Beauty411

7 Last-Minute Beauty Gifts and Stocking Stuffers $20 or Less!

While doing a little last minute shopping over the weekend, I noticed quite a few beauty gifts that could be picked up at your local drug or discount store, for those people that go down-to-the-wire with their shopping.  I just finished wrapping the last of my presents yesterday and for me, that's about as close as I can stand.  Not only are these last minute beauty gifts and stocking stuffers cute; they're practical and cost less than $20!

While at Target, I saw these Burt's Bees kits on the main aisle.  Perfect for someone of any age, these gift sets retail from $9.99 - $19.99.  Who wouldn't love this mani-pedi gift set?

Bobbi Brown Beach Collection

Nothing says "summer's here" like the Bobbi Brown Beach Collection.  This scent of summer is a blend of sand jasmine, sea spray and mandarin.  It's light and fresh and wearable by just about everyone.  If you're looking for gift ideas, you can't miss with an assortment of products from the Beach Collection.

Here are some favorites:

Beach Sandbar Soap:  Brought back by popular demand, this soft soap works up a nice lather, yet exfoliates skin with a thin layer of sand on the top.  And it's lightly scented with the Beach fragrance. Smells and works great!  $16.00.

Beach Body Lotion is a lightweight body moisturizer that can help prolong the life of your tan.  It contains a blend of Aloe Vera, Jojoba, Olive and Sunflower Oils along with Green Tea and Vitamin E.  The Beach Body Lotion is perfect for fragrance-layering. $35.00

Beach Body Scrub, like all the products in the collection, is lightly scented with the Beach fragrance.  Orange Peel and pumice help to exfoliate the body and smooth skin, while Shea butter and essential oils lock in moisture. $35.00

The Bobbi Brown Beach Collection is available at Bobbi Brown counters nationwide and at www.bobbibrown.com.

Cor Facial Soap

Cor silver-based facial soap is a multi-tasking skincare product that simultaneously plumps, tones, balances, deep cleans and heals surface skin, resulting in a vibrant, healthy complexion.  Silver is well known for its antibacterial properties and is often used in burn treatment products.

The premise of Cor soap is that it deposits active ingredients directly into the dermis layer of the skin.  These all-natural ingredients, silver, silica, collagen, chitosan and sericin, work to fight bacteria, even skin tone, balance oil levels and repair surface cells.  Cor facial soap is suitable for all skin types, because it has a pH that is similar to the natural pH of the skin.  Because of the antibacterial properties of the silver, Cor soap may be an especially good choice for acne-prone individuals or individuals with sensitive skin. 

I've never used anything but a liquid or gel facial cleanser and have to admit, I was somewhat reluctant to try any soap that came in a bar.  In my use of a Cor sample bar, I loved the foamy lather; it doesn't strip your skin or leave it taut.  In fact, it's a very nice treatment product.  Your skin really glows with continued use and it looks and feels great.  My recommendation would be to order a travel (sample) size and try before you buy.  My sample size bar lasted about a month with twice daily use.

Cor facial soap is available at www.corsilver.com.  Sample size retails at $ 14; full size at $125. 

Jacqua Beauty: Dessert for your Skin!

Jacqua Beauty....where have you been all my life?  I just recently had the opportunity to try out some products from the Jacqua Beauty line and I'm hooked!  One whiff of the Pink Buttercream Frosting scented Hand Creme and Hand & Body Lotion was all it took. 

I've been using the Hand Creme, the Hand & Body Lotion, as well as the Hand Soap and love how conditioning these products are.  Formulated with Aloe, Fruit Extracts, Vitamins A & E and Meadowfoam oil, these products have serious skincare ingredients.  That's all good. But it's the girly-girl fragrance and packaging that really got me.  Perfect to leave out on your vanity or tuck into a purse, Jacqua Beauty products are as pretty as they are functional. 

For that hard to buy for someone, why not consider the "Our Favorite Frosting Hand Creme Trio".  Because is there anyone on the face of the earth that doesn't love the smell of Buttercream frosting?  Seriously.

Jacqua Beauty products are available for purchase and additional retailer information can be accessed at www.jacquabeauty.com.

SABON Pink Bath Basket for Breast Cancer Awareness

SABON brings you the power of the Dead Sea, combined with the healing energy of aromatherapy oils and herbs from the Israeli countryside, in the new Pink Bath Basket in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. 

The Pink Bath Basket will include a Body Gel Polisher, in Lavendar, one rose scented fresh-cut bar of olive oil soap, one small Bath Foam in Lavendar, a Sorbet Body Gel in Lavendar-Apple, two small round musk candles, a loofah towel and one rose bath ball with rose petals, all placed in a large pink box.

The Pink Bath Basket is really one of the prettiest Pink products and would make a wonderful gift.

The SABON Pink Bath Basket for Breast Cancer Awareness, which retails at $90, will be sold online and in-stores, with 30% of the proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  The BCRF is dedicated to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure in our lifetime.  For more information on the BCRF, visit www.bcrfcure.org.