palette

In another life, I'd be a fabulous French femme who strolled the streets of Paris in simple but chic outfits. An Isabel Marant dress here, a sequined Vanessa Bruno tote there, and a Paul & Joe coat to top it all off — so French, so chic. Unfortunately, not only am I not even vaguely French, I also can't afford the steep prices of those clothes.

What I can splurge on, however, feels just as French without making such a hard hit on my pocketbook. Paul & Joe Beauté has the cutest limited-edition Starlet palette ($38). It's a trio of super-versatile shadows: a slightly sparkly light mauve, a smoky dark amethyst, and a matte deep purple. So whether I want to do a nonchalant, "I'm shopping in the Marais" nearly-nude eye look or a sexier, "It's 2 a.m. and we've just left Nouveau Casino" eyeliner-heavy one, this floral compact makes me feel like a gallic gal — even if my morning croissant isn't quite authentic.

Makeup palettes usually offer pretty good deals, giving you more makeup than you'd get from buying items separately. Witness Sephora's color play palette ($22), which provides 36 eye shadows, 12 lip glosses, three blushes, and a bronzer in one kit. If that's not an insane deal, then I don't know what is.

I like to travel with palettes because it's so much easier than packing separate products, but on a day-to-day basis, I confess that I barely use them. They sit neglected in the bowels of my beauty cabinet, passed over for whatever makeup I feel like wearing on any given day. And so, while I love the idea of palettes, I am unable to commit to them. Are you a fan of the all-in-one concept, or do you like the idea better in theory than in practice?

Wow, It felt like Christmas morning when I opened up my big Decade of Glamour box from Too Faced Cosmetics ($40). Wide-eyed and excited, I eagerly opened up the pink and black double doors to reveal a left and a right leaflet filled with six lip glosses, two lipsticks and a lip balm.

Then, underneath the main panel, there are three full-sized products. In total, there's an exclusive bronzer, a clear lip plumper, another double-sided bronzer, six mini eye shadows, a mini black eyeliner pencil, a mini black mascara and a mini double-blush in light and dark shades of pink.

Now can you see why this has reached Bellissima status! I sit in amazement, playing with my trove of goodies and wonder how this can all be just $40. The answer is that it really has a much higher value ($195, to be exact), but Too Faced decided to gather ten years' worth of their best-selling items and create this anniversary mega-set. This about as ideal a gift as you can get for a fellow beauty product junkie. Do you think you'll buying one anytime soon?

Yesterday, I showed you what was coming for Fall, but in just a few short weeks, Nars Cosmetics is going to launch a stunning four-colored eye, three-colored lip, and two-colored cheek Bridal Palette ($65), which will be available exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue stores. The sleek, rubbery black case, looks just like their other famous, artist palettes, only this one is filled with nine of Nars' best-selling shades.

This palette is all you'll need for your honeymoon or even for the big day (well, while you're at it, throw in some foundation and mascara, too). In fact, it reminds me a lot of one of their discontinued palettes, which I used to haul around with me on holiday and to the gym — it's that amazing. There are a few changes in this version that are definitely for the better such as Albatross, a new powder highlighter and a perfect-pink lipstick in Roman Holiday — and trust me when I tell you this is something you won't want to miss. Can't take the suspense? To find out exactly what's inside, read more

On Friday, New York Fashion Week kicked off with a Red Dress Collection celebration. The first women to walk the runways were dressed all in red (and most also wore red lipstick) in support of National Wear Red Day. It's the first Friday of February, and it was created by The Heart Truth to raise awareness about heart disease—the number-one killer of women in America. Since this is a cause close to Bobbi Brown's heart, she not only sponsored the show, but she also partnered with The Heart Truth for the third year to create a limited-edition red lip palette. She said:

“I am thrilled to be a part of The Heart Truth’s Red Dress Collection Fashion Show for a third year in a row. It’s important to educate and empower women with the knowledge they need to make smart lifestyle choices and The Heart Truth does a great job of getting the word out.”

The sleek black palette contains four shades of Bobbi's favorite lipsticks, including Mauve Lip Shimmer, Kir Lip Shimmer, Cranberry Lip Sheer, and Slopes Lip Color with a message inside that says, "Be True To Your Heart." Only 500 palettes have been created, and they retail for $40. So if you like it, I'd advise you to put your order in quickly.

This weekend I stumbled across this gorgeous palette from Aussie brand Becca, and I had to do a double-take. The "Best of Becca" palette is a worthy addition to any makeup collection. Unlike most palettes that only have one or two useful colors, this one contains colors that are all flattering on almost every skin tone. Inside are two earthy eye shadows, a subtle yet flattering rosy nude blush, a pinkish caramel lip/cheek cream, and a shimmery gloss to polish off the look. You can literally do your entire face with this palette. Throw on some mascara, and you're all set! If the $59 price tag is a little steep, check out some more affordable options when you read more

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Benefit has launched an adorable limited-edition lip and eye palette called Pink to Please a Woman... Gold to Get the Guy! ($30). Heavy on pink and gold tones, this palette's colors make for a beautiful winter-to-spring transition.

The cute gingham-print packaging is adorned with a tiny ribboned bow, and what's inside is just as aww-inspiring.

The kit features three mini shimmer shadows in champagne, gold and tender pink; it also has three sheer lipsticks in pale pink, bubblegum and deep pink. The look is warm and flirty, and the whole package is cute without being twee.

Here's something sweet from Hard Candy. This Kaleidoscope Eye Palette gives you nine eye shadows for a remarkably reasonable price of $22. When I saw the cost, I had to double-check that the palette actually came with product inside, and much to my delight, it does.

Some of the colors would work for everyday wear, while others are a bit more out-there. So if you never wear sparkle or shimmer, this isn't the palette for you. If, however, you like to try bold colors now and then, what better way to do it than at less than $2.50 per shadow?