Quick Tips for Fashion's Night Out!

Hey all!

It's here again and I know we can all feel the buzz in the air - whether it's the excitement of those who are just dying to crawl the walls or the tension of those not looking forward to face the traffic going home, FNO will be a very busy night tonight.

If you're anything like me, shopping in a crowd means having a plan. Here are my quick tips to get in and out and survive what could be the craziest night of shopping in Jamaica for 2012.

1. Evaluate: Look through your closet and write down what's missing. Do you need basics, or do you need more trendy pieces to update your wardrobe?
2. Prioritize: You don't need to get everything all at once. Look at your calendar and buy the pieces you want to wear/have tonight. There will be time to get pieces for next year summer another time!
3. Budget: Look at how much money you actually have to spend currently and then how much you are willing to spend - and use whichever is the lesser amount. Keep a reserve of money on a card if you see a piece you have been eyeing for a long time for a really good price or if you think you'll run into something you need but forgot to write down
4. Small Change: You don't want to be that person holding up the line because the cashier has no change. Manageable bills, some $100s,$500s will be useful
5. Comfortable, closed toe-shoes: dirt, grime and people stepping on your toes is no fun. 
6. Tote it: carry your own shopping bag. Leave your handbag/purse at home so your hands are free and dump your items into one/two of your own shopping bags so it's easy to carry
7. Slip on, Slip off: sundresses or leggings and slouchy one shoulder shirts are easy to slip on and off in a changing room. If you're a pro a fitted tank top and fitted bottoms are ideal for trying on clothes right in the store w/o lining up for the changing rooms
8. Fuel: carry a snack that you can easily eat on the go so you don't get cranky
9. Map it out: Go online and find out which pieces sales will affect and map out where you are most likely to find the biggest discounts on the pieces you want. Then list according to priority, that way you don't get sidetracked
10. Buddy up: shop with a friend or two who is as intent on buying as you are but who respects your space. If you're heading out solo snap a pic of yourself in the piece you're buying and if you like what you see in the picture buy it. No need to ask a random stranger and draw attention to the fact that you're alone. 

Bonus tip: Arrange a haul party with your friends and swap items you may have 'buyers regret' over. Maybe that top isn't as flattering as you thought or those shoes are too high for you to walk in. Going over your purchases with your friends may also put some change in your pocket. If you have second thoughts about an item a friend may just buy it from you.

 (DIY Money Pocket : Divide your cash into equal portions and hide in different places on your body to make yourself less of a target for robberies using a simple do-it-yourself money pocket. Fold money and wrap in cling wrap/paper/ziplock and attach using a safety pin to the inside of your waistband/ bag where 

That's it!!
Till later,
Jane

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The Elusive Red Lip

I am not a lipstick kinda gal. All the lipsticks I own have been gifts or part of some kit I had purchased - all except two - one I thought matched the colour of my top lip, and the other a bright red.

I purchased those two because I thought they would have looked lovely on my skin tone. I have long since given up on a pinky/berry coloured lipstick for every day wear- maybe one day Ill take up that hunt again. However now I am obsessed with getting the perfect red lip. And even now, that has completely eluded me.

I have the true black woman's dilemma - very pigmented lips, with two different tones for upper and bottom lips. I can never tell what is going to look good on me because one shade looks completely different on each lip. On top of this now, I have really pout-y lips so lipstick rubs off in the space of a millisecond.

Some time this year - probably April thereabout, I was going through a friend's makeup bag and swatching everything in there like crazy. She had a particular lip colour in there and curious as always i swatched it on the side of my hand (where the back turns into your palm because for some reason i figure if it looks good there it will look good on my two-toned lips - stellar reasoning right?). Five hours later it was still there and even though I rubbed it like crazy it WOULD NOT even budge.

Now I know these ads say that the color wont smudge and lasts for hours and hours but let's be honest. How much of that is actually true? So i drove - yes drove - didn't call her- to my friends house and demanded that she tell me what product it was and where she had copped it.

Twas the Loreal Infallible Lip Colour and it looks like this:

I am now searching for a store that has samples that will let me try these (on the side of my hand of course) so I can know which shade is the right one for me. I'm gonna go out on the limb with the red colour first and if i like it then I will definitely go after a more neutral shade that I can wear to work to help me look more polished. Or maybe I should do it the other way around....hmmm. Well if i buy the neutral first and it's not my shade ill be discouraged and not the buy red..ill let y'all know how it turns out. In the meantime I'm dreaming up outfits to sport my red lips with. I'm thinking cobalt shoes, dark grey skinnies, a cream silk shirt and a black  or charcoal faux leather jacket with either delicate gold jewellery or chunky dark jewellery with probably a greige envelope clutch and nude nails with tons of mascara, wavy hair in a ponytail with a centre part of course.  Lol, see how easy it is to plan an outfit around one single detail?

The idea is to get classic simple pieces and mesh them together with one style theme in mind. But more on that later. I promise to do a post on that this week. In the meantime, it's off to find the perfect red lip colour for my skin tone (both of them lol)

Till next time, bonjour!

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