At the risk of boring you with my intricate and multifaceted philosophies on where to spend and save in your beauty product budget (which, if I'm being honest, would likely involve charts, graphs, or at the very least, a Venn diagram or two), I will simply say this: I feel that mascara is one of the products where you can really save your money. The drugstore offers formulas that, in many instances, are of comparable quality to department store versions. And so it was that a few weeks ago, I found myself in the market for a new mascara, and the drugstore was my destination.

I love fashion magazines; I like nothing better at the end of a long day than to curl up in bed with Vogue or InStyle and admire all the pretty things. I'm currently smitten by the gown in the Bottega Veneta ads, although they are both beyond my price range and out of my league. Fashion magazines, as Tim Gunn says, are aspirational -- they're not realistic in the least.Still, it's fun to look.

So here is what I look like when I wake up in the morning:Except not really because this photo was taken at 6 PM and I had just returned from a really long trip and I'm sure you can sense my exhaustion. Anyway, me without makeup. You are so welcome, Internet.

I hear people bemoaning the high cost of "going green." And while organic food does cost more than its chemical-laden counterpart, I'm here to tell you that it's easier to spend more for healthy food when you save money in other ways. We can skip many of the green cleaners, deodorizers, and personal care products, most of which are fairly expensive. Why? Because baking soda is our friend. What's so great about baking soda?

In September, Glamour magazine included a small photo of model Lizzi Miller. The photo wasn't on the cover, or even in a prominent spread; instead, it was tucked away on page 194, next to a piece about body image titled "What Everyone But You Sees About Your Body." The response, of course, was overwhelming; women were enthralled by Miller's size 12-14 body, particularly her tummy. Because she had a tummy, which was remarkable for a model in a fashion magazine.Jezebel's Margaret Hartman appreciated Glamour's attempt to include real women, but hesitantly:

My daughter's hair is crazy long. Like past-her-waist long. People ask me all the time if I've ever cut it (she had a bob when she was two and gets it cut every few months) and if it's hard to take care of (heck, yes). You see, I don't make her cut until it fails the toilet test.You read that right.

What makes Mad Men's Don Draper always look so sharp?  The key to Draper's style is a well cut suit (then again, his dashing good looks don't hurt either).  But while we can't all look like Draper, you can dress like him.  Brooks Brothers and Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant collaborated on a limited edition suit that sold out in a snap, but you can just look for the following details when you're shopping for (or custom tailoring) your next suit:

So, how'd that turn out? Last night the Top 6 were asked to create a companion piece "inspired" by their "winning look", oh wait, no. We better call that their "best look", seeing as poor Logan, he of the hipster skinny jeans and disaffected voice, has never won. Or even been in the top.

September is back-to-school time for my kids, but now that the weather has really changed, it's back to school time for me. Unfortunately, I don't really need new clothes. After all, unlike my kids, I haven't grown a couple of inches since last fall. But I badly need to pep up my wardrobe. I went on the hunt for some new, not-too-expensive, very 2009 accessories. The following fit the bill because they combine two or more current trends, and they're inexpensive--a lot of fashion bang for the buck.

This time of year, it's hard to resist the siren song of the mall. The combination of off-season clothes in your closet and shiny new pieces in all the stores is enough to make a girl bust out her credit card and start shopping. But this year, think about how you can use what you have before you grab up a bunch of new things.Here are five simple ways to make what you have work for you.You have: A great cardigan.

One of the simultaneously scary and exciting things about moving and purging is the opportunity it creates for personal reinvention. What can feel like the ground falling away beneath you can actually be space opening up around you for your transformation to take place. While I dream about reinventing my life I'm reading inspiring stories of women who are doing just that.