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December 2014

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Burberry Beauty Winter Glow // Shades of Gold and Oxblood for Lips and Nails

December 10, 2014

Burberry’s holiday collection this year focuses on shades of gold and oxblood. There are two color sets for lips and nails, each with matching shades of their Lip Glow ($29 each), Lip Mist ($33 each) and Nail Polish ($22 each). Each item in the holiday collection comes with a special limited-edition gold colored check pattern on the packaging. The Oxblood Look colors are repromoted shades but the Gold Look items are new this year.

The Gold colors in this year’s collection are sheer cool-toned golds. I found the shades unique for a gold color. Typically golds for holidays are brighter or warmer. The items from Burberry have a pale tinge to them making them different than most.

  • Gold No. 27 Lip Mist is a unique pale gold. It has a sheer formula which makes it forgiving but on my lips it applies like a cool nude with gold shimmer. I prefer this one dabbed on the lips in a sheer wash. If I layer this too much, it makes my pigmented lips look a bit too pale-looking.
  • Gold No. 25 Lip Glow is a sheer sparkling gold. The sparkles are larger than finely milled shimmer with add a beautiful sparkle to the lips. While the shimmer is on the heavy side, the gloss is smooth in texture and I find the shimmer to be very wearable, even for those conservative on shimmer for the lips. I found it best layered over another lipstick. It’s a bit sheer when worn alone.
  • Gold No. 447 Nail Polish is a pale yellow beige gold shimmer. The formula is excellent with smooth and rich coverage. It applies flawlessly on the nail and with two coats you get full coverage with a slight hint of silver sparkle. Unfortunately it doesn’t work so well with my olive skin tone. I suspect colors like this will work better on those with pink undertones in the skin. For me the yellow clashes with my olive skin. It is a wearable color and I’ve asked a few friends for their input. They like it, but don’t love it on me.

Swatches:

Comparisons for the lip glosses: MAC Gold Mirror Lipglass (discontinued), Dior Gold Rain Addict Lip Gloss (holiday, limited-edition), Burberry Nude Gold Lip Glow, NARS Greek Holiday Lip Gloss, NARS Gold Digger Larger Than Life Lip Gloss

The Oxblood colors are repromoted shades. I’ve reviewed the original Oxblood line before, but reswatched everything from this year’s collection to see if the colors are the same. They are.

  • Oxblood No. 214 Lip Mist is a gel-like lipstick formula. The Lip Mists are sheerer than the Lip Covers but still have very good pigment. I find the Lip Mist adheres better to the lip even though it has a glossy finish. There is a semi-transparent quality but the colors still cover the lip entirely and evenly with a few swipes back and forth. Oxblood looks like a deep vampy color in the tube. On the lips it’s a brighter sheer red. It deepens if you layer it. If you apply one swipe the color is a sheer red.
  • Oxblood No. 23 Lip Glow is another color that applies sheerer on the lips than what you see in the tube. This is a lovely sheer pink red with a hint of vamp. It wears well alone but looks good layered over the lipstick for added intensity and shine.
  • Oxblood No. 303 Nail Polish is a deep vampy red. It seems to have improved in formula over the original one released several years ago with better smoother coverage. The brush is still wide and flat but seems easier to use than what I remember from my original review. The color is still identical to the original version.

Swatches:

Comparisons on the lips to: Burberry Hibiscus Lip Glow (slightly deeper than oxblood), Oxblood Lip Cover (is deeper and darker), Blueberry Lip Mist (is less blue/red but similar in effect):

Both the Gold and Oxblood are beautiful classics for the holidays giving you options for subtle or dramatic looks. My favorite items are the Gold Lip Glow, Oxblood Lip Mist and Oxblood Lip Glow. If you already own the Oxblood shades, the good news is you can shop your stash for a lovely understated but still slightly bold holiday red that isn’t too garish or bright.
All the items are limited-edition. Right now Burberry has all the items in stock online. Burberry Beauty is also carried at other retailers such as Nordstrom, Saks and Net-A-Porter, but some of the holiday pieces have started to sell out so you may need to shop around to pick out the pieces you want.
Have you checked out the Burberry Winter Glow collection yet? What did you think?
The Burberry Winter Glow items in this review were provided free of charge from Burberry for review consideration. All other items purchased by me.
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Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin Nail Color – The Nudes

December 8, 2014

Earlier this year Christian Louboutin released a classic red nail polish called Louboutin Rouge followed by thirty additional shades in three families called The Nudes (neutrals), The Pops (brights) and The Noirs (dramatic dark shades). The nail polishes are among the most expensive in the market, priced at $50 each but have been selling out repeatedly. I pre-ordered these from Nordstrom back in August before they were released. I received them the first week of September and have been putting each shade to the test for weeks. I’ve already reviewed and tested the classic Louboutin Rouge (more thoughts in this post). Today I have all ten nudes to share with you (yes, my fingers have been very busy swatching!).

The Louboutin Nudes have two different finishes. All are creams without any shimmer. There are shades with a sheer finish and then colors with more opaque coverage. The range of nudes is quite wide, but the soft pinks are very similar in effect with slight variations in undertone. First, the packaging is quite stunning. These have long heel spikes for handles. All the nude colors have a pearly beige finish on the handles with large glass jars to hold the polish. Each one contains 0.4 fl oz/13 ml of polish. All of mine say they are made in the USA.

Packaging these seems like it would be quite challenging to construct a large box. Instead of encasing the entire polish + handle in a box, these come with a cardboard container that goes around the glass portion. Mine were all wrapped individually in study stock when they were shipped. They all arrived in tact and without any scratches or issues:

The colors are labeled at the base:

Here are all the shades lined up side by side:

Colors and descriptions according to my testing below.

  • Tres Decollete is the darkest pink with a blue base, this one is sheer but has the most coverage out of all the soft pinks
  • Sweet Charity is a super sheer soft white cream, this was the only shade I did not like, mainly because it took four coats to get decent coverage, three coats gave the nails a soft glossy look, but one I think could be duplicated by cheaper brands
  • La Favorita is a medium warm pink, the pigment is sheer, but applied smoothly and evenly with two coats
  • Simple Nude is a warm camel nude that has medium-to-full coverage
  • Me Nude is a cool mauve nude with excellent pigment, it had smooth flawless coverage
  • Just Nothing is a beautiful nude that leans beige, but still has a bit of pink in it so it doesn’t look orangey on the hands
  • Alta Perla is a unique grey nude with a hint of sage, the formula is medium on this one, with two think coats you might still see the nail underneath some fingers, I applied a slightly thicker second coat to get full coverage
  • Tutulle is the perfect nude pink cream
  • Zoulou is a really lovely chocolate nude cream with excellent pigment
  • Madame Est Nue is a the lightest pink, it’s a nude pink that has super sheer coverage

One more view below, same order as above, but in direct sunlight:

Swatched side by side, lightest to darkest:

Individual photos and swatches, I’ll indicate how many coats I used for each one. I tested these with a number of different base and top coats. The cult favorite Seche Vite gave major shrinkage with these polishes on tips and cuticle areas causing these to get tip wear after 1 day. I don’t recommend it, although I know many people love that brand. I really liked mine with the Deborah Lippmann Rehydrating Base Coat to help color adhere to the nail, and then topped with either the Chanel Laque Brilliance Extreme or Dior Gel Top Coat. Louboutin has their own Nail Care Kit, but after splurging quite heavily on the colors themselves, I decided to try what I already had first. Using either the Dior or Chanel Top coats allowed for 7 days of wear without any chipping or tip wear which I found very impressive with this formula.

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Sweet Charity, shown with four coats

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Madame Est Nue with three coats

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La Favorita with two coats

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Tres Decollete with two coats

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Tutulle with two coats

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Just Nothing with two coats

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Me Nude with two coats

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Simple Nude with two coats

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Zoulou with two coats

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Alta Perla with two coats (pinky has three coats)

The wear on these is really amazing in my experience. I didn’t want to say that I would fall in love with $50 nail polishes but the colors that Louboutin has released are truly flawless and naturally flattering. A good flattering nude can be hard to find. There are many good ones out there, but so many are either too pale, too warm, too orange or just look pink on my hands. Louboutin hands down has created the perfect palette of nude polishes with a diverse range to suit any skin tone.

If you’re looking to splurge, I would say you definitely don’t need all ten of the nudes. My thoughts rounded up:
  • For a soft pink, I like Tres Decollete the best, although La Favorita comes in close second
  • For a medium nude, Tutulle is my favorite because it has a bit of pink, followed by Just Nothing which is another great nude
  • For unique colors, Zoulou and Alta Perla are the best picks, they do have a similar vibe to other brands, but these ones just work so well with the skin
  • Two to skip for me include Sweet Charity (just too sheer) and Simple Nude for my specific skin tone is too match so it blends in (if you’re lighter or darker in skin tone, I think this will look lovely on you)

One last shot, my personal take on the Louboutin Nudes cluster:

I hope you enjoyed this roundup. It’s taken me weeks to complete but I can say that I highly recommend these if you’re looking to treat yourself (or a friend). The $50 price tag on 10 shades has certainly been an ouch on my wallet, but I have no regrets. Available now at Nordstrom.


Special thanks to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post.
For more information, refer to my Disclosures.

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Uncategorized

Holiday Gift Guide: $100 and Under

December 8, 2014

Looking for a luxe gift but want something $100 or under? Here’s a roundup of some beauty and accessory ideas for inspiration.

1 / Diptyque Baies $90, 10.2 oz in a large black glass jar
2 / Chanel Give It Shine Glossimer Trio $90, includes Amour, Sweet Beige and Wild Rose
3 / Urban Decay Naked 3 $54 swatches + review here
8 / Chanel Rêve D’Orient Quadra Eye Shadow ($70) swatches + review here
9 / Dior Holiday Nail Color Trio $75, includes Pandore, Rouge 999, Nuit 1947, swatches here
12 / Byredo Cardamome Candle – Amber Collection $95
(P.S. the 8th is last day of Tatcha’s 20% off sale with code FF2014)
18 / Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette $58, review + swatches here

Some more ideas:

Hope you are enjoying the last bits of your weekend!

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Fragrance Home / Interiors

Diptyque x Tomas Maier Collaboration

December 7, 2014

Tomas Maier and Diptyque have partnered on an exclusive collaboration. Their collection features three new candles cased in beautiful matte black glass jars and embossed with white palm trees on the front. The three scents are inspired by places that are meaningful to Tomas Maier which include the barrier island of Palm Beach (PB), a coastal north Atlantic island in Maine, West District Road (WDR), and a bluff top lair at the extreme point of Long Island, Old Montauk Highway (OMH). Each candle retails for $65 and are exclusive to Diptyque Boutiques, Diptyqueparis.com and Tomas Maier stores.

 

I ordered these a few weeks ago and have been burning each one to test them thoroughly. I’m in love with each one, but my favorite is Palm Beach. Unfortunately these have been released in extremely limited quantities, they are currently sold out on Diptyque’s website and I’ve been told stores have limited stock. If you’ve been contemplating these, I suggest you call your local boutique or the Tomas Maier Madison Ave store (212) 988-8686 sooner than later to see if they have any left in stock (or ask to be put on the waiting list for their next shipment). It always pains me a little to write about something after it’s sold out, but in case you’ve been waiting for my review, here it is.

Palm Beach “PB”  is described as: humid, tropical, breezy, floral, evokes a walled, tropical garden on a southern Florida barrier island featuring scents of jasmine and iris, lemon and lime trees, salt from the sea and fresh cut grass

This is my one favorite of the three and I’ve been burning this one the most. It’s a refreshing mix of citrus and floral, the jasmine and iris are noticeable but the lemon/lime addition dominates it very uplifting. The salt helps balance out the fragrance preventing it from being too sweet or floral. The throw is medium on this one, it’s not super strong or overpowering, but I’ve found it to be just right.

West District Road “WDR”  is described as: dry, northern, still, woods, reminiscent of the scents on a saltwater farm of a Northern Atlantic island plush with ferns, fir and birch trees, hay, wild iris and meadow rose, moss and sea mist

There is something raw, green and very much sea-like about this candle. It’s not quite a pure woodsy fragrance, but it’s has that woodsy feel. It’s an earthy green, you can definitely smell the mix of ferns and fir trees inside. The addition of iris and rose soften it up so it’s not too earthy. It burns with a very clean feel. Throw on this is very strong.

Old Montauk Highway “OMH” is described as: moist, heather dunes, windswept, on a bluff high above the roaring Atlantic Ocean featuring scents of lady slipper orchids, black pine, bayberry, heather misted by the salty ocean breeze

This one has a smokey vibe. It has an interesting hint of heather and orchid, but smells like firewood that is lighter with a hint of salt and florals and green mixed in. I find this one to be the most masculine out of the three, but it burns clean and is still more of a unisex kind of home fragrance. If you like girly scents for the home, this one might not be the one for you. However, if you like scents along the lines of Feu de Bois but want something lighter and not as woodsy, this one is perfect. Throw on this is medium-strong.

I ordered my candles from Diptyque at South Coast Plaza and a few more online at Diptyque for Black Friday. Stores received a very limited amount and the website is currently sold out of all three. You might want to call your local stores sooner than later. If they have a waiting list I highly recommend it.

Also if you’re near a Diptyque store, I’d recommend calling to check out if they are having a holiday event soon. South Coast Plaza has theirs this Thursday December 11th from 6 to 9 PM. Call them at (714) 850-9995 to RSVP, ask for Raven or Noa. (As of yesterday, they were sold out of PB, but still have the others WDR and OMH available.)

Have you checked out the Diptyque + Tomas Maier collection yet? What did you think? Which one is your favorite?
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Loving Right Now

Loving Right Now

December 6, 2014

A few things I’m loving this weekend:

Mini lipsticks are in right now. Charlotte Tilbury has the cutest Lipstick Charm Trio with Bitch Perfect, Penelope Pink and So Marilyn. They are super tiny at 1 g each, but each lipstick comes with a purple ribbon attached. I bought this trio as a gift but now I want one for myself. (Available at Bergdorf Goodman, on backorder at Nordstrom).

Tom Ford Lips & Boys launched Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They will be making a re-appearance at the end of the month at select Tom Ford Boutiques and Counters. I made several different orders since no one website had all the colors I wanted. My items are still trickling in. I’ll try to post swatches and reviews as soon as I can. In the meantime, I recommend the Tom Ford Beauty Thread at Specktra.net for reference and swatches.

Gold lipglosses are still an obsession for me. My favorite right now is Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustre in Ibiza Nights has been a go-to for me. It’s the prettiest sparkling gold. Swatches and color focus series here.

If you missed out on the Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals for Truffle, the good news is they are having a promotion of 20% off orders $100 or more with code HOLIDAY20. I ordered three from the last promotion (two as gifts, one for me) and the new Nude Privacy Clutch is to die for gorgeous. I think it’s the best one they’ve released to date. Color comparisons below for reference on the pale colors. More inspiration on how I’ve used these clever pouches here, here, and here.

Dior Lili Nail Polish is still my perfect nude for right now. Full review + swatches here, but I can’t get enough of this color.

What are you loving right now?

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the beauty look book’s camera guide // 2014 edition

December 5, 2014

The most frequently asked questions I receive these days are about my photos, lighting setup and cameras. I’ve tested a couple that I’ve fallen in love with but haven’t tried a wide variety of cameras or brands so I don’t know that I can tell you what’s the best on the market or offer comparisons. The vast majority of the photos on this blog are taken by me, my photography techniques are a self-taught work in progress. I’ve been blogging for a little over five years – and I’m still learning new things every week. Today I’ll be sharing the cameras I use, but as many photographers will tell you, buying a certain camera won’t automatically translate into good or perfect photos. Mine certainly aren’t perfect by any means, but I do practice a lot and play with angles and lighting. Sometimes blog posts are photographed over the course of several days. While this isn’t the most efficient way to blog or photograph products, it’s my current method and works for me.

For me, the biggest challenge in photographing beauty products is capturing colors accurately. In addition, details like complex shimmers, reflections on lacquered compacts or patent finish packaging, glare from metallic packaging, and different texture are all things you need to work on in order to photograph things well. Many products are prone show finger print smudges so having a small cloth towel or paper towel handy is good to clean up any areas to make them look their best.

Bottom line for me is that when it comes to cameras right now, I’ve looked for affordable easy to use cameras that give you high quality photos but that won’t break the bank. I like ones that are easy to carry with me for on-the-go or travel. There are a lot of other good blog posts on higher end cameras, this one highlights what I use and like. 

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On lighting: I would say about 95% of my photos are taken with natural light or direct sunlight. Having good light is key but you still need to deal with things like glare, light intensities and reflections. For additional light, I’ve experimented with a few bulbs but haven’t found anything I love yet. Knowing how to use your camera exposure and scene settings will make all the difference. If you’re a camera novice like me, I highly recommend this book Better Photo Basics by Jim Moitke. I bought it earlier this year and it helped me a lot as a simple and easy to understand guide.

On cameras: I’ll highlight three cameras I use for the blog along with another fun one I’ve featured several times in posts.
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Camera 1: iPhone

I’ve used my iPhone for a number of blog photos. For product or styled shots, lighting isn’t always ideal so I like to use the Afterlight app to adjust brightness, contrast and highlighting. Getting a perfect square shot isn’t always easy with a hand-held phone (at least not for me) so I like the cropping tool too. Many of the photos in this post were taken with an iPhone camera. Photos can be hit and miss depending on lighting. With the iPhone camera you just don’t have as much control. Examples of more photos taken with the iPhone here, here, here and here. (Photo above is also taken with an iPhone.)

photo above taken with Canon G16

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Camera 2: Sony NEX-6

I purchased the Sony NEX-6 early last year. I’ve always been a fan of Sony cameras for their compact sleek design and high quality photos. I purchased the NEX-6 shortly after it came out at around $800 but today the prices of cameras have become more affordable as new models are introduced. With Sony cameras, you can purchase the body and lenses separately to suit your needs. I bought the standard bundle that came with the 16-50mm Power Zoom Lens and have been very happy with it.

I like the focus features on this camera and the color correction features. It works really well with the flash, especially for swatches and product photos. I’m particularly fond of the electronic view finder too which is helpful if you’re in bright sun. The only thing I wish it had was a flip-out screen. The digital screen tilts which makes it easier to get weird angles or if you need to take aerial shots, but I do wish it would flip out completely.
A few examples of blog posts featuring photos taken with this camera include: this one, this one (with the help of my brother), and this one.

Since new models of cameras are being introduced constantly, note that you might not be able to find this one easily in stores anymore. I was told that the NEX family is being phased out and that the Alpha A6000 models have replaced the NEX series. Reviews report that this one is an upgrade to the NEX-6 but still extremely affordable. My curiosity wants to run and buy one of the Alpha models because I love Sony cameras so much, but I’m saving up for my next camera which is going to either be another Canon or Nikon.

above photos taken with Sony NEX-6
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Camera 3: Canon G16

The Canon G16 is the second camera I’ve purchased for myself. The bulb in my Sony burst earlier this year and I had to send it in for several weeks to get it replaced. I couldn’t be without a camera for more than a few days so looked for a quick replacement. I did a lot of research online, I read a lot of reviews and watched quite a few videos on YouTube. I also asked for recommendations from my brother who knows a lot about photography and cameras. I told him I was looking for something that was under $1,000, compact, easy to use but with very good quality. He said hands down check out anything from Canon G series and I ordered the G16 from Amazon. It was under $500 (before tax) and it arrived at my house in two days. It was love at first shoot. 

After playing with this for a few months I can say that I am very impressed with this tiny little camera. This works very well without the flash and allows you full control of lighting and exposure settings. It has similar functions and features to the Sony, but the Canon does have more options to adjust for daylight, clouds, fluorescent lighting etc. The only downside for me so far is that it tends to darken my skin significantly when photographing swatches with a flash. Taking swatch photos with a flash needs a lot more work depending on what the natural light situation is.

I don’t do beauty videos, but I did do a test shoot with this camera at my last home. I was testing foundation colors and had a different shade on each side of my face. I wanted to see how it looked in different lighting so I filmed myself for about six minutes walking around the house holding the camera in hand. I was very impressed with the color, quality and the way the film turned out very steady. I expected it to be wobbly from all the movement but the camera automatically smoothed everything beautifully. I didn’t have any special lighting but the camera captured the light very well and adjusted as I walked into different areas of our home.
More blog posts with the Canon G16 camera here, here and here. Aside from swatch photographing challenges, I’m absolutely in love with this camera. You can get really sharp photos and the settings allow for full control of your exposure settings.

above photos taken with Sony NEX-6
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I’ve featured this fun instant-print camera several times. It’s a compact camera that prints credit-card photos in polaroid style. There are several different brands that offer multiple models of instant print cameras. After researching online reviews, I picked the Instax 25 (I paid around $89 on Amazon for this one). If you want a slightly different model or one of the fun colors, opt for the Instax 8 (also available at J.Crew and Urban Outfitters). This post here outlines the differences between the Fujifilm models.

There is a learning curve with the Fujifilm. Photos won’t be perfect right off the bat. I would recommend purchasing extra film because each cartridge only gives you 10 photos. There is an automatic flash which you can’t turn off so it’s best to take photos in natural sunlight, although at night the flash is pretty good. Photos are best when taken from a distance, they will be blurry if you take close ups. For me, this one is mainly for fun people photos – it’s fun if you want to snap some in-the-moment photos or candids. Unfortunately my friends love this so much that I end up giving away most of my prints.

The quality isn’t the best, but I do think it’s pretty good given the price and size. To get better photos, you will need to look into larger cameras which I’ve found to be bulky.

above photo taken with Canon G16
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If you’re in the market for a new camera and looking for some good introductory cameras that are affordable and not too bulky, but want good quality images, I’d recommend either the Sony or Canon. Both are very good brands that have good reviews all across the board. They are easy to use and are a lot of fun to play with. In terms of camera shopping, each of the brands mentioned above are available at multiple retailers. I’d recommend doing research online first. YouTube is a phenomenal tool. There are so many camera experts and fanatics who have put different models and brands to the test.
Quick recap of cameras featured:

I hope you found this camera roundup guide helpful!

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Uncategorized

Holiday Gift Guide: $50 and Under

December 4, 2014

Here are some gift ideas that are under $50. If you have any good gift ideas or discoveries this year, please share in the comments!

1 / NARS Audacious Lipsticks ($32 each) (my reviews here and here)
2 / Diptyque Figuier Candle 2.4 oz ($30)
5 / Grace: A Memoir ($35, discounted price at Amazon)
7 / Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss ($34 each) (my swatch picks here)
11 / J.Crew Pocket Umbrella ($26.50)
15 / Eve Lom Hand Cream with SPF 10 ($35)
17 / Russell and Hazel Acrylic Desk Stapler ($24, discounted price at Amazon)

A few more gift options and ideas, all $50 and under:

In case you missed these two, be sure to check out my other gift guides:

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