THE ADVICE SISTERS® "What Works" Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion Review Column, DECEMBER (Holiday Gifts & Glam) COLUMN by Alison Blackman Dunham
Advice Sisters
What They're Saying About Alison Blackman Dunham
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MAKEUP GIFTS: Last month we reviewed holiday eye shadows from Bourjois. This month, as promised, we're moving to lips and the Gloss Troupe $15.50 and Can Can Colour Show $28.00. I am a die-hard fan of Bourjois and especially super-mini-sized items like the Effet 3D Mobile lip gloss we reviewed in our June column . I wished for more colors in super- mini-sizes, and Bourjois has delivered, just in time to tuck a gloss into the a tiny evening bag. The Gloss Troupe features 5 Effet 3D lip glosses (without the "charm" loop), beautifully packaged in a harlequin-inspired, pink and maroon presentation box with clear center (so you can see all the colors). The super-shiny (and mostly shimmery) lip glosses range from a shiny matte nude and a rich framboise, to shimmery champagne, toasted rose, and a ladylike shimmered pink. The mini size and adorable packaging make them an affordable, covet-able gift. The silky, luxe, light-reflecting gloss makes them a "must have" for you. Also fun and great for all the kissing you'll be doing, is the Can Can Colour Show, also packaged in a limited edition, holiday collection presentation box. This one features two can can girls, leg high in a kick. Open the box, and inside are three super-shiny, full-sized Effet 3D lip glosses in different formulas: super-shimmer, shimmer, and non-shimmer. My favorite is the super-shimmer "Rose Symphonic," a whisper-sheer, light pink gloss so packed with shimmer, it dazzles even in the tube (and looks like wet diamonds on your lips). There's also the shimmer "Brun Galactic," a subdued rosed nude, and "Cassis Tropical," a completely non shimmery, clear hot raspberry that adds just the right "just bitten" sheer tint of color to lips. The adorable packaging makes this a perfect gift for a lip color lover, but you'll want to get one for yourself, too.
To view previous "What Works" Beauty, Cosmetics, and Fashion Review columns, visit the "What Works Archives".
Tarte's trio of "gilty" pleasures are adorable and affordable. All that Glitters $28.00 is a limited edition face kit, packed into a large, quilted clutch with lilac satin interior (doubles as an evening bag). You'll also get a fantastic, mini cheek stain in cherry called "Tickled," a metallic gold eye liner pencil, a dual-ended Lip Gloss Duo in "Glow" (pink) and "Gleam" (fabulous gold glimmer) along with connector piece you can use with other, Tarte lip glosses, too. A lilac-and- gold-stenciled mirrored compact with four matte and simmer shadow duos (eight colors) including gold/silver, plum/ rose, brown/nude and grey/mauve) is great completes the look. Another one of the most covet-able (but affordable) gifts for the season is Gilt Trip $28.00 by Tarte. Inside a very useful, padded, gold leatherette-covered mirrored mini vanity case with a golden clasp, are half a dozen super-shiny, sparkling, light-reflecting, lip-enhancing mini lip glosses that will make you go "oohhh!" and add shiny shimmer to your lips as they look fuller, softer, kissable. There is so much shimmer in these lip-plumbing glosses that it creates a pretty sparkle right in the tube! From beige to peach, berry to red, each of these super-shimmery glosses (with names like Sparkle, Glisten, and Twinkle) will add sexy appeal (and a slight tingle) to your holiday lip looks. Spread even more cheer to favored friends and family members with Some Like It Hot $28.00, a re-useable, black plastic case stenciled with violet lace, containing ten, tiny tubes of cinnamon- flavored lip glosses. These sheer delights in shimmery and super-shimmery, natural to pink shades, are so mini, you can fit several in a tiny change purse--and an enclosed set of connector pieces make it possible to mix and match, easily! These lip sets will delight everyone--be sure to get one of each for yourself and make your holidays, shiny, sexy, and bright, too. When I think of a "boxed set" I usually think of books or CDs, but Stila's "boxed set" is so much more fun, and perfect for holiday gifts: The limited edition Color Festival $58.00 arrives dressed in a ready-to-give, hot pink metallic cardboard box. Inside is a dressing-table ready, keepsake, brown and hot pink ultra suede box that breaks apart into three different shelves, each holding some of Stila's chic-est products. The top layer has an eye shadow trio in a silver, cardboard compact topped with a hot pink, phalaenopsis orchid graphic, and featuring shades of brown, copper, and ivory ("Champagne, Sunkissed and Coco). Level 2 contains a Convertible Color (Stila's creamy, lipstick and blush-in-one) "Gerbera," a flattering soft apricot that will add color to palefaces and make deeper complexions, glow. The third level has a deluxe sample smudge pot (a long-lasting, easy-to-apply gel eyeliner/shadow) in a trendy and universally flattering warm brown "Copper, a nice, mini-sized Major Lash Mascara in "Black," and a High Shine Lip Color in 'Olivia," a glossy rose that works day and evening for virtually everything you wear. This is a boxed set we definitely, want!
 It has been a while since we've reviewed anything from
IMAN Cosmetics, but
her limited edition Mediterranean Holiday Collection Compact $19.99
is a welcome-back we're just loving. Inside a large, rectangular,
black, plastic compact with interior mirror are ten terrific products that give you
everything you need for a complete, face-in-a-case, look. IMAN
is a style icon (as is her husband, David Bowie) who really
knows what works for women of all ages and complexions. These kits
flatter all types of complexions, from very deep, to light blondes and
ruddy redheads. The colors are sheer and easily blended. Ours, called
"St. Tropez," (photo) features metallic, bronzed colors that
will keep your Summer glow, going all year long (Cote D'Azure has more
vibrant colors). We loved the four slightly shimmery, powder eye
shadows (golden peach, soft mauve, brown, and rosed-brown) two lip
colors (rusted red, and medium peach), two silky lip glosses (deep
chocolate and shimmery-peachy pink), a sheer, cream highlighter in
soft, golden bronze, and a powder trio featuring a deep, medium and
light bronze (wear each separately or swoosh together for a lovely,
golden glow). The products are of high quality and lovely to wear (and
you even get mini applicators for eyes, lips and blush). A great kit
at a great price!
Are
you a true couch potato, but you want to change? Do you know someone
who just can't seem to get it together to get off the couch and
exercise? The Fitness Challenge
$29.95 is a motivating board game/exercise tracker, that puts the
"fun" back into fighting flab. I met the vivacious Vicki
Sorenson and her mother, Stephanie at KMRPR's
fabulous
Girls Night Out at Bruno Jamais Supper Club last month,
and was immediately taken with the clever idea. The Fitness
Challenge is fun, but serious--if you and your fitness partner
follow through, you both are winners! The Fitness Challenge
combines the challenges and fun or playing a board game (with
"rewards" in the form of star points and "coupons" you can "redeem" if
you "win" a challenge), with the benefits of following a personalized
exercise program. The idea is to get a partner, and play for eight
weeks at a time. You get an "board" with "star" stickers (the fitness
challenge scorecard), to help you and your workout buddy
track your progress. The designers thought of everything, there's even
a dry erase marker and hanging clips so you haven't any excuses to
avoid looking at your progress. You also get the coupons with little
treats (e.g.. buy me a CD) and chores "go grocery shopping)
that motivate you to stay on track and "stick it" to your
partner if they don't hold up their end of the bargain! A list of
qualified exercises are included, that can be easily tailored from
beginner to advanced. The idea is to pick activities that will keep
you interested and motivated to get up and exercise for at least 20
minutes (30 for advanced) at least three times a week. This is the
perfect time for you and a partner to give each other the motivation
you need to get through the holidays without blimping out, and it's a
great gift idea for just about everyone. Next year, no excuses!
BEAUTY HELPERS TO GET
AND GIVE:
Eyes are the window to the
soul, they say, and beautifully curled eyelashes help make your eyes
look even better. Sephora puts curves in all the right places with the Sephora Full Size Lash Curler $16.00. This one has no-slip grips and
high-tech rubber grip pads. Lashes look naturally curled and perfectly
shaped, easily and gently. For more curl and definition, lower lashes
need curl too. The Sephora Lower Lash Curler $14.00 is a
half-sized, more curved version of the full lash curler, specifically
designed to get to those hard-to-reach, delicate, lower lashes. You will
be amazed at how much of an eye-framing difference curling your top and
bottom lashes, makes. And, for even more definition and curl, there is a
Detail Lash Curler $14.00 . It is also half-sized, but slightly
less bent over, to catch the lashes at the very outer corner that are
hard (actually, impossible) to reach with a traditional curler.
Depending upon how much mascara you add after you’ve used these tools,
you can transform your lashes in depth, density and degree from natural,
to thick, to seemingly "faux." These pro-style tools are well
designed and well priced, so everyone can afford them. Good value,
and good to enhance your holiday look. TIP: makeup tools
make
nice "stocking stuffers" for your fashionista friends!
Mini has maxi appeal when it comes to
traveling with great makeup tools. For the holidays, Laura Mercier
glams up a trio of tiny, "must-have" makeup brushes in a
Micro Mini Brush Set $45.00 featuring a bright red, faux lizard
case securely holding three purse-sized brushes for eyes, cheeks, and
a pull-apart lip brush. The size is small, but the quality is evident
in the lush, soft, beautifully-shaped brush heads and shiny, black,
wooden handles. The magnetic closure and mirror makes this a mighty
mini kit you'll want for yourself, and offer as a special gift for
special people this holiday season. When I learned
that there was a fitness program that lets you learn
sexy, Latin dances from 4 world champions and lose weight and
tone up, I couldn't wait to review it, and I wasn't disappointed! Core Rhythms Starter DVD
Set ( $14.95 + $9.95 shipping+$14.95 if you do not want to return it),
an aerobic exercise program based on Latin dance moves. I had seen this
on a television infomercial, but when I heard that readers had actually
lost weight and inches with this, I had to try it. The exercise
leaders are two very toned and sexy women (Jaana
Kunitz and Julia Powers), who teach you three core moves, and
put them together in a long and short (20 min) routine performed to
pulsating, Latin rhythms. If you do these right, you'll sweat for sure,
and you will lose weight and tone up. Some may find the workout
challenging if they're not already in shape, but while the workouts are
real work (and why else would you buy an exercise program?) they are so
much fun, you won't mind! They also give you a chance to learn and
practice sexy moves in the privacy of your own home, before you
get on the dance floor. A real plus is that the DVDs allow you to choose
a front or back view of the moves, and there is a good "help"
button you can press at any time to have the ladies demonstrate the
moves they use. These exercises take just moments to learn, although if
you want to look like a dance champion doing them, you'll want to
practice, often (and that's not a bad thing, either). The starter kit
comes with three videos: a short and a long workout (using samba and
meringue moves) and a "how-to" DVD that shows the ladies
with their husbands, demonstrating how to actually do
meringue, samba and rhumba moves. You may not look like a champion
dancer when you first start out, but you will burn calories, help to get
a toned body, and (hopefully after using the program for a while) have
enough confidence to get out there in a slinky dress and actually dance.
I think this would make a fantastic gift for singles and couples
who would like a unique and effective way to get in shape, learn
something new, and have a great time doing it. This is a perfect
holiday gift. *"Audition"
the first set of 3 DVDs for 30 days, but if you keep it the total cost
will be $39.85. You will be sent a new DVD every month for an
additional $19.95 plus shipping unless you cancel through a toll
free number. The company will cancel promptly upon request.
Everyday Matters $82.95 by
Dr. Hauschka Skin Care is an important gift because what you do
for your skin, every day, matters! Attractively packaged in a
large, cardboard carton with a silky, golden rope handle, are 4
must-have items to begin (or improve) a 3-step skin care routine that
is easy to do, and includes instructions for a unique "press and roll"
application technique for best results. You get a 5.1 oz
Lavender Bath (applied with the included cotton cloth) to pleasurably
relax you and open pores, 1.5 oz Cleansing Cream (a gentle but
deep cleanser and also a gentle exfoliator), and a 3.4 oz Facial
Toner that is refreshingly sprayed onto your face and gently pressed
onto the skin as well. These high quality products are created
with therapeutic blends of aromas and organics to help you create a
sense of well-being along with a sensible and effective skin care
routine. We think men will embrace these products as well. Send
yourself, or your friends and family into 2007 with better skin and a
great outlook each day!
The Skin Smoothing Sampler $30.00 by
LATHER is an impressive gift for the price. An attractive, lime
green cardboard box with a photo in greytones of river rocks on the
top, is filled with five 2 oz travel-sizes of LATHER"S best
selling body care products. When I see LATHER products in a
hotel, I immediately know I'm in a great place. The ones in this
sampler are: Hand Crème with
Evening Primrose (fabulous, alpha-hydroxy hand treatment
formulated from fruits and plant extracts combined with natural
moisturizers instantly improve the look and feel of your hands),
Lavender & Eucalyptus Foot Crème (lavender, eucaplyptus, sage and
arnica stimulate feet, increase circulation, and extracts of seaweed
squalene and aloe versa smooth, moisturize and soften dry skin),
Bamboo Lemongrass Foaming Body Scrub (bamboo powder, sea salts, and
walnut shells make this cleanser an exfoliator, while essential oils
give off a great scent), and two new products: Bamboo Crème Body
Wash with Shea Butter (bamboo, shea, and antioxidants create a
slightly foaming, moisturizing cleanser), and Sofian Lavender
Whipped Body Crème (gloriously scented with lavender, moisturizing
with shea butter and enriched with antioxidants, it's simply lovely to
use). This is a great way to travel with products you know and love
(if you're not staying in a quality hotel that features them), and a
nice way to pamper someone this holiday season and introduce them to
LATHER.
SUPERB
STOCKING
STUFFERS: Women and men love Essie's super-yummy scented
Smoothies (we can name lots of guys who can't get enough of
this lotion, even though they're not the "moisturizing"
type. For the holidays, Essie's Silky Treats $14.99
features a little cardboard "basket" featuring four 2 oz.
bottles of Blueberry & Banana, Coconut and Pineapple, Kiwi and Lime,
and Pear and Fig. These moisturizing powerhouses are packed with natural
emollients and alpha hydroxy acids to keep your skin looking smooth and
soft now and especially throughout the dry, winter months. The lotion
absorbs so fast all you'll feel is
soft, silky skin. Keep one in your desk, gym bag, purse, and car.
Buy a bunch of "baskets" to give to all those special
people. from your hairdresser, to the receptionist who always holds your calls,
and even your husband, whose hands could use a bit of TLC. For a
little treat or a great stocking stuffer, Essie Holiday Candies $13.99 are
dandy choices that won't deplete your budget, or ruin your diet. The
Red Striped Candy Duo features one bottle each of "Glass
Slippers" (white polish with glitter) and "Fishnet
Stockings" (universally flattering red), or try the Pink Striped
Candy Duo with two of Essie's (and my favorite) colors:
"Limo-Scene is a soft, flattering, blush pink and "Ruby
Slippers" is a sparkling crimson fused with tons of glamorous glitter.
Wear these and show you are ready to shine! These little treats
will delight every girl on your gift list, no matter what her age.
Go Out Gloss Lip Shine and Be Scene
Crème Cheek Color $6.00/each
by MARK
are terrific treats that virtually everyone can afford, and can't afford
to be without! Round black compacts feature huge, multi-faceted
"diamonds" on their clear lids. Inside is a sheer, shimmery
blush/shimmer for face, or a shimmery gloss for lips. Be Scene Crème Cheek Color is
a silky-smooth, cream-to-powder blush that highlights cheeks with dewy
shimmer. "Fizz" is a shimmery sheer peachy glow that looks great
to accent cheekbones. "Flushed" is a cheery rosed-pink. Go
Out Gloss Lip Shine features the same, glitzy compact, but inside
you'll see a large portion of shiny, smooth, fragranced lip gloss
(we couldn't quite place the slightly fruity with a hint of herbal scent,
but it was nice). This sexy gloss comes in party-ready shimmery berry
("Blush") or a shimmery clear "Champagne." Take these
glam compacts out of your makeup bag and heads will turn. Of
course, these make fantastic stocking stuffers. Get a bit of flash, for a
little
cash. Bath treats are great gifts for everyone
from a grandchild, to a grandmother, and gift suggestion we think is not
just good for all, but very, very cute, is the Holiday Bath Bubbles
$3.00 by Jaqua Girls. Gentle enough for the kids but fun for adults,
these puffy plastic pillows I holiday shapes are filled with mildly
scented bubble bath gel! The (Santa and Snowman have pearly white gel, a
puffy star has red gel infused with red glitter!). These are generously
sized-- enough for 6-8 baths. Simply squeeze open the valve that also
seals the product inside, and let it flow under the tap until you have
just the amount you want of foamy, fun, bubbles. When the bubble gel is
all gone, the pillows become little "blow up" ornaments that
will add to your holiday decor for years to come. They’re cute,
practical, and reviewers agree, a universally appropriate gift to have
on hand for any last-minute gift-giving needs and you can’t beat the
price. We would call the Lip Lock Keychain
$7.50 by Victoria's Secret a stocking stuffer, but this zip
purse in the shape of sexy lips with a see-through front, is so much more.
The packaging is an actual change purse with keychain closure...
and that would be cute all on it’s own, but that isn’t all
you get for this amazing price. Inside are two mini sized products for
your lips: Ours, the hot pink metallic lip purse held "Very
Voluptuous" Lip Plumper (works great) and a Very Sexy Lip Gloss in
"Bling" (super-shiny clear gloss infused with holographic, parti
colored bits of gloss that is an amazing topcoat, or wear it alone). There’s
also another version with a RED lip purse featuring two lip glosses
("Intimate," and "Hot Pants"). Whether you just want a
little something to perk up your party outfits, or you grab a bunch of
these for party favors and "thank-you" gifts, or for
office grab bag, you’ll win a warm smile when you give these. You can
also look like a big shot, and still stick to your holiday budget,
too! Sephora Fresh Gloss $7.00 has a
great, minty scent and loads of shine. It’s clear, mini-sized
for purse or pocket, and we like it alone, or slicked over a dark
lipstick. Every woman will want at least one, but we think it would be
especially nice to give to a younger girl who isn’t quite ready for
color, but who longer for lip gloss. Sephora Ultra Shine Lip
Gloss $15.00 does have color--23 shades to be exact in palettes of
pink, brown, or purples. Reviewers like a shimmery sheer brown that
seemed to be scented like grape soda, or cola, depending upon who tried
it. You can mix and match these or wear them solo, for endless
possibilities. Lip glosses can boost your mood, so give a happy thought
to friends, with Ultra Shine
See
previous "What Works" Beauty, Cosmetics, and Fashion Review
columns, at the "What
Works Archives
" Advice
Sisters Enews Looking for
something to satisfy your inner "wild
child?" or for a teen? Streekers $8.95 are a great choice. These lip-gloss type sponge-tipped wanded tubes
color your hair blue, pink, ultra violet, purple, red, yellow or green.
Be daring and
add a streak (or two, or three or more). The color will wash out, you
can even use your brush after the Streekers color dries, along with styling gel or hair spray. Have a blast
with a bold look and still be ready for work the next day as the color washes out when you shampoo!
These add zip to any party look, and they'll help you attract
attention. Wear your company, school, or team colors -- watch
heads, turn. These are cute stocking stuffers for hard-to-shop-for
teens, too. Even little girls can enjoy these since they’re safe
and totally of-the-moment. Your gift of Streekers are truly
smile-producing fun-in-a-bottle.
FESTIVE FRAGRANCES FOR THE HOLIDAYS, GIFT-GIVING, AND BEYOND Post your comments
about life, love, career and beauty on our Forums The Sexy Best
Atomizer set $24.00 by Victoria's Secret
is a very special fragrance set...one you'll want for yourself, and for
gift-giving. It's a great value, too! The re-useable, shiny, cardboard
presentation box in hot pink metallic and black logo box, ties
closed with a thick, silky, hot pink satin ribbon. Inside is the real
prize: 5 Eau
De Parfum mini-spray vials of Victoria’s Secret’s top
selling fragrances in .07 oz sizes (enough for a weekend away).. What
makes this set truly special, however, is the included, silvery
carrying case, no larger than a pack of gum, that lets you carry your scent,
elegantly. It's so pretty to use, studded at the top with starry pink
crystals, and featuring the Victoria's
Secret name in elegant hot pink lettering, Simply pull off the top,
drop a vial of Victoria's Secret fragrance into the case, and
you're good to go. The set includes the new, Dream Angels Desire, plus
Dream Angels Heavenly,
Very Sexy for Her, So in Love, and Body by Victoria. If
you're a fan of Victoria's Secret fragrances, you love
variety, and like to take scent with you. this is a great choice and a
great gift. BeautiControl advertises it's
Unmistakable Fragrance as a Fragrance
Gel $30.00 2 fl. oz, even though ours looked pretty much like a liquid,
but no matter: "Unmistakable" is a fragrance you can't forget,
and don't want to! The mixture of Italian lime, icy pear,
almond, peony and just a hint of vanilla, creates a beautiful, unusual
blend that is a not-easily defined "floriental." It's
substantial, but soft. It's fresh, but feminine. It's subtle, but still
sexy. Dab a bit on your pulse points and you'll discover a little goes a
long way. You'll find people you don't even know stopping you
to ask: "what is that fragrance?" There's also a luxurious
Body Creme $55.00 6.2 oz that has a "whipped"
formula that's light and luscious. We like the generously- sized
jar, too.
If you're looking for an unique scent, and a memorable, gift, this
is a good choice.
Fragrance is supposed to be
your most intimate, fashion accessory. but when Avon
and
Swarovski
work together, you get a luxurious,, sophisticated fashion statement: Crystal Aura Eau de
Parfum
$26.00 1.7 fl. oz
by Avon debuts this month. You wear it as a fragrance, and
also, as an accessory! A striking, slim rectangle of clear glass
is topped with a violet "crystal" top. Around the neck of the
bottle is a sparkling, rectangular, crystal pendant that you can
wear on a chain around your neck, hang from your jeans, or
just admire. Inside, Crystal Aura
is a modern, fruity floral that's more substantial than the
light fruits of Summer to wear with heavier fabrics, but still light
enough to be casual. It's a fresh blend of citrus-y star fruit,
womanly amethyst rose and sensual musk and woods. Whether you're looking
for a special scent for yourself, or to gift someone with something
special, or you just can't decide between splurging on jewelry or
fragrance, this is a two in one gift that is bound to please. Fragrance
takes another direction entirely with Blue Rush For Her
$19.75
1.7 oz eau de toilette (there's one for men, too). A
softly-rounded pyramid of glass tapers to a silvery top. Inside,
Blue
Rush For Her is categorized as a fresh, watery floral, blending wet amaryllis
and blue freesia with a hint of feminine musk and aquatic woods. It's a
light scent that will work well on every woman from her teens to
adults. To express the
excitement
and passion of this fragrance, Avon choose
Kristian Alfonso (“Hope Brady”) and Peter Reckell (“Bo Brady”),
the star couple of NBC’s #1 daytime drama, “Days of our Lives, to
represent the his-and-her fragrances in their advertising
campaign. If you or someone you know loves the soaps, this scent
is a perfect match that won't break your budget. Last month a new
fragrance was launched that we think is the perfect gift for a young
lady, especially if she's one of the 6 million viewers
that watch The OC, a television drama about Orange Country,
California. Despite it's modest price, reviewers really liked The OC for Her Eau De Toilette
Spray $22.50 1.7 fl. oz $12.00 0.5 oz., This companion
fragrance to The OC For Him (see our men's
products in the right hand column) is a light and daytime appropriate
scent, encased in a deep pink box and inside, a deep pink bottle.
This light, fresh, fruity floral starts with top and middle notes
of mandarin, hibiscus, tuberose, jasmine, freesia, white peach, guava
and nectarine, while base notes of white amber, sweet vanilla and clear
musk soften the blend at drydown. Although the scent was created to
appeal to younger users, it is still sophisticated enough to appeal to
adult women. I can easily see a mother and daughter sharing a bottle
with no problem. This is an affordable, attractive,
new scent to try (and give). Everyone wants a better
love, but Better Love $90.00 1.7 oz., $40.00 0.5 oz. by June Jacobs
is a new fragrance you'll really fall in love with. We have
reviewed June Jacobs skincare in the past and really liked
it. We were eager to see if this new fragrance was as great as the
skin care. It is! Better Love is a unique and sensual fragrance,
full of spicy and herbal notes. It starts with Italian bergamot, lemon,
and sparkling ripe mandarin but the heart of rose and jasmine, spiced
with hot pink pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg is what you really notice.
The drydown is a mixture of cedar and sweet cream intertwined with musk
and sheer amber. The scent reminds us of some of our favorite Amouage
and Montale scents that contain exotic resins. This is also
spicy, rich, creamy and exotic, but it is also flirtatious. It will make
people want to get close to you for a better sniff...even though the
scent is already, assertive. If you're looking for an unusual and unique
scent to call your own, this is a great choice.
BOOKS MAKE GOOD FRIENDS:
.
YOUR
HOLIDAY HOME:
Candles are the
classic way to enhance a holiday mood, and they're always
a great gift, especially if you don't know someone's size or
interests. An exclusive line the
Advice Sisters have just been introduced to is Jerome Privé Pour
La Maison $19.00
available at Perfumania stores, or at Perfumania.com.
These are truly lovely, and quite affordable. The substantial, clear
glass votives go with any decor. They contain generously-sized, very
nicely scented candles in genuine holiday fragrances that will make you
feel "merry and bright" even if you just light one after a
hard day at work, for your own enjoyment. The product info told us that
these candles have "notes" just as bottled fragrances do (nice
to know what is creating the yummy scent you're smelling). We tried
"Gingerbread Cookie," a sweet and spicy rust colored candle
with top notes suggestive of homemade cookie dough and caramel, with
middle notes of gingerbread, cinnamon, and sugar cookie, and bottom
notes of white musk, vanilla extract, and tonka beans.T he snappy, spicy
scent really perked up our senses and made us want to sip cider by
the fire, or at least take five, and read a book to recharge and
refresh. There's also "Cranberry Garland" and
"Festive Fir."
Set a
holiday mood while you remove unwanted or stale
odors from the air. It's easy, with the Essential Oil Diffuser
$34.00 by Ashley Archer. This diffuser features 15 rattan diffuser reeds
that soak up pure essential oils of Ylang Ylang, Clove, Orange &
Vanilla Extract, and scent your room for months, around the clock.
Simply reverse the rods every few weeks to keep the scent, going strong.
Scented oil diffusers give you all the benefits of home scent,
without the danger of fire. Since they last a long time, they're
economical, and a great gift idea. What could be cuter than a
scented soap in holiday shapes? Some
that are holiday-perfect are the triple-milled soap
collections, by Gianna
Rose. Reviewers loved the Antique Ornament Soaps
$18.00 shaped like antique Christmas tree
ornaments. These are boxed in a pretty red and pink lidded cardboard box
stenciled with a paisley design that reminds me of wallpaper from the
old West, with "peace, love, joy and celebrate---in French--around
the sides of the box." Inside, 7 small round ivory-colored
"ornaments" look amazingly like the real thing, complete with
a hint of sparkle. The fragrance is fantastic: a strong and
festive blend of evergreen, pine, sweet fir, cinnamon, vanilla, and
clove. Reviewers also ooh-ed and ahhh-ed over the box of Snowflake
Soaps $18.00 Inside tall, square box (similar to the one housing
the ornament soaps, but with an intricate snowflake pattern), are four
hand soaps in the shape of snowflakes. These lovely, white soaps are
scented with a warm blend of vanilla, rosemary, mint and fir--less spicy
and more fruity-herbal (one reviewer insisted that it smells like
pomegranate, but it's a lovely, uplifting scent everyone will like). TIP:
If you think these are too cute to use, pop a few into your sweater or
lingerie drawer to make everything smell like the holidays! Both of the
soaps are also included with a scented votive, as a Holiday
Tower $54.50, stacked together and tied with a red, grosgrain ribbon
and a gift tag. One of the many Royal Extract products
available from Lady Primrose includes a super-elegant, extra
tall, Royal Extract Crystal Pedestal Candle $85.00. If you are
a romantic, this is the candle of your dreams! A beveled
cystal gobler nearly a foot tall with a graceful, tulip-shaped bowl,
holds a naturally colored, scented candle with a scent for the
romantically inclined: golden honey, milk, apple blossom, and woods.
For a less fancy presentation but a luxurious scent at a lower cost,
check out the Frosted Snowflake Candle (refill) $32.00 . A
gracefully-shaped, large, smooth opalescent blue bowl votive is packed
with a scented candle infused with fir balsam and pine, clove, nutmeg
and cinnamon plus a cool touch of "frosty" notes. The effect is
cheerful, spicy (I sensed a hint of mint, although it's not listed)
and invigorating. This candle is actually made to fit inside a larger,
Crystal Urn $290.00 embossed with snowflakes, which we didn't see.
However, this 11 oz refill looks lovely on it's own. It will go with
virtually every decor and has a generous, 55 hour burn time. We are
new fans, and hope to review more Lady Primrose products for
you in future columns! Advice Sisters Enews subscribers
get all the latest Advice Sisters news and contest information. Subscribe
to bi-monthly Enews. -- it's free!
About The Works Beauty
Reviews:
Products reviews are conducted by Alison Blackman Dunham (aka. Advice Sister Alison). In
some instances, the review reflects additional opinions of qualified, anonymous reviewers
and the term "we" instead of "I" is used in the commentary.
Nobody gets financial compensation for reviewing products, and they are not affiliated
with the companies mentioned. If you have comments about the column, or if you would
like to be considered as a reviewer and can pick up products from the New York area,
Email us at: advicesisters@advicesisters.net |
HAIR HELPERS: There's nothing nicer than giving or receiving a luxurious hair styling tool, and one that is a "must-have" for you or a splurge for someone special is the MAXIglide Hair Straightener. This is the larger and more deluxe version of the MINIglide we reviewed in our Holiday, 2005 column. You can buy just the MAXIglide $79.95, or you can purchase one of several packages that begin with a basic package $99.00 includng the MAXIglide and a bottle of Beyond Straight Hair Straightener, The End hair protector, a "how-to" DVD, and a zippered case and run $109.00, $119.00 and $129.95 for packages with additional items such as a brush, shampoo and conditioner, and rollers. Instead of a flat plate or brush, little rows of tiny metal tangling pins with rounded edges detangle and hold each group of strands neatly, so the result is straighter and smoother, but without harming sensitive cuticles like bristles can. Wide ceramic plates (nearly 4") allow you to straighten more hair, more quickly (my really thick hair only took a few minutes). The advanced steam burst technology uses water to help soften and hydrate even dry and frizzy hair, making it easier to style without harming it. The plates heat up super-fast, but there are protective "styling ribs" that keep the heat from burning the skin. A variable heat control (#1-10) lets you easily dial just the amount of heat your hair needs, without over or under-heating it. The on-off switch is on the top of the handle, so you can't turn it on by accident. As a bonus, you even get a flat plate for touch-ups. I have hair that gets frizzy, but my personal test of the MAXIglide smoothed the frizz, fast, and left my hair stick-straight and shiny-smooth in just a few minutes (much faster than with traditional straightening devices). It really was amazing. You get what you pay for--straight, shiny hair! This is a must-have for you, and a luxurious gift, too. There are always a few occasions during the holiday season when my regular hair style just won't do, and I don't have any time to fuss. Apparently, neither does superstar songstress and actress Jessica Simpson. She's recently collaborated with celebrity hair stylist Ken Paves, to create HairDO Clip-In Extensions: Vibralite (Synthetic) Clip-In Wavy Extensions - (15- and 23-inch/ $85 - $95); Clip-In Straight Extensions - (10- and 22-inch $85 -$95); HairDo™ 100% Human Hair Clip-In Extensions - (21-inch set/ $500. According to the press literature we received with our sample, these do-it-yourself extensions are exactly how Ms. Simpson changes her hair length, quickly. The Vibralite versions we tried are available in both straight and wavy styles and in 15 multi-tonal shades. Unlike salon-style extensions, these temporary ones look and feel like human hair. You can use them again and again (great!). You can use these extensions to make your hair look shorter as well longer clip your longer hair under the extension). These are easy, although not effortless (there are easy to follow illustrations and videos on the web site) but with just a bit of practice, you'll be a "pro." For a change of pace, a bad hair day, or a party "do," these are must-haves for the holidays. We didn't review the 100% human hair versions, but they'd make a fantastic splurge. Good tools are essential to a good hairstyle and healthy hair. The So Smart Brush Collection $4.99 by Goody offers you a dozen, amazingly inexpensive but high performance brushes. They have all the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands: static-resistant bristles to keep the frizzies at bay and maintain that smooth, shiny, healthy look we all want, and comfort grip handle, too. Choose from: styler, cushion styler, monofilament, medium hot round, monofilament hot round, tufted salon, paddle, full oval cushion, round salon brush, XL hot round, large hot round, and tunnel vent brush. For under $60.00 you can get the entire collection for yourself, or wow someone special with a gift! We also liked the Ouchless Collection of brushes, with nylon, one-piece comfort tip bristles, that are recessed a bit into a cushioned brush head to be gentle on your hair and easy to clean (hair won't collect at the base). These come in soft, pretty colors (ours was a clear, light green plastic) and they'll make a chore, more fun. TIP: these are great gifts for anyone with a sensitive scalp or as a gift for kids -no more tears! Don't let dandruff flakes ruin your confidence or your holiday image! Lots of people have it and it often arrives just as the weather turns, or when you've really got to make a good impression the most. While you can't ignore dandruff on your head, or someone else's) or wish it away, Redken's Dandruff Control Shampoo $12.50 10.1 oz and Conditioner $14.50 8.5 oz. helps you give those flakes, a fight! The products use lavender extract and glycerin to help soothe, calm, and clarify your scalp, while pyrithione zinc, an effective dandruff fighter, controls the itching and flaking. Usually, effective elixirs for dandruff smell bad and feel worse, but why suffer? These are luxe, and they smell minty and feel refreshing! Leave shampoo on for 5 minutes and follow with the conditioner. You'll find the flakes, fleeing, and your hair will still look, feel, and smell, wonderful. There is also a Dandruff Control Leave-In Treatment $16.95 1.7 oz that works fast and is a "must-have" to deal with dandruff. Just apply a bit to your clean scalp and massage in daily. It won't look greasy, smell, or ruin your style. Reviewers who tried these products reported that they did work, and they actually (for once) didn't dread dealing with dandruff. We also like the clean, white, plastic bottles with grey lettering that look unobtrusive in your bathroom.
HOLIDAY EYES: Last month we introduce you to the Maestro Mascara by Giorgio Armani. For the holidays I think I've found the perfect bit of "body bling" in the Armani Black Gem Top Coat Mascara $25.00. The black, shimmering mascara is more that just a way to color lashes, it is a top coat that gives eyelashes a generous sparkle of black crystal! The mascara tube is clear, so you can see the intense shimmer within (beautiful on your dressing table). Inside, a plastic "comb" wand separates lashes as it gilds them. You can wear this mascara as-is, or over another product. The effect is glittery, but not "club kid." it's really beautiful...a special occasion look that makes every night "merry and bright." TIP: we "smudged" just a bit of this mascara onto our eyelids for a shimmery, smoky eye look that is pretty and party-perfect.
Very Sexy Makeup Mosaic Eye Shadow $18.00 by Victoria's Secret Beauty, pairs 4 shimmery shades of coordinated powder shadow in one compact: two larger rectangles of lid shadow, and two smaller ones for contour and liner. We found them silky and easy to apply, and found them beautiful worn solo, fun to use, blended for our own, unique looks. For the holidays, "Sultry" is great, day or night for it's gold-glitzed colors: two soft neutrals (taupe and soft camel) a gorgeous, golden bronze, and a deep, charcoal grey. You'll want more than one of these luxurious, shimmery quartets, and there are eight in all to choose from! When you purchase anything from NARS you know it's going to be high quality, and super chic, but the NARS Holiday 2006 collection is beyond glam...it's shimmering, glimmery, and glittery without being gaudy. The colors are so elegant and appealing, you'll reach for them again and again. From the six different products for eyes in the holiday collection, we reviewed the NARS Cream Eyeshadow $20.00 in "Nomad," a striking, high pearle bronze with a touch of deep green that literally burnishes lids with color and sheen. You can make this very intense by adding a lot, and create a dramatic, smoky eye look, but if you use just a little and blend it (and the colors color goes on super-creamy) it simply looks pretty. The cream is easy to apply, but it lasts like a powder...that's good to know when you're out dancing, and mingling. TIP: you can also use this long lasting cream under a powder eye shadow, as a base...you'll get great, glam, results. For a glam stocking stuffer or a little gift for yourself, splurge on a set of Micro Mini Eye Paints $25.00 by Laura Mercier. A slim rectangular, mirrored compact holds a trio of silky, luxe, powder eye shadows in neutral shades both matte and shimmery, in a choice of two glamorous palettes: ("Dawn") or a slightly cooler version ("Dusk"). The "Dawn" palette has an exclusive color "Nugget" that is a warm, golden glow I can't live without! "Dusk " features exclusive "Nuggest" a soft, pearly, lightly-mauved, pink). Purples, metallics and gray are always popular eye color choices, as Fall turns to Winter. Prestige has packed four coordinated beauties into their Pressed Powder IQuad $5.95 called "Electronic." There's an intense, matte purple and mauve, and also a shimmery steel gray and metallic silver. You can use any or all of these as liner or shadow for a variety of eye looks from daytime casual, to evening glam...and for less than $6.00 we call it a "must have." For more definition, Line eyes with a Classic Kohl Eye Pencil $4.95. One that works well with these colors is "Poly" a metallic-y plum.
Mally Beauty is new to our reviews this column. The first thing that impressed us was the quality of the packaging: Mally's City Chick Smokey Eye Kit $39.50 for example, is not plastic or cardboard, it's a mint green metal. It arrives in a clear plastic, snakeskin-pattered pouch with magnetic closure. The bottom of the long, rectangular, mirrored compact is decorated with a photograph of a snake skin. Into this, four sexy rounds of powdered eye shadow, are nestled. You get all the items you need to create a perfect, smoky eye in a variety of citified color themes: "Brownstone" (neutrals), "Central Park" (greens), 'Nolita Navy" (blues), " Skyscraper" (gray); "Plum Chelsea," (plums) and "Midtown Merlot" (warmed berry). The colors are intense, but blendable. Makeup artist Mally Roncal has worked with Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez and other divas. She knows what she's doing (and passes along her expertise by including a "how-to" with the products). These would make an impressive gift, and if you're into drama, these kits are definitely for you! We hope to review more Mally Beauty in the future. Sue Devitt's World Holiday collection has products named for various places around the world and a range of bold and bright colors are that fresh and fun. We love the three bold and bright colors in her Silky Sheen Eye Shadow $18.00 that look very bright in their silvery, mirrored compacts, but can be layered, and have just a hint of shimmer. This means you've got the best of all worlds: bold, modern colors with a hint of shimmer that are wearable during the day, dazzling at night (with a bit more layering). "Jaipur," for example, is a bright clear pink with a bit of holographic sparkle that might seem worrisome for an eye shadow, but translates on your lids to a violet purple (not red) that is fun and flattering, not shocking. Ditto "Hopetown," a deep purple/plum that we like as a liner as well as a party shadow. "North Pole" is a lush, soft, silvery shadow that works as a highlighter or lid color, and helps you deal with a day-to-night party, with ease. FACE & BLUSH: Contouring and highlighting is a big fashion trend. If you want to try it, the best way is with a natural looking blush and highlight combo, such as the Blushing Duo $4.95 by Prestige, in "Tapestry," from their 2006 Holiday Collection. This is a pretty pink blush with a 3/4 circle of lighter pink highlight merged right into the round compact. The sheer blush is layerable for more intensity, but it's still bight, so you really can't make a mistake and end up with "tiger stripes" instead of a healthy glow.
I like eye liner pencils, but I like them even more when they are retractable, such as the Eye Appeal Pencil from Black Radiance $2.99 that allows you to keep the pencil "fresh" without sharpening, and stays clean and closed in your makeup bag. make a precise line, or smudge (as a lid color if you wish)--the color is smooth and long-lasting. There are six classic colors to choose from. Ours was "Delightful, a deep blue that adds a modern touch to lid and lash line. Those with sensitive eyes will be happy to know that these are gentle enough for them to use, as well. Add a finishing touch to your eyes with the Clear Mascara/Brow Tamer $2.99. This two-in-one products helps separate, curl, and give lashes a soft sheen, and also holds hard-to-tame brows in place. These are "must-haves" in your makeup bag. Benton Jordan Weinstock creator of the Los Angeles-based line Henry Beautiful Skincare and Makeup, created a makeup line with a man's name, but a woman's interests in mind. New to our reviews this column, Henry Beautiful is sold directly through the company's representatives. To sample the line, we tried the Creme to Powder Foundation $30.00. There are six, relatively light colors, and all arrive in a matte and shiny black, round, mirrored compact with vented space below the product to house an included, applicator sponge. The foundation starts out as a cream, and slides on smoothly with very good, medium to heavy coverage (depending upon how much you apply), drying quickly to a powder, matte finish that isn't dry or flaky. But what sets this foundation apart, at least for me, is the healthy dose of SPF 20 full spectrum sun protection in it. You know that applying SPF daily is a must, so why not eliminate that step with the application of an SPF-infused, foundation like this one? Sue Devitt's Silky Blush $20.00 in"Koh Samui" is a soft pink that seems nearly nude-pink in the compact, but adds a subtle, pink glow to cheeks that transcends color, making every complexion look natural--and just a bit better. The silky blush goes on smoothly and stays true to color, which means fewer touch-ups. It also has the gentle touch of water lily extract, giving your skin a soft and youthful glow. What better way to deal with the holidays, and Winter? We liked the glamorous, shiny, black and gold-embellished compacts from Dr. Hauschka. The ultra-sheer, loose powder, for example, has a screw-on top instead of a push on-pull off, that makes it less likely to spill the contents, and a moment's ritual to open it. The powder itself will help to keep your foundation longer-lasting, and reduce oily shine, but it's uniquely made from powdered silk fibers. Apparently, the proteins in silk have an amino acid composition that is almost identical to skin and, as a bonus, silk has antimicrobial and protective qualities, too. The end result is a luxurious, super-silky, lightly scented product that is good for your skin. We also like the Dr. Hauschka Rouge Powder $26.00, created with natural mineral pigments and pure silk, to nourish your skin while it adds a sheer wash of believable color to your cheeks. One of the good-for-your-skin ingredients is rose extract, that contains the healing properties of roses in concentrated form). We tried "#3 Accento" a warm pink (there's also a deeper rose, and a rusty rose. All three can be used by virtually everyone, since the colors are layer-able. The mirrored compact comes with a small but useful mini blush brush, too. If your skin is just too pale, the Bronzing Powder $33.95 also has silk fibers along with china clay (for a smooth application), and jojoba oil and carrot extract (to smooth and hydrate), making it gentle enough even for sensitive skin. I'm not generally a fan of bronzers, but this one has a neutral and super-sheer appearance that added just a touch of warmth to my complexion with a light application, making a natural glow that brightened up all our pale complexions (more or less, depending upon how liberally you apply it). This is a great bronzer, especially for now, when you don't have a base of tan from the Summer, anymore. We are impressed with this makeup and will be reviewing more in our January 2007 column, so watch for it! LIP LOOKS TO LOVE:
We love Jane Ireldale's natural cosmetics, so it's natural that we would also love her LipKit $35.00. Packed in a matte, maroon metal case with interior mirror and see-though window, is a round pot of silky, timed-release lip plumper, plus a fabulous selection of six mini lip glosses in wearable pinks, nudes browns and berries. The clear lip plumper is exceptional--it adds a pleasing, moist glow to lips and has a slight tingle (not harsh). The lip plumper has so many good-for-your-lips ingredients we don't have space to name them all, but green tea leaf extract, aloe vera leaf juice, and soothing caster oil seed are just a few. You'll love the glosses, too. They're sheer, with light-reflecting shimmer that makes lips look fuller, smoother and sexier, with or without the lip plumper. The deepest "Black Currant" stains lips with just a hint of deep berried red and makes them truly glamorous. "Candied Rose," Apricot Fizz" and "Iced Mocha" give lips daytime allure with or without another lip product underneath. You can use the lip plumper and glosses with other products you already own, but these glosses are so pretty and versatile (and so tiny you can fit several in the tiniest bag or tight jeans) that you'll reach for it again and again during the holidays, and all year round. This is a perfect gift for a lip-product-loving, friend!
Longing for a shimmery lip color that won't break the bank? Prestige LightShine Lipgloss $4.95 in "Abaco" from their 2006 Holiday Collection, is a glorious, medium rose that has less pigment than a lipstick, but more than a super-sheer gloss. You can't help but love the silky texture and light, slightly vanilla-y scent, and the way it's loaded with shimmery, patent-leather shine so perfect for partying. At this price, you can be generous! We like the smaller sized lip-glosses that companies are embracing, this season, and one we really like is the Mini Lip Gloss $18.00 by Sue Devitt. The lip gloss is so tiny it will only take a few tries to use it up (it's approx.2/3rds the size of a normal tube) but it is small enough to fit into a thinner and smaller makeup bag, making it perfect for travel and parties. There are three new colors, but my favorite is "Alanya," a rosy pink that has a bit of light-reflecting shimmer, but not so much it competes with other shimmery products you may want to wear (too much "bling" is gaudy, not festive--so choose just one part of your face to shine"). "Riffa" is a silvery ivory that makes a nearly-nude look, new and different. For more color, "Shiraz" is a stunning, sparkling raspberry that adds a flattering tint to lips alone, or with another lip product. The glosses are silky and shiny (never sticky) and a must-have in your lip product arsenal. For lipstick lovers, the latest and greatest is a Balanced Matte Lipstick $20.00 that has a very soft and hydrating, velvety matte finish (especially great now that lips can tend to be a bit dry). "Woolloomooloo" may be hard to pronounce, but the clear, soft pink glow on your lips will have everyone, talking! Bobbi Brown Lip Sheer $21.00 in "Ruby" is the perfect answer to acquiring ruby-red lips that look right, day or night. Even pale complexions can wear this deep, neutral red, and avoid the Elvira or Betty Paige va-va-voom effect against pale skin. With this lip product, you control the intensity of the color. And, since this is a sheer ruby red, you can just barely tint lips, or add more for drama, if you wish. No matter how much color you add, it's designed to be long lasting. TIP: Ready to get a bit more dramatic? We liked "Ruby" Lip Gloss $19.00 --a rich, semi-sheer red gloss with patent-leather shine -- alone, or more glam, slicked over the Ruby Lip Sheer.
The golden-clad Lipstick $21.00 by Dr. Hauschka comes in eight, natural colors that are truly lip-enhancing. "Your lips will look natural, but much better" they reported. But the lipstick is more than just something to add natural color to your lips, it also has shea better and carrot extract to keep lips moist and nourished, while rose and jojoba waxes soften and protect. As the weather cools down and skin tends to be drier, this is a welcome choice. The finish is moist, but not overly gooey and long lasting, too. For more shine and to play a bit with the colors, try the new, Novum Lip Gloss $16.95 in four jewel-toned shades that has nourishing botanicals along with mango butter and apricot kernel oil, to help soothe, hydrate, and protect. I coupled a warm pink Lipstick in "#2 Legato" with a Novum Lip Gloss in a surprising, sheer, deep purple "#2 Amethyst" and created an incredibly sexy color two shades deeper than my own lips (but still, somehow, believable), and six times, better! My lips felt sensuous, and nurtured. PeaceKeeper Lip Paints $16.50 have a chic, rubberized, grey coatingcome in a dozen colors and are choc-full of good-for-your-lips ingredients and conditioners, one of which is titanium dioxide (although there is no SPF listed, titanium dioxide is generally a sun screen). Also, they do not test products on animals. All of the names are empowering such as the one we tried: "Paint Me Loving," a subtle, soft pink with the barest hint of shimmer, and a velvety feel that won't cake or dry your lips. The Laura Mercier Micro Mini Lip Paints $25.00 is a mirrored, purse-sized logo compact containing three of Laura Mercier's popular Stick Gloss colors: "Maple" (a warm red), "Sugar Plum" (medium rose) and "Brown Sugar" (neutral medium nude). The Stick Gloss is particularly great for the Winter, when dry lips prevail, since it is part lip balm, part color, part gloss, giving you a sheer wash of long-lasting, good-for-your-lips color, along with shine. You add the lip brush (or use the tip of your finger to apply). Coupled it with the Laura Mercier Mini Brush Set (see right hand column under "Beauty Tools") you've got a special gift for a very special woman. Global Goddess Moroccan Mystique Lip Veil $15.00 is a squeeze tube filled with lovely, light-reflecting lip gloss in sex, sheer, shimmery colors in rose, copper, plum, apricot, and shimmery pinks. But that's not all: you'll get tons of nourishing hydration, and good, SPF 15 sunscreen protection. The tube is glitzed with gold in a delicate, exotic-type design. I keep reaching for the rose-coppered-shimmer called "Casbah." These are exclusively at Sephora They're really nice glosses...a great "stocking stuffer" gift, too. BOUNTIFUL GIFTS OF BATH & BODY:
If products are fit for a queen, they're something special. Lady Primrose, a line of luxurious, beautifully-presented bath, body and scent products new to our reviews this column, are loved by everyone from Queen Elizabeth, to commoners like Barbara Streisand, Beyonce and The Advice Sisters. An example of the elegance, style, and quality of Lady Primrose (and a perfect gift for your favorite "princess") is the Royal Extract Body Créme $50.00 5 oz. A heavy, round, clear beveled glass jar with a screw-on, engraveable, nickel plated silvery lid embossed with an intricate design of graceful curlicues is a show-stopper on it's own. Inside, however, is a thick, rich, silky body cream that absorbs quickly, leaving your skin feeling as pampered as a princess could presume to want! It has lots of good-for-your-skin ingredients, including vitamins A and E, ceremides, honey, peptides, anti-oxidants, and collagen builders to banish dryness and make skin softer, moisturized, and more supple. It also has royal jelly. Royal jelly is fed by worker bees to the Queen bee's larvae in the hive, and is considered a highly concentrated protein source to enrich your skin. You'll feel pampered and you'll love the divine scent: a light whiff of orange blossoms and soft florals that's fresh, not overly sweet. What could be more romantic or special? JASÖN has natural & organic products that will delight you, even on a beer-and-peanuts, budget. Beautifully packaged in a cranberry-colored box for gift giving is the Cranberry Satin Shower Body Wash (12 oz) and Hand & Body Lotion (8 oz) Gift Set $9.99. The Body Wash contains pure cranberry oil and green tea (antioxidants) and rose hips to help soften and hydrate. It's a great cleanser at any price. The Hand & Body Lotion is equally impressive, with aloe vera, sunflower seed and avocado oil, and Vitamin E to protect, soothe, moisturize and revitalize. We liked the packaging too: creamy plastic bottles (body wash has a pump, body lotion, a flip cap) with an appealing photo label featuring a bunch of cranberries. The tart, cranberry scent is invigorating. This is a perfect little pick-me-up for yourself, a great gift, and an excellent way to get into a good mood. The Holiday House $32.00 by Philosophy is packaged in a cardboard, house-shaped, snow-covered chalet, worthy of a fairy tale, complete with snowman and holiday decorations. But the three products inside will truly remind you of a festive, holiday home fantasy: The products are scented with sinfully delicious scents of holiday goodies, but you won't gain weight from these, You get one of my favorite Philosophy products, a 3-in-1 Shower Gel (4oz) that can be used for face, body and even as a shampoo, This one is sinfully pleasurable infused with the scent of old fashioned "Eggnog" so rich, you'll almost be tempted to eat it. After your bath or shower, help ban dry skin with a tube of Moisturizing Body Soufflé (2 oz) in "Cinnamon Bun, that smells like fresh-baked cinnamon buns on a weekend morning. You also get an awesome, .05 oz High-Gloss Lip Shine called "Powder Sugar Cookie" that will be as close as you ever get to having your proverbial cake, and eating it too (not to mention super-shiny, sexy, hydrated lips). This gloss really smells like sugar cookies. This whimsically-packaged gift is a "can't-miss" with people, young to old. TIP: if this kit inspires you to make the real thing, there are actual recipes for cinnamon buns and eggnog on the packages! Archipelago Botanicals has natural products that are easy on the eyes, and on the budget. One we like features Pomegranate, a powerful antioxidant that also smells invigorating and tart. The Pomegranate Gift Set $35.00 features three pomegranate-focused products with Phase II Enzyme Boosters (botanical extracts) that help detoxify and cleanse. You'll get a Pomegranate Hand Lotion (4.08 oz), a wonderful, creamy and moisturizing Pomegranate Triple Milled Soap (6.08 oz) and a 35-hour Pomegranate Soy Wax Candle which is beautifully scented and comes in a handy, travel tin. The final touch is a terry wash cloth. All are packaged in a perfectly clear, flexible plastic package (just add a bow)! The Mineral Mud Travel Set $24.00 is another great gift. It comes in a zippered, micro fiber bag that's most clear plastic, (especially great due to new, airline security restrictions) with five popular, Archipelago Botanicals Mineral Mud products: (2)/4 oz bottles of Mineral Mud Hydrating Lotion, Body Scrub, and Face Mask. There's also a 5.2 oz exfoliating Mineral Mud Bath Bar. The barely-there, fresh scent and grey, black and white packaging and bold lettering makes this a unisex product great for everyone. Archipelago Botanicals Mineral Mud is made from Organic Silt - rich in nourishing minerals and vitamins - blended with other gentle ingredients to soothe your skin. These are a great value, too!. Peppermint is one of the quintessential scents of the season, and LALicious serves up their mint in a yummy Holiday Gift Set $50.00 (we tried "Peppermint") that you won't be able to resist! Inside a pink and white striped zippered bag with pink handle and clear sides (great for airports, these days) you'll find an 8 oz Body Butter and a 16 Oz Sugar Scrub that will make that exfoliating and moisturizing routine into a festive experience all season long. The Sugar Scrub is really, really, good: tiny grains of pure cane sugar (less abrasive than salt) make short work of dead skin cells, while natural oils such as coconut, Vitamin E, and almond, soften and moisturize. The yummy peppermint scent is just the icing on the cake! Banish itchy, dry skin entirely with the lovely Body Butter, a whipped moisturizer that is luxe, light and fluffy, but delivers superb moisture to your skin that is not greasy, and lasts a long time. Celebrities such as Kate Hudson, Charlize Theron, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Eva Longoria love LaLicious as much as we do. You will be hooked, once you try these! Get these sets in Peppermint or Brown Sugar/Vanilla for the special people on your gift list.
FABULOUSLY FESTIVE, BLING: One of the fun things about the holidays, is allowing yourself to experiment with colors and styles that normally, you'd only save for special occasions. We think that Snow Queen Glitter Eye Liner $15.00 by Red Earth in "Silver," a brilliant silver glitter, is one of those products to have fun with when you're hoping to make a statement at a party or event. This liquid liner comes in a slim, wanded tube, that makes it easy to apply a thin line, even if you're normally all thumbs with liquid liners. The liner goes on smoothly, even with the bits of silver glitter in it, and it lasts quite a long time. More importantly, the glitter stays on your lash line instead of falling all over your face. This liner is fun, inexpensive, and sure to get you noticed. Go ahead...indulge! The shiny, holographic silver box with white snowflakes makes it a perfect stocking stuffer for girls from teens and above! Valley of the Stars $28.00 by BeneFit is described as a "mini iridescence kit," and this face-in-a-case kit is full of five, glowing, glam products. BeneFit has done it's usual, great job of producing a makeup kit that is not only high quality and pretty, but fun to use. This one featured a pink, cardboard compact decorated with metallic gold stars, has a magnetic closure and large round, interior mirror. Featured are three adorable, mini-sized wanded tubes to shimmer face and lips, along with two holiday-worthy shadows. You get a "High Beam" ( pink cream to powder highlighter) and "Moon Beam" (peachy cream to powder highlighter) perk up a complexion with a pearly, shimmery glow that looks gorgeous, not gaudy. "Her Glossiness" is a super-shiny, sheer, clear -pink lip gloss for sexy, party perfect lips (and a nice alternative to deep colors). On the far right of the compact are two powder eye shadows: "Snow White" is a white, high pearl shadow for under the brow bone, or on your lids (try with a colored eye liner) and "Tequila" is a shimmery, simmering copper that will universally flatter all you glamour gals. These kits will bring a smile (and glamour) to the faces of everyone. Loose glitter powders are always popular at holiday time, when your usual, evening makeup is just too ordinary. If you've wanted to try a glitter eye look but want to do so without looking like a stripper or a club kid, the loose powder Eye Dust $19.00 in "Presence" by FACE Stockholm from their Holiday, 2006 collection, is a great choice. The light lavender color is flattering to every eye color, and the tiny particles allow you to dust the powder smoothly, and with a light touch if you wish (add more for a more glittery effect). For more definition with a light glitter powder like this one, add a liner such as the grayed lilac Eye Pencil $14.00 called "Theodore Coal" goes on softly and smoothly, and is easy on the eyes. Even if you've never tried a glittery look before, you'll find this one pretty and wearable.
Last season, shimmery body and face powders cropped up like snowflakes, at holiday time and were so popular, we saw versions of them all year. A new version that is definitely dressing table material due to it's lovely, shiny, silver-y top, is from FACE Stockholm. Silver Loose Powder $22.00 doesn't just look nice in the jar, it looks nice on you. The superfine powder adds a sheer and shimmery (not glitter-based) dusting of silver "bling" to body and face that's enough to shout "festive!" but not "gaudy." The generously-sized jar allows you to dust with gusto, anywhere you want, throughout this party season. These are great for holiday gift-giving as well as to perk up your party look. Super Model Runway Glimmer Mist $18.00 by Victoria's Secret is just too much fun! It smells soft and fruity, reminiscent of ripe melon, but it isn't just a nice fragrance, it's also a glitter mist that leaves your skin sparkling with tiny golden flecks of golden sparkle! For glamour day and night, all year long, mist this everywhere from head to toe. Our reviewers reports that it is addictive! This is the luxe but affordable gift to get for all of your friends. We can't stop spraying this for both the scent, and the "body bling" so we figure, the way we have been using ours, spraying it on everything (even the cat) we know you'll need more than one bottle to get through the holidays. Jemma Kidd Makeup School Cosmetics are so popular both in England and elsewhere that we could only get one piece to review in this column. The Jemma Kidd Colour Dust Shimmer Stick $25.00 is a loose powder that is controlled by putting it into a spill-proof stick. The shadow is distributed through a sponge tip, so there's no mess and it's very smooth and blend-able. We liked the look -- subtle and sheer, but still "glowing." We tried "Platinum, a soft silver that is holiday-festive. There is also a gold-ish color and an off white. The price may seem a bit much for just a small stick of color, but a little goes a long way, and it's long-lasting, so you won't need to re-apply it often, or at all. This is a great way to get a holiday eye look and try Jemma Kidd.
HOLIDAY FASHION "MUST-HAVES"
When a company creates a clever product that's limited edition, we wish they'd never stop making it. I suspect that will be the case for the Lip Lock-It Color Charm Necklace $18.00 by MARK. This is more than just a dual-compact lip gloss, it's an amazingly-priced, two-for-one: a charm necklace featuring a substantial, pewter chain with a large, clear, faceted bead, from which hang two jeweled, smoky-crystal lockets with flip-tops, containing small portions of a matte pink, dusty pink lip color in one--the other, a gorgeous, clear, shimmering gloss. It's a bit heavy on a bare neck, but on a sweater or turtleneck, it is simply divine! We also like the Join the Circle T $35.00. It's an eye-catching, black and white T-shirt with the anti-smoking symbol--a white, starry circle. The T-shirt is trimmed with white piping all over. "Uniting To Be Smoke Free" is the message stenciled in white across the back of the neck. The shirt is stretchy (95% viscose, 5% spandex) so it is comfortable, and it comes in four sizes (small-extra large). Exclusive to MARK. designer Tracy Reese has partnered with MARK to give 100% of the net profits of this shirt to the American Legacy Foundation, to support their efforts to stop young people from smoking. Whether you know a friend who is trying to quit smoking and would love a show of support, or you're quitting yourself, or you just want a stylish T supporting a smoke-free cause, you'll love this one all year. GREAT GIFTS FOR GUYS: BeautiControl's line of products for men is called Skin Strategies, so it makes sense that their men's fragrances should also be called Skin Strategies. We couldn't get specific information about the notes in these, but the Day Cologne $25.00 1.7 fl. oz is a clean, crisp refreshing scent: a hint of citrus, a bit of greens and ferns. It is a traditional fragrance that men of all ages will like. We also like the clean, square, glass bottle with bold, blue graphic topped by a chunky cube of blue plastic. That same bottle takes on a "black tie" look with black graphics and smoky grey top in the Night Cologne $25.00 1.7 fl. oz I really like this and so did our male reviewers. It's a spicy, sexy blend of notes (I am sure I sensed amber and herbally greens, and perhaps, some musk. In any case, The scent dries down to a soft and exotic spice that is perfect for holiday parties, special dates, or dinners, etc. The price is so reasonable you can gift your special man with both, and still not break your budget! The OC for Him Eau De Toilette Spray $22.50 1.7 fl. oz $12.00 0.5 oz. is the perfect gift for a young man, especially if he's one of the 6 million viewers that watch The OC, a television drama about Orange Country, California. For all you adults, it's this generation's "Beverly Hills 90210." What reviewers really liked about this one (besides the price) is the fact that this light, fresh, clean smelling scent that is light enough for casual wear, but still appropriate for the office, is good for men of all ages, and they really loved the bottle: a slim rectangle of blue glass, topped with a matte silver cap with a blue "stone." The effect is definitely laid-back Southern California style! The fragrance startswith crushed foliage and a sparkling citrus blend of citron, mandarin and bergamot, blended with fresh ozonic notes and cooling sea spray. The heart is surprisingly floral, but subtle: lavender, rose, and jasmine with a hint of black pepper. A blend of golden amber and clear musk with rich patchouli and some other sensual woods, gives the masculine finish men love. We think this affordable fragrance will be very popular for holiday gift-giving.
The Heel Smoother $39.99 (with a 1 oz jar of Topaz Foot Butter), $29.99 (non waterproof version with 1 oz jar of Topaz Foot Butter), $19.99 non-waterproof version without Topaz Foot Butter) by Artemis Woman is a perfect couples gift (after all, everyone has feet)! This small pedicure pal removes dry, cracked and calloused skin from feet and heels. It is powered by two AA batteries and is similar to ones you may have used for manicures, but it has two speeds (high and soft) and two heads made with the same crystals used in professional microdermabrasion treatments (aluminum oxide) a large tip that removes calluses on heels, and a smaller thinner tip that removes skin around toes and cuticles. You don’t need training to use the smoother (although practice will make perfect) and you don’t need creams or anything else to get smoother skin (although soaking your feet first will help). Just pop in two batteries, turn the unit on, and move it over those dry, calloused spots. This is great to maintain your feet between pedicures, and, since depending upon where you live, nail salons can’t or won’t use tools to really smooth away calluses and hard skin, this is a must-have for anyone who hates hose that "sticks" to your heels, and who likes to wear slingbacks and sandals. Men will like it too, making it an ideal couples gift TIP: The Topaz Foot Butter $24.99 2.5 oz or $9.99 1 oz has genuine topaz crystals, plus shea butter and essential oils of bergamot, tea tree, and lemon, to make your skin even smoother and softer. Artemis Woman will donate 2% of profits to support alterative cancer screening and treatments for women, too. "What Works" columns are archived HERE Acqua di Giò Fragrance $150.00 by Giorgio celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2007 in a big way, with a 400ml (13.6 fl. oz) limited bottle of this amazing fragrance for men that we most recently reviewed in our June, 2006 column: Inspired by Giorgio Armani’s island paradise of Pantelleria, off the coast of Sicily, the fresh, aromatic, woody scent, totally captivates. The press literature describes this sophisticated, masculine scent as "With notes of Calabrian bergamot enlivened by the zest of green tangerine and a heart of ozonic marine notes). The actual notes are: bergamot, mandarin, persimmon, rosemary, nasturtium, jasmine, amber, patchouli, and cedar.. We didn't see the actual bottle this time, but it is described as featuring "The pure, strong lines of a rectangle with a frosted transparency and subtly rounded shoulders. It is topped by a satin metal, cylindrical cap, and completed with a gunmetal grey logo." This is impressive enough, but there is also an entire range of Acqua di Giò for Men including: Eau de Toilette spray and pour in 50ml, 100ml and 200ml, After Shave Lotion, After Shave Balm, Alcohol-free Deodorant, Hair & Body Shampoo, and Moisturizing Body Gel. Size matters! Get it with this limited edition "super-sized" bottle. Quality matters too -- you always get that from Giorgio Armani.
You use your hands and feet all the time, to do routine chores, but during the holidays, those hands and feet should be as fashionable and festive as the rest of you. A quick and easy way to dress up your nails is with a quick coat of Shades Nail Polish $8.00 by Barielle. "Intriguing" gives your nails a dusting of silvery glitter that reminds us of the type of beautiful glimmer you get when the sun or streetlights shine on newly-fallen snow. I particularly like this look because it's so festive, especially when candlelight hits your hands or toenails, but the glitter is tiny, so it's not so garish you will need to remove it by daybreak. The polish goes on smoothly, dries quickly, and one coat can get your through a week of holiday parties. Milani Cosmetics is a multi-cultural brand offering affordable, high-intensity color cosmetics to women of all ages and complexions. Their Nail Lacquer $2.49 is amazingly long lasting and environmentally friendly. The polish slides on easily and completely, and leaves a super-glossy shine, no matter what color you choose (and there are 46 trendy ones to choose from). For the holidays, go dramatic, with "Black Cherry," a blackened red that is very dark, but not "ghoulish." Reviewers also liked "Brown-A-Licious," a metallic, gold-glitzed deep brown. and the shiny, smooth, deep "Radiant Ruby." For a light and ladylike look, try one of the Milani French Manicure colors such as the white-pink "Baby Pink" and nude "Linen" look great and last a long time (mine lasted 5 days). "Glitzy Glam" adds a glorious, glittering, deep red to fingers and toes. These are budget-minded products, impressive, at any price. Any brand called PeaceKeeper, is certainly compelling. New to our reviews, this line was founded by political activist Jody Weiss. The products are good quality, and nice to use, but what makes them unique is the fact that all profits, after taxes, are used to support women's health advocacy and human rights issues. The company's idea is that if you purchase a product supporting women's issues, you are automatically transformed into a PeaceKeeper, yourself. Whether you subscribe to this notion or not, if you get or give the PeaceKeeper French Manicure Kit $34.00 you'll feel good about your purchases, while doing something to help others (and isn't that the spirit of the holidays, after all)? This luxurious kit presented in a just-add-a-bow, clear, plastic packaging, features four products: a nail renewal oil with sweet almond, oil and extracts of seaweed, ginseng root, and myrrh plus vitamin E, to nourish cuticles and nail surface; a Paint Me Eternal Top/Bottom Coat formulated with amino acids, vitamins A & E, and nurturing seaweed; and two lovely soft and sheer nail colors (with aragon oil, rich in amino acids): "Paint me Tranquil" (soft pink) and "Paint Me Tender" (white, for nail tips). We missed the window of opportunity to review Creative Nail Design's Fall Collection of Nail Polish $6.00 at the start of the season, but Fall is not over yet, and there are a few colors we think you will want now, through the holidays. The products are fast-drying, long-lasting, and shiny--great quality at an amazing price. "Baroque" is a very deep (nearly black) metallic burgundy (seen on the runways at Douglas Hannant) that shimmers with eye-catching appeal. Another take on the deep-and-dark look is "Fedora," a blackened brown that's all shine, no shimmer. Either would look amazing peeking out of a gold or silver sandal for a special event. Another elegant choice is "Perfect Miss-Match," a rich, ruby shimmer. For those who prefer a warmer tone, "Tweed" is a shiny, velvety rusted red seen at Ellen Tracy, Ashley Isham and Issa. You can have a designer original at "stocking-stuffer" prices! No time for polish? Rub a bit of SolarBalm $9.95 (solid tin or jojoba and sweet almond oil plus Vitamin E you can use on chapped lips, elbows and knees, too) into your cuticles and buff your nails with the Creative Glossing Block $5.40. This two-sided buffer gives you naturally pretty, buffed nails that need nothing else. Use the green side, then the white. When you hear a "squeak" you know your nails are "done." Easy! |
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THE ADVICE SISTERS'
SHOPPING GUIDE:Amouage (fragrances): www.amouage.com and Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman (USA) and Harrods (UK)
Antonio by Antonio Banderas (fragrance): http://www.drugstore.com and retailers nationwide
Apt. 5 Cosmetics: http://www.apt5cosmetics.com and at Duane Reade drugstores
Archipelago Botanicals: http://www.drugstore.com fine boutiques, and http://www.beautyexclusive.com
Artemis Woman: www.artemiswoman.com
Ashely Archer: www.ashleyarcher.com
Aveda: www.aveda.com or call 800.328.0849 for locations or more information.
Avon: www.avon.com or call 800-FOR-AVON
Babor: www.babor.com and at Takashimaya, N.Y.
BaByliss: at fine beauty suppliers nationwide
Barielle: www.barielle.com
BeautiControl: www.beautcontrol.com
BeneFit Cosmetics: www.benefitcosmetics.com
B. Kamins Chemist: www.bkamins.
Black Radiance: mass market drugstores and retailers nationwide
Bobbi Brown: http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com and Bobbi Brown makeup counters, and www.sephora.com
Bourjois: Bourjois at Sephora.com
Clinique: http://www.clinique.com
Color Club: www.cosmeticgroup.com
Confessions of A Beauty Editor (Book): at retail and online bookstores
Core Rhythms: www.corerhythms.com or call 866-777-8151
Dino Morra: www.dinomorra.com
DIOR: at Dior beauty counters nationawide (Dior Confidential is exclusive to Bloomingdale's, Saks, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcis and Sephora www.sephora.com
Dior Midnight Charm (fragrance): Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus & Sephora
Dr. Hauschka: http://www.drhauschka.com/
Essie: call: 800-232-1155 for product and store info or visit www.discountbeautycenter.com
FACE Stockohom: http://www.facestockholm.com
Gianna Rose Atelier: www.giannarose.com and Anthropologie Stores nationwide
Giorgio Armani Beauty: http://www.giorgioarmanibeauty.com and Armani Prive is available at Giorgio Armani Boutiques, and Harrods, London
Global Goddess: www.globalgoddessbeauty.com & www.sephora.com
Goody: www.goody.com and at TargetHairDO: www.hairuwear.com
and Great Lengths Salons: www.greatlengths.usa.comHard Candy: www.sephora.com
Henry Beautiful: www.henrybeautiful.com
IMAN Cosmetics: www.imancosmetics.com
and select ULTA stores.Indigo Wild: www.indigowild.com
Jaqua: http://www.jaquabeauty.com/
Jane Ireldale: http://www.janeiredale.com/
JASÖN: www.jason-natural.com at health & natural food stores in the USA and Canada
Jemma Kidd Makeup School: http://jemmakidd.moodia.com/ also Bergdorf Goodman and other select, fine stores
Jerome Privé exclusively at Perfumania stores or www.perfumania.com
Lady Primrose: www.ladyprimrose.com
LaLicious: www.lalicious.com and selected stores and spas nationwide
LATHER: www.lather.com
Laura Mercier: http://www.lauramercier,com and fine department stores. Call 888-MERCIER for store locations
Letters For Her: www.lettersforher.com
PURCHASING INFORMATION: The Advice Sisters offer this Buying Guide as a service to readers. For information about purchasing or about specific products, please contact the companies directly through the links in this guide. Buying beauty-related products is a personal decision. The products reviewed here should work well for the majority of people but not every product will perform equally well for everyone. For safety's sake, we urge you to be a wise consumer. Get information and use products only as directed, using common sense and basic safety precautions.
LUSH Cosmetics: http://www.lush.com
M·A·C Cosmetics: www.maccosmetics.com
MARK: www.meetmark.com
Maxius: www.maxiusbeauty.com Linens & Things, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Shop at Home TV
Maybelline New York: www.maybellinenewyork.com and drugstores & mass market retailers
MD Skincare: http://www,mdskincare.com
Medicalia: http://www.medicalia.com/ US/Canada Toll Free: 866-314-1975
Milani Cosmetics: www.milanicosmetics.com
NARS Cosmetics: www.narscosmetics.com
Not Soap Radio: www.notsoapradio.com
N.Y.C. New York Color: at chain stores and mass market retailers and info: http://www.newyorkcolor.com/
Pantene: at mass market retailers and drugstore.com
Pantina: www.pantina.com
PeaceKeeper: http://www.iamapeacekeeper.com
Perfectsense Paraffin: distributed by www.SpaRevolutions.com
Pevonia Botanica: www.pevonia.com or call 1.800.PEVONIA for spa locations/retailers
Philip B: www.philipb.com and Barneys New York
Prestige Cosmetics: drug stores, mass market retailers, and www.prestigecosmetics.com
Red Earth: at ULTA stores nationwide
Redken: www.redken.com www.redkenformen.com or 800-REDKEN8
Sephora Products: Sephora retail stores and www.sephora.com
Streekers: www.streeekers.com and at ULTA and select cosmetics stores and salons
Stila Cosmetics: www.stilacosmetics.com and Sephora.com
Sue Devitt Studio: www.suedevittstudio.com amd at Barneys New York, Select Sephora stores, and www.sephora.com
Sugar Cosmetics: at Sephora www.sephora.com
Tarte: www.tartecosmetics.com
The Healing Garden: www.healinggarden.com and mass market retailers and drug stores
The New Beauty Secrets: Your Ultimate Guide to a Flawless Face (Book): at retail and online bookstores and www.lauramercier.com
The OC (Fragrance) at select retailers
Temptations: www.bathandbodyworks.com and Bath and Body Works nationwide
Trish McEvoy: www.trishmcevoy.com, eLUXURY.com and upscale department stores
True Gentlemen: www.truegentlemen.com or ca;; 800-380-3050
Tummy Tuck Jeans: www.tummytucksjeans.com Nordstrom, and other selected department stores
MARK: www.meetmark.com
Urban Decay: www.urbandecay.com & www.sephora.com
Victorias Secret Beauty: http://www.victoriassecret.com/
Z. Bigatti: http://www.zibigatti.com & www.blissworld.com also Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom stores nationwide, Bergdorf & Bendels NYC, Bliss Spa
Copyright © 2006 by Alison Blackman Dunham. All rights reserved by Alison Blackman Dunham and THE ADVICE SISTERS® The Advice Sisters is a registered United States trademark. No portion of this web site may be copied or used in any without written permission of THE ADVICE SISTERS. For permissions, suggestions or comments: E-Mail advicesisters@advicesisters.net.
HURRY! Our Contest "The Devil (and You) Wear Prada" ends this
month, on December 31,
2006. 
A
cute, little face-in-a-case kit is the limited edition, Secret Stash
Makeup Kit $22.00 by Hard Candy. Inside a tri-level,
mirrored, cardboard kit with magnetic closures is everything you
need for lips and eyes: The first level features four sheet, lip glosses
in pink, peach, berry and nude. Flip up that level, and find four
squares of powder shadow: a shimmery taupe and beige, a sparkling
celadon and a deep bronze. Finally, on the bottom level, find rectangles
of a light, shimmery, powder bronzer and O-blot-crate, a mattifying powder with tea tree oil that
absorbs oil and greasy shine, so your
makeup lasts longer and looks better. This is a lot of makeup stashed in
a kit sized just slightly larger than two packs of gum! 
We
don’t often review items for young people, but since it's the
holidays, if you want to give an age-appropriate makeup gift to a young
girl, we think you'd like some of the adorable options from Sephora
Girls
(base on the character "Loona May," a hip young girl ,and her
"Friends.": The Lip Gloss Lollipop $4.00 features a
super-sheer, scented lip gloss on a plastic "stem" that looks
like a lollypop. There are four different types. Ours was pink with a
shimmery red heart scented like cherry, but there's also a clear
gloss with pink flower middle, a rose with star, and pink with red
flower. The color is super-sheer so a little girl won’t look
"tacky" wearing it. We also liked the Mini Princess Kit
$12.00 (photo). A mini metal lunchbox with holds two mini
lip glosses (one pearly-pink with a heart, the other lighter pink with a
star), along with a pink-topped nail polish in opaque white, and two
small, hot pink "click-clack" hair clips to hold back bangs,
or just adorn your little princess's hair. If she's not into makeup just
yet, tuck a lucky dollar or coin into a mini, patent-leather type pink
leather change purse with different animals on them and you' will
delight even the littlest girl. Ours was pink, with a little brown
cat and pink hearts. There’s also a violet with bunny, rose with
piggy, and white with a blue bear. 
Just
this past Summer, we were introduced to Whish Shave Crave Shave
Cream $32.00 6.7 oz. made just for women. This solid cream in
a jar is luxuriously scented with essential oils, and other natural,
good-for-your-skin ingredients. We first tried "Almond" and we
loved that, but there's also a sassy "Pomegranate," and an
invigorating" Lemongrass." So we asked to try the Mini
Shave Crave $32.00 which includes 1.60 oz. jars of each!
All feature a mild, glycerin soap that soothes and moisturizes,
protecting the surface of your skin from nicks and scrapes (note that
these are good for even sensitive skin). The scents
(pomegranate, lemongrass or sweet almond oil) are fabulous, giving you a
spa-like, aromatherapy experience as you perform an otherwise ordinary
chore. The pomegranate is an antioxidant that rejuvenates your skin and
protects it from free radicals. The lemongrass helps to soothe muscle
aches and ease stiff joints while improving muscle and skin tone, and
the almond oil is especially beneficial for dry skin. Although these
cost more than dime store soap, a little goes a long, long way and think
of all the benefits (and compliments on your smooth, soft legs) you'll
get (plus they're a lot easier to store in your luggage than aerosol
cans). This would make a luxe gift for a sister, a good friend.
Even better, you lather up and apply these luxury shave creams for women
with a Whish Body Brush $65.00 featuring a
generously-sized head of soft, 100% badger bristles, and a feminine,
white, curvy plastic base. For true princesses,
the brushes are also available with Swarovski crystals halfway
$95.00 to full $170.00.
Trish
McEvoy's Mini Make-Up Planner $55.00(5 1/2"W x 7 1/2"L x 2)
is just one is a trio of terrific and flexible
face-in-a-case kits (
While at Spa Magazine's 10th
Anniversary Bash at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York,
this Fall, I became intrigued with the PerfectSense Paraffin
systems for spas. These offer easy paraffin treatments for hands and
feet, with aromatherapy. I knew I had to review the PerfectSense
Paraffin Hands or Feet Home Kit (approx. $35.00-$45.00). This
is such a great value and so easy to use, you can literally treat
yourself (or four friends) to pro-style hot wax treatments in just
minutes, without batteries, electrical wires, microwaves, or anything
else, for less than the cost of one salon treatment! Since each
treatment is completely sealed for one-use only, you're not going to be
exposed to anyone else's fungi, bacteria, dead skin, or other yucky invaders, either. The system is so easy to use, it's nearly a miracle. A
"heat pack" hangs on the included, re-useable, plastic holder.
Activate it with am aromatherapy packet, and enjoy the soothing steam
for the 8-10 minutes it takes to heat paraffin-filled gloves (placed on
either side of the pouch) . When the steam, subsides, your treatment is
ready! Open the glove (or bootie) now filled with warm, melted
paraffin, and place on your hands or feet. Deep-penetrating,
moisturizing heat helps relax achy joints and stiff muscles, and leaves
skin soft and supple. The wax slips off your skin quickly and cleanly,
leaving you with soft, sexy skin and a new sense of calm. This is a
great gift for the entire family and for women and men of all
ages.
The
Aromatherapy Candles Travel Set by LATHER $18.00 is
more than just a stocking stuffer--it's seven tiny gifts in one. A
re-useable, silvery tin (we use ours as a catch-all for tweezers and
other little things) holds six sensuously, strongly scented, travel
candles about the size of two tea lights, to take with you for scent
and atmosphere, wherever you go). Each candle has a different
"purpose" (eg. soothing, invigorating, comforting). These are scented
with essential oils: peppermint, clove, lavender, milk and honey,
lemongrass and brown sugar. Each is distinctive, and wonderful.
Perfect for travel, we like substituting one of these in a decorative
votive instead of the usual tea lights. They'll burn a long time too,
since they're made with a soy based
wax that burns for approximately five hours. TIP: place
unused open candles in your lingerie drawer to scent it while storing
it!
Go
Out Gloss $6.00 and Be Scene Creme Cheek Color$6.00 by MARK
come in a round, "diamond" studded, flip top, mirrored
compact that are eye catching, festive, and fun to use. This might be cute
enough to dub it a "must-have" as-is, but inside you'll
find either a creamy, sheer and slightly shimmer cheek
gloss/highlighter/blush in "Fizz" (peachy champagne) or
"Flushed" (rose), or a shimmery, super-shiny lip gloss in
"Blush," (pink), "Champagne" (shimmery clear) or
"Merlot" (deep berry). You'll want to take these out and
re-touch your face, constantly, just for the "wow" factor. Of
course, they make fantastic stocking stuffers and little
"thank-you" gifts, which is why we've put them in this section.
Get a bunch, before they're gone!
Last
Spring, we reviewed a quartet of very unusual fragrances, from one of
the world's leading designers, Giorgio Armani. His Privé
Collection $185 per 1.7-oz. bottle was actually created for
private use, and to share with a circle of friends, But of course, you
know that great things rarely stay a secret, and Armani
released the fragrances for sale to the public. Now there's a 5th
fragrance to add to the original, fab four: Cuir Améthyste $185 1.7-oz This
scent is not really clearly defined as for men or for women,, it's truly
a bewitching, unisex scent that will mix with the wearer's own body
chemistry to create a fragrance that's as unique as the
individual. The first sense you'll get is reminiscent of the
leather in a fine car, created by a combo of coriander, original rose
with a crystalline sparkle, and Calabrian bergamot. Warm and amber-y
exotics such as benzoin, labdanum, and Bourbon vanilla spice up the
fragrance just a bit. Genuine leather warms and softens as you wear it,
and so does Cuir Améthyste.
By drydown, this unisex fragrances strike a perfect balance of
freshness and spice, male and female, strength and wear-ability.
This unisex fragrance is not only a work of (perfumer's) art, the
packaging is a mini work of art you will want to display where everyone
can pick it up and admire it. An Eastern aesthetic has been a long-time
influence on Armani, and each of the Privé Collection
fragrances arrive in a black, wood box, into which is nestled a
glass-lined dark, African Kotibe wood rectangle, with a genuine
semi-precious stone perched atop the spray diffuser (Cuir Améthyste
features an amethyst, associated with wisdom and humility). The
bottle remind me of mini Brancusi sculptures. Each fragrance in the Privé Collection is
supposed to evoke a memory or a mood. For those who love fine
things, Cuir
Améthyste will be a joy to own, and a
treasured gift to give or receive. 
Ultra-elegant, always glamorous Dior celebrates the unique uplifting spirit of Christmas with
a limited edition fragrance: Midnight Charm Eau de Parfum $65.00 1.7 fl. oz..
This fragrance dazzles-- inside, and out. The round bottle
(photo) has a shiny
silver overlay with small and large "cut-out" holes to give
you a peek of the gorgeous, amethyst glass bottle underneath. The round
bottom blossoms out into a top that looks a bit like an inverted,
rounded, pyramid, crowned with a round, clear plastic
"ball." it reminds me of a precious, heirloom, tree
ornament. That's probably the idea, since this fragrance has been
described as an "'Eau de Noel." When I first tried the
scent, my first reaction was simply "wow!" It's that
unique. feminine and impressive. It starts
with a frozen green top note that feels fresh, but not as light as those
of Summer fragrances. Top notes start out green and crisp, with holly
leaves, frosted bergamot, and a fruity accent is sparkling and fusing
lychee pulp. The middle is more floral, but still fresh: red jasmine,
snow drop and white rose, warmed with a finish of iced chestnut,
cashmere musk, and golden amber. The overall
effect of this unique and interesting blend is a bright, significant but
not too heavy "floriental that is long lasting and perfectly
balanced--neither too spicy and
heavy, or too floral. This is the type of fragrance that showcases the
perfumer's art and translates a bit differently to each woman who wears
it, but we are sure it will have everyone asking
"what is that amazing scent you are
wearing?" The outside box is a soft violet and pink
with gold lettering--what a dreamy gift this would make for a
special woman!
Bobbi
Brown's modern approach to fragrance is delightful: BATH Eau de
Toilette $40.00 1 fl. oz, looks simple in it's nearly pure white
box, and an uncluttered bottle
with a silvery top and a sophisticatedly-spare, apothecary-style label
with "BATH" embossed in white, on it. But, as with all masters
of fashion, what seems simple, is often more sophisticated and
complex. Inside the bottle is a clean, fresh scent with notes of Water Hyacinth, Neroli, Orange
Flower, White Lily, Aromatic Sage and Sandalwood with hints of
Patchouli. The effect really is "clean," agree reviewers...a
bit like a pure bath bar, but it's more interesting than that. I love everything Bobbi
Brown does, and her fragrances always make you stand out from the
rest of the crowd, so I really wanted to try this one myself. I feel a
burst of brightness as I spray, which quickly dries down to a definite
"Ivory" type scent, but it's much more than that....your body
chemistry will quickly warm up the florals (in my case) and spices,
making this into an unusual blend that's all your own. This light
fragrance you can wear with anything, any time, and still feel
"right." No body cleanser can make you smell as
delightful as Bobbi Brown BATH, can! 
We
can't think of a single thing more sinfully fun than the fragrance of pink
butter cream frosting, unless it's infused into pink shimmer powder, in a
light-as-air cloud of white marabou feathers, topped with a silky pink
ribbon, for added glamour! That's exactly what you'll get when you buy the
Pink Buttercream Frosting Marabou Feather Shimmer Puff $20.00from
Jaqua. The pink cardboard "hatbox" houses this
delectable, delicate, and delightful beauty treat. The fragrance is light,
but not so overly sweet it would be too strong for daytime, and the puff
is so "girly" it's the sort of thing that elicits squeals of
delight from everyone who sees it. The price is so reasonable, you can
afford to give one to all your friends. The photo doesn't do this
justice, and take it from the Advice Sisters, plan on getting one for
yourself as well as for gifts. You aren't going to be able to resist it
once you see (and smell) it!
I confess: I
have been eagerly awaiting the publication
of Allure: Confessions of Beauty Editor by Linda Wells, (Bulfinch
2006) $24.95. I'd like to think that after more than 9 years reviewing
makeup and beauty products, I'm the foremost authority on this
topic, but Linda Wells, Editor-in-Chief of Allure Magazine,
run rings around me. Shehas been on the job for 15 years, and probably
knows more about makeup than just about anyone on the planet. The
large-format book full of glossy color photos and is something you
will enjoy looking at again and again. I like the approach, too:
refreshingly honest and fairly personal: Ms. Wells shares her own experiences
both positive and negative regarding beauty products. Her
personal comments are present in each introduction in ten sections dealing with everything from
hair to skincare, salons to bikini waxing. The Allure-style approach
is evident when Ms. Wells is presenting
information. She breakds down every technique into do-able bits, and
presents lots of tips (Tricks of
the Trade) along with how to get the best "bang for your buck."
I really liked the tips and emergency. I think readers will appreciate
the mix. There's something for
everyone in this book (although I wish there had been a bit more
information directed to women over age 40 and under age 20 and more
"regular" models). No matter, this book will be a well-loved "bible of beauty"
that should stand the test of time and transcend a lot of fads. It is
fun to read, and will be fun to give, and even more fun to receive!
The holiday season can be a lonely time for singles who would like to
be in a relationship, but haven't found the right one. The
Everything Dating Book 2nd
Edition, Meet New People And Find Your Perfect Match! by
Alison Blackman Dunham (Adams Media, 2005) is gift to
give yourself, or someone needing a jump-start or a tune-up on
their love life. The book isn't full of tricks or surprises (sorry
folks, but there really isn't anything new in the universe about how
people click, or don't) but you will literally a bit of "everything"
you need to help organize, energize, and move forward through a love
search and into a true relationship. The information relevant to every
age, but it is especially important for anyone over age 30, the
newly-single that has been out of the meet market for a while, and
even seniors, who are meeting and making new matches later in life. *Did
you forget someone's birthday or other special occasion and need an
impressive, unique gift, fast? Do you know someone who struggles with
the same issues or problems - over and over and over again with a
resolution? I offer private, personal online advice. This is a
gift that lasts a lifetime and will never be "re-gifted" Simply
provide your recipient's information and I will do the rest!
Dino
Morra is a skincare guru in California, with
a "bad boy" vibe reminiscent of magician Chris Angel. His exclusive, Crème
Candle $37.50 will also make a statement, and really capture your
attention. It is actually two candles in one--a lovely, scented
candle to light your days and nights,
and (once the wax is melted) it is also a spa- treatment for your skin
featuring Morra's Crème formula -- a super-hydrating collagen
formula fortified with antioxidants and phyto-minerals. The bennies of
this have been appreciated by stars such as Lucy Liu, and Ryan Seacrest. Now
you can get both a great candle and this Beverly Hills treatment
at home. This Crème Collagen Candle in it's go-with- everything, clear, glass votive,
comes in "Grapefruit" (pink grapefruit with hints of
lemon, lime and Mandarin Orange); "Spa Comfort," (
eucalyptus, lemon grass, lavender, Spanish marjoram, sandalwood,
tangerine) or "Lavender Vanilla " (Belgium lavender with warm notes of French vanilla).
As the candle burns the Crème formula will melt into a pool on
top of the candle. Then once the flame is extinguished, apply the melted Crème (with a small spatula or wooden
spoon) as an all-over body massage, or directly to problem areas such as
elbows, knees and feet.
Letters For Her is a romantic line of aromatherapy
products that are inspired by love letters to a young woman (Rachel) in
1943, discovered in an attic, nearly 60 years later. You can
tell immediately that a product is by Letters For Her by the light
and delicate script "lettering" that adorns every product,
along with a cute, "postage stamp" label that usually has a
picture of what's in the product, signifying also the region of the
world where the original letters came from. For the holidays, the Holiday
Set $36.00 in "Wildflower" reminds us of Provence, in
France. It is a great choice not just for your home, but for gifts for
all those people you need to thank in a special way. The set
includes a full sized (8 oz) clear coral-tinted Liquid Hand Soap (photo)
and Hand Lotion. The hand soap is luxuriously scented with tuberose and
ylang ylang essential oils, and the tall, elegant, glass pump bottle is
decorated with a coral grosgrain ribbon and a little, round, id tag
featuring a wildflower. The hand lotion is a delicate, opaque
coral with the same, romantic, ladylike floral scent and packaging. Both
are housed in a delicate, black wire basket, with romantic loops and
curls of wire forming the basket, a tall carrying handle separating the
two. This is an impressive gift for not a lot of money and a nice
little splurge for yourself.
BaByliss
hair appliances are known for their high quality, and I've been eager to
try on the Tourmaline hair dryers that use Ionic technology. For
home or travel, an affordable choice is the BayBliss ProTT Tourmaline
Mini Pro Dryer. $37.99 This little powerhouse has the same
technology as it's bigger sisters, the Tourmaline 35000 $229.99 and
Tourmaline 3000 $119.99, but it is small and lightweight,, and even
comes with it's own nylon travel bag. What makes a tourmaline dryer so
special, is the fact that genuine tourmaline gemstone is used and it is
a natural source of negative ions. When negative ions collide with
positive ions on your hair, static electricity is reduced and your hair
looks shiny and silky. For people like me, with thick, wavy hair, the
fact that negative ions also help to break apart water molecules,
reducing drying time. My hair dried fast, minus frizz. Less drying
time means less damage to hair, too. This little mini really dried
my hair amazingly well--much faster and better than my usual, large,
1800-watt dryer. There are two heat settings (high and low), a cool shot
button to lock in curls and waves, and a concentrator nozzle to focus
heat just where you need it. The zippered carrying case is also top
notch. The mini is amazingly affordable for this technology (the larger
models have more drying speeds) and so portable, you'll take it
everywhere
. This is a great gift as well as one of our "must-haves" for
the holidays and it's great for the guys, too.
BoHo
Exotic Eyes Kit $40.00 by Global Goddess, has a
ready-for-giving, shiny, pink and gold, cardboard compact. Inside, you'll find
everything you need to create sexy, sultry, Hollywood/Bollywood eyes
for parties, or "just because." You get two eye
shadows in a slightly shimmery rose, and a soft brown (beautified with
a thin, gold, paisley stencil), three soft and blendable, mini
Kohl/Kajal pencils in black, deep, metallic blue, and coppery brown
line eyes, a slim mascara in black, and a set of faux eyelashes plus
eyelash glue. Easy instructions are included to make day, evening, or
va-va-voom glam, looks. Exclusively at
The
Midnight Cowboy Set $28.00
There's
nothing better than makeup that looks like it's going to be fun to use,
except makeup that is fun to use and a good value, too. Such is the case
with N.Y.C. New York Color Wheel Mosaic Powder $4.99.
A simple plastic compact houses a mélange of four super sheer pressed
powders to enhance your complexion. Swipe a soft brush over all the
colors, and you have a single shade that balances and enhances all skin
undertones. "Translucent Highlighter" brightens and finishes
your face while helps to reduce oil and shine. "Pink Cheek
Glow" adds either a super-soft blush, or a brightening, all over
pick-me-up. The "All Over Bronze Glow" wheel looks dark,
but it's sheer, so it gives you a hint of color to keep your glow,
going, without looking like you've been hiding out in a tanning booth
too long. You can't make a mistake with these because they are light and
subtle...and they make great stocking stuffers!
There
is something so glamorous about Rouge Dior Replenishing
Lipstick $24.00 by Christian Dior. Open the shiny, blue box with red and silver
lettering, and find a lipstick compact of midnight blue with
cross-hatched "caning" in the sides, reminiscent of the exo-skeleton
of a modern high rise tower. This is ringed at the bottom with a silver
band with DIOR name, and a silver CD on the top (to let everyone
know in a subtle way, that you're a Dior, woman). The
lipstick is available in
32 shades to suit a wide range of intensities, colors, and tones.
It also does more than just provide great color: two new
"complexes" do double duty to stimulate collagen
production and plump the lips, moisturize, and also reflect light for a
gorgeous sheen, color brilliance and density. We loved
the luxurious, satin finish, the glamorous, couture-inspired long-wearing
colors, and the way this lipstick seems to glide on effortlessly. My
fave is " #434 Interview Pink," a rich, soft, mauved-pink that you can
layer for a little, or a lot of unobtrusive, warm color. For a brighter,
pink lip, we like "#475 Pink Preview," a clear, bright deep,
nearly-retro pink. Another star is "616 Brown Ceremony"
(soft brown with
just a hint of shimmer and lots of moistness. "Rose
Fiction" is a deep, warm pink that tints lips a few shades deeper
but still natural. Applying lipstick should be a joy
and a celebration. Rouge Dior Replenishing Lipstick really brings back
fun, and glamour.
Win
a heart, or give yours, with a Keepsake Heart Gloss $18.00 by
Hard Candy. A large, metal compact embedded with starry, baby blue
crystal rhinestones opens with the push of a button, to reveal a
heart-shaped mirror, and two generously-sized half circles
of lip gloss (a sheer, shimmery nude and sparkling sheer pink) to
mix (or not). Each gloss is silky and slightly scented (reviewers
reported honey buns and vanilla), to give your lips a glassy shine. The
compact itself looks very substantial, but it is lightweight enough to
carry without causing shoulder bags, to sag. The presentation is nice
too: the compact arrives on a bed of blue satin in a light blue with
clear presentation window, (just add a silky, light blue bow for a
romantic gift. 
There's
nothing more sinfully-fun than applying a truly sexy, shimmering lip
gloss, than having the option to use six sexy, shimmering lip
glosses in one package! The Bobbi Brown Shimmering Lip Gloss
Palette $40.00 is perfect to enhance all your lips looks for the
holidays, and makes a coveted gift, too. Inside a signature shiny,
always-chic, black compact with mirror are six squares of shimmery,
sheer, light-reflecting gloss in wearable shades ranging from shimmery
nudes, to pinks, to berries. A wooden handled lip brush is also
included (or use your finger--these slide on like silk, anyway). These
high-quality glosses look beautiful on bare lips, but slicked over
another color, you get an entirely new (and festive), shiny, glimmery
look. I can't pick a favorite: they're all great, but you can find your
fave easily (they're named in a diagram on the back). 
I recently reviewed the
Pevonia Botanica Silky Skin Body
Scrub
and Preserve Body Moisturizer used in my blissful
exfoliating treatment there. A gift certificate for a treatment
at a spa is a great holiday gift, but giving certificates for
in-house spa treatments can cripple your budget, The solution? Give a
spa-quality,
holiday gift from Pevonia, featuring the same lovely, pro-style
spa products. Pevonia has a number of beautifully-packaged gifts
sets available for holiday gifting (or for indulging yourself) but the
one I like best, suitable for men and women of all ages, is the 
Bobbi
Brown Diamond Dust $21.00 is a fabulous product-- a
super-sparkly bit of "eye bling" that comes in a pressed
powder form for better control and wearability. The pressed
powder arrived in a small, round compact with flip-top cap and interior
mirror Perfect for the holidays, this sheer color can be
applied with a brush, or your fingers. There are 4 colors. My favorite
is the smoldering "Rockstar: (medium gray) that looks dark in the
compact, but leaves a wash of starry silver sparkles on your lids.
There's also "Platinum " (Silver), "Pink Metal"
(medium pink) and "Snowflake" (white-can be worn as a
highlighter, too). We see a lot of glittery products, but this one is
from Bobbi Brown--so it's sophisticated as well as glittery. We
love these and we're calling them a "must have." 
As a
beauty and fashion reviewer, I carry my virtual office in my handbag.
Usually, organizer bags are heavy and styled more like orthopedic shoes
(for function) rather than style. Then I met the Butler Bag (Classic
Bag $85.00 14" x 4 "x 5" Urban Classic Bag 15" x 6 "x 9.5" $135.00).
This handbag takes organizers to a whole new level of functionality, and
with tons of style! The leather bag comes in black, brown and
camel. It looks sleek and chic, with a minimal amount of embellishment so
that it will go with virtually everything you wear. The aspect of this
handbag that makes it different, and that has spoiled me for virtually
anything else is how lightweight it is, despite a rigid internal organizer
system. That organizer, however, makes diving into a handbag and finding
just what you need, in seconds, a reality. There are seven roomy
compartments into which all your "stuff" can easily fit...and be easily
found. At first I thought I might not be able to fit everything I carry
(and I carry a lot) in six compartments, but in went my PDA, phone, pens,
pads, keys, card case, beauty items, makeup bag, invitations, digital
voice recorder...and more than that, and there was still room in two
outside pockets for more! Even more amazingly, this top grain leather bag
was light...even with all my things stuffed into it. The bag is chic
enough for me to wear at high profile events without feeling out of
place--never do I have
to fumble for business cards, my camera, or anything else. These bags
are reasonably priced but the look is lquite uxe. If you're a busy woman on the go,
or know someone who is, you'll want to get one in every color. A
Butler Bag makes a superb holiday gift.
When
a friend I hadn't seen in a few weeks exclaimed: "You've
lost so much weight!" over and over again, I wondered
why she was saying it (I hadn't lost any weight). Then
I remembered: I was wearing a pair of Tummy Tuck Jeans (
The
Deodorant Powder $6.95 by LUSH isn't just for men,
but we think that they will particularly be digging the cute, black shaker
jars containing 1.7 oz of loose, deodorant powder. These are 100% natural,
free from aluminum sales and preservatives. They're ideal for use after
shower or gym, or for a quick "refresher" at work (don't ever
let them see--or smell...you sweat) or for travel. They're developed with
natural astringents that minimize sweat and they have antibacterial
qualities as well, to prevent odor from developing in the first place.
Even better, since these are mild, and a powder, you can use these on your
armpits and other body parts (e.g.. between your toes or on your entire
body). There are four types. Our favorite is the
"Coconut," that smells slightly coco-nutty but not over-the-top.
There's also "Powdry," a zesty, lemongrass type scent, made with
kaolin and essential oils of lemon, frankincense and juniper wood. Also
unisex for those who need a little bit more sweat control is 'Mr. T."
The "T" in this one stand for tea tree (known for helping
to minimize odors caused by bacteria found in err..."sweaty"
areas) and also featuring clubmoss, an anti-fungal . The fourth
choice is probably most appealing to women: "Powder Puff"
has rose and orris powder that comes from the root of the Florentine Iris
(exotic!) and it is a sweet but authentic smelling floral. These are
effective, novel and lots of fun to use, but they'd also make a great gift
for a guy (or a teen) whose hygiene you'd like to improve, without hurting
their feelings. 
