February 2007 Archives

The following is a real conversation that took place on the way to the manicurist last week:
Me: I think I maybe want to paint my nails black today? Do you think that’s too junior high of me?
Best Friend: No, but I do think it’s too Lindsey Lohan. Is that really the style you want to be copping right now? Rehab chic?

Ever since Chanel introduced their limited edition Black Satin nail polish last year, grown up and teens alike have been killing themselves trying to find the perfect shade of black nail polish to paint their fingers with. My own personal struggle has been to find a dark shade of nail polish that was flattering, work appropriate and didn’t make me look like I was trying to be a tween again. O.P.I. has come out with a collection of “Deliciously Dark” polishes that are aimed at the more grown up crowd. My favorite of the four polishes is Lincoln Park After Dark. It’s a mix of black and dark eggplant colors. From far away it looks black, but up close it’s a really pretty deep purple color. It was really flattering on my pale, pale skin and I got compliments everywhere I went. So if you’re looking for a little flashback to your junior high days try this color. Available at salons and manicurists everywhere.

I am a bit surprised at the lack of color shown on faces for Fall. Gone are the shimmering glosses (but I will never give up my Awake or Fresh lipglosses) and blush seems to be so 'last season'. Hair is slicked back and severe, not the most flattering with a nude face. Here are a few looks shown so far this week, judge for your self and let me know what you think:
Luca Luca: Matte nude face and pale lips with heavy smoky eyes. Not a look for everyone, especially if you are over 18 and have any kind of creases on your face. I am a lover of blush, especially Dandelion by Benefit, as it never hurts to have a healthy flush to the face.

I’ve always been a little fussy about my eyeliner. When done well, eyeliner is a fantastic contribution to a face. When done incorrectly, it’s a messy child’s drawing, weaving in and out of the very small spaces that eyeliner should be confined to. For those of you who are confident in your eye-lining ability I highly recommend Dior’s Style Liner. It’s liquid eyeliner that was originally designed for the runways and now is available for mass market. The pin thin brush top makes for a smooth glide on and the flexibility of the top is really helpful when dealing with the contours of your eyes. It comes in black, silver and for those of you wishing to re-visit 1985, a limited edition sparkly blue. $29 at Sephora. Dior Style Liner

I’m a slight bit obsessed with Bravo reality TV shows. “Project Runway” is my obsession, I’m a devout “Top Chef” fan and, for the brief time it was on I became oddly addicted to Jonathan Antin and his crazy band on hairdressers on “Blow Out.” I couldn’t help it. Every time Jonathan broke down and cried at his therapist’s office I felt a little bad for watching, and fell in love with him a little more. Anyone that kooky must be awesome and my new dream was to have him cut my hair one day. Since it didn’t look like that was happening anytime soon I settled for using his line of hair products in the hopes that it would make my hair look as fabulous as his. I began with the much hyped Dirt, a texturizing paste. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it! It’s a water based paste, infused with lemongrass water and almond to help repair and strengthen your hair as it makes it look casually messy. Dirt gives your hair that “I just woke up after a night at the hippest club and now I’m out to brunch with my girlfriends and I’ve only had a few hours sleep but I still look fabulous” hair that all us girls strive for! Dirt is thin so it doesn’t feel like your hair weighs a million pounds and it’s easily absorbed so things won’t stick in your hair. My favorite part of this product is the surprisingly pleasant sweet smell it has. Use sparingly though, too much will make your hair look greasy! $26 at SephoraJonathan Product Dirt Texturizing Paste

I’m a one perfume kind of gal. I usually find a scent and stick to it for a year or two at a time. I ventured out to try some new perfumes the other day to see if I can find another scent I love as much as the one I'm currently using. When I saw Prada’s name mixed in with all the perfumes, of course I wandered over to try it, figuring anyone who makes clothes that pretty must be making pretty scents to match them. I was dead wrong in my guess. Sephora’s website lists it as a “Perfume of yesterday and today.” Well, they’re half correct because it smells like my grandmother’s Jean Nate! I took one whiff and was instantly transported back to her bathroom. I loved it as a seven year old, but as a grown adult, I don’t think I’m ready for it yet. It won Sephora's "Best of Sephora" award in 2006 and I honestly don't know why! Prada also has a sharp edge to it, the kind that makes you wrinkle your nose and instantly pull back when you smell it. Not the kind of reaction I’m looking for. Keep in mind that perfume smells different on everybody, based on their on body’s Ph so what smells like Jean Nate to me might smell like roses to you or someone smelling you!! I’m also curious to know what you beauty snobs smell like. We’re open to suggestions so let me know what your favorite scent is! Prada is available at Sephora for $49. Prada 1.7 oz Eau de Parfum Classic Natural Spray

Photo courtesy of Philip Pelusi

Hollywood turns to Philip Pelusi for glossy gorgeous hair on film sets and in print (He is Oprah's hair guru and contribues to O magazine regularly) and so do I! I met Philip last year and he treated me to the best haircut of my life. I have thick straight and very stubborn hair but he somehow managed to make it featherlight with subtle face framing layers without looking choppy as Asian hair can be with too many layers. My friends all have serious hair envy and they've decided I can only allow him to cut my hair from now on as I have never looked better(I'll be seeing him in New York in March!) . Philip was named top 10 stylists in inStyle magazine amongst many other accolades bestowed upon him in his 42 year career. With dozens of salons across the country and many more planned in the near future, he's also introduced a line of ozone friendly, biodegradable Phyto products that you must check out! My favorite is the Refresh H-air dry, I only wash my hair twice a week but with this spray, my hair always looks fresh and clean! Haircuts at Philip's new Tela Salon at Arium(a super cool art gallery, restaruant, club, hairsalon combo in the meat packin district), are from $100-$300 but a haircut with Philip, the Guru himself, is much more, call the salon 212-463-8213 to schedule an appointment and for pricing. Call Vincent, Philip's fabulous executive assistant if you have any other questions about Phillip! 888-263-4720 ext. 218

Those of you who don't live in New York, you can get Philip's secrets and tips on gorgeous hair right here on Beauty Snob! We recently sat with Philip for a quick Q & A:

When I was in high school THE "it" thing to have was Hard Candy Nail polish. The colors were reminiscent of cartoons and each bottle came with a gummy plastic ring. It was a status symbol in my school, how many rings you could wear or display at once. As I moved to college, Hard Candy expanded its line to makeup and I became a devout fan. My loyalties eventually moved to more grown-up lines and I forgot all about Hard Candy. The other day I was taking a stroll through Sephora and came across them again and remembered what a fabulous line of eye shadows they had! They have every color imaginable and a really fantastic mix of textures and styles. My favorite has become the eye shadow quartets. It’s four different, yet complementary colors put together in themes for whatever occasion or mood you might be in. My favorite is Techno, a combination of metallic silver and black (to use dry as shadow or wet as eyeliner), with a little baby pink thrown in for contrast (I love putting pink on the inner corners of my eyes and the brow bone for that wide eye look). It’s perfect for a night out on the town and all you need to buy if you’re going for the smoky eye look! And at only $28 a pop, you can afford to buy as many as you want!! Hard Candy Eye Shadow Quartet - Techno

Our new friend, Megs from Purseblog asked me about a 3-step program the other day and although I am more of a 10 step girl, I do have a 3 minute routine for Busy Beauty Snobs who don't have time to indulge daily in her beauty regimen.

CLEANSE
First and foremost, a good cleanser is a must, putting good cream all over a dirty face is just a waste and you'll end up with unsightly blackheads. We love Shu Uemera cleansing oils, I've been using the Balancing cleansing oil-$62 for over 10 years but recently switched to the Premium cleansing oil- $72 when Kelly told me it banished all of the bumps on her face but I am not noticing a big difference between the two oils although the Premium oil seems to rinse better. By the way, don't think putting oil on your face will clog your pores or make you greasy. It actually rinses cleaner than foam or cream based cleansers and you won't strip your skin of it's natural oils. The cleansing oil will also remove waterproof mascara so you won't have to spend extra time using eye make up remover. A few pumps of this oil will leave your entire face squeaky clean and blackhead free. Go to a Shu Uermura boutique or counter at Neiman Marcus to assess your skintype and determine which is best for you.

A less expensive option is Cetaphil's cleanser from the drugstore. It's gentle on your skin and is non-comedogenic if your skin is sensitive. When I forget to pack my cleanser on trips, this is the one I'll grab from CVS. It doesn't wash off my make up as well as the cleansing oil but it's only $6.99 and worth trying for yourself.

Lianne, aka The Make Up Girl, shares her fab beauty tips with us as we kick off Fashion Week!

I have the misfortune of having what is known as hyper-pigmentation, some people call it "liver spots" or "age spots" but those terms don't apply to me because I am not old and also because I've had these for many many years. I guess laying out in the 90° sun for 8 hours at a time during my teen years wasn't such a good idea after all. Needless to say, covering up these spots up has been a minor life mission of mine (I've even tried laser and liquid nitrogen without lasting effects) and I've used every concealer out there with moderate effectiveness until I discovered the Clé de Peau Concealer. Yes, this product was one of inStyle's Best Buys of 2006 and it has won numerous awards but the importance is, it really covers and conceals! In order to do such an impressive job though it has to be very thick, which this is. Good and bad. I was told I can use it by itself without foundation, which I did, then later frightened myself in the mirror on my way out. Luckily I caught it in time. I guess I got a little carried away and was so focused on how all my spots had disappeared that I didn't step back to take a look at my face as a whole. Lesson learned. Use it with foundation and set the whole thing with powder. It is in a stick form so all you have to do is apply directly to troubled areas and blend with your finger. Works wonders and worth every $68 (mainly because liquid nitrogen is really scary). Available at Barney's New York, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.