Here are a few beauty products that can help you feel like you are on vacation instead of in your bathroom shower:

Coconut Body Butter by The Body Shop:

This intensely moisturizing body lotion is a great way to stay soft in the cold weather and smell like you came from a warm beach.

Made from organic, cold-pressed, virgin coconut oil and community trade shea butter, this 24-hour body butter will keep your skin soft and supple.

Style your locks with David Babaii’s  Bohemian Beach Spray which uses eco-friendly and exotic ingredients like sea salt from the Dead Sea and Volcanic Ash from the South Pacific.

Not only does this styling product work on wet or dry hair to give sexy, just-got-back-from-the-beach volume, but it’s made with kiwi and shea butter to keep your hair soft and healthy.

The icing on the cake: 10% of profits go to the WildAid foundation…so even if you can’t be on an African Safari at least you can be doing your part to contribute to WildAid’s mission to save the our planet’s wildlife.

Tocca Beauty Scented Candles have a way of sending you into a  sitting-in-a-hammock, tranquil state of mind.

Tocca’s Havana Candle, scented of sugarcane and rum makes you dream of pirates and exotic crystal blue bays.

Tocca’s Montauk Candle, scented of sea grass and fresh air will have you dreaming of lighthouses and the sound of crashing ocean waves.

Tocca’s Tahiti Candle, scented of tiare flower and coconut will have your bathroom smelling like a romantic island honeymoon.

Bon Voyage!

Step 1: Stop frizzy, dried out hair: During this time of year I often make the mistake of using a heavier conditioner to keep my strands soft. Ultimately, I end up with greasier, weighed down hair.

Solution: Hair mask! You can apply a hair mask once a month or as often as once a week depending on your strands. I love Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment. I coats your hair in a grainy, greasy, strange smelly mess, but then ends up giving you perfectly soft, shiny healthy hair without a trace of greasiness.

Step 2: Prevent flaky skin and exaggerated wrinkles on your face: The dry weather sucks out all the youthful soft and suppleness of my face. This is really two steps in one. You have to get rid of the dry skin by exfoliating and then prevent it by moisturizing. Many experts suggest using a facial cream with alpha hydroxy acid which acts as a two in one step process by exfoliating the top layer of the skin while moisturizing it. This can be an effective solution, however using a moisturizer with alpha hydroxy acids on sensitive skin can cause further redness, flakiness and irritation. Therefore I suggest using separate products for each step.

Solution: Use a mild exfoliant (not something with large beads that scrape the skin!) like Dermalogica’s Gentle Cream Exfoliant made with lactic acid, salicylic acid, lavender and aloe vera which combined help gently remove dead skin and sooth irritation. Then use a deep moisturizer at night like Prevage Anti-Aging Night Cream or take it one step further and use a 24 hour cream.

Step 3: Stop using soaps in the shower that dry out your skin and make you itch all over! Often times I find myself using a bar of soap in the shower and find myself lathering lotion on my dry skin afterwards. It’s messy, sometimes downright greasy, and even gets on my clothes. Oh yeah and it takes forever to rub in.

Solution: Use a moisturizing body wash like Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Nurturing Body Washing Cream which uses mild glycerin soap to cleanse and jojoba oil and shea butter to moisturize the entire body. Using a creamy body wash prevents itchy, flaky skin and gives you a break from slathering on loads of moisturizer after the shower.

On a budget: If you are on a budget then try Jergens Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer. A 7.5oz container costs around $8 and gradually firms and darkens skin tone.  Choose your shade, fair, medium or medium/tan (a Jergens tip to determine your shade: look inside your forearm to match the chart on the back of the bottle). Give it a week and you will see the difference.

Willing to pay: If you have a little cash to spend, then try St. Tropez Everyday Body. A 6.5oz bottle costs $30 and comes in two shades: fair to medium or medium to dark.  St. Tropez Everyday Body gives a natural radiance to the skin without looking orange and streaky.  St. Tropez Everyday won Instyle Magazine Best Beauty Buys 2009 in the category of Self-Tanner for Body.  You can find it online at sttropeztan.com or in most beauty supply stores.

Splurge: If you are willing (and able) to spend a little dough on self tanner then try Clarins Radiance-Plus Self Tanning Body Lotion. A 5oz bottle costs $42 and is available at department stores like Nordstroms. Tiny mother-of-pearl particles give an irredecent golden shimmer to your skin. One bottle works for all skin types and works to give you a tan appropriate for all year-round.

Click here to read about keeping up your tan in Bravadora’s article on Get Glowing: Tips to Keeping Your Tan in Winter.

Winter Makeup: Estee Lauder’s Holiday Blockbuster is $48.50 with any fragrance purchase at Macy’s. A $250 value which includes eyeshadow and blush compact, 3 lipsticks, 3 lip glosses, lip and eye pencils, mascara, two travel cases, and brush set. Add it to your fragrance gift or keep it for yourself!

Winter Skincare: L’Occitane Shea To Go is $20 at Sephora. A travel size spread of Shea butter products including hand cream, shower cream, body lotion, milk soap, and pure Shea butter. Shea butter is a great way tackle dry skin. Read Bravadora’s article on the benefits of Shea Butter.

Sun-kissed Winter: Stila Gift of Glow Bronzing Kit is $45 at Sephora. A $90 value which targets pale winter skin with a great selection of bronzing tools including an SPF powder bronzer, Lip Glaze in Brown Sugar, eyeliner & brush, and an eyeshadow trio in Gold Glow.

One of my favorites every year is the Chanel Holiday Collection. This year it includes a limited edition translucent gold loose powder, two shades of festive nail colors, and the always lovely lip and eyeshadow quads. Get the look

Another nice holiday combination is DiorLight by Dior which incorporates soft shimmery golden hues and delicate pearly pastels. However I am not fond of the gimmicky Star Product which is too flashy and really not too practical to wear or stuff in a clutch. See if DiorLight is a Holiday Must Have for you.

Speaking of glamorous compacts: Mac has a 6 different collections which offer antiqued, vintage looks inspiring old fashioned glamour with a modern edgy appeal. My favorite is the Finery Collection which includes the Ruling Class Lipsticks. I could have stolen them right from Marie Antoniette’s herself.

Just like I love to celebrate every holiday, so does Philosophy. So they’ve created a flavor for every occasion which just adds an extra special touch to your festivities. It gives me just the boost I need to get into the holiday spirit! And don’t forget the recipe that you’ll be tempted to make every time you catch a whiff.

Yummy…Yummy Pumpkin Pie and Spiced Apple Cider. Perfect for when the air turns cool and the leaves change colors. Halloween and Thanksgiving just around the corner…

As the temperatures drop and rain and snow fall…warm up with Philosophy’s Double Rich Hot Cocoa and Cinnamon Buns.

Don’t forget about Birthday’s and Valentine’s Day…Try Philosophy’s Vanilla Birthday Cake and Crumb Berry Pie!

This type of traveling can be a bit of a strain on your typical beauty regime. With limited packing space, tight airline restrictions, and sometimes shared bathroom use, it is no wonder it is such a hassle to pack.

Here are a few items that to help ease the pain of planning for these holiday excursions:

GoSMILE Jet Set Kit: Keep your teeth sparkling white for all those parties you attend with this plane friendly teeth whitening kit. The kit includes fluoride AM and PM toothpastes formulated with aromatheraputic essential oils such as chamomile, lavender, and citrus fruits. Plus a travel size toothbrush all in a TSA-approved clear pouch. I also suggest you bring along a GoSmile Touch Up Mini On-the-Go Smile Refresher, for teeth whitening touch ups on the go.

Bumble and bumble Hair Powder: Nothing is worse then getting giving up the shower time to an obnoxious cousin with no respect for your hair routine. You can keep your hair looking great when you know you won’t be able to style your hair like usual by using Bumble and bumble’s hair powder. This is stuff is amazing! It absorbs oil on the scalp and keeps your hair style intact. And best of all, Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder comes in a variety of different shades which helps to hide roots! Pack it in your suitcase…just in case. And if your worried about frazzled ends bring along Bumble and Bumble Leave In Rinse Out Conditioner, which is a versatile conditioner for taming frizz or using as a lightweight conditioner.

Bring a Pen: A great way to maintain your nails without bringing the manicurist on the plane with you is to grab a great travel friendly item like the Sephora Nail Polish Corrector Pen. This easy to use pen simply wipes away any nail polish mess you make. Another great pen is the Sephora Cuticle Care Pen, which nourishes the cuticles without the hassle of creams and oils. And if you happen to want a French manicure then why not try the Sephora French Tips & Toes Manicure Pen, which is applied to the whites of your nails. You can use the French manicure pen to create your own manicure by following with a clear gloss, but I think it works great as a quick fix to a professional French manicure.

Japonesque Touch Up Tube: One way to ruin an expensive makeup brush is to smash it into a makeup bag. Instead of bringing along your usual brushes, find a travel set. This sleek little tube of brush miracles has all the brush power you need to keep yourself “brushed up” for the holidays. Touch up your make up with the concealer, lip, blush/powder, or eye shadow brushes. And if you’re feeling colorful you can find the Touch Up Tube in different colors like pink, green or snazzy black.

Benefit Pocket Pal: A great way to minimize space in your makeup bag and your purse is to bring along a two-in-one beauty tool like Benefit’s Pocket Pal. This handy little wand has a lip and cheek tint on one end and a clear lip gloss on the other. Multi-use makeup products are the way to go when you are traveling. Another great traveler is Nars The Multiple, which can be used as a bronzer, eye shadow, blush or highlighter.

Happy Travels!

Smashbox 10th Anniversary Beauty Kit: You can’t go wrong with this gift. This beauty kit has the best that Smashbox has to offer. A sleek quilted makeup bag comes with Smashbox’s most popular items such as their Photo Finish Foundation Primer, their Layer Lash Primer, and their Focal Point Mascara. In addition, you get their best selling shades of lip gloss in creamy pinks and peaches. You also get their best selling eye shadow trio in Head Shot and thier best selling eye liner duo…Special Anniversary Price of $45 (total retail value of $97)

Jaqua Body Butter Trio Set: If you have a girl who loves her body butter then this body butter trio makes a perfect gift. Jaqua represents everything girly. This body butter set includes yummy scents in Buttercream Frosting, Mint Chocolate Cocoa, and Pink Champagne Shea Body Butter. And best of all, Jaqua body butters are made with shea butter, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, vitamin E, and fruity extracts such as grape seeds….$24 packed in a giftable box with rope handle

Sephora Fragrance Gift Certificate For Her: Sephora has really done a great thing…I can’t rave enough about what a perfect gift this is. This brillant holiday gift includes 10 samples of Sephora’s top selling women fragrances such as DKNY Be Delicious Eau de Parfum, Stella McCartney Eau de Parfum, and Guerlain Insolence Eau de Toilette. PLUS…a gift certificate that can be redeemed at Sephora for any full size bottle of the sample of choice. You will definetly make someone happy with this creative gift certificate!…$45 for the gift certificate

Bliss Mistle-Toes ‘Step-by-Step’ Pedicure Set: What is more fun than painting your toes cranberry red on Christmas Morning? In this holiday inspired pedicure set, Bliss includes a jar of Sweet Orange and Peppermint Sugar Scrub, a tube of Manicure’s Best Friend, a trial-size Foot Patrol, toe separators, a tube of Essie nail polish and a cute bag. A benefit to Bliss Mistle-Toes kit is that it is not just for the feet. The sugar scrub, made with almond oil, can be used on the entire body. Bliss Manicure’s Best Friend is an intensive cuticle cream for the hands and feet and is made with green tea extracts, shea butter, jojoba oil, and vitamin E. Bliss Foot Patrol is a packed with salicylic acid to soften tough heals. And it wouldn’t be complete without a great red polish made by Essie!…$40 for the set

Mario Badescu Bath & Body Luxuries: A great way to treat your girlfriends to a spa day without the high price is to give them Mario Badescu’s Bath and Body Luxuries gift set. A great little tote packed with Mario Badescu spa goodies like his rejuvenating AHA Botanical Body Soap (and sponge), his moisture rich Fruit Hand Cream SPF 10, and his silky Apricot Super Rich Body Lotion. In addition, the set has an 8 once bottle of the both the Lecithin Nourishing Shampoo and the Hair Rinsing Conditioner with a jar of Mario Badescu Lip Wax. You can trust that Mario Badescu products will give your girlfriends celebrity spa treatment! For all skin types…$49 for the set

Here are some of my favorite new holiday inspired looks:

Estee Lauder Holiday Spirit includes the limited addition Brilliant Shimmer All-Over Powder, a mirrored compact with an illuminating gold powder to sweep over your cheekbones and dust on the shoulders. A fun idea for a New Year’s bash.

Clinique’s holiday collections includes limited addition shades called Pink Chocolates which includes their limited addition Shimmering Tones Powder. This pinky powder collection is great for highlighting the eyes and cheeks and giving a soft glow.

Bobbi Brown gives the popular Shimmer Brick even more with limited addition Shimmer Brick and Lip Kit. This Bronze Shimmer Brick comes with a lip palate that includes 2 lip colors and 2 lip glosses. Bring this along on a weekend visit to the relatives.

Nars’ Holiday 2006 includes gold glosses, emerald greens, and deep violets. Some of the new striking colors include a platinum gold lip gloss in “Moon Fleet”, an eye shadow duo of jade and aubergine called “Belly Dance”, and lip pencils in a beige “Bettina”, and coral red “Walkyrie.”

Although Smashbox did not officially release holiday colors, a new Eye Shadow Quad collection was released in “Electric,” which inspires the holiday spirit. “Electric” includes shimmer palate of yellow gold, teal, copper, and eggplant.

1. Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate!!! I can’t stress this enough. The best trick to keep your skin glowing is to use an exfoliator. You can find an exfoliator for the face, the hands and feet, and the body. Exfoliators can be scrubs or powders with natural enzymes. I suggest the powders on the face, which won’t scratch the surface of the skin. Find a fun soap or body wash with exfoliating beads. Add an exfoliator to your pedicure and manicure routine. These exfoliators will slough off tired, dry skin, and leave your skin rosy and fresh.

Try Dermalogica Daily Resurfacer, Alba Botanica Papaya Mango Exfoliating Body Wash, La Source Hand Recovery Cream, and La Source Revitalising Foot Smoother.

2. Tanning supplies are plenty. It seems like now almost every cosmetic line has their own self tanning products. You can apply self tanners in all types of ways, from easy wipes by Estee Lauder, to airbrush tans in a can from Model Co., there is a multitude of tanning applications available. Whatever self tanning method you pick whether it is gels or creams, or lotions, be sure to find one that is tasteful. Don’t turn into a pumpkin for Christmas!

A foul-proof brand that experts love: Clarins.

Clarins Radiance Plus Self-tanning Cream-Gel was voted as the best self tanner for the face in Instyle Magazine Best Beauty Buys for 2006. It was also Town & Country Magazine’s 150 Best Beauty Buys and Allure Magazine’s Best of Beauty. This hydrating self-tanner is packed with goodies like Vitamin E, and Kiwifruit.

Clarins Sheer Bronze Self-tanning Hydrating Gel was voted as the best oil-free self tanner for the face in Instyle Magazine Best Beauty Buys for 2006.

Clarins Self-Tanning Instant Gel was voted Allure Best of Beauty and Best of Sephora 2006.

3. Hail the almighty Bronzer. A bronzer is an everyday trick to keep your skin looking sun kissed. Add it to your makeup routine if haven’t already. Bronzers come in lotions and powders. Add an extra boost to your skin with body moisturizer that gradually darkens your skin tone.

Try Laura Mercier Loose Shimmer Powders, a shimmery powder that gives a nice looking glow to the face and body. A two-in-one bronzer!

4. As strange as it sounds…drink carrot juice. Yes, carrot juice. This is a little inside trick to maintaining a healthy skin tone. The carotene in carrots gives your skin a deeper color. And it is good for you!

Or if you hate carrot juice, take a vitamin. Beta-Carotene converts to Vitamin A which is beneficial to your health and helps improve vision. So you can see how great and glowy you look!

I like the Body Shop because they have yummy scents that everyone will love like Fuzzy Peach, Vanilla, Coconut and my favorite…Strawberry. Then you can buy all sorts of “Scent-Me” items like shower gel, body scrub, and body cream. And finally, just mix and match!

The oil will add a wonderful scent to your bath products and leave your skin silky soft. And even nicer is that the Body Shop array of “Scent-me” items includes a lotion made with Babassu Oil from which helps empower women of Brazil. Read the story.

I simply love the idea of customizing your own skin products. Best of all you control how scented to make them. Have fun!

1. Skip the lotion and use a moisturizing body wash. I often find myself scrambling in the morning to get ready after the shower. Any easy and quick way to stay moisturized is to simply use a moisturizing soap or body wash. This way your skin stays soft and hydrated, without all the hassle and time spent applying body lotion.

Try: Kiehl’s Creme De Corps Nurturing Body Washing Cream which contains Jojoba Butter and Shea Butter or for a less expensive alternative try Alba Organics Cream Body Wash available in Coconut Milk and Papaya Mango.

2. Manicures and Pedicures are important in the winter months. But let’s admit, we tend to forget about pedicures when sandals are obsolete. Any easy way to keep your cuticles from looking cracked and dry is to use a cuticle cream. This is one quick step that you can do when you don’t have time for a full nail treatment. Simply apply a bit on the cuticles daily to keep the soft.

Try: Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme which locks in moisture with a beeswax formula or L’Occitane Shea Butter Nail and Cuticle Cream.

3. Use a hydrating night cream. One important step to keeping moisturized through the winter is to have a super hydrating moisturizer. Let a deep hydrating cream penetrate dry skin when you sleep, and wake up to soft, supple skin. Find a cream that contains ingredients with hydrating properties such as hyaluronic acid which holds in the skin’s natural moisture.

Try: Mario Badescu Cream X which is a thick cream that is great for sensitive skin or Dermalogica Super Rich Repair.

4. Use a multipurpose hair product. Instead of using multiple hair products, use one. Find a styling product that moisturizes as well as gives the hair hold. This will skip the extra step of leave-in conditioner. Plenty of styling products on the market today offer moisturizing ingredients.

Try: Bed Head Small Talk by Tigi. It is used as a body building styler that also moisturizes and it smells like Bubble Yum Bubble Gum! Or try Bumble and bumble Styling Lotion.

5. Keep a lip moisturizer by your side at all times. It is great to have a chap stick in your purse for emergencies, but a moisturizing lipstick is a great staple as well. You can have both moisturizer and color in one by buying a hydrating lipstick. Find a color that works well with your winter and fall wardrobe and also contains a softening ingredient like Vitamin E.

Try: Nars Lipstick. They have a great selection of sheer colors and they keep lips creamy and moist. Or try Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipstick.