Temptalia's Holiday Gift Guide 2007 -- The Best Friend

With the holidays, I know I can’t help but treat my best friends to some of my favorite beauty products I’ve tried (and running a beauty blog certainly has given me a plethora of products to pull from!). In fact, I am a total gift-builder. I love to pick up baskets from a craftstore, add a few embellishments (like faux flowers, potpourri, etc.), and stuff it full of what I’m giving. I find it adds a great personal touch!

Skin

• Bliss’ Thinny Thin Chin ($48.00) is designed to improve and fight the signs of aging underneath the chin, around the neck, and decollatage area. Yes, we’re still recommending this product to you and every woman you know–you don’t want your best friend to get a turkey neck, do you? Be kind, she’s your favorite pal!
• Estee Lauder’s DayWear Plus with SPF 15 ($38.00) is our new favorite facial moisturizer with SPF 15 (score!) that we just can’t say no to, and we have to spread the holiday cheer with it.
• Philosophy’s Raspberry Sorbet Shower Gel ($16.00) is such a fun scented product that reminds me of the decadence that is sorbet (less calories than ice cream, right?). I’m not a fruity-smell person generally, but I really do adore this one.
• Renee Rouleau’s AHA/BHA Cleansing Gel ($28.50) is soap-free, sulfate-free, non-drying gel will smooth the skin and fade post-breakout marks while clearing clogged pores. It won an Allure Beauty Award for best cleanser for oily and acne-prone skin. But you know what really counts? It is my favorite cleanser I’ve ever had the pleasure to try. This beat my long-time favorite Cetaphil cleanser (which I still use and love on occasion), even!

Eyes

• MAC’s Blacktrack Fluidline ($14.00) is the power of black gel liner, truly. If your girlfriend has not been exposed to the love that is fluidline, be sure to toss this one in her gift bag. And if you’re really feeling the holiday spirit, make sure she has the 266 brush so she can apply it like a true pro.
• MAC’s Heirlooms Brush Sets ($48.00) will show her how much you love her, because what is better than getting a brush set of short-handled MAC brushes? We love the face or basic brush set (face is our favorite, if we had to choose, though).
• Smashbox’s Eye Shadow Trio ($28.00) is a great mix of three shadows in a lovely compact case that can give your girl several looks to choose from. We love Head Shot, Microfilm, and Smashbox.com.
• Her Favorite Mascara ($5-30.00) because you know she could never leave home without it. Everybody could use another tube of their favorite, so it never hurts to add one to her goody bag. Oh, and if she loves to try things? Perhaps toss in your favorite instead!

Face

• MAC’s Loose Beauty Powder ($21.00) is one of my favorite loose beauty powders because of its ultra fine, silky texture. You will just adore these for their subtle highlighting powers (or get Soft Flame, which is a deep, rosy-plum). Any of them are to die for, honest–we have them all!
• NARS’ Luster Blush ($25.00) is a universal shade that any skin tone can appreciate. Use with a light hand for a gentle sheen, or go heavier for a really lovely glow.
• Laura Mercier’s Shimmer Bloc ($38.00) is blush/highlighting compact with four different shades that we have fallen in love with. Our favorite is Mosaic, but we love Golden Mosaic and Pink Mosaic, too.
• Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer Brick Compact ($38.00) comes in so many flavors you are bound to find one that your girlfriend will adore. I loved their latest, Pink Quartz, but both Bronze and Beige are on our list of favorites, too.

Lips

• Chanel’s Rouge Allure Luminous Satin Lip Colour ($30.00) for the girl you really do love with all your heart (and wallet). There are several limited edition holiday shades (psst! Pink Sapphir!) to choose from to give her a special momento for Holiday ’07.
• Lancome’s Juicy Tubes Holiday Gift Set ($37.50) is a great gift of gloss with a set of eight, because who doesn’t love Juicy Tubes? Fun colors from clear to raspberry plum.
• LipFusion’s Micro-Injected Collagen Lip Plump Color Shine ($38.00) if you are feeling particularly splurge-happy for your darling friend, get her a lip plumper that doesn’t sting her lips in the least. A cult favorite, and if I needed a lip plumper, I’d opt for LipFusion. Try Kiss for a great bubblegum pink!
• MAC’s Finery in Plum Set ($29.50) is a trio of lip products – two lipsticks and one mini lipglass. I love a deal, and as far as MAC goes, this is definitely one. I adored all of the Finery sets, so you couldn’t go wrong with any of the other three (Coral, Pink, and Tan).

Fabulous Gift Sets

• LORAC’s Fairytale Palette ($52.00) is a real steal, and it is definitely one of the beauty realm’s favorite holiday palettes this year. It contains $145 worth of products ranging from eyeshadows, lipglosses, blushes, and even a mini-mascara.
• Laura Gellar’s Baked to Perfection ($60.00) is a great set of some of the best in baked beauty products–a must have for any girl who loves herself mineralized products. It’s also a great value set (worth $126.00), which is good news to my ears.
• Bliss’ Tried Blue Travel Kit ($20.00) includes a set of Fabulosu Foaming Wash, Tried+Blue Body Wash, Tried+Blue Body Lotion, and Tried+Blue all-in-one shampoo/conditioner, and a Big Blue Bar. This is such a cost-friendly product, and it makes an excellent stocking stuffer.
• Sephora’s Scent Sampler Gift Certificate For Her ($50.00) lets you give your friend the chance to sample ten of Sephora’s top selling women’s fragrances, and then she can decide which one she loves the most to purchase on her own with the $50.00 gift certificate.
• Bliss’ Snow Suit Set ($26.00) includes a tube of their Body Butter and Bath & Shower Gel in Snow Wonder, a lovely scent for this holiday season.

Find all these gift ideas and many more at Nordstrom.com and Sephora.com.

Stay tuned for more of Temptalia’s Gift Giving Guides for this holiday season…