Home for the Holidays: Must-Have Beauty Travel Kits

Let's see a show of hands. Who's leaving town soon to reunite with loved ones? 

No doubt about it, millions of Americans plan to go home for the holidays during the back-to-back celebrations of Christmas and New Year's Eve. If you haven't already loaded up the car or booked an airline ticket, chances are you know someone who will be visiting from out of town. In fact, December 26 receives the unique distinction as the second most traveled day during the holidays and the entire year (the Sunday after Thanksgiving takes the top honor). It's estimated that 12 million trips take place the day after Christmas, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

My dog Rudy starts packing for our annual holiday trip to Lake Arrowhead, Calif.

So grab your passports, fasten your seat belts and pack light. To help you do so, we've assembled nine of the finest beauty travel kits on the market. Although they contain smaller versions of their full-size counterparts, they still get the job done when it comes to restoring luminosity to skin and hair. 

You'll be home experiencing glow-sweet-glow in no time. Happy holidays! 

SHINE: CellCeuticals Discovery Kit. BEAUTY: Counteract the visible signs of aging with Extremely Gentle Skin Cleanser, Extreme Defense (Anti-Cell Damage Skin Treatment), CellGenesis (Regenerative Skin Treatment), CerActive (Active Moisture + Barrier Repair Skin Treatment), NeoCell (Micro-Resurfacing Skin Treatment) and PhotoDefense (Anti-PhotoAging Daily Skin Protector SPF 55+). BEACON: No animal testing and vegan. Free of artificial colorants and fragrances, sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates and parabens.

SHINE: Coola Environmental Repair Plus Skin Recovery Essentials. BEAUTY: Soothe, smooth and shield your skin with Calm Glow Eye Gel, Fresh Relief Face Serum and Clear Recover Foam Wash. BEACON: Free of paba, parabens, petroleum and phthalates. 

SHINE: Dermalogica Shave Kit (for men). BEAUTY: Cools, calms and comforts his complexion with Daily Clean Scrub, Pre-Shave Guard, Soothing Shave Cream and Post-Shave Balm. BEACON: Contains no artificial fragrances or colorants. Championed joinFITE (Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship).

SHINE: Murad Resurgence Get Glowing! BEAUTY: Boost suppleness and cellular turnover with Renewing Cleansing Cream, Age-Diffusing Serum, Renewing Eye Cream and Age-Balancing Night Cream. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Naturopathica Skin Care Regimen Kit. BEAUTY: Firm and refresh your skin with Oat Facial Polish, Vitamin C Revitalizing Complex, Sweet Lupine Cleansing Cream and Plant Stem Cell Serum. BEACON: Contains no sulfates, PEGs, DEA, TEA, parabens, glycols or urea. Supports the American Botanical Council and The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

SHINE: Number 4 All That Glitters--Va-Va Volume Travel Sac. BEAUTY: Unleash luminous, luxurious locks with Volumizing Shampoo, Volumizing Condition, Styling Foam and Mighty Hair Spray. BEACON: Vegan and no animal testing. Free of sulfates, gluten and parabens.

SHINE: Paula's Choice Clear Collection Two-Week Trial Kit. BEAUTY: Banish blackheads, bacteria and blemishes with Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser, Clear Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution with 2% Salicylic Acid and Clear Daily Skin Clearing Treatment. BEACON: No animal testing. Supports American Humane Society, DAWN (Domestic Abuse Women's Network) and United Negro College Fund.

SHINE: Sanítas Normal Skin System. BEAUTY: Hydrate and heal your skin with Glycolic Citrus Cleanser, Moisturizing Cleanser, Glycotoner 5%, Moisture Mist, Vita-Rich Serum and Topical C. BEACON: Supports the Cinderella Foundation.

SHINE: Skyn Iceland Quench Kit for Thirsty Skin. BEAUTY: Bring brilliance back to dull, dry and depleted skin with Icelandic Relief Eye Pen, Pure Cloud Cleanser, Arctic Hydrating Balm and Oxygen Infusion Night. BEACON: Vegan and cruelty free. Contains no parabens, petroleum, phthalates, mineral oil, sulfates or dye. Supports Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

"Moliday" Cheer: 10 Grooming Gift Ideas for Men

Photo courtesy Tara Angkor Hotel

Man oh man! The face of personal care has changed dramatically in the last few years in an exciting XY way. When I treated myself to a spa massage for my birthday last month, I found myself surrounded by several men in the coed relaxation room. Most were there for facials rather than massages.

It's no secret that men want to look--and feel--their best in today's competitive world. In fact, many of my girlfriends often complain that their significant others use up their beauty products without replacing them. Wrinkle reducers, tinted moisturizers, under-eye concealers and bronzers appeal to them just as much as their own shaving supplies.

Men spend more than $4 billion each year on grooming supplies in the United States, according to some estimates. Movember marks an annual, month-long event during November, which brings the growing popularity of this trend into focus by encouraging men to grow moustaches. It also raises awareness of prostate cancer and other male-oriented maladies. So why not continue the celebration and turn December into a Men's Skincare Holiday Month, or "Moliday," with great grooming gift goodies for the special guy in your life?

Here's how to make it happen. The following cleansers, scrubs, creams and moisturizers specifically address men's skincare concerns. They're guaranteed to spread lots of Moliday cheer!

SHINE: Dermalogica Soothing Shave Cream, Pre-Shave Guard and Post-Shave Balm. BEAUTY: These products prevent ingrown hairs and discomfort/redness brought on by shaving with ingredients such as clove flower, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera leaf juice and salicylic acid. BEACON: Contains no artificial fragrances or colorants. Championed joinFITE (Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship).

SHINE: Elizabeth Grant Grant Homme Moisturizer. BEAUTY: Prickly pear extract and aloe vera juice serve to soothe and protect the skin. BEACON: 

No animal testing. Supports Assaulted Women's Hotline, About Face and Sick Kids Foundation. 

SHINE: Headblade HeadShed Exfoliating Scrub. BEAUTY: Sloughs dead skin cells, and preps the face and head for a close shave with finely ground walnut shells, shea butter and grape seed powder. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: LATHER Citrus Soothing Pre-Shave Oil. BEAUTY: Conditions the skin for a comforting shave with sweet almond, lavender, avocado, lemon and cedarwood oils. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of sulfates and parabens. 

SHINE: Murad Face Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 15, Razor Burn Rescue and Cleansing Shave. BEAUTY: These products utilize ingredients such as mushroom extract, vitamin E, glycolic acid and tea tree oil to combat blemishes and ingrown hairs, and protect the skin from environmental damage. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Phytomer Homme Global Pur Detoxifying Cleansing Gel. BEAUTY: Revives skin and removes impurities with brown seaweed and marine oxhylium. BEACON: The company collects seaweed from natural forests, respecting periods of reproduction and following local regulations. 

Hollywood Mona Lisas

Happy birthday to Leonardo da Vinci. He celebrated the big 5-5-9 this month.


Little did he know that when he painted the Mona Lisa in approximately 1505, he'd spark so much speculation about her enigmatic expression. Is she scowling or smiling? Is she radiating sassiness or serenity? 

Whether you believe she's a hellion or a heroine, her legacy continues to live on. In honor of National Smile Month and da Vinci's greatest muse, we present three celebrities who grin and wear it like Mona Lisa--and how they're creating their own legacies through charitable work.

EVA LONGORIA

BEAUTY: Desperately devilish. BEACON: Founded Eva's Heroes, a charity which helps developmentally disabled children. She's also the national spokesperson for PADRES Contra El Cancer (Parents Against Cancer).

ANGELINA JOLIE

BEAUTY: Elegantly enigmatic. BEACON: Co-founded the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which supports Global Action for Children and Doctors Without Borders. Also co-chairs the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict.


LADY GAGA

BEAUTY: Monstrous mystique. BEACON: Recently donated $1.5 million to Save the Children’s Japan Earthquake Tsunami Relief and the American Red Cross. 


The following products help to maximize glamorous grinning:

BEAUTY: 100% Pure Sugar Plum Sheer and Watermelon Sorbet Lip Glosses moisturize with fruits pigments from pomegranate, cherry, cranberry, blackberry and raspberry, and vitamins C and E. BEACON: Contains no gluten, synthetic chemicals, preservatives, artificial fragrances or colors, or harsh detergents.

BEAUTY: Dermalogica Renewal Lip Complex restores chapped and aging puckers with cocoa butter, avocado oil and hyaluronic acid. BEACON: The Dermalogica Foundation supports S.K.I.N. (Skincare for Kids in Need).

BEAUTY: Eminence Organic Skin Care Cinnamon Kiss Lip Plumper stimulates circulation for more fullness and nourishes with pomegranate oil. BEACON: Supports National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Canadian Liver Foundation and The Cinderella Project.

BEAUTY: gloMinerals gloRoyal Lip Crayon provides long-lasting shine when worn alone or applied on top of lipstick. BEACON: Non-comedogenic, and contains no talc, perfumes and chemical dyes.

BEAUTY: Lavera Naturkosmetik Lip Gloss No. 6 (Burgundy) repairs and moisturizes with vitamin E and jojoba. BEACON: Cruelty free, and contains no parabens, synthetic preservatives, fragrances, GMO, gluten, emulsifiers and petroleum-based ingredients.

BEAUTY: Palladio Beauty Herbal Lip Gloss (Ruby Red) combats the breakdown of skin`s elasticity with antioxidants such as green tea, and vitamins A, C, D and E. BEACON: No animal testing.