CND has revamped their Nail Polish packaging and I have to say that I am really liking it! The bottle shape is pretty arrow dynamic, the brush handle is rubber so you can get a great grip and the bristles of the brush are triangular and the tip is totally flat. And to launch the new look this fall is the Nail Colour & Effects, which is composed of 50 Colours, 15 Effects, 3 Types of Effects, and all are 3-Free (free of Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP). $9/Colour, $11/Effects. See all @ ulta.com.

Colour From L to R: Inkwell, Asphalt, Flashpoint, Rose Water and Gold Chrome.

Effects from L to R: Lavender Pearl, Emerald Shimmer, Crimson Sparkle and Sapphire Sparkle.

It’s been a while since we last featured a body scrub on the site. There’s still a lotta love, just got caught up with other products, I guess! Even though the MARIS line was built on the foundation of using natural fragrances and mostly certified organic ingredients, like Shea Butter, their Bali Vanilla Body Scrub ($28/12oz @ marisnaturals.com) still contains sodium laureth sulphate, which is an inexpensive lathering agent. Some people don’t like to use products that contain this ingredient while others don’t care because they need a good lather. It’s up to you. Some the other ingredients are Moroccan Rhassoul clay (a superior clay that draws out impurities, cleanses and improves the skin’s firmness, among others), sea salt, ylang-ylang, clove, honey and sandalwood, most of which are personal faves. The scrub itself is very thick and not oily at all, so this might be a good one to use before self-tanning.

There was a great article in InStyle’s recent Makeover magazine about why one scent will appease one and turn off another. It’s by Faye Penn and got me thinking - what draws you to a fragrance? The name? The shape of the bottle and packaging? Both? When it comes down to it, you really have to have a connection to the notes and if there’s one thing I have learned over the years in trying out all kinds of fragrances, you really have to know your notes. Go grab your favorite fragrances off your vanity and do a google search to find out what notes are inside them. See if there is a pattern. There will probably be vastly different ones depending if you wear it for day or night. Just something to think about as there are so many to choose from these days  and more coming out every day or so it seems.

One that is hitting the spot for me right now is YVES SAINT LAURENT or YSL’s new Parisienne Eau de Parfum Spray. It’s a woody floral, which I found out here I am a fan of. Who knew?? You’ll sniff notes like blackberry, cranberry, peony, damask rose and sandalwood. What stands out by far with this one is the rose. I’m declaring this a true rose fragrance so if you are a fan, check this one. $39/1oz, $65/1.6oz, $85/3.5oz, $40/6.6oz Perfumed Body Lotion @ nordstrom.com.

The goal of every fall is to keep the frizzy hair away, right? Temperatures crash and moisture is sucked right out of the air and your hair. OJON just put out Restorative Leave-in Treatment and the timing is perfect. It claims to reduce the frizz up to 88% (how do they measure a percentage like this, I’ll never know!) Anyway, what this one has that your other frizz reducers have is a color enhancer – one made just for redheads, blondes and brunettes. So while you are using it for frizzy, the nourishing ingredients of Swa+ Oil, Macadamia, Cupuacu, Murumuru and Shea Butter hydrate help repair any pre-existing damage. They claim a 33% improvement in the conditioner of dry and/or damaged hair. Again, how do they …

And the color kick?  Like all the products in their line, they really go the extra mile in using ones you’d never expect. For example, the one I used for Brown Hair has Chinese Reishi Mushroom and Magnolia Bark for their antioxidant properties and both have an espresso-tinted colorant to them. In this case, it really is, what WILL they think of next? Great product. $29/4.2oz @ ojon.com.

It’s fall and you know that that means! Bath time!! Climbing into a warm water is always enjoyable but I mostly like that my cat Lucy comes and sits on my discarded clothes next to the tub whenever I am in the bath. So just me and her for a few  moments of quiet. I just had my first bath this past weekend and while I couldn’t entice Lucy to come in, for a swim, I celebrated the season by pouring some of  HONEYCAT COSMETICS’ Warm Milk Martini ($20/9.37oz @ honeycatcosmetics.com). And this has all good stuff in it - goat’s milk, coconut and yogurt milk powder, sweet almond oil, vitamin E and Shea Butter.

Money is tight for me too here at Cybelesays.com and in the beauty category of tightening my belt, it seems to have most affected when I get my hair cut and colored. And since I was able to experience the Brazilian Hair Treatment earlier this year, I really liked it so I think I can do it maybe twice a year. I’m a little overdue for my next treatment so I’ve been using the H2PRO Pink 300 Special Edition Styling Iron ($109, 1" plate @ grandperfumes.com and amazon.com) and it’s pretty much kept all my hair in check. Using Nano Silver and Nano Titanium Oxide, which they claim removes chemicals and bacteria from the hair with each pass. Huh? You mean, I don’t have to wash my hair and can just use this one to basically clean it?? Kidding but that is sort of what it implies, no? I know that Nano Titanium helps enhance the ionic effect so each hair is able to absorb moisture and leave behind shine.

 
  

Anyway, the bottom line for any flat iron is that it must do a few things flawlessly to go in the worth it   category:

1. Heats up quickly – this one is less that 15 seconds to get to 450 degrees – check!

2. Fully straighten with only a few passes – check!

3. Does not grab or grip as you slide the hair through the plates – check!

As with most of the ones I have tried lately, this too can be used on damp hair but we wouldn’t do something stupid like that, right ladies?

According to ESTEE LAUDER, the fall comes in two color choices, Rose Gold and Amethyst, with their Sensuous Gold collection. Here’s their reasoning. Temps are dropping to a time when soft, rich radiance needs to be revealed and what better way, then with rich golden tones and spiked with regal amethyst.

Some of the products are limited edition so get thee to a counter pronto! Here are my stars:

Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Rose Gold ($18)

Limited Edition Signature Lipstick in Rose Amethyst ($19.50)

Signature 5-Tone Shimmer Powder for Eyes, Cheeks, Face in Pink Shimmer ($36)

Limited Edition Signature Eyeshadow Quad in Rose Gold ($35)

Both have some stand out products but if I had to choose one collection overall, I think I’d take the Sensuous Gold collection. I really think this could have rocked this past summer too! Check these and more out at their counters or nordstrom.com.

If looooong lashes are your thing, two that just came out give length, length and more length are from CHANEL and MAC. And it’s interesting that both of these just put out collections dedicated to black.

• CHANEL Intense Volume and Curl Mascara in Extreme Black ($30 @ chanel.com) from the Collection Noirs Obscurs
• MAC Zoom Fast Black Lash in Deepest Black ($13 @ maccosmetics.com)

One thing that is important to me is how a mascara formula feels on the lashes and both of these feel strong and not like they are going to crumble off in a matter of hours like a few I have tried lately have. I truly believe that there are a lot of companies out there that have no business making mascara.

Just out is Lauren Rennells’ Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques 2nd Edition ($32.95 @ vintagehairstyling.com). Choose from more popular styles from the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s and step-by-step instructions on how to achieve each style. And this one also goes over hair products that are good to use, tools, hair accessories, and even how to do your makeup and how to do your nails from each decade, which I don’t think were in the last book.

Only after I featured the first book on this site and really got into trying more of the styles did I come to the conclusion that one tweak would make this book perfect. Instead of binding the pages, they should be wire bound, like a notebook. That way I can open it comfortably to a specific style and follow the directions and not have to fight to keep it open each time. I actually took apart the 1^st edition and secured the pages with a big binder clip. Must easier to use!

And Lauren, I still want you to one day do my hair one day as my arms are killin’ me!

Did you ever really think about the hair tools you use? I mean, they’re all really “one size fits all” and we each have different hair types with different needs. What may be perfect for one head of hair might be quite damaging to another. Enter SMART HEAT by Gold ‘N Hot Elite and did they ever educated me on some hair facts. It’s pretty straight forward that fine hair is less flexible and more prone to damage from styling tools than medium or coarse hair so did you ever think you could get hair tools that were made for your specific type of hair? These use an electronic heat sensor to keep the irons and dryer at the right temperature for your hair type. So no more over-drying or over-styling, which can both wreak havoc on hair!

Choose from the following:

smart heat by Gold ‘N Hot Elite: The Dryer ($115)
smart heat by Gold ‘N Hot Elite: The Straightening Iron ($115)
smart heat by Gold ‘N Hot Elite: The Curling Irons – ½”, ¾”, 1”, 1 ¼” (“$80)

All @ belsonproducts.com or 800-327-8384.