It seems like the holiday season arrives earlier and earlier each year, dontcha think? Or do I just say that each year? Since we are all so inundated, I don’t begin my holiday gift coverage until the day after Thanksgiving but I have been known to run an early post here and there, so consider this one of those posts.

So how did I pick these? I really looked at each selection as a, “would I love to receive this as a gift?” So below are ones that I so approve for anyone on your list.

1. BUXOM Stone Cold Babe Set ($42 @ sephora.com) – I’ve always said that if you are looking to buy yourself some new makeup, the holidays are some of the best times to do it and you can really score some serious deals like this set from Buxom. This set contains their limited edition Fire & Frost Eyeshadow Palette with 12 gorgeous shades and a Mini Buxom Lash Mascara.

2. ARTIS Palm Brush ($65 @ artisbrush.com, dillards.com, spacenk.com) – really any brush from the Artis line would be considered a gourmet gift to me. The latest release is this brush that can be used to apply lotion, self-tanner, face cream, really anything that needs max coverage. It was designed to fit comfortably in your hand and feels so luxe on the skin, like you’d expect only from Artis.

3. PIXI BEAUTY Rose Oil Blend ($24/1oz @ pixibeauty.com, target.com) – anything with roses is always an acceptable gift and this one is just so good for the skin. It contains almond, jojoba, rosehips, rose geranium, orange peel and pomegranate seed oils, among others. Use this as an additive to your existing moisturizer.  

4. J.O.I. Spotlite HD ($59.95) Spotlite HD Professional ($89.95) – what you use to put on your makeup is just as important as the makeup you use. Believe me, I know. I grew up with one of those 3-tiered poorly lighted  mirrors that probably did more harm than good! This J.O.I. portable mirror I wrote about a few months ago will make sure you to always have the right lighting at the tip of your fingers. Both @ wearejoi.com. 

5. MAC Nutcracker Sweet Red Mini Lipstick Kit ($35 @ maccosmetics.com, dillards.com, nordstrom.com) – no makeup brand does holidays better than MAC! And every recipient on your list is sure to open this cute box with 4 lippies in it and say, “ohhhh!”. Guaranteed winning set here.

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

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Whyyyy do I get so darn excited by beauty accessories? Hair tools, styling tools, nail accessories, it’s all so much fun to try out! So with that said, I’m here to introduce you to the latest one to hit the market. I think all of us have applied a full face of makeup and gone outside and saw that the foundation-shade was way off. Oops! Well this one can help put an end to that ever happening again.  

The J.O.I. Just Own It Spotlite HD Personal and the Spotlite HD Professional are lighted makeup mirrors that mimic natural daylight and claim to be 10 times brighter light than other illuminated makeup mirrors. Wowza, that’s a lotta time brighter!

So what are the benefits of this mirror? Here is the breakdown of each model:

• Portable
• Cordless (comes with recharge plug)
• Dimmable
• Premium LEDs for econ power consumption
• 360° Mirror Rotation
• Flexible makeup tray
• 5x magnification mirror
• Neoprene travel pouch (Professional)
• Rechargeable batteries (Professional)
• 10x magnification mirror (Professional)
• Power adapter (Personal)
• Power charger (Professional)
• Glossy Chrome hardware (Personal)
• Trending Rose Gold hardware (Professional)

And you can choose from three different colors of the body – 50 Shades, Blush (shown here) and Pearly.

The inside 1x magnification mirror is 6” tall x 7.5” wide and because you really need to see super up-close sometimes to tweeze that stray brow hair, they include a magnification mirror that has a magnet in the back and sticks directly to the main mirror. So cool.

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