1) Sephora Collection Pro Foundation Airbrush #56 and Pro Concealer Airbrush #57: I’ve been using these Sephora Pro Collection brushes which are supposedly designed to create “a flawless airbrushed finish.” The bristles are made of synthetic, three-tone Taklon fibers and are densely packed. I originally purchased these as part of a set that had gotten great reviews, but these are the real standouts for me. I’ve used the foundation brush with both MUFE Mat Velvet liquid foundation (no. 65 golden beige) and Edward Bess Sheer Satin cream foundation (natural) and been pleasantly surprised at how smooth and even my foundation has looked. I don’t usually use concealer but I find the concealer brush is excellent for subtle highlighting to blend in YSL’s Touche Eclat (luminous honey).

2) Burberry Beauty Light Glow Natural Blush in No. 5 Blossom: I’ve always thought Burberry Beauty packaging was stunning but after seeing The Beauty Look Book’s swatches of Burberry blushes I finally caved and purchased Blossom. It’s the perfect coral-pink for my (medium/tan skin with yellow/olive undertones) skin plus its finely milled and easy to layer. Like the name says, it makes my skin glow with a very slight light-reflecting shimmer – coming from someone who hates overly shimmery blushes – it is a definite contender for one of my favorite blushes ever.

3) Edward Bess Sheer Satin Cream Compact Foundation in Natural: This. Is. Amazing. According to Bergdorfs – it’s “So lightweight, so sheer. Unique cream-to-powder texture enhances the complexion with a radiant, long-lasting satin finish.” I’d say it provides light to medium coverage but is very buildable and gives me that ideal “my skin but better” glow. Unfortunately the current color selection is a bit limited – I’m usually not the very darkest shade of foundations but my best match by far is No. 05 Natural which will probably be too light in the summer. I’m crossing my fingers there might be a wider range of shades by then because I’m completely hooked!

4) Chanel Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in Eclosion 34: As you may know, I love Chanel’s eye shadow quads and this new quad for Spring is no exception. The three lighter colors (a peachy-pink, light gold, medium golden taupe) are gorgeous when used across the lid, layered and as highlights while the plum color actually appears more brown on me (in a good way). All of the colors have a decent shimmer but as with most of Chanel’s eye shadows it’s a very refined shimmer – and unlike my blush, I do prefer a little shimmer in my eye shadow.

5) d.j.v beautenizer Fiberwig LX: In my never ending quest to find a magical mascara that transforms my eyelashes into something amazing, I purchased this mascara after a makeup artist described it as the best fiber mascara. It’s not bad, but not anything special. While I like the glossy formula and it does add considerable length to my lashes, it doesn’t do much in the way of volumizing and I feel like it takes too many coats to get the length I want. I think my trusty L’Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lash is a much better pick, especially for the price!

6) Oribe Moisture Control Shampoo and Conditioner: For the price, I really wanted to love these. For reference I have really thick, relatively dry, long, never been color-treated hair and need moisturizing products that tame my wavy texture prone to frizz. I’ve never been satisfied with drugstore shampoos and have tried everything from Bumble & Bumble to Kerastase to Frederick Fekkai to Aveda’s Brilliant line to various Keratin treatments and have yet to find something that smooths and moisturizes enough to let me get away with not heat-styling (or putting up with a dry, frizzy mess). Oribe is one of the pricest options I’ve tried and unfortunately it’s just meh. The packaging is really pretty, but the conditioner bottle has an annoying shape and I found it difficult to get the product out after just a few days. Overall I wouldn’t purchase it again… and I’m still looking for a holy grail shampoo/conditioner so let me know if you have any suggestions!

7) Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Pink Mosaic (also Golden Mosaic): I fell in love with Laura Mercier’s limited edition Rose Rendezvous Illuminator a few months ago and ended up getting a couple of the full size Shimmer Blocs for Christmas. Too bad the formula doesn’t seem anything like Rose Rendezvous – its much more of a frosted highlighter and the colors settle on my skin in an unflattering way. The pigment is substantial and some of the colors definitely work better as a blush/bronzer than a highlighter, but similar to Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer Bricks, they’re just too shiny for my taste.

Any beauty products you’re loving/hating right now?