Lyn Lynch

Polished perfection

I remember when Avon first came out with the idea of a nail patch a few years ago, and for some reason I never took the leap to try them. I mean, they sounded pretty good - nail polish in a sticker, no drying time, no smudging, easy breezy. I guess I was just skeptical, as I tend to be about many newfangled beauty inventions. Besides, I hardly ever paint my fingernails because I work so much with my hands, it seems like a waste since they chip so often anyway. I think it took Sephora jumping into the fray to really capture my attention, so I finally tried them recently.
All I can say is, WOW. What took me so long? These have to be the coolest invention of the 21st Century. Sephora is by no means the only company making these, but they are really convenient for me to try. The Sephora nail patches come in four colors (I really hope they come out with more soon), and I first tried the shiny pink color for my friend Tammi's wedding (I was a matron of honor, so I thought it would be the best color). They went on in a flash and looked so good, no one could tell they were stickers. After the wedding I took that off (the color removes in a flash) and moved on to a deep chocolate brown color. So far it's been a week and my nails still look pretty good, despite all the typing I do on a daily basis. I've since purchased one more set in each color and I'm going to try the sparkly silver next. I am so hooked.

Wedded bliss

I traveled to Red Bank, New Jersey today to do wedding makeup for Jamie, one of my beautiful colleagues at Sephora. Not only is she a sweetheart for letting me take a "before" picture of her before I went to work dolling her up, she looked absolutely gorgeous when everything was done. (Click on each picture for a larger view.) I always use some basic, no-fail products when I do makeup that has to last all day, and this day was no exception - Smashbox Photo Finish Primer (I use Make Up Forever All Mat on clients with oilier skin) and Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch (under eyes before concealer and on lids) go on every bride, every time. I did get to apply some fun things too, like Dior's Black Lash Kit (aren't those amazing lashes she has?) and Laura Mercier Mineral Powder (a foundation so exceptional, I use it myself). I also picked up a new product on my latest trip to Alcone that proved invaluable in today's Jersey humidity - Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray. It literally "freezes" makeup in place to resist fading and melting, and it's better than a lot of other "setting" sprays I've tried. I also used Smashbox eyeshadows and Nars lip color.
Congrats, Jamie, you're beautiful, and I wish you all the best.

Mirror, mirror, on my hair

So I can't exactly see anything reflected in my hair as of yet, but I have to say, it's coming pretty close. I got my hands on Frederic Fekkai's new Salon Glaze Clear Shine Rinse, and after using it just once I'm very happy with the results. I'm in that stage where I'm just about ready to get my hair colored again, and this really boosted the color and the shine. I've used some of the color-boost glazes, and this does the trick even though it doesn't actually deposit any color. You could use this every day, according to the bottle, but I'd say it's more like a really great weekly treatment in between colorings. Even if you don't color your hair (is there really anyone still out there who doesn't?) this would probably just make your hair look a lot healthier.

Conceal this

Allow me to pimp my expertise for a second - my friend from California, Leslie Gornstein, has contributed yet another nugget of advice for MyStyle.com in which she interviews me about the right way to use concealer - in other words, how not to look like a reverse raccoon. It's pretty good advice - check it out here.

15 minutes could save you 15 percent...

...all right, so it's not that kind of insurance, but Too Faced's new eyeshadow primer, Shadow Insurance, is currently my latest obsession. And that's saying a lot, because I am a HUGE fan of Urban Decay's Potion Primer. I still love it, but while I was out working in stores this holiday, every store seemed to be out of it, so I was forced to sell something else. I am so glad I tried it. It goes on really smoothly, evens out the eyelid tone, and really locks eyeshadow on to keep it from creasing. Plus, it makes colors really vibrant. I also love the packaging - my only beef with Urban Decay's primer was that it came in this wand thing that made it hard to get out when you got down to the last bits in the container; the Too Faced one comes in a cool squeezy tube. Now, I wonder if my friend Magda, who has a very healthy Too Faced obsession herself, has discovered this latest little gem...

Kissy fit

I am justifying my latest obsession with the reasoning that this lip color is not a gloss, so I am not technically feeding my lipgloss fixation. Instead, these lip stains from Laura Mercier are just about the best thing in my life right now. They're soft and creamy and last significantly longer than a gloss, plus the colors are just gorgeous. My lips are so chapped from the weather in NYC, these are a godsend. I've already treated myself to Mocha, a pretty, deep brown, and Sugar Violet, a slightly purply mauve. Next, I plan to get Mulberry, a perfect deep red, and Peach Glaze, which will be great with all the smokey eyes I've been wearing lately. Aw, now I have a new obsession. Damn.

File under "Completely Unnecessary"

I love this time of year, because all the holiday sets are starting to come into stores. Besides the usual bath/body stuff, you can usually find some pretty cool makeup palettes that aren't available at any other time. Witness the glory that is Tarte's We Wish You Wealth Palette, a motherlode of deliciousness that features no less than 16 eyeshadows, 16 lipglosses, 4 cheek stains, 4 gel eyeliners, 1 eyelid primer, 1 luminizer and 3 lipsticks in the cutest quilted purple case ever. It's like a Swiss Army Knife, but with makeup. You really have to see this thing in person - it is a wonder to behold. The eyeshadows are new colors and this is the first time Tarte has made its cheek stains into solid form. I needed this like I needed a hole in my head, but seriously. How could I resist?

Orangey goodness

I am really sensitive to Vitamin C, so I was really scared to try this Philosophy peel. Silly me, it is so divine, it made me sorry I didn't try it sooner. Use this when your regular skincare just isn't doing enough for you. After traveling for two weeks, it really made my skin feel like itself again.

Travel Zen

I'm packing today for a 12-day work trip, so I'm pulling out all my fun travel-size stuff. Now, people who know me know that I'm not the world's best traveler - I love everything when I get there, but it's the packing process I loathe (hence, the procrasination by blog that I'm doing right now). What saves me is getting really fun travel toiletries that keep me sane in far-flung places - and yes, I really do pack miniatures of everything - I mean EVERYTHING I use every day in the bathroom. Hey, how else do you duplicate what you look like at home? It's always hard to travel with fragrance (even atomizers can spill sometimes), so I'm really loving the travel size scent I got from LaVanila. First, you can get it in a cool roller-ball container that's easy to throw into your suitcase (roller balls are back! yay!) and second, I grabbed the Vanilla Grapefruit scent, which is quite possibly the best combination of "foody" scents ever. It's great on a trip because the vanilla is sultry and relaxing, while the grapefruit is energizing. The LaVanila scents come in two other varieties too, Vanilla Blossom and Pure Vanilla, and have the added benefit of containing vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. So at least I can stay healthy while I'm having a panic attack about whether my luggage will arrive at my destination with me.

Linin' up

I always get clients who love the look of liquid eyeliner, but just can't seem to keep their hand steady enough to draw it on themselves. I actually have the same problem - I can do it perfectly on other people, but on me, not so much. Enter Lorac's new Front of the Line Waterproof Eyeliner, which comes in black, brown or dark green and looks exactly like a felt-tip pen. It draws like one, too. The stiff tip makes a cat-eye really easy and once it dries, it STAYS. Ah, I love perfect newness. Now, if only I could get miss Amy Winehouse to back down a little from hers. Sigh.