Holiday Gift Ideas Under $150 (Well, Mostly...))

Need some help finding fabulous gifts around the $150 mark? 

If you are like me and don't get enough time to stroll the aisles looking for gifts, and find yourself doing more pointing and clicking, here are some ideas for you in the $150 range.

Nespresso

Nespresso GCA1-US-CH-NE VertuoLine Coffee and Espresso Maker, Chrome $120 

Your day deserves great coffee to get it up and running. Nespresso is world famous for being exceptional coffee. Make yourself a lungo or an espresso (or 2!) with this chic, stylish machine.

Temptu Holiday Airbrush Perfection Set $258

Ok, so its well over $100, but it is on sale for the holidays and there is a $75 discount....

This personal airbrush system give you a flawless,  movie star finish every time.

The set comes with a full size foundation, a blush and a highlighter. Fabulous has never been so easy!

Foreo Iris $139

Sister to the wildly popular and highly effective Luna, the Foreo Issa is an ophthalmologist approved eye massager that uses Alternating Sonic Technology to reduce the signs of crows feet, dark circles and bags under your eyes.

Iris delivers your favorite eye cream or serum much more deeply into the skin, (I'm not a scientist, so I just speak normal-person-speak. None of the technical mumbo jumbo

makes any sense to me anyway), and massages and stimulates the delicate skin around the eye. It's fabulous! And you see results pretty quickly too.

For Christmas you can get a set called the Pamper Yourself Beauty Essentials Set that includes the Iris, the Luna Play, and a cooling eye mask, all for $139.

Rag and Bone Ava Scarf

OK, so this one is a bit more pricey, but isn't it fabulous???

I love Revolve, partly because I love everything they do on Instagram, so cruising the Revolve website is one of my favorite things to do! I always find too many things, but today I am all about this killer scarf.

Child Of The Wild Elizabethan Choker $120

Chokers are the statement jewelry piece this season, and this one is amazing!!!

Set off the simplest LBD with this large, exciting piece, or absolutely kill it with jeans, a tee and a black blazer. 

I found it at Revolve.com and I love it.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream $100

For years I used to hear from models about this miracle cream that Charlotte would use on them on shoots. It made their skins glow and look healthy and radiant even after long international flights or coming in on the red-eye. The cream was magic and wasn't for sale.

I spent years wanting it, so when she released her makeup line it was the first thing I bought!

I don't use it every day, but rather save it for special occasions. It's lovely.

Available online at CharlotteTilbury.com

Holiday Gift Ideas ~ 5 Fabulous Fashion Coffee Table Books

I love coffee table books. 

They are chic, they make a statement. 
A stack of gorgeous coffee table books not only looks beautiful, but also both serves as a fabulous fashion reference and is a reflection of your personal interests.


Coffee table books make gorgeous and meaningful gifts. Ideal for the fashion forward and the fashion fascinated, they are always much loved! 
If you are looking for a super cool holiday gift idea, check out these 5 fabulous coffee table books:

5 Fabulous Fashion Coffee Table Books

Veruschka: From Vera To Veruschka

Iconic beauty Veruschka was one of the biggest faces of the 60's.
Images of the actress and model still hold us in thrall today, serving as inspiration for makeup artists, designers, photographers and hair stylists alike.
This book has previously unpublished photos of Veruschka living la dolce vita from Rome to Capri, playing in Sardinina and along the Mediterranean coast.


Veruschka: From Vera to Veruschka

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

McQueen's absolute brilliance is celebrated in this gorgeous book that accompanied the Metropolitan Museum of Art's retrospective, and is considered the definitive reference to the career of Lee Alexander McQueen.

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Audrey Hepburn: Portraits Of An Icon

A rich and layered collection of one of the most celebrated actresses of all time, this beautiful book features both rare and iconic images of Audrey. An incredible reference book as well as an absolutely lovely gift.

Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon

W Stories by Stefano Tonchi

W magazine is world renowned for it's avant garde fashion editorials. Wild, whimsical, magical - W editorials can be spectacular! 

This book looks at 10 of the most sensational stories, each in it's entirety, with never before seen outtakes. Each story  was the centerpiece of it's issue.

A special code inside the book gives you access to short films shot durig the shoots of Steven Meisel, Alex Prager, Steven Klein and Tim Walker.

W: Stories

Tom Ford

This book chronicles the career of the incredible Tom Ford from 1994 to 2004 during his Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent days. Not just his clothing and accessories for both brands, but his grand vision for the complete design of a brand including architecture, store design and advertising.

Published to coincide with his departure from Gucci, the book was created with Ford's co-operation, and every page reflects his exceptional taste. It is Ford's testament to a career of singular moments reinventing the boundaries of style and sensuality in clothing.

Tom Ford

Holiday Gift Guide - Great Books To Give

Holiday Gift Guide ~ Great Books To Give

original image found on theberry.com

Books make great holiday gifts. What's not to love about a winter afternoon spent curled up on the couch with blankets and pillows and a good book? Drinking tea or hot mulled wine and exploring a new world within the pages - it's perfect!

Here are.  fabulous reads that make wonderful gifts

For fashion lovers

Gods And Kings, The Rise And Fall Of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano by Dana Thomas.

I went to a soiree that Dana Thomas gave to celebrate this book and it was wonderful. As an insider who knew both Lee McQueen and John Galliano she had fascinating insight into their lives, their creative forces and the business machine that ate both of them up. Initially New York based, the author has lived in Paris for the past 15 years. Which is thrilling in and of itself.

Blow By Blow, The Story Of Isabella Blow by Detmar Blow

Isabella Blow was both a legendary figure in fashion and a very important one. She is credited with discovering both Alexander McQueen, and launching his career by buying his entire first collection, and also Philip Treacy who launched his career from the basement of her home.
Her 30 year career in fashion included being assistant to Anna Wintour at American Vogue as well as fashion editor at Tatler and The Sunday Times magazine.
Written by her husband after her death at age 48, this book gives a behind the scenes look at high society and fashion, as well as her incredible life and body of work.

Empress Of Fashion: A Life Of Diana Vreeland by Amanda McKenzie Stuart

This biography not only covers Vreeland's career as one of the most influential fashion editors ever, but also looks at her deeply unhappy childhood and the fearless, imaginative, hard working woman she became.

This biography is both interesting and inspiring.

Grace: A Memoir

Grace Coddington is easily one of the greatest fashion editors ever. The body of work she has completed with Anna Wintour is staggering and brilliant. This autobiography is fascinating and lovely. Just like Grace.

Vice Dos And Donts 2: 17 Years Of Street Fashion Critique

By the editors of Vice Magazine

For 17 years Vice magazine has been putting out hilariously captioned photos of street fashion, calling each a do or a don't. This is a laugh out loud book with some pretty interesting street style.

Anatomy Of A Disappearance by Hisham Matar

This beautifully, beautifully written story about a young boy orphaned when his father is disappeared in the middle of the night in Geneva. The story crosses Egypt, Switzerland and England, and weaves a tale of political intrigue fleshed out by the palpable aching of a teenage boy set adrift in the world.

Best Sellers

Depraved Heart by Patricia Cornwall is the 23rd book in the Kay Scarpetta series. Scarpetta books are always a great read.

A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George.

It seems like forever since we last saw Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers. I can't wait to get time to read this one!

The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins.

At this point I may just be the only person who hasn't  read this NY Times best seller, but there could still be someone on your list who loves books and hasn't read this one.

The Gift List For The Girl Who Loves Skin Care ~ Tatcha

Have you started making your holiday gift lists yet? 
Both to give and to receive?

Today's post is perfect for anyone who loves skin care products.
These gift sets make gorgeous business gifts, if you are getting married they are perfect bridesmaids gifts, they are ideal for the traveler - both business travelers and recreational travelers (I buy them for myself, these are actually the products that I travel around the country and around the  world with), and they are just wonderful for any beauty maven to open under the tree. 
You just can't go wrong!

Japanese luxury skin care brand Tatcha makes the most beautiful gift sets. The products are incredible and the packaging is lovely. You always feel special when you are opening their gift boxes, even when you are gifting them to yourself!

All the gift sets in this post can be ordered online at Tatcha.com

The Tatcha Hakken Set $95 contains trial sizes of their world famous beauty ritual, their eye cream and their SPF.

The Hakken Set

Get products details here.

At only $25 the Yuki / Pure As Snow Set makes a fabulous stocking stuffer!

Yuki / Pure As Snow Gift Set

Yuki contains a travel sized Camellia Cleansing Oil and a Polished Rice Enzyme Powder. These two products give you skin as smooth as freshly fallen snow.
Check out the products in the Yuki Set Here.

Did you know that Indigo has healing properties? Ancient Samurai used to wear a layer of indigo cotton under their war uniforms, so that if they found themselves on the wrong end of an opponent's sword the indigo could start the healing process immediately.
Tatcha has an entire line of Indigo skin care products. In fact the first time I ever used Tatcha I used the Indigo line to heal and sooth my winter-stung skin. I was hooked from day one and have since become their biggest fan (along with every celebrity I ever work with!)

Aiiro / Soothing Blue Gift Set

The Tatcha Aiiro / Soothing Blue Gift Set $79 is a fabulous winter gift, with it's Indigo Handcream and luxe Indigo Body Butter.
Read about the Aiiro / Soothing Blue gift set here.
Find out about the healing Indigo product line here.

In the mood for something super-luxe? 
The  Tabi / Ultimate Journey Gift Set features a hand-finished calfskin suitcase which was crafted by artisans in Kyoto, with genuine kimono fabric woven in a pattern reserved for the Japanese Imperial Family. The case is filled with full size Tatcha skin care treasures.

Tabi / Ultimate Journey Gift Set

See the details on the Tabi Gift Set here


All Tatcha gift sets come with free shipping, samples and gift wrapping.

How To Buy A Beauty Gift

Need some help choosing a beauty gift? 

( ahem, husbands, boyfriends and significant others!) 

Here's a 6 step road map for you:

How To Buy A Beauty Gift

1. Be careful of the message your gift is sending.
Never buy anything that says "anti-aging" or that addresses a specific problem. It's likely to offend, even if the item matches her needs perfectly. 
Instead opt for something with overtones of luxury. 
Like Creme de la Mer. 

2. Stay Away From Weight Loss Products or Services 
Or anything to do with size reduction. If she's desperate to have Cool Sculpting, buy her a gift card for the Medi Spa she wants to go to. Let her buy her own cellulite cream, and know that weight loss products of any form are a slap in the face, not something lovely to open.

3. Ask for help choosing makeup products.
Rather than guess which color set is right for her, ask the sales clerk for help. With all the makeup gift sets that hit the market for the holiday season there is something for everyone. If you don't know whether she is a cool tone or a warm tone, the sales assistant can help you figure it out.
Check out some eyeshadow gift sets here

4. Spoil Her.
Buy her something luxurious.
There's magic in opening a box of anything from Tatcha. The detail in the packaging alone is completely luxurious, and the product themselves are spectacular.

I've loved everything I've ever received from Tatcha. Check out their gift sets on my Luxe List here

5. You cant go wrong with bath and body products.
Unless she doesn't have a bath. 

via Getty images

But assuming she is a girl who likes to take long soaks at the end of the day you cannot go wrong with bubble bath, beautiful bath oils and bath bombs, and its easy to pair them with matching body washes and body lotions.

6. Buying fragrances or perfumes can be tricky.
Fragrance is such a personal thing, and even if you know that she likes a given perfume on someone else it doesn't mean it will work with her body chemistry.
Rather than trying to pioneer a new fragrance for her, find out what she wears and loves and buy her products to layer with it.
If you are dead set on finding her something new figure out if she is a floral girl, a green scent girl or a woody/spicy/musky girl and go from there.
A good sales associate at a fragrance bar can walk you through it, or better still go to a Jo Malone store or counter and create some layered magic.

The Gift List ~ Love Looks Not With The Eyes

Oh how I love Alexander McQueen!

When the runway schedules post each season

I rearrange my life so that I can watch the live feed

of the Alexander McQueen show.

I also love coffee table books, both to have for myself,

and to give as the perfect chic gift, be it for birthdays,

holidays or as a hostess gift.

Love Looks Not With The Eyes ~ 13 Years With Alexander McQueen

Now at the top of my list is this beautiful, beautiful book

that celebrates the sheer brilliance of the designer.

Love Looks Not With The Eyes.

For 13 years, from September 1997 until his final show in 2010,

Alexander McQueen only allowed one photographer, Anne Deniau, backstage at his spectacular and legendary runway shows.

Love Looks Not With The Eyes chronicles the torture, the toughness and the tenderness of Alexander McQueen (quoted from New York Times) as we watch him working behind the scenes with his close circle of collaborators to create his senstational shows.

For those who love McQueen, or for those who love fashion,

this book is a visceral experience. 

The reviews below lend credence to my feelings when slowly, slowly turning the beautiful pages.

I love him still.

To order Love Looks Not With The Eyes online, click here

Un-Fallen Angel

Alexander McQueen backstage with Kate Moss

Backstage with McQueen

Praise for Love Looks Not With the Eyes: Thirteen Years With Lee Alexander McQueen:

The pictures are evocative of the torture, the toughness and, most of all, the tenderness of Mr. McQueen.” —New York Times

“Deniau’s close connection to McQueen and her appreciation for his formidable talent is like many of the pieces he created: breathtaking.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“Thekinetic color and black-and-white photographs document the fantastical,shocking spectacle of a McQueen show in action: hairdos trussed up with birdsof prey; hubcaps strapped to foreheads; faces enhanced by extraterrestrialcheek prostheses. The images are sensual, spooky, and whimsical, playing up thedrama of McQueen’s vision; like one of the designer’s fabulous garments, thephotographs transform fashion into high art. The book is both an homage and amemorial; this celebration of McQueen’s vast, unique talent is also a eulogyfor his tragic loss.” — “Haute couture has a reputation for spectacle, but Anne Deniau’s photographs remind us that it’s also the last bastion of craftsmanship in fashion—or it was, as practiced by designer Alexander McQueen (1969–2010).” —Wall Street Journal

“Lush, previously unpublished backstage photographs from many of the late designer’s provocative fashion shows.”—The Los Angeles Times

“The kinetic color and black-and-white photographs document the fantastical, shocking spectacle of a McQueen show in action: hairdos trussed up with birds of prey; hubcaps strapped to foreheads; faces enhanced by extraterrestrial cheek prostheses. The images are sensual, spooky, and whimsical, playing up the drama of McQueen’s vision; like one of the designer’s fabulous garments, the photographs transform fashion into high art. The book is both an homage and a memorial; this celebration of McQueen’s vast, unique talent is also a eulogy for his tragic loss.” —Publishers Weekly

“Love Looks Not with the Eyes document[s] the intense work and equally intense emotions that played out behind the scenes of McQueen’s poetic, passionate, and provocative shows. . . . The intimacy is evident in the pictures.” —Vogue

“The haunting images offer a rarefied glimpse into the designer’s inner world.” —Harper’s Bazaar

“Deniau, in the process of documenting 26 McQueen presentations, captured images which, too, transcend photography—matching the decadent and grand world created by the hands of McQueen.” —Time.com

“Haute couture has a reputation for spectacle, but Anne Deniau’s photographs remind us that it’s also the last bastion of craftsmanship in fashion—or it was, as practiced by designer Alexander McQueen (1969–2010).” —Wall Street Journal
 

20 Beauty Themed Stocking Stuffers

Its always fun to find beauty items in your Christmas stocking.

Here are 20 perfect pieces to give (or to receive!)

with online shopping links where possible.

xo

1. Skin

Stocking Stuffers For Your Skin

Starting at the top left Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming eye Gels order online here
Neal's Yard White Tea Facial Mist order online here
La Mer Travel Size order online here
Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture mask. Order online here

2. Face

Stocking Stuffers For Your Face

Travel sized Makeup Forever Sens'Eyes eyemakeup remover. Gets even the most stubborn waterproof makeup. Order online here
Diorshow Blackout Mascara still my absolute favorite. Order online here
Kevyn Aucoin Lash Curler. Order online here

3. Lips

Stocking Stuffers For Your Lips

Fresh Sugar Lip Polish order online here
Julie Hewett Camellia Lip Balm order online here
Makeup Forever Longwear Lipsticks
MAC Cherry Lipliner. Order online here

4. Brows

Stocking Stuffers For Your Brows

Tweezerman Tweezers. Order online here
Anastasia Dipbrow. Order online here
MAC Eyebrow Pencils. Order online here

5. Bath

Stocking Stuffers for Your Bath

Jo Malone Bath Oil. Order online here
Bath Bombs. Order online here
Bath And Bodyworks Paris Bubble Bath, Travel Size.
Fresh Slices Of Luxury Soap

6. Hands and Nails

Stocking Stuffers For Your Hands And Nails

Tatcha Indigo Soothing Silk Hand Cream, Order online here
Gwen Stefani for OPI Just BeClaus, Order online here