In Full Bloom with Jane Iredale

A few days ago I had the opportunity to stop by Floristy in Chelsea for a flower arrangement class thanks the the lovely folks at Jane Iredale. We were also celebrating the launch of PureMoist lipsticks which come in 24 shades. The lipsticks are designed with keeping your kisser supple thanks to the natural ingredients such as sunflower oil and vitamin E.

While the class was brief I learned some important lessons about creating a hand tied bouquet from the instructor/owner of Floristy. He recommended choosing a front to the bouquet and making it look visually appealing from 80% of the angles. This makes sense since you tend to see arrangements mostly from one side.

I chose a focal point with a full Hydrangea stem and built my bouquet around it. I also learned that in order to give a bouquet a more modern feel, I should color block my flowers by placing like colors together. For my bouquet I grouped the dalhias, cockscomb and roses and I arranged the unique flowers like fiddlehead in mid-bouquet to make sure they got noticed. Finally I filled in with astralagus and framed my arrangement using an umbrella fern for a cascading finish.

While munching on artful veggies and sipping on Prosecco I completed a bouquet to be proud of! Lush, fresh and full of color the flowers made a great pairing with the Jane Iredale PureMoist lipstick. I got to take home a goodie bag of complimentary shades and liner to try for myself. 

The lipstick smells faintly of raspberries and has a wonderful velvety texture as it goes over your lips even if they are a little on the dry side. It is smooth and has a light sheen through it and doesn't crease up in your lip crevices. The product is packaged in a skinny matte gold tube with angled tip that serves for precise application even without lipliner. However if you do use lipliner there is a chance to play the colors and expand the range of each lipstick! Pretty awesome! The lipsticks so far have been pretty great and feel great on. I get dry lips especially at this time of year and usually avoid lipstick, glad that I can wear some color. My personal favorite is Margi a matte red that I can't help but wear often. In fact I am wearing right now!

Try: Make Up For Ever Pro Finish

I am a bit of a lazy girl when it comes to make-up, the simpler the better, despite my love of products, since I can't wake up in the morning I can't be bothered with anything that takes a lot of time in the morning. That is why when I first tried powder/mineral make-up I was hooked. However I was soon turned off it for the winter months because my face becomes insanely dry and most powders / mineral make-up has the tendency to make me look chalky and flaky and not at all attractive. So for a long while I switched to tinted moisturizer. A few months ago I was given the chance to try out Make Up For Ever Pro Finish Multi-Use Powder Foundation and I had my doubts. I was fearful of looking chalky and gross but boy was I pleasantly surprised to learn that this product seems to be immune to those typical powder make-up failures.

Make Up For Ever Pro Finish is formulated in a unique way using vegetal coated bio-mimetic pigments. This unique formulation makes it customizable to the look that you want. You can apply it dry for a matte finish and moderate coverage or for a satin finish with sheer coverage, apply it wet. The formulation never clumps up or gets cake-y. The powder foundation has a velvety texture that blends in very naturally into skin for a lightweight and natural look. While it can't cover up cystic acne (what really can?), it makes the overall texture of my skin look more even, my pores minimized and I feel that my skin has a natural glow that is often covered up by make-up. If you are looking for full coverage, I don't think this is your answer. However, if you are a lazy make-up girl like myself, or need a touch-up on the run, this is the perfect compact to slip into your purse. This really is the perfect product for those days when I ran out the door so fast that I forgot to put on make-up. It is a product that revives tired makeup before running on a date afterwork and makes a difference with how put together I feel. The compact case has a good sized mirror and a separate compartment to store your foam sponge with air holes so if you use the product wet, the sponge can dry easily without fear of getting moldy. Overall from practical packaging to product quality I am won over. It is the perfect answer for lazy make-up girls like myself who are on the go.

Mani Party with Sally Hansen x Elle Magazine

A couple of weeks ago, I got to watch the Golden Globes in style with the lovely ladies of the Style Coalition. Sally Hansen and Elle Magazine hosted a mani party celebrating Sally Hansen's new Salon Insta-Gel Strips.

We got the chance to walk our own red carpet complete with mani cam after being treated to some gel nail treatments. I had a hard time choosing with 24 different colors and patterns to choose from I really wasn't sure what to pick. In the end I had to try Perfect Poison - a metallic silver snake skin that looks really luxe.

Although a nail technician helped me get my gel tips on, it seemed simple enough. After removing my nail polish and filing down my nails to the desired shape, the nail technician gave my nails a light buff, removed all excess oils with some a cleanser pad (all included in the kit) and then peeled off the nail strips and pressed them onto my nails carefully using an orange stick. She removed the excess strip using a nail file. When all the nails were complete, she did a quick coat of gel top coat before sticking each nail one at a time in the UV light machine where my nails took about 30 seconds each to be cured. The machine turns off the light when finished each nail so it is really easy to make sure you get it right. Once my nails were cured, we removed the excess sticky residue using a cleanser pad, just like at the salon. After that, my nails were fully dry! The whole process took probably 10 minutes or so.

Maison Martin Margiela x H&M at Columbus Circle

Tonight I was given the opportunity to shop the H&M x Maison Martin Margiela pre-shop event at the brand new sparkly location of H&M on the 2nd floor of the The Shops at Columbus Circle. It was nice to get to wait in line indoors – something to consider if you’re going to be waiting in line tomorrow morning to keep your fingers from getting too numb.  Being the fashion keener that I am, I was in the first 15 people in line, despite the fact that I have a bruised heel bone (due to a failed attempt cleaning up my closet and have been hobbling around for the past few days).
Upon entry to the sale it was chaos as usual as people ran to get their coveted items. In case you’re wondering what they are: the candy wrapper clutch and the disco ball mirrored leggings are the hot ticket and I spotted them in nearly everyone’s arms as they wandered through the sale. If these are on your wish list make sure you hit them up first – I spotted a few random hoarders carrying the clutches 4 at a time. Women’s shoes was also a fast mover with staffers continuously bringing out an armload of boxes at a time.

I struck quickly and soon snagged up everything from my wish list and ran to the change room for final confirmation. I learned my lesson at the H&M x Versace collaboration when I didn’t grab multiple sizes and soon found myself out of luck on the floral print bustier so I grabbed multiple sizes this time and prevailed.

See pictures of packaging and my product reviews after the jump.

Product Review: SodaStream

For some reason or another I really wanted to try this contraption - so after grabbing dinner with Erin earlier this week, I bolted to my local Bath Bed & Beyond to pick one up.  SodaStream is a carbonation system which lets you add CO2 to regular H20 from the comfort of your own home. Headquartered in Israel, this company sells its gas infusing machines in 43 countries and is big on being green by reducing consumers' carbon footprint. 

Product Review: Neosporin Eczema Essentials

I recently had the chance to try out the new skincare product line Neosporin Essentials thanks to a sample sized set they recently sent me.  When I think about it, it's quite surprising that Neosporin never had a skincare line until this point.  Neosporin is the name that you know and trust with your cuts and scrapes so why wouldn't you trust them to heal your skin.  Eczema is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition characterized by dry, itchy skin and visible skin rash. Over 35 million Americans, both children and adults, suffer from eczema. While I personally don't have eczema, I do have psoriasis - a genetic skin condition that can at times bring about flaky patches of dry skin.

Product Review: Clarisonic Mia 2

A few weeks ago, I was walking around 5th Ave when I noticed the Clarisonic Mia 2 on display.  Up until that point I have never heard about the device but based on what my friend told me about it, I made the purchase.  The product has amazing reviews and everyone my friend knew who has one absolutely loves it.  To sum it up, it's a electronic face brush that vibrates and helps remove dirt, makeup, oil and and dead skin. After contemplating for 30 minutes I decided to bite the bullet and pick one up at Sephora.  At $149 (for the Mia 2), it's not the cheapest thing on the market but I ain't getting any younger! I just kept telling myself to consider this as an investment...an investment for my face.

Marni x H&M–The Keepers vrs The Returns

Marni is without a doubt one of my favorite designers - bold, quirky and different without having to be overtly sexy. The new collaboration with H&M had me certain I would break my budget - and in the end it still held true but it will be worth it down the road.  What I wanted more than anything was the jewelry which eluded me.  Perhaps I will have to make a trip to the bead store to DIY some pieces in the near future.

Fortunately, I was still able to snag some of my beloved pieces from this collaboration.  Since I never sleep enough as it is and the launch this morning fell on a work day, I wasn't sure I had the energy to even attempt to snag any pieces.  I originally contemplated asking my friends in London to scope out the scene for me since I had better luck there when the Lanvin collection launched.  However the closer the launch date became, the more and more my determination and will grew.  I'm not one who will spend the night or even wake up at the crack of dawn, but I still came out feeling victorious.

This morning I woke up at my ordinary time, but left the house much faster without a shower, minimal grooming and outfit consideration.  My first stop was H&M Soho and I arrived there about 8:25am and I snagged a wristband for a 9:45am time slot - since work called, I decided to stop by Herald Square and upon my arrival at 8:48am I managed to snag the last wristband for the last time slot and escape for an early lunch.

Since I was on a tight timeline, having to get back to the office, I cashed out quickly without trying anything on.  I also picked up a couple extra items at the request of my co-workers - since none of these items worked out for me I will be returning them tomorrow as I make my rounds to scour additional pieces after work.  I plan on returning these around 3:30-4pm at the Rockefeller Center location at 51st & 5th Ave in case you are interested.

CND Shellac–18 Days of Near Flawless Nails

I first tried CND Shellac last year and loved the long lasting, super shiny formula that was ready to go the instant it's completed with no additional dry time required upon exiting the UV lamp.  I had a chance to get a complimentary manicure at a press event recently and was loving all the new colors that had been introduced.  During my first round there were only 12 colors in predominantly classic shades.  The collection now consists of 30 colors and is available in new fashion forward shades.  With the ability to layer and build color through layering the color possibilities are are endless. Shellac is 3-Free with no formaldehyde, toluene or DBP.

I previously tried the super sophisticated and deep color Fedora.  This time around, I decided to have fun by layering 2 layers of the pearlescent mermaid green tone Hotski to Tchotchke with 1 layer of the subtle holographic glitter shade Mother of Pearl.

The photos speak for themselves, can you believe my nails were done 18 days ago? Aside from minor chopping on my right index finger and ever so slight edge wear you can only tell by how far my nail has grown from the nail bed in 2.5 weeks.  Perhaps because it is a lighter color and pearlescent instead of matter there are no signs of even surface scratches or dulling.  I even was painting furniture and I found a leaky bottle of nail polish during this time that I had to clean up during this time.  Nothing except time ruined my polish.

After spending the weekend out of town, I need to hit up a salon to get the polish removed using special nail wraps.

Shellac manicures are great if you don’t have time to do your nails often and want to get the maximum look for minimal salon effort.  It’s also great if you’re headed on vacation and won’t have access to a salon.  Use the Salon Locator to find a Salon near you.

Product Review: NCLA Nail Wraps

As you may have already figured out I am something of a nail polish fanatic - I have been known to at time freak people out because I recognize the OPI color name.  Truthfully though my nails go from deplorable where I try to hide them for weeks to well manicured.

So when I was offered the chance* to try out one of NCLA, Nail Couture LA, nail wraps I couldn't turn it down.  I have previously tried Sally Hansen peel and stick nail polish and wondered how it would differ.

For one thing there are a greater variety of designs especially those featuring more intricate design and a more sophisticated sense of color. I tried a digital looking design called Mission to Mars from the Boogie Nights collection.

With the Sally Hansen, you have to use up all the designs once you open a packet or else they dry out. NCLA nails will keep for future use if kept in an airtight container.  NCLA nails require a coat of clear polish beforehand to allow the polish to adhere.  NCLA nails are slightly easier to apply because you simply peel and stick instead of snapping and peeling off an additional layer of protective film.  They both require the application of clear nail polish after to seal in the polish.

My nails were completed super fast and they looked good with the exception of my index finger that I had to redo.  Perhaps it was my inexperience but I managed to get a couple air bubbles that I couldn't smooth out nicely.  I think if I had liberally applied more base coat from the get go it might have adhered better.

Over the next few days I got plenty of compliments.  My one complaint is that the edges after doing some of my typical everyday things started to get jagged and rough feeling.  Upon reading additional instructions I learned that for perfect edges, NCLA recommends trimming your nails with a clipper.  I tried this on a few nails and it definitely helped.  Perhaps my next time I try this out I’ll trim and file my nails after applying the wraps.

By the time day 7 rolled around they still looked pretty good and could have stayed on for another couple days but I was in the mood to try something new with my nails and although I probably shouldn’t I peeled the wraps off fairly easily in a few big swoops.

While each design of nail wrap costs about $16 you get enough wraps to do your hands about 4 times.  So at $4 a pop that will last you more than a week it’s really quite affordable. If you were ambitious I’m sure you could trim them down to fit toes and do nails & toes together 2 times.

*full disclosure: I received 1 complimentary wrap design to test

Wear It Now: Empress by Sean John

So lately the world of celebrity seems to have infiltrated every crevice of our society. From the clothes on our backs, the music we hear, movies we watch to the scents that we wear. And while few have made it into the clothing industry with success the fragrance industry is one where I think that makes a lot more sense.  Sean “Diddy” Combs is one of the few players that seems to have transitioned seamlessly from music to becoming a lifestyle brand.  Following the success of his number-one selling men’s fragrance, I Am King, he decided to introduce a female counterpart.  Honestly I was a little skeptical about trying out this perfume but soon changed my mind.

According to the press release, EMPRESS is “made for the modern woman – this fragrance represents female royalty and feminine strength. EMPRESS is a woman’s secret weapon allowing her to rule over her domain. She is more powerful than a king; she is EMPRESS”.   I’m sure that idea behind the scent will resonate with most modern women.  Everyone desires power in some form and the fragrance offers the promise of an invisible sense of power, confidence and control.

As for the scent itself, it’s a great summer fragrance. It smells light, crisp and fresh as summer itself! I actually tested it out on several ladies at my office and found that although it had slightly different reactions to all of our body chemistries, the end result was universally good.  Even on my friend who cannot wear most perfumes because they can become overpowering found this to be subtly sweet and gentle.  The scent makes me think of going for a cocktail on a rooftop patio.

A blast of citrus hits you immediately thanks to the top notes of Key Lime Pie and Mandarin Imperial while at the heart of the fragrance is the sweet and feminine scent of Starfruit and Imperial French Berry.  The result is both sweet and tart.  Subtle hits of caramel and vanilla keep this feeling warm, relaxed and comfortable.  While I wouldn’t expect all of these scents to work together, they somehow balance to create something rather unique. 

I also love the design of the multi-faceted bottle and lid that are both simple and elegant.  Prices start at $38 for a body cream, $57 for 1.7 oz Eau de Parfum and $74 for a 3.4 oz Eau de Parfum.  EMPRESS debuted this August 2011 at Macy’s department stores nationwide.

Wear: BITE Beauty

A few weeks ago I was introduced to a recently launched beauty brand – BITE Beauty. It’s a collection of products that focus on the lips combining anti-aging antioxidants with natural and food grade ingredients.

The tagline caught my attention: “…Beauty for Lips That’s Good Enough to Eat” because the average woman will consume over 6 pounds of lip product over her lifetime. On a daily basis, intentionally or not, lips will be licked, or touched throughout the day as you eat or drink. Chemical based products like polybutenes and petroleum byproducts are replaced by organic shea and fruit butters and pigments are food grade and naturally derived. Since in the cosmetics industry, many lip pigments especially in the red category contain lead – food grade pigments become even more appealing.

If you think about it, women use anti-aging products on their skin and around the eyes, but the lips are not usually treated with as much care. As women age the skin around the lips unfortunately begins to lose it’s plumpness and lines begin to set in. BITE Beauty contains Red Wine Resveratrol that is a powerful antioxidant that assists the body to fight against free-radicals and helps to reduce wrinkle and prevent the appearance of fine lines while essential oils provide hydration. Each tube of lipstick packs the equivalent amount of Resveratrol found in 5 glasses of red wine.

I had the chance to test some of these products out firsthand and here’s what I thought about them:

Luminous Crème Lipstick – The lipstick comes in 24 shades and I got to test out Zin – a muted berry shade. First off I was very attracted to the packaging of this product in particular. The matte charcoal slightly bullet shape reflects the shape of the lipstick itself and it is simple and functional. As for the lipstick itself – it goes on velvety smooth and gives me a natural color that creates a sexy berry stained look. It’s not at all sticky and has a slight sweet taste. The color somehow seems to exude a sense of naturalness that makes the beauty of my lips shine through. Though the color is not particularly shimmery, there is a soft sheen to my lips as if I just applied lip balm. My lips feel as moist as if I had just applied a lip balm too.

High Pigment Pencil – If you are into matte lip shades then this is definitely the product for you. Coming in 6 long wearing shades the packaging kind of looks like a fat lip liner pencil. The application is super easy and the product glides over lips easily providing liner and lipstick in one. The best part is that the color twists up so you never have to sharpen it. I tried the Honey Berry which is a great nude shade. The feeling on the lips is very light, non sticky and although it has a dryer look it doesn’t feel dry.

Lip Shine - While this product doesn’t appear to be too different from most lip gloss products out their in terms of packaging – the wand is slightly different in that it is angled for a more precise application. I tried the Melon shade which is a summery pink tone and it gave my lips a high shine look that is moisture rich and surprisingly natural. It you want lots of shine and a subtle hit of color Lip Shine delivers. The product sort of sits on your lips and lasts long while making your lips look juicy.

Lip Rouge – This product is actually a 2-in-1 lip color and blush. The slick little matte compact slips easily in my purse and the large mirror inside the lid is super useful. This product is firmer than the other products and a little color goes a long way. I tried the blush color that is a bright raspberry pink. Lip Rouge is a buildable color that can create a light stain effect or a more intense look with additional application. The color is matte and the feel is like almost nothing is on your lips. My favorite use for this product though is as a super natural cheek stain. Just the smallest dab creates just the right amount of flush that lasts all day.

SPF 15 Sheer Balms – If you want a slight tint of color, slight luster, the feeling of lip balm and the protection of sunscreen the Sheer Balms encompass all of that. It comes in a simple black tube that is very non-descript save for a tiny BITE logo on one end. It goes on light and gives a faint hardly wearing any product feel of lip balm. The color is semi-sheer so your actual lips shine through.

Vitamin Gel – I actually found the packaging of this product to be my least favorite as the product shows through but doesn’t look particularly attractive. If the tube was improved I think that my like of this product would probably turn to love. The product itself though is the tastiest of the entire collection and lends a glossy shine look on top of color or just on it’s own. The product itself does not change the color of your lips but contains the benefits of micronized multivitamins. While this product is not sticky it has a thicker slippery feel than some of the other products. Almost like you applied Vaseline to your lips without the petroleum. I tried the Pineapple flavor that is reminiscent of Asian candy.

Superfruit Butter – This product could be used by both men and women. It goes on without shine or shimmer and gives an incredibly light, feeling that feels thin yet protective. This is also another of the firmer products that apply in a super thin coat that spreads when it warms against the skin. It’s a super concentrated blend of fruit butters that can be used not only on the lips but actually also works great to moisturize nails and cuticles too. Since it is called Superfruit Butter I think I was expecting this product to have a great taste but this product has virtually no taste. The product contains subtle flecks that are pieces of actual fruit but none of the pieces are actually big enough to really be detected when applied The fruits used are in accordance to the 4 flavors – Acai, blueberry, Cranberry or Pomegranate that are super anti-oxidant rich. What can I say but I love multi-purpose products that work.

I love that BITE Beauty is indeed good enough to eat. The way they make my lips feel and look is great. While it was hard to narrow down I think that my absolute faves are the Superfruit Butter, the High Pigment Pencil and the Lip Rouge. BITE Beauty is available at Sephora in stores and online. Products range from $18 to $24.