How to Be Like MacKenzie Hollister from Dork Diaries

Do you love Rachel Renee Russell's Dork Diaries? Do you want the flair and class of Mackenzie Hollister, Nikki's arch enemy? This simple article will teach you how!

Part 1

Part 1 of 6:

Taking Care of Your Health

1
Have a healthy diet and stick to it. Mackenzie is very healthy. If you don't already have a healthy diet, construct one using MyPlate. Make sure you include a variety of healthy foods in your daily diet to ensure you get all the nutrients you need.
- Drink lots of water! Water can improve your complexion, stop headaches, increase your energy level, eliminate bloating, and help you feel more awake and healthy. Keep a water bottle on hand at all times. A nice water bottle will encourage you to drink more water, but it really doesn't matter what kind you use. Keep it in your backpack, and refill it as needed. If you don't change anything else about your diet, drink more water.
- Check MyPlate to make sure you're eating the right portions of each food group.
- Bring lunch from home. In the books, it states that Mackenzie does this, and that she loves salad and frequently packs it.
  - Use tupperware. Tupperware containers can hold salad, fruit, vegetables, sandwiches, granola, and whatever else you can think of. You can pack leftovers and eat them up at school (a Thermos might also be a good idea if you do this often). Also, if you can't figure out what to bring for lunch, just cut up one of every fruit or vegetable in the house and put them in a tupperware.
    - If you like salad, you can bring a container of lettuce, and some smaller containers of dressing and toppings. This is super delicious and healthy! This also works with fruit, and you can even add granola and yogurt for extra sweetness!
2
Exercise daily to stay fit. Mackenzie is in very good shape. Make it a habit to exercise for thirty minutes every day. If you find that you don't have enough time or energy to exercise for the entire thirty minutes, split the thirty minutes into three ten-minute sessions, spreading them throughout the day evenly―ten minutes in the morning, ten minutes in the afternoon, and ten minutes in the evening.
- Look up workout routines to learn how to strengthen and tone certain parts of your body.
- Most schools have the Presidential Fitness Test in gym class. Try to pass each category as (at least) national.
- Work on your splits. In Dork Diaries Book One, it specifically notes that Mackenzie ended her dance routine with a split. To stretch for a split, you should do the following every morning and night:
  - Straddle stretch―do this for two minutes total.
  - Butterfly stretch―do this for one minute.
  - Pigeon stretch―do this for one minute per side.
3
Get plenty of sleep. Go to bed at a reasonable time and get up right away in the morning when your alarm clock wakes you up. If you lounge in bed or go back to sleep, you'll have trouble falling asleep that night, and you'll also be late for school. Also, exercising daily will help you fall asleep faster at night because you will have used up all your energy and there will be none left to keep you awake.
- Avoid cramming and doing homework late at night, as this will deprive you of the sleep you need and affect your entire day. Try to do as much of your homework as you can during the school day.
- If you find that you have trouble sleeping, look up suggestions and try different methods to put yourself to sleep faster.
- Don't set your alarm clock too early. Instead, adjust your morning routine a little so that you can get all the hours of sleep that you need. For example, take away five minutes from styling your hair so that you can get a bit more sleep.
- Start setting out your clothes for the next morning before you go to sleep so that you aren't rummaging through your closet for an outfit to wear in the morning.
- You can even make breakfast ahead of time, and heat it up in the morning. Breakfast burritos are delicious, and you can make a whole bunch and freeze them to eat later.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 6:

Taking Care of Your Complexion

Mackenzie has a flawless complexion, so establishing this habit is very important. If you go one day without washing your face, the chances of your skin and face breaking out into nasty pimples are greatly increased.
When washing your face, use an effective cleanser that isn't too harsh on your face. If your cleanser is cheap or ineffective, you may still end up with pimples. Also, be sure you aren't allergic to any of the ingredients in the cleanser. One safe and effective way to see if you're allergic to the cleanser is to gently rub some onto your arm to see if you get a rash or bad reaction after twenty-four hours. If your skin remains clear, that is a good sign that you might be able to use it on your face. If your skin reacts negatively to the cleanser, purchase a different brand. The best type of cleanser is the kind with all-natural ingredients.
After applying the cleanser to your face, gently rinse it off with lukewarm water. Never use cold or hot water on your face, since they may irritate your skin and cause flare-ups, especially for people with severe acne.^{[1]XResearch source}
4
Follow up with a toner. This is to close the pores on your skin and give it a refreshing feeling. Facial toner is important, as it also helps clear oil and dirt from your pores. Your facial cleanser may be in charge of cleaning off the grime, but you'll want to make sure the job has been completed before turning in for the night.
- You don't have to buy name brand facial toner. In fact, a drugstore toner works just as well.
5
Moisturize. After the cleanser and toner, you'll need to apply a good moisturizer to prevent your skin from becoming dehydrated.
- Don't avoid moisturizing your pimples. In order to go away, they need a certain amount of moisture. However, be careful about oil-containing moisturizers, and don't apply too much moisturizer, as this could result in more pimples.
However, if you're already washing your face twice a day with an effective cleanser, toner, and moisturizer that is appropriate for your skin, then masks, scrubs, and creams are not entirely necessary.
7
Take all your vitamins and prescription medicines. The vitamins will help keep your face healthy and provide your skin with the necessary nutrients it needs to keep your complexion clear and shining. The medicine will keep you healthy, and your doctor knows best. However, read all the instructions pasted on the label to prevent yourself from overdosing on them.
- Make sure you don't try too many new things at once, for if you have a bad reaction to one of them, you will be unable to tell which one was the cause of your reaction! Use one new thing per week and let your skin slowly adjust to the new items you're introducing to it.
8
Remove your makeup everyday. If you wear makeup, immediately wash it off with a cleanser when you get home to prevent clogged pores and dirty skin. If you don't wash it off right away, make sure you at least remove it before you go to sleep, no matter how tired you are. Otherwise, it may result in dirty pores and more pimples in the morning.
- Try not to wear too much makeup. It's expensive and can hurt your skin in the long run. A little bit is often more effective anyway.
A balanced diet, daily exercise, a little sun, and plenty of sleep will also help to keep your complexion clear and pimple-free. Although the results won't happen overnight, you'll most likely be able to gradually see the changes in your skin if you use the right products and eat the right foods.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 6:

Taking Care of Your Hygiene

1
Follow the old rule: Brush your teeth twice a day and floss once a day. As boring and time-consuming it may sound, it's necessary for you to follow this rule in order to ensure good health and a beautiful smile that's free of yellow teeth and unattractive stains. Brushing your teeth will also help keep your breath fresh. Purchase an effective toothpaste and make sure you change your toothbrush every few months, because your toothbrush's bristles will eventually wear out.
- For an extra layer of good breath, swish mouthwash around your mouth for a minute before you leave the house in the morning. Using mouthwash at night isn't necessary, but it still kills odor-causing bacteria in your mouth.
- You can also chew minty gum during the day to get gunk out of your teeth and maintain fresh breath.
- If you're hardcore, you can bring a water bottle of mint tea to drink. It's delicious and makes you breath fresh.
2
Take a shower (at least) every other day. Use a good-smelling soap that effectively cleans the dirt from your skin without irritating it. Adjust the water until it's lukewarm, and limit your shower time to ten minutes.
- Keep the water lukewarm. Hot water harms your skin and damages your skin cells, since the blood vessels in your face have to expand/contract. Cold water is too cold for your skin.
- Be sure to use a shower cap on days that you are not washing your hair.
- Keep two separate washcloths in your bathroom. One for your body (in the shower), and one for your face. Change them regularly. Also keep a hand towel for drying your face, and a large towel for drying your body (after a shower).
3
Limit your hair washing to three times a week. If you wash it every day, it will easily wear out and become dull and dry. Use an effective shampoo and conditioner appropriate for your hair type while making sure it brings a pleasant smell that will prevent your hair from reeking. Do not postpone washing your hair if desperately needed.
- If you have naturally oily hair, wash it four times a week.
- Refrain from blow-drying your hair or using heat on your hair often. Heat is your hair's worst enemy, and frequent usage of heat will cause your hair to form split ends, go limp, and become very dry. Try air-drying your hair since this is both healthy and more comfortable.
  - If you're afraid of getting your clothes wet, wrap a towel around your wet hair while it dries.
  - If you are worried about damaging your hair with heat, you can just use your hair dryer on a lower setting.
- Swimming pools will badly tangle long hair. To avoid this, wet your hair a little, and rub a little bit of hair conditioner into your hair, then put it in one or two tight braids. You can also wear a swim cap if you like, but this can cause weird tan lines in an outdoor pool, so be careful.
4
Prevent chapped lips. Apply lip balm onto your lips frequently. This keeps your lips moisturized, especially during the cold winter days. Avoid licking your lips to moisten them. While it may be effective for a while, your lips will begin to chap and become inflamed. Ripping off dried skin on your lips will also damage your lips and possibly result in bleeding.
- A great method to ensure moisturized lips throughout the night is to apply lip balm to your lips before you go to sleep. In the morning, your lips should feel moisturized. Apply lip balm throughout the day to lock the good, moisturized feeling in.
- Use a smooth, good-smelling lip balm. Burt's Bees brand lip balm is a good choice. It comes in lots of flavors, and it works really well.
- You can make your own lip balm [1] cheaply with common household ingredients. This way you can control the color, smell and taste.
Clean out any dirt and grime from your nails every day. If you want to go even further, go to the spa to get your nails done every two or three weeks, or give yourself your own manicure and pedicure at home, using natural ingredients and household items.
6
Keep all doctor and dentist appointments. Even if you hate going there, it is for your own good. They are there to keep you healthy and make sure you look good―it's not rocket science! If your teeth aren't perfectly straight, get braces to straighten them out. This will ensure that you have a beautiful smile.
- Don't be embarrassed if you have braces. Pretty much everyone gets them at some point in their life.
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Part 4

Part 4 of 6:

Getting Mackenzie's Look

Mackenzie has long, wavy, blonde hair. Temporarily dye your hair blonde in case you don't end up liking the color. Curl your hair with a good curling iron or wand to get Mackenzie's waves. However, for natural waves, sleep in with a tight French braid overnight, and in the morning, you'll have natural waves when you take out the braid. You don't have to curl your hair every day, though. In fact, in the books, Mackenzie styles her hair a variety of ways!
2
Style your hair nicely, but not too fancily. Make sure to brush it in the morning, and maybe take a brush to school if you need to. Pinterest has lots of good hairstyle ideas, but here are a few.
- Simple braid(s)
- French braid(s)
- Dutch braid(s)
- High/Low/Side ponytails
- Fishtail Braid(s) (might fall out or get too loose during the day, so be careful)
- Simple Bun(s) (can be difficult and might fall out during the day)
- Half up/Half down
- Experiment with the place you part your hair
- Curled/Straightened
- Wavy high ponytail
This is a minor detail, so you can skip this step if you like.
It is stated in the books that Mackenzie always bats her long lashes. However, refrain from curling your eyelashes too often, since it can be harmful to them. Instead, stick to wearing fake lashes or using volumizing mascara that will help thicken your eyelashes and increase their length.
5
Keep your makeup completely natural. To ensure you get the good, natural results you desire, be sure you have purchased makeup that perfectly matches your skin tone. (Even if you think no one will notice, a wrong color will stand out more than you think!) Wear a little bit of eyeliner, mascara, and―most importantly―Brand lip gloss. Mackenzie is completely obsessed with lip gloss and always wears it.
- taaz.com is useful site to use if you want to see how you would look in different colors of makeup, or different hair colors. It's not perfect though, so be careful.
- Unless you have acne you want to cover up, there's no need to wear foundation or concealer every day. Makeup works best when no one can tell you're wearing any. Using a dark powder on the roots of your eyelashes is a good way to make your eyes bigger and more defined, while also appearing that your face is totally natural.
- Be sure to wear colors that complement your face. Don't wear colors that look bad on you, even if Mackenzie wears them.
Although Mackenzie purchases loads of expensive items, you don't necessarily have to splurge on a bunch of items that you will never use. It's best to save your money for other items you might want in the future instead of spending it all just to be like Mackenzie.
7
Dress and accessorize. Mackenzie wears designer clothes, shoes, jewelry, perfume, and other accessories, so consider wearing them as well. Some brands that Mackenzie wears are "Juicy Couture", "Vera Bradley", "Jimmy Choo", and "Prada". Wear pink clothing, and make sure they don't have any designs on them (like a plain pink blouse).
- Remember that Mackenzie loves fashion. She drew fashion illustrations and entered them in her school's Avant-Garde Art Competition. She also did a Fashion Column for her school newspaper. Consider becoming a Fashion Expert.
- If you are unable to go shopping or don't have enough money to purchase designer brands, you could ask someone you know if they have any designer clothes that they cannot fit in or don't want anymore.
- You don't need to buy a lot of designer clothes if you can't afford or find any. Clothes that look good on you and match other things you have are just as good.
- Consider buying a small Vera Bradley cross-body bag. They are not too expensive, and people will easily recognize it as a Vera Bradley product.
- Other brands you could purchase items from are "Michael Kors", "Neiman Marcus", "Burberry", "Fendi", "Tom Ford", "Yves Saint Laurent", "Coach", "Guess", "Louis Vuitton", "Express","Kate Spade", and "Gucci". Some more designer brands that are great and less expensive are "Forever 21", "PINK" "Victoria's secret","Romwe", "Brandy Melville" or "Garage".
  - "Tommy Hilfiger", and "Ralph Lauren" are other brands you could wear.
8
Choose a handbag. Mackenzie wears designer handbags and has lots of them, so consider getting your own. You really only need one or two, and they do not have to be designer. It is a good idea to purchase a plain black one first. If you have enough money and confidence, you can move on to more colorful ones.
- Buying a Vera Bradley crossbody bag is a good idea. They are relatively cheap and colorful, and they stand out. Everyone will notice it and know that you are wearing a Vera Bradley bag.
- Obviously, if you are not allowed to bring bags to school, do not bring them.
9
Get things cheap. There are so many places to buy items for s good price, or get them free.
- Thrift Shops. Thrift shops, both locally owned and chains have great clothing to buy.
- Clothing exchanges! Local churches and other non-profits will sometimes hold clothing exchanges, where you bring your old clothes for other people to take, and you find things that you want to take. And the best part: they're free!
- The school lost and found. At the end of the school year, or whenever the school decides to throw away or donate everything in the lost and found, ask a teacher if you can just take things, since they'll be thrown away. There will be school supplies like pens, pencils, and binders, as well as shoes and clothing (though most is disgusting and not worth cleaning). Especially nice water bottles can be boiled to kill all bacteria that may be on them. There also might be other surprising things that are worth saving.
  - This might be the craziest idea, but its still worth a quick look-over just to see if there's anything worth taking
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Part 5

Part 5 of 6:

Acting Like Mackenzie

1
Try to add some of Mackenzie's likes to your own. Also, try to be good at the things she is good at, but it's fine if you find that you don't have the talent she has in some areas. Some of the activities Mackenzie is good at are the following:
- Ballet (Dork Diaries Book One)
- Speaking French (Dork Diaries Book One)
- Dancing/Choreography (Book Three)
- Ice Skating (Book Four)
- Swimming (Book Six)
- Skiing (Book Seven)
- Dodgeball and Other Sports (Book Eight)
- Drawing (Book Nine)
  - Take interest in all these things and take lessons for any activities that you might need help in, such as dancing, ballet, and ice skating.
2
Owning a cell phone is a must. Mackenzie has an excellent cell phone, and she is one of the biggest gossipers in school. Therefore, in order to be able to chat easily with your friends, you will need your own cell phone (if you don't already have one). Try to avoid cruddy cell phones.
- Some suggested cell phone brands are:
  - iPhone
  - Samsung
  - Nokia
- Some good service providers are:
  - Verizon
  - Sprint
  - T-Mobile
  - At&t
  - Metro PCS
- If you can't afford a cell phone, or if your parents won't let you buy one, use a different device. Your parents will most likely let you buy a device that isn't a cell phone. Then, download Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Google Hangouts, Snapchat or any other social networking apps your friends use. You can have a Mackenzie whining episode in front of your friends if your parents won't let you have a cell phone. Or, you can tell them that your parents are super overprotective of you and won't let you have one.
- You do not need a cell phone to text. There are free apps that you can get that will allow you to text through wifi with a number that you can give your friends.
- If you do have a cell phone (or a camera or small device), keep it on you at all times.
3
Decorate your bedroom. Mackenzie has an awesome and girly bedroom that screams her personality, so reorganize your room and add items/posters that express yourself. The walls of her room are painted in different shades of pink. She also has a laptop, a flat-screen television, and a canopy bed. She also owns an enormous closet and has a bathroom attached to her bedroom. You don't have to splurge your money when remodeling your room. There are many inexpensive options available.
- Keep your room clean! Any kind of bedroom will look amazing if it is clean and organized.
- Put your artwork on your walls. Pictures of you are also cool to put on your walls. Bonus points if they're framed.
- Have yummy-scented items in your bathroom. Bath and Body Works has delicious scented soaps and products.
4
Have the attitude and act the part. It isn't only about the material items and the look―you also have to have confidence in yourself and know you're beautiful while loving yourself!
- Do not be mean or cruel to anyone, no matter how much you dislike that person. Everyone wants to be friends with Mackenzie. Although it isn't guaranteed that everyone will want to be your friend, make sure you are nice and neutral to those that aren't your friends so no one can accuse you of being mean.
5
Be popular. Be the social butterfly in school. Befriend all the cool and popular people at school.
- Becoming popular at school is hard. But there are some strategies you can use to put yourself in the popular circles (it is recommended that you spent a few days scoping out the people in the school and the groups you want to be a part of if you don't already know the people)
  - Tell jokes, or funny stories. Making them laugh is a surefire way to get then to like you. Don't be the class clown though, because if you take it too far you might just come off as obnoxious.
6
If you get lucky and get to talk to or work with a group of 'populars' (like in a group project), say things that they will agree with or bring up juicy topics. Let them state their opinion first, and agree to what they say. Just to be safe, do not discuss controversial topics like religion or politics (unless you are absolutely sure they will agree with you).
- When you talk to 'populars', always agree with them, compliment them, and ask them questions (everyone likes it when others are interested in their lives.)
- Some interesting conversation topics:
  - Celebrities and celebrity relationships
  - Makeup, and how much makeup is too much
  - Weird things that parents hate
  - Stories about adorable dogs/siblings
  - Sleepover stories
- Make sure that your conversation topics leave room for people to add their own comments so that they can do so (this prevents you from just awkwardly standing there after saying something).
- Do not just walk up to a group of 'populars' and interrupt their conversation. This will make them automatically dislike you.
- Do not walk up to a popular circle and stand there in the group. This is super creepy because the girls don't know you.
- Watch the body language of others. For example, if you friends are pointing their feet away from you when you are talking, they do not want to talk to you, or are excluding you.
- Watch your own body language, too. Avoid folding your arms, and keep an open posture. This will make you seem friendly and approachable.
A lot of people admire Mackenzie, so act like you're a model and strut through the hallways as if you're at a Paris fashion show. To be sassy like Mackenzie, flip your hair like you know you're gorgeous, and smile prettily. However, do not overdo it or people will either laugh at you or think you're arrogant and snobby.
Mackenzie does well in her French class and likes to be especially and genuinely nice to her teachers. She gets good grades and is perfect in her schoolwork and projects. Although there is no such thing as perfect, strive to do well in your schoolwork and projects and give it your all. If you get good grades, you might be liked by the teachers and become a good role-model. However, do not talk about your grades with your friends, or talk about assignments without them asking you first. It's a cruel world out there, and you may be labeled as a nerd or a know-it-all.
Watch who you sit with and avoid food fights.
If you like a boy, go and get him. Since you're acting like Mackenzie, twirl your hair, bat your eyelashes, act sweet and nice to him and say "Oh Hon!" If you want to, crack good jokes to get him laughing. However, if you're not acting the way you truly would act, he might see straight through you and dislike you.
11
Decorate your locker on the inside and/or outside. If the outside of your locker isn't allowed to be decorated, however, just stick to decorating the inside. Use cute magnets on the front of your locker.
- If you don't have any time to decorate your locker during school, quickly do it before and/or after school.
- If you have slots in you locker, make a mail slot. Simply put a little container on the inside of your locker, under the slots, that will catch any notes that people put through the slots.
Also, have a few pairs of necessary shoes, such as high-heels, flip-flops, ballet flats, or wedges. Also, have hairbrush and an extra purse. You could also put fancy lotions in your locker. However, don't forget about your school items. Have books for studying and reading in your locker so that you can grab one in case you forgot to study for a test―you can quickly study before class starts.
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Part 6

Part 6 of 6:

Showing Mackenzie's Bad Side

1
Incorporate the good and the bad. Although we have to keep in mind the Golden Rule, you may want to copy Mackenzie's bad side as well, but keep in mind, Mackenzie is the main antagonist and a bad person. She is mean and cruel, and she likes to make people feel bad about themselves. She is also very spoiled, bratty, and childish.

You can copy this if you want to, but some people may find it annoying. Mackenzie is known for giving ruthless insults to people. It is not recommended that you do this.
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Question
What is in Mackenzie's purse?
Lucretia2015
Community Answer
Mackenzie’s purse would contain lip gloss, a wallet with money, mints, perfume, hand sanitizer, lotion and a phone charger.
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How should I act if someone gets something I wanted?
Lucretia2015
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You should give them a look of disdain and say you’ll get something better than what they have.
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What kind of cell phone does MacKenzie use?
Lucretia2015
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Mackenzie uses an iPhone, and always upgrades to a new one throughout the series.
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Tips

Do not overdo it with drama! People will think you want attention if you have super huge meltdowns all the time.
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Remember that you want people to look up at you and admire you. Think about this when preparing for your day each morning.
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Don't try to make enemies.
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Warnings

Don't tell people you want to be like Mackenzie or you will look dumb.
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Do not create drama on purpose. Just because Mackenzie would do it doesn't mean you should. You risk consequences and embarrassment.
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Don't be mean to people or no one will like or admire you.
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Don't try to change or bend your personality, as you could spend your whole middle school or high school being someone else and then look back and end up regretting it.
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Don't focus too much on popularity or let it get to your head.
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If you have a boyfriend, don't flirt with other guys.
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Don't go shopping and spend a lot of money unless you have it and have a parent's permission.
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Don't dye your hair if you don't have your parents permission or if it won't look good on you.
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You do not have to be like Mackenzie to be happy. She is often mean to others, she's spoiled, bratty, and she's not a good person overall. If you met Mackenzie in real life, you probably wouldn't like her very much.
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Things You'll Need

Clothes/accessories

A handbag
Nice clothes (If you can afford it, get designer clothes as well.)
Several pairs of shoes (some ideas: sandals, athletic shoes, flip flops, flats, boots)
Nice jewelry that matches your clothes