Do you have a nailfile (lover of all things nails, polishes, etc) on your list this year? I love to give gifts from the CND line. The quality is great and they put some creative sets out every year like this Almond SpaManicure Snuggle Set. It contains a bottle of their Almond Hydrating Lotion (8oz) – use it on hands, body and feet. Contains jojoba seed oil, sunflower seed oil and vitamin E, Solar Oil (.25oz) – this is a cult favorite to keep cuticles in tip-top shape with a bevy of nourishing oils like sweet almond, jojoba and rice and  a pair of cute Cozy Pedi Socks! $16.95 @ ulta.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

If you’ve read Cybelesays.com long enough, you know that I am pretty driven by my nose. Scents, fragrances, I really love a good one and especially around this time of year! And here’s a few that are tickling my nose right now!

  GOLDFADEN Body Exfoliating Polish Peppermint Infused ($45/8oz @ bloomingdales.com)
ARCONA Pumpkin Lotion 20% ($35/4oz @ nordstrom.com)
MISTRAL Winter Pine Holiday French Soap ($8.25/7oz @ smallflower.com)

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

So today is a pretty exciting day! Not only is it the busiest shopping day of the year but it’s the day I kick off my Annual Holiday Gift Guide. From now until Christmas Day, I'll be rolling out picks I all across the beauty board - from fragrances to makeup to hair and of course bath and body care. If you see the below wreath in a review, you'll know it's a Cybelesays gift pick! Enjoy.

To celebrate the holidays, BLUEWICK just put out their Tarro Collection of four Soy Candles and it was hard to pick just one favorite so I narrowed it down to two scents – the Tamarind Fur (crisp winter forest Siberian Fir and Balsam blended with Sweet Tamarind, Lemon Leaf and Bamboo) and Festival (Dewfruit Zest, Loganberry, Heliotrope blended with Sweet Muguet Vanilla, Allspice, Quince and Valencia Orange). So each of these fulfill a mood! $24.50/16oz = 90 hours burn time @ bluewick.com.

And know that these burn down to the very last drop. Major quality in these candles!

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS just came out with some new Lip Tars. I am a fan of these though they are pretty hard to handle when you’re on the go. If you are not familiar with them, they have quite a cult following and are creamier and more pigmented than a gloss and more like a liquid lipstick. And as they say, a little goes a long way and I would recommend using a lip brush and scooping it right off the plastic tip of the applicator. And I love the dash of peppermint oil they add to the formulas!

From L to R:

Harlot – fiery coral red, Stalker – intense blue-based red, Strumpet – red seedless grape, Trick – crème beige neutral, Strutter – plush mahogany red, Trollop – vivid cranberry pink.

$12.50 each @ revolve.com.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

THYMES just put a new scent out, Agave Nectar, and now every time I go into the bathroom I have to stop and smell the soap! Picture ruby red grapefruit, tangy guava, lemon blossom and agave nectar and you have the scent of this collection. It comes in quite a few types of products but mine have to be the Soap ($13/70z), Home Fragrance Mist ($16/3oz) and Bubble Bath ($20/12.25oz). All @ shoptiques.com.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

What It is: LES TENTATIONS DE CHANEL offers a sumptuous collection of tempting chocolates and fuchsias for the holiday season. Warm, vibrant tones punctuated with pops of festive colour create effects that are at once charming and sensuous.

Wanna see the pick? Click after the pic!

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What do you use to swirl and tap your mineral makeup in? As in, after you pick up the color, you need to kind of work it into the brush and I think that anyone who uses mineral makeup has used the container lid by default. Now you have a choice! The MINERALS MATE is an 8” x 4” palette with various sized wells can hold your eye colors, cheek shades, water if you are looking to change up the effect and more. And in the middle front is a thumb rest so you will be able to pick the plate up and move it about without running the chance of accidentally dropping or knocking the powders around.

And this comes in a nice red satin pouch for storing leftover minerals from day to day and also a spatula for scooping. And when you are ready to clean it, just use soap and water. And it’s on sale right now for $6.99 @ mineralsmate.com. Holiday presents anyone?

Speaking of holiday presents, I will begin my Annual Holiday Gift Guide starting the day after Thanksgiving so make sure to check back for some swell beauty picks.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

I’ve been wearing this lippie a lot on the weekends and after 8 or 9 hours with it on, my lips are suffering with dryness and flaking. Thank goodness I been piling on the QTICA Intense Lip Repair Balm ($12 @ amazon.com). Not only does the menthol provide soothing relief but the honey, essential oils, aloe, tea tree  and beeswax help to heal the delicate skin.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

I’m always on the hunt for lines that don’t carry bad ingredients in them but at the same time, won’t break the bank. I think brands are becoming more saavy when sourcing ingredients as consumers continue to educate themselves. And I can’t believe it took me this long to try something from this next line! Established 38 years ago, the DESERT ESSENCE line relaunched their skin care, hair care, body care, oils and dental care products this past summer and from seeing the old and new, I must say I am loving the new look. Bright colors with strong graphics on each one that just beg you to pick it up! And they were really onto something when they created the line sans SLS, PEGs, parabens, phthalates, glycols, artificial colors and fragrances, DEA, MEA, TEA. And each is also vegetarian and cruelty free. So choose and use their products with confidence.

Feeling the chill of the wind recently, the skin on my arms and legs has felt unusually dry lately, so I’m glad I had their Natural Shea Butter Body Cream on hand. It comes complete with I would consider a multi-vitamin inside each tube with vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E and 18 essential amino acids. $9/8oz @ desertessence.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

Isn’t it nice when you find a brand that not only makes a great product but it’s something you too can believe in it? The new-to-me line is called BY NIEVES and each handmade product is created in the San Francisco area. I tried the Face Fix ($32/4oz @ bynieves.com) and this is one that comes in the dry form, so no preservatives, and can be used as a face scrub or a face mask. And yes, I’m a fan of the ingredients: Organic White Willow, Licorice, Horsetail, Rose Petal, Comfrey, Chamomile, Orange Peel, Lavender, Grapefruit Peel, Lavender, Neem Leaf, Bladderwrack (of course I had to look this one up! It’s a seaweed found in the North Sea), Rosehip Powders, White Kaolin Clay and Jojoba Beads. Quite a few of these are really soothing to sensitive skin so if that’s you, you might want to consider this one. I can’t wait to try out other products in her line!

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.