This Week’s Top Story
Credo (1659 N. Damen Ave., credobeauty.com) is a San Francisco-based brand that specializes in so-called clean beauty. Though not totally free of synthetics—frankly, products that are don’t always, well, work—Credo’s products are cruelty-free, environmentally friendly, and loaded with organic ingredients.
That, perhaps, explains why we were tempted to stick our nose into everything at the recent opening of the brand’s first Chicago shop. With its white walls and light-wood fixtures, the Bucktown store presents a clean canvas for an array of equally clean skincare, haircare, and body products. Many of those products contain addictive, nearly aromatherapeutic herbal or floral scents.
You’ll find everything from toner ($39) with a light jasmine scent to dental floss coated with coconut oil ($8), luxuriously soft makeup brushes by local makeup artist Jenny Patinkin, and geranium-scented “beauty drops” ($30) that can be used in serum and moisturizer.
If you want to leave your skincare regime to the pros, you’re in luck. Later this summer, an ivy-strewn treatment room will open in back of the store, offering Tata Harper facials on a cushy spa table piled with organic cotton blankets.
Top Sales This Week
Friendly reminder: Nordstrom (55 E. Grand Ave., nordstrom.com) is still hosting its massive Anniversary Sale. The retailer’s largest annual sale offers brand new merchandise at a discount—but only for limited time. Come August 7, all items will go back up to regular price. Check out Splash’s top picks from the sale here.
At Wolford (54 E. Oak St., wolfordshop.com), get undergarments for up to 70 percent off. Discounted items include a seamless undershirt (reduced from $160 to $48) and a lacy chemise (discounted from $275 to $82).
Activewear brand Athleta (101 E. Oak St., athleta.gap.com) has taken up to 60 percent off select styles. Score deals on a high-neck shadow strap tank (reduced from $44 to $97) or a linen crisscross tank (reduced from $49 to $28).
Market
Randolph Street Market (randolphstreetmarket.com) returns to Plumber’s Hall (1340 W. Washington St.) for a tropical-themed event on Saturday and Sunday. The “Tropical Punch Market” features 300 vendors selling vintage and designer clothing, jewelry, and more. Plus, there will be live bands, cabanas for shade, and activities for kids—though you might want in on the petting zoo, too.
Pop-Up
Oak Street boutique VMR (vmrchicago.com) has partnered with Italian womenswear label ViaStrozzi (viastrozzi.com) to open a pop-up shop at 11 East Walton Street. Open at least through mid-September, the sleek, airy space sells items from hip, high-end brands including Off-White and Balmain.
Health & Beauty
Kiehl’s at the Shops at North Bridge (520 N. Michigan Ave., kiehls.com) hosts the Kiehl’s LifeRide for amfAR event on August 3. In celebration of the charitable motorcycle ride—which travels from Minneapolis to Nashville to raise funds and awareness for amfAR—Kiehl’s will offer 15 percent off nearly all its products at the in-store event. The brand will then donate 15 percent of each purchase to the AIDS charity, for a donation of up to $100,000. Along with discounts, the in-store bash will offer bites from Bad Hunter and temporary tattoos from a local artist. If you don’t make it in next Thursday, the 15 percent discount will apply to most Kiehl’s items purchased online from August 4 to 7.
Retail News of the Week
- Business is strong at independent stores such as Ikram and Neapolitan. Read more.
- Francesca’s is coming to the Fashion Outlets of Chicago. Read more.
- Michael Kors purchased Jimmy Choo for $1.35 billion. Read more.