Hello, Lancome Hong Kong!

[I'm back in the U.S., but I'm going to finish posting about my Lancome trip to Asia with Michelle Phan!]



Michelle and I left our hotel in Beijing at FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. That's never fun, especially when you're not a morning person. Plus, we were very sad to leave our new friends in Beijing. We headed to the airport and caught our Air China flight to Hong Kong. The drive from the airport to our hotel was amazing. You leave the airport and all of a sudden there's the harbor and all these high rise buildings from out of nowhere. I was so sleepy that I forgot to take pictures, but trust me that it was lovely.



Hong Kong was as busy and bustling as everyone promised it would be. "It's the New York of Asia," said David, the head of PR for Lancome Worldwide. "You will love it." Parts of the city definitely felt like New York, but it was different in ways I couldn't quite put my finger on. At nighttime, with all the neon signs, side streets and alley ways, it felt slightly science fiction-y, like the Ridley Scott movie "Blade Runner."



Our wonderful hosts for the week, Nancy and Joyce from the PR team in Hong Kong, met us at our hotel and welcomed us to the city. We freshened up and headed to a photo studio on the other side of town. Once there, Michelle did her own makeup (using some of the Lancome Ultra Lavande Spring collection. You can see the Violet Groove color on her nails in one of the pictures above.) The hairstylist, whose name was Bowie, teased her hair into a wild ponytail for the second photo while the web crew from the magazine interviewed her for an online video.



We had a very nice dinner with the local Lancome team at a restaurant overlooking the water, but we didn't linger. The next few days were going to be quite busy: a personal appearance at the Lancome boutique in the biggest mall in town, two press events and several photo shoots. So it was back to the hotel and straight to bed. I emailed my friends and loved ones back home and snuck a peek at Facebook. (Facebook!!! China blocks most international digital media, so we were on a Facebook/Twitter/YouTube/Blogger diet back in Beijing.)



Truth be told, it was good to take a break from all things digital! You read it here. Digital detox. The next big thing. : )



PHOTOS: Michelle strikes a pose, Air China on-air breakfast, Michelle's doodle, at the photo shoot, doing makeup with the web crew, Michelle's Lancome products, fake lashes and silver lids.

Super Hot Fashionista Nail Divas Ginger + Liz

What nail brand is lighting the fire of many a beauty addict, fashionista, celebrity and tweep alike? Ginger + Liz!

You're going to be hearing a LOT more about this fab beauty brand in the coming season, and if you're a twitter fiend you're already well aware of Ginger + Liz Colour Collection. They are setting the twitterverse ablaze with love shared from their instant fans.  I say "instant" as it seems these ladies certainly have the chemistry needed to attract a loyal following.  Style queen herself Rachel Zoe has been known to don the delicious polishes, as has Rihanna, Eva Longoria, a Kardashian sister or two, Beyonce' and well the list goes on and on. Understandable. Here's why.

Ginger + Liz's nail lacquers are reminiscent of candy coated loveliness.  Can that be a description? Sure it can.  However it's not only the visual beauty of the polishes that appeal to so many devout beauty industry and celebrity divas.  The polishes are vegan friendly and toxin free, therefore garnering a well deserved appreciation.  That the colors are right on trend certainly doesn't lose them any fans either.

L-R: Swagger, Got My Groove Back, Boy Toy and Tough Luxe (click images to enlarge for detail)

These are the particular shades enjoying a huge following at the present mo'.  Swagger is a sexy, tough luxe metallic with rose gold undertones. Rock Glam, Casual Chic and Bohemian styles of dress are perfect contenders for Swagger. And apparently Rachel Zoe agrees as this is the little gem she raves about in The Zoe Report.  Got My Groove Back is Swagger's big sister and she can handle it all. Not for the faint at heart, Got My Groove Back is a gold foil metallic that looks good on every haute girl!  Boy Toy is a fun and flirty robin egg blue shade with an aquamarine base. The peacefully cool shade is a mix of relaxed bohemian and pretty prepster. Tough Luxe is army green with a feisty attitude…think Troop Beverly Hills. This deep dark forest green hue is infused with a beautiful shimmery gold that keeps the dark colour from looking drab. A favorite of the Bohemian and Rock Glam trendsetters, the colour lends a hint of rebellion to any ensemble.

click to enlarge for better detail

New to the collection are Blowin' Money Fast (dark emerald green metallic), Ivy League (creamy, bright pastel minty green), Not on the First Date (taupe with a little kick of creamy lavender) and Tuck Me In (metallic silvery color sister of Swagger and Got My Groove Back).

S. Liz Pickett (L) and H. Ginger Johnson (R)

The brand was created by model/author S. Liz Pickett and entrepreneur H. Ginger Johnson. Ginger and Liz have a decade of individually unique experiences in the fashion, beauty, and marketing industries, which fueled by their insatiable love for fashion and beauty, led to the development of the Ginger + Liz Colour Collection. They were quick to call the matte nail trend before many last year and have kept ahead of trend never looking back.


Looking forward to bringing you more delicious-ness from Ginger + Liz near future.  In the meantime, please do check out their gorgeous nail collection of fabulous colors (retailing about $12/bottle) at GingerandLiz.com.

Chanel's Trend Defining Nail Shade

Oh what love this gorgeous shade has already accumulated!  From first peeks on the fashion show runways to magazine editorial teasers, Chanel's nail lacquer shade Particuliere is enjoying quite the celebrity and beauty afficionado following. 

A mixture of all the good parts of chocolate brown, grey, cream, mauve and khaki and described as "putty" by those in the know, this little gem rocked Chanel's catwalk during the Spring 2010 runway show and everyone has been clamoring to get their hands on it since then. They still are!  This shade will definitely bring you into Fall 2010 in stunning glory with no problem, peeps. 

Take a look at how Chanel Particuliere measures up against Essie Mink Muffs and other taupe-y nail shades by skipping over to Michelle's swatches at All Lacquered Up and Jeanette's Swatchaholic.  It's the best of all of them me thinks.

For more information or to shop Chanel's Particuliere, visit Chanel beauty counters, Chanel.com and Nordstrom.

Intrigued by Leighton Denny Nail Laquers

I've discovered a nail brand new to me to get excited about, though the man behind the brand has enjoyed years of prestigious award winning history.  While perusing Glamour magazine (the UK version), I stumbled across this beauty of a collection in their giveaways for July section. Woot!

Leighton Denny is the UK's leading nail technician with a host of awards to his name. He has his own salon in Harrods and has won the prestigious Nail Technician of the Year award so many times they've banned him from entering and made him a judge instead.

"I am passionate about nails and know how vital it is they look groomed in today's society. I developed my own range to share my expertise so that others can have the confidence that comes from knowing their hands, feet and nails are beautiful and healthy."

~Leighton Denny

For more information and to shop these gorgeous nail varnishes, visit Leighton Denny online.

Essie Island in the Sun Summer Coolness

So proving you can have your cake and eat it too, Essie debuts their Island in the Sun, Life's a Beach Collection.  In it, we find jewel tones, neon, frosty metallic, brights, coral, pinks, lavender and barely there shades.  This collection has something for everyone. 



I really can't wait to get my hands on some of these.  Island Hopping, Fruit Sangria, Need a Vacation and Aruba Blue - all calling my name!



Aruba Blue - a frosty sapphire blue
Bermuda Shorts - a high-voltage creamy neon violet
Capri - a fiery, hot creamy orange
Fruit Sangria - a hot pink cocktail with a dash of sugar
Island Hopping - a rich plum mauve
Like Linen - a soft and creamy neutral
Need a Vacation - a soft bubblegum pink
St. Lucia Lilac - a creamy pale lilac
Vinyl Bikini - a sheer, silky white; perfect for a french mani






Essie Island in the Sun polishes retail for $8 each and are currently available online at essieshop.com. Receive complimentary shipping with your purchase of $40 or more by entering code: FREESHIP40.

Dior Nail Lacquer in New Bronze Libertine Giveaway by Allure

Starting June 1st and all month long, enter to be one of 50 winners to snag Dior Nail Lacquer in Bronze Libertine courtesy of Allure magazine!

I want, I want, I want! But I'll still share the link with all of you ... xo

Click HERE for your chance to win.

Introducing A Beautiful Life Nail Lacquers

Ohhhhh how I adore A Beautiful Life!  I became obsessed with ABL after learning about their trendy, off-beat, rocker-chic boutique in New Hope, PA by owner Tony Artur.  This little gem of a shop is fabulosity in concentrated amounts! LOL

Seriously, though, it is.

A Beautiful Life is one of those shops that you pass by, see something all-too-interesting in their window, must dart in, and end up staying for hours delighting in all the unique offerings.  Perfumes (some they make themselves - Smitten), makeup (some they make themselves), hair accessories (some they make themselves - Vivienne Pickle), vintage clothing, haircare products (some they make themselves, like the wildly popular The All Nighter Styling Powder). You get the drift. 

Always the enterprising duo, Tony and wife Jennifer drive this creative force, the Arturs have developed a nail line taking the beauty industry by storm with unique colors, a formula with true chip-resistant staying power and soy-based, non-toxic 3 Free (No DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde).



I mean, how does one pick a favorite shade here.  Of those I've tried, I love them all, my top three are probably Frosh, Rockstar and Vexed. Though I know I'm prone to change my mind or add in a few others as time goes by because really they're all fantastic! 

Each recyclable bottle retails for $12, available at A Beautiful Life.

Summer Nail Trending with Havana Nights Sephora by OPI

Rumba Romance, Caliente Coral (LE), Teal We Meet Again, Caribbean Cocktail (LE), Read My Palm (LE), Havana Dreams (LE)

Suddenly, I'm really into summer nail polishes, and one collection that can't help but draw the eye is Havana Nights by Sephora by OPI. I think I'm enchanted with every one of these colors.

Inspired by the glamorous, sultry scenes seen in classic movies set in Havana, this vivid collection is packed with ideal shades for summer. A rich, vibrant blue captures the bright sky while glistening gold references the sizzling nightlife. With salsa rhythms, forbidden rendezvous, passion, and romance as inspiration, these polishes show the true colors of the famed Cuban city.

Dare to get as creative as you want to be with this collection. Mix and match, polka-dot, stripe, enhance, whatever makes your heart happy and your eyes delighted.

Havana Nights is available in store at Sephora and at online at sephora.com.

The Dazzling Allure of Chanel Limited Edition Orient Extreme

Have you laid your eyes on these visions of gorgeousness (my word)?

Well, darling, you simply must! The Orient Extreme line was introduced back in late March following Chanel's PreFall 2010 Paris Shanghai Expo which took to the runway in December 2009.  A bit of geisha with a chic, golden allure.

Opulent nail and eye shades, sophisticated and surprisingly versatile, are this season's must-have colour accents.  Though certainly statement making shades and shimmers, these are very easy to play with and one may delight in the variety of artistic options here. Each product in the line deserves a little exporation, at the very least.

LIGNE ET OMBRE DE CHANEL
Eyeliner and Eyeshadow Duo - Limited Edition $45
A dramatic pairing of eyeliner and eyeshadow for a decidedly glamorous makeup look. Jet black eyeliner glides on with a deep, matte finish, while shimmering gold eyeshadow imparts a lush, luminous glow.

Nail Color - Limited Edition $25
LE VERNIS BLACK VELVET, LE VERNIS GOLD LAME, LE VERNIS ILLUSION D'OR
Brilliance to your fingertips with must-have colours from the runways of Paris. State-of-the-art formula strengthens and moisturizes nails. Unique patented non-spill bottle with wiping action for easy application.

Chanel Orient Extreme is available at Chanel Beauty Boutiques and online at Chanel.com.

photos: Chanel, Luscious Babe

Lovely! Danny Roberts' Drawings from Chris Benz Fall '10. And Who Won the Nail Giveaway?

Some of you might remember that one of our guests at the Chris Benz Fall 2010 show (we sponsored the makeup team, which was led by MUA Daniel Martin) was illustrator Danny Roberts. It was Danny's first time backstage and he took pictures and did some preliminary sketches as inspiration for future drawings.

Well, he just posted two of his drawings from the show on his blog, Igor+Andre, and they're so pretty I wanted to share them with you.

Danny is clearly blessed with a lot of talent.

Make sure to check out his blog!

And congratulations to Rebecca, who won the Aaron De Mey Le Vernis nail giveaway. Rebecca, check your inbox. Sounds like a lot of us have to spring clean our makeup collections. Maybe this weekend...

NOTD? Ms. Perfectly Pink Le Vernis

Lara recently asked if we could start doing some NOTDs (a.k.a. Nail of the Day) on the blog. I'm wearing our new summer color, Miss Perfectly Pink, a truly perfect fuchsia color, and it matches my dress so I thought I'd give it a shot. I took the pictures above in my office a few minutes ago. (That's my favorite Harper's Bazaar cover ever in the background.)

Actually, I took about 200 photos on my MacBook Photo Booth and those three were the only ones that didn't make my hands look like something from a scary movie! Oh, and I'm wearing a ring because I read something in the current issue of Allure that said rings make your hands look more youthful. Bring on the rings!

How do All Lacquered Up, Nail of the Week, Scrangie, The Hungry Asian and the other fab nail bloggers do it? Their hands, nails and manicures always look lovely in their photos.

Anyway, Ms. Perfectly Pink is a fun color and it makes me wish summer were here RIGHT NOW. One note about the color: in person, it's a bit brighter and a bit less blue than in the pictures. The Bronze Riviera summer color collection, including MPP, just went live on lancome.com, so make sure to check it out. Lots of pretty, wearable items!

How do your nails look today?

Priti for Spring at Spirit Beauty Lounge

From Kim D'Amato's world-famous Priti Organic Spa in New York's East Village come Priti 3 Free, Non-Toxic Nail Polish and Soy Polish Remover. "Three Free" means no carcinogenic Toluene, Formaldehyde, or DPBs. The word Priti has many meanings in Sanskrit such as out of satisfaction, with love, and pleasurable sensation. It's no surprise that Priti's fashion-forward colors can be found on celebrity tips everywhere.

Introducing Priti colors for spring

Red Spangles - a juicy watermelon shimmer
Fairy Thimbles - something blue
Green Goddess - a creamy, minty green with a slight shimmer
Prairie Blue Eyes - an exotic starry plum
Bovey Belle Carnation - luscious, grown-up hot pink

Priti polishes retail for $12.50 each and are available at Spirit Beauty Lounge. With any Priti purchase of $25 or more at SBL receive 50% off Priti Long-Wear Top Coat (code: PRITITOP) or Priti Soy Polish Remover (code: PRITIRE). Offer expires 3/1/10.