Valentine's Day Shopping Ideas

Valentine's Day is only 2 weeks away, which means you need to set up your plan and shop now!
Whether you are shopping for something special for your Valentine's date night, buying a V-Day gift for a BFF, or spoiling yourself (because you DO deserve it!!), here are some ideas to get you started.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillowtalk.

This is the perfect pinky-nude shade. Not only is the color gorgeous, but Charlotte's Matte Revolution lipsticks are really lovely to wear. (which is why I talk about them a lot!). They don't dry your lips out like most matte lipsticks, instead they keep them hydrated and beautiful.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in The Queen.

I love this shade for spring! This one is a cerise shade that will really fire up blue and green eyes. My absolute favorite lip shades at the moment are all red-crimsons, cerises and raspberries. I wear them everyday.

A Berry toned lace bra from Undies.com

Don't you love this color??? I would wear it under pretty much anything. You can always channel your inner french girl and wear it under a white blouse for maximum effect!
Undies.com has a Valentine's sale going on right now, with 30% savings.

AUrate is a company on all the fashionistas lists at the moment.
(In fact that's how I found them). Pronounced OR-rate, as in to speak, this super chic brand is a breath of fresh air to the gold industry. They make quality, chic products at an affordable price. Not your grandma's gold, but still, pieces that are timeless.

I love their Asymetric Pearl Cuff for it's simplicity and it's beauty.


I found this limited edition Rosa Mundi Diptyque candle on 
Space NK.com. 

It has Damascena, the damask rose and Centifolia, the May rose, as well as notes of currant and bergamot. 
It's beautiful.

Love Relentlessly. Isn't that just the perfect mantra for Valentine's Day?? I was given this new Tory Burch fragrance just before Christmas, and I love it.

Let's face it, who among us doesn't want to Love Relentlessly??
You can find it online at Bloomingdales.

The LOVE T-Shirt from Kule. Nikki Kule's eponymous line of super cool striped T-shirts are famous for their french girl chic. I've written about Kule before (read here).

In light of everything that just happened, Kule is donating 30% from every sale of a LOVE T-shirt to the ACLU, an organization committed to defending the rights of all people, regardless of the color of their skin, their nation of origin, the way they pray or who they love.

The Foreo Luna is a revolutionary T-sonic face brush and anti aging system. 

The Luna gently exfoliates dead skin cells, unclogs the pores, clears away any makeup residue, and improves the absorption of your skin care products. 

A Few Of My Favorite Things

I'm always being asked about my favorite things. 
I was given some amazing products in the lead up to Christmas, and I bought some really great items, and some of it got lost in the holiday madness and didn't make it to the blog, but today I want to show you an assortment of my absolute favorite beauty items of the moment.

I have been hearing so much about Sunday Riley products for a while now. My winter Rachel Zoe Box Of Style had a full size jar of Sunday Riley's uber celebrated Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream.

This is the cream that everyone is raving about and I can totally see why! This is a next generation super hydrating cream that holds water and nutrients to the skin, plumping it up and making it look youthful, all the while brightening it and getting rid of that dull, lifeless winter complexion. It is really, really fabulous.
(Tidal is going to be an amazing product to travel with this year too.)
I seriously want to try out the Sunday Riley Juno Hydroactive Cellular Face Oil which I hear is just amazing. It's going to be the next new skin care product that I buy.

You can find Sunday Riley products online at Space NK.

From my Bloomingdale's Beauty Box, which was a birthday gift from Bloomingdale's, I fell in love with the new Tory Burch fragrance, Love Relentlessly.



I have worn it every day for the past month and just adore it. It is pure romance.

Bloomingdale's also gave me my new favorite mascara too. 
It's from Clarins and is called Supra Volume Mascara.

In it's tube it is quite unassuming, and I really thought it would just be a "nice mascara", but this one is an absolute powerhouse lash builder! It makes my lashes huge, but not gunky. They stay defined, separated, long and thick all day long. I am convinced that Supra Volume Mascara is the french girl's secret weapon. 
I was sent so many mascaras last year, most of which I never wrote about as I only talk about the products I love. This one is the real deal.

I am always looking for concealers that I can love. Most either don't hold all day (my days are looooong! I'm constantly leaving home at 8 am and not getting back til 11 pm) or they are too heavy, which just makes you look old and tired, or they don't color correct out the dark shadows well enough.

I am obsessed with Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I bought mine at Nordstrom before Thanksgiving and have worn it every day since. My shade is Honey, but they have tons of them, all calibrated with different undertones to color correct out your under eye demons. (10 I think?) They also have a fantastic color selection, so you can be the palest girl or the darkest goddess and they still have you covered.
They don't crease, have a luminous finish that bounces light off, making your eye look refreshed, last all day long, and frankly are the best concealers I have used in years. Love.

From Stila I have been enjoying Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush. 

The colors are fresh and pretty and the product is buildable. 
I love really glowing, gorgeous complexions so often I find that powder blushes can either look heavy on the skin or deaden the glow. This one breathes life into the skin and gives it a gorgeous radiance.

Lastly, my new favorite lip product is Sephora's Lip Stain.
They have a creamy texture but a matte finish, the colors are fabulous, and they only cost $14!!

image via Modern Maires Blog

Every time I walk past a Sephora I go in and buy another one. They are gorgeous!

Love Relentlessly ~ Tory Burch

I believe in love.

Love affairs can be brief and fleeting, or can last an eternity. 


Maybe your love affair works, maybe it doesn't, all that really matters is that you loved, and that you gave it your all.

Love fiercely. 
Love with complete abandon. 
Love relentlessly.

Love Relentlessly is the new fragrance from Tory Burch.
It is available online and in-store at Bloomingdales

Bloomingdale's Beauty Box

When I lived in London I used to travel to New York once or twice per year. I loved it. I would go to Broadway shows, spend hours at the MoMa and the Met, walk all over the city, eat at fabulous food joints, and shop.
I loved going back to London with cool clothes and shoes that no one else had. I would spend hours and small fortunes at Bloomingdale's, and then get a huge kick out of walking around with their shopping bags, and back in London being able to say "Oh this? I bought it at Bloomingdale's in New York". 

Bloomie's has always held a certain magic for me.

I was so excited to hear that the Rakuten Affiliate Network and Bloomingdale's had chosen my blog as one of only 30 blogs to receive a pre-Christmas Bloomingdale's Beauty Box. Bloomingdale's!!!

I was supposed to wait until my birthday to open it, but I was too excited, and I couldn't wait.
It's fabulous!

Here is what blew me away. They didn't just put a bunch of excess beauty products into a box and ship them out. They clearly researched me and my blog, and then curated a box specific to things that I would fall over loving.

The beauty box also has a very french-girl approach to beauty, a timeless aesthetic that I am just obsessed with.


Let's start with hair. If you follow this blog you already know that I swear by Bumble and Bumble hair products. Among other things I use the Invisible Oil Primer, Bb Straight Blow Dry, and the Thickening Spray every time I'm blowing my hair out smooth. 
In my gift box I got a huge bottle of Bumble and Bumble Thickening Spray.

I have super thick hair anyway, but I swear by this product! My hairdrsser turned me onto it at the beginning of this year.
When you have a ton of hair like I do it gets really heavy and flat. I spray the thickening spray through the roots and first 3 or 4 inches of damp hair immediately prior to blow drying. It gives my hair fabulous volume and makes it bouncy. 
I'm sure it was created for people with thin hair, and I'm probably using it incorrectly, but sometimes that's the best way, don't you think?

You know me, so you already know that I love big, thick fabulous lashes. I am so fully invested in mascaras, and my beauty box gave me two to play with. 
Lancome Grandiose Extreme takes mascara to an entire new level.
When you want exceptional volume, maximum length and incredible lift, this is the mascara for you!

Check out the wand! The swan neck shaped wand lets you roll the mascara all around the lashes and get all the way to the base of the lash. It has dual brushes to super load your lashes - a short row to put product on and a long row to really pull the product through.
The mascara itself is super inky black.

Clarins Supra Volume mascara gives you full, fat, voluminous lashes. It contains Cassie flower wax to strengthen and protect your lashes, and is super pigmented.

This is a gorgeous, everyday mascara. You can use it as part of your total eye makeup, or, if you are channeling your inner french girl, skip the shadows apply a couple of coats of Clarins Supra Volume, and then set the world on fire with a swipe of the most killer red lip ever.

Take an extra 20% off almost all sale & clearance items with code TAKE20! Plus, FREE Shipping. Valid online only through Dec 18.

You know that I have blogged about MAC Ruby Woo lipstick many, many times. Ruby Woo is a classic blue based red. 

To me Ruby Woo is old Hollywood. Timeless, perfect, robust but so incredibly wearable. If you are in the mood for jeans, a white tee and a black blazer, this is your red lip. If you feel like going all out in your most sensational LBD, this is the red for you. If you are going for a look anywhere in the middle, this is the red for you!

Red lips can be tricky to wear, especially if they are slip-sliding around your mouth. Ruby Woo stays put and wears really, really well.
(As a side note, last time I was in Paris my daily look was minimal base, groomed brows, glossy black mascara and Ruby Woo, rubbed in with my finger. I love Ruby Woo!)

No party or big night out is complete without lashes.
My gift box had MAC lashes. I use MAC strip lashes all the time. They are perfectly shaped, flex well with your eyelid and are the perfect length - the enhance the eye rather than collapsing it. L.O.V.E.

Love Relentlessly eau de Parfum by Tory Burch.

Honestly?? Okay, so she had me at the name. Regardless of how this fragrance smelled I was in, boots and all! 

Tory Burch's new fragrance, Love Relentlessly is pure romance.
It's pink pepper and rose, folded into ambertonic and patchouli. 
It is beautiful, it is intensely feminine, it is luscious and warm. 
I am wearing it everyday. It is a lovely year round fragrance, but for right now it makes me think of a winter white cashmere sweater and curling up on an overstuffed sofa in front of an open fire, with a gorgeous man. This perfume is loooove! 

The packaging is beautiful, and don't you just love the bottle?

Thank you so much Rakuten Affilate Network and Bloomingdales!
These are just wonderful gifts and I adore them all.
XO 

All images by Kristina Beth Photography

The Coveted List December 2016

How is your end of year wish list looking?
I love making Christmas lists. actually I love making lists of things I want all year long!
This month we are channeling our inner french girl, drinking great tea and airbrushing our complexions to perfection.
Enjoy!


Eberjey Gisele PJs in red.

I found these on Revolve.com, a totally fabulous fashion website that has everything you can imagine from intimates to shoes to clothes to accessories. The Revolve store in Los Angeles counts many celebrities as regular clients, and one of my personal favorite fashion it girls, Chiara Ferragni.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse

French girls swear by this multi purpose oil that you can use on face, body and hair. 
Skin literally begs for oil during the winter. If your face is feeling dry or your body needs hydration anywhere, this glorious lightweight oil works magic. I love to put on a couple of drops before bed at night and wake up to a smooth, hydrated face that takes makeup beautifully and looks like it's glowing from within.
You can find Nuxe products online at Scarlet and Julia

Breville One Touch Tea Maker  from Teavana.com

Cold winter days (and nights!) call for hot cups of tea. I love buying Teavana teas with all their fantastic flavor combos, and the perfect way to make them or any other tea is with this tea maker. It heats the water to the right temperature, lowers th tea basket into the water, lets it steep, then raises it at the right time so your tea never gets bitter. It then keeps your tea hot for 60 minutes.

Jus By Julie 5 Day Jus Til Dinner Cleanse

Prep for the holidays with a 5 day juice cleanse. This one is great because you get to eat too. 4 juices throughout the day followed by a healthy meal. Jus by Julie juices are all vegan and non GMO. The reviews are fabulous.
Available online at JusByJulie.com

Kule The Modern Long Sleeve T

Nikki Kule's striped T's are the ultimate in french girl chic. Dress them up, dress them down they are always uber chic.

Check the website, Kule.com and get inspired by her story.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Red Carpet Red Lipstick.

Still my favorite red lipstick! December is the perfect month to kill it with an absolutely amazing red lipstick, and this is the one to wear. Matte lips are great in the winter, they look fantastic and are easy to wear, but for many of us mattes just dry the lips out too much, so we avoid them. One of the things I love about the Matte Revolution lipsticks is that they are super hydrating, so your lips look luscious, and of course Charlotte's colors are incredible.

Red Carpet Red is a classic, old Hollywood red. It is the ultimate red lipstick.

Available online at CharlotteTilbury.com

Temptu Holiday Perfection Set

This is super cool. You get the personal airbrush pod system with a bottle of foundation, a blush and a highlighter.

There is a product color selector on the website to help you get your perfect shade as well as the right shade of blush and highlighter for your complexion.

The personal airbrush system gives you instant, effortless skin perfection. You mist on just the right amount of foundation with perfect coverage, getting an even, flawless application that is still sheer enough that your makeup doesn't look caked on.

The holiday set is on sale online at Temptu.com reduced from $325 to $258

Tory Burch Marion Flap Shoulder Bag In River Rock

This suede shoulder bag is perfect.

River rock is a fantastic alternative to standard black or regular browns. The bag is chic, modern, looks equally killer with jeans and a t-shirt or an LBD. The suede finish is cool, the chain strap evokes a little Chanel magic, and the bag itself is a classic.

Find it online at Bloomingdales.com

7 Shoe Rules Every Girl Should Know

I'm a shoe fiend.
I love shoes more than any girl should, and I've amassed quite the collection over the years!
So my shoe-fetish radar went off when I saw this article on one of my favorite blogs, Career Girl Daily.
Now I want silver shoes...

Not one word of it is mine ~ it was written by Celina from CDG

Image via Vivaluxury

We’ve got all the secrets and insider tips you need to know to finally score that perfect pump at the perfect price!  Here are the rules on which pairs to wear and how to wear them with style.

1

A heel can be too high

Don’t copy what you see on the catwalk. There is nothing less attractive than a girl who can’t walk in her heels. As a matter of fact, 120mm/5 inch heels are bad for you and can actually cause injury!

Loeffler Randall silver flats available at Nordstrom

2

Shop for shoes at the end of the day

You really should only be shopping for shoes at the end of the day when your feet are swollen. That’s a good way to get a size that fits you well.

3

Invest in your shoes

You don’t have to wear designer shoes, but always make sure you have great shoes and a great bag, as that’s all you need. Bad shoes will ruin your feet so you’d better invest in them.

Jimmy Choo Mayje in silver, available at Nordstrom

4

Try on three sizes before you buy

Better be safe than sorry, right? Different brands have different sizes. So try the size you normally wear and try one size bigger and one size smaller to make sure you pick the right size.

5

Comfort is more important than looks

No matter how pretty they are. If you can’t walk in them don’t buy them.

6

Choose one attention grabber

If you wear a basic outfit a stand out pair of shoes will lift your outfit. But if you wear an over the top dress keep it simple with a basic pair of heels.

Prada Oxford in silver, available at Nordstrom

7

Choose the right balance

When you’re wearing a heavily layered look try a thicker heeled shoe to keep things in balance. And the other way around when you’re wearing a flowy skirt a thin strapped sandal could be more appropriate.

Tory Burch "Miller" in silver, available at Nordstrom

Find more articles like this at Career Girl Daily