Last Minute Gift Ideas…. Bath and Body Lovers

We’ve all got that aunt, sister, friend, grandmother, who really appreciates luxurious bath and body goodies.

If you’re interested in venturing out beyond the predictable department store brands, you’ll love Juara, an
Indonesian-inspired skincare line.

What’s so great about the line? All of their products include effective sloughing and smoothing ingredients, with soft, subtle scents. If I could suggest three gifts from the line they would be the Candlenut Body Cream (Indonesian candlenut oil delivers intense hydration), their Coffee Scrub (smoothes and brightens the skin) or The Juara Travel Kit (ok for airline travel). Trust, any of your beauty loving friends/relatives will be grateful.

Visit dermstore.com or juaraskincare.com for a speedy Xmas delivery.

Thou Shall Not Covet

Even though I know it’s time to buy a home, pay for a wedding, hell, even focus on retirement––I have a pathetic weakness for shopping, even now, during Christmas, with four––tough––loved ones to buy for. So although my head should be elsewhere, looking into foreclosures, picking a wedding location that’s affordable, finding the doggone perfect cashmere sweater for my fiance––all I can think about is the plethora of sample sales that continue to swirl around me this December. God, there was Tracy Reese and
Catherine Malandrino the first two weeks of this month. This week there’s Diane von Furstenberg, Vera Wang Bridal and last but oh so not least MULBERRY. I’ve been secretly coveting a Mulberry bag since fall.

The sale starts today and despite my work deadlines, hell, my life deadlines, I just want to go to that sale. Now the bags retail for well over a thousand, so even if it’s half price, I have no business dropping that cash on a handbag. My mom has always said, “If you can’t afford to keep $500 in your wallet
regularly, then you have no business spending $500 on a pocketbook.” It ain’t nothing but the truth, yet still I sit here thinking about the slick, beautifully hand-crafted Mulberry Mabel bag. What I really need for Xmas, even more than a gorgeous bag is some self-control. Can I get a witness?

Here's A Secret

For those of you who are into the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which just aired this Tuesday, I must confess that I was there for the taping in early November, and learned a few things back staged as the girls got furiously beautified to bare all for millions of viewers.

The truth is that most of them are just as gorgeous, up close and personal, even in rollers, even without all the makeup, as they are in the catalogs and on the runway, however, it made me feel just a little bit better to know that those bodies of theirs are bronzed and evened out to perfection, so that not one mole, stretch mark, scar, discoloration––whatever kind of imperfection––shows. Every girl, no matter what complexion, is exfoliated, smoothed, bronzed, concealed and then shimmered up––some girls got silver shimmer, some gold. I think all of the black girls got gold––Selita, Oluchi, Jessica, Noemie.

We couldn't go behind the bronzing booth to see the gallons of shimmer powder, because the girls were naked of course, but we saw the luminous results when they left the booth. I also talked to Selita Ebanks' trainer, who had worked her out earlier that morning to ensure her tonality was beyond grand. Oh and one more secret, Jessica White says she really wears the bras. She wants fellow full- busted ladies to know that some of the Victoria's Secret bras truly give ample support.

To wrap it up, the girls are painted to perfection, they bring their trainers for the ride, and even those with real boobs wear the Vicky's Secret bras!

Attention Beauty Product Junkies….

A few days ago I found a perfect jewel in Brooklyn, a holistic pharmacy/beauty haven by the name of “Chopin,” like the composer.

The proprietor of this shop, Lilian Wiekowski, a pharmacist herself, is a huge
proponent of holistic remedies that heal, inspire and beautify.

Loved the variety of items in the shop––from niche beauty brands from all over the world, to organic vitamins, supplements and tinctures, to everyday drug store stuff.

Don’t worry, if you don’t live in Brooklyn you still have access to her fantastic goodies, visit chopinchemists.com––––great gift ideas for the holidays.