Borghese recently launched their latest collection Rapido Fast Dry Nail Lacquer ($8) in 12 shades, Vigneto, Marino, Mochaccino, Chroma, Lira, Menta, Violetto, Maraschino, Siena, Rosso, Anemorie and Linoncello. The collection contains Micronized Gemstones! Literally they micronized semi-precious stones (like Amethyst, Citrine, Tourmaline…) into a fine, silky, powder to add brilliance and high intensity shine.
Borghese Rapido Fast Dry Nail Lacquer in Chroma
I’m lusting over the Chroma (silver)! I love a good, high pigment, rich shiny silver that sparkles. The brush curves with your nails for a flawless application. I wasn’t overwhelmed by the ‘fast dry’ technology. It does dry on a basic level pretty rapidly for anything not too obstructive you need to do (open doors, get a glass of water…), but the paint is still sensitive for another few minutes for anything major like reaching into your purse for your keys. I would recommend
At this point I’m not the first person to tell you to wear sunscreen. We’ve been hearing it since before we could comprehend the words with our mother’s slathering it on us as kids. Then what happens? We turn into tan-obsessed teens and figure we can worry about the damages when we’re older. Or at least that’s my story. Even now, with my extensive knowledge on the negative effects of the sun on my skin and for aging I still find myself walking out the door some mornings forgetting to apply sunblock or feeling a little giddy when I look in the mirror and see a tan.
No more! Or at least not without a huge amount of gilt alongside it! I recently attended a skincare bootcamp with Dermalogica’s Director of Globel Education, Annet King. And besides being an invaluable resources in all things skincare, she has probably the most amazing skin I’ve ever seen. I mean seriously, it rivals babies.
Here are some skin care facts to consider!
Extrinsic aging is caused by sun exposure, industrial pollution, ozone, pesticides, smoking, alcohol, diet and stress.
About 80% of the visible signs of aging are caused by UV rays.
Most of the sun damage occurs before the age of 18!
Sunburns increase your risk of melanoma (4 sunburns double your odds!).
The immediate effect of UV exposure include erythema (inflammation) in 2-6 hours, peeling (which is cell suicide), cell proliferation and thickening, dehydrations and the breakdown of collegen and elastin.
Naturally both men and women lose about 1% of their collegen per year after turning 30.
Don’t spray your fragrance directly on your skin! Mixed with UV rays it can cause pigmentation. Spray it on your clothes! Other causes of pigmentation include UV exposure, inflammation (acne, wounds, diseases), medication, genes and hormones.
From singing sensation to beauty queen (did you catch my article on Bieber’s ‘Someday‘ fragrance for girls?), Justin Bieber is launching a nail polish collection for Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer. The One Less Lonely Girl Collection consists of 14 shades and aims to help raise awareness and funds for the nonprofit organization, Pencils of Promise (PoP) with the goal of building 100 schools for children around the world. What’s next Bieber, a cosmetic line?
Let’s face it, men can be impossible for shop for. Dad’s especially –they tend to buy what they need and take everything else as clutter (or maybe that’s just mine). Here are a few ideas and some of my favorites for the category!
1. Pick a great scent! Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne ($55/30ml, $105/100ml) – Scents are a very personal choice, yet this one hasn’t failed me yet. Although it’s unisex, every time I wear it, men compliment me on it. Generally the remark is something along the lines of, ‘that’s a great scent’ or ‘Is that Jo Malone? I wear it too!’ They all have great taste.
2. A weekender bag – Lands’ End Canvas 1963 Trip Bag ($130) – Something that’s missing out of most men’s closets are a great weekender. This one form Land’s End has that minimal, masculine charm, while still being incredibly functional (and practical) at the same time. Something he never knew he always needed.
4. Charging station – Powermat Portable Wireless Charging Mat ($99.99, on sale for $59.99) – If he owns a lot of electronics or travels with several, a portable, compact charging station is both convenient and helps get rid of the bulk!
5. A Sweater – J. Crew Cotton-cashmere V-neck Sweater ($59.50, on sale for $29.99) – Sweaters are maybe cliche’s like ties, but non-the-less super practical and something you’ll notice him wearing for years to come. Just pay attention to if he’s a crew-neck or v-neck kinda chap.
6. Skincare Set with Case – Kiehl’s Dopp Kit for Men ($59.50) -A fully functional and stylish men’s travel case, designed in Italy by world-renouned photographer and blogger, Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist”. It holds everything from cuff-links (the case has multiple pockets) to your favorite products. Included in the set is Kiehl’s face wash, moisturizer, lip balm, shaving cream and soap all travel-approved sizes.
7. Travel Size skin care products – (Malin+Goetz) 1 oz Essential Kit ($30) – If he’s a big traveler or gym goer (and already has the case to hold the products) this set has every product your man could need while on the go (with the exception of shaving cream). It’s also a fun way to try a medley of new products.
8. A candle – (Malin+Goetz) Dark Rum Candle ($52) – I’m convinced men love candles as much as we do, and this dark rum scent is one of my favorites for men (Jo Malone and Votivo are also at the top of my list). Brand isn’t as important as just finding one that’s reminiscent of the one you’re choosing it for. Plus, men smell.
9. Magazine Subscription – Robb Report (1yr/$65) and Architectural Digest (1yr/$24) – Whether or not he can afford them, fancy cars, fine wine and spirits, and gadgets rank high on my dad’s list, so a subscription to the Robb Report is up his alley. He’s also in the process of building his second house so he appreciates architecture or interior design magazines. When picking a subscription, choose something he’s interested in. It’s a fun way to have him think of you every time a new issue comes in the mail.
10. An experience – Whether it’s tickets to a movie, laser tag, pilot lessons or a day at the driving range, a gift that’s something you can do together is always a great way to go. Put some thought into it and figure out something fun! Discount sites like LivingSocial or Groupon often have fun deals on these types of things and at a fraction of the price.
Last month I shared with you my first segment onThe Lookfor The Pulse Network which was all about spring fashion trends (watch it HERE), now I’m excited for the premiere of another segment I did on spring makeup!
Host, Maggie Rulli and I spent the afternoon at Sue Devitt’s headquarters playing with the line and talking spring makeup tricks and trends! Find out what I had to say and check me out on The Look.
Scroll to 1 minute, 50 seconds on the dial below to skip straight to my part or enjoy the whole segment!
Check out her lips (not that you could miss them), they are awesome! She’s rocking the Union Jack pattern (available June 20th) from Violent Lips.
This is the first I’m hearing about Violent Lips –although the line seems anything but violent. Priced at $14.95 for a set of three, they offer a full range of cruelty-free, vegan lip tattoos in a variety of prints and colors that are FDA approved.
I’m definitely going to need to test them out, although I don’t think I can pull off a a flag of any sorts (except on the 4th of July). I have my eye on the Multi-Checkered and Red Polka!
There have been some really great, innovative products to recently come onto the market. And I attribute their design and wands to making them so effective and user friendly. Here are some of my new favorites!
1. John Frieda Full Repair Touch-Up Flyaway Tamer($9.99) – John Frieda’s International Creative Consultant and celebrity stylist, Harry Josh presented this product at an event I attended and shared a styling tip–putting hairspray on a toothbrushes then brushing it back to tame flyaways. Although thanks to the new Touch-up Flyaway Tamer, there’s a considerably easier and more convenient way to deal with flyaways (especially for us every-day folks). With similar packaging to a mascara, you just brush away the flyaways using the tamer wand and voila, they are slicked back! It’s not sticky or heavy, easy to apply and lasts for a few hours. It’s the perfect addition to my makeup case for any quick touch-ups I need throughout the day, especially in this heat!
2. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure ($6.99) – Sally Hansen has been blowing it out of the water with all of their new and very innovative launches this year (hello Crackle and Salon Effects!) and I’m all about their Complete Salon Manicure collection. It’s all 5 steps of a manicure (base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, color and top coat) in 1 bottle. And it works! I’ve been rocking their Eel Skin shade (from their Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen spring line) for the past few weeks and my nails are noticeably stronger! It has a thick wand, which makes it surprisingly easier to apply and I can cover my entire nail with two swipes. And I Iove the coverage –2 coats to a perfect manicure. All that’s missing is the hand massage.
3. Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara ($10) – I admit I don’t need this product. My lower lashes are actually quite long but there are plenty who do; including my 16-year old little sister, who wanted to try it. And who better to test how easy to use and how good this product is then a picky, opinionated beauty-obsessed teenager? I equipped her with a wand and she came out of the bathroom with long, perfectly separated lashes and
This month, Disney introduced Imagination, their first of three collections (the other two Magic and Pixie Dust will be available in the coming months) of premium fragrances, lotions and candles for the home. I know what you’re thinking, premium? I had the same confusion when I was invited to a sneak peak of the collections. I was expecting overly sweet scents, and I don’t know, princess packaging? And I wasn’t particularly clear on the ‘home’ element. I assumed they were for kids. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised with a very sophisticated yet nostalgic series of products geared for the whole family and designed to evoke memories and bring the magic of some of Disney’s most beloved characters and movies into your home.
Imagination, which is by far my favorite scent of the 3 lines, consists of a Candle ($19.50), Room Spray ($16.50), Lotion ($12.50) and Hand Wash ($12.50) and is inspired by the enchanted forest. Smells of sequoia trees, cool moss and green leaves it’s very clean and natural and literally
As most of you may have noticed, I don’t shop very often at drug stores for makeup. My hang up is not being able to try the products first and I tend to miss when I’ve attempted –the lipstick shade I chose isn’t right or the concealor is too dark or I don’t like the consistency of the foundation… so ever since the days of Sephora, unless there’s something very specific I want to try, I tend shy away. However, I recently had the opportunity to meet with celebrity makeup artist, Mathew Nigara and play with the NYC New York Color line and I have to say I was impressed!
Although my time never intersected with Mathew’s, we’re both old school NARS Cosmetics employees so I knew he’d let me be difficult and blunt about my expectations. I review based on quality of products, not price. Although I have to admit, every time I’d try a product, then hear the price I was floored. I mean for the price of one single eyes shadow from NARS ($23) I could get a nail polish ($2.49), lip stain ($4.99), lip gloss ($2.49), eye shadow set ($4.99), eye pencil ($1.99) from NYC New York Color…and still have change.
I asked Mathew’s his favorite product. “My favorite product undoubtedly is the new NYC New York Color Smooch Proof 16HR Lipstain. They work so beautifully and the colors are universally flattering. I use them for subtle washes of color, saturated lip looks and even alone as lip liners sometimes. They are amazing”.
I would have to agree. In fact after spending the afternoon trying the different products (and then continuing the relationship at home), I’ve decided to give away 3 sets of all my favorite products to 3 lucky winners!
WIN THEM ALL!! My favorite NYC New York Color products are:
Smooch Proof 16HR Lip Stain ($4.99) – As Mathew mentioned you can build your color with them and the tip makes it incredibly easy to give an even application all over or as a lip liner. You can also build your color. My favorite shade is Forever Mine Wine.
Liquid Lipshine ($2.49) – I like to use these on top of the Lip Stain, they have a very smooth application and aren’t sticky and give that wet shiny tint to my lips. They are fragrant, which I’m not so into, for instance my favorite shade, Fashion Ave Fuchsia, smells like cotton candy, but it’s mild.
Expert Last Nail Polish ($2.49) – The nail polish dried quickly, had great, even coverage and great lasting power. I was very impressed by this new line and LOVE the Timeless Tangerine shade.
Smooth Skin Liquid Concealer ($3.99) – I use it under my eyes and it has an amazing brightening effect. It’s easy to apply and has a creamy texture that easily blends into skin. Plus it’s formulated with vitamins A, C, and E to help protect against the environmental damage.
IndividualEyes Custom Compact ($4.99) – This palette comes in a variety of colors based on eye shade, I use the ‘Smokey Browns’ kit and find it incredibly convenient. It’s compact and includes an eye primer, illuminator (which I like to use under my eyebrow to bring out my eyes) and four eyes hadow shades that can be used on their own or to smoke out your eyes. My only recommendation is use your own brushes. As with most compacts on the market, you won’t get very far with the one included. And great brushes can make all the difference.
Classic Brow/Liner Pencils ($0.99) – I can’t leave home without a black pencil under my eye. And while this one is slightly a harder tip then I prefer; I’m able to get right into my lash line with exact precision. And I like my black pencils dark, so the ‘Jet Black’ shade is perfect for me.
TO ENTER, LEAVE A COMMENT. Get creative and tell me why you’d like to win! Any (non-spam, happy) comment automatically enters you into the drawing. TWO lucky winners will be chosen at random.
An additional winner will be chosen on twitter that follow me (@PCbeauty) and tweet this promotion using my twitter handle and the link to this promo (here’s a condensed link: http://bit.ly/lHZkAw)!
Official Rules:
The promotion begins on June 6th, and ends June 14rd at 11:59pm EST.
Two winners will be chosen at random that leave a valid comment, 1 winner will be chosen at random on twitter that is following @PCbeauty and tweets us the promotion using a direct link.
Winners will be selected by June 16th and contacted for their mailing information. If no response is given by June 20th, an alternate winner will be chosen.
No purchase necessary.
Open to residents of the U.S. only.
All federal, state and local laws apply.
Good luck!
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored giveaway by a company representative. Pretty Connected was under no obligation to write this post or host this giveaway.
So I finally got around to visiting the newishConverse store on Broadway and Spring Street to spend the gift card I received in my Lucky Magazine’s FABB conferencegift bag. Since retiring two pairs of chucks last summer (my beloved black and turquoise pair), I was overdue to replace them. I committed to low-top reds ($45) but wanted to visit their NYC Flagship store to spend the remaining balance on getting them customized.
My customized chucks!
It took three store visits before having the patience to go through with the process –that store is either always busy and/or severely understaffed. After finally coming to terms with there being no busy-free time to go, I sucked up the wait, got my shoes (I was a whole size smaller then I usually am), and headed over to the customize station. There was a table with several iPad’s that allow you to scroll through various fonts, patterns and images to decide what you want put on your shoes and where (price varies depending on which areas you want covered). I opted for the outsides of my shoes, and put a mustache and my name on one side, and had one of my favorite quotes put on the other, “What would you attempt to do it you knew you could not fail”. I filled out
