Since tomorrow is the biggest shopping day of the year, I thought I would do a feature on one of my favorite non-beauty subjects that’s vastly under discussed, foot support insoles. I am pretty obsessed and since I really like my heels, I have them in almost every pair I own in some form or another – a ball of foot cushion, back of the heel cushion, ¾” insert or a full insert for boots, which I always get ½ size too big so they fit snug.

But what Santa could really bring me this year that I’ve searched high and low for is a pair of ball-of-foot inserts for us stiletto wearers. It’s always the same, after about 2 hours of standing in sky high heels, shifting back and forth, my feet are done. And I’m not one of those that will take off my shoes before the night is over and carry them. They only come off when I’m in the door, home.

So that’s been my hunt for a long time now - something that lets me get hours of wear out of a nice pair of high heels without the pain. 

So in my quest in making all my shoes comfy, I’ve tried many different brands - Foot Petals, Dr. Scholl’s, Kiwi, Spenco, Stiletto Hardware and others. From what I’ve experienced, the material these companies use is either rubber, poron (Foot Petals) or some kind of space age material they claim will make you feel like you’re walking on clouds. 

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Ok, ok, we’ve all used the plastic lash combs but can we get serious?? They suck!! Really. Truly. Suck! The plastic teeth are just too thick to get through lashes when they are coated with mascara and when I do get them through, the teeth seem to clump together 3, 4 or 5 eyelashes together. Done with that and believe me!

So I have to ask ... 

What Makes for a Great Eyelash Comb?

Here are my selling points for making eyelash comb with metal teeth the only ones in existence!

• The teeth in metal combs are thinner so they are able to get in-between each lash easier.
• The metal teeth clean up easier with a little makeup remover.
• The metal teeth don’t break.

Here are a few that get my stamp of approval:

PERFECT LASH COMB ($15.95 @ perfectlash.com) – This one isn’t in my Hall of Fame for nothing! And the added bonus of curving to the shape of your eye makes using this one quick and oh so easy. 

SEPHORA COLLECTION Pro Brow Comb #21 ($14 @ sephora.com)

MAKE UP FOR EVER #276 Eyelash Comb & Brush ($28 @ sephora.com)

ARDELL Lash Comb ($1.65 @ amazon.com)

What kind of lash comb do you currently use? Let me know in the comments!

It seems like everyone is gaga over the Clarisonic. I like it but I’m part of that percentage where it didn’t really change the state of my skin like it has with some people. And that’s ok. So in looking at the phenom of using a tool of some sort to assist in the cleansing of the skin, I wanted to explore other vehicles, so to speak, that cleanse and exfoliate that won’t break the bank, and here are some I came up with that you may want to consider.

DEW PUFF Asian Clay ($7 @ walgreens.com) – made from the root of konjac (a plant native to Asia), this puff feels more like a rock than a soft puff through the packaging but not to fret, once it hits water, it soften up nicely.; almost to a jelly-like state. Use with or without cleanser and just replace it every 3 months.

WONDER CLOTH All Natural Make-Up Remover Cloth ($15 @ amazon.com) – seems to be modeled after the muslin a little bit. This one removes makeup and cleanses the skin nicely, not to mention it feels better running across my skin than a washcloth, and can be used over and over. And the biggest bonus is that the white cloth doesn’t stain! It says on the box that it, “removes makeup instantly with just water,” but I found I had to use some kind of cleanser/makeup remover. I love the cloth though. 

I’ve also discovered that there’s a whole underground dedication to the Muslin Cloth. The Muslin Cloth is a specially woven thin cloth made with 100% cotton that was introduced to Europe from the Middle East. It’s used in dress making, culinary, theater set backdrops (it holds dye well) and even medicine as a type of gauze. I’m not sure when people started using it in beauty but the trend seems to be gaining steam. And it’s funny because part of what I like about beauty is how things look i.e. packaging, design etc and these just look like thin pieces of white or beige cloth. So they are nothing really to look at as you can see from the below photo.

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URBAN DECAY Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner ($19 @ macys.com) – glitter fits every look when it comes to the holidays and this one suspends it in a clear base so it stays in place for hours. Color picks: Amp (light blue w/iridescent glitter), Spandex (deep blue-black w/iridescent glitter and shown in pic) and Glamrock (silver glitter).

JANE COSMETICS Water-Resistant Liquid Eye Liner in Metallic Platinum ($8 @ janecosmetics.com) – there’s something about this metallit color (there's no glitter in it) that really puts eyes center stage. It looks like liquid mercury on the skin! Wear it alone or use it to “highlight” another color liner on lids by putting it right next to another. Available in 13 colors total and now I'm curious if the other shades have the same effect!

DOLCE & GABBANA Glam Liner – Intense Liquid Eyeliner in Black Intense ($34 @ saksfifthavenue.com) – I don’t care what time of year it is, you must have a good quality liquid black liner in your arsenal. And if you need to replenish some shades, this one comes in 6 other colors. 

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

Why I don’t reach for products that highlight the pumpkin ingredient throughout the year and not just around Thanksgiving? I’ll never know! I mean, it’s rich in vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as fatty acids, so it’s super good for the skin, and it’s wonderful as a natural skin exfoliator.

The latest one I’m touting is MYCHELLE Incredible Pumpkin Peel. Isn’t that title a hoot? Mascaras do it all the time, so why not skin care products? It tells it like it is and it pretty much doesn’t lie. Not only does the formula exfoliate nicely with a combination of pumpkin pulp, pineapple, natural enzymes and fermented juice but it makes my skin feel so soft afterward, which must partially be from the honey inside. And I must say my skin feels softer than most manual exfoliators I have used.

But remember that just because it has natural ingredients inside doesn’t mean it can’t irritate the skin if you are sensitive, so do a patch test before using this one.

Get it for a reasonable $28/1.2oz @ dermstore.com. 

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

Seems that the time between Halloween and Thanksgiving is a bit of a no man’s land when it comes to scents. It’s not quite time for all the holiday fragrances to waft through the house but then again, I’m not quite feeling a floral bouquet either! So I’ve decided that from now on, between these two dates, I will burn the neutral orange scent around the house. This AGRARIA Woven Crystal Perfume Candle in Bitter Orange gave me the idea and while the orange fills the void beautifully, it has a touch of clove and Cypress that gets me excited for what’s coming up next week into next month.

The candle is made with vegetable-based premium soft waxes and a lead-free wick and comes housed in a beautiful rippled glass jar with a silver plated lid stamped with the Agraria crest. A nice added touch from a line that is quickly becoming a favorite. $55/7oz = 30 to 40 hours burn time @ neimanmarcus.com.  

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

I’ve never thought about putting the same brand of liquid soap in all my bathrooms and kitchen, have you? Well these Everyone Hand Soaps from EO PRODUCTS make me want to do just that! Yes, the packaging is hip and cool but they also have some great traits about them like being cruelty-free, scented only with essential oils (big thumbs up for that!) and each bottle is made with 50% post consumer resin (PCR), which is recycled materials.

With scents like Lime + Coconut with Strawberry, Ylang Ylang + Cedarwood and Apricot +Vanilla, I don’t think modeling my bathrooms after these liquid soaps’ bottle colors is far off, right? $4.99/12.75oz @ smallflower.com. 

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

I love brow products! Pencils, powders, especially something like this where the artist comes out in me! So what’s the latest to come out? Below are two for the pencil lover in you that you may want to check out. 

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These pressurized can containers housing body products seem to be pretty hot these days. Is it for the sake of freshness? The only other time I’ve seen this packaging was recently here and I just thought it had something to do with the fact that it was a self-tanner. Anyway, here are two brands rocking the trend right now!

Netherlands’ brand RITUALS Foaming Shower Gel ($15/6.7oz only @ ulta.com) comes in five scents, two of whic are new ones - Happy Buddha (sweet mandarin orange and cedar) and shown here, Zensation (organic rice milk and cherry blossom). These come out in your hand as a gel and turn into a foam once water hits it. Be forewarned, the gel comes out rather quickly so go easy on the nozzle.

ST. IVES Fresh Hydration Lotion ($7.69/6.5oz @ target.com, amazon.com) comes in three scents: Citrus & Vitamin C, Oatmeal & Shea Butter and Coconut Milk & Orchid Extract. They are made with glycerin & Shea Butter and leaves a really light trail of moisturizer in its wake. Who wants to spend time applying lotion this season? These are quick, easy and sink in quickly. 

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

Since my 20’s, I’ve been pretty good with making sure I take off all my makeup and wash my face at the end of the day. But lately I find myself reaching for a wipe to wash my face if I’m just too glued to a TV show that I can’t get up and do the whole process, so I've been keeping these close by. I've tried a LOT of wipes and these are the ones that have saved my skin!

OLE HENRIKSEN Truth To Go Wipes ($6/10 wipes, $15/30 wipes, $25/60 wipes @ sephora.com, amazon.com)

KOH GEN DO Cleansing Water Cloths ($39/3x10 packs of cloths @ dermstore.com)

NYR ORGANIC Organic Facial Wipes ($9/25 wipes @ nyremedies.com)

BOOTS No7 Quick Thinking 4-in-1 Wipes ($6.99/25 wipes @ target.com)

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.