For most of us, owning a Louis Vuitton handbag is just a pipe dream. Owning a piece of jewelry from Tiffany & Co.? *sigh* just for window shopping. But a new penny auction website has launched that can make those dreams closer than you think.

ScoreLuxe, a luxury penny auction, has gift cards to places like Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom…even for SpaFinder and Sephora all up for bidding. The best part is that because this is a penny auction, if you win, you have the chance to get up to 95% off retail!

So here’s how it works: Sign up for a free ScoreLuxe account, purchase a bid package (they start at about $29), each bid costs .99 cents. (You can buy bid packs up to 500 bids.) After you buy a bid pack, bids are then credited to your account, so if you buy a 30 bid pack for $29 you then have 30 bids in your account, or the ability to click the bid button 30 times. When you click the bid button, up to 30 seconds is added to the auction timer and the price increases by $.01. After the auction, you then have to pay the final auction price, in addition to any bids you used.

I am a visual person, so here is a look at a past SpaFinder auction where the winner only had to pay $3.19 for a $100 gift card! SpaFinder at ScoreLuxe.

And just in case you are wondering, ScoreLuxe has an authenticity guarantee and they also offer free shipping. You also have to be 18 years or older to sign up and there is a limit to 4 auctions won per month to ensure fairness and give everyone a chance to win. There are  to 5 auctions daily, all of which are promoted in advance so that you know the great items coming up for bid.

Have you tried ScoreLuxe?

*Disclosure: Sponsored

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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Okay, okay. So maybe I don’t need 15 new eyeliner pencils (especially after I just bought Sephora’s Hello Kitty eyeliner kit, which I didn’t technically need either). But since I’m such a big fan of funky-yet-sometimes-practical Urban Decay, how can I resist a beauty splurge in honor of their 15-year anniversary?

Yup, Urban Decay is 15 this year, and the 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set is just the first of four anniversary-themed products that will be released in celebration over the course of 2011! My inner kindergardener (and my childhood love for shiny new art supplies like colored pencils in every shadow of the rainbow) was already obsessed when Make Up For Ever released a similar set with their Aqua Eyes pencils a couple years back, but since that one was a bit pricier — and let’s face it, even I wouldn’t use 3 different shades of bright orange eyeliner — I didn’t make the purchase.  

However, Urban Decay’s is significantly more practical (or as practical as 15 different shades of eyeliner can get) with shades that range from wearable browns, blacks, plums, and metallics with just a few funky shades like blue and purple thrown into the mix — plus six brand-new limited edition shades. Hey — if I can’t justify the purchase for myself, the least I can do is convince those that don’t already have an extensive eyeliner collection to snatch up this sweet collector’s buy!

- Alex Gambardella

Nominate your favorite fashion brand for the Fashion 2.0 Social Media Awards by February 1st!

Guest beauty post for A Girl’s Gotta Spa! from my friends at TheFind.com.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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Normally I wouldn’t go recommend something quite so cliche as wearing uber-festive pastel makeup shades just to get into the pre-spring mood, but how can I resist rounding up a selection of appropriately-hued beauty buys when San Francisco keeps getting blessed with prematurely springy weather? Let’s face it — lavender is just waiting to be embraced, so you might as well jump on the beauty trend now before it grows overdone and stale!

Think of the shade as considerably easier to wear than full-on purple, yet a bit trickier than your average plum; the idea is to go for soft and pretty, not Grandma-”chic” or garish, which can be tough with such an Easter egg color. But just because the color is traditionally mild doesn’t mean it can’t edge things up — try Deborah Lippmann nail lacquer in Wicked Game, a smoky gray-lavender, or opt for a lavender version of the smoky eye, courtesy of Maybelline Smokes quads, for a cool take on the pretty shade!

Pictured above: Topshop Lip Polish in Lavender, Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in Wicked Game, NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Lavender, Lancome Color Design Eye Shadow in Camisole, and Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Quad in Lavender Smokes.

- Alex Gambardella

*Guest beauty post for A Girl’s Gotta Spa! from my friends at TheFind.com.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Despite being the ultimate beauty addict, something about widely extensive all-inclusive palettes tends to overwhelm me, surprisingly enough. I mean, I rarely ever actually use every shade in a palette that boasts nearly every color in the rainbow and beyond However, the customizable, downsize-able, grab-it-and-go ability of Sephora’s new Color Play II 5-in-1 Palette is too conveniently awesome to pass up.

Created by a partnership of two shopping meccas of the beauty and fashion worlds, Sephora and Shopbop, the “Fashion Edition” Color Play Palette takes inspiration from the year’s hottest looks from Shopbop to create 5 interchangeable palettes that can be mixed and matched, or removed from the main palette and slipped into your purse for mid-day touchups! From Boho Bombshell (amped-up neutrals) to Black is the New Black (dramatic smokey eye looks), each of the 5 sub-palettes has its own unique color story, but can be worn and coordinated with shades of another palette to create your own signature look, depending on your mood or outfit of course.

Sure, I may not wear all 65 shades included, but for a mere $30, I’m certainly willing to experiment!

- Alex Gambardella

*Guest beauty post for A Girl’s Gotta Spa! from my friends at TheFind.com.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Do you have someone on your holiday gift list that loves going to the spa? Maybe you need a last minute gift and don’t want to trek out to the mall (I know I do not envy anyone who braves the malls today or tomorrow!)? Well SpaWeek now has gift cards that can be used anytime of year! Best of all, they are 20% off AND can be emailed and printed right off your computer!

Timesaver+Moneysaver=best gift EVER!

You can find them on www.spaweek.com/giftcards. Happy spa-lidays!

*This offer ended December 31, 2010. You can still purchase SpaWeek gift cards, however not at the discounted rate.

*Disclosure

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Normally, makeup brushes are hardly something to get excited about — whether you’re gifting them, unwrapping them, or buying them for yourself. Sure, they’re a great purchase, especially when you find quality at an affordable price (nice brushes get expensive!), but you don’t typically squeal with glee upon receiving them and run off to experiment. After all, they’re usually more of a makeup necessity (if you consider cosmetics application a necessity — I sure do!) than an indulgence; in other words, brushes are something you need as opposed to something you want. However, the holiday season always seems to have a knack for transforming those ‘blah’ necessities into a totally adorable gift.

Take the Lancome Holiday Brush Set, for example, a 5-piece set of brushes that covers all your bases (foundation, blush, contour, shadow, and blending) and comes in a pretty jeweled clutch! It’s perfect for the girl on your list who appreciates practical beauty gifts, but doesn’t necessarily want to be bored! And the best part? They’re recognizably holiday-festive with their shimmery grip and jeweled clutch, and therefore the ideal stocking stuffer, but not so much so that you’re unseasonably reminded of Christmas all year round!

- Alex Gambardella

Shannon Nelson

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Since the shimmery and glittery eyeshadow look is totally in right now, especially now that we’re in the midst of the holiday season when a little added shine is sweet and festive, using an ultra-sparkly shadow as the prime focus of your evening party look is a bit… well, expected. To amp up your makeup a step up on the glam scale, I suggest trying out the foiled shadow look. Think metallic but with a chrome-like sheen that reflects light and stands out and makes eyes pop in a dramatic yet seriously gorgeous way — the liquid metal look packs a punch without being too hard to pull off.

First and foremost, make sure to prep lids with a pigment-enhancing primer like Pop Beauty’s Magnet Primer to make the most out of the shadow you choose for maximum impact. Then swipe on a foiled shadow of your choice — opaque cream or liquid shadows like Revlon’s Molten Metal or Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Colour tend to naturally have more concentrated color than powder does. However, if you mix a loose or pressed shadow like Bobbi Brown Chrome Eyeshadow or BareMinerals High Shine Eyecolor with a bit of water, it will apply with a fierce intensity!

- Alex Gambardella

For some fierce party looks to go with your show-stopping chrome shadow, enter TheFind’s NET-A-PORTER $5,000 Shopping Spree Giveaway by December 10th!

Guest beauty post for a A Girl’s Gotta Spa! from my friends at TheFind.com.

Shannon Nelson

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In honor of the glamazons of the 70s club scene, I’m diggin’ the idea of lush, voluminous hair that embraces body and moves gracefully while you work the room and the dancefloor! But having larger than life hair doesn’t mean it has to be unruly. Amp up your locks while still maintaining glossy bounciness and gentle waves with the help of these handy volume-boosting tools and products, which help use your hair’s natural body in a way that’s a bit more refined and enhanced for a more romantic, glamorous, night-out look! 

First, prep your locks for the harsh heat of the blow-dryer with a heat-protecting serum like Carol’s Daughter Macadamia Gloss. As you dry, use a body-building product to get the most of your waves or curls — hair genius Guido Palau for Net-a-Porter recommends Redken Guts Volume Spray Foam, which helps keep waves bouncy rather than weighed down! For a sleeker look, make sure to use a large rounded brush for smooth waves that still maintain plenty of movement without frizz or flyaways. For added lift and bounce at the roots, after drying, use jumbo rollers at your roots and crown while you do your makeup and finish getting ready, then shake loose and top off with a spritz of gloss serum like Oscar Blandi’s Jasmine Shine Spray for gorgeously big, glossy waves!

- Alex Gambardella

For the ultimate party outfit to go with your fabulous 70s-inspired hair, be sure to enter our Net-a-Porter $5000 Shopping Spree Giveaway here!

*Guest beauty post for A Girl’s Gotta Spa! from my friends at TheFind.com.

Shannon Nelson

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It’s that time of year again when we really begin to focus on dry skin, especially our hands. This year I’ve decided to be proactive about protecting my hands so that they don’t become dry and cracked. Who better to turn to about hand care than a hand model? Ellen Sirot, who has been in countless print ads and as a “hand-in” for A-list celebrities created Hand Perfection, which offers a nail and cuticle treatment, moisturizing cleanser, SPF Glovettes, day cream and a night solution. While I think all of the products are A-mazing, the stand out for me is the Night Solution.

Hands down. (Sorry I couldn’t help it!) 

Before going to bed each night, I use the Moisturizing Cleanser and then apply the Night Solution. Let me tell you that it is no joke that the words “velvet” will immediately come to mind once the serum is on your hands. And it’s no wonder, the ingredients in this serum are what make it work: grape seed extract, hyaluronic acid, sea algae, licorice root extract (a big hello if you have age spots!) among others.

While the Night Solution may be a serum, it is not at all greasy. It absorbed quickly leaving my hands noticeably soft and by the next morning they remained supple. If Hand Perfection’s Night Solution can work so amazing on my hands, I honestly have considered applying it to my feet!

Hand Perfection has offered A Girl’s Gotta Spa! readers a 30% off discount, not just for the Night Solution, but on any of their products. Just enter code: Girl30 at check out (for US residents only.) To check out all they have to offer your hands, visit www.HandPerfection.com. You can also find Hand Perfection on Facebook and on Twitter @HandPerfection.

Ps. Those are Ellen’s hands pictured!

*Disclosure

Shannon Nelson

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Gold-infused makeup products are undoubtedly luxe, naturally luminous, and perhaps borderline extravagant, but they’re not necessarily a novel idea. However, Guerlain’s new gilded makeup base takes beauty decadence to a whole other level! Infused with real 24-carat gold, Guerlain L’Or Radiance Concentrate is said to perfect the appearance of your complexion with its light-reflecting flecks, but isn’t just about luminous looks. The cooling gel also infuses moisture into skin and smooths out skin’s tone and surface, creating an even base that helps makeup glide on effortlessly and prevents it from settling into fine lines or pores. While the product itself certainly looks expensive, I’m curious to see if the gold flecks really are what make this Guerlain primer such a cosmetic success, or if it’s more of a selling point to lure beauty mavens who love to lave themselves in lavishness. In any case, at $70, it’s certainly not a product you can afford to simply test out on a whim, though I’m almost tempted to buy it just to see how gorgeous it would look on my bathroom counter!

-Alex Gambardella

Save on Guerlain at Sephora from TheFind’s coupon site.

*Guest beauty post for A Girl’s Gotta Spa! from my friends at TheFind.com.

Shannon Nelson

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