beauty | Girl Meets Life | a lifestyle blog by Gracie Gordon

shop: GML’s 2014 holiday gift guide.

27 November, 2014 by Gracie 1 Comment

Hi loves, hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Since it’s Black Friday, I thought now would be a good time to share my favorite gift ideas for this holiday season.

Last year I put together a few gift guides (for your BFF, your guy, and your parents), but this year I’m keeping the focus on the ladies. So in case you’re still looking for inspiration for what to get for the lovely women in your life, here are my top picks.

under $50

customized journal – my best friend Jessi once got me one of these customized journals from Minted.com, and it was so special! You can personalize it with photos, words, etc.

Speakable necklace – hey, how could I not include my own necklaces? Right now there’s actually a Black Friday (through Cyber Monday) sale happening – use promo code XMAS14 for 20% off all items. (FYI – did you know there’s a custom option now too?)

L’Occitane Voyage En Provence Set – L’Occitane is one of my favorite beauty brands, and this set is full of great travel-sized products. I love this idea because it’s something that someone wouldn’t necessarily buy for themself, but would come in so much handy. Great for the frequent traveler in your life.

HommeGirl beanie – just because it’s cool.

X-mini portable speaker – this is something that’s on my own Christmas list. It’s small enough to carry around with you and plugs right into your phone!

$50 – $100

Red Carpet Manicure Pro Kit – another one I may be a bit biased toward, ha (I do their social media). Red Carpet Manicure allows you to get a GEL mani that can last 2 weeks, and you can do it from the comfort of your own couch. This is a great gift that keeps on giving.

Tocca Fragrance Collection – I love all of the Tocca fragrances – they’re refreshing and feminine and just amazing. This set comes with rollerballs of all of the scents, so they’re perfect for on-the-go.

Polaroid Instant Print Camera – another one that’s on my own Christmas list. The look/tangibility of Polaroid photos is just so fun – a great gift for that sentimental friend of yours.

K. Banasik Wool Cashmere Wraps – my good friend Kristine is a clothing designer, and she recently started making these fun and cozy wraps – a perfect way to stay warm this winter while still looking stylish. These are selling for $350 in stores, but she has a special holiday sale going on right now for $80! More photos and details here.

$100 – $200

Ben Amun Liquid Gold Thin Snake Bracelet – every girl loves some arm candy. I love how chic this bracelet is, and it’s classic enough to go with just about anything.

SK II Pitera Essence Set – okay, so I haven’t used these products myself (yet), but my friend Martina told me about SK II and I read other great reviews about it. This set is a really great deal – perfect for your beauty/skin-care obsessed friend.

Young Living Everyday Essential Oil Collection – I’m a huge fan of essential oils lately. They smell amazing and can be used for a handful of different beauty and wellness purposes. Another gift that’s great for the friend that’s into wellness/health. Click here to sign up through my friend Emily

$200 +

Nespresso VertuoLine – okay, this is a pricier one. BUT if you’re looking for a gift to wow an important person in your life, this will do the trick. I recently got a VertuoLine and it has changed my life (no, really). It makes espresso and coffee, and it’s seriously some of the best brew I’ve ever had.

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Have you started any holiday gift shopping yet? What are some of your gift ideas this year?

what I’m loving right now {+ a giveaway!}.

18 November, 2014 by Gracie

Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan
It’s no secret that I love me some sunless tanning products (I made a video about it here). So I was totally down to check out Cocoa Brown 1 Hour sunless tanner when they offered to send me some to give a try.

The verdict – I love it! It applies really smooth and easily and dries almost instantly, then the tan develops in about one hour. It also has a great natural shade – bronze and not orangey.

I also loved Tough Stuff, which is a great body exfoliator to use in the shower. It left my skin feeling super soft and really helps the sunless tanner “stick” to your skin better.

Progessence Plus
I mentioned in my Whole30 recap that I had been on the birth control pill for hormonal issues and recently went off of it, so I’ve been trying a more holistic approach. My good friend Emily knows a ton about essential oils and highly recommended I try Progessence Plus. I’ve read great things about using it for hormonal imbalances and other benefits. I just started using it so can’t speak for any big results (yet), but I have already noticed feeling more relaxed after using it, as well as sleeping better.

(If you’re interested in learning more about essential oils I’d love to put you in touch with Emily - you can email me at gracie@girlmeetslife.com)

Jergens BB Body Skin Cream
I’m a huge fan of Jergens products (their Natural Glow is one of my favorites) so I was excited to try their new BODY BB cream. This is the first BB cream for your body that I’ve come across. It’s supposed to instantly hydrate and illuminate, and within 5 days even, firm, and correct your skin. I’ve definitely noticed the immediate effects, and in general my skin does seem to have a more even complexion.

Elizabeth Arden UNTOLD ABSOLU
I was recently sent this new fragrance from Elizabeth Arden to try out, and I love it! The scent is very glamorous, luxurious and warm – it has an amber base with hints of floral and fruity tones – perfect as we enter into the holidays and cooler weather. You can find it at Macy’s or on ElizabethArden.com!

And guess what? I’m giving away a bottle of UNTOLD ABSOLU to one lucky reader!

You can enter by leaving a comment saying *how you change up your beauty routine in the winter.*

~~The winner will be chosen on Friday November 28th, so get your entries in! Open to U.S. residents only, must be 18 years or older.~~

Update: winner has been chosen and contacted!

Good luck

glamming up for the holidays with mary kay.

17 November, 2014 by Gracie 115 Comments

As someone who is a self-proclaimed girly girl I must say that makeup can be a little intimidating to me sometimes. It’s the beauty routine that I tend to be most wary experimenting with because I never want to overdo it. In fact, up until about a year ago, my makeup routine was virtually the same since I was about 13!

Recently, though, I’ve learned how the right products can make all the difference in the world when it comes to applying makeup, as well as finding the right shades that compliment my complexion. That’s why I was so excited to try out some of Mary Kay’s new makeup products.

I was always familiar with Mary Kay and used a moisturizer of theirs once, but I never knew that they had such a great collection of makeup products as well. So when I received the assortment of shades of eye shadows, lip sticks, and brushes, I was very pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the products. The packaging alone was a great first impression.

The Mary Kay® makeup products came at the perfect time too, now that we’re in the middle of fall and entering into the holiday season. There’s really no better time to have fun with new makeup looks. I love embracing all of the celebrations as a chance to add some glitz and glam to my normal makeup routine.

Mary Kay also provided some fun holiday looks by putting together some of their products and shades that really compliment each other. You can check out the looks here. I really loved the shades that went with the Playful Party Girl look, so that’s what I tried. I loved this look – it’s so perfect for holiday parties!

For more makeup inspiration and videos visit MaryKay.com.

What kind of look would you go for this upcoming holiday season? Leave your answer in the comments section for the chance to win a $100 VISA Gift Card for each blogger to give away, plus A collection of Mary Kay® products and beauty essentials!

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This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 72 hours to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 11/17/2014 – 12/21/2014.

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