Brad and Angelina. Tom and Katie. Posh and Becks. We residents of La-la land are suckers for a dazzling dynamic duo. Luckily, Valerie Cosmetics knows how to craft a mighty fine team. Her pair of magical mascaras, Foreplay and Happy Ending, can be worn alone, but together leave you with a glam, bam, thank you m’am wink. Like any good A-List lead, Foreplay sets the tone—this time by adding length, while Happy Ending amps up the feeding frenzy with spectacularly lush lashes. The red-carpet ready look may fool the town into thinking you’re fixed on falsies, yet you won’t have to blink twice when flashbulbs ask if real. We wish we could say the same regarding the assets of all our favorite twosomes. Instead, we’ll just keep our lash-tastic eyes out for the stalkerazzi.

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http://www.valeriebeverlyhills.com/catalog/default.php

LBD’S. Eyeliner. Making out with reckless abandonment under the mistletoe. We all know what the season of soirees is really about. And we like it. Except when the combination of all three leads you to wake up with sex-kitten-turned-raccoon eyes. Luckily, there’s Bionova Eye Make-Up Remover which removes all traces of your smoky eye without feeling sticky. The vitamin infused remover nourishes and hydrates your skin to ensure you wake up feeling fresh-faced and clean. So even if that extra shot of eggnog means the sheets you’re under don’t look familiar, well…at least they won’t be covered in last’s night kohl. →

The last time you topically applied something from your liquor cabinet, you woke up in a stranger’s hotel room smelling of tequila (don’t worry, not judging). Luckily, Jan Marini has taken the nights you wish had never happened and put them to good use—allowing you to actually forget them. Her Age Intervention Regeneration Facial Mask is full of secret ingredients like resveratrol, a polyphenol from red wine that reduces wrinkles and has been proven to modulate genetic expression (yeah…we already knew a couple glasses of Cab could do that). →

Freelance. Babysitting. The oldest profession there is (waiting tables, of course!). Desperate times call for desperate measures. Luckily, La Bella Donna is here to make moonlighting the highlight of your day. Their mineral pigment Moonlight Highlighting Cream Colour is a multi-purpose blush that also has lip and eye shimmer listed as special skills. We recommend dabbing some on your collarbone in your off-hours to draw out even more of your inherent sparkle. Because everyone should have a chance to shine on these taxing (or, ahem, untaxed) times.

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http://www.labelladonna.com/shop/product.php?productid=16177&cat=249&page=1

Injections. Surgery. Fat grafts (ew!). There’s a plethora of ways to plump your lips by going under the knife. Luckily La Bella Donna has made a mighty mineral gloss to rescue you from any sharp objects. Their Baci Baci Lip Sheer adds high shine with a click of a silver pen. Sodium hyaluronate creates a barrier for lips so they condition over time and the presence of collagen aids in anti-aging. So your lips will be glossy, full, and kissable-y smooth. We’ll chalk that up to the power of the pen. In two new colors: Sweet Pea and Nude.

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Epic romances. Weekend getaways. Just another Saturday night. All steamy adventures are spurred by a liplock. Luckily, Villainess Soaps has prepared a proper kiss goodbye. Their Smooch body scrub is filled with vitamin rich oils to moisturize and raw sugars and crushed botanicals to exfoliate your skin, leaving you undeniably supple and dangerously smooth. Because a great evening may incept with an innocuous make-out but  the true voyage tends to commence at “your place or mine”. →

She watched wine-gold swirls unravel themselves down the porcelain drain and thought of Lady Macbeth. She too wanted to be able to wash her hands of things, of stress, of pain, of life’s intrusive disappointments eclipsing certain hopes, but she knew it was not that easy. She knew that like the slab of Egyptian musk and amber-scented soap that the trauma of realizing the world was not as she thought it was, was not always as it promised to be would take time to diminish. As it whittled itself down to a whiff of distant memory, she would languish both in the parts as pungent as peaches and those bedecked with blood. The fallout of trauma, she thought, always lingers in surprising ways whether it’s a thin film like the silken lather of a guest-room soap or the rich, undying scent of myrrh.

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http://www.villainess.net/trauma.html

Cargo freights exploding. Hikes gone wrong. Late night drives off a cliff. Any avid Grey’s Anatomy watcher knows when trauma strikes, the world slows as it races forward to count the seconds between heart beats, the minutes between breaths, and the hours between what can be done and what is too late to salvage. The skincare line Villainess has a knack for stirring up the same concoction of fear and lust, without the machinery. →

When it comes to life’s ups and downs, sometimes the ride exhilarates, and other times it feels as though the bottom is ready to drop out. Luckily, Patricia Ayres is here to offer you security amidst the storm. An artist, photographer, and fashion designer who draws inspiration from the urban landscape, Ayres knows a thing or two about seeking a safeguard from a sometimes cruel world. So it’s no surprise her white harness would be a standout piece of pretty yet sturdy protection. Softer than the metal variations on the market, this adaptation lends comfort without the noisy ferocity of a tough-girl chain. Because sometimes what’s most important is the quiet strength that holds you together. Even if it’s just a subtle embellishment, a flourish for the outside eye.

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Toothbrush. Change of underwear. Lotion and a disposable Bic. Your mother always stressed the importance of preparation, and, as a model girl scout, you know what items to keep with you at all times. Luckily, Napoleon Perdis’ Madame Prep has garnered all the same pretty patches. Acting as base coat, this primer promises to make your lashes even more luscious once mascara is applied. Natural waxes and nylon fibers bring out body, while the lovely wand wards off clump. Because as every member of the troop can tell you, selling all your cookies requires the know-how of a true leader…we call her Madame Prep. →