Beauty Gifting 411: Our Favorite Holiday Sets (As heard on the Michael Yo SiriusXM show)

The best holiday beauty gifts

I had the best time sharing our top holiday beauty picks on Michael Yo’s SiriusXM show today. Here’s a quick breakdown of tips and sets to have on your radar, that makes gifting stress-free and most importantly FUN! Here are the questions Michael asked and links to the products mentioned (with a few added bonus products in the mix). I attempted to stay under $50 for all my picks.

Our Favorite “It’s Winter, I have Dry Skin” Skincare Sets on a Budget.

To overly simplify moisturizers, there are two types of people, ones who like cream moisturizers (your standard cream formula), and ones that like gel moisturizers (that’s more of a watery gel texture). If the person you’re shopping for has more oily skin then they will generally opt for a gel moisturizers. Don’t worry if you don’t know their skin type or texture preference, I picked universal favorites for both categories that are almost-all skin type friendly!

Our picks for winter skincare regimens that includes a hydrating cream moisturizer:

Our picks for winter skincare regimen sets that includes a hydrating gel moisturizer: 

OTHER WINTER FAVORITES: The Mario Badescu facial sprays linked to below are such a deal and an amazing pick me up when your skin is feeling dry, tired and needs a pick me up. Dr. Jart Ceramide is perfect if you’re super dry and their Cicapair collection is for anyone that gets red. LaNeige lip sleep mask is another amazing pick and has an epic cult following. Their new Sleep Mask kit includes some limited edition flavors we rarely see and for only $28 for the whole set, it’s a steal. Lastly we LOVE Drunk Elephant, we went over budget with this set but it includes their Babyfacial which is our favorite! Lastly, Aquaphor or as I like to call it Aqua-for-all, makes a great stocking stuffer. You can use it for everything winter chapped skin and lips. It’s also great on cuticles, dry patches… While I don’t recommend it as a moisturizer, it is an awesome barrier if you’re combating wind, especially while skiing/snowboarding and can be used over your moisturizer/SPF when you need a shield. 

Our Beauty Lover Picks

You can’t go wrong with any of the NARS holiday gifts. Their palettes to makeup sets have the coolest packaging. Our favorite no-brainer pick is the NARS Orgasm Infatuation Palette ($42, $62 value) featuring their top selling Orgasm blush, Laguna Bronzer and the new Orgasm Highlighter, also the Infatuation Palette is great if you’re into blush. Other favorites include Becca highlighters (our must-have is Becca Mini Macaroon set featuring 4 mini highlighters). The ‘It Palette’ of the season is the Urban Decay’s NAKED Cherry palette. We’re also partial to Benefit Cosmetics Sweeten Up, Buttercup! Makeup Set ($39, $109 value) featuring our favorite mascara, brow gel, bronzer and primer from the brand. There isn’t a shortage of It Cosmetics holiday that isn’t on my list, but their brushes are a great pick for any beauty lover, also the BeautyBlender makes a great stocking stuffer — you literally can’t have enough. Milk Makeup also has the cutest mini’s! Their Meet the Fam set is epic, so is the fact that they collaborated with Wu-Tang on a lipstick collaboration (although that may be lost on some of you) makes us so happy! 

Hostess Gifts

Whether it’s a hostess gift, Secret Santa or little something something for someone in the office you don’t know well enough to guess their favorite beauty products, candles, hand cream sets, pretty lip balms and liquid soap + moisturizer sets are always a safe bet. Basically anything that’s practical but also pretty that bonus they can re-gift if the don’t it it or use to stage a beautiful bathroom for guests to admire you can’t go wrong with. Plus they

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Weekend Getaway: Woodstock Way Hotel + Woodstock Guide

If you’re looking to get out of the city for a weekend (or for life), Woodstock could not be a better destination. Cute town, fresh air, top notch restaurants, spa and if you’re looking for the most epic, pet-friendly, prime location Woodstock place to stay, I can’t recommend Woodstock Way Hotel enough.

Located in the heart of Woodstock, Woodstock Way is steps from the town center (like literally 10 steps), next to a waterfall — I mean how is that even possible? The hotel features 12 rooms divided along the property with a chic interior and the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept on. It’s paradise, especially since they have a full coffee bar in the lobby, and like really legit, good coffee, and cappuccino’s (you know I’m picky). The decor… I mean I had a tub in my living room, and also a balcony to over look the waterfall. I didn’t want to leave.

The location doesn’t get more prime, the staff is so friendly, we loved the owners, and the stay could not have been more comfortable. The had the fire pit going at night, and Charlie (my pomeranian), made himself right at home and was so welcomed.

While in Woodstock, we had lunch at Oriole 9, delicious, healthy eats, also great for breakfast and located on the main drag. Dinner at Cucina, a stunning, romantic, Italian restaurant that lives in a restores farmhouse a mile or so up the road. Relax at Glo Spa, for facials, a massage, it’s amazing. Also on the main drag with all the shops is Euphoria Yoga if you need to stretch out. When you’re done with the town, drive to the town of Kingston for some very cool antique shops. Woodstock Way Hotel can also help with planning your itinerary, they have some great links on the site on what to do: https://www.woodstockway.com/woodstock-way-of-life/

BOSS Series Interview: Dineh Mohajer, Creator of Smith & Cult

Interview with Smith & Cult creator Dineh Mohajer and Hard Candy

This weeks BOSS series features one of my all time beauty hero’s, Dineh Mohajer. She’s the original founder of Hard Candy, back when they had that chic rectangular packaging with a plastic ring on top (I used to wear them on my pinky) and introduced pastel nail polish into the industry. I used to shop them Urban Outfitters in high school and will never forget seeing Alicia Silverstone on the David Letterman show (scroll to 4min 28seconds) rocking her Sky Blue polish and being obsessed!!! Since selling the company she re-entered the nail polish industry starting another iconic nail polish brand Smith & Cult, which has legendary packaging and art direction and has grown it to a full makeup line featuring lips, eyes and face. She is wildly creative (follow her @dinehm and @smithandcultmy), my spirit animal, and can’t be more excited for her to be sharing her awesomeness and advice with us in this weeks BOSS series.

  • How do you describe yourself?

I think my friends would describe me as kind, passionate, cuckoo for cocoa puffs, loving, warm, guilt-ridden, ADHD, germaphobic, neurotic-ish, silly, funny, fun, having good skin, obsessive-compulsive…my husband would use seven words: Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Dopey, Bashful, Sneezy.

  • After you sold Hard Candy, what made you want to jump back into nail polish? And then years later expand into a full makeup line?

I never returned because I never really left. After Hard Candy was acquired by LVMH, my partner from Hard Candy, Jeanne Chavez, and I created, developed and sold another baby, called Goldie, to the Limited Brands. Smith & Cult was just another step in a natural progression for me.

  • How has the industry changed since you launched Hard Candy vs Smith & Cult. What resources make your life easier/harder?

Some aspects have remained identical at the core. The underlying motivation to feel happier, healthier and prettier is still intact. The joy of discovery, experimentation and success regarding product, packaging, imaging, education and branding has also remained the same. Our technological advancement has changed the manner in which we do all this, in some ways for the better and in some ways for the worse. For me, technology has allowed me to better articulate my creative vision more quickly and fluidly.

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My Holiday Makeup Tutorial on Avon.com

Use code: LARA25 for an extra 10% off, plus free shipping on orders over $25 on Avon.com
I’m on Avon.com!!!!!!!! I’m so excited to have partnered with Avon for their holiday preview party, where they unveiled some very exciting new products and the look I created for their website. I was going for a modern yet old Hollywood vibe for my custom holiday look. I paired a classic red lip with a bold eye lined in emerald green for some added festive fun.Avon discount
Before I jump into the look, can we take a second to appreciate their limited edition “Iconic Avon” lipsticks? I’d say the packaging is everything, except that the lipstick is equally epic in formula and you can’t beat the price (only $6.99)! They have such rich pigment and glide on my lips so easily and smoothly. I’m wearing the shade Holly Red as seen in my photos. Also, their True Color Glimmersticks (lip liners and eyeliners) are so creamy, pigmented, retractable and only $2.99 – stock up! They are such a score! You can also use code: LARA25 for an extra 10% off, plus free shipping on orders over $25. This is a one-time use offer, so make it count!
GET THE LOOK: All the products used can be found HERE.
FACE:
All good makeup starts with good skincare so I started by prepping my skin with Avon’s ANEW Hydra Fusion Replenishing Serum, followed by the ANEW Hydra Fusion Gel Cream, which I mix with a few drops of Avon’s True Color Dazzle Drops for an overall glow.
TIP: The moisturizer is like water (it’s not heavy) so it’s great to dab a small amount over makeup during the day for touchups if you start to feel dry or want your skin to have a more dewy glow.
Next, using Avon’s True Color Moonlit Highlighting Powder in Topaz as a bronzer. I applied it in the shape of a 3 starting at the temple going along the cheekbone and then down around the side of the face to the chin. Then, using the In the Blush of Dawn palette from the Iconic Avon Beauty Classics Collection 3-Piece Palette set, I used the upper left bronze blush over the cheek bone portion of the True Color Moonlit Highlighting Powder for some extra emphasis. Then, I went back in with the True Color Dazzle Drops above my cheekbone up to my brow bone in the shape of a “C” and blended fully. I also applied about a drop of the product on my finger and dabbed it down the bridge of my nose and blended for a slight highlight.
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