I’m not lying when I say the low point of this week was finding out someone stole my first Gilt Group purchase, a $25 starter kit of products from Jessica Simpon’s line, BeautyMint. The Lipstick Effect truly is solid economic theory; months ago I came home to a Staples delivery to find my new shredder and WiFi multifunction printer in plain sight, no Staples box or brown paper to disguise them. So let me get this straight – no one wants $300 in electronics but they do want $25 in beauty products. Yes, that makes sense. Vanity first people.

Naturally after a shitty week I was horrified to learn that my building inauguration – my first case of package theft – left me moisturizer free. Need I remind you people how bloody cold and windy it is in Boston?! So, I headed to CVS before work to find a moisturizer. A pleasant surprise is what I found.

In the past I’ve been amazed at how effective Neutrogena’s marketing campaigns were because there’s nothing natural about their products, at least no more so than any other mass market brand. And yet the average shopper seems to think Neutrogena products are more gentle. Hell until a few years ago it was impossible to find a Neutrogena sunscreen with a physical blocker (look for the baby line in pink packaging).

But, then came Neutrogena naturals, a line free of parabens, sulfates, dyes, petrochemicals, and phthalates. The line launched with a lip balm/chapstick, a few cleansers (bar and liquid), and a gentle exfoliant, the latter of which I use twice a week. But, no serum or moisturizer. Until now.

I've got no lightbox so the back of a glossy will have to do for you people!

Today I found the Neutrogena naturals multi-vitamin nourishing moisturizer. First thing, please note there’s no SPF in here, so one needs to add that on top of the moisturizer, either as a separate layer or within a foundation. But, it’s nasty-free and filled with vitamin-rich ingredients. Among the ingredients on the back are elements sourced from: coconut/palm kernel, olive and palm oil, yerba mate tea, cassava (yucca), and Peruvian Tara seed (more research to come). Sure, the palm oil is probably not sustainably sourced and these aren’t top notch ingredients, but it’s gentle and paraben and sulfate free, meaning it’s gentle enough for daily use, even for us sensitive hormonal types. Plus, the price is the best I’ve seen yet at just ~$15 for 3 oz. Most serums and day and night creams retail for $15-20 for 1 oz so this is a steal. I can only hope a serum is coming soon, preferably with licorice to quell red, winter skin.

Ann Taylor continued its streak of celebrity models with the addition of Kate Hudson, the face of the spring 2012 campaign. The actress and mother of two follows prior celeb models for the brand, including Demi Moore. Kristen Dykstra, senior v.p. of brand marketing for the Ann Taylor division of ANN INC. added: “While she is most known as a beautiful and talented actress, she is also a devoted mother, daughter, sister and philanthropist who manages to do it all with a radiant smile, joie de vivre and effortless style.”

In a press release, Hudson said: “As a young girl I looked up to the sophisticated style of Ann Taylor so it’s been very cool to see how the brand has evolved to meet the changing needs of modern women. The new Ann Taylor is not afraid to be sexy and real – because they design for every generation.”

Fashion photographer Tom Munro shot the campaign at a Pasadena, California estate with views of the San Gabriel Mountains. Designs come under the direction of Head Designer Lisa Axelson.

All products featured in the spring 2012 campaign will be available by late February in Ann Taylor stores and on www.anntaylor.com.

American Express recently announced a new multi-year e-commerce deal to boost online business and establish ties with Web consumers. Amex plans to commit $100 million, with a focus on early stage e-commerce startups.

Amex’s new digital commerce initiative will be run from its new Silicon Valley office, with Harshul Sanghi at the helm as managing partner of the Enterprise Growth Group. Sanghi recently ran Motorola Mobility Ventures. The digital commerce initiative will evaluate potential investment opportunities in companies dealing with major features of the digital commerce experience, such as loyalty and rewards, mobile and online payment management, fee-based services, security and fraud detection and data analysis.

Woman-owned functional fashion brand Ame Ame is opening its first boutique in the East Village on Wednesday November 16. Founded and run by a Queens resident, Ame Ame was until now, a Web-based retailer of rain gear, from Wellies to trenches.

Celebrate hump day with a jaunt in the East Village and support a woman-owned business. Plus, Ame Ame’s website has rain gear for dogs so the store will likely have goods for your kids too.

Click here for more info.

Jobs are like relationships– both start with a honeymoon period, the rush of the new. The honeymoon ends at about three months at which point the job becomes real with overnight responsibility and the relationship is real. After that, the next six months are OK, the lust or love develops and you grow into the job. But months nine to 12 are rough because it’s at that point you realize are in deep and all you know is how much you don’t know.

When it comes to jobs and relationships, I may be still be very much a work-in-progress. But shopping for kids clothing– oh that territory I know. I have to buy a new baby present at least twice a year, or at least it feels like that often, and most often I’m tardy to the point where all the appliances — tummy time mat, crib accessories, BPA-free bottles– have been purchased. That leaves me with no choice but to buy said parents fabulous clothes for the kid.

You will not find any Carter’s, The Children’s Place, or Gymboree in my gift bag. No sir. This hip aunt will be bringing bags of clothes from The Gap, Zara, H&M, and local boutiques, like Twinkle Star of North Cambridge. But now, well now I’m planning the hipster outfits I’ll be getting the babies in my network thanks to Gwen Stefani. The rocker-mom-cum-designer has inked a deal with Target and her Harajuku Mini for Target line is coming to Target stores just in time to get your kids fab plaid and punk-inspired fashions for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays.

Stefani’s Harajuku Mini for Target, an exclusive, features apparel and accessories for girl and boy infants and toddlers as well as tween girls. The first set of what will be an ongoing collection is due out Nov. 13. The collection is comprised of 80 clothing and accessory items, including overalls, hoodies, and pants, as well as faux-leather jackets and accessories such as bags, with prices ranging from $3.99 to $29.99.

Look out for the second installment of the collection starting at Christmas.

Target recently added a new skincare brand to its shelves with the addition of Nip + Fab, skin and body care collection from the U.K.’s Maria Hatzistefanis. Nip + Fab’s products are reportedly clinically tested.

The line is made up of 14 products, each developing with a specific beauty issue in mind, from anti-aging and eye brightening, to  skin plumping and cellulite smoothing. Each product blends natural and lab-made products that aim to smooth, moisturize, and firm the skin.

Among the product offers are items to lessen the appearance of cellulite, quick face wipes, potions to tackle under eye circles and frown lines, a hyperpigmentation item, and a tinted moisturizer.

Products range in price from $5.95 to $18.95. Visit Target.com for more info.

Click here for the Nip + Fab website.

Publicly-traded beauty giant Estée Lauder Companies has inked a deal to launch a fragrance with socialite and clothing designer Tory Burch. EL Companies unit Aramis and Designer Fragrances has joined forces with  Tory Burch LLC via a multi-year agreement to license the Tory Burch fragrance business globally. This is Burch’s first move in the beauty sector.

Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz

In a release, Burch said: ”Fragrance is a natural extension of our brand — we will create unique fragrances that complement a woman’s innate beauty. Fragrance is a part of my daily routine, and it evokes strong memories of my mother and grandmother. I still remember their favorite scents.”

The first scent is due out in 2013.

The business of at-home skincare devices is expected to reach the $1 billion mark in 2011, according to a recent report from research firm Kline & Company. The consultancy released a report entitled At-home Skin Care Device 2011: U.S. Market Analysis and Opportunities in August 2011, revealing that the market is expected to hit the $1 billion mark within the retail sector, and has growth potential into the next five years.

The growth of the market is pegged to a demand for alternatives to expensive and time-consuming in-office procedures. The market sector is topped by Clarisonic, an early entrant, though the likes of Neutrogena and Zeno have since entered with at-home devices, with offerings ranging from cleansing aids to anti-acne and anti-aging products.

Kline’s Professional Skin Care research showed anti-aging remains the top skin care worry among consumers, and topicals, aka lotions and potions that are applied on top of the skin, such as serums and moisturizers, account for 40% of that market.

When it comes to DIY skincare devices, TV sellers and etailers are banking. According to Kline Consumer Products Industry Manager Karen Doskow, direct sales has about 60% of the total at-home skincare device market, with direct sales comprising home shopping networks, infomercials, and e-commerce.

Side note: one reason this sector may be growing so fast is that many Americans lack the means to pay a doctor out of pocket to get dermal filler injections, Botox, a chemical peel, or a laser facial. But for less than $50 they can splurge on a DIY device at the drugstore and get that pampering feel on a daily basis. This is what we’d call everyday luxury.

Years ago when New Yorkers heard a little known Japanese store called Uniqlo was coming to Broadway in SoHo, we heard it described as “the Gap of Japan.” Fast forward five years and Fast Retailing, Uniqlo’s parent company, is gearing up for the much anticipated launch of two huge new U.S. stores, both located in New York. To date, the SoHo store is the only U.S. Uniqlo location but the addition of the 34th Street and Fifth Avenue stores will bring the stateside count to three, not including the pop-up stores around Manhattan.

Uniqlo's 64,000 sq. ft. 34th Street location opens Friday October 21, 2011

What is so special about Uniqlo? At first glance, nothing. But affordable cashmere and skinny jeans that give you the illusion of the ass you’ve always wanted are actually a monumental delivery from a retail company. Now that The Gap no longer has Patrick Robinson as its design guru, one might guess that it is vulnerable to a foreign invasion of the “basics” market.

Now skinny jeans are a touchy subject among women but I think I’ve sold at least five women I know on the ones from Uniqlo. Granted it was a sad day when I learned that the $40 miracle jeans went from a cotton-synthetic blend to all cotton, which means less give, which means more reality about the way one’s rear actually looks. But, Uniqlo still holds a place in my heart. Given that I’m in Boston and I missed all of New York Fashion Week, I thought it apt to show a business perspective on a growing international retailer, Japan’s Uniqlo. Uniqlo Americas COO Yasunobu Kyogoku told Bloomberg in a video interview that we can expect more designer collaborations from Uniqlo. For now, we’ll focus on the facts: two new stores, a visible corporate social responsibility policy, sponsorship of a new roller skating rink in a hip Manhattan ‘hood, and an initiative with the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees.

Uniqlo's Fifth Avenue store, their largest store in the world, opens Friday October 14, 2011

There’s a reason I’m dying to know if this stock is available for purchase stateside. They are as ambitious as Forever 21, which has a gigantic store in Times Square that’s open past midnight, just in case you need a new outfit around 1 a.m. But these two companies have entirely different strategies. Forever 21 pursues the buyers in search of cheap trendy goods they can afford to trash after a season. Uniqlo goes after those seeking staples like nice denim, lounge wear and cashmere sweaters. Both are making big bets and one can only imagine the rent Fast Retailing is paying for the 89,000 square feet that will be home to its new Fifth Avenue locale. But I say, never underestimate the power of a pair of skinny jeans and the Uniqlo jeans have gone viral. So have their non-bubble puffy jackets. How many places in the Northeast can a lady find a warm down jacket that doesn’t make her feel like a cow, and that comes with an adorable faux-fur trimmed hood, for about $200? Right now my answer is one: Uniqlo. And, these used to sell for only $95! Sex may sell but vanity draws sales.

The two new stores in Gotham are opening a week apart and according to a 2010 report from Bloomberg, represent the beginning of Uniqlo’s U.S. expansion, which originally faltered when they made an attempt at a New Jersey store. This time around, they are hitting NYC hard, likely with the plan to push for press, supported not just because of the quality of product, and the size and design of the two new stores, but also because they are sponsoring a roller skating rink under the High Line in Meatpacking, one of NYC’s most hip areas. The rink is open until Sept. 26 and is on the northern end of the High Line, at 30th Street and Tenth Avenue. There is an onsite bar and food trucks are in rotation. All in all, this is a great publicity ploy that will last for two years.

Uniqlo also brought its recycling initiative to the West, with a Sept. 1 start for stores in the U.S., U.K., and France. The program is a partnership the company has with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Originally the company planned to have customers bring in old Uniqlo threads to be recycled for “industrial use” but they then decided to have the clothing go to refugee camps. According to a recent press release, the company has, over the last five years, “provided 4.23 million items as aid to refugees and survivors of disasters.” That definitely trumps H&M’s dealings with clothing recycling, or lack thereof.

On January 6, 2010 no one wanted to be a publicist for H&M. The day prior a New York Times article had revealed that clothing the company determines they are unable to sell is not always donated or recycled for industrial use. The then discovery of seemingly unused clothes in the trash outside an H&M store caused a big stir, for H&M and Wal-Mart, as a student found bags of seemingly unused products on the street meant for sale at Wal-mart, too.  Within a day, the New York H&M rep said it wouldn’t happen again and that it wasn’t standard practice. But one can see how a little thing is not without impact.

Uniqlo’s recycling program only allows for the collection of Uniqlo garments, which must be washed before donated. donations from the U.S. stores will go to refugee and IDP camps thanks to the collaboration with UNHCR, while the collections from stores in the U.K. and France will be distributed among the homeless via local nonprofits.

That said, Uniqlo is not without critics. Greenpeace included the retailer in a recent report and alleged that some items from foreign Uniqlo stores had chemicals on them, though the report allegedly says the amount of chemicals on the clothing was not believed to pose any health risk to those wearing it. The truth is, if we wear cotton clothes and they are not made from organic cotton, we are likely wearing clothes made with cotton coated in pesticides, just as the non-organic food we eat is likely coated in pesticides. The truth is out there, we just have to decide what we want to do with it. Right now, clean food seems like a more important fight than chemical-free clothing.

Click here to learn more about Uniqlo