Philosophy’s Bath and Body products include a fun little three-in-one wash for the hair, in the shower and in the tub. And while you are sudsing away with delicious scents like Coconut Frosting, and The Gingerbread Man, you can read the corresponding recipe on the bottle!

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!

Posted in Cold Weather Beauty, Skin ~ 0 Comments

Tis’ the season to be traveling! This time of year everyone is planning a trip or two like a vacation to the cabin or a trip to see the family.

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!

Posted in Cold Weather Beauty, Popular Products, Travel Beauty ~ 1 Comment

As a member of a family full of girls, I know, one cannot go wrong with giving the gift of beauty. The girls in my family always appreciate holiday make up kits, bath and body basket sets, and fun manicure gifts for the nails. This year, find the perfect beauty gift for your favorite girls. Here are some fun inexpensive gifts ideas under $50 that will put a smile on any beauty queen.

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

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As the holiday approaches, the party invitations gather, and the urge for the newest makeup colors ignites! This year it is all about the golden and pink shimmer powders, deep ruby reds or pinky nudes for the lips and nails, and jewel toned eye shadows.

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.

Posted in Cold Weather Beauty, Popular Products ~ 0 Comments

We all love that summer glow that happens almost natually in the warm months. But when the fall fades into winter often so does our tan. And nothing is worse than white, pasty skin. Here are a few tips to stay glowing throughout the cold season:

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!

Posted in Cold Weather Beauty, Skin ~ 2 Comments