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.

It’s Wednesday. We are halfway through the work week, and if you are like me, needing a break. So I am taking one today and I am not going to talk about the best way to apply eyeliner or the newest advances in lipstick. Today I am going to tell you about my secret obsession: perfume bottles.

I am definitely the kind who might buy a perfume just for the pleasure of having the bottle sit upon my shelf or dressing table. I seldom indulge because collecting perfume bottles could turn into an expensive habit especially if you find you don’t care for the fragrance they contain.

Perfume designers put just as much creative energy into the packaging of their product as they do the scent itself. Some perfume bottles could be considered works of art. For instance, how about Dali Style by Salvadore Dali?

Kingdom by Alexander McQueen, with its crystal heart turned upside-down makes a statement all its own.

I love the sporty and fun patterns of the Burberrys Brit perfumes - set on a blocky bottle they tell you: this fragrance is for someone adventurous and fun, but grounded and practical. I like the Burberry Brit Red and Burberry Brit Gold bottles too.

Angel by Thierry Mugler is elegant and delicate, a crystalline object from the heavens. Choosing just one of Thierry Mugler’s bottles would be a problem, they are all so interesting in their design.

These are my yearnings for this morning. I wonder if Santa is reading this?

As regular readers will have noticed, Beauty on a Budget has undergone a little makeover of its own, sporting a new look. Our new header, designed by Clive Allen, is so pretty I can’t help trying to accessorize. You may have noticed the last few posts contained products whose colors matched the header colors. Note the face of flawless beauty that both blends and yet captures attention and the deepening rose that perfectly offsets but does not compete.

And that’s really key to accessorizing, choosing the right style and color accessory to set off your outfit or hairstyle. Finding the perfect balance of accessories that create focal points without detracting or being overdone.

For instance, with hair swept up on the head, a pair of long, dangly earrings will soften the severity of tightly pulled back sides and at the same time, enhance the illusion of a long, slim neck.