For the Bridesmaids

Shopping for bridesmaids can be just as difficult as shopping for a bride I'm told.  Having never been married I consulted some of my recently married friends, bridesmaids and Maids of Honor for their favorite gifts to give and receive.  A few of the brides I talked to said they gave their bridesmaids spa baskets by filling a bag (Jessica Kagan Cushman's "Don't Touch My Junk" Tote is perfect for your Annie and Helen.) with a certificate to a local spa, bubble bath, a candle, lip balm and moisturizing balm.  A bridesmaid said that she really appreciated a "Bridesmaid Pack" that the thoughtful bride created for the Vegas bachelorette party including sparkly glitter eyeshadow, fake eyelashes and everyone's favorite chick flick Bridesmaids.  One Maid of Honor said that her best friend gave all of her bridesmaids matching bracelets from Tiffany & Co.

For the Bachelorette

It seems like every spring a stack of wedding invitations arrives in the mail and even though finding wedding presents for the happy couple is as easy as buying some of the 5,000 towels they registered for, finding presents for the bride for the events leading up to the wedding can be difficult.  My friends who currently are or have recently been Maids of Honor or bridesmaids have found this task particularly daunting.  They felt obligated to bring the bride something for the bachelorette party.  Nothing major, but something small and authentic to show that they were thinking about her in addition to the boas and tiaras and Ke$ha amounts of glitter.  I thought, "What could be better than a bag of fun makeup goodies for a last hot night out?"  TokyoMilk Dark Lip Elixir not only goes with the red hot theme, but is Cherry Bourbon flavored and scented with notes of cherry brandy, whisky, aged wood and clove.  Scotch Naturals in Kiltlifter may be bad girl red, but you don't need to feel badly about buying it because it's non-toxic (it doesn't contain any of the chemicals found in traditional polish or the chemical smell) and eco-friendly.  You really can't go wrong with lashes named "Flair" for any kind of night out.  Also, I included a great mascara to wear under the fake lashes because it will make them look even better.  TokyoMilk Dead Sexy is perfect for a last hurrah because it lives up to its name, yet it's subtle enough to wear everyday.  (Seriously, I wear it almost everyday.)  And - drumroll please - the pièce de résistance is a Jessica Kagan Cushman bag.  I can't think of any tiara or boa that says "Do you have any idea who I am?" quite as well as this bag, and that's what the bachelorette party is all about, right?

Ciao Bella!

I just returned from six months of studying (and shopping!) in Bologna, Italy at Europe’s oldest university (which is not-so-coincidentally a short train ride away from Milan!) to say that I still have not found a better gloss than TOCCA’s Baci Lip Gloss.  Having long traded gloss for Burt’s Bees to avoid the feeling of superglue on my lips, I thought I was done with what I considered a sticky mess forever.  That was before I was introduced to Baci gloss.  In Italian, “tocca” means “touch” and “baci” means kisses, and the product lives up to the hype.  It goes on smooth like chapstick but has the prettiness and shine of gloss.  It comes in Apple-Lemon (Amalfi), Sweet Sugar Vanilla (Catania) and the flavor that never leaves my bag, Raspberry-Peach (Salina).

Japonesque Pink Heated Eyelash Curler

Having an immense fear of traditional eyelash curlers makes getting ready for special occasions tough.  I say special occasions because I’m hesitant to use a traditional eyelash curler for big events, let alone everyday.  I don’t mind gluing false eyelashes on or lining the inside of my eye, but I do fear that tiny torture device lurking in my bag.  Fortunately I discovered the Japonesque Pink Heated Eyelash Curler, a small eyelash curler made for hard to curl lashes and people who are terrified of eyelash curlers.  It’s pink, tiny and works better on my eyelashes than an unheated curler.  Another great part about it is that you can apply it before or after mascara.