NARS the Multiple in South Beach

Photo courtesy of Birchbox

I received this blush-lipstick-eyeshadow all-in-one multiple from NARS in my Birchbox and after just two days I can already tell that it is going to be doing major overtime in my daily makeup routine. According to the NARS site, the multiple was created in 1996 when François Nars used his Tangier lipstick all over model Carolyn Murphy's face in a Harper's Bazaar photo shoot.

Photo courtesy of NARS

The look was so popular that women started recreating it with their own NARS lipsticks. And so the multiple was born, a multitasking stick that can be used with brushes to apply like a cream blush or just with fingers to smooth on wherever. Its satin-y finish is a nice alternative to powder, which leaves my cheeks looking dry, especially in the winter. And South Beach, "a shimmering apricot" is a universally flattering shade that warms up even my fair, olive skin tone. And really, who doesn't want to emulate the bronze goddess glow that Carolyn Murphy made famous. (My one caveat: use an eyeshadow primer! It will crease on you lids!)

My own NARS multiple induced glow also reminded me of one of my favorite editorials from Vogue US December 2004.  Shot at François Nars' French Polynesian home, it features Daria Werbowy looking totally tan and exotic....perhaps the work of a NARS multiple?

Photograph by Patrick Demarchelier, courtesy of Vogue

lolo likes: Birchbox

Photo courtesy of Birchbox

MAIL... PINK PAPER PAPER PACKAGES TIED UP WITH STRING.....DELUXE BEAUTY SAMPLES.... these are a few of my favorite things, and yours too, probably, which is why I highly recommend becoming a member of Birchbox. It's like a cheese of the month club, only better. For just ten dollars a month you receive a bright pink box full of deluxe beauty samples. And really, what better way is there to test out which luxury beauty products you are willing to splurge on?

I'll admit, I was skeptical at first. "Okay," I thought, "so the samples are really small right?" Wrong. These are not the free samples you get at department stores where they shove a dime-sized amount of face cream or lip gloss into a minuscule pot. It's more like those free bonus gifts you can get from cosmetics brands when you spend over a billion dollars (so they really aren't free at all). "Alright, but they must have a horrible selection of brands, huh?" Wrong again- think Laura Mercier, Deborah Lippmann, Benefit, Kiehl's, and Nars, just to name a few. Each sample is personally picked and tested by the beauty experts at Birchbox and delivered straight to your door, plus after you join you get access to the insider tips and tutorials on their site. I imagine this is what it must be like to have a beauty editor for a best friend.

Photo courtesy of Birchbox

I just received my first box yesterday and it was full of goodies. Their theme for the month was "Give Thanks" and the selection, of course, was appropriately bountiful. Reviews to come on the many delightful products!

Nail Art Returns! Thanks, Sophy Robson!

There was a time when I though all matter of nail art was tacky. I loathed French manicures. Even a hint of glitter, no thank you. I was all about what I called the Kate Moss nail- short, neutral polished and inoffensive. However, even I have been won over by the explosion of attention grabbing nail art that was this years Spring 11’ RTW fashion season. And yes, I can thank British nail artist, Sophy Robson for that. Under her direction, we witnessed the return of the long pointed nail (glittery at House of Holland), the nail decal (butterflies at Loewe), and the just plain silly (googly eyes at Giles). Sophy’s nail art craze is completely creative, original, and has none of the elitist celebrity sameness of that other nail art phenomenon, Minx. And as you can see below, she has had a slew of gorgeous editorials.

Photo courtesy of sophyrobson.com

Photo courtesy of sophyrobson.com

Photo courtesy of sophyrobson.com

Visit her blog for nail tutorials or her tumblr page for some inspiration. I am thinking of trying her embellished nail, which seems surprisingly simple. There’s something simultaneously tacky and glamorous about long, sparkly talons. Her signature rainbow manicure, while enviably of-the-moment, seems way too complex for my somewhat limited manicure skills. Oh Sophy, if only you could do my nails!

Photo courtesy of sophyrobson.com

Meanwhile I’ve slaked by nail art lust with some Deborah Lippman polish. There I was in Nordstrom, visions of Sophy Robson nails dancing in my head when I came across the most glittery, glamorous, goldy-bronze goodness I had ever seen. It’s called Superstar, and now so am I for the rather luxurious price of $18. I don’t normally spend that much on nail polish but…. I have my moments.

Photo courtesy of Deborah Lippmann