Flea Market Finds: Cheap Jewelry + Skin Sensitivity?
This past weekend, I went to a Philadelphia outdoor flea market and found some fun finds. I don't usually buy a lot of jewelry at flea markets but there were some pieces and style that I've been eyeing that are a lot more expensive in stores.
The first item is an Etienne Aigner clutch which is from the 1980s. It's still in really good condition, solid brass logo, hand made, leather with the inside lined with Etienne Aigner fabric. I really like this clutch because it's wide enough to fit my wallet, cell, tablet and notebook. I picked this up for $4 and you can still find similar style on ebay. I also got a tea saucer for $1 that has an embroidery pattern which I thought was hilarious because I picked up an embroidery kit from Target two days ago and I love it. I will be using this for keeping my jewelry on my nightstand. I really do wish that they had the matching cup but alas 'twas not to be. I also picked up a daisy ring that looks awfully similar to a ring set I picked up from H&M last year.
I picked up 3 bracelets for $1 each. The first is a large chunky bracelet that has details of flower and medieval looking dragons. Most of the colors have worn off but I still think it's a pretty neat find. The next two bracelets I got because it's similar to the style of two high end bangles. The first is a geometric bracelet that reminds me of the Tory Burch Hex bracelet and a black and gold bangle that reminds me of the Kate Spade Bow bangle. I'm not saying they are dupes of each other, the quality is obviously VERY different but for 1/100th of the price, styling-wise I'm okay with that.
Final note on flea market/cheap jewelry:
Before using it I always clean it really well with gentle soap and warm water. If they need a bit more cleaning I would use a solution like the Weiman Jewelry Cleaner which is widely available. Since I have sensitive skin, I use a trick that my mom taught me with cheap jewelry which is to apply a couple of coats of clear nail polish. That is not a permanent solution and if you still get a rash from that you should definitely stay away from cheap jewelry. In the summer time, I usually don't get away with wearing any type of necklace because I would sweat and I would still get a rash. If this trick works and you are using it a lot you may still want to re-apply nail polish every few months. I personally tend to stay away from earrings that are not gold or marked hypoallergenic (Macy's carries a wide range of hypoallergenic jewelry).
Let me know some of your favorite flea market finds! As always, thanks for reading.
Until next time,
