One of the best things about meeting great new girlfriends is their keen insight about beauty and make-up tips. I met a really great girl a few weeks ago at a party and within about an hour of the two of us chatting I knew she was the real deal and would eventually become a great friend. We had so much in common and talked about everything from our dreams and hopes to our great loves and losses. She was amazing, intelligent and absolutely gorgeous. Her skin looked like porcelain so I just had to ask what kind of makeup she used, especially after hearing that she too had been in the beauty business for years. I was expecting her to say she used some fancy, high end makeup from like the South of France or something (or perhaps it just looked flawless because she was a professional make up artist and knew how to apply it perfectly), but as it turned out, the makeup company was CoverGirl and the application was flawless because of the product’s brilliant consistency.

I told her how funny I find it that I’m a professional beauty expert but for the life of me I never feel like I’m all that great with makeup. I found out within about three minutes (as she whisked me off to the bathroom) that beautiful makeup and application is all about easy steps and that the makeup should be used for enhancement as opposed to change, and most of all finding and using the best product is essential.

I already had mascara, a stained blusher and lipstick on, but nothing else. After all, I hate to look overdone and I thought it was ok as it was. But she handed me an eyelash curler and said “use this!” I was kind of thinking…oh, well I already have my mascara on (and we all know the cardinal rule to curl before mascara, not after) but instead of saying all that, I just did as I was told. It turns out…rules are definitely meant to broken on occasion! Next she whipped out her CoverGirl Smoothers AquaSmooth Makeup Compact and shared with me that it was her secret to that beautiful flawless skin of hers that I had been gawking at all evening. I grabbed a new makeup sponge and started to apply it. The coverage was amazing (not too heavy or too light…just perfect and so unbelievably natural looking). I knew I’d be ordering this dream foundation the very next day…which by the way, I did. Lastly, she whipped out a little eyebrow makeup and eased in some color and definition to my sparse, blonde eyebrows. After those three easy steps, I felt like I looked defined and incredible. I couldn’t believe the difference and even felt like others at the party noticed as well. I looked finished!

Drugstore.com has a complete CoverGirl Store within their website along with a full stock of the amazing CoverGirl Smoothers AquaSmooth MakeUp in a huge array of colors. I read all the reviews and everyone felt the same way. They used words such as “The Best!,” “Hard to Find,” “Covers my mature skin without looking cakey,” “Goes on so smoothly,” “Easy to apply,” “Easy to take off,”  “Blends in quickly and evenly,” and on and on! I’m here to tell you, it’s all that…and more!

CoverGirl Smoothers AquaSmooth Makeup is non-acnegenic, dermatologically tested, and contains chamomile and conditioners. The finish is silky smooth and contains light reflecting pigments that erase fine lines and other imperfections brilliantly. It’s less than ten bucks and you can save even more when you purchase it from Drugstore.com with some of their CoverGirl coupon offers they currently have going on now.

You know, it just occurred to me that the blush color I mentioned earlier was actually a CoverGirl LipStain I had applied to my cheeks, my lipstick happened to be CoverGirl Outlast and my mascara was CoverGirl LashBlast. I hadn’t even thought of any of that on that wonderful beauty fact finding night. I guess…just like my new friend Kerry…I too am an easy, breezy, beautiful CoverGirl!!

And yes…I will let you know what Kerry’s little magic eyebrow enhancer was; as well as another little great skin care product that I had applied earlier that evening to erase some of my fine lines and wrinkles before I ever even applied her magic makeup. Because when it comes to a flawless finish like that…the two together were definitely a winning combination! But we’ll save those for next time!

Remember how exciting it was to get electronic toys for the holidays? Beauty tools are essentially the adult versions, making for endless fun when the kids are off enjoying their gifts. With the popularity of beauty tools growing by the day, I just had to put together my list of the top 5 beauty tool gifts for this holiday season.

Some tools are more on the practical side, offering solutions to real problems so while you’re planning out your gift-giving, keep the recipient’s feelings in mind and make sure that your gift isn’t confused with a not-so-flattering hint. We don’t want any hurt feelings this holiday season!

1. HairMax LaserComb Premium – Thinning hair is a very common problem for both men and women. While a treatment might not be considered fun by some, the gift of fuller, thicker hair will be greatly appreciated. Instead of using a chemical treatment twice a day, the lucky recipient can use the HairMax hand held device three times a week and see results in as little as 12 weeks. Who’s the real Santa now?

2. Personal Microderm Tool Kit – Spa gift certificates are popular during the holidays but doesn’t it make more sense to give a gift that allows for on-going regular treatments? The Personal Microderm produces spa-like results and can be repeated as often as every week for fabulous skin. It really is the gift that keeps on giving long after those gift certificates get used up!

3. Silk’N SensEpil Hair Removal Device – You definitely don’t want to tell the special lady in your life that she needs a solution for her furry legs but if she happens to express an interest in laser hair removal and doesn’t feel that she can afford the high cost of professional treatments, Silk’N has the perfect solution, an at at-home laser hair removal device that’s just as effective as dermatologist and spa sessions but comes in the form of a much more affordable convenient tool.

4. Clarisonic Tools – If your loved one still doesn’t have the Clarisonic Skin Care System, you’ve got a no-brainer gift. Even Oprah can’t live without it! If she already has one and loves it, check out the Clarisonic Opal Sonic Infusion System. You can be one of the first to give this new anti-aging tool for the eyes as an extra special gift.

5. NuFace Device – This is as fun as it looks. The microcurrent technology retrains muscles to relax, softening those pesky lines and wrinkles. NuFace is so much more pleasant than injections and without the worries of complications.

If you don’t own a Clarisonic by now, what are you waiting for? As was the case with the Sonicare toothbrush, once consumers discovered the Clarisonic, there was no going back. Cleansing suddenly took on a whole new meaning. I think it can be said that the majority of skin concerns and problems can be improved using the Clarisonic with your favorite cleanser. The system helps to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, discoloration, dry patches, blemishes and oiliness. Frankly, the “can’t do” list is MUCH shorter than the “can do” list. For those of you who have held back for reasons of price and/or an on-the-go lifestyle, the company recently came out with the Clarisonic Mia, a less expensive and travel-friendly unit. How perfect!

While we have talked about the improvements you can expect with this amazing cleansing system, what’s talked about less is how much better anti-aging products perform after using the Clarisonic. When the skin is properly cleansed, dead cells are exfoliated and pores are cleared of debris, oil and dirt. This makes the skin ready and eager to absorb beneficial actives. Rather than calling it a day after you have cleansed, take advantage of your clean slate by feeding your cells with nourishing and reparative anti-aging ingredients.

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic can be applied right after using your Clarisonic to bathe your fresh skin with protective antioxidants that not only prevent damage but also correct past damage, restoring elasticity and evening out skin tone. SkinCeuticals products absorb much better into the skin after a thorough cleansing from the Clarisonic. Once the product is absorbed into the skin, it cannot be rubbed off. This means you benefit from all-day protection.

You will also get superior anti-aging benefits from Kinerase Cream, a fast-absorbing moisturizer that hydrates and treats the skin without causing irritation. This is perfect for sensitive types that have multiple signs of aging including sun spots. If you are sensitive, remember to use the Clarisonic sensitive brush heads with your Clarisonic. In combination with Kinerase, you can expect to see younger looking skin without redness, stinging or burning.

You may be the kind of person who wants to throw everything you can at your skin. If that’s the case, SkinMedica TNS Recovery Complex is the product for you. The SkinMedica system contains natural growth factors, antioxidants, proteins and collagen. That’s pretty much everything but the kitchen sink! This is a must-have for anyone fighting all signs of aging and wanting a very aggressive treatment. Of course all of the actives will penetrate better without dead cells and impurities blocking the way so once again, use it after cleansing with the Clarisonic.

Have I sold you yet? The bottom line is that the Clarisonic combined with an anti-aging treatment system suitable for your skin type and appropriate for your concerns will arm you with a superior arsenal for combating maturing skin. Team work is essential and the results are remarkable.

How many times have you put on that dress only to discover that half an hour through the evening your bra is showing, your straps are falling or worse? This year I found a little trick for my party dress – Hollywood Fashion Tape.

This is a double sided fashion tape that holds your clothes in place. It’s easy to apply and easy to remove. It keeps everything in place all day or all night so you no longer have to worry about peak-a-boo anything! Make your you get some before your next formal event.

For those of us skin care junkies, the perfect gift involves… you guessed it… skin care! Boxed sets make what may seem like a practical gift extra luxurious and pampering. It’s a great way to spoil any woman, making her feel special and loved. There are also many men who appreciate a nice pampering gift of skin care.

Every year I just drool over the season’s giftable skin care kits. While it’s so hard to choose between all that the industry has to offer, I have put together my top 10 list of skin care gifts for the holiday 2010 season.

1. bareMinerals Beyond Gorgeous – There are countless bareMinerals fans out there and chances are you have loved ones among them. This is a very reasonably priced gift that is full of dazzling colors for the eyes, complexion and cheeks. Included are helpful brush tools and a beautiful gift box.

2. NUXE Gift Set – Natural products are rarely considered so luxurious. I know several fans of the Huile Prodigieuse Spray by NUXE. This kit contains this popular dry oil along with the super shimmering version, the hand cream and the cleansing water. It’s a beautiful kit!

3. L’Occitane Sweet Cherry Temptation Kit – Leave it to L’Occitane to create a collection of goodies around one of its most popular bath and body scents. The body and hand cream along with the shower gel come in a beautiful gift box. What at treat!

4. Ole Henriksen Three Little Wonders Box Set – This is somewhat of a practical gift since it contains high performance products but Ole Henriksen solutions are also colorful and lots of fun. This set contains three of the most sought-after items.

5. Philosophy Joy of Great Skin – Skin care kits from Philosophy are so much fun! This is kind of like a deluxe version of the makeup optional kit in a beautiful holiday box.

6. Aromatherapy Associates Miniature Bath and Shower Oil Collection – Know someone who needs to relax? Aromatherapy Associates specializes in natural oils for the bath and shower. They bathe the skin in nourishing botanicals while improving mood and stress levels around the holidays.

7. Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Gold Capsules Value Set – Elizabeth Arden is known for her luxury holiday gift sets. This one touches on the popularity of the Ceramide line by offering four exquisite products in one gorgeous gift box. You’ll make one lady very lucky!

8. Elemis Perfect Pro-Collagen Set – Many travelers have been introduced to Elemis products on luxury cruise lines. This gift set offers an outstanding collection of five luxury Elemis anti-aging products along with a facial mitt. If you your holiday plans don’t involve a cruise ship, you can still enjoy the frills.

9. Pevonia Luxurious Gift Box – There’s a reason the name has the word luxurious. Pevonia Botanica offers up four of its most decadent products in a giftable box that will definitely put a smile on her face.

10. Bliss Best of Bliss – Leave it to Bliss to come up with super fun holiday sets. This is a collection of travel size products that let the lucky recipient sample and dabble, experiencing the wonders of Bliss.

We all love having the perfect wine pairing with our dinner. But how many of us have thought about pairing up the perfect wine infused hydrating mask with the perfect moisturizing dew?

In all honestly, I had never pondered it until I recently tried some new ARCONA products that ended up being the proverbial dynamic duo. Of course, I’m aware of the beneficial skin care properties in wine and products made with wine but I hadn’t considered the potentiating effects of it until I felt and saw it for my own eyes.

Arcona brand has two brilliant products that when used as a pairing leaves your skin amazingly soft, dewy, hydrated and luminous. ARCONA Wine Hydrating Mask has some of the best customer reviews I’ve read in recent years. It revitalizes, repairs, hydrates and refreshes the skin and is recommended for all skin types.

After using the mask as directed, apply ARCONA Magic White Ice moisturizing gel for unparalleled beauty and skin care results. It’s lightweight, yet leaves your skin feeling completely hydrated, brightened and deliciously dewy.

The products are affordable, yet extremely professional. You will look just like you walked out of a spa retreat! I am so strikingly impressed with these two ARCONA products. You will be too!

What the heck?? I finished all my Christmas shopping before I got out of bed this morning and I did it all at one place. This gift shopping business just gets easier and easier. I remember when I would have to carve a day or two out of each week of the holiday season, get a babysitter, find a friend to go with me, ask for bags that the kids couldn’t see through, track back and forth to my car to put stuff away as I couldn’t carry it all through the mall, spend my life savings or charge my credit cards to the hilt, trek back and forth to the trunk of my car in order to bring it into the house, stand in lines at the stores, choose things that I didn’t really want just because I was exhausted, pay way more than I should and the list goes on.

But not anymore thanks to www.drugstore.com!

This morning I shopped the Holiday tab on Drugstore.com and found the most amazing, fun and unique gifts and all for less than $100! And it’s going to be delivered to my door in the next few days! Check out some of my killer finds!

For my grandson:

Marshmallow Fun Company Marshmallow Shooter

For my best friend’s kids:

Mr. Rootbeer Root Beer Kit

Progressive Microwave S’mores Maker

For my daughter:

Conair MiniPRO ½ in Ceramic Straightener

Maybelline Volum’ Express The Falsies Mascara

For my son-in-law:

Philips Music Color Headphones, Blue

For my new granddaughter:

Fisher Price Soothe and Glow Seahorse, ages birth to 1+

Ready for the total? Drum roll please…..

$95!!! How cool is that? I’m so excited and so pleased with my selections! I can’t wait to shop for my sister and parents tomorrow!

Shampoo might not be the first thing that comes to mind when shopping for holiday gifts but in recent years the beauty industry has launched some very luxurious hair care kits that make for excellent presents. These days hair care is about so much more than just shampoo and conditioner. Styling products, dry shampoo and styling tools can make for great gifts when offered in kits or even as stand-alone products.

Here is my list of the top 5 hair care gifts for the 2010 holiday season.

1. Frederic Fekkai Shine Shine Shine Gift Set – This is a kit based on the Brilliant Glossing line from Frederic Fekkai that includes the shampoo, conditioner and glossing cream for amazingly shiny hair.

2. Klorane Award-Winning Essentials Kit – This is a practical but nonetheless fun kit from Klorane featuring the dry shampoo and leave-in fluid for smooth tame locks.

3. Alterna Caviar Anti Aging Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner Duo – Alterna makes some of the most luxurious hair care products. This duo comes in gorgeous packaging and is a real treat for anyone with dry hair that’s in need of some TLC. Both products smell fabulous.

4. Alterna Caviar Experience Kit – There’s a reason why every woman I know goes bonkers for Alterna Caviar. It’s fabulous! That said, women will really go crazy for this packaged set that includes the moisture shampoo and conditioner, the overnight hair rescue and the working hair spray. Everything comes in a very cool silver bag.

5. T3 Micro Single Pass Shine Essentials Set – Many women flat iron their hair these days and it’s extra fun to make a gift of that fact. T3 has very high quality irons and this set pairs one if its most popular tools with a whole collection of goodies that make styling easier and effective.

All of these sets make for fabulous gifts. If you’re looking for a great hair care stocking stuffer, here’s a little bonus item: CLEAN Original Dry Shampoo. In case you missed the memo, dry shampoos have become incredibly popular, allowing women to get by washing their hair every other day or even going longer. This one comes with the classic fragrance of CLEAN, leaving the hair smelling fresh all day.

I just found the proverbial beauty treasure chest on Beauty.com. For a limited time only on Beauty.com you can spend a hundred bucks (I did my Christmas shopping to earn mine) and receive free a Lolita beauty bag chock-full of 13 incredible products/samples. The bag is by designer Charlotte Ronson and so cute and convenient. It has a beautiful lace overlay, black patent leather piping and has pockets for supreme organization and ease

It comes with products by Dr. Brandt, Bliss, Phyto, Nuxe, Arcona and many, many more. You can try all the great products it comes with, own a great Lolita bag and all virtually for free. Take my advice and do your holiday shopping on Beauty.com and get your very own gift for free. I felt like I did my Christmas shopping for my girls, yet got myself a great gift as well.

 You'll never gripe about holiday shopping again! Well at least not on this shopping trip anyway. :-)

Want to have the most sparkling, luminous skin this Holiday season? And all within just an instant no less! Have I got the exfoliator for you! You’ve got to try Jan Marini Marini Instant Refining Exfoliator if you want the most amazing radiant glow your skin will ever achieve and all without harsh abrasive ingredients. It uses a brilliant technology which fuses exfoliating beads with enzymes and the best antioxidants used in skin care today.
 
Your skin will immediately appear as smooth as silk, your pores will be refined, and the texture improved brilliantly. The luminosity you will see will make you want to attend every Holiday function with bells on! This is definitely your holiday season must have! Use it, go out to your holiday party, and turn every head in the house!

When the holidays come around, I always notice that there is one type of gift that seems to be a classic over the years. Of course I’m talking about fragrance. There is something very luxurious and romantic about fragrance and this translates into a fool-proof gift that very rarely gets returned. Every year it’s fun to see the new giftable perfumes and colognes available. I get especially excited about the gorgeous box sets.

This year I have put together a list of top 5 fragrance gifts for the 2010 holiday season. These are real crowd pleasers that won’t disappoint.

Kenneth Cole Black Gift Set – This is a gorgeous box set from Kenneth Cole Black that of course contains the eau de toilette but also a travel version of the fragrance. Now he can smell good anywhere! He’ll also get the shave gel and deodorant. What man wouldn’t get excited about this?

Philosophy State of Grace Fragrance Wardrobe – Philosophy has so many great fragrances, it’s hard to choose. This collection offers four different Philosophy Grace fragrances, one for every mood. It sure is easy when you can just have it all instead of having to choose just one.

Calvin Klein CK Free for Men Gift Set – This is another fabulous gift set for men from Calvin Klein. Your special man will love the eau de toilette, after shave balm and body wash. Everything comes in a classy gift box with a scenic picture. It’s absolutely exquisite!

Sean John Unforgivable Eau de Toilette – One of my new discoveries in the fragrance world is Sean John. It’s a sexy, masculine fragrance that women might appreciate even more than men! I absolutely love the designer bottle. It’s quite classy!

Philosophy Pure Grace Fragrance – Out of all of the Philosophy fragrances, this one has the cleanest and purest scent. For women who prefer a light and crisp fragrance, it’s a great choice. The bottle is simple and the fragrance is clear. Sometimes simplicity is beautiful!

Borba, the beauty brand dedicated to helping us be beautiful from the inside out with its Nutraceuticals line (supplements which include powders added to drinking water and confections) has now added another avenue to healthy beautiful skin which works from the outside in as well. Borba products now offers their Cosmeceuticals line which are topical skin care treatments which uses a new technology to protect and treat the skin by penetrating the skin’s deepest layers. Additionally, the “Fiber-Knit Technology” which is specifically formulated to work with our body’s chemistry also provides a “web-like” meshing of protection to potentiate the healthy well being and repair of the skin.

Borba Advanced Aging Flawless Tone Hand Crème SPF 25 is the ultimate in hand repair. It provides amazing hydration, renewal and primo protection from further damage. My hands are no longer creppy, saggy or dry. They feel richly hydrated without feeling greasy. They look young again!

I never used to associate cosmetics with holiday presents until I became the happy recipient of a makeup gift kit as a teenager. It was one of my favorite presents ever. Since then I realize that makeup makes for endless fun that translates logically into a gift.

With so many fabulous cosmetics kits out there, I have assembled my top 10 cosmetics gifts to make it easier to choose.

1. Stila Lip Glaze The Sweet Six – What’s better than a Stila Lip Glaze? How about six! These lip glazes from Stila Cosmetics are hugely popular because they provide gorgeous, shiny color and smell great. This kit contains six of the most sought-after shades. It’s a collection that is simply divine!

2. Stila Color Wheel Eye Shadow Palette – How many shades of eye shadow can Stila possibly fit on one palette? Try 37! The possibilities are endless with so many shades. She’ll stay busy long after the holidays are over!

3. Tweezerman Travel Size Beauty Kit in Pink Case – Ordinarily I associate grooming kits with men but this is one very girly kit from Tweezerman featuring all of the essentials in a pink case. It’s great for the woman who travels.

4. bareMinerals Hollywood Glamour Collection for Eyes – Eye color collections are probably the most fun. Every year I get excited to see what bareMinerals will come up with. This is a fabulous coordinated kit for the woman who isn’t exactly a natural at knowing which colors go well together. It’s fool-proof!

5. Too Faced Glamour To Go Fairy Edition – If you’re looking for a kit that goes beyond the eyes, this one’s it. Too Faced put together a beautiful palette for gorgeous eyes, cheeks and lips.

6. Talika Eyelash Kit - Black – Talika specializes in creating gorgeous lashes. While most Talika products are practical, this kit presents itself as very giftable since the two products come in a pretty box that wraps up well with a little bit of paper and a pretty bow!

7. Amazing Cosmetics Perfectly Amazing Kit Light Golden – Make that special lady feel like a star by giving her Amazing Cosmetics, the preferred line of Hollywood makeup artists. This kit comes with an instructional DVD for flawless application. It’s available in three different shades.

8. Fusion Beauty LipFusion Infatuation Holiday Mini Set – Some of you have seen my rave reviews about Fusion Beauty. The lip plumpers make your lips feel and look incredible. This set includes four mini plumpers in different shades. They can be worn one at a time or blended for a custom look. This is a limited edition so grab it now! It makes for a great stocking stuffer.

9. Stila Smoky Eye Palette - Original – The smoky eye is trendy and sexy but not easy to achieve. Stila Cosmetics offers this truly unique palette that makes the process much more doable. You just push a button and there’s a voice that walks you through the steps of creating the perfect smoky eye. How perfect is that?

10. Colorescience California Girl Kit – It’s a fun four piece kit that gives radiance and glow. This is a great way for women to add a little color to their faces during the holiday months without the sun. No wonder California Girl has been Colorescience’s most popular shade!