Brides Against Breast Cancer sells excellent condition designer gowns from Kleinfeild’s, Vera Wang, Eve of Milady, etc., for a fraction of the cost, and your cash sponsors breast cancer research. Knowing that part of your love went to a woman in need is wildly satisfying. And wondering about all the romance the bride who wore the dress before you felt just adds to the excitement! B.A.B.C. travels around the U.S. throughout the year, setting up shop in different venues, like Bloomingdale’s.

4.) Do not buy your veil and tiara/headpiece on the same day as your gown. You really want to look around and find the best priced, nicest veil you can find, and more often than not, that’s not going to be at a bridal shop, no matter how posh. You’ll want to scour as many wedding veil and wedding headpiece only stores you can find.

Keep in mind that a lot of veils and tiaras are heavy. When you’re trying them on, keep your fave on your head  for 30-45 minutes while you’re in the store trying on diff headpieces, ribbons, and hair combs. Keep the veil on as you try each new piece so you can get a slight idea of how it’ll feel on your head for 5-6 hours. Look for one that doesn’t give you a megatron headache.

5.) Space out veil and headpiece shopping over the course of a few weeks so you can recover from the soreness metal, brass, and sterling prongs sticking into your temples and other parts of your head will give you.

These tips have helped me find my perfect dress! Good luck & congratulations future brides!

And current brides—Let’s hear from you: What tips do you wish you knew before you went bridal gown, veil, shoe shopping?

3 lucky responders will receive a sexy, steamy vampire romance novel!