the sparkly life: beauty gifts
Showing posts with label beauty gifts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty gifts. Show all posts

Friday, November 30, 2018

Gift Guide: The 17 Best Beauty Gifts



Beauty has been my job for the past decade-plus, so asking me to choose my favorite beauty gift is kind of like asking me to pick a favorite child. Especially because I literally saw hundreds of them this year! (Beauty gifts, not children...!) So, I narrowed it down to 17, which I still consider quite a feat. I really, really love the options here--and I know you will, too. Here, my favorite makeup, hair, skincare, fragrance, and candle gifts of the year. 

Sephora Favorites Beauty UnmaskedFace masks are sort of the perfect gift. They're indulgent, but also kind of practical at the same time. There are about 2 zillion different face mask gifts out there these days, but I love this set because it includes seven different masks from seven different brands like Fresh, Glamglow, Origins, and Boscia that are all best-sellers in Sephora. Fun way to try out a bunch of different products!

Sephora Collection Midnight Wishes Eyeshadow PaletteThis was one of my favorite items at the Sephora holiday event and I can't even pinpoint exactly why. Maybe it's because the packaging is so pretty. Maybe it's because it comes with 16 gorgeous and--and this is key--wearable eyeshadow shades. Or maybe it's because of the price. It was a good deal when I first saw it at $24, but now it is inexplicably on sale for $16, which makes it an insanely good deal. Grab it!

Nars Hot Tryst Cheek Palette: Nars makes my favorite blushes, and this kit has four of them, plus two pretty highlighters. But let's get real: I really love this for the way it looks. (Superficial, I know.) I absolutely die for that studded case and that amazing embossed pattern on the blushes themselves. The whole thing is so rocker-ish and cool. Also love this version with red studs!

Dyson Blown-A-Ouai Noir SetIf you (or your giftee) has been eyeing this amazing blowdryer that everyone's obsessed with, now is the time to buy it. With this set, you get the dryer, plus a bonus of four cult-favorite Ouai products for free.

Nails Inc Paint Your Nails Happy SetNails Inc makes amazing nail polish, and with this set you get four bold and pretty-darn-awesome shades. Also, hello--who wouldn't immediately smile upon seeing this cheery rainbow packaging?!

Krisin Ess Dry Shampoo and French Hair Pin Set: For the woman who frequently rocks second-day hair, I love this duo. The set includes a great dry shampoo, and a super chic oversized gold hairpin. Her messy bun will have never looked better. 

Chanel No. 5 Eau de Parfum Spray: I feel like everybody has had a Chanel No. 5 moment in their life--either they've worn it, they still wear it, or they've dreamed of wearing it. For me, it came back in high school. Fashion and supermodel-obsessed, Chanel seemed like the pinnacle of luxury to me, so I was thrilled when I bought a small bottle of No. 5. I felt so fancy. This new, limited-edition bottle makes me want to live that moment again. I love the deep red glass. It's jewel-like and even a little bit subversive. It's like a big gorgeous ruby and I love it so much. 

Rebels Refinery Skull Lip Balm: A lip balm shaped like a skull. Such a cool stocking stuffer.

White Barn Fresh Balsam CandleShow me someone who says they don't love candles, and I'll show you a liar. Everybody loves candles. This one is one of my all-time favorites, because it smells exactly like a Christmas tree, but the subtle white-and-sky-blue packaging doesn't look cheesy or overly "Holiday." 

Kiehl's Creme de CorpsOne of the all-time best body creams all dressed up in the brightest, cutest holiday packaging.


Fenty Beauty Match Stix By The Dozen: Any makeup-loving woman (especially teens and especially anyone who logs hours watching Fenty YouTube tutorials) will go nuts for this collection. She'll get 12 shimmer sticks that will add color or shine to her lips, lids, and cheeks. 

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Universe Collection: Super luxe, not cheap, but oh so freaking fabulous, this box of drawers reveals 12 Charlotte Tilbury favorites--some full-size, some deluxe minis. You'll get Magic Cream, Wonderglow, Supermodel Body, lipsticks, mascara, and more. 

Harry Josh Pro Tools Pro Dryer: Yes, everyone loves the Dyson (and it's awesome), but this is the blowdryer I personally use, and I adore it. It's super high-powered, and since I've started using it, my hair looks way better (shinier, less frizzy) and takes much less time to dry. It's certainly not inexpensive, but even at its normal, full price of $250, that's $150 less than the Dyson. And right now, it's actually on sale at Target for $199! (FYI: If it sells out there, it's also sold here at full price.)

Burt's Bees Personalized Lip Balm: How cute is this? You can customize Burt's Bees awesome lip balms online by choosing the flavor (there are seven choices including Cucumber Mint, Vanilla Bean, and Strawberry) and then printing any name on the label. Such a good stocking stuffer for literally anyone. (And would also make great wedding favors!)

Sephora Favorites Lash Stash: I can't think of one woman who wouldn't love this. It comes with ten different best-selling mascara formulas (eight deluxe minis and two full-sized tubes) and includes some of my favorites such as Benefit Bad Gal Bang, Too Faced Better Than Sex, Dior Dior Show, and more.


Voluspa Pedestal Warm Tones Candle Gift Set: Again: Everybody. Loves. Candles. Especially pretty ones. This set has four fragrant candles, each housed in a beautiful jar that looks like colorful antique Mercury glass.

Le Labo The Discovery Set: This is the ultimate cool-girl fragrance company. (Seriously. All the cool girls smell like Santal 33. Prove me wrong.) With this set, you get a mini of every scent they sell. Kind of the ultimate (and definitely the coolest) fragrance wardrobe ever. 

That's it! Which one is your favorite?!







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Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Gift Guide: The Best Gifts Under $50

holiday gifts

Home stuff, beauty stuff, fashion stuff, and more. Here's 15 gifts that cost less than $50, but are rich with awesomeness.

{top row, from left}

Cardigan - Wait. How is this only $49? I want one in every color. I'd live in it.

Copper Cheese Knives - So chic, yet so grown-up and practical.

Sonix Good Luck phone case - I love a clear phone case and this one with all of the good luck symbols is really cute and different.

Madewell necklace - So simple and pretty. (Get 25% off with code LATEBIRD.)

Birchbox The Best of K-Beauty Kit - A fun way to try some cool, hard-to-find Korean beauty products. There's a mascara, a mist, a really neat tinted lip balm, blush, and gel liner.

{middle row, from left}

Sephora Geometricolor Palette Blockbuster - I don't know how Sephora does it, but they do it every year. This time, they give you a ridonkulous amount of makeup (80 eyeshadows, 32 lip glosses, 6 cream eyeliners, 4 brow powders, 4 face powders, and 4 blushes--a $227 value) for $49.50.

Malin + Goetz Naughty & Nice Votive Set - Some of the best candles ever--Dark Rum, Mojito, and Tobacco--and all have true unisex appeal.

Baublebar Tassel Earrings - Ninety-nine percent of the time, I'm a studs girl, but these pretty blush-colored danglers make me want to venture out of my comfort zone.

Sonia Kashuk Holiday Brush Set - I am always so impressed with the quality of Sonia's brushes--they are just as good as tools that cost three times as much.

Threshold Gold and Marble Tray - Looks surprisingly expensive for being less than $30.

Capri Blue Gilded Muse Candle - It smells like grapefruit and prosecco and is just so glam, no? (Also available here.)

Kate Spade Glitter Photo Frame - Who doesn't need a new frame? And who wouldn't want a sparkly one? #TeamGlitter

{bottom row, from left}

Clinique Honey, Honey Lip Set - I've been a diehard Black Honey fan since it launched. This set has the original looks-good-on-every-single-person lipstick, plus a pink version and two lip balms/scrubs.

J.Crew Metallic Leather Pouch - I love the combo of the burnished gold leather and the blush-colored ribbon.

Charlotte Tilbury Mini Lipstick Trio - One of my fave beauty gifts ever. The lipsticks are teeny and so. freaking. cute.

While you're at it check out the 15 best beauty gifts, the best gifts for little girls, and the hottest holiday toys.







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Monday, December 5, 2016

Gift Guide: The 15 Best Beauty Gifts


Beauty gifts are (perhaps, obviously) my favorite kind of holiday gift. They're perfect for a mom, sister, or BFF--or to add to your own list. Here's a few of my favorite things that I saw this year. 

1. Deborah Lippmann Pretty in Pink Nail Polish Set - A wardrobe of pinks, ranging from pale to bright, all in one of the best nail polish formula I've ever used. (And you get $72 worth of polish for $34!)

2. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Surreal Light - Hourglass makes some of the best, most flattering highlighters and this set includes three of them, plus two luminous shades of blush. And the marbelized case is pretty and unexpected.

3. Benefit Girl O'Clock Rock - Like the coolest-ever advent calendar, this set comes packed with 12 mini versions of Benefit's most popular products including They're Real mascara (SO. GOOD), Hoola bronzer, Benetint, and more.

4. Beauty Blender Pro On The Go Collection - I'm obsessed with my original BeautyBlender. (As is pretty much every pro makeup artist.) This set includes every version of it, so you can rock your makeup application like a YouTuber.

5. Laura Mercier Going Glam Palette - There's four flattering netural eyeshadows, two blushes, and a peachy lip gloss, all tucked in a tiny compact. It's $84 worth of product for $56.

6. Tarte Pretty Paintbox Collector's Makeup Case - Tarte always has the best holiday palettes. With this one, you get $418 (!) worth of makeup for $59. There's 24 eye shadows, four cheek colors, plus mascara, eyeliner, and lipcolor, all in a Pucci-esque case.

7. Philosophy Amazing Grace Ornament - Everyone's favorite fresh-meets-feminine fragrance in a cute ornament-like package that's ideal for gifting.

8. Ouai Style Edit Set - Great way to try out the ultimate cool-girl line of haircare products with this intro pack that includes the brand's famed wave spray, texturizing hair spray, and finishing cream, plus a pack of chic white hair elastics.

9. Clinique Tiny Temptations Set - My love for Clinique's Chubby Sticks has been well-documented on this blog. It's the perfect low-maintenance, pretty, simple-to-use, sheer lipcolor in a stick. This set includes mini versions of 20 different colors.

10. Diptyque Limited Edition Giant Baies Candle - Yes, the price is ridiculous, but it's basically a neverending supply of what is perhaps the all-time most perfect home fragrance. And it's in a giant black-and-gold jar, so #YOLO, you know?

11. Sephora 'Leave a Little Sparkle' Makeup Clutch - A cute, glittery way to travel with your makeup.

12. Urban Decay 30 Years of Beauty Vintage Vault - As a '90s girl, I can't help but love this. It's the original, groundbreaking, industry-disrupting shades of Urban Decay lipstick, nail polish, and eyeshadow all together in one nostalgia-inducing set. 

13. Oribe Cote d'Azur Duo - Oribe's shampoos have the cleanest, most amazing scent ever. Now you can smell like that all the time--even on no-shampoo days--with this scented oil and fragrance.

14. Sephora Collection Mask It All Over - Your skincare-/mask-obsessed buddies will love this collection of two face masks, an eye mask, a foot mask, a hand mask, and a charcoal nose strip. 

15. Yves Saint Lauren Sparkle Clash Palette - A pretty, glittery case with party-ready eyeshadows, blushs, lip colors, and highlighters.
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Friday, November 14, 2014

11 Cool Things You Need to Click On Today

From top left: The calm before the Brides beauty sale storm; a view of Times Square from my office; evidence of my awesome parenting; cool new lineup of products launching from Jergens next year
This week was a busy one for beauty events (saw new products from Jergens, John Frieda, Peter Thomas Roth, Shiseido, Skinceuticals, and more), work stuff (we finalized the Brides beauty awards winners and had an epic beauty sale), and of course, everything that comes with home life and blog life. 

This weekend I'm looking forward to going out to dinner with friends, lots of family time, and a much-anticipated trip to a suburban Whole Foods, which is honestly SO EXCITING. (When you live in NYC for over ten years, real grocery stores are basically Disneyland.)

Here are a few fun things in the meantime. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

• Perfect gift alert! >> Ciate does a new version of this nail polish advent calendar every year, and when it arrives in the office, without fail, all of us beauty editors swoon. The colors are great, the value is fantastic, and really, is there anything cuter than diminutive bottles of nail lacquer?

• I live for a good boyfriend cardigan. Can't believe this one is $22!

• How pretty is this anti-aging, skin-softening face mask?

• Why you should move to a city where you don't know anyone. (I did this multiple times in my 20s and am so glad I did.)

• The secret language of tween girls on Instagram (a.k.a. yet another reason I'm glad we didn't have social media when I was in high school).

• Nice roundup of winter vests from Katie.

• Getting this up close and personal with a lynx would be SO cool...provided I was inside like this person.

• These adoption photos are so beautiful.

And in case you missed it, this week I...

• Showed off my weekend wardrobe. (Hint: It's all about the boots.)

• Gave a sneak peek at the new issue of my magazine.

• Shared my 5 Rules For Life.