Think Pink 2.0

As we previously mentioned, we will be posting more "Pink" finds that support breast cancer research and awareness this month. The following are a few that we found at one of our "wonderlands" - Sephora!

Sephora will donate $1 from your purchase of this limited-edition Super Shimmer lip gloss in "Forever Pink" to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). This sheer gloss is ..."packed with holographic shimmer and mega-watt shine".

Looking for a gloss that moisturizes, is not too sticky, and gives lips a boost? Check out Balmshell's lip gloss in "1 in 8". This sheer "milky" pink gloss is perfect for all skin tones. Balmshell's "...unique formula creates a smooth high gloss finish" that gives the "...appearance of full supple lips". Slightly "fruity vanilla" in flavor, "1 in 8" comes in Balmshell's signature story line packaging. The "1 in 8" gloss shade name was chosen to help reinforce the fact that "approximately 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer." The clever packaging symbolically illustrates that breast cancer affects different types of women. As with the Super Shimmer lip gloss in "Forever Pink", Sephora will donate $1 from the purchase of this gloss to the BCRF.

Shiny lips = Sexy. Shiny Face = Not so sexy. Keep your "shine" in check with this refillable powder brush. Made with natural hairs, this brush provides a smooth finish and works especially well with mineral powders. As if it couldn't get any better, the brush is also retractable - so you can take it on-the-go and not worry about damaging the bristles! Sephora will donate $2 from your purchase of this brush to Breast Cancer Awareness.

Credits: Sephora USA, Inc. Balmshell Inc.

After Glow

Ok get your minds out of the gutter *smiles*...we are talking about rounding out your fresh faced summer look with a "Living My Life Like It's Golden" glow. The best way to achieve (and maintain) that natural inner radiance look is to apply the same shade on your eyes, cheeks, and lips.

We like to use a sheer shimmer like Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Brick Compact (in "Bronze") on eyes and cheeks, and compliment it with a sheer shimmer lip gloss like "Rose Sugar". The Shimmer Brick's subtleness in color and shimmer perfectly highlights the brow bone; makes eyes "POP" when dusted around the inner corners of eyes; and accentuates cheekbones. To get that "from within" glow, we recommend applying rose or apricot colored blush to the apples of your cheeks.

While some of you may be cringing at the idea of putting blush on your eyes and lips, just remember, THERE ARE NO RULES IN MAKE-UP - BE ADVENTUROUS! Here are some other products we recommend using to get that "After Glow":

NARS out did themselves when they created The Multiple. We love it because it is easy to apply, multi-use, long-lasting, and gives great natural color....and did we say EASY TO APPLY? So much so that any make-up or beauty novice can apply it without looking like a "Clown School Drop-Out". We touched on the Blush and Bronzing Duo (which we also love) in yesterday's bronzer post, and were thrilled to see they now offer a Duo for The Multiple (The Multiple Duo).

So what exactly is The Multiple? It is a cream stick that gives a powder finish (a.k.a. "cream-to-powder") that can be applied to eyes, cheeks, and lips! Since it is cream-to-powder, you will definitely need to apply a sheer or clear gloss over lips to add shine and moisture. We do not recommend using The Multiple if you have oily skin or large pores. Despite giving a matte-powder finish, the cream tends to make large pores look bigger, and does not hold up well on oily skin. The Blush and Bronzing Duo, however, works well and looks great on all skin types.

Our "Recessionista Pick" is E.L.F.'s Shimmering Facial Whip. Aside from being fun and easy to use, E.L.F.'s Shimmering Facial Whip is good for all skin types. Available in a variety of colors ("Toasted" received the 2008 Allure Best of Beauty Editor's Choice Award), these little tubes are perfect for adding a hint of shimmer and glow to your eyes, cheeks, and lips. They can also be added to your lotion to get a little "body shimmer". Packed with Vitamins B, C, and E, this lightweight, non-greasy cream is long-lasting and buildable. Our only "Notes of Caution" for this product are:

a) it can give too much shimmer - so start off light and build as needed.
b) it looks better on Fair and Medium skin tones - the shimmer tended to be too much for Darker skin tones in spite of light/sparse application.
c) it has a sweet citrusy scent, but at $1 a pop, we can live with that!

Credits: Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Inc., NARS Cosmetics, Inc. Eyes.Lips.Face. (JA Cosmetics Corp.)