The Basement of the Bargains

As fun as it is to travel, there are annoyances involved. One of the worst is finding ways of carrying your favorite beauty products along without having to carry full-sized versions or deal with trying to transfer small amounts into tiny travel bottles, hoping those won’t break open and spill into your lingerie. That is why I am thankful every day for travel kits of favored bath and beauty products. Alas! These kits are often so expensive that they become prohibitive when one is scrimping and saving for a dream trip.

Well, today Beauty.com has come to our aid with a great deal on a handy travel kit of L’Occitane bath and skin care products all in a carrying bag that won’t allow your lotions to spill into your clothes.

This practical little PVC pouch contains travel-sized versions of: Verbena Shower Gel, Verbena Body Lotion, Artemisia Shampoo, Angelica Conditioner, 100% Shea Butter Tin, Shea Hand Cream, Milk Soap and Verbena Soap. In short, it’s got everything you need to keep clean, fresh, and moisturized for a great vacation. It’s also a nifty way to try out products if you’ve never used the line before.

Normally, this little bag of bath goodies would run you $52.00. That’s not a bad value for what you’re getting, but I think it’s an even better value to head over to Beauty.com today and order it for just $35.00. Then you’ve got a little extra to spend on your trip, and that’s well worth it.

I don’t usually do much for children here at the Basement. It’s not that I don’t think children deserve superfantastic things, but more a case of not going too far out of my way to find such goodies. After all, Teeny Manolo does an amazing job of finding great goodies for kids and moms. I usually feel my efforts in that regard would be somewhat superfluous.

But today I found something I just have to pass on because I know how much I would have adored it as a little girl and because it’s such an amazing deal.

Rosanna’s 9-piece Let’s Play House children’s baking set nearly made me squeal with delight when I spotted it at Amazon.com.

The set includes an oven-safe pie plate and equally oven-safe cupcake pan, a mixing bowl, a cake stand, and four dessert plates in cheerful pastel colors all neatly housed in a dollhouse-shaped box. With a little help from mom, dad, the babysitter, or an older sibling, little bakers can produce their own delicious home-baked treats and serve them to friends and family with pride.

If there’s a small girl with an interest in baking in your life, this would make a fabulous gift for any reason you can imagine…and at the price Amazon.com is charging right now, you can afford to give it just because.

Usually priced at $90.00 (which is not at all bad considering what’s waiting in that box and how many hours of joy it will give), Amazon.com is currently selling it for a mere $27.00! That’s right, $27.00!

At that price, I want one for me.

After all, a girl is never too big to play tea party.

That’s right, my pretties! Bluefly.com is having a three-day sale on their fabulous selection of already discounted designer fashions for both men and women and it starts today!

Now through July first, you’ll get an extra 15% off on names like: Vera Wang, Alexia Admor, Michael Kors, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and dozens more. Save on dresses, blouses, pants, sweaters, shorts, jackets, all by the top names in today’s fashion world.

My personal pick if I could have just one thing would be this fabulous yellow (they call it champagne, but it looks a delicious buttercup yellow to me on my monitor) evening gown by Nicole Miller.

Made of 100% silk with an elegant halter neckline, it sports a graceful sweep train in back. It will get you noticed for all the right reasons.

Originally, this lucious evening gown would have cost you $345.00. Bluefly usually carries it for $207.00. Right now through the first, however, it will set you back just $175.95. At that price, I’ll come up with an excuse to wear it.

And isn’t it lovely when two such delectable fibers are woven together into a beautiful lightweight wrap for those summer evenings when a slight breeze plays about our shoulders?

This gorgeous silk/linen wrap by Dianora Salviati comes in this season’s hottest neutral; a silvery mid-tone grey contrasted with a narrow band of classic black and a soft self fringe. It measures a generous 73″ x 28″ to wrap you snugly but fully. Wear it with jeans and a tee shirt as the model has done, or break it out with your favorite little dress of any color for evening wear. It will rise nicely to the occasion.

What more do you need to know? Ah yes, the price and where to get it! This fabulous wrap once cost $600.00, but right now you can get it at Saks Fifth Ave for a mere $143.96. I don’t know about you, but I find a deal like that difficult to pass up!

Well, not literally. That’s not a concept I recommend, frankly.

Still, Philosophy offers the next best thing with a trio of 3-in-1 shower gels in the flavors of breakfast. Use them as shampoo, as shower gels, or as bubble bath and come out of the bath smelling good enough to eat. The set comes with one each 16oz bottle of: Belgian Waffle, Fresh Cream, and Blackberry Sauce.

This set usually runs $48.00, but if you order it now from QVC you can get it for just $39.50.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m suddenly and unaccountably hungry for waffles in blackberry sauce…and I want some cream in my coffee.

Sergio Rossi, that is, with this fabulous satin evening bag for the lady who doesn’t mind standing out in a crowd.

From the bright red color to the colorful beaded ornament, to the fun, flippy tassel, this is a purse that will be noticed, and get you noticed, too.

It’s practical, as well. There’s an internal pocket and a removable shoulder strap. Whether you choose to wear it on the strap or carry it as a clutch, it will carry all your needs for a night out on the town easily.

Best of all, it’s on sale. Yes, you knew that since this blog is all about bargains, but it’s on sale from the sale price. YOOX.com discounts every piece they sell, but every now and again, they slash prices still further. This is one of those times. The YOOX price used to be $247.00, but you can get this fabulous designer purse right now for just $148.00! Now that’s what I call a rosy future for your bank account.

I love long sleeves. Even in the summer I wear them as much as I can. I always have. It’s not that I’m ashamed of my arms. In fact, I often wear short-sleeved or sleeveless things, too. It’s just that given the choice, I have always preferred a sleeve, and always preferred elbow length or longer. Of course, it can be a challenge to find an attractive, lightweight top with long sleeves that’s cool enough to stand the summer heat and pretty enough to make it clear that sleeves are a preference rather than an act of shame.

Well, I found just such a tunic top at Monterey Bay Clothing Company in their clearance section this morning.

The lightweight cotton/ramie blend will keep you cool even with full coverage of your arms. The design is pretty, too, with a modest v-neck, criss-cross detailing, and airy side vents. And if you’re not as big on orange as I am, don’t worry. It comes in four other colors, as well. Oh, and it comes in sizes up to W24 as well as a Misses Small. Sorry, mid-sized girls, but this one is out of stock in your sizes. Still, there are plenty of other great deals to be had in every size.

This pretty tunic used to cost $49.99 - $59.99, depending on size range. Now, however, there is no price differentiation. Whatever size you need, it’s just $24.99, which is a great price any way you slice it.

NET-A-PORTER.com is having a big sale right now, and we all know what that means: massive savings on designer purses! And jewelry! And shoes! And clothes! Somehow, though, it’s the purses that keep calling my name late at night.

And what purses they are! They range from this gloriously absurd Fendi tote embellished with sequins and wool fringe which is still more than $5,000.00 at 30% off to this supercute navy mesh clutch bag from SCOOP that’s marked down to just $49.00. There’s everything in between, as well. Fendi, Michael Kors, Vivienne Westwood, Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui…and the list goes on for a very long time.

Which is the one I’d personally love to get? Why this elegant and unexpected cherry wood clutch from Stella McCartney.

Engraved with a delicate floral motif, this is a purse designed to appeal to the woman who’s not afraid to stand out in a crowd, but whose taste is never in question.

It may not be cheap, but it’s definitely a steal right now. It’s been marked down from $995.00 to just $597.00. That’s 40% off. Not bad.

Okay all you serious foodies and coffee lovers! Now is the time to race over to Cooking.com and get great deals on selected KitchenAid products. They’ve slashed another 20% off their already deeply discounted prices for a great selection of KitchenAid kitchen aids. Coffee grinders, food processors, their justly lauded stand mixers…and this handsome, powerfully-built espresso machine are all on sale right now through the 25th.

This baby is impressive. Its dual-boiler construction allows for brewing and steaming at the same time, and it’s specially designed not to drip or require wait time between shots. It has a rotating frothing arm so that your milk turns out just right for lattes or cappuccinos.

Comes complete with single shot filter basket, a double-shot filter basket, an 8 1/2-ounce stainless steel frothing pitcher, tamper, 7-gram coffee scoop and shower screen brush. That’s everything you need except the coffee beans and the espresso cups!

The suggested retail price on this fabulous machine is $599.99. Cooking.com usually sells it for $499.95, but now through June 25, you can get it for just $399.96! That’s more than $200.00 off the list price, and that’s a good deal.

Make mine a cappuccino, please. With a dash of cinnamon.

With temperatures rising to an obscene degree, all I can think of today is ways to cool down. I think I found just what I need at Overstock.com:

This handsome seven-piece juice set by La Rochere consists of six 8oz tumblers embossed with a handsome design inspired by the Palais de Versailles and one matching 25oz carafe. Sturdy and dishwasher-safe, they’ll add charm to your breakfast table for years to come.

What’s more, they’re a real steal right now. Originally priced at $199.99, Overstock.com has been selling the set for a mere $64.99. But right now, it’s on a further sale. They’ve marked the set down another $13.00. That means you pay just $51.99! That’s a savings of $148.00 or 74% overall!

Sounds to me like time to drink in those savings.