The Best Part of Making Up

At long last, Chanel has a complete collection of makeup brushes—and by complete, I mean a whopping 16 of them. Rendered in matte black with shiny palladium metal accents, they are finished with the softest bristles. I was lucky enough to try them all under the expert hand of Chanel celebrity makeup artist Kara Yoshimoto Bua, and now my pointer finger has officially been replaced by the Concealer Brush, which has proved itself adept at erasing my vast array of imperfections. (Chanel Makeup Studios; $28–$65)

When I received this gorgeous bouquet from nail queen Deborah Lippmann, I was too mesmerized by the spectacular roses to notice the almost subliminal product placement: handfuls of her polish bottles submerged beneath the blossoms. It’s the most original—and most beautiful—“branding” technique I’ve ever seen.

Sometimes I miss having very long hair. Even though I looked a little like a drag queen in my 20s, my Lady Madonna locks were my security blanket. I had a welcome flashback to those days when Ryan Trygstad placed this crown of glue-free hair extensions on my head at the Marie Robinson Salon in Manhattan. They custom-make extensions in any length; equally important, they’ll color them to match your hair perfectly. If only reclaiming the complexion I had in my long-hair days were as easy. (marierobinsonsalon.com; $375–$575)

Laura Mercier may have created the best makeup case ever. It has a hard shell, and inside that are several small soft cases attached to it with magnets. I road tested it on a recent trip to Paris, and it passed with flying colors—nothing was squished or broken, and nothing leaked. I even managed to slip my iPad in the thing! (lauramercier.com; $98)

I may be a klutz with mascara—and I have no idea how to wield a blow-dryer—but I can paint my own nails, damn it! I love the new muted pastels I’ve been seeing, so I decided to give each of my nails its own shade. From pinkie: Chanel’s June (chanel.com; $26), L’Oréal Paris’s Penthouse Pink (lorealparisusa.com; $6), Essie’s A Crewed Interest (essie.com; $8), China Glaze’s Kinetic Candy (ulta.com; $7), and OPI’s Thanks a Windmillion (opi.com; $9).

Only someone with the divine taste of Frédéric Malle could house his Perfume Gun room fragrances in packaging reminiscent of bathtub cleaner and still make them look chic. The five scents are all light enough for liberal dousing, but my favorite is the lily of the valley–like 1er Mai. Now, if I could just erase that mental image of Monsieur Malle in custodial green coveralls holding a mop. (fredericmalle.com; $165)