2017

My Favorite Everyday Neutral Nail Polishes

February 14, 2017

Today’s post is another one by popular request. It seems like neutral nail polishes are what a lot of you need recommendations for and I totally understand the pain of finding a good one. There are so many neutral options but many are that either too sheer, too light, too pink or really beige and if you’re like me you’ll go to the store, look at all the OPI or Essie options and think hmmm a lot of these look really similar. I’ve found that something with a bit of pink and nude mixed together works best for my olive skintone. I’m still on the hunt for the perfect light nude peach that isn’t too yellow, too orange or beige. I love the look of OPI Samoan Sand on others but on me it’s a bit too dark and a bit too peachy. I did a similar post back in 2014 of my Favorite Nude Pink Polishes. Today I have an updated version although a few of them will be on repeat because I just haven’t found anything better.

If you see me wearing a nude polish, there is a really good chance that it’s either Tom Ford Sugar Dune, Essie Topless and Barefoot or Burberry Nude Pink. All three are very similar – the difference is slight in undertone but pigment and wear time is also different. Many times you just don’t know what a color will look like until you try it on your hands. Something that looks incredibly boring in the bottle like Tom Ford Sugar Dune ends up being one of the prettiest soft nude pinks ever. If you think all these look the same you’re right but I’ll add descriptions on what makes them each unique so you can find the right one for you.

Lineup in natural light:

Descriptions as I see them and notes on how many coats it takes for full coverage:

Essie Spin the Bottle is a nude pink with slight warmth to it, it’s one of the few ones that has a bit of beige and peach that I can wear, this one takes two coats for full coverage and the best way to make it last is with Seche Vite top coat, although many of you have recommended the Essie No Chips Ahead
Essie Topless and Barefoot is one of my most-worn polishes, it’s a nude pink and has more pink than Spin the Bottle, this one unfortunately almost always gets tip wear on me within 7 hours to 1 day no matter what top coat I use, but I still love the color so with this one I’m going to try it with the Essie top coat once I have a chance to go pick one up, this one always need 3 to 4 coats for me
Louboutin Tutulle (all 10 of the nudes swatched and reviewed here) is one of the best nude beige pink polishes I’ve tried, all the Louboutin nudes are just flawless, it has smooth shiny coverage and only takes 2 coats and usually lasts a minimum of 7 days without chipping or tip wear
Tom Ford Sugar Dune is a light powdery looking cool pink, on the hands it gives the most polished elegant look I’ve seen, I get full coverage with two coats but there are times I need three
Chanel Organdi (reviewed here) is another great neutral, this is one of the darker colors but it’s still light enough in color that it gives the hands the look of being lighter and brighter, this has medium coverage in texture but you can get full coverage with two thin coats
OPI Mimosas for Mr and Mrs is one of the sheerest neutrals I own and takes a minimum of 3 coats, the result is a clean looking light pink neutral though so sometimes when I have patience I’m ok with the extra work it takes
OPI Be There in a Prosecco (application shown here) is one of the lightest polishes I have that isn’t a pure white but pretty close, it has a bit of cream in it without being yellow, this gives the effect of white polish but it’s not as harsh on the skin, this one has full coverage with two coats, the first coat will be streaky but it will even out with the second
Dior Incognito is a classic neutral pink with warmth, for me this looks better when I have a tan, but I love that it’s semi sheer but still incredibly smooth with a flawless high shine finish, I need two coats with this one
Burberry Nude Pink (also reviewed here) is another classic, it’s lasted over two years and is still just as good as when I bought it, many of mine last for years, it’s a great opaque neutral nude pink, full coverage achieved with two coats
Nails Inc. Bond Street Passage is a new one to me, it’s not really one I’d consider in the neutral category because it looks more like a mauve pink in the bottle, on the hands it pulls more like a neutral with a pink kick, this is a one coat wonder but I still prefer it with two coats to get a more cushiony look, I haven’t tried much from this line, so far only 3 polishes, but every time I do I’m really just blown away by the pigment in their polishes!

Swatches on the nail wheel, all of these have two coats with the exception of OPI Mimosas for Mr. and Mrs. which has 4 and Essie Topless and Barefoot which has 3:

Swatches in natural lighting for each of these polishes, OPI Be There in a Prosecco (Ulta Beauty), two coats:

OPI Mimosas for Mr and Mrs (Ulta Beauty), three coats:

Two coats, mug from Etsy:

Essie Topless and Barefoot (Ulta Beauty), three coats:

Essie Spin the Bottle (Ulta Beauty), three coats:

Burberry Nude Pink (Nordstrom), two coats:

Tom Ford Sugar Dune (Nordstrom), two coats:

Chanel Organdi (Chanel.com), two coats:

Louboutin Tutulle (Nordstrom and Sephora), two coats:

Nails Inc Bond Street Passage (Sephora), two coats:

Dior Incognito (Sephora), two coats:

Another look of the polishes lined up in sunlight with flash:

You definitely do not need all of these, but I hope this helps compare colors in a side by side and swatch manner. I’ve accumulated many polishes over the past few years and these are my favorite neutrals that you can still find today. A few other favorites have been limited-editions from Dior and you can’t find them anymore so I didn’t want to include those in the roundup. As many of you have asked for recommendations that are in the more affordable price range I included Essie and OPI to the mix. I usually consider myself a lover of brighter or bold shades for the fingers like Chanel Camelia or Louboutin Miss Mars, but I really like the clean and almost brightening look of neutral nails.

My top three favorites of the moment: Tom Ford Sugar Dune, Louboutin Tutulle and Chanel Organdi.

Do you have any neutral favorites? I know the word “neutral” can mean something different to everyone, but I’d love to hear what yours are! They don’t have to be nude pinks like the ones I featured, let me know what has worked for you and if you can share your skintone that would be super helpful as well 🙂

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Beauty

Happy Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2017

Just wanted to wish my lovely readers a lovely Valentine’s Day! Hoping your day today (and everyday as well) is filled with love. This year my husband surprised me with one of the most amazing gifts I’ve ever received, a box of Venus Et Fleur Eternity roses. They’re supposed to last an entire year! I’m over the moon as my husband is usually one for giving practical gifts. For Christmas he bought us a new vaccuum the iRobot Roomba 980 as a gift for us, lol. For those wondering if it’s worth the extra price over the cheaper models, hands down yes it is.

There are a lot of rose box options you can pick from Venus Et Fleur. They have round and square box options and you can pick colors of roses for each arrangement – unfortunately the round ones are only available for delivery in NY (at least right now). These are real roses from Ecuador – they appear to have a light coating sprayed on them which is what I suspect helps keep them alive for an entire year, but according to their site they use a special method to keep color and freshness. No water is needed – all you need to do is keep them away from direct sunlight and at normal temperatures (card says 60 to 70 degrees).

I’m obsessed with the colors my husband picked out because when it comes to girly stuff he really has no idea about colors or things like that. A look at the roses – it’s a box of perfection!

New beauty post to follow very soon within the next hour or so. Hope your day is special whether you have a significant other or are single! xoxo

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Home / Interiors Lifestyle

On My Desktop + A Few FAQs

February 13, 2017

Shown above: Byredo Cotton Poplin, Chanel Le Rouge Crayon, Diptyque Baies, Tom Ford Venus Rising, Jason Wu for Caudalie, Chloe Perfume, J.Crew Irving Sunglasses, West Elm Tray

Happy Monday everyone – I hope you had a great weekend! I’ve received a lot of questions about my desktop, home decor and how I clean out candle jars to recycle them. I’ve shown snippets of our home and my desktops here and on Instagram – by popular request I have answers to the most frequently asked questions:

Where is your table from? Our marble table is from Crate and Barrel. We liked this one because of the size options and the simple classic yet modern design. If you search their tables you’ll find a wide range of tops and bases to pick from. I also work on a glass wood table – sometimes you’ll see my computer or what’s on my desktop. That table used to be called the Anderson Desk, but has been re-named Clear Glass Top/Elm Base Table (dimensions and style appear to be identical). This one also comes in different sizes.
Where do you get your trays? I love searching for decorative trays to help organize things. It usually takes me forever to find ones that are the right size and style! I have trays everywhere – on the nightstand, on my bookshelves, on my desks, in the bathroom, in the closet.
Where are your pink sunglasses from? They’re the J.Crew Irving although the pink color is sold out.
How do you clean out the wax from the candle jars without ruining the sticker? I did a post many years ago about how I clean out candle jars here. I use warm water and dish soap (or hand soap). For candles with stickers or labels I find Diptyque is the easiest to clean out – the sticker has a coating that makes it sturdy so you don’t have to worry about getting the exterior wet. Other brands like Byredo, Le Labo, Jo Malone, Cire Trudon or anything with a more delicate label so getting them wet will usually usually ruin the exterior. If you read the comments in the old thread you’ll see many other ways to clean out the wax. Do what works for you! I prefer warm water and soap to clean out the wax and any burnt remnants around the edges. I will say I tried putting several in the freezer and it did not do anything for me. I do suspect it depends how much wax is leftover after you finish burning.
How about the Diptyque Rosa Mundi 2017 version, can you recycle even though the exterior is paper? Yes you can, I got mine a little wet and it was just fine. That being said – since it is paper I wouldn’t soak it in water. I would try to keep the warm water inside only. If you get a little on the outside it won’t hurt it, I just wouldn’t let it sit on the paper. By the way, Rosa Mundi appears to be sold out almost everywhere. I ordered 2 more a few days ago from Neiman Marcus. If you have this on your radar I recommend you act soon.
You showed Nails Inc. Bond Street Passage on Instagram, can you do a neutral nail polish roundup? Yes! I will – finishing the last bits of swatching today so yes, I will be sharing my most-worn neutrals that work for my medium olive toned skin. A lot of beige nail polish pulls really warm and makes my hands look sallow so I’ve found the ones that have pink tones work best for me. Nails Inc Bond Street Passage (shown here and below) is more of a mauve pinky color, but still kinda in the neutral category.

Shown above: KNC Beauty Lip Masks (review soon), Nails Inc Bond Street Passage, Bite Beauty The Perfect Pair Amuse Bouche Duo (Thistle shown), MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lip Color in Sweet Thing, Dior Nude Air Luminizer Powders (reviewed here)

Hope this answered some of your questions! Many of you have asked for a home decor post and I’ve been working to put one together. I hope to have it up very soon.

One last thing, Chanel.com just launched the Rouge Coco Gloss (exclusive to them for now) along with four new nail polishes. I have not tried them yet but they are offering free overnight shipping for Valentine’s Day if you order by 4:00 PM EST on 2/13. Do note that nail polishes still require ground shipping (there will be an alert at checkout). I have my eye on the glosses in Subtil 744 and Rose Pulpe 728!

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Highlighters Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty Spring 2017 – Shade and Illuminate Lips + Cheeks

February 10, 2017

For spring Tom Ford Beauty brings us two new colors of the Shade and Illuminate Cheeks ($80 for .49 oz) and six new lip duos called Shade and Illuminate Lips ($60 each for .12 oz). The cheek duos are very sheer, glowy and dewy looking while the lip duos have medium to full coverage pigment and a unique modern velvet matte cream finish. Paired together they make for a fresh kind of look for spring with options for those who want neutrals and also those who like more color.

The Shade and Illuminate Cheeks has never really been something that appealed to me mainly because of the dewy factor. I approach solid creams compacts with caution because they often get really messy inside the pans and also because I have normal combo skin. Most dewy pots and compacts are simply too dewy and glowy for my skin alone although I have used them as a nice base for powder blush. They help the color adhere better versus applying on dry powdered cheeks. My holy grail cream highlighters are the Edward Bess All Over Seduction compacts (available in 3 shades). I’ve been using them for many many years and they remain my favorite.

The two new Shade and Illuminate Cheeks are gorgeous in the pans. Sublimate has a soft berry with a soft pale pink glow. Scintillate has a pretty light peach with a light champagne glow. On the cheeks they give a barely there hint of glow and color. I do like them as a base for powder blushes but by themselves on the cheeks they almost disappear onto my medium-toned skin. If you want a little bit of glow to dab on top of powder or use underneath these are worth a look. If you need color I would recommend opting for the Tom Ford Powder Blush instead – it appears they’ve all been reformulated with a new more refined pearl finish and there are three new shades in Disclosure, Gratuitous and Inhibition (I ordered 2 and they are gorgeous!).

Swatches compared to the SS16 Shade and Illuminate (review here) and Cream Cheek Color in Pink Sand (review here). The new Spring 2017 duos were swatched heavily so you can see the color, but once you blend them they pretty much sheer out to almost invisible.

Beauty look below wearing:

Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation in Bisque (review here)
Laura Mercier Candleglow Powder in #2 to set (review of 1, 2 and 3 here)
Tom Ford Warm Soleil Eye Cheek Palette eyeshadows, two lightest shades (review here)
Diorshow Brow Styler #2 on brows
Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Cheeks in Sublimate, both shades
Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Lips Impulse, both shades mixed
OPI Nail Polish in Be There in a Prosecco
Jcrew stripe top (old style)

The Shade and Illuminate Lip exceeded my expectations and every color is just amazing. These are duo compacts that have two shades and a little applicator brush. The applicators have a sponge tip and a brush tip – I tried both but really just prefer to use clean fingers to dab or a regular lip brush. Swatched on the arm and hand they almost melt to a high shine cream finish. On the lips they are more matte with a velvety cream texture. When I read these were contour duos I was really skeptical – it just seemed like a gimmicky way of being complicated and trying to make you feel like you need two colors instead of just one. After trying these I can really appreciate the versatility and design. You can wear each shade alone, but mixing them creates a better look in my opinion. I like to apply the darker shade first then dab the lighter one on top mixing the two for a creamy almost stained look.

Color descriptions as I see them, they’re all creams, no shimmer:

Automatic has a super pale nude pink and a tan beige (think Blush Nude and Sable Smoke)
Impulse has a perfect nude pink and rose pink
Possession has a bright baby pink and a bright medium pink
Saboteur has a violet cream and stained berry plum
Nikita has two variations of red
Tantalize has a soft peach coral and bright coral

I swatched all six individually and mixed so it was like swatching 18 lip products instead of 6. Due to time constraints I won’t be able to pull any comparisons for the next month. If you follow me on social you know I just had my wisdom teeth pulled (all 4). Swelling finally went down a little and I was able to get these up for those who shop online or who don’t test lip products at the counter (I’m with you there on avoiding germs). I have a few personal things going on right now so I’ll be restricted on time over the next month.

My long-time readers know I love neutral lips, but I can’t help but really like Possession and Tantalize! I find it hard to wear bright pinks because many times they’re too cool, too bubblegum or have way too much blue. Possession has enough warmth that I can wear it without it making my olive complexion look off. Tantalize mixed is such a pretty coral especially for warmer months. My absolute favorite is Impulse though – it may look a bit boring to some but if that’s the case then I love boring. The deeper rose shade is really special.

As a long-time Tom Ford Beauty fanatic I’m really happy with the lip duos. The Shade and Illuminate Cheeks are nice but not must-haves. If you like products like the RMS Living Luminizer or RMS Mix Master then you’ll most likely love these as well. For me they’re a bit too dewy and if you have oily skin I would definitely say pass. If you want something fresh and glowy for the cheeks I’d recommend you opt for the Cream Cheek Color in Pink Sand, Cheek Color (any shade) or the Sheer Cheek Duo in Bicoastal instead.

You can find the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Spring 2017 collection now online at Tom Ford, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Beautylish.

Have you checked these out yet? What did you think?

Spring 2017 Shade and Illuminate collection provided courtesy of Tom Ford Beauty for review.

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Lips Sephora

Kat Von D Beauty Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Noble, Muneca, Ophelia, Ludwig, Bow N Arrow and Lolita

February 8, 2017

Kat Von D Beauty launched new nude shades of the popular Everlasting Liquid Lipstick ($20 each for 6.6 ml) and being the neutral lip lover I am, I jumped on the bandwagon the day they launched. Thanks to sneak peeks on social I was able to see swatches and photos before ordering so I knew there might be one shade that wouldn’t work for me but decided to give it a try anyways. What I ordered: Muneca, Ophelia and Ludwig. I already own Noble, Bow N Arrow and Lolita so I decided to swatch them all for you side by side. Lolita is their best selling shade I think virtually everyone has tried so it serves as a good baseline for comparisons.

Many of you have raved about this formula and I’ve tried it and thought it was good but none of the shades really worked all that well for me with the exception of Bow N Arrow. The colors are super edgy and trendy and the conservative ones were too dark for my taste. Two of the new nudes are just absolutely perfect in color.

Left to right:

Noble is a pale peach nude cream it runs pale on me and with the high contrast to my natural lip tone is prone to streaking, but with a bit layering smooths out
Muneca is a pale pink peach, this one is not a good look on me, it’s a color I suspect I could mix with a darker shade or liner, but alone it just clashes with my skintone too much, looks chalky, streaky and emphasizes lip lines
Ophelia is a perfect nude peach, it’s described as a nude chestnut, I don’t really see it as a chestnut kind of color because it has some pink and peach in it, it’s just so perfect
Ludwig is the best one for me in my opinion, it’s a nude fawn shade that doesn’t wash out the complexion and pulls a bit deeper than Ophelia making it more wearable for me
Bow N Arrow is a beige nude that pulls cool toned on me, it looks amazing on fair complexions, I like the color but sometimes it can make me look a little dead
Lolita is a deep rose with cool tones, I have a love hate feel for this, sometimes it’s too dark and cool, right now I’m lighter in skintone and I actually really like it for a more dramatic neutral

Lip swatches on bare lips:

I really love the look of Ophelia and Ludwig – they are similar but for me different enough to justify both. I do favor Ludwig because it’s deeper and easier for me to wear color-wise. Lasting power is typical with these – they literally stay put all day long without budging and a little goes a long way. With these I had a learning curve with application – if you apply too much it can give me the shriveled lip look as many matte lipsticks can. With these apply a thin layer. Sometimes I’ll add a bit of balm or clear gloss on top just to give it a bit of shine – I know that kinda defeats the purpose of a full coverage matte liquid lipstick, but I like what I like. I like that these are unscented and don’t dry out my lips.

You can find the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks and new shades at Sephora and Kat Von D Beauty for $20 each.

Do you have any favorites?

P.S. This may be old news but I just saw travel sizes of the Lock-It Powder and Setting Spray launched so I picked up one of each to try during my last Sephora visit. And I know it’s been a long time since I did my Lock-It concealer swatches but I will review it soon.

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Beauty Favorites Nail Polish Skincare

How to Maintain Hands for Healthy Looking Nails + My Personal DIY Manicure Tips

February 7, 2017

The most frequently asked questions I receive from readers relate to hand and nail care. For my nail polish posts I feature a mix of DIY and salon manicures. Finding a good salon and a reliable manicurist can take some time, then maintaining the nails with professional care can take up to 1 hour for a regular manicure so that requires additional time. Because I did so many polish reviews and swatches over the past years I could not afford to get regular manicures with the frequency of reviewing polish – both with the cost and time. I had to learn how to do it on my own so I observed the techniques of my favorite manicurists and practiced on my own. I will say that regular salon manicures and pedicures are 100% worth the splurge. Often times during high-stress periods in my life I found it impossible to shut off my mind and de-stress, even after work hours. Manicures kind of helped me stay sane because when someone is working on your hands you’re pretty much stuck doing nothing except for fun brainless tasks like reading magazines or listening to music or watching YouTube videos on your phone. It helped my brain go into hibernate mode so to speak. Also there’s something refreshing about having freshly groomed fingers or toes that makes you feel instantly alive and more put together.

For hand and nail care I typically stick to a few tried and true items and it has been the case for several years. I did my Nail and Hand Care Essentials back in 2014 (wow time flies!) but many of you have asked for an updated post with a tutorial. I finally have one to share with you today and if you compare the posts you’ll see that not much has changed. A few notes for newbies. If your nails are not in the best state I would highly recommend getting them cleaned, cuticles trimmed and polished professionally. Doing something like a manicure once a month or every other week for a little while can help improve the look and health of your nails. I think they can work miracles! If you have any cracks, chipped nails, or problem areas, a manicurist can help smooth everything out nicely. Once they’re in a better state you can do touch ups or manicures at home in between professional manis.

Up first are the tools then a DIY manicure tutorial of how I maintain and paint my fingers. Note that even after all this time of practice I can’t give myself a pedicure without it looking like I gooped a bunch of finger paint on my toes.

Tools of the Trade

I wish there was one brand or store where I could find all the best tools, unfortunately there is not. If you’re going to use my list as a shopping list for yourself, you will have to do a bit of shopping around. Most of the items I’ve bought can be found at Sephora, Ulta and Nordstrom (my 3 favorite beauty stores). Many of the items can also be found online at Amazon. If you’re shopping in store – check the online store locators to check inventory first. Often times I’ve gone to Ulta and found they were sold out of all the items on my list. They do restock frequently but to save time it’s best to research online and make a list first if you’re going to go out to multiple stores. As usual I’ve linked all the products to where I’ve bought the items in the past.

Revlon Nail Clippers – these are an older style, I can’t remember how long ago I bought these, the current versions have an embossed pattern on the surface, to clip nails I recommend clipping about 1/2 to 1/4 of what you think you need to trim. It’s better to do it in stages and then clip more. My biggest challenge was over-clipping.
Nail files – I usually accumulate cheap ones here and there, I’m not brand loyal to any particular type.
Ulta Beauty Crystal Nail File is no longer available online but you can find one from the Sephora Collection that is only $10. These are great for those with sensitive nails, there’s no grit texture like with traditional files so it’s more gentle on the nails.
Deborah Lippman Cuticle Remover is what I call my secret weapon for nails. It softens the cuticle area so you can push back any excess skin to trim them. This is an essential in my routine. I don’t know if she changed the packaging – I’ve seen a few in stores with a brush applicator instead of the dropper.
Tweezerman Cuticle Nipper is what I use to trim cuticles, it fits well in the hands and does the job well, mine has lasted since 2014, I do need to replace it soon though.
Face It Pro Salon Nail Pusher is something I bought at a local Korean Supermarket (Zion Marketplace in San Diego), I have super tiny fingers so this one is a bit large for my hands but still works, I like the shape of the tools and quality.
Tweezerman Pushy Nail and Cuticle Cleaner has been my go-to tool to push back the cuticle area and keep fingers looking groomed. Also available at Amazon for a cheaper price.
Not shown above, but there was a limited-edition Zwilling Manicure Set my husband uses and loves, this has been discontinued but he likes the quality of their tools if you’re looking for items for your man.

Base and Top Coats

My absolute favorite base and top coats have now been discontinued (Deborah Lippmann Rehydrating Base Coat, Formula X Base Coat, Chanel Brilliance Top Coat and all the items from Rescue Beauty Lounge). I have still found some others that I really like.

Nails Inc. 45 Second Top Coat with Kensington Caviar is a great top coat that doesn’t have any shrinkage with polishes like Chanel, Dior or Tom Ford. Mine lasted about 2.5 years before it got thick and I had to throw it out. It lasted me so long because I rotate top coat brands. This one does dry within 45 seconds – just make sure your polish coats have properly dried first before applying. This gives the nails a super glossy cushiony look.
Nails Inc. base coats I’ve tired include the Nailkale Superfood Base Coat and the Base Coat with Kensington Caviar. I prefer the Nailkale Superfood Base Coat because it’s nourishing and doesn’t tint the nails. It has kale to strengthen the nails and keratin to help harden and stimulate growth. This is what I attribute to having healthy looking nails. With base coats I think it’s important to not apply too much – if it’s too thick it doesn’t dry properly and then polish on top just sits there. The Base Coat with Kensington Caviar has been a long-time go-to as well, but it can get a bit thick with age and it also can tint the nails pink.
Formula X Base Coat has been my favorite for a long time. Unfortunately it looks like the line has been pulled from Sephora. If you visit your store you may see a bunch of items on clearance. So stock up if you see any favorites there.
CND has been a long-time favorite. One of my salons used both the Stickey Base Coat and Super Shiny top Coat. They’re reliable staples and I highly recommend both.
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat has never really been a favorite because it has major shrinkage with brands like Chanel, Dior, Tom Ford, YSL and pretty much all the brands I use. It does work well with OPI, Essie and Louboutin though and since it dries quickly I like the way it works and looks. Your mileage may vary depending on what polish you use. If you find that Chanel or Dior gets really quick tip wear on you, check what top coat you’re using. Some formulas are not compatible with 5 free formulas and cause shrinkage which pulls back the polish from the ends like tips or cuticles.
Chanel Le Gel Coat is a newer top coat that Chanel launched. It wears really well and gives the nails a cushiony shine. I love this with Chanel polishes and it also works well with Dior.
Louboutin Loubi Primer and Loubi Gloss is one of the best nail care duos I’ve used. The price point is high and this comes as a duo. The primer keeps nails from yellowing and helps to hydrate them well. The top coat gives one of the best high-gloss shines I’ve ever seen and keeps polish lasting long for up to 7 days for me. It’s not the fastest drying duo but well worth the extra time it takes.

Extras

The extras that make a huge difference in hand care rounded up below:

L’Occitane makes some of my favorite hand creams, they’re great for dry skin and I love the fun packaging. For those with sensitive noses the Shea Butter is the best and most gentle. It has a very natural smelling scent that is soothing.
Molton Brown makes my favorite scented hand creams, they have a lightweight texture so they’re not greasy and I love their scents. Pink Pepperpod and Coco Sandalwood are my favorites but really all the options are great.
Kiehl’s introduced scented hand creams in a Limited-Edition Trio this year, you can buy them separately in a larger size, but the minis are exclusive to Neiman Marcus (while supplies last). The Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve is the unscented version and I also really like it. I don’t have one at the moment because my husband uses it as well and we go through them frequently.
Molton Brown Alba White Truffle Hand Treatment and Scrub are amazing for a hand cream and scrub. I’ve written about this duo before and absolutely love it. I’ve never done a hand scrub before trying this. Over the holidays a year ago many of you mentioned you do regular hand scrubs and that it works wonders on your hands.
Deborah Lippman Cuticle Oil has been my go-to for years. I’ve gone through several bottles and love it.
Dior Huile Abricot was interesting to me because it seemed to be less messy and easier to apply compared to most oils. It’s a great touch up for the cuticles and is super hydrating without getting messy. I really like it.
Two polish removers I swear by are Deborah Lippmann The Stripper and Zoya Remove +. If you find your nails peel it may be because you’re using harsh polish removers. Both of these are super gentle and good for sensitive nails. Amy from Cafe Makeup recommended the Zoya remover to me years ago and as her nails always look pristine I took her advice and am forever grateful for this discovery.
Chanel Le Coton is one of my favorite facial cottons, it’s bit spendy to use for polish remover but it soaks up a lot so you can use one square for one hand for lighter polishes. Facial Cotton review and comparison here.
Sephora Collection Cotton Rounds are great because they’re cheap and don’t leave fibers behind which can be super annoying when you need to get the nail surface completely clean. Love these and have have lost count of how many times I’ve ordered these.

The DIY Manicure

Step 1

Step 2 is optional, let the fingers soak with warm water and bit of hand soap to soften the cuticles. I absolutely love the Molton Brown Hand Washes – they smell amazing, don’t dry out the skin and I love the packaging.

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

Step 10 – Color is OPI Be There in a Prosecco

Step 11

Step 12

A few personal notes on nail care. I’m not a manicurist or nail professional but based on my experience I think the only way to avoid breakage is to keep nails on the shorter side. I do believe there are a lot of nail strengtheners and sometimes nail hardness depends on diet and health, but no matter what I do I can’t avoid breakage when they get long. For me playing frisbee always breaks my nails. On tip wear your mileage will vary depending on hand activity and nail length. The longer the nails the easier it is for the tips to come in contact with things like a keyboard or anything else you touch and therefore they get more wear than shorter nails. If you have broken chips, hang nails, cuts or any issue I highly recommend that you try to get them fixed by a professional manicurist – the few visits to get them to a healthy state is well worth the splurge. Also depending on hand or foot activities a salon can work wonders. I did ballet from the time I was 7 years old until 18 and my feet were badly calloused for years. I didn’t think there was anything I could do to get them fixed to a normal state. I did not get my first mani or pedi until I was 21 and was amazed at how much it improved my feet. It took about a year of regular pedicures every other week or so to get them into a presentable state.

Also a note on gel nails, I’ve never had my nails with gels so I can’t give any advice or input on those.

An extra step that I just started doing is masking my hands. I used on a few occasions the Glamglow Thirsty Mud Mask and SK-II Facial Treatment Mask on hands and afterwards it was like years had been lifted. I don’t know that I have the patience to do this on a regular basis but on super dry skin days with the dry weather this helped a lot.

I hope you found this roundup helpful! With nail care there are so many options to try – the fancy packaging and pretty bottles are always so tempting at the store. I get overwhelmed at Ulta and whip out my phone to look for online reviews, realize it’s going to take too much time to research and end up sticking with what I’ve tried and loved.

If you have any favorites, tips or tricks please share in the comments! My advice is practice makes perfect! It does take time and there were many times in the beginning I just gave up and ended up going to my salon because it would be faster and more efficient for them to take 40 minutes to an hour to do them rather than try to finish myself. I gave up many many times. Eventually I got better and can do both hands easily at home on my own. I still get professional manicures when time allows. I would say over the past year for reference that the vast majority of the nail polish reviews I did were done on my own. Ballpark figure is over 80% of the nail swatches were done on my own.

Press samples include the Molton Brown Alba White Truffle duo and Louboutin Loubi Nail Kit.

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Dior Highlighters

Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer Powder – New Shades

February 6, 2017

The Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer Powder in 001 ($56 each for 6 g/0.21 oz) was my favorite highlighter discovery last year for the beautiful lightweight sheen it gives the skin. This spring Dior has added three more shades to the formula in 002, 003 and 004 and I could not be more thrilled. The Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer Powder is described as “light as a breeze” and it is indeed lightweight and melds into the skin perfectly for a really pretty natural luminous glow. The shade will look different on you depending on skin tone, the original 001 has a gorgeous medium champagne beige with a slight golden peachy undertone. It looks different in the pan depending on how the light reflects on the compact. The shimmer is complex with a mix of different colors but it’s not frosty on the skin. I love how the color adds just the right amount of glow to the skin.

001 is still the best color for me in my opinion, but 004 is also really stunning. For me these highlighters are life! Close ups and descriptions of each shade. Everything about these is beautiful – they come with an embossed surface. Since they are highly reflective if you google reviews and swatches they may look different in photos depending on what light is used to photograph these. However the color really only varies in the pan, on the face it’s more consistent – of course it will look different on different skin tones though.

001 is a classic champagne beige gold
002 is a pale light opal pink
003 is a yellow gold shimmer
004 is a tan shimmer

Each of the highlighters comes with a protective soft pouch and mini kabuki style brush for application. The brushes are well made and usable but they tend to be smaller than what I prefer to use for highlighting powder so I keep them for setting powder touch ups instead.

Swatches with different lighting to capture the shimmer:

Undertone shown more here:

Close up of 001:

Close up of 002:

Close up of 003, long-time readers know I’m usually anti yellow gold highlighter for my already yellow olive skin. The combination of yellow golds often just makes my skin look really sallow, this one from Dior is a lot more wearable for me compared to the Laura Mercier Face Illuminator in Addiction (scroll down for comparisons):

Close up of 004, in my opinion the world needs more tan or darker highlighters, this one isn’t really all that dark, but it’s the darkest option and I think it’s just stunning:

All four swatched on the cheeks. I’m still learning how to do full face shots – the lighting, flash etc is tricky to get accurate. On the face I’m wearing the following items. Note that I only have the highlighters on the cheeks applied with a heavy hand so you can see the color differences. On normal days I would also add bronzer or blush and I would usually blend or sheer out the highlighter.

Foundation: NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in Groenland (review here)
Concealer: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard and Macadamia mixed
Powder: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus
Lips: Dior Lip Glow Pomade + Rouge Dior Lipstick in Rose Montaigne (reviewed here)
Brows: Diorshow Brow Styler 001

Left to right: 001, 002, 003 and 004

001 is my favorite because it looks the most natural. 003 is the most glowy/metallic on my skin – although I did apply with a rather heavy hand. If you apply and blend it with normal application it won’t look as frosty.

Comparison swatches:

Laura Mercier Face Illuminators in Indiscretion (peach), Devotion (pink), Addiction (yellow), Seduction (bronze) have a slightly more chunky sparkle by comparison even though I would not really call the shimmer chunky, they are a bit more sparkly in finish. Review of these powders here.

Natasha Denona All Over Face Glow Face and Body Shimmer in 02 is one of the prettiest tan shimmers I’ve ever seen but has a really strong frost shimmer, Diorskin Nude Air 004 is similar but slightly cooler in tone. Review of the Natasha Denona here.

I have more comparisons of the original in the Dior Skyline Fall 2016 post here.

Bottom line love. I own a lot of highlighters and have collected quite a few limited-edition shades over the years so I do own shades similar to 002 and 003 with a pink or gold undertone so I wouldn’t call them a must. That being said I do think the shimmer and finish is really pretty and the powders are versatile enough to use on cheeks and eyes or anywhere you want to highlight. I like that they don’t emphasize pores or look dry on my skin – many highlighters sometimes either emphasize pores or make my skin look kinda dry when they emphasize texture. The powder melds beautifully with the skin and I love how they wear. 001 is still my favorite and 004 is my new favorite because I find the color unique. At $56 each they are on the pricey side but I love how they look and wear. The compact is fairly sturdy as well. If I had one thing I would say I wasn’t a huge fan of is the fact that the mirrored compact gets dirty easily with fingerprints, however one gets over it quickly and they are easy to clean so no worries on that aspect.

If you have fair skin I suspect 001 will look more peachy or bronzey on your skin and therefore will find 002 to be more of a true highlighter on your skin. If you’re medium to tan I think all four would look good on your skin tone. Medium to darker skin beauty lovers I think will love 004.

I personally think 001 and 004 are both a must.