Stila’s Cherry Crush vs Nivea Tinted Lip Balm

When Stila's Cherry Crush Lip & Cheek Stain was introduced, I immediately added it to my list of beauty products to try/buy. And buy it I did; $24 at Sephora (aka my happy place). With makeup, it's the packaging that gets me every time, and Stila knows how to package. I hate to say it, but I was underwhelmed by the stain. Too sheer, not enough control with the applicator, and wore off too quickly. And so it's been replaced by a haphazzard drugstore find: NIVEA A Kiss of Flavor Cherry Tinted Lip Care. It's like a cherry chap stick, but far better. It has a subtle cherry scent, moisturizes lips like crazy, and best of all, it gives me that just-ate-a-cherry-popsicle stain that I'm looking for. And it and only costs $2 and change. A great drugstore find!

Molton Brown Naran Ji Fine Liquid Hand Wash

Stylish boutique hotels are perfect sources of inspiration for personal home décor, and you’re not likely to find neon-colored hand soap with cute animals on the bottle in the bathrooms of said hotels. I fell in love with Molton Brown’s Naran Ji hand wash in the lobby bathroom at the Kelly Wearstler-designed Maison 140 in Beverly Hills. The scent is amazingly good (orange blossom-y and mildly citrusy), and comparing it to the average drugstore liquid soap in terms of perfumes, it is like a Chanel eau de parfum versus bathroom cologne. At $25, it may be a hefty price for hand soap, but it’s a small price to pay in terms of upgrading your home environment. Plus, it just looks so elegant and pretty sitting next to the sink. If you have moved on from dorm-room décor to Domino-mag (RIP) chic, it’s time to upgrade your hand wash as well. It’s all in the details, as they say. (Thanks T+T+B for the gift!)