Gift Ideas For The Real World 5

December 10, 2008

How do I love shopping? I cannot count the ways.

1. A Flip MinoHD. A sleek pocket-size camcorder that creates high quality movies that can be downloaded into a computer. For quality, ease of use, and size of movies, these are hard to beat. Pricier than most of my gift suggestions, but you wouldn’t regret this. The High Def (HD) version costs more but is probably worth it. At The Flip Store, called MinoHD Camcorder.

You simply must go to this page to experience the design and pattern generators. Ships for free, in the US at least, for now at least.

2. Crème de Cassis. This is a blackcurrant liqueur. Drop a splash in the bottom of a glass of champagne, or wonderful sparkling white wine like Henkell Troken. Extreme elegance.

3. Laura Mercier Tinted Illuminating Moisturizer SPF 20

Feel like your skin looks flat by mid-winter? A little bronzer helps, but not enough. This product gives a real-looking glow but not a speck of glisten. You know the sheen on the dull side of foil ? It’s more like that. There’s no sparkle. Too much could certainly make you look like an ornament, but a light touch just looks polished, like the skin’s been buffed. A perfect amount of light reflection occurs and define the angles of the face.

I bought Natural Radiance (for light to medium skin tones, a medium beige).

There’s Bare Radiance (light beige, for fair to light)

and Warm Radiance (medium peach beige for medium skin with pink tones- that’s from Sephora, I’m not sure just what color it describes).

Is it just me or is the lighting in all Sephora stores very misleading? I tried Bare which looked chalky. I bought Natural which looked just right in the store but is quite a deep beige at home in daylight. Given the cost, this might not be one to buy without testing.

I used it on its own. Very sheer but there was no twinkling skin. It wasn’t even unbelievably ridiculously shiny, just very sheer. With a little concealer, it was great for a weekend. For work, mixed with my usual foundation at 50:50, it only warms and deepens it a bit because it blends out very sheer, and it looks AWESOME (if I say so myself).

This is a beeeyootiful tinted moisturizer. Your skin will look better, I promise. I am so impressed that I’m going to buy the Bare Radiance so I can create the perfect shade. I really love it.

4. Joy Tea by Tazo Tea at Starbucks. Their seasonal offering and it is lovely. There are no weird holiday flavor shots, no Jack-in-the-box that nobody likes. It’s just an unusual but nice mix of black teas. From the Starbucks site : “Tazo Joy is a delicate yet full cup, created with some of the finest varietal teas available. Rare Darjeelings and Formosa Oolongs are paired with light-bodied, fragrant Nuwara Eliya teas from Ceylon. Yunnan teas from the high plateaus of Southern China and Southern India Nilgiris add texture and complexity.”

5. L’Occitane en Provence Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette. This is a gorgeous scent. You’ll recognize cherry but it’s not Lip Smackers. A light floral, yes, but miles from anything fussy and complicated. This scent is fresh and different. It is sweetish but galaxies away from the cloyingly horrid lily-of-the-valley. If I were buying a scent for someone whose taste I didn’t know, this would be it.

From Sephora, about L’Occitane Cherry Blossom:

?Cherry Blossom ?This feminine, floral fragrance pleasantly perfumes the skin with the fresh, soft fragrance of cherry blossom with cherry extract from the Luberon in Provence.

Notes:?Cherry, Freesia, Black Currant, Cherry Blossom, Lily of the Valley, Rosewood, Amber, Musk.?Style:?Fresh. Feminine. Unique.

L’Occitane is one of Leaping Bunny’s truly cruelty-free companies and they make nice stuff. I gladly support these companies.

6. L’Occitane Hand Indulgences : an ultimate hostess gift.

7. Tarte Purse your Lips Lip Gloss Clutch. Normally $106, on for $39, and the clutch is cute. If I don’t get this, I’m buying it for myself. Look at these colors! Be aware that the tubes are smaller than the full-size gloss. Too bad. Knowing the mark-up on cosmetics as we all do, what would it have cost them to be remarkable and make them full size? Hardly anything.

8. Ten Thousand Villages. Fair trade. In support of women becoming stronger. So many gorgeous items, so inexpensive.

The SO-cutest garland.

Lovely wall hangings. this is an embroidered Tree Of Life.

You could buy a whole pile of the stuffed trees and stars for last minute gifts. And this sweetest nativity ornament,

9. Bold Bean Coffees. Thanks to Kathryn for sending this great site. Artful blends, single origin, and organic choices. Fair trade and Rainforetst alliances (see the Tri-Pak page), and supporting some fine organizations and causes.

Are you Mellow Morning Half-Caf or Manic Morning Espresso for the upcoming day at the mall?

10. Planet Chocolate. The best shopping bag. Fill it with the best stuff. From Eve Chocolatier – where great chocolate (and fantastic spiced cocoa) can be found.

Posted by Christine Scaman | Filed Under Makeup, Outside The Box

Comments

3 Responses to “Gift Ideas For The Real World 5”

Karen on December 11th, 2008 3:05 am

Is it possible to get Flip in Canada? I noticed on the Amazon site it said for delivery in US only.
Christine Scaman on December 11th, 2008 6:13 am

Karen,

I searched high and low. I believe the answer is no, except if you buy online. It appears as though it was to be available back in the spring, but nowhere that I looked had it.
Although the Flip site said Free Delivery in US, I didn’t see that it wouldn’t deliver elsewhere. I’ll check that out – and thanks for noticing it, if that’s the case.
Sophia, L'Occitane USA on December 16th, 2008 10:53 am

Dear Christine,

Thank you so much for including L’Occitane in your blog post. We’re so happy that you enjoy our Cherry Blossom range and that you brought awareness to the fact that we are a cruelty-free company.

Thank you so much and have a wonderful holiday season.

All the best,
Sophia, L’Occitane USA
http://www.loccitane.com