December 15, 2017

Tom Ford has made my lipstick dreams come true and Patchology has bottled beauty sleep.

The ultimate dream gift for your lips

There are two schools of thought when it comes to lipstick… 1. It’s merely a mix of waxes, pigments and other stuff. And 2. Life without it would be incomplete. Sure, you can fall somewhere in the middle, but I believe you haven’t lived until you’ve experienced a Tom Ford lipstick. With so many shades to choose from, your perfect match (or matches) is right in front of your face—and I also believe they’re worth every penny. (And if you’re not prepared to drop $54 on a tube, a ton of shades are available in a smaller clutch size.)

This brings me to what may be the ultimate indulgence for Holiday 2017—or possibly a lifetime: The Boys & Girls 50-Piece Set—and there are actually two available versions, one of the more sheer and shimmery “Girls” in white-and-gold packaging and one for the more matte and pigmented “Boys” in mahogany-and-gold packaging. I truthfully don’t know if I could handle having to choose from 50 lipsticks every morning (or 100 for that matter), but I’d sure like the opportunity to see what that’s like.

Fancy beauty gifts for every budget

Violet Grey Discovery Box ($78)
If you’re not familiar with Violet Grey’s perfectly edited collection of skincare, hair products, makeup and more, this sampler is the best way to get to know L.A.’s hottest beauty destination. This pre-assembled set features 11 of the retailer’s best-sellers, including offerings from La Mer (yep!), Tata Harper, Chantecaille, Lashfood, Shu Uemura and more. Oh, and it also comes gorgeously packaged and ready to give.

Violet Grey The Expensive But Worth It Box ($1,000)
Packed with seven investment-worthy beauty essentials that deliver big-payoff results, this collection is a gift any beauty maven would love to receive. From the ZIIP Beauty Nano Current Device and Dr. Sturm’s amazing Hyaluronic Acid Serum to a 111Skin Bio Cellulose Mask, Tatcha body scrub, Serge Lutens mascara and the famous Yves Durif brush (and more!), this set has anyone covered from head to toe.

Net-A-Porter Beauty Kit ($115)
As far as I’m concerned, a delivery from Net-A-Porter makes any of the day feel like a holiday—and I’d be thrilled to find this sample set under my tree (if I had one). You get 25 samples in a clear travel tote, and amongst the surprises are coveted products from Charlotte Tilbury, By Terry, Christophe Robin, Hourglass, Lancer and other swoon-inducing brands.

Net-A-Porter Ultimate Beauty Kit ($3,376)
I’m not dropping any hints here (OK, maybe I am) but I would be as naughty and/or as nice as my husband wanted for a really long time if Hanukkah Harry brought this to my house. With full-size Oribe shampoo and condition, a full set of Kevyn Aucoin brushes, a Kjaer Weis lipstick wardrobe, a Tom Dixon candle and enough super-charged anti-aging products to keep me looking 25 forever, just looking at the picture of this “Fantasy Gift” (check out the others, like a 12-month handbag subscription) almost makes me want to cry.

Beauty sleep in a jar

I don’t know about you, but I can’t ever seem to get enough sleep these days. Try as I might, I can’t ever get into bed before 11, my dog frequently wakes me up to go outside around 4, and my alarm jolts me out of dreamland daily at 6:15 (if I’m not already laying there in wait before it goes off). From there, it seems to take longer to shake off the “sleepy face” now that I’m on the latter side of 40 so I’ve been looking for new ways to fake the illusion of being rested, and Patchology’s new Cloudmasque Restoring Night Cream has been a major help.

Sure, it’s packed with hydration courtesy of hyaluronic acid, but you get a lot more than that. This super-charged formula also features 17 nourishing plant extracts, retinol and peptides for some serious anti-aging heavy lifting. But that doesn’t mean I’m skipping my myriad serums before using this as a final step—but I can sleep a little easier knowing my skin is getting a double dose of the ingredients it needs to stay looking like I’m on the other side of 40.