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Creating perfect eye make-up often starts with having great products and tools. And what better way to create glamorous eyes then with some of the best drugstore brands. Why swipe your credit card away for high price tags, when you can get the same results with less expensive alternatives? Give your $25 designer mascara the boot. Hit the drugstore beauty aisles and save a few bucks with these great eye-make options.

Maybelline Volume Express Falsies Mascara $6.99 ulta.com

This mascara really packs a punch. Get mega volume without the fuss of false lashes with America’s favorite mascara brand—Maybelline.

Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen $7.74 target.com

This is one that can compete with the best of department store brands. Use feline precision and create a fierce cat eye with this felt tip liquid liner pen.

L’Oreal HIP Studio Secrets Professional Eye Shadow Duo $8.25 drugstore.com

Add instant glam to your look by creating a hot smoky eye with these high intense pigments.

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Thrift shopping is a very cool endeavor that not only allows you to find one-of-a-kind pieces, but is eco-friendly as you recycle clothing items; but taking the time to search for items that you like, in your size, that are still of good quality can be quite a daunting task. There are often racks and racks of merchandise to be sifted through for that one great find. Yet, taking just a few key preparatory actions can make your shopping simpler, helping you to navigate in a way that scores you the best stuff.

Do your research – Check in with stylish friends, read blogs, do Google searches, read reviews at the Better Business Bureau website, post questions on social media. Whatever your preferred method, find out where the reputable thrift stores are in your area—ones that have been in business for a while, and are known for quality merchandise with fair prices. If you want to dig a little deeper, you may even be able to find the ones that suit your style specifically—whether you are looking for high-end items, items of a certain style or even from a specific decade.

Get friendly with the owner/staff – Thrift shop owners and staff are your absolute best resource at finding the items you want. They take in the merchandise from donations, they are savvy about the history of the pieces they sell and they often know when or from whom pieces are coming. Half of the battle in shopping at thrift stores is getting to the merchandise before someone else can pick it up. Give yourself a leg up by being friendly so that you know when items are arriving—bonus if they offer to put items you would love aside for you to preview first. You’ll probably even learn a thing or two in the process about the designers you love, specific periods or collections, authenticating items, etc. depending on the store.

Look for unconventional ways to wear conventional items – Can that dress you spied also double as a top? Would that pair of men’s jeans have the perfect amount of ‘boyfriend’ style slouch? Can you rock that fedora with a feminine menswear inspired business look? Would that bulky sweater be great if it were belted? Keep your eyes open for opportunities to layer or transform items that make them look totally unique when you put your personal spin on them.

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While a preference for dresses tends to decline as a chill hits the air, fall doesn’t necessarily mean you have to hang up all your favorite frocks. Become an expert at layering with great tights, sweaters and sleek jackets, and let your dresses live all year long.  This is definitely the time to experiment with trends, play with fabrics, and to experiment with various textures. And as always, remember that updating your wardrobe does not have to break the bank. Cozy up to these 10 fall dresses we love for less than $100.

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You created a budget and made your shopping list. You strictly told yourself that if an item wasn’t written on this list, it wasn’t going into your cart. But then you got to the store and everything changed. MSNBC reports that the 2012 Shopper Engagement Study reveals that 76 percent of the average shopper’s purchase decisions are made in the store.

“What you find is that people will tell you they plan to do one thing, but their actual behavior will be quite different,” Richard Winter, president of Point of Purchase Advertising International said to MSNBC. Point of Purchase is the marketing association that conducted the survey.

It seems that over the years people are losing their discipline–the study also observed that this percentage is an all-time high. The study interviewed 2,400 shoppers as they were about to shop and after their shopping trip was over.

Females are especially susceptible to store displays which often persuade them to change their minds from a favorite brand to another product. On top of it all, a large number of people actually leave the store without buying everything on the list, whether it’s because they forgot or the price wasn’t what they expected.

But all this unplanned spending comes with a high price tag for consumers. So what can you do to make sure you stay in-line?

Pay with cash. The study also found that those who pay with credit or debit cards are more likely to spend more money. Not only does cash place a limit on how much you’re able to spend, when you can physically see the money leaving your pocket, you’re less likely to spend.

More on Madame Noire Business!

• Do Black Designers Skip Over Black Models to Gain White Customers?
• How She Made It: Maria Lee-Driver Discusses The Success of Her Skincare Line Oria’s O’Shay’s
• Entrepreneur Spotlight: Shafonne Myers, Founder and Owner of Pretty Pear Bride Magazine
• Behind the Click: Shellye Archambeau, CEO of MetricStream
• The Career Blazers: 7 Black Female Medical Pioneers
• How She Made It: Alia Jones-Harvey, Producer of A Streetcar Named Desire

So what if it’s still cold outside! There’s no reason you can’t start to stock up on the shoes you were lusting after in the Spring 2012 collections. Pockets need to be considered, we totally understand, so we compiled a list of the trendiest shoes from those collections with their very simliar look-a-likes (#WalletHappy). If you can afford the designer versions, go head’! But for those of us who want to look fabulous and not have buyers’ remorse, this is for you. Consider us forward-thinkers.

I’ve always believed that a true fashionista can make a $20 outfit look like it cost 10 times as much.  You won’t catch me putting a designer bag on easy payments just to be able to say I’m rocking a popular label or blowing my whole college refund check on shoes I otherwise couldn’t afford.  I love clothes as much as the next twenty-something urban trend setter, but at the end of the day, they’re just clothes.  But every once in a while, you’ll come across a certain piece that doesn’t fill your heart with buyer’s remorse every time you see it hanging in your closet.  It will usually be a timeless piece that fits you just right no matter how many extra pieces of cake you consume. It’s the one piece that takes your outfit to the next level, ties everything together and makes everything you own look super Hot, lush and expensive.  You don’t have to clear out your checking account in order to look fabulous; sometimes all it takes is a worthwhile investment in certain key pieces.

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