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Candle Gift Ideas For The Holidays

A beautifully scented candle makes a perfect gift for the holidays. A pretty votive can be a great stocking stuffer and a larger luxury candle is a perfect hostess gift or a gift for a favorite neighbor. Here are some of my favorites:

Nest Holiday Votive Candle ($14.00 USD) combines holiday traditional scents such as mandarin orange, pine, cinnamon and eucalyptus. It is boxed is in a pretty red velvet box. Approximate burn time: 15+ hours. Other details are:

Net weight: 2.3 oz.
Soy blend wax.
encased in a shiny decorative gold votive glass

Check out www.neimanmarcus.com to purchase

TOCCA Brigitte Candle ($34.00 USD) — The Sephora website describes this new scent as, “Brigitte channels the essence of screen siren Brigitte Bardot—an icon of glamorous, free-spirited class. Tocca’s newest fine fragrance invites you into Brigitte’s bike ride in the south of France. The intoxicating scent of the Marseilles spice market mingles with ginger, then folds in the essence of Moroccan Rose petals, blending chic, old-world European style with whimsical and exotic intrigue. Brigitte’s loveliness is deliciously textured—sweet top notes of Rhubarb and Papaya bloom into middle notes of Iris and Saffron. Her depth shines through bottom notes of Sandalwood and Musk.”

Notes: Ginger, Rhubarb, Papaya, Moroccan Rose, Iris, Saffron, Sandalwood, Musk, Pannetone Accord. Visit www.tocca.com to purchase

Soap and Paper Factory Patch NYC Stag Candle ($32.00 USD) — This vintage inspired collection of artisan scented candles are crafted by hand. They are 100% pure soy and have a 75 hour burn time. The notes ar {siberian fir, cilantro, citrus, raspberry and scent is described as, “fresh as a brisk morning walk in the woods, cozy as an evening by a roaring fire, a festive scent for celebrating the season”.

This is a perfect scent for the holidays, especially for those of us who have a fake tree! It will make us feel like we have brought a little bit of the indoors inside. Visit www.soapandpaperfactory.com to learn more and to purchase.

Grooming Gift Ideas for the Men In Your Lives

Kerastase has just released their Capital Force collection for men that includes a Densifying line to help thinning hair and the Anti-oiliness collection delivers purifying ingredients that create a squeaky clean feeling that lasts. The products in each line include a shampoo, an activator, a hair gel and a styling paste. Very good ideas for gift giving to make your man’s hair look his best ($30 — $34 USD).

Tweezerman Pour Homme Three Piece Kit ($99 USD) — Simple, yet classy, the Three Piece Kit is the perfect luxury grooming set.

Kit contains:
Stainless Nail File
Stainless Folding Nail Clipper
Stainless Facial Hair Scissors
Housed in an elegant, high quality brown leather case.

Availability: Nordstrom, Nordstrom.com

Ona Men Signature Product Line from Ona Spa- Ona knows men like to take care of their skin too, and the products in this line are formulated specifically for the needs of mens’ skin. The line contains a Grapefruit Aloe Shave & Wash, Glycolic 10% After Wash, Soothing Day ~ Night Face Gel, and Cooling Eye Relief Gel. Retail price is $164 at Ona Spa in Los Angeles and online at https://shop.onaspa.com

So by your man some high-quality grooming products, you will love the results!

IT Cosmetics Friends and Family Sale

Fun Christmas Beauty Gift Ideas

Looking for a different beauty gift to give that fun-loving lady that you know? Below are some great choices. From fashionable beauty cases, to an awesome video game to a really cute hair straightener — Take a look at theses very cool gift ideas!

Introducing SOHO Beauty Cases to organize all your beauty essentials. Organize all of the cosmetics piled around the bathroom sink – or unmanageable makeup bag – in a chic hard cosmetic case. SOHO Beauty Cases are available in an assortment of shapes, colors and sizes and are equipped with pull out trays, multi-tier accordion shelving, and a fold-up handle for glamour on the go.

I love the fun colors and prints this comes in. I have a cute little sheer black case with bright pink lips all over it. This would be perfect for an adult, teen or a tween. Very fun!

Please visit www.sohobeautycases.com and check out all of the styles and sizes available. Prices range from $9.99 – $29,99 and retail at Target, Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond.

Redken’s Busy Scissors®, the new “life simulation” game allows consumers to perm, color, shampoo, cut, blow dry, and style hair! Players earn reputation and advance their career in a Hollywood based salon by meeting the demands of their glamorous and eccentric clientele. The game progresses as they help unlock each client’s inner potential by finding their unique outward style. The game features over 25 hairstyles, 20 mini-games, 6 career levels, and 4 game modes, which provide a dynamic combination of realistic gameplay, humor, and entertainment.

This is so much Fun for everyone, but especially for the people who love experimenting with hairstyles. It is available for Nintendo Wii or Nintendo DS ($19.99 each).

Zoe polkadot print design hair straightener ($29.99 USD). This super-cute and effective straightener includes these features:

Tourmaline ceramic 1 inch plates that heat up quickly to 410 degrees fahrenheit to supply natural and infrared heat
Tangle free 360 degree 9 foot professional swivel cable
Thermal pouch included

This is a really good little straightener. It heats up quickly and straightens or curls hair fast, too. Teens and tweens will also enjoy the cute print. Very affordable, too.

You can purchase this at www.target.com, www.amazon.com and www.meijer.com

Fix Holiday Beauty Mishaps With Miss Oops!

Miss Oops! always has just the thing to fix fashion and beauty problems. They have some great items that will especially help with getting you out the door and to all of your parties looking great this holiday season!’

Miss Oops Holiday Kit ($18.00 USD) is just the thing for any girl-on-the-go! This includes the award-winning Miss Oops Rescue Sponge that erases deodorant and other marks on your clothes, travel-size lint roller, and a full set of Miss Oops Mishap Tape that you can use to hem and fix gaps.

This is a set that you will constantly use this holiday season. From the lint roller, to the sponge that gets rid of all sorts of marks to the tape (that I used as a quick girl scout badge fix), the price is worth the time that you will save!

Show Stoppers ($16.00 USD) are reusable silicone nipple covers that are tapered at the edges making them invisible under garments. Plus Show Stoppers are reusable up to 15 times. They create a smooth silhouette under all tops, even sheer camisoles. No lines showing when you’re all dressed up this year!

These are easy to use and really work! They are great with all outfits from t-shirts to party dresses.

Visit www.missoops.com to learn more and to purchase.

Stuff Your Stockings With New Lip Balm Collections

When thinking of stocking stuffers this year, lip balms are a great idea for all of the chapped lips on your list! Below are lip balm sets priced $9.99 — $14.99 — perfect to give to one person or to split up and drop one in each stocking you need to fill.

Eos, the innovative personal care brand, expands in the lip balm category and announces the launch of the 2010 Smooth Sphere Lip Balm Holiday Gift Bag ($9.99 USD) – a set of 3 organic, all natural lip balm spheres in a stylish, reusable cosmetic pouch. A delightful gift or stocking-stuffer, the Holiday Gift Bag contains full-size eos smooth sphere lip balms in Honeysuckle Honeydew, Sweet Mint and new limited edition Pomegranate Raspberry. Packed with antioxidant-rich vitamin E, soothing shea butter and jojoba oil, eos™ lip balms keep lips moist, soft and sensationally smooth. Availability: Walgreens, www.evolutionofsmooth.com.

Burt’s Bees Lip balm Ornament ($9.99 USD) Burt’s Bees fans can stock up on their favorite lip balms and get a keepsake reusable and recyclable tin. Choose from the ‘Classic’ pack filled with four Beeswax Lip Balms or the ‘Mixed’ pack with a variety of favorite balms. Sets include:

Classic = 4 Original Peppermint Lip Balms .15 oz each
Mixed = 2 Original Peppermint Lip Balms .15 oz each, 1 – Pomegranate Lip Balm .15 oz, 1 – Honey Lip Balm .15 oz

Visit www.burtsbees.com or www.ulta.com to learn more or purchase.

MISSION Balmer Bundle Pack ($14.99 UAD) — These athlete-engineered Lip Balmers™ provide your lips with great-tasting, broad-spectrum sun protection and are vitamin and antioxidant enriched. They lock in moisture for up to 8 hours, making them perfect for the harshest conditions or everyday use. Can’t decide which is your favorite flavor? The MISSION Balmer Bundle Pack is perfect. Availability: missionskincare.com

Give a Little Bath and Shower Luxury This Christmas

Bath and body sets make fabulous Christmas gifts! The following are some of my favorites, but keep in mind that each company — The Body Shop, H2O Plus and Bodycology — have other fragrances and sets in various price ranges.

The Body Shop Spiced Vanilla Shower Scrub & Soften Gift Set ($29.00 USD) — Description: Conjure up memories of Christmas past and treat someone special with this indulgent gift set with moisturizing Community Trade ingredients and fragrant vanilla extract.

Includes:

8.4 fl oz Spiced Vanilla Shower Gel
1.7 oz Spiced Vanilla Body Butter
1.7 oz Spiced Vanilla Body Scrub
3.5 oz Spiced Vanilla Soap
Octagonal card box with PET window and red ribbon

The Body Shop also has a lovely cranberry and a zesty orange fragrances for the holiday, but my favorite is the Spiced Vanilla set. This would be an affordable and very welcome gift for anyone on your list

Available at The Body Shop stores and www.thebodyshop-usa.com

Sea Salt Spa Collection ($45.00 USD) — This mineral-rich gift set features our best-selling Sea Salt spa luxuries to gently polish, purify and restore skin’s natural glow. The set features:

European sea salts draw out impurities and replenish essential nutrients, leaving skin healthy and luminous
Rich shea butter, jojoba and coconut oils rapidly absorb into the skin, leaving it luxuriously soft
Moisture-rich marine botanicals, including provide deep hydration for visibly smooth, radiant skin
Imparts an invigorating oceanside fragrance, infused with notes of green tea
Presented in custom designed gift box

Gift Includes: Sea Salt Body Wash (12.5 fl oz / 370mL), Sea Salt Skin Smoother (12 fl oz / 340g), Spa Hydrating Body Gloss (1.9 fl oz / 56mL), Sea Salt Hydrating Body Butter (6 fl oz / 180mL), and hand-held wood bath brush with strap.

This scent is so fantastically addicting! It is soft and neutral so it would be good for men or women. H2O has a ton of other gift sets to choose from, too. Visit www.h2oplus.com to purchase.

Bodycology 6-Piece Gift Set(15.00 USD) : Available in classic scents, Sweet Petals and Brown Sugar Vanilla, this deluxe gift set boats a mixture of full-size and trail size products including Bath Gel, Body Lotion, Body Cream, Body Butter, Body Mist and Hand Soap. You can purchase these at Walmart.

Enjoy!

Does Your Hair Need Help? Try It’s a 10!

It’s a 10 hair styling products operates on the belief that an excellent multipurpose product that delivers salon-quality results will change the appearance of hair.

This is just what our hair needs for this time of the year. The air is getting colder and dryer, but we need our hair to look better than ever for all of the holiday festivities. Try one of the following products to get your hair in shape.

Miracle Styling Serum — Bring out the best dimension, fullness and shine each and every time you style with It’s a 10 Miracle Styling Serum. Never before has such a small amount of product made such a noticeable difference on all types of styles. It defines curls with bounce and body. It makes straight styles sleek and flowing. And it protects hair from heat styling and environmental damage with several naturally derived ingredients:

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil — a natural antioxidant that protects and softens hair; Noni Fruit Oil — nourishes, moisturizes and repairs damage to the hair shaft while also improving elasticity; Castor Oil Copolymer — moisturizes scalp and hair, prevents and helps reduce damage, provides deep conditioning, reduces frizz and stimulates healthy hair growth; Natural Fragrance — created with hints of rose, geranium and citrus.

The It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product is an ideal solution for smoothing hair, eliminating frizz, restoring shine, and enhancing natural body. As well, it is an excellent nourishing treatment that can be used alone and/or as a restorative styling product that leaves hair soft and bouncy. Made with numerous natural ingredients our Miracle Leave-In Product works with all hair types to bring out natural luster and manageability while also making hair stronger and healthier with every use.

It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product is fortified with natural ingredients such as: Panthenol — a highly effective strengthener; Sunflower Seed Extract — natural sunscreen that guards against color fading and/or brassiness; Green Tea Leaf Extract: shields hair from environmental damage with powerful antioxidants; Silk Amino Acids — restores natural moisture balance while adding strength and shine; Citric Acid (Vitamin C) — a powerful antioxidant that defends hair’s natural strength and beauty.

Visit www.itsa10haircare.com to find a salon near you that carries these fab hair products.

U Color by Umberto Beverly Hills

Yes, I am very cheap. Ever since I moved to Kansas City from Portland, OR (and left my friend and hair stylist), I have been coloring my own hair. I realized fast that without my half-off friend discount, salon color and highlights are very expensive. So I am always looking for an effective way to color my grays.

Umberto Beverly Hills U Color Italian Demi Color ($12.00) is the all-in-one color, developer and equalizer in a sachet packet system ready-to-apply directly to hair. Available in 12 hair color shades.
Kit includes:

2 Sachet Packets, each with Color, Developer and Equalizer

Latex Gloves

Mini Detail Brush

Illustrated InstructionsThis hair color is so easy to use. Fold the packet so that color is sandwiched between the developer and equalizer. SNIP (cut along the dotted line), SQUEEZE (directly onto dry hair), SMOOSH (as if you were shampooing)! Distribute evenly through hair, process for 25 minutes. Rinse, shampoo, and condition as usual. You can also use the traditional bottle or bowl methods.

What I think: The shades seem to come out a bit darker than what’s in the package. I tried the Light Chestnut Brown which matched my dark brown hair well and my teenage daughter colored her strawberry blond hair Light Copper Gold and it turned out a bright Auburn. It is a very pretty color that is even all over.

I think that this is a great bargain for the quality. Try it, your hair will look gorgeous!

Makeup Gift Set Guide For Holiday Giving 2010 Part 1

Makeup sets are such fun gifts to give and receive for the holidays! There are so many at different price points to choose from. The following three sets range in price from $29.99 to $52.00. Each of the three brands I’m featuring — Tarte, LORAC and Flirt! — have other sets in their lines that are just as fabulous and are different prices. You are sure to find what you are looking to give!

Tarte The Jewelry Box ($52.00) This is an exclusive, limited-edition palette packed with 32 new eyeshadows, eight lip glosses, a mineral bronzer, a new shimmering powder, five deluxe long-wearing eyeliners, and a gorgeous gold-tone and black detachable necklace. You can find this at www.sephora.com.

LORAC Box Office Hit ($35 with a $210 value) – ULTA Exclusive Limited Edition Full Face Palette with everything you need to create natural looks for day and sexy, smoky party looks for night. The palette contains 12 eye shadows, 2 eye liners, a blush, bronzer and 8 lip colors. Visit www.ulta.com to purchase.

FLIRT! Limited Edition Eyeshadow Set ($29.99) — The looks are limitless with these 40 limited edition eyeshadow shades. Mix and match, wear one or wear ’em all! A must-have set that is out of this world. This is available at www.kohls.com.