IT'S A STEAL!

Ok folks, in my attempts to find not only cruelty free stuff for you, but super deals as well, I came upon a website called 15DOLLARSTORE.COM, where everything is, yup you guessed it, $15. And when they say everything, they mean everything. Which is not such a great deal for a plain tank top, but a SUPER deal for a dress, jacket, pants, shoes, etc. :-)

I couldn't resist, I had to explore the site to see if anything worthwhile could be found. And little while later and the verdict is in - if you are willing to sort through a fair amount of stuff you most likely don't want, you will actually find some cute stuff on here.

First I saw this cute summer dress

A bit of a continuation of my pink sundress obsessed blog last week, I know, but it really is cute, with the ruffles around the v-neckline and on the skirthem, and tiny polkadots. Then I saw this

And was truly torn. I THINK I can imagine this with some kicky 60's accessories looking really cute, I dig the vintage print and the bow in the back. Its fun.

Next I found another dress, and anyone who knows me knows I am a sucker for a cute retro looking jumper. I thought this was was very nice

Although you can't see it in the picture very well, this dress actually has a bit of a metallic sheen to it, making it a nice choice for a night out.

I also thought this shift dress/top

and this tunic dress/top

would both look really cute over a pair of dark, straight leg jeans, like these

with some cute boots like these (faux leather, of course)

Obviously the black tunic top would look cute with black boots (which they had too - actually a really good faux leather boot and shoe selection for $15, I'm just not a huge fan of the pointy toe and most of these were pointy, but I thought these were too cute to ignore)

I also found some accessories that I really liked

Can you tell I like brown and pink? I can't help it, I always gravitate toward these colors, but for everything brown I selected, there was corresponding black as well. Oh, and these accesories were also faux leather. :-) Happy day!

I love NYC

Although I do enjoy the city, I'm actually referring to the cosmetics line. They are upfront about their products being cruelty free, both on the packaging and on their website :-) , they are SUPER affordable (like wet n wild affordable) and their products work much better than those in a similar price range. I love their translucent face pressed powder (the puff sucks, but they always do), I just bought another one the other day and it is exactly what translucent powder should be, for such a great price - ready? - $1.99!! Yup.

And now I see that they have something I have been wanting to try for a while now: Mineral makeup. Mineral foundation/powders for the face are supposedly the be all end all for an easy, natural, flawless finish, not to mention that many purport the actual skin benefits of using this type of makeup. So, I have been curious, but lots of these products are in the $20-50 range, wich is too much for this girl. But I have ignored the talk about mineral makeup for long enough. I have seen this, and am out of excuses

And the cost? $6.99... sigh... could I possibly be in love with a makeup company? I think maybe.

SPRING FEVER!

I must admit, I have spring fever big time this year. All I want to wear is fun, feminine cuts and vibrant or delicate spring hues. I've had serious tunnel vision the last few weeks regarding the subject of my wardrobe. But putting that aside, I am a BIG believer in the power of some good, flatteringly cut dresses and cute flats or heels as THE go to outfit for any occasion. It can be casual or dressy as needs dictate, is always flattering, and if you select pieces that you like, it is the biggest no-brainer outfit there is. And a nicely cut dress will NEVER go out of style.

Perhaps my spring fever/dress mania reached a new peak this past Monday when I was able to go to the "Run Fatboy Run" premiere here in LA. While there, I thought one of the stars of the film, the lovely Thandie Newton, looked AMAZING in this pink and ruffled getup:



I don't know if I could pull off the super ruffled top of this dress, but she looked great, ultra feminine yet not too dressy, perfect for a coctail party, dinner al fresco, or, yes, a premiere. I love the classic pink, the feminine cut of a tailored waist, sexy neckline, and somewhat fuller skirt paired with little black peep toed shoes. PERFECT! So here are some great, frugal, and totally wearable takes on this look:

This gathered knit dress from GoJane.com is pretty reasonable at $30.99, and has the classic silhouette of a flatteringly cut neckline, tailored natural waist, and fuller skirt to make this something you could wear as is or add a belt or a cardigan to change it up a bit.

The Lindy Patent Peep-Toe Pump from Payless.com would look super cute with this dress. At $19.99, and all man made materials, I love these classic heels.

I love that this Ruffled Cotton Dress from Forever21.com is SUPER girlie with its frills and its bow, but the pink is very pale and not too overdone. It's only $27.80 and comes in black and white as well, if you aren't falling in love with pink all over again like I am. I think it would be GREAT with these cute shoes

These Floral Embrace Peep-Toes from Payless are so cute. Ugh. I think I might need to go get these now, and give myself a nice pedi and just work it. Can't you just see this dress and shoe combo for a warm afternoon stroll down the promenade or something? Even if its just getting groceries, it would still make the day more fun. And of course since they are cloth uppers and man made lowers, you are good to go.

Another great spring color that is feminine but not as "girlie" as pink is blue. This dress has little white polka dots on it and is only $22.80 from Forever21.com. It comes in jade/white (pictured) and... sigh... pink/white :-) I think this dress is fantastic, and would be perfect with


These great Jordan Wedges in white from Payless.com. They are listed at $14.99, all man made materials. I am coveting these ever since I had a pair of Steve Madden white wedges that were adorable but unwearably uncomfortable. I have had numerous pairs of Steve Madden shoes over the years, and several other wedges, which were all great and SUPER comfortable, but these were so painful. :-( But these ones from Payless are just as cute, and wayyyy less expensive.

OR with these from GoJane

AAAUUUUGH!!! These are so cute! They are only $13.99, man made patent leather, and come in a plethora of awesome shades like black, white, teal, pumpkin and fuschia. I covet.... I covet....

This dress is SO CUTE I need need need to go to Forever 21 this weekend and purchase it. I have no choice in the matter, the dress has spoken. It lists at $24.80, and comes in black and orange (although to me the orange looks more like a nice coral than an orange). It has such a great simple silhouette, and I love the skirt pleats! I would wear it with

These fun Kelsey peep toes from Payless.com ($12.99, manmade materials, natch) or maybe even with the yellow version

if the colors jived right in real life. These shoes are so cute and inexpensive. I friggin LOVE payless.

One more dress...

This is called the "Typical Sundress" on Forever21.com (listed at $22.80, comes in yellow - pictured - or that same orange/coral from above) but I think they should call it the perfect classic sundress. There is nothing over the top here, just classic fit, and a great skirt. I seriously need to get one of these sundresses this weekend with the weather being so nice. And I love the yellow color, everyone can't seem to stop talking about yellow this season!! I think it would be cute with something like

These Abaete for Payless Harlow Pumps from Payless (listed at $19.99, comes in black and pink). Nice sized heal, peep toe (can you tell I'm diggin' on the peep toe this season? I seriously need to slap some polish on the ol' piggies soon I suppose), back buckle and open heel. AND really cute front detail.

So there you have it folks. A few great spring options for a girl who wants to be classic on a budget. Gotta love it.

These are a few of my favorite things....

Ok, so I will confess. Here is my plan. Now that I have this blog, I can't wait to spend hours online and in stores seeking out the best new (and old) beauty and fashion finds for you! You will be immensely impressed, and many people will realize what a wide array of product options they have open to them in this day and age, and will check my blog regularily with a hungry look in their eye, pining for the latest news. Ok, so I'm thinking big. :-)


In the meantime, however, having made an effort to buy only cruelty free whenever possible for a while now, I have managed to find some gems that are already a staple in my home. I will now share them with you...

(At the top of my list for so long was Tresemme hair care products, because they were supposedly cruelty free, were TOTALLY cheap, and work great, but I recently found out that Alberto-Culver apparently DOES test on animals. So no Tresemme, St. Ives, or Alberto VO5 folks. Bummer)

But on to the fun stuff :-)

1. PROACTIV SOLUTIONFor years and years, I had bouts with breakouts. Nothing insane, but once I got into my 20's I felt I had paid my breakout dues. So I tried a ton of things, but nothing was great. Then a girlfriend of mine recommended proactiv to me, and she was so enthusiastic about it I broke through my fear of informercial-releated products and ordered some. And... it is GREAT! My skin is no longer an issue ever. It is in the best condition it has ever been in. AND, proactiv states on their website that they do not test on animals, so I'm good to go. :-) The price is so worth it with this product, and when you think about it, it actually breaks down to like 20 bucks a month, which is not bad at all.

2. REVLON COLOR STAY FOUNDATION

For many sad years I didn't know that Revlon was a cruelty free company. Then, one fine day, I was informed of this, checked on it, and the heavens parted :-) I love Revlon. They have quality products for decent prices all around. This foundation is a great mainstay. It doesn't go on too heavy, doesn't clog my pores, and keeps my face fresh all day long. I also love their Color Stay pressed powder too.

3. REVLON COLOR STAY NAIL ENAMEL

Ahhhh... the perfect nail solution. I don't have a dishwasher, and I'm a little bit of a germaphobe, so my hands are in soapy water far more often than I would prefer. Most other nail colors, regardless of the amount of coats, are chipping within a few days. This 2-pack from Revlon is available in a bunch of great colors, and when used with the sealer shine stays PUT for me for at least 2 weeks. Seriously. This was a miracle find for me.


4. ALMAY MOISTURIZING EYE MAKEUP REMOVER LIQUID

I've playing the field with my makeup remover for a long time. I like to wear eyeliner and waterproof mascara every day, and shadow on many a day, and having spent a nice chunk of change getting laser eye surgery a few years back I have been on a quest to find the perfect remover that will take off everything easily enough to not have to stretch the delicate skin around my eyes with too much rubbing, but that is gentle enough to not irritate my eyes. I picked this up at the drug store about a month ago, and, just like that, my search has ended. Voila! Seriously, if you wear eye makeup at all, GET THIS PRODUCT. Your eyes will thank you. And Almay (which is owned by Revlon) has been cruelty free for a long time.

5. NIVEA VISAGE Q10 ADVANCED WRINKLE REDUCER EYE CREME

This is such a great basic eye cream. It's totally reasonably priced (as opposed to what most eye creams cost!!) moisturizes like crazy, and has sunscreen in it. This is the only day eye cream I ever use anymore. I'm actually still looking for a good night eye cream, so if anyone has a good suggestion, shout it out! Really, everything Nivea makes moisturizer-wise is fantastic. There is a reason why they have been moisturizer staples for so long - they work extremely well! And Biersdorf, their parent company, is, of course, cruelty free.

6. BURT'S BEES LIP SHIMMER in "RHUBARB"

Burts Bees, an eco and animal friendly company, has these great lip shimmers I discovered last year. I have actually been about 50/50 on the colors I've purchased so far (do NOT get the frosty ones), but the shade called "Rhubarb" is THE perfect pink flush that looks natural, but not too pink. AND they tingle on your lips with a healing feeling that is great! I go through this stuff like candy.

That is just a few staples to start with, but each one is well worth your time and effort, take it from me.

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by. After years of being frustrated by not always knowing if something was cruelty free or not, and jumping for joy with the now expanding cruelty free product possibilities (it's not just tea tree oil and witch hazel!! Although I actually like tea tree oil...) I wanted to start a blog where I could geek out about all the amazing beauty products and fashions out there that are also animal friendly. YAY!

As a slight disclaimer, I am just a girl who is passionate about all things feminine and pamper related and not having to perform absurd acts on a helpless animal to get them. Therefore, everything I post on this site is researched to the best of my ability (and if I'm at all confused as to whether something is cruelty-free or not, I will say so), but I'm more than happy to receive corrections or additional info from you, the reader. So, I hope you like this blog as much as I'm sure I will enjoy writing it :-)