Cosmetics Market

I visited the Cosmetics Market today when I had some free time, and let me tell you, it is one big mess. I did find a couple things, but I had to dig. For those who don't know, the Cosmetics Market on 37th and 5th is a discounted warehouse-style store for makeup and beauty products. They have a lot of name-brand items for very little money. I picked up a Revlon Kissable balm stain for $2, for example. That said, the place is a mess! They should clean it up a bit. But it is fun to go in and look -- they never have exactly what I'm looking for but I always end up leaving with a few things..

Today I picked up:
1. Estee Lauder large handbag mirror ($2)
2. Revlon Kissable balm stain (around $2)
3. Lisi eyeshadow in Satin Eyes (a pretty light purple with gold flecks -- $4). And can I say their packaging is lot like NARS?

Tips for the Cosmetics Market:
-Just breathe, the nasty testers won't hurt you. Just don't touch them.
-There are golden bits beneath the grossness! Be patient.
-Go for products that have definitely not been opened. Boxed eye-shadows, plastic-sealed lip stains and the like.
-Check expiration dates if possible -- makeup does expire!

It was fun, but I only go about once every 6 months I'd say.. just not someplace I need to visit regularly.

Feeling organized and Buffalo Exchange

One of the best parts of Spring, in my opinion, is feeling a sense of renewal. The actual start of the new year doesn't do it for me acutally -- it is when the weather changes and I feel the sudden urge to clean and organize and start fresh that I really get going.

After cleaning my apartment last weekend and giving everything a good scrub, I am sooo unhappy to have to take my winter coat back out of my closet, put my winter boots back near the front door, and wear a wool scarf in the morning. Go away! But really, the nastiness that my shoes pick up from the NYC streets needs to go away.

That said, I still did "spring clean," and it still satisfied that feeling of starting over. Closet is organized, summer clothes, though still in their plastic bin, are waiting to be taken out. Also clearing out my wardrobe and making decisions like, "do I actually wear this? Have I ever worn this?" did me some good. I have a bag of things waiting to go to Buffalo Exchange so I can find some new pieces and get rid of the old. And on that note, some tips for Buffalo Exchange:

1. Don't go on the weekends if possible. The store is not only crazy, the line for selling is usually out the door. Just don't do it. In NYC they're open until 7 or 8 I think, or if you have a weekday off go then.
2. Bring your own bag -- Buffalo Exchange I think just recently stopped providing plastic bags for purchased items. You can buy one of their reusable bags, but why not bring your own?
3. Don't bring items that are visably worn. I once brought a pair of pants that I had honestly worn once and decided I didn't like. Almost brand new, the buyer noticed a spot of dirt on the bottom pant leg and wouldn't take them. I was bummed but understood why. Just make sure to clean items before bringing!
4. Don't bring items from stores like Forever21, Target, or H&M. Though I have actually seen items from these stores for sale at Buffalo Exchange, when I've tried to sell them they always always tell me that they don't like buying them. The reason is that since the retail price for these items is already pretty low, they can't sell for a great discount or else they wouldn't make much profit. Also, they aren't well made.
5. I know this sounds silly, but it is all about the presentation. Don't shove all your clothes in a trash bag and pull them out like your dirty laundry. It will make the buyer less interested in what you're pulling out of the bag. When it is your turn to go up to the counter, lay everything out nicely in piles or lay nice pieces out flat.
6. Something else you can do is actually call the store before you go and ask what they're looking for. That is helpful, but honestly you can just think about what season is coming up and what you see in stores at the time. Right now, for instance, they are not looking for winter coats or sweaters. So don't even try!
7. If you have something to say about an item (like: "It's brand new" or "This is vintage").. say it. I don't know whether or not it really helps but it just might swing the buyer.
8. Be friendly towards the buyer you get -- it sounds totally unfair but if they like you, they might be more into what items you show them. I've seen people come in and be rude and you know what happened? Instead of the buyer wanting to look at the clothing, she instead went through it as fast as she could to get the woman out of her face. Seriously.
9. Don't sell something if you aren't happy with the price they're paying! I once brought a pair of leather boots that I bought and ended up not liking at all.. I didn't return them when I bought them because they were final sale for $50 down from $200, and I ended up never wearing them. I brought them in to Buffalo Exchange and told the buyer I'd never worn them, and they wanted to give me $15. I said no thankyou, and then brought them to a different Buffalo Exchange location in the city where I got $30 for them. Since the buyers make up prices on the spot, you really can get a range of prices depending on who you speak to and where you go.
10. And lastly, just don't bring clothing items that are CLEARLY a million years old and completely out of style. You can try, but it 'aint gonna happen. I once saw a woman bring in two carts of children's clothing clearly from the 90s. In fact, I probably owned some of the same styles when I was 8. The buyer bought nothing. It was sad but she should have known that they weren't going to buy 5 pairs of different colored corduroy overalls. No.

So that's it! I love going, but you have to detach yourself from the things you are bringing. The buyer is not commenting on your personal style when her or she doesn't take something. They are thinking about what is right for the store.

Tips and Tricks for navigating NYC

This is coming from someone who used to get hot flashes (not really, but you know what I mean) when navigating. So take it from me, these tools/tips will help YOU! Yes, YOU! I've compiled them with the help of friends but also by reverting to my instincts while in super panic mode.

1. If you're out and about make sure you have your hands free. I'm serious. You don't necessarily need to go for the "cross-body" bag that you see all the tourists wearing, but it makes life so so much easier if you aren't constantly thinking about holding your purse. The crook-of-the-arm purse is a no-go. I mean, I have some of them, but they are always annoying if I'm out and about. I am really a fan of the shoulder bag that also has easy access (for me, not to pick-pockets!!) to all my essentials.

2. This brings me to my next point: organize your purse! Essentials for walking around NYC for me consist of hand sanitizer, metro card, wallet. Literally those three things I might need at a moment's notice! So it is important to keep them handy but still concealed (well, at least the metro card and especially wallet). What I do is I keep my metro card and hand sanitizer in the same pocket (always) near the opening of the purse. That way I know where to look and retrieve quickly. I also make sure to keep my wallet in the center of the purse, always closed and at the ready.

3. Download the free app called NextStop. This is the most BRILLIANT invention for people who can't (or won't) understand the subways. And let me tell you, I've lived here for 2 years and I still use this quite a lot. I of course have my daily routine down, but if I need to go somehwere new I always consult. The reason why this app is amazing is becuase it has a bunch of easy-use views of the subway. Not only does it include a traditional subway map (which if you ask me, is confusing. So just don't use this) -- it also has these sections:

"Favorites" -- where you can keep your favorite subways. I don't have favorite subway lines, but okay.
"Nearby" -- this is very cool. If you don't know where the nearest subway is, this will tell you.
"Map" -- traditional subway map. Confusing and just not good for really understanding what the subway will do.
"Lines" -- MY FAV. Will explain below.
"Alerts" -- honestly never use this but I suppose it would be helpful. Usually you just have to listen to announcers either on the train or in the station. They will tell you if a line has trouble. And remember, if you find yourself in Brooklyn or Queens do not panic. You can get back. I promise.

Okay so the "Lines" feature:
Amazing. it essentially lists all the lines (1,2,3,7,4,5 etc etc) and you can click on each one (the one you want to know about). If you click on the "1," for example, it lists (in the order of how it stops) each stop the train will make. This gets rid of ANY confusion about whether or not a certain train will stop at a certain station. As you may know, subway lines can get confusing because some will stop at all stops on the line, and some won't, and it's just hard to remember OR figure out from the stupid traditional map. This feature never fails. You can count how many stops until you get off, you can help strangers if they are confused, you can know where the heck you are. Oh! And the best part? It acutally works in the subway -- no wireless needed.

4. For navigating the streets, pay attention to which way the traffic is moving. This is key. I don't care what google maps has come out with to tell you where you are and which direction you're facing. You need to understand in real life or you're going to be stuck to a machine that may fail you. You can still use Google maps (I do all the time) but just simply look (you may need to zoom in) at which way the traffic is going on the map. They have little arrows on the roads. Once you've figured that out, simply look around and detect which way the traffic is moving around you. Sync it up and you're golden. Yes, I realize you still are relying on the map a bit, but you won't be literally walking with the phone out in front of you looking like a fool.

5. Take deep breaths. It is going to be okay.