Merry, Happy, Jolly...

Hi Everyone! 

Are you ready for Christmas?  You better be!  Time is winding down.  I am going to take a little time away from the blog--I have a million things to do before Christmas gets here and I won't have the time I need to blog properly.

I'll probably do a few year-end posts next week (if I get my act together!), but in the meantime, I just wanted to thank you all for taking the time to stop by and read my blog.  No matter what or how you celebrate, I hope you are surrounded by people you love and that you're having fun (and being safe).

Happy Holidays!  Stop back by soon--I'll update later!

Holiday Excesses

My work office lunch is tomorrow...and that, thankfully, is the only big office celebration we have each year. I don't have to worry about getting drunk at the office party because, well, we just don't have one.  That doesn't mean I won't be overindulging this holiday season...far from it!

Holiday gatherings and New Year's parties often mean one thing: gluttony. Whether you've had too much to drink or you stuffed yourself with too much rich food, you're bound to feel far from fabulous the next morning.

While we all have our own "proven" methods for dealing with an alcohol induced hangover, a food hangover also requires a bit of care. If you find yourself saying "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" keep reading. Here are some ways to make yourself feel better after indulging in the wonderful sin of gluttony:

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Before you go to bed and when you get up in the morning, be sure to drink plenty of water. Ginger is a natural anti-nausea agent, so sipping some ginger tea may help ward off any pending tummy troubles.
• Nourish yourself the day after. While you may feel like you never want to eat another bite of food ever again, you need to get back on the wagon and eat more sensibly the day after. Start with a light breakfast of gentle foods like fruit and yogurt to get yourself going.
• Avoid certain foods. Citrus fruits and overly caffeinated beverages can add to dehydration--not what you want when dealing with a food hangover. And (this is probably pretty obvious) avoid spicy and/or fatty food the day after overindulging.
• Take a walk. Go out and get some fresh air. Walk at a comfortable pace and don't try to push it. The cool winter air may feel great if you woke up feeling full and bloated.
• Dress comfortably the day after. Break out your "fat pants" and don't be too hard on yourself. Just try not to over do it again and you'll be all set!

Santa's Favorite elf

For awhile I foolish shied away from elf products.  I don't know why--I thought that beauty products that cheap would be about as good as Wet 'N Wild products that I played with in my youth.  How stupid of me!  I have since tried many elf products and I'm a convert!  Their beauty products are perfect!  And they're the perfect price.

This holiday season, elf is out with all sorts of great gift packages.  You can pick up something for all the glamour girls on your list without dropping a ton of money...and best of all, you can get elf products at one of my favorite places: Target!

Here are a few great gift sets you'll see from elf this year:

Holiday Mini-Palette
I just love this!  For $15, you get a limited-edition glistening makeup collection for eyes, lips and face includes "must have" makeup essentials including 9 powder eyeshadows, 1 cream eyeshadow, 1 blush, 1 bronzer, 10 lip gloss shades, 1 brow powder, 1 eye liner, 1 dual ended eyeshadow applicator and brush, 1 face brush, and 1 lip brush. The small, sleek design fits just about anywhere and offers ultimate portability for putting on your pretty!

Holiday Studio Brush Set
This limited-edition, ultra-luxe makeup brush collection includes 11 professional brushes designed to create and perfect any makeup look. Inspired by sparkling jewels of the season, these little gems are essential to the beauty queen who loves ultimate glitz and glam with a dash of fun. Sold in a reusable, waterproof case the collection includes: Eyeshadow "C" Brush, Complexion Brush, Small Angled Brush, Small Smudge Brush, Fan Brush, Powder Brush, Angled Foundation Brush, Concealer Brush, Small Precision Brush, Blush Brush and Contouring Brush.

Holiday Nail Polish
These five festive colors add instant pizzazz to every party manicure and pedicure or make a super stocking stuffer! The color-lock formula and chip resistant shield delivers long-lasting nail color with high shine. Shades include: Metal Madness, Party Purple, Golden Goddess, Twinkle and Glitter Glam. $1 each.

Holiday Eyeshadow Palettes
These all-you’ll-ever-need professional eyeshadow assortments are available in three sleek sizes for any makeup look. Create a dark and smoky eye, a fresh and bright aura, or a totally fun and funky look with endless color options and textures to select from. Each palette comes with an eyeshadow applicator for easy on the go touch-ups. 100 Piece Eyeshadow Palette, $10; 32 Piece Eyeshadow Palette, $5; 6 Piece Eye Shadow Palette, $3.

Stuff Those Stockings!

Holy cow!  We have less than two weeks to go before Christmas is upon us.  Are you done with your shopping?  If so, I hate you good for you!  If now, welcome to my world. 

My mother-in-law lives half way across the country from us (she's down in Texas) and we don't get to see her on a regular basis.  This makes gift-giving tough.  This year, we decided to do something fun: we sent her a stocking filled with silly little gift.  I don't know about you, but when I was a kid, opening all the stocking gifts rocked.  "Santa" always filled my stockings with the best stuff.

If you need to fill someone's stocking this year, here are a few ideas:

A really kick-ass comb.  I know, it sounds a little strange, but having a high quality tool makes all the difference in the world.  I have a ton of super cheap plastic combs, but I recently received a handmade wide tooth comb by Creative Professionals.  It's made from cellulose acetate and the teeth are rounded.  There are no barbs or jagged pieces of plastic that snag, which is nice. The wide tooth comb is perfect for combing back wet hair--it's not as rough as a brush and using the higher quality tool is amazing!  See below for a coupon!

Breath spray!  When I think of breath spray, I am reminded of my middle school days when I first tried Binaca.  Remember that stuff?  Now I'm more of a gum chewer, but chewing on a wad of gun isn't the most classy thing you can do.  I just received a sample of Sweet Breath and, though I am not sure I could trade in spray for my gum, the stuff isn't half bad.  And it's a heck of a lot better than old school Binaca.  It's a non-aerosol formula that doesn't dry out your mouth like Binaca did...instead it leaves behind a cool, minty feeling.  Not bad, especially for anyone foolish enough who smokes.

Dry shampoo in a can.  I've tried so many different versions of dry shampoo, but I finally have a favorite: Batiste.  It comes in a spray can, so it's as easy to control as hairspray.  It has a nice, light scent, and it seems to add more volume to dirty hair.  I've been using this on my non-wash days with very happy results.  I can't recommend this stuff enough.

So there you go...a few stocking ideas.  What do you hope to find in your stocking?

Win Free Stuff--A Great Way to Round out the Year!

Happy Monday!  Are you ready for another fun-filled week of work and school?  I just need to get through this week, because after this Friday, I am a free woman!  One of the few benefits of my job is that I get two weeks off around the holidays.  What a great way to end the year.

Another great way to end the year is by winning some awesome beauty products.  If you head over to FreeBeautyEvents.com, you could do just that.  The site hosts weekly and monthly beauty giveaways, and all you need to do to enter is visit their site, fill out some info and viola!  You could win a beauty product booty.

For the month of December 2010, they'll be giving away 10 prizes. Each prize will consist of Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream, Garnier Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Moisturizer, and Garnier Ultra-Lift Daily Targeted Wrinkle Treatment! The Contest runs from 12/1/2010 to 12/31/2010, winners will be chosen on 1/5/2011 and notified by 1/15/2011. To enter, go to http://www.freebeautyevents.com/contest. They also do a contest each week with a smaller prize on their blog.

They also feature beauty events going on across the country where you can score more free goodies and get some tips. This month, for example, L’Oreal will be demonstrating their hottest products at select CVS stores as well as handing out coupons and samples. In addition, in December Coty will be promoting their holiday fragrance gift sets at Rite Aid in New York and Pennsylvania. All this information is available for free on the FreeBeautyEvent.com site.

Head over, get informed, and enter to win something good!  It may just make your Monday suck a little less.

When Time is Tight....

Wow!  It's another insanely, busy week.  It seems like every week is busy, but during the holiday season, time is especially scare.  I've been bouncing around from beauty sites and magazines and have come up with some fun, easy time saving tips...below.

What's your favorite way to save time while getting beautiful? Leave me a comment and let me know! Me?  If I am going makeup free, I try to at least swipe on a quick coat of very black mascara--it helps open up my eyes and define the shape without much effort.

Use Pink to Fake Perfect Skin
Surprise! Concealer is only half the battle when it comes to fixing flaws. To really perfect your complexion (no matter what your skin tone), try wearing lipstick in a warm pink. It distracts people's eyes from blemishes and other imperfections.

Tone Down An Overly Powdered Face
If your face looks too powdered and artificial after makeup application, dampen a cosmetic sponge and press gently against your skin. This will not remove your makeup, but will give your face a fresh, dewy appearance, and neutralize the powder.

Multitasking Lipgloss
Make your gloss multitask. Keep a pearly white lip gloss in your desk drawer to slick not only on your lips but also on your brow bones and cheekbones as highlighter.

Go For a Quick Shave
Not enough time for a full in-the-shower shaving session? Just smooth baby oil onto your legs before you take the razor to them. The oil protects your skin and will leave your legs extra satiny.

No Time for a Salon Visit?
To pump up your hair color and add tons of shine to your tresses, use a temporary color-depositing conditioner before a big event. To get the best benefit, let it sit on just-washed hair for about 15 minutes. The results will last through a few shampoos.

When in Doubt, Go Red!
For a sexy lip effect, a scarlet pout is the way to go. After applying the lipstick, layer a matching lip liner over it. This will fix any uneven edges and give your lip color a long-lasting, velvety finish.

Holiday Gifting from NARS

NARS rocks. Their products are always top-notch and whenever I use them, I feel like I am treating myself to something special. If you're looking for something extra special for your friends, family...or for yourself, check out what NARS is offering up this holiday season:

Heading straight into the holiday season, NARS has the perfect sets to please any palette.

Frosted cheeks, glossy lips and high-shine nails in go-anywhere sizes are available as part of the below sets exclusively at narscosmetics.com.

Sweet Disposition Set

A set of three mini Multiples perfect for eyes, cheeks and lips. Essential for a holiday glow, the cult-favorite and iconic Multiple is ideal for creating shimmering accents and dynamic highlights for all skin tones in a creamy formula that blends effortlessly.

Shades:

• Luxor – Iridescent Pink
• Malibu – Pinkish Brown
• Orgasm – Peachy Pink With Shimmer

Price: $40

Crazy Heart Set
A quintet of medium-sized lip glosses to take you through winter from a rosy-glow workday to a sophisticated nighttime celebration. Bold enough to be worn alone but compact enough to be carried together.

Shades:

• Easy Lover – Ultra Sheer Hot Pink
• Babe – Sheer Orange Red
• Orgasm – Sheer Warm Pink With Golden Shimmer
• Turkish Delight – Pink Sorbet
• Misbehave – Sheer Cherry Red With Gold Shimmer

Price: $50

Precious Mini Nail Set
A set of four miniature-sized, high-shine and shimmering polishes in a mix of modern shades for the true beauty maven.

Shades:

• Purple Rain – Gothic Purple
• Versailles – Champagne Gold
• Jungle Red – Bright Red
• Orgasm – Peachy Pink With Shimmer

Price: $30

Holiday Hair That Will Knock 'Em Dead!

I've been obsessing over hair lately.  If you're a regular reader of this blog, you'll know that I recently devoted two weeks worth of posts to hair tips and product reviews.  Since then, I've been working on bettering my hair styling habits.  I'm washing my hair less frequently (my goal is to only wash my locks twice a week), and am trying to take a little more time and put a little more effort into getting my hair styled daily.

Now that the holiday season is upon us, no doubt you're going to more social events than normal.  Between matinees at the Nutcracker, office parties, cookie swaps, and other events, you're a busy lady and you need to look great.  Here's a great 'do that will keep you looking stylish all the way through your New Year's Eve events. 

The tips for getting this style come from Jet Rhys, and the steps to completing this look don't seem that complicated...even to a hair styling flunkie like me!

Step #1 Spray Bumble and Bumble's dry shampoo throughout your hair, this will give hair ton's of body and volume to work with.


Step #2 Roll sections of hair in hot roller's, anywhere from 8 to 12 roller's in all. let cool for about 15 minutes. Take out the roller's, use a Mason Pearson brush to lightly brush through your hair.

Step #3 Take a thin elastic headband place it around your head. Tip your head upside down, shake your head to wake up your curl's,lift your head upright. Using both hands place the headband down on the head behind the hairline. Try the clear headband by goodie, these headbands are perfect for updo's.

Step #4 Take a few random section's of hair and wrap them around your finger, this keep's the hair bouncy and springy for a glamorous look.

Step #5 To keep this look picture perfect for the party finish with a soft holding spray, like L'oreal Paris Studio Line finishing spray.

Two to Start the Week

It's Monday again.  That means we're inching closer and closer to Christmas.  Yikes.  How many shopping days do we have left?  It's too depressing to think about!

To start off the week, here are two quick, cute gift ideas to consider.  These would make good stocking or secret Santa gifts.

Tweezerman Brow Beauty Bubble, $20
Last week I mentioned that eyebrows are so important to your overall beauty look.  Neat and shaped brows help frame the face and make your look more polished.  My favorite tweezers are from Tweezerman.  They're effective and easy to use...plus they have great designs to help gussy-up your beauty toolbox.  The Brow Beauty Bubble is an awesome holiday gift idea. It includes a magnified compact 10X mirror and an adorable candy cane glittered red and white striped mini Slant Tweezer. Housed in a bubble case and small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, this must-have is ideal for on-the-go grooming.

SteamCream Tins, $18 each
These little tins just rock!  You can pick from a bunch of fun designs and give a friend (or yourself) an eye catching tin filled with an all purpose, slightly lavender scented moisturizer. High quality, natural, traceable and ethically-sourced raw ingredients are bound by a steam-infused manufacturing process to create a hydrating, easily absorbed and luxurious vegan cream for face, body and hands.  This is the perfect little gift for co-workers since the tins are small and ideal for the office.

Both the Brow Beauty Bubble and the SteamCream tins prove that good things come in small packages!

Big Box Beauty!

To round out the week, I'm going to start posting holiday gift giving ideas.  Know of a great beauty deal or have a favorite beauty gift to give?  Leave me a comment!

I love Sephora.  They have everything a girl could want, and now they've gone and made holiday shopping a snap. 

Celebrate the season with these new Sephora Limited Edition Sephora Beauty In A Box sets, seven limited edition kits in all. This selection of Sephora Beauty In A Box sets include the most coveted products from Sephora Collection, NARS, Urban Decay, Make Up For Ever, Laura Mercier, Josie Maran, Peter Thomas Roth, and step-by-step instructions to achieve unique look.

• Sephora Collection Sparkle Til Dawn ($77 value), $36: shine throughout the holiday season with this all inclusive kit.  One box contains all the shadows, liners, and glitter products you need along with an illustrated tutorial to create a dazzling look for the holidays or everyday.
• Laura Mercier Classic Eye Kit ($103 value), $42: featuring all the products, shades, tools, and techniques you need to achieve Laura's Classic Eye, plus a step-by-step tutorial.  This exclusive offering is complete with Laura's favorite picks so wearing a classic eye with an effortless application process is accessible to everyone.
• NARS Junkie ($121 value), $69: this one features all of Sephora's latest obsessions from NARS.  Signature shades can be layered to create an endless array of combinations and features instructions on how to achieve three distinct looks: "Bronzed Glow, Sparkling Eye," "Romantic and Radiant," and "A Sophisticated Smoldering Eye."
• Josie Maran Orglamic Revolution ($98 value), $52: this comes complete with Josie Maran product fixations that create the perfect smoky eye paired with a timeless nude lip.  This set of must-haves also includes a step-by-step how-to guide to achieve an au-natural glamorous look for any occasion.
• Peter Thomas Roth Eyes to Die for Kit ($202 value), $75: includes the ultimate products to five anyone a complete eye makeover.  This one kit includes the top-selling Lashes To Die For treatment, a mini Lashes To Die For mascara, the Un-Wrinkle Eye and Un-Wrinkle Conceal and Brighten products for bright, open, and beautiful eyes.
• Make Up For Ever Gold Icon ($103 value), $65: includes Metal Powder and Diamond Powder in Gold, a glimmering beige for your lips, a black Kohl eyeliner with gold flecks, and Smoky Lash mascara.  With a tutorial included, achieving a bold, gold look has never been so easy!
• Urban Decay Beauty in a Box ($91 value), $39 this box includes Sin Primer Potion to keep shadows in place and 24/7 Eye Pencils in Graffiti and Oil Slick.  You'll also find smoldering glitters including the elusive Luminous Loose Eyeshadow.  Urban Decay Rocks along with punchy blue and green glitter liners.  You won't want to leave the house without these favorites that will keep you rocking all night long!

Get to Know: Lierac

This year I've tried out several products from Lierac.  Lierac is a company from France that makes tons of skin care products.  Their stuff is available at CVS, and there's bound to be something for you to help your specific skin type or condition.  Their products are not cheap, but they are effective and well worth checking out.

Here are three of my favorites--I've been trying out samples of these products and they've been a welcomed addition to my skincare routine:

• Microabrasion Exfoliating Smoothing Cream, $38: this product buffs away all the old, dead skin cells that make skin look blah.  It is only used once or twice a week, but man does it do a good job!  It makes my skin feel so much smoother and look more radiant.  It's like a wake-up call for tired out skin. 
• Coherence Nuit Age-Defense Firming Night Cream, $64: this product is designed for more mature skin, but now that I'm in my mid-30s, I figure it's time I get serious about battling the signs of aging.  (An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right?)  This product helps to lift and firm up the face.  Applied nightly, it helps to repair the skin and diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, making skin more supple and moisturized.
• Diopticreme Intense Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream, $34: Also designed for more mature skin, this product is a wrinkle fighter.  It helps to improve firmness and elasticity around the eye area, making sure the entire area is perfectly moisturized.  I like that it goes over the entire eye area, not just the undereye region that most products target.  This one seems like it will really tackle crow's feet (which I don't really have yet and hope not to get!).

Lierac products are very high quality and it's awesome that you can get them easily from CVS.  I've also tried out their Bust Lift product earlier in the year and liked it.  I appreciate that Lierac has products for body, face, sun protection, and men.  They really do seem to have something for everyone!