Hair Bow Blog by Fifth Avenue Bowtique

I’m really enjoying my new series of blog posts related to saving money for formal events like a High School Homecoming or Prom. At the end of the day, I consider myself quite thrifty, so I hope to share some new tips and suggestions with you. I’ve made a list of the following items or services that are commonly involved with High School Homecoming dances and football games. They include:

(In Texas/Louisiana/Oklahoma)- homecoming mum and/or garter
Corsage or Boutonniere
Dress or suit/tie or Tuxedo
Shoes
At the salon- Manicure/Pedicure, Make Up Application, Hair Up-do or Blow Out, Facial, etc.
Limo rental
Dinner at a nice restaurant

If you are looking for a full manicure and/or pedicure, why not check out your local beauty school? The prices for services are dramatically decreased, often times just costing you the price for the materials used on you. My favorite “beauty school” happens to be Aveda because they still use the same products as the top dollar Aveda salons. I love the relaxing environment, which includes a fountain at the Aveda salon here in Houston, and the standards for Aveda students seem to be higher than the average. To give you an idea of price, a 30 minute manicure and 30 minute pedicure can cost you as little as $26.00. They also offer french manicures AND Gel nails.

However, I would urge you to get your salon services completed at least 2 days PRIOR to your event. Why? Remember, these are experienced Estheticians, but they are still technically “learning”. In the rare event that you might have a student make a mistake on your nails, you would want to have enough time to get it fixed. FYI- I’ve been many times and the one time a mistake was made was more than rectified by the free services and discounts I was given by the school.

There are many other beauty schools, like Paul Mitchell, but also some smaller schools, which can charge as little as $4.00 for a manicure.

Another idea for you is to consider the Gelish line carried by Sally Beauty Supply. Gelish is a new line of Gel-nails that you can create at home…and it works! You can create your own gel mani/pedi at home, and, like the popular Gel nails in salons, you can expect your manicure to last for 2 weeks or long. No chipping polish!

This option is a little bit of an investment up front, but, once you have the supplies, you’ll be set for any future dances (or formal events), AND will have great fun creating salon quality manicures on a daily basis. Here’s what you will need:

Gelish mini brand Gel nails kit (around $40)- includes all of the steps needed to create and cure your manicures
Gelish brand nail polish in desired color (between $8-15)
UV light of your choice (range from about $40-70)
(for after the dance)- soak of strips to remove polish (about $2.50 for a 10 pc set)

I want to mention that the “mini” gelish kit has enough product to do about 70 manicures. It lasts a long time! Same with the polish. Altogether, the cost of around $150 is still less than 4 trips to the salon for most people. If you don’t have the budget to pay for the whole list of supplies, consider going in with a friend and “sharing” the cost of the light and the gelish kit.

I hope these tips give you some new ideas on how to save money for a homecoming event.

5th Avenue Bowtique, creates custom homecoming accessories for Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma High School Students. Our heirloom quality, monogrammed homecoming mums are intended for you to enjoy year after year. We’ve been featured in a variety of different press articles because of our unique style. For more information, visit our products page at: http://fifthavenuebowtique.com/bow/x-large-double-custom-grosgrain-homecoming-mum-p-549.html

You know what they always say…”they just don’t make things like they used to”. I got this quote from my Aunt, who is a couture hat designer in New York and Paris. She is known to make separate trips to Europe just to scour the vintage markets in Paris and Rome. She loves to take tired hats, headbands, and decorations and re-invent them. One of my favorite designs included a patent leather, snake embossed black flower, which was re-invented to create the most fabulous couture headband, and, notably, a headband unable to be copied.

I decided to begin sharing money saving tips related to homecoming, especially for my Texas homecoming mum customers. Year after year, I am reminded by how much $$ parents contribute to their teenaged child’s homecoming experience- the mum and garter, corsage, dress or tux, limo ride, dinner…where does it end?

So, my tip today is a suggestion for you to save money while still getting the dress you LOVE for your homecoming dance or other formal event. I found this stunning vintage dress on Etsy. It’s a very glamourous, Audrey Hepburnish gown with Old Hollywood glamour. They just don’t make them like they used to! But, considering the $1200 price tag, it is far from a reasonable budget for a homecoming dress, but isn’t it beautiful? So, here’s how to get a custom dress for less.

The same website where I found the dress (www.etsy.com) has a variety of sellers, just like on ebay. And, you can find plenty of experienced Seamstresses that contract their work out to help you bring your custom sewing projects to life! Most of the sellers offer their services for between $10-15 per hour, plus the cost of materials. So, your $1200 “dream dress” will cost just a fraction of the full price. And, if you’re trying to copy a one of a kind, or couture gown (Valentino, Gucci, etc.), you might just get lucky with a look alike!

I want to warn you that not all Etsy sellers will be willing to copy a pre-existing design that is not theirs. However, with a ton of different sellers, you are sure to find one who will. Just keep asking!

I learned this tip after asking a Etsy seamstress to copy a Anthropologie top that cost over $200. If it can work for me, it can work for you!

5th Avenue Bowtique creates custom homecoming mums for high school students in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. You can view our website and products by following this link: http://fifthavenuebowtique.com/bow/x-large-double-custom-grosgrain-homecoming-mum-p-549.html