So, I started this column a few weeks ago to share my favorite things on the regular, and it’s already undergoing some changes. Forget strict categories (moisturizers, posy blushes) and that silly little header thing, I just want you knowing all the good stuff. I may change my mind again. But for now… here you have it. That’s my bag baby, YEAH!

INSTAGRAM - Instagram is an addictive photo-sharing iPhone app that makes on-the-go photos instantly gorgeous… and social. See above. I really don’t look that cool today, in reality I look totally disheveled and pale and tired. It’s my new BFF! I’ve been on the ‘gram for two days and already feel a higher quality of life. Thanks to my girl Viv for the intro. Download it NOW iPhoners and follow me at @michellejoni so we can share beautiful photos!

Hold up – 6:30 pm update:  just got back from trying the brand new spray tan machine at completely bare and am no longer pale. At ALL. I look like this.

POW Middle Fingers (and GLITTER) - I’ve been painting my middle fingers a different color for two years now (and won’t look back), but this manicure I got last night (see photo above) is one of my favorites. Remember when super-matte polish was hot for a minute? Barf. It’s completely over if it ever even had a chance, and has done a complete 180, and now it’s all about being as shimmery, showy and glittery as possible. My current colors: The turquoise is Yodel Me On My Cell (also on my toes right now), and the gold glitter on the middle finger is Bring On The Bling, both by OPI.

My New Bag, Baby! –  I got this fab book of the pocket two weekends ago at Urban Outfitters. This super little spectator can be worn over your shoulder, across your chest, or held like a briefcase. It pulls together outfits like magic — I’ve worn with black sheer/lacy looks, colorful patterns, and beige neutrals alike. It’s big enough to fit everything in for work and small and comfortable enough for going out. The closure in the front is the only thing that bothers me, sometimes it takes some fidgeting to open or close. But for $48 I’m not complaining.  By Cooperative from Urban Outfitters (not finding this exact one online anywhere, sorry! But try these others by Cooperative)

Tweezerman Slant Tweezers - Confession: I keep a pair in my bathroom, a pair on my dresser, and I don’t leave the house without them. If the slightest trace of a rogue eyebrow or chinny chin chin hair pokes through, it drives me absolutely crazy! No other tweezer works quite like it – and I’ve tried them all. I <3 you, T-man. (Prices vary, depending on how girly you want yours to look)

Sula Roll-On Perfume – Light, refreshing and delicious-smelling, I carry these roll-on perfumes everywhere for a quick and easy fragrant touch up. All the flavors are great – I say get the whole kit! $36 and it will last you the summer, in 6 different purses.

Light Up Your Lips by Elizabeth Grant – Is it a flashlight? A lipgloss? A mirror? YES. This gloss applicator has an LED light that shines automatically when you take it out of the tube, making it genius for nights out, dark restaurants and cab rides. They’re $20, and we’re giving away 10 of them right now too – go get lit!

Tweezer shot c/o Vanity Fair

Guest contributor: Healing Lifestyles & Spas

When it comes to your diet, you’re generally healthy and super-conscious of what you’re putting IN your mouth, but how much do you know about the ingredients you’re putting ON your mouth? You probably don’t tend to think too much about your lip products.

FACT: Women ingest about 7 pounds of lip products over a lifetime. Wow! The main ingredient in many of those is petroleum jelly, a by-product of OIL.

Petroleum jelly is what gives glosses their shine, but danger lurks beneath the shimmery surface. The European Union has banned many petroleum jelly products, and experts are concerned they could be linked to cancer.

Keep your kisser safe by just tossing the lip balms and glosses that contain petroleum. Simple as that, just get rid of the temptation!

Choose natural versions made from beeswax, shea butter and natural oils like coconut and jojoba. Zinc oxide is good for protecting your lips from the sun. Not only will your lips be softer and smoother, it’s not harmful to ingest these natural ingredients.

Check out our shopping list of our favorite natural (and safe) lip balms.

Softlips PURE

It’s the skinny Softlips balm you remember, but in a new certified organic version. You’ll love the fun new flavors like chai tea, acai berry and honeydew. PURE

Eco Lips Dagoba Chocolate lip balms

It’s a good thing that these balms are certified organic- flavors like Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Raspberry and Chocolate Lavender (made with real organic cocoa powder) mean that sweet-lovers will be licking their lips and sneaking an extra swipe. And the base of organic sunflower oil, beeswax, cocoa butter and jojoba oil equals a super-soft pucker. Eco Lips

Yes to Carrots

Yes to Carrots Lip Butters are certified organic and made with 6 natural oils, beeswax and shea butter for a moisture-packed treatment for your lips. Fun flavors and a drugstore price tag make them a must for every purse and pocket. Yes to Carrots

Intelligent Nutrients

Intelligent Nutrients Lip Delivery Nutrition is a splurge, but it’s not just a lip balm! Lip Delivery Nutrition is made with a super-antioxidant, anti-aging blend of seed oils that are meant to be ingested. You’ll be helping your body inside and out with every application. Intelligent Nutrients.

As an in the know source for health, wellness and beauty, click here to view Healing Lifestyles’ 7 must-have $50 Spa Week treatments.

Welcome to Spa Week Daily’s first Holiday Gift Guide of the season! We’re kicking it off with juicy finds for your favorite makeup junkie.

If you have a nail polish-hoarding daughter, mascara-obsessed girlfriend or a boss who never shows up without that inimitable glow, pay attention. (And hopefully you’ve already complimented your boss.) Below we’ve gathered a few of our current favorites—stocking stuffers and Secret Santa possibilities for any woman worth her weight in lipstick.

Michelle’s Makeup-Gifting Advice: The key to giving makeup is it either has to be something colorful and entertaining (like a huge sampling of flavored lip glosses) or something that you, yourself, love and can’t live without. BUT, I’m also all about surprises. If she’s that obsessed with makeup, encourage her to cleanse her poor makeup-slathered pores and GET A FACIAL. The better her skin is, the better her makeup will look. End of story. Our SPA Gift Cards are 20% off for the holidays, so you could give her one of those, and then she can choose from some of the best facial spas in the world! Just an idea. Here are some more.

Tarte Eight Dates a Week Mini Lip Gloss Set of 8, $25.00

This is the perfect gift for the girl obsessed with gloss. The kit includes 8 moisture rich shades of sheer pinks and neutrals – one for every day of the week–and one extra just in case you’re feeling fickle.

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*MICHELLE’S PICK* Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars, $12.50 Each

I usually opt to highlight my eyes rather than my lips, but with makeup this fun and goopy, it’s impossible to not play. It all started when I wore it to be Ke$ha for Halloween. OCC is a stunning new line of innovative and WOAH-NOW makeup colors for lips, eyes and more. Beware though–these glosses are fun but you might need to appoint a friend to Lipstick Patrol. It tends to gets on teeth and sometimes bleeds outside your lips. But it’s totally worth it, I swear! OCC Lip Tar is 100% Vegan and Cruely Free.

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Sephora Collection Mini Colorful Mono Eyeshadow Set, $20

This is the perfect set for the girl looking for intense eye color. This set includes some of Sephora favorite easy blendable, high pigmented shades in Sweet Candy, Midnight Kiss, Engagement Ring, Made in Manhattan and Swimming Pool.

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Nars Beautiful Life Lip & Cheek Palette, $55

This unbelievable palette of lip and cheek colors is a necessity in any makeup collection. The palette contains Sexual Healing Lipstick, Honolulu Honey Lipstick, Roman Holiday Lipstick, Funny Face Lipstick, Copacabana Multiple, Orgasm Multiple.

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*MICHELLE’S PICK* Bare Escentuals Big & Bright Mascara & Eyeliner Duo Kit, $15.00

My new go-to (and to-go) mascara and eyeliner. Both are extremely natural looking, easy to apply, easy to fit in your purse, and they stay put throughout the day or night. Mineral makeup is a huge emerging trend right now for more and more brands, but Bare Escentuals is WAY ahead of the curve, leading the mineral makeup way since 1976. The Bare Escentuals duo kit features the Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara and Big & Bright Eyeliner.

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Best of Smashbox Sampler Kit 2010, $35.00

Almost every item from this top selling collection can be found in the makeup bags of beauty pros world wide. This 11 piece must have collection includes Lip Enhancing Gloss in Pout, Hyperlash Mascara, Limitless Eyeliner in Onyx, Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion in Flash, Photo Finish Foundation and Lid Primer, Mini Fusion Soft Light, Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss, O-Gloss Intuitive Lip Gloss, and Clear Tote Bag.

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Sephora by OPI Rocker Chic Mini Collection, $18.00

This collection is a favorite among die-hard polish lovers. The Sephora by OPI Rocker Chic collection contains four petit nail laquers in Fiercly Fabulous, Just a Little Dangerous, Already Famous, and Go My Own Way.

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*MICHELLE’S PICK* A Birchbox Subscription

We blogged it and did a giveaway a few months back, and now the hottest beauty sample subscription can make for a hot holiday gift.  Hand-picked beauty and skin care samples delivered to your door each month will make your recipient think of you all year round.

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MAKEUP SALE INSIDER TIP: TotalBeauty.com’s Little Luxury Sample Store

This beauty-lovers hub has makeup and beauty sales on top brands, with new ones launching every few days. Right now it’s 57% off Rock and Republic makeup. Go forth and be glamorous!

And of course… the gift of a facial tops them all!

This post is a proud member of the Purple Lab Blogger Mafia. Check out the rest!

The Little Luxury: Huge Lips Skinny Hips lip gloss, by Purple Lab NYC

Relationship Status: We met in July on Twitter. It kisses me with or without lipstick… and we still tweet pretty much every day.

It Plumps Your Lips and Not Your hips: This gloss has lip plumper and hoodia (the appetite suppressant)–an idea that popped into founder Karen Robinovitz’s head at a wedding years back. She had eaten too much and told her husband Todd she wanted to leave. Karen said: ”If my lip gloss would only plump my lips and not my hips, I wouldn’t be in this mess.” And poof, Purple Lab was born: “Double Duty Beauty for the woman who wants it all!”

Only Settle For The Best: When Karen started out her career as a beauty and lifestyle editor, she sampled every lip gloss known to womankind. When she created the formula for Huge Lips Skinny Hips, she wouldn’t settle until it was the absolute best gloss she’d ever tried.

Launching a Brand through Social Media: Just as Karen (and her fabulous, irreplaceable marketing director Sharon) met me through Twitter– they’ve developed an enormous and devoted network of bloggers and supporters through social media. If you’re ever looking for inspiration in succeeding in social media, look at what Purple Lab has achieved.

Let’s get to the pole dancing and Louboutins: What? Yes… the thing that sets this brand apart most is the personality behind it. Every gloss comes with a love story and is named after an inspiration in Karen’s life. Kittypole Dancer–because this is Karen’s favorite sport (she has a pole in her living room). Red Sole–because shopping at Christian Louboutin is Karen’s other favorite sport.

Clearly… the clear gloss is called No Panty Lines.

Living Dreams: A huge congratulations to Karen! When we met in July, she told me her dream was to be on HSN. Just last week, Purple Lab rolled out a whole line of Double Duty Beauty on HSN. Parties were thrown in her honor all across the country, and Karen was truly a star. Purple cupcakes and boas and a million tweets of Purple Lab love.

Buy Buy Buy: For all their Cool Makeup – Purple Lab NYC is the place to go. The gloss is $25 and worth every lipsmacking penny.

Fun and Games (on a personal note): If you want to read more about Karen, Purple Lab, and a fun little game (blog) I invented over the summer in which I lived by the rules of different influential New Yorkers… visit Karen’s round of The NYC Game

Hot Stone Scale: 6 out of 6

THE GIVEAWAY: Until Sunday, February 28th… you can enter to win Huge Lips Skinny Hips from our SWAG giveaways page. 10 winners!

BONUS, because Red Sole is my favorite… I’ll be giving away a bonus Huge Lips Skinny Hips in Red Sole to someone who comments below and tells me: is there anything hotter to do in red-soled Louboutins than riding on the back of a motorcycle? (Karen would argue no. Can you think of something?) Comment by Sunday at midnight, winner announced Monday, based on creativity!

WINNER: Jenny Henning
Her Answer: “No sex, no games. Throwing on a pair of red soles, just to swagger down Abbey Road. Nothing less, for the legendary walk ;)”

Me in my red soles on the back of Karen's husband's motorcycle

Got modeling aspirations and a sassy side? Read on.

Purple Lab, the double-duty beauty company that brought us the infamous, delicious and slightly controversial Huge Lips Skinny Hips – the lip gloss that plumps your lips and contains Hoodia – is launching on Home Shopping Network! To celebrate, they are seeking a model online, someone who will go to Florida with Purple Lab Creatrix Karen Robinovitz to show off Purple Lab’s new line for millions of women across America. The new double-duty beauty collection includes: Lashionista Modelista (mascara and liquid liner duo), Silk Sheets (luxe foundation), Luvah (double plumping lip stain with glossy topper and aphrodisiacs), Luxury Squared (concealer and highligher in one), and Cheek Implants (cream blush with collagen).

Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and what they’re looking for is someone who embodies the energy of Purple Lab: fun, smart, empowered and strong. The winner will be announced LIVE on air on February 18th during the 8 p.m. show. Forget America’s Next Top Model– HSN is huge!

If you think you’ve got what it takes, get over there and enter. And as Purple Lab would say… MWAH.