A Juicy Exclusive

It isn't too often that Juicy produces pieces that are exclusive to their boutiques or website. It's even less often that they send out e-mails about it!

This is the only charm-related piece from their new exclusives.. other items include tracksuits and handbags, so you may want to check out all of their exclusives here.

I've never been wild about the engagement ring charms, despite my deep and undying love for diamonds. I won't be getting this bracelet but it's a really cute concept for those of you who are into the ring charms. The stone colors don't vary at all; they're all clear with the exception of one ring that has pearls. The cuts don't change much, either.. everything is pretty round. The band styles are somewhat similar, as well. The only really unique piece I see on the bracelet is the "flat" engagement ring on the right.

At $118 I would have expected a lot more detail and variety! The bracelet is available now at JuicyCouture.com.

Pink Alert: $25 off $100 or more

Have you checked your e-mail yet today? If not, you might be pleasantly surprised to find an "invitation" to save $25 off of a $100 purchase at Juicy stores this week. The promotion is only good toward Juicy's "new collection" -- I really have no idea what exactly that means. The fine print is vague at best so I called my local Juicy to inquire. The SA said she thinks it's good on any $100+ purchase of regular priced merchandise. Yay! I'll be trying it out later today.. the boutique already has in the gingerbread house, candy cane, hot cocoa, and snowflake. And even though I already have the first three and don't really collect the snowflakes I'm possibly OCD enough to want the silver versions of the gingerbread house and candy cane anyway.

It's good to see Juicy upping the discounts they're offering.. they're finally putting themselves in a position to compete with online retailers still offering discount codes. I prefer shopping at the boutiques when the prices are right (or I can't wait) because the tax here almost always comes out lower than shipping prices. If you didn't get the e-mail just click on the picture to the left and it will open a larger version that you can print out and take with you.

Also -- I noticed today when I checked up on the blog that some of the Google Ads that came with the Google Ad feature are atrocious. Don't buy from any suspicious websites that pop up on there.. the only reason I enabled ads is to help offset the cost of any giveaways/promotions I decide to do and so far the blog has earned a whopping $2. ;) It's not a big deal - just download AdBlocker Plus for Firefox, keep it updated, and you will most likely never see them.

Craving: Charm Box

Between the avalanche of releases (Halloween charms out in August?!) and this must-have-one Charm Box, I think Juicy has finally realized that they have a very loyal base of customers who are primarily interested in one thing: charms.

I love the way this looks, but I'm torn. I am obsessive enough to have kept every single original box with each charm, save for a handful that came on bracelets that I no longer have. I'd really only have use for one box to keep these little individual charms in, but a part of me really wants a ton. I think I'll set my maximum cap at 2, though. One for storing the singles and another one to hold my most worn ones. Still, at almost $70 a piece I'm not sure that I could justify two at the end of the day.

Each one holds 18 charms, so I assume it's a two-tiered box. Juicy's site lists a "window top" in the description which makes me believe that it's some sort of plastic and not glass. That and the price may be the only things I'm not absolutely loving about this new couture container.

$: 68.00
Where: Pre-order from JuicyCouture.com
Buyin' or Eyein'?: Buying at least one.
Plus One?: Soooo tempted..
Misc.: Fall 09 - listed ship date is 10/14.

Discount Code Showdown: The Battle Begins!

The economy has been pinching everyone, myself not excluded. So it's no surprise that many of us are on the hunt for a bargain, whether it comes in the form of cash back, rewards points, free shipping, discounts, or even freebies with your purchase. Lately many of us have become accustomed to scores of deals as retailers try to boost sales with a wide range of incentives. But are some ready to scale back?

It looks like Juicy is putting the squeeze on retailers. After unsuccessfully trying to redeem a code at RevolveClothing.com and then inquiring about it, I got this e-mail:

Hi there,

Thank you for your inquiry. I do apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you. Unfortunately, a number of designers have been added to our list of restricted brands earlier this year, including Juicy Couture, J Brand, Kicking Mule, Alexander Wang, and Preen. I am very sorry for the inconvenience but due to a manufacturer's request, we are not allow to apply any discounts/coupons on any of our restricted brands. If we would like to continue doing business with these designers, we must abide by their policies. We are very sorry for any confusion. We truly appreciate your patience and understanding in this matter. Please feel free to contact us if there is anything else I may further assist you with. Thank you for your interest in Revolve Clothing. We appreciate your business!

Regards,
Customer Service
RevolveClothing.com

Could this be a lame attempt by Juicy to boost sales at their own boutiques, which rarely ever offer a discount? Even the sales that they put out are lukewarm -- you're lucky if you find 5 pieces of jewelry on sale at any given time. Whatever the reason, it looks like the list of places where you can get charms at a discount has narrowed by 1.

Are Juicy Couture charms worth $50 a pop? Rarely, and the ones that are are often priced higher than that! I'm disappointed, and Revolve is in danger of losing more customers with every brand that is cut from their discount list.

So where can you still redeem discount codes? ShirleyAndCompany.com, ShopBellaBeach.com, MeringueBoutique.com, and ShopRapunzels.com. Bookmark RetailMeNot.com -- that's the best site to find discount codes if you don't have the time to ask around.

On The Horizon: Silver Shield

Holy crackerjacks Batman, I'm alive! My sincerest apologies for being gone so long - I tend to totally disconnect whenever I go on vacation or I'm out of town. I had a great time though, and it feels good to be home now. Enough neglecting - on with the good stuff!!

Debuting in under a month is Juicy's rather pretty silver shield. That means a little something, given that I traditionally am not a fan of the shield charms at all. I think they'd be perfect for a Juicy employee to wear, or maybe for a die hard fanatic of the brand. I am neither and often pass on them. But there's something about this one that has piqued my interest. Is it the contrasting pink and silver? Possibly. Is it the sweet little banner that wraps around the middle and gives it some dimension? Could be. The shield keeps it cute and simple and would look great on a small handbag or clutch.

$: 48.00
Where: Pre-order from JuicyCouture.com
Buyin' or Eyein'?: Eyein' for now, unless the price drops by quite a bit
Plus One?: Nope
Misc.: late Summer 09 - listed ship date is 08/12.

On The Horizon: Football Helmet

Ready! Set! Hike!

The only sport I'm really a fan of is ice hockey, but I have to give props to Juicy for trying to include their more athletic fans. This helmet will make a nice addition to the LE Football that was released some time ago. Note that this charm is also LE so you might want to scoop it up whenever you get the chance. The football didn't sell out immediately, but very few (if any at all) made it to the outlets.

Again, it would have been nice if Juicy had included other views of this charm on their website. Hopefully it looks just as realistic from the front as it does from the side.

$: 48.00
Where: Pre-order from JuicyCouture.com
Buyin' or Eyein'?: Eyein'
Plus One?: Nope
Misc.: late Summer 09 - listed ship date is 07/15.

Pink Alert: Free Gift at Juicy Couture Boutiques

A few days ago I posted about a sweet little coupon that came in the back of a Juicy catalog, good for 20% off your entire purchase plus a freebie valued at $16. I solved the mystery this morning when this very hot pink lipstick was added to my bag after I paid.

Honestly I'm not wild about the color at all - it is a nearly neon magenta color and I can't think of any occasion on which I'd wear it. Sure, I could tone it down with a different lipstick or some lipgloss, but that seems like more effort than it's worth. I'm really digging the safety pin embellishment, though!

Pink Alert: 20% off at Juicy + Free Gift!

Have you been checking your mail lately? To be honest I almost never flip through the Juicy catalogs when they come, because they mostly showcase clothes and not what I'm really after. So when a mini summer catalog popped up in my mailbox I was planning on tossing it, but decided to flip through it at the last minute.

Good thing I did! On the last page you'll find a coupon, good for 20% off plus a free gift with any full priced purchase, valued at $16. This offer is good through May 29th and doesn't specify whether the 20% is for one item or your entire purchase. However, the fine print reads: "on a single purchase of full price item." Not that this helped much, as I'm still unsure of what they mean. This offer is only valid at regular Juicy boutiques in the U.S. - outlets, JuicyCouture.com, and international boutiques are excluded from the promo. I will definitely try to use this coupon.. if only the new summer charms had come in already! If I manage to snag the free gift I'll let you know what it is (though I'm not sure I've ever seen anything Juicy priced at less than $20, save for their new nail polish, lipstick, and lip balms).

The coupon isn't valid when reproduced or duplicated, which is why I watermarked it. Better start checking those mailboxes!

On The Horizon: Pretzel

Spotted at Juicy's website: Flecked with pave crystal salt, a very tasty pretzel is coming to dinner with the golds.

I certainly hope you weren't hungry before you came over here, because I'm sure that you are now. I look at this charm and I can smell a hot pretzel baking somewhere. Juicy kept this charm pretty true to life; although the salt is far too orderly to be realistic they went and turned the pieces into crystals to make up for it. The twist is spot on, the color looks fantastic - I'd have to say that Juicy seems to be getting better at the food charms (if you'll recall my laundry list of complaints on the milkshake/ice cream soda). This may be one of those that I wait until I can find it at a decent discount.. I really don't feel like it's one that I'm going to pay full price for. Having said that, I know myself well enough to say that if it starts flying off the shelves across the country I will be picking one up wherever I can find it.

Again, sorry for the tiny picture. Click on over to Juicy's website for a bigger version on the ordering page.

$: 42.00
Where: Pre-order from JuicyCouture.com
Buyin' or Eyein'?: Buying, eventually.
Plus One?: Nope.
Misc.: Summer 2009 - ship date is listed as 6/10.

Diversion: Pretzel Earrings

I know that many of you are excited about the pretzel charm. I'm on the fence about it, but I'm sure it'll come home with me eventually. However, as soon as I saw these I knew I should post them.

I may even like these earrings more than the charm - they're quite dainty (as Juicy's stud earrings usually are) and will, most likely, look like a loose knot unless you're standing close.

The price is a little steep, coming in at $42. That may put a pinch in the wallets of those of you who are nuts about pretzels, since the charm is the same price. But look at them! Super tiny golden pretzels! Yeah, alright, I've convinced myself. I guess I'll be adding these to the list, too.

Diversion: Open-Heart Rope Bracelet

I have something to confess: I'm not exclusive to Juicy charms. Some of you are, many of us aren't and I have a great love for most of Juicy's merchandise, despite how frilly and high-maintenance their stuff can feel some times. I digress.

This bracelet is going on my summer list of "musts" for several reasons. One? Pink. Two? Heart! Three? Well, just look at it. It also comes in white, and I think they'd both make a sweet little bonus detail for any outfit and any occasion. The heart also happens to match a pearl necklace that I just received, so that may have something to do with my fanfare. I'm also excited about the simplicity of the detail - no little baubles and beads hanging off the rope, and the rope itself is quite orderly (which I so appreciate). The price ($35) is reasonable enough that I may just have to get it in both colors.

What do you think?

On The Horizon: Panda

Spotted at Juicy's website: An adorable, hug-able, oh-so-lovable Panda bear, making his way to the silver family.

Be still, my heart! I've been in head-over-heels LOVE with this little guy since he began popping up on eBay. I had my fingers crossed and was so delighted to see him pop up on Juicy's site today. I'm disappointed that it is, indeed, a silver charm but that won't stop me. In fact that's only going to force me to finally buy the silver charm catcher necklace so that I can wear him ASAP. If you couldn't tell by now, the animal charms are always my favorite and this is no exception. He's perfect!

I'm sorry for the tiny photo; there was no way to copy the larger one. Be sure to click on over to Juicy's website to check him out, though.

$: 52.00
Where: Pre-order from JuicyCouture.com
Buyin' or Eyein'?: Buying!! BUYING!!!
Plus One?: Yes! Maybe even plus two!
Misc.: Summer 2009 - ship date is listed as 6/10.

Pink Alert: Free Charm at Juicy Couture

Tomorrow (Thursday, April 23rd) may be a good shopping day for those of you who live near a regular Juicy Couture boutique. Why? Spend $100 or more on any regular-priced jewelry purchase and receive a free charm. Juicy Couture Ala Moana says the charms being given out with purchases are the nail polish, yorkie in carrier, and banana (possibly banana split - not too clear on that).

So is it a good deal? It really all depends on how you shop. If you stick to buying in stores then yes, this is a great deal. You'll be able to stock up on pretty baubles and walk away with a free $48 charm. If you're an online shopper then no, this isn't that great of a deal. For one thing, no sale pieces can be used to reach your $100 mark. For another, you'll be paying full retail price for anything you purchase, as Juicy rarely offers discounts in-store. Personally I'm skipping the "sale" as I already have the free charms they're offering and managed to get most of the current charms at a discount from Revolve. I did, however, ask my very sweet SA to keep her eye out for the upcoming Panda for me. I'm very anxiously awaiting his arrival and plan on purchasing at least one extra.

This offer is not valid at outlets or JuicyCouture.com.

On The Horizon: Buddha

Spotted at Juicy's Website: a serene pinky buddha, making its debut with the silvers.

Hmmmm. Juicy is so sporadic with their religious charms. There was the Dreidel last year, with no complimentary charms to go alongside it. And now we've got the Buddha. However, I think this Buddha is keeping in with the Indian/Arabian theme that Juicy attempted to put together this spring. I say attempted because 1.) that genie head freaked me out big time, and 2.) I'm not fond of the shackles on the elephant, even if it is a cultural thing.

So where does pinky Buddha stand? I don't know. This is one that I want to look at in person before I make a decision. Earlier versions/fakes that smothered eBay appeared in gold - I think that definitely would have been a better choice for the Buddha, given that gold is much more common than silver in the cultures that I assume Juicy is trying to pay homage to. What I do like about this charm is its simplicity; its only adornment is a crystal above the eyes.

$: 52.00
Where: Pre-order from JuicyCouture.com
Buyin' or Eyein'?: Probably buying.
Plus One?: Nope.
Misc.: This is available for pre-order but the expected ship date is listed as unavailable. I'm listing this as a summer '09 for now - if it changes later I'll come back and correct this post.