The downside in today's economy is providing beauty and fashion savings which means an upside to the cash in your wallet. Celebrity Beauty Expert Mickey Williams shares her beauty secrets that include save-savvy websites that are bound to raise an eyebrow.
Cosmetics have notoriously been excluded from most department store sales when you hear of major discounts store wide. But on the web it's been very different. Last month you saw ELuxury.com taking 30% off of all beauty. You find that places like Beauty.com and drugstore.com are always giving coupons, offering free shipping in order to bring in sales. These discounts add it when re-purchasing your favorite fragrance or picking up your designer hair essentials. This is a $10 savings that you will not find in stores unless you were encouraged to open a new credit account or some other sign to play deal. Plus the free shipping only adds to the prize value when comparing.
Beauty.com $10 off $60 or more plus free shipping
But when it comes to finding these coupons check out sites like www.couponseven.com or www.definitivedeals.com . They tend to run the same or very similar deals but it's definitely worth checking out.
When it comes to manufacturer coupons go to the brands website.
In this economy cash back or discounts should be right there on the homepage, but if not type in the word coupon or promo in the search box and wait to see if their offering a markdown. It doesn't always work, but you'll kick yourself if it was right there and you didn't do the smallest bit of investigating.
www.olay.com/samplesandoffers
For the biggest savings head to fashion websites.
Recently we have seen more and more high-fashion websites offering designer duds at heavily discounted prices. Some of these websites like www.RueLaLa.com and www.Gilt.com require an invite by a user in order to shop. (I've set up passes for your viewers to go and sign up). Once you sign into these websites it will ask you to send an invite to your friends. Once your friends sign up and buy something you'll start getting $10.00 credits per paying friend on Ruelala and $25.00 on Gilt. This can really add up and before you know it you're buying deep discounted designer trends with a hefty store credit.
Follow this link for invite to Gilt.com for viewers of A View From The Bay
www.giltgroupe.com/invite/sanfrancisco
Follow this link for viewers to RuELaLa.com
www.ruelala.com/invite/sanfrancisco
What services are taking a hit at doctor offices and salons nationwide and what products at drug and department stores are flying off shelves?
Teeth Cleaning vs. Floss?
Now we all should at least be using a whitening toothpaste at this point or adding baking soda to our favorite brand for the most cost effective way for a brighter smile, but what about in between our teeth? We used to only be able to reach these areas while getting a professional teeth cleaning or having expensive in office whitening procedures. Well, not any longer we now have whitening floss, and it works. Glide has fashioned their super sensitive gore-tex floss with special silica to help remove and prevent surface stains. It also has Scope infused into the floss which helps provide a bit of freshness when working between the teeth. Now if you are already a slacker on the flossing front, here is yet another reason besides the obvious dental decay aspects to get you started.
Glide Whitening Plus Scope Flavor Floss
$3.99 at Drugstores
Luxury vs. Drugstore Brand Skincare?
If you consider going to your dermatologist for anti-aging skin care or spending hundreds of dollars on a night cream you've got to get on the recessionista bandwagon. Cosmetic companies are providing better than ever results with their brands. Olay Professional was designed by the world's top doctors to replicate expensive in-office prescription skin regimes. Best yet, a six month study compared Pro-X Intensive Wrinkle Protocol with prescription Renova and it was shown to be as effective with less irritation for half the cost and without a prescription. Study was done on the following products.
Olay Pro-X Intensive Wrinkle Protocol includes:
Age Repair Lotion with SPF 30
Deep Wrinkle Treatment
Wrinkle Smoothing Cream
All retail for $42.00 and are available at Drugstores and www.OlayProfessional.com
In office laser hair removal vs. at home laser hair removal?
Did you know laser treatment is the #1 aesthetic procedure for women under the age of 35?
Women and men actually spend on an average $300 to $1000per visit on in office hair removal procedures with professionals. These services usually require them to come back at least 5 times amounting to thousands of dollars. So I started looking to see what at home services were available and I found the FDA just approved the Tria Laser Hair Removal System for at home use. It was designed by the same team of doctors who created laser hair removal back in 1993. It's been proven safe and very effective; you will see up to 33% less hair in 6 to 8 weeks. You use the Tria when hair is in it's growth phase which is every couple of weeks, so it's not anymore of a commitment than in office procedure but the bonus is you can do as many areas as you want in the privacy of your own home. Although it's flying off the shelves in Nordstrom- It's not cheap, but if you are one of these people who cannot afford this expense any longer or have wanted to try laser hair removal it actually is your most cost effective option.
How it works:
The Tria emits a single laser pulse that targets several hair follicles in a second long interval. When it's time to move on, the laser beeps and you move on to the next section.
www.triabeauty.com and San Francisco and San Jose Nordstrom Stores
Retails $750
In spa facials vs. at home facials?
Lots of my clients are still maintaining their manicures and pedicures but maybe are putting a few more days onto the life span of their topcoats. One service women and men are cutting way back on are facials. I wanted to find a take home product that served as a basic facial for all age groups. Now I know this was ambitious but I actually found one we tested and everyone agreed their skin looked better and more refreshed after just one use. The brand is Elemis. You can find them in airports, spas and also in department stores right here in the San Francisco area. I tried out their Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask on four women ranging in age in their 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's. All agreed they noticed a smoother, firmer looking skin tone and found that this twice a week mask created a refreshed and awake look to skin after just one use. After a second use – in the same week- skin looked even more hydrated and awake. No redness occurred and pores actually appeared smaller. Elemis calls Tri Enzyme their "take home" facial we call it a multiple facials for the price of one!
Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask
www.timetospa.com and local San Francisco Nordstrom stores
Retails at $75.00
