Mystic Tan. To Spray or Not To Spray.

Ok, I know I’m supposed to be the expert here, but I need a little help.  I have this Mardi Gras Ball coming up very soon, and well, my skin is so pale that you can practically see through it.  I plan to wear a strapless dress.  It’s a grey dress which won’t do much against my vampire-like skin.

I’m a big fan of how I look with a little glow, nothing overdone, just a little color.  My mom always said that tan fat was better than pale fat (oh yeah, welcome to my world) – and well, I don’t consider myself fat in the least, but people, c’mon – I’ve had a baby.  Wait, better yet, I should say I’ve had a baby and my name is not Camila Alves or Heidi Klum.  There are parts of me that will just look better with a tan.

Don’t worry, I’m fanatical about doing everything in my power to prevent wrinkles and sun damage, so I know better than to lay in a tanning bed for a few weeks.  Instead, I think it will be best to spray a bunch of chemicals on my skin.  That’s gotta be better, right?

But, um.  I’m skeered.  What if it turns me orange?!  The oompa-loompa look is not good on me.  How do I know what level to choose?  What if I go from looking very French to looking very Italian in about 20 minutes flat?  That’s gonna be awkward, right?

Have you done this?  Tips/tricks/suggestions for me?

2009 Holiday Guide: Gifts For Mom

I sat next to a gentleman when I was on a plane on my way to Womma last month who was fascinated by my arsenal of beauty and fashion magazines.  He was the smart engineering-type, so lest he think I was the most vapid human being he had ever met (clearly I’m in the top 5, but certainly not number one), I offered him a little information about what I do for a living.  Then he asked for a suggestion on what he could get his wife for Christmas.  His exact words were “she likes little gift set thingies.”  Wow.  So I’m like, um, gift sets of what?  Socks?

Then he starts thumbing through a copy of Lucky (MY copy of Lucky, that is) and pointing out things she would like.  Finally I offered for him to take it home with him, and reminded him to use it wisely – he basically had a perfect list and guide of items right at his fingertips.  He also took my card, so on the off chance that his wife is reading this post, all I can say is I TRIED.

In case you haven’t picked up a copy of Lucky lately or you just have a wife or mother that is exceedingly difficult to shop for – here is a short list of a few ideas that will hopefully make your shopping experience a bit less painful.

momAgenda — I received my first momAgenda back in January and since then have discovered that I am unable to live without it.  It’s a one-stop source for everything I need to keep me organized – it has sections for my personal schedule, then I take advantage of some of the “Kids” column’s to keep my professional life organized as well (I only have one, so why waste all of that space?!).  Conference calls, doctor’s appointments, travel arrangements, playdates, and birthdays all have their place in my momAgenda.  The two ribbon book markers help me keep track of my current week, and my month at-a-glance, but you can use them however you want.  Even my favorite wines have a place in my momAgenda!  There is currently a sale going on site-wide at momAgenda with 15-40% off of everything in stock PLUS free shipping!

Soft Hugwear – Soft Hugwear is the stuff my soft, fluffy cloud dreams are made of.  They make blankets, eyemasks, travel pillows, and spa wraps, like the one above (which I own and LOVE).  This new, uber-posh line is available at WalMart, and I have got my sights set on the travel set!

Keurig Platinum Single Serve Brewing System – Let me just start my opinion of this with a WOW.  This has become the #1 item in my house that I just simply CANNOT live without.  I’ve recently become a coffee addict — which is tough in a house where no one else likes it.  I would find myself brewing a whole pot of coffee and only drinking a cup, so I started cutting it down, but it really is a good bit of effort to go through for just one cup of coffee!  The Keurig has totally changed that for me.  I keep the reservoir filled, grab the flavor of coffee or tea that I want, pick my size, and in one minute I have the perfect cup of coffee, and no more than that.  The difference is in the K cup – this little cup pre-filled with different options of coffee or tea – that you pop in the top of the brewer, then close the lid.  When you’re done, you just throw the whole cup away.  No mess at all.  Already have a type of coffee that you love?  You can create your own K Cups as well, so don’t worry!  I can also choose the size cup I’d like – which is perfect for early mornings when I’m grabbing my coffee on the go.

Philosophy Skincare – I debated adding this under my beauty guide, but I’ve got to say – a little pampering goes a long way for moms.  Any mom would be ecstatic to find this gift set under the tree – it includes everything she could possibly want to care for her skin – including Philosophy’s signature face wash, an exfoliating scrub, their signature moisturizer “Hope in a Jar” as well as the version for the sensitive eye area “Hope in a Tube”, as well as a micro delivery peel.  This kit is skincare heaven, and probably a splurge that mom would never get for herself.  The Miracle Worker Kit that you see here includes $156 worth of products for $86 bucks – plus FREE shipping from Sephora right now!

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So there you have it, a few awesome last-minute picks for mom — stay tuned for some amazing giveaways, and check our the Technology section of the guide for some suggestions for the tech-loving people in your life as well as some of our newest giveaways!

Black Is In: Beauty and Fashion Deals for Black Friday

Black Friday is so often about the hottest toy or the newest Flat Screen TV…but what about all of the fashionista’s out there? Apart from the fact that most of us probably love our beauty sleep…we also can’t pass up a good deal on a great look! Here are some deals – available both online and in stores – starting tomorrow, Black Friday (don’t you feel like you should say “dun dun dun!” right after that?).  Read on to discover amazing discounts and deals, including free overnight shipping for the rest of your life!

BLACK FRIDAY – NOVEMBER 27, 2009

H&M: On Friday, November 27th, receive 25% off items of your choice from 5AM until 10AM* and enjoy Fashion Finds all day from $5.

Store hours vary; call your nearest H&M for opening hours. Store locator.

*Offer valid Friday, November 27th from store opening until 10AM. Not valid on previous purchases, for H&M gift cards, or in conjunction with any other discounts. These three stores open at 5 am on Black Friday; 5th Ave and 52nd street, Penn Station, Herald Square stores.

Zappos: Zappos is opening the doors to their VIP Club!  From Black Friday through Cyber Monday, your readers can visit Zappos.com and join the VIP Club.  By becoming a member of the  VIP Club, members will receive free, overnight shipping – for the rest of their lives!  This invitation will only last from midnight on November 27th until midnight November 30th.

The link to sign up for the VIP Club will be live starting at 12:01 am on Black Friday morning and will be taken down on midnight November 30th.  From that point on, anything you purchase through vip.zappos.com will arrive at your door the next day fo’ free.  You read that right.  Sign me up.

Crabtree & Evelyn:  Crabtree & Evelyn is having a Black Friday preview sale with 20% off sitewide!   Free shipping on orders of $25 or more, Hand Therapy lotion is 50% off, and you can snatch up Body Lotion for $7.  Great stocking stuffers, teacher gifts, or girlfriend gifts!

Apothica:  Apothica is offering 20%-70% off selected items in their clearance sale. This amazing store offers beauty brands like Herve Leger, The Art of Shaving, and beingTRUE – upscale beauty products marked as low as 70% off. You’ll find anything and everything: cleanser, wrinkle cream, mascara, perfume – you name it!

e.l.f.:  This Black Friday, you can take advantage of special shipping rates at e.l.f – have your order shipped for just $1.98 with no minimum order value.  Shipping is usually $7 and their prices start at $1.  Great stuff for a great deal!!  I love their studio collection brushes and am addicted to the lip liner.  Yes, it is possible to be a lip liner addict.

Sephora:  With any $50 online purchase at Sephora, you’ll get a free metallic flower clutch stocked with eight samples. Just enter CLUTCH4U at checkout.  Valid while supplies last. (PS – need an idea of what to buy?  Try my ultimate favorite T3 hairdryer, or a gift set from one of my favorite skincare lines, Philosophy.)

Macy’s:  Macy’s is having a Thanksgiving Sale with 20%-50% off of thousands of amazing items.  The sale is online Thursday 11/26 through Saturday 11/28, and in-store 5 am – 1 pm on Black Friday, and 8 am – 1 pm on Saturday.

Payless:  Payless is having a sale through December 1st that offers buy one, get another half off, on any item in the store.  Shoes?  Now you’re speaking my language!  Squee! See those shoes to the right, there?  Those are CHRISTIAN SIRIANO.  At Payless.  I’m just sayin’.

DJ Premium:  At DJ Premium you’ll find brands like L.A.M.B, Vivienne Westwood, True Religion, Custo Barcelona, and tons of others.  You can take 20% off of full priced items with the code:  IE20J6, and 25% off of your Black Friday order with 1FUN1U.

Arden B:  Until Noon on Friday, buy one item get another for $5 at Arden B – storewide, but in-store only!  Free shipping on purchases of $15 or more, and mix and match basics are 2 for $14.  You can also get 25% off of selected sweaters online.  Check out the Holiday Lookbook for ways to create an inspired Holiday wardrobe!

Shopbop:  Up to 70% off of items at one of my all-time faves, Shopbop.  This awesome sale includes Tory Burch Flats, William Rast denim, and Pour La Victoire boots, among other huge names.  We’re talking major wow factor over here.

Feel Like A Natural Woman

Hello.  My name is Erika and I’m addicted to buying and trying beauty products.

Hiiii, Errrikkkkaaaaa.

It’s true.  I don’t care if it is from Macy’s or Walgreen’s – I’ve tried almost every beauty product I can get my hands on.  When I discovered that I was pregnant with Little AG I suddenly realized that I had been largely slacking in one beauty product area – organic and natural makeup and skincare.  Being pregnant suddenly made me extremely aware of every single product I applied to my body, including things like sunscreen, makeup, toothpaste, and body lotion.  I spent hours using the internet to research every possible danger associated with every single product that I currently used – and it was then that my family forbade me from continuing to google information about beauty products on the internet.

They were all — um, crazy chick…step away from the laptop.  And I was all — must.do.more.googling!  After a brief intervention, they won.  It was a bit obsessive, I suppose.

So, in the absence of Google I turned to my two younger sisters, who had been using natural beauty products for quite a while, to help me figure out ways to incorporate organic and natural beauty and skincare products into my routine.  They pointed me in the direction of some fantastic products for both myself and for my then-still-a-peanut-sized daughter.  If you’ve ever found yourself wondering about these products but not really sure where to start – check out some of the awesome products I’ve suggested for you below, compiled with the help of my sister Dawn.  Most of these products aren’t completely organic, but they are all formulated without parabens and  without sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates.  Both of these have the ability to pass through the skin and to build up in the tissues of your body.  Yech.

1. Can You C Me? A makeup remover for both your visage and peepers, it combines organic carrot juice, minerals, and Dead Sea Mud and leaves my face feeling smooth and refreshed (isn’t it funny that mud makes my face feel refreshed?).  As a bonus – one of the ingredients is Aloe Vera so that it won’t irritate those pretty peepers, and will actually soothe tired eyes.

2.    Burt’s Bees Lemon and Vitamin E Bath and Body Oil – For an intensive moisturizing treatment, add some of this to a bath or apply it directly onto your skin.  After the birth of Little AG I used Vitamin E oil religiously after exfoliating, and it rid my tummy body of all of those pesky pregnancy stretchmarks.

3.  Pacifica “Mexican Cocoa” Solid Perfume – My sister Dawn let me try this stuff at the beach a couple of weeks ago, and I have to say that it’s true – good things absolutely come in small packages!  This delicious smelling perfume is created with organic wax and all-natural oils.  I would have never thought smelling like cocoa would be sexy, but I’ve gotta tell ya, dabbing a bit of this solid perfume behind my ears did not make me feel like a walking chocolate cake.  Bonus:  since it’s tiny, you can slip it in your evening bag or clutch and freshen up throughout the evening!

4.  Alba Sport Sunscreen SPF 30+ – Wearing sunscreen everyday is one of the most important things that you can do to combat aging – so next time you are in the market for more, try out this awesome broad-spectrum sunscreen.  This sunscreen is infused with all sorts of delish ingredients, including lavender, green tea, and aloe vera.

5.  Burt’s Bees Radiance Day Creme – Along with sunscreen, moisturizer is a product that should be used daily to fight off signs of aging, so why not give this one, with 134 different nutrients to nourish and protect your skin, a try?  Use it daily to help diminish the apperance of fine lines and keep your skin glowing.

Tea Tree Skin Care from The Body Shop {Giveaway CLOSED}

I have been shopping at The Body Shop for over 10 years now — my nose won’t let my body pass one of those awesome stores by without going in!  I discovered the Body Shop back when I was in high school when I began using their tea tree products that help prevent and control breakouts and blemishes. I used the line for years, so I was really excited to hear that they had revamped their their Tea Tree line – reformulating some existing products and adding new ones to create an entire skin care regime.

All of the products are now paraben & phthalate free – which is great news for anyone trying to be a bit more “green”.  (And a smart move, in my humble opinion!)  The line now includes products to prevent blemishes and breakouts, treat existing blemishes, and control oil and shine.  The products are formulated to not be too harsh or to overdry your skin, while still being effective.

Win It! To celebrate the relaunch of their new line, The Body Shop is offering 2 Chic Shopper Chick readers a prize package that includes all of the products that you see above ($115 value).  To enter to win, click on over to The Body Shop’s website and then come back here and tell me which one of their born-again Tea Tree products you would most love to try.  Leave a comment here, and stumble, subscribe, tweet (button at the top!) or blog about this contest with a link back here for additional entries. This contest ends August 20st, 2009 (ooh, on my birthday!). US entries only, must be 18 or older to enter, no purchase necessary to win.