MiniLuxe: The Best Brow Wax in Town

I know I have blogged about Miniluxe before, but I truly can’t get enough! Last Tuesday night I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the opening of their new location in Hingham with a few other bloggers. We were all treated to luxurious warm oil manicures and pedicure, and given the chance to experience the famous brow bar.

I chose “Tomorrow Never Dies” from OPI’s Holiday 2012 James Bond Skyfall Collection for my nails and I am absolutely obsessed!

I have already experienced a MiniLuxe mani/pedi before, so I was very happy to see that the technicians at the Hingham location were just as sweet, attentive and, detail-oriented as the ones from the Newbury Street location.  They even brought out a little pillow for our hands so that we could get our manicures and pedicures at the same time!

The good life.

After our relaxing manicures and pedicures we were all invited to try the two brow bar stations, and I found out why media throughout the Commonwealth have consistently awarded Miniluxe  “Best Brow Wax” in town.

My eyebrows have always been slightly mismatched, and every salon I have gone to in the past has not been able to get them quite right.  However, to my surprise, the wonderful woman working on my brows managed to get them perfectly shaped. She used hard wax instead of individual strips, and I felt almost no pain at all. In addition, she talked me through what she was doing and made sure I was happy with everything throughout the entire process. I left my chair with beautifully shaped brows, very little noticeable redness, and the wonderful feeling of being truly pampered and taken care of. Honestly the best brow wax I have ever gotten!

My experiences at MiniLuxe have always been nothing short of fantastic. Although it is a bit pricier than a traditional salon, it is truly worth every extra dollar. The knowledgeable, fully trained and professional staff are the most attentive I have ever met, and the quality of the products used really exceed expectations. I will definitley be MiniLuxin’ it up again very soon… and I suggest you do too!

Holiday Shopping Made Easy at Linden Square!

So my original plan was to get all my holiday shopping done on Black Friday. However, I got a little sidetracked and ended up doing most of the shopping for myself…oops.

Truth.

Now that I have given myself all the gifts I rightfully deserve, it’s time I start spreading the holiday cheer. Thankfully, there are shopping centers out there where I can get everything I need for friends and family in one place for a great price. Linden Square in Wellesley, MA is a 250,000-square-foot shopping destination located  just 10 miles outside of Boston.  There are a lot of great stores to chose from, including Bella Santé, Ceri Boutique, French Lessons Boutique, Adamas Fine Jewelry & many more!

For some fun holiday gift ideas for the whole family, check out the complete Linden Square’s Holiday Gift Guide for $25, $50, and $150+ unique gift ideas.

A few of the great gift options at Linden Square!

Go, shop, and let me know  if you find any perfect gifts – especially for guys, since everyone knows they are the toughest to shop for!

MiniLuxe: The Best Holiday Gift…for YOU!

Now that you are (hopefully!) done with all your holiday shopping, it’s time to treat yourself to some much needed you time. And what better way to rest up from all the craziness than to get pampered with a fabulous mani/pedi?

My suggestion: Go to MiniLuxe!

MiniLuxe | 296 Newbury St., Boston, MA | 857-362-7444

Consistently awarded Best Manicure, Best Manicure and Pedicure, and Best Brow Wax, MiniLuxe sets itself apart from other nail salons because of its emphasis on cleanliness, quality and eco-beauty. Each beauty lounge offers manicures, pedicures, waxing, beauty services, and a great retail collection of the company’s favorite products along with their own signature brand.

MiniLuxe also garners rave reviews for its devotion to hygiene – technicians sterilize tools in the same machines used by surgeons and dentists! They also unwrap new files and buffers for each client and trade bacteria-hoarding whirlpool tubs for standard sinks. But don’t worry – the decor looks nothing  like a doctor’s office! The interior is as gorgeous as it is sterile, with plush chairs and high ceilings giving the salon a high-end sleek look.

I know you all have one question: How much? The best part is that MiniLuxe’s prices are only a few bucks more than at those blinking-neon-light nail salons. While it will cost you to get fancy (and boy, can you get fancy!), a regular manicure is only $19 dollars!

For a few manicure ideas & MiniLuxe’s price list, check out the slideshow below courtesy of the MiniLuxe Facebook page! While I do love my savings, I also believe we all need a little luxury in our lives. What do you guys think – is this treat worth the splurge?

Black Friday Sales 2012

The shopping season is upon us!  Black Friday is this Friday, November 23rd. Whether you plan on plunging  into the sales bins or filling up your virtual cart from the comfort of your home, this is undoubtedly a big week to score deals and get a lot of that holiday shopping out of the way.

(Rebecca) Black Friday! LOL.

Here are a few deals I will definitley be making use of come midnight this Friday:

H&M

• Fashion Finds for the entire family from $5.
• Scratch-offs for the first 100 people in line at stores, valued up to $300.
• “Pre-Black Friday” deals starting at just $7 from Nov. 19th through Nov. 21st.

Express

• 50% off store wide beginning at midnight on Nov. 21st & ending at noon on Nov. 23rd

Sephora

• A variety of products are offered for $10 each from brands like LORAC, Tarte, Too Faced, Buxom, and many more.

Kohl’s

•  15% off everything for Black Friday with code: BLACKFRI from Nov. 21st to Nov. 25th

Gap

• From Nov. 20th to Nov. 25th Gap is marking down items up to 60% off.
• Nov 23rd – All men’s and women’s sweaters marked down to $19 ; Nov. 24th – All men’s and women’s t-shirts will be marked down to $10.

Urban Outfitters

• Take 50% off all clearance items until 10am on Nov. 23rd

Where are you snagging holiday deals on Friday? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Holidays from Mayor Menino!

Boston is officially getting into the holiday spirit! As a part of the 9th annual Mayor’s Holiday Special, get $10 off  at local restaurant favorites this holiday season.

And you get $10 & YOU & YOU!

From now until the end of the year (with a few date restrictions), you can snag $10 off your meal when you spend $40 with this printable coupon at these participating restaurants:

Amelia’s Trattoria, Antico Forno, Aragosta Bar and Bistro, Back Deck, Blu, Bokx 109, Brasserie JO, Club Cafe, DaVinci Ristorante, Davide, Dick’s Last Resort, Dot-2 Dot Cafe, Empire, Fajitas and Ritas, Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Freeport Tavern, Gem, The Grille at Hobbs Brook, Maharaja’s, Maurizio’s, Osaka, Pho Hoa Restaurant, Red Lantern, Sea Breeze Mexican Grill, Sidney’s Grille, Terramia Ristorante & Tresca.

You must spend at least $40 in food (excludes alcohol, gratuity & taxes) and the coupon cannot be used on November 22, December 24, 25 & 31.

Comment below and share where you will be using your coupon this year!

Thanksgiving on a Budget: Eat More for Less!

“Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday” – No one ever.

I mean, it’s basically an entire day dedicated to the best foods ever: mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey, and (best of all) STUFFING. That being said, preparing a Thanksgiving feast can really take a toll on your credit card bill  – feeding a horde of extended family and friends is no small feat! Thanksgiving may be a time to reflect on our blessings, but that shouldn’t include blowing your entire budget on one dinner.

Sums up 99.9% of all Thanksgiving meals.

While I personally don’t have to worry about hosting my own Thanksgiving dinners just yet, I decided to put together a list of tips and tricks that you guys can use to lower the cost of your get-together this year!

My Sagely Advice

1. Buy a Supermarket Turkey:
   In an ideal world, we would all be eating gourmet-grade Heritage turkeys. Though typically smaller than commercial turkeys, they are both leaner and more flavorful. They are also over $10/ pound – ridiculous. Supermarket turkeys can be fine alternatives for only around $2/pound!
2. Go for seasonal ingredients:
   Buy produce in season and you will get much more for your money. This is no time for asparagus and artichokes – brussels sprouts are at their peak in late November &  farmers’ markets should have them in huge quantities for relatively low prices.
3. Canned & Frozen goods:
   Some canned and frozen foods are fine alternatives to fresh. You could make a pie using a fresh cheese pumpkin for $5, but it produces a much more watery filling than one made from a $1.79 can. Frozen vegetables are great too; a 10 ounce bag of Cascadian Farms peas is $2.99, compared to ~$5.99/pound  for fresh snow peas.
4. Make it a  BYOS (Bring Your Own Side) affair:
   As long as you let guests know in advance, they won’t mind bringing something to dinner. You can focus on the bird and assign the starches, vegetables, cranberries and dessert to friends & family.
   

Here’s hoping that my little tips & tricks will save you a few extra dollars this holiday! Leave me a comment and let me know if any of these worked out for you. In the meantime, I will leave you with this:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Savings To Go: RetailMeNot!

It seems that every time I channel surf I come across a commercial for RetailMeNot at least a dozen times. I finally gave in to advertising pressure and decided to look into the website so that I could give you guys the lowdown on if its worth your time.

To sum up my findings: It is definitley worth your time.

RetailMeNot is an online couponing site that has been around for a couple of years now. Whether it’s free shipping, % off discounts, or special deals on other items, there always seems to be a worthwhile coupon code to find that can save you some serious $$$ before you hit the checkout lane.

And now all that functionality has come right to your fingertips thanks to the RetailMeNot Coupons app for the iPhone. It is the perfect solution to the saving needs for you busy girls/guys on the go! It almost makes me wish I actually owned an iPhone, but for now I will have to settle with using the regular website… #BlackBerryproblems

So the next time you guys go shopping, be sure to check out RetailMeNot for the most up-to-date coupon codes for some guilt reduced purchases. Let me know if the website/app saved you any money in the comments below!

Drinks, Eats & Football…On a Budget!

Recently, my friend James pointed out that my blog is largely targeted towards the female population. Guilty as charged – the majority of my posts are on clothes, accessories and online shopping.

 His advice?

Something both genders can agree on

In an effort to appeal to a wider audience, I am going in a completely different direction with this post.

Apparently, it is football season (who knew?) and the only thing that I think can make watching grown men pummel each other over a ball tolerable is ALCOHOL & lots of it. That being said, here is a list of places to go in Boston for football, cheap eats & good dranks.

1. Joshua Tree Bar & Grill
   (256 Elm St, Somerville, MA 02144 ; 617-623-9910)
   Kick back and watch the games on one of J-Tree’s 10 flatscreen TVs or their giant projection screen. Football food deals include $14 pizza and pitcher specials, $4 margaritas, and beers for as low as $3. For Monday night football, head here for $12 pitchers and 25 cent wings!
2. T’s Pub
   (973 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215 ; 617-254-0807)
   Head in Monday nights to watch football on T’s 18-foot projection screen. They are featuring football dining deals, including $2 High Life Ponies, or $24 Bud Light Beer Towers
3. The Crossing Bar
   (1592 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02120; 617-487-4851)
   This bar boasts 6 LCD TVs. For games, they offer a $3.99 appetizer menu, 25 cent wings, and $2 drafts. Plus, on Monday nights they host Sports trivia with additional drink specials, including $10 pitchers of Rolling Rock.
4. The Living Room
   (101 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02110; 617- 723-5101)
   Featuring flat screen TV’s by the bar area, The Living Room offers cozy couches or tall tables to relax and cheer on your favorite teams. They are well-known around Boston for their year-round events and specials. Feast on half-off appetizers every Monday – Friday from 4pm-6pm, and enjoy Sunday & Monday night  football with 35 Cent Jumbo Wings & Coors Light pints for $2.50.

Brittany’s thoughts on “football” are my thoughts on “football”… BYE.

Clearly, I am not the “Sporty Spice” in my group of friends, but I’d be down to go to any of these places as long as I got my frugal football food & drinks! I may not be paying too much attention to the games, but as long as there are 25 cent wings in this world, I will be there to consume them.

.

What are your favorite places to catch a game? Comment below if you have heard of any other specials that Bostonians should know of!

Get The Look for Less: Michael Kors Watch

Pricey Perfection. Damn you, Michael Kors!

I have been obsessing over the Michael Kors Rose Gold Watch for a few months now. I absolutely love the color, and think it’s a gorgeous alternative to typical gold/silver jewelry.  It features a a bracelet strap, round face and a triple dial chronograph design, and is the epitome of everything I want in a watch. The only downside? The $250 price tag that comes with it.

Since there is absolutely no way I am willing to pay that much money for the ability to tell time, I decided to take things into my own hands. My first stop: Google! After doing a little research, I came across Style&co – a brand carried by Macy’s that makes gorgeous watches for a fraction of the price!

The Style&co. Women’s Gold Tone Watch has a very similar look to the original Michael Kors watch, and is only $29.98! While it is not as “rose-goldy” as I would have wanted, I still love it and can’t wait to add it to my accessories collection.

YES. PLEASE.

Now, I am not blind to the fact that while this little baby will save me a whopping $220.02, it probably won’t be half the quality of the original watch. But honestly, for that much of a price difference I’ll take it!

If you’re like me and  can’t get enough of lookalike products with much lower price tags, check out my previous posts on my duplicate Tiffany & Co. mesh ring & my knockoff J-Crew necklace! 

Comment below, and let me know what lookalikes are in your shopping cart now!

A Win-Win Situation: 50% off Tobi

I recently came across this great little online boutique called Tobi while avoiding studying for my American Politics midterm – oops. This may not be great news for my grades, but it IS great news for all of our online shopping wants & needs! Tobi reminds me a lot of shopping websites like Nastygal and ASOS – there are some very cute items for some very reasonable prices!

All the stuff I want.

As a browsed further, I realized just how “too good to be true” this website really is. Not only do they offer 30% off of all new arrivals every day but they also give you  50% off your first order if you like them on Facebook. As if that wasn’t enough, you also get another 50% off if 5 friends sign up from you.

I had to share this opportunity, because we all win. So help a sistah out, and sign up using MY link to the website, so we can all enjoy some guilt-free, heavily discounted shopping!  You can thank me in the comments below.