If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ll know that I have an ongoing love affair with Tarte Cosmetics, especially their spectacular cheekstain, which incidentally my sister-in-law just purchased. After sending the Tartelets a gushing fan email recently, they responded by generously sending over some samples for me to review for the blog.

So far, I am finding myself taking a real shine to their Mineral Powder Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess. It gives me just the perfect amount of healthy sunkissed glow without looking like I tripped and fell into some kid’s sandbox. I wrote briefly about it this past week, but I did want to show everyone the beautiful packaging:

And it’s just that sort of practicality that speaks loudly to me as a consumer and tells me that this is a company in touch with the needs of the modern woman. If you’re anything like me, you know what it’s like to juggle a million different things at once. I need makeup that fits practically into my busy lifestyle without forcing me to sacrifice style. And being that I’m not a makeup artist, nor do I have the skills of one, I need a line like Tarte that’s effortless and goofproof.

What makeup product/line do you depend on to help you look good AND make your life a little easier? Share your recommendations with us in the comments!

Have I been walking around with my underwear on my head? I have, haven’t I?

I just watched Elke’s video on how to apply bronzer, and I think my jaw must have hung slack half the time. So this is how you do it?? No wonder I looked terrible in bronzer before! Please do yourself a favor and watch the video, along with her other makeup tutorials. There is already enough ugliness in the world without us contributing to the pot. And by the way, Elke knows what she’s talking about because she’s a makeup artist, and to the stars no less!

So what I was doing wrong was putting the bronzer smack on my forehead and smack on my cheeks. You’re supposed to put the bronzer only at the top of your forehead near the hairline, and on the sides of your face, sort of by the ears. Then of course, you should brush some on the top of your nose and the bottom of your chin.

So here I am after Elke’s tutorial and Tarte Mineral Powder Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess applied with Tarte’s Glam on the Go kabuki brush. I also have on Tarte Cheekstain in Flush. I’m not sure the bronzed effect quite comes across in this picture, but I am definitely feeling sunkissed right now.

(Unfortunately, I’ve been having problems figuring out how to embed Elke’s YouTube tutorial in my blog, so you’ll just have to watch it directly on her site.)

Here’s me at my friend Anna’s housewarming party a month ago. I’m wearing a dress that I purchased for $49 at Tibet Boutique in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

I was drawn to it for its gorgeous, vibrant colors, but it took me a while before I actually had the nerve to wear it. It’s empire waisted, and the skirt flows out big and makes me look pregnant. You can’t tell in the picture, but trust me, it does.

It’s the kind of dress that can smell fear from a mile away, and will only work if you wear it like you mean it. It’s just a step out of my fashion comfort zone, but I’m proud I bought it and I rocked it.

As for my makeup, that morning I’d gone to the Clinique counter to try on some bronzer after seeing several lovely starlets pull off the look in magazines. Let me tell you I hated it on myself. It looked like someone had mashed my face into the sand at the beach. That’s when I realized I like being pale and who ever gave Nicole Kidman a hard time about it anyway?

Last night, I slept from 10:30pm to 8:30am. Sounds refreshing, doesn’t it, except that I woke up every two hours along with Andy as he went to the bathroom and did his doctor-instructed breathing exercises to stave off infection and fever. As a result, I’ve been dragging myself around all day today. Instead of eyeballs, I feel like someone has inserted water balloons into my sockets and is trying to fill them beyond capacity. It suddenly dawned on me: “so this is what it must feel like to be a new parent.” Joy.

Needless to say, makeup and personal self-maintenance has fallen to the wayside. However, in an attempt to maintain some semblance of dignity today, I pulled out my Bobbi Brown Blemish Cover Stick in Warm Sand for an instant perk-me-up. Beauty starts with clear skin, which is why concealer is my desert-island beauty product. This one in particular is like an eraser for your face - one dab and redness and blemishes are gone, without that cakey concealer look. I purchased my tube about a year ago for my wedding, and since then, we’ve been ’til death do us part.