Gift Guide: For the Beauty Guru

Today’s gift guide is a special one because every product on the list is one I swear by and have personally seen amazing results from.  Read below for why they’re my favorites.  You can shop the guide three ways: by clicking the product images above, the links in the descriptions below, or within the slideshow at the bottom of the post.

1. Cane + Austin Miracle Pads – comprised of glycolic acid, you wipe these pads across clean skin to exfoliate and build collagen.  I noticed results after just one use – reduction of dark spots and wrinkles, overall even tone – and almost missed a flight once because I was out and couldn’t bear a weeklong trip without them.  They’re that good.
2. Foreo Luna Mini 2 gift set – this facial cleansing brush uses T-sonic pulsations to deeply cleanse and exfoliate the skin.  I use it each night to take the day’s makeup off and have found no equal when it comes to truly cleaning my skin.
3. Diptyque gift set – this set is a great departure from the norm, offering more robust scents like my all-time favorite Feu de Bois (smells like a crackling fire).
4. Lorac Pro eye palette – every color you’ll ever need from an everyday look to a smoky eye is included in this richly pigmented palette.
5. Sunday Riley Good Genes serum – the third weapon in my trifecta of good skin (along with the Foreo and Cane + Austin pads) is this serum.  Its powerful lactic acid treatment is the closest thing you’ll find to making your skin look like Cate Blanchett’s – luminous and otherworldly.
6. Nu Evolution lipstick in Femme Fatale – every woman searches for the perfect red lipstick and I can proclaim the quest over with this shade.  It truly looks amazing on any skin tone and comes from the cleanest, greenest cosmetics line on the market.
7. R + Co. dry shampoo – nothing smells or works better than this miracle dry shampoo.  No powdery, flaky mess or residue. It zaps oils quickly and gives your hair amazing volume.
8. Rudolph Skincare gift set – I’ve written about this amazing skincare line out of Denmark before (even Helena Christensen swears by it).  This set of their four best selling organic skincare products is a steal and ships free for the month of December.
9. Sigma Beauty brush set – one of the best valued brush sets on the market, these brushes are super soft and durable.  You’ll own them forever.
10. Maison Margiela Replica fragrance in Jazz Club – I’m in love with all of the Replica fragrances, but Jazz Club is the perfect sexy, winter scent.  Not heady or overpowering, it makes me think of chic parties in NYC during the Sammy Davis Jr. era.
11. Benefit Gimme Brow Gel – three words: quick, easy, effective.  It takes 3 seconds to apply, is foolproof and makes your brows look like Brook Shields during her heyday.
12. Smashbox lipstick set – every color in this lush lipstick set is wearable (even the vivid lavender) and comes with a mattifying gel should you want to change the creamy look to something more editorial.
13. Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin – the holy grail of makeup application, this book covers every look you could ever want to recreate with easy steps, tips and amazingly beautiful photos for inspiration.
14. Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle Spray – I’ve tried a million different detanglers and leave-in conditioners and this one wins, hands down.  I believe the secret is in the consistency – it’s more of a silky gel than a liquid, yet comes out in a super fine spray to strengthen follicles and make for the smoothest comb-through post-shower.

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