The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Win Cool Stuff: $100 Gift Card to Wallis


Wallis Fashion Giveaway

I've teamed up with Wallis to offer one lucky BB reader the chance to win a $100 gift card! Since the Oscars are this weekend, I thought it would be fun to challenge you to create a red-carpet worthy look using fashions you find at wallisfashion.com. Think of something with a hint of glamour that you might wear to an Oscar viewing party, or at home with friends!

But first, a bit about Wallis - just launched in the US, this is one of the most exciting affordable fashion brands I've seen in a long time! As Topshop's sister company, Wallis offers stylish and well priced clothing and accessories, made for the real woman.

Ok, on to our giveaway! Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


UPDATE 3/12/13: We didn't hear back from Daniella, so we've had to pick an alternate winner using random.org and that lucky reader is… #7 Ella P.! Congrats to our winner and thanks to everyone who participated!

Bonus entry: Sign up for the Wallis newsletter for one additional entry. Please leave a separate comment below to let me know.

NYFW Day 2: Kate Spade, Noon By Noor, Rebecca Minkoff, Charlotte Ronson


My second day of Fashion Week began backstage at Kate Spade, where I met up with celebrity manicurist Deborah Lippmann to chat about the bold magenta or black manicures accented with gold pyramid studs that the models would be rocking for the Fall 2013 presentation (see my run down here). Inspired by New York City, with its yellow cabs, soaring skyscrapers, bright lights and wild night life, the collection was a riot of color, '70s glamour and exaggerated silhouettes. Fun times ten!

Next, I headed to Lincoln Center for the Noon By Noor show, and was wowed by the mature, ladylike looks created by young design duo Shaikha Noor Al Khalifa and Shaikha Haya Al Khalifa. The looks were actually too mature at times but there was lots of budget-fabulous inspiration, like winter florals, berry hues, bowtie blouses and colored tights. Who knows, maybe we'll see Noon By Noor at Target someday! The front row was fun to watch, too; I spotted Bryanboy, Rumi Neely, Nigel Barker and Olivia Palermo, to name a few.

Always a Fashion Week highlight, my next show was Rebecca Minkoff, who drew inspiration from the night sky (space travel, loosely) and her muse, the ladylike tomboy. From the cool nail art to the edgy outwerwear, Minkoff delivered trends that everyone wanted to wear straight off the runway (and some of the looks were available for purchase instantly, too). It's always an honor to attend because Minkoff really gets what fashion bloggers do - and I love love love her bags!

My final stop was the Charlotte Ronson presentation, where I was able to get a close-up look at the mod, schoolgirl-inspired collection. Being a product of the '90s myself, I always appreciate Ronson's edgy twist on things - like the way she adds a slim cutout to a colorblock shift, or renders a a prim collared dress in sheer black fabric and futuristic florals. Everything for Fall 2013 was wearable yet unique and I'm crossing my fingers that some of these design ideas trickle down to her affordable line for JCPenney.

See more:
NYFW Day One

Introducing New COVERGIRL Clump Crusher, 3-in-1 Foundation & Nail Gloss




During fashion week, I got to check out some of the newest products from Covergirl and get complimentary makeup touch-ups and manis at the Covergirl by Style Coalition Lounge. Here's what's new:


  • COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation: Creates a smooth, flawless look that lasts all day through capturing the essence of a primer, foundation and concealer in one bottle.

  • COVERGIRL Clump Crusher by LashBlast Mascara: Features an innovative curved brush that lets you load up the volume without the clumps. ($6.99)

  • COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Color: Colors can last and stay glossy for as long as 7 days with zero top coat required. ($5.49)


Get in on the action!
Head to the COVERGIRL YouTube page to take the Outlast 3-in-1 Easy Breezy Better Challenge, which pits 3-in-1 against a leading liquid makeup in a face-to-face challenge.

For the latest COVERGIRL news and giveaways, check out COVERGIRL on Facebook!

Keep reading for more of my photos from the lounge...

Disclosure: This post brought to you by COVERGIRL and Style Coalition.

The Look for Less: Steve Madden 'Buzzzer' Platform Sandals

Steve Madden's Buzzzer platform sandals in black suede are $129.99 at amazon.com.



Get the look for less with the Xhilaration Primrose sandal instead for $29.99 in black or coral. I'm kinda loving the metallic accent on these. Click either image to view or purchase.