Tag Archives: holiday gift guide

Feel Fab Friday: Best Beauty Buys Holiday Gift Guide

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As a beauty editor I’m completely obsessed with any “get gorgeous” product and so I’ve put together a few of my favorites that I think will make great gifts this holiday season for you or anyone on your list!

1. GLO Brilliant Personal Teeth Whitening Device $ 275: Both my husband and I trusted our smiles to this teeth whitening system before our wedding and we could not have been happier with the results! We live in Seattle  (home to Starbucks and many highly caffeinated residents) and I’m pretty sure my husband thinks coffee is a food group so let’s just say he was very serious about getting those purely whites to sparkle. The results were fast and outstanding! Within a week both my hubby  and I had  seriously white smiles (like celebrity veneers white!) and one of the best things about the GLO is it’s totally painless, only takes eight minutes and there is no teeth sensitivity….but FYI you do look a little strange wearing the mouthpiece. But it’s totally worth it when you flash your super white smile!

2. Stila Lip Glaze Set $25: I swear by Stila lip glazes…seriously I think I have a few pounds of them in my purse. This set is one of my absolute favorites in fact, I put it on my list every year and the set lasts me until the next December 25th comes around. The colors are beautiful and universally flattering, will take you through every season and comes is a variety of shades from the super sophisticated shimmery “Kitten” (named for Stila’s famous eye shadow) to the seductive berry “Believe”. The textures aren’t sticky but you still get a glossy, glasslike finish and at $25 dollars it’s the perfect gift for your best friend or your sister and let’s be honest…it might make its way into your own stocking.

3. Stila In the Lights Palette $39: This pallete is a $118 dollar value and you get 10 gorgeous, silky eyeshadows perfect for creating this, or any season’s, must have natural eye makeup. Each shadow is a really good size, goes on with ideal coverage and compliments every skin tone. I use this everyday and it comes with a handy lookbook with tips on creating makeup looks from the perfect cat-eye to smoldering smoky eyes. You’ll also get a matte chocolate brown Smudge Stick Eye Liner!

4. Julep 2011 Holiday Collection $58.99 (marked down from $70): Julep has hands down (pun intended:) some of my favorite nail polishes and  you can read about my love for Julep  here and here.  With the holiday gift set you’ll get 5 festive colors including Chloe, a charcoal base with a holiday sparkle in vibrant magenta; Gayle, a regal, deep aubergine; Sienna, a sophisticated, shimmery gold; Leighton, pure liquid silver; and Brooklyn, ruby red with a hint of festive sparkles. Juleps nail enamel is so creamy and shiny and the colors are so perfectly pigmented you can’t help but look expensive. Speaking of cost…if $58.99 is a bit too much to spend, any one of their $14 single nail polishes would be perfect for the girly girl on you list!

5. Clarisonic PLUS Sonic Cleansing System for Face & Body $225: Hey, if Oprah likes it it’s got to be good, right? When the queen of all media made the Clarisonic one of her favorite things she put the company on the map.  I love the Clarisonic… I’ve been using it for years and it has seriously improved my skin’s texture, reduced what I don’t want to believe are wrinkles and toned down much of the Irish redness that my face tends to exhibit. But I always wanted one for the whole body and on a recent trip to Sephora I found my new favorite thing. The Clarisonic Plus with Body brush! Ideal for getting rid of the red bumps on the back of the arms, exfoliating the skin and prepping for flawless self tanning. If you haven’t tried the Clarisonic yet I cannot recommend it highly enough. They also have a smaller size called the Mia that comes in at a more reasonable $119. Moms will definitely love this but also I think it’s the perfect gift for any girl who wants spa like results and really gorgeous skin.

Happy Shopping!

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Fitness Fan On Your List (Or you!)

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Fitness Gift Guide

Okay, I’m willing to admit I might be a little weird. Every year for Christmas I ask for some sort of fitness thing. One year it was a BOSU ball, then next it was boxing gloves and last year it was kettlebells and every December 26th I bring my new haul to the gym where I can’t wait to try it out. (Needless to say last year the 35 lb. kettlebell proved a little tricky:)  I think the holidays are a great time to ask for a few fitness things you’ve been eyeing but your practical side won’t let you buy for yourself. I’ve complied a few of my holiday must haves that are sure to make your workouts more fun and give you an edge when it comes time for those New Year’s resolutions.

  1. Valslides $30: Jennifer Garner and Jessica Biel’s trainer Valerie Waters uses these to whip her clients into shape for big movie roles. I am obsessed with using Valsides for killer core exercises and sliding lunges that totally tighten up your butt and thighs. Plus you can use them in your living room or pack them and take them anywhere!
  2. GymBoss Trainer $19.95: This is totally on my list this year. The Gymboss lets you set a repeating interval timer perfect for circuit training, intervals or running workouts. (Think 30 seconds on, one minute off) You don’t have to struggle to set your watch or look at it throughout your workout since Gymboss is small and clips onto your shirt.
  3. Foam Roller $34: If you’ve ever had sore muscles you have to get one of these. It will open up your back and  make those miles on your legs melt away. Simply a must for runners or, let’s be honest, anyone who uses a computer.
  4. TRX Training System $199: Oh I LOVE this thing!!! BTW so do Jennifer Lopez, Gisele Bundchen and Superbowl MVP Drew Brees. This is a complete gym in a bag. You can do thousands of exercises, take it anywhere ( all you need it a doorway or high place to anchor it) plus it’s only two pounds so you can totally pack it in your bag for business travel and vacations. This thing rocks I can’t say enough good things about it so I think I’ll just have to devote a later post and video to my TRX devotion so you can get the full effect. Bottom line…if you’re ok spending a little more money you must get thing. (Good news is you could probably give up your gym membership).
  5. Lululemon Triumphant Tote $118: Not only is this bag waterproof but it’s also made of material that won’t cause your Lulu pants to pill when it rubs against them. Plus I think carrying a cute bag is totally be motivation to hit the gym, right? This bag even has a laptop pocket so it’s business and pleasure!
  6. iPad 2 $499: All right, this is a big ticket item but if you’re thinking of one for Christmas I’ll tell you it is my workout secret. I load my favorite TV shows and movies onto the iPad and I actually look forward to my cardio sessions. Consider it a health care cost;)

Happy shopping!!!