About a month ago, Benefit Cosmetics held a launch event for their new One Hot Minute, and I was enthralled.

Image: Sephora

I’ve been using it since - but I couldn’t really refer all of you to it because it wasn’t in stores yet! But now it is. You can get it exclusively at Sephora…and you must do so immediately.

One Hot Minute works on all skin tones, and is a fabulous loose, rose-gold finishing powder with a subtle sheer tint - it really does create a glow! (As you can see in these pix in my post from last month.)

Once you start to use it, you’ll probably be like me and keep it in your purse FOREVER. No joke - I have used it every day for the past month. I may need more soon!

So, stock up!

Due to a minor obsession with The Hills, I have a soft spot for Laguna Beach (the origin of the now-mega-star Lauren Conrad), and so, NARS’ new Orgasm/Laguna Beach Duo instantly got a second look. (Cause, well, everyone loves orgasms too.)

It’s actually more than a duo, because aside from containing a best-selling blush/bronzer set, it also contains Orgasm nail polish - meaning that your face and nails can match.

Note, it’s not NORMALLY necessary for your cheeks/nails to be the same color. (Especially if you are embracing the eggplant trend!) But when both are this fun sun-kissed glow, then I am all for it. Plus, it’s NARS…you know it’s going to be good!

Image: Sephora

As it starts to FINALLY get nice out, a fabulous bronzer actually becomes more imperative for us pale blondies - how else can we fake a sun-kissed look?

Prescriptives has a new mineral bronzer that, as the name implies, is full of vitamins and minerals - creating a glow that truly is natural.

It has something inside known as R.E.C. complex (Radiance Emitting Crystals—a unique combination of amethyst, rose quartz and calcite) that is good for you - but also helps to create that sun-kissed glow.

I’m using it now - and I’m really impressed!

Image: Nordstrom

I am a big fan of the cosmetic palette.

Partly due to commitment issues, but also related to wanting to have options and less to carry when traveling, a lot of options can lead to much more creative beauty choices. And, so, I love ck Calvin Klein Infinite Lustre Shimmering Blush Palette.

This palette is great no matter what your coloring or traditonal favorites - it’s loaded with warm shades of gold, rose, and pink - which work perfectly for that coveted “sun-kissed but sunless” look.

Image: Sephora

Now, I know that a bronzer being GOOD is the most important aspect of a shopping decision - but lets take a moment to observe the cuteness of the new Mini Pink Leopard Bronzer from Too Faced Cosmetics.

We know it’s a good product because it’s a smaller version of the tried-and-true classic bronzer we already love by them - but it being little makes it perfect to slip in our tiniest of clutches!

This is sort of one of those “all in ones”, it has a bit of golden bronze, some pink, and a natural shade that will help to highlight those cheeks - really helping with maintaining a sun-kissed look, whether you’ve been anywhere near the sun at all!

Image: Too Faced

Guest post from Kori Ellis of Shoe Blitz, Glamour Gift Guide, Just A Formality and The Fantasy Kickoff at b5media.

Have fun in the sun this summer and still look good by following these simples summer beauty tips.

Lighten up on the makeup.
You don’t need to wear as much makeup in the summertime as you do in the cooler weather. Put aside your foundation and instead reach for a tinted moisturizer or bronzer instead. One of my favorite tinted moisturizers is from Laura Mercier. It’s lightweight and contains SPF 20 for sun and anti-aging protection.

Cool down your cosmetics.
Store your lipstick, eye pencils and even your body splash in the refrigerator in the summer. There’s nothing worse than trying to apply a melted lipstick. You can keep your lip color in tip-top shape by storing it in the refrigerator. Also, keep your eye pencils from smudging and help the color last longer by putting them in the fridge too.

Waterproof it!
Of course, everyone knows you should use waterproof mascara if you are heading to the beach or pool. But many other cosmetics come in waterproof or sweatproof formulas, including foundation, moisturizer, blush and more.

Prep your skin.
To help your makeup last longer in the summer heat and humidity, you need to prep your skin. Use a light, oil-free moisturize and allow it dry completely before adding any powder or foundation. Use an eye shadow primer, such as bareVitamins Prime Time Eyelid Primer from Bare Escentuals. It will extend the wear of your eyeshadow and help avoid creasing. Don’t use cream eye shadow or cheek color in the summer - creams fade much faster than powder formulas.

Look hot in metallics.
For a summer party, add a little glamour to your makeup by using pearlescent eye shadow in soft metallics. Don’t go for an overly glittery look, but do choose cosmetics with some extra shine to them. Gold and silver shadows look fantastic on glowing summer skin. Use gold shadow if you have a warm skintone with yellow undertones, or opt for silver if your skin has cool, pink based undertones.

Skin protection is essential.
I just want to stress the importance of wearing sunscreen in the summer. Skin cancer is a high price to pay just to look good. Don’t bake your body at the beach, pool or tanning salon. Always wear sunscreen and look for makeup products that contain SPF. If you want to get that summer glow without risking exposure to the sun’s harmful rays, apply a bronzing powder to the places the skin natural hits your face - forward, nose, cheeks and chin. Select a color that is just a shade or two darker than your skin for a more natural look.

Photo credit: istockphoto

I am working hard today editing some of the videos that we did while we were in New York for Fashion Week (yeah, a week or two behind - but its worth the wait, methinks…lol), and watching the video we did with 3 Custom Color Specialists.  It has been quite a long time since I have talked about them, but they have been a real favorite for me for a long time, since I discovered them in a long defunct, and still sorely missed, cosmetics boutique in this tiny little town o mine. 

So while 3CC is on my mind, I wanted to tell you about a couple of essentials from their product line that never leave my side, and a couple of goodies that are new favorites:

1.  Clarifier Pencils - this is a nude colored soft pencil (available in light or dark) that is absolutely perfect for your waterline and the interior corner of your eye.  This will make your eyes look so much bigger and brighter.  This is really a big trend now, but 3CC has been doing this for a long time, and doing it right.  This can be used as a spot concealer, and and under brow highlighter as well.  Get one of these pencils and keep it with you always, you won’t regret it.

2. I really love my concealer palette from 3CC, but I think a wiser choice for the masses (and for me probably), is their concealer trio.  This comes in light-medium, and medium-dark, and this will carry you through the whole year.  One interesting thing about the 3CC line is that their concealer is also their foundation.  It takes a little getting used to when you first use it, as it has a different feel than most other foundations.  You are tempted to use WAY more than you actually need, a little goes a very, very long way.  I own the concealer palette, and my two favorite shades separately, but when I’m ready to re-order, the light-medium trio it is.

3.  I am ordering this very soon, as I sure lusted after it when I was in their NY store a couple of weeks ago.  This is the Perfectly Pink Lip Gloss Palette (they have other amazing palette colors too).  Like I need more lip gloss, I know.  But this has every shade under the sun that you might need if you love pink and have a cool skin tone.  Honestly it is gorgeous.  And $53.50, but I will wear each and every color in this palette until it is gone gone gone.

4.  Cool bronzer - I never knew I could find a bronzer for cool skin.  This was the coolest find from our meeting (no pun intended).  I have never been a big bronzer fan because they are all warm and orangey, but this one is absolutely perfect for me.  I use it for contouring and for quick blush, it is a new favorite, definitely.  It comes in a pressed or loose version, but I love their little round compacts so much, pressed is the only option for me.

If you have never had the opportunity to check out 3 Custom Color Specialists, please take a little while to browse their web site.  As I said before, I fell in love with them at my local boutique, a precursor to Sephora where they had testers for everything and it was a girly wonderland.  One of the things that they do that enchanted me from my first interaction with 3CC is their custom blending.  You can send in a chip of a color that you love, and that you might not be able to find anymore, and they will duplicate it for you.  That is an awesome service!  Their web site is complete, informative and educational (check out their page on Cool vs. Warm), and it was a genuine pleasure to get to meet the charming people behind the brand that I have loved for so long and get to see where they create all of their wonderful goodies.  This 38 minutes of video I am working on now (well, will be working on in another minute) is so full of little tips and tricks.  I am going to be dividing it up into a bunch of parts, as I know 38 minutes is quite a bit too long, but I will try to keep all of Chad’s wonderful advice and knowledge intact.  Stay tuned - hopefully its coming very soon.