Easiest luxury holiday shopping for the makeup maven in your life: QVC

Some of the world's finest and most exclusive cosmetics are now sold through QVC.

Givenchy - the grand couture house has an equally cherished beauty division. Even those who haven't any idea about makeup will know they're giving something special with the exclusive Ecrin du Soir Harmonie d'Exception eye shadow compact. The gold-toned metal packaging is heavy, like a vintage pocket watch. The lid has a faux leather-lame' cover with a clear, high-quality mirror inside, as well as a double-ended brush -- not sponge applicator.

The shadows are silky and light, but with huge color payoff. This particular color combination has a reddish-toned medium brown, a lighter taupe brown, an inky blueberry and a pearlized warm ivory. These glittery ivory highlighter colors are quite on-trend. With the warm and cool shades, this particular collection would work for any skin tone.

Bare Escentuals -- one of the original colored mineral makeup brands, is popular on QVC. A few years ago, the company made the huge branding leap to include pressed, along with the loose powder cosmetics. That's a good thing, for those of us who like working with traditional consistencies. They're certainly easier to travel with. Ready Blush comes in a cool, rubberized compact. "The One" is a sheer, matte peach toned blush that would work for all but the coolest, Snow White complexions -- either as a blush or as a highlighter on deep toned skins.

Edward Bess -- if you haven't heard of this brand, you've been missing out on the tippy top level of exclusiveness! The former child theater prodigy from the South came to New York and later, London. Bess himself has long, luxurious hair that most people envy, as well as a model's cheekbones and litheness. At the age of 20, he created a special box of lip colors to sell at Bergdorf Goodman. Later, his products debuted at Neiman Marcus . . . the two stories being arguably, the most elegant in the United States.

His Lasting Kiss Enhancing Lip Stain has intense depth of color coverage, unlike most stains. The color doesn't rub or sweat off. It applies with a doe-foot applicator and has a sweet fruit scent. Deep in Love is a topaz-y peach that should look great on all complexions. It will be a deep neutral on most skin tones and a lighter neutral on deep skin tones.

IT Cosmetics -- the more people find out about its founder, Jamie Kern Lima, the more fascinating the brand becomes! She's a former Big Brother contestant and news reporter who decided to use cutting edge technology, cruelty-free materials, along with advice from plastic surgeons and dermatologists, to produce her line.

Blurred Lines Smooth-Fill Lipstick has collagen, peptides, hyaluronic filling spheres, shea butter, jojoba and grape seed extract. These ingredients will be particularly beneficial for older mouths that can't recoup their fresh look, even with prodigious use of lip balm. The lipstick also has a tone-corrector. Those of who need it -- our little blue lips are a bit embarrassing and not sexy -- know who we are. Naturally Pretty is a sheer, shiny toffee colored shade: a glamorous neutral. It has a fudge scent, so that's a bit of fun. The color feels comfortable on, not weighty or sticky.

When the holidays come around -- with all of the photos and meetings taking places -- those of us with less than perfect complexions can get a little depressed. No need to anymore with Celebration Foundation Illumination! It's a creamy powder compact with a modern (not too pink) take on skin tones. There's a mirror and brush applicator enclosed, so you can touch up anytime, anywhere. The coverage can easily build to full. The illumination quality is just a bit of a glow above matte: not dewy or frosted. Imperfections will not be highlighted . . . you'll just look more natural in person. Straight matte formulas are more for actual television appearances, as I've learned before being on national tv.

Why are QVC and QVC.com fabulous means of holiday beauty shopping this season? There are several reasons:

• Many of us can't get to the mall for holiday shopping. We may have mobility issues and/or transportation issues.
• Getting to the mall costs gas and time, which translates into money.
• Your town's mall likely doesn't have the super-premium beauty brands found on QVC.
• You're likely to be extra busy at this time of year with completing year-end work projects, as well as spending extra time with family and friends. The mall's hours may not be your hours!
• And finally, but perhaps most importantly, many folks don't feel safe shopping at malls these days. With it getting dark out earlier and criminals lurking in parking lots, etc., it can be very risky in some cities.

QVC will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. You can order by telephone, mobile phone or online, 24 hours a day. The channel itself has come a long way over the decades. While their sales used to seem to consist mostly of lounge wear and cutesy home accessories, now the beauty category is top-tier. I was happy to be hosted to experience it!

While the hosts and models tend to change a bit over the years, some of them have been particularly chic. It helps both users of makeup and those purchasing gifts to see the hosts and models demonstrating the products and explain their use. Often, the beauty programs are formatted like a big pajama party, which adds to the fun.