The Truly Beautiful Girl's Holiday Gift Guide: Drugstore-Brand Beauty Basket

For those pinching pennies this year, the thought of buying gifts for your friends and loved ones is a scary one. Never fear! You can still get your loved ones amazing gifts without going into debt - all it takes is a little bit of creativity.

I just had a brilliant epiphany and I am definitely putting these together for some of the Truly Beautiful ladies on my shopping list...
Holiday beauty baskets are a great idea! They are easy to make and allow you to personalize them for everybody and for every budget. All you need is a small basket (larger if you want to spend more to fill it), some cellophane wrap or tissue paper and a ribbon to tie it!

Next, hit up your local Walgreen's. They have better sales. Often you can find makeup with the little orange tags for 50% off or more!

Purchase whatever you feel your friend/loved one would love. For a natural beauty, try items by Neutrogena. For a glamour girl, try L'Oreal H.I.P.

The sky is the limit with possibilities, but not the price tag.

The Truly Beautiful Girl's Guide to Surviving Black Friday

Black Friday. The one day of the year that we have an excuse to shop until we drop - or until someone pushes us down in a frenzied rush to get a dirt cheap LCD TV.

Black Friday is your wallet's best friend, but your worst enemy. From waking up at the crack of dawn to the crowds, it's usually not the best experience, but it is worth it if you play your cards right. 

Truly Beautiful Online's Guide to Surviving Black Friday will help you make it through the day in one piece.

1) Get your beauty rest! Basically, that means go to sleep in the next few hours. The best sales, also known as door busters take place for a limited time, starting at 4 am. To get in the store, sometimes you have to wait in a long line. To try to avoid this, get to the store an hour before it opens. Make sure your Blackberry is charged so you can browse the Web while you wait.

2) Know where you're going to go. Black Friday is not a day for leisurely perusing the aisles. You have to go into the store with a purpose and know exactly what you went there for. Check out web sites such as www.bfads.net to see the complete list of door buster deals. Make a list of what you want.

3) Prioritize. Get your rare, big ticket items first. That TV or digital camera is on the front page of the ad, but the stores probably have 2 in stock! Maximize your chances of getting the biggest deals by going for the electronics before you check out the shoe sale at Macy's (well, it depends on your priorities).

4) Stay on Budget. This is a recession. Make sure that you don't spend beyond your means. You can accomplish this by writing down everything you want to buy and add up how much it will cost you. Try your best to stick to the list because debt is not sexy.

5) Break for Lunch. Shopping is an endurance sport, so make sure to nourish yourself. Take a break from shopping and stop at your favorite local spot to get a healthy lunch, such as a salad.