The holidays are the best time to shop for others and pick up a few things for yourself! (I mean really, who can resist the gift sets and great deals that only happen once a year?!) Obviously if you are shopping on black Friday my suggestion is that you bring a friend AND a healthy dose of good old-fashion patience (which I can never seem to find…) When it comes to picking out your black Friday outfit I would suggest wearing flats because that way you can run if you have to. (Trust me this tip is probably the most important on my list). The next step is to put together a plan of attack so that you can map out which places to hit first.
In an effort to support local Seattle boutiques in the city I would suggest hitting Blackbird in Ballard to pick up something for the boyfriend. They have great outerwear and accessories and they recently added a limited assortment of women’s wear. While you’re out there you can check out Duque Salon and pick up some gift certificates for your friends and then hit Horseshoe next door to pick up a little something for yourself. If you don’t feel like making the trek out to Ballard and you still want to shop at Blackbird you can shop online at http://www.blackbirdballard.com/. Save 20% on your purchases if you shop online by using Coupon Code: BLKFRIDAY at checkout on Black Friday.
If you’re headed downtown to Pacific Place don’t forget to head across the street to Sway & Cake. Everything in the store is 20% off including 7 for All Mankind, Rich & Skinny, Loomstate, Rock & Republic denim and more. They also have a fabulous assortment of delicious Voluspa Candles which make great gifts for the holidays.
When you’re Downtown I’d also suggest heading to the Aveda store for a box of their Comfort Tea ($14 for a box of 20 tea bags). The tea is100% certified organic, tastes amazing and is a great way to unwind after a long day. If you get a box of this tea for a friend may I also suggest picking up a copy of the Elizabeth Gilbert book ‘Eat, Pray, Love’. Wrap them up, put a bow on it, and all of a sudden you have the perfect gift. I'm telling you, this book is better than therapy. It will change your whole life. Laugh now and thank me later.
If you are shopping online in your pj’s on Friday, don’t forget to check out www.sephora.com. Just in time for the holidays (and Black Friday) Sephora is offering free shipping on all orders over $50. That’s like one YSL lipstick and a Dior Show Mascara. Or a Nars Eyeshadow Duo and a tube of Benefit’s Bad Gal Lash mascara. The combinations are endless and let’s face it, $50 bucks doesn’t go very far when it comes to cosmetics at Sephora. This season they have some of the best gift sets I’ve seen in a long time and they always do free gift wrapping. I suggest checking out the limited edition Vincent Longo “Sexy Things” kit. It contains a beige, pink and gold eyeshadow trio, a sheer lipstick, a bronze pink lipgloss, a tube of basic black mascara, a pink blush and a duo eye pencil. That’s a lot of makeup for $58 and since it’s over $50 it ships for free! A MUST on my shopping list is the Lancome Rose Fishnets Juicy Tube set which contains 5 glosses for only $35. That’s like buying two at full price and getting three for free. It’s insane. For the girl who loves makeup and games pick up the Sephora Monopoly Game. It launched last year as a “limited edition” but came at half price for Holiday ‘08 due to the high demand. At a special price of $23 it’s a very chic way to say “Merry Christmas” to the girly-girl on your list. Last year the only thing I wanted was the Clarisonic skin brush because it cleans 6 times better than washing your face by hand. Made by the same company as the Sonicare toothbrush, the Clarisonic skin brush is durable, waterproof and guarantees to improve your skintone and texture. Think of it as a daily mini-microderm treatment right in your own home. If you don’t have one…add it to your list immediately.
My last recommendation is for Endless.com because they have a ton of shoes and handbags for majorly discounted prices. The best part is that they ship everything overnight for free which means less waiting and more time breaking in your brand new shoes.
Happy Shopping!!!
Photo: Danielle Meder Illustration
