The Right Accessories Make Quiet, Sophisticated Statements

Gotta LOVE the little, exquisite things in life, right, ladies?

That's where accessories play a major role in pulling together an entire outfit. Today, we are looking at jewelry and the oh-so-pretty statement pieces that say so much in a quiet, sexy way.

Look what we found at Boston Proper, one of our favorite places to shop--gorgeous necklaces, earrings, bracelets and more!

There's a SALE going on, ladies. And since it's the holiday time of year, you can pick up some unique and flattering jewelry for those parties you're going to attend, or for the special ladies in your life.

Medallion Earrings ($24, on SALE, reg. $29). So lovely and delicate. These come in gold or silver. We want a pair of each! Beautiful 3 1/2" drop in a floral motif.

Crystal Necklace ($129, on SALE, reg. $149). Such a stunning necklace! Need we say more?! This beauty has a very vintage-feelgunmetal and antique-like crystal stones
.
You can find a lot of elegant gift ideas this time of year!

La Bedouine: Brand New Botanical Skin Care Line Takes Off

There's an incredible, exotic story as to how Judith Reitman, the founder and president  of La Bedouine, came to launch her new botancial skin care company.

The journalist and author had traveled to France to write about life there. Along the way, she met her husband-to-be in a quaint, little village bakery, got married, and began a wonderful new life in Provence. It's when Judith Reitman received a bottle of Argan oil as a wedding present and journeyed into Morocco to look for more of this ancient, precious, hydrating beauty oil, that she discovered her true calling.

Judith learned all about the closely-knit social culture of the Berber women and the generations-old process of making authentic Argan oil. And she proudly launched La Bedouine earlier this November as an all-women-run enterprise.

We were lucky to try out 3 sophisticated + effective + anti-aging skin care products from the new line!

1. Mousse d'Argan Facial Wash ($42, 2 oz., at La Bedouine). A terrific lathering gel made by pulverized organic Argan nuts. Leaves complexion smooth, clean, and radiant. Won't strip delicate skin.

2. La Bedouine 100% Organic Argan Oil Night Serum ($28, at La Bedouine). Simply pure, organic, and made in small batches by Berber families in far away Morocco. An exquisite formula with superb moisturizing properties and tons of vitamin E. This is the BEST Argan oil around!

3. La Bedouine Berberian Rouge ($36, compact + lip stain, at La Bedouine). A 100% botanical lip stain that comes in an adorable handmade wood compact. Berber brides
use this traditional pretty stain on their wedding day. Made with exotic cedar root, red corn poppies, and ground pomegranate bark.

The La Bedouine skin care line is a real beauty. Any products from this new collection would make for lovely holiday gifts.

For more information, visit La Bedouine. And BeautyTipToday readers can receive 15% off their 1st order, Just enter the coupon code BEAUTY to get in on this great promotion!

Zooey Deschanel's 4 Beauty Must-Haves!

TV's funny gal Zooey Deschanel loves playing with makeup.

And she says there are 4 Beauty Must-Haves she prefers above all the rest.

This is the list Zooey gave to People magazine's Beauty Watch:

1. Nars Lipstick, Funny Face ($24, at Narscosmetics). This is a full-coverage semi-matte lipstick in a rich, velvet-y fuchsia shade.

2. L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara ($7.99, at drugstore.com). So that's how Zooey gets such super long, thick lashes. It's all in the formula. No flakes, no clumps, no smudges.

3. Josie Maran Argan Oil ($48, at Sephora). A lightweight oil that is wonderful for better skin elasticity and hydration.

4. Pantene Beautiful Lengths Finishing Cream ($6, at Walmart).

As Zooey said to People:
"What you wear should make you feel comfortable, happy and pretty."

VS Model Mirander Kerr Credits Green Juice For Skinny Body

Miranda Kerr has a beauty secret, and it has nothing to do with Victoria's Secret.

The stunning VS model and mom to son Flynn credits her skinny, perfect frame to,  of all things----green juice.

Miranda tells People mag that she works out doing Pilates, yoga, and boxing before she is 'body- ready' to slip into sexy undies for the annual VS runway show, being televised on Tuesday, Dec. 4th, CBS.

'I also drink healthy green juices everyday, and protein shakes,' the model says.

Okay, green juices. Er.....yumm-o....Not! But, Miranda might be on to something. Drinking a little green can melt away fat. We wrote about chlorophyll in (2010) BeautyTipToday.

According to the dietary experts, chlorophyl acts like a mild laxative and encourages the liver into becoming a better fat-burning machine. The green pigment is also full of magnesium which helps to balance blood sugar and melt away stubborn belly fat.

Chlorophyl is also high in vitamin and mineral content. Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, and an award-winning author of 30 books, tells First for Women magazine that, "the best absorbed form (of chlorophyll) is a liquid extract mixed with water." She suggests a twice daily drink of 1 tsp. of chlorophyll in 8 oz. of water. Dr. Gittleman likes Sunny Green Liquid Chlorophyll ($13, 16 oz., at health-food stores).

You could also make green juices using kale, spinach, and other excellent greens. We hunted down some tasty green juice recipes from wellandgoodnyc.com.

Kate Middleton Gets A New Do---Layered Bangs!

Maybe, just maybe....the new duchess do is a distractor from her secret pregnancy. So, instead  of always focusing on royal Kate Middleton's alleged growing belly, one would be tempted to look at her lovely face and new layered hairstyle?!

The royal rumor is that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting, and that Kate and William will be delivering the happy news sometime in December......not the baby yet, but just the news.

Hmmm. Not sure she is pregnant. Where could she even hide her alleged baby bump in that $2,200 silk Mulberry green dress?

Do you like the bright green dress?

The Duchess is right-on-trend in GREEN.

And we adore her lovely layered do with the center-parted bangs.

We think Kate looks great, and sophsticated, too!

It's almost a Kim Kardashian layered hairstyle. Well, really look at the similar style. We tip our beauty cap to Kate, for having her real hair on display....Not that there's anything wrong with beautiful, expensive extensions. Just sayin'......

It wouldn't surprise us if we see a new crop of Kate Middleton layered dos all over the world  as young women copy her every move, and this is just the latest Kate beauty tip to surface. That and the trendy green color dress.

J.Lo and Gwen Do It...When It Comes To Root Perfection

When Jennifer Lopez was crowned People magazine's 'Most Beautiful'  woman in 2011, she admitted in an interview, that she started going gray at age 23, and has since then, been touching up her butter-y brunette roots every 2 weeks!

Sounds like another talented star.....super blonde Gwen Stefani. We learned that she, too, was root-phobic and has J.Lo beat by a few days earlier.

Gwen  told  Harper's Bazaar that she keeps those pesky roots away, by using a beauty trick that movie goddess Marilyn Monroe lived by:

"Do you think Marilyn Monroe had to talk about this?" she asks smiling. "Well, I heard she did hers with a Q-tip every 10 days, so I try to follow Marilyn's rule." I mention that she's never been photographed with dark roots,  and she points to the houndstooth fedora she is wearing, "And you'll never see me with roots either."

Visible roots bother most of us with colored hair and/or grey strands. And like Gwen Stefani, there are ways to hide the roots when you can't cover them up at the moment. Yes, a hat works. You can also try a jagged hair part, instead of straight down the middle or side.

You can buy those clever root fixers that just hide the little devils until you can head to the salon.

But for some women, roots are very challenging hair strands that
are so stubborn, that even a salon professional cannot always achieve the perfect dye job.

So, until that beauty dilemma can be solved permanently, many of us reach for the color sticks, wands, powders and so forth, to hide nature's curse, ourselves included!

Say It Ain't So, Mariah! La Mer On Dem Babies' Bottoms?!

We certainly don't want to bad-mouth Mama Maria, but we hope this tabloid item from the Nov. 26th Star mag issue is just a silly, made-up story.

Let's talk about Creme de La Mer Moisturizing Creme for a moment. It's considered a superior beauty product. It costs $150 per oz.. We found some at Saks Fifth Avenue.

The customer reviews are always highly rated for this luxurious, thick, hydrating cream. And it isn't the cheapest beauty product on the block. It's got quite a cult following for those who can afford the splurge.

La Mer is so-oooooo popular, that you can't get enough, sometimes. This is what Saks 5th Ave prints at their website:
DUE TO HIGH DEMAND, A CUSTOMER MAY ORDER NO MORE THAN 6 UNITS OF THIS ITEM EVERY THIRTY DAYS. 

The high-end cream is adored by many celebrities, including Mariah Carey, and allegedly, by 'dem babies.'.

Star Mag is reporting that the new American Idol Judge pampers her cutie-pie twins Monroe and Moroccan, by slathering the expensive La Mer Creme on their little bum-bums.

Well, we don't believe it. And if it is true, then shame on Mariah for the wasting of a beauty product that belongs nowhere near anyone's bum.

La Mer as a fancy diaper cream?! Is she for real?

If you believe the story, Mama Mariah shells out $1,900 per big 16 oz. jar for the 18 month-old twins's bottoms.

According to a friend, "Nothing is too good for Mariah's babies. She probably spends more than $6,000 a month on the lotion alone so the kids don't have diaper rash.".

The friend added that, "She uses what's left over on her own face. Why not?

Well, Mimi does have a beautiful complexion.

You be the judge, so to speak. Is Mariah a wasteful diva or a very caring mom?