I know plenty of women who use body self-tanner on their faces. I never would. The thought of putting something other than high-tech skin care anywhere above my neck makes me shudder (and worry about clogged pores and breakouts). St. Tropez's Bronzing Lotion for Face is fantastic because it's skin care -- hyaluronic acid and apricot oil -- with self-tanner. And they developed these adorable mini mitts to make application a cinch.
The name of this mascara -- Baby Doll -- is precisely what I want people to think of when they see my eyelashes. And it delivers on that promise. The two-sided wand has spaced out bristles for volumizing and separating and close-together bristles to grab every last lash. And my color of choice -- Fetish Black -- is incredibly dark and shiny.
Color Correcting (CC) creams are designed to do just that: brighten and even out the color of your skin. Clinique's CC contains light-reflecting particles that practically make skin glow, it's incredibly moisturizing, and it has SPF 30.
I've been dedicated to BB creams for the last couple years, but I'm adding this CC to my rotation on the weekends. With slightly less coverage than my favorite BB, the effect is makeup-free perfect skin.
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Lorac GloGetter Palette, $20
The combination of blues and bronzes in this makeup palette feels so modern and perfect for spring. There are eight saturated colors and two pretty neutrals -- and the neutrals are twice the size of the brights, which is exactly how much I'll need. It's limited edition, and it's exclusive to Ulta. Get it while you can.
Between my fair coloring and my obsession with skin care, I consider myself something of a sunscreen connoisseur -- and this is the SPF I'm going to be wearing all summer. With 11-percent zinc oxide and 6.2-percent titanium dioxide this sunscreen is all mineral. And I prefer mineral sunscreens over chemical versions because minerals reflect UV rays whereas chemicals absorb them and produce free-radicals (always wear an antioxidant serum under a chemical SPF). Plus, it's natural and has cucumbers, green tea, and aloe to soothe the skin while it protects. What's not to love?
Spring collections -- both beauty and fashion -- launch too early. Coral lipstick and raffia sandals do not interest me in January when I'm still bundling up in my full-length puffy coat. It's a tease. If I bought them three months ago they'd be covered in dust.
April, however, is the perfect time to shop for new products. Why? Two words: spring cleaning. Once you toss the gunky moisturizer and crusty hand cream you've been using all winter, you'll have so much room in your vanity and medicine cabinet. And all that space is just begging to be filled with the best beauty products launching this month. Plus, it's finally starting to warm up outside. You might actually use a new self-tanner or mineral sunscreen rather than hoping you'll use them.
There are so many fantastic new beauty products hitting shelves right now I had a hard time narrowing down my list. You can't go wrong with any one -- or all -- of the nine featured here. Pick them up now, and you'll be using -- and loving -- them all season.
