If you're part of the procrastination nation, first off, welcome! I myself am a card-carrying member of the Last Minute Fellowship, so I'll be joining the rest of you in the hectic dash to complete my holiday shopping. Panic may be setting in right now, but you'll need a clear head and a detailed checklist to make good time. To help you along the way, then, we've compiled some great last-minute buys for those people you haven't checked off your shopping list just yet.
Enjoy and have a wonderful Christmas Eve!
Arcona Nourish & Repair Kit, $60. Available at Arcona.com
This three-piece Arcona set seeks to hydrate, refine texture, and strengthen your skin's immune system (remember: the skin is the body's largest organ!).The Booster Defense Serum is designed for use during the morning, as the step after cleansing and before moisturizing. The soothing lightweight serum features green tea extract,black tea extract, black currant oil, aloe leaf extract, witch hazel, vitamin E, grapefruit extract, and vitamin C to deliver a potent mix of antioxidants that will protect skin from environmental aggressors. The Night Worker Repair, meanwhile, is meant for use only one to two times per week, during the evening hours. This gel refreshes instantly, as it infuses skin with hydrating peach, pumpkin, and apricot extracts, evening primrose oil, and black currant oil. Vitamins C and E help to firm skin and protect it from free radicals. Lastly, the Papaya Enzyme Gel is also designed for use once to twice a week. This potent gel-like substance relies on papaya enzymes to strengthen the skin's natural barrier, while vitamin A helps to fight discoloration, correct acne, and stimulate cell renewal (which in turn helps to fight acne scars). With this skincare trifecta, your skin will be refreshed, rebooted and reloaded.
Prada L'Eau Ambree Parfum de Sac, $76. Available at SaksFifthAvenue.com
Months after releasing its L'Eau Ambree fragrance (read our review here), Prada is offering a portable purse-ready atomizer for fans of the luxurious, gender-bending scent, which features top notes of cedrat (a Sicilian citrus), a heart of rose de mai, and base notes of patchouli, vanilla and oppoponax that evoke an amber-like scent. In keeping with the sophisticated edge of the scent, the Prada L'Eau Ambree Pafum de Sac is a light yellow gold color with the Prada logo engraved across a gold lamé plaque on one side and emblazoned in jet black along the other side, and it features a chain and snap clip so you can attach it to your purse strap or belt loop.
Hourglass Cosmetics Extreme Sheen Set, $45. Available at Sephora.com
Hourglass Cosmetics' Extreme Sheen Lip Glosses glide across lips with more ease than a dollop of vaseline, moisturizing lips with vitamin E and enhancing collagen and elastin production thanks to the Laminactine in the formula. Similarly, the soft brush bristles are softer than most sponge-tip gloss applicators. But there's more to love than the amenable texture of this non-sticky gloss — each color boasts a high-impact sheen and a multi-dimensional fine. With Hourglass' Extreme Sheen glosses, three is never a crowd. The Extreme Sheen Set, then, makes for an excellent gift. It features three 0.12 oz. lip glosses in Ignite, a rosy beige packed with shimmer; Child, a sheer nude that adds just a veil of color to lips; and Siren, a metallic red reminiscent of a Christmas tree ornament. Here's a swatch of the Siren Extreme Sheen lipgloss that will lure you right in!
Island Michael Kors Palm Beach Eau de Parfum, $62. Available at Macys.com
Michael Kors' Island series of perfumes manages to recreate the feel of different sun-drenched destinations. After enchanting us with Island Michael Kors Capri, Island Michael Kors Hawaii, and Island Michael Kors Bermuda, the fashion and fragrance guru released this tribute to Palm Beach, an enclave of wealth in Florida commonly referred to as the American Riviera. The Island Michael Kors Palm Beach EDP, then, opens with the types of citrus notes we associate with Florida (among them orange, grapefruit and tangerine), then imbues them with an island living feel thanks to Havana-ready rum and vanilla notes, adding feminine jasmine for a floral allure and a black tea note for an exotic touch.
Miss Jessie's Value Pack, $64. Available at MissJessies.com and Folica.com
If you're a curly-haired cutie, you've likely heard of buzzed-about brand Miss Jessie's, which focuses on cleansing, conditioning, and styling products for women with soft waves, tight coils, spring-like spirals, kinky curls, and everything in between. Share the Miss Jessie's wealth with other curly chicas by gifting them with the Miss Jessie's Value Pack, which features an assortment of travel-sized (2 oz.) products, among them: the Curly Pudding, which will help you shape strands and give them hold; the Curly Meringue, which revitalizes lifeless curls; the Rapid Recovery Treatment, a leave-in mask for dry of damaged tresses; the Stretch Silkening Creme, a new formulation that combines conditioning and moisturizing ingredients from several Miss Jessie's puddings and buttercremes, yielding a formula that stretches curls and gives them a bit more shine; the Curly Buttercreme, meant to hydrate and pump up the volume on curly strands; and the Baby Buttercreme, a kid-friendly version of the Curly Buttercreme.
Trina "Jayne" Pencil Case, $24. Available at Nordstrom locations and fine boutiques nationwide. To locate a retailer near you visit TrinaStyle.com
This zip-top, vinyl-coated makeup bag features a jungle-flavored baroque floral print, with olive green foliage and blooms against a midnight blue backdrop and surprising hints of teal and purple along the leaves and stems pictured on the back of the pencil case.
