Retail Therapy: Closing shop

Havaiana jandals. Photo / Supplied

As Workshop gears up to open the new Ponsonby store on MacKelvie St, they're set to close the doors of their Williamson Ave outlet store, so get in quick to grab a bargain or two! Workshop Outlet, 2 Wiliamson Ave, Ponsonby.

Lonely Hearts' win

Congratulations to Lonely Hearts, the deserving winners of the 2009 DHL Express Fashion Export Scholarship. The award - which aims to establish New Zealand's top emerging fashion exporters and help them grow their businesses internationally - was judged by DHL's fashion and textile strategic account manager Jason Orlop, Zambesi's Liz Findlay, Mapihi Opai, Executive Officer of Fashion Industry New Zealand, Fiona Hawtin of Fashion Quarterly and Sarah Gibbs, founder and co-director of natural beauty product company Trilogy.

As part of their prize, the Lonely Hearts team win freight to the value of $10,000, coaching in freight and logistics and a mentoring package from FINZ. Lonely Hearts say the prize will help them grow their label into Australia, as well as entering the key markets of Japan, the US and Britain. Finalists for the award included Salasai and Twenty-seven Names.

Shop till you drop

The first ever markets at Plaything Gallery in Newton are being held this Saturday, with a variety of fantastic stalls. Expect to find vintage clothes, art books, art prints, barbecue, baking stalls, leather satchels, pieces from Skylark Boutique, Something Epic boutique, Pinkee's boutique, antique furniture and bric-a brac, BIRD T-shirts, ABC, Huffer, and a Cassette 9 pop-up bar. Plus, there will be free Supreme Coffee.

The markets will take place inside the gallery as well as outside on the rooftop, making the most of the summer weather. Visit it this Saturday from 12pm until 4pm at 21 Dacre St, Newton.

Make a change

Girls' Day Out is on this weekend, and the organisers are teaming up with charity Dress for Success to help women in need - and aim to create the world's largest wardrobe! Bring in washed and tidy clothes you no longer want, that would be suitable to wear to a job interview, and donate them to the cause. The pieces will go to Dress for Success, who will then pass them on to women as they enter or return to the workforce, helping them get a foot in the door. And if you bring at least five items to the Girls' Day Out, you will get $2 off your ticket price.

Eyes for you

Manicare is making eyes with Glam Eyes - its new range of false eyelashes ($11.99) and a clever oval-tipped tweezer ($12.95) to help you apply them. The lashes, designed for adding as-you-need fullness, are reusable and come in 60-piece packs of short, medium and long lengths with their own hypo-allergenic adhesive. At that price, you can afford to experiment.

Manicare has also brought out several other tweezers, including one with a fine slant tip and another automatic job with a spring mechanism. For nails, there's the Eco-Nail Shaper, an emery board made from recyclable material, and the Nail Enamel Corrector Pen to tidy messy polish jobs. Just the thing for stocking fillers. (From pharmacies.)

Handle the jandal

Havaianas are holding in-store events at Smith & Caugheys Queen St this weekend, with their " Make Your Own" stand. Head along to the iconic store and you can create your very own customised Havaianas - mix and match the base colour and straps, and add charms, if you so desire, to make your own special, individual pair for the summer ahead. The stand will be at Smith & Caugheys Queen St from Friday November 27 till Sunday 29.

Party perfect

M.A.C's lash kit is perfect not just for Christmas giving, but also the party season. Love's Divine Lash Kit has everything you need for out-there eyes. It costs $110 and comes in a shiny silver purse, containing lashes, a Penultimate Liner in black, Reflects glitter in Transparent Teal and a mini Zoom Lash mascara in black. From M.A.C stockists until the end of December or until sold out. Check out M.A.C's other great ideas, for lip, eye and face kits you'll want to keep rather than give away.