The Perfect Xmas Present. You're Welcome.

If there's one thing I love more than clothes, it is beauty products. I'm a beauty product whore and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Product monogamy is not in my vocabulary. I cheat on every product I buy with absolutely no guilt whatsoever. And I'm not alone.

 

I know a LOT of gals who share my obsession so this post is dedicated to those very gals. But don't fret if you're not (for some unfathemobale reason) into eye shadow and eye cream in all possible incarnations. Keep reading because I present to you the PERFECT Christmas present for the women in your life: girlfriend, wife, sister, best friend, mistress, whatever.
 

 

It's called Sample Society from BeautyBar.com & Allure Magazine and it's freaking genius. Every month a box of deluxe-sized, luxury brand beauty product samples arrives in the mail all sparkly and new like a Red Ryder BB Gun on Christmas morning. No more trudging through the hobbit-sized section of Target pretending like you're exited that Herbal Essences came out with a new travel-sized shampoo or that some genius put half an ounce of Vaseline in a tube and called it a "new product".

For $15 a month you can get a fancy box filled with 5-6 samples from brands like Philosophy, Diptyque, Dermalogica and Kate Sommerville. We're talkin' perfume, makeup, face cleansers, serums, shampoos, hair products, you name it. And get THIS....it comes with a $15 off code you can use to buy a product that's in the box, so if you like something the month is free!

Sample Society is not the only game in town. In fact, the sample subscription business is going crazy right now. Another favorite is Birchbox.com. I have currently managed to not sign up for every service I can find, so I can only speak to Sample Society, but in general I'm a pretty big fan of the concept.

You get where I'm going with this? Not only is it a MUST for beauty product whores like myself, it's a great present. Head to the website and you can buy a gift membership - 3 months, 6 months or 12 months. Trust me, you'll be the hero of the day if you get this for your little lady.

Here is the "reveal" of this month's box. Check back for reviews in the next week or so as I use the products.
 

 

Delaney Wellness Rejuvenating Eye Cream, Deluxe Sample

              

• Hanskin Super Plus Perfect BB Cream SPF37 PA++                  

• Hanskin Premium Perfect Super Magic BB Cream SPF30 PA++                 
                 
                    

• Murad Age Reform Time Release Retinol Concentrate Deluxe Sample
                  
                

• Philosophy Living Grace Gel, Deluxe Sample
   

• Vapour Organic Beauty Elixir Lip Gloss

 

 Ciao!

~ Sara

Mondays Blow: Let's Talk About Stars Hollow

I don't know about you but I've had some trouble getting into the Xmas spirit this year. Between work and traveling and the normal daily grind we call life, it has felt more like one of those crappy, cold, uneventful months (yes, I'm talking about you, March) than December. So this weekend I decided to take matters into my own hands and dive headfirst into this crazy holiday. And what luck - Saturday just so happened to be one of my favorite events of the year: Sutter Creek's Old Fashioned Christmas Open House!!

For those of you poor souls that haven't had the pleasure of attending this event, I can summarize it in 2 words: Stars Hollow. And for those of you even poorer souls that don't understand the Stars Hollow reference (Gilmore Girls. Netflix. Get on it.), you'll just have to trust me on this one. This isn't an event so much as it is an experience. It is literally like stepping onto a movie set of a small town during Christmas time and it's the absolute highlight of my December. I highly recommend you make it part of your Xmas tradition.

Unfortunately the weekend was marred by a tragic toe injury, so my outfits consisted mainly of Uggs (which do NOT belong on a pseudo-fashion blog. Ever.). After trying on almost every pair of shoes I own this morning, I managed to shove my club foot into a pair of low wedges and not cry, so I built my outfit around those. It was a perfect opportunity to wear my new black-and-white striped shell that I bought on Black Friday. It's a little prision-esqe yet it's striped, so I feel a bit like a preppy convict. Like I might shiv someone with a fountain pen at any moment. Watch out! :)

Blazer: Banana Republic (Shop, On Sale)

Shirt: LOFT (Similar, Similar)

Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Nine West (Shop)

Necklace: ILY Couture (J. Crew, ILY)

Ciao!

~ Sara

Birthday Celebration #1: Fur!

Last weekend was our trek up to the mountains (sans snow, just rain, unfortunately) to celebrate a friend's birthday and I was super excited to finally get a chance to wear my new (faux) fur stole! It was seriously colder than hell up there, so my outfit was my attempt to be warm while still looking feminine and avoiding the kid-in-A-Christmas-Story-stuffed-Michelin-Man look.

I'm not going to lie - my disembodied, invisible Polyvore model pulled the look off WAY better than I did (as usual), but I absolutely loved the concept. I felt like I was in NYC instead of South Lake Tahoe.

 
Coat: Banana Republic (Similar, Similar, Similar) 

Shirt: Banana Republic

Skirt: Old Navy (Similar, Similar)

Scarf: Banana Republic (Similar, Striped, Cream)

Shoes: Steve Madden (Similar, Similar)

Watch: Michael Kors 

Bracelets: Forever 21 (Shop)

Now that the holiday party season is upon us, I'm looking forward to coming up with other festive outfits. This was actually my Plan B outfit, so I'll be busting the Plan A outfit out soon. In fact, tonight is another birthday fiesta so Plan A might have to make its appearance! Hint: It's all about sparkle!