The entire Smarter Beauty Blog Editorial Team, Guest Bloggers and Staff want to wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Be safe and festive! May success, happiness, good health and beauty follow you all into the New Year - Thanks for reading!

I’m talking, random strays stuck to my face, sweat, flushed pink alcohol cheeks! Barf-tastic! Literally and figuratively, my only saving grace is that everyone else in the pictures seem to suffer from the same beauty malaise.

Well this New Year’s I am going to take a pro-active approach to the New Year’s hairdo - I am thinking PONYTAIL!

Not like a boring “sporty” ponytail but like a bouffant version a la’ Bridget Bardot esque.  I figure its fancy enought for an event like New Year’s but styled enough that it will look good through out the night. Basically keeps the hair off my face and helps me to remain polished even if I am stumbling around.

What hairstyle are you guys going to rock for New Years Eve? 

Ho-Ho-HO! Merry Christmas! Hahaha! Smarter Beauty Blog hopes you have a great and joyful day!!

Perhaps you’ve already picked out your holiday outfit, and if you have, then you are way ahead of the game than I am. Usually I have a dress in mind and then the night of, I mysteriously will change my mind. Again. And then again. And then again. My boyfriend will attest to this agonizing ritual.

The dress I have in mind is babydoll black with gauzy overlay and silver threads. It’s short, it’s rocking and I wore it last year but it’s coming out again. I had so much fun at New Year’s in it and it was so comfortable, I have no qualms about it appearing again this year.

Ok, so I bring this up only because I think that Rihanna’s eye (above, done with Nars Duo Shadow, color Joulee Poupee) is such a refreshing look. It does have an 80’s bent but I think the look will look wonderful with a vibrant red dress (as long as the rest of the face is nude). This is to avoid the spangled glitterball one might become once we go crazy on silver and gold eyeshadow. Why not do something a bit unexpected and try a fresh strong color on the eye?

Also I totally dig Jessica Biel’s strong pink lip. It’s an alternative to the classic red lip. It looks so pretty, don’t you think?

Nars lipstick in Funny Face is a good pick. My personal favorite is Nars in Niagra (coral peach).

A good example of glitter overload versus glitter chic is the photo below: Same dress, two different looks.
Mary Kate keeps it simple and understated with loose hippie hair and no accessories while Carrie (though I love her) turns it up a wee bit too loud with fussy hair and dark tights and accessories galore).

Hope your holidays are sparkly!!!

Dearest Santa: I know that your Inbox may be quite full of unread messages, but, if you would kindly let one of your assistant elves know that I have a few wonderful items (suggestions, really, and any woman would LOVE to have these items since they are so fab) I would truly appreciate the following beauty items underneath my tree. Or, if you’d like to give some of these items to a well-deserved someone, please feel free since I have only the highest regard for the following beauty products:

1) Kai Perfume, Essential Oils.

This perfume boasts notes of lush gardenia and exotic white flowers and cool green undertones. It is musky without being overpowering and truly pretty. The boys go wild for this. In fact I have to beat them off with a stick. No joke: Traffic stops, birds break into song, grass grows…the whole deal. I am mad for this scent. And, if you haven’t heard, Jennifer Garner, Kate Bosworth, Jennifer Aniston, Pamela Anderson, Naomi Watts and most of Hollywood starletts luuuurrrve this stuff. So do I.

2) Amore Pacific Time Renewal Creme:

There was a time, when I first moved to NYC, that I didn’t pay rent. I spent $400 on being a believable blonde and I used Amore Pacific Skin Products. Heaven. Being a Korean girl, and having a mom who used such products around the house made experimenting with this amazing Korean line possible. I still, to this day, believe it is one of the best skin-care lines that is worth the price-tag. It delivers beautiful, buttery smooth skin.
It has high percentage of Green tea, Red Ginseng, and Meadowseed Oil.

3) Phytonectar Shampoo with Orange Blossom:

This is an oldie but a goodie. The smell is divine, like nectarines, and it makes my damaged hair baby soft. It leaves a halo of beautiful scent so that when you leave a room, a cloud follows you. Also contains soybean amino acids, pure Orange blossom wax extract to moisturize and revitalize, Vitamin E to protect, Witchhazel to tonel, wood cellulose to detangle and smooth. Hair regains strength suppleness and shine.

4) Freshface Foundation:

My personal favorite. I’ve blogged about this before. I wanted to find a foundation that was sheer for laid-back weekends but found tinted moisturizers a little lacking in coverage. This gives a pretty, natural finish just like a tinted moisturizer and provides buildable coverage without looking cakey. Perfect.

5) Skinceuticals C E Ferulic:

If you follow skin-care at all, you know that this is on everyone’s must have list. This powerhouse serum is chock full of antioxidants and is highly recommended by Dermatologists and aestheticians. The synergistic combo of Vitamin C and E protects and renews your skin, and gradually reverses sun damage . I’ve personally used it and it has truly made my skin more emollient and glowing. The thing is, you have to keep using it, or the effects go away. This product is as amazing as everyone makes it out to be.

Let the shopping frenzy begin!! I think I know that girl? Sophia, is that you?

Well thanks to shopping sites like Bfads.net and BlackFriday.info the shopping frenzy is starting a bit earlier this year. They publish sales from major retailers in advance so you can plan your strategy in advance!

Just about everyone has the day off and Black Friday marks the first official day of Christmas shopping! Plus let’s face it, times are tough this year so everyone is looking to find the best deals this time around.

Here are some great Black Friday links:

Black Friday Info - Black Friday Ads

CouponMountain.com - Best Black Friday Deals

Black Friday 2008 - Bfads.net

 Good luck and Happy Shopping! 

Hahahahah!! You won’t find much of a meal there Turkey!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Much thanks from the Smarter Beauty Blog Editors and Staff!

Check back soon to read tips on how to exercise or vomit up all the food you gobbled down today. (I kid, I kid) - Michelle

Happy Halloween from All the Folks at Smarter Beauty Blog!