Lookbook: FEED USA + Target

A Bullseye View has posted the Lookbook for the upcoming FEED USA + Target line, which debuts on June 30th. Co-created with humanitarian and designer Lauren Bush Lauren, the limited time-only collection benefits Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity.

Each product in the line displays the number of meals donated to children and families as a result of the purchase. So for example: the cute burlap tote shown here (which is just $10) equals 8 meals donated.  Pretty cool, eh?  Ranging from sporting goods and stationery to apparel and accessories, the entire collection hopes to provide more than 10 million meals.

The line will feature products with a distinct American aesthetic, from burlap reusable bags and denim utility shirts to cookie cutters in the shapes of stars, stripes and eagles.  To view the entire Lookbook (55 images in all) click here.

Double-Take: Three Hands vs. Zinc Door

It's time for another double-take, where we take one item from Tar-shay and match it against a similar - yet pricer - designer piece. Today we have two cute bright red accent tables, which would add a fun burst of color to any room.  But one is from Zinc Door and will set you back a whopping $702, whereas the other is from Three Hands (at Target) and is on clearance for just $49.98.  Which one is which? The answer appears in the comments section below.

Pretty in Punk

By now you've probably heard about the recent Met Ball, which had a "Punk Rock" theme this year (and, depending on who you listen to, was either a rousing success or a complete failure).  But like it or not, punk styles are showing up in fashion accessories, like this Cära Studded Bracelet I found at Target.  Shown here, it's done up in a sweet Rosegold tone, but it also comes in an edgier Rhodium hue as well as  Gold tone and Hematite (both with faux-diamond accents).

For more punk inspiration, check out the mood board posted yesterday on the TargetStyle Facebook page.

Target expands their "Beauty Concierge" program...

Target will expand their beauty concierge program at 96 existing stores in Los Angeles and Orange County area, as well as 27 stores in the Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia/Baltimore area and 36 stores in Minneapolis.  The program debuted last summer in 28 locations in the metro Chicago region, and has been enough of a success to extend to other markets.

Participating stores will be staffed with a Target Beauty Concierge, a highly-trained, brand-agnostic beauty enthusiast who is available to answer guests’ questions in-store. Serving as a trusted expert, the Beauty Concierge provides guests with personalized, detailed and unbiased information about beauty and personal care products offered at Target and acts as a knowledgeable source of advice in what can sometimes be an intimidating department. Beauty Concierges will be located in the beauty aisle at Target wearing a distinct black apron. No appointment is necessary.

“Target is excited to offer this unique, special service to our Los Angeles and Orange County area guests — guests whom we know are passionate about beauty,” explained Cary Strouse, Target’s SVP of stores in the Western region. “In an often crowded and sometimes daunting marketplace, Target’s beauty concierge program ensures that guests receive the friendly, personalized assistance and counsel they need, while purchasing their favorite beauty products at affordable prices.”

Fab Find: Converse One Star "Sherwyn" Sundress

Since it's rainy and gloomy in my neck of the woods this Memorial Day, I took advantage of the day off to clean up my overflowing email in-box.  It was there that I found an email from Neiman Marcus (why, I'm not sure, as I never shop there) announcing "violet hues" as a "pre-Fall trend".  Refusing to think about "Fall" when we haven't even gotten SUMMER weather here yet, I nonetheless clicked thru to here to view a variety of violet-colored items in what NM is calling "the color of the season".  And my first thought went to this lovely Converse One Star dress (the "Sherwyn", in Lasting Violet) that I saw at Target the other day.  I was immediately drawn to the color, and considered buying it.  And now that I know it's THE color of the season, I plan to go back and snatch one up in my size.

UPDATE: I tried this dress on, and unfortunately, the fit is "off", so I won't be buying it.  It actually fits really well except for the zipper in the back.  This is one of those "exposed zipper" dresses, and because the zipper is a heavy goldtone metal one - and the dress is made of a very lightweight rayon fabric - the zipper "bulges" out in an odd way in back. Which is a shame, because otherwise, this is a really cute dress! 

Diet Pepsi + Vern Yip for Target

Last month, Diet Pepsi announced a new partnership with HGTV star Vern Yip to release limited-edition 7.5-ounce "mini-cans" of Diet Pepsi with a bold new look -- a stylish, blue-and-grey print with an animated depiction of a peacock (shown here). The cans are part of the  "Love Every Sip" campaign that stars Sofia Vergara in TV ads. 

To extend the partnership, Vern's peacock design is now gracing a coaster set available exclusively at Target. The set of six coasters is available through June 8th as a "freebie" with the purchase of Diet Pepsi.  You may recall that last summer Diet Pepsi had a similar promotion with straw sets designed by Jonathan Adler (which, IMHO, were way cuter than these coasters).

Target earns top spot in Consumer Reports' sunscreen rankings...

If a trip to the beach is included in your Memorial Day weekend plans, you'll want to remember to pack your sunscreen.  But with so many options out there, it's hard to know what to pick for the top protection and staying power.  Enter Consumer Reports', who just released their 2013 sunscreen ratings.  This time around, they found that  paying more for your sunscreen doesn't mean you're getting a more effective product. "Some of the priciest sunscreens Consumer Reports tested offered less than their labeled SPF value," the magazine said in a press release.

All the sunscreens evaluated by the magazine are broad spectrum. Testers wore the sunscreens on an area of their backs, then UVB rays from a sun simulator were shined on five spots within the sunscreened area. Additional testing for UVA involved seeing if the person tanned or turned red, and the products were also analyzed through wavelength testing to measure how well UV rays were absorbed by the sunscreens. They were also tested to see if they stained clothing.

So which product came out on top? It was Target's Up & UP Sport SPF 50, with an overall score of 80. Regular readers of this blog might recall that Target's in-house brand also scored high on Consumer Reports' 2010 and 2011 rankings (though they seem to have fallen off the list last year).

Preview Pics: Phillip Lim for Target

By now you've probably seen the Phillip Lim for Target teaser video that I linked to earlier this month, which offers few clues (not to mention close-up pics) of what the collection will look like. But lo and behold, this Wall St. Journal article gives us a better look at 3 of the items, complete with price-points.

At left is a vibrant yellow handbag ($35) with similar styling to bags in his 3.1 Phillip Lim line.  At right is a black unisex travel bag ($60), which looks to be a knockoff of the "31-hour bag" in Lim's full-priced line. And in the middle is a print dress ($40) which has only the suggestion of a waistline because "it doesn't have to fit exactly on everyone" according to Target (echoing the fact that most Target shoppers tend to buy things without trying them on first).

Double-Take: Z Gallerie vs. Threshold

It's time for another double-take, where we take one item from Target and match it against a similar - yet pricer - piece. Today we have two attractive glass lanterns with sturdy rope handles.  Both of these nautical-inspired pieces can be filled with a pillar candle and sand - or other found objects - of your choosing.  But one of them is by Z Gallerie and costs almost $50, whereas the other is by Threshold (at Target) and only costs $26.99. Which one is which?  The answer appears in the comments section below.

New at Target: Tovolio Bridal

Racked.com reports that Target has launched an in-house bridal collection called Tevolio online on Target.com. Right now the selection is still a bit limited, with only 4 styles of bridal gowns, 10 bridesmaid dresses, and 2 flower girl dresses.  The good news, though, is that they're really affordable, with the bridal gowns ranging from $69.99 - $129.99 and the flower girl/bridesmaid dresses starting at just $24.99 and $69.99, respectively. Another plus: the bridal and bridesmaid dresses come in sizes 2-28.

This actually isn't Target's first foray into the bridal business.  Long-time readers of my blog may recall that back in the day - when Isaac Mizrahi used to design for Target - he designed a capsule bridal collection for the Bullseye.

Target tests streaming-video waters...

According to The WSJ MarketWatch, Target is testing a video streaming service that has Netflix-like attributes. The retailer has initially just rolled the service out to on a test-basis to employees, who can access it at www.targetticket.com/home/beta. Once there, they must input their Employee ID in to access the videos.

The Target website says the service - called Target Ticket Beta - has 15,000 new releases, classic movies and next-day TV. With this service, Target is not only taking on Netflix in the video streaming field, but also YouTube and Hulu. By entering the streaming space, Target also goes up against rival Walmart, which in 2010 bought the Vudu video streaming service.

New Labworks collection hits Target.com...

Earlier this year I posted my review of Labworks (available on Target.com), and bottom line, I found it "fun and fashion-forward" but also "lacking in quality and consistency in sizing."  Today I noticed a Labworks outfit featured on the TargetStyle Facebook Page (shown here) so I decided to head over to Target.com to view the entire collection.

Labwork's new Summer "Illusion" line seems concentrated on hues of black, white, pink, aqua, and a color they dub "lime" but looks like pale yellow to me. What I do like about Labworks is that it comes in a wide array of sizes, including Petites and Plus in addition to Misses.  It also happens to be 30% off right now, with the majority of items falling in the $20-$40 range.

Fab Find: Merona Bird Print Shorts

Bird prints seem to be popping up everywhere right now, which is why these super cute bird-motif shorts in sunny yellow (by Merona at Target) caught my eye.  This ultra-preppy style (complete with contrasting-print d-ring ribbon belt) reminds me of something Lands' End or J. Crew would have produced back in the day.

As an aside: this is one of those items I referenced in my rant footnote the other day about Target carrying items in-store that aren't available online.  These shorts are also available in a bright coral with a navy seahorse-print motif, but I've only seen that color in stores (not online).

My "vintage Target" garage sale haul...

Yesterday was my neighborhood's annual garage sale.  Participation was spotty this year, but nonetheless, I didn't walk away empty handed.  In fact, I was able to score two sets of "vintage" Target cloth napkins and two boxes of cocktail picks in a cute vegetable motif (shown here)  - all brand-new with tags - for just $10.  A pretty good deal considering the original retail price on the cocktail picks was $3.99 per box and the napkins (4 in each set) was $4.99 each.  And I say "vintage" because the tags had a Target copyright notice of 2003.

Target Giveaway: Free First Aid Bag

Target is giving away a free first aid bag set this week (shown here, including both a larger bag plus a mini travel pouch) when you buy 3 participating first aid products.  Note that this offer is good in stores only, and quantities are limited with no rain checks.  For more info, check out the Johnson & Johnson brand shop on Target.com.

New at Target: Quirky home improvement products

While at Target the other day I noticed an entire endcap near the Home Improvement department with an array of products from a company called "Quirky".  The products have fun names like "Flex Your Power" (pivot surge protectors, shown) as well as "Keep It All On The Table" (a desktop organizer/cord manager) and "Writer's Block" (a wooden pen/pencil holder).  All balance sleek design with clever solutions for common household storage and organization problems.

Some of these items - but not all of them - are available on Target.com, so head to stores for a better selection. Which leads me to a current gripe I have with Tar-shay... more and more often, I'm finding awesome things in-store that I cannot for the life of me find on Target.com.  Has this happened to you, too, readers?

Coming soon to Target: Justice League merchandise

Target and Warner Bros.  - in partnership with DC Entertainment - have teamed up to introduce an extensive summer collection of exclusive Justice League-themed merchandise. The summer collection was inspired by “DC Comics – The New 52” comic book character designs. Featuring the full lineup of DC Comics’ iconic Justice League Super Heroes – Aquaman, Batman, Cyborg, The Flash, Green Lantern, Superman and Wonder Woman – the summer collection will launch at all U.S. Target stores and on Target.com beginning May 19.

The summer collection was co-created by the Target and Warner Bros. Consumer Products design teams and features contemporary and nostalgic, vintage-inspired graphics and designs. With more than 50 summer products available exclusively at Target, guests will see the collection come to life in home, stationery, sporting goods, and lawn and garden. Some of the more unexpected items include melamine dinnerware that features a purple and pink-clad Wonder Woman; an apron that transforms the cook into Batman; sand toys that will help beach-goers create Gotham City; and children’s Batman, Wonder Woman and The Flash beach towels that double as capes.

In addition to the exclusive summer collection, Target will also be part of a broader partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products that will offer more traditional Justice League licensed products. The broader partnership will span more than 20 categories including home, stationery, toys, apparel and accessories. All Justice League licensed products will range from $1 for Justice League temporary tattoos to $59.99 for a Justice League Rocker Chair. Target will also offer Justice League Halloween costumes for kids later this year.

Double-Take: Xhilaration vs. Zara

This edition of 'double-take' was inspired by blogger Emily's post today at Cupcakes &  Cashmere.  She paired perfectly-nude strappy sandals with her lovely watercolor dress - showcasing the print of the dress and allowing the shoes to simply blend into the background. Her pair - and one of these shown here - are by Zara, and will set you back almost $80.  The other pair is by Xhilaration (at Target) and costs less than half of that, at just $30. Which one is which?  The answer appears in the comments section below.

Double-Take: Horchow vs. Threshold

It's time for another double-take, where we take one item from Tar-shay and match it up against a lookalike - yet more expensive - designer piece.  Today we have two stylish lattice-pattern mirrors.  The only difference - besides the fact that one is dark navy and has and extra little doo-dad at the top, while the other is black and does not - is about $500.  Because one is by Horchow and will set you back $525, whereas the other is by Threshold (at Target) and will cost you just under $30.  Which one is which?  The answer appears in the comments section below.

Clearance Alert: Kate Young for Target

As a few of you have previously told me, it seems that the Kate Young for Target collection is already on clearance at 30% off (although only in stores, and not online yet).  Here is a sad little display I snapped a picture of in the accessories aisle. While the jewelry, bags and shoes seem to be moving, the clothing does not, as the racks I saw were pretty full.

What do you think, readers?  Will putting Kate Young on sale inspire you to buy it?

Last-minute gift ideas for mom...

Looking for last-minute gift ideas for Mother's Day? Here's a few suggestions - from left to right - all available at Target:

For the traditional mom, why not get her flowers plus a nice vase to put them? This white honeycomb one by Threshold comes in both medium and large sizes.

For the glam mom, try Sonia Kashuk's "Native Beauty" Brush Set, with a cute bag that can double as a clutch purse.

For the gadget-gal mom, this Olioclip Lens for iPhone 5 will allow her to to capture creative shots by adding a wide-angle, macro or fish-eye effect to photos.

And for the active mom, the Fitbit One can track the exercise she‘s accomplished each day and help her to make healthy choices that add a few extra steps or burn a few extra calories.

Target's Next Collab: Phillip Lim

Target wasn't supposed to release this news until tomorrow, but I guess the cat is out of the bag.  Target's next designer collab will be with industry darling Phillip Lim!

Just in time for Fall, 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target will be a limited-edition collection of apparel and accessories, including an assortment of bags, shoes and travel accessories for both men and women.

From the official Target press release: "Since an early age, I’ve been intrigued by the idea of design evolution,” said Phillip Lim. “One of the reasons I wanted to collaborate with Target is because I felt that together we could create a collection that would inspire – one that is cool and chic, but still very accessible.”

Debuting Sept. 15th at most Target stores and online at Target.com, the collection will include more than 100 items, ranging in price from $19.99-$299.99, with most items clocking in under $49.99. To get a sneak peek of the collection, check out this video on A Bullseye View.

Product Review: Sam & Libby for Target

Yesterday I was able to check out the Sam & Libby for Target collection in person in-store, and I have to say I was underwhelmed.  The materials and construction seemed cheap, especially considering that they have a slightly higher price-point than comparable Mossimo styles. These definitely seem like "seasonal shoes" in that they probably won't last past one season of wear.

In particular, the flat gladiator and thong sandal styles were nothing to write home about, especially in comparison to superior collections like the Miss Trish for Target collab from a few years ago. This is one collection I'll definitely take a pass on.

Target launches "Cartwheel"

Target is launching a new digital savings program dubbed  Cartwheel  which enables you to save money on the things you love  and share your favorite deals with friends on Facebook. The more active you are—in redeeming, saving and inviting friends to join Cartwheel—the more benefits you can get. Guests even receive special “badges” based on activity as they rack up savings on everything from frozen food to footwear.

Cartwheel is current launching in beta, so that guests can provide feedback as Target works to iron out any kinks and enhance the Cartwheel experience.  Check out all the details on how to sign up here on A Bullseye View

Double-Take: Circa Lighting vs. Nate Berkus for Target

It's time for another double-take, where we take one item from The Bullseye and pair it up with a lookalike - albeit pricier - designer piece.  Today we're looking at two sleek brass-finish lamps with rivet detail.  The big difference is that one is by Circa Lighting and will cost you a whopping $588, whereas the other is by Nate Berkus for Target and is only $49.99.  Which one is which? The answer appears in the comments section below.

Ross Mathews hearts Target

Last week Target threw a party for host and funnyman Ross Mathews—who first made a name for himself as an intern on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno­”—to celebrate his new book “Man Up!: Tales of My Delusional Self-Confidence".  Guests included Jay Leno, Chelsea Handler, Jackie Collins, and Lisa Rinna. He's shown here at the party with his mom, who tops off her outfit with what he calls "a cute little clutch purse from Target. Only $12!". You can read more about the event here.

Target launches eBay store...

It looks like Target has launched their own  "eBay store".  According to their eBay Feedback Profile, it looks like the account was set up back in October, and in that time they've only had about 100 feedback responses. This seems odd to me; I can't tell if The Bullseye is trying to test the eBay waters, or trying to push items that haven't been selling on their own site.  It looks like they are offering current, in-season merchandise.  That said, out of the categories offered, they have less than 300 items for Women, only about 30 for Men (mostly shoes), 9 in Kids (all rainboots), only 2 in Jewelry & Accessories, 15 in Home and 0 in Electronics.

DIY: Potted Beach Garden

If you yearn for the beach but live miles inland, you can re-create the look easily in a pot for your patio, porch or balcony.  All you need is the following:

— a low, wide pot or bowl.  The one shown here is glazed clay, but I think a beach garden would look great in this rustic Scalloped Edge Metal Pot from Smith & Hawken (at Target).
— potting soil
— 3 small, slow-growing plants in 4-inch nursery pots
— horticultural-grade washed sand (a 1-qt. bag is enough for a 14-inch pot)
— small pieces of driftwood or other found objects

For full step-by-step instructions, click here to head to Sunset Magazine.

Fab Find: Threshhold Woven Felt Basket

A couple of months ago I nabbed an awesome woven felt basket by Threshold on clearance at Target. At first I wasn't sure what I was going to use it for; its true intention is as a small towel hamper, but instead I decided to use it as a caddy for my newspapers for recycling.  And as you can see here, my kitty has found yet another use for it, as a cat bed :-)

Unfortunately, it looks like this item is no longer sold online, although I did find a picture of it in Target's Fall Home Lookbook (see page #2). I've seen it recently in some stores, though; check the Bath Department.

Double-Take: Dolce Vita vs. Mossimo

It's time for another double-take, where we take one item from Target and pair it up with a dead-ringer designer piece.This installment is via The Budget Babe, who first spied this doppelganger earlier this week. One of these pairs of black and tan gladiator sandals with gold accents are from Dolce Vita (at Zappo.com) and clocks in at $69.  Not bad, but the lookalike pair is from Mossimo (at Target) and will only cost you $19.99.  Which one is which?  The answer appears in the comments section below.