Welcome to HNGN's weekly top picks, where we cull the best and brightest releases in music, fashion, beauty, tech, and pop culture. Come back each week for more of-the-moment goodness. 

MUSIC
By Michael Lello

Charli XCX: Sucker (Asylum/Atlantic/Neon Gold)


Charli XCX – real name, Charlotte Aitchison – is best known for other people's hit songs (Icona Pop's "I Don't Care," which she co-wrote, and Iggy Azalea's "Fancy," on which she appears), but that's about to change with "Sucker," the performer's third album of her own. Her brand of rock-infused pop is just unique enough to stand out in the current sea of similarity which dominates the genre.

The Music of Nashville: Season 3, Vol. 1 (Big Machine Records)

It's only fitting that the prime-time drama "Nashville," which chronicles the personal and professional lives of a group of country musicians and their kin, has soundtrack albums. On the newly released "Season 3, Vol. 1" soundtrack, the show's two major stars, Connie Britton and Hayden Pannetiere, each sing one song, while Clare Bowen, Chris Carmack, Charles Esten and others all get their turns in the spotlight, too.                             

Jools Holland & his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra: Sirens Of Song (East West Records)
Jools Holland is known to generations of music fans as a former member of Squeeze and the long-running host of the BBC's "Later...With Jools Holland," the most diverse and musically legit series on TV. With "Sirens Of Song," Holland and his big band join forces with female vocalists like Joss Stone, KT Tunstall and Imedla May (and he even includes a 2006 duet with the late Amy Winehouse).

BOOKS
By Amanda Bernocco

Living Well, Spending Less: 12 Secrets of the Good Life
By Ruth Soukup (Zondervan)


Promising to yourself – again – that you'll do better this year managing your budget? Ruth Soukup's new book is an inspiring tale from a personal perspective on how to budget money while dealing with a stressful and unorganized life. There are a plethora of financial guidance books out there, but Soukup's book is practical, speaks to the heart of the matter, and will actually get you moving toward your financial goals instead of just thinking about them.

NYPD Red 2
By James Patterson and Marshall Karp (Grand Central Publishing)

Officers Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald, of NYPD Red, the elite team of officers called only for the most high-profile crimes in the city, were investigate a gruesome Central Park crime scene, the fourth in a string of recent murders and the biggest case of the pair's careers. But will Kylie's strange behavior threaten their efforts to solve the case?

The Rosie Effect
By Graeme Simsion (Simon & Schuster)
A sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel "The Rosie Project," this book continues to follow couple Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman, this time as they are expecting their first child. The story focuses on Don's unconventional fathering, which ends up getting him in trouble with the law and may up costing him Rosie just when she needs him the most.

The Plan Cookbook: More Than 150 Recipes for Vibrant Health and Weight Loss
By Lyn-Genet Recitas (Grand Central Publishing)


If you are looking to actually stick to your healthy eating goal in 2015, Lyn-Genet Recitas will help you do it with with tons of recipes to keep your healthy diet a tasty one, too.

Sons of Anarchy: The Official Collector's Edition
By Tara Bennett (Time Home Entertainment)
This official book, sanctioned by SOA's creator and FX, will be at the top of fans' 2015 reading lists. It offers behind the scenes insight for all seven seasons and the series finale. The book includes interviews with show creator Kurt Suttler and the cast, and the hundreds of full-color show photos make this book a must-have for every SOA fan.

MOVIES AND TV STREAMING ONLINE
By Emily Morgan

Election


Alexander Payne received his first-ever Oscar nomination (Best Adapted Screenplay) for his adaptation of the Tom Perrotta novel. The movie also provided Reese Witherspoon one of her first leading roles (she also starred in "Cruel Intentions" that year).

The film is about an over-achieving high school junior named Tracy Flick, (Witherspoon) who plans to run for student body president, unopposed. Her faculty advisor (Matthew Broderick) tries to even out the playing field and seek a little revenge for a friend against Flick by recruiting a popular jock (Chris Klein) to run.

Netflix will have the movie available for streaming on Jan. 1.

On the Waterfront
The 1954 film sits on all the greatest film lists and for good reason. It earned 12 Oscar nominations and won eight, including Best Director for Elia Kazan and Best Actor for Marlon Brando, his first.

Brando stars as a former prizefighter who goes to work as a longshoreman on the docks of New York. He defies his mob-connected union boss and sets out to testify against him to bring down the extensive racketeering happening on the docks.

Oscar-winning screenwriter Budd Schulberg based the movie on Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Malcolm Johnson's in the New York Sun journalist Malcolm Johnson about widespread corruption, extortion and racketeering on the dockyards of Manhattan and Brooklyn in the late 1940s.

Amazon will have the movie available for streaming on Jan. 1.

Fury
Brad Pitt revisits the horrors of war in another fictional tale set in World War II. Unlike his previous film, "Inglorious Basterds," "Fury" provides a more realistic version of the war in Europe.

The film chronicles the Allied tank crews that made the final push into Germany at the end of the war. Pitt plays the commander of an M4A3E8 Sherman tank, nicknamed "Fury," and its five-man crew. The movie co-stars Logan Lerman, Shia LaBeouf and Michael Peña.

iTunes has the film available for purchase.

Check out our complete list of movies available for streaming on Netflix this month and see below for more options on Amazon Prime and for purchase at iTunes.

Amazon Prime

◘ The Amityville Horror (1979) (Jan. 1)
◘ Amityville II: The Possession (Jan. 1)
◘ Barbershop 2: Back in Business (Jan. 1)
◘ Beverly Hills Cop II (Jan. 1)
◘ Breakfast at Tiffany's (Jan. 1)
◘ Footloose (1984) (Jan. 1)
◘ Hoosiers (Jan. 1)
◘ It Happened One Night (Jan. 1)
◘ Moonstruck (Jan. 1)
◘ Mr. Mom (Jan. 1)
◘ On the Waterfront (Jan. 1)
◘ Shall We Dance? (Jan. 1)
◘ Snatch (Jan. 1)
◘ Swingers (Jan. 1)
◘ Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (Jan. 3)
◘ Starred Up (Jan. 4)
◘ The Congress (Jan. 5)

iTunes

◘ Fury (Dec. 30)◘ The Judge (Dec. 30)◘ Last Weekend (Dec. 30)

◘ I Am Soldier (Dec. 30)

◘ Late Spring (Dec. 30)

◘ Kelly & Cal (Dec. 30)

◘ Night Has Settled (Dec. 30)

◘ Red vs. Blue: Vol. 12 (Dec. 30)

◘ Michael Jackson: The Journey (Jan. 1)

◘ Zodiac: Signs of the Apocalypse (Jan. 2)

◘ Downton Abbey: Season 5 (Jan. 4)

MOVIES
By Jordan Webb

The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death (Relativity Media)

Set 40 years after the first haunting, the house's terror is reawakened when a group of children arrive after being evacuated from London during World War II.

Watch the trailer HERE.

A Most Violent Year (A24)
Set in New York City during the winter of 1981 – statistically one of the most violent years in the city's history – this film follows an immigrant family trying to grow its business while surrounded by everyday violence and corruption.

Watch the trailer HERE.

Leviathan (Sony)
A family man must defend his home, his land and his small business from the corrupt mayor of his small town. To do so, he contacts his old Army friend living in Moscow.

Watch the trailer HERE.

FASHION & BEAUTY
By Oulimata Ba

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen
Winter makeup is about simplicity – a bare, stripped-back and elegant look to match mother nature's deep sleep. So I recommend trying this Revlon Colorstay felt tip eyeliner with mascara and no eyeshadow.

What I love about this one, as opposed to the gazillion other eyeliners I've tried, is the felt tip is clumsy-proof. It's sturdy and won't bend while you're drawing your wing tip. It may not be a high-end designer choice, but it's a quick grab-and-go option for anyone who may not have time to browse the makeup section at Macy's (one of my favorite pastimes).

Aubrey Elizabeth Apothecary Lemon Lip Scrub


Cold weather is brutal on skin and lips are just as susceptible. COming to the rescue is this magnificent vegan lip polish. Made with essential oil of lemon, brown sugar, jojoba oil and shea butter, it banishes dead skin and leaves your sultry pout smooth and ready for a fresh coat of lipstick. It tastes yummy, too.

Available at Etsy.com for $8.50.

L'Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess
I'm a self-proclaimed drugstore-makeup-beauty-queen, so trust me when I say this L'Oréal mascara is the master of drugstore cosmetics.

The formula is so lightweight it doesn't feel like you're putting anything on at all. But the results are breathtaking; my lashes were dramatically longer, separated and clump-free.

The key to achieving all three results is L'Oréal's "Millionizer" brush. Other mascaras make false promises about long, look-at-me lashes and then dash my hopes. But this one delivered. Available for about $9 at Duane Reade, Walgreens and Target.

Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick In Ruby


I recently came across this gem of a liquid lipstick while rummaging through my aunt's stash (I have her to thank for my addiction), and it was love at first brush. It's not your ordinary high-gloss, sulfate and paraben-free long-lasting lipstick, but the vividness of the ruby pigment will make you feel like the queen of Sheba (or any other timeless ruler of your choice).

When I tried it on, it literally melted in place – the castor seed oil formula literally glided and smoothed out to effortless perfection. Mind Blown.

Too Faced cosmetics liquefied lipstick is available in several shades at Sephora for $21.

French Riviera Gold Glitter Eyeshadow from Sephora Collection
Red lipstick goes smashingly with gold, and no other gold eyeshadow comes close to Sephora brand's very own French Riviera. The inexpensive eyeshadow, made with white tea extract for skin protection, has up to "70 percent pigments, pearls and shimmer particles," which is like having a party on your eyelids. The color is extremely bold (in a good way) so I like applying it with the tip of my pinky finger for maximum control.

TECH
By John Nassivera

Misfit Shine Activity and Sleep Monitor
This fitness device uses a ring of lights to show you how active you've been during the day, and it's also capable of showing what time it is. Activities measured include walking, running, swimming, cycling and a variety of sports like basketball and soccer. You can get the Misfit Shine now on Amazon for $77.72.

Tagg GPS Pet Tracker

Those who need a device to keep an eye on their cats or dogs will be happy to hear about this GPS pet tracker, which attaches to an animal's collar and provides an interactive map so you can find your pet. You'll get text and email alerts when you can't find your pet, and you'll be able to look at their exercise routine to make sure they're staying fit. The Tagg tracker is available on Amazon for $99.95.

Samsung SSG-5150GB 3D Active Glasses
This pair of lightweight glasses will provide great 3-D Viewing and works with all of Samsung's D, E, EH, ES, F and H series of 3D TVs. The battery lets you use the device for 70 hours on a single charge. Amazon is selling Samsung's 3D Active Glasses now for $19.99.

(Editing by Michael Lello. Want to be considered for Coveted? Send your product information, with photos, to m.bullerdick@hngn.com or send product samples to Michael Q. Bullerdick HNGN/33 Universal, 33 Whitehall Street - 7th Floor, New York, NY 10004.)