Essie Lovers - Check out new Duane Reade club!

Do you love Essie nail colors just as much as I do? Duane Reade is offering a great new perk to Essie lovers.

If you purchase 7 bottles of nail polish you get one free! At $7-8 a bottle that is a pretty sweet deal. Especially if you buy a new polish every few months or every season.

I love the new FALL COLLECTION!

EssieClub

Check it out on the Duane Reade site!

Google Wallet - coming to a phone near you?

I have been hearing a lot about Google Wallet - basically a tap and pay system set-up on your cell phone instead of using a credit card when paying for things. This seems like a revolutionary idea but guess what? Asia is one step ahead of us, they have been doing this for a long time. However it would be super convenient to be able to one day cut up all my credit cards, loyalty cards and bills to consolidate into just having a phone.

I am a bit nervous about hacking and identify theft etc. Basically, loosing your phone could be a lot more damaging than calling up Verizon to tell them to cancel your number! I guess with the newest technology there are always more risks but humans must constantly keep up with the latest.

When you go to pay for your groceries, would you find it easier to just tap your cell phone on the key pad or sift through your bag to find your wallet and open it swipe your card and place it back in?

The "fuzziness" in how race and ethnic groups will be defined

I read in a National Geographic article that soon there will be great fuzziness between how race and ethnic groups are defined. As I work in my job on tracking different ethnic groups and understanding their different buying habits and spending power, it is amazing to think that within the next few decades minorities will grow tremendously and everything will become less black and white (no pun intended).



Coming from a White + Asian household, I think of how I identify myself when I have to classify my race. My last name is Asian but I grew up with a lot stronger influence of my mother's family which is Italian. So I don't really consider myself 100% Asian nor 100% White since I am mixed. While this combination is pretty common now, not too long ago it was unheard of to mix 2 different races together. The statistics stated are that in the 1960's interracial marriages were about 1 in 1000 and now they are 1 in 60. Also, mixed unions have reached a record of 14.6% in the year 2008. People are no longer 100% of one race. They are 1/2 this, 1/4 that and 1/8 of something else etc.

Some other interesting statistics are cited on this graph taken from the magazine:

Out of White + Asian marriages: 74% are White groom with Asian bride
Out of White + Black marriages: 75% are Black groom with White bride

but then on the other hand

Out of White + Hispanic marriages: 53% are Hispanic groom with White bride due to the fact that their populations are most widespread and intertwined.

To me, this information is absolutely fascinating. Could race one day evolve into having a classification for people who are half Asian/half White or half Hispanic/half White etc.? I think it is becoming more difficult to refer to interracial as the typical scenario of half Black/half White.

The needs and values of multicultural populations will be vastly different than that of the "majority" races in today's world. However, companies are already beginning to take note of that and are marketing towards those needs and desires. How will this impact your life?

Out of Stock: Missoni for Target

Apparently Target could not handle the volume on their website when they launched Missoni so it crashed and now e-bay is already flooded with items! Everything seems out of stock.

What does this tell us?

1) Target's online capabilities suck
2) People are still craving fashion on a budget

However, I'm not a huge fan of Missoni. That being said, they have some great home items and I do love the story about how it all started. I read about it in my book 50 fashion designers you should know. He was an olympic runner and his wife was a language student and they began knitting and experimenting with different colors and created a zigzag style which eventually became the trademark. It is a family owned business and continues to be timeless. Check it out:

Missoni for Target

Expiration Dates

Have you ever wondered how long your lotion or cream is good for? Most cosmetics don't have expiration dates but some jars or creams have a little symbol that actually tells you how long it is safe to use.

I actually just picked up a tube of Lilly Pulitzer body lotion in "beachy" and turned it over and found it. How cool is that?

FNO tomorrow!

Originally created a few years ago to help attract consumers back into the stores during the gloom of the recession, Fashions Night Out has become bigger and better than ever! It truly has expanded to nearly every big retail store in the NYC area. There are so many different events happening it really is a difficult decision but I am excited that my office is only blocks from the 59th street flagship Bloomingdales so what will be in store for me? (no pun intended)



Rachel Zoe will be there around 6:30pm and she just launched a new line so that will be interesting. I also love love love MILLY (designer Michelle Smith) partnering with Clinique debuting Fall beauty must-haves. A few blocks away - I heart NY: Barneys will be donating 10% of proceeds to the National September 11th Memorial & Museum. Wow, cannot believe that is just around the corner too.

Haven't decided what to do, check out the website and get excited!

Fashions Night Out

Business Cards: old fashioned or highly effective?

I recently got business cards printed at work and I must admit I still love them. To me, a business card is more than just a little card with contact info on it. I think a business card is a powerful way to provide communication between people who may be good to network with, keep in touch with and/or help you professionally.

In Asian countries, the exchange of business cards is almost a sacred act. One must look at the card, read the details and treat it with the utmost respect (basically you wouldn't want to be caught dead writing on it or putting it in your pocket).

However, with technology becoming such an important part of the business world I can't help but think that business cards are becoming more and more obsolete. When I send an e-mail, all the information on my business card is attached in my signature. When I read the Little Red Book of Selling the book suggested that each time you hand out your card, you should have a wow factor - whether it be a bright color, an embossed logo or some sort of unique symbol that stands out. In the future business cards may change form but I will still cherish them for now.