The Look for Less: Soda vs. Mossimo

Flip-flop sandals are a staple for summer, and these caught my eye because of the shiny gold metal "tip" on each toe. But the look for less in this case will surprise you! The pair at far left - from Union! By Soda - are actually the cheaper option at $12.99 (now sold out on Amazon in Black, but still available in Gold Snakeskin). And the pair on the right are from Mossimo (at Target) and retail for $27.99.

The latest Lilly/eBay injustice...

Readers, I'd like to share a little story with you and encourage you NOT to feed the vultures selling the Lilly Pulitzer for Target line on eBay. A friend of mine called me today after witnessing the following: a woman with a FULL cart of Lilly merchandise returning it at Target just to RE-buy it (and thereby extend her return deadline). This woman had everything: cups, dishes, bags, scarves, clothes, shoes, etc. - several hundred dollars worth of merchandise. My friend confirmed it with the Target clerk. This awful woman obviously returned what hadn't sold on eBay yet in order to try to sell it again within her new 2-week window. Shameful...

The Look for Less: Overstock.com vs. Threshold

Table lamps can update a room in an instant. Here we have two golden, triple gourd lamps, which would add a warm glow to any decor. The one on the left - done up in gilded glass - is by Overstock.com, and will set you back $243.99. But you can get the look for much less with the brass lamp on the right (by Threshold at Target) which costs just $39.99.

What's the deal with AVA & VIV?

With much fanfare, Target announced a new plus-size line in January called AVA & VIV. This was hot on the heels - meaning about a week - after they had announced the Lilly Pulitzer for Target collab with the disappointing caveat that Lilly plus-sized clothing would ONLY be available online (and not in stores). It almost seemed as if they tried to appease outraged Lilly-loving/plus-size customers with the announcement of AVA & VIV. But guess what? I don't think AVA & VIV is selling well. At all. Take a look at this pic I snapped in store yesterday. This is a fully packed rack (both sides) of AVA & VIV clothing, now marked to 30% off. And there are at least 2-3 other racks of AVA & VIV at full price, and the stuff is just NOT moving.

From what I've seen, the clothes are cute enough, but nothing special. Is that why it's not selling? Is it too trendy for Target? Or not trendy enough? Whatever the reason, I think The Bullseye has a problem on it's hands here.

Kohl's Announces Collab With Thakoon

Fashionistas who were fans of the Thakoon for Target collab from a few years back take note: the designer will be teaming up with Kohl's for a collab with them this Fall. Thakoon Panichgul will be the seventh designer to do a Kohl’s DesigNation limited-edition collection.

Back in December of 2008, Thakoon for Target was a very successful collab for the Bullseye, with a resort-wear vibe to it (as shown here). In particular, the shibori-print dress (at far left) was an immediate sellout, both during it's first debut as well as when Thakoon reprised the same dress for Target's GO International Design Collective in 2011.

Thakoon’s collection will be inspried by the city of London and will be available exclusively at Kohl’s and Kohls.com for Fall 2015. For more information, visit this page on Kohl's website.

Fab Find: This Merona Blouse

Let's all try to move away from the Lilly madness and attempt to find something to like about Target again, shall we? Like this adorable blouse by Merona (shown here). Besides this lovely "Florida Coral" color, it's available in Ebony, Calla Lilly (Ivory) and in stores I've also seen it in a pale pink shade they call "Cantaloupe". It's a polyester crepe, but to me this fabric feels softer (and more like silk) than other Merona blouses I've owned in the past. And I just adore the eyelet accents, which somehow gives this top a retro vibe.

Lilly for Target Returns Start To Trickle Into Stores...

Slowly but surely, returns from the Lilly Pulitzer for Target line have started to trickle into stores. I somehow lucked out yesterday and found the exact dress I wanted (the shift dress in Upstream Dream, shown here) in the size I needed! And I found it in the oddest place: wadded up with a bunch of other Lilly clothing on an endcap in the Cosmetics section of all places. It was in a larger size than I usually wear, but that ended up being OK as these dresses seem to run small.

So keep checking back in stores for customer returns. A friend told me a Target clerk mentioned to her that a woman bought $900 worth of Lilly merchandise the first day, then returned $300 of it the next day. Let's hope a lot of shoppers "went crazy" buying everything in sight, and now will have buyer's remorse. I think there will also be a lot of returns of clothing due to fit issues. As stated, the dresses run small, whereas the tunic tops seem to run huge (at least from the size 'Small' one I saw in store the other day).

Product Review: Cutex Nail Polish Removers (including the NEW Cutex Twister)

Recently the fine folks at Cutex® - the leading provider of nail care since 1911 - sent me a box of some of their nail polish remover products to review. Cutex® nail polish removers are conveniently stocked in the beauty aisles of more than 1800 Target stores nationwide, and they have just introduced a brand-spankin' new, first of its kind, instant nail polish remover: Cutex® Twister® with SPA Formula.

Now full disclosure: I rarely do my own nails (as you can probably tell by the pic in the lower left). But I DO need a good nail polish remover around the house, because even when I get professional manicures, I usually start chipping within a week (from all my computer typing) and so I need something to remove it all before my hands start looking really ragged. For this "test", I used a dark, eggplant hue - two coats + clear topcoat - to see how the Cutex offerings would rate.

The first I tried was the Cutex Spa Formula Nail Polish Remover. This took my polish off in one pass with the cotton pad (as shown in the pic, bottom right). The formula is "fast-acting, with conditioning botanical oils", but what I like best is the non-offensive smell with little after-scent left on your hands. Ladies, this is not your mother's nail polish remover! It contains 98% acetone in order to get tough gel and glitter polish off quickly and easily.

Next I tried the Cutex Advanced Revival Nail Polish Remover, which "strengthens & conditions" and also contains botanical oils. This also worked well, and from the ingredients list looks to be similar to the Spa Formula but contains less acetone. It did have a slightly stronger scent than the Spa Formula, though.

Then it was on to the Cutex Regular Nail Polish Remover, which still worked well, but honestly was pretty much your regular run of the mill polish remover: it took several passes with the cotton pad to get all the polish off each nail, and the smell was definitely strong.

But my two favorite products were saved for last.... first, the Cutex Advance Revival Nail Polish Remover Pads. Now this is more my speed! The box contains 10 pads (individually wrapped) and each pad contains plenty of remover to get off all the polish on both hands. This might be pricier than the products listed above, but to me, the convenience is worth it. Likewise, the Cutex Twister is a fun, easy way to remove polish from your nails - especially coats that are hard to remove like gel and glitter formulas. All you do is dip, and twist (in the attached plastic brush) and 'viola!' - your nail is clean!

All of these Cutex products are available at Target and other retailers nationwide.

Target's Spin Doctors Try to Justify the Lilly Sellout...

A post today on Target's corporate blog - by their Chief Merchandising and Supply Chain Officer, Kathee Tesija - tries to spin their side of the story to the Lilly Pulitzer for Target sellout. You can read the full story here, but here are two notable quotes which I call BS on:

"When we look at the amount of Lilly Pulitzer for Target product being resold, it translates to roughly 1.5 percent of the collection. While we’d prefer that number to be zero, it tells us that the vast majority of guests who purchased the collection did so with the intent of enjoying it for themselves."

"The website never crashed, but due to high traffic, it was slow and our guests had to wait longer than they should have to access the full collection. That’s frustrating, both for them and for us. We’re taking a close look at what happened."

So 39,000+ items (that's the # of Lilly for Target items on eBay this morning) is only 1.5% of the entire collection? I find that hard to believe. And they can deny the "crash" as much as they want, but having the site inaccessible for hours on end is essentially the same as a crash. 

Target removes Lilly collab from homepage...

Target - probably in response to all the Lilly Pulitzer for Target backlash - has removed all the Lilly promotions from their homepage. There's been a lot of chatter in social media about why Target was keeping the Lilly collab front and center on their site when the line wasn't even shoppable anymore (as it all sold out yesterday in a matter of hours).

So instead, Target has decided to RE-introduce their 'Made to Matter' program... which they first introduced more than a year ago. Huh?? Well, I guess they had to put SOMETHING up there. As a reminder, 'Made to Matter' is "a first-of-its-kind partnership with leading natural, organic and sustainable brands. The Made to Matter collection features over 120 new and exclusive products from this crew of trusted companies, taking the guesswork out of buying better-for-you products. Hand-picked by Target, the line makes it easy to find products made with simple, recognizable ingredients that you can feel good about bringing home without sacrificing on price or performance."

How to still score Lilly Pulitzer for Target...

Ok readers... I know we're all still frustrated by the Lilly Pulitzer for Target sellout. Shown here is a picture my friend snapped at the San Mateo, CA store about 5 minutes after the store opened yesterday. So how can we still score a little Lilly? Here are my shopping strategies:

1 - Start checking stores this week for customer returns. Capitalize on buyer's remorse and look for returns in the next few days (for people who bought in store) or in the next week (for folks who bought online). Returns should peak around May 2, as that is right around the 14-day return window (which is required for this collab).

2 - Look in odd places. That means endcaps or mixed in with the regular Target merchandise, especially in the beauty aisle and housewares. Don't bother looking for the Lilly signage; your store has most likely taken it down already.

3 - Don't forget the clearance racks. I'm betting that all of the "online only" items (including the Plus Sizes) will immediately end up on the clearance racks if they are returned. This was the case with past Target collabs, like Missoni. So if you're lucky, you may score Lilly on sale.

4 - Don't bother with the website. Mid-day yesterday I spot-checked about 10 items online and nothing was available. And from everything I've read in the press, Target's website is completely sold out and they won't be re-stocking. Also: be wary of the "find in store" tool. I've found this tool to be faulty in the past, not accurately reflecting store inventory.

I may change the name of my blog to I HATE TARGET...

Just kidding. Kind of. Sort of. Maybe not... So I set my alarm for 1am Pacific time (for the Lilly Pulitzer for Target launch) and THIS (see pic) is what I get I bet. Plus, it's not only me... a faithful reader (and good friend) just texted me to report the SAME issues. She reports the following: "Trying to buy online...it's been 30 minutes, and the site is now allowing me to buy the items in my cart. Giving up now and going to bed."  Plus, I just checked the "TargetStyle" Facebook page and others are facing similar problems.

Update: I was finally able to get to the Lilly goods online, but everything I wanted is already SOLD OUT in most sizes. As predicted, this is "Missoni Madness" all over again, right down to Target's massive web outages. I just cannot believe that a retailer of Target's size cannot get it together and hire competent web designers. HEY TARGET: I live and work in Silicon Valley. If you want to hire REAL web experts, call me and I'll hook you up!

Shopping Strategies for Lilly Pulitzer for Target...

Shoppers, are you ready for the debut of Lilly Pulitzer for Target?? Here are some tips & tricks - courtesy of Racked - to help you out:

1. Every Target store will sell the collab. Yep, every single store. Past collaborations have been stocked at "most" stores (with Target releasing the store lists ahead of time) but this collab will be everywhere on Sunday.

2. The collab will debut online super-duper early in the morning. Target confirms that Target.com will begin selling Lilly Pulitzer in the early morning hours on April 19th, meaning that launch time will be between midnight and 2am CST.

3. Lots of pieces will be online-only. Target has already specified that no plus-size pieces will be stocked in stores, but a lot of shoes and jewelry are online-only too.

4. There's no limit on how much you can buy in stores. Retailers often issues restrictions on how many pieces shoppers can pick up at one time during designer collabs, but with this one, everything's up for grabs in stores. [Note: I think this is a horrible idea, and that it's going to lead to "Missoni Madness" all over again]. Online, Target has a general policy of five items or less per style and that'll apply to Lilly Pulitzer as well.

5. The window for returns is short. While Target upholds a general 90-day return policy, all Lilly Pulitzer for Target items will be subject to a 14-day return window. This is great news for people who won't be able to get what they wanted the first time around (pieces will probably pop up in returns) and bad news for people who are terrible at following return policies.

6. Target doesn't ship internationally.

7. Yes, there have some store leaks. You may have seen photos on Twitter or Instagram of people picking out their Pulitzer pieces weeks early. Target tells Racked that it's an unfortunate side effect of the retailer's store rollout plan.

8. You, too, can get Pulitzer pieces early—for an insane markup.There is already a bustling eBay trade in Lilly x Target, so you technically don't have to wait until tomorrow to buy some items from the collab IF you want to pay the eBay vultures their inflated prices.

And finally, for a hands-on POV, check out this Racked video with actual goods from the Lilly pop-up-shop earlier this week in NYC. The shorts (shown here) really surprised me; I wouldn't have thought them to be one of the stand-out items, but now I think I'll definitely add them to my shopping list!

Bella Thorne and Kate Bosworth Rock Lilly for Target

Target held their press event last night for Lilly Pulitzer for Target in NYC's Bryant Park, and the stars came out in full force. In addition to Bella Thorne and Kate Bosworth (shown here) Camila Alves, Emmy Rossum and Ellie Kemper also attended the event - all decked out in clothing from the line, of course. For more pics + a short video from the event, check out A Bullseye View.

The Look for Less: DV by Dolce Vita vs. Mossimo

As part of the 90's fashion revival, athletic-style slide sandals seem to be showing up everywhere. Like the pair shown here on top, which are by DV by Dolce Vita and available at Urban Outfitters for $60. But you can get the look for much less - for $22.99, to be exact - with the Mossimo version (shown on bottom) at Target.

The Look for Less: Lulu & Georgia vs. Threshold

I love the look of tray tables; they make excellent room accents or nightstands without taking up a lot of space. Both of these sport a bamboo motif in a golden finish. But the one on the left is from Lulu & Georgia and will set you back over $520, whereas the one on the right - by Threshold at Target - costs just a fraction of that at only $99.99.

New at Target: Method Spring Scents

The other day at Target I noticed a whole endcap dedicated to Method's new spring scents. The offerings include Desert Lily (shown here), Southern Peach and Coastal Redwood. All three come in gel hand wash, foaming hand wash and body wash varieties, and are available for a limited-time only.

While I haven't actually tried any of these new scents, I did "smell" them in store, and found all of them to be a bit strong for my tastes. I prefer lighter fragrances, so my current two faves are Orange Ginger and Lemon Mint.

New at Target: Fashion Union

At Target this past weekend I noticed a new line called Fashion Union. I will be honest: I was not impressed. As shown here, this line consists of flashy prints and neon colors, and seemed aimed at Junior sizes. Online at Target.com, the clothes are made to look WAY better than they do in real life, as I found the materials and fabrication to look and feel cheap. Ironically, the prices for this line run $5-10 higher than similar offerings from Mossimo and Xhilaration.

So if you're looking for something uber-trendy to only last one season, check out Fashion Union. Otherwise, this is one collection to pass on, especially in light of the fact that the Lilly Pulitzer for Target collection debuts this weekend.

Sale Alert: Orla Kiely for Target Yoga Accessories

Attention Orla Kiely fans! The other day at my local Target store I noticed the Orla Kiely for Target yoga accessories on clearance for 30% off. Oddly enough, for some reason the discount didn't apply to the water bottles - only the yoga mats, blocks, and other fitness accessories. This sale also doesn't extend online to Target.com.

The Look for Less: Mossimo vs. J Crew

This lookalike find was brought to my attention by faithful reader Cotton Candy. Here we have two cute flat crushed-glitter sandals, which would be the perfect complement for a wide array of Spring/Summer outfits. The ones shown on top - by J Crew - were so popular, in fact, that they've already sold out at $98. But you can get the look for less - plus save a lot of dough - with the ones shown on bottom by Mossimo at Target for just $19.99 (on sale this week for $15.99).

Target Launches Lilly App & Pop-Up Shop in NYC

Racked reports that Target has developed a special app for the Lilly Pulitzer for Target collab. It's not shoppable, but rather serves to further immerse shoppers in the "Lilly Pulitzer experience" in anticipation of the collaboration launch.

"We invite viewers into a fun-filled party that starts on television and extends into a digital experience where parallax views allow the guests to explore the party from their vantage point and connect them directly with the Lilly product in each room," said Todd Waterbury, a Target executive in charge of the campaign.

It looks to be live now on Target.com, accessible on desktops and mobile. App users can scroll around a Lilly Pulitzer-themed party, clicking on Target bullseyes as they appear on the collection's clothing and accessories to check the price of each item.

Also: New Yorkers will get early access to the Lilly line when Bryant Park is turned into a full-on "Lilly Resort" on Thursday, April 16th (3 days in advance of the official debut of the collection in stores and online). From 8am to 6pm, the entire collection will be available for purchase, and shoppers can indulge in fun little extras like ping pong, a juice bar, and a manicure station stocked with Essie polishes. Racked recommends getting there early if you're looking to shop, as the shopping portion of the pop-up event will only being open while supplies last.

Introducing the "Fanny Basket"

In case you missed the article making the rounds via BuzzFeed yesterday, click here to get the lowdown on Target's latest invention: the Fanny Basket. And yes, since yesterday was April 1, this was an elaborate April Fool's joke ;-)