No doubt about it, the nail polish collaboration between wacky Nicki Minaj and OPI is bound to be a wild collection. OPI was inspired by Nicki's out-there and irreverent fashion sense - printed surgical masks! Ice cream-cone pendants! Neon camouflage-print hair! Metallic purple bodysuits! Where does Nicki find her inspiration for these kooky cocktails of color and texture? "Life, especially the streets of Tokyo." So you would only imagine the most over-the-top assortment of shades to date from the line.

Now I'm not that adventurous when it comes to my polish. I stick to solid colors in dark shades (my latest, a deep, bold red from OPI called "Got the Blues for Red," is unusual for me!), so I was surprised that the collection is actually very wearable, considering the sassy muse.

Charcoal sequins are as crazy as I get, so "Metallic 4 Life" is my pick. "Pink Friday" is a palatable bubblegum, while "Fly" might be a pedicure-appropriate aqua come resort time. "Save Me" provides a burst of rainbow glitter, "Did It On 'Em" is a quirky shot of lime green, and all can be layered under "Super Bass Shatter" for a splash of wicked purple. Not for the timid, but let's face it: it's much easier to carry off, say, neon nails than a head full of neon hair, no?

With the dips in temperature come the cold-weather accessories and Couture Snob's top picks are as ladylike as they are unafraid to take the spotlight.

Coquette is captivated by the rock n' roll edge of the new Chanel Boy handbags.

Somehow stingray feels even more decadent when it's injected merely into the heel and platform of this YSL sandal at Shoe Snob.

The Jet Set Girls dish on the collaboration between Bethenny Frankel's Skinnygirl and Drybar hair salon. Can you say "ponytails and cocktails?"

Creativity for Kids delivers great crafting projects that have a simplicity you'll find refreshing (and easy to clean up!) at Tot Snob.

Second City Style is feeling The Need For Tweed! Their Top 10 Tweed Picks.

It's the sparkle that counts and even a hardcore diamond addict like Jewel Snob was (almost) fooled by these glistening discs.

Shopping and Info is already making her holiday gift liststo include Rene Caovilla boots, pumps, and shoes..

Time to pile on the bracelets, StyleBakery has a favorite new jewelry trend.

Simplified leather suits this Lanvin at Bag Snob well, making for a great basic tote.

Peruse J.Crew's New Weddings and Holiday Collection at FabSugar.

As we approach November, the temperature might be dropping steadily, but that's no reason we should let our glowing skin fall by the wayside. Even if you are lucky enough to still be clinging to an Indian-summer tan, we could all use something to maintain that coveted sun-kissed sheen. Lorac's TANtilizer, an ultra-wearable body bronzer, is the answer to beating winter's despised pastiness. Not only does it absorb quickly and smoothly (no streaks or stripes, ever), it moisturizes more powerfully than loads of lotions.

Just apply it wherever you like - décolletage, shoulders, arms, legs - and let it absorb into pure silkiness before getting dressed. TANtilizer is technically a body makeup, but the golden bronze formula is so lightweight, it doesn't feel like you're wearing cakey cosmetics all over yourself. The finishing touch for special out-nights when you might get photographed, want to get noticed, and wouldn't mind getting touched! At Sephora for $32.

California's organic line, Juice Beauty, has been one of my on-and-off favorites for years. The founder, Karen Behnke, developed this healthy collection after learning that our skin absorbs over 60% of what we slather on it. Which means we should be as cautious with the makeup we choose as we are with the food we consume.

Backed by powerful science research, Juice Beauty products contain no harmful ingredients (especially important since the average woman ingests five pounds of lipstick and gloss in her lifetime! Disgusting if you think about it!).

Their light-reflecting gloss is pretty, shiny, and good for you. Choose their classic shade of "Pink," a universally flattering take on the hue, and show your support for October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Even better, purchase any Juice Beauty item (from smart sun protection to green apple-based skincare) and receive the lip gloss (containing no cancer-causing chemicals) for free. Just enter THINKPINK at checkout. Looking good shouldn't come at a price - of our health, that is. At Juice Beauty for $15.

With the cooler, then colder weather approaching it's important for us to do all we can to keep our skin from drying out. Once again, Burt's Bees to the rescue. Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil (even the name is comforting) will moisturize and nourish like nothing else. It's quite light in texture, but it sure packs a punch. The Vitamin E, combined with a cornucopia of luscious oils (sweet almond, lemon, wheat germ, and soybean), and even rosemary leaf extract, hydrate, smoothe and soften skin instantly - and it doesn't stay oily to the touch. Apply after bathing and your skin will stay hydrated all day. It's also great for massages. And if you have a little girl you'd like to treat, you can buy the "Baby Bee" version - smooth skin comes in pairs. Something like that! At Burt's Bees for $8.00.

You're still not likely to see me sporting plain old ebony on my fingertips, but if anyone has the magic touch to bring back the shade that was once goth, then trendy, and finally played out, it's Yves Saint Laurent. They are testing their sense of suave this November with the release of a tuxedo-inspired duo of nail lacquers. That's right, it's back to black.

But Stefano Pilati, along with the house's international makeup artist Lloyd Simmons, have rethought the raven manicure, and it just might be enough to revive it completely. Out of the Le Smoking holiday collection - read sultry, smoky eyes of charcoal and gunmetal and bold scarlet lips - the fraternal twin shades of Terriblement Noir (No. 6, to be exact) come in the form of one matte and one shiny. The idea is to paint the base of your manicure with the matte version and top it, French-manicure style, with a swipe of the shiny look. And, voila!, you have recreated the look of a satin-lapeled black tuxedo jacket on your nails.
To be available at Neiman Marcus as of November, $30.

OPI image via Chic N Cheap Living

What do the global makeup brand and the futuristic-renegade designer have in common? A flair for the unexpected. For their full-range collaboration, MAC and Gareth Pugh have harnessed their imaginations and join forces to deliver a collection that is at once fierce and fragile, somber and enchanting. And that was just the idea.

Gareth explained that when he designs clothes, it's "about contradiction and the struggle between lightness and darkness." Why shouldn't the same ideas apply to cosmetics?

Divided literally by two faces (naturally, one dark and one light), the array of shades amounts to bold juxtapositions. One side is devoted to plums and dark blues, the other founded on silver iridescence. And they are all designed to be blended to your liking. For lipstick, choose between Fervent (blackened berry) or Restrict (greyed nude), or create your own hue with both. But it's not all black and white, so to speak. Standouts include the Hyper nail polish and Outrage lipglass, both inspired by a butterfly wing; as your gaze shifts, it melds from rich emerald green to a deep purple.

Finish off the enigmatic looks with the Elude Beauty Powder, a single translucent shade so neutral it matte-ifies any and every complexion. True Pugh-devotees - or real eyelash enthusiasts - will be tempted to try the unreal Flight Lash, a heavily geometric, triangle-shaped false lash. I would air on the subtler side and inject some of Gareth Pugh x Mac into your regular routine, letting your deep berry lips or hologram nails stand out on their own.

Honestly I hate Halloween. Not to sound like a curmudgeon, but here in NYC it's usually pretty cold by the time October 31st rolls around and nothing makes me feel older than seeing all kinds of drunkenness and an endless parade of skimpy outfits! My boyfriend and his friends are really into it so there's no way around the fact that we're going to end up at a party, but luckily I have a game plan. I'm going to dress up as the Cookie Monster and my costume will consist of regular clothes and holding a Costco-size box of cookies. I figure how can anyone disparage my lack of a costume when I have cookies to share...right!? I'll also be coming prepared with some Philosophy gifts for the hostess because while I don't like heavy face paints and glow-in-the-dark shadow, how can one resist Philosophy's Trick or Treat Lip Shine Duo ($18), Philosophy's I Love Candy Corn Body Wash ($16), or Philosophy's I Love Candy Corn Lip Shine ($10)? I don't know how Philosophy does it, but I'm using the Candy Corn Body Wash at the moment and it smells so much like candy corn it's unbelievable! I only wish the scent would linger longer because it's seriously yummy and, oddly, I don't (always) come out of the shower with a raging candy craving.

My hair is straight to begin with, so I really didn't expect to see much results when I washed and conditioned by hair with my latest Frugal Snob-find, Organix Ever Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy. But, lo and behold, the cocoa-buttery formula made my hair sleeker, softer, and straighter than usual. I didn't even need to brush it upon drying - it already seemed to have "brushed" itself into silky smoothness. Actually, it was smoother than it was anything else - almost shockingly so.

With coconut and avocado oils, keratin proteins, and this totally organic drugstore find works as well as the salon-priced Keratin Complex brand at about one-third the price. It's designed to strengthen your tresses while silk-ifying the texture, and it maximizes the touch-ability of your hair. Brilliant for girls with long hair who tend to wash it frequently (meaning every other day; anymore than that and you're not giving it enough time for the natural oils to even form). Alternate with other keratin-based shampoos and for a perfectly glossy blowout, treat it with L'Oréal Professional's Mythic Oil, a moisturizing oil that Tina used to famous results. Shampoo, $8.73, and Conditioner, $5.59, on Amazon.

In case you haven't noticed, two-in-one products are all the rage right now. But are they really worth it? Are they that much easier and more convenient? And I can't help but think, doesn't the quality diminish when the emphasis is put on the concept over the actual product? In the case of Votre Vu's brilliant multi-tasker, yes (worth it), yes (totally handy), and no (quality is top of the line).

With their Bébé Duette, you get double the "luxe." The top of the portable container opens up to a lip balm that moisturizes without build-up, after all day and multiple applications; and top number two offers a yummy-smelling hand cream. Now you can choose between their plain balm (lightly coconut-scented) and tinted framboise (a universally flattering pink with the flavor of passion fruit); both have shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax. Not only does the hand cream bring the aroma of almond and coconut to your hands, it has UVA and UVB protection.

Made in France with the attention to detail to prove it. This is one two-for-one deal that has me spoiled. I keep one in my car and one at my desk at all times. At Votre Vu for $39.75 ($27.65 if you're a brand ambassador; sign up on their website).