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Lifestyle

Gift Guide: For The Girls (And For You)

Obviously this is the most fun category. Guys can be tough (my father actually announced that this year he wants...athletic socks), kids can be a mystery (what movie character are they into this week?), but girls?

Not so much.

I still think the key with gift-giving, though, is to make sure that you give something that the person will love...but that they wouldn't necessarily buy for themselves: now is the time to go for that bag in a beautiful-but-unexpected color, that luxurious desk accessory, that ridiculously cozy throw blanket.

My favorite ideas for all the ladies on your list:

Lifestyle

Need A Personalized Gift Suggestion? At Your Service!

All week long, T.J.Maxx and Marshall's are running a holiday hotline to help you pick out the right gifts for the tough people on your list. I'll be offering personal suggestions along with Giuliana Rancic, the founder of MomTrends, Jenn Falik and others, so make sure to give us a ring!

P.S. Just to get you inspired, some of my favorite finds from the store are pictured above, including a killer leather jacket, a rugged travel duffle that's technically a "men's" style but that I love even more for the ladies, and a cozy robe that's on my own personal wish list.

Best

When Is The Right Time?

Q. Hi Jordan!

My husband and I always thought we weren't the "kids" type, but lately that has really changed. And now we're just sort of struggling with the "when."

Has it been totally worth it, the "not being able to do whatever you want whenever you want to" portion? My husband and I have been married for so long now and have our own groove, and I'm super worried I'm going to end up resenting a kid for messing with my blissfully carefree life. No more indie shows in crowded bars with 10 minutes notice; that sort of thing.

In short: how did you guys know you were ready? Did you struggle with the things that you'd have to give up, or were you totally on board?

Makeup & Beauty

Test-Run: Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips

Oh, adorable.

I'm obsessed with Vaseline's new Rosy Lips shade, which has been available in the U.K. for years but is only now arriving in the U.S. It feels like the old standby, but adds a tiny hint of color and flavor to your lips (sort of like Smith's Rosebud Salve, another favorite of mine) and comes in the cutest little (very little) container.

It's still pretty tough to find online in its U.S. incarnation (the British version comes in a tin) - I couldn't find it, at least - but it's starting to pop up at drugstores around the country, so if you manage to get your hands on one, let me know!

My Looks

Bad Girl

I did a bad thing once.

Well, no: I've done bad things lots of times. Obviously. But this time sticks out in my memory both because it was a bad thing that I did on purpose, with total awareness of said badness, and because while on the scale of "bad things that one can do" it wasn't all that bad, having caused no grave physical or emotional harm...it was still something that I think was both immoral and dishonest. I also thought so at the time, when I did it.

And that's bad.

Makeup & Beauty

Test-Run: Better Than False Lashes?

I love false eyelashes. I do not, however, love that sometimes I forget that I'm wearing them and tug on them, and then end up with what looks like a dismembered spricket (shudder) dangling from my face. I actually carry a small tube of lash glue in my purse whenever I'm wearing false eyelashes to prevent just this, but there are definitely times when perching on a restaurant's bathroom sink and playing around with glue in close proximity to my eyeballs isn't an ideal situation.

So let me introduce you to my favorite new beauty discovery: Too Faced Better Than False Lashes Lash Extension System. I didn't believe that it would work, and it does, and I need to tell you about it because it's kind of amazing.

It's a three-step system that basically coats your lashes with what looks like cotton before adding color - first you paint on some base/top coat, then the nylon fibers, and then more base/top coat...and the end result is pretty gorgeous. It's not quite as dramatic as false lashes, but for some that might be a good thing: it's almost impossible to tell that they're fake (I'd imagine the effect is probably similar to the effect of Latisse), and, like I said: no eyeball-proximate glue.

Want to see?!