Merry Christmas

Hope Santa brings you all that you could want . Have a  very Merry Christmas, and blessings and beauty in the New Year.

I'll be back with new posts early next week.

Cashmere Socks- Last Minute Gift Idea

Cashmere socks are on of those little luxuries. I've stockpiled them at sales thru the years but always could use another pair. They feel  great and are so soft.  It's last minute shopping time and they make a great gift or one to tell friends and fam you would like under the tree. It's hard to go wrong with cashmere.

Right now Macys has two versions at a great deal. Charter Club cashmere blend socks are 7.99 while Ralph Lauren  are 9.99 ( these are a blend also).

Origins Ginger Holiday Gift Sets

Last minute shopping ? Or perhaps thinking what you might treat yourself with that gift card you got ?  Well pampering comes easy with Origins Ginger line  holiday gift sets. This was one of the first high end  bath products I ever bought a gazillion years ago. It still smells amazing and remains a great gift idea.  They even come pre-packaged in pretty gift boxes.

Ginger Treats: 

-Ginger Float™ Cream Bubble Bath

-Incredible Spreadable™ Smoothing Ginger Body Scrub

-Ginger Souffle™ Intensely hydrating body cream

 $35.00

Ginger to Go and to Stay:

 This set includes Origins most popular Ginger bath and body products in both full-size and travel-size, packaged in a clear, reusable travel pouch. Now you can have the wonderful Ginger smell wherever you go.

-Incredible Spreadable Scrub™ Ginger body smoother

-Ginger Burst™ Savory body wash

-Ginger Souffle™ Whipped body cream

 $55.00

Yardley of London Special Edition Holiday Soaps

When you hear special edition you usually think higher priced. Not with these new soaps from Yardley of London called Sugar and Spice Collection.   They are priced at 1.49 each and I saw them in my local grocery for .99. That's a holiday deal.

Yardley dates back to 1770 making their moisturizing, good smelling soaps.  The two new scents are Holiday Spice and Vanilla Sugar . Holiday Spice is one of those that will work for the men too. You know, something besides Zest. It smells lovely and well, spicy. Vanilla Sugar is sweet but not strong.

The new soaps are LE and ingredients include cocoa butter. Vanilla Sugar has colloidal oatmeal and pure vanilla  and Holiday Spice has Cinnamon and Clove .

Available at Walgreens and other  outlets.

David Yurman New Sunglasses

Just in time for holiday shopping, David Yurman has come out with a sunglass line. Incorporating design elements from his jewelry line like the cable detail, and inspired by  gemstones like garnet, chalcedony and black onyx these are definitely going to be perfect for his fans.  I certainly wouldn't mind a pair under my tree. I like them even better than the jewelry.

Prices begin at $ 295.00
 http://www.davidyurman.com/shoponline/category.aspx?folderId=/eyewear

Victoria's Secret Fragrance Event December 13th

December 13th is a fragrance event at Victoria's Secret stores nationwide from 1-5 PM.

Fragrance specialists are there to help you find the perfect one and you get a free VS Mini Tote w/ any $50 beauty  purchase .

Laura Mercier Soufflé Body Crème Sampler Set

Laura Mercier's body care line smells incredibly good. For the holidays she has put together some LE sets including this Souffle Body Creme Sampler.

 This set has body cremes in  crème brûlée, almond coconut milk, crème de pistache and fresh fig . They smell just like their name implies and are nice thick  balm that moisturizes with  macadamia and sweet almond oils and shea butter. Each also has ingredients like honey,  nutmeg  and cinnamon extracts to help get that true scent.

Each tube in the set is 3 oz. It makes a great gift on it's own but you can also break the set  for more gift options.
$ 50.00
www.lauramercier.com  and Sephora.com

Votre Vu Bebe Duette Gift Set

Votre Vu's Duette is a duo of the most amazing smelling hand cream and a lip balm tucked into the cap.

The hand cream smells of almond and coconut .  The lip balm now comes in 2 shades- clear and a tint of raspberry in the Framboise version. The hand cream  is really moisturizing and has UV filters in it.

For holiday gifting you can buy the Winter WonderHands set and get 3 sets of hand cream ( one of each shade in a set ) for $ 69.00. Give all of them or mix them sets up for separate giving ( or keeping, one for you maybe ?)


www.votrevu.com

Coco Chanel - An Intimate Life by Lisa Chaney

New and perfect for git giving to the fashion  and fragrance lovers on your list is a new biography of Coco Chanel by Lisa Chaney.

Ms. Chaney has done a lot of research even finding new information by viewing previously unknown love letters and journals as well the Chanel archives.

I particularly enjoyed her meetings  with royals including a whole chapter on the Duke Of Westminster , called Bend 'Or and  the chapter that tells of the fashion lines re-birth in the 50s .

There are plenty of photos as well dating back to 1904.

Available now for $ 27.95  in hardcover and e-book.

Bobbi Brown's Bobbi's Party Fragrance

Bobbi's Party is  the new holiday  fragrance from Bobbi Brown.  It's a warm, soft and cozy scent that stays close to the skin.

It's lightly floral  and a little spicy , sophisticated but subtle in  typical Bobbi Brown tradition. Party will never annouce your arrival  but will surround you with scent for those closer moments.

 The notes of violet leaves and sandalwood are the most prominent notes  in the lovely scent.

$ 60.00 for 50ml at www.bobbibrown.com

Bond No. 9 Perfumista's Perfect 10 Gift Set

This is quite a treasure chest  . The set features the scents Andy Warhol Union Square, Bleecker Street, Bond No. 9 Signature , Chelsea Flowers, Chinatown, Eau de New York , Hamptons, Nuits de Noho, The Scent of Peace and Wall Street. 10 in all , each is 5 ml.

This beauty can be yours for $250.00

www.bondno9.com

Diptyque Holiday Candles 2011

 Diptyque makes amazing candles and like so many brands holiday is the  best. At least to me. This season brings a plum, Perdigone, which should be beautiful. Years ago I was given a plum scented candle  by a different brand and it smelled so good I made it last for 2  holidays. It's not a candle scent you often see.

Also   new is  Epinette which blends Siberian Fir, Balsam, Texas Cedar and Patchouli.

Epinette comes  in a new 5 wick candle($ 275)  that will surely scent the biggest of rooms.

Both come in the tradtional mini candle $ 32 (2.4oz ), and  the classic $ 68  (6.5oz )

Find diptyque at Neimans, Saks, Nordtrom and http://www.diptyqueparis.com/

Bergdorf's Holiday 2011 Video- Unleashed

Bergdorf's annual holiday video may the  best ever. Why? Because it's gone to the dogs. Or rather the dogs have gone to Bergdorfs. I always think it would be so neat to take my dog shopping with me, so this especially speaks to me. Plus they give they Humane Society of NY a shout out as well. The only thing missing? A German Shepherd, naturally.

See it here:

http://youtu.be/5vb8kGLfhpM

BeautyBloggers.org 2011 Charity Auction

Last year a group of beauty bloggers, organized by the amazing Karla Sugar, got together to hold an online charity auction to benefit Doctors without Borders. It was fun and it was a huge success. So we are doing it again. Beginning today you can bid on  our handpicked items as well as ones donated directly by brands. Most  were or are LE, now discontinued etc. There are also "experiences" donated by Lucky Magazine and Neiman Marcus.

My contribution is Chanel's LE from holiday '08 gold shimmer powder- Chanel Poudre Precieuse Or .

Hit up http://www.beautybloggers.org/ and happy shopping.

The auction runs from Monday, November 28th through Monday, December 12th.

 When the auction ends, winning bidders make their donations directly to Doctors Without Borders, through the site’s secure giving page.

ALL monies got to Doctors Without Borders.

Stila Cyber Monday & Weeklong Online Warehouse Sale

Stila is bringing their warehouse sale online. Once only in California, now anyone, anywhere can shop. And it's all week long beginning Monday the 28th.

Stila.com

philosophy Marshmallows For Toasting Body Lotion

Also called Marshmallow Fluff body lotion , this smells exactly as it sounds like it should. All gooey vanilla, carmelized marshmallow.

This thick cream moisturizes nicely and of course smells great. At 7 oz the tube is large enough to last a  long winter.  A perfect stocking stuffer or go for  the Marshmallows for Toasting trio gift  with 0.5 oz Lip Shine , 2 oz Body Lotion and  4 oz Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath .

 The set is $ 22.00. The body lotion $ 16.00. Both are LE and available at   Sephora.com

Victoria's Secret Pink (Black) Friday Deals 2011

The Victoria's Secret Black/Pink Friday beauty deals are finally out. 

All 2.5oz or smaller EDPs $25 (regularly $29 - $59)

VS Fantasies 6/$35  (excludes giftsets)

Select Gifts $15 (regularly $20 - $30)

Select Fragrance Gifts $25 (regularly $35 - $40)

Elizabeth Arden Black Friday thru Cyber Monday Deal

Elizabeth Arden is giving you free shipping and 25 % off of your orders ( any order) from the 25th - 28th Nov.  There's loads of cute gift sets plus it's the rare time you see a discount on Prevage. There's a nice Prevage set, but the sale applies to individual items as well.

 Use code BF2 at checkout.

PREVAGE ® Total Protection Serum Set, $159.00

http://www.elizabetharden.com/

Scala Pronto Wool Cloche Hat

I'm a  hat person  and I love all kinds of hats. Scala Pronto's cute wool cloche is the kind you can wear almost anywhere. It's cute , fun but not fancy, kind of Dickensian in a way,  and it also comes in colors to match  almost any coat you own.

It's made of soft boiled wool and is crushable.  Boiled wool repels water and is very warm so this makes a nice easy to wear everyday winter hat .

Colors are: black, camel, charcoal, plum, wine and red. I went for charcoal, but I really like the plum too.

Through the end of December they've put together a special deal with the code Scala Pronto  you can get this hat for 24.00 with free shipping.

 Site checkout description will read: Enjoy 20% Off + Free Ground Shipping (U.S. delivery only). Not valid w/other offers. Ends 12/31/11. Womens-Hats.com  is the website.  http://www.womens-hats.com/product/395/scala-hats-winter





* press sample

LUSH Golden Ticket

Buying a LUSH gift set this season? You may be giving ( or getting) even more than you imagined.

LUSH is giving away, a la Willy Wonka, 50,000 Golden Tickets inside their  holiday gift sets and by mail request.

If you  win one, I really want to hear, so stop back and let me know.

The details per LUSH:

We’ve got 50,000 Golden Tickets floating around LUSH land. There will be 500 instant prizes, including 10 GRAND PRIZES of an all-expense paid trip for one person to the LUSH factory in Vancouver, British Columbia! Because we’re not just another soap shop, this too is not just another contest. Our instant prizes include advance previews of upcoming product launches, exclusive products, a feature in our LUSH Times, donations to a charity of your choice, private parties at LUSH shops and a visit to one of our Charity Pot partners!

If you are lucky enough to find Golden Ticket inside your LUSH gift set simply scratch the box on your Golden Ticket to reveal a claim code. Log onto www.lush.com/goldenticket to enter your claim code and find out if you are a winner one of the instant prizes! Haven’t purchased or received a LUSH gift this holiday season? You can still participate in the fun! Fill out an entry request and send it to us at the address below to receive a Golden Ticket from LUSH by mail (available only while supplies last).

Golden Ticket Contest
8365 Ontario Street, Unit 110
Vancouver, BC
Canada
V5X 3E8

For complete contest rules, prize descriptions and limitations and other contest terms and conditions, visit www.lush.com/goldenticket