Hello everyone,

you asked for a holiday gift guide and here it is! I’ve divided it by person and by price range so everyone will be able to find something nice they can afford to buy for a loved one. Let’s see some gift ideas for our gal pals, shall we?

Stila Girl Travel Palette Empowered In Pink: this cute palette includes 4 Eye Shadows, plus a Convertible Color for lips and cheeks.It’s an Ulta exclusive and retails at only $14.00.

Cargo’s Most Wanted Kit: another Ulta exclusive, it contains four travel-size must have Cargo products (Coral BeachBlush, High Pigment Eye Pencil in Black, Lash Activator, and Lip gloss in Tobago). ($15.00)

The Body Shop Festive Lip Balm Trio: it contains three lip balms (Cranberry Joy Lip Balm, Spiced Vanilla Lip Balm and Candied Ginger Lip Balm) wrapped in a festive cracker. ($10.00)

Tarte Shining Stars: a set of best-selling Tarte products. It contains a full size EmphasEYES™ Waterproof Clay Liner in Black and mini sizes of Cheek Stain in Flush (sheer berry), Lights, Camera, Lashes! Clinically-Proven Natural Mascara in Black and LipSurgence™ Natural Lip Tint in Enchanted (rose). ($25.00)

Philosophy Fun In The Frosty Air Trio: a trio of multitasking Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Baths that capture the essence of a snowy winter’s day. It contains Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath in Sugar Plum Frost, Fresh Vanilla Frost, Ginger Berry Frost ($25.00)

Lush Shiny Happy People: it contains Happy Hippy shower gel, which is packed full of fresh grapefruit; Sandstone soap to scrubs the cares away; and the Up You Gets Emotibomb to enliven the senses. ($24.95)

Soap & Glory Do A Bubble Take Set: it contains five different bath and body minis and a shower pouf in a gorgeous barrel bag. The products included are: Flake Away Body Polish, The Righteous Butter, Clean On Me Shower Gel, Hand Food Hand Cream To Go, Glad Hair Day Ultra-Shine Daily Shampoo, Girligo Spray-On Body Moisturizing Mist, Super Sudsy Shower Pouf and Barrel Bag. It’s an online Sephora exclusive and retails at $36.00

Benefit I’m Glad… Therefore I Am: a cute set that includes Benefit best-selling products. It contains: Girl Meets Pearl (pearly golden pink), Eyeshadow Palette in Pink Fancy (pale pink), Icy Lilac (silvery light mauve), Posh Amethyst (soft plum), Precious Pewter (steel gray), Double-Ended Sponge Applicator, Glamming Face Powder with Brush (soft rose/ peachy pink sheen), A Little Bit BADgal Lash Mascara in black, Lip Gloss in Life On The A List (bubble gum pink) and Makeup Lesson. ($39.00)

Too Faced In Your Dreams Makeup Collection: this playful palette offers nine eye shadows, three blushes, and three lip shades that can be combined to create three distinct looks. ($39.00)

Make Up For Ever Wild & Chic Best Of: this set contains the brand’s best-selling products. It includes:HD Microfinish Powder, Aqua Cream in 13 Warm Beige (champagne shimmer), Travel Aqua Eyes in Mat Black 0L (black), Lab Shine in Star Collection – S4 (pearly pink beige), HD Microperfecting Primer and Smoky Lash Extra Black Mascara. ($55.00)

Ole Henriksen Seven Skincare Sensations: this kit contains the brand’s best-selling products. The ones included are African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser™, Ultimate Lift™ Eye Gel, Truth Revealed™ Super Crème SPF 15, Truth Serum™ Collagen Booster, Sheer Transformation™, Invigorating Night Gel™ and Walnut Complexion Scrub. ($55.00)

Jodie Maran Seductive Golds Argan Oil Infused Color Collection: this set is a Sephora exclusive and contains Argan Color Stick in Petal Pink (neutral pink), GOGO Instant Natural Volume Mascara in black, R.E.M. Pen in Glitz shadow (gold shimmer) and Black Liner, Argan Natural Volume Lip Gloss in Optimism (sheer shimmering golden beige), 100% Pure Argan Oil and Argan Illuminizer Limited Edition Gold (sheer pale gold sheen).

Hello everyone,

Benefit has just released lots of beautiful and interesting sets for the holidays. Let’s take a look at them, shall we?

THE BIG 10 ($32.00)
My favourite item from the collection, this wonderful travel- size set includes: 0.1 oz Dandelion (soft pink), 0.11 oz Erase Paste in No. 2 Medium, 0.08 oz Benetint (rose), 0.08 oz High Beam (luminous pink), 0.08 oz Posietint (poppy pink), 0.08 oz Ooh La Lift, 0.08 oz Stay Don’t Stray, 0.25 oz That Gal, 0.25 oz The Porefessional and 0.1 oz Bella Bamba (watermelon pink).

I’M GLAM… THEREFORE I AM ($36.00)
A cute set containing the essentials for the holidays: 0.25 oz Girl Meets Pearl (pearly golden pink); 0.18 oz Eyeshadow Palette in Pink Fancy (pale pink), Icy Lilac (silvery light mauve), Posh Amethyst (soft plum), Precious Pewter (steel gray); Double-Ended Sponge Applicator; 0.07 oz Glamming Face Powder with Brush (soft rose/ peachy pink sheen); 0.14 oz A Little Bit BADgal Lash Mascara in black; 0.18 oz Lip Gloss in Life On The A List (bubble gum pink) and Makeup Lesson.

PROJECT FLAWLESS ($32.00)
This pretty set features four Benefit’s top sellers: 0.25 oz Girl Meets Pearl (pearly golden pink), 0.14 oz A Little Bit BADgal Lash Mascara in black, 0.17 oz Ultra Shines in Foxy Lady (diamond rose) and 0.28 oz Bella Bamba (watermelon pink).

TICKET TO GLOSSYTOWN ($24.00)
A set of six not-sticky glosses in a range of shimmering pinks: So Frisk Me (gilded berry), Nudie-Tude (goldspun twist), Spiked Punch (vibrant coral), Kiss You (clear fuchsia), Life On The A List (bubble gum pink), Foxy Lady (diamond rose).

CRESCENT ROW SET ($36.00)
Packaged in tiny martini-shaker-shaped bottles, these scents are the perfect gift for fragrance fanatics. It contains 4 x 0.34 oz Eau de Toilette in Laugh with Me Lee Lee, My Place or Yours Gina, Garden of Good and Eva, Ring My Bella.

All the sets are available on sephora.com. Do you plan to buy any of them?

Are you ready for the second part of our holiday gift guide 2010? This time, it is dedicated to teens. So, I looked for basic products every teen needs to get started like good brushes and primers, pretty palettes with lots of colors to experiment and nice skincare sets.  In addition, most of these products have really cute and fun packaging and are not too expensive. Let’s get started:

If only I had known about eye primers when I was a teen! I used to get so frustrated about my makeup fading and creasing after a few hours and I didn’t know what to do about it! Thank goodness things are now different and teens (and anyone else) can avoid all that with this cute little set from Urban Decay. Little Sins Eyeshadow Primer Potion Set ($29.00) contains mini sizes Eyeshadow Primer Potions in Greed (pearly gold), Sin (shimmering champagne), Eden (matte nude), and Original (invisible) to improve the color payoff of eyeshadows and make them last longer. Available at Sephora.com

Barry M Nail Paint Set (£9.95) features a selection of four bright and fun shades (two of which are exclusive to this set) in Pink Flamingo, Bright Purple, Cobalt Blue and Fuchsia. It’s the perfect gift for nail polish fanatics and young girls that have just started experimenting with nail polish. Available at asos.com

Stila Artist’s Inspiration Palette ($15.00) would make a perfect gift for a teen as it contains both natural shades for everyday looks and a couple of brighter ones to experiment with color. The six shades featured are Fluorescent Green, Ebony, Electric Pink, Golightly, Dapple and Kitten. Available at Sephora.com

Soap & Glory Soaper Heroes Travel Gift Box (£12.00) contains mini sizes of some of the brand’s best selling products: Girligo™ Scented Moisturising Mist, The Righteous Butter™ Body Butter, Flake Away™ Body Scrub, Clean On Me™ Skin Softening Shower Gel, and Hair Supply™ Hair Repair Mask. Available at asos.com

To create beautiful looks, a girl doesn’t only need good makeup products but also the right tools. Eco Tools Bamboo 5 Piece Brush Set ($16.99) contains 5 earth friendly brushes: Blush Brush, Eye Shading Brush, Eyeliner Brush, Lash and Brow Groomer, Concealer Brush and Brush case made from recycled materials! Available at Ulta.com

Philosophy Have A Cherry Christmas ($18.00) is a cute and yummy set that includes cherry shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath that moisturizes while leaving skin soft and cherry high-gloss, high-flavor lip shine for glossy and beautiful lips. Available at Philosophy.com

Benefit All You Need Is Gloss ($26.00) is a glitzy set that contains 3 double-ended wands in 6 shimmering and sheer shades shades: I’m with the band (golden pink shimmer), almost famous (copper penny), life on the A list (bubble gum pink),who are you wearing (passion fruit pink) and back to the fuchsia (sparkling fuchsia). Available at Benefitcosmetics.com

Do you know any teens dealing with acne? Bliss no zit sherlock complete acne system ($32.00) would be a very welcome gift then! It contains no ‘zit’ sherlock purifying cleanser+toner, correcting serum and oil control moisturizer with Salicylic Acid to exfoliate skin, control oil production and reduce acne. Available at Blissworld.com

With 47 eyeshadows, a black mascara, a black liquid liner, a black pencil liner, 5 face colors, 2 eyeshadow bases, 2 face powders, 6 blushes, 4 concealers, 2 lip pencils, 6 lip glosses and 6 lacquer pots, Nyx Beauty To Go ($45.00) contains everything you could possibly need to create endless looks. Available at nyxcosmetics.com

Pupa Angel Globe Small (€22,00) contains a compact blush, 3 eyeshadows, 4 shiny and 7 creamy lip colors and 2 glosses with glitter. The pretty packaging is available in 3 colors combinations: a tender pink, immaculate white and traditional red. Available at Pupa counters.

We haven’t even celebrated Christmas yet and promo photos and info about spring collections are already starting to pop up everywhere. Isn’t that crazy?! Still, some of these new products are really interesting. One that caught my eye is Benefit Bella Bamba Powder (£23.50). Called a 3D Blush because it is chock full of shimmers, this peachy watermelon blush will make your face glow.

I have to admit that as soon as I heard about this powder, I was very excited (I just love Benefit powders lol). Plus, the shade sounds gorgeous and I cannot wait to see some swatches of it. The only think I dislike is the packaging. It is packaged in a flip top box with a mirror, but I don’t like the design. Doesn’t it look cheap and tacky to you? I hope it’ll look better in person..

Benefit Bella Bamba Powder will be released in February 2010. Are you planning to get it or will you pass on it?

Hello ladies,

with the holidays fast approaching, brands are coming out with beautiful and handy kits that would make some great Christmas presents. And they are a nice way to try some popular products from their lines too. Today, we’re gonna talk about Benefit Kits for Holiday 2010. I have always had a soft spot for Benefits kits because I think they are great value for money, plus the packaging is always so cute! The new kits are no exception and I’m drooling over each and every one of them.

HER NAME WAS GLOWLA ($36.00)
This pretty set contains everything you need for a beautiful, glowy look: CORALista cheek powder with brush, High Beam, Moon Beam, Five-Shade Eyeshadow Palette, BADgal Lash Mascara, Lip Gloss in Life On The A List, Fluff Shadow/Hard Angle Brush and step-by-step instructions too!

BEAUTY WONDERLAND ($49.00)
The pretty, colorful bag contains Some kind-a gorgeous the foundation faker, BADgal lash mascara and Sugarbomb face powder.

BEAUTY BE-BOP ($60.00)
I just love the name of this set (not so much the price) and the bag looks beautiful too. Inside you can find Some kind-a gorgeous lite the foundation faker for fair complexions, High beam luminescent complexion enhancer and Ultra shines in back to the fuchsia lip shine.

THE FAB LANE ($49.00)
Don’t you just adore the quirky bags in this collection? This one includes Hoola bronzing powder, BADgal lash mascara and “That gal” primer.

WORLD’S BEST MASCARAS ($29.00)
Fans of Badgal Lash Mascara will love this small set which includes this mascaras in two colors, black and purple.

ALL YOU NEED IS GLOSS ($26.00)
A lip gloss set of three double-ended wands for a total of six shimmering shades to achieve a glitz and glam look. The shades included are: I’m with the Band (golden pink shimmer), Almost Famous (copper penny), Life on the A List (bubble gum pink), Who Are You Wearing (passion fruit pink), Back to the Fuchsia (sparkling fuchsia) and 24k (sexy gold).

CRESCENT ROW (coming soon)
This pretty fragrance set includes Garden of good & Eva (citrus floral scent), Lookin’ to rock Rita (fruity green scent), So hooked on Carmella (floral vanilla scent) and Laugh with me LeeLee (woody floral scent).

Which set is your favourite?

Benefit Prrrowl ($28.00) left me speechless and not just because I think it’s gorgeous. It left me a bit puzzled at first because when I think of dual-ended products, the items paired together are usually either both for the eyes or for the lips. Benefit instead did things differently this fall.

Prrrowl is a double-ended wand that contains an iridescent peacock-blue mascara topcoat (which can be used on top of mascara or alone) and a shimmering pink lip gloss. Isn’t that a great idea? It will also save you some space in your suitcase when you travel.

However, I wish this cute little product was available in more shades. I’m not sure how many girls would wear peacock mascara. The color is very pretty but I think it would appeal to more people if they had done a variant in black and also released several shades of glosses. But still, I’d love to try it.

What do you think of Benefit Prrrowl?

Christmas is fast approaching and it’s already time to start thinking about presents for our loved ones. During the next few weeks, I’ll be posting some gift guides for all those special people in our lives hoping it will help you and give you some ideas.

So, let’s start with your gal pals. When it comes to buying presents for my friends I always choose cute and affordable kits that offer good value for money, like the ones listed below:

Mineral makeup lovers will love Bare Escentuals Sweet Obsession kit ($48.00). It includes 9 mineral eyeshadows in Strawberry Mousse, Berry Custard, Berry Flambé, Lemon Meringue, Spiced Biscotti, Cherry Coco Truffle, Mint, Dark Chocolate and Crème de Menthe to create lots of deliciously beautiful looks.

Philosophy A Kiss & A Wish ($15.00) is a nice kit that contains 4 sheer and natural glosses in Red Licorice, Raspberry Sorbet, Candy Cane, Pink Bubbly for an irresistible pout.

Inspired by the warmth and beauty of the Mediterranean evening, Cargo Mediterranean Nights Palette ($34.00) features everything you need to create a lovely warm glow all year long. The gold-imprinted gift box contains 4 eyeshadow in Shimmering Brown, Golden Green, Rich Gold and Gold Shimmer Pink, a blush in The Big Easy (sheer pink with gold and red grapefruit undertones) and a Medium Bronzer and Blush in Rome (soft tangerine) Duo.

Best of Bliss Set ($45.00) is a nice way to try the brand’s most popular product. The kit includes Lemon and Sage Body Butter lite, Lemon and Sage Soapy Sap, Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask, Fabulous Foaming Face Wash and Best Of Skintentions Packette.

Benefit Celebulante ($34.00) is a nice and handy set to achieve that glamorous Hollywood look. It contains High Beam, Benetint Lip & Cheek Stain (rose), Dallas Face Powder (rosy bronze), lipgloss in I’m With The Band (golden pink shimmer), Full-Finish Lipsticks in Lady’s Choice (pinky nude) and No Competition (deep plum), Velvet Eyeshadows in Leggy (pink nude satin) and Dandy Brandy (copper spice), a Fluff Shadow Brush and Step-By-Step Lessons.

Urban Decay Book of Shadows Vol. II ($48.00) is the perfect gift for both makeup addicts and newbies. It contains 16 eyeshadows in both natural and colorful shades, travel-size 24/7 Eye Pencils in Zero and Bourbon, and a mini bottle of Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

Containing their most popular products, the Best Of Korres Set ($29.50) is the perfect introduction to the brand. It contains travel sizes of Wild Rose Cream, Sugar Crystal, Evening Primrose Eye Cream, Guava Body Butter, Yogurt Cooling Gel and 2 Guava Showergel sample sachets.

Too Faced Glamour to Go III ($19.50) is a stunning kit that contains everything you need for the face, eyes and lips and would make a great gift for girls who are always on the go. The palette includes 8 eyeshadows in gold shimmer, pink champagne shimmer, pink shimmer, plum taupe shimmer, gray black shimmer, bronze shimmer, silver shimmer, and violet shimmer, a blush (peachy pink) and 4 lipglosses in sheer coral pink, sheer shimmering champagne, rose shimmer, and neutral pink.

Bath & Body Works Pamper Yourself Japanese Cherry Blossom kit ($20.00) is a willow gift basket full of delicious treat. It includes a Shower Gel, a Body Lotion, a Fragrance Mist, 1 oz. Anti-Bacterial PocketBac and a gauze sponge.

Pupa Kokeshi Palette (€21.00/$31.41) is an elegant palette with decorations that are reminiscent of the kokeshi world. It contains 4 eyeshadows, 4 cream lipsticks, a blush, a mascara and an applicator. Available in 3 color versions: white, red and dark blue.

Source

Mattify your complexion and set your makeup with this silky, matte-finish loose powder. Dust over face, focusing on nose, forehead and any shiny areas and POOF! You’re a matterial girl!

Ok, I admit it. When I first saw Benefit Matterial Girl ($24.00) I wanted it just for the packaging. It’s so cute, girly and pink! I guess I really am a material girl sometimes.

But that’s not the only reason why this powder has caught my eye. I’m a fan of sheer powders and this is supposed to be very sheer and suitable for all complexions, so I hope it will work for very fair-skinned girls like me too. And even though I prefer a dewy-look, my face is oily in the t-zone so any product that vanishes shine is always welcome.

What do you think of this powder? Are you a Matterial Girl or not?