Simply Divine

I have been searching for the perfect pink nail polish for the summer. I wanted something not too neon, and not too fuchsia.  I happened to be at Target (which now has Essie and OPI!) and I was hoping to find something by one of those lines. Nothing was hitting me, so I perused the cheaper lines as you never know what you might find. To my delight, out popped this amazing, watermelon shade of pink by Sally Hansen. EXACTLY what I was looking for. It was under $6 and the color is called Simply Divine. It is going to be my signature color for summer...

sorry for this odd picture of my hands, but this is how it looks on...

it is also almost the exact shade of my new favorite cardigan from J.Crew

can you tell I am feeling PINK this season? It's kind of my new favorite pop of color...

These Lips...

I just purchased Nars Schiap which is part of their semi-matte lipstick line. I am in LOOOOVE. It's the perfect hot pink, great for summer with a soft subtle eye and a nice warm tan. I am kind of obsessed with this semi-matte finish, it is super long lasting, but not dry at all and has a really nice velvety finish. Here are some celebs sporting this look...I think Alexis Bledel is my favorite. What a stunner!

images via ca-beauty.com

Hello, Bright Eyes!

I feel like I have been on a never ending search for the perfect under eye concealer. I have tried many different lines, and what I have found is that they are usually very thick and very dry, which shows every teeny, tiny crease and wrinkle that you may have. It's terrible! Well, let me tell you, I have found my dream product!

Laura Mercier makes the most perfect product called the "Secret Concealer". It is an ultra-moisturizing concealer that is designed specifically to hide discoloration and, ahem, dark circles (perfect for this mom who doesn't quite get those 8 hours of blissful sleep anymore...). I really could not believe how great the product goes on, and how it truly covered up dark circles without giving me raccoon eyes! It also comes in a tub, which is wonderful to keep the product moist and not dried up. and a little goes a LOOOONG way, so you can really get your $22 worth.

I am going to give a shout out to my girl Maria, who manages the  Laura Mercier counter at Nordstrom, here in Kansas City. She introduced me to the product, and now I will never buy anything else. Thanks Maria!!!!

next mission...the perfect lip pencil!

Make it Wicked with a touch of Vamp

About the time that I bust out my fall boots is when I also make the change to darker nail polish. I kind of love it...it's such a change from my usual candy colored toes and soft opaque nails. Over the years I have perfected the dark nail. Keep them super short, somewhat square and these high-maintenance dark nails REQUIRE a good top coat to keep them from chipping. My fave is Duri, but any top coat will do.

Here is my evolution in the range of dark nails...I started off with the classic Chanel Vamp (a deep red with a touch of shimmer)...

and then I graduated to Essie's Wicked (a FAB deep dark red)

Then I got a little daring with OPI's Eiffel for this color (Wine shimmer)

When I got bored with all of these I moved on to Lincoln Park After Dark (Matte) A midnight meets purple super dark polish...

Oh and if you are not sure what it would look like on your nails, OPI now has a FABULOUS "try it on" application on their website. It's pretty amazing, and it saves you the trouble of wasting a whole bottle on something you don't like!!!

she makes a pretty good hand model doesn't she?...

It's the little things...

If you have ever lived in Chicago (or even visited) You may have happened upon a wonderful little beauty supply store on Oak Street called Bravco. It's tucked away in a 2 story brownstone (2 doors down from Barney's Chelsea Passage entrance) and it is full of tons of little gems in the beauty supply world.

One of my favorite things that they carry hair accessories by a brand called Smoothies. Now, these aren't your normal ponytail holders or bobby pins. The Bobby Pins come in brown, black and gold to match your hair color. They also make ones that are really small that are perfect for those of us with thinner hair. They are great for when you want to do little twists and braids because they tuck perfectly into your without being noticed.

Their Blax Snag free hair elastics are the best! They prevent hair from breakage and they also come in different colors and thicknesses. I love the clear ones because again, you can do many different things with your hair and you don't have to deal with a big thick ponytail holder.

Since I am no longer within walking distance to Bravco, I now have to order Smoothies products online. Thankfully they have a WONDERFUL website. Check it out...smoothiesbyintuition.com