Avon has dominated the beauty category on a global level whether salon products like the Advanced Techniques lotus shield (best frizz control product) or the increasingly popular among my generation, mark makeup line. Awhile back I was invited to an Avon summer preview, so naturally, without looking too much into the invite, I assumed it’d be new beauty products. Upon arriving to the Avon showroom, I was welcomed by a pleasant surprise – a room full of summer dresses, jewelry, accessories and shoes!

Now, if your only experience with Avon is through your mom or grandma, you might expect the clothes to target an older demographic….not in this case! They sent guests home with an adorable boho maxi dress, gold cuffs, earrings and a summer tote. Check out the dress and some of the jewelry:

As shown in the top picture of this post, I receive the pair of AMAZING, vibrant jewel tone earrings at the Fashion 2.0 anniversary party earlier this summer. Unfortunately for me, I can’t wear most earrings, but I decided to surprise one of my BFF’s, Maggie from San Diego, with the loot when we reunited in Seattle a couple of weeks ago.

Avon also have shoes and I’m eyeing these over-the-knee suede boots. They are only $44.99 and comfort is one of the key features. You can check out all of Avon’s fashion offerings (including some cute jewelry for fall) here.

Ralph Lauren has launched a brand new handbag collection, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, and I had the privilege of checking out the goods up close and personal in the showroom a few weeks back. My first impression was “Wow, these would be great for work and play…big enough to fit my laptop or netbook and stylish enough to tote around the city for events, dinners with friends, etc.”

I was surprised and excited to find out the price-point is under $500 considering most high-end brands only offer small leather goods and accessories for that range. Sweet! Check out the different styles and prices after the jump!

Lauren by Ralph Lauren Chatsworth Classic Nylon Tote ($198) - I want this for rainy NYC days!

Lauren by Ralph Lauren Larchmont Leather Tote ($498), Larchmont Cross-Body Bag ($248) and Larchmont Leather Hobo ($398)

Lauren by Ralph Lauren Martingale Slim Large Tote ($248)

Lauren by Ralph Lauren Modernaire Leather Zip Tote ($498)

If you thought the Snuggie was ridiculous, have a look at this. One reason I’m so quick to poke fun at these types of gizmos is probably because my dad is one of the reasons they sometimes succeed. He is the ultimate Sham-Wow, Snuggie, Flowbee (hair cutting vacuum) customer…oh yes, he has all of those things.

A little surprise arrived this morning in packaging comprised of Clutch22.com. I didn’t care what brand sent it…they definitely got my full attention. In fact, I’m skipping my lunch to write about this! I had the chance to get my hands on an HTC DROID Incredible a couple of months ago at a lovely Sex & the City themed luncheon that involved eats, sweets, minx manicures and a model bartender. I have a guest writer, Taryn Matthews, working on a fun review of the phone because it’s the phone that brought her into mobile-obsessed world that I’ve been living in for some time. Stay tuned…

The Incredible launched on the Verizon network late last Spring and I can’t even tell you how often I see people carrying them on the subways or the streets of New York. It’s a hot little phone as is, but now HTC has new colors for the back of the phone – red and white. I opened up my giftbag, which I am also now calling my trophy, to find the white shell and love it! I wish more phone manufacturers would offer customizable accessories that snap right into the phone. It lets the shape and size of the phone shine while making it super cute at the same time. I just wish I had the right carrier…lucky for Taryn.

Above: The Incredible is all red on the inside

Special shout-out to my colleagues at Waggener Edstrom who work with HTC – Jess, Ash, Linda, Rickey, Brian, Chris and Erin (brains behind my new trophy). Thanks for reaching out to the fashion blogger crew! WE <3 HTC!

Also, thanks to Mariella and Brynn for having nicely manicured nails and being hand models. Mine look horrible.

I’m a sucker for fashion with a cause and just found out Nine West is doing something cool for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer this New York Fashion Week.

Partnering with the CFDA, fashion photographer Nigel Barker, Sony, Omron, Elite, IMG and Marilyn, Nine West is launching a Runway Relief program featuring top models like Coco Rocha, Jessica White, Michelle Alves and Lisalla Montenegro.

Next month at Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week, the models will rock the limited edition Nine West Runway Relief boot, which has an Omron GOSmart Pocket Pedometer that will track how many steps each model takes while going from castings and fittings to shows and fashion week parties. Every step taken will equal a donation to Fashion Targets Breast Cancer.

To kick off the program on August 31, Nigel Barker will photograph the participating models in an iconic NYC location. The photo shoot will be streamed live on Nine West’s Facebook Page and at Modelinia, so be sure to stop by to meet Nigel or to tune in online!

A limited supply of the Runway Relief boot ($199) will be also be available for Nine West Facebook fans exclusively, starting on August 31 (photo after the jump).

On a separate note, if you aren’t already a fan of Nine West on Facebook, check out their page. The digital nerd in me loves how they are using Facebook as a platform to sell special offerings to fans.