Beauty News NYC - December 2011

When guests pop in this year, you’ll be glad you had these on hand – whether for their innovative utility, whimsical concept, sheer beauty, or all three.

Teleflora is a swift, reliable source for gorgeous (and affordable) flower arrangements, wreaths, table arrangement and plants, delivered straight to your snow-capped doorstep. Arranged by hand, Teleflora flower bouquets are perfect for celebrating the season and festooning your home with nature’s jewels. Visit http://www.Teleflora.com to choose which arrangement best suits your style for the holidays.

JZ-Rose presents all things delightful, and if you’re not convinced, visit their distinctive and magical website: http://www.JZ-Rose.com, where you’ll find the unusual and the eclectic, and the magnificent and the memorable. For example, the Jessie Steele Ava ‘50s Kitchen Bib Apron has an heirloom quality and French flair that will inspire creativity in the kitchen. The same is true of the festive candy striped Caddy Utensil Set and Jessie Steele Parisian Toile Rubber Kitchen Gloves – for once, you’ll want to cook and clean! Form, function and style meet at your fingertips.

Corkcicle solves the age-old problem of how to keep the wine chilled, and in a most elegant fashion: an internal wine chiller shaped like a long icicle with a bottle top is inserted into the wine, and voila! – problem neatly solved. No ice, no ice bucket, no melting cubes, no fuss. It’s such an obvious solution that you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. Buy one for yourself and more as gifts at http://www.Corkcicle.com.

If an award existed for Most Creative Way to Design Flower Vases, Chive would win it, hands down. Transform holiday tables and entranceways into the spectacular with any of the distinctive vases at http://www.Chive.com. From double open-ended table tubes to small, painted clay holders to the majestic art vase, Chive has it for you. Display your flowers with panache.

The Acacia Creations line of tableware, metal art, and home furnishings offers a charitable component: they benefit women and children in Kenya with fair trade practices, monthly salaries and a percent of sales. Portions of sales also provide medical care, schooling, and shoes for children. Made from recycled materials such as glass and paper, Acacia’s items are handcrafted and eco-friendly. Peruse their offerings at http://www.Acacia-Creations.com.

The Urban Homesteading Book: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living (Skyhorse Publishing, 2011) by Rachel Kaplan and K. Ruby Blume, can change your life, rendering you more self-sufficient, more aware, and engaged in beneficial sustainable living. This practical manifesto provides useful tips and recipes, instructions and much more — so you or your gift recipient will be grateful you found it. Purchase it at http://www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

Earth Home Smudge Spray clears and your home without the smoke from burning sage and cedar used in traditional Native American space clearings, and revitalizes your space; plus, it smells amazing, which is quite enough in itself, and has hints of rosewater and sage. Perfect to use just before and after parties, it can be found at http://www.SmudgeSpray.com andhttp://www.TishaMorris.com.

OMyst is helpful to have on hand in every home because it’s a powerful, all-natural herbal spray that soothes kitchen burns, rashes, scrapes, and anything skin-related. Comprised of organically-grown yarrow, calendula, plantain and wild roses in alcohol, this is also a thoughtful gift or stocking stuffer, and will last for months. Read more about it at http://www.OMyst.com.

The Violight Slim Sonic electric toothbrush slips easily into holiday stockings, or luggage or in guest rooms. Beautiful to look at, this toothbrush adds flair and fashion to your daily routine. Requires a AAA battery, and comes with two brush heads and the necessary battery. Enjoy those 22,000 brush strokes per minute! Order them all at http://www.Target.com orhttp://www.Amazon.com. While you’re at it, pick up Kiss My Face Whitening Toothpaste and Breath Blast value packs, which are free of parabens, artificial flavors and colors, and sodium lauryl sulfate – and rife with natural ingredients that promote healthy teeth and gums for dazzling smiles. Oh, Mistletoe?

Another fantastic toothbrush is the eco-friendly Radius toothbrush with innovative design, and its DOC holder, a suction-based dock so your toothbrush can park anywhere you please: in the shower, next to the sink faucet, etc. An open design permits water to flow out of it instead of pooling at the bottom. Visit http://www.radiustoothbrush.com.

Whether staying with others, hosting guests, or if you have a house full of guys, Poopourribathroom spray is a godsend. Using only environment-friendly and human-friendly essential oils, this tiny bottle manages to delicately transform a washroom into a genuinely sweet-smelling destination. Perfect for dorms, and for slipping in to holiday stockings. Choose your favorite athttp://www.poopourri.com.

Happy Holidays!