Below I swatched 2 palettes from the Spring collection: Garden Roses and Garden Pastels as well as the Dior Vernis Party Scented Lacquers.

The first palette, Garden Roses includes soft pinks, Parma violet, silver and purple.

The second,  Garden Pastels features shades of pale pink, buttercup yellow and luminous greens. They are both embossed with a floral pattern inspired by the embroidered designs on delicate tulle. Upon application, I instantly felt a bit more awake!

The colors are wonderfully packed with soft hues for a daytime look yet with a sweep of layering and eyeliner can be vamped up for the evening. Once again, the colors read “Spring.” The Dior spring color collection is inspired by Dior’s fantastic garden in Granville. They are available while supplies last at Dior counters nationwide and Dior.com for $ 59.00 per palette.

Dior Vernis in Waterlily

The Dior Vernis nail lacquers are infused with a subtle hint of rose fragrance, lasting for up to four days after the polish dries! Waterlily is a soft green and Forget-Me-Not is a light mauve.

Dior Vernis in Forget-Me-Not

Both applied easily and had great color pigment after one coat yet I applied two due to habit. These too are available at Dior counters nationwide as well as on Dior.com for $ 23.00 per lacquer.

There are other parts to this collection such as two Dior Garden Clutches in Milly ( Nordstrom and Dior.com Exclusive)  and Grandville Garden  for $ 75.00 as well as Lip Colors for $32.00 in both Corolle Pink and Socialite Pink , Ultra Lip Glosses for $ 28.00 in Socialite Pink (Dior.com Exclusive), Party Lilac and Pretty Rose as well as a 3 Couleur Eyeshadow in Smoky Garden for $ 48.00 (Dior.com Exclusive).

Christian Dior was quoted as saying  “ After women, flowers are the most heavenly creation.” After looking at these color harmonies and embossed floral patterns of the palettes…one can understand why.

So tell us, will you be hauling home this collection?  Drop a comment below to let us know.

And you must check out the limited edition Anselm Reyl collection for Dior HERE.

- Nicole Gordon Levine

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FOUNDATION: Bobbi Brown’s Skin Foundation Mineral Makeup SPF 15. A lot of other name brands that we have tried, tended to leave our skin looking dry in patches and dull. This new formula provides translucency and also shine free coverage.

The formula in the product consists of vitamins and minerals that moisturize and condition the skin leaving the finished look silky and smooth. Available at all Bobbi Brown counters for $ 38.00 or go to www.bobbibrown.com. The Face Brush is $ 42.00 and the Powder Puff is $ 15.00.

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus All-Smooth Makeup SPF 15 The new All-Smooth Makeup with SPF 15 incorporates the brand’s advanced patented technology from the powerhouse de-aging serum, Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus.

It wears well on the skin, goes on without any fuss, and is easy to blend with your fingers (see pics HERE). It retails for $32.50.

CONCEALER:  Maybelline’s new Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer gets our two thumbs up in terms of dramatic transformation.

Since it is marketed as a treatment concealer, it also works to correct the problem over the long haul — a major plus. Application is easy thanks to the sponge tip applicator and Maybelline has all skin tones covered offering shades from fair to medium to dark.   Check out the Before & After photos HERE.

For $8.49, this is a good concealer to have. The bottle ensures you’ll have this for a long time — at least 3-4 months. Purchase this in drugstores or online retailers.

MASCARA:  L’Oreal’s Voluminous Million Lashes mascara.

This mascara actually lives up to it’s claims-it provides volume and separates lashes with each swipe of the brush (see Before & After photos HERE). The brush has many bristles (more than I’ve ever seen!) that provides a good coat that lasts throughout the day. Not only does this mascara provide amazing results but it’s also available at an affordable price-can’t beat that ladies!

Hypnôse Doll Mascara

Hypnose Doll Lashes Mascara does give you doll-like lashes, and they do become shiny. There’s more of a lengthening effect than a plumping effect (see Before & After photos HERE), so if you want volume, this is not the mascara for you. But if you’re going for definition, shine and length, then yes –I’d give this two thumbs up. Grab one for $25 at Lancome.com.

LIPSTICK / GLOSS: MAC Glamglass

If you want to make a statement, you certainly will with M.A.C.’s  Glamglass which launched in the Summer of 2011. This moisturizing gloss leaves lips silky while providing an intense shine. With 11 shades to choose from (see them all HERE) each retailing for $14.50, there’s something for every event. I certainly don’t see this product leaving my make up bag any time soon!

NAIL POLISH: Chanel and Zoya

Chanel Mimosa could have been Summer 2011′s IT nail polish color. This gorgeous shade looks beautiful on all skin complexions and makes a perfect pedicure color.

Zoya’s Touch was the ultimate ‘Business Professional’ collection. These three soft nude shades reach opaque finishes with only one coat making it perfect for busy . See more hot nail polish pics HERE.

GIVEAWAY:  We want to share some of our faves with you so we are giving away FIVE L’Oreal’s Voluminous Million Lashes mascaras to lucky fans.  To enter, leave a comment below telling us what mascara you’ve been using in the past year.  We will pick a winner in a couple of weeks (US only please – we apologize to our International fans).  Good luck!!

ANNOUNCING WINNERS: 

Congratulations to:  Christina, Alina B, Joanne K., Tammy S. Jisue.  We just contacted you to get your mailing address. Thank you all for entering!

- Amelia Keith of PrettyInTheQueenCity.com and BeautyStat editorial staff

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Julep is the eco-friendly nail polish line that sends you stunning nail polish shades every month that suit your style and mood. Featured in Lucky, Allure, InStyle and US Weekly, Julep is making splashes in the nail polish pool. Pull up a chair, girlfriend…let me enlighten you a bit.

Founded by Beauty Expert Jane Park, Julep is different from any other nail polish company in that Julep Maven members get Sneak Peek Boxes every month. And what’s in those Sneak Peek Boxes, you ask? Nothing but the hottest trends in the nail polish and Mani & Pedi Care products. After taking a Style Quiz, the Julep team will hand pick the perfect polishes and products for you every month. Feel like sharing the love one month and want to surprise a girlfriend with some goodies? Send the beautifully packaged box to your Mother Dearest, old college roommate, best friend or niece.  Check out the video below where Jane shows you all the fabulous products you get each month.

I know what you’re thinking…how much does this cost? At just $5.00 the first month and $19.99 after that, a Julep Maven membership is less than your gym membership and that Starbucks addiction of yours. But wait…it gets better. While you’ll only be paying $19.99 a month, you will actually receive $60 worth of Julep products. Shipping is always FREE and if for whatever reason you want to skip a month or cancel your membership, you can do so free of charge.   That’s right, no signing away your life for the sake of new bottles of polish.

EXCLUSIVE OFFER AND GIVEAWAY:

I am a huge fan of Julep’s nail polish colors. From the funky blues like Amy and Jamie to the gorgeous vampy reds that are Demi and Lucy, Julep has something for every nail polish lovin’ lady.

Even better, by signing up as Julep Maven, you’ll be entered to win a FREE full year membership AND get a new polish named after you. Pretty cool, right? JOIN TODAY!  And don’t forget to use the code “BeautyStat” to get 50% off the first month.

- Brittany Thomas of Clumps of Mascara

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Sephora now even has a Nail Art display.  Sephora by OPI designed an easy to read nail art guide to create the top trends within a few simple steps curated by Sophy Robson. Their is also a helpful video linked to their QR Code on the front cover of the guide. I opted for the nail bling gold leopard and even though I am not a fan of the nail stickers, I loved the results. I prefer nail polish strips as they are super easy to put on and even easier to remove with nail polish remover. These needed to be trimmed with a glass nail file and have to be soaked off in warm water. The “bling”of the nail prints is raised and it got stuck on my stockings a few times but fortunately did not rip them. There are so many fun styles to create using both the Sephora by OPI nail bling coupled with their large variety of polishes.

But how does a consumer choose between edgy companies Incocco, Nail Fraud Patterened Nail Strips, and Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips, for starters? The answer is –look at the patterns. The prices are pretty much the same (highly affordable and in the realm of $8 – $12), so the patterns and ease of use is how we would pick our strips.

Here is an overview of some of the best nail art choices on the market:

Incoco’s Cat’s Meow (glitter)

Incoco: These nail polish appliques come in the cutest, chicest designs from the blinged up version, to the matte variety. They do leopard prints really well, otherwise most of their designs tend to be of the straight lines and circle variety, all very chic and fun. Around $8.99.

Sally Hansen Effects Nail Art Strip in “Cut it Out”

Sally Hansen Effects Nail Art Strips: These strips are really easy to apply and file (mine took 10 minutes total), but to seal the deal and prevent them from peeling, use a base and top coat. They have cute flowery patterns in both the matte and bling variety.$9.99.

Nail Fraud Strips in “Pink Cheetah”

Nail Fraud: These strips promise “instant manicures” but they don’t look as high end as Incoco or the new Sephora by OPI. They do look like stickers for your nails. That said, some of the colors and patterns are delightfully outrageous! $12.

Sephora by OPI

Sephora by OPI: These latest installments of nail art decals border on the bling variety (think crystals and incredibly intrinsic designs). A true thumbs up to what we think is high-end nail art. Lady Gaga could easily wear some of them, and they’ll add so much sparkle and life to your outfit. The latest decals are one step above the Chic Print for Nails: they’re true nail bling. $15 (embellishment stickers are $5).

What is your “go to” company for nail art? Tell us why, in the comments below.

- Charu Suri & Nicole Gordon Levine

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We think this year is most definitely the year of the lash and the year of the nail. There have been so many terrific nail lacquers and innovations, from the crackle variety to the popular Sally Hansen nail strips that nails now have more beautiful choices than ever before.

Take Chanel for example. Did they simply have to tease us with that glittery Peridot nail lacquer for Fall 2011? It’s enigmatic, strong, powerful. We can’t wait to try our bottle once it arrives.

We started BeautyStat’s first nail competition and opened it across several categories: Nail Art, Strips (including Sally Hansen and Incocco appliques and the like, but no Minx entries because they’re done by professionals).

The judge of this competition, celebrity nail stylist, TracyLee (who also has the @LuxebyTracylee handle on Twitter) picked the top finalists from all the outstanding entries, and had a hard time picking out the best of the best. She told us, “The criteria I chose was: overall creativity, neatness, difficulty in the DIY design to do on yourself, the clarity of the photos, and of course, I researched entrants to make sure they were not pros (some were).”

TracyLee picked out 12 fabulous FINALISTS and then we opened up the voting to you the fans, to pick the 3 winners.  So without further adieu, below are the WINNERS.  

Danyal’s pic below:

Danyal says, “The technique is water marbling. My base coat I always use is OPI Original Nail Envy.  I did one coat OPI Alpine Snow’ for the base color. I used Sally Hansen ‘Calypso Blue’, Sally Hansen ‘Back to the Fuchsia’ and Sally Hansen ‘Black Out’ for the design. Then I topped it off with Out the Door ‘Northern Lights’ glitter in silver. To top it off I used Seche Vite Dry Fast top coat.”

Melissa below:

Melissa says “I’m so excited for this opportunity to show you DIY nail art that’s a “greener” approach. I’m all about going green and feature many simple ways to incorporate a greener lifestyle into every day life. This one involves newspaper instead of going out and buying the popular nail decals/strips. I used orly’s “pure porcelain”, 91% rubbing alcohol, newsprint, and mavala base & top coat”.  I posted the video tutorial along with more photos on my blog seen here.

Fishing 4 Beauty below:

Fishing 4 Beauty says, “I used the Base Coat: Seche Clear, Nail Lacquer: 10 Professional 458 Moonlight, 2 coats, Hand painted lace (ring finger & thumb): Sally Hansen French Manicure Natural White. Top Coat: Seche Vite

CONGRATULATIONS LADIES!  Each of you will be receiving a boat load of nail polishes and treatments from luxury brands including Lumos, Non-Toxique and Priti NYC (each winner will get a set worth over $150!).

Now, don’t miss out on any of our fabulous giveaways and contests by signing up for our newsletter HERE.

If you like this post, share it with your friends and give it a LIKE on Facebook.

We think this year is most definitely the year of the lash and the year of the nail. There have been so many terrific nail lacquers and innovations, from the crackle variety to the popular Sally Hansen nail strips that nails now have more beautiful choices than ever before.

Take Chanel for example. Did they simply have to tease us with that glittery Peridot nail lacquer for Fall 2011? It’s enigmatic, strong, powerful. We can’t wait to try our bottle once it arrives.

We started BeautyStat’s first nail competition and opened it across several categories: Nail Art, Strips (including Sally Hansen and Incocco appliques and the like, but no Minx entries because they’re done by professionals).

The judge of this competition, celebrity nail stylist, TracyLee (who also has the @LuxebyTracylee handle on Twitter) picked the top finalists from all the outstanding entries, and had a hard time picking out the best of the best. She told us, “The criteria I chose was: overall creativity, neatness, difficulty in the DIY design to do on yourself, the clarity of the photos, and of course, I researched entrants to make sure they were not pros (some were).”

So without further ado, below are the FINALISTS and now we need YOU to VOTE (Post a comment way down below telling us who you vote for):

Vote for Danyal’s pic below:

Danyal says, “The technique is water marbling. My base coat I always use is OPI Original Nail Envy.  I did one coat OPI Alpine Snow’ for the base color. I used Sally Hansen ‘Calypso Blue’, Sally Hansen ‘Back to the Fuchsia’ and Sally Hansen ‘Black Out’ for the design. Then I topped it off with Out the Door ‘Northern Lights’ glitter in silver. To top it off I used Seche Vite Dry Fast top coat.”

Danyal

Vote for West below:

West says, “It took 2 coats of ‘Snow Me White’ (sinful colors), one coat of ‘Who Needs a Prince’ (OPI), and a black Nail Art polish. I used OPI’s base and Seche Vite Dry Fast topcoat (I LOOOOVE that stuff!).”

West

Vote for Samara below:

Samara says “This is Sally Hansen nail strip in Lace.”

Samara

Vote for Jessica 1 below:

Jessica used the Water Marble Technique with Star Nail International Base Coat, Color Club Jackie Oh!, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out Xtra 1, Black Rhinestones, Seche Vite Top Coat.

Jessica 1

Vote for Jessica 2 below:

Jessica used Zoya’s “Charla” on her nails:

Jessica 2

Vote for Dari below:

Dari

Vote for Taneisha 1 below:

Taneisha’s Look: “For the Base Color: OPI Nail Lacquer in A Grape Fit, L.A Colors Black Striper, and any glitter nail color I used NYC Brand. My inspiration is different modern styles of life, and different patterns.”

Taneisha 1

Vote for Taneisha 2 below:

Taneisha says, “This is s China Glaze Shocking Pink (neon), Black Striper, and OPI Got No Room For Blues ( Butterfly Color) this is a spring look, as you can see I was inspired by the season, and more of a girly feel.”

Taneisha 2

Vote for Melissa below:

Melissa says “I’m so excited for this opportunity to show you DIY nail art that’s a “greener” approach. I’m all about going green and feature many simple ways to incorporate a greener lifestyle into every day life. This one involves newspaper instead of going out and buying the popular nail decals/strips. I used orly’s “pure porcelain”, 91% rubbing alcohol, newsprint, and mavala base & top coat”.  I posted the video tutorial along with more photos on my blog seen here.

Melissa

Vote for Vera below:

Vera says, “this is the English China mani, base coat – Priti 2in1 base & top, Priti Crown of Thorns (2 coats) stamped with Zoya Ibiza, stamps used (Bundle Monster): pinky – BM224, ring – BM221, middle – BM224, pointer – BM224, thumb – BM221

Vera

Vote for Lolita below:

Lolita says, “I used the following: NailTek Foundation II as a base for the color. I did not put any where the nail strips were used. Incoco Nail strips in Zebra. Milani one coat glitter in Purple Gleam.  I used two coats. Sinful Colors in Savage.  I used three coats. StripeRite Nail striper in Black. Seche Vite topcoat.”

Lolita

Vote for Fishing 4 Beauty below:

Fishing 4 Beauty says, “I used the Base Coat: Seche Clear, Nail Lacquer: 10 Professional 458 Moonlight, 2 coats, Hand painted lace (ring finger & thumb): Sally Hansen French Manicure Natural White. Top Coat: Seche Vite

Fishing 4 Beauty

THE PRIZE:

The three winners will each receive a boat load of nail polishes and treatments from luxury brands including Lumos, Non-Toxique and Priti NYC (each winner will get a set worth over $150!).

VOTE NOW:

Simply post a comment below telling us WHO you voted for.  And don’t forget to post this contest on your Facebook and Twitter page so that your friends can vote too (Voting closes at midnight Thursday, July 28th).

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Heart of Gold

Starlight

Heart of Gold—a glam but still subtle, rich and totally fab shade of gold.  Went on glossy and slick with just the right amount of sparkle.  I loved it; in an odd way, it’s a neutral, but with more with punch—it goes with everything.  Staying power was pretty impressive too. I got almost a week’s worth of wear from it, which for me is a lot since I seem to be hard on my nails and I have seen my polish chip in a single day.

Starlight—A beautiful, silvery shade that evokes stars, diamonds and the gleam of moonlight on the water.  I am crazy for these colors—the wow factor is high, but they don’t play as overdone or trashy.  These are shimmering shades but with a certain elegance to them and they impart a classy, not overdone look.

Moonshine

Moonshine—Topshop calls this color rose gold, and it does indeed have a pinkish cast. But I thought it read more like copper.

These colors are in stores for a limited time only, so get them while the getting is good.  These 3 shimmering nail shades retail for $10 each at Topshop stores.

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- Yona McDonough

And don’t forget to check out the new Chanel nail polishes as well as the crackled polish by Duri Krakl.

Check out the photos below of the shades you’ll be sure to rock. Below is Jammin, which is a blue-based hot pink shade, although I know it looks a bit red in this photo. It actually looks like a neon-y Pepto Bismol shade, perfect for the summer.

Jammin

Fatigued

Fatigued is a khaki shade with a tinge of green and very camouflage. This has a slight gray color to it as well. We love this! Imagine also doing a French mani with Jammin at the tip and Fatigued as the base? How fun would that be?

This collection is sold at Target and each shade retails for $4.99. It’s definitely a value-added investment compared to some nail lacquers out there that are a bit more pricey.

If you like luxury (and slightly more expensive) nail lacquers, check out our Estee Lauder Pure Color swatches here, also perfect for spring and summer.

So tell us, will you be snatching up these shades on your next visit to Target?  Post a comment below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter and be entered into our drawing to win free samples.

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We here at BeautyStat have promised to give you the chance to win the hottest new beauty products to hit the market, and we are aiming to please. So without further adieu, below are the winners of last week’s giveaways (winners chosen by random number generator).

And the winner of the … (Review & Giveaway): Microdermabrasion at Home? Introducing Personal MicroDerm

is Autumn.  We already contacted you.. congrats!

(Giveaway & Reviews) Hair Masques/Masks: What in The World Are They And Are They Effective?

is Carol.  We already contacted you… congrats!

And the winner of the … (Review, Giveaway & Swatches): Dior Spring 2011 Nail Lacquers in “Bond Street” & “Gris Montaigne”

is Betty.  We already contacted you.. congrats!

And the winner of the … (Review & Giveaway): Halle Berry “Reveal” Fragrance

is Malca.  We already contacted you… congrats!

If you won, please reply back to us by end of day, Friday, March 18th to claim your winnings.

If you did not win, don’t worry. See more exciting giveaways below:

(Video Contest) Radical Ways To Get Clear, Radiant Skin: Share To Win Beauty Products Worth $500

(Review & Giveaway) A Superb Niche: Ineke Fragrances

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