Mascara

My friend Jen emailed me last night that she is in need of a mascara and needs some direction, so here are my thoughts; my most favorite is Chanel Inimitable Mascara Multi-Dimensional. Numero uno for many reasons, but especially for its rubber wand, which separates and lengthens my lashes to perfection. It is non clumping and very long lasting, which makes it well worth its asking price of $27.50. I also really enjoy Chanel's Lash Enhancing Base, which helps to strengthen lashes and extend wear. The base is about $24. I usually go to Barneys for Chanel products, but if I am purchasing a product (or two) on line, I generally visit neimanmarcus.com.

Another I really enjoy is Yves Saint Laurent's Everlong Lengthening Mascara (most often available wherever Chanel is and for about the same price). This mascara also has a rubber wand and includes a lash growth booster meant to encourage the healthiest of lashes. This mascara is the one I would recommend to the woman who does not wear a lot of makeup, or for the girl with the naturally perfect long lash already. YSL's formula coats and separates your lashes amazingly well, but it is quite light so it offers a more natural daytime look. As many of you know, I go for a bit more drama .. in my mascara, that is ...

Speaking of drama, the cult-fave is Dior's Diorshow Mascara. Diorshow creates a glamorous, thickening, off the runway look. The brush is a bit fat for me and it tends to clump (on your lashes and in its container), which means when it is new it behaves quite well (especially for that sexy evening lash look), but it will need to get tossed rather quickly as the clump factor enters in. It goes for $24 at Sephora and because of its short shelf life, this one is more of an occasional treat and is less of a permanent fixture in my makeup bag.

Now if you are never in a million years going to spend $20+ on mascara then head to CVS or Duane Reade and pick up Loreal's Voluminous or Maybelline's Great Lash. You can purchase either, as well, on drugstore.com for about $5. I prefer Voluminous, who recently launched a carbon black version, which I am loving. It too can get a bit clumpy (it is a thicker lash mascara) and it does not last as long as my Chanel fave (in terms of shelf life), but it works well and does the trick.

Maybelline's Great Lash wins every award in the book, but the brush is too small for me and it does not offer me the definition or lash thickness, which I will always be in search of. I have girlfriends who swear by it though, especially the waterproof version, so give it a shot, who knows right?!

Waterproof Eyeliner

On a rainy and grey day what could possibly make things brighter? Chanel perhaps? Better yet, how about waterproof Chanel? Oui, s'il vous plaît.

My friend Aimee T recently suggested I pick up Chanel's latest Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner, which she purchased in Espresso. She said, "as a makeup novice the pencil is easy to work with, rich in colour and is super long-lasting." So I dropped by Barneys and though I love deep browns, I opted for Marine (Navy) and Celadon (a dark grey-green with subtle gold sparkles). I wore the Celadon yesterday and I really liked it, though I wish more of the gold shimmer came across, not because I don't like green, but because gold is more .. shall we say .. fancy & expensive.

I went to Bikram (yoga) last night and the workout waterproof test definitely failed, though I'm not sure any waterproof makeup would survive through Bikram (the room is 105+ and your body temp is thru the roof!) Regardless, I got a couple of compliments and I really appreciated that unlike regular liners, it stayed on, didn't smudge into my upper lid or worse, end up melting under my eyes. I'm wearing the Marine today and I have to say, on a super sleepy day, the Marine is really helping to illuminate my eyes/face! One would never know I was on my 4th cup of coffee!!

Perfume

An incredible shopping experience was had yesterday afternoon in Copley Place Boston with friends. We covered Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Barneys and Saks Fifth Avenue, and by the end of the day I felt like a child in need of some major nap time. My most favorite stop of the day was at CPK for food (I'm kidding, I'm kidding,) all jokes aside it was definitely Saks Fifth Avenue. How fortunate were we that Saks was offering a family discount yesterday, which included 15% off any purchase in the store - score!! So I visited my intended fragrance counter, Bond No. 9, did a lot of sniffing and then BANG, it was love at first sniff! "Hello Nuits de Noho, I'm Nicole, so very very pleased to meet you!"

Bond No. 9 is a sophisticated and alluring niche brand, which is an homage to New York City. The line created Downtown, Midtown and Uptown scents, as well as candles and body creme, which mark NYC's neighborhoods with scents of their very own. Nuits de Noho, my downtown love affair, has notes of Jasmine, Creamy Vanilla and Sheer Patchouli, which is a "nighttime femininity; irreverent and unapologetic". Pretty tasty right?! The description on bondno9.com also reads, Nuits de Noho "has the impact of a shot of icy vodka" ha ha, now that sounds more like it (ME)!! "Impact" is what I've been searching for in a fragrance though and I have to say I am completely sold - it is evident that the brand only uses high 18-22 percent concentrations of pure eaux de parfums, which offers "longlasting concentrations of the legendary scents of the 1920s and 1930s."

The other two scents I love are New Haarlem, which is a bit androgynous and smells mostly of vanilla and coffee, with notes of bergamot, cedarwood, patchouli and lavender, and Little Italy, a citrus scent of mandarin and grapefruit with notes of jasmine and a bit of sheer musk. New Haarlem smells warm and cozy, Little Italy fresh, but not too sweet. Both absolutely delightful.

Bond No. 9's website is gorgeous so if you have a minute check it out at http://bondno9.com. You can purchase this brand at Bond's four shops in NYC, on their website, or at Saks Fifth Avenue www.saksfifthavenue.com. Be aware this is no inexpensive love affair (but well worth every penny) 1.7 fl oz goes for $125 and the 3.4 fl oz for $185. The candles range from $75-100 (which includes 16-20 percent perfume concentration and they burn for 60 hours) and the body creme 6.8 oz for $105.

Exfoliate & sparkle

I have a huge affection for a brand called Benefit Cosmetics out of San Francisco, CA. What initially piqued my interest was the packaging, which is so creatively female (very fancy & expensive) and makes you feel like you can hop in to the artwork and suddenly be glam yourself (you can, try it!)

My list of favorites is long, but I wanted to mention two in particular, which I believe should be staples in your everyday wash 'n go routine. Bum Deal Body Scrub smells of red currant (yum) and the sugar and salt formula exfoliates your hips, arms, your rump and thighs to perfection. When you step out of the shower, beyond feeling baby soft you will feel revitalized and rejuvenated! I used this product frequently last year and I'm telling you my skin never felt better. The thing I especially love about Bum Deal is you are able to jump out of the shower pat down and go - no need for lotion, because the oil in the scrub leaves your skin perfectly silky (not greasy, I might add).

So you're washed up and smooth as butta (hey, easy, I'm livin' in Boston) and you're ready to jet. What's next? You're soft, but c'mon every girl needs to sparkle! For that, I recommend Benefit's Kitten Classic. First off, it looks gorgeous in your washroom, secondly, it is a soft sparkling powder within a puff (no dipping here), thirdly, the soft floral scent works with any fragrance you may be wearing (quite light and fresh) and finally, you just feel so darn sparkly and sassy.

Benefit also created a NYC and Paris Kitten, as well (cute, right?!) Trust when I say that any version of this puff will compel you to tap it on your shoulders, your legs, your decollete (especially) and even your hair! When you hit the streets, rest assured you'll be more glam than you ever dreamed possible!

Visit Benefit Cosmetics LLC and purchase some treats (it's Friday!!)



Get a free mini dr. feelgood with any $50 purchase. Enter promo FEELGOOD at checkout. Offer valid through 4.29.08. Not valid with any other offers.

Balms

I received a post from my friend Nicka that I needed to write about her favorite Boots balm, so here it goes. Boots, as many of you know, is a UK brand that started selling in the U.S. several years ago. Boots is equivalent to our CVS, but apparently a bit more Sephora, Whole Foods, etc., the ultimate shop. Nicka sent me the Mediterranean Olive, Almond & Sage Wonderbalm about 6 months ago and I really do enjoy it. The smell is wonderfully therapeutic, and the almond and sage is a soothing fragrant experience. It is also an organic product, which I definitely appreciate. I like it mostly for my lips and cuticles, but it can also be used on any dry skin patch you've got! It's light in consistency, so it absorbs very quickly. This product sells at CVS and Target for less than $10 a jar.

Though I prefer the aroma of Wonderbalm, I am addicted to old fashioned Bag Balm, a product created in Wells River, VT in 1899. Bag Balm, recognized by its green and red can, which the product has been packaged in for over 100 years, is still a staple in many a medicine cabinet. Bag Balm smells like what it is, Petrolatum and lanolin, but it's healing value is immense (its consistency is more like that of Vaseline). The product was created to soften cow udders and its use has evolved in to under eye cream, lip, cuticle, heel and feet balm, etc. I adore this universal balm and you can buy it at Drugstore.com for less than $7 a tin - what a deal!

My co-worker Julie mentioned a product she prefers over Bag Balm, which I figured I should include. It is called Lansinoh (which also sells on Drugstore.com for about $7 a tube) created for nursing mother's. Lansinoh is a topical nipple treatment with no preservatives or additives, which means it does not need to be removed before a child feeds. Julie made a good point, "Bag Balm was created for cow udders, Lansinoh for a nursing mother .. what is more natural than that?" I looked it up and the main ingredient is ultra-pure medical-grape lanolin and its consistency is a bit lighter in color and texture than Vaseline or Bag Balm. Julie uses this product universally, as well, on her lips and dry elbows, and she said it works great on her son's cracked heels. I'm gonna head to CVS at lunch and give it a shot (I'm such an easy sell)!!

Some times a chapped lip (or chapped anything) screams for relief and I'm confident that one of these salves/balms will do just the trick for you!

Davines

It is absolutely gorgeous outside today (it's supposed to hit 80
degrees!) I hope all of you take some time for yourselves to take a quick lap, or better yet bring your lunch outside, sit on a park bench and soak up some sunshine. Spring is finally here and speaking of warm rays, a few years back I was introduced to a brand called Davines, which brought immediate fervor to my being (I swear!) Davines is a brand from Parma, Italy that started as a research laboratory and in the early 90's they launched their very own brand of hair care products. My favorite is the Momo line for dry and curly hair. I have tons of natural curl and frizz, which over the years I've ironed to despair and I swear this line nurtures my locks and makes me feel like I'm paying my damaging-dues!

The moisturizing shampoo is light and lathers up the minute it touches your hands, leaving your hair feeling super clean and smelling fresh. The moisturizing conditioner/cream has milk thistle extract in it and after leaving it on for a few minutes and rinsing, my hair is happy glossy hair.

From flat ironing I am having some breakage issues so I started using both the moisturizing curl enhancing serum, as well as the moisturizing anti-frizz protective fluid. Both are absolutely wonderful products. On a day I am going to wash and go, I put the curl enhancing serum on and let my hair dry naturally. My hair, feels treated, but never greasy, which I especially love. On days that I am going to flat iron my hair, I put the anti-frizz fluid on after I've done my damage and leave my apartment feeling less depleted (of moisture, that is).

Check out Davines.com for more information on the line and to find a salon in your area that carries it. Also, I noticed one of my most fave sites, beauty.com sells it, so go now, it's spring buy something good for yourself ...

Nails

I looked down at my nails on Friday with absolute disgust! My red polish had chipped (not in a cool rock star chip sorta way) and most of my nails were peeling (not so cute). After work I met my friend Amy (Fabino), who has perfect beautiful hands/nails and exclaimed my upset. She pulled a product out of her handbag called Rejuvacote out of Brooklyn, NY and said, "take this bottle and use it for the next 7 days, applying it once a day. It will change your life." I told her I'd already been using Sally Hansen's Miracle Cure, but that I was not seeing impressive results and that I'd happily give it a shot. So I went home and applied Rejuvacote and have reapplied it daily since and I have to say the results are remarkable (and that is only after 4 days use)! My nails appear stronger, and look clean and shiny with the perfect hint of sheer pink to boot. You can buy it here http://store.hello-gorgeous.net/nailcare-duricosmetics.html for $9.95 and TRUST, it's worth every penny!!

Since we are on nails, I also want to mention some of my other faves. Celebrity manicurist, Deborah Lippmann (who just did Madonna's nails for the cover of Vanity Fair ... Go Deb!) has her own line lippmanncollection.com and LC has several products I can not live without. First, The Stripper is THE BEST nail polish remover I have ever used. It smells of lavender and literally strips the polish off, leaving behind only a clean nail, with a non intrusive smell, unlike most polish removers. The applicator is pretty cool too, super easy with a twist lock pump. Deborah's cuticle oil is pure love too, smelling of delicious coconuts and offers the right amount of moisture to dry cuticles without being too greasy. I also use Deb's oil on my lips and dry elbows. Amazing. OH (can you tell this stuff excites me) and she created this rich foot cream last year called Steppin' Out and I have to tell you it is wonderful - super creamy and absorbent. I use it on my hands and feet, and it smells oh so kokum butter delight! Put it on with socks before you go to bed and in the morning your feet will be moisturized to perfection!!

Self-tanning

Since spring has arrived and sun kissed faces are suddenly appearing, do yourself a favor, stay out of the sun and opt to use Lancome's Flash Bronzer Glow 'N Wear Tinted Self-tanning Gel for Body, on your face! That's right, on your face and it comes in both Natural and shimmer formulas. I used the Natural this morning and am so pleased - it gave me the perfect amount of sun dew glow, completely streak-free and it was dry in 5 minutes!

Lip Gloss

I went to Bikram (yoga) this afternoon and on my walk home I could only think of two things, Peanut M&M's and LIP GLOSS. CVS suddenly jumped out at me (how kind) and before you knew it I'd blown 250 calories and 100 bucks!! The lip gloss success percentage was pretty high, 2 out of 3 were winners! One of my most favorite lip glosses (repo) is L'Oreal Colour Juice in Golden Splash, which is pretty much L'Oreal's version of a Lancome Juicy Tube. It's creamy and sparkly with the perfect golden glow. Ends up being the gloss your girls are asking to borrow on every girl's night out!  Winner #2 is Neutrogena Lip Smoother in #50 Sheen, think a red popsicle stained mouth, wet and glossy to perfection (love!) So shiny and moisturizing, and to boot it smells like fruit punch. The third purchase, which I did NOT like at all, was Physician's Formula Plump Potion in Pink Crystal. Too gloppy and sticky for me. If I'm looking for a bee stung mouth I'll stick to Fusion Beauty LipFusion Lip Plump. Better formula, packaging, lip brush and my lips don't stick together - talking is very important to me! ;)

Face cream & Eye Cream/Treatment

I am the kind of person who oozes with excitement over the best mascara, or the perfect red lipstick and will spend hours smelling perfume (and coffee beans) to find a scent that really represents me. My friends email me daily asking about it all, including skin care regimes or eye cream recommendations, to which I excitedly rattle off my suggestions. Some women take a personal interest, and others like to ask their product obsessed friends, like me!!

On Friday I was asked for my favorite face and eye cream of the moment. I gotta tell you, I have spent years trying tons of very expensive creams, but right now I am really enjoying Avon's ANEW line. I use the Retroactive day and night cream and find it moisturizing, not greasy, and it definitely has not clogged my pores, or irritated some of my hormonal chin area breakouts.  After five months of use, I've definitely noticed a difference regarding the reduction of fine lines around my cheek bones and eye area. The ANEW product perk is it's about $30 total for both a day and night cream and can be ordered on line at Avon.com. Also, if you are looking for an eye cream, my Mom is a huge fan of the ANEW Clinical Eye Lift, which is also super reasonable and long lasting at $28. This eye cream includes two sections, one cream and one gel. The cream for under eye and the gel for the brow bone area meant to offer an instant lift. Mom claims the cream is super moisturizing (a bit thicker, which she likes) and the gel tightens the area around the brow and feels very refreshing.

I will definitely give Clinical Eye Lift a shot, but right now I am using two products that I am quite enjoying. The first is from FRESH Lotus Eye Gel, which is meant to treat dark circles and puffiness (this is not an eye cream, rather a treatment) and on top of it I am using Darphin Arovita Eye and Lip Contour Gel, which I love! I also started using both of these products about 5 months ago and I swear I've noticed a huge difference with upper lid puffiness and dark circles. Both are very light so, if like my Mom you prefer a more moisturizing under eye cream, these may not be for you.