Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The not-so-common accessories: $50 or Less

Good evening lovelies! Just to let you all know; tonight is the last night for my contest! Sunday I will announce the winner and let the world know what winter accessory they said they couldn't live without!

Tonight, I want to bring to light something everyone might not really think on a day-to-day basis: The OTHER accessories. I know Sunday I talked about piercings as other accessories, and yes, yes they are, but tonight I'm talking about the random accessories that you REALLY might not think about: electronics.

I must state for the record, I am not a techie. I do not drool over the newest accessories that come out, I don't have to have them either. I am someone Who chooses very carefully the electronics that I decide to own purely because I don't have the disposable income for all the electronics in the world, but also, I want the few pieces that I own to not just be electronics, i want them to be MY electronics.

Unusual Electronic Accessories

$50 or Less




Yes, this is a real, working usb, and it ROCKS!




These are only sold in stores. The great thing is that you can call up the store and have one sent to you. I did that Monday, and I received this beautiful USB hub today. It only cost $5 for shipping. $20 for a Marc Jacobs USB hub. That's all I'm saying.




Adorable. Need I say more?

Computer Decals

Mac


Yoshi for Macbook: $8.50

"Yoshi, which is Japanese for...the Yoshi"





SNOOPY!!!!!!!


I hear "Empire state of mind" playing as I type furiously on a computer with this decal.

PC




I own a PC, so this is absolutely perfect for mwah, and all others who have not become Mac enthusiasts just yet.



Preeeeeeeeeetty.



I love what they can create with technology nowadays. How sweet and perfectly serene is this?

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Permanent Accessories

Good evening lovelies! I hope you all have had an amazing weekend thus far.I still my contest going on; don't forget to enter it!


Tonight, I want to talk about something not many people give a lot of thought to as accessories. I'm talking about piercings & tattoos. These are our permanent accessories. When we first get something done, it is an obvious accessory; we are conciously aware of it every moment of every day because it is something fresh and new that still catches our eye whenever we look in the mirror. After a little while though, they become part of our skin (Ar ar ar), something that is part of us, something that is without second thought. I know that my tattoos and piercings are my skin, and I'd feel quite naked without them.

Naturally though, when it comes to permanent accessories, it's the quality that counts more than the quantity. That is why tonight, I'm going to talk to you about piercings.

Piercings

Yesterday, I got 2 dermal piercings on my wrists. I don't have pictures yet, but i woke up this morning and looked at them and felt like they should've been there all my life; they're now part of my identity and part of my skin. I've wanted dermal piercings for almost a year now, and I waited to see if it was something i was still going to want, and of course, it was.

A lot of people see a piercing on someone else, make an appointment at any random shop, or have a friend offer to do it, and then it's done. What most people don't realize is that if you're not careful with who does this type of accessory, it be the deadliest and most costly accessory you can get. The guy I go to is at the Body Art Salon here in San Diego, and he is a licensed nurse. He understands the body and what is best for each type of piercing and where it will go. He explains everything that he is doing while he is doing it and why he is doing it. He also did my Tragus piercings last year. What I've come to discover is that it's important that when you find a piercer you like, you stick with them, but you need to make sure your piercer knows what they're doing first.

The best way to do this is go in and see the shop and talk to the piercer before sitting down to get something done.

Anyone can pick up a gun and some jewelry and start piercing. I've heard horror stories about people who went to someone's garage and it got infected and they had to go to the hospital, as well as people who went into stores and they used cheap jewelry and guns and had no idea what they were doing, and it had the same outcome. You don't need to go to school or get a license to become a piercer, which is why it's difficult to find a good one.

Once you find a hair dresser you like, you stick with them because they know what they're doing, they're safe and they're clean. Once you find a tattoo artist you like, you go back to them because they're safe, they're clean, they also use new packaging and new gloves and ink. Same thing goes for a piercer. When you find a piercer you like, one that's safe, always uses new packages, new gloves, etc, you stay with him.

Remember though, when it comes to piercing, it's also about the type of jewelry that they use. Anyone can use the cheap crap that costs you $10. Then you wonder why your piercing gets infected. While it may cost more to get the stainless steel, high-quality jewelry, in the long-run, it's better for you. Yes, it may cost $30 or $40 for a nose ring alone, but you know that it's not a cheap piece of metal that will break in two or make your skin itch.


Moral of the story is, will everyone have a bad reaction to the cheap jewelry? No, but will it last long and look good after a while? No. It's better to have a piercer that knows what they're doing and pay a little more up front, then pay a little less to someone who doesn't know what they're doing, and then pay more later when you have an infection and have to get it re-pierced because you had to let the hole close up to heal.

Dermal Piercing Examples

Dermals are quickly becoming the most popular type of piercing around because they're very fast and easy to do, and they have a very fast heal time.


This is pretty much what mine looks like, except a smaller stud.





Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Winter Wonderland Giveaway

Good evening lovelies! I hope you all have had the most amazing week so far. It's hard to believe it's almost Thanksgiving already! Only however many shopping days left until Christmas, which is why I've decided to help you all do some last-minute shopping for those loved ones in your life. No need to wait until the night before when it's 10pm and you're thanking whoever you pray to that the stores stay open until midnight.

Never fear, lovelies, my fantastically easy and fun contest is here.

Winter Wonderland Contest

For this contest, all you need to do is tell me about your favorite winter accessory that you just can't live without. Women and men of the fabulous fashion world, tell me what you love and won't be living without this winter. It's as simple as that.

The winner will be chosen at random from the entries that I receive.

Prizes

 

 

 

 

Whoever wins gets to choose one duffle bag and one laptop case to be shipped to them. It can be any combination; pink & pink, pink & black, black & black.

These lovely prizes are from the wonderful CSN.com, which has 200+ websites that carry everything from beautiful shoes to kids backpacks.

Rules:

 - Submissions are email only to : confessionsofachocoholic@yahoo.com

- All submissions are due in a week by next Wednesday, November 17th

- All submissions must include: Name,address, what winter product you can't live without

- Pictures may be included if desired

- There is no word minimum or maximum




The winner will have next Sunday's post be devoted to their product.


Good luck lovelies!!!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Team Pride for $50 or Less + Red is the new black

Good evening lovelies! I hope you all have had an amazing week thus far. Tonight, I am feeling a great deal of homesickness/pride (it might have something to do with having just seen "The Town" with Ben Affleck). Either way, lately all I want to do is deck myself out in Sox gear like Jimmy Fallon in "Fever Pitch". I want to have so much pride it's coming out of my ears. Of course, so much pride is not possible when one holds an office job and lives with Chargers & Padres fans.

So, tonight, I am bringing to you pride, in the most comfortable and cool way possible. Now, below I'm going to be showing my favorite teams. Not to worry, you too can own awesome gear to show your pride, all you have to do is look.

Some great sites:

chowdaheadz.com
amazon.com

Pride

$50 or Less



Make no mistake, this is the coolest shirt I've found other than the one that said "Kiss me I'm Jewish". I'm getting this one next paycheck. No joke. 



This is absolutely adorable and would look amazing with the t-shirt above. It's adorable, warm, and the color goes with everything. And of course, it has the beloved Mets. 


For anyone who happens to know me at all, I detest snuggies. I think they're the bane of our existence. And then I realized that I would actually own one, ONLY if it was a Red Sox one. Then one was brought to my attention. Now my neighbors will see me wearing my pride and being warm at the same time. [Also, snuggie + t-shirt + hat = AWESOME]


Red Lipstick as a girl's best friend and easiest accessory


And that's how I show MY pride for my favorite teams, but for those who may not be interested in sports, but still want to be comfortable, try red lipstick.

That seems silly, as it did to me just a little while ago. I'm an all-natural kind of a girl. I enjoy nice eyeliner every now and again, but I love a pretty clear gloss, a touch of blush and a faint pink eyeshadow for a bit of pop. That's my routine. I had tried red lipsticks before, but the colors had always made me feel like bozo the clown or elvira, or just plain washed out and trying to play dress-up.

Finding the correct shade of red lipstick can be difficult, but one of the main things I've found that helps is knowing your skin tone and what works best. Pink, no matter the shade, always looks best on me, which is why my lipstick has a bright pink undertone. It's red, but it's pink-red, and definitely not for the faint of heart.

Why red lipstick might you ask?

Red lipstick is a very classic and powerful, yet still comfortable way of accessorizing your outfit and adding that extra pop. For someone like me who had never worn it before, I felt out of my element and odd for the first 10 minutes. But, if you wear it around your house for a while before going outside, you forget you have it on, and it just becomes your gloss.

I recommend everyone own at least one good tube of lipstick, It will go with everything, and at times it will be the only makeup you will need.




This is almost exactly the color that I own, save mine is a touch more red. I recommend experimenting with different colors to find the best one for you, but I promise, the moment you find the right one, you'll wear it more often than you thought you ever would. I wear mine almost every week, and I love it.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Product Review

Good evening lovelies! I know it's been a while since I've last posted. Between moving and school, it's been impossible for me to sit down and post until this evening. Buuuuuuuuuuuut, tonight, i have my long-awaited product review!

As you all remember, I have partnered with the wonderful CSN.com stores in the past, and this time I teamed up with them again to do a product review of two of their wonderful items

Product Review


AfterSoles in Silver: $19.00


AfterSoles in Gold: $19.00


I had some issues with receiving these beautiful little flats (thanks to the post office), which is part of the reason why it took so long for me to do this review, but I am happy now that I have them. One of the best things about these flats is the fact that the shipping is free on them, so you don't have to worry about spending any more money than what you're paying for the actual shoes.

These flats are very comfortable. I owned all of 2 pairs of flats before I decided to try these. I live in wedges/heels, boots, and sandals. It's difficult for me to find comfortable and cute flats. These are wonderful. They went with so many different outfits and they're very easy to slip on and off when you're in a hurry. The bottoms feels like they have some support, which is very hard to find with flats. They are incredibly comfortable. I ran around for several days during work and outside of work in them and I was doing just fine. (Normally, flats hurt my feet after an extended period of wear)

I own nothing metallic besides my jewelry, which is another reason why I chose these; i really wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone, and let me tell you, i'm really thankful I did. Mind you, i'm not going to be wearing these every single day just because I have to wear boots or wedges at some point or I'll feel incredibly short next to everyone, but these will definitely maintain in the top percentage of my commonly worn shoes. The fact that you can roll them up is another major plus; along with the fact that they come with cute little bags to put them in if you're on the go. Those came in handy when I went up to my mother's for the weekend and didn't have a lot of suitcase space to put a full pair of shoes. They are very convenient and will fit in almost any purse as an emergency shoe if you're wearing uncomfortable shoes that day.

My verdict: Buy these shoes: you won't regret it! 

Rating: 5/5

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Halloween for $50 or Less

 Good evening lovelies! I hope you all have had an amazing week so far! Tonight, in celebration of the amazing holiday coming up, Halloween, I am bringing you 3 of the hottest and cutest costumes I've found for $50 and less. Happy trick-or-treating all you ghouls and ghoulettes!


Costumes

$50 and Less




 How cute is this baby costume?! And it's unisex!




A full-blown Davey Jones costume for only $20! Any guy would be an idiot to NOT want to be Davey Jones this year.


Just dance.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Diane Birch: Look for Less

Good evening lovelies! Due to personal ailments, this past week has been lacking in posts. Not to worry though, tonight I am bringing you a wonderful treat for you all!

As you probably have already noticed, I've developed a serious love for Diane Birch. I heard her song "Valentino" quite a while ago, and since then have been a devoted follower. This week, to honor miss Diane, I have decided to re-create one of her many amazing looks.


Diane Birch



Look for Less












Outfit Total: $59.69


Yes, it is true, this outfit is almost $10 more, but, at the same time, these are not trendy, one-time-use pieces. These are pieces that will stay in your wardrobe for as long as you wish to keep them because they will always be on-trend and in-style. I feel like this particular look, while it is almost $10 more, is an amazing one and that is why I chose to re-create it, even though it is $10 more. Not every outfit will be close to $60. As you know, I try to keep all my re-creations as close to $50 as possible. Sometimes they go a little over. This is the first time it's been almost $10, but I personally believe this outfit and her style is worth the extra $10 because it so cool, so vintage, yet so now.