Holiday Hit List

Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby (Marrrrrrcussss :)

Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You
Uploaded by gcbg

Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You



Margaret Whiting & Johnny Mercer - Baby It's Cold Outside



Wham! - Last Christmas



Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Christmas Song


Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree



And an honarable mention goes to Dominic The Donkey, 'cause you cant have a Christmas in Brooklyn without suffering through this mess.

NORAD Santa Tracker

Anticipating a special gift? Yeah that fat man takes for-ev-er to get your presents to you, AND he wants cookies...hmph.
You can use Norads Santa Tracker to figure out where in the world Santa is, this way you can make sure he's not slacking.
Last time I checked he was somewhere over Africa. Those reindeer better fly fast.

www.noradsanta.org/

Happy Festivus!!!

Whatever your beliefs, whatever you choose to celebrate, or even if you're just enjoying a day off, I wish you love and happiness.
So as not to exclude anyone, lets celebrate FESTIVUS the holiday for the rest of us.
Merry Merry Y'all.

Gift Giving 101: Be Different!

I'm still on my gift giving kick...no, I'm not a saint, gift giving sucks! But while "I'm looking at stuff for other people" what I'm really doing is "looking at stuff for myself."
So anyways, while you're "buying gifts for others" you may want to think outside the box this season. Step off the beaten path and look at these unisex and very grown-up sets.


Peter Luger
The Ultimate Steak Gift Set EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE AT SAKS.COM. What The New York Times calls "the best steaks in America." Packaged just for saks.com, this fabulous gift box includes:
Two 37-oz USDA PRIME dry-aged, hand-selected porterhouse steaks
One 12.6-oz bottle of Peter Luger Steak House Old Fashioned Sauce
Black apron with gold logo
12"x16" cherry wood cutting board with juice groove
Satchel of 8 foil-wrapped milk chocolate coins
17"W x 11"H x 11¾"D; overall weight, 16lbs.

*For those of you who are not New Yorkers, Peter Luger is one of our oldest and best rated steakhouses. So this should be some good good steak! Don't overcook it!



Wine Enthusiast
Wine Tasting & Aroma KitThis comprehensive kit will help you identify wine tastes and aromas like a true connoisseur! Develop an extensive wine vocabulary and be well-educated when selecting wines at restaurants and stores. Set includes:
Nine vials of the most common tastes found in wine
Nine essence coasters for identifying specific wine tastes
36 vials of the most common aromas found in wine
36 aroma cards describing scents and the wines in which they are present
Two tasting glasses for sampling wine essences
Includes detailed instruction booklet
Contents arrive in a pine gift box with leather handles, brass latch
14"W X 13"D X 6½"H

Both available at Saks.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

Aaahhhh...That picture is so wrong. Did I just kill your childhood? I'm sorry.

I'm here to wish you a happy, healthy, and late Thanksgiving! Big Deal! You're still eating turkey right? No harm no foul...oops, too late.

So I hope you enjoyed your fat day as much as I did. My dishes all went over swimmingly if I do say so myself. I hope any new recipes you may have tried your hand at turned out well. We may have to do a recipe exchange here, cooking skills are a great weapon for anyone to have in their arsenal.

I'll leave you with a song that in recent years has become a Thanksgiving anthem for myself and some of my girlfriends. Amerie's "One Thing", because that weird sound she's making in the beginning of the song sounds like a Turkey gobble. Great song though!
Happy Amerie Day!!!

One Thing
by Dounia92i

Meeting HIS Parents For The Holidays?

Holidays are a time of year for many joyful experiences, make sure this potential nerve-wrecker is one of them with these helpful hints from Tyra Banks.
Thanks Ty-Ty!



Five rules for meeting his folks.

Ah, l'amour -- you and your boyfriend are in lovey-dovey land and all of your friends call you the perfect couple. You guys are in perfect bliss and there's only one thing left to do: meet his parents. Those three simple words could burst your blissful bubble in seconds, but if you follow these simple rules for meeting his family, you'll be calling her "mom" in no time -- or at least calling her by her first name.

Rule No. 1: Focus, Focus, Focus
It's definitely an unnerving experience, but the most important thing to remember when meeting his parentals is to be present. Don't let your nerves get the better of you and get lost in the conversation -- you'll just come off as the aloof quiet girl who is never heard from again.

Rule No. 2: Hey Big Spender, Don't Be an Offender
It's definitely okay to bring some sort of little gift, but don't spend your whole paycheck trying to impress them. No one likes a show off. It's more touching if you show you've gotten to know a little bit about them. Mom's a diabetic? Bring a dessert out of the Splenda cookbook. She'll be impressed you thought of her and will be happy to know you'll keep her little boy well fed.

Rule No. 3: That's a Question for Him
You're inevitably going to get at least one question from them that's a little awkward for you to answer. Instead of running the risk of having to break bad news to them yourself -- "Um, actually Mrs. Smith, we already live together" -- bounce those suckers his way. "Well, honey, what do you think about moving in together?" Then HE'S the bearer of bad news and you're in the clear.

Rule No. 4: DON'T Drown Your Worries
Look, it might be the most obvious choice to help you mellow out, but by no means should you reach for the bottle to loosen up! Sure, have the glass of wine offered to you -- but even if he's driving home, don't polish off the whole bottle. This goes double for getting obliterated the night before, it's not exactly going to win them over if you spend half of brunch in the bathroom, reliving last night's escapades.

Rule No. 5: Friendly Fire
Even though you're playing it safe, don't play it boring. Sure, your uber-politeness will certainly help you pass inspection, but it won't win you the sought after "we like her!" Instead of just asking the general questions about the weather, ask questions that make his parents elaborate on their fun and personal sides. If college comes up, ask them some leading questions about their experiences and before you know it, they're reliving their glory days and sharing playful stories. And -- ta da! -- you're the fun gal who let them remember the good ol' days.

-Tyrashow.com

What say you?

Today seems to be a fashion day for me... so bear with me as I test out my upcoming wardrobe on you guys! I've been noticing that the baggy "boyfriend" jeans look has been coming into play a lot. It hasn't gotten rave reviews, but I think I like it. Right along with the "Torn" jeans look. It's comfortable and it's understated sexy. With the right top, you can have youself a great outfit that isn't overbearing.

Also, there are different variations to these jeans, there are some that are looser than others. Here's a look at several variations.





What do you think? As you can see they can be worn with flats or heels. I personally think that they are ideal for the fall.

Fun and Fundamental

Brenda Jackson is my favorite author. I enjoy reading her novel's they are really great, and they all have happy endings... I am a sucker for happy endings, I hate sad stories. I've been meaning to start a mini book club. Where we can all converse about what books we've read and assign one for every month or every two months.

What books do you guys read? Would you be interested/willing to share your thoughts on a book of our choice? It's always fascinating to see the different ideas/messages that each person takes away when they've finished reading a particular book. Although we each individually may think that the message in the book is clear as day, many people will undoubtedly have different takes on it.

If you guys were to recommend a book, what would be your first choice? Kindly leave a comment or shoot us an email if your interested in doing something like this.

The pic of the book posted above is my favorite book from Ms. Brenda Jackson, it is called "True Love" best book ever! This would be my first choice.

Do share yours...

Vodka Is A Girl's Best Friend!

Actually, I don't drink Vodka, but this one is filtered through diamond dust. Yum

Double Cross Vodka was launched today, and it's right up your alley if you've been on the market for a vodka that's been distilled seven times and filtered through diamond dust.

Apparently this filtration leaves an exceedingly tasty vodka that hints at white pepper and lemon zest - and something seems to be working because they got good reviews from Paul Pacult and a gold medal at the San Francisco Spirits competition.

- Courtesy of Liqour Snob
Learn more at Doublecrossvodka.com

Clean & Clear Blackhead Eraser.

Of all possible skin issues, blackheads may be the most gross and unmanageable. A friend of mine who who suffers terribly from them, told me she tried the Clean and Clear Black head Eraser and it worked miracles for her. I took to the Internet to do a bit of research and I don't believe I saw a single negative review, so I'm bringing word of this possible life saver to you!
It seems to make a difference almost immediately, and skin feels softer and smoother as well.
The Clean and Clear website has a $5.00 off coupon, so there's even more incentive to try it now.
Clean & Clear

PS. While doing all of this blackhead research, I came across many reviewers saying that applying hydrogen peroxide to your affected areas is also helpful. It supposedly works even better after you use the blackhead eraser to deep clean your pores.

A League Of Thier Own.

Cafe.com

Bored? Check out Cafe.com a gaming site geared specifically to women, although men appear to be welcome as well. You can even make a virtual character in your likeness. Make sure she's hot though.

Stila Kajal Eye Liner

I love this eyeliner! Prior to this I had been extremely partial to generic, super cheap eyeliners because the softness of the pencil made a line that was thick, slightly smudgy/blurred, and easy to blend. I didn't even fully grasp the look I was trying to achieve until Stila told me with their description.

Kajal eye liners are formulated to mimic the ultra-soft texture of the Indian eye darkener of the same name. The luscious formula is silky smooth and glides on perfectly, without dragging across the most fragile skin around the eye area. Delivers bold, clear, true color that blends easily and beautifies.
Use kajal eye liner for a precise, crisp line or smudge with fingers or with stila #4 lining brush to create a smoky "dreamlike" appearance. Works perfectly with any eye shadow formula.

Eu-fucking-reka! I kid you not, it even sounds stupid to me, cause a black line is a black line right? WRONG! Exactly what I want my eyeliner to be reminiscent of, is the bold line that is synonymous with the "kajal" or "kohl/khol" liner that the lovely ladies over in India use. Check out the look on Aishwarya Rai, if you like that, you'll love the effect of this eyeliner.



By the way, did you know that Aishwarya Rai is considered by many people to be the most beautiful woman on the planet? Seriously, Google most beautiful woman in the world and see what comes up...I'll wait.

Eyes By Design

EYES BY DESIGN™ introduces the targeted skin care, customized shadows, easy-to-follow instructions and professional advice you need to create beautiful eyes every time. Estee Lauder is the company behind Eyes by design. All of the products in the line are made specifically for eye beautification. They suggest which shadows are suitable for a range of eye colors, with a paint by numbers approach on how to go from this:

To this:


Try it out from HSN

Deciphering The Dress Code.

Lately the line between casual and formal wear has become increasingly blurred. There is much effort required in following traditional guidelines of dressing for an event, and so it is that blue jeans have become a red carpet norm, when they used to only be fit for ditch digging.
Whether this is for better or for worse is personal opinion. Shouldn't you be allowed to dress in whatever way you choose? On the other hand, we can all appreciate the old adage that dressing well is akin to good manners. Think of a woman you consider elegant...would she attend a special event in jeans? No? So why should any of us aspire to less?
My personal style is somewhat conservative, so please feel free to disagree. In my opinion, when you are friendly with those putting on the event, you may know what is acceptable based on more than the guidelines of an invitation. If however, you are at all unsure, it may be best to familiarize oneself with traditional standards of dress so as not to make a faux pas.

White Tie:
Men should wear tuxedos with tails, without exception.
Women should wear full length evening gowns, with long (opera) gloves.
Remember this?

This is a perfect example not only of white tie dress, but also, just how outdated it is. But if an occasion ever calls for it, you'll know.

Black Tie:

Men should wear tuxedos, sans tails.

Women should wear full length evening gowns, but you can definitely skip the gloves now, unless you like them. Be extremely careful should you choose to get creative here, and only do so if you are very familiar with with the host/hostess. The invite said black tie for a reason. If a gown really rubs you the wrong way, you may want to try a tux in a feminine cut. Here are a few examples of what I think is appropriate for a black tie event.

Beautiful open back on this gown, a nice back can be incredibly sexy.
Mary L Couture Open Back Jeweled Gown. $306.00 at Saks.com

Aidan Mattox Niteline Women's Sleeveless O-Ring Long Silk Chiffon Dress. $360.00 at Bloomingdales.com

Amsale Party One-Shoulder Chiffon Gown. $770.00 at saks.com

ABS One Shoulder Gown $435.00 at saks.com

ABS is known for recreating fashion do's. I absolutely adored this look on Katherine Hiegl at the 2008 Oscars. The skirt of the ABS version is a bit of a letdown though, but I'm seriously considering buying this dress and seeing what some good tailoring can do to it. So, come awards season, if a celeb is wearing a dress you love, remember to look out for a version from ABS coming soon.


Cocktail:
Cocktail allows for a slightly more sexy and provocative style of dress. These dresses are generally not far below knee length, and depending on how much leg you like to show, they could be much higher than knee length.

Mandalay Beaded Dress. $1250.00 neimanmarcus.com

Mandalay Jewel Collar Dress. $965.00 neimanmarcus.com

Phoebe Couture Tier Petal Dress. $330.00

BCBGMAXAZRIA Strapless Faux Two Piece Dress. $298.00 Nordstrom.com

Notte by Marchesa One-Shoulder Chiffon Dress. $660.00 neimanmarcus.com

Diane von Furstenberg Devette Sequined Dress. $525.00 saks.com

Shout out to SGHI reader, Samantha, who inspired this post.

Kiehls Makes A Helluva Lipgloss!

I'll have to thank my moms for putting me on to this one. Kiehls is a company I would think to go to for a cult lotion or hair product, I never even knew they made gloss.

Unfortunately, like most glosses it doesn't offer much in the way of color pigmentation, resulting in all the colors  looking the same when you put them on. The thing is, they FEEL much better. Creamy, lightweight, and not at all sticky, they're even moisturizing.  Plus amazing lipglass like shine. I'd def recommend trying this one when you're in the market for a new gloss.

Continuing Education.

Nasty baby...
Anyway, build your knowledge by taking online language classes for FREE Courtesy of The BBC!
So get prepared for your next vacay, or just make the people around you envious when you can chat up the cute Italian waiter in his native tongue.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

Protect Ya Neck

The Unbreakable Umbrella- An undetectable self defense weapon.

The Unbreakable Umbrella works just as well as a walking stick or cane but does not make you look funny or feel awkward. Whacks just as strong as a steel pipe but it weighs only 1 lb. and 11 oz. (775 g).
Legal to carry everywhere
Never raises suspicions
Does not make you look silly (no strange looks if carried by an able-bodied person)
Our Unbreakable Umbrella has no unusual parts, no more metal than an average umbrella, it does not arouse suspicion, can be carried legally everywhere where any weapons are prohibited, unlike a walking stick it does not cause strange looks if carried by an able-bodied person, and it does protect from rain. Anyone who can use a stick for defense can use this umbrella.
Do you know how to swing a baseball bat? Do you know how to strike with a sturdy stick? If you do, you know all you need to know...

I'm getting one of these, so dont look at me funny or I'll umbrella that ass. Bong!

Loreal Voluminous Eyeliner.

Have you noticed the increasing number of makeup products that seem to be based on the concept of sharpie markers?
I've always found them intriguing, after all, I pretty much mastered the art of using markers back in preschool, It would stand to reason that I would be a makeup dynamo if I could use them on my face.
So for the last few days I've been testing out my latest "marker makeup" Voluminous Traceur Yeux by Loreal Paris.
The flow of the liner is very nice. Avy and I were discussing pen eyeliners recently, and her concern was that the liner dries up and it makes your line all spotty and wack. No issue with that here.
My only concern so far, is that it's difficult to get that winged effect at the outer corners of your eyes with this product. I've ended up using it the way I would use a pencil eyeliner, when I expected to be using it to create the shape I would with a liquid eyeliner.
I still feel I may be able to get the knack of this in time, and even if I can't, its still excellent for its staying power.

Cargo Reverse Lip Liner

I don't wear lip liner because I dislike when the lipstick/gloss wears away and you're left with ring around the mouth. But liner can lend itself very nicely to accentuating the shape of your lips and keeping your lip color in order. This is a nice idea, but I would imagine that you could achieve something similar with a concealer. In fact this product can also be used around your eye, so it probably is just a concealer in pencil form.

I'M BACCCKKK :)

Hey Guys,

I'm home. I missed you all. My trip to Cancun was amazing. The food was scrumptious, the drinks were delightful, the party life was fair, and the ocean was as blue as can be. Needless to say that with all of these elements combined my vacation was Grand.

I stayed at Riu Caribe which is an all inclusive hotel and it was a pleasant stay. The staff was always accommodating and the location was close in proximity to the night life, restaurants, and shopping area. The sun, was no joke. I applied lots of sunscreen lotion and I still got burned. I am coping with my burns as we speak.

Here is a pic of how I looked when I got off of the plane:

Now, here is a pic of how I looked when I was boarding to come back home:

Click on all the pics for full effect.
Since we are always doing "Style Files" on people that are in the public eye, I have decided to do a "Panache Profile" on myself. It is going to be focused on easy pieces that can be worn while on vacation.

So I usually pack a boat load of clothing when I go away because I hate to not have options. This time I traveled with one small suitcase and a small duffel carry on. My boyfriend was stunned when he realized that that was all I was carrying:) We spent 5 days in total and I took about 10 outfits. I racked up on shorts,I also took about 3 dresses along with a few T-shirts. I brought two pairs of heels and about 5 pairs of flats and 1 pair of water shoes. I find that when going away your accessories should really be your statement piece. You can jazz up any outfit with an accessory. Also, I have a thing for cover ups and hats. That's pretty much what I wore. You should figure out the part of your body that you love the most and feel is the most sexy then buy things that will flaunt it. I personally love my legs, so I flaunted them.
Here are a few pics of my outfits:


Here are a few of the bathing suit choices that I picked. When selecting bathing suits, I personally go for colors that go well with my skin tone. I also look for a snug fit and for materials that are clingy and won't sag when you hit the water. Saggy bottoms are definitely not a good look.




All of my clothing pieces were relatively inexpensive and affordable. My best accessory besides my sombrero was My Snookums. When in doubt bring a handsome one along, he will surely complete your outfit:)

If you have any questions, let me know. Smooches.

Remede Double Oxygenating Booster

Everyone listen up! I am about to put you on to one of the few products that I consider truly remarkable, and I have found nothing that comes even close to replicating its benefits.
This will kill a zit. I'm talking massacre! It especially works well as a spot treatment on the major "under the skin" ones. For some reason I haven't seen it do much for me as part of an all over skin treatment, but if you feel one of those bad suckers coming on, this will kick its ass!
One of the best things about it, is that it doesn't dry out and chap your skin the way other acne products do. It actually feels very moisturizing. At $98.00 for less than 2 ounces it is not cheap, but it will do the job and sometimes that's worth it.
If you're unsure go get a sample from Sephora. If they tell you they don't have samples, tell them to make you one. They can do that, they're just frickin lazy sometimes.

Philosophy Purity

A few weeks back Avyanka posted something that made me question the way I care for my skin. She said that it is important to completely remove all makeup and dirt from the skin prior to using any facial scrubs, otherwise you will only be grinding the makeup/dirt further into your skin. I, like many others made the mistake of assuming that a scrub is as a good as a soap, and would do the same job.
I've never had any major skin problems, but that doesn't mean that improvement is impossible. So I have been considering an overhaul of my skincare regimen, and purchasing this is first on my list.
Check out the product breakdown:

purity made simple
one-step facial cleanser
purity made simple is a liquid crystal cleansing emulsion that removes makeup, dirt, oil and debris in one step. purity made simple was created because it was our feeling that most cleansers were not getting the skin clean enough. furthermore, we do not believe you need a makeup remover and a toner to complete the cleansing process. purity made simple was formulated to emulsify and dissolve dirt, embedded debris, and makeup rather than creating a lot of foam without a lot of clean.


you need this product if...

you've tried a lot of cleansers but never found one you loved
you crave deeply cleansed skin
you want a cleanser that will multi-task for you
you wear a lot of makeup
your skin is congested

Concealer Combos

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit



Laura Mercier Undercover Pot

I'm really feeling these makeup trios/combos lately. I totally appreciate the extra beauty boost that makeup gives, but I am by no means an expert. So anything that is already put together for me and comes with a game plan attached sounds great, especcially when they come in one cute and easy package. The two above have garnered great reviews, and on my next trip to Sephora I will be purchasing whichever one has the better color match for my complexion.

Blo And Go.

Let's not get nasty about the name of the product, ok? I can hear you giggling.
Really this looks like it could have potential. Sometimes you need to get the heat right up on your scalp, and the angles might be kind of difficult to master, but other than that it could be a huge help. It's pretty cheap too.
BLO HERE