Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all and to all a beautiful night!! xx

Black Pearl: A Love Story

Oh Chanel, how do I love thee?

Chanel constantly churns out phenomenal colors. Their cosmetics are coveted by beauty and fashion elite alike. And while most of us can't afford one of the gorgeous quilted bags, we can afford a blush, eyeshadow or nail polish. Each piece is housed in a sleek black casing with the gleaming white, interlocking Cs. Season after season, Chanel releases limited edition polish colors which just the mere mention of incites an immediate need for that polish. You don't just want it, you need it. Hence the crazy fast sell-outs (remember Jade?). Black Pearl is a need. Trust me, you need this polish. Go. Buy. It. NOW! (Seriously, before it's sold out.)

Seen first adorning the nails of the models on the Chanel runway in Paris, the blurry backstage photos of the bottle were enough to create a major buzz about the mysterious Black Pearl. I have been patiently awaiting the release of this particular color and now it's finally here! It will be available at Chanel counters in January, but you can purchase it now on Chanel.com.

Two coats gives great coverage and the color is a perfect murky greenish black. I'm in lacquer heaven. This is totally a gift to myself. A very Merry Christmas to me!

And the Winner is.....

Drum roll please.....Fritos and Foie Gras is the lucky winner! Congratulations. Please email me the address you would like me to send your polish.

Disclaimer- Justin actually was the original winner of the drawing, but as he said, he wouldn't know what to do with it.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Chanel Giveaway

Happy Holidays dear readers! It's definitely the most wonderful time of the year. And to help spread a little holiday cheer, I'm giving away a bottle of Chanel's Le Vernis in Pulsion (part of their Holiday 2010 collection). Chanel chose a bright pink theme for this season.

To enter, please follow The Beauty Beat and leave a comment with your favorite holiday color be it red, green, gold, silver or pink!

The deadline to enter is midnight, Monday December 20th. I want to make sure the lucky winner has their polish for the holiday. One winner will be chosen at random and announced on December 21st. (One entry per person please). Good luck!!

A Little Sparkle for the Holidays

Who doesn't love a little something sparkly for the holidays? Exactly, we all do. To fulfill my sparkly dreams I've been wearing China Glaze's Glam lately and it's the perfect amount of holiday glitz.

As I've mentioned before, sometimes I fear that sparkles, glitter or any variation on the theme can be a touch juvenile. Well, not this polish, this is just plain fun! It's a clear polish with pieces of pink glitter. I have received so many compliments and questions on what I'm wearing. It's definitely an eye-catcher.

It's fun without being too much. And even though it's pink it goes with everything. If you want a little sparkle this holiday season, I suggest giving this one a try.

Jewelry of the Month?

(image via Styelist)

I realize this post isn't about beauty but I felt like discussing it anyway, so here we go. JewelMint is a new jewelry line collaboration between Kate Bosworth and celeb stylist Cher Coulter.

While leafing through January's issue of Lucky Magazine, which the lovely Kate is on, I was able to preview some pieces from the collection. Kate wears several on the cover including a set of earrings and some stackable rings (which are super cute). But what really caught my eye was the "Poseidon" pendant. I love long, statement necklaces, so I immediately went online to JewelMint's site to buy it. I was already sold from the picture. Sadly, when I got to the page, I was met with confusion followed by frustration.

I really just wanted to find the necklace and purchase it. However, apparently you need to sign up for an account for $29.99/month. You take a style quiz to determine which pieces of jewelry are recommended for your specific tastes and each month you receive a piece of jewelry in the mail. It seems you can skip any month you aren't in love with something. I have to say I'm not really into the process. As I mentioned, I became frustrated and I closed out of the website. Maybe I'll revisit in the future but for now, I think I can just find something similar in the same price range that I can instantly purchase and enjoy.

Has anyone tried JewelMint? And if so, what are your thoughts, is it worth signing up?

Chipped Polish...On Purpose?

(my messy mani)

(professionally messy mani, via Stylelist)

One person's trash is another person's....trend? Well, that seems to be the case with, of all things, chipped nail polish. I know, I know, it used to be the tiniest of chips required a complete redo. Nowadays it seems chipped polish is, dare I say it, stylish.

To me, this look will never be stylish. I think it looks sloppy and gives the impression you don't care. Maybe that is part of the appeal. But honestly, are people really paying to get chipped manicures? That seems silly. Just look at the pictures of my manicure (which I did myself and lasted a full two weeks before chipping!) chipped from regular wear and tear. It got a little out of control from a particularly large batch of dirty dishes and fervent typing. I took it off immediately after documenting my mussed up nails.

Listen ladies, I'm all for trying out the latest and greatest. And all too often I eagerly shell out my hard-earned money in the name of beauty, but this isn't just isn't for me.

Has anyone gone for a chipped mani? I'm curious what one entails.