Thrifty Thursday’s – The Cape Coat

November 13, 2014November 13, 20145 Comments

Cape coats are all the rage at the moment. Actually, I would argue that they have been the best thing since sliced bread after seeing one on Pretty Little Liars, and most recently made popular again by my favorite leading lady…Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope on ABC’s show, Scandal. She’s amazing. No lie.

Trench Cape – Pretty Little Liars

Wool Cape Coat – Pretty Little Liars

Cape Coat – Scandal

Photos: Pinterest

I’ve been on the hunt for a cape coat for years now, but haven’t really found anything that I loved until just this year. The first one I found was this NY & Company trench coat, currently on sale for $53.97 with an additional 30% off.

http://goo.gl/Xv1mdg

http://goo.gl/KfqCRL

Photos: NYandCompany.com and Instagram

I may also add that cape coats are great for expectant mothers. Just a little maternity fashion tip for my soon-to-be momma’s out there!

Most recently, I found a cape coat that is VERY much inspired by the Burberry cape coat that Kerri Washington wore on Scandal, which sent swarms of TV-watching fashionistas in search of something that would even come close to the perfection that was the Burberry coat.

burberry

Photo: Pinterest

Cape coat from H&M. Photos: Chic in Academia

For some reason, this cape coat is not yet online, but can be found in some stores; call or visit your local store to inquire. It retails $69.95 – just a fraction of the cost of the Burberry version, so definitely a thrifty version in my book!

If you need other or immediate options online, you’ll want to check out The Limited’s Scandal line. Kerri Washington via Scandal recently collaborated with The Limited to create a line inspired by the show. It’s fantastic. Here are some of the pieces I’m head over heels for from that line, including a plaid cape coat and a white cape trench coat that may just have to be included on my Christmas list. (Hint, hint hubby!!)

http://www.thelimited.com/product/cape-trench-coat/20046419.html?dwvar_20046419_colorCode=71&prefn1=saleStatus&ppid=c45&start=45&cgid=scandal-collection-inspired-by-kerry-washington&prefv1=regular

http://www.thelimited.com/product/plaid-cape/20046420.html?dwvar_20046420_colorCode=103&prefn1=saleStatus&ppid=c41&start=41&cgid=scandal-collection-inspired-by-kerry-washington&swatch=n&prefv1=regular

http://www.thelimited.com/product/plaid-collarless-cape/20046455.html?prefn1=saleStatus&ppid=c1&start=1&cgid=scandal-collection-inspired-by-kerry-washington&dwvar_20046455_colorCode=307&prefv1=regular

http://www.thelimited.com/product/drape-collar-wrap-coat/20046457.html?prefn1=saleStatus&ppid=c2&start=2&cgid=scandal-collection-inspired-by-kerry-washington&dwvar_20046457_colorCode=734&swatch=n&prefv1=regular

http://www.thelimited.com/product/tulip-skirt-sheath-dress/20068945.html?dwvar_20068945_colorCode=649&prefn1=saleStatus&ppid=c53&start=53&cgid=scandal-collection-inspired-by-kerry-washington&swatch=n&prefv1=regular

http://www.thelimited.com/product/drape-front-cardigan/20107360.html?prefn1=saleStatus&ppid=c27&dwvar_20107360_colorCode=184&start=27&cgid=scandal-collection-inspired-by-kerry-washington&prefv1=regular

So, what do you think?? Are you as obsessed as I am?! Let me know what your favorites are in the comments section below. Finally, don’t forget to check out my daily outfit posts on Instagram, sources for outfit inspiration on Pinterest, and latest musings and retweets on Twitter. Happy shopping!!

Until next time! Stay Chic!

Neutrogena® Norwegian Formula Hand Cream Review

November 12, 2014July 28, 20155 Comments

Disclosure: This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Neutrogena® Norwegian Formula® and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are my own.

Fall and winter are two of my favorite seasons, primarily because of the seasonal attire. No surprise there! But, one of the things I dislike is the fact that my hands get super dry. So dry sometimes that they crack! It’s the worst. I had been on the hunt for a decent hand cream, and therefore was pleased when I was selected to participate in the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula hand cream challenge.

I was asked to try the lotion for 7 days. I was not asked to note anything in particular, but simply to share my experience with you. That seemed reasonable enough. So here’s what I thought.

I love it. Let me count the reasons why:

1. It’s a light formula, so it spreads nicely and absorbs quickly.

2. It doesn’t feel oily. It sort of does at first, but soon there after, absorbs into the skin and the oiliness disappears. I would say this takes no longer than 10 minutes.

3. It smells nice! Not like medication or overly scented. It just sort of smells…clean and fresh!

4. It works! My hands were getting so dry. It was awful. Skin that resembles sand paper in texture is not attractive. Thankfully, after my 7 day trial period, I no longer qualify to work on a construction site. 😀 I would say it took 3-4 days for me to notice a difference. The formula was originally developed in Norway for Artic fishermen who needed to protect their hands from the cold and harsh weather they face on the job! Thankfully, it has since been adapted for mass production and nicely packaged for our use.

Finally, I love that it’s relatively affordable, especially considering it’s effectiveness – only $4.99 for a 2.0 oz tube. Notice the size is perfect for travel as well! You can find it nationwide at food, drug and mass merchandisers.

Here are some additional factoids about this awesome hand cream:

It helps repair skin’s natural moisture barrier to keep hands, and especially cuticles,
softer and smoother, longer
It eliminates 7 signs of damage – dryness, chapping, cracking, split nails, dry cuticles, scaliness, roughness
It’s long-lasting formula is clinically proven to heal dry hands
It noticeably improves the look and feel of your skin
It’s available in scented and fragrance free formulas
It provides effective relief that lasts up to 17 hours
The formula has been around since 1972!

Let me know if you have used the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula hand cream or if you decide to try it for the first time, give the 7-day challenge a try and comment below with your experience. I’d love to hear about it. Finally, don’t forget to check out my daily outfit posts on Instagram, sources for outfit inspiration on Pinterest, and latest musings and retweets on Twitter.

Until next time! Stay Chic!

Thrifty Thursday’s – Office Chic on a Budget

October 9, 20144 Comments

I love to dress up for work. That’s no secret. That said, I don’t like to spend a lot of money on my clothes. But, if you’ve read my blog before, you already know this. 🙂

People often ask how I find such amazing deals. It’s really quite simple: anytime I walk into a store or load a store’s webpage online, I head straight for the sales section. At Target, for example, I go straight for the clearance section and always walk right over to the 70 and 50 percent off racks. Online, if browsing Piperlime.com, AnnTaylor.com…you name it; I first click on the Sale tab, then immediately sort by price (low to high), and don’t consider buying anything that isn’t marked off 60% or more. I guess the other important part of this is that, I don’t shop for special occasions or for certain outfits. I’m always on the hunt for deals and steals, so that if a special occasion or a need for a new outfit rolls around, amazingly priced options already exist in my closet and I don’t have to stress while in the store because “I can’t find anything to wear”. See, being prepared works even for avid shoppers like me!

That’s how I’ve manged to score some of the outfits below! Check them out:

Photo: My 5-year old son

The skirt in the outfit above is from the Target clearance racks. It was marked down to about $5. I paired it with a $10 top from the sale section at Forever 21, a $6 necklace from Francesca’s (also on sale), nude BCBGeneration heels from TJ Maxx (super old), and my 10-year wedding anniversary gift…Louis #3 (thank you bunches, hubby!!). Replace the shoes and bag with items you already own (aka ‘free’), and you have a decent outfit for work for less than $25!

This next outfit cost $16 total, minus the shoes (but they are so old, they are practically free now, haha!):

Photo: Hubby

This dress was tucked between all of the XL clothes on a clearance rack at the Gap. It is a small. Moral of this short story: Be a signage skeptic! Just because the rack sign indicates the clothes are not in your size, doesn’t necessarily mean that one or more items have been misplaced and are waiting for you to find them! So, $11 later, this dress was mine! Add a $5 necklace from Walmart (another lesson to be learned here…be an equal opportunity shopper), and $16 later, you have a prim and proper outfit for work! You could even wear this to dinner with colleagues or to church on Sunday!

My latest find was an Ann Taylor blazer (pictured below), paired with another Gap dress I scored online. Take a look at the two items I scored for $23:

Photo: Hubby

I happened to stop by Ann Taylor this past week and they were having an additional 60% discount on all of their sale merchandise. This blazer was on sale, but originally priced at $200. I got it for $15! Major #winning moment! The dress I purchased for $8 (originally ~$45) earlier in the year during a flash sale on Gap.com, the necklace was $15 at Lotus Boutique, the belt was $8 at Anthropologie (also old), and the shoes/bag, well, we’ve already covered those above. 🙂

So you see, a little bit of savvy shopping can go a long way! All looks are office appropriate and won’t break your bank either.

Here are a few basics from JCrew.com, all under $24 with code SOSWEET. The items below are all in the ‘Sale’ Section, and you get an additional 40% off the marked sale price…AND, don’t forget to sort by price!! The sale is going on in stores as well.