Holiday Magic Philosophy

The holiday season is just around the corner, and before you know it December will hit and we'll be shopping for our new Christmas trees. We can't forget about all the pretty wrapping paper and bows to cover the gifts for our friends and family with. Personally I go crazy for bows of all sizes, especially the gold ones! This holiday season, many retailers are gearing up the heavy promotion of this year’s best beauty value kits. As winter time approaches, we will be seeing more and more of beauty brands promos in fashion & lifestyle magazines, your email inboxes, and throughout retailers.

I received my issue of Allure in the mail about a week ago, and one particular brand’s advertisement caught my eye because of its pretty showcased arrangement of products. Philosophy is releasing a variety of gift sets that are simply so cute and comforting, I am sold and ready to snatch up a few for gifts for my friends and family. (Maybe even one for myself!) Philosophy introduced three brand new holiday gift sets; The Bake Shoppe Set, Classic Cookbook, and the Winter Escape set.

The Bake Shoppe Set is a bath and body set inspired by baked goods, which is perfect for your friend with a sweet tooth, and a mutual love for shower gels and glossy lips. The Classic Cookbook is six mini versions 3 in of 1 multi-purpose cleansers, this is for someone who enjoys variety and doesn’t to be boring when it comes to scents. The Winter Escape Set is a trio of products inspired by warm hot cocoa by the cozy fireplace. It includes a 3 in 1 multi-purpose cleanser in Peppermint Hot Cocoa, Marshmallow Lip Shine and Body Soufflé.

The Winter Escape Set is my favorite; I’ve already decided that is the one I will buy for myself. I have already justified the purchase because the idea really captures the scents of winter it emotionally appeals to me since I am such a sucker for the holiday season. It is the best time of the year can you blame me?

Philosophy has many other gift sets available and they are great easy gifts for everyone, minus your man. The best place to pick up these gift sets are at a Sephora store, or online at Sephora.com as some gift sets are exclusive to Sephora. Grab them before they’re gone!


Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.
- John Boswell

Glitz and Glam Tigi's S-factor

It was exactly 11 weeks from the last time I have gotten my hair cut. Since I’ve recently moved to Los Angeles, I didn’t want to have to find a new stylist and experiment to find the right one, so I decided to wait until I went back home. I made an appointment with my regular stylist, Amber Paschall from Wild Orchids, as she never disappoints me. I just went in for a trim, and longer layers framing my face. What really caught my eye were the new styling products she used in my hair. She applied TIGI’s S Factor Smoothing Lusterizer to defrizz and tame my hair. After she applied it, I noticed she had tiny specks of sparkles in her hand which just happened to be the mica added into the product. It makes your hair shiny especially if you have darker hair, so my jet black hair was looking oh so pretty.

The word "mica" is thought to be derived from the Latin word micare, meaning "to glitter", in reference to the brilliant appearance of this mineral (especially when in small scales). – Wikipedia

As a beauty major, I embrace anything shiny, sparkly or glittery and mica is used commonly in cosmetics and personal care products. There are different grades of mica, and sometimes it can be in matte form, but I prefer the shine and glitter. In one of my courses at FIDM I’ve had the opportunity to test and examine several different types of mica in powder form. The color can range from pure white to a light grey, each having a different feel and some are smoother than others.

Needless to say I was excited about the smoothing lusterizer, and I happily purchased it from the salon. (Support Anti-Diversion!) I especially like to use it when I straighten my hair, since it makes my hair less frizzy my hair is easier to manage, plus it makes my locks extra shiny. I always delay washing my hands after I apply it because I love seeing the pretty little glitter specks in the palms of my hands. Too bad I’m a sucker for all things shiny.


If you would like to try TIGI S-Factor’s Smoothing Lusterizer, please look for it at your local salon.