Daily Candy jumps into the sample sale game with Swirl

As I was sitting at home snowed in this weekend and surfing the Web, it occurred to me: we just don't have enough online sample sale sites. I mean, there's Rue La La, Ideeli, Gilt Groupe, The Fairest, HauteLook and Billion Dollar Babes (am I missing any?), but it's just not enough.

Lucky for me, an email appeared in my inbox this morning announcing Swirl, the online sample sale site by Daily Candy.

Go ahead and roll your eyes, because we all know that the sample sale thing is SO overdone. But before you write off Swirl as just another bandwagon jumper, consider the source. I've been a Daily Candy subscriber for years now, and have gotten many great tips from them over the years, from fashion trends to new restaurants and so on. So, I hope that Swirl will share the same stylish viewpoint as DC, giving it a somewhat unique twist.

The two sales they currently have going on are 80%20, a funky brand of shoes, and Sally Tseng, a relatively new designer, whose clothes seem to feature some really nice lines. Here are a few of the items for sale from both:

80%20 "Hazel Bootie", originally $156, Swirl priced at $79.

80%20 "Ruby High Boot", originally $99, Swirl priced at $49.

Sally Tseng "Molly Blouse", originally $228, Swirl priced at $89.

Sally Tseng "Etta One-Shoulder Top", originally $220, Swirl priced at $109.

Swirl is currently running in Beta, so I don't have a link to invite others to join yet. But you can go here to request an invitation. Happy shopping!

Chic ways to keep your head warm

In honor of the blizzard that's baring down on the East coast as we speak, I thought I'd take a moment to feature some really cute winter hats that I've seen lately. I can't say that I wear hats all that often because of the impact on my 'do, but when the weather gets really bad, it becomes a necessity. So if we have to ruin our hair, at least we can look cute doing it.

This Missoni Striped Hat screams snow bunny to me. I love the old school pom pom!

The Tarnish Chunky Cable Knit Hat is cute and slouchy. And at $8.90, the price is right.

One of my friends has a hat just like this Rubbish Pointelle Knit Hat, and it always looks so cute on her. Again, very reasonably priced at $9.90.

Last but not least, if you really don't want to mess up your hair, try a pair of luxe Burberry Earmuffs.

Happy shopping, and keep warm if you're somewhere snowy!

Review: Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion

Every skin care line claims to be different. But Skin MD Natural claims to be really different. Their Shielding Lotion "works by bonding with cells of the skin's outermost layer to form what works as an invisible shield. This layer of protection prevents environmental irritants and pollutants from penetrating the skin, while sealing in the skin's own natural oils and moisture, helping resolve the dry skin condition."

The lotion is made with natural ingredients, and is meant to help your skin use its own natural moisture (kind of like those eye drops that help you make your own tears or something). I was able to try out the Shielding Lotion for the past couple of weeks to figure out if it's as good as promised.

First of all, this stuff sinks into your skin like nothing I've ever tried. I don't care if you think your moisturizer is non-greasy, once you try this stuff, you'll look at all other moisturizers differently. Within seconds of applying (even with a generous amount), the lotion is completely absorbed, leaving you with a nice soft feeling. If you have any issues with greasy skin, you will love this.

The scent is very neutral, which is important for me when I'm putting something on my face. Scented body lotion is one thing, but I don't want to be smelling my facial moisturizer all day.

Now in terms of what this did for my skin, I have to break it down into two categories. Shielding Lotion is made for use on both the face and the body/hands (crazy, I know). I'll start with the body. Again, the fact that the lotion sinks in immediately is extremely key when using it as a body lotion. There's nothing worse than moisturizing before bed and feeling like you have to wait to jump in so you don't stick to the sheets. That issue is completely negated with this product. It made my skin feel nice and soft, and I didn't need to reapply repeatedly throughout the day.

As for the face, I'm not 100% sold, for the winter months at least. I have very dry skin, and felt like the lotion was just a little bit too light for me at this time of year. However, I should mention that Skin MD Natural stresses that the effects of the lotion increase over time, so maybe I needed to give it more time. However, I will absolutely be trying this out again once the warmer weather comes around, because I think it will be perfect once my skin gets out of winter mode. And again, if you don't have the extremely dry skin that I do, I think you'd love this product year-round.

The final bonus: it's reasonably priced. Now, some of us have different ideas of reasonable, but at $18 a bottle ($25 for the SPF version), the Shielding Lotion is much less expensive than comparable products. In addition to being sold on their web site, I found out that Skin MD Natural products are sold at various pharmacies and other locations, so check out their store finder if you'd rather buy in person.

Let me know if you've tried the Shielding Lotion, and if it's worked for you.

Disclosure: Press sample provided by Skin MD Natural.

Eye candy from Judith Leiber on Gilt

If you're somehow not familiar with Judith Leiber, allow me to fill you in. Judith Leiber is known for her handbags which are 1) amazing 2) often over the top and 3) wildly expensive.

Gilt is currently featuring some of JL's fabulous clutches that I'm seriously drooling over.

Head over to Gilt to see more of these slightly crazy, very expensive, but entirely covetable clutches. Happy window shopping!

Big thumbs up for Rihanna and Elie Saab

I'm not going to do a Grammy's recap, but I just had to point out Rihanna and her absolutely stunning Elie Saab gown. I always love Rihanna, but this has to be one of her best looks ever. Chris Brown who?

(Photo via FabSugar)

New fragrance collection from Henri Bendel

In the market for a new fragrance? If so, you're in luck—Henri Bendel has just come out with six new fragrances: Rose & Oud, Gardenia & Vanilla, Persian Lime & Pepper, Orange Blossom & Jasmine, Incense & Musk and Grapefruit & Vetiver. I haven't tested any of these out yet, but I'm definitely intrigued by the lime and pepper scent.

As as you know by now, I'm all about packaging, and Bendel does not disappoint. I love love love the purple jewel topper and the gold accents. And if you think about it, your perfume bottle probably sits on your dresser in plain view, so its appearance IS important.

The perfumes are available for $65 at Bendel stores (if you're lucky enough to have one near you), or online. Let me know if you've tried these out, and which one is your favorite!

Check out Ideeli's sales today

Ideeli really hit it out of the park today. In the course of the week, there are usually a few sales that really test my willpower, but there are three today alone!

I would suggest that you go check them out for yourself, but here are a few of my favorites:

From the Cleobella sale, I love this purple wallet. Original price $135, Ideeli price $65.

I'm obsessed with this fabulous kimono-style dress from Jax. Originally $108, Ideeli price $39.

This ruffled cardigan from Sweet Romeo is absolutely adorable, and great for transitioning into warmer weather. Originally $72, Ideeli price $32.

If you're not a member of Ideeli, go to www.ideeli.com/invite/beautifymylife to sign up and shop the sales. Happy shopping!