Lovelies! Have you cast your vote yet in the CVS Beauty Club/People’s Choice Awards video contest I told you about a few weeks ago? I’m up against 4 fiercely awesome bloggers (Patrice Yursik of Afrobella, Vera Sweeney of Lady and the Blog, Jeannine Morris of Beauty Sweet Spot and Kathryn Finney of The Budget Fashionista), so I need your support!

Visit PeoplesChoice.com/PCA/CVS to vote, and don’t forget that if I win, I’ll be running a contest to bring 1 Jolie winner–from anywhere in the country!–with me to the People’s Choice Awards in January.

Good luck to both of us and thanks to CVS for sponsoring this cool opportunity!

Hey guys! This is going to be a mini-missive. I’m way behind in work and am about to pass out, so forgive me for lacking any semblance of sparkling wit. I’m just trying to get by right now!

Ojon Full Detox Dry Shampoo

Wanted to let you know, however: I went with friends to see Cirque du Soleil Iris at the Kodak Theater, where the Academy Awards are held, and it was AMAZING. I highly recommend if you live in LA or are there visiting. We got our tickets off Living Social and we were in the 4th row!

You know how I rarely buy beauty products? On the few occasions I do, it’s so monumental that I feel compelled to tell you what and why. Today, I stopped by Sephora because I was in dire need of some hair powder. I’ve been out for the past few weeks and so have been “rocking” extremely dirty hair at least half the week. (I put the word “rocking” in quotes, because the baby powder I’ve been using as a replacement makes me look literally homeless. So not sexy.) I finally caved and bought the cheapest bottle I could find: Ojon Full Detox Dry Cleansing Spray. It smells a little weird and hairspray-y when you use it (makes sense, since it’s–funny that–a hairspray) but the finished result is clean-looking, voluminous, perfectly Brigitte Bardot hair.

Finally, congratulations to Mariane S., winner of the L’Oreal giveaway! Thanks to everybody who entered!

Okay, back to the grind, and then bed…

Hello, my lovelies! How was your Thanksgiving? I am super pleased to announce that my turkey was a raging success! (A few people asked me how I got it so juicy and the answer, in short, is: 1) Brining; 2) Buttering under the skin; 3) Basting with maple syrup/cornstarch; 4) Roasting breast-side down until the last hour so the breast would stay moist; 5) Starting at 475 for 30 minutes and then turning the temperature down to 300 for the remainder; 5) Wrapping the turkey in tin foil for an hour after removing from the oven, which gave it an extra bit of steaming in its own juices.) Clearly I’m a bit anal, as the past 3 weeks have now seen FIVE turkeys emerge from Kitchen Jolie. I am ready for my turkey high school diploma–and don’t want to even look at another bird for at least a year.

In big beauty news: Prescriptives has relaunched! Back in 2009, Prescriptives went under, but earlier this week they announced that they’ll find a new permanent lease online at Prescriptives.com. I’ve actually been sitting on this information for over a year (after having a phone call with an Estee Lauder exec back in 2010), so I’m happy that they followed my advice! (I mean, sure, there were probably many other, more important people involved in this decision–but I’ll just enjoy my delusion that it was all Jolie’s sage advice that pushed them over the edge, m’kay?)

Kiehl's Creme de Corps collaboration with artist Jeff Koons

Kiehl’s is doing a super cool collaboration with the artist Jeff Koons to release 3 limited-edition sizes of their Creme de Corps plus a collectable art piece. From now until December 26th, Kiehls will donate 100% of worldwide net profits up to $200,000 to The Koons Family Institute on International Law and Policy, an initiative of the International Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Visit Kiehls.com/ShareYourHopes to share your holiday hope in 150 characters or less. 1 “hoper” will be chosen each week to receive the Jeff Koons Limited-Edition Creme de Corps.

Also, after my Paso post this week, I got an email about a sweet Paso deal from the Paso Robles Inn. The “Women Who Wine” package costs $1150 and includes a 2 night stay in a Deluxe Spa Room at Paso Robles Inn, a welcome gift basket with Aveda spa products, a bottle of Paso wine, a full day of pampering at Spa Central Coast, a full day of wine tasting and vineyard picnic with my friends The Wine Wrangler, and a $50 dinner voucher for the Paso Robles Inn Steakhouse. To book visit PasoRoblesInn.com or call 800-676-1713.

I've tried to find out who makes Pippa's cute white coat, but have so far been unsuccessful...

And, finally, in royal news, Pippa Middleton went ice skating, and Prince Harry hung out in Beverly Hills at the SLS Hotel.

I probably won’t have time to write tomorrow, what with all the turkey shenanigans on this end (waking at 7am to roast a 20 pounder!), so I wanted to take the time tonight to talk to you all on the eve of my favorite day of the year.

Like many Americans, I would imagine, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I think it’s the purest one we have: it’s not about gifts. It not about “discovering” land that already existed. It’s not bound up by religion or war or other thorny issues. It’s simply about being thankful for what you have with people that you love, while eating a truckload of food.

What could be better than that?!

Here’s what I’m thankful for this year:

Boyfriend Jolie, who makes me giddy simply looking at him–and also claims, a la Bridget Jones, to like me just the way I am. (Gold star!)

Santa Monica, where I have the cutest, homiest, most livable apartment blocks away from the beach, not to mention the best, chillest roommate ever

Learning to cook! I think of all the years I wasting quipping that “the only thing I make are reservations” and I want to smack myself. Well, better late than never, right?

My ridiculously supportive family (especially Papa Jolie) and my incredible, hilarious, loving, silly, awesome friends (especially D., Ral, A., KSned, BritishAmerican Kath, J., M., RP…really, too many to count!)

I am sincerely thankful for all of you. I know that there are hundreds (Thousands! Millions! Seriously…millions? It often feels like it) of beauty blogs out there nowadays, and you guys don’t have to keep coming back to me. I’m no longer the only game in town. Much as I wish I could, I don’t post daily. I still have the old-school, desperately-needs-a-revamp blog format. Hell, I don’t even run ads any longer. But I hope that you read me because you know I will never knowingly steer you wrong. I value your time, I value your money (would that we were all billionaires!), I value your sense of glamour and wanting to live in the most beautiful, wondrous, whimsical world possible…I just plum value you. Big hugs!

I hope you have such a great day with your friends and families, or whoever you’re with, tomorrow.

Xoxo,

Nadine

Contributing Editor Gloria Yang writes:

This fall, we’re seeing two major trends when it comes to hair: funky Kool-Aid color highlights and tons of rich browns.  (The ombre trend is finally fading away, thank goodness!)

Janine Jarman in front of the Hairroin Salon

I’m totally in love with Kool-Aid hair and have personally been rocking it for a few weeks now.  Not too long ago, I was ready for a huge hair overhaul but had no idea what I wanted.  Janine Jarman, owner of Hairroin Salon, Sebastian Professional’s West Coast spokesperson, and celebrity hair stylist to stars like Nicole Scherzinger, Britney Spears, and Carmen Electra decided that I needed a total Hollywood makeover.

Decor of the Hairroin Salon

With her pulse right on the Hollywood scene, Janine is the perfect person to guide a newbie into the Nicki Minaj/Katy Perry Kool-Aid hair trend.  Janine toned it down for a wearable work appropriate style by applying peek-a-boo highlights down the side of my face.  It makes it a bit more fun and whimsical, without looking too funky and out there.

Side view of the peek-a-boo streak

It’s also surprisingly easy to maintain!  Janine mixed up a bottle of conditioned dye for me to touch up in the shower by myself to extend the time between visits.  This allows my bright purple locks to look fresh for months.

Janine and the entire staff at Hairroin salon are also just amazing.  Despite their Hollywood location, there’s zero Hollywood attitude!  The salon is funky, cool, and inviting, almost like a modern rock-n-roll Victorian beauty parlor.

(Narcissistic) Hair Picture!

Call the Hairroin Salon at 323-467-0392 or visit their website at www.hairroinsalon.com to get your own makeover with Janine.

The salon opened their new location this week, at Space 15 Twenty on 1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd. in Hollywood.