Cheek Color

MAC Rose Romance: Rose Beauty Powder

Now and then, we all spy a product that is as pretty in its package as on your skin. From the MAC Rose Romance collection, MAC Rose Romance Beauty Powder certainly qualifies as makeup you'll proudly display on your vanity. This powder is limited-edition, so if you love it, be sure to grab one before they're sold out!

Pictured at left is Summer Rose (soft violet pink with pearl). The violet tone is a nice departure from the pinks and corals we're seeing everywhere this season. Also available is Blush of Youth (clean pink with gold pearl).

Retail price is $22.

Click HERE to shop MAC online.

Click HERE to buy MAC at Nordstrom online.

Click HERE to shop MAC at Macy's.

MAC Rose Romance: Just A Pinch Gel Blush

If I had to name one brand that continually forces me to think outside the box, it would be MAC.

Upon first sight, I dismissed MAC Rose Gel Blush in "Just A Pinch"–part of the new Rose Romance collection–as clown makeup. Look at this cheek color! It's fire-engine red! But as the old saying goes, you should never judge a book by its cover. Once applied, this red gel imparts a natural looking, healthy flush. Think brisk walk on cool Spring morning.

Want to successfully apply this gel blush? Just put a generously sized finger-print on the apple of each cheek (think Queen Amidala of Star Wars fame). Then gently blend with your fingertips into your cheek. Couldn't be easier!

I'm a big fan of the entire Rose Romance collection, launched in stores on April 23. You'll be reading many more reviews of this lovely collection of Spring makeup!

Retail price is $19.50.

Click HERE to shop MAC online.

Click HERE to buy MAC at Nordstrom online.

Click HERE to shop MAC at Macy's.

Never Grow Up!

	It's a bit bizarre looking, but apparently this complexion powder by Too Faced makes the skin look positively radiant! Smurfette's yellow hair and blue skin help to counter blotchiness or rosacea. The pink, peach and white shades highlight and illuminate. Blue and pink combine to improve sallow complexions. Just swirl it all together and apply! The Too Faced So Smurfy collection also includes a liquid liner and shadow quad. Retail price of the powder pictured is $26. Click HERE to buy Too Faced So Smurfy Illumination Face Powder Highlight Powder from Sephora.
	Stila pays tribute to Barbie with these collectible paint cans filled with makeup. Each can features an image of a classic Barbie, and contains a 3 pan palette and lip glaze in shades appropriate for the era. Stila's Barbie Loves Stila Paint Can retails for $40. Four options are available. Don't miss the Talking shadow palette! It literally tells you how to apply the shadow inside. Click HERE to buy Barbie Loves Stila Paint Can from Sephora.
	MAC's limited edition Hello Kitty collection was introduced in February of 2009, and took the beauty world by storm! While many of these products sold out quickly, some are still available on the MAC website, so don't be afraid that you totally missed the boat! Each case is adorned with a retro-styled image of Hello Kitty. Your friends and daughter will purr when you whip out that compact! Click HERE To check out the Hello Kitty collection on the MAC website.

J. Lynne Mineral Blush

Want the healthy glow of a dancer that just finished the Flamenco, but don't want to spend a fortune to get it? J. Lynne Cosmetics recently introduced the Latin Rhythms Blush Collection, with 6 gorgeous shades perfect for Spring!

Among the many things I love about this line of mineral makeup is that J. Lynne Cosmetics really wants to get samples into your hands. Generous sample sizes of these blushes all retail for only $1.50 each, so you can sample the entire collection before committing to one shade. But, when you finally decide to commit, you'll be happy to know a full-sized jar only retails for $9. A great deal for a great product!

Jessica Lynne Miller–a gorgeous redhead with utterly glowing skin–founded the company after years of allowing traditional cosmetics to stress her sensitive acne-prone skin. Her line is completely free of chemicals, synthetics, fragrances and dyes. Also missing from the J.Lynne formula? Bismuth oxychloride, carmine, cornstarch, talc, or preservatives… all ingredients sometimes found in other mineral makeup lines.

J.Lynne Cosmetics are cruelty-free and 100% natural. The makeup is even vegan-friendly (I know my Seattle-area readers will certainly appreciate that!)

Click HERE to head over to J. Lynne Cosmetics, to check out the Latin Rhythms Blush Collection.

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

	Mom needs two things: more makeup and more time! CARGO has pulled together 7 products that will get Mom out the door looking gorgeous in 7 minutes. Available in three different shade options, CARGO’s 7 in 7 makeup kit offers $170 of amazing CARGO cosmetics for only $59. Unlike some value sets, 7 in 7 contains some of CARGO’s best-selling products: OneBase (a hybrid foundation/concealer that I swear by), the Essential Palette (these shadows are engraved with application instructions), Eye Pencil, LashActivator, BeachBlush (this multi-toned cheek color also doubles as shadow in a pinch), Reverse Lip Liner and CARGO’s Classic Lip Gloss with Timestrip Technology. Click HERE to buy CARGO 7 in 7 Kit from Sephora.com.
	What do you get when you combine ancient Chinese beauty rituals with modern-day French beauty technology? Pur~Lisse! I’ve sampled many skin care products in my day, and Pur~Lisse ranks high on my list of must-haves. The “be moist & stay protected” gift set will introduce Mom to the line. It includes the incredible pūr~lip comfort daily lip nourisher (that miraculously softens lips and reduces the appearance of fine lines instantly), pūr~protect essential daily moisturizer with an SPF 30 (this moisturizer wears beautifully under makeup, and makes skin look youthful and positively dewy) and pūr~moist hydra-balance moisturizer. Retail price is $125 through May. Click HERE to buy online from Pur~Lisse.
	H2O Plus is known for their luxe bath and body products formulated with skin-pampering ingredients from the sea. The Ultimate Spa Collection contains five full-sized products (enclosed in a beautiful box) to keep Mom’s skin smooth, hydrated and refreshed from head to toe. A $72.50 value, this set retails for only $50. She’ll think you spent so much more! This Mom gives the collection a big thumbs-up. It’s the perfect gift for a busy Mom who would love a spa day, but simply doesn’t have the time. The Ultimate Spa Collection includes: Sea Salt Body Wash, Sea Salt Skin Smoother, Spa Body Butter, Spa Hand & Nail Cream and Soothing Mint Foot Rub. Click HERE to buy the Ultimate Spa Collection from H2O Plus online.
	Moms love skincare, period. Borghese’s Perfect Pampering collection will have her positively glowing. The set includes Borghese skin care favorites: Fango Active Mud, CuraForte Moisture Intensifier, Fluido Protettivo Spa Lift for Eyes, Cura di Vita Protettivo, Crema Saponetta, Bagno di Vita Bath & Shower Gel, Splendide Mani, Piedi Vitale and the most adorable Straw Tote. The retail value of this collection is $188, but you can buy it for only $52.50! Click HERE to buy the Perfect Pampering gift set from Borghese online.
	Is Mom obsessed with mineral makeup? I know I’ve been lured by the call of its siren song on many occasions, but have been generally disappointed by the finish of mineral foundation. Being True’s mineral makeup kit includes a transforming mineral mist that makes the loose mineral makeup simply melt into the complexion– no chalky finish, and no settling into pores! The leaf-green patent bag is ideal for travel, and has mini storage compartments for each product. “The Kit” contains $150 of Being True makeup (two shades of mineral foundation to ensure a perfect match, a bronzer, transforming mineral mist and a high-quality retractable brush), but retails for only $75. Click HERE to buy the kit online from Being True.
	Is your budget tight? Weleda offers trial-sized gift sets of their amazing skin care products at incredibly affordable prices. The Almond Facial Care Kit includes hypoallergenic products ideal for pampering sensitive skin. This cleansing regimen is so gentle, and the sweet smell of Almond is yummy. The small size makes this a great gift for Moms who love to travel. The Weleda Almond Facial Care Kit includes: Almond Cleansing Lotion, Almond Moisture Cream, Almond Intensive Facial Cream and Almond Facial Oil. Retail price is a mere $14.99! Click HERE to buy the Almond Facial Care Kit online from Weleda.
	Kenzo’s popular Oriental/Floral fragrance FlowerbyKenzo is now available in a deluxe gift set, perfect for Mom! Included in the set is a 100mL bottle of FlowerbyKenzo, a 100mL FlowerbyKenzo Body Milk and a mini FlowerbyKenzo bottle for toting in her purse! Retail price for the set is $88, so it’s like you’re getting the Body Milk and travel fragrance for free! Click HERE to buy this deluxe gift set from Kenzo USA.
	Totally stumped? Rather than pick a gift, just pick a brand you know she loves! Prescriptives offers gift choices in all price ranges, and also has fun refillable compacts that Mom can customize to suit her complexion. Best of all, Prescriptives will email the gift card to Mom, and she’ll receive it in hours! Great for last-minute shoppers… Click HERE to buy a gift card from Prescriptives.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2012!