Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots Nail Polish

Maybelline has a lot of new products for Summer  coming up. I'll be looking at several next week but first up is the new and adorable Polka Dots nail polish by Color Show.


I don't always go for the nail art polishes, some I love , some I leave. This totally caught my eye after I applied it. I love that you get this very nail art look with basically no work.  The polish has little  matte black and white dots suspended in it that glide over the nail for a dotty look. The shade shown is Drops of Jade and the background color is a light jade green.

The polish itself is a little sheer and because of the dots you  don't want to build too much . Two coats seems to do the job but  the base color will still be somewhat sheer . I tried it over a solid shade and it worked well two, so this can be used over your other polishes for an even more custom look.

What's nice too,  is while there is some texture on the nail bed, it's slight , not thick or gritty like some big glitters can be. 

I think these are super fun . Color Show Polka Dots will be available in  July for $ 3.99 each.

There are five shades : Drops of Jade, Dotty, Clearly Spotted, Pretty in Polka, Blue Marks The Spots.

MAC All About Orange Lipsticks in Razzledazzler & Tangerine Dream

MAC's All About Orange  collection could be called All About Me. All these oranges are very me.  There are seven lipsticks  featured and two of my favs are Razzledazzler and Tangerine Dream.

Razzledazzler , Tangerine Dream

Both of these are lustre formulas  and have a great deal of pigment. Razzledazzler is is a peachy orange and not as bold as some of the others but it packs plenty of color. Tangerine Dream is a true orange with yellow undertones. It's a more unusual shade and fun . It's got an '80s vibe going. 

All the lippies here are pretty. I have 4 in all and the other two, not swatched but shown in the group image are Flamingo, which has a touch of pink ,  and Tart and Trendy , a full bright orange.  Both of those are lustres as well .

All About Orange will be available on June 6th.

mark Mesh Together Necklace

 Looking for a necklace that will sizzle up any outfit and make a statement? The Mesh Together necklace from mark just might be what you need.  Part of the Marrakesh collection , it's got an exotic look that will go with a basic  v neck tee, pullover tunic , simple summer dress and more.

Like all of the mark pieces I've seen, this is heavy metal , not lightweight plastic.  The necklace is 12 " long,  a 9 " drop with a 3 1/2 " extender. It hangs down almost into your cleavage  hooked close to the end . It can pulled up closer if you want.

Mesh Together has presence and can easily be the only piece of jewelry you might need on a night out, but will also , ahem, mesh, with a group of thin bangles on your arm.

$ 26 at www.meetmark.com

Peter Thomas Roth Flawless Complexion Kit

Peter Thomas Roth's UnWrinkle foundation is one of the more fabulous ones out there. For mature skin or anyone wanting full coverage that really does makes skin look better  this is one to try. It's loaded with peptides and vitamins  as well as SPF 20.  

With this new Flawless Complexion Kit you get a full size of the foundation along with full sizes of UnWrinkle Conceal & Brighten and Lashes to Die For The Mascara , all for $ 49.  The foundation alone is $45.

The concealer /brightener wand is dual sided , making it a nice one for travel or tucking in a purse. 

Shades available in the set are Light and Medium. 

 Grab the set at  www.peterthomasroth.com

Supergoop Advanced SPF 37 Anti Aging Eye Cream

Eye cream with SPF is like a unicorn in the wilderness, almost impossible to find. Ok you'll never find a unicorn  but  eye cream with SPF , that I can do .

Since our eye area needs protection as much or more than  our face  you'd think these wouldn't be so far and few but Supergoop comes to the rescue with their new Advanced SPF 37 Anti Aging Eye Cream.  I will freely admit to cheering when I  saw this because not only is it SPF, but physical sunscreen  of zinc oxide at that. 

The formula is light but not too thin. It is very white out of tube but blends  down on the eye area immediately. No white cast.  It's lightly moisturizing  which is good for a daytime eye cream. Save the heavier stuff for night. This is just enough , feels light on and won't interfere with makeup.

 Natural Oat peptides  for anti-aging wrinkle help are here, and mica is used for light diffusing properties to help brighten circles. Sunflower and safflower seed oils add moisture along with olive fruit extract.

And I did mention that SPF right ?  37 (  high for an eye formula) with  10.1 % zinc oxide and 7.5% octinoxate .

A patent pending formula and eco cert  certified  , Supergoop Advanced SPF 37 Anti Aging Eye Cream is $ 45 .

Find it at Nordstrom, QVC and www.supergoop.com

Wall Street Journal International Sunscreen Article

The Wall Street Journal had a great piece in it today on the sunscreens available in Europe, Asia etc. and why we can't get them here.  This is a favorite topic of mine to rant on and I've talked about SPF with Mexoryl here many times.

Those like Ambre Solaire are regarded as the best you can use but the US/FDA is dragging it's feet. These types of blockers have been in use for  years overseas so I think we can feel assured that they are not dangerous. Certainly not more so than some of the chemical ones widely used here in the US that are  hormone disruptors.They preach sun safety as paramount and it is, but why then keep from us the best sun protection ?

While Consumer Reports is telling us how fabulous generic ones are ( and I have never used them, so who knows, but I am so not going generic in my SPF) you can get some  good info from this piece .

In the meantime as I have also said before, if you or someone you know is traveling overseas , stock up . The prices are comparable to our mass market brands , whereas the few you can order online here are much higher. ( Try La Roche Posay. Their Anthelios line has some Mexoryl based, nice sunscreens.)

Full article here :
 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324659404578503411010462312.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_5


 For a good look at  the new US rules and pros/cons, The New York Times also had an informative piece today ( And read some of the comments, much well said there-  http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/27/the-new-rules-for-sunscreen/?smid=tw-share

Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder

Laura Mercier's new Matte Radiance Baked Powder is here to help with fear of bronzer. I hear many people say they are not sure if they want to use it or they have experiences where what they've used is too dark or orange.

 Mercier makes bronzing much easier with 4 shades for all skin tones. I have Bronze 01 , the lightest shade . For those of us who are pale this adds a nice hint of bronze but nothing overdone. There is definite color but you get a glow not browned. It's part of what is called Bonne Mine or Healthy Glow .

The bronzer or highlighter ,as there is also a highlight shade, can be used all over or just in areas  like cheekbones, lightly on forehead  and bridge of nose . It would also work well as a body bronzer on decollete etc . These are baked  and matte with  no noticeable shimmer but are not flat on skin either.

Darker skins can check out the deeper shades going to Bronze 04.

All are buildable for more coverage and have long wear.   For best application use a large fluffy and soft brush. The It Cosmetics one I talked about here is perfect as would be a large kabuki or Mercier's own bronzer brush.

Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder is $ 36

Bronzer 01 is for fair/light skin tones
Bronzer 02 is for light/medium skin tones
Bronzer 03 is for medium skin tones
Bronzer 04 is for tan to deep skin tones

Clinique A Different Nail Enamel

Summer In The City, Splish Splash, Grape Ice

 Did you notice Clinique has nail polish again ? Granted it's been a long time in between. I remember having a couple a gazillion  years ago.

New is A Different Nail Enamel which is said to have been specially formulated over 6 years for people with sensitivities .  Honestly I hadn't heard this before, but  some people are sensitive to nail polish and suffer irritation when their hands get near their eyes and skin. It certainly makes sense since even though many nail enamels including Clinique's are 5 Free , they still are made up of many chemicals.

Pinktini, 70' and Sunny, Juiced Up , Strappy Sandals

Sensitive or not, pretty polish is always fun and Clinique has a nice collection here. While  many of the shades are not really unique,  I love the brights they've done for Summer including an LE   group for the season .  Great pedi  colors and the yellow here is a fav . It's not orange-y or  overly mustard-y  but a more clear yellow. The green shade is a winner as well in a light grass color.   They've also matched lips to nails and offer  Black Honey and Party Red in the nail collection.

These go on smoothly and 2 coats gives you full coverage for the most part.

 
Clinique A Different Nail Enamel is $ 16

 There are 12 permanent colors , 9 LE and a base/top coat.

It Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Wand Ball Brush

I deeply love makeup brushes , and large ones even more so. I suppose because I use them for blush and powder more than any other .

The Heavenly Luxe Wand Ball Brush from It Cosmetics very much lives up to it's name.

It's a bit hard to measure a brush but at the widest part it's about 1 -1/2 inches and it's just over 2 inches long. It's truly  a  big fluffy ball with super soft synthetic hairs.

What do you use  a brush like this for ? Any kind of powder  or bronzer. It's too big for blush but  it does a fab job with powder, applying it very lightly. The size is large enough that it can also be used for body , highlighting decolletage or down  the legs .

The handle comes in a 4 -1/2 inches , a nice size  and not too short. For me, the longer the handle the better on my brushes.

The Heavenly Luxe Wand Ball is $ 48  www.itcosmetics.com  or you can buy it as part of a set of 3 brushes at QVC for $ 49 which is  quite a deal. 

RoC Winner

And our winner is Chat Chien .

Email me your info and we'll get the package working it's way to you. My email is on the About Me page.

Thanks to everyone who entered .

Vita Liberata pHenomenal Self Tanner

 

Vita Liberata is the unusually named  self tanner from the UK now available at Sephora. Have you noticed that the UK has some of the top self tanners ?  Remember St. Tropez is UK as well. Most would say it's because no chance of a sunburn there but I might disagree , since I got a little  burn on a Thames boat tour when I was there. Of course the Duchess of Cambridge and her sis Pippa are  two of Britain's most famous tanners with Kate even getting a  spray tan just before her wedding.

So Vita Liberata has hit our shores just in time for tanning season.  And I self tan, all Summer.   Their pHenomenal is said to be long lasting ,   up to 3 weeks with 3 applications which really appeals to me. It's organic and odorless.

Let's test it out.

 I did 2 back to back applications ( it's a foaming liquid)  which the company says should bring 10 +  days of wear.     I can say that Vita Liberata is one of the easiest tanners I've used. It goes on smoothly, dries incredibly fast  with no streaks , no missed spots. I did use the mitt, first time I have ever used a mitt. I always thought. " I don't need a mitt". Well after using it, I like the mitt. It's especially helpful when a tanner has deep bronzing agents as these do. Bronze legs= good, bronze palms= not good.

I applied per instructions in a circular pattern . Up, down , around. It dried in 5 minutes , had a nice not too dark , but very noticeable , bronze color.  With the pHenomenal, you wash off with water  the bronzer before re-applying. Then I did coat 2 the next day. You need to wait 3-8 hours between applications.

When the bronzer was washed off I was left with a light, natural looking tan. Nothing deep and  a little paler than I like and this was using the dark formula.  So building this is the way to go for me.

As for the lasting color, well that's where I had some issue. It's been about 7 days and I have little color left. That's about normal for all tanners with me but not quite extra long wear.

Vita Liberata does say everyone's skin  reacts different with tanner, which is true. So your results may vary.

Overall though, I like this a lot. Many people still have fear of self tanner . This is practically goof proof and so anyone who's worried about looking orange or streaked, forget about it. No worries with Vita Liberata and that's a huge plus. Dress and go drying is a bonus as well, as is absolutely NO odor.

Also available is Sheer Tinted Mousse, equally easy, fast drying ,  streak and odor free  with normal wear time.

pHenomenal 2-3 week Tan comes in fair, medium and dark - $ 54
Sheer Tinted Mousse- one shade - $ 37.50

Both at  Sephora  

Laura Mercier Summer Nudes- Nails & Lip Glaces

Bare Beige

Want to go nude this Summer? Well if it's the makeup version you're after, Laura Mercier can can help with 6 new LE nail shades and 6 new  Lip Glaces, 3 LE, 3 permanent.

Bare Blush

Bare Baby-LE

Pink Diamond-LE

Pout-LE

Quartz

Bare Angel

Bare Haze

Bare Espresso

Bare Mocha

Bare Rose

Frédéric Malle Rubber Incense

It's always fun to find a unique  product that also dovetails with one of your favorite things, hence this new scented fragrance mat from Frédéric Malle.

Called Rubber Incense , I am totally intrigued by this. Malle released these in a very limited run three years ago and  now he has tweaked the design  and  brought out new versions  . They are made of recyclable EVA  and infused with fragrance for the home.

Not only will they  scent small spaces like a closet , in the car ( chicest air freshener ever, no ?)  , or at your desk,  but I imagine sitting my cup of warm tea on the mat and letting the scent heat up and waft even more. Needless to say I really want to try one, especially Russian Nights or Jurassic Flower. Ahh , the smell of magnolia.

The four aromas available are:

• Russian Nights- evokes a polar chill

• Jurassic Flower-reproduces the citrus-like waft of Magnolias, 

• Rosa Rugosa -transports you to wild rose bushes that grow against the wind of the Atlantic coast

• Marius & Jeannette- infuses the minty freshness and anise side of Pastis.

 Frédéric Malle Rubber Incense is $ 110 and are available at Editions de Parfums in NYC, shop.fredericmalle.com , Barneys New York and barneys.com

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration SPF 30 and After Sun Lotion

It's almost Memorial Day , which means most are gearing up for Summer. No matter what your seasonal plans may be, you know SPF is a must .

If you've got fond memories of that  iconic Hawaiin Tropic scent from  the oil years  ago, you can a slighty  different variation in the new SPF 30 Silk Hydration Spray .  This is an easy to use spray and while a chemical sunscreen it is listed as broad spectrum.

The spray goes on clear and dries fast leaving a nice coco-nutty scent behind while also giving skin a little moisture. It's not heavy but you can feel  it on skin.

While this is the new addition, the line is very large . I previously reviewed Shimmer Effect SPF here  

After sun there is  Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion, a  rich ,  floral  and papaya scented shea butter and aloe gel/lotion blend  for parched skin. 

More good news from Hawaiian Tropic-  the bikini girl ad/contests are gone. Buh bye. Instead the company is looking for a new brand spokesperson and you can enter.

Here are the deets:

"The brand has officially retired their Miss Hawaiian Tropic Bikini Contests, and is launching an online search for the "New Face” of Hawaiian Tropic. Women are invited to enter a nationwide Facebook contest to become the brand’s new spokesperson. The woman who best embodies beauty, confidence, style, enjoying the sun and keeping skin healthy will appear in Hawaiian Tropic advertising, receive an all-expense-paid tropical vacation and serve as an official brand spokesperson. "
 

"Now through May 31, 2013, women can enter by visiting the Hawaiian Tropic Facebook page and submitting a photo and information about their personality and interests. The top five will be announced June 28, and the finalist with the most fan votes will be unveiled as the New Face of Hawaiian Tropic on July 19, 2013. Throughout the contest, the brand will give away weekly prizes including designer sunglasses, beach towels and Hawaiian Tropic product."

 

Børn & Sofft Fall 2013 Preview

Ok, I know it's just coming on Memorial Day  and Summer hasn't begun but in the fashion world Fall is already afoot. At least it's in preview mode.

Two stylish yet comfortable brands, two things that don't often go together , Born   and Sofft  ( last two images)  have some very hot  boot looks for  Autumn.  One of my mainstay black heels  are from Sofft. The extra padding is a wonderful thing.

 
So just bookmark this page for say September . In the meantime, if you're a boot person as I am, you'll be  happy to check these out no matter what the temps outside are. Those fleece lined ones at the top? Totally calling my name.