Legacy Perforated Leather Duffle, $398.00 at Coach
I have a long and storied history with the sign of the "good ol' mountain goat," as my friend Eileen Dautruche of Miss Whoever You Are references her sign of Capricorn. For those of you not as blessed with Caps as I am, let me just say that they're a hard working (I can't stress this enough) and resourceful bunch, deep thinkers, who sometimes hold their emotions close. That said, a Cap will often surprise you, whether it's with a clever quip or, say, a bold accessory, a la Miss Eileen's holiday wish list item. Without further adieu:
A hard working bag with deep pockets a.k.a the Coach Legacy Duffle ($348+, and available in a color to suite ANYONE). Made with soft leather, this simple bag can hold everything I carry (a lot as a commuter) without making me look sloppy or like a bag lady.
Perfectly chic but also practical, and hard-working as hell - I'd expect no less from a Capricorn!
The end of the year is often time to take stock - successes, failings, learnings and the like. One of my key successes of the year was definitely the addition of Mr. Corey Kindberg, Senior Fashion Editor at KENTON Magazine, to my friend roster - Varsity status, as Amber might say. Corey is, in many ways, my very young and equally as gay spirit animal - we may even marry one day - so it's no surprise that he chose something I might ALSO love as his holiday gift suggestion for the Virgo in your life:
Being the Virgo perfectionist that I am, there is nothing I love more than perfect skin. This body scrub from Sabon ($30) will have your skin feeling perfectly smooth and smelling delicious. Not to mention, a Virgo loves a compliment and this will keep them coming!
Hear, hear, Corey!
The narcissist in me finds few people funnier than me, myself and I. My friend, style expert and author Andrea Lavinthal (oh, just the Style Director of PeopleStyleWatch.com) is a rare exception. Lavs, as I like to call her, is easily one of the most clever peeps I know, and along with that sense of humor, comes the MOST impeccable taste. So, I knew that when she sent through her holiday wish list item, it would be something that I'd wind up wanting just as much. In her words:
The list of things Libras like -- beauty, gifts and attention -- make us sound as deep as a frisbee. So I'm embracing the materialistic nature of my sign (what else can I do? I was born this way) and asking for this $1,995 18-karat-gold Ippolita bangle with hematite stones.
Cheers to THAT, Miss!
Robert Verdi, for those of you who don't know, is a fully major man about town in New York - he's a celebrity stylist, entrepreneur (see his stylish line of sunglasses - his signature acessory - available exclusively at HSN), interior designer and overall tastemaker. PLUS, he somehow makes time for Flywheel (and much more regularly than I do, if we're being honest).
Robert and I recently spent some quality, holiday-themed time together at his Luxe Lab studio here in New York, and there, he shared his ULTIMATE gift guide for holiday, with a suggestions guaranteed to please even the MOST discerning or difficult-to buy-for recipient on your list. In addition to his amazing suggestions (seen above), he also offered a few simple, but genius tips on gifting. My fave? Give practical gifts, but present them in extraordinary ways. I personally LOVE this - perhaps because I'm a huge fan of both giving and getting gifts that serve a purpose. In application, package up:
For more style intelligence, and gift giving suggestions from Robert Verdi, follow him on Twitter @RobertVerdi.
As your typical Pisces woman, I pretty much always have my head in the clouds; but when I saw that Dina needed some gift guide inspiration from the 12th astrological sign in the Zodiac, I knew I had to step in. Here are a few gift options to fulfill the dreams (or weaknesses) of any Pisces woman, because we are:
- Imaginative: I’ve had my eye on this fish hotel for probably like two years but, just like a true Piscean woman, I can’t seem to commit. Typical. Either way, this fish tank is super chic and perfect for any friend with a small apartment and an affinity for keeping things alive.
- Compassionate: Speaking of keeping things alive, all Pisceans are extremely compassionate people and genuinely want to help others. I recently found out that a longtime friend has been diagnosed with Leukemia so, right now, donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is on the top of my gift list.
- Overly Sensitive: It’s true, we’re a sensitive bunch and, to note, we don’t handle rejection very well at all! I bought this for myself and a former colleague (also a Pisces) last year and I actually need another one because the one I have is FULL.
- Escapists: I don’t know if I really consider this trait a “bad” thing, though probably yes, in certain circumstances. I would gladly escape to the beach/ocean any day of the week but since I can’t do that, I like to stare at these Sergio Rossi suede and Swarovski crystal mermaid ankle boots, that retail for the modest price of $1,670. For those of you on a slightly tighter budget, I think I could potentially also escape with this Sparkle & Pop gift from Jouer Cosmetics. It comes with a party horn (!), cocktail ring, beauty fortune, mini champagne bubbles and one of three deluxe Jouer samples.
More from my girl Jamie over at Queen of the Quarter Life Crisis, including her own killer gift guide suggestions. I'm bookmarking these Pantone ornaments for next year's tree!
So, my Holiday Gift Guide, you guys. I had the best intentions (really) and the best THEME (hello...astrology!) but what I didn't have (or at least, haven't yet found) is the most TIME. SO, in the next week or so, I'll do my best to cram in further entries but while I get my 'ish together, here's word from Bren Lee Gomez, one of my fave Twitter friends, PR savant and the voice behind beauty and style blog OMG, Bren. This is what she's wishing for this holiday:
Like any true Aries, I get bored really easily, and I hate it when I see anything I have on someone else. I want to be first, and I want to be the best, and I want to have it before you do. The Urban Decay Vice Palette is the perf gift for someone like me because it's limited edition, so not everyone will have it, and it has TWENTY brand new eyeshadows from the brand. That's at least 20 days before I get bored of it.
Amen, sister!
More from Bren, including jewelry from KE$HA here.
I'm a big believer in traditional gifts - there are a few things you can buy for (almost) anyone and never (rarely) go wrong. On the short list? CHOCOLATE, preferably of the gorgeous and handmade variety. Most recently, I've been nomming on a 10-piece 'Get Cozy' box of Epiphany Chocolate, soft center gourmet chocolates in holiday-ready flavors like Sgt. Peppermint and Buttered Rum Fudge, a personal favorite of mine.
It's not enough to talk about chocolate, of course - it's much more important to eat it (as I'm doing right this minute) and, my friends, it's also important to GIVE IT. So, I've partnered with Epiphany Chocolates to give one lucky reader a treat of their own - an 18-piece Get Cozy gift box (valued at $39.00) to enjoy or to give as a gift, if you're so inclined.
To enter, simply leave a comment below OR follow me and @EpiphanyChocs on Twitter and tweet this:
Hey @eye4style & @EpiphanyChocs, I can't wait to try your yummy handmade chocolate this holiday - RT to win an 18 piece box! #giveaway
I'll choose one winner at random on Monday, December 10 at Noon EST - and if you're shopping Epiphany Chocolate this holiday season, enter promo code SPARKLE25 for 25% off from now through December 31. Enjoy!
A Gemini woman is a very special breed indeed, and if you have one in your life, you likely consider yourself very lucky. I myself, happen to be particularly prone to Geminis - several of my very favorite friends fall under the sign of the Twins, so when it came time to compile my Astrological Gift Guide, I felt it necessary to crowdsource a suggestion or two.
For the Gemini woman on your list this holiday, may I present you with the following options:
- "As a Gemini, I reserve the right to change my mind about what I'm wearing, sometimes multiple times a day. This Mackage Azur Convertible Jacket ($632)offers ladylike allure (a lady on the streets) for day, then rocker headline-making hotness by night (a freak in the sheets.)" - Guest Gemini Correspondent Kristin Booker of Fashion Style Beauty
- As hinted at above by Ms. Kristin, choice is key to a Gemini -let them never feel too boxed in. Pixi's Early Bird Kit ($34) is the perfect solution - tucked inside this girly and sweet palette is no fewer than 3 cheek colours, 2 bronzers, 1 face glow, 4 eye base shades, and 16 eye shadow colors.
- Playful Gemini is naturally charming, living for fun and few beauty brands epitomize FUN in the way that LUSH does. The Godmother Soap ($6.40) is whimsical and sweet, scented with the girlish fragrance of Snow Fairy. But to balance the duality of Gemini, pair it up with Dirty, a fresh herbal and spearmint-y scent that rings in at $7.95.
- "As you KNOW, I'm a GEMini, and it's important for me to be able to communicate often and easily. So high on my list is this Ted Baker tablet case for my iPad, complete with gold glitter bow ($70). If there's one thing I like more than communicating, it's gold glitter. SPESH!" - Guest Gemini Correspondent Amber Katz of Beauty Blogging Junkie
- Indecisive, much? Gemini women tend to suffer from ADD at times - that's Attention Deficit Disorder. Thankfully, she'll never be bored with e.l.f.'s chic little Nail Polish Cube. At just $10, it includes 10 bottles of high color, high shimmer, high shine nail lacquers - the perfect solution to your Secret Santa needs.
For more in this year's Astrological Gift Guide series, visit Gifts for the Leo Woman here!
My astrologically-themed Holiday Gift Guide will roll on, but not without one last suggestion for and FROM a fellow Leo lady, my dear friend Tamar of Fashion Binge. I'll let her speak for herself:
I'm also a Leo-ness like my star sign sister Dina. We enjoy, deserve and DEMAND not only the finer things in life but the fine-EST things in life. Like $39,000 backpacks (Ed. note: OH THE ROW). Too dear? Too bad, because Leos NEVER hear the word "no," (that's why Madonna and Jennifer Lopez are still in business). But we do like options. Thankfully Leo ladies are resourceful, and while we'll never settle, we do have generous hearts with room enough for all God's handbags, like this $199 leather backpack from a-thread. And, since we're quick to benevolently remind you that we like to give as much as receive, we're pleased to inform you that a-thread does both -- the new online boutique gives 5% of every sale to charity. Because we were put on this planet to share our creativity, beauty, and brilliance we Leos tend to suck at math (if you ever go out to dinner with a bunch of Leos, plan on being tasked with figuring out the check and tip), but according to our Leo calculator, that's a savings of $33,801, which you can use to buy us... more handbags.
More from Tamar, including Unicorn Glitter Platform Stilettos, here.
Despite my best efforts to avoid it, the holiday season has arrived. And this year, in part due to my dedication to astrologist Susan Miller's uncanny monthly predictions over at Astrology Zone, I've decided to focus my holiday gift guide into a minimum of 12 carefully edited editions, each focused on an astrological sign. Because I'm a narcissist, I'll kick things off with my own zodiac sign, which (for those of you who don't know me in real life) is LEO - the (for the most part) undisputed queen of the zodiac.
Now, for those of you who know a Leo woman, you know that narcissism comes quite naturally to us - we're rarely far from a mirror, and fancy ourselves QUITE the sex kitten. And while Leo woman is, in most cases, friendly, outgoing and loving, she's also bombastic and demanding - only the best for this girl, my friends. In related news, Leo women love luxury and are known to give in to every single one of their whims, often to their own detriment. In short, if you've got a Leo woman on your holiday shopping list, know that it's a tall order - gifts are a big deal to her, and practicality is eschewed. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Estee Lauder Leo Zodiac Powder Compact, $70 - Leo does, after all, LOVE to look at herself and this gold (also a signature color of the sign) compact is impossibly chic.
- Alex Woo Little Lion Pendant Necklace, $168 - while perhaps not unique to her sign, the Leo woman loves jewelry.
- Agent Provocateur Bathing Bubble Wash, $48 - she lives for pampering, and these sexy bubbles make bathtime decadent and rich.
- Fleur du Mal High Waisted Tie Back Panty, $125 - Leos are widely regarded as the porn stars of the zodiac - indulge the fantasy in this cheeky peekaboo panty.
- Strange Invisible Perfumes Leo Eau de Parfum, $275 - Neroli, bergamot, and mandarin tame Leo’s boundless need for power, while lemon inspires focus. Jasmine Sambac balances Leo’s ringleader tendencies, encouraging trust and dissolving fear of the unknown. Ambrette seed anchors this fiery sign, granting tranquility and gratification.
- Drybar Gift Certificates - Like the lion, Leos are often defined by their mane. Treat her to a single blowout or a membership to this blowout-only salon (in multiple cities.)
Stay tuned for more in this year's Astrological Holiday Gift Guide - up next, Virgo!
