Round hairfreé brush ($15.95) shown here in regular combing position (left) and "self-cleaning" mode (right).

The Budget Babe's resident beauty expert Kiki Bella tests a new brush that's easy to clean and helps smooth your tresses without high heat. —BB



by Kiki Bella
I hate cleaning my hairbrushes. It's annoying and time consuming, and I regret having to admit this but more then once in my life I've thrown a brush away rather than clean it. So not green of me. So when I received my hairfreé brush samples, I was sold on the idea of a brush that virtually cleans itself! Simply put, it's simplified brush-hygiene—and I like it. Here's how it works: The hairfreé brushes have this clever mechanism built-in, such that, when you pull the handle, black plates that were previously flush to the body of the brush lift off and as they lift off, so does the hair. You still have to pluck off the hair but it's a whole lot easier.

From November 4, 2009 through December 24, 2009, all 120 Mandee stores will be collecting donations of gently worn shoes to be given to Soles4Souls, an international shoe charity dedicated to providing shoes to people in need. As a thank you for participation, each customer that donates will receive a 20% off discount coupon towards an item of their choice.

It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets. And judging by my closet, I'd say that sounds about right! Dig deep and see if you can't donate a couple pairs to those in need. It's a great cause and easy to contribute.

You may remember this peacock-feather embellished pink cardigan from the Matthew Williamson for H&M collection that was in stores not too long ago. I can't remember the exact price but it was something like $50…


If you missed out, now's your chance to own something very similar from Forever 21. The color is admittedly totally different but I think the feather detail looks remarkably similar. Coincidence? I think not.