Last weekend my friend Julia came to visit from Washington, D.C.

We had a fun, girls-only weekend of shopping, nail painting, baking and wine drinking. Julia even brought her Anthropologie holiday ring along so we could stage a little photo shoot with matching rings!

This week I have my nails painted Zoya Ciara while Julia opted for CHANEL Rouge Noir, one of the many polish changes she made throughout the weekend (she wasn’t going to let the Valente girls show her up!)

I have an adorable video of Janey and Julia baking brownies that I’ll be uploading later today.

What’s on YOUR nails this week?

Madonna’s makeup artist and shu uemura artistic director Gina Brooke is making several personal appearances to share her celebrity tips and tricks with women across the country!

WHEN: Saturday, November 21, 2009 – NEW YORK CITY!

WHERE: Barneys Madison

660 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10021
(212) 833-2007

11am – 7pm – Book an appointment where you will meet Gina and get personalized recommendations for your look!

For a personalized look by Gina Brooke and to reserve your space for this exclusive appearance, simply call 212-833-2007.

As a beauty blogger it’s not uncommon for my skin to get whacked out. After a few weeks of sampling skin care product after skin care product my face thinks Sunday is Thursday, swears John Lennon is still alive, and would likely punch me in the gut if that were physically possible.

When this happens, I have learned to be very patient and slowly nurse my skin back to balance before starting the vicious process of sampling products all over again.

The other day I tested a clay-based cleanser and my skin immediately freaked out. Within minutes my face was stinging and visibly red and irritated. I desperately searched my beauty closet for a soothing remedy and found a sample of Amarté Natural Wonder Cream I had received as part of my BeautyFix kit several months ago.

This cream lists pine extract, argan oil and elemental sulfur as some of the main ingredients and promises to help treat acne, eczema, fine lines & wrinkles.

All I know is that Amarté Natural Wonder Cream is rich & creamy, fragrance-free, and began to soothe my angry skin within minutes of application. Within 24 hours my skin was happy and sane with no redness or irritation.

I guess they call it Wonder Cream for a reason!

Amarté Natural Wonder Cream is available online at DermStore for $90.