I’m glad to see CLINIQUE getting in on the long-wearing cream eye shadow trend that’s occuring right now though the packaging is a little too close to this one for my liking. I’ll bet theirs was in the making when they saw the competitions release. Oh well. Anyway, the ones from Clinique are called Lid Smoothie Antioxidant 8-Hour Eye Colour and hit stores/website in August for $19.50 each (press release did not say the exact day_. There are 12 shades available and I applied the Currant Affair on my lids and hit my boot camp workout. And I have to say, it lasted really well through the class. I’d give it a 7.5 out of 10.

The formula itself has vitamin E inside and extracts of broccoli, carrot, blueberry and spinach. Huh? And then also cucumber, aloe vera and caffeine. I get those but not the aforementioned! What I really like is the cooling silver tip applicator at the end of the tube’s top that is cooling when it touches the skin.

Know that these shades are pretty pigmented, wear sheer and the colors are really low key, which is expected, because the brand has never been known for bright only-some-people-will-like-them colors. I guess I’m so used to seeing over the top bright colors right now. Like most of their line, these shades are work approved! $19.50 @ clinique.com. 

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

I really like trying new foundations from the big companies because they have the means to stay on the cutting edge of technology. Yes, face products are also in this category but I can tell instantly what a foundation is about where with a cream, only time will tell. So push your current foundation to the side to make room for CHANEL’s new Mat Lumiere Long Lasting Luminous Matte Fluid Makeup ($52/1oz @ chanel.com). It’s everything you want in a medium-coverage foundation these days: lightweight, shine-free, matte, and long-wearing, to name a few. And this formula uses a new kind of blend of silicone polymers combined with spherical powders (who thinks to even try this??) to create a “modernized matte.” Don’t quite know what that means but my skin looks fresh and flawless and I found I don’t need to touch up my t-zone as often throughout the day. Available in 12 shades.

What a fun sculpting and highlighting this next duo is. New from BENEFIT COSMETICS is their Cupid’s Bow Set ($28 @ sephora.com) is a line and define kit bringing your pucker to its full potential. How does this one differ? It is two pencils – a double-ended mauve-y mocha/pink pencil and a double-ended brush/sponge. Use the light pink of the pencil to lightly shade your cupid’s bow (the V above your upper lip) and then blend using the brush/sponge. Line and fill in your pout with the mauve-y mocha and you’re ready to rock.

With a luscious lipstick named Promiscuous, you just know it has to be from NARS and it is as its part of the new Fall 2007 Modern Odyssey Collection. This long lasting shimmering honey beige Lipstick ($23) gives lips a natural but beautiful explosion of color. And that’s just what this collection is about – bold popping colors of warm metallics. Dust the Single Eye Shadow ($21) in Voyage, a tan with gold shimmer, all over lids for a soft glow. And this one really illuminates my baby blues. If you are looking for an easy way to wear more than one shade from this creative collection, try the Duo Eye Shadows ($31), all in perfect coordinated shades. I’ve been wearing Kalahari, bronze and milk chocolate, but be sure to sneak a peek at Underworld, a smoke and dark blue gray, and Brazil, a sand and rose. Finish off the look with a great Lip Gloss ($23) like Chantaco, a deep berry beige or Tempest, a natural pink beige with shimmer.
A little bit naughty and all NARS. Fantastic! All available @ nordstrom.com.

Cream, lotions, butters … I can’t seem to get enough of them. Added to our radar from V’TAE is their new collection of natural body care products and we’re pleased to be the first to bring them to you. The Body Cremes ($16/6.5oz) are each made with 15% Shea butter, 70% certified organic ingredients and are Paraben free (widely used chemical preservative). Each Bar Soap ($11/7oz) is made with Olive oil, Shea butter and essential oils. The “flavors?” Only their best selling scents: Almond Apricot, Lavender, Cherry, Coconut Tangerine and Lemon. I’m quite partial to the Cherry as it smells so good! Big recommendation. Both @ vtae.com today.

SMASHBOX is upon us with their Fall 2007 collection, Decadence. The colors are over for the top glamour. We love that! So get dramatic this fall with any of these. Eye Shadow Trio ($28) in Indulgence and Opulence, Jet Set Waterproof Eye Line ($22) in Lust, Blush ($24) in Ecstasy, Lip Enhancing Gloss ($18) in Vixen, Photo Finish Lip Luxe ($28) in Socialite, 7-Piece Vanity Brush Collection ($150). Each container, or handle in the case of the brushes, has a gunmetal finish. So sleek and dramatic! All @ sephora.com.

The new limited edition Moonbathe Collection from MAC is a must for summer.Golds, plums, shimmers, pearls and frosts -- summer moonlight colors! My love affair with their Lipglass has gone on forever and will never end. Elaborate is a gold pearl frost that melts hearts.

For those of you who want a little more color on your lips, try the Lipstick in Solar Plum, an iridescent berry with red and gold pearl frost. Pair these two shadows for sexy eyes: Cosmic (warm gold w/pearl) and Fire Spot (deep olive with gold pearl). All these come in the Moonbathe signature white pearized outer cases. They stand out on your dresser, that’s for sure!  Don’t forget the wonderful Nail Lacquers ($10), especially Fireball in my favorite tangerine with gold and orange pearl. Each is $14 except where listed @ nordstrom.com ~Lisa

Voraciously vivid and brazenly bright is how MAC describes their new C-Shock collection. This is probably the most colorful collection I have seen from MAC or any line in a long time. Out of the Lipsticks, Lipgelees and Eye Shadows, I’d have to say my favorites are the Shadows. What better way to really get creative with your look than with the iridescent pinky magenta frost of Romping or the intense aqua frost of Big T. As with any look you go with, balance is the key. So if you are going to wear the metallic coral Lipstick, Overrich, don’t wear the matte red Passionate eye shadow at the same time. So take on the world one feature at a time. $14 each @ nordstrom.com

Summer must be the peak for nudes and enhancing your features without  overdoing it. NARS Summer Collection, Coquette, is all about nudes, bronzes and sheen to help accentuate what you already have. My picks of the collection are the beautiful Sparkling Gold Powder ($30) of Venus, a pale ivory with gold sheen, Duo Cream Eyeshadow ($31) in Madagascar, a satin nude and a shimmering taupe, and the Lip Gloss ($21) in Striptease, a beautiful pearlized beige sheen. These truly make a you but better! All @ nordstrom.com.