Consumer Driven Selection Myth

I took a trip over to Rainbow Shops today (www.rainbowshops.com), the brick and mortar kind, which is something I rarely do. I usually like to save myself a walk of shame to the back of the store.  I had some burning questions that needed to be asked, however, so the trip was more necessity over pleasure. I use the word "pleasure" loosely. Let me walk you through my experience. 

First, let me introduce you to the Hylan Plaza Rainbow shop in Staten Island. Staten Island is a borough of New York City that looks like a forgotten suburb. This isn't the glamorous part of New York  city, this is strip malls, elastic waist bands, scrunchie land. 

There you go, there's Rainbow nudged between a telco and a soon to be opening Salvation Army. When you walk up to the store you'll notice two things, rainbow has two signs that say rainbow and also a large 5$, 7$, 10$ clearence sale. Doesn't that sound nice? 5$ fashion? If we can do it to foot longs as I guess we can do it for clothes. Except, what they really mean is only straight sizes (mostly) and that was the target of my first question.

Just about all rainbows share this pleasant clearence sign a few times a year. I clearly needed some assistance as I was looking through the racks outside of the store. I couldn't find a single plus size peice inside these clearence racks. Then I stumbled upon some plus size dresses on an unmarked rack. It was the secret 12$ rack for plus size women. I quickly found someone working there and asked them to show me where the 5/7/10$ plus size clearence was since a day prior I was told to look at the racks outside. I was told that the plus clearence was mixed in. I said , no, you're mistaken I've looked through each and every single rack out here. She then lead me to the rack with the dresses. I then pointed out, this isn't the 5/7/10$ clearence as noted and if you can not direct me to the correct area then this is false advertising. This is when I am brought deeper into the store. All sorts of quesrions started to pop off in my brain. Why am I being lead AWAY from the deals? Why do I have to go deep inside the store for clearence? Why can't I feel the warm summer breeze against my skin while I shop? Would it really be so bad if a plus size woman was seen perusing clothing in front of the store? I let that all slide away when the sales  associate showed me three racks in the middle of the store. 

After passing countless racks outside the store and about 6 inside the store I was a bit underwhelmed over the selection. Only one rack was 7$ and it contained basics, another rack was 10$ and it contained mixed peices. The third rack was a 15$ rack (funny, I didn't see that on the clearence banner!) I asked why wasn't it advertised up to 15$ she said she didn't know. She invited me to go deeper into the back of the store under the giant, low hanging, central air conditioner to check out the 7$ basics. Under other cercimstances, if someone tried to lure me to the most rear part of a building for the best deals i would have assumed she was peddling drugs or a prostitue. Nope, just 7$ basic tank tops. 

Clearence aside, the plus size section was about 1/4th of the rest of the store. It was slightly smaller than the abysmal shoe selection (that only went up to size 10). This left me with a few questions. Why is the plus size section getting smaller? Why is it so far in the back? Why doesn't the store front say they sell plus size? Why do the fashions look drastically different? Where are all the sales associates? As I browsed I saw many of the same styles over and over. Peplums, leggings, shirts with quotes, ripped jeans,   Maxi dresses, skin tight dresses, and a plethora of basics. The  straight sizes had more variation in style, color, selection, and better prices.

The stand outs of the plus size section included a white, 1982, nightgown, looking dress, a pair of 100% polyurethane pants (yes, more of the paint sealer) which rang up as "Novelty Leggings". Let me stop there. I want you to wrap your mind around this with me. Plus size clothing, made out of paint sealer, is not only considered acceptable for sale but also, novel. Cut up shirts saying "I woke up like dis", and tons of polyester pants with all different designs that varied from color blind toddler all the way up to this is what the machine spit out. While there were a few nice peices, many didn't even have the correct label. Pants labeled as 3x measuring in at a messily 36 inches. 

3x pants on 3x shorts. 

My friend was with me during this trip. She saw a dress she wanted hanging high on the wall. She tried to wave down a sales associate. She waited, and waited. She grabbed the bar to pick up hangers off the wall. She took down all the dresses. No one even noticed. No one came to help. She then put all the dresses back up. Ignored would be an understatement.

As I went to be rung up I asked quite a few questions

Myself- When will the plus size section be expanding?

Cashier- We can't expand unless we have more sales in the plus size section

M- Do you think the declining sales has anything to do with the vastly different styles between straight sizes and plus? I mean look at how many more options the straight sizes have. 

C- We only put out what we are sent, what they think will sell. 

M- The styles are very limited and basic compared to the rest of the store, maybe if the same clothes from the straight sizes were sent sales would expand?

C- There is a large selection online. 

M- What about the mannequins? I don't see any plus size mannequins in the window, and the ones I do see in the back have all the styles pulled back destorting them. 

C- We only have two plus size Mannequins. We can't put one in the window. 

M- you don't exactly advertise that you sell plus size, your clearence sale isn't even accurate, and these pants I'm buying, are pure polyurethane. 

C- :: looks shocked :: but they are on sale. 

M- Is that a good thing? It also doesn't help that I have to walk to the back of the store, there is minimal assistance. The average woman wears size 14, 64% of women are plus size. Yet the selection is horrible in here

C- we can only get more selection if more sales are made in the plus size 

M- So wouldn't you rather want to advertise that you sell plus size, 64% of women are passing your store because they don't even know. So your selection shrinks further isolating the profits. You then direct people to shop online. How does that solve your stores problem?

C- no answer.  

So my understanding of this whole shopping experience is- stores like rainbow will sell plus size clothing, push it to the back, may or may not have a sign indicating plus sizes, lack a dressing room, mislead you with sales that don't apply to  plus size, and worst of all tell you that they can't improve selection without better sales. There are a plethora of women wanting to spend their money on affordable, trendy, accessable, plus size clothing but with this treatment in store and often the inability to try garments on anyway, it is easier to shop online. Why should we be pushed though? Why can't a store just take a risk and treat the plus size woman like they treat the straight size woman. Maybe if their was this equality, the majority of the population, their target market, would be more willing to spend. 

Sadly, their logic is useless. Stores don't seem to understand that plus size women won't stand for this treatment. We are being sized out of stores and pushed to the back and expected to spend more or the same as a straight size woman who is assisted and can folly through endless racks of options.  We understand exactly how we are being treated and either subconsciously  or consciously we decided that our money shouldn't be spent in an atmosphere like the brick and motar stores that will only treat us badly. Instead of the retailer blaming their own size shaming practices they blame the customer. I've heard this same story from pretty girl, target, and other big name retailers. 

I'd love to simply urge all plus size women, to use the power we apparently possess, and shop in store as much as possible and as often as possible to see a real shift in the market. However, the truth is I would be telling you to take one for the team by allowing yourself to be mistreated. I'd never ask you do to that. I do want you to make a note of how you're treated when you shop. If you feel you're not being treated correctly, you don't like going to the back of the store, being directed to shop online, subjected to bad selection/ materials, I urge you to complain. I urge you to email, call, write, even face to face with a manager about how you feel. If we can all at least have some say over this shameful behavior, maybe we can see a real change that doesn't put another useless penny in the pockets of retailers that lack basic respect. 

We are 64%, lets control this market, lets get that equality and representation in stores that we deserve. 

The Maxi Dress: Transfer the Classic Summer Look to Fall

What fashion trend epitomizes summer style? I'm sure there are various answers but one we can't disagree with is the maxi dress. Flowing, airy, versatile, simple, and sexy, it can do no wrong if you find one that is perfect for you. 

Shopping for a maxi dress can sometimes be like shopping for a car in that there are so many questions to be asked. What colors does it come in? Is this brand reliable? How many miles (wears) will I get out of this dress before it falls apart? Is it a good fit for me? With so many styles to choose from, I assure you there is one for you so don't settle. With all that being said it'sJuly and fall styles will creep up on us faster and faster until we blink and it's Labor Day. The maxi dress will be on sale and be pushed out to make room for mixed knits, leathers, and darker prints for fall. If you love a great sale, absolutely stock up! The bigger question is how do you take a summer favorite and make it work for fall? I'm here to answer that burning question. 

First, let me share with you what I wore today:

I picked this outfit because it just came in the mail and I just had to put it on. Truth is, this 85 degrees weather did not require that blazer. Blazers are one of the best ways to take a maxi dress from summer to fall. You can probably already find fall blazers available or may even have one in your closet from last season. A blazer is a great investment since it can add a classy touch to nearly any outfit you add it to. Adding it to a maxi dress takes it from the beach to the office, wedding, event, or any other more formal settings. The long sleeves will keep you warm on cooler days/nights but can still be taken off for one last impromptu trip to dip your toes in the sand. Roll up the sleeves to 3/4 for a more casual look. I personally love this high back blazer since it keeps the shape of the dress obvious without making it look boxy. 

Dress- www.forever21.com

Blazer- www.forever21.com

Belt- www.rainbowshops.com

Necklace- www.bezelbox.com

Sunglasses- www.forever21.com

Shoes- www.lanebryant.com

Other ways to turn your maxi dress into a fall outfit try putting a sweater over the top to give the illusion of a maxi skirt. If it gets very cold, a pair of leggings keep the legs warm without anyone being the wiser. If a blazer isn't your style you could always opt for a shrug or even a long sleeve tee. Choosing maxi dresses with bold primary colors or black are easiest to transfer over to fall, but geo prints, animal prints, even some pastels will transfer over as well. 

An outfit like this may only require a cardigan or long sleeve crop top (try a new trend without stepping out of your comfort zone!) to go from summer to fall. A feather accented hat is seasonally universal. 

Dress- www.forever21.com

Necklace- www.gstagelove.com

Hat- www.forever21.com

Fall 2014 is set to see lots of 90s inspired grunge looks, sheer looks, continued trend of geo prints, even some 60s neon and pastel pieces are expected. Keep this all in mind before you shove all your summer clothes in that space saver bag and banish it to the back of the closet! You may just get more use out of your summer clothes and maxi dresses, through layering, than you expected. 

Plus Size Clothes: Now Washable

It doesn't take an expert to realize that plus size clothing isn't exactly made out of the best material. Polyesters, Rayon, spandex, Lurex, even plastics compose many of the trendy and contemporary brands. You can often feel the quality when you touch the fabrics, you don't even need to wear it to understand its value. So, we wear over priced, lower quality fabric clothes, and we accept it.

Companies know we have to buy clothes, we want to buy clothes, and just like with straight sizes, or really any consumer good, there are always newer and better gimmicks. The most recent one I've seen was on a label of a shirt I purchased from Www.moddeals.com, a website which features affordable and stylish clothes for a great discount. The label clearly said it was washable. 

Why does my article of clothing have to let me know that it's washable? Could there possibly be an existence of clothes that can't be washed? Lets be realistic for a moment. All these synthetic materials don't exactly breath like cotton. We are talking about sweat and body odor build up no matter what we wear. I hate to be the barer of bad news but, you should read some of your clothing labels sometime. You might discover something like this....

Excuse me? First, lets google what Polyurethane is. 

Oh, so its something I can find at the Home Depot to make my floors shiny again or protect a coat of paint. I wonder what genius in the plus size industry thought it would be ok to treat our garments like a home improvement project. 

Since most plus size clothing is bought online, you cant always directly feel the fabrics. Ladies, you need to be very cautious when you buy online. Read what the garment is made out of before you purchase. Often, the composition of the fabric is in a separate, often hidden drop down menu. If you can't find it, contact the company.  If you are in store, read the labels as well, don't walk out of the store with a piece of clothing that will be difficult to maintain. It's one thing to buy a dry clean only item, it's a whole other to buy a wipe down only item.

Be cautious, read labels, and if you see something that says "I'm washable" in store, complain to the manager, that's never an acceptable selling point. 

Feeling a little Moody Blooms

I finally got the chance to play with the Mac Cosmetics Moody Blooms collection. I figured what better time to try out a whole look than date night. 

What I wore: 

A floral dress from www.rainbowshops.com

I didn't accessorize like I usually do since I didn't want to distract from the loud pattern. Sometimes it's great just to keep things simple and let a garment speak for itself. 

Makeup look:

Eyes:

Lid- green room

Center of lid - lucky green

Inner corner- blooming mad 

Outer v- green room

Upper lid line- black ivy

Lower lid line- black ivy with copper thorn over it 

Face- L'oreal visible lift blur foundation

Setting powder- sp3ctrum translucent powder

Blush- bread for beauty

Highlight- worldly wealth

Lips- sheen supreme lust extract

I rather like the deep floral look in both pattern and cosmetics. 

How do you feel about the floral trend? 

Plus Size Retailers, What are you thinking?

As a plus size woman, 260 lbs 5'11", I'm not exactly the standard of beauty. Does this make me not beautiful or take away from my beauty because I'm not the standard? Absolutely not! I do want to discuss with you all how I feel about the plus size industry and how passionate I have grown to see a change. 

Many brands of clothing would have you believe that you need to loose weight to be stylish. Many major brands only carry straight sizes. Straight sizes are the average 1-10 or s-xl sizes. Stores that do carry both straight and plus size clothing will rarely advertise it. Plus size clothing at a mixed sizes store will often be hidden in the back of a store, wedged between other departments like children or home goods, while others won't even dedicate floor space, these stores would rather not see you at all but don't mind taking your money online (... Target). 

 My issues with plus size retailers is a list that grows longer and longer everyday. Why, as plus size women, must we accept being told we have to buy first, try on later (shopping online) or told to go to the back of the store, or speciality store? Plus size women account for 64% of the american population and yet we are segregated. We accept it since, lets face it, we can't all walk around naked or with sheets draped over us. We accept the fact that we are told to shop like those that shop for porn... The good videos are in the back, behind the curtain, online, we want your money, we just don't want you to bother the other shoppers with what your buying. Its as if retailers believe if their customers see a "fat" women shopping their store won't be trendy, or appealing. Studies have shown that heavier individuals are thought of to be lazy, sloppy, smell bad... How horrible is that? So stores will either cut their losses and not cater to 64% more income or hide it. 

Open up the current issue of vogue, cosmopolitan, Elle.. Any magazine really, you'll find two things: one will be mini articles with plus size women included into how to wear (insert clothing article here). Secondly, flip through the ads and you'll be hard pressed to find the plus size retailers or straight size retailers that carry plus size advertising. You would be surprised at how many higher end stores carry plus sizes secretly. 

Personally, my struggle with plus size clothing began when I was a teenager. I would go shopping with my friends only to discover the only items available to me in most stores are accessories and socks. I would watch my friends try on all different styles of clothing when I knew that all racks were hands off to me.  Why even bother browsing when I would only walk out empty handed. I would cry about it. I wanted to look like other teen girls but I dressed like a Tom boy- oversized old navy shirts and ill fitting Lane Bryant Pants, I had obvious self esteem issues. It's one thing to feel ugly all the time because you don't like your body, face, hair, boobs, ass, it's a whole other  issue when every store reminds you that you don't belong. I didn't come to terms with my size or how I looked until my early 20s and I was 2 sizes larger than I was in high school. There are so many young girls and women who want to feel confident, want to love their bodies, want to spend some money and get a cute outfit, but can't and are, instead, fed constant Images of very thin, blow average, women in advertisements, television shows, music videos etc. to reinforce the idea that its you, not them, that have something wrong with them.  Even plus size models on plus size sites look like average, everyday women. Why are these average beautiful women labeled plus size?

This all brings me to my final issue: my experience with shopping. Recently I saw a great pattern on a skirt, it was Tetris, I'm a bit of an old school video game nerd, however an extra large was the circumference of my head. I bought two skirts and two tops and made a skater type skirt dress. 

What do you think? 

 The finished product

 The skirt

The top

However, while I was in the store buying the skirts I told the cashier what my plan was and she was shocked.  She told me they do carry plus size and she pointed to the only three racks in the store containing plus size clothes. Maybe if I had more options I wouldn't have to cut up smaller clothes. She mentioned that the plus size clothes just weren't selling. Did I mention the only advertisement to let customers know that they sell plus size was a small piece of computer paper that said "plus size" taped to the door letting me know that my kind was welcome. Also, no plus size clothes were shown in the window or displayed other than those three small racks. Insulting. 

Big retailers like H&M are offering plus size clothes, though you wont really see that mentioned anywhere in their advertisements. There is only a tiny fraction of the amount of clothes they sell to plus size women vs. straight size and with drastically blander styles.

 Retailers who do offer better quality like ModCloth or Monif C. Plus Sizes charge bill money amounts and the style isn't always better (Though I do love the monif swimwear)

Clothes from Forever 21 and Rainbow Shops are nice, trendy, and cheap, but don't last very long. Also, if you shop in these stores the plus size section is often very small and hidden in the back or tothe  side with little or no people working in that section. Not every store has these sections either.  It's not a pleasant experience overall and considering these companies should be competing for our money you would think the options would be plentiful. 

Lastly, there are discount options online but many of these retailers lack understanding for taste and style.. misplaced prints, too much attention to breasts or booty, disproportionate sizing, wrong sizes on size chart ( I can't begin to explain how many times a 20/3x turns out to be a size 12/14), odd placements of details, cheap material, off cuts, weird lengths... Etc. Retailers often go in the extreme direction- very basic or acid trip.  Shopping shouldn't be a difficult task, companies should reach out to their target audience for feedback. Since stores are pushing for more online sales we can't talk to managers about the selection in store, the styles, what we want to see or complaints, we have the option of paying to return an item while checking a box to describe what went wrong. We don't get to browse small boutique or walk into any store on a whim, we have to determine where our green money is just as green as everyone else (or multiple colored like in Canada)  Since many trendy sites have high turn over rates for their designs you may see something you like and it will be sold out within a day, buy the wrong size and there isn't much you can do, keep it and try to make it work or return it and do without it. 

These struggles should not be happening in this day and age. While this blog used to focus on makeup, I would like to transform it into a fashion blog. I will still have in depth reviews of makeup on my Instagram: @recycledstardust and on my YouTube: www.youtube.com/nix92585 but I would like to focus more on my day to day outfits, sites I love, outfit ideas, and where to buy clothes I think are stylish. If you've had a hard time finding sites to cater to you and you are plus size, rest assured I will try to help you find new ones. 

Thank you to everyone who has staid subscribed, and I hope this transition is a great one!

-Nikki 

Maybelline The Buffs Collection Review Lip Swatches and Mac Dupes

 If you were enchanted last year by the Maybelline Vivids collection that featured bright and bold shades this may not be a collection for you, but if you love to vary your looks or you felt that the vivids were just too VIVID you may want to check out The Buffs.

This collection makes sense coming from Maybelline, the brand that has brought us the line of Fit Me products. We can fit our foundation, our mattifyer, even our pressed powder to work perfectly for us, why not lipsticks? The Buffs collection features nude shades for every skin tone and are affordable for most budgets. It seems many companies are bringing us a very nude spring and these are a great way to stay on trend. Also, since there is a wide variation of shades you can choose a nude that works for you now or a lighter or darker one for those times when you have a tan or are a little pale.

The overall formula is consistent with  other Maybelline color sensational lipsticks in that they are soft and creamy, have a honey nectar scent, and leave a bit of shine when applied. Depending on the shade they can last from 3-6 hours.

Left Top- Bare All, Left Bottom- Nude Lust. Right Top- Blushing Beige , Right Bottom- Maple Kiss

BARE ALL- is an almost white shade that gave me (fit me 220, mac NC 30) concealer lips. This shade showed every lip flaw so it would be best to exfoliate before applying. This shade would be best for those with very fair complexions or those who want a very light lip. This shade could also be used to tone down a darker shade or applied to the center of the lip over another lipstick to highlight the center of the lip.It leans slightly yellow.

BLUSHING BEIGE- this shade is slightly darker and leans pink. It is great for those looking for a light pinky nude and it is similar to mac peachstock and mac pure decoration.

NUDE LUST- is similar to mac close contact and is a bit of a greyed pinky nude.

MAPLE KISS- is a red based medium brown that would look great if you have pigmented lips already, it may look like "your lips but better"

Left Top- Truffle Tease, Left Bottom Touchable Tuape, Right Top- Sin-A-Mon, Right Bottom- Stormy Shara

TRUFFLE TEASE AND SIN-A-MON- both look very similar to exclusive event and riri nude on the lips but they lacked some of the greyness that would make them a full dupe. These will look quite different on different skin tones. On my skin they were medium grey nudes with a bit of brown. Truffle Tease leaned more yellow while Sin-a-mon leaned more pink.

TOUCHABLE TAUPE- is a chocolate brown that has a bit of purple untertone and reminded me some of mac hot chocolate. This shade should flatter mostly any skin tone.

STORMY SHARA- is a pinky medium brown nude that would look good on medium to darker skin tones as a nude.

Top Left- Untainted Spice and Top Right- Espresso Exposed

UNTAINTED SPICE- This shade also pulls a little purple but is a medium brown (this shade also reminds me of mac hot chocolate but it isnt enough purple to be a full dupe)

ESPRESSO EXPOSE- is a darkened reddish brown that would be a great vampy shade on lighter skin tones or a rich nude on darker skintones.

 

Overall what I loved about this collection was range. I feel like with ten nude lipsticks that lean pink, yellow, brown, purple, grey, and red, it really covers a lot of different skin tones and undertones. I think that most people will be able to find a nude that fits them or even just a shade they like. The packaging is quite pretty with the soft pink shaded tubes and the shades the color of the sticker on the bottom. These shades are creamy and smell like honey nectar.


video

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure is a Knock Out

JADED

I recently received a few Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes from Influenster. I have used these products before and own quite a few, so i went into this product testing with a positive attitude. The shades i received complimentary from influenster for reviewing and testing purposes were Red My Lips, Pat on The Black and Jaded.

RED MY LIPS

The Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure is just that.. a complete manicure. You can skip the base coat and top coat and get the same results had you used them. This product offers 7 benefits- base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, color, top coat, chip resistant, and gel shine. Unlike a lot of products in the drugstore this one lives up to its claims.

PAT ON THE BLACK

So, is this product the holy grail of polish or does it have some shortcomings?  Well, it all depends on what shade you use. For example, if you use Red My Lips you will get a perfect application because the formula is thin enough to give you a thin coat that drys fast but opaque enough that you don't have to use more than 2 coats. The flat brush also helps to deposit just enough polish. If you use Jaded, the experience is a little different. This shade lacked the pigmentation of Red my Lips and also Pat On The Black and was very hard to work with. Apply too much.,. and its goopy.. apply too little and its barely there. After 3 coats i finally got an opaque coverage. While that is a lot, i was thankful i didn't have to apply a base coat or top coat to it like other polishes. Pat on the Black, if applied slightly thick, needed only one coat and is great if you are in a rush to paint your nails but have about 10 minuets to let them dry. The other shades only took about 5-7 minuets to dry. Again, the time is still a lot less than if you had to wait for a base coat and top coat to dry.

Overall, i really like this product. There are many other shade choices available, including some gorgeous glitters! You can find these online at www.drugstore.com for about 6.49$ or in your local drugstore.
www.sallyhansen.com

 Demo

and video review