So I must confess, I've been searching for a pair of respectable suspendered pants (a la Ms. Bradshaw circa season 6 w/Berger) at an affordable cost for a while now, and I may have stumbled upon the winner. No, they're not high waisted. No, they're not black, but they're pretty versitile and on sale at Chickdowntown.com for $93.50 (AND I got an email coupon for an extra 20% off!). But the real question is wearability...what shoes would you pair with this?

Another pair of affordable suspendered pants to choose from (in black!) and some accessorizing speculation...


Here's another respectively priced pair o' pantelones-con-suspenders from Victorias Secret. These clock in at $78 bucks (on sale too...). Hrmm...which would you pick?

As for shoes...wedges? Heels? I'm all about tucking in a slightly oversized blouse and carrying a simple clutch, but I'm stuck on the shoes question!

We shall see if I give into my suspendered desires...

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Ah, just in time for the holidays! Why give just any old makeup gift set to the women in your life when you can them a date night supply pack!?! NARS (one of my favorite beauty buys) has come out with 2 great "Safe" sets this fall - the 'Safer Set' and the 'Safest Set'. Both include their fabulous Multiple in Orgasm (such an all time flattering shade, btw) and some sort of prophylactic. Best of all, these sets raise money for Amfar!

Read more...If you're of the variety to encourage abstinence to your pals, then you'll want to go with the 'Safest Set' which has a convenient little black book that lists all of the ways you can say 'no' to your wannabe lover to let them down easy.

More of the pre-marital 'sexy time' variety? Well NARS has you covered there too with their 'Safer Set' which comes with 2 condoms to encourage you to have safe sex if you're going to do it.

I really admire NARS for coming up with these kits, especially the 2 seperate ideas (and their appropriate names!). With all of the STDs and unwanted pregnancies out there today you really need to practice safe sex or no sex, and I'm glad to see a major company such as NARS take a stand like this to educate properly.

Beauty for a Cause:
A portion of the sale benefits Amfar programs to promote global safe sex education initiatives.

NARS 'Safer Set' $37 at Sephora
NARS 'Safest Set' $37 at Sephora

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Ok, so personally I'm not that big of a chick flick fan, but something about this trailer makes me want to get out and see this movie. Sure, the end will inevitably be the two girls realizing their friendship is more important than a stupid wedding and we'll all cry and hug and feel fuzzy, but I'm more attracted to the hijinx this film promises. I also might really want to see it because Kate Hudson looks more like her mom than ever and I miss those good ol days of her in comedies...Anyone else intrigued?

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Oh Garfield Minus Garfield, how I heart thee.

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Do you ever feel uptight and a little tense? Got a headache? Anxiety? Then you definitely want to try out Origins 'Peace of Mind'. This lotion is meant to be dabbed in little doses to the back of your neck, your temples, and earlobes (yeah I thought it was an odd spot too...), you breathe deeply, and it brings you to relaxation.

Big bonus (as it is October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month), Origins is donating $35,000 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation from sales of Peace of Mind® On-the-spot relief sold in North America.

But does it work? Check out my review...

I was feeling a little stressed out when I tried this out, I had been working on a paper all day for mid-terms and needed a little 'me' time. I dabbed this product on a few minutes ago after applying my new hair treatment from Lush that I'm trying out (more on that later). I applied to the back of neck, temples, and earlobes as instructed...a few seconds later I felt a cooling sensation all over! I kid you not, this product helped me breathe in deeper and relax (which is why I rushed to my laptop to share my experience!). It is definitely going with me in my purse from now on to help me relax in future situations.

The scent? Not strong, but its slightly lavender-y if I had to pick an herb. A small little dab will do ya, so the .5 oz bottle should last for several months! I'm definitely going to continue using this product, and recommend you all to get it!

Overall: 10 out of 10
A product that relaxes you in this high-stress world AND benefits breast cancer? Definite buy!

You can purchase Origins 'Peace of Mind' at Origins website here for $10.

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Ladies, to your left you are looking at the Braun Silk X'Elle Epilation Shaver available at your local Target for a whopping $74.99 (that's right, beauty is expensive...but this may just be a bargain compared to waxings/razors!).

What is an epilator? The simplest explanation is that an epilator is the effectiveness of waxing/tweezing combined with an electric razor.

When initially researching which one I would try out for my beauty trial, I noticed that all customer reviews on each separate product seemed to equate this little guy with some sort of medieval torture device. Curious, as these were the same reviews giving these products 3+ stars out of 5! Here's an excerpt of one of my favorite ones:

"...I thought that since I wax it will not be as painful, well I was wrong. This thing hurts more than I could have ever imagined, it felt as if the skin was being ripped out of my body...I'm dreading having to use it again but it did such a great job removing every last bit of hair that I will give it another chance and I've never felt my armpits as smooth as I did after I used it."

Almost every review was on par with this one. With so many women complaining of the unbelievable pain inflicted upon them by this device but insisting they'd use it again due to the results, I just had to try it out!

Check out my review

I'm not gonna lie, this little bugger HURTS...at first. Part of it may have been apprehension from reading the reviews, some of it from feeling my leg hair ripped out from the root, but it really was uncomfortable at first. But I will say this - this thing WORKS. My legs are smoother than after a wax! I had one day's worth of stubble and it didnt have any problems picking up the hairs (a big downside to waxing is waiting for enough growth for it...). I especially like the added light on it as it helps you identify where you need a touch-up.

The product boasts that results last for up to 4 weeks...I'd say you'd definitely get 2-3 full hair-free weeks with it. Below I've posted some tips that I've found helpful for me while using it, but I definitely endorse and recommend this product!

Tips:
- GO SLOW (seriously, really slow, almost inching-up-the-leg-slow)
- Epilate in the opposite direction of hair growth (self-explanitory, but had to be said)
- Pulling the skin taught does alleviate some of the pain (which does decrease a great deal as you use it)
- The first week I recommend using it once a day, as hair growth goes in different cycles and its in your best interest to stay on top of it for the first week if you're going to get a solid 2 weeks hair free! (and the pain for these touch ups is almost unnoticeable)
- Stop every once in a while and really clean out the epilator head! (no need to have to keep going over the same patch because the blade is gunked up with your hairs!)
- A once-a-week touch-up is advisable for upkeep. I've found that through that I haven't had to have another 'first time' experience with the amount of hair being tweezed out since!

Overall Rating: 9 out of 10
(only because it hurts like the dickens the first time! But the results are definitely worth a 10)

Till next time....

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Welcome to the first post of 'DC Export'!!!

Why 'DC Export'? Well, I lived a fun and exciting life in our Nations Capitol, enjoying many grand times. There were single gal times, heartaches, exploration of the city, and a lot of personal growth done. This past August I packed my bags and moved with my Beau to his new location of Pensacola, FL. Personally, I'm missing the District somethin' fierce! The life, the culture!!! Le sigh, there's always visits (and there will be many). So on to my blog...

Here at DCE I aim to provide a fun blog full of life and style advice; be it beauty buzz, movie news, style schtuff, news of the motherland (DC), and so on. I'm sure this blog will grow and have a life of its own one day, but until then I am in control and I'm your DC Gal!

Hope you enjoy what's to come!

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