Sexy Time

February is here. That means all of Coupledom is aflutter arranging plans for the 14th - Valentine's Day. Lots of twosomes are scrambling to get reservations to the city's most romantic candlelit eatery or tickets to the hottest show in town. Of course, some guys will just present the obligatory bouquets of flowers and boxes of chocolate or maybe even tiny boxes only big enough to hold pretty, little things that sparkle. For others, Valentine's Day will bring intimate nights at home showering each other in love. If your plan involves hanging the "Do Not Disturb" sign on your front door, Ms. New Beauty knows being everyday beautiful might not be enough to really set the mood. This night might be the night that Pretty Paula wants to vamp it up a bit and Sexy Susan for a night. So MNB encourages you to try some of these products to make the most of that sexy night with your special someone.

Laura Mercier Diamond Duster

One of the most indisputable laws of sexy is "when you feel sexy, you look sexy." That subtle shot of confidence, just knowing you are hot stuff, is enough to let the rest of the world know it too. Start your night off right but treating yourself to the sexy delicate touch of this light duster. It has all the glamour of a feather boa without the all the hooker/brothel-esque connotations. Lightly dip this into your favorite loose shimmer powder, like this one from Too Faced. Then, dust along all the places where you want his eye to travel, like your collarbone and sternum, gently along your shoulders, and just atop your cheekbones. This brush will tickle both your skin and your inner goddess.

$22, available at Sephora


Victoria's Secret So Sexy Natural Hold Hairspray

To make sure sexy is the first thing he thinks when he sees you, you definitely want to have a head full of sexy, shiny hair. Regardless of what your texture is or the style that you choose, you absolutely want to have hair that moves. Helmet head is never sexy. But if your hair needs a little more help to stay in place, reach for this hairspray. It'll give your hair and style the volume and definition that it needs but it's flexible enough so that your lucky guy can run his hands through it without getting stuck. This will also make your locks look shiny and healthy. Remember, with hairspray, less is always more. I prefer to spray a mist up in the air and let it settle down onto my hair rather than spray it directly on my head. For any flyways, spray a quick shot on comb and gently slide through to tame without making your hair sticky and tacky.

$8.50, available at Victoria's Secret


Trish McEvoy Sexy #9

For Valentine's Day, you want to smell as sexy as can be. For some women, that means wearing a heady musky scent. For others, it can be something light, fruity and floral. But regardless of your choice, you certainly don't want to rely on that old reliable scent that you wear day in and day out. The last thing you need to be reminded of at Valentine's is sitting in your cubicle and staring at a computer screen. Try this sensual scent that is a complete break from everyday and will get you in a sexy kind of mood. Even the bottle is a departure from the average and is a throwback to those days of Old Hollywood glamour when women got done up for dinner regardless of whether it was downstairs in the kitchen or uptown at the Russian Tea Room.

$95, available at Saks


Agent Provocateur Titillation Lip and Nipple Balm

The sexy lingerie brand known for its exquisitely detailed pieces and cult-like celeb following also makes sexy little fragrance and beauty offerings. This kitschy, tongue-in-cheek duo is the perfect beauty gift to give your man. One of these black orbs is packed with a rich and moisturizing lip balm to keep you kissable. The other, well it's got a nipple balm inside to moisturize and, ahem, stimulate your senses. I bet you never knew your nipples needed balm until now. And, I'm sure your date for the night will enjoy kissing both balms off of you!

$40, available at Bloomingdale's



Feel sexy, look sexy, and stay sexy all night long, and you don't have to tell your man that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Oh, and just in case "sexy" isn't in your Valentine's vocab, stay tuned for a beauty recommendations for a night out with the girls, a date with someone special, and for a night in with numero uno.

Normally a Neimans Girl

There are so many choices in life that the beautiful woman has to make. Closed or peep toe for the Louboutins. Lawyer or investment banker for dinner. Cash or credit for those new jeans. Neiman Marcus or Saks for luxury purchases. Almost all her life, Ms. New Beauty has fallen squarely on the Neimans side of that last decision. Neimans has always seemed to be the younger, hipper, punky sister of the luxury family, while Saks was the old and uptight conservative one. MNB has faithfully purchased most of her handbags, DVF dresses, and elegant evening wear from Neimans since high school. She normally only ventures into Saks when accompanying someone else on a shopping trip. Ms. New Beauty always figured that anything Saks had, Neimans had better. That is until she was literally wearing Saks Fifth Avenue.

Bond No. 9 Saks Fifth Avenue

I had absolutely no intentions of buying this fragrance. None. It was a cold winter day and the wind was whipping all around me. As my mother would say, the hawk was out. I had walked all the way to Saks from Bergdorf's (which is actually only seven blocks, and not the long New York avenue blocks, the short blocks) in search of - well, actually, I don't quite remember what I was on a quest for, but just imagine me marching down 5th Avenue, bracing myself against the cold, hard wind and finding my refuge at Saks. It may not have happened that way, but hey, I'm painting a picture here.

During my obligatory course around the beauty floor, I stopped over at the Bond counter. I was planning to pick up a bottle of Bleecker Street - a unisex scent with a distinct masculine vibe. To me, Bleecker Street smells like Marlene Dietrich, wide-leg tweed menswear trousers, and the captain of Team Take No Shit all in one bottle. It's very "I'm a woman in a man's world." Given all of that, it's exactly the kind of scent I'd wear with pretty pink makeup and a flowy girly dress - I'm all about the juxtopositions. But the sales lady insisted that I smell Saks Fifth Avenue since I was, in fact, inside Saks Fifth Avenue.

Here's where you have to forgive me for my tendency to exaggerate. The sales woman sprayed Saks Fifth Avenue on the tester card since my arms were already covered in Bleecker Street. I inhaled and time stopped. It was literally the most beautiful and downright pretty scent to cross the threshold of my nostrils and reach the olfactory receptors in my brain. And, I normally don't go for the pretty scents, like I said, I love the contrasts of a pretty outfit with a fragrance that's totally unexpected. But SFA is just so pretty and so ladylike, it's my new Sunday-go-to-meeting scent. Every time I wear it, I get so many compliments and people asking me what it is. It's really just that pretty. I won't get into the base notes and top notes and such because I'm not a perfumer - I know what smells good and this definitely does.

$185, available at Saks Fifth Avenue, of course!


Stay loyal to your favorite luxury department store, but embrace the sweet smell of the competition, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

The Nose Knows

This holiday season has completely snuck up on Ms. New Beauty. This is her most favorite time of year, so she normally relishes every bit of the season. From the almost coma-inducing meal at Thanksgiving to decorating the house and staying up all night to watch the 24-hour Christmas Story marathon on TNT. But this year, the marathon may be the only part of the holiday season where MNB can just sit back and drink the merriment in. With a busy work schedule and a fresh, new apartment to decorate, she just hasn't had the time. And, forget about Christmas shopping. Ms. New Beauty just realized that she has presents to buy, make, and mail. At least she can try to help the other New Beauties of the world get their shopping done before the big day with a multi-part gift guide. This will be the first installation and totally devoted to the one beauty sector that gets the most love from stores and customers - Fragrance! And since MNB knows that sometimes her taste is too expensive for her readers, she's offering gifts for every wallet and budget.

Bond No. 9 I Love New York Double Decker Sampler Box

When I opened my email last week to find information about this new set from Bond No. 9, I almost died!!!! Bond No. 9 has pulled some of their sweetest smelling and best loved scents together for this gift set. Can you imagine - 12 bottles of Bond No. 9's absolutely luscious and luxurious scents, all in one box???? It definitely includes some of my favorites - Chinatown, The Scent of Peaces, Bleecker Street, Bryant Park, and Fire Island. Just the prospect of pulling this out from underneath the Christmas tree makes me squeal already (hint, hint - family, friends, and loves who secretly read my blog and think I don't know). Now, I know that the price of this is (understatement of the century alert!) a little much for some of you, but there are plenty that would willingly part with their money for this. Knock the socks off your young, trendy and glamorous sister or BFF with this amazing gift set.

$1600 (yes, that's two zeros), available at bondno9.com

Estee Lauder Fluttering Feather Perfume Compact

Every holiday season, Estee Lauder releases these pretty and precious little baubles filled with their best scents and powders. And every holiday season, I smile at them for weeks and weeks and hope someone who loves me will take notice.

How beautiful is this one??? This encrusted little feather houses a solid perfume compact of Estee's classic, signature scent White Linen. The solid form makes this scents so easy to reapply. This is the perfect pretty little thing to drop in your bag on your way out for a night on the town. And, it will surely dazzle whichever lucky young lady you love enough to give it to. This would make the perfect present for your elegant mother or grandmother.

$250, available at Neiman Marcus

Jo Malone Cologne Coffret Set

Jo Malone is the elegant British fragrance brand that brought the classic sensibilities of the single note scent combined with the thrill of infinite possibilities to fabulous women on this side of the Atlantic. This gift set combines six of the brand's fragrance sprays in deluxe combinations for ultimate mix-and-matchability. Unfortunalely, JM didn't put my absolute favorite (and probably her most popular) scent, French Lime, in this gift set. But there are still plenty of other scents to make your creative and classically beautiful big sister smell delightful. Buy this one in stores so that you can mix up your own fragrance recipes especially for the recipient to make her feel extra special this holiday.

$90, available at Neiman Marcus

Sephora Scent Sampler Certificate for Her

I recommended this ingenious gift idea and I'm doing it again this year because I think this is just such a perfect gift. What you get in this box is sample-sized bottles of Sephora's best selling perfumes. And, since popularity comes and goes, the scents included this year are completely different from the ones included last year. This time around, your fickle friend will get to test try scents like Vera Wang Princess, Guerlain My Insolence, and With Love . . . Hillary Duff to figure out which one is her favorite. When she finally has her heart set on the one she loves, all she has to do is take the included certificate into any Sephora store to redeem for a full-sized bottle of the perfume. It takes out the trouble of sniffing and smelling scents with someone else in mind for you and gives your friend the chance to get a gift she'll really love.

$50, available at Sephora


Phew!, well take a deep whiff something beautiful, and then give it to someone you love, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

And stay tuned for the best in cosmetics, skincare, and gifts for him this holiday!

Slang for Hot Dog

Ms. New Beauty has been buried under boxes for the past week or so trying to pack up and move out of her apartment. It's amazing how much stuff an avid shopper and product junkie like MNB can accumulate over the course of three short years. She's been purging all kinds of stuff and putting everything else in cardboard. Cleaning out some old files, Ms. New Beauty came across old pictures and papers from her freshman year of college and of course, she got to reminiscing.

Now, MNB went through a moderate case of culture shock during her first semester of college, being a 17 year old from the fast moving Northeast transplanted to the slow, tortoise-worthy pace of the deep South. Besides the change of pace and adjusting to the heat and humidity, adapting to the language barrier was the hardest part for Ms. New Beauty. Some of her southern classmates had accents so thick, MNB could barely hold conversation with them. But at least they were speaking English. Ms. New Beauty had the hardest time understanding what her friends from the Midwest (and by Midwest she means Detroit) were saying. Their slang was so different to her. They didn't go to the movies, they went to "the show." Didn't drink soda, they drank "pop." But the strangest one for MNB was what they called hot dogs. Oscar Mayer doesn't make hot dogs or even franks. Detroit people called them "Coney Islands." What?!?!? MNB never saw that one coming but she still loves her people from "The D." Well, here's to another Coney Island namesake, although this one smells much better than the pork variety.

Bond No. 9 Coney Island

Coney Island is the newest scent from Bond No. 9, the company that made its mark by formulating perfumes representing the many neighborhoods of New York City. This one is definitely going to be one of the go-to scents for summer. The very idea behind creating this blend was to take the smell of fun and put it in a bottle. Mission accomplished!

Blending notes of margarita mix, melon guave, cinnamon, chocolate, caramel, vanilla and more, Bond No. 9 has taken all of your favorite summer time treats, put them in a glass bottle and shaken it up. Now, with that list of ingredients, you would think that it would smell absolutely crazy, like a 6 year old's dirty laundry after a long day at summer camp, but trust me, it doesn't! The margarita mix is the strongest scent and gives this perfume a nice lemony citrus scent. When I smelled it, I instantly thought of Lemon Water Ice. Yes, I know that technically, "water ice" sounds like an oxymoron, but it is one of my favorite summer time treats and lemon is the best flavor. Philly people will definitely agree with me on this one. There is also something slightly outdoorsy about this scent to me. You all know I do not have a perfumer's nose, so scent is all about the evocative nature of the perfume for me and the things it makes me feel. This one takes me to a backyard barbecue, sitting in a lawn chair in a white sundress and wedge heels, drinking my lemon water ice right out of the cup, no spoon. This is definitely my fun summertime perfume.

$125, available at www.bondno9.com


Smell sweet for summer, and get yourself a water ice if you've never had one, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

In The Mood For Love

February is one of Ms. New Beauty's favorite month's. Only in February does she get to celebrated her anniversary, her birthday, the history of her people, and love all at once. She's already celebrated the first three, but unfortunately, she'll be on her own with the last one. That's right, MNB will be all alone on Valentine's Day. Such is the life of a woman in a long distance relationship. But, she will be alright. Instead of wallowing in her loneliness at home, she's going on a date with some of the loves of her life - her girlfriends. They're going to eat fattening desserts, watching girly movies, and celebrate one of the greatest loves of all, true friendship. But for you ladies that will be celebrating the day of love with a significant other, MNB has found some of the best Valentine's date perfect products.

100% Pure Chocolate Mocha Body Scrub

What Valentine's beauty post could be complete without a mention of chocolate? Not this one. Soften up your body and eliminate any dry patches (dead skin is so not sexy) before the big day with this decadent body scrub. This rich scrub is made with Belgian dark chocolate, a rich source of antioxidants, cocoa butter and moisturizing grapeseed oil. A touch of Hawaiian Kona coffee increases circulation and caffeine is known to tighten any "loose" spots. Soften up and get sexy for your man. And enjoy this chocolate guilt-free because it will not end up on your hips in the morning.

$18, available at Bath & Body Works.

Kitty Lixx Lava Lotion Body Candle Massage Oil

Most adult product lines offer very few items that wouldn't embarass you in front of your mother if you accidentally forgot to put them away. But, Kitty Lixx has struck gold in this ingenious candle. It's perfect for a romantic evening at home. Burn the candle for great mood lighting and to scent your room. And, then blow out the flame and use the melted wax as a massage oil. Be forewarned, just a little of the melted wax goes a long way so use sparingly. Don't ask me how I now.

This candle comes in three scents, Vanilla, Strawberry and Jasmine, for $17.99. Available at KittyLixx.com. (Note - the Kitty Lixx website is probaby not safe for work)

Lush Joy of Jelly Shower Jelly

Lush is one of the most innovative cosmetic companies around. And, I have been head over heels in love with their shower jellies since I first stepped foot into their store. These jellies are all natural and made by hand. The Joy of Jelly is their sexiest scent, combining notes of musky jasmine, ylang ylang, rose, and tiger lilly. But the best part isn't the scent, it's how you use it. Instead of just squeezing onto a loofah (how boring), you rub a hunk of the jelly all over your body to produce a fragrant and luscious lather. This will make for tons of fun in a shower for two. Get your man dirty and then clean him up. And let him return the favor.

$5.45 for a 3.5 oz hunk of jelly, available at Lush.com.

Healing Garden zzzTherapy Pillow Spray

Before you lay yourself down to "sleep," make your bed more welcoming with this pillow spray. Spray in the air above your bed and let the light scent of vanilla bean, chamomile, and orange blossom fall into your linens. Don't let the name fool you, this scent is perfect for creating a very awake sensual mood in your bedroom. And, this is just one product from a great line. The Healing Garden is one of the best drugstore brands available. Their body splashes and sprays are strong enough to last all day and use fragrance notes that smell just as good as expensive perfumes.

$6.99, available at drug stores.

This post has been for those couple perfect products. But single New Beauties need not worry, a special Valentine's Day post just for the unattached is forthcoming.

Share the love ladies, and look fabulous while doing it, but don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Cheap & Chic - Everything's Coming Up Roses

Ms. New Beauty loves roses. She loves to be showered with them on birthdays, Valentine's, and on random days for no reason at all. Red roses, white roses, yellow roses, and especially pink roses. But the color doesn't really matter at all, so long as they're roses. MNB also loves to splash rose water on her face in the morning to create the best possible beginning for her day and to slather rose scented oil on her skin after a hot bath at night. And, since last year, she's been a secret admirer of a particulary decadent rose perfume. Oh, how she's stopped by fragrance counters and spritzed a little on her wrist to hold her over until the day she can afford a bottle of her very own. That day hasn't come yet, but MNB is having a torrid affair with a cheaper, yet just as sweet smelling version of that perfume. And thus, we have the newest installation of Ms. New Beauty Cheap & Chic.

Rose Perfume

Creed Fleurs de Bulgarie, around $150

vs.

Fresh Bulgarian Rose, $70

I love both of these scents. They both smell like the most beautiful field of fresh, just bloomed roses. One scent and I see myself transported to some European hillside covered in roses of the most perfect shade of pink dancing and singing a song of happiness and joy. Think Sound of Music, except with a fabulous black girl like myself frolicking in tall platform boots instead of a milk maid's apron. You get the picture.

While I love Creed and acknowledge that their colognes are made with only the best ingredients, I do not have a perfumers nose. So the Fresh Bulgarian Rose smells just like the Fleurs de Bulgarie to me, except it costs half the price. And that works out fabulously for my grad student budget.

Treat yourself to some roses, save some money, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Down to the Wire

Ms. New Beauty just finished her last final an hour and a half ago. That's right, the evil administrators at her school thought giving a final exam four days before Christmas was a good idea. The inevitable result - MNB has spent weeks studying and paid almost no attention to what she's going to give out as Christmas presents this year. With just a few days left to shop and no idea what to get the fabulous family and friends in her life, Ms. New Beauty has decided to give presents that require minimal thought (her brain is so drained right now) but that are still sure to please. Gift cards can be so impersonal, so she's scoured the net to find the best universally acceptable gifts to eliminate any worries about what to get at the last minute.

Sephora Fragrance Gift Certificate

I don't normally recommend giving fragrances as gifts. What smells like roses to one person is funky feet and corn chips to another. But, this is such an ingenious idea. This is not your typical gift card or certificate. With this set, you get ten samples of Sephora's top selling fragrances and a voucher. Whoever you give this to can sample the scents, even wear them for a few days, and then decide which one she likes best. The enclosed voucher is good for one full size bottle of any of the ten fragrances included in the samples. Give the gift of fragrance and take out the worries about whether it'll be a hit or a miss. Oh, and this one comes in men's and women's versions, so this is truly a unisex gift sure to please everyone.

This one's sold out online, but may still be available in store. Check with your local Sephora.

Smashbox Beauty A-Go-Go Palette and Brush Kit

Makeup is another tough thing to buy for someone else. You never know what someone's preferences are or what colors will look good on them. The solution - palettes. Makeup palettes with several traditional colors, like golds, browns, pinks, and peaches, are good for everyone because there's always a color that will look great. This palette comes with eight eyeshadows in every shade a girl could need. Gold, taupe and champagne for nude eyes, and charcoal and navy for a subtler smoky eye. Plus, you get four flattering lip glosses, two highighters, and two brushes all in a palette with houndstooth print for a kick of 60s kitsch.

This is still available online. Make sure you get the two day delivery and you're gauranteed to have your gift by Christmas.

For bigger palettes with tons of colors, you really can't beat the Sephora Blockbuster Palette. It comes loaded with tons of eyeshadow and blush shades so every lady is destined to find something she loves in thesee. It is completely sold out online (and going for 2.5 times the price on eBay), but there may still be some in stores. If you stumble upon one, be sure to grab it.

Too Faced Glamour Eyes

As you can tell by now, eyeshadow is one of the easiest gifts to give. It's easier to play with color on your eyes and therefore easier to give to someone else. You'd never, well at least you shouldn't, try to gift foundation. And, blush only works in very specific circumstances where the shade is soooo flattering and you know your friend's undertones well.

Here's another great eyeshadow palette. Glamour Eyes comes with every eye shadow shade that Too Faced makes. At $350, this is definitely a luxe gift for a fabulous lady in your life. I know you could look me in a room with this palette and a mirror and I could entertain myself for days.

The Too Faced The Jewelry Box palette would also be great fun for me but that one is sold out online too.

MD Skincare Cult Classic Set

Let me let you in on one of my best gift giving secrets. Give gifts of beauty that are the signature products a brand offers. For women that use the line, they'll know that you bought them the best of the brand and appreciate the thought. Women that know the line will love that you bought something they would never spend the money on themselves. And, for women that don't know a thing about it, they'll be so impressed that you spent the money on such a luxury beauty line for them. It's truly a win-win.

This gift will definitely fall into my best beauty gift category. This is two of MD Skincare's best products in one set. It comes with the two step Alpha Beta facial peel and the All-In-One Facial Cleanser with Toner. The peel and cleanser are the two products that MD Skincare is best known and loved for. They don't call this the Cult Classic set for nothing.

And if you still need more gift ideas, you can never fail with anything from Diptyque, L'Occitane, Molton Brown, Fresh, Kiehl's or Anthousa. You can always buy something simple like a candle or body cream from these lines for less than $50. But it still gives that "life's little luxuries" effect. Trust me, my sister went crazy for a Tuberose Diptyque candle two years ago. Again, make sure you get one of the most popular or signature products from the line.


Give great gifts, get even better reactions, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Strange Encounters of the Scented Kind

One day last week, Ms. New Beauty was minding her own business and going about her normal routine. She woke up, checked email, made it to the hairdresser for her standing weekly appointment just a little late but still right on time (you know, late enough that she wouldn't have to wait for her stylist to finish up his other client, but not so late that he had moved on to someone else), and sat down for a nice lunch at a restaurant near school. As MNB was heading to her car after lunch, she felt someone walking just a little too close on her back and turned around to find a girl, couldn't have been any older than 19, walking behind her. Chalking it up to just one of those things, MNB kept right on walking. A few steps later that same girl was again just a little too close, but this time on her side. Being the city girl that she is, Ms. New Beauty automatically figured the girl was trying to pickpocket her, so she grabbed her purse tighter and put some pep in her step.

Two seconds later, the girl approached Ms. New Beauty saying "I know this is going to sound weird but . . ." Now, we all know that is the worst way to start a sentence with a stranger and all kinds of horrible endings rushed through MNB's head. Before MNB could decide whether to just run to her car that was only a few steps away or wait for the ending, the girl finished her sentence with "what are you wearing because you smell really nice." MNB, completely taken aback that a stranger on the street was smelling her, could barely mumble the name of her scent before that urge to run to the car won out. After the awkwardness of the encounter wore, MNB realized that she was slightly flattered, she smelled so good even strangers noticed.

That powerful scent whose name I could barely remember at the time, ladies, is Fresh Sake. I figured if it smelled sweet enough to attract an unknown, albeit weird, girl on the street, it was definitely worthy of a review here. (Note: the above story is completely true because I am so not creative enough to come up with something like that on my own. These things really happen to me.)

Fresh Sake

Fresh Sake is a light, sweet scent with an adult appeal. To me, it smells like the kind of perfume you'd find on a 25 year old investment banker who's sitting in an early morning meeting with a client still in the same pumps she wore to the club the night before. Subtle and conservative yet subversive and mysterious at the same time. I just love those kinds of juxtapositions, since I fancy myself the kind of girl who would wear the club pumps to work, once I actually get a job.

The holidays are the best time of year to try new scents, because gift sets abound. Try the Fresh A Grain of Rice gift set, which includes the Sake perfume, dry oil, and soap, for only $35. Only available at Sephora.


And, since we're talking about Fresh, I have to mention my favorite scent in their line, Fresh Lychee Sugar. It's a sweet fruity perfume, perfect for summers and weekends. A Spoonful of Sugar features Lychee Sugar in addtion to two more Fresh perfume favorites, Sugar Blossom and the signature Fresh scent, Lemon Sugar. This is another one that's only available at Sephora. Don't you just love them? And, personally, I love, love, loved the Cirque de Beaute holiday catalog, lawsuits be damned.

Smell sweet, but beware of strangers on your scent, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Ms. New Beauty's favorite holiday, besides her birthday, is Christmas. She loves everything about Christmastime. The trees, the ornaments, the cookies, the cheesy sweaters that middle aged school teachers wear, oh the list goes on. Idealistic as it may be, MNB truly believes that the world is more peaceful and people are better to each other around the holidays. Besides TNT's 24 hour marathon of The Christmas Story (you'll shoot your eye out, you'll shoot your eye out), MNB really looks forward to the shopping. She loves getting presents, but she also really loves buying great things for the people she loves. Now, some believe that Christmas shopping begins on Black Friday. And for those people, MNB just giggles at their naivete. For we all know the true sign of holidays around the corner is getting the Neiman Marcus Book in the mail.

I love, love, love the Neiman Marcus Book. It's part catalog, part magazine and tells you everything that's going to be hot for the holidays. Aside from all the normal products, it comes with a special beauty book inside with the highlights of the season.

The Scent Event - much like the famed beauty event, but with fragrances instead. Any purchase of $85 or more earns you a gold wristlet filled with samples and freebies. I'm currently loving Jo Malone French Lime layered with Nectarine Blossom & Honey Colognes, Rock N Rose by Valentino, and Creed Fleurs de Bulgarie.


Laura Mercier Signature Collection Beauty Book

A palette containing all the basic for lips, eyes, and cheeks. Three lip colors, three eyeshadows, two blushes, and an eyeliner all for $45. This is totally something that I would drop in my purse and keep with me to change from day to night on the run. And, there's also the complete beauty library with separate eye, cheek and lip "books" for
$120.


Becca Mesmerise Holiday Set

I only use Becca products on my skin. This is the only line that I've found that has a range of colors for all women. Typically, lines that do skin color for women give us three colors - light, medium and dark. They never match and you either end up looking like you have mud on your face (a la Dawn in the early episodes of the last season of Making The Band) or you have the chalky powder face. Becca has so many different shades and actually adjusts the undertones for each so that you get a perfect match.

Needless to say, I am in love with Becca and everything that she makes. The Holiday Mesmerize Set comes with the perfect pinks for lips and cheeks and dark shadows and liners for the perfect smoky eye for that fabulous New Year's Eve party that you'll be going to. It comes in a white leather pouch, but I can basically guarantee that it will end up in a pile for goodwill.

Estee Lauder Holiday Shimmer Compact Collection

I have a thing for pretty and fancy compacts. Something about the beauty of touching up your nose with products in a truly beautiful case just speaks to my soul. I actually own quite a few, that really don't get much use because they tend to be heavy and weigh down my purses, but I continue to buy them. I tell myself that when I have a daughter, I'll have them engraved and pass them down to her on the night of her debutante ball. Truthfully, I'll probably just keep them for myself but we all have noble aspirations.

Well, here's another one that I'm adding to my collection. These compacts come filled with Estee's Lucidity Pressed Powder that's completely refillable. I'm partial to the Golden Tartan design on the left. But, I'm also leaning towards the Beautiful Coliseum solid perfume compact too.

And, although this isn't beauty, I do have my fashion picks for the season. I mean really, what's the point of having flawless makeup if your outfit is a damn mess??

• Dior Python Pumps in Pale Blue
  
• Nancy Gonzalez Python Knot Bag in Gold
  
• Yves Saint Laurent's Downtown Tote in Metallic Grey
• Ceramic watches by Chanel and Hello Kitty by Kimora Lee Simmons

Shop early, buy gifts for your loved ones and yourself, make sure you wrap them in fabulous paper, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Back to Work

Ms. New Beauty has been so busy for this past week or so, that she hasn't had time to share the love with her readers. Mea culpa ladies. Anyway, because of the break, there are so many things to let you know about.

Favorite Freebies

Now everyone knows that I am a big fan of CoverGirl Lash Exact mascara. So much so that it is one of the products I use literally every day and it's earned itself the coveted position as one of the Everyday All-Stars. (Look to your right and you'll see the permanent position it's earned here). Well, the good people at CoverGirl have created the LashExact Mobile Tour to encourage women to try it. Somewhere along the line, a humble beauty blogger with the initials MNB caught the attention of the tour's publicist. They sent her the below email about the tour.

I wanted to touch base to let you know that CoverGirl has created the LashExact Mobile Tour and Mail-in Promotion in an effort to encourage women to try the new LashExact Mascara (FOR FREE!). As part of the tour, a specially created purple LashExact Mobile Tour Van, will visit participating retail partners, including CVS, Ulta and Kmart, encouraging women to turn in their department store mascara in exchange for a free full-sized LashExact Mascara.

Being that there are only 8 stops on the LashExact Mobile Tour, and the Van itself is so unique (it is purple, with a larger than life size mascara wand on top of it!) I thought more people would be interested in learning more about it and of course how they can get a free mascara (LashExact mascara, with its new breakthrough brush technology, provides a better lash experience than the leading department store mascara, delivering clump-free and beautifully separated lashes!)

The entire tour will run through the end of October, when it makes its final stop in Boston (October 25th-29th.) Other cities on the tour include: Philadelphia, Chicago, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Orlando, New York City and Washington DC. As an added bonus, consumers who will not have the tour stopping near their hometown (or can't make it to the stops) can take advantage of the Mail-in Promotion by sending their old department store mascara to CoverGirl in exchange for a free LashExact Mascara. Consumers can visit www.covergirl.com/freelashexact, to find out when the LashExact Mobile Tour will be near their hometown or how to make a mail in exchange.

Free products are the best. But they're even better when they're products I already know and love. If you haven't had the motivation to try LashExact by now, this should be all you need. Mail your old mascara in and make sure you stop by if you see this van.

Signature Scents

MNB was also contacted by a gentleman named Stephen about his new fragrance oil business, Scent Design. Scent Design offers customers completely custom blended fragrance oils. Now, the best perfumes are pure fragrance oil. Ever wonder why Creed costs so much? It's all fragrance oil. There's no alcohol or water added to dilute it. It's completely the pure fragrance oil.

Scent Design offers you the pure fragrance oil, but unlike ready made perfumes, you decide exactly what oils you want blended, how they are combined, and how strong each scent is. With 40 different fragrances, the combinations are endless. You can equally mix oils and even add just a sublte hint of a specific scent. There's also a suggested "recipe" list for those of us who don't need any more decisions to make. And, Scent Design offers a liberal return policy so if you didn't realize that you're not a patchouli girl, you can send it back and try again. The scent comes in a portable rollerball bottle and you know MNB loves anything that she can fit in her purse. The best part? Your customized fragrance starts out at only $10 a bottle.

Now, MNB has not tried Scent Design yet, but she loves the concept and thinks it's a great idea. Perfume lovers, give it a try.


Get stuff for free, smell sweet, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty sent you!