Fifty-cent Head

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Our motto here at Fifty-Cent Head is "we search for beauty news so you don't have to" and whilst surfing yesterday I came across a wonderful treat for you. Ya ready!? I'm about to jingle your bells, ladies and gentlemen!

What's everyone's favorite thing about Thanksgiving, besides the pumpkin pie? Well, it's the Black Friday releases at MAC, isn't it???

 

Take a look at this bad boy- one of the bags from the 2008 MAC Holiday Collection. It's got square edges, and appears to be shiny... like pleather, maybe? And it's the amazing, dazzling, spectacularific shade of red...

Introducing:

RED SHE SAID














 

More after the jump!

Two Faced - Good Girl/Bad Girl Palette - I LOVE THIS!

I'm not usually a fan of palettes. I mean, I can appreciate them, but I just don't care for buying them when there's usually one or two colors I don't want or need. But this... this is adorable!

Two Faced's Good Girl / Bad Girl Palette gives you everything you want. Feeling like a good girl? One side lets you get dolled-up with sweet neutrals. Feeling frisky? The bad girl in you can come out with gorgeous jewel-toned colors.

Get frisky this holiday season with Two Faced! This cutie is only $29.50!

Buy some Bond No. 9 for your favorite person (or blogger - wink wink!)

 

Here are some AMAZING gift ideas from Bond No. 9! I'm not going to elaborate, because there's just too much to show you and they speak for themselves...

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The I Love New York Double-Decker Sampler  Box is perfect for me!

Get 12 Downtown Eaux  de parfum in 50ml flacons in one box! Need I say more?  $1600

 

 

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Saks Fifth Avenue for Her floats the scents of gardenia and jasmine layered over vetiver. Saks Fifth Avenue for Him sings nicely with bergamot and cardamom over amber. And just for a short time, you can pick up a crystallized version of the Saks Fifth Avenue for Her bottle--- amazing Swarovski crystals make this perfume really shine! Black and white Saks logo bottles are $185, Saks Fifth Avenue for Her is the Swarovski bottle is $550.

 

 

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The Scent of Peace - doesn't that sound lovely, especially at this time of year!? Grapefruit and black currant and lily of the valley mingle peacefully, as they should, in this wonderful perfume. $470 for this gorgeous scent in an even more gorgeous bottle - a limited edition version where the dove of peace is outlined in amethyst, white and opalescent Swarovski crystals.

 

 

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West Side is one of my favorite scents from Bond No. 9 - a review is almost ready to be posted, actually! And it's available in candle form - I can't even deal with it! Swoon...

 

It's vanilla, rose, ylang ylang and peony and it's housed in a pillar with a cap of gold- very worthy of this scent! $85

 

 

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Silver Factory is the brand spankin' newest Bond No. 9 scent - see my review here.

 

Bergamot, grapefruit, lavender, violet, incense, jasmine, iris, amber, raunchy wood resin, cedarwood. (Ya know - I just reread all of those ingredients and now I know why I love this! Grapefruit and lavender aren't my thing, but bergamot - violet - incense - jasmine - iris - amber - wood resin - cedarwood: how can that miss!?) $230

 

 

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Run, do not walk, to Bond No. 9 and Saks to pick these up for me! Uh... I mean: to pick them up for the lucky gift recipients on your list. There's not much time! Go now! GO!

 

 

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Stocking Stuffer Alert - Got an extra $345?

 

Girls, Guys- I wanted to make sure you're kept current on all of the best options for holiday shopping!

Check out the candle below, the Orange Blossom Luxury Candle, by Jo Malone:

The scent of clementine leaves in the morning dew sparkles above a

heart of orange blossom and water lily, transporting the wearer to a garden oasis.

It's billed as having a "stunning bouquet" that will scent a whole room and linger for hours.

Neiman Marcus calls it "the ultimate luxury".

Cough, cough...

I suppose it is, since this candle is $345 (and I can't find anything that says how big it is!).

PS: It's back-ordered on Neiman Marcus's website, so shucks folks- this isn't what I'm getting you for the holidays.

Nicole Kidman may have these scattered throughout her house, but we'll never know for sure...

NARS NARS NARS NARS NARS NARS

 

NARS has some great holiday choices (but is that really a surprise?)! Take a looksee:

Get your luminousity on with NARS' Monoï Body Glow II,  the follow-up to Body Glow. Get that healthy glow this winter with this unique blend of the oil from Tahitian Gardenia (one is in the bottle, too!). Use it daily for best results. $59 USD

What decor wouldn't benefit from this?? (well, maybe it's not compatible with really country decorating!) Take a look at these sleek, sexy candles. These paraffin-free wax candles created with wonderfully scented essential oils, housed in matte logo'd glass containers, have a long lasting burn of up to 70 hours. $45 USD.

Three scents:

• Jaipur - In the red jar. Citrus, pomegranate, rose, jasmine and geranium all swirled together over an amber and sandalwood base. Sounds like this will be fresh and lovely!


• Acapulco - Ah... chocolate and whipped cream blended with coffee bean over cocoa and vanilla. Yummy! Appropriately kept in black glass.


• Shangri-La - Bois de rose and mountain sage laze around with clove, nutmeg and basil over jasmine and black tea in this red glass candle. So sexy...

(ps: yes, i'm aware the image shows a white candle, but i have no idea what that's about! there's no white candle on the website...?)

Origins - Wellness Wishes

 

Thought I'd pass along information about this great package deal from Origins!

Origins is offering this great package which is perfect as both an introduction to the line or an addition to an existing collection. Worth $125, the Wellness Wishes package includes the following products:

• No Puffery™ Cooling mask for puffy eyes 1.0 fl. oz./30 ml


• Checks and Balances™ Frothy face wash 1.5 fl. oz./50 ml


• Modern Friction™ Nature's gentle dermabrasion net wt. 1.7 oz./50 ml


• Incredible Spreadable ™ Ginger body smoother net wt. 3.4 oz./100 ml


• Ginger Souffle™ Whipped body cream net wt. 3.4 oz./100 ml


• Peace of Mind® On-the-spot relief 0.5 fl. oz./15 ml


• Ginger Burst™ Savory body wash 3.4 fl. oz./100 ml


• Modern Fusion™ Skin transforming catalyst 1.0 fl. oz./30 ml


• Youthtopia™ Skin firming cream with Rhodiola 1.0 fl. oz./30 ml


• Make A Difference™ Rejuvenating hand treatment 1.0 fl. oz./30 ml

 Oh my, are you kidding me!? That's a great assortment of really lovely, pampering stuff!

Get the Wellness Wishes and other gifts at Origins, online or at one of their stores. It's only $85!

Lancôme Holiday

Lancôme has a lot in store for us this holiday season. I've seen these in person, and am actually enjoying Lancomé's attempts to reassert itself as a young and vital company. Each collection they release (and they seem to be releasing them frequently, a lá MAC) has some great staple-type products paired with something novel and inspired (or maybe even a bit gimicky).

Here are some of the holiday offerings from this up-and-coming company that's been around for years...

 

Stocking Stuffer Alert - Marc Jacobs Perfume

Go to Sephora or Sephora.com. Run, do not walk. Pick up this adorable little bottle of Marc Jacobs Perfume. $22 for .5oz of gardenia, wild muguet, skin musk, cedar and ginger - a warm and lovely and feminine winter treat.

Stocking Stufer Alert - Bath & Body Works - Holiday Romance Set

*GAH!*

Bath & Body Works does this to me every year! I always pop in while gift shopping, and then I get taken in by one of the cute little bags they put their sets in. This year is no different. Sigh...

Look at that cute bag! It's like a mini-sweater, in a jolly red: perfect for casual holiday parties! Oh my.

This set is called "Holiday Romance" and is in the Aromatherapy line. What's inside ain't too shabby, either: Black Currant Vanilla scented Body Lotion and Body Wash minis (2 oz each) and Pillow Mist (1 oz). $12.50 USD

PS: The bag has little fuzzy pompoms!!!

Stocking Stuffer Alert: CARGO gift tags - Charitable

Why didn't I think of this!?

CARGO has introduced a novel concept - perfect for makeup lovers or just about anyone. For $7.50, get a box of 5 gift tags with a little blister pack of lipgloss! The gloss, called Machu Picchu, is described as "sheer, shimmering berry"

I don't know what's better- a gift tag that let's you touch-up your lips, or the fact that 100% of the proceeds goes to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Stocking Stuffer Alert - The Body Shop - Bag for Life

The Body Shop is one of the first of the more eco-friendly companies, so I do like to plug them. Hence the recommendation for this cute tote.

This bag has the coolest swirling design! It's hypnotizing. :)

The 13" by 15" canvas bag is only $5, and $2 from the purchase of each bag goes to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The bag is created by one of The Body Shop's Community Trade organizations in India.

Stocking Stuffer Alert: Victoria’s Secret - Supermodel Mini Gloss Set

Do you know a model junkie who likes the ease polish of lipgloss, but can't narrow it down to just one color? Give the gift of choice with Victoria's Secret's Supermodel Mini Gloss Set!

Each cute-as-heck mini lipgloss tube is signed by one of the Angels:

• Password, signed by Karolina Kurkova
• Bling, signed by Alessandra Ambrosio
• Make Out, signed by Izabel Goulart
• Yearning, signed by Selita Ebanks

The set is only $19.50. Adorable!

Stocking Stuffer Alert: Make Up For Ever - Aqua Eyes

 

How cute are these!?

I love these great pencils...

They're waterproof and therefore will last awhile on the eyes which is perfect for holiday parties that last long into the night. These are non-oily, but tough, and are great for lining the eyes and the inner eyelid ("waterline").Using a mother-of-pearl pigment adds a great subtle texture that keeps the lines looking lively, not flat. Make Up Forever even suggests that you use these on the skin (for fake tattoos, etc, because they're tough enough not to be rubbed off by fabric!).

Get your jingle on in this set of 5 different mini-colors:  copper, blue with green reflects, purple, silver, and matte black. $35 USD.

Check out the Make Up For Ever site for more tips and to see the entire range of 20 colors in this great new formula for the eyes: Aqua Eyes!

Lush - Snow Fairy

Snow Fairy is another seasonal offering from Lush. Naturally, I had to try it.

Here's how Lush describes this product:

Sparkly pink vanilla fun for shower and bath You won't be disappointed when you wing on over to LUSH for our popular and very pink, sparkly shower gel. Magically vanilla-sweet (as all fairies should be) and lovely on both hair and body, Snow Fairy gets little ones and girly girls into the shower and sugar plum fairies out of their heads.

Thankfully, I only got a sample, 'cause this is not my favorite product.

It's certainly "very pink" as described. That's no lie. After I opened it and saw what I thought was pediatric Amoxicillin, I was rattled but determined to keep going in the pursuit of research. I put a bit in my hand and sniffed. It didn't smell like Amoxicillin. I'm not sure what it smelled like. This is the best I can describe the scent: one summer in high school, I worked in a bakery. I got there early in the morning ("time to make the donuts!") and got the baked goods ready. Donuts were dipped in a gigantic vat of liquid sugar to be glazed. Snow Fairy made me feel like I'd fallen into that vat with a mouthful of cotton candy in Willy Wonka's factory.

Luckily, like with many shower gels, the scent faded fairly quickly after the shower.

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