Need To Bring An Attractive Holiday Dish To The Party? We've Got One

Since Christmas is just around the corner, we thought we would talk about beauty food today. No moisturizers. No lip gloss. No eyeliner.

Let's talk 'orzo'.

Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta that can be found in your neighborhood grocery aisle. It is used in many Mediterranean recipes. It's low in fat with zero cholesterol. It's higher in carbs, but hey, it's not too bad. Plus, it has a wonderful chewy texture and somewhat nutty taste.

And if you're bringing a holiday dish to the party, but don't know what in the world to bring, we are sharing our favorite orzo recipe with you. Bring this dish and you'll be a star!

GREEK ORZO SALAD:

1 cup orzo
6 Tbsp. olive oil
5 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. dried dill
garlic powder, to taste
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 English cucumber, diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
12 Kalamata olives , halved and pitted
6 oz. feta cheese

Cook orzo to box directions. Drain and rinse under cold water, and place in 2-quart serving dish. Toss with 1 Tbsp. of the oil.

Whisk together remaining olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano and parsley, dill and garlic powder. Pour over orzo. Then toss in the onion, tomatoes, cucumber, celery, green pepper and olives with orzo mixture. Stir well. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese over the top. Cover and chill for at least 2 hrs. Serves 8.

Enjoy! Yumm-o!! Colorful and tasty for a holiday feast.

An Eye Cream That Feels Like Velvet? Exuviance Has One

Eye cream.

Up until several years ago, we rarely used such a product. But, boy oh boy, were we wrong.

Yes, an eye cream should be right front and center in your daily/nightly beauty routine. At least that is what smart dermatologists say. And there are tons of eye creams out there, that claim to do a multitude of wonderful things for your eyes.

As we have stressed here at BeautyTip Today, over and over again, the skin around the eyes is thin and dry, and quite delicate. The eye area shows aging very quickly, unfortunately. But eye creams have come a long way and the beauty science is much stronger. Now there are formulas that lift, tighten, and help to fade or soften existing fine lines and wrinkles, and de-puff tired undereyes.

We have one eye cream that can perform all that and more:

Exuviance Age Reverse Eye Contour ($72, at NeoStrata.com).

Maybe not the cheapest eye cream on the market, but a wise investment, for sure. This ia a superb eye cream. We have enjoyed using this product, thanks to the folks at NeoStrata. And we must say, the Exuviance Age Reverse Eye Contour feels like velvet. Your eye area becomes soft and smooth, and those pesky fine lines and wrinkles become less pronounced. And there is a nice definition to the entire eye area.

Bye-bye bags and sags.

So, what's in the Eye Contour cream:

Peptides help replace collagen and firm skin around the eye area, targeting droopiness and sagging.
Maltobionic Acid/ PHA(Polyhydroxy Acids) alleviates appearance of crow's feet.
Fortifies skin's protective barrier.
Caffeine deflates puffiness around the eyes.
Botanicals refresh and soothe.
Optical diffusers brighten and illuminate.

We have very sensitive eyes, but we are happy to state, that the Exuviance Age Reverse line is very gentle. You will not end up with red, itchy eyes.

The NeoStrata company is widely-respected around the globe, so you know that the beauty products you are buying, have the science to back them up.

Every Gal Needs A Pair Of No-Nonsense Rain Boots

If you live in New England, like we do, then you encounter all kinds of nasty weather days ahead come winter. If it isn't the mounds of snow or the mud and slush and brush and yuck left behind, there is something on the ground that can ruin your favorite leathers.

That's why, you NEED a pair of rain boots. We're not talking about a fancy, $400 duo. Just 2 no-nonsense boots. Ones that are lined inside and will keep your feet totally dry once you hit the raw, cold winter elements.

We have ruined many a pair of nice leather shoes and yes, even leather boots walking through all kinds of stormy terrain. You've been through this, too. Big, unsighlty salt stains, leather that has been beaten up and eaten up.

Our advice: Buy a cheap pair of vinyl/rubber rain boots. And carry your favorite leathers with you to change into at your destination. Most rain boots are designed with a 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch heel with good traction, so you don't slip and fall on the winter ground.

We found a great classic pair here, on sale for just $14.70 in sizes 6-10. The Shiny Rain Boot in Red or Black. Check out our photo.

Sometimes, you just have to slip into a pair of no-nonsense footwear until you reach your destination. Not super pretty, but, oh-so practical.

Feet Need Extra TLC? Try These Little Buffers In a Box

We've talked about our feet a few times before. And it's always during the cold, harsh days of autumn/winter, that we find ourselves wishing for softer, smoother soles.

We have stumbled onto a product that's designed to multi-task your pretty feet routine. Spongeables Pedi-Scrub Foot Buffers can do all this:
Cleanse. Exfoliate. Massage. And moisturize.

Gotta love thse. And the adorable, little buffers in a box make the perfect stocking stuffer. Get it? Foot. Stocking.

Definitely a spa-worthy gift at $14.99, at drugstores and Spongeables.com.

The Pedi-Scrub Foot Buffers are unique, in that they feature 2 different textures---a scrubby side to exfoliate, smooth away the rough spots, and massage the soles. And a soft side to cleanse and moisturize your little tootsies.

These amazing foot buffers are infused with rich ingredients like shea butter and olive oil. And you get your choice of Lavender-Tea Tree Oil Aromatherapy or Citron-Eucalyptus Aromatherapy. We adore the Lavender.

Spongeables also offer a variety of other spa-in-a-sponge products for the bath and body. Plus, these sponges last a long time, and are healthy to use, again and again. Here's what their website says:

A hypoallergenic, anti-microbial sponge is an attractive replacement for bacteria filled loofahs.

A patent pending technology permits many, many pleasurable uses, with products designed to provide 3+ to 30+ showers.

And Spongeables come in lots of pretty colors, too.

The Little Red Dress Puts You Front And Center This Holiday

We're all used to the LBD or 'Little Black Dress'. But how about the LRD?

The 'Little Red Dress' for the holidays.

Red NEVER goes out of fashion, but this season it's really HOT. And lately, that's the bold shade we're seeing many celebrities putting on. Jennifer Lopez knows that red means attention. And if anyone knows how to work a little red dress, it's Jenny-from-the-block.

If you DON'T want to be noticed, then, by all means, do NOT wear a red dress. This color definitely turns heads.

A red cocktail dress is a super choice for the holidays. You don't have to go as dramatic as Jennifer in this one shoulder, ruffled Temperly London number. We found a sexy 'LRD':

Victoria's Secret Red Ruched Crewneck Dress, now on SALE for $49.50.

Talk about Va-va-va-voom! This adorable mini (photo2) is a body-hugging dress with sexy ruching detail at the shoulders and along the sides. It's made of 100% soft cotton, and measures 17" from the waist.

We found a lot of cute little red dresses at the VS website, including this v-neck ribbed sweater dress in Volcano red (photo3).

Red will put you in the holiday spirit!

If You Could Have, Would You Have Bought A Liz Taylor Gem?

If you like really nice gems, then we are assuming, you would die to own a piece of Hollywood history, right?

And if those sparklers came from the jewelry box of legendary Elizabeth Taylor, well, then, it's a no-brainer.

The bidding at Christie's New York is now over. The Elizabeth Taylor jewelry auction smashed records with nearly $116 million in sales! And Merry Christmas to you.

Please, just one beautiful colored bauble would have been plenty for us.

Yes...if we could have, we would have ponied up some major $$$$ for a little piece of iconic Hollywood's Golden Age, when movie stars were, just that----movie stars, with all the glitz and glamour befitting royalty.

So, what celebrities took home a little Liz Taylor?

We know that reality star Kim Kardashian was quick to bid and win 3 Lorraine Schwartz bangles, spending $64,900 for the striking jade bracelets. "It’s not just a piece of jewelry," Kim K. told InStyle.com. "She wore them constantly during the final years of her life and I believe they carry her spirit."

We think this is a savvy business investment on Kim's part.

The New York Post also reports that Bulgari anonymously bought back a stunning $20 million worth of jewels, including a 52.72-carat sapphire-and-diamond sautoir for $5.9 million and an emerald-and-diamond necklace for $6.1 million.

Wow---what an amazing collection of jewlery by an equally amazing woman.

Janet Jackson Weighs In On Nutrisystem Diet Plan

We have to admit, this one caught us off guard:

Janet Jackson has been named the new face of the Nutrisystem diet plan.

But maybe there is a clever strategy here.

The talented singer joins two other famous divas in the weight loss TV ad wars---Mariah Carey with Jenny and Jennifer Hudson with Weight Watchers.

Janet Jackson is appearing in two 60-second Nutrisystem ads, which will be officially broadcast starting Dec. 26. Oh yeah, just in time for the New Year. The commercials were shot in Australia during the singer's recent worldwide tour.

The sister of the late Michael Jackson isn't saying how many pounds she is still trying to lose. Apparently, the singer initially did not lose weight on the Nutrisystem diet, but she is sticking to the plan now, and signed up with the brand, she says, because "weight is something I’ve dealt with it all my life."

Janet's theme urgers dieters to 'Get On It,' in the “Success” program being introduced tomorrow by Nutrisystem Inc.

But here is another angle to Janet's mission, and we like it:

Nutrisystem and Janet Jackson are creating Nutribank to distribute meals to the hungry, launching with $10 million in company food contributions for 2012. The company has pledged one dollar’s worth of company food for each pound lost by Nutrisystem customers next year.

Pretty incredible!

Let's be frank....weight loss diet programs are HUGE business, and adding another iconic name to the competition is smart thinking, because people DO care what celebrities endorse, and DO admire when a celebrity has to get in shape just like everyone else.

Bravo, Janet Jackson! We look forward to the TV ads.