Getting To Know Our Weekly Roundup Members #2

The Non Blonde is the first beauty blog I started reading. Gaia has an intelligence, sensibility and reverence for all things beauty that is a rare combination. She has exquisite taste, and I know if she loves something that it is worth investigating. She has a killer sense of humour- very dry and smart- and I often laugh out loud at her posts. She has an uncanny ability to find the most incredible images- they never fail to amaze and are always perfect for her posts. Her passion for beauty is true and she shares it with her lucky readers. She is an inspiration to me as she has a way of engaging her readers that I so admire. She is in my Top Ten People To Go Shopping With and I think I would happily add "Have Lunch With" and "OK Dinner And Wine Too" to that list as well. Meet the lovely Gaia- The Non Blonde.

When did you start blogging and why? April 2006. I've been reading beauty and perfume blogs for about six months at that time, but kept feeling that none of them completely addressed my needs and tastes. I also realized I had quite a bit to say, and finally decided to give this blogging thing a shot, though I wasn't even sure anyone other than my mom would ever read it.

Every blog seems to carry a special voice. What's your special message for your blog? I write the blog I want to read. I'm interested in luxury products, perfume, the beauty & fashion business in general and I'm a bit too sarcastic for my own good. But the main thing is that I want to show that talking about beauty (and all that related to it) is not necessarily the domain of the "mean girls" from high school. Smart and nerdy girls love lipstick, too.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. I'm 40, married and child-free. I have 10 cats (not a typo) love reading, antiquing, old movies and NYC. I'm also a vegetarian and a sci-fi geek.

What's your daily beauty routine? I'm a skincare fanatic. Gentle cleansers that prepare the skin for more- serums, creams, hydrating mists. All the things that give makeup a boost from beneath. Then I start with color- usually there's at least one new thing I'm testing at any given time. It's never boring.

How many lipstick/glosses can be found in your handbag at any given time? Four or five. The problem is the number of handbags I have in rotation. It makes for interesting times when I'm trying to locate a specific gloss that is an absolute must to complete the look I've envisioned.

What's the best beauty advice you've ever received? "Never skimp on skincare"- My mother.

How often do you actually go to stores or events to research new products or releases? Let's just say that Bergdorf Goodman is "where everybody knows my name" (and skin tone and lipstick preferences)...