Spring of 2011 is all about the cheek, and bright dewy shades reign supreme! Enter stage left Urban Decay’s latest–Afterglow Glide-on Cheek Tint.  Housed in a gorgeously glossy purple compact, this cream cheek color delivers the bright hues that are so popular for Spring!

Swatches above (left to right):  Bang, Fetish, Crush, Quickie, Indecent.

At this point… I’ve sampled every single shade swatched above, and can attest to the fact that they are indeed very wearable colors.  I know that you likely are eyeballing Crush and Quickie, and jumping to the conclusion they might be a bit too flashy for everyday wear.  Think again!  You’ll be quite surprised by the controlled application this product allows.  Once blended, the look is bright and youthful, but not brash or clownish.  I will admit that I assumed “indecent” would be my favorite, due to it’s apricot-naked subtlety, but I’ve been dipping in to the neon pink “quickie” way more often!

Retail price is $24 per compact.

Click HERE to snag it at UrbanDecay.com

Click HERE to buy it at Sephora.com

Click HERE to buy it at Beauty.com

The author of the Raging Rouge Beauty Blog received press samples for purposes of this makeup review / product review. For more information on sample policies, please click HERE to read my full disclosure statement.

When I was coming of age in the 80s, we were not remotely enlightened regarding skin health and avoiding the sun.  Our goal was simple:  achieve the deepest, darkest tan possible… and then try to get a slight sunburn on top!  The result was darkly bronzed skin and rosy cheeks, and terrible sun damage to boot!

Today, that bronze/blush look is simpler to achieve.  We can just buy a gorgeous little compact, like Estee Lauder Sea Star Bronzing Blush!  Part of Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess Soleil collection for 2011, Sea Star Bronzing Blush is designed to look like a starfish basking on a sandy beach.  When applied, it delivers a gorgeous bronze look, with a touch of radiant pink.  If you prefer one shade over the other, you can use the “sand” portion of the powder for bronzing, and the “star” portion for blush!  Overall, the look is youthful and healthy, and no sun exposure is required!

Retail price is $34 per compact.

Click HERE to shop at EsteeLauder.com

Click HERE to buy Estee Lauder at Nordstrom online.

Click HERE to shop Estee Lauder at Macy’s.

The author of Raging Rouge received press samples for purposes of this makeup review / product review. For more information on sample policies, please click HERE to read my full disclosure statement.

The vividly-hued cheek is the hottest Spring 2011 makeup trend.  Tarte has a long history of delivering superior, covet-able cheek-color–in the form of their dewy cheek stains.  For Spring 2011, tarte has launched Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush, in 8 bright and beautiful shades ranging from a red-hot red to a subdued buff.

The rainbow of hues catches the eye, but I think this product’s biggest selling point is that is works for both dry and oily skin. Seems that Amazonian Clay is a bit of a miracle ingredient.  Not only does it minimize oil shine, but simultaneously provides moisture to dry skin!

Exclusive to Sephora.com, retail price per blush is $25.  Check out the intense (but wearable) swatches below!

Click HERE to buy Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush at Sephora.com

Swatches above (left to right):  natural beauty (red), amused (bright pink), tipsy (bright coral), blissful (apricot pink), exposed (pale buff) and blushing bride (shimmery raisin).  Also available (not pictured) flush (deep berry) and dollface (light pink).

The author of the Raging Rouge Beauty Blog received press samples of some of the items listed above. For more information on sample policies, please click HERE to read my full disclosure statement.

Why settle for one, when you can have two?  The powder blush compacts included in the MAC Wonder Woman collection each contain two Spring-ripe blush shades.  Either shade can be used stand-alone, or the darker shade can be used for contouring.

Photo above:  Mighty Aphrodite, left.  Amazon Princess, right.

Swatch above:  Mighty Aphrodite.  A pale peach and deep tulip-pink.  These two gorgeous shades are a terrific universally-flattering pick, especially the lighter shade at left.

Swatch above:  Amazon Princess.  These pinkish/purple hues are stand-out, and gorgeous!  Probably best for darker skinned women, they’re also a great selection for anyone wanting to embrace the “bold cheek” look that is so hot right now.

Retail price is $24 per compact.

Click HERE to shop at MAC online.

Click HERE to buy MAC at Nordstrom online.

Click HERE to shop MAC at Macy’s.

The author of the Raging Rouge Beauty Blog received press samples for purposes of this makeup review / product review. For more information on sample policies, please click HERE to read my full disclosure statement.

My all-time favorite MAC product is–without hesitation–Mineralize Skinfinish.  When this pressed mineral powder first launched, I was won over by the luminous effect on the skin.

So naturally, I couldn’t wait to sample the limited-edition Mineralize Skinfinish selection from MAC Wonder Woman.  These super-sized versions are wonderous indeed!  Each compact is filled with a trio of colors that can be used individually or swirled together!

Golden Lariat (left)-  A better choice for darker skin, or to mimic a glowing golden tan!  The compact includes a true coral with fine gold shimmer (blush shade, at bottom) a soft suntanned bronze (middle) and a soft gold with shimmer (highlighter, at top).

Pink Power (right)-  This color combo works for all skin tones.  It combines a peachy rose with pink shimmer (blush shade, at bottom), a soft rosy bronze (bronzer, middle) and a soft shell pink with fine shimmer (highlighter, at top).

Retail price is $35 per compact.  Mineralize Skinfinish compacts ordinarily retail for $27, and this super-sized version gives so much more product for a wee $8 premium!

Click HERE to shop at MAC online.

Click HERE to buy MAC at Nordstrom online.

Click HERE to shop MAC at Macy’s.

The author of the Raging Rouge Beauty Blog received press samples for purposes of this makeup review / product review. For more information on sample policies, please click HERE to read my full disclosure statement.

When my college years were coming to a close, I deciding between two paths:  1)  Go to grad school, or 2)  Move to Japan to teach English classes. 

Damn my fabulous GRE scores!  I missed the opportunity to live abroad, and have yet to experience Japanese culture first-hand!  To quench my thirst for all things Japanese, I’ll have to play with products like Koh Gen Do, recently made available for us to play with at Barneys.

Koh Gen Do Fresh Face Cheek Color is available in four universally flattering shades:  Coral Pink, Apricot, Honey Orange and Caramel Bronze.  Makeup addicts will be familiar with the sponge-top applicator used by Koh Gen Do.  Here is a quick tutorial for newbies:

To apply, unscrew the sponge-tip applicator and remove the plastic cover.  Put the sponge applicator back on and hold the entire product upside down.  Tap the side gently until some cheek color is dispensed through the sponge.  Apply to the cheeks and blend with the sponge.  The formula blends to a natural finish quite easily.  The bronze is so subtle in fact, that I couldn’t photograph a decent swatch!  It’s truly a great choice for the fair-skinned. 

Koh Gen Do cheek color contains natural, high-quality color ingredients, rather than composite pigments.  The formula also contains moisturizing elements.  No artificial colors, fragrance or petroleum-based mineral oil are used in Koh Gen Do products!

Retail price is $38.  Surprisingly cheap, given the current USD/Yen exchange rate!

Click HERE to buy Koh Gen Do Fresh Face Cheek Color at Barneys.com or click HERE to check out KohGenDoCosmetics.com!

The author of the Raging Rouge Beauty Blog received press samples for purposes of this makeup review / product review. For more information on sample policies, please click HERE to read my full disclosure statement.

Ok, I’ll admit, sometimes I don’t follow my own advice.  Even when I know it’s GREAT advice. 

That’s why–despite the fact that it is LONG expired–I still dip into my Naked Honey highlight powder from time to time, when I’m looking to create a faux glow.  There’s just something captivating about MAC highlight powders, and it makes them difficult to part with (particularly when they’re limited-edition shades, like Naked Honey).

When I recently played with products from the MAC Cham Pale collection, it was the gorgeous highlight powders I couldn’t resist most.  Chez Chez Lame in particular (pictured above at left), is just that gorgeous touch of pale golden highlight that is so suitable for 2011– a year where everything and anything metallic is set to triumph.  Not only does this pale golden champagne shade with silver shimmer works for any complexion, it blends beautifully with a bronzer to modernize it for 2011.

I also love Rose Ole (pictured at left), but it’s pinkish golden tone is deeper.  Dark-skinned women will love it as a highlighter, but fair-skinned women will love it as a blush!

Retail price is $28.

Click HERE to shop at MAC online.

Click HERE to buy MAC at Nordstrom online.

Click HERE to shop MAC at Macy’s.

The author of the Raging Rouge Beauty Blog received press samples for purposes of this makeup review / product review. For more information on sample policies, please click HERE to read my full disclosure statement.