Charlotte Ronson A Summer's Kiss Face and Body Glow

Fashion "it" girl Charlotte Ronson is best known for combining her effortless sense of style with her chic downtown designs. Charlotte is "bringing the same sensibility to her new beauty collection." Inspired by her friends and family, the line takes its direction from the different looks and lifestyles of her inner circle. There's a multi-tonal eye shadow palette for Nicole Richie; a weightless, nonstick gloss for her DJ sister Samantha; and a luminous light-filtering powder for Rashida Jones.



The entire collection is designed around her muses - their different routines and diverse beauty - appealing to a wide range of women who want to look pretty on-the-go without trying too hard. Every product seamlessly transitions from day to night and is especially portable and easy to use. Plus, the formulas are infused with light-adjusting technology so you look flawlessly radiant in every cast of light, no matter what spotlight you find yourself under.



I was surfing Sephora and saw Ronson's A Summer's Kiss Face and Body Glow ($18). As a total illuminator junkie, I had to have it. The price was right, so into my cart it went.



When it arrived, I was extremely happy with my initial tests. The color is a bronze gold with just a hint of rose gold. My first impression was, Wow!" The liquid illuminator/bronzer definitely adjusts its shimmer and glow based on the lighting.



Here are two swatch photos of a heavy application at the top of my arm, with a lighter, more normal one below. I applied both swatches with a concealer brush and took my initial swatch photos in full sun.



I decided to test A Summer's Kiss for longevity by leaving the swatch on my arm and going off to run errands. I went to CVS, got some things for my mother, delivered them, and came directly home. At no time during my foray did the inside of my arm get an excessive workout. The product didn't fare well on my arm. By the time I got home, there was little left.



The swatch photo at right was taken with some clouds overhead that moved in while I was gone. As you can see, the color wore off significantly. There was some color and some sparkle left, but the pizzazz was gone.



Interestingly, the color persists nicely on my face. With sunshine or strong indoor light on my face, A Summer's Kiss is a pretty, gleaming, shimmering medium-toned bronze-gold. With less light, it shows me less gleam and more color. It's cooling when I apply it.



The active ingredients, listed at Sephora, include:

• Nano-fine titanium dioxide and alumina: work synergistically to create a soft-focus effect by absorbing, reflecting, and scattering light;
• Multidimensional pigments: creates differentiating shimmer and luminosity effects;
• Capric/caprylic triglyceride and xctyl palmitate: help keep the skin soft, supple, and moisturized; and
• Vitamins C and E: strong antioxidants to protect the skin from environmental aggressors.

My conclusions about A Summer's Kiss? It's a pretty facial illuminator or shimmering bronzer in a color most of us can wear, and the price is very reasonable. It only fails the test as a body bronzer. You only need a tiny amount of product to achieve a pretty look, so the three-ounce tube should last a long time if you are wearing it only on your face.



Charlotte Ronson's A Summer's Kiss Face and Body Glow is exclusive to Sephora. I bought mine online. You can see Ronson's complete collection at Sephora.



Photo at top courtesy of Sephora; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

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Estée Lauder Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelée from Modern Mercury Collection for Fall 2011

Estée Lauder's Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelée ($40) from the Modern Mercury Collection for Fall 2011 is a superstar. It's unique, exquisite, and lust-worthy. Don't miss out; it's a limited edition.

Estée Lauder describes it as a "tribrid" system of liquid, powder, and gel that will revolutionize makeup application and wear. The first-of-a-kind "multi-powder" creates a "theatrical blur of shimmer when applied dry and a fierce flush of color when applied wet." The unique suspension of golden pigments and pearls gives a polished finish with a reflective sheen to the skin.

I kind of gasped when I saw it at Neiman Marcus. OK - all pretense aside - I really gasped. I hadn't been sure what to expect. A press release photo had been fairly close to the shade I see in front of me, but the photo on Estée Lauder's Web site, shown at the top of this feature, gave it a warmer tone. When I saw the warm rose gold shade - one of my favorite highlighter and eye shadow shades - in the compact, I didn't hesitate before I bought it. Then, when I got home and started to play with it, I realized the shade adapts to its surroundings.

My photo directly above shows the beautiful swirling shades in the embossed powder-gel. I'm going to call it a powder-gel because I feel a little silly writing "tribrid," even though that's accurate. It has the most amazing texture, it's going to be hard for me to describe it perfectly. Consider it one of the creamiest powders you'll ever use. It's luxury in a large compact, accompanied by a useful sponge applicator.

Like the eye shadow shades in the Modern Mercury Collection for fall, Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelée's color adjusts to light and its surroundings. I took a few swatch photos to show you, and all portray the highlighter with a slightly different hue. It's gold; it's rose-gold; it's peachy gold. Just go buy it while you can. It's golden, gleaming, and gorgeous.

My photos were all taken in full morning sun. Some were taken with the sun directly facing my arm. In others, I tried to show the shade from a bright angle. I applied the powder-gel dry with its cute little applicator.

Make no mistake, this illuminator shines. That shine on my arm isn't only a result of the sun's reflection. You can mute the shine by applying the product lightly or by buffing or blending it (try a Kabuki brush) once you apply the color. You'll have fun experimenting with it.

Apparently, it arrived at the store in short supply. I may have bought one of two, but I'm sure more will be on the way. Neiman Marcus received it just in time for their Estée Lauder gift-with-purchase promotion, which starts Friday. Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelée is now available at the Estée Lauder Web site. I assume most of the counters have it now or will receive it very soon.

Photo at top courtesy of Estée Lauder; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

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Rouge Bunny Rouge Seas of Illumination Highlighting Liquid

This has been my year of discovery of Rouge Bunny Rouge. I have fallen head over heels, like Alice in Wonderland, for RBR cosmetics. In Chapter 1 of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Alice is bored as she sits on a river's bank with her sister. She notices a talking, clothed White Rabbit with a pocket watch hop past. She follows the White Rabbit down a rabbit hole, where she falls a long way to a curious hall with many locked doors of all sizes. She finds a key to a door, through which she sees an attractive garden - Rouge Bunny Rouge's Enchanted Garden? Just speculation on my part.

As I've opened the doors of the Rouge Bunny Rouge line, I've fallen in love. I've already recounted many of my purchases. Today, I want to show you the three Seas of Illumination Highlighting Liquids ($69.79) I purchased from Zuneta.

There are four shades available.

• Sea of Clouds, moonlight on the water with a luminous effect - a white shade that will brighten and freshen any skin tone
• Sea of Tranquility, pale pink, milky opalescence with white and gold pearls to enliven the skin with luminosity
• Sea of Showers, a honeyed white gold for golden gorgeousness
• Sea of Nectar, the darkest shade offered (but not that dark), rose gold to add a pale copper warmth

I had such a hard time selecting only one shade, I purchased three: all except Sea of Clouds. Like Alice, I was enchanted with the idea of opening all the doors.

Like all Rouge Bunny Rouge colors, these highlighting liquids have a story.

At sunset in the Enchanted Garden, you can fleetingly glimpse the mermaids dancing in the gently lapping waves of the Grand Moon Seas. Evening mists rise and tenderly caress them, lingering languorously on their bodies to gift their skin with uncommon youth and beauty. We were inspired by this scene to bring you this dream in a bottle so that you can have your very own transformation.

The moisturizing surge of liquid pearls will dance whispers on your skin till dawn. Be as playful as the magical being that you are - you'll still look as sublimely refined and urbanely elegant as the Moon itself. The tiny reflective particles will illuminate you anywhere you choose, with a sinfully quivering effect to quietly showcase your beauty. Bring fine-spun silver thrills by night or by day - to eyes, brows, temples, or shoulders. No one can eclipse you, Moon Mermaid.

This multipurpose water-based fluid blends easily with moisturizer or foundation to customize the look - to yours alone. Create an inside-out illumination effect and blend it to a thin, refined wash of pearls. Light fragrance of cucumber with a touch of peach flower will add to your application pleasure. A quartet of shades with melissa extract to soothe and Vitamin E to guard against aging.

The Seas of Illumination Highlighting Liquids are as delightful as their description, from the packaging to their lightweight, creamy liquid texture. Now that I've added these gorgeous illuminators to my newest Chanel palette and my Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer "collection," I feel privileged. They are that special.

The containers have a handy pump top that dispenses a very generous portion with one press of the pump. When blended on my skin, the shades make me bright and glowing or golden and glowing - glowing in all cases. Once blended, these flashy shades settle into subtle brilliance - definitely wearable! Just use a light touch when you apply Seas of Illumination. With more than one, you can create a wardrobe of looks. You can use them as-is, mix them to create your own personal colors, or mix them with your foundation for an allover glow.

Sea of Tranquility is the palest of pinks. Sea of Showers and Sea of Nectar are golden. They don't look terribly different in the bottles, but they are on the skin. I took many swatch photos, probably because I was so excited by the shades. For my photos, I applied a tiny dab of each shade I purchased onto my palm and applied and evened it out with my finger. The shades are swatched, top to bottom, as Sea of Tranquility, Sea of Showers, and Sea of Nectar. My photos were taken in full sun.

Hopefully, you can see the nuances between Sea of Showers in the middle and Sea of Nectar at the bottom of my arm. While both are gold, Sea of Nectar has that rose gold tint that's so special to me.

These fluids blend effortlessly, leaving behind a magical lightness and radiant iridescence. Despite their unblended shimmer in my swatch photos, once blended on the skin, they impart a light-reflecting sheen. You can apply them under or over your foundation.

If you can select only one, you'll have to decide whether you want to be a pale beauty or a golden goddess. Should you choose to be a golden goddess, you'll have to make a hard decision. Pure gold or rose gold? I wouldn't say you need both - as I did - but it's a tough choice between equally exquisite shades. Try to play croquet with a flamingo!

You can purchase Rouge Bunny Rouge at Zuneta. They offer fabulous customer service and free international shipping with orders over £65. I have one more item from my last order to show you, then I'll be online again, selecting the items for order #3.

Photos at top courtesy of Zuneta and Wikipedia; photos of bottles and swatches by Best Things in Beauty

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Estée Lauder Idealist Cooling Eye Illuminator

Estée Lauder's new Idealist Cooling Eye Illuminator ($58) is pretty cool! I started looking for it when I saw it in a magazine (probably WWD's Beauty Inc.). I tried the Estée Lauder counter at Nordstrom first. The representative had never heard about it. That's OK; sometimes the leading magazines publicize products before the reps have been trained.

The second time I checked at Nordstrom, the units had arrived, but the tester was missing in action. When I asked about the tester, the woman behind the counter (someone I had never seen before) seemed clueless - rather unusual for Nordstrom. Anyhow, it finally arrived at Neiman Marcus, and I purchased it. I love happy endings. Even delayed gratification is better than no gratification.

Cooling Eye Illuminator is said to be the first illuminator with a coutoured, cooling ceramic-tip applicator - the kind that's all the rage for under-eye serums. This new eye illuminator will definitely brighten your eye area instantly. I love the way it does that.

Estée Lauder reports that in two weeks of testing, 90% of their test participants saw a reduction in the look of dark circles and puffiness. I have no way to evaluate whether this claim could possibly be true because the ingredients are not listed on the box or on the tube itself - most unusual.

I do like the way it illuminates the under-eye area. It leaves a subtle radiance - definitely illuminating and brightening, without being shimmery or glaring. I don't appreciate the applicator. While it's an OK way to dispense the product onto your skin, I have to manipulate my under-eye area too much to blend it with the applicator. So, I apply a dab to my palm with the applicator and then blend it under my eyes with a brush, or I pat the product into my skin with my finger. So to me, the applicator is a gimmick.

Cooling Eye Illuminator is available in two shades: Light/Medium and Medium/Deep. Naturally, I bought Light/Medium. I took a swatch photo for you in full sun. Yes, there's a lot of shimmer on my arm, but that's reflected sunlight. The illuminator is nowhere near a shimmer bomb when blended. I applied the illuminator with the applicator, but then lightly evened it out for the swatch at the top of my arm. I used the excess from that exercise to show you the blended shade below.

It's white-ish on my skin without being ghoulish. The color on my skin does not have a pink cast. If anything, it's ivory, with an ever-so-subtle yellow-cream cast. Once blended, it's enormously brightening - and very flattering. You can apply it under or over your foundation.

Want to try it? It's available at Estée Lauder counters now and at Estée Lauder's Web site.

Photo at top courtesy of Estée Lauder; swatch photo by Best Things in Beauty

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MAKE UP FOR EVER Uplight Face Luminizer Gel

MAKE UP FOR EVER's new Uplight Face Luminizer Gel ($29) was designed to give you the sculpted glow of celebrities. Their complexions always looks fresh and glowing on screen, on catwalks, and on the red carpet. Just take a look at Jennifer Lopez on American Idol. Her skin shines - in a gorgeous way!

How do the stars do it? With illuminators! Uplight enhances the points of light of the face (or body) for a natural, glamorous finish.

Uplight is a silky gel that lights up the face, making your skin appear healthy, fresh, and radiant. It contains reflecting pigments that capture and diffuse light. With its extremely fluid, smooth texture, it is easy to apply - on its own or mixed with foundation - with your fingers or a brush. The texture reminds me of Giorgio Armani Beauty's Fluid Sheer, a product I adore.

What's in this illuminating gel? It's oil-free; there's a lot of water (70%); it contains mango butter to hydrate; and it's enriched with pearls to capture and reflect light. Formulated for the face and body, this product adds a healthy glow to your skin that will last all day.

Uplight is available in eight shades and three effects: silky, pearly, and sparkling. All you need to do is to apply a hint of illuminator in very light touches on the high points of your face - cheekbones, brow bone, temples - and blend. You will glow.

I ordered two shades - sight unseen - from Sephora. I chose one that appeared to be a pink shade (#22, described at Sephora as a pearly pink flesh) and one that appeared more golden (#12, described at Sephora as dewy golden beige). I wanted to try one dewy and one pearly. When they arrived, I was thrilled. They were so much prettier in person than their little color swatches online. Now, of course, I want more of them. I am such a hoarder.

Here is my swatch photo, taken outdoors in late-afternoon sunlight, of my two shades. I applied both with my fingertips and didn't blend them into my skin. I wanted you to be able to see the nuances of the colors. The one shown at the top is #12, and #22 is shown below. The pearly finish of #22 is definitely shinier than the dewy finish of #12. When I re-order, I know I should stick with the dewy finishes, but there are only two dewy shades. I know I will order #11, even though Sephora's online swatch looks goulish. It's probably gorgeous. I would also like to try #23, described as pearly golden flesh. I think the #22 pearly pink is exquisite, and I would like to try another pearly shade. Should I act my age instead? Why start now?

There are good online swatches at the MAKE UP FOR EVER site. Click on one of the little squares, and a larger, better swatch will pop up. I found them after I had received my Uplights from Sephora.

These lovely luminizers are definitely worth checking out. You can order them at Sephora.

Photos at top courtesy of MAKE UP FOR EVER and Sephora

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Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum Giveaway Contest

Congratulations to DRTVrMoi! She won the Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum.

Tarte's Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum is a natural skin brightener infused with Amazonian clay, vitamins, and tea extract to moisturize and replenish the skin as it adds a hint of glimmer. No matter your skin concern, Amazonian clay neutralizes your skin so you are left with a radiant complexion. I have no idea how it does that, but my dry skin is happy with it.

Oily skin? Amazonian clay minimizes oil in and around pores to balance skin and keep products in place. Dry skin? This nourishing clay hydrates skin naturally to restore moisture. Combination skin? Amazonian clay will intuitively identify your skin concerns and deliver benefits to restore harmony. The result is makeup that wears better, longer, and truer!

When I featured this beauty last week, I mentioned we would have a giveaway. Here it is! How can you enter to win? Just leave a comment here once. After you comment, feel free to send me an e-mail at bestthingsinbeautycontests@gmail.com and identify your comment. You can never be too careful about sharing an e-mail address you care about on a blog, so feel free to follow this step (an alternative is to code your e-mail, e.g., myname at gmail dot com, in your comment).

You can "earn" a second entry by tweeting this contest. Just make sure to include "@BTiBeauty" (without the quotes) in your tweet. I will tweet the contest this evening, and you can simply retweet it to earn that second entry. You can earn a third entry by following the blog - either here or on Twitter (any entrant who is already a follower will automatically earn the follower point, but you can save me time by telling me you're a follower in your comment). I can't track followers through a third-party service, so you need to be on Google's list for me to verify the entry.

The deadline for entries will be Saturday, March 19, at midnight. The next morning, I will use a random number generator (random.org) to select the winner. Everyone has an equal chance! I will e-mail the winner at that time. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to my message and provide a shipping address. After 48 hours, the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected. Make sure to check your e-mail - and look in your spam folder - when the contest ends.

This contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Good luck!

Photo courtesy of Tarte

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Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum

The moment I saw Tarte's Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum ($32), I purchased one. Then my friends at Tarte sent me one. It was an exciting time.

This natural skin brightener is infused with Amazonian clay, vitamins, and tea extract to moisturize and replenish the skin as it adds a hint of glimmer. Who wouldn't find that exciting?

No matter your skin concern, Amazonian clay neutralizes your skin so you are left with a radiant complexion. I have no idea how it does that, but my dry skin is happy with it. Oily skin? Amazonian clay minimizes oil in and around pores to balance skin and keep products in place. Dry skin? This nourishing clay hydrates skin naturally to restore moisture. Combination skin? Amazonian clay will intuitively identify your skin concerns and deliver benefits to restore harmony. The result is makeup that wears better, longer, and truer!

Tarte says, reach "skin enlightenment" by applying a pearl-sized amount alone or mixing the illuminator with your foundation. This natural skin brightener is infused with Amazonian clay, vitamins, and tea extract to moisturize and replenish skin as it adds a hint of glimmer - and tint for me. What else would you expect from Tarte, home of skinvigorating ingredients?

The ingredient list of good stuff for your skin is too long to recite here. It includes sugar cane extract to help improve the skin's texture; apple, lemon, and orange extracts, a trifecta of natural fruit antioxidants that nourish the skin; camellia oleifera leaf to add healing benefits; ginseng root with stress-relieving and antioxidant properties; ginkgo biloba to reduce inflammation; and vitamins A, C, and E. By now, you know Tarte doesn't use the nasty stuff or test on animals. It's a cruelty-free company.

This was a hard product to swatch for you. I applied it basically unblended at the top of my arm. You can see that it's skin-toned, but darker than my lily-white skin. I blended it out, but not totally, to show you a blended swatch below. My photo was taken in the waning sunlight of afternoon. You'll see from this photo why I said above that it was a tinted illuminator for me. It carries enough tint to give me some golden color while it's adding a gleam to my skin.

It's actually a perfect summer highlighter for me. I can use it in the same way I would use NARS Super Orgasm Illuminator. For that reason, I'm excited by it. I love color options!

You can find Tarte's Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum at Tarte's Web site, Sephora, Ulta, Beauty.com, Henri Bendel, QVC, and boutiques nationwide. If you want a fabulous summer illuminator for fair skin or a year-round one for most other skin tones, you will love it.

Since I have two Smooth Operator Illuminators, one is destined for a giveaway contest in the near future. I don't think I can use up both - particularly given the number of highlighters I own, love, and use. One of you will be able to love it too - gratis!

Photo at top courtesy of Tarte

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