So I’m kind of glad that December is coming to a close and my site can get back to normal again. And I can catch up on a few products that I had to put aside with the gift guide taking center stage all month. One being STILA Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow ($32 @ sephora.com). I was so curious about these after seeing the finishes of one of them in the pot a friend had. Wow! I thought if the vibrancy would show up exactly like it appeared in the pot, this could become a major player.

So how did they do? Click after the photo to find out!

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I’ve been feeling a little fruity when it comes to scents in the shower and these two have been filling up my nose with delight!

LUSH Rose Jam Shower Gel ($10.95 - $29.95 @ lush.com) – I just noticed that this is not a permanent product in the line, however, their UK site ships internationally so I’ve linked to that site if you want to order. And oh, you should so order this! Upon first giving this one a whiff, it’s like one of those Zest soap commercials from yester-year – the whole body wakes up and a smile comes across the face. The combination of Rose Obsolute, Rose Oil Egyptian Geranium and Sicilian Lemon is so delightful. And oh, before I forget, you should know that it also works nicely as a shower gel. Haha. Hopefully they will make this a permanent product in the line soon. 

GOURMET BODY PASTRIES Lemon Soufflé Sugar Body Scrub ($14/4oz, $25/8oz @ gourmetbodypastries.com) – If you like dessert-scented products, support indy brands, and prefer using products with real ingredients inside, this would be a great brand for you to try. Take their scrub. You just gotta love a product with just the essentials – sugar, castor oil (not just for constipation. It’s a great humectant), olive oil, essential oil and fresh lemon zest. Like the above one, this is another that has me sniffing and sniffing it for the love of the lemon. And the prices are right on. 

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

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The biggest party you will attend this year is right around the corner, so don’t you want to kick it up a little bit when it comes to your hair? Clip-in hair is the only way I go as it’s simple, easy to put in for the regular person and really shoozhes up a look, no? The latest brand I tried is HAIRDIAMOND ITALIA. They make pieces in real Remy hair (this is real human hair!) and Keraflex, which is a heat resistant fiber hair that can be treated like your own hair. So no matter which you chose, you can use that curling iron or flat iron on them!

They come in 13 different colors and the Remy comes in 14”, 18” and 23” lengths and the Keraflex ones come in 14” and 20” lengths. And if you are looking for specific pieces, they make those too, like toppers and bangs.

The style I tried was the FastClip 14” Remy Extension in a really light shade of blonde. I recently went to get my hair touched up from my hair stylist Kristin Merkling, freelance hair/makeup artist based at KimVo salon in Beverly Hills, and brought the FastClip with me I was sent to try. Since she is a professional in this area, I wanted to get her input on clip-in hair pieces.

So I have to ask ...

What Makes for a Good Quality Clip-In Hair Piece?

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Just out are two products to help with those of us who love to wear high heels. Each uses different ingredients to achieve the same result, which is to give you more time in your heels without sore feet.

First up, BIOCHEMISTRY BY DR. HAWORTH’s Heel No Pain/Style and Heel No Pain/Active ($14.99/2.5oz and also available in 1oz but couldn’t pull the $ up on their site @ biochemistry.la) – this one uses lidocaine HCI, most commonly found in the dentist office, which is used to deaden the pain when getting detail work. The formula was created by a plastic surgeon and is made to be able to penetrate the skin that is thicker on the balls of our feet and heels to numb pressure points. They claim just a few sprays will last for hours and there is one for athletes and fashionistas!. Available for purchase on their website starting next week.

Now at the other end of the specturm from the above in that it doesn't numb but is more for overall foot discomfort, is called STILL STANDING Spray (Charmed Comfort set - $14.99/6oz, On-the-Go set $19.99/4-15ml, Large and Mini Set - $27.99/1 large bottle, 1 small to-go @ stillstandingspray.com and New Beauty at Fred Segal in Santa Monica) – unlike the other, this one does not contain anything you’d probably find in a doctor’s office, which some people prefer. Rather, it’s made with a patent-pending formula that includes menthol and three herbal remedies and combined and eco-distilled is made to keep foot discomfort away for 1 ½ to 2 hours. So it's really a 180 degrees from the above but I wanted to include it in this post with the other since we're focusing on the feet here! And the handy test-tube type totable version seen below is so handy for tucking into your purse!

So how did they work? Click the below link to find out!

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What It Is: URBAN DECAY Ocho Loco 2 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set - $59 @ ulta.com. 

STILA Art of the Fine Line - $39 @ sephora.com

Why I Like It: Because both these brands make the greatest quality eye liners on the planet (liquid and pencil) and the makeup lover in your life (even if it’s you) should be exposed to them, if they aren’t already.

This set from Urban Decay contains 8 of their 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils (ALL FULL SIZE!!) and 5 of the shades are new! Ok, let me contain my excitement a little and go through the shades: Roach (deep copper brown shimmer), Twice Baked (rich brown satin w/gold micro-sparkle new), Crave (deepest, darkest brown-black matte new), Perversion (blackest black matte), Deep End (bright metallic peacock shimmer), Mars (bright metallic green shimmer new), Ultraviolet (bright blue-violet shimmer new) and Tornado (dark eggplant pearl new) and a neon green Grindhouse Double Barrel Sharpener. Woo-hoo for the bonus product!

Moving over to the Stila collection of liners, the reusable tin contains 4 of their bestselling liners: Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Intense Black (full size), Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liners in Midnight, Moss, and Dark Brown, all deluxe sizes. 

What It Is: Ok, it’s the weekend before Christmas and you’re not even close to being done, so here are some recommendations to help you knock it out quickly. So if you go by online, most sites have expedited shipping. If you go by store, you’ll find these sets in the major department stores or Sephora. Don’t sacrifice quality just because you are late to the game!!

Why I Like ALL  of These: Quality, Price and Usability! So here are gifts that are guaranteed to get a “WOW!” out of the recipient.

BARE ESCENTUALS Degrees of Dazzling – now marked down to $49 @ bareescentuals.com

What It Is: 20 of their bareMinerals Eyecolors in 4 different finishes.

Why I Like It: Heck, what’s not to like?? This set rocks!

MARC JACOBS Trio Rollerball Gift Set - $39 @ bloomingdales.com.

What It Is: 3 of his best-selling scents: Daisy Eau So Fresh, Dot and Daisy.

Why I Like It: Even though I think these scents are more reserved for the springtime, it’s good to stock up now! And I love a rollerball form for the purse.

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What It Is: SEPHORA Fragrance Rollerball Sampler for Her - $24 @ sephora.com

Why I Like It: Sephora is so right on when it comes to their fragrance sampler sets. I mean, who doesn’t need to try any scent before investing in the bigger version of it? That’s why I’m recommending their Fragrance Rollerball Sampler for Her and I will probably always recommend their fragrance samplers for any gift giving occasion! I mean the scents are current and ones that are quite popular like this particular one contains my favorite Flowerbomb and Chloé’s Chloé See, Gucci Flora, Juicy Couture: Viva La Juicy and Marc Jacobs: Dot. This particular sampler redeems for a rollerball version of one of these.

And like I said in the title, they have a Fragrance Sampler for Him too that you can see here.

And the best trait is that the gift seems personal because scents tend to be but it really isn’t personal at the same time. 

What It Is: AGRARIA AirEssence $110/7.4oz @ bloomingdales.com

Why I Like It: This is one gift that is sure to wow the recipient. Yes, you could bring the typical bottle of wine but who needs that? This is a room diffuser, that you’ve heard of and possibly used before but the unique part of this is that the scent diffuses through the 2 sola flowers . Each flower is hand-crafted using the dried peel of the tapioca plant and is sewn onto a cotton wick. As the oils from the bottle are absorbed by the wick, the flowers will change to the color of the oil as it diffuses into the air. So cool!  And this diffuser comes with a glass tray that it sits in and you can choose from 8 scents, which includes the newly released Golden Cassis. Now this is class. 

AirEssence shown here in Mediterranean Jasmine

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

Chances are you are going to be hitting up a few holiday parties in the next few weeks and part of what I love about this time of year is the permission to kick your makeup look a little. A little dab of shimmer, iridescence or gleam is a great way to show your holiday spirit. Below are the items I’m using to do it up right this season. Ho! Ho! Ho!

Clockwise from L to R:

HARD CANDY Shadow Dancers Liquid to Powder Eyeshadow in Bold & Beautiful ($6 @ walmart.com) - both shades contain luminizing pearls to make eye really … dance!

GLEAM BY MELANIE MILLS Body Radiance in Rose Gold ($15/1oz, $30/2oz, $40/3.5oz @ amazon.com) – this all-in-one moisturizer and body glow is nice for highlighting the fronts of the legs and décolletage.

6 Heart Princess Love in Wink by Takashi Murakami for SHU UEMURA False Eyelashes ($30 @ shuuemurausa.com) – Lashes add glamour to any look and these unique ones are adorned with a heart on each one and combines brown and pink lashes. How fun!

BARE ESCENTUALS Touch To-Glow ($14 @ macys.com) – for when you want a little luminosity, not glitter or harsh sparkle, this one will do the trick.

URBAN DECAY Naked Illuminating Shimmering Powder for Face and Body ($29 @ ulta.com) – a gorgeous shimmery powder that only UD can make perfect. I feel like this should have come with some kind of puff instead of a flat brush. Still nice though.

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

What It Is: AERIN Fragrance Collection - $110/1.7oz @ saksfifthavenue.com.

Why I Like It: There is so much to like or rather LOVE about this collection of fragrances. Each one was created by Ms. Lauder’s granddaughter, Aerin, and there is a short video on their site discussing the inspiration behind each scent and narrated by Aerin herself. Choose from Gardenia Rattan (oriental floral), Amber Musk (oriental woody amber), Evening Rose (floral rose amber), Lilac Path (floral green), Ikat Jasmine (floral woody). If you know some of the notes your best friend likes, chances are you will find them in one of these 6 scents. 

I swear there are no clunkers amongst these!

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