Black Friday: Are You Saving That Much Money?

Last Friday, America endured it's very own Hunger Games as we conquered our annual Black Friday by waking up at extreme hours, standing in outside in freezing temperatures, and wrestling one another for an iPhone that maybe only $100 cheaper than the original $800 it was actually sold for. While it is great that so many stores dropped prices on their products for this holiday, but are the prices really that low?

As I was shopping for Black Friday this year I kept looking at the prices thinking, “I’ve definitely seen this product on sale earlier this year for much lower than it is now.” Many products don’t have that drastic of a price drop on Black Friday. I saw many products that were only 20% lower than the original price, but since it was Black Friday it was advertised as, “THIS PRODUCT IS $30 FROM THE ORIGINAL $38!!!!” making us all believe that this product is on unbelievably on sale. I’ve seen many products that were much cheaper in other sales, not on the Black Friday Sale. As I walked passed Victoria Secret, I saw a long line of customers waiting in line to go into the store, so I got curious. What was so necessary that there was such a long line of people waiting outside the store? As I looked more into the VS sale, I got even more confused. The sale was buy a bra and get one for half off and $25 yoga pants. I’ve seen this sale at least 5 times in Victoria Secret in the past year, why are people so interested in it now? But on the other hand, I saw 50% off at Express, which was definitely a one time thing, so you can expect me to splurge on all of the new winter items that wouldn’t be on the sale rack for the next few months.

Of course, I mainly only shopped for clothes, not technology or toys. Technology and toys stores like Walmart, Toys R Us, etc. have really great deals, but here’s the problem: they only have a limited amount of products they sell for that price. They’ll have $100 iPhones for sale, but only the first 50 people get it for that price. Unless you’re determined to stand out in the cold for 5 hours, you don’t have a chance of getting the iPhone for that price.

What I’m trying to say is, Black Friday is definitely not the day where every product has drastically dropped in price. The advertisements given are meant to lure a customer in to buy their product that is supposedly super cheap. Keep your eyes open all the time for great sales in different stores, Black Friday is not the only day where there are great discounts!

Fashion Review: American Music Awards

What better way to begin blogging again than reviewing red carpet fashion from the recently aired American Music Awards (AMA’s). Though I wasn’t able to watch the show on TV, I made sure I kept up with all the new styles and looks from the red carpet. I must say, I was pleased with all the outfits that appeared at this event. There were no dresses made out of meat or tinsel, no thin pieces of cloth that didn’t cover quite as much as it should, no crazy and outrageous costumes that just make us go “What was she thinking?” I found many gorgeous looks from celebrities that made a statement in both the music and fashion industry.

One of my favorite looks was from Rita Ora in her yellow Zac Posen mermaid gown. What an absolute show stopper! Not many people go straight for a full on canary yellow gown for a red carpet event, but Rita totally rocked it! The fit of the dress was perfect and it synched in all of the right places. The color of the dress greatly enhanced her tan glowing skin and her makeup wasn’t too much or too little. Her hair and accessories greatly complemented her dress by keeping it very minimal. Definitely a stellar red carpet outfit, Rita!

Fergie not only made a big comeback in the music industry, but made a positive step towards the fashion business as well. Her sleek black maxi dropped jaws as she stepped onto the red carpet. For me, I thought she looked gorgeous and stunning, and yet she could still kill a hundred men. This classy design of the dress greatly contrasted the edgy color and gold accessories of the outfit, making it sophisticated yet edgy. Overall, Fergie wore a wonderfully designed outfit that was perfectly accessorized. Might I say it was fergalicious?

Finally, Meghan Trainor was “All About That Fashion” at the AMA’s by rocking a cute and edgy black fit and flare. The dress fit her beautifully and the lace shirt made the simple black cocktail stand out from the rest. Her hair, normally curled, was sleek and straight to aid to the edgy-ness of the outfit. A pop of color was made from her cute, sparkly red clutch in the shape of lips. Her mile high heels not only made her look taller, but gave an extra oomph to the cute and punk look she was going for. She’s has definitely made her mark in both the music and fashion industry!

These were only some of the looks I really enjoyed from the AMA’s, other great fashion looks were from Kate Beckinsale, Miss America Kira Kasanztev, Charlie XCX, and of course, One Direction. But let’s be real, One Direction could were a potato sack and I would still think they looked great.

What a successful AMA’s this year, both musically and fashionably! Can’t wait for next year, hopefully I’ll be able to watch too!