Philosophy The Holiday Cookbook ($35)

Stila Step Out & Shine Set ($50)

Miss Oops Holiday Survival Kit ($18)

This kit contains everything you need to keep screwy hemlines, lint, and deo marks at bay. Includes Miss Oops Mishap Tape, Rescue Sponge, and Lint Roller so she can ensure there will be no holiday party wardrobe malfunctions.

Bliss The Big Orange ($28) Bliss' new hit scent Blood Orange + White Pepper was actually based on a cocktail. It's a warm fruity fragrance, but is tempered with white pepper to add a bit of intrigue. I absolutely adore it. For $28, you can buy your pal a to go sized body butter and shower gel.

Bumble and bumble Creme de Coco Gift Box ($60)
This limited edition box set comes with a Creme de Coco Shampoo, Conditioner, Brilliantine, and a pinwheel of colorful bobby pins. The pinwheel was designed by artist Piet Houtenbos, son of hair hero Christiaan.

Hot Beauty Health is giving one lucky reader a chance to win NARS Exclusive Lip Gloss Collection that includes five fabulous shades to wear this holiday season.

Beauty Junkies Unite discovers Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare and has an "experience"!

Viva Woman shares with you the benefits of the oil cleansing method.

Fabulous Over Forty has a Lancome nail polish giveaway, as well as other holiday gift guides.

Felicia at ThisThatBeauty is doing her own personal rendition of the MAC and HELLO KITTY collection. Check out Felicia's HELLO KITTY Face of the Day.

Get Tips for Holiday Travel from cosmetic bag designer Stephanie Johnson at Makeup Bag.

Battle skin dryness this winter with a great spa-at-home tip from eye4style.

Georgia at Neon Bible takes a look at what Bond No. 9 has to offer for Christmas and it's actually affordable!

What eye look tops winter 2008 makeup trends? Head on over to Frappelattes to find out!

Alison of The Advice Sisters attended the 36th Annual International Emmy Awards and worked the red carpet but she's also been blogging about holiday beauty, too!

Beauty411 shares time-saving tips and styling suggestions for holiday hair without the hassle!

The Home Spa Goddess has lots of links to Black Friday Beauty deals.

Being a redhead I went for the high contrast, and went with purple streaks.  Unfortunately the flash on my camera really washed them out, but it was pretty vibrant, and rather cool as it wove through my hair.  I gave my daughter the Streekers and let her have fun with her own hair, and she had a blast deciding where she was going to put her streaks.

Streekers are not mascara for your hair, and they’re not a paste, or a paint…they don’t flake, they’re a true temporary hair color.  The color washes out with regular shampoo, though users with porous or damaged hair may find it takes a washing or three to get the color fully out.

There aren’t any harsh chemicals in the dye solution, so no peroxide or ammonia…and nothing permanent.

You can get Streekers online for $10.95 apiece, and there are (as pictured) 8 great colors to choose from !!

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Today's Topic: Beautifully Gifted

Traditionally I've never been a fan of beauty gift sets. In the trade they're known as 'coffrets' one of those ersatz continental terms, like coiffure, that suggests a level of glamour and sophistication that often tragically isn't there.

I guess the reason I didn't like them was mainly because they seemed like a gift idea that lacked imagination. The last resort of desperate male buyers grabbing at something that looked expensive. I always preferred the idea of custom making your own gift sets: selecting two or three nice items and a special box or receptacle to package them in and tying the whole lot up with jewel coloured ribbons. Those readymade plastic boxes with a couple of co-ordinating products inside seemed like a rather lazy and not especially alluring prospect.

And yet, during these straightened times, I'm kinda warming to a well-chosen gift set. Primarily because they are often excellent value. Secondly because they can be a useful introduction to an interesting new brand or a way of restocking a relative or friend's bathroom if they are running a bit low.

The gift sets I am most strongly seduced by are those where the company has dispensed with the plastic box and created quirky or useful packaging. Benefit's Beauty Cravings Gift Tin is a great example – you get a retro-styled canister that's both lovable and that might potentially serve some future storage purpose in your home – with a Bad Gal mascara, Some Kinda Gorgeous foundation and Dallas face powder inside.

Elemis' Dream Journey Traveller is another covetable gift set that comes in a lovely case that you might well re-use. It contains ten items, including Pro Collagen Marine Cream and Bright Eyes Recovery Gel, which are not only great for flights but a useful introduction to the brand. I would choose it for someone who travels often or a woman with more mature skin. Another nicely packaged set is Cowshed's Pampering Gift Set which comes in a pleasantly glossy square box. What's more you can't really go wrong with the unguents that nestle within – deliciously herbal bath oil, body lotion, shower gels and scented candles are a pretty welcome present for women of all ages.

Whilst some people might view shower gel or shampoo as a rather dull or prosaic or unimaginative gift, I rather like the idea of giving people pleasurable, practicable and useful things for their bathrooms - especially   if you upgrade them from their usual budget brand to something a little more stylish and alluring. There's something universally give-able about Korres' Sugar and Spice shower gels, I'm really fond of these as they come in recherche, whimsical scents that you don't usually find in the bathroom. And for skincare enthusiasts you really can't get any better than Ole Henriksen's Three Little Wonders Kit or Red Tea Trio. His products are uniformly excellent for any gender or any age. They really do work.

Teenagers and women who like to indulge in colourful experiments: and that means most fashion-conscious women under 40 will adore Urban Decay's delightful Book Of Shadows, a rainbow of eye colour at a very reasonable price. And stocking fillers don't get much more winsome than Elizabeth Arden's Limited Edition Vintage 8 Hour Lip Protectant or Paul and Joe's Disney Hand Cream. I can't imagine any woman, young or old, who wouldn't appreciate these.

• 1. Save water by turning it off while you are waiting for your hair conditioner or mask to sink in. This could also be a great time to do a body scrub because the water won't rinse it immediately off your body. Saves money on the water bill!
• 2. Use sea salts to exfoliate. They're inexpensive and natural. Synthetic beads may not be biodegradable and are not the kind of fish food we want our marine life consuming.
• 3. Use bar hand soap instead of liquid hand soap. Not only does it last longer (which saves money), but it also has a smaller carbon footprint because there is less packaging and plastic.
• 4. Whip up your own beauty treatments instead of buying prepackaged ones. No need to buy expensive treatments - use what's in the house! Olive oil makes a great all around moisturizer – rub it on cuticles while you’re cooking! It’s also great for dry ends of hair.
• 5. Don't be over-served! Making your products last as long as possible will reduce your overall consumption of packaging, materials, and the carbon footprint that comes along with it. Use only a dime-size of shampoo, a quarter size of conditioner, a pea size of face cream, and a shot-glass size of body lotion. And this way, you consolidate what you already have (which you would have chucked in the trash out and spent cash to buy more).