At that holiday party, everyone will be wearing a new dress, have their hair in a new do and wearing their makeup “just so”. So how do you stand out this holiday season? Hair bling.

From flowers to hair sticks to sparkling hair jewelry, hair accessories are the newest and hottest item to set you apart and get you noticed.

Available from our Beauty Store.

Whenever I visited the cosmetics section of my local health and beauty store, I noticed the colorful Burt’s Bees display. Curious about these products I decided to do a little research.

When these guys say “natural” they mean natural. All of these products are made from things found in nature, combined in ways that produce some amazing skin care products. Even the coloring is natural and comes from things like beta-carotene, chlorophyll and mica. The products are non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores). Best of all, this company does no animal testing of its products.

Just the names of the products are so delicious, I can’t wait to try them, such as the Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream and the Orange Essence Facial Cleanser.

At our Beauty Store, a travel kit containing a variety of samples sizes of these great lotions, cleansers and balms is available. Great for gift giving or just to try the products for yourself. I am definitely going to try them and I will let you know what I think.

For the past two weeks or so I have been using Max Factor’s Erace Secret Cover-up. I have the Medium shade although I generally use one of the lightest shades in any collection and the funny thing is that I think I like this shade much better than my usual. In any case, I notice I use it every day and have just about abandoned my Avon concealer wand.

I think it does an excellent job of covering up dark shadows and discolorations under my eyes. I notice a difference right away and the slightly salmon tint of the concealer makes me look more natural, rather than having raccoon eyes that I have to put foundation over to even out. In fact, one day my concealer was as far as I got in my makeup routine and I got an unsolicited compliment from a coworker who said I looked really good that day.

The concealer is designed like a lipstick which does make application fairly simple and the formula is creamy, not thick or dry. It is easily blended even if you don’t put your foundation over it, but if you do, be prepared to notice how flawless your complexion now looks. And of course, my favorite new foundation is my Max Factor Pan Stik.

A good night’s sleep is the key to any beauty routine. If we don’t sleep enough or well enough, the dark undereye circles begin to appear, puffy eyes, tired and devitalized - we can’t look our best despite using the best products and the most professional techniques.

Here’s a product guaranteed to promote more restful sleep and make your bed the most inviting and delightful place to be. Pillow Perfumes by Durance are especially designed fragrances for linens. Spray them on bed linens just before bedtime. Light and natural, they provide a soothing aromatherapy that relaxes you while surrounding you in delicious fragrance.

Pillow Perfumes are available in Lavender, Cotton Flower and Passionate Night. Buy them at our Beauty Store.