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2013

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Holiday Gift Guide $50 and Under

December 9, 2013

Another gift guide on my picks for items $50 and under. I love that most stores have items sorted by price point making it easy to search for ideas by category. Currently on my radar (still making my lists):

  1. Chanel Magic or Cosmic Le Vernis $27 each – a must-have for die-hard Chanel collectors
  2. Laura Mercier Bath Duo $48 – comes in a variety of scent offerings, great for those who love sweet scents for bath and body
  3. Tom Ford Lipstick $48 – the classic shade picks for me are Pink Dusk or Spanish Pink
  4. Jo Malone Vitamin E Nourishing Hand Treatment $50 – this is like a spa for the hands
  5. Aerin Rose Hand and Body Cream $40 – great for those who like a soft rose scent that’s not too floral, feels lush and moisturizing for the hands but it’s not too heavy
  6. Kate Spade Holiday Candles $40 – there are four options for Kate Spade candles in glass jars, they look like they’ll make great decorating pieces for the holiday and also after burning
  7. Kate Spade Ikat iPhone Case $40 – cute cover for iPhone owners 
  8. Diptyque Orange Chai Candle (Small) $32 – a lovely warm unique holiday scent that comes in the most beautiful packaging
  9. West Elm Capiz Jewelry Box $39 – small but dainty and lovely, will make a lovely accent piece to any room
  10. Pottery Barn Throw $45 – aa perfect gift for the home, lovely, classic and so soft
  11. Henri Bendel Holiday Candle $30 – Henri Bendel candles are in my top three picks for home fragrance brands during the holidays they often have promotions and price breaks if you spend a certain amount, the holiday scents have lovely gold and silver packaging
  12. Kate Spade Holiday Coasters $20 for a set of 24 – lovely host/hostess gift as an add on to a bottle of wine or gift basket
  13. Jack Black First Class Five Set $49 – killer deal for a starter or travel kit for men, my husband loves Jack Black and I know he would love a sampler set to try different things
  14. Caudalie Divine Indulgence Set $49 – value set priced the same as an individual full-sized Divine Oil, gives an opportunity to try 2 other items in a lovely gift set (bought this for myself)
  15. L’Occitane Hand Cream Indulgences Trio $28 – L’Occitane makes amazing hand creams that are perfect for the purse, holidays are always a good time to stock up or to buy value sets
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Loving Right Now

December 8, 2013

My current obsessions right now is Burberry Oxblood Nail Polish. I’ve been eagerly waiting for the Burberry Nail Polishes to arrive in the US. There are a few available on Nordstrom.com (some on back-order) and several available now online at Burberry. Above is a swatch photo of Oxblood with two coats (it’s slightly transparent on me). I’ll have a more detailed review on Oxblood soon. For now here are a few Burberry nail polish reviews I’ve been loving lately:

I’m kinda dying over Metallic Khaki! I can’t wait until all the shades arrive at Nordstrom so I can test at the counters.

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Holiday Gift Guide $25 and Under

December 8, 2013
With Christmas only a few weeks away I’m determined to make my lists and get all my holiday shopping complete by the middle of next week at the latest. I’ve searched for things by price point starting with the little things I can use as add-ons, stocking stuffers or small gifts. On my radar:
1, 2, 3. Mini fragrances Jimmy Choo $25, Kate Spade $24, Marc Jacobs Dot $22 – great for add-ons
4. Minimergency Kits $15 each – perfect to throw in your purse, keep in your car or store at your work desk
5. Caudalie Duo Mini Hand Cream and Divine Oil $15 – this is what I’m getting for all my girl friends this year as a stocking stuffer
6. Jo Malone Vitamin E Lip Balm $25 – one of my holy grail lip balms, pricey but is something everyone all ages will love and use
7. Essie Hors d’oeuvres Nail Polish $8.50 – a nice little glitzy add-on
8. Deborah Lippmann Boom-Boom Pow Nail Polish $20 – a luxurious splurge for those who love sparkle and bling
9. Pottery Barn Silver-Plated Locket Key Chain $19.50 – a creative gift for close friends or loved ones
10. Burberry Light Gold Nail Polish $21 – another luxurious splurge for the holiday
11. Henri Bendel Cross Your T’s Pen $25 – for those who want a little something extra for their desks
12. Kate Spade Letter Stationary $25 – monogramed cards add a nice personalized touch that is also timeless
13. Henri Bendel Candle Trio $25 – small but the holiday scents are to die for
14. Fresh Assorted Soaps $15 – makes a nice little add-on for the home, Fresh has the prettiest soap wrapping that I’ve seen from any brand
15. Williams-Sonoma Peppermint Bark Bites (4 Pieces) $10 – small bites for those who don’t want to be tempted by the entire tin
16. Williams-Sonoma Classic Hot Chocolate Mix $19.50 – perfect hostess gift, the classic hot chocolate is available only during the holidays (tip – mix and match items to save instores by bundling products)
17. Godiva Dessert Truffles (Box of 6) $16 – an impressive box of six dessert themed truffles will bring a smile to anyone
If you have any good ideas for what you’re doing this year for stocking stuffers or small add-ons I would absolutely love to hear your ideas!!
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Chanel Émotion #87 Powder Blush

December 6, 2013

There’s a new blush from Chanel in the US (separate from the holiday collection) called Émotion #87 ($43 for 6 g/0.21 oz). It’s a pigmented satiny rose pink. The color is one of the darkest and most pigmented blushes I’ve seen from Chanel in quite some time. Émotion has a soft subtle shimmer to it in the pan but it applies with a very soft glow with a healthy flush. It’s the perfect pink to add color but doesn’t darken or look too bright on the skin.

It applies very smoothly on my skin. The color shows up quite well. It’s a bright color with a soft finish.

At first glance I thought it would be similar to Tom Ford Wicked. It’s a bit different – Chanel Émotion has a softer and more delicate finish while Tom Ford Wicked is a bit sharper in color. Below: Chanel Turbulent (discontinued), Tumulte, Rose Petale and Tom Ford Wicked (on backorder at Neimans).

I’m a huge fan of Chanel blushes. I love their soft texture and layerable colors. Émotion proves to be one of the darker more pigmented colors. I give it a huge thumbs up. I recommend checking Weekend Ramblings, Jayded Dreaming and Color Me Loud for additional swatches.

I purchased my Émotion #87 blush in store at Nordstrom, online at Nordstrom.com.

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Chanel Nuit Magique | Cosmic and Magic

December 4, 2013

Chanel just released their Nuit Magique shades in the US in Cosmic and Magic ($27 each, limited-edition at Macys.com and Chanel.com). I found mine in store at Macy’s this past weekend. Both shades apply smoothly and flawlessly with two coats. The colors are very similar to past releases, but are still a bit different. Scroll down for comparisons.

Cosmic is a black infused with silver sparkles. It’s very sheer on the first coat but smooths out perfectly with the second. The silver shimmer is nearly invisible on the nails. I can only see them in direct sunlight or with a high flash. Even though the sparkle doesn’t show up I do think it prevents the color from being too harsh or flat-looking.

For comparisons I pulled Steel (limited from 2010), Black Satin, Noir Ceramic (discontinued). Cosmic is like a cross between Black Satin and Noir Ceramic.

Magic is a dark blue cream with a hint of teal. It’s a lovely striking shade on the nails. Magic is very similar to the Blue Rebel that was released a few years ago but there is a noticeable difference (scroll down for swatches). Magic is shown with 2 coats.

Comparisons show Magic is slightly deeper and more teal compared to the Blue Rebel from a few years ago. Below: Blue Satin, Blue Rebel (no longer available), and Blue Boy (no longer for sale).

I love both and think they are both worth having even though there are similar shades in previous releases. If you want to avoid dupes you can skip these though. Do keep in mind they are limited-edition.
The Nuit Magique shades can be found at Macy’s and Macys.com as well as various Chanel Boutiques and Chanel.com.
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Diorific Vernis Gold Coffret – Saks Exclusive | Holiday 2013

December 3, 2013

Saks has released an exclusive nail trio this year, the Diorific Vernis Gold Coffret ($70, limited-edition). The colors in this set include Almee #291 a sheer sparkly gold with tiny micro glitters, Aladin #668 a warm metallic copper, and Apparat #871 a shimmery red infused with gold. It’s a repeat of last year’s Printemps Christmas 2012 set released in
limited quantities and stores. It also contains Apparat, a repeat from
holiday 2011.

Each shade comes packaged in the beautiful holiday bottles with the gold twist off caps. Everything from the gold box to the packaging and colors is exquisite. Dior really created lovely nail colors for the holiday.

Almee #291 is a sheer sparkly gold. I suspect this will be a better top coat on warm colors to add shimmer and sparkle. The shimmer is infused with tiny clear glitters. It’s beautiful in the bottle and on the nails (even though it’s very very sheer). Here it is with three coats:

Aladin #668 is a beautiful warm coppery gold metallic shade. The metallic quality makes it apply slightly lighter on the nails compared to what you see in the bottle. I was impressed with this and how it applied pretty much streak-free (considering it’s a metallic). I didn’t have time to photograph swatch comparisons next to other Dior or Chanel golds, but Aladin is softer and lighter with a more refined shimmer giving it a softer look. Two coats below.

Apparat #871 is a repeat from holiday 2011 in special packaging. It’s a lovely neutral-cool red with gold shimmer. The pigment is incredibly rich and applies smoothly. I don’t think I ever swatched this one on the nails on this blog but it’s a lovely metallic red. (Nail wheel swatch here.)

Dior’s Diorific Vernis Gold Coffret Trio is a luxurious boxed set. The colors are lovely – especially for the holiday and I think it would make a lovely gift for the holidays. Even though I already own Apparat in the regular bottle I still think this is worth purchasing just for the packaging alone. It’s limited-edition and available in stores at Saks and online at Saks.com.

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Cyber Monday Deals

December 2, 2013
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=MeQoh28EORo&subid=&offerid=274341.1&type=10&tmpid=8156&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fshop.nordstrom.com%252Fc%252Fbeauty-makeup-perfume%253Fdept%253D8000001%2526origin%253Dtopnav%2526cm_sp%253DTop%252520Navigation-_-Beauty-_-Beauty

Some Cyber Monday Deals on my radar. If you see any other good ones please share in the comments below.

  • Bloomingdales – 25% off sitewide (exclusions apply), valid through end of December 2, 2013
  • Bobbi Brown – free shipping plus 5 free samples, no code needed, ends 12/2 at 11:59 PM PST
  • C. Wonder – 40% off everything, use code GIFTS40, ends 12/2
  • Drybar – Special value sets here
  • Giorgio Armani – 25% off orders $75 or more, see website to generate code
  • Henri Bendel – 30% off cyber monday deals, use code CYBER13
  • Kate Spade – enjoy 30% off sitewide, use code CYBER30, ends 12/2
  • Kiehl’s – 4 deluxe treats and free shipping on every order, use code BIGTREATS, ends 12/2
  • NARS – 20% Friends and Family code online and in boutiques ends tonight, use code NARSFRIENDS
  • Nordstrom – Cyber Monday deals here, Cyber Monday Beauty Deals and GWPs
  • SpaceNK – beauty bag with $200 purchase ends tonight or while supplies last, use code THANKS20
  • Sephora – weekly specials here,  Mystery Sample bag with 5 samples, use code SUSPENSE, or free shipping with $25 purchase use code SHIPNOW, valid while supplies last or through 12/3 11:59 PM PST
  • Tatcha – friends and family 20% off use code FF2013, valid through 12/11/2013
  • Urban Decay – Cyber Monday deals on sets
  • YSL – 25% off purchased $75 or more, see website for code, valid through 12/5
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