Small and wonderful

Some of the best things come in small packages--and not all of those packages are a certain blue;)

Here are some small gifts, perfect for stockings, but also worthy gifts by themselves:

Lush knows how to make bath products into art!

Their Matryoshka is a Russian nesting doll made of soap and bath bombs.

fizzy.It is seriously cute and cool.

If you can bring yourself to use it, the soap lathers well and the bath bombs are great and

Even if you can't bear to suds up with the Matryoshka, it will make your bathroom

smell great.

It smells like winter when I was five. There's a hint of cinnamon, apple, crisp... It makes me think of putting up garlands of cranberries and popcorn.

Also from Lush, solid Gorilla perfumes are wonderful!

The solid sticks are sleek, travel-friendly, and can work for the boys & girls on your list.

Even Vegan-friendly.

My favorites are Tuca Tuca and The Smell of Freedom.

Added bonus: fun colors!

Tweezerman's Brow Beauty Bubble is the new go-to gift for the well-groomed.

These tweezers are perfect-- Tweezerman, need I say more?

Plus the coolest magnifying mirror with startling clear reflection-- kind of HD for your face.

Festive, thoughtful, useful!

For your Host/Hostess

Friend or family member putting you up for the holidays?

Bring (or send ahead) an assortment of Bon Ami cleaning products:

We recommend the All-Purpose Cleaner, Liquid Cleanser, and Dish Soap.

Clean the bathroom after you use it, do a load of dishes... Make yourself useful and leave some loveliness!

Gifting made easy

Between yesterday and today, the temperature in MI has DROPPED. The stores are getting crowded. THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING!!!

Just for you, dear readers, the BrainyBeautys will post daily gift ideas and advice to help you avoid the panic gifting-- I once gave a set of fancy glasses to someone with toddlers, because the glasses were the first thing I saw. That one did NOT go over well ;)

So, my first and best bit of advice is to Know Your Audience!

The person

with the menagerie of pets probably won't be able to keep a china egg safe, the hard-core vegan doesn't want the summer sausage gift basket...

Now, the recommendations for the day:

Tarte, a perennial favorite, is offering great gift sets, some exclusive to Sephora.

Our favorites:

The Jewelry Box (left)--Amazing kit, dazzling case, even a detachable

necklace. Wonderful colors, so many looks! Perfect for a glam friend, or a daughter/niece-type who deserves quality and beauty.

The

Grab Bag (right)-- Perfect for the traveler who doesn't want that jet-lagged look! Even comes in a reusable clear bag!

The Royal Collection-- It's all about the eyes, but has a lip gloss and primer for a

polished finish. Beautiful packaging, sure to make anyone feel like a million bucks!