Getting To Know Our Weekly Roundup Members: Gaia from The Non-Blonde

This is the second week of introductions into our Beauty Roundup and this week we introduce Gaia of The Non-Blonde. I've enjoyed her blog for many years and like many of you, admire her exquisite, classic, unique taste. She has a bold way of describing things that makes me go, "wow, spot on." Her writing style is candid, frank, to-the-point, eloquent and her blog posts are always a joy to read. I love that she is a cat-lover, much like myself until my husband converted me to a cat-dog-hybrid-lover type of person. But gut reaction, I'm a cat person. In addition to our love for cats, we also love the same brands - but like Gaia has mentioned, we're often on opposite sides of the spectrum for our color picks.

Here we find out more about Gaia, in her own words . . .

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 skim 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)...