Estee Lauder introduces Ultimate Red a Limited Edition collection of deep rich reds and golden accents for the ultimate holiday allure. Inspired by the runway and the red carpet, Ultimate Red is a luxurious and sophisticated collection perfect for gift-giving (or giving to yourself).

Check out our favorites from this opulent collection:

For smoky eyes in shades of plum, burgundy and grey with metallic gold, Estee Lauder brings you two Limited Edition eyeshadow quads housed in decadent gold compacts:

Eyeshadow Quad in Gold Opulence $35.00

A look with Estee Lauder Gold Opulence Quad

Eyeshadow Quad in Lavish Plum $35.00

A look with Estee Lauder Lavish Plum Quad

Available just for the holidays the Opulent Shimmer Glosses give you a sheer, shiny finish:

Opulent Shimmer Gloss in Gold ($18.00)

Opulent Shimmer Gloss in Cranberry $18.00

Create a smoky look or a precise dark line with Estee Lauder’s new Gel Eyeliner in Black.

Gel Eyeliner in Black $19.50

Find this dramatic collection at Estee Lauder counters and Esteelauder.com.

- Catia Carvalho Trooskin

NARS Cosmetics is celebrating its 15th Anniversary (this means the CRYSTAL year, folks!).

Since anniversaries imply a company has been around long enough to make a meaningful impact in your lives (and NARS certainly has in mine!), it’s only too natural that they launch a commemorative palette.

15th ANNIVERSARY EVERLASTING LOVE PALETTE- $75.00 each

Everlasting Love contains intense eye hues to create the perfect smoky eye and Wild at Heart (above) featuring bold lip shades for a deeply pigmented pout.

PLEIN ETÈ MINI MULTIPLE SET- $45.00

An exclusive set of mini Multiples boasting three best-selling shades. Ete means Summer in French — so this palette is filled with memories of beach and sand especially as the temperatures start dropping. This is a Sephora exclusive.

DROP DEAD GORGEOUS MINI NAIL KIT- $30.00

This miniature collection includes four glamorously festive shades: Arabesque, Chinatown, Candy Darling and Saratoga
D. LOVELY LIP GLOSS DUO SET- $45.00

Four smaller versions of the successful Duo Lip Gloss in a variety of mix and match shades: Misbehave/All Night Long, Pillow Talk/Sandpiper, Orgasm/Chihuahua, and Greek Holiday/Stolen Kisses.

Every holiday season I look forward to the new offerings from my favorite beauty brands. I can always find a new palette (or two) to add to my beauty collection. This year is no different – Laura Mercier’s holiday kits have made it onto my wish list. Here are the latest contenders for center stage on my vanity:

Laura Mercier Baked Eye Colour Palette features five perfectly paired baked eye colors in one convenient palette. Also includes a double ended mini brush to contour and define eyes.

Shades in the palette include: champagne, sepia, mink, malt and sterling

Included Brushes: Crème Eye Detail Brush and Eye Colour Brush, $48

Laura Mercier Petite Eye Palettes are pocket sized eye shadow palettes available for warm and cool tones.

Warm palette includes eyeshadow shades: Sandstone, Stellar, Bamboo and Truffle.

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Cool palette includes eyeshadow shades: Morning Dew, Rose, African Violet and Twilight Grey, $28 each

Laura Mercier Deluxe Mini Brush Set is a kit of mini versions of Laura Mercier’s professional brushes perfect for when you’re on the go.

Included Double-Ended Brushes:

Crème Cheek Colour/Cheek Colour

Secret Camouflage/Camouflage Powder

Ponytail/Eye Colour

Brow Groomer/Lip

Flat Eye Liner/Smudge

$85 (value of $274)

These fabulous gifts are available October 2009 at Neiman Marcus and lauramercier.com.

- Catia Carvalho Trooskin

Looking for a chic gift? Here are our picks from Chanel’s Holiday offerings. Head to your nearest Chanel counter and scoop up one of these luxurious kits:

Les Minis de Chanel Makeup Brush Set – this six piece set of professional, travel makeup brushes

includes:

Powder Brush for seamless application

Blush Brush to sculpt and highlight cheeks

Concealer Brush to target flaws

Eye Brush for precise eyelining

Eye Brush for precise shading

Lip Brush for flawless coverage

All in a luxurious travel case with iconic CHANEL signature. $120

Les Deux Levres Scintillantes Gift Set- this set of 2 lip glosses and lip definer includes:

Gloss in Spark a golden berry

Gloss in Praline a beige rose (exclusive to the set)

A mini LE CRAYON LÈVRES Precision Lip Definer in Nude

This glossy set comes in a chic signature makeup bag. $50

Trio Exclusif de Vernis Gift Set - this set of three polishes is perfect for the holidays:

Shades include:

Tulipe Noir a pearly plum black

Allegoria a pink nude

Trapeze a silvery grey

Packaged in a chic travel case. $65

Chanel Fragrance Wardrobe - dress yourself in a selection of 5 fabulous Chanel fragrances in 0.12 oz bottles. Fragrances included:

Allure

Chanel N°5

Chanel N°19

Coco Mademoiselle

Coco

A great way to try 5 different Chanel fragrances. $105

Le Regard de Noir Smokey Eye Essentials Gift Set – this set has everything you need for a smoky eye look – kit includes:

LES 4 OMBRES Quadra Eye Shadow in Smoky Eyes

LE CRAYON KHÔL Intense Eye Pencil & companion sharpener;

EXCEPTIONNEL DE CHANEL Intense Volume and Curl Mascara in Noir

LE PINCEAU OMBRE #2 Eyeshadow Brush Mini

DÉMAQUILLANT YEUX INTENSE Gentle Biphase Eye Makeup Remover

All in a CHANEL makeup bag with monogram $140

- Catia Carvalho Trooskin

Victoria’s Secret PINK is wishing everyone Peace, Love and Hope for the new year with their new collection – a youthful and optimistic fragrance embodying all the possibilities that a new year has to offer. Spritz yourself with this fresh mix of green apple and honeysuckle and make your new year’s wishes for peace, love and hope.

Collection Includes:

Eau de Parfum ($47)
Sheer Fragrance Mist ($20)
Body Lotion ($20)

Soft & Dreamy is a collection perfect for snuggling up. Using a comforting blend of vanilla whipped cream (can you say yummy?) and pink meringue this 3 piece collection is meant to evoke the warmth of home, your favorite flannel pajamas and time spent with family. The vanilla infused fragrance is sugary sweet and fruity all at once. We all know how great PINK pajamas are and this fragrance does our flannels justice.

Collection Includes:

Twinkled Pink Shimmering Fragrance Rollerball: a fragrance rollerball that gives your skin a scented, golden pink shimmer ($12)
Drenched In Pink Supersoft Body Lotion: a hydrating lotion infused with vitamins E and C.
Pink With A Splash All-Over Body Mist: a soothing spritz with aloe and chamomile ($15).

Get these limited-edition collections at Victoria’s Secret Stores and VictoriasSecret.com

- Catia Carvalho Trooskin

Gingerbread…Whipped latte…Pear…Peach…Creme brulee…Vanilla

Yum…Sounds like the desert table at a holiday party.

Just in time for gift -giving season Victoria’s Secret brings you delicious scents to satisfy your sweet tooth without packing on the dreaded holiday pounds. You can indulge all you want guilt free.

New from Victoria’s Secret – Secret Garden Collection are the limited-edition scents Sparkling Sugared Pear, Merry Vanilla Twirl and Gilded Ginger Crème.

Sparkling Sugared Pear is a mix of pear blossom, peach and pink sugar.

Gilded Ginger Crème is a blend of gingerbread, whipped latte and musk.

Merry Vanilla Twirl is a sweet fusion of crème brulee, vanilla and star fruit.

Out of all the delicious scents Merry Vanilla Twirl is my absolute fave. I love anything with vanilla in its name – if it says vanilla I can’t help but spritz or slather it on. Merry Vanilla Twirl is the latest addition to my vanilla arsenal. Unlike Victoria’s Secret’s Vanilla Lace, which is a sweet sugary scent – Merry Vanilla Twirl is sweet and sensual at the same time. This is a great gift even if the only person you’re giving to is yourself. After all, what girl doesn’t want to smell sweet all day long?

Collection includes:

Hydrating Body Lotion $9

Refreshing Body Mist $9

Shimmer body lotion $10

Shimmering powder puff $8

Victoria’s Secret stores and VictoriasSecret.com.

- Catia Carvalho Trooskin

Cargo bears gifts for the holiday season in three flavorful varieties: Hands of Hope Collection, Mediterranean Nights, and the Eastern Eye Pencil Collections.

The Hands of Hope Collection ($29) comes in a luxurious embossed gift box with nine eye shadows that are brighter than your holiday lights. Each box bears the Hamsa hand insignia (this is a symbol of peace, love prosperity).Treat your lids to the jewel-like colors:

- Vibrant Purple
- Fern Green
- Frosted Cool Brown
- Nude Pink
- Midnight Blue
- Gold
- Aqua
- Warm Reddish Brown
- Gunmetal Grey

The Mediterranean Nights Collection ($34) gives you the opportunity to look red hot while you’re freezing your behind off. This collection is inspired by the warmth and beauty of the Mediterranean evenings, with glamorously embossed powders. The collection includes:

- Eyeshadow in Shimmering Brown
- Eyeshadow in Golden Green
- Eyeshadow in Rich Gold
- Eyeshadow in Gold Shimmer Pink
- Blush in The Big Easy (sheer pink with gold and red grapefruit undertones)
- Blush in Rome (soft tangerine)

The Eastern Eye Pencil Collection ($18) comes in a Cigarette style case (small real estate means easy packing for travel).

This collection consists of five mini eye pencils embossed with Eastern style motifs. Each pencil has a rich and velvety texture not unlike your favorite piece of silk. The colors include:

- Exotic Eggplant
- Sparkling Green Tea
- Midnight Blue
- Tarnished Silver
- Burnished Olive

This collection can be purchased now at www.sephora.com (don’t wait lest Santa beats you to them).

The Winter Naturals collection is a seasonal spa for you, brought to you by Bath & Body Works and CO Bigelow. Ginger Mentha, Winter Lemon and a crisp sparkle of Winter Petal are the three fragrant lines from this collaboration (note these are comforting versions of Bigelow’s signature ingredients).

The Ginger Mentha line combines ginger and peppermint to give your skin zing. This includes the Eau de Toilette ($29.50); Revitalizing Body Lotion ($16); 2 in 1 Bath Shower Foam ($14); Warming Body Scrub ($14); Lip Shine Shimmer ($7.50).

The Winter Lemon collection blends citrus with notes of fig, blackcurrant and hints of musk, rose and sandalwood. Ho, ho ho! I do love my Vitamin C but the fig and blackcurrant notes made my heart leap like Rudolf. The collection includes Ead de Toilette ($29.50), Body Lotion ($16); 2 in 1 Bath & Shower Foam ($14); Body Butter ($19.50).

The Winter Petal Collection uses feminine florals, and combines perennials (perennials…do you hear?? I the midst of winter while the garden is dead, you need flowers on your skin to remind you of florals), peonies, seasonal fruit. The collection includes Eau de Toilette ($29.50), Body Lotion $16), 2 in 1 Bath & Shower Foam ($14).

There is that scene from Serendipity with Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack that I simply love. It’s the very last one, when he’s lying in the middle of the empty rink and sees that missing glove tossed into the snow-filled air. There’s something so pure, beautiful and simple about that scene that it makes me crave for the comforting simple fashions each winter.

Avon’s Holiday 2009 brings back that magic, I believe. And the prices are pretty magical too — they’re so affordable that pretty much every one can have a good holiday. Here are some of my favorite pieces:

Loving the sparkle drop linear earrings (D) here that are perfect to pair with your LBD ($14.99)

I adore this Floral Bloom Pearlesque Collection (Bracelet $19.99; Necklace $19.99; Earrings $9.99) that brings out the Audrey Hepburn in you.

Who wouldn’t want a sparkling stunner necklace like this as a gift? ($29.99 including set with earrings)

Kate Moss fans can squeal in delight at this Ruffle Hobo (must have) that comes at a bargain price of $34.99.

Comfy and cozy are we…. ($19.99)

Top off every evening attired with this glam Kiss Lock Essential Clutch for only $12.99. I’m still gagging at the price!

These lovely goodies will debut online during the holiday season. I completely and utterly expect them to be sold out (heck I will buy these in bulk). Shop Serendipitously.