Spring Beauty: Fresh, Floral Fun

Versace 'Vanitas' Eau de Parfum (Nordstrom Exclusive) $95.00
With notes of lime, tiare and freesia mixed with the sensuous tonka and cedar, this scent makes a great go-to for the cool spring nights. Fist date? No biggie. This scent is feminine without being overtly sweet.

Avril Lavigne 'Fobidden Rose' $29.00
Housed in a beautiful violet flacon decorated with a black rose stopper, this perfume definitely surprised me upon first spritz. Opening with nores of red apple, white peach and Bourbon vanilla, this scent floats around youuntil you (quickly) get to the heat of it all -- aromas of lotus, heliotrope and fresh green apple. A very clean scent throughout the warm base notes (including vanilla and sandalwood) dries down to something crisp and feminine.

Chloé 'Love, Chloé' Eau de Parfum Spray $85.00
I don't typically like powdery perfumes. They remind me of old ladies and, to be honest, at the tender age of 23 I want to smell like anything but somebody's Nana. Somehow the folks at Chloé reeled me in once again with another finely produced scent. A fine, powdery fragrance, Love, Chloé has notes ranging from orange blossom, pepper, lilac, wisteria, musk, talc and rice powder. When combined you're left with an airy cloud of sophistication. Another perfect scent for a night out. Call this your second date perfume.

MARC JACOBS 'Daisy - Eau So Fresh' Eau de Toilette $70.00
A more playful and bubbly take on the hit Daisy perfume range by Marc Jacobs. Perfect for the brightest of days, hanging out with your girlfriends. Imagine you wearing this with a bright yellow sundress, wedges and oversized frames.

Jo Malone™ Dry Body Oils (Limited Edition) $65.00 US / $72.00 CAN for each 100ml
Okay, so not a perfume BUT oils are the best thing for skin when you want to be refreshed and moisturized. Why not do both while smelling good? With olive, kukui and macadamia-seed oils, Jo Malone's new Dry Body Oil (out in April) nourishes skin, leaving it feeling satin-soft yet dry to the touch. Available in Lime Basil & Mandarin and English Pear & Freesia.

Disclosure: some samples were provided for editorial consideration. Please don't forget that you can still help the people of Haiti, donate to the Red Cross today. Thank you.

Tech Speak: Microsoft Launches Internet Explorer 9

source

South By Southwest (SXSW) is like a music lovin' nerd's wet dream come true. Being a music/tech/fashion and beauty lovin' nerd, this is right up my alley. With the annual event - held in Austin, TX - comes news of new and upgraded technologies, apps and loads of Foursquare badges.

Por ejemplo, Microsoft launched the new Internet Explorer 9, the latest version of its Web browser. This latest edition to the IE experience promises to be faster and safer.

What's New?
With IE9, you can now pin your favorite websites to your taskbar so they are always there and ready to launch. For example, use Groupon? With IE9, you can pin Groupon to your taskbar and it will notify you when there is a new deal available! This reminds me of bookmarking you favorite webpage, except this seems to take it one step further by notifying you of updates.

Privacy Updates
New tools watches out for viruses and trojans that attempt to sneak onto your computer when you're too busy downloading things off the interwebs.

IE9 offers consumers a new opt-in mechanism called "Tracking Protection" to identify and block many forms of undesired online tracking. "Tracking Protection Lists" will enable consumers to control what third-party site content can track them when they're online.

To download the new browser, currently available for those running Windows 7 or Windows Vista, visit www.beautyoftheweb.com.

Please don't forget that you can still help the people of Haiti, donate to the Red Cross today. Thank you.

Living for the Weekend

Today I headed to the city for a day of great food (sushi obvi) and manicures to celebrate my good friend, Joyce's, birthday. While we may be separated by states (she lives in Connecticut, booo) I make it a point to fête her special day no matter what.

To celebrate post sushi (Haru Sushi on 43rd is ahh-mazing by the way), we trekked downtown to one of my most favorite places in New York City, Haven Spa. While I'm no stranger to Haven (I visited here and here) my friends have never been and I was thrilled to have them experience the awesomeness that is this Soho hideaway.

We indulged in their Hot Cocoa Manicure ($20) -- all the sweet you want without the extra pounds (or pimples!).

Tucked away on Mercer’s cobblestone street, Haven Spa continues to impress me with their super kind staff and warm and welcoming atmosphere. My nail specialist, Emma (whom I recognized as the same lady who did my pedi) worked quickly and quietly as my friend and I chatted away. Our hands were soaked in a warm chocolate bath than nailes were filed, cuticles pushed back. The best part of the experience was the dark chocolate scrub used to exfoliate our hands. Not only were my hands left unbelievably sot, my sweet tooth kicked into high gear and my chocolate craving soared.

ring: Betsey Johnson

My color of choice? Essie's "Smokin' Hot", a deep purple-gray creme color that applied smoothly and delivers amazing color with just two coats. While the weather is warming up (slightly), I couldn't help but give a dark wintery color one last go before I bring out the shocking corals and neon pinks. The Hot Cocoa Manicure is an experience I highly recommend for anyone! At $20 you cannot go wrong at all. All work and no play makes for quite the boring lifestyle, go ahead and indulge a bit!

Haven Spa
150 Mercer Street
212-343-3515
http://www.HavenSoho.com

Please don't forget that you can still help the people of Haiti, donate to the Red Cross today. Thank you.

"BOOM that just happened..."

TGIF!!! This week has been sort of hellish on this side of Brooklyn. Between a midweek migraine (that managed to knock me out) and Mother Nature ruining the perfect blowout, I can't wait to curl up in a ball this weekend and sleep my life away. Oddly enough, work isn't my (major) source of stress. I can honestly say that my coworkers provide endless hours of comic relief which is perfect for the never ending headache/ dizzy spells that have taken over my life.

Beuno

Earlier this week, Ruth (1/2 of my lover situation and owner of Chic Thrills) and Danny (the modman) stepped out to enjoy the bout of spring that's wafting through New York City. My mood was less than stellar but I was wearing a leopard print skirt people. OBVIOUSLY it had to be documented.

Top: Forever 21; Skirt: Zara, Stockings: Hue; Boots: small shop in Paris

watch: Juicy Couture; nails: GOSH Miss Minty

Happy Friday friends! Any big plans????

Please don't forget that you can still help the people of Haiti, donate to the Red Cross today. Thank you.

A Winning Nail Combo

Me being me, I've always felt the need to try and beat the system, fight the power - that sorta thing. It's the little things (I've been known to run to the post office and MAIL myself heavy packages that come to my office desk rather than carry it home). This 'fight the power' attitude is a combination of genius (toot, toot) and being cheap. It is my cheap nature that also results in me buying the $1.99 bottle of clear polish (you know the kind - Brucci, Jordana and 'dem) to be used as a base AND top coat.

The Shame.

It's no wonder, then, that my polish chips of 2-3 days later making me look slightly sloppy. To my defense the New York Times once declared chipped nails cool so don't judge. About a month ago, I finally laid down the law (along with about $15) to purchase two products that would eventually change my outlook on life as a whole. Deep. OPI natural nail base coat ($7) and Seche Vite™ Dry Fast Top Coat ($8) should be given medals of honor for their work in servicing humanity for the greater good.

Does that make sense? I don't know these sorts of things.

Anywhoodle, OPI's natural nail base coat allows for smooth and easy nail color application. The color applied afterward really grabs on tight and doesn't budge upon application. Seche Vite™, a legend in the beauty world and now a rock star in my world, is a fast drying top coat that locks color down and provides chip fee nails for up to 7 or 8 days (in my experience).

My nails have never been the same. I've heard the amazingness of Seche Vite but the price has always turned me off (ahem $8+ for a bottle of clear liquid..pssshhh!). While several of ya'll have been hip to the game, I am now only seeing the light. My bad.

You can get these guys at drugstores nationwide.

Please don't forget that you can still help the people of Haiti, donate to the Red Cross today. Thank you.

Spring Beauty: Royal Flush

Hourglass Cosmetics Aura Cheek Stain, $45
This water-based formula is enriched with Vitamin E and gives cheeks a gorgeous flush without making the skin look greasy or oily. Free of oil, fragrance, and phthalates, count this as you go to cheek stain come warmer weather and powders and creams prove to be too much on the skin.

M·A·C Cremeblend Blush, $19.50
M·A·C's newest addition to its permanent collection starts creamy and stays creamy giving those who prefer not to use powder another option. Between full on rouge like your momma use to wear or a more subtle glow like at Thakoon's spring 2011 show, their new Cremeblend blushes have just the right color no matter your skintone.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge For Lips And Cheeks, $24
Double duty beauty at your service! This cream-based formula serves well as a cheek color AND lip color, providing a sheer, stained finish. Be sure to moisturize skin first as you wouldn't want the product to look flaky upon application.

Lancome Butterflies Fever Blush, $40
Lancome is no stranger to creating special blushes for their seasonal collections and for Spring 2011 they did not disappoint. This bowtie and the butterfly blush is a fun and feminine take perfect for the warmer weather. Most importantly, it's wearable.

Guerlain 'Blush G Serie Noire' Powder, $67
Inside this smooth and shiny lacquered black lies a mix of four complimentary pinks all begging to be placed on the cheeks before a beautifully warm spring day. These healthy glow boosters harmonize perfectly to revive to give the skin a gentle but totally effective boost.

tarte natural cheek stain, $30
tarte cheek stains are always a warm weather favorite for me and I'd be a fool if I were tonot include it. Free of alcohol, they do not dry out your skin upon application nor do they clog pores. They're infused with the tarte t5 super fruit complex™ - a blend of the five most active superfruits- and provide a healthy dose of natural antioxidants.

Disclosure: samples provided for editorial consideation. Please don't forget that you can still help the people of Haiti, donate to the Red Cross today. Thank you.

BREAKING: GOSH Cosmetics Now Available in the US

Rarely do I ever post something and call it "BREAKING", however, last night I stumbled upon something so rare and AMAZING I simply had to post and make EVERYONE aware.

GOSH Cosmetics - the Denmark-based beauty brand that was primarily available abroad - is now available in the United States. I can only confirm New York locations (so far I've only seen it in Duane Reade). I've reached out to GOSH PR but haven't heard back as of yet from the brand.

GOSH is already a sensation in Europe and have been featured in fashion magazines and blogs a plenty. I know countless US beauty lovers who often hound/ harass/ beg friends to purchase products while going on holiday to Europe. I've spent many hours on UK blogs drooling over the richly pigmented lipsticks and now we I can drool in person.

Eager to test out the line, I purchased two products. The polish, tested out by my coworker (Hi Ruth!), "Miss Minty" is a beautiful mint green color that looks similar to Essie's Mint Candy Apple. Of the polish, Ruth says it has a smooth consistency - no lumps, air bubbles in sight - that delivers fantastic results with two coats.

Their Velvet Touch lipstick in "Shocking Coral" is a perfect coral/ pink that's perfect for spring. It's a bit sheer but buildable in terms of coverage. I'd compare it to MAC's recent Sheen Supreme lipstick line.

Ruth of Chic Thrills modeling "Miss Minty" nail lacquer

"Shocking Coral" lipstick

While the line is selling in drugstores, it is not cheap! Prices start at $7 (nail lacquers) and go upwards of $22 (foundations/ primers).

GOSH Cosmetics have been spotted at Duane Reade's across the city (38th St, 51st, Union Square, 57th and 3rd so far). As Duane Reade recently jazzed up their beauty department (now called the Look Boutique) I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing many more stores selling the line soon. Not in New York? I suggest you check your local drugstore or shop online.

Please don't forget that you can still help the people of Haiti, donate to the Red Cross today. Thank you.

Behind the Scenes Beauty with Barney's New York

I must preface this post with two widely known facts about myself. First, I'm chronically late everywhere I go. I'm convinced I have a problem which I've affectionately dubbed "Late-nitis". While I haven't found any scientific evidence, I'm convinced late-nitis exists as a health condition as that's the only explanation I have as to why I arrive everywhere 5-45 minutes tardy for the party.Secondly, I'm horrible with names. Lastly, I rarely travel above 14th Street, NYC (okay, so that's three facts - math was never my forte).

Now onto the post...

Makeup Artist Jason Ascher

Last week, I ventured north of my self imposed equator to Barney's New York - the famed retailer on Madison Avenue - for a night of beauty, drinks and mini foods. Makeup artist Jason Ascher - whom I called 'James' on Twitter all night long - dished on a couple of his beauty must-haves all available on the Barney's beauty level. From Japanese beauty brand Koh Gen Do to all time favorites like Bobbi Brown and Sue Devitt, the Barney's beauty level is one for beauty lovers to visit and admire.

While I missed most of James' Jason's presentation, I did manage to sneak a few tips from the ma of the hour as well as beauty tricks from the Barney's makeup artists that were on deck.

TIPS

-- Force yourself out of your comfort zone: Jason discussed the importance of stepping outside of your zone as a means to find new beauty tricks and faves. While he LOVES the neutral look, he's been trying bolder looks on his clients and finds that they love it as much as he does.

-- Find a balance: smokey eye OR bold lip (very few people can pair both and still look sane/hot/normal)

-- Koh Gen Do Gommage Gel (available exclusively at Barney’s): contains crushed pearl and rosemary but does not contain any artificial fragrances, petroleum-based mineral oils or parabens.

-- NARS Calanque Eyeshadow Trio: a great go to eye color that kicks up neutrals a notch. It's a very rich and beautiful color that provide intense color without being overpowering.

-- Spice up your fragrance repertoire: Women wearing men's cologne is quite sexy but what's better are unisex scents. Odin has a selection of fragrances that hasn't disappointed Ascher and I'm itching to try out. See also Chantecaille's new scents laced with vetyver. You guys know how I feel about vetyver ;)

bits of Jason's picks

A few of his other favorite products for Spring?
Hourglass Mineral Primer
Sue Devitt Beausoleil Pace Palette
Beauty is Life Multi-Touch in Baline
Giorgio Armani Beauty, Eyes to Kill Excess Mascara
By Terry, Rose Balm
Le Labo Tubereuse

Next time you find yourself north of the equator Uptown, check out Barney's New York's beauty level (660 Madison Avenue) or visit online.

Please don't forget that you can still help the people of Haiti, donate to the Red Cross today. Thank you.