Happy New Year!

I want to wish each and every one of my readers a happy, healthy new year! Whether you're celebrating at a swanky bar in the city or just toasting with champagne and a few friends as you watch the ball drop, may you see all of your hopes and dreams for the year ahead come true! Look forward to many more posts and exciting beauty happenings in 2008 from The Beauty of Life!

Count Chocula: Bliss Double Choc Pedicure

Bliss may finally have outdone itself. Now, I've gone there for many a treatment -- massage, facial, the Herbie, you name it, I've tried it. But for some reason I'd never gone just for a pedicure! I decided to change that and, after looking over all the various choices, booked the special limited-edition Double Choc Pedicure at my favorite of the New York locations, Bliss 49.

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Grin And "Bare" It: Bare Escentuals Grande Tote

I am always, always on the lookout for a makeup bag that's not only big enough to hold my mountains of products, but that looks amazingly cute and wonderful as well. But so often, function wins over form -- because frankly, this beauty chick needs one that will refrain from making the contents of every bottle and tub spill all over everything else in her suitcase! But then I happened upon the new Bare Escentuals Grande Tote and instantly my life turned around.

First off, it's pink -- which just makes it girly and fun and oh-so-perfect for the jetsetter in me. But better still, there are four separate compartments inside that are perfect for holding everything from eyeshadow pots to lipglosses, and they're created in see-through plastic so you can take stock of everything at a quick glance. There's also a handy-dandy brush compartment so your lip and blush brushes can live peacefully and harmoniously.

Note: This product is no longer available.

Luxury in a Tub: Frederic Fekkai Creme Luxueuse

You look down at your arms and legs, willing them to be soft and supple, but all you see is scaly patches and irritated red spots. Let's face it -- dry skin is such a nuisance. And as soon as the temperatures drop, this beauty chick fights against them to maintain some sort of smoothness in her limbs! But no matter how many creams and lotions I've tried, I can never seem to find one that really and truly gets rid of the dryness for good. That is, until I tried Frederic Fekkai Creme Luxueuse!

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Polish It Off: Incoco Dry Nail Appliques

Tired of your nail polish chipping after you've a) spent a lot on your manicure and b) it's only been two days? Trust me, I've been there. You get all excited about your new pretty nails, and then presto! Before you know it, it looks like you've been scaling rock walls and ripping open packages and envelopes in a mailroom for days. But never fear -- Incoco Dry Nail Appliques are here!

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What's Up, Doc?: Yes to Carrots C Is For Hair Care Hair & Scalp Mud Mask

Bugs Bunny may just be onto something with all those carrots he's always munching on. While I've been told since I was a kid that carrots are good for me and contain all sorts of important vitamins and nutrients, I just never seem to be able to get into eating them, whether I'm plucking baby carrots out of a bag or gnawing on a huge one that just came out of the garden. But then I happened upon the Yes to Carrots C Is For Hair Care Hair & Scalp Mud Mask, and instantly I saw what everyone's been talking about all these years!

It really packs a punch with tons of nutritionally great for your hair elements, like Beta-Carotene, Alpha-Carotene, Vitamin E, pumpkin, orange, honey ... and, of course the main ingredient, carrots! A single application during my shower (I left it on for about 10 minutes), and my hair was soft, silky and shiny like it hadn't been in weeks. (Thanks a lot for that, Mother Nature.)

I just hope Elmer Fudd doesn't come after me!

Note: This product is no longer available.

Shea It Isn't So: Bath and Body Works Like Butter Super-Rich Shower Cream with Shea Butter

I'm having a love affair. But it isn't what you think -- it's with a body wash. More specifically, with the Like Butter Super-Rich Shower Cream with Shea Butter from the Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa line. There are so many elements in my love for this product, it's difficult to know where to begin.

For starters, the bottle is created in a delightful robin's egg blue hue that is just so inviting and welcoming, making the fact that I have to wake up early for work a lot easier to take on a daily basis. Once released from the bottle onto my washcloth, it's so amazingly creamy and rich -- meaning I don't have to use too much at a time and will be able to hold onto the 16oz. bottle for months!

And as it's formulated with both shea butter and Vitamin E, it's so utterly nourishing and moisturizing that my skin has seriously never looked better -- and this is even with the onset of frigid temperatures that normally leave my skin cracked and raw!

Unfortunately, this product is no longer available.

Striptease: Agent Provocateur Strip

Stripping down to your knickers -- ahem, your underthings? That's exactly what lingerie company Agent Provocateur is hoping for. Which perfectly explains their latest fragrance, Strip.

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So In Love: YSL Love Palette

For someone who's totally in love with makeup palettes, this one by YSL truly takes the cake. The gleaming metallic silver case is emblazoned with the YSL logo to make you feel seriously special. But that's not even close to the best part!

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Music To My Nose: Bond No. 9 West Side Scented Candle

Anyone who thinks a candle is just a candle definitely hasn't ever come across one from Bond No. 9. The noted fragrance house has branched out into the candle-making business, and has packaged some of their greatest scents into absolutely stunning candles.

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Beauty With the Push of a Button

I am seriously in love with the vending machine at my office. It spits out 45 cent Diet Cokes and 25 cent Pop Tart packages! But I think I could seriously get on board with the new trend sweeping the nation ... none other than beauty vending machines! Can you imagine walking through the mall or the airport and all of a sudden stumbling upon a vending machine filled with Elizabeth Arden or Neutrogena products? Lucky beauty chicks in San Francisco, San Jose and Santa Clara can all beautify themselves with Elizabeth Arden products in the machines at their local malls, while beauty mavens at the mall in Fort Worth and the Minneapolis airport can get their Proactiv fix! Move over, Snickers -- I want my lipgloss and toner.

Holiday Gifts: Bath and Body Works

Nothing like leaving Christmas shopping to the last minute, right? Luckily, Bath & Body Works is here to help! As long as you place your orders by 11:59pm tonight (with next-day shipping), you're guaranteed delivery by Christmas. And if you don't mind the presents coming a little late, then who cares when you order them! In any case, there are tons of amazing gift ideas on the site -- here are the ones this beauty chick thinks you should be scrambling to get!

Bath & Body Works Temptations Totally Tempting Set in Sugar & Spice ($27.20): The tantalizing scent is all wrapped up in a 3-in-1, Body Lotion and Lip Gloss Swirl, and it comes with the cutest gingerbread man-shaped wash mitt.

True Blue Spa Pedi, Set, Go! ($15): Seriously everything you might need to get the perfect at-home pedicure! This kit includes Shea It Isn't So The Original Shea Butter Foot Cream, a nail file and nail brush, a flat pumice and toe separators!

Aromatherapy A Season at Ease Stress Relief - Eucalyptus Spearmint ($25): Okay, I admit I'm only in this for the adorable cable-knit bag. But you also get a Body Wash and Body Lotion in the Stress Relief Eucalyptus Spearmint scent -- and who among us doesn't need to work on stress management?

Happy shopping!

Holiday Gifts: Products from Space NK

My new obsession with Space NK continues! The holidays they are approachin', and what better way to show someone you care than with gorgeous products from an even more gorgeous beauty brand? Whether you're assisting your loved ones in glamming up their guest rooms or beautifing their bathrooms, these products are sure to lend a helping hand.

De-Stress Candle ($58): Promises to do everything from still the mind and soothe the soul to relax the body with an intoxicating mix of lemon, clary sage, jasmine and bergamot. And the 50-hour burn time is delish.

Laughter Guest Soap Collection ($25): The absolute cutest set of four guest soaps, each giving off the enticingly refreshing aroma of lime, rosemary and juniper.

Compelling Fragranced Minis Collection ($38): Miniature sizes of Body Wash, Body Balm and Eau de Toilette in the brand's luscious floral scent -- a mixture of Moroccan rose, bergamot and green geranium -- are stunningly packaged in a purple gift box dancing with vibrantly hued butterflies.

Single and Fabulous!: Orly Divorcee 6-Pix

Who needs men? We've all thought that at one point or another -- even if we're in a perfectly committed relationship and are blissfully happy! So the Divorcee 6-Pix nail polish pack by Orly is absolutely perfect for those days when we would just rather kick back with our girlfriends, a bottle of wine and some really great red nail polish. And while this collection includes three gorgeous red shades, there are also two pale pinks and one creamy white! Choose from aptly named 50/50, Pawn the Ring, It's Not Me It's You, One Night Stand, See Yah and Take Him To The Cleaners. The entire set is only $42 on Orly's website. So gather up your single -- or your attached --girlfriends and paint the town red!

Gimme An "O": NARS The Multiple in Orgasm

Oh. My. God. I may have just discovered the secret to happiness. And its name is NARS The Multiple. What shade am I going gaga over? Call me indecent but it's the brand's signature hue -- you guessed it, Orgasm.

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Chocolate Lovers Anonymous: Philosophy Just Because Gift Set

I admit it -- I'm a chocolate lover. Well, not just a chocolate lover ... the appreciation goes so much deeper. I guess you could say I'm a bit of an addict. And Philosophy must have known that when they created their latest 3-in-1 gift set, Just Because ... because, well, all three shower gels are scented with the indulgent aroma of chocolate. I was seriously so excited to find this set, which includes three of the brand's signature 3-in-1's (shower gel, shampoo and bubble bath) in utterly decadent chocolate scents. Pick from three 6oz. bottles of white chocolate, dark chocolate, and my absolute favorite, milk chocolate and your shower experience will seriously become incredible. And since no Philosophy gift set would be complete without the adorable gift box, these are of course packaged within a big white box with "just because" sort of sentiments written all over it. This amazing limited-edition set can be yours for only $30 on Sephora's website. Guilt-free chocolate? Sign me up immediately.

Miracle Worker: Neosporin First Aid Antibiotic Ointment

While not necessarily a beauty product, per se, Neosporin First Aid Antibiotic Ointment has actually become one of my favorite products recently. This ointment has literally made a world of difference in this beauty chick's life over the past few days.

I think we all know how it feels to wake up one morning and discover a blemish the size of Mount Rushmore lurking somewhere on our visage, whether it's on our forehead, the corner of our mouth or right in the middle of our chin. And even when everyone around you claims, "It's not as noticeable as you think -- I can barely even see it!", you just can't bring yourself to believe them. Unfortunately I was struck by one such blemish this week! I tried every home and store-bought remedy possible -- icing it, putting a wet teabag on it, applying toothpaste overnight, massaging in redness-reducing cream. Nothing seemed to work!

And then my brother suggested Neosporin. "Put some on it and leave it alone for awhile," he said. And you know what? IT WORKED!! While the unsightly eyesore has not completely disappeared, it's definitely gone down in size and noticeability.

Neosporin First Aid Antibiotic Ointment retails for $6 at drugstore.com.

Gettin' a Little Bling Bling: Fusion Beauty LipFusion BlingFusion Lipgloss

All right, fellow beauty chicks. I have discovered the secret to happiness ... or at least the secret to fuller, plumped-up lips without collagen injections. And the answer is: Fusion Beauty's LipFusion -- or more appropriately, the blingiest beauty product around, the BlingFusion lipgloss in Velvet.

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Holiday Gifts: Beauty Gift Cards!

Not quite sure what to get for that special someone on your list this year? Look no further than beauty gift cards! Available in a variety of amounts, they're sure to put a smile on anyone's face -- because, let's face it, who doesn't like picking out their own presents anyway? Check out the suggestions below to truly bring someone joy this holiday season.

(Available in a variety of amounts, from $10 all the way up to $250! This beauty mecca has got it all! Valid for use on Beauty.com and its sister site, Drugstore.com.)

The Body Shop Gift Cards(Who doesn't want fresh, citrusy products from The Body Shop -- this beauty chick's go-to fave since junior high?)

From Frederic Fekkai to Calvin Klein, Sephora gift cards in a variety of amounts can get you a host of makeup, skincare, haircare and oh-so-much more!

Ulta gift cards can be used online or in stores -- what a bonus!

Happiness Is All Around: Clinique Happy Body Butter

The day I discovered Clinique Happy Body Butter was a happy day, indeed. It came right as the cold days of winter began to ravage my hands, leaving them chapped, red and raw. No lotions I tried seemed to do the trick -- each one I used made my skin greasy and never seemed to restore moisture. But then, wonder of wonders, I came across this miracle product ... and immediately I saw a difference!

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Ice Cream Drips: ME! Bath Ice Cream

Enjoying ice cream doesn't just have to be a summer pastime. At least not in the case of ME! Bath Ice Cream -- which, rather than chilling you to the bone in the cold weather, will totally heat up your bath!

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Holiday Gifts: Aloette Twinkle Toes Spa Gift Set

Just because you'll be covering up your feet during the winter, it's no excuse not to keep your tootsies looking good! But sometimes paying for pedicures can be overrated, right? Who wants to spend upwards of $40 (or sometimes much more) for feet no one will see? Luckily the Aloette Twinkle Toes Spa Gift Set is here to help.

The set includes three amazing products that guarantee softer, silkier skin no matter what the weather! The Revitalizing Body Scrub is infused with aloe to exfoliate and make your feet feel healthier, while the yummy, minty-fresh Hydrating Peppermint Foot Balm is infused with tea tree oil to act as an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agent! Last but not least, the Triple Action Vita-Lotion firms, tones and even reduces signs of aging -- something every beauty chick can agree is necessary.

The set comes in the most adorable snowman gift bag. Happy holidays!

Note: This product is no longer available.

Carnival Time: The Pet Fish Soap in a Bag

Remember going to carnivals as a kid and just dying to win a goldfish in a bag? Trying to win it any which way, whether it was through a (probably rigged) coin toss or by shooting baskets into a hoop that was way too high for even the tallest of basketball players? Well, grownups sometimes want to win those goldfish, too. And now we can have them without any of the responsibility of feeding, cleaning or keeping them alive!

The Pet Fish Soap in a Bag, available on The Spoon Sisters website, might just be one of the cutest beauty products I've seen in quite awhile. An oversized goldfish -- don't worry, it's fake! -- is embedded within clear glycerin soap that's actually shaped like water in a bag!

And at only $6.50 a pop, you can literally have a whole school of fish in your house for less than it would cost to try and win one during a carnival game!

Holiday Gifts: Caudalie Scrub Trio

Scrubbing your way to perfection? Not such an issue when you've got Caudalie products in your tub! The three glass jars in the Caudalie Scrub Trio look like they should hold sugar and flour and belong in your grandma's kitchen -- but luckily these ones are for the bathroom only!

Essential oils, honey and sugar are blended with grapes to bring you the softest, smoothest skin around. Each is formulated to solve a certain skin worry -- Crushed Cabernet Scrub is majorly exfoliating and even slimming, Merlot Friction Scrub exfoliates and firms, and Sauvignon Scrub exfoliates both the face and body to bring about an assured glow.

Note: This product is no longer available.

Holiday Gifts: Bliss Merry Citrus Gift Set

Tart, juicy, tangy, succulent, sweet ... all the words you hope will describe your beauty products, right? Not too far off in the case of the Bliss Merry Citrus Gift Set! Some of my all-time favorite Bliss products are packaged within this limited-edition set, making this a definite must-have for the holidays.

All scented with the intoxicating aroma of Lemon + Sage -- definitely the best Bliss scent, if you ask this beauty chick -- four products are designed to slough, scrub and slather you to perfection. So what do you get in this magnificent miracle? Miniature sizes of the uber-rich body scrub, super-moisturizing body butter, lather-worthy soapy sap and a hard-milled soap, complete with stimulating exfoliating nubs!

Note: This product is no longer available.

Holiday Gifts: GO SMiLE 5 Senses Toothpaste Kit

While we all want bright, gleaming smiles, brushing our teeth can be a bit of a nuisance. And there's really no way to make it fun, right? Wrong! Introducing the GoSMILE 5 Senses Toothpaste Kit -- a set of five totally adorable miniature tubes containing some of the tastiest toothpastes around.

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Holiday Gifts: The Body Shop Festive Lights Candle Set

This beauty chick's love affair with candles continues to grow with each passing day. And now I've found yet another set that I just must ask for this year! The Body Shop Festive Lights Home Fragrance Gift is quite possibly one of the best candle sets you could ask for this holiday season. Three miniature votive candles are packaged ever-so-sweetly within a floral-emblazoned purple gift box and tied with a pretty satin ribbon -- which in and of itself is enough to make me want to buy the set! But the scents are what really sent me over the edge. Cranberry reminds me of my mom's special homemade cranberry sauce, Vanilla Spice is alluringly woodsy, and Rich Plum is so heady and fresh it feels like I have a juicy plum in the room with me! I absolutely must have this set to keep my apartment smelling like the holidays all through the dreary, cold, gray winter days. While it's currently out of stock on The Body Shop's website, you can still get it in stores! I definitely will be running to my nearest outpost as fast as my little legs can carry me.

Holiday Gifts: Laura Mercier French Vanilla Trio

The scent of vanilla might just be in this beauty chick's top five favorite scents of all time. It's homey, it's warm, it's comforting, it's fulfilling ... it's everything you'd expect the holidays to be. So why not invite the scent into your boudoir?

And the most amazing trio of products this holiday season? It's the Laura Mercier French Vanilla Trio, of course! Each product is infused with caramel, fig, sandalwood and amber for true luxury. Six-ounce jars of Souffle Body Creme and Honey Bath (complete with an adorable wooden dipper!) come with a candle in the same scent to truly make your bathtime experience one to remember.

So why not ask for this boxed set this holiday season? Your baths are sure to get a heck of a lot sweeter.

Unfortunately, this product is no longer available.

Holiday Gifts: Fred Flare Petit Four Lip Balm Set

Mmmm, cupcakes. Thankfully everyone in my office loves them -- so every time a birthday rolls around, we order lots and lots of them (always from Crumbs, this beauty chick's personal favorite). But the one thing I don't like about cupcakes? The calories.

Thankfully, these four lip balms won't add any inches to your waistline! Four balm pots are filled with tasty delights like raspberry cream tart, chocolate cream puff, cream tart and strawberry cream tart.

At least this is one holiday treat I won't have to feel guilty indulging in.

Unfortunately, this product is no longer available.

Holiday Gifts: Sephora Croc Pop Up Brushes

The best beauty chick among us is always in search of a better makeup brush ... or at least a spare in case something happens to her favorite one. This holiday season, Sephora has provided us not only with five amazing brushes, but packaged them so luxuriously it's amazing I haven't snapped them all up already!

The Sephora Croc Pop Up Brushes Set contains five brushes -- complexion, concealer/lip, eyeshadow, eyeshadow detail and angled eyeliner/brow -- that will aid you through even the most strenuous of makeup routines. Best of all, they're held within a stunning cylindrical house made of faux crocodile skin -- though it's so sumptuous and supple, you'd swear it was real!

At $45 on Sephora.com, it's most definitely a steal.

Holiday Gifts: Ralph Lauren Fragrances Coffret

Sometimes you come across a gift that's so ingenious, you wonder how you could have ever lived without it. Such is the case with the Ralph Lauren Fragrances Coffret. Five miniature fragrances -- all of the designer's most popular selections -- are housed within a signature white box. But that's not what makes this gift set so great -- though having Ralph Rocks, Ralph, Ralph Hot, Ralph Lauren Blue, and this beauty chick's personal favorite, Romance, doesn't hurt. No, what makes this set special is that it will truly keep you smelling fantastic year-round! I don't know about you, but I'll definitely be heading to Sephora.com and purchasing this set immediately -- especially since it's only $29.50! I might even be persuaded to give it to someone else as a gift ...

Holiday Gifts: Nanette Lepore Gift Set

When in doubt, buy perfume. That seems to be the mantra for most men around the holidays, doesn't it? This holiday season, why not nudge your guy in the right direction by pointing him toward the Nanette Lepore Gift Set?

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Holiday Gifts: Mark

The Avon Lady has finally gotten hipper. In case you haven't heard about Mark -- the younger, cooler, more stylish version of Avon -- maybe seeing Lauren Conrad from The Hills as the face of the brand will jog your memory. In any case, they're offering some great goodies for the holidays -- including some deals and steals! So check out the products below (each is available by clicking directly on the images) and start shopping!


Available for only $29, this adorable case is filled with tons of eyeshadows, brushes, mascara, a sample of the brand's Jewel Eau de Toilette and so much more!


Four tasty lipglosses -- Buttercream Brioche, Creme Caramel, Marshmallow and Sugared Almond -- all wrapped in a pretty gift box for only $10!


The zesty, tangy scent of lemon combines with the sweetly succulent aroma of sugar in this amazingly priced gift set (read: $15!) -- which includes a fragrance, shower wash and body butter inside a velvet pouch!

Happy shopping!

The Masks We Wear: SK-II Whitening Source Intensive Mask

The way I see it, there's nothing -- short of plastic surgery -- that I wouldn't try for the sake of beauty. (Something about needles and going under the knife just scares me away.) So when I recently heard about the SK-II Whitening Source Intensive Mask, which promised more youthful, radiant skin, I was all for it.

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Holiday Gifts: Dior Jeweled Lip Necklace

I'm always fascinated by makeup encased in jewelry. There's something so special about popping open a ring or a necklace and finding lipgloss or perfume inside! And this season I will definitely be asking for the Dior Jeweled Makeup Necklace. The fashion house -- whose couture jewelry line has produced some of the most stunningly beautiful pieces to date -- has now combined that gorgeous style aesthetic with an even more gorgeous lipgloss!

Dangling from a thick black satin cord is a gleaming silver pendant, encrusted with glittering jewels and accented with the signature Dior logo hanging at the bottom. But once you pop open the round bauble, you'll discover a seriously gorgeous gloss -- light copper in color and flecked with sparkling shimmer. Jewelry and lipgloss in one? Definitely a must-have for this beauty chick.

You'll definitely sparkle with the best of them.

Unfortunately, this product is no longer available.

Blessed By The Hair Gods: T3 Medium Duality

Straight. Shiny. Sleek. Glossy. Glistening. All the things my hair is not, unless I find the right products and styling aids to do the job. And luckily, even though I was not blessed by the hair gods with the shiniest hair around, no one needs ever know that with the recent introduction of T3 products into my daily hair regimen.

T3's hair dryers and flat irons from the Bespoke Labs line are manufactured with the brand's patented Tourmaline process, ensuring that everyone's hair can look as good as the lucky girls from the Pantene commercials.

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Holiday Gifts: Too Faced Lights, Camera, Glamour!

Lights! Camera! Action! How many years have you been waiting for someone to say that to you on a movie set? Admit it -- we all dream of being famous celebrities hearing those words. But while we starlets wait for our big break, we might as well look the part -- and that's where the Too Faced Lights, Camera, Glamour! palette comes in handy.

Adding to this beauty chick's already overwhelming love affair with makeup palettes is a simply stunning set with so many options for looking gorgeous, it's difficult to know where to begin! The brown box unlatches to reveal a tiny mirror complete with LED lights -- which totally reminds me of my mother's old light-up vanity mirror that I played with as a child.

Pull the black ribbons on either end, however, and this is where the fun really begins. A tri-fold lacquered box opens and voila! Three palettes veritably stocked with goodies. The left holds blush, bronzer and face powder in eight pink, neutral and brown shades that really seem perfect for every skin tone. The right side is home to six lipglosses -- Trust Fund Baby Status Gloss (glimmering taupe), Candy Apple Candy Lips (sparkle-tinged fuchsia), Cocoa Kiss Candy Lips (matte mauve), Pink Taffy Candy Lips (glitter-flecked berry), Private Jet Status Gloss (shimmering plum) and Exclusive Lip Gloss (glistening brick). The real fun comes in the middle, however.

Tons of eyeshadows, bronzer powders, eyeliners and brow powders in browns, pinks, greens and greys lie waiting for you to release the diva within! So whether you've been naughty or nice, you definitely deserve this gorgeous creation -- especially since it's only $40 on Sephora.com. So tell me -- are you ready for your closeup?