It’s that time of year again when the fashion world unites for a one-night only worldwide celebration to kick off Fashion Week. Retailers transform their stores into party zones with shopping incentives, beauty bargains and other special surprises. Last year, I was on the scene for
Fashion’s Night Out. However, I’ll be sitting this one out for a very good reason. I’m expecting my first baby! Of all due dates, mine falls on Sept. 8th — Fashion’s Night Out. How fitting that my little one wants to enter this world in style. I’ll keep you updated on the arrival.
In the mean time, since I’ll be missing the fun festivities, I’m counting on you to take my spot. For all the Chicagoans, If I coulda, I woulda been heading to Macy’s Water Tower Place for the third annual event. The retailer is going all out with beauty raffles every 30 minutes, photo booths, and spa treatments, among other exciting stuff. Plus, the newly revamped beauty floor is bananas with high-tech lighting, a feng shui feeling layout and top-notch brands. Many of the counters are offering gifts with purchase and other treats for the taking just for this one occassion. Click on the below slideshow for a sneak peek at some of the incredible products and perks that await. Happy Shopping!
Estee Lauder’s Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator
This serum is like candlelight in a bottle. The formula, which goes on clean skin before moisturizer, contains a blend of proprietary ingredients that help to brighten skin, even out redness and discoloration and blur the look of imperfections to give your face a warm glow.
Exclusive FNO Offer: Purchase Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator and score a 7-piece choice gift-with-purchase including: Advance Night Repair, Soft Clean Tender Cream Cleanser, Pure Color Eye Shadow Quad, Sumptous Mascara, Pleasures Fragrance, Pure Color Lipstick in Navy Multi-Color Floral Heritage Print. Spend a little more ($65) and get your choice of deluxe moisturizers worth $130: Resilience Lift Firming/Sculpting Face and Neck Cream (day or night) or Time Zone Line and Wrinkle Reducing Creme 15 (day or night).
bareMinerals Prime Time Primer Shadow
These gorgeous cream shadows double as primer so they won’t crease or budge no matter how oily or crepey your lids. They glide on evenly with the stroke of a fingertip, and all of the flattering shades look luxe with subtle flecks of shimmer.
Exclusive FNO Offer: Spend $65, which is easy to do because every product is better than the next, and leave with a special gift.
Sue Devitt Tinted Body Moisturizer
Best accessory for a glam cocktail dress: golden skin. This body bronzer hides imperfections, creates a sexy sheen and has a water-based, oil-free formula that’s friendly to sensitive skin types.
Exclusive FNO Offer: Receive 3 deluxe samples with $50 purchase; 1 full-size product and 3 deluxe samples with $100 purchase; 2 full-size products and 3 deluxe samples with $150 purchase.
Philosophy Purity Cleanser
It’s no wonder Philsophy’s Purity Cleanser is a best seller. It makes sense of our skin, striking the perfect balance between cleanser and conditioner. It manages to remove dirt and makeup without stripping skin raw and works up to a satisfying lather that leaves you feeling, pure, indeed.
Exclusive FNO offer: Spend $50 and receive this Purity face wash along with a black Philosophy bag, Field of Flowers Shower Gel/Lotion, Microdelivery Enzyme Peel and Hope in a Tinted Moisturizer.
Clarisonic Mia
Anyone who’s into beauty will agree the Clarisonic Mia deserves its standing as a cult favorite. This baby will give your skin a deep cleanse that only a pro treatment can rival. The brush rotates, creating a “micro-massage” action that removes 6x more makeup and 2x more dirt and oil from your pores compared to the old-fashioned way of washing up with your hands.
StriVectin-SD Instant Retexturizing Scrub
Perhaps best known for their anti-cellulite creams, StriVectin continues to churn out products that solve our biggest beauty concerns. For example, if flaky skin is your issue, this face and neck exfoliator is your solution. It gently removes dead cells, leaving behind smoother, even skin.
Exclusive FNO Offer: You won’t want to pass up this counter on Sept. 8th. StriVectin is pampering guests with 5-minute tightening and lifting massages. Plus, if you spend $69 on any product from the brand, you’ll get this $45 face scrub for FREE!
Fashion Fair Daily Protecting Moisturizer SPF 15
A moisturizer with SPF is a skincare staple, and this one is the perfect year-round go-to with SPF 15. The oil-free, fragrance-free formula won’t break you out yet it’s hydrating enough to soothe dryness with vitamins A and E.
Exclusive FNO Offer: Score a Dusty Rose full-size lipstick, trial of Special Formula Lotion, skin care samples for different skin conditions and a Fashion Fair bag with a purchase of $40 or more.
Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream
When your eyes are dragging, this ginseng-infused eye cream will wake ‘em up. It leaves behind a cooling sensation that feels like a cold splash of water, deflates puffiness and has a slight hint of shimmer that brightens dark circles.
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
One of the brand’s best sellers, this primer is the key to locking your shadow in place. Apply the lightweight base on lids, follow with your favorite shadow and there’s no need to check yourself again. This formula’s got the muscle to prevent makeup from fading no matter how long your day.
The original shattering nail polish has gone pink! OPI has introduced Pink Shatter: Pink of Hearts Nail Lacquer, $8.50. Proceeds support Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
A personal favorite for putting broken blood vessels to rest: Darphin Redness Relief Soothing Serum, $85. For eachserum purchased, $15 will go toward the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Stila Positive and Pretty Palette, $14. It’s a limited-edition palette with four eye shadows, cheek color and a highlighter.
Way to save a pretty penny! A total of 10% of proceeds will go to a variety of BCA charities, including the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
There’s nothing more comfy-cozy-yummy than Alternative Apparel. The clothing line has partnered with all Urban Outfitters stores and Susan G. Komen for the Cure to introduce the Pink Ribbon Collection, 
which features the brand’s best-selling tees, tanks, dresses and hoodies all in pink. Urban Outfitters stores and the Alternative Apparel website will sell the line through the remainder of 2011. Urban Outifitters has already made a $60,000 donation to Komen and Alternative will donate 10% of the retail price from online sales to Komen.
A few months ago, we decked out our pouts with Violent Lips temporary lip tattoos. Now you can mouth off wearing The Pink Ribbon Collection. A set of three tattoos is $9.99 and $2 from every sale will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Coalition.
Charles Albert Pink Jasper Ring, $170. The jewelry designer will be donating 25% of sales of the ring to Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization
Pureology hair products rarely go on sale so here’s one deal to take advantage of. In support of breast cancer awareness, you can get a set of PureVolume Shampoo and PureVolume HairCondition for $39. Even better, Pureology will make a $20,000 donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Estee Lauder is always thinkin’ pink. The Limited Edition Evelyn Lauder Pink Ribbon Collection, $24, is a chic lipstick/clutch combo. They will donate 20% of the suggested retail price to The Breast Cancer Research 
Foundation. 
Can you believe…Maybeline’s iconic Great Lash Mascara has been around for 40 years! (Amazing how time flies). To celebrate the anniversary of this die-hard, cult favorite, fashion favorites Max Azria, Tracy Reese and Vivienne Tam got their hands on the iconic pink and green tubes, each putting their own twist on them to create fab limited-edition designs. Aren’t they cute?!
This special collection debuts August 14th exclusively at target.com and Target stores nationwide starting August 21st. (I assume you all know by now how much I love 
We all have our favorite 
My Aunt Karyn was a fan of professional straightening treatments because they really did stamp out her chronic frizz. However, the controversy surrounding the safety of the chemicals in those formulas put the kibosh on her salon visits, and she employed me to find her an alternative. I gave her 
Another souped up frizz-fighter is 
If three days of smooth hair doesn’t cut it, 
