Say Goodbye to Shu Uemura

Yesterday, L'Oreal announced that they would be pulling Shu Uemura products from stores in the United States and instead focus on online sales. While there is no exact date for when L'Oreal will cease operations in the US, Shu Uemura, known for it's elaborate eyelashes, will begin to disappear from shelves in the coming months. A L'Oreal spokesperson said that the company wants to focus on developing their other high end brands in the U.S. market such as Lancome and Yves Saint Laurent. While this has not be confirmed, Shu Uemura's departure from the U.S. is probably due to it's inability to grab a large market share. I'm pretty sad that we won't be able to find Shu Uemura in stores anymore as I'm a big fan of their eyelash curler and cleansing oil. We'll still be able to purchase it online but it won't be the same. How do you guys feel about this move by L'Oreal?

Do I Really Need Toner?

Today, beauty regimens have been getting more and more complex. Personally, I love trying out new products and end up with having 10 different things to put on my face before I go to bed. That got me thinking, is all this stuff really necessary? So after breaking it all down, you should end up with the 3 steps that we all hear about over and over again: cleanse, tone, moisturizer (in the morning, I add sunscreen in addition to that). While I would say you should cleanse and moisturize at the bare minimum, do we really need to use a toner? While many people swear by it, the answer is no. I actually love toner and the way refreshes my skin so I probably wouldn't skip it. But toner really isn't necessary if you have a good cleanser. It's main purpose is to remove traces of makeup, dirt, and oil that your cleanser didn't get. It also became popular back in the day when we didn't really have the quality of cleansers that we do today. Some people like how it makes their skin feel tight but that's actually a bad thing since its a sign of dryness. If you have particularly oily skin- toner shouldn't be a problem but rethink it if your skin tends to be dry or sensitive. Also, look for toners that have more sensitive formulas and won't strip your skin of everything, especially natural oils that are actually good for your skin. Stay away from those with alcohol in it and have known irritants. So make sure you cleanse and moisturizer, everything else is just extra.

Do you guys use toner? Why do you like it or why not?

Fun Dresses for Spring

Now that the weather is warmer, I'm already on the hunt for spring clothes. While I love the winter, I'm pretty much ready to put away my coats, scarves, and sweaters and break out my flip flops, dresses, and bikinis. One of my favorites outfits for the spring is a casual dress...very easy to dress down with a cardigan and flip flops or dress up with a blazer and heels. I'm been shopping around for some and here are some of my picks for this season that won't break the bank...

Madeline Dress, Delia's, $44.50- Cute simple polka dots, easy to dress up
Seesucker Dress, AE, $44.50- a soft pink perfect for spring
Abstract Contrast Knit Dress, F21, $11.50- love the funky, geometric shapes

Rosette Sundress, $29.99, JCPenney- Everyone needs a classic white sundress
Coast is Clear Dress, $33.00, LuLus- A night out dress with a pop of color...
Textured Floral Tube, $32.00, Charlotte Russe- Fun and flirty florals with a bit of ruffle

Hope this provided some help in picking out new clothes for the warmer weather, happy spring!!

Stila on HauteLook Today!

Hey guys!
Just wanted to give you a heads up on some sales today. Starting at 8AM PT/11 AM ET, HauteLook will be having a sale on Stila products. For those of you unfamiliar with HauteLook, they have limited-time, online sales events for designer clothing, products, etc. I love Stila products so I'm really excited to see what they'll have on sale today!
P.S. Gilt Groupe is have a sale on Juicy Couture...very tempting...

Jewels of Denial Giveaway Winner!

Thanks to all those who entered my Jewels of Denial giveaway! I'm happy to announce that the winner is Pauline! Congrats, I will be sending you an email shortly with more information.

More giveaways will be coming your way!

AE Closing Martin + Osa

American Eagle announced last week that it is closing it's Martin + Osa stores. For those unfamiliar with the brand, Martin + Osa was opened in 2006 and targeted at 28- 40 year olds. While I had never made a purchased there, I have browsed through their clothes a few times. The announcement doesn't really come as a shock to me since I felt their clothes were overpriced. I also thought it was difficult for AE to get them off the ground since their target market was so different from the usual AE customer. It must have been a good move for the company as their shares went up after the announcement. What do you think, are you sad to hear that Martin + Osa is closing?

Review: CouponChief.com

Lately, I've been using this site called couponchief.com and I wanted to share it all with you guys. I have one rule of thumb when shopping online- always use a coupon or promotional code. Couponchief.com is a great place to search for coupon codes for all your favorite online retailers- they have thousands of them on their website. For example, some of my favorite stores to shop on online are victoriassecret.com and urbanoutffitters.com. All you have to do is type in the name of your store in the search bar and promotional codes for that store will show up. Copy that code and use it when you check out. You can also sign up for an account and they will send you email alerts and updates when new coupon codes have been posted. I really like this site in particular to all the other ones out there because it's simple and easy to use and always has the most up to date coupons. Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think, hope it helps!

20% off SkinMD Natural!

Very excited to share this with you guys...

The lovely people over at SkinMD Natural have been kind enough to offer my readers 20% off all purchases made at skinmdnatural.com. Use the code 'SAVVY' at checkout. Click here to read my review of their shielding lotion. I really like their products and it's great that you guys can try them now without paying a whole lot. The discount code will expire in 30 days, on April 15th. Happy spending!

-Little Miss Savvy

Haul: E.L.F

Hey guys, I recently made a small haul at E.L.F that i wanted to share with you. For those of you who don't know, you can use the code CAROLINA for 50% off all order up to $15. Essentially, it cancels out shipping. I've used this code at least twice in the past year so doesn't seem like it will expire anytime soon. I decided to stick with item from the Mineral and Studio lines as I think they're great, for only $3 each.

Here's what I got:

• Studio Concealer Pencil and Brush in Fair
  
• Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder
• Mineral Lip Gloss in Sorority Girl
• Eyebrow Kit in Dark
• Mineral Eye Primer

I must say that I really love the packaging for all these items, the sleek black design reminds me of some higher end stuff. I haven't gotten the chance to try everything but I have tried the concealer pencil and blush/ bronzer duo and I love them so far!

I LOVE this concealer pencil. It is a concealer stick on one side and a brush on the other which makes its so handy and easy to you. The concealer is also very creamy, I love the consistency. The color also works perfectly on my light skin. I also really like the the blush and bronzer duo. I only put a little bit on my brush and a good amount of color showed up. Alot of people say that its similar to NARS Orgasm and Laguna. I have to agree but I actually like the blush on this one a little better than Orgasm since it seems to be less shimmery.

I will tell you all what I think about the other products when I try them. If you guys would like more detailed reviews of any of the products, let me know!

Until next time, Little Miss Savvy :)

Beauty Products at Payless?

In recent years, Payless has stepped up its style game, with bargain lines from designers such as Alice + Olivia, Lela Rose, and Project Runway winner Christian Siriano. I have to admit that I really like Payless. I've found sound cute and affordable heels and flats over the years. The quality is pretty decent as well- I still wear a pair of flats from them that I've had for nearly 2 years. Surprisingly enough, Payless just announced that they will be introducing a beauty line come September. According to Reuters, the beauty products will be sold under the name "Zoe & Zac" and "Unforgettable Moments". The line will range from eye, lip, and nail products to fragrances and lotions, with prices starting at $2.99. Payless will be working in conjunction with the Maesa Group, who has designed beauty lines in the past for Urban Outfitters and Forever 21. While I'm always excited to hear about more bargain beauty options, I'm not so sure about this one. It's hard for me to associate Payless with anything other than shoes, so it will probably take a tremendous marketing campaign on their part to get this line off the ground. And with prices similar to those of drugstore makeup, I would probably just stick to my Cover Girl and Maybelline. But hey, I'm still willing to give it a shot.

What do you guys think? Would you buy makeup from Payless?

P.S. Just a quick reminder to enter the Jewels of Denial Giveaway, look at the post below for details!

Review: Jewels of Denial + Giveaway

I was recently contacted by the folks at Jewels of Denial to try their product and write a review about it. I took a look at their website and was really intrigued...the prices of their sterling silver jewelry seemed very affordable and looked great a well. They sent me this Swarovski Crystral Eternity Band in Sterling Silver, priced at $17.99. I orderd a size 5....their sizes range from 5-10. Normally, I wear a 4.5 (I know, tiny fingers!) so I was a bit disappointed that they didn't carry my size. But I later found out that they sell "pinky rings", which are sold in sizes 4, 4.5, and 5. Shipping was very quick- less than a week. The item arrived packaged in a purple, velvet pouch- which makes it great for gift giving.

I was very surprised by the quality of the ring. Not that I'm an expext in expensive jewelry or anything...but I thought this ring looked pretty close. I love the sparkle and shimmer of the crystal on this ring. This specific style is an eternity band so I thought this would make a great gift for girlfriends (though I'm not sure if any boys read my blog....girls, let your guys know!). For those on a budget, this can defnitely be used as a promise ring, wedding band, etc...Jewels of Denial also sells engagement rings, "love" rings, and rings that are suitable for everyday wear. They also have a selection of other jewelry, though I don't have a review on those. From what I've seen so far, their products seem like great quality and you don't have to spend a lot.

I know you all must love shiny and sparkly things as much as I do so I'm really excited to announce this next giveaway. Jewels of Denial is graciously offering one of my readers their pick of any one of their pinky rings. Pinky rings "are very thin and dainty as they are designed to be worn on the pinky finger while not over-powering. They could also work well as a toe ring or a child's ring as well". For those of you with tiny fingers like myself, they can be worn just as any other ring. Here are some examples:

There are many more to choose from on the website so be sure to check it out. Here's how to enter the giveaway:

1. Follow my blog (link located in the right sidebar)
   
2. Leave a comment with your name and email address (please make sure you are logged in and use the same email as the one you used to follow this blog). And voila, you're entered!
   
3. For one additional entry, you can post this on your blog or twitter (Include the link to the post with your name and email in a separate comment)

I will accept entries until March 21st, 11:59PM/ EST. One winner will be chosen through Random.org. The prize will be sent directly from Jewels of Denial. Sorry, I can only accept entries from U.S. and Canada. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at littlemisssavvy@gmail.com. Thanks for entering and good luck!

Note: Products reviewed above reflect my own personal opinion. Giveaway is sponsored by Jewels of Denial. For more information on their products, visit http://www.jewelsofdenial.com.

Skin MD Natural Giveaway Winner!

Thank you to those who entered my Skin MD Natural Giveaway! Using Random.org, a winner has been selected and I'm happy to announce that its...Huiyi! Congratulations! I will be sending you an email with more informaton...To everyone else, more giveaways in the future! Thanks for reading!