Costume jewelry has been chic since Coco Chanel made it so, but sometimes there’s no substitute for real gemstone jewelry. If you’d like to pick some up for much less than usual, here’s how.
Hint: It’s all about timing — and March is my favorite time to hit the jewelry counters.
Do you crave color at the start of spring?
If you’re intrigued by the orange trend too, sate both cravings simultaneously with these adorable Nine West Lovable flats in coral.
Cute yet walkable shoes in a stand-out color are a great addition to almost any closet, because when “they match nothing, that means they match everything” — and you can wear them with any outfit you want.
(I heard it on Oprah, so it must be true 
Available in coral in sizes 6-10.5; there also come in pink, blue and black. Ships free to U.S. only.
To update your look without spending a lot, jewelry can be your very best bet.
The right piece:
For example, to rock the current green trend, we suggest a gorgeous piece of jade jewelry — and it will still be stunning long after the trend is over.
Our pick is this sterling silver and jade open circle pendant for just $25. Ships to the U.S.
We get a lot of emails asking, “where is the best place to look for …”
To help us answer your questions, we have a list here at BQ HQ where we share all our favorite shopping spots with each other. As well as helping us answer your questions, we also use it to find fabulous things to write about, and of course, to work out which retailers we want as affiliates too!
Today, we’ve decided to share our ’secret’ list with the world. It’s been months of work compiling it, so we hope you find it useful.
Next time you’re looking for something fabulous at a reasonable price, we recommend that you try these retailers. We always have great luck with them, so we’d love to hear your thoughts on them too!
Without further ado, here’s the list:
Just a short note to let you know why we’re a little quiet here: we’re on the road!
I’m currently in San Francisco, where I’ll be ’til the end of this week.
Then, Meg and I will be attending the South by Southwest Interactive festival and conference in Austin, Texas from March 7th-11th.
After that, I’m headed to New York city, where I’ll be for at least a few months.
We’d love to catch up with our readers in any/all of the places we’re traveling, so if you’ll be there when we are, please feel free to drop us a line!
So far, I’ve explained the basics of using stripes and lines to flatter your figure and shown you ways to use vertical lines to look taller and slimmer.
Now I’ll show you how to use horizontal lines to make your figure look fabulous.
If you watched the recent Oprah Show episode on Schlumpadinka Makeovers, then you know that Lloyd Boston considers a trench coat to be a wardrobe essential.
Is it? No, but putting on a nice trench is a fool-proof way to add polish and class to just about any outfit.
So, if you feel like your wardrobe needs an instant makeover, or if you just loved this fabulous coat, check out this Kenneth Cole trench coat. It’s now $50 off — down to $150!
While it’s also available in black and sandstone, I recommend going with the red. It’ll still go with just about anything, but it packs a lot more wow-factor.
And don’t forget to check out Lloyd Boston’s book, Before You Put That On for more advice. (Read my review here.)
Ships to the U.S. and APO/FPO addresses; sizes XS-XL.
Silk scarves are a great accessory for spring. They’re an incredibly easy way to add color and interest to an otherwise basic outfit. I know, I’ve been wearing them a lot lately — and having lots of fun doing so.
There are dozens of ways to wear a scarf, but my favorite right now has got to be the French twist. It’s remarkably simple and you can find the instructions for that and some other popular scarf knots here.
If you’re a regular reader, you know that I love using trendy accessories to update outfits. Since florals are big this season, why not try them out on a silk scarf? It’s a look that’s both of the moment and yet very classic.
Here are three floral silk scarves to get you started:
All ship worldwide from Silk Charm. Shipping to the U.S. is free if you spend $50 or more on Silk Charm items.
And don’t forget about this hummingbird brooch! It would make a beautiful and fitting addition to any of those scarves.
I hate to say, “Every gal needs ____ “, but a pair of good quality black pumps is high on my list of wardrobe staples — and I’m sure it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see why:
But you don’t have to “invest” in a pair of Manolos to get quality shoes. This leather pair from Isaac Mizrahi is now on sale for just $14.99, and got great reviews!
Don’t forget, the brown pair is still on sale for $7.49! At that price, you can get both pairs for less than $30!
Sizes 5.5-12 available; ships to the U.S. and APO/FPO addresses.
Sure, Facebook is great, but face-to-face networking will never go out of style — and you never know when you’ll make a new contact. So when opportunity knocks, will you confidently pull out a business card or sheepishly ask for a pen and napkin?
Keep a set of business cards on hand and you won’t be stuck fishing for something to write your contact information on. Even if you’re not looking to improve your career prospects, they’re handy when you meet new friends.
While you can save money by printing basic cards at home, give them a good home to keep them crisp, clean, and ready to go. Even better, dress them up in a snazzy case.
This pink Swarovski crystal business card case would be great — if it weren’t $85!
Fortunately, this similar case is just $29.99 and ships worldwide! Plus, it ships free to the U.S. and even comes with a free LanoLip moisturizing lip balm.
Or, get the clear crystal style for the same price and you get a matching compact in addition to the lip balm! (The compact is also sold separately for $19.99.)
What a dazzling deal!
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...for fabulous things at reasonable prices:
