Hey, Dollface!

Nails Inc. Mini Holiday Collection

Don't want to take lots of full-sized bottles of nail polish on holiday with you? I don't blame you. I'd much rather use that space for multiple mascaras, primers and foundations, obviously, but if you want to make room for something else, Nails Inc. have the solution, in the form of this Mini Holiday Collection. This contains five mini nail polishes, all in shades of red or pink, so you can still change your mind about which colour of polish to use, without weighing your makeup bag down.  They'll also have the benefit of allowing you to test out some new colours without paying full price for them, too.

Buy: Nails Inc. Mini Holiday Collection, £15

This Works: Travel - 8 Miracle In Flight Products

The "Back to School" signs may be starting to show up in stores, signaling the end of the summer, but some of you will still have trips planned, and I know I'm already thinking about booking a winter break (we didn't get a summer this year - I need me some sunshine!), so especially for those people, here's a handy little travel kit that will help you beat those pesky liquid restrictions and stay beautiful in-flight.

It's by This Works, and it contains:

Energy Bank and Deep Calm Bath
(5ml)
Turbo Balm: to keep lips hydrated (10 grams)
One for All: the essential oil blend for antiseptic relief (5ml)
Stay Cool: soothing eye serum (5ml)
Enjoy Really Rich Lotion: powerful moisturiser for face and body (5ml)
Quick Spritz: refreshing spray for the face (5ml)
Breathe In: calming inhaler (5ml)

I'm not quite sure how useful the bath lotion will prove on a flight (I dunno, maybe you people use WAY better airlines than me), but the face spray and eye serum should definitely come handy, as will the calming inhaler, if, like me, you start to hyperventilate as soon as you set foot inside the airport.

Just remember to stick them all inside a clear baggie if you're taking them into the cabin.

Buy: This Works Travel Set, £35

Freeze 24.7 'Jet Set' Travel Kit

Oh Dollface readers, Dollface readers, I feel like I've been neglecting you lately, and that's because... well, it's because I have been. Umm. Yeah. Sorry about that. The fact is, this time next week I'll be in a plane en route to Florida for a much-needed vacation, and in the run-up to the break, all of my time's been taken up with advance posting for The Fashion Police and Shoewawa, which means you, little Dollface readers, have been getting neglected. Sorry, again.

On the plus side, I plan to hit Sephora hard during my vacation, and will be bringing back lots of new products to review. In the meantime, I'll be boring you all with my holiday beauty preparations, starting with this Jet Set Travel Kit by Freeze 24.7. Now, I haven't bought this kit, but I wish I had, because it contains five little products, all of a size that won't get them confiscated as you go through airport security (remember to stick 'em in a baggie, though!). You get a bunch of heavy duty moisturisers for the face and eyes, and you know what my favourite bit about this kit is? The fact that it contains a lip plump. Because you know how you just have to have plump lips in mid air? Well no, I don't really either, but hey, lip plump! Tiny! That won't get taken away by airport security! Gotta love it.

The product details in full:

• Anti-Wrinkle Cream (10g)
• IceCream Double Scoop™ Intensive Anti-Aging Moisturizer (15g)
• Anti-Aging Eye Serum (0.25 oz.), IceCrystals™
• Anti-Aging Prep & Polish (0.5 oz.)
• PlumpLips™ Lip Plumper (2 ml)

Buy: Freeze 24.7 Jet Set Travel Kit

Philosophy's Breakfast in Bed set - another great Mother's Day Gift

Of course, it figures that as soon as I finish writing the Mother's Day Gift Guide, I find something that would make an even more perfect Mother's Day Gift. It's Philosophy's Breakfast in Bed (if anyone makes better gift sets than Philosophy, I don't know who it is), and it contains three bottles of Philosophy's 3-in-one shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath in the delicious-sounding Cafe Au Lait, Fresh Cream, and Belgian Waffles. Once again I find myself wondering, "Why is it that so many beauty products make me want to eat them?"

Buy: Philosophy Breakfast in Bed set, $30

Five Mother's Day Beauty Gifts

Mother's Day has already been and gone here in the UK, but for the benefit of those of you in the US who're just about to celebrate it, here are some of our favourite Mother's Day beauty gift ideas...

Not Soap, Radio Say It With Suds You're the Best Mom bath/shower gel

Well, you can't really say it much clearer than that, can you? A bath and shower gel with a message. It's $13, and there's even a version for Grandma...

Philosophy Amazing Grace Mother's Day Set

Leave it to Philosophy to create a gift for every occassion. This one contains Amazing Grace fragrance, bubble bath and body lotion - $60

Viktor & Rolf 'Flowerbomb' Mother's Day Set

Why are so many Mother's Day gift sets pink, I wonder? This one is by Viktor & Rolf and includes their Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum and body lotion. The priciest one yet, at $140.

Sephora Brand Mother's Day Blockbuster Palette

For makeup-loving mother's Sephora's palettes are always good value. This one is $30 and contains eyeshadow, blush, powder, lipgloss and mascara.

Jo Malone Bath Oil Collection Set

A touch of luxury and a way to help your mom unwind - $80

Philosophy 'The Lemonade Stand' gift set

Ah, the lemonade stand - doesn't it just make you long for summer? (Yes, I know it technically is summer but you wouldn't necessarily know it if you lived in the vicinity of Dollface Towers) Well, trust Philosophy to capture summer in a neat little gift pack! It's called The Lemonade Stand and it contains:

• 1. Pink Lemonade shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath (8 oz sizes)
• 2. Pink Lemonade body butter (4 oz)
• 3. Pink Lemonade lip shine

all packed in a cute little box, and exclusive to Nordstrom. Hmm, I could really fancy a drink of pink lemonade now...

Buy: Philosophy, 'The Lemonade Stand'

Shiseido 'Benefiance' Signature Mother's Day Gift Set

Mother's Day has already been and gone here in the UK, but I know it's yet to happen in the US, so here's Shiseido's 'Benefiance' Signature Mother's Day Gift Set.

Now, I'm not quite sure how tactful it is to give your mother anti-aging skincare as a gift, but hey, I did it, and it seemed to go down well, so if you mother's a Shiseido fan, this could be just the thing. With this set you get a full-size Creamy Cleansing Foam (6.7 oz.) and Daytime Protective Emulsion SPF 15 (2.5 oz.), travel-size Enriched Balancing Softener (2.5 oz.), and samples of Concentrated Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream (0.1 oz.) and Wrinkle Lifting Concentrate (0.2 oz.).

It's $79 at Nordstrom, and for that you also get a gift card which allows you mum to get a complimentary facial, which I think is a really nice touch!

Mother's Day Offers from The Body Shop - get 10% off if it's your first order, plus a free gift on orders over £25

The Body Shop® are offering two special discounts for Mother's Day:

Offer One: free gift on all purchases over £25

Offer Two: 10% discount on your first order - use discount code DHAD000857 at checkout.

This is, of course, very good news, because The Body Shop® gift sets are classic Mother's Day gifts. Here's what they have available right now:

White Musk Sensual Indulgence Gift Set

An Body Shop classic, this set contains White Musk® Sumptuous Silk Shower Gel 125ml, White Musk® Voluptuous Velvet Body Crème 50ml, White Musk® Eau de Toilette 30ml, White Musk® Soft Satin Body Polish 50ml, Ultra Fine Lilac Bath Lily.

It costs £25, so you'll be eligible for the free gift too (more of that later!)

The Agent Provocateur Gift Set for Valentine's Day

Agent Provocateur - they don't just make frilly undies, you know. (Although they do that too. Rather well, actually...) This is their attempt to capture the Valentine's Day market, and it's a boxed set containing their Eau de Parfum and matching body wash.

Even the name 'Agent Provocateur is enough to suggest that lurve is in the air, so this could make a good gift, although personally I'm always wary of buying people perfume unless I'm absolutely sure it's a scent they know and love.

If you're willing to take the risk, you can pick this up at Boots for £39.

Buy: Agent Provocateur Gift Set

Valentine Gifts for Men: Burt's Bees Natural Skin Care For Men, Dopp Kit Essentials

Men get it so easy on Valentine's Day, don't they? Or they do in my house, anyway. I, you see, am easy to buy for. All those gift sets that contain little mini versions of bath products? Love them. I figure you can never have enough bath product, so all Mr. Dollface has to do is pop out to Boots and shop up a storm.

Men are slightly tricker, though. Flowers and beauty products would seem to be out, and who wants socks and hankies for Valentines? Well, maybe it's time to rethink the "flowers and beauty products" bit. Mr Dollface informs me that men like to be spoiled just as much as women do from time to time, and if the man you're buying for is the same, this Skin Care for Men Kit from Burt's Bees could be a good pick. Burt's Bees isn't a particularly "feminine" brand (well, it has the word "Bees" in the name, anyway) and this stuff comes packaged in suitable masculine black.

You get an aftershave, body wash, soap and shaving cream for $19.99, and it all comes packaged in a travel kit. Or, of course, you could just buy him some Benefit or MAC and then use it yourself...

Buy: Burt's Bees Natural Skin Care For Men, Dopp Kit Essentials

'True Love' Valentine's Gift Set from Lush

We knew we could rely on Lush to come up with a Valentine's Day Gift set to bath-melt our hearts...

This one is called 'True Love' (awww!) and it's a ribbon-toed box stuffed full of lovely Lush goodies including:

Rock Star Soap
Play Your Cards Right Massage Bar
Mmmm Melting Marshmallow Moment
Sample of 'Gorgeous'

It's £19.99, but if the man in your life is anything like Mr Dollface, who is a true Lush-head, he'll love you for it.

Buy: True Love Gift Set

Daisy by Marc Jacobs Valentine's Day Set

Marc Jacob's 'Daisy' was an instant hit last year (the solid perfume ring version remains one of the most searched-for posts here at Hey, Dollface) when it launched last year. The pretty, daisy-decorated perfume bottle makes it an obvious choice as a Valentine's Day gift, and the company have clearly decided to make the most of the opportunity, creating this Valentine's Day gift set, containing the eau de toilette, body lotion and shower gel. $60 buys the lot, but make sure the recipient likes the smell first if you're buying it as a gift!

Buy: Daisy by Marc Jacobs Valentine's Day Set

Valentine's Day Beauty Gifts: Ralph Laurent's 'Romance' Gift Set

It's pink. It's perfume. Hell, it's even got the word "romance" on it. Other than delivering it by hand, I don't think Ralph Laurent could have made Valentine's Day any easier on the menfolk, could he?

This isn't just perfume, though. No, you get the perfume, the moisturiser and the "sensuous" bath and shower gel, so you can layer your scent. And you get it all for the price of $69.50 at Sephora.

Buy: Ralph Laurent 'Romance' gift set

Natura Bisse Diamond Extreme skincare set

It's time for another super-expensive skincare set, folks, for the benefit of those who can afford to drop $750 on skincare - or who have someone willing to do it for them: well, it is the season of giving, after all. And of conspicuous consumption.

This set is by Natura Bisse, and it contains: 

• Diamond Bio-Lift Eye Contour Cream
• Diamond Drops serum.
• Diamond Extreme Cream
• Glyco Extreme Peel

I've never used this brand, so I have no idea whether it's worth the price, but I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has tried it!

Pupa's Greeting Card makeup palettes: about as festive as it gets

There's just no end to the Christmas-themed cosmetics, is there? The latest firm to jump on the festive bandwagon (or should that be "sleigh"? ) is Pupa, who are already well known for their makeup palettes, and who have given their latest collection a distinctly festive theme, dressing up their eye colour palettes as Christmas cards.

There are six different colour combinations to choose from, each of which comes with a different festive item on the front, be a Christmas tree, Christmas pudding, stars or candy canes. They're £3 each, and would make a good stocking filler - it's just a shame they didn't make one that looks like an actual Christmas stocking....

Buy: Pupa Greeting Card Make-Up Palette

La Mer's Connoisseur Collection, exclusive to Saks

OK, so it's another super-expensive luxury skincare set, but if you can't splash out at Christmas (or persuade someone else to splash out on you), when can you? This is La Mer's Connoisseur collection, consisting of just two items: a two ounce pot of their famous Creme de La Mer moisturiser, and a 0.5 oz pot of The Eye Concentrate, which, according to the Saks website is " an ultra-luxe new treatment that helps impressionable skin discover a more luminous future."

It's at Saks that you'll find this set - it's exclusive to them, and comes packages in limited edition laquer boxes. And the price? It's $380, so not quite as bad as some luxury moisturisers we've seen, but still plenty expensive.

Buy: La Mer Connoisseur Collection

Bath & Body Works Temptations Delicious Wishes Twisted Peppermint Gift Set

OK, so why is it, do you think, that so many beauty products either look or smell like candy? Is it just to torment me? Now, those little round things on the right of this picture actually ARE sweets, so this kit gets extra brownie points from Dollface, because it'll satisfy my sweet tooth and let me wallow in sweet scented beauty products. You also get the 3-in-one body wash, bubble bath and shampoo, in this little felt bag. It costs $10 from Bath and Body Works, who have lots of other products in the Twisted Peppermint range.

Buy: Twisted Peppermint

Are You a Sugar Fairy? Better buy this lip and lash combo by Fresh, then....

We don't tend to see too many Sugar Fairies in the environs of Dollface Palace, but should one come to stay this Christmas, I'll be sure to point her in the direction of Fresh' Lip & Lash Combo, made exclusively for Sugar Fairies. (Note: not really).

A lipgloss in 'Sugar Fairy'' plus Super Nova mascara in black give you two essential tools for fluttery black lashes and shimmery pink lips, and will cost you $42 at Sephora.

Buy: Are You a Sugar Fairy Lip & Lash Combo

E.L.F Gift Set - 25 cosmetics for $25!

Now, this is what I call a good gift set deal! Forget all your fancy leather boxes and gimmicky presentation bags (not that we don't love them, of course!) - E.L.F have packaged up 25 items of makeup, and they're selling the lot for $25 - or just $1 per item. I mean, just imagine the fun you'll have unpacking it all and trying it out!

Each set contains: mascara-Black, nail polish-clear, nail polish-light red, nail polish-coral, liquid eyeliner-black, eyes shadow-butternut, eyeshadow-silver lining, candy tin-frosting fanatic, new moisture care-baby lips, new moisture care-maple sugar, super glossy-angel, super glossy-Mauve Luxe, plumping lip glaze-plum pout, plumping lip glaze-ruby kiss, hypershine gloss-joy, hypershine gloss-honey, conditioning balm -strawberry, blush-shy, blush-glow, total face brush, bronzing brush, eyeshadow brush, eyelash curler, shine erasers, and mirror.

Buy: ELF $25 gift set

Dior Holiday Collection Makeup Palette

OK, so it's not quite as nice to look at as the Holiday Bright Lip Gloss Pendant which is also part of Dior's 2007 holiday collection, but this is still a nice gift for a Dior fan - and given that it contains a miniature version of their Diorshow mascara in black, it could be a good buy for you, too, if you'd like to try the famous mascara but don't want to commit to buying the full sized tube.

As well as the mascara, there's also a mini lip gloss in shade 133, six eyeshadows, one Terra Bella, one blush, three applicators and a partridge in a pear tree that cute little carrying case, all for £45.

Buy: Dior Holiday Collection Makeup Palette

Merry Citrus from Bliss!

No, that's not a typo - Bliss are wishing you a Merry Citrus rather than a Merry Christmas, and they're doing it by providing you with everything you need to set up a spa at home (Is it just me that does that every Boxing Day with all of her new beauty products?) with a range of citrus-scented products including a 2.5 oz Lemon + Sage Body Butter, 4 oz Lemon + Sage Body Scrub, 2 oz Lemon + Sage Soapy Sap and a Miniature Lemon and sage soap. $38 at Sephora buys you a very citrus-y Christmas indeed!

Buy: Merry Citrus

Take Too Faced's Lighted Suitcase home for the holidays

It's not quite as extravagant as the Bobbi Brown suitcase collection we featured earlier this week, but this Lighted Suitcase from Too Faced still has enough goodies inside to keep even me happy - for a little while, at least! This doesn't contain their best known products - Lip Injection and Lash Injection, but you still get a pretty good selection for the £26 this will cost you, including:

2 blush duos
1 face powder duo
1 bronzing duo
1 layered bronzer powder
8 eyeshadows
2 eyeliners
2 brow powders
3 lip glosses
3 lip colours

Buy: Too Faced Lighted Suitcase

Give the Gift of Glow with Stila's bronzing set

I put away my fake tan for the last time this year almost as soon as I got home from my holiday in September, and I don't anticipate picking it up again until the sun makes a reappearance: it's just too high maintenance for winter, so I'm having a break and learning to appreciate my pale skin for a change.

That's not to say I'd be adverse to getting a bit of a glow once the party season starts, though, and that's where this Gift of Glow kit from Stila comes in. Containing a Sun Bronzer SPF 15, Lip Glaze in Brown Sugar, Smudge Pot in Bronze, a Baked Eye Shadow Trio in Gold Glow, and a mini eyeliner brush, it has almost everything you'll need to fake that "just been abroad" look without resorting to smelly lotions. Or, of course, you could give it to a friend who really deserves that Gift of Glow!

Buy: Stila Gift of Glow Bronzing Kit

Boots No. 7 Ultimate Skincare Collection - including Protect & Pefect Beauty Serum

I can't seem to stay away from Boots No. 7 skincare range at the moment, so if Father Christmas happens to be reading this, he should know that I've neen a very good girl this year, and this lovely box, filled with all of my No. 7 essentials, would be a particularly good gift choice. The set costs £60, and you get:

Soft & Soothed gentle cleanser and toner 200ml each

eye make-up remover 100ml

Essential moisture™ day and night creams 50ml each

Awakening eye gel 15ml

Heavenly Hydration moisture mask 100ml

Hydro Quench sauna mask 75ml

Younger Longer hand cream 150ml

Instant Radiance beauty lotion 15ml

Radiance Revealed exfoliator 15ml

Protect and Perfect beauty serum 5ml

Lighten and Brighten age spot corrector 5ml

Treatment Gloves (93% cotton, 7% elastane)

Towelling headband (75% polyester, 25% acrylic)

Face sponges

Buy: No7 Ultimate Skincare Collection

Related: Dollface Reviews: Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum   

Philosophy's 'Candy Cane' hat box gift set

When it comes to holiday gift sets, I think Philosophy wins the house cup. Their products are custom-made for gift-givers: I mean, buy this 'Candy Cane' hat box set for some lucky person and you probably won't even need to wrap it up because it'll look fab under the tree just as it is. (Yes, I'm lazy.)

Inside you'll find candy cane shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath (8 oz.), candy cane exfoliating hot tub and shower scrub (3.5 oz.) and candy cane lip shine, all infused with the smell of peppermint. It's $35 at Nordstrom.

Buy: Philosophy 'Candy Cane' Hat Box

Bobbi Brown's Exclusive Pink Quartz Deluxe Trunk - more makeup than you'll ever need! (Well, maybe...)

I'm drooling here. No, literally. I mean, look at it! It's Bobbi Brown's luxury beauty case, created exclusivly for Neiman Marcus, and I think it has to qualify as the ultimate beauty-junkie gift, don't you think? The pink leather train case alone would be oh, so desirable, but the fact that it's stuffed full of beautiful Bobbi Brown products just makes it even better.

The product list here is so long I've put it under the jump, but suffice to say that there's $2000 worth of beauty products and cosmetics in here, which justifies the $2500 price tag. Do you think Father Christmas could be persuaded to drop this off at my house on Christmas Eve? No, probably not, but a girl can always dream. Read on to see what's inside...

Bourjois Limited Edition La Petite Black Dress Eye-Sentials Set

Feel like giving yourself some smoky eyes for the holiday season? Well, Bourgeois isn't the most high-end brand you could buy, but this little kit seems to have everything you'll need. It's £18, which is a bit of a bargain when you consider what you get:

• An eyeshadow trio, containing three "smoky" colours
• Black kohl eyeliner
• Maxi Lash-Styling Mascara
• Eyebrow grooming gel
• Express make-up corrector

This is exclusive to ASOS, and even although it's the last thing I need right now, the price is tempting me into buying it for myself...

Buy: Bourjois Limited Edition La Petite Black Dress Eye-Sentials Set 

Bare Escentuals Pure Platinum Collection - £40 at HQ Hair

Regular readers will already have read my grumbles about how expensive the Bare Escentuals line is here in the UK, as opposed to the US, so it comes as a pleasant surprise to find a starter kit that costs less than £70.  That kit is Bare Escentuals 'Pure Platinum' which HQ Hair say has a value of £140, but  which they're selling for just £40.

The kit contains:

• bareMinerals Platinum Gossamer Face & Body Color
• bareMinerals Platinum Glimmer
• bareMinerals Twilight Eyeshadow
• bareMinerals Posh Blush
• bareMinerals Ripe Fig 100% Natural Lipcolor
• Double-Ended Mascara (Classic Black Mascara/Platinum Beautifully Luminous Lashes)
• Full Flawless Face Brush
• Full Tapered Shadow Brush
• Crease Defining Brush

A nice gift for a mineral makeup fan or, you know, a certain beauty blogger of your acquaintance...

Buy: Bare Escentuals Pure Platinum

Soap & Glory 'Do the Bath' Gift Set

Like Lush and Benefit before it, the Soap & Glory range is perhaps best known for its quirky product names and retro packaging. In this 'Do the Bath' gift set, for instance, you get a 500ml bottle of 'Calm One, Calm All' bath soak, a 250ml 'Flirtigo' fragranced body mist, a scented candle and a bath pillow. So, um, not so much with the "quirky" on the last two, then...

It's only £12, but these products look more expensive than they actually are, making them a nice stocking fller for a fellow beauty addict. 

Cath Kidston Rose & Carnation Hat Box Gift Set

With the Christmas season fast approaching, you can expect to see a lot of beauty-oriented gift sets around, as the retailers get ready for the big seasonal push. I know lots of people sneer at gift sets, thinking they're one of the more boring presents to give or get, but I love 'em. I think they're a great way to sample cosmetics you might not otherwise have tried, and hey, you can never have too much shower gel or body lotion, right?

I particularly like this Cath Kidston Hat Box Gift Set, which is £35 at ASOS. It contains a  Rose & Carnation Hand Cream, Bubble Bath, Body Cream, Shower Gel, & Soap and although it's on the pricey side, there is that pretty hat box to consider, too...

Philosphy's Office Empowerment Gift Set

I used to absolutely hate working in an office. Quite apart from the pointless meetings, the office politics and the sheer boredom of driving a desk all day long, there was the environment itself, which was, all too often, dry and sterile, with air-con instead of fresh air and static from all of the comp. I'd frequently end up with dry skin and chapped lips, so I would have loved this "Office Empowerment" gift set, which includes a mint scented hand cream,face mist and lip shine, all in this cute little first aid bag.

This would make a great gift for one of those office "Secret Santa" things some workplaces do - or it would, if it wasn't $30, obviously...