Happy Holidays! We want to take this opportunity to thank you for reading our blog and for making Belladerm the wonderful place that it is! We love seeing all of you and wish you a wonderful holiday and some time to slow down and relax! Enjoy the season even though many of us are grumbling a bit about the frozen tundra we find ourselves in! It is fireplace weather so go cuddle up at the end of a long day in front of a cozy fire if you’re able!
This month you are no doubt scurrying around preparing for Christmas and we hope to make your life a little easier by providing some tips. Here they are:

• Men are notoriously hard to shop for. If you are struggling to pin down a good stocking stuffer or gift idea for your special someone or your dad, son, brother…you might want to check out this link. It is full of ideas. If you sign up for our newsletter, you’ll see an exclusive offer for gift cards at Belladerm. That is always an easy gift, too!
• Are you hosting a holiday party where people are bringing items? Would you like to share your child’s wish list with relatives? We’ve never personally used this service, but have heard it is pretty slick and there are so many things you can do with it. Bringit is a free, easy way to organize people and events.  This online tool has free accounts or if you really need more gusto you can even sign up for a paid account.
• Looking for a fun and pretty holiday treat to set out? This is even one that the kids would love to help with. It is easy and very festive! See for yourself and then click here for the recipe.

This time of year can be maddening when you look in the mirror and see red eyes, puffiness, allergy “shiners” and a red nose. And all about the time you want some nice family photos for the Christmas card.  They have termed it “allergy face” and there ARE ways to combat it! Zyrtec found in a study that 81% of women with allergies don’t believe they can fully cover up their symptoms, however.
You’ll find loads of information online, but some of the fast tips you can glean are:

• DO use extra moisturizer as the allergy meds can dry you out, making skin appear more flaky
• DO use a humidifier as another method to keep skin more hydrated
• DON’T do nothing – there are many wonderful products and things you can do at home to help
• DO consider using a silvery eyeliner or a blue eyeliner, which will combat the redness and make the whites appear more white
• DO layer a bronzer with blush to chisel the cheekbones more, which helps a puffy face look better
• DO apply cold compresses to swollen areas – a cold spoon is a popular choice for puffy eyes
• DO draw attention elsewhere with bold color, like on your lips
• DO buy a green color correction concealer and play with it until you find what works best – layering under skin-toned concealer

Everywhere you look, you’ll find ombre! From hair to nails to clothing, this look is hot.

Color fading can give your eyes instant edge too. All you need: two hues and these tips.
Darker outer corners make eyes appear bigger and sexier. For daytime, try violet with pale lavender; for night, pair deep forest green with emerald, or rich navy with a cobalt or denim blue.
Dust the lighter color from the inner corner to the middle of the lid, and the darker one from there to the outer corner (wing it out a quarter inch past the edge for drama); drag it along your lower lash line too. Use a stiff eye-shadow brush and short strokes to blend where the shades meet.