Handbags of Hope Exchange Beauty & Wellness Showcase

Handbags of Hope founder, Erika Hernandez

In celebration of "Women in Business Month" I attended the Handbags of Hope Exchange Beauty & Wellness Showcase at Roe 7 Studios on Sunday, March 6th, in Hoboken for a day of learning, sharing and giving back. Attendees had a chance to meet with beauty/wellness professionals, win prizes, and listen to success stories, tips and personal stories of empowerment from inspirational women. 

The event supported Harvest of Hope Ministries and Dress for Success Hudson County. 100% of all the event's gains are being donated to Dress for Success. Each guest brought a gently used handbag filled with new toiletry items as a donation to Dress for Success in an effort to continue restoring hope and confidence to women in need. At the event, a total of 175 gently used handbags were collected for Dress for Success.

During the event, Fashion stylist, Tiffany Pinero provided us with some styling tips, followed by a beauty panel with vlogger, beauty influencer and brand ambassador Isabel Bedoya, founder of Khuraira Cosmetics, Khuraira Musa, and owner of Hair & Makeup Lounge, Jennifer Pina. 

Styling tips from Tiffany Pinero:

- Tailoring is everything. Look proportional and make it fit right

- Get inspired - make a Pinterest board or vision board.

- Plan or strategize before you buy, so you don't end up buying things you don't need.

Takeaways from the beauty panel:

- If you don't have a beauty routine, take on what you can handle. Less is more. Start out small and 

     work your way up ~ Jennifer Pina 

- Look at features you want to emphasize - brows - eyes - lips ~ Khuraira Musa

When asked 'What does being an empowered women means to you?':

- Doesn't matter your age or where you come from you can do anything - Isabel Bedoya

- You have to believe in yourself, have passion and value yourself. Listen to your inner voice

     ~ Khuraira Musa

- Take the help to be guided in the right direction. Don't be too proud to accept help ~ Jennifer Pina 

When asked 'What if you are struggling to find your inner voice?'

- Don't give up on what you are doing ~ Isabel Bedoya

- Find your passion. Find your niche and value it. Be good at it not mediocre. Always learn.                      Challenge yourself. Find something impossible and go for it. Don't be afraid ~ Khuraira Musa

- Figure out what you're doing that isn't making you happy. Re-evaluate. Change what you don't like.      Plan for the future what makes you happy and work towards that goal ~ Jennifer Pina 

When asked 'What do you when you have bad days?'

- Cover it up with a smile. Think of how blessed you are. Think first and act later ~ Jennifer Pina 

- Count your blessings. There is more positive than negative. Put makeup on and feel fabulous ~ Isabel Bedoya

- Right down positives and negatives for the year. Positives are always bigger than negatives. Always have God by your side ~ Khuraira Musa

After the beauty panel, Handbags of Hope founder, Erika Hernandez reminded us to figure out what you are good at, think about how it makes you feel, and figure out how to use your talent to make money. 

In exchange for bringing a gently used handbag filled with toiletries and snacks for a woman in need, the first 50 women who arrived at the event received a brand new handbag filled with products from sponsors and all other guests received a gift bag.

With Tiffany Pinero

With Isabel Bedoya

 With the Big Hair Girls

 - Kim Weling

Lucky Shops 2009

Hayden-Harnett Jackson clutch wallet

If you missed Lucky Shops 2009 this year, be sure to stash some cash and plan to go next November. Last Saturday, November 7th, I attended the anticipated annual event, at the Metropolitan Pavilion. For the past two years, I've not been able to get there until around 3:30, only giving me an hour and a half to shop. That means no time for drinks, just quick shopping for designer favorites. The upside to coming late in the day is that by this time, prices get dropped and reduced even further.

Instead of using the shopping map, I resorted to hitting each row. I first saw a Theory burnout rib tank that I wanted, with a retail price at $75 and 60% off, I decided to wait. I found myself at the denim bar and couldn't believe my eyes. Written on a chalk board I saw that several denim brands, including Miss Sixty and Genetic Denim were marked at $15! I had to ask "are they really $15 a pair?" When that was confirmed I immediately asked the sales associate to pull what she had in my size. I ended up trying 3 pairs of genetic denim jeans (two flare, one straight leg) and ended up buying the two flare jeans. Definitely the best deal of the day! Genetic Denim jeans run from $154 - $253. That's not all - I was able to get them both tailored for free! There are several sewing machine stations with on-hand tailors, so my jeans were being hemmed as I shopped (I am very lucky, I just made the cutoff at 4pm!).

Next I passed by Splendid and bought a fitted motorcycle hoodie in grey for $50, and then a Charlotte Ronson brown silk blouse with sequin details at the shoulder. After quickly grabbing a cup of raspberry gelato from Gelato Giuliana, I made my way back to Theory as I heard more reductions have been taken. Theory was now up to 70% off, yet tanks were now $20! So instead of $30 I ended up getting the tank for even less! As I waited for my jeans to be done at the tailoring station, I made my way back to the Hayden-Harnett booth and decided to buy the black leather wallet I had been eyeing. The retail price was $160 and I got it for $64!

So all together I spent $254. Any more time there and I could have done some more damage at seriously deep discounted prices! Lucky Shops is the ultimate sample sale at up to 75% off, with top designers participating. My only regret is that I completely missed the "Shop for Success" boutique, featuring nearly-new and one-of-a-kind items from Calvin Klein, Diane von Furstenberg and more. 100% of the proceeds benefited Dress for Success.

I really wish that Lucky Shops was twice a year instead of once a year! Here is my advice to any of you that decide to attend next year:

• Make sure you are still shopping from 3-5 pm when designers discount their merchandise even further. If you can wait, come back around this time frame, but note that if you wait it may not be there later.
• Be sure to visit the "Shop for Success" boutique or whatever it may be the next time around. I remember getting a Prada brocade skirt last year for $40, and the year before getting a Jil Sander white button down shirt for $25 and Pedro Garcia open toe sandals for $30.
• Make a note of all the items you want from your favorite designer's fall season ahead of time, so you can visit those booths first and see if they have your items available.
• If you plan on buying jeans from the denim bar, either wear the shoes you'd want to wear with your jeans, or bring your shoes with you (boots, heels, flats) with you - that way when you get your jeans tailored you can try the jeans on with your shoes (I was wearing flat boots at the time, so I had to stand on my tippy toes when getting my jeans tailored).
• Buy your denim jeans before 4pm so you can still get them tailored for free! If you have any other shopping tips you'd like to share for the next Lucky Shops event, feel free to share!

- Kim Weling