American Apparel Flea Market Madness

Well, Pixie insisted I come out of hiding and fulfill my American duty this weekend of braving downtown LA and attending the American Apparel Factory Flea Market. Despite my recently getting laid off and onset of an overspending compulsion, there was no way I was not attending. So I grabbed my good friend, Elisa, and off we went.

I didn't see Dov Charney but was pleased by an impostor who I unfortunately couldn't get a picture of because he kept moving from speaker-pole to speaker-pole to hump it.

One sunburn and forty bucks later, I came home with a bra-cami, two track shirts, a pair of slim denim slacks, and a t-shirt dress (which I suppose is no longer on their site.)

Elisa got the supersexy turtleneck dress, which I give her so much credit for because looking at it made me want to pass out from heat stroke and she actually had the lady-balls to try it on. Dear God, it was a hot day.

Pixie insisted I take a pic of myself with the free taco, but, I'm sorry, Pixie, the taco line was just far too long. Elisa and I hit up a Farmer Boys across the street.

Topshop US Opens on Thursday

Finally!!! Anyone up for a MegaBus ride? I only need the slightest bit of encouragement...

For the opening they're offering free manicures, hairstyling and makeovers by Make Up For Ever (one of my fave pricey brands...) as well as live DJs (inlcuding Justine D. of my fave super-R.I.P. party Tiswas) and other giveaways.

In NYC this week, Topshop vans are all over the island giving out free gift cards: find out exactly where.

Yes, You Can Recycle Lipstick Tubes

Earth Day is Thursday, April 2, and in case you were feeling guilty because you had no intention of planting a baby spruce in an industrial park, never fear! All you need to do is root around in that makeup tray for some empties. Starting April 2 you can bring your empty cosmetic bottles, tubes and jars – regardless of brand – to the nearest Origins retail store or department store and they will recycle them or use them for energy recovery.

The best part? If you're one of the first 50 to do so at one of the below listed locations (Boston babes, you're in luck! Both the Faneuil Hall and Harvard Square stores are participating), you'll walk away with a FREE deluxe size A Perfect World™ Intensely hydrating body cream with White Tea.
Not an early bird? No worries. Origins will also be providing FREE A Perfect World™ hand and arm massages to all attendees.

Participating stores:
Denver, CO - Origins Cherry Creek North
2800 E 2nd Ave
8am to 6pm

Boston, MA - Origins Faneuil Hall
1 Faneuil Hall Market Place
10am-9pm

Cambridge, MA - Origins Harvard Square
8 Brattle Street
10am-9pm

Austin, TX - Origins at Central Park
4001 N. Lamar Blvd. Suite 570
10am-8pm

San Francisco, CA - San Francisco Centre
865 Market Street
9:30am-8pm

This location gifts the first 250:
New York, NY - General Motors Plaza
767 Fifth Avenue @ 5th Avenue

This locations gifts the first 100:
Los Angeles, CA - Origins Century City
10250 Santa Monica Blvd.
10am – 11am

Free Fashion Mag, Anyone?

Want a free subscription to Nylon Magazine? Get it here courtesy of Urban Outfitters.

Spend $25, Get $60 worth? Deal!

My favorite sales are the kind where you "buy one, get two free." It's a rarity to find one outside of the produce section of the grocery store, but those of you heading to the Clinique counter at Nordstrom next month will certainly find a generous deal.

If you spend $25 at a Clinique counter, you get an adorable, large silver makeup bag designed by Trina Turk and stuffed with Clinique goodies. Not the tiny little packets or tubes some places give you (*cough* Sephora...) but a full sized Long Last lipstick, a compact with blush and two eyeshadows, a jar of Repairware Lift cream, a travel-sized tube of Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser, a Lash Doubling mini-mascara, a SPF 15 mini Long Last Glosswear, and a cute little lipstick case with mirror. (All together worth $60.)

My suggestion? Go grab a couple of great Clinique mascaras as stocking stuffers for your besties, and keep the goodie bag for yourself!

Promotion runs Nov. 5 -Nov. 22.

Clinique Lash Power: Sample Alert

Clinique is currently offering a free downloadable widget for brides-to-be to help keep them organized. When you download it, they'll also send you a free sample size of my current FAVORITE mascara ever-- new Lash Power, which is waterproof yet comes off without greasy eye makeup remover. (Check out my full product review.)

P.S. - They don't ask for details, so I'm pretty sure non-brides can get away with a free sample too just by clicking download.

The GAP Gives Free Music Downloads

The Gap, a brand that has thus far already roped many musicians (good and bad) into ad campaign appearances-- some just as models, others actually performing-- is expanding its musical tie-in trend and getting 'em fresh out of the oven. With their "Sound of Color" campaign, they're offering the public free downloads for 30 days-- five songs by emerging musicians and five music videos by different filmmakers- that are supposed to represent colors.

Seattle indie band The Blakes do the color blue ("Magic")
Danish rockers The Raveonettes do the absence and sum of all colors ("Black/White")
Techno artist Dntel does red ("Turning Red")
L.A. folkie Marie Digby does yellow ("Paint Me In Your Sunshine")
Hip-hop artist Swizz Beatz does green ("Candy Paint")

You'd think, being The Gap and all, they'd have covered khaki. Maybe Colbie Caillat was busy?
Get the free songs here. Ends March 15.

Daisy Marc Jacobs: Sample Alert

Its impossible to tell by the list of notes in the description what a fragrance really smells like. Marc Jacobs Daisy, which has been a bestseller at Sephora ever since it came out, contains strawberry, violet, ruby red grapefruit, gardenia, jasmine, musk, vanilla and white wood.
I braved the Macy's cosmetics department to find out what the hell that amounts to last weekend, and found it is extremely light and fresh-- the smell of biting into a really crispy apple. Come summer, this one would be perfect-- it might be a little too light for winter.
Nab yourself a free sample on the official Daisy website, HERE.