Give Thanks with These Beautiful Buys …Only at Sephora

Now that you’ve satisfied your tummy with hearty eats, it’s time to satisfy your craving for beauty! Beat the crowds this Black Friday and make Sephora your first shop stop for true holiday magic. From adorable stocking stuffers, to larger than life makeup sets and fragrance kits, Sephora is offering sweet steals and deals you and your wallet won’t want to miss!

Check out these Black Friday finds:

· Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick Gift Set ($34, $54 Value!) – This trio of rich, full-color lipsticks is perfect for creating a smoldering, sultry holiday look. NEW! LIMITED EDITION!

· I Love Sephora Brush Set ($29, $120 Value!) – Great for holiday travel, this portable set of five essentials brushes is just as beautiful as they are functional. NEW! LIMITED EDITION!

· Fresh Sugar Wish Set ($28, $55 Value!) – Satisfy your sweet tooth with this moisturizing duo for lips and body, housed in a flashy gold cosmetic bag. NEW! LIMITED EDITION!

· Sephora Blockbuster Palette To-Go ($15, $50 Value!) –This all-in-one mini makeup palette is everything you need for a casual daytime look or a night out on the town. NEW! LIMITED EDITION!

· Philosophy The Winter Escape ($25) – Luxe fireside-inspired treats, the Peppermint Hot Cocoa and Melting Marshmallow scents will keep you warm on the coldest of nights. NEW! LIMITED EDITION!

· Sephora Collector’s Edition Fragrance Sampler ($75, $160 Value!) – Take the guesswork out of the gift of fragrance for him or her! This set of seven samples of Sephora’s most popular fragrances comes with a gift voucher for a full-size bottle of their favorite! NEW! LIMITED EDITION!

Beauty-full Black Friday bonus you won’t want to miss for Beauty Insiders only… *Free Kat Von D Tote* Get a limited edition tote adorned with studs and sketches of celebrity tattoo artist, Kat Von D’s, with a purchase of $25. Valid online with promotional code TOTE09 and at checkout in stores with printed page.

*CyberMonday* Enter code SHIP4FREE in the promotion code box at checkout to receive free standard shipping on your online merchandise order. Not valid in Canada, retail stores, or on previous purchases. Cannot be used in conjunction with other promotion codes. Sephora reserves the right to rescind or change this offer at its sole discretion at any time. This offer is valid from November 28th through November 30, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. PST/PDT.

*Holiday News Alert* Beginning November 18th, just in time for the holidays, Sephora Claus is taking over Sephora’s Twitter (www.twitter.com/sephora ), giving away beauty products everyday for 31 days until December 18th. For beauty buffs who would like to enter, simply tweet on Twitter an @Sephora message and tag your wish with a #sephoraclaus “hashtag.” Plus, you can “share” your wish on Facebook and receive one of three deluxe samples, including YSL Black Mascara, Philosophy Inner Grace Body Lotion or Mini Nars Duo Lipgloss. To get your glamorous goodie, enter any of these gift with purchase codes: WISHME, Claus, or Clause. For more Sephora Claus details, visit www.Sephoraclaus.com . You must be 18 or older and a US citizen to win. Prizes must be found on Sephora.com and less than $150.=

Shop these fantastic holiday finds – available at Sephora stores, by calling 1-877-Sephora or by logging onto Sephora.com.

Watch: Follow Marta Walsh founder and editor of Talking Makeup.com and the rest of the Daily Makeover Beauty Bloggerati through the beauty boutiques of New York City.

The bloggers hit Kiehl’s, L’Occitane, Lancôme, Fresh, and Space NK.

On my recent trip to New York City I’ve discovered some great new skincare brands and products, and I’m very excited to share them them you.

I love cleansing my face before bed and especially in the morning. I look for cleansers that are not too greasy or too irritating. I also want my cleanser to work effectively in removing makeup and refreshing my face.

Here is Marta’s top face cleansers for this week:

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser Extra Gentle For Face And Eyes: Love this cleanser. It’s very gentle, smells a bit like cucumber which is quites relaxing. It leaves my skin fresh, clean, and ready for my day. More great stuff: it contains high concentration of soy proteins packed with amino acids and antioxidants. SRP: $15 for 1.7 oz. $38 for 5.1 oz. Available at www.fresh.com & Sephora.com

Peter Thomas Roth Gentle Foaming Cleanser: Cleanser and makeup remover in one, with wheat amino acids and vitamins A C & E. This cleanser is soap-free, sulfate-free, alcohol-free, and fragrance free. A very gentle cleanser for anyone, especially if you have sensitive skin or like your products green. SRP: $32. Available at www.peterthomasroth.com & Sephora.com

Mission Skincare Active Daily Facial Cleanser Sweet Citrus by Serena Williams: It’s engineered with a unique self-foaming oxygenating technology that cleans impurities, removes makeup, nourishes and revitalizes skin in only 90 seconds. Make sure to squeeze just a little bit of products because it really lathers a lot. It left my skin hydrated, fresh, and clean. It feels like an oxygen mask and quite invigorating for tired skin. Perfect if you’ve been partying the night before, or need a quick pick-me-up or boost for your skin before going out. It contains vitamins & antioxidants and it’s paraben free. SRP: $39.99. Available at www.missionskincare.com

I’m very excited to bring to you my interview with Christina Moore who plays Tracy Clark, Naomi’s mom, on CW’s Beverly Hills 90210. I’ve interviewed Christina for Talking Makeup’s celebrity beauty section: www.beautyinterviews.com

Christina Moore also plays the role of Candy Sullivan, a nurse with a unique sense of duty, in an upcoming television drama on TNT called HawthoRNe, directed by Mikael Salomon. Jada Pinkett Smith is also starring on HawthoRNe.

Photo Credit: Rudy Martinez.

Marta Walsh: How did you decide on a career in acting, and what were some of your first breaks as an actress?
Christina Moore: I loved the theatre. I got into a professional theatre troupe when I was in High School. We toured around the Chicago suburbs doing musicals. It was like a 2nd family for me. There is such a kinship in the arts and I knew I wanted to be a part of it forever.

I got lucky when I landed (alone) in LA. I was cast in a string of popular sit-coms all produced at the Warner Bros studio. (Friends, Suddenly Susan, Just Shoot Me, Drew Carrey) This led to me auditioning for Hyperion Bay, which was my 1st series regular job. I had only been in LA for 2 years at that point. And from there-I was off and running in television.

Photo Credit: Rudy Martinez.

MW: What attracted you to Tracy Clark, Naomi’s Mom, on the hit CW series Beverly Hills 90210?
CM: Really… What didn’t attract me to Tracy Clark?! She is such a great character. She is rich- like crazy rich and lonely- like crazy lonely and desperate. This is a recipe for disaster, which, for an actress, means lots of great stuff to do. I love the storyline between her and Harry. And I am still looking forward to finding our real SON!!! Plus Naomi is a red, hot mess and being her mom is a roller coaster ride- for sure.

MW: How would you describe your acting role in HawthoRNe on TNT, and was it difficult to play it emotionally?
CM: Candy Sullivan is very different from Tracy Clark. It has been a challenge switching from one to the other. Nurse Candy is grounded and sure of herself. She works with her own set of rules, rules that maybe only she understands. I have had interesting discussions with the producers about her mysterious nature. I am sure that Candy has secrets, but I don’t know how long it is going to take for them to come out. So, to answer your question, yes, it has been difficult to play her- emotionally & mentally. But I love every minute of it.

MW: What was it like meeting Jada Pinkett Smith on set of HawthoRNe, and the rest of the cast?
CM: Jada is a dream. She is kind and generous and so full of life. She is as big as a minute, but NEVER underestimate her joie de vivre. Her life force is huge and magnetic.

My other cast mates are great. I especially enjoy David Julian Hirsh, who plays Ray. He and I relate, off camera, much like Candy and Ray. It is a playful tug o war.

MW: What is next for Christina Moore?
CM: We shall see…. Juggling 2 TV series has kept me very busy, but work begets work, so watch out, I might just add a feature film to my to do list any day now.

I keep my hair beautiful thanks to…
L’Oreal Professionnel Expert- Absolut Repair- (shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner): it is the best at repairing my damaged ends and keeping my hair from looking fuzzy & broken.

Moroccan Oil: after shower, before blow-dry. This oil smoothes out the frizzies and protects my hair from the heat. Plus, it smells like a tropical vacation.

My favorite skincare products are…
Mannatech Optimal Face Wash: it is creamy and doesn’t dry out my skin
Kinara Intense Moisturizer: I can’t live without it. VERY HYDRATING-and again, the smell, like vanilla cookies. Yummy.

Photo Credit: Rudy Martinez.

I get my eyelashes looking long, full, and sexy using…
Cover Girl Lash Blast (in the orange tube) – the best everyday mascara
FRESH (tube: black, covered in white flowers)- very good
THE BEST- Dior (it only lasts for one month- so I save it for special occasions)

The best lip-gloss I ever owned…
This is the hardest question for me. I LOVE lip-gloss. If I was left on an island and I could only have one thing-it would be lip-gloss. I carry about 12 different tubes in my purse everyday.
Liplicious- tasty lip color (from Bath and Body works) in Frozen Blackberry. It is creamy and glossy and tastes good- I wear it the most.

Other mentionables:
Lancôme- Juicy Tubes
Hourglass- in Search
Mirabella- Outshine-in Subtle

My signature fragrance is…
Bvlgari- Pour Femme (the yellow one)
I LOVE IT!!!

The one beauty product you will always find in my purse is…
Cle de Peau correcteur visage concealer in beige.
Nothing works as well for under the eyes. NOTHING!

My number one beauty secret is…
Vitamins- I take supplements every day and they have kept me healthy from the inside out. Mannatech makes a packet with all of the essentials. I have some in my car, my purse, next to bed, just in case.

The celebrity I find most beautiful is…
Jessica Lange- her grace and fragility and endurance. WOW.

The city I love the most…
Rome, Italy. I have been 3 times in the past 5 years. I can’t get enough of it. I find the presence of ancient history to be comforting- calming. You just know how small you are in the history of the world standing in awe of the Pantheon.

One or two things some people may not know about Christina Moore…

I love country music. It is really all I listen to. I go to the concerts- I buy the mp3’s. I am a true FAN.

If I wasn’t an actor, I would like to be a serial killer profiler.

I love Nacho Cheese Doritos.

It was great to discuss beauty secrets withChristina make sure to check out the official site for both of her hit shows. www.tnt.tv/series/hawthorne / and www.cwtv.com/shows/90210

This Earth Day, Wednesday April 22, Fresh is sharing the beauty with our Get More, Give More Earth Day special.

Fresh has always been committed to using natural ingredients. They are an integral part of the efficacy of their products. They connect us to time-honored beauty rituals of the past, and they keep us at the forefront of innovation.

In honor of Earth Day, Fresh is creating awareness around five of our most iconic, natural ingredients: meadowfoam seed oil, rose, soy, sugar, and Umbrian Clay.

For the first time, each of our fifteen retail stores will feature ingredient bars at which people can smell, touch, and feel these ingredients in their purest forms while learning about their beneficial properties and origins. They will also enjoy a 20% discount on select best-selling items that contain these iconic, natural ingredients.

Additionally, Fresh  is donating 10% of the day’s in-store and online proceeds to The Climate Group, an international, non-profit organization that creates eco-conscious initiatives to ensure a low-carbon, prosperous future. So the more people get, the more Fresh is able to give back.

Fresh believes small gestures can have a big impact, so they are also encouraging people to put their purchased items in their purse or perhaps in a shopping bag they’ve already received at a previous store. Even this small act will reduce their carbon foot print on this planet.

Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish is a body scrub made with real sugar crystals soaked with soothing natural oils.  Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish gently exfoliates your skin making it softer and more radiant.

Ingredients include: evening primrose, sweet almond oil, citrus oils, apricot kernel and jojoba oils, anti-inflammatory arnica and calendula, ginseng, peppermint, passionflower and white lily.  Cost: $62.50.      

Fresh Cotton Shampoo is an hydrating and volumizing shampoo.

Fresh Cotton Shampoo contains ingredients like: cotton powder, cotton seed oil, Moringa extract, sunflower extract, and camellia.  What you get is hair full of volume, good condition, and tamed flyaways.  Safe even for color-treated hair.  Cost: $26. 

Long full lashes 60’s style are back in. And there is not a better way to achieve this look then stocking up with Supernova Mascara from Fresh.  Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg are the geniuses who came up with this Fresh idea.  It all started when they couldn’t find the perfect soap to sell in their apothecary-style beauty shop in Boston.  They realized they were on to something.  Perfect soap means a soap bar that not only smells and looks good but actually works.  Bar soaps were their first love but they then expanded into skincare, makeup, fragrance, home, hair, and body care.

Supernova Mascara by Fresh was first seen in InStyle Magazine on January 2005 issue.  This extra special mascara will give you the dramatic, glamorous lashes you always dreamt about in just one coat.  More good reasons to buy this mascara are as follows:  it comes with a unique mascara wand to optimize application and desired coverage, it is enriched with nourishing meadowfoam seed oil and strengthening linden bud extract to fortify lashes.  And lastly,  it is ophthalmologist tested.  Comes in Black shade and Costs: $25.