On a lazy Friday afternoon back in August, I met a positively glowing Jennifer Yen at Doma in the West Village for a cup of coffee and to talk about her absolutely amazing skincare line, pur~lisse.

Jennifer showed up looking drop dead gorgeous and wearing gold heels even though she prefers crocs and flip-flops - “You’re a fashion blogger and obsessed with shoes so how could I possibly show up in sneakers?!” she told me while laughing over coffee.

We talked purses (she’s obsessed with Chanel - owns 5 of their handbags and keeps them well preserved in their original boxes); Jennifer explained the difference between serums and moisturizers (serums are 70% more potent than average moisturizers); she dished on her favorite make-up (Armani star lash mascara and luminous silk foundation); and even shared her secrets to flawless exfoliation (once every week and a half at the most, or 48 hours before any big event followed by Astara Golden Flame Hydration Mask). She was a pleasure to meet and I’d love to latte with her anytime.

But let’s get back to pur~lisse and how it came to be: While working as an actress, Jennifer spent hours and hours on camera, under hot lights, in pounds of make-up and it took a toll on her skin. Like many of us, she couldn’t find anything that really worked for her skin, but unlike most of us, she took matters into her own hands. Jennifer enrolled in FIDM, sought information and advice on ‘Chinese beauty secrets’ from her own grandmother, began working with chemists, thinking about packaging…and voila! pur~lisse was born.

Obviously I’m obsessed with the line and highly recommend any of the pur~lisse products - pur~delicate (the facial cleanser) is quickly becoming something I really can’t live without (I practically cried when airport security in Birmingham made me throw my brand new bottle away). See below for Jennifer’s questions to my 21 questions.

I have always loved having my nails done (and enjoy painting them myself while watching some Woody Allen movie or old episodes of Sex and the City) and know you guys do too.

We often fret over which purple is just the right purple, which red is sexy, but not slutty, etc. and so when I came across Nonie Creme, celebrity London manicurist and butter LONDON’s creative director, I jumped at the chance to ask her my 21 questions.

For fall, Nonie says that the season’s runway shows featured a combination of smooth, modern looks, and dark fantasy. To get the look, try butter LONDON 3 Free in Branwen’s Feather – a purple-ish black with loads of depth and shine.

So what makes butter LONDON difference? They believe in color, not carcinogens and that’s something any fashion girl can get behind including celebrity fans Rihanna, Kate Moss, Mandy Moore and Hilary Swank. Read below for more on the line and get to know Nonie…

1. Name: Nonie
2. In 5 words or less, describe your personality: Just a little bit mad
3. In 5 words or less, describe your style: Quirky old rocker in stilettos
4. What do you do? Creative Director, product and branding specialist at butter LONDON
5. Favorite butter LONDON product? 3 Free lacquer - any colour!
6. Favorite 3 Free Lacquer color? It changes daily, but today it’s The Full Monty
7. Manicure or pedicure? Manicure because I can stare at my nails all day from 2 inches away.
8. What are you most into: shoes, handbags, clothes, jewelry? Shoes!!!!!
9. Favorite stores? Topshop, Fred Segal, Kurt Geiger shoes
10. Latest obsession? Silk Stockings by butter LONDON. I wear it everywhere and then skip perfume. Even my grumpy husband was forced to admit that my skin felt silky and smelled delicious. I am also obsessed with cupcakes. I sneak into the kitchen when I am supposed to be feeding the baby at 4am and eat them with a pint of whole milk. Then I pretend to be indignant that my baby weight won’t shift.
11. Favorite artists/designer? Alexander McQueen, Vintage Halston, Ray Caesar, Frida Kahlo, and Mark Rothko
12. Favorite writers/authors? Isabelle Allende before baby, Us Weekly after baby
13. Last book you read? I have a 5 month old baby girl, so real books just don’t happen anymore! I devour trashy magazines as my cultural diet. I can tell you anything you need to know about Brad and Angie and who wore it best.
14. What are you listening to? Gorillaz, Lily Allen, Coldplay, the Beatles. I am also the oldest living Linkin Park fan.
15. Drink of choice? Dirty Grey Goose martini straight up two olives, or a proper cup of tea. Super strong, super milky, and NO sugar.
16. Favorite restaurant/bar? My favorite restaurant is a tin shack in Houston Texas that serves the best Tex-Mex in the world. I am also a major sucker for Nobu at the Metropolitan Hotel in London. I love my local pubs in London, and really miss the boozy culture when I leave the UK. 3 glasses of wine at lunch? Why it would be RUDE not to!
17. Favorite sites? butterlondon.com of course! Also NET-A-PORTER, Kurt Geiger, Ebay and Craigslist junkie.
18. Favorite blogs? All Lacquered Up, British Beauty Blogger, Blogdorf Goodman, Popbitch
19. What makes 3 Free different from other lacquers? Oh, where do I start?! Apart from being the safest formulation on the market, our colours are the ultimate eye-candy. Each colour was designed and created just for bL, and represent years spent backstage at fashion shows and crawling around on the floor painting toes on shoots for David Bailey, Rankin, Miles Aldridge, and other fab fashion photogs. The range is heavily pigmented, making colour richer and longer lasting. The packaging is truly “dressing table worthy”. You won’t find these babies sitting in a drawer in the bathroom!
20. Top nail colors for the fall? Cream Tea, Chancer, HRH, Swinger, and Chimney Sweep
21. One thing people should know about you? My bark is worse than my bite.

Now it’s time to polish up your look, find your color at butterLONDON.com

I cannot remember the very first time I met designer Nicole Romano, but after running into her at a few events (where she always looked fantastic), we ended up working together on her spring/summer 2008 collection presentation. Now, I can honestly say that Nicole is one of the nicest designers in the industry and not only does she design clothing, but also a killer line of jewelry!

Nicole grew up in Rhode Island and studied apparel design at RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) before landing a coveted internship with Nicole Miller upon graduation. Wanting a label of her own, Nicole set out out to work on her first collection which immediately caught the attention of Sex and the City stylist, Patricia Field. Both Nicole’s jewelry and ready-to-wear can be seen in countless episodes of SATC including the one where Samantha first bags Smith (then known as Jerry Jared).

I had the privilege of visiting the huge, fabulous, dreamy wardrobe department of Sex and the City: The Movie  with Nicole early last fall (which at the time was filled with options for Carrie’s wedding gown, hundreds of pairs of shoes, and clothing and jewelry for as far as the eye could see). We showed Field and her team Nicole’s latest collection and also brought them pizza and beer from Patsy’s - Nicole’s favorite restaurant -because that’s just the kind of cool girl Nicole is. Several of her pieces made it into the movie including earrings seen on both Miranda and Samantha, as well as the awesome striped skirt seen in the opening sequence featuring what is meant to be four younger versions of the original SATC ladies.

So what makes her collection so perfect for fashion-forward city girls? Nicole’s aesthetic vision is one that celebrates the individuality, femininity, and strength of women - and she isn’t afraid to have fun with fashion, which is part of what has made her a favorite of celebrities including Rihanna, Jessica Alba, Lindsey Lohan, Alicia Keys, Heidi Klum, and more. I recently caught up with this lovely and extremely talented designer to get her answers to my 21 questions.

1. Name: Nicole Romano
2. In 5 words or less, describe your personality: A true Leo
3. In 5 words or less, describe your style: A true Leo
4. What do you do? Fashion and Jewelry Designer in New York
5. What would you like to do? Exactly what I am doing
6. What do you covet? My truck that allows me to escape whoever I want!
7. What are you most into: shoes, handbags, clothes, jewelry? Clothing and jewelry because I’m literally up to my knees in work on a daily and nightly basis!
8. Latest obsession? Rene Furterer Naturia Shampoo
9. Favorite stores? Té Casan
10. Favorite artists/designer? David Foote
11. Favorite runway collections? Preen
12. Last book you read? Perfume
13. What is your favorite piece from your new collection? My favorite piece is the powder blue denim dress with rose pink denim inserts
14. What are you listening to? I listen to big band and swing when I work because it keeps me moving at a fast pace!
15. Drink of choice? Ty Ku Lover’s Lemonade
16. Favorite restaurant/coffee shop/bar? The original Patsy’s Pizzeria in East Harlem
17. Favorite sites? Fashionweekdaily.com
18. Favorite blogs? ThoseExtra4Inches of course! runners up: TheSartorialist, Facehunter
19. Best party you’ve ever been to? A magazine party on Liberty Island - I never thought I would be dancing and drinking champagne by the ankles of Lady Liberty!
20. What’s your favorite thing in your closet? My Fendi Vanity clutch
21. One thing people should know about you? The thing I cherish most is my family

Next week I’ll be attending Nicole Romano’s Spring/Summer Collection celebration at espace and will definitely give you guys a sneak peek of what she has in store for the future. Also, VIVRE.com will be selling a large selection of her jewelry within a few days, and I swear that I want almost every piece…