Happy Halloween!

Image via Getty/Montserrate Schwartz/Taxi

Happy Halloween to my U.S. readers! Hope your holiday is ghoulish, ghostly, and full of treats — and a few tricks. Enjoy the day!

Recession Beauty: e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whip

It’s no insider secret that a luminizer is the quickest, most flattering way to get a candlelit glow and make your bone structure really pop. But if you’re a babe on a budget, you may not have extra cash for the non-essential cosmetics. Well, you’re in luck, because e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whip is just $1. Yep, you read it right — $1!! I picked mine up at my local Target.

And guess what…it’s not bad! Really. I expected it to be a disaster because it was so cheap, but I’ve paid a lot more for products that didn’t perform nearly as well as this little gem. I grabbed Spotlight, a pearly silvery shade that will work well on all skin tones, but is especially pretty on cool tones. Other available shades: Pink Lemonade (pale light pink), Persimmon (light pink), Lilac Petal (pale lilac), Camilia (pale silvery-pink), Citrus (peachy-pink), Toasted (pale bronze), and Golden Peach (gold).

Find out more details after the break!

Leopard Halloween Makeup

Still stumped on what to be for Halloween? Why not go as a leopard? It’s simple, and if you’ve got your own makeup kit, you already have all the supplies you need (fuzzy ears and tail not included). Here are 2 tutorials to show you the way to animal print heaven, depending on how far you want to take this look.

Image via Give Good Face/YouTube

Look #1: Just the Eyes
This tutorial by Give Good Face shows you how to create mod, chic leopard lids using primer, a few shades of shadow, and a liquid liner pen.

Image via marinaher/YouTube

Look #2: Edgy Spot
YouTube user marinaher snakes the pattern from her hairline all the way down her neck on one side, and adds a smattering around her temple on the opposite side of her face. Cool and unexpected.

See 2 more looks after the jump.

Fall Favorites

Now that the weather has officially shifted into chillier temps and the leaves are turning vibrant shades and falling from their branches, I find myself turning to things that are quintessentially autumnal.

My Digby & Iona Stag Ring feels so right for autumn. (The manicure is OPI Axxium gel in Malaga Wine.)

One of my favorite Halloween decorations that I pull out year after year: a glittering devil that holds a tiny tealight for eerie illumination.

I did something a little different with my lantern this year, adding faux leaves and a spooky little black cat.

I signed up to receive a sample of Burberry’s new fragrance, Body, on Facebook. I received it a few weeks ago and have been spritzing this tiny vial on almost daily.

What are your fall favorites?

MAC Winter ’11: MAC & Gareth Pugh

Every year around this time, MAC teams up with a famed artist to launch a special collection. The artist usually influences the packaging design, and has input on limited-edition shades and colors that define the collection. This time around, MAC collaborated with fashion designer Gareth Pugh, known for building ready-to-wear collections around sharp, structural lines and futuristic shapes. Here are the first photos of MAC & Gareth Pugh. All items marked LE=limited edition.

Pigment ($32, LE), from left: Guise, Deceit

Lipstick ($22, LE), from left: Restrict, Fervent.

Lipglass ($22, LE), from left: Vacant, Outrage

See the rest of the collection and release dates after the break.

China Glaze Holiday ’11: Let It Snow

Image via Temptalia

China Glaze‘s holiday 2011 collection, Let It Snow, is everything you’d expect around the holidays. Think deep reds, forest greens, sparkly ice-blues, and glittering golds and silvers. The new shades capture the holiday spirit of celebrating and the renewal of a new year, and are a festive complement to any holiday gathering.Image via Temptalia

Top row, from left: Twinkle Lights, Champagne Bubbles, Holly-Day, Glittering Garland.
Middle row, from left: Velvet Bow, Winter Berry, Ring in the Red, Poinsettia.
Bottom row, from left: Blue Year’s Eve, Tinsel Town, Icicle, Snow Globe.

Information on gift sets after the jump.

Weekend Snapshots: Wedding Edition

Cream-colored mini pumpkins served as placecard holders at the rehearsal dinner

My best friend got married on Saturday! Danielle has been dating her groom, Brian, since college…11 years, to be exact. This weekend, they finally tied the knot in Long Island. It was a gorgeous autumn day filled with love, laughter, promise..and a lot of dancing. We all had a blast and wish we could relive it all over again! Congratulations to the happy couple!I wore this fabulous jaguar bracelet from ShoeDazzle to the rehearsal dinner. It’s extra large, extra sparkly, extra fierce, and oh-so-perfect. Danielle’s makeup artist had a kit that was to die for! Spotted: MAC, Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier, Trish McEvoy, Paula Dorf, BareMinerals, and of course, Ardell individual false lashes.Danielle’s gorgeous wedding gown, waiting to be worn.The centerpieces at the reception featured gorgeous long branches dotted with falling leaves.Close-up of the bridesmaids’ bouquets.

MAC Winter ’11 Brush Rolls

Here’s something that will definitely be making an appearance on my holiday wish list! MAC has just updated and rereleased brand-new Brush Rolls. Crafted of black nylon fabric, these brush rolls come in 2 sizes and make toting your tools a snap — while keeping them tidy, organized, and properly stored.Small Brush Roll ($40): Holds 10 brushes, and contains a zipper pouch.

Large Brush Roll ($50): Holds 18 brushes. Features a zipper pouch for stowing sponges, cotton swabs, cotton balls, and other essential accessories. Also contains 2 small open pouches.

Both rolls are available now at Nordstrom. Images via MAC.

Ask SugarSocial: Cold Weather Skincare

The latest installment of Ask SugarSocial comes from reader Rachel S., who wants to know how to switch up her skincare routine during the cold weather months. Ask SugarSocial lets you email your beauty-related questions directly to me for personalized, one-on-one advice that I share on the blog. Help yourself, help others, and submit a question!

Hi Kristen! I’m wondering if you can help with a skincare question. Autumn is here, and I live in the U.S. (New England), where it gets really cold around this time of year. My skin is always a wreck through late autumn and winter — dry, flaky, and itchy. What products would you recommend to keep it moisturized and glowing?
Thanks!
-Rachel S.

Click through to see how Rachel can shift her skincare to a winter-friendly routine.

MAC Holiday ’11: Glitter and Ice

MAC‘s holiday 2011 collection, Glitter and Ice, features figure skater Johnny Weir. Inspired by smooth ice and sequin-bedecked skating costumes, this collection capitalizes on the sparkle and shine of the holiday season. It’s evident in softly glimmering face powder, twinkling eyeshadow, sparkle-drenched lipgloss, and lipsticks in an array of shimmery finishes. In staying with the wintry, icy theme, all items feature limited-edition white compacts/lipstick tubes/caps.

This collection is huge; it’s actually a series of 4 collections combined into one juggernaut holiday collection. In addition to Glitter and Ice, the other elements of MAC’s holiday 2011 collection are Dazzleglass Spheres, Ice Parade (photos and details coming soon), and Kids Helping Kids (photos/details coming soon).

Take a full peek at photos, prices, and release dates after the jump.