I'm a Clinique Chubby Stick fanatic. (My favorite shade for winter, in case you're curious, is Voluptuous Violet. It looks insanely purple in the tube but goes on like a sheer oxblood.) For December, Clinique is ramping up my beloved Chubby and launching Chubby Stick Intense. It's just as moisturizing as the original, and it has the same balm-like consistency. The only difference is that it deposits about twice as much color -- perfect for when you want a pop of color but a lipstick is too � lipstick-y. There are eight great shades, and I've already added Broadest Berry to my (embarrassingly large) collection.
Women all over the world are obsessed with the Urban Decay Naked Palette, and for good reason: It's filled with the 12 most basic, neutral eyeshadow shades that everyone should have. But there was one thing missing: matte options. So, Urban Decay developed the Naked Basics Palette, which contains six neutral, matte shades that range from pale beige to rich black. The pigments are incredibly silky and seriously saturated. Just when I thought I had all the shadows I could ever need, now I want six more.
I have to confess: The bright colored hair trend scares me. It's not that I don't love it on other people -- I do -- it's that I'm too stuck in my ways (uptight? boring?) to try it myself. But then I heard that the newest shade of Kevin Murphy's chalk-like Color Bug is white. Now that's a non-color I can get behind. A few strategic streaks on the underside of my dark hair is really pretty -- and I've convinced blonde friends to give themselves cool white-dipped ends. Yes, it's a little safe, but it's also kind of chic -- am I right?
I have naturally curly hair, but the texture is baby-fine -- so 99 percent of curl-controlling products are too heavy for me. Plus, the style I want more than anything isn't curly at all -- it's more of a relaxed wavy. The solution: I'm a slave to my blow dryer and curling iron.
For years, I've dreamt of a product that would take my curls and smooth them out into beachy waves as they air dry -- and it's finally here! Aveda's Be Curly Curl Controller launches at the end of the month. It "elongates the curl pattern" while controlling frizz and moisturizing dry ends. In short, it's my dream come true.
Photo 7/8
Clarisonic Aria and Lancome Creme Radiance, Visionnaire and Genifique, $199
I have -- and love -- a Clarisonic Mia, but the poor contraption has been used to death. It's sad, tired, and crusty. Every time I take it out of my medicine cabinet, I wish it were its fancier sister -- the Aria -- with three speeds, two timers, and a sleek white finish. Starting December 1st, and for a limited time, you can get your hands on an Aria and three Lancome products. It might just be the incentive I need to splurge -- and retire my Mia.
Holiday beauty products tend to steal the spotlight. Gift sets come in glitzy packaging; makeup collections are bedazzled, glittery, and all-around eye-catching. And I think that's why I gravitate towards the otherbeauty products that launch in December -- they're the underdogs, and many of them are so much more fantastic than the gimmick-ridden holiday launches.
While I try dozens -- even hundreds -- of beauty products every month, these are the six new ones I'm most excited about. I've used them, I love them, and now I finally get to talk about them. Prices run the gamut from a drugstore find for $5.99 to a $200, splurge-worthy gadget. And I've got makeup, skin, and hair all covered.
So when you're out doing your holiday shopping, take a minute to check out these launches -- then let me know: Do you think they're the best beauty products of the month?
