Recently in Nails Category

Despite the neon overload that has been plaguing the streets of NYC because of tacky wears from Topshop and H&M, there are two things when it comes to neons, that I absolutely love. One is Deborah Marquit's collection of fluorescent undergarments (I've been collecting her pieces since High School and have every one of the fluorescent sets -- most amazingly long-lasting lace!), and the other is essie's summer neon collections. I LOVED essie's neon hues from last year and I still often wear "Short Shorts" (flamingo pink) and "Bermuda Shorts" (bright purple) -- essie, unlike so many other nail polishes that dry-out even when half the bottle is still full, always last a long time. Now, as a sequel to last year's neon hues, essie's got a brand new neon collection that is equally as fab and plays off of my two favorite shades from last year's collection. The shades are --

Punchy Pink - Delicious berry icicle

Flirty Fuchsia - Flaming hot magenta

Funky Limelight - Brilliant day-glo yellow

Perky Purple - Electric boogie violet

The neon nail colors produce a matte finish, so make sure to apply a base and top coat (essie makes two good ones -- Protein Base Coat and Good to Go!). The essie Neon Color Collection is a limited-edition collection, so hop on it! I can't pull-off Funky Limelight, but I'm loving the other three shades -- my fave is Flirty Fuschsia. All four colors just hit the essie online store for $8 each.

I am not a fan of the color yellow. I know it was the imperial color of ancient China and only the emperor was allowed to wear it but yellow is just not the most flattering on me. Plus anytime you hear 'yellow' to describe a body part, you know it's bad news. Like, "did you see his teeth? So yellow!" or "her eyes are SO yellow, she must be jaundiced". And how about, "ewww, his fingers are stained yellow from all the years of smoking!". Get my point? Okay, so then I come across this as the latest nail trend on Barielle.com, YELLOW nails!?!?  Ick, not for me.

What do you think? Snob or Slob?

Photo courtesy of Barielle.

Happy Spring everyone! Today is officially the first day of Spring-- I've been dying to pull out all of my colorful short dresses and sandals-- the weather's been consistently 75 degrees lately and I'm thinking it's time to summerize myself! Starting with my polish, I've been sporting the dark taupe shades all fall and am ready for a bit of Cotton Candy chic. Barielle has a fabulously fun collection of new polish colors for Summer that you must try. My fave is the very purple-y Grape Escape, I tried it last week and it's a delicious true purple. White is also the hottest color for nails this season and Barielle has several different options from opaque white to just a bit of shimmery white. Check out Barielle polish $8 here.

Shades of gray and taupe (such as cult classic You Don't Know Jacques from OPI) dominated fashionable digits this season but spring is around the corner and I am ready for a brighter shade. I have never worn anything bright on my nails before (other than a brief love affair with Chanel Rouge in college) but I'm ready for color! I saw a shade from Essie called Big Spender in Allure this month and am now obsessed with it. It's the perfect violet-magenta without being too bright or bubble gum-ish. Now if I can just convince my spa to carry it... $7 at Bel Air beauty. I am also loving a plummy shade from OPI called "Metro Chic" -- a smoky purple. Tell me, what colors will you be sporting this summer?

If there's one thing I've learned from having been single on Valentine's Day/having inept boyfriends in the past is that if there's no one to indulge you, you have to indulge yourself. Why not take this excuse to treat yourself like Bag Snob Kelly pointed-out over on Bag Snob! Start your day with The Botanical Express treatment ($120) at Phyto Universe . The treatment includes an invigorating shampoo, deep conditioning, and styling and in celebration of Valentine's day -- on February 14 -- Phyto Universe is offering complementary cocktails and complimentary makeup sessions. Each treatment takes place in a private treatment cabin and all their products are formulated with pure plant extracts, essential oils, and aromatic botanicals.

Next get your nails done or just pick-up some fun colors from essie!--

• Try Limo-Scene or Vanity Fairest for an enchanting night in with your loved one.
  

• Try After Sex or Fishnet Stockings for a swanky candlelight dinner for two.
  

• Try Bordeaux or Decadent Diva for a singles night out on the town.

Top off your beauty indulgence with some decadent chocolates! If you're like me and likely to eat a whole box of chocolates if it's placed in front of you, play it safe and go with a 4-piece Teuscher Champagne Truffle box or snap yourself a box of Richard Chocolates -- I just got these as a dinner party gift and the flavors which include ginger, curry, basil, and other exotic ones satisfied my chocolate craving without making me want to eat the whole box -- plus the flavors, meant for indulging in "the art of tasting," are definitely memorable:)

One of the latest ways celebs are spicing-up their traditional black looks is with white metallic nail polish. Never would have thought this! I'm currently all over a vibrant red from essie called escapades, but I have to say Kate Winslet (pictured above with Oprah), makes the color look tempting. Kate's nails were done by Deborah Lippmann who used a shade from her collection called Rhapsody In White. Kate also wore this shade on her fingers and toes when she picked-up her two Golden Globes!

I tracked down four celebrities' favorite essie shade -- Can you guess which celebrity goes with which nail polish color?

                               Power Lunch, Wicked, Ballet Slippers, Baby Cakes

Jump for the answers!

In the Sunday Style section of The New York Times there was a round-up article on nine multi-tasking beauty products and one of them was Revolution Organics All-Over Body Balm, ($28) which I've been meaning to write about! I've been using it on and off for the last few months and it's wonderful for on-the-go moisture. The balm looks like an over-sized chapstick, but the cool thing about it is that it has over 22 different uses (from relieving chapped lips, to soothing dry spots, to nourishing dry cuticles)! Such a useful space-saver in both my bathroom and my handbag. More recently though I tried out the Revolution Organics All-Over Skin Creme, ($33)
which I've been using when I'm on the move as well (it's a travel-friendly size), on my hands (though you can use it anywhere, I don't find it greasy enough to use on my body). It has a lemon meringue pie sort of smell which I surprisingly like (the products are scented only with USDA-certified perfume blends). Plus like all of Revolution Organics products it has a certified organic USDA seal (meaning its held to the same standards as the food we eat), it's free of chemicals, parabens, synthetics, artificial ingredients, and fillers (including water!). All the products in this line come in small packages, but don't be alarmed by the seemingly high prices given their sizes (especially the Skin Creme) -- the products are potent enough that you'll only need a little (remember they don't use fillers!).

Sure there has been some bad and there definitely has been some ugly, but overall when it comes to beauty trends, 2008 was a smashing success! Check-out the first half of our Snob Trends of 2008!

1. Women Secretly Swear by their Clarisonic: I am OBSESSED with the Clarisonic! It is THE beauty product of 2008. It will clear your skin, make your pores smaller, and leave your face as soft as a baby's bum! Hands down worth every single penny it will cost you.

2. Mascara Wars: It was the battle between Lancome Oscillation, Estee Lauder's Turbo Lash, Givenchy's Phenomen 'Eyes Mascara , and SpinLash's Rotating Wand. In my book, it's Givenchy all the way!

3. Michelle Obama: Head-to-toe, the world was obsessed with every piece of Mrs. Obama!

4. Gadget Madness: Ladies went gaga for technology this year with everything from Zeno's Pro Acne Clearing Device, which uses heat to kill pimples, to Clean & Clear's Blackhead Eraserwhich uses a vibrating motion and foaming pad to exfoliate dead surface skin and remove dirt and oil.

5. Crimson Lips: For when you feel like making a statement -- just don't forget to brush your hair or risk looking like a Courtney Cox-esque train wreck! Plus, loving this trend is the perfect excuse to indulge in Kanebo's Crimson Red shade, Ginza, which is made with 24kt-gold-infused silk!

More after The Jump!

Dame Edna is the muse for MAC's post-holiday collection this year and the flamboyant lady, played by Australian comedian Barry Humphries, was recently on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to discuss her upcoming collection with MAC. The line will be available in North America beginning December 26th and internationally January 2009. The packaging is quirky and will please any Dame Edna fans (you'll find her signature glasses all over the place). That said, like the MAC Hello Kitty collection I'm not a huge fan of these kinds of collaborations and rather my makeup look sleek and simple. I couldn't ever imagine myself pulling-out a lilac compact from my bag that was accented with outlandish glasses and glitter! For those that go for this collection though you'll find heavy-on-the-lilac lipstick/lipglass, eye shadow, highlight powder and nail lacquers. If Dame Edna isn't your style go for classic MAC with the MAC Chill collection where you'll find no frills packaging and lips of Naked Frost, eyes in Arctic Grey, and a deep black velvety new Penultimate Eye Liner. More details on this and on the MAC Dame Edna line after the Jump!