In Bloom

I've talked about my affinity obsession for blush before. I love it all. But a good cream blush makes you look instantly healthier. It provides an ultra-flattering and natural looking flush along with a creamy dewiness that a powder blush just can't create.

Smashbox's Spring Collection has a cream cheek duo (blushing/peony) that is just amazing! Both colors are gorgeous. Blushing is a peachy-pink that will be suitable for my less-than-tan complexion year-round and Peony is deeper pink that will undoubtedly be perfect in the summer when I'm looking sunnier (by way of faux tan, of course). Mixed together the color is stunning. So there you have it, two equally pretty colors that are wonderful alone and just as gorgeous when mixed together. Smashbox has taken all the work out of blending the perfect shade.

Blush in cream form has numerous advantages, and application is one of them. It couldn't be easier. With powder blush you need a brush, with cream you can brush it on (I recommend a stippling brush) or use your fingers. The heat from your hands will help melt the product just enough for a smooth application. If you've applied foundation, cream blush can be applied much more seamlessly. You'll look delicately flushed, instead of feverish and there will be no tell-tale blush lines.

Hooray!

(image via People.com)

I am a HUGE fan of Jen's new look.

How about you?

I guess she took my advice.

Biotin To The Rescue

When do you feel most beautiful? Makeup can cover up blemishes and add emphasis to your natural coloring. And while I clearly love makeup, I feel at the top of my game when my hair is in killer condition. A good hair day is a good day indeed.

Bad hair can mess up your entire look and make you feel less than satisfied with your overall appearance. Lately, stress has been wreaking havoc on my hair. It's been coming out at a much more rapid pace when I wash it, and it's been abnormally lackluster. And a little birdie (ok, my mom) told me to give Biotin a whirl. Man, am I glad I did. This little miracle pill has turned my hair around in a matter of weeks.

My hair is stronger, longer and visibly shinier. I don't mean to sound like a hair commercial but it's that good. Bonus effect, my nails are stronger as well. I just pop one every day after eating and that's it. I have never been good at taking vitamins. I always start out strong and then about a week or two into it, I fizzle out and I'm left with a half-full bottle of expensive vitamins. These I remember to take, they don't smell so horrible you want to gag like most other vitamins, and they are relatively cheap. I got mine at my local Walgreen's. Generic is fine by me thankyouverymuch.

Stress be damned, I will have good hair and in turn feel a little less stressed. Thanks Biotin.

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)