Dec
18
2014

5 Last Minute Gifts that Look Like You've Planned Forever

Good Things Come from Those Who are Late!

by: Zeba Khan

5 Last Minute Gifts that Look Like You've Planned Forever

last minute holiday gifts

Sometimes the days just slip by - before you know it, gift-giving has started BUT your holiday shopping is far from complete! If this describes your life at the moment - don't worry - I have 5 gift suggestions that are easy to track down. Bonus - each gift has a charitable donation included in the purchase price - so you get extra credit for giving gifts that help others too! Not only will you get a warm fuzzy feeling from being generous - no one will notice that your gift might be a tiny bit on the late side!

The Elusive "G" Spot! Great Places To Hide Your Gifts

For the Beauty Lover

You Give: Gift Set from the Body Shop

You Help Out: War Child Canada. Each gift you buy from the Body Shop results in one child being sent to class in a war-affected country. The Body Shop is hoping to provide more than six million lessons this year, so far they have met over one third of their goal.

My Pick: The Shea Festive Box ($26) - these bath and body gift sets come beautifully packaged and ready to gift. While there are a wide variety of scents to choose from (including my personal favorites: mango, moringa and strawberry), you can't go wrong with the Shea if you're unsure of your recipient's taste (i.e. floral or fruity). This set has a very light nutty scent and contains 5 pampering bath products - very nourishing in the cold winter weather!

For the Trend Loving Teen

You Give: A pair of TOMS shoes.

You Help Out: For each TOMS shoe purchased, a new pair is gifted to a child in need through their One-for-One initiative. To date, TOMS has donated more than 35 million pairs of shoes across the globe.

My Pick: These Pink Glittery Classics ($85)... if your recipient loves pink and all things sparkly - these shoes are a match made in heaven!

For the Fitness Enthusiast

You Give: S'well Stainless Steel Water Bottle

You Help Out: A portion of proceeds from each bottle sold goes to WaterAid, which is an international non-profit organization that provides access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation.

My Pick: S'well Rose Quartz 500ml bottle ($36.99) Not only does this high quality stainless-steel bottle keep your drinks cold for 24 hours (!!!), the neck is wide enough to fit ice cubes through, and the bottle is sleek enough to fit in standard cup holders. If you'd rather carry tea or coffee - they will stay steaming hot up to 12 hours! There are three sizes and multiple colors and finishes to choose from.

For the Newborn

You Give: aden + anais Organic Swaddles 3-pack

You Help Out: 25% of the purchase price goes towards the Global Fund to fight AIDS and to help end mother-to-child HIV transmission.

My Pick: (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition Organic Designer Swaddles ($54.95) contains organic muslin cloths designed by Rachel Zoe, Jessica Alba and Gwen Stefani. Yes they're a bit pricey - but they're Prince George's blanket of choice, so they're literally fit for a king!


For a Splurge Gift

You Give: A Michael Kors Watch

You Help Out: United Nations World Food Program. Michael Kors has partnered with the WFP for their "Watch Hunger Stop" campaign. The proceeds from the sale of each watch provides 100 meals for children in hunger-stricken areas. To date, the program has generated enough funds to provide over five million meals.

My Pick: Watch Hunger Stop Runway Rose Gold-Tone Watch ($295) has a beautiful grey-blue face etched with a World Map. The back is engraved with "1 watch = 100 meals".

Hope you found this list helpful. Now that your gifts have been sorted out - time to get Holiday party ready! Click here for hair, makeup and outfit tips.

Dec
17
2014

Shop Your Closet for the Holidays: The White Blouse

One Classic piece - Three Great Looks

by: Zeba Khan

Shop Your Closet for the Holidays: The White Blouse

The holiday season can get very expensive... buying gifts, entertaining guests, travelling to see family... sometimes your budget may not stretch to a new holiday wardrobe. That's why the Frenzied Fashionista and I decided to create the "Shop Your Closet" series. We wanted to demonstrate how you can take a staple that you already own, and wear it multiple ways for different holiday events. I'll be styling a white blouse in this post - and stay tuned for Ashley's upcoming post on pencil skirts!

How To Wear Your Little Black Dress To Any Event

The Event: Coffee Date / Family Party

The Look: Dressed down yet polished

How-to: Add contrast to your tailored blouse by pairing it with distressed denim. Grab a cute clutch and pretty flats and you're good to go!

 

The Event: Lunch / Casual Party

The Look: Plaid and Pearls

How-to:  Wear a pearl necklace (costume of course!) to complement the creamy tones of your blouse. Add a plaid skirt and opaque tights to stay warm and cozy.

 

The Event: Dinner Party / Work Event

The Look: Statement Necklace and Bright Heels

How-to:  Tuck your blouse into a high waisted pencil skirt for an elegant evening look. Add major drama by wearing brightly colored heels and a dramatic statement necklace.

Shopping Notes:

Draped Blouse: Forever21

Distressed Jeans & Leopard Clutch: GAP

Pearls: J.Crew Factory

Plaid Skirt: Smart Set

Statement Necklace: Pink Lovebird

Bright Heels: ZARA

Hope you found this post helpful! If you're looking for more Holiday Party Tips, click here for a Five Minute Party Makeup Tutorial and here for Three Easy Party Hairstyles!

Image Source: H&M

 

Dec
11
2014

How to Style Shoulder-Length Hair for Festive Occasions

No-stress looks for your next bash

by: Zeba Khan

How to Style Shoulder-Length Hair for Festive Occasions

3 Simple, Quick, and Fun Holiday Hairstyles

The winter holidays are one of the busiest social seasons of the year. From office parties to family get-togethers, there are always so many events to attend! Thankfully, your hairstyle does not need to be something to stress about because there's something for every type of event and outfit. From a sleek ponytail to a glam topknot or loose curls—if you have shoulder-length hair and are looking for some new hairstyles to try, here are ways to easily recreate these fun and simple holiday hairstyles.

Sleek Ponytail

  1. Detangle your hair with a Goody Detangling Comb or a TangleFix Brush. Separate the back section of your hair and clip it away with a Sectioning Clip. Take the front section and part it according to your preference (either side or middle part).
  2. Tie the back section of your hair into a ponytail using Ouchless Thin Elastics. Take a strand of hair from your ponytail, twist it and wrap it around the hair elastic to hide it. Use Bobby Pins to clip your twisted hair strand in place.
  3. Smooth out the front sections of your hair with your brush or comb.
  4. Use bobby pins to clip each front section at the back of your scalp (pins will be hidden since they're behind the ponytail).

Topknot with Donut

  1. Comb through hair with a Detangling Comb TangleFix Brush. Secure hair in a high ponytail using Ouchless Elastics.
  2. Choose a bun foundation ("donut") similar to your hair color. Thread hair through the "donut hole" and pull the donut out to the tip of your ponytail. Tuck the ends of your hair underneath the donut and start turning the donut inside out (in a rolling motion) so that it travels down the ponytail towards your scalp. As you turn the donut inside out, use your fingers to spread hair from inside the donut hole evenly over the donut. Use your thumbs to tuck hair underneath the donut as you roll it down. (To see a demonstration of this step, check out this video)
  3. By the time the donut reaches the base of your ponytail, you should have a voluminous bun. Press the bun towards your scalp and twist in 2 Spin Pins to secure it in place. Your bun will not budge!
  4. Leave the top knot as is or take a slideproof headband and place it 1-2 inches behind your hairline for a ballerina-inspired look!

Loose Curls

  1. Divide hair from ear-to-ear. Twist and pin up the top half of your hair using a Sectioning Clip. Separate hair from the bottom half into 1-inch sections and curl them away from your face using a curling iron. I like to clamp the curling iron on the lower third of my hair so that only the ends are curled.
  2. Spray hairspray on the curled hair. Twist it together and pin it away with a Sectioning Clip so that it's out of the way. Unclip the top section of your hair and bring down two segments on either side of your forehead. Re-clip the top-most section of hair. Using the curling iron, curl hair - again focusing mainly on the ends.
  3. Spray and twist away the curled hair. Unfasten the top section of hair. Part it according to your preference (side or middle). Lift hair on each side of the part, and tease under it to add volume. In the image above, I'm using the Tanglefix Brush to lightly tease, but you could also use a fine-tooth comb or a specialty teasing brush.
  4. Curl the top section of hair away from your face and spray it. Unclip the previously curled hair and run your fingers through it to loosen the curls. If you want, you could add a festive hair accessory - I'm wearing a  Flower Salon Clip.

Bonus Styling Tips

  Before starting to re-create any hairstyle, always start with detangled hair.

  Whenever possible, choose accessories (bobby pins, hair elastics and bun donuts) that match your hair colour, so that they blend in easily.

  Prevent flyaways by spraying hairspray onto the palms of your hands and gently smoothing them over your styled hair. For baby hairs near your forehead, spray hairspray onto a clean toothbrush and brush the baby hairs back.

  Use deep-conditioning masks to keep your hair soft and shiny

  Check Goody's Tumblr and Goody's Facebook Page for more styling ideas!