I need some advice please.

[Cupcake]

Cosmic blush doesn't really go well with those colours. You might be better with Stardust, or something softer like Flirt or Petal. Tender is peachy (nice and safe) and the elegant brown quad are definitely warmer (yellower, not peachier) than neutral whereas cosmic is way on the other side in bright cool pink.

[lwoodall10]

Cupcake - I am so glad you said that...I always get those two mixed up. I meant Stardust, I did that when I order my Stardust and ended up with both. Thanks you saved me!

Jen - Good idea! We have a nice little Mom & Pop store that has some nice pre-packaged goodies. I will get a few little goodies from them. Thanks!

[Xarata]

I would probably tuck it all into one of those drawstring bags so it's easy to take with. A brush of some kind might be nice- even a baby kabuki (SN or offbrand) could double for powder and blush. I agree with pretty much everything that has been said. A finishing powder is better than foundation. The original perfecting powder was Karen's first go at fdt if i recall- she was allergic to the preservatives in most makeup.

Elegant Brown Quad
Cosmic Blush- this one is a little extra bright, especially without a proper brush. Maybe Baby or Satisfied are both neutrals and should work.
Tender Lippie
Olive Oil Moisturizer
Southern Praline Lip Balm-I personally don't like this flavor (or any cookie flavor) so might consider going with something a little less extreme? Either an unflavored one or candy cane (which is a very unoffensive peppermint and holiday themed).


I would probably send:
-Perfecting Powder with puff
-A neutral or sheer blush sample (remember she won't have a foptic brush)
-A 1 color eye, not too shimmery in case she is going on interviews- she doesn't have a brush so keep it simple (cream, nekkid, tawny)
-A one-size fits all lippie (Tender, Aria Black Label, Gold Blush)
-A lip balm (Candy cane or devil's food cake black label)
-Olive Oil Moisturizer


*Slide it all into a drawstring bag along with a visa giftcard and she'll be good to go. Nice and portable.

[lwoodall10]

Good Idea, Samantha...I have tons of those draw string gift bags. Good call on the Make up brush too. I forget not everyone has like 50 brushes like me. Thanks.

[Rhys]

You can pick up a packet of 2 or 4 of the little sponge eye shadow applicators for a dollar or so. Cotton balls are good for blush if you don't have a brush and I can't remember if there are powder puffs with the FPs or not. But those are also cheap to pick up.

The 79 cent kabuki (it's not bad, I have a couple): http://www.coastalscents.com/cfwebstore ... i-mini.cfm

[Silverfern]

This is a terrific idea. For some reason it just popped in my head that some little things like cloth covered hair ties might be fun to add also.

[zeebs]

Yes, I think your list is good. Regarding treats - nutritious treats are great, trail mix would be my choice, or something similar (homemade Chex mix?) that would last a little longer than traditional baked goods. Maybe throw in some nice natural soap too, and a microfiber washcloth.

[chaye]

I received a list of preferred items for donation to a women's shelter last year and one of the items is toiletries. Maybe throw in some samples of KISS Cleanser/Apricot Cleansing Oil along with the makeup as she will probably be skimping on skincare stuff too under these circumstances.

[lwoodall10]

Great ideas ladies! Thanks!

Susan

[Rhys]

Actually I think I saw in the US that those little Ecotools brush sets (a couple of powder brushes, a couple eye shadow brushes, and the ubiquitous spoolie) are $5. And those are really nice quality.

Other things I usually throw in:

A packet of makeup remover/cleansing wipes - here they're about $6 for 25 and the brand name is Prevens, but in the States things are usually half what they cost here. Not only useful for makeup removal but also for kids with sticky hands and faces. The packages are small enough you can stick one in your handbag.

Pocket size kleenex packets and a small bottle of hand sanitiser.

Cotton wool/cotton pads/cotton swabs - usually come in mini-packs.

Fingernail clippers/nail file/small scissors.

Purse-size makeup mirror and a little make-up bag. Can usually be found at a dollar store for - a dollar. The little makeup bags that are vinyl inside store any number of things.

Plastic baggies - just useful.

Knickers if that's not too personal and you know her size - they used to have 3 packs for $3 - again, when I was in America. Always a help.

Mini hairbrush and combs.

Deodorant stone - doesn't spill and lasts forever.

Shampoo bars if you use them (I cut them in thirds so they're in pieces of two or three ounces - smalll enough to be packable, again, non-spillable and useful - mine double as soap when I'm travelling).

A packet of disposable razors.

Travel-size toothbrushes and toothpaste.

A few bars of mild soap if you don't do the shampoo bar thing - again, usually come in small/travel sizes.

Small packet of bandaids.

I suppose everyone but me has a mobile phone, but if not, then a couple of small pads of paper and pens - useful for scrawling down phone numbers, grocery lists, directions, etc. When I was in the US, you could pick up little mobile phones for $15 or $20 - something like that with some credit on it might be nice if you can swing it and she doesn't have one.

There are any number of useful things that'll fit into a small package - think what you take with you when you travel - if she's in a shelter, chances are she doesn't have a lof of them. You don't have to go overboard, but a little bit can be really helpful.