Category Archives: Shop

Nicole Miller’s annual sale-a-rama

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UnknownIf you have been yearning for Nicole Miller’s chic and classic clothes and accessories but have resisted temptation so far now is the time to give in and splurge.

The semi-annual sale is going on now at both Philly locations, at the Bellvue on Broad Street and in Manayunk on Main Street. Expect deep discounts of 50-70% on end-of-season frocks, separates and shoes, as well as lots of help from friendly sales associates.

After all, that is what differentiates shopping at a brick-and-mortar store versus clicking and buying online. Plus, you know that the sweet peplum dress really fits and the color, indeed, is just right for you.

The deals last through July 31.

Painting a smile with Rembrandt

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image002There are two ways to keep your smile looking white.

You can grit your teeth, grab your wallet and go out for a professional, in-office treatment.

Or you can make whitening part of your routine, with effective, over-the-counter products. I recently tested toothpaste, rinse and a whitening kit from REMBRANDT®, readily available at Target, Walmart and other retailers and online sellers.

The line’s Intense Stain Dissolving Strips (MSRP: $20) are designed to combat the effects of tobacco, coffee and red wine, as is Rembrandt’s Intense Stain Tooth Paste ($7). If you haven’t used whitening products before, it’s a good place to start even if you avoid tobacco, caffeine and cabernet if you are intent on significantly brightening your smile.  

(To figure out which products are best for you, go to Rembrandt’s website and take a quick quiz. Consumers can zero in on products by factoring in their goals and personal info, such as susceptibility to canker sores. You also will find coupons for discounts.)

If you want immediate results, try the Deeply White 2 Hour Whitening Kit – a fast, enamel-safe way to whiten your teeth up to three shades in one fell swoop. It’s easy and it works. As Mom says, what’s not to like?

Maintain your pearly whites with Deeply White toothpaste and rinse. Some people don’t like the slightly medicinal taste. Personally, a find it preferable to sweet pastes and rinses that taste like dessert toppings. The toothpaste has a gentle, polishing effect, a lot like the feeling you get when you go to the dentist. Except you don’t have to leave home or rinse with those little paper cups.

 

 

For travel-weary skin, Oxygen Pur

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UnknownEven when you fly first class your skin feels like it’s stuck in the cheap seats. During flights, we’re exposed to lower-than-normal oxygen levels, which leaves our skin looking dull and tired.

Think of Oxygen Pur as an oxygen mask for your skin. The serum, developed by Canadian researchers, boosts your skin’s oxygen levels 400%, which the makers say quenches your thirsty skin to combat the stressful effects of travel. Recommended by dermatologists, the serum also helps to repair that sunburn you got on vacation and calms skin that has been irritated by waxing.

It’s soothing, odorless and non-greasy, which is why it’s a preferred follow-up after microdermabrasion, laser treatments or a facial peel. Oxygen Pur also plumps up skin to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. MSRP: $80.

No worries about the serum leaking while you are traveling. It is vacuum sealed in an airless container to keep the oxygen stable, which also means it won’t leak in your purse or suitcase.

It’s Mojito Day!

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Green glow, no Martians. What can it be?

agwa_de_bolivia_reviewIt’s a refreshing mojito, crafted from AGWA, the original coca leaf liqueur. (MSRP: $31.99.) And it’s especially timely, as today is Mojito Day.

Like colas, AGWA harnesses the coca leaf as its key ingredient. Think invigorating and  restorative.

AGWA is crafted in Amsterdam from authentic Bolivian coca leaves, blended with 36 natural herbs and botanicals including ginseng, green tea, lavender and guarana. Thank  the herbs for the distinctive green color. The result is a 60 proof relaxer that brings a glow to traditional summer cocktails.

Here’s the recipe

AGWA Mojito:

Ingredients

 1.5oz Frozen AGWA, 12 mint leaves, 2-3 lime wedges, 2 tsp. sugar, 7oz club soda, splash of your favorite rum.

Method

Gently crush the mint leaves in a long glass.  Squeeze the limes over the crushed mint, and add the sugar and crushed ice.  Add the AGWA, your favorite rum, and club soda and stir well.  Garnish with a fresh lime wedge and fresh mint leaves.

 

 

 

TD Bank open on the Fourth

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Want to declare your independence from banker’s hours?

TD Bank branches are open on the Fourth of July. That’s because America’s Most Convenient Bank has its own holiday tradition. Doing business when other banks are closed up tight. That means  you can go to a bank and get help from a friendly teller or loan officer. And get a free pen while you’re at it.

60% off online at Ann Taylor

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It’s super markdown time at Ann Taylor.

20130628_ATS_0701FS2_03Take an extra 60 percent off all sale merchandise purchased online. That means a fetching blue-and-green print cardigan, originally $78 and on sale for $59.99, is now a cool $24. And so on.

The deal also is good at Ann Taylor Loft, where dresses are tagged as low as $25. The sale at both stores  includes clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry and other accessories. There’s no code to fill in. The deep discount is calculated automatically.

But the clock is ticking. The deal ends today.

Dancing on earth in pluggz ballet flats

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1829
pluggz, the folks who brought us earth-friendly flip flops have reinvented another iconic EOS-PW-3Tshoe, the ballet flat. The Classic collection of flats offers a variety of color combinations that compliment jeans, skirts and shorts, as well as pluggz proprietary grounding technology designed into slip-resistant rubber soles.

Last summer, I wrote about pluggz original line of flip flops, which look much classier than your typical beach footwear and are far more comfortable.

That’s also true of the ballet flats, which are nicely detailed and crafted from supple leather leather or linen, dressed up with snappy patent leather or matte grain leather toe caps. (MSRP: $129.) Every gal who is on her toes style-wise should own a pair.

Each pair contains black plugs made from a custom carbon and rubber compound positioned under the weight-bearing part of our foot. The goal is to  ensuring electrical contact between us and the earth. These plugs are designed to conduct free electrons from the earth to our bodies. The idea is bonding — aka “earthing” — and facilitating a flow of energy.

Features also include padded arches and heels with memory foam, moisture wicking, anti-microbial lining and trampoline heels for extra comfort and support.

The ballet flats are available in full and half sizes 6-10 and size 11. Note: pluggz run a tad small so you might want to size up.

 

EatShopGo road trip: McAllen, TX

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We know that lots of Americans cross the Rio Grande to shop in Mexico. In reality, retail flows both ways. And the No. 1 shopping destination for Mexicans shopping north of the border is McAllen, Texas, where you can buy such diverse goods as a $1,000 floral print blouse, wholesale silk flowers, and frothy formal frocks for teens poised to blossom into womanhood.

photoMcAllen, population 130,000, boasts more than 40 shopping centers, according to our hosts, the McAllen Convention & Visitors’ Bureau. Not all are worth visiting if you are only in town for a few days. After all, odds are you have a Target or Walmart not far from home and you will want to reserve a good chunk of time for checking out the region’s spectacular birds and tropical plant life. (More on that in a future blog post.)

Don’t miss Jones & Jones, McAllen’s high-end specialty store, which offers such upscale wares as Mason Pearson brushes, St. Johns resort garb and a luxurious porcelain sink set in an antique vanity. Expect a posh showroom and highly attentive service.

While you are there, grab a bite to eat at Peppers at Uptown, a very good contemporary restaurant in the same shopping center. I highly recommend the Red Drum, grilled redfish served on a bed of saffron rice with white wine cream sauce, crab, tomato and spinach.

58085-1Our favorite repast in McAllen was at Lansky & Brats, an honest-to-goodness steakhouse that could go toe to toe with the best of them in Chicago. It has the vibe of a place where Sinatra would hang out, with clubby booths, dark wood tables and friendly, professional waiters. Lansky’s serves aged prime Midwestern beef and seafood flown in daily, including Alaskan king crab legs.

gallery-photo-1Do venture off Route 336 (aka North 10th Street) into downtown, where JCPenney still boasts its hip mid-century facade. Coqueta’s is one of a number of boutiques that cater to quinceañeras, the extravagant celebrations that are an important rite of passage for Latinas turning 15. Dresses are colorful, over-the-top  confections, typically with full, sweeping ballgown skirts.

During our visit, we saw a lovely quinceañera in a canary yellow gown posing for pictures in front of Nuevo Santander Gallery on North Main Street. The gallery offers museum-quality firearms, Mexican religious icons, original contemporary art and a smattering of jewelry. Located in a Spanish-style stone building, it’s a cool place to browse and acquaint yourself with local artists or do some serious shopping.

photo-1On the other end of the retail spectrum is Tonita’s Ropa Usada, where second-hand clothing is sold by the pound or at dramatic markdowns. Think of it as a treasure hunt, except the gems are designer jeans and gently used Coach bags. Among the notable finds on our visit: a Ralph Lauren sundress, still with its original hang tags, marked at $16.99.

 

From Chile, a red and a white for Dad

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Dad’s sock drawer is full. But there’s always room in the house for wine.

Pop will likely be delighted if you show up for the Father’s Day cookout with a bottle in each hand, a red and a white. Here are two great choices from Vina Ventisquero, a leading producer of estate and single vineyard wines from Chile’s most prestigious growing regions.

image005Queulat Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2012 is pale green to the eye and fruity on the nose, with tropical aromas of grapefruit, lime, pineapple and pear. This isn’t one of those wimpy, flowery Sauv Blancs. It has a pleasingly acid taste, with a slightly flinty finish. Serve this with the salad course or with grilled swordfish.

Ventisquero’s 2011 Pinot Noir Reserva is a gorgeous color, deep ruby tinted with violet. It’s velvety and fruity, with notes of strawberries and sour cherries and gently spicy tones of vanilla. I’d chill it slightly to about 55 degrees and pour it with pork tenderloin or grilled chicken.

Both wines have an MSRP of $17.99, offering both the quality and value we appreciate in Chilean wines. Plus, Dad won’t worry that you are spending too much money on him. Or if he thinks you spent more, that’s OK, too. After all, Dad is worth it.

 

Kiehl’s comes to skin’s rescue

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Even though it’s been around since 1851, Kiehl’s is not yet a household name.

$T2eC16h,!)EE9s2uiwzzBRq2L1UuvQ~~60_12Except in my house and other homes where folks have come to know the brand for its dedication toward keeping our skin healthy and looking good. I’ve written about Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution, a go-to solution for aging skin. I use it regularly on my hands.

Another secret weapon in the line’s arsenal of products to protect our skin from the damaging effects of internal stress is Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer Stress-Minimizer Daily Hydrator (MSRP: $40).

It’s formulated to soothe and calm our frazzled skin by both hydrating and drawing moisture from the air to keep skin plumped up rather than shriveled.

The goal is to break the cycle between our skin and stress and give skin a chance to replenish and heal. With a strong and healthy barrier, skin is far less vulnerable to the slings and arrows of daily life.

In consumer self assessments, 93% of consumers reported their skin felt soothed and comforted after four weeks of use. In clinical trials, 100% showed improvement in overall skin quality, 98% improved in dryness and blotchiness and 77% improved in redness.