Thanks, Mom! Great Mother's Day Gifts, Volume 5: Fresh Absolute Wish List

Feeling a little bit stressed about what to get Mom this year? So many options, you just don't know where to turn? Well, don't get yourself all in a tizzy! Head to an amazing site like Fresh and check out their Absolute Wish List -- they've gone ahead and done the guesswork for you, so all you have to do is decide which of the beautiful choices set before you will suit Mom best!

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Thanks, Mom! Great Mother's Day Gifts, Volume 4: Tocca Bagno da Viaggio Cleopatra

Succulent grapefruit. Cooling cucumber. Combined in Tocca's Cleopatra scent, they become so incredibly intoxicating, this beauty chick can't get enough. Seriously -- if I'm not burning the Candela, I'm using the Crema de Sogno! This Mother's Day, you should definitely give your mom a taste of what this scent has to offer with Tocca Bagno da Viaggio Cleopatra.

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Holding Court: Vera Wang Princess

You've always known you were a princess. And now it's time for everyone else to realize what you've been trying to tell them for years! What better way to do that than by spritzing on the delectable Vera Wang Princess? The queen of fashion has made a foray into the beauty world with a bang, delighting the senses with a mix of fruity and floral elements just waiting to make you into the princess you've always believed yourself to be.

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The Eyes Have It! DuWop Rose Eyes Palette

I am seriously in love with makeup palettes. I just can't get enough of them. I don't know whether it's the abundance of shades to choose from ... the fact that they're all laid out so nicely for you in such pretty packaging ... or the utter ease it takes to just pop one open and see so much beauty staring back at you ... but whatever it is, I love them dearly. And one of my favorites is most definitely the DuWop Rose Eyes Palette, which contains six shades that will intensify, beautify and just generally chicify your entire look.

Inside this wondrous invention are a base color in shimmery golden rose, a sparkly pale pink for lightening purposes, a deep brownish-mauve to deepen your look, a dark brown cream liner, and -- my personal fave -- a glittering gold shadow for that finishing metallic touch. And each hue is complementary to so many skin tones, it's a wonder it isn't consistently sold out!

The DuWop Rose Eyes Palette retails for $32 at beauty.com.

Sweet Cravings: Jaqua Shower Syrup

My shower holds a venerable plethora of beauty products. Seriously, I have at least four or five shampoos and conditioners ... three different products that promise smooth hair with no split ends ... and so many shower gels and body washes it's insane. Jaqua's collection of shower gels -- aptly named shower syrups for their smooth textures and succulent aromas -- have seemed to take up permanent residence in my shower caddy.

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Creatively Speaking: Creative Scentsations

Few things in life are more important to this beauty chick than clean hands. With all the running around on New York City streets, touching subway poles that god knows who else has touched, and typing away all day on a somewhat greasy and disgusting keyboard, I'm a bit of a fanatic at making sure my digits stay as clean as possible. With all the soaps out there to choose from, there's never a shortage of options -- but recently I'm totally in love with the Creative Scentsations line, put out by Creative Nail Design.

Made with light moisturizers that leave your skin feeling soft and silky smooth, this hand washes are as luxe as they come, and at a fraction of what they could actually cost! Choose from 15 amazing scents, including Pear & Dandelion, Melon & Jasmine, Apple & Cinnamon and Honeysuckle & Pink Grapefruit -- each one more wonderful and intoxicating than the next! A couple of pumps and your hands will be feeling good as new.

Mais Oui! Sabon Lavender Apple Sorbet Body Gel

I don't know about all of you, but my hands have been completely ravaged by winter's harsh temperatures, freezing winds and just general unpleasantness. Not to mention the recent flip-flopping of the weather -- 86 and sunny one day, 45 and raining the next! One look at my fingers and you'd think I was part-crocodile. Well, at least that was the case before Sabon's Lavender Apple Sorbet Body Gel landed on my desk.

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Hard as Rocks: The Fabulousness of Hard Candy

Once in awhile, I happen upon a beauty line so filled with fun and amazing products it's all I can do not to squeal with joy when I play with them. Other times, I rediscover a brand I loved during my teenage years and instantly remember all the reasons why I couldn't get enough of it.

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Thanks, Mom! Great Mother's Day Gifts, Volume 1: Philosophy Mom Kit

Mother's Day is fast approaching, and if you're like this beauty chick, you're hard at work trying to find the perfect gift. And if you're my mom, you've had your fill of coffee mugs (my elementary school self loved giving her those), flowers (high school and college), and Tiffany's jewelry (okay, that never gets old, but still -- how many little blue boxes does one person need?). This year, it's all about beauty gift sets. Everywhere you look, you can find tons of choices -- and, as always, I'm here to steer you in the right direction!

One of the best: the Philosophy Mom Kit. This fabulous kit includes seven products -- including a bath and shower gel, perfumed hair conditioner, hot salt scrub, spray fragrance, perfumed firming body emulsion and a fragrance compact -- all infused with Philosophy's supremely indulgent Amazing Grace scent and packaged in a totally cute suitcase.

Mom will be so thrilled, this might even count as a good enough present to last through next year! Okay, probably not, but hey -- it was worth a try.

Stay tuned for more great Mom-appropriate gift ideas!

Note: This product is no longer available.

Salon and Spa Directory: Eliza's Eyes

If you're like me, you know that groomed brows are a must. This beauty chick believes that gorgeous arches not only make your whole face look better instantly, they draw the attention away from other flaws (inflamed pimples, dark undereye circles, whatever the case may be!).

Trust me -- beautiful brows guarantee loads of admiring stares. Famed brow afficianado Eliza Petrescu -- coined the "Queen of the Arch" -- believes in brow beauty as well. And she's taken it to the next level with Eliza's Eyes, a group of skilled eyebrow technicians in place at New York's two exhale spa locations.

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Smoke-Out: M.A.C Powerpoint Eye Pencil

I'm quite sure all beauty chicks can relate to the saga I'm about to tell. It seems I've been on a neverending quest for the perfect eyeliner for as long as I can remember. I've searched high and low for that one perfect pencil to complete me ... adding just the right amount of oomph to a smoky eye, but stopping just short of that crazy Cleopatra look so many seem destined to appropriate.

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Parlez-Vous Francais: Bourjois Paris Suivez Mon Regard

I'm always on the lookout for new eyeshadows. No matter how many clutter up my vanity, it seems I can never have enough! But one I keep going back to again and again is Bourjois Paris Suivez Mon Regard.

Mais oui, c'est francais! (Yes, I took French back in the day. If only I remembered as much of that as I do about beauty products!) But anyway, I digress. This fabulous eyeshadow comes in 13 gorgeous shades, including:

Rose Or (shimmering golden pink)
Regard Etoile D'Argent (sparkling silver)
Bleu Pool (intensely glittering turquoise)
Parme Etincelant (glistening violet).

But my favorite part is the packaging. Each shade comes in a miniature pot complete with its very own tiny brush -- perfect for sweeping on just the right amount of shimmer before heading out for an evening on the town. C'est magnifique!

Note: Unfortunately this product is no longer available.

Move Over, Pantene: Garnier Fructis to the Rescue!

You know what I am seriously in love with right now? Shiny, silky, HEALTHY hair. And while I've tried virtually every product on the market to make my locks glisten with the best of 'em, my tresses always seem to come up short. Pomades are too waxy, serums are too greasy, and most shine-enducing shampoos and conditioners leave my locks looking and feeling pretty darn lackluster. And forget straightening irons -- no added shine seems to radiate from them, no matter how heated they become! But then I happened upon Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Fortifying Cream Conditioner.

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Direct from the Runway: Chanel

Look, it's Debbie Gibson! Or at least that's what the models at Chanel seemed to be channeling with their big, 80s-inspired crimped locks. Not sure why Karl Lagerfeld thought this was a good idea -- yes, the 80s are back, we get it, thank you very much! But the crimping is just a bit too much for this beauty chick. Add to that the Brooke Shields-esque thick brows and we might as well just throw right back to off-the-shoulder sweatshirts and pegged jeans! Sorry, Chanel -- you usually hit the nail right on the head, but this is just too "Flashdance" for my taste!