First Look Fridays: Eight Skincare Creator Vicki Weaver Payne

I recently discovered the niche skincare line Eight Skincare. I was immediately drawn to the simple but sexy packaging and the fabulousness of every product -- they smell divine, the formulations are fantastic and they just make you feel good about yourself. So I'm thrilled to bring you an inside look at Eight Skincare's creator, Vicki Weaver Payne. Read on to find out how she started the line, which product she would take to a desert island and so much more.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I am an Oklahoma girl. Have been here all my life. I grew up in a very small town called Washington. I went to college at Oklahoma State University and the University of Central Oklahoma to finish my undergraduate in Business Education. Went on in my graduate studies to finish my MBA at Tulsa University.

How did you first become interested in beauty, and what inspired you to start your own line?
I have always been a product junkie, trying all kids of things on my body and my face. This may seem strange, but being from a small town, we had no doctor, so my mother was kind of considered the "witch" doctor of our town. She would mix up all kinds of concoctions to heal this and that, but one thing she did that got me to this place was met a woman who gave her a formula for this fabulous body lotion. So I grew up around my mom creating products of various kinds and she was a natural "nut." I remember her mixing this lotion up at her kitchen sink and putting it into a gallon jug.

My family always had dry skin, but as I aged, it became worse. I asked my mom for the formula to mix for myself when I was in my 40s, when I could find nothing to calm the scales on my body. It was a quenching experience so I started mixing it for myself. I also gave it away to friends and family as gifts. Everyone loved it so much, they encouraged me to start making it as a legitimate product for the markets.

If you could only bring one product from your line to a desert island, what would it be?
Easy -- my Body Moisture. I made this product and sold it by itself for two years. It has 14 natural and essential ingredients in the formula to nourish and replenish dry skin. On the desert island, I would have the sand for my exfoliant, because I am such a believer in exfoliation, then I could rinse and apply my Body Moisture. Perfect for a desert island. Hopefully, I would have water to wash!

Do you have any favorite products outside of your line that you use on a regular basis?
This may seem strange, but for my body, I do not. However, on occasion I use a licorice foot scrub.

What can we expect from Eight Skincare going forward?
I am very hopeful for the new year. I am supposed to enter Macy's the first quarter of 2013. I will be featured in their flagship stores. They are in the process of building areas in their flagship stores called Impulse Beauty, where customers can actually come and put the products on their skin before they buy. Great idea, especially for me, since Eight Skincare needs to be experienced. Getting it on the skin is a 95 percent sell.

We are also talking with HSN and QVC. AND I have about 10-15 new products just waiting in R&D to get out.

What are your top 3 beauty and skincare tips?

1) Exfoliate! Getting dry and dead skin off the body is most important. As we age, it is harder for the skin to slough, so we need to help that process. That is where my Natural Sisal Dry Skin Body Brush comes in. A lot of people are not familiar with dry brushing. This treatment has been around for centuries. Dry brushing not only gets the dead skin off, but it is a therapeutic treatment for the health of the body, not just the skin. Nothing exfoliates like a dry brush. A lot of people use those cute little nylon buffs or loofahs but it will not do what a dry brush will do. You are actually brushing the dry skin before you go into the shower or bath so you are not trying to exfoliate in the shower when you skin is wet. From my experience, that process just does not work.

2) Hydrate! I do believe drinking adequate amounts of water helps the skin, but we also have to hydrate with penetrating and moisturizing products. Eight is the best -- I know, I am just a little biased. But after I have dry brushed, I enter the shower and use my Crème Body Wash, which has 10 essentials to hydrate the skin. After I moisturize with my Crème Body Wash, I use my Sugar Body Scrub. I just turn my shower head away from me and scrub up. I rinse off, leaving this wonderful oil on my skin, I lightly towel dry and then apply my Body Moisture. Your skin will never be the same. You will notice the difference immediately.

3) Sun! Stay out of it and apply sunscreen. AND if you do that, don't forget to take your Vitamin D.

Being a product creator and innovator must be fun, but what do you do in your spare time?
My company is young, so I find myself working most of my days. Sometimes I can get away with 4-6 hours a day, but sometimes I can work as much as 18 hours. BUT if I do have any extra time, I love to travel with my husband and sometimes with our children. I have promised myself to accomplish, somewhat, the sport of golf. I currently volunteer with a organization I love, CASA, which is an international organization. I am a Court Appointed Special Advocate for neglected and abused children who find themselves caught in the DHS system. Very, very sad, but can be very rewarding if you can save a child here and there.

For even more information about Eight Skincare and Vicki Weaver Payne, and to purchase Eight Skincare products, visit eightskincare.com.

Exclusive! Makeup Artist Emily Katz Dishes On Charlie Sheen's Anger Management

Awhile back, I featured makeup artist Emily Katz. You may recognize her name from such shows as The Nine Lives of Chloe King and -- one of my all-time favorites -- LOST. Well, now she's the makeup supervisor for Charlie Sheen's new(ish) show, Anger Management! Read on for tons of information from Emily, including her go-to products on set, what shooting in HD means for makeup artistry, and so much more.

You're the makeup supervisor for Anger Management, starring Charlie Sheen and Selma Blair. What has the process been like to create looks for the characters?
It's so energizing and exciting to create looks for characters on a show, particularly if they are just being birthed. My good friend, and an amazing artist, Gabriel Solan, is Charlie's makeup man, who invited me to do the show with him. I design (and do almost all of) the makeup looks for the actresses and some of the guys! A great deal of the process is collaborative. We individually discuss each look and style of character, what they envision, what the executive producer envisions and how I see it all coming into being, with my own spin on it. A cool thing is that I can do much more stylized, on-trend makeup for this show than, say, LOST's island look.

What have been your go-to products on set?
There are a lot of them! So I'll attempt to narrow it down. We have a big cast, and so many different needs and preferences.

FACE:
Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation is brilliant. Looks natural, can build up coverage, I love it.

One of my all-time go-to products is Benefit Some Kind-A Gorgeous -- it can be really sheered out or built up for a light medium coverage, works for so many people and they've expanded the color range. I used it regularly on LOST for that island "no makeup" look AND for the "in reality in the city" polished finish.

I also am a fan of Make Up For Ever's HD line. I use their HD Microfinish Powder.

I use plenty of CARGO products. I find their OneBase, Blu-Ray High Definition Mattifier and bronzers staple go-to's in my kit.

Bobbi Brown's extensive line of color foundations is terrific so we use plenty of those as well. I have their foundation palette and it gets used regularly. Always have one.

NARS The Multiple is ever a favorite, and I'm particularly fond of G-Spot this year. Portofino, Orgasm and Malibu are perennial faves.

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Cream Blush in Honey, Eminence Bronzer in Chai Berry, Estee Lauder Signature Silky Powder Blush in Sensuous Rose are high on my list. L'Oreal One Sweep Sculpting Blush Duo comes in really handy for popping cheeks and giving that extra bit of definition under cheekbones or under the jawline without looking too dark or false.

EYES:
I regularly use Chanel eyeshadow in Eclosion, Rose de Mai and Tiger Lily. YSL and Dior 5-shadow combos are a standard of excellence -- I use too many of them to name! Estee Lauder makes an amazing dark dark brown shadow, Mink, and I love it for depth without being black. Sephora has some great waterproof eyeliner pencils I recently have become very attached to -- they stay on and don't drip!

LIPS:
Lastly, I could go on about lipsticks, always my favorite products. I use everyone's line it would seem. My personal favorite currently is Chanel Rouge Double Intensite Ultra Wear Lip Colour. It's a longwear lipstick that doesn't make your lips feel weird or cakey or dry, color stays on. I actually layer a Stila Lip Glaze over it after the initial setting period (about a minute) on top of the gloss that goes over the base color.

How do you prep and prime the actors' skin? Any specific regimen for keeping their skin in good shape before and after all the makeup is applied?
Skincare is the absolute fundamental of makeup. It is the canvas for the art, and having a background in skincare, I am very much in tune with effective products for a wide variance of skin types. Because we are under such heavy time constraints in readying actors, I always ask them to come in with clean skin. We can moisturize when they're in the chair. And at the end of the day, we offer cleanup products. My favorite quick cleaner-upper is a microfiber washcloth with warm water. Mario Bedescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel has been a favorite since LOST.

I am an aficionado of Jan Marini's line, and have seen some amazing results in a matter of days especially with the Transformation Face Cream.

Also, I use a lot of the following products:
Dermalogica Active Moist and Skin Smoothing Cream
Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer
La Mer Creme de la Mer, The Moisturizing Gel Cream and The Moisturizing Lotion (and they make a divine body lotion)
Cetaphil Cleanser and Moisturizing Lotion (keeping it simple sometimes is best)
DermaDoctor products
Pevonica creams, especially their Ligne Yeux "C" Evolutive Eye Gel and Eye Cream

How does HD change how you're thinking about the makeup for the various characters, and are there any products you've used specifically for HD purposes?
HD is really a determining factor in what we apply to mitigate shine, which as it turns out, can be quite intense on camera but not to the eye. And, people speak of the detail with the pores and wrinkles. It is also very true that too much makeup (foundation, powders, cakey concealers) reads as makeup-y on camera and looks, well, pretty awful. I go for coverage that's just enough to perfect, and not too much that would read on camera. And hope the lighting is friendly!

The cameras pick up more information than the eye can actually see, which makes it especially important to not overdo, yet achieve the smooth perfect beauty we all strive for and expect to see on a show.

Antishine/mattifiers are a big kit staple. We use a lot of CARGO Blu-Ray High Definition Mattifier, Origins Zero Oil, M.A.C mattifier and YSL Top Secrets Pore Refining Skincare Brush. I like the clear silicone-based ones for darker skin as they don't ash up, and don't change the color of the makeup.

It depends on the skin type, color and also what I call glassiness -- some people have very small-pored reflective skin and powder does nothing to abate the shine, so we used the aforementioned. (Men too -- there are plenty of them on the show as well!) For some of the women, blotting film and light powdering is enough.

Because the cameras we use are so defined, I find the products that have light reflective qualities, like Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder, help to eliminate the appearance of dark circles and unwanted dimension.

When the bigger guns are needed (and that can be often), I turn to cream concealers like Benefit Boi-ing. I always am on the lookout for new concealers (new products that work in general!) and a few more are in the testing stage for me now.

The Most Indulgent "Thymes" Table: Thymes Body Washes

Recently, I decided to fill my shower with body washes from Thymes. I've long been a fan of the divine scents and beautiful packaging, so I was beyond thrilled to include three of the line's body washes in my arsenal. (The Red Cherie candle is still one of my all-time favorites.) Here's how they stacked up.

Wild Angelica Shower Gel
One of the body washes from the Garden Alchemy collection. From the start, I loved this body wash for the packaging. For me, it calls to mind a painting of the Virgin Mary -- which, even though I'm Jewish, I still find beautiful. Notes of green ivy, red magnolia blossoms, wild angelica, verdant galbanum and dusky violet petals give this one a sensuous feel. I love to use it at the end of a long day, as it calms and relaxes the senses.
$18 at thymes.com

Agave Nectar Body Wash
I'm becoming more and more entranced by agave, both for my skin and in the foods that I eat. The citrusy scent of this body wash is crisp and delicious, plus it works to soften and soothe skin -- perfect after a long, hot day in the sun.
$19 at thymes.com

Lemon Geranium Shower Gel
Another one from the Garden Alchemy collection -- and my personal favorite of the three seen here. I wasn't sure I'd like the scent, since geraniums aren't really my favorite flower. But color me surprised, because thanks to the inclusion of dewy muguet, honeysuckle, green armoise, Tonka bean and earthen tree moss, it's seductive, sexy -- overwhelming in the best possible way.
$18 at thymes.com

And, with all of the bottles, I love that they are adorned with a satin ribbon, which really makes them stand out from the crowd of soaps and shower gels I've tried before. It's just such a pretty, delicate touch that really makes each bottle feel special. I did find that more is better when pouring onto a pouf -- you do need a significant amount to produce enough lather for the entire body. (Think a palm-sized dollop.) This will cause the body washes to be used faster, of course, but at least then you'll smell utterly gorgeous from head to toe.

Nails With Daniella: Sophisticated Superhero Manicure

My friend Daniella C. is a seriously talented nail artist (check out the Disney Princess manicure she did for me before my trip to Disney World), and we'll be collaborating once a month to bring you some fun, intricate, interesting nail designs. This time, it's this amazing manicure that we're calling Sophisticated Superhero.

For awhile now, Daniella and I have tossed around the idea of glitter ombre nails. Daniella is a master at this technique -- I've coveted her designs for over a year -- and I was thrilled when we chose this as the basis for this month's look. While we originally thought we would use a darker color as the base (like Daniella's in the picture of both of our manicures, above), a trial run with five different colors made us decide on a nude base instead!

Here are the colors Daniella used to create the design:


Deborah Lippmann Fashion (nail base color)
Chanel Graphite (ombre base color, and one of our favorites)
Sephora by OPI Only Gold For Me Top Coat (the bold glitter flecks)
Sephora Nail Glitter in Silver (for glitter definition)
Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in Clear (to make the glitter stick to the nail)

We started with two coats of Deborah Lippmann Fashion. Fashion is my all-time favorite nude -- it somehow blends into the skin and stands out at the same time. It's the perfect base for this manicure because it adds just the right amount of definition and really makes the glitter designs noticeable.

To create the ombre effect, Daniella poured Chanel Graphite onto a paper plate and dabbed a makeup sponge into it. She then very carefully brushed and sponged it across each nail, leaving one on each hand ombre free so we could create the superhero part of the manicure -- a lightning bolt! (More on that in a moment.) Starting from the middle of the nail, Daniella brushed more and more Graphite up toward the tip.

Next, Daniella dipped the clear nail polish brush into the Sephora silver glitter, to make it adhere better to the nail. She traced the ombre with the glitter-covered brush and then an orange stick to further define it.

Now came the piece de resistance. Using the orange stick, dipped into Graphite, Daniella carefully drew lightning bolts on my left index finger and right ring finger. Check it out up close:



Isn't that AMAZING?

To finish the look off and add even more definition, Daniella poured bits of Only Gold For Me onto a paper plate and then liberally coated the ombre and lightning bolts with it. The oversized chunks of glitter add flash and drama against the nude base and the shimmer of the Graphite.


A look at the paper plate and some of the supplies used to create the look!

My overall feeling about this look? I LOVE IT! I've been staring at my nails nonstop since Daniella painted them last night. They're dramatic, they're bold, they make me feel like a Sophisticated Superhero!

Stay tuned for more fabulous nail looks with Daniella! I can't wait to see what she creates next.

OOTD: Celebrating My New Yorkiversary!

I meant to post this last week, but time got away from me! In any case, this is what I wore to celebrate my New Yorkiversary. I spent the evening with friends at a much loved bar on the Upper East Side, and then had late night eats at Moonstruck Diner (side note: they have the BEST matzah ball soup, except for my grandmother's and my own). I wanted an outfit that was fun, stylish, comfortable and with just a hint of bling -- and this was everything I hoped it would be! Here's what I wore.

Forever 21 gold top (not available on the website, but might still be available in stores)
Hue Cotton Leggings, $28 at hue.com
Rebecca Minkoff Nikki Hobo in Lavender (no longer available)
Barneys New York leather booties (no longer available)

Note: Please disregard my crazy hair! It was so hot and humid that night that even my perfect blowout from Drybar frizzed and poufed!

How Handy: The Soap & Paper Factory Jasmine Hand Cream

I originally wrote this post for StyleBakery Beauty, but simply had to repost here! I love this hand cream THAT much.

Strangely, I'm normally not a fan of scented lotion. I'm not even an everyday perfume wearer, but a lot of hand creams and moisturizers are scented so heavily that I feel like they overpower my fragrance, my body lotion and just my actual being. Not so with The Soap & Paper Factory Jasmine Hand Cream.

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Mani of the Week: butter LONDON Trustafarian

The perfect holographic nail polish? I'm pretty sure I've found it in butter LONDON Trustafarian. One of the brand's new colors for Fall 2012, it's described as sage green with a golden holographic finish. I definitely see both of the colors there, although on me it pulls more gold than green.

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Cross My Heart: Sally Hansen Salon Effects in Speed Dating

Before the weekend hit, I painted my nails a grand total of six times. And it's not that I didn't love the various colors or brands I used ... but none of the finished results really seemed right. So I kept removing the polish, becoming increasingly frustrated, until I realized: Sally Hansen Salon Effects in Speed Dating were sitting right in front of me.

Immediately, my mood lifted. These nail polish strips just make manicures so easy. I love the array of sizes offered, from tiny to huge, so they're perfect for any nail shape. And this glittery, oversized heart design in particular is just so fun and flirty that even though it's nowhere close to Valentine's Day, I couldn't help myself.

And here's the best part. I applied them on a plane in under 10 minutes, while we were taxiing down the runway. No mess, no cleanup, and no topcoat required (although I did paint them with Seche Vite once reaching my destination, which gets rid of the jagged feeling at the edges).

In conclusion? I HEART this manicure!

This particular design was a limited edition for Valentine's Day, but many other designs are available for $9 each at drugstore.com.

OOTD: Working Up a Sweat!

I'm going to admit something that's been pretty tough for me to deal with. I've gained about 25 pounds in the past four years. Life has had its ups and downs -- being fired from a job, dealing with a less than stellar roommate situation, moving to a new apartment. And even though the past two years have been nothing but rosy, the weight has still slowly crept on. Chalk it up to too many nights ordering unhealthy dinners, too many days spent NOT working out, just too much indulging overall. Truth be told, I can't fit into a lot of my amazing clothes anymore -- they're too tight in the bust, too tight in the stomach, just too darn tight. So I'm making a change, committing to eating better and working out more. Hence my latest OOTD!

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Mani of the Weekend: Zoya FeiFei

Jewelry for the nails. That's what Zoya FeiFei, one of the colors from Zoya's new Diva collection, looks like to me. I needed a really special color to celebrate my 10 year New Yorkiversary tonight and this was it. While it's described as a medium steel blue with gold, pink and blue iridescent metallic sparkle, it changes based on the light and glistens to no end. It can go from looking blue to grey in a heartbeat, all the while shimmering and glittering with the best of them. I love how special this color is and how special it makes me feel while I'm wearing it. Perfect to celebrate this momentous milestone!

What's on your nails this weekend? Let me know in the comments!

Today Marks 10 Years In New York. Happy New Yorkiversary to Me!

Ten years ago today, I moved to New York. I got on a plane with my four suitcases (back then, you could carry on two and check two that each weighed up to 70 pounds!) and said goodbye to my childhood.

Along the way, there have been ups and downs, starting with my first apartment – a space I’d only seen on Craigslist, living with people I’d never met. (I'm going to go on record as saying that was one of the dumbest ideas I've ever had, though I couldn't know until I tried. But I don't recommend doing that.) But each experience I’ve had in New York has shaped the person I’ve become, for better or for worse. Looking at the side by side images above -- the left is from the day I moved, while the right is from just yesterday -- it's hard to believe so much time has gone by. I look at the baby-faced me on the left and am sort of stunned that I've accomplished so many goals.

I always knew I wanted to be a New Yorker. I started saying I was going to live here when I was 12 years old. And though my career choice changed a few times -- I went from thinking I would be a cantor at a synagogue, to singing on Broadway, to a brief stint where I thought my French was good enough for me to be a translator at the United Nations -- I always knew writing and journalism would play a major part in my New York story. Always, those other careers were secondary to writing. And, again, the way my career has shaped itself isn't what I pictured -- I'm not, for example, the Editor in Chief of Seventeen -- I absolutely love what I do, both professionally as a fashion copywriter and personally as a beauty and fashion blogger. I really wouldn't have it any other way.

That's not to say New York hasn't thrown its punches at me. I've been both sat on and punched in the face in the subway (yes, both of those experiences really happened), dated guys who deserved an episode of Sex and the City for how crazy they turned out to be, made and lost friends, lived with great roommates, lived with crazy roommates, lived with the best roommate of all -- myself. I've become a fiercely independent woman who knows what she wants and came into her own among eight million other people.

And let's not forget the core of my professional life (which, more often than not, bleeds into the personal side of things) -- beauty and fashion! I've been obsessed with both for as long as I can remember, and while some of my tastes may have changed, it's actually shocking how much has remained the same.

I am, for example, still a jeans and T-shirt girl at heart -- though I'll rock a pair of heels with my jeans now instead of Birkenstocks. And I've amassed quite a collection of shoes -- Manolo Blahnik! Christian Louboutin! Stuart Weitzman! Celine! Barneys! Dolce & Gabbana! Okay, I'll stop bragging. I think anyone would admit I've cultivated an intense addiction to nail polish -- Chanel, RGB, butter LONDON, Zoya, Nails Inc., the list goes on -- which, really, has existed since my best friend and I used to trade crazy nail polish colors back in high school. While everyone else was wearing pink and red, we were wearing green and brown. And I've grown to love mixing high and low, wearing everything from Ralph Lauren and Chloe to Forever 21 and H&M. I feel that not only my fashion sense and eye for beauty but my entire being have developed and grown up in the big, bad city.

In short? I never could have imagined everything I've been privileged to see and do in the past 10 years. I wouldn't be the person I am without every single experience New York has given me. What a ride it’s been.

Outfit of the Day: A Strong Stance in Cheetah Print

My outfit today was structured around my brand-new blouse from LOFT. I happened upon a LOFT store while meandering down 5th Avenue last night, and this cheetah-print stunner called to me immediately. Yes, I know it's huge and pretty much covers my shorts -- but that's what I love about it! I love that the pockets peek out from underneath and make my legs look as long as they possibly could. I paired my new piece with tried and true favorites -- items I reach for again and again, because every time I put them on, I just feel good. Here's the breakdown.

LOFT Cheetah Print Dolman Sleeve Sheer Blouse, $59.50 at loft.com
Current/Elliott The Boyfriend Short in Sugar, $77.97 at piperlime.com
Sweetie Pie Jewelry Joy Earrings in Clear, $36 at sweetiepiejewelry.com
Alexis Bittar Large Gold Calder Coral Ring (no longer available, but you can find your favorite Alexis Bittar jewelry at alexisbittar.com)
Marc By Marc Jacobs Totally Turnlock bag (no longer available)
Stuart Weitzman T-Bar Platform Sandals (no longer available)
Nails: Rescue Beauty Lounge Catherine H (no longer available)

butter LONDON Nail Polish Swatches: Brights!

I realized recently that I own a ton of butter LONDON nail polish, but rarely have the opportunity to swatch or wear it! So, in the next week or so, I'll be bringing you a host of swatches from the British brand. Up first, three gorgeous brights that are perfect for warm summer days.

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Mani of the Week: Rescue Beauty Lounge Catherine H

Oh, Rescue Beauty Lounge. You do it to me EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. My best friend, Katie, bought me Catherine H for my birthday -- and, as much as I love the color, it took me until now to finally use it! I kept looking at it, and looking at it, and looking at it, and ... well, you get the picture. It just seemed so beautiful and perfect that I didn't want to sully the bottle with actual use. Of course, that finally seemed crazy, so I opened it up and painted my nails with the polish last night.

Perfection in a bottle. Really and truly, the beauty knows no bounds. The polish applies like a dream, evenly in two coats (one is actually dark enough to cover the nail, but I like to do two for good measure). The hue is a gorgeous blend of purple and deep blue that reminds me of the sky as the sun is about to set. Gold and iridescent shimmer give it a unique quality. Interestingly, it actually looks more purple than blue to me, both in person and in photos -- but it's definitely Catherine H, not Catherine, which was the more purple of this collection. In any case, it's a keeper!

What's on your nails this week? Let me know in the comments!

China Glaze Summer Neons Collection Swatches

Nothing really says summer to me like bright nail polish. So the China Glaze Summer Neons Collection, which features -- you guessed it -- bright and bold neons -- seemed to be right up my alley. Below, three of the colors from the collection, along with my thoughts.


Ride The Waves is a deep blue. I don't really see much neon in this color, at least in the bottle -- and, to be honest, not really on the nail, either. It's attention-grabbing, to be sure, but it just looks like a dark blue to me. I've seen some swatches of it looking lighter than mine, but my bottle just didn't apply that lightly and the color didn't dry any lighter than it had applied.


I'm With The Lifeguard is a bright, shimmery lime green. It's unbelievably neon in the bottle and just as eye-popping on the nail. Seen here with three coats, as the first two were a bit streaky and uneven.


Sun-Kissed is an aptly named, eye-searing shimmering yellow. It's looking a bit more like a Big Bird hue here, but in person it's super bright and bold. I used two coats, but it could do with a third for full opacity.

Overall, I like the idea of this collection but these three polishes aren't my favorites. I had a lot of application issues and I found that the consistency varied from bottle to bottle -- with one, I might have only needed one coat, while with another, three coats still were thin and fairly sheer. These colors are unique, to be sure, but I don't know that they're must haves.

NARS Nail Polish Swatches: My Top 3 Picks!

You know what's pretty awesome? NARS Nail Polish. I've featured the brand a couple times over the years, but I realized recently that I really haven't given the nail polish its due! The colors are amazing, the polish is gorgeously pigmented, and the colors? Each is more stunning than the next. Below, my three current favorites.


Diamond Life is one that's been sitting in my stash for quite some time. It was part of the brand's Spring 2012 collection and it came out in January of this year. It's a metallic medium purple with silver frost -- not like anything else in my collection, and the application was much better than I expected for a metallic!


Chinatown is a cult favorite -- and for good reason. Look at that rich, deep red! I had some application issues with this one, and it definitely needs a few coats to really make it be opaque -- but it's such a great winter manicure color.


Storm Bird is new for Fall 2012. It's a rich charcoal creme, completely opaque in two coats, and gorgeous if not completely unique. If you're a grey nail polish lover, this is a must have.

NARS Nail Polish retails for $18 each at narscosmetics.com.