holiday looks: sleek locks

During this hectic holiday season, the best holiday hairstyles are effortless and beautiful. "Whether you are hosting an intimate gathering at home or going out for a night on the town, tousled loose waves do the trick every time," says celebrity hairstylist Larry Sims, who addresses the tresses of Wanda Sykes and Queen Latifah. "Start with your hair down and change your look in 10 seconds by pulling it up in an undone updo. If your hair is short, add texture to make it a short, sassy style. Whether your hair is short or long, make sure you protect your hair from thermal heating damage with Smooth 'N Shine's Silk Style Iron Styler. It protects and prevents hair from dehydration during thermal styling." Check out the complete collection of Smooth 'N Shine products at your local Walmart or www.walmart.com.

holiday gift guide: give soap & paper factory

If you're staying with friends or relatives for the holiday and need to bring holiday gifts and a hostess gift as well, you're in luck. The Soap & Paper Factory comes to the rescue with three new fragrant collections for your family and their homes. Choose sensual jasmine, calming geranium and exotic gardenia as the base scent for any of these great gifts: Solid Perfume ($18)--conveniently packaged in these travel-size containers; Luxurious Body Scrub ($36)--leave skin soft and glistening; Shea Butter Soap ($9)--nourishing and natural; Aromatic Room Diffuser ($32)--beautiful scents in beautiful diffusers; Pure Soy Candle ($28)--a clean burning candle warms up any room. All available at www.soapandpaperfactory.com.

holiday gift guide: give girlie

I love getting fragrance as a gift. I always remember the person who gifted it, the circumstances and the way I felt when I first worw it. New to market--and just in time for the 2009 holiday season--is girlie by Debra Rodman. The fashion designer and founder of the yoga-inspired label Yogini, created this tough and tender, sweet and sexy, carefree and coquettish scent to celebrate the eternal feminine state of being girlie. The details... Top notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Clove Buds. Heart Notes: Turkish Rose, Egyptian Jasmine and Chinese Magnolia. Base Notes: Oud, Benjoin, Labdanum, Myrrh, Amber Musk, Vanilla. Blended together, they make up a zesty blend of rare floral and woody tones. The best part: Half of all sales from this perfume will be donated to benefit the children who are atetnding the Man-Rod Academy in Lamu, Kenya which Debra founded. girlie is available exclusively at www.girliebydebrarodman.com.

holiday gift guide: give Profound Beauty

Don't let friends ring in the new year without showing off their luxe locks. Just in time for the gift giving season: Profound Beauty introduces its new limited edition Styling Kits ($49 each). Each kit contains three essentials to put hair in the spotlight. Hush controls frizz without weighing hair down, Stylist will accentuate the natural shape, texture, look and feel of their hair to create a style all their own, and atmosphere which is designed to mimic the best weather conditions for their hair (read: no more bad days ahead!) Try the Arctic Straight kit for sleek style and high shine (for my TV-reporter pal), the Desert Volume Kit (for moi!) for root to tip lift, texture, separation and bounce, and the Tropical Curl Kit (my sisters will fight over it!) for lush, dewy, plump curls. Go to www.profoundbeauty.com to purchase.

holiday gift guide: give Carol's Daughter

It's one thing to get a beautiful gift. It's even more rewarding to get to meet the creator(s) and talk to them about their creations. If you love Carol’s Daughter, you can stop by one of these friendly get-togethers in your city to chat with Lisa Price, the brand's founder and innovator. Learn the secret Almond Cookie Candle Recipe for Naturally Beautiful Hair, and the inspiration behind her Magical Beauty Collection- a line that celebrates Disney’s first African-American princess, chronicled in “The Princess and the Frog”. Lisa will also share her recipe for her Holiday Potpourri, a budget-friendly solution for a month of endless entertaining. Meet up with Lisa at a store near you: Macy's Arlington, TX (Sunday, December 13th, 2-4PM); Carol's Daughter Westfield Wheaton Mall, MD (Thursday, December 17th, 6-8PM); Carol's Daughter Arlington, VA (Friday, December 18th, 6-8PM);

Macy's Waldorf, MD (Saturday, December 19th, 1-3PM). Go to www.carolsdaughter.com for more info or for a complete selection of holiday gifts.

holiday gift guide: give Burt's Bees

I asked a good friend what she wanted for Chanukah and she said, "A Burt’s Bees Holiday Gift set." I didn't even know they made them. But a quick click on the company's website proved her right. Being a big Burt's Bees lip fan, I was excited about the Burt’s Bees Lip Balm Purse Packs ($9.99), adorable cloth purses with four lip favorites. Choose from the Classic Purse Pack – featuring four Burt’s Bees® Beeswax Lip Balms – or the Mixed Purse Pack – a grab bag of favorite flavors. Then there's Burt’s Bees Mini Lip Gloss Collection ($14.99), featuring four shades of the Super Shiny Lip Gloss in mini forms, perfect for travel. Burt’s Bees Bee Keeper ($9.99), offers the signature lip balms in a festive reusable tin. Burt’s Bees A Few Favorite Things ($19.99), combines the Beeswax Lip Balm, Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme, Milk & Honey Body Lotion and Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream. Burt’s Bees Tingling Treats ($19.99) lavishes you in invigorating peppermint oil in the form of lip balms, foot lotion and more. Burt’s Bees Polka-Dot Perfect Mani-Pedi kit ($19.99) contains Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Crème and Coconut Foot Crème, plus a Pomegranate Lip Balm all in one tidy bag. With so much to choose from, I'm not sure which one my friend had in mind so I'll let her choose--but it can't hurt to keep a few on hand for last-minute gift giving. Go to www.burtsbees.com to order.

holiday gift guide: give juicy couture

Ever since Juicy Couture debuted its famous A-list track suits, the company has continuously delivered highly coveted fashion, accessories and beauty items. Share them with friends this holiday season and give the Juicy Couture fragrance gift set. Complete with Original, Juicy Couture, Viva La Juicy and now the new Couture Couture scents, it offers yet another way to dress in Juicy Couture. Co-Presidents, Co-Founders and Co-Designers Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy apply the same whimsical, feminine charm that makes the label's clothing and accessories so irresistible to their fragrances. The ladylike bottles aren't exactly my cup of tea but I'd be happy if I found one of the beautifully scented Body Crèmes or Shower Gels in my stash of gifts. Create a customized gift set ($35 to $100) at www.juicycouture.com.

holiday gift guide: give terax

Whether you're looking for a token Chanukah present or a stocking stuffer, sometimes the most basic of necessities will do. Take Terax Crema conditioner ($9), for example, You can never have too much of the stuff. It glides through hair, smells clean and fresh (thanks to the creative combo of rice flower, shea, bergamot and juniper) and leaves hair feeling soft and looking shiny. Stuff some stockings with Terax Crema – this pint size product packs big beauty benefits. Kate Beckinsale and Liv Tyler are fans--you will be too! Get more info on www.terax.com or pick up your portable, holiday get-away Terax Crema tubes at select Sephora stores, www.sephora.com, Ulta and www.Ulta.com.

holiday gift guide: give H2O+

The trick to gift giving is to give someone something they want that's also something they really need. And everyone needs skincare products that feel good but also really work. Tucked away in this handy beauty bag, the Sea Pure Natural Skincare gift set (a $42.50; a $56 value) features three marine-based beauty essentials. There's a gently foaming Creamy Facial Cleanser, an ultra-hydrating, antioxidant packed Deep Moisture Cream and a line-minimizing Perfecting Eye Cream--all enriched with ingredients that boost the body's sirtuin levels to naturally stimulate skin cell regeneration. Blended with marine botanicals, shea nut butter and sunflower oil, this rejuvenating collection helps smooth skin and deflects daily free radical damage. Give it early for great results by the holidays! Go to www.h2oplus.com for this and other gift set options.

gift-a-day holiday gift guide

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holiday gift guide,
featuring a gift idea every day
for the month of
december.
plus,
great party
makeup essentials....

happy
holidays!