Essie Summer and Neon Collection 2009

It was a pink and neon fiesta at the Essie & Havaianas Blogger event last evening. Complete with cupcakes fresh from “Baked By Melissa,” the Havaianas showroom buzzed with the presence of the polish Queen herself: Essie Weingarten.

“I started making nail polish when there was nothing like that available,” she says. “My only competitor was Revlon. I started visiting salons and left them samples of my nail colors and within weeks I had hundreds of orders.”

Well, the orders ain’t slimmin’ down, Essie…and with good reason. Her colors are brilliant and they last longer than the Everlasting Gobstopper. Here are the colors for Summer 2009, to be launched in June:

(Not Just a Pretty Face; Luscious Lips; Lovie Dovie; Funny Face; Chubby Cheeks; Cute as a Button)

There’s also the Essie Neon Collection that consists of four electric shades:

(Funky Limelight; Flirty Fuschia; Punchy Pink; Perky Purple)

All available at drugstores and at www.essie.com

Coppertone’s NutraShield Dual Defense Sunscreen

Let’s face it, we want our sunscreen to be like Fort Knox: impenetrable and invaluable.

Coppertone’s new NutraShield Dual Defense sunscreen uses antioxidants that don’t sour under UV rays. So it actually nourishes and heals your skin while you are frying on the beach or the outdoors.

Studies have shown that not all antioxidants are created equal (UV ray exposure creates harmful free radicals). According to several independent studies, UV radiation can actually cause an adverse reaction with certain topical antioxidants (including those commonly found in many face creams) and actually turn them into damaging pro-oxidants.

Yikes and super yikes!

Luckily this new lotion uses antioxidants that do their job without getting fired even in the presence of UV rays. So this actually heals your skin while you sunbathe. How about that?
I was pleased with the non greasy texture of this suncreen (and the fragrance is practically non existant). I’d bet my money on this sunscreen when I’m outdoors this summer.

NutraShield Dual Defense is available at drugstores nationwide.