The Budget Babe

Madewell, J. Crew's younger, more affordable line, has a fall/winter collection that makes me smile. If you were to give me everything in it, right now, I would be golden. I could cruise through the colder months in style and comfort. But since that's not going to happen, I have to review their looks with a more critical lens. The problem is, I've never actually been to one of their stores, so I can't attest to the quality of their clothing, and at these price points ($88 for a cardigan; $110 for skinny jeans), quality is the key factor for me in determining whether or not these duds are a good value. There's no e-commerce yet at madewell1937.com, but you can order old-school by phone.

What I love, from the images at least, are the glorious boots, the edgy takes on modern classics, and the crisp use of color. I especially love how they pair colors of the same shade but different intensity together - always a smart look. Or, pairing complementary colors such as yellow and purple to punch up neutral basics. I also love the concept of a more affordable J. Crew (I know, I need to hit the outlets!)...but Madewell is still pretty pricey. I imagine Madewell's target audience has the means to shop at either, but J. Crew needs a place to groom their future customers, and their customers need a place to start so they can graduate to J. Crew.

I know some of my readers are devoted J. Crew fans, so I look forward to hearing what you have to say about Madewell. And if anyone can comment on the quality, I'm dying to know.

The Budget Beauty Babe finds a way to fake flawless skin with a nifty, thrifty beauty product. —BB


by The Budget Beauty Babe
I am always on the lookout for a bargain coverup, mostly for under-eye darkness. During my last trip to Ulta, I found a little concealer stick made by CoverGirl on sale and decided to give it a whirl: CoverGirl Smoothers Concealer in Neutralizer. I picked a shade called neutralizer since I think it's better to neutralize then to try to hide (you usually get better results).

I have to say that although its not a magic bullet, this little stick is worth picking up if you find it on sale like I did. It does a moderate job of covering up under eye issues (the trick is to use it sparingly, too much and you just look cakey and weird) and it does a fantastic job of hiding the oft-dreaded surprise blemish.

The verdict: Worth picking up to throw in the makeup bag, good for spot treatments and touchups. Nice consistency and comes in multiple shades for all skin types.

Get it: CoverGirl Smoothers Concealer in Neutralizer at Drugstore.com, $6.25

When I heard that the adorable Kristin Davis of Sex and the City fame was creating a line of affordable clothing, I'll admit, I was excited. Who wouldn't want to shop Charlotte's closet? At the same time, we all know what happened when another member of the SATC cast (who shall remain nameless) designed a cheap & chic clothing line: It was a complete and utter disaster.

So how did Charlotte's, er, Kirstin's line stack up? I haven't seen the collection in person as it's only carried at Belk, a mid-range department store which doesn't have any locations in my state (I had never even heard of Belk until now). But I have browsed the collection at Belk.com, and here's my appraisal...I hate to sound cynical, but this is just another case of the ad-heads attaching a beloved celebrity's name to sub-par goods in hopes of selling them to gullible consumers at inflated prices.

Which isn't to say the line doesn't include some cute stuff, which we might even consider purchasing if they were on clearance. Here are a few pieces we found tolerable. See the entire collection for yourself at Belk.com.


Kristin Davis Bow Silk Blouse, $98


Kristin Davis Bethy Tall Platform Boot, $169


Kristin Davis Bow Front Sleeveless Dress, $138


Kristin Davis Coated Linen Trench Coat Jacket, $248

"Electtra" Suede Booties in Blue with Black Belt $39.99
Available for October – December Issues
Here's a sampling of the upcoming Sigerson Morrison for Target footwear collection. I've never been blown away by Kari Sigerson and Miranda Morrison's expensive line, and I've got to say I'm not loving their cheap-chic collection, either. I get that the embellishments are meant to be festive for the holidays, but they look rather cheap. Instead of giving us plastic for $30, why can't Target give us leather for, say, $60? Is that impossible to produce? I'm afraid these styles will end up on the clearance racks instead of your closets, but I could be wrong - are you feeling these looks? Look for them at Target stores and Target.com on October 12 through December 26, 2008.


"Glitz" Suede Stud Flats in Black/Purple $29.99
Available for October – November Issues


"Fierce" Patent Zip Booties in Black $39.99
Available for October – November Issues


"Rocksie" Jeweled Flats in Purple $29.99
Available for November – December Issues


"Glam" Boots in Black/Silver $39.99 Target.com only
Available for October – December Issues


"Roxanne" Jeweled Pumps in Blue $36.99 Target.com only
Available for October – December Issues


"Lustra" Suede Pumps in Black/Pink $34.99
Available for October – November Issues

The Budget Beauty Babe finds the perfect tool for creating sculpted eyebrows that will frame your face and lift your entire look. —BB


by The Budget Beauty Babe
For as long as I can remember, I thought that brow pencils were not necessary. That was before I tried Physician’s Formula Wonderful Brow Wand Automatic Brow Wax Stick. This thing is just magical! You just gently glide it over your brows, and it adds just a hint of color- but best of all, it gives them enough texture to hold their shape and look fantastic all day. The formula in the pencil doesn't smudge or melt and is very matte and natural-looking. I think it's a great addition to any beauty routine. I might even put it in that privileged category of items you never knew you couldn’t live without. Highly recommended.

Get your own Wonderful Brow Wand Automatic Brow Wax Stick at PhysiciansFormula.com, $5.95

Colorblock Open Neck Tee, $16.99; Buckle Ponte Dress in Eternal Flame, $39.99; Colorblock Dress in Multicolor/ Ebony, $29.99
Jonathan Saunders for Target arrived in stores yesterday, and (surprise, surprise) I was there to check it out. Let me preface this review by saying that my favorite part about these GO International collections is that they enable me to try on styles and looks that I might otherwise never try on. It's like playing dress up. And at these low prices, you can actually buy what you like, make the look your own and incorporate it into your regular wardrobe. I didn't end up buying anything on this trip, but I had so much fun trying everything on and just sort of experiencing the garments, and appreciating the creative thought process behind them. Now, on to the clothes...


Screen Tee Ebony Kaleidescope, $17.99; Colorblock Dress White/Ebony, $29.99
Quality was comparable to past GO collections: Good but not stellar. A red jumper really stood out for its solid-feeling construction and vibrant hue, as did a banging black pencil skirt. I didn't bother trying on any of the button down blouses, though, because the cotton seemed super thin and they looked cheap on the hangers, which is unfortunate. A few of the more artsy dresses were amazing - in theory - but in real life, they proved to be unflattering and too flimsy to be dresses. They might work as tops with leggings or jeans at best.


Turtleneck Sweater Ebony, $29.99Ombre Prnt Skirt Blue Whale, $26.99; Self Belt Dress Ebony, $39.99
A black turtleneck sweater with a beatnik vibe was surprisingly chic, but sweaters are one area where I don't skimp. Cheap sweaters aren't warm and they tend to lose their shape overnight. An ombre skirt caught my eye with its rich sky blue coloration, and it looked classy (you can't tell from my pic, but trust me). Finally, I tried on a flirty little black dress that was perfection. It was modern, it fit well, and it had just the right amount of flare to make it interesting, without being fussy. I'm definitely considering going back for that dress as I think I could get a lot of wear out of it during the holiday season.

If nothing else, I will definitely keep Jonathan Saunders the designer on my radar. He was relatively unknown to me before this collaboration, and I'm eager to learn more about him and see much more of his work.

Have you shopped the collection yet? Thoughts?

A number of my readers have asked for my opinion on La Redoute (www.laredoute.com), a French retailer of affordable women's fashions, shoes and accessories. I was curious myself to see just how well La Redoute stacked up to the rest of my favorite budget fashion stores, so I bit the bullet and placed my first order. Here's how it went:

Navigating the site: At once exhilarating and exasperating, browsing La Redoute is a daunting task as their inventory is huge, yet the site isn't very well organized, their search function is modest, product images are very limited, and it's easy to get lost. However, if you have a clear shopping list in mind, and a plan, you can manage. My plan of attack: Hit up the clearance section, where items were marked up to 85% off. Then, I searched by size, thereby eliminating needlessly browsing things I couldn't buy anyways. With this method, I honed in on a black and beige floral tunic dress (above left), wool grandfather cardigan (above right), brown leather bomber, and black cigarette pants.

Checking out: Adding items to my cart was easy and straightforward, as was the checkout process. When I completed the transaction, an annoying voice boomed, "Congratulations!" and then a popup asked if I wanted to save more, or fill out some survey, both of which I declined because of the annoyance factor. Hint: If you're shopping at work, turn off your speakers!

Special deals: La Redoute had a sitewide promotion going on which was prominently advertised on their homepage: Use code LRSAVE25 for an additional 25% off any order of $25 or more. Nice! Code was applied without any hassles, and the discounts were dramatic.


Shipping: Considering that I got 25% off my entire order, I wasn't too disappointed by the $10.99 shipping fee I paid for standard 4-6 day shipping. I ordered on 9/29 at around 1pm and received my package on 10/3. Definitely satisfactory.

Back order blues: Sadly, on 10/2, I received an email from La Redoute informing me that 2 out of the 4 items that I ordered were on backorder! Argh. Frustrating, but at least they won't charge me until my items ship, although I'm not sure when that will happen.


The goods: I bought a UNITÉ Deep "V" Dress, orig. $79.99 on sale for $24.99, in hopes of creating a sort of "winter floral" look for fall. The quality is pretty good, I would say it's on par with something you'd get at H&M or Zara. The wool/rayon blend fabric drapes nicely but it's a tad scratchy. My main complaint with this dress is the fit: It's simply too loose and too broad through the shoulders, which left it looking more hobo than boho chic when I tried it on (see pic).

I also purchased a La Redoute Creation Long Cardigan in beige, made from a wool/nylon blend. Again, I would say the quality was aligned with the price (orig. $49.99, on sale for $24.99). I figured this would be a warm and snug addition to my winter wardrobe, as I already have a gray bf cardigan and a black one - and I love them both - but I dunno. I rolled the cuffs and that seemed to help. My problem, once again, is with the fit. I think the size is correct, but the diameter of the armholes is too big, and the torso is too bulky, even when cinched with a belt. I know, it's supposed to have that "borrowed from the boys" look, but it's not quite right.


Returns: I'm on the fence with both items, so I'd love some feedback. If you think both items look fug, save me some money and let me know...I'm not afraid to return them.

Once my bomber and black pants arrive, I'll post an update. Until then, my conclusion is this: La Redoute has peeked my interest. The prices are awesome, the quality is, again, comparable to H&M, and LaRedoute.com has some great gems including trendy pieces, classics, and lots of stuff that just looks so Euro-chic (not to be confused with Euro-trash).

Of course, I'm just one customer sharing one shopping experience, so if you've ordered from La Redoute before, please share in the comments - the good, the bad, let's here it!