Bite me

Imagine a world in which you can have an exact lipstick made for you that nobody else owns and suits you perfectly. Welcome to Bite, beauty nirvana.

I read about this on various beauty forums and knew I had to go. My friend has just been in town and so we hot footed it there yesterday. It started as a pop up but now happily is permanently on Spring St in Soho. Here's how it works, your consultant sits opposite you and asks what type of colour you are after. I said an every day wearable red. You can have various finishes: matte, satin, glossy and so on. I chose satin. Then she starts mixing various pigments.

It's truly fascinating. She puts a little bit on a brush and you try it on, wandering round the shop to look at it in various lights. Alas, yesterday I faced a cold hard fact. I am not a red lipstick kind of girl. I wish I was and I want to be but anything too bright on me makes me conscious about my teeth - are they too yellow next to the bright red? I manage to smear it on my teeth. Basically I am a disaster area and I look like I am trying to be a grown-up. So we ditched the reds and started again. She couldn't have been more patient or nicer about it. So I asked for a rosy pink and that is what she is actually mixing in the picture above.

The colours look freaky alone but once she mixes them, basically anything is possible. Obviously the colour complements your skin tone as well. My pink was mixed and back in my comfort zone I was happy. We agreed that the colour was right for me and she then mixes up a larger batch.  You can choose a flavour too! I went for mint. My friend didn't want a scent because she is cool and a proper adult. Then it goes in a microwave.

And she pours it into case and it goes on an icy surface for about five minutes.

That's my pink on the left (it looks much brighter than it is). My friend went for a plum colour which looked amazing on her and death on me. She carefully opens the case and you have a perfect lipstick which she puts into a case (you can pick one of four, all shaped differently).

It's utterly fabulous. The lipsticks are $36 plus tax which isn't cheap but they are made especially for you and I absolutely love mine. It's not drying at all and the mint is very subtle. I have spent most of today applying my lipstick and telling anyone who will listen all about Bite.

I think this concept is genius and look forward to the same idea for nail varnish, eyeliners, blusher - oh my god, imagine! If you're in New York, you must visit this place.

Clinique Lash Power Mascara Long-Wearing Formula

My beloved Estee Lauder mascara has been discontinued which makes me angry. Even worse, I left my tube of it in London. So I simply had to go and find a replacement. I picked up this baby in Sephora on Saturday. Two days in and I can report that it's good. It's not as perfect as the Estee Lauder but it doesn't smudge and it gives good lash. It has very low key packaging but that's ok. It's a perfectly serviceable everyday mascara. It's also only $16 which I consider a bit of a bargain.

Other products I am loving at the moment include the Bourjois cream blushers. They are so easy to apply. My divine Vitazing keeps me from looking dead in this ever-lasting winter. Seventeen powder which I dust it very lightly over my eyes so my mascara sticks better. I'd be lost without it, it's a real hero product and it's cheap as chips. Kiehls 24/7 moisturiser is my new favourite, the eucalyptus smell is so heavenly. I bought two bottles at the airport as they don't seem to sell it in the shops. Dries Van Noten perfume is perfect for this cold weather. And to cheer myself up, I bought this in Duane Reade at the weekend:

Carmex lip balm in a leopard skin tube! It makes me very happy. Read about it here, fab marketing.

Sephora Jumbo Liner

I've seriously not bought anything for ages* since my commitment to use what I have. This little purchase happened before Christmas. I won't go on and on about Sephora anymore, I am becoming such a bore on the matter but god, it's amazing.

Anyway, Sephora has its own make-up line and while not cheap, it feels budget compared to Nars. These jumbo eyeliners have a lot of love online so I decided I'd buy one for $14 and I must say, I am loving it. They don't have quite the staying power of Bobbi Brown or Nars but with some good primer on, they get me through a normal working day. There are dozens of colours too. Recommended if you can get to a Sephora of course. Will it ever return to UK shores?

*with the exception of essentials. I may have bought a new mascara today and some eye-make up remover...