I must be the easiest person to shop for. Similar to an obsession as a young girl with Barbie dolls, with make-up I want it all and I can never have enough. I have plenty of stuff for the both the personal and professional make-up kit, and as cost-effective as I try to be with purchasing make-up items, I’ll inevitably find something new that I love. To ease the feelings of guilt, I use the terms ‘updating the kit' as an excuse to rationalize its purchase! After all, why would I use a product on one of my clients that I can’t say I’ve tried and swear by for myself? Right, Rhia…riiight.

One of the nice things about Christmas shopping is the abundance of gift sets. From fragrances to make-up, there are plenty of deals out there that give you more value for your Christmas shopping dollar. My favourite of all these are of course the make-up gift sets! You can get everything in ‘minis’ - mini brush sets, mini glosses, palettes.

Now, this is MY idea of good things coming in small packages!!

Here are some gorgeous make-up sets that would make great gifts for those lucky, lucky people on your list (ahem...hint, hint…nudge, nudge).

Lancôme Juicy Tubes Holiday Set ($49 CAD)
Often imitated, but hardly duplicated, Lancôme's Juicy Tubes are a make-up classic. The Holiday Set includes eight glosses in shades that are both suitable for everyday wear or for a night on the town! The travel-sized tubes are perfect for popping in your purse or make-up kit, and with 8 shades to choose from you'll have a different one for every day of the week! The set includes two of my personal faves, Touch of Light and Miracle. Touch of Light is a pale cream gloss that looks gorgeous when worn on its own and when layered atop a lipstick. Miracle is a bubble gum pink with high-shine - can you say yum?!

MAC Mischief Makers Pigment Sets ($38.50 CAD)
It happened to me the other day where I walked into my local MAC store to refill on ‘necessity’ items for my client kit, but somehow I ended up gravitating towards the holiday gift sets (they were packaged like candy - can you blame me?!). I ended up buying the necessity items I had originally intended AND a couple of gift sets. Well, sorta gifts...uhh, for myself - I mean the kit!

There were many mini kits to choose from (believe me, I had to restrain myself from puchasing more!), but I instantly fell in love with the Pigment Sets. For anyone who's ever bought MAC Pigment before, you'll know the product lives up to its name and glides on amazingly intense! Yet for being as multi-purpose as they are, sometimes it's hard to use the entire jar, as you only need a little to get a concentrated look. The Holiday Pigment sets are an awesome value - you get 5 mini pigments for the price of $38.50 (one regular-sized pigment retails for $23.50), and although they're mini in size, the product will go a long way!

MAC also offers sets of mini glosses, mini brushes and palettes all at great prices. The gift options are endless...until they're sold out! Go early to avoid disappointment!

NARS Everlasting Love Palette ($87 CAD)NARS holiday sets, you had me at hello. Guaranteed any make-up lover will fall in Everlasting Love with this NARS palette! The palette offers a winning combination of colours for achieving the coveted smoky eye plus nude lip look, across a variety of skin tones. Everlasting Love includes NARS best-selling shades Orgasm blush and South Beach the Multiple, along with four eyeshadow shades and four lip shades. Mix and match to your heart's content, and get holiday glam all in the convenience of one gorgeous palette.

Time to write that note to Santa... :)

artistrhi weddings update! Here are the gorgeous pro pics of Heather's wedding courtesy of kieleyphotography.com. Heather is the perfect combo of bridal babe plus sweetheart, as you can tell from the pics. It's always great to catch up with my brides a few months after things have settled down and hear how everything is going so well....and that the Big Day was everything they dreamed of. This is what it's all about.

Thank you Heather for letting me share in your Big Day! xo

See more from Heather's wedding day here.

See the original post on Toronto Wedding Professionals - your e-source for all things wedding!
It may be wintertime and wedding 'off-season', but if you're planning for your Big Day next year, now is the time to get a jumpstart on your skin care and beauty routine! Try these tips to get your skin Big Day ready:

Think and live healthy.
Drink more water, get as much rest as possible, eat well (limit your intake of high-sugar foods, caffeine and alcohol) and be more active.

Don't sweat the small stuff.
Some breakouts are stress-related. Remember to ask your bridal party for help when planning your wedding - they're your support group!

Follow a daily skin care routine.
Wash and moisturize your face 2 times daily - once when you wake up, and then again before you go to sleep. Make sure to thoroughly remove the day's make-up before you sleep and exfoliate no more than two times per week. If you're trying a new skin care routine, start it at least 6 months in advance of your wedding day to ensure your skin has time to adjust. Meet with a dermatologist or skin care consultant if you're unsure how to get your routine started.

Everyone's skin tends to feel dry and tight in the winter - so opt for a richer moisturizer for the face (i.e. add a night cream or a serum to your routine). Avoid taking long hot showers/baths as these can actually dry out the skin, reducing the production of the body's natural oils.

Something old, something new...
The wedding day or even the week leading up to the wedding is not the time to experiment with a new product or a completely different hairstyle, etc. Your skin needs time to adjust to a new product and cut hair won't grow back overnight!

Facials, Waxing and Threading.
Depending on your skin sensitivity, have your last facial at least 1-2 weeks before the Big Day. Facials lead to temporary bumps and redness that may or may not subside before your wedding day. Go for any waxings at least 3 days before the Big Day to make sure your skin has time to heal.

Remember, great wedding make-up always starts with a great base, so take care of your skin now and you'll have less to worry about as you near the Big Day!

Check out wnetwork.com for my latest Q & A on Mascara Brushes!
Here's a bit more on the mascaras I recommended in my response (click on the photos below to enlarge).

Brushes that Lengthen:
A thin mascara wand (like that of Maybelline Lash Stiletto or Lancome Definicils) works to lengthen lashes and help make even those tiny hairs in the corners of the eyes stand out! I love Maybelline's Lash Stiletto for the overall finish it gives the lashes and for its affordable pricepoint (under $10 when on sale!).

When it comes to the splurge option, I was first hooked on Definicils the first time I tried it in a Lancome gift with purchase. I love the long, separated lash look that Definicils leaves (it ain't award-winning for nothing!), but I can't rationalize spending the $30 on it! I'd rather go for the deal in this instance! :)



Brushes that build volume:
A plush and full bristled brush like those of the Loreal Voluminous and Dior's Diorshow mascaras (pictured below) to add volume to your eyelashes. L'oreal's Voluminous has been a staple in my personal kit since the day I discovered the power of mascara. Usually after trying something new, I always revert back to this old faithful because it doesn't disappoint!

Dior's Diorshow is a mascara I've bought a few times - even at the splurge price of approximately $30! I love the big, bold lashes you get with Diorshow. Even though I wouldn't spend the extra dollars on Definicils above, when I'm in the mood to treat myself, I definitely splurge on Diorshow. Guilty as charged!

It's nearing the one year mark for the artistrhi site, and I was definitely itching for a change! I wanted to adjust the design layout to have a cleaner and brighter aesthetic...and I'm extremely happy with the results, all with the help of Rosie of Design in Rotation (aka my awesome and talented sister!).

To further improve the user experience, you'll also notice the following changes:

1. Removal of borders and titles within the galleries to let the pictures speak for themselves :)

2. Minimizing the amount of scrolling! Don't you hate it when you go to a site, but it's optimized for a different resolution so you have to scroll up and down, AND right and left?!

3. Compatibility with more browser versions, including Internet Explorer 6...which means it will look as it's supposed to!

4. Icons on the main page that allow you to easily connect via Facebook, Twitter, Blogspot and the new gig at wnetwork!

5. Moving towards uniform branding for 'artistrhi' with logo changes on the site, the blog and on rhiaamio.com

I'm always open to suggestions on how the site can be improved. Let me know what you think!