China Glaze Crackle

(Crushed Candy)

(Crushed Candy overTart Deco)

(Black Mesh)

(Black Mesh over Funny Face)

Well, I'm not going to say I went on an epic journey in search of OPI's Shatter (part of the Katy Perry collection) because that would make me sound crazy. And I'm not crazy. Ok, fine, I'm a little crazy. Their shatter polish is close to impossible to find. And I searched....several locations. It was exhausting. So I conceded the fact that I wasn't destined to test this one out. Then I read that China Glaze (love them) was coming out with six crackle polishes.

So I set out on a new search thinking these would be much easier to find. Sadly, that was not the case. After searching every Sally Beauty in a 20 mile radius (right back to the crazy), I let my fingers do the walking online. Success! I found the full collection on Amazon. So I ordered Black Mesh (black) and Crushed Candy (turquoise).

When they arrived on my doorstep, I already had Essie's Tart Deco (best coral ever) on. And even though I knew I was heading in the direction of a dilapidated South Beach art deco building I put the turquoise over the coral. Holy 80's! But I have to admit I loved it.

My next color combo was Essie's Funny Face (hot pink) and Black Mesh. Which I'm currently wearing. And let me say, this stuff has some wearing power. Admittedly, I feel like I'm back in high school rocking these crazy nails but I really like it. It's fun. And why can't we as adults have a little fun? Plus this is definitely an attention-grabber. It's solicited no fewer than six rave reviews in the last couple of days.

If you are a crackle addict, I suggest you snap these up quickly because as with OPI's Shatter, China Glaze Crackle is limited edition. Get cracking! (Pun intended.)

Fall 2011-NYFW

I'm about to burst with excitement over Fashion Week. Despite the city being buried in snow and slush, it's going to be amazing!

Let the shows begin. (Below is an image from Rachel Zoe's presentation- loving the red!)

(image via Style.com)

Pretty in Pink

Looking tired is pretty terrible. The only thing worse is when people say "Wow, you look tired." It's the nice way of saying "Hey you look like garbage." Sadly, looking tired is how it goes a lot of the time. Try as I might, there are some days I just can't cover it up. There is only so much you can do to look refreshed outside of getting a solid eight hours of sleep (which sounds delightful, but oh so tough to do).

My go-to product for looking full of life, like I got some actual rest, is blush. Looking like you have a natural flush makes you look perky and ready for the day or night. My new favorite is Chanel's Blush Duo Tweed Effect in Tweed Fuchsia.

Winter has made my already other-worldly, pasty skin an even whiter shade of pale. It's almost scary. This blush gives a gorgeous, springy glow to my skin and brightens up my entire face. It's so damn cute too, open up the gorgeously shiny black compact to expose the blush which is made to look like....you guessed it....tweed. And it does. It's both colored and textured to look like the fabric. But the best part is that the mixture of dark and light pink is the perfect combination to give an I-just-took-a-stroll-around-the-block glow. The shimmer is super subtle and doesn't look glittery at all. A couple of quick swipes to each cheek along with some mascara and you're set.

I'm sad this was a limited edition product (it's still available in other shades), so obviously I'll be holding onto this like Golam does his precious. Yep, it's that good. Seriously, I walked into work the other day to several co-workers saying "You look so pretty, are you wearing blush?" Why yes I am, and despite the fact that probably means the rest of the time I look half-dead, I took the compliment and went about my day and secretly noted that I need to wear this blush every day from now on.

Hey Pretty Lady

There are some things that are just undeniable. And the fact that I have a major girl-crush on Karen Elson is one of them. This woman is stunning. She's walked countless runways, graced the pages of numerous publications, plus she's an uber-talented singer on top of all that. Oh and she's married to rock star Jack White.

Is there anything about this woman that I'm not jealous of? Umm, the answer is no. She makes the vampire-pale skin look ethereal, her red hair is fiery and enviable enough to want to run out to the nearest salon with her picture in tow and her soft, calming voice is hypnotic.

Here are a few of my favorite images from her cover story for UK Haper's Bazaar's October issue. Gorgeous!

(al images via Harper's UK)

Change can be good

(all images via People.com)

We've all been stuck in a style rut. It happens. And honestly, when something works for you, why mess with it? I agree, for the most part.

I've just become utterly bored with Jennifer Aniston on the red carpet. Really, just rotate out her outfit and it might as well be the same picture. What made me really think about this was her recent interview in Allure where she states that she hated the "Rachel" haircut, the only real change in her style for years. Don't get me wrong, she looks amazing but I want to see something new.

Truthfully, I wear my hair pretty much the same exact way every day. But I'm not attending premieres and events constantly, nor do I have a hair stylist on speed dial. If I did, I might experiment a little more. And that's all I'm asking- change it up once in a while Jen. Even when she throws it in a ponytail it's a nice departure from the same old thing.

Does anyone else feel this way or am I just being picky?

Tarte Yourself Up

(Lively-hot pink/matte)

(Lust-bright red)

(top: Lust, bottom: Lively)

I know there are throngs of lipgloss fans, I am not among them. Gloss is sticky, my hair gets stuck in it and it's just not my style. Lipstick is definitely better in my book, but can feel fussy at times. But I do love a good lip color and with all the fun new colors that are here for spring I need something...better. Tarte has the answer with their LipSurgence natural lip tints (regular gel and matte formulas).

These chubby, crayon-like sticks are phenomenal. The fat, pencil design is perfect for grab and go. And application is pretty simple, even without the aid of a mirror or other reflective surface (come on, we've all applied makeup using a window). You can't really miss with one of these.

LipSurgence claims to increase lip's moisture by an astonishing 6000% in 28 days. While I certainly don't buy that kind of improvement, they are incredibly moisturizing. Even the matte formula packs some serious moisturizing power. They taste like a delicious peppermint treat and wear beautifully. The gel formula has a bit less wear time than its matte mate. I wore Lust out to lunch and by the end of my goat cheese salad, it was completely gone. Fortunately, they are perfect for toting along anywhere, so I just reapplied and was good to go. The matte formulas are highly pigmented and hold up much better during a meal.

I certainly plan on adding a few more of these to my arsenal. You can purchase here http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-shop-lips.

Mud on your face, this is no disgrace

It's a toxic world, and boy does it show on your skin. Well, at least on mine it does. The elements, the air or grime as the case may be, really wear on the dermis. Unfortunately, in the last year my skin has rebelled against any and all things I introduce to it. I have tried every single thing under the sun to clear up blemishes and make my skin look new.

I read about Fresh's Umbrian Clay Purifying Mask and my interest was piqued. However, the hefty price tag that came with it was a strong deterrent. So I admired from afar and longed to try it. Finally after ample pining, a sample tube crossed my path and I quickly scooped it up to give this wondrous mask a whirl. It had me sold immediately.

It looks like mud: green, disgusting mud. And it smells kind of funky. And once applied, you look like a swamp-thing and will probably scare small children (grown men too). But man does this stuff work! This detoxifying mask is like rehab for skin. It cleans up facial oil spills like nobody's business, and it helps blemish-prone skin go from spotted to clear in a matter of days.

I recently started applying the mask at night and leaving it on while I sleep. I rinse it off in the shower the next morning and my skin feels amazing. You can just let it dry and then rinse, results are just as good. It also works as a great spot treatment. Blemish = no problem- dab a little of the green goo onto your spot and wake up to a diminished dilemma. This mask is totally worth looking like you just climbed out of a marsh.