The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Holiday Makeup Looks with Target Beauty


Target recently invited me and other bloggers to check out their latest beauty offerings - including some pretty spectacular (and very affordable) holiday gift sets - and to create our own custom beauty look inspired by a holiday theme. My theme was "a night out with the girl's" which gave me free reign to go glam and dive into some festive glitter shadows from Napoleon Perdis. The coolest part is that Target then had Napoleon himself recreate my look on a model (shown above)! Crazy cool. You can get step-by-step instructions on how to recreate my look, as well as a chic look from Daily Glow blogger Christina Heiser, over at Target's blog, A Bullseye View. Thanks to Target and to Napoleon Perdis for this awesome opportunity!

50 Holiday Gifts Under $50


This year, I decided to take a different approach to my holiday gift guide by pinning my favorite gift ideas to a massive Pinterest board! I scoured the web and some of my favorite magazines to round up the chicest gift ideas under $50, from Zimbio digital magazine gift cards to a sparkly bug brooch set at Anthropologie. Click the image above to see all 50+ gifts. Let me know which ones are your favorite by repinning, liking or commenting below.

Here's a sampling of the gift ideas:
1. Julep nail polish duo, $18
2. cb2 owl figurine, $9.95
3. Kate Spade coasters, $20
4. Instagram photo magnets, $14.99
5. Godiva x FEED gift box, $25
6. Custom pet silhouette, $45
7. Naughty or Nice candles, $15 each
8. Chaps sweater, $24.99 (see my sponsored review here)
9. C. Wonder monogram mug, $10
10. La Mer for Target watch, $39.99
11. Baublebar chain necklace, $42
12. Forever 21 sequin pullover, $22.80

Shop the Kate Spade Sale Today on Gilt




Today Kate Spade is taking over Gilt.com with everything from handbags and jewelry to apparel and shoes - all at amazingly discounted prices. Whether you're shopping for holiday gifts or looking for something for yourself, you won't want to miss this sale! Above is just a sneak peek of what you can expect to find. To shop the exclusive sale visit Gilt.com starting at 12 pm ET on the dot.

{Editor's picks: Chambers Street Carlyle Satchel Gilt $169 (Original $368); Amanda Cotton Sheath Gilt $179 (Original $378); Linear Earrings Gilt $39 (Original $68)}

Julep Maven Review, Plus a Giveaway!




UPDATE 12/7/12: And the winner is… #67 Tori P. ! Congrats to our winner and thanks to everyone who entered!

Please note: This giveaway has ended and is now closed to further entries.

It's been almost one year since I became a Julep Maven, and I have to say, I am completely smitten. Each month, I get the prettiest package delivered to my door with two new nail lacquers, plus other fun goodies like hand cream, glitter or nail art tutorials. At first I was skeptical (when am I not?) but month after month, Julep brings a huge smile to my face. The polishes are high quality. The colors reflect my personal style (I'm Classic with a Twist). And they always add those little seasonal extras (like candy corn for Halloween or sparkly confetti for the Fourth of July) that make the packages even more special. To top it all off, Julep sometimes team up with top designers like Trina Turk for fab collabs that you just have to have.

Keep reading for swatches, an exclusive promo code, plus a giveaway for a Julep Maven intro box!