Dana's Dream Buy of the Day: Givenchy Sun Visor

"Eat your veggies!" "Take your vitamins!" There are certain things that moms are always exhorting their children to do, even when those children are now adults. One thing my mom is always after me do is to wear a hat or visor when I am outdoors, even when I am just running errands, in order to protect my skin from wrinkles, sun damage and skin cancer.

In this case, mother does know best and I do try to follow my mom's advice. Protecting one's skin from the sun is a definite fashion "do." I mean, who wants sun-damaged skin?

I would like to wear a hat all day, but it gets annoying to wear a hat around all the time, so I prefer a visor, since it doesn't interfere with my hair and is less obtrusive to wear. The downside? I feel sometimes like a major dork walking around town in a sun visor. I want to protect my skin, but I also want to look good while doing so.

So you can imagine my excitement when I spotted this Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci sun visor in a recent fashion magazine. A fashion-forward solution to stylish sun protection! My face would never suffer sun exposure again!

My visions of myself as an uber-cool sun-free girl-about-town were tempered, however, when I realized that the magazine quotes the price of the visor at just under $1,000. Sigh. I guess I will have to keep searching for a stylish way to keep shady.

Susan's Better Buys: The Swedish Acupressure Mat

Last year for the holidays, I got a subscription to a national massage chain, but I became frustrated when I realized how difficult it was to obtain an appointment with my favorite masseuse, not to mention the challenge of trying to fit a massage appointment into my busy schedule.

So number one on my holiday wish list this year, and already on order today, is a Swedish Acupressure Mat which I saw on a recent segment of the Dr. Oz show.

Widely used in Europe, these mats have thousands of calibrated pressure points. The acupressure therapy helps your cortisol levels to drop, which in turn is said to reduce belly fat. The mat is also said to help induce sleep and reduce back pain.

I purchased my mat for a great price on Amazon.com. I got the Body Back Accu-Mat for $29.95 (regularly $39.99) with free shipping. You can also check out the Halsa Mat which also is on sale for $29.95.

I am taking a leap of faith and endorsing this product because I believe it will deliver what is promised. We need to feel good in order to look our best.

I'll update you next week after I have had a chance to test out the product! 

On Location: NYC Discount Shopping Guide

For anyone heading for The Big Apple this holiday season, shopping can be both economical and fun. Here are some of our favorite haunts:

• Sample sales.  Go online and find out which manufacturers are having sample sales, which typically run for a few days or a week.  You can snare a big ticket item for a fraction of the retail price. One of our favorite perennial sample sale destinations is Clothingline, which operates sales for major manufacturers about 40 weeks a year. Located at heart of the garment center at W. 36th between 7th Ave. and 8th Ave., they can be counted on to have amazing deals on designers such as Theory, Tory Burch, Helmut Lang and Milly. Check out their web site for updated information on the latest sales: http://clothingline.com/

• Daffy's.  With locations in New York as well as Pennsylvania and New Jersey, you cannot beat Daffy's for phenomenal fashion. Lots of imports from Italy and lovely houseware finds. The store was founded upon the motto, "clothing bargains for millionaires," and has 40-80 percent off designer clothes every day.

• Century 21.  No, not the realtors. This Century 21 is a discount department store offering up to 65 percent off retail, 100 percent of the time. Now celebrating their 50th anniversary, this store has expanded in recent years beyond their original New York and Brooklyn locations and can now be found in Long Island and New Jersey as well. They have even launched an exclusive online members-only shopping site featuring private designer sales. Membership is free at c21stores.com.  

• H&M: Sadly, living in Southwest Florida, we miss shopping at H&M, a super, awesome megastore, with 100,000 pieces of affordable clothing.  Like Target, H&M is known for their awesome designer collaborations; for instance, you can snare a silk skirt for $70 done by Versace for H&M.  The store receives fresh shipments every day so if you failed to find what you wanted (which would be hard to fathom), just try again tomorrow!
  

• Fox's: If you are in the Big Apple, it is worth a trip to Brooklyn, Queens or Long Island to visit this off-price discount mecca. They have been in business for over 20 years and subscribe to the motto: "Catch the thrill of a great buy."  The Mineola, LI, location is conveniently located walking distance from the Long Island Rail Road stop.  If you make the trip to Mineola, you will enjoy not just one, but two, Fox's destinations, since the store operates a separate discount shoe store across the street from the clothing outlet. If you are not making it to New York any time soon, the chain has expanded to include locations in Illinois (Skokie, Chicago, Oakbrook Terrace), Florida (Aventura, Boca Raton), Georgia (Atlanta), New Jersey (Marlboro, Ridgewood, Whippany) and Connecticut (Stamford).

Susan's Secret Steal Web Site

 

Having worked for a major retailer in the handbag and shoe department, I know a really amazing secret for purchasing current merchandise from the best brands at the lowest prices. I've already shared this secret with Dana ... and now I am sharing it with you, too!

The secret is a web site called 6PM.com.  Every day at 6 AM EST they feature vendors offering merchandise at up to 90% off retail.  You'll be amazed each day at the incredible "daily deals" on the featured labels.

But incredibly, it's not only the daily featured merchandise which can be found at amazing prices on 6pm.com. In fact, today's find (featured in the photo above) is not today's "daily deal" on 6pm, but rather an item for sale from their regular stock.  The shoe is called the Lorissa and it is by one of my favorite vendors, Sam Edelman. It is currently available in major retailers but here it is offered at half off retail.  This pump is amazing; with the studded back it can double as a weapon!!!  It is available in both closed and open toes, in black and neutral.

Here is another great find for those of you who are heading off on a cruise: check out a sandal by Kelsi Dagger known as the Cameilla which is being offered at 6pm.com for the astoundingly low price of $26.99.  I have these sandals in bone, pewter and black and I can assure you that I paid well in excess of the price of $26.99 even with a generous employee discount.  The sandals are comfortable and age appropriate for mothers and daughters and can complete just about any outfit.

 

So when you get up tomorrow, check out the daily deals at 6pm.com while you have your morning coffee. Oh, and in case any of your purchases happen not to work out for you, you can return the merchandise to 6pm within 30 days; I have found the return policy to be easy and foolproof.

Buy of the Day: Cell Phone Chic

Need to carry your cell phone while still looking chic?  You must check out the Boulevard Cell Phone holster.  All of the personal shoppers at a major retail store wear them so they have easy access to their phones while scouring the store pulling merchandise for their customers.  

The holders come in black, chestnut, pink, and glitter and retail for $54.95. They come with a ribbon strap plus a chain strap and a key ring.

You can buy them today on shoebuy.com for 15% off with free shipping and no tax. Use code: blowout15. Hurry, the 15 percent is good for today only!

Dana's Shopping Hero

Alicia Silverstone is my hero. Not just because she starred in Clueless, the best movie ever which I was obsessed with when it was released in 1995 and still can't resist watching when I find it while channel-surfing on the TV. Not just because I absolutely wanted to be her when she starred in those amazing Aerosmith videos. Not just because she is about my age, super talented and amazingly accomplished.

For about a year now, Alicia has been my kitchen hero, too, since I am a huge fan of her awesome vegan/macrobiotic cookbook, The Kind Diet. The recipes are simple, yummy, healthy and of course, kind to the planet. If you haven't checked it out, you must take a look at both the book and her accompanying blog, The Kind Life.

And now, after reading this People article, Alicia is my shopping hero too! Alicia told People that she buys everything second-hand, which I think is awesome and admirable.

Most of the things we want and need are available second-hand, either at thrift or consignment stores, or via Craigslist, or just in the good old fashioned classified ads. Most of the times, with a little perseverance and patience, you can find everything you are looking for used. You'll be doing both the planet and your wallet a favor, since used merchandise will cost you nothing but a fraction of the retail price, and, as Alicia points out, you are buying "really locally, and it already exists."

PS: Susan adds: "Alicia is my hero, too, because of her ongoing animal rescue efforts!"

Susan Says: Six Super Shopping Tips

As a super shopper and an experienced retail salesperson herself, Susan is the perfect source to give us some tips for how to secure the best bargains while out in the stores this holiday season. Here are her top six shopping tips:

1.  Make Friends: Become acquainted with the sales associates at your favorite stores.  They can be an informative source for learning of upcoming promotions and unadvertised deals. Your sales associate friend can also tip you off as to what days of the week the store does their new markdowns and adds merchandise to the sale rack. Sales associates may be familiar with the days of the week for incoming merchandise in off-price stores to ensure that you get access to the best picks.

2.  Go "Off," Not "Out:" Off-price stores most often beat outlet stores in terms of price, quality and up-to-the minute fashions.  Very often, outlet stores only have last year's merchandise or merchandise manufactured specifically for their outlet store.  Off-price stores do not only receive last year's merchandise; they receive new styles that were "overrun" by the manufacturer.

3.  Request a "Price Adjust:" Always inquire as to whether a retail store does competitive price matching.  Additionally, many major retailers will provide a price adjustment on markdowns within a certain time frame.

4.  Be "Thrifty:" Haunt thrift stores.  You can even score brand-new merchandise still in original packaging, since retail stores and individuals often donate never-used merchandise.  Shop at thrift stores not only allows you to buy on the cheap, but you also get to make a difference by supporting charities that the proceeds are donated to.

5. For Big Buys, Stick with a Store You Trust: Shop with retailers who stand behind their merchandise.  High ticket items should stand the test of time.  When buying a big-ticket item, buy from a trusted retailer who you know will stand behind the quality of the product.
 
6. Say "No" to Layaway: A definite no-no is layaway. Stores often charge as much as 20% to hold the item; then, if it goes on sale, you do not receive the discounted price. Additionally, if you decide against the item being purchased, you may be charged a penalty. Read the contract and avoid layaway.