Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush

In honor of Earth Day (April 22nd), Spoiled Pretty is celebrating its 3^rd annual Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman Week - a week-long celebration of natural and organic beauty products that will help you green your beauty routine.

First up is a makeup bag must-have. You know how you apply your blush in the morning and by lunchtime, it’s disappeared and you look like a CSI cadaver? Well, I’ve found a blush that’s in it for the long haul.  

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush is a new long-wearing, solar-baked blush that lasts up to 12 hours. No kidding. This cheek color lasts until you take it off. 

Infused with natural clay harvested from the banks of the Amazon River and naturally baked by the sun, this nutrient-rich blush benefits all skin types. For oily skin types, Amazonian clay minimizes oil in and around pores to balance skin and keep product in place. And gals with dry skin will benefit from the clay's nourishing and hydrating properties, which naturally restore skin's moisture. Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush is also infused with Vitamins A, C and E – which fight free radical damage, prevent premature signs of aging, while brighten the skin.

Whether you're feeling peachy keen or in the mood for a rosy glow, Tarte has you covered. Available in eight shades, the blushes are buildable and deliver a natural-looking, ultra-flattering flush. For best results, apply with my favorite blush brush from EcoTools, which is also a friend of Mother Earth.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush retails for $25 and is a Sephora exclusive.

*Samples were provided by the brand for review.

Blush Blast From The Past: Benefit CORALista

You know what’s almost as fun as a new beauty product? It’s when you re-discover an oldie but goodie that you forgot that you had.

For the past several weeks, NARS Blush in Torrid has been step 2 of my three step/minute makeup routine (step/minute 1 being Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara and step/minute 3 being either Lancome Juicy Tubes 100% Natural Origin in Rose Pretty, Avon Glazewear Lip Gloss in Rave or Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss Stick in Nude Almond topped with Make Up Forever Fascinating Lip Gloss in #10). But this morning, I decided to switch it up and go fishing in my bottomless basket o' blushes. What I came up with was Benefit CORALista Blush – and after sweeping it on my cheeks and admiring myself in the mirror, I can't believe I ever let CORALista slip my mind.

It imparts the most gorgeous, coral-pink glow that looks ab fab on a multitude of complexions. What I love most about CORALista is how effortless it looks; it applies like a dream and the blush actually looks like it's coming from within. Another reason to put CORALista on your shopping list? Coral happens to be the it blush shade right now (ladies, if don't know…you betta ask somebody ).

Oh, and did I mention that the blush – besides looking fantastic – smells fantastic too? It has this light floral scent that, while completely unnecessary, is totally genius. CORALista comes with an applicator brush, but for best results, I like to apply with my ecoTools blush brush.

ecoTools EcoPouf Giveaway Winners

Congrats to MaryBeth and Selina314, winners of the ecoTools EcoPouf Giveaway.

They will receive the world’s first 100% recycled plastic bath sponge! The EcoPouf sets the standard for bathing, showing beauty buffs everywhere that getting squeaky clean and supporting sustainability can go hand-in-hand.

ecoTools products are sold at Target stores.

ecoTools EcoPouf Giveaway!

Go green while you get all spring clean with ecoTOOLS EcoPouf!

A little lather goes a long way as the pioneers at ecoTOOLS introduce yet another eco-innovation with the world’s first 100% recycled plastic bath sponge! The first of its kind, the EcoPouf sets the standard for bathing, showing beauty buffs everywhere that getting squeaky clean and supporting sustainability can go hand-in-hand.

The EcoPouf is available at Target stores, but you can win one for free. ecoTOOLS is helping two Spoiled Pretty readers go green without spending any greenbacks!

To enter the giveaway, leave a message in the comments section; make sure to leave your email or another way for me to get in touch, just in case you get lucky. Contest is open to U.S. residents only. The giveaway ends at noon (EST) on Friday, April 30, 2010. Good luck!

And don't forget to enter Spoiled Pretty's other Earth Day-inspired beauty giveaways!

Halloween Face of the Day

Even though I don't have fun plans this Halloween (aside from cheering on my Phillies in Game 3 of the World Series), I decided to have a little fun with my makeup. Here's the recipe:

1) Apply Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation Primer to moisturized face
2) Apply Make Up For Ever HD Foundation using the Beautyblender sponge
3) Using short strokes, use Diorshow Brow Styler to fill in brows
4) Apply Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (Original) to entire lid and to under lower lash line
5) Using MAC 242 Shader Brush, apply a nude, matte eyeshadow (one that matches your eyelid) to lid - from lash line to brow bone; I used MAC Soft Brown
6) Line the top inner rim of the eye with Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero
7) Using Zero Eye Pencil, line the upper lash line - curving the line at the outer corner - to create a "cat eye"
8) Using Stila #7 Precision Crease Brush, apply the darker shade from MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow Duo in Midnight Madness to the crease and outer corner of the eye
9) Blend the eyelid using MAC 217 Blending Brush
10) Using MAC 266 Small Angle Brush, line the lower lash line with MAC Paint Pot in Delft
11) Apply MAC Pigment in Teal on top of the Paint Pot line, using MAC 219 Pencil Brush
12) Blend the lower lash line using MAC 217 Blending Brush
13) Coat upper lashes with Lancome Hypnôse Drama Mascara in Excessive Black

14) Apply MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Cheeky Bronze to cheekbones using EcoTools Bamboo Powder Brush
15) Apply Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss Stick in Nude Almond to lips
16) Apply MAC Dazzleglass in Phiff! on top of lipstick

Happy Halloween! Go Phillies!

PS - Just in case you were wondering...yes, I'm wearing the H&M beret I raved about the other day.

PPS - If you have a pic of your Halloween makeup, I'd love to see it and , possibly, post it. Email me.

ecoTOOLS New Bath & Body Collection

ecoTOOLS brushes are among my top prized beauty possessions, so I was absolutely thrilled to learn about their brand-new line of environmentally-friendly bath & body care products. The collection is 98% from nature, paraben-free, phthalate-free, dermatologist-tested and cruelty free. There’s never been a better reason to outfit your skin in the perfect fall color – green!

The collection features:

Clean Skin, Cleaner World Body Wash ($7.99) is made with 98% natural ingredients; this uplifting botanical and biodegradable cleanser gently removes impurities without over-drying skin.

Sustainable Softness Body Lotion ($7.99) features nourishing shea butter to instantly hydrate and sustain softness.

Replenish Your Natural Resources Body Butter ($7.99) is rich with mango butter to moisturize even the driest skin.

Featuring jojoba oil and notes of cardamom and ginger in its fragrance, One Hand Helps the Other Hand Cream ($7.99) hydrates and replenishes dry, cracked skin.

Love Heels All Intensive Heel Cream ($7.99) contains repairing natural butters to help soften dry feet and heels.

Surround yourself with the fresh floral scent of Blooming Planet Body Mist ($7.99). Its bright botanical tones will leave you smelling good and feeling great – after all, you did just do your part to preserve our environment!

The ecoTOOLS bath & body care collection can be found at Walgreens stores nationwide. Visit eco-tools.com for a full list of retailers and products.

Yesterday's Face Of The Day

I've received a few reader emails and comments asking what makeup I was wearing yesterday, when I taped my latest product review video. Here's the 411...

Face
* Make Up For Ever’s HD Invisible Cover Foundation in 173 (mixed with a dollop of MAC Strobe Liquid and applied with the beautyblender sponge)

* Hello Kitty Beauty Powder Blush in Tippy applied with EcoTools Blush Brush

Eyes

* Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Stash (inner rims of the eye) and Anastasia Beverly Hills Shimmer Highlighter in Lace (inner corners of the eyes)
* Givenchy Prismissime - 21 Maharani Pinks applied to the eyelid (from upper lash line to above the crease), MAC Eye Shadow in Sumptuous Olive (from upper lash line to crease)
* Diorshow Iconic Mascara in Noir

Lips
* MAC Lip Pencil in Hodgepodge, topped with MAC Lustreglass in Spring Bean

Spoiled Pretty Speaks The Truth About L'Oreal HiP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner

Running low on your Stila Smudge Pot or Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner? In our current crap economy, budget-minded beauty junkies might want to try L’Oreal HiP High Intensity Pigments Color Truth Cream Eyeliner. These longwearing liners, available in five shades, deliver rich color with a creamy, soft formula. I am a big fan of Midnight Blue, which imparts an intense (yet wearable) sapphire to the lash line.

Just don’t apply the liner with the "professional brush" that accompanies these paint pots. The applicator is, dare I say, cheap. It doesn’t apply the product precisely – and I would liken it to those shoddy brushes we used to paint watercolor masterpieces in the kindergarten. Worst of all, the harsh bristles have a tendency to scratch the sensitive skin of the eyelid…ouch!

Bottom line: Buy HiP High Intensity Pigments Color Truth Cream Eyeliner but toss the brush. For a few extra bucks, invest in EcoTools Bamboo Angled Eyeliner Brush – this high-quality tool comes at a low price, is made of natural and recycled materials, and comes in a reusable cosmetic pouch.

These Eco-Friendly Brushes Are Wallet Friendly Too!

You know I tell it like it is. I’ll let you know when it’s worthwhile to blow your dough. But I’ll also tell you when I find an amazing bargain buy – like ecoTOOLS cosmetic brushes.

These brushes feature bamboo handles (bamboo has a low impact on the earth’s resources), synthetic bristles, and metallic ferrule made from recycled aluminum cans. The cosmetic brushes are housed in reusable/biodegradable pouches, printed with plant-based ink, and each item has a “green” tip on the back of the package…so everyone who purchases a piece of the collection discovers another small step that can create a greener lifestyle. Plus 1% of all annual sales provides financial support to environmental initiatives.

The standouts of the collection are the larger brushes. I’ve been using the Powder Brush almost every day since I got it. It’s unbelievably soft, applies my powder like a dream, and it’s only $7.99!

Individual ecoTOOLs brushes cost between $2.99 and $7.99. But for just $10.99, you can own the 5 Piece Brush Set – housed in a 100% linen and hemp cosmetic case.

ecoTOOLs products (they also offer bath and body items) are available at Walgreens, Kmart, and Ulta.