MAC’s Warm & Cozy collection, slated for release on Dec. 26, is now available for purchase online. Enjoy! This one’s a keeper.
See full coverage of MAC Warm & Cozy here.

MAC’s newest release, Love Lace, focuses on couture’s enduring love affair with lace. Truthfully, I can’t figure out how these colors invoke images of lace, but here is a rundown of the newest products in this collection.

Eyeshadow ($14)
In 4 new colors (from left): Suave Intentions, Pincurl, Love Lace, and Hypnotizing

Eye Kohl Power Pencil ($14.50) in (from left) Sense of Style, Raven, and Feline
Eye Kohl ($14.50) in Fascinating (sheer white)
Eye Brows ($15) in Stud
Zoom Lash mascara ($13)
44 Lash ($13)

Lipstick ($14) in (from left) in Pretty Please and Intricate
Lipglass ($14) in Icescape and Utterly Discrete
Nail Lacquer ($12) in Light Affair

And 2 awesome looks from the collection:

Feline, an updated take on the classic smoky eye and pale lip comboUtterly Discrete, an architectural take on defined, strong eyes, finished with a flush of bright pink blush.Note that most of these items (Eye Kohl, Eye Brows, Zoom Lash, lipsticks) are from MAC’s permanent collection and are repromoted here as a part of Love Lace.

Setelah berkeliling daerah bencana di Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) menggunakan helikopter SH60 Sea Hawk dari kapal induk USS Abraham Lincoln, Menteri Luar Negeri Amerika Serikat (AS) Colin Powell spontan berucap bahwa dirinya belum pernah melihat kerusakan sehebat itu. “Saya pernah ikut perang, juga mengalami sejumlah topan, tornado, dan operasi bantuan lainnya, tetapi saya belum pernah melihat yang seperti ini,” ujar Powell.

Andrew Natsios dari Badan Pembangunan Internasional Amerika Serikat (USAID) yang terbang bersama Powell dan Jeb Bush – Gubernur Florida yang juga adik Presiden AS George Walker Bush – lebih terpukul lagi setelah melihat kondisi di NAD. Dia sudah sering bersinggungan dengan bencana selama 15 tahun ini, tetapi dia tidak menyangka sedikit pun apa yang dia telah lihat di NAD. “Ini seperti sebuah bom nuklir kecil menghantam negeri ini,” ujarnya sebagaimana dikutip kantor berita Agence France Presse (AFP), Rabu (5/1) lalu.

Powell menambahkan, “Saya tidak bisa membayangkan bagaimana suasana mengerikan yang terjadi ketika keluarga dan para korban mendengarkan suara gemuruh air yang datang dan merengkuh seluruh kehidupan mereka.”  Ini karena tsunami pada 26 Desember 2004 itu praktis menghancurkan apa saja, rumah, pabrik, jembatan, mobil, dan pohon-pohon. “Seluruh negeri kini hanya penuh dengan lumpur,” ujar Powell lagi.

Apa yang diungkapkan Powell dan Natsios jelas bukan sekadar lip service. Gambar yang terlihat di televisi ataupun cerita sejumlah teman yang kembali dari lokasi bencana juga mempertegas apa yang diungkapkan tadi. Membayangkan kota Banda Aceh dengn Masjid Baiturrahman ketika berada di sana hampir sebalas tahun lalu dan apa yang terlihat di televisi pascatsunami, jelas (telah) terjadi bencana yang luar biasa.

Beberapa prajurit AS dari kapal induk USS Abraham Lincoln, yang ikut dalam misi kemanusiaan membantu korban gempa dan tsunami di NAD dan Sumatera Utara (Sumut), juga terkejut melihat apa yang telah terjadi di sana. Suatu kawasan yang tadinya kota dengan ribuan penduduknya kini seperti sirna dihapus begitu saja.

“Saya tak bisa berkata apa pun, dan hanya tertegun. Saya tidak tahu harus berbuat apa,” ujar Yeoman Kevin Ferguson (21), prajurit Angkatan Laut AS yang ikut ke Banda Aceh, sebagaimana dikutip AFP.

Ferguson bisa menggambarkan suasana yang begitu porak poranda di Aceh karena dia berasal dari Salem, Oregon, negara bagian di barat tengah AS yang sering kali dilanda dan diporakporandakan tornado. “Tetapi ini jauh lebih buruk,” ujarnya.

“Ini jelas sangat menggelisahkan, traumatis, suatu pengalaman yang mengubah hidup,” ujar Ferguson.

Dirinya berulang kali melihat kerusakan akibat badai dan tornado di kampung halamannya. “Tapi yang satu ini sulit untuk menjelaskannya,” ujarnya menambahkan.

Tak salah benar jika bencana gempa bumi dan tsunami yang melanda NAD dan Sumut itu bagai sebuah hantaman bom nuklir kecil. Dari aspek jatuhnya korban dan kerusakan yang tampak, tak berbeda dengan Hiroshima dan Nagasaki saat dihantam bom atom. Semuanya hancur rata dengan tanah.

Korban tewas di NAD dan Sumut sejauh ini sedikitnya 94.000 orang, dengan sebagian besar kota di pantai utara dan barat Aceh hancur. Korban bom atom AS pada 6 Desember 1945 atas Hiroshima, sekitar 140.000 orang langsung tewas dengan seluruh kota industri itu berantakan. Tiga hari kemudian, 70.000 warga Nagasaki tewas akibat hal yang sama.

“Seluruh awak kapal hanya bisa terdiam tak bisa berbuat apa-apa. Tak ada reaksi. Semua terdiam. Begitu banyak mayat terapung di depan kapal kami,” ujar Derek Scott, salah satu awak USS Abraham Lincoln, ketika mereka berlayar memasuki perairan di lepas pantai kota Banda Aceh.

Jesse Cash, perwira senior USS Abraham Lincoln, mengaku smepat terpukul melihat para korban. Kapten Kendall Card, yang merupakan salah seorang perwira senior di USS Abraham Lincoln, mengaku trauma.

Para prajurit AS ini berharap bisa membantu berbuat apa saja guna meringankan penderitaan korban. “Kami ingin terus membantu jika dibutuhkan,” ujar Card.

Soalnya, apa yang terjadi di Aceh ini trak ubahnya (bak) jatuhnya bom nuklir kecil. Entah siapa yang menjatuhkannya di sana.

Sumber  :

Bom “Nuklir” Kecil di Aceh | Kompas, 08.01.2005

People often look at me like I have 3 heads when I begrudingly admit that I don’t absolutely love the holidays. I have friends who put their tree up before Thanksgiving (I’m looking at you, Jen!), friends who send their holiday cards before Dec. 1, and friends and family who live for this season. As much as I was resistant to doing a holiday gift guide this year (it just seemed like overkill, with the recession, and all the coverage of new holiday beauty releases), I realized there are ladies out there like me who have no clue what to buy for the other ladies in their lives.

Just in time for the last weekend before Christmas, here is SugarSocial’s 2009 holiday gift guide.  Hopefully, this will help you decide on last-minute gifts, or give you some inspiration. No matter what, be sure to deliver your gift with lots of love; that is what is most important during this season.

For Mom
No one, and I mean no one, deserves a lovely gift more than Mom. I mean, after all, she gave you life, so you kinda owe her! Get her something she’ll really like.

The deep-cleaning Clarisonic skincare brush ($149-$225) rotates 300 times per minute, leaving behind softer, smoother skin. It not only cleans, but is said to fight the great battle against aging, too. Oprah-approved.

Give Mom the gift of luxe skincare with Bobbi Brown’s Hydrating Set ($95). Pamper her skin with Hydrating Face Cream, Hydrating Eye Cream, mini Intensive Skin Supplement, and mini Soothing Face Tonic.

You can’t go wrong with affordable jewelry. These Aqua pearls from Bloomingdales ($38) are trendy, elegant, and totally rich-looking for the price. Make Mom feel special on very little cash! And they’re so cute, you can borrow them.

Your Sister
She’s been driving you crazy since she chopped off all your Barbie’s hair when you were 6, but she’s also your best friends who knows you better than anyone. Show her you love her.

Any limited-edition item from MAC’s Magic, Mirth, and Mischief! holiday ‘09 collection is sure to set her heart aflutter. Choose something special for her based on her personality. If she’s in need of new tools, there are 3 sets of pro-quality brushes.

These cool kits from Benefit will give her everything she needs to primp perfectly. Go with Glam Idol if she’s traditional, and Sexy Starlet if she’s edgy.

Give her this red wine ($9.99). Cause after all, she is one. And you love her for it.

Your BFF
She’s been there for you through thick and thin, has let you cry on your shoulder when guys dumped you, and has trusted you with her deepest secrets. Show her you think she’s just as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside.

Bare Escentuals Extreme Glimmers ($32) are perfect for when you 2 hit the town together. The 3 ultra-glimmery mineral eyeshadows are made from pure minerals, and give eyes mega-watt sparkle. Comes packaged with a mini tube of Prime Time eyelid primer and a mini shadow brush.

BeneFit Glitz, Glam & Gloss ($26) is one of the rare lip kits that doesn’t have one single clunker. All of the colors are beyond perfect, with just enough shimmer and shine.

Urban Decay 24/7 Super Stash Eyeliner Set ($36) is everything she could possibly ever want in the eyeliner department. She will love this one.

And if all else fails, take her out to dinner and catch up with her. After all, spending time with loved ones is what matters most.

Your Co-Worker
She helps you get through the day when you feel like stress is going to cause you to keel over. Say thanks with a simple, thoughtful gift.

With its whimsical illustrations, Kate Spade’s 2010 desk calendar ($20) will make her not dread boring meetings so much.
This Slatkin & Co. Winter candle ($9.50) smells amazing and clean, and she’ll be able to enjoy the scent long after the holidays.

Buy her a drink. God knows you both need one.

Happy holidays! Happy shopping!

Korres Lip Butter ($9) is a velvety-smooth tinted balm that drenches lips in hydration and a dose of sheer color. It’s formulated with shea butter, which makes lips extra-soft. Bonus: sheer, shiny color that looks natural and pretty.  It’s perfect for this time of year, when plummeting temps make lips chapped, cracked, painful, and downright gross-looking.

Bonus: dab it on the apples of cheeks for a dewy cheek stain!

Available in 7 shades, but my fave is pomegranate (above), with quince coming in a close second.

If $9 is too pricey for a lip balm, consider its dual functions (balm, gloss, cheek stain), and know that this little pot will last forever, even with frequent reapplication (which is inevitable, cause it feels so good!).

Like buttah.

Purple Lab wants you to think that with their Huge Lips, Skinny Hips gloss, you’ll never find yourself raiding the fridge at midnight and secretly stuffing your face with every last morsel you can find. The plumping gloss is packed with hoodia, a natural appetite suppressant revered for effortlessly curbing cravings.

They’re not right. This gloss did not suppress my appetite. Maybe it was because I don’t believe that a lip gloss can replace food. Maybe it’s because I’m skeptical that something topical can have any effect at all, without being fully ingested and digested. But it did make my lips ultraglossy and drenched in color, and that’s the only thing I was looking for.

The gloss glides on smooth, isn’t tacky, and has an incredible amount of color while still leaning toward the sheer side. It also expertly plumps up lips, but to see how they do it differently, let’s take a look at the ingredients.

The worst thing about lip plumpers is the sting. This products amps up the volume of lips with minimal burn. Lemon peel oil soothes lips and counteracts the sting as soon as it hits. Meadowfoam hydrates the lips, and orange peel extract assists in boosting your bod’s metabolism (a supposed one-two punch with the hoodia). All of which add to up inflated, soft lips without the sting.

Available in 4 shades: Kitty Pole Dancer, a sheer light pink; Red Sole, No Panty Lines (clear); and Worship Kate, a mauvey-pink named after Kate Moss. The shades look much darker in the tube; they go on sheer, slightly sparkly, and rich.

Purple Lab says the gloss is a “fabulous way to set your intention and hold it”…I say, if you want glossy lips, grab this. If you’re looking to lose weight, you’ll most likely find that at the gym, not at the bottom of this tube.

Angela Yee & Leah Rose are Lip Service

This week on Lip Service, Angela and Leah sit down with producer Dame Grease, rapper Grafh, adult film star Stacie Lane and model Sultry Simone.

Crazy show, take a listen…

Lip Service – Part 1

Lip Service – Part 2

Thanks for checkin’ us out Leah!!!  EF loves y’all!!!

Bryceness – Mr. Not-So-Nice Guy

Set to debut in the U.S. on December 26 is MAC’s Warm and Cozy collection, a full release that evokes comfort and warmth during the icy months of winter. Think chunky cable-knit sweaters, fuzzy slippers, wool scarves, flannel sheets, and fireplaces, and you’ll have an idea of what inspired this collection.

Items focus on creamy color in soft hues (like neutrals and pale pinks), with a few doses of earthy brown scattered about. It’s also chock-full of  “repairing” products, like lip conditioners, balms, and rich lotions to comfort and hydrate winter-parched skin.

Winter is a tough time of year for a lot of us (especially if you live anywhere in the Northern U.S.), so why not make it a little brighter with a few items from this release?

Keep reading for full product shots and more details.

Eyeshadow ($14.50), top row, L-R: Chamomile, Modelette; bottom row, L-R: Milled Cider, Embark.

Shadestick ($16.50), from left: Nurture, Relaxed, Cuddle, Warm & Cozy

Tinted Lip Conditioner ($14.50) in Close for Comfort, Feelin’ Good

Mineralize Skinfinish ($27) in By Candlelight (left) and Comfort (right)

Lipstick ($14), from left: Spiced Tea, Warm Me Up, and Siss
Lip Glass ($14), from left: 2N, Feeling Dreamy, 3N, and Light That Fire!

Lip Conditioner tube ($13.50), Lip Conditioner stick ($13.50), Nail Lacquer ($12) in Blissed Out, Dim the Lights

Mineralize All-Over Lotion ($29.50), Care Blends Essential Oils ($19.50 each) in Sweet Orange & Lavender and Grapefruit & Chamomile

A few thoughts on the collection:

• I’m loving Close for Comfort Tinted Lip Balm.
• Shadesticks in these colors serve as great bases for additional shadows; they’re perfect for layering.
• A lot of people get the winter blues, with the short days and bitter-cold air. I like that MAC added 2 essential oils to this collection in an effort to energize, soothe, and boost spirits.
• I like they took the post-holiday slump into mind. Around that time of year, everyone starts clearing out holiday decorations, and the new year is a time when people start thinking ahead and starting fresh. It’s a renewal, in a sense, and I love that MAC has pared down and minimalized the colors and textures of this collection to reflect that.

Final verdict: Very impressed with this collection. The timing, the colors, the textures, and the concept behind it all meld seamlessly. The idea behind it really resonates with me.

What do you think? Will you be hitting up the MAC counter to stock up for winter?

Just in time for the holiday shopping crush, MAC has released a mini collection (3 products) of limited-editions focusing on lips and face. This collection is all about the packaging. Opulent shiny silver is printed with damask overlay for a result that is Victorian-inspired and romantically sexy. Keep reading for details.
Baroque Boudoir Lipgloss ($22) is making me swoon. A glass vial enrobed in a belle epoque-style overlay is finished off with a gunmetal-silver cap boasting black damask print. The gloss is non-tacky, sumptuous, and shiny; lips look effortlessly plumper and sultry when drenched in this gloss. Available in 3 shades: Preciousness (sheer metallic pink with white frost), Lap of Luxury (sheer baby pink), and D’nouveau (sheer mauve-cranberry with pink metallic undertones). I adore Preciousness.

Baroque Boudoir Lipstick ($22) is encased in a silver bullet of a tube, with a damask-imprinted cap. Lipstick provides medium to full coverage for a rich and creamy look. Lips look luscious and softly diffused when bathed in this. Available in 3 shades: Prive (blue-based pink), Treasured (peach-toned nude beige), and Baroque Boudoir (creamy dark plum).

Baroque Boudoir Compact Sheer Mystery Powder ($60) was designed as a special keepsake collectible in a round, polished silver-finished compact mirroring the other BB packaging. MAC says this powder imparts a silky soft, velvety and slightly luminous finish to skin. I say you’re paying a pretty penny for the packaging. Available in 2 shades: Light Medium and Medium Plus.

There’s also a Boudoir Clutch for $65 in the collection, but there’s nothing special about it: it’s a simple black ruched clutch that’s overpriced.

U.K.-based line Pop Beauty is all about fun and vibrant color, and the holidays are the perfect season to let their celebratory spirit shine. Their holiday ‘09 cosmetics collection was inspired by London underground cabaret clubs and the iconic pin-up girls of the 1940s. The collection focuses on palettes featuring saturated colors mixed with essentials to polish your look. It’s all about a sexy, smoky vibe.

Cabaret Bouquet ($29.50) is the center of attention. Inspired by performers in London cabarets, this palette evokes the beauty of the smoldering underground clubs of the ’40s. Unfold the velvet-encased palette (keep flipping till you reveal alll of the products packed inside) and you’ll be greeted with (from left): a split-pan bronzer; 5 smoky shadows that double as liners; a matte face powder; 5 glowifying highlighter powders;  and 4 split-pan lip colors. And in case you’re overwhelmed with what’s inside, it comes with a handy little instruction booklet that will show you how to achieve the looks you desire. Va va voom.

The Pinup Pop pallete ($9.99) is such a ridiculous deal. For what you’d pay for drugstore products, you get an entire palette of high-quality eyeshadows (count ‘em – 12 in all!). Inspired by pin-ups from the 1940s, these shades complement each other and were created to give you that sultry-glam pin-up vibe. The overall look is smudgy-smoky; Pop is going for the lived-in, roll-in-the-hay look with this palette. The shades are very flattering and will work well on most skintones.

I’m not crazy about the Lippy Hippie palette in Woodstock ($25). First of all, I think it’s out of place in the collection. Hippies alongside cabaret dancers and pin-up girls doesn’t make sense to me. The palette, however, does pack a whopping 20 glosses into one slim compact, but I don’t think you’re getting a huge bang for your buck here. The colors are mostly orange- and peach-tinged neutrals, which tend to not wear well on a wide range of skintones (generally, olive complexions look best in these shades). There is a smattering of pinks and dark reds mixed in, but overall, many of the colors are in the same family. If it’s variety you’re seeking, there are many other options out there that pack a more varied punch.

MTV, which has always fed off the now happily moribund record industry (recently resuscitated by MJ’s passing) and now mooches off Bollywood to survive in the subcontinent, has no authority to comment on the indie scene. In the two fitful decades of Indian rock, MTV has neither recognised nor supported the indie movement. And to pay lip service to it now, with a limp biscuit such as this, is both embarrassing and shameful.. –   Journalist Bijoy Venugopal about why MTV(iggy) can never befriend Indian indie rock.

Too Faced’s holiday ‘09 collection is fit for a queen, with packaging to reflect that. Marie Antoinette (and cake!) is on most of the sets, which are packed with essentials and luxurious items alike. The collection is comprised of kits and sets, which pack a lot of products into small packages.

Unwrap the Queen for a Day kit ($45, above) and you’ll unearth an exclusive eyeshadow quad featuring 2 neutrals and 2 metallics, Shadow Insurance (eyelid primer), Snow Bunny Bronzer (duotone bronzing powder), mini Lash Injection Pinpoint mascara, Lip of Luxury lipstick in Free Love, and a kabuki brush. All tucked in a makeup bag bearing a silhouette of Marie Antoinette holding a giant tiered cake. Cute!

The French & Fabulous palette ($28.50) bears 6 eyeshadows, Sun Bunny Bronzer, and Pink Leopard Highlighting Bronzer, a rosy, bronzy, shimmery powder that brightens up skin. Eyeshadows included are: Totally Toasted Brown, Totally Toasted Beige, Poodle Puff Pink, Poodle Puff Raisin, Ooh & Ahh, and Mess in a Dress. Emblazoned on the front of the palette is a rendering of a pink-bouffanted Marie Antoinette overlooking the Paris cityscape. Oh so French and campy.

Glamour To Go II ($19.50) is a palette that houses pretty much anything you could possibly want for on-the-go touch-ups. 8 shadows, ranging from bone to charcoal; blush; and 4 glosses are all packed in this pocket-size pal. Coordinating shades make it easy to perfect your look on the fly.

I can’t stop singing Lady Gaga’s new hit “Bad Romance” and I can’t get over the spectrum of looks she covers in the video. Although Gaga is hardly known for donning looks the average woman can pull off, there are some lessons to be learned in this video. After the jump, I break down my favorite looks on her and what we can take from her over-the-top style.

Here is my all-time favorite look on Lady Gaga: long wavy hair and blunt bangs. She can effortlessly pull of these thick, straight-cut bangs, which is no easy task (I tried it this summer…it didn’t go so well). The long hair helps to create the illusion of volume on her body (have you noticed she’s gotten so skinny lately??), while the bangs balance out her facial features, which can appear hard at times. She looks great in this style.

Here we see her in a new light: fresh and natural, with minimal stage makeup. Mile-long lashes give her a feminine air, while glowing skin and nude lips soften her features. The barely-there soft, diffused blush gives her face some contour without tampering with the porcelain-pure look. Love the full, defined brows.

She’s back to her vampy ways with dark eyes, false lashes, this time balanced by a nude lip. She really pulls of false lashes well, and the pop of blush on her cheeks amps up the drama created by her extra-dark eyes. Love her hair here, too.

She breaks the rules with a strongly-defined, smoky eye paired with a dark lip. I love her in plum lip shades, and this burgundy looks great on her. I also love the piles of fake lashes and perfectly-defined, but not overly dark, brows.

I have to give her credit: only she could pull off a straight-cut asymmetrical bob with blunt bangs.

So, lessons to be learned? Borrow some of Gaga’s fearlessness the next time you apply makeup, visit a salon, or even dress up for an event. Scared of trying a new hairstyle (like say, getting bangs) or rocking red lips? Give it a shot; your hair will eventually grow out, and you can always wipe off lipstick. Stepping outside of your comfort zone, even if it’s just with a new eyeshadow, can change up your whole appearance. Plus, it can work wonders for your confidence; knowing that you can pull off an asymmetrical bob or rock false lashes like a pro will allow you to carry yourself in a whole new way.

Monday on Shade 45’s Lip Service, Snoop repudiated firing subliminals at Weezy. Keep it peace like a Buddhist.

“A song about who?,” Snoop questioned radio personality Angela Yee. “I don’t call n*ggas’ names out, you know me babygirl, I’m Snoop Dogg. You ever heard a song I got called ‘Pimp Slap’ where I went after Suge Knight? If I got any issues, I go after a n*gga’s motherf*cking head. I’m not finna shoot at your shoes or shoot at the spot where your baby mama at, I’m finna take your motherf*cking neck off. I don’t have problems with no rappers, that was me speaking in general, so if a n*gga feel offended, or feel froggish, leap motherf*cker. Now that’s where I’m at with it, so, I never make diss songs, I make hit songs. I’m Snoop Dogg, I’ve been in it too long. I’m Uncle Snoop.” (Shade 45 Lip Service)

Video After the Jump

Angela Yee and Leah Rose's Lip Service Radio

We here at EF are huge fans of the ladies at Lip Service!  This has got to be one of the greatest shows on satellite radio and the humor of the ladies are SO on point.  There are no holds barred when it comes to Angela Yee and Leah Rose’s show and that is what makes it so great of a show.  If you’re not familiar, please take a listen…you’ll get hooked.

This episode is featuring Kwame, Snoop Dogg, Beyond Belief and Kel Spencer.  We’ll start to post their shows for those readers who don’t have satellite radio.  So enjoy all that is Lip Service.

Yo, Snoop is hilarious!!!

Bryceness – Mr. Not-So-Nice Guy

Lip Service – Part 1

Lip Service – Part 2

Every year around this time, BeneFit releases their Glitz, Glam & Gloss limited-edition lipgloss set ($26), and every year I forget to pick it up until it’s too late (holiday shopping for others tends to take priority over lipgloss needs). And every year, I kick myself once after it’s too late to grab it. The colors are so pretty, and only available in this set. The 3 double-ended full-size glosses are meant to complement each other, but look beautiful worn alone. In the kit is Friends in High Places/Kiss You (sparkling raspberry and violet-tinged pink), Almost Famous/Copper Penny (bronze and nude), and I’m with the Band/Fresh-Squeezed (shimmery pink and grapefruit).

At this price, you can’t afford not to gift these to friends this year. And while you’re at it, pick up one for yourself; if not, you’ll regret it later.

Clinique decided to dazzle the holidays with violets: Black Tie Violets, to be exact. I need to make a confession: I love violet makeup. Plums, lavenders, smoky purples…they are all a hit with my coloring (fair cool-toned skin, green eyes, light blonde hair), and I have more shades of violet in my makeup bag than I’m willing to admit. Needless to say, I’m thrilled to see this collection. And if you don’t have coloring like mine, you will happy to learn that these shades flatter mostly all skintones.

Shimmering Stripes Powder Blusher ($29.50) contains 4 bars of blush nestled side-by-side to give you a glowing, multidimensional flush. It starts out with a light pink and ends with a lavender finish. Swirled together, these colors blend to give you a customized glow. Love.

The Color Surge Eyeshadow Quad in Black Tie Violets ($25) is a dream come true for eyes. 4 pans of velvety rich color infused with shimmer will light up eyes. Start with the lightest pink shadow, sweeping it from brow to lashline. Use the darker pink on lids, and the light chocolate plum in the crease. Define the outer corners with the darkest shade in the compact, and you have eyes glammed up for day or night.

Made to complement the Color Surge Quad, Brush-on Cream Liner in Violet Luxe ($14.50) is a shimmering lavender-plum. I adore cream liners lately, and this one even comes with a mini brush to create a perfectly-defined eye.

I think the lip products are really where this collection gets really interesting. The colors are simply amazing, and beyond flattering. Full Potential Lips Plump and Shine Gloss ($17.50) is a dream come true for thin-lipped ladies. The triple-action plumping gloss puffs lips for up to 6 hours. And even if you don’t need a lip boost, the colors are to die for. Just look at them!

High Impact Lip Color SPF15 in Extreme Pink ($14) is one of my favorite new lipsticks. The color is just ridiculous! Look at how vibrant and luscious the pink color is. I adore this. Added bonus: the color is super comfortable on lips, and moisturizes while you wear it, unlike other lipsticks that tend to dry out lips.

Sometimes, there are mornings when I wake up and wish I was a celebrity, just so I could have a makeup artist make me look stunning before I walk out the door. I’ll never have that luxury, but I can come close with the new BeneFit Celebutante kit ($34). It stocks everything a woman needs for a full face of glamour.

Some of BeneFit’s most classic products are housed within this kit, including High Beam, the brand’s amazing highlighter, and BeneTint, the classic rose lip and cheek stain. Also included is Dallas bronzing powder, lipstick in Lady’s Choice and No Competition, Velvet Eyeshadow in Dandy Brandy and Leggy, and lipgloss in I’m With the Band, a shimmering pink. As if that weren’t enough, BeneFit also included a double-ended eyeshadow brush, a bronzer brush, and a booklet of tutorials and looks for applying all your new makeup.

It’s like your own personal makeup artist in a box. What more could a girl want?