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Gift Guide: Luxe Gifts from Sephora

December 11, 2015 / 1 Comment

When the occasion calls for something truly over the top, surprise her with one of the season’s hottest luxe beauty gifts from SEPHORA. Choose from a glittering array of exclusive sets featuring her favorite prestige beauty brands, including SEPHORA’s expert picks below. Or visit your local store or Sephora.com to see everything SEPHORA has to offer. Oh What Fun!

Delight her with pure designer luxury with the SEPHORA COLLECTION Karen Walker Amber Craft: Beauty Brush Set + Stand ($125/$175 value), an exclusive, limited edition set for Holiday 2015. Karen Walker, the iconic designer known for her chic meets eccentric fashions, has collaborated with SEPHORA COLLECTION to create this set of must-have makeup brushes that fit snugly into their own chic gold stand for a dazzling display.

Provide the luxury of a professional skin treatment at home with the Foreo LUNA Holiday Cleansing Collection with Full Size Boscia Products ($199/$279 value). This curated set includes the revolutionary Foreo LUNA device that uses T-Sonic™ pulsation technology to gently dislodge makeup and dirt from pores, along with three incredible, full-size Boscia products for a complete beauty regimen. Available for Sensitive/Normal skin or for Combination skin.

Surround her in luxurious fragrance with the Elizabeth and James Nirvana White Gift Set ($75/$109 value), featuring a 1.0 oz Eau de Parfum Spray, .47 oz Pure Perfume Oil, and .24 Eau de Parfum Rollerbal. Elizabeth and James Nirvana White is a captivating blend of delicate peony, chic muguet, and tender musk for a feminine scent with dark sophistication. Also available in Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black.

Restock her makeup bag with Sephora Favorites Superstars ($75/$270 value), the ultimate beauty haul that includes seven full-size beauty essentials, including mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow, primer, and a highlighter— plus, up-and-coming top-sellers. Includes Beautyblender® original, Benefit They’re Real! Mascara, Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight, Lancôme DRAMA LIQUI-PENCIL™ Extreme Longwear Eyeliner in Noir Intense, Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Highlight, MAKE UP FOR EVER Step 1 Skin Equalizer Hydrating Primer / Base step 1 skin equalizer, NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Himalia, Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water (travel size), Stila Stay All Day® Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Intense Black, Tarte the sculptor contouring face slenderizer in park ave princess™, Tarte The slenderizer bamboo contouring brush, Touch in Sol Stretchex Stretch Lash Effect Mascara, and Urban Decay Eye shadow in Lounge.

One Comment

Toya

December 12, 2015 at 12:12 pm Reply

I just love the gold brushes … I would buy one for myself as well as gift it, lol!

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Product Review—Hair: Phyto Secret de Nuit Intense Hydration Regenerating Night Cream

I have never used Phyto products before, when I received the Phyto Secret De Nuit to review, I thought it was a night cream for my face. Phyto Secret de Nuit Intense Hydration Regenerating Night Cream – the name and description screams FACE product to me, but to my delight, I received a wonderful night cream for my hair. Here are the details for Phyto Secret de Nuit Intense Hydration Regenerating Night Cream $38: What it is: A night restorative treatment for all hair types. What it is formulated to do: This powerful night cream regenerates the hair fiber and provides up to eight hours of intense hydration, nourishment, and repair. It creates a protective shield against free radicals and oxidation, and leaves hair feeling remarkably stronger, healthier, and shiner. What it is formulated WITHOUT: • Parabens • Sulfates • Phthalates My results: Before I put a new product on my face, I like to smell it. I pumped a small amount on my fingers so I could check the consistency and to take a whiff, see what I’m working with. The texture is nice and creamy with a light, lovely fragrance. I applied the small amount I had on my fingers to my face and went about the rest of my day. Imagine my surprise when I read the directions and realized this product is applied to your hair…oops! I’ve never used a night conditioner on my hair and to be honest, I was thinking I don’t want to go to bed with wet hair and wake up to a pillowcase covered in a gooey mess. Our editor-in-chief doesn’t allow the quick answer of ‘no’ for a product. Just as we have to review and say why we like a product, we also have to say why not. I knew I had to give it a try because like it or hate it, I had to say – why either way. The bottle has a pump dispenser, which dispenses the cream in small amounts. To get the ‘hazelnut’ size amount of product the directions call for, it takes about 3-4 pumps. I apply the cream to my hair by simply combing through my hair with my fingers, the cream absorbs quickly and does not leave my hair feeling wet. I repeat the process concentrating on the ends oh my hair, where I have the most damage and then twist it up in a bun before going to bed. The next morning, style as usual. I am thoroughly impressed. My hair truly feels like it has been intensively nourished, with my ends feeling silky and my hair in general feeling soft. I have found with my hair it’s best not to use the Phyto Secret de Nuit Intense Hydration Regenerating Night Cream on the day I have washed my hair, it does make my hair feel dirtier sooner, but that could be me using too much product as a little seems to go a long way; about third day is perfect for me. I didn’t look at the price of this product before I used it, but honestly, the cost is worth it. It actually works and my hair feels as if it is being repaired, not just masking my frizzed ends. It is paraben and silicone free also, and packed with good natural ingredients to replenish the condition of my hair. I use this 3-4 times a week and the condition of my hair has really improved – I couldn’t be happier. I now want to try other products from Phyto. Bling Factor: Pro: Easy to use, smells great Con: None Price: $38 Buy Again: Yes Packaging: 5 Blings Overall: 5 Blings Hero Ingredient: Macadamia Oil, hydrates and softens hair. Natural/Organic/Vegan: Yes Cruelty Free: Yes Shop:
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Editor’s Picks: Winter Skin Care Tips & Best Moisturizers for Cold Weather

Cold winter weather can wreak havoc on our skin. Not only does heat from indoor sources zap the moisture from our skin, but so does outdoors cold air and wind. Unfortunately, indoor heat and the winter cold can leave skin dry, dull, irritated and itchy. If you suffer from eczema or psoriasis it may be exacerbated by winter weather. Try these tips for keeping your skin’s moisture level up to par all winter: Use a body wash instead of bar soap. Limit your time in the shower, using warm, not hot water, then pat dry skin. Drink more water. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Moisturizer works by keeping the moisture in the skin and preventing moisture loss. Also consider using a hyaluronic serum to boost the benefits of your moisturizer. Additionally, be sure not to skimp when applying your moisturizer. And, the richer your moisturizer, the better. We rounded up some of our favorite moisturizers for winter skin care that have our seal of approval. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration $30 (Ideal for eczema and extremely dry skin) An all-over moisturizer that provides instant relief and long-term hydration for dry, distressed skin and eczema. First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream’s whipped texture is instantly absorbed with no greasy after-feel. Safe for sensitive skin, the cream can be used by all members of the family, even children and babies. Suitable for all skin types, especially dry, flakey skin, this hydrating moisturizer leaves your skin feeling smooth, hydrated, and comfortable after just a single use. Formulated with colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, ceramide 3, and the First Aid Beauty Antioxidant Booster, it provides immediate relief and visible improvement for parched skin, and it is clinically proven to increase hydration by 169 percent immediately upon application. OzNaturals Super Youth Retinol Moisturizer $19.95 (Read our review here) A powerful cocktail of antioxidants combine with Vitamin A to diminish the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and premature aging. This results-oriented formulation fights free radical damage as well as restores and renews firmness, elasticity. Vitamin A boasts a long list of anti-aging skin benefits to restore your skin to a more beautiful, youthful look. Try our natural retinol cream and experience the results for yourself! Murad Hydro-Dynamic® Ultimate Moisture $75 (read our review here) Hydro-Dynamic® Ultimate Moisture is clinically proven to lock optimal moisture levels in the skin while delivering instant comfort. This super-hydrating antiaging formula is moisture rich, yet light and non-greasy. Collagen support complex helps restore youthful resilience and plumpness to dry skin while avocado, sunflower, and olive fruit oils enhance skin’s ability to retain maximum levels of hydration. Retinyl palmitate and shea butter improve texture and tone while restoring natural smoothness and softness. This gentle formula is safe for sensitive skin and is ideal for use with any Murad regimen as a step three moisturizer. It comforts and restores youthful hydration to dry skin as part of Dr. Murad’s Inclusive Health® System of care. Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C+ Collagen Deep Cream $72 A rich, fast-absorbing cream that energizes and deeply hydrates dry, uneven, tired-looking skin without leaving it greasy for a visibly firmer, brighter, dewy complexion. C+ Collagen Deep Cream features 3-O vitamin C technology that quickly absorbs into skin to correct the appearance of dark spots and wrinkles while helping prevent the formation of future damage. An advanced form of vitamin C is combined with a proprietary energy complex to recharge skin’s battery while targeting damaged skin for accelerated improvement of a dry, tired, uneven complexion. An intense concentration of nourishing oils extracted from camellia japonica seed, sunflower seed, and rice bran provides rich moisture to replenish skin’s barrier and reduce trans-epidermal water loss. When nature’s most powerful vitamins and nutrients are boosted with modern science, the result is deeply nourished, supple skin with a dewy glow. Caudalie Vinosource Intense Moisture Rescue Cream $39 (read our review here) This ultra-nourishing cream is here to save dry, cracked, uncomfortable skin. Grape seed oil and olive squalane nourish and soothe irritation, while shea butter and borage oil repair and replenish cracked, damaged skin. Often times people with dry skin have a thin hydrolipidic layer, and this formula works to strengthen it. By rebuilding the hydrolipidic layer, it fights the dryness that results from harsh weather conditions. The formula also contains grape seed polyphenols to protect against free radical damage (pollution, stress, and sun exposure). This product is vegan, non-toxic, cruelty-free, noncomedogenic, hypoallergenic, safe for sensitive skin and pregnancy, and free of all fillers, gluten, GMOs, and synthetic chemicals. SHOP:
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Editor’s Picks: Leap Year Winter Skin Care Essentials

It’s Leap Year. That means you have an extra day this year to do something special for you. Since we are in the throes of winter, with the harsh cold wreaking havoc with out skin, it may be time to check out some skin care products that bump up the level of beauty quotient of your skin. Remember how you used to write a word and associate another word with each letter of that word? Well we are doing just that for LEAP year. 1. L—Lather Choose gentle cleanser that not only get’s your skin clean, but is calming and chock full of good-for-you ingredients. Try: First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser $18 What it is: A face cleanser with a whipped texture that transforms into a rich cream when blended with water. What it does: This Face Cleanser gently cleanses the skin—removing surface oils, make up, dirt and grime—and its whipped texture transforms into a rich cream when blended with water. It’s infused with a powerful botanical antioxidant blend that works hard to scavenger free radicals. It calms redness and is PH-balanced to maintain the natural acidity of the skin. Daily use will result in fewer flare ups and reduced skin reactivity. 2. E—Exfoliate Improve texture, brighten and clarity your skin in one fell swoop with a gentle yet effective exfoliant. Try: Jurlique Fruit Enzyme Exfoliator $45 What it is: A fruit-based facial treatment that leaves skin visibly smoother and revitalized. What it is formulated to do: This ideal natural alternative to synthetic chemical peels harnesses enzymatic action to gently exfoliate skin and boost cell renewal for a refreshed, clear, glowing effect. Indigenous Australian extracts help to brighten and invigorate dull complexions, and improve skin texture and firmness. A dose of antioxidants and humectants soften fine lines and wrinkles while contributing to an overall healthier look and feeling. This formula is dermatologist tested. 3. A—Anti-aging It’s never too early to start fending off the ravages of time. Adding a treatment into your daily skin care regimen will slow the clock or turns the hands counter-clockwise. Try: Philosophy Miracle Worker™ Miraculous Anti-Aging Concentrate $62 What it is: An advanced antiaging serum designed to target the appearance of deep wrinkles and loss of elasticity. What it is formulated to do: This versatile, gel-textured, oil-free, age-defying essential features breakthrough peptide technology that bolsters the skin’s self-restorative capacity, supporting natural collagen to increase firmness and elasticity, and minimize lines and wrinkles. The water-based gel formulation helps bind hydration to the skin, maintaining a natural moisture barrier, while multiple antioxidants protect against free-radical attack. – Encourages improved elasticity and firmness. – Helps improve the appearance of deep wrinkles. – Helps protect against environmental attack. 4. P—Pamper Take one day a week to pamper your skin with a mask that adds hydration and nutrients. Try: AmorePacific Moisture Bound Vitalizing Masque $60 What it is: An overnight mask with a liquid-gel texture for improving internal hydration and antioxidant levels. What it is formulated to do: Restore tired, dehydrated skin overnight with this lightweight mask. AmorePacific’s 5-Hydra Complex dramatically improves internal hydration and antioxidant levels. Cellular turnover and youthful metabolism are promoted while moisture loss is prevented, all from the inside out. Get your leap year goodies here: Editor’s Picks: Leap Year Winter Skin Care Essentials Face Anti-Aging by philosophy Face Moisturizers by Amore Pacific
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Editor’s Picks: Use These Products to Fight Dry Winter Skin

Winter is no excuse to have dry and flaky skin! Combat the rough winter skin with these staples that will keep you hydrated all year long. Lavanila Laboratories The Healthy Body Butter Collection packs pure shea and cocoa butters with skin saving essential oils to deliver instantly softer skin. While other Body Butters use synthetic preservatives and chemicals including parabens, silicone & mineral oils that can clog pores, prevent absorption of beneficial ingredients and accumulate in the body, we pack our natural formula with smart, natural ingredients that that allow for faster absorption of body beneficial vitamins and immediate hydration ($19; Lavanila.com). Korres Moisturising Hand Cream with Almond Oil & Calendula will relieve dry hands with rich yet non-oily botanical extracts. Calendula, combined with almond oil and aloe, helps retain natural moisture of the skin, leaving hands smooth and supple. A blend of natural butters and antioxidants provides additional comfort. Use the 91.9 percent natural formula daily for immediate and long-term relief ($14.50; Sephora.com). Christie Brinkley Authentic Skincare Recapture Day + IR Defense Anti-Aging Cream SPF 30 is formulated with a bio-copper complex that helps correct the most visible signs of aging. It uses three effective technologies to revive, improve and protect your skin while recapturing a youthful appearance ($69; Kohl’s). Shop:
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Waterproof Makeup: Keep Your Makeup in Place When It’s Raining

I live in the Bay Area of Northern California, and we have been getting pounded with uncharacteristic torrential rain. Well, maybe torrential is a bit of a stretch, but nonetheless, we are getting drenched. If you, like me, take the time to apply makeup, I’m sure that you want it to be in place even after you face the elements. Over the years, I have learned a few tricks and found a few product that help makeup last through various forms of attack by water—be it sweat from extreme temperatures, water at the beach or the winter rain we are currently experiencing. 1. Primer This magic potion helps makeup stay in place and prevents skin care (moisturizers and serums) from leaving the skin. Try: Smashbox Photo Finish Luminizing Foundation Primer $38 A luminizing primer that fills in fine lines and pores while imparting a beautiful luminous glow to skin. 2. Foundation A foundation that repels water is a must. Try: Make Up For Ever Face & Body Liquid Makeup $38 This waterproof, ultra-light, water-based gel contains no emulsifiers and provides a totally natural, satin finish. 3. Cheek Stain Flush your cheeks with color that stays put. Try: Vapour Beauty Aura Multi-Use Blush – Stain $28 Multi-tasker for cheeks, lips and eyes, with all-day high-impact color. 4. Waterproof Eye Makeup Keep eyeshadow, liner and mascara in place with water resistant formulas while not sacrificing on color, starting with and eyelid primer. Try: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion – Eden (nude and matte) $18 or $23 or XL An eye prep product that provides smoother, longer-lasting, and absolutely crease-proof eyeshadowin a very-wearable, tawny, matte hue. Try: SmashboxWaterproof Shadow Liner Duo $25 A waterproof and crease-resistant cream shadow and liner duo. Try: L’Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara $7.99 5. Long-Wearing Lip color Whether it’s a rainy day or the sun is shining, you can’t go wrong with a natural lip stain. Try: TarteLipSurgence™ Natural Lip Tint $24 A natural lip stain that is clinically proven to increase lips’ moisture content by 6000%. Shop: Eye Shadow by Smashbox Face Primer by Smashbox
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