Must-Have Gift Sets & Stocking Stuffers for the Holidays!!

The Holiday season is fast approaching. This year stock up on holiday gift sets and stocking stuffers for everyone on your list. Check out a few fab picks below!

Soap & Glory Do A Bubble Take™ Set
A Soap & Glory gift collection featuring five different bath and body minis and a shower pouf in a gorgeous barrel bag. This fabulous, travel-friendly gift collection of original-scented Soap & Glory formulas will keep you ravishing, even when you're on the road. The barrel bag comes stocked with a bubbly shower gel and full-size shower pouf, gloss-enhancing shampoo, an exfoliating body polish, their bestselling body butter, lush hand cream, and a refreshing moisturizing spray, so you can cleanse, shine, hydrate, and mist while out and about.

Price: $36
Where to buy: Sephora  www.sephora.com

Bath & Body Works Splish Splash Gift Set
This super cute tub is overflowing with Signature Collection favorites including a Shower Gel (10 oz.), Body Lotion (8 oz.), Fragrance Mist (8 oz.), Triple Moisture Body Cream (10 oz.), and small sponge. Available in a variety of Signature Collection scents.

Price: $30
Where to Buy: Bath & Body Works and www.bathandbodyworks.com

Alighiero Campostrini Soap
This vegetable soap bar is available in a full spectrum of Tuscan-inspired scents.
Price: $9 each
Where to buy: exclusively at C.O. Bigelow www.bigelowchemists.com

ybf Royalty Collectible Pewter Lipstick
Get in touch with your inner princess with these breath-taking new arrivals! Dress up your lips with a luscious, regal look and add ambiance to any vanity with this lavish, glamorous pewter toned lipstick case with smooth and creamy lipsticks in Royalty Red & Princess Pink. The intricately-designed case is embellished with glistening Swarovski Elements, each replicating the tone of the lipstick you choose. Available in royalty red and pink princess.

Price: $28.80 each
Where to buy: www.ybfstacey.com and www.hsn.com

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Ellis Faas | The Perfect Gift For The Holiday Season | Winter 2011 Set

You may remember my post from sometime last year where I introduced you all to a few amazing lip colors by Ellis Faas.  I've truly been in love with the brand ever since and i'm excited to see their holiday selections! For the 2011 holiday season, Ellis has selected a gift set of three, best-selling products that can be combined to create several looks. The set contains ELLIS RED Milky Lips L201 for gorgeously blood-red lips; black Creamy Eyes E103 for an easy smoky eye and/or to be used as a black liner; and the light Milky Eyes E209 for fresh accents.

Retail Price: $85

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GIVEAWAY | Win The Entire Disney "Muppets" Collection by OPI !!

Hey everyone! It's been awhile since our last giveaway and in honor of the holiday season that is quickly approaching I decided what better way to kick off the season than with an exciting gift? As some of you may know, OPI has recently teamed up with Disney in collaboration with the new Muppets movie and has launched The Muppets Collection. The nail collection consists of 12 limited-edition nail lacquers for Holiday 2011. Here's your chance to win the ENTIRE collection! Use the widget below for instructions and to enter. Good Luck!

Product(s) in this post were provided for post consideration. Read our disclosure policy here. 

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Dr.'s Remedy | Holiday 2011 Collection "Jolly & Joy" | Swatches + Review

Holiday cheer is contagious: the spirit is infectious, the charm is encapsulating. It's so divine, in fact, that you wish you could "bottle it up" - savor it, treasure it. Luckily, your friends at Dr.'s REMEDY did just that this year with their holiday collection of hues: JOLLY & JOY. In the lineup, five shades that are rich, riveting, and radiant. And the best part: the colors are traditional in scope but not on scale; meaning red and green - yes, the docs have you covered. See for yourself in the best holiday collection yet: Dr.'s REMEDY JOLLY & JOY for holiday 2011.

Essential Emerald 

A take on the classic tree-and-plant-inspired gem of a shade, with delicate glimmer and unparalleled amounts of glamour 

Revive Ruby Red

A shimmer-infused, Wizard of Oz-inspired shade of crimson

Passion Purple

A bombshell-boysenberry with subtle silver meshed throughout

Serene Silver Glitter 

A seasonal sizzler like no other; shine, chic, totally unique in the metallic scene

Resolution Red Glitter 

A red-meets-copper spin that's sequin-look-alike laden with high-shine and sparkle

Glow: Ok so I'm not sure where to even begin. But I must say that overall I'm really impressed with the selected shades for this collection and they really do put me in the holiday spirit (I'm already excited about Christmas). The three creme based shades each have a slight shimmer in them which I really like because they're so rich and sophisticated. I know that I mention it all the time that I've never been a fan of reds but lately they've been growing on me more and more. The "Revive Ruby Red" is a deep and sultry shade, I like it a lot. Let's move on to the shimmers.....Oh....Em....Gee!!!! I have never seen or tried a glittery polish quite like these before. They are extremely pigmented and pack a HUGE amount of glitter with every stroke. I only applied 1 coat in my swatches above. It's hard to really explain how amazing both glitters are but they go on differently from typical glitter where you have to pack them on, these kinda go on like a creme and are super pretty!

Glare: None! And actually I'm pretty surprised that the glitter polishes weren't that difficult to remove and the glitter didn't get everywhere unlike other glitter polishes I've tried in the past. Dr.'s Remedy definitely has a winning formula with these.

Would I Recommend It? Yes! The entire collection is nice and I can see myself wearing these 9especially the glitters) throughout this holiday season.

Where To Buy: Dr's Remedy "Jolly & Joy" collection is currently available on their website. To purchase or to learn more please visit www.remedynails.com . You can also "like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

**P.S. Just for the holidays Dr.'s Remedy has a special promotion on their "Jolly & Joy" collection which includes a special holiday price and FREE shipping! Click to Enlarge the photo below for more details!

Hurry! The special offer ends 11/18/11

Product(s) in this post were provided for post consideration. Read our disclosure policy here. 

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New York Color | Limited Edition "In The Spotlight" Collection | Review + Swatches

New York Color introduces their "In The Spotlight" collection which is composed of a few limited edition products packed with some of this seasons trendiest colors! The collection features three IndividualEyes Compacts, a Cheek Glow Single Pan Blush, Lippin Large Lip Plumpers and In A NY Minute Nail Colors. Check out swatches of a few selected products from the collection and my full review below!

IndividualEyes Compact

Hot Couture 

Swatches

IndividualEyes Compact

Fall Makeover

Swatches

IndividualEyes Compact

Designer Denim

Swatches

Cheek Glow Single Pan Blush

Hello! Lover Pink

Swatch

Lippin Large Lip Plumper

Fashion Week Mauve

Swatch

In A NY Minute Nail Color

Backstage Brown

In A NY Minute Nail Color

Underground Purple

Glow: The IndividualEyes Compacts are definitely my favorites. I was pleasantly surprised at how pigmented the shadows are. They go on smooth and are really easy to blend. I have to be honest, I had a few reservations when I first saw the color of the blush because I have darker skin and the the color is a pale shimmery pink. It actually goes on more sheer sorta like a bronzer which gave my skin a nice glowy effect. I also really love the nail colors. The formula is really rich and I only had to apply 1 coat of each polish, my favorite is Backstage Brown, it's more so of a gold and it's a very pretty shade for the fall.

Glare: The only thing I could do without in this collection is the Lippin Large Lip Plumper. Although I do like the color the gloss feels a bit tingly which is supposed to happen because it's a "plumper" that is designed to enhance your lips. But, being that my lips are already quite full ;o) I just don't see this as a must have for me.

Would I Recommend It? Yes! This is actually my first time trying NYC products and I must say that I am impressed with the pigments and overall quality. The brand is super affordable as well! I definitely see myself trying more from them in the future.

Where To Buy: The Limited Edition "In The Spotlight" Collection is currently available in chain drugstores and mass merchandisers nationwide. To purchase, learn more or to find a retailer near you please visit www.newyorkcolor.com . The IndividualEyes Compacts retail for $4.99, Lippin Large Lip Plumper $3.99,
Cheek Glow Blush $2.99 and the In A NY Minute nail Colors are $1.99.

Product(s) in this post were provided for post consideration. Read our disclosure policy here. 

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Violent Lips | Temporary Lip Tattoos "Glitteratti Collection"| Review + Photos

I'm all about trying new things and stepping outside of the box from time to time. And for me, sometimes stepping outside the box includes trying new and trendy things. I first learned about Violent Lips probably a little over a year ago. If you're not familiar with the company they sell various creatively designed temporary lip tattoos. I remember Keyshia Cole tweeting a photo of herself wearing a pair and they were so cute! I've had my eyes on these and have wanted to try them ever since! Glitteratti is Violent Lips latest collection and I recently tried the Crimson colored set. 

Each set comes with 3 applications. 

The steps are simple, All you need are a pair of scissors, cotton balls, and water. 

Step 1-POP: 

Remove the appliqué out of it’s stencil.

Step 2 -MEASURE: 

Line the center of the top lip appliqué to your cupid and measure the width and depth of your lip with your mouth open to a wide “Ahh” Shape. Make sure to stay outside your water line. 

Step 3-CUT: 

Cut to your measurements using the horizontal and vertical guides on the back of the lips. 

Step 4-PEEL: 

Peel the plastic film off the appliqué. 

Step 5-APPLY: 

Put the sticky side of the appliqué on your lips, making sure to keep your mouth in the wide “Ahh” shape. Soak the paper backing in water using your cotton ball until the paper starts to slide off. 

Step 6-SEAL: 

Seal and smooth the appliqués with a generous amount of water using your cotton swab.

 ** Wait 5 minutes for your lips to fully dry before you apply any product over your lips, eat or drink

Crimson Glitteratti

As you can tell in the pic below I kinda miscalculated how much to cut off on the bottom lip, hence the missing piece in the corner lol...oops :-/  

Glow: So I really didn't get the application of these quite right until my second attempt, I watched the tutorial on their website and once you get the concept they're pretty easy to apply. What I like most about these is that they aren't messy. I was a little apprehensive about the glitter at first because I thought it would end up everywhere but that's not the case. The glitter stays sealed to the sticky part and remains in place. I also liked that it was really easy to remove, all I had to do was peel them off and viola!

Glare: It really wasn't what I expected. You really do have to use a lot of water to get them to stick to your lips, even then I still had problems with it clinging to every crease and fold on my lips. It's literally like a sticker, I guess I was under the impression that it would sorta transfer like a gloss or "tattoo" but it's really just like applying a thin sticker to your lips :-/ They also feel really awkward, like if you smile too hard they might peel or come off. You definitely wouldn't want to eat, drink, or do anything extra in them. They feel very dry too, I applied a clear gloss on top to seal in some moisture and make them look a little less pasted on.

Would I Recommend It? Ehh, all of the lip tattoos that Violent Lips offers are really creative and cute. I mean it seemed like a cool idea until I actually tried these. Keep in mind that Glitteratti are the only kind that I have tried so far and these are a bit textured whereas some of the other designs look a lot smoother. I honestly don't see a use for these other than if you're trying to do something edgy for a photoshoot or possibly a costume, otherwise it's a bit much and sorta awkward for normal wear. I would love to try some of their other designs just to see if there's a difference in how they feel.

Where To Buy: The Glitteratti set retails for $14.95, each set includes 3 applications. To purchase or to learn more please visit www.violentlips.com .

Here's a quick tutorial that demonstrates step by step on how to apply the Glitteratti Lips.

Product(s) in this post were provided for post consideration. Read our disclosure policy here. 

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Nicole by OPI | Kardashian Kolors Collection | Swatches + Review

Nicole by OPI recently teamed up with the Kardashian's in announcing the launch of Kardashian Kolors, 14 new nail lacquer shades inspired by these six trendsetting women. Kris Jenner and her five daughters – Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian and Kylie and Kendall Jenner – are known for their head-to-toe unique style, which now includes nails! Check out swatches of the entire collection and my review below! 

Kourt is Red-y for a Pedi

And this captivating coral looks “fab” on everyone!

Listen to your Momager!

If you don’t, you’ll never see this fabulous blue again!

Hard Kourt Fashionista

This delicious deep brown is the chicest hue in town!

Khloé Had a Little Lam-Lam

A deep dark emerald worth falling for.

Kim-pletely in Love

Finally! The pink of her dreams has arrived.

 It's All About the Glam

Shimmering-white glitz for the glamorous gal!

My Empire...My Rules

This take-charge taupe is always on-trend.

All Kendall-ed Up

Powder your nose and get some pink on those toes!

Sealed with a Kris

Handle with care: This klassy red is top-of-the-line!

Follow Me on Glitter

A glittery deep gray that always has something to say!

Wear Something Spar-Kylie

Glitter-ly the prettiest pink ever!

Disco Dolls

Glittery gold glam gone wild!

Kendall on the Katwalk

A head-turning blue-green with a “sparkling” personality!

 Rainbow in the S-Kylie

Girls just wanna have…glitter in every color!

Glow: Ok, so I really love all of the cremes in this collection. My favorites are Kourt is Red-y for a Pedi, Khloe had a little lam-lam and All Kendall-ed Up. I'm actually really surprised at how much I like both of the reds. I NEVER wear read but these are true beauties, one is sorta coral and the other is a deep sophisticated red - both really pretty!

Glare: They really could've kept the glitters, It's no secret that I'm not a fan of glitters but these really didn't do anything for me, nothing spectacular in my opinion. My least favorite is It's All About The Glam which is the white color with a slight shimmer.

Would I Recommend It? I actually think they did a great job with the selection of this collection, I love the range of colors and of course the names.

Where To Buy: The Kardashian Kolors will be available Holiday 2011 for $7.99 each ($11.00 CAD). To purchase or to learn more please visit nicolebyopi.com.

Product(s) in this post were provided for post consideration. Read our disclosure policy here. 

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