Since I took a little break and missed the last couple of weeks, I decided to do things a little differently. To make up for lost Cheap Thrills, I put together a big list of 25 goodies, each under $25. For you, for your friends, for your everyday gifting needs. Sometimes you need a pick me up that won't make a huge dent in your budget, or maybe you need a gift for someone but want to keep the spending to a reasonable amount... I gotchu covered, babies! Browse this list for a little inspiration, you'll be surprised how much fun you can get out of $25.
1)
Sephora stores are installing Nail Bars inside their stores, I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that I gasped when I saw my first one. It's a huge kiosk filled with tons of nail polish - dozens of brands, hundreds of colors. The first thing that caught my eye was the Illamasqua polish, because I'd heard so many great things about the company, but had never seen the products in any of my local Sephora stores. Yes, it's pricier than your average polish, but it's amazeballs, AH-MAZE-BALLS. I bought a bottle of Throb, which is a beautiful blood red color. The colors are so rich and vibrant, and they last for days! I'm on the computer all day at work, and the polish remained flawless for four days, which is unheard of with any other polish. The color shown in the photo is Scorn (pure black w/matte finish), which is my latest purchase.
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First of all, thank you to my darling angry baby Heather, for letting me use that photo of her tights on laundry day. Tights make me happy, and they can pep up your wardrobe for very little pocket change. You can go almost anywhere to look for a cute pair, some of my favorites are on We Love Colors, such crazy variety in all shapes and sizes - Footless tights to slip under your favorite summer dress, oodles of colors in plus size and sizes small, medium, and tall.
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Cute! Reusable! I WANT THEM! There are also some matching fake-out paper bowls, both are made out of plastic and can be washed and reused - just don't let anyone accidentally throw them out after the picnic!
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They work for all lengths, textures, and styles of hair - they come in tons of colors, and are good for a classic, clean look for a night out or pulling back hair after a gym workout.
5)
Plasticland has tons of cute little necklaces like this, among my favorites is this penny farthing bike - only $14, what are you waiting for?
6)
You had me at taco, Taco Belle.
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Oui oui! I love French macarons, they're so delicate and delicious - and hello, so bright and colorful! There's nothing I love more than pressing my nose up against the display case and picking out which flavors I want to try. You can try to find them in a local shop, or you can embrace the age of online ordering! The macarons in the photo are from Ladurée, who recently opened a shop in New York. A small box of 6 macarons from Macaron Cafe can be yours for $16! The hardest part is going to be picking out only 6 flavors... check out the selection. If you're really ambitious, you can try to make your own.
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I can thank Heather for introducing me to the fancy water world of KOR, she gave me the KOR One Vessel and I adore it! KOR's designs are really modern and clean, it's gonna look like you're drinking from an astronaut's water bottle. Stay hydrated and fancy!
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Bad girls don't need bad hair, keep your weave neat and your guard up with this switchblade comb, cholas.
10)
I love putting my name on stuff, maybe it's because I'm a greedy only child. Don't you all remember a time when labeled things away from Facebook? You can use this for crafts, organizing, at work, mischief making, etc. - and it's piiiiiiiink!
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Hey four eyes! Throw out that clunky old case from Lens Crafters put your glasses all up in this adorable case from Mod Cloth, already.
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Who doesn't love hooters?! These little guys can be decorative or be used as paper weights to keep your mountains of Target receipts from flying away.
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Okay, if Taco Belle didn't do it for you, maybe this wiener is more your thang. Whip it out when you need a lip gloss touch up, or during class when you need a fresh pencil. Hot diggity dawg!
14)
Ay Carrumba! I wanna sling this bag over my shoulder and take it to the beach, don't you? There's enough room inside for a good book, some snacks and your KOR water bottle. We won't tell anyone your beach reading book is 50 Shades of Grey, your secret is safe with us!
15)
I love so-ugly-they're-cute things, and these Ugly Dolls are right up in that top three of that category. That's Ice Bat in the photo, and he's my Ugly of choice. I don't just use him as decoration, I take him with me on plane rides and long car trips, he makes an excellent travel pillow! I have to hide him at home because Oliver thinks he's a dog toy and will try to tear him up. Whatta jerk!
16)
Summer time is for grillin', kids. You grill yourself under the sun for the perfect tan, and you grill burgers on the BBQ to stuff your face. This press from Williams Sonoma takes your burgers up a notch by allowing you to stuff them. Cheese, bacon, cheese and bacon, spicy chili, whatever you want! I made some BBQ bacon burgers like this once, and they were deeeelish, this press would have made things much easier, so guess who you're gonna see in the store grabbing one? Yeah, my mom, because I'll bribe her to go pick one up for me.
17)
Stick 'em in your favorite summer straw hat, or use them to decorate the lapel of your favorite dress. These skull pins are the perfect morbid little touch to brighten up your wardrobe this summer,
18)
You guys, I just heard about a study that says 42% of college graduates never read another book after graduation. What the eff, you guys! That's so sad and terrible, I can't even crack a joke right now. You don't have to read musty smarty pants books (unless you want to, then we should totally hang out), you can read to your kids, racy sexy time books, funny biographies, Judy Blume novels, the Game of Thrones series... you get the idea. Books can be found everywhere, even for free! FREE! Check them out at the library, pick them up at yard sales, thrift stores, and at book swaps. Start a swap program at work or with a group of friends - everyone brings in books they no longer want, you put them in a box (or on a shelf) and share them with everyone. Rules are simple - borrow some, leave some, shower, rinse, and repeat. If you're a germaphobe and would rather have brand new, never-touched-by-human-hands books, try Barnes & Noble Classics, you can buy two and get one free. If you've got independent bookstores near you, hit them up and support them by picking up a few new books. You know you look 50% sexier when you read, right? Mmm-hmm.... werk!
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If the caffeine isn't enough to wake you up in the morning, you might need this shark attack mug for that extra oomph before your Monday morning meeting with the boss. Or you can be totally mature and surprise your house guest with this doodie mug.
21)
One day, I was having lunch at one of my favorite spots in the world, Chocolatine in Thousand Oaks, CA, when the owner brought out these odd little pastries to our table. I bit into one of the most amazing things I've ever tasted, caramelized on the outside and soft and custard-like on the inside. I had just met my first Canelé, and I was in love. If you're not lucky enough to have a French bakery near you, don't worry, your girl has you covered. Market Day Canele Phrench in Philly will deliver a dozen to you for $25!
22)
Treat yourself with these super fancy Tocca candles, you deserve it! My favorite is the Tahiti Candelina (Tiare Flower) scent, it makes me feel like I'm lounging in a luxurious spa on a tropical island. They're expensive, yes, but sometimes you need to pamper yourself and allow yourself some little splurges. They'd also make really nice thank you gifts for your nearest and dearest.
23)
Brought to you by our very own Rita, who could say "Non"? The selections change frequently, so make sure to visit Rubella's Facebook page to stay up to date on the latest goodies Rita has available.
24)
Grill 'em and thrill 'em on the road with a mini BBQ grill! No need to lug around a big old grill, use this little guy for your trips to the beach or summer picnic. Feeling extra handy? Try this DIY Altoids Sours BBQ grill, WHAAAT?!
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*25 photo by Lancaster, PA Blog
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