Get lit.

With my gift card from M. for Christmas I went to Sephora Union Square, combating the immense holiday crowds, I took my purchase, (a YSL Touche Eclat) to the register and harrumphed at people to move it on my way out.

I didn't, or rather couldn't have known how worth the harrumphing this little gold wand full of luminous concealer would be.

In the package insert the user is instructed to apply the product with the built in brush under eyes, outside corners of eyes, outside corners of the mouth, sides of the nose...but why stop there?? It worked perfectly on my single age spot. It doesn't move around at all once applied so I put it on my lids and brow bones as well.

I looked aglow--and that was before blush!

With sheer pinkish-red lips I was out the door and feeling fine.

You can pick one of these magical pen concealers up at http://www.sephora.com/ for just $40.

It will change your face, aka life. That Yves Saint Laurent was a genius, no?

Yo, Adrienne.

I have been a fan of Foley + Corinna since it was Anna Corinna. I love my giant city tote, even though I haven't carried it in months. I love that I got it on eBay for $180.

But there's a bag I think would compliment my new Jackie boots from 80%20 really nicely and her name is Adrienne. She is smooth and black and has a long strap and lots of shiny hardware.
I found her on http://www.revolveclothing.com/ for a mere $278, (if you haven't shopped this site, it is gooood.)

Adrienne is well designed for me as a city mouse--roomy, versatile, vintagey yet modern.

I'm not even a black bag buyer, but she's so pretty.

Like me, only taller.

I am not a short person. I am not a small person. My mother is both a small and short person. I have small hands, small ears, small teeth.

I have small toes.

Do I need extra height? Some people would say no.

But I do need something different every now & again.

And that is why, as a gift to myself, with some of our Christmas cash I bought the 80%20 Jackie hidden wedge boots in pebbled black leather for $130 from http://www.zappos.com/. I have been wanting them since before last Christmas.

Luckily they were out of stock in the banana yellow I was considering buying them in when that's all that was left last year.

Zappos shipped them to me for free and upgraded my shipping to priority.

NEW BOOTS FOR ME!! I should get them by New Year's Eve. I'll let you know how they are.

Perhaps they will catapult me out of casual schlub mode.

I'm considering buying them in a color called Luggage as well, on sale at http://www.revolveclothing.com/ for $76.

Cool, dude.

On the second day of Christmas...

On the second day of Christmas jcrew.com gave to me, two color block candy gloves.

And they're only $7.99 at http://www.jcrew.com/. They come in several adorable color combos. My preference is the citron/berry but they're also available in navy/papaya, aqua/spearmint and silver/citron.

On the first day of Christmas...

Oh, good Lord. I should have named this blog Fashion + Beauty Bi-weekly. The fact of the matter is, I write this when I have spare time at work and lately, there have been extenuating circumstances, such as a spy visiting from corporate.

But, enough of that. I was thinking, even though there are only 9 days until Christmas, I could do the 9 days of Christmas the Fashion + Beauty way.

Starting with: On the first day of Christmas, drugstore.com gave to me a Nivea Kiss of Flavor Cherry Tinted Lip Care (in a tree, well not really, it was a cardboard box which I will recycle.)

I think it's great. Very cherrylicious and the right amount of red tint.

Only $3 at http://www.drugstore.com/.

Food for thought.

Cosmetics used to be about glamour. Lipsticks smelled like roses.

Now a lot is about food. Is it because we are less likely to indulge in actual food if our lip gloss smells, tastes and looks like red velvet cake batter?

In a brief scan of my posts, I realized a good deal of the items have a great deal of yum-factor.

yum-factor n. 1. tasty smelling without being artificial 2. products which induce your spouse to want to eat you up 3. sniffability 4. usage: This hand cream has awesome yum-factor.

In this kit from Philosophy, which comes with a recipe box (recipes included) you get three mouth-watering shampoo/shower gel/bath bubbles in red velvet cake, strawberry short cake, and sweet creamy frosting.

Why bake when you can bathe?

$18 at http://www.sephora.com/

It's like dessert to me.

Fred Flare, you devil.

I love these lip balms. Had I been able to have them as a child I would have been tremendously happy.

They come in a set of four so I could split them up and give them as gifts to all my favorite girls.

$18 for the set of four, http://www.fredflare.com/.

Baby cake.

I have become cake/cupcake obsessed.

I am not the first but, I'm going to ride it out this month.

As many cupcake/cake related items as I can find.

This charm from Tiffany & Co. is the cutest.

What a nice gift it might make for the original cupcake's 40th birthday?

Oh boy!

$150 at http://www.tifffany.com/.