On Wednesdays We Wear Pink: Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Eye Shadow Collection

This palette smells like chocolate. Let me repeat that. THIS PALETTE SMELLS LIKE CHOCOLATE. From the first moment I gazed upon the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Eye Shadow Collection, I was already in love ... but discovering that IT SMELLS LIKE CHOCOLATE? How could I resist? (Um, I couldn't.)

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Holiday Gift Guide: Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV

If ever there were a makeup palette that could do everything, the Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV would be it. Seriously, this gorgeous box -- yes, box -- packs the most unbelievable makeup whollop I may have ever seen.

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Obsession of the Moment: Stila Jewel Eye Shadow Palette

If you're into eyeshadow and you're into palettes, you simply must -- and I mean must -- check out my latest video post! My latest obsession of the moment is the Stila Jewel Eye Shadow Palette. Check out my thoughts in the video below!



This palette includes the following four shades:

Golden Topax (shimmery taupe)
Amethyst (dark glittery purple)
Black Diamond (glistening black)
Rose Quartz (sparkly pale pink)

The Stila Jewel Eye Shadow Palette retails for $32.

Disclosure: This product was furnished by a PR representative for Stila.

Dying for Dior Makeup Palettes

In a fit of cleaning frenzy this week, I came across three Dior makeup palettes that had somehow gotten buried underneath mountains of hair products, shower gels and lipglosses. I felt immediately remiss in not bringing you information on these three palettes sooner, as each one is unbelievably gorgeous. Check them out!

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Holiday Gift Guide: Makeup Palettes

Throughout the month of December, The Beauty of Life will be featuring a Holiday Gift Guide. Each gift is one I'd like to give AND get this season.

As the holidays near, you might be freaking out about what to give. If you're not quite sure how to please the person on your list, why not go for a makeup palette? The variety of colors, textures and products within each of the palettes featured below are guaranteed to put a smile on your recipients' faces this holiday season.

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Totally Tripping: M.A.C Trip 4 Classic Eye & Cheek Palette

I'm a sucker for a great makeup palette. If it looks sleek and pretty, that's great. If the colors inside actually look wearable, even better. And such is the case with the M.A.C Trip 4 Classic Eye and Cheek Palette. Part of M.A.C's Trip II collection, available from April-August at airport duty free shops, this palette contains four gorgeous shades for cheeks and eyes.

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Fall in Love with the NARS Modern Love Palette

What this beauty chick is totally jonesing for this spring? The NARS Modern Love Palette. The signature black compact opens to reveal not only an oversized mirror -- perfect for applying makeup on the subway or in the back of a cab! -- but an array of utterly gorgeous shades that look unbelievably perfect on a variety of skin tones.

Each shade in this palette was chosen for its ability to complement the others, so you really can mix and match to create tons of beautifully wearable looks that are perfect day to night. The shades included are:

Alhambra (top left): Metallic Rose Mist
Jezebel (top middle): Shimmering Sable
India Song (top right): Shimmering Walnut
Tokyo (bottom left): Soft Silver-White
Habanera (bottom middle): Sparkling Charcoal-Plum
Pandora (bottom right): Matte Black

The NARS Modern Love Palette retails for $50 and will be available in May.

So what do you think? Will you be snapping up this beauty? I know I will!

Beauty Giveaway: Bobbi Brown Bobbi Brights Eye Palette

Remember my rave review of the Bobbi Brown Bobbi Brights Eye Palette? (If not, don't worry -- you can click here for a recap.) In a nutshell, this palette contains 35 gorgeous eyeshadows in all the colors of the rainbow ... and even some others! And one lucky winner will receive this palette ABSOLUTELY FREE by entering this giveaway. You don't want to miss out -- not only is the Brights Eye Palette a limited-edition item, but it retails for a whopping $70!

Entering is easy. Simply enter your name and email address in the box below. The winner will be selected on Friday, March 27 and notified by email. It's that simple!



This giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway runs until Thursday, March 26 at midnight. One entry per person, email address and IP address. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

Too Faced So Smurfy Illumination Face Powder: The Cutest Product I HAVE to Have!

When my brother and I were growing up, we went to Kings Island -- a little amusement park in Cincinnati -- every summer. And the ride we went on again and again, sometimes up to 20 times in one visit, was Smurf Village. No matter how many times we got into the little boats and went through the village, seeing Gargamel and Papa Smurf and all the rest, we just couldn't get enough.

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Confessions of a Beauty Addict ... the Too Faced Palette, That Is!

Are you excited for the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic? I am ... I think Isla Fisher will be perfect in the role, and I'm hoping they make the story and characters a bit less annoying than they are in the book. Plus, Hugh Dancy is just delectable. (And yes, I was a bit sad when I heard the news that he and Claire Danes got engaged.) But you know what I'm totally excited about? The Too Faced Beauty Addict palette, a limited-edition makeup palette that's based on the movie!

This slim pink palette is decorated with silhouettes of glamorous girls and opens to reveal some of the prettiest makeup I've seen in quite some time. It has a whopping 15 products for the entire face, including two brushes, that are guaranteed to turn you into the biggest beauty addict around -- as if you weren't already! The palette includes:

2 concealers
face powder
3 eyeshadows
eye liner powder
eye brow powder
duo bronzer powder
blush powder
3 lipglosses
2 miniature dual-ended brushes

My favorite items are definitely the eyeshadows. Included are a glittery ecru, shimmery rose and sparkly bronze. All Too Faced eyeshadows are amazingly pigmented, and these are no exception!

In addition, the interior cover of the palette includes a Daily Task List for a Glam Girl, which is just super cute. It has rules like:

Take Fifi to the dog groomer.
Drop off little black dress to cleaners.
Lunch on 5th with the girls.
Saunter by jewelry store to dream.
Be ready by 8pm for date with billionaire.

So adorable, right? It's pretty clear that every beauty addict simply needs to get this palette immediately. Especially since it's so slim, it fits in even the tiniest clutch!

The limited-edition Too Faced Beauty Addict palette is available for $29.50 at toofaced.com.

Hey, Bright Eyes! Check Out the Bobbi Brown Brights Eye Palette!

I heart makeup palettes. I really and truly do. There’s something so fun and exciting about opening one up and having choices. Red or purple? Green or blue? Pink or grey? And the list goes on and on. So when the new Bobbi Brown Brights Eye Palette came my way, I quite literally jumped for joy. (Seriously, I jumped up and down like a little schoolgirl.)

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Beauty Giveaway: Sephora Ultimate Blockbuster Palette

So, remember when I told you all about the fabulous Sephora Ultimate Blockbuster Palette? (Don't worry, you can check out the full deets here.) Well, I've decided to make one lucky beauty chick's dreams come true -- because I am giving the palette away! This palette has a $48 value and comes with the following:

71 eyeshadows
13 cream eyeshadows
5 blushes
1 compact powder
60 lipglosses
1 lip liner
1 eyeliner
4 brushes
3 sponge-tipped applicators

Best of all, it's limited-edition and completely out of stock on Sephora's website, so this is your last chance to find this amazing palette without spending a bundle on Ebay!

Entering is easy. Simply enter your name and email address in the box below. The winner will be selected on Saturday, January 10 and notified by email. It's that simple!



This giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway runs until Friday, January 9 at midnight. One entry per person, email address and IP address. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

Make it a Blockbuster Night with the Sephora Ultimate Blockbuster Palette!

I'm often impressed by packaging. But to be completely overwhelmed and excited? It doesn't happen all that often. And the product that has totally stolen my heart? The Sephora Limited-Edition Ultimate Blockbuster Palette. Back at the Sephora Holiday Gift Giving Event in July, this palette caught my eye the second I walked into the room. It called out to me, begging to be taken home and made the most special item in my makeup collection.

Actually, palette isn't even the right word to discover this beautiful creature, because it's so much more. "Blockbuster" is quite an accurate descriptor, however. Because we're not just talking about a few eyeshadows and lipsticks here. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ALMOST 200 PRODUCTS PACKED INTO FOUR TIERS. Yes, you read that right. 200 PRODUCTS. And these products come in every shade of the rainbow. From pink to purple, red to orange, green to blue, brown to gray, every color in ROYGBIV (remember that from science class?) is covered here. Check out all that you'll get within this work of art:

71 eyeshadows
13 cream eyeshadows
5 blushes
1 compact powder
60 lipglosses
1 lip liner
1 eyeliner
4 brushes
3 sponge-tipped applicators

So I know what you're thinking. For all this amazingness inside a pretty black lacquered case, you must have to spend a pretty penny, right? Wrong! The entire palette only costs $48 on Sephora's website. Can you believe it? A veritable plethora of makeup options for you and it's so cheap, you could even get two and not break the bank. Your makeup dilemmas will surely be solved.

Lusts of the Week

I am beat this week. I'm not sure whether it's from the craziness of Fashion Week, or the fact that I've basically been running around for the last three weeks straight, or that I'm still getting settled in my new job. But whatever it is, I'm totally jonesing for some relaxation ... not that I'm going to get any, with my high school reunion coming up this weekend! (Where did the last 10 years go?) In any case, I've worked a bit of time into my schedule to come up with a few Lusts of the Week for you!

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Enter Another Dimension: Prescriptives Fall Dimensions Cheeks and Eyes

Do you remember the show Sliders, starring an absolutely adorable Jerry O'Connell? In each, he and his travel companions slid through different dimensions, trying desperately to get back to their own. (And the episode in which they actually were back in their own dimension and left without knowing it? Heart wrenching!)

All thoughts of Sliders aside, the new Fall Dimensions Eyes and Cheeks palette from Prescriptives totally makes my face look like it's entered another dimension ... the dimension of glowing, ethereal beauty!

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Stick It To Ya: Laura Mercier Stickgloss Palette

Ohh, lipgloss. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. With the recent addition of the Laura Mercier Stickgloss Palette to my collection, I'd have to say there are five more!

The palette alone was enough to make me short of breath. It's shiny, it's chocolate brown and it's lacquered, with "Laura Mercier" printed across the top in gleaming metallic silver letters. It was just so inviting upon first glance, I simply had to open it up and see what was inside!

Swatches of each lipgloss on my super pale skin -- and they're still amazingly wearable!

Held within are five absolutely gorgeous shades of gloss in coordinating shades of red and pink, each held within their own tiny pot and just beckoning to be worn...

Patchouli is a beautiful caramel.

Maple is a shiny brick red.

Baked Earth is shimmering coral.

Brown Sugar is a gorgeous taupe-ish apricot.

Peony is sparkle-tinged burgundy.

Each is actually really wearable -- see my swatches above for an idea of how it looks even on my paler-than-pale skin! Even better, the palette is accompanied by a double-ended Chestnut Lip Pencil and Lip Colour Brush, so you can really make sure the color glides on evenly.

Unfortunately, this product is no longer available.

Makeup Palette TKO!: Sugar Cosmetics Round the Clock Eyeshadow Palette in Punch Out

Remember Mike Tyson's Punch Out? It was my brother's favorite Nintendo game when we were growing up. And while I have to say I hated that game, Sugar Cosmetics 'Round the Clock Eyeshadow Palette in Punch Out is a total knockout. While browsing at Sephora yesterday, I came across this palette of colors in bright, eye-popping shades and literally stopped in my tracks, staring slack-jawed at the shades before me in total awe and amazement. I simply had to buy it, take it home and try all the colors immediately. (See the photo at left for swatches.) I was pleasantly surprised to discover that while the colors all look really bright -- most not wearable for the office, I thought -- they go on much sheerer than they appear! My favorite shades are definitely the two greens and the blue -- I am a huge fan of wearing brights when I go out, and I simply can't wait to wear these the next time I'm out on the town! Even more, I'm totally loving the layout of the palette, with each color seamlessly melding from one to the next. It just looks gorgeous! Intrigued? You can pick up your own for $28 on Sephora's website. You're sure to be the last one standing with this in your arsenal!

So In Love: YSL Love Palette

For someone who's totally in love with makeup palettes, this one by YSL truly takes the cake. The gleaming metallic silver case is emblazoned with the YSL logo to make you feel seriously special. But that's not even close to the best part!

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Holiday Gifts: Too Faced Lights, Camera, Glamour!

Lights! Camera! Action! How many years have you been waiting for someone to say that to you on a movie set? Admit it -- we all dream of being famous celebrities hearing those words. But while we starlets wait for our big break, we might as well look the part -- and that's where the Too Faced Lights, Camera, Glamour! palette comes in handy.

Adding to this beauty chick's already overwhelming love affair with makeup palettes is a simply stunning set with so many options for looking gorgeous, it's difficult to know where to begin! The brown box unlatches to reveal a tiny mirror complete with LED lights -- which totally reminds me of my mother's old light-up vanity mirror that I played with as a child.

Pull the black ribbons on either end, however, and this is where the fun really begins. A tri-fold lacquered box opens and voila! Three palettes veritably stocked with goodies. The left holds blush, bronzer and face powder in eight pink, neutral and brown shades that really seem perfect for every skin tone. The right side is home to six lipglosses -- Trust Fund Baby Status Gloss (glimmering taupe), Candy Apple Candy Lips (sparkle-tinged fuchsia), Cocoa Kiss Candy Lips (matte mauve), Pink Taffy Candy Lips (glitter-flecked berry), Private Jet Status Gloss (shimmering plum) and Exclusive Lip Gloss (glistening brick). The real fun comes in the middle, however.

Tons of eyeshadows, bronzer powders, eyeliners and brow powders in browns, pinks, greens and greys lie waiting for you to release the diva within! So whether you've been naughty or nice, you definitely deserve this gorgeous creation -- especially since it's only $40 on Sephora.com. So tell me -- are you ready for your closeup?

Holiday Gifts: Sephora Girls Secret Box

At heart, this beauty chick will always be a twelve-year-old girl longing for the palettes and beauty cases at the drugstore around Christmas. That's why I am absolutely in love with the Sephora Girls line -- it's fun, it's cute and it's designed for girls just starting to wear and appreciate makeup. And this holiday season, I will definitely be asking for the Sephora Girls Secret Box, a two-tiered keepsake box which is positively loaded with absolutely adorable beauty goodies.

The top tier opens to reveal a built-in mirror shaped like a heart, a sparkly mini nail polish, two lollipop lipglosses, multipurpose makeup base and a ponytail holder. As if that weren't enough, the bottom tier contains a comb and brush set on a glittery pink keychain!

And the best news of all? It's only $24 on Sephora.com! The twelve-year-old inside of me is positively bursting with glee.