Your Style

There’s an app for everything these days, and as sensible fashion and beauty lovers, we feel obligated to learn everything about those that serve us best in that department. Here are three retail-related apps that have the potential to save you oodles and oodles of cash.

SuperDuper

Everyone loves a good dupe (beauty-speak for identical products), especially when that means you can save heaps of money at the end of the day. One area of the beauty world where price doesn’t always correlate with quality is nail polish, where prices for a single polish can be as much as $50 a pop. And seriously, if Essie and Bourjois polishes were good enough for Princess Kate’s wedding day, drugstore polish is good enough for the rest of us.

Enter new app “SuperDuper”, available on iOS for free, which reveals the best, most accurate dupes for high end polishes. It reveals the best, under $10, “dupes” for luxe designer nail polishes from Chanel, MAC, Christian Louboutin, Dior, NARS, Tom Ford, and YSL. Skeptical at first, we tested SuperDuper’s dupe for Christian Louboutin’s limited edition Scarabée II that comes with a heart-wrenching $50 price tag. The winning dupe? Covergirl’s Teal on Fire, which costs $45 less was an exact match.

We appreciate that the SuperDuper team tests every potential match on nails that take a typical beating and only accept true color and quality matches. You’ll find many more dupes on the app, and with fall officially here, we can’t wait to check out their subs for Tom Ford Plum Noir, the classic Dior Rouge, and the ever-popular Chanel Particuliere.

Pretty In My Pocket (PRIMP)

Let’s say you’re standing in the drugstore aisle, or you’re salivating over the products at Sephora or Ulta. Maybe you’re torn between two different items, or maybe you’re trying to determine if a splurge is worth it. The Pretty In My Pocket app is here to help.

Simple take the product, or products, up for potential purchase and scan their barcode. You’ll instantly see loads of product reviews and even swatches from other app users, which includes some notable beauty bloggers. From there, you can read the pros and cons and determine whether the product is a slam dunk or a womp womp.

You’ll save money on products that would have left you wanting. And hey, that’s money you can spend on products that’ll actually serve you well. We can totally get behind that.

Slice

One of the worst feelings in the world is finally throwing your cash down on an item you’ve been watching, only to check back days or weeks later to see that it went on sale. Insert angry fists shaking at the sky. Or what about those products you buy that get recalled. In those cases, you may not even realize there was a recall, causing you to use either a subpar product and/or lose out on a refund.

The Slice app aims to calm your mind. It creates a protected database of all your receipts and product purchases. First, the app tracks your purchases as they’re shipped to your door, sending you notifications. Most importantly, though, they send you friendly, informative alerts if a recent purchase has undergone a price adjustment or was recalled. The best part is that you don’t have to do anything — the app does the “haggling” with the retailer for you. This, of course, means savings for you, and all without requiring an extra mental energy.

Other things the app does: streamlines returns, frees up your inbox and tracks your spending (we could all use a little bit of this).

By Wendy Rose Gould

How many of you have stood in front of your closet — after huffily trying on about a dozen different items — only to find a sea of seemingly inadequate clothes staring back at you? And how many times has this reduced you to tears, or at least paid a toll on your already sensitive self esteem?

Even after you find the most satisfactory outfit you can muster, you gaze into the mirror and feel like all that effort was for naught. You hate the outfit, you hate the way it makes you look and you hate the way it makes you feel. All you can think about is how others will perceive you in this array of self-perceived unflattering garments in which you’ve cloaked yourself.

You’re not alone.

“I think everyone has that terrible feeling of insecurity from time to time when you just know you have on the wrong outfit – as if it’s not just your clothes that are frumpy and outdated, but you, too,” says styling consultant Ashley Martini, author of the new book, “Styletini.”

Martini says that getting your outfit just right is often challenging. After all, you’re trying to strike the perfect balance between comfort and confidence, professional and unstuffy, current and too-trendy. It’s a difficult task, and one that can send you spiraling into a fit of anxiety and stress. We’re telling you to stop. Stop stressing!

It’s easier said than done, we know — and it will take some time to re-train your brain — but it’s possible. Here are five ways to stop the dreaded “mirror panic” and “wardrobe disgust” that plagues us all.

Give Yourself Time to Get Dressed

There’s nothing worse than rushing to get ready. Not only do you not have time to carefully plan out an outfit, but you’re probably running around like a crazy lady. Mussed up hair and a sweaty face is not a good look for anyone.

Give yourself ample time to choose an outfit and get dressed, especially for bigger events. You can, of course, do this the night before. Make sure you plan the look from head to toe, including accessories, shoes, your bag and even your makeup.

Understand That Not All Trends Work On Your Body

“The trendiest thing any individual can do is answer the question: Is it flattering?” says Martini. Truer words were never spoken.

You’re likely aware that women have six basic body types: triangle (narrow above the waist and wider on the bottom), inverted triangle (fuller shoulders and chest with slim hips and thighs), rectangle (also known as athletic with little definition in the waist and hips), diamond (high-sitting, full stomach with wide hips and full thighs), apple (similar to diamonds, but with a lower-sitting stomach), hourglass (equal upper and lower halves with well-defined waists).

Understand that a waistless sack dress may look fabulous on a rectangular frame, but not so much a curvy hourglass. And where skinny jeans may work for an inverted triangle figure, they probably aren’t the best option for a triangle-shaped woman with wider hips.

Ultimately, your goal is to understand your body shape and work to even out proportions. Any garment that doesn’t work to your advantage should be donated pronto.

Know Your Measurements, Carry a Tape Measure

Whether you’re shopping online or in-stores, knowing your measurements is key to finding clothes that fit you best.

Martini says you should measure the parts of your body that most define your shape, which include hips, shoulders, waist, bust and height.

• For hips/butt, wrap the tape around the fullest part. Make sure you’re not pulling too tightly or too loosely; the number in the center front is your hip size.
• For shoulders, relax your shoulders and stand up tall, then extend the tape from the outer edge of one shoulder to the other. You may want to enlist a friend.
• For your waist, bend forward and note where your body creases, which is where your natural waist lies. Measure around that point.
• For bust, wear a top without a bra and wrap the tape across your back, under your shoulder blades and arms, and then around the fullest part of your breasts.

Make note of these measurements (you can keep them in your phone for handy access) and use them when shopping.

Familiarize Yourself With Fabrics

Knowledge is power, and the more you know about the garments you buy, the better. For example, cotton is apt to shrink, which means cotton clothes won’t always fit you the way they do in the dressing room.

Be aware of fabrics that cling — such as polyester and rayon — which can be unforgiving without the assistance of shapewear. On the opposite side of the spectrum, fabrics such as tweed or wool are starchy and stiff, which conceal lumps, but can add bulk.

Always read the labels and be aware of what certain fabrics look like on your body.

Work on Self Love

We know, we know. Loving yourself — flaws and all — is way easier said than done. Still, exuded confidence is one of the most attractive traits a woman can have. And no, we’re not just talking about being attractive to potential partners, but being attractive in general. If you’re confident, you’re more approachable and more hirable, too.

We recommend checking out self-love blogs, reading books and talking it out with girlfriends or a professional. If you’re uncomfortable in your skin, be proactive. Few things are as motivating and life-changing as taking control over yourself and treating your body the way it deserves to be treated.

By Wendy Rose Gould