holiday 2014: Mally Beauty Gift sets

{singing} it's the most wonderful time of the year…

still need more gift ideas? i have some fabulous gems for you to consider from Mally Beauty!

if there was ever a beauty brand to give {or gift to yourself} that would be loved, it's the brand Mally Rancal heads up. her products are amazing, formulated to last while making its user look and feel beautiful. we follow each other on Twitter and the woman is fabulous! currently, she's boasting her festive flair and it's so contagious {check out her Instagram, too}. 

for the holidays, her gift sets are {as Mally would say} gorgois ~ from rich and colorful eyeliners to maximum-shine lipsticks packaged in trendy bags, they're sure to be the hit of the season...

Mally Beauty Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner Set:

light up your eyes with this set of liners in festive shades. the budge-proof, waterproof eye liner glides on smoothly and effortlessly, while delivering rich color. accompanied with a chic metallic bag, you’ll look gorgois even on the go. 

Mally Beauty Mally Golden Rule of Beauty 5-Piece Collection with Clutch Bag: 

achieve a flawless, luminous look for lip to lashes with this coordinated five-piece kit! add a sheer layer of color on your lids with crease-proof eye shadow and add definition with a deep, waterproof eyeliner. put the perfect finish on your lashes with jet-black mascara; add a gentle blush to make you look flawlessly flushed, then finish off your look with High-Shine Liquid Lipstick in Cherry Blossom to make your lips look irresistible.

visit qvc.com to order these sets {don't wait too long, time is running out to receive by december 24th}. happy shopping!

info and images courtesy of Mally Beauty representative 

holiday 2014 {beauty}: Bobbi Brown Scotch On The Rocks Collection

when considering beauty gifts, the brand i'd consider highly for gifting would certainly be from Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. for holiday 2014 allow me to bring your attention to the Scotch on the Rocks collection ~ a gorgeous, confident assortment of new products featuring sexy, warm matte browns, golden metallic nudes and silky rich reds. these beauties can be used to create simple yet stunning looks to complement anything you wish to wear, day or night. 

the Bobbi Brown Scotch On the Rocks Collection includes:

LE Warm Glow Eye Palette

Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Scotch

Lip Color in Sultry Red, Bordeaux, Malt Shimmer and Beige Gold Shimmer

Lip Gloss in Scarlet, Gold {glitter} and Bellini {high shimmer}

Nail Polish in Bordeaux, Scotch Shimmer and Cherry Tomato

LE Highlight Powder in Pink Glow and Bronze Glow




needless to say, this is a beyond fabulous, breathtaking collection! any beauty-loving person {including me} would be happy to receive anything {or everything} from it.

you can find the Bobbi Brown Scotch On the Rocks Collection now at all Bobbi Brown counters, including nordstrom and macy's and of course at bobbibrowncosmetics.com

info, images, and video courtesy of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics

holiday 2014 {beauty}: Laura Mercier Colour Collection

the holiday season is on its way, beauties! have you seen the Laura Mercier Colour Collection? this gorgeous collection of makeup that should be considered for all the beauty lovers in your life.

let's take a look, shall we?

Into the Wild Look Book Collection {pictured above} features ultra-sheer, blendable products, this set of palettes have been inspired by Laura's work with celebrity clients, who wanted a universal compact that would "wake up" their skin and give them an immediate healthy glow. from bronzer, to cheek color, to glow, it’s easy to customize your look. contains three palettes:

*Safari Chic Palette includes 5 eye colors {Buttercream, LE Goldspun, LE Bronze Glow, Cognac, Bamboo}, 1 Face Highlighter {LE Coral Shimmer}, 1 Mini Longwear Crème Eye Pencil {Espresso}
*Jungle Chic Palette includes 5 eye colors {LE Vanilla, LE Granite, LE Asphalt, LE Brocade. LE Black Envy}, 1 Tightline Cake Eye Liner {Black Ebony}, 1 Mini Kohl Eye Pencil {Black Gold}, 1 Travel Flat Eye Liner Brush
*Tribal Chic Palette boasts 6 eye colors {LE Gold Leaf, African Violet, LE Ambre, LE Royal Pink, LE Sugarplum}, 2 Second Skin Cheek Colors {Orange Blossom, Pink Lotus}

the Luxe Travel Brush Collection {pictured above} contains 8 brushes you'll need to aid in flawless makeup application {Cheek Colour Brush, Secret Camouflage Brush, Pony Tail Brush, Crème Eye Colour Brush, Eye Crease Brush, Smudge Brush, Flat Eye Liner Brush, Angled Eye Liner Brush}. the full-sized heads have travel-friendly handle lengths and are housed in a chic, multi-purpose case.

Lip Transformer Trio {pictured above} features a color-coordinated trio of lip essentials, one for creating a perfect, pretty-in-pink look {Pink Spark} or Laura's signature red lip {Ruby Spark}. the Pink Spark set contains Mini Lip Pencil in Potpourri, Mini Crème Smooth Lip Colour in Creme Coral, LE Full Size Lip Glacé in Pink Spark; Ruby Spark set includes Mini Lip Pencil in Ruby, Mini Crème Smooth Lip Colour in Red Amour, LE Full Size Lip Glacé in Ruby Spark.

5 mini lip glacés in Pink Pop, Wildflower, Tulip, Bare Pink, and Angelic make up the Mini Glacè Collection.

Mini Caviar Stick Eye Colour Collection has 6 shades {Rosegold, Amethyst, Moonlight, Copper, Khaki, Cocoa} to shadow, highlight, line and define eyes for every occasion.

Portable Colour Palette for eyes, cheeks & lips includes 3 eye shadows {Vanilla Nuts, Baroque, LE Cedar}; 1 Tightline Cake Eye Liner {in LE Ground Espresso}; 2 Second Skin Cheek Colors {Lush Nectarine and Barely Pink}; 1 Lip Glacé in LE Rosebud

what stands out to you from this collection? i'm wishing for it all under my tree {so what's new, LOL!} you can find the Laura Mercier holiday Colour Collection now on counter and online at lauramercier.com

info and images courtesy of PR for Laura Mercier

winter beauty: new nail polishes from Pure Ice

 bonjour, beauties! 

hope your week is going well ~ can you believe the first week of november is almost over? the holiday season is officially here!

since time continues to move ahead at breakneck speed, whether we like it or not, it's now time to focus on beauty of late fall and the winter soon to come…

regarding your nails, Pure Ice wants to dress your tips {and toes} in style. featuring five new, sparkling shades, the winter collection promises to keep your hands looking their best during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, which will most certainly include the use of your hands {for shopping, baking, crafting, etc.}.

take a look...

Santa Merry Me: iridescent reddish gold polish melody with red hex glitter

Winter Blues: iridescent ice blue and pale gold polish with blue hex glitter

Gold Peppermints: icy rose champagne polish with light pink hex glitter

Pure Icicles: silver polish with white hex glitter

Bling On the Holidays: pale champagne gold polish with 14k gold hex glitter


they all look beautiful. do any of these shades stand out to you? you can find Pure Ice polishes at Walmart {for less than $2!}. 

info and images courtesy of PR for Pure Ice 

'stars and stripes' 4th of July manicure from JINsoon

if you're looking for some fun manicure ideas for the july 4th holiday, you are in luck. the fabulous Jin Soon Choi, founder of the nail brand JINsoon, has two brilliant looks she created that you can easily do yourself! so, go ahead and show off your chic, patriotic spirit with these stunning dashes of red, white and blue...

look #1

~ *Stars and Stripes* ~

how-to:

apply a base coat {like JINsoon Power Coat}

apply Michael Kors Gossip on the entire nail bed, leaving the ring finger bare

apply JINsoon Cool Blue to the entire nail bed of the ring finger

using JINsoon Coquette, apply horizontal stripes with a thin brush over the middle finger and the thumb

using JINsoon Coquette again, apply vertical stripes with a thin brush over the index finger and the pinky

apply JINsoon Polka White over the JINsoon Cool Blue on the ring finger to create the stars

apply a top coat like JINsoon Top Gloss over the nails for a lasting glossy finish

look # 2

~ *Patriotic Stripes* ~

how-to:

apply a base coat {like JINsoon Power Coat}

apply JINsoon Cool Blue on the entire nail bed

apply Michael Kors Gossip to the middle of each fingernail, leaving two stripes of blue visible on each side of the nail

apply a stripe of JINsoon Coquette in the middle of each nail

apply a top coat {like JINsoon Top Gloss} over the nails for a lasting glossy finish

i love these manis, don't you? 

many thanks to Jin Soon for sharing her fab ideas!

 for more info and fun nail tutorials, visit jinsoon.com.

info and images courtesy of Jin Soon Choi

my holiday manicures...

bonjour, loves! 

so, how was your christmas?! 

for me it was a fun/busy/memorable/stressful/funny/irritating/blessed couple of days, but overall, i'm thankful. it was fabulous and many delightful memories were made.

i decided this year to do two different nail looks. both have a deep base with added sparkle, are  incredibly easy to do, and would definitely work in the post-holiday season...

for christmas eve {pictured at top} i wore three polishes: Julep Jillian as the base with OPI All Sparkly and Gold {from Mariah Carey Holiday} at the cuticle; Sephora by OPI in Only Gold for Me added mega chunky glitter to punch it up a bit.

for christmas day, i went with L'Oreal After Hours, a gorgeous deep blue hue, painting SinfulColors Top Me Off on the index finger of my left hand and on the ring finger on my right. i told you...super simple!

did you do a special manicure for your holiday? tweet at me or tag me on instagram to share!

holiday beauty: Mary Kay Silver Screen Siren Look

each holiday season gives us the opportunity to spend extra time and give gifts to those we love, as well as the chance for us beauty-loving gals to glam it up and even step out of our makeup comfort zone to try new looks!

Condé Nast reached out to offer me, on behalf of Mary Kay, the chance to create a vintage-inspired beauty look to share with you, so you can only imagine my excitement!

though i don't have any fancy soirées to attend this year, of course, this was a no-brainer…

yes, please!

you may have seen blogger Lindsey Calla's ad feature in the pages of your Allure, Glamour or Self mags this month; she's made up in beauty looks {created by makeup artist Mariela Bagnato} and stylish ensembles {put together by Lindsey herself} that are seasonally on-trend and perfect for events and get-togethers you may be attending soon...

 those included Flapper Chic {smokey eye/neutral lip}, White Hot Suit {winged liner/red lip} and the look selected for me to interpret, Silver Screen Siren {plum lip/shimmery eye}.

i was sent all the products i'd need to create this look {with the exception of foundation and concealer}.

the Silver Screen Siren is a look i definitely had fun with. a deep plum lip isn't one i wear often. when i was a teenager, i loved a deep-colored lip and my go-to shades were always in the plum/burgundy family. now, of course, i'm all about the pinks, peaches and nude/neutral lips.

but i digress…

so, before i created my full Silver Screen Siren look, i tried out the shades and created a look for day that would easily transition to night by adding the key element of the deep plum lip...

if you follow me on instagram, you saw this day-friendly look...

 and here's the full look on me, complete with the deep plum lip...


i think if an invitation for a night out comes up, i'll definitely be ready to rock this look...what do you think? :)

every product provided is simply beautiful. i've been using Mary Kay makeup for years, and the products are only getting better. the pigment and application of the eye shadows is gorgeous; i especially love the cheek colors, and Lash Love mascara is fabulous, though i will admit the brand's Ultimate Mascara is still my all-time fave.

products* sent to me to create this look:
Mary Kay® Facial Highlighting Pen, Mary Kay® Eye Primer, Mary Kay® Cream Eye Color in Apricot Twist, Mary Kay At Play™ Baked Eye Trio in On the Horizon, Mary Kay® Eye Line in Deep Brown; Mary Kay® Lip Primer, Mary Kay® Lip Liner in Plum, Mary Kay® True Dimensions™ Lipstick in Mystic Plum. Mary Kay® Mineral Cheek Color in Sparkling Cider and Shy; Mary Kay® Lash Primer, Mary Kay® Lash Love Mascara in I heart Black; Mary Kay® Translucent Loose Powder, and Mary Kay® Makeup Finishing Spray by Skindinävia; beauty tools, including a full brush set were sent for application.

all of these products are available at marykay.com.

to see other holiday-inspired beauty looks, be sure to follow them on Twitter {@marykay} and look for the hashtags #MKtrend and #MKholidaylook to see how other fabulous holiday beauty looks are being created; visit and follow them on Facebook and Pinterest stay up-to-date on all the latest from this gorgeous brand.

*this post was sponsored by Mary Kay through Conde Nast; all products provided by Mary Kay; opinions are my own and i was not paid to post this. 

budget beauty: holiday gift ideas from Avon

still shopping for gifts? don't fret, beauties, there's still a few more days to shop. Avon has some fabulous items to choose from that are not only lovely, but quite wallet-friendly...

Be Jeweled Mini Lipgloss Set
five bejeweled, dazzling mini Glazewear Lip Glosses perfect to make lips sparkle in Plum Dazzle, Gleaming Ruby, Fuchsia Fantasy, Sparkling Crystal and Shimmered shades.

Merry Mini Glimmersticks Eyeliner Set
retractable, self-sharpening liners includes set of 4 in Black, Blue, Purple and Brown.

Party Polish Mini Set
a mini-mani holiday party in a box! features set of 4 mini Nailwear Pro+ Nail Enamel in Mystic, Golden Vision, Starry Sky and limited-edition holiday shade, Blushing Star.

Ultimate Mega Palette 
this collection is simply beautiful! boxed and ready to give, it's perfect for the makeup-lover in your life. includes 36 eyeshadows, 36 lip glosses, 6 blushes, mirror, blush brush, double-ended eye applicator and a double-ended lip applicator.

For Her Fragrance Sampler
this limited-edition fragrance sampler set includes eight best-selling fragrances, including: Unplugged for Her, Step into Sexy, Outspoken and Outspoken Intense by Fergie. even better, the sampler includes a voucher for a full-sized bottle of your fragrance of choice, making it the perfect present for indecisive buyers or receivers.

 For Him Fragrance Sampler
this set includes deluxe trial sizes of Avon's eight most stylish men's fragrances, including best sellers like Derek Jeter Driven and Driven Black; also includes newest fragrance for him, Unplugged. let the guy you gift this to try them and choose his favorite. he can use the voucher enclosed to redeem a full-sized bottle of the fragrance of his choice.

 time to stop procrastinating ~ for even more products and gift sets to consider, visit Avon.com

happy shopping!

keep skin looking its best this holiday party season!

office parties, cocktails with friends, family get-togethers, late night "ugly sweater" parties...

soirees that come along with the holidays are fun, but all the festivities can leave you looking less than lovely the morning after. thankfully, my sources that have shared some tips and products you can use to reinvigorate your skin and maintain a wide-eyed and bushy-tailed look.

consider trying the following list of beauty essentials ~ they just might be what you need to help your skin recover from all that fun you've been having...

start the morning after by cleansing away last night. Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase HydraBalance Foaming Cleanser is a soap-free, non-drying cleanser that contains a balancing formula to restore the skin's natural protective barrier, as well as help it regain and retain lost moisture.

wake up your skin with a cooling spritz! Jurlique Chamomile Soothing Mist gently calms and soothes tired skin; this beautiful formula will leave your skin feeling refreshed and hydrated {and one step closer to your former glory}.

lock in the moisture. Kinerase Advanced Lotion conditions while supporting your skin's natural production of hyaluronic acid. this gentle lotion also boasts in aiding the improvement of the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

wake up your complexion. follow this skin rehab with a light layer of Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm Multi-Benefit Skin Care Makeup all over to even out your skin-tone.


if your face is feeling fresh, but your eyes still look a little bloodshot, here are some easy tricks to brighten up those peepers...

start with the Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Under Eye Recovery to soothe and deflate puffiness for a bright-eyed appearance {this affordable wonder also decreases dark circles as it brightens}, then neutralize the redness and draw attention outward with a pale reflective shadow like the Too Faced Exotic Color Eyeshadow in Firefly.

complete the illusion of bigger eyes by tight-lining with the Too Faced 3 Way Lash Lining Tool and finish your look with a quick tap of Too Faced Full Bloom Full Bloom Lip & Cheek Crème Color in Sweet Pea. your fresh-faced look will leave people thinking you spent the morning doing yoga.


keep your skin happy and healthy looking this festive season. have fun of course, and remember that simple things like staying hydrated, eating healthy foods, and getting as much sleep as possible are also always beneficial!

happy holidays!