Great Gifts for Mom

Mother's Day is quickly approaching. If you want to give mom something to pamper herself and make herself feel great I have some picks for you.

• Help mom protect her skin from sun damage with Sephora's Sun Safety Kit ($25). This kit contains 11 travel ready sizes of great skin and sun products from brands such as Korres, Murad and Clarins. Plus 100% of the net profits (that's $21.55 from every kit sold) will benefit The Skin Cancer Foundation. Purchase at www.sephora.com

• Give mom the gift of relaxation with L'OCCITANE Cherry Blossom Caressing Bath Pebbles ($22). Mom can relax in the tub with these delicately scented effervescent bubbles. Purchase at www.loccitane.com

• For the mom who loves to garden try the Lush Garden Mum Gift Set ($18.95). This delicious smelling set contains a Lily Savon handmade soap and Lemonypackaging is made with recycled material and the band contains wildflower seeds for planting. Purchase at www.amazon.com

• Give mom the gift of fragrance with the Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Gift Set ($45). The set includes a 0.8 oz Eau de Toilette and a 1.7 oz Refreshing Body Gel in a signature box. With notes of Sicilian Citron, Bluebell and Granny Smith Apple this is a fragrance that will become a favorite. Purchase at www.sephora.com

Estee Lauder Partners with HSN

According to Women's Wear Daily, the Beauty Bank division of Estee Lauder has created a makeup line exclusively for HSN. The brand, called Eyes By Design, is set for a July launch. Price points are expected to be in the range of $16.95 for an eye pencil to $69.95 for a makeup set. As the name might give away, all the products are for eyes. Applying eye makeup is the area most women feel least confident about. Watching how the products are applied on HSN in the comfort of their home and having the ability to call in and talk to an expert will be far less intimidating for some than navigating the makeup counter. I'll be tuning in to HSN in July. To read full article go to www.wwd.com

Glamour's Beauty Steals and Deals

Glamour's beauty section of the June 2008 issue is packed with great tips and awesome products. It always is. What's different in this issue is that they are showcasing products that won't break your bank account. Some items you can buy for $15 or less. Here are some great beauty tips from the issue that use things you probably already own.

• Use clear lip gloss as an under-brow highlighter or to smooth split ends
• Add volume to flat hair by working a dab of alcohol free hand sanitizer into roots
• Use your salicylic-acid acne cleanser to de-gunk makeup brushes
• Use hair conditioner on your legs as shaving cream
• Crush powder blush and mix with lip balm to achiever the dewy cheek look

Try Blue Liner Instead of Black

I love eyeliner. The blacker the better. However every spring /summer I mix it up by wearing blue liner. It's a nice change that looks fresher and cleaner for these warmer months. I think blue liner really rocks when I have a bit of a tan. The blue really makes my eyes pop. Here are some of my favorite blue liners

• Lancome Le Crayon Khol Eye Liner($23) in Le Bleu de Jim which is an awesome blue with a hint of green. Purchase at www.lancome-usa.com
• Calvin Klein Eye Definition Defining Eye Pencil ($15) in True Navy which is a pretty metallic navy blue. Purchase at www.sephora.com
• Korres Eyeliner Pencil ($16) in Sky Blue 13 which is a very vibrant blue. Purchase at www.sephora.com

L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail Lip Gloss

I was at CVS on Friday and I decided to purchase L'Oreal's Never Fail Lip Gloss. Let me just say upfront I hated the Infallible Lip Colour as I felt it totally dried out my lips. It was long wearing though. Anyway I figured a gloss probably wouldn't dry out my lips and a long wearing gloss sounded like a pretty good idea. Friday night I decided to try it out. The color I purchased is Undeniable Mauve. I really liked the color and the feel of the gloss when I put it on. The applicator is great. So this is at like 5:00. By 7:00 I had one glass of wine. It stayed on my lips no problem though it really wasn't as shiny anymore. By 8:00 when I had finished my dinner it was completely gone from my lips. So much for the 6 hours of beautiful color and shine I was promised. Yet another disappointment from the Infallible collection. I will say while I will never buy the Lip Colour again I may buy the gloss because they did have a nice range of shades and it didn't feel bad on my lips. I will just know I need to reapply every 3 hours or so.

Bliss Steep Clean

I miss working in Manhattan. I worked there for 9 years. Sure I loved the excitement of working in the greatest city in the world, the after work cocktails with friends at a cool downtown bar, the occasional celebrity siting and the pizza. All those things were great but the thing I loved the best was being so close to a Bliss Spa. I must say, me and two of my co workers were slightly obsessed with their facials and treatments. Ah the good old days! Fast forward to my more domestic life now in the suburbs. Not a Bliss Spa to be found. I decided to give the Bliss Steep Clean Mask ($54) a try. It's supposed to exfoliate, clear pores, brighten the skin and be a great alternative when you just can't make it in for a facial. I must say I was a doubter who is now a believer. I love this stuff! I've been using it once a week for a little over a month. My skin looks and feels great. It really comes through on unclogging my pores. While it's not quite the same as actually being at Bliss for one of their awesome facials, I highly recommend this product for when you just can't get to the spa. Purchase at www.blissworld.com

Bliss Blowout Sale

Bliss is running a sale with discounts up to 80%. You have to hurry because it ends on Sunday 4/20. Some of my purchases are going to be the bliss steep clean body polish(reg $42 sale $8.40) and the malin+goetz scented candle in mojito (reg $48 sale $29). Happy Shopping!!!!