eBay trickery

eBay is a modern miracle. I really believe that it's capitalism at its finest. They give people a set of rules, a market place, and then just let them do whatever and it works. It's also a great place to find treasures that you could never find in a retail store.

I've been wanting to try Bare Escentuals products for a while now. You might've seen the infomercial. I'm a QVC nerd and they carry Bare Escentuals, so that's where I saw it. I guess it's all pure minerals "from the earth" with no binders, preservatives, waxes, etc. I was considering dropping $60 on a starter set but then I regained my sanity.

A great idea is to search eBay for samples of expensive make up that you want to try before you buy the full size. High end make up tends to be highly pigmented, so even a small sample will last you a long time. I just bought a sample of a Bare Escentuals foundation for $4.75 (that includes shipping) that will give me 20-30 applications. If I love it, I can go ahead and buy the full size. If not, no biggie. Think about those trendy eyeshadow colors you only wear for a season and then think "Ew this is so over!" You could get a sample size on eBay and save yourself a lot of money. Here's a search for "samples" in the make up section of eBay to get you started.

I'm a freak for anything scented with banana which, for some reason, isn't a popular scent for bath and hair products. I started searching eBay for banana products which made me realize that there are people out there who make their own products and sell them on eBay. Duh! Since they're homemade, they're generally natural, gentle, and good for your skin. I've bought shea body butter and shea lip gloss in the past. Cheap price, good quality. Go to the Health and Beauty section and search for your favorite scent. It's fabulous.

I'm always looking for cute plus size clothes and eBay is a great resource. As of right now, the plus size section has over 60,000 items listed. If you look around enough, you'll find sellers who regularly sell stuff that catches your eye. Here are a couple that I like: shopchopsuey, jaxjoy, kiawear (UK seller), pacificplex, and stacystock (cute straight and plus size panties).

A couple of things to keep in mind: some people buy up clearance items at stores like Torrid and Lane Bryant and sell them at a higher price. You'll want to check websites to make sure you can't get the item cheaper from the store itself. Always check measurements. If the seller doesn't have them listed, email and ask for them. Most sellers don't take returns so you'll want to be certain that the item will fit.

Shameless plug: my mom is a STAR eBay seller. She's just amazing. Check out her auctions. I'm going through my wardrobe soon and getting rid of stuff I don't want so I'll link to those when they're up!

Comments

[Joye]

About Bare Escentuals - it's an excellent product. I just got turned on to it about a month ago. It's amazing - and it really covers well with barely any makeup! I recommend it. But I agree, I don't think dropping $60 for it is something I'd do either!

[Laura]

I fully recommend Bare Escentuals. I've been using it for a couple of months now and I love it. Very easy to work with, and it doesn't make your face all itchy if you fall asleep still wearing it. A little advice on choosing a color, though, as I know you are fair like me: the "light" collection has a yellowish tint to it. I got one of the "light" colors at first (#2, I think) and it looked absolutely horrid. I traded it in for a "medium" shade, and it's perfect. Never before have I bought a medium in any type of face color, but hey.

[Colleen]

I bought a sample of "Fairly Light" 1.2 and I think it's the right color. The kit comes with 1.2 and 2 so hopefully one or a mix of both of those will work.

[Tobey]

Thanks for the E-Bay tip! I just checked out shopchopsuey's items for sale, and I am freaking out at how many cute things I am finding! Can't wait for payday to buy some new summery tops! BTW, I just discovered your site via Big Fat Blog, and I love it!