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.

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: 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.

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.

Beauty Products of the Moment– The Hits

A few months ago I went through some of my fave beauty products of the moment.  Since that point I’ve added quite a few more products to my arsenal. Some I’ve loved and wondered how I survived without it while others I’ve found myself wondering what the big deal ever was.  Here are my fave new products that I’ve tried in recent history.

Lierac Initiatic Fluid, $48* – This lightweight lotion glides easily over my skin and absorbs quickly to leave a matte finish that is perfect applying make-up over or going bare faced.  It’s a moisturizer designed to combat the first signs of aging and incorporates anti-oxidant rich goji fruit extract and a hi-tech peptide that protects mitochondrial DNA and stimulates cellular metabolism.  While all that sounds good and fancy I love the texture and delicate scent.  There is something about it that sort of tingles my skin in a very gentle refreshing way and I feel like something good must be happening.  I’ve always been a believer that prevention is the key to staying youthful, so I love that it’s a lotion designed to do exactly that.  Since it’s not at all greasy, I’ve been loving it for those hot summer days.  The only thing that would make it absolute perfection would be the addition of a sunscreen.

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Spray, $2.74* – I’ve been using dry shampoo for quite a few years as it’s a great time saver for those days when you don’t have time to wash your hair, after hitting the gym for a refresher or on summer days when you feel less fresh than a daisy.  I’ve always depended on pricier brands like Ojon or Klorane which I’ve picked up from Sephora but I was super excited when Suave launched their super affordable version.  Not only does it leave no icky residue but it smells fantastically fruity fresh, unlike other dry shampoos that I’ve tried it the past that smell only decent as best.  As with all dry shampoos to prevent the nozzle from clogging, shake thoroughly (30 seconds is best) and short blasts all over your head are all that’s needed.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, $17 – I’ve heard of this stuff for years but I finally had a chance to try it for myself in the last few months.  After years of struggling with trying to keep a clear complexion after a unfortunate incidence of adult acne, my skin is finally calming down to pretty manageable levels.  However that doesn’t stop me from getting the occasional volcanic eruption or two.  I will be honest this stuff stinks in a Buckley’s Mixture kind of intense way that can clear your sinuses and it’s not very attractive so not for use while in the company of others.  You will feel a deep down burn that you know that it’s sort of killing germs and drying out the zit while you sleep.  And while it didn’t make it vanish overnight, the deep down pain that hurts my entire face disappeared. After my 3rd night of using it, the pimple was pretty much vanquished into a tiny almost memory.

Lierac Sensorielle, $34* – This multi purpose oil for face, body and hair is my latest obsession.  I love the smell of jasmine, camellia and gardenia that calms my spirit.  When I first received this product I was obsessed and couldn’t stop applying it all-over myself.  It also happened to be an incredibly stressful week for multiple reasons – so the scent actually helped me to feel relaxed while using it.  The bottle is also so simple and pretty that I don’t mind having it prominently displayed on my vanity.  The oil incorporates 4 botanical oils including  Argan Oil, Hazelnut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil and Grapeseed Oil that nourish, hydrate and are full of antioxidants that regenerate and re-texturize skin.  More importantly it really does moisturize and moisturize well.  Lately I’ve preferred using oils to moisturize my body and when applying it on slightly damp skin after a shower - a little really goes a long way and I promise you won’t feel greasy afterwards.  If you are afraid of trying oils, this one is great because you can also put some in your bath to created a luxe milky bathing experience.  You can also use this oil as a massage oil and a little in your hair helps tame frizz and smooth ends.

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm , $5.99 – You might remember me mentioning it last week but it's like a hybrid between lipstick and lip balm - it feels soft and not sticky but gives a fun hit of sheer color. It also has SPF 15 which is perfect for protecting your lips from sun damage.  I have pretty pale lips and am not always up to the challenge of keeping perfect bold lips all day and I don’t always feel in the mood for a gloss, especially when it’s windy out.  This seems to be the perfect no fuss solution and I’ve gotten so many compliments while wearing it.

Phyto Phytomist Instant Hydrating Conditioner, $26* – After having my scalp analyzed and learning that I had a rather greasy scalp I was told that I could cut out conditioner from my hair care routine.  However, I think the idea of not using conditioner at all freaks me out.  Fortunately Phyto makes a super lightweight conditioner that you can spray on your hair and it’s been great for keeping me de-tangled.  It smells subtly like greenery and flowers but it’s not overwhelming and I love that it’s super quick and only takes me under 30 seconds to spritz myself.

*Full disclosure: Asterisk indicates that I received a complimentary sample

Recommended Product: Leather Honey

One of my personal goals has been to buy fewer items, so that when I do make a purchase, it's for a nice investment piece. Investment pieces take some love and care to maintain - careful storage during off season, perhaps dry cleaning, etc.
A few weeks ago I noticed that my prized leather jacket was starting to show some signs of wear and tear, even dryness. After much research, I decided to try out Leather Honey. As you'll read on their website:

"...invented in 1968, Leather Honey has been used to rejuvenate and recondition old leather and soften and protect new leather. Made in the USA and sold by the same family for over 25 years as Harness Honey, our non-toxic, water repellent formula penetrates deep into leather's pores..."

I love that the product is non-toxic and made domestically by a family-owned business, and above all, it works really well! So far I've used it on my buttery-soft leather jacket and tougher roper boots, and I had good results with both.

Leather Honey doesn't clean, so you'll need to wipe down the surface first. The instructions suggest applying with a lint-free cloth, paint brush or foam sponge. The product is thick like honey as the name suggests. So I actually used a piece of old pantyhose; I cut off the top part of a pair with control top. I liked how it didn't absorb as much product and it gave me more control over where I was applying the conditioner.

You can find a 8oz bottle at Amazon for $15.95, and trust me, a little goes a long way!

Jeff's Grooming Gear

Banking off of Erin's earlier post - I thought it would be fun to go through some of the grooming products that I'm a fan of. I honestly never cared about skincare or anything until I turned 25. At 25 I decided that I'm not getting any younger and should start trying to take better care of my skin since it lasts a lifetime.

At 25, I didn't know where to start, there weren't a ton of options for men's products out there and everything wass relatively new in the market so I ended up buying a bunch of stuff from a few product lines to test them out. While you might think there's no difference between products geared for women vs men - there is (aside from the packaging). Skin is skin at the end of the day, but guys actually have the advantage here. Our skin is thicker, oilier, firmer and more resilient than our female counterparts which benefits us when it comes to aging. If you don't believe me - take a look at your friends. Guys in general tend to age slower.

Truthfully - I'm like most guys and am lazy when it comes to this kind of stuff so there's only a few products I actually use. When I first found a product I liked - I bought almost the entire line but now most of it just sits on my shelf. I really only use a moisturizer and some eye stuff. The rest of it I couldn't be bothered to use.

The only thing I'm really picky about is what goes on my head. I can't go outside without putting some kind of product in my hair to make it less mop-ish. I've tried a bazillion different products and finally landed on some that are solid.

Facewash - I can't be bothered with this. I shower everyday so my face ends up getting washed anyways. I've tried using facewash before and for me, it makes no difference - so I opt out of using this on a regular basis.

Moisturizer - Shiseido Moisturizing Emulsion.

Why? It has a watery texture and is uber smooth and light. I hate heavy products. I want to put something on my face and once its on, feel like I have nothing on and that's exactly what this product does. It goes on smooth, absorbs quickly and moisturizes.

The other product I use is Dior Repairing Moisturizing Emulsion.

Why? I'm a sucker for cool packaging and I loved the bottle so I thought I'd give it a shot. It's a great product and a bit thicker than the Shiseido emulsion in texture but just as smooth and feels like nothing once it's absorbed into your skin. It provides a bit more hydration so I tend to use this in the winter when my skin is a bit drier.

Toner - I don't use it. I tried Anthony Logistics Astringent Toner Pads since it got great reviews and won some award but I honestly can't stand this product. The pads are soaking wet and the burning alcohol feeling is a bit too much for me.

Eye Care - Biotherm High Energy Recharge.

Why? For those days where I don't get enough sleep and look like a zombie. It helps reduce the signs of tiredness and helps tighten the skin around your eyes. This is a cold serum with a metal roller ball applicator which eliminates the problem of over-application. Keep in mind it's just a band-aid solution.

Shampoo - Anthony Logistics Everyday Shampoo (Peppermint).

Why? Honestly the scent of this alone is worth it. It's my all time favorite shampoo and removes styling product with ease while leaving your hair minty fresh like a stick of trident gum.

Conditioner - Anthony Logistics Every Day Conditioner (Peppermint).

Why? Similar to the shampoo, I love this product. I don't use conditioner on a regular basis but when I do this is what I opt for. Sadly, this product has been discontinued. For some reason I thought this would get discontinued since conditioner isn't something that guys use regularly or at all so I ended up stocking up on this a while ago.

Styling Product - Aveda Pure Perormance Grooming Clay.

Why? Because this just plain rocks. Out of all the styling gels, sprays, waxes, foams, pomades, and mousses I've ever tried this is hands down my favorite product ever. It's a light weight clay that gives you strong hold without shine. It doesn't flake, endures windy days, trying on clothes and lasts all day. You don't have to use very much and it smells amazing (sort of like a chai latte). It can be applied dry or wet depending on your look and doesn't take forever to wash out of your hair (unlike most products that provide stronger hold). I randomly tried this since it won a Men's Health Grooming Award back in 2007 and have never looked back.

Razor - Gillette Fusion Razor (Manual).

Why? It has 5 blades. At first I was intimidated because I always used to nick myself when shaving but this is my favorite razor. The blades are so compact that it's actually very difficult to nick yourself and you get a close shave that only a razor can give. There's lots of different options for this including battery powered models but I just stick to manual. I'm not sure I want pulsating blades vibrating near my neck.

Shaving Cream - Aveeno Therapeutic Shave Gel.

Why? This is a smooth gel with no fragrance. It does what it's supposed to and helps prevent razor bumps. Also since I've started using this, I have less razor burn which is definitely nice.

Just keep in mind that skin, like everything else is personal. What works for some won't work for others and vice versa. The best way for you to find out what works for you is to try stuff out. To help with this, Sephora offers free samples of tester products that you can try out for yourself before committing. Also, Sephora has an amazing return policy so even if you try something out and realize its not for you, you can return it which is nice.

Erin's Current Beauty Must Haves

I used to be an incredible beauty junkie during my awkward teenage years. The promise of new products offered me a chance to daydream that they would somehow transform me from into someone who was cooler, confident and of course more beautiful. And while I no longer believe that products will transform me like only a fairy godmother could, I do know that they can enhance what I have and help preserve my youth. Most people think that I'm about 8 years younger than I actually am and why? I'm a firm believer in eye cream and I've been using it as soon as I hit 19. I drink mostly water and avoid coffee and soda. Otherwise I'm your average girl who has both a salty and a sweet tooth and never has a enough time to hit the gym. Anyways, since it's time for Sephora Friends and Family, it's time for me to do my annual stock up and buy all the beauty supplies I will use in the next year. But I'm not a product snob and some of my fave products are drug store brands so here is a round up of what I use and love.

Face Wash - Cetaphil
Why? It's gentle, removes make up, non-drying, dermatologist recommended and easy on the wallet. Face wash literally washes off so it's not something you need to spend a lot of money on as long as it get's your face clean without over-drying which could cause excess oil production.

Toner - Vichy Thermal Spa Water

Why? Between seasons my skin can become super rough and unreceptive to moisturizers unless I spray this on before. It's saved my skin from what seemed like hopeless roughness last winter.

Eye Gel - Arcona Eye Dew & Eye Peptide Serum*
Why? The Eye Dew is super moisturizing and lasts forever because only the smallest tiniest drop is needed at a time. Some people might complain as it's pretty rich but the trick is to apply it right after you wash your face and pat your face dry with a damp finger. I light the Eye Peptide Serum in the summertime because it's much lighter.

Lotion - Davi Vine Fresh
Why? I only just started using this product recently so it's hard to give it a solid review but it's super lightweight and sinks right into my skin without feeling greasy. It has SPF 30 (very important!) and is full antioxidants thanks to polyphenols found in grape leaves and wine extracts.

Foundation & Powder - Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals and Mineral Veil
Why? It's super easy to apply and provides light-medium coverage depending on how much you choose to apply.

Skin Perfector - Clinique Pore Minimizer
Why? After I found out they use this on models for photo shoots to keep them looking perfectly matte for hours on end, I thought why not and picked up myself a tube. I don't use this everyday and only a tiny pearl size amount on the T-zone and cheeks directly beside my nose on days I know I'll be taking photos. Not suitable for people with really dry skin. The key is to not rub it too much into the skin and sort of glide it over. After a minute, look in the mirror and you'll be astonished.

Eyeliner - Nars Eyeliner Stylo or L'oreal Lineur Intense Brush Tip Liquid

Why? The Nars felt-pen like applicator makes it easy for shaky hands to get it right. The L'oreal liner gives the blackest cleanest lines that last all day long if you can get your hand steady enough.

Tweezers - Tweezerman Slanted Tweezers

Why? Use them and find out why! You can grab the tiniest hairs with ease.

Eyelash Curler - Shu Uemura or Shiseido

Why? The Japanese do eyelash curlers right. These don't pinch the corners of your eyes and will last for years to come.

Eyeshadow - Shu Uemura Pressed Eyeshadow

Why? High quality pigment rich and very blendable, smooth application.

Blush - Stila Convertible Color

Why? Super compact, cute packaging and a very natural color. I apply it with my fingers just to my cheek bones

Lip Gloss - Fusion Beauty Lipfusion Infatuation*

Why? Great smell, non sticky, pleasant minty tingling that ever so slightly plumps lips. The only downside is the brush applicator (not a huge fan)

Lipstick - Maybelline Color Sensation* or Lipstick Queen

Why? Great velvety texture for both brands and flattering shades that are moisturizing yet stay on the lips. Lipstick Queen has great opaque coverage if you want a pigmented lipstick with no shimmer/frost effect.

Lip Balm - Lulu Organic in Ruby Mint Lip Balm*
Why? Best lip balm I've ever used. I love everything about it, the minty smell, the way it makes my lips tingly, the subtle tint, the penatrating moisture. The $12 price tag is a bit steep but I've been using my tube forever (or about 6 months).

Dry Shampoo - Klorane Gentle Shampoo with Oat Milk
Why? On those days I'm running late and need to pump some volume into my hair and a bit of freshness this product is great. While it's no substitute for not washing your hair, it'll help get you through an extra day. The key is to make sure that you shake it well and don't spray continuously. Only swift strategic pumps throughout different sections of hair as needed or else you'll run out rather quickly.

Soft Natural Styling - Bumble and Bumble Grooming Cream
Why? If you have bangs, this product is a must to tame them and keep them side swept and out of eyes without looking like it's styled. I also put some on the ends to keep them together

Hairspray - L'oreal Elnett Satin*

Why? This stuff is legendary for a reason, great hold but can also be brushed out without flaking.

Nail Polish - It's got to be OPI or Essie
Why? Amazing colors and great coverage and texture. Nail polish that can easily take me through a week of wear and tear. Relatively affordable.

Deep Moisturization for Hands & Feet - Unrefined African Shea Butter or Sweet Almond Oil.

Why? It's super affordable and really effective. The shea butter seriously repaired my dry crackly feet over time. The Sweet Almond oil (SAO) penetrates deep down into the skin and doesn't leave a grease on skin feel. SAO is also great for moisturizing nails and cuticles and keeping them healthy and strong.

Am I missing anything? Do you have any current faves I don't know about yet?

*Full disclosure: received a sample at NYFW, otherwise all products have been purchased

Incredible Accessory: HTC Droid Incredible

If you follow us on Twitter or Facebook, you've probably gathered that Erin and I are huge fans of the HTC Droid Incredible. The wonderful people at HTC gave us each a Droid Incredible to use for a month, and we can honestly say we've never loved a phone as much as this one. After our trial with the Droid Incredible, Erin has been using her Microsoft KIN and I've gone back to my hand-me-down iPhone 3G. We've been talking about it, and we're both definitely considering a switch to Verizon to use the Incredible again. It was so handy for blogging and helpful for busy NYC life.

I'm admittedly not a tech girl, but that's what sites like mashable.com are for. I just want to know if a device is easy to use, reliable and if it'll fit nicely into my clutch when I go out.

One of the first questions people will ask me when I tell about the Droid Incredible is, "How does it compare to the iPhone?" It is definitely better than the iPhone 3GS - faster and capable of so much more. When comparing it to the iPhone 4, some of it comes down to personal preference. While I am a huge fan of Apple products and long time user of Macbook Pros and iPods, I honestly would go with the HTC Droid Incredible. I never had a dropped call. I love the camera quality and optical track pad, and I really enjoyed some of the functionalities like the universal back button and reminders and notifications in the top left corner. Ok, so let's get into the details of why I'm such a huge fan of the Droid Incredible.

Verizon coverage is great. Voice quality is super crisp and no dropped calls. I had reception everywhere I went except for underground where no one has reception (c'mon MTA).

The display is huge. There are phones with bigger screens, but the Droid Incredible is plenty big and I feel like the colors are more vibrant. One of my favorite things to look at on the Droid Incredible was the weather widget. It has the most amazing graphics, super smooth transitions and super crisp details, which brings me to my next point.

The home screen is handy. On the iPhone, the home screen is a collection of applications. On the Droid Incredible, the default home screen boldly displays the time and current weather conditions. In finer detail, the home screen includes the date and high and low temperatures for the day.

The touch menu buttons and optical track pad are easy to use. Like the iPhone, there is a home button, but better than the iPhone, there are three additional buttons - menu, back and search. I rarely used search, but the universal back button was so great. I don't know about you, but when I'm frazzled or in a hurry, I often tap the wrong part of the screen. Having a universal back button made it so easy to undo accidents. And the more I used the phone, the more I grew to love having the optical track pad. It made it easy to browse photos, as well as copy and paste text.

Typing is quick and almost typo-free. It's really easy to type with the Droid Incredible, easier than my iPhone. The Droid Incredible vibrates lightly with each tap, which makes it easier to know when to move onto the next letter. The spell check is amazing. The Droid offers a menu of suggestions including what I actually typed, what it thought I wanted to type and a few additional suggested words. I could tap to choose from the list, or even better, use the optical track pad to select. And perhaps the most amazing feature was the "Talk to Text". Erin and I each tested it in a variety of settings, and it really worked! Occasionally there were a few corrections to be made, but overall, a very impressive and convenient tool.


The 8-megapixel camera is in fact incredible. You may remember a couple Style Diary posts shot on the Droid. The quality is really impressive; it's definitely comparable to a point and shoot with a sharp auto-focus and quick reaction time. Erin and I loved using the Droid Incredible to snap photos at sample sales. It was quick and easy to take pictures and upload. The upload menu includes options to email, Bluetooth transfer or directly upload to Facebook, Flickr, etc. The Droid Incredible was also handy for pictures out at night. It has a two-LED flash compared to the iPhone 4's one. Oh, and did I mention video? We tested it out in the streets of East Village and even with the background noise, the video and sound quality were quite nice.

It can support flash! Unlike the iPhone, the HTC Droid Incredible can load flash heavy websites and stream contents from sites like soundcloud.com.

The Droid syncs seamlessly with Gmail and Google calendar. The HTC Droid Incredible came with its own email application, but the real winner was the Gmail application. I synced both applications up with my email addresses, and the Gmail app often alerted me to new messages a second or two faster than the HTC app. The Gmail app was easy to use and just like the web version.

It's easy to stay connected to Facebook and Twitter. The Facebook app for iPhones is better than the one for the Droid, but with Verizon's fast network and the Droid Incredible's smooth browser, I would visit touch.facebook.com to check messages, photos, etc. Erin was able to use HTC's Twitter app, but for some reason it didn't work for me, which wasn't a big deal since I actually really liked the official Twitter app.

There are global notification badges at the top of the screen. Rather than having to check individual apps, whenever I had a new email, Facebook comment, Twitter direct message or software update, I would be alerted by icons in the left corner.

The phone is light and super slim. It fit nicely into all of my bags, even clutches - no lumps! I also liked the matte finish on the back. It's a small detail, and at a glance perhaps less sexy than the shiny finish on other phones, but I appreciated that the matte finish didn't show finger prints. And while I'm on the topic of details, the inside casing and battery are red!

The Droid Incredible has a replaceable battery and expandable memory via a microSD slot. The battery life on the Droid wasn't great. I usually had to pace myself and be mindful of use if I wanted the battery to last through the day. I found that during the week when I had work it would last me well into the evening, but on weekends I found myself needing to recharge before going out. As for memory, the phone comes with 8GB internal and can support up to 32GB on a microSD card.

Some of the user experience didn't feel super smooth, but overall no major complaints. I wish the battery lasted longer, but I think that's the story with all smartphones. It's a phone, mp3 player, camera and entertainment device, so of course it's going to run out of juice. I also wish more fun one-off apps were available for the Droid, but I imagine with time as the operating system becomes more popular more apps will be available in the Droid marketplace.

I've recommended HTC Droid Incredible to many of my Verizon-loyal friends, and of the ones who have it, they are all very pleased. The phone is available exclusively on Verizon - $199 with two year contract. If you're in the market for a new smartphone, Erin and I highly recommend checking out the HTC Droid Incredible. For more information or to purchase the Droid Incredible, please visit htc.com.