The Funky Apple | A New York City Blog

Luxury skin treatments often seem rather extravagant and chock-full of fancy ingredients, but today’s facial treatment puts the rest to shame: Cosme Proud is offering a mini-facial today, using their line of products made with 24 karat gold!

Rubbing gold on your face may seem a bit silly at first blush, but the delightful Mitsuko, Cosme Proud’s rep at Limelight Marketplace (6th Avenue at 20th Street), will take you step by step, explaining the science behind the luxe ingredients, and choosing the best formulations for your skin type.

The mini-facial includes exfoliation with 24 gold flakes, which dissolve into your skin.  Of all the products, I think this one (pictured above) has to be my favorite – it doesn’t feel at all rough (like every other exfoliant I’ve encountered), but it really works.  A minute after massaging it in, dead skin seems to magically remove itself.  There was a noticeable improvement in the tone and texture of my skin afterwards. You really have to try it for yourself!

And today you can have a free mini facial with a $28 minimum purchase at Cosme Proud (located on the second floor of Limelight Marketplace). Appointments are preferable (212-559-3361), so head over and tell Mitsuko The Funky Apple sent you!

Tomorrow, Levi’s is promoting their new Curve ID jeans – with custom cuts for different body types – with their “Wear What Fits” event in Bryant Park (6th Avenue at West 41st St).  Starting at 10am, Levi’s will be exchanging your old pair of jeans (or other article of clothing) for a new pair of Curve ID jeans.  They will be donating all the exchanged clothing to Goodwill, so bring something in good, wearable quality.

If free, well-fitting jeans are not enough, there will also be a performance by the fashion-forward Janelle Monae, and the Today Show’s celebrity stylist Bobbie Thomas will be there dishing out tips.

The event starts at 10am, but these type of events often fill up quickly, and the free jeans are first come, first serve, so we recommend you get there early.  If you are just interested in the performance, Janelle Monae should be going on around 12:30 pm.

If the clothing swap is not your style, there is a good old fashioned shop-with-money event going on tonight as well!  Banana Republic’s semi-annual After 5 Style Event is happening at their SoHo Flagship store (550 Broadway) from 5-9pm.  There will be a fashion show, giveaways, complimentary makeovers by The Body Shop, free skincare consultations by Dermalogica, and a jazz performance by LaRe.  Banana Republic is also offering 25% off any purchase over $100, and the new fall collection will be on the floor.

Tonight, In Good Company Workplaces is hosting their first clothing swap party.  Starting at 6 pm, they will be collecting your unwanted clothes and giving you swap tokens in return.  At 7, your free shopping spree begins, and you can take as many pieces as you have tokens.

As with any good clothing swap, there are guidelines.  IGC suggests that if you would not lend an item to a friend, don’t bring it to swap.  The clothing should be gently used and in good, wearable condition.  IGC is also doling out tokens based on the value of the item, so if you have pricey pieces you never wear, you will get fair compensation for swapping them!  Details of the token system can be found on their facebook page.

The event is also offering finger foods and drinks, as well as free styling to help you maximize your new pieces.  You must RSVP to igcrsvp@gmail.com and put SWAP in the Subject Line.  The event is located at 16 W 23rd St.

[Pic: Clemmie & Melroy]

A couple of weeks ago we told you about the Harlem H&M’s “Grand Reopening,” complete with free shopping bucks for the first 200 people in line. If you couldn’t make it, you are in luck: The Soho H&M (558 Broadway) is throwing the same shindig tomorrow morning, only this time, the first 300 people in line get “giveaways and special offers, including fashion passes with random values between $10 and $300!”  And once again, one lucky winner will win a pre-opening pass to shop their own private H&M before the doors open!

The doors open at 10am, but we suggest getting there early if you want to nab one of those coveted spots in the first 300!  Happy shopping!

Best get a move on your shopping boys and girls, because the (tax) free ride ends here.

New York State’s INCREDIBLY SUPER LATE budget (seriously, 125 days late. If this were an essay, you’d have failed and been left back) included $1 billion in new taxes, including a sales tax on clothes under $110.

The sales tax was removed permanently in 2007, but hey, nothing’s forever. The sales tax will go into effect on October 1st. [Gothamist]

Get ready to get to feed your coffee and Google addictions: Starbucks just announced via it’s twitter account that it will be offering free wifi at all US locations starting July 1st. No registration required. [Twitter via Lifehacker]