Christmas shopping list - Bath & Bodr Works eye masque

Pressing on with our shopping list, here's a gift for the party girl - Bath & Body Works Gel Eye Masque. Simply pop this in the fridge for a bit then place it over swollen, party-hardy eyes. Within 10 minutes, things are looking good again and it's off to the next party!
I just love the cutie snowflakes & sparkles inside, they are very festive (never mind you can't see them while you're wearing it!).
I have one of these & plan on taking it with me on our trip. Since it's self contained, there's no mess and it's perfect for throwing in the hotel mini-fridge. My eyes are always, ALWAYS red raw & tired after flying. I cannot wait to use this.
Oh, and did I mention these are only $6?
Can you say 'perfect stocking stuffer'?

Christmas shopping list - Korres

For my next installment on the Christmas shopping list, I give you Korres Lip Butter. It's no secret that I'm a longstanding fan of these lush lippies, however they have introduced a new colour since Jasmine... Mango!
This adorably sunny peach shade would make the prefect mini-gift for your friend who always wishes it was Summer, the colour is an instant mood lifter.
These balms make your lips so incredibly soft with out the use of any harsh chemicals, so if peach isn't your pick there are plenty others to chose from. My mom loves Wild Rose, Shivaughn's all about Quince & I adore Jasmine - but there are 7 shades in all.
To each his own colour, but pick yourself up one while you're at it... I know when shopping for others I can't resist buying myself a little treat too!

Christmas shopping list - Village tea company

Since this year's holiday plans put us in Scotland, the Christmas shopping list has grown much longer... which has led me to an idea. I'll be compiling a list of small gifts that will certainly benefit me, and possibly you in your holiday shopping quest.

First off, one for the tea drinker - Village Tea Company

This is a lovely brand of loose leaf tea, ideal for the connoisseur who wouldn't dream of drinking tea from a bag. With a great selection & an easy to navigate website, picking out the prefect blend couldn't be easier!

A container of tea along with a little tea strainer or pot & a cute mug would make a fantastic stocking stuffer or small gift. And according to InTouch, Taylor Swift is a fan and who hasn't witnessed Lady Gaga drinking her tea from china cups everywhere she goes - Tea is hot right now!

Ladies, start your Christmas shopping...

I confess - I LOVE when I'm sent books by publishers & PR reps. I LOVE books and I particularly enjoy any on the subjects of beauty and fashion (shocking, I know).

Anyway, I was sent Closet Confidential by Winona Dimeo-Ediger, a fashion blogger & Nat Geo writer. I wasn't expecting anything new or exciting - most fashion how-tos are pretty similar... I had no idea that this book would also induce laughter. I found myself giggling with every turn of the page.
Winona recounts hilarious tales of sartorial woe and advises how to avoid the common pitfalls while still having fun with fashion. This is not written from a know-it-all view point, no "suffer for fashion" or "spend every last dime you have on designer items" advice here. However there is tons of encouragement to cultivate your own sense of style & building your wardrobe with great clothes that will make you look forward to getting dressed every day.
I really love her take on dressing/packing for travel - sound advice if you don't want to arrive at your destination looking like "Traveling Winona" (read it! the illustration for this bit is lol funny).
In short, this book would make a fun addition to your bookshelf or a fantastic gift for someone in your life who'd like a little help developing their sense of style, but who doesn't want to sacrifice their sense of humor for it.
P.S. she even gets kudos from Chelsea Cain, the author of the Heartsick series. My friend & I are hooked on her awesome serial killer thrillers - I am ready for the 4th book!

For the long haul...

We have officially booked our tickets to head back to Scotland for Christmas & new Years (or Hogmanay, as it's called in Scotland).
I am super excited to go back and see friends and family, however I have to start planning my preemptive skin care defense NOW.
Traveling for hours on end does not make for a pretty situation & the last thing I want is to spend my 2 weeks of holiday suffering with dehydrated skin & hair = generally grumpy, and grumpy is not pretty.

Anyway, I'm currently in a hot and heavy relationship with Cosmedix products, and I'm getting a game plan together using their stuff.

Prepping with : SKINamins, Cosmedix daily supplement for general skin nutrition. Contains all the normal anti-oxidant goodies plus green tea, white tea, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and Grape seed extract. This is my supplement of choice leading up to departure.

Supplementing in-flight sunblock with: Emulsion, a serious facial hydrator that contains 2 of my favourite moisturizing ingredients - shea butter & jojoba oil. This makes your skin look & feel ah-mazing!

















Repairing post flight skin with: Rescue, a dual purpose facial balm & masque. Saves space since it serves more than a single beauty need. This can be worn as a masque overnight once you reach your destination - allowing you to start you vacation with plumped up, healthy skin.












Speeding up post-flight skin healing with: Neutralize skin care supplements. I did a post some time ago on Dr. Leslie Baumann's book The Skin Type Solution . In it she touches on the subject of flying & it's effect on skin. It reportedly takes the skin 3 days to repair itself post-flight (3 precious vacation days!). This supplement is packed with anti-oxidants to neutralize harmful free-radicals & speed up the skin's healing process.
Extremely useful to me, as I have no desire to be in Holiday photos looking a blotchy, dried-out wreck. I suggest using these in conjunction with copious amounts of green tea and H2O.







Refreshing the body with: Body Clean, a gentle exfoliating cleanser that contains lactic acid to slough off skin without being harsh.
I love taking a shower when we finally arrive at my in-law's house. It gives me time to get settled in & feel clean & happy. I never forget to treat the skin of my body and I really like this cleanser/exfoliator for renewing the cells and prepping them to absorb all the emollients in my body moisturizer, ensuring I wake up in the morning with silky skin.


I suggest creating a pre/post flight routine of your own, it really makes your holiday more enjoyable if you can feel & look good once you arrive at your destination! I'll save my in flight hair tips for another post...