Tag: holiday

Holiday Cheer

A quick post today for all of you that are scrambling like me with their holiday shopping. Thank goodness for the Internet! A perfect distraction with my current busy-as-heck-Monday-blues. And given I’m running around like a crazy person, this messy pony look above is on the rotation lately more than I’d like to admit. Some favorite links from around the web for you procrastinators out there:

Love this post about holiday traditions in Iceland (currently suffering from a bout of wanderlust).

This post about guilt… and all I can say is “I’m guilty”.

I am really starting to believe in the Attention Economy (and probably why I deleted FB and text alerts on my phone even though I really do love online shopping).

Some of my favorite beauty gifts from around the web:

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Holiday Gifting: Affordable Beauty From FLOWER

I remember hearing about Drew Barrymore’s new makeup line when it first came out. Lucky for me, I had met the makeup artist who Drew worked with developing the line and was able to get info from her about the new products. One thing that resonated was that she truly believed and emphasized that this was luxury level formulas at Wal-Mart prices.

It was almost too good to believe. But low and behold… every product I’ve tried from FLOWER has been just that – luxury, functional, beautiful and effective. And at great prices. Goes without saying their gift lineup makes for perfect holiday gifts for those on your list (even if you are on a budget like me!).

I’ve tried out several of the gift sets and here are my favorites:

FLOWER Brushes: I particularly love the foundation brush, but each is made from soft, man-made hair. The hefty handles are a breeze to use. Offerings include:

Ultimate Powder Brush
Liquid Foundation Brush
Eyeliner Brush
Eye Shadow Brush
Ultimate Lip/Concealer Brush

FLOWER Cosmetic Bags: These new additions come in every size and are styled perfectly for travel. Offerings include:

Small Cosmetic Bag
Double Zip Foldover
Cosmetic Clutch
Train Case

FLOWER Fragrance Collection: This set of three is designed around moods and time of day. I have been wearing Cherished and the powdery musk is perfect for cozy winter days. The three scents:

Cherished (white bottle) – Lemon, Iris, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Musk
Radiant (pink bottle) – Fresh, green, Magnolia and Amber
Sultry (purple bottle) – Pepper, Jasmine, Musk and Patchouli

FLOWER COLOR IN THE LINES Mini Chubby Beauty Set: Drew does chubbies right. These lip and eye versions are self-sharpening and come in wearable and bold shades.

Available at Walmart.com

AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE MAY HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AND EVALUATED TO DETERMINE OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT IN THIS POST. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLOSURES PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING OUR POLICIES FOR USING EDITORIAL SAMPLES.

Holiday Gifting: bareMinerals Complexion Superstars

I posted yesterday about my winter beauty routine. A couple of products are included in this set so it goes without saying that I love this for a gift idea. In fact, bareMinerals pretty much nails it on great value beauty gifts (like this one here).

These shades are wearable for a large segment of complexions and skin types. I find the formulas both sheer and buildable. And as the name suggests, this is pretty much the best of the best as far it comes to bareMinerals offerings. These are their best-sellers after all.

Included are the following:

Vintage Peach Blush
Mini sizes of the READY pressed powder
Mini sizes of the READY bronzer
Mineral Veil finishing powder
Bare Radiance All-Over Face Color face powder
An angled face brush

The sizes are perfect for stashing in your purse or holiday clutch. And I will never get tired of singing praises for the lock-and-go system, keeping loose powder from becoming a mess. bareMinerals Complexion Superstars is sure to get you hooked on the full-size year-round. Available at Sephora.

image via bareMinerals UK

Holiday Gifting – bareMinerals Main Attraction

Happy Cyber Monday – hope you all are having fun getting your shop on. Some amazing deals I posted on Friday are still going on so make sure to check out this post before you hit “BUY”. Speaking of holiday shopping, I have another gift idea to share with you today:

I continue to be blown away when it comes to the value in bareMinerals gift sets. They are truly an awesome deal – flawless in delivery of quality products and formulas that are certainly crowd-pleasers. It can be tricky buying makeup for someone else, but their concoctions seem to always suit a wide range of complexions and skin types.

This technically is a set to create a “screen siren look” but I find the contents are more like a fabulous, neutral everyday look. The eye shadows are a shimmery light pinky gold and deeper chocolate. I like wearing the lighter Matinee all over lids for a quick and easy look. The set instructs Opening Night, the darker brown, in the crease and along the lower lash line but it is a little dramatic for me. I tend to limit just a wash of Opening Night in the center of my lids.

The Lasting Line Long-Wearing Eyeliner in Absolute Black is an all-day workhorse. I only really wear black eyeliner but this one isn’t so intense and I like the less inky look for daytime. And a favorite is always the Lash Domination 10-in-one Volumizing mascara with its wacky brush and conditioning formula.

Typically, I am not a huge blush fan but Flair is fairly sheer and can be built into a deeper shade. On me, it is a true winter glow. Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Make Your Move might just be the nude lipstick I have forever been searching for. I know nude lipstick is super personal, but if you have light-to-medium skin tone like me, this might just be your golden ticket.

Marvelous Moxie lip gloss in Leading Lady is also a nude shade but with a punch of shimmer. I get fairly good staying power and hydration from this formula. But my favorite part is the minty tingle.

Major bonus points for a super high-quality tapered brush included. bareMinerals brushes are all I use any more for bronzer and blush – they just seem to have gotten it spot on.

All in all, this set has wearable, great shades and formulas that I know I treasure as staples of my makeup drawer. For the beauty buff on your list, you can’t go wrong with bareMinerals. Available at Sephora.

Black Friday Sales

Okay… we are official now. Don’t tell anyone that my tree has literally been up for weeks. Granted, it is totally bare Charlie Brown as it currently stands, but I can fully admit to already being fully in the holiday spirit. I am hoping to transform it into this amazing tree featured on Glitter Guide – perfectly simple and twinkly.

While I savor the low-pressure gratefulness of Thanksgiving, there is something so joyful about Christmas. Together, they are certainly my most favorite time of year. Today, I am nesting with the pups, relaxing with this Christmas candle and potting my online shopping. On that note…

Wow – there are tons of beauty steals on this Black Friday! Pardon the extensiveness of today’s post, but I wanted to be thorough. Enjoy your post-Turkey coma and shopping from the comfort of your own bed (the only way I personally do it) with these amazing deals:

NARS: Sign up for 20% off here through 12/2

B-Glowing: 10% off orders – code GIVINGTEN

BeautyBar: $15 off $75, $35 off $150, and $65 off $250 thru 12/9 – code BBCYBER14

Collen Rothschild Beauty: 30% off your entire order – code CYBER30

Target: Receive a $5 gift card with the purchase of three Essie products (+ free shipping)

Birchbox: Free Birchbox with every $60 you spend on subscriptions – code BOXME and 25% off products: code FRIDAY25

Too Faced: Buy one Better Than Sex mascara, get the product of your choice for 50% off

Ulta: Loads of goodies and deals to snag

And for you fashion buffs:

Old Navy – 50% off everything

Otte New York (love their dresses) 40% off sale – code: BLACKFRIDAYEA

Ann Taylor: 50% off through 12/3 (3PM EST)

ASOS: 30% off through 11/30 – code: TGIBF

BaubleBar: 15% off 2 items – code: FRIDAY15

Gap: 50 % off site-wide – code: BLKFRIDAY

J. Crew: 30% off full-price & additional 40% off sale – code: HOLIDAY

Madewell: 25% off entire purchase – code: GIFTON

Piperlime: 25% off site-wide – code: IHEARTNYC

All Saints (I cannot stop drooling over their leather): 20% off – code: THANKS

Shopbop: up to 25% off through 12/1 – code: GOBIG14

West Elm (maybe not fashion, but fab home gear – and holiday decorations) up to 25% off – code: SUPERSALE

Holiday Sales

I am so glad to have Thanksgiving week upon us! I love this holiday – the food, the cozy weather and the lack of pressure for presents! Some people enjoy taking this week off, but I actually like working. The office has a festive environment and the days seem to fly by. I am planning on being close to home with the pups and watching an insane amount of football. Maybe a couple jigsaw puzzles with the parents throw in – I know… I am so wild and crazy.

For the big day, I am going after this look above – adore the blanket scarf and warm wine shade. Plus, an over-sized sweater is so perfect for what I am sure will be a healthy serving of delicious turkey. I secretly love the irreverence of a somewhat clashing red nail.

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the online shopping holiday hoopla. Make sure to check out a sneak peek of some of my gift picks over on Meg’s lovely blog. And find some sales from my favorite stores below:

NARS: Sign up for 20% off starting Friday here.

Kate Sommerville has a 25% off friends and family sale through 12/1 with code FRIENDS2014.

Chomping for some fashion? Save up to 25% off at Shopbop through 12/1 with code GOBIG14 (love this line for holiday travel).

20% off almost everything at Dermstore (great for French pharmacy goodies) with code HOLIDAY14 through 11/30.

Get 30% off at Supergoop.com through 12/1 with code CYBER2014.

The Giorgio Armani Friends and Family Sale is offering 20% off all orders over $75 through 12/7 with code FAMILY14.

Bliss is giving us 20% off product purchases and free stocking stuffers with $100+ purchases through 11/30.

June Jacobs, a fabulous botanical spa line, is 25% off site-wide through 11/28 and free shipping on all orders.

The clinical anti-aging line StriVectin is offering 20% off through 11/30 with code FFNOV14.

Shuuemura-usa.com is offering 20% off and free shipping on $50 orders & 25% off and free shipping on $100 orders.

30% off Everything – talk about affordable fashion! – at Old Navy.

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