Spring has definitely arrived here in Portland, Oregon. The warm sunshine and blue skies always make me want to break out my shorts, sandals, and, of course, some pretty pastel makeup! This week Philosophy made it easier for me with their new Superlights pastel version of the Pocket Book ($45) makeup kit. This ingenious little collection includes "compassion" (pale pink) blush, "prosperity" (neutral gray-brown) eye shadow, four mini-lipsticks in "initiation" (sheer MAC Twig-like pink brown), "devotion" (sheer light peach with a hint of gold), "imagination" (sheer pale pink with a hint of gold), and "compassion spf 15" (glossy medium pink with a touch of brown), and a set of travel makeup brushes (blush, blending, shadow, lip, and liner) all rolled up in a black leather wallet. I also have the original Pocket Book, now called Superneutrals, and both are indispensable for travel, or just to carry your favorites in your purse. The new Superlights easily earns a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.

To compliment my pastel makeup mood, I decided to try Maybelline's new Express Finish polish in Watercolors, sheer shades of blue, violet, berry, and lemon for nails. While the "berry water" color I chose looked great for my at-home pedicure, on my rather long (and naturally white-tipped) fingernails, it looked messy and accidental. The sheer effect is pretty on short nails, and I found the color lasted a day longer than most regular nail polish (without touchups). I'd give Watercolors 4 out of 5 stars.

Since seeing the ads several weeks ago in all the fashion magazines, I have been hunting down L'Oreal's new Rouge Pulp liquid lipcolor. It finally arrived at a local drugstore (for $5.99) and I snapped up a few of the most tempting shades to see just how incredible it really is. Was I ever disappointed! Rouge Pulp is just a basic, non-sticky lipgloss (reminds me of Origins Slipcovers). It does come in some interesting shades, including: revealing (clear), shiver (pale yellow), goddess (pale pink), crush, passionate (red), daring (deep plum), wink (pale lilac), forbidden (medium taupe brown), exposed, craving, tempting, delicious, and seduce (medium gold). Rouge Pulp is okay, but not revolutionary, earning just 3 of out 5 stars.

Just when I thought my lipstick quest would end in defeat this week, I stumbled across a brand new compact from M Professional that you won't want to miss. If you are like me, you like to carry a variety of lipsticks with you, both for touchups and in case you feel the need to wear a different shade. On the days I carry a small purse, having four or five lipstick tubes is a little unrealistic! M Professional's new Lipstick Six-Pack Compact (around $8 at drugstores) is the perfect solution - six shades are conveniently packed in a thin, refillable palette compact with a mirror and lipbrush. Not only can you mix and match the colors to create your own shades, you can easily take the compact with you, and refill it with other favorite shades when these run out! An empty palette from Japonesque, Makeup Forever, or Bobbi Brown Essentials can cost as much as $22.50! The Lipstick Six-Pack comes in two palettes, one light (#851) and one dark (#852). I readily give this compact 5 out of 5 stars. Find a store near you that carries M Professional by visiting their website at http://www.mprofessional.com

We've been busy little testers here at Cosmetic Connection, reviewing products like crazy! Check out our new reviews of Clarins, Yves Saint Laurent, Avon, Bobbi Brown, and Almay on the Product Reviews page.

What do the latest crop of vitamin-packed creams mean for your skin? Find out in our new Feature for March, Vitamin Therapy. Spring is a perfect time to give your skin a boost!

The Makeup Diva is In! Considering all the products I've reviewed, it's hard to remember which ones were good, bad, or just plain ordinary. This week our Makeup Diva puts together a list of our favorite foundations that we've reviewed, listed by skin type to make your shopping a little easier. Don't go to the mall without it!

Calling all America Online subscribers! Bring your cosmetic questions to the Electra Real Chat room on Monday, March 30th at 11pm eastern and chat with me live online! From the best foundation to the hottest spring makeup looks, it's a great discussion and an open forum for your toughest beauty questions. Type keyword: electra and follow the links to Real Chat. See you there!