Total Beauty: 12 Ways to Spoil Yourself

the holiday season is in full swing, and as if my life weren't busy enough, i also now have to shop for gifts! shopping for them is fun, but one thing i love about shopping for others is the opportunity to discover goodies i could gift to myself (you do that, too, right?).

check out this list Total Beauty created featuring some fabulous, splurge-worthy gifts that you just might want to give yourself this year.

12 Ways to Spoil Yourself This Season

Sure it's the season of giving, but it's not a total crime to be selfish every now and then, right?

This is a TotalBeauty.com Beauty products article Check out the luxurious items you should consider wrapping up for yourself with a "From Santa" tag. See products

xo

on newstands now: Vogue Best Dressed

fashion loving beauties, have you picked up your copy of the limited-edition Vogue: Best Dressed? for the first time, the editors of Vogue have put together a one-of-a-kind salute to the year's most iconic women.

Blake Lively, Lady Gaga, Carey Mulligan and Kate Moss are featured, among others.

Vogue style director, Alexandra Kotur explains, "inevitably, we're overflowing with ideas, photos, and candidates-- and there just isn't room for all of it. so, this year, we decided to create a special issue devoted just to the best dressed."

don't miss out on this special-edition mag, which was months in the making and will only be available for a limited time.

visit Vogue.com to see who made the top ten and be sure to vote for your favorite!

xo

Anne Hathaway at the NYC Premiere of Love and Other Drugs

for the nyc premiere of the new film, Love and Other Drugs, celebrity makeup artist Kate Lee created a makeup look for Anne Hathaway that was "beautiful but approachable" to compliment her winter white gown.



Chanel Vitalumiere Fluid Makeup applied over Hydramax + Active Serum (also Chanel) gave Anne's skin a pretty, dewy finish. her fabulous eye look was created using a mixture of silvery and pale gold creme shadow from the Nars Thebes Duo Cream Shadow Palette as well as Chanel Eclat Lumiere in Beige Rose to lift the brow bone. Kate lined Anne's eyes close to the lashline, softly smudged it, then added feathery strip lashes before applying mascara.

to complete the look, Chanel Ultra Wear Lip Colour in Cristal Rose (new for spring '11, available in january) was used on Anne's lips. Kate says, "i love this color as it is transparent enough to see your own lip colour behind it, but will not be moved! it also has a transparent gloss which you can use to add moisture throughout the evening.”

xo

Total Beauty: Haute for the Holidays Sweepstakes

i always love a fabulous giveaway! check out this one from totalbeauty.com...

Haute for the Holidays Sweepstakes

Find out how you can win free makeup and a gift card

This is a TotalBeauty.com makeup article Enter our sweepstakes and you could win $150 worth of CoverGirl makeup and a $500 Macy's Gift Card. Enter now

xo

holiday gift idea: Smashbox The Gold List Kit

have you started shopping for your holiday gifts yet? it's hard to believe, but it's time to at least start making your list. here's an idea from one of my favorite brands, Smashbox. valued at a little more than $100, you can gift the makeup lover on your list to The Gold List kit for just around $50.

love it!



this gorgeous kit includes travel-friendly sizes of Fusion Soft Lights in Baked Starburst (use the shades individually on eyes or blended together as a bronzer), Photo Finish Luminzing Foundation Primer (gives skin a pretty glow), O-Gloss Gold (creates a perfect rosy-pink lip shade with a gold shimmer) and Photo Op Under Eye Brightener (keeps eyes looking bright and pretty) all in a gold metallic cosmetic case.

p.s., with each purchase from the Smashbox WISH collection, the brand will donate $1 from every purchase, up to $25,000, to Children's Miracle Network, a nonprofit organization that grants the wish of life by providing medical care, life-saving research and ongoing education to help millions of kids overcome diseases and injuries.

pick up this limited-edition set only at Sephora!

xo
set featured sent to me for review consideration. pics taken by me :)

nail color of the week: Sephora by OPI Run with It!

neutral is always a safe way to go when it comes to nail color, but sometimes it need to be punched up a notch. Run with It! from the Sephora by OPI collection is one that i bought while in nyc last fall-- as soon as i saw it, i loved it.



i came across it again just the other day when organizing my polish stash, realizing i haven't worn it since my fabulous trip. not-your-average-neutral, this opaque, metallic, dove gray is fab for times you want something simple, but still fun. :)

xo
pics taken by me :)

what i'm loving now: 100% Pure Tinted Moisturizer

it's not hard to believe that 100% Pure's Tinted Moisturizer is made with such nourishing ingredients-- the name of the brand tells it all. what is hard for me to believe is that all of the ingredients come from fruits and nature's most fabulous sources!

this tinted spf 20 skin protectant uses fruits including peach, carrot, cocoa beans, and pomegranate (just to name a few) to add pigment, and treats skin with white tea, aloe juice, acai oil and vitamin C. the formula offers sheer coverage that can be built up to be a medium coverage, but don't rely on this hide anything major.

i have been using this in Toffee both under, and sometimes over, my regular foundation. i love the smooth texture it gives my skin! it's just the right color for me right now, but i figure come summer, that might not be the case. it's a dewy finish, but never greasy-- perfect for my oily skin.

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Tinted Moisturizer is 100% natural, 100 % vegetarian and gluten free. visit 100percentpure.com for more info.

xo

product featured sent to me for review consideration

NARS Holiday 2010

is it really that time of year already?? i've been getting more and more emails regarding holiday collections and that's what i'm asking myself, LOL! i guess it is-- it is already november!




for the NARS Holiday 2010 Collection, the mood is fearlessly bold featuring Francois' versatile muse Daphne Guinness. as you can see, her smoldering, cobalt-rimmed eyes, platinum hair and peach-glazed cheeks are captured not once, but in multiple kaleidoscopic images-- love!

according to Francois, "when you have Daphne Guinness for a campaign model, you just let her be who she is. Daphne fits the brand so well-- she has such a modern approach to fashion and beauty."

available now at narscosmetics.com, check out the highlights, including the very first NARS Trio Eyeshadow, below:


click on image to see colors

Okinawa Trio Eyeshadow- the first trio eyeshadow for the brand is a striking triad of black onyx, silver and cobalt blue.

Etrusque Single Eyeshadow- an antique gold hue reminiscent of Etruscan cast bronze art


Melusine Duo Eyeshadow- an ultra-modern union of rich purple orchid and silver-spun lilac


Sex Apeal Blush- soft peach blush, perfect for foolproof contouring


Petit Monstre Lipstick- a luxurious berry pigment with a satin finish


Little Darling Lipstick- a classic, nude beige with a sheer finish

Downtown Lip Gloss- a metallic-pink lavender lip gloss that vibrates with party-perfect iridescence

Bougainvilla Lip Gloss- this pomegranate lip gloss appears deep in pigment but is sheer on the lips


Pokerface Nail Polish- a vibrant, magnetic, purple orchid


Bad Influence Nail Polish- a fabulous smoky taupe nail polish that is a unique yet universal hue


anything stand out to you? do you already own any of these goodies? the NARS Holiday Collection is available now at narscosmetics.com and your local Sephora!

xo
info courtesy of NARS

Don't Miss BOGO at Zoya.com!

hello beauties! Zoya is currently offering a BOGO on all of their nail polishes! choose from their amazing collection of mattes, creams, glitters and metallics in every color your nails crave. this is the perfect time to stock up on gifts for others and treat yourself to some goodies, too. :)

this all ends on friday, november 5, 2010, so head over to zoya.com, pick your favorites, and use the code BOGO5 at checkout.

happy shopping!

xo

beauty on a budget: Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm

lipstains are the hottest thing in the lippie world right now and for good reason. they leave lips perfectly flushed with color and last a lot longer. the only issue is that you have to apply some sort of gloss or balm over them to give lips moisture and shine.



to the joy of lips and lipstain lovers, Revlon has included a balm with their new lipstain, cleverly named, Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm.

i chose to purchase Just Bitten in Forbidden, a pretty coral shade that gives my lips just enough color to keep them looking natural, but can be layered to punch it up a notch.



the felt tip is the same as CoverGirl's Lipstain and lasts just as long on my lips, but the balm that comes with Revlon's version has me hooked (and i can't help but appreciate that they included vitamin C in it for anti-oxidant protection). it moisturizes and leaves lips with a soft shine (if you want a super-shiny, glossy look, just apply your fave gloss over it). while my experience with the balm has been positive, and hasn't happened to me, i have read and talked to a friend via Twitter that it breaks of after a few uses, so be careful!

Just Bitten comes in 10 shades and can be found at your favorite drug and mass retailer. visit revlon.com for more info.

xo
pics taken by me :)

hair therapy: Pantene Curl Enhancing Spray Gel

during the summer, i was given the opportunity to try Pantene's Curl Enhancing Spray Gel. i decided it was the perfect time to do something i hadn't done in some time: wear my hair curly!


Pantene Spray Gel + air dry time = my naturally curly-haired self. :)

while i have no issue heat-styling my hair during the summer months, i thought that going back to my method of giving my hair a break-- like i used to do as a teen-- wouldn't hurt me (it always helped my hair stay healthier!).



i love that this comes in spray form, making application so easy. the formula also smells good and never left my hair feeling "crunchy".


i look like i'm 15 again (well, ok, not really), LOL!

give your curls a treat and try find Pantene's Curl Enhancing Spray Gel. you can find it at your favorite drug and mass retailer. visit pantene.com for more info.

xo
product featured sent to me by the brand's PR for review consideration.