Estée Lauder's Wild Storm

Part of Estée Lauder's Wild Violet Collection (for Spring 2011, yes, already available, it seems too soon!), this nail polish is a pretty pewter color. The picture above is pretty representative of how it looks about 95% of the time, and while it seems to hint at some shimmer you really have to look really hard to see any at all, it is basically a creme. The color is very well pigmented, I got full coverage with 2 light coats or 1 heavy coat of polish. I usually get about 5 or 6 days of wear from an Estée Lauder, pretty good considering how much I usually put my nails through!

I do think that dark greys will be everywhere on nails this spring, of course spurred on by Black Pearl, which is sure to sell out soon. I bought Black Pearl a few days ago, I'll compare the two soon!

Estée Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Wild Storm

Avril Lavigne's Forbidden Rose

I have to admit that when I first heard about Avril's new fragrance (and saw the image above), my first thoughts were that someone has been watching a bit too much Tim Burton and Disney. The image definitely looks influenced by Burton and this summer's Alice in Wonderland, whereas the fragrance itself is named Forbidden Rose with notes of Red Apple (a little Snow White anyone?)

So, how is the fragrance itself? It is best described as a woody fruity scent with a little bit of floral influence later on. I wouldn't fully call this a floral.

Behind the Scenes with Elizabeth Arden's Red Door Fragrance

Have you seen the new Elizabeth Arden ads for the Red Door Anniversary? I love how the model looks both before and after she passes through the Red Door and I couldn't wait to find out more about her looks.

Here's a quick peek behind the scenes....

Cover Girl's New NatureLuxe, Definitely Worth Checking Out

Remember recently when I shared Taylor Swift's new CoverGirl ad? Well, these are the products that she was advertising. A new line from CoverGirl, so far there is only a foundation and lippie, though I expect more products will be coming.

Combating Winter's Effects on Your Hair

As the temperature goes down and we all spend more time in low humidity, cold environments you'll notice that both your hair and skin can really take a beating. While tips abound for taking care of your skin during this time, it isn't quite so obvious what to do about your hair. Luckily, Nicholas Penna, Jr., owner and lead stylist of Salon Capri in Newton & Dedham, Mass has some great tips on surviving the harsh effects of winter! His tips for the winter are below.

1.) Stock up on leave-in conditioners and protective oils! These act as a cozy coat between your hair and the heat. During, the cold dryness of the winter months, damage from a curling or straightening iron can be worse than usual. If you’re straightening out or curling up, Nick suggests coating your hair with a leave-in oil such as Shu Uemura’s “Essence Absolue”. This product contains Camellia oil, so it really works to protect your locks. Camellia or tea seed oil is often used as a rust protectant for woodworking tools…so it means business!

2.) Air dry! If you’re not freezing post-shower, try to let your hair air dry before blowing it completely dry. The less hot air you infuse into your locks with the drier, the more moisture you’ll seal in from your shampoo & conditioning products. If you can avoid blow-drying altogether, Nick says, “go for it”!

3.) Stay moisturized! Nick suggests go into your salon for a professional deep conditioning treatment at least once a month. This is a great way to keep your hair healthy and shiny in the winter months. If this isn’t in your budget, Nick recommends using Shu Uemura’s Art of Hair Moisture Velvet Nourishing Treatment. This product can be used daily on thick hair or once a week as a deep treatment on fine hair. Apply the product to clean, damp hair. Leave on for 5-10 minutes and rinse out.

4.) Keep frizz away. Frizzy hair is one of the worst things about the winter’s dryness (think static cling, hat hair…ew!). Nick suggests attempting to stop the problem before it can begin. Nick loves anti-frizz products and swears by them during the winter. His favorite is L’Oreal Professionnel’s Gelee Riche, an anti-frizz styling gelee that is applied to towel-dried, damp hair. Still frizz-tastic? Nick’s quick tip is to spray a small amount of L’Oreal Professionnel’s Freezing Mist or another strong hold finishing spray on a hairbrush and lightly brush it through your hair from top to bottom. Voila!

5.) Be dirty! Ok…not dirty, but Nick recommends washing your less frequently during the winter. Frizz is a result of dry, broken strands of hair aka lack of moisture. Washing your hair everyday does more damage than good. Nick suggests washing your hair every third day or every other day. If you’re suffering from dry locks and split ends, Nick suggests washing your coif with Shu Uemura’s Silk Bloom, a shampoo that helps to restore moisture to dry, damaged hair.

Salon Capri
Snow Image

Prevention Magazine's Go-To List of Skin Moisturizers

In January's issue of Prevention they have a great skin care feature. Their editors have sorted through creams, lotions and serums to come up with a list of great options for whatever your skin care needs are.

Read on to see the list!

Julep Nail Polish: Wear Test Results!

A few days ago I posted about Julep Nail Polishes, and started a contest (there are still a few hours to enter- go check it out!) I promised a fifth color swatch and the results of a wear test.

As usual, it's very difficult to get the exact shade of red, though the pictures here are a pretty accurate representation of how it looks in slightly different lights. Marilyn is a deep red, jelly finish (this is 3 coats to opacity) with amazing glitter. It just shines like crazy- I honestly lost count of how many compliments this color received when I was wearing it.

One note: This shade (as well as Cyndi, which I featured the other day) do come out a little bit bumpy which cuts down on the shine and shimmer of the glitter. You'll need a thick top coat like Seche Vite to take advantage of the color.

Read on to see how it wore.