Editor’s Note: All of us here send our best wishes for the New Year and look forward to spending 2009 together with you.  We will be back on the 2nd.

New Year’s is that one holiday every year that I really really look forward to.  In the same way that some people deck out for St. Patrick’s Day, or Halloween, or Christmas, I go all out festive on New Year’s.  This year I’ve compiled 12 of my favorite champagne themed products of the year - whether they be champagne colored, scented, flavored or the real deal.  It won’t be too difficult to guess what theme I’ll be rocking all night tonight.

Champagne in Hand

1. Essie Nail Polish in Imported Champagne: This sparkly golden beige polish straddles that delicate balance between gloss and frost and creates a very beautiful champagne finish.  Unlike purely glossy colors, the shimmer lets you get away with a little bit of careless in the application.  I did mine at home just yesterday in anticipation for my New Year’s party and they look fab.

2. Lauren Merkin Lucy Champagne Clutch: For those of you who like to accent your outfit with a fab accessory, this Lauren Merkin champagne colored, vintage-inspired, lambskin clutch fits in your hand or under your arm. The bubble metallic lambskin dresses it up for the evening and adds just the right amount of sophistication. (more…)

Whenever the weather cools (and that’s only been the last few weeks here on the West Coast), I immediately lean toward dark, vampy polishes. So far, I’ve been captivated by Damsel in a Dress by Essie.

This polish is a gorgeous deep purple with fine silver shimmer swirled into the formula.  It’s truly stunning, as it’s actually purple and does not look black - even when you’re not in sunlight.  It applies smoothly and only takes two coats to achieve the bottle color.  You could go for a third coat if you want some extra coverage, but it’s not necessary.  It’s got a fair shine on it’s own, but I still recommend a top coat.  I wore this for seven days and there were no chips and only minimal tip wear.  This was actually a little distracting for me to wear because I would stop to look at my nails in the middle of the work day.  (Oops!) Overall, so pretty…this polish might just take me right through winter.

Order your own bottle via www.essie.com for $8.

Autumn has come to Dashing Diva as they roll out their scrumptious specialty of the season: the Enzymatic Pumpkin Pedicure.  Now, thinking about feet and deliciousness may not go hand in hand, but this pedicure is one treat you won’t want to miss. (more…)

Chanel’s holiday 2008 collection is romantic, shimmery, and warm without losing any sophistication - and yes, it’s true, I’m obsessed. Chanel’s holiday look glowing cheeks and soft, natural eyes, with a richer lip shade, which is pretty much my idea of a flattering, beautiful look for everyone. So what were my favorites? (more…)

November is National Pomegranate Month, and PAMA Pomegranate Liquer and Essie are teaming up to give you a free pomegranate-inspired nail polish so you can celebrate in style. PAMA is a premium liquor that is made with all-natural pomegranate juice, premium vodka, and “a touch” of imported tequila (which spells delicious trouble for some of you, I’m sure). PAMA is really fun to mix drinks with, and you can find recipes on how to make everything from a plain PAMA and soda to a PAMA mimosa or margarita. Yum!

As for the Essie polish itself, PAMA Red is a deep red shade inspired by the pomegranate. It’s sure to be a flattering, pretty color but it’s limited edition only. Luckily, we can all score one for free! Click here and register on the PAMA website and you’ll be on your way. One caveat: you must be 21 or older to enter the site to register. Be sure to get yours now!

Update 10/30/08: We found out that the supply ran out earlier this afternoon. Hopefully you got yours before then!

Dashing Diva’s new Fall 2008 collection is available now and I’m practically drooling over each shade. From left, the new colors are Fall’s Gold, Amy’s Wine House, and Bobbing For Apple. I just tried each one and am happy to share the scoop so you can decide which one(s) would suit you best.

• Fall’s Gold is a light, shimmery gold that applies like a creme and packs tons of shine. Although I think that this color is so pretty, it didn’t really complement my yellow-toned skin very well. If your skin tone can provide the right contrast, then Fall’s Gold is just the right metallic to carry you through the fall.
• Amy’s Wine House is a true, deep burgundy that made me feel like I was staring into a glass of red wine. I loved this shade the most since it achieves the perfect balance of purple and red tones that I look for in burgundy polishes. It’s really gorgeous and fits the cooler weather and darker colors in my wardrobe perfectly.
• Bobbing For Apple is a playful, bright red that is reminiscent of apple candy. It’s just a really fun shade that is as attention-grabbing as a true red coule be, and just as rich and shiny. Bobbing For Apple is a candy red shade that would look really cute on your toes, as well.

Each nail polish retails for only $7.99, so stock up now for yourself or as awfully cute stocking stuffers for your friends. Check out these new fall colors and more at dashingdiva.com.

Every year, I wait with bated breath to see what new holiday makeup collections will bring. Chanel is undoubtedly a brand that sets trends and defines classics each season, so I was especially excited to try one of their new nail lacquers for the season - Haute Chocolat. It is a rich brown shade of nail polish with very fine, shimmery gold flecks, and I love it!

The color itself was actually designed by Amy Gonzo, who won Seventeen Magazine and Chanel’s Colour of the Year contest. It was inspired of course by hot chocolate, and it’s absolutely delicious looking. The color is actually darker and richer than it appears in the bottle. The chocolate shade is really pretty and the gold shimmer adds an extra kick, without being overwhelmingly sparkly. I was a bit apprehensive of wearing chocolate polish because my skin has yellow undertones, but the color was rich and dark enough to make for a pretty contrast. I love how it looks perfect for the cooler seasons because it’s so rich and warm.

Haute Chocolat will only be available from October through December, so keep checking chanel.com and the Chanel counter at your favorite department store like Nordstrom to snag your own!

My set of Lippmann Fall Collection polishes came just in time as the last of my summery pink manicure chipped off.  This weekend when I go to the salon, I’ll be bringing Maneater for my feet and Superstar for my hands, two chocolate-colored polishes.  Up until now, I’ve seen all the rage with black, blue, and purple nails, but never brown.  So either I’m way out of the loop - or Lippmann is really setting their own trends this season.  Maneater is described as “luscious, bittersweet chocolate” and Superstar as “show stopping copper flecked fudge.” Delicious!

Most of the women I know have insanely busy schedules and sometimes, there just isn’t time for a manicure! In fact, I usually end up noticing the horrible state of my nails late at night - and clearly, I can’t go to a salon then. Lippmann Collection’s new Start Me Up Kit is the perfect solution! I usually end up pulling this kit out while watching The Hills (my Monday night guilty pleasure - all I can say is that I live in L.A. so it’s fascinating!) and end up with glossy, salon-worthy nails by the end of the episode.

Housed in a striped carrying case, this adorable set is filled with six 9ml bottles of signature Lippmann products:  Cuticle Remover, Cuticle Oil, 2 Second Nail Primer, Rehydrating Base Coat, Baby Love nail polish and On A Clear Day Trop Coat.  It also comes with Smooth Operator, Lippmann’s version of a nail buffer, and a handy dandy set of instructions so you know when and how to use each product.  Let me walk you through each step:  (more…)