Archive for the ‘Gift Ideas’ Category

The (Slightly) Selfish Holiday Beauty Gift Guide via Huffington Post

Happy Black Friday, everyone! I would be remiss (and slightly selfish) if I didn’t share with you my holiday gift guide I did for Huffington Post. I was so bored with the standard gift guides so I decided to change it up and go for a more honest approach — create a gift guide for everyone in my  life including myself.  So check it out and go Black Friday crazy!

Click here to read gift guide —> “The (Slightly) Selfish Holiday Beauty Gift Guide”

Spa Slut Finds Mother’s Day Indulgences at the Best Spas Across the U.S. (via HuffPo)

The Spa Slut came out in all her fabulous glory to find the best spots for moms to be spoiled across the U.S. for Mother’s Day.  I had SO much fun writing this piece and of course I got jealous while writing it because I wanted to be at all these spas instead of sitting at home typing in my jammies.

Read my Huffington Post “Mother’s Day Spa Indulgences Across the U.S. Article here!

The Bathhouse at the Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley

Mother’s Day Gift Guide: Giving Mom a Little Glamour and Pampering… (via Huff Po)

I thought I would create a modern Mother’s Day Gift Guide for Huffington Post this week.  Let’s face it… Flowers and gifts from Things Remembered are so 20 years ago. Be original on Mother’s Day and give her what she really wants! And for those of you who are already mommies… I urge you to forward the article to your hubbys and baby daddys… Obviously I chose gifts I would love as an expecting mother for Mother’s Day (actually for any occasion)!

Or, if you’ve already gotten Mom a gift and you’re not a mommy then go nuts and buy yourself something nice. I mean you deserve a little retail love, right? Binge on babies!

Read my Huffington Post Mother’s Day Gift Guide by clicking here!

Beauty Binge on Sacramento News10 ABC: Beauty Holiday Gifts Bonanza!

Are you sick of hearing about beauty gift ideas yet?  GET OVER IT! No, seriously… I SWEAR this will be the last gift-oriented post.  The beauty of this post is you don’t even have to read! You can just watch the little clips below!

Part 1 (If the clip is not showing up, click here)

Part 2  (If the clip is not showing up, click here)

Happy Holidays, my lovelies!

Podcast: Holiday Gift Ideas and 10-Minute Holiday Makeup w/Blushing Basics’ Kristie Burnett!

Hello, my lovelies! I hope you all had a chance to tune in to last week’s podcast with makeup artist Maria Luxen, “Why Does Your Makeup Look Like Sh*t??”   This week I was a bit more tame but still had so much fun with beauty blogger and vlogger Kristie Burnett from Blushing Basics.  She is beyond adorbs and you must check out her kick-ass video makeup tutorials on YouTube!

Podcast: Holiday Gift Ideas for Loved Ones (And for Yourself of Course) AND How to Get 10-Minute Holiday Party Makeup (Download for free from iTunes or stream live online)

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Must Share!!! Today Only: Bliss’s Body Butter Bonanza for $29 ($116 worth of loot!)

Forgive my West Coast delay in getting you this vital piece of information. Apparently Bliss was featured on The Today Show this morning and to celebrate they are offering 4 of their BIG size body butters in all their delicious signature scents– Raspberry Champagne, Lemon + Sage, Blood Orange + White Pepper and Vanilla + Bergamot. The deal also includes a free Bliss tote bag that I could care less about unless they fill it with samples.  There is zero chance restraint will make it through the door before I hit “buy” on this deal. Indulge, my lovelies!  You can totally rationalize that you’re saving a ton and you can just give the scents you’re not crazy about as gifts! Voila!

A Little Somethin’ Somethin’ for Your Secret Santa

I’m not suggesting an inter-office affair, by the way… Nor am I suggesting you purchase any of the products listed below for a straight man (trust me he won’t appreciate it; I’ve tried).  These are the perfect little gifts (hence the little somethin’ somethin’) that meet the usual price requirements of a Secret Santa gift and incidentally also meets the “well, perhaps I could buy myself just a little somethin”  price requirements:

Willa Smile Butter Lip Balm Trio Gift Set ($19.00)  Okay these lip balms are adorbs.  The 12-year old founder, Willa Doss, is also adorbs. She started this natural skincare line for tweens (ages 7-14) after a couple years of her mother nagging her to wear SPF and moisturize (love that) and they couldn’t find any natural products to address her tweeny skin concerns. Now I’m no tween.  Obviously.  It didn’t stop me from digging my q-tip (You use your finger? Gross! Don’t stick your dirty fingers in any skincare!) in all three pots of these butter balms that are formulated with Shea Butter and Vitamin E. The tropical flavors —  Miami Mango, St Tropez Strawberry, and Vera Cruz Vanilla — made me feel like I was on a beach vacation. Of course my idea of being on a beach vacation includes sipping a tropical alcoholic drink, differing a bit (hopefully) from Willa’s target audience.

Tinte Cosmetics Blushed Beauty All-in-One Makeup Kit MATCHBOOK ($28.00):  Not only do I love this fun cosmetics line, but how great is it that their MATCH BOOK collection gives an illustrated step-by-step on how to achieve the look??  This gift is perfect if your Secret Santa perhaps could use a little makeup and/or just a little direction on how to use it. It’s also great for makeup lovers who may not need the instruction but will love that the two eyeshadows, cream eyeliner, two flavored lip glosses, and two brushes that come in an ultra-slim palette, which is perfect for slipping into a handbag for a quick transition from work to holiday party without schlepping a makeup bag.

Fresh Sugar Berry Merriment Set ($28.00): I’m sorry but it’s tough to go wrong with Fresh.  Unless your Secret Santa recipient is a total tomboy (and by total I mean you’ve never seen her in a speck of makeup including lipstick) she’s going to love everything in this set.  This set includes some of Fresh’s bestsellers ($47 worth of product) — Soy Face Cleanser (uber-gentle cleanser that I personally use twice daily), Sugar Lip Polish (perfect for scrubbing away the winter yucks!), Sugar Berry Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 (Um, I own these in every color and stash them in every handbag I own), and Supernova Mascara (defines and thickens lashes without clumping).

“Inspired Style” Holiday Tips from me and the Mavens at QVC, Tarte Cosmetics, Send the Trend, and Sugarlaws!

Hello my lovelies! I had so much fun this morning on my Google+ Hangout (which streamed live to YouTube)  talking about how to rock out your holiday parties in style!  I felt so honored to be included with such a glamorous bunch:

• Amy Stran, Host of QVC’s Inspired Style
• Divya Gugnani, Founder of Send the Trend
• Koryn Kennedy, Digital Marketing Manager for tarte cosmetics
• Katy Atlas, Editor of Sugar Laws

Watch the segment below and let me know what you think! (By the way, please excuse my mall hair.  Even beauty bloggers have bad hair days!)

If for some reason the video does not show below, just follow this link: Inspired Style Ideas for Your Holiday Party

3 Holiday Gift Sets You Should Buy Yourself (Did I Just Say That Out Loud?)

Okay, yes I know this is the season for giving but it’s also the season for taking advantage of when the top beauty companies put out gift sets that that combine their best-selling products for much less than you would pay a la carte. I mean come on, you deserve a little self-love, right?? Obviously if you have friends and family members who share your beauty addiction buy them one too!

1.  Tarte Set of 5 Full-Size Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Glosses $34.50 ($105.00 value): This set can actually make you feel a little better about buying it for yourself since you can just keep your favorite shades and slap a bow on the rest and give them as gifts.  These unique glosses are both hydrating and long-lasting and thankfully don’t leave your lips looking like a frosty mall chick mess (which I forbid; frost is bad).  Active ingredient Maracuja Oil moisturizes while minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, giving lips a fuller, plumped appearance.

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The Best in Beauty: Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals and GwPs!

First of all, I want to wish all my American readers a very Happy Thanksgiving. Even if you’re not an American digging into turkey and pumpkin pie on Thursday, you get to celebrate with us on Friday and Monday with all the crazy shopping deals and Gifts with Purchase on Black Friday and Cyber Monday!! Woo hoo!  I’m collected some of the best and most tempting beauty deals and best GwPs for your binging pleasure:

Sephora:   Going Fast: $10 Black Friday specials at Sephora! Shop now while supplies last!

Sephora: GOING FAST: Free Mystery Sample Bag with any $25 purchase. Use Code: UNDERWRAPS

Bliss: Enjoy up to 50% savings on some of our best in skincare, footwear, shapewear and many more! Plus, save 30% on Bliss+Remede bundles and save 20% on Bliss, Remede and Elemis products!

Bliss: Enjoy a limited edition cosmetic bag filled with travel-sized head-to-toe beauty goodies from some of our most in-demand brands ¿ yours free with the purchase of $150 or more on blissworld.com!

Smashbox:  Skip the long lines at department stores and still save with Smashbox’s Black Friday Friends & Family deal! Enjoy 20% off orders on Smashbox.com for purchases of $50 or more. To receive the discount, enter the codeFRIENDS2012 when checking out. (Discount Dates: November 21^st – November 26^th)