Hailey's Helpful Hints

My quick and easy answer: Nope. Nada. No way. It just blows my mind that these are $175 at Tory Burch . I'm sorry but these do nothing for me. Am I missing the boat? Tory is usually on top of fashion forward trends but these look like a shoe my grandpa would have worn. How on earth would you describe these anyway? According to Tory -- "Topsider meets espadrille in the Metallic Blanton Espadrille, our witty, tomboy take on two summer staples. Wear it with jeans or a feminine dress for an unexpected twist." Unexpected? Yeah - unexpected like, "wow, I expected her style to be better than that!" I do agree that the metallic shade can be fun, and a cute little boat shoe is super easy to slip on and pairs beautifully with dark jeans or a pair of cutoffs. But if you're set on a shimmery boat shoe, why not save a few bucks and get something alittle cuter like these slip on Sperrys for $90.00....

Fall is soon upon us. Tear. And yes, boots are back. But of course, the style is slightly different from last seasons. Shucks, looks like you'll have to buy yet another new pair. The Equestrian riding boot is a must have for Fall 2011. There are dozens of great options hitting stores now. As always some affordable and some so outrageously expensive that I wonder who really buys them. I came across these riding boots the other day at Target and thought these would be fantastic for a DOUBLE TAKE post. So here ya have it; an expensive pair of Ugg's Australia "Channing " boots in Chestnut for $294.95 at Nordstrom vs. Merona's "Manette " tall boot in tan for just $39.99 at Target. Can you tell which one is which?? I don't know about you but I personally like the look of the Target boot (LEFT) better. And the $255 savings!

Touted as a water and timesaving way to stay quote-unquote gorgeous on the go, these wildly popular shampoo substitutes allow the busiest exec to head straight from the bedroom to the boardroom without a pesky shower in between. Americans love to shampoo. We lather up an average of 4.59 times a week, twice as much as Italians and Spaniards, according to shampoo-maker Procter & Gamble. But that's way too often, say hair stylists and dermatologists. Daily washing, they say, strips the hair of beneficial oil (called sebum) and can damage our locks. An alternative between washes: Dry Shampoo, the convenient, quick fresher-uper for your hair! No water or blow dryer required. Although there are a wide variety of dry shampoos on the market - ranging from the very affordable to the very expensive - all spray-style dry shampoos are essentially a starchy mixture containing a basic set of ingredients used to clean the hair when it is not possible or practical to use water and traditional ...

I apologize for all the shoe posts as of late but there is no better way to celebrate the great weather than by kicking off those clunky boots and uncomfortable heels and slipping into the hottest summer footwear trends. With that being said, it's time for another splurge vs. steal, where I take an inexpensive trendy item and pair it up with a lookalike designer piece. Usually with the hope that I can show you that you don't need to spend a fortune to look fabulous. If there's one shoe that screams summer, it's the espadrille; ie - a casual flat, but sometimes high heeled shoe that usually has a canvas or cotton fabric upper and a flexible sole made of rope or rubber material moulded to look like rope. The jute rope sole is the defining characteristic of an espadrille. Here are two perfect examples: both in a sling-back, rope-wedge, peep-toe, flower-embellished style. Only one pair is from Andre Assous (at Neiman Marcus) and will set you back a whopping $155, whereas th...

I've become a pretty religious Target grocery shopper as of late. The convenience of a one stop shop is pretty flippin' nice. I'm so stoked about this super steal I happen to fall upon this week, that I thought I would share with y'all. A staple item on my grocery list is flour tortillas. Yes, flour. Not wheat. Shame on us, I know. Chase loves quesadillas for lunch, we eat tacos on a weekly basis and my husband eats them plain, straight out of the bag for a snack. We go through a lot of tortillas. And every time I reach for the "Mission" brand bag, I cringe. For a 10 pack of the Mission 'Carb Balance' Soft Taco tortillas at our local Vons/Safeway they are expensive at $6.19. Target's Mission price is a little better at $4.99 but it still doesn't sit well with me. Bummed that Target was out of our Mission 'Carb Balance' favorites and knowing I couldn't go home empty-handed, I searched through the shelf of options. Dissecting the nutr...

A few months back I was getting ready with a girlfriend in Mexico who after a long day of lounging by the swimming pool, looked like a raccoon. She busted out a tissue paper and some Vaseline (yes, straight ol' Petroleum jelly) and wiped away her eye makeup within minutes. It was definitely a "you learn something new everyday" moment. She inspired me to do a follow up post on the best eye makeup remover. I have never personally used the Vaseline trick but I witnessed first hand just how effective it was and for CHEAP. What I love about her is she loves frugal favorites - ie; inexpensive miracle workers - just as much as I do. If you want to go the uber inexpensive route, you can get a large 13 oz. generic "Up & Up" container of petroleum jelly at Target for a few bucks that will last you months. Anything with an oil-base will work really. If the oily gig isn't for you, you must try my all-time favorite - Almays Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover Pads . Hands do...

If you're thinking of glammin' up your make-up for NYE, you can't go wrong with flirty, luscious fake lashes. They are the perfect special occasion accessory and they are now easier than ever to apply and remove. What I love about lashes is that even if you can't decide what you are going to wear - slap on some fake lashes and let your eyes do the talking. At that rate, no one will even notice if your socks match. For the few hours that you're actually going to be wearing them, there is no need to splurge on a fake pair from MAC at Nordstrom priced at $14.00 (Glue sold separately for $8.00) when you can pick up a pair of Sonia Kashuk's Full Glam Eyelashes for $4.99 (Glue included) at Target. Hellooooo frugal find!!! Tips & tricks to applying: 1: Before applying lash adhesive, make sure the length of the lash band will fit your eyes so that your false lashes will be comfortable. You don't want your lashes to start too close to your tear duct (inner), or...

According to the American Academy of Periodontology , 50% of people say that a smile is the first feature they notice about someone. Sadly 80% of people are not happy with their smile. I however am part of the other 20%. I spent six long, embarrassing years in braces during my fragile junior high/early high school years so you better believe I like to show off my pearly whites. But I can't give the braces all the credit. Like most things in my life, I am anal about my brushing habits. I went to the Dentist on Tuesday and heard nothing but rave reviews about how white and clean my teeth were. What's my secret? ULTRABRITE ADVANCED WHITENING TOOTHPASTE. A major STEAL. You've probably never noticed Ultrabrite on the shelf at the store. It's usually on the very bottom shelf next to the fire red Close-Up gel due to it's ridiculously low p rice. Naturally people would overlook a $.97 toothpaste but in Ultrabrite's defense, it's owned and manufactured by COLGATE...