Black Friday Tips

Spring & summer have gone, and now the leaves are changing colors and have fallen to the ground. Halloween has passed, all the candy is gone. What is next on this journey to winter? BLACK FRIDAY!!! Okay, it's really Thanksgiving, but if you're a shopper, Thanksgiving is the dinner event before the big day. Now, I know Black Friday is the day when all consumers get to go crazy & kill each other for a bargain.... And it's legal, too!! `=D However, there are ways to be safe and still be able to get what you're looking for. As a retail store employee, I've worked many Black Friday's, and frankly, I think that if customers knew what we went through, we'd get some more respect on a day like Black Friday. Just a few tips, from me to you..

1.) Patience is ALWAYS a Virtue

As a retail employee, I can tell you from experience that rushing a sales associate (or anyone else helping you find something) is never a good idea. Why? It will only create confusion, aggravation & frustration with all party's involved. Yes, everyone in the store is there to assist you in every way possible, but that doesn't mean you are the sales associate's main focus. Sales people are already bombarded with random questions, and customers who do need their assistance. But on BF, rules change. It's a "first come, first serve," type of mentality. Sales people are most likely helping at least 2 other people out. As a customer, the best you can do is BE PATIENT. Give the SA time to help out the people before you approached them, and remind them every minute or so that they remember they're also helping you.

2.) If At First You Don't Succeed..We Don't Do Returns!

Okay, no store that I know does not--not take returns. In fact, most stores make their bread & butter from "welcoming" back certain customers...and their returns. Ironically, a customer making a return can be considered a form of "loyalty." If they're coming back to return something, it's a chance for a store to persuade a customer to buy something else in place of the item they're returning. Consumer-wise, you're full within your right to return something you're not happy with. Also, remember to always read the return policy! I can't stress that last fact enough. I've seen customers throw a fit because they can't return something because they've gone past the return time limit. Let me tell you, read the receipt and/or sign(s) near or at the register regarding ANY return policy. PLEASE. It will save both you & the sales associate some time & grief, and Black Friday is supposed to be stress free, or as stress free as possible.

3.) Location, Location, Location!

This is another important fact. If you're going to hit up the major stores on Black Friday, anything from Wal-Mart to Saks, consider your location. It's always best to get to the nearest location to save you some time & hassle. Plus, it'll be easier to lug all your loot to your car and/or to your house if you live nearby. Less gas cost! Also, take into account how busy one branch will be from the other. If you're going to go flagship, consider your options & chances of either being helped or finding the item you want & getting as quick as possible. Most of the time, that will not happen at a bigger store. If possible, see if the store has another branch, which will probably be smaller, and make sure they carry the brand/item you're searching for. Remember, just because there's more than one store in the area, doesn't always mean they'll carry the same things. Each branch is tailored to fit the area they're situated in, so take that into account when considering where & what you're going to try & snag on Black Friday.

4.) Shop Before You Drop!

What I mean by this is to pre-shop before you decide to head to the store. Shop the website first so you can decide what you want & to avoid #2. LOL. Although, be mindful that some (if not all) websites will have their own Black Friday specials & deals not applicable to the store itself. Thanks to technology and the popularity of online shopping, stores with websites now take into account the amount of sales they do both online & in-store. Most people nowadays want to avoid crowds all together and shop online for their deals & steals. If you decide to go online shopping for Black Friday, make sure the laptop's charged up and the cards free of debt!!

5.) Last But Not Least---Safety First!!

If you all remember last Black Friday, a Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death by the crazy crowd waiting at the door. This year, Wal-Mart is taking precautions to try and control the crowd so that everyone gets out in one piece & with their loot. While I know it's fun to stampede like the Pamplona running of the bulls on Black Friday, take note of your surroundings. No need to wrestle the person next to you for that toy for your kid. Your kid would probably rather see you alive on X'Mas, instead of being black & blue on Black Friday. As easy as it is to say, "Play nice!" in this sense, it's not. (I know that! I ain't no fool!) If you're part of the big crowd waiting at the door, don't push & shove your way through. The best way to get in quickly is to arrive early. Sleep over if you have to! Okay, maybe not. But, arriving early Friday morning is best. Awaiting a store opening on Black Friday is like trying to be the first one to get to Ticketmaster for Jo'Bro's tickets. It's the rush, it'll get to you.

And, that concludes this post. I'll leave you with this one last tip:

6.) Don't Eat Too Much Turkey!

Why?! You might oversleep & miss the store openings!!! YIKES!!

Just kidding. LOL.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! Eat, Drink & Be Merry!! `=D

Stella McCartney for Gap Kids

Well, I'm jealous. `=T Kids shouldn't look this fab unless I, too can get a share of the action. While I am the size of a child, I, by no means, fit into their clothing, and for once, I'm saddened by this. Why? Because Stella McCartney's done a line for Gap Kids!!! This isn't Stella's first foray into the price-conscious shopper's realm, she's done this before...err, twice, to be exact. A few years ago, she did a line for H&M (she was after Lagerfeld, if I recall) and has been doing an exclusive line for Addidas. In regards to her H&M line, I couldn't even get near the store during the opening day for it for two reasons:

1.) I was in school.

and

2.) I was broke and it was utter chaos.

What made it even worse was that my school was a block away from the flagship H&M in NYC. By the time my lunch hour rolled around, the store was sold out. `=T I saw the whole line for H&M and it was nothing short of gorgeous. And Stella doesn't disappoint this time either with the tots. This is what makes me jealous, and yet endeared at the same time. I haven't been able to see the line in person yet (it's not sold at a Gap Kids store in my area.), but from the lookbook alone, I'd definitely buy it if I had a kid of my own.



It's funny when I think back to kids clothes and to the days when mine came from Kids R'Us, and how that was the cool thing, then. My, how times have changed. Back then, kids clothes was just a mini version of teens/adults clothes with a cartoon character on it and/or a pretty pattern on it. Not anymore, it seems. Designers and top brands have tapped into the kids market in their quest to constantly expand the brand. And tap into it they have. Kids clothes have become completely redefined & redesigned to look alot trendier so that kids clothes aren't so basics anymore. Not only that, they've also become designer.



Looking at Stella's line on the Gap site alone, I have to say I really am jealous of the kids who'll get to sport these clothes. They'll be the coolest kids on the playground! The one thing I'm sure most parents will have a problem with is the price range. Gap was never a high-end brand, but they're definitely in a stratosphere where they don't charge $50 for a child's sweater. However, this is Stella McCartney we're talking about, so they can slide with that. The price range of the line is more than what the average Gap customer/parent usually pays, but you can't put a price on style, can you? I think not! Okay, not every parent will share that sentiment during a recession, but it's the logic Gap is willing to run with. Either way, I can see where Gap as a company is going with this. They're in major trouble and have been for the last few years. They've tried bringing in designers to jumpstart the adult line to almost no avail. But, by taking the focus away from the adult line and concentrating on the kids, they might be able to find a way back into the market. I can tell, they're starting slowly & carefully. Good move.

Palette That I Love--- PIXI Eye Beauty Kit in Blue Energy

Normally, I'm pretty basic about make-up, I leave that up to my friend Monica or my other friend, Sha...they're both make-up freaks. I usually wear my basic foundation with pale lip gloss and/or light blush. When I do go all out, I throw in eye shadow, but even then, that's almost a nude-ish shade, just so I look like I have a certain glow. However, recently, I became enamored with a certain make-up palette that I probably wouldn't have heard of had my cousin not lost her job. She worked for a major magazine company that folded and called me over from my internship to drop by & raid their beauty/fashion closet. To which, I happily accepted. I even risked being late to work that day. SO WORTH IT THOUGH! I made out like a complete bandit, and it was that night while looking through all the stuff I had gotten, I discovered Pixi Beauty. I had a tiny eyeshadow single palette in an infamous nude color that I love. I tried it out for a day and fell in love with it. So, I decided to look up this make-up company and see where else I can buy their product.

Lo & behold, they had a gorgeous site that reminded me of Tinkerbell, and I started thinking that this is probably the make-up she'd wear while hating on Wendy & trying to get Peter Pan. While browsing the site to see their other eyeshadow colors, I found that they also came in palette's, which made me excited. More bang for my buck!! `=D They had so many variety's in each palette I almost couldn't decide!!



After much deliberation, and consulting with Monica, I decided on the Blue Energy palette.



I always did love blue. Plus, it had all the colors I knew I'd use on an almost daily basis. The best part of this whole deal was that the price was reasonable, $28 for one whole palette with 8 colors. And, it was available at my local Target. Yes, you heard right! I was not traipsing through Sephora, and going through the aisles because it's alphabetical...And I'm sure PIXI would've been at the back. I was in Target, shopping for my Tinkerbell make-up, my bras AND a box of cookies. `=P

Anyways, I've worn almost every shade of the palette this week at work, including Halloween, where I brought out the blue, and I'm thrilled to say that I've gotten compliments on all the colors I've worn. `=D It really does make your eyes pop, and works well with sensitive eyes. I have sensitive eyes and while wearing it, they weren't irritated at all. The other best part? It helps improve the skin on your eyes.

And, I quote:

Beneficial Ingredients and what they do: 1. Aloe Vera Leaf Extract: Soothing and healing for the sensitive eye area. 2. Vitamin E: A powerful anti-aging vitamin with antioxidant properites. 3. Titanium Dioxide: Natural mineral with SPF factor.

Straight from the site, folks!!! `=D I wish I had been able to take a picture with all the looks I did with the palette. But, since I mostly wore them for work I forgot to do so, and you'll just have to take my word that I looked great. `=P My one piece of proof is this one video I did to show my buddy Monica that I took her advice to blend 2 of the colors. Enjoy!!




All in all, I really do love this palette. I really do recommend it for anyone who's not in the mood to run through Sephora and pay about $40 for the same thing, only to be disappointed in the end. However, a bit of a warning... The eyeshadows are a bit more powdery than most, and it can get everywhere. Although, that can be remedied by blending and/or water. Don't forget to check out PIXI Beauty's other products!!!

Me with the Blue Energy Palette:

Yeah, I only did one eye. LOL.