So there I was, standing in the middle of aisle five in the skincare section, gazing up at a bottle of Oil of Olay Beauty Fluid SPF 15 and just squinting at the 11 dollar price tag. Was it just me or did Walmart raise the price? Oh yeah that’s right, everything nowadays is becoming a tad more expensive, thank you economy. Face lotion may seem like a general item where any brand of any type should be suitable, but with my oily, acne-prone, sensitive skin, I knew what would work for me! This was my HG lotion for quite some time now; light and non-greasy, but I just couldn't bring myself to shell out even another dollar more than the original price. I was a starving college student, after all. Then, something caught my eye. There was an identical bottle to its left with the label “Equate.” Exactly the same bottle shape, size, and color. Same promises to hydrate my skin with Vitamin E while protecting it from harmful UVA/UVB rays. And at about half the price of the Oil of Olay bottle! This must be a godsend. But just to be sure, the real test comes in the ingredients. Holding both bottles side by side, I scan the ingredients in Equate to make sure they match up with Oil of Olay word for word and sure in enough it did. Although the ingredients are the same, there were one or two switches in the order that they appear, only meaning that the lotion will contain more of the first ingredient. But I wouldn’t see the alarm in that so long as all the ingredients are present. So I immediately bought it and went home to try it, and I never looked back!

That, my friends, is how I became a devotee of Walmart’s Equate brands. You can have the same quality of your beloved products at a better price. I have since then, tried Equate shampoo, vitamins, contact solution and they all have lived up to their, er, predecessors. Looking in my medicine cabinet, every other item I have is Equate. Not to be outdone, I’ve also tried Target’s own bargain brand "Up and up” products and found them to work just as well.

Equate Shampoo & Conditioner Pro Vitamin Moisture Renewal, walmart.com, $6.56

Equate Cleaning & Disinfecting Les Care System (12 fl oz), walmart.com, $2.98

up & up™ Oil-Free Acne Wash (6oz), target.com, $3.84

I love that despite our nation’s harsh economical times, the beauty industry will adjust itself accordingly to deliver to its loyal consumers.

As big of a makeup junkie I am, I just don’t have the budget to go around scooping up the latest products to hit stores. With that in mind, I also can’t afford to pick up a foundation or blush shades that I think is right for me, and then go home to try it on and see that I am spectrums away from my real color. Department stores and Sephora do allow customers to test out the products, but drugstores do not, and so I am left sneaking a product into a corner of the aisle to test out the shade on my hand, hoping that a worker doesn’t catch me. Thankfully, there are some products on the market that react to a person’s distinctive chemistry, resulting in a shade that tailors their own complexion and coloring. No more of the guessing game or mixing and matching in the store!

Face: I find liquid foundation to be the trickiest makeup to buy because of how often our skin changes color frequently due to a variety of reasons: hormones, season change, sickness, etc. You may be one color today but slightly different the next. And we can’t have ten different foundation bottles, right? Luckily these foundations were created to adapt to your individual skin color to provide a flawless finish that is perfect for you. Almay Smart Shade Makeup $7.99, Collection 2000 Color Match Foundation $5.99

Almay Smart Shade Makeup, target.com, $7.99

Collection 2000 Color Match Foundation, ebay.com, $5.99

Although these foundations have color-adjusting properties, they do come in three shades i.e. light, medium, dark so be sure to pick the right shade area for you.

Cheeks: This blush reacts naturally to the pH in your cheeks that gives you your own unique and natural flush of color as if you had just been frolicking through the meadows on a warm summer afternoon. Jemma Kidd Cheek I.D Colour Adapt Blush, $27.95

Jemma Kidd Cheek I.D Colour Adapt Blush, target.com, $27.95

Lips: When it comes to lips, you have a lot of freedom to try different shades depending on the occasion. If you are looking a more elegant daily lip product other than your cherry Chapstick, Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey $15 is a mild berry shade that is universally flattering, giving you a just-bitten look.

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey, sephora.com, $15

Alas, the Red Lip. It is the most difficult and confusing product to find the right shade for. You have to choose between pink tones, orange tones, and blue tones to match your fair, tan, olive, yellow, or dark skin, which also has to match your warm or cool tone hair. What the heck is blue tone anyway?? Duwop Private Red, $22 is a miracle in a tube that customizes the shade to give you your own glamorous movie star color. No tones needed, just apply.

Duwop in Private Red, sephora.com, $22

I recently participated in a small fashion show at Newport Beach’s Fashion Island for Macy’s as part of their Friends and Family event. It was a fun way to showcase the new fresh summer trends by Macy’s privately owned brand, INC., for audiences to see and purchase directly after the show. Wardrobe stylists were also on hand to assist customers in selecting specific pieces they liked in the show and in building outfits around the new trends.

Before at Macy’s, I would often just stroll past the INC section with nothing more than a mere glimpse, because I had always associated INC as business casual clothes for the office working women, i.e. white button up blouses and black slacks. Surprisingly, this season has so many unexpected vibrant colors and textures it really threw me off and got me excited for a crazed shopping spree I have in mind for my upcoming summer plans! So much tie-dye, bright corals, white lace eyelets, and tribal prints...I feel like I am on the beach blasting “California Gurls” on my earphones just looking at the clothes. These pieces are perfect for mixing and matching for either casual or semi-formal summer events, whether you are going on a cruise to the Bahamas, or just lounging by your backyard pool.

INC Convertible Maxi dress, $59.50

INC Crochet Tiered Maxi Skirt, $79.50

INC Drawstring Waist Linen, $69.50

INC Sleeveless Battenburg Lace Mini, $99.50

The models sporting the new summer trends. Who is ready for the beach!?

There are just some things that I feel safe wearing, and others that I cringe when I imagine wearing it. If you have read my previous posts, you can tell that I am a classic, simple kind of dresser -- dark denim jeans, white tank top, brown leather boots, and a single gold chain bracelet. Trends are something that I admire from afar but rarely purchase at a store. But as I am getting older, I feel myself starting to branch and want to be more adventurous, and try out things I have never thought I would. Also, I am starting to see a wardrobe as more than merely clothes you have to wear because it would be illegal to out in the streets naked. It is wearable art! Some trends may be quite bold and intimidating at first, but...looking back at the past things that I had avoided, it is worth taking a second look and who knows? Maybe I will branch out of my comfort zone and add some color and texture to my life.

COLOR-BLOCKING: This was the number one trend that made me go, huh? How many colors are allowed to be used when blocking? Does it matter if it’s all warm colors or cool colors?

Courtesy: makeupandbeauty.com

PIXIE-CUT: This hair looks adorable on Michelle Williams and Natalie Portman, but I have always been too attached to my hair/security blanket. I wonder what it would be like to feel the wind blowing at the back of my neck.

Courtesy: Sean Gallup/Getty

ANIMAL PRINTS: Oh goodness, whoever sports animal prints must have a roaring stand-out personality to match. I was always wary if I am supposed to act wild and crazy with these prints, and it would be incorrect for me to be mellow and calm when covered in cheetah prints or zebra stripes.

Courtesy: style.com

MILITARY: I know that once I put on a forest green structure jacket with heavy gold knobs, I’m going to feel like I can take over the world!

Courtesy: style.com

PERFORATE: Now I know the importance of wearing comfortable fabrics that allow your skin to breathe, but the big exaggerated punctures in this trend made me wonder, what is the point? But nonetheless, it is an easiest way to add an interesting texture to my outfit.

Courtesy: Time Inc.

I am an avid green tea drinker. Just a cup in the morning gives me an extra boost of energy to start the day, with added benefits of faster metabolism and clearer skin. But over time, I noticed it staining my teeth, not cute. I have tried bleaching strips in the past, but it was so harsh on my enamels that my teeth because extra sensitive. Fortunately, we can whiten our teeth naturally with foods and other less abrasive materials.

- STRAWBERRIES: contains malic acid that whitens teeth. Also, the tiny seeds brush against and exfoliate your teeth’s surface,  buffing away stains.

- DAIRY: milk and cheese contain minerals calcium and phosphorus, which aids in remineralization of tooth enamel, as well as lactic acid that prevents decay.

- RAW AND CRUNCHY FRUITS AND VEGGIES: (apples, celeries, carrots) much like the strawberry, these foods gently slough off dark stains. Also, the act of chewing stimulates the flow of saliva, which washes away food and protects against bacteria.

- BAKING SODA: baking soda is a popular cleaning agent in many types of toothpaste because of its effectiveness in scraping off stains. Heck, you can even just purchase a box of baking soda and use that. But do not just dunk your toothbrush into a box and brush. Too much can do more harm than good by eroding the enamel. It is best to combine equal parts of baking soda and water and brush with it once a week or every two weeks.

Of course, it will be nearly impossible to avoid the foods that cause staining in the first place: tea, coffee, red wine, soda, etc. So it is an important step to quickly attend to your teeth after consuming these drinks, by rinsing your mouth with water afterwards or chewing sugar-free gum containing xylitol.