Product Review: L'oreal Evercreme

Those that know me know that I have a love/hate relationship with my hair.  I am blessed with the thick, wavy hair of my maternal grandfather, but the downside is that it can be hard to keep smooth and frizz free.  To that end, I am constantly on the prowl for the "next, best haircare product" to try.

So while at Target a few weeks ago, I found the new EverCreme line from L'oreal.  I've seen lots of ads for it (I think Eva Longoria is their spokesperson...and really, who doesn't want to have HER hair?) and it was also on sale, so I tried the following: EverCreme Nourishing Shampoo, EverCreme Intense Nourishing Conditioner, and EverCreme Leave-in Spray.  And can I just tell you that my hair hasn't been so soft and managable in years??  It seems far less dry, and is easier to blow out straight as well.  It also has a soft, pleasant lingering scent, which I can't quite seem to put my finger on, but is a cross between vanilla and almond.

Now I'm not a fan of ALL the "Ever-" products L'oreal puts out.  I tired the "EverPure Smooth" line a couple of years ago and didn't like it at all - neither what it did for my hair, nor the distinct herbal scent.  I also tried the "EverSleek" hair mask and it weighed down my hair and just made it an icky mess to work with.  In any case,  L'oreal has a number of different haircare lines, and if you can find one that works for you, then great.  If not, then find another brand, because life is too short to suffer repeated "bad hair days'.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, dear readers! As a reminder, all Target stores are closed today (April 8, 2012) in observance of the Easter holiday.  After all the controversy last Fall about opening earlier than ever for Black Friday (at midnight on Thanksgiving Day, to be exact) I almost expected Target to give in and be open for the first time on Easter, but they are indeed closed (as is Macy's, Bloomingdales, and many other retailers).

Preview Pics: The Webster at Target

Target has released their lookbook for The Webster - part of The Shops at Target collection I blogged about the other day.  In addition to clothing, the offerings include hats, sandals, jewelry, totes, sleepwear and swimwear. To best view the pics, check out this slideshow over at Refinery29.

Even better: Refinery29 is giving away the palm-print straw bag shown at left (the green/white one held by the gal in the middle) to 50 lucky readers! All you have to do is to sign up for their newsletter by Monday at 5pm, and they'll pick 50 winners at random from the mix.

Coming soon: The Shops at Target

With Jason Wu on the way out of stores, Target is now hyping their new designer collaboration, as was evident in this feature story from yesterday's USA Today. As I first told you back in January, the Bullseye has teamed up with trendy shops from across the country to create affordable limited-edition goods for The Shops at Target.

"The idea came from the fact that we have a lot of people who are out shopping the world all the time, looking for great new ideas, designers, trends," says Target's Home Division senior vice president Stacia Andersen. "As every single group would come back, they would keep saying, 'When you go to Miami, you have to go to The Webster!' or 'Have you been to Connecticut? You have to see Privet House!' It just kept coming back to these shops that we visited and how well-curated they were and how visionary the shop owners were."

And, the opportunity for these small-business owners to showcase their wares on a national level was a dream come true. "As soon as they approached me, I knew already that it was going to be such an amazing experience," says Laure Heriard Dubreuil, owner of The Webster, which will offer more than 200 exclusive accessories and apparel pieces for women, men and children. "I wanted to share so much with them and learn so much from their point of view and the way they work. I think they're extremely dynamite."

In addition to The Webster and Privet House, the other shops include Cos Bar, Polka Dog Bakery, and The Candy Store.  Shown here is one of Target's offerings from high-end Miami boutique The Webster: a wallet-friendly shift dress for just $40.  The Shops at Target debuts in stores on May 6th.

Clearance Alert: Jason Wu on Target.com

While the Jason Wu for Target collection has already been on clearance in stores for a few weeks, it's finally also on sale online.  What's left of it, that is, as most items are already sold out or dubbed "available in stores only", except for a couple of skirts and tops (like this cream-colored  Tee with Tie, now on sale for $16.08).

Target taps former Gap exec as new CMO

News broke yesterday that Target has gone outside the company for its new chief marketing officer, choosing an industry veteran who has worked at Gap Inc., Coca-Cola and a number of advertising agencies.

The Bullseye has named Jeffrey Jones Jr., 44, to the position previously held by Michael Francis, who left Target in October to become president of J.C. Penney. Jones most recently was partner and president of McKinney, a North Carolina-based advertising agency. Before that, he served as chief marketing officer at Gap, responsible for its marketing strategy and retail store design.

"Marketing is a key differentiator for Target, and I am confident that under Jeff's stewardship we will continue to build on our long history of surprising and de-lighting our guests," Gregg Steinhafel, Target's chairman and CEO, said in a statement.

"Target is a brand I've studied and admired as a marketer for more than a decade, and one my family shops almost daily," Jones said in a statement. "I am ecstatic to lead the marketing team and help shape the future of one of the world's most loved and iconic brands."

Confused between JCP and Target ads? You're not alone...

Last week I recapped how Target rose to become the leader of the cheap/chic retail genre, but I neglected to mention one important fact: the longtime agency they parted ways with - Peterson Milla Hooks – is now the agency of record for JC Penney (or JCP, as they now dub themselves). Which is why you may get the new JCP ads confused for Target ads, as my husband did last night. One of the new JCP ads came on TV (very similar to this one from February) and he said “wait, I thought this was an ad for Target?”  He basically articulated the same thing I’ve been thinking for months: while the new JCP ads are cute, they seem awfully familiar in style and substance to the ones that put Target on the map. Even their print ads (like the sample shown here) evoke the old Target look/feel.

Several high-level Target execs have left for JCP recently, so I’m not surprised they tapped Peterson Milla Hooks as their new agency. They’re a familiar and “tried and true” entity, so it seems natural they’d hire them. And perhaps the confusion is partly intentional in order to make JCP look “young and hip” and to try to lure away Target’s customer base. It just seems as if in re-branding their company, JCP would want to try something fresh and new vs. re-hashing ideas that have already been done before.