Fashion and Beauty New Year's Resolutions We Can All Get Behind

I was thinking about it over the holidays and I've got some collective resolutions that I think we can all get behind. Looking for a good New Year's Resolution? Feel free to borrow one (or all) of these:


Stop Wearing Clothes That Don't Fit - Look, clothes that are too big don't make you look any thinner than clothes that are too small. You're not fooling anybody. Take the time to wear clothes that fit and you won't have to keep untagging yourself from photos on Facebook.

Don't Impulse Purchase - Sample sales are amazing and I love a good fistacuffs over a pair of Prada shoes like everyone else but let's all resolve to stop overspending in 2010. If you really, really love it and you can think of at least ten occasions where you'll wear it and you have - wait for it - at least three other things in your wardrobe that will work with it, then by all means you have my blessing. But having just given away insane amounts of clothes and shoes that I don't even remember purchasing when I just moved, it's not worth it. Only buy it if you love it and it works.

Experiment with Fashion, Style and Beauty - If you still have the same haircut you had a few years ago, you only wear one certain type of nail polish or if your closet has ten of the same item, it's time to mix it up a little. Seek experts who can help you test new makeup ideas, play around with your hair a little bit or get some clothes that will update your style. It can start with a nail polish, like my new obsession, Chanel Particulière Nail Polish (the one on the far left above, $23), coming to a Chanel counter near you in January 2010 (which, as you know, is tomorrow).

Follow Trends but Follow Your Heart - I'm always going to tell you what the trends of the season are but you should know beyond a shadow of a doubt if something will or will not work for you. I'm a bit of a fashion contrarian that way myself, you know: I love to zig when everyone else is zagging. Individual style is incredibly important and looking like a clone is something that just won't do. Take cues from your style inspirations and then do what you want. Only you should dictate what is best for yourself.

Stop Abusing Yourself - OK, so I'm only going to say this once and I want you to hear me. Overscrubbing your skin makes it worse. Overdoing heat and chemical treatments destroys your hair. Dieting to excess will only result in poor health and/or gaining more weight later. It's just time to realize that taking your frustrations out on your looks DOES NOT WORK. Take care of yourself. Find beauty regimens that will work without so much pain and please find a diet and exercise program that will give you a healthy, beautiful body.

Get Rid of People Who Suck - Bad lovers, relatives, toxic "frenemies" - people who just suck the life out of you are NOT WORTH IT. I'm convinced the grey hair in my eyebrows are caused by toxic relationships and I've spent the last month getting rid of every one of them. Toxic people cause toxic behavior and it's just time to let them go. This is a call to action. I mean it. Get rid of people who suck. They give you wrinkles and grey hair and the stress can kill you. Drink champagne with lovely people who love and support you instead. Your body will thank you.


Pamper the Hell Out of Yourself - This is my personal New Year's Resolution. You are worth every manicure, pedicure, haircut/color/treatment, spa visit, yoga class or cooking class you feel like taking this year. When you do things for yourself, you actually look and feel a thousand times better. Make appointments to look and feel your absolute best this year.

Be Yourself and Be Happy - I have finally come to realize that I spent a lot of time unnecessarily worrying about people accepting me without worrying about the most important person accepting me, which was ME! We're all out here doing the best we can and sometimes we gel and sometimes we don't. You're the only "you" that's walking around out here so fall madly in love with yourself, warts and all. Embrace your weird habits and spend the rest of your life looking for other people who will smile when you exhibit your strange behavior or do those things you do.

Make 2010 the year you fall madly in love with yourself. Whether you experiment with fashion, style and beauty or you just decide to love yourself exactly as you are, resolve to be the best "you" possible this year.

Many blessings and Happy New Year!
Kristin
Editor-In-Chief
Fashion.Style.Beauty

New Year, New You: Top Bloggers Reveal Their 2010 New Year's Resolutions

It's New Year's Eve and after you go out and wreck your liver tonight, chances are you'll repent over a bloody mary and start to think about what your resolutions are for the year to come. Outside of the usual, ever wonder what those of us in fashion and beauty media resolve to do or not do when it comes to our routines? I went out to some of the top fashion and beauty bloggers out there to get the scoop.

The gorgeous Julia DiNardo from Fashion Pulse Daily says:

As we close 2009, what are you most thankful for this year? From a style perspective, I am thankful for the return of "Eighties Shoulders" - the strong, exaggerated silhouettes of puffery, puckering, and glorious shoulder pads. My mom and aunt gave me glorious jackets of such stuff that have laid dormant in my closet for years, until recently, like my mom's 80s velvet bolero jacket!
What's your New Year's Resolution? Less impulse buys, more meaningful investments (in apparel and accessories), and to perfect putting on fake eyelashes!

Lovely Anne Fritz of Jet Set Girls had a really fun thing to be thankful for this time:

As we close 2009, what are you most thankful for this year? I have to go with my husband of six weeks and counting, Leopold. He's so wonderfully supportive of The Jet Set Girls and my blogging career.
What's your New Year's Resolution? I have two beauty related ones:
1. To take better care of my decolletage! I'm so good about using SPF on my face, not so good on my neck and chest and it's starting to show.
2. Mix up my makeup routine more. I have so many lip glosses and eyeshadows, but I always use the same ones. No more in 2010!!

Adorable Jamie Sanders from The Beauty of Life is abroad on vacation but stopped by to give me her New Year's Resolutions:

As we close 2009, what are you most thankful for this year?This year, I'm most thankful for taking more chances with my hair and makeup and having them pay off! I tried Minx, I tried haircolor for the first time in seven years, I chopped off 4 inches of my hair ... and biggest of all, I tried red lipstick for the first time and it actually looked good! It showed me that trying new things doesn't always have to be scary and doesn't always have to end in disaster.
What's your New Year's Resolution? In 2010, I'm going to try to live life to the fullest. I'm celebrating a milestone birthday and want to take advantage of every opportunity I can!

The elegant Aly Walansky from Alytude had some fun hair-related items, which which I totally concur:


As we close 2009, what are you most thankful for this year? I'm super thankful for Moroccan Oil, Brazilian Keratin Treatments, and Living Proof No Frizz - these three products have gone a long way toward - after 30 years on this earth - my ability to love my hair, not loathe it. It's so easy, with difficult hair, to want to chemically alter it, or hide it under a giant headband...but living in denial doesn't work! (So says the two inches of roots I achieve several months after my Japanese thermal reconditioning appointments...) - work with what God has given you, and help it to be its best - and it just may surprise you!
What's your New Year's Resolution? My new years' resolution is to clean up my life - I want to remove the emotional/mental/physical clutter from my relationships, my home, my closet - and everywhere else. And while I'm cleaning, and decluttering, I'm going to be more religious about cleansing my skin twice a day...if our body is a temple, I should probably give as much consideration to myself as I do to my vanity drawer! :-)

Felicia Sullivan, the beautiful fashion and beauty blogger with the magic touch in the kitchen, had one very simple item for which to be thankful and I completely agree.

As we close 2009, what are you most thankful for this year? I’m grateful for the strange, wonderful, brilliant people in my life — my friends who I lean on, trust implicitly, and come to call my family  -- for they have given me shelter through some of the darkest moments I’ve known.
(Felicia doesn't really do resolutions.)

And then there's me.

As we close 2009, what are you most thankful for this year? I'm extremely thankful for the amazing people in my life and finally coming into my own when it comes to accepting myself the way I am. My hair is kinky, I have an hourglass shape and finally accepting what I look like has been the greatest gift I've ever given myself. It's allowed me to look and feel my best instead of fighting with myself on a daily basis.

What's your New Year's Resolution? I have to say that I share Aly's resolution to clean up my relationships as well as get back out there and date. But from a beauty and fashion perspective, it's all about maintenance and taking really, really good care of myself this year. I'm the first person to skip haircuts, not get massages, wait until my hands and feet make me look like an extra from Lord of the Rings before I get mani-pedis...no more! This is the year that I am top of my priority list and I will invest a considerable amount of time and funds to making sure I look my absolute smoking hottest this year.

What are YOUR New Year's Resolutions, dear FSB readers? Spill!

Thanks to all my fellow bloggesses for their fabulous resolutions. Happy New Year, everyone!

Sale Alert: Get The Gifts You SHOULD Have Received from Rue La La

Did you get a sucky gift this year? We've all been there, having to fake a "giftgasm", trying to muster up enough energy and happiness to make it look like we're really into what we received while we're thinking, "Do you KNOW me?" It's not their fault. Some people are just really bad at giving gifts/listening/paying attention to what you want.  There's one retailer that wants you to get what you really wanted this holiday season and that's members-only shopping site Rue La La.

The online high fashion and chic home goods retailer would like your mailbox to deliver where your gift givers might not have been able to bring the magic with their "The Gifts You Didn't Get" Boutique. For 48 hours, gain valuable access to amazing items for Women, Men and Home, including women's designer clothing, cozy cashmere, must-have bags, and chic accessories. Dudes have access to men's watches, suits, jackets, cashmere, boots, leather and denim. Is your casa less than cozy? Peruse home goods, including those for the bed, bath and kitchen. Here are some examples of the fab sales to be had:

• Keep that New Year's Eve resolution with Zobha,  fashionable, must-have yoga and pilates gear, you'll look forward to hitting up the gym.
• But in the meantime, get streamlined and sexy with Spanx
• Need some designer goods? Get flirty fun items from the whimsical Betsey Johnson or go All-America high fashion with classics from Calvin Klein.

So, forget about fighting the crowds. Stay home, pour yourself a glass of something fizzy (or warm - baby, it's cold outside!) and commence to shopping Rue La La's online boutique. This way you can get what you REALLY wanted this Christmas. Because, as we say back home, if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. :)

FSB Presents: The Ultimate Last Minute Gift Guide

Honey, it's December 24th and what are you doing? Trying to come up with a gift? Oh, we've got trouble right here in your city and it starts with a capital "T" which rhymes with "C" and that stands for Christmas. What are you going to do now?

Fear not, dear readers. I'm here to save your proverbial bacon with presents that can be purchased in total last-minute style that will have them thinking you spent all sorts of time on the situation. Grab a glass of eggnog and a seat on the bus, 'cause I'm about to take you to school.

Who wouldn't appreciate a massage or spa treatment? This is practically a layup: get them a Bliss Virtual E-Card. With multiple locations around the country and an online store chock full of products that we all covet within an inch of our lives, this little present not only can be purchased (and redeemed) online, they can email the certificate to the recipient. As in, delivered instantly. Feel free to use the "well-I-wanted-to-time-it-just-right" excuse.

What about for the men in your life? How about a Bottlenotes Wine Club subscription? Each month fabulous new bottles of wine will arrive at his home in the spirit and varietals mentioned for the individual subscription. I mean, what guy doesn't like to flaunt his knowledge of obscure varietals to others? Print the email confirmation and put it in a card or wrap it around a bottle of wine like a label and put it under the tree.

If you live near a Target, there isn't a person alive that wouldn't die for a gift card from the super retailer. I'm on my way to a Target in Charleston, WV this weekend (which is where I'm from, actually) and I plan on raiding whatever's left of the Rodarte for Go International collection with the one I received from a relative. Housewares, electronics, beauty, office supplies - anything that feels like free money in a store with such goodness is a joy to receive. Head to their Customer Service desk and load one up.

What if you're in the middle of nowhere and the only thing on the way to Grandma's house is a grocery store? Desperate times call for desperate measures and here's hopin' that she likes to gamble because at times like these nothing says I love you like a fist full of lottery tickets and a bottle of wine. You're laughing now but I've seen this gift work in some of the most posh of situations. Lottery tickets bring out the inner nickel slot slut in all of us, admit it.

Other instant gifts? Netflix memberships and restaurant gift certificates are all amazing gifts that can be purchased right this minute and given today.

Another good idea? Make a difference in the world. Donate money in their name to a worthy charity, like Charity: Water, an organization that ensures clean drinking water to the billion or so individuals on our planet who don't have access to the one thing we probably take for granted the most.

What if you have no money and no time? Seriously, I have been there. This is where having a computer comes in handy. Make your own gift certificates for services you can supply throughout the year, redeemable only to the person whose name is on it. Massages, house cleaning, rides to the mall, foot massages, whatever you can volunteer, print them and give them as your gift. It's really the thought that counts and it's important to remember that.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Holiday Gift Guide: Robert Verdi's Holiday Picks

Remember I sent you the notice to follow me on Twitter for Robert Verdi's Holiday Tweet-Up last week? Well, an epic time was had by all. Robert invited some of his favorite bloggers/social media peeps to enjoy a fabulous night at Luxe Lab where he gave us his picks for holiday gift giving.

Everyone at the party was madly in love with these amazing items and I can vouch for how happy these items make the person receiving them. If you're looking for last minute gift ideas, these are Robert's recommended items:

The Palm Pixi Smartphone (starting at $99 via Sprint), which combines swipe screen technology and a full QWERTY keyboard in one slim, petite little slice of technology heaven.

A gorgeous Carlos Falchi Large Metallic Shopping Tote ($220), which is amazing for running errands or showing up to brunch and making pretty much everyone jealous.

Fabulous cookies from Tasty Morsels Bakery (which can be made into a menagerie of shapes, including the ones shaped like his famous cranium, complete with sunglasses).

Fragrances from Ralph Lauren Polo Red White and Blue ($52.50) for men and the Harajuku Lovers Snow Bunnies Special Edition Collection ($30 each for full sized scents) for Women.

Sherpa for Sharpie Pen Covers ($29.95) for those of us who are writing utensil snobs and cannot live without large buckets full of Sharpies (which is not uncommon for those of us in fashion media...I'm not kidding).

A Portolano Cashmere Hat, Gloves and Mittens Set (various prices), which I haven't taken off since I got them.

Victoria's Secret Miraculous Push-Up Bra ($48-$52) and The Lacie Panties (3 for $30). This amazing bra can add up to two sizes to your bustline and the panty is truly one size fits all. Genius.

The Fresh Brown Sugar Bath Set ($75), which is perfect for the overworked bath lover. You know, like me.

The RJ Graziano Go Glam Set of 10 Crystal-Accented Bangles ($59.95), which are absolutely gorgeous. It's a big thing for a jewelry designer to acknowledge another one. They're simply stunning and are fabulous for evening. Hello, New Year's Eve is rapidly approaching.

Warm footwear is an absolute necessity. I admit to being an Ugg virgin until that night but now I live in this Ugg Australia Bailey Button Ankle Boots ($150). I'm also getting miles of wear from these absolutely beautiful cropped Moc-Toe boots from The Vintage Boot Company.

The movie lover in your life would sing your praises over a one-year gift subscription to Netflix ($167.88). If you want them to scream like they're in Oprah's audience, gift them the ROKU Netflix player ($79.99), which wirelessly streams movies from a Netflix queue to your television.

We all have to consult the experts and if you're an astrology reader like most of us, famed astrologer Susan Miller's 2010 Calendar ($15.99) is where it's at, people.

 

More photos from the event can be seen here.

These are genius last-minute gift ideas and coming from a celebrity stylist, how can you resist giving something that's red carpet approved? Print this list and take it shopping. Tell 'em Robert Verdi sent ya!

Shopping Destination: Mackage Soho Pop-Up Store

I'm obsessed with the designer outerwear goods of Mackage. I'm definitely a little more rock and roll lately and the cutting-edge styles from Eron Elfasy and Elisa Dahan are some of my favorites, like this impossibly chic Maggie Leather Jacket ($620).

From buttery-soft leather to slimming sub-zero puffer jackets, Mackage is a line worth investigating (and investing in a few pieces, if I do say so myself.) The designing duo has opened a pop-up boutique at 148 Spring Street in Soho here in my beloved NYC and they still maintain their other boutique in the Meatpacking District, so stop into either location and peruse the finery.

Can't make it to NYC just yet? Mackage goods are sold online via their official website. So hit this amazing outerwear company and get yourself a little something for being such a good girl this year. After all, you deserve it!

Holiday Beauty: The Pampermint Pedicure

After racing from one end of the city to another working, events, epic levels of Christmas shopping and the holiday party circuit, my feet were freaking killing me. You know what I mean, that aching, murderous pain where you want to just take your feet off and put them somewhere. Well, my little overworked heel-loving maven, I need to tell you about the fabulous Pampermint Manicures and Pedicures at Eve Salon here in NYC.

Available through January 31st, the Pampermint Manicure ($20) and Pampermint Pedicure ($40) are fabulous winter treatments exclusive to Eve. Each service is 45 minutes of sheer bliss where your technician uses peppermint oil-infused products to revitalize tired muscle tissue, soothe your skin and calm your anxious mind. In addition to a vigorous and mind-blowing peppermint sugar scrub, you'll receive a massage that will have you melting into the chair and a steaming hot cup of all natural hot cocoa, which comes with a shot of peppermint schnapps if you so desire.

So if you wonder what's the cause of my shiny disposition (and my sparkling red pedicure), I'll confess to my new personal favorite holiday treatment. An amazing gift idea or just something lovely to ease your worried mind and body, book these fabulous treatments by calling 212.807.8054.

Then cool your heels with a little peppermint lovin' and let the pampering begin.

Holiday Gift Guide: Presents for Tween and Teen Girls

Ah, the mysterious tween and teen. This part of our species has baffled gift givers for years with mercurial tastes and their insistence that you are the most uncool human that ever lived. What to get these complicated young ladies? Read on...

Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers Snow Bunnies 5-Piece Set with Dollhouse ($99.95) is the uber-cool rock star/designer's fragrance collection reissued in adorable snow clothing. She'll be able to change her scent with her mood with this collection of perfumes inside an adorable dollhouse. Just try to keep from borrowing them.

This is kind of a layup but chances are that you have a Twilight fan in your midst. The Bella Beauty Set ($40) is perfect for your lovelorn young girl and, even better, it doesn't matter if she's Team Edward or Team Jacob.

Unless you've been given very specific instructions, I would avoid purchasing clothing as a gift but if you want to make sure our favorite girl stays warm and looks cute at the same time, I would stick with anything from Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's new line for JC Penney's, Olsenboye. This Distressed Flannel Shirt ($24.99) is super cool and way less expensive than your obsession with Elizabeth and James.

Video games are always hilarious fun and I'd recommend either Rock Band or my new fun obsession, the karaoke game, Lips.

Last but not least, you'll need stocking stuffers. This is another layup. iTunes Gift Cards are the best gift you can give them along with a solemn promise to give them one day a week where you won't complain the music is too loud.

They'll love you forever for these super cool gifts...until you make them clean their room. You're on your own at that point.

Holiday Gift Guide: Presents for the Beauty Lover

Nothing is more beautiful to a beauty lover than a whole stocking full of fabulous products. Here are some fabulous ideas for the makeup and skincare lover in your life:

Every woman needs dazzling makeup brushes in her life. This glamorous Sonia Kashuk Twist of Fate Six-Piece Brush Set ($19.99) are of the most amazing quality and they come in their own slee, jet-bejeweled case. Perfect for touch-ups during a night on the town and you can zip over to your local Target and pick it up, like, right now.

One of the coolest things to come around in a really long time, Stila's The Makeup Player Train Case (on sale for $69.90) is a makeup case and instructional all-in-one. The makeup case comes with some of Stila's greatest products and a dock for your MP3 player. Download the instructional videos to help perfect your look or simply kick up some tunes while you get ready. This is the ultimate gift for any makeup loving woman and it's got FREE SHIPPING if you order it now. It's a $250 value so if you don't take advantage of this gift idea, there's no helping you, really.

The perfect stocking stuffer, get the LORAC Star Style Set ($25.00), which contains a full-sized aquaPRIME oil-free makeup primer, On Screen Duo Powder Highlighter & Cream Eye Shadow/Liner in Fame and Fortune, a miniature deluxe TANtalizer Baked Bronzer for face and body, and a Starry Eyed Baked Eye Shadow Trio in Star Style, all in a gilded gold makeup bag. This set is valued at $108 and it's also a real deal, so get this in time for Christmas morning by ordering now.

For the lipstick lover in you (or, if you must give it away, some other lipstick-loving maven), get the M.A.C. House of Mirth Deep Lip Bag ($36), which features Fantasia Lipstick, Cedar Lip Pencil and Get Rich Quick Dazzleglass in a stylish, silvery little makeup bag with a festive ribbon and bead detail on the zipper. If you're gifting this to someone else, let me put it to you this way: there isn't a woman on the planet who wears makeup that wouldn't want this.

Last but not least, you'll need something to wet your whistle for mistletoe incidents. Huge Lips, Skinny Hips Lipgloss in Red Sole ($25) is the sexiest red lip gloss out there and it'll plump your kisser while keeping you from diving head first into the buffet table. A great gift for anyone and be sure to pick up one for yourself.

Have a beautiful holiday!

Holiday Gift Guide: Beautiful, Sexy Lingerie

Baby, it's cold outside and there's nothing that heats things up faster than sexy, beautiful lingerie. Whether you purchase these items for yourself or for a beautiful woman in your life, it's so true that nothing is sexier than confidence, which any woman should have in spades after donning these amazing lingerie ideas.

I love lacy underthings and this Kiki de Montparnasse Lucretia Bra ($195) and Ravished Garter Panty ($175) are beyond supersexy. Strut around in this outfit and you'll move differently. Trust.

Keep a medic on speed dial if you walk out in this Agent Provacateur Love Basque ($370). Better yet, make sure that you treat this outfit like an amusement park ride - whoever sees you in this has to be free from all neck, back and heart conditions.

Slightly more demure but no less alluring is this Victoria's Secret Ruffle Babydoll ($58). I have a hard time believing you'll be getting a lot of sleep in this one.

Where are my curvy girls? Got you covered, honey. This supersexy and flirty Betsey Johnson Intimates Chiffon Babydoll with Matching G-String Panty ($58.99) goes up to a size 2x. Work it, ladies!

Since you're bound to get a little closer with all this lace-clad lack of clothing, might I suggest you come prepared for the situation? The Lush Bewitched Massage Bar ($11.45), which the company claims is about as close to a love potion as you're bound to get. It contains essential oils like violet leaf (restores friendly bonds), lime oil (gets rid of apathy) and chamomile(helps one to forget the past).

Lock the doors and turn off the phones, kids. With these lingerie picks that can be ordered in time for Christmas if you hurry, you're bound to heat up the holiday.

And the Coach Bag Winner is.....

After almost 300 entries (!!!), the random winner has been chosen. Jules, you've won the Coach Bag! I'll be contacting you to ship the bag out to you on Monday just in time (fingers crossed) for the holidays!

Thanks to all for entering! There are more holiday giveaways to come so keep it tuned here to Fashion.Style.Beauty! Happy Holidays to everyone!

Exciting News! Follow Me on Twitter For Robert Verdi's Holiday Twitter Event at Luxe Lab Thursday Night!

I think it's pretty easy to guess with all my coverage that I love me some Robert Verdi. He's given tons of great advice to you, my fabulous FSB readers and tomorrow night (that would be Thursday, December 17th at 6:45 pm ET SHARP) I'm going back to the Luxe Lab to get the scoop on the celebrity stylist/jewelry designer/interior designer/media gadfly's picks for holiday gifts!

Now, here's something fun for you: I'll be tweeting live from the event, so if you're not following me on Twitter, please do so at @fashionstbeauty. Why? Here are three major reasons:

1) You'll have an opportunity to ask Robert questions and have them answered live on Twitter.

2) Robert is really generous and does giveaways to those who follow these tweets during events and I have it on good authority that tomorrow has some epic giveaways to followers from companies like Ugg and Vintage Shoe Company. Hello?!? Who's going to turn down free swag from a celebrity stylist. Not I, said the cute little blogger.

3) Because it'll be hilarious fun!

Want to get a jump on the giveaways already? If you tweet "“I wanna win @robertverdi 's holiday shoe picks from Ugg Australia & Vintage Shoe Co! (insert your shoe size) #rvtips”, you'll be entered to win some FREE SHOES, LADIES!


So, what do you do?


1) Follow me on Twitter: @fashionstbeauty


2) Tweet that message above to get a jump on the giveaways


3) Grab a cocktail and follow hashtag #rvtips to get all the amazing news and scoop from inside the event. Trust me, his parties get really fun REALLY FAST, so expect some hilarious stuff to be flying around the Twittersphere.


So follow me on Twitter and join me tomorrow at 6:45 pm ET SHARP for a Twitter party with Robert Verdi and a slew of other fashion and beauty bloggers to get the inside scoop from the mad style genius himself. See you tomorrow!

Holiday Gift Guide: Books for the Stylish Woman

As someone who dearly loves fashion, style and beauty (hence the name of the site – no accidents here), I find myself constantly amassing a sizable library of  tomes on these subjects both for reference and for inspiration.  It’s my opinion that these types of books make brilliant gifts for both the fashionable and the fashion-challenged, just make sure that if you’re gifting the latter with this well-meaning set of books that you set the tone appropriately, lest you get the cold shoulder this holiday season…and I don’t mean the cutout detail top. Here are some of my picks for stylish books:

How-to Style Guides: I have three in this category that I think are always excellent gifts. I recommend Nina Garcia’s The Style Strategy: A Less-Is-More Approach to Staying Chic and Shopping Smart (It Books, 2009) for her style aesthetic and personal anecdotes. I personally believe that Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style (Abrams Image, 2007) is a must-have that every woman should have in her library both for practical advice and Gunn’s frank and tender manner when imparting wardrobe advice. Lastly, Rachel Zoe’s Style A-to-Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty and Everything Glamour (Grand Central Publishing, 2008) is a great look at the stylist’s fabulous taste and inspires you to create your own looks from her ideas.

Inspirational Photo/Style Books: There are two you must own right this minute. Get WhoWhatWear: Celebrity And Runway Style for Real Life (Abrams Image, 2009), which is a collection of advice and photos from the ladies who run this genius style site, Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power; and The Sartorialist (Penguin, 2009), which is a collection of blogger/photographer Scott Schuman’s street chic-inspired photography. Both inspire and inform on levels I can’t begin to describe.

Beauty Books: There are thousands of books out there on how to get your best face but I recommend Sonia Kashuk’s Real Beauty (Clarkson Potter, 2003)- and having met her, I can tell you that this book is what it would be like to speak with her – genius at work; either of legendary makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin’s books, Making Faces and Face Forward (Little, Brown and Company, 1999 and 2001, respectively) and Bobbi Brown’s Makeup Manual: For Anyone Beginner to Pro (Springboard Press, 2008). Any of these books will provide expert guidance and instruction you can follow quite easily to look your best.

These books will delight the stylish, the stylishly interested and the style challenged alike. Although, trust me, if the latter truly has no interest in dressing well, throwing the book at them (literally, not figuratively) will make no difference. Bestow these books on someone who will love and cherish them.