Tag: gifts

Urban Decay Naked Vault Volume IV

Just this last week, I was talking to a co-worker about the wonder of Naked palettes by Urban Decay. The original arrived on shelves years ago, but it still is a best-seller. And Urban Decay continues to introduce variations of it that sell like crazy. So if you have a serious makeup aficionado on your holiday, shopping list, allow me to suggest the Naked Vault Volume IV.

You couldn’t ask for a more comprehensive and wearable collection of eye shadows and lipsticks. The three neutral palettes (Naked, Naked2 and Naked3) has rich and velvety shadows and a pro-quality brush. Each palette has three coordinating Vice Lipsticks. These are seriously long wearing, packed with pigment.

Available at Nordstrom.

Beauty Gift Guide

Much to celebrate on here today – thanks to the team at EmPress Themes, I am rocking a whole new look. Excited to be back blogging regularly with a sleek appearance and updated features. I now have a Shop Page for you to browse, which is currently stocked with shopping ideas for the holidays, just in time for Cyber Monday. And on that note, EmPress Themes is offering a sale through tomorrow if you are needing to refresh your blog!

If you are here on my corner of the web, likely you yourself are a beauty junkie. I certainly am. But if not, I am sure you have one on your Christmas list. Here are some ideas for your wish list or shopping list from affordable to luxury.

AESOP London Kit – a wonderful introduction to the brand and a truly luxe toiletries kit for those new year travels.

GLOW RECIPE Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask – this mask smells great, leaves skin refined and smooth and looks great on the vanity.

TARTE Tartelette Toasted Eyeshadow Palette – I love the finish of these eyeshadows and the shades are neutral and so wearable.

La Mer Mini Miracles Collection – this is my current skin care brand obsession and this relatively price-friendly set allows you to try out some favorite products.

OUAI Hair Care Set – this hair care line smells incredible and plays perfectly with my fine, wavy hair (this might be on my to-me, from-me list).

RMS Beauty Luminizer X Quad – my favorite highlighters all packaged into one neat compact (and they are natural and cruelty-free).

Nest Fragrances Votive Candles – the best holiday candles in my opinion and with this set you get to try some of their non-seasonal scents as well (Holiday, Birchwood Pine, Grapefruit, Bamboo and Sugar Cookie).

MAC Snow Ball Prep + Prime Fix+ Kit – I snagged this on Black Friday without having tried Fix+ and am already a fan of the refreshing spray to prime or revive makeup throughout the day.

LE LABO Discovery Set – I am getting a couple of these for my friends who love Santal on me, but need to check out some of Le Labo’s other super-popular scents.

SLIP Embroidered Silk Eye Mask – I received SLIP’s pillow case last Christmas and am angling for the skin care-friendly eye mask this year. It looks pretty enough to wear on a long flight.

Jo Malone London Cologne Collection – I started wearing these fifteen years ago and they still are a favorite. This set is a perfect way to reacquaint with an old staple.

Tata HarperWinter Wonders Set – if RMS is my favorite natural color brand, Tata Harper is my favorite natural skin care brand. This set has such a nice array of products for winter skin.

Tom Dixon London, Orientalist and Royalty Set – these candles are almost too pretty to burn, but if you do, your house will be filled with sophisticated and warm fragrance.

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer in White – the hottest beauty product of the season, this ultra-luxe hair dryer is a dream to use and will make your morning routine so much easier.

Laura Mercier Flawless Contouring Palette – she knows her face products and this palette is packed with shades and colors that look wonderful on a wide range of skin tones. Plus, I am a huge fan of cream formula on winter skin.

Eau de Lacoste

One last little Valentine’s idea from me today. While this isn’t necessarily glamorous or sexy, Eau de Lacoste is a little nostalgic for me. I had recently moved to Tulsa and received a package of fragrance to review. There were quite a few to try out, so I enlisted a new friend to help out. He wore Eau de Lacoste in Energetic Red until that little bottle ran out and it smelled so darn good. Sometimes fragrances are equally about memory and the way the notes develop on the wearer.

If you are on the hint for a classic, affordable and masculine scent, look no further than Lacoste. A triple blend of spices creates an energy accompanied by a refreshing blast of tea, mandarine and mango.

You can pick up a bottle at Macy’s or Amazon.

Men’s Starter Kit by Kiehl’s

I’m not much for Valentine’s Day being single and all. But I do love sharing ideas for gifting – especially men’s grooming products that will make him feel pampered, but still super masculine. I will be here all week with my favorites, but today’s set is first up because it is a real crowdpleaser.

The slick and sophisticated Men’s Starter Kit by Kiehl’s contains products that all have a masculine feel while still getting rave reviews from my tester (aka Dad). Inside you will find:

Ultimate Man Body Scrub Soap (3.2 oz.): This sloughing soap is one of Dad’s favorite products he’s tried out for me. It leaves skin both clean and exfoliated.
Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment (2.5 oz.): This sits front and center on Dad’s desk and his go-to to cure dry, winter skin. The oil-free formula wakes up skin and enriches with vitamins.
White Eagle Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream (2.5 oz.): This shave cream contains menthol and camphor to sooth and heal skin.
Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash (1 oz.): I have worked this cleanser into my routine – the minty wash gets my skin clean with just a tiny, sudsy drop without leaving my skin tight (plus it smells super masculine which I love)
Ultimate Strength Hand Salve (2.5 oz.): My outdoorsman Dad needs a lot of moisture for his hands and this formula is heavy-duty and nourishing without much of scent nor a greasy feel.

Available at Keihls.com and Nordstrom. Made in the USA

Holiday Cheer

A quick post today for all of you that are scrambling like me with their holiday shopping. Thank goodness for the Internet! A perfect distraction with my current busy-as-heck-Monday-blues. And given I’m running around like a crazy person, this messy pony look above is on the rotation lately more than I’d like to admit. Some favorite links from around the web for you procrastinators out there:

Love this post about holiday traditions in Iceland (currently suffering from a bout of wanderlust).

This post about guilt… and all I can say is “I’m guilty”.

I am really starting to believe in the Attention Economy (and probably why I deleted FB and text alerts on my phone even though I really do love online shopping).

Some of my favorite beauty gifts from around the web:

image here

Holiday Gifting: Affordable Beauty From FLOWER

I remember hearing about Drew Barrymore’s new makeup line when it first came out. Lucky for me, I had met the makeup artist who Drew worked with developing the line and was able to get info from her about the new products. One thing that resonated was that she truly believed and emphasized that this was luxury level formulas at Wal-Mart prices.

It was almost too good to believe. But low and behold… every product I’ve tried from FLOWER has been just that – luxury, functional, beautiful and effective. And at great prices. Goes without saying their gift lineup makes for perfect holiday gifts for those on your list (even if you are on a budget like me!).

I’ve tried out several of the gift sets and here are my favorites:

FLOWER Brushes: I particularly love the foundation brush, but each is made from soft, man-made hair. The hefty handles are a breeze to use. Offerings include:

Ultimate Powder Brush
Liquid Foundation Brush
Eyeliner Brush
Eye Shadow Brush
Ultimate Lip/Concealer Brush

FLOWER Cosmetic Bags: These new additions come in every size and are styled perfectly for travel. Offerings include:

Small Cosmetic Bag
Double Zip Foldover
Cosmetic Clutch
Train Case

FLOWER Fragrance Collection: This set of three is designed around moods and time of day. I have been wearing Cherished and the powdery musk is perfect for cozy winter days. The three scents:

Cherished (white bottle) – Lemon, Iris, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Musk
Radiant (pink bottle) – Fresh, green, Magnolia and Amber
Sultry (purple bottle) – Pepper, Jasmine, Musk and Patchouli

FLOWER COLOR IN THE LINES Mini Chubby Beauty Set: Drew does chubbies right. These lip and eye versions are self-sharpening and come in wearable and bold shades.

Available at Walmart.com

AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE MAY HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AND EVALUATED TO DETERMINE OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT IN THIS POST. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLOSURES PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING OUR POLICIES FOR USING EDITORIAL SAMPLES.