Holiday Shopping From A To Z — Revving Through R, S, and T
Still busy performing your Santa Clausian duties? Don’t let the outstanding items on your to-do list force you into a panic. Instead, stick with us as we guide you through the final installments of our A To Z Holiday Gift Guide.
In our firs round-up we covered letters A through C, highlighting Art Deco-flavored bits, Blossom print pieces, and color-blocked trinkets. Next, we traipsed through letters D, E, and F, hand-picking some dainty morsels, rounding up some Egyptian-themed pieces, and selecting some fur-trimmed apparel and accessories. We then zoomed through letters G, H, and I, bringing you an assortment of eco-friendly treats, hippie-inspired essentials, and ikat print goodies. In our J, K, and L round-up, then, we focused on jewel toned gift options, kabuki-inspired presents, and lace-themed confections. And, in our last installment, we zoomed through letters M, N, O, P, and Q, with M referencing metallics, N alluding to neons, O corresponding to Op Art, P correlating to polka sots, and Q integrating quirky knickknacks.
Today, we’re moving on to letters R, S and T, with R incorporating gifts in a red hue, S referencing stocking stuffers, and T alluding to tuxedo-themed items. Let the games continue!
R IS FOR RED
Lia Sophia Diamond Cuff Bracelet with Red Jasper Resin, $275. Visit LiaSophia.com to find an adviser near you.
Three concentric diamond frame shapes with domed, red jasper stones at their hollow centers are welded together to create a statement-making hinged bracelet reminiscent of a royal crown.
VEDA Thriller Leather Jacket, $770. Available at ThisIsVEDA.com
Channel Michael Jackson’s iconic style in the “Thriller” video with this cropped, medium-weight, red lambskin motorcycle jacket, which features metal snap accents along the tips of the collar lapels, a small pocket with a snap-top flap above the waist, a front zipper closure, slanted zippers along the chest area, zippered sleeves with snap-on straps layered atop them, and a buckled belt at the waistline. And don’t worry: no zombies should surface when you rock it.
Giorgio Armani Beauty Rouge D’Armani Scarlatto Red 406 Lipstick, $30, and Giorgio Armani Beauty Gloss D’Armani 400, $28. Available at Barneys.com
The holidays are the perfect time to rock an old Hollywood-style red pout, and these Giorgio Armani Beauty offerings feel particularly lush and vibrant. The Rouge D’Armani 406 Lipstick is a highly pigmented, watermelon red shade with a nice creamy texture and a subtle, all-over sheen, while the Gloss D’Armani 400 remains in the cool, blue-toned end of the spectrum, boasting a similarly robust red hue but featuring more of a sheer finish and a vinyl-like gloss. Check out swatches of the two shades here!
Philosophy Candy Cane Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath, $16. Available at Philosophy.com
Feel like you’re visiting Santa’s Workshop with Philosophy’s seasonal Candy Cane Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath, available for a limited time only. This foaming body wash cleanses, moisturizes, and softens skin, while titillating the senses with a crisp minty scent that’s sweet without being overly saccharine. As with most Philosophy shower gels, the fragrant experience is limited to your bath or shower time, so that the peppermint scent won’t linger on the skin for hours afterwards, causing a potential aromatic clash with your favorite body lotion or perfume.
Nissa Jewelry Talasi Jeweled Earrings, $155. Available at NissaJewelry.com
Made of recycled materials, these drop earrings feature glossy, domed red stones at the posts surrounded by tiny, prong-set, blood orange red stones that emanate from the gold metal perimeter like a sun’s rays. Slightly larger, Domed, antique-looking, golden metal beads with star burst-like etchings and a central red floral adornment dangle underneath, themselves surrounded by miniature prong-set stones.
Christopher Drummond Creamy Lip Stain in Shiraz, $22.50. Available at ChristopherDrummond.com
This organic, all-natural, paraben-free, creamy color adheres to lips ever so delicately, leaving behind a veil-like coat of sheer aubergine red. The Creamy Lip Stain’s glaze-like texture make the color look all the more natural, as if you’d just been sipping on a glass of red wine or you came in from the bitter cold with a flushed pout. Take a look at this swatch and get to know the intoxicating Shiraz shade.
Matthew Williamson Red Wool Dress With Bead Detail, $1015. Available at Stylebop.com
Pippa Middleton would covet this below-the-knee Matthew Williamson cocktail dress, made of 100% red wool with snug short sleeves, ruching at the sides of the bodice creating a slimming effect, and a silver beaded neckline and floral beaded embellishments along the chest infusing a palatial dose of poshness.
Jimmy Choo Quiet Patent Leather Pumps, $665. Available at Net-a-Porter.com
Your feet will shine brighter than Rudolph’s red schnoz in these glossy, red patent leather Jimmy Choo heels, which feature a 5″ stiletto heel, a 1″ platform, and a peep toe.
Redken Color Extend Gift Set, $23. Visit Redken.com for salon locations
If you’ve got a nurture-over-nature approach to desirable hair color (meaning you bought that lustrous color rather than it being a genetic phenomenon), you’ll love Redken’s Color Extend line, which is specifically designed for women with dyed or highlighted tresses. The formulas for the shampoo and conditioner integrate Redken’s new Interlock Protein Network (IPN) technology, a delivery system that penetrates the hair cortex, fortifying it with rebuilding amino acids and proteins. These products help to strengthen chemically-treated hair, prevent over-drying or breakage, and protect color from fading. Packaged ina jovial red box, this holiday kit features full-sized bottles of the Redken Color Extend Shampoo and Conditioner along with a travel-sized bottle of the Outshine 01 Anti-Frizz Polishing Milk, which keeps hair smooth and tames unruly fly-aways for a sleeker final look.
Molton Brown Sensual Hanaleni Moisture Bath & Shower, $28. Available at MoltonBrown.com
Every woman can create a “slice of paradise” experience inside her own home with this Molton Brown shower gel and bubble bath, which has a spicy floral scent thanks to essential oils of orchid, Madagascar ylang-ylang, Egyptian neroli and Chinese cinnamon.
Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Limited Edition Advanced Replenishing & Reshaping Color in 132, $29. Available at Lancome-USA.com
Lancôme’s L’Absolu Rouge relies on Pro-Xylane, an ingredient derived from xylose, a sugar found in beech threes that research has shown can stimulate the synthesis of glycoaminoglycans, the molecules that prevent the skin from losing moisture, thereby helping lips look supple, soft, smooth, and plump. Fortified with vitamin E, this lipstick protects lips from free radicals, as does the SPF 12 factor. The Holiday 2011 collection was designed alongside Kate Winslet and aims to publicize her work with the Golden Hat Foundation, which seeks to help people grappling with autism. Each piece in the holiday makeup collection features the organization’s golden hat symbol and Kate Winslet’s signature directly beneath it. New colors include 132, a red bell pepper color with a glaze-like finish, as you can see with this swatch.
Balenciaga BAL 0125S Sunglasses, $350. Available at SolsticeSunglasses.com
A whimsical, modern take on the timeless Jackie O. sunglasses silhouette, these oversize Balenciaga shades feature rounded, chili pepper red acetate frames, wide arms, and amber yellow-tinted lenses.
Wayuu Taya Foundation Susu Bag, $175. Available at Shopbop.com
Made by local artisans in Colombia, this hand-woven red pouch measures 11″ in height, 12.5″ in length and 9.5″ in depth, and it features a tasseled red, black, and white tasseled drawstring closure and a 19″-long strap with a creamy white center strip featuring black edges. Slanted rows of oversize triangle shapes, each outlined in black and in white, adorn the front of the bag, with a wide strip of mosaic-style triangle shapes wedged in between the rows of triangles. The color scheme alone, one commonly associated with cheerleading outfits, along with the pom-pom esque fringe at the tassel will add a dose of pep to any ensemble.
Betty Crocker Big Red Cookbook, $29.99. Available at Amazon.com
The latest edition of the Betty Crocker Cookbook deserves a spot next to The Joy of Cooking as a vital reference tool for all blossoming cooks — whether they’re new to the kitchen or they’ve worked their way up to the intermediate level. The latest update of the classic tome incorporates 1500 recipes and 1000 brand new photos, along with new chapters dedicated to breakfast and brunch (which incorporates a salmon and cream cheese omelet recipe and a sour cream coffee cake recipe), entertaining, and DIY pickling and preserving. Since the book is, in essence, one huge five-ring binder, you can remove any pages as needed, refer to the recipe featured, and then reinsert them once finished. Handy tabs, meanwhile, allow you to move from one chapter to the next without all the frustrating back-and-forth leafing that comes with your ordinary tome. Aside from recipes, the book also educates you on such elementary subjects as coffee-to-water ratios for better brewing, how to properly bone a chicken breast, what a perfect biscuit should look like, how to identify different cuts of meat at the supermarket, and more.
Halston Heritage The Jerry Dress, $792. Available at Farfetch.com
Recreate the golden Studio 54 area with this Jerry Hall-inspired, 100% silk maxi dress, featuring an asymmetrical neckline, a draped bodice, and a layered, lightly pleated skirt that seems to float as you glide into a room.
Zero + Maria Cornejo Knit Gloves in Chili, $250. Available at ZeroMariaCornejo.com
Keep your arms cozy with these silk, cotton, and cashmere elbow-length gloves, which leave the tops of fingers exposed for an upscale Bohemian look. The inside of the forearms is accentuated via ribbing so subtle that it resembles the ridges along the perimeter of a quarter.
GlamRockChic Heart & Soul Siren Red Heels, $170. Available at GlamRockChic.com
In January, we covered the debut collection from Malaysian-based footwear brand GlamRockChic, the brainchild of Kuala Lampur-based designer Sarah Chin. The brand’s sophomore collection incorporates a new colorway of the adorable, sheepskin-lined Heart & Soul shoe-and-bootie hybrid, initially introduced in a creamy microsuede with gold lamé trim. The new color scheme is flirtier and more romantic, with velvety soft, red kidskin suede uppers, a red suede-covered 0.5″ platform, a metallic golden leather trim along the rounded peep toe and at the sides of the elastic slingback strap, a slim 4.7″ heel, and a heart cut-out at the center of the vamp accentuated with gold stitching.
S IS FOR STOCKING STUFFER
Mark Glitz & Gloss Mini Purse & Go, $14. Available at MeetMark.com
This retro-shaped coin purse features a disco-esque silver-and-black exterior, a hinged frame, a kiss-lock closure, and a key chain with three perforated beads. And you can carry more than spare change in the mini purse — in fact, it fits four tiny lip glosses (which, of course, come with the set). You can tuck the tubes inside the coin purse or attach them to the key chain ring by looping the perforation at the top of the glosses’ caps through the ring. The four gloss shades are: Lotus Luxe, a seashell-worthy, light peach pink with clear glitter bits; Girly Girl, a sheer bubblegum pink with a vinyl-like finish and a hint of sparkle; Sweet Talk, a near-clear color with opal-like glitter; and Sun Luxe, a light bronze with a touch of gold and clear glimmer.
Tweezerman Wonderland Nail Rescue Kit, $20. Available at Tweezerman.com
Winter weather can wreak havoc on fragile nails, with cuticles becoming rough and dry and nails peeling like onions or breaking with greater ease. This travel-sized kit should help you grapple with any problem as soon as it arises. The Wonderland Nail Rescue Kit features: a candy cane-themed, matchbox-sized box housing 12 printed miniature nail files; a Mini Squeeze & Snip Nipper for cutting cuticles and hang nails; a Mini Cuticle Pusher & Nail Cleaner; and three Candy Cane Itty Bitty Nail Files, each two-sided so that you can both file an smooth nails.
Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Party To Go Palette, $25. Available at BobbiBrownCosmetics.com
Can’t carry a bulging makeup bag inside your teeny clutch? No worries! This travel-sized palette houses all the cosmetics you’ll need to create or touch up a glam look. The two-tiered palette houses three eyeshadow hues: Rockstar, a slightly dirty-looking platinum silver shade; Eggplant, a velvety smooth, deep purple; and Charcoal, a sooty, matte black. These are then paired with two lip gloss hues: Plum, a sheer black honey hue; and Pretty Pink, a near-nude pink with mauve undertones. If you’re going for a bolder pout, choose the Midnight Violet gloss (which comes in a removable mini tube), which has a more robust, darker, Merlot-meets-plum color.
Paco Rabanne Lady Million Solid Perfume, $48. Available at Sephora.com
Not only does Paco Rabanne’s Lady Million smell like a million bucks, it’s worth its weight in gold. Now, Lady Million is available as a solid perfume, packaged inside a large, faceted, diamond-like case that opens at the center, its lid flipping backward to reveal the tightly packed, creamy scent at the base. The citrus-y floral scent opens with bitter orange, raspberry, and orange flower, then makes way for a floral bouquet of jasmine and gardenia. Patchouli and amber at the base add a warm, woody feel, while a hint of honey sweetens the deal.
Laura Mercier Mini Lip Glacé Set, $48. Available at Nordstrom.com
Who wants candy canes and Santa-shaped chocolates in their stuffing when, instead, they can discover a quintet of Laura Mercier lip glosses? This limited edition Mini Lip Glacé Set features five pocket-sized glosses in the following shades: Rose, a reddish pink reminiscent of Bulgarian roses; Blush, a tawny, coral-y brown shade; After Hours, a pale, flesh-colored, peach-pink with the faintest bit of shimmer; Sparkling, a gold champagne nude with tonal shimmer; and Quartz, a rich, burnt sienna color with coppery red undertones.
Laqa & Co. Nail Polish Pen in Bells and Whistles, $14.95. Available at LaqaAndCo.com
Ever rushed out the door and gazed down in horror to find your nails looking bare? Well, with Laqa & Co.’s nail polish pens, you can give yourself a manicure on the fly. All you need to do is remove the top cap to reveal the brush tip, click on the button at the bottom of the pen until the lacquer inside the tube seeps into the applicator tip’s bristles and then brush the color atop your nails using steady strokes. For the holiday season, we’re loving the Bells and Whistles shade, an amethyst purple with just a tinge of plum. This photo shows how the lacquer looks like on nails — it’s worth some whistling!
T IS FOR TUXEDO
Yves Saint Laurent Two-Tone Wool Crepe Tuxedo Jacket, $1187.50. Available at Net-a-Porter.com
From Anne Hathaway’s Lanvin tuxedo at the 2011 Academy Award to Carrie Bradshaw’s tuxedo ensemble for Stanford’s wedding in Sex and the City 2, celebrities have been embracing their inner Victor Victorias, giving the classic penguin suit a feminine edge. This graphic take on the tuxedo jacket makes quite the impression, with a rectangular white shape along the center of the wool-blend crepe piece, white cuffs with rounded top edges, and white pocket flaps.
Bobbi Brown Ultimate Party Collection, $65. Available at BobbiBrownCosmetics.com
This two-tiered kit features six metallic eye shadows for a demure smoky eye, along with four playful glosses packaged inside the bottom, slide-out tray, which also includes a mini lip brush and a mini eyeshadow brush. The eye shadow shades in the palette are: Navajo Metallic Eye Shadow, a beige-tinged, champagne-gold-meets-platinum color with an all-over sheen; Chrome Patina Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow, a medium bronze hue with tarnished chrome undertones and fine pale gold glimmer; Pewter Chrome Eye Shadow, a sparkle-saturated, tarnished brass shade with greenish undertones and an infusion of vintage nickel-colored glimmer; Plum Steel Metallic Eye Shadow, a dark purple shade with black cherry undertones and sprinkles of ruby red and silver glimmer; Plum Navy Eye Shadow, a velvety soft, sooty purple-meets-charcoal shade; Crushed Granite Sparkle Eye Shadow, a lilac-tinged taupe shade with clear pearl particles; Antique Gold Metallic Eye Shadow, a richly pigmented Etruscan gold hue; and Black Topaz Metallic Eye Shadow, an ember-y black with scattered gold and brass sparkle. The four lip gloss colors, meanwhile, are: Rave Glitter, a sheer plum; Soirée Pink, a glaze-like nectarine pink; Iced Lilac; a medium nude shade with cool lilac undertones; and Tinsel Glitter Lip Gloss, a sheer fuchsia pink.
With this kit, you’ll add an air of mystery to your already unexpected tuxedo-inspired look.
Narciso Rodriguez For Her Gift Set, $95. Available at Sephora.com
They may call this fragrance “For Her,” but it’s also “for him” — after all, no man can resist the allure of this glamorous, ever-so-seductive scent. Rather than an overpowering, blatantly feminine floral bouquet, this fragrance lures you in with delicate yet slightly feral, velvety soft, carnal notes that feel as intimate as a lover’s embrace, as warm as the sun’s rays on sea-sprinkled skin, as fiery as freshly lit kindle. Honey flower, amber, vanilla, musk and wood notes are the key to creating this sensation. This limited-edition holiday set features a 3.3 oz. bottle of the For Her Eau de Toilette and a 3.3 oz. of the For Her Body Lotion.
Created By Fortune Skull Candy Bow Tie Necklace, $100. Available at CreatedByFortune.com
You can dress up a button-down shirt of just a cool graphic tee with this bow tie accessory, which features black rhinestones all over the bow’s surface and a skull shape created with clear-colored stones along the left side. Made in Brooklyn, the bow tie necklace measures 4 1/2″ in width and 2 1/2″ in height.
Three Custom Color Daytime Drama Collection, $74. Available at ThreeCustom.com
Created by Emmy-winning makeup artist Jim DeMarco for Three Custom Color Specialists, this all-in-one palette features creamy color for contouring eyes, highlighting brows and cheeks, giving cheeks a rosy flush and lips a just-bitten feel. On the left-hand side, you’ll found a round pan with one half dedicated to the Close Up Creme Eye Definer, a muddy brown cream color that can be used on lids or swept onto brows to fill any gaps and create a stronger line, and the other half dedicated to the Siren eye cream, a light bronze shade that can be used as an eye shadow or as a highlighter for lids or cheeks. In the middle, you’ll find a round pan of the Red Carpet Cheek & Lip Stain, a perky pink shade with a glaze-like finish and a slightly sticky texture that can be used on cheeks or on the pout. At the far right, you’ll find a round pan with one half allotted to the Camera Ready Lip Gloss, a peach cobbler shade with bronze undertones, and the other half dedicated to the Back Lit cream color, a glimmering, golden nude shade that works as a highlighter, illuminating any desired area of the face.
Lanvin Pearlized Oxford Bootie, $703. Available at NeimanMarcus.com
So you’ve picket out a tuxedo-inspired suit. Now what shoes do you pair with it? Give the ensemble even more of a gender-bending twist with these high-heeled oxford booties, which feature sepia-ish red patent leather uppers, black grosgrain piping, black grosgrain ribbon laces, and a covered 5″ heel.
Elemis Superstars Set, $85. Available at TimeToSpa.com
Packaged in a crisp white bag, this set includes six of Elemis’ best-selling products. Three complexion savers were selected for inclusion: the Papaya Enzyme Peel, a rinse-off exfoliating treatment containing papaya enzymes and pineapple extracts that stimulate cellular renewal and slough off dead skin cells, along with moisturizing milk proteins and vitamin E; the Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules, a jar of 14 moringa oil capsules that are meant to be warmed in between palms and then massaged onto cleansed skin, with the pink tabs being applied in the morning and the green tabs allotted for the evening time; and the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, which minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
On the body care front, the kit includes: the Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream, a skin-softening body wash that will give your senses the ultimate tropical vacation thanks to its exotic floral scent; the Skin Nourishing Milk Bath, which takes a cue from Cleopatra by relying on milk proteins to hydrate, soften, an replenish skin; and the Frangipani Monoi Body Oil, which features emollient coconut oil, along with the romantic frangipani scent featured in the shower cream.
Rachel Zoe Vivien Tux Vest, $276.50. Available at KirnaZabete.com
Beloved fashion stylist Rachel Zoe knows all about immaculate tailoring and she’s using her style accumen when designing for her eponymous clothing line, envisioning such streamlined pieces as this wool tuxedo vest, which features front flap pockets with satin piping atop the ridges; satin-lined, single-notch lapels; and a single button closure.
Reiss Hazel Long Tailored Blazer in Ruby, $370, and Reiss Moscow Cropped Trouser in Ruby, $240. Available at ReissOnline.com
Give a ruby red twist to a black-tie affair with this ensemble from Reiss. Start with the satin-like Hazel blazer, with its single-notch lapels, front pockets, extra long tails, and single button closure. And to streamline the silhouette, pair the blazer with the Moscow trouser, a slim-fitting, high-sheen pair of pants with tapered ankles, side pockets, and a single button closure.
Anastasia Beverly Hills All Eye Want Palette, $32. Available at Sephora.com
If you’ve ever tried any of Anastasia Beverly Hills’ eye shadows, you know that their genius extends far beyond rich pigmentation, innovative color interpretations, and long wearing formulas. Sure, they have all these attributes, but the eye shadows also feature skin-softening, antioxidant-rich ingredients like green tea, marshmallow leaf extract, lemon balm, and bilberry extract — all of which keep skin moisturized so that the color better adheres to lids and the skin remains smooth and line-free. Most importantly, the eye shadows feature Anastasia’s signature Youthful Synergy Complex, which incorporates brown algae to firm and hydrate lids; diamond core powder to diffuse light, illuminating lids; sea whip extract to soothe this tender skin; a macadamia derivative to moisturize and soften lids; and vitamins A, B, C, E, and F to protect skin from free radicals. Thanks to this masterful formulation, the nine shadows in this palette feel uncannily soft on skin, gliding right onto the skin with minimal effort. They’re also easy to layer atop one another, to blend, and to diffuse. Best of all, they make your lids tighter and smoother so that the colors look their very best. Though all the eye shadows fall within the neutral area of the color spectrum, the combination of matte, metallic, and glitter-infused finishes is so exciting that the palette feels anything but basic. Take, for example, the deep bronzed brown with ruby red undertones or the dusky fawn brown, which can work wonders as a base color. This palette, which also includes miniature-seized Lash Lifting Mascara an Clear Brow Gel tubes, truly is all eyes want for Christmas.
Pevonia Botanica Luminous Celebration Lumafirm Lift and Glow Set, $78. Available at SkinBotanica.com
Before stars hit the red carpet or socialites head to their black-tie affairs, they often visit a spa for some assistance with their complexion. With this Pevonia Botanica kit, you can feel just as ready for the cameras as any Hollywood icon. The Pevonia Botanica Luminous Celebration Lift & Glow Gift Set is the first to include items from Pevonia’s Lumafirm line, which is dedicated to tightening and brightening your complexion, making it look more luminous and supple thanks to a combination of Sorghum and Diacetyl Boldine.
The kit includes the Lumafirm Freeze-Dried Intensifier, packaged inside a small, clear plastic disc tucked into a black sleeve with a built-in box for a 5ml tube of the Lumafirm Repair Cream Lift & Glow. To use, you’ll want to pop out the disc, peel off the film backing, and remove the quarter-sized tab, which features a cotton-like backing that allows you to better grip the intensifier disc. Your face should be completely clean and should be nice and damp. Then, you’ll want to press the Lumafirm Freeze-Dried Intensifier against your damp skin, massaging it in using gentle circular motions. It might take some time for the substance to be completely absorbed, but do be patient — this should be an indulgent treat. You can add more water to your face as needed to emulsify the cream and make it easier to absorb. Once the substance is fully absorbed, your skin will feel tighter and any wrinkly areas will appear a bit smoother and more supple.
Next, you’ll want to apply the Lumafirm Repair Cream Lift & Glow (either from the 5ml tube or the larger-sized 50ml bottle), a velvety cream that features: Kombucha, made by fermenting tea with a culture and lauded for its skin-firming and brightening benefits; Diacetyl Boldine, a lightening agent extracted from the bark of the Chilean Boldo tree; Oligopeptide 68, meant to battle hyperpigmentation; and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptides-3, which increases collagen synthesis for more supple, younger-looking skin.
Packaged in a sleek black gift bag, this kit is a veritable treasure trove of skin-rejuvenating essentials.
