Watch Out, World. Welder Is Here!

Just in time for the holidays, Welder watches, a new line of men’s timepieces imported from Europe, are now available at Barneys New York. Each watch in the brand, which just launched in the States this fall, is crafted in Italy, and prices range from $700-$2,200. If you don’t have a special man on your gift list, you might want to check these watches out for yourself. I’ve always preferred big, bulky, manly watches over dainty ones. And lots of girls these days are doing the same. Don’t believe me? Then click here. And here. And here.

The Perfect Mask!

No, this isn’t a late Halloween post. It’s a blog about the new 3Lab PerfectMask. However, it might be good to warn anyone in the area before you put it on because it’s kind of creepy in a Jason from the “Halloween” movies kind of way. In fact, I decided to scare my husband with it one night. And boy did it work. I laughed and laughed and laughed. He didn’t. (But he did say my skin was smoother after I took it off so I guess he wasn’t too mad at me.) Anyway, this is the easiest mask I’ve ever used. Just take it out of the package and place it on your face. They say it is “infused with Nano-Claire GY™, the world’s first bioengineered growth hormone.”  Whatever it is, it’s supposed to help boost collagen, smooth lines and give you a glow. They come in packets of six ($120 at Barneys) so you can have a beauty night with your girlfriends and try them together. Then you can all go outside and terrorize the neighborhood, or get drunk and watch the Sex and the City movie.

Pass the Courvoisier, Big Poppa

In the late 1980s, the famed fashion designer and artist known as Erté took his love for cognac to a whole new level. For a limited-edition release, Erté designed the decanters and artwork for a seven-bottle collector’s set of Courvoisier cognac, with each image representing a different step in the cognac-making process. Now, in the spirit of the holiday season, Courvoisier has re-released the collection. And, get this, the whole set can be yours for the low, low price of $10,000. When you consider that individual bottles go for $1,500 a pop, I guess that price ain’t so bad. But 10 grand? If you have that kind of dough, more power to you—reserve your set here. As for me, I’ll have to find the real Big Poppa first. Since learning of his split with Kim—the Real Housewives of Atlanta finale confirmed this glorious news—I’m counting on the fact that the high roller is looking for a new main squeeze. Over here, Big Poppa! Over here!

Woo Hoo! Free Misa Nail Polish!

You may remember this blog where I told you how much I loved Misa nail polish for its staying-power and its fantastic colors. Well, the fine people at Misa Cosmetics wanted to do something special for ShopTalkers so they have graciously offered to send a FREE bottle of to you if you are willing to pay $3.25 for shipping!  Just click on this link, pick out your color, and call them at 1-888-733-6472. Tell them you read about their offer on D Beauty’s ShopTalk blog. Thanks, Misa!

Tasty Treats

This doesn’t really have anything to do with fashion or beauty, but these yummy cupcakes are so cute, that I had to share with everyone. Fall flavors have arrived at Sprinkles. The orange cranberry with white chocolate cream cheese frosting, ginger maple with maple cream cheese frosting, pumpkin with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, and Belgian dark chocolate with bittersweet chocolate frosting cupcake combo is a great alternative to your run-of-the-mill pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. Pick up a box (or order online) of assorted cupcakes adorned with festive decorations, sealed with an “Eat Turkey and Cupcakes” sticker, starting this Friday through November 30 for $36.

Lip Balm to the Rescue

AIDS kills one child every minute, according to the YouthAIDS website. That’s an absolutely disturbing statistic. But in honor of World AIDS Day 2008, Kiehl’s is providing a way we can help. (And we’ll get beauty out of the deal, too.) During the month of December, 100 percent of the proceeds from the Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 will be donated to YouthAIDS, an organization whose mission is to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in young people around the world. So put it in your planner and on December 1 (Worlds AIDS Day), log on to the Kiehl’s website, and purchase a tube. It’s quick and painless, and it benefits an amazing cause.

Friday Giveaway: Nude

Yes, I know. It sounds racy. But, sadly, it’s pretty PG. Today I’m giving away the Nude Touch gift set–”the ultimate gift of eco luxury,” if you believe the PR hype. The set includes Cleansing Facial Oil, Age Defence Moisturizer, Miracle Mask, Replenishing Night Oil, and Advanced Eye Complex, and it’s available exclusively through Barneys. All of these come tucked inside a super-cool bag made of reclaimed seat belts–the sort of thing you want to hang on to long after you’ve used the products. But here’s the real kicker: this bad boy retails for $280. I’ll notify the winner next week. Ready, set, e-mail!

P.S. Congratulations to last week’s winner of the Soap & Glory swag, Kathy Sievert!

Wipe That Wine Off Your Smile

That’s what a handy product called Wine Wipes says it can do. And as much as I enjoy a good red wine while out with pals, that makes me very happy. With these orange-blossom-flavored wipes, you can discreetly remove those très unattractive wine stains from your teeth and mouth. And the wipes come in a cute little compact with a mirror inside. I’m sold. Pick some up at Pogo’s Wine & Spirits for a mere $6.95. That first holiday party will be here before you know it, so now you can go prepared.

Add a Dash of Sass With Mary Phillips Designs

That little ditty on the left really says it all, doesn’t it? And it’s sass like that you can expect from all the goodies put out by Mary Phillips Designs. MPD says a mouthful on every item in the line, from apparel to note cards to great little gifts. I especially like the “I have high heels & low morals” cocktail napkins and the “It’s not me, it’s you” tank. And I’m pretty sure I found the perfect Christmas present for Katie. Buy Mary Phillips stuff online, or check it out in person at a few different places around town.

Get Skinny With Skineez

Well ok, they don’t promise you’ll get skinny but they do say that this line of “skincare wear” can reduce the appearance of cellulite, moisturize skin and even serve as a Spanx-type undergarment that will hold in all that jiggly stuff. Skineez comes in several styles to target your problem areas like the Thigh Slimmer and the Waist Slimmer. I’m not even going to try to explain the science behind the product but click on the link above to get the details on their web site. For best results, Skineez are supposed to be worn 8 hours a day for 6-8 weeks. I have been sleeping in mine and they are really comfortable. My skin feels surprisingly smooth when I take them off in the morning. They’re made well too - the top and bottom edges don’t curl up (which is one of my pet peeves - I can’t stand that) and they’re machine washable. The best part is that a portion of every item they sell “funds non-profit efforts to improve women’s health.” I give them a lot of credit for doing that. They certainly don’t have to and since they’re not some giant corporation (as far as I know) I’m sure they don’t have tons of money to throw around. So kudos to them! Skineez can be purchased at Macy’s or on their web site. Oh, and Vanessa Williams, Pink and Lisa Marie Presley wear them so they must be good! Right?

Hot Mama, You Make Me Blush

I love blush. In fact, I’m somewhat of a blush aficionado. I’ve tried them all—powders, creams, and stains in pinks, peaches, roses, and bronzes—and, like a mother praising her children, I think they’re all special in their own unique way. But this one really is outstanding for a multitude of reasons, which I’ll detail later, but mainly because it looks awesome on me! Woop, woop! Full disclosure: I’m pretty sure it’ll look awesome on you, too.

Hot Mama from theBalm, one of my new favorite makeup lines, reminds me of an old blush standby, the award-winning Orgasm by NARS. (Yes, that’s the name. Yes, you’ll feel weird when you ask your makeup lady for it. I suggest ordering online.) Both are described by their manufacturers as a peachy pink with a touch of shimmer—I describe both as a pinky bronze for that sunkissed look—but Hot Mama beats NARS in price point, $18 to $25. Plus, Hot Mama doubles as a shadow. A two-for! You know I love those. As far as the product itself goes, it’s a soft powder, goes on very smooth, and blends naturally. I can even apply it with my finger, which is helpful because it doesn’t come with it’s own applicator.

A little blush makes a drab face vivacious and young. Ladies (you know who you are), quit neglecting this cosmetic. Pick up a brush, and bring on the flush!

Stila to the Red Lipstick Rescue

After reading Katie’s blog yesterday I pulled out something I recently got from Stila. “Paint Your Pout Red” is a lip palette they’ve created that actually talks you through the red lip process. (Red lips are serious business.) Just press the button in the lid and a voice tells you what to do. I hear the hard part of finding the perfect red is that some people need a warm red, some a cool red and some a true red depending on your skin tone. That all sounds so complicated but this product gives you the opportunity to try all three and see which works best. And it’s not that any look bad, it’s just that they won’t all look like red on you. So you can use the other colors when you want a different shade. Plus, you’ll be the coolest kid on the block with a talking lip palette! Oh and don’t forget about this Stila online deal that I blogged about last week!

Now You Can Smell Like Pink and Green

Lilly Pulitzer has moved into the frangrance business. This month they introduce three delightful perfumes that are available at Sephora, Dillards and Lilly Pulitzer stores. They describe “Wink” as being flirty and feminine which I have go agree with. “Squeeze” is a fresh citrus scent with slight floral notes. I’ve been wearing “Beachy” probably because it hints of watermelon which is one of my favorite things in the world. So even if you’re a rocker and Lilly’s cheerful colors and whimsical design’s aren’t your thing, you really should give these perfumes a try. Even your least preppy friends will have to admit they smell great.

The Perfect Red Lips

As we all know, red lips are huge right now. All the cool kids are doing it. So, I want to do it too. But who knew finding the perfect hue would be such a du-ty? (Get it? Hue, du … duty. Rhymes. A little. No?) Literally months passed where I’d try on every lipstick within reach—fire engine red, cherry red, brick red. But nothing. They were all too bright or too orange or too something—just not the classy red I was looking for. Then came TheBalm, rather, a package of TheBalm products. This was it. I’d found my perfect red in their Plump Your Pucker tinted gloss in Strawberry My Daquiri (which is described as a ruby shimmer and is awesome). Success! Until I came to work, told a friend we’ll call Klonda Kleinhart for anonymity’s sake that I’d finally found the perfect red, and was informed that my new lips were really in the pink family. Foiled again! The good news: I found the perfect pinky red lip gloss. Bad news: I’m still on the hunt for a real red.

Oh, illusive red lip, will I ever find you? Any suggestions from you TalkShoppers out there? Please help!

Feerie Is So Very Pretty

I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I do it all the time, and sometimes those books are really good. That’s why I’m holding out hope that Van Cleef & Arpels’ latest fragrance, Féerie, smells wonderful, because I sure do love the bottle. I’ll be honest. The delicate fairy perched atop a silver twig is what did it for me. For those of you who are more interested in what’s inside the bottle, expect top notes of violet, black currant, and Italian mandarin. Féerie is $110 to $150, and it’s available at Neiman Marcus.

Friday Giveaway: Soap & Glory

You may have seen the Soap & Glory display at Target (god I love Target), and if you have, you know that this company is campy, super fun, and oh-so-affordable. Today I’ve got Clean of England Spa Body Wash and Big Butter Body Butter. The former has a yummy, unisex, subtle bergamont and mandarin scent; the latter is scented with lemon, flowers, and orange. If you love it, you can buy these products as a gift set in a darling spa bag for just $29.99. E-mail me to enter and I’ll notify the winner on Monday. Good luck! Oh, and props to John Gay for his tricked out Friday Giveaway photo!

Time To Start Christmas Shopping!

Kid Biz in Preston Center will be having a Jon Hart trunk show tomorrow from 11am-5pm. This Houston-based luggage and handbag line, has something for everyone - suitcases, sports and outdoor bags, backpacks, totes and travel accessories. Many items come in several colors like basic black, ocean blue, fuschia, camouflage, burgandy and many others. So no more grabbing the wrong bag at the luggage carousel! And no risk that someone else will accidentally take yours! The best part of the trunk show is that monogramming and shipping on bags and accessories will be free starting tomorrow through Saturday, November 8th. Click on the Kid Biz link above for details and to check out which Jon Hart styles are available in the store. Drinks and refreshments will be served too! Let the holidays begin!

Celebrity Makeup Artist Sandy Linter Talks about Beauty for All Ages

Sandy Linter, celebrity makeup artist and Lancôme’s Beauty at Every Age Expert, made a stop in Dallas last week to visit NorthPark’s Lancôme boutique and its customers. I had the amazing opportunity to sit down with her and Vanessa, the assistant vice president of Lancôme Public Relations, at the Joule, where we talked for hours about the trick to getting glowing skin, how to apply eye makeup in three easy steps, and vibrating mascara. Jump to get these top beauty secrets.

(more…)

COR Launches New Products

The people at Stanley Korshak (love the new web site) are nuts about COR Silver Soap, reportedly the best-selling cleanser in the store–and that sucker is $125! Which means one of two things: excellent marketing or the darn thing takes 10 years off your face. (If someone out there uses this soap, I want to know if it’s worth $125.) Anyhoo, I digress. The real news here is that there are three new products to boost the soap’s results: Silver Anytime Moisturizer, Silver Wrinkle Serum, and Silver Eye Cream. The products are designed to even skin tone, maintain moisture, and replenish collagen using the same patented technology and active ingredients as Cor soap. Stay with me after the jump for a full list of active ingredients. And, COR users, let me hear from you! (more…)

Green Gift Ideas from Current Energy

At a time when being kind to the environment is just as important as price, our friends at Current Energy have a few gift ideas for the earth-loving person on your list. No, they aren’t sexy. But these days I’m more interested in functionality, especially after buying a house. So I would totally dig this wind-up LED flashlight from Freeplay ($35) that doesn’t require batteries or bulbs.

This one would make a good stocking stuffer, especially for the yogi or gym rat on your list: a personal water filtration bottle ($14). Yes, I know. I have water bottle fatigue, too. But this one has a built-in filter, so it’ll remove any chlorine, bad taste, bad odors, heavy metals, lead, and mercury from your tap water. For more ideas, go to the Current Energy web site, or visit the store on Knox.

(Much Delayed) Friday Giveaway: Akhassa Home Spa Products

Talkers, forgive me. A visit to the dermatologist (hi, Dr. Sklar!) and a meeting got my day off to a slow start, but, as promised, I have some goodies for you. Today I’ve got peppermint soap, ginger bath tea, cinammon shower cream, rosewood body lotion, and tamarind body scrub from Akhassa, a line of natural, holistic skin care rememdies and treatments based on Southeast Asian traditions. Plus, it’s all packaged in this beautiful grosgrain ribbon box, so if you don’t keep it for yourself, we won’t tell if you regift come Christmas. E-mail me to enter, and I’ll notify the winner on Monday. Happy weekend!

Allure Beauty Bloggers Think Like We Do

About Abs in a Box, anyway. Raya, thanks for the link to this post.

Celeb Stylist Launches New Hair Care Line

Robert Ramos of Estilo Salon in Los Angeles has styled the hair of big-name stars like Jessica Alba, Bette Midler, Eva Mendes, and Stevie Nicks (Stevie Nicks!). And now he’s used his expertise to create a line of hair care products called—you guessed it—Robert Ramos. The line includes a volumizer, a shampoo, a daily conditioner, and a leave-in conditioner, and Ramos says his products “help the hair, rather than assault it.” Sounds good, RR, and your resume looks pretty fancy, too, but are you cool enough to dig the Eagles of Death Metal like my hair guy does (what up, Salomon!)? Buy Robert Ramos products online or stop by Estilo the next time you’re down SoCal way.

Clinique Medical + Chemical Peel = Match Made in Heaven

With the popularity of nonsurgical cosmetic procedures being what it is—especially in Dallas—the new Clinique Medical skincare line sounds like a grand idea. This recently launched skincare system is specifically formulated to help support skin before and after procedures such as microdermabrasion, chemical peels, and laser skin resurfacing. The products in the Optimizing Regimen kit, including the Probiotic Cleanser, the Skin Conditioning Treatment, the Recovery Week Complex, the Optimizing Treatment Cream, and the Daily SPF 38, also help manage redness and irritation and encourage even skin tone. The press materials I got say Clinique Medical is available only in physicians’ offices, but you can buy it online here.

Fab Abs Come in a Box. Who Knew?

All you silly girls struggling through crunches, side bends, and sit-ups are sweating it for nothing. Want fab abs? Just paint them on with Abs in a Box. This handy, er, complicated kit includes ab shadows and highlighters, ab primer, ab setting spray, ab stain, mini Kabuki brush, dual-sided body contouring and defining brush, and, most important of all, an instruction manual. Whew! That sounds like a lot of work. I could have done at least 30 crunches just in the time it took to type all that. If you want to try this out, go here to buy it. I wish you the best, but I’m guessing the personal training industry isn’t exactly quaking in its boots right now.