Our friends at ultra-luxe jewelry house Boucheron are in a giving mood this holiday season. In honor of its 150th anniversary, the company is offering our readers an incredible opportunity to win a precious gift in its “Boucheron Christmas Tree” contest.Simply click on www.boucheron.com/christmas2008?xtor=AL-175, select your prize, place it under the virtual tree (online) and fill in an online entry form. A winner will be picked from a drawing on December 22.

The jewelry selection is jaw-dropping. We’ve got our eye on the Quatre ring (pictured) in white, yellow, rose and chocolate gold with grosgrain, smooth polished, diamond point and godron motifs ($3,300). On the other hand, the Hérisson pendant in pink gold worked in diamond point with rubies and black diamonds ($2,900) is none too shabby.

Whatever prize you yearn for, be sure to put it under the tree by December 19. If your stars are favorably aligned, you might end up with an exquisite bauble that will keep you entranced through all Christmases to come. Bonne chance!

(Above: a “Freya” Spring Style)

The thought of finding the perfect bra seemed as far fetched as me getting offered the part of Scarlett O’Hara in a “Gone with the Wind” remake. AKA, impossible.

It doesn’t matter to which brand I turned to: Maidenform, Vicky’s Secret, Hanes etc…I could never find the snug, warm, elusive perfect fit.

I’ve been measured many more times than Marilyn Monroe: “What’s your chest size? Your waist? Your hips? Your pet poodle’s size?” etc. etc. but never quite managed to find the bra that, really, mathematically summed everything up. And lord knows that plus size women have a totally different can of worms to deal with. So, after man has managed to send people to the moon and invent Tupperware, why is it so hard to find a bra that really does the job without being put on probation?

(“Fantasie” Winter 2008 Styles)

Freddy, who’s a master (or should I say mistress) of the perfect fit at Eveden, finally answered my prayer. She said that the perfect bra should fit snug but basically feel like a pair of hands holding up your puppies.

Ahem.

I learnt so much about fit, architecture of the bra, and breast tissue from my appointment at Eveden. Your bra underwire should never, ever compress your breast tissue, not even on the sides. If your breast tissue feels like it is getting squished, then burn that bra immediately.

Eveden has several lines of elegant bras that will fit your price, style and vision. Fantasie is their larger cup line (they even have a JJ cup!! SERIOUSLY. Have you ever heard of that? Makes DDs look like infant sizes);

(A “Fantasie” Spring Style)

Freya is fresh, youthful, fun and hip. Like your granola-eating BFF. The prints are bright and floral and super sexy, and they also carry sports bras and swimwear. Take a look at these!! They are like museum pieces:

(“Freya” Winter 2008 styles)

Fauve is the high-end lingerie that is sold in stores like Bergdorf Goodman. Their “India” line is a best seller, and with good reason. Take a look at this:

(“Fauve” India style)

“Goddess” is their plus size collection. They also have nursing bras and sports bras.

(A “Goddess” Spring Style)

After my fitting, I went home with a perfect bra, the perfect fit, and an infinitely better posture. My back did not feel strained (and no, I’m not just saying this to fill white space….it’s absolutely true) and my puppies were properly propped.

Now, that’s fit enough to give thanks for.

As you may have known by now, Blackberry is in. The holiday collection from Clinique features shimmering powder for cheeks (a blush) that comes in a Limited Blackberry Bloom color; Color Surge Eye Super Shimmer in Limited Edition Black Amethyst; Black Amethyst and Black Kohl pencil eyeliners; Full Potential Lips Plump and Shine in Blackberry Bloom.

The end look is beautiful, smoky eyes that’s really understated but subtly defined, a touch of subdued blush on the cheeks, and a bright fruity lip.

The Blackberry Bloom Allover Powder is sheer genius. Subtle, dramatic, blossoming and not over the top. It will go well with your basic LBD and suave neutral classics such as a navy shift or that sparkly cocktail dress.

My favorite holiday ESSENTIALS are the three mini Clinique Happy Fragrance pencils. These are solid fragrance pencils in three aromatic flavors: Original (Happy); a Hint of Citrus; and A Wealth of Flowers.

Do they last long? You bet.

My favorite chubby pencil is the Wealth of Flowers, which smells like a happy Spring day. It’s perfect to layer under clothes and I sniff it as frequently as Beyonce gets her highlights done.

The Blackberry Bloom retails at Clinique counters everywhere. The Allover Color powder is $29.50; the set of mini fragrance pencils (my fave!) is $30 (can we say “power stocking stuffer”?).

There are a lot more items in the Holiday collection including the gorgeous “Party Red Lips” Limited Edition that showcases four mini red lipsticks that come in Vintage Wine, Party Red, Angel Red Different Lipstick and Red, Red, Red.

Err…we’ve lost track of what color we’re talking about.

The mini lipstick collection retails for $25.

There are some things that are more cherished than La Perlas or your Faberge Eggs and I’m a sucker for Anya’s fine leather goods. Everyone has been sporting the Cooper Bag (sold out and waitlisted in many stores) from Angelina Jolie to Reese Witherspoon (shown is the Beverly Hills Metallic Hobo).

It’s easy to also see why the late Princess Di found solace in Anya’s fine purses. But if you want to get these fine pruchases at a steal, go to Anya’s Warehouse Sale TOMORROW, November 18th in New York City:

Warehouse Sale, 9 – 5:30PM

Anya Hindmarch Showroom

416 West 13th Street, Suite 317

Credit Card & Cash Only

They say that the quality of your hair dictates your level of confidence and happiness. Whether this is true or not, the R&D team at Nexxus has made it a LOT easier for you to choose your new BFF Shampoo & Conditioner.

The new Dualiste line of Shampoo & Conditioners is seriously the best thing to hit the haircare shelves in a long time. There are three BFFs in this line: the Color Protection + Anti-Breakage Shampoo & Conditioner, the Intense Hydration Shampoo & Conditioner, and the Volume Shampoo and Conditioner.

The Anti-Breakage Shampoo and Conditioner has been tested in the labs to prevent fibre breakage by a whopping 98%! They contain Keratin Amino acids, soy and wheat proteins.

The Intense Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner are enriched with Vitamin E, Coconut Oil and Honey Extract to give hair that needed splash of moisture.

The Volume Shampoo & Conditioner contains Panthenol (B5, Ginseng Extract and Flax Seed Oil to create that va-va-voom effect you’ve been craving.

The best part about this line is that there is a conditioning leave-in spray to give you EXTRA love. So, after you finish with the shampoo and conditioner, you can spray a little leave-in conditioner for that silky, flawless finish your hair deserves.

The dual pump inside each bottle corroborates the name of the line perfectly. Two colored liquids come out seamlessly into your hand, and let me tell you, they work wonders. I tried the Color Protect Intense Hydration Shampoo and was amazed at my tresses. The packaging and bottling also look high end.

If you’ve been totally frustrated at your colored hair fading away each chance it gets, this is the line for you. The scientists have extensively tested the ingredients to ensure they protect the hair color with each wash (and BTW, did you know that WATER is the reason your color fades, and not the sun? Yes, each time you wash your hair, your treated hair color diminishes).

All shampoos and conditioners have a special Color Protection Factor technology that prevent water molecules from entering and dye molecules from escaping the hair shaft each time you wash your hair. How’s that for R&D savvy?

The line debuts in January 2009, in time for your New Year resolutions. $11.99 for each 11 oz bottle, and worth it, in my opinion. www.nexxus.com

We know that what goes into our mouth impacts our health, not to mention our skin.

But granola’s out of the question when we’re rushing out the door to get to work, so we grab a bagel to go. As for lunch-well, actually we skip lunch out of guilt for eating the bagel. Dinner is whatever we can microwave, with a chaser of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. Like members of a 12-step program, we admit that we are powerless over our dietary sins; that our nutritional gaps have become unmanageable.

In need of a major intervention, we were thrilled to discover nutraceutical company GoodElements and its all-natural nutritional supplements. After a quick two-week trial, our skin has never looked better and we’re finally catching up on our beauty sleep.

The three-sku “Beauty and Wellness” system we tested includes “Essentials,” a body-loving cocktail of herbs, vitamins, minerals, green foods, food extracts, enzymes and amino acids; “Renewal,” a complete antioxidant supplement that increases the health and longevity of the body’s cells; and “Dream Supply,” which naturally promotes restorative deep sleep without next-day drowsiness.

Targeted products for specific concerns such as memory and concentration, immune system support, allergies and joint pain are bundled into themed collections called “Workplace Survival,” “Holiday Survival,” and “Weight Loss.” Right now the “Holiday Survival” kit is looking pretty good, with “Resistance” to strengthen the body’s immune system; “Craving Control” to boost metabolism and suppress the appetite; and “Chill” to relieve anxiety and stress. We’re picking up a second kit for holiday gifting.

All products contain 30-day supply of capsules and can be bought individually for $34.99 or in collections retailing from $84.99 to $89.99 at www.GoodElements.com 

The Jumeirah Group looks like its out to conquer the luxury world. Its latest venture is set in Glasgow, Scotland, where snow is basically a second language. It’s going to give the legendary Balmoral a run for its money by opening a five-star hotel in 2011.

This is the fifth hotel to be signed in Europe by the Jumeriah Group, and the design is a 25-storey building filled with gadgets, rooms and attractions to make your stay in Scottish country even more pleasant.

The hotel has 160 guest rooms and suites and 85 apartments for people who want to rent them out for an extended period of time.

There is your usual Jumeirah fare – the infinity pool, a top spa, ballrooms and conference rooms – but remember this is the first luxury business hotel in Scotland (no it’s not all fun and kilts and bagpipes up there). www.jumeirah.com