We’ve been on the hunt for affordable, but memorable, holiday dresses.  We’ll be posting several of our favorites in the weeks to come.  But I’d like to start with this beauty from Victoria Secret.  It’s super flattering, comes in a plethora of colors, and it’s stretchy.  Perfect for me since I have gotten a jump on the Holiday season and have already reached my fighting weight. This dress is a really nice quality matte jersey and it’s $88.  I also love that with accessories it is perfect for the Holidays, but could also be worn year round.  I’m pairing the teal above with gold shoes belt, and there is nothing more flattering than a one shoulder dress.

Rating: 2 Carats.  Comfortable and sexy enough to get your fair share under the mistletoe.

Enter FALL09 at checkout and receive $15 off orders of $100 or more.

Usually I choose my products in line with the holy trinity of price, smell, and most importantly spokesmodel appeal.  It’s not a tried and true formula, but overall it’s served me well.  Well, besides that time I bought a vat of LA Look’s Hair Gel from a Richard Grieco look alike.

A few weeks ago a broke from routine and picked up Garnier’s Ultra Lift Anti Wrinkle Firming Moisture Cream SPF 15 as advertised by Sarah Jessica Man Hands.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Carrie just as much as the next gal and I am disgustingly envious of the shoe collection her two new daughters will inherit.  But coveting her skin would be like lusting after Octomom’s abs.

At just under $15 I really think this does a good job of diminishing fine lines and my face feels much firmer and perfectly moisturized heading into the winter months.

Rating: 2 carats.  I just wish this came in a little higher spf but I’d definitely buy it again.

It was almost inevitable that despite my rigorous stance not to go there, the 80’s fashion flashback currently in full effect would sink its insidious tentacles into me.    Most of us remember bubble skirts, pegged jeans with white push down athletic ankle socks and applying hair spray to bangs that were still wrapped around the curling iron just to hear the sizzle of burning hair.  And if you don’t you only have to check out the current style du jour which will have you hungry like a wolf in no time flat.   Such it was that a few hours of free time and a good hair day had me venturing into the Mecca of all things trendy, Urban Outfitters.

I usually avoid Urban Outfitters because a store that carries clothes that look like they were pulled off of the assembly line mid-stream, “Don’t Hassel the Hoff” shirts and dinnerware is a little intimidating to me.   However, with fond thoughts of my sophomore prom dress in my head, I entered the store and exited a short time later with Silence and Noise’s High Waisted Tulip Skirt in electric blue…and a new set of plates.   Despite the fact that this is so short I can’t bend over without flashing the land down under, it’s semi-flared shape is actually pretty flattering.   With tights, some chunky heels and, if you are feeling particularly inspired, a vintage Oingo Bongo tee, you will be ready to rock from our house right onto electric avenue.

Rating: 2 carats.   You may want to leave the Treetorns in the closet…at least for now.

I had moved into the middle of the road sized pants in my closet and had my eye on the dusty stack of jeans in the back.  My pants were loose and my spirits were high but just when I was feeling cocky about my waistline those damn carbs came along and kicked by gut into gear.   Now my pants runneth over and it’s not even Halloween, and I don’t need to tell you all that if your pants are tight in mid-October, it’s bad news for the rest of the eating season.

So I’ve turned to The Daily Plate.  It’s an online calorie tracker that helps you meet personal goals…and it’s free.  Basically you enter your stats and your overall weight goals…I was tempted to enter “gain two pounds per week” so I would feel good about accomplishing something I set out to do, but my pants already hurt when I sit down so I decided against it.

This nifty tracking tool keeps track of calories, fruits and veg, carbs, protein and a whole host of other useful dietary stats that would give Dr. Oz a wet dream.  You get credit for exercising and there is something sobering about seeing your calorie count climb and you don’t have to do any math to succeed.  Phew.

Rating: 2 Carats.  Just for fun we’ll hold a contest, whoever achieves the highest calorie count this week will win a spanx inspired prize.  Leave your totals in the comments.

Now I will be the first to admit that am not an all natural/organic/homeopathic kind of girl.  Certain sections of Whole Foods scare me.  I shave my legs with regularity, don’t believe babies who can speak to ask for food should be breastfed and recycle only because I’ve been guilted into it.   And when it comes to colds and other sicknesses, I feel that anything manufactured by a mega-corporate pharmaceutical company, with the FDA stamp of approval is the best way to go.  However, being that you have to be in the process of actively dying these days to get an antibiotic sometimes a little open mindedness is not a bad thing…  enter the Neti Pot.  

 I was, at best, skeptical of the Neti Pot.  The name alone sounds like you should smell like patchouli and be listening to Cat Stevens.  However, with my head filled with mucus and no prescriptions to be had for love or money, I decided that I had nothing to lose except my dignity.  And let me tell you, there is nothing dignified about the Neti Pot.  You fill it with warm water and insert the tea pot looking tip into one nostril and with your head slightly inclined some sort of reverse gravity/osmosis takes place and the water is sucked up one nostril and out the other.  You then repeat the process on the other side.  Despite it feeling like a colonic for your nose, it was pretty effective in relieving my excess snot and did effectively clear my head to the point where I actually thought I may not have to go back to school to become a doctor just so I could write myself prescriptions. 

Rating 2 carats.  Its no substitute for a Z-pack, but does provide some relief.   I will still shop with abandon at corporate America and use artificial sweeteners, but its nice to know that natural is not all that bad. 

Always on the prowl for anything that help get my face from Halloween to Hollywood, I took the plunge with Benefit’s latest product One Hot Minute. At $30 for a less than generous supply, its price per product amount may be a little questionable. One Hot Minute is a tawny powder that is dusted over top of your normal makeup application and promises minimized pores and a radiant airbrushed glow.

Hoping for Giselle but expecting Getty Lee, I went through the application process as described to me by the overly enthusiastic, commission based employee at the Benefit counter. After my dutiful application, I girded my loins and took a peek. The powder did give my skin a nice glow and evened out those areas overlooked by my foundation application, however the porous areas around my nose still resembled pictures of moon craters as taken by the Hubble telescope. Overall, this product did not quite pack the punch I expected. Maybe I should have waited for the 5 minute version.

Rating: 2 carats. Still a great product and worth the buy, but not quite as fabulous as I had hoped, although, in all fairness, it may just be my face.

Well my first day of turning over a new leaf was a friggin’ disaster.  The only real accomplishment I had to my name yesterday was finishing off an entire bag of tailgate sized Ruffles potato chips and then I made some Doritos vanish…just call me David Copperfield…watch while my dignity disappears in my fat roll.

But, I digress.  As the season’s change my skin goes from oil slick to the Sahara desert and I am always looking for products that can help me transition into the cooler months…while keeping my skin from looking like the distressed leather of some high end handbag I can’t afford.

Enter Neutrogena’s New Mineral Sheer Concealer Kit.  At $14 it’s a bit pricey for drugstore concealer but I must say this stuff is different.  First off, there are two steps.  One to conceal the wrinkles, dark circles, and the pimples I am still getting despite the fact that I am 30 years old, and the other step is a powder that hides the concealer.  And in this case, 2 steps are better than 1.

It takes a bit of time to master the application, less definitely is more and it helps to warm up the liquid on the back of your hand before you apply or use a small brush.  This stuff covers great and definitely wakes up a tired eye without settling into not so fine lines.  And it’s got SPF 20.  I was a little concerned when picking out my shade that it would be too orange, but the color was perfect on my skin.  I went with Fair and so would Edward Cullen.

Rating: 2 Carats.  Tough on bags, blemishes and bluish under-eye circles.