Gilty Pleasures

If you love Gilt Groupe, the fabulous designer sale site, you're going to love Gilt City. Gilt City offers you great opportunities to try local boutiques, restaurants and attend movie premieres and other fun events (unlike Sin City, Gilt City is surprisingly guilt-free). Specially assigned local "curators" have edited and selected the packages and if you're like us, you won't want to miss any of the fresh new ways to start exploring your city--especially if a "staycation" is on your horizon this summer.

Today the site is featuring some pre-launch offers and most of the fabulous deals, including a shopping spree at Urban Chic with a $100 gift certificate, are already GONE. So get on it and sign up at www.giltcity.com/dcvip. The official launch is August 1.

Gilt City is also available in New York, Boston, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tokyo with over 1.8 million members worldwide.  Gilt City will also be launching in three additional cities today: Atlanta, Dallas and Seattle.

Today is all about fitness at Gilt Groupe!

 Gilt Groupe, an online subscription service to deeply discounted luxury goods, is having a fitness extravaganza today. Find deals on Puma, yoga and Pilates wear, coconut water, Freshology meal delivery, New Balance  and much more. Get your best fitness resolutions on today. All sales start at noon.

No partridges in pear trees: These 10 days of Christmas are LUXE!

Not only has the Bethesda-based luxury PR, marketing and events firm, BrandLink DC, changed the face of the area--glamming it up and bringing fashion, fun and style to Bethesda (think the Front Row runway show) and DC (think W Hotel)--now the company is literally sharing the wealth. And what do you have to do to enter the BrandLinkDC Luxe Holiday Giveaway? LIKE THEM ON FACEBOOK. That's it. You're probably on right now anyway; go to their page, hit "like" and get yourself eligible to win the following LUXE gifts! (I'm gunning for the R.Nichols stationery giveaway on Thursday--LOVE him.)

Prizes to date (as of 12/9/10)

Monday, December 13: W Washington D.C.

Beach Bums & Bellinis Istanbul: Yoga and Brunch passes (2) for December 19

515 15^th Street NW, WDC, 202.661.2400, www.wwashingtondc.com

Tuesday, December 14: one80 Salon

$150 plus Davines Authenic shampoo & conditioner

1275 K Street NW, WDC, 202.842.9113, www.one80salon.com

Wednesday, December 15: Room & Board

$100 gift card

1840 T Street NW, WDC, 202.783.8200, www.roomandboard.com

Thursday, December 16: R. Nichols

$100 in fashionable notecards

www.r-nichols.com

Friday, December 17: bliss spa

“Shoppers Delight” new 30-minute leg massage

515 15^th Street NW, WDC, 202.661.2418, www.blissworld.com

Monday, December 20: Ginger

$100 gift card

7114 Bethesda Lane, Bethesda, 301.664.9242, www.gingerstyle.com

Tuesday, December 21: Equinox

24K Gold Facial from The Spa @ Equinox ($160 value)

4905 Elm Street, Bethesda, 301.652.1078

8065 Leesburg Pike, McLean, 703.790.6193, www.equinox.com

Wednesday, December 22: Hanky Panky

Hanky Panky Gift Pack

www.hankypanky.com

Thursday, December 23: popchips

Case of popchips

www.popchips.com

Friday, December 24: Gilt Groupe

$100 gift card

www.gilt.com

Not Gilty

...of spending too much money on big-name items. When I was invited to a party hosted by The Gilt Groupe at the W Hotel last week following a screening of The September issue, I was so busy falling over myself to get there, I didn't pay close enough attention to who was hosting (The Gilt Groupe). I was invited to join and realized Gilt Groupe is an online designer sample sale extravaganza. Note these bargains: Erno Laszlo blush for $19?? Calvin Klein shoes marked down to $98 from $525? Now that's a sale that really says sale to me. There are also specials on Rachel Roy, Alexander McQueen and Rebecca Taylor. Of course I always have to have the T-shirt; love the $30 Fashion's Night Out in black and white.