Clearance Alert: Tracy Feith for Target

For those of you Feith fans (and there must be a few out there, since the Tracy Feith Go International line has all but disappeared from my local Target stores) some good news. What's left of his line is now on clearance at Target.com for 30% off. The leather biker jacket and muu muu-maxi dresses are long gone, but you can still pick up this Hawaiian print canvas jacket (shown) for $31.48.

PS: Thank you to The Recessionista for this alert; she actually predicted back in May that the Feith would go on clearance by now!

Pick of the Week

It's Pick of the Week time: each week I pick one great buy from Target's Weekly Ad (in the Sunday newspaper) and highlight it here on my blog. Today's pick is one of those simple summer pleasures we can all enjoy, even on a budget: ice cream! And Target is running a sale this week on Dreyer's brand ice cream (selected flavors) on three 1.5qt packs for just $8. Just in time to stock up for the 4th of July this week; can you believe Independence Day is here already??

Beauty on a Budget: Better Brows from Target

More beauty tips from the Detroit Free Press - this time on eyebrow shaping on a budget – from celebrity makeup artist Robert Jones (who has worked with Sheryl Crow, pictured, as well as the Dixie Chicks). First you'll need a good pair of tweezers; Target has many options, including the classic Tweezerman brand.

• Tweeze your brows after a hot shower; it'll be less painful because the steam will have opened your pores.
• Always tweeze in the direction that your hair grows. If you don't, the hair might grow back sticking straight out rather than lying down!
• Very few women have identical eyebrows. Start by tweezing a couple of hairs out of one brow, then switch to the other, tweeze a couple out of it, then switch back to the other. By doing this, you'll be able to constantly reevaluate what needs to be tweezed.
• To make a perfect arch: Hold a pencil or the handle of a brush vertically against the side of your nose, noting where it meets the brow; this point is where your brow should begin.

Beauty on a Budget: Spa Stuff at Target

Love the spa, but hate the pricey treatments? Then take some advice from Bobbie Thomas, style editor for the "Today" show (pictured) and spokeswoman for the Venus Embrace razor (available at Target, as are the other items linked below).

• Bobbie says she sets aside every Sunday evening as her DIY spa time, and she suggests making an appointment with yourself for your own spa night.
• Set the scene. Light a candle and turn on some soothing music or background sound. You're paying for sanctuary at the spa, so make your home a sanctuary.
• Essential oils such as lavender will help you relax. Mint will help you rejuvenate. Add a few drops to your robe, your shower wrap, your sheets, your pillow, your pajamas - surround yourself with aromatherapy.
• Heat a few washcloths in the microwave. Put a few more in the freezer. That way you'll be able to give yourself a hot and cold facial that will steam your skin, open your pores and then close them.
• Mix up a raw sugar foot scrub. Add some natural raw sugar to any kind of extra foot cream, almond oil or olive oil. Toss in some orange peel for zest!
• Leave your hair conditioner in just a little bit longer and add a shower cap to intensify the moisturizing treatment.
• Think long and hard before cutting your cuticles. It's easier to push them back with an orange stick.
• Use a nail polish pen to polish your nails; it's easier to grip than the brush that comes with traditional polish. If you stick to a light color, it'll be more difficult to see imperfections in your self-manicure.
• For your self-pedicure, use a pumice stone on your feet and make sure to moisturize.

Beauty on a Budget: Haircare at Target

From the Detroit Free Press, here are some tips on getting professional-grade results with at-home haircare from hair expert Umberto Savone, the California-based hairstylist to the stars (including Christina Applegate, pictured). His Umberto Beverly Hills products are available exclusively at Target and at www.target.com.

• First, read hair color instructions carefully. Do not try to change your color more than 2 or 3 shades from its natural color. You need a professional with access to professional grade hair color to do this.
• Next, rub Vaseline along your hairline to keep color from getting on your skin.
• Apply color to re-growth only, not on the ends.
• To protect the color, wait at least 48 hours after coloring to wash your hair.
• Also, don't wash your hair every day. Think about using a dry shampoo between regular shampoos.
• And finally, avoid hair products with alcohol because they can dry out your hair and cause the color to fade.

Wednesday's Rave: this mod Merona dress

I'm having a "Little Black Dress" moment. I have the LBD on my brain - as well as on my shopping radar - and I can't seem to get enough of them. So you can imagine the thrill I got when I ordered this mod little Merona number (pictured) with eager anticipation. And, dear readers, I was not disappointed! It fits like a dream, and is really comfy in a poly/rayon ponte-knit blend. And even better, it's on clearance for 30% off on Target.com.

Tuesday's Rant: rushing through the seasons

Most Tuesdays I take the opportunity to rant about something I do not like about Target… because although I love ‘em to death, they ain’t perfect. And apologies that this rant is a day late, but work's been crazy this week, leaving me little time to blog (among other things....).

Anyhow, this rant is about Target rushing through the seasons. I've voiced similar complaints before, but this is getting ridiculous. At least a week ago, all my local Target stores put their entire outdoor and patio furnishings department on clearance for 30% off. Now on the one hand, this is great; the stuff is on sale just at the time you really need to spruce up your patio, deck or backyard for summer. But on the other hand, think about it: the first day of summer was just a couple of days ago, and Target is already clearing out the department. Because as soon as this stuff goes - and I'm sure they're going to try and clear it out by the 4th of July - it's gonna be replaced with all the dorm essentials/back to school merchandise. I don't know about you, but I find this extremely frustrating. And it seems to me like Target is more guilty of rushing through seasonal cycles than other retailers, because I know I've bought patio furniture before from other stores that didn't put it on clearance until August. So good luck finding a BBQ brush at Target, because I bought the last one on the shelf last weekend.

Pick of the Week

It's Pick of the Week time: each week I pick one great buy from Target's Weekly Ad (in the Sunday newspaper) and highlight it here on my blog. Today's pick is the maxi dress (pictured), which Target has a variety of styles of (by both Mossimo and Xhilaration) on sale this week for just $19.99. This trend has been going strong for the past couple of years, and although this can be a tricky style to pull off (especially for those 5'4" and under gals like me!) it's also a cool & comfortable way to dress for summer. And at just under $20, you can afford to experiment with this trend and see if it's right for you, vs. spending over $100 (on sale even!) on Banana Republic's version.

Dror in stores

Yesterday I spied an endcap in the home furnishings department with the first few pieces of the Dror for Target collection, and I liked what I saw. They had this mod wall clock (pictured) which would be perfect for a dorm room or home office, a stylish desk lamp, and a collection of cheap and cheerful canvas wall art.

Unfortunately, they didn't seem to have any of the reversible pillows that I previewed earlier this month; all they had were these dotted ones with a solid-colored backing.

Dorm Room on a Dime

Need help decorating your dorm room? This article will give you several helpful hints, as well as highlight some affordable design options from Target. And don't forget to visit Target.com for loads of other dorm-decor ideas on a budget, along with a handy shopping checklist for all your college essentials. Plus you can enter their cool contest (click here for the entry form) to win a chance at a $5,000 grand prize as well as daily $100 Target Gift Card giveaways.

Tiny Bubbles...

Bubble Shack Hawaii’s line of bath and body products, as well as their soy candle line, will soon be featured on Target’s web site. The products are already available in Target’s Kapolei and Salt Lake stores in Hawaii.

“Everyone at Bubble Shack is extremely excited about our launch on Target.com and the potential of growth with Target Corp.,” said Holly Harding, Bubble Shack’s co-owner and director of sales and marketing. “Much of our 2009 growth can be attributed to the exposure of being a Target vendor." The company was started in 2006 and features natural and organically made products.

Wednesday's Rave: Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale

Today's rave is my new favorite warm-weather thirst quencher: Canada Dry's Sparkling Green Tea Ginger Ale. And the only place I've been able to find it thus far is my local Target store, which is why I'm featuring it here as a "rave".

I'll admit that I was dubious at first. Ginger ale? Injected with green tea? In a sparkling beverage, no less? But the taste is light, crisp, and refreshing, and the perfect thing to sip on a hot summer day. My only complaint is that there's 140 calories a can, which is the same as a can of Classic Coke. So until Canada Dry comes out with a diet version, I'll be sipping this soda sparingly.

Tuesday's Rant: broken merchandise on store shelves

Most Tuesdays I take the opportunity to rant about something I do not like about Target… because although I love ‘em to death, they ain’t perfect. Today's rant is about something that just happened to me the other day. The Felix-Rey line has all but disappeared from Target's store shelves, so I was tickled when I found the gold tote bag (pictured) in the clearance section (at 50% off). The bag looked great and seemed well-made... until upon further inspection, I discovered that one of the straps was actually broken, and only hanging on by a thread. [Basically one of the oversized gold "rivets" connecting the bag had popped off, rendering the bag un-fixable]. So this got me to thinking: did someone buy this bag, realize it was broken and return it, and then did Target put it BACK on the shelf, knowing full well it was damaged? Because this isn't the first time I've seem broken merchandise on the store floor. I've seen clothing that's clearly been worn put back on the racks, as well as vases and glasswear with chips and nicks. I guess Target thinks that if they discount it enough, someone might buy it. But I'd rather they trash the damaged goods, lest someone accidently buy it.

What about you, dear readers? Have you ever bought something at Target only to find that it's broken? Or avoided something on-shelf once you realized it was busted?

Bon voyage, Max Factor

If you have a favorite shade of Max Factor lipstick, you’d better stock up, pronto. The 90-year old brand is being phased out of the U.S. market by parent-company Proctor and Gamble. Instead, P&G will focus on stronger lines in their portfolio - like CoverGirl - which has a larger U.S. market share.

The Max Factor line is currently distributed to a small number of U.S. retailers including Target, Walmart, and Ulta. Ironically, it’s one of the most popular beauty brands in over 20 OTHER countries, ranking as the #2 brand in the UK and Russia.

This move signals the end of a beauty era here in America. Founded in 1909, Max Factor created the only makeup developed for motion picture use. The brand's connection to old Hollywood and professional makeup artists is the kind of affiliation beauty companies would kill for today. But alas, the love affair didn't last, and even last-ditch efforts to restore the brand to its former glory didn’t seem to work. Look for Max Factor to be phased out stateside by early 2010.

BTW: The bold shade shown at left is Max Factor Vivid Impact Lipcolor in "Ms. Right".

Pick of the Week

It's Pick of the Week time: each week I pick one great buy from Target's Weekly Ad (in the Sunday newspaper) and highlight it here on my blog. Now this Week's Ad has tons of gift ideas for Dad - and remember, Father's Day is next Sunday, June 21st - so peruse pages 1-17 at your leisure. But my pick today is this pair of delightful little "Eleora" sandals by Merona... which, IMO, are WAY cuter than any of the ones by Miss Trish for Target. They come in the standard summer neutrals of black and white patent, as well as metallic gold and this bright, nautical blue. And this week they're on sale for just $14.99 (regularly $17.99).

UPDATE: I visited Target shortly after writing this post and noticed these sandals in two more colors that weren't advertised on their web site -- Hot Pink and Lime Green.

Clearance Alert: Men's Loomstate Collection

I blogged a couple of weeks ago that the Women's Loomstate for Target collection had gone on clearance, but the Men's collection had not. Checking back today, I see that men's Loomstate shorts and swimwear have now been discounted to 50% off (like these flat-front 100% organic cotton shorts, now only $13.98). And although the men's shirts and jackets are still not on sale on the site (yet) I have found them in stores for between 30-50% off.

Spotlight on Orla

The NY Times recently ran a feature on designer Orla Kiely, highlighting her partnership with Target. Amazingly, her popularity has grown so much that her wares are now available in more than 550 retail outlets across the United States, including Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s, as well as at Target. And although her privately held company does not disclose profit figures, estimates put its retail revenue at $37.8 million for last year… and that figure actually excludes sales from Target.

BTW: if you still need your Orla fix – on a budget – check out Target.com for the remaining offerings from the Orla for Target collection (like these perky pear tumblers, shown).

Inflated Feith

For those of you who missed out on the much ballyhooed Tracy Feith for Target leather motorcycle jacket - which sold out online in a matter of days - there's still hope. Get out your wallet, though, because you're going to pay through the nose. The jacket (pictured) which retailed at Target for $140 has shown up on eBay in various sizes for between $190 and $375. My advice? If you really have your heart set on this piece, try to seek it out at a Target store that's "off the beaten path" where it might not have sold out yet. Or wait until the eBay feeding frenzy subsides and check back there in a few months to see if you can find one at a less-inflated price.

Target’s sweet on deal with Daily Candy

Target has paired up with the trendy lifestyle site Daily Candy to create a co-branded online store called the Red Hot Shop. Actually, the Red Hot Shop is nothing new, but now the two enterprises (which have had a long standing advertising relationship) have decided to combine efforts. Think of it as the sweet melting of Target’s hip online shop with the quirky voice of Daily Candy, creating a productive venture for both.

The store, which can be found on Target.com, will feature products by up and coming designers handpicked by the editors at Daily Candy. In addition to choosing the products highlighted on the site, Daily Candy will also rate and provide feedback on the products. And in keeping with the lighthearted and feminine-themed Daily Candy, the Red Hot Shop now includes the lifestyle site's signature pastel palette, cutesy logos, and witty headlines.

Wednesday’s Rave: the Dollar Spot

Do y’all shop the Dollar Spot aisle located at the front of the Target store? If not, then you’re missing out. Not only do they have super-cute merchandise (toys, notebooks, pens, household, kitchen gadgets, etc.) but if you’re shopping with little kids in tow, it’s a great way to let them pick out something to “distract” them while you get the rest of your shopping done.

As soon as you walk in the door, the dollar section is right there, beckoning you to it with the promise of really cheap and completely random objects. I think the fact that you never know what to expect is really one of the biggest draws for me. While you can always find seasonal objects there - like Easter rabbit ears or little stocking stuffers – it’s the completely random knicknacks that are truly what it’s all about. Like the “Quick Spanish for Beginners” (or some such title) mini-book I found there once; my brother was going on a business trip to Mexico so it was the perfect little ‘bon voyage’ treat for him. So check it out today; you'll never know what you'll find there!

Tuesday's Rant: not enough mirrors in the Women's Dept.

Most Tuesdays I take the opportunity to rant about something I do not like about Target… because although I love ‘em to death, they ain’t perfect. Today's rant is something that's bothered me for a LONG time about Target: that they don't have enough full-length mirrors in the Women's Department. Most Targets I know of only have one - if any - on display, and that scant mirror is pretty hard to find (usually tucked away in a far corner). I don't know about you, but I find this maddening. 9 times out of 10, all I want to do is to hold something up to me, or to throw on a coat or jacket over what I'm wearing to see how it looks, in order to avoid a trip to the dressing rooms. But Target makes this virtually impossible by making little to no mirrors available. Very frustrating!

Pick of the Week

It's Pick of the Week time: each week I pick one great buy from Target's Weekly ad (in the Sunday newspaper) and highlight it here on my blog. Now I don't know about you, but I love sunglasses. Problem is, I lose and/or drop them a lot... making investing in Gucci or Chanel shades out of the question for me, as they'd just never make it past one season. So for me, the solution is to buy several pairs of fashionable - yet frugally-priced - sunglasses and keep them all over the house, office, as well as my car so that I'll always have a pair handy when I need them. That's why this week's pick is Target's Merona sunglasses (pictured) on sale this week for just $14 a pop. At this great price, I can get my fashion-shade fix and not feel guilty about that pair I just accidently sat on in the car (oops!)

Wall Candy

You've heard of eye candy, right? Well here's some wall candy for you. With NotNeutral's Wall Decal Kit, you can easily sprinkle seasonal graphics on your walls. Their current Summer Kit includes 44 vibrantly-colored, vinyl decals (tree and branches, leaves, flowers, birds and butterflies) so you can build your own nature landscape indoors. The decals are completely removable, too, should you want to change the scene.

NotNeutral's Wall Decal Kit: $54.99
(Available only online at Target's Red Hot Shop)

Target to release album with Pearl Jam

Rumors started this past weekend that Pearl Jam had staged a secret show at Seattle's Showbox theater Thursday night, during which they shot a Target commercial with longtime buddy and filmmaker Cameron Crowe. Now Entertainment Weekly is reporting – after interviewing Pearl Jam’s manager Kelly Curtis - that the band has established a partnership with Target for the release of their next record (titled Backspacer) which is tentatively slated to drop September 22.

Curtis, who was in Los Angeles preparing for the band's appearance on the premiere of Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show earlier this week, says he wishes this information could have stayed in the can a bit longer: "We wanted to announce this when we could talk about everything, who our partners are. It's not just via Target. They're obviously the big retail chain that we love and adore that's going to release this record. We're also going to release it through our fan club, and Target was cool enough to allow us to pick up little indie [stores], too. They're taking care of the little guy. The little guy is not their competition."

Falchi next up for Target

Women’s Wear Daily is reporting that Carlos Falchi is the next designer being tapped for a bag collection for Target. As Target’s eighth limited edition handbag launch, Falchi’s designs will be available in stores and at Target.com from Nov. 1 to Dec. 27. The 13-item line will consist of faux snakeskin handbags in jewel tones like plum and teal with contrasting shades of brown, black and gray, and some handbags will utilize collage or patchwork techniques. Sounds fetching! Pictured at left is a bag from Falchi’s full-priced line (available at upscale retailers like Sak’s and Neiman-Marcus) which runs from $600 for a simple clutch to upwards of $4000 for a satchel like this one. I’m just hoping that Falchi’s use of “faux-snakeskin” will be of better quality than the Devi Kroell bags Target offered 2 years ago.

More Dror...

As I blogged yesterday, Target will introduce a new home collection by designer Dror Benshetrit (of Studio Dror) later this month. Now Racked.com has posted pictures of the most expensive item from the collection: this ultra-cool, mod (and modular) shelving system. But don't fret; "expensive" in this case means a wallet-friendly $89.99. For more info on Dror, plus additional pics from his upcoming Dror for Target line, check out this article on UnBeige.

Dror Benshetrit launches new line for Target

Target is introducing a new line from designer Dror Benshetrit. The Dror for Target line, only available at Target stores and Target.com for a limited time, includes bedding, decorative accessories and stationery. The collection ranges in price from just 99-cents for a mini-composition book to $89.99 for a nesting bookshelf. Other items include comforters, lamps and wall decals.

Now to be perfectly honest, I had never heard of Dror, so I did some digging and here’s what I found…

1) The line will launch on June 14th (both in stores and online at Target.com) with more pieces continually being introduced until mid-July.

2) According to Target’s look-book: “Internationally renowned designer Dror Benshetrit creates versatile objects that allow you to live large, even in the tiniest of spaces. His simple, modern products require little or no tools for easy assembly. And best of all, Dror's collection is offered at an ingeniously minimalist price tag”.

3) Here’s an actual YouTube video with Dror talking about his new line.

I’m crushing on these “flip flop pillows” (shown) with separate designs on each side. And at just $19.99 each, it’s like getting two pillows in one for less than 20-bucks!

The Bullseye gives BIG

Target recently asked on their Facebook page where to give away 3 million dollars, spread across 10 well-deserving charities. America voted, and after 291,000 votes, the results are in. Here’s how Target’s 3 million-dollar donation will be distributed:

26.6%: St. Jude's Children Hospital
26.5%: Red Cross
13.0%: Salvation Army
7.8%: Operation Gratitude
6.6%: Breast Cancer Resarch Foundation
5.3%: Feeding America
4.0%: HandsOn Network
3.7%: PTA
3.3%: National Parks Foundation
3.2%: Kids in Need