Bonne Belle

Next week will be celebrating Independence Day on July 4. Yes, 232 years ago we declared independence from Great Britain. This got me thinking about different types of freedom, mostly of the George Michael kind, but also the freedom of first being able to wear makeup.

I had definitely experimented with Bonne Belle's Smackers in the Dr. Pepper flavor, but my first true makeup purchase was Cover Girl's Lipslicks. I can't remember which color I tried, but the packaging is bringing back memories of junior high.

What was your first beauty purchase? Bookmark your choice and share your experience in the comments below.

Share your choices by bookmarking items from around the web and tagging them with the phrase First Beauty Purchase. I'll feature your favorites here next Tuesday.

To learn about Beauty Mark It challenges and how to add your picks, check out this how-to. To see some of my favorite online beauty stores, read more

While metallics have had serious staying power over the last year, let's talk more about some of the golden treasures we've found. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that gold nail polish was the next big trend, and we already know that golden highlights are hot. We've seen numerous golden lip glosses as well as tons of glamorous gold packaging. And guess what? Here come more gilded treats! So get excited and stay tuned all week long for more golden beauty treasures. Today's topic is gold dust — a little something sparkly for the face, shoulders and decolletage.

Bonne Bell Glimmer Bronze Highlighting Dust, Gold'n Glitz ($3.95) is a loose powder with microscopic particles that create a sexy glow on your face and body. Be warned, a little shimmer goes a long way, so you'll want to tap your puff before you apply to ensure that the gold dust spreads evenly and isn't too heavy in one area. The result is a luminous glow that lasts all night long.

For more gold dust, read more