Oooh gurl, these mints take me BACK. From the mid-to-late ’80s I had one of these surgically attached to my hands. Good times!

Y’all are blowing me away with your Gwen looks! Great jobs all around. 🙂

If you haven’t entered yet, you still have time to submit your look. Remember, it’s not a lookalike contest; the challenge is just to channel one of Gwen’s styles over the years. One of you will win Gwen’s signed set of Harajuku Lovers Sunshine Cuties, but don’t delay. The deadline’s this Monday night.

Legal stuff: Must be 18 years of age or older and a valid resident of the United States; deadline to enter is Monday, March 29, 11:59PM PST; one entry per person; void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Ah… What a great day, ladies! It was nice and sunny here, so I went for a hike with my camera. So beautiful! The wildflowers are blooming, and everything’s just so alive (including my allergies!).

I hope you had a good day today. Did you do anything fun? Right now I’m eating an apple for my late-night snack and watching Project Runway online.

Luckily for St. Tropez, their new bronzing powder pellets really do rock, and not just in the ’80s power ballad kinda way.

Shimmering Bronzing Rocks ($40) actually look like little rocks. Well, they go from looking like rocks to looking like delicious chocolate truffles, but that could just be me! 🙂

Why rock?

Luxurious St. Tropez specializes in thinking outside the box when it comes to their self-tanners and bronzers. These Bronzing Rocks complement skin that’s already been kissed by the sun, taking it all the way to the Bronze Age by adding a shimmery, golden glow to shoulders, decollete, cheeks, face, lips and eyes. To ladies of lighter skin tones, Bronzing Rocks deliver a beautiful but subtle glow that’s safer than a regular tan; darker skin tones get a lovely golden shimmer.

How to rock

To apply, swirl a brush on the rocks (hold the olive!) and apply directly to the skin. Or, wield one of the rocks like a piece of chalk, drawing on the eyelids or lips, fun!

One of the best power ballads, evah!

“Good” glitter and a peachy golden glow

St. Tropez feels like a casual bronzer to me, one I’d wear to a beach bar barefoot in a slinky summer dress. I used it today to contour my face and cheeks and really like the fine glitter because it doesn’t make my skin look oily.

As for the color? — worthy of a good headbang. 🙂 It’s a golden, peachy brown about the shade of late afternoon sunlight, and it’s not muddy or orange at all on my skin.
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Neutrals are like the Old Faithfuls of makeup. I love ’em, but sometimes they can get a little boring. If you’re looking for fresh ideas, why not try a splash of color?

Sometimes all it takes is a peep at the yellow nail polish on your toes or bright red lips looking back at you in the mirror to brighten your day.

Here are a few ideas to put a little color in your step. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What’s shakin’, turkey bacon? Are you up for a little surfing today? Tabs is napping, but I’m sufficiently caffeinated and ready to roll, WHEEEE! 🙂

Random Bright Spots

• A new Q&A with makeup artist Carmindy — Temptalia
• Do Chanel’s Summer 2010 polishes live up to the hype? — All Lacquered Up
• Confused about luminizer? Here’s how (and why) they’re worth a try — Bella Sugar
• Would your dude wear these BB Couture nail polishes? — Vampy Varnish
• Twitter helps you choose your own adventure! — Jonah Peretti
• What really goes down at a Benefit Power Primer Party — The Secret Life of a Benefit Gal
• 4 stylish spring jackets and how to wear them — College Fashion
• Lina swatches a few of Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring Makeup colors — The Beauty Look Book
• An orange NARS Multiple? I’m all over that — Sugar Social
• Have you heard of BlackBeach nail polish? — We Heart This
• I dig the packaging for Lipstick Queen (sucker for large typography) — Face Candy

New in Beauty

• YAY! Nordie’s finally has the Addicted to Dior Luggage Tags ($60) online
• Um… The Smoothing Lacquer Lip Polish ($30) has a “spinning applicator” that’s supposed to mimic how a makeup artist works
• I think might have to pick up Murad’s Acne & Wrinkle Reducer ($58)
• Bliss says their Pore-fector Gaget Kit ($185) is the next best thing to an at-home esthetician
• LOVE the bottle for Viktor & Rolf’s limited-edition Flowerbomb La Vie En Rose ($80)
• Cake’s Satin Sugar Powder ($16) refreshes your hair AND your bod
• Yves Saint Laurent reformulated their Dessin du Regard Eye Pencils ($28) by adding richer pigments
• Aerie, an American Eagle brand, just launched a line of makeup for eyes and lips called Aerie Color ($8-15)
• Buy $50 in LORAC online and get a complimentary Mini Mocktail Set of six glosses (free shipping!)
• Lancome’s Bronze Riviera summer collection includes glowy shades of bronze and a playful POP of pink

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