To get geared up for Spring, I asked you all to share some of the perfumes you are loving this season. There was quite a bit of love for Marc Jacobs scents, but I wanted to highlight two different reader picks here.
Baby Girl says gets tons of compliments when she wears Sweet Layer by Clean, describing it as "full of citrus and sugar, just clean-smelling." If you're looking for something a little more light and crisp, FinnLover is addicted to Young Sexy Lovely by Yves Saint Laurent. She says it's "romantic, sexy and fresh."
Thanks so much to all of you who shared your suggestions! Check out the rest of your picks below.
Would you want to smell like Hillary Clinton? How about like Barack Obama or John McCain? April Cline hopes you do. The West Virginian woman has created a line of fragrance called Presidential Perfume just in time for the down-and-dirty politickin' season.
The $25 eaux de parfum and body cremes come in three varieties, each inspired by — but not endorsed by — a different candidate:
Hillary: a "delicate floral" with notes of jasmine, violet, rose and musk.
Barack: an energetic scent with notes of bergamot and musk.
John: McCain's fragrance incorporates notes of bergamot, water lily, lavender, cool greens, and "frosty musk."
Although the candidates may have different platforms, it seems they all inspire musky smells. (There's an Eliot Spitzer joke to be made, but I won't go there.) So far, the best-selling scent is Hillary, but Barack is a very close second. And as for John? Cline says the sales are "few and far between."
As I mentioned a while back, Salon Selectives is back. The hair-care line has kept its customized classification system to determine the right product for your hair type, and it's reformulated the line to incorporate hair-nourishing botanicals such as lemongrass, witch hazel, and apple pectin.
I recently tried the Healthy Clean Shampoo, Moisture Renewal Conditioner, and Smooth & Shine Serum. The serum felt silky, not sticky, and just a small drop on my dry hair tamed the frizz that I've been battling lately. The shampoo smelled like apples and made my hair shinier than usual, but my scalp isn't oily enough to need a cleansing shampoo every day. The conditioner, which is formulated with silk proteins and avocado oil, is up there with one of the most luxurious I've tried, and left my hair amazingly soft.
Overall, I'm into the redesign of the line. It smells good, and I think the classification system gives shoppers an easy way to figure out what they need. Plus, I like how the packaging is almost the same; it adds a bit of nostalgia.
If there were only one makeup accessory that you were allowed to have, which one would it be? Is it your trusty makeup pencil sharpener, a fluffy powder puff, magnifying mirror, a favorite makeup brush, or how about your eyelash curler? When I've posed this question to friends, they've all come back to me with eyelash curler. Out of all your makeup accessories, which one do you deem most important?
In the movie The Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep dryly says, "Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking." I think this line is brilliant, because, well, she's right. And yet, who doesn't enjoy flowers at this time of year? Last April, I put together a series on flower-embossed makeup products and this year a few new fresh florals have come into bloom. Check out some of this Spring's festive beauty treats.
This season, Sally Hansen once again collaborated with designer Tracy Reese for her runway show. Tracy's collection incorporated North African prints and hues, and the nail colors complement them perfectly. Models wore Tunisian Sand, the tan color shown here, but I've been playing around with Arabian Night, a pearly medium-depth lavender shade. It's a little too fashion-y for the office, but for a springtime pedicure, why not? The coverage is good (you'll need two coats) and it lasted for three days on my fingernails without chipping — no small feat.
Sirtuins are some of the latest discoveries in anti-aging. The enzymes are believed to help prevent cell oxidization that commonly leads to cell death. In terms of your health, they help fight aging, obesity, type II diabetes, gout and Parkinson's disease.
In the beauty world, they work to keep your skin cells healthy for an extended amount of time. Studies show that they can help protect against photoaging and stress.
Without being too cynical — I mean, how much of this do we actually know is true? — don't be surprised if you see products from Avon, Estee Lauder and Caudalie claiming they've bottled the next fountain-of-youth ingredient. These brands have already integrated sirtuins into some of their products. In fact, you can read more about Avon's Anew Ultimate Age Repair Night Cream (which Allure has stamped with its seal of approval) here. ($34).
Kristin Cavallari went with a black-lace, bra-baring top at The Breeders' Cup Winners Circle Event in LA. She paired it with black skinny pants, and kept things neutral with beige patent pumps and a matching clutch.