Benefit Creaseless Cream Knocks My Socks Off

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner ($19) was going to be a hard sell to me, because it was Benefit's old formula of creaseless eyeshadow that put me off the brand. I admit that this was about 10 years ago, but it has taken me until really this year to give the brand a second chance. I had read some very high praise reviews of this shadow all over the blogosphere, so during the Sephora VIB sale I thought I would give it a chance. 

My first impression was why is the box so much bigger than the pot? If you gave this box to a friend, they would think that they were getting a huge pot of eyeshadow, and instead out pops a fairly reasonably sized pot (0.16oz - MAC is $16.50 for 0.17oz for their paint pots for comparison). You get I’m not saying Benefit are not generous in their product, I’m just saying the box is misleading. 

The color is a shimmery, cool toned, brownish taupe. It’s hard to describe, apart from being incredibly neutral. I swatched it below, and it is almost impossible to see on my arm. It is very, very cream and soft, so I sometimes find that my brush lifts up to much product. I have also noticed it does have a weird smell. Maybe this is just mine though – I’d love to verify this! 

So far you are thinking that this product is not so amazing, ya-da-ya-da. And then you put it on. Oh my. It is the most amazingly perfect soft, neutral, my eyes but better color and finish that I’ve ever seen. The color is barely there on me, but enough to make my eyes look better, brighter, more lovely. I put it on over my standard base (MAC Paint), so I have no idea how this lasts on its own, but it lasted all day with no creasing or moving for me. Since I opened this on Saturday morning to try it out I have used it every day since as my easy, no stress, look, and I probably will be hard pushed to switch out of it. There is quite simply no reason to use anything else. This far, far exceeded my expectations, and I’m sure it will yours as well.

This post contains an affiliate link. Affiliate links in no way influence the outcome of reviews on Jolie Laide Girl. 

Day 3 of the Detox: Easing into Real Life

I have to admit that I did not complete the cleanse. Instead, I started snacking on fruit at about 4pm. This was because it was a Saturday and I did not want to spend all Sunday being sick when I ate real food with friends. Turns out I shouldn't have worried.

By Day 3 I was actually super enjoying my All Greens with Apple, my Grasshopper, and my Killer. I know, it takes to Day 3 for me to become healthy-craving, green freak. By late afternoon, I didn't even really feel like eating that much. I had lots of energy and wasn't hungry at all, even after a hearty morning of cleaning the apartment and taking the puppy for a long walk.

One of my biggest concerns was feeling ill when I started eating again. That also didn't happen. I had some chips on Saturday afternoon, and a lot of fruit, with no side affects. On Sunday I started the day with a bagel with cream cheese and a poached egg, and again no aches or pains. I have noticed since then that I am noticeably less hungry in general, that I don't have diet coke cravings any more (although I had one lunch today, but I'm going to skip tomorrow). I do have more of a taste for vegetables and green things now, but I'm not off chocolate or peanut butter m&ms. I still haven't had any red meat, but only by lack of planning rather than virtuousness.

So, is a cleanse worth it? Well, I didn't lose any weight, but I did gain a lot of energy. Mostly I felt strong about my will power and the goodness of what I was putting into my body. I sort of enjoyed it while I was cleansing, but mostly because of the novelty factor, rather than the positive side effects. I'll be interested in seeing how I am doing in a month's time and whether I've really kicked the diet coke for good and whether I'm still snacking on salad. We shall have to wait and see.

Sponsored Giveaway!! Gillette Venus Get Ready For Summer

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to ask fashion and beauty expert Rebekah George a couple of questions about the upcoming summer season, thanks to the kind people at Gillette. I was so impressed with her beauty tips, especially her favorite beauty icon.


1. What's your favorite summer make up trend this year?

I love how color is back in a big way from turquoise nails to peachy lips and coral cheeks. It's a definite departure from the usual bronzey tones we've been seeing the past few summers. If you don't think you can pull off color or if you want a subtle look, you can get away with wearing small doses of colors like a light peach lip or a soft blue tone on your toes and a more natural nude on your fingernails.

2. If you were to buy one item of summer clothing this year, what would it be?

Does it have to be only one?

Ha, there are so many great pieces this year! I just bought Trina Turk's Bonita dress. I love dresses in summer (well, all year round, actually) because they are so easy. But, this dress is especially versatile - I can dress it up with heels for a TV segment or wear it with flip flops as a cover-up for the beach.

3. What's your top tip for looking cool in the summer heat?

Aside from staying in the AC, I say keep your hair off your face. Try a lose side pony or an easy, natural twist. If you have shorter hair, go for a headband or use a barrette to clip back your bangs. By keeping your hair off your face and neck, you'll instantly stay cool. Plus, the oils from your hair won't seep onto your makeup and cause it to run and smear. On top of that, summer hair should look effortless and not like you spent hours getting it blown out at a salon.

4. Who are your  favorite beauty icons?

I have a few, but Catherine Walsh, an executive at Coty is one of them. She always wears red lipstick and she pulls it off beautifully. So why does this make her an icon? If you find what beauty style works for you, go for it and wear it with confidence. Finding a look that becomes your "signature style" also makes a statement that you are comfortable in the skin you're in.

5. What fashion / beauty item can you not leave home without?

I'm on the go so much with my job, so I am very into products that are transitional and go with any look. I am really into Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in Rootbeer because it's so moisturizing and keeps my lips hydrated after flying and it's color is really soft and natural and goes with anything I wear. I'm also loving my new Cole Haan Maria Sharapova Air Renfrow OT Sling because they are so cute, go with everything from a TV dress to a pair of cargos and are beyond comfortable - so I can literally run in heels! If you do wear a dress, don’t forget to shave with a five-bladed razor like Venus Embrace so you have touchably smooth skin all night long.

That's not all the fun - you can join in on the beauty fun and win prizes!!! Gilette have kindly provided a set of 4 products to complete a summer shaving prize that's just the right time to prepare to bare those legs!!

The prizes are:

• Venus Embrace Disposables – The first and only five-bladed disposable razor for women and the most technologically advanced disposable on the market
• Venus Embrace Pink – Venus’ most technologically advanced five-bladed refillable razor with a Protective Ribbon of Moisture and pivoting head, now available in pink 
• Satin Care In-Shower Moisturizer – Satin Care’s first ever In-Shower Moisturizer helps lock in moisture for up to 24 hours after five days of use and eliminates the need for a moisturizer out of the shower
• Reformulated Satin Care Shave Gel – Reformulated Satin Care shave gels deliver up to 35% more glide than before. 

All you have to do to win is comment below on this post with your favorite summer beauty tip. For a second chance at winning, follow me on Twitter and tweet the following:



Follow @scarlettholly and RT to win prizes from Gillette Venus http://bit.ly/9xibh2


Good luck everyone and I can't wait to read your summer tips!!!!!


Competition will close on May 15th.

Day 2 of the Detox Cleanse

I woke up feeling pretty good, not hungry as I imagined. I headed down to Liquiteria to get the next 2 days of juice. From my poor performance on Day 1 I knew I didn't need to get all 5 juices for each day, and at all costs to avoid the All Greens straight up.

I puchased:

2x All Greens With Apple
2x Grasshopper
1x Killer
1x Beets Me

For breakfast I had the half bottle of All Greens after my hot water and lemon. It was slightly better than yesterday, mainly because I knew there was only half of it. My Grasshopper went down okay as well, and before you knew it I was onto another All Greens and Apple. Day 2 was bright with energy, and I was conscious of wanting food textures, but not actually hungry. I managed to get down most of my drinks (okay, I skipped the Beets Me), without cheating or having any food. I went to bed feeling pleasant, and got an excellent night's sleep.

Day 1 of the Detox Cleanse: Pain...

I did decide to go for the Liquiteria juice cleanse, based on the Blueprint Cleanse system, AKA Blueprint on the Cheap.

The juices I used consisted of:
1 All Greens With Apple
1 Grasshopper
1 All Green
1 Killer
1 Beets Me
A glass of almond milk

Total damage: $48

I started the day off with 24 oz of warm water with a couple of slices of lemon. I used to drink this all the time so it was not exactly a shock to the system. I started it at work and finished up about 10am. Then I cracked open the All Greens with Apple with much trepidation as I had never drunk a green juice. I took a very little sip and, wow, not so bad at all! Very apple-y, and actually quite sweet. I thought to myself, this is going to be pretty easy. It did take me a whole hour to get the bottle down though. Not quite so easy.

Another glass of water to get the taste of sweet greenery out of my mouth, and onto the Grasshopper, which has pineapple, apple, mint, and a shot of wheatgrass in there. Got all excited about the pineapple and mint, and you couldnt' taste them. Instead, it tasted pretty much exactly the same as the first drink, which made it pretty hard to choke down. The mouth likes variety, you know? It took me 2.5hrs of nursing my drink to finally drink the whole thing. In that time I went to Bryant Park for some fresh air during my "lunch" break, only to find myself fantasizing about what I can eat on Sunday. Am pretty sure that food fantasies are not what detoxes are all about...

By 3.30 I have a faint headache, and issues concentrating. I always have issues concentrating at this time, so I'm not sure it's juice related. I am however hungry. I start on the next All Greens, which does not have apple. Bllluuuurrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhh. Ohmigod this is so bad. I manage to struggle half a bottle down. I am never buying this again. No way.

At 6pm, I am very hungry and craving crispy textures. I open my next bottle which is a Killer XX. Ooooh ginger!!! Wow. This is super gingery. I have a hard time getting half a bottle down. I sat and watch tv with my husband and point out every single food ad and get upset about the fact that the main storyline in Community was based around chicken fingers. Mmmmm, chicken fingers. Also, form the lack of chewing and the overabundance of green juice going down my throat, my mouth tasted like gack.

The juice highlight of day one was the glass of almond milk I had before bed. Went to bed early mostly from boredom and hunger rather than tiredness. Have survived day 1.

Gold Eyes and Peachy Cheeks FOTD

This was just a nice weekend day time look I put together this weekend. I was wearing the most amazing leopard print romper, so I wanted something gold to play off that.

I love how the light is getting brighter and it makes me want to skip out on smoky eyes - can you imagine!?!? Love it.

All products MAC unless otherwise stated:

Base: Paint in Bare Canvas
Inner lid: Nanogold
Middle and outer lid: Goldmine
Crease: Amber Lights
Crease: Bronze
Browbone: Ricepaper
Waterline: Blackline liner
Lower Lid: Urban Decay El Dorado
Mascara: Maybelline Full N Soft

Face:
Primer: Tarte
Base: Tinted moisturizer using Kiehls Ultra Facial Moisturizer and MAC Studio Scult in NW25
Concealer: MAC Moisture Select in NW20
Highlight: NARS Orgasm Illuminator
Powder: ELF HD Powder
Blush: MAC Ripe Peach (Peach side)

Lips:
MAC Perennially High Style Lipglass

MAC Dirty Grease Paint Stick

Last weekend I needed a quick but sophisticated look for going to brunch and the MOMA with some friends of ours. Although MAC Grease Paint Sticks on first glance appear to be all about the drama and the smoke, actuallly, they can be just gorgeous and subtle as well. I dotted a line along my lid and into my crease, and took a blending blush to blend the color evenly. It lasted for about 8 or 9hrs. I was pleased, and will definitely be wearing this to work. Simple, yes, even a little dull, but also pretty and so simple!

Puppy Shot of the Day

Moose having a good day at the dog park. What a cutie pie :)

Spring Changes in My Make Up Bag

The change of seasons has definitely brought about a change in my beauty routine. I don’t know about you, but with having an everyday job in a corporate office, my day-to-day make up doesn’t really get any opportunities to change that much on a daily basis. I keep my experimentations to evenings and weekends. However, I thought you might be interested to know what products I’m using on an every day basis to keep me looking fresh and bright all day long at work.

 (clockwise from top left: Elf Caffeinated, Elf Natural, Benefit Nice Melons)

Eyeshadows:

In the winter, I default to combinations involving Satin Taupe or Woodwinked. Spring time is a chance to go a little lighter, and right now I’m having real crushes on a couple of colors that wake me up each morning. These are colors that I don’t need to think about and I know are going to play well with others! A couple of months ago I did a rundown of peachy-gold shadows that I love – I’m still working them on an every day basis. Benefit’s Velvet Eyeshadow in Nice Melons and ELF’s Mineral Shadow in
Natural are both default morning looks. I quite often use Nice Melons on its own. Elf’s Natural is either on its own, or with ELF Mineral Shadow in Caffeinated, which is a cool, shimmery brown taupe. I use it very lightly to darken my crease. I also love MAC’s Spring Color Forecast Quad in the Gold colors – Flip can either be combined with either of the other two colors and highlighted with Manila for an easy, no-brainer look. Let’s face it, weekday morning make up is all about being able to do while half asleep!

Elf HD Powder

Base:

Since changing up my skin routine with the Clarisonic, I’ve stopped using foundation, and instead mix up my own tinted moisturizer. This means I’m also not using primer, which, although I do not feel like I need, upsets me as I have about 4 primer samples in a drawer to test! But I’m not using any other moisturizer during the day apart from my tinted, so primer doesn’t really have a good place in my routine at the moment. I'll test it out on nights on the town (do people still say that? Or just my parents?) I’m not noticing any major lasting problems with my moisturizer, so it’s not a big deal. I use ELF’s High Definition Powder on a daily basis. It works well enough, I do not have any major problems with it, but I have a sneaking suspicion that there is something better out there. Comments please?!?

 Clockwise from top left - MAC Ripe Peach, Benefit Sugarbomb, MAC Shell Pink

Blush:

I have a rotating cast of spring blushes that I feel comfortable with throwing on in the morning and not making a mess off. Benefit Sugarbomb is gorgeous and instantly flattering. MAC’s Shell Pink form Liberty of London is a pretty pink with gold shimmer which is subtle enough to be easy to use. MAC’s Ripe Peach is so pretty and springlike that it’s hard not to use it every day. It’s a gorgeous peachy pink that can be blended to run more peach or pink depending on your taste.

L-R: MAC Creme Cup, NARS Dolce Vita, MAC Warm Me Up, NYX Tea Rose

Lips:

I'm very much in a nude pink place these days for my lips, and each morning I find myself reaching for either MAC Creme Cup or Warm Me Up (a touch more on the brown side), NARS Dolce Vita, or NYX Tea Rose.


Has your make up basics changed up with the spring weather? Do you have any suggestions for make up must haves for the warmer weather?

Leave it How You Found It: Earth Day

Today, as I'm sure you are aware by now, is Earth Day.  Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment.

Something us beauty girls should be very aware of is consumption and packaging. Luckily, some of our favorite brands can help us recycle when we're done:

• Origins will give you a free sample of an Origins product every time you bring in an empty from any make up brand
• MAC will give you a free lipstick (counters) or eyeshadow (stores) for every six MAC containers you bring. Just check the package for B2M printed on the cardboard. 
• Kiehls gives you new products for old! 3 empty Kiehls packages earns you a lipstick, another 2 and you get a travel sized product, and then a further 5 and you get a $25 product. 

One thing I've been doing for the last couple of years is refusing all plastic bags in stores and bringing my own LL Bean tote everywhere for shopping. Little things like that make such a big difference in the world and if we can all do a few small things, bigger change will come.

What's your favorite eco-tips?

Drinking My Way To A Better Self

I am a binger. It is well known. When I get into something, I really do. Regular exercise? No thanks, but I’ve done 3 5.30am bootcamps in the last year, and go from not doing any running for 9mths to running 5 miles in 2 weeks. My husband despairs of my ADD and my inability to form good habits. My latest obsession? Should I do a detox cleanse? It is right up my alley in terms of quick benefit, requires intense short period of suffering, and comes easily delivered and downed in yummy bottles. I am a lazy, lazy girl.

Why do I want to cleanse? Well, the first thing to state is that it is not about the weight loss. I know that any weight lost during the cleanse is short-term, and will be gained back quickly. I have felt that I've been eating a lot of crap over the winter period, and it would be awesome to start the summer as I mean to go on - clean, fresh, healthy, toxin-free. Hopefully I'll have shiny, bright, clear skin at the end of this, but mostly I'm interested in seeing whether the sudden intox of healthy enzymes kick boosts my energy and gives me a taste for green things. 

The cleanse of choice in NYC is Blueprint Cleanse. They offer 3 different levels, depending on your detox experience and requirements. I’m obviously a beginner cleanser (earlier in the week  I went for burgers at Bill’s – the hip new burger place that Jenny took Nate to for his birthday a few weeks ago on Gossip Girl), and my cleanse would consist of 6 bottles of juice – 2 green ones, a lemon and cayenne pepper drink (that’s for the Master Cleanse peeps out there), a pineapple and mint one, and a beet-based one, as well as their famous Bottle No. 6 Cashew Milk with Cinnamon, Vanilla and Agave. (How yum does that sound?). I really want to do it so bad, but at $65/day for 3 days, it’s a little steep for me.

 

There is a second option, and that’s the head to Liquiteria, which is a juice bar in the East Village which, according to internet gospel (you know it speaks the truth!), can mix up similar juices for you. Apart from the apparently oh-so-good Cashew Milk mix. Liquiteria aren’t cheap either, and 6 juices are approximately $50. Cheaper than Blueprint, but not delivered my door in nice little icepacks. 

Blueprint also publish a book called The 3-Day Cleanse with various juice recipes for a range of cleanses. So maybe I could mix up the juices myself and detox that way. My initial DIY reaction to this is “SCORE!!! I am so there”, but actually, I don’t have a blender, 8 gazillion bottles for storing juice, and really, once I bought all the ingredients at whole foods, I would probably have spent $50/day as well. 

After some serious um-ing and aw-ing, I've decided to try out Liquiteria for the next three days. I've been preparing myself by mostly eating salad for the last couple of days (since the burger really), and man, I'm already hungry! I had my last diet coke at 12.30 today, and my last carbs were a handful of goldfish a couple of hours ago to stave off some serious hunger. 

Nails of the Week: Orly Rage

I don't think a photograph can do justice to this beauty. Wow. It's a gorgeous rose gold with dense, dense shimmer, almost like molten metal. It applied like an absolute dream. This is two coats, but I probably could have done one. There are minimal brush strokes, and it dried super quickly with the help of the China Glaze quick drying topcoat. Seriously gorgeous.

MAC Art Supplies Haul

L-R, Black Line, Undercurrent, Dirty, Zinc Zone, Below Ground

I don't really know what happened here. Normally I am super on the ball at scoring MAC new releases on the day they come out, swatching them all and getting it online. I've been super looking forward to this collection since I scored my first Greasepaint Stick at Style Black, but something happened (well, real life really!), and I only got a chance to pick these up last Saturday, and then it was a whole week before I was able to sit down properly and play around with them. So sorry, and I feel bad myself.

Okay, into what I picked up. I could easily have all 8 of the Greasepaint Sticks, but even I know that that is unnecessary and there are only so many smudgy smoky eyes a girl needs. And it's not as if I have a mad crazy hectic social life that needs a smoky eye each night! So, I managed to restrain myself to just three:

(From top, Dirty, Zinc Zone, Below Ground)

• Dirty: This is a greyed taupe. It reminds me of Satin Taupe in a smudgeable form. I cannot wait to do a look with this. It's gorgeous, with a touch of silvery shimmer and yummy blendability
• Below Ground: A light-mid tone brown with a shimmered finish. Soft and easy to use. Not super overwhelming in terms of color. I can see myself using this one a lot, although maybe not coming into summer. 
• Zinc Zone: Granite gray. Think Knight Divine in smudging form. Will work for a more sophisticated smudged eye. Love. 

 Mini Grease Paint Stick Sharpener

Greengrease and Uniformly Blue looked fun as well, but I can't have everything!

I also picked two Pearlglide Intense Liners. Pearlglide Liners are really nice and soft and are nearly as good as Urban Decay 24/7s (let's face it - is there a better liner than the 24/7s?). Out of the six colors available, I picked two:

• Black Line: Supersoft black with gold shimmer. This is like a thinner, darker version of NARS Aigle Noir that came out at Christmas last year. I have that, and I never use it :(
• Undercurrent: a darkened shimmery teal. I cannot control myself when it comes to teal eyeliners. They are my all time favorite liner color. I looked through my liner stash, and I have nothing like this. Score! :)

Although I am mad crazy for lipstains, something made me not love the MAC ones - the reports of dryness, and the fact that when I buy a Covergirl stain, they dry out in months, so I decided to pass these. Strength!!

Did anyone else pick up anything from the Art Supplies collection?

Pret A Papier comes out on Thursday, and I'm going to go to the new MAC at Times Square to take a look at it. Although I love my Flatiron store, and I feel like I'm cheating on them! 

The Oops I Slept in Approach to Make Up

I woke up late this morning, and while I was running around frantically getting myself together for work, I thought to myself – I should write a blog post about “the bare minimum” – that is, what do you throw on when you have slept through your alarm by an hour!

I should first say that this only really applies to “workday makeup”. I regularly go out without a scrap on my face on the weekend and it does not really bother me. In fact, as I write this, the only make up I have on is a bunch of swatches on my arm! However, I definitely have “a face” that I put on for work. Instead of going through my whole look today, I’m going to talk about what I use to make sure I’m presentable on just 4 minutes (maybe less!) in front of the mirror. In reviewing this post, it seems that my main goal is to use products that it is impossible to make a mistake with.

 

1.      Mascara. Not negotiable. Always wakes your eyes up. Right now I'm using Maybelline Colossal, which is okay but I don't love (flaking after a 8hrs)

2.      Instead of tinted brow gel, I use clear. Keeps my brows in place, but far more room for error and no chance of making a mistake with. 

3.      Concealer where you need it

4.      Tinted moisturizer as a quick base. 

5.      Benefit Posietint on the apples of your cheeks

6.      A very light dusting of ELF High Definition Powder

7.      Neutral, always suitable lipstick (for me it’s MAC Crème Cup at the moment for my default lip).

As you can see, in my eyes, full eyeshadow and gloss are skippable steps for me. I’ve also focused on products that are virtually impossible to make a mistake with, so most are quite subtle, but enough to make me look a little bit less like I rolled straight from bed to office. 

What is your slept-in late routine? Any recommendations for uber products that will rock mine?

This post contains affiliate links. Jolie Laide Girl represents only the author's opinions, and is in no way influenced by the use of affiliate links.

A Hint of What's To Come

Yep, that's a photo of my "unreviewed and unswatched" make up. I've got a lot of work to do over the coming couple of weeks! The blog will be busy busy busy - watch this space!

Nails of the Week: China Glaze Nude

I am continuing my love affair with all things China Glaze and all things nude and neutral. I am by far the youngest person in my working environment, and frequently feel that way in my typically scatterbrained approach to things. Sometimes its nice to look down at my nails and they look pretty and sophisticated. China Glaze Nude does that for me. It is quite sheer, so this was 3 coats (and I believe 1 or 2 days wear when I took this picture).

On other nail related thoughts, I received a couple of colors from the China Glaze Poolside Neon collection this week along with a bunch of other colors from Transdesign this week - yay!! So excited to try them out. But I was disappointed to see that Essie polishes have jumped from $4 to $8. I really don't want to pay $8 for an Essie polish!! Can anyone recommend any reputable ebay sellers that sell at around the $4 mark?

Everyone Loves a MAC Dupe: Hello Milani Liquid Liners

A couple of bloggers have recently pointed out the great drugstore find that is Milani Liquid Liner ($7). I have never tried anything from this brand. Get this for an example of my laziness: it is not carried in my Duane Reade (when I say my Duane Reade, I mean the one on the ground floor of my building. This Duane Reade is kind of sucky, with only L'Oreal, Maybelline, and other typical brands. There is a CVS two streets away, but I hardly ever go, because of, you know, the whole two streets thing. I just want to point out at this point that I do actually exercise and run and stuff, and walk my dog about a gazillion times a day, but for some reason do not make it to the exotic far away CVS.

Until last week. I managed to drag my sorry ass those extra 50 yards and headed in to score some Milani Infinite liners. I have MAC's Liquidlast liner in Aqualine, which is gorgeous and amazing and a complete disaster when it comes to actually trying to remove it. I've been meaning to pick up the Blue Horizon color for about a year, so when I hear of a real actual dupe, I get excited. I got Infinite (bright blue) and Eternal (olive green). The brush isn't great but it's not horrible. They come out a little thinner than the MAC ones, but it's not a huge difference. The colors are gorgeous - rich and vibrant, with a little bit of shimmer. They do dry quite matte (the pictures below are dry). Wear is good, though not as good as the MAC liner, and I did notice some fading after 6 hrs wear. However, I could actually remove these, unlike the MAC liners, which leave me with the same color for 48hrs! Some bloggers have complained that these take a long time to dry. They took about 2-3 mins to dry, but so do the MAC ones for me, so I didn't notice this as a major deal breaker. All in all, I think that these are pretty awesome liners, and I fully intend on picking up any other colors that come out.

Nails of the Week: Essie Tart Deco

This is an example of a nails disaster. I decided to do my nails before work one day last week, and picked out Essie Tart Deco from the recently launched Art of Spring collection. This looked like such a pretty coral pink. I had picked it up in the mini form (because come on, who ever finishes a nail varnish?), and this was the first time I had used a mini Essie before.

Man oh man, this was work. The polish was thick, the brush tiny, and it took three tedious and difficult coats to get a reasonably even coverage. So can you imagine my horror when I used China Glaze's Quick Dry Topcoat on top and it turns from a pretty pink coral to neon orange?! I could have screamed!! Instead I had to go to work with garish nails.

Has mixing brands topcoats ever had this impact on you?

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Lip Gloss

The last week in NYC has seen highs in the 90s and lows in the 50s - schizophrenic weather much? Still, there's nothing like a bit of summer gloss to put me in a better mood, and Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess lip gloss in Wild Orchid is just the thing. It's a bright fushcia, but sheer enough to be pretty, not wild. It is slightly sticky, but not enough to be tacky, and has a sweet flavor. I love it.