Tag Archives: Gift Guide

My Favorite Locally Made Jewelry

Michelle Starbuck Holiday 2015

Did someone say favorite things? If only you could hear my bellowing Oprah voice building right now.

Chances are your inbox is filling up with deals upon deals. It’s overwhelming isn’t it? Madewell already got me good earlier this week and I also did a mini holiday spree this past weekend at Show of Hands. Michelle Starbuck had a booth at the Show and used the show as a time to launch her holiday collection before it went online. I basically want every piece. I say that every season but it’s always true. Holiday is extra special. She found these charming vintage box clasps and created a bracelet around them, aren’t they sweet? There’s also the clear quartz druzy which may be draped around my neck indefinitely. Oh, and earrings upon earrings upon earrings.

Michelle Starbuck Vintage Bracelet

Michelle Starbuck jewelry is one of my very favorite things and the maker is as kind as she is talented.

This year, MSD is participating in the Good Karma sale, a chance for owners big and small to consciously redefine their relationship to the holidays. To give more purpose to the frenzy that is Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, she’s offering 25% off everything with code GOODKARMA and donating 10% of sales from 11/27 – 11/30 to the Chicago Women’s Health Center.

I can’t help but think of this story my boyfriend told me last week. He was walking downtown on one of our colder days so far and saw a homeless man eating something in an alley. The man started tossing some of the food to a pigeon in the alley. It’s funny how that man, with likely little to no possessions, no home and probably a grumbling belly shared food with a pigeon. It’s because he knew what it was like to be hungry and didn’t want the pigeon to experience that either. Sometimes, the people with the least give the most. Regardless if this sentiment is a universal truth, I see it in as the spirit of the Good Karma sale.

Check out more of 312 Beauty Favorite Things this holiday here.

Holiday, Celebrate! 2015 Favorite Things

Stowaway Cosmetics

I approach every holiday as my own personal Oprah’s favorite things. You get a lip balm, you get a blanket, and YOU ALL GET A HAND CREAM. Essentially. Nothing makes me happier than giving a gift that is loved. Last year, I gave everyone on my teams at work Michelle Starbuck jewelry. I carefully selected each piece for the person and feel so happy when I see it being worn and loved.

The 312 Beauty guide to holiday gifting is kicking off today and continuing for the next several weeks with snippets of all of my favorite things. I’m going full on O, it’s going to be a blast! Winter showed up this past weekend and the snow really accelerated my holiday spirit. I put my Christmas tree up on Saturday because I wanted it to be up and waiting for me after Thanksgiving. Cozying up in my living room with only the light of the tree is bliss and I’m perfectly content with it up this early.

Stowaway Cosmetics Lip Creme

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and travel, my very first gift pick is from Stowaway Cosmetics. Have you heard of these guys? Stowaway is confronting a huge beauty dilemma. The reality is that we all have a ton of half used expired makeup that we can’t (and shouldn’t at that point) finish. When is the last time you finished an entire tube of lipstick? Stowaway’s right-sized essentials are more than minis but not so oversized that you can’t finish or weigh your makeup down trying.

Stowaway Cosmetics Holiday

They make a compelling case for minimalism. Stowaway’s Cheek & Lip Rouge is one-third the size of an average blush. Their Effortless Eyeliner? Size of a q-tip. The Crème Lipstick: smaller than your pinky finger! And the Creaseless Concealer may look like a sample but it is crazy concentrated so a little bit goes a long way. Stowaway absolutely mastered pint-sized pretty and put a bow on it (literally) with their right-sized winter gift sets.

It’s entirely acceptable if you have the urge to gift this to yourself.