Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Hair & Nail Gifts.

Hair & Nail gifts are easy to give. They are universal because most women like to have great hair and nice nails. And really, who doesn't like a little extra nail or hair pampering? What I really love about hair and nail gifts is that they go perfectly with those gift certificates for hair or nail services! Here are my hair and nail gift picks for this year.

Moroccanoil Styling Essentials Kit - $62.00 
This Moroccanoil set contains some of the brands most popular treatments that will introduce hair obsessed girls to the great products. The set includes Moroccanoil Treatment, Moroccanoil Heat Styling Protection  and Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Strong. It comes packaged in a very chic white faux croc clutch.

Dior Diorific Vernis Minuit - $26.00
This Dior nail polish is the most gorgeous blackened red color, perfect for the holidays or all winter long. It is elegantly bottled, packaged and makes for the most luxurious gift.

AVEDA Give Stronger Hair - $46.00
This gift boxed set contains everything a gal needs for better looking, stronger hair. It contains a limited edition damage remedy™ shampoo, conditioner and daily hair repair.

Kate Spade New York Holiday Mini Nail Polish Set - $28.00
This cute set includes four holiday-ready shades for any girl-on-the-go! Shades include First Blush, Shocking Pink, Rose Champagne and All That Glitters.

essie Holiday Collection Kit - $15.00
This set of five mini essie polishes is the ultimate must-have and includes iconic shades - ballet slippers, chinchilly, turquoise & caicos, forever yummy, wicked. Each one works with any fabulous outfit and looks great all year long.

mark Nailed It Trend Mini Nail Lacquers - $7.00

The look is all party with this great little gift boxed set of polishes. This set includes two mini nail polishes in super sparkling Snowberry & Tinseltown, a sparkling red and a sparkling silver. 

Hot Tools Star Struck 1” Salon Nano Ceramic Flat Iron - $65.00
Everyone loves a great flat iron, and this professional flat iron is made with nanoceramic technology for a super smooth finish and high shine. Give the gift of beautiful hair!

Alterna Haircare “Katie’s Favorites” Travel Set - $29.95
Curated by Alterna Co-Owner, Katie Holmes, this holiday gift set reflects Katie’s travel must have’s for the woman on the go. The handy travel bag includes Caviar Replenishing Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner, Bamboo Smooth Kendi Pure Treatment Oil, and Bamboo Style Cleanse Extend Dry Shampoo.

Fall 2013: Urban Decay Nail Color.

Urban Decay launched as a lip and nail line when they launched in 1996. Since then, they've created so many products that the favorite nail color was sort of forgotten about -- by the brand, but not by fans. With multiple requests to relaunch this favorite, Urban Decay has this fall. And like everything they do, they made them bigger and better.

This new launch features two shades that are very typical of the brand in both name and color: Vice and Addiction. They are both totally two edgy, yet sophisticated shades with a must have high-gloss finish.

Vice is a very rich, deep purple shade that features red and blue micro-shimmer. It is the shade for fall. I like wearing it with the second shade Addiction, a smoky metallic gunmetal, with multidimensional, high-shine micro sparkle, on my ring finger as an accent nail. I think it would look great doing the opposite as well.

The nail color formula is long-wearing and chip resistant. It applies easily with the new high performance 400-strand brush. Yes, you read that correctly. There are 400 very fine strands that make up the brush. This brush was developed to pick up more product than other brushes, grabbing on to color to give you a clean, even and controlled laydown of polish. It is incredibly precise. Even the outer nail corners can be painted with ease and less risk of mess-ups.

I think the bottle with sleek, narrow design and customized cap is totally collectible and very cool. The custom-designed cap is topped with a skull with roses for the eyes, and Urban Decay debossed on the side.

Grab these Urban Decay Nail Colors now, as they are extremely limited for fall. Each season, they will launch two seasonal, limited shades though, so be on the lookout. Each nail color sells for $15.00 and they are available from Sephora, ULTA, select Macy's stores or online at urbandecay.com right now.

My Silver Glitter Manicure.

I tried to pull off an ombre or gradient nail look this week and I really should have looked for some tutorials before trying it on my own.

 

To get the look, I used one coat of Essie Ballet Slippers and two coats of an Essie silver glitter polish. The label is off the bottom of the silver glitter, so I apologize for not knowing the name. I think it might be from their Luxeffects collection. I concentrated on using the most glitter on the tip of my nails and then gently stoked the brush down. It looks more like a v than an ombre. I think I am going to try it again and use a sponge to apply the glitter.