Little Sky Stone For Last Minute Gifts

If you're looking for a last-minute gift for your bestie, a well-liked neighbor, or perhaps your cousin who's always got your back, why not give something that will last and not fade away after the holidays? Glut mindless shopping is so yesterday! One thoughtful, well-chosen gift is all you really need for the people in your life.

Little Sky Stone makes artesian, one-of-a-kind jewelry in sterling silver, 14k gold-plated, and 14k gold-filled metals with dainty genuine stones including opal, turquoise, emerald, garnet, citrine, amethyst, pearl, sapphire and druzy. (Druzy quartz is made up of tiny crystals that form on the surface of a stone.)

IMHO, customers aren't getting a super deal, but everyday earrings, rings, bracelets, and necklaces at reasonable and fair prices. Not great big stones, yet pretty little things with good design ... very appropriate and winning keepsakes for a bestie, a cousin, or a well-liked neighbor whose face you want to put a smile on and to say thanks for being you! 

Moreover, with gift-giving be equally good to yourself by considering your budget. With Little Sky Stone's lovely collection of unique artesian jewelry, there's truly no need to go into debt to spread some holiday cheer.

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The Wittelsbach-Graff Blue Diamond

On the left is the 35.56-carat cushion-shaped Wittelsbach diamond and on the right is the same diamond recut to 31.06 carats. Over billions of years, the element carbon (with a trace of boron) turned into a diamond. It's a stunning stone with a long history that raises a 21st-century conundrum to ponder. Let's begin the journey ...

The Wittelsbach-Graff diamond (↖left) compared to the Hope diamond

The rare blue diamond originates from Kollur Mine, India. King Felip IV of Spain is thought to have bought and included it in the dowry of his beloved 15-year-old daughter, Infanta Margaret Teresa in 1664 when she married Leopold I, the Holy Roman Emperor. The jewel was in the possession of the Habsburg family until it came to Munich, Germany in 1722 when Archduchess Maria Amalia, a Habsburg, married Karl of Bavaria of the Wittelsbach royal house. The gemstone then remained in the Wittelsbach family until it was sold in 1951 to a mystery buyer, then resold a few more times until in 2008 the London jeweler, Laurence Graff, bought it for $24.3 million. In 2010 the billionaire jeweler announced he had recut the diamond to get rid of its 350-year history of nicks, cuts, chips, and scratches from being set and reset into jewelry and a crown.

Erasing the history of the diamond to improve its girdle not only reduced the gemstone by 40%, but it has also started a controversy. Renamed the Wittelsbach-Graff diamond, the alterations enhanced its blue color from grey-blue to blue-blue and clarity from VS1 (very slightly included) to IF (internally flawless), as well as, arguably increased its monetary value by giving it a higher grade and modern cut.

So in the life of this diamond, there are 2 values at play, and what's right isn't always clear-cut, is it? The Habsburgs-Wittelsbachs wouldn't recognize their diamond today. Soooo what would you have done and why?

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Milani Rocio Roses Jewel/Gem Kits

If you have the ability to spot quality you'll find fabulous holiday gifts just about anywhere including at Walmart!

Milani is a stellar makeup brand for less on the same par as the luxury brands sold behind cosmetic counters at major department stores. I bought several shades of Milani's top-notch lipstick and blush at Ulta Beauty.

The following holiday kits and under-makeup primers are two examples of Milani's quality cosmetics for all the makeup mavens on your gift list. The 2 kit colors -- Luxe Jewel and Allure Gem --  are special holiday editions offered at an unbelievable steal for $14.97!!!

 

Here's what you get: 

• What Do We Think? Eyeshadow Palette – 6 rose gold, plum & soft pink mattes & shimmers
• Soft Focus Glow Complexion Enhancer – All-over complexion luminizer blurs & illuminates for a real-life filter effect for the face & body
• Color Statement Lipstick – Milani's best-selling cream lipstick formula is infused with nourishing vitamins A & C

🐪🐑🔔🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🐪🐑🔔

Here's what you get:

• Money Saving Bestie Eyeshadow Palette – 6 bronze & emerald-inspired mattes & shimmers
• Soft Focus Glow Complexion Enhancer – All-over complexion luminizer blurs & illuminates for a real-life filter effect for the face & body
• Color Statement Lipstick – Milani's best-selling cream lipstick formula is infused with nourishing vitamins A & C

🐪🐑🔔🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🐪🐑🔔

The primers below are separate buys for stocking stuffers. They give makeup a smooth base with a matte finish to last throughout the day. Cost: $8 - $13.

Milani is so affordable and fabulous, you'll have pocket money left over to get yourself a special edition kit too. Well Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa to you!🎁

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Consider A Water Flosser

My teeth are my most valuable possession and yet I hate flossing. Rarely do I have food stuck in between my teeth, it's the formation of plague I worry about and fight by flossing. 

Dentists agree if we don't floss properly or daily, using a water flosser is a good practice. Flossing isn't easy, it's tedious. Sliding dental thread in at just the right angles and not too forcefully ... who the heck knows if we are flossing properly? So right after buying a Philips Sonic Toothbrush for $40 I invested in a water flosser. 

Here are 3 top models both dentists and customers like: 

1) Waterpik ION Professional Cordless Water Flosser - (top image👆).  Very compact for small counters, its handle is detachable from its base during use. You have to plug the water flosser base into the wall to charge it about every 3 weeks.

2) Waterpik Aquarius - Rated as powerful in cleaning teeth as the Waterpik ION, but bulkier and stays in its charger plugged into the wall during use.

3) Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 3000 - the model I use right now. Philips makes very good dental tools according to several dentists and product review sites. This one also stays in its charging base plugged into the wall during use.

Overall, plug-in-the-wall water flossers are more powerful and clean your teeth better than portable handheld units. While considered a plug-in-the-wall water flosser, the jury is out on how long the Waterpik ION's lithium battery lasts. Although I prefer using it, the inconvenience of possibly having to replace a battery is a  job and expense I'd rather skip.

Using a water flosser requires a learning curve. At first, the process of water flossing is an epic wet mess like a tsunami in your bathroom. You'll shoot water EVERYWHERE! Practice makes perfect. Here are some tips: Hang your head down in the sink. I fill the water tank up past the waterline then leave the lid off in order to floss my entire mouth in one pass. Another trick is to leave the device turned off at the handle until you get it in place inside your mouth. Expect to get your hand drenched unless you master laser-like focus while flossing. I do wish the Philip's water flosser cylinder utensil rotated as you move it over the inside-backside of your teeth, but you still manage, and the reason I leave the lid off the water tank is there is always a little water left in the tank I like to pour out so the tank is completely dry the next time I use it.

I always use the maximum settings of 10 and deep cleaning. Water flossing once per day is enough, and it should be done before (not after) brushing your teeth to loosen and then brush away the plague.

Teeth are strong, yet delicate. Although our teeth are covered with the strongest and hardest mineral in our body, called enamel, that enamel can easily be broken down by sugar or a lack of oral hygiene. Not brushing, flossing, and getting regular teeth cleanings will lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and eventually tooth loss. Once gone, they cannot regenerate and are gone forever.

You'd think a jewelry lover like me would name a sentimental piece of jewelry as my most valuable possession, but you'd be wrong ... it's my pearly whites. A sonic toothbrush or water flosser is by far a more essential gift than a piece of jewelry!🎁

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5 Uniqlo LifeWear Gifts To Blow Your Mind

Regular readers know that Uniqlo, the Japanese innovator of LifeWear sustainable clothing, is my absolute favorite retailer for basics. I don't know why Uniqlo doesn't just hire me as their spokeswoman already! I wear their outerwear and clothing, plus blog about their quality and great price points frequently. I mean, I'm a true believer in Uniqlo LifeWear! 

Here are 5 of my favorite articles that make awesome holiday gifts and demonstrate how budget-friendly doesn't have to mean a lack of quality, style, or durability! 

I own each of the following pieces and continue to love wearing them again and again, and so with authority I highly recommend every single piece as a perfect, not to mention, ultra-useful holiday gift:

1) Blocktech Coat -  (see top image👆) Lightweight as a cotton shirt, yet serves as a raincoat, as well as, looks stylish as a 3-season (spring, fall, and early winter) all-weather coat when paired with a sweater as temperatures drop. It has pockets, snaps, a zipper, and a hood. When it's pouring rain outdoors, the Blocktech coat keeps me completely dry ... and surprisingly warm. I bought the coat in black for versatility and love the other colors also.

2) Heattech Crew Neck Long-Sleeve T-Shirts - A great layering t-shirt that functions exactly like silk fabric to keep you warm and insulated without overheating. The knit fabric is thin, soft, stretchy, moisture-wicking, and machine washable. I own the t-shirt in two colors.

3) Heattech Beanie and 4) Heattech gloves - You can buy a cashmere beanie and gloves from Uniqlo if you wish, but these are soft and warm like cashmere. Although I must have cashmere scarves against my neck, I have both cashmere hats and a Heattech hat and no longer buy cashmere gloves because the fingers of all knitted gloves wear out quickly. The Heatteck gloves are as warm and nearly as soft as cashmere (i.e., you have to work to tell the difference). I can machine wash the Heatteck gloves and they are also 50% cheaper than cashmere, so I buy a pair to keep in every coat and jacket pocket I own. So affordable I never have to remember to transfer gloves from a coat to a jacket!

5) Uniqlo line of sweaters - Styles and fabrics galore are for the choosing - I bought merino wool cardigans I've worn for nearly a decade as they are well-made and lasting. But there are many other styles, fabrics, patterns, and colors offered, so you're on your own to click the link to take a browse. Turtlenecks, cable, bright, neutrals, cashmere, wool, cotton, you name it!

I write about Uniqlo to the point readers might think the blogs are sponsored, but they are not. I'm only a customer.🙂 A trip to Uniqlo will blow your mind, and you too will become an enthusiast, a true believer of the self-proclaimed LifeWear merchant!

If Patricia of the Red Cardinal reads this post, Tish, please tell us if Uniqlo in Brisbane sells the same items? 

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Which Office Party Dress Will You Wear?

In December many companies host a holiday office party for their employees normally outside of the office at a nearby restaurant. The trouble is usually workers must come to the office in the morning for a full day of work before leaving to attend the holiday party, and, if you are like me, you try to find something somewhat festive to wear that day for the after-work holiday party.

I come to work a little dressier ... spiffing up a tad more than a regular workday but short of simmering in a full-length ball gown. Although colleagues get why I'm overdressed that day (as they're in the same jubilee boat), I try to wear attire that doesn't look too out of place at 10 am, and yet has a party dress vibe for the evening.

So do any of these 7 dresses fit the occasion? If so, choose your office party dress, one you will need to wear the entire day and evening:

1) SL Fashions - (Left top image) Ruched Sequin Sheath Dress - Black.

2) SL Fashions - (Right top image) Sequined 3/4 Sleeve Sheath Dress. - Red. Would you wear a little black dress or a holiday red dress?

3) Karl Lagerfeld Paris (Left image) - Pearl Knit Sweater Dress -Black

4) Marina - Beaded Sleeve Dress - (Middle image) - Black

5) Marina - (Right image) Cowl neck sheath dress - Navy

6) Eliza J - Women's Sequined Velvet 3/4-Sleeve Sheath Dress - Black slate

7) SL Fashions - Sequined Chiffon-Cape Dress - Black/Gold

Shorter party dresses can be called cocktail dresses. Which dress is your favorite and why? BTW: Unless it's 80+ degrees F outdoors, I'm wearing black opaque tights and closed-toe shoes!🎄

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Chicken Noodle Soup

Photo: iStock

Chicken noodle soup is sometimes called the ultimate comfort food. At home, it's usually made with leftover chicken, but making it fresh from scratch gives it an even better flavor. The following takes all of 30 minutes and you can use chicken breast or ground chicken, both are super tasty, and one of them will be on sale at the supermarket. Here's a super easy recipe:

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

Choose one - Both are delicious: {a} 1 lb of white chicken breast; or {b} 1 lb of ground chicken

1 onion, chopped

4 celery stalks and leaves, chopped

2 - 3 large carrots, scraped and sliced

8 cups of water

2 large cubes of chicken bouillon (or 4 small cubes)

1 teaspoon of dried garlic (or 4 - 5 fresh garlic cloves, minced)

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon coriander

a shake of parsley

1 bay leaf 
5 ounces dried noodles - chooose one: flat egg; shells; or curly

Optional: Toss in 1/2 cup of frozen peas at the last minute of cooking.

Directions:

1) {a} If using chicken breast, pouch them in white wine and (if needed water) for 10 - 12 minutes and after they are cooked, dice into cubes.

{b} If using ground chicken, brown it in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss the chicken of choice in a stock pot or large saucepan.

2) Add the water and chicken bouillon.

3) Toss in the sliced and diced vegetables: onions, celery, and carrots.

4) Next add all the spices. If you use ground chicken, toss the garlic in as you brown it - searing gives the garlic extra flavor, but if you pouch chicken breast, just toss the garlic in the stock pot along with the cubed cooked chicken breast.

5) Once the vegetables are in the pot, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

6) Finally add the dried noodles and simmer until they are al dente.

7) Toss in 1/2 cup of frozen peas at the last minute if you wish. The green looks lovely.

Chicken noodle soup is a later edition in my cooking repertoire, but after I ate canned soup of mostly broth without chunks of anything, I decided to stop buying canned chicken noodle soup and make my own. 

This chunky chicken noodle with vegetable soup is a light one-pot dinner. Start with cheese and crackers, and add grainy bread and a salad. Heck, make Emeril's Bloody Marys (recipe👇) to drink, or sip a glass of wine while preparing the soup. Enjoy!

 

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Let's Discuss The Rouge Dior Lip Coffret Gift Set: Less Is Not More Dior

Frankly, I've been keen on but never purchased Dior's annual holiday Coffret Lipstick Sets -- in 2022 it's called Rouge Dior Lip Coffret Gift Set (see above image👆) -- but I enjoy Christmas browsing and always look for the limited edition gift bag, um set after Thanksgiving.

 

2018 edition - photo pulled from the internet, it is my favorite design - a constellation

Over the last few years, it sold for $175 and included 6 lipsticks, a lipstick holder, and a popular cosmetic bag that customers enjoy using as a clutch purse, as well as, finding clever ways to add hardware, converting it into a small shoulder or crossover bag. It's become a convention among handy Dior beauty buyers.

2019 edition

This holiday season after a tough couple of years for many consumers, how are the luxury brands treating their loyal customers? By hiking up their already steep prices and giving clients even less value for their money. One retailer is Chanel whose, classic double-flap bag rose in price to just under $10,000 without improving its craftmanship.

2020 edition of the gift bag.

Dior is now charging $240 (a $75 price increase) for this year's Rouge Dior Lip Coffret Gift Set but has reduced the lipsticks to only 5. Adding insult to injury, the gift bag no longer has a faux leather outer surface, but is hard plastic! Dior added a gold metal clip-on chain to the plastic box, so consumers no longer have to be clever to turn it into a crossover bag, and yet it's plastic! Really Dior?

Here's a clever YouTuber showing us how to convert a 2021 Dior makeup case into a bag.

Why are multi-million dollar companies treating their customers this way? In fact, skimping them! Charging customers more and giving them less. And ... how will loyal customers respond?

As a longtime admirer of Dior and Chanel, I'm disappointed! I suppose I should thank the exclusive duo for removing all potential temptation, but I'd much rather appreciate top-of-the-line quality and fair pricing.

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Skincare Holiday Gifts Everybody Will Love

Ho, ho, ho! Hard to believe the holiday season is here, isn't it? Let's consider the beauty mavens on your shopping list. A good skincare gift can be either an introduction to a stellar new brand or something extra for a friend who already has the knowledge and skincare basics. If your giftees use Retin-A or
its non-prescription derivative retinol (for nighttime), and perhaps vitamin C (in the mornings), they have an excellent anti-aging skincare routine even if they do nothing else. Other products may do good things for the skin, but they are less essential. Dermatologists call Retin-A or retinol the gold standard in anti-aging skincare. THE SAVVY SHOPPER has written a number of blogs explaining and recommending good retinol and you can use the search box to pull them up to read if you wish.

Today I'll feature skincare extras to give as holiday gifts that go beyond the basics. Sometimes it takes a friend's holiday gift to either introduce you to an unfamiliar brand or spoil you with ingredients you're not using -- the skincare extras - that provide additional skin benefits. They include:

1) The Ordinary Hyaluronic acid 2% + Vitamin B5 (see top image👆) - Hyaluronic acid moisturizes dry skin and Vitamin B5 helps the skin attract and maintain moisture. As we age our skin gets drier so keeping skin moist and dewy instantly makes us look younger ... and it feels better too.

2) The Ordinary Niacinamide (B3) 10% + Zinc 1% - Reinforces and balances the skin's protective barrier. Also treats acne by unclogging pores and drying oils and pimple-causing components.

3) The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution - Promotes mild exfoliation to correct dullness, uneven skin tone, or textual irregularities. Also contains skin-loving ingredients, such as Tasmanian pepperberry, aloe vera, and ginseng root to soothe, balance, and hydrate the skin. Amino acids are added to support the skin barrier. I'm surprised at how often YouTube dermatologists recommend glycolic acid + exfoliating the skin, a practice I rarely do. It speeds up skin turnover to promote new skin cells to rise to the surface.

The Ordinary is offering a 23% discount on their entire skincare line through December 23, 2022, on top of their already high quality and low prices.

The last two gift ideas are Korean skin barrier-protecting face creams. The Korean market excels at making beauty serums and creams. The following skin moisturizers will check Old Man Winter:⛄

4) Etude House Soon Jung Hydro Barrier Cream - Is packed with lipids and fatty acids to strengthen and protect your skin barrier, including “Panthensoside”: Panthenol (Protection of skin barrier & maintenance of hydration) + Madecassoside (Soothing effect for irritated skin).

5) Pyunkang Yul Intensive Repair Cream - Contains ceramides, shea butter, macadamia seed oil, and antioxidants to protect the skin barrier and smooth the skin.

Extra find: Bakuchiol (a phytoretinol). A good one is IMGN Beyond Retinol🎄🎄🎄 

This year make your beauty gifts count! Think quality, not quantity! Frequently beauty sets come with items nobody uses like bubble baths. Instead consider giving a skin elixir backed by science that really works, or an introduction to a fabulous beauty brand your friend or family member doesn't know about. A new discovery is exciting ... and how thoughtful of you to share your tips in the form of a gift!

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