"Early Black Friday" deemed a success...

Good morning, readers! I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday. Did you ditch the traditional turkey dinner in order to take advantage of this year's "early Black Friday" hours? Sadly, it looks like many folks did, as a check of CNN.com this morning has "Shopping Trumps Turkey" as the lead headline, with a follow-up story announcing that "Target's Black Friday deals draw big lines." The article cites "some 200 people were braving the cold in hopes of nabbing Black Friday deals at the Target in West Philadelphia" by 7:30pm last night, with Target opening at 8. Most of the people in line said they wanted the "doorbuster" sale item -- a 50-inch Element TV for $229 that usually sells for $600 -- available by ticket to the first 50 people in line. The other big sale item was Beats By Dre headphones on sale for $115, normally $179.

So whether we like it or not, it looks like this trend is here to stay. I for one didn't shop yesterday, and won't be shopping today, either, unless it's online. I will, however, be shopping local tomorrow to support Small Business Saturday.

What about you, readers? Did you brave the crowds yesterday? Are you stuck at the mall right now? Or, like me, are you comfortably curled up in your jammies enjoying your morning coffee?

Fab Find: Mossimo Longsleeve Sheer Blouse

For years I used to dress up on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, with a dress and boots being my typical "uniform". But now that my parents are aging - and my husband and I are doing most of the holiday cooking for the family - I find myself gravitating towards more casual and comfortable duds to navigate the kitchen in.

So these days, a dressy blouse and jeans are my go-to outfit for holiday gatherings. Which is why I was thrilled to find this pretty bright blue Mossimo blouse on clearance for just $7.48 in stores! [On Target.com, it looks like the clearance price is $17.48, down from $24.99].

Note that this blouse IS sheer, so a cami is mandatory underneath. It also has a cool exposed zipper in the back, and I liked it so much, I also bought it in green. I'm not sure which color I'll wear tomorrow, but whichever I choose I'll pair it with this elegant statement necklace I also found on clearance (for $12-something, down from $16.99).

Product Review: Mossimo Ultrasoft Sweaters

For a few years running now, Mossimo (at Target) has produced a line of sweaters and sweater dresses dubbed "Ultrasoft", and I used to be a fan. However, this year I've found the quality to be off. They're simply not as soft as they used to be, and they also seem thinner. This style in particular (shown here) seemed almost see-thru; I carried one around in this exact color in the store the other day, but decided to pass on it because of it's sheerness.

On the flipside: my Aunt absolutely loves these sweaters (especially the classic v-neck style) and has bought one in just about every color. What about you, readers? Are you a fan of this line, and if so, have you noticed that the quality is different?

Target's Pre-Black Friday Sale

For those of you wanting to avoid Black Friday mall madness, you may want to check out Target's Pre-Black Friday sale, going on now through Wednesday in stores and on Target.com. Bargains include 40% off all women's jeans and sweaters, including the popular Mossimo Ultrasoft line (although IMO, the Ultrasoft quality is lacking this year, which I'll blog about shortly).

Product Review: Sonia Kashuk's New Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

On Monday I told you about Sonia Kashuk's new & improved Radiant Tinted Moisturizer (at Target) and then on Tuesday I alerted you that the new packaging has a serious design flaw. So I thought I'd round out the week with a review of the product itself.

After trying it out, I can tell you the product is noticeably different. The consistency is thicker - more like regular foundation makeup than a tinted moisturizer - although it still goes on relatively sheer. The product is also drier and much less creamy than the previous formula, and this is probably due to the fact that they've upped the amount of titanium dioxide. It now contains 3.8%, which is clearly marked now under "active ingredients". Previously, the trace amount of titanium dioxide was only listed at the end under the list of "may contain" items. This is evident as soon as you squeeze out the product, as it smells very much like sunscreen lotion.

In short, I'm not a fan of this new formula. For my combination skin, the revised product is too drying. Maybe this will work better for me in the summer months when my skin tends to be more oily, but for now, I'll be using up my "stash" of a couple bottles of the older formulation.

The Look for Less: J.Crew vs. Mossimo

I can't quite turn this post into a "double-take" because the stock photos will give it away. But nonetheless: if you're coveting J.Crew's Leather Panel V-neck Sweater in Khaki (but can't stomach the $158 price tag) then you might want to consider Mossimo's version (at Target) instead for just $27.99. Both designs are very similar, except J.Crew's sweater (shown on the girl at far left) is made of a blend of merino wool/cashmere/nylon with real leather trim, whereas Mossimo's is made of 100% cotton with faux leather trim. Mossimo's version also comes in other color options (black, purple and gray) whereas J.Crew's does not.

And the winner is...

The winner of my latest blog giveaway - for the FEED USA + Target iPhone5 case - is reader Patricia Stauffer!  Patricia's entry was picked by the random number generator over at Random.org. Congrats, Patricia; I've emailed you for your mailing address, and as soon as you sent it to me I'll send you your prize. And thanks again to everyone who entered and for reading my blog!