Why You Should Shop Online + Useful Tips ♡

cheap

Ever since I was in middle school, I have always been a bargain hunter and a sales shopper. When I discovered shopping online it was like being introduced to a whole new world of commerce- all on screens! Shopping online is so great, because you can literally find anything you want online. If a product you really want isn't available at one store, you can easily find something similar at another store online in less than a minute. 

Another reason I love e-commerce is because it takes comparison shopping to a whole new level. Sometimes you can find the product on the store's website for cheaper, but you have to factor in shipping costs. Shopping the website will also give you more choices about your product though, like color. 

*TIP* Want free shipping? Pay for the product in store and they will order it online for you. They will give you free shipping since they didn't have the product in store and because the store is ordering the product for you. 

Another way to comparison shop is to compare different websites for the same product. If there is a specific product that is special to one store, than you can always find similar products online. If the product is made by a company that is sold at many different stores, than I suggest looking at the pricing at various stores online. Also check and see if the stores are having any special offers, such as giving away a free product along with your purchase. Some stores will also price match! You may pick a store because of the price, or because of a special service they offer when you make a purchase. You may also pick a store because of their return policy!

*TIP* Try googling your product and clicking on the shopping tab. You can find a bunch of different websites that sell the product you're looking for!

*TIP* Come across a sketchy website, or a website that you've never heard of? Search for reviews of the website online. You'll come across various blog posts, videos, etc. about the website which will help you determine the credibility of it. Never just rely on one source. Read multiple reviews of this site!

*TIP* Search for your product on Amazon! I love going on Amazon, because you can usually find things there for so much cheaper than the normal price! I literally go to Amazon to compare prices on anything and everything.

*TIP* Want something shipped to you fast and free? Join Amazon Prime! My family and I use it and absolutely love it. It is so efficient and quick, and you can also get special deals on your purchases.

Think about if you want this product new or used. Obviously some things you would definitely not want used, like underwear. But books on the other hand don't have to be new. If you think you might want this product used to save money, look at websites like Ebay, Amazon, Mercari and Poshmark. These websites sell new as well as used things.

*TIP* Look at the product's or the seller's reviews and pictures. If a seller has bad reviews, than I suggest not buying from them. Pictures are also very useful to look at, because you can see if the product is true to the description. You should also look at answered questions to read more about customers' concerns about the product. You should also ask your own question so that you can get an answer from either the seller or customers who have bought this product.

*TIP* Before buying an item, look at the section of the site where there are related items, or things that other customers have bought.

*TIP* Like listings on websites with used products to receive updates about discounts and comments on the listing. If not many people have liked the listing than comment with a lower offer. Usually the seller will lower their price a little bit!

*TIP* Use websites like Ebates to get cash back when you shop online! There are also a bunch of different other websites that offer you points that you can redeem for money when you buy items through their site. I'll leave some referral codes listed down below so you guys can save money!

REFERRAL CODES
Ebates // http://bit.ly/2bpV7v1
Poshmark (Get $5 off your 1st purchase with this invite code) // BUWHM
Mercari (Get $2 with this invite code) // QRNMHB
Shopkick (Get $2 with this invite code) // https://app.shopkick.com/r/1YMciV
Dote (Get free shipping on your 1st order + $5 with this code) // COYP

Hope you guys found this useful :)

2 Gossip Girl Inspired Outfits From Serena & Blair (Back to School Edition) ♡

accessories
*This blog does not own this picture. It was taken from Pinterest!

Hey elites! It's Thea here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite. Someone so kindly sent me this picture of S & B (otherwise known as Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf) getting ready for school. As you can see in this picture, they are looking seriously unhappy about this new school year coming up... they'll be more annoyed when they see that I've leaked more of their secrets out in the open for you all! It's going to one hell of a school year for these too. Will they spend their days having study sessions with Dan and Chuck, or will they instead be up all night dancing on table tops and getting in more drama? We'll just have to see...

You can read my last posts here if you want more fashion secrets from these two:
Lunch Date outfits: click here
Shopping outfits: click here

Here are a few more secrets on how to steal their back to school outfits on a budget you can afford!  This will definitely help if your school dress code is as strict as these girls'. Keep reading to learn how you can steal their style! Sorry S and B, more secrets are out in the open. 

Serena's Outfit

serena school outfit
Shirt (on sale!) / skirt / heels (on sale!) / vest / bracelet (on sale!) / neck tie / purse

Serena's back to school look is cute and casual like usual. She wears her school uniform very laid back and fun, by tying her neck tie low around her neck and wearing a vest over her shirt. She makes her school look more feminine by wearing a mini plaid skirt and nude heels. If you don't own nude heels then I highly recommend buying them- they will make anything more dressed up! Serena wears a fun snakeskin print handbag too that really makes her outfit look unique and different- everyone at her school is going to be wearing snakeskin this year now that Serena has started this trend! 

Blair's Outfit

blair school outfit
Blouse (on sale!) / skirt (on sale!) / heels / neck tie / scarf / bracelet / headband / purse

Blair is back at it again with a chic and sophisticated look- this time for back to school. She adds a parisian chic flair by tying a silk neck scarf around her neck over her neck tie. She keeps it classy with a pearl bracelet and then wears fun shoes to spice it up a bit. She also wears an oxblood colored handbag, which she can carry all her school assignments (or not) in. 

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this Gossip Girl inspired post :)

And who am I? That's another secret I'll never tell. You know you love me. XOXO. 

-Gossip Girl (aka Thea)

My Favorite Bronzer, Contour + Highlighter Makeup Products (Review & Swatches) ♡

animal cruelty free

Hey guys! Today I am going to share with you my favorite bronzer, contour and highlighter makeup products, as you can see from the title of this blog post obviously. I love using bronzer during the summer to give my skin a nice healthy glow. I also love the contour and highlighting trend that's going around. I don't think of it as changing the shape of your face, but more as enhancing your natural face shape. 

You're probably wondering why there is a picture of foundations and eyeshadows when this is a post all about bronzer, contour and highlighter. Keep reading to learn more about how I use things like eyeshadows and foundations for bronzing, highlighting and contouring!

Shop this post



I picked up the Covergirl Nudes TruNaked Palette a few months ago during an Ulta shopping trip (read full review here). I think the eyeshadows in this palette are absolutely beautiful. They are extremely easy to blend and are super pigmented. I noticed that the shades not only work as eyeshadow, but also as highlighter!

There are a combination of matte and shimmery shades in this palette. I use the shades buff and champagne in this palette for highlighting. These shades are shimmery and give a beautiful glow to the skin. I use the shade mink sometimes for bronzing my face, but it could also be used as a highlight if you have a darker skin tone.

Buff and champagne are both cooler tone shades in my opinion and mink is a more warmer tone shade. I mostly use champagne for highlighter. I just like to dust it on the tops of my cheekbones with a small little eyeshadow brush. If you have any light colored eyeshadows, you can make always try using them as highlighters! That way you'll get more use out of them and won't have to carry around and buy more products than necessary.


I bought this contour palette from Marshalls a few weeks ago and fell in love with it. First of all, the packaging is just the best thing I've ever seen. It comes in a gold tin case and the words are in a matte black. I've looked on the Profusion website for this palette, but they don't seem to sell this particular one anymore. I did find a similar one on Ebay. I got this palette in the shade medium and it came with a small mini contour brush inside. 

This palette not only comes with shades for contouring, but also has powders for highlighting and bronzing as well- the perfect trifecta! The powders are very blendable and easy to work with. This palette really makes contouring and highlighting easier and faster!

I usually use the shade highlighter and vanilla for highlighting because they give the perfect glow. The shades nude and caramel are good for bronzing your face or for contouring. I usually use caramel for contouring my cheeks because it's just a hair darker than my skin color, so it looks very natural. When I want to make my contour more intense, I'll go in with the shade expresso very lightly. I definitely recommend this palette to basically anyone!!!



I recently picked up the sample size of the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer at Ulta. I also just did a review on this product that you can read here. One of the main reasons I love this bronzer is because of the smell. It smells just like chocolate, but it's not an overbearing scent. It's very subtle and sweet. 

The shade I have is medium/deep which is just a little bit darker than my skin tone. Since this is a matte bronzer, it's great for contouring and sculpting out your cheekbones. 

Here is a swatch of it on my arm. This is definitely a pricier bronzer and if you want to spend a lot of a nice, expensive bronzer than go for it! I think that there are many drugstore matte bronzers out there that will do just the trick- however bear in mind that they won't smell as good. 

Bobbi Brown Bronze Shimmer Brick

This is one of my all time favorite makeup products, because I think it is so versatile and can be used in many different ways. The Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks are handmade in Italy have 5 shades in them. 

You can use the shades in this compact as eyeshadow, highlighter or bronzer! I like to use an eyeshadow brush and sweep it into these shades individually as eyeshadow. When I use this compact as highlighter I like to run my brush through the top two shades and pat the brush on the tops of my cheekbones where natural light usually hits. When I want to bronze my face, I use the bottom 4 colors and apply them on my cheeks and around the high points of my face. 

Here are swatches of the colors in this palette, starting from the top color and working down to the bottom color. This is my go to compact when I want to look really glowy and bronzed up for the summer. 

Wet n Wild Color Icon Bronzer

I have this bronzer in the shade 739 Ticket to Brazil. I also did a review of this product here. This is a great drugstore bronzer that is extremely inexpensive. This isn't my favorite bronzer, but I like to use it when I want a more natural look that isn't quite as shimmery and glowy.

This bronzer looks pretty matte at first, but as you can see by the swatch below it is actually shimmery. I don't reach for this product very often, just because when I do decide to wear bronzer I like to go all out. This product is very pretty though and can also be used as eyeshadow.

Here's the swatch of the bronzer! It looks very gold and shimmery in this picture, however when applying it to the face it doesn't look this vibrant.

Elf Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder

I heard pretty good reviews about this contouring blush and bronzing powder duo online so I picked it up awhile back in the shade antigua. I did a review about it here. The packaging of this product reminds me of the Nars packaging, because they are both matte black. This product is very affordable and easy to use. I don't use the blush in this duo because it is way too pink for me and I'd probably end up looking like a clown. I used to use the bronzer a lot before I had other bronzers, but I don't find myself reaching for it quite as much now. 

As you can see, these powders are extremely pigmented- like crazy pigmented! Pigmented to the point where you have to be careful about how much you apply on your brush. They do blend easily though, which is great. The brown shade can be used for bronzing or contouring. It has the smallest amount of shimmer too it, but it's barely noticeable. This shade is a bit too dark for me so when I use it, I use a slight hand blend a lot to make it look more natural.

Wet n Wild MegaGlo Illuminating Powder

This product reminds me of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick that I have, but way more affordable. One of the downsides of this product is that it cracks and breaks easily... as you can obviously see. It's the main reason why I never use this product anymore. The top twists off and powder always spills out everywhere... it can get pretty messy. I have this illuminating powder in the shade 348 starlight bronze.

Here's a swatch of these powders. They aren't quite as pigmented as the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick but they are still beautiful colors. I would swirl all these colors together to make a nice shimmery bronzer. You could also use this product as a highlighter if you focused on the tops of your cheekbones.

The Body Shop BB Cream + Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation

I have the shade 04 in the Body Shop BB Cream, which matches my skin perfectly in the Summer when I have a nice tan. However, during Fall/Winter/Spring my skin is much lighter so this BB cream doesn't match my skin anymore. It was annoying that I could only use this product when I was tan, but then I discovered strobing. It's basically contouring and highlighting with liquids. I apply this BB cream on the hollows of my cheeks where I would normally apply contour powder. I find that using liquid products will make the contour and highlight last longer! 

I have the Rimmel Lasting Finish foundation in the shade 203 True Beige. If you want to read my full review of this product than click here. This product is the exact opposite of the BB cream. It matches my skin great during Fall/Winter/Spring. It's too light during the Summer though, so this works great as a highlighter. It works differently than a powder highlighter does. Instead of adding a shimmery glow, it brightens and lifts your undereye area. 

Here is a swatch of the foundation and the BB cream. It's hard to see the BB cream because it matches my skin pretty well right now. I definitely recommend to use foundations that are too light or dark for you for strobing! That way you can get more use out of the product!

I hope you all enjoyed this post! What are you favorite bronzer, contour or highlighter products?

Thea ♡ 

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Beauty Picks 2016 ♡

2016
Hello friends! The 2016 Nordstrom Anniversary sale is open to the public today and will last all the way to August 8th. Nordstrom is having some great sales right now, and today I am going to share with you some beauty picks that I think would be great to pick up if you are in the market for new makeup. Beware- your bank account might not appreciate this sale as much as you will! 

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |

If you only want to buy one beauty item at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, I would spend your money on a nice palette. Whether it be an eyeshadow or face palette, they are always good deals. You get a bunch of different products all together in a convenient palette and don't have to pay the price of each separate thing included in the palette. Usually the palettes are cheaper than buying all the individual products.

I've always wanted to try eyelash enhancers. My eyelashes are sooo short and applying mascara can become difficult, as well as time consuming. I would love to have eyelashes that are long and full!

I hope you guys find this post helpful and find some amazing deals at the sale! Tell me what you buy!

Thea ♡

Too Faced Kiss & Makeup Product Review ♡

beauty

Hey guys! Today I am going to do a post on the Too Faced Kiss & Makeup bronzer and lipstick duo. I'm going to be sharing my thoughts and opinions about these products and also show what these makeup products look like on me. I bought this at Ulta from the little section of mini sized products near the front counter. I purchased it for $15. I love buying little mini sets of products so that I can try them out and see if I want to invest in the full version of the product.


Click here to purchase this set

This Too Faced Set includes...
Here's a swatch of the lipstick in nude beach. I think this color is super pretty! It has a nice natural sheen to it. It looks super natural on the lips and is also very hydrating.

Keep scrolling to see pictures of the lipstick and the bronzer on me!




I really like this bronzer for a few different reasons-
  • Easy to blend
  • Very natural looking
  • Great for contouring (very matte)
  • Smells like chocolate!!!











What I'm wearing ♡
Earrings // https://www.shopversona.com
Dress // http://bit.ly/29OFwqV

Makeup I'm wearing ♡
Face Moisturizer // http://bit.ly/29Qma6B
Primer // http://bit.ly/29EquAT
Foundation // http://bit.ly/29YnrYW
Concealer // http://bit.ly/29QnHth
Setting Powder // http://bit.ly/29w5Abc
Contour // http://bit.ly/29yZXVe
Bronzer // http://bit.ly/29OI8VS
Highlighter // http://bit.ly/29OI8VS
Eyebrow Powder // http://bit.ly/29OIzzo
Eyebrow Gel // http://bit.ly/29z1dY6
Mascara // http://bit.ly/29OJL5G
Eyeliner // http://bit.ly/29YpNXv
Eyeshadow // http://bit.ly/29OIzzo
Lipstick // http://bit.ly/29QoHgU

Thanks for reading!


2 Gossip Girl Inspired Outfits From Serena & Blair (Lunch Date Edition) ♡

accessories

*Picture used from https://www.styl.sh/articles/838-blair-waldorf-serena-van-der-woodsen-s-best-summer-outfits

Hey elites! It's Thea here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite (or into the boring life of a high school blogger). There's been another spotting of S and B (otherwise known as Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf) out and about. As you can see in this picture, they are happily coming out of their favorite little lunch spot in Manhattan, looking as carefree as ever... they won't be after I'm through with them (letting their secrets out of course). They thought they could get a break from me over the Summer now that schools out- think again!

So many of you enjoyed my last post about these two beauty queens, so I thought I would let you in on a few more secrets on how to steal their outfits on a budget you can afford! Keep reading to learn how you can steal their style! Sorry S and B, more secrets are out in the open. 

Serena's Outfit
serena outfit 2
Shirt / skirt / necklace / shoes / bag / bobby pins

Did Serena and Blair coordinate their outfits, because they both look perfect for this summer! They both have pops of green in their outfits- I'm definitely looking green with envy at them! I love Serena's comfortable and simple look, as she pairs a green short skirt with a tank. I also am obsessed with her hairstyle. It's actually quite easy- just put your hair in a ponytail, leaving out a section of hair. Then take the section you left out, wrap it around the ponytail and bobby pin it in place. It's as easy as that!

Blair's Outfit
blair outfit 2
Headband / necklace / dress / bracelet / bag / shoes / belt / ring

Blair (as usual) looks very feminine, classy and sophisticated in her floral dress. I love how she added the headband to add a fun vibe to her look. She's also carrying a woven straw handbag that looks like a picnic basket if you ask me. It's very festive for the summer though!

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed another Gossip Girl inspired blog post!

And who am I? That's another secret I'll never tell. You know you love me. XOXO.

-Gossip Girl (aka Thea)

Popular Posts

Popular Posts

Like us on Facebook

Flickr Images