Attention last-minute holiday shoppers and ladies who can't resist picking great gifts for themselves: the entire Shine staff has rounded up the very best items we bought in 2012. From fantastic no-run tights and comfy bras to makeout albums and must-have makeup, we love these purchases and strongly believe you will too.

By Monique Minahan

Do you remember your first yoga class? It usually makes an impression.

We are the fortunate recipients of an ancient practice that has traversed time and countries to land at our doorsteps, even at our fingertips.

Whenever and however we practice yoga, we become part of a venerable, healing, unifying, honored tradition.

And it's never been more popular than now.

There's something irresistibly magnetic about yoga beyond its stretching and strengthening powers. I think it's the subtle power of a regular practice to transform, not only our bodies, but also our deep-seated attitudes and beliefs. On our mats we are able to tap into the inherent peace of mind we often lose track of through our busy days.

Peace of mind. That's not something we often find at our local gym.

True to its flexible nature, yoga continues to keep up with our changing times.

While yoga was originally passed on from guru to student, in a sacred oral tradition, we find

Nino Muñoz/The CWIf you already miss The CW's Gossip Girl, you won't have to wait much longer for the network to replace it with another salacious and fashionable show. Premiering January 14th is The Carrie Diaries, which follows a young Carrie Bradshaw (AnnaSophia Robb) pre-Sex-and-the-City, as she navigates both Manhattan and her hometown in suburban Connecticut in the '80s. And falling in line with Sex and the City's fashion legacy (courtesy of costume designer Patricia Field), the show has Gossip Girl costume designer Eric Daman on hand to dress the young Carrie in all her pre-Manolo looks. (Daman gave InStyle.com this exclusive preview of Carrie's fashion above!) "This is more of an independent film and we have to make everybody '80s-appropriate," he told InStyle.com of his approach. "This New York is a much brighter kind of neon meets gritty." Catch all the radical '80s fabulousness when The Carrie Diaries premeires January 14th on The CW at 8/7c.

Plus, see Carrie's most memorable looks in

Imaxtree; Giovanni Rufino/The CWChuck (Ed Westwick) and Blair (Leighton Meester) finally got their fairytale ending during last night's Gossip Girl series finale! The couple married in Central Park with the bride dressed in a light blue lace Elie Saab gown from the designer's spring 2012 couture collection. "When I saw the Elie Saab dress finally chosen for Blair's wedding to Chuck, it was absolutely perfect for her," Gossip Girl's costume designer Eric Daman told InStyle.com. "It needed to feel like old world glamour meets contemporary high fashion." Certainly, the non-traditional color met those requirements. "I liked the beautiful blue hue," he added. "It reminded me of the wedding dress Wallis Simpson wore during her scandalous wedding to The Duke of Windsor." Gorgeous!

Plus, see the the prettiest weddings of 2012 in our gallery.

MORE:
• Gossip Girl Series Finale Fashion
• Princess Stephanie Marries in Elie Saab
• Blair Waldorf's Vera Wang Wedding Dress
• Gossip Girl Fashion From

HBO; Courtesy Photo (4)Just a few weeks before the second season of Girls airs on HBO-mark your calendars for January 13th at 9 p.m.-writer, creator, and star Lena Dunham announced she teamed up with Deborah Lippman to create a four-piece nail polish set inspired by the show! We can all relate to at least one member of the Fantastic Four, but now you can channel your inner Jessa with a boho-chic red, or opt for Hannah's deep green, Marni's delicate pink, or Shoshanna's pale periwinkle. "Deborah Lippmann's colors are irreverent and classy and I've always coveted them (and stolen them from my mother), so who better to embody the Girls' spirit in polish form?" Dunham said. Between this launch and Nicole by OPI's Modern Family lacquers, we're already planning manicures to match our TV lineups! Pre-order the Girls set for $45 at deborahlippman.com, and shop it in stores mid-January.

See celebrity manicures in our gallery!

MORE:
• HBO's Girls Collaborate with Deborah Lippman
• Try a Blue

Christopher Polk/Getty; Courtesy Photo (4)Miley Cyrus went punk rock for last night's 2012 VH1 Divas show, a look that was dark and dynamic, but tame enough to wear offstage. "Miley performed the Billy Idol tribute, so I wanted to keep the smoky rocker look," said her makeup artist Denika Bedrossian. She defined the star's eyes with Tarte's SmolderEyes liner in Onyx ($19; ulta.com), then blended MAC's deep matte hue in Smut ($15; maccosmetics.com) all the way to the crease. Bedrossian added a gold MAC Pigment ($22; maccosmetics.com) to the inner corners of Cyrus's eyes to give the look extra dimension, and balanced it out with MAC's pinky-nude lipstick in Shy Girl ($15; maccosmetics.com), and a touch of Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour Cream ($20; elizabetharden.com) to keep Cyrus's lips from getting parched mid-performance. Try this look whenever you feel your beauty routine could use some extra edge!

Get more celebrity-inspired makeup ideas by clicking through our gallery!

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• Miley Goes Punk!
• Try on Miley

stockingsLooking for some simple, practical, healthy gifts to stuff your stockings? Here's our top 5 healthy stocking stuffers under $25. Throw in a cute reusable grocery bag and you're good to go!

*****

1. Stackable Lunch Pot

A vertical, airtight stacking system for lunch at the office or snacks to-go. The perfect alternative to plastic baggies or bulky Tupperware, and a great incentive to start taking your own healthy lunch or snacks to work come January 1!

2.Wakaya Perfection Ginger Powder

A perfect sampler size and one of the healthiest, most versatile gifts you can give this year. Print out one of these great recipes and include it with the ginger. It's hard to go wrong with a gift that made Oprah's list and the New York Times!

3. Citrus Zinger

Infuse your bottled water with lemons, limes, or oranges and get an extra boost of Vitamin C on the go!

4. Zen Salt Cube

This beautiful Himalayan salt cube turns everyday cooking into an art. Grate finely over

I went out with girlfriends tonight, only one of a handful of times I've been out at night since my second child, now six months, was born. I put on heels and squeezed myself into some jeans that still don't quite fit, and I drove to Venice to meet four of my best friends at a restaurant that we've been going to together for years. I got there a few minutes early and wandered into a couple of shops, peering at little displays of jewelry I can't afford, and admiring the festive holiday atmosphere pervading every corner of everything.

It was Monday night but it was bustling, and when I returned to the restaurant it was already packed. We all crammed into a booth and ordered the same things we always order, the things we ordered seven years ago when were were the same, but different, people. When we were in our twenties and single, and lost and found, and altogether women we had already become. We just didn't know it yet.

And dinner was dinner, each of us filling the rest in on