Sarah Conley

Teal is one of the hottest colors for summer, so it’s no surprise that two beloved beauty brands included teal cream eyeliners in their summer collection launches. Tarte released a shade appropriately named Splash as part of the Aqualillies for Tarte collection, and in the newly released Lorac PRO Metallic Cream Eyeliners collection, a shade named Aquamarine. How do they compare?

Aqualillies for Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eyeliner in Splash

In the pot, Splash looks vibrant, but when you swatch (or wear) it, the sea-like qualities come through. The teal is softened with more true greens and subtle gold shimmer. As I blended the product across my lid, it softened into a yellow toned mossy green, and would make a beautiful cream eyeshadow. The Amazonian Clay line is receiving such rave reviews from the beauty community, and with good reason. The staying power is phenomenal, and in this case waterproof. All Tarte cream eyeliners also come with what I consider to be the best angled liner brush on the market. I realize it’s a big statement, but I’ve tried a lot of brushes, and this one defeats them all. Pretty good, considering that you get both for $24.

Lorac PRO Metallic Cream Eyeliner in Aquamarine

As the name implies, the Lorac PRO Metallic Cream Eyeliner in Aquamarine is a beautiful, rich, metallic teal. It totally reminds me of a mermaid’s tail when I applied it thickly. As I blended it out to use it as a cream eyeshadow or base, the brighter teal shimmer becomes more noticeable, however the color didn’t stray too far from a more precise application. The Lorac PRO cream eyeliners also come with a brush that is designed very similarly to many of the newer cream eyeshadow products. The brush itself reminds me a bit of a duck tail, in that it is dense and a graduated oval shape at the tip. The Lorac also comes in a bit less inexpensive at $19, available exclusively at Ulta.

Things may not always be as they seem, especially when you compare two similar products side-by-side. Overall, the Tarte option comes with a bonus of being waterproof, although it was equally as difficult to remove the Lorac formula from the swatches on my hand. The Tarte color is a softer, more wearable teal while the Lorac is a richly pigmented teal. The performance of these products is nearly identical, so it all comes down to which color you might prefer.

Have you tried either of these products? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

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To some people (Blair Waldrof included), Henri Bendel is as much a NYC icon as the Empire State Building. The flagship store on 5th Avenue has gone through many changes over the years, from The Limited acquisition to the store no longer carrying apparel, and now to the rapid expansion of Henri Bendel accessory stores throughout the  US, the modern Henri Bendel  brand looks quite different from milliner Henri Willis Bendel’s beginnings in 1895.

The flagship location keeps the fashion heritage of Bendel alive, carrying small and well known designers alike, as well as the signature Henri Bendel accessories collection that can also be found in any of the 29 stores nationwide. Fall 2013 marks the first collection created by newly appointed Creative Director, Pina Ferlisi. Ferlisi’s resume is impressive, including McQ, Coach, and launching the Marc by Marc Jacobs accessory line.

The fall collection is classic, with with rich, jewel toned leathers, gold hardware, and leopard print calf hair pieces. The travel accessories are where the collection really shines, including tech cases, signature Bendel stripes re-imagined onto totes and luggage, as well as small leather goods like contact lens cases, card carriers, travel adapters and more.

Most handbags in the collection retail from $150-$400, with additional pieces falling well below and slightly above that range. You can purchase these pieces when they arrive July – September.

I’ve always said that if I were to ever leave the city, I’d want all Bendel striped everything. Does the signature print make you feel the same?

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Is your hair demanding, difficult, and unruly? Join Pantene (and me!) tomorrow from 2-3pm EST on Twitter for a chat with Pantene scientist, Rolanda Johnson. We’ll be chatting about Pantene’s Expert Collection and tips to get your badly behaving hair to play nice, plus I’ll be doing a very special Twitter exclusive giveaway! Here’s what you need to know:

When: Wednesday, May 22, 2 – 3pm EST

Where: On Twitter, @Pantene and @StyleIT, #PanteneExpert

Giveaway Details: I’ll be sharing full details on how to win Pantene’s Expert Collection on Twitter immediately following the #PanteneExpert chat. Stay tuned for full details!

Pantene’s Expert Collection is a targeted anti-aging line with specialized treatments like 60 Second Keratin Therapy Ampules, Advanced Thickening Treatment, plus shampoos and conditioners to round out the collection.

Let’s get hairapy together!

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While traveling is exciting, there’s nothing better than returning to all the comforts of home. For me, that means the relaxing beauty indulgences of a Sunday spa routine at home. This week, I’m loving:

Artistry Intensive Skincare Renewing Peel: I’m very afraid of peel treatments. They bring to mind Samantha’s raw face at Carrie’s book party, and no matter how gentle they claim to be, I always see flashes of my face turning the same shade of tomato. Thanks to mushrooms (really!), this won’t happen with Artistry’s Intensive Skincare Renewing Peel. This one step formula uses mushroom enzymes that react with your skin to know when to stop the exfoliation process when your skin reaches the optimum pH level. For a full science lesson on how these Ivy League mushroom enzymes work, check out this in depth video from Artistry.

Phyto Secret De Nuit Overnight Treatment: The overnight hair treatment category is so hot right now. Pantene released their Overnight Miracle Repair Serum, plus hair oils are practically leaping off shelves in every category and combination imaginable. Because my hair is so fine, I’ve shied away from these treatments for so long, but as I’m getting closer to 30, I’m not as oily as I used to be, and my skin/hair have become slightly drier. I love overnight treatments the night before I wash my hair because it allows me to add in some extra moisture without worrying about whether or not my hair will look great the next day. Phyto’s Secret De Nuit is hands down the best overnight treatment that I’ve used yet. Packed with macadamia oil (which always makes me think of cookies) and ceramides, the formula feels surprisingly lightweight for a product that delivers this much moisture. It also uses black orchid extract to combat oxidation. I give my hair a good brushing, apply Secret De Nuit, and then braid my hair for the evening to make sure that my hair gets as much moisture as possible without it ending up all over my pillow.

Tone Ocean Therapy body wash: If you can’t visit the ocean, the least you can do is bring it into your shower. Tone’s Ocean Therapy body wash uses deep sea extracts, like sea kelp, pearl essence, and vitamin E for a mineral-rich formula. It doesn’t smell like you might expect, aka like a lot of the “ocean” products on the market, but it does remind me somewhat of salt water taffy. The scent is a mixture of sweet and salty, like a good day at the beach.

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When I met Eye4Style for brunch, it was one of those almost-warm-but-not-yet-quite spring days, but I was determined to bare my legs! I also happen to be blindingly white, so I gave them  a quick coat of Sally Hansen’s new Airbrush Legs. My point is, sometimes you just need to feel a cool breeze and the warmth of the sun on your legs. The weirdo weather we’ve been having in NYC is causing all kinds of wardrobe confusion and as a result, I’ve ended up wearing all kinds of color everywhere. That’s what the warmer months are for, right?

Outfit details:

Dress: SimplyBe

Handbag: Brahmin Tucker Satchel 

Geometric cuff: Topshop (no longer available)

Flats: Nordstrom Rack find

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I’ve been pretty MIA from the digital world for the past two weeks. While I’ve missed connecting with my friends and reading great content, it was also remarkably refreshing. I’ve been feeling uninspired and honestly, a little suffocated by my surroundings. Not to be a cliche, but what often comes to mind these days is a line from the Sex and the City episode where Carrie and Samantha take a train the west coast and Samantha calls NYC “Same York”. I had the opportunity to head to the Chicago suburbs for 10 days to help a client with a series of events and it was like the life was knocked back into me. I was a more pleasant version with myself and mused with the smallest things, like supermarkets and drive-through restaurants. There isn’t a ton of fashion or beauty updates to share from the past two weeks, but that’s what I love the most about the posts in the Where I’ve Been series – they don’t always have to be so serious.

From the top left corner, clockwise:

I’m a Bendel girl at heart: I’ve always said that if I ever left NYC, I’d want everything that I could get my hands on in the signature Henri Bendel brown and white stripes. They have all the gifty items and some winners, like the striped poker set or the tea pot. There’s something so quintessentially New York about the print, so it’s no surprise that I packed all of my stripes for Chicago. There’s even another cosmetic bag that I used for jewelry not pictured here.

Bruno Mars at the Samsung Experience Pop Up: I don’t mind Bruno Mars music (it’s definitely an earworm), but I’ve never oh-so-crazy for him. I had the opportunity to see him perform live at the Samsung Experience Pop Up and I finally understand the hype. He’s the perfect combination of attractive + seemingly emotionally available + just enough swagger to appeal to a wide audience. I’ve never seen so many women nearly throwing their underwear on stage as I have that night. His band and backup singers were absolutely charming and seemed to be having a great time on stage. I’m a convert!

My first ramen: Admittedly, I’m pretty afraid of a lot of foods, including almost anything exotic. What can I say – I was raised by a vegetarian who still cooked me meat. My food issues are endless! On a particularly brave day, I accompanied Eye4Style to Momofuku. I’m so happy that I went outside my comfort zone! It was completely tasty and not at all what I expected. Hooray for new experiences!

A winning combination: Is there anything better than a full skirt and sparkly flats? Warm spring days were made for such a happy combination!

Sonic is always on my must list: Ask anyone who has ventured outside of NYC with me (which I fondly refer to as #America) and they can attest that I will undoubtedly force them to go to Sonic at least once, twice if I ask really nicely. It’s such a happy place, with fond memories of high school and college that I can’t imagine not having it in my life.

To check or not to check: These days, checking bags not only feels like a giant hassle, it also feels like a tremendous risk. From the chances of the airline losing (or “misplacing”) your luggage, to items being stolen, or the ridiculous fees that airlines believe that they are entitled to charging for a checked bag, it has all gotten to be too much. Checking a bag seems to be antiquated and taboo, yet it is – in my opinion – perfectly reasonable for trips longer than a couple of days. Besides, who are these airlines to judge you, anyway? Don’t even get me started on the liquids.

The post Where I’ve Been: Volume 6 appeared first on styleitonline.com.

I’m normally not one for a DIY nail. In fact, I pretty much shun all things DIY from my life because I’m generally horrible at it. Why do when you can pay someone else to do better? Since I’m feeling adventurous and everyone else makes it look so easy, I decided to order nail art brushes from eBay for around $2 and give it a try. If it didn’t work out, it wasn’t a big deal.

When I received this NARS x Pierre Hardy polish duo in Ethno Run to review, I instantly knew that it needed to become part of nail art creation. After all, navy and orange are perfect together! I pulled out my brushes and gave it a go. In hindsight, I probably should have tried to create this look with tape for cleaner lines, but I’m proud that I was able to create some semblance of a line with a very thin, dense detail brush. Not my finest at-mani, but certainly a fun experience to say the least.

NARS polishes are always incredibly shiny when you apply them (before topcoat), so I wanted to make sure that I kept that shine in place. I chose to top the look off with Julep’s Freedom Topcoat, an interesting gel/polish hybrid. So far, it’s helped to extend the life of mani and kept it very shiny.

As with all good things, the NARS x Pierre Hardy collection is limited edition, so act fast. I’m currently wearing the Boys Don’t Cry blush, a highly pigmented matte pinky-coral. I have to use a light hand on my fair skin, but I imagine that it would really pop on darker complexions.

Have you see the Pierre Hardy collection? What are your thoughts?

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Just as the name implies, MAC’s steamy summer collection, Temperature Rising, is a collection for your inner bronze goddess. With summer staples like the Bronzing Oil in May Rays, and bronzers in both Pro Longwear and powder formulas, it’s a great opportunity to stock up on staples. A must see standout for me is the Strobe Liquid in Golden Elixir. I’m so curious to see how that will stack up next to MAC’s hero Strobe Liquid (or Cream, depending on your preference). I also love that MAC has continued the theme of lips + tips, with coordinating Lipglass, Lipstick and Nail Lacquers.

Temperature Rising arrives on counters May 23, 2013. Anything on your wishlist?

The post Beauty Best: MAC’s Temperature Rising Collection appeared first on styleitonline.com.

Inspired by my friend Maree (who I was also meeting for brunch), I tried to be a little more relaxed. I’ve documented how uncomfortable dressing down makes me, but I took subtle cues from her style, like a less fussy handbag and more of a low maintenance makeup look. I’m absolutely in love with the fit of this SimplyBe colorblocked dress and how sporty it feels while still looking polished, but I always have a difficult time pairing it with a handbag that feels right. I opted for this Wonder Woman tote from the MAC collection (circa 2011) because it has a mint background paired with a really fun Wonder Woman comic and shiny gold handles  - just like her lasso.

What do you wear when you dress down? Do you have a formula? Let me know in the comments below!

Outfit details:

Colorblocked dress: SimplyBe

Leggings: Teggings by Re/Dress (not currently available, coming soon)

Leather jacket: Roaman’s

Earrings: Marni at H&M (no longer available, check eBay)

Pointy toe flats: Nine West from Barefoot Tess (try these from Corso Como)

Tote: Limited edition from MAC’s Wonder Woman collection (no longer available, check eBay)

Photos by Maree from A Little Bit etc.

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