Summer Tip to Toes: Popsicle Shades from Zoya

Zoya released the La-Di-Da and Ooh-La-La collections earlier this month. These nail polishes ushered in warmer weather and a general optimism that summer was going to wonderful. The colors were bright and cheerful. I generally like a bit of twinkle in my nail lacquers. This season I find myself drawn to the creme collection. The popsicle shades are so appealing.

The standout in the two collections is a daisy yellow called Pippa. The Nylon blog has been gushing over yellow nails since fall. I have resisted their influence until now. This yellow is strangely wearable. It is cheerful, sunny and full of citrus zest. For all it's intense juice, it is not jarring on the nails. It is actually feminine and pretty.

The rest of the La-Di-Da cream collection is a mix of neons and intense shades. Paz is a safety orange shade. I will never be able to carry it off on my nails but will sport it on my toes.

Ali and Renee are electric pink shades. They appear to look similar in these photos. Ali is a true 1980's neon pink. If you grew up during this time period, you owned something in this color. It is very retro and fun.

Renee is more wearable for the masses. It is an easy on the eyes shade in comparison to Ali.

Dita is aptly named. It is a pin-up retro lipstick red. It is more blue based than orange. America is more cherry pie-like. A very tart red.

The shimmers are in the Ooh-La-La collection. Tallulah is a swimming pool blue. It is calming and so darn pretty. Midori is an Easter basket grass green. This shade will be wildly popular with the green polish junkies on Makeupalley.

I am currently wearing Emme from this collection. This is a very pretty petal pink. I wanted something feminine after two weeks of wearing MAC's Peppermint Patty.

Ginessa is an ultra shimmery white. Sparkle power is great. Could be a great bridal color.
Goldie is a burnished gold metal shade. I was impressed with it's softness. It has a great bronze summer vibe.
Katy is a blue based raspberry shade. I am currently wearing this on my toes. It has garnered compliments from co-workers to random construction workers. It looks very lovely with my kelly green heels.

Each polish retails for $6. Each set retails for $36. Visit http://www.zoya.com/ or call to order at 1-800-659-6909.

Let us know what colors you sill be sporting for your summer manicures? Post the answers in the comments.

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by Zoya

Modern Love...
Gets Me To The Church On Time
New Nars Palette in May

This is the exclusive Nordstorm palette that debuts in May.
It will retail for $50 and features these shades:

Alhambra: A Metallic Rose Mist
Jezebel: A Shimmering Sable
India Song: A Shimmering Walnut
Tokyo: A Soft Silver-White
Habanera: A Sparkling Charcoal-Plum
Pandora: A Matte Black

You have to love a palette influenced by David Bowie. In fact, Mr Nars, must be a huge Bowie fan. For fun list other Bowie inspired Nars products in the comments.

Lashapalooza: New Lashes Coming in June

She Uemura's artistic director, Gina Brooke, shuttles around the world for photo shoots (she glammed up Madonna in W's March issue), preps her celebrity clients for the red carpet, and, of course, creates the most stunning lashes for the company. The Toyko Lash Bar's 2009 Lashes in Nature collection (which hits stores in June) is a gorgeous mix of dramatic plumes, rainbows, and furlike materials.

Read the interview at The Cut:
http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2009/04/gina_brooke.html

Credit: Blogdorf Goodman

La Bella Donna Baci-Baci Moisturizing Lip Sheer in Seduction
Review by Jessica M

“kisses are a better fate than wisdom”

– e. e. cummings

La Bella Donna is a luxury line of mineral cosmetics, available at high-end spas and stores like Bergdorf Goodman. However, I’m not really a fan of mineral powder foundation – it just doesn’t work on my skin – so I’ve never spent much time at the La Bella Donna counter. However, I recently noticed that La Bella Donna also carries some very pretty eye and lip colors, so I decided to try its new Baci-Baci Moisturizing Lip Color. “Baci” is the Italian word for “kisses,” and this product is a moisturizing gloss with a sheer flush of color.

Baci-Baci’s formula includes natural ingredients like honey and botanical extracts as well as anti-oxidant vitamins, sodium hyaluronate, and collagen. It has a conditioning effect, and it feels protective but not too sticky. I like the silvery “click pen”: it reminds me of the dispensers that Stila introduced years ago for its Lip Glaze, but this one works much more smoothly. Two clicks of the pen releases enough gloss to cover my mouth, and one click is enough when I just want to top off my lipstick. The brush applicator is flexible, but precise enough to create a neat outline.

Baci-Baci is available in four sheer shades. Seduction is a soft, neutral rose without any shimmer or sparkle. It would flatter many skin tones; I’m pale and cool-toned, with dark brown hair, and Seduction gives me “my lips but better” color with a wearable sheen. I still haven’t converted to mineral foundation, but this dye-free, fragrance-free tint will be one of my makeup staples for spring and summer.

La Bella Donna’s Baci-Baci Moisturizing Lip Sheers are sold for $26.50. For more information, go to http://www.labelladonna.com/shop/pages.php?pageid=10

Congratulations to Victoria F from Bois de Jasmin for winning a FIFI award for blogging. We have all been devoted and smitten fans since her days on Makeupalley.
V is lovely and exquisite in every way.
I heart her and I am so excited to know yet another person who owns a FIFI.
(***waves at B at We Love Beauty!***)

Online voting for The 2009 FiFi Awards & Celebration officially opens at 12:01am EST tonight, April 27th, 2009. You can vote for your "Favorite Fragrances of 2009" in all Top 8 Categories.

Women’s Luxe
(due to ties there are 6 nominees)
•Absolutely Irrésistible Givenchy - Parfums Givenchy
•Burberry The Beat - P&G Prestige Products, Inc.
•Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere - Chanel
•Harajuku Lovers Fragrances - Coty Prestige
•Sensuous - Estée Lauder
•Viva La Juicy from Juicy Couture - Elizabeth Arden

Men’s Luxe
•Dior Homme Sport - Christian Dior Parfums
•Dolce & Gabbana the one for Men - P&G Prestige Products, Inc.
•Gucci by Gucci Pour Homme - P&G Prestige Products, Inc.
•Guerlain Homme - Guerlain
•I Am King - Sean John - Sean John Fragrances

Women’s Popular Appeal
•American Beauty Beloved - BeautyBank
•Bijan VIP Woman - Five Star Fragrance Company
•Celine Dion Sensational - Coty Inc.
•Hilary Duff's Wrapped With Love - Elizabeth Arden
•Samba Fresh Woman - The Perfumer's Workshop International Ltd

Men’s Popular Appeal
•Bijan VIP Men - Five Star Fragrance Company
•McGraw by Tim McGraw - Coty Inc.
•Mustang Blue for Men Fragrance - The Estée Lauder Companies
•Samba Fresh Man - The Perfumer's Workshop International, Ltd.

Unique Boutique
•Acqua di Parma Profumo (women’s) - Acqua di Parma
•Karl Lagerfeld Kapsule - Floriental, Woody, Light (unisex) - Coty Prestige
•Les Exclusifs de Chanel Beige (women’s)- Chanel
•Lisa Hoffman Variations - Japanese Agarwood, Madagascar Orchid (women’s) - Lisa Hoffman Beauty
•Tom Ford Private Blend Champaca Absolute (unisex) - Tom Ford Beauty

Womens Nouveau Niche
•Bond No. 9 Andy Warhol Union Square - Bond No. 9 New York
•Chloé Eau de Parfum - Coty Prestige
•Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Cologne - Jo Malone
•David Yurman - Clarins Fragrance Group
•Love, Ralph Lauren - Ralph Lauren Fragrances

Men’s Nouveau Niche
•Brooks Brothers NY Gentlemen Eau de Toilette - Inter Parfums USA, LLC
•Burberry The Beat for Men - P&G Prestige Products, Inc.
•Cartier Roadster - Cartier
•Sweet Lime & Cedar Cologne - Jo Malone
•The Essence by Porsche Design - Clarins Fragrance Group

Women’s Private Label/Direct Sell
•Avon Bond Girl 007 - Avon Products Inc.
•Black Amethyst - Bath and Body Works
•Brooks Brothers NY Ladies Eau de Parfum - Inter Parfums USA, LLC
•Secrets d'Essences Iris Noir - Yves Rocher
•Victoria's Secret Sexy Little Things - Victoria's Secret Beauty

Hall of Fame
•Brooks Brothers Cologne Spray - Inter Parfums USA, LLC
•Davidoff Cool Water - Coty Prestige
•Fahrenheit - Dior Beauty
•White Diamonds Elizabeth Taylor - Elizabeth Arden

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FiFi_Awards
http://boisdejasmin.typepad.com/

"Voting Hot Button"

DivineFemme Rocks!

A Special Weekend Shout Out to DivineFemme!

Thanks!

That really made me smile.

Here is a new non-beauty future lemming for the weekend.

A green tea Kit Kat from Korea. This was a gift from Koneko.

This was so damn heavenly. Koneko stated they have everything from peach to strawberry flavored Kit Kats. We are missing out in the US.

Lets hope we get access to Jill Stuart cosmetics and flavored Kit Kats in the future.

Will Never Be the One You Love
A Depressing Shower Gel That Smells Fabulous....

I have been a Philosophy fan since the "soul mates" days. I love their romantic thought process in the creation of their products. Romance is involved from the names like Falling in Love to the sweet blurbs on the back of their bottles.

So when I turned over Unconditional Love's bottle I expected some pretty prose.
Instead I got a dose of Dr Phil reality.

Once upon a time there was a person who swore they would love you forever. (This is lovely) Their love moved on (What the devil?) but your love stayed in the same place. (Who knows me at the Philosophy home office?) Consider the opportunity to love the greatest of blessings, even when love doesn't go your way. (Did my friend Jenny write this?)The love you give is the love you get and it is all good no matter where love takes you. (Seriously?)Let the ability to love one another belong to you forever and ever because real love stories never end.

I might be the only one but this bottle depressed the heck out of me.
When you are in a deep funk, a shower gel can just send you over the edge.
The product does smell heavenly. It is a wonderful mix of blackberry and musk. The drydown is worthy of a perfume.
It retails for $22 and is available at Sephora and Nordstorm.

Credit: http://www.philosophy.com/web/store/shop_10001_-1_10001

So this is what the MUA ladies were talking about....




I keep reading Makeupalley posts about the Allure box. I had images of bento boxes filled with makeup dancing in my head.

Here is the 411, the scoop, the deets...

Allure put together a box of amazing summer makeup, skin care, and hair products from brands like Aveeno, Burt’s Bees, John Frieda, and more to benefit the Skin Cancer Foundation. (May is Skin Cancer Awareness month.)
A $150 value, the Play Safe in the Sun Beauty Box is for sale at allure.com/go/beautybox09 for just $39.99, and $5 from the sale of each box will go to the SCF.
Quantities are limited—over half of the boxes have been sold—

So it is not a bento box but it is filled with some delicious beauty goodies.
Let us know if you cave and what exactly is in it.

Bergdorf Goodman Event

Bergdorf Goodman
The Beauty Gift Card Event
Thursday, April 23 - Sunday, April 26
Receive at $25 Beauty Gift Card good toward your purchase of $100 or more on the Beauty Level.

For fragrance, Tom Crutchfield (212-872-2768) or Maddie Marlowe (212-872-2733).

Photo Credit: Blogdorf Goodman

Blinged Bottles for Mother's Day




Bond 9 is offering some bedazzled bottles for Mother's Day.
They are The Scent of Peace (amethyst),Chelsea Flowers (topaz) and Nuits de Noho(sapphire).

The bottles are encrusted with thousands of tiny Swarovski crystals. They shimmer and gleam like no one's business.
So if your mother has a love of sparkle and shine, visit your local Saks Bond counter or call the Bond store for details at 877-273-3369.

Close to you...

Gap is launching a new fragrance to their scent library on April 23 2009.
It is called Close.
The top notes are a transparent water accord, almond blossom and a salty citrus accord. It settles into a floral explosion of spring Freesia, Jasmine petals, Daphne, and dewey Stephanotis.

I will be quite frank...water notes and I do not mix well.
Water notes morph into something cucumber-like on my skin.
It is not pretty.
But the Gap had me at the Daphne note. Daphne is heavenly. It is lily-like with some smoke and earth thrown in. This alone will get me in the store to check this out.
The dry down of Close is fairly standard with Sandalwood, Musk, Vanilla Tonka and amber.

This fragrance will be available in 100 ml. ($35.00)
50 ml ($25.00)10 ml. ($8.50) at your local Gap store.

If anyone has sniffed this let us know in the comments.

Credit: The Gap

Armani Beauty Event

Tim Quinn, Giorgio Armani Beauty’s Celebrity Makeup Artist, will be appearing at Saks Fifth Avenue in NYC on May 1st and 2nd.

Customers are invited to get a customized red carpet look designed by Tim Quinn and then capture the moment with a professional headshot (or facebook photo!). Those who make a purchase of $95 will also receive a deluxe gift while supplies last.

To book an appointment, contact the Giorgio Armani Beauty counter at Saks Fifth Avenue by calling 212.940.2962.

I was playing this weekend at our local Armani counter. The new foundation is magnificent.

It has natural coverage that defies any settling or caking. The lip waxes will melt your heart.

I'll Take Mine with a Twist
by Melanie Parker

Not too long ago, April would roll around and I would be wishing for a crisp Spring green polish for a pedicure. There weren't too many choices. Now, there are so many that I am no longer self-conscious about wearing green on my tips to a family function or the office. There aren't enough days in the week to get them all in right now! So, I thought I'd review three of my favorites. Each happen to be a different brand, and have a unique twist that is fresh for Spring.

First up is the greenest of the group. This creme polish needs three coats to be totally opaque, but once it gets to that level, Orly Mint Mojito is keeper. It reminds me of several good things, but primarily Martha Stewart's Fire-King collection of Jadeite. But more importantly, it is the exact shade that a lady wore on her toes in an episode of Pushing Daisies in its first season. When that episode aired, beauty boards were all buzzing about what color was used. I had resigned myself to Nubar Green Tea being a candidate, but having worn this, I feel those kooky costumers for TV shows get first dibs on new color stories from all of the professional beauty producers. My quest for "Daisies" green is over and I am content.

The second polish is more of a blue than a green on me, but it's named Essie Greenport and its got a muted, vintage twist on the traditional robin's egg blue. In fact, I wore it with a Tiffany & Co. blue enamel ring, and it nearly matched. So, if you missed out on China Glaze's For Audrey, this Essie might make your day. It' will make a lovely pedi color for a June bride, too.

Lastly, is Sephora by OPI's fantastic new duochrome polish Mermaid to Order. A duochrome finish means that it flashes two different colors depending on the light. I think the overall appearance is a turquoise blue, but I had a lot of trouble deciding if it was blue with green shimmer or vice versa. I feel confident in reporting now that I've worn it in various lighting conditions that it is green with a heavily saturated blue shimmer that glows from within. This polish reminds me a little of NYX Jungle and Sinful Morph Orleans. It's not the most unique duochrome in the world, but it is heavy on the chrome (metallic), and if you like the OPI formula, it is a must-have.

Wildfox Couture neon yellow cotton 'Glamour Puss' t-shirt

This retails for $39 at Bluefly.
If this was mine...I would call it my Dazzleglass T.
High shine with magnificent shimmer power.

Just a Pinch full of Blush....
MAC'S Just A Pinch Gel Blush from the A Rose Romance Collection

“Once my heart was captured, reason was shown the door, deliberately and with a sort of frantic joy. I accepted everything, I believed everything, without struggle, without suffering, without regret, without false shame. How can one blush for what one adores?” (George Sand)


This is a sheer gel cheek blush that delivers a hint of a rosy crimson glow. At first glance this blush "scared the bejesus" out of of me. It looked too red and too intense for me to carry off. It has a dewy texture that only delivers a transparent transfer of color. It would take effort to overapply this shade. The hue is a pink toned red. Very Snow White-like.
It will retail for $18 and the entire collection will launch April 23rd 2009.

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by MAC

A Long and Fatal Love Chase:
MAC'S A Rose Romance Collection

“Why is it no one ever sent me yet one perfect limousine, do you suppose?
Ah no, it's always just my luck to get one perfect rose.”

(Quote from Dorothy Parker)


This is one of the beauty powders from the upcoming A Rose Romance collection. It is called Summer Rose and will retail for $22. It is a muted cool toned violet pink with no shimmer. It is stunningly lovely on the cheeks. Very doll-like and fresh as a rose petal.

The shimmer aspect is being debated on the beauty blogs and makeupalley. Weighing in....I get zero shimmer. This makes it a fine and wearable choice for work and daytime activities.


Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by MAC

MAC Nail Lacquer in Peppermint Patti

This is a polish from the Sugarsweet collection. It is a Celadon/Jade shade with some added oomph and brightness. It has received mixed reactions from the public. My nail tech thought it was lovely and very spring-like. My co-worker, Gela called it the ultimate Easter parade color. My other co-worker who shall remain nameless stated that she truly hated my nails this week.

This polish is wearing well. There is no wear or tear at the tips. The first coat of application is sheer and watery. I had to use two coats to get an even coat of color.

Now the bad news...this is sold out online and at most counters.
It retails for $11.
http://www.maccosmetics.com/

However Chanel might release their own version in the fall. Mr Phillips featured jade nails on the fall runway.

***Crosses Fingers***

What is your nail polish this week? Let us know in the comments.

Credits: Style.com, Wikipedia and Blogdorf Goodman

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by MAC. I also bought a back up of this polish.

Shimmer Junkies Unite: Dazzleglasses are Back!


I tried to be good but I did cave on quite a few dazzleglasses. I repurchased Sugarrimmed and Rags to Riches. The color that managed to make my heart flutter is Goldyrocks. It is a whispery lemon yellow with pink shimmer. I predict this will be the first sell out of the line.

I plan to gush over these in more detail later this week. The new colors are pretty fabulous. I might have issues with the brush applicator. I am finding that some are stiff while others are perfection.
Let us know what you think of the new dazzleglasses in the comments.

Double Dazzle will daze the closest competition with colour-changing, light-reflecting pearl-shine lips; paired with a
new formula for the ultimate in voluptuous lashes, et voilà!
Lips lead: seven new Dazzleglass shades bring the
scintillating selection up to 18! The flotilla-of-lights formula imparts the pearl combination with mega-glisten shine,
creamy comfort and the subtle sensation of vanilla.

DAZZLEGLASS
Sugarrimmed Milky pale pink with red, teal and white pearl
Goldyrocks Sheer soft yellow with pink and gold pearl
Moth to Flame Sheer neutral beige with violet pearl
Smile Light coral with pink and gold pearl
Steppin’ Out Clean yellow pink with red pearl
Utterly Posh Mid-tone orange with pink and gold pearl
Love Alert Raspberry red with red pearl
Date Night Deep plum with blue and gold pearl
Funtablulous Purple with violet pearl
Extra Amps Sheer bright blue pink with blue and
pink pearl
Like Venus Clean light bubble gum pink with red pearl
Stop! Look! Sheer violet mauve with blue and pink pearl
Money Honey Mid-tone rosy mauve with red pearl
Rags to Riches Plummy pink with teal and red pearl
Baby Sparks Pale pink with violet pearl
Bare Necessity Caramel apricot with red and gold pearl
Girl’s Delight Sheer mid-tone tan with gold pearl
Get Rich Quick Warm yellow brown

Suggested Retail Price $18.00 U.S./$21.50 CDN

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by MAC.
I also purchased some of the dazzleglasses. The ones that were purchased was Sugarrimmed, Goldyrocks, and Extra Amps.