holiday 2014: fragrant gift ideas

if you're looking to gift your loved one with scent this holiday season, consider these individual fragrances and sets featuring scents i happen to love {and know already have many fans}. of course, remember: fragrance is personal, so don't forget to include a gift receipt. :)

Guilty by Gucci 3 Pc. Gift Set for women features the daring, oriental floral fragrance that combines notes of mandarin, pink pepper, lilac and amber for an edge of sexiness and sensuality. set includes eau de toilette, body lotion and portable fragrance spray.

La Vie Est Belle by Lancôme is made with the most precious natural ingredients, boasting a modern interpretation of an oriental fragrance. a perfect choice for cooler temps, elegant iris with the strength of patchouli and the sweetness of gourmand blend together, creating a gorgeously feminine fragrance.

Lancôme's most beautifully classic scent {and one of the first "grownup" scents i ever bought for myself when i was in my early 20s}, Trésor, is for a woman who understands that time is precious and each moment is meant to be treasured. elegant rose and lilac notes will make her feel as radiant and precious as this fragrance is.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Gift Set features the very popular, sophisticated, whimsical scent; always elegant, always enchanting ~ but not too serious ~ Daisy is a sparkling floral bouquet, spirited and fresh, wrapped in comfort and warmth. the set comes with a black keepsake box, which is covered in sleek fabric and encloses a mirror in the lid.

Clinique A Little Happiness gift set is a fabulous option when you have multiples gifts to give but or on a budget, or as one fabulous gift for the happiest gal in your life. includes bright floral Clinique Happy, rich floral Happy Heart, limited-edition Happy In Bloom, Wealth of Flowers, and Clinique Hint of Citrus perfume sprays. 

for the on-trend young woman, Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy Nail Duo Kit includes two chic, classic, on-the-go, travel-friendly sized fragrances {Viva la Juicy Eau de Parfum and Viva la Juicy Gold Couture Eau de Parfum}, plus a travel nail set {a nail color duo and statement nail decals} in a pink and gold envelope-style cosmetics bag.

Killer Queen by Katy Perry includes an eau de parfum spray, a purse-friendly rollerball and body lotion in the fun, daring floral fragrance. notes include plum, red velvet flower, jasmine sambac and rainbow plumeria.

these are just a few suggestions, beauties! what scents would you recommend for gift-giving?

images and info courtesy of pr for featured brands

Katy Perry at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards

CoverGirl celebrity makeup artist Jake Bailey created an uber-fun look for Katy Perry at the MTV Movies awards this year. i don't know about you, but i thought her makeup was amazing and her blue wig was fabulous (seriously, who knew blue hair could look so good?)!

since the wig was definitely the focal point of the look, Jake wanted to create a look to balance the bright color out. the result was a dramatic, glamorous eye with the rest of the face more muted. Katy really wanted everything to look polished and chic.

on the face, Jake used Makeup For Ever HD Foundation followed by CoverGirl Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush in Plush Peach to give her cheeks a warm glow.

on Katy's eyes CoverGirl Line Exact in Black was used. Jake says, "i love liquid liner because it allows you to change the shape of an eye, and we wanted to create a more almond shape for Katy." above the black liner, he applied the white shade of the CoverGirl Smoky ShadowBlast in Onyx Smoke. the new LiquiLine Blast in Silver Spark was lined on the waterline to make the eyes pop.

"women tend to be afraid to use liner in the inner eye but it actually balances out a dramatic eye look." -Jake Bailey

to finish the eye, multiple coats of CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion in Very Black was used. to finish the look, the lips were stained with Outlast Lipstain in Flirty Nude and given a touch of shine with LaMer Lip Balm .

before her performance Jake punched up the look a bit by adding LiquiLineBlast in Blue Bloom for a pop of color and Outlast Lipstain in Everbloom Kiss.

Jake shares that "Katy loves the Outlast Lipstains because they are great for when she performs; they don't stick to her hair or microphone and never smudge." i will add that i love them as well, and the new Flirty Nude shade is my newest favorite shade!

great job Jake!

xo
images: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

2010 Grammy Awards Beauty: Katy Perry

newly engaged Katy Perry was an eclectic mix of old-school glam a la Bettie Page and indian elegance when she attended the 2010 Grammy awards last night.

as a compliment to an amazing makeup job (i loved her lush lashes and pink lips), celeb stylist Danilo created the the look for the Waking Up in Vegas singer. it was his desire to create a "hipper" retro pin-up girl style by keeping the hair from looking too perfect.

here's how the style was achieved:

Danilo first combed through the Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths Split End Prevention Leave-in Cream to condition and ready hair for styling. while blow-drying individual sections of hair, he sprayed the Pantene Pro-V Volume Root Lifter Gel for extra lift and definition.

he then spiral set her curls with a medium curling iron for contemporary waves, tousling Katy's hair with the Pantene Pro-V Texture Hairspray to finish the look.

Danilo described her bangs as "bumper perfection" after using the Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Frizz Control Extra Strength Serum on damp hair before drying straight and creating a smooth curvature across the brow.


tell me: what did you think of Katy's look?

xo
pics: Getty Images

Katy Perry at the MTV VMA's

Jake Bailey, who i had the pleasure of meeting in person this past saturday, created Katy Perry's much-talked about (and loved!) makeup look for this past sunday's VMA's. Jake says the look was definitely inspired by her dress-- an outrageous metal spiked mesh mini by The Blonds.



Jake says: "the dress reminded me of a Gianni Versace book i have called "Rock and Royalty" and the powerful iconic images in it. i wanted the eyes to evoke that type of decadent glamour and of course complement the sparkle of the dress with a little sparkle on the eyes."



"we used NARS Oil Free foundation as Katy's base and a pink shimmer blush for some glow. we kept the lips matte so the emphasis was on her eyes, but the definitely were not without color! for the carpet, Katy wore a matte coral and for her performance and after party, she wore a matte red."



"the eye look was done with black and gunmetal shadows, silver glitter and liquid liner. a great trick to wearing glitter like this, is to blend a little cream shadow onto the area where you want to place the glitter. you should do this once your eye makeup is finished. so as a last step, gently apply the glitter using your fingertip… just a little at a time in order to avoid a mess. once finished use scotch tape to remove any excess glitter that may have fallen on the face. press the tape gently into the skin and it picks it right up.

Katy's lashes were ultra long and gorgeous thanks to CoverGirl LashBlast Length Mascara."

thanks Jake!

didn't she look amazing?!

xo
image source

How Would You Wear This Dress by Matthew Williamson for H&M?

on many occasions, celebs wear the same dress or outfit to events, and more often than not, there is always a "better" way to wear it. instead of me telling you which way i think is better, i want you to tell me: who wore this Matthew Williamson for H&M dress the way you would wear it? Katy Perry or Nicky Hilton?






xo

Katy Perry's New Haircut

Katy Perry has a new look in the form of a sleek bob.

thinking of getting a cut like this or want tips for keeping a 'do like this looking good? click here

xo
source

look of the day: Katy Perry

Katy Perry is definitely one to take cues from if you like the classic hollywood style of dressing. here she is looking very elegant and pretty in Dior while in paris for fashion week.

i love the delicateness of this dress, and the pastels look so fresh against the white. and of course, i have to point out the darling shoes-- love!







xo
photo: Dominique Charriau/WireImage via instyle.com