Holiday Nail Polish Favorites Featuring Julep, LVX and Knock Out

Some of my favorite nail polishes I've been testing out this holiday season include Julep, LVX and Knock Out (aka KO). I was about to pick up the Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat at Sephora a few days ago when I spotted the Julep Extraordinary Set ($27), which comes with the top coat.  It was worth getting the whole set, which includes colors in Holly, Zelda, Rita and Paris. The top coat is amazing - my nails were completely dry and smudge-proof after five minutes and I love the high-gloss, gel-like finish. 

As you get ready to celebrate the new year, check out the LVX Holiday Trio ($36). This vegan nail lacquer is long-lasting and chip resistant, with a high-shine finish. Now through December 31st, LVX will donate 20% of their proceeds to PETA. 

Knock Out flatte matte nail polish ($14) has been the easiest polish for me to apply, thanks to the long brush. I've had the least amount of smudges or dents when applying Knock Out and it's very quick to dry too. I can't wait to try the "tuxedo manicure" using Flatte Black and adding shine to the tips.  

- Kim Weling

American Eagle Outfitters / Aerie Holiday 2013

American Eagle Outfitters and Aerie have been hosting some amazing sales in-store and online, and I've managed to snag some great pieces and gifts. I'm sure we'll see these sales continue after the holidays are over, so I look forward to it! 

Checkout these highlights from the holiday preview. What are some of your favorites from American Eagle Outfitters and Aerie this season? 

- Kim Weling

12 Days Holiday Beauty Giftaway

Happy Holidays! I got together with some blogger friends for a beauty party hosted by Alice An of madeupinny.com. In the video we talk about our favorite beauty products that Alice is giving away for her 12 Days Holiday Giftaway! A big thanks to Alice for putting together all these great giveaways and creating a fun, festive video! Glad to be a part of it! 

Watch the video to learn more about these products and enter the Rafflecopter giveaways below! Good luck! 

1. Caboodles

a Rafflecopter giveaway


2.Lorac

a Rafflecopter giveaway


3.Gleam

a Rafflecopter giveaway


4. skyn ICELAND

a Rafflecopter giveaway


5.Josie Maran

a Rafflecopter giveaway


6.Skin & Co.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


7. KO Knockout Cosmetics

a Rafflecopter giveaway


8. Joya

a Rafflecopter giveaway


9.Yosh

a Rafflecopter giveaway


10. Smashbox

a Rafflecopter giveaway


11. Bdellium

a Rafflecopter giveaway


12. Lavanilla

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Bonus: LOccitane

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Bonus: Molton Brown

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Bonus: Shu Umera

a Rafflecopter giveaway

L'OCCITANE and Origins Holiday Favorites

Still deciding on those last minute gifts? L'OCCITANE and Origins has amazing holiday sets featuring their best-selling products. Three of my top favorite L'OCCITANE scents and collections include Almond, Cherry Blossom and Lavender. The Almond Enchantment Set ($68) will keep your skin soft all winter long, featuring Almond Shower Oil (16.9 oz), Almond Milk Concentrate (3.5 oz), Almond Delicious Soap (1.7 oz), a mini Almond Shower Oil (1.18 oz) and Almond Delicious Hands (1 oz). 

The Cherry Blossom Set ($78) features one of my favorite products of all  - Cherry Blossom Bath and Shower Gel. The Lavender Spa Gift Set ($68) will help you relax and unwind, with a light, refreshing lavender scent. 

Great for multiple stocking stuffers is Origins Surprise Twist (now $25, originally $47 with a $59 value), which includes 6 surprise holiday crackers each stuffed with 2-15 ml products, headband and holiday tip. The surprise items include Clear Imrpovement Active charcoal mask, Modern Friction Nature's gentle dermabrasion, Make a Difference Rejuvenating hand treatment, Make a Difference Rejuvenating treatment, Drink Up Intensive overnight mask, Ginger Burst and Ginger Souffle Whipped body cream. 

Origins Greats ($60 with a $134 value) six best sellers include Plantscription Youth-renewing night cream, Plantscription Anti-aging serum, No Puffery Cooling roll-on for puffy eyes, Checks and Balances Frothy face wash, Ginger Souffle Whipped body cream and Ginger Burst Savory body wash.

For some age-fighting favorites, gift the Perfect Protectors set ($55 for an $89 value) including A Perfect World Age defense guardian with White Tea, A Perfect World Antioxidant moisturizer with White Tea, A Perfect World Antioxidant cleanser with White Tea and A Perfect World Intensely hydrating body cream. 

- Kim Weling

Nordstrom Beauty Holiday Gifts

Nordstrom Beauty has hundreds of holiday items and exclusives to find the perfect last-minute gifts. You'll find limited-edition sets and unique gifts from all your favorite brands from cosmetics and skincare to fragrances and hair care.

Here are some of my top picks that you'll find in-store and online at nordstrom.com. The Smashbox Wondervision Eye Kit, $32 ($72 value) is available in three different eyeshadow palettes (bronze/gold, smoky/blue or pinks/pewters) plus a Limitless Waterproof Eyeliner in Onyx and Full Exposure Mascara.  These portable palettes contain gorgeous pigmented colors in matte to metallic finishes. 

I am so excited to have finally found a great travel brush set with Dior's Couture Collection Backstage Brush Set, $65. The quartet of mini brushes include fluid foundation, powder foundation, eyeshadow and lip brushes. 

I love brush sets that also feature a chic clutch, like the Laura Mercier Travel Brush Collection, $125 ($266 value). It comes nine brushes and a removable magnetic mesh bag. The brushes are also labeled  -  Cheek Colour, Secret Camouflage/Camouflage Powder, Ponytail/All Over Eye Colour, Smudge/Crease and Angled Eye Liner/Flat Eye Liner. 

One product I make sure I am always stocked up on at home, in my bag and at the office is lip gloss to wear alone or over lipstick. Lip gloss sets like bareMinerals Show Me The Shimmer Set, $25 ($54 value) are perfect for splitting up into stocking stuffers, sharing with a friend or two, or keeping all to yourself. This set of mini lipglosses will keep your lips moisturized, and include a wide range of shades - Crowd Pleaser (a golden vanilla glimmer), Femme Fetale (a glistening cabaret), Head Turner (a soft pink glitz), Icon (an amber pink glimmer), Scene Stealer (an electric lilac sparkle) and Superstar (a holographic teal prism). 

One of my favorite stocking stuffers to gift is L'Occitane hand creams, which you will always find in my bag. I love the variety of scents that are included in the L'Occitane Hand Creams of Provence Set, $42 ($60 value) - Cherry Blossom (soft and floral), Almond Delicious (fresh and mouthwatering), Shea Butter (#1 best-seller), Rose 4 Reines (feminine and floral) and Lavender (soothing and relaxing). 

philosophy has some amazing, delicous scents this season, like philosophy's Pomegranate Meringue glazed body souffle, $22 and Merry Cherry Tidings, $20, a Nordstrom Beauty exclusive featuring Have a Cherry Christmas Shower Gel and Have a Cherry Christmas Lip Shine. 

Another favorite hand cream set is Aveda Give Soft Hands Gift Set, $27, which comes packaged in handcrafted lokta-bark paper from Nepal and contains three travel-sized hand reliefs in Original, Holiday and Rosemary Mint (love this one!).

Tocca 'Crema Mani Viaggio' Hand Cream Trio, $20 ($24 value) is made with a blend of coconut oil, shea butter and aloe, leaving your hands feeling super soft and moisturized. Scents include Cleopatra, Florence and Bianca. 

The PMD Personal Microderm Device, $179 (currently $139 - 20% off) is the perfect gift to treat yourself or your gift recipient to a microdermabrasion-at-home experience. This unit will help you remove dull aging skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, enlarged pores and blemishes. It uses the same aluminum oxide crystals embedded in the top that are used in ten thousand dollar machines found at your doctor's office. It can be used on your face, elbows, hands, feet or wherever you have age spots, fine lines, or wrinkles. 

One of my go-to brands for candles is Diptyque, known for their luxurious fragrances. I am crazy over their Pine Bark Candle, $68, part of their Holiday Candle Collection this season. This beautiful candle features a clean, woody, smoky fragrance that combines notes of pine and cedar with hinoki, a Japanese cypress. It's the perfect scent to get you in the holiday spirit. 

Deborah Lippmann 'Silks' Nail Color, $19 each, is available in Red Silk Boxers, Harem Silks From Bombay and Pseudo Silk Kimono. These nail colors have a gorgeous matteen finish with a texture reminiscent of silk. 

I've been obsessing over Julep lately and the Julep Little Lights Nail Color Set, $20, a Nordstrom Beauty exclusive, is great stocking stuffer choice. This set of mini nail colors includes Paris (a multidimensional glitter holographic top coat), Ivy (a sapphire micro-glitter metallic), Colbie (a full coverage citrine green multidimensional glitter) and Jameson (a vibrant fire red créme). I already own the Paris nail color from another Julep set and love using it to accent my nails. 

When you shop online at shop.nordstrom.com, you'll get free delivery by Christmas Eve, for most items ordered by 3pm EST on 12/23. How amazing is that?! Good luck with your holiday shopping! 

Kiehl's Grand Opening - Hell's Kitchen

On Monday, December 9th, Kiehl's Since 1851 celebrated the opening of its new store in Hell's Kitchen with Karaoke and Caroling, all to benefit The Ali Forney Center. The evening was emceed by Ladyfag and its highlights were karaoke performances by Sandra Bernhard-singing "Circus" by Britney Spears; Alan Cumming, performing " Tomorrow" from the musical Annie, and Lea DeLaria, who performed "Ring Them Bells," in the style of Liza Minelli from her concert "Liza With a "Z" concert. Chris Salgardo, President, Kiehl's USA even took the mic with Ladyfag for a version of Islands In The Stream!"

Chris Salgardo cut the ribbon on the new store, and presented $10,000 to Carl Siciliano, Executive Director of The Ali Forney Center, as guests volunteered for karaoke, and enjoyed treats from Magnolia Bakery and Vita Coco.

Notable guests included Billy Porter, who won a Tony for his portrayal of Lola in the musical Kinky Boots, the designers Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra, and Brian Wolk and Claude Morais of Ruffian, who partnered with Kiehl's on a Limited Edition Kiehl's X Ruffian Dopp Kit, which is available only at Kiehl's Hell's Kitchen store at 678 Ninth Ave.

Images courtesy of Kiehl's

Kohl's Last Minute Holiday Gifts

Kohl's is a great place to pickup some multiple gifts, whether you are shopping online or in-store. Here a look at some of my top holiday picks available at Kohl's. One of the best value makeup sets to help you get glammed up is the Lorac Rockin' Red Hot Eye and Lip Palette Set ($25). The smokey eye shadow palette features 10 shimmer eye shadows and 2 jumbo-size highlighters, while the sultry lip palette includes 10 lip colors and lip brush. Both palettes are also super lightweight and perfect for on-the-go. Bringing these palettes with you will alleviate having to carry a full cosmetic bag or multiple lipsticks and eye shadows. 

Grassroots Flowering Cactus Moisture Cream with Watermelon Extract ($35.50), is on my list of products to try. With a gel-cream formula, it's supposed to hydrate and moisturize the skin, and has an amazing scent too. 

Anyone who loves Nerds will appreciate the oversized box of Nerds ($19.99) the next time they have a sugar craving. There are also oversized versions of other candy, such as Pop Rocks and Fun Dip. 

The Food Network 7-oz. Jar Candles make an excellent gift, with delicious scents such as Red Velvet Cupcake, Sunday Morning Pancakes and White Chocolate Peppermint Bark. The Warm Apple Crumble and Pumpkin Pie candles ($8) are the only ones currently available online but you'll find a variety of scents in-store. 

Now onto some tech favorites...

I know a few people who have been looking for a rose gold iPhone case, so I'd recommend the Incipio feather SHINE iPhone 5 Cell Phone Case in brushed aluminum ($29.99). It also comes in several metallic colors. 

If you are looking for a useful gift for an iPhone 4 user, get them the PhoneSuite Elite Backup Battery iPhone 4 Cell Phone Case ($80.99). 

For a fashionable pair of headphones, opt for the Monster Diamond Tears Edge On-Ear Headphones (299.99) or for everyday pickup the Monster NCredible NTune On-Ear HD Headphones ($119.99) designed by Nick Cannon.

Stop tripping over cords with The Sharper Image 5-Outlet Powersquid ($12.49) to organize your outlet space and keep your devices plugged in. 

Some of these prices I included in this post already include current discounts, but the great things about Kohl's is that there are always sales and promotions running, so you never know when you'll get an extra discount!

- Kim Weling