Bella Picks

I use a blow-dryer every time I wash my hair, and unfortunately that sets me on the fast track to Split Ends city. So I try to apply a hot oil treatment, a mask or a deep conditioner on my hair at least once a week to help restore moisture and shine.

My absolute favorite hair mask is a light product from Kerastase called Masquintense ($49.99). It leaves my hair looking shiny, bright and never ever weighed down. Because it's so expensive, I also like to alternate this with the beloved Alberto VO5 Hot Oil Treatment ($3.99). I've said before that I'm a big fan of their products and this is definitely a hair care item that I can't live without. Below are more of my favorite hair treatment picks; what are some of your favorites?

• Leonor Greyl Masque Fleurs de Jasmin ($53) smells like a garden full of fresh cut flowers. It has a light texture that makes hair feel soft and smooth, and it doesn't leave behind any slimy, grimy residue.
• Matrix Logics DNA Color Vitalizing Treatment Masque ($24.99) is so rich that all you need is a little bit on the ends for instantaneous results. It has a fresh, light scent that I love.
• Philip Kingsley Elasticizer ($42-$125) is a great way to add moisture to your hair and help beat out some of the frazzled, frizzy ends. It penetrates deeply since it comes with a plastic cap that you use under heat to activate the ingredients. The result is smooth, energized and sun-protected hair — and it contains SPF, too.

A peach blush is a wonderful way to warm up any skin tone. You can wear a pale shade if you have fair skin or a deeper, more coral shade if you have olive or ebony skin. It's a great alternative to pink blush because it's neutral and won't clash with a last-minute change to, say, red lipstick or purple eye shadow. I happen to think that peach blush also looks amazing paired with a teal, blue, or green shadow and/or liner.

My prized peach blush is Lorac Blush for Cheeks in Peach ($18). It's the deepest of the bunch that I've listed below, and the tawny color gives me a healthy-looking and almost bronzed flush.

• Becca Soft Touch Blush in Malika ($32) is neutral, so it's my go-to color when I want that no-makeup makeup look. It is a sparkly, semi-matte formula with light pigment that gives your cheeks an ethereal glow. It blends well and looks best when applied to apples of the cheeks.
• Benefit Georgia ($28) is a heaven in a box. This gentle peach powder blush contains a soft shimmer that gives you the type of glowing-from-the-inside radiance. It warms up the skin and even comes with a cute square brush that fits neatly inside.
• Dior Pro Cheeks Ultra-Radiant Blush in Hip Peach ($30) has a creamy, whipped-mousse consistency. It contains shimmer for a subtle highlighting effect and it blends effortlessly. The color is just right for medium-toned skin, since it's not too dark and not too light.
• Shu Uemura Glow on Blush in Peach (#42) ($21) is a pale peach silky powder blush that contains a touch of sparkle. It acts as both a natural color and a highlighter and looks great when applied to your cheeks, nose, chin, and temples — a must have for any complexion!

The invention of cream eye shadows has had a time-saving impact on my life. Not only are they easy to apply (you don't even need to use a brush), but depending on the color, they can also double as a highlighter. They're a cinch to travel with since they can't spill, and they typically dry to a nice, powdery finish. You used to have to tend to the creases every few hours, but now they've evolved into long-wearing, crease-free, stay-put-all-day formulas that hardly require any maintenance at all! Below are my top choices for cream eye shadows; what are yours?

• Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow ($19) has a light and creamy consistency that dries to a silky texture within 30 seconds. My favorite color is RSVP, a versatile, pale shimmery pinky-champagne that looks great alone for daytime and as a highlighter in the evening.
• Lola Cosmetics SocialEyes Gel Eye Colour ($20) are creamy, waterproof shadows that can be worn as eyeliners too. They have medium pigmentation so they can be layered together or worn alone. My color of choice is a pale green patina called Tahiti.
• Just for Redheads Dream Eye Shadow Flavors (on sale for $18) are some of the best blending cream shadows I've ever used. A little bit goes a long way to create shimmery, and rich velvety soft color. The must-have color to seek out is Souffle, a taupey, purplish-brown that looks amazing on all skin tones.
• Laura Mercier Metallic Crème Eye Colour ($22) is a waterproof, sheer and non-creasing cream shadow. My favorite color of the bunch is Rose Gold, a shimmery pinky brown that looks great alone, or blended with a deep brown or purple in the crease.
• Nars Cream Eye Shadow ($21) has a soft cream-to-powder texture that dries quickly and blends easily. My favorite shade is Swing, a deep dark purple that looks great as a lid and crease shadow or as a liner.

Hot pink lip glosses are a summertime must have. They're flirtier than a classic red and pack more punch than a pastel. Plus, they match all of this season's trendiest neon pink nail polishes. If you're willing to try wearing a bright and daring hot pink pout, below are five of my favorites for you to check out! (I'm a poet and didn't know it.)

• Sephora Brand Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss in Hot Pink ($15) is a semi-sheer, shimmery gloss with a sweet taste that glides on smooth and has a doe-foot applicator.
• Trish McEvoy Beauty Booster Gloss in Brighten Pink ($25) is a sugary, sheer yet bright and smooth gloss that doesn't have an overbearing, synthetic scent.
• Stila It Gloss in Smashing ($18) is a creamy, not too bright punch of pink gloss that goes on more opaque than their famous click glosses, but is more sheer than a lipstick.
• Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss in Pink Popsicle ($19) is a bright pink shade that doesn't contain any shimmer. This gloss creates tons of shine, but the only drawback is the icky sticky factor (just warning you). It was a limited-edition color, but I've found some in stock if you act fast!
• Lancome Color Fever Lip Gloss in Volcanic Pink ($23) is by far the brightest and boldest pink I've ever worn. And although it looks shocking in the tube it goes on quite sheer. I like to pair it with a champagne shadow and black liquid eyeliner.

Nude lip glosses are the end all, be all of makeup because they're so versatile. They can be worn on a bare face, with a dark or metallic smoky eye or with a touch of blush and mascara. They've been one of the top beauty trends among celebrities and It girls for the past few years and it doesn't seem like this pale lip look is going anywhere.

Below, I've listed my all-time top five favorite nude glosses — and let me just say, these were not slim pickings. There are so many to choose from, but I based my decision on color versatility, texture and scent. What's your top pick for nude lip gloss?

• Besame Cosmetics Enchanted Lip Glaze in Latte ($23) is a thick, creamy and sweet vanilla-scented gloss that leaves lips feeling moisturized and looking off-the-charts shiny.
• Scott Barnes Lip Slick in Suggestive ($22) is an over-the-top creamy lipsticky-lipgloss. It's a favorite of Jennifer Lopez and Kate Hudson and is available in five nude shades to suit all skin tones.
• Laura Mercier in Petal ($22) is a rich, opalescent, beigy-pink shade that lasts long and has been recently re-formulated with a hint of vanilla. The shine is brilliant and the neutral color makes it a makeup case staple.
• Estee Lauder Pure Color Lip Gloss in Quartz ($16) has remained one of my favorite glosses for over a year because of its smooth, non-tacky texture and wearable color. It's by far the palest of the nudes listed, and looks beautiful over a neutral lipstick or worn alone.
• Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in Beige Velvet ($24.50) is a shiny, light-reflecting nude-pink lip gloss that blends into the color of your lips. This is my go-to gloss for subtle daytime color.

Is it just me, or did eyebrows suddenly become the big beauty thing? It used to be that you'd use your favorite brown or taupe shadow to fill in thin or light hairs and add structure to your face. Now, kits are available in all sizes and prices. Some include tweezers, brushes, stay-proof waxes and multi-color shadows, while others have fewer bells and whistles but still get the job done. Below are my personal favorite eyebrow kits; what are yours?

• Anastasia Brow Ex-press in Brunette ($38) is one of my favorites. Her tweezers are amazingly precise and I really like being able to blend all of these colors without having to spend a fortune.
• Le Sourcil de Chanel ($46.60) has a thick, waxy texture that blends surprisingly well, and leave it Chanel to choose just the right combo of colors to suit just about any brow color.
• Too Faced Brow Envy Brow Shaping & Defining Kit ($35) has an unbelievable price for all it includes. Inside of the pink polka-dot box comes two powder shades, molding wax, stencil, mini-tweezers, mirror, brown pencil with a blending tip and an angled brush.
• Ramy Beauty Therapy Miracle Brow ($28) is near and dear to my heart because it's the first brow kit I ever used. The creamy gel texture blends like silk and leaves your brows not only darker but also well groomed — this is a winner!
• DuWop Browwow in Darker ($34) is small, but it does the trick every time. Inside of the pink compact lies a colored powder, a shimmery highlighter and a tinted gloss to use when you're finished and a double sided brush for precise application and flawless blending.

Even if you’re not typically a coral kind of gal, trust me when I say that you’ll love the way they look with a little bit of mascara and some bronzer in the summertime. Coral has that je ne sais quoi to make tanned skin look all the more radiant. Below are my favorite coral lipsticks, They are a little deeper than peach lipgloss without being overly orange. Do you prefer one lipstick color over another in certain seasons?

• Stila Lip Color in Miranda ($17) is a shiny, creamy and super-sheer everyday coral lipstick. Last year, it was so popular that it was honored as one of In Style's Best of Beauty Buys. It's a good choice if you want to ease into the color trend.
• Chantecaille Lip Chic in Geranium ($30) is a sheer, rich nudey-coral. This creamy formula stays moist for hours and looks great worn alone or with a sheer gloss on top.
• I've already told you how gorgeous the new, creamy Diane Von Furstenberg Volcano Lipstick ($18) is. This golden, pale coral-peach shade looks killer paired with black mascara and bronzer.
• Guerlain KissKiss Stick Gloss in Mango Fizz ($30) is a sheer and shiny hydrating lipstick that contains just a little bit of maxi-lip for plumpness without having too much of a tingle.
• Lancome Le Rouge Absolou in Coral Gossamer ($26) is a creamy textured, medium-coral colored lipstick that contains a touch of shimmer for a pearlized, glowy finish and SPF 15 for sun protection.

Ever since I started toying around with cream blush about a year ago, I've been hooked. I'm not really into anything too shimmery — I like to leave that to the more spreadable luminizers — but I've been having a field day with pinky-brown tones like By Terry's Rose de Rose Sheer Liquid Blush in Fresh Rose that I told you about earlier in the week. Each of these items leaves my face looking flushed, hydrated and even a little dewy in a natural way. It's as though I've just drunk a bottle of water and gone for a brisk walk. Here are my other four fave cream blush discoveries; what's your top pick?

• Benefit Cream Blush in Hush ($18) is a sheer, thin and easily spreadable cream-to-powder pinky-nude-colored blush that adds a natural-looking warmth to fair skin.
• Stila Convertible Color in Peony ($24) is the darkest of the bunch. I reserve this color for moments when I crave a rosy glow. The consistency is slightly waxy at first, so it's best applied with a sponge to facilitate blending.
• Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in Blushed Rose ($22) is extremely thick and rich in pigment. A little goes a long way and the result is a deep, stain-like finish.
• Scott Barnes Cream Color in Sway ($25) is a moist, easily spreadable pinky-beige blusher that can also double as a lip and eye shade. Use a little bit for a natural effect, or layer for a deep, dewy look.

Below are my top five favorite lip gloss options for sultry, sex-kitten lips. These pale pinks and peaches (sans shimmer, glitter or any kind of opalescence for that matter) cool down the natural flesh tone of your lips to an icy finish and look the hottest when paired with a smoky eye. Which of your lip glosses makes you feel the sexiest?

• Scott Barnes Flossy Glossy in Meow ($22) is a peachy-pinky gloss that has a little bit of a chalky effect without the matte finish. It blends easily and looks amazing alone or over a nude lipstick.
• MAC Lip Glass in Underage ($14) is a soft, pale-pink, high-shine lip gloss. Rumor has it that it's also Carmen Electra's fave (talk about a sex kitten personified)!

For two other glosses to make you purr, read more

Loose powders are a fantastic way to provide light to medium coverage on your skin without having to apply a heavy or greasy fluid foundation. They help control shine, cover blemishes, red, spots, broken capillaries and under-eye circles — all without caking. Some of my favorite new loose powders also happen to be made from minerals, which also makes them good for your skin. Below are my top five favorites. Do you have a love for one loose powder in particular?

• La Bella Donna Loose Mineral Foundation ($50) is a soft mineral face powder that contains SPF 20 and doesn't clog your pores. I've been using the shade Nicoletta for the past year (plus) and love how it gives my face flawless-looking coverage.
• Prescriptives Custom Blend Powder ($45) is a customized, mixture of lightweight powder created to match your skin tone. You leave the store with a large jar and a mini travel jar which both include a puff. You can also pay an additional $15 for an extra container of pressed powder. Although it's costly, I think it's worth the splurge.
• Physician's Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Loose Powder ($10.95) is a relatively new product that has been designed for sensitive and pimple-prone skin. It's non-irritating, it blends easily and has a natural finish. It comes with a brush, and I love the security of the snap-top close.
• Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation ($25) is one of the smoothest blending mineral loose powders that I've ever tried. You voted it your favorite foundation of 2007 because of its silky texture, non-irritating formula and fabulous coverage.
• Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF 15 ($35) is a super-fine, oil-free loose powder that contains 15 amino acids that help achieve clear skin while providing a smooth finish. Not only do I love the tinted powder, but the translucent powder is essential for setting foundation, lipstick ... you name it.