It started with a trip to the local dollar store last Saturday.  I needed bobby pins to secure my hair under the wigs I wear.

Ohhh. Dollar Tree!  I could spend hours in here. I mean it. I really could!

Naturally, I couldn’t just go into a dollar store and buy one item and leave. God forbid!

So, I looked around but I didn’t have much time to do so because Officer Bonaparte, my spending police was waiting for me in the car. (Talk about trust! How bad is it that the man doesn’t even trust me in a dollar store!  A dollar store—OK?)

Yeah Bonaparte. You stay in the car with Chippy and listen to your Mozart. I’ll be but a minute…..or more.

My spirit was gleeful as I spotted a fan!  Not a fan you plug into an outlet but one of those plastic and fabric fans.  This was a Chinese foldable fan and I figured that it could be a very pragmatic purchase if the air conditioning at home broke down.  And for a buck—I purchased it!

This will also be wonderful for those menopausal moments of hot flashes! And a dollar!! It’s so pretty!

Not stopping there, I had to check out the cosmetics aisle.  Time was ticking away like a bomb—I knew Bonaparte would never step foot in this or any dollar store. His Frenchness would not allow it.  But—I’m pretty much lower on the cultural ladder.  However, I knew if I wasted too much time he would be mumbling in his native tongue all the way home.

With a street named after him, Bonaparte is too refined to step into my dollar store haunts!  And I like it that way!

And so, I grabbed a cute little palette of eye shadows.

This neutral palette is great!  A great mix of sparkly and matte and the shadows have very good pigmentation. Hey, and for on-the-go, that little sponge applicator isn’t all that bad!

Housed in a discreet faux leather case, this little cosmetic nugget could prove to be a great purchase!

The faux-leather case with a band for a closure is very discreet.  I should go back for another to throw in my purse!

The brand is L.A. Colors and the shadows worked well.

I went home and couldn’t wait to play!

This is the look “eye” achieved with about three of the shadows.  Very nice for an everyday look. AND, the shadows lasted all day without primer!

Let me say this.  Sometimes you need to go out of your box of high-end brands and embrace the inexpensive bargain!

The verdict on this dollar bargain.  Excellent. This is a great palette for the summer.  If you go to the beach or a pool, chances are you are like me and don’t do the whole makeup thing on the eyes.  Mascara runs off in sweaty heat.  Swimming washes any makeup off.

But, if you are planning to go out and about directly upon leaving these places, you want to look decent.  Two minutes with your car’s mirror and you can get a great look!

This palette is already in my travel bag for our trip to France!

Next bargain is this pair of jeans from Primark.   (Click the link–but their website sucks!!  It’s easier to just go into the store!) I like my jeans skinny.  However, I do like a bit of stretch to them.  And, in the warm weather I tend to keep away from heavy denim.

Wow!  In any other country, I’m a moose!  I’ll take the USA numbers!  But this is the Primark brand, Denim Co.

These jeans are Primark’s “Denim Company” jeans.  Not as stretchy as a jegging but not a heavy jean, the fit is excellent.  And the cotton is light enough that will allow for comfort in the heat of the summer.  The color selection is very good. I already have a pair in cream and went back for the black.  I want to get the fatigue green.  At $13 a pair—this is an excellent bargain.

See how nicely this pair of $13 jeans fits?  Don’t mind the mess in the room–I’m still packing and unpacking.  

Here’s another look…

And the best I could do from behind. I wanted to get a good ass shot because these jeans are dubbed “push up” jeans and they do a decent job of pushing up the butt a bit.  What I really like about these jeans is that they keep their shape after wearing them all day!

I don’t know how the line got there. I wasn’t doing the Limbo Rock!  But, I wanted to show you how nice and form-fitting these jeans are at the ankle. Do you know how hard it is to find a pair of jeans that fit like this at the ankle?

A decent blend–71% Cotton, 27% poly and 2% elastin. It provides a decent fit.

Not all bargains are heaven sent.  I purchased a ponytail for nine bucks. I figured it could prove to be useful for summer hair wear.  I just couldn’t make it work. In the photos, it looks fine but don’t forget, that’s ‘cause I’m standing still.  After a few moves of the body the hair just wasn’t working.

It photographed well, but just didn’t work!  I’m still not giving up on it though!

As a “fall” (remember those), it would have worked so well if it were much denser. Oh well, I’m going to continue to play with this to make it work as a huge bun. We’ll see!

I say bring back the “falls” of the 1960’s. Recognize the model?  It’s Lauren Hutton! I love that hairdo!

Sometimes you just need a good bargain. Tomorrow’s bargain can very well turn out to be that elusive gem!!   Do you have any recent bargains?  Are you a secret bargain hunter?  Do tell!

I think a great song for today would be “Shop Around”! The Miracles!!!