I don't know about where you live, but here in Oregon you'd never know that last Monday marked the beginning of summer. To help perk me up through all this rain, I look to my trusty makeup collection to lift my spirits :)

My first stop for some new colors was at the Stila counter. Their summer Sunshine Collection has a distinct bronze focus, which I always find pretty on other people but usually too dark and orange for me. I decided to give it a go anyway and see how summery these colors could make me feel!

The Stila Sunshine Collection consists of "Ray" terracotta copper shadow, "Melissa" copper rose lipstick, "Bronze Shine" and "Gold Shine" lipshine glosses, and Stila Sun bronzing powder.

I always like the soft shades and superior blendability of Stila shadows, and while "Ray" isn't a color I would choose for myself, it is a very pretty and surprisingly sheer color. In the pot it closely resembles a copper penny, but on the skin is has a soft, shimmery copper glow. This is a color that would really suit medium or dark skintones, or fair skin with golden undertones. On my fair and rosy skin, it looks rather orange...

For cheeks, I chose "Brava" blush. While it's not specifically part of the summer collection, Stila is recommending it as a complementary shade since its pinkish brown tones work well with bronze and gold tones. I would not choose this blush for everyday, but it is a nice change from very pinky pinks.

For lips, the "Melissa" lipstick is a pretty medium copper rose shade. Again, it goes a bit orange on my skin but might be nice on light skin with golden undertones, or medium/dark skintones. I also tried "bronze" and "gold" glosses and had a similar color experience - pretty but wrong for my skintone. The "Bronze" shade is almost chocolately with a hint of copper shimmer, while the "Gold" is just that, a light shimmering gold.

Finally, for that sunkissed summer look, Stila has come out with Stila Sun bronzing powder ($36). I readily admit I am not a bronzing powder fan (they always look orange or too brown on me), but this one has potential. I chose the darker #2 shade (it comes in two colors) and it actually turned out less dramatic than I anticipated. The colors are soft and subtle, and thankfully low on shimmer. The finished look is healthy and natural. If you are a bronzer fan, you might want to check out Stila Sun for something new.

My next stop for summer colors was just down the counter to Estee Lauder. Their Splash collection includes a two-in-one eyeshadow quad, lipstick, nail polishes, and cream bronzing stick. Estee Lauder has also introduced Instant Cover SunBlock SPF 15 for summer. Unfortunately none of these products did anything for me.

For starters, the colors in the Splash eyeshadow quad ($35) are, in my opinion, not flattering at all. Trying to combine the white, khaki, copper brown and saffron yellow shadows into anything even remotely pretty was a major challenge for me! If you are into trendy looks, maybe you'd like these colors, but I have a hard time recommending them.

For cheeks, Estee Lauder is offering their Minute Blush cream blush stick ($27.50) in "Bronze". It's also a rather disappointing shade - too copper-orange to really be flattering on anyone. If you want a bronze cheek color, stick with a bronzing powder for a more subtle and natural look.

The selections for lips (I tried "Copper Sun" LipBlush, $15) and nails (Quick Finish Nail Lacquer, $6) are more subdued, but are still equally unflattering shades of beige ("Beach White"), pale yellow ("Sunbleached") and muddy light brown ("Sanddune"). I can't imagine these colors looking good on anyone's nails.

The final product I tried from Estee Lauder's summer products is Instant Cover SunBlock SPF 15 ($22.50). The concept behind this compact is great - a creamy SPF 15 sunblock in a small mirrored compact - but the reality falls dramatically short of what I imagine Estee Lauder intended.

The first problem with Instant Cover is the overpowering fragrance. As if sunscreen doesn't have enough irritation potential, this one smells like one of Estee Lauder's perfumes! If the compact had no label, one could easily assume it was solid perfume. Second, while the creamy texture is nice, the product is too white and iridescent to wear on your face, unless you are into the "greasy" look. Finally, the notion of applying sunscreen to only parts of your face concerns me. To be fully effective, you need to apply a generous amount of sunscreen to your entire face, neck, shoulders (if necessary) - pretty much anywhere the sun will hit. This "dab and cover" method is either a sunburn or wrinkle waiting to happen.