Happy Holidays!

And with that, we’re on vaca. Hopefully, same for you! Have a wonderful holiday break, spend some quality time with the fam, and make sure you party like a (candy-colored) rock-star on New Year's. Happy holidays from Sephora!

Most beautiful meal of the day

Water-cooler scene, take one: "Wow, you look fabulous! Eating more yogurt, are ya?" Okay, yeah right, but just when beauty couldn’t get easier: a good-for-you yogurt with skin benefits. Rumor has it, French manufacturer Danone – who we all know best for its yogurt and fancy bottled water – will unveil a skin-moisturizing yogurt early next year, according to WWD. And what will they call this little, mealtime miracle? Essensis. Fitting too, since Danone’s clever marketers already used “Bifidus Essensis” to name a strain of good bacteria in its probiotic yogurt. So grab a spoon; yogurt might just be the new cup of Joe. The only question now is, do you take your moisturizer in mixed berry or peach?

"Glossy Addict Best of 2006 Awards"

And the winner is? [Rustle envelope in suspense here. Smile at gorgeous, celebrity co-host.] Laura Geller Lip Shiners! These fashionable glosses – available in 10 flashy shades like “Just Pink,” “Devilish,” and “Peachy Keen” – were picked for the “Glossy Addict Best of 2006 Awards.” This award is no small feat either; the Glossy Addict site gets more than 4,478, 089 hits every month! Geller and co. certainly deserve it too: their shiners uses a patented gel technology – packed with special polymers and vitamins A and E – to create a healthy, high-shine gloss that has serious shimm-ah. (Cue the karaoke: shiny, happy peeeeople.) Available at Sephora for $15 each. Pucker up and expect beautiful, shiny results!

You can, like, so get spa treatment at the mall

Ah, holiday shopping: a few laps around the mall, a swing by the food court for some grease, and, uh, a quick stop for some wrinkle injections? Turns out shopping malls are the newest, all-the-rage sites for medicinal spas, according to WWD. (Why worry about that sweater for Dad when you can get fine-lines erased? Ha.) Now, we said cosmetics were going medicinal, but we definitely didn’t see this one coming. In the last few months, though, these “mall spas” have experienced a sort of retail takeover. There were just 50 in the U.S. in 2002. Now: over 2,500. But before you flock to the mall, remember there are risks. A lot of these spas employ plastic surgeons and dermatologists to oversee mall procedures, but it isn’t required, meaning others don’t. So attention impulse shoppers: misapplied injections can forever paralyze muscles in your face. Want a frozen, saggy eyelid for life? Didn’t think so. Just do your research before you commit to that kiosk. And hey, if it’s still for you – and if you don’t mind that not-so-pretty price tag – then have at it. That grungy mall-rat look? Oh, so very last season.

Glitter Trip

Glitter was huge on the Spring runways (yes, really). Silver and gold liner lit up lids at Chanel and Vuitton, to name a few. But why wait till Spring? Sparkles are the perfect way to up your flair at holiday parties. In the video above, Sephora beauty editor Julie Redfern gets the skinny on wearing glitter from New York makeup artist Jorge, at our Spring cover shoot. Our favorite sparkles? Urban Decay. They're the master of sparkle chic.

Suddenly Silver: The New New Nails

Thanks to this fall's obsession with jet black tips, fingernails have become the hottest spot to show off our fashion competence. But, now that everyone (and thier mothers) is sporting a black manicure, the fashion pack is switching to silver. The biggest nail trend on the Spring 2007 runways, from Chanel to DSquared2 pewter nails perfectly complemented the future-funky clothing and sparkly makeup. And, it's the perfect segue from black polish: in the color spectrum, it's like black's fresh, pretty younger sister. So if you consider yourself a makeup trend-spotter, make the switch now. Its perfect for holiday (you silver belle, you), and you'll get to be the first to say silver is the new black. Because you've always wanted to say that.

Sephora's Silver Tips: Dior Addict Nail Color in Silver 403, Hard Candy Vintage Nail Polish in Trailer Trash, Sephora Nail Polish in 48, Lancome VERNIS MAGNÉTIC in Alloy.

Start Slouching Young Lady!

Granny lied to you: turns out, bad posture may be good for you (collective sigh.) Despite generations of doctors advising otherwise, studies prove that perfect sitting-posture actually strains lumbar disks in your lower back. According to the New York Times, a new study used magnetic resonance imaging to compare people in three different positions–sitting upright, hunching forward, and leaning back at a 135-degree angle with feet on the floor. The results? Sitting up straight and leaning forward caused spinal disks to become misaligned, whereas leaning back didn’t. So today’s medical lesson: sit back and relax! Meanwhile, finishing schools around the nation are shuddering.

Free make-up? Twist my arm...

Kissy, kissy. Send this cute little e-card – our beauty clown works her mistletoe magic – and receive a free Fusion Beauty LipFusion deluxe sample next time you shop on Sephora.com. Just personalize the American Greetings card for a friend (or lovah) and enter “greetings” as your promo code at checkout. Happy holidays from Sephora! XOXO.

Safer makeup for the EU?

It could be a tighter ship for European cosmetics soon. European Parliament passed legislation yesterday to regulate chemicals used in consumer products – according to WWD – which includes cosmetics and perfumes. The legislation is called Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) and officially becomes law if the EU Environment Council passes it Monday. A 1981 law was a small start on this – it required new makeup chemicals to be tested before hitting shelves – but “existing” chemicals on the market weren’t affected. But that all changes if REACH passes, as more than 30,000 chemicals will have to register with the European Chemicals Agency. And if a chemical in your mascara fails to register? Can’t sell it or import it into the EU. The endeavor will definitely tap la finance of the industry – approximately 2.3 billion euros ($3 billion) – but experts are calling it a must for protecting consumer safety. So cheers to safer, chemically-approved cosmetics!

You're So Hollywood

We can't promise a star on the Walk of Fame, but this is the next best thing. Thanks to MyHeritage.com, you can use facial recognition to find out which celebrity looks most like you! Just upload your picture, ooh and ahh for a while over your star look-alike status, and then brag to all your friends over drinks. Oh, it doesn't stop there: the site can search your ancestors by name, match features to track relatives, and even find your facial soul mate. Uh, you had me at … nice nose ...

Who's the HOTTIE?

Ever think it should be you on the cover of those glossy weeklies? Well, here’s your shot: Sephora's new vital animation puts you in the spotlight! No purse-size Chihuahua or underwear-flashing required. Enter your own name, then forward it to your friends to give them some love too!

Now boarding: beauty products security can't snag

Okay, so airline security swiped your favorite lipgloss – but it’s time to move on! The good news: holiday flying just got a whole lot easier. No, we can’t fix the endless lines, wailing babies, or the guy next to you snoring like a grizzly, but we can give you the cosmetics that’ll whiz you right through security this season. The latest rules on what's allowed? Any gels and liquids that are 3 oz. or less, as long as they fit into one quart-size clear, zipped bag. So cram these flight-friendly products into that carry-on: Philosophy’s Amazing Grace To Go, GoSMILE’s Jet Set Kit, Benefit's Benetint Pocket Pal, Kenzo's FlowersbyKenzo Pocket Sprays – or lots, lots more from our airline-approved beauty list. Pack wisely this season, make peace with old flight horrors, and coast knowing you have all the beauty essentials you left with. Ah, now that’s a beautiful landing.

Sephora on the Home Shopping Network!

Sephora graced the Home Shopping Network (HSN) today – “Sephora Beauty Premiere Live from 5th Avenue” – hosted by our very own beauty editor, Julie Redfern! (All smiles, stage right.) The first show kicked off this morning at 1 a.m. – offering Sephora's top picks for holiday gifts and beauty tips to navigate the party season – and was a beauty-full success. The proof, of course, being that all the products sold out in two shows, forcing us to cancel today's 4 and 9 p.m. showings. But don't worry: we'll return to HSN in February, with five episodes on the Future of Beauty. Here's a peek at what showcased today: Dior's DiorShow Mascara, Fusion Beauty's Perfect Pout set, Make Up For Ever Essential Eyes, Urban Decay's Urban Ammo and Urban Arsenal palettes, Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo, CARGO's 10th Anniversary Signature Collection, T3 travel set, TheBalm Plump Your Pucker gloss sets, Sephora's Creamy Coconut Nectar Duo, Sephora Vanity Brush Set, and Sephora's Whipped Body Delights in Marshmallow Fluff, Ginger Lime, White Peach and Pink Grapefruit.

I spy with my gorgeous green eye...

I hope you understand, that greeeeeen eyes, yeah the spotlight shines upon you …. More green today! But this time, it’s all about scoring beautiful, emerald eyes with green shadows and liner – a trend that’s all over the runways and magazines already. (For those who aren’t already blessed with the sassy, sage color, of course.) Now we don’t want to toot our own horn here, but we so called this one in September – see “Green Room” – when makeup-master Laura Geller was already goin’ green. Green offsets redness in the eyes, Geller said, making the whites of your eyes look whiter and brighter. So to get that jade, cat-eye look yourself, try Urban Decay’s grassy shadow or Pop Beauty’s green-eye kit. No contest: you’ll be turning heads in no time.

Green, baby, green

Lesson of the day: go green! An earthy trend is hitting beauty shelves this season, with dozens of cosmetic companies beginning to offer organic, botanical products. L’Oreal recently purchased The Body Shop and Sanoflore – a French producer of organic cosmetics – in what WWD is calling a “seismic industry shift toward green cosmetics.” The industry is shifting because consumers are drawn for new reasons, according to Organic Monitor, an international industry watcher for organics. The consumer-base used to be women with skin problems – flaky this, oily that, you know – but is expanding to include those who are simply looking for natural, healthy ingredients. So one thing’s for certain: you'll have no trouble finding cosmetics for your green fix this season. Dr. Hauschka’s all-natural skincare line, Stella McCartney’s organic perfumes, Juice Beauty's "Organics To Go" – the list goes on and on. (Let's not even mention my obsession with bareMinerals' Mineral Veil.) So stock up, embrace your inner green goddess, and work that look au naturale. You’ll have ‘em green with envy in no time.

Paging Pearly Whites

Your dentist wants $500 for whitening and you singe your gums with at-home kits – but, uh, you look like you brush with a yellow crayon. So what’s a girl to do? Fret not: GoSMILE is the new, on-the-go solution to sparkly-white teeth. It really doesn’t get easier: gel-filled ampoules to brush on daily, with no water or awkward drying required. (They look like tiny, white erasers.) Just keep the little scrubbers in your purse – or in my case, at my desk, where I get funny looks from the mail-guy – and expect a white, traffic-stopping smile in about a week. So c’mon, show us that smile!

Split Ends? I hear ya!

Feel like your hairstylist just doesn't listen to you? Well, no more! A Tokyo-based company called Kao makes a device that takes sonic readings of your hair – detecting friction levels as it combs – to let you know if your locks sound healthy. According to the New York Times, the tress-techy tool – “Hair Check” – uses a 0-100 scale to measure damage from bleach and dye. (Anything under 33 is Barbie. 66 and up: hello scarecrow.) But the hairiest, scariest part? You get a take-home hair report at the end of your sonic session -- to tack on the fridge or use as firewood, your choice. Kao plans to unveil Hair Check in stores and trade-shows soon. Until then, here’s hoping for a sonic-reader that blow-dries and curls too ...

Physical CHEMISTRY: a happy, rejuvenating union

Chemical peel, meet microdermabrasion. DERMAdoctor’s “physical CHEMISTRY” – the first-ever skin product to combine microdermabrasion and a chemical peel in a single step – has redefined facial skincare. It uses a 19.5-percent multi-acid resurfacing complex with synthetic buffing beads (instead of sugar or salt) to eliminate epidermal abrasion. Translation: this facial won’t leave your face blotchy and lobster-ish like others. Remember Samantha’s scary, post-facial appearance at Carrie’s book launch? Yeah, that won't be you. Physical CHEMISTRY revitalizes your cruddy complexion, minimizes pores and reduces UV damage – but all without the nasty irritation. Chemical peel and microdermabrasion – toast to the new, happy couple!

Don't stress your pretty little lash!

A just-in addendum to yesterday’s post: your stress-level seriously dictates your candidacy for extensions. Why? Because when we’re stressed we lose hair, which includes eyelashes. (Imagine a balding person adding hair extensions. Not pretty.) And Mary Schook – an extension-guru featured in Vogue, JANE, New York Times, you name it – is sending that message loud and clear. “Most women can't do eyelash extensions, at least here on the east coast,” she says. “Stress is greater here than anywhere. […] I turn down most of the people I see because their lashes are too weak from prior use of other lashes, thyroid conditions, medications, allergies, etc. Most technicians don't know this.” So in the big city – where jam-packed subways, frenzied workdays, and cursing cabbies are a norm – looks like extensions need to be carefully considered. But don’t panic yet: just take a deep breath and reassess whether it’s for you. Worst case, you're made for mascara.

Eyelash, you lash, we all fake fringe!

Eyes are the windows to the soul? Hah, maybe last season. Eyelash extensions – feminine, fluttery add-ons to your natural lashes – are the new, fierce way to flirt. One blink and he’s butter. The lash craze started in Southeast Asia a few years ago and has since fluttered its way east from Cali (I knew those Laguna girls had an advantage.) But how tough is this salon procedure on your eyes, let alone your wallet? As the New York Times reported today, the silk-and-polyester falsies take about two hours to apply, leave you with 80 to 100 new lashes, and run anywhere from $300 to $500. Monthly maintenance also tacks on $50 to $150 a month. But, c’mon, you can’t put a price tag on gorgeous, Bambi-esque lashes! The process is a bit involved, a delicate operation of tweezers and adhesive, so pick a salon that knows the drill. Salons like Louis Lacari and Bergdorf’s John Barrett are touted experts, as is Pierre Michel – New York magazine’s “Best of New York Beauty 2006” winner and one of the first east coast salons to lash out. So there you have it. Give that mascara wand the day off and embrace a wink that'll sink ships. Long, stunning lashes? Flutter on, flutter on.

All Hail the Headband!

They say every trend comes back eventually – and so returns the flashy, face-framing headband. (Take a cue from Eva Scrivo 's gorgeous creations, stage right.) Seems the fashion world is already banding together on this one: it’s a done deal for spring ’07 looks. ALLURE named headbands a spring must-have in its latest issue, the runways are streaming with tied-back tresses, and celebs are jumping on the (head) bandwagon too. It must be noted, of course, that some aren’t so pleased to hear it. As my friend Justine put it: “I can’t go out in this. I look like I’m about to wash my face.” So if you choose to embrace this new beauty trend, just make sure you do it right: hair up, purposefully-messy, and a few loose strands in the front. Welcome back, 1960's.

Rest in Peace, dear junk Food

This just in: the Board of Health has officially banned trans fat from all New York City restaurants. Trans fat – a common ingredient in cookies, pizza, and everything else we really want – has (unfortunately) been linked to heart disease. Not only does it raise bad cholesterol; it lowers good cholesterol too. The ban isn't effective until July 2008, but before you slink back to that burger, consider this: the FDA says the average American eats almost 5 pounds of trans fat each year. (Think: bowling ball. Enough said.) Looks like the proof is in the pudding this time ... literally.