Gifts

Leadership Recruiting Gifts

2 Successful Recruits: {see below for photos}

~ArtNaturals Sweet Orange Pure Essential Oil

~Why Should Anyone Be Led by YOU? by Rob Goffee & Gareth Jones {hardcover}

~Charm Bracelet ~ assorted designs

~Silver Cubic Zirconia Wine Glass Necklace

~Silver Cubic Zirconia Golf Club and Ball Necklace

~Month of Meals: Classic Cooking Cookbook

~"Family" Photo Album

3 or more Successful Recruits:{see below for photos}

~Silver CZ Cross Necklace

~The Metabolism Plan by Lyn Genet

~Silver Quatrefoil Earrings

~Silver Double Circle Necklace Set

Silver Quatrefoil Earrings

Silver CZ Cross Necklace

Silver Double Circle Necklace Set

Artnaturals Sweet Orange Pure Essential Oil

The Metabolism Plan by Lyn Genet

Charm Bracelet ~ assorted designs

Cubic Zirconia Wine Glass Necklace

Silver CZ Golf Club and Ball Necklace

Why Should Anyone Be Led by YOU? Hardcover Book

Month of Meals: Classic Cooking Cookbook

"Family" Photo Album

We are closed for the holidays. Prize winners will be announced when we reopen in 2013. Wishing all of our readers, PR friends and brands a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years. xox

26 Acts of Kindness

Thanks to Ann Curry's inspirational idea, the true spirit of Christmas is being felt everywhere. The idea is to commit 26 random acts of kindness to pay tribute to each of the precious lives lost in the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy. It's amazing how your entire outlook on life improves when you spend your day thinking of what you can do to pay it forward through an act of kindness, big or small.

I heard about this on Facebook and immediately picked up the phone and called Helping Hands Mission to donate some of the larger items I was planning to sell in my moving sale. The driver called for directions. After a few minutes of our going back and forth and not understanding each other very well, he finally asked "Is your Mother home?". Normally, my Mom would be home as she lived with me for the last seven years, before passing away a few months ago. Still, the driver and I had a good laugh when he arrived and realized I was just a few years older than I sound {I'm 52!}. ☺

The following day driving through Starbucks, the guy at the window said "It's your lucky day! The lady who was just in bought a $10 gift card and told us to give it to the next customer". Tears filled my eyes as I told him about #26Acts. As corny as it sounds, I felt an instant connection to so many ~ Ann and all those participating in the movement, the woman who bought the card, the families in Newtown and the 26 precious souls now in Heaven. I remembered the question the driver asked me the day before, and looking up to the sky, couldn't help but think, "Yep, my Mother is home". 

Thank you, Ann Curry, for reminding us all of the reason for the season.Thank you also to the woman in the Fuquay Starbucks who left a $10 giftcard for the next customer, ♥ It was one of the best gifts I've ever received and made my Christmas! Praying for peace and comfort for the families in Newtown and for all those dealing with the loss of a loved one this holiday season. #26Acts Pass it on!

Beautiful Finds for Guys and Gals

This beautiful Aurorae Synergy Yoga Mat is also a yoga towel! The bottom surface is Aurorae's 5mm PER yoga mat and the top surface is their ultra-absorbent plush microfiber towel. The pieces are bonded together to create a thick, cushiony slip-free yoga mat which is completely machine washable. Available in beautiful tranquil colors, it measures 72" and is odor free. Eco-friendly, it is free from latex, silicone, and phthalates. Aurorae's logo provides a focal point for concentration during balancing positions. $59.95 at AuroraeYoga.com. 

Can a cookbook be beautiful? When it's inpsired by the hit television show, Mad Men, we think so! Guys and Gals of all ages will enjoy this Cookbook with over 70 recipes from the kitchens, bars and restaurants seen on Mad Men. The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook includes tips on planning a successful Mad Men cocktail party and gives a glimpse inside the legendary NYC bars and restaurants of the Mad Men era. Fans of the show will love it! List price is $16.95, we found it on Amazon for $11.53. 

Colorado Aromatics handcrafts all-natural soaps using herbs grown on their Longmont farm. We are in love with the clean, fresh scent of their Lemon Sage soap ~ guys, you'll love it too! Made with shea butter, organic oils, lemon peel and ground sage and scented with pure essential oils of lemongrass, lemon and sage. Cut from a loaf, bars are wrapped in eco-friendly brown paper with ends exposed to reveal the natural beauty and scent of the soap. Pick up a few and keep one in a draw or linen closet to delicately scent fabrics, $5.25 at ColoradoAromatics.com. 

Who says a men's fragrance can't be beautiful? The bold new scent, Atmysphere, combines the beautiful notes of bergamot, cashmere musks, vanilla, sandalwood, jasmine and plus ~ just to name a few! A complex mix as exciting as the men who wear it. We hear the ladies love it so much they are wearing it too. A 3.3-oz. bottle with beautiful packaging retails for $65 at atmyspherescents.com.

Socola's Signature Selection Chocolate Truffles are oh-so-decadent. The box of 12 artistically beautiful chocolates includes 4 different truffle varieties. Our fav is Burnt Baby Burnt which is a sweet and salty combination of creamy burnt caramel and red Hawaiian sea salt. Crafted by hand in California, a box of 12 sweet indulgences retails for $24.95 at socolachocolatier.com. 

We think saving the planet from plastic bottles is a beautiful thing and this glass water bottle by bottlesUp scores high marks. Made from 75% recycled glass and food-grade silicone, its chic design and colorful rings make it a work of art. What's more because it's glass, there is no transfer of taste or odors. A wide mouth makes it easy to fill and clean. The company donates 5% of its pink bottle sales to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Additional brightly-colored rings and caps are available for purchase. The bottle holds 22 oz. and retails for $29.95 at bottlesupglass.com.

Many thanks to the folks at Aurorae Yoga, Atmysphere Scents, The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook, Colorado Aromatics, bottlesUp and Socola Chocolatier for providing the products and images for this feature. 

Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide

HO HO HO! The elves have been busy filling our Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide with fabulous new finds and some of our favorite chic luxuries. And since it's the season of giving, we will be giving away a goodie box valued at $500 to TWO lucky readers! After all, what's a gift guide without gifts? Make yourself a cup of cocoa and browse through each of the websites featured, then come back here and enter to win! And keep checking back, our elves may have a few more gift ideas to share ~

Give him a gift that will remind him of you every minute. This brushed and polished stainless steel watch by GUESS Watches is sleek and stylish. Its contemporary design and chronograph functionality includes a date display window and adjustable strap that tightens and releases effortlessly with a push of the buttons. The textured dial features brilliant silvertone hands and hour markers. It's water-resistant to 100-meters. Made with excellent craftsmanship, he's sure to treasure it! Available at fine department stores and online retailers, we spotted it at Macy's for $150, GUESS stock #U0075G3. Additional selections and store locators can be found at guesswatches.com.

At the top of every fashionista's wish list will be this Aqua Haze Skirt from one of our favorite retailers, Soft Surroundings. Fluid and graceful, it is such an eye-catcher and can transition into every season. Hand tie-dyed with the look of a wrap-around styling, it has a ruffle cascading down the front. Made of rayon/cotton spandex with an elastic waist band, it measures 34" long. Equally chic worn with sandals or boots, we adore it paired with the Black Underwire 3/4 Tee. The Aqua Haze skirt is washable and made in the USA. In sizes XS-XL, snatch one before they're all gone! $84.95 at SoftSurroundings.com. 

This stunning chemise is by Frederick's of Hollywood's new luxury line ~ Harriet. The Enchanting Silk Chemise is 100% silk with eyelash lace, scalloped edging and adjustable spaghetti straps. Guys, she'll love the femininity and softness of it...and we're pretty sure it will put a little happy in your holidays as well. ☺ It's available in Holiday Red, Teal, Amethyst and Mink shown here. The gorgeous chemise is $84. We spotted a 25% off sale sitewide at fredericks.com with express and overnight delivery available. Hurry! 

Kai's Signature Chocolate Chip Cookies ~

Hollywood's famous caterer, Kai's Catering + Events, includes these signature cookies at every event. Made with no preservatives they are the thickest, richest, most decadent chocolate chip cookies we've ever tasted. It's no wonder Jennifer Lopez has them shipped on location! They arrived from L.A. with not a crumb out of place. What a wonderful treat to send to a far-away relative for Christmas.  I ate one as soon as it arrived, incredible! We also tried warming in the microwave for 12 seconds, it was like a molten lava cake, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a quick and fabulous dessert guests will be talking about long after the party is over. A dozen cookies retail for $30, exclusively at kaisevents.com.

Give the gift of gorgeous hair this year with Paul Mitchell's Awapuhi Wild Ginger Holiday Gift Sets. This elegant gift includes a Moisturizing Lather Shampoo 8.5 oz., Keratin Cream Rinse 8.5 oz., and Keratin Intensive Treatment 3.4 oz. Formulated to cleanse and repair hair from the core to cuticle, we loved how soft and healthy-looking it left our hair. Treat yourself to one too! Beautifully gift boxed. $40 exclusively at Paul Mitchell salons and schools November and December only.

For salon styling at home, Remington's T-Studio Pearl Straightener is a necessity. This 1" thin straightener is made with ceramic technology and real crushed pearls to give hair a sleek silky look with incredible shine. Heats to a maximum of 450 degrees. Keep one at home and in the office, its compact size is perfect for travel too. Arrives in a cute gift box...she'll love what it does for her locks. Available exclusively at Target stores and online for $29.99. 

Add a little sparkle to their holidays with this Limited Edition Swiss Emblem Sigg bottle adorned with Swarovski crystals and ready for gifting in a black tubular box. The crystals glisten against the shiny black aluminum bottle. I use my Sigg bottle constantly. It keeps beverages cool, washes easily and I love that it doesn't retain odors, or absorb them when in the fridge. I even freeze milk in mine to have on hand in case I run out. Although I pop mine in the dishwasher, I recommend hand-washing this specialty bottle. Eco-friendly and perfect for taking to work, to the gym, spa, shopping or when traveling. Makes a lovely corporate or client gift too. $39.99 at mysigg.com.

We are head over heels in love with these little works of art from Beth Quinn Designs. The unique handcrafted Holiday Adornment is light enough to be hung from the tree and so charming you'll want to display it year-round. The petite ornament is crafted using an open back box, vintage papers and lace, mica flakes, and glass glitter. Available with different sayings and signed by the artist. Makes a treasured one-of-a-kind gift she will love. These limited production keepsakes measure 3x3x2 and retail for $35 BethQuinnDesigns.com.

LaLicious Holiday Gift Set includes four full-sized products ~ 16-oz. Sugar Souffle Scrub, 8-oz. Whipped Soap, 8-oz. Body Butter, and 8-oz. Body Oil beautifully gift-boxed. Available in their most popular scents, our fav is Brown Sugar and Vanilla. Order early, Santa will surely be stocking up on this one. $95 at lalicious.com.

These "High Ball" Reindeer with Mistletoe Glasses designed by Constance Depler & Friends are sure to bring out the holiday cheer in everyone. Add a little whimsy to your parties or order for a hostess gift, secret santa, your hard-to-buy for mother-in-law, the mail carrier and everyone on your nice list. We'll be using ours all year long...too cute to pack away! A set of four is on sale now for $24.95, snatch them before Rudolph does at cdeplerfriends.com.

The perfect stocking stuffer for every glamour girl, this Dual Airbrush Concealer Brush is retractable and because it's from IT Cosmetics, it is the softest most luxurious concealer brush on the market. $24 at ItCosmetics.com.

A practical gift that will keep everyone on your list warm and cozy throughout the winter, this Microplush Blanket from Anna's Linens is luxuriously soft and beautiful. In rich colors and the sale prices make these blankets a steal. Now just $9.99 for twin, $19.99 for full/queen and $29.99 for king at Annaslinens.com. 

VMV Hypoallergenics have paired their two best-sellers ~ Ooh-la-Lash! Volumizing Mascara in Black and Glitz Lipstick in Drama Queen ~ in this adorable Mistle-Glow gift set. Oh-so-girly, it will leave her with kissable soft lips, long lashes and ready for the mistletoe. We love this! xo $35 at vmvhypoallergenics.com.

Aren't these the cutest bath bombs you've ever seen? The Holiday Skinny Mini Trio includes Pumpkin Spice, Candy Cane and Sugar Cookie scents. For girly girls of all ages, they are the sweetest! Individually wrapped, perfect as stocking stuffers or party favors. Gift boxed, the Trio retails for $29.99 at arianna-skincare.com.

One of the more unique products in Santa's workshop this year is Strappy's. These Large Faceted Stone Bra Straps get their glimmer from faceted stones and rhinestone-encrusted links. Taupe stones are alternating in a gunmetal jewelry setting. Packaged in a luxury gift box ready for gift giving. $44.95 for the pair at Strappys.com.

Give the gift of a good night's sleep with the Sound+Sleep Nomad Sleep Therapy System. This petite sound system is perfect for traveling. Includes the sounds of real life waterfalls, ocean waves, babbling brooks, and falling rain. Treat yourself to one too and never loose another night's sleep while away from home.  It regularly retails for $179.95, it's on sale for $149.95 at soundofsleep.com AND for a limited time, Chic Luxuries' readers can order it for $99.95 including FREE shipping. Use code MYCHIC50.

Sensacare Relaxation Slippers these ultra cozy slippers can be used hot to relieve muscle pain or cold to reduce swelling and ease joint pain. Removeable packs contain fragrant herbs including chamomile, cinnamon, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary, and spearmint. Outer slipper is washable. Makes a thoughtful gift that the recipient will definitely enjoy. $49.99 at Sensacare.net.

A fun gift for the person who has everything on your gift list, this Carousel Snack Wheel by Plow & Hearth will be enjoyed by the whole family. Don't forget the Cocktail Snack Mix! Carousel Snack Wheel with Ceramic bowls retails for $39.95, 14-oz. can of snack mix retails for $14.95. Both at PlowandHearth.com.

This Freshwater Pearl Necklace from Lauren St. Julian proves good things really do come in small packages. Handstrung 8 and 9mm pearls create this classic beauty everyone woman would love to receive. This exquisite necklace has a nice weight to it and measures 16.9" long. Regularly $125 at LaurenStJulian.com, Chic Luxuries readers can purchase it for $60 including shipping. Use code "chic" at checkout. 

These Drizzle shoes by Nomad will keep her feet dry, comfy and looking chic while running errands, and commuting to work on rainy days. One of their best-sellers, they are available in Navy/Lime {shown}, Black/White, Orange/Beige and Green/Blue in sizes 5-10. Made of rubber with a flat heel, $40 at nomadfootwear.com.

For the little girl in your life, this beautiful Baby Love Bracelet by Isabelle Grace Jewelry is such a sweet find. Made of light pink pearls, shimmering swarovski crystals and sterling silver beads, it includes a round sterling silver initial charm. Adjustable, it measures 6.25" including extender. Complimentary gift box included. A gift any little girl would adore, it's $32 from IsabelleGraceJewelry.com.

We couldn't forget the men! Just about every guy I know would love a pair of these Wolverine 8" Big Bison waterproof boots made with GORE-TEX. We found them at MidwestBoots.com for $129.99.

Speaking of cute guys,☺have you heard about Jon Bon Jovi's new fragrance, Unplugged? For everyone else, there's an Unplugged scent for men and women by AVON. Find it HERE and checkout all of the other great gift ideas. 

The perfect little luxury for a business associates or corporate clients, Inspired Home Scented Soy Candles are delightfully fragrant and packaged in an exquisite gift box. Our favorite is the invigoratingly fresh Pink Grapefruit scent. Handpoured in America and made of pure soy, this delightful candle has a burn time of at least 20 hours. $38 at InspiredHome.com.

We couldn't do a Holiday Gift Guide without including our fav boots of the season ~ the Emma by BEARPAW. These are the 10" in Camel. They look fabulous with jeans and leggings. They are so comfy, the recipient won't want to take them off! $74.99 at BEARPAW.com.

Chic Giveaway! ~ Two lucky readers will each receive a goodie box valued at $500 worth of chic luxuries*!!! 

To Enter: 

• Visit at least three of the brands featured in our gift guide and leave a comment below listing your favorite product from each of the three sites you visited. And, of course, we would love it if you visited all the sites featured for additional entries.{Required entry}

Bonus Entries: {Optional, leave a comment for each entry completed} ~

• Follow @ChicLuxuries on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway, sample tweet ~ #Win @ChicLuxuries $1,000 Very Merry #Giveaway http://ChicLuxuries.com #contest #sweeps

• Follow us on Pinterest and repin our pin about this giveaway.

• Like us on Facebook and share one of our posts about this giveaway on your wall.

RULES: We ask that you play fair, spend some time on each of the websites and list your favorite items. This info is very useful to our sponsors. Contest ends 11:59 PM ET December 24, 2012. *Prize contents vary and include primarily beauty products submitted to us throughout 2012. For Complete Rules and additional Gifting Events, please visit our Chic Giveaways page.

From all of us, a warm and heartfelt "thank you" to the countless brands who have submitted products over the past year without whom this giveaway would not be possible. Special thanks to GUESS Watches, Soft Surroundings, Frederick's of Hollywood, LaLicious, Kai's Catering + Events, Remington, Paul Mitchell, Sigg, Beth Quinn Designs, VMV Hypoallergenics, Sensacare, Plow & Hearth, Constance Depler & Friends, Nomad Footwear, Lauren St. Julian, Strappy's, IT Cosmetics, Isabelle Grace, Anna's Linens, Arianna Skincare, and Sound of Sleep for providing products for this feature.