Splurge or Save: Clarisonic Mia versus Konjac Sponge

In my operations class last week, we were discussing how a company should decide whether to make something themselves or buy it somewhere else. We were looking at data to figure out at which point (based on volume, things like that) it's cheaper to out source something versus make it in-house. I'm not sure I was supposed to think of it as a "Splurge vs. Save" problem, but that's definitely where my mind went.

Should you get the $600 designer bag or the $150 knockoff? Do you invest in the expensive jeans or the ones from H&M? Do you spend a lot on a trendy item that might only be relevant for a season or its cheaper sister? We're faced with these kinds of "Splurge vs Save" scenarios all the time (or is it just me trying to decide whether I should shop at Wholefoods or Safeway?). It can be hard though to figure out which option really does offer the most value.

Yesterday, I posted about how I had decided to use the Boscia Konjac sponge instead of buying a Clarisonic Mia.* The Boscia sponge is $18 while the latest version of the Clarisonic Mia is $150, plus you have to replace the brushes every 3 months. It seemed pretty obvious that the Boscia was cheaper (and it was working for me). But, I decided to test my hypothesis by constructing a table similar to the ones we were using in class.

Just to set it up, the Clarisonic Mia comes with one brush head to start you off. Replacement brushes are $40 for a pack of 2 (so $20 a pop). The Mia also comes with a 2 year warranty, so let's assume that after 2 years, you'd want to replace it. This means that over a 24 month period, you'd need to purchase an additional 7 brush heads. (For simplicity's sake, I'm ignoring the fact that you have to buy the brushes in sets of two so you'd be left with an extra brush at the end. If you're at all like me, you're bound to break one early and need a back-up anyway). Here's what the cost comes to per month, with the Mia.

$12 a month isn't bad (I mean you can get unlimited netflix streaming for that much, but we're talking about the promise of eternally youthful skin here). Next I applied the same analysis to the Konjac sponge. According to the packaging, the Boscia Konjac sponge is supposed to last 2 months. In my experience, however, it's more like 6 weeks. I recently found a different version of the Boscia sponge on Amazon for almost half the price.  I'm still waiting to see if it works as well, but I went on ahead and did the calculations using both price points:

Surprisingly (to me), the Boscia sponge was only slightly (8 cents) less per month than going with the Clarisonic Mia. This means that using the Boscia sponge rather than the Clarisonic Mia would only save me $1.92 over a 2 year period. Money bags! Imagine all the vending machine snacks I could buy with that! (sarcasm implied)

It gets a lot better when you look at the Amazon version. If it works as well, over a two year period, using the Amazon Konjac sponge rather than the Clarisonic Mia would save me $130. Obviously, I'm assuming that these two products are equal in quality. Also, if you already have the Clarisonic Mia, it might not make sense to switch at this point since it's already a sunk cost. However, if you're debating which one to buy or you're looking to replace your current Clarisonic, you might want to consider the Amazon sponge instead.

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What do you think? Would you do these types of calculations to figure out whether to splurge or save? I have to admit, this was fairly simple to do for something like a facial cleansing system that you use on a daily basis. But, it gets a little trickier when you're looking at something like clothes or jewelry (though I certainly tried with my "cost-per-wear" analysis a few weeks ago).

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*Note: According to Sephora's website, the "Konjac Cleansing Sponge is made from 100 percent preservative-free konjac root from the pristine, idyllic Jeju Island in Korea. Konjac root is an Asian-cultivated, root-based vegetable that the Japanese have traditionally used as a detoxifying dietary staple, and as a calming, exfoliating sponge for delicate skin. It is naturally alkaline and balances the acidity of the skin’s impurities and oils while being enriched with protein, carbohydrate, iron, phosphorus, copper, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, and folic acid. Gentle enough for the most sensitive skin types, this naturally deep-cleansing, pH balanced sponge can be used throughout the face, neck, and even the very delicate undereye area."

Shaking the Winter Blues

Sooooo, winter. It's obviously here to stay and it's affecting everyone from Seattle to New York to Atlanta. I don't know about everyone else, but in New York everyone just seems resigned to the fact that we aren't going to be shaking this anytime soon and all we can do is grin and bear it. (By grin and bear it, I mean hole up in my apartment with my chips, queso, and a bottle of wine until spring comes).

From the messy commutes, to the salt that gets all over your clothes and stains your shoes, it can feel like winter has taken over every part of your life. To add insult to injury between the elements and the radiator heating systems native to New York apartments, the weather can do quite a number on your skin as well. Here are a few of the products that have helped me get through all this and still feel somewhat, human. 

1. Burt's Bees Hand Cream: This stuff smells like banana cream pie and feels like butter (basically, I have to be careful not to put it on when I'm hungry). Slathering this on before I go to bed every night is what's saved my skin.

2. Norwegian Formula Hand Cream: When we went to MN for Christmas, my hands became painfully dry and cracked. You know you have a problem when your fingers start snagging on your mittens. My in laws had some of this around and I got hooked. It's got a bit of a chemical smell, but it's AMAZING. My hands healed really quickly and now I have some in my bag at all times.

3. Konjac Cleansing Sponge: I had been going back and forth on whether or not I wanted to get a Clarisonic Mia, but after reading about this sponge on The Glossarie I decided to try it first. Now, I've never had a Clarisonic so I can't compare the two, but I LOVE the Konjac sponge. It's really gentle, extremely portable, and my skin has never felt better. (I'm going to do a post soon comparing the cost of the Konjac versus the Clarisonic)

4. Vitamin D: A few years ago, I went to my Doctor because I was lethargic and seemed to get sick all of the time.  She ran some blood tests and found out I was Vitamin D deficient. (Apparently, not living in southern California and working in an office all day was not good for me). I take these supplements from Trader Joe's and it's made a huge difference. Obviously, I'm not a doctor, so this might not be right for you. But, you can also get vitamin d from foods like mushrooms, fish, cheese, and eggs (and caribbean vacations, of course)

5. Say Yes to Blueberries Eye Treatment: Since 2014 is the last year of my 20s, I figured it was probably time to start using an under eye cream. The problem is most of the ones I've tried feel really heavy and just sit on top of my skin. I like this one because it is super light and absorbs really well. And, it's under $20.

6. Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream: I have what's called "combination skin" (which I'm pretty sure is what stores just tell you when they aren't sure what to give you). Anyway, I have trouble finding moisturizers that don't make me break out, but still seem to actually, you know, moisturize. I picked some samples of this up on a recent trip to Bloomingdales and I am really happy with it! It's helped combat dry flaky skin and, as a bonus, it serves as a primer too.

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This is how I'm keeping my spirits up over winter (who am I kidding, it's mostly through on-line shopping and seamless orders). How about you? What do you use to survive the polar vortex?

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P.S. want more cubicle catwalk? Follow me on twitter @cubicle_catwalk, on Pinterest, or on Instagram @MrsVonC. 

Pinspiration: Skirt Style

Maybe its because I'm sick of wearing tights layered, under knee high socks, layered under pants topped off with snow boots . . . but I've been longing for the days I can wear skirts (outside) again. Specifically, cute, flared, above-the-knee skirts. (I've also been researching caribbean vacay's, but skirt seems a little more realistic right now). I've been seeing them everywhere . . .  on Pinterest, in magazines, and on my classmates who are a little braver with this weather than I am. 

Then, finally, I saw the perfect one on my last trip to DC. And, since I had some money left on a Christmas gift card, I had to snap it up.  

Diane von Furstenburg
'Radella' Lace Skirt

(It's only available in one size, but you can find similar items here, here, and here)

I'm really excited about this latest addition to my closet and here are some of the ways I'm thinking of styling it (once the streets of new york stop running with slush).

Source Pinterest: 1/2/3/4/5

What do you think? Any clothing items you're looking forward to wearing again?

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P.S. want more cubicle catwalk? Follow me on twitter @cubicle_catwalk, on Pinterest (I also contribute to the Corporate Fashionasta style board), or on Instagram @MrsVonC. 

Organizing Diaries: Regaining Control of Your Closet

Twice a year, whenever the seasons changed, I'd go through a closet purge. I'd diligently pull all of my spring or winter clothes out from under my bed. Switch them out for the items currently hanging in my closet and get rid of anything that I didn't wear anymore. It seemed like a good system. But, somehow, between forgetting what I had storage and hanging on to worn out clothes out of nostalgia,  I started to accumulate a fairly large, "underground" wardrobe. It took four moves over the space of two years and one closet cataloguing project (plus a little help from Gwyneth), to teach me that I was doing it all wrong. These are the things that I learned:

I know it's tempting to to stash away your "winter clothes" or your "summer clothes" when they're not in season. But, the danger is that you start to forget what you own. When that happens and you're out shopping you're more likely to buy something that you already own or that you don't need.

Also, it's a lot easier to stash clothes in a box under the bed than to get rid of them. You can pretend that you'll wear that sorority t-shirt again. Or that that the hole in your favorite sweater isn't really that big and that you'll "totally wear it next year."  THESE ARE LIES. You won't wear it again because it looks like something a homeless person would be ashamed to put on. This leads me to step 2.

I know that's quite the list. But, be brutal. If it's an item that you think you can't live without, than frame it on your wall. If that sounds ridiculous, it is. But, so is hanging on to items that you can't/don't wear. If it's an essential (like a white t-shirt, blazer, or silk blouse), than make a note to replace it in the near future. I promise you, as soon as you feel the scent of brand new clothing, you won't remember that ratty T.

As much as possible, I like to hang up my clothes. Obviously that doesn't work for all items (some sweaters should be folded). But, the principle is the same. Just  make sure that your clothes are put away in such a way that you can see all of them and they're neatly organized (See Step 4 below). That way you remember what you have and you'll reduce the risk that you'll buy things you don't need. I've also found that just being able to see all my clothes has made me a lot more creative in putting together outfits. All of a sudden you have a lot more options than you did when everything was jumbled together!

If your clothes won't fit in your closet/drawers, you probably have too many of them. And, this is from someone who deals with the reality of New York storage space. Don't believe me? Do you really wear all of them on a regular basis? Probably not. My guess is you wear the same 20 items in a pretty regular rotation.

Want to prove me wrong? Set a challenge for yourself to wear every single thing in your closet in the next 60 days. If you do and you still like all your clothes, please email me 'cause I'd like to talk to you. (I'd also really like to see how you styled that old bridesmaids dress for an everyday look)

Basically, organize that sh*t. Some people like to do it by color. Personally, I do it by item type. (That's just how my brain works. I get thrown off trying to figure out what to do with patterned items.) All my blazers are together, silk blouses, dresses etc. That way you know where things are and where to find them. It also helps with seeing what you actually own. Is your closet overwhelmingly filled with black and grey items? Maybe you should consider injecting it with some more color. Do you have an inordinate number of jeans or shirts? Maybe you should hold off on buying anything new in that department.

I know it sounds simple, but if your stuff is organized, it's easier to keep it all where you can see it and avoid the temptation to use seasonal storage (can you tell that I hate that stuff?).

Get rid of those wire hangers that you get from the dry cleaners. There's a reason they're free. And, as much as possible try to get hangers that are a uniform size and style. You'd be amazed how much this helps with keeping your clothes neat and organized. Tip: Ikea actually has really good, thin hangers for a ridiculously cheap price. Rather than hang your pants or skirts over a hanger (am I the only one who used to do this?), get the right tool. I own both of these and they've saved me from having to pick my pants off the bottom of my closet or having to search through everything to find one skirt.

                                

I know that sounds simple. But going through all of this is useless if you have to do it again in six months or a year. For me, this means, making sure that I put my clothes away as soon as they come off my body. It also means that I try my best to just stick to my side of the closet and not view Mr. C's as potential real estate . . .

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This is what helps me keep control of my closet. But, I'm always open to new tips and tricks. So please share yours!

P.S. want more cubicle catwalk? Follow me on twitter @cubicle_catwalk, on Pinterest (I also contribute to the Corporate Fashionasta style board), or on Instagram @MrsVonC. 

Closet Update: Sweaters

This past weekend was an emotional roller coaster. After weeks of nearly freezing every time you stepped outside, the temperatures slowly rose to a balmy 55 degrees. The sidewalks were free of snow. People shed their puffer coats. And, I even saw one brave soul wearing a dress without tights. Then, just as we thought spring might be around the corner, Monday came.

It looks like Punxsutany Phil is having the last laugh (on a side note, this system seems really rigged. I mean, out of 117 winters, he's only not seen his shadow 17 times.) Since we are not shaking winter any time soon, I thought it would be a good time to finish cataloguing my sweaters.

This was actually really easy because it turns out I only own 10 of them. (Note: I excluded cardigans, a vest, and my one short-sleeve cashmere sweater). As with my jeans and pants, the average rating was actually pretty high (3.9 out of 5). Which, again, confirms that I'm getting rid of items that I don't like/don't wear. Though, sometimes I think how I rate an item depends on how hungry/tired/cranky I am at the moment . . . 

And, if you're analyzing your closet, why not make a perceptual map of your sweaters? Though a little time intensive, this was actually pretty helpful to see if my sweaters were united by any common trends. (Note: if you're looking for a handy template for creating perceptual maps in excel, I like this site)

For this graph, the horizontal line corresponds to style (chunky vs. thin). The vertical line corresponds to season (heavier sweaters that can only be worn in the winter to more versatile sweaters that can be worn across seasons or into spring).*  The size of the circles roughly correlates to my rating, plus how frequently I wear them. And, finally, I tried to match the color of the circle to the color of the item. 

Obviously this type of graph is highly subjective. Also, because I created this manually, I'd probably only use this for small data sets. That said, it is a useful way to depict information. As you can see, most of my sweaters skew on the thick/chunky side and are heavily concentrated in the winter/late fall category.  (Maybe we can call that the polar vortex effect  . . . when its ungodly cold outside, all you want is a big sweater, a hot toddy, and the latest episode of Downton Abbey.) I don't tend to have a lot of bright sweaters. Again, I think that makes sense. In the winter, I tend to wear darker hues and a lot more neutrals because they're more versatile. 

What's the take away from this? Should I be buying more sweaters? Well, it looks like I have a lot more pants than sweaters (ok, that is definitely true). Which means that if my original goal was to have a tops to bottoms ration of 3:1, I'm not on the right track. I think this probably impacts some of the versatility of my closet (it also explains why I feel like I'm wearing the same rotation of sweaters all the time . . . 'cause I am). That said, there are a couple of other factors to consider. First, I wear things besides sweaters during the winter. Also, this weather has been unusually cold, which means it might not make sense for me to invest in more winter wear this year.

If I were to buy more sweaters, it would probably make sense for me to purchase more lightweight sweaters that I could either dress up (one thing you don't see here is how casual most of mine are) or wear into spring. And, of course cashmere. Because one cannot have too many cashmere sweaters. 

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P.S. want more cubicle catwalk? Follow me on twitter @cubicle_catwalk, on Pinterest (I also contribute to the Corporate Fashionasta style board), or on Instagram @MrsVonC. 

Note: Obviously, there's a correlation between how thick or thin a sweater is and when it can be worn. Though, that doesn't always hold as I learned when I tried to wear a thin cashmere sweater on a spring day. 

Valentines Day Gift Guide: For the Stressed Out Grad Student's Significant Other

Significant others are the unsung heroes of grad school. They listen to you freak out over exams (even though they're probably dealing with grown-up problems at work). They wait up for you when you come home from the bar get back from a late-night cram session. They make you soup when your immune system dies after getting no sleep or food for two weeks. And, most importantly, they patiently meet and come to love the 400 new friends you just made. 

Too, often these significant others don't get the thanks or TLC that they deserve. So, since Valentines is in just a few weeks, I put together another gift guide (don't worry it's a PG version). These gifts were curated with Mr. C in mind, but of course your support system could take a different form. It could be that best friend whose phone calls you haven't returned in months, your non-grad school roommate, your cat, a bottle of vino . . .

1. Hot Shave: Spa days aren't just for the girls any more. Your guy deserves some pampering too. For Christmas this year, I gave Mr. C a hair cut and hot shave from the Barber on Pearl. It was part of our day in Brooklyn. After getting massaged and shaved, he came out smelling like peppermint and eucalyptus and raving about the experience. (Side note: when he's lying in a chair with a razor blade to his face is the perfect time to deliver bad news .  . . like the amount of your student loans or about that new bag you just bought.)

2. A New Shirt: After a semester spent meeting all of your new friends, your significant other might be in need of some new clothes. There's no better way to dress him than with a shirt from Hugh & Crye. Have you ever stared in confusion at a men's dress shirt? Wondering what all those numbers and measurements mean? Fear no more. By collecting just two basic pieces of information, Hugh & Crye tells you which of their styles and sizes will fit your guy. It's the next best thing after custom made.

3. Linen Sheets: What with club meetings, study groups, night classes (the bar after your night class), your significant other might be spending some long nights alone. Linen sheets will help them sleep soundly so you don't wake them when you come back after an all night study session. Also, they're kind of like sleeping in a cloud (even on the hardest of ikea mattresses). Nuff said.

4. Death Star Ice Molds: On said lonely nights, your significant other might find themselves in need of a night cap. Let them reminisce about their equally lonely middle school days with some Star Wars ice cubes. Warning: Gifting these may mean that your significant other falls asleep on the couch while watching a Star Wars marathon.

5. Scratch-off Map: Need I say more? Mr. C's job requires him to travel to some far-off corners of the earth. This map is a fun way to keep track of all the countries he's been to and it's a great conversation starter for people who drop by his office. Added plus: you can use it to track all of those vacations you're going to take once you start earning an income again.

6. Wallet: Just because your significant other's wallet might be a little lighter these days doesn't mean they don't want to pay for your drinks in style. A new wallet is the perfect way to do this. Jack Spade keeps things a little whimsical with fun linings and textures.