Why, what's this? It's an Mettevangso "Organic Herbal Buckwheat Pleasure Pillow."

That's right. Pleasure pillow. And they certainly look pleasurable! Our favorite design here at right is called "Primadonna."

We are going to share a real beauty secret with you. It pains us a little to do it, especially because it is so simple, and also because it might make you hotter than we are and then how are we going to win Johnny Depp's elusive affections?

Seriously, we have a secret. We know what we're talking about.

Here's a tip so good you won't want to tell your friends:

Every girl loves to have pretty panties in her drawer, but how many of you like to pay full price for them? Those of you who try to wait for a deal are in luck: Figleaves.com is holding an Easter sale with tons of items marked down as much as 50%!

If you're not familiar with Figleaves.com, let me fill you in -- they carry lingerie, pajamas, swimwear, undies, etc., for men and women, all in brands you love. Say you want a sexy retro bathing suit by Cosabella -- here you go! And you'll save about $50 with the sale. Or, maybe you're a dude who's dying for some bright and funky briefs by Calvin Klein -- you're covered, too.

Start shopping now -- the deals disappear on April 14.

Remember when online shopping was the solution to pounding the streets for good deals on clothing and accessories? Well, now we have a solution for pounding the keyboard, too.

ShopItToMe.com is a seemingly simple but surprisingly comprehensive free site for male and female fashion lovers on a budget. You go to the site, sign up for a free account, select your favorite designers, modify settings such as price caps and how often you want notifications, and voila! However often you chose, ShopItToMe e-mails you with sales on stuff you want but don't have time to look for.

The e-mails look great; very organized and not overwhelming. I can see them just fine on my home and work computers; that's Internet Explorer on a PC and Firefox on a Mac, two applications which hate on each other so hard they should be characters on Super Smash Bros.

Here are a couple of things that were e-mailed to me yesterday:

Pretty yellow Theory top, $85.00
BCBG Sonar Wave Burnout Camisole, $86.90
Nanette Lepore Pinstriped Skirt $135.00

It works, people. Go there.

March is hard. Get yourself a guilt-free pick-me-up.

Retro Princesses and dapper gentlemen take note! Girl Props is a longtime staple of fashionistas and mafiosos in search of uber-cheap accessories in New York City.

One step into their zebra-print lair in Soho sends most people I know into a giddy, bouncy place. Everything is shiny or sparkly, and they really cover their bases. You want a necklace with a gun on it? Done. A water faucet on a chain? Sure. A bracelet with tiny laquered Salvador Dali paintings? I got one there once. Butterflies, flowers, sparkly belts, bright fishnets, crazy wigs, and tiaras are all par for the course. This is your one-stop shop for cheap glitz.

Carefully chosen glitz is an integral part of the Retro Princess look. It doesn't matter if it's cheaper than your latte. For example, this charm necklace for $4.99, and these filigree rings for 99 cents.

A tip to the wise shopper: invest in a good silver chain and a good gold chain. Just switching out the chain on a cheap necklace adds a ton of credibility.

You don't have to come to New York for these deals. It's all available online.

Some of my favorites from the online store:

Investing in a pair of boots is always a good idea, especially when they've been marked down over 40%. These tough-looking Chelsea boots by J. Shoes would be a great buy if you're hitting the slopes for spring break.

At the end of the day, when all the energy you have left goes towards prying off those plastic ski boots and stumbling to the bar, you might as well set yourself up with some awesome after-ski boots. Otherwise you'll be way too tired to care about looking cool -- and that's no good.

The rounded-off toe, along with the heavy treads, give these boots a rugged look -- unlike most Chelsea boots that end up looking kind of flimsy. These look like they'd come in handy in any bad weather situations, and they would dress up nice too. I really like the weird unnecessary flap -- I don't know why, but it definitely makes the boot look more substantial. They were $182 and now they're $102.

Buy
[via GearPatrol]

Know of a favorite independent handbag designer that you'd love to see recognized and rewarded for their work? Let them know about the open call for entries for the Second Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards, sponsored by Handbag Designer 101. The categories for this competition are Best Student Made Handbag, Best Handmade Handbag, Most Socially Responsible Handbag, Best Green Handbag, Audience-Selected Handbag, and Best Handbag in Overall Style & Design. There are some great prizes up for grabs for the winning designers, including a free booth at the MAGIC accessories tradeshow in Las Vegas this August, an apprenticeship with the Henri Bendel accessory design team and more.

Okay, okay, so chances are that you're probably not a handbag designer, but maybe you're just a lover of purses? Handbag Designer 101 is still a great resource you can use to read interviews with up and coming bag designers, stay up to date on the latest trends in handbags, chat about your handbag must-haves, get your celebrity bag watch fix and find out about handbag related events and deals.

Speaking of deals on handbags, I just got word from my friends at Accessory Bug about their special discount offer for spring. Get 10% off on any order through April 30, 2008 by using coupon code spring08 at checkout. They've got the infamous "I'm not a plastic bag" handbag in four different color choices, plus a huge selection of clutches, hobos, totes, wristlets and other accessories.

Well this hardly seems fair! We (USA) get a Target collection from Milla Jovovich and they (Australia) get a collection from Zac Posen. No offense Milla but if I were given a choice I would take Zac, sorry.

Everyone's favorite young designer, Zac Posen will debut his red carpet looks to Target on April 3rd in Australia. One piece in his collection that many people are excited about is the white gown Grey's Anatomy's Katherine Heigl wore at the Emmy Awards. The dress will retail at $299.99, which may sound high but can you imagine what the original couture gown costs? Yeah, under $300 is sounding more like a deal isn't it! The Heigl dress will be the most expensive piece in the collection and only 50 will be made. The rest of the collection won't be so expensive, prices will start at $49.99 (for a belt).

I for one am excited to see the collection even though I think Target is out of their ever loving minds for selling $300 dresses and $50 belts -- don't care who designed it this is Target please give me a real deal.

Look at this adorable pair of red houndstooth shoes with metallic heels. I love them. They are sexy, but not too sexy for work. Guess how much they cost? $9.99. Shipping? Free, if you spend more than $50 on the site. If you go www.cutesyshoes.com and click on your size...voila! Women's shoes galore!

You can also shop by price. Do not neglect that rare button you see there on the side: "Under $10."

For shoes? Actual shoes? The replicas of shoes you find in theater and museum gift shops cost more than that. It costs more than that to get shoes re-heeled!

Listen. I can't guarantee that these shoes are comfortable. I can't guarantee that they're made of cashmere and alpaca, but they are cheap, stylish, and available on an easy-to-navigate site. I thought you should know!

It's an age-old question: where do I find a collared shirt that expresses my inner-punk? Chances are that if you work in an environment that involves a dress code, you are constantly pissed off at having to buy shirts that you hate, just to avoid annoying speeches from your boss. Well look no further, Attus Apparel has put together a line-up of polos that are quietly subversive -- perfect for sticking it to the man.

I prefer the middle finger version myself, but in case you don't want to get fired, they have other less offensive designs. You can choose from: a head with a mohawk, a 40oz., a toilet, a guitar shredder, and a snowboarder.

All the shirts are 100% cotton and are "slim fit," so take that into consideration and don't buy one that's too small. They're on sale right now for $27 marked down from $54 -- not bad for a quality polo that's this unique.

Buy

Right now would be a good time to scoop up all the junk that you've had your eye on at Banana Republic for the last couple of months. They're running a limited-time sale, and their stuff is actually marked down significantly. It's that magic time of year that cheapskates like me live for -- where you can walk into stores like BR and buy a t-shirt for under $10.

This pair of black, straight-leg jeans is only $19.99, marked down from $98. That's about 80% off -- not too shaby. Plus, black jeans look good dressed up and they generally make you more attractive.

Banana Republic online has got deals on hand-knit sweaters, chinos, button downs, and even suit blazers. They've even got leftover heart boxers from last week.

Buy
[via SeeJackShop]

Now that the spring lineup is on the way in, Urban outfitters is trying to make some room. By my watch, it's still sweater season for another month or more -- and why not pounce on a good deal?

Sweaters like this one are marked down around 40% right now. Cotton sweaters are great this time of year because they breathe. So even if it doesn't get as cold as the weatherman predicted, you're still good.

V-necks are always fashionable, especially layered over a pink t-shirt. Layering is key, sometimes I forget how easy it is to dress something down with this technique. Guess that's why I'm still not a black belt. It's these little bits of sophistication that make the ensemble work, you know.

$29.99 marked down from $49
Buy

All right boys, I am going to give you a gift idea that is sure to get you lucky on Valentine's Day.

You know the story; you meet a great girl towards that later half of January and things are going pretty well until you realize that Valentine's Day is coming. What do you do? Be a dog and dump the girl to avoid buying her a gift or buy her something extravagant and come off looking strange and desperate? Neither, the key to situations like these is to be cheap without looking cheap. Back in middle school a mix tape would do but today, not so much.

Gift your girl with this tube of Philosophy lip gloss that says "Kiss Me" across the top of the tube. Of course you can't just hand her a tube of lip gloss and stand there puckering like a fool. This simple gift must be given over a lovely dinner with a bouquet of her favorite flowers (no carnations please).

Trust me this simple gesture will have your girl weak in the knees and maybe, just maybe, you will get more than a kiss.

If you're in the market for a serious cold weather jacket, now is the time. Eddie Bauer online is having its blowout winter clearance sale, and their stuff is 70% off the original price. I usually rip on the Eddie Bauer brand for being too boring, but this parka is a really good deal -- $99 marked down from $248. The style is classic and it's fully equipped for spring break ski season.

It's the only jacket you're going to find for $99 that's "arctic cold" rated to -20°F and has an MP3 pocket with headphone portal. This jacket's perfect for jamming "Eye of the Tiger" while you inch down the bunny slopes. The faux-fur around the hood is a nice touch.

Buy.