Bubblicious

As alluded to earlier, it's never, not ever going to stop raining. Never never never. Not ever. So, time to man up (chick up?) out and get yourself this bubble umbrella, just like the one you had (or desperately desired) as a child. While shielding you from the inevitable downpour, the clear plastic also lets the world enjoy your cute outfit, brightening others' day. So buying it is a purely altruistic move.

Wedding Crashers

So, remember those shoes I ordered for the wedding I'm going to? Gotcha! Trick question! I didn't actually order them. You thought I did though, didn't you? Well, so did I. But it seems like I forgot to press that very last confirmation button. Surely it can't be for lack of experience in online ordering...


So, there I was, with no shoes. And then I lost my watch. Not my everyday watch, but my fancy schmancy watch that will cost a pretty penny to replace. So, feeling rushed and pretty cash-poor, I stopped in at my local Payless, and there they were - $15 pewter wedding shoes! Now, frankly, it's quite possible that there will be a checkpoint at the entrance to the exclusive town in which this wedding is being held and I won't be allowed through, what with the shoes being so cheap and my having to wear a swatch. It is a risk I'm more than willing to take.

The Five and Ten

Well, it looks like Urban Outfitters has thrown in the towel, and utterly given up on even the remotest possibility that summer is actually ever coming to NYC this year, and accordingly has marked their prices waaay down, with many items a mere $5 or $10 (OK, $4.99 or $9.99, if you must be such a stickler for accuracy. And yes, apparently I must be.). Let their loss of faith be your wardrobe gain. Especially since you just know August will be hotter 'n hell starting at precisely 12:00:00 AM on 8/1/09.

$5!

$10

$10 (leatha)

It figures

I have been searching for the perfect affordable summer flats for weeks. I've pored over thousands of web sites, made trips to hundreds of shoe stores, and tried on dozens of different pairs. I sent Jayn countless e-mails, texts and IMs asking, "What do you think of these?" I lost sleep night after night, tossing and turning and debating the merits of slingbacks vs. huaraches.

So it makes sense that once I gave up my search for shoes I could afford and forked over $80 for a pair that I would come across these. $15. Old Navy. Perfect.

Wedding Sells

As you are aware, I have been invited to a wedding. I have officially selected my dress, (by which I mean, I purchased five dresses, selected the priciest dress and returned the other four - and yes, that is a productive use of my spare time) and now the search for accessories is underway at full throttle.

I completely intended to wear shoes I already have, but then, well.... even I can't rationalize purchasing new shoes. Then I saw these shoes below and they go so well with the jewelry I plan to wear (by which I mean, I have purchased and not yet returned), and they are only $40. They are the perfect height - while I could dance in them, they are also high enough that I can claim I can't, should I not be in the mood to dance in endless circles in a dance step all the other women learned earlier in their lives, but that I somehow missed entirely. And they'll be so useful - I mean, can't you see me wearing these at work? To the beach? On my daily, sometimes twice-daily, trip to the Food Emporium? There! That was a decent rationalization

oh, and to get free shipping, isn't this an awesome little clutch? you know, to get free shipping.

Lashing Out

We've never really posted about cosmetics on this blog, which is odd when you think about the tight-knit relationship that Jayn and I have with Sephora. To us, the store is something like Blockbuster Video. (Remember that place? When people actually went to a store to rent movies? And they came on VHS? And then they told people that they weren't charging late fees anymore except they totally were and got sued? Don't know how those ads got past a legal team. But I digress.) We go to Sephora, browse the titles, and when we find one we want to watch (or try), we check it out. Then, after we've tried it, we bring it back and exchange it for something else.

NOTE: I would feel bad about the fact that I return so much stuff to Sephora. But then I think about how certain I am that I will be invited to join their new VIP Insider program, the one reserved for people who spend a minimum of $350 a year at Sephora, and suddenly I don't feel at all bad about returning the products that I don't like, or, in many cases, don't work (every eye cream ever that swears it will get rid of dark circles).

That being said, I think it is time for the first beauty-related post here on Luckier. (Unless there already was one and I forgot.)

Perhaps my favorite beauty discovery ever is Blinc Kiss Me mascara. As far as I am concerned, it is the greatest mascara ever. Their tagline is, "Stop painting your lashes, tube them," which refers to the fact that the mascara forms tiny little tubes around your individual lashes, as opposed to just coating them in paint. The benefit is that lashes are beautifully defined and will never, ever smear or flake. It's so smudge-proof I can even wear it on my lower lashes, which formerly was a no-no (see earlier reference to need for dark-circle-remover). It doesn't lengthen or thicken, so if that's what you're looking for, this may not be the product for you. It just beautifully defines and enhances, and removes easily with warm water -- no make-up remover needed. I've also never had a problem with it getting in my contact lenses.

The only drawback is the price tag. $24 is a lot to be spending on mascara. So I was pleased to discover a Luckier choice -- L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara. They advertise the same "tube" formula and easy

 removal, plus an extra "ultra-nourishing base coat." Frankly, I've been wearing this product for two weeks and still have not figured out what this base coat does. The only nice thing is that it coats your lashes white, which helps ensure you get full coverage when you apply the mascara. It doesn't apply quite as nicely as Blinc, but I've gotten compliments on my long lashes from two different people since I started wearing the L'Oreal stuff, so it must be doing something right. It doesn't come off quite as nicely as the Blinc, either, but still doesn't require make-up remover. And it comes in two shades, as opposed to Blinc's one (although how Black AND Blackest Black are really two different color is beyond me). But it was around $9 -- less than half the price of Blinc -- and easy to pick up at any drugstore.

Not that I ever mind having to make a trip to Sephora.

Stop the Insanity

I went to parochial school for 10 years, and I am fairly certain one of the commandments is 'Allow not false fitness claims to lead you into the world of incredibly hideous footwear.' I bring up this commandment, that was inexplicably overlooked when the top ten list was compiled, because the advent of the 'fit flop' seems to have led many astray from this incredibly obvious mandate. You know this shoe - it's a flip flop with a thick, orthopedic looking white sole and leather upper (or patent leather, or even, shudder, sequined, or even these monsters, that I am nearly 100% certain my grandfather wore while washing his beloved Oldsmobile, and while I'm all for nostalgic shopping, that is really taking it too far) and its manufacturer claims that just wearing the shoe is like working out. As if toned legs and an improved cardiovascular system were worth dressing your feet like dorks.

And yet, everywhere I look, this is what people are wearing! How do you explain this? The other day my friend was wearing them, so I asked her, "Is it true that, like the site says, you can 'get in shape without setting foot in a gym?'" And, in a moment that's had me laughing all week, she gestured to her belly and said, "What do you think?!"

Instead, I beg of you, buy these flip flops for $8 (you can by 7 pair and still save $4 over the price of one pair of fit flops). True, you won't believe you are getting a workout, but at least you'll be able to look at your feet without feeling you have betrayed them.






Or, for the love of all that is cute, choose these sandals. True, you can only get 4 pair of these for the price of the fit flops, but surely cute footwear has some inherent health benefits.

The blind leading the blinded by the light

While walking home the other day, I saw a blind man (so identified by his white cane) crossing the street while talking on a cell phone. As someone who all-too-often uses cellular communication devices while walking, I was amused by the thought that no one could yell at him, "Hang up the phone and watch where you're going!"

In honor of that man, and of Stevie Wonder's ironic choice of words at Michael Jackson's funeral --- "This is a moment that I wished that I didn't live to see come." -- I want to blog about sunglasses.

If you want cute, cheap sunglasses, there are a few ways to go about getting them. You could work on Canal Street, as I do, and have 11 different men offer to sell you a "designer" pair out of their suitcase in the half a block between your office's front door and the subway every day.

Or you could pay $6 for these. Love them!

Credit Where Credit is Due

You are all completely welcome. What do you mean, "why?" Because I blogged about that raincoat and bought an umbrella. What do you mean, "so?" Why do you think it didn't rain today? Now you see. Like I said, you are completely welcome.

Now that we've had 5 non-rainy days in a row, I am sorely tempted to buy this awesome sundress for $40.

And the shoes are pretty awesome, too, if you don't already own 4 pair of gladiator sandals. And maybe even if you do. They would make a nice thank you gift to me for bringing out the sun. I wear size 8. OK, really 8.5.

Not an Addict

I think Jayn and I have officially overstayed our welcome at the Lucky sale. I'm fairly certain the number of times we've each been into a Lucky store can no longer be counted on one hand -- and when you add in visits to the web site, you're going to have to start counting toes, too. Hell, I've even started buying Lucky for the unborn.

So I think it's time we quit this little habit . . . compulsive obsession . . . dangerous addiction . . . whatever you want to call it, we're quitting cold turkey. I will leave the Lucky site and go to another brand's web site entirely. Perhaps Free People. An excellent choice. They have some lovely stuff. Like, say . . . this top. It's cute. Colorful, flowy, kind of hippie-ish . . . you know, it looks like something you would find at . . . oh, crap. Do they make a gum for this? Maybe a patch?

Sun, Sun, Go Away

Well, it looks like summer's over. I mean we had our 4 sunny days, so it stands to reason that tomorrow we'll be suffering through yet another big, bad thunderstorm. I give up. I'm just going to buy me this $40 rain coat, toss it on, throw my feet in my Hunters, and I pretty much won't need to change until the first snow. I won't have a shred of sanity left by then, but I'll sure look cute.

Let Freedom Ring (in the Savings)

What says freedom more than 75% free? Why, nothing, nothing indeed. And 75% off at Lucky - why, it would positively un-American not to buy something. It's your duty as a citizen of this fair country and as a reader of this here blog.

Start with this top for a mere $19.75. You patriot, you.