The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace: An Iconic Shopping Destination that Continues to be Fresh, Modern & Fun

A week ago, I had the distinct pleasure of spending a whirlwind two days and one night in Las Vegas with my blogging BFF Stacy Cox and I’m missing it already! Why you ask? We were invited for a fabulous Girls Getaway by the iconic Forum Shops to experience and share the latest and greatest shopping, dining and lifestyle offerings at this world renowned shopping destination. Specifically, we were asked to help curate a customized itinerary (to appeal to fashionistas and beauty junkies like us) to showcase what is special, unique and worth seeking out at The Forum Shops to share with our followers. And not only did we jump at the chance, I was especially excited to see how it has changed over the years (since I have grown with this venue) and uncover all the hidden gems and insider tips to share with you.

So sit back, relax and join Stacy and I as I recap our Fabulous #ForumShopsRock Girls Getaway Adventure. I truly hope that you enjoy it almost as much as we did and that perhaps this post entices you to visit Vegas very soon and to put The Forum Shops on the top of your MUST list the next time you are in Vegas Baby!

Las Vegas is an Easy Breezy Quick Flight from Los Angeles

Our whirlwind adventure began in Los Angeles at Bob Hope aka Burbank Airport. Hands down, one of the best things about Vegas is that it is a hop, skip and a jump from LA! It’s less than an hour flight from Los Angeles and there are plenty of cheap and affordable flights typically under $100 round trip if you book in advance. And flying out of Burbank Airport is a DREAM! It’s typically hassle free with easy parking, stress free drop off and minimal lines. It literally took me about 10 minutes to check-in, check my bag, go through security and arrive at my gate with plenty of time to spare get an iced vanilla latte! That’s the only way to fly! Our Girls Getaway was off to an excellent start.

When we landed in Vegas (truth be told, I made a quick pit stop to shop 😉 ), we were welcomed with open arms by The Forum Shops. It’s always nice to be treated like a VIP and it’s always appreciated! After we collected our bags, we were whisked off in a comfy ride to our destination The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace

The Newly Renovated Rooms at Caesars Place are Art Deco Fab

Before our shopping adventures commenced, we checked into our fab rooms at Caesars Palace Las Vegas which is conveniently located adjacent to The Forum Shops. Caesars was kind enough to book us rooms in their newly renovated Julius Tower and these new rooms are really nice. The rooms are well-appointed and have a fresh, modern art deco style and flair. I really liked the Erte style sketches on the wall and the pops of yellow accents throughout the room and bathroom, it made the room more chic and vibrant. I also found their new pillow top beds super comfy and I slept like a baby in it later that night.

What Makes The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace Such a Unique & Special Destination?

I hadn’t visited The Forum Shops in years and to my pleasant surprise, as soon as I walked inside, it still had the same captivating ambience that I remembered but it was also filled with some of today’s best shops, restaurants and retailers. So basically it has remained timeless and iconic, but it has also kept up with the times too! Here’s what I think makes this destination memorable and special:

• Instantly Transports You to the Streets of Rome – From the moment you walk through the door, you are transported to another place and time, the ancient streets of Rome. From the blue skies with fluffy white clouds, to the photogenic fountains, statues and spiral escalator, to the outdoor dining and the chic fashionable retailers – their is no other place quite like it in the world!
• Offers a wonderful array of Luxury and Mainstream Retailers – This shopping destination is filled with an enviable variety of 160+ specialty shops and restaurants that range from high end to more mainstream and the most impressive part is that they all coexist beautifully together
• Passionate Welcoming Staff – Throughout our two days perusing the best of The Forum Shops, Stacy and I were continually struck by the passion, warmth and enthusiasm of the staff at each and every store and restaurant we visited. These people are excited to be working at this venue (it is like family to them), they are exceptionally passionate about their respective brands and they take pride in sharing their brand with customers
  
• World Class Atmospheric Foodie Dining – With so many restaurant options in Vegas, what sets The Forum Shops Dining options apart from the others is the unrivaled indoor/outdoor atmosphere and views coupled with some of the best food in the world

Exploring The Forum Shops – Day 1

Since Stacy and I are passionate beauty junkies, it is no surprise that we kicked off our first day at the Forum Shops at NARS Cosmetics. NARS is a a cult fav cosmetics and skin care brand founded by renowned make-up artist and photographer François Nars. We were welcomed to the boutique with a glass of bubbly and a makeup application to prep our faces for the day of selfies ahead. While we were there, we learned about the latest makeup launches from the brand, boutique exclusives (like their Carmen lipstick), and we got a sneak peek of their private VIP makeup room which can be reserved for private events and VIP clients who need privacy. The two most memorable things that I learned during my visit is that François Nars always prefers to apply face makeup with his fingers so that it warms to the touch and blends effortless and also that the store offers professional makeup applications for $85 which is then applied to your product purchase. Make sure to pick up a Goddess eyeshadow pencil to brighten your eyes while you are there, LOVE!

Our next stop was at the stunning free standing glass enclosed CREED boutique. This luxury fragrance brand was started in London in 1760 and is now over 250 years old. CREED has been passed down from father to son for seven generations and is best known for creating fragrances for royalty using an ancient infusion technique to capture the raw and rare materials of each perfume. This beautiful see through boutique is truly special to behold and we had a delightful time sniffing and spritzing all of the complex luxurious scents. I fell in love with the refreshing and unisex fragrance Millesime Imperial, a musky, lemon scent with a blend of iris, sicilian lemon, bergamont, green mandarin and amber and they were kind enough to send us home with some lovely samples to enjoy.

After all that pampering, we had worked up an appetite to enjoy a divine lunch at Sushi Roku. Not only does Sushi Roku have one of the best views of the Las Vegas Strip, but their modern authentic Asian cuisine delighted my foodie palate. Sushi Roku’s menu features fresh California sushi, luscious salads, appetizers, delicious hot entrees, and specialty Asian cocktails. We were spoiled during our lunch with so many delicious dishes, but two of my favs were the oil seared yellow tail sashimi and the lobster tempura. Nom Nom!

After lunch, it was time to get our fashion fix at CH Carolina Herrera which is the more accessible sister brand that shares the same name. This gorgeous store is designed to make you feel like you are meandering through a chic and fashionable home and it’s filled with a fabulous collection of ready-to-wear accessories for men, women and children. The quality, design and aesthetic of the CH brand screams luxury but everything is under $1000 and Michelle Obama recently wore one of her dresses. I swooned over their fabulous wall of purses!

Who knew that there is truly an art and passion to shaving? Well we learned this and so much more during our visit at The Art of Shaving. This store is devoted to the art of men’s grooming and educating customers how to achieve the best and most optimal shaving performance, it takes 4 steps BTW! I learned that while the blade is important, it’s also all about using a badger brush to create a fabulous foam to work with. And I also learned that they offer professional shaving services too, so come Father’s Day I’m gifting the hubbs to a Royal Shave, a man’s version of a facial!

After some down time and an outfit change, we headed to Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab for a divine dinner. Joe’s hails from Miami Beach and is best known for their to-die-for freshly cracked Florida stone crab claws served with their signature creamy mustard sauce and let me tell you, I LOVED every succulent morsel. Joe’s menu showcases fresh seafood flown in daily from around the world as well as an amazing selection of bone-in signature steaks and a heavenly array of homemade pies. While they are known for their signature key lime pie, I have been dreaming about their heavenly Peanut Butter Cream Pie and cannot wait to go back for a slice. Foodie heaven!

Our amazing day ended with the Donny and Marie Show across the street at the Flamingo. It was so fun and entertaining because Stacy and I have grown up with the Osmond’s so we found the show nostalgic and thoroughly entertaining. Even in midlife, this infamous brother and sister duo have still got it!!

Exploring The Forum Shops – Day 2

Everyday should start off with striking a pose at Fendi, don’t you think? Fendi is an Italian high fashion house best known for its iconic baguette handbags. Karl Lagerfeld is currently the creative director for the brand and Stacy and I had such fun perusing the fab Spring offerings from the brand at the Forum Shops location.

Next up was another well known Italian luxury brand, Tod’s. The brand makes handcrafted contemporary shoes, bags and small leather goods. Tod’s is probably most well-known for their signature Gommino Driving Shoes with the iconic rubber pebble outsole. Because I was in Vegas, I couldn’t resist highlighting the Gommino Blue Suede Shoes 😉

I absolutely fell in love with the statement making shoes at Giuseppe Zanotti, one of Italy’s foremost contemporary shoe designers. And I couldn’t resist trying on this stunning pair of sparkly peep toe platform pumps that made me totally look and feel like a tall svelte supermodel = OBSESSED!

If you are a Pandora charm bracelet collector, you must visit the Forum Shops store and pick up at least one of the fabulous exclusive Las Vegas charms pictured above. Adorbs! I totally love the gold and silver dice!

Of course our Day 2 Forum Shops itinerary would not be complete without some pampering at the newly redesigned DIOR Beauty boutique, complete with a spacious and lovely spa room in back for us beauty junkies. This chic boutique is filled with the latest products from DIOR Beauty plus their gorgeous private layering fragrance collection which is exclusive to the boutique locations. However, hands down the best thing about this boutique is that with any two product in-store skincare purchase, you get a free luxurious  professional facial in their private room. Now that’s my kind of perk!

Our last meal at The Forum Shops was at The Palm Las Vegas, best known for their huge cuts of prime beef and jumbo lobsters broiled to perfection. Since I had gotten my crab and steak fix the night before, I opted for the off menu in-the-know Gigi’s West Coast salad packed with fresh lettuce, avocado, shrimp, eggs and a signature garlic dressing, deelish! And I loved dining al fresco at The Palm because it allowed me to drink in all of the fabulous Forum Shops ambient atmosphere.

One of the last stops of Day 2 was at luxury watch brand Hublot best known for creating a groundbreaking gold watch combined with a natural rubber strap. These watches totally have a cult following and they don’t come cheap, prices start at ten thousand dollars and go up from there!

Since we started our trip with beauty, it seemed fitting to end our trip with beauty, so our final stop of the day was at the CHANEL Fragrance, Beauty & Sunglasses Boutique. I fell in love with the gorgeous modern open design of this boutique because its so inviting. I love how the overhead lights are designed to look like the iconic C’s, although you have to step outside the store to really appreciate the design. And I wanted to share a great little insider tip to take advantage of the next time you visit: the CHANEL boutique offers FREE targeted mini beauty services like a Fresh Face, Signature Lips, Expressive Eyes or an Expert Skincare Consultation just for the asking. You’re Welcome!

One last thing I wanted to mention about The Forum Shops before I bid you adieu, I wanted to tell you to make sure to stop by their fun Brag Box activation so that you can snap a fun pic and show off your fabulous haul on social media. Make sure to tag #ForumShopsBragBox or #FoundatSimon

Hope you enjoyed taking this adventure with me and hope I enticed you to checkout the fun and fabulous offerings at The Forum Shops the next time you visit Vegas. And remember whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!

Disclosure: I partnered with The Forum Shops to curate this fabulous girls getaway, but all opinions are my own.