LUSH Silky Underwear

I've talked about my obsession with LUSH before. It knows no bounds. They are constantly reeling me in with their fabulous products.

This time it's their Silky Underwear dusting powder. Gone are the days when dusting powder was only acceptable for the over-60 set. And let me tell you, if you haven't introduced dusting powder into your beauty routine, now is the time.

Both coasts have been experiencing some serious heat. And I may not have mentioned that one of my lesser qualities is my, ahem, unladylike sweating. I know, it's not attractive, but it happens. This powder is fantastic at keeping you cool and dry even on the steamiest of days.

Tiny bits of cocoa butter have been added to the powder to keep skin moisturized and the cornstarch and kaolin keep you dry. The best of both worlds! The powder is scented with both jasmine and vetivert, but these subtle scents do take a backseat to the cocoa powder (which is not a bad thing).

I like to apply this after I've toweled off from a shower. The canister has seven holes and I highly recommend opening the top so just a tiny sliver of one of them is open, otherwise you'll wind up with powder everywhere. Dust liberally all over your body for a nice subtle scent and to help keep you cool throughout the day. Also don't forget your feet; apply before putting on shoes or sandals, it will keep your tootsies dry and help prevent sweat-induced blisters.

I'll have a Guinness....eyeshadow that is

(image via nymag.com)

Style icon and heiress, Daphne Guinness is the new face of NARS Cosmetics. Sporting her namesake eyeshadow in the ad, she clearly exudes the NARS aesthetic.

Daphne's the perfect representation of the wild and vibrant colors that Francois cooks up season after season. "When I started thinking about colors that meant Daphne to me, purple felt right - and when I tried it on her at the shoot, I immediately knew it needed to be named for her," Nars added.

If you haven't heard Daphne's name before you should familiarize yourself now, there is sure to be more of this collaboration in the future. The collection launched July 15th. (www.narscosmetics.com)

Pretty Pretty Polish

The fabulously chic editors of Lucky Magazine have a knack for calling the shots on "the next big thing." And it's no different in recent months. This time it's nail polish.

Kim France, Lucky's Editor in Chief, talks about her purple polish experience with "William Tell Me About Opi" here. The color isn't available in stores until August 1st (part of the Swiss Collection release) but don't you want to run out and snag this the second they put it on the shelf? I know I do! The deep eggplant color is perfect for fall and will look equally as sophisticated on fingers and toes.

And Beauty Director, Jean Godfrey-June, has done it once again. She's spotted what is sure to be the I-must-have-it-now color for fall, golden beige. Seen strutting down the runway in Paris, it's only a matter of time before the rest of the fashion and beauty world follows suit. You can try the recipe provided by Lucky or, for those you with a more ready-to-wear take on the process, try Deborah Lippman in Believe.

Lucky really nails it every time!

See Spot Disappear

I have always been blessed with fairly clear skin.. that is, until recently. In the last year my skin has decided to go haywire. And of course it usually occurs right before I'm about to go to an event like a wedding or an important work function. We've all been through this scenario: wake up the day of said event, head to the bathroom to primp, look in the mirror and blink sleepily, hoping that horrific spot on your face is a dream, fully wake up to realize nope, it's an eruption, panic ensues. Not cute.

While there are tons of products out there now claiming to work overnight, it's truly unlikely it will be that quick to fully zap a newly formed pimple- sorry but that's the reality of it. However, with Sonya Dakar's Drying Potion, you can see a dramatic difference in just one night. That's all that can be asked, really. Reducing redness and swelling and drying-out the aforementioned spot is good enough for me.

This potion does just that. This is some serious stuff. During your beauty sleep this white lotion goes to work on imperfections, drying out the spot and making it much less noticeable by morning. A couple of nights worth of using this and you can expect clear skin instead of a fully formed pimple. It sort of tingles when you apply it, likely due to the menthol and peppermint oil (also the predominant aromas) and it dries to a powder-like form. Even if you toss and turn like I do, it stays on all night. Wash off in the morning and check out the handy work. I purchased this for $25 at my local beauty store and it's worth every penny. It's saved many a picture from post-event retouching.

Natalia, Karen and Christy

(images via fashiongonerogue.com)

I love the August and September issues of magazines. You get to see all the new advertising campaigns. I've always enjoyed leafing through the glossy pages and seeing the latest in beauty and fashion come to life.

Well, Louis Vuitton has always been consistently strong in their advertisements. They are always shot by a high-profile photographer, and the top tier hair and makeup artists coif the subjects to sheer perfection. And for their Fall-Winter 2010 campaign it is no different. Photographer Steven Meisel enlisted the expertise of hair genius Guido Palau and makeup guru Pat McGrath. And the end product is amazing!

The images elicit a very Mad Men-esque vibe. Natalia Vodianova, Karen Elson and Christy Turlington, each style icons in their own right, make up a hell of a team. Their beauty spans the age brackets (Natalia in her 20s, Karen in her 30s, and Christy in her 40s). How gorgeous do they look? I mean, honestly, each lady is oozing sex appeal without being overt. And I love how they are seemingly "caught in the act" of preening backstage.

There is not one thing I don't love about these ads. From the soft, earthy makeup tones for fall (put a few on your lists now, ladies) to the old-school-glam ponytails, I'm sold. While I won't be purchasing any LV items in the near future, I have been inspired to try some new fall beauty routines.

Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday! And remember to wear sunscreen.