December is Advice Sisters Beauty Gift Suggestion time. Our suggestions in this feature aren’t just nicely packaged and useful, they’re reasonably priced. Seriously, seek out these sensational seven! 
Tailor Made to Travel: Travel sizes give you a chance to learn about a new brand, and of course, they’re great for travel. Number 4 High Performance Hair Care has three brand new travel/try holiday gift sets to try their line. The Hydrate, Volume and Essentials Jet Sets ($15.00 each) include appropriate essentials packaged in a black and white striped with hot pink accents paper “sack. All of these sets include 1.45 oz. products plus a L’eau de Mare Brush (a full sized brush that has flexible bristles to easily glide through knots and unruly hair). The Hydrate Jet Set we sampled includes: Hydrating Shampoo, Hydrating Condition, Fleur de Temps Body Lotion and Super Comb Prep & Protect. The Volume Jet Set includes: Volumizing Shampoo, Volumizing Condition, Hydrating Body Lotion and Super Comb Prep & Protect. The Essentials Jet Set includes: Clarifying Shampoo, Reconstructing Masque, Super Comb Prep & Protect. We loved the Fleurs de Temps Body Lotion in our set: luxuriously thick, with a scent of what we think might be orange blossom. Number 4 hair care uses quality essential oils and extracts to repair damage and protect color. There are no harsh sulfates in the shampoo, and the styling products are made without alcohol (they won’t strip or dry out your hair). All Number 4 High Performance Hair Care products are 100% Vegan, Gluten Free, Sulfate/Sodium Chloride Free, Paraben Free and not tested on animals. Get yours for holiday gifts or for your next trip, at fine salons, spas, retailers and online at www.number4hair.com
Be an IT Girl: Be an IT (Intelligent) Cosmetics, that is. The IT Limited Edition holiday set we’re loving is the IT Cosmetics XOXO, IT Girl! 3 Piece Eye-Enhancing Set ($28.00 a $46 value). Under a heart-shaped cardboard sleeve is a petite, black, pebbled “pleather” zippered makeup bag with a silver heart IT GIRL logo, and a nice, nylon lining. It’s the absolutely perfect size for a daytime handbag, to hold makeup essentials. Of course, inside the bag there are some favorites IT cosmetics products: Travel-size Brow Power® Universal Eyebrow Pencil in Universal Taupe (the dual ended brush tip is nice to tame brows even without the powder) ; Travel-size Hello Lashes® Clinically Tested 5-in-1 Volumizing Mascara in Black (mini mascaras are so great for makeup bag or travel); and three sample packettes: the fabulous Bye Bye Under Eye® Concealer (really works to cover without “raccoon” eyes), No. 50 Serum® Primer, CC+® Cream with SPF 50+ *my favorite CC Cream is the SPF 50 it is non greasy with high SPF and semi-sheer coverage. These packettes will have you wanting more. Try, then buy the full sized products. There are so many other cute IT Cosmetics holiday gift sets including a pink lip bag with the same design as the eye set. We are guessing these will sell out fast. Go now to the IT Cosmetics Web site!
Two, “Too Cute” Sets from Tweezerman: Tweezerman has plenty of gift-ables (we’re showcasing some of these in other gift guides) but we’ve selected two sets for this feature that are just “too cute” no to mention. Get a highbrow (pun intended) way to groom your brows thanks to Tweezerman’s pretty and trendy, purple and pink leopard print duo, the Slant Tweezer and 10X Magnifying Mirror “The Brow Beauty Duo” ($25.00). In this nicely packaged gift is is a mini-sized version of the award winning Tweezerman Slant Tweezer that is perfect for your makeup bag (I have used mine more times than I can count, from finding a stray hair to dealing with a splinter). The mirror helps even the most myopic see what they’re doing. The mirror also has three sturdy suction cups on the back to affix it to another mirror or smooth surface.
“Get Smart” & Give a “Groovy Gift” How 60’s can you get? It’s got to be this Tweezerman Onyx Value Set ($25.00) . Housed in a snap-front clear plastic pouch is a black and white pop art trio of beauty treats that you’ll reach for over and over again. There’s the Tweezerman famous Mini Slant Tweezer in black, (perfectly aligned stainless steel tips grab even stubborn hairs, easily –you never know when you’ll need this). You also get a really nice, lightweight round, travel-friendly, black and white retro ’60’s purse mirror, along with one of Tweezerman’s excellent Great Grip eyelash curlers in black and white, with three refill tips. What I love about these eyelash curlers are the padded handles, and the thick, rounded, silicone pad that doesn’t make me feel like I’m cutting off my lashes instead of curling them! This set is a $34.00 value. Find more must haves and Tweezerman gifts at: http://www.Tweezerman.com
Not Just Skincare: Pure Heaven! Do you or someone you know have super sensitive skin? This elegant, frosted bottle of Phytoceane Dermo-Softness Fluid (srp. $57.501 fl. oz
All the World Loves Almonds! Almonds taste good and they smell good and they’re a healthy food. But almonds have skincare benefits as well. Almond oil is great for your skin. L’Occitane is known for beautifully packaged gift sets and this year the one we are loving is the Delicious Almond Gift ($75.00Value $105.00) featuring some of L’Occitane’s all-almond bath and body products, the products are made with sustainably-sourced almonds from the South of France to moisturize and pamper your skin. The set is packaged beautifully in a hard sided (re-useable) box with metallic accents and colorful confetti design. Inside, is almond oil skincare supreme: Almond Milk Concentrate 3.4 oz.; a big Almond Shower Oil 16.9 fl.oz; in a pump bottle; Almond Supple Skin Oil 0.5 fl.oz; Almond Delicious Hands 1 oz.; and (my favorite) the Almond Delicious Soap 1.7 oz. The focus is on the emollient properties of the almond, not on the scent of almonds, but the set is great for both men and women, and an easy way to have a “spa day” every day. L’Occitane gift sets at all price points are an elegant way to say “I want to pamper you! We also recommend: L’Occitane Winter Forest Candle ($21.00): Like Christmas in a can with the scent of winter pine; L’Occitane Diffuser Set ($36.00): scent the world with the festive scents inspired by the South of France such as relaxing Lavender, refreshing Verbena, and sweets-inspired Candied Fruits; L’Occitane Welcome Home Sparkling Hand Soap & Lotion Set ($49.00): A citrusy due with scents of grapefruit, orange and lemony verbena; and L’Occitane Savons de Provence Set ($25.00): an affordable gift of L’Occitane’s classic, coveted shea butter bar soaps in verbena, milk and lavender scents. Do Good/Feel Good: This year L’Occitane is partnering with Dress for Success®, an international not-for-profit that helps disadvantaged women by providing them with professional clothing, a support network and career development tools. *$10.00 from the sale of every gift box will be donated to Dress for Success (up to $120K donation). Get yours at any L’Occitane boutique, or online http://usa.loccitane.com/
These very interesting and nicely packaged and individually boxed bar soaps from Nubian Heritage ($15.00/4) features four of their best selling bars: Mango Butter Soap (shea butter, Cocoa Butter, Vitamin C- firming & moisturizing); African Black Soap (Oats, Aloe & Vitamin C (Bar is black but doesn’t transfer color to your skin & it has anti-blemish, detoxifying & healing properties); Raw Shea Butter Soap (soy milk, frankincense & Myrrh– smells amazing, has anti-aging, healing & protecting qualities)and Honey; Black Seed Soap (apricot oil – smooths, heals, protects). The outer box gives you some information about each soap, and each individual soap box lists all the ingredients, plus a history of the Company. The products support women’s Shea Butter cooperatives that help women become self-sustaining businesses. As to the products, they are full of natural and organic ingredients that are proven good for your skin, without harsh chemicals and additives.In fact, there are 13 items listed right on the side of the box that are not in any soap (including these) that you want to be using. This makes a fantastic gift for a host or hostess, or for the secret Santa at work, or just as a little thank you gift for just about everyone on your list. Check out all the gift sets and Nubian Heritage products at: https://www.nubianheritage.com
The Skinn by Dimitri James Undressed 3-in-one Bronze, Highlight and Blush Compact ($21.00 and Shipping) is the perfect Winter skin pick-me-up. Dimitri James’ products all feature fabulous, anti-aging ingredients, and this trio also has treatment-infused pressed powders featuring Coconut, Olive Oil, and Vitamin E to help keep skin feeling and looking balanced. The highlight is a clear nude, the bronzer is a coppery matte brown (not orange) and the blush to be a very bright pink, but the powder is so very sheer and the colors are neutral-toned, so everyone can wear them, it’s just a matter of how much you apply tip: if you just want a kiss of color, use a fluffier brush to apply). A bit of bronzer, blush and some highlight on cheekbones makes even really tired skin look perky. The travel friendly sliim compact has an interior mirror.This will be your new “take it with me everywhere” for adding some “oomph” even to bare skin, in seconds. We found ours on evine.com also visit the SKINN Web site
