Products, Pretty Please

So I know it's been a while, but I had to show my apartment this morning, and find myself awake with some time to kill. I wanted to share with you five readers my beauty and product tips, because of late, I've gotten to try some really nifty stuff courtesy of my beauty writing gig. I'll also share with you my beauty staples; I'm one of those loyal product whores, who believes, why fix it if it's not broken.

First, my staples:

Mascara: Make Up Forever Lengthening Mascara. This is availabe only at Sephora I believe. But it's the best mascara, lengthening without being clumpy.

Blush: Stila Convertible Color Dual Lip and Cheek Creme in Camellia (#1). Available at most Saks and also Sephora I think. I don't use on my lips, but I use on the face and on the eyes as a great natural daytime highlighter.

Lips: For glosses I use Laura Mercier Bronze Glitz (for years now) and Chanel Force (#39) for evening. For day I wear Mercier and for night I combine the two. For moisturizing/chapping, I'm now addicted to Dr. Hauschka's products. There's the Lip Care Stick
and the Lip Balm. Both are equally fantastic.

Eyes: I prefer cremes for shadow and blush, etc. So lately I've been using, in order of application: Revlon EyeGlide Shimmer Shadow in Charcoal. Next, I line the upper lids with either liquid liner that has a brush or Revlon ColorStay eyeliner pencil in black. This Revlon ColorStay pencil stays on even in flash floods I swear. It's amazing. I use it on the upper and lower lids and then smude it onthe lowers.

I also use, depending on the day or look I am going for, Stila's Convertible Eye Color dual shadow and liner in Onyx. I don't know what they mean by dual, because basically it's a liner on one end with a smudge brush on the other. (Actually, now that I'm reading the Sephora description, apparently the brush has shadow in it, so maybe I just have to figure out how to get it out.) I think you are supposed to use it in tandem with Stila's Smudge Pot creme eyeshadow, which I have in grey. If you want a more dramatic look, you can simply dip the smudge brush into the smudge pot and use that as a liner, which gives you that whole smoldering, smoky look.

Foundation: This foundation has absolutely changed my life, and if you buy one thing I recommend, buy this. It's brand-new and is the first-ever brush on foundation. It's Yves Saint Laurent's Perfect Touch Foundation. It's an all-in-one foundation with a wide applicator brush attached. It literally provides a flawless finish and is not oily at all. I use color #7

Face: For moisturizer, I use the Creme de la Mer, which is pricey yes, but a 1 oz tub should last you about 3-4 months for $110. For me, it just works.

Body: I'm addicted to the Bliss Body Butter in several scents, the best being the lemon+sage one.

Perfume: Jo Malone, a mixture of the Lime Basil and the Grapefruit. And here's a hint: their samples are in these huge bottles, so they can last you for months. I've been using samples for like 6 mos. I'm not kidding.

Hair: Since I've got the Jap straightening, I have to use no products. I let it air dry if I'm not doing anything special, apply the Frederic Fekkai glossing cream, and then when it's dry I apply the Frederic Fekkai Finishing Polish. (They are both in green packaging.)

Nails: I always do my own nails and toenails, always in French-style. But the secret is NailTek II Intensive Therapy clear gloss. If you have weak, chippy nails, this product will change your life. Seriously. I used to have the weakest nails and after years of using NailTek, they are now hard as rocks.

Cleansing and Moisturizing: I have to admit I go back and forth on cleansers. Lately I sampled Kiehl's Brightening Botanical Cleansing Cream and I dig it, so I might just buy it. For eye moisturizing, I've been using Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avacado. It's very gentle and absorbs quickly so you can use morning and night.

Now for some good products I've test-marketed:
The La Mer Radiant Facial kit. This works pretty well, although personally I'd have to think twice about shelling out $320 for a treatment you use once a week. Here's what you'll look like while using it, well, if you were me.

La Mer, The Eye Balm. Good, but $100 better than Kiehl's? Not really.

Yves Saint Laurent Temps Majeur Eye Cream. Nice, but again, worth the price differential? Probably not. But it is substantially lighter than the Kiehl's one I use, which has its advantages.


My God, I'm link-exhausted. I'm off to Bal Harbour to stock up on La Mer and do some more market research for a Valentine's story I'm working on...