Ironically, it’s the colder, mandatory-jacket months of the year when I typically indulge in indie fashion k-holes. Maybe it’s the fact that there are so many more fancy events that occur during the stay-inside months, or maybe it’s the fact that I’m just… inside more. On my computer. Looking at dresses. (What else is new?)

Now, as we head into November, there’s a new brand that haunts my dreams with their ethically-focused, darkly beautiful designs: Rogue:Minx.

Found during a random Etsy binge (though I can no longer find them on their site), Rogue:Minx hits all of my buttons when it comes to perfect indie fashion designers, and the gorgeous photography and brand presence didn’t hurt, either.

Rogue:Minx is based in Portland, OR, and intend to keep it that way. They relish in their indie-ness, and they take it to the highest level they can by with fabrics sourced from a 100 year old indie fabric store called Mill End Store. The history of this Portland store is as rich as its offerings, and with 50,000 square feet of fabrics & notions (many of which are eco-friendly), the offerings are pretty darn rich. Plus, when Mill End Store had to find a new home for their 75 year old factory, they rebuilt the store with a major focus on lowering their (what we now call) carbon footprint.

Rogue:Minx has a style that’s completely unique to their brand. Handcrafted prints and original garment patterns have a lot to do with that, and when combined, they become the beautiful, darkly unique beast that is Rogue:Minx.

If I had to pick just one word to describe this brand, it would most definitely be witchy. There’s a lot of black in their pieces, sure, but that’s not what I’m referring to. There is a deep and clear appreciation for nature – including life and death – that shine throughout Rogue:Minx’s collections, and it’s hard not to feel drawn to each design. The way they combine the sweetness of floral and botanical elements with their gently macabre aesthetic is totally addictive.

Rogue Minx Lush: A skull surrounded by sword ferns, hydrangea flowers, and sage leaves.
(Top $49, Bottoms N/A)

Let’s talk about the woman behind the brand for moment because, well, there’s only one. Her name is Anne Marie Cooper, a self-taught seamstress and the sole designer of these collections. After pulling apart and reconstructing her own clothes for most of her life, she realized one day that she wasn’t just redesigning old clothes, she was salvaging fabric and using it to create new fabric. After that, she started thinking of herself as a designer, and has been running Rogue:Minx for over 10 years.

On top of being a whirlwind business woman, she’s also the creative mind behind each one of these prints. In fact, she hand-collects each plant, skull, and leaf herself with ethical harvesting in mind. Then, after photographing them in her own arrangements, has them printed into her choice of fabric – most of which comes from Mill End Store.

Cooper wants her customers to know her hands are on every step of her products’ creation from the original prints to the fabric selection, and frequently in the construction process, as well. You can tell from the effort put forth in the product photos to the products themselves that this woman cares immensely about her brand.

Speaking of photography, Rogue:Minx would sell their clothes just fine in any store, but these photos are stunning. The product page photos, themselves, are frame-worthy, but there are also several lookbooks on their website that give you another, more editorial perspective of Rogue:Minx clothing, and it’s highly worth a look.

Here are some of our favorite products from the current Rogue:Minx offerings:

Led Astray Velvet Jumper with Lace Trim Tap Shorts $99	Gentle Peering Skull Crop Top Bralette $49
Drifter Vegan Leather Tunic w/ Lace Up Back $79	Cross My Heart Sheer Mesh Top $79
Svelvet Jogging Shorts with Lace Trim $69	Moxie Black Lace Fringe Muscle Tee $59

You won’t find another clothing brand like Rogue:Minx, where each piece is made-to-order for affordable prices that rival department stores. And knowing the care that goes into the production of each piece adds value that most department stores can’t even come close to replicating.

BOOKMARK ROGUE:MINX HERE

The post Rogue:Minx Clothing: Ethical & Affordable Fashion for Dark Hearts appeared first on Broke and Beautiful.

Shopping for clothing on Amazon can be kind of a gamble. There are already an overwhelming number of brands, and it’s hard to know which clothing brands are vetted versus which are cheap wholesalers trying to turn a profit via one of the internet’s largest marketplaces. I’m no stranger to buying clothing from brands I’ve never heard of, but I’m always going to feel more comfortable buying from brands that have a traceable history of being a real business that sells real clothes.

Thankfully, Amazon knows that random, unknown brands require reviews, and reviews are something Amazon excels at soliciting. But for brands that people already know, the reviews come pouring in on their own. There are actually over 50 brands that are helmed and controlled entirely by Amazon, many of which are fashion brands. Moreover, these Amazon fashion brands are so popular and well-conceived that Amazon has actually overtaken Macy’s when it comes to clothing sales!

Amazon already holds the title of the biggest clothing seller online, but many predicted that it would overtake most of its brick-and-mortar rivals in fashion sales this year, thanks to its own private-label garments and accessories.

Quick Links:

Here are the 14 best fashion brands of the 50+ that Amazon is responsible for, and they are most definitely organized from most favorite to least favorite.

Cable Stitch

What They’ve Got: Unique and colorful knits, sweater dresses, tops, and cardigans.
Price Range: $9.99 – $79.50

After looking at over 70 fashion brands created by Amazon, Cable Stitch tops my list. Sweaters are delightfully cozy and warm, but they can get pretty boring. Cable Stitch isn’t a cookie cutter sweater brand, they are pushing the limits of traditional knitwear with cute patterns, bold shapes, and unconventional silhouettes. When you’re into oversized, boxy, Dad sweaters or form-fitting, eye-catching sweater dresses, Cable Stitch has excellent options for really fair prices.

Cable & Stitch Knit Pointelle Duster Cardigan $69.90

Cable & Stitch Contrast Sleeve Cotton Sweater $39.50

Cable & Stitch Peek-a-Boo Shoulder Ribbed Sweater $49.50

SHOP CABLE STITCH HERE

Ella Moon

What They’ve Got: Easy to wear dresses and tops that range from casual wear to statement pieces.
Price Range: $10 – $110

If you filled my entire closet with pieces from Ella Moon, I could survive for a least a few weeks before needing to invest in some sweatpants or pajamas. The cute shapes and vibrant patterns are uplifting and might even inspire you to dress up a little in the mornings.

Ella Moon Payslee Off Shoulder Top $49.50

Ella Moon Standard Flutter Sleeve Maxi Dress $79.50

Ella Moon Renae Ruffle Peplum Dress $99.50

SHOP ELLA MOON HERE

Mint & Lilac

What They’ve Got: Extremely affordable and soft athleisure and yoga gear with lots of florals, pastels, and ruffles.
Price Range: $11.99 – $24.99

There’s a major soft spot in my heart for wearing workout gear as outerwear, which I guess qualifies me as a fan of “athleisure.” This stuff, from Mint & Lilac, is so cute that I doubt it would ever make it off the street and into a yoga studio, but if you’re that ultra-fashionable girl at pilates, the prices of these cute pieces are gonna buff your workout wardrobe, bigtime.

Mint & Lilac Full Length Floral Mesh Leggings $19.99

Mint & Lilac Cropped Sleeve Wrap Top $12.99

Mint & Lilac Lace Panel Performance Yoga Shorts $12.99

SHOP MINT & LILAC HERE

Daily/Ritual

What They’ve Got: Neutral-toned basics and layering pieces, oftentimes in multi-packs
Price Range: $10 – $30

Daily/Ritual has such a focus on comfort that its products are able to be sorted by feel.Calling this line “basic” is so far from an insult. You might even underestimate exactly how basic this line is, because it has way more than leggings and t-shirts to offer. Among the multi-packs of leggings and and base layers are jackets, coats, sweaters, and dresses for standard and plus sizes.

Daily/Ritual Cotton Slub Tee 2-Pack $20

Daily/Ritual Plus Size Long Sleeve Turtleneck Dress $28

Daily/Ritual Primaloft Water-Resistant Puffer Coat $79

SHOP DAILY/RITUAL HERE

Mae

What They’ve Got: Soft, pretty lingerie including bras and bralettes (best for sizes A-C), bodysuits, and swimwear.
Price Range: $7.20 – $38

If you’re the kind of person with an entire drawer or two dedicated to lingerie and underpinnings, this is about to become dangerous for you. Mae has tons of delicate, lacy, and comfortable foundation pieces and about a billion bralettes that I’d love to live in.

Their bras and swimwear, however, pretty much exclusively fit cup sizes A-C. This makes me… sad. But there’s still a bevy of gorgeous underwear, as well as some pretty cozy-looking loungewear to root though.

Mae High Neck Lace Bralette $16

Mae Loungewear Joggers $28

Mae Hipster Cheeky Underwear 3-Pack $15

SHOP MAE HERE

Camp Moonlight

What They’ve Got: Youthful casual clothes, mostly mixed media tops, sometimes with catchy phrases or pop culture references.
Price Range: $12 – $34

This brand has your sassy brunch outfit covered. Camp Moonlight ranges from office-appropriate, slightly edgy tops to hangover-ready, comfy-but-cute tees and pullovers.

You gotta be careful with the word shirts, though… Maybe there’s a slight language barrier, or a sense of humor that I’m just not clued into, but Camp Moonlight will offer you cute t-shirts with phrases like “I’m still fabulouse” (sic) or “dare you” with a piece of watermelon…? Anyway, I love the irreverence of the watermelon bit, but I’m not so sure I’m ready to tell the world that I’m “fabulouse,” but to each their own!

Camp Moonlight Asymmetrical Sleeve Top $25

Camp Moonlight Fishnet & Faux Leather Shirt $17

Camp Moonlight Long Sleeve Ruffle T-Shirt $17.99

SHOP CAMP MOONLIGHT HERE

The Fix

What They’ve Got: Fashion-forward shoes and some handbags and backpacks that are inspired by current trends.
Price Range: $19.60 – $62.50

This list wouldn’t be complete without a whole bunch of good shoes, and that’s exactly what The Fix is bringing to the table. These are definitely not your life-long, ride or die shoes, though. The kicks you’ll pick up from The Fix are trend-forward, featuring tons of current favorites like velvet, buckled ankle boots, platform sneakers, and of course… sequins.

The Fix Tawny Lace-Up Fashion Sneaker $31.60

The Fix Pointed Toe Military Inspired Heels $39.60

The Fix 4 Hazel Buckle Ankle Boots $51.60

SHOP THE FIX HERE

Painted Heart

What They’ve Got: Comfort-meets-luxury looks for day-to-night looks that work as well at dinner as they do at the office.
Price Range: $5.99 – $49.99

This is the first of quite a few fashion brands at Amazon that specialize in cute, semi-formal cocktail outfits and office looks. Whether you’re a Murphy Brown or an Ally McBeal, you’ll find something here. Not all of it is suitable for your more conservative office settings, but are a bit more modest than current going-out brands like NastyGal or Boohoo.

Painted Heart Foiled Pleated Midi Skirt $19.99

Painted Heart Asymmetrical Cold Shoulder Tee $14.99

Painted Heart Lace Flutter Sleeve Top $19.99

SHOP PAINTED HEART HERE

Madison Denim

What They’ve Got: A wide variety of denim jeans in several colors, lengths, and fits.
Price Range: $34.99 – $59.99

This isn’t the online denim line on Amazon’s roster, but it’s my favorite. I live in skinny jeans, but after looking at Madison Denim’s line of cropped and flared jeans, my curiosity is piqued, to say the least! Find clean, fresh denim here, or pick up your new favorite pair of,. distressed/destructed denim.

Madison Denim Astor Skinny Ankle Jeans $59.99

Madison Denim Parsons High Waist Hyperstretch Cropped Jeans $59.99

Madison Denim Monroe High Waist Straight Leg Jeans $59.99

SHOP MADISON DENIM HERE

7Goals

What They’ve Got: Minimalist workout & lounge gear; mostly in black, white and grey with a high-performance look.
Price Range: $9.99 – $59.99

Keeping it neutral is a refreshing departure from the high-impact patterns and neons that we usually see in workout gear. If you like to keep it simple, and direct your focus to interesting structural shapes, contrast, and texture… 7Goals is goingt to please you and your workout wardrobe. These pieces could easily go from gym to lunch with minimal effort, and are definitely suited for lounging around at home.

7Goals Short Sleeve Mesh Workout Top $24.99

7Goals Removable Padding Spaghetti Strap Sports Bra $21.99

7Goals Ruched Drawstring Paddle Shorts $17.99

SHOP 7GOALS HERE

Plumberry

What They’ve Got: Vibrant, summertime-inspired dresses, tops, and bodysuits.
Price Range: $9 – $49.99

Summer might be far from your reality now, as we write this in late November, but for Plumberry, it’s always summertime somewhere! This brand has mostly tops, which come in various stages of shoulder-baring, and lots of bright dresses. Plenty of their pieces are layer-friendly and suitable for other seasons, so don’t let their sunny disposition steer you away from bolstering your winter wardrobe with some big pops of color.

Plumberry Ruffled Pleated Sleeve Top $32.99

Plumberry One Shoulder Romper $32.99

Plumberry Sleeveless Floral Ruffle Top $22.99

SHOP PLUMBERRY HERE

Lark & Ro

What They’ve Got: Work-appropriate, commuter-friendly dresses, separates, and jackets using higher-quality fabrics.
Price Range: $11.40 – $165

This is one of Amazon’s truly office-focused line, and its got the knee-length skirts to prove it! Just kidding, Lark & Ro is for a modern workplace, where women’s legs aren’t necessarily demonized and banished to hide beneath polyester. While all of their clothes are modest enough to be office-appropriate, they don’t skimp on the style. They also have a small number of plus-size items, and I hope to see more in the future.

Lark & Ro Short Sleeve Melange Dress $15

Lark & Ro Cheetah Print Dress $31.80

Lark & Ro Printed Ruffled Tie Neck Blouse $39

SHOP LARK & RO HERE

Paris Sunday

What They’ve Got: A toned down collection of clothes that are perfect for weekends or special occasions.
Price Range: $5.81 – $34.02

Compared to some of the other brands in this post, Paris Sunday is pretty tame. While they still have all of the cute separates and vibrant colors that other collections have, they play it on the safer side when it comes to taking risks on patterns, shapes, and details – plus, they have way fewer items for sale than their home-team competition. There’s still plenty of room for Paris Sunday at the fashion table, though! Especially when the prices are this ridiculously low.

Paris Sunday Two-Piece Skirt Set $22.25

Paris Sunday Long Sleeve Floral Georgette Blouse $17.25

Paris Sunday Spaghetti Strap Sateen Dress $19.75

SHOP PARIS SUNDAY HERE

Suite Alice

What They’ve Got: Patterned and printed tops, dresses, and pants that are perfect going from the office to the office party.
Price Range: $18.36 – $54.95

Suite Alice is another workwear-focused line, but with a more modest approach than Lark & Ro, and a higher focus on special occasions. Blouses and midi-dresses with all-over prints dominate the inventory, but dig and you’ll find some cute semi-formal and weekend warrior outfits mixed in with the professional attire.

Suite Alice Cropped Everyday Trousers $27.95

Suite Alice Striped Split Hem Pencil Skirt $27.95

Suite Alice V Neck Ruffle Shoulder Dress $37.95

SHOP SUITE ALICE HERE

The price points of these different brands are pretty darn accessible, but that definitely makes me wary of the quality. Slowly but surely, I’d love to try each and every one of these brands if for no other reason than to be able to report back to you with hard facts about quality and durability. Luckily, thanks to the fact that these are in-house brands for Amazon, almost all of them are available with Prime shipping, and the return process is likely pretty streamlined, as well.

That being said, Amazon is a product review repository, and there’s no shortage of reviews for these brands. We read through a ton of them, though, and tried to note when we saw patterns. Nothing on Amazon is perfect, as you probably know, so do your research before pulling the trigger!

If you’ve tried any of these Amazon fashion brands before, share your experience with us in the comments!

The post A Guide to Amazon’s Best Fashion Brands appeared first on Broke and Beautiful.

Imagine a world where you walk among gods and goddesses. The normal arch of this story would state that the gods looked just like anyone else – but what if the divine walked among us as astronomically famous celebrities and pop stars, with all of the fame and power that comes with it?

In The Wicked+ The Divine, a graphic novel series written by Kieron Gillam and illustrated by Matt Wilson, 12 gods reincarnate on Earth every 90 years to battle against the darkness in a war that has been raging on for millennia. In October, our actual, not-even-exaggerating favorite leggings company, Bombsheller, collaborated with them on a dozen designs inspired by each of the 12 gods and other characters.

The pair of Bombsheller x WicDiv leggings that I have is inspired by a character called Urdr, one of the three Norns from the series. Fans of Norse mythology might recognize these names, as they’re plucked right from real mythological legends. The Norns consist of three gods whose powers all rely on the health of one another.

Urdr, the original Norn, was Cassandra, a trans woman and skeptical journalist with a background in comparative mythology who constantly investigated the gods their “miracles.” As Cassandra, the reporter, she was incredibly bright, inquisitive, and determined. Once she was transformed into the reincarnated god, Urdr, the Norse goddess of fate and the past. When she was transformed, she also brought along her camera crew to become Skuld (controls current time) and Verdandi (controls the future). Together, they form the Norns, and they will f*ck you up.

Many of The Wicked + The Divine’s gods and goddesses are based on real, centuries-old stories that many of us have heard. Each god and goddess is bestowed with powers that reflect upon their origin, and it makes this twelve-god system a little bit easier to navigate for beginners.

My friend Heather introduced me to The Wicked + The Divine when I requested to be educated about the wide, beautiful, and overwhelming world of comics and graphic novels. She sent me the best care package full of comics, both indie and classic, but I beelined right for the WicDiv. After seeing the kerfuffle at Emerald City Comic-Con (at which Heather cosplayed not one, but two of the WicDiv gods), I just had to know who all of these beautiful, immaculate beings were. Two volumes of issues later, I’m totally hooked.

These leggings are gorgeous, but it was nearly impossible to choose between the 12 designs in the WicDiv collection. The Norns leggings stood out to me because, well, they’re black but also because of the incredible vibrancy of the design. They really do look like that in person, and there’s no denying that these leggings make me feel like a superhero – or, I guess, a goddess. A Norse goddess of fate and past time. NBD.

What’s extra cool about The Wicked + The Divine, and this collection specifically, is that you don’t necessarily have to be a fan of the graphic novels to appreciate the inspiration behind each design. Since the gods in WicDiv are based on real ones, fans of mythology can partake in this collection without feeling totally out of the loop. After researching the crap out of Urdr and the Norns from traditional Norse mythology, I’m confident that those three goddesses would totally approve of this design.

As per usual, the quality of Bombsheller leggings make nearly every other pair of leggings seem like a bad investment. This is my fourth pair of leggings from Bombsheller, and my oldest pair is almost four years old now. I can’t tell you about how long they last, and I can’t tell you signs that your Bombsheller leggings are deteriorating because… I haven’t seen it yet. There isn’t even fading on the colors, pilling on the thighs, or stray threads sticking out of the waistband. I don’t know what to tell you, guys. They’re impenetrable.

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Bombsheller has been at the forefront of inclusivity in fashion from day one. That’s why they offer nearly all of their leggings in sizes XXS-6X. There are dozens of other designs in addition to The Wicked + The Divine collection, and you’ll be pleased to see that Bombsheller has gone the extra mile to give you an idea of what the designs will look like on various body types. Each pair in the WicDiv collection is $79, a common price for Bombsheller leggings, but you can find other pairs for $69. Don’t forget, you always have a coupon code!

Here are a few of the other designs from The Wicked + The Divine x Bombsheller:

Amaterasu	Laura	Dionysus
Morrigan	Inanna	Ananke

SHOP THE BOMBSHELLER X THE WICKED + THE DIVINE COLLECTION HERE

Catch up on past Bombsheller reviews:

You know the old saying: t’is the season to get more excited about stocking stuffers than than the actual gifts you’re giving people. The little gifts are the best ones, wouldn’t you agree? And I would almost go so far as to argue that it’s more fun to get several small gifts than one big, practical one. Plus, it allows you more opportunity to show off your amazing gifting skills to your friends and family. Just wait until they see how well you know them!

Grab them a serious gift like a gorgeous set of marble coasters, or go for something simple like a slice of a crescent-shaped, raw-edged amethyst! Whether your stocking stuffers are meant to get a laugh, recall a memory, and/or shed a tear, there’s an indie brand with the perfect gifts for your closest companions and friendliest enemies.

12 Indie Stocking Stuffers Under $10

Vintage Silverware Magnetic Bud Vase $8 each Adorable, simple, and as a bonus – sustainable at heart! Fly Me Home took the ends of vintage silverware (frequently hollow) and attached magnets to the back. They’ll fit one good-sized flower or a few smaller ones.

Large, Illustrated Vinyl Stickers $5.28 for 2 These original illustrations are by Aimee Mac, and feature some of her nature-focused pieces. The photo is deceiving, because these vinyl stickers are actually 10cm wide, and would look amazing on a laptop or instrument case. You can buy 2-6 stickers at a time for between $5.28-$11.88, and pick the designs you want!

Dr. Frankenstein Switch Cover $4.99 I’m pretty sure that my family would be comfortable with me switching out every light switch in the house to this mad scientist-style plate. I’m also confident that I know several horror fanatics and movie buffs who would probably be delighted to turn their kitchen light on in the morning with a satisfying thunk. It comes with installation directions, and you have your choice of a few colors.

Crescent Moon Amethyst Slices $10 each These little guys aren’t much bigger than a quarter, but if you know a crystal collector who gobbles up anything with a sparkle or sheen, they’re going to flip out over how perfect and adorable these are. (The more purple stones are a couple extra dollars, but the lighter colored ones are $10 even!)

Da Vinci’s Vetrivuan Man Cookie Cutter & Stamp $9.92 This company, called Sac Sac based in Kyoto, Japan, makes the most awesome, adorable cookie cutter and stamps. They have art nerd/engineering favorites like this Vetruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci, but there’s also a plethora of adorable cameras, animals, flowers, and even a collection of zodiac signs.

250ml Organic Maple Syrup from Quebec $9.34 In my family, stockings come before breakfast, and I think maple syrup would be one of the coolest things to find in my stocking! This bottle from Townships Organic is grade A maple syrup, and it’s special because it’s single-forest, made in small batches in eastern Canada. (250ml is just over one cup!)For a really good deal, try picking up 12 100ml bottles of maple syrup for $56.02!

Llamarama Llama Socks $10 per pair For some reason, there’s always someone in our lives who loves llamas. I’m not 100% sure what the deal is, but nevertheless, I am completely happy to fuel their passion with a pair of socks. After all, if there’s a classic stocking stuffer item that has withstood the test of time, it’s… stocking socks. AKA socks in socks.

Parks & Recreation Rainy Day Activity Book $3.29 each Yes, friends, this is actually as good as you think it’s going to be. This is Parks & Rec themed activity book, complete with coloring pages, themed word searches, and about a billion references to 99% of human people’s favorite show.Not looking for a Parks & Rec version? Don’t worry, Pizza Eaters have you covered. Check out some of their other activity books: X-Files, Buffy, Harry Potter, Twin Peaks, Stranger Things… the list goes on!

Poppin’ Cobs Popcorn on the Cob $4.99 for a twin-pack This is a super stocking-friendly gift thanks to its convenience, its novelty, and it’s shape, to be honest. All you need to do is pop one of these cobs into a paper bag and throw it in the microwave for a few minutes. Then, you’ve got popcorn on the cob!

3D Printed Kitty Cat Phone Stand $4.99 This little dude is gonna help you watch all of your favorite things while you hide from your family over the holidays. Kidding, kidding! The cool nerds over at 3D Geek Wares came up with this adorable solution to phone-hand fatigue, and it comes in a ton of colors!

Corridor Fragrance by Theater Potion $4 for ~1ml There was bound to be a fragrance on this list sooner or later (after all, these are indie products), and this one seems like it would be an easy favorite of many of my friends. Plus, at only 1ml per tiny, adorable bottle, if they don’t like it, it’s cute enough to adorn a vanity or perfume collection purely for aesthetic value. Theater Potion created the scent “Corridor” with notes of moss, amber, jasmine, tobacco, and cedar.

Meyer Lemon Salt Gift Set $4 per box Who is the salt bae in your life? Well, they need this. It’s a three-piece gift set from Desert Provisions that includes some delicious Sunduran sea salt, a Meyer lemon-infused sea salt, and an adorable, ceramic salt cellar! Am I sure this is only $4? Yes! I am! I checked three times! It even comes in a small, easily-wrappable box.

Snowflake Obsidian Choker Necklace $6.99/1 bead, $8.99/3 beads Obviously, this little necklace is a universal winner for jewelry fans, or for those deeply invested in the 1990s resurgence. These little marbles are made from “snowflake obsidian,” which is regular obsidian (black, volcanic glass) with a lattice-like explosion of Cristobalite, a white mineral that creates snowflake shapes across the surface of the stone. Jewelry by Lia kept it nice and simple by stringing them on a simple black cord with a lobster claw closure.

Paper Music Box $9.26 This cute little music box will play your choice of song, and you get to choose from a list that includes the Game of Thrones theme, Harry Potter theme, Debussy, My Heart Will Go On, and other classic… music box… tunes…? Anyway, they’re awesome, and this little circular box is covered in vintage animals, with a top that pops off to reveal the musical mechanics beneath. There are a few other designs in Miium‘s shop, so go take a look!

Coffee Pot & Mountains Pin $9 Pins are always a safe bet, and they come in very stocking-friendly sizes! This adorable pin features a coffee pot full of hot, steaming, tranquil mountains. I love this design (for reasons that may be obvious if you know me), but Ramble On Supply Co. has a ton of other cute pins and iron-on patches for your wild, outdoorsy, mountain-loving friends, and they’re almost all under $10!

The Great Northern Hotel Tag Keychain $7.99 Key Tags R Us, as you might suspect, have a ton of great pop culture hotel keys from your favorite shows and movies. The Twin Peaks fan in your life is going to make awesome noises when they unwrap and see this! The Great Northern Hotel is a pretty key location (hur hur hur) in the great saga of Twin Peaks, particularly room 315. For the biggest fangirl or fanboy who thinks they have every piece of memorabilia or merch from the best spooky drama from the 1990s, this is the perfect gift.

Power Prayer Candles: La Nueva Novena $10 each You might be familiar with the traditional prayer candles (or veladoras) that have been available at bodegas and Latin markets for decades, but Brooklyn Brujeria is offering a new, modern take on the classic in their collaboration with Chiquita Brujita. There are nine different designs to choose from, each with their own patron and prayer, just like the traditional versions.

Stress Relief Shower Steamers $5.95 each The ultimate in compact holiday gifts is always going to be bath goodies. They’re easy, creative, make everything smell and feed rad, and are generally pretty inexpensive. This clever product from Candle Crest is actually for your shower, the oft-overlooked bathing opportunity. Throw one of these on the floor of your shower and once the hot water hits it, your shower will be full of soothing, calming eucalyptus and spearmint

Matchsticks in a Matchbox $3.50 for 36 These are the cutest matchsticks I’ve ever seen, and I’m gonna need several boxes for myself in addition to the several dozen that I will be distributing. Not only are these three colors awesome together, but this little box is the perfect place to keep them. Despite the convenience and abundance of lighters in life, I can’t help but hold a soft spot for matches.

Janelle Monae Glass Votive Candle $10 each What are you gonna use your cute matches on if it isn’t a candle with an cultural icon on it? While Janelle Monae is worthy of holding a flame in every home across the globe, she’s is but a mere taste of what Flaming Idols has to offer. This candle is only about 2.5″ tall, so it’ll easily slip into a stocking, office inbox, or your friend’s purse while they’re not looking! Sneaky! In addition to Ms. Monae, you can fill your friends’ iconic altars with Bowie, Grace & Frankie, Adam Rippon, April Ludgate, Lena Waithe, Laverne Cox, or dozens of others!

Thieves Blend Soap $8 Last but obviously not least, as no indie stocking stuffer list is truly complete without it: soap. Not just any soap, though! Emerson Handcrafted Natural Soaps are vegan, cruelty-free, and made with their special Thieves Blend of essential oils, which leaves you smelling like a freshly bailed out scoundrel! Think rosemary, eucalyptus, lemon, cinnamon, and clove… It’s the perfect gender-neutral scent in an awesome, hand-milled bar of gorgeously rust-colored, cold-pressed soap.

These are our current favorite indie stocking stuffers, but please share your current favorite shops in the comments! We’re always looking to expand our indie horizons. Oh, and tell us your favorite stocking stuffers to hide in your family’s loot!

Zines are an artform rich in history.  From their 19th century origins through today’s flourishing culture, zines have served as a means for folks to express themselves in print.  The allure of self-pressed zines lies within their DIY approach:  zines provide an affordable, accessible way to bring the lived experiences and opinions of a wide variety of writers and artists to the front.  Zines also tend to encompass a wide variety of themes and topics–so whether you’re into rock and roll, gardening, politics, or fast food, there’s probably something out there for your niche interest!

We had the privilege of chatting with Lucy Isadora, a Mississippi-based zine creator about her ever-expanding zine collection, her sources of inspiration, self-publishing in Mississippi, and why you should just the damn thing.

What drew you to making zines?   What was your first zine about?
i’d been reading zines for a long time- i bought my first one kind of unknowingly when i was 14, and then started reading maximum rock n roll when i was 18 and getting into punk for the first time. i also bought a zine from some comedians i liked that was about “back to school” and pranks and cute stuff like that. so i knew i liked them, and i knew they were easy to make, but it was hard to get up the courage to delve in; it’s not like knitting or playing the guitar where you learn the basics from youtube and then branch out, it’s an art form that’s completely changeable and subjective and has no rules.

the first zine i ever made was actually a collaboration zine i made with other students on my college’s campus called MILLSAPS NOW. i basically asked my friends to send me random scribbles, photos, anything that would be considered too silly/trashy/ugly/stupid for the real campus arts publication, and then i published it “anonymously”. i was obsessed with the song “hotline bling” at the time, so i made the cover look like that single cover, a pink background and “1-800-MILLSAPS-NOW” in white helvetica.

i actually think that submission-based zines like that are really great for first-timers, cuz it kind of takes the pressure off you to make The Most Amazing Work Ever and lets you curate a zine of lots of really cool stuff. i’ve made several like that.

How many zines do you own?
i’m really excited that you asked me this, because i JUST bought a filing cabinet to put all my zines in and catalogued most of my collection. current count is 143- but i have a bunch still in storage so i think 200 is a reasonable estimate. i tend to buy them in bulk when i go to radical bookstores or record stores or comic shops or other places that just have a bunch of zines, because no one close to me sells a lot of zines. even my old standby, goner records, has cut down on what they offer. i also get a lot as gifts from friends- when you become the “zine friend,” people just give you what they make. it rules.

Who are your biggest zine inspirations?
i really love maximum rocknroll, although i don’t make anything about music really. i always buy cometbus when it comes out, because it’s amazing but also because it’s closer to what i really like to do, which is longer-form personal narrative writing zines. it’s tough to name people who are ~zine inspo~ to me, because i think very few people have a strong zine brand and i don’t tend to collect certain authors. my work is inspired by stuff i like and stuff that happens in my life.

i love looking at my collection to inspire my layouts and stuff. people come up with innovative ways of assembling zines that blow my mind all the time. people i meet at fests really inspire me- recently JC of “tributaries” zine, wing woman press, lynne monsoon of “butch nor femme“, and forever and always karina hagelin of “femme filth” zine.

What types of zines do you like to read?
i love perzines, AKA “personal zines” or zines about people’s lives. they’re beginning to make a comeback (recently there was a fest in california called “dear diary fest” totally dedicated to them) but they can be hard to find. the good ones are just like journals or casual facebook updates that just tell you little bits about the stuff people do every day. i love reading them from complete strangers and people i’ve never met. i have one i’m totally obsessed with from the early 2000s called “chatty pig”, i think i have the second issue. it’s got some very 90s-looking word clipart in it, and it’s just tales from this woman who works a random office job and hangs out with her friends. completely banal subject matter, but i eat it up! it’s written just like a letter to her friends- super informal, just talking about stuff she’s done recently. i find that kind of writing really difficult and admire people who can bang out perzines like that.

What’s your favorite zine that you’ve pressed and why?
this one is tough! i’d say they’re like my babies and i could never choose, but when you table with them at fests a lot and pitch them to people a lot, you slowly grow to hate them. especially when you write personal narrative and then time passes and you grow as a writer and a person, old stuff starts to look and read kind of bad. probably my favorite is “woo woo woo #1“, just because it was so fun to make and was made for the exclusive and pure reason of just wanting to review fast food with my BFF. it reads in that casual way that i like, because it’s just direct transcripts of conversations between me and my friend zach about fast food. we ate about 5 fast food meals in a couple weeks’ time, and it was terrible for our bodies but the zine is really good. we’re working on the second one right now and they’re definitely the most time-consuming one i make. this next issue will be printed, i hope, rather than just put up online like i did with #1. i love woo woo woo.

What kind of topics do you tend to be drawn to write about?
stuff that affects my life. i’ve written extensively about living in finland, fast food, mississippi politics, personal care, et cetera. pretty much whatever’s consuming my thoughts goes in a zine of some sort. i don’t bother writing much outside of what i know intimately because that’s really where my best writing is and it’s what i love sharing that part of me.

What separates zines from other literature, and why are they important to you?
ACCESSIBILITY. this is what i tell everyone about zines. they tend to be specific to countercultural movements (science fiction, punk, leftism, etc) and intended for widespread sharing. no one cool makes zines to get rich, they’re intended to be easy to obtain and share. anyone can make a zine, too, and you don’t need an editor or a publisher or an agent. you just need an idea and the materials to execute that idea on paper.

so much of zines is about cooperation and giving and doing what you can so that everyone gets to enjoy your work. there is certainly a newer movement of “art zine” type stuff that’s made on really fancy high-gloss paper with high budgets and stuff. kanye west made one. i think they’re nice, but they’re just art books co-opting zine language to be trendy and make no sense as an accessible medium. i’ve paid $25-30 for that kind of publication and they suck compared to the stuff i get for cheap direct from the zinester.

What’s the zine scene like where you live?
it’s just me here in jackson! some other folks here have made one-offs or zines to supplement larger projects, but no one i know of makes them as their primary form of expression. sometimes i get zines from the nice punks down in hattiesburg. i tend to travel to buy zines or meet other people who make them.

You’ve tabled at a couple of zine fests.  What’s that experience like?
so fun! it’s an excellent way to meet a million people who love zines in like an 8-hour timeframe. i really deeply love the process of figuring out how my table should look, setting up my little color-coordinated table covering, splaying my zines out all nice. i love talking to new people about zines and meeting people who make zines. and trading! i love trading. the best part of zine fests is when people ask if they can trade with you. fests are also supremely exhausting because you are meeting a million people in a pretty short timeframe. even just sitting and smiling as people walk by and saying hi to folks wears me out if i do it all day. having to rep your art and just hope people like it is definitely a struggle.

What motivates you to keep moving forward with this format?
i love it. it’s mostly just a mode of transportation for my ideas, and it’s the best way i know to get my ideas out there. it feels good to have a finished thing in your hands. it feels good when someone reads something i write and then follows me on instagram or adds me on facebook to tell me they love it. it’s such a special and personal thing for me, and i get to connect with folks over that. what a freakin gift!

How do you break out of a rut, or a period of writers’ block?
i try to just bang out something stupid. i love doing little one-sheet mini zines because you can finish them in a day and they can be about really silly stuff. that’s the point of zines- they can be silly or imperfect and still be great!

Do you have any advice for potential zine-makers?
just make one. please. stop talking about making one or planning on making one or saying you’ll make one and just make one. make one and then send it to me so i can put it in my filing cabinet. make one because i desperately want to read it. make a zine and make it now! you can borrow my long-arm stapler if you want. your zine is probably going to be amazing. i love you.

Interested in reading more? Check out Lucy’s issu and her Instagram!

One of the best parts about my lengthy and inconclusive college follies was my introduction to, and subsequent obsession with, art history. I was lucky that I chose an art degree because it demanded three consecutive quarters of in-depth, full-bodied (literally) immersion into the world of art, and artists. While I got to study the masters of the Renaissance, and was forced to try to understand Dadaism, I never got to take the Asian art history course, which meant I had to introduce myself to it, independently. Due to Asia’s several millennia of civilization, there was (and is) more art than I could possibly ingest in my lifetime. So I started where many people start when it comes to Asian art: that big, beautiful, iconic wave.

I know you’ve seen it before, but did you ever look into it’s origin? The artist’s name is Katsushika Hokusai, known more commonly as Hokusai, and he is one of the greatest and most famous Japanese artists… ever. This famous piece, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, was first created around 1830 and is actually a wood block print. It belongs to a series called 36 Views of Mount Fuji, which inspired the Uniqlo collection I promise I will start talking about soon.

Wood block printing is kind of like old-school screen printing, where a new block is carved for every color in the image. To make that wave up there, you need around seven different wood blocks, three of which are used for different shades of blue – a hallmark of the series. Some wood block prints require as many as 16 blocks with 14 colors, and boards can be made out of incredibly luxurious materials like 100 year old Mountain Cherry which makes them even more valuable.

via Ukiyo-E Heroes

Anyway, this isn’t an art history blog, so let’s get to the style & potatoes of the matter: Uniqlo, the quintessential Japanese clothing brand, has partnered with the keepers of Hokusai wood blocks, Unsodo, to create a line of affordable t-shirts and sweatshirts inspired by the 36 Views of Mount Fuji series called Hokusai Blue. Best of all, each t-shirt is less than $15, and the sweatshirts are just under $30.

There debut of this collaboration collection was back in March 2018, and features some of Hokusai’s other works. The recent release (just three days old) is equally enchanting and beautiful.

Top: Grey Sweatshirt with House and Mt. Fuji, $29.90
Botton: White Sweatshirt with Great Wave, $29.90

True to Uniqlo fashion, each tee or sweatshirt is has just the right amount of imagery on it to keep it from looking too much like an advertisement or tourist souvenir.

Personally, I like the designs in the men’s section the most. They feature the strong but delicate images from of my favorite Hokusai pieces. The men’s line includes several renditions of The Great Wave  and multiple depictions of Mt. Fuji. Mountains, warriors, everyday people, and water are all highlighted in the men’s line, and the beautiful shades of blue that were promised in the collection’s description and Hokusai’s series are represented in their full spectrum.

Gradient Graphic Tee with River Boats, $14.90

Top: Graphic Tee with Mt. Fuji & Splatters, $14.90 | Blue Graphic Tee with Outlines, $14.90
Bottom: White Tee with Grappling Warrior, $14.90 | Graphic Tee with Wheel, $14.90

The women’s line is nice, too, but has way more strictly feminine subject matter like… flowers. Exclusively flowers. Well, okay, there’s a tee with The Great Wave on it and a tee with the great wave on the pocket, but the rest of the t-shirts (no sweatshirts for us gals) is floral.

Gradient Pink Tee with Cherry Blossoms, $14.90

Top: Blue Gradient Tee with Flowers, $14.90 | Graphic Tee with Cherry Trees, $14.90
Bottom: Graphic Tee with Floral Pocket, $14.90  | Blue Graphic Tee with Great Wave, $14.90

And it’s beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, Hokusai’s flower prints were absolutely exquisite, but the use of the prints in the women’s line seems lazy when compared to the thoughtfulness given to the incorporation of print designs in the men’s line.

There are also less than half the number of available products for women which leads me to believe that Uniqlo’s customers are mostly dudes… Or that the people who shop there are buying men’s clothing regardless of their gender. Or, if customers are buying mostly men’s clothing from Uniqlo, maybe it’s because the guys’ clothes have better designs…? (Catch-22?)

But the collection is undeniably beautiful, and if you’re not attached to the more apparently-masculine side of Hokusai, you will revel in the $15-ness of the women’s graphic tees. Since this collection was just released, and Uniqlo is an internationally beloved brand, the stock is flying off the shelves. In this situation, if you love something, don’t let it go!

SHOP THE UNIQLO HOKUSAI BLUE COLLECTION HERE

There’s no clearer way to phrase it: when it comes to RetailMeNot’s new-ish cash-back program, are you gonna smash it into your browser, or pass it on by?

The program started in 2017, but I didn’t learn about it until just a few months ago. Like its competitors, RetailMeNot’s rebate program is executed through both their website, and a browser extension. There are some pretty major differences, however, in regards to how RetailMeNot has approached the who idea of cash back, or rebates, for online shoppers.

Here are the Ways that RetailMeNot Cash Back is Different from Other Rebate Programs

Most RetailMeNot Rebates Have Order Total Requirements

While Ebates and TopCashBack apply a baseline percentage of cash back earned per order, RetailMeNot typically waits for you to reach a threshold of spending before applying a flat rate cash back bonus. For example, while you’d earn 1.5% cash back on your purchase from e.l.f. Cosmetics with Ebates, you’d have to spend $60 in order to qualify for a cash back bonus with RetailMeNot – but that cash back bonus is a clean $10. However, with the average order size at e.l.f. is only $36… not many people are qualifying for this rebate, so it may not actually be saving anyone, or earning anyone, money.

And if you’ve ever seen the budget beauty at e.l.f. cosmetics, then you know that $60 is a lot of makeup. Hell, $30 is a lot of makeup if you’re shopping at e.l.f.! Your shopping style will dictate whether or not this subtotal threshold is useful to you or not, but if you are a scrimper who only buys a product or two at a time, you might be better off with a percentage-style system.

To be fair, RetailMeNot also offers cash back at sites like Boohoo, who we are very familiar with, and they only require you to spend $55 before getting $10 cash back. That’s a pretty sweet deal, and spending $55 at Boohoo is really, really easy. Not only that, but the average order size at Boohoo, according to a 2018 review of the brand’s year, is… $55. Works for me!

An important note: this price threshold must be reached before taxes, shipping, and after discounts have been applied.

RetailMeNot Has Flash Sales, But… For Cash Back

After finding an insane deal for Ulta in RetailMeNot’s cash back offers, I slept on it for a day (a typical practice for people who are trying to manage their shopping addictions) and then, after deciding that $15 cash back on all orders of $30 was a good enough deal to jump on (HELLO?), it was gone. Expired. Poof! Right out of my grasp. I didn’t like that feeling. Not one bit. Very triggered.

This is RetailMeNot’s other unique feature: flash… offers? I’m not exactly sure what to call them, but they’re cash back offers that are only available for a limited time, and it’s usually obvious why. That was a free $15 off at Ulta… If they let that go on, all hell would break loose.

So if you’re perusing deals and planning your next shopping adventure, definitely take note of the expiration dates on RetailMeNot’s offers.  And if you can jump on a deal, go for it, but only if you have the means to back it up. Many of these expiration dates are incentives for you to buy buy buy!

Don’t be fooled. I know you won’t.

In order to see which deals are “limited time” and which are normal, everyday offers, you have to actually activate the deal, then look at its full details. Even then, you can’t really see when the promotion is expected to end… But they might change this in the future. This format and design has changed a few times since I started researching this program.

No Referral Program :(

One of the best parts of these programs is haranguing your friends into signing up to get that sweet, sweet referral money. Over at Ebates, it’s a cool $25 cash every time someone you know signs up and uses the service. Here at RetailMeNot, there’s sadly… nothing.

Here are the Ways RetailMeNot is Not-So-Different from Other Rebate Programs

Get Cash Back & Rebates Online and In-Store

Being that RetailMeNot started their money-saving legacy by focusing on fashion brands and lady-shoppers, you’d think that the majority of RetailMeNot’s cash back offers are for clothing, shoes, accessories, and beauty. While they offer a ton of rebates in these categories, they also offer cash back at stores like Best Buy, Staples, StubHub, and Barnes & Noble. There are also a few household service deals mixed in, for example, setting up a new line of service with AT&T  has the potential to earn you $150 cash back, and H&R Block will get you up to $15 cash back, depending on what you’re purchasing.

HERE IS A FULL LIST OF RETAILMENOT-SUPPORTED STORES

Speaking of those stores, you can also use these rebates in-store by connecting your debit or credit card to your account. First, you have to activate the rebate deal that you want through your browser. Then, add the card that you plan to use, and when you use it, the credit will be noted in your account. From what I can see, this needs to be done for every store, specifically, and with every rebate deal you plan to use.

The Important Stuff: How You Get Paid

When you’re on a website of a RetailMeNot-supported brand, and you have the RetailMeNot Genie browser extension installed, you’ll get a little popup that tells you that it can be activated there. The popup will also tell you the order value threshold that you need to meet in order to unlock the rebate, so you don’t need to guess and check your shopping cart until you reach it.

As per the typical rebate system, the purchases you make will need to be verified, not returned, and then posted to your account before you see any money. After that, you can withdraw to your PayPal account. Unfortunately, there are no other ways to use your rebates, unlike TopCashBack which allows you to buy a gift card to a specific store, often with an added bonus. PayPal often takes fees when you receive money, so gift cards are always a nice alternative for penny-pinchers.

This whole process takes around 45 days with RetailMeNot Cash Back, and that’s kind of a long time… But also isn’t that long of a time? Let me clarify:

To continue the Ebates comparison, Ebates takes about 24-48 hours to post the earnings to your account which is great, but they only pay out quarterly. So, on January 4, when I bought a pair of earrings off of Etsy, the earnings were posted to my account in 24 hours. I only made $1 cash back on that order, and I need to have $5 in order to cash out – so I have between now and March 31 to get those extra rebates so I can get paid. Otherwise, I don’t see cash until June or something.

RetailMeNot’s Unpredictable Payout Schedule

RetailMeNot has a 45 day turnaround for cash back payments, which is notably less than the ~90 days of a quarter (we like to call it half), but you might not see the cash back reflected in your account for 20 days after purchase. It’s actually really unclear what to expect with RetailMeNot because “45 days” and “20 days” are sprinkled all around the website in different areas, but within the same context. Oh, and on individual deal detail pages, it looks like retail stores can negotiate quicker processing. For example, QVC’s deal page says to expect the money in your RetailMeNot wallet within only 15 days. That’s literally an entire month faster than what other areas of the website say.

So either way, there’s a little give’n’take when it comes to the satisfying feeling of seeing cash back in your account. It’s not good, it’s not bad. It just is… confusing.

The Verdict

Overall, RetailMeNot has promise. As one of the youngest, newest cash back/rebate programs out there, they have a little bit of growing to do before they can truly compete with the giants like Ebates and TopCashBack. All in all, I’m rooting for them, and if they have a killer limited time deal like the one from Ulta that I mentioned earlier in this post, I’m jumping on it. I learned my lesson, ok?

But the struggle to decide RetailMeNot’s place in my life intensifies when I consider how many browser extensions I have to have in order to fulfill all of my cash back fantasies. Currently, for research purposes, I have four rebate extensions installed. My browser… hates it. The average person should not have more than two, in my opinion. This means I have to narrow it down by 50% and, at this time in their development, I’m probably uninstalling RetailMeNot in favor of Ebates and TopCashBack. It’s nothing personal, RMN! I’ll hit you up when you get a referral program and some gift cards.

TRY THE RETAILMENOT CASH BACK PROGRAM HERE

Have you used RetailMeNot’s cash back program before? Tell us what your experience was like! Leave a comment with all the good dirt, please and thank you.

At first glance, I thought this newly-released wet n wild PUMP Collection used “pump” to reference the packaging of some of the products, but once I saw Cassey Ho‘s lovely face, I realized what this collection really was: a collection skincare and cosmetics for gym-rats, and Cassey – aka uber-popular YouTuber Blogilates – is the face of it.

The last time I saw a gym-inspired drugstore makeup collection was when e.l.f. put theirs out in 2017. wet n wild choosing to pair up with one of the most popular YouTube fitness gurus was a smart move in this world of athleisure and glowing skin.

They’ve also blown the competition out of the water already with the sheer number of products upon its initial release. The PUMP collection contains 37 items, including haircare, skincare, and a few makeup items. They’ve also included a variety of versatile, convertible products meant to minimize the clutter in your gym bag (and life).

Highlights of the wet n wild PUMP collection:

PUMP includes many skincare items in stick form, including a toner, primer, a mattifying stick, cooling moisturizer, and makeup. One of the standout items of the collection is actually an accompaniment to these sticks, a joiner tube called Partner Up ($1.99). It’s a two-ended sleeve that allows you to combine any two of their stick products. Not only does this match with the theme of the collection, it’s just straight-up smart.

Another eye-catching item from the PUMP line is the looks-like-candy-but-isn’t facial cleansing balls called Personal Best. These little pastel-colored beans could easily be mistaken for a Lush product, and seem to be just as user friendly.

They aren’t just little soap balls, either. Each one is vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, and fragrance-free and is infused with hyaluronic acid (for exfoliation), Vitamin B3, skin-calming Calendula, and whatever “Antarctic Glacial Glycoprotein” is. Glycoprotein means “protein with sugar attached,” and when combined with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, it can improve the appearance of skin, including firmness and smoothness. I guess the stuff they use is from Antarctica. Or something.

Here is the rest of the PUMP collection:

PUMP Collection Skincare

Skincare is arguably the most important beauty activity that surrounds the athletic lifestyle. All of that sweat, all of the touching of weights and equipment, all of those open pores… Let’s cut the nasty stuff and just say that it’s important to make sure your skin is taken care of. Whether you have oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, or otherwise, there is a product in the PUMP collection that’s meant for you. The two glitter masks seem more like a gimmick than a lifesaver, but I’m ready to be wrong.

Hit the Showers Makeup Removal Wipes $5.99	Expert Level Cleansing Oil $8.99	Personal Best Exfoliating Cleansing Balls $7.99
Detox It Purifying Glitter Mask $8.99	Tone Up Brightening Glitter Mask $8.99	On Your Matte Blotting Papers $4.99
Partner Up Toner Stick $3.99	Partner Up Cooling Moisture Stick $3.99	Partner Up Blemish Stick $3.99
Wet N Wild Partner Up Connector $1.99	Do the Spritz Cooling Face & Body Mist $8.99

PUMP Collection Haircare

Haircare isn’t a major focus of this collection, but it doesn’t feel like a neglected category. Between these two products, you’ll pretty much be good to go wherever you need to, post-gym. Seeing a “hair refresh spray” (aka hair de-stink spray) makes me realize that I don’t have a product like that… and I maybe kinda want one.

Final Stretch Dry Shampoo $8.99

It’s My Cheat Day Hair Refresh Spray $8.99

PUMP Collection Makeup

This is where things get really interesting. Adding makeup to an athletic beauty collection is a delicate task, but wet n wild has done a really good job with their execution. Instead of big, glittery eyeshadow palettes, they’ve included two multi-functional face palettes that carry eyeshadows, face shades, and lip products all in the same place. It also just so happens to look like toy makeup you’d see at a daycare center. Whatever! As long as it works, who cares?

Also interesting: the BB cream. It’s a sheer, tinted formula that promises to color-correct, even skintone, and boost your glow all at the same time. It only comes in six shades, which is unfortunate, but if it’s sheer enough, maybe it’ll be more versatile than it seems on paper.

Partner Up Blush Stick $3.99 (4 colors)	Partner Up Primer Stick $3.99	Partner Up Mattifying Stick $3.99
Partner Up Lip Balm Stick $3.99 (4 colors)	Keep Going Waterproof Eyeshadow Stick $4.99 (5 colors)	Makeup Locker 3-in-1 Sheer BB Cream $8.99 (6 colors)
Full Circuit No Limits Face Palette in Warm Up $8.99	Full Circuit No Limits Face Palette in Cool Down $8.99

Lastly, you can buy the collection in two separate chunks for $39.99 each. One set includes all of the makeup products from the PUMP collection and the other includes every Partner Up stick and three connectors. Each set comes with a cute, and relatively waterproof cosmetic bag.

PUMP Collection Partner Up Set $39.99

PUMP Collection Ath-Beauty Set $39.99

SEE THE ENTIRE PUMP COLLECTION AT WET N WILD

When it comes to graphic t-shirts, I’m very picky. The last decade has been heavy on the t-shirt-based wordplay, and while I’m not opposed to the idea of words on a shirt, I feel strangely about broadcasting a full sentence to the world when that space could be taken up with awesome, simple, and clever designs like the ones from these excellent indie fashion brands.

Graphic t-shirts are trending hard right now – and by “right now” I mean “the last decade.” Now, you can’t walk into any single clothing store without seeing a shirt about a) coffee, b) rosé, or c) days of the week. Maybe it’s just me, but that stuff is getting kinda boring, you know? Any time a trend becomes too ubiquitous, it starts to fall off of my radar. Thus, I take to Etsy. It has the power to revive my spirits and rekindle my love of graphic t-shirts.

For the Love of Food & Cats: Xenotees

This is the brand that inspired this post. I came across Philly-based Xenotees a few months ago and was delighted with how non-cloying and wearable their designs were. Like I said, I’m picky, so if I want to tell the world that I love pizza, I want it to be in a way that’s design-first – not message-first – and when it comes to understated food love communicated through Sharpie-esque drawings and scribbles, Xenotees absolutely nails it.

Sure, the content of their screen-printed t-shirts favor animal lovers and foodies but… I mean, if you’re reading this and you don’t fit into one of those categories… how on Earth did you find us?! On the other hand, if pizza, tacos, and cats are your jam, then you’re about to be in heaven.

Taco Tuesday T-Shirt $22.50	Cat in the Grass Graphic T-Shirt Dress $27
Xenotees Cat Pizza Party T-Shirt $19.80	Pizza Slice T-Shirt $22.50

Understated & Cutesy: GingyCake

The designer behind GingyCake is a true hustle queen. In addition to the Gingycake line of cute animal characters in very wearable situations, designer Ginger Blackwell also designs clothing for Fox Peak Apparel which has very pretty, outdoorsy sweatshirts and tees. But the GingyCake line is what I need you to look at today, because it’s too cute to ignore.

The best designs in the line, in my opinion, are the clothes with the fox or panda characters. You’ll find the panda inside bowls of ramen or hopping out of a drawn or fabric scrap shirt pocket, and the fox shows up either as a simple line drawing or a cute little dude who also appears in shirt pockets. But don’t let me determine which of GingyCake’s characters are your favorite, they are all equally adorable!

(PS – The header of this post is GingyCake’s Fox Hoodie!)

Panda in a Noodle Bowl $22	Triangle Fox Cropped Tank $18
Fox in a Pocket Tee $35	Octopus Pocket Tee $22

The Spirit of the Wild: Fennec Design Co.

This brand has been on my radar ever since I wrote the Indie Stocking Stuffer Guide of 2018. Who could pass by these meticulously detailed designs? Each one is totem-like with a strong nature focus, often centering around an entomological subject (read: bugs.) with an ornate frame of flowers. It’s not always bugs, though. You’ll also see bats, various animal skeletons, and beautiful (living) birds.

Sure, there’s a bit of an occult-y vibe to these tees, but for the hobby botanist or bug nerd, these are just stunning representations of their favorite things. Fennec also sells beautiful sew-on patches featuring their designs for the punk rockers and DIYers out there.

Tiger Moth Lunar Phases Tank $20	Night Heron Hex Off-Shoulder Tee $23
Cosmic Geometry Tee $15	Geometric Bat Skeleton Tank $20

The Coolest Kid at the Party: Vayne

For those who love the word-shirt trend but don’t like anything that’s currently popular, you’ve met your match with Vayne. With the addition of some good typography and a punk rock attitude, Vayne has been able to produce graphic t-shirts that do “weekend chic” or whatever without the flamboyant wine and coffee touting that we’re all kinda sick of. (Right? No? Just me? Ok.)

If you happen to be born in 1988 – first of all, happy 30s, your life is gonna be better now – you’re going to find a ton of birthday year tees in with this brand.

Bad Influence Cropped Tee $30	Bitter Romantic 1988 Tee $34
Here for the Beers Tee $34	Striped Graphic Tee $34

California, But Less Serious: Zen Threads

The head artist and owner behind Zen Threads is a college-educated art school nerd (sorry, Brandy) that fell in love with the art of screenprinting after school ended. In addition to doing tons of custom orders for clients, Brandy prints her original drawings onto various t-shirt styles for Zen Threads’ in-house line. What started in her garage now has its own storefront in Northern California, a location that inspires many of their designs.

Here you’ll find incredibly detailed line drawings with a heavy dose of contextual irreverence. That can manifest into of everything from prog-rocker sloths to bears who love beer. Environmental responsibility is pretty much the only thing taken seriously at this cute little shop, as they use water-based inks for both quality and eco-friendly reasons. They also use environmentally friendly chemicals in their screen-creation process.

Take a Hike Tee $22	Bear Hug Tee $22
Boxing Squirrel Muscle Tank $24	Be a Nice Human Tank $24

Dark & Cozy: Elephantees

This list wouldn’t be complete without something a little dark & spooky, and ElephanTees has figured out just the right way to be a little creepy without going overboard and making it a theme.

ElephanTees continues the trend of outdoor appreciation, but also brings a little bit of deathiness to the party. I love their Creation of Death and Betrayal tees, but their inventory contains much, much more than just beautiful spook. The design that attracted me to the brand was their gorgeous, geometric, crystalline stag, pictured above. There’s also an extensive (I mean, 12 pieces) line of zodiac-inspired designs that mimic constellations, but in this simple, damn near majestic style.

Lastly, they have about a billion text-based shirts that range from simple words like “AESTHETIC” in calculator font to some, uh, more saucy content that I will let you discover on your own. It’s definitely PG-13, and definitely awesome.

Night Sky.Backpack Tee $17.20	Creation of Death Tee $17.20
Zebra Bones Tee $17.67	Betrayal Tee $17.20

For Stargazers & Cabin Dwellers: Blackbird Supply

This cute little powerhouse brand is actually over 10 years old, and has been run by the same duo – Jodi & Karl – the entire time. Their love for the outdoors and all the crap floating in our sky has resulted in some really beautiful t-shirt designs that are almost pattern-like in their execution. Blackbird also utilizes colors more than most, with beautiful t-shirts in shades of heathered green and lavender, and gold ink used in some of their designs.

You’ll also notice that there are often multiple colors on the shirt designs. I want to point this out because two colors require literally twice the work of one color, but Blackbird is all about it. Mad props.

In addition to being badass ambassadors for outdoorsiness, Blackbird Supply also goes the extra mile to use environmentally-friendly inks and t-shirts made from recycled materials.

Big Dipper Constellation Tee $24	Starry Night National Park Tee $36
Kintsugi V-Neck T-Shirt $26	Pinky Swear BFF Tee $25

Don’t forget that you get 1% cash back on all Etsy purchases when using Ebates!

Leave your current favorite graphic t-shirts in the comments!

The post Graphic Tee Club: 7 Indie T-Shirt Brands to Add to Your Etsy Favorites appeared first on Broke and Beautiful.

A new social media platform has arrived, and it’s everything a plus sized fashion lover could ever want. Imagine an platform that was half Instagram, half Lookbook.nu, where plus size people could post photos of their outfits and be introduced to others with similar body types for an endless stream of curvy-girl inspo.

Now imagine that those outfits had direct links for people to shop the items, and maybe the outfit-poster would even have the opportunity to earn some cash on the side… That’s the premise of 21Squared, a new social fashion inspiration & shopping platform, and their free app is available now.

Bri of The Bri Spot & Erika McDaniels of Your Chic is Showing

The way that I got into fashion was through magazines and catalogs. I have always loved print media and art, but fashion magazines are what kind of steered me into the direction of style and photography. They also steered me into the direction of body image issues and low self-esteem.

Thank goodness for blogs. I’m dead serious. Seeing bloggers (like the ones who post on 21Squared) helped me crawl out of the self-shame hole I was in and start applying my love for fashion to my own body. Fast forward to 2019, and there’s more size representation now than ever. But while print media has now found it to be profitable to feature women of different sizes, society and consumers just can’t shake that preference for the tall, white, or at the very least, thin body types we’re used to.

Social media has provided a more level playing field, but with sponsorships and advertising constantly consuming our feeds, it’s becoming harder to surround yourself with the kind of content you want. 21Squared is doing their best to change that.

Where Can You Find Real-Live, Plus-Size Fashion Inspiration?

There have been tons of outfit-based style apps over the last couple of decades, but none have been quite like 21Squared. Popular apps of the past include Chictopia and Lookbook.nu, but these days, the ruling queen of all style photos is indisputably Instagram.

Instagram is a wonderful source of inspiration when it comes to all subjects, but fashion has a special place on the ‘gram due to the fact that, well, the best fashion photo is nothing more than a great selfie. You can document yourself from anywhere, at any time, and as a result, there are hundreds of thousands of posts per day – all in the name of #ootd.

The best part about this phenomenon is the diversity it exposes us to. Or, at least, it should work that way, but with marketing campaigns, influencers, and algorithms at play, Instagram can feel like being trapped inside of a high end fashion magazine. Relating to highly stylized, modelesque Instagram stars in size-limited brands is hard, and if you’re curvy or plus sized, a mission for fashion inspiration can result in immense frustration.

That’s why 21Squared set out on a mission to create a space for curvy and plus sized women to feed off of each others creativity, help each other find clothes that fit, and even make some money in the process. After all, influencers are always making money off of their fashion posts – who says we can’t make some extra cash, too? As far as I’m concerned, everyone is an influencer, and at 21Squared, that’s never been more true.

Get Matched Up with Your Perfect Style Inspo by Size

To get started, you enter your measurements. If you’re not really sure, you can tell the app the sizes you wear in different brands like ZARA, Lane Bryant, Torrid, etc. After some style questions and extra info, 21Squared will match you up with people who are close to your size.

Follow the people whose style you like most, or just the people whose sizes resemble yours, and your feed will be full of super cute, curvy gals wearing awesome outfits. Everyone’s height is right next to their name, too, which makes it easy to surf through photos with the right perspective. It just goes to show how focused 21Squared is on giving people the realistic fashion inspiration they’ve always dreamed of.

When you see something you like, whether it’s accessories or a piece of clothing, there will be a little shopping bag icon nearby. Click it, and you’ll see information about the brand, where to find it, what size the person in the picture is wearing, and sometimes even a short review to help you determine whether you absolutely need it or not. It’s like having thousands of incredibly stylish shopping buddies who have the same shopping strugs as you do.

Get Accurate Reviews on Specific Clothing Items

This is the little secret powerhouse of 21Squared. While this app provides oodles of fashion and style inspiration for curvy and plus size women, it also offers the opportunity for real, unsponsored and scrutinous reviews of plus size clothing.

Having a reliable and unbiased platform for individual product reviews is something that plus size women have been needing for ages. Especially when it comes to big, huge brands like Lane Bryant and ModCloth, sizing can sometimes be inconsistent. And when you’re dealing with fast fashion brands like Forever21 and H&M, sizing can often be… frustrating. (Remember when H&M released a new size chart that affected new products that were on the shelves with old products which were based on the old size chart? Bleh.)

Now, if you see someone in a skirt you noticed, but didn’t buy, you can get the 411 on whether or not it’s worth going back for.

Who’s Using 21Squared?

After downloading and logging into the app, you’ll be greeted with a bunch of questions about your size and personal style preferences. After that, you’ll be given some suggestions of people to follow, and I highly suggest you follow anyone whose look inspires you at all.

The women on 21Squared are almost all plus size fashion bloggers or fashion professionals. These women exude confidence, and it’s more than just the (amazing) clothes they’re wearing – it’s their whole vibe. They wear what they want, they take selfies in public, and they’re not going to be distracted from living their best fashion life. If you’re not getting style inspiration from this app, at the very least you’ll be getting a heavy influx of girl crushes.

But they need your style, too. Do your best not to compare yourself to these ladies because, like I said, they’re actual pros. 21Squared needs your personal style to be added to their (currently pretty small) database of babes. Besides, those girls get their inspiration from somewhere, and you could be it! So get cute, grab your phone, and whether it’s a mirror photo, a tripod snap, or a quick selfie, POST IT! We need to see your style!

Now, About Getting Some of That Money I Mentioned…

Using your style to hustle is the hallmark of the digital age. If you don’t have the vanity and misplaced tenacity to start up your own online magazine dedicated to only the things you like (hi, I’m Lindsay), then the least you can do is monetize your style photos, right?

All you have to do is tag the brands you’re wearing, linking to the product if possible, and if someone purchases something from that store using your link, you’ll get a commission! It’s nothing crazy – usually less than 10% – but it’s something! Heck, tiny bonuses like that have been fueling this blog for over 10 years! It’s a harmless way to get a little kickback from the all that promotion you’re doing.

All you have to do is tag your clothing when you upload a photo. It’s as easy as copy/pasting a link, or scanning a barcode if you’re wearing something you recently purchased. The rest of the work is done for you, all you have to do is hope that people buy the stuff you’re wearing. Or… just don’t even think about it. Surprise money is always the best money, and this app does so much more that it’ll be easy to distract yourself.

(AKA don’t post outfits for money, post for your love of style! The rest will come if you stay passionate and true to yourself.)

21Squared has partnered up with several plus-size and size-inclusive fashion brands to offer commission on sales made through your outfit posts. There is a link on your profile which will show you your “Rewards” – meaning commission you’ve made.

Once you’ve hit $25 in commissions, you can withdraw the cash via check, electronically, or redeem it for a gift card for one of 21Squared’s retail partners. (AKA the places you probably already shop, and places that are plus size friendly.)

Where to Get 21Squared

Right now, the app is only iOS compatible, but they’re working really hard on an Android version of the app (it should be here in Spring 2019!). In the meantime, you can pick up the iOS version of the app here:

GET 21SQUARED for iOS

The post 21Squared: A Social Network for Plus Size Fashion Inspiration appeared first on Broke and Beautiful.