Shopping tips from me to you…

If you read my blog, you would have read my rant about the cost of products here in Australia and why said mark-up pretty much has me laughing when the press cries “poor retailer!”…

So in order to stick it to the man (70’s fashion is back why can’t 70’s attitudes follow), I’ve decided to do another post on how you can buy products cheaper! Now because I’m not pure evil (I’m only the diet coke of evil…well maybe the coke zero of evil) I will also mention some tips when buying things from retailers here in Australia (well 1 because that’s all they get! See this is where the evil comes in).

If you have a favorite brand, check out their website! With e-commerce taking off over the past few years, many brands are cutting out the middle man and selling things directly off their website. This is really good because it means that the brand controls how much things are, so it’s worth checking out. As I mentioned in my last post, I buy all my NUDE skincare products from their website because its about 50% cheaper.

Don’t forget ebay! A lot of companies are starting little shops on EBay because it’s more cost efficient to sell things there. So I highly recommend jumping on ebay if you are after something. People are a bit skeptical about this because people do sell fakes. I always check out the rating of the seller and see if they have any negative comments. Also once I find a seller I stick with them. I’ve saved heaps of money buying things off ebay!

Check out overseas department stores! Some of the big department stores in the US ship to Australia, such as Saks. It’s really worth checking out because you can buy things so much cheaper then here.

If you want to buy something wait! This is a little tip for buying things in Australia. Things go on sale all the time! For example I saw this top in Sportsgirl that I wanted to buy, went back the following week and it was on-sale. If you do find something and you really love it, can’t live without it then I would recommend just buying it, but if you can hold out for a few weeks do and see if it goes on sale.

Check out a shipping website like HopShopGo! HopShopGo is a website specially designed for buying things in the US. They supply you with a US shipping address and then for a small commission and postage costs they send your shopping to you. There are a few of these around but I’ve been told HopShopGo is the best.

So I hope you like my tips and hope they help you save some money!

Nat xoxo

How much do Australian retailers really want our money??...

Talking about the economic state of the country isn’t something that I normally make a point of discussing in my blog, but something has really been plaguing on my mind.

For the past few years, I’ve noticed the press always seem to be bagging on about the negative state of the Australian Retail Sector (I guess sector is the right word). This obviously has a big link to the overall state of the economy. We’ve seen retailers try to do whatever that can to get us to buy, whether it’s discounts, sales, loyalty rewards, you name it they’ve tried it. We also saw the former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd give us a delightful $900 to try to get us to spend spend spend!

There is one thing they haven’t thought of, maybe they should “correct” the price of so many items sold in Australia Retail Chains. Anyone who has left the island of Australia will know how much everything costs here. You can buy the same products/brands in the US or the UK for about half the price. Why would I pay $150 for my Nude moisturizer at Mecca Cosmetica when I can get it for $70 from the UK? It doesn’t make sense.  And with so many brands’ websites shipping internationally and websites like HopShopGo starting up the options are limitless (and lets not forget the beloved family member who travels overseas and asks “is there anything you want?”).

Whether it’s make-up, jeans or shoes, everywhere else in the world seems to be selling it cheaper; and I’m not buying the ‘quality’ isn’t as good because it is (I know I’ve bought it).

There are a lot of people who say, “we need to support the Australian economy” and “we have to support the Australian retail business”, but I say why don’t the retailers support us, the consumers? Why shouldn’t we be able to afford what they are selling? I for one would love to support the Australia retailers, and I will as soon as they pull their finger out and realize that now the Australian dollar is stronger the prices of our products really need to change.

Personally I don’t think people are going to start spending big even if they have the cash to do so; and with all the alternative options why would they. I really think if the retailers want things to change, this country needs to make some changes on product prices stat!

Oh and just to prove my point, I spent my $900 from the government on shoes…when I was on holidays in Europe. Thank you Kevin Rudd, my irregular choice shoes (which you can’t even buy here) and I thank you.

Nat xoxo

Face Masks

I have found that face masks seem to be the forgotten skincare product. Usually they are only associated with in facial treatments, or something that you do once and a while for a bit of fun (they are pretty fun!). But face masks, when used correctly, can be a great way to keep skincare woes at bay. The problem is finding the right mask to suit your skin type. Here is a breakdown of what masks are good for what kind of skin type (YAY!).

Dry – If you have dry skin a rich mask can be more effective then a really heavy moisturizer. An enzyme mask does a great job of dissolving dead skin without irritating the skin. However try to avoid a strong enzyme mask as well as clay or mud masks if you have dry sensitive skin.

My recommendations for dry skin are...

1. Nude's Intense Moisture Mask

2. Mario Badescu's Enzyme Revitalising Mask

Oily – Clay and Mud masks are great drying options for oily skin because they draw out impurities and absorb excess oil. If you have acne, clay masks that bring down the redness are best.

My recommendations for oily skin are...

1. Origins' Out Of Trouble 

2. Nude's Deep Cleansing Mask

Combination – Combination skin is good because most masks work will with this type of skin. However sheet masks are especially good because they have a 1-time use. This means that you can change your mask depending on what your skin is doing at the time.  

My recommendations for combination skin are...

1. SK-II Facial Treatment Mask

2. Olay's Regenerist Masks

And here are a few other masks that don't really apply to any of the above but are worth a mention...

1. Nude's Miracle Mask

2. Super's 3-Minute Facial Intensive Treatment

Personally, I love a good mask and try to use they a few times a week.

Are there any masks that you live by?

Are you a fan of the face mask?

Nat xoxo