LiftKits height-increasing shoe insoles offer the perfect alternative to clunky, unattractive elevator shoes or uncomfortable heel lifts.

LiftKits insoles offer an affordable, immediate, natural and comfortable means of achieving the height increase you deserve!

>>> LiftKits height-increasing shoe insoles

If you are concerned about your height and you are looking a way to add a few inches to your stature, LiftKits insoles are the solution you’ve been waiting for.

>>> LiftKits insoles offer these benefits:

* Forget gimmicky height pills, get height with LiftKits!

* Gain more confidence with LiftKits!

* The affordable and natural way of achieving the height you deserve!

* The alternative to chunky, unattractive elevator shoes!

* Achieve the height you deserve with LiftKits!

* The affordable alternative to uncomfortable heel lifts!

* LiftKits helps decrease pressure on joints

* LiftKits helps relieve pressure on your spine

* LiftKits gives you better posture

>>> Here are some of LiftKit features:

* Adds over 1″ to your overall height

* Made of High-Quality Neoprene Gel

* Cushioned for maximum comfort

* Easily trimmed to fit different shoe shapes

* LiftKits can be used in all standard footwear

LiftKits height-increasing shoe insoles offer the perfect alternative to clunky, unattractive elevator shoes or uncomfortable heel lifts. LiftKits insoles offer an affordable, immediate, natural and comfortable means of achieving the height increase you deserve!

>>>> Who can take advantage of this offer? LiftKits height-increasing shoe insoles is offer that is open to residents living in these countries:  LiftKits height-increasing shoe insoles is opening this offer to these countries:  U.S.A. ONLY.

***PLEASE NOTE: this offer is from the distributors of LiftKits height-increasing shoe insoles

and not from our online magazine, as you will be redirected to the distributor’s Web site to read more about this free trial offer.***

>>> Get more details by visiting the distributor’s Web site:

>>> You’ll find details on this offer on the distributor’s Web site: Get a LiftKits height-increasing shoe insoles

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>>>> If you’re viewing this healthy eating or healthy living tip as part of an aggregated content stream from different sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content on the original Web site at www.myBeautyMatch.com

Buxton Palm Wallet is offering a buy 1 get 1 free offer!

You’ve seen ads TV showing you how a handy Buxton Palm Wallet can help you manage you entire life in the palm of your hand!

Just in case you’ve not seen the ads yet, let me tell you that the new Buxton Palm Wallet will hold everything you usually carry in your big-bulky wallet and keep it organized so you can find what you need fast.

The Buxton Palm allows you to store everything neatly and securely in a wallet that fits in the palm of your hand!

The affordable price hardly matches you’ll get from the Buxton Palm wallet:

* Real genuine leather

* Dual compartments

* Available in black, brown or red

>>> You’ll find details on this free trial offer on the distributor’s Web site: the Buxton Palm

* Includes magnifier card

* Security zipper to hold all of your belongs inside your wallet

Most leather wallets can cost $50, but the Buxton Palm is only $9.95.

>>>> But wait!

Buy 1 Now for only $9.95 and Get a 2nd one FREE!

>>>> Who can take advantage of this offer? BestSeniorCareOnline is open to residents living in these countries:  U.S. and Canada!

***PLEASE NOTE: this free trial offer is from the distributors of the Buxton Palm and not from our online magazine, as you will be redirected to the distributor’s Web site to read more about this free trial offer.***

>>> Get more details by visiting the distributor’s Web site:

>>> You’ll find details on this free trial offer on the distributor’s Web site: the Buxton Palm

For only $9.95 plus $7.95 P&H we’ll send you the Buxton® Palm Wallet. You can choose between Black, Brown and Red. Plus, as a special bonus, we’ll send you the Magnifier Card absolutely FREE! And for ordering today, we’ll also send you a second Buxton® Palm Wallet in the same color and a 2nd Magnifier Card for FREE, *just pay $7.95 P&H. If you’re unsatisfied, for any reason, simply return it within 30 days for a full product refund.

© All copyrights reserved to http://www.mybeautymatch.com in all countries.

>>>> If you’re viewing this healthy eating or healthy living tip as part of an aggregated content stream from different sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content on the original Web site at www.myBeautyMatch.com

This is the kind of offer that forces you to stop and take note because it’s so incredible!
These Italian leather bags by Belisi are $19.95 and they come in 4 stylish designs:
* Cranberry Leather Glossy Satchel Belisi handbag
* Black Leather Glossy Satchel Belisi handbag
* Black Leather Shoulderbag Belisi handbag
* Lexi Leather Satchel Belisi handbag
Here are a few testimonials from a happy users of the Belisi Italian Leather Bags:

“Belisi bags fit my hectic lifestyle perfectly! I couldn’t ask for a sturdier, stylish purse.” – Anna Y. Detroit, MI

“My Belisi purse has exceeded every expectation I had. I get so many compliments!” – Emma T, Chicago, Il.

You’ll find more details here and you’ll also able to a video of other women who are proudly sporting their Italian leather bag for $19.95 (unfortunately this offer is only open to US residents): Belisi Italian Leather Bags for $19.95!!!

I almost forgot to mention that Belisi Italian Handbags is offering a Swarovski crystal bracelet valued at $90 as bonus just for trying their leather bags. They also currently have a ‘Buy 1 and get 1 free offer’ so this make this deal even sweeter.

Here’s that link again where you can check out this offer: Belisi Italian Leather Bags for $19.95!!!

Belisi – Premium must-have designer bags

Belisi – Premium must-have designer bags Fine Italian Leather Bags

online-shopping-discount

Armed with the retailer of choice for First Lady-elect Michelle Obama, I attempted to be more recession-smart and try my hand at shopping online for a few deals.

I hit two major online retailers: eBay and J.Crew. This was my first time buying anything from either retailer and my experience was vastly different from one retailer to the other.

I’m a fairly small dress size, BUT I have long legs, I’m tall, I have a small waist, and I have curves. This makes buying a bit of a nightmare in many cases because it’s quite rare that I can buy something without trying it and I have to try-try-and-try again before finding items that fit because designers cut clothes that fit women who are short and who have the same hip-to-waist ratio.

That said, I was still willing to have an open mind about it all and see if I might be lucky with online shopping since I wasn’t finding the style/quality/price point I was looking for where I live!

Here’s my J.Crew experience:

I spent so much time on the J.Crew site that I almost knew the item codes by heart. I also ordered their catalogue in the hopes that it might be easier to evaluate if a particular style would suit me or not.

I found it was quite difficult to understand if items would fit me or not. It’s not because there is a lack of sizing measurement instructions, but it’s so two dimensional for me and I’m so used to looking at an item to know if it’s my size or not.

I’m also really particular when it comes to quality of fabrics, and here again looking at a computer screen or catalogue does little justice to the product you’ll receive by mail.

Although I had very little understanding of what I was going to get, I still ordered the following items from J.Crew:

1) One black merino cardigan

2) One light grey merino cardigan

3) One silver skirt made from Italian fabric

4) One J.Crew special edition t-shirts

>>>>>>>> Here’s what I thought of my items:

1) One black merino cardigan: I was very surprised at how thin the yarn was. It seems like it was only one ply of merino wool and J.Crew was selling it for $88 USD … that didn’t sit very well with me.

2) One light grey merino cardigan: The colour was difficult to evaluate online and in my catalogue. When I received it, I didn’t need to even open the package to know that the colour was sooooooooo wrong for me and it was going to wash me out terribly. Once again, I found the fabric very thin.

The colour of the sweater below had NOTHING to do with the colour of the sweater I received:

I usually opt for cashmere sweaters because I’m always cold and they keep me very warm, but when it comes to wool sweaters … I’ve been buying Banana Republic merino and I’ve always been impressed with the quality and durability. Banana Republic’s merino sweaters are nice and thick and they fit beautifully so you can imagine that the whole time I was trying on my J.Crew sweaters at $88 USD, I was comparing them in my head with my Banana sweaters that usually cost about $80 CAD.

3) One silver skirt made from Italian fabric: I had to order a size 4 and a size 6 to find out which would fit. The size 6 was way too big and the size 4 did fit, but it was really (REALLY) shiny and with my curves I felt the skirt spoke before I ever opened my mouth. It didn’t wow me one bit. Interestingly enough while watching “What Not to Wear” a few days after ordering my skirt, I noticed that Stacy London was wearing the same skirt and she had paired it with a purple silk shirt which was my plan as well. Truth be told, I was aiming for a look I had seen on Wendy on Lipstick Jungle (played by Brooke Shield). I thought the skirt was a bit pricey for what it was at $175 USD.

Here’s the Lipstick Jungle look I was aiming for … but with a silver skirt:

NUP_131803_0071

4) One J.Crew special edition t-shirts: The J.Crew t-shirt was my biggest disappointment because the fabric looked incredibly cheap and it was practically see-through. If I’m going to pay $55 USD for a t-shirt (and I don’t mind because I’ve done it before), it’s got to be a pretty good looking t-shirt and the fabric needs to look like it’s a quality t-shirt. If my H&M or Gap t-shirts look better than a $55 t-shirt … there is a problem. I was actually so insulted by the poor quality of the t-shirt that I sent J.Crew a note telling them as much.

The models in the J.Crew catalogue have no curves so it’s interesting to see how differently things fit on them. The silver skirt I bought sat on my hips like a fabric drapes a bottle of Coca Cola while the skirt on the J.Crew model sat on her like a skirt hangs on a hanger – not the same look.

I returned all of my J.Crew items about 4 days after receiving them and the cost of shipping them was pretty hefty at about $20 … after all I had already paid shipping and duty fees to receive them and nothing fit properly.

Note: You have 30 days after receipt to return them or else you get a J.Crew credit instead of a full refund … I wanted to make sure nothing delayed the return process so I rushed to the post office.

Once you’ve returned the items, you have to keep checking with J.Crew to ensure they’ve received them within the deadline and you then need to ensure that you receive your full credit. I had to call three times until I did receive all my credits. I should also point out that during my last conversation the overly polite J.Crew consultant, she started telling me that she didn’t see the two additional return item I was talking about and just hearing those words made my blood boil because all my five items had been returned in the same box at the same time and I had proof from the postal office that they had been received and signed for by J.Crew and this was my third call.

I considered trying to see what J.Crew’s cashmere sweaters looked like, but I thought about the ordeal of getting a super-thin sweater and having to return it because it wasn’t to my liking.

If I lived in proximity to a J.Crew store, I think the experience would be dramatically different because I’d be able to try the clothing and look at the pieces and evaluate the colours and not have to wait to receive the items at my home before being able to decide if I actually like what I see.

I’m sure this might only be bad luck on my part since J.Crew sells millions of dollar of clothing each month via catalogue and online, but I thought it was worth sharing with my readers!

Here’s my eBay shopping experience:

I decided to focus on accessories on eBay, since it was my first time and since a number of people I knew had warned me about authenticity and designer clothes on eBay. I thought that accessories would be a good place to try my hand at this before graduating to some more robust eBay shopping.

1) I spent an entire Saturday evening browsing the eBay site in an attempt to become a bit more familiar with the whole concept. I searched for all the designers I could think of and I was amazed at how many items were on sale. I was also quite amazed at how many new items were being sold and I was shocked at the condition of some of the used designer items and how many people were still willing to bid on these items.

2) The first item that had caught my eye was an YSL (Yves Saint Laurent) Muse bag in black patent that had a starting bid of about $300 USD. The regular price for this item is about $2195. I thought it was a steal and bid on it and found myself the highest bidder. I started hyperventilating because it was $425 and I realized I made the mistake after bidding of realizing that I had not physically seen the bag. Since this is eBay it took about five hours before someone else placed a higher bid.

ebay_yves_saint_laurent_muse_handbag

3) The very next day, I ran to a luxury department store to check out the style, size and retail price of the YSL Muse handbag. It’s when I had the handbag in my hand that I realized how huge it was. Needless to say that I was grateful that someone had placed a higher bid on the YSL Muse because I no longer wanted it.

4) I still continued to watch the bid and in the end the YSL Muse handbag sold for about $685 USD. It’s only a fraction of the retail price and the bag was brand new.

5) After realizing that YSL Muse bags were a bit bigger than what I wanted, I turned my focus to Marc Jacobs (not Marc by Marc Jacobs, but the more expensive bags). I saw a number of great styles, but the one that I actually really wanted was not available in a colour of my choice … they only had it at the time in black. That said, I did continue to follow the bids of many other Marc Jacob bids and I was surprised at how high used bags could fetch.

6) I decided to change focus and look at cashmere scarves. I found a few pashminas that were 100% pashmina that sold for a very reasonable price and I did place a bid on three and bought them! When they arrived I ran to a few stores to compare the quality (since they were coming from China) and the quality was excellent. I decided to keep two of them and give one as a gift.

7) Armed with this victory, I went back to trying to find a handbag. After many searches, I decided to focus on a Valentino Histoire handbag because I loved the style.

#8) I did my research on this Valentino bag and while speaking to a number of sales people, I found out it was the last bag designed by the Italian virtuoso of fashion.

9) I find it important to go to stores to check out the current bags to be able to look at detailing, logo placement (on the outside and inside), finish and the look of the dust bag … all these elements will help ensure that you are buying a real designer handbag from eBay and not a fake.

10) At first, I bid and won a purple Valentino Histoire bag on eBay, but as I was ready to pay for my so called “new Valentino Histoire handbag”, I was told by the seller that it was not exactly all that new and it had been worn a few times and had a few wrinkles. Since we’re talking about patent leather, I felt that wrinkles were not acceptable and that new should mean “new”. The seller was amazing because she agreed to cancel the transaction because she didn’t want me to be disappointed.

Here’s Jennifer Gardner (aka Mrs. Ben Affleck) wearing her Valentino Histoire bag:

valentino_histoire_handbag_jennifer_gardner

11) A few days later, I saw a black Valentino Histoire bag and since I had already done my research and I was certain I wanted to buy it, I decided to bid. After a few counter-bids, I did win that bag.

12) When you buy on eBay, you must be prepared to wait for your delivery if it’s coming overseas or abroad, and in my case it took 10 business days for my bag to come from California.

13) You also have to be prepared to pay country taxes and duty fees, but if you get the item at a rock-bottom-even-way-lower-than-wholesale then you are okay.

14) My bag did arrive and I was quite nervous before opening the bag. I took one look and I knew that I had been quite lucky in scoring a great bag at a ridiculously low price (and the bag was in fact new).

15) The style that I bought is still being sold currently in stores, but the black patent style is already a few seasons old and that’s why the seller was able to price it so low … since we’re talking black patent, it really doesn’t matter because it’s a classic.

16) A few weeks later, I attempted the same exercise for a Furla wallet. I’ve been buying Furla wallets for many (MANY) years now and I really like their design, but unless I get them in Italy I find that buying them locally is quite expensive.

17) I waited for five weeks of continual searches before eyeing a great new Furla wallet in a crocodile embossed style that sells for a few hundred dollars in stores.

18) My final bid was an incredible deal and it’s not only a Furla, but it’s a brand-new-never-been-used Furla wallet.

I was quite pleased with my eBay purchases and they prices I was able to get them at.

It’s true that you don’t get that instant gratification of buying an item and taking it home with you, but given the incredible savings, I’m quite happy to wait.

If I had to summarize 6 practical buying tips on eBay, I’d say:

1) Know your items before placing bids by doing a lot of research and make sure you see the physical item before bidding.

2) Don’t be hesitant to pose questions to the sellers.

3) Make sure that the photos show the items in as many angles as possible.

4) Know what your price ceiling is so you don’t get caught up in the bidding frenzy.

5) Don’t be afraid of walking away from the item … because there will be others.

6) You need to make sure you want the item before bidding on it because you don’t want to cause a seller to miss a sale because of your uncertainty.

I have to say that given my experience, I would have no problems buying again on eBay and I intend on checking a few more items.

If you’re looking for guidelines on buying on eBay, you’ll find them on either eBay or any country-specific site like eBay Canada and eBay UK and you can also read the posts I had written on the subject after meeting with Sandra Graham, eBay Jewelry & Celebrity Style Director:

1) Get the Film Festival look on a budget you can afford!

2) How to buy and sell designer clothing and accessories on eBay?

Intro photo by pandemia

All photos of clothing are from JCrew

Photo of all accessories from eBay

I have to say that Lipstick Jungle has had the biggest fashion impact on me since Sex and the City. The difference between the two shows is the fact that I can actually see myself wearing many of the fashion and accessories featured on Lipstick Jungle, while Sex and the City was more of a “I cannot believe she’s wearing this” reaction.

I will admit to having many fantasies about walking in 4 or 5 inch designer shoes thanks to the ladies of Sex and the City, but since I’m already quite tall and I walk so ungracefully with anything higher than 2 inches, I’ve used the show’s influence to really take my accessories to another level because Patricia Field (the show’s stylist extraordinaire) has really showed us all how bold accessories can “make” any outfit.

I will admit to watching Lipstick Jungle for the fashion and accessory features. I really like how the three main characters (Wendy, Nico and Victory) wear some of these bold fashion statements:

* Short nails and rich-dark nail polish

* Big rings

* Big chunky necklaces

* Drop earrings as daywear

* Diamonds in the middle of the afternoon

* Vintage furs

* Super-high heels

* Fashionable glasses

* Multi strands of pearls as daywear

* Vintage fashion that is stylish and not frumpy

* The softer side of the “power wardrobe”

* Beautiful handbags

The best part about this show is that two of the characters in real life are over 35 (actually over 40) and both Wendy (Brooke Shield) and Nico (Kim Raver) are always dressed to kill … it’s always sophisticated, but VERY sexy!

Lipstick Jungle is a breath of fresh air and another statement that you CAN look good as you age and being/feeling/looking sexy after 35, 40, 45, 50 or 60 is up to you.

We might not all be able to buy the high end designers featured on the show, but ladies, you can take those fashion cues to your nearest Target (Canadians call it Tarjay for fun) store and you can find the same styles at prices that suit your budget.

Here are some of my favourite fashion moments from Lipstick Jungle:

Take a look at the neckline on Nico’s dress

NUP_131803_0042

I love the bold gold necklace against Wendy’s purple blouse

NUP_131803_0071

Look at how Wendy paired those dropped earrings and that updo for daywear at the office!

NUP_131803_0160

The jewellery … the jewellery and the jewellery again!

lipstick_jungle_jewellery

I LOVE how Nico placed that big broche at her waist instead of the usual shoulder placement

lipstick_jungle_premier

Nico is famous for her big-bold-look-at-me jewellery

liptick_jungle_big_jewellery_11

liptick_jungle_big_jewellery_21

liptick_jungle_big_jewellery_31

Nico has brought back the fashionable eyeglasses

nico_glasses

This is the new power suit “look” ladies – see how Wendy and Nico wear clothes that command attention and respect, yet they still look very feminine and sexy:

nico_power_suit

nico_wendy_lipstick_jungle

wendy_soft_power_suit

nico_fur_jewellery

Victory’s vintage inspired dresses

victory_vintage_dresses

victory_vintage_pink_dress

All photos are from Lipstick Jungle

When it comes to shoes, we’ll see a few recurring trends and a few surprises this upcoming season.

The pointy toe black pump is de rigeur (must have) again and we’re going back to the equestrian boot. The new spin on the equestrian boot is that it’s a knee high boot. I don’t know how many women might have equestrian boots in their wardrobe. They were popular quite a number of years ago and it will be interesting to see who will dust off their old pair or fork out money to buy the newer models.

If you had bought some high heeled booties a few years ago when they were in fashion, you can pull them out again, but they are trendy.

One of the most surprising trends to me is the “winter sandal”. I’ve got to admit to not being sure I can warm up to this idea because I really don’t like wearing nylons to start off with and the idea of nylons and sandals has always been a huge no-no in my book.

That said, the biggest trend of the season is the high heel winter sandal or the platform winder sandal with nylons or thighs. I will go out on a limb here and say that this is a look that might work really well on 20-something women, but I’d err on the cautious side for women in their 40s and up because it might look a bit matronly.

You’ll also notice a number of really sexy high heeled shoes for those out there who have mastered the art of walking around in heels (not moi). I really love a pair of Christian Louboutin that you’ll see in the video below, but I would really walk quite ungracefully if I attempted to stroll around in those shoes.

I’d like to thank luxury retailer Holt Renfrew for agreeing to let take these photo to share them with my readers.

Here’s the list of brands that you’ll see and the corresponding price (prices are in Canadian and no doubt cheaper in the U.S.):

I hope you’ll enjoy the video below and I hope this will inspire you:

Miu Miu heels ($685)

Miu Miu heels ($785)

Dries Van Noten winter strappy sandals ($715)

YSL (Yves Saint Laurent) platform shoes ($870)

Giuseppe Zanotti booties ($925)

Pura Lopez shoes ($420)

Marc by Marc Jacobs green resin heeled shoe ($595)

Michael Kors winter sandal ($148)

Christian Louboutin killer heel ($1020)

Prada purple shoe ($685)

The same principle goes for these shoes as for the bags I featured in my earlier post … they might not fit everyone’s budget, but you can use the trends as inspiration if you cannot afford them!

For your summer functions, you can set aside your other handbags in favour of a nice little clutch bag.

The clutch was very popular in the 50s and 60s, but it’s back this season in full force and goes well with many of the new Jackie O-like clothing that you find in every store … from Zara stores to higher-end designers such as Bottega Veneta.

We’ve been seeing many celebs sport the clutch because it really adds a sparkle of sophistication to any little outfit and it’s perfect for late afternoon cocktails, dinners or more formal events.

Women over 35 should definitely consider opting for a clutch for evening functions instead of a big bag because it just makes you look more current and it forces you to carry only the essentials for the evening.

The colour of the season is bright-screaming yellow. As cheerful as this colour may be, it’s simply not the best shade for most women. A clutch in yellow will add a punch of colour to a black outfit and will liven up a dress that you bought one or two seasons ago.

If you’re not courageous enough to buy a large metallic coloured bag that is also very popular for spring/summer 2008, you might feel more comfortable sporting a more-diminutive handbag in gold, silver or bronze.

I’ve located a few clutches that I quite like at different price points:

The Urban Expressions Sophie Foldover clutch in silver is ideal for less formal settings or simply because you just don’t want to carry a large handbag to brunch.

beige_evening_clutch

Minaudiere Tube clutch in black is the ideal evening black clutch (retailing at $49.50 at Baghaus).

purple_weave_clutch_kotur

black_evening_clutch

black_satin_evening_clutch_anya_hindmarch

Silver clutch: photo by Bbaunach