Happy first day of February beauties! To kick off the month, we have an amazing giveaway that will ensure your locks are properly nourished throughout the remainder of winter.   Known for her gorgeous red hair, The Help stunner Emma Stone recently gushed that Davines LOVE Smoothing Shampoo ($24, barneys.com) and NOUNOU Conditioner ($26, barneys.com) are responsible for maintaining her enviable shiny strands. She raves that the duo helps keep her hair in check when it comes to grease and product build up plus adores the smell!

“I need a lot of moisture for my skin, but not for my hair. I have the opposite problem with my scalp as I do my face. This clarifying shampoo doesn’t weigh down my hair, and the conditioner is great for baby fine hair. It also smells very good, too.” – Emma Stone

We are giving one lucky winner the opportunity to steal Emma’s healthy hair secret. To enter, you must like the Davines Facebook page (DavinesOfficial) and follow the brand on Twitter (@DavinesOfficial), plus leave your email address or Twitter handle in the comment section below so we can get in contact with the winner.

Don’t forget to like Mickey Williams Beauty on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@mwmakeup) as well for more great giveaways and industry news!

Good luck to all!

Bring some color back into the drab winter months with Laura Mercier’s new Lingerie Collection. The collection, which just hit shelves this month, is inspired by the soft romantic colors and fabrics of the Victorian Age and showcases a palette of colors reminiscent of Boudoir vintage lingerie and this super-feminine era.  The resulting look is softly sexy lips and cheeks in shades of trendy corals with neutral eyes in taupes and greys.

We want to help you warm up your look this winter by giving away 3 peachy products from the collection!  We’ll be offering one of each of the below products to three lucky winners this week.  To enter, either leave a comment in the comment section here, or visit us on Twitter @mwmakeup, follow us  and ReTweet one of our posts about this contest.  Winners will be announced this Friday.

Product include:

Lip Shine: Tempting Coral
Formulated with Shea Butter and Vitamin E, this new  limited-edition Lip Shine provides a lightweight, non-tacky finish, and give an extra shiny, pearlescent finish to the lips.
LauraMercier.com, $22

Sheer Lip Colour: Kissed Lips
A hydrating, anti-aging, plumping and conditioning lip colour that glides on smoothly and evenly, delivering a sheer wash of colour with a semi-matte finish.
LauraMercier.com, $20

Creme Cheek Colour: Innocent Peach
This long-lasting, natural-looking cheek colour provides a flattering, natural, peachy glow.
LauraMercier.com, $20

Good luck to all!

Nails have become the hottest accessory this winter. Whether rocking a shiny gel manicure or going daring with seasonal glitter or nail art trends – the choices are endless. Keeping up with this craze can be expensive and time consuming, but luckily now DIY options are available at home! We’ve tested out the latest and are impressed with these products’ ability to deliver salon quality results at home.

SensatioNAIL
Love the look and last of a gel manicure but hate the time and money spent at the salon? Our current obsession is SensatioNAIL, a true at-home gel manicure system. The Starter Kit comes with one color polish, and LED lamp, cleanser, base coat and gel – everything you need for a professional quality gel job at home. In a few easy steps and less than 30 minutes, we were left with a perfect gel manicure. One of our favorite things about the set is that after the final cure with the LED light, nails are immediately rock hard, meaning zero drying time.

The polish lasts up to two weeks and when we tested out its durability over the holidays, our nails survived a hectic schedule filled with food prep and social engagements without a single chip while also maintaining their shine. When we finally went in for a polish change at the salon, the manicurist could not believe that is was an at-home system and remarked that the gel held stronger than the product used in the salon! With the Starter Kit costing nearly the same amount as a single professional gel application, you can’t afford not to get this amazing system.
$60 for Starter Kit; $12 for each additional polish at CVS

Liquid Palisade

Have trouble keeping polish on your nail and always end up getting color on the cuticles? This tell-tail sing of an at-home manicure attempt gone awry can easily be eliminated with Liquid Palisade, a paint on temporary liquid barrier that protects against polish mishaps. Simply brush on to the cuticle area, let dry, and then paint as usual. When polish is dry, peel off Liquid Palisade for a crisp, perfectly edged polish.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          $22 at liquidpalisade.com

Dermelect Nail Recovery System
If you struggle with weak, brittle, peeling nails that just won’t grow, Dermelect Nail Recovery System is a must for restoring nails to their natural beauty. The simple step-by-step regimen utilizes protein-peptide technology to hydrate, protect and strengthen nails. Similar to multi-peptide technology for the treatment of aging skin, the breakthrough ingredient ProSina provides a unique delivery system of protein peptide directly to the nail bed to encourage stubborn nails to grow. Whenever we feel our nails getting soft between manicures or naturally, we start using this system and find that our nails instantly feel healthier and noticeably harder.
$59 at Dermelect.com

Dazzle Dry Quick Dry Nail System
Just can’t seem to deal with dry time? Stop smudging your fresh paint with Dazzle Dry Quick Dry Nail System! The fast drying polish prep, base coat and top coat trio cut polish drying time in more than half, meaning no more stoically sitting still waiting endlessly for polish to harden. In just 5 minutes, we found that our polish was rock hard and that the top coat made nails just as shiny as our favorite Seche Vite staple.
$28 at DazzleDry.com

Red Carpet Manicure
Another at-home gel manicure system that we are loving comes from Red Carpet Manicure. The Starter Kit contains everything you need for a professional salon gel manicure in the comfort of your home – at a fraction of the cost. You can get up to 50 applications with each polish, making this an economical solution to one of our favorite indulgences. Do it at home while watching TV and the result is weeks of gorgeous color and high shine that lasts!
$60 at RedCarpetManicure.com

Kiss Feather Light Nails
Just can’t grow your nails long enough for that french manicure? Pop on a set of Kiss Feather Light Nails, the lightest artificial nails EVER. These aren’t your typical press-ons and don’t leave your nails feeling heavy or bulky like many drugstore options and acrylics. The nails simply glue and are so thin that they look like an impeccable manicure on your very own nails. Despite their weight, they are super durable and last up to 10 days. We’ve worn them through cooking, cleaning and vacations and found that they truly live up to the 10 day promise. When you’re ready to remove them, simply soak them off with acetone like you would a gel manicure.
$6.99 at CVS

IMPress Manicure
Want to experiment with nail art but worried about the commitment? Thanks to IMPress Manicure, you can feel free to play with wild nail looks on the weekend and easily remove them for a more subdued style on Monday. IMPress is a fully painted nail system that comes pre-glued for quick, easy application. When you are ready to remove, gently peel nails from the sides. Unlike nails that use liquid glue, these come off easily without damaging the nail underneath – making them perfect for polish commitment-phobes who crave frequent stylistic changes.
$5.99 at Walgreens

What do you use to get the perfect at-home manicure?

Happy New Year’s Eve beauties!  With 2011 drawing to a close, we couldn’t help but reflect back on some of the award-winning biggest beauty breakthroughs of the year.  While there are many more on our favorites list, the five below stood out as products that we now simply cannot live without!

Algenist

Named one of RealBeauty’s “Best Face Products of 2012″ the new skincare line, Algenist, was one of the biggest launches of the year thanks to it proprietary hydrating/anti-aging ingredient, alguronic acid. According to Algenist, it’s a “powerful regenerative compound produced by a specific and unique strain of microalgae that functions to protect and regenerate the single-celled organism in the harshest environments and conditions on the planet. Available only in Algenist products, this bioactive compound joins other powerful antiaging active ingredients, including a peptide and an algal-based alternative to retinol. These ingredients come together to create a powerful serum that rebuilds skin firmness while restoring its density and elasticity.

While Algenist offers a full line of skincare products including a cleanser, eye balm, and moisturizers, the stand out for us is the Algenist Concentrated Reconstructing Serum. It works to minimize wrinkles in just four weeks – leaving skin looking radiant and noticeably younger looking in no time!
$95 at Sephora.com

Elure

Hyperpigmentation is the new wrinkle when it comes to skincare with women increasingly worried about dark, unsightly sun spots. Time is of the essence in treating these pesky offenders and as soon as you see a dark spot, you need to act quickly and find a potent dose of a fast acting product. A new cult find and Allure “Best of Beauty” 2011 winner comes from Elure. Elure is the first scientifically proven enzymatic topical skin lightening product that breaks down melanin to reveal a visibly brighter, more radiant and exceptionally luminous skin appearance. Finally, a beautifully even skin tone is achievable without the risks and expense of doctor administered Hydroquinone!                                                                                                                                                                  From $35 at Lovelyskin.com

Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation

Want to look like a celebrity even if you’re not on camera? Then this is the product for you! Beloved by makeup artists and editors alike for it’s unmatched ability to create a flawless, soft-focus finish, Make Up For Ever’s HD Invisible Cover Foundation ensures a perfect complexion even in the harshest light. As an Allure “Best of Beauty” 2011 winner, this product delivers star-worthy skin with every application.
$40 at Sephora.com

CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipstick in Enchant

Fall was all about bold, statement lips, and while we love the trend, it can be notoriously hard to wear, especially on us light-haired gals. The key to not looking like a little girl who played in her mother’s makeup drawer is to find a shade that truly flatters your complexion. Luckily, CoverGirl took the guess work out of finding the perfect shade with their LipPerfection Lipstick in Enchant.  It’s a universal color for most skin tones and as a winner of this year’s Allure “Best of Beauty” awards, it infuses lips with a gorgeous rich chocolate shade that is surprisingly easy to wear. The creamy formula feels soft, not dry or cakey, making for a gorgeously smooth finish and flattering take on the bold lip trend.
$7.99 at CVS.com

Lumene Sensitive Touch Cleansing Wipes

And finally, another Allure “Best of Beauty” recipient, Lumene’s Sensitive Touch Cleansing Wipes rounds out our list of 2011 award-winning favorites. Since I’m constantly traveling, these wipes are the perfect anecdote to messy liquid cleansers that can open in my carry on or even get confiscated at the airport. Formulated with 100% organic Arctic linen seed, the wipes never dry my skin out and leave it feeling light and refreshed after use. While they may not remove the heaviest eye makeup, they are great to remove face makeup and light, non-waterproof eye makeup on the go.
$5.99 (for 25 count pack) at CVS.com

Got your dress and shoes, but still in search of the perfect makeup for New Year’s Eve? If you are the type that can’t decide whether you are in the mood for demure neutrals (to let your lashes take center stage) or a dramatic, dark smokey eye, MAKE UP FOR EVER’s Wild & Chic Aqua Cream Collection is the perfect palette for limitless eye options.

Exclusive this holiday season, the snakeskin adorned, reusable metal case contains 10 of the brand’s coveted long-wear cream shadows to help you shimmer and shine. The shadows are 100% waterproof and crease-proof, making them perfect for a long night out. Since they wear so well, the Aqua Creams can either be worn alone or used as a base to add staying power, dimension and pigment to your favorite powder shadows. Made with the highest quality pigments with mother-of-pearl particles, the shadows bestow immediate saturated color to eyes in one easy application.

With colors ranging from wild to workplace, the set includes: Aqua Cream in 4 Snow (white pearl shimmer), 13 Warm Beige (champagne shimmer), 16 Pink Beige (pinky beige shimmer), 15 Taupe (taupe brown shimmer), 12 Golden Copper (soft copper shimmer), 11 Gold (yellow gold shimmer), 17 Plum (burgundy plum shimmer), 14 Satin Brown (warm brown shimmer), 2 Steel (silver gray shimmer), 1 Anthracite (silvery charcoal shimmer) and a brush for easy blending.

$175 (a $242 value!) at Sephora.com

Still haven’t found that perfect gift? Pick up one of these stocking stuffers that are sure to please even the most discerning diva on your list!  With so many decadent options, you might find it hard to part with these sets!

For the Sugar Addict

Although the brand is best know for its skincare, jane iredale’s Sugar & Butter Lip Exfoliator/Plumper is one of my favorite lip products of all time. Since being introduced to the product a little over a year ago, I’ve already gone through 3 due to obsessive application. SO, when the brand came out with their latest holiday lip palette, I was more than a little excited to try it out. The limited edition Chocoholicks Lip Palette offers the ultimate guiltLESS pleausre for the chocolate obsessed. The palette, which includes 4 shades of deep hues including Blood Organe (shimmering copper), Espresso (rich brown), Very Berry (sheer plum) and Chili Pepper (red gloss) is intended to be a one-stop lip color shop to take you from day to night. While the colors appear dark in the case, they go on fairly sheer and are surprisingly wearable. While we love the super-wearable winter shades, the best part of the palette is arguably the scent, which exudes a strong aroma of chocolate even through the packaging. It’s the perfect way to indulge without packing on holiday bulge! If she’s been REALLY good this year, thrown in the Sugar & Butter Lip Exfoliator/Plumper to help her condition lips. $35, BeautyBar.com

For the Glamour Queen

The Vincent Longo Amaretti Diamond Collection Gift Set gives new meaning to the term, “eye candy,” with its irristible shadows that resemble a box of “color cookies,” reminiscent of the world-famous scrumptious Italian sweet. The set of four shadows come housed in an elegant box (no wrapping required!) and feature rich base shades with swirls of crystalline “icing” on top. The shadows are pure decadence for lids and deliver deeply pigmented hues and velvety soft application. $44, vincentlongo.com

The shades include:

• Midnight Blue Fudge Topped with Silver and Sapphire Pearl Frosting
• Velvet Vanilla Crème Treat Laced with Silver Sprinkles
• Rich Chocolate Brownie Iced with Glistening Gold
• Warm Copperleaf Cake Topped with Silvery Sugar Crystals

For the Jetsetter

While most beauty products can conveniently fit into your beauty bag, we’ve always struggled with leaving our trusted shampoo/conditioner behind when traveling. No one wants to have bad hair for the holiday party or family reunion, so give the gift of healthy hair to the girl-on-the-go in your life with Pureology Perfect 4 Platinum Petite Luxuries. The set comes in a handy wristlet and includes the brand’s Perfect4Platinum Shampoo, Perfect4Platinum HairCondition and ColourStylist SilkBodifier Voluminizing Mousse. We are admittedly a little blond obsessed over here at MWB, so this set peaked our interest immediately, but it’s actually suitable for use on all hair colors. The shampoo lathers like none we’ve ever used before (just a pearl size drop will create more than enough suds for long hair). The Perfect4Platinum line contains ingredients like chamomile (to soften), lemon (to brighten) and coriander (to boost shine). The gilded clutch can even double as a makeup case for future trips! $23, salons nationwide

For the Aspiring Makeup Maven

The Smashbox Click You’re It Holiday Eye Palette offers everything the girl who wants to get into makeup needs to create professional quality eye effects. With 15 eye shadows, five cream eye liners, a mini photo finish lid primer, the palette has everything she will need to experiment with new looks. A wide range of shades that go from demure to dramatic makes it easy to get a gorgeous day look or party-perfect eyes in minutes. Smashbox’s instructional Get-the-Look cards (also included) will have her honing her craft and creating photo-worty looks in no time. $40, sephora.com

For the Party Princess

Inspired by the glamour of Old Hollywood, Tarte’s Puttin’ On the Glitz Palette is perfect for any party-goer. Complete with three interchangeable palettes that come in a sleek silver clutch, these portable palettes will ensure that you’re ready for any occasion. For a pretty, earthy look “Walk In The Park” features a mix of cool and warm easy-to-wear natural shades. For a smoky, sultry look “Girls’ Night Out” is a mix of vivid mattes and silverspun shimmers. And for day, “Nine-To-Five” features some bold colors paired with traditional neutrals and Tarte’s best-selling Park Ave Princess Amazonian Clay Bronzer for a fresh faced healthy glow. The clutch doubles as a purse and even comes equipped with 4 credit card slots and a removable mirror for touch-ups and on-the-go application! $48, ulta.com

For the Nail Fanatic

Give the gift of hot holiday nails with Essie’s latest winter collection, Cocktail Bling. Contrary to it’s name, the collection doesn’t contain a single speck of glitter – a refreshing change of pace from all the sparkly polishes we’ve been seeing this season. The collection includes Bangle Jangle (a matte, muted lilac), Bobbing for Baubles (rich navy), Brooch the Subject (nude beige), Cocktail Bling (matte blueish gray), School of Hard Rocks (dusty blue/green) and Size Matters (Deep Red). Our personal fav is School of Hard Rocks. It’s a more wearable take on the trendy greens of the season and we got more compliments than we could count (even one from a random guy!) when wearing it. $8.00, CVS

Which one will you be giving?

Although we look forward to the holidays each year, with them looms the inevitable threat of over-indulgence and expanding waistlines. Fortunately, you don’t have to fear all of your favorite seasonal ingredients – many actually have powerful topical beauty benefits! These products are sure to nourish your body from the inside out and ensure that you emerge from the holiday season even more beautiful than before!

Put on the Tea (or Coffee)

• Put the well known antioxidant benefits of tea to use topically with h.wood Beauty Lip Tea Scrub ($20, h.woodbeauty.com). The organic scrub is handmade in Los Angeles and contains a nourishing all-natural blend of organic raw sugar, extra virgin coconut oil, raw honey, jojoba oil, shea butter, vegetable grade glycerin, organic tea and tea extracts. With bold lips being such a huge trend this fall, a lip scrub is absolutely essential to rid lips of flakes and prep them for color application. Keep this addictive scrub in your shower for daily exfoliation or use with prior to washing your face in the morning for soft, conditioned lips all day long. With 8 delicious flavors available, it’s a good thing this scrub is all-natural, because it’s hard to resist licking a bit of it off!

• Get your caffeine fix with Skinny Skinny Organic Black Coffee Body Scrub ($30, skinnyskinny.com). Made from freshly ground fair trade and organic coffee beans that were specifically selected for their aroma, this scrub smells EXACTLY like freshly brewed coffee. Use it for an invigorating wake-up call in the shower every morning as the scrub gently removes dull, dead skin and the energizing aroma fills your senses. The ultra-concentrated scrub is also made with certified organic oils to leave your skin radiant and refreshed.

• Keep skin moisturized and protected this winter with the First Aid Beauty Forever FAB Kit ($40, sephora.com). It contains the unique FAB Antioxidant Booster, which is composed of licorice root, feverfew, and white tea, to combat free radicals. It penetrates deep down into skin for exceptional hydration, enhances skin’s natural barrier function and will keep skin glowing this year with the help of the Ultra Repair Cream, Facial Radiance Pads, and Detox Eye Roller. This powerful trio will ensure that you radiate throughout the holiday season! The Ultra Repair Cream provides extreme hydration, FAB’s Facial Radiance Pads reveal your inner glow, and the Detox Eye Roller diminishes any signs of your Holiday indulgences! Each product contains FAB Antioxidant Booster to combat free radicals.

• Give skin a healthy flush with VMV Hypoallergenics Tarte-A-Tan Antioxidant Bronzer ($35, vmvhypoallergenics.com) and Skin Bloom Blush ($40, vmvhypoallergenics.com). Both contain green tea and rice phytic acid which pack powerful antioxidant benefits as well as virgin coconut oil for unparalleled hydration. These beautifully rich pigments are 100% Dye, Phthalate-Paraben and Preservative-Free, and totally free of skin-darkening, irritating, and breakout inducing ingredients.

Butter Up

• Skip dosing your sweet potatoes with butter this year and instead get your (shea) butter fix with Clark’s Botanicals Ultra Rich Lip Balm ($19, clarksbotanicals.com). As if natural moisturizers like shea butter, aloe leaf extract, jojoba and sweet almond oil were not enough, the balm also features marine collagen microspheres that act like miniature water reservoirs. Together, these ingredients deliver intense, long-lasting hydration. Vanilla Planifolia and Jasmine extracts add a delectable flavor that will have you re-applying – even when you don’t need to.  With the hectic holiday travel season here, we love Peter Som for Clark’s Botanicals Limited Edition Travel Kit ($59, clarksbotanicals.com) which contains the Ultra Rich Lip Balm, plus two Ultra Rich Lip Tints and various skincare samples.

• Extend the creamy hydration benefits of shea to your skin with L’Occitane Shea Butter Hugs & Kisses Duo ($19, usa.loccitane.com). The super nourishing pair combines the brand’s best selling classic shea butter with a moisturizing Lip Balm to ensure your hands and lips don’t dehydrate and crack this winter. The set makes an adorable stocking stuffer for the eco-conscious beauty maven in your life.

Pumpkin Indulgences

• If you look forward to the arrival of pumpkin chai/pie each year, you won’t be able to resist Somme Institue Boost ($40, sommeinstitute.com), a gentle warming mask that purifies and smooths skin with pumpkin enzymes, minerals, vitamins and Patented MDT5 Technology. The pumpkin enzymes in the mask increase cellular regeneration while the warming sensation helps to open pores, allowing for more effective absorption of impurities and dirt. While the mask does leave skin beautifully clear and soft, our favorite part of the experience is the infectious spiced pumpkin scent. If you are a fan of NEST’s Pumpkin Chai Candle ($32, neimanmarcus.com) (and we are!), this mask is PERFECT for you.

• After a long day of mingling and entertaining, scrub off the stress of the day with Ole Henriksen Sugar Glow Face Scrub ($38, olehenriksen.com). This invigorating scrub deep cleanses, smoothes and refines the skin as it polishes away impurities with the antioxidant power of African red tea, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin and honey. Pumpkin extract brightens and refines skin while raw organic sugar exfoliates and moisturizes dry, lackluster skin to reveal a glowing complexion. This unique combination of ingredients leaves skin feeling soft, hydrated, refreshed and super-clean.

• Nothing says holiday glamour like a beautifully full set of lashes. Use the power of pumpkin seed extract to give lashes a major boost with RapidLash ($49.99, cvs.com). Pumpkin seed extract helps to adds shine and flexibility to lashes while also improving their elasticity and durability. As total lash-fanatics, we’ve been long-time fans of RapidLash and constantly credit our lengthy, full lashes to this wonder serum. After a few weeks of use, the difference is definitely noticeable and the compliments on your lashes are bound in increase exponentially!

What is your most decadent seasonal indulgence?

In desperate need of a last minute hostess gift for your Thanksgiving or holiday festivities? Instead of bringing the predictable bottle of wine or pie, bring one of these seasonal scent sensations that your gracious host can enjoy long after the party is over. With this gorgeous selection of chic candles, there is an option to suit every personality. Which one is right for your hostess?

For the Natural
Headed to an organic, eco-friendly Thanksgiving? The environmentally and health conscious hostess is sure to appreciate the unique Melt T Glow Lotion Candle from h.wood.beauty. True to it’s name, this candle is handcrafted locally in LA with 100% natural soy, organic shea butter, coconut oil, essential oils and natural fragrances. Infused with the “prohibition” tea blends from the Hollywood hot spot, h.wood Tea Room, these candles not only light up a room, but bring beauty benefits as well. Instead of melting into wax, the candle melts into a luxurious, warm massage lotion – the perfect indulgence for cold winter nights in. The tea in the candles serves to intensify the effects of the ingredients found in your other beauty products, promoting healthy, youthful skin from the inside out.  Available in a variety of fragrances ranging from Coconut Chai to Blood Organge and Vanilla Carmel, our favorite is the Pom-Rose which contains an added anti-aging boost. Check out the full scent selection at hwoodbeauty.com. $44 at hwoodbeauty.com.

For the Fashionista
The ultimate in elegance, Balenciaga’s L’Essence Candle is certain to make this hostesses’ home just as glamorous as her wardrobe. The candle is housed in a beautiful silver jar with floral cutouts that allow light to flicker through for a gorgeous ambient effect. With a slightly spicy blend of leaves, mosses and the brand’s signature flower, violet, this candle creates a warm, cozy, holiday vide without the predictable, often overwhelming pine scents. It’s both subtle and woodsy at the same time, and evokes the crisp, clean smell of fresh air in the forest. $65 at Neiman Marcus or neimanmarcus.com.

For the Romantic
Inspired by a real love story, Thompson Ferrier candles were created by Pauline Dana and Raffi Arsianian who discovered the wonders of home fragrance while working together staging model homes. Named for the restaurant where they met (Ferrier) and where they had their first date (Thompson Street), the candles have a sweet back-story combined with a modern sensibility and attention to design that makes them perfect for newlyweds hosting their first holiday meal. The brand’s signature candles come housed in stunning, hand-etched glass that look just as lovely when not lit. 11 unique fragrant blends are available, including an un-scented option for those sensitive to fragrances, and burn for up to 75 hours. We love the Kashmiri Spice blend which is a decedent combination of chai, nutmeg and vanilla. $48-68 at thompsonferrier.com. For a more economical option, check out the brand’s beautiful black and white Holiday Candle Tins. These elegant tins retail for only $15 and also come in 11 rich holiday inspired scents.

For the Trendsetter
The ombre trend goes beyond hair with D.L. & Co’s Ombre Lady Rhubarb Candle (10 oz). Part of the brand’s Signature Collection, the candle is housed in a rich red ombre glass that is seasonally appropriate without being cheesy. The candles are a patented blend of soy, maple and palm waxes that diffuse in an elegant scallop glass bowl. The candle’s exciting combination of blood orange, red mandarin, grapefruit, sandalwood, and perilla make for a spicy and refreshing blend. It also contains rare Japanese shiso, which is known to help boost the immune system – a nice bonus to help guard against winter colds. The candle has over 40 hours of burn time and comes in such chic packaging (a black silk hat box with satin ribbon), that no wrapping is required! $80 at dlcompany.com.

Getting ready in the mornings can be a daunting task, especially now that the cooler weather tempts us to hit the snooze button a few more times. While you might be tempted to forgo your makeup application in favor of a few extra minutes in bed, once you try IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Powder Brush we guarantee your going to look forward to your morning routine.

The brush introduces a new standard in uber-luxe makeup brushes with addictively soft, 100% cruelty-free bristles. As it’s name suggests, I started out only using this powder, but it soon spoiled me to the point that I had to switch out my old blush and bronzer brushes for this one. You can feel the difference of the high brush hair count, which helps with a flawless distribution of powder. One word of warning – the mini-massage offered by these luxurious bristles feels so good, you have to be careful not to over-apply!

Use the brush with your own powder cosmetics or couple it with IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores – HD Silk Micro-Powder for a flawless finish. Bye Bye Pores was developed with leading plastic surgeons in Brazil and is infused with Hydro-Collagen to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, and vitamin K to reduce discoloration under the skin. It also contains anti-aging anti-oxidants Vitamins A,C & E to help ward off free radicals throughout the day. It’s the perfect setting powder and all over face finishing powder.

Get the duo on QVC or QVC.com for only $38.18 for less than the brush’s regular retail price of $48!

We had the opportunity to check out Mirabella Beauty first hand at the launch of the brand’s new Madame Rouge Collection (a trio of deep burgundy and red lip colors) and were blown away by the luxurious texture and silky, nourishing feel of each and every product. The brand was established in 2002 by Christy Thurston, a professional make-up artist and salon owner, but was expanded nationwide with John Maly who took the company to another level and brought Mirabella to the masses.

Mirabella Beauty is a full line of over 200 mineral-based contemporary cosmetic products formulated to work with all skin tones. Sound overwhelming? Luckily, Mirabella’s super intuitive Fitzpatrick Test makes it easy for even the most makeup-challenged ladies to instantly find the right color match – even online. By answering a few simple questions about your features and how skin reacts to the sun, you will be given your perfect base makeup match for fool-proof purchasing. Mirabella offers help with color makeup choices as well, cleverly positioning complimentary quads of color next to each other for easy palette creation.

While we loved nearly every product we tried, a couple of stand outs are the Magic Marker Liner ($18) and Madame Rouge Velvet Lip Pencils ($20). I’m a sucker for any new product that will allow me to further prefect a classic cat eye, so was very excited to try this liner. The super-fine tip and marker design make for easily controlled precision application and a flawless line. The tip is also soft enough, that you can vary the thickness of your line depending on the amount of pressure you apply and how much drama you want to create.

While I’m usually a lip pencil skeptic for their tendency to be drying, the Velvet Lip Pencil was anything but. It glides on with a super-soft, fluid-like texture for a deeply pigmented, long-lasting satin finish. It leaves lips feeling so supple that I’m tempted to ditch my usual pale pinks in favor of a bold red lip this fall.

Mirabella is available at select salons nationwide, but can also be purchased online at www.mirabellabeauty.com.