In the pink!

Despite the chilly temperatures (which are warranting ferreting under the bed to find warmer clothes that were packed away prematurely on April 15th...), I have a case of Spring fever when it comes to updating my makeup look. The tulips in the park may be long gone but it's still all about color.

My twinkle toes are now this luscious shade of cyan blue, Koliary, from the new NARS Thakoon collaboration. All of the colors in the collection are gorgeous - there's a paler blue that's quite a bit more vibrant then it appears in the bottle, a vivid violet, as well as a yellow, hot fuschia pink and a sizzling orange, very similar to past Chanel colors. Speaking of which, my only selections from the Chanel summer collection were the Holiday nail varnish and Calypso glossimer.

The multi-striped bronzer/highlighter/blusher is pretty, but I much prefer the more coral version from last summer.

On my way back from a less than satisfactory dental checkup ("your teeth look good, however you have a cracked molar and need to replace a crown. That will be $4,000.00, thank you." Talk about a good excuse to spit and rinse! Sheesh.) I did what any right minded woman might do when faced with an unexpected financial bombshell.

I went to Bergdorf's.

Even better, I went to the Tom Ford counter, where I'd never dared to venture in the past, due to the amazing colors and sky-high prices. I opted for the Sahara Haze color quad, perfect for my hazel eyes, a thickening mascara, and Sahara Pink lip gloss (inspired by the lovely Emily Weiss of the fantastic IntoTheGloss blog), but my favorite product, hands down, is the Noir Absolute For Eyes. The official description is a "gel formula (with a) blackened pigment...infused with a unique spark of blue optics that catch the light and brighten the eyes for an extremely dimensional effect." Whatever. I apply it with a Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner brush to my upper water line for great definition. I literally have like 4 spindly lashes on each lid so I need something for that extra oomph, without the heaviness of a liner above my lashline. It makes your eyes look sparkly, with a boost to the whites. It's really a wonderful product and can also be used for a long lasting smoky eye.

Of course, there's no easier way to waken up your winter-weary look than with a great lipstick or two or five. You get the idea. 

Love love love Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in the newest shade - Coral.  It's a real coral, not too pink or too orange. Beautifully flattering, sheer but still highly pigments. It's a lippie you'll keep in your pocket until the autumn leaves fly. I also love their newly enhanced Sudar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment. It not only smoothes and soothes your lips, but helps prevent those nasty little wrinkles around your mouth. I put it on before I go to bed as the last step in my skin cleaning/moisturizer regime.

Now I'm a sucker for great packaging and there are few things quite as cute as the new Lancome Rouge in Love lipsticks. The idea behind the colors is that there are selections perfect for daytime, cocktails and evening.  While they are strongly pigmented, they can be worn quite sheerly (is that a word?) - they feel very light and moist on your lips and claim 6-hours of wear. I first ordered Corail in Love, a pinky coral --well, I thought I did, but I hit the wrong key online and instead received Rose Boudoir, a rich bright pink. It was a happy accident! I really loved the color and have since ordered the Corail as well. I love a bright lip with a bronzed smoky eye for evening (thank you, cult leader Lisa Eldridge! I kneel at your perfectly varnished pedicured toes!) instead of a classic red - it just feels more youthful. And for day, a pretty pink or coral lip with glowing skin and lots of mascara looks fresh.

Okay, last of my new lippies are these marvels by Yves St. Laurent Rouge Pur Couture. These remind me of the lipstains that Chanel offered a few years ago, but they are less gloppy and don't dry out your lips or require a topcoat/sealer. Instead, apply the stain with the tear-drop shaped applicator (liner not needed) and keep your lips slightly apart for about 10 seconds while the stain dries. It will last for hours, yet it never feels dry or magic marker-like. My shades? Rouge Vintage and Corail Fauve -- are we seeing a theme here?

Another find from the divine Ms. Eldridge is Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Magic Lip & Cheek Balm. Phew! That's a mouthful! Don't be fooled by the color in the adorable little jar - when patted on your cheeks, this gives you a very natural pink or peachy "light from within" blush. You can also top off your lipstick with this for a bit more dimension. The glossy texture also gives you a bit of a sheen on your cheeks - never a bad thing. Keep this in your pocket for those 4:00 pm touchups.

Speaking of glowy skin - here are my two new favorite products. First off is the rather "expensive but worth it" Chantecaille Ultra Sun Protection SPF 50 PA+++ Anti-Glycation Primer. Wow, that's a mouthful. Who comes up with these names? (Clearly the account person.) It's chockful of goodies to protect your skin from UVA and UVB damage, as well as antioxidants and skin-soothers. Practically a treatment product. But the real news here is that it is an awesome primer. Give it a good shake to mix up the SPF cocktail then smooth it on. It has great slip and sinks into the skin immediately so whatever foundation you put over it blends beautifully. Yes, it's $85, but you'll only use a bit at a time and protecting your skin is always worth it!

Add another layer of sun protection with NARS brand new Pure Radiance Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 30 and PA+++.  The shades tend to go on a bit dark - I'm good with mixing Alaska and St. Moritz which are the second and third lightest colors. There are nine shades in all and four are medium/dark - dark. St. Moritz is also quite yellow, so I need the pink in Alaska to balance it out. The finish is smooth and radiant with more coverage than you might expect from a tinted moisturizer. I've used it with both a brush and my fingers and it really does just melt into your skin.

NARS is sampling this product, so you might want to buy a slightly deeper shade for summer and then ask for a lighter sample to mix with it. It's a great size for travel. Remember when you're looking at SPF's on products that the amount of product needed to provide that level of coverage is probably a lot more than you're using. So layering multiple products with SPF included will definitely help protect your face from sun damage. This is a great product and the tube makes it ideal for travel. I (generously) gave my friend a sample to toss in her carry-on bag for an overnight flight to Europe as it will be the perfect product to apply (with a smidge of mascara) before deplaning.

Okay - so we've got your lips and skin covered, how about those windows on the soul? An unexpected trip to Sephora uncovered a new creme shadow from Bobbi Brown that I fell in love with--Long Wear Cream Shadow in Velvet Plum.  First off, I'm a big fan of cream shadows. Yes, the older formulas lasted about a minute before creasing like mad. When applied over a primer (or even alone), these cream shadows stay flexible for a minute or so then set to a bullet-proof finish. They're smudge-proof and come the hot and humid days of summer, they are melt-proof. This velvet plum shade is a bronzy eggplant that adds definition when applied in a sheer layer but can be built up for a more dramatic effect. I love it with my Tom Ford liner (above) on the waterline and some extra definition with either MAC's Teddy or NARS Larger-Than-Life Long Wearing Eyeliner in Via Appia.

Now back to those four eyelashes. My dermatologist refused to prescribe Latisse. He doesn't like the manufacturer and doesn't like the risks involved, particularly discoloration of your retinas. So I've tried the over-the-counter enhancers. Over the winter, I religiously applied Rapidlash Eyelash enhancing serum twice a day as recommended, to no avail. Really didn't notice any difference at all. Then I was chatting with the ladies at the Bleecker Street NARS store who have insanely long, thick lashes and asked their secret, figuring it was Latisse or eyelash extensions. They both swore by Grandelash serum. I've now been using it twice daily and my eyelashes might be a smidge longer but they seem a bit thicker. I'll keep you posted.

Okay - that's it. It only takes a dozen or more products (and several hundred dollars) to achieve that perfect Springtime no-makeup radiance! Let me know what your favorite beauty finds are this season!