Newest nail obsession…

It’s 2008 – and life isn’t slowing down. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that “spare time” isn’t exactly a luxury of mine. I’m sure you know the unspoken beauty tricks that we’re all ashamed of (doing makeup in the car, brushing your teeth in the shower, etc.).  We’ll do just about anything to shave a few minutes off of our daily routines.

That’s why I’m excited to share with you the newest (time-saving) trend in nail polish: pens.

(Click on the image and watch the video to see how these pens work!)

Actually, nail polish pens aren’t new – but good ones are.

Nic’s Sticks Paint & Go Nail Lacquer by OPI is amazing. These nail brush sticks work like a pen for easy application and the polish is extremely quick-drying. Stash one in your purse for your morning commute or for a quick break at your desk during the day. The great thing is; you really can apply anywhere.

 

(Click on the image for purchasing information) 

Nic’s Sticks are available at Wal-Mart and Target for about ($7).  

The one downside is that the polish is thinner than regular nail polish. But it’s an easy fix – just apply more than one coat and feel free to re-apply whenever necessary (it does only take a few seconds.) J

 Let me know what you guys think? Are they worth it or do you prefer regular nail lacquer? I’m curious to hear opinions…    

Let’s face it…

…nobody has perfect skin.

But the truth is some people are blessed with better skin tone than others – unfortunately I am not one of them. I look at girls who don’t have to wear face makeup and cringe; with a combination of unspoken jealousy and sheer perplexity. 

Sure, the summer is better than other months for a handful of reasons. The warm weather, the lazy beach days, the time off from school and the way your skin just happens to look that much better tan. Fact is, a sun-kissed tan naturally smoothes skin tone and evens out imperfections. Maybe that is why I am the happiest in the summer… 

But as winter seems to drag on a bit too long, and I continue my boycott of tanning beds (something I have to say I am most proud of – it’s been a little over a year), I find myself getting tired of my pale-uneven skin. 

Then I found a saving grace: Clinique’s Even Better Skin Tone Corrector ($39.50).

 

It’s a light-weight serum that virtually erases discoloration and dark spots. It works to minimize visible effects of sun, age, skin stresses and past acne scarring (woo hoo!).      

Clinique guiding dermatologist Dr. Orentreich says, “When skin is more even-toned, you look younger.” So here’s your second chance.  

It says applying twice daily will bring about results in about 4-6 weeks. It’s only been about 2 weeks, so I have some time to go, but I’m hoping that brightness and clarity are right around the corner. I’ll update you in a few weeks – in the meantime, try it yourself!

This cute iridescent bottle is small enough to bring virtually anywhere – just slip it in your purse or over-night bag and voilà!

New Scents I love!! <3

What’s one of the perks of interning in the beauty closet at Glamour magazine?

….Getting to see new products before they come out. J 

Some new fragrances that I couldn’t help but sniff, and love, are below. 

Sorry for the lack of pictures – one of the downsides of the product not being on the market yet is that there are barely any photographs on the internet. Don’t fret though; I will have some up in no time for those without photos. 

Scents you must try (I included fragrances that are on sale now and those that haven’t hit stores yet): 

L’eau d’Issey by Issey Miyake: This new summer fragrance is refreshingly crisp, clean and sexy, like a refreshing shower before a hot night out. And the packaging is unique, attractive and modern – another reason to check out this fragrance.

[On sale summer 2008] 

[Photo courtesy of www.fragrancex.com]

(This is last summer’s fragrance [2007], but you can get an idea of Miyake’s uniqe packaging.)

Ralph Lauren Wild by Ralph Lauren:

[Photo courtesy of www.sephora.com]

Bold, tangy and intense. This is the type of perfume I’d wear after a day at the beach, getting ready for a night out on the town, when you feel spontaneous and alive. 

[On sale now - click image for purchasing information] 

Limited edition ‘Butterfly’ Eau Fraiche by Hanae Mori Parfums:

  (on right)

[Photo courtesy of www.basenotes.net] 

This fragrance is different… almost difficult to describe. It’s fruity, but also has deep earthy undertones. It’s sophisticated in an unusual way. 

“The fragrance includes notes of tangerine and grapefruit in the top, moving on to middle notes of strawberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, bilberries, Bulgarian rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine and peony. Base notes are: Rosewood, almond wood, sandalwood and cedar.” – http://www.basenotes.net/industry_news/20080207-exclusive-hanae-mori-butterly-eau-fraiche.html 

[On sale from April/May 2008 from Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, select Macy’s and Sephora]

Oscar Beauty: it’s all about the lips…

The Oscars: beautiful gowns, gorgeous hair and impeccable, dramatic, stunning makeup. This year’s 2008 Oscars, which occurred on Feb. 24, presented a new look – an unexpected pleasant surprise for me.   

Forget the red lips, nude colors are in. And despite my recent obsession with bold lip colors, I have to say I am a fan. A big fan actually.

Heidi Klum and Kristin Chenoweth (both below) are prime reasons for that. The look is natural but gorgeous. The subtle nude color on their lips allows for more dramatic eyes makeup. Notice how they’re eyes “pop.” I think this really works here… and the gloss is a must! 

  

[Photo from www.blogs.glam.com/glamblush] 

Other eye-catching celebrities who chose this glossy nude were Cate Blanchett, Cameron Diaz, Hilary Swank, Keri Russell, Jessica Alba, Penelope Cruz, etc. etc.      

Katherine Heigl was one actress who went old-school with a bright red lip color, but I think it works for her.

Red too much, but nude too boring? Celebrities such as Helen Mirren, Nicole Kidman, Ellen Page, Anne Hathaway, Miley Cyrus (and others) went for a fresh pink look.    

[Photos from www.blogs.glam.com/glamblush ]

So I’m thinking that the glam-red lip color is on hold for a while – instead glossy nudes and subtle pinks will be the shades of choice. What do you guys think?

The new bad hair day cover up: headbands.

[Photo courtesy of splash-tide.net]

It used to be all about the hats; if you’re having one of those “I just can’t do anything with my hair” days, or if you didn’t have time to re-wash and blow out your tresses, the solution would be offered through form of a fashion cover up – the hat. But what about the girls who just really aren’t into hats? Sometimes girls can make the baseball cap look sexy, but most of the time they end up borderline tom-boy and it’s pretty clear that most girls who care about their hair aren’t going for that look. Headbands are the new solution and they offer a wide variety of functions for all hair types. They can be used to cover-up the “bad-hair” day, they can dress up virtually any outfit if fancy enough or they can add a sense of style to a plain outfit. One of the great things about headbands is there are so many different types, so you don’t ever have to get bored. They range from simple black designs to intricately designed head wraps. Below you will find some headbands that I believe will work fantastically with any hair type. Click on the image for purchasing information. 

Please leave your comments and feedback as well, let us know what your favorite headband is.   

[Photo from www.angelglam.com]

The headband (above) on the right, is the hand-made “Pony NYC Headband” designed by Dominique Duval.

-$120.00

I am a huge fan of Dominique Duval’s hair accessories collection, though her products are pricey. 

Below are some of her other designs that I also adore.

Brigitte Headband: 

“Dominique’s contrast design of softly gathered Italian calf over a classic leather headband is Brigitte.” – www.dominiqueduval.com

-$90.00 {offered in: cognac, black, rose (shown), navy and crème}

Pretty Girl Head Wrap with Buckle:

 

“A fav with the Central Park South girls…” – www.dominiqueduval.com

-$95.00 {offered in black (shown) and rose}

Skinny Girl Headband with Four Leaf Clover:

“Your lucky day with Dominique’s fab four leaf clover on an elegant, simply skinny headband.” – www.dominiqueduval.com

-$90.00 {offered in black, gold, khaki, baby blue, peach, navy, rust, pink, vintage rose and lemon}

 

Nails that scream ’spring is coming’

 Let’s face it – it is still only February, but I’m already looking forward to the spring weather. The rain and snow can put such a damper on a person’s mood – so why not start looking ahead to sunshine? One way that you can embrace, and celebrate, the near-end of winter is by livening up your nail color. I think it’s safe to say that the dark wintery “cabernets” and deep “rubies” can go back into storage for now. Since spring hasn’t “officially” begun, and summer is still a bit far off, a good way to ease into the bright colors is by starting off gradually. Some really fun (and cute) colors that work for the transition from end-of-winter to beginning-of-spring are included below. These colors are fresh: they’re warm with a touch of glitz to perfectly jump-start spring. Also, by clicking on the nail color you can find purchasing information. If you happen to try some of these – or if you have some of your own personal early-spring favorites – feel free to share your thoughts.

Happy polishing J

Estee Lauder — Iced Rose

“Rich, glossy, quick-drying and long-wearing. Truly intense color is so shiny it looks wet–but don’t be fooled.”

- from www.esteelauder.com

Dior Vernis — Poison Blue 

“This spring, Dior takes nails to new levels of intensity by introducing Poison Blue, a deep midnight blue nail polish in a silky smooth formula for long-lasting, glossy nails.”

- from www.sephora.com

Lippmann collection – Dream a little, Dream of me

“Combining professional quality with prestige personality, Lippman Collection lacquers are a favorite of today’s most popular trendsetters.”

- from www.beautybridge.com

NARS — Arabesque

“This season, the NARS Nail Polish line debuts a new longwearing formula that provides a tough, chip-resistant finish with UV protection to prevent polish discoloration.”

- from www.sephora.com

Dare to do the RED; luscious lips are in…

 

I’ve been passionate about makeup for a long time. Not because I have to or because I feel that everyone should be, but rather because I’m simply marveled by it. Before becoming “good” at knowing which makeup products work on me and which do not – I used to read all of the women’s magazines and think whatever makeup tricks they did on the celebrities would also look great on me. WRONG! 

So once I got into my “comfort zone” of makeup – you know – I found the few foundations, powders, blushes and lip colors that looked good on me; I wasn’t interested in trying out the latest trends. One trend in particular that I was never so quick to jump at was the red lipstick trend. Everyone in Hollywood was doing it, all of the models in the magazines were flashing their bright plump lips, and even my friends were attempting it when we were getting ready to go out. But was I?

Negative.

That was up until my new type of passion for makeup began. It’s not just the love of it – I’ve developed this obsession with trying new things. And with the recent beginning of my internship in the beauty department of Glamour magazine, I am now able to do just that (and I absolutely love it)!  

So for Valentine’s Day last week, I decided to try MAC’s ROCKOCCO (below – right), a bright orangey-red lipstick that I happened to love with my skin-tone.

 

The color is definitely bold – it’s not something I would wear to class or to a meeting; but it’s definitely something to wear for a night out or a special occasion. Below I also included a picture from Christmas this past year (wearing the bright red shirt sans the ROCKOCCO lipstick), as well as a picture from Valentine’s Day (sporting the shade that my boyfriend happened to love). Let me know what you think! I’m open to questions, comments, etc. I’d love for your feedback.

Christmas 2007 (Totally blah without the RED!)

 

Valentine’s Day ‘08 <3 (Wearing MAC’s ROCKOCCO)

If you want to try another fabulous red shade that is in a more recent MAC collection – I suggest their Viva Glam lipstick (click on the picture for buying information).

 

Celebrities’ red lips shine:

I personally believe that Cameron Diaz is the Marilyn Monroe of our time period when it comes to luscious red lips and gorgeous hair. I absolutely love the combination of her lipcolor and her blonde hair in this picture!

[photo from instyle.com] 

Jessica Biel is a great example of a beautiful actress known for sporting the “less is more” attitude regarding makeup. She’s a natural beauty – and I dig that – but in this side-by-side comparison of her, it is clear that even the most natural beauty can look glamorous in a daring deep red shade.

[photo from fileserver.glam.com]